My Giant Strawberry on Society6

What a week. I was knocked down for a couple days by a bug. We had snow. And now it's Friday. I have plenty of things I want to share with you, but today I want to talk about Society6.

You might be familiar with the company Society6. They do on-demand printing of a variety of products ranging from fine art prints to mugs to shower curtains to clothing. The designs for all of these products are created by independent artists from all over the world (in fact, anyone can upload designs there -- and earn royalties). New products types are constantly being added. Most recently? Floor pillows and window curtains.

I've had an account as an artist on Society6 since 2013, but haven't ever anything with it. I didn't want to start selling there until I knew what the products were really like. The reviews online vary (see here, here and here), so I wasn't sure what to think.

Last year when Society6 began printing notebooks, I was determined to try them out. It took me a while, but I finally got around to ordering a few products earlier this month. My packages arrived 10 days after I placed my order, which I thought was very fast for custom printed products.

First, notebooks:

I adore notebooks of all types and so it's no surprise that this would be the product to finally tip the scales for me.

These are lovely. The printing is bright and clear and the covers have a smooth, matte texture that's really appealing.

I ordered lined notebooks, but there's the option of unlined pages, too.

The paper is nice, "70 lb text paper" according to the product description.

At 52 pages, they're a good size, too.

I do wonder if the binding will hold up, which is just the nature of this type of softcover book, and wouldn't be a failing of this product in particular. I've used many notebooks for my journals over the years and have noticed that the bindings on dollar-bin notebooks as well as on higher-end softcover journals eventually break after continuous daily use. I haven't started writing in these yet, so we'll see.

Next, rugs:

In addition to notebooks, I wanted to try some rugs. I love colorful, decorative rugs, but rugs generally don't do well in our home. Since Matthias and I have been together, we've always had at least one four-legged, furry family member. Now we have four (that's 16 legs and a lot of fur!).

Even so, I thought I could get away with some small rugs in my studio.

(Someone immediately discovered this one. At least his fur will blend in).

This rug is actually a bath mat. It's machine washable, is lined with memory foam and has a velvety surface texture.

(No wonder Quin likes to sleep on it).

I love how it turned out. We'll see how it holds up long-term. (Not long after I took the first photo, a certain someone puked up a hairball that almost missed the rug. Almost).

As for an actual area rug, one of my hesitations to ordering one from Society6 came from reading feedback online about how thin they are.

The material is thin, but my rug came with a non-skid mat (a nice surprise; the product description says it's not included). I don't think I'd use it in a high-traffic area, and even with the non-skid mat this one tends to get a little rumpled from me walking in and out of my studio.

The texture is woven, almost more like a blanket than a rug. The colors are bright and the printing clear. Society6's rugs, like their bath mats, are machine washable. I ordered the smallest size (2'x3'), but they're also available in 3'x5' and 4'x6'.

All in all, I'd say that I'm very pleased with the products and the fast turnaround of my order.

Right now in my Society6 shop I'm offering only these three types of products in a limited range of designs. I plan to eventually add some more. Designs and products. (Something you'd really like to see? Let me know!).

Have you ever ordered from Society6? I'd love to hear about your experience.

Enjoy your weekend!