a painting for my office

i'm setting up a new office at work. it's larger, has sturdier furniture, and a different configuration that has left me feeling perplexed about arranging it. there is a high shelf that doesn't really seem to fit. there's also a large, empty cinder-block wall opposite the door.



it needs a painting.

here is part of the sketch (not a great photo, sorry):


it has been a long time since i've painted a canvas this large. i wonder how long it will take?

i'll document its progress here. i'm envisioning bright colors, but maybe slightly more subdued than usual (i know, you are looking at a pink and orange flower up there and wondering how i could ever consider that to be subdued). let me know what you think along the way.

in other news, i think i accidentally deleted my entire link list. two years of links. bummer.

snow leopard ring

i used a printout of a snow leopard pattern as a guide for painting this ring. i hope i did it justice.

magnets and buttons

In between making gift recommendations, I spent some time crafting this weekend. First, I painted some tiny wooden discs that will soon become magnet sets. Then, I brought out the polymer clay and created some delightfully wonky buttons.

Works in progress are shown here:


And in the midst of all of that, this treasury was featured on the front page of Etsy:


Since then, I have received such an incredibly nice response from the Etsy community, including a very kind feature on LilithEvy's blog, and several gracious convos from sellers featured in that treasury who went on to have a successful sales day. Thanks for letting me know!

The Mirthmarket was also featured on Alexander's Design Blog and yesterday's gift post was mentioned on Wobbly Plates Facebook Fan Page and I am very grateful. Thank you.

So I'm thinking about listing some of these crazy buttons, once they're finished. They are definitely a departure from the rings and pendants! My shop definitely has a "niche" now, which is nice, and this would not necessarily fit in the niche of handpainted wooden jewelry. Truthfully though, I never intended to only sell one kind of thing!

Enjoy your week!

new rings, small things...

I've been working on a new ring style that I really like. What do you think? I can paint this ring style for hours and not feel bored at all. It's a blissful way to spend an afternoon.

A work in progress...

Soon, these beads will become a necklace. I'm not sure what I'll add, or what I'll string them on, but soon...I'll figure that part out.

I have spent several hours over the past two weekends painting beads, and finding myself unsatisfied with the results. Beads were somewhat of a specialty of mine for several years, and I just wasn't feeling like I could get back into them. I wanted to...but whenever I would try a new design, it would just turn out all wrong. And I would think, "Yuck! I would not wear that!" So I would know it was time to move along and try something else.

So, after much trial and error, I am back to painting beads again.

Part of the blessing of NOT being a full-time Etsy seller is that I can deal with a creative lull once in a while and let it go. Then again, I am pretty sure that the lull was caused by long hours spent at my day job, but that's okay, too. Work is going well, and I'm getting back into painting after a break, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

mural, so far

just a quick update:

here is a piece of the mural in baby jackson's room...he will be arriving very soon, and i need to spend a lot more time in his house! i'll post another picture when the tree is finished.

after a foggy morning commute, this sign greeted me when i walked into work:

i spent many hours at work today (9.5, which is really pretty average) and then celebrated my sister's 50th birthday with an impromptu family gathering - i brought her hydrangeas and a chocolate mocha torte, and it was really a lot of fun. tomorrow night, i think i will paint some more...the rest of the weekend is full as well. i will rest a bit in june. :)

take care.

p.s.: val is awesome!

i made some new rings

I made some new rings this weekend. Here are some of my favorite photos:





























After this round of rings, I think I am ready to put something else in the shop! I'm thinking either necklaces (not so much of a stretch, but I haven't made them for a while!) or prints (very much a stretch, but stretching can be good)!

Here is a large bead for a future necklace (I'm working on a set):

And, at some point, I will be felting again! There is so much to do!

underway

now debuting: my new camera, the canon SX110IS. i'm still learning to use all of the functions, and i'm happy with it. i pondered a more expensive camera with even cooler features, but landed with this one, which takes very nice photos and has a macro setting far beyond the A560, a camera i really liked (despite its broken shutter. it still takes nice photos from afar).

also debuting: my recent explosion of ideas surrounding handpainted scrapbook embellishments. sometimes i get on these kicks about starting new things and i'd better get crafty before another idea takes over!

God is working in wonderful ways. Have a delightful week.

Going camera shopping today!

after i write this post, i'm going camera shopping. i feel like i've read about 752 reviews from sites that specialize in reviewing cameras, and nothing seems to me like a final, definitive answer. reviews from buyers are slightly less helpful. they tend to go something like this:

Reviewer 1: * * * * *
I am so happy with this 10.0 megapixel/15x zoom camera. This is, no doubt, the greatest camera ever made in the history of cameras. I updated from my 3.0 pixel camera and I'm amazed at the quality of shots I could take. I opened up the box, without reading the manual, and started taking pictures of my furniture and they were so clear and crisp. Great features. The only thing I would change is that the batteries wear out too fast.

(for so many words, this really doesn't tell me anything.)

Reviewer 2: * * * * *
I compared this camera with a 12.0 pixel/20x zoom camera, and chose this one because it takes even better macro shots. A great deal for the money.

(i don't really understand how this is possible.)

Reviewer 3: * * *
This camera takes great action shots, but anything taken with the macro setting shows up grainy once it has been downloaded.

(what? could that be the battery? the reviewer above said it took better macro shots than the 20x zoom camera!?!)

And apparently, no one likes Kodak. Poor Kodak...I liked you in the store.

After a while, it seems that user experience may have as much to do with the reviews than anything else, so I'll go to the store and hold them and take macro shots of the price tag signs and debate features vs. cost in my mind and then, hopefully, I'll find a camera with a working shutter. Kind of exciting!

***
Above are some little pins/brooches I've painted recently for the shop. I like variety.

where's the mirthmarket?

Three days in a row of blog posting - it's definitely a holiday weekend! I did some online shopping yesterday, and noticed that many of my favorite items on etsy have sold, which is encouraging.

I've sent a tentative opening date for the Mirthmarket: January 1, 2009. This has nothing to do with a new year's resolution, but mostly has to do with a new tax year and vacation time from my full-time job, which is going through some significant changes right now. I fully understand that most people don't take months to open an etsy shop. And I may still start out small. I don't know yet!

Here are two more rings I've finished:




Enjoy the rest of your November.

where have i been?

i've been working! my full-time job is in a busy stage right now (it usually is...sometimes it's slightly less busy, though!), and i've been a worker bee with shop merchandise as well. there is so much preparation in creating an etsy shop! since i've last written, i've purchased a postal scale, figured out packaging somewhat, researched a lot, worked on my photos, and crafted many more things.

i figured out a way to make my photos work...though they aren't yet perfect, there is a definite improvement. when hobby lobby had a scrapbook paper sale, i bought a lot of 12 x 12 solid sheets and then some vellum in different colors. i overlap them to find color combinations that work, and now i have consistent, yet changeable backgrounds that do not take away from the items themselves.

examples:























i also started making treasuries. waiting for an etsy treasury to open requires a lot of patience and good timing. just waiting to view a treasury takes time...that rainbow mandala takes a while sometimes. they are fun to piece together, though! here was my first one, last week:












i'd like to have some more items ready before the shop opens - some felt pieces, and possibly some prints. i want the mirthmarket to incorporate all of the kinds of artwork that i love doing...brightly and cheerfully eclectic!

another sneak peek

strangely, only one item photographed decently this morning. the shutter of my camera has been sticking - that's why the detailed close-ups aren't working...but this one particular ring was photographable. after cropping the photos, i'm still undecided about whether the shots have the quality i'm seeking, but i couldn't help posting another sneak peek:

sneak peek

as i slowly and patiently build the mirthmarket, i will post some of the items i'm working on. today, i started photographing some tiny tiny things (rings and earrings) and became very frustrated with my camera. i used to take clearer close-ups, and somehow things weren't working out well today. so today was all about photography practice - experimenting with backgrounds, realizing i need to start earlier in the day to maximize daylight, freaking out at the imperfections my eye couldn't find but my camera can (i am changing every item i've photographed below!!!):

so here are some sneak peeks:


this ring isn't actually even finished. i just wanted to take a picture in progress:



everything about this is a learning experience. i'm going to paint now.