Custom binders are a new item here at Winged Turtle, courtesy of Zazzle.  The binders are 3-ring Avery vinyl binders–hold 8.5×11 paper size–that come in 3 sizes, 1-inch, 1.5-inch, and 2-inch.   There are about 180 now available with my usual art and designs–sea turtle binders, animal art binders, floral binders, etc. Most are available with customizable text, but many are also available as blank art binders. With a few of my designs I’ve made general photo albums — with a framed area on front for your photos. I’m now doing some specific specialty books — baby album binders, with customizable photos and text, Christmas memory books, school memory books, and more. I am planning to work on some recipe binder designs soon.

I love these new binders, and I’m enjoying designing for them. I may buy a couple both for myself and for family gifts — making photo albums / memory books and a recipe book. They’re not cheap binders, but as a basis for making a nice personalized gift for a family member, they’re worth it to me…and hopefully to others as well.

Wall calendars are nice, but it’s also great to just have a little calendar that you can keep in your wallet, or use as a bookmark, or whatever…a calendar that’s close at hand.  Or a poster calendar that shows you the whole year at once, so you never forget to change the month.  I’ve been experimenting with using various items for 12-month 2010 calendars.

Wallet Calendar Cards First, I’ve been using Zazzle’s large “chubby” (2.5×3.5) business cards with 12-month calendars on one side.  For some, I just used art on both sides, with the back side art only.  For others, I used the front as a regular business cards, with customizable text for name/ contact/ business/ etc, with the calendar on the back.

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Calendar Cards I’ve been using the new square — I think they’re 5.25×5.25, around 5×5 inches anyway–invitation cards to make 12-month calendar cards with art or photography on one side and and a 2010 calendar on the back, with the same art / photography as a background.  Useful as small calendars just to keep on the fridge, or on your desk–just easy to keep around and nice-looking.

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Bookmark Calendars Rack cards make useful “tall” calendars, and I’ve done a few marketed as bookmarks –calendar on back, art with large “2010″ on front.  I’ve also added smaller calendars to some of my “customizable for your business” rack cards, marketed as “advertise your events” cards.

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Calendar Prints Finally, I’ve used Zazzle’s posters to make custom 12-month calendar posters.  They’re designed with the art on the whole poster, with top half art only and bottom half calendar.  Some are tall and skinny; others are more normal “poster size”.  I’ve done a few of these as “custom photo poster calendars”, with a framed area on top for your photos.

Plus, I’ve started to do a few traditional wall calendars.  So, lots of calendar options for 2010 here.

Now available at the WInged Turtle Shop — through Zazzle– is a whole line of stationery products for personal and business use.  First, there’s stationery–5.5 by 8.5 in multiple paper types including linen and recycled–in many styles, blank and customizable with your title/ subtitle, lined and unlined.

Second, there is more formal –generally, although there’s some fun and colorful designs there–letterhead which is letter-size (8.5×11) and also available in multiple paper types.  Most letterhead has customizable text areas for your name , title, contact, etc.—everything you want on your letterhead.  I’ve also redesigned some business cards to match the new letterhead, so you can get matching sets.

Also –new invitation/ announcement cards.  There are over 100 customizable invitations available now, mostly square–general-use, so customize to your event.  Remember, square invitations do require extra postage–I am starting to add more “regular shaped” invites now and design a few general announcement cards as well.  Invite cards are a minimum of 10 per order, and as always when ordering through Zazzle, bulk discounts apply.

Along the lines of the invitations, there are now photo cards available–add your photos to these cards to personalize them.  I don’t have many now, as most of my current designs don’t lend themselves to “background/ border accent” –other than the abstract art– but I am adding more.

Finally, on the business side — other than the letterhead — there are rack cards and flyers .  I’ve only done a handful of each of these, customizable with your business and / or event information.