Hard at Work!

I've been busy this week - making 3 sizes of fabric bowls, fabric coasters, art prints and these latest bookmarks. The one on top is what the backs of all of them look like.  I'm planning to take another trip to Mt. Dora next week and add to my stock at Hart & Soul Gallery.  The website is up - go take a look!  This time, I'm taking my husband along -- I swear, if we had found Mt. Dora when we were looking for a place to live in Florida, I'm sure that we would have ended up there!

I'll be going back in July, when Haley is here visiting.  Part of me wants to be busy making more stuff (that means that things are selling) - but another part of me just wants to have fun with Haley and not work so hard!

In other news, I was so excited that I sold an original watercolor painting on Etsy last week.  But, after I had spent the money that I made, I was notified by the buyer that she had decided not to buy it after all!  It was for a gift for someone who no longer wants it.  So, she wanted to know if she could just return it unopened.  Of course, I said yes -- what else could I do?  But, she'll have to pay shipping both ways, and I won't refund her money till it's back in my hands.

Unfortuantely, it's made me rethink having a shop on Etsy.  I know I'm overreacting, since all my other sales have gone smoothly and the feedback has been so positive.  But, I'm happy that  at Hart & Soul, once it sold, it's gone!

Finally ... New Art!

This is an 8" x 8" x 1.5" collage.  I can't seem to get out of the bird rut, so I guess I'll just embrace it!  I've been thinking of this piece for awhile.  You know how it starts out one way in your head, but when you try to put it on canvas, everything changes?  Well, this is it!  And, of course, at one point, I was ready to scrap it - but now that it's finished, I like it just fine!  The phrase is the title of music that I cut out and put in there somewhere -- I really wanted the music to show - darn!  Oh well, at least I did some art today!

Holy Cow!

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted.  I've been very busy, but not making art!

I"ve been knitting ruffled scarves to sell on Etsy -- I've been making more coasters and bowls to sell in Grumbles House, as well as Hart & Soul in Mt. Dora. I'm hoping to make some new art to take to Mt. Dora -- just can't seem to get it started.

Good news - I spoke to Brigett Hart today.  The shop in Mt. Dora has been opened for only 1 week now, and she told me that a lot of my things have sold!  Such great news - but, of course, that means that I have to get busy and make more stuff!  And, this is the SLOW SEASON!  When the snowbirds arrive in the fall, I just might go crazy!  But, that's why I do this - to make $$ and keep me off the couch!

I'm also trying to take some time to read.  It seems that when I find a good book, I can't read it in stages, I just have to read it straight through.  So, that takes some time out of my day.

And, just to keep things interesting, I purchased some new computer games last week.  Unfortunately, that keeps me glued to the computer (but out of the refrigerator!)

My granddaughter, Haley, will be coming to visit the 10th of July!  So, I'll have to make time for us to play!  I swear, I don't know how I ever had time to work!

I know we need the rain, but.....

Florida is such a crazy state!  We're either in a drought or we're flooding!  It's been raining almost straight since Monday night.  Yes, Tropical Storm Beryl has been helping us to replenish our auquifor, and yes, it was much needed.  Thank You!  Now here comes the But part...

Our dog, Barney, has been barking almost nonstop since Monday night.  And, for such a little dog, he has a loud, shrill bark!  He runs from window to window, seriously barking at the thunder.  And, of course, since it is Florida (the Lightning Capital of the World), there is ALWAYS a lot of thunder.  Sometimes I can corral him, and hold him, and he will settle down for awhile, but he just can't seem to calm down.  Sometimes we have to give him a doggy tranq (Monday night), but even that doesn't seem to do the trick.

I really do love my little guy, but after 2 days of barking, I'm at my wit's end.  My husband is almost deaf without his hearing aids, so he gets some relief!  Even ear plugs don't help me. 

So forgive me for saying this, Florida -- "Rain, rain, PLEASE go away!"

UPDATE 1:00 -- YAY!  The sun is shining again!  Now, Barney is only barking at anything that walks past the house.

Road Trip to Mount Dora

Today, Donna and I took a little road trip to Mount Dora, FL.  This is the building in the extremely cute downtown that houses the little shop that will carry some of my artwork and other crafty stuff!  It was an old hotel, that had been gutted.

Inside the front door, this is what you see - it's a breezeway with several little funky shops inside!  The breezeway leads to the parking lot out back.

Hart & Soul is the new little shop!  It will open the first of June.  The owner is Brigett Hart, who is just the sweetest thing!  She will have something like 50-some vendors bringing in all their handmade things.  I got to meet a few of them today.  Lots of us are already selling our wares on Etsy.

She wanted to show me what my things would look like in the window!  Her shop is the first one you see when you come in from the parking lot.  Can't wait to see it all finished and full of merchandise.  I think it's going to be something!

Not only does Mount Dora have some of the cutest shops, it also has a wide array of fun restaurants.  Here's Donna getting ready to eat a fabulous lunch at "Goblin Market"!  I can't describe how enchanting this restaurant is.  What fun we had today - looking forward to taking my granddaughter there in July!

Palette Knife Play

I had this canvas that I had played with stencils on, and I thought it would be fun to play with palette knives.  Luckily, Michael's was having a sale on Heavy Body Acrylics, so I bought a few colors, and came home and just played.  Oh Fun!  I think I'm going to do some more!

In Etsy news - they've now begun taking credit cards directly from the site -- so if you want to purchase something and you don't have a Paypal account, or don't want to get one, you can purchase using any credit card that you choose.  Not all Etsy shops have taken advantage of it yet, but I have.  Now would be a good time to do some  Etsy browsing!

New Bookmarks

For the past few days, I've been trying to come up with a bookmark idea that I could use my collage techniques on - but not be too labor intensive. After all, they're not a big moneymaker, but I think it's necessary to have some for sale with all my other pieces.  To that end, I must make a lot of them!  So, I decided to make them all alike (but different!)  What do you think?

New Beginning

I thought this was going to be a low energy month - I had nothing on the calendar to speak of.  Then, I received an email from a fellow Etsian, who told me she is opening a new "art and craft gallery" in Mount Dora, and she would like to sell my stuff!  Oh Boy!  Mount Dora is a delightful little town south of Orlando, with the cutest downtown - lots of quaint little shops and restaurants.  A real tourist draw.  They have a huge art festival in February, and one of the country's largest antique fairs in the Fall.

So, here I am, in the laziest month for me, working my tail off!  Making coasters, bowls, bookmarks, cards, and  trying to make some new art for the new venture!  I'm taking my things down there around the 25th - so my days are pretty much tied up till then.  But, I'm a salesperson by nature, so if I can sell something, then I will work hard to make that happen.  Can't wait to see the shop!

Out of the Deep

Today, I played with lots of texture, guided by Jacqueline Sullivan's DVD, "Acrylics:  Textures, Layers and Metalics".  This was painted on a 6" x 12" canvas.  I'm really liking the way this turned out, so I think I'll try some more!  This abstract has more of the "feel" that I'm looking for, so I think it will be fun to explore this technique.

Abstract Play

So, today, I got two 9" x 12" canvases out, and using the same color palette for both, tried out a couple of different abstract styles.  I've got a lot of practice to do!  When I look at the abstracts that I love, I cannot figure out how to replicate that style for myself.  I'm sure that MY style will emerge with more practice.  Not sure how I'll like that!