Steff's Stuff

peeky peeky

2011-12-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I run two shops: Dinkybird Boutique, where I sell fabric flower accessories, and Lil Lula, where I sell items for children.

Well, poor Lil Lula has been neglected since summer with all the other things I have going on. I haven't really promoted the shop yet for that reason. This is a heads up: I have a TON of new hair accessories that I will be listing after the New Year. Here's a sneak peek for my blogland followers:

Black Friday and New Shopping Site

2011-11-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

Dinkybird Boutique is having a Black Friday sale! Take 25% off any item in my etsy shop from midnight to 3 p.m. PST on Friday. What a great time to load up on holiday gifts!

New! Dinkybird Boutique is trying out Big Cartel, another shop hosting site. Check it out here: http://dinkybirdboutique.bigcartel.com/, where you'll find almost all designs are exclusive to the site. Let me know how you like it!

Have a great holiday and eat a piece of pie for me!

Kris + Alex

2011-11-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

Back in June Kris ordered my "sweetheart" flower. She was kind enough to let me share these picts with you and you can see the pink-petaled corsage as used on her wedding day.

Kris and Alex had an offbeat wedding. Their sense of fun and happiness really show!

You can read more about Kris' nontraditional wedding at offbeat bride. Thanks so much to Kris for sharing!

New Line!

2011-11-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce a new line of flowers in the shop:

Felties!*

I'm putting the raw wool that I made into felt, to use. Some have vintage jewelry pieces, making them totally OOAK. I'll be adding them over the next day or two.

This is a limited line! I don't plan on making felt regularly (it's a lot of work!). Once they are gone, they are gone! Click here to check them out!

*(yes, I know that's TMed, but I'm borrowing it for a bit!).

Mix and match

2011-11-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

One of my FAVORITE wardrobe pieces to wear is a blazer jacket (okay, jackets, boots and purses all get me excited). I can't buy every cute jacket I see, but I can dream! Here I've matched some funky blazers with flowers from my shop that I think would look cute tucked near the collar or pinned on the lapel.

This gold velvet piece would look smashing

with this simple sage green flower with tiger's eye bead center:

And this chocolate colored blazer:
which I would match with this new hunter green blossom with vintage button:
This dusty purple corduroy jacket would would look great paired with:

these ruffly gold flowers. I love the grunge with the girly look.

And this sweet little cropped gray jacket:
would look oh so feminine with this life-like pink rose:

And a smart looking tuxedo-inspired jacket would get the right punch with

this red flower and leaf pin:

There! My fashion addiction is satiated for the moment! And I didn't spend a dime!

How about you? What are your favorite accessories and wardrobe pieces you like to pair?

Customer Pictures!!

2011-09-16T21:11:00.001-07:00

Rowena on the far left is wearing a black crepe satin flower strap I custom made for her.

I love customer photos!! Does this look like a beautiful wedding or what?

Have a great weekend!

Remember that felt I made?

2011-09-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here's what I did with it:

A case for my Nookie . . . er, Nook.

There's a magnetic closure under the flower, which is made out of leather and a vintage button.

There was lots of trial and error along the way, and I had to relearn the blanket stitch, but I'm very happy with how it turned out!

Now I'm off to felt some more wool!

I linked this here:

I'll Fall for You

2011-09-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

I adore reds and golds, as you can see from the art work I have on my walls:

There is warmth and passion in these colors. That's why fall weddings are so attractive to me - all those deep, brilliant colors set against white, like this gorgeous bouquet:

Talk about eye-catching! And how fun is this bicycle for the married couple?

One of the great things about fall decorating is that mother nature has already taken care of it for you. In a setting like this, what more do you need?

And of course, the perfect flower go with the season:

Happy fall, y'all!

I felt it!

2011-09-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Look what I made! I had some wool lying around for years and finally decided to felt it. A little help from youtube and voila! Handmade felt.

I'm excited to see what I can make it into. Look for some felted accessories showing up in the shop!

I showed my husband my handy work. "Now that's heart felt," he says. Badduh bum.

TJ's top 5 foods of evil

2011-09-07T01:38:00.000-07:00

What are your TJ weaknesses?

Are you ready for Fall?

2011-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm getting there. Here's a sneak peek at what's coming to the shop in September. How about you? Do you do anything to mark/deal with the changing season?

There are new, lower prices throughout the shop. Help me make room for the new season!

Is that a ukelele I hear?

2011-07-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

And here they are: pieces from my new Island Blooms collection:

What great accessories for summer! Taking a trip to somewhere tropical? You gotta have one of these! I will be adding them to the shop throughout the day - see what's already up for sale here:
db boutique.

hot, hot, hot!

2011-07-12T09:12:00.001-07:00

Hello all! I hope you're enjoying your summer. I will be once I can catch my breath! It's been a crazy one so far.

Celebrating summer, I have bright new designs appearing in the shop tomorrow, inspired by my trip to Kau'ai (think grass skirts and sandy beaches!).

Also, make a pop over to Lillyella for a fantastic interview write up of the shop, including a giveaway!

And have you checked out my Go-To line? In the shop you'll find a new section of affordably priced basic flowers that go with just about any outfit. Here's the Go-To Flower in red:

Have a great week!

it is so wedding season . . .

2011-06-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

and I love it!

My suggestions for the big day: a shell-pink/peach color-theme, and flowers to match:

For the bride: the Dolce Vita, a blossom so real looking, people will want to smell it! Put this flower in your hair (great with an up do) or attach to a sash.

For the mother of the bride: an elegant brooch adorned with multi-hued pearl beads.

For the bridesmaids: peach blossoms worn as wrist corsages.

For the flower girl: a ruffly flower with pearl and rhinestone center backed with tulle, worn attached to a headband.

There you have it: my simulated wedding accessory trousseau.

so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

2011-05-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

If my tweenager goes through any more milestones on the road to becoming a woman in the next few months, I'm going to keel over. I swear it didn't all happen at once like this with Darling Daughter. But as soon as I let Tweeny (I can't call her Wee One anymore, for sure!) sit in the front seat, it went bam bam bam bam! A whiplash launch into womanhood.

There have been so many changes since she started seventh grade. I have to say, she's been handling the welcome-to-woman's-world thing pretty well; taking the bewildering, awkward rites of passage in stride. Having a sister who's seven years older to emulate certainly hasn't hurt. And thank heavens DD is there to fill in the gaps Mom misses.

And while she's left it behind with hardly a second thought, it's hard for me to say goodbye to her childhood. All moms feel this, I know, dreading the day when the baby dolls are moved out to make room for the trappings of a teenager.

I didn't notice it so much last time because the picture books and Easy-Bake Oven were just transferred from Darling Daughter to her little sister, but now the next stop for the toys will be Goodwill. No more Polly Pockets. No more dress up (at least not the kind that involves fairy wings and tutus), no more tea parties, and no more Happy Meal trinkets . . . on second thought, I won't miss those so much.

I guess it's best to look forward to the experiences ahead rather than mourn the ones gone by. But don't blame me if I keep a Barbie or two.

danke schoen, darling, danke schoen

2011-05-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how much I love to hear from my happy customers? This - this is why I love what I do:

"Meraviglioso !!! Ti confermo che sei bravissima !!!! Grazie..."

I can't even read Italian, but I can tell she likes her flower. And to have made someone in Italy . . . or Nebraska, or Japan - happy, how cool is that? To have someone choose my flower for their son's prom date, a baby leaving the hospital, a wedding, a Mother's Day gift . . . I am tickled pink!

Lavinia, coming soon to the shop.

So grazie, to all of you, thank you for letting me be part of your special moments!

woman's blouse to little girl's dress tutorial

2011-04-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the little toot I promised you. I found this blouse at Goodwill and thought the pretty little marigolds would make a nice summer dress for a girl. Don't ask what possessed me to think I could convert it all by myself while I'm still learning to sew, but I took a shot at it and it turned out pretty okay. Since each project of this kind will be individual, this tutorial won't offer measurements, but be more for inspiration.

This was the blouse, it was very large, that's what got me thinking about using it, it was a nice big piece of fabric.

First I took out the darts. Ugh - sorry about the shabby sweatshirt I'm wearing! My husband keeps threatening to throw it away, and it probably is about time!

Then I folded it in half and eyeballing it, chopped off the top and an angled section at the side to give it the shape of the dress I wanted.

This is what it looked like after I did that. I could see it had the basic A-line shape I wanted.

I folded it in half and cut new armholes.

Then I turned it wrong side out and matched up the pieces.

I sewed seams up the sides. Here's the nice thing about up-cycling, you can take advantage of finished parts of the garment to save work: the bottom hem is the original from the blouse. Less work = good.

Then I made a 1/4 inch fold, then a 1/2 inch fold at the neckline (for both front and back), which I pressed and sewed. This will be the casing for your elastic.

I cut a 7 1/2 inch length of 1/4 inch elastic. I had used this size in a previous dress, so knew it would work good for this similar design.

Pull the elastic through the casing until the back end is flush with the end of the casing. Sew the elastic at the end to fix it in place. The tweezers were for fishing the elastic out after I pulled too far!

Then continue pulling your elastic through and sew it on the other end as well. Do this for the other neckline also.

I just happened to have the perfect color double fold bias tape on hand. I measured it and cut two 36 inch pieces (again, a measurement I remember using from a previous project.)

Open up the bias tape and hem all four end pieces.

Open your garment sideways so that the armhole is in front of you. Fold a piece of bias tape in half and pin this halfway point to the middle of your armhole, where your side seam is.

Tucking the tape over the edge of your garment, pin it all the way up both sides of the armhole.

Sew the bias tape on the inside edge first, and then again on the outside edge to finish the look.

And that's really all there is to it. I left the original buttons down the front to add a little interest, though they aren't used (the dress slips over the head and ties above each arm). I could have replaced the buttons with something more fun, but it's a pretty simple dress with a busy pattern, I thought it didn't need much else. Except of course, a flower.

I made a little blossom out of orange material and attached a little flower pixie to the center. It can be used as a pin on the dress or a clip for the hair.

And there you go - a thrift store blouse turned into a summer dress. I guess the lesson to take from this is to keep your eye open for material in all it's forms. If it's a nice fabric, think creatively to see how you could use it in another way. Also, don't be afraid to "wing it"; as you can see, I made this using common sense and knowledge used from past projects - it wasn't too hard!

BTW, this dress will be sold in my shop, Lil Lula.

flower power

2011-04-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things I really like about making these little dresses is finding funky, retro or vintage materials to use. This one is made with another vintage pillowcase and I have to admit I liked it so much that I paused before transforming it. But I do think it will look darling on a little girl.

Stay tuned for tomorrow: my first sewing tutorial. I know, right? What is that girl thinking, she just learned how to sew herself! Well, check it out and let me know what you think! And if you have any toots to share, post a link in your comment!

I LOVE CUSTOMER PHOTOS!!

2011-04-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

My customer Liz purchased this custom flower (based on this one) for her baby to wear home from the hospital. Baby Hadleigh just arrived. Isn't she adorable? I can't tell you how happy I was to see this - made my day! Thank you Liz for sharing!!

Sigh, I love making things that are included in life's special moments: new babies, weddings, proms . . . it's like I get to be included in a tiny way and share in the happiness.

And now something new . . . you all have seen me dipping my toes in the sewing waters. Well I've decided to wade in a little further. Introducing:

my new Etsy shop (yeah, right, like I need another business to run!). What am I selling, you ask? Here's my "Abby" dress, made with vintage lace hem and custom organza flower:

And here's "Annabelle", made from a vintage pillowcase (so soft!), accented with a gingham pocket.

This "shop" is kind of an experiment, somewhere to put my little projects as I branch out in my sewing. "Lil Lula" is the nickname my sister calls my daughters and anyone else she's fond of. Lu was also my mom's middle name. So that's where that came from. Anyway, we'll see how it goes, mostly I'm just loving coming up with new dress ideas. Who knows, maybe a dress I make will be part of someone's special memory - and that would be the icing on the cake.

gryphon jewelry designs

2011-04-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

I met Heather Clegg of Gryphon Jewelry Designs on line back when Dinkybird Boutique was just beginning. I was immediately impressed by her beautiful jewelry and honored that she was interested in possibly using my flowers in her designs. Heather is heavily involved in charity work, especially services that deal with women in need, which is very cool.

Check out her "Birds of a Feather" piece made with indigo ribbon, silver plated pins, Swarovski bicones, and peacock feathers:

And these cluster earrings sorely tempt me:

This piece is called Sugar Plum: Swarovski pearls and rounds on sterling silver.

Heather answered my questions so eloquently that I'm just going to let her speak for herself here on out.

I officially began Gryphon Designs, LLC in May 2010. The road getting there has taken more than a decade. Sometimes life happens, plans change, and you have a choice...Life is really how you handle Plan B.

I’ve always had an “artsy side” and developed my business skills over the years through lots of blood, sweat and tears. I have to say that my husband’s genuine encouragement, ability to honestly critique, and his unwavering faith in me and my abilities really propelled me forward. I started small, learned (and keep learning) from mistakes and learned to improvise at a moment’s notice.

I am, at my core, driven by having a sense of purpose. Before starting my business, my identity was mostly defined through my job title and what I did for a living. As a business owner, that sense of purpose and identity has dramatically changed. I gain a tremendous amount of satisfaction in taking on and overcoming challenges that I never dreamed possible. My sense of accomplishment/sense of purpose is no longer tied to a job title or a promotion; it comes from a stronger sense of self and my abilities to handle whatever comes my way.

You may laugh, but my biggest frustration is directly related to what I gain the most satisfaction from as a business owner. Most business owners will tell you that they wear a multitude of hats each and every day. Small business owners’ hats get multiplied immensely! Everyday, when I wake up I have the roles of Public Relations/Media director, Advertising Agent, Photographer, Book-keeper/Accountant, Shipping Department, Web Designer, Inventory Manager, Head of Logistics, Wholesaler, Corporate Strategist…and somewhere in there I have to make time to come up with the designs and then make them a reality. And that’s only the business part of my life.

I work all hours of the night and day in a variety of locations (my office, home, car, restaurants, etc). Curiously, one can’t plan when creativity hits so you just have to go with it if your eyes fly open at 3:00am. I’m grateful for Bluetooth headpieces, strong coffee, Google calendar and good red wine as they all help me through each day.

At the same time, I have to say that I’m incredibly blessed that my schedule is so flexible. Owning my own business allows me to work with my husband on his business, take care of our home, contribute to my local community through service and still have time for my family & girlfriends. Does everything happen smoothly? Absolutely not. That’s part of the journey I’m continually learning to embrace.

My husband, Bill, and I live in Bonita Springs, Florida. We love the outdoors so we take advantage of living in the sunshine state!

I am a true Florida native, raised in Gainesville and completed undergraduate and graduate school at Florida State University.

I’m actively involved in several charitable organizations and passionate about giving back to the communities where I live and was raised. I developed a “Sweet Charity” jewelry line within Gryphon Designs where proceeds go to non-profit organizations assisting women and children in the state of Florida.

When I have a moment to spare, I love to cook, fish and golf with my hubby and spend time with family and friends.

And finally, Heather shares some inspiration:

When I was going through a very difficult time in my life, I spent a lot of time alone reading. On a whim that I cannot explain, I purchased an over-priced bookmark at a local Hallmark store. Very simply, it changed my world and how I choose to look at it, even today. I keep it out to remind me of two simple things: 1) Even the simplest idea can be transformational if you let it…2) Well, the second one has everything to do with you and what you do with this uncomplicated knowledge you are about to receive.

The bookmark reads: She believed she could, so she did.

Bravo! I love that thought! And thanks to Heather taking time out of a very busy schedule to share some insights on her business with us!

again with the sewing . . .

2011-04-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm determined to learn how to sew. So I picked up the easiest children's pattern I could find and came up with this:

I had to add my own touch . . .

and I even did things I didn't know I should be scared of:

what do you think for a beginner?

how about you? care to share links of something you created recently?

A toot on Friday

2011-04-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

I can't really call this a tutorial compared to all the amazing ones found in blogland, so let's just say it's something I did. I hope it will be helpful to someone though!

Business has been busy (which is good!), but I realized I needed to get myself better organized. First off, I needed a way to keep track of immediate "to dos". I can keep track of my orders placed on Etsy, but I also have other orders and miscellaneous tasks to keep track of. I decided a white board would be better than the millions of pieces of scrap paper I was trying to keep track of.

But I didn't want this:

So I picked up a frame at a discount store. Did you know that glass is a great writing surface for dry erase markers? I just put a piece of white tag board behind the glass and voila:

A message board with style!

I can't wait to show you my new creating space! I have more to do, but I am loving working there already!

Now go forth and prettify your everyday objects, my friends!

where I get my inspiration

2011-04-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

I see all these flowers and many more on my daily run (yeah, running with a camera's not so great). My designs come in as many forms as there are different types of flowers in nature. I love playing with new petal shapes and compositions.

Where do you get your inspiration?

hear us roar - the fifth and final

2011-04-04T08:09:00.001-07:00

My last installment in this series features the most successful business woman owner I know: my sister Valerie.

Unlike the other women I've spotlighted who sell handmade goods, Val owns Thematic Attic, a teacher school supply and children's book store in Covina, Ca. Through lots of work and talent, she has created the Disneyland of bookstores for teachers and children in Southern California.

Val has separated her store into thematic sections, organized the way a teacher teaches. Here is the art room (click to supersize):

You can see that along with books, she has teaching aides, stamps, figurines, and many other items relating to art, all housed in a room painted like Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Here's the rainforest area, where you'll find puppets and rain sticks alongside the books, stickers and manipulatives, all nestled under exotic trees with sounds of the rainforest playing overhead.

Val puts a lot of effort into creating a vibrant, interesting, fun experience for her customers.

Here she tells a little about how she got where she is (her thoughts are in blue):

I have been in business since June 1993. I started as a mobile book service to school's in Southern California. I love children's books and get very excited when I see a really great book I can share with our customers!

Val is a talented artist herself and has always loved beautiful picture books. She offers art workshops for kids with projects relating to seasons, themes or artists such as Frida Kahlo. There is nothing else like the workshops and parties her store has, they are amazingly fun!

I asked her what was frustrating about running a business:

It's hard having people come in and ask for something we don't carry, because you want to be able to have it all. I do refer them to where they should go to find items we don't have.

I use to work like crazy! I just can't do it anymore. In the past, I'd get up to be at work by 9 am (which is when the store opens) and many nights wouldn't get home until after midnight. Just futzing around the store with displays or stocking.

Val's family is supportive of her busy days. She is married to Lorenzo who is a partner in the business and works alongside her and her "children" are two adorable dogs, Phoebe and Max, who are very happy to be store dogs.

One thing I do try to do is show my customers how much I appreciate them. I always greet them, let them know I'm here if they need me. When I can't help them, I always refer them to where they should go. I think it's better to help them, and hopefully they will think of me the next time...When customers come up to the register either I or the staff always makes sure to ask if they found everything they needed, if not we make sure they do. We always thank them too!

I think one of the most important things about retail is to appreciate your customer.

I have to say that Val's customer service can't be beat and she has trained her staff to be just as courteous and helpful. She has developed many close relationships with her customers who are very loyal to her.

I love my sister and I'm very proud she's created one of the largest and most successful stores of her kind in Southern California (teachers come by the busload from other cities just to visit her store!). If you are ever in the area, definitely check out Thematic Attic, it's an experience not to miss!

I've enjoyed sharing the stories of my female business owner friends with you. I'm continually amazed at the ingenuity, determination and talent so many of the women I know have - I find it very inspiring and hope you do too!

heads up!

2011-04-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about the new headbands I'm making! I've been having so much fun finding interesting centerpieces for these boho-type accessories.

I'm not so excited about modeling them lol! I hope to find a real model for my items soon, but for now, you're stuck with me!

Find these headbands and many more flowers accessories in the shop. Remember Mother's Day and Easter are coming up - perfect time to give a spring corsage!

Also - don't forget the April deal offered to blog followers: 10% off when you enter the code DBAPRIL at checkout!

no fooling!

2011-04-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Take 10% off any item in the store for the month of April. New designs are being added daily! Custom orders excluded.

Just follow these three easy steps:

Choose a flower
Use code DBAPRIL at checkout
Wear and enjoy!

hear us roar IV

2011-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Meet . . .

Back in February, Helen of Jack and Eleanor purchased some of my flowers to use in photo shoots for her custom made dresses. Ever since, I have been enamored with her designs and fabric combinations, wishing my girls were little enough to wear her clothes. Her work is top notch and she has a faithful following that is growing all the time.

Here are some of my favorites:

Helen is a busy empty-nester living in Southern California, but she was kind enough to step away from her sewing machine and answer my questions (in blue):

How long have you been in business? One year on Etsy.

How did you start? I've been sewing my whole life, mother of 4 daughters and 11 grand daughters.

What's your biggest satisfaction regarding your business? I love to see the little girls twirling and having fun in the dresses.

Biggest frustration? TIME . . . wish I had more time . . .

When do you work? Everyday I make something . . . 7 days a week, 8-12 hours some days.

Any other thoughts/tips/suggestions/advice? Do what you love . . . and make what you do be something you can put your heart into.

It's obvious to me Helen's heart is in her work. Check out her lovingly made creations in her shop and follow her on Facebook!

monday my way

2011-03-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

vintage, baby

hear us roar - the third

2011-03-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

My spotlight today is on my sister-in-law, Kim Boman. We married the Boman boys and I'm so glad to call her family. And this is one amazingly talented woman. You must follow her very creative blog easy peasy pie where you will see projects like this bench she mostly made from scraps laying around:

That is adorable Olivia - just one of her super-cute kiddos.

Kim also has a shop called Dainty Blooms where she sells accessories like this beautiful headband:
and these precious felt tissue-packet holders:

Here's what she had to say about being a business woman momma:

I started up Dainty Blooms in May 2010. I had just learned about Etsy prior to opening up shop and loved the idea of buying and selling handmade items! I knew that there were already hundreds of shops selling cute hair accessories on Etsy. I just figured that if I never sold a single one that I was only out a few bucks and my daughters would just wear them anyway. So why not give it a try?

At first it was just a few felt flowers that I had designed to clip onto headbands. My daughter was just a few months old at the time and I found it difficult to find cute headbands for her that were also comfortable. So I started making felt flower clips that could clip onto any crocheted hat or headband I wanted. And the best part was they could be worn alone, which meant my older daughter could use them, too. I loved the versatility! Eventually I branched out into other fabrics and techniques to achieve different styles.

My absolute greatest joy is seeing other people wearing my hair clips. Several of my friends have purchased my hair clips for their daughters (or themselves!). It's very rewarding to look around and think, "Hey! That's my clip she's wearing! Oh, it looks so cute on her!"

Generally I work in the evening when the kids are in bed. But if inspiration hits me mid-day, I pull out my stash of fabric, my needle and thread, and work a little here and there. Obviously it can be frustrating trying to juggle between "wife", "mommy" and "creative gal". But I have learned to make it work. And sometimes having a little extra time in-between creating something allows me to think about how I can make it even better!

I currently live in southern California with my husband and our four kids, two boys and two girls. In addition to Dainty Blooms I do a little photography on the side which I also enjoy.

As for tips, she has this to say:

When I'm shopping around for new fabrics I always just buy a little bit to see if it will work for my particular need (like 1/8 of a yard). If it works beautifully, I go and buy more. If it doesn't, I'm not really out that much. And chances are I'll find a use for it anyway. Also, keep your eye out for inspiration. It can be anywhere!

I have to admit that that tip helped me the other day and I bought 1/8 yd lengths to try fabric out instead of my usual 1/2 yd (I thought that was the smallest you could ask for!). Now go check out her blog and shop (I suggest looking at her "sold" items, too!).

it's Friday, I'm in love . . .

2011-03-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

with . . .

mah favorite boots

kittehs using sofa tables as pillows

my vintage book journal from Fancy Lamb

Have a great weekend, all!

P.S. don't forget about the coupon code
ending soon!
to use in the shop at checkout
DB03FS
Use this code and receive free shipping for the month of March
(domestic orders only at this time)

hear us roar part deux

2011-03-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Megan Kanzler of Orange Peanut is in my spotlight today. Another dear friend from church, Megan's tireless can-do attitude (and she can do!) and organizational skills are a wonder to behold. If you want to get something done, ask Megan to do it. She has a a husband of 12 years and three boys (8 and 5 years-old and one that joined the family on August 23, 2010).

She has an online shop and a fun blog full of interesting stuff for mommies to learn and do.

Megan shares how she made her fab crafting area on her blog.

Here are her answers to my questions about running her own business.

I've been in business since 2008. I did only custom orders until January of 2011 (when I opened up my Etsy shop). My "business" started more out of necessity - a need to create. I was so busy with 2 little ones, church responsibilities that were very demanding, a husband who was traveling a lot, and a feeling that I was losing me. So I did what made the least amount of sense, and added one more thing to my busy life - I started to get more serious about sewing by making simple things and an apron was among the first projects I completed.

children's apron available in her Etsy shop

That feeling of creating something with my own hands helped to fill a need at a time when it seemed everything around me was taking from me. I went on a huge sewing fix and made 15 aprons for family and a few friends for Christmas gifts and then I started getting calls from their friends asking if I would make them one as well - that was the birth of my business.

My biggest satisfaction is seeing the finished product! I love taking fabric or basic items and making them into something useful and pretty! I also feel very good when I have someone contact me to make them something because a previous client recommended me or they have seen something I have made. That is a huge compliment and gives me that added boost to keep creating.

My biggest frustration is trying to find balance! I'll be honest, my family takes the #1 spot in my life. I have to pace myself and remember to assign little bits of "work" each day and then put it away. I know there will be a day when I can tackle my projects all at once, without being interrupted 20+ times in an hour span, but since that will be many years down the road, my biggest struggle is finding balance when I feel the need to escape and create. I work mostly at night, once my children are in bed. I also am able to sneak in "work" time when my two older children are at school and my little one is napping.

A thought or tip for those who are wanting to start their own business is to find your niche. Don't try to create everything, just find a few things you like to make and are not too time consuming or costly. I would also create relationships with others who are in a similar business. This will provide you a great sounding board as well as give you a place to get encouragement, if you should need some.

Lots of good advice in there! I identify with Megan's need to create even when she was already busy - creating fills a need nothing else can. Though the end product may end up being for someone else, the process is for me. Thank you to Megan for offering her story!

hear us roar

2011-03-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about all the women I know who run small businesses - there are a lot! They all have different situations in life, but what impressed me was their universal commitment to what they were doing, despite whatever other responsibilities they may have. I'm going to spotlight these women in the next few days and share their thoughts on being their own boss.

My first friend I'd like to introduce is Shannon Fox who runs Little Girl Hairbows by Fox Den Productions. You can see for yourself how adorable they are.

And the kicker? She has three boys, all under the age of six.

Recently though, we found out she was having her first girl. Now Shannon will have her own little doll to dress up with her girlie creations!

Shannon is a very dear friend I know from church. Her unfailing positive attitude (I can't remember ever hearing a negative word come out of her) always makes me want to be more like her. To top it off, she was the one who showed me how to singe flowers - and voila; DBB was born! Here are her answers to questions I asked her about running a small business:

I've been in business for almost 2 years. I started because I saw how much money my sister spent on hair bows for her girls and I was sure that I could make them for less and help her out.

My biggest satisfaction is that each bow is unique and so beautiful! I love making them and then showing people how cute they are! The frustrating part of owning a handmade business is how time consuming it is while trying to balance my business and family.

I usually make my hair bows in the evening after the boys are all asleep. Or, if I have a rush order, my husband so kindly entertains the kids while I finish my orders.

For anyone wanting to make their own hairbows there are great sites on the Internet that give step by step instructions for free. It's also a good idea to buy ribbon wholesale or in bulk for cheaper prices. Practice and experimenting are what will ultimately help your craft get better and your business grow.

I completely agree with Shannon on the last part - it is amazing how much you grow as a designer/crafter as you try new things. Thank you Shannon, for sharing your thoughts and being my first guinea p . . . , uh, guest!!

skirting the issue

2011-03-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

So I told you I was learning to sew. Here's my most ambitious project yet - and yes, it's wearable! I found this easy elastic waist skirt tutorial at freshly picked.

We had a new discount fabric store open up nearby recently, so I got this fabric (some sort of blend, it has a sheen but not stretch) for $1.97/yd!! This skirt cost me less then $5 to make.

And look, what I'm most proud of:

pockets! Silver matte satin pockets. Sigh, nothing makes me happier than putting effort into something that turns out the way I want it to . . . for the most part (don't look too close at the hem!).

And why, yes, that is my "Linda" brooch I'm wearing with that outfit - truly one of my favorites (named after my mom!).

This project took me, a beginner, a couple of hours to do, and could easily be done in an hour by someone who knows their way around a sewing machine. If you give it a try, send me a pict, I'd love to share it!

that old sew and sew

2011-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

feel free to download for your own use!

How do I love this vintage ad? Let me count the ways. I love the wife's pin curls and her apron, I love the little girl's romper and how she's clutching her baby doll, I love the traditional lunch box, and how dapper dad is. Most of all, I like how simple the message is: buy a car and give someone work. How refreshingly straight forward.

And in the vein of aprons and simplicity, here's a vintage pattern I bought off etsy. Yes, I am teaching myself how to sew.

My mother used to sew for me when I was young - she used an old singer treadle machine. She made me my sixth grade graduation dance dress - a jumper with small polka dots and a lacy white shirt - that I wore excitedly, only to be crushed when no one asked me to dance. But no one was asking others to dance. We were in sixth grade, for cryin' out loud - why were we even having dances? But I digress.

I picked up a little sewing - I knew how to thread a machine and make a hem - but I never did much with it.

For some reason I recently had a desire to start sewing. Maybe it was looking at vintage dresses and wishing for that style of clothes for myself. So I bought a child's sundress pattern and made something wearable with it. I'm learning lots: like what bias tape is for, and that the pattern piece for half of the front is meant to be used with fabric doubled over to make a whole, that machines nowadays can do hundreds of stitches with a touch of a button, and can even thread themselves!

I guess what this is all about is learning something new. I'm nigh on forty and only recently realizing my potential. I figure if I can plan and take a trip to England with my daughter on my own, write a publishable book, start a small business, and most surprisingly, start running, then there is no limit to what I can do. Why not make my own clothes?

How about you? Have any of you stepped out of your comfort zone lately? Tried something new?

It's Friday, I'm in love

2011-03-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

Ginko love on etsy!

Jane says

2011-03-18T10:03:00.001-07:00

"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken."

The quote from Emma is too true. How often do we lay our souls completely bare? Even in writing, I've known myself to hold back what would be true to a situation or a character. In blogging, even more so. It is too easy to portray yourself the way you want to be perceived. And for that reason I am resolving to show all of who I am.

This is why I like Jane Austen's writing so much - it is honest; brutally and hilariously honest. She calls everything as she sees it, and writes about it in such a superb satirical style.

I'll leave you with another pearl of wisdom from Jane:

"What wild imaginations one forms where dear self is concerned! How sure to be mistaken!"

Here's to honesty, clarity, and a disposal of rose-tinted glasses. Have a great weekend, all!

Maui Blue, a Coupon and a Request for Art!

2011-03-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

It's obvious I love
color.
There are some colors that me extra happy, though:

there's a blue that's a little like this:

picture from seasonsofgrace.blogspot.com

and reminds me of the water
off the island where we had our 18th anniversary last year:

And it's not far from the shade of my cruiser
which I love and ride everywhere - including the post office.

(If you've received a package from me there's a good chance it rode in this basket!)

I call it Maui Blue

my idea of the quintessential Hawaiian color.

My latest design:

Maui Blue

available soon in my shop.

And for my blog followers:
a coupon code
to use at checkout
DB03FS
Use this code and receive free shipping for the month of March
(domestic orders only at this time)

To my
art friends:
if you'd like to submit a piece using this color as inspiration,
send me a link and I'll post it here!

A word from Emily . . .

2011-02-26T15:20:00.001-08:00

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all . . .

The Mathilda blossom: available in my shop.

Quote by Emily Dickinson.

what do you get when you mix red and yellow?

2011-02-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

There's something about the color orange.

Not just any orange.

I mean . . . sunset orange

from: www.skitzone.com/2010/the-beauty-of-sunset

dark coral orange

from: picasaweb.google.com/deboahrendt/JRMiscellany

from: www.etsy.com/shop/spacejam

tangerine orange

from: cipriany.deviantart.com

gorgeous orange

from: www.pegeen.com

orange is warm

bright

happy

it makes me smile

the patricia:

available in my store now.

A letter to my followers

2011-02-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

My friends, change is inevitable. I started this blog when I began creating ATCs some time ago, it was a place to share my art and see other's. With my flower business and writing career taking off, I've found I can't keep up this blog in the manner that I used to. Which doesn't mean I've given up ATCs, I still love to do them when I have time. And I will still share freebies occasionally, but there will be more posts related to my shop and general interest stuff, as that will be my focus.

I know I will lose some followers, but I do hope some of you will find the blog interesting and useful and stick around. All my past posts will remain, so help yourself to the tutorials and images found there. I will still be following many of you on my list of art blogs and hope to interact with you yet in the future.

Thank you for all the support and friendship you've offered along the way, and I wish you much happiness in all your endeavors.

With much love,
Stephanie

Only one day late . . .

2011-02-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you Elaine for playing along with the flower challenge. What a unique piece of art, black flowers! Click the picture to check out Elaine's blog.

Hoping you all have many artsy moments!

CHALLENGE!! AND DISCOUNTS!!

2011-02-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hello mi amigas! It's been too long since I've done a challenge and I truly miss seeing the wonderful art you come up with on these, so let's do one. Your theme is flowers. Send me a link to your work and next Tuesday (Feb 8) I will post them all here. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Keeping with the theme, I have a little offer for you. To anyone who adds my etsy shop badge to their sidebar I am offering 50% off any flower in my shop (see badge details here). With how inexpensive my hair clips and brooches are, it makes an already great deal even better! If you choose to do it, just let me know when you make a purchase at checkout where you added my badge and the discount will be applied (does not apply to shipping and handling). This is for a limited time only, so do it soon!

Okay, be off and fill your life with flowers!

Flower giveaway!

2011-01-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Last day to win a one-of-a-kind handmade flower. Not many entries yet - your chances of winning are high! Click the picture to take you there:

stuff to use

2011-01-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello, hello! Even though I'm not collaging of late (see below for reason), I am enjoying all your blogs and seeing your creativity flow! Maybe these images could be of use?

As you may have noticed, I've opened an etsy shop selling fabric flowers. If you like my store and want to help promote it, please add my shop badge to your site!

You can copy this picture and tag the url to it:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DinkybirdBoutique

or, you can copy the code below into an HTML/Javascript gadget

Thanks all - many happy art moments to you!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hope all is well with everyone. Here are some fun images to use in your work.

Creepy but cute!

2010-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

You must check out the new etsy shop by my talented artist friend Rose Cooper!

angel crown

2010-11-04T01:22:00.001-07:00

My favorite art store is having an anniversary party on Friday with a competition for the best paper crown - here's what I came up with.

angel crown, originally uploaded by stephboman.

new atcs

2010-10-29T09:33:00.001-07:00

creating . . .

2010-10-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

This ATC was inspired by a song called Sleeping Lessons sung by The Shins.
I was so excited to use the arms and legs from the Tumblefish Studios collage sheet I bought. Here's what I came up with.

Hope you all had a happy Monday!

Trading

2010-10-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

I got these amazing ATCs from my friends Tammy, Joy and Amy over the past few days. I love getting ATCs in the mail - they make me so happy, especially when they're as beautiful as these!

Have you tried art calendaring?

2010-10-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

I'm getting addicted to it. It's a great way to put your artistic expressions to a semi-practical use. It's also a great way to "snapshot" journal. I'm being more consistent lately in the 9 1/2 x 13 inch calendar/book I made. Here's my November page:

The aprons lift for journaling underneath. Check out other art calendars on Flickr - there are some super creative ones out there.

odds and ends and newspaper ad freebies

2010-10-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Tell me anyone ever got a better handmade gift than this

2010-09-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

My sister made this birdcage collage with page after page of beautiful images, papers and quotes (I included only a few here). It was my birthday gift. It looks like it took a long time - she must really love me.

As if my work space weren't cluttered enough.

2010-09-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Of all the places in the house to sleep . . . See that corner of cleared space on the right? That's all I get to use when Stinky Pete comes to visit me in my craft area.
Darling Daughter is off on her own now. I made her this for her birthday:

It's a flip frame and includes all our favorite recipes.
Hope you're all being visited by your muse!

2010-09-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here's Yvonne's entry to the "quote challenge". If you have not checked out her blog, you really must. She's a prolific and talented artist. Thanks for playing Yvonne!

close to my heart

2010-09-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

I am a lover of collage in all its forms. I sometimes get on a kick doing collage landscape scenes that I cut, compose and paste with magazine images. I started out doing ATCs. While I like the small scale, it can be hard to find lots of small pictures to use - not to mention the pain of cutting out small pictures! Today I decided to make a ringed booklet with my landscape scenes. It's 4 1/2" x 6". These are very different than the usual ATCs I post here. I don't expect everyone to get the same kick I do out of these, but thought I'd share what I've done so far.

"what the tide brought in"
"the heels are alive . . ."

"moonlight beach"
"hook me up"
"monument"
"leaving before the fall"

For fun

2010-09-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hand cut and collaged. Fish and girl from Lisa's Altered Art.

Don't forget the "quote" challenge!

Bordering on . . .

2010-09-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of into borders lately . . .
"Home" has an acrylic painted background with collaged pieces from my stash. The face is from Lisa's Altered Art.

And one more - "bird lady" is a little different style for me:
I'm hoping to see more submissions for the "quote" challenge!

Another challenge

2010-09-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun playing around with ATCs this weekend. The vibrant colors didn't transfer well when I photographed them, but this is what I came up with:

This week's challenge will be to incorporate a quote into your ATC. Post your link in the comments!

wowza - creativity overflow!

2010-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Even though we were sad it was our last weekend with our older daughter before she left home we had lots of fun. My eighteen-year-old, her friend and my twelve-year-old daughter started making ATCs with me. They went to town! I was so impressed with what they came up with.

I really enjoyed spending those days being creative with my girls. It's nice to be inspired again. Here are a few I did:

This one is for Marsha at Tumblefish Studios. I'm a big fan of her art and I'm so happy she's recently become a friend.

It's part of my urban faerie series, along with the next two.

Which brings me to my next thought. Last week was very hard. I wrote more about that here. What was amazing was this rainbow of happiness that appeared after my storm. On Monday I received a beautiful handmade birthday gift from my sister - several, actually. I'll share them with you in another post. Tuesday I received the art piece I bought from Marsha's etsy store and she included a gorgeous hand cut ATC, and last night at the ATC class, I met a whole new group of creative people to share my passion with.

All of these things are like shiny pebbles I carry with me that brighten my day, and I am thankful.

Challenge submissions

2010-09-06T22:36:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a great weekend - for my friends in the U.S. it was a holiday. We just finished up ours and it was bittersweet. We had a wonderful time with our daughters at the lake, then sent the oldest off to college in Oregon. Talk about blue. I'm dealing with it though.

And here are the submissions for the "blue" challenge. Very impressive, ladies!

Cheryl:
Yvonne:
Aisling:
Thanks for playing! I'll post another challenge soon, as well as some bubbly picts of gifts I got in the mail from my sister.

September already

2010-09-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Back to art calendaring. *grimaces at past negligence*

Still time to submit for the "blue" ATC challenge.

Full color freebies

2010-08-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the colors, images and lettering on these old ads.

I hope you'll find time to enter an ATC in the blue challenge!

Am I blue?

2010-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hello? Anybody out there?

I'm so sorry I've been absent for so long. My writing and family have been my priority this summer, but I've been aching to reconnect with my artist friends. And I've created my first ATC in months!

So, how about a challenge? Let's have the theme be the color blue. Leave a link in the comments and I'll post the submissions on Sunday.

This is a picture of my friend Cheryl (on the left) and me. She's the only local artist friend I have and I appreciate the inspiration she gives me so much. Oh, and she gave me the oval faces (which I used above).

Challenge entries

2010-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Click the pictures to visit the websites. Thanks for playing!

Juno:

Amy:

Limar:

Liveart:Peggy:

A CHALLENGE!!!

2010-04-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

I finished the revisions on my novel and sent it off to my agent. I have a little more time to play, now! So let's do a challenge with "birds". I don't remember if I've done this theme before or not, but what the hey, let's do it anyway.

2010-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm here! Really I am. I've just got so much happening with book revisions now that I'm reasonably recovered from surgery. But I couldn't resist finishing this little guy.

I want to do a challenge, and I hope to soon. Here are some freebies in the meantime.

I know I've done a lot of blog shuffling, but I think I have my writing posts in the right place. If you're curious, you can read them at stephboman.blogspot.com.

Have fun!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T02:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some spring-colored flying baby doll heads to celebrate the season:

The days of my life

2010-04-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hello from the land of tingling jaws and numb lips! I am twelve days post op and still wired shut. I stopped measuring my weight loss a few days ago and have begun craving the most bizarre things (87 cent 5-layer burrito from taco bell?). I have actually cried the last few nights at dinner time when the waft of real, non blended food hits me. Ah, hopefully this'll all be over in two more days...

Anyhoo, I've done a little art journaling. This was the right hand side page I showed you a few days ago of a spread I did in my new project.

I wasn't sure what to do with it until I stumbled across other art journalers doing something in this vein:

As you can see in this close up, I've created a sort of calendar with little squares to journal each day of the month.
I used vellum for some of the squares on this side because I didn't want to cover up the loverly butterflies.
So...little bits of inspiration seeping into the dull days of recovery. Hope you are all finding your muse!

Smiles in the mail

2010-03-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to the post office to find that I'd received these in the mail.

It was a wonderful treat, just like I knew it would be. Thank you to new friends and old who sent ATCs, they really made my day.

The surgery went well, but I am no fan of the liquid diet. I don't have energy to do much, but getting ATCs inspired me to make my own, so I will be sending these out to everyone who sent one.

Thank you all so much. Art is truly restorative, especially when you have someone to share it with, and I'm glad I have all of you.

Surprise swap

2010-03-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

I just set up a swap for an ATC and remembered how excited I get to receive a little piece of art in the mail. It will be something to look forward to when I'm swollen and bruised from the jaw surgery I have done on Monday.

Because they make me feel good, I'm going to ask if anyone else wants to swap. I've never asked for something like this for myself before, but I know it will really lift my spirits to have an ATC or two arrive in the mail while I'm laid up. If you do, send me a little surprise in the mail and I'll send one back to you.

Here's my address:
S Boman
P.O. Box 2993
Carmichael, CA 95609

Make sure your return address is clear and I will send one off to you in return!

Thank you!

Art journaling

2010-03-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I wanted to share a page from my art journal, still in progress. The page is quite large, about 12" x1 4". I'm new to art journaling and I'm not sure where I'm going with this page, but I've enjoyed what I created so far.

You know, I enjoy cutting out collage elements, it is so relaxing to me. I guess it's mindless and allows my thoughts to wander.

Thanks for looking. Now go forth and CREATE!

Some images for you to use

2010-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

Some freebies for my friends! Hope you're enjoying your art endeavors.

How I got an agent - or - Determination

2010-03-11T13:20:00.001-08:00

*Note to followers: this was posted on my livejournal blog, which was where I wrote about my writing journey. I'm going to be combining some of my life/writing thoughts with my art posts here. I hope you'll find it interesting enough to stay with me. A lot of this came about because I recently got an agent for my young adult book, so writing is again front and center in my life. That's what the following post is about. If you are curious about my writing blog, you can see back posts at sboman.livejournal.com. I am not forsaking my art, however, and will post challenges and freebies in the near future. Let's see how this works.

It feels a bit vain to think anyone would want to read this, but it is the whole point I started this journal two years ago.

It all began in Los Angeles thirty-eight years ago....nah, too far back. Most of you reading know the story, so, condensed version: I started writing, yada, yada, yada, time passes, blah, blah, blah, and then I submitted the revised version of FADING to a new round of agents at the end of November, 2009. I had up to ten fulls or partials requested, including a partial from Jason Yarn at Paradigm, who passed it on to Alyssa Reuben. She contacted me two weeks ago and asked for the rest of the manuscript, and then a little over a week ago she asked if we could talk (which in agent speak means "start partying girl, your dreams are about to come true!"). I obliged her.

Now no matter how prepared you are (questions written out with space to take notes, favorite candle burning, soft music and an empty house) you're still going to act like an idiot on that first call. Or maybe it was just me. Anyway, I called her and proceeded to blather on about stuff that had nothing to do with her questions. I laughed heartily at inappropriate times, and I hung up without asking her some things I should have. Alyssa had kinda got what was going on, though, and told me to take some time to absorb and then call her back for a more in depth interview (translation: "get a grip and call me when you're sane").

I gleefully sent out emails letting the five other agents still considering my ms know that I had an agent interested. Two bowed out immediately, one said, "what ms is that?" and two others asked for more time to read. Here is where it got hard.

In the brief time I'd talked to Alyssa I knew she got my story and I agreed with her opinions on what needed to be revised. So for a whole week I'm in this limbo, sitting on an offer from an agent that seemed like a good fit, not able to celebrate totally because I didn't actually "have" an agent yet. It was like my nightmare where getting an agent is within reach, but I just can't grasp it for whatever reason (you know, the usual dream frustrations; having to pee, not able to find a phone, falling off a cliff...). In fact I'd had dreams where I got an agent and it seemed so real that in my dream I said, "Am I dreaming? This seems so real.") After kazillions of rejections, even my dreams were guarded.

So to ~~ratchet up the angst~~ wile the time away, I did more research. Then my choice became clear and I wondered why I hadn't paid for a PM subscription heretofore. In the meantime, one more agent bowed out. But I knew what I wanted at that point. I called Ayssa back this last Tuesday (amazing how breathing becomes difficult when dialing the 212 area code), and we had a nice long talk. I felt more in control of my nerves, but still sounded ridiculous, I'm sure. At the end I told her I would be happy to work with her. Great! She'll send revision suggestions by Friday.

Then I emailed the others and told them I had made a decision to work with another agent. One said she had been just about to email me to "set up a time to talk". Nice validation.

So: it's been three-and a-half years since I began writing seriously, three years since I started querying for the first time ever, two years since I wrote Fading, one year since I began the second major revision of Fading, and three months since I sent out queries for the current version of Fading.

When I look at those numbers I think, man, I got off easy. Why was it then that while going through it I felt like I'd been sentenced to the Gulag for life? About a year ago I seriously considered throwing in the pen and picking up the apron for good. Maybe it wasn't going to happen for me, maybe I should go back to the less stressful job of being a mommy and wife (less stressful, mind you, not stress free). But I knew deep down that writing was the one thing I had passion and talent for, and if I ever wanted to fulfill my life-long dream, this was the route, however masochistic it be.

Since then I got all zen about it. Other people's success didn't take away from my chance of success. Complete acceptance that it may be a verrrrry long road still. Knowing that it would happen, that I just hadn't found the agent who was right for my book yet. I really came to peace with the process. I had to pull back from some social networking, though. For me, it was a distraction from my personal path.

I'd set a goal to be agented by last summer, which didn't happen, but what's an extra seven months when you reach your goal anyway? Nothing.

Now I have those other hurdles to look forward to, and I can't say now if this will end up being the biggest one or not. But no matter what happens, an agent believes in me, someone from the professional world has said I have a chance at getting a book published, so despite the rocky road that still lies ahead, that's more than enough affirmation to buoy me for quite a while.

*this picture of Aimee Mullins always reminds me I can do anything I set my mind to and has served as inspiration for many years now.

2010-03-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'm mulling over some changes. As some of you know, I'm a writer. I have another blog that chronicles that part of my life. Besides my family, writing is the next biggest part of who I am.

And then Art came along at a time when I had taken a break from writing and seduced me. I'd ignored him in the past, but this time he wouldn't be denied. He had to be a part of my life, he said. He wooed me with hours of carefree playing, no strings attached (unless of course, they were part of my collage). He swept me off my feet and made me forget whatever else was going on in my life as long as we were together.

Well, I had to give Art his own blog, because Art and writing, well, they represented two different parts of me. The crowds we hung out with would have different interests. And so we began this odyssey together, Art and I. And whoa, it was fun. What a trip! He introduced me to people from all over the world! He stretched my mind and, ahem, stimulated me creatively.

And then I got the idea that I should also separate my writing life from my personal observations, and created yet another blog. I also keep a journal on my website that I write for a teen audience.

Suddenly, my schizophrenic blogging started wavering. I wasn't posting to any of them because I wasn't sure where exactly my thoughts should go. I had broken who I was into all these shards. It hit me then, I can't separate the artist and the mother/wife and the writer. Not effectively, anyway.

And so I'm toying with how to share these combined sides of me best. It may be here, it may me somewhere else, but for my sanity, it has to be done. I'll keep you posted.

2010-03-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I miss you all! I thought I'd share a freebie with you, and this one looks fun to play with. How about using it as a challenge? I'd love to see what you did with her!
I'm hoping to get some artwork in today, myself.

One of the reasons I've been a little scarce is that I'm preparing for jaw surgery two weeks from tomorrow. It is keeping me from committing to too much these days. But let's have a little fun for today, eh?

Hope you all enjoy your day!

2010-02-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

Finally, here are the GORGEOUS ATC's submitted for the "reading/books" theme. Please check out these ladies websites, they are amazing artists.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to put the challenges on hold for a while. Life is going to be crazy, but I will try to host them when I have time. Eventually I'll get back on a more regular schedule. I will be looking at your sites, though, and enjoying seeing your art.

I wish you all much inspiration and fulfillment in your art endeavors. I'll be in touch soon!

Pieces of D:
Jeanette:
Amy:

Elaine:

Yvonne:

2010-02-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, forgot to tell you I'm on vacation in San Diego. I will post last week's submissions in a couple of days...no new theme this week. Enjoy your other challenge sites!
-Steph

2010-02-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

Our theme this week is "reading/books". Here's what I created:
The image of the book cover came from just something I made.
I attached a hinge. When you open it up, you see this:
The girl's image is from Marie's Freebies.
Here are last weeks "animal" submissions. Clever, all of them!
Deidre:
Jeanette:
Elaine:
Susi:
Amy:
Gry-Heidi:
Yvonne:

2010-02-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

I wanted to thank all of my followers and participants. This blog (and all of yours) has become such a source for inspiration for me because of all of you. Thank you!!

Just a quick explanation of the packaging tape transfer method I used in my Party Animal ATC.

First you need an image printed from a laser jet printer. This is important, ink jet printers don't work. I am seriously considering buying one, maybe second hand, as laser jet printers and their ink cartridges are becoming more reasonable. You can find good deals on the ink cartridges on ebay. There are many more transfer techniques that only work with laser jet printers. I got this sheet of images from my sister.
When you cut out your image, simply apply the packaging tape (you can use contact paper as well) over it, smoothing it as best you can.
Soak your paper that is now covered in tape in warm water. After 30 seconds or so, rub the paper off. It will slough off easily, leaving the ink stuck to the tape.
The back stays a little sticky, so I store them on wax paper. The end result is a transparent image. Apply it over any background (patterns are neat) and it will show through the clear parts of the image. Have fun!

2010-01-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

The theme for this week is "animal". I can't wait to see your interpretations. Here's mine:I put an image transfer done on packing tape over an animal print I stamped on the background paper.

Time was a popular theme last week - I love the ones submitted to my challenge!

Gry-Heidi:Jeanette:Susi (welcome!):Rhonda:Lesley (yes, I know Charlie Chaplin...and Lillian Gish, and Buster Keaton....classic!):Anne (first entry here!):
Amy:

Elaine:
Yvonne:
So happy to have new artists join us. Beautiful work ladies!

2010-01-28T10:01:00.001-08:00

Bonjour mein amigos! Finally, a new tute!

I want to show you a few things today. The first is how to make an embossed background (as seen in this ATC) without a nifty cuttlebug-type machine.
First you need a stencil.
Some embossing tools (the purple one is actually a clay tool). I used a thin piece of foam for my base surface.
Put your paper on the foam (the soft surface is key to bringing out the images), and your stencil on the paper. Using embossing tools, outline and/or fill in the negative spaces. Push firmly enough to make an impression, but not so hard you tear the paper.
I then flipped my paper over and rubbed distressing ink across the raised surface to bring out the image (you could also use embossing powder here).
And here's the finished piece. It looks like a pressed tin ceiling tile to me, and is very tactile.
This is not something you'd want to do for a large piece of paper - it does get tiring applying pressure and keeping the stencil in place - but it is doable for an ATC size piece, and is much more affordable than one of the machines.

Now here's something I'm SUPER excited about. I haven't been able to justify buying a cuttlebug, you see, because I already have a cricut personal cutting machine. Ye olde cricut had been gathering dust because I was a little bored with the cartridges I had and new ones cost $70 or so.

But my cricut had a usb connection. I had purchased the software that Provo Craft eventually put out that allows you to manipulate the fonts and images from cartridges you already own. Nice, but limiting. I got to thinking that there must be more I can do with the cricut connected to my computer, so I googled, and lo and behold, found software called Make-the-Cut.

With Make-the-Cut, I find images on line, like the bird in the ATC, pull them into the program, resize and cut. Voila: custom die cuts of virtually any image I want. All of these images came off the internet:
And you aren't limited to silhouettes. You can do layers, like with a superman logo: one cut for the background in one color and another cut for the "S" overlay cut in another color. The program lets you manipulate the images to get the look you want. And you can use any true type font.

This has made me fall in love with my cricut all over again. It also gives me a sense of satisfaction that the powers that be at Provo Craft, who already got lots of money from me for buying the machine, can't force me to buy only their products to use it. I no longer have to use their cartridges. Liberation!

Remember to submit an ATC for the "time" theme this week!

2010-01-24T22:36:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!!

Our theme this week is "time". My example here isn't an ATC (life got in the way the last few days), but it fits the theme and is a teaser for a project I want to share with you soon, anyway. Love, love, love that you all are finding time to take on the challenges. And welcome to new friends showing up for a peek! Here are our entries for the "number" challenge.

Rennata: she has several others in her post, check them out!
Rhonda:Jeanette:
Elaine:Amy:Evelyn:
Yvonne:

2010-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

These ATCs were just for fun, a couple of little gals I came across in my stash of images that I couldn't resist using.
This one is called "Brightness". The second is called "Story".

Now down to business. Our theme this week is "Numbers". Show me what you got. Here's mine:

Well, my creative sistahs, you've impressed me once again. Get a load of these bejewled ATCs:

Jan:

Deidre:

Evelyn:

Elaine:

Amy:

Yvonne:

Linda:

Rennata:

2010-01-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to create an ATC for our jewel/jewelry/gem challenge!

Here's a little ad freebie for you:
I'll try to do a technique post this week - it's been a while for one of those. Happy creating!

2010-01-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

Our theme this week is "Jewels/Jewelry/Gems". Yes, "Baby of Mine" here is a little bizarre, but there you have it: I'm a little bizarre at times.We had another wonderful turnout for our "hats" challenge as you can see below. Please visit these lady's sites - you will be inspired and delighted to look at their work, I know I am.

Cheryl:
Fabulous use of papers in the background - love the image!Amy:
No hat at all! Clever!Limar:
Classic. What a great composition.Jan:
Jan pulls the theme of hats and stuff we wear through nicely with the addition of lace, buttons and measuring tape.Deidre:
I love her so much I already swapped for her!Evelyn:
Very elegant!Rhonda:
How creative is this? Love the eyes!Rennata:
Rennata's first submission - great digital work!
Jeanette:
Made me laugh - what a cute card!Yvonne:
So evocative! Beautiful moody colors.
Thanks for playing ladies!

2010-01-08T00:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, another non-ATC post. I guess I'm stretching my wings a little, trying to refill the creativity well.

I made this mini shrine for my sister. It's made out of a small 1" by 2" Altoid mint tin. Here's the front:

The side:
Inside:

And back:
Don't forget our "hat" challenge, I'd love to see more of your ATCs! Sending creative vibes your way!

2010-01-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

This is a painting/collage of my mom. I don't usually post other art endeavors on this site - it's pretty wholly dedicated to ATCs. But I wanted to introduce you to another artist named Carmen. You can find her at silverartisan.blogspot.com. She is also a jeweler, and very talented one at that.

Carmen has been experimenting with her art, and it was her folk-style pieces that inspired me to create these (these are pale comparisons to her work). The first one is on canvas board. I included sheet music (mom had a beautiful voice) and photocopies of her letters to me. The second was done on carboard. Goldilocks got more translucent than I wanted after I covered her in wax. It's all a learning process. I did enjoy creating larger pieces of work, whereas I used to be frightened of filling up that much space.

I highly recommend checking out Carmen's site. She's just begun offering prints of her work. She's an artist to keep an eye on!

2010-01-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Our theme for this week is "hats". I created this little fella with Chriss Rollins' zettiology-theme challenge for this month in mind. I'm not sure I'll pull enough ATCs together to submit for that swap, but I'll try.
Phew, eight entries this week for our red challenge. I'm so happy! I LOVE red and the ATCs that were submitted were truly inspiring. And so many new artists joining us, check out their sites! Here are ATCs by
Jan:
Irish3:
Rhonda:

Gry-Heidi:

Yvonne:
Evelyn:

Elaine:

Jeanette:
Can you believe the stellar work here? It amazes an delights me! Thank you so much for participating!

2009-12-31T15:15:00.000-08:00

Madame Pavlova, the Celebrated Russian Dancer is...celebrating! I hope you all enjoy your New Year's festivities!

Don't forget to enter the "red" challenge! I can't wait to post this week's submissions - they are amazing.

2009-12-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

Finally got little Peggy here added for the "red" challenge. She took me way too long to create - I'm under the weather and the brain synapses don't seem to be connecting all that quickly.

The submissions for this week's challenge are coming in - and boy are they great! Welcome to all our new followers - always happy to have more sources of inspiration.

2009-12-27T23:15:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all enjoying time with loved ones like I am these days. I'm out of state, so can't post a new ATC example yet, but the theme for this week will be the color red. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

We had a great response to our "wings" challenge. Take a look at these beauties:

This one is from Yvonne. Simply gorgeous.

This one is from Gry-Heidi, who managed to squeeze in time between the holidays and moving into her remodeled house for an ATC. Lovely!

Here's Rhonda's: Stunning! (and after my big-head heart!)

Limar created this da Vinci-inspired piece. Truly amazing.

One more from Audrey. I love the funkiness of it!
There were many more who popped in to say hi for the first time - I look forward to seeing all your future entries! As you can see, we have stellar talent to be in company with! Much happiness to you all!

2009-12-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

Finally, new ATCs (I'm in a big head phase - not my own - lol!). And a new challenge. This week our theme will be wings - real original, I know, but I just LOVE wings. I hope you all can find the time to do one this week, and if not, hopefully we can all get back on track in the New Year!

This was Cheryl's ATC for our last challenge. I love the chilly feel you get while looking at it, and yet it's comforting at the same time. You can find this talented artist at mysticmissive.blogspot.com .

2009-12-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, life is just so crazy between shopping, work, family visiting and my daughter's Nutcracker rehearsals and performances that it's thrown everything off with my blog upkeep. I'm hoping to have time next week to post (I miss my art and visiting your sites so much!). For now a couple of freebies. Hope you're enjoying the season!

2009-12-07T20:16:00.001-08:00

I'm going to make this week's challenge easy so you can double up if need be. This week's theme is Christmas, or winter holiday of your choice. Here's mine - sorry for the glare.

Limar entered this lovely creation for the Sea challenge. Busy time of year, I know many more of you would contribute if possible. Hopefully after the New Year.

And welcome to our new followers, please join us when you like!

2009-12-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I'd get in the spirit and offer this holiday image for your use. Show me what you come up with. And remember to create something for the "Sea" challenge!!

2009-11-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

Our theme for this week is "Sea". Leave a link to your art in my comments. I can't wait to see your creations! Here's mine:

We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium this weekend. They had a seahorse display and I am obsessed!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I ate way too much, and now I weigh too much! Off to the gym tomorrow.

2009-11-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

We are obviously getting into the holiday season...fewer entries this week. I'm not going to post a new challenge, just too much going on. But I did want to share with you this piece of lovely from Limar:

Have a wonderful week, all!

2009-11-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

I sent this to Samantha down under. I lived in Wyoming when I was younger - just a piece of the West to share with my Aussie friend. If you zoom you can see the town I lived in called Shoshoni right in the middle - very tiny.

Looking for more fashion ATCs!!

2009-11-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

If you guys want to read something amusing, check out my latest post on my personal blog.