New Adventures in Paper and Beauty

Today I listed paper rose garlands in my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/184306880/spring-pink-rosette-garland-8-feet-paper?ref=listing-shop-header-1
Truthfully I get nervous when I create a listing because it makes me vulnerable.  Sure, I like what I create, but will others?  It takes some courage to get your hopes up and put a new item out there...so I fortified myself with ice cream.  Who's with me?!
Recently I've noticed that my minimalist tendencies have been...wandering...  I'm starting to be drawn to the lush, the frivolous.  What?  That may call for another spoonful of ice cream.  But one thing I've been pondering as I read various artist blogs is the presence of beauty in our lives.  We crave it.  As a christian, I tend to think we're drawn to beauty because God is beautiful, and we're made in His image.  Beauty reminds us that life is bigger than a fleeting moment, that there is something bigger going on.  And with the approach of Spring blossoms, I'm craving more and more beauty.
Even if it means the clean, modern lines in my atelier are softened with oodles of paper roses!

Workshop

This Sunday I'll be teaching another book making workshop!  It will be hosted at Grayson Home (404 W Walnut, Springfield MO), and what a great location that is!  I adore Grayson's collection of furniture and gifts.  The workshop starts at 2:00 and will last a couple hours.  For $20 you'll learn how to stitch, bind, and cover your own 60 page blank book.  Keep it for yourself, or set it aside as a Christmas gift for that dear friend.
Contact Timmery Clark or Grayson Home on facebook to sign up--space is limited, so contact us soon!

Hitting a New Note

     Earlier this week I was contacted by a college student with a request:  could I design a notebook to use in her music theory class?  It would need music staff lines, as well as space to take notes (bwaaaahahaha!  Too funny, right?!).  So after a morning of tinkering and designing, this is what is now heading to a college campus!
     Except when I say "now", I mean tomorrow.
     Postal business hours, ya know?

Coming This Week!

      Early last month, my architecture classmate Ryan Rosenquist contacted me with the exciting news that he was in the process of opening his own store!  Grayson Home LLC will be opening on August 2nd, and I'm so thrilled to offer my journals in this new venue.  Ryan's vision for the store is a place for design, home decor, furniture, and gifts.  I know he's been busy creating custom lighting and lamps to offer customers, and some have already sold!  Fantastic!  I'm so thrilled that there will be a design shop--featuring local designers!--in downtown Springfield Missouri.

     For this new collaboration, I sent Ryan some of my regular jotters and journals, but I also created some new products in honor of his shop:  a grid journal (nothing but grids!), and a design quote journal.  New products for a new venue!  I'm hoping for much success with this new venture, and if you're in the area on August 2nd, please stop by Grayson and check out the shop.  Ryan tells me that other items you'll find are candles, wooden bowties, furniture, and custom pieces.  Also, August 2nd is the downtown Artwalk evening--so it's bound to be a happening scene!

*grin*

404 West Walnut Street

Springfield MO 65806

     

Wait, Wait For It!

     Here are a few more pics to whey your appetite for the big reveal!  Yes, my excitement is related to those small little corner tags you see on the books.  I can't wait until August 2nd, and soon you'll find out why!

Wait For It...

     Guess what?
     Something big is on the horizon!
     I'm excited to tell you, but I think I'll keep you in suspense for a day or two...  I will tell you that the above journal has a new home 1800 miles away from me...
     Whee!

Somedays You Meet Yourself...

...Coming and Going!

Isn't that the truth!

Here's today's comings and goings for you to enjoy right along with me.  I've been getting a lot of hits on my Etsy shop from people searching for Eucharisteo journals.  I've meant to put more in the shop, and today I uploaded the lower image.  I was tinkering around with a new set of alpha stamps.  They're a cute, mussed and gritty look.  One thing that disappoints me a wee bit is that although the letters are cute, they're a little hard to read.  I'll have to save them for projects where there isn't much pattern to compete against.  Live and learn, right?!

Summer has arrived here on the ranch, so in my photos today I used my sunglasses as a prop in at least half the photos!  Summer means the garden needs watering, the trees need trimming, the lawn needs watering, the pool needs skimming, the lawn needs watering, the lawn...it always needs watering!  Most days I just throw on my sun hat, but if reading poolside is on the agenda, I grab my sunglasses instead, hence their presence nearby and new arrival in my photos.  As I've written about in previous posts, I don't have a camera, so the arrival of my iPad this Easter (and it's nifty built in camera!) has been very welcome.  It's so fun to take my mini and capture bits and pieces of my life.  And, it's been delightful having it to shoot images for my blog and Etsy shop!  Win win, my friends!

What's bringing you joy today?