New Danglies!

     I started these danglies at our Menucha weekend.  I actually did them in 3 sittings.  One to cover them with handmade decorative papers, one to bead the spool, and one to finish them off with a hanger and bottom embellishment.  I think I have somewhere in the low 20's finished.  I will be charging $6.00 for them. I spent way more time than I should have on them for $6.00 but that's not what it's all about.  It more about creating something unique and beautiful out of things I already had.  I must admit I did buy a few different things of colored and silver and gold wire.  I didn't have to but I wanted to have plenty of red and green  and I was out of gold and silver.


I made these last year and decided to do them again.  I think they make a nice hostess gift or small gift for a friend.  I also like how they look on Christmas trees but they look just as nice hanging anywhere.  I always pick out a few to keep for myself and they find themselves hanging wherever so I can enjoy them year round.

Weekend Stragglers...

I feel like I've been creating in a Vacuum--only the opposite!

I've been literally spewing out art lately!

I took Jesse Reno's class in Oct at Art & Soul.  He begins pieces very similarly to how I have been starting for about 4-6 years.  I sort of got a kick start back in this direction on that day.  I had fogotten how much fun it is to start from chaos and try to make heads or tails of it by drawing and coloring out the negative space.  My pieces are not like his, they are more like others I have done with a new twist.  I have been having so much fun with this technique.  I hope you like them too. If nothing else they are making great cards.

I just picked up 632 cards from my new printer, Paper Jam Press on Fremont and around 49th.  Up to now, I had been adding a few new cards a year.  This past week, I added 24 new images to my card line.  I reprinted a few of my best sellers also.  I also took 15 pieces into be framed. I am getting very excited about our Open Doors Show.  

What do you think?  If they are priced right will they sell?   

Professional Photography really makes a difference!

I firmly believe that having my art shot professionally makes a difference.  Ever since I started entering juried shows via .jpegs, I have had many of my better pieces shot by Dale Leix, owner of Today's Photo, in Lake Grove, OR  503-636-8967.  I have also had him set up these pieces for cards. 

When times get tough and money is tight many artists start shooting their own art and then are disappointed when they don't get into shows. On the other hand, many of my friends are excellent photographers and their shots are beautiful.  I have not gone this route because I don't want to spend my time doing it.  I'd rather create and leave it to a professional.  I have found I am entering less shows instead.

For quite sometime, I have been scanning smaller pieces intended for history, but I have also been using the scans on my blog and sometimes for cards.  I thought it might be interesting to you to see the difference a professional photographer makes on 4 of the pieces I did during October.  If you look back at my October photos you will see the earlier scans.  I do need to point out that the scans show less of the pieces as my scan bed is smaller than the original pieces. 

So what do you think?  Is there a big difference?


BTW, just as many artists share my opinion as those who don't.

More of the Same, BUT I'm liking it and having fun!