An ETSY Treasury inspired by the snow

It snowed again last night.  We did not get as much as NY!  But we got enough!   I love the snow.  It's the cold, windy weather I'm not so fond of.  It seems you can't have one without the other!   The sparkling of the snow in the sun inspired me to create an ETSY treasury.   What is an ETSY treasury?  It's a collection of items (a treasure chest if you will) with a common theme.  It's serves many purposes:

• I get to "window shop" looking for fun things and inspiration and ideas.  It is AMAZING what's out there.
• I get to share what I find with you - always fun.  
• I sent a short note to the artists whose items are my treasury.  It's a way to meet artist, so it is a little networking tool.
• But really most of all it's just plain fun.    Music is playing in the background and in between songs, there is the music of doggie snores!  
• And people do this for you so it's nice to reciprocate, or pay it forward?

Here is what the treasury looks like.  If you click on the link below the Treasury you can then click on any of the  individual items to view them or go window shopping in the shops.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d2e6d90b98a8eef61d10a7a/snowy-icy-sparkling-january

Blessings,

Colleen

Meet another Etsy artist . . . Rita from Surfing Silver

I’d like to start to share with you some of the wonderful artists on Esty.  First up is Surfing Silver.  When I first found this shop, Rita was making beautiful surf-inspired jewelry.  She is still doing that but she has now expanded into custom work, making pieces from your child’s artwork.  Take a look at the pieces below.  They are amazing .  And what a great feeling for a child, or parent, or grandparent, to see their artwork transformed this way.   I can only imagine how much fun this must be for Rita.   Here is a little bit about Rita and some pictures of the jewelry, as well as the links to her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/surfingsilver and to her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/SurfingSilver/282442721016

Sacred Lotus Silver Earrings

ABOUT RITA . . . Born in So California and lived there all my life except for a brief stint in Hawaii. As a child and adolescent in So Cal I lived in a house where we could see the ocean all day, everyday. Having a houseboat at Lake Powell allows me to live on the water for a time each year. Being an artist I have always been fascinated with water and especially moving water. I have studied the movement of water for years. When I first started working with PMC all of my other art immediately went on hold and my paints have been put aside for now. I never thought I would get into 3D sculpture, but I have found that carving has become my favorite thing now, and my pieces are taking on a sculptural quality. I am constantly evolving so I'll just have to see where this takes me. I was trained by the world famous metal smith Tim McCreight and I am guild certified in PMC techniques by RioGrande. I currently belong to the PMC Guild and teach PMC classes.

Your Child's Artwork

Silver Wave Bangle Bracelet

Your Child's Artwork

Cloudbreak at Tavarua

Foot (or hand) print of a loved one

So, what did you think.  Don't you wish you had your kids artwork?  Or maybe even your own from days gone by!   And the waves!   Do they make you feel good.  Can you feel the warm sun!  It works for me!

Thanks!  

Colleen

ETSY Holiday Bootcamp Pledge

What is she talking about? Well,  I have an Etsy Shop and Etsy has started the Holiday Boot Camp to get the "newbies" and anyone else interested, ready for the holidays.  And the first thing you are suppose to do is take the Holiday Bootcamp Pledge so . . .

I  pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

Oh, my Etsy shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/ConradDesigns

Confidence

The idea behind this blog was I would work thru my watercolor instructional books.  I'm going rather slow at that.   I have a few paintings I want to do.   And I'm trying to get my Etsy site going.  So, I decided let's have a third project!  Why not?  So I took Painting Watercolor Landscapes with Confidence, by Brian Ryder off the shelf.  There are several exercises in the book that may prove valuable.  But I just read tonight.  I will say the best thing I've learned for my mental state is this . . . the biggest difference between amateur and professional painters is confidence, yes that's right. Confidence.  It's all in your attitude!  AND both amerature and professional painters discard as many paintings. WOW, that made me feel better!  I should be able to charge ahead with confidence and know that every painting I throw away will make me a better painter.  Hmm?  That make take a few more conversations with myself.

Look Around, it's a Feast for the Eyes

van Gogh said that art requires constant observation. But my question is what are we observing. I don't have a photographic memory. I can look at something for a long time, but not really remember it. So how do I remember it? I've heard it explained like this. Observation requires a discipline that many move quickly past because it requires patience, and it feels like wasted time. To master observation one must surrender to the process, let go of the feeling of wasted time sitting and stareing and let what is flow in, like a gentle breeze. Once mastered, observation becomes less about observation and more about feeling.

I've been so emersed in preparing my Etsy site that I have not painted in several days.   I've simply been observing.  It's fun.  I love early morning and late evening light.  It's magical.  So look around, there is a feast for your eyes if you take the time.   It's really not time wasted.

Lost in Photoshop

Ever been there? It's amazing my neck does not hurt from the hours hunched in front of the computer! It all started with the idea that I needed to create a banner for my Etsy Shop and well, I now have oh, probably 15 banners. I learned several new things in Photoshop (yeah!) and had lots of fun in the process. I found a few interesting sites looking for that perfect picture that I did not find. However, it is amazing how things work out. This morning, while sitting on the deck enjoying the early morning cool air, I noticed the sunlight on the barn that sits along the edge of the woods (yup, hence the name of my studio.) I jumped up, ran inside, grabbed the camera and took some pictures of the barn. I thought I had found the perfect image for my banner. I then wandered around the yard taking a few more photos of the dogs playing. And then, there it was. Darla, our black lab, was sitting survying her yard with a row of trees lined up behind her and and there was a perfect spot of sunlight off in the distance. Snap! That's it! Inside for some coffee and a little more photoshop! I have an Etsy banner. Down to business and get the rest of the details figured out (and there are alot of them) and get prints and cards posted for sale. My goal is the end of June.

Good Day, Sunshine

It's Friday and I am at home working on lots of different things. It's nice to have a day off from work! The sun it shining and it's not humid. What a day! The dogs had walks and now they are happy and snoring!. I would like to paint but I am a bit distracted by a few other projects I am trying to finish this month. I am almost set to list things on Etsy. It requires a lot more planning than one would expect. And while I am doing that I am also revamping my website. So I'll just tell you about what I want to paint soon. I like to work on 2 paintings at the same time. I can go back and forth between them and always keep a fresh perspective on them. The first will be of a mini castle with a field of lavender in the foreground. The inspiration came from a photo a friend sent. In keeping with my need to stray from what's in front of me, the painting will be of my own special place inspired by this photo. The other painting will be quite different. I found the "inspiration" a week ago in a cooking magazine . . . it is a strawberry cake, with white icing, with a piece cut from it, decorated with deliciously gorgeous strawberries. All beautifully displayed atop an old white tin cake stand. I just have to paint it and it will require a fair amount of restraint on my part because I will not be able to change too much. Along with the picture of course is a recipe. I think my reward for painting the cake will be making it and sharing it! Hmm, maybe I should reconsider my overall inspiration and incentive for painting! I may be be on to something here!