Tuesday, June 30, 2009

GlitzyEvents handmade invitations

I was searching through the recent listings of the Etsytwitter team and happened upon this shop. I worked at an invitation store for several years and have seen my share of beautiful custom work, but this shop is fabulous.

What I first noticed was the craftsmanship. Ever invitation I looked at was thoughtfully designed, picking fonts and colors that worked well together. The papers appear to be extremely high quality, a major consideration for custom invitation customers. The designs are modern and simple, but always have that something special making them totally original.



Don't even get me started on price! When I got married, my invitations (which I ordered through a high end catalogue at a huge discount) cost over $1000 for 100. That is $10 an invitation!!! Of course that included response cards and matching directions. GlitzyEvents starts at $2 and the most expensive one listed is $8!





Even if you have already picked out the invitations, you can find other wedding requirements, like unity candles, table cards, and tissue packets. All are customized to your specifications.


make sure to check them out at their Etsy site: GlitzyEvents

Thursday, June 18, 2009

go Team go!

I am very excited about the prospect of teamwork. Working at home on art projects can be very isolating so I have joined several of Etsy's teams in hopes that it will not only promote my shop but make me a better artist as well.

Etsytwitter Team is a gang of shop owners who all promote through twitter. I have found twitter to be a great resource. Constantly updating with new and exciting information from all over the world. I often post my new listings as well as remind people of older items and forwarding bits of information to my followers from friends.

Etsyknit Team i use exclusively for my knit items. All the knitters/crocheters/spinners make beautiful things and vary in style, construction and price.

Etsynj team is my hometown as Bruce would say. It is amazing the diversity of artists spanning this great state. The team discusses local issues like craft fairs and art shows as well as arranging meet ups for moral support.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

New art coming to my shop!


I have been inspired!


As I reported yesterday, i have been working very hard to research what sells on Etsy. While I cannot promise it WILL sell, I think I am alot closer to something I will enjoy making and people will like.


I love those dark, stylized women/girl illustrations. I also love graphic clothing with tattoo art and comic book style art. I have never tried to draw in either of those styles, though I know I probably could bring those influences into my current work.
We will see how long this lasts :)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

looking for inspiration

After all the excitement of yesterday; the review, the treasury; I wanted to be inspired to create something new. I am feeling too all over the map. Do I want to do a wearable, like a shirt graphic or bag. Or do i want to try some more youth oriented illustrations. I think the first trick is going to be getting out of bed and off the laptop!

One of my first stops was at Dehlias. This is definately a store that caters to young women with trendy tastes. I poked around their housewares, lots of bright colors and interesting combinations.

Next I checked out Hot Topic. Not a ton of housewares, but definately heavy on the graphic content. The image choices and styling worked with my own asthetic.

I know that women 18-34 with college educations are not necessarily shopping in these venues, but Amazon is just too big and overwhelming to get any real ideas from.

Monday, June 15, 2009

My First Treasury


I am very proud to say that I am being featured in my first Etsy treasury. That means, for those of you not in the know, that one of the other members of the Etsy community decided on a theme and chose one of my items from all those available on the site as one of their favorites.


This may seem like a very trivial thing, but it means that not only are people visiting my shop, they are liking what they see and want to tell others about it. That has been my goal with all of my art, for people to enjoy it and want to spend money on it.


On top of the review on The Bragging Mommy, I think this has turned out to be a pretty good day :)

Win a Free Gift on The Bragging Mommy

The Bragging Mommy is having giveaway featuring my golf club covers! Go check out the site, leave some feedback, and you may just win a custom made cover in the team of your choosing. PLUS, if you mention you saw the article and mention BRAGGINGMOMMY at checkout, I will refund your shipping costs!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Little One Keeping Me Busy

Last night was my daughter's dress rehearsal for her dance recital which is scheduled for this Sunday. Today is what the school is calling "Leap", but is really a kindergarten graduation ceremony.

I know that it is not unusual to have a zillion kid activities piled on top of each other but this is my first real experience with it. i am already overwhelmed. I am not sure how to schedule my day around all this stuff, will she be too tired if we go to the beach in the morning on sunday? Will she be cooperative enough for us to cut it close like that? Do I have all the grandparents meet up at our house to go to the location? I guess I can leave that one up to my husband since I have to be there an hour early with my daughter.

I started work on a sweater from recycled yarn. The pattern is from this book 1000 sweaters that you can mix and match bodies, sleeves and collars. I have attempted sweaters before with sad results. The first one fits but is unflattering, the second was so off in fit that it was frogged after completion. I am hoping because I am strictly adhearing to the pattern, things will turn out better this time.

Monday, June 8, 2009

time for some laundry

it is that day again, laundry day.

I have fully stocked my Etsy store so i can take some time to straighten up around the house. I may even get to sit in the backyard and eat my lunch today! Can you hear the sarcastic tone in my typing? This is making me miserable.

Yesterday, I ventured to Great Adventure in Jackson New Jersey with just the kids for the day. Poor hubby had to visit his cousin in the hospital. There was a terrible car crash, thank goodness no one was killed, but he is still going to be in the hospital for a while.

Back to GA... It was amazingly uncrowded! I usually never take them later then 10 in the morning, and certainly not on the weekend. We got there at about 11:30 and got a fantastic parking spot and there were no lines at the gates. No lines at the food concessions and barely any for the kids rides. I hope it was because everyone was at the beach and not because of the economy.

Afterwards we visited my friend Linda who lives just around the corner from the park. Had yummy ice cream and played with her dog. It was a nice long day.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

knitting like crazy!


I am taking a short break from knitting. I have been going crazy trying to get a whole bunch of golf club covers on my etsy site for father's day. i now have 6 available for various teams, I am congratulating myself with the rest of the night off.


Friday night I went out with one of my oldest friends for the first time in years. I have not been to a nightclub with her since 2000! That doesn't mean I haven't been out, just not on a regular basis and not with her. ANYWAY, we got SO wasted and this morning I woke up with a hangover like I have never had. It is so funny how vomiting clears that right up! I swear i felt like nothing ever happened after I got it all up in the morning.


Saturday was filled with photography at the Met. My mother was participating in an art class for the visually impaired and invited me to tag along. It was so interesting to see through the eyes of a person who cant see quite so clearly. They got some really beautiful and interesting shots. It also gave me a chance to see an exhibit with some of my favorite artists, namely Cindy Sherman and Barbara Kruger. I am sure there were others, but i did not get a chance to see them, as I was taking a class.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

First Sale

It is officially the most exciting news in recent history, my first sale in my Etsy shop! I have been so busy trying to make things happen that I would love to take a break and celebrate but I know now is not the time to do that. i need to keep plugging away, doing all those things that have made my shop successful.



I am working on my 4th golf club cover, this one by special request. I do appreciate the fact that I designed this pattern and it is taking off. My goal as an artist was to have people want things that I created purely, out of my own desire to create. This, while being knit to his specific school colors, is something I created out of my own imagination. It feels good to have someone appreciate that.

So now, enough with the typing, back to creating!

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