Everything Day & What Inspires You?

Today has been one of those Everything Days where it seems like every 30 minutes to an hour I'm off doing something different. Let's see if I have the attention span to get a blog post done:

Today's listing in a week of listing (forgot yesterday, so maybe I'll sneak one in tonight after my internet cut-off) is a collection of Gocco printed envelopes. I think I mentioned my serious addiction to paper goods a few entries ago... well it actually has worked out in my favor, really it has, since I've been using those precious papers for "extra ink" printings. I've amassed quite a collection by now and listed a grab-bag type collection today in the shop. I figure someone out there still writes letters. yes?
...yes?

This girl and lion have been kicking around my room for months. She was actually going to be the beginning of my alphabet series, but then I decided to watercolor those. Its weird because I have a strong desire to see this pattern on a pillow* but may offer her as an iron-on in the shop along with other not-on-card designs.
(*this information is useful later) Still need to broaden that DIY section, as the secret project for it won't be unveiled until late summer or fall. What do you think... is she iron-on material? Hmm...

Other than that today was more mailing and further sketches for a sticker project that is way off in the distance. In the afternoon I spontaneously went along with my sis to Philadelphia for one of her doctor visits and am lucky I did because we got to see another ultrasound! Thats just the most amazing thing.

I came home to a wonderful email from Amy over at Pikaland, who has set up a barter system for her ad space that I think is a great way to get people involved. I'm participating in a more free-form version since I don't yet know when my shop will re-open but still have all the proper information to fill out. One of her interview questions is "What inspires you?". I thought this would be a fun addition to the blog. I've spotlighted artists and Etsyians here before, but to take maybe a subject instead?

So this week I'll begin in textiles, with embroidery. Embroidery is something I've been wanting to get back into for the past 2 years. Its showing up everywhere in the fine art world and a beautiful canvas for the minimal art people are creating currently. Above is Littlebonbon by Takashi Iwasaki, whose images set off all those energized synapses in my brain.

Flickr has tons of groups for the embroidery nerd in me: check out embroidery and science! But one with a bright future is Children's Embroidery, where I got the above picture from. Check out this guy- I love it that children's embroidery ends up looking the same as their Crayola drawings. Way to be! Embroidery would also be a fun project to get that girl and lion on a pillow- but I'm gonna need some granny glasses before agreeing to that mission!