:// LOG 01: new stuff, & …
hello!! welcome to the desktop dog blog. (deskblog dog? desktop blog? remains to be seen..)
this blog space is going to be dedicated to announcing the release of new products, as well as discussing upcoming products, themes, etc. that being said, let’s talk about what’s new in store, and what’s coming next!!
the store
let’s start with what’s new in store, specifically, the most popular items: stickers!! there’s over 15 new individual designs to check out.
- a few people have been asking for pride-themed stickers, and now they are here! for now, the flags included are those that represent: lesbian, gay, bi, trans, nonbinary, pan, and asexual. i think that about covers the main identities typically represented in pride merchandise, but if there’s ever enough people asking for more, i’ll totally add more.
- there’s a trio set representing new characters in the desktop dog world. desktop dog 01 is the main one we all know and love, but he needs some buddies!! look out for these new friends and more as the year progresses.
- i had the honour of vending at halifax’ cringe fest this month. i made a rave-themed sticker sheet for the event. while my main stock totally sold out at the event, the manufacturers had accidentally sent over some extra, meaning if you were not at the event now’s your chance to snag a sheet up!! two of the designs have also been made into separate holographic stickers.
moving on, let’s talk keychains!!
- two of the designs from the trio set mentioned previously are available as one double-sided holographic keychain.
- most exciting: a blind box series!! this is the first blind box series i’ve started, the fruits serie. you’ll be hunting for a double charmed keychain… the common ones are apple and blueberry, the uncommon are starfruit and dragonfruit, and the rarest are the pineapple and watermelon designs. there’s even a cute handmade box that they come in, so please do check it out!!
to cap off the section on the store, there’s a totally new type of product: a mouse pad! the design features a cute serene scene of two desktop doggies laying in the grass together. it’s decently sized too, at 30x25cm.
WHAT’s next?
so, there are currently two major-ish projects i’ve been working on in the background… one of which is definitely more on the major side than the other. that “major” one would be the colouring book, the second less-major one being a new zine.
the colouring book is something really exciting to work on. think like, classic kind of colouring book you can find anywhere: nice glossy covers with the newsprint-ish paper. i want to have at least 12 distinct designs for the book. 6 designs are currently completed! each design will hopefully have about 2 chances to appear in the book. the book will also feature unique designs for the front and back cover. i want to include a page for instruction on how to easily copy and print the book’s pages onto different types of paper for more “advanced” colouring, but that remains to be seen on the manufacturing side of things.
the zine will be different than the first one. the first zine was reflecting on my thought processes and interests in the desktop dog project. this one will be more focused on the internal “world” of desktop dog’s universe, though not a lore-heavy thing by any means. think of this as the introduction of what the possibilities of this work will be, and what the character of desktop dog could become. i want his story to be felt and seen more than read, but that could also just be more of my bias as i consider myself a visual artist far more than i’d ever consider myself a writer.
in terms of progress, i’d say the colouring book is further along than the zine, but the zine will take far less time to complete, if that makes sense.
beyond these two projects, i want to focus more on the aforementioned new buddies of desktop dog. many people i’ve spoken to about this project seem curious about the types of characters desktop dog interacts with, so expect fun stickers, prints, and more of upcoming characters. the last thing i’d want is for our favourite digital doggy to feel lonely!
the sITE
a few things to mention on the site…
firstly, i want to mention that there’s a downloadables section on the shop. currently there’s some free wallpapers up on there. there are more wallpapers and stuff in the works to be added. i want there to be fun, free stuff that makes enjoying desktop dog more accessible.
to add to that, by the time this blog is published, i’ll also finally be posting a free downloadable version of the first zine. admittedly, i meant to do this ages ago… better late than never, right? :-P
more on the site, the front page is still embarrassingly barren, haha!! this website is currently running via squarespace. its own limited interface (as well as my own limits) are part of why i’ve been struggling to polish the site more. this part of the post is a bit of a call to action, i suppose. if there’s anyone out there willing to give feedback, advice, or any kind of help for managing the site please feel free to contact me and we can figure something out together.
if anyone is willing to do major work on the website and its appearance, we can also discuss some form of a payment. i can’t promise a lot of $$, but i can absolutely promise a free ticket to stuff in the store, if you catch my drift.
GOING FORWARD
i’ll be updated this blog space as often as possible for updates as well as reaching out to you all to know what you are all interested in seeing. the tone of the writing for these blogs may change as i’m still trying to figure out how exactly these posts should be formatted.
there’s always the different social media pages to stay up-to-date with (instagram / tumblr / twitter), though social media upkeep is still a spot i’m a bit weak in. i’ll be sure to announce this blog space on those sites as well, just to make sure they’re all somewhat connected.
so many people have been so kind and supportive about the project so far, and i cannot thank you all enough. as far as i’m concerned, this is all merely the start to what is going to be a lifelong and exciting project. i hope you all stick around and join me on this journey!