OHMYGOODNESS.

AAARRGGH. 
Hi, my name is Lisa and it's been over two months since my last post! I feel like I've been neglecting an old friend and I'm truly sorry. (Clap! Clap! Welcome Lisa! Start writing and get over it!)


Seriously. I can't believe I've let so much time slip. But things have been going on... very exciting things, I might add. Regarding Artistcellar.com, we hit the six month mark and had a good "think" about things. Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? The first six months have been an amazing learning experience (does it ever end?) Filled with ups and downs, excitement and frustration. All in a days work. Best part of it all is the amazing people we've met. But now what? Artistcellar has decided to expand its product line and offer some "most delicious" goodies in addition to paints and stencils and such. Sure, we could have bought other people's stuff wholesale and turned around to resell it, but that didn't feel right. We want control, bwaaahhaaa! So this is what we've been working on:

BEADS!! We made up some really awesome Bead Mixes in 10 different color schemes. And some really shiny little silver Heishi Beads and spacers. I'm working on finding a source for some great charms soon.

 

FIBERS!! I looked, I saw, I bought, cut, coordinated and packed. We found some cool recycled silk fibers (shown above). These guys are rough and nubby and twisted and skinny and fat, but mostly colorful! We also have smooth silk fibers that are super soft and well... silky. My daughter wove this out of the soft silk fibers:

Then we have my pride and joy, the fiber mixes. Oh boy did I have fun shopping for different fibers and putting them into coordinating groups. Smooth, furry, funky, twisty, knobby, hairy... What a job I have!

Our goal was to have the new items on the website by January first. My webmaster and husband worked through his winter school break redesigning the website to make room for the new goodies. I think he did an awesome job, and I'm not just saying that because I have to live with him. 

What else have I been working on? I have a lot of new work to share but I don't want to make this a super long post. (Baby steps, remember?) I've been working on Willowing's ArtHeartandHealing Class, Roses on my Table journal prompts, ATC swaps, and RAIL projects, Suzi Blu's Mermaid Class, The Sketchbook Challenge, Strathmore Visual Journaling with Pam Carriker, among other projects. I will leave you today with a journal page I did based on a prompt from Zinnia over at Roses On My Table. The prompt was "Favorite Instrument" I was stumped for a long time since I'm pretty much tone deaf, can't sing, and can't play an instrument. But then it hit me... the reason I pick the music I listen to is because of the VOICE and what it says. Enjoy.