Sketch book

[kendalcottages]

I've been toying with this idea for a while but not yet implemented it. I think it's something that some of you already do.

Anyway, I'd like to leave a sketch book in the property and encourage guests to try out their creative side if they want to. Perhaps draw the view from our balcony, or conjur up a sketch of somewhere in the Lakes, or what they've been doing or whatever...

I think it's lovely to be able to put these on your website, or on your FB, etc. Shows other would-be renters what a lovely and relaxing time they could be having...

I think Windy does something along these lines. I've certainly seen some pictures his guests have done - by both children and adults alike. What about everyone else?

And do you put something in the first page of the sketchbook? Something like "Please feel free to use this sketchbook... etc. etc." ...and maybe even offer an incentive... a little prize, perhaps, for the best sketch in the book come the end of the year????

[la vache!]

I think its a lovely idea and might do it too. I've seen quite a few guests sketching whilst here. I've got two paintings, one of the cottage, one of Mont St Michel, given to me by guests (artists) who have stayed here and they are very precious to me.
It might stop children scribbling in the guest book too.

[Hells Bells]

I think it is a fabulous idea

[Giddy Goat]

Me too!

[e-richard]

I think its an excellent idea. Particularly for your market.


A couple of years ago at the HomeAway summit, they gave us a "goody bag" which contained a fairly naff looking pseudo-leather bound Guest Book emblazoned with the HomeAway Logo. The internal pages are all blank i.e no lines.

We already had a fairly smart proper Guest Book, so I took the HA version and stuck a lable on the front "Junior Guest book" with a very simple comment inside "For under 12s only". Within a couple of months, its now filled with some lovely colour drawings which look like they are families at the beach, families in the pool and some rather embarrassing representations of mums spilling out of their bikinis and other unrecognisable images

[kendalcottages]

Haha, Richard... what a great idea!

And keeps your 'official' guestbook all neat and tidy, too...

[Nemo]

A couple of years ago at the HomeAway summit, they gave us a "goody bag" which contained a fairly naff looking pseudo-leather bound Guest Book emblazoned with the HomeAway Logo. We already had a fairly smart proper Guest Book.

Ha ha....for some of us that fairly naff book was just perfect for property no 2, that hadn't yet got a guest book. The blue went with my seaside colourway you see. We are a little further downmarket than you Richard, so I'll let you off.

It's a lovely idea KC; I hope you get some nice sketches that you can use.

[e-richard]

... We are a little further downmarket than you Richard, so I'll let you off.

Its all an illusion Nemo !

And keeps your 'official' guestbook all neat and tidy, too...

Oh, I wish. Ask LV about kiddies scribbling in the main guest book.

Back onto the sketches. Other ideas for using them as well as web, Facebook etc. may be framing and hanging in the property, or even as guest postcards (with artists permission of course!). I get through about 50-60 postcards a year. Guests seem to like them, but somehow I think that hand sketched scenes would just be so much classier that colour photos of the Villa or surroundings.

[French Cricket]

I think it's a great idea.

I thought it was a great idea.

When we were in north Norfolk - a perfect place for pastels and drawing - we provided a sketch book, pastels and drawing pencils.

Did anyone use it?

No. Not one.

Hope you have better luck, KC!

[Nemo]

When we were in north Norfolk - a perfect place for pastels and drawing - we provided a sketch book, pastels and drawing pencils.

Did anyone use it?

No. Not one.

That was my gut feeling FC, so although I love the idea, I won't bother at mine.

[kendalcottages]

Did you do anything, FC, to try to encourage usage?

If I was staying somewhere and saw a blank sketch book, I probably wouldn't touch it.

If the opening page said something like "This is for guests' use. We'd love to see your pictures..." then I'd be more inclined (if I was artistically minded, that is).

[French Cricket]

Each room (we only had 2) had a sketch pad, a box of pastels and some pencils, with a message next to them saying something like "Please feel free to take these out with you and to draw or doodle to your heart's content - you don't have to be an artist! We'd love to see what you come up with but don't be daunted - if you just want to take your drawing home that's fine too". We mentioned it in the guest manual too, where we said that we also had watercolours if anyone wanted to use them.

I've still got all the stuff here and I must admit hadn't thought about trying it again until I read this thread. Maybe I'll give it a go ...

[B&B netherlands]

i think the total 'emptiness' of such a sketch book would not make me use it, either...

you can of course, include in your collection(s) of DVD's, a few of the famous ones of 'artist' bob ross...? and make the 'opening scene' on the first page yourselves...? it might give a totally wrong impression of what you yourselves think is 'art', but i think on the many rainy days we have to face nowadays, anything goes!!!

just joking...

i think it's a nice idea, especially making postcards of them. very much 'personalised' to your property.

3 years ago, i started offering 'nicely filled picknick baskets', with a bottle of cooled wine, plenty of bottled water, sandwiches, cold chicken, french bread... nobody EVER took me up on the offer!

i did this once, before i started my B&B, when oldest son invited a number of his friends from france for a sailing trip on our nearby lakes - they LOVED it! (threw in some bottles of beer, as well)

i think the weather (which was excellent that day, and on a boat trip, you get mighty hungry before the harbour gets into sight) in my country would - certainly at THIS moment - require loads of hot typically dutch pea soup!!!!!

[French Cricket]

i think the total 'emptiness' of such a sketch book would not make me use it, either...

Actually, B&B, you might just have a point there. I hadn't thought about that but maybe I need to start it off! (And nobody's a worse artist than me).

A confession: when we opened here, I copied over a couple of entries in the visitors' book we had in our last place into the new one here as I felt that nobody would want to start it off It's a loose leaf book, so once people started to write in it, I removed the 'fake ones' 'cos I thought they were no longer needed.

[B&B netherlands]

my loose leaf 'guest book' which also includes info about restaurants, nice walking or sailing trips in the neighbourhood, the cheese farm... was only used TWICE in 3 years.

i usually forget to point out that it is there... though you can't really miss it.

i started with offering a list of breakfast items, also in that book. 'tick the boxes of your preferences'. until 4 guests staying for one night and arriving around 8 pm, per person ordered 3 different kinds of bread i CAN bake... and you know how long it takes to bake ONE bread - though i bake them in my lovely machine?

they obviously didn't. i was totally surprised they even FOUND that list!!! (one person wanted scrambled eggs, another wanted fried eggs, the third... and so on)

so i explained, we laughed together, after which i offered them a choice of pre-baked rolls i always have in stock, and made a great omelet with fresh herbs from my garden for the four of them.

ordering leaflet was removed immediately. i know by now, i can cater for all nationalities, all diets, picky children, get loads of compliments of the different breads (one kind at a time!!!) i prepare, nicely following the seasons with easter and christmas bread, hot cross buns (scarce in the netherlands, son living in the uk in the past, usually brought me LOTS... he's now living in france) and what kind of cold meats and different dutch cheeses people like.