vol.25

BIG news!!

Me again! I thought it was about time I shared some really really happy news. :)  I'm sure by now quite a few of you already know... but for the few that don't... I am featured in the MAY issure of Artful blogging! :) I'm soo incredibly excited about it. Artful Blogging is one of those magazines that you confidently pick up knowing you will feel inspired within the first few pages. :) That has always been my experience. So when Jennifer Jackson contacted me in January, I had to pinch myself a few hundred times... you know just to make sure I really wasnt dreaming. :)

When I received my copy of the magazine it was SUCH a rewarding experience. Especially when I spotted a snippet of my art on the cover! :)

I REALLY want to thank you guys, I know some of you have been such BIG supporters over the years... and that support and your sweet comments have kept me inspired and helped me stay on a forward moving path, even if the scenery has changed somewhat over time. :) Here is to many more years of inspired blogging!!! :)

Thank you Artful Blogging for considering my blog inspiring enough to grace your pages! :)

Art Wall

Have you heard of Art Wall? It was recently featured on decor8, as well as Apartment Therapy. Considering the site is only a few months old... news of Art Wall is spreading quick!

You can imagine how thrilled I was when Katie from "Art Wall" contacted me. She asked if I would be interested in having my customized tree print hung in the newly illustrated family room. I jetted on over, and instantly fell in love with the website design, and the entire concept in general. :) It is soo up my alley!

I think Katie's "about" page paints a pretty clear picture of the site, and her passion;

"Art Wall Online is a virtual display space created to exhibit the artwork of independent artists. The pieces are showcased in the form of an “Art Wall,” — an arrangement of artwork placed on a virtual wall. Each one is curated by proprietor Katie Stephenson. Everything is either made by hand or is a print of handmade work and is priced between $5 and $500. Art Wall is not a shop, but a curated gallery. If you are interested in purchasing a piece, click on your selection to view the artist’s page, then click again to be directed to the artist’s own shop. Be sure to check back often, as new Art Walls are added every month."

The rooms are illustrated by Jessica Gonacha Swift and I think she did an excellent job! Each room is based on actual corners of Katie's home. Love that!

If you are planning your own art wall, then Katie has a few rooms you can hopefully pull some ideas from. :) Oh! and don't forget to check out the Art Wall blog for a steady stream of inspiration!

participating on Visible Voice today...

You'll have to stop by and check it out! :) Kristi asked me to contribute to a new regular column called "PEEK" over on her blog. I shared a before and after picture of my studio space in the kitchen, as well as a few afters you haven't seen yet. :)

Thanks Kristi for asking me to participate!  

my marketing secrets...

...not that I have any REALLLY big secrets, but I do have some strategies that seem to work for my etsy shop. A few weeks back Jamie from Handmade News asked to interview me, and I was more then willing! The interview has been live and I've been meaning to share the link! :)

handmade news is part of artfire, and Jamie was super sweet through this whole process. In addition t my interview, there is LOADS of other helpful information on the site. If you have an etsy or artfire shop, you can benefit from the shared knowledge available there.

If you get around to it, vote/rate/comment my article! It will bump it higher to the top, and hopefully help more people out! :)

Are you familar with creative parties and showers?

The BLOG that is? :) If so, you may have seen that Shannon was kind enough to feature the lemon themed birthday party I did for Journey in July! :)You can see the post here.

Suuuuper neato! :) While brainstorming ideas for the party, this blog was a HUGE inspiration. If you havent stopped by, you'll have to take a peak!

press- decor8 mention this morning!

Holly from decor8 (link has NOW been fixed!) wrote up a super cute post this morning on trailers. :) She was kind enough to include my remember happiness print! Anyone up for smores? ;) You really should check out the post, it will make you want to go camping!! :)

a super sweet write up...

Morning everyone! I have a couple posts planned for today, my first post is somewhat of a thank you to two very sweet people. :)

First of all a great big thank you to Tess for giving me the idea and inspiration for the piece... "you only live once."

It is safe to say that it is one of my personal favorites, and has been pretty popular among you guys as well. :)

My second thank you is for Lori of Elvie studio. She chose vol25 as her inspiration this monday! :) She had only the sweetest things to say and it really really made me smile this morning. Thanks a bunch!

I am finding her blog to be a source of inspiration. I mean, how cute is this mixed media tic tac toe piece? I love it! :)

Well, thats it for now... I have some things I am needing to get done around the house, I'll try and pop in a little later for that second post. I just finished listing some more Christmas cards... postcards to be exact, and some of you who followed my blog before I became vol.25 may remember these from my previous shop "sparksfly" :)

apartment therapy mention

A recent "mention" over on apartment therapy was super exciting last week. I have been meaning to share this good news with you, but I have been staying SO busy trying to keep up on everyone's orders that I haven't had a chance! :) I knew apartment therapy was big in blogland... but I had NO idea how big. :) Things were starting to slow down from last weeks mention, when the original post resurfaced last night as one of the "hot posts for 8/16/08." So, once again it has been directing some super sweet new customers my way. :) Yay!

Now, I have submitted my work to apartment therapy for review, with no luck of a mention... so I really have to give the credit to ana from rearrangeddesign. You may remember my original post about a couple months ago, where she interviewed me and did a house tour of our home. Well, shortly after that she purchased "remember Happiness" from me, (You can see it here framed in her home. Doesnt it look amazing!? I love the other art she paired it with) and apparently apartment therapy seen her post about it on her blog, and then blogged about her post. :)

So, anyhow thanks ana, and apartment therapy. :) I have a coordinating print in the works, and will be offering the two in a print set. Its a trailer I have already drawn and uploaded on flickr, it just needs a facelift, and then paired with the perfect quote. :) So, I will keep you updated on that.

Also- I have been trying to finish up another project I have been excited about... making my own scrapbook paper for a little scrapbook I am doing for journey. I will be sure and dedicate a special post for it, cause its a really neat idea I think you may want to try!

Well, Journey is napping... and I think I may try to take a nap myself. Although she has now slept through the night 2 nights now! Although they were not in a row... I am grateful! :)

oh-wow designsponge!?

What a terrific surprise! Last friday I submitted my newly listed "we are shaped by our thoughts" postcards to Grace over at designsponge. I really really didn't expect it to turn into a feature... although I must admit I was sure hoping. You may know by now where this is probably going... YES! I have now been seen on design*sponge. While I appreciate all the exposure and support from every blog feature I receive... designsponge seems like the ultimate of features, and I am sooo thrilled!

 

Believe you me... it was ALL I could do to sound someone professional as I tried to compose a thank you e-mail to Grace. Although, I am sure she gets a ton of "weird jumping up and down thank you typeish e-mails"... Well, I fear mine was no exception. :)

A BIG thank you to Grace for the mention.... it completely made my entire year. :)

Then to make the morning even better, projectgrabbag sent me a conversation this morning alerting me to etsy front page exposure! Yay!! What a good day.

I also listed a new piece into the shop last night. I'll be back later today to post about that. :)

progress has been made...

Yay! Here is a little peek at the progress made over the weekend...

 

the trim in the bathroom has been primed but STILL needs painted.

 The wall has been cut, and the floor has now been built up to be level with the kitchen now. How exciting! Jaydon will be working on the walls, taping, and textureizing this week. Hopefully this will be wrapped up before baby decides to come. If not, I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world. :)

Also: Another good design blog you may not have heard of yet....rearranged design. Its another good one I have bookmarked. :) and Ana just posted an interview with me today. She has some older pictures posted of our house, and it was kinda neat looking at them again. :) Thanks for the interview Ana! Love the blog...