The Basic Leather Journal Anniversary

One year ago today I listed in my Etsy shop a Basic Burgundy Leather Journal. It sold the same day. . . . talk about Exciting! For most of the summer last year I had been trying to come up with something that was my own version of a Moleskine Journal. If you've never heard of them, the Moleskine journals are wildly popular, and have a huge following. I just wanted to create something of my own that was "simple, beautiful, and basic. This is the very first one I listed

This basic journal has gone through several upgrades-changes during the year, and here's the final version I've settled on
This has become my most popular style of journal, and I think it's just about my favorite one to make! It is my Go-To journal for many different occasions. I've used one myself, given them for gifts, made them in more colors than I can count, and sometimes have made them in different sizes and leathers.

So fast forward to January of this year. I made so many of these during the holidays last year, I thought I would challenge myself to make something new, and tried my hand at making hardcover journals. They turned out really well, but I really wanted to make some out of leather. I had quite a challenge finding leather that was thin enough, and gave me the look I was looking for. I found that I missed the exposed stitches on the binding. So I began figuring out how to make a leather hardcover journal, with the same binding I use on my basic journals. During this summer, I really put my nose to the grindstone and came up with what I thought would really work well. I tried several leathers and treatments, made several practice journals, and have finally come up with this
Meet the new Basic Hardcover leather journal! It isn't meant to replace the one year old Basic journal, it's just a "more" alternative. I've been using a prototype of this book for about a month now, and Oh My Goodness this is a NICE journal! I wish you could all just hold it in your hands and feel how special it is! You can find this in my Etsy shop, and I have more coming. This color is a Mahogany stain, and I have Brown, and Black stained ones coming this weekend! This one has unlined paper, but it will also be available with LINED paper! Did I mention that almost all my journals are available with LINED PAPER now! It is my hope that this journal will fulfill that same wish to be "simple, beautiful, and basic" just like its predecessor! I think it does, what do you think?