Favorite Outtakes

October was a busy month! My mom was visiting, which was great but she got a terrible cold while she was here. Still, we did get in some fun time, like going to Columbia Road and Liberty on a few days. Despite not feeling well she was really helpful with our girls since Andrew was away for a bit of that time. My book launch events were great as well. It was a lot of fun to meet people who are genuinely interested in crafty shops in London and to sign my book for them. Quite a strange feeling to sign your own book but one that was very enjoyable! And it was fun to bake some cute sewing themed cakes and cupcakes.

Feedback about my book has been really positive so far. People seem to love the illustrated maps by Ryn Frank and that it's arranged by section of the city, making it easy to search by area. One thing I've noticed is how many people remark on its size, that it's bigger than they were expecting. While I initially thought of having a small guide in a square format, about 6x6 inches, the publisher and I decided it might have more visual impact if it were larger. The size is 9.5x7 inches. I do think the larger photos are more impressive. It was very hard to choose a small selection of photos for each shop, so I thought I'd share a few outtakes with you. For a shop like Loop, for example, I had so many photos I would have liked to include! What you see above and below are what made it into the book.

And here are a three favorites that didn't make it. I had a lot of fun using my macro lens for a handful of photos, like these three below, but many of them didn't make the cut in the end. 

Wayward is another favorite in the book. I love the way this shop looks in photos! The darker colours always help lighter and brighter colors look more dynamic. Rumor has it that Andrew, the owner, is doing a major re-arrange, so readers might be surprised when they go in to find a completely different looking Wayward which I'm sure will be equally stunning. Below is how Wayward looks in the book and then a few outtakes from it. 

I especially like the dramatic theater quality of this image below. 

I hope you enjoyed a little peek inside my book and at a few of the outtakes! If you'd like a copy of the book, it's available on Amazon in the UK, WHSmiths, Waterstones, and Amazon in the US and Barnes and Nobel there as well. If you want to find out if the book is in your city, you can check your local bookstores or write Black Dog Publishing to find it near you.