Chronicle Books Blog

The offbeat sketchbook that offers endlessly absorbing drawing prompts is back with a fresh face and all new inspiration. 712 More Things to Draw follows the wildly addictive and popular 642 Things to Draw which spawned design and art challenges across the nation.

Filled with deceptively simple and quirky prompts, 712 More Things to Draw encourages artists and doodlers alike to fill in each page. Prompts include the basic nacho, wallet, and caterpillar and abstract ideas like a bear hug or devil’s advocate.

To celebrate this new arrival, we are announcing our first ever doodle.ly contest for a chance to win 712 More Things to Draw and a few other Chronicle doodling favorites.

How to Enter
1) Hop onto doodle.ly and draw your version of the Chronicle Books spectacles. (See our example below!)
2) Put this hashtag in your doodle’s title: #712Things
3) Publish your doodle through your Twitter account.
4) Leave a comment on this blog post to say that you entered.

We’ll be able to find all entries labeled #712Things on Twitter and Instagram so don’t forget to put that in your title and leave a comment here so we can contact you if you win! You must enter by 10/12/12 to be considered and a team of Chronicle Books editors will do the judging.

The more creative the better. Looking forward to your doodles! Winner will be announced at the end of October.

Alyson Pullman
Publicist

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September has us all in a creative flurry at Chronicle Books: the editors are signing up exciting new projects for 2014 (already!) and we’re finalizing designs for 2013 projects, all while eagerly watching finished copies of everything on the Fall 2012 list travel out into the world. It’s a constant seasonal juggle and we often wonder, “What year is it?!”

In short: we’re working hard to make good things today, and every day. We strive to stay inspired—and meet all our looming deadlines—by doodling dreams and tracking to-do lists in the many journals and notebooks we publish. Here’s a roundup of all the new notebooks that we (and you!) get to choose from this fall!

Which one would you most like to use?

I ran around the office snapping pictures of all of these new notebooks. The lighting’s a bit off in some, but don’t we have some interesting surfaces here at our office in San Francisco?

Jill Bliss’ Wildflowers Mini Eco-Journal Set for petite and pretty perspectives.

The florals on The Art of Instruction Notebook Collection are from vintage educational charts and make me want to muse the day away.

Junzo Terada’s Animal Marching Band Journal and Lab Partners’ Lucky Cat Journal have shapely three-piece cases that make even the most mundane meetings amusing.

A trio from John Robshaw, perfect for globetrotting (or at least armchair globetrotting) and rambling reveries.

Mixtape Mini Eco-Journals for music lovers on the move.

For folks who prefer the look of yesteryear, these journals were each inspired by vintage ephemera. Suzy Ultman’s Storybook Journal and Wendy Addison’s Theatre of Dreams Journal.

From Liberty of London, three perfectly purse-worthy journals.

Even the craziest ideas are good ideas (and turquoise foil stamping is never a bad idea!). Good Ideas / Bad Ideas Journal.

Four flexible paperback journals for everyone else. From left to right, A Whale of a Tale painted by Melanie Mikecz, Make Something Good Today by Jen Renninger, Petit Collage Paris Journal by Lorena Siminovich, and the Moomin Journal.

Kate Woodrow
Senior Editor

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Leave a comment below to be entered to win these two new products before they hit stores!

Sweet, charming, darling, and of course, utterly beautiful, these are some of the words that describe the stationery that Rifle Paper Co. creates for stationery lovers. Last year Chronicle Books had the pleasure of partnering with them to create the coveted Botanicals Stationery Collection and Notebook Collection.

This season we bring you two new offerings—as gorgeous as you’d expect from this creative husband-and-wife team. Here is a sneak peek at this autumn’s Botanicals Garlands and Botanicals Labels and Stickers.

Each hand-painted floral and alphabet tile shimmers with a subtle gold metallic ink. The garlands are customizable and easy to assemble, adding sophistication and charm to any occasion.

The darling portfolio of multipurpose peel-and-stick labels is the perfect match between elegance and organization. You can add a personal touch to envelopes, treats, books, and pretty up any package.

Alyson Pullman
Publicist

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Where are you headed this summer? Tell us about your summer adventure plans—far or near—in the comments below for a chance to win your very own copy of Side Walks (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Here we are almost halfway through summer already, and if you’re anything like me, the travel bug has you itching for adventure. There’s just nothing like that sense of freedom and discovery that a summertime getaway always seems to bring. So, while planning my next big escape, I indulged my wanderlust with a little tour of Chronicle’s travel journals.

The Bon Voyage journal by artist Susie Ghahremani makes me want to hot-air-balloon my way around the world.

What could bring more whimsy to your journey than these cute little critters? Susie Ghahremani is the imaginative mind behind boygirlparty.com, and her knack for putting the fun in function never ceases to amaze me. This handy little journal is bursting with fun features: prompts for making lists and agendas,

lots of space for recording observations (all illustrated with Susie’s adorable artwork, of course),

and a back pocket for stashing mementos on-the-go. I’m particularly fond of the waterproof cover that keeps your notes safe even in the event of unexpected weather changes.

I love to keep ticket stubs, museum flyers, pamphlets, and all sorts of little odds and ends while I’m traveling as souvenirs. The Travel Stub Diary is filled with page after page of plastic sleeves for storing all of those on-the-go keepsakes:

Right now I’m using this journal for stashing mementos from my hometown, but I can’t wait to take this album with me on my next big trip. I love that these pockets can fit just about anything and everything I’d ever want to keep on my travels—and with acid-free pages, too.

Those little unexpected discoveries are what always make the trip feel special for me. I Was Here, a travel journal by Kate Pocrass, is filled to the brim with fun ways to take note of the little things on your journey.

Kate Pocrass is the artist behind Mundane Journeys, under which she’s self-published a series of small books and tour itineraries to help people wander, explore, and discover off the beaten path. You’re bound to catch something unique on every corner with this journal. With Kate’s guidance, you might try visiting tourist attractions from a different perspective:

Or you might follow a theme to guide your journey. What could be more inspiring than letting color lead the way?

For the times when I can’t hop on a plane, Kate’s new journal Side Walks is the perfect companion for a little neighborhood excursion.

A travel journal for exploring your very own city, Side Walks will embark you on an adventure even if it’s just around the block. Kate encourages you to observe, sketch, and experience your surroundings in new and unexpected ways…

like following the path of an airplane in the sky:

or only eating foods of a similar shape for a day.

I took this journal for a quick spin in my neighborhood this weekend. San Francisco is full of surprises, but it’s all too easy for me to get stuck in my routine. With Kate’s guidance, I kept an eye out for everyday wonders that I may not have otherwise noticed:

and spotted some exciting new discoveries at every turn, even right under my feet!

I may not have journeyed to the far ends of the Earth, but I found plenty of inspiration right outside my front door.

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Caitlin Kirkpatrick
Editorial Assistant

Denyse Schmidt’s distinctive, boldly graphic, and beautifully colored designs for fabrics and quilts have adorned many best-selling Chronicle Books paper products over the years.

The latest item in the Dots & Jots line of products is the newly released Dots & Jots Journal (incredibly, there hasn’t been a full-sized journal in this collection until now!).

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the mechanical file layout of the entire journal cover:

And here’s the gorgeous front cover image.

And as you can see below, the interior pages aren’t standard blank lined ones—they’re visually inspiring and varied throughout.

Let us know what you think of Denyse’s gorgeous designs by leaving a comment and you’ll be eligible to win one set of Dots & Jots stationery items: Journal, Mix & Match Stationery, Notecard Book, and Mix & Match Gift Bags that we’ll reward to a randomly selected lucky person (offer valid in the US and Canada only). Good luck!

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