Pretty in Pink

I enjoyed making this custom card, pretty in pink.  It was designed for a friend to give her sister.  I happened to stop by while her sister was in town, so was able to see the reaction of the recipient in person (and take a picture of the card since I forgot to when I made it!)  It was also touching to see three other cards I had made for her and her daughter displayed in their living room.  Aww...

When I customize a card, I am able to put a name or initials, perhaps an age if requested, a birthday tag (or other occasion), and maybe a favorite color or interest.  When I made this card, I also made their father a card with a fishing theme tied in with a Christian theme (a connection which was not too much of a stretch).  I'll have to go to Minnesota sometime to snap a photo of that card.

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G'day, Mate!

I got my first international order!  Woohoo!  All the way from New South Wales, Australia.  It is so amazing to think that my art is traveling halfway around the world to the southern hemisphere to make someone's mother happy on her birthday.  Talk about spreading the joy far and wide.

I hadn't mailed anything international in awhile, so I expected a little more fanfare at the post office.  The clerk asked what it was, and then she took it, done.  I'm thinking, "But don't you need me to fill out a customs form, or do a rain dance, or pay $1000?"  Nope, easy peasy.  (I might hike my international shipping rates a teeny bit, but otherwise it might as well have been going across town.)

So now I am an internationally recognized artist.  Cue applause.  I could even hear my customer's Aussie accent in her email: "Thanks heaps!"

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Focus on Joy

Finally--I have depth of field!  I am so excited to be using a new Nikon SLR to take my photos instead of my iPhone or a point-and-shoot.  (Granted, the iPhone did a pretty nice job, considering it was a phone.)  I am still learning how to use the new camera, and experimenting with backdrops that I did not consider before because I could not throw the background out of focus.  And my purple nightshade is blossoming. :)

This card is one that I have hesitated putting up for sale.  I decided not to, because it is the first of the series of grungy textured cards that I have been making lately, and my favorite.  But my mother suggested I send it to her to use as a birthday card for my husband.  Spread the joy, but keep the card in the family.  I'm liking that idea. 

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Send Us Your Spirit

The confirmation of my daughter and her dear friends offered the opportunity for this personal project.  I made three cards depicting the Holy Spirit with a dove on a red background, and other symbols of faith.  (I got a little help from clip art on this one, since I was not offering it up as completely original artwork.)

I'm enjoying a masking goo that I have been using which, when stamped, does not allow ink to penetrate.  That is how I was able to get the effect of the words on the dove.

It was a beautiful evening for our children, one which I will never forget.

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Pick of the Day

With always the eye out for the budding artist to promote, I would like to share my son's artwork which was gifted to me for Mother's Day.  While it may seem like a simple picture, he made it completely out of guitar picks that he punched using his pick punch.  Über cool.

Now that's mixed media at its best.

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Artful Prayer

A dear friend commissioned me to make her a piece of art using two prayers that meant a lot to her.  She did not specify anything else, so I had complete freedom.  What I enjoyed most was putting symbolism throughout, of both our faith and our personal connection at church. For example, the scallop shell is a symbol of St. James the Greater, patron of our parish.  I included a letter on the back describing the symbolism.  My friend's husband presented it to her for Mother's Day, and she loved it.

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