crafty fanny

Wednesday's inspiration: doing what works.

Here's a question for my creative peeps out there: how much pressure do you feel to always be doing something fresh and different?

My answer: all the time. I feel a ton of pressure (all self-inflicted btw) to always be doing something new.

Especially in my painting. Especially since I haven't been making art for very long. Especially since I'm still working on finding my style and building confidence in my work.

Every time I sit down in front of a blank canvas, I think "Ok. That last painting turned out well. Now what am I going to make this time?" And man, the pressure!

But recently I realized this: I don't have to do something different every time. In fact, tons of artists find something that works and do the same thing over and over again. And it's ok. In fact, it's more than okay. It's good, great even!

So I've decided I'm doing what works. And here's the result of my decision:

A Weathered Heart: Original & Print

And can I tell you how proud of myself I am for coming up with that decision? Because, you guys. I LOVE this painting. LOVE. It's just so pretty!

And it works.

And I'm gonna make some more nearly-just-like it.

Because I can.

New print: Grow

Happy Monday, my friends!

I wanted to share a new print in the shop with you this morning: Grow. 

I love how the flower seems to be growing through the muddle and in spite of it. I think this would be a good thing for all of us to remember.

New in the Shop: Wood-mounted prints

Happy Wednesday friends!

I'm really excited to be offering these gorg-eee-ous wood mounted prints (ready to hang!) in my shop:

 

I've decided that the "you are beautiful" block might be the best present ever! Seriously, ladies, don't we all need a little reminder that we are beautiful and good and everything's okay? I surely do. 

I currently only have these two prints available and hope to have more up soon! If you'd like another print mounted, just email me and I'll be happy to set it up for you!

friday's confession: I'm letting go of the selling.

That's right: I'm letting go of the selling.

But not really (gobuystuff!), it's more that I'm letting go of my focus on the selling. I think that's better.

Here's the thing: I had a Labor Day sale a couple of weeks ago. Everything was 40% off. What a deal! What a bargain! Can you believe it?

Can you believe that I didn't sell a single thing?

And, it's just so freakin' anticlimactic, this selling online thing. You do something SO EXCITING like launch a sale. And then you wait. And then you think, oh I shouldn't just sit and watch my email all day. I should do something fun like go outside and play with my dog.

But you can't.

It feels exactly like waiting for a boy to call.

And when he doesn't call, it feels shitty. Even though I know I'm doing what I should be doing, and I have trust in my vision and my process and my art and I'm just at the beginning of my journey and all that stuff, it still hurts when the boy doesn't call. 

*Sigh* I know that I should tell myself the same thing that I would tell my sweet, beautiful single girl friends who despite being awesome, just can't get the boy. 

When the time is right, it will happen. 

And I know it's true, cause I already got the boy. Now I just need the sales.

So here's my plan: I'm letting go of the selling. Not letting go, really, cause ultimately I'm attempting to run a business, but I'm taking my focus away from it.

It's like when you're single, you can't go out for the night trying to meet a boy. That just leads to trouble. It's almost inauthentic. You will only actually meet the right person when you just go out for you. To have fun. And when you're being you, you'll attract the person.

That's how it works, right? At least that's how it's always worked for me. And like I said, I got the boy. And he's a good one. Like the best.

So the selling is gone from my mind. Now it's about being me. Making art. Grabbing inspiration. And doing it.

And I'm trusting that the sales will come.

Deep Breath.

Go.

custom printed (& stitched!) birth announcements

Hi Friends!

I just listed custom printed birth announcements in the shop!

Check them out! Tell your friends!

my random bits, aka, my balls!

Ah...We've finally made it past Mercury's freakin' retrograde! Doesn't it feel so good?

I woke up yesterday with a raging headache, but after an Excedrin migraine and a pot of coffee (a combo I don't necessarily recommend since it left me feeling like I might jump out of my own skin) I felt so jazzed about the coming months I could barely contain myself. Surely this didn't have anything to do with my insane morning caffeine intake, right?

So, without further ado, here are the random bits and pieces I'm working on, or, as I like to call them...my balls:

{hehe, get it? Balls?! As in balls in the air?}

• custom printing options for the shop. I am so very excited about this and will roll our my first design this week! 
• a non-birthday party for Maggie (she turns 1 this week)!
• a new website with a fresh new design! I'm working with the amazingly talented Jess Swift on this! Cause she's awesome! 
• a new monthly newsletter
• development of what is sure to be the best present ever! For reals, y'all! I'm going to try to get on this this week...stay tuned!
• fun changes over at Spring including great new opportunities for guest posts and inspired life spotlights...which I'm sure all of y'all would be great for! 
• did I mention I'm Mati Rose's new intern? omg you guys, working with her is so super fun and inspiring!
• more cooking! and cooking videos for the blog! I've actually been attempting to write my own recipes (super hard btw)
• research for a super-secret-but-don't-worry-you'll-be-the-first-to-know project I have up my sleeve
• oh, and all the normal life stuff of work, painting, making cards, friends, family, blahblahblah

Phew! Are you still with me? Can you see why I've been so anxious for communication to become normal so I can get on all this?

Stay tuned friends! We're gonna have some crazy fun months coming up!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!

holding out for September 13

Well, friends, since Mercury is retrograde until the 13th, I'm laying low. I seriously think I need to just stop communicating with people altogether!

It's becoming quite comical.

Case in point: I was emailing a friend over the weekend about dinner plans and kept wondering why she wasn't responding. Turns out I was actually emailing someone in Kansas who had her same name. In Kansas. Luckily said person in Kansas let me know...but for reals?

Oh, and if you're wondering where my blog sidebar went, it's now living at the bottom of the blog. Not on purpose. It's just what happened on Friday.

Awesome.

Tim's folks get in town today, so I'll most likely be staying quiet for the rest of the week (although it's not like you'd understand anything I was saying anyway), but I hope y'all are having a good week and are able to hang in there until next Monday.

Together, we can get through this, I promise.

PS. In news that is decidedly awesome and waaay more fun to talk about than Mercury retrograde, today is the last day of my Labor Day sale. Click here to experience the greatness: 40% off all prints and cards and 20% off original paintings. Whoo hoo!

friday's confession: I want you to buy stuff!

 

Happy long-weekend-Friday my friends!

I'll be doing the retail thing all weekend, but I know that so many of you will be off and relaxing, and I confess, I want you to buy stuff during said relaxation.

So I'm having a sale! Woot woot! 

From now until Tuesday, all prints and cards are 40% off and all original paintings are 20% off! Your refunds will be issued through paypal upon the completion of each transaction! 

YAY! Happy Weekend Friends!

who's your hero?

I just listed these two cards in the shop...just in case you need a little spirit guide to help you out with life's tough decisions!

wednesday's inspiration: twilight

Ah Twilight!

It really IS good stuff isn't it?

My bestie was recently in town for an extended visit and we were able to go see Eclipse with some friends. At drinks before the show, most of the conversation centered around whose team we were each on. 

Edward. Jacob. Edward. Jacob. YUM!

Of course, this got me thinking: who needs Edward and Jacob when I have my own super cutie right here?

And thus, these cards were born for the etsy shop:

This one is fully customizable with your sweetie's name! Just leave me a note in the "message to seller" section at checkout!

This one comes with a blank, but if you don't trust your own handwriting, I'm happy to write your honey's name for you!

Both cards are up in the shop! Get to it, yo!

Has Twilight inspired you to do anything awesome lately?