I (HEART) ETSY

I admit it!... I am totally NUTS about Etsy!!

As a "Maker of Things" at Heart, I have sometimes wondered if other people were as obsessed with creating colorful arts & crafts from simple everyday materials as I am. I love everything about colors & textures and taking what's at hand & making "something out of nothing!" The process of creating simply fascinates me!

So, you can imagine my great delight to first learn of Etsy's Handmade Market Place! Suddenly I had access to an incredible, ever-changing online gallery of creativity from around the globe! What's more, I could learn about other artists & crafters like me, and virtually "peek over their shoulders" as they skillfully create their wares.

I find it so inspiring & encouraging to have found so many other "Makers of Things" in this world!... And I'm grateful to know there are so many others like me who share the joys of creativity!! 

The art & handcrafts above were created by Etsy sellers whose colorful & whimsical work I admire!   :)

WELCOME TO MY STUDIO!

On a recent shopping trip to AC Moore (my favorite craft store!), I couldn't resist picking up the most recent edition of ClothPaperScissors STUDIOS. Of course, I went right home & proceeded to read it from cover to cover! Afterall, who can resist peeking into artists' spaces and seeing them at their creative work?... Not me! :)

Inspired by all the colorful pics I found within its' pages, I decided to offer a mini-tour of my own home studio here on my blog... So WELCOME to "This Old House" and my creative space!

My studio is located in the back bedroom of our 1920's Bungalow and has LOTS of natural light! I have a great view out the window into my neighbors' English garden.

My art desk was a birthday gift to me from my sweet husband Joe!... The sideboard that holds my light box used to be the changing table in my sons' nursery! I have a single bed in my studio I use as a daybed... perfect for journaling, sketching, sipping tea, and snoozing! :)

This is the view from our kitchen into my studio... just steps away from my computer & our laundry room. I like being able to work on my artwork while keeping things going around the house!

My husband helped me improvise storage in my studio... It inspires me to have all my arty "stuff" where I can see it & within easy reach!

Our back porch is just off the kitchen and studio. It's one of my favorite places in our home! I spend LOTS of time out here on my computer. I can watch the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks at the feeder from my perch. My dog, Salem, often keeps me company here while I work. :)

I hope you've enjoyed this little peek inside my studio! I would LOVE to hear about YOUR creative space and why you enjoy being there so much!


To see my most recent creations, please come visit my Etsy shop, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS! :)

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

"The Princess and the Pea"

Once upon a time, in what seems like a very long time ago, I was the happy (and busy!) Mom of two rambunctious boys. Our home was filled with primary colors and all things little boys love ~ legos, trucks, Playmobil, and Ninja Turtles. My guys liked to dress up and have adventures as cowboys and Indians, pirates and superheroes. As they grew older, we accumulated a basement-full of rollerblades, bikes, and skateboards. Without a doubt, ours was a home geared toward BOYS!

...And so, it should not have been a big surprise to me that taking care of Jane (a sweet baby GIRL, then 8 months old) would be a real learning experience for me.

Even from a young age, Jane seemed drawn to all things pink and sparkly. She loved to play tea party with her many dolls, and delighted in the world of fairytales, princesses, and make believe. Jane's favorite way to spend a rainy day at home was to dress-up in her pink princess dress (the purple one just would not do), and dance in the playroom with great joy and abandon. At lunchtime, she never grew tired of hearing stories about the many adventures of Princess Jane...


Many thanks, Jane, for helping me to remember the wonders of being a little GIRL. This sweet princess is inspired by YOU!!



"This Princess and the Pea" is available in my CafePress store, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS, on a variety of baby & kidswear.

BLOGGING >"< CAATS

One of the unexpected JOYS! I've experienced from selling my artwork on eBay has been discovering the large and diverse eBay Art Community. Many artists, creating in a wide variety of media, sell their artwork as Self-Representing Artists (SRA) on eBay.

These artists "meet" each other and interact together in eBay groups ~ some large, some small, and some focused on certain art topics.

I am a member of several eBay art groups; but my favorite BY FAR is CaaT (Complementary Art And Things). CaaT is a supportive group of artists who seek to help each other learn and grow, both as artists and as successful business people.

Since many artists are now turning to blogging in order to bring their art and their thoughts to the public, CaaT has recently started its' own Blog Theme Group. Each week we will be representing in some creative way that week's blog topic. Some may write or paint or collage or sculpt or capture the spirit of the theme with photography. The interpretation of the theme is entirely up to each artist's very unique imagination! :)

Up to this point, I've been illustrating my blog posts with my own original artwork. I LOVE the idea of creating a blog in this way!! The reality of this approach for me, however, is that, with the crazy~busyness of life, time for artmaking sometimes gets squeezed out. As a result, my blog updates have been few and far between.

And so, I'm embracing something new.... I will still try to illustrate my entries ~ afterall, that's part of what makes blogging FUN for me! But, I may also sneak in a few unillustrated posts now and again. Who knows?... I may even have to try my hand at photography!

No matter what form blogging may take for me from here on, I look forward to joining with fellow artists on this one-of-a-kind creative journey!!