UPPERCASE : Stationery Around The World (Yay!)

Issue 17 of UPPERCASE came out recently which was rather exciting for two reasons: One, it's an entire issue dedicated to stationery (swoon!). And two, I contributed to it! I wrote a little piece on South Korean stationery for the 'around the world' feature, and took a bunch of photos of my (ever growing) stationery stash! Yay! 

UPPERCASE is one of my absolute favourite magazines. It's always full of ace things made by interesting and inspiring people, and it's beautifully produced - the paper stock (a magazine needs to feel good in your hands, don't you think?), the fonts, the layouts.  So I was kind of overjoyed to be asked to contribute something. It was also a good reminder that I should get involved more often - it really is a magazine that thrives on the input of their readers. Maybe you might want to participate too? 

I'm yet to get my hands on a copy but from all the previews I've seen it looks like a pretty amazing issue (there's a copy waiting for me when I head to Melbourne later this month, can't wait to see it!). You can read a bit more about the issue here. Oh, and if you're looking to subscribe or renew I have a code for $10 off - just get in touch and I'll pass it on.

(with thanks to Beci, aka sister of awesome aka proof reader extraordinaire!)

New listings + Discount (yay!) + North Korea (boo!)

I've finally found some time to list a few new goodies in the Jorpins Handmade shop - pom pom gift tags (these are so happy and bright) and the lovely sakura mini cards (featuring Japanese fabric sakura against a textured paper background). 

And in celebration of the new additions (and in a nod to current world events) I'm offering a 15% discount on the entire shop - just use the code  SEAOFFIRE at checkout. If shipping is disrupted by resumption of the Korean War I'll let you know. 

But seriously...I am a bit over all the hyped-up reporting on Korea right now. Everyday I see headlines shouting about Korea being on the 'brink of nuclear war', when often the article that follows is actually quite a measured, balanced assessment. It's unsettling for me, and it's especially unsettling for my family back in Australia. 

Seoul is very calm right now (apparently so is Pyongyang). But yes, people are concerned. They may have been through this all before but this time there's a few differences which are a little unnerving. But - people are going about their daily lives, and the vast majority of South Koreans don't believe a war is likely. 

I think Andrei Lankov nailed it in this op-ed when he says 'the farther one is from the Korean Peninsula, the more one will find people worried about the recent developments here'. That's not to say there isn't a risk that it's all going to go pear shaped, and that I'm perfectly relaxed about the whole thing. I'm not, but I still believe that an attack by North Korea is incredibly unlikely (all of their war rhetoric thus far is prefaced by 'if you attack us...then we will turn Seoul into a sea of fire etc'). And  anyway, this article reassuringly suggests that if they do attack statistically there'll only be about 200 non-Chinese foreigner casualties. (No mention of dachshund casualties though.) 

I could go on and on - I've been reading a LOT of news and opinion lately - but I won't bore you anymore than I already have. Right now we're all waiting for North Korea's 'imminent' missile test. I'm not sure what that's going to bring, but for now things are good. Well, aside from the Spring sleet/snow, that totally sucks!

So...back to the Etsy pretties!