Well, actually we've been back home for almost a week now, but it's been a little chaotic so far getting back into the groove of things.
We had a great trip, spending a week on the motorcycle and touring through Colorado. I took over 1,000 pictures and we are still in the process of wading through them! There was much inspiration to be had, but I didn't collect anything like I had hoped to, we just didn't have any room to spare. I'll have to be content with the pictures I took of EVERYTHING.
My husband got my website editing software up and running again just yesterday, so I'll be working on the next installment of Studio site updates this week hopefully. I had a virus and we had to reformat my computer a few months ago (oh yay!). It's amazing how many little programs here and there get taken for granted until you have to wipe everything out and start over. I think my website editor was the last thing piece of the puzzle to get back to work on the online Studio projects.
I've gotten a few orders in the past week (YAY!) so I'll be getting them ready to mail out in the next day or two.
I just did some maintenance on the Studio's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HorseTenderStudio
I deleted some links that were no good and edited some photo and album descriptions. Plus, I uploaded my newest greeting card pictures.
I guess that's it for the post-vacation update!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Almost Vacation Time!
I was going to get all fired up on here and start pushing to make daily posts again when it hit me... In a couple of days, my husband and I are leaving for a week long trip. So... daily posts will have to wait until after that I suppose!
It will be good to get away for a little while. I think I should make an attempt to carry a small memo pad and pen with me though, because I tend to get a lot of brainstorms when I'm away from home for some reason. Well, to be honest - I get brainstorms ALL the time, but it's much harder to keep track of them on the go. We will be on a motorcycle, seeing a lot of cool things in nature.
There is nothing like a motorcycle to experience nature as you pass through it - well other than a horse of course! In a car you can see some of it, but on a bike you see all of it, plus you can hear, feel, and smell it all too.
We will be going up through the Colorado Rockies - much inspiration to be had there for sure! I'll be snapping a lot of pictures as we go too.
I should also take something to gather up neat findings. I tend to pick up cool leaves, rocks, feathers, and so on during any nature hike. Many of those items eventually find their way into my creations. Space will be at a premium on the bike - we will be carrying enough gear to camp off of the bike for the week - but I'm sure I can squeeze in a little pencil case or something for some little pieces of my home state.
I'm looking forward to the trip and I'm sure I'll come back charged up with even MORE creative ideas!
It will be good to get away for a little while. I think I should make an attempt to carry a small memo pad and pen with me though, because I tend to get a lot of brainstorms when I'm away from home for some reason. Well, to be honest - I get brainstorms ALL the time, but it's much harder to keep track of them on the go. We will be on a motorcycle, seeing a lot of cool things in nature.
There is nothing like a motorcycle to experience nature as you pass through it - well other than a horse of course! In a car you can see some of it, but on a bike you see all of it, plus you can hear, feel, and smell it all too.
We will be going up through the Colorado Rockies - much inspiration to be had there for sure! I'll be snapping a lot of pictures as we go too.
I should also take something to gather up neat findings. I tend to pick up cool leaves, rocks, feathers, and so on during any nature hike. Many of those items eventually find their way into my creations. Space will be at a premium on the bike - we will be carrying enough gear to camp off of the bike for the week - but I'm sure I can squeeze in a little pencil case or something for some little pieces of my home state.
I'm looking forward to the trip and I'm sure I'll come back charged up with even MORE creative ideas!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
New Greeting Cards
Ok, here, at long last, is a post with PICTURES!
These are some of the cards I've made over the past few months, all soon to be listed on ArtFire:
I used new techniques on several of them, including neoprene foam elements on several of them, a layering effect on the mermaid card, along with an actual dried starfish added on that one. For the Patriotic/4th of July card, the white stars were stamped with my first ever handmade stamp. It turned out much better than I had hoped!
I hand drew a star, transferred it onto neoprene foam and cut it out Then, instead of ink, I used white acrylic paint, applied onto the stamp with a paint brush, and then went to town! I was very happy with the results.
A few of the stamps used: the ducks, the mermaids, and the girls in swimsuits, are from the collection of vintage stamps that my Granny gave me. (earlier readers may remember my obsession at the time with a certain chicken marching band stamp that also came in the box - I still haven't used that one yet, bit rest assured - I WILL! mwahahahaha....)
These are some of the cards I've made over the past few months, all soon to be listed on ArtFire:
I used new techniques on several of them, including neoprene foam elements on several of them, a layering effect on the mermaid card, along with an actual dried starfish added on that one. For the Patriotic/4th of July card, the white stars were stamped with my first ever handmade stamp. It turned out much better than I had hoped!
I hand drew a star, transferred it onto neoprene foam and cut it out Then, instead of ink, I used white acrylic paint, applied onto the stamp with a paint brush, and then went to town! I was very happy with the results.
A few of the stamps used: the ducks, the mermaids, and the girls in swimsuits, are from the collection of vintage stamps that my Granny gave me. (earlier readers may remember my obsession at the time with a certain chicken marching band stamp that also came in the box - I still haven't used that one yet, bit rest assured - I WILL! mwahahahaha....)
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Oh My...
So, once again, I tripped and fell face first off of the blogging wagon.
*sigh.*
I promise I am going to try and get better at this (again).
I have been busy,busy, busy creating new things. In the works right now are many things, but at the top of the list are:
Several model horse-sized cross-stitch saddle pads.
A handful of custom painted model horses
Likewise, a handful of drastic model horse remodels/re-sculpts
Plus the usual random paper crafts and any other creative bug that bites me.
The studio organization has been an ongoing process. A couple of days ago my wonderful husband bought me a few things I'd been after - more shelving and more binders to better house my ever expanding horse reference library. Also a box of glue sticks to continue the reference book crusades. Setting up my reference pages is a bit of an art form itself. Perhaps I'll share what they look like one of these days.
Geez, I really need to start writing down what all I need to take pictures of. The ideas come and go, then it's "Ooo, something shiny!" and I'm off and away on another quest. LOL
Also in desperate need of an overhaul is my ArtFire store, as well as Nail Necklace site. Plus the still mostly vacant pages on my Studio site are constantly looming.
I have been pouring a lot of my time and energy into a fundraiser for a horse that I had sold to a woman in Australia last year. A couple of weeks ago, he suffered a gruesome eye injury. He was rushed to a top vet hospital where they did manage to save his eye it appears, but he has a long road to recovery ahead of him. The vet bill is currently over $7,000 and I've been trying to help with that.
Take a peek if you'd like, the fundraising campaign is at: Save Cazador's Eye
Cazador is a fantastic little horse and he was one of our beloved "kids" for 3 years before making the epic voyage "Down Under". I have felt so helpless since he was hurt, being on the other side of the world. I decided to set up the fundraiser and donate items from the Studio as "perks" for contributions.
Well, I guess that's enough of an update to, sort of, get me caught up here.
Until next time... (which will hopefully be SOON!)
*sigh.*
I promise I am going to try and get better at this (again).
I have been busy,busy, busy creating new things. In the works right now are many things, but at the top of the list are:
Several model horse-sized cross-stitch saddle pads.
A handful of custom painted model horses
Likewise, a handful of drastic model horse remodels/re-sculpts
Plus the usual random paper crafts and any other creative bug that bites me.
The studio organization has been an ongoing process. A couple of days ago my wonderful husband bought me a few things I'd been after - more shelving and more binders to better house my ever expanding horse reference library. Also a box of glue sticks to continue the reference book crusades. Setting up my reference pages is a bit of an art form itself. Perhaps I'll share what they look like one of these days.
Geez, I really need to start writing down what all I need to take pictures of. The ideas come and go, then it's "Ooo, something shiny!" and I'm off and away on another quest. LOL
Also in desperate need of an overhaul is my ArtFire store, as well as Nail Necklace site. Plus the still mostly vacant pages on my Studio site are constantly looming.
I have been pouring a lot of my time and energy into a fundraiser for a horse that I had sold to a woman in Australia last year. A couple of weeks ago, he suffered a gruesome eye injury. He was rushed to a top vet hospital where they did manage to save his eye it appears, but he has a long road to recovery ahead of him. The vet bill is currently over $7,000 and I've been trying to help with that.
Take a peek if you'd like, the fundraising campaign is at: Save Cazador's Eye
Cazador is a fantastic little horse and he was one of our beloved "kids" for 3 years before making the epic voyage "Down Under". I have felt so helpless since he was hurt, being on the other side of the world. I decided to set up the fundraiser and donate items from the Studio as "perks" for contributions.
Well, I guess that's enough of an update to, sort of, get me caught up here.
Until next time... (which will hopefully be SOON!)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Painting Pots
Yesterday my husband and I ran all over town, doing errands, going places, buying stuff. One thing I was hunting was a scrolling cross-stitch frame for a big cross-stitch I've been working on. I had started it in a hoop, but almost had that all filled in. I found frame and also happened upon some terra cotta pots. I had no idea there would be pots at a craft store. As we looked them over, I about fell down when I saw the price - they were only about a dollar each!
Gardening and taking care of my house plants (some of which are very prolific, creating lots of baby plants!) is one of my hobbies. I'm always on the lookout for pots and other plant care-related things. So we bought 4 pots and saucers. We also noticed a bunch of "Patio paint" in that section and ended up buying a couple bottles of it. I hadn't thought about painting the pots, but as soon as my husband mentioned it, I thought: "oh, how fun!"
We decided to spend some time outside this morning; it is our first sunny day after four entire days of solid overcast weather with rain and fog off and on. ("Is there no sun in this cursed country?!" - from Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves) Hubby put together the composter we bought yesterday while I sat and painted pots. :D I did two with the patio paint, a bright blue and a cornflower blue, and started a third with acrylic paint in Black Cherry color.
I'll have to upload pictures later, yes I know I'm bad about doing pictures for the blog lately! I will get better - I promise.
I also brainstormed an idea as I was painting. My husband mentioned a few times how cheap the pots are, so we could get a bunch of them and I could have alldifferent colors. That got me thinking... I have a bunch of the aforementioned baby plants that I've been selling off and on. I sell them potted in plastic cups, then people can pot them in whatever they like. However, maybe not everyone wants to mess with dirt and such when they get a plant. These particular plants stay small and these pots we bought are the perfect size for them to live in.
So... I thought, wy not try and sell some of them in pretty, painted pots?? I think it's a neat idea and I could see how they might sell better, already potted and ready to go.
Whew - add that to the mile long list of projects and ideas... haha
Gardening and taking care of my house plants (some of which are very prolific, creating lots of baby plants!) is one of my hobbies. I'm always on the lookout for pots and other plant care-related things. So we bought 4 pots and saucers. We also noticed a bunch of "Patio paint" in that section and ended up buying a couple bottles of it. I hadn't thought about painting the pots, but as soon as my husband mentioned it, I thought: "oh, how fun!"
We decided to spend some time outside this morning; it is our first sunny day after four entire days of solid overcast weather with rain and fog off and on. ("Is there no sun in this cursed country?!" - from Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves) Hubby put together the composter we bought yesterday while I sat and painted pots. :D I did two with the patio paint, a bright blue and a cornflower blue, and started a third with acrylic paint in Black Cherry color.
I'll have to upload pictures later, yes I know I'm bad about doing pictures for the blog lately! I will get better - I promise.
I also brainstormed an idea as I was painting. My husband mentioned a few times how cheap the pots are, so we could get a bunch of them and I could have alldifferent colors. That got me thinking... I have a bunch of the aforementioned baby plants that I've been selling off and on. I sell them potted in plastic cups, then people can pot them in whatever they like. However, maybe not everyone wants to mess with dirt and such when they get a plant. These particular plants stay small and these pots we bought are the perfect size for them to live in.
So... I thought, wy not try and sell some of them in pretty, painted pots?? I think it's a neat idea and I could see how they might sell better, already potted and ready to go.
Whew - add that to the mile long list of projects and ideas... haha
Friday, May 18, 2012
Feeling better and getting stuff done!
I've been down lately and was not able to put my finger on it. I finally figured out, I think, that the cause is that school is ending. This puzzled me. I had thought that once school was done I'd feel free and happy and have SO much more time to do things - like craft and get back to work on the Studio. My husband and I talked about it and he reminded me of something that I knew, but had forgotten. Any kind of change can bring on the blues, grief, a feeling of loss - even a positive change. In just a few days, I will be done with school and something that, like it or not (and sometimes it was NOT), was a big part of my life for the last 2-1/2 years will be finished. Once I was finally able to identify the perplexing depression brought on by something that I thought would make me nothing but relieved and happy, I began to feel better.
Yesterday morning the power went out; it's been doing that about once a week or so because of work being done in the area. It goes out in the morning and stays off until noon - with no warning. I was frustrated at first, I had been just about ready to start on my Final projects on the computer. I then decided to start on a couple of greeting cards for the Card Makers Guild challenge on ArtFire.
Each month the group leader posts a challenge for us. It's just something to get the creative juices flowing and I have enjoyed participating since it keeps me creating new work. The first month I participated, the theme was black and white, then last month it was the colors of the rainbow. This month it is to create a card or cards with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue all incorporated into the design. I had started to compile some ideas and decided to get to work during the unannounced power outage.
I initially started working here at my computer desk, but I was missing some things that were down in my Studio room so I was about to bring even MORE supplies into our office/computer room when I thought "this is ridiculus!" I have not actually created anything in my actual Studio room for a little while now. For the past couple of months it had been repurposed as a plant nursery while I started my seed crops for the garden. That room is the only one I can leave closed up to keep the plant eating cats out of! Most of my little seedlings are outside now, hardening off to be put in the ground, so my desk is all clear again.
The first order of business yesterday suddenly became - move all scattered supplies BACK to the Studio where they belong. I did that and then set up at my desk once more. Then came a flurry of card making. I created 5 new cards yesterday and came up with ideas for at least a few more.
It felt really, really good to get back to work down there again!
I will have to get pictures of the new cards and I will post them on here in the next few days! I'm looking forward to sharing them. :)
Yesterday morning the power went out; it's been doing that about once a week or so because of work being done in the area. It goes out in the morning and stays off until noon - with no warning. I was frustrated at first, I had been just about ready to start on my Final projects on the computer. I then decided to start on a couple of greeting cards for the Card Makers Guild challenge on ArtFire.
Each month the group leader posts a challenge for us. It's just something to get the creative juices flowing and I have enjoyed participating since it keeps me creating new work. The first month I participated, the theme was black and white, then last month it was the colors of the rainbow. This month it is to create a card or cards with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue all incorporated into the design. I had started to compile some ideas and decided to get to work during the unannounced power outage.
I initially started working here at my computer desk, but I was missing some things that were down in my Studio room so I was about to bring even MORE supplies into our office/computer room when I thought "this is ridiculus!" I have not actually created anything in my actual Studio room for a little while now. For the past couple of months it had been repurposed as a plant nursery while I started my seed crops for the garden. That room is the only one I can leave closed up to keep the plant eating cats out of! Most of my little seedlings are outside now, hardening off to be put in the ground, so my desk is all clear again.
The first order of business yesterday suddenly became - move all scattered supplies BACK to the Studio where they belong. I did that and then set up at my desk once more. Then came a flurry of card making. I created 5 new cards yesterday and came up with ideas for at least a few more.
It felt really, really good to get back to work down there again!
I will have to get pictures of the new cards and I will post them on here in the next few days! I'm looking forward to sharing them. :)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The end is in sight!
Well, once again, I had fallen off the blogging/crafting wagon. To blame this time was my last term of college before I receive my Associates degree in Accounting. I decided to triple up my course load so I could be finished before summer. I've been back flipping through hoops, juggling tons of assignments with other obligations. At long last, I'm almost done! This coming week is Finals week and then I'll be FINISHED with school! (until I decide if I'll be going back for a Bachelors at some point in the future) I have a bunch of plans for my time after I'm free from school, including big plans for the Studio and new projects that have been on the backburner - some for years! Until then, stay tuned!
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