Spotlight Friday!

Today I wanted to catch up on SAYING THANK YOU to some sweet Etsy people who have put me in treasuries of late. I will be doing a Thank You Treasury at some point this weekend but for now a Blog Shout Out to the kind sweet strangers who have put me in some really cool treasuries of late. This is usually called Five For Friday but there were more sweet people than I could count on one hand. Who are these people and what do they do? Let's find out!


MoMoPics shop is a wonderful little trip through baby onesies and tiny tees. It was hard to choose which picture to show off from her shop but I thought the sneaky duck running through the camo was pretty wonderful!



petekdesign Now here's a Tea Party poster I can get down with! Wonderful stuff at petekdesigns shop, it was hard to choose just one image since the "If You Wanna Kiss KISS DONT TALK" poster made me giggle. If you must know I'm an avid "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" fan and I know how that quote came about. Lots of cool stuff in Hebrew too as this shop is from Israel.



TBMarie how your shop makes me want your jewelry! Just take a look at some of these pretty little rings n things! I love the dangling rings and the affordable prices. Unique stuff, I've not seen rings put together like this before. This shop is in Croatia and has some really lovely stuff!


Connect The Dots Crafts has some seriously awesome repurposed and recycled stuff! Featured above....coin purses made out of various drink cartons! AAAAGH! How cool! There are also some really neat utility aprons and gift tags in her shop, and earrings...oh go look already!


Muds Evolution Pottery I was going to feature the totally rad noodle bowl at first glance but then saw....Ginkgo! I am a sucker for Gingko, their beautiful elegant little shape, color...a magical little plant. So needless to say I really love these little ginkgo leaves and someone should buy them for me. Really. Go check out the wonderful pottery in this shop, lovely pieces every one!


Amoronia made it really hard to choose a photo also. Sweet little nest earrings or the amazing green Two-gether necklace or...or....check out this beautiful shop of amazing jewelry! Aren't these little nest earrings so precious?!

Thank you so much to the sellers featured above for making my Etsy experience wonderful, it's amazing what a kind act can do for a persons morale. Happy Crafting everyone and enjoy your weekend!

Some Kind Of Wonderful

Every morning before I get out of bed I thank the powers that be for everything. Life, Health, Friends, Family, Shelter, Food, Clothing, Love and for the ability to work with my hands to put food on the table. The feeling of gratitude is overwhelming.
Leaving the house to go to the post office with a heavy bag to ship off to customers- WONDERFUL. I will gladly carry that heavy load!
My Black Friday-Cyber Monday Sale was GREAT! Sold lots of pieces to friends and strangers. Truly a time to be thankful.
Yesterday was Cyber Monday and completely dead in my shop until the sun went down. Promptly sold both of my English Tea Boxes, a hefty handful of holiday cards and a record mirror! Thankfully my trip to get supplies yesterday was fruitful and I have lots of blank boxes and more mirrors for making. Happy, yes I am happy right now. I love making things for other people to enjoy!
Now that the sale is over I'll be getting down to the commissions I've got and still offering some deals in my shop: FREE shipping on Holiday cards until Dec. 10th and $3 off RECORDS in the U.S until Dec. 10th. Got some stuff to pack up nice and ship away, busy day! Have a wonderful day!

Addition and Subtraction

The shop looked bare without mirrors so first thing after breakfast I got busy with my REAL COLORED VINYL 45's! They look so cool with light coming through them! I just listed them today so they are on sale at a great price. Check em out in my shop!
Also just listed a Flora record in BLUE! My first blue flora- looks really pretty

Sold one Telescope print, so all in all a productive day in the beehive. Now I'm going to pack up my orders to ship out tomorrow and kick back with some pie...possibly a little holiday decorating later if the mood strikes me. Have a great Sunday evening!

Good Mojo

My spidey senses were telling me to wait to go to the post office and lo and behold- another sale! This is my favorite little record that I worked super long on. Thought a lot about my Dad while I worked on this...Mexican cactus and pretty palomitas. Shipping day tomorrow and good mojo keep on flowing!
Thankful!

Have paintbrush will travel

Keeping your eyes open for opportunity is a great way to not be on the far side of the house when Opportunity comes a-knockin'. Woke up to find that I've secured a gig for next Saturday...painting! I'll get a nice days pay for a few hours of painting work and I get to get out of the house and hang out at the mall. I never go to the mall. Maybe once a year. Will have to fight the temptation to go into Bath and Bodyworks and spend all my pay.
Thank you for listening Universe and please keep it coming!

Spent yesterday finishing the Mondrian record and completing a Chinese folk paper cut design record. Read a TON about marketing, what I need to do to sell for the holidays and how to take better photos. I am experimenting with these settings I never knew I had on my camera and practicing "styling" the photo. Here is my simple attempt at staging with my Mondrian record

Staging makes the photo a little more interesting and creative. It will draw the viewer in for a better look. Need tons of practice with this but will have plenty of opportunity to practice.
Today I'm working on Christmas cards and gift tags. Found some wonderful paper in my stash of remnants I can't wait to start on. Crafty weekend for me! Look for me at the mall next weekend, I'll have more details on where I'll be this week. Until then- have a great weekend!

Hump Day

Happy Wednesday everyone! Yesterday found me busy in the studio working on vinyl, finished this Mondrian record and sold it not long after posting! I really needed that sale to perk me up, I was having one of those bouts of the blahs I couldn't seem to shake. Big thanks to my official Oak Cliff collector Kevin who bought the record. :-)
I also finished a small record mirror that looks suprisingly well on my studio wall. Hmm, will have to make one for my own keeps.

Did a lot of experimenting with materials yesterday and also different spots to photograph indoors. Trying to ramp up my photo quality. I've decided to make a small "staging" area where I can photograph some of the pieces on the wall. Will take some time to get it right but should make for some lovely photos.
Working on another Mondrian piece today and visiting the post office to drop a Beatles record off. Feeling blessed.
Theres a little rainy cloud icon on my weather bug for tomorrow...hmm, good painting weather.
Jump over the hump and make it good!

Sunday Morning

Sunday is usually the perfect day for getting busy in the studio but today I'm stepping outside and doing something different. I'll be walking in the 2010 Down Syndrome Buddy Walk in support of my cousins son Aidan. It will be nice to do something for a good cause while reconnecting with family I hardly get to see. The weather looks great for it too.
Sold my little Jaguar 45 rpm that's featured in the photo up there and just finished a Beatles commission so it looks like I'll be visiting the post office next week. Next week will find me buckling down and working hard in the Tiger Bee hive while the weather is good. I rely on the sun to take photos and prime records, guess I better get on that lightbox making project soon!

Fun with Records

So one of the people who bought a record art from me on Friday is a United Record pressing employee! He (Jay) put a nice little shout out for me on the United Record Pressing facebook fanpage! I think that is terribly cool, the place where little records get made before they fall into my hands many years later and get turned into artworks.
Updated my Etsy shop with a few more records and this week it's order crackin' time. Have some customs to do for people now that the hub-bub of art shows is quiet. By the by both of my records in the Gingerama art show sold and some of the proceeds went to benefit the SPCA so I was glad I could help and that the records went to good homes.
Returning back to work today from "vacation" land...hope it's not too painful. I feel more resolved than ever though about my little business taking off. I have made some wonderful connections lately and have gotten positive feedback so I'm feeling pretty good about things. Have a wonderful week!

Old friends and Octopii

Last nights LIVE painting event went over well and as much fun as I had painting in front of everyone and selling some stuff it was more awesome to reconnect with some old friends I hadn't seen in ages. Thanks to the travel gods for sending them through town to see me and for facebook for reconnecting me with some old high school chums! Some of my work friends even stopped by to check it out, yay!
It was a little weird painting in front of people and trying to chat and keep my eye on prospective customers but I handled it. Everyone seemed to love the records and a few people took some photos of me painting.

I love my new gridwall, this was it's maiden voyage...it is a little heavy though so I was thankful for the help of my buddy Sam and his lovely wife Andria who got it there and helped load and lug it to and fro (thanks Sam and Andria!). The ArtLoveMagic team who host these events were super nice and supportive and I loved the laid back atmosphere of the coffee shop. Heard some good open mic-ers and peeped everyones art...some really cool stuff...from 3d guitar art to intricate Mayan paintings to decked out bejewelled telephones and really neat abstract paintings...there was something for everyone!
I sold both my Octopus records and the Crazy Bird Mobile as well as a framed print. Enjoyed fun with friends and even got an origami bird from the kid at the next table. :-) All in all a wonderful way to spend the evening!

The Big Weekend!

I have two art "thingies" in one weekend, well one is a LIVE art event where I'll be painting live for everyone to see. Wanna see how I create my vinyl record art? Come stop by ART&COFFEE -a live art experience on June 4 at IT'S A GRIND coffee house. You can come watch me do LIVE painting along with other artists and there will be live music too! Come snatch some fresh painted vinyl(record featured below will be up for grabs)! I have been working all my live-long vacation to stock up the gridwall with new works so come support!
IT'S A GRIND
2901 Indiana Blvd Dallas TX 75226
7:30pm - 10:30pm (FREE and ALL AGES WELCOME!)

the other thing is GINGERAMA- the art of the redhead at the Fallout Lounge. I made two pieces especially for this so if they strike your fancy come buy them(record featured above is up for grabs) -some of the proceeds benefit the Humane Society! ♥
Fallout Lounge
835 Exposition Avenue
Dallas, TX 75226
7:30 FREE ($3 sangria specials)

Prime Time

Yesterday I spent the morning priming records and the better part of the afternoon doing two orders. A friend of mine requested her Chinese zodiac animal-A Tiger, to be put on a record and here is the end result
Tiger&Blossom
which I posted on facebook and immediately got a ton of feedback on. Now I have some more orders in the queue for Tiger&Blossom and it also sparked some custom orders. Busy bee over here! I am really gonna need that week of vacation thats coming up in less than 2 weeks!
I have to get ready for the June Art&Coffee that's hosted by ArtLoveMagic and a friend of mine is also talking to me about doing a few vinyl pieces for an impromptu show (more details TBA) in June. June is going to be a happening month. I'm gonna try to crack out a record order every evening until I'm caught up.
(Want to pre-order a Tiger&Blossom? $40 I'll be updating my facebook group with instructions on pre-orders this week!)

Studio Life

Clean sweep! Yesterday I tackled my studio and cleaned, straightened, rearranged and organized and I can't tell you how good it feels to walk into a room and feel inspired to create again. My studio is also my dining room but I have made it work for the purpose of a studio-as we broke starving artists must do.
I have my big window back and lots of light streaming in and it really did make me smile when I walked in there this morning. I can start on some projects today feeling like there is one less thing to tackle on my list.
I have decided I need to make a lightbox. It's been a long time coming. I won't get to it today but maybe next week. It makes your photos so much more professional looking.
Today I pass off all the files for The Shapes album. It's hard to believe at long last this thing is finally going to be released. If I think about all that has to be done in that regard I will drive myself crazy so for today just enjoying a day off, working on some more records and hopefully a long gorgeous walk in the Texas sunshine.

oranges and merengue

Finally a day off and the sicky spell I've been under seems to be going away. Woke up today full of creative energy so I think I will tackle my studio today. Sold a L'Orange and have to make another for a customer. I am loving that I now have a working printer to help me with my fonts and designs, the possibilities just grew by leaps and bounds!
Woke up to an email- someone wants to give me a stash of their old records. BY ALL MEANS! Please pawn off your Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, Loverboy and Hall and Oates on me..I will turn them into recycled record art and they will be loved once again!
I have also discovered a better way to attach the hangers on the backs of the records. Good ol' glue gun, is there nothing you can't do? So the records are just getting better with time and hopefully I'll have some time to work on a canvas soon. Theres a big juicy blank canvas sitting in my studio and I'm itching for some gallery time.
Speaking of which, I have had the pleasure of meeting up with an Art group in town called ArtLoveMagic that just seems to be doing the most amazing stuff. They throw art, music, live performance shows and they all seem very inclusive and open minded and dedicated to giving opportunities to artists wherever they can. Really?! In Dallas?!
I was fortunate to meet up with one of the founders over a big hunk of Norma's merengue pie and discuss the possibility of collaborating on something. I left with a good feeling in my gut that at long last I have met some people with some common ground after dealing with a lot of negative, pretension and territorialism that seems so rampant in this city. This feels good and I expect some good stuff to arise from this. If anything I definitely left our meeting inspired and hopeful.
Reconnected with an old friend who is helping me get my website back up to speed. So thankful. So thankful for nice friends who pop out of the woodwork with a smile and a helping hand. (Thank you Ryan Simpson!)
Hopefully my next post will find me telling you about The Shapes album thats about to be released. Heres a teaser photo of the cover...I really can't wait to get this thing OUT it's been years working on this thing and it only clocks in at like 31 minutes or something. Just a little heartfelt rock and roll album from a little band in Texas. Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday!

check the sidebar on the left for a link to The Shapes facebook page!

Quickie

Just wanted to update with a new vinyl record art-now listed in my etsy shop. Inspired by little seed packets and old retro floral prints...I think it would look nice in a kitchen above a spicy spice rack. Working on an orange flavored one and then it's time to get back to a commission I have- a tiger record. Roar!

Spring Cleaning

Down with allergies today but wanted to update the blog with my new banner! I have had the same banner at my etsy shop for a long time. So I have updated it a bit and will make some more to keep the shop looking fresh. I just added two new vinyl art records so if you've been wanting one grab em now!
Patiently waiting on my allergies to get in check so I have the energy to sit and work on stuff but thats what I have for now. Thanks for popping in and check out the new pieces!
http://www.tigerbee.etsy.com
http://www.tigerbee.etsy.com