Crafting Crafting and Crafting

Goooooooood Afternoon and happy Wednesday!  I have been busy making things for the Etsy shop! I am so happy I am able to have an Etsy shop and it really challenges me to keep going with my creations.  It makes me happy that it makes others happy!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far- the weather is beautiful here but we are currently overrun by the 17 year cicadas that have emerged.  It's actually very overwhelming to go outside- there are so many buzzing by you that it's actually kind of gross and awesome all at the same time.  Just think, the next time I hear them like this, I will be 53 years old! ... ew no, I DON'T want to think about that at all! SLOW DOWN TIME!

 

Here are some of my new creations I wanted to share on the blog, they are all (at the moment) available in the my Etsy shop :)

 

So many updates!

Sometimes I just don't know how to start a blog post.  I don't know how to pick up where I left off in the last one and then smoothly make a transition since some times occurs in between me posting. 

I have been working on a project for some time now.  Before I purchased my iPad and started using procreate, I was painting a lot.  

I came up with some sketches, photographed them and uploaded them to my computer with intentions of making a positive affirmation card deck.  I got frustrated with it.  I ended up creating a yearly planner/activity/positive affirmation book. I don't know where the idea came from- maybe from me not really wanting to create more paintings and settling on the amount that I already had.  I'm not sure where I really turned my cards into a planner but it happened.  I tried to get it printed through an online site that i have had some photo books done though and I was incredibly disappointed in the quality even after they advertised it as a notebook/planner material that they print on.  They also had these funky yellow lines that were showing up so I addressed it and they said they would reprint it because it was something that was caused by their printers.  Well, the second copy was even worse. The paper was too thin, the binding was questionable so I turned to Google.  I googled suggestions on best places to get things printed and I read numerous blogs on printing through local printers.  I found one not too far from my work and met with them.  They never reached back out to me like they said they would and I'm not one to chase people down for things I'm willing to spend money on.  I then met with the printers that we use to use for full time job.  I met with a very nice man and showed him the example I had printed online and told him what I was looking for but the small run prices were horribly expensive. 

I just about gave up.

Then one day I get this phone call while I was sitting in my cubicle asking if we needed a printer.  I explained that we have an account with a larger company that is all done through our corporate office (I do have a full time job that isn't Two Dingoes) but then it hit me.... ASK HIM IF THEY DO SMALL RUNS!  
So, I said our office may not need a printer, but I DO!  Do you do small runs? Can I send you my examples and can you give me prices?  He said of course they do and he would be happy to get me pricing.  
After throwing together my example, sending it to him and talking on the phone I received the pricing and it was right where I needed it to be. 

They printed an example book for me and I got a bit discouraged as the way things lined up didn't work out so I had to go back to the drawing board (this is all new to me so I didn't know exactly what to do when he asked me to bleed and crop the pages- youtube helped with that).  I sent in the final edit before my craft show, had some faith in myself and didn't ask for another sample (because I was hoping to have it for my first craft show) and picked it up on Friday (the day before my show).  It was PERFECT.  

I can't begin to describe how incredibly happy I am with it and how much work I have put into this book.  

I was a little disappointed in the customer service toward the end with the current printer but I don't care as long as they do a great job and get me my products on time! 

SO IT'S HERE and available on my Etsy shop.  The calendars are blank so you can start them anytime of the year.  Which is awesome because sometimes I skip a month or start in February when things slow down.  

Here are some photos :) 

I didn't show the whole book because I don't want to spoil the challenges/activities that are in there but each month has the same set up.  You get two pages for your appointments/reminders/project lists etc - two pages of a blank month that you fill in, then one page of that particular month's challenge and one page that is the positive affirmation for that month.  

If you think this is something you would like, please stop by my Etsy page (link at top) and pick one up- I only have about 5 left at this time. 

Moving on from the planner- ;) 

I had my first craft show at Animal Friends.  

This was super special because our "Two Dingoes" Chance & Bear were adopted there.  So having the name and explaining why we were called that was awesome! 

and... the show was AWESOME!  I didn't think we would sell as much as we did but I am so so happy that people loved my work.  I was on such a high after we left- nothing could ruin that!

I am so grateful. 

After the show, we took a break.  A much needed break.  We put up the tree and decorated and then cuddled a lot.  I'm exhausted but ready to keep creating.  I feel inspired lately despite the darker, gloomy days and the long nights. So STAY TUNED!

The Fall Season

This year has been a hard year.  I feel like every bend I turn ends up with some more bad news about something.  They aren't small life things either- they are life changing, stressful things...

It's amazing what happens in these times of darkness.  The feelings, the people, the situations... it's all very eye opening.  I won't get into detail about what is actually go on for now but I will say that Music and Art have always been the way that I vent. 

So on that note I have been listening to a lot of Radiohead, At the Drive In, Eden, Crywolf and, of course, Twenty One Pilots.

I have been working on Etsy store and posting a lot of new creations.  I am excited because since I have gotten the iPad, I have been creating many prints on it. 
I have found that these drawings reflect on how I am really feeling.  Check out a few below:

So. ya. you can kind of tell how I have been feeling lately. 

 So on another note, there have been some really wonderful times as well:

I got to play in a whole pile of puppies at my friends house.  She has the absolute cutest doggies (except for mine of course...sorry Julie :) )

It's fall- my favorite time of the year...

I still have Chance... my love.  Thankfully things have been going pretty good with his health.  He was one of the main concerns this year... He has had some pretty horrible stomach issues that I thought were going to take him from me too soon.  I think we are on a good path right now... I hope it stays that way. 

I dressed up as a Twenty One Pilot Bandito. I just love the band so much so this year I didn't really do my costume for anyone else but myself.  I kind of felt a little guilty for not going all out like I always do... but I enjoyed the costume so very much so that's what matters!

Also, if you read up about the new album, Trench, and the album Blurryface... you will see that there is a really cool story line behind it... :) Hence the costume... it all goes along with the story :) 

I switched it up for the trick or treaters though- stuck my vampire teeth in and retrieved my handy cape (we had 9 this year- that's more than the last two years!)

I love the fall colors, the leaves, the crisp air.

I got together with my friend Amy and met some of her friends.  She held a craft-ernoon at her house and it was an absolute blast!  She had everything so beautifully set up and organized and we had so much fun!  It truly was a bright spot in my poop year. 

(one of our crafts)

I also got to hang out with my dear friends Nikki and Matt.  We pulled our spirit animal cards and had some drinks as we played games- that is another bright spot- friends can be such a cure for the lost soul.

I hope to get some of those prints up in the shop pretty soon and make some more things before the holiday season.  I am also working on a planner to release on the shop. So hopefully that will be done rather soon as well! 

I will keep updates coming on the blog as best as I can and I hope you all are excited for the upcoming holidays :) Thanks for reading!

Worry Cactus & New Music

 There is something to be said about discovering and falling in love with music.


I am passionate about things. I always have been. I feel so much more strongly about the arts and about nature than a lot of people and I sometimes struggle to find ways to communicate those feelings. The people in my everyday life are amazing people but... I don't have much in common with them (except one or two on certain subjects) but I really have a hard time with this.

One of the things I struggle with most is how much I want to talk about music- and not just talk about it- feel it and have discussions. I want discuss that feeling of falling in love with it. 
To me, music is the only way to feel life sometimes.  It's the only way to communicate feelings and to just be in the moment.  It bridges a gap and I don't know what I would do without it (that's why I studied Audiology in school- so I could help people hear music).

So- this Aurora is one of those musician/artists that I am falling in love with at the moment.  And true to myself, I am doing it passionately.   You see, I go for a period of time where I listen to the same stuff and it's all good but I crave something new.  Not just a new song but a whole album.  Something with emotion and work and just ugh- this was it:

Aurora - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend 

I linked it above.  

I listened to a song I just happened to come across on YouTube and then I dove into the abyss- I learned about her- where she was from - watched documentaries and fell in love.  I love her style, her view on life and most of all her amazingly wonderful sad but happy music! :) I'm content for the moment.  Until I need more... more music ... new music and that need to fall in love again :) 

Ok- this post was supposed to be about my worry cacti that you can find in my store link in the navigation bar above!  I hand make each one of these out of felt, buttons, glue, thread and a whole love time time and love.  They are not perfect but they are so much fun.  You can set them on your desk at work or at home.  Write down your worries on the paper that is provided (I also have extras you can print from the printables tab above) and place it in your cactus's mouth so they eat your worries before they eat you!  You also get "care" instructions.  

These are my favorites that I have made so far below.  They are one of a kind since I do not use patterns.  I get bored when I use patterns.  Please check out the store as I will be posting more as often as I can :) 

The bottom one I still have some last minute things to do but it has turned out to be my favorite.  It's a shelf you can either hang on the wall (yes it has hooks) or you can set it on your desk and I got some lights that go on the inside to give it a special touch- yep- cactus lights! :) 

Okay-I'm up way too late for a work night- enjoy the music and my cacti I have created! :) Night and thank you for reading! 

My favorite so far... still have to do some finishing touches but I'm pretty pleased!