Blog Hop... The Virtual Tour

 If you're anything like me, you have your favorites when it comes to blogs. For me, they're often the ones with beautiful and thought-provoking photography or those with words that speak to my soul. Some of my favorites share the simple moments in life... photos of children, lists of gratitude, tears and laughter. Each one tends to pull me back when I've been away too long.

Recently, I was invited by Kelly Kardos at Just a Click Away to participate in a virtual tour of sorts. So, come on in... and welcome to my world!

1.  What am I working on?  
I'm always working on my photography, which takes advantage of natural light and features a variety of images - usually items that I love, such as vintage cars, typewriters, books, and flowers. 

 

My "girls," as I call my mixed-media creations, take a little more time to percolate. It's been a few months since my last one was finished, so ideas for a new girl are beginning to nudge about in my mind.

"Sparkle Girl"

In January, I committed to opening my Etsy shop, where I offer note cards, prints, and canvases that feature my photography and mixed-media art. That's been a bit of a whirlwind as I learn to juggle the many roles of an artist/entrepreneur. From packaging and mailing orders, to creating new products, I can see how devoted one must be to take a hobby or interest to the next level. 

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre? 
I think as an individual, we all bring our own unique perspectives to our photography and art. Two people may take photographs of a typewriter, but there will be something about each that stands out on its own. My mixed-media "girls" emerge from within my imagination and evolve as I add papers and paint, chalks, stamps, markers, charcoal, and text to the once blank canvas. It's that personal touch, the words that I string together, the face that only I create that make each one unique. I don't even know how the finished product will look until I put everything away and claim, "she's done."

"Fearless"

3.  Why do I write and create what I do?
I write to tell stories. To share moments in time. To connect with others. Sometimes they are stories from my life as a teacher; sometimes they are stories from my life as a parent or even stories from my past.

I create to enjoy the act of creating. I love stationery (always have), so creating note cards is a natural extension of who I am. Being able to feature images that I love - in hopes that someone else will love them too - is the cream-cheese icing on that particular cake.

I create my mixed-media girls to express my own feelings and to encourage and inspire others at the same time. For instance, women of all ages can relate to "Sparkle Girl" who claims that it's "your turn to sparkle." "Dream Girl" evolved after a blog sister-friend of mine launched her own business. "Fearless" evolved one night as I fought my own fears when my daughter headed out with friends one night. And "Heart on her Sleeve" - perhaps my favorite to date - was about me 100%. My feelings were hurt, so I gathered up my paints and papers and went to work. 

"Dream Girl"

4.  How does your writing/creating process work?
I'm not a big planner, but I will mull ideas over in my mind before sitting down to work. As a writer, I tend to let the words flow, editing as I go. As a photographer, it's a lot of trial and error as I look for the best angle and the best light. As an artist, it's all about gathering lots of materials, placing them this way and that, and then seeing where they lead me. Writing comes rather easily to me, but the art is the most challenging. I spend hours and hours trying to get my girls just right. They will usually evolve over the course of several days, but "Heart on her Sleeve" took months to complete having finished part of the background but not finding further inspiration until my own spirit needed a little TLC. I'm always a little amazed and a little exhausted when I've completed one.

"Heart on Her Sleeve" in progress.

"Heart on Her Sleeve" features a hand-stitched bird and other embellishments.

I had intended to steer you to other artists and photographers as part of the blog tour, but this turned out to be a busy time of year for many of my blog friends and acquaintances. Many of my favorites are on my sidebar though, so I invite you to visit as many of them as you can.

In any event, thanks so much for stopping by. I'd love to hear from you, and I hope that you'll visit again soon!

Giclee Prints... ooh, la, la!

When my giclee prints arrived in the mail, I could barely contain my excitement! I had been waiting for this day for quite a while, so to actually see the prints - live and in person - was a pretty special moment for me. I think I actually let out a squeal and even did a happy dance around my table.

I didn't want to offer the prints in my Etsy shop until I had a chance to see them myself. I wanted to be sure the quality was what I wanted. And I was not disappointed! I described them as yummy.... the quality of the print, the texture of the paper. Just right!

I'm getting busy adding a variety of sizes and prints to my listing. So come on over when you have a chance and see what's available. 

I'll be adding a few new note cards featuring summertime photography within a couple of weeks, too.

 

Committed....

The new year was still fresh, the countdown barely over, when I decided to change my word of the year. Instead of 'let go,' I decided to 'commit.' It just seemed right somehow. Maybe deep down I just knew that I wasn't ready to let go of anything. Especially not the letting go of my daughter - the college-bound high school senior who will be taking my heart with her when she leaves next fall.

I did feel the pull of commitment though. And instead of feeling burdened by commitments, I'm feeling energized and excited to be putting plans into action. I'm taking chances, following through on ideas, and waiting to see where it will all lead.

I've restocked my Etsy shop and added a couple of new designs. That plump, shiny eggplant looked perfect in the pottery from Portugal, and the canoes are a happy reminder of our summer trip to Michigan.

Confessions of a Shop Girl

Confession: I spend what seems to be an inordinate amount of time packaging orders for my Etsy shop. I'm not sure how it happens, but it can take me hours to get them ready to mail. It's fun, though, wrapping threads around packages, designing labels, and creating little thank-you gifts to tuck inside.... I'm sure I'll get more streamlined as time goes on, but for now I'm having fun doing it just the way I am.

I wasn't sure whether to add a few love-inspired cards on my Etsy site for Valentine's Day due to the turnaround time, but I finally decided to offer them for just this week. I only have a few left at this point, but they're there if you want to take a look.

I'm not very talkative tonight. I've been battling a headache today and still have several things to do to get ready for the week. I hope your week gets off to a great start though! Happy Monday!

 

 

It's kind of like birthing a baby...

well, not exactly, but I'm still pretty excited to introduce this little baby to the world!

 

This is my Etsy shop, and it's finally open for business. I've thought about doing this for quite a while, but I discovered that it takes time to get everything in order. Taking photos, checking postage rates, and finally opening the store has been a learning experience. I can't wait to see how it goes.

Right now I'm offering cards that feature my mixed media girls and photography. Later I'll add prints and other goodies to the site. I'm starting small. Baby steps. But it's a start, isn't it? 

You can click HERE to visit. And please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.

Coming soon to a computer near you!

Can you tell that I'm pretty excited about launching my Etsy shop? Nervous, too. Really. I'm just a little bit worried about cards collecting dust.... That the money I spent getting real cards made may have been better spent on something else... like groceries :)

But I just felt that the time was right. I do a lot of dreaming when it comes to my art and photography, but I find that taking steps to actually DO something with my art and photography takes a little more effort. And commitment. And confidence. So, we'll see.

Opening date: January 1. You can mark that on your calendar!

Tomorrow is the last day of the semester at school. My students are finishing up benchmark exams, and I am ready to get to the whole holiday shabang-thing under way. I've ordered my Christmas cards (a bit late) and am getting the house finished up for Christmas AND for my daughter's 18th birthday. (Geez, when did that happen? 18?)

You should have heard me on my drive home today. I was singing  trying to sing along with Francesca Battistelli's "What Child is This?/First Noel." I can't even begin to tell you how many times I pushed the back button to hear it again. And again. Her voice is so pure... and the music in this, the drums, everything, is just beautiful. You can find more of her songs here, including her new release called "Strangely Dim." If you're like me with hundreds of plans and dreams swirling about, this song may be just what you need to hear right now.

P.S. Today is my sister, Traci's, birthday. She's pretty much my #1 fan (along with my other sister, Parris, and my sweet mother-in-law, Lurline) when it comes to my art and photography. Happy birthday, Traci!

4Square

That's what I'm calling these little cards I had printed, and I have to tell you that I was practically dancing around the house when I saw that package on the counter. Thirty-six cards all 4"x4" in size.... complete with little Kraft envelopes. And all for my Etsy shop! 

I still have some work to do before the grand opening, but it's close. It's really, really close.