Mana Moon Studios: Celebrating 100 Sales Giveaway

Mana Moon Studios: Celebrating 100 Sales Giveaway



OK-How, did I forget to hit the POST button! You just have to go to her blog and sign yourself up to win one of her absolutely fabulous bracelets. Please, don't let me know if you are the lucky winner, I might have to have you over for dinner. You also might want to check yourself at the door to make sure you have everything you came in with:) Good Luck!!!

Just in case I didn't link it correctly...manamoon-studios.blogspot.com

Glamour Girls

Spent the morning entering the names, emails and phone numbers of those brave enough to register to win the "Glamour Girls" Box. There were so many kids who registered that I sent this photo to all who entered. With my skill at typing I am looking forward to seeing how many bounce back...

My vinegar and bleach concoction has the most beautiful color you can imagine. I dint think i sanded enough of the paint off, hoping that isn't the case. However, it is fixable and and experiment-I guess I should give myself a little grace.

ONB exhibit goes up next week. Naturally I am still working on the pieces I want to be viewed. I am finally doing an homage to: Anne Lannert. Hers was the first piece of art work I ever acquired and has been just a huge inspiration for me. I invited her to lunch for my birthday last year, she politely declined. I am going to try again this year.

Tip of the Day-Hobby Lobby will wire your work for 1.00 per piece. Best game in town!!

Post NOW!!

Good Grief-The things I forget to do, like hit the "post now" button. Took some photos of my "Kissing Frogs" piece this morning. I am posting it for sale on Etsy. I'm sure that is going to take most of my day. Everything from Funk with the exception of the furniture is out of the truck and put back in place. Whew! I had to take two naps yesterday, poor me, I was sore in places I had forgotten about and tired from having "artmares". I tried a new technique to make my atc's feel more like the girls I met at Funk. It worked-a so much better texture and a much better weight without much trouble. I used a print roller to squish out the excess medium, and flattened them with pieces of glass until they dried. I then took a nail file block and sanded both sides. I am going to attempt to poke hole in them for hanging before I apply anything else to them.

Etsy address is: scarletfields.etsy.com Come visit!

Early Morning Funk

This is at 6AM Saturday morning...what a blessing to witness the gorgeous sunrise. I was so excited about participating that I naturally got to the event before anyone else. It was too dark to take any really good photos and then it was too light to take any really good photos, maybe next year.


My friend came along a few minutes after 6 to help me set up. Thank heavens, because I was more than a little loopy from lack of sleep. We were able to set up pretty quickly and were able to wander around and see everyone else setting up their booths. I am really glad we took the time to wander around before the event, once the event opened to the public, there wasn't much of a chance to wander. I made a interesting observation while participating in the event-artists are really funny. OK, stop laughing, I mean that artists can have funny attitudes-I found that artists were either really friendly or they were very much full of themselves and couldn't be bothered with another artist. I understand that it takes a lot of self confidence and a healthy portion of ego to put yourself out there for the public view, however nothing really can take the place of simply being approachable and polite. Note to self-Check the ego at the door-always.

I am so fortunate that I was able to speak with so many people about my art. I met two delightful women who had a booth of atc cards. When I stopped by their booth, not only were they friendly but more than willing to chat about the techniques they used for their art. I loved the hand of their cards, mine are not nearly as lovely and I intend to experiment in the next week or so to see if I can duplicate the lovely texture of their cards. I foolishly did not get their information and wish that I had. I hope they didn't lose my email address, I would really love to have a mixed media party.

A lovely group of young women came by my booth and one in particular was interested in interpreting "Great Expectations". I cant tell you how much fun that was!!! I loved that she was sure of what she had to say and that she was willing to share her thoughts. Thank you so much for that-the sharing was an absolute joy. If I can pass along one little thing...don't wait, contact someone about a small business loan, the world is waiting for your photography studio.

Thank you to my friends who stopped by my booth for love and support. You know who you are and I appreciate all you do for me, including the boxes of stuff and gorgeous bird nests that come my way via your thoughtfulness. To all of the people who registered to win "Glamour Girls", Mollie is the lucky winner and to the rest of you who left your email address, expect a photo in your email by the end of the week.
I can't wait to get ready for next year-Funk in The City 2009!!


I can't close without thanking the J.E. Smith Gallery for accepting 4 of my pieces, another reason to be excited!!!!

Funk in the City 2008

Here is my Funk in the City booth with my friend and her grandson. I would not have had a clue or should I say the clue would have come late if she hadn't helped me so very much. She helped me find my spot, let me borrow the tent, folding chairs and even showed up at 6AM on opening day to help me set up. She passed out 400 postcard in regards to my next exhibit space and was instrumental in making sure I didn't charge 3.00 for 10 note cards and 4.00 for 1 note card (yes I almost did that).

THANKS KATE!!!!!!!!

My First Arts Festival

Would you look at this gorgeous banner-purchased from manamoonstudio.etsy.com!! I have used it for my price tags for the Arts Festival this weekend. Spent this morning trimming photos and admiring how nice everything looks. Took a look yesterday to see where I will be sitting tomorrow-looks to be a much bigger show than last year. Very exciting to think about participating instead of just looking. My friend Kate has been helping me remember everything and Just Faux It is moving my furniture to the site. I will take a picture when I get there!

Bewitched

I am having so much fun having too much "set up" of this and that on my plate. I think I should be Samantha from "Bewitched" for just a few hours. I could really use her skills right now!! I worked for hours on my Etsy store front last night just to inadvertently delete everything I had done-I forgot to hit the save button. Note to self-Save, Save and Save!!!!

The Evansville Art's Festival is this weekend downtown. I got into the game really late and then had surgery so I'm not really ready. I have two spaces and one tent. I don't have tables and not sure I want them. I don't have enough business cards. I most likely don't have enough work. Having said all that "I am soooo excited". I figure I will work it out!!!

I decided to do give away photographs of my artwork, I have put labels on the back with my Etsy store address and my blogspot address and my email address-they look good! I was able to get 500 photos in less than 24 hours so that suited my time frame really well.

I have been working on cutting photos for note cards-I can use all the practice that I can get. Started out using my fine point exacto knife-big mistake. My husband suggested my rotary cutter-smart thinker that man!

Attaching a photo-a close up of "Mrs. Lackey". She won third place in the Women's Show last year at the Women's Hospital here in Evansville. She is for sale this weekend-I hope she finds the perfect home.

Left Brain Right Brain

You can tell I am new to the blogging. I will have to work on the picture taking as well as the picture attaching. First photo is my hoosier art cabinet, overflowing with goodies. the second picture is a close up of me trying to organize my pens, so I will stop using the wrong one for the wrong thing-yes I know the odds are not good for that to work out....

The picture below is my messy worktable. My husband installed it for me, I just wish I would keep it cleaner. This is also an in process of
pretending to get as organized as possible. My

lighting right now leaves a lot to be desired-any
suggestions and I am all ears!

I have christened my brain with a name-Cybil. My brain was jumping around like a ping pong ball last night while I lay in bed not sleeping. My work days are filled as a Mortgage Loan Originator. I have my own business. In the present climate the stress in unbelievable! So, I was making boxes in my head one minute, cleaning my studio, making up titles and then the next minute I am worring about interest rates and loan closings. I decided last night that I am a very artistic; type "A" personality. There is so much wrong with that picture!

Still pretending that my studio is ever going to get clean. I am proud to say there are some clean spots. As you can see, I am in the middle, where everything is at its most messy. I love the little clear statues, they were some time of advertising product for an oil company-they are going to make the coolest box once I have found all of the other parts. I almost want to make them ballet dancers, that would be really funny in the right background. We will see.

It has been so long since I have written that I had forgotten my password. My Etsy store is open with nothing in it. I have a new Blackberry that I can't get to work properly-not fault of the Blackberrry, I just dont seem to be setting it up correctly. After many useless hours of trying I remember why I paid someone the last time I had to set my Blackberry up. What was I thinking!!!

Baby Smiles

This is my second full week back at the office, it was a late night for me. I did get to end the day at a friend's house who has the most fabulous little boy. I was lucky enough to get to play catcher for flying Lego's. The energy of a baby can sure put the day into a different perspective. He is simply a happy, charming little boy; obviously taking after his parents. Lego's, his toothbrush, a vanilla wafer or two and attention were all he needed. I was significantly more relaxed as I made my way home and wondered as I often do-why do we make things so much more complicated then they have to be. I am very thankful for little CJ's smiles and I think I could learn a lesson about letting a vanilla wafer make my day.

Health Hiatus

Thankfully back in the saddle if not moving at full throttle. Its amazing how slow time passes when you can't really do anything. Bed rest has never been my strong suite. I did however manage to put my time in and am enjoying a complete recovery! I have never felt better!! My studio is a mess. The kind where everything needs to be put back where it belongs so you can work with any speed of thought process. I watched entirely too much HGTV and discovered the DIY network. My favorite new program is DIY's "Cool Tools". I could very easily want one of each tool on the show-I don't have any idea what I would do with them, but they do look like a ton of fun.

I successfully separated all of my buttons; a job that took many hours. I divided old from new; plastic from metal and wood; rhinestone from clear. I also divided 2 hole buttons from 4 hole buttons and then of course separated by size and color. A perfect occupation for "bed rest". I spent a lot of time reading and tearing out pages in magazines. A friend gave me several magazines (none of which I subscribe to) that helped pass a good amount of time. I plowed through several beading books, no I don't bead, but beading does seem to be a bit of a rage and I do have some great jewelry findings that I would love to use. Love stories have never been high on my list of reading materials; but another friend donated a bag of romance novels to the "bed rest" cause. I read all of them and was very happy to have them; I will be passing them on.

Started working on my little 4 X 4 paintings which prompted the realization that my little studio had become a mess. I would blame it on Gizmo and Molly, but they are both too short. I started cleaning it up and putting all of my little goodies back in their proper spots. For such a small space the mess should be in a much larger room. I still have some more too go; but at least there are some clean flat surfaces, which is a big improvement. I have been playing with paint pens, which I have not done before. A bit smelly, but the lines are great and much faster and cleaner than a brush.

I will try and post after an after photo this weekend!