Handmade Friendships

So I have some pretty amazing friends, I would hope everyone had friends like mine. My friends always seem to know what to say to bring me out of a slump. They are amazing at encouraging me to dream bigger and wider then I would set for myself. This of course is great by itself what's even more awesome is that each one of them is creative and inspires me to live and create with more...well with more love for what I do. I am pushed beyond the bounds of myself everyday because of these women.

I have one friend who never ceases to amaze me in how she combines vintage items with everyday common beads and wires to create some of the most stunning pieces of jewelry I have ever seen (I even have the privilege of owning a few of my favs from her). Her creativity has always stunned me and, even though I have never told her, intimates me as an artist. I wish I could see things the way she does, see beyond the 2 dimensions of a page, but I struggle. Thankfully I struggle, because if I didn't what would I learn from her?

Sewing is something I do, not well, but I try. I know someone who is amazing at putting together fabrics and creating the most amazing clutches, purses and bags (someday I will own one, a custom one) She can see how the stitches can enhance a bag's personality or bring out a pattern that may not even really be there. She can free-form stitch like no one else I know, creating an image by guiding fabric through her machine with no guides. She also has the greatest no fear personality I have ever met. I hope to have her confidence one day.

Have you ever had a friend who has no idea just how amazing they are? I have several, but one in particular who is an amazing artist. Yes she is an artist, she doesn't know it yet, but she is. She is one of the few people who can think and create on a page as well as off. She creates environments in a room that can take your breath away. I have learned candles are essential for creating intimacy and the more the better, feathers are amazing at softening, and turquoises is a universal color that looks good on everyone! She inspires me to be me, to live generously, and to love those around you with all your heart.     

I won't mention names here, because I know each of these women would deny that they do any of these things, although one is getting much better at saying thank you, but ladies you inspire me. And one day, when I grow up, I want to be you. Thank you for your friendship, your talent and sharing with me and others your love of what you do. I would love to know who inspires you...post them here.

Zombies for Christmas

 

So I have been dying to share these with you, but of course I had to wait till my brother and his wife opened them for Christmas! Since Christmas is over and hopefully these are comfortably sitting on their couch or bed and I can share!

My brother, while he says he is easy to shop for, is the hardest to shop for every year. I want to get him something special not just an action figure (which is what he asks for every year). I personally try to let him know he means more to me than just an action figure, and for once I think I may have done pretty good.

He and his wife love zombies, The Walking Dead is one of their fav shows right now. And while zombies are "in" right now and zombie stuff is easy to come by, I still wanted to get them something unique.

 

What is more unique than his and her pillows with them as zombies! My son helped me paint the backgrounds and then I went in and added the faces. There are extra details too like buttons for eyes with red thread and when the paint dried I sewed them up with a black and white herringbone fabric on the back.

All I have to say is if I knew how easy it was to make custom pillows before this I would have been making them way earlier than this.

Enjoy!

New Crafting going on!

So for some reason this week I have been super crafty, well at least more than I usually have been (at least lately). I have some new pics that I will be sharing with you soon on the projects I have been working on, but I wanted to wet your whistle a little first, and share some of them with you.

So first my son and I painted crazy all over some scraps of canvas that I have had lying around that I will be cutting up, sewing together, and adding embellishments to...I can't wait to share these with you! The idea behind this project came from a painting I did a couple years ago (which is below)

 

The second project that I have been working on is making mittens from old sweaters. I picked up a couple sweaters from goodwill and made a pattern for my hand, the first pair were a little snug so I gave them to my son's preschool teacher for her daughter. So as I work on that and work out the kinks I will post some pics for you.

The third project was adding to a project I did a long time ago, I made some wreaths out of scraps of fabric, yarn and buttons, but they never seemed finished so I added some vintage ties to them and they are starting to look better, again I'll post pics later.

Last project is my journaling. So many have been asking me about this and I am super excited that I will be teaching spiritual art journaling this year at Willow Creek North Shore's Women's Retreat. I will have 2 sessions on it! How cool is that. SO right now I am working on what I will actually be teaching and what techinques to teach...as this comes together more I think I will start offering online classes for those of you not in the Chicago area.

That's my week so far, how's yours going?

Teaching for the FIRST Time

So I am working on a new project! I am going to be teaching my first class in less than a week. I am scared, but at the same time so excited! I can't believe how quickly this is pulling together. (less than 2 months) The class is going to be on art journaling. It's not a new concept, but I am going to be teaching those who do not think of themselves as being creative or artistic - so it's new to them. I have been focusing a lot of my time lately on my own journal and really feel lead to teach others. This is way out of my comfort zone, so I must be on the right path, right?

Anyways I am totally looking forward to it, and would love to know from all of you, if you journal and if you do what do you focus on when you journal...

Vinyl ReCYCLED

SO I have been teasing you with hints of my upcoming new line of jewelry and homewares made from vinyl records, and I am proud to say they are finally here!

I have 2 necklaces listed in my Etsy Shop as well as 2 wall hangings!

I can't wait to here what you all think of these. Feel free to leave your comments here or contact me directly at my Etsy Shop. If you you like to purchase one of the four of these, mention this post and receive FREE SHIPPING on your order until Aug 31~

Happy Shopping!

New SALE, starts Wednesday!

I just wanted to give you all a heads up. I will be running a SALE on all my scrabble tiles starting WEDNESDAY! Over next few days I will be listing about 10 more designs for you to choose from.

Want to know what the sale will be? Here you go:: All tiles will be BOGO that's right. BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! Now you have no reason not to get the ones that you have been wanting. Start looking now and gear up for Wednesday. The sale will run until Sunday or until the last one sells. I only have a limited amount of each design so you will need to act fast to make sure that you get the ones you want. Happy Shopping!

Art Show and Updates

Hello to all my avaid readers out there. I am sorry it has taken me so long to write anything on here. We have had a couple health scares around here lately and we are still waiting for the results of some tests but things seem to be quieting down a bit now so I think I can get back on track with things. Thanks to those of you who are still around you are why I keep at it.

I wanted to share some pics with you tonight of some items I picked up at a local art show a couple blocks from my house. Hopefully next summer I will be back up and running enough that I will be in the show next year!

The first piece is from Hands on Clay, owned by Karen Levy. She has some great nature pieces {bowls, plates and other similar items} In the shape of leaves or have leaf impressions in them. Beautiful colors! But the pieces I was drawn to are her lace inspired bowls and plates. I have seen these done before but the patterns that she used were absolutely stunning. Check out the one I pick up, you will see what I am talking about. If you like what you see you can email her at hands_on_clay@yahoo.com. She does custom orders too!



The second piece I purchased was from Small House Pottery , from Sanger, TX. This wonderful husband and wife team {Jim and Susan Huckaby} make beautiful pottery items that you can use in your kitchen on a daily basis. They have everything from mixing bowls {which I got} to canisters, apple bakers to salsa and chip bowls and everything in-between. They have that great Texas hospitality attitude that I miss. Plus they are from the town that I lived in the last 5 years. {Yes I know I had to come to Chicago to meet some neighbors in Sanger, ha ha}. They travel all over the US so if you would like to see their items in person chances are they will be near you at some point this year, including back home in Texas for the L D Bell Craft Fair in Hurst. You won't want to miss them or miss an opportunity to grab some of their items!



Stay tuned, I will have some exciting news in the next week about a new line of items I will be releasing soon and a new contest just for you blog readers. Can't wait to tell you.

***Also if you have anything new coming up let me know, I may want to feature it here on my blog and facebook and twitter! Talk to you soon.

•••••••• GIVEAWAY TIME ••••••••

For my June Giveaway I will be giving away "Hoot" {pictured above}. This Art Block always stops people in their tracks at my shows {I've just never been able to part with him yet}!

He is made up from recycled 2x4, wire, paint, glass, paper, ink and crayon. The total size is 3.5"x3.5". This is a $20 value! To get get your hands on this fab piece all you have to do is visit my Etsy shop and leave a comment here about your favorite piece! It's that easy.

{Make sure to leave your email so I can contact you, when you win!} I will have a couple minor prizes as well so make sure you post often!

Contest ends June 14th.

GRAND RE - OPENING!

Today starts the sales for my grand re-opening of my Etsy shop ! For the next 2 weeks I will be blessing you all with 10% off everything in the store and free shipping for purchases over $50! Not a bad way to start things off right?

Well that's not all, over the coarse of the next 2 weeks I will also be giving you special codes for additional % off on certain days and I will be doing a give away here on my blog!

Come back here Tuesday for more details on the give away...Want a clue? Let's just say it has to do with the little guy in the picture above! Happy Shopping!


****OH, one last thing to mention to you all...I am only 2 sales away from 60, so to the 60th sale I will be giving away a box of goodies with your purchase! My way of saying thank you to all of my great customers!****

Just a Block Away

Do you have that one place in your house or office that is too small to decorate, but looks like it needs something there? I always seem to have those spots. So I came up with a solution for them.

Introducing BLOX ART - mix and match squares that you can hang in any configuration you want. Each piece is a unique one of kind art piece that you can mix and match with other BLOX or other pieces already in your own collection! They will range from $5-$20. Some will be painted, some will be mixed media and even some pen and ink. The BLOX are made from scrap 1x4 cut into squares.

Here are just a few of my new ones that I will be listing in my shop after this weekend.

Art Going Green

So I never really considered myself to be an artist that recycles, just one that uses what's around me (aka resourceful). But after doing several shows lately that were about keeping the environment clean (Earth Day Inspired), it dawned on me that I am helping keep "trash" out of the landfills. And all this time I just thought I was being thrifty!

To give you some ideas on how to keep your environment clean, take a look at what's around you and see what you can give new life.

Lately I have been using cabinet doors, yes cabinet doors. They make a great canvas for paintings and mixed media pieces. A little sanding and priming and wala! A new canvas, and you don't even need to frame the piece, most cabinet doors have great trim giving your new work of art a unique look.

I have also found that old skeleton keys make some great crosses. And come with a second meaning. Jesus and the cross are the "key" to salvation and peace. What a wonderful way to display your Faith!



The one above was created using a cabinet door, scraps of scrapbook paper, skeleton keys and acrylic paint.

And it's not just my finished products that are "re"using materials, I even do it when I am painting to get some unique textures. I have used, old seran wrap, netting, fencing, popcicle sticks, disguarded wood pieces...pretty much what ever is sitting in front of me at the time is fair game.

So what are you doing to keep you environment GREEN?

Getting the Most Out of a Custom Order

I would say 75% of my business is done through custom orders. I am no expert but I do want to share with you what I have learned through my years of doing them. There are 2 parts to consider in the custom order process. (Yup there are only 2) The customer and the artist. I am writing this more for the customer's side, but artist please read too, it may help save you from further headaches.

The customer actually has more to do than the artist and has more responcablilities. First the customer needs to know what it is they are needing, see if they can find it and if after searching the internet, magazines and stores they can't quite find what they are looking for it's time for them to consider have something made custom.

My suggestion for the customers is to really know what you want, if you are not sure comb through magazines, pick out pictures, colors, patterns, any ideas that you think will help the artist understand what you are looking for. Now I say this with a warning, please do not pick something out of a magazine and ask the artist to replecate it exactly!!! I will not do that and most artists I know won't either.

Now that you have a better idea of what you want it's time to find an artist that can do the work. Most artists have a style that they work in, it's what makes their art unique. Some artists can do several styles, but keep in mind that you are wanting something custom so finding an artist that can create in the style you are wanting is critical to the success of the piece. There are several places to look: craft fairs, galleries, even online. Etsy is a great resource if you don't know about it, you can look through 1,000 of different artists and see their work and convo/email them right on the site.

When you approach an artist about doing custom work don't be upset if they say no, some just don't like doing them. You can ask if they know someone who might. If they say they do custom orders, explain what it is you are looking for in detail and see if they are interested in working with you. If you clipped out your ideas, email them to the artist or see if you can meet face to face and go over the details. Let them know size, quanitity, style, timeline (if you have one) any details you know already. Don't be afraid to ask questions! Especially if you have never had a custom work of art done before.

Look to the artist to start filling in some details of their own: their timeline for drafts and delivery, what to expect from them, how to get a hold of them. Ask how they work, if you will be able to see progression in the piece as they work on it. Ask to see samples if they have something they have done similar. Get a quote from the artist on cost and how they would like to do payments. Most artists want up to 50% up front to cover costs of materials, in case you back out at some point in the process. You can ask to push back the first payment until after you see the first sketches, so that you can see if you like what they come up with. If you don't that is the time to walk away from the deal, but you will still have to pay for their time of drawing up the designs for you. If you talk about this ahead of time, you will know what you owe instead of having sticker shock later.

Expect the artist to put their own spin on the custom order, if you did your homework you will love the artist's work beforehand and therefore love the ideas they bring to the table. Ask for drafts before they start working on the final piece so you can see how they invision your vision.

If you do your homework right you will end up with a custom piece of art that you will truely love without the headaches of misunderstandings. Good luck.

Etsy Dallas Trunk Show...A Success

Thanks to everyone who came out Saturday and checked out our Trunk Show. I think it was a huge success. We had over 40 local artists show off their goods and lots of people took advatage of the great weather we had and did some shopping. (Yes it was inside but we could have the doors open!)

Made some new friends while I was there. One of them was Jessica from Funky Finds and she was kind enough to write up a great piece on her blog about our little show. Check it out here. I also donated 2 8x10 photographs for one of her giveaways in September. To see who else is featured in the September giveaway click here. I know it's not till September but I will remind you as it gets closer, promise. I will also post some pictures later of what I donated.

I also got to meet some of our great members. Being a mostly online group it's great when we finally get to meet face to face! If you get a chance check out our group blog or website to see some of the artists in our group and check out their shops for some unique pieces that you can't live without.

I also got the chance to work on my booth set up. I have added a great many pieces since my last show and had a hard time deciding how to show it all off. Here's what I came up with.



Later this week I will let you know how I got to this layout and some tips and tricks I learned from doing it. Well I am off for the night...enjoy the last few hours you have before you must return to work tomorrow!

Valentine's Day, what to get that is Truly Unique?

We all struggle every year with what to get our significant other for Christmas, their birthday and especially Valentine's Day. I am sure that this year is no different. So I wanted to create some unique pieces that you could give you loved one, knowing that it was a one of kind find, just like your true love.



These pieces are something your love can put on a shelf, hang on a wall or even display them at work to be reminded of your love for them. Just like the piece above. It consists of 3 3.5" x 3.5" blocks that are painted and distressed then wrapped with painted hemp that display 1,2 or 3 paper hearts. This piece can be customized with one block and one heart for every year that you have been together. Just email me for your own special price.



Most of these can be found in my Etsy Shop but if there is something here that you don't see there and you would like to purchase PLEASE EMAIL ME and I will get started on your own special gift for Valentine's Day. Remember that it is the thought that counts and there is something about handmade and unique that makes loved ones melt. Whether you buy from me or these give you an idea for your own art I hope you give something truly unique to those you love this holiday!



HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!