Ok, back on track

Dad is doing much better. He should be released from the hospital today. We had a good talk last night on the phone. About photography and my business and such.

Yesterday I was included in another treasury, and my red 8X10 journal was featured on two different blogs! I'm also working with a wedding photographer to make custom pendants for her clients. Life is pretty good!

Today I'm going to buy craft supplies, and hopefully tomorrow I will be able to go out and take some awesome photos. I'm pushing to go to a place called Silver Falls here in Oregon. I've seen some photos of it and it's absolutely gorgeous... but we will see. I'm working on some plans for future endeavors, so my thoughts will be all about that.

Happy Saturday.

Not really feeling it today

My dad is in the hospital. Again. I talked with him last night and he was not in good spirits. He has pneumonia again... I didn't get a lot of sleep and I'm very worried. Sorry, no inspiring words for today.

Wow, yesterday was a good day!

Yesterday morning I placed 2 craigslist ads. One in San Francisco and one in Seattle. I immediately got a reply from a lady in San Francisco about my photo pendants. Unfortunately, she needed a gift immediately, so she did not buy. However, she complimented my work and my prices a lot and I really feel like a wonderful relationship has started. She asked for my phone number to give to her clients, so she can refer them to me!

Then I found out that I'm in a treasury! I'll post the screen shot of it! Also, my project this week was to make photo pendants of my mom's homecoming photo. My mom passed away when I was 14 and this portrait I have of her is so beautiful... it looks amazing in a pendant and I'm sending one to all the girls in the family. Anyway, I had one at work and was showing it to everyone... I think I will get some custom orders from that-- not that that's why I was showing it. I was showing it because my mom was so beautiful and I was proud.

That's how marketing is, I'm finding. You get out there, you make impressions, you build relationships, and sometime in the future all of that may translate into a sale. But along the way, you've made a friend, so all is not lost.

Life is good. I will continue to market, and continue to plan my class. And I still have to narrow my choices down to 3 for the art show. Definitely the black and white 'wise tree', probably the multnomah falls one with the umbrellas. Any other suggestions? This art show includes a silent auction... I'd love your input on which photos I should include.

I'm going to the post office today to mail dad his gift. That makes me very happy! I hope you all are having a beautiful week!

Wednesday Featured Artisan

Today's featured Artisan is Alex Petersen. I met her in the Etsy forums last week and instantly fell in love with her work. She does encaustic over pen and ink drawings, among other things. Enjoy her interview!

1. What is your craft of choice, and how long have you been doing that?I'm currently obsessed with encaustic. More specifically, encaustic used as a glaze over pen and ink. My main current project involves a large scaledrawing cut into 165 3"x 3" squares and individually dipped into encaustic medium, before being reassembled into a mosaic of sorts. (I'm hoping it turns out, because I was really fond of that drawing, lol!) the attraction to encaustic, for me, is that there is absolutely no "wrong" application. When I started working with it a few years ago, there was very minimal information on it. This created a huge feeling of creative freedom I haven't felt with other media.

2. How did you get started?With art itself? My mother taught art privately for years, so I grew up in a pretty full immersion environment. With the encaustic, I read a reference to the technique several years ago and was unfamiliar with it. Of course I did a google search and found someone in Great Britan that was selling small 'starter' kits with a page of tips and techniques included. I confiscated our griddle and bought a heat gun, and haven't looked back since.

3. How long have you been on Etsy?I actually signed up with Etsy a couple years ago, in 2007, but didn't commit to putting my things in the shop until almost two months ago.

4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?In five years I am hoping to expand my exposure a bit more, especially with my larger work. Nothing with too much pressure, though. I really like to keep the ability to continually push myself artistically, and I find that is hard to keep when you have gallery heavy commitments or become known for a particular style-that puts a lot of pressure to keep your 'brand' look. Yet another reason why selling online is such a cool opportunity.

5. What is the most challenging thing about having an online business?Not getting discouraged! I have had to take such a crash course in online marketing. I couldn't have even known where to start without the wonderful help of the Etsy community. I do think artists can be a bit over sensitive about their work,and I'm certainly not immune! Developing a thick skin in the more anonymous realm of the intertubes is critical.

6. What is the most rewarding thing about having an online business?Definitely the community! Where else can you have virtually instant feedback (good and bad) on your work? Or such a wide and varied global audience? I think this has opened such huge possibilities that would have been completely unthinkable just a few years ago.

7. How does your internet business fit into your life? Is it your job or do you have another job as well?Perfect fit, I'd say. I quit my regular job about 10 years ago, when I had my second son. In addition to the art, I keep the books for my husband's freelance work. He's an industrial designer that does quite a bit of retail design. So, I find having the Etsy shop provides perfect flexibility.

8. When you are not crafting, how do you spend your time?When I can carve a bit of free time, I love to read. I'm a pretty big s.f. geek, lol. Of course, my boys are now 15 and 11, so we try to spend as much time as we can with them in addition to everything else. They keep us moving!

9. Are there any links you'd like to share?Well, I just started my first blog at the suggestion of many in the Etsy community. I hope to contain the theme to my personal struggles with the creative process, as well as (hopefully) share tips and techniques. It's also where I'm sharing some of my bigger pieces of work. http://www.alexandra-petersen.blogspot.com/.

10. Where do you get your inspiration??I see inspiration as more of a continual process of input, rather than from any particular sources. I sometimes think of our brains taking the form of a little busy squirrel, only instead of stuffing our cheeks with seeds and nuts, we are tucking away all sorts of little informational bits, storing them away for some future artistic endeavor.

This was a lot of fun, and I have to admit answering these questions has made me stop and think more than a little! I was surprised at how many things I've not ever really given a lot of thought. Thank you for including me in your blog, and I am REALLY looking forward to reading other artist's answers.

Alex

I have to admit, I was initially drawn to Alex because she's also in the Portland area. So she has the same challenges, and opportunities, to getting herself 'out' there. Check out her work, I think you'll be drawn to it, much as I was. Thank you, Alex!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday! I'll be working on some creative photography tonight, and narrowing down choices for the February art show.

Energized

I woke this morning very energized about all the stuff to come! I have an art show in February, an art/craft show in the Spring, an upcoming class. I love to be busy! I don't do idle very well. I like the stress of deadlines, and I thrive on staying busy. When I lay around, my creativity dwindles. I don't feel like making anything, or planning anything. I need momentum, and I've got it!

Be sure to click on the links to the right side of the screen. A new interview of me was posted yesterday on Creative Crafts. I will be posting my artisan interview tomorrow. And, hopefully every Wednesday it will become a regular feature. If you'd like to be featured, please email me at robyns_art@live.com with 'interview' in the subject.

If you are interested in more information about the class, feel free to email me at robyns_art@live.com and put 'creativity class' in the subject.

The Etsy party is still going on at Bella's blog. She has a ton of giveaways, including one of my pendants. Check it out!

Today will be: work, making class outlines and notes, researching, and finishing up some more beautiful pendants. Life is good. I hope it's an amazing Tuesday for each of you!

I just found out I'm featured on a blog today!!! This one is a total surprise! Fabulous Handmade Finds!

Coming soon!

I have been planning for quite awhile to offer an online class. Just some final tweaks to add, and it will be offered soon. The basis of it? Spiritual creativity, staying motivated, realizing and keeping in touch with your authentic self. What do you think?

Monday....

Monday sure sneaks up on us fast! One of my twitter friends last week said that Monday is a really crappy way to spend 1/7th of your life! I think she is right! I had a very productive weekend, and I listed 3 new journals.

I feel like I'm being pulled in a new direction with these... they are 4X6, so much smaller than my others. But they are also from more recycled materials. Shabbier, perhaps. I've always loved the shabby chic movement... and I always seem to miss the mark. These do as well, but I'm very happy with them.

It was not a photo weekend. That's ok. I made journals, and it feels like I have not done that in forever! I have an art show coming up in February. And an art/craft show & sale coming up this spring. For the first time in my life, I feel like I need a day planner! I think that will be a good investment very soon.

Have any of you seen the video for "Rock Star" by Nickelback? I may post it on here in a day or two... Why do I bring it up? Well, because my dad looks like the guys in ZZ Top. No kidding. And in that song, the ZZ Top guy is asking questions along the way... 'how you gonna do it' 'what do you need' etc. My dad is like that in my life. He helps to guide me to the next step. He lets me figure out what that step is, then he asks me to think it through so I get there... not pushing me in any direction, but helping to get the thoughts straight and keeping me on track. Not sure how I feel about music on my blog... but as long as it has a play button and isn't automatic, it will be ok.

So... I hope today is the start of an amazing week! Don't forget to check out the Etsy party and enter for some of the giveaways over here.