Canvas the Area

back when i had my open house, i dappled in some mixed media art on canvas. i had some out for sale, and a few sold, but what i really hoped would happen, did - custom orders. and, now it's a common item shipped out of the workshop. i've made them for wedding, birthday and just-for-me gifts, baby rooms, dining rooms.

i LUUUUUV these. LUV. it's pure get-yer-hands-dirty, handmade goodness. and, i can live for days on the high i get when i deliver one, they open it, their eyes light up, and they say I LUV IT! buuuut, the process is super nerve-wracking for me. (cuz i'm a nutjob.) ask mr. man. poor guy's constantly called to the workshop to talk me off the ledge and have (one-sided) conversations like this:

'do you think this should go here, or here? i'm really nervous they'll hate it. it's going on a wall in their house. they trust me to do something they're going to like. does it look like a third grader made it? what if they hate it. they're going to hate it.'

my sweet cousin LOVES horses and barrel racing, so her mama ordered this to match her lime green and zebra print room. (note to self: work zebra print into decor somehow)

this order was for mother's day. a sweet quote mixed with the colors of mama's house.

a bare dining room wall, a list of favorite lyrics and a cool idea led to this triptych. (that's for carrie.) talk about nervous nelly. i mean, it's going on their dining room wall! everyone who comes to their house will see it! a few deets: the door to the house is a map of ohio, where mama's from; mama, daddy, and 3 kiddos = 5 birds in the tree; 3 windows for 3 kiddos.

 

she collects hearts, and she's crazy creative, so she ordered some artwork for her craft room. only criteria: use reds and lots of hearts. success? we'll let her weigh in...

i used their invitation and maps to tie the couple's love of travel into this 'lovebird' wedding gift.

still with me? the possibilities are endless, really. i'll make one for you - order up! don't worry, i'll add them to the website soon - that project is underway.

Keepin' It Real

Whoa! Where've I been? I blinked and realized it's been a month since I last blogged. In my defense, I was on my girl's trip for 9 of those days, and we had company for 5 of those days. You'll cut me some slack, right? All 3 of you who read this thing. :)

So, bloggers all over sometimes do keepin' it real posts, and the other day, I found an opportunity. So, in full keep it real fashion, I thought you'd like to see my "photo studio".

Sooo professional, huh? In the kitchen, by the window (natural light), white tablecloth (neutral backdrop), using my point & shoot (trusty camera). Not exactly photographer standards, but it gets the job done for me.

And, since we're getting real here, a few more confessions...

• I make a list every morning that includes items just so I can mark something off (um, like, shower...really.)
• I rarely get dressed in anything other than yoga pants and a fleece. Rarely even put in my contacts. (my apologies UPS man.)
• I get sidetracked very easily when I'm doing "research" (reading other people's blogs).
• Coming up with blog posts is really hard for me, because I want them to be one part my design, one part my witty sense of humor, and I want you to like me! And, the post titles? Forgetaboutit! That alone can take me an hour.

So, that's me keepin' it real. Tell me something you do so I don't feel so bad about myself...

The Babies Are One

So, about this time last year, I had, oh, about 6 or 7 friends, family, and bunko buddies birth their first babies. It was the 2009 baby boom.

Well, fast forward a year, and guess what? . . . They're all turning ONE! Their first birthday! Just one more first of many. So exciting! So fun! And, you know what first birthdays mean? Cute first birthday invitations.

Here are a few that have gone out recently. Funny thing is, I'm always complaining about there being no girls, but look at all these girls. (Don't you just want to gobble them up?!)

I'll start with the cutest (ok, I'm a little biased because she's my niece, ok? ok?). Mom wanted cupcakes, so she got cupcakes. If you knew about her sweet tooth, this would totally make sense.

Now, how adorable is this? Mom wanted cowgirls. She's giving the girls tutus & the boys cowboy hats as favors, and her only request was pink/black. PS, I love tutus; if it were ok for adults to wear them (not like Ace Ventura), I would totally rock one all the time.

For Charlotte, owls were the theme, so we pulled from the plates and napkins. Whooo's cute?!

See all those girls? What am I complaining about? Well, for good measure, here are a few boys.

Mom asked for teals, reds, oranges, and greens, so we came up with this cute polka dot design. But, you probably aren't even looking at the design, because Rylan is so darn scrumptious!

And, how's this for creative? Instead of sending a baby announcement when Cooper was born, mom &a dad decided to send a "One Year" announcement. Dad whipped up the sweetest poem about Cooper's life for the back of the card, and I think it turned out so well. You want to read the back of the card, don't you? Too bad!

Now, you don't have to be turning one to have a birthday. So, if you're looking for invitations, I'm your gal. Talk to you soon!