Just back from a wonderful few days in Helen, Georgia, at the August Retreat sponsored by Scrappy Shak. Libby Hickson of Pink and Main shared some foiling tips for cardmaking and more, the Scrappy Shak team led some introductory make-and-takes.
The main event and our featured fearless leader was Seth Apter, bringing his mixed media magic and more. I’ve taken several of Seth’s online classes over the years and purchased his book not long after it came out a dozen years ago or so. What a treat to meet him in person! Seth is as generous and down-to-earth as you’d imagine from his online sessions, but toss in a sharp and quick wit in a crowd of live humans sharing the same space. Thanks to Sizzix for sponsoring his participation, and huge thanks to Melanie, Diane, and the whole Scrappy Shak family for a fun and creative long weekend. (Did I mention the Roaring 20s Welcome Party, complete with diamond heist?!)
With Melanie, Scrappy Shak owner and long list sister of the purple locks….Loved making these!And these. Roaring 20s Party!Diane, Melanie’s partner in creative business and… crime?!
Happy International Women’s Day! Tucked into the layers of this original gel plate print art is an image transfer of a confident (and corseted!) woman, from an antique advertisement more than 100 years old. I’ve also added a copy of text from POETRY AND ART; Rich Gleanings from Mind and Heart (A.A. Smith, ed., Columbia Publishing Co., 1892.) These few lines from an anonymous poem read:
Now, in the August of our Middle Age, We hail thee, dahlia, as our fittest sign; Thy stately splendor at this later stage Befits us more than rose or trailing vine, So strong and straight, so staid in all thy ways, Meeting the sun and wind with steadfast gaze.
The botanicals whose images are imprinted into this piece are not dahlias, but rather some vinca I found on a walk on a crisp March morning.
The one-of-a-kind print on plain white paper is adhered to thicker drawing paper and has a coating of acrylic gloss on the top, except for the text and extra botanical image. The artwork is approximately 5X7 inches and is hung in a white, acid-free 8X10 mat. It will arrive in a clear protective sleeve. Ready to frame!
I enjoyed “Double Jointed” on Sunday – a wonderful 6-hour online workshop by Seth Apter. Here are a few photos of the book I made. You can find a video of my flipping through the whole book on my artsyletters Facebook page. :0) (Some elements include various papers and collage, block prints and stamps from letterpress blocks, fabric, linen thread, transparencies, paints and gelli printed images, an altered wax seal sent with some wax I ordered, and some tiny metal beads from a 1920s (?) purse.)
Happy Lunar New Year! (Year of the Wood Dragon) Relief print (using Easy Carve block) on 5X7copy of image originally made with indigo ink powder on canvas paper.
Greetings! I’ve been out of touch but busy, what with moving across the state and all. My new studio is slowly coming together, and I do love it. I will share a proper tour and pictures soon. In the meantime, here are a couple of clean-slate/new space/before-I-moved-in pics, and several pics of some fast-filling nooks, crannies, and curiosities. Enjoy!
What am I NOT showing you? Um, the remaining boxes and all the little pieces-parts that I’m still walking around and organizing. It seems I’ve accumulated quite the collection of vintage and art supply ‘treasures’ in the past ten years…. (Insert shoulder shrug emoji here.)
I sketched the tiger in pen and ink, but filled in the fur with snippets from Blake’s draft of “The Tyger” from one of his notebooks (copied from a reproduction in Peter Ackroyd’s book, BLAKE). Lucky for me, there were lots of heavy black scratch-outs!
To see the poetry postcards I received and for links to and about Blake’s poem, click here for my author blog post.
Greetings, Friends! It’s almost Valentine’s Day… I’m busy in the studio conjuring up gifts for the letter-lovers in your life. (Or for yourself!) We can use as much love as we can get these days, right? Scroll down below this post for the most recent additions.
My physical shop remains closed to the public (except by appointment) until we’re a bit further along the pandemic road, but my Etsy Shop is open 24/7. I’ll be posting lots of heart/love-themed items on Instagram for the next month; feel free to follow along here. And, Thank You! (I DO love my customers and supporters!)
First up: These fun, funky chokers made from 1950s and 1980s ingredients – for those with “questionable” taste, perhaps? :0)
Etsy Shop Owners! Need some Social Time? Check out Robyn’s THIRD Etsy U Webinar coming up this Wednesday – also featuring Mary Thibault of Thibault Gallery. Introverts welcome!
Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter… How do we keep up? We’ll look at some of the main channels in the Social Media world and how they can help connect your shop with potential customers. Then we’ll offer tips on choosing the right one(s) for you. Learn how to share photos, videos and stories, and how to make a plan for your shop’s social engagement that won’t overtake the rest of your life!
Note: Etsy U workshop participants will receive a “check in” link to provide an email address and the name of their Etsy shop. That’s actually how I’ll get credit for teaching the classes! Etsy states that it will not share personal information with unrelated third parties for marketing purposes.
How do you get found on Etsy? And what does Google have to do with it? Join me THIS Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 for an online Zoom webinar exploring all things Search! Co-hosted with Mary Thibault and ‘broadcast’ from Thibault Gallery. I’ll be sharing slides from Etsy as part of the Etsy U program. Details below!
You’ve got wonderful products, great photographs, and you’re all set with pretty packaging and shipping tape… but how do potential customers find your shop? It’s all about SEO – Search Engine Optimization. We’ll delve into the workings of Etsy search, from keywords to conversion rates, exploring ways to optimize your shop listings to help match them with potential buyers. As a bonus, we’ll talk some Google, too.
Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter… How do we keep up? We’ll look at some of the main channels in the Social Media world and how they can help connect your shop with potential customers. Then we’ll offer tips on choosing the right one(s) for you. Learn how to share photos, videos and stories, and how to make a plan for your shop’s social engagement that won’t overtake the rest of your life!
Note: Etsy U workshop participants will receive a “check in” link to provide an email address and the name of their Etsy shop. That’s actually how I’ll get credit for teaching the classes! Etsy states that it will not share personal information with unrelated third parties for marketing purposes. (I have completed trainings this year as an Etsy U instructor, but I am not an employee of or representative of Etsy. )
