HAPPY 2008!!!

Its been a while since I've had time to post! Its been a really busy holiday season... I am looking forward to the new year. Full of possibilities, and new discoveries... bettering myself and my work... and enjoying life.

What will you wish for in the new year?

Handmade for the Holidays

I hope you all took the handmade pledge this year, and got some great handmade gifts to give for the holidays!


I peeked into Santa's bag and saw these.... Who's name will be on them??!

My First Show!!!!!!!!! :D

Well, I just got home from my first-ever craft show. It was quite an experience! Very tiring, and fun. The venue should have been packed, but it turned out to be pretty slow for business. Everyone seemed surprised. Oh well. I had a good time!

Thank you to all of my family and friends who came and visited me! You are all great, and you made the day much better for me!!! Thanks to my dad who stayed the day, helped me set up.... helped other people set up.... and kept me company!
Thanks to those who traveled near and far.... for those who traveled blocks in the wind to buy me a calculator.... for those who tied hundreds of obnoxious pieces of yarn onto my free-bees.... for those who helped me glue... etc, etc. ;)

Here are some pictures of my displays. I should have had a big sign that said "all cards hand-painted," but I forgot :( I wrote some small ones up and placed them around, but I still think people thought they were prints and just kept going by. Other than that, I was pretty happy with my displays!









It was also so fun to meet and talk to the other crafters... People make some amazing things!!! I'll be sharing some of the great things I saw... but not tonight! Time to get some sleep ;) Check back soon!
Thanks again to everyone for everything!! ;) Goodnight!

Snow Time and No Time!

We had our first real snowstorm this week, which is fine by me! No where to go until this show is over on Sunday! I have so much more to do! I hope I can get it all done....

On another note, a fellow EtsyGreetings member featured me on her blog! Catherine of Kiwi Punch Designs...

She ordered a custom order from me, and she took pictures of the cards and put them on her site! :D See it HERE!

She makes some incredible and extremely colorful cards!!! Here are a couple of my favorites!!!




Thanks Catherine!!! :D

That's all for now... I have about 100 cards to trim and put in packages! Ack! Goodnight ;)

Its Snowing!!!

First snow of the season! Its putting me in the holiday mood!! :)

Etsy Treasury West....

I finally got a chance to make an Etsy Treasury!!! A Treasury is a collection of items that you get to put together for everyone to see... Most people choose a theme... Here is mine!

Wedding Time :)

We're heading into the city for a wedding this weekend... Can't wait! :) We also have reservations at the Top of the Hub!!! Mmmmmm....

Another Feature!!

I missed my second EtsyGreetings Blog Feature Day! It was yesterday.... Check it out HERE!

(While you're at it, take a look at the rest of the featured cards on the blog home page! Nice stuff!) ;)

Yipee!

I've been featured on the blog of another card-maker! She has such pretty designs... Check out BeeDazzle's Blog!! (I love her Blue Jay wearing a scarf!) ;)

Thanks Bee!!

Preparing for the Show

Just thought you might like to see what I've been up to... SO many more to go! ;)

Busy Busy Busy!!

I'm swamped with custom orders, and preparing for my FIRST show!!!

Holiday Arts Happening! Sunday, December 9th DCU Center - Worcester!!

More to come on that soon... How exciting!! :D

Back to Work...

After a long weekend of pumpkin carving, visiting with family and friends, eating massive amounts of food, and cheering for the Red Sox (WOOHOO! GO SOX!)... its time to get back to work! :)

EtsyGreetings Blog Day! :)

Its my turn to be featured on the EtsyGreetings Blog!
Check it out HERE!

Wishes and Thanks

Thanks to Laura from katydid-designs for accepting some of my promos for her upcoming craft boutique!! :) Read more HERE

Now, here's something I've been working on...

Yay!

Someone added me to an Etsy Treasury! (This is a list of items that everyone can view... I don't know how they get chosen, but sometimes they end up on the front page of Etsy.com) Exciting morning!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=12813

Check out Debbie's shop at: teenytinycardco.etsy.com

Thanks Debbie! :)

Good morning...

I looked up from reading my e-mail this morning, to find the room glowing pink! I ran outside in my pajamas and took this picture ;) Happy day.

Woah!

I had my first large order the other day, and it was so surprising! I love checking my e-mail! I never know what's going to be in there ;) I also love how my husband lovingly looks at each card that was bought, before I send it out. He looks at them and says, "Aww... I loved this one..." I think he is actually sad to see them go!
I also had a request for another custom order, last night.... Exciting things brewing here!!

SOMETHING INTERESTING:
I belong to a group of greeting card makers from Etsy called, cleverly enough... "EtsyGreetings" ;) A site just went into action today to focus on bringing handmade cards to the public! No more having to search through hundreds of listings... The cards from many artists are featured on a single website, and there will be a single theme throughout. Fall and Thanksgiving is the current theme.

Check out the site here: http://cljdesigns.typepad.com/etsygreetings/

Its a fantastic way to browse and (buy buy buy!) hundreds of handmade cards from talented artists! So much work has gone into creating this site.... Its worth a click! :D

shut uuuuuupppp.....

I got an e-mail from a friend this weekend... She wanted me to turn this picture of a shoe into a card for her friend. It was a fun challenge ;) I love drawing shoes, anyway... so that was a bonus! I hope she enjoys the card!! UPDATE 10.13.07 I was told she loved the card so much that she went out and bought the shoes!! Yay :D

Moving Right Along...

Well, I finally squeezed in some time to finish up on a whole bunch of cards. They are all over my house! For some reason I moved away from my studio and into the dining room... Cards everywhere! ;) I'm so happy to be moving along with these projects! Its been fun watching them come to life, and I've come up with so many more ideas along the way.... More to come!!

We went apple-picking at a farm on Sunday. I had never actually seen a field of flowers before... but, there it was! The flowers were huge and very colorful... amazing! Fun day :)

Becoming Obsessed....

I'm getting so hooked on reading blogs, and joining groups, and window shopping online that I'm losing all of my tiny bit of free time to the computer! Don't get me wrong... I LOVE everything I'm learning from great talented people! Check out these two groups that I am a part of:

EtsyMom
EtsyGreetings

I think I might need to limit my computer time to 30 minutes a day, and use the rest of the time to make cards... oh, and do laundry and dishes.... *looking around at my dirty house...* I did find time to post a few new items in my shop last night, and I have some more new designs on the way!

It's All About the Happy.............

I mentioned that I've been re-thinking my ideas, and I've been having so much fun coming up with new sets this week! I hope to have my new adds posted in my Etsy shop within the next two days. I wish I had the time to work on all of the ideas swimming around in my head!!

On another note, I went to my yoga class tonight. I never thought I would be a "yoga" or "exercise class" person... but a friend invited me, and I tried it! I didn't think I'd be able to do any of it, either... but it turns out... I can, and its fun! It is the most relaxing part of the week for me... My wonderful husband stays home with our son, so I can have a little time for myself every Tuesday ;) I really recommend doing something just for yourself every week! Read for an hour, take a class, watch a movie... (make some art!!) You deserve it and you will feel great afterwards... ready to face life again when its over ;)

I would love to take a knitting or crochet class too... but that's pushing it :p lol

I'm Excited :)

Hopefully within the next two days I'll be unveiling my new adds to my shop. I mentioned that I've been rethinking my ideas, and I've been having so much fun this past week making new sets

My Boy is 2!!! :D

Happy Birthday!! :)

Well, its been an exciting and crazily, busy weekend! We saw friends and family, had cookouts, went to a parade, ate cupcakes, opened presents, played with balloons, AND I finished the bathroom floor just in time for the party! :) Still more work to do, and I'm exhausted!!

I've been re-thinking my shop the past few days.... My cards, how I make them, everything about it really. Its still very fun and exciting, but I wonder if I could do better? (Good question to ask one's self!) My goal for the coming year is to do some shows, which means I need more product, and to be more organized. I have also been considering having some cards printed... I love the look and feel of glossy printed cards, but I also love the handmade quality of the painted cards. I'm torn on this, and its on my mind alot.

We'll see what happens! For now, my little boy is sleeping, and I can't believe he's two years old! :)

Sneak Peek ;)

I am incredibly busy this week... and I know I said I wasn't going to work on any cards, but how can I not?? ;) Next week, I'll be adding a pile of cards to my shop. It seems I have the most creative ideas when I have absolutely no time to work on them ;) For now, its back to the bathroom! :p

On a fun note... My son went to his first "friend" birthday party on Sunday. He spent most of the afternoon with his face planted into a cupcake (which he decorated himself! and redecorated.. then ate... and redecorated...) He wouldn't touch the cupcake because it was messy, so he ate it with his face like a food-eating-contest-champion ;) Woohoo!

No Time....

Well, I've been away from the blog and the card-making for a few days now. I'm in the process of renovating the bathroom, and preparing for the boy's birthday party (complete with piles of family... and yes... a torn-up bathroom!) All of this is taking place next weekend, so I'm going to be putting all my time into painting walls, instead of cards, this week.

boo! :p

Coming soon: Lots of holiday cards, and a super-fun collection :D

In the meantime, here are some inspiring flowers. ;) Enjoy!

And so it begins....

"It's beginning to look alot like Christmas..........."

The holiday cards are starting... It's fun ;) I wonder how many I will be making this year?? Last year it was 43, and that was just for myself to send out.... yikes!

Here are your hand-turkeys....

...You know who you are ;) Thanks for the idea!!

I really like these cards. They are really simple... just black ink on white. I had alot of fun making them... Each little turkey has his own personality! Cute ;D

Renewed Ideas...

It's funny how you can start something, set it aside, and pick it up again years later with a new perspective.... I recently found a whole box full of discarded drawings, and I was amazed at how much I loved them!!! :) These cute little girls (plus a few more) were part of some sketches I put aside a few years ago! I think some of the other drawings will be revived soon.... I don't want to give them away yet ;) More to come!

Hooray for Fall! :D

I'm ready for fall!! I spent today working on some autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving designs... There is a bout of 90 degree weather going on here, and the leaves on the trees are starting to change color... farmstands are pulling out the mums, corn, and pumpkins... Crazy! I'm sick of the hot! Bring on the sweaters and mittens!! ;)

Best card ever...

I always think every new card I make is the "best card ever" ;)

I actually just loved this design so much, and didn't know what to do with it. I used a great piece of black grossgrain ribbon that I've had sitting in front of me for a while... A bit of it finally has a home. I don't normally use embellishments, but this ribbon has been begging to go somewhere for a long time. :)

This card reminds me of a circus.... super-happy colors, and trees that look like balloons... Best... card... ever...... (hee hee)

Super sweet bubble series!

I made these yesterday when my son was kind enough to sleep late and let me finish them! :) In person, they are so colorful... not sure how it translates in the pictures. They are all something I would look for in a store, if I were buying a card. I can never find any that have a simple message, with a simple cute design (part of the reason I started doing this!!) They actually seem classy on the white background with the writing in pencil. Love 'em :)