Web Finds - 4 February 2012

So no sooner has one of these been published then I start looking for new posts for the next one... and this week is no exception.

I'm sat in the kitchen with my laptop, my breakfast and coffee, and whilst you are clicking and reading going through what is now last week's (today's as I write this), I'm looking through my list of news feeds for new posts that have appeared over night, normally from our friends in the USA, it is still their evening by the time my head hits the pillow with my Kindle in one hand to catch up on some reading.

So they start on a Saturday morning normally and get added to though-out the week until I have a final check on Friday night before putting another one to bed and it is time I went to bed too!

So another week has passed and we have found some great posts for you to read << This having been written on Saturday of course is a way of hedging my bets! It is a bit like a merchant banker who always irons and presses 5 white shirts on a Sunday evening, assuming he will still be in a job by the end of the week.....

So after that rather lengthy introduction... here they are!

• The Cuban Brothers - Filofax Fixation
• New organisers to come! - Maudie Made 
• Inside the Cavendish - Bluebonnet Reads
• Filofax changeover leaves the whole house spent - The Crazy Suburban Mom
• Filofax dividers - Lancashire Cat
• An Exercise In Futility - Well Planned Life
• Not that much - Filofax Fixation
• holy bologna! - Snarling Post
• A new priority in Filofaxes - The Life of The Perpetual Student
• Filofickle - Filofax Fixation << Templates now on Philofaxy Files Page Thank you Terri
• My new Filofax toy - Rapunzel's World 
• Is this the Perfect Filofax? - Cat's Corner
• Filoh-no! - Filofax Fixation
• Filofax storyboard pages to print - My Life All in One Place
• My home binder filofax a5 (now pink classic) recap of tabs 1 & 2 + tabs 3 & 4 - Loving My Filofax
• The Zen of Filofax - The Crazy Suburban Mom
• The Flexi Filofax, hey! - Abimarvel
• Hang on I will just check my diary! - The Bright Shillings of March
• Filofax love - 24 beauty live
• Filofax Product Guide 2012-2013 - Chaotic Perfectionist
• Your blog post could appear here next week... Please email us if we missed you this week. 

And here's a couple of great videos to watch

Enjoy.

Free For All Friday No. 168

It's our first FFAF in February!  It's a Leap Year, what are you going to do with your extra day this year?

With the release this week of the new styles of Filofax binders coming out this year, there have been a lot of replies (including from myself) to the effect of: new binders are great and all, but what we really need are new inserts!  I keep reading about people using other brands of inserts because Filofax ones don't fit their needs and/ or are increasingly hard to find.

So, let it all out: what inserts would you like to see Filofax come out with? What diary formats would work better for you, and what other types of inserts would you use in your daily life?

And of course as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything Filofax-related.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The New Range... my own point of view..

OK so far I've reported on the new range, but I've not really commented on it from my own point of view...

New binders... good to see some brighter colours for those of you that are considering a new or replacement organiser this year. I'm happy for you lovers of purple that the Malden will also be available in this colour... I thought last years range was quite dull in terms of colour choices if you don't include the Apex...shhhhh

I'm might be tempted by the Malden Compact Zip... but that is about it for me out of the new ones.

However, inserts... this is the major issue for me... packaging like others have said doesn't bother me.. but reducing the range of inserts does concern me.

As yet we don't know what is going to stay and what is going to disappear.

Of course Filofax is a commercial company and they have to make a profit otherwise they can't pay the bills and they will sink without trace. 

People have said and continue to say that the quality of Filofax inserts isn't as good as other companies inserts and Philofaxy have supplied you with plenty of information on what fits and what doesn't, or how to make it fit your Filofax.

If however they continue with the same range with the same quality then of course sales of these items will drop off as we drift off to other solutions... so it's a catch 22 situation in a way.

So if the new designs don't improve the paper quality and designs don't please, then I'm not sure what they will do.

If they really are going to discontinue the TM Week per View insert then that is a blow, I'm using it this year and I know at least three other readers that are as well. For me this layout in A5 isn't quite perfect, but it's not far off it.

So if it is not going to be available next year then 'we' have to do something about it. To that end I've started a discussion with Ray over at My Life All In One Place.

Ray has produced some excellent templates for Day Per Page and other calendars, and I'm sure the techniques he has used are adaptable to Week Per View or Week on a Page plus notes/tasks etc. If it is possible to create such a template file I'm tempted to do one that looks similar to the FF TM Week Per View format, and one which I will adapt for my own preference, but of course you would also be able to adapt the design to your liking too.

Now that's a lot of 'ifs' but I'm sure we can come up with something to replace this particular insert design and any others that disappear. These will of course be made available for you to download and print yourself. I can't see me going in to 'production' to print these off on a for sale basis!

As I've said in earlier posts you will be kept informed with any developments either from Filofax or with our own development of substitutes.

[Update] A comment thread has been started on the Filofax Facebook Page to ask them to continue the TM inserts: http://www.facebook.com/filofax/posts/10150573385353357?notif_t=feed_comment

Filofax 2012 New Range - Part Three

So to finish off our round up of the new range for 2012 and to answer some of your questions from Parts 1 and 2.

There will be a revamp of insert packaging in 2012 and overhaul of insert design and range in 2013, and by this they mean a bit more bolder and colourful in the design, although I've not seen any examples yet... may be they should employ us on a consultancy basis!! I also hear that they are cutting the range of inserts which is bad news in some ways but we don't have any specifics about what is going to disappear.

There are some iPhone cases coming in with a Malden one on show at Paperworld this week. Pity I don't have an iPhone... may be if I buy the case that will be a good enough excuse!  They are also developing a range of iPad cases as well although several of the prototypes disappeared from the stand!

The Luxe is going to be available in UK in Mini, Pocket, Compact and A5, no mention of Personal size which I thought was a little odd... prices ranging from £85 for the Mini to £150 for the A5 my contacts tell me that one of the unique thing about this model is that the ring mechanism is covered in leather, just the rings themselves stick out.  It's available only in Blackcurrent...

There are some changes in colours of the Metropol range and the addition of the Compact size. This one is shown in Kingfisher Blue.

Later this year there will be some new Flex covers including some leather ones in Malden and Luxe type finishes in black and pink

Malden Zips in Ochre & Purple in Pocket and Personal Compact. Interiors much like the normal binders, but both have a full length gusseted pocket. Availability of this model appears to be an Europe only model, but I guess Neal Street will have it. I'm also assured that City Organiser will be able to get it as well.

Boston in very soft napp-like leather in black and pink with metal Filofax logo on bottom right hand corner.

With regards availability of the new models, (existing ones carry one obviously) in UK they will be phased in starting in March through to about July. Malden is pencilled in for a March launch..

As always if I get any more 'news' I will let you know.

Philofaxy London Meet Up - May 2012

I'm pleased to be able to announce the date of the next Philofaxy London Meet Up.

Saturday 26th May 2012

The format of the day is going to be slightly different to previous London meet ups:

• Meet up at Tate Modern at 12:00 noon
• Lunch at Tate Modern Cafe 2
• A short walk to City Organiser - who are opening just for our party

Andy Morse from City Organiser will also be joining us for lunch, he has over 25 years of experience in retailing Filofax products.

Now before you all get excited about booking tickets etc.... Places for this meet up will have to be confirmed. But I will not be accepting requests to join the meet up until March 16th, this is to avoid the situation where people reserve a place and then pull out at the last minute which then doesn't allow someone else the chance of a place at the meet up.

Hopefully by introducing this delay, you will be able to get the date cleared in your diary/planner and then when you request your place on or after the 16th March, you will know that you have a confirmed place and hopefully you will definitely be attending. Of course there might still be some form of family emergency or other on the day that might prevent your attendance I know.

I will send out a reminder closer to the 16th March for people to get their requests in after that date and which email address to send your requests to.

Once places have been assigned then I will send out full details about the arrangements for the day.

Looking forward to yet another great meet up in May.