vol.25

I promised pictures...

and I am finally keeping that promise. :)

"Love Happens" postcards are now listed in the shop! :) You can purchase a 10 pack for 12.50. I dont have very many of these guys, ( I have started ordering in smaller quantities) so if you want a pack be sure and grab em when you can.

I had a really good mail day, along with these postcards came my business cards and I am soo soo happy with how they turned out. I have been making my own cards for a year now, and that worked out just fine. But, I wasnt able to print double sided. So for the longest time I have been wanting to order my cards with a double sided design, so that the first side can be a minature piece of art... and the back will have all my contact info!

 

I couldnt be happier. :) You can see the back of the cards in this pic along with a peek at my packaging set-up.

and here is a more thorough showing. :) Now when you make multiple purchases maybe you will get a different designed business card? Maybe something for the fridge or an inspiration board? I was so excited when I had the idea of printing on coin envelopes, I bought the largest size you can buy, and it worked out perfectly! I just feed them through my printer, and it works great.

Any bets on how long it will take before I change my packaging AGAIN? :)

inspiring colors...

...of late have been green and brown without a doubt! You can see in these pictures of a painting I started awhile back (sadly it isnt any further done) that they have really influenced me.

Then I came across this picture in blogland:

....although I cant for the life of me remember where!  I have been scouting new blogs and checking advertising prices, so I have looked at my fair share over the last couple days. I checked a few that I thought might have been the source to no avail. Anyone know?

Anyhow, the colors are sooo inspiring! That pop of green with the earthy browns and crisp white is gorgeous. Don't you think so? :)

Thanks to all the comments I received, I am now designing a mini calendar. When I say mini... it definitely is. I'll be sure and share when I have it done! Also: so glad to hear that the mini notepads are getting used! :)

 

...didnt realize I had left you hanging...

Hello everyone!

It dawned on me today that I never gave anyone an update on my trip to the art gallery. :) Well, it went good! She was a little worried my art was "too cutesy" but she really liked the postcards, moving announcements, birth announcements, pocket mirrors, buttons, bookplates etc. :) She also loved this print I did of the vintage princess theater here in town.

 
and the alternate color version I did of the same theater

and heards upholstery...

and the famous bern's tavern sign.

Prosser really has quite a few neat buildings. I have a few left to finish up, but after meeting up with carol (the owner of 6th street art gallery here in Prosser WA) I drove around town and shot some inspiration pictures of various landmarks. I had to add a little bit of "cute" to the series by way of lovestruck birds. I took these prints along with a few others, and cards, bookplates, pocket mirrors, buttons etc. down to her shop. I'll try and get a good shot of her shop in the next couple of weeks. If your in the area you'l have to pop in and see a few of my items in person. :) The shop is located right in downtown Prosser, next to Himsl real estate. Tell her I sent you!

I havent decided if I should add these prints to the shop or not... I guess I can't decide if you would need to be living or visiting prosser for the interest to be there?

We have also been busy moving my parents into they're new home. Its finished, and the unpacking has begun. In fact my mom just about has it all done. We went over and helped a couple evenings this week. I enjoy organizing things, and it was kinda fun giving things they're new home. :) Her kitchen turned out awesome, and I really need to take some pictures. The tile they used throughout the house turned out really neat. Kind of a copper metallic look to it. I also have some new postcards to add to the shop. The robots and my business cards came in... and I love them all. Very happy with how it all turned out. I changed up my packaging a little bit. So, if you havent ordered from me lately, you are in for a surprise. :)

Oh- I'll leave you all with a question... is a little 2x6 sized mini calendar (with artwork of course) something you would toss if you received it with your order? I am thinking about designing some to include with orders, but wasnt sure if it was something that would be appreciated. Would a bookmark or magnet be more appreciated? Right now I am including mini notepads with this design with my orders...

But, I do like to switch things up a bit. It would be nice to alternate my packages with a little variation. :) Thoughts or opinions?

new revised version of love is magical!

Helllo all!! I am just about ready to head out the door, and I am going to the local gallery. :)  It sounds like she has quite a few acrylic paintings already... so I am not sure if mine will be "different" enough.... So, wish me luck!!

But... before I go I wanted to post this new revised version of love is magical. The older version has been a favorite of mine, and I have been itchin to "revisit it" so here it is! Whatcha think?

Oh- and I listed the new print HERE

Gotta run!!

Something I have been meaning to share...

Some of you have probably already stumbled onto artfire, but if you havent... I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. I signed up in December, and immediately found things I loved about the site. (take a peek at my shop here) Of course as much as I hate to, I suppose I am comparing it to etsy. Keep in mind, that I LOVE etsy and I certainly do not plan to close my etsy shop. :) BUT, it is nice to feel like I am not putting all my eggs in one basket. With that said... Here are some of the reasons why I love artfire. In no particular order. :)

1.) I like feeling like I am coming aboard early on. The website has only been around since last fall, and already growing suuuper fast! With etsy, some of the top sellers are sellers that have been around waay before there was much competition. They had a really good relationship with loyal customers way before anyone had even heard of etsy. :)

2.)  It is cheap! Right now (for the next 630 people to sign up) they are offering an artfire verified account for $7 a month... for life. That basically means that you agree to pay a $7 a month fee and thats it... no commission fees, no listing OR relisting fees. If you are an etsy seller who has been fortunate enough to have a regular 50-80.00 a month bill in fees, then $7 a month might seem really nice. :) There is no limit to the number of items you can list. Its a flat rate of 7.00 If your not wanting to make a commitment, you can sell for free on artfire. I am not sure of the number of items you can have with the basic account, but I know its a couple pages worth of items. :) You can go HERE to get the full scoop. Also, if you recruit 10 members they will upgrade your account to be free for life! I am already enjoying the free for life account, and it is nice! SO far I have made one sale, with very little promoting. Because I do not have to pay any fees, I am really planning to promote my artfire shop a little more. Which makes me wonder, would you be more hesitant to purchase something from artfire as opposed to etsy? Just because it is a new site?

3.) While I do like how nice etsy's front page always looks, (since it is juried and chosen by the admins) it is nice to see my items pop up on artfire's homepage as soon as I list them. Basically the front page showcases items that were just listed. So everyone has a chance at that prime real estate. ;)

4.) Listing is soo easy. It is a one page process, and it really helps make it quicker. I can have my pictures uploading as I am filling in the rest of the page. I do still have some more items to list over there, but I am certainly getting them moved over sooner then I thought I would!!

5.) The artfire team seems really quick to get back with you regarding customer service. Always a plus in my book.

6.) Anyone can be the featured seller, you just fill out this form. I did back in january, and had to wait until February for the interview to run... but that is what gave me my first sale. :) The featured seller interviews are archived in the art daily so you can still see it here if your interested. :)

7.) rapid cart checkout- This is a system they just barely implemented, and allows anyone to make a purchase without setting up an artfire account. Supposively research indicates sales can be improved by as much as 45% on sites that do not require a buyer to sign up for an account to check out... so I think its great they did this!

8.) Unlimited categories!! Sooo nice...

9.) My last reason is actually the BIG project I have been hinting around and teasing you with... to put it simply... you will soon (very soon) be seeing some familiar faces popping up all over artfire. I have been collaborating with tony ford (the marketing guy) and he will be implementing my characters throughout the website. How exciting is that!!? Working on a project as big as artfire? I was extremely flattered and a little shocked when they contacted me. How nice to be recognized. :) tony has been really nice and soo easy going to collaborate with. "Use your own judgement." he says, no pressure there! ;)

I will be sure and keep you updated when things go live. Thanks for all your sweet comments on "puff of love" I am already planning a matching print, those colors were so much fun to work with. :)

Tess- I know what show your talking about (with the boy and dragon in the cave) but I cant for the life of me remember what it was called either. Anyone remember? Trinity has a really really old version of puff the magic dragon, and she loves it.

Thanks everyone for letting me share the big news with you! I know it was somewhat of a long winded post... and NO pictures.

puff of love

Just making a quick stop in to share this big guy with you all! :) I really do love how he turned out. Surprisingly the colors all seemed to work so well with each other!

{detail image}

{full image}

I listed him here... and I'll be back a little later today with another post!!

meet "plum" my first she-bot

 

I have been feeling really inspired to paint now that all of my "supplies" are organized. If you have little kids though, you probably know how hard it is to find a block of uninterrupted time. My girls really are easy going kids and do not "demand" a lot of attention, but when you are dealing with paint you really want to use it before it goes dry. :)

 

So, my painting time generally happens in the evening after both girls are in bed for the night. Journey had been waking up in the night (generally around 3:00 and again at 5:30) for the past couple of months, and feeding her was the only way to get her back to sleep. Because I knew I would be waking up in the night, it made it hard to stay up late painting. :) If I did, my kids were left with a cranky momma the next day. BUT, although I fear I may jinx myself by saying so... Journey has been sleeping through the night the past two nights now. Yay!! I have been feeding her baby food a little later in the evening, and I think that has helped fill her tummy a little longer at night. She turned 8 mos last week!

Anyhow, back to "plum" I have had big ideas for a new series for quite some time. Ever since I created this piece using embroidery.   And last night I felt like I could finally play around a little. I had sooo much fun, and am going to try and sneak in some more time to complete Plum's secret admirer... for curiosities sake, what do you picture her admirer to look like?

Pictured below she is in print form. Yep!! Now everyone can afford to own her. :)

Although I did try to keep her affordable (99.50!) Really I just want to be able to keep painting, and I dont exactly have the means of holding onto every painting I paint for years and years... :) I really really need to go back down to the art gallery here in town. Seems kinds sensless to not have them hanging in a gallery if they are just sitting in my house. I need to get up the courage to go in again. I hate approaching people about my work!! I am sure most of you feel the same way though.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed plum. Thanks for all your comments regarding my new creating/computer/workspace. When I look at the before shot (which was in need of a good tidying to begin with) I get a HUGE sigh of relief!! :)

You can find Plum the original HERE
and Plum the print HERE

my shiny new workspace

Thank you ikea! Once again you have made my house look soo much nicer, MUCH more organized, and at prices I can afford! :) The only thing that would make you nicer is if you would build yourself right here in the Tri-Citites. :) Driving 3 hours is less then ideal. But, I will definitely not complain!

** Warning this post is heavy on the pictures. :) **

love love these asker pots with the asker rail system from ikea. They are holding quite a bit of pens, paintbrushes, watercolor pencils, scissors etc. Its really handy because if I need something up high, I just lift the pot off the hook and I can put it anywhere. Since I usually paint in the living room this is really nice for me.

The reflection of the door leading to the utility room makes for an eery reflection. :) Eventually we wont be needing this door anymore and I will be so glad when that day comes. But that is waay down on the list of remodeling project priorities. :) 

Here is a view of the desk. The keyboard shelf pulls out, so it gives me more room. Which is definitely needed when I am shipping and printing orders. :)

Here is the Skruvsta chair I bought a few weeks back. I really really wanted it in white, but when I seen the black one in the as is section for 69.00 (70.00 less) I decided I could handle the black just fine. :) So far, I still love it. Have yet to find anything wrong with it. uhh... knock on wood. ;)

 

Another view of the Lykta lamp. I am soo glad I went ahead and purchased this little guy, the soft light from this lamp is amazing.

 

So, here is my little corner of the kitchen. I purchased the billy bookcase with doors, and the benno cd tower. I also purchased the add on unit to make the bookcase taller yet. This made a really nice space for my paintings, and also holds my large canvas printer paper. The only problems I have with the whole set-up is... one it doesnt hold my large printer (have to create a new space for it in our bedroom) right now it is on the floor to the left of the actual computer. Two, that plug in above the wainscoating... why in the world would there be a plug in up there? It seems so odd to me. Unless there was a microwave cabinet there at one time? Anyhow I think I am going to use a flat extension cord and maybe hang a painting over the wires if it bugs me too much. :)

Here it is with the doors open. See how much stuff  managed to get in here? Soo happy about that! Oh- and I put an old number 4 (house number) inside the lamp shade, and the silhouette looked kinda neat. :) Something else I plan to do, is print some pictures to go in the doors of the bookcase. The black background comes out so you can mount stuff between the glass. Some people have used fabric and customized they're doors. The possibilities really are endless.

and last... here is the little desk that could. :) Its called that Goliat, and though it is little, it really has some great storage possibilities. It holds my canvas paper, plastic sleeves, cardboard, priority mail envelopes, scanner printer combo, computer, and this handy box of drawers also from ikea.  Eventually I am going to move my scrapbooking stuff from our bedroom and into the utitlity room, and when I do I will be moving this computer into the bedroom, (along with the wide format printer) and using my touchsmart here. The touchsmart has a bigger screen (22") so it will take up more top space, but I wont have a computer taking up space below. :)

wheewww, that was along post. If you made it this far, kudos to you! :)

p.s. that big surprise I have been teasing you with should be up in the next couple of days, so be on the lookout for that!! :)

togetherness {a new print!}

Just finished these little guys up this afternoon. Such a cute happy couple. :) My favorite part of this piece is most definitely the background color. I immediately had to print a copy for myself to test the color. :) Listed them in the shop where you can snag one for yourself.

Two posts in one day! wow, I even amazed myself. ;)

life has been soo disorganized...

...and it has really been getting to me! For starters, I agree that bathroom remodels are certainly the hardest! Jaydon has been working some long evening/early mornings trying to get it all finished up, and I really feel for him. Old houses are constantly a surprise, and we have run into a few unexpected characteristics that have really slowed us down! However we ended up putting in the new vanity in and are currently using it. :) Which is soo nice. But, we still have work to do in the bathroom. The sheetrock needs taped and textured, and painted. We also still need to order some ceiling tile from these guys. They are so reasonable priced, to do our little bathroom it is going to cost us just under 70.00, and that is even after adding a little extra to have them paint the tiles a silver color for us! I am hoping it will help pull off a modern feel to the bathroom. We chose to go with the cheaper tile since we are fixing to sell. :)

My recent trip to ikea has also been taking up some space in the house. Boxes of things needing put together, and some items that I really should have waited to put together! :) The picture below is the desk I bought. I decided to go with a smaller desk so I could fit the wider billy bookcase to the right of the desk. I am soo glad I did, because it is really nice to have my painting, and shipping supplies all in one place. I really do have soo much stuff inside this bookcase, its amazing! I also bought doors, and they really help my "creating space" look less cluttered. I took a before and after picture, so I'll be sure and post that as soon as I get some good after pics. :)

I also bought that white lamp, and I LOVE it to pieces!! In the above picture it was located in its temporary place in the living room. I am soo happy to say that we were able to get everything moved to its place, and I am starting to feel like I can breathe in my own house again! Everything has to have its own place, I start to stress out. It really seems to be the only way I can keep up on things.

Here is a recent picture of our little Journey in her thinking pose. :) I also realizing that Trin is starting to become quite the little artist. I peeked in on her the other night, and she was sitting in her bedroom drawing this picture. I asked her what she was drawing and she said "robots! Just like you mommy... see theres a heart." Yep that apple looking thing was her first attempt at a heart. I was pretty proud of her. Since then she has gone through an entire sketch pad. I just bought her a new one on saturday, and she is already busy filling it as well. :) I am sure I am a little partial, but I am really impressed, is this normal for a 4 year old?! :)

See the boy robot has a hat, and the girl a bow. Look familiar? :) Which reminds me... good news! I am still selling the postcards at 50% off to make room for new designs. I ordered my first postcard design for 2009, can you guess what it is? Yep, the robots!

 
 
I just ordered them last night, so I am not sure of they're expected arrival but I'll keep you updated! I also bought some business cards, three separate designs. I have been printing my own for so long, but I really wanted to have a double sided design so the front can be a minature sized piece of art, and the back contact info etc. :) I hope they turn out.

Well, both girls are napping so I am going to try and get a little more work done on a few prints I have in the works!