everything in blue

New! Finally!

2010-04-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to say that this week I'll be uploading some of the new (and some of the updated) designs from the year so far. I'm working on some new dragons, and playing with text more than ever. The two newest monsters on the scene are sing song (below) and lovely dragon (above), both blank cards with text versions soon to be released. In fact, Lovely here has become part of my new logo and card back designs... seeing as how she looks pretty much the way I feel at the finish of every drawing. Sing Song is also a new card experiment: the dragon image cuts off at the left-hand fold and curls around the back of the card. I really need to get some photos of these, considering the new stuff is starting to pile up. Ah! This week I'm under the crunch of an art deadline at work... so if my sister-manager gets any photos, I'll be sure to upload those by week's end.

Speaking of busyness, the two of us just finished our first in-house crafty bake sale. Celeste (my sister) has had phenomenal local success selling her amazing cardamom bread and handmade granola, not to mention online acclaim with the launch of her new Etsy shop 70'sHome. The event was fun, with the possibility of growth in the future.

I want to thank our friends for their support! I expected to do more crafty things like this this summer, and wonder if my work schedule will permit. Hmmm... somehow I must make it work between the two responsibilities- it was so lovely to open our home, gather the bulk of our goods together in one place, and smell all of that incredible cooking day after day!

an example of one of my new card back designs... ooh, color!

Big Projects (and changes)

2010-04-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

We've had some significant changes around here since I was last blogging (November?) in EiB, but many things remain the same: I'm still in Portland, still working full time (thankfully), still living with my sister and thus immersed in the growth of her twin boys, and still drawing.

Or, actually, I'm able to draw every now and again, which I can't say was the case last year. :}

Its now 2010 and spring here in Oregon. I'm writing from a rainy day, the boys are napping, the house is calm and breezy, and all around us I see the results of many efforts myself and my sister have been working on in order to prosper through creativity. We've been through some hardships this winter, and neither of us yet feel the periods of grace that come after a lot of hard work.

However, I have been away from Etsy for some, hmm, 3 months, and in that time have focused so much energy on bringing my shop, its appearance, and my products to a higher standard. I work in a downtown card shop and letterpress studio by day, so the influence of working among artists, watching customers react to cards & images including my own, and generally having grown since ouou opened in 2007 have all played a part in the changes I've been busy stringing together while absent from the www scene.

Right now the biggest and best difference in our work and home routine is that Celeste has offered to manage my shop during these crucial spring months. Crucial because in my day job I'm part of a team putting the finishing touches on our store's new website, and I'm not able to devote the hours to my Etsy shop I could when Etsy was my full time, or even part time job. The website will be up in May, and in June I need to take a look at my business and see where its growth is taking me. These months are also crucial because this is the beginning of craft fair season in Portland, and I'm sure much of the US. In order to get ready, compile new artwork for sale, and run my wholesale business, I needed some reinforcement. My heroic sister kindly tipped her hat for the job.

So, that's just my quick return post. :)

knitty.com

2009-11-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

For the last two issues, ouou knit themed cards have appeared in knitty.com's "cool stuff" feature. Let me share my thanks with a little story of where my knit-love comes from.

I took up knitting breifly, after leaving the city that was home to me for almost 10 years. Knitting to me lives in the world of my older sister's aesthetic. Fabric, pattern, textile, and the differing properties of fibers, wool, cotton, clothing... this is just next door to the art I know. My world is paper, that's pretty clear to me. I love the world of cloth, fabric, fiber, embroidery, but there is so much to learn! Celeste has an instinct for it, and I stand happily by as the awe-inspired little sister, peeking into the knitted world.

Knitting hasn't lasted as a hobby or skill of mine, but I remember my breif sojurn there with heartfelt sentimentality. The comforts of making something wearable with my own hands, the tick-tick of counting rows, the exciting anticipation of selecting yarn, trying something new at such a turning point in my life. Maybe someday soon I'll try again, I could use that comfort in the wet Oregonian winter we're facing. For right now I'm fine with showing my adoration on paper, and that my little drawings have made other knitters out there smile their knowing smiles.

knitting notes in hand-mixed Gocco ink

all bundled up watercolor kitty

knit journal - otter -

Shop Special for friends new and old

2009-11-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, and thank you to any new viewers that are visiting from Facebook. In the last few days my "fans" have really begun to rise in numbers, thank you thank you to everyone who stops by for a read.

I've been thinking lately about how much I love this time of year. I love the bundled clothing, the umbrellas marching down the streets, I love the mittens, caps, galoshes, red noses, and sloppy entryways that come with the darkness, snow, rain and cold of winter months. You can see this in my drawings; it is by no means coincidence that these kids show up in their woolens, scarves and gripping warm drinks.

I'll admit something, though. The holidays sneak up on me. All of them. I tell you, even though I have a shop, work in retail, and own *several* calendars, I do not have a head for recognizing the signs of an oncoming holiday season. Therefore, nice and early this year, I'm offering a shop special on Holiday cards before Thanksgiving (lest I forget). From now until mid-December, the big sellers from ouou will be available in sets of 20 for significantly reduced prices. Right now these styles are available:

Under the Snow
Tea with Green Dragon
Baby Bells

with a few more coming in the next few days. It may be cold outside, but its warm and snuggly here at ouou. :) Welcome, friends.

2009-11-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

Little baby MNJ, 10 months

MNJ wearing his Halloween bear suit, 14 months

While Celeste is out of the house I am "babysitting"... or really Auntie-ing... while the boys are asleep. I thought I would put up a post before sitting down to draw, and I've been here all night. I've had a lot of posts floating around this week after all the excitement of Crafty Wonderland... a whole handful of drafts in the background back here. For tonight, I'd much rather follow my thoughts........ . . . .

Why does this blog keep turning into a discussion on change? Where is my period of "sweet savoring" (I recently read these words and they have stayed with me, a goal I'm looking forward to with certainty)? It must be because, since 2007 and the opening of these adventures in creativity and childcare, that changeable life is the one I've chosen. We've chosen. It must be a part of saying "I will be an artist" or "I will be a parent" (I'm an Aunt, but I'm writing this in regards to both my own, and my sister's, experience) to open yourself up to this Rubik cube feeling on constantly shifting views, circumstances, emotions, abilities, energy.

SL around 10 months, when I stopped taking pictures because my camera broke

SL in October 2009, 14 months old

So what about life now? What is working and what has not worked (and what are we still striving for)?

These sweet boys are honestly in my thoughts 24/7. My nephews have just turned 15 months old, and I can say for sure that they've entered a point where I can't clearly remember what they were like as infants. Isn't that weird!? How *fast* that happens? What is 15 months but a small blink of time, except every time I look back I feel humbled by the incredible enterprise we're undertaking here, together, and in our own individual lives. I feel even more floored when I think of how much is yet to come. These babies remind us, at the best of times, just how full of miraculous possibility life really is.

There is also never, really, any longer a time that goes by when I am not aware that I'm a small business owner. As I've mentioned before, my hours have (blessedly) increased to full time at my place of work, so that finding time and resources for my Etsy work has been the name of the game ever since. I like to feel challenged, and I feel as though I am learning in-step with the changes going on in my job, how to continue to be an Etsy artist.

However, out of the post-Crafty Wonderland experience has come a flood of inspired thought I'm desperate to find a way to make real. And there lies the quandary; working full time and running the shop are possible running parallel to each other, but where does the new work fit into that? This is the next hurdle to leap. Or, maybe it has been for a while. Maybe this need to "find time" to make art, draw, paint is really becoming insistent. I mention it again because that one is still mysterious and elusive.

I think to myself, what if these boys grow up to be artists? What will my story be to them? What if I have children someday, wouldn't I want to teach them that art is a trustworthy, worthwhile endeavor? Wouldn't it be nice to be profitable, healthy, intelligent, and happy in my business of art not just for my own benefit? Isn't that what my parents want for me?

It's interesting, to write those words and think- what if, just maybe, after these 2.5 years of working at this... what if the confidence and the ability to thrive from my own art as a career were right around the corner?

what a wonderland: Crafty Wonderland and lessons learned

2009-11-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are! Crafty Wonderland, Sunday November 8th 2009 and a little booth for ouou. I've got to say, this was my first craft fair since childhood Girl Scouts but it was probably just as fun. The following photo shows where my booth was, the words "table ouou" are actually written over my sister's back... so there you see I took the picture facing away from us, but along one of the 5 isles where people were set up.

There were 40 other vendors, tons of Etsy artists, even some people I recognized from the streets of South East Portland- here I am among my heroes! Does it sound silly? Working a craft fair in this town is like some crazy combination between the first day of opening your very own storefront and playing shop in the dress-up corner.

At first, seeing my 2' X 2' table made me a little nervous. Remember those two suitcases *full* of cards I mentioned? Yeah, it was way too much stuff. Celeste and I scored a second table, and while entertaining my nephews we managed to arrange quite a bit of stock in the 4' space with enough time to spare for a walk around the block to clear my head.

The boys and my sister had to go back home for much of the afternoon, what with naps and being toddlers and all that. There were a lot of older kids there, 3 to 8 year old's who looked pretty comfortable. I would have liked to talk to more sellers about their experiences but I was too shy, maybe at some future shows I'll be able to come out of my shell a bit. My friends arrived after a little over 2 hours, which was great timing to refresh my spirit (and grab a bite to eat!). I couldn't wander far, though, giddy as I was. I just wanted to keep seeing who would turn up next!

It was a busy show, with a great crowd of vendors and customers. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'm a little sad that Crafty Wonderland is canceling its every 1st Sunday monthly craft fairs in favor of seasonal fairs, but I also feel like I got to be part of something special by attending this one.

Here I am saying "Don't take my picture!". Sadly we didn't get any follow-up shots so this will be the one. :0)

today is Crafty Wonderland!

2009-11-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

It is the morning of the big day, Crafty Wonderland's last Sunday marketplace before the big December sale, then no longer until spring. It will be my first craft fair, and I am on the edge of my seat. My sister and I worked late last night putting the finishing touches on cards, prints, ephemera, journals. I'm on my way to pack the car, let's see... two suitcases, a backpack, two babies, a sister, and lots of snacks. Sounds like formula for a great time :D

If you can stop by: Crafty Wonderland is TODAY 11am - 4pm Doug Fir 830 East Burnside, Portland Oregon.

Craft Fairs 1, 2, 3

2009-11-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

It is a crisp, clear autumn day here in Oregon and I am enjoying it from indoors, warm with some tea and the messiest darn room you could imagine. Yes, friends, I seem to thrive from the chaos-order-chaos scenario of getting things done, and this little ouou is making a big mess in preparation for her very first craft fair. I have these two days off (my weekend now falls on Wednesday/ Thursday) to sprint to the finish of a million small tasks before we are ship shape for Sunday's show.

Crafty Wonderland is a monthly craft show here in Portland, Oregon that really gets hoppin' as the Christmas season looms. I had the option of either participating in November or December's show. Since this is my first craft fair and I'm on a budget, I decided to test the waters in November and observe how I do. I know some people prepare for these fairs as far in advance as May, so this November scramble I'm going through is certainly the first page of notes in an adventure of craft fair schooling. ;)

Along for the ride, of course, are my sister C (who just recently re-opened her Etsy shop) and my two twin nephews, MNJ and SL (who will be auspiciously celebrating their 15th month birthday Sunday, Crafty Wonderland day).

Since coming back to my blog I haven't yet caught you up on the boys, but those little babies from summertime have grown into little toddler engines this fall. My fast and furious pace is scheduled around the framework of naps, groceries, mealtime, bedtime and all the other unpredictable daily grind of a twin toddler household. The boys and my sporting sister will be accompanying me throughout the day so that we all might glean some tips from Crafty Wonderland this Sunday, so you'll get to see plenty of pictures of the whole family next week.

...and the winner is...

2009-10-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Wilbur Wiggly Arms!

You know I'm a sucker for a name-and-title combo... so although Oliver Octo, Olly, Hugo and

Nomeocto were high up on my list, Mr. Wilbur Wiggly made me guffaw out loud. Lovely, lovely. Rachel M you can shoot me an email or find me through Etsy Convos and I'll be happy to send you a Wilbur of your very own. :)

More soon dear friends, and before I go a heartfelt thanks for all the fun comments. What good sports you are to reach out, that rocks!

since last we met

2009-10-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

It seems a bit false to march back into my blog and not note, if even just in passing, what I've been up to. My sister and I have been living here in Portland, Oregon for over a year. November will mark a year and a half. We've seen the economy tank, and our own situation go through significant changes countless times since moving here.

In Oregon, the unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country, but (anyone who has lived here will understand) there is an underlying sense, in Portland especially, that those statistics are a given here. Portland is a city of entrepreneurs, artists, craftsmen, small businesses, all sticking their necks out to make something in this beautiful town. It is remarkable when it works, and terrifying when it fails. I've been looking for success stories here in town just recently, feeling like this is the right place to be to find people willing to share what worked for them.

In terms of my own economy, I needed a break from the feast or famine of living out of an Etsy shop. About three months ago I began inquiring about more hours at my place of work. It has been a big shift going back to full time, I still feel ebbs of gratitude when I reflect (like I'm doing right now) on this change. Followers of my blog will remember I've mostly been working part-time since opening my shop in the fall of 2007. The change affected my shop more while I was seeking those hours than now that I'm working them, believe it or not. In the build-up to 40 hours I was feeling a big financial crunch, my computer kept crashing or freezing, my camera broke, and orders were getting lost in the mail. It was a nightmare.

The good news is that I'm now blogging for the store I work in as well. Having a retail position in a letterpress studio makes the creative heart yearn for access into the printmaking studio, apprenticeship, firsthand knowledge of both fields. At Oblation, I've found my niche instead in creating for the company a blog and the framework for more online strategies than they ever explored. It has been wild, and lots of fun.

I guess that's another reason why I came back to my own blog. What is working with having a shop? What aspects of this do I actually enjoy? Where is the benefit? I could have closed down at any time during the past year and saved myself a lot of hair pulling. I had hoped that trying new things would answer some of these questions for me, and I feel like it has.

I have wanted, and want, my shop to fund and inspire my creative endeavors. That's it; to fund the work, to inspire more. These are pretty fundamental goals for me, but just pinpointing what they are has been a step forward from chaos and distraction.

So, although I'm tempted as always to branch off into a million directions, for right now it finally feels as though my wishes have come true and things are starting to actually work out. My future goals are to find more time to draw; beyond that to continue to try new things, explore this lovely state, and practice some new crafts like sewing. But for right now it is good to be working, and even better to see results from that work.

Bamboo Village Press on Etsy

2009-10-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Look at all those comments! Thank you for the inspiration, I'll be deciding *tomorrow night* what the newest monster in my shop will be named. I really enjoy having giveaways so my gratitude to all of you for participating... and those of you who have not, there is still another day left. :)

Speaking of things I love, my sister has decided to re-open her Etsy shop Bamboo Village Press. Yay! I feel like her timing couldn't be better; its been over a year since my nephews were born, although we're thinking about moving we are still comfortable and familiar with our current set-up, and reconnecting with a community of fellow artists is *always* a good thing. Saunter on over to her shop and check out her fabric, Gocco printed Journals, and delicate papercuts.

Other links behind Bamboo Village Press are here on Flickr and the story behind the fund, here on the Bamboo Village blog.

hello hello (and a giveaway)

2009-10-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I would like to pretend that I hadn't just walked away from my blog for the last 4 months (or so) but... yes, I had. Its funny, since beginning to write in 2007 so many life-changing things have happened, and through all of them I've felt I was able to keep writing. But these last months have been such an effort that I was feeling pretty protective. I'm writing now in hopes that, truly, those times are passed.

Otherwise, yes, all the while I've been printing-printing-printing for the day I returned to this sweet blog home. So let's begin...

Visitors to my Etsy shop will notice some "summer" designs have come and gone, while the "winter" designs (dragons, snowflakes, and scarves I love so much) are returning. I still have ouou's Halloween printed card, too, in the shop until Thanksgiving. I'll be breaking some sets into collections in order to still offer the summery designs, these will be in the Mixed Set section this week.

There is also a new Gocco card in town, one in the spirit of Halloween. I've decided to hand-paint these little monsters (who are martians? or sea creatures? or bogeymen?) for a snappy two-tone effect. The reason they're so late to the shop... what do I name this critter? So, on my first post back after a long absence its high time for a BLOG GIVEAWAY!

Please, help me out on a name for this latest Gocco silkscreen card. Leave your suggestions in comments... (nothing outrageous, please)... I can't wait to read them :D The contest is open until next Wednesday, October 28th 9 p.m. est.

Let my readers be forewarned: the judging process will be *subjective*- the one I like the most will become his title. <3 The winner, of course, will get a free set of these cards or a 2 pack of any card in my shop.

Its good to be back. :)

bah humbug-type sentiments

2009-08-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I consistently blogged, so let's catch up:
My sister and her sons are back on the East coast for their twice-a-year visit with our family there. This means I've had the house to myself (yay!) in order to work hard on my Etsy shop, but it also means I've missed the opportunity to be together with my family (boo!). Little MNJ and SL just turned one year old a couple days ago, a really touching time to be celebrating back east. I'll put up a "one year!" post when they return and we have our party here, but meanwhile I'm glad that they had a fun time eating cupcakes and having their first birthday party celebration.

Around here I've started off the downtime with more drawing than production of new items, although there are introductions to be had. I realized its hard for me to enjoy blogging without photographs~ I'm an illustrator at heart and really rely on visual interpretations to express what I see, think, feel. Posts may be spotty for a while due to my broken camera, but I'll do my best to keep stopping by. :)

I am, it must be said, not having the best summer ever... although many of my friends who are having similar frustrations are encountering much larger challenges than myself. The year after uprooting everything and moving cross-country, I was bound to dig my heels into the ground with some consequences. It is no surprise that my irritations are showing up in my drawings. Anyway, the good news is that I'm able to amuse myself with these little Phooey sketches, and hope they cause you to have a little chuckle through life's inevitable unpleasantness's as well.

DRAT!

notice heat

2009-07-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hot.
The Pacific Northwest is under a heat wave and boy are we all boiling. I woke up early in hopes to find a pocket of the day free of humidity, expecting the slanting light and glinting dew of just-dawn to house a bit of relief. Fat chance.

Throughout the day the temperatures continued to rise. I worked in town today, and all we (or our few customers) talked about was this heat, past heat, or other observations of weather. Being a recent transplant here, comparing notes between East and West coast was the theme of the day. It was all good fun in the cool comfort of air conditioning, but on the way home one must brace for pacing chores and steps with the utmost care.

On the highway, heading home, windows glint under the harsh afternoon sun. The horizon is lined with low, hunkering, bilious clouds. Translucent clouds, ghostly clouds, baby blue and capped in pink clouds, which spell out to my eye the hottest of summer days. These clouds, this traffic, the wavering, thick atmosphere hovering over pavement, all of these spell ocean-bound to me, just the right equation. I grew up in a summer culture, on an East coast peninsula where we all headed to the water for 3 months (at least!) of the year. I feel land-locked in this place, far from the gentle mirror of ponds, the many faces a coast can have.

I get home just around 4. This is the thick of the hottest past of the day (as apposed to the East coast, which begins to cool for rush-hour... or if not its a good indication you're stuck with the sticky heat all night) and I'm grateful for the foresight in shuttering the house before I left for work. It is 87 degrees downstairs, meaning it must be well above 95 upstairs. I take out my Moleskine journals and arrange my Gocco for some printing after eating a light dinner.
* * *

An hour later I'm cleaning up. My hands are covered in black ink, hard to keep this slick stuff where you want it in this heat. I'm sweating now, one tall frosty glass of cold water after another has disappeared by my side; print, move, print, move, sip, print, move. I'm storing excess ink in baby food glass jars these days, and think about my young nephews who are visiting my home town right now. I inspect the prints and schedule the next layer printing in my mental calendar. I may be far from the ocean, but knee-deep in my dreams.

A Long, Long Day

2009-07-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Wow... June 26th was the last time I visited my blog!? What on earth has been happening?
Hello and welcome back to you, to me, to this whole adventure we call art-making, child-rearing, settling, working and dreaming. I admit- July sort of unfolded in a fearsome way, and I'm glad its wrapping up with a new month on the horizon. But here we are, so thank you with your patience as I took a holiday from the public record of my life and simply did my best to live it.

The house, the boys, my sister, and the shop are all doing fine. I'm happy to report I've been doing a lot of smaller Gocco projects and widening my freebies, crafty-items, and working on the fixing's for the comeback of Gocco gift packs. I'm sad to report that early last month my camera met a grusome end, making it a little tricky to traverse this Internet communication/ shop running in the same way that I had been. I may be releasing some new products in an effort to fund raise to replace my camera, and will keep the blog, Flickr, and Facebook updated in regards to such goings-on.

Otherwise, my brain is a little fried with this heat wave Portland, Oregon is having (tomorrow 109 degrees!?). My heart, too, is feeling the distance with my twin nephews, who are turning their 1st year old in just 12 days, are on the other side of the country for about a month. Lucky for me there is work to be done- lots of it!- and also a blog to dust off, keeping my sister in the loop of her neighborhood's events while home in Massachusetts. I'll do my best to find some photographs, and make sure some newsworthy, positive, adventurous events happen in the following weeks.

Happy summer, everyone.

Alberta Street

2009-06-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

The draw in moving to Portland was not just having my big sis to adventure with, or watching my twin nephews grow and explore their world, but also the promise of an abundant and thriving art community. I have the luck of working for a company that embodies old world artisan spirit and therefore work alongside numerous local artists, but have found this first year in Portland that the way you enter into the community of artists is not just by creating, or through work contacts, but with the support of friends.

local printmaker Emily Riley and our shared table outside at
Last Thursday on Alberta Street yesterday

One such friend is Emily Riley, a truly skilled print maker and painter. She is a member of the Talisman Gallery, a cooperative gallery on Alberta Street in NE, and one of my closest friends in town. I'm pretty familiar (and comfortable) with selling online; much of my business plan is still focused on the Internet as means of communication, networking and expression, but Emily has played a role in encouraging me to show my drawings around town, in person, despite my shyness, hesitations, scheduling conflicts... or all the other road blocks that have manifested since arriving in this arty town.

Yesterday I left the glow of the computer behind to set up shop at my first ever outside booth. Attending Alberta Street's Last Thursday was a complete blast, with the constant river of people flowing by, odd parades making their way down the street, and such pleasant weather after a day of overcast foreboding skies. I was surprised to find people were eager to talk about art, process, and other sellers out that night whom they had enjoyed pouring over. It was great fun.

ink drawing on woodblock print BELONGING
by Emily Riley

I was surprised, also, by just how inspiring spending a night out talking about drawing, printmaking, design and other local artists could be. It was very, very hard arriving home at 11:30 p.m. and not cracking open the sketchbook.

ouou shows off her wares; single cards,
stationary sets, journals and original drawings

I feel as though I'm entering into the weekend with bold exuberance for some fresh new drawing, as well as mindful that I've been posting about a new year with new experiences lately- only to stumble into one such experience! :D Find out more about Emily's art at her website here, or visit her Etsy shop here.

enjoy

2009-06-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not such a fan of the heat or humidity of summer, but I am of everything else about it: nature, food, being outside in the world, sunlight, water, flowers, dresses, travel, cookouts. The local Farmer's Market has opened up just three or four blocks away from our house, so Sunday mornings have taken on a whole new exciting tone. Our friend K is back to making jam, the boys have been to the ocean once already and will doubtless be there countless times when C brings them to visit their grandparents on Cape Cod, and I am craving watermelon like you wouldn't believe. Summer!

We've been trying more vegetarian recipes lately. With the abundance of fresh local produce this time of year and my on-again, off-again work schedule, we've been buying in arm-fulls and trekking home to cook two or three meals all in the span of an afternoon, freezing them, sometimes with fresh bread or scones thrown in for good measure. The boys have been joining us in eating big-people food these days... boy can those kids eat! Any suggestions on whole food recepes you like in the summer?

ooh, fresh fennel's pretty pattern.

Did I forget to mention? There's a SALE going on over at ouou for the 23rd and 24th only! I'm thinking about retiring the original art again until winter, so pop by and check out the sale. Also, I'm heading over to Alberta street tomorrow night, June 25th, for Last Thursday, too. If you are down there after 5 p.m... keep a look out for ouou's table! I'll probably be the lady snacking on some delicious watermelon.

ACEO sale! Down from $13 USD to $8.00

now

2009-06-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

I turned 31 last week. It has been a crazy, busy, (at times) frantic two weeks, so I really have to put on the breaks in order to reflect upon that. Officially, the first feet-wetting year in Portland is over, and now is the time to begin turning the gears on new ventures, new visions, to sink in some roots. I'm proud of myself for sticking to it and not moving back east this year, though the issue of work is still an issue on the table every day. It sometimes makes me feel deeply worried and I'm looking to resolve that this summer. Who knew that this would be a part of the unfolding of our grand adventure out west: the trouble in the country, or that up against the temporary ways of living I had become accustomed to I would finally choose to remain in a place and try and work it out regardless. It is time to branch out in my explorations of the west coast, to meet more artists and crafty folk here in town, and to spend my second year making this place my home.

One of my friends at work is often talking with me about yoga, meditation, and subjects of spiritual significance. I look back and see just how much those influences guided me along the way last Spring as we took the leap to change our lives, both myself and my (then) pregnant sister. In the scramble my days often feel like now, the flow and availability of that peace is obscured. I'll try my best to bring them back into my own daily practice this year. Gosh, I'll try to have a daily practice this year. Hopefully my immune system and financial situation, the two places I feel strain most often, will feel more centered the more grounded I become.

But other than goals for the future there are countless incredible, unexpected, miraculous moments from the past year to acknowledge. My nephews have turned me inside-out and head-over-heels to the very core of me, I cannot begin to put words to my love for them. My relationships with my family are changing, growing, beautiful, I am grateful for this new chapter with them, probably the most beloved example of leaving the tumultuous 20's behind. Our friends and my friends at work amaze me time and time again, what would this place or this experience have been without this remarkable community? Mamas and papas and artists and kids! I feel lucky to feel so alive and welcomed around these people I love so, surprised and happy at its variety.

I have high hopes for 31, even if 30 is a tough act to follow. When the going gets rough (June)... I like to break things down into slower, quieter segments of time. Coming home from work on my 31st birthday to a dinner made lovingly by my sister (and it was still hot) and ending the stormy day with a rainbow stretching over the house, the day turned out to be a really very good one. Despite the stresses it feels good to work hard for these basic, extraordinary things. I hope everyone reading has also has a lovely entrance into summertime, and is looking ahead with sweet anticipation at the next steps from here to there.

update: Knitty

2009-06-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just hit 300 posts on my blog!
It feels good to sit down to write here tonight. I've been working odd hours at work, and around those work days quite a bit has changed in my own shop in a short period of time. This has been refreshing, as though new life has been breathed into ouou, but it has not left me many hours to work on everything.in.blue and I've missed it.

I had been working on some new Gocco around the knitting designs in prep for Knitty.com's June release... its been published!
Check out ouou Knitting Notes in the "cool stuff" section here!

Puuuuurl Moleskine Notebook printed with Gocco (above), and Bundled Up (below)
back in ouou until C opens Bamboo Village Press back up.

the most recent color versions of Knit Kitty and Otter
(these are sold together in a set of 2) with my own mixed Gocco inks.

There have been so many new listings in the shop, as I said I feel like the experience has been refreshing. My sister C and I are playing around with our swank new home printer and she's helping me sew some new craft items, too, so I feel as though energy is flowing back into the creative process. I've yet to get good photos of my exciting two color Gocco cards, those will be released in the next few days. Also, I promised news about the fate of my first print run of mixed sets, so you can expect I'll be better about blogging this weekend.

Until then, friends, thanks for the comments and I hope everyone is enjoying their June!

many thanks, Mister Fishy

2009-06-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

It all started with this fish.
Weeks ago, C and the boys and I went for a long walk and ended up at FuBon, the local Asian market. The day was pretty remarkable, actually... after picking up some groceries we ducked into a sweet restaurant next door, sat down to noodles for the first time with the twins, had a riot watching them try new flavors! But while we were still in the grocery we saw this package and I caught a quick snap. I think its not only the design itself, but the navy and orange really captured me.

you can use some photocopy inks, but to avoid misprinting
I hand draw all my own Gocco screens.

As I said, then I heard from Knitty.com, purchased new Gocco screens, and have been cranking out new prints ever since. But, aside from re-printing Mr. Knit Kitty and Otter, I kept thinking back to that wonderful fish package. How to get that same combination!? Below is an example of one of the fixes, finished after mixing a darker blue than the RGB that Gocco inks come in. Now that I'm mixing my own ink colors, I can't believe how long I lasted last year using colors straight from the tube. I also tried my first two-color that I'll share tomorrow, along with where these little orange beauties are going now that they're all packaged up!

Knitting Notes kitty in navy on orange.

Knit Knews

2009-06-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here comes another weekend, and with it I'm seeing a pattern emerge to my posting. It looks like the early days of the week, while I'm home, I'm getting the creative work done then listing, blogging and Facebook updates around my weekend work schedule. Funny it has turned out that way, but any post when I'm talking about spending days in creative output is a good one, yeah?

My exciting news I had suggested last week is that my knitting notes are going to appear on Knitty.com in their June issue! I'm thrilled about the venue, even though in the knitting world I'm barely a novice knitting is still a major part of our experience, conversations, and the twins' standard gear. It has yet to be published, but I'll surely be blogging again when it hits.

In preparation, this last few days have all been devoted to getting Knit Kitty and Knitting Otter back onto clothes and cards. C helped to get new Gocco screens, burning the first fresh prints since 2008. I've come up with two new logos for Gocco prints and have been testing mixing my own colors entirely since Larger than the Sky's blue was such a success. Our friend K let me borrow her fancy schmancy camera so hopefully I'll be cutting through the overcast and getting some brilliant shots of all this work up for the weekend!

Lucky Number 9

2009-05-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...

Wow, my Random Generator picture came out really big. Hey! Our lucky winner is catinanapron, otherwise known as Marne!
(balloons falling)
Hooray!
Marne is the brains and talent behind Cat in an Apron, mama, craftypreneur, and blogger. :) Yay, Marne, thank you so much for the support!

Thank you, everybody, for such a marvelous turnout, to my friends who spread the word, and to those lurkers who left comments for the first time here on everything.in.blue. I will totally be doing these more in the future, it has been a huge confidence builder. As you know, I'm a weekend worker, so coming home to read your comments before bed was super sweet. I've got *big news* to announce tomorrow, and because of it some fun new things coming into the shop during the best month ever: my birthday month of June. Thanks again for making the weekend pretty darn special, too :D

Leap!

2009-05-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Remember the 10,000 times I said I would have a **blog give away**?? Well, friends, here it is! Yes, rushed perhaps, but I've had the flu this week so posting wasn't much on my priority list.
Here is to turning a corner!
Here is to feeling ship-shape!
Here is to letting you all know how much I appreciate your support and ongoing kindness- let's have some treats. :)

So this time we'll start big. I'm so happy to have Larger than the Sky back at ouou that I'll be giving away one of these limited edition Gocco screen prints! Today I'll also be listing the "second" editions of this print, Gocco prints on acid free paper. The "firsts" are on Strathmore watercolor paper, and one from this series will go to our lucky winner. :D

So stop by and say "hello!" over today and Saturday in this post. I'll be picking someone from comments at random (you know how these things work) on Sunday morning. The comments will be closed at 8 pm pst. on Saturday, May 30th. Thanks again and have a great weekend, everyone!

a love Larger than the Sky

2009-05-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

I hope everybody had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Over here we have been pretty busy these last few days, with an impromptu trip to the Oregon coast on one of my lucky days off. Before that, though, I was winding down my week days (I work mostly on the weekends) and finally finished the second round of Larger than the Sky.

This two color Gocco print has been one of the cornerstones of my shop; it serves as my logo on Facebook, for example, and was my banner on SilkFair when I had a shop there. Since the move last year I've been sold out, so I was pretty anxious to get these kids back into the shop.

This time around the printing turned out to be a chain of lessons in Gocco troubleshooting. First, while putting down the initial layer of blue ink, I realized I didn't have enough. The blue of last year's prints was always too light to capture well in photographs, so I considered this a fine motivation. But, I had to mix my next color directly on the screen, and that was a challenge. I'm really happy with the deep, brilliant blue I achieved, though.

The second step, weeks later, was much harder. I honestly don't remember how I printed this last year. The two parts of the image are in opposite orientations on the screen, making it hard to "stamp" the second layer over the first. It came back to me right away that this was one of my earlier Gocco experiments, and really not such a great idea in execution. There was no way I was about to let the 30+ sheets of watercolor paper go to waste, now that they'd been printed with the sky blue, however, so I waited for a day when I was feeling peaceful and up for the challenge. I hit a good pace, squeegeing away a late afternoon.

It took several hours, and quite a few mistakes, but I've listed the first of the new round in the shop today. There were far fewer successes on watercolor paper than I'd like, I think the screen will be retired simply out of difficulty. I'll be listing a round of "seconds" (that actually came out really well) that were my tests printed on Arturo paper in a few days. For now, the very very limited run of new prints is up, new photos and all!

firsts

2009-05-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

The other aspect of life that I've yet to report on, of course, is the similarly shifting role of live-in Aunt. The role of becoming an Auntie has been the single most transformed and important series of events in my life thus far. And yes, living with my sister and her twins these last three months has effected probably every aspect of my own life in predictable ways, but those alterations, too, have proven to be (extremely) positive. Going back to work, for all the ways that it was familiar and easy, was very strange for me on this level.

Lucky for me, this time around the boys were kind enough to wait for their Aunt to have a day off before they started some new antics. In fact, this past week I've been ringing my hands for my sister's sake as SL's night sleep suddenly went downhill fast the day I got the call to come back in, and continued throughout these last 7 days to be fitful and dramatic. MNJ, as is his disturbed sleep pattern, would be up more in the early morning hours... and awake at 5 or 5:30 to begin his day. As mamas do, she powered through (with a little help from our friends ;) ) and I've been hearing very sweet stories from their days together.

Wouldn't you know, yesterday as I was with MNJ while mama and SL were still asleep he started calling for "mama"! We've heard our share of "ba!" and "ga!" and the always enjoyable "geek!" coming from little M, and more and more often lately they've accompanied the corresponding sounds coming from us:
"Would you like to get down?"
"ga!"
"down?"
"da!"
That sort of thing. But this was something different, and clearly with the purpose of finding out where mama (!) was, what mama (!) was doing there, and when mama (!) would be back.

As if his brother was showing him up, SL decided the very next day to pull himself up to standing for the first time. This one was one of the milestones that brought tears to my eyes, his triumphant smile and squeals of excited laughter at his new skill were the icing on the cake. SL is not the kind of baby to just burst out laughing at any little thing, it was really quite a show. I guess add to that there were 2 then 3 days where I didn't see them much at all, suddenly these budding abilities illuminate everything extraordinary about the seemingly ordinary things (babies, jobs, a home) that have entered our lives. Not to mention the look on my sister's face telling me, first, about coming home to her second son calling her "mama!" and, not long after, watching her first born pick himself up. That radiant face will be with me for a long long time.

plans

2009-05-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm finding the best ways to get creative work done is to schedule the rest of my day, and as it unfolds to look out for windows or opportune moments when the printing, Gocco or painting could get done. If I had looked at my week at all on it's onset I would have said "fat chance!" to getting any painting (one of my more time consuming past times) done, but wouldn't you know yesterday in the late afternoon as dinner was in the oven, the boys were out for a walk with their mama, at the doorway of our bedtime routine I happened upon the perfect segment of time.

You may wonder after these past years of keeping a blog- what does she do with all those paintings? I talk about the watercolor process quite often, while there are no watercolors in my Etsy shop, and no mention of their futures once finished. One reason is simply the process- painting is really enjoyable for me, and as it has many stages and steps I find it is easiest to photograph throughout the emergence of a finished work. Having moved so much, and been living out all these adventures along the way, there have also been little means with which to explore reproductions of these paintings. So they sit. And wait.

Perhaps now that I've got a feeling of permanence, something new can happen with the paintings. I hesitate to bring yet another element into my Etsy shop; I like the way it is set up now with printed cards, Gocco clothing, paper and prints. The goal, then, is to begin selling prints of the watercolors from my blog instead of through Etsy. I'm considering having mid-week sales that run once a month for limited edition prints or other items.

This is where the confusion about a give away, and all of the possible variants of that, stalled me last month. So, considering this weekend is a long weekend (in the States) I'll just postpone a week, and begin the exciting endeavor on June 1st. I'll have news about the upcoming give away here and on Facebook, and try a few of these before taking the plunge to actual sales through everything.in.blue.

Until then, and as long as I get some photos of them, stay tuned in the shop for upcoming Gocco prints, more gifts bags, and cards! Knitter Notes, cards that had previously resided in the guest artist section of Bamboo Village Press, are back in my shop until BVP opens back up. More knitting kittens, otters, and some familiar friends to come!

2009-05-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

Its been about a week since starting work again, and though I posted regarding Droolicious, I feel as though ages have passed since I blogged.

Things have been great, and changing, challenging and fast. I've returned to a job I had before, and it hasn't changed a bit- so there is comfort and familiarity there. On the other hand, after the first two days outside of the house and a growing List of Things to Do, I began to think very protectively of what time away from work was made up of, from there the week became about observing myself in my ever-growing roles.

As a small business owner, this time being "unemployed"/ "self employed" was more fruitful than I was seeing at the time. Wanting to move beyond running the Etsy shop alone propelled me to get serious about investigating the realms of marketing, wholesale, and budgeting. With 2-4 days outside of the house, the name of the game right now is organize, systematize, act. The at home work space got a dramatic face-lift, too. I've hidden from sight all the supplies and products I don't regularly use, moved the winter clothes out of my dresser and replaced them with shipping, WIPs and silkscreen stuff, labeled my supply boxes. I now have the impression of a clear division between orders to ship and space to create. Putting away WIPs is such a breath of fresh air, I can hardly describe.

I have always, always, always worked on drawings and paintings in the middle of a cluttered and disastrous (to the untrained eye?) drawing table. This is one of those signature dichotomies in the life of the creative entrepreneur- my business owner self is such a neat nick, and shipping or emailing or anything business after a night of drawing (!) or painting (!!) has me "tut tut"-ing myself. On the other hand my artist self, who has been around much longer, is all pencil shavings, coffee cups, 5,000 images torn from wherever, tacked across my wall, and toppling teetering piles of notebooks. I no longer take this tug-of-war between instincts lightly, when time is so precious these days. I want both of those sides of myself to thrive, and when I'm in those roles I want to be able to pay full attention to my project without a single worry that I'm taking time away from either endeavor.

C recently loaned Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco (Chronicle Books) from the library, a fine read for those of us entering into the middle years of Etsy ownership. It was a great book to settle down that dizzying whiplash of suddenly having 20 LESS hours for my own work. It helped with getting my mind around what to delve into in my "off" hours, especially on the expansion-beyond-Etsy subject. It also helped to feed my brain with business facts as I was cleaning/ rearranging my room, all the while scheming where and when to make the next glorious mess.

ouou on Droolicious

2009-05-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

It was an amazing weekend here, sunny and beautiful. The last time I folded laundry, we were still putting away fleece pants and heavy cotton overalls for the boys, now its sun hats and rompers in just a matter of days. Summer seems officially here now that we have a kiddie pool stashed in our garage, so although I've been away during its use (I worked out of the house this weekend) I'm still ever-aware that changes are happening around more than just my schedule, a corner has been turned.

The fantastic news from the web world is that Droolicious wrote up a spot for the ouou Etsy shop on Friday! I'm really excited about this, and so thankful for C's helpful push toward it. Droolicious is a design blog for the modern parent, and they support an even split between handmade or otherwise. C has bought from their suggested necessities and been happy with the items, reviews, articles. I was thrilled to be a part of their Etsy reviews! Check it out here.

time

2009-05-14T19:06:00.001-07:00

Hello blog. Hello friends. How I've missed you! I know I was doing this before the Christmas holiday~ working, commuting, childcare (sometimes), drawing, blogging, packaging, shipping. Things that we're adding to the list are living with the kids, cooking meals, printing Gocco, wholesale and consignments. In a perfect world I'll add to this drawing, reading, and hanging out with friends. I know I can keep all of these things going, and even add more, but my blogging may be sporadic for the next few weeks as I have added the new out-of-the-house working element.

I'm posting photographs of recent additions to the shop that have yet to appear in the blog. Whats missing is the riot of color that surrounds me/ us here in Portland. What a joyful time to have such a multifaceted life, both days I'm out of the house and days I'm here at home. Walks to work under flowering, fragrant trees are something of a dream! I get home from work around 8 pm, the sun is just setting, the boys are asleep. The commute to work is useful for Etsy since it brings me closer, and with more routine, to my printers and post office. Days "off" are spent between playing with the babies, cooking for the week, and (now) a ton of artistic persuits. These are the building blocks for a *really* good summer.

Come see Robot Parade (top) and Cookie Bag - vellum (above) now at ouou. Keep an eye out in my CafePress shop, too, for the new Spring designs showing up on all sorts of fun stuff!

goods

2009-05-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Around these parts there have been developments upon developments. There's a comfort to sitting down to a Monday blog post and feel the good energy pouring into another string of days! I'm happy to say I'm going back to work, like a break in the clouds this is more relief than I can remember feeling in ages.

Wouldn't you know I'll be back at the company I'd left in the New Year. I feel truly lucky about this. As my readers know, my sudden unemployment right as I was getting ready to move in with C and her twin boys, and just a few months after re-opening my Etsy shop, was not planned for. In my (initially) lackadaisical way, I didn't expect finding a new job to be the challenge it has been, even as months have gone by I've felt "you've got to be kidding me" exasperation at the job hunt. On the other side of that search, the Etsy shop and my own work to expand my business is hitting a nice, steady pace. The last month alone has been loaded with so much effective change, and I can thank my friends, family, and those of you online that keep me in that space.

new Gocco Rainy Day cards and Bobby stationary

More good news is that our fantastic new *printer* arrived, C made a lovely investment knowing she is going to be printing up professional marketing media (and, you know, we take some pretty good photographs of the twins). I'm excited at the opportunity for home printing this opens up, although my summer will be concentrating on more by-hand Gocco work. Speaking of Gocco, among other things, there is an ever-expanding selection of Gocco coming into the Etsy shop these days. I'm printing for the shop, as well as stock that does not appear on Etsy, limited editions that I'll be using at craft fairs or for give aways and promotions. Stay tuned here and on Facebook for updates!

I'll also be selling cards in more Portland locations in the coming weeks. Right now I'm selling single cards at Piccolina on se Clinton, Children's Exchange on Division (where I have Gocco cards, too!), and se Stark at Paperdoll. All of these locations are fun and family friendly, so if you are in the Portland area, shop local and stop by! :)

notice

2009-05-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've been looking after the boys for two mornings now while C has been out of the house. They are both napping, I've made myself a cashew butter treat, and I'm sitting in the back doorway while the spring clouds move quickly by, creating wavering temperatures, undulating shadows fall on the grass. The baby monitor makes a dulled chirping noise like crickets through a filter, giving the 10 a.m. hour a surreal, misplaced feeling. There should be fireflies, as I equate crickets with warm summer nights of my own childhood. Time settles down.
This is the company of two sleeping babies, one of the most precious of silences.

2009-05-06T07:41:00.001-07:00

apples from Cookie Bag photo shoot

Hello again from the week of fleeting rain, fleeting sun here in PDX. Somehow through a miracle of divided energies, yesterday turned out to be a really successful day of testing, printing, and even spontaneous photography around the usual menu planning and in-the-car-day that Tuesdays are for us.

I absolutely love the feeling of on-the-fly printing sessions that are cropping up for me these days because they give the peace of mind to then walk away from production and focus on something else. There was a window in the morning right before naps when I was able to crank out a whole new series of prints, those kind of windows are what is fueling my shop while other, larger, blocks of time are taken up in the job hunt and investigating Portland. In the afternoon there was a break in the clouds and I was able to swoop in and set up some shots. Truly a blessing in the rain this week.

I'll be bringing in Cookie Bag and Bobby tonight, the new Robot card tomorrow, and as-yet-to-be-released items on Saturday. I also have begun a Facebook page for ouou and would love for my awesome readers to come check it out! Facebook will officially be the place where I talk about updates in the future. :D

Bobby Pin on square khaki

I have to admit this is a pretty delicate balance right now. Days like yesterday feel really wonderful, giving me a sort of extension on other, smaller projects to finish up through the week. There is always something more I feel I could be doing, you know?, and that self-inflicted tension of the ill-made plan. Mine is around nights right now: relaxing goes somewhere around 7:30 or 8 pm to 9:30 or 10, and I still have dialogue with myself each night that I'll be working on something or other from 10 pm until bedtime. Maybe once or twice a week those hours are valuable, but otherwise I'm always surprised at how tired I am, how muddy my thoughts are, how often I stay up too late thinking I'm "working" but am on idle, staring at the screen or space with homework falling out of my hand.

A break in the clouds!

I'm thinking back on just how many posts this last few months have been meditations on my uses of time. Amidst the deep and resonant life lessons coming from living with C and her babies, this subject, personally, must be one of the most crucial places for my head and heart to figure out. I look over my calender from March or February and see my struggles at stringing one day's efforts to the next. Thank goodness I no longer feel so stunned and exhausted! Both C and I are making great strides in our individual businesses, this house is creative and motivated, and it feels somewhat magical when that sort of flow starts appearing throughout your days and months. I feel hopeful that I'm learning some footing in both the discipline of keeping to a schedule, and navigating with ease the times spent stepping out of one.

update

2009-05-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sky layer from Larger than the Sky Gocco print

In taking a moment to pull together new Gocco printed items that need photographs, I realized I've been something of a Gocco whirlwind over here. Should I even bother anymore saying "Well, I live in Portland, so... you know... it rains a lot." golly its hard to find the right day (hour?) to take pictures. Not that I'm complaining- this place has amazing weather. I'm still in the production stage on many of these, back-printing or whatever assembly I've got to finish, but I feel pretty accomplished for the couple of print runs around our home busyness.

One, Two, Three new watercolor aceos now in!

One, Two and Three are in the shop as of tonight. I'm finally willing to admit that my computer is having problems with Etsy - another reason I'm freeing up time from being there is I can't seem to use it. Don't worry, I'm still fulfilling orders and being a good shop keep, lucky for us we have 2 computers in the house. For Etsy, I'm using my sister's computer throughout the day, and brought in these three (finally!) tonight after everybody went to bed. I'm feeling ambivalent about the roadblock since I'm finding I had once spent a *lot* of time on Etsy, time spent mostly...? I hear that's pretty common.
Without a clear channel to it now I find I'm much more focused there when I log in from C's laptop.
Funny, life.

I do feel relieved to bring in new aceo's, though, as they've been finished and waiting patiently for about a month. I've got another Robot themed card (related, but not the same as Land of Cupcakes) that has also been waiting on my desk since April- I'll be bringing that one in toward the end of the week. Otherwise, get your Gocco boots on kiddies cause I've been elbow-deep in printing ink and will be bringing you news as often as the aperture lets in any light at all. Portland, Portland- time for the sun to shine again! Pretty please?

Land of Cupcakes, make room for more Robots.

stay at home Aunt

2009-05-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Gocco silkscreen printer surrounded by newsprint, bib, bottle and... balloon

Welcome May, a new month, the doorway to a new season, and the month before my 31st birthday. I'm working pretty hard at finding a job, so my apologies for the lack of news otherwise. I've also been taking a long time between posts because we've been incredibly busy since our parents left.

Both C and I, in regards to our businesses, have been doubling and tripling efforts to put time into our work. I feel as though some balance has been struck between my shop's production (printing, cutting, packaging, shipping) and the household chores, between spending time with the boys and time spent job hunting. I'm feeling positive about the transition into work, too, but will miss being a stay at home Aunt. I've been home almost around the clock for the remarkable, breathtaking shift from infant to baby. From held-in-our-arms through winter's end to this exploratory, ever-changing stage with so much independence. Okay, I'll save this subject for another post or I'll be writing all afternoon. (wipes tear from eye dramatically) But seriously, although I'm ready for this chapter to close because of the larger picture, the larger picture also shows me how lucky I've been to witness that transformation. :)

recent print session for Butterfly Skies

In between the events that have been going on this past week, I have found a few times to come back to the Gocco and work on my stock. When I said I was stepping away from Etsy, what I meant for the beginning of this month was that I would not be checking in as much, and saving money on re-listing. I'll still be bringing new stuff into the shop all month long, and look forward to those updates, but I tried a re-list blitz last month and didn't really make sales. Right now I'm hopeful that increasing my Gocco products will not only bring traffic back in but provide me with stock for the rotation of craft fairs this city has to offer. Plus, you know, it is practically my very favorite way of making art. ;)

Other projects I'm hopeful for this month involve working more with fabric, though really I have to resolve giving some time to drawing every single day. That's pretty rough right now. I'm looking forward to meeting new people, seeing the friends I've already made, and continuing to explore the area now that the sun (sometimes) is out and the riot of color, petals, green has come to town. People of Portland bloom right along with their surroundings this time of year and the things to do around town get particularly exciting. Right now we are having a severe thunderstorm (I'm typing vigorously before suspected power outages with the soundtrack of thunder) with hail and wind. Reminds me of autumn back home, which I always miss when there is a season to season shift. Welcome May and all the adventures to come!

untangle

2009-04-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

All those other things I said I would post about are becoming a jumble in my mind. I have a pocket full of drafts that I keep picking away at- it is so frustrating I'm just writing tonight without an outline.

I'm watching a shift in my process take root. It had been a truly remarkable April, with wildly varied results. I feel good and bad about the work, and good and bad about my shop, and I think with the chaos ensuing right now inside me about how to carry on~ this means to me that there is a shift happening.

I've spent the last couple days looking at the list (and schedule) of projects and tasks that got finished this month. I'm proud of the work I've done, and especially grateful for the marketing group and local small businesses that have reached out and shown such beautiful support. But I'm banging my head against something, too, and even if it only shows for me- it shows, hurts, stalls me. I've got a fist clenched tight around aspects of having an online business and don't like putting myself through that discomfort. I've been banging my head and asking "why is it there!" (been doing that a lot) in my worse moments, but in my better its just there, and I just observe.

I'm looking ahead to a really involved spring and summer with all sorts of printmaking adventures. For those of you familiar with my blog along the way, a lot of this stuff might feel like repeats and I'm sorry for that. Unpacking the Gocco silkscreen after half a year in storage has been like learning it all over again.

packing for the road trip last April

...moving... moving... moving cross country

We are lucky to still have our old screens to begin with, working out the kinks of what we remember and what still doesn't work. Last year I shut down for the road trip right at a high point in my silkscreen learning curve, so I'm really excited about trying more new things as the process unfolds. In fact, I was able to go out today and prepare with some supplies... thinking thinking thinking about some new Gocco prints in the scratchy style my Original Art has been taking on lately. Hmmm...

The world, my world, is earth-shatteringly different than it was last year when we drove out of PA and said goodbye. But maybe in terms of my internal conversation about art-making, about being a shop owner for better or worse, about the time I spend in the grass, on the beach, riding the bus (what have you) vs. online~ maybe that conversation had been left breath-baited since last year.

For the introverted girl, never really into kids, not showing her drawings to anyone, wanting to stay close to home, what a limited range I stepped out of! The bend in the road that brought me here had everything to do with standing by my sister as she became a mom, and forging a relationship with these babies (what on earth did I know about kids!?)... it has yet to let up in its varied and intense life lessons. Now that I think of it, those are the places where my life has really bloomed, through poorness and riches alike.

Hopefully that's where my art process is calling me, toward a bend, toward challenges and wonders of a new brilliance. This vertigo is from shaking out the old routines a little, about to discover a vibrant chapter lined with laughter and color. In the meantime I'm going to focus on the three most important mediums for me: Gocco, pencil, watercolor. All other resources are focused on hopefullness, anticipation, and love (since somehow that got us through before, yeah?). I'd say that's a pretty good plan.

finding time

2009-04-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Now that our parents are back home, the end of April marks another oppertunity to take stock, focus, and resume work. I spent much of today printing up a large order of 60 + cards in hopes for new accounts around town, then the cutting, scoring, and packaging of those cards (as well as some Etsy sets). In an effort to see the results of my month of strategy and scheduling, I set a date at the beginning of April to report on the progress of my shop throughout the month. I'll post that tomorrow, as well as the usual family post that's been coming out Sundays.

So here we are trying to find time again. I'm branching out into sewing, using some of the Gocco prints of Knitty Otter. Having a hobby to entertain myself is a comfort. I feel good to be practicing, working up to the macchine and then from there into having a new craft. It feels as though I'm spending more and more time on the computer, so something as simple and primitive as sewing warms my heart after hours of looking at a screen. I'm hopeful this is a harbinger for a more organic season for me, slowing down, with projects flowing one to the next and a renewed feeling of centered peace.

I listed the second Knitting Otter shoulder tee in the shop today. There are 4 altogether, the next two being "seconds" (or slightly mis-inked versions), not including the one I made for my nephews. I decided to photograph MNJ in the Otter tee (SL was napping) that is a replica of today's listing, using a ball of yarn as a prop, and entered into being one of those Etsy sellers with their kin modeling wares. MNJ had different ideas, of course, so although I didn't get much of the actual shirt, the two of us had a good time playing with yarn, sunshine, and the camera. The shirt is cotton, 6-9 months, with brown Gocco ink. The one for sale has no sweet potato on it, I promise. :)

Etsy Day

2009-04-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Etsy Day article by The Storque...
...put together by contributors- and my People drawing appears
on the list!

Today is Etsy Day, um, I guess you could say the first annual. Its pretty exciting to see such enthusiasm about marketing Etsy around your community/ city/ town. The thought was to create a "buzz" and some mystery around the site, and was brought to you by the Etsy contributors instead of the Etsy admins. They've embraced the guerrilla marketing tactic, and have an article on The Storque (Etsy's blog/ web magazine) today about getting involved. This is the good stuff if you're part of Etsy, knowing that your support and building knowledge about the site helps fellow artists out there to succeed, thrive, and craft another day.

I almost jumped out of my pajamas this morning when I followed the link on this (above) Treasury and saw one of my drawings on the Etsy Day article of The Storque! This morning our parents departed for the cross-country flight back to Massachusetts, I'm still in the lurch of sadness. Having them here playing with the twins and filling our days with laughter... the house felt so empty right away. I thought that would be the extent of my day, posting later in the weekend. Happily, suddenly I'm catching up and shouting out- "Happy Etsy Day!"

Knitty

2009-04-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've got some new ACEOs for the shop, but since I haven't had much photo editing time, I thought I'd continue on the Gocco theme. These shoulder tee's are the newest incarnation of Knitting Otter before his screen disintegrated. For now, all the baby clothes are one of a kind editions. The next step will be to collect several shirts of the same style and print all of those- but I've got a stack of mis-matched baby clothes standing next to the Gocco. At the end of the lives of these screens from last year, I'll be going through those and listing "Limited Edition" styles.

print print print

2009-04-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

While my visiting family are enjoying the sunset on Mt. Tabor, I'm home alone with fresh strawberries, warm brownies, sleeping nephews.... time to sneak in a blog post!

Other than a week of uploading ACEOs, I've been behind the scenes using silkscreen, cutting and sewing. A nice, fruitful print run of last year's Gocco screens and the Knitting Otter left me with more than a few projects to stretch throughout the week. For the Gocco on fabric, neither my sister or I had any luck with using the press, so we squeegee our designs using a credit card. It makes for much cleaner, more uniform prints. It also kills the screen, which is meant to be used under the press but goes about as far as a handmade silkscreen would. This last run was the end of Knitting Otter. His screen peeled and tore. Seeing a screen fall apart of the first time was rather shocking, but I feel like I got a lot out of it.

"Knitting Otter" in brown ink

What a mess! I love printmaking.

Otter screen, peeling around the lines.

With any luck I'll be updating soon and bringing the clothing into the shop first, the sewn bits take a while longer.

While I'm online, I also wanted to mention Earth Mosaic. For those of you interested in Earth Day tomorrow, you can add an artistic and personal peice of flair to the holiday by contributing a photograph of a natural setting. The photo will then be used as part of a giant mosaic. They have a huge Flickr pool, too! The thing is, your camera has to record that the photo was taken on Earth Day~ so get out there and take a journalistic view of your big blue lovely Earth. If you read this, and have shared a photo- I would love a link in comments!

Happy Earth Day, everyone, and thank's for the strawberries Mother Earth. :)

draw draw draw

2009-04-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Deliriously beautiful weather here in Portland, a visit from the folks, and so so so much time spent playing with my nephews today spells one tired lady tonight. Drawing has been going well, and having opportunity to paint has been lovely~ the newest ACEOs are coming into the shop this week! Here are a few WIP photos from a sunny day at my work table.

I'm happy to be bringing in so much color this spring. I love using bold black ink, but after the winter having a variety of colorful images is really refreshing. Stay tuned for more listings throughout the week- and upcoming news about my *first ever blog give-away*!!

...meanwhile...

2009-04-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

beginning silkscreen "knitting otter" project

During the week, most of my drawing, painting, and printmaking has been in preparation of the upcoming 5 days. My parents are coming all the way from Massachusetts, so I had to decide whether or not to go on an Etsy vacation during their trip. Happily, I've finished enough work and an outline for myself in order to organize the time in the morning and at night when I'll be working. No vacation, though during the days it will surely feel like one- and luckiest of all we have just stepped into the green green budding trees that light up all of Portland in a verdant springtime show.

It should be an eventful week around ouou. I have new ACEOs I'll be bringing in, with posts on Flickr too. I was able to spend the better part of an afternoon with the Gocco, and have some great pictures. I'll be posting about that, and listing a few items of clothing at long last. End the week with a new card set? I'm thinking about it. :)

MNJ chewing, and blowing raspberries

Circumstances may have conspired to help me day after day find time alone, a watercolor here or Gocco printing there, but I can't say it has made for the easiest week. The boys got their third illness in a long string of illnesses, and since there was never really any time to catch up in between them, such a chain of events was met with the cup 1/2 full of exhaustion for the mama.

Wrapping up a week of high-stress thankfully ends with counting off the subtle or grand changes the boys have gone through. It seems to work like this, days pass, and once we find ourselves back in routine there is some remarkable thing the boys have learned to do in the meantime. MNJ's little tooth is visible now, and you can plunk him down sitting on his bottom and he won't even bat an eye. The previous 8 months of not being able to sit unassisted certainly give you a feeling of incredible wonderment when a baby learns how.

The time might be stressful, but moments stand out as we continue to get to know these boys and they continue to explore their world. This most recent illness hit MNJ pretty fast, but SL with particular intensity. This time around he's had more bouts of sadness around being sick, the coughing, or his restless sleep. And, since SL is the scooter, it was a poignant change that he began scooting across the room, placing his hands on your knees, and looking for the life of him that he needed a good snuggle. I feel as though SL and I crossed over into being pals this week... not that we weren't before, but in this time before language every single shift that builds that connection has a newness. When C brought the boys back east for the holidays SL was barely smiling, but by the time I saw them again he was free and generous with his open-mouthed grins. Witnessing that change is like fireworks its so strong, and in some way that was what my week of SL hugs was like.

In closing, I want to mention that the dear, sweet felt artist RikRak had a little ouou artist spot on her blog this Friday. She requested an interview, with questions about inspiration, and then pairs the answers with inspiring images of her own- it was really fun! RikRak's craft weds flawless attention to detail (I bought one of her bibs for the boys while C was still pregnant and treasure it) with masterful use of color. I've admired her shop, gracious kindness, and now blog throughout my own Etsy journey. I'm really very honored to be mentioned, and hope you take this chance to stop by, say hello, and hear what she has to say about the crafting life.

Getting to Know a.c.e.o

2009-04-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Pirate Ship by jenbaardsen

The term ACEO can be a mysterious one to those just entering, or investigating, the world of Etsy. My sister was the one to introduce me to the concept, long before joining and opening my own shop, as an interesting exercise. I like a teeny tiny canvas, and these little guys are baseball card size, 2.5" x 3.5".

I have started keeping ACEOs in the shop regularly (or, as regularly as possible) since bringing them back in a big way for Valentine's Day, so I thought I would go through a refresher course on the blog. The images here are from other artists on Etsy and Flickr, through searches under atc ("Art Trading Card", aceo, and stitched aceo. I've created links under the respective pieces and encourage you to visit these wonderful shops!

Mini-Monster 13 by the ever-illustrious benconservato

A lot of people (just doing a search... a *lot* of people) on Etsy sell ACEO as digital prints. Because of this, and probably because "original" is therefore a loose term, prices vary wildly between $2.50 and over $20.00 for both reproductions and original art. ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions, and Originals" so a digital print can fall into the "Editions" category. There are some really beautiful digital works out there, but if you're overwhelmed by a search narrow the parameters by knowing which you are looking for, or try out other keywords such as "sewn" "photoshop" "collage" "watercolor" or "handmade". I also tag my original drawings "OOAK" meaning "One of a Kind" so there are numerous ways to narrow down a search.

Seashore 27 by hmsdesign

I think ACEOs are one of the mediums which truly set Etsy apart as a handmade, homemade marketplace and bridge the gap between "craft" and "art". Small, affordable, and often collected by those interested in emerging or established artists alike, these "trading cards" are almost whimsical in nature, like a secret society of original art lovers. I try and keep my own editions simple, precious, scratchy and true to the nature of pen & ink as I see it. I love the thought of these as character vignettes, and can see those same intentions in other artists using this canvas size to investigate ideas.

Take a look around at some of the remarkable variety in the world of ACEO!

update

2009-04-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

The quickest of posts today (happy Friday!) as I've scored some drawing time and really must use it. One of my projects on the drawing table right now is bringing some of the recent Tea drawings to local coffee shops- you know the place, with art on the walls? In working on the pieces, I've also been spending quality time with my ACEO selection. This weekend I'm putting together another "Getting to know you" post about ACEO's in general, and thought I would announce that a whole new round is coming into the shop. Don't forget to check Flickr for advanced notice!

Also, I've been thinking of bringing in 2 card sets in the A2 size, whereas those card sets and prices now are sets of 4, 6 and 8. Any thoughts?

Okay, all, have a happy Friday & stay tuned~

along the way

2009-04-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

Most of this week has been spent brainstorming ideas about the business beyond list-relist of Etsy, painting, and keeping up with chores.

When I am painting regularly I often feel invigoration and optimism for building a livelihood with this. This week I started a painting Monday morning, and my excitement about working on it, finishing, photographing and Flickr-ing has lasted throughout the week. It feels good, too, to have had a pretty successful week (even when that does not translate into sales). There is something to be said for a slow moving Etsy shop, in that it has really pushed me to work much harder. Actually, I seem to be seeing those words everywhere when artists talk about a successful craft (or art) business~ its "lots of work". I began the month by pulling my hair out over seeing those words over and over, thinking~ but what does that mean!?

The saving grace for myself and keeping the shop through these lean times has been that I'm part of a group of friends and neighbors who are meeting and forming marketing strategies together. That, and I have one of the most supportive, encouraging, rallying sisters the good God put on this earth. All of us own and operate our small businesses alone, and though we are in completely different stages, types of business, and financial situations, everybody has come to the table with the same basic understanding of what the process is like. For my own business what that has meant has been to spread the net so much larger than the small comfort of Etsy. I'm investigating local businesses who I also hope to support and form relationships with. Right now two of the local shops I'm selling ouou cards in are:

Piccolina 2700 se 26th Avenue Portland, OR 97202 (26th and Clinton) a children's boutique selling *lots* of handmade clothes from local moms as well as furniture, toys and shoes, and at the Children's Exchange 3121 se Division Portland, OR 97202. Children's Exchange is a resale kid's shop with clothes, gear, and tons of local art.

At the same time, I'm exploring other ways to create art, both similar to the pen and ink style and not. These two kids were painted with gouache, I love the richness of these colors and the painterly texture gouache has. The hard work comes from just how many i's and t's you must dot/ cross in the kaleidoscope of business concerns. Painting, for me, is so encouraging, but even these works being "finished" means their life as a reproduced piece of work has just begun. I'm familiar with the gears grinding inside my Etsy shop, all the many steps that go on behind that $9.00 you just spent, but expanding into brick & mortar, mailings, prints and original art sales, silkscreen, craft shows, and Street Teams each have their own small universe of opportunity and sweat. As always, I'll let you know what hurdles I miss and what works along the way. For now, the more I see where the work is and what the work entails, the more I'm reassured that it is very satisfying.

Kiss

2009-04-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

She's back!
In an attempt not to miss Mother's Day (yes, I released Bun the day before Easter- woops!) I've put Butterfly Skies back into the shop. Printed on crisp white card stock in a bold red Gocco ink, the Nouveau lines and turns make for one brilliant print. It feels good to have more and more silkscreen items around ouou these days.

fast moving clouds

2009-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here in PDX we are having one of those classic spring days; rainy morning gives way to beautiful, dappled sunlight, clouds move in, hail, wind, then the sun breaks through again, crisp blue skies, followed by more fast moving clouds on the horizon. We've been getting about one of these days per week, and I absolutely love the dramatic swift changes.

Another thing like fast moving clouds that I'm noticing is my own flit from project to project. Although on the blog I'm trying to project the confidence gleaned from my self-imposed release schedule (releasing new designs and sets in the shop)... around here I had been suffering from some *crazy* vacillating. I have the pen & ink designs to show for it, and this makes me happy, but I've started countless projects in pencil, gouache (I really love gouache, though it has been almost 9 years since I've used the media), watercolor, colored pencil, and the beginnings of projects in Photoshop. Oh my gosh. Exciting to have these plates spinning, but a little confusing, too. Through some brainstorming with my sister, I was able to give myself an outline for what tasks I have ahead of me in regards to the shop, and what directions I'm headed in terms of creating a portfolio (hence the other works).

Ah, that feels nice.

One last thing regrding handmade... the brownies we tried last week from here were divine. I even got them put together in the mad-dash between dinner and my nephews' bedtime, so not so hard to make! I find brownies from scratch often to be too flour-y, but these were quite good, and not too sweet.

growth

2009-04-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

MNJ

It has been a week or so since I've reported on the house, the twins, and our unified efforts concerning sleep training. We are back in one of those long-lasting cycles of sickness, having happily graduated out of the flu symptoms into this uncomfortable respiratory cold. This has lasted longest with my sister, making sleep itself hard enough to come by. But sicky or no, the clock was ticking on our parents' imminent visit, and the urgent need to get both boys on a healthy night's sleep schedule was its own motivation. So I took a break from the blog through the third, triumphant, attempt at sleep training.

For three nights I stayed with MNJ, who C had started with. He is doing just fine at putting himself back to sleep if he wakes up at night, we even got through one of my notorious migraines together. C, meanwhile, worked with SL in a separate room. Somehow the whole deal, much shorter in duration than with MNJ, unfolded with a more sweet sense of normalcy. Right from the first night SL got more solid sleep stretches than he had since our moving in, two months ago, and the arrival of teeth.

It really does take days leading to weeks leading to stages to see the routines that eventually get set, those that fail, and those that either cause stress or are delightful. Cues from the boys sometimes take days to decipher, and most predictably~ once a patten emerges it is *very* hard to critically review it, perfect it, unless a change occurs to insight observation. The boys' babysitter came at night during the "witching hour" of bedtime/ dinner, allowing us an hour of transition time that was truly precious (and scrumptious!) for three nights. Having help, too, at an hour that is usually really intense for the mama, boys, and Aunty, as we all juggle each others needs, helped us to see how we can reorganize the time into 1/2 hour increments... by my estimation starting at 4 (dinner prep) and ending at 7 (bedtime).

***

MNJ

I want to talk a little bit about the stage the boys are in, too, since it effects so much of our days, and since both C and myself have been reporting about sleep. Other things that are happening with the twins are more teeth, more skills, and more ridiculous noises from MNJ. MNJ got his first tooth what must be about a week ago now, though the anxiety his teething caused took several more days to clear. We are waiting on the next round from either one of them, but for now the sight of those pearly whites is more heartwarming than I ever, ever thought possible. He is practicing a variety of noises, incorporating his tongue as often as possible, and seems to be finding a new noise of interest every two or three days. He no longer growls, for example (which I really wanted my dad to witness, damn!) or spends the day shrieking... this morning it was raspberry raspberry, "dit", raspberry.

SL, owner of two teeth and scooter-across-rooms (in order to use them) is into doing push-ups on his toes right now, or any number of gymnastics that prove his agility and curiosity of his body's abilities. A couple of times while talking very closely with SL, he has reached out his hand and gone straight for my teeth. A look like, "Wow, you've got those too?" written on his face. You can see him comparing his internal world to the outside; discovering teeth and chewing, feeling texture on our clothes or between objects, grabbing at 2D pictures, peering over the edges of things. Both boys are delighted by clapping, the only thing that consistently works for me if they're both in a crying jag, MNJ just yesterday attempting for the first time to slap my open palm in between claps.

MNJ & SL, both a little bored :)

At 8 months, discovery is the name of the game right now, for both boys, and it's taken the pressure off of the constant, constant, constant entertainment phase they were going through last month. Just a little, but enough that those moments of watching them with growing patience to explore this or that has become part of the daily routine, discovery is a welcome addition to playtime. They are both mad about books, MNJ with his favorites (only the favorites, please) and SL more open to new stories, pictures, playing with them when other toys won't do. This makes their bookseller/ book artist Aunty *beam* with pride.

***

There has been a lot going on over here through the last month and a half, and hopefully night sleep has turned a corner.

behind the scenes

2009-04-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is kind of an addendum to the posts regarding The Schedule, a subject that is ongoing in our house of creative entrepreneurial endeavors, job seeking, baby care and day to day surprises. This list of all the plates we have spinning is loaded with emotional content, from the lows of frustration in the job search to the sweat and pitch of artistic inspiration of the many, many, many emotions that come from every little thing my baby nephews do. So, if you are trying to fit your head and your heart around a lot of shifting energies, I hope some of this will prove to be beneficial. The links should all open a new window (I hope!) if you wish to jump around.

I'll start with inspiration through commiseration, a link to a guest article from HeartHandmade. Adele's article outlines perfectly the inner dialogue when events in your life begin to compete and quickly overturn owning a business. Read the article "Navigating the Storm" here.

One of the most basic steps to creating a routine (that took me a while to figure out) is that our daily/ weekly schedule in the house was easier to make after a week of putting off making the schedule in the first place. Ah ha, sometimes in the not having you begin to get more clear with yourself about what the *have* would feel like. So my sister and myself observed and made note for just about a week as to what a week looked like already, what time spent together was productive, and where the traps were. The next step, which we ourselves are coming up on, is to check in after around two weeks and see what is working, what needs work. Personally, and as this pertains to my Etsy/ ouou time, I've applied these same guidelines to my shop itself and my time spent working on new products, and I feel much more clear with myself as to when and how often this work gets done.

We are lucky enough to live in a house with an extra room, and I can't express how incredible it is to have a study, studio, a room of one's own... we have named ours the "Room of Requirement". This serves as a work space for both of the working adults in the house, who are often using the space at opposite times of the day. I use my own room for the folders, stacks, boxes and organized chaos that comes along with the working half of an Etsy business, and the Room of Requirement houses my computer, shipping material, and the Gocco. I find it extremely helpful to do my computer work in a separate room, and even the Gocco printing I've done was quick, fun, and efficient.

I stumbled upon this blog post about having a catch-all room in the house, even more eye opening as it is geared toward children and parents (or Autnies, depending) sharing the space. Just reading the words Playful Learning made me feel inspired about the potential behind shared spaces. Follow the blog here.

C brought my attention to Modish Business Tips, a sideline blog by the curators of the sleek and stylish Modish. I've found these short articles to be very accessible and thought provoking. Last year at some point The Small Object had a post about using NOLO as a resource, but in my first year of the shop I found it very intimidating. Somehow with the people-person speak of Modish I've felt confident in going back and doing more research there. Certainly, as this spring I've begun selling wholesale and consignment to local shops here in Portland, these business structures and facts are helping to guide my steps like never before.

I've got to step away from the computer for now, so I hope this has brought some new links to explore and inspire. Feel free to leave any others in comments- I'll pick up where I left off here next week!

update

2009-04-07T08:36:00.001-07:00

A few more notes on Spring Cleaning~ today I listed Puddles and Dragons back in the shop. This design shows Girl in her rain slicker, romping through spring puddles with her best imaginary friend, Green Dragon. I have also changed the photographs back on the Gocco version of Sofie and the Bird, since my updated photograph that's been up all winter is not so clear.

Sofie, Shine and Steam(er)!

2009-04-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Steamer

Alright! What a weekend. I'm proud to announce several changes in the shop, as well as some new faces! Because I am irresistibly drawn to warm drinks and scarves as subject matter, I thought it was high time I bring in Steamer, a lovely friend drinking a warm cuppa. Classic ouou drawing, but without the Dragon. :)

Sofie and the Bird

I've brought back one of my personal favorites from last year, Sofie, in her printed version. I have the same design in silkscreen Gocco version, but these (along with the green envelopes I've got right now) printed cards are such a necessary piece of Spring in my shop.

Shine

And finally, also new today is Shine~ this wonderfully celebratory new card. I've begun announcing new designs on Flickr a few days before they appear in my shop. For me, this is great because I'm not able to blog every day, so check it out! There you can see the other projects I'm working on, and notes from my sketchbook too.

But there are a few more changes this week at ouou. I've consolidated several winter card designs into Mixed Sets here. So, cards like Smarty and Red Dragon Drinks Tea are now only listed as parts of Mixed Sets throughout the spring and summer. All card designs are available upon request, however, so no worries if mid-June you really need a set of bundly, cocoa drinking Dragons or something.

Lastly, I've brought back the Monkey products, in all his wiley forms. I'm planning a blog post about Gocco later in the week, so for now you can take a look at tags and the Moleskine selection in the Gocco Silkscreen section.

update

2009-04-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Right from the get-go let me say this is a much quicker post than I had intended, I'm pretty beat tonight. Today was a great day, and being tired after a great day is such a good feeling, but I really should go get some reading done. :) If you can see my links to the left here... the shop is *open* once again. Woo!

Around these parts I started off my day cooking, and finished up the day cooking too. Our friend K recommended this sweet, basic recipe from Joy of Baking [dot] com for cream scones~ they've become something of an obsession for me. I've tried so many varieties, replacing the egg with flax seed, the cream with coconut milk, the milk with soy or the flour with GF "flour" with the many, many excuses I have to put a batch together. What can I say? There are a lot of sensitive immune systems around here. Every switch has been a smashing success. This morning I simply switched the cream for soy milk, and a tsp of cinnamon. Try them out, they're quite good!

The shop is up but the official fanfare will come tomorrow as I bring in some new designs. You may notice things shuffling around from the "Winter" themed cards, right now they have been removed and will be replaced throughout the week by consolidates sets of tthose designs in order to make room for the spring and summer stuff. I have a whole outline for myself this month and am really excited about April in my shop. I know I promised you a little trail of interesting links from my vacation-explorations and I'm on it this weekend. I just had to stop by and tell you about those scones. Heavens they're good.

The Schedule (pt. 2: diversion/ focus)

2009-04-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome to April and new month. This being my first spring on Etsy (I was closed last year for my resettlement), I am particularly excited about April and the New Leaf feeling it brings. Let alone the flowers, sap, green and sunshine!

Well, around here the "sunshine" is never a guarantee, spring time weather is as changeable as the sea. We are getting out more, though, and the birds, colds, open windows and budding trees of this season are picking up steam. I'm going to be re-opening the shop within the next few days, but before I do I wanted to cite some of the reference points I've had in the last week of vacation time to revitalize my artistic & Auntistic engine.

First of all, a little nonfiction story.

We begin with MNJ and his mama upstairs taking an afternoon nap. I was in the living room with SL, who was also napping, working on transferring some drawings with my light box. NPR was on my computer, and SL began to stir. Since that whole branch of the family is still suffering from a particularly virulent cold, I decided to rock with SL until he fell back asleep instead of letting him get up. While having one of those so sought-after daily moments of baby peace and calm, I was torn between putting him down + going back to transferring my drawing + possibility of him waking up OR staying put. Slowly my consciousness shifted to the radio, and an interview I really never would have listened to caught my focus and attention for the next half hour.

There are some shows that NPR stations pick up by region depending on what they're listenership is interested in. This is how we had Speaking of Faith (more on that in a bit) in PA but not in my hometown of MA... at least not when I lived there. Last week another show I had never heard of before, Human Media, was broadcasting on NPR's 24 hour news stream~ which is how I chanced upon it. They were playing an interview by host David Freudberg of David Allen, author of Getting Things Done. Now, don't get me wrong, I mean this in no offense of David Allen but I worked in bookstores a long time and Getting Things Done just looked like another business management book written for the bestseller list. (shrug) Not that back then I knew anything about owning and operating my OWN small business... :)

These days though I'm a little older and a little less cynical, I was glad for sleeping baby SL threatening to wake up if I moved, keeping me seated and listening. I'm going to tell you something about myself as a worker, too: I love, love, love having a long list of things to do as I come into work/ walk into Etsy studio. I love even more to MAKE that list. But, predictably, as days and time go by and actions are taken on a great number of any things we all assign ourselves to do, there is also this background level of yet-to-be-done. There is, in every one's consciousness like a chattering reminder, a stream of "to do"'s that can constantly tick through our day. David Allen refers to this as "overwhelm" and it is the misplaced paper every bit as much as the PRIORITY (!!!) stuff like emails, returning calls, juggling office vs. home, you name it.

When C was pregnant and we were both trying to cull together the resources it would take to settle all the way across the country, words like "intention" and "mindful" and "purpose" were all powerful tools to our decisions. Babies bring with them a fistful of chaos (and twins!?) so in this part of my experience you have to get through the parts of the day that are about survival before you reach for words like that. On the other hand, I know how resonant they are to the way both she and myself strive to live. I know for her, raising the boys with such keen awareness of intentional action as a part of their experience, for example, is important. For me, the meditative calm with which I enter my time with them is surely a cornerstone to my interactions (if I achieve that, too. See above what I said about survival). And then take the both of us with businesses of our own where it is so important to be decisive and clear. I would recommend the book or the download of the interview to anyone, now.

The interview I listened to was called "Relaxed Focus". It talked about bringing intention into our actions, and his book tackles the variety of ways we can reduce the "overwhelm". You can listen to a free segment of the interview via Human Media here.

All that to say that the interview caused me to really look at my own list of things I hope to accomplish each day, and not only what I'm getting done but the spirit behind those actions. Since this time last week I've also been finding threads of resources, you know... when one interesting tidbit leads to the next? about parenting, creativity, productivity and running a small business. In the next couple posts I'll be exploring these (in less of a round-about way, I'm sure) and adding new links.

vacation

2009-03-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Just a small check-in from my corner of the Internet. I've been taking this "vacation" from the online venue/ my Etsy shop this week as I instituted a schedule around my not-leaving-home-to-go-to-work time. This change has been good, although slow, like the recovery in our small corner of Portland from the various illnesses in our home. Let's hope by next week everyone is feeling ship shape!

The afternoon of closing down ouou.etsy for this break I was cleaning my room and - woo! - found the Gocco screens I had misplaced in the various moves that got us here. Oh, what a relief, for both my sister and myself, as we worked a great deal with the Gocco last year and were eager to return. I have been cranking out a pretty satisfactory number of drawings, paintings and brainstorms. Sales don't run an Etsy shop~ imagination does, and I sorely needed an immersion back into my own before even thinking about making new Gocco prints.

Otherwise I am playing with some drawings for spring and paintings encouraged by a friend. The paintings will probably end up on Flickr, as well as some other stuff I'm working on, without being involved in the shop. Spring designs, however, are still in the works, and I'll get ready to reopen when I feel more confident about switching out the winter/ snow/ steam of the collection I've had so far. Remember, this time last year I was packing up to move- I spent the spring and summer seasons closed! Not this time around. :)

So we'll hope the week brings days closer to robust health for my kin, and an announcement about the shop.

Walks around the neighborhood are unfolding more and more scrumptious beauty, and the boys week by week seem to be passing through stages like shifts in weather. MNJ has begin testing his tongue and making strange little baby conversation noises, much to the repeated surprise and delight of us all. SL continues to build his muscles and act the gymnast. He figured out how to jump and in that moment redefined the meaning of supreme happiness for his baby self. While the flu and subsequent colds hold sway over the house, sleep (and everything else, really) just is what it is.

Not Enough Spring?

2009-03-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

So this week I got the flu.
Yup, even with the luxury of spending a day and a half in bed it was pretty miserable. I'm feeling better, but think maybe this is a good time to put my shop on Vacation and regroup a little. I could use taking a week to work on some Spring themed projects and gear up my energy a little bit. Thanks for all the encouraging comments lately, by the way. March has had many struggles but I feel springtime will work its magic one way or another and help us all to feel refreshed.

The Schedule (pt. 1)

2009-03-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

This week is one of those classic examples of life as the adults strive to establish a routine around the individual needs in the house, and then baby-lightening flashes and those needs change. MNJ was going to the head of his class on sleep training. While SL was still waking up every 20-40 minutes, MNJ began snoozing for long stretches at night, began being able to fall asleep without our arsenal of tricks and prompts, even having naps that lasted over 30 minutes during the day! Considering the nights before sleep training were an absolute frenzy, C has been using gentle sleep training methods with M for his night sleep, afterward switching the focus over to S. Then, about three days ago, both C and I heard the telltale "mmm" and buried our heads in our hands.

Now, MNJ has been giving off little hints in the last month or more that he might be teething. Pulling his ear, drooling like a madman, chewing on just about anything in sight. C kept saying, "nope, not yet" and I have to look back and say she was right. He was in pre-teething tryouts.

Let me interrupt myself a little bit (you know whats coming, anyway) and say that in our outside lives, there has been some very helpful change. Through the council of a friend, C and I are putting our heads together to create a schedule for our days. We have been reminded (through words, and now through MNJ's direct experience) that this first year is all about the basics. It is interesting to me that, while the boys are in their Year of Basics, C and I are in this place of survival too.

Sleep, food, physical health, all of these things are on the table every day for these babies. For the adults in the house these things have to be constantly checked and revised, too. It feels, at times, once we try and do anything beyond these essential factors, that with any shift in circumstance for the boys we are right back to square 1. This may be the emotional reaction to the changes, I'm starting to realize, and not always the reality of the situation. The reality is, every time there is one of these shifts we have found, somehow, a tool or some tools to process and more forward. Every time we have learned something and imposed steps in order to get through it. There still may be 4 months left to the Year of Basics, but at least there is some reassurance that when we call, although it takes time every time... there is an answer.

It is this faith and reliance on the unexpected I wish (and hope) I could bring to my Etsy shop. I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about process, completion, and inspiration. Yesterday I went from being intellectual about it to just plain "PHOOEY!". Hopefully this time of frustration and change is just the same energy in a different mode. I'm learning SOMETHING over here, or some tool is about to arrive on my doorstep, I'm just still in the emotional place BEFORE that has happened. Hmm. I sound a little, "everything I know I learned from my baby nephews", but maybe that's the point.

Anyway, so now MNJ is back to restless nights. Waiting for teeth really does change the nature of the game, as well as its intensity. SL has afternoons when he continues to "mmm mmm" after a pause when the teeth came in. In the face of this, C and I will still forge ahead and try to construct a schedule that gives me blocks of time to job hunt and do Etsy work, give C time to recoup sleep and get her business going. Just getting a schedule is going to be a big step for the members of the house. Beyond that, sleep and teeth are now neck and neck for the priorities of these little babies.

Spring time and sleep training

2009-03-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my sister, nephews, and I packed up early in the morning for opening day of the PSU Portland Farmer's Market. There are other smaller farmer's markets throughout Portland neighborhoods that open later as the summer progresses (right down the street!), but with the first day of spring the big downtown market unfolds its tent and the best time of year has officially begun.

If somehow I've managed to skirt the issue, we had been a house of troubled sleep for... ugh... two weeks? More? There is a lot of background here in the developmental changes both boys have been going through, but when you hit a wall ~ ~ ~ you hit a wall. So this past week the house has been in a new cycle of uncharted territory, that of sleep training. And honey, let me tell you, exhausted takes on whole new meaning with a baby that is up every 45 minutes.

Anyway, it was perfect timing for the sights and sounds of Portland's Saturday destination. Some fresh air was in order, and we knew to expect a bustling hubbub of excited Portlanders. There were musicians and farmers and kids, kids, kids. City dwellers and those that live outside downtown like us. We decided against a stroller and for baby carriers, miraculously clever considering the narrow pathways between vendors.

This week was mostly potatoes, onions, parsnips (damn, we just bought those), and the flowers/ baked goods you come to expect. We had a great afternoon, the boys were having such a good time batting their eyes at everyone, and since it is raining a lot this morning I can also add a dose of gratitude for some nice weather.

In the afternoon there was a lot of activity in the house, and we went out again for a scrumptious dinner with our neighbors at night. All of this has lead to a sort of "two steps back" aspect to today, but at least we know that we over did it. :)

As for the sleep training, this was not really effected by the day's adventures. The boys had their first really exceptional night. As for the adults of the house? Every few days we have to re-group and see what the next few days holds. Our planned meals are beyond their planned week, and today we have not been keeping track of awake, asleep, bottle... the things we usually map out throughout the day. So, you can see we are tired and veering from the methods we use to keep ourselves going. Next farmer's market we attend will have to be the beginning of a truly mellow day.

where I am

2009-03-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

This time last year we were gearing up toward our road trip and the move out to Portland from the east coast. I remember I had just finished The Eater's Manifesto and was so encouraged and inspired about my own evolving sense of nutrition. Having a new found feeling of wellness within myself was an incredible gift. With spring abounding through suburban Pennsylvania (a feast for the senses, gorgeous PA in the spring months!) I was spending a lot of time outside, but also using those exciting energies to delve into the first year of having an Etsy shop.

The most obvious space between this time and that is C was pregnant at the time. Unbelievable looking back to the time before either one of us met these baby boys who have entered our lives and changed everything. A year later, the move complete, it is time again for C and I to map out our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. I find myself so often amazed by (at least) my own journey in the last year, and (more so) the incredible luck of being welcomed in to be a part of my sister's family as it finds its footing, that I can get swept away in looking back. Now is the time to set sights on the next year of horizons.

The next most clear circumstance that has changed this past year is the economy, and believe me- I've listened to enough NPR since losing my job to not want to repeat what everybody else is editorializing about that. But it *is* happening, so let me be frank: there is an aspect of struggle between myself and my Etsy shop this year that I would like to believe was not around last year. I have not really talked much about this because, honestly, my sales slowed to a painful crawl last year too. Hmmm. I'm doing my best to keep my chin up, but without profits to invest in making new items, I have become discouraged.

All of these things lead me to what I want to talk about in this post- my blog itself. I am living in this city of remarkable arts, artists, community, and (yes!) incredible food. I was able to pick up and GO right at the perfect moment when my sister needed, well, some sisterhood (we both did) and we hatched this plan to end up here. These boys, these remarkable little people, are the sparkle to every single day since their arrival and (I say this with a patient smile) a reality check at the same time. Wow, this work is unlike anything I've been through before; some things I want to gush and pour all over these cyber-pages, some things just so close and so heartfelt that I respectfully defer to my sister to speak about the journey.

I'm having to re-prioritize and re-organize all the aspects of my life, and I'm just not happy anymore with the typical Etsy blog for my own uses. For my own part, I'm thirsting for blogs about fellow artists/ craftists on the road of parenting (or, in my case more like guardianship) and the realities of creativity vs. childcare.

I would love for everyone to think this is some sort of blissful unfurling of instinct and inspiration and you know? sometimes it is, and those times truly are remarkable. But I guess I'm just more keen on the non-fiction renditions these days, the grit and the sweat behind it. If the twin books we are reading have strategies for just getting to the point when you can do the laundry- I think the world could use a little more writing about keeping the creativity going through the baby juggle. I'm giving myself permission to start to investigate all of these subjects as process- things like keeping the shop open through my own quest for full time emplyment *while at the same time* trying to get my art career off the ground, things like getting the work done with two infants in the house, and yes- the art process itself.

So, in conclusion, I hope this will encourage me to blog more often, to find some interesting subjects to review, and get my readers engaged a little more too! I could give you status updates about my economic tensions- but who will really find that exciting news? Or I could just post when I finish drawings... but let's face it, thats why I stopped posting! Here I think a more straighforward approach is warrented, and a record of this very sweet but also challenging chapter of my life without a doubt will bring my spirits up to the level they need to be in order to get the work done.

Thank you for coming along for the ride.

(pause)

2009-03-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

With regrets, I'm having some trouble with my computer these days. Not only has my internet connection failed, but my system for editing photos is all wonky. That's pretty much my business right there. (sad face) So, I'm taking the time to finish some unfinished paintings, and to work on the *rest* of my business- that of making stuff. More hopefully sooner, rather than later, and thanks for your patience!

update

2009-03-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

girl and boy with ducks over at 5gardinias

I almost entitled this post "Folks are Nice", because over the last 4 days or so since my last post about ending up in Treasuries/ on blogs I've been the lucky recipient of a slew of conversations about being in more Treasuries/ on blogs! Thanks, friends! Really someday I hope to have the timing and patience it takes to put a Treasury together, but for now I'm extending my gratitude with some further mention of these shop keeps and their collections (with a little update news at the end).

First of all, Kathi over at kathiroussel (the beautiful jewelry shop we talked about last week) is the curator of another fine Treasury shown below. She also runs another shop! 5gardinias is a vintage shop where she collects and displays her cool vintage finds. Kathi certainly has an aesthetic eye~ it is so interesting to see sellers who create work and also collect vintage... the shops are always so different. I really love that she includes links to her Treasuries in the shop introduction, what a great idea.

It is also fun to have a bunch of Treasuries pop up at once because I'm often surprised by the surroundings in which my drawings find themselves. I'm not sure who in my shop was chosen as a runner up to muppetloon's soft pale Treasury (above). Anyway, it was such a beautiful collection I ended up putting hearts on many of the shops in there! Below is a Treasury by decora called In the Garden of Good and Evil (making this old bookseller smile). I was tickled to see the Robots there- of all things!

Products from ouou have also shown up in a couple of blogs this week, too. Hug from my new line of 4 bar sets ended up in a very sweet collection over at kiirey, in a lovely little post about hugging. (hugs are the best!) Nigel found himself drinking tea among the abounding colors over at colorfuldayz, the first of the new aceo series to show up somewhere else! I was pretty excited about that :)

Speaking of exciting- the last Treasury I want to mention (check it out while its still up!~ and yes, I've fixed the html so you can just pop into these links) is over in Treasury West. Oh, it has been a while since I've shown up in the shifting world of the West, so I was particularly thrilled to visit once again. This Spring collection was put together by indiecreations here in Portland, Oregon. There is Black Umbrellas among the birds and blooms <3>

Wow! That was a whole bunch of links~ I hope you've enjoyed them and found some great new arts to discover. Last little bit at the end here is just a fun update I enjoyed working on. All of the images in my shop are hand-drawn and then scanned, but really when I go to print up a card series I don't add or alter into the drawing on my computer. Because I'm not photoshopping the images, I've always considered them the closest thing to hand-drawn cards. However, I wanted to distinguish the actual original art that I've started to feature in my shop. So the other day I finally found a use for Nancy Says, adding her as my 5th image in the aceo/ original art listings!

More Tea, More Rock

2009-03-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, I have so much to write! But, sadly, not much time... so I'll first catch you up on the latest additions. This morning Nora and her teacup sauntered into the shop- another in the original art series of aceo. Also in the new printed cards category- You Rock! It may not be tea related, but I just can't fight the rock. :) More later tonight- have a great day everybody!

Tea and Reality

2009-03-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

Right now the story goes "busy busy busy". In this mindset of "busy busy busy" the best/ worst thing is that the mind is always thinking "more more more". What else can I get done today? What else should I be doing? How many things can I cross off as done? Yes, last year I started this little bloggy as a record of what it's like to open an Etsy shop- now I'm recording what that's like with twin (need I say "teething" one more time?) babies in the house.

There is definitely an ebb and flow of energies. There are days that are so intense and up-close that, at their end, it is hard to recollect what happened just the day before. We just had three of those. When the boys are exhausted and frustrated, no matter what state we are in we feel anxious and urgent on their behalf. This empathy is something I never really thought of about being around children so much. And, although it is a wonderfully rich experience that colors our days as unimaginatively different than before, at countless times throughout the day you have to center yourself. Last time we saw a week like this it was followed by two beautiful pearly white teeth we are still peeking at every chance we can get... but friends, that was just last week.

And so it is that when my brain has a couple days in "busy" mode, there is such an incredibly fine line between that and "scattered". I find that if I do not finish things within 2 days of establishing that something must get done, it could very well get lost in the fog. Days are often broken down into 10 minute increments, a constantly rotating kaleidoscope of priorities and effort. I feel as though I've almost figured out the magic formula to make all of this work (she says, plates spinning)... almost.

No wonder the latest art is broken down into the simplest elements. Working on these tiny canvases seems almost essential to my nightly routines now; the house quiets down, I've cleaned my room and my Etsy work space, with the smallest pen I've got I sit and put myself into this tiny world. (And in it there is tea.)

This series has quickly turned out to be more detailed than the hand-drawn Valentines I posted last month. More little flourishes, more nooks of watercolor. I have an assortment of projects going on at night after the house is asleep, about 1/2 is for Etsy, but these little spots are a very particular practice. It is as though as the day melts away, the stresses and moodiness and trillionth plan hatched and misplaced all curl up for the night, drawing can happen joyfully in these small 2.5X3.5 borders. That joy reflects every single miraculous smile, giggle, twinkle and moment of relief that came and went through the day, I'm happy to say my mind goes to those things and not the To Do list. So, normally I would write a post like this and remind myself that I need some time for quiet, reflective, mindful practice. But maybe this is just enough time, a fitting practice for now, one *less* thing to write on a To Do list and just something to let happen as it does.

...

More... and yellow!

2009-03-07T07:37:00.001-08:00

I'm on my way to make some scones on this lovely (though rainy) Saturday morning- so I'll be brief. Did you think I had forgotten about the Month of Tea I had proposed? No, I was simply off and about putting the finishing touches on the finishes... and starting the starts! First, last week's Tea Time design might just look sweet with all the different colors I pair it with- I was excited to sell my first set (woo!) and also to get some photographs with these buttery, delicious yellow envelopes.

Oh, the color yellow! I seem to be re-discovering this color as the light here changes and signs of spring really take off. Or maybe its because we are surrounded in baby toys- so many of these are yellow. What could it be? Oh well, I love to fall in love all over again with color, color, color as the days get longer and sunnier! The newest originals in the shop start pouring in today with Margaret here. After the success of the One of a Kind Valentines last month, I'm thrilled to offer more teeny tiny art in the shop.

Woodland

2009-03-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling happy tonight, and excited about this blog post. Inspired by a lovely seller, Kathi from kathiroussel, I'm starting off with the treasury she created last week. Who is that tromping through the springtime in the center bottom row but sweet Audrey! Awe, thanks again Kathi!

Sometimes a treasury (which is a collection of Etsy images that a seller puts together of other sellers' work and then posts in the rotating list of other Treasuries) strikes the imagination. I really loved the deep black and bright color combination of this gathering. I love that childhood springtime fondness, the remembrance of nature waking up, of growing things poking through the thick-smelling leaves. The metals and pearls and horn-shaped coral forms... these things matched with cottages and shoes and hats~ I just felt transported into some haunting folk tale backdrop following the link (...trail of breadcrumbs...) to this Treasury.

Aqua Ocean Blue Earrings by kathiroussel

The curator of this woodland gallery also, I should add, has a simply wonderful shop. Her jewelry gives me the same sense of hand-held stories, delicate and mysterious or whimsical. I was wowed stopping by her shop and seeing her photographs. Really professional, crisp (crisp seems to be a word I like a lot lately) images that capture the personalities of her objects so well. Such a joyful find!

I'd like to thank a list of people for including ouou in their thoughts and blogs this past week. Penny Glass Girl wrote a list of current favorites from Etsy- check out her post here. I especially love that photograph of her studio space- coming from a work-space mess-maker, pictures of a clean studio make me silly with envy. Six Gun Annie did a search in Etsy under "tree" and added Blue Bird to her list of loved results. The robot parade in Land of Cupcakes took a march on over to Diffraction- take a wander on over yourself and wish them a Happy Birthday!

Collection of Merfish by knitalatte

Just something about this blog post- the subject of fairy tales or magic or blackness & luminous color- makes me want to include mention of knitalatte. This is another one of those shops that, having seen her work, strikes such a resonant chord. These collections of curiosities, all with knitted cozies or costumes, are so imaginative I admit, I've gone back to her shop countless times just to stare. Something like museum artifacts, something like children's collections of nonsense mementos, the heart of knitalatte's craft is clever, strange and funny.

Tea Time

2009-03-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Tea Time

March marches in with a crisp sunny day here in the Pacific Northwest and the beginning of our month of Tea inspired designs (along with other new drawings, too!) here at ouou central. My friends back east are snowed in after a night of stormy conditions... oh the winter in the North East goes on forever! A warm drink for you guys all nestled into your houses today (and I hope more than a few of them are making cookies) and a warm hello to a new month hearkening the end of Winter's grip.

...from the desk of...

2009-02-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

I have mixed feelings about March. I'll be honest, its not my favorite month. In fact, if Spring and all its good graces were *not* floating through the air throughout Portland I think I would be in a pretty sorry state about entering into a new month. However, we do have flowers blooming (chin up little camper!), and other than that there have been many, many little treasures showing up in my days this past few that remind me good things are indeed in the works.

One of these glimmers has been the kind and exciting inclusion of the above Black Umbrellas in the Bugs and Fishes blog. See Lupin's article on loveliness here! I owe her a debt of gratitude not only for her continued support and sweet words but also for some inspiration. I am working on some colorful designs for April, and of course the Gocco should be back in action this Spring season, but though I want to bring new designs into the shop I had been at a loss as to what to do for March. After showing up on Lupin's blog I've been thinking- wouldn't it be fun to end the winter with tea, cocoa, and steamy drinks that first got me started on Etsy? Yes, themes are good, and I'm thinking March for ouou will be the Month of Tea. I may even try my first ever *BLOG GIVE-AWAY*!

Otherwise I'm happy to say that the shop seems to be holding its own. I just recently packed up and shipped out the last of the hand-drawn ACEO size Valentines- all sold in just a month! I'm really grateful for everyone who showed their support for those, whether or not you count the Gocco prints it was the first time I've offerend original pen & ink drawings. Two of the designs were of tea, so I'm hopeful to get another line going and begin listing soon. Before that, though, will be new printed cards~ they're at the end of their production this weekend. It has been since last Spring that I've had a new A4 card design... Oh what a month March will be!

~On the Homefront~
My nephews are still going through the throes of teething. This means a couple things; first, that my sister is dealing with some pretty irratic sleep (that's a nice way of saying "no sleep for mama") and also, days consist of pretty short attention span for all of us, babies making teeth included. SL has gotten not one but two teeth, while MNJ is growing ever more adventurous in the gnawing preoccupation.

The thing about the last few weeks is there is certainly an up-tempo in keeping them entertained and the rest of the house going. The good news is it seems as though the packaging, printing, cutting, assembling, listing, wrapping, burnishing involved in my Etsy life breaks down into a hundred little tasks, and these hundreds of little tasks spread throughout the day...? It's a good feeling to know that it may be a lot of work, but it is working.

new

2009-02-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

In the last week there are a couple of new things around here. As we acclimate to our new home, my sister is finding her rhythm of home life, my nephews seem to be getting on a predictable schedule (although nights are still changeable), and around these emerging structures I'm finding when the best times are to job hunt, draw, answer emails and get to the post office! Kicking off the adventures in *new*ness, C sent me off to get myself this new haircut- welcome back bangs!

Old Banner

New Banner

I thought maybe while we are still fresh in the new year I might as well have a go at changing the ouou banner. The previous banner had been up since spring of 2008, and maybe come (the actual) spring this year I might try another one. My inspiration comes, yet again, from Angry Chicken, who contantly rotates the banner on her blog. Thats on my list, but until then I'm happy with the icy muted tones of the new ouou intro.

There are some updated photos in the shop now, as well as a few revisited designs for the 4 Bar smallest card size. We had a few days of sunshine here in Portland, enough for a flurry of photographs to be taken, before the winter rain came back.

Also- a new drawing! I'm getting used to the ebb and flow of creative energies since moving here in late May. Considering what has happened since that time- working, staying with my sister during her hospital stay, welcoming the babies to this world, moving and moving and moving again, creating a home and going home and watching all of the changes the boys are going through- I'm sold on the idea that creativity never comes and goes but rather shifts and slides through all the facests of our lives.

Speaking of creative energies, something else is new in our home... a new tooth! Yes, another reason why I come and go infrequently these days is that my nephews are teething. SL has been a virtual Sunny Baudelaire, chewing chewing chewing on everything in his path. In the last several days the chewing was accompanied with crying, fussing, whining, and not very much sleep for him or his mama. It was pretty painful to watch at times and, like most things baby care, we scrambled hour after hour for the anything-that-works solution to ease his new arrival. Welcome, welcome little tooth! I feel so proud and happy to put you on my list of new things!

Welcome Spring

2009-02-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

We have crocuses, folks! Here are some examples of arrivals from this week that have chased the gloomy clouds and brought some warm, happy feelings back~ ~ ~

Where I'm from you have to wait until April for such early spring guests. Watching the seasons change in this new place has been one of my favorite aspects of relocating, as though with each season I arrive all over again and see this block or that part of town for the first time. There is a growing anticipation, you see neighbors and children outdoors day after day, all breathing in and filling their eyes with these sights of Spring pushing up from the earth.

I also received a cluster of new Moo designs in the mail- so great! I had been waiting these guys for months in order to start bringing packages around to some local shops here in Portland, so I'm especially happy to see them.

We are making advances in the home, as well, the last of our boxes having just come in. My impromptu studio area is expanding through the room as I open more and more treasure troves of paper, stationary, adhesives, ribbon, visual references and craft supplies. It really feels as though our house is becoming ours, and the creative spaces are growing. We are more busy than I expected, catching moments around the emerging schedule my 6 month old nephews are on, so posts will just have to unfold as best I can keep up. I can't wait until I start posting new works and sketches again!

Another Day Closer

2009-02-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

Ah, I hope you all had sweet Valentine's weekends. Oregon celebrated its 150th birthday on the very special day of February 14th, how sweet. Here I'm looking ahead to a new week & new projects. And what helps to put any Etsy seller in a good mood? Being in a Treasury of course! This collection was put together about Gocco artists- one of my favorite themes to look at as well as be a part of:

Lovely!

Gracefully

2009-02-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hello all, I hope this post finds you having a happy Valentine's day & great weekend. Here on the home front I hit the ground more with a splat than a bang--- my camera is acting funny. The photographs in this post are actually favorites from the blog last year, not being the biggest fan of my own posts without pics.

This is a good time, too, for me to take a look at these pictures~ my goal for the blog as I started it was to create a peaceful space in the middle of those creative struggles, tasks, job or no job scenarios I was in, or whatever is going on in all of our daily lives. Maybe it is the fact that its winter (oh, but winter is so mild here) or maybe just the wind-down from all the incredible changes 2008 brought but I could really use a reminder of that peaceful intention right now.

Spores!

2009-02-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone & welcome back to my blog. I feel bad that things have been so spotty lately... with the cold that lasted forever (spores!) I swear I thought I was done for. Also, we moved! Just down the street, but down the street from our good friends is good news around here. The day went without a hitch and the new house is really very sweet.

Our wireless was hooked up today so I'm back online reporting from my still-unfolding room & art making space. I'm excited to put some energy back into the blog on a consistent basis, even have some new Etsy shops I'm excited to share with you! We are still unpacking, accumulating furniture, and I'm on the hunt for a job- so there are many factors going on behind the scenes of laying out my pens and pencils. We will see how the rest of this winter unfolds.

It has been on my mind to get back into blogging regularly, and certainly there is a lot going on in the Handmade community. I'm really excited to be back in action and ready to dust off the blog, warm up the Gocco, and bring on the photo editing! More news as the days unfold, but its good to be back. Oh yes.

Moving Day

2009-02-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Ah, friends. Sorry to not have blogged very much as January ended and February has begun. I came back from my vacation with a long lasting illness, but not quite the schedule for laying around in bed catching up on my computer work. I'm happy to say as I've been recovering I've also been packing: I'm moving again! In the last year this blog has covered 5 moves, and this will be the last one for a while. Just down the street from our good friends here in se Portland, the new house holds the promise for watercolors, Gocco silkscreen printing- and maybe even letterpress! You can imagine my excitement, but also what has been keeping me busy all this time. Moving day is tomorrow, so have a good weekend my dears and I'll see you on the other side!

2009-01-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's refreshing to be back in Portland after the good times and the bad times of a vacation back east. I got to see my family & extended family, a gift that means more than I can express now that we are living so far away. Unfortunately I also lost my job while I was away, so some parts of our return (I came back with my sister and 5 month old nephews) have been somber. With 40-50 degree days projected for the rest of the week, though, I've got some perspective on what to be grateful for. New England in the raw gray of January is just cold, cold, cold.

So the shop is reopened, along with all those originals and framed pieces I was tooting my horn about right before going into vacation mode. I'm happy to say that international sales are making up for our slow domestic market, and some of the ACEOs I introduced mid-January sold upon reopening! I've been slow to really push the shop in the last few days, unpacking and all that, but as of Monday it is back to work in a serious and focused way.

Those of you following the blog last year also remember that I went into a period of having Etsy as my only employment. Having a full time Etsy shop taught me quite a bit through those rough months. This is one of those crunch times when I have to pull on those lessons learned and find the way to do this creative living that works best for me, and that involves finding a full time job away from the warm glow of Etsy.

But I love my shop, I'm glad to be back from vacation, and whats more- I'm very glad I have this place to come to after a day of baby care, house cleaning, and job hunting. These cards first emerged based on little drawings I would make for my friends as notes~ often it still feels like I'm sending out care packages all around the world. That's a good thing to come home to.

***

Photos from the Trip:

Rhode Island under snow, which waited until
our last day to fall.

After not seeing MNJ for 6 weeks he fell asleep in my arms, a welcome homecoming.

My grandpa, EB, with SL.

some endings, some beginnings

2009-01-19T16:45:00.001-08:00

Oh what a crunch, getting everything into the shop before Valentine's day! How is it going with all of you? I hope everybody is having a good week, and looking forward to tomorrow's historic inauguration.

Yesterday was Sunday, and on Sundays I like to take advantage of the slow and quiet nature of the day~ going into work hours early (I'm a weekend worker) to paint and draw. These are leisurely hours with a whole building to myself, and one of the more anticipated parts of my week. I usually camp out in the printmaking studio, or in the back at the Production desk, listening to music and slowly nursing my coffee. After a little reading or doodling, this week it was straight into painting, those final touches on the originals I've been posting about these days. Finally finished!

Tea 2

Today was much more focused on home & Etsy. I finished all the painting I'll be doing for the next couple of weeks and took tons and tons of photos. Although it is windy and blustery here, we are still enjoying days of sunshine. From there is was hours of fun-filled photo editing, breaking up the monotony with some cleaning & organizing of the house. From there it was packaging the rest of my outstanding orders and posting my framed pieces! All of this as a build-up to tomorrow, my last day before vacation.

In order to make sure I'm still able to fulfill orders within the 3-5 business days I've promised in my Shipping section, I have decided to go on Vacation Mode for this time:

Wednesday January 21st to Friday January 23rd

Just a small string of days, and by its end I will still be in MA and can figure out at that time if I should wait out the remainder of my own vacation or open back up.

In this, my first year in Portland, it has been 8 months of moving (three times now!) ,transition, new friends and new family. Leaving for Massachusetts kicks off the end of yet another chapter in those months and the beginning of an all new adventure once we get back. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming months where I intend to~

1. get myself a studio space in our new home
2. learn letterpress and hopefully new skills in silkscreening
3. explore the state of Oregon and take a trip to California, too
4. grow some potted plants (oh how I miss you)
5. get back into reading, knitting, sewing and *cooking*!
6. begin serious work in freelance illustration

...and that makes up for not having posted a New Year * New Leaf post here on the blog. I'll be home with my family in a matter of days, catching up on all of the changes my nephews have gone through in the last month (the words "crawing" and "teething" and "laughing" are still too hard to believe). It has been heartwarming spending the last months in the company of the R Family, being a part of their day to day pattern of living. I'm so completely grateful for all of the help and friendship they have shown and all the new friends I've made in this exciting new city. A break will be good, seeing family will be great, and then taking the next steps into becoming established in Portland will be all the beter with these sweet people in my heart.

Thank you friends, thank you readers, thank you Etsy, and happy new year.

2009-01-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

Tea tea tea, all these little framed drawings of tea. No, they're not in the shop yet because they're getting all purdied up with some watercolor, but I'm really happy with them. I have these small square frames that go just right with these small works I've been tinkering with.

This one up here is my housewarming gift to myself- tea for me! I don't always keep these things, or I do but they end up in a drawer somewhere. I am looking forward to decorating my new home with Etsy prints, and will no doubt keep you all in the loop on the decorating schemes. Oh, and speaking of decoration- look who is in the window! Well hello little lady!

2009-01-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

Hello from the windy and cold corners of Oregon, where the Spring-like days that blessed us throughout this past week are gone but not forgotten. The sun has been wild this week, after rain rain rain we were all a bit dazzled by 4 sunny days strung together in yellowy hues. We woke one morning to a magical, crystalline frost right about when it started getting cold again.

I'm packing my bags and getting ready for a trip home to my original coast, the Eastern one, so all these fluctuations in temperature have me thinking of my new home, and all the differences here, maybe hyper-aware of small changes or details. I'm pretty sure the shop will remain open through the vacation since I have people to help me with shipping. I am very much looking forward to going home (also because I have this place to come back to) and feel for some reason that it will prove to be a very inspirational trip.

I was able to get some pretty good shots of the frosty morning while out on a walk...

Alright, back to business: there are some changes going on in the shop as we enter 2009. Now that the Holiday season is over, I've taken out USPS Priority Shipping as my shipping method. I was thoroughly disappointed in Priority (this year was my first year using it as my primary shipping option) and saw no significant improvement. I bet "5.00" under shipping probably had some people scratching their heads, too, although my motivation was to have as little concern as possible for items arriving punctually. I'm putting my faith back in old reliable First Class and checking out my options in tracking... more on that beginning February.

As for now, there is an option in the shop to "order" Priority Shipping~ and that will include the cost of tracking/ insurance. I figure people ordering large orders or Gocco prints will like having this option and am more than happy to provide expedited shipping. Hopefully this will ease the shipping confusion of this past season, as well as get me back into one of the fun parts of this whole Etsy project for me: making packaging! Believe it or not, a lot of love went into my mailers last year. I'm particularly proud that when you order an ouou item, the whole production is a unified project.

together - hand drawn Valentine

Oh, and also- I've listed another Valentine- this one on a folded (and larger) card tonight. I was happy with the clarity of the photos, too! Next up are the little framed originals, but for tonight I'm considering whether or not I want to go into those with watercolor or leave them black and white in pen. Hmmm. Maybe I'll sleep on it.
:)

2009-01-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peek at some other things I'm working on. Behind the scenes over here I had struggled with these scans (can you tell? fuzzy) until I realized it was a paper issue. Ive been re-drawing the small hoard of finished drawings from this month in the evenings when I'm able to set up at the light table. I feel happier when I know my night table is around- do you have tools like that? My bone folder, my favorite eraser, my Zebra mechanical pencil, and my beat-up light box I've been carting around for 13 years.

Am I on a tangent tonight? Probably just excited about setting up a work space again, daydreaming of that glorious afternoon of setting out my pencil jars and paint boxes. I'm sure you understand. Anyway, so these guys won't be the finished product for another couple of weeks. I'm also working on some framed small drawings and the Valentines in several other sizes. Have a great weekend, everyone!

2009-01-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

This morning right after rolling out of bed (and grasping the coffee cup, of course) I put up the latest tiny Valentine: Serenade. Now, after posting several of these pics over the last few days I realized I'm posting photographs of the little drawings *before* I added their watercolor hearts! Wuh Oh! Possibly today I'll get some shooting done, but for now I'm off to finalize my move out of the apartment. I'm also hoping for a window in my afternoon to finish up some of the larger scale originals I'm keen on listing next week. I'll be updating here and on Flickr as these items emerge (hopefully with their watercolor finishes). :)

2009-01-14T09:28:00.001-08:00

Walk

Two newer additions to the Valentine line are here! I've just finished some packing and am on my way to do a little mailing, but first I thought I would pop by the blog for a few introductions. Walk and Sweet Music are in the shop as of last night/ this morning. The smaller card sets that I introduced after Christmas also seem to be holding their own, so I'll be releasing a few new designs in those styles later in the week. Whew! Lots going on around here- and I've got to scoot if I'm going to hit the Post Office before work- hope everybody is having a good week! :)

Sweet Music

2009-01-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

It has been fun spending the last couple of nights cuddled in bed drawing these little pictures. No surprise that I'm a big fan of the 2.5 X 3.5 inch canvas, my drawing school before college took place on the margins of my notebooks. Although I was frustrated last week, it has been simplifying to scrap all my grand plans for the time being, going back to the basic Handmade premise of Etsy shop. Inspirational, too. I can't get enough of these little characters.

My friend K and I spent the morning moving me out of my apartment, but I had time in the afternoon to get some photographs in. I'm going on vacation at the end of January and thinking about either slimming down my selection for a week or closing (gulp) the shop completely for that time. Updates to follow as I address the calendar.

2009-01-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

"Two of a Kind" Valentine

Here in the Pacific Northwest we are under a thick fog, the low-lying clouds of winter's constant rain. I moved here for this, an ongoing rainy day that grows moss on all the stone and wood around town, the incredible moody mountain vistas that slowly fade in and out of view on afternoons like today. I love days like this, even though it is a challenge to find the right situation for taking pictures, and have enjoyed spending much of my day off walking about.

After my scenic voyages, I've been finishing some touches on the smallest set of Valentines. These are all original pen and ink drawings using pencil and MicronPigma 005 pens. I am drawing them all (there will be more sizes later) on Arturo stationary, an Italian paper with a nice watercolor-type tooth to it. They come with envelopes, so I'm not quite sure what to classify them under on Etsy, they're in now as ACEO. An ACEO is a small collectible original art card. I'll release the next size up as cards, and the larger will be in art as paintings.

Yes~ this means there are many more to come!
Gosh, I do love this job. :)

2009-01-11T08:39:00.001-08:00

I promised a little while ago to present some photos of my cards up at Oblation Papers & Press here in Portland, Oregon. I'm really excited to be a part of their Local Artist section, to see people's reactions to them, and even just the small thrill of seeing my cards on actual shelves on a non-virtual shopping experience. (And look, they're on sale!)

As my friend E and I put our heads together in ongoing brainstorming sessions as to how to acquire an actual letterpress, it has been interesting working in a city with so much printmaking art. In fact, now that I'm typing this, it is pretty fortuitous to have landed here, considering this is just such the sort of art making I enjoy and want to learn more about. Still, my drawn cards have elicited a positive response, hopefully with selections on more shelves to follow.

There are more silly drawings around the stores than just the cards. Watercolors, the store bird, has a sign made by me. What better compliment than to be nibbled on every once and a while when the ladies of Oblation are looking the other way? Thank you, Watercolors. Weird, but thank you.

And, in other news, with the store slowing down and Valentine's on the horizon, I've been trying to fulfill my other promise to you- new card designs. The beginning of January has presented me with some unforeseen challenges on this front, mainly that the scans have come out terrible, the better ones have printed terrible, and I've realized it is because I changed the paper that I'm drawing on earlier last year. Sheesh.

Until I come across one of those blissfully long stretches of time where I have nothing to do but draw, I'll be using my shorter stretches of time to doodle. And those doodles, soon to be released into ouou, will begin the second wave of original art sold in the shop. Get ready! Next week the Valentine season begins for ouou, and I'm really very much looking forward to it!

xoxo

for a limited time

2009-01-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

Butterfly Skies

This week I brought back one of the most cheerful, whimsical designs from last year's shop. Butterfly Skies will be residing in the ouou shop until February 14th, or until I run out of the limited print run, since I'm still not set up for Gocco printing. Gocco printing is different than the ink jet printed cards I offer in my shop; both are hand-drawn by me, but the Gocco cards are then printed one at a time (by yours truely!) using a mobile printing press made in Japan. This is the design that appears in 1000 Handmade Greetings (thank you Smashgirl for letting me know my page number- and congratulations on the cover!) and one of my few designs without a child in it. Welcome back Butterfly Skies, and a happy Valentines to you! :)

2009-01-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

The lovely lady Lupin (of Etsy, Dawanda, Folksy...) has opened up ad space on her blog Bugs and Fishes, and guess who came along for the ride?

Lupin was one of the first felt artists I came across on Etsy in my early days of looking around before opening a shop. I am totally smitten with both her work and her blog, and really thrilled to be appearing there as a sponsor. I'm even planning on some new tea-themed designs in the month ahead, a common thread we have in both of our art... the more the merrier!

my year in photos

2009-01-01T12:39:00.001-08:00

Norristown, PA

Here on New Year's day, I thought it might be fun to browse through my photographs from the past year and post some highlights.
I had no idea what an emotional trip through this year's upheavals, travels, friends and... delicious food (!) would be! it all started back Pennsylvania and my full-time Etsy shop taking up my every thought...

Not soon after 2008 began, my sister was pregnant and the great design of our plan to move out west began in earnest! With much prayer, patience and NetFlix we saw the winter merge into spring. I learned some pretty difficult lessons in keeping an online business going through profits and debts (eventually just debts), went through some drastic changes in my health & diet after quitting smoking, and stored up a little bravery to take the plunge and move to a city I'd never before seen. We found out it was a TWIN pregnancy somewhere between January and April, and found out they were two boys as my sister and I parted ways to begin our travels west.

Chicago!

my friend and I made the drive from MA to OR while my sister finished her visit with family and boarded a plane to make the trip. At that point it seemed the best plan for fully pregnant Celeste. Phil and I saw sights all across America that were new and exciting; a night running around abandoned Omaha, my first visit to Chicago, sweet people in Billings (ah, Billings!) and mountains, lakes, parks, sculpture, petrified forest... more coffee than one person should reasonably consume in a week. Phew! Our most mind-blowing adventure by far was leaving the 90 degree May highway for a snowy stop in Yellowstone~

Swatchy in Yellowstone

Certainly, Yellowstone (with 3 days left on the trip) was the point where I began to feel I had entered into a new chapter of my life, a new definition for happiness, and a broadened appreciation for the world we are a part of. If ever you are thinking "Maybe I'll drive cross-country and see what that's like..." I would say hands-down: talk to people that have done it, prepare, and do it without hesitation. If you're thinking "Maybe I'll just go to Yellowstone National Park instead"- oh my gosh, by all means do that instead!

sw Portland, Multnomah Village

...and Portland ain't too bad, neither.

I got to know this city of roses in June, of all months, when the entire place is lush and green and perfumed in summer sweetness. To say I spent the summer dazed and dazzled would be an understatement.

We spent the time getting to know our new friends the R family, I started work downtown, and thoughts of reopening the shop were pushed back and back again. It was strawberries, flowers, homemade jam, an apartment to myself, incredible coffee houses and everyone reading Animal Vegetable Miracle this summer.

RVR looking for a pal to paint with

Nice to have a break, because the end of July found C in the hospital with water breaking early. Doctor's orders were bed rest and C's goal was to Keep Those Babies In! until after 29...30...31 weeks. We were a mobilized team, I stayed with my sister as often as I could, KR and I fretted, commiserated and laughed our way through a new friendship and a whole lot of car rides back and forth.

C, RVR, and myself feeling babies kick

C and I watched more debates, more NetFlix, and even a bleary tail-end of the 2008 Olympics in those revolving hospital rooms. She had true fortitude and blessings on her side, those babies kicked and kicked but waited and waited. Finally, on the last day of our mother's first trip to Portland I got the call at work that my sister was in labor.

SL day two, with Swatchy

Every second that made up that day (well, and the next... and the next) have made this undoubtedly the most important, amazing, loving, beautiful year my life has yet seen. Those sweet boys have changed everything... my dad was right, my heart really did grow three sizes that day. I feel honored to have been there, crying with Korin and brushing my sister's hair with my hand as Shoghi and Maxwell came into this world. I feel humbled to have whispered prayers into their ears in those first minates. And I have felt such awe watching them grow and learn and take the world in in their different ways since that day that I have no words to describe it- but it is always a surprise, and always a wonder.

These two families I have by my side, my own family including my sister and her sons, and the R family of KR, RR, and little RVR, are truely a vital part of my heart and my life. Through September, October, November we have seen summer pass and autumn bring in more challenges, worries and fears. I've watched my job transform into turbulence and strife with the economic trouble, effecting my apartment and my Etsy shop too. But we have also seen great things, historic triumph, and moments of true happiness among our friends and loved ones. My folks had another opportunity to visit, including my brother and his girlfriend, which was the best family get-together we've ever had (as we doted over the boys night and day). And another little thing- my shop reopened! ...Much to my delight. :)

MNJ before his first airplane trip

In December Celeste and I spent a lot of time together before she embarked on a 2 month trip back east. The boys started smiling, and then started pouting, in the time before they left. Challenges continue on for all of us. The year might be over but transitions surely are not. There are still many decisions and shuffling to do before stability sets in for her family or myself. I've had some time while C is away with the R family, a warm and loving place to be for the Holiday season. I honestly can't say enough good things about these people and can't thank them enough, either, for keeping me from terrible lonliness without my big sis around.

ouou at Etsy

I'm looking ahead to my next trip out east, to a new studio space and getting back into printmaking. I can't wait to check out the rest of Oregon and the Pacific coast in the upcoming year (well, not the rest exactly...), to see friends and family I'm far away from, and what other adventures in Publishing I may have. I'm grateful that I still have work and that I am able without hesitation to keep my Etsy shop going. I'm blessed to have new friends and old friends who I love deeply, without whom I'm not sure I ever would have made it out of those hard, depressed, clouded years of my late 20's. I wish them (and you!) all the very best in the year ahead, with joys and triumphs to make all of our hearts feel strong, bright, and loved. Three sizes more!

good stuff

2008-12-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

dutchdoor

Ah, the pleasure of finding new artists on Etsy. This Christmas the gift guides were my favorite way of stumbling upon artists and their art I had not seen before, although there were also some pretty good treasuries out there too. This has been a feature I've been missing on my blog- going through finds and doing shop reviews... well, welcome back on a little tour of what I see when I go looking for the good stuff in Handmade Land.

I currently work for a company that creates and sells letterpress artwork. I see it all day, every day, from artists all across the world, but still dutchdoor caught my eye. A lot of letterpress artists come out with work that looks overly computer generated, thinking that the precise forms will translate well to the letterpress' unique appeal. I love these designs because they don't give the impression they've been generated in Illustrator beforehand- the old world design is well suited to the media. Their charming Scandinavian style images are clean, simple and exquisitely executed. Read more about dutchdoor here!

holli

Holli is a shop from Argentina, a place that seems to be the home of many a talented Etsy artist. Created by Paola Zakimi, these dolls are breathtaking. They're a little bit creepy, too, but not in an evil way- is that alright to say? More in a surreal way, like something mysterious that appears in a dream you remember while reading a poem scribbled onto a newspaper left behind on the bus. Wait- what am I talking about? Anyway, I've been amazed and struck by her work... read more on her blog, here! :)

Late here, time for bed but I hope you too found some new favorites on Etsy this season!

photo shoot!

2008-12-27T21:37:00.001-08:00

Ninja v Big Octo gets his picture taken

More photos that came out very satisfactorily from today's attempts playing around with my camera settings. I'm particularly excited about these because I'm introducing a new card size to my shop as of today. The understated A2 card size, smallest of the mailable card sizes, is now in the shop in a new section here. These will be select designs with smart colored or dark envelopes to match. Since this card size does waste some paper in production (more on that in a later post) I'll be keeping the A2 family pretty small, but they really are quite charming little guys.

Black Umbrellas - small version

everything in blue

New! Finally!

Big Projects (and changes)

knitty.com

Shop Special for friends new and old

what a wonderland: Crafty Wonderland and lessons learned

today is Crafty Wonderland!

Craft Fairs 1, 2, 3

...and the winner is...

since last we met

Bamboo Village Press on Etsy

hello hello (and a giveaway)

bah humbug-type sentiments

*notice* heat

A Long, Long Day

Alberta Street

enjoy

now

update: Knitty

many thanks, Mister Fishy

Knit Knews

Lucky Number 9

Leap!

a love Larger than the Sky

firsts

plans

ouou on Droolicious

time

goods

*notice*

update

stay at home Aunt

untangle

finding time

Etsy Day

Knitty

print print print

draw draw draw

...meanwhile...

Getting to Know a.c.e.o

update

along the way

Kiss

fast moving clouds

growth

behind the scenes

update

Sofie, Shine and Steam(er)!

update

The Schedule (pt. 2: diversion/ focus)

vacation

Not Enough Spring?

The Schedule (pt. 1)

Spring time and sleep training

where I am

(pause)

update

More Tea, More Rock

Tea and Reality

More... and yellow!

Woodland

Tea Time

...from the desk of...

new

Welcome Spring

Another Day Closer

Gracefully

Spores!

Moving Day

some endings, some beginnings

for a limited time

my year in photos

good stuff

photo shoot!

notice heat

notice