Gotta Have Friends

Alison Gordon does a lot for our crafty community as co-organizer of Bazaar Bizarre and Sampler Contributor Relations superhero. She has recently faced a medical emergency, and like many independent artists and crafters, she is without health insurance. She is getting some help from her friends who have set up an etsy shop called Wonderland Retreat, a play on the name of Alison’s site, WonderlandQ. The proceeds will all go to Alison to help ease the financial burden. It’s awesome that there are over 5 pages of donated items, and 160 items have already been sold! I’m so proud to be part of such a wonderful crafty community, and I am donating a pen (pictured) from my shop, Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens. If you have an item to donate, contact Renee Garner at wonderlandretreat [at] gmail [dot] com. I’m off to the shop to set what cute goodies I can buy to help out :)

Busy Week

It's the weekend so I finally have time to sit down and think. The picture is of the scribble pads I've been making to go out with my orders and for promos for fellow etsyians to pass out in their goodie bags. When you flip open the cover, there are 10 little pages to take notes on, or scribble on :)

I received two orders this week, even after raising my prices! My customers are happy, and I feel like I'm getting what my work is worth. I love my new job, too. We're not too busy in the morning and the time goes by slow, but from 4-7 it just flies on by! There are a million other things I need to learn though. I went and looked at some Mini Coopers with my fiance yesterday. I will be needing to get a new vehicle before too long as I don't think my Jeep can hack it. Even though I absolutely LOVE my Jeep, it gets terrible gas mileage and its not convenient unless the weather's nice. I wasn't too impressed with the Coopers though...way overpriced in my mind. I've you have any suggestions for cars, lay 'em on me :)

Blue Waves Pen

I finally got around to posting this pen in my shop today. My table was filled my crayons, paper scraps, and Modge Podge, so I didn't have room for my lightbox until I cleaned up a few things! I also changed the prices for my pens today. I want to go back to the $15/7 combo instead of $12/6. It's not that big of a difference really, and I feel I'm getting what they're worth now.

The job search has ended! Monday I start working for Sewell Automotive. It's a great company and the people are great, too. I can buy more beads, but I'll have less beading time. Oh well I'll just sleep on Sundays!

I'm also a member of a new group on etsy called etsypink. We are raising awareness about breast cancer. Our site is still being worked on but should be up soon. I'm working on an awareness ribbon pen, and I should finish it today. My aunt is my hero and a breast cancer survivor, so this cause is really important to me.

My Art Journal

I love art journaling! It’s my new addiction right after beads, and it all started with a book recommended by Robin Atkins of Bead Lust. A few pages I have done were intense emotional experiences (dealing with the past sort of thing), and others were just fun releases of creative juice.

The first one I’m sharing today is about my puppy Ruby. When I first moved to Dallas (December 2006), I had depression issues. I couldn’t find a job, I didn’t know anyone, and I was questioning my life as if it were a big sham. Sometimes I’d just cry for no apparent reason. I got Ruby in February 2007, and its amazing how much of a difference she has made in my life. I think the quote I used on the page sums it up well: “There no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” To start off the page, I found a photo I had taken of her when she was about 10 weeks, and brought it into Photoshop. I used a “charcoal filter” on the photo, and hit print. Then I just went crazy with pastels and pencils. I added a leaf because chasing blowing leaves is her favorite past time.

This Buddha page just happened as I went along. I drew some Nepalese eyes on the page, and decoupaged little scraps of paper (left over from another project) all around it. Then I added the Four Nobel Truths of Buddhism: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. I used paints, stickers, watercolor pencils, a popsicle stick, magazines, ribbon and tag, and tons of Modge Podge. I start my new job Monday, and I have art journaling to keep me sane. I’m really glad because when you are face to face with customers all day, there are things you have to hold back and release later!