I've been blogged about! Huzzah!

Yesterday was a wonderful confidence filled day.

I had an acquaintance-y friend tell me that my nightly doodles are a daily part of his Facebook reading routine.

My co-worker told me i was really talented when i showed her some random doodles i did while working.

AND....i was featured in a blog! Huzzah!! What a lovely day!





Mission Possible.
$19.00

Elke has a neato blog and Etsy shop. On her shop "Sweet Twee Lab" she sells home made kits and other fun items, and on her blog she posts daily "random word" etsy pickin's. The word she choose to find my lovely astronaut was "possible".




The coolest part about her is that she is a scientist by day, and a crafter by night. I LOVE it when folks have the brains and the crafty talent. That's so exciting to me! It seems you have the best of both worlds. :D




Thank you so much for featuring me. I appreciate it. :D

One Year Ago [today]....

One year ago today [but really yesterday for the first image] we were doing this REALLY amazing series at my church called "Relent and Respond" where we learned to really evaluate the way we love ourselves, each other, our families, and learned to work with our communication and relationships.



It was a brilliant series and came with a note book to really jot down your thoughts, with questions.

You were supposed to join a team of people and discuss it with them. After the 2nd service, two of my closest friends and I went to this little "old people" diner across the street and had a great meal [Grilled Cheese! Fresh fries, salad] I tried Okra and "fruit cup" for the first time.

It really was a fun night.



Aqua Copper Necklace
$25.00

I also suppose i started my "Copper Collection" series this week, one year ago. And this spiffy necklace/earring set came about!



Aqua Copper Earrings
$25.00



Aqua Copper Set
$40.00

SAVE $10.00!! :D [[huzzah!]]

And...one day, while creatively stricken, i decided to art journal for the VERY first time. This is what i was oh so thankful for, one year ago today...funny...some things never change, and some things you'll never write down again. Life is a crazy circus.

Girls Art Day!

Some lovely craft lady folk came over last weekend to have a crafting day! Twas quite fun. We had delicious food, painted and a had a relaxing Saturday.





We decided to have a painting exchange. We all started a piece and then switched and switched until all 5 of helped create the final painting. It was a really cool idea and i hope we get to do it again soon!



We all set up shop in my stellar bed room and crafted for hours, listened to some good tunes, ate junk food and chatted.





We are at a really yummy organic, vegan, cafe in Orlando called Dandelion. Seriously! They have AMAZING food. I've never had a bad meal there. :D





A perdy image of our friend Amanda at Starbucks.



Playing "pass the painting" is actually a pretty neat activity. Highly recommended. :D It's really hard to start a piece of art and then ship it off to someone to finish. But it's good healthy challenge, i'd love to do again.

All and all it was a perdy stellar day. A day we're going to have MORE often right ladies? Like every month!!! :D [i hope!]

Nightly Doodles.

To keep the creative juices flowing fluidly, i've been making sure i draw at least twice a day. During work during the days and one "nightly doodle" before bedtime. Usually, the nightly doodles and quick and silly and honestly, stellar! :D

Here are the ones from this week.











I enjoy them. My friends seem to be enjoying my nightly randomness too...so all is well in doodle-world.

I hope you are all having creative week[ends] too!!

Thanks for reading!

Smiles,

JENipher :)

Shrink And Dink

My friend Alex came over this past Monday to collaborate our mad skillz and make some fun charms. Alex is a stellar drawer and created these lovelies in such a short span of time, twas awesome!



When Alex first told me he wanted to draw a black line around the cupcake, i thought he was nuts, but it looks stellar!!







I am still amazed by this shrink plastic, it's so neat! And spending time with Alex creating is so fun! I've been yearning for friends to do art with my whole life, and i finally met them. It's just a matter of making plans to do the art, so this was such a blessing!



I hope we get to craft again REALLY SOON! ::wink wink::

Typewriters, Irons, and Artwork! Oh My!

I've been admiring Michele's work for AGES!!! I just look at her work longingly, wishing i could buy all of it!! (or at least any of it, and one day Michele i promise i will!) Buying things right now just aren't in the cards right now, so I'm just drool over her work. And you should too!! Not only is her work amazing, but she's super friendly. And inspiring to anyone who is just waiting for the day they would like to take their art to the next level and make it their full time job. So sit back, look at the pretty pictures and look at the stellar work before you.



*How long have you been crafting?

I have been making things and art for just about 8 years now, but ever since I can remember I have loved to create things. Art was always my favorite activity in school, and it's something that I have always been driven to do.

*Did you always craft in this genre?

I have always stayed pretty close to the fine arts. Both of my grandmothers tried to teach me how to crochet. They also tried to teach me how to sew and hook rugs, but I never really took to it. However, I did really love drawing and making watercolor paintings for people.



*Who or what inspires you?

I like to find inspiration in things that make up my everyday life. A favorite cup, a vintage typewriter, my favorite water towers,certain flowers...these are the things that surround me. I have always liked the idea of art as a journal, or a story, and that is what I am trying to achieve with my work right now.

*What defining moment made you decide to turn your hobby into a business?

I don't know if there was a defining moment, but there was certainly a defining time. I recently moved to Pontiac, Michigan while my boyfriend attends graduate school at Cranbrook. I had been looking for a job for almost two months. I must have turned in over 30 resumes, and had several interviews, and still I had nothing. I have almost 6 years of experience working as an assistant department manager for a couple of health food stores, and had actually had three different interviews for one here. However, they wanted to start me off as a cashier, and I had promised myself 2 years ago that I would never, ever, cashier again. Out of all the various jobs I have had, that is my least favorite...and I swore I would never do it again no matter how much I needed the work. So, when they offered that job to me I said no. I said that I would much rather keep looking for another opportunity, or work on making art my full time job...and here I am :)



*What changes were made to your regular schedule to make this go from a hobby to a business?

I didn't have to change a whole lot, because this is what I started doing full time. However, there are a few things that I had to learn to do to keep myself on track. I always make a to-do list. If this doesn't get done I feel like my head is spinning in circles. Also, I had to learn to take breaks. I would try to get everything done in one go, but things just don't work that way. I had to teach myself that it's ok to take breaks and stretch my legs every now and then.

* You have an amazing talent, with great product! What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Well, I am still pretty new to this, but I have found that having a blog is a great way to promote yourself. It gives people a chance to see what I am working on and it gives them a little bit of a sneak peak. It also allows people to connect with me, as an artist. People can see where I am coming from through the writing in my blog. They can get to know me on more of a personal level, and I think that is really important when it comes to viewing art work, or even when making a decision to purchase a piece of work.

My blog address is http://www.how2drawacupofcoffee.blogspot.com just in case you'd like to check it out.



*What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

One of the biggest challenges is that there is a lot of competition in the art world. Sometimes it's all just a matter of being at the right place at the right time, or even knowing the right people. I am not much of an outgoing person. In fact I have had a really hard time talking to people, especially about my work. Unfortunately, this is something that is REALLY important when it comes to selling art and making all those right connections. But, I am working on it, and I think with the help of the internet I am building more and more confidence in talking to people and discussing my work.



*If someone from out of town were visitng you, what key places would you bring them to? (galleries, coffee shops, parks, museums, etc)

Well, the Detroit Institute of Art just finished their big remodel so I would definitely take them there. There is also a handful of great little boutiques and cool art related businesses in Royal Oak. One of them being the 323 Gallery on East Third in Royal Oak. Also in Royal Oak is an amazing Farmer's Market where you can literally buy a weeks worth of groceries for about $20-40 bucks. This includes breads, meats, cheeses, herbs...all from local farmers! It's really amazing and I shop there every Saturday :) I love promoting local arts and farmers, because I think it's SO important, especially here in Michigan, to support small business people, and the environment.



Head over to Michele's etsy, or her blog (where she posts on a daily basis, with pictures!). Enjoy!

Sweet, Awe-Inspired Cards...

I came across Erin from Noulou Cards and Paper's work ages ago. Her work captivated me right away, for I, just like Erin herself, enjoy "child like" imagery. Once i got to chatting with her, i realized how sweet and wonderful she was, which makes me love her work even more!! Enjoy this wonderful interview from a very talented lady. :)

I am IN LOVE with these wedding invitations. I want them....one day. :)



I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, spending many a night in my bedroom growing up, drawing the scenes from the back of Disney movie cases. I still have them all in a folder, and one is even hanging in my little girl's room!

I used to LOVE play dough, and I've more recently tried out shaping little ornaments and figures out of clay. I would love to learn to sew someday, and try out different printmaking techniques. And I really should try to start making scrapbooks for my kids, I suppose!





Most of my work has a noticeable "childlike" quality, which I guess is due to the many children that have overtaken my family in the past couple of years. (My sister will soon have four, and then there is my two!) I really enjoy observing the people and places around me, and all things from nature. Lately, I've also really been enjoying all things French...so I guess I like nature, with a little bit of fancy!

Following the birth of my daughter, I had a difficult time with leaving her to return to the "work force". So, with the help of an incredibly supportive family, I was able to pursue a career from home doing something I truly loved. Plus, with a rapidly growing family, someones got to do all of those birthday invitations, right!

Learning how to manage all of the financial aspects of a small business has proved very difficult for me, as I am a total right brainier! Luckily I know a wonderful accountant, who has been of a tremendous help.

I'm afraid it's not too exciting, but... if you found your way to Baton Rouge, I would recommend visits to The Red Stick Farmers Market on Saturday morning, Sushi Yama for lunch (the best sushi by far around here!), the quad at LSU (to lay on a bench under the shady trees), and a craw fish boil at my aunts house (because you just have to in South Louisiana).







Check out her shoppe, see her other creations are be awed. :)

Calorie Free Cupcakes

Jessie has a shoppe called Cake Spy. I've been happily reading her blog for some time now, and am quite pleased to write about her on my blog. Her drawing style is RIGHT up my ally! She has her own adorable drawing style, and humorous adventures her little "cake spy" takes.

I have been making stuff since before I can even remember! My mom has a picture of me in my high chair with pigtails, concentrating intensely and coloring happy faces.



That having been said, I am rather new to the crafting culture, and so far have only been doing framed pieces. I am looking to add cupcake plushies and figurines to my offerings soon.





I try to get inspiration from everyday life, in a flaneur-like fashion: bakery cases, cool buildings and architecture, and magazines and books. I also love a lot of "blogs" out there, from design-y ones like Oh Joy or Decor8 to foodie ones like Cupcakes Take the Cake, Whipped, Bake and Destroy and the Urban Housewife. In terms of art, I love great line drawings--some of my favorite artists are Saul Steinberg, James Thurber and William Steig; for painters, I adore Wayne Thiebaud (the cake guy!) and Jean Miro.





Some challenges I've found have been cost of goods--since I sell framed pieces, the costs can really add up so I have to be smart about that. Also, it might be a little bit outside of what you asked, but taxes!! It's a whole lot more to keep track of than if you had a day job and had your employer do it all for you. I have to mentally take 20% off of each sale for the taxman!



She's a very talented gal, so go check out her etsy, and then head over to Jessie's blog to read about the cake she spies. :)

Adorable Avocados

Abbie from Miss Avocado has adorable drawings of women. I really enjoy her style and unique layouts for her art! Although the image below is what 1st captivated me to message Abbie, i really really enjoy the cafe girl, and the angel man on the unicycle.



How long have you been crafting?

Growing up, my Mom kept a range of art supplies around: sequins, fabric, poster paints, construction paper, and more. I guess in light of this you could say crafting has always been a part of my life. I grew up making homemade gifts and sewing (although I have to admit I knit some outrageously over-sized sweaters as gifts when I was first learning).



Did you always craft in this genre?

For Etsy I've been producing collages and prints of my illustrations mostly. I do really enjoy working with textiles though and tend to knit and crochet a lot (easily mobile crafts are the best).





Who or what inspires you?

Old bookstores, good coffee, reading blogs, my nieces, going for walks, random trips to the library, design magazines, and new sketchbooks waiting to be filled up.



What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

I think a challenge for me is finding the balance between the creative, right-brained side and developing smart business practices (keeping records, research for instance).

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Check out Abbie's other prints at her Etsy site. :)

Love is in the Cards!

It was incredible difficult to limit myself to posting all of the items in Jill's shoppe Brownington Forest. All of her drawings are RIGHT up my alley. She has such a cute style and i love the colors she uses. She is also lovely to chat with.



How long have you been crafting?

I have been crafting and drawing my entire life. My mother was a big lover of crafting and a huge believer in the importance of imagination, so I started young.



Did you always craft in this genre?

Throughout my childhood I was always drawing and writing and at home we did so many different arts and crafts projects.
I continued to do arts and crafts in college, especially with the children I would nanny for. In college I minored in art instead of majoring in it because I thought there was no future in art. After college I did faux finishing and decorative house painting for a while and then went back to school for textile design, which I did for a few years.
Last summer I gave up the career in textile design to work on my own artwork. In late October of this year is when I first started selling my artwork.



Who or what inspires you?

Nature and animals have always inspired me. I spent most of my childhood outside in the woods around my house. Since I was young I adored all animals and insects, they make me smile. I feel most alive and happy when I am outside and close to nature. Everyday life and people also inspire me.



What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

Sometimes it feels like I face many challenges, just figuring out how to run a business of art and what exactly do do with my art is a challenge because there are so many possibilities and no guidebook! Some of my challenges may stem from my tendency to think too much about things. One challenge I have had is finding great quality art paper that is either recycled or made of organic cotton! I still have not found anything.
But the biggest challenge of all for me is how to make money doing what I love- I am still trying to figure that out. Although it seems like I have been trying to figure that out my whole life, really I have just begun trying to sell my art and products a few months ago. These challenges are good, with them I grow and learn. If everything were easy I wouldn't grow at all. Also because of them I can appreciate my accomplishments so much more.



I suggest peeking at her Etsy shoppe to see the rest of her swell art work!

Like Munieca To My Ears

Andrea has the cutest shoppe called Munieca. She has these fun little characters she has created that come to life in her colorful earrings and brooches. The best part, and the most original part, is that all of her creations are made from paper. What a nifty paper artist she is!



1.How long have you been crafting?

I think that always did crafts. I remember when I was 3 or 4 years, my mom gave me little potatoes with strange forms. I was painting birds and paces on them. Then until now I love to draw, write and make collages. I really enjoy making things with paper.



2.Did you always craft in this genre?

I always did and do crafts with paper. Love to make sculptures, or use the paper like a support for other things, like paintings, jewelry, etc. I think that the paper is a material very generous.



3.Who or what inspires you?

My mom is a figure important. She is a crafter as well, but I always feel inspired by big artists, crafters that I found on Flickr, blogs and etsy. Always inspired me the oriental culture, like the anime, movies, folklore. So I think my little dolls, the infantil faces, birds and flowers are present in my crafts.



4.What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

My first challenge was show out my little things to others. Then day by day, I try to renew me and grow up. I can't leave my principal material, the paper, but I always try to create over the created, with that I'm feel comfortable.



I think she's utterly creative, and i know you will as well. Enjoy looking at her Etsy! :)

Made - with love - in Lowell.

Liz has a sweet gift shoppe on Etsy called Made in Lowell. When i started looking more and more at the work, i was quite intrigued. Not only were there unique jewelry pieces, hand painted eggs and barrettes, there were these incredible drawings on greeting cards. Which i later found out, were her mother's drawings. I was immediately drawn to learn more.



How long have you been crafting?

1) I have made things since I could hold a pencil. My mom being an artist influenced me greatly, but I think I was born with the interest in creating and have spent the rest of my life honing my skills. When I was a little kid, my older sister showed me how to make miniatures for my dollhouse. I would make more than I needed and set up a table in the living room and sell the extras to my mom.

Did you always craft in this genre?

2) I’ve always refused to pick a medium, even in college I was considered unfocused because I took painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture, unheard of! I am always learning new techniques and media. I love applying my fine arts education to the creation of crafts. Currently I am interested in felt that I make myself and polymer clay which I have been working with for 20 years. I have a constant thirst to learn new skills.



Who or what inspires you?

3) Well, my mom of course, in the greater sense. But on a practical daily basis, looking at pictures in craft books and magazines is very inspiring to me. If I feel at all blocked all I have to do is see an image that fires my neurons and I am off and running again. I don’t mean to say that I make copies of what I see in these pictures, it’s just something about the colors, the lighting, the idea that something is being made that gets me going. Going to craft supply shops too, wow! I have to bring a notebook to write down the ideas that flood into my brain.




4) What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

The biggest challenge has been learning all the paperwork aspects; collecting sales tax, getting an account to accept credit cards, etc. Each of the tasks alone turned out not to be so difficult, but thinking of all the things you don’t know at once is very intimidating! I’m still in the start-up phase and setting up systems to keep track of the paperwork. I look forward to the day when it is all second nature!



Marilyn Smith Rosenfeld’s answers:

I had been painting with oil on canvas for about 20 years, then, in 1984, I took a class with the artist Claire Walker Leslie, "Drawing from Nature." Her approach was, "Keep a nature journal, and just draw!" She inspired me to try pen, ink, watercolor, and colored pencils.

When my daughter began choosing pages from my journals to make into note cards, I was delighted. Liz's interest in my work inspires me greatly, keeps me drawing, gives me fresh ideas.



There is honestly nothing i want more then to work with my mother in the future, so i quite envy Liz and Marilyn's work relationship. So, head over to Made In Lowell and shower them both with you love!

Amazing Olga!

I have been drooling over this pottery for too long!!! Which gives me just another wonderful reason why i have feel a desire to post about Olga's gorgeous work. Her shoppe is called Ola Design.



1) How long have you been crafting?

I studied Product Design at Coventry University (in England), during which we did a wide variety of projects, including several hand-made pieces. It was fun, and I always had good results, so I've always been doing something. My serious efforts, however, began only one year ago. I had plenty of time on my hands and my passion for art really took me over.



2) Did you always craft in this genre?

I started with painting on ceramic and glass and developed my style of fine patterns of flowers and trees with birds and animals gradually. Lately, I felt that I've been limiting myself with ceramic and so I decided to try my hand with canvas painting. I'm enjoying it a lot. There's so much freedom; not to mention the variety of techniques and themes that are just waiting to be applied. I just love it!


3) Who or what inspires you?

There's so much for inspiration around me. I live in a Beautiful part of Canada, with amazing natural landscapes and wildlife, which helps me a lot with new ideas. Art by other artists also helps to expand my horizons. I'm always learning by watching what's going on in the art world. My husband is a great help for me as well. He always gives me good advice and is brutally honest with me. He pushes me forward all the time.



4) What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

The main thing is learning about the market itself: how, when and where to present my product; trying to understand customers; finding the right way to communicate with customers (language barrier). It wasn't easy. There was a time when I felt frustrated and my confidence began to waver. The Etsy community helped me a lot. People are so responsive; always ready to answer your questions. I don't think my business would have grown any where near as well without Etsy. In fact, it may have stopped before it even started.



Sigh...how i am jonsin for this gravy boat..which is really funny since i don't even make gravey!!! To look at more of Olga's work, click the links above.

Wise Phantom

Erin is a brilliant illustrator who has a shoppe called Phantom Wise. She is currently working on her own deck of Black and White tarot cards. Isn't that cool? Her work has both a whimsical, yet dark feeling to it.



1) How long have you been crafting?

I've been drawing and painting since I was little and I minored in Studio Art in college. I was always terrible at sticking to one medium, though. There was a drawing class where I did my best work finger painting with latex paint. I've only been serious about it in a non-academic setting since 2004 or so, though.



2) Did you always craft in this genre?

Most of my stuff has always fallen under the "acrylic based mixed-media" umbrella. I occasionally delve into oil painting and shadowboxes, and have experimented with silk painting and leather mask-making. I like to try new things but I keep going back to what works.



3) Who or what inspires you?

Lots of things, especially things that are slightly unusual or offbeat. Edward Gorey, Neil Gaiman, Tori Amos, The Dresden Dolls. I like my art to tell stories, so I like to draw on myths and fables and things like that. The moniker of my business is taken from a Lewis Carroll poem and I do a lot of Wonderland-inspired art.


4) What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

I'm more concerned about the archival value of my paintings and prints, making something with the intent of selling it rather than hanging it on my own wall or sticking it under my bed when it's finished. Figuring out the best ways to varnish or pack things has been challenging, as has dealing with the wonderment that is the USPS. Also, trying to figure out what sells and what doesn't has been interesting, because it never goes the way I would expect. Mostly I try not to worry too much and just have fun, since that seems to be what got me here in the first place.

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For more information on Erin, click on her name above. :)