Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Studio/Life Update

I hope all of you are having a WONDERFUL Summer.
Ours has been busy.  We started it off with selling at The Vintage Marketplace,
which was great!  If you have never been, I highly recommend it.
Such an AMAZING event with the coolest stuff to buy!
Next one is September  7th & 8th.

One of the things I have committed to this summer is FOCUS and have
place myself in a "TIME OUT"...well, really more like
"BUSINESS BOOTCAMP".

<insert scene from the Original Karate Kid where Mr Miagi says, "focus Grasshoppa">

Not one of my Strongest traits.

I just finished two AMAZING books 

by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

The autor follows the story of Kamila Sadiqi,
an Afghan Woman who starts a business that supports not only her family 
but a large part of the community under the strictest Taliban Rule in Aghanistan.

It made me feel my business excuses I make pale in comparison to what these brave women
did to succeed and build am amazing business under the nose of a regime so vehemently opposed to women and women's rights.

Truly inspiring.

Second book I read:

by Twyla Tharpe

Ms. Tharpe is a world renowned and award winning choreographer.
The level of discipline she has for her work is admirable and obtainable by us all.
She illustrates how we as artists work and how we can establish
better habits
for greater success.

Now I am onto three other business related books.

by Nada Jones and

by Marley Majcher

by Bonnie St. John & Darcy Dean

After feeling like a sometimes BrOkEn record to myself and my friends (thank you for listening to me)
After feeling like a hamster in a habitrail going really nowhere with my art,
I have sat down and am working on a concrete business plan.

No more excuses...I had to ask myself where do I see myself and my business one year from now?
5 years from now?  10?

Do I REALLY want to be on that hamster wheel?

Nope.  

One of the things I have learned is that I have to give up some things.
I can't do every idea that pops in my head if I really want to get anywhere.
You of course need to know where you want to go first anyway
and what is going to help get you there.

My current work and production, at least a large portion of it is not, so
if you want a chance to buy a lot or a little of some really cool vintage supplies
and whatnots for Mixed Media...head on over to ebay who actually is offering some
free listings if you follow their rule.


Go on, go buy some cool stuff....



or come and visit me at The Jamestown Flea Market on July 22nd.
I will be selling there with my BEST Amica, Rita Reade of Mammabellarte.

Have an amazing Day!!!
xoxo

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Emily's Fresh Peach Ice Cream Colored room!

It will be 10 years this September that we bought this house.
Emily's room was the first to be painted. She was 2.
I painted it sky blue with clouds and there have been two murals in that room.

The first was a darling picket fence and garden on one wall.
She decided to do her own artwork on that mural in Clinique face makeup,
baby powder and desitin.

Needless to say, I painted over it.

Years later, I had one of those "lightbulb" ideas.
How about paint two trees and using Modge Podge and scrapbook paper, 
decoupage cute forest animals and leaves on the trees.




Super cute. Right?


Well, this ended up being a,
"sounded like a good idea at the moment"
Moment.

FREAKIN try to get that off the wall!!!

Wallpaper is easier, yep it is.

After days of peeling and scrubbing using all sorts of products, this is as much as we could do.



The peach Splotch is her new room color.




A thick layer of Kilz to the ceiling and walls...next was the cream ceiling and peachy walls...




At first, I have to admit, I was a little color shocked.
This color vibrates into the hall and makes it look like the hall light is on.
It is a Martha Stewart color and what Emily wanted.

Originally, she was going with a "hippie" theme,
but after we applied the color, we re-thought the room design.

Entering into Junio High, she wants something less cluttered and busy,
so we went for what we are calling a
"Vintage Girl" look.




Emily wanted two of my newest "Junque" signs in her room.



We greatly downsized her book collection.



She wanted my Marie Antoinette painting in here also.


We popped in Home Goods to get her some new hangers and
scored this cute elephant lamp on clearance for $12...YAY!




 The quilt is a 1940's piece I paid too much money for, but HAD to have it.
She loves it, but has basically been threatened to not abuse it.
No dogs on the bed, food, drink or ART supplies.



We are really happy with it.
I still need to make formal lace curtains, but
for now, two vintage lace tablecloths thrown over the pole
will do.

My bedroom is the next to be painted after I re couperate
from the week it took to re-do hers.