Found &Fancied

How much do I love this Seattle photographer? Enough to want to live in this picture, or every picture she takes, really:

The Volkswagen Beetle has been my dream car ever since I was turned loose with a pair of keys at 16. This is probably one of the most materialistic things I've ever pined for, but I just have to have one someday.

I wouldn't argue if someone offered me a Nash Metropolitan, though:

Ring-a-ding-ding

My jewelry collection has always seemed to lack a particular type of item that I'm rather fond of, but until recent years, haven't been able to find in my size. Cute ones, that is...

rings!

Even as a youngster, I'd try squeezing my little sausages into those cheap, "adjustable" ones. I know those of you with your own little piggies have been there with the metal kind that pinch your skin between the sharp ends because they just won't close. In fact, I remember the very first ring that wouldn't fit. It was a piece to this game, which I received for my birthday when I was five or six years old:

Pretty Pretty Princess

While searching on E for a particular bubble/cluster style that I've been digging for awhile, I stumbled into JennsHandmadeJewelry shop, where Jenn specializes in glass and metal jewelry. It was her cluster rings that caught my eye and was just what I was looking for! At a more-than-fair price of $10, I couldn't leave without ordering something. I contacted Jenn and asked about a customized ring in one of my favorite color palettes, and she kindly assured me that my rollie pollies would be just fine! It arrived a few days later and was a perfect fit and cute to boot:

 
Elvis, who sits above my bathroom sink and
stares longingly at me while I brush my teeth,
finds my new ring particularly stunning as well.

I'll definitely be wearing this on Easter and throughout the spring season! I plan to order another in the future, perhaps in some rich fall colors.

Me and my chubs thank Jenn for her time, effort, and talent  (:

Package makes perfect

An artist standing out in a crowd of artists? This seems like a contradiction of terms and a challenge for most of us.

Lately, I've been working on the "branding" of my shop, as I've learned from the Etsy forums and other advice blogs that this is one of the most important aspects of establishing an identity for any small business. As I've been experimenting with my packaging and logo, trying to figure what works best with my style, it suddenly occurred to me that uniform doesn't have to be bad or boring. Honestly, I think consistency and repetition (outside the product, of course) keeps things looking organized and well put together.

I'm also excited about the custom rubber stamp I'm having made! This will be a perfect tool for the backs of greeting cards, other paper goods, business cards, and even envelopes and shipping boxes. How many hands does a package pass through before it reaches a customer? Perhaps each one is a chance to notice an interesting website stamped in bright ink.

What an Oodalollies purchase looked like before I shipped it earlier this week:

 (I'm a little bit of a paper freak and hoard it like a squirrel).

I've been nudged to tidy up the loose ends of Oodalollies because just yesterday I slipped the application for my FIRST art & craft show in the mail! Come mid-June, there's a very good chance that I'll be peddling my fancies at my own small booth.

I'll know in a week or so if I should panic, pee my pants, and get to work!

Found &Fancied

 50s birdcage pillow,

one of many styles that I love from Olive.

Its always a strange feeling once I log off Etsy, returning to the offline world - a place where thousands &thousands of artisans are not gathered in one spot, and where many know nothing of Etsy at all. In the last year, the site has become one of my favorite &prettiest addictions (and for good reason). Many evenings have quickly turned into late nights, browsing the endless corners of handmade shops bursting with talent and imagination. The impossibility of seeing everything can be slightly frustrating when you realize that Etsy is in a constant state of motion, and you might miss something if you blink. 

So, as I continue to build my blog, Found &Fancied will become a new page that I'm dedicating to things I find, and of course, fancy! Its really quite a shame that I'm not this organized when it comes to my mess of art supplies cluttered on my small kitchen table studio.

Spring in my step, whistle on my lips

I caught a little spring fever in the middle of a snowstorm and my symptoms included mild levels of creativity, the urge to experiment, and severe longing for the soft colors of plastic easter eggs.  I started feeling much better after replenishing my shop with the results: 

 

 I love surprises, so when I was informed that I'd been included in my FIRST etsy treasury, I was stoked! An airy, nature-loving collection by rjdesignhut. Things like this keep my confidence afloat, and in a sea of beauty over there, sometimes I need a life-jacket. You know?

Snowbody but you

I vote that they change the first day of the week to Tuesday, since Monday is legendary for announcing itself like an obnoxious, destructive child making one very aware that he's arrived for his weekly visit. He pulls your hair, pinches your fat, and usually leaves a mysteriously sticky mess behind. Sometimes, just remembering to do this is more difficult than it seems:

Eleven days into the new year and following my steps-to-reinvention (my fancy way of saying "resolutions") has been like walking a tight rope. The most important step, the one that I have to constantly remind myself to do, is the very first one:  Do what you think you can't.   I struggle with this, partly because I'm frightened at what I really can accomplish! Its almost revolutionary, once you realize that you're the only one standing in your own way.


With that said, I'm excited to say that I have some new fancies in the works for the shop! I'm up to my knees in jewelry projects and clay experiments, but after January, I've decided to take a little break from it. I've been itching to paint/draw and incorporate my graphic art into prints, greeting cards, and collages. Expanding the sections in my shop is something I need to focus on, and my second step to reinvention will hopefully help me do just that:  Get organized. No seriously, get organized!

SNEAK PEEK:

I prefer cloudy days to sunshine and thus, weather inspiration! I like the simplicity, but I can't help but feel like its missing something. Hmm...

Speaking of weather, I hope the clouds above you (wherever you are) aren't spitting snow like the ones above Cleveland. When the world is bright white with winter, I walk through it with my head down. Not because I don't think its beautiful, I just prefer my snow shoes instead:

A second time for everything.

The first day of a fresh, new year and I'm celebrating it by finally starting my blog dedicated to art, design, crafts, and inspiration. I'd be lying if I said I was a complete newbie to the blog world -- I just haven't exercised my fingers like this since the Livejournal era, before man rocketed social networking to the moon and back. Remember that? There were dinosaurs, tumbleweeds and everything.


So, here I am -- an interior design/art school graduate whose imagination cranks out handmade fancies (right over here).  Graphic design and prettying things up are also on my ever-growing hobby list. I personally make all of my logos and such. I'm a huge fan of pretty paper, creative writing, and the color yellow. However, the color yellow will probably change tomorrow.


My fiance and I currently reside in Cleveland, Ohio.
I've been clicking my heels three times for Kentucky, though.


Shall we be friends? (: