Worktable Wednesday-- New Greeting Card Designs

Worktable Wednesday features something new happening with the BBA members 

or something of interest we spy online.  One of our own, Rose of Randomcreative 

has been up to something.  

Paper scraps abound, Rose has been busy snipping, slicing, arranging, and sewing.  

Yes, I said sewing.  

Her drying racks have been full, her work tables covered!

So what's all the bustle about?  She's been carefully designing lovely new

greeting cards!  I know it's hard to tell from this photo, but the shamrock on this 

set was created from 4 tiny hearts folded and sewn on in the middle 

to create a pop up effect. 

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Greeting Cards

Quilted St. Patrick's Day Card

Lately Rose has been bitten by the inspiration bug to experiment with paper 

and her sewing machine.  One of her other ideas was to create these little quilted 

square designs.  And aren't they adorable?  You can read more 

about Rose's latest greeting cards here.

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Today's guest blogger is Nancy of N. Fallon Design Studio.  Established in 2008, the shop houses a whimsical line of knit purses, wallets, and knitwear.  An artist at heart, Nancy also dabbles in watercolors, mixed media sculpture, and poetry.  You can read more about her life and work on her blog One Loopy Knitter.

Tuesday Treasuries

Treasuries on etsy are gallery collections of items for sale grouped under a theme chosen by the curator. This is a fun way to showcase the talents and work of creative shop owners.
Blogging Business Artisans requires its members to curate one treasury per month. Each week we will feature one of the past week's treasuries here on our team blog.

This week I just have to share ArtfulRising's Sunshine on my Shoulder Treasury! This time of year we could all use a little extra sunshine and the items in this treasury will be sure to brighten your day!




This Beaded Cuff Bracelet from RandomCreative would make any day sunny :)


And this Jelly Roll from FabricFascination reminds me of a rainbow :)

Stop by and see the other wonderful team treasuries from this week as well:
A Little Something for Everybody by FabricFascination
Luck O' the Irish by MagnoliaSurprise
A Few Favorites for Oscar Weekend by lindab142
Spring whispers through the snow by JNOriginals
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Edi is the creative mind behind Memories for Life Scrapbooks (and Laser Engraving). She has been paper crafting for over 15 years and recently purchased a laser engraver that is keeping her creativity at an all time high!

Monday Member Mini -- Tapestry316

It's time for another Monday Member Mini and today we are featuring Kathy from Tapestry316!

Kathy is an accomplished artist who is surrounded by the beauty of country living and paints the horses and other animals who live on her farm. She's mainly a watercolor artist, but dabbles in pen and ink drawings, acrylics, and pastels from time to time! I love to wander through her shop -- she captures the soulful expressions of her beloved horses and makes you feel as if you could reach out and touch them right then and there!

When Kathy was in grade school, she wrote that when she grew up she wanted to be a cowgirl -- well, I think that she has accomplished her goal and, fortunately for us, she loves to share her critters in her shop!

To visit Kathy's shop just click on the Tapestry316 Mini!

Be sure to check back here for more Monday Member Minis for a little sneak peek into our members' shops!

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Sarah is the owner of Magnolia Surprise where you can find crochet toys and play food for the kids, as well as fun coasters, potholders and other items for the home. In addition to crochet, she loves needlework of all types, especially cross-stitch and embroidery, and also enjoys painting on wood and found objects.

February Monthly Challenge Link Party

 The February Challenge was brought to us by Memories for Life. She challenged each of in the BBA to create a love-themed item. You can read more about it here.

Here are some other things you might want to know about the BBArtisans Challenges:

1) There will be 12 monthly challenges with a given theme. Being a member of the BBA requires you to participate in at least six (6) challenges during of the year and to blog about your entry.(Want to see what other challenges are coming up? January through June Challenges are currently available to read about on the Challenges tab.)

2) One blog post must be submitted to the Team Blog linky about your Challenge between the 25th and the end of the month.

3) No late submissions will be acceptable.

4) Feel free to put any project you create in your shop, and talk about the Challenge in your description! 

It is time to link up with the URL to the specific blog post. The linky tool will close at February 29th at 11pm.

Friday Features -- Happiness

I fully intended to focus on coral items but instead decided to pick things that make me happy!

the path less traveled

ChicaBoo

jn originals

artmod

beadedtail

Pruitt Creations

QUESTION: What makes you happy this Friday?

This post is brought to you by Erika of Artful Rising.

What to do for Creative Block?

This week, my art journaling class is talking about creative block.  Our instructor told us about 10 things she does to overcome it (see video above).  I thought I'd share with my team the ways I fight creative block, and maybe it will help them.    Here goes...

To overcome creative block, I :

1.  Write and draw in my calendar and datebook.

I've made a simple calendar grid and write and paint in it every day.  When I sit down and take out my watercolors and pens, I feel more inclined to do something else.

2.  Go for a stroll on Pinterest.

There are so many creative ideas on Pinterest, I always run into something that I like.  I'll usually link up to the source, read the blog post, and look at the technique and colors used.  If there are instructions, I'll print them out for later.

3.  Draw a face.

One of the assignments in my art journaling class is to draw faces.  I've always wanted to learn how to draw, so I thought this was a great chance to practice!  I've been finding faces in magazines I have around the house and in catalogs I get in the mail.  If faces aren't your "thing," then draw designs or landscapes. 

4. Go for a walk or exercise.

After I exercise, I feel rejuvenated and I'm happy that I worked out.  Instead of rewarding myself with food, I'll sit and read or go and create something new.

5. Look in a craft magazine.

My favorite magazine is called Art Journaling, published by Stampington & Company.  They are a great company with a nice line of magazines -  I highly recommend you try one.    

6. Challenge myself.

I love to challenge myself!  It always gets my mind to thinking and gives me new topics to play with.  Highly recommended.  

7.  Take a class.

I wrote about this in my Saturday Link List.  There are so many online classes available.  I live in a small city, but we even have an Art Center and a Vo-Tech.  Usually you can find something that's not too expensive.

8.  Go to an art museum.

When I'm visiting another city, I love going to museums.  Art museums are my favorite.  Find the nearest big city and make a date with yourself!

9.  Surf the internet.

Usually, I don't have extra time to surf aimlessly.  But I'll go to teammates blogs, drop EC cards, look for new book titles and plan to buy more supplies.  This last one will get your creative juices flowing!   

10.  Work on one of my short-term goals.

Every month I give myself 3 short-term goals to work towards.  Whenever I'm stuck and don't know what to do, I'll look at my goals and try to accomplish one of them.

This guest post was brought to you by storybeader.

Worktable Wednesday -- Animal Journals -- and a Winner

Worktable Wednesday features something new happening with the BBA members or something of interest we spy online. Today's Worktable Wednesday is BeadedTail!

BeadedTail journal

 The cat is out of the bag! BeadedTail has released a new line of handmade journals in her etsy shop and they are purrfect for animal lovers.

Be Pawsitive

 The journals can be custom designed with different pet silhoettes and come with classic BeadedTail humor.

custom journal by BeadedTail

And the winner of the first team-wide giveaway is Dolly Madison who said:

This post is brought to you by Erika, the creator of Artful Rising.

Tuesday Treasuries

Treasuries on etsy are gallery collections of items for sale grouped under a theme chosen by the curator.  This is a fun way to showcase the talents and work of creative shop owners.

Blogging Business Artisans requires its members to curate one treasury per month.  Each week we will feature one of the past week's treasuries here on our team blog.

Today, I'm featuring a fun treasury called what's black and white and red all over? by Deb of storybeader.  (You'll have to click on the treasury for the answer to that question!) 

This zipper pouch with its joyously exploding flowers by Linda of Pruitt Creations is perfect to hold most anything you could think of!

This wonderful story art doll is handcrafted by Erika of Artful Rising.  Of her artwork Erika says. "Everyone has a story -- what is yours?"

Here are a couple more treasuries made by our team so far this month:

Rustic Farm Life by Nancy of N Fallon Design Studio

Overcast Equestrian by Stacy of Keytiques

Be sure to check back here every week for more Tuesday Treasuries!

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Today's guest blogger is Margaret.  She is the artist/owner of Splendid Little Stars.  She loves many crafts and has been dyeing and painting fabric for more than 20 years.  Find her blog Splendid Little Stars HERE.

photos by the individual artists © 2011-2012   all rights reserved

Monday Member Mini -- Storybeader

As members of the Blogging Business Artisans team, we want to promote our fellow teamies' shops and blogs -- there is so much talent here and we want to show it off!  One way of promoting is through our Etsy Minis which show a snapshot of our shops. On the second and third Mondays of each month, we will feature one of our member's Minis here on the team blog.

So without further ado, let me introduce Deb of Storybeader! Deb says that she is a "frustrated writer who likes to put words and colors together to create usable art." She makes fun journals for writing down your thoughts, memories and creative ideas, art journals for sketching, wonderful hand rolled paper beads, and even makes earrings using those paper beads! She has a fabulous shop!

To visit Deb's shop just click on the Storybeader Mini!

Be sure to check back here for more Monday Member Minis for a little sneak peek into our members' shops!

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Sarah is the owner of Magnolia Surprise where you can find crochet toys and play food for the kids, as well as fun coasters, potholders and other items for the home. In addition to crochet, she loves needlework of all types, especially cross-stitch and embroidery, and also enjoys painting on wood and found objects.

Friday Features - Early Spring

I thought I would give you a glimpse of early Spring in today's Friday Features!

The first few sprouts of Spring--green tips of bulbs peeking up through the damp earth . . .  



Card by NFallonDesignStudio

Dreaming of the coming tulip season . . . .



Tulips by raceytay



And what is better than twirling in cute skirt in the breezy sunshine?


Child's skirt by LittleAndalucia



Or a rainbow after a refreshing Spring rain?



Scrunchie by SplendidLittleStars



Taking in the sun between the bursts of clouds . . .



Bracelet by RandomCreative



So, I am hanging my spring hopes with a lovely pastel banner . . .

Spring banner by jellybeanstudio


How about you?  Longing for Spring?

Post by team member Linda of pruittcreations.

Worktable Wednesday -- Branding and a New Blog Design

Nancy of N. Fallon Design Studio created a whole new look on her blog, One Loopy Knitter. I love the look, feel, and name as it ties into her work she sells.

Don't you just smile? And she hand-drew her logo and the images used on her blog.

Nancy was concerned about the blog title not being the same as her shop but she added the shop name in the header and carried the theme of knitting throughout the blog. I think it is wonderful. Check it out!


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Today's guest blogger is Erika. She is the creator of Artful Rising where she encourages you to get-your-rear-in-gear to Create. Inspire. Change the World. Join the conversation today via the weekly Artful Rising Newsletter and receive your own ebook on following your dreams.

Tuesday Treasuries

Treasuries on etsy are gallery collections of items for sale grouped under a theme chosen by the curator.  This is a fun way to showcase the talents and work of creative shop owners.

Blogging Business Artisans requires its members to curate one treasury per month.  Each week we will feature one of the past week's treasuries here on our team blog.

I am starting off with Sweet Hearts, a treasury I curated because it's perfect for the "month of love."   The colors of pink, red, and white are heart warming.

What could be more perfect than this wonderful LOVE scrapbook photo album created by Edi of Memories for Life SB?!

Rose of Random Creative has begun to sell wonderful charms such as this pretty set of heart charms.  She says, " These charms can be worn with any of my wrap bracelet/necklace pieces, charm bracelets, and chain links bracelets. You can also wear them on any type of chain. All of my charms come on lobster clasps so you can take them on and off different pieces of jewelry as you like."

Here are several more treasuries made by our team so far this month:

Valentine's Day Gifts by LindaB of lindab142 blah

Get Rid of Those Winter Blues with These Blue Items! by Nicole of Knit Nicole Knit

Valentine's Gifts for Me by Janet of Honey from the Bee

Sweet Love by Margaret of Splendid Little Stars

Amazing Amethyst by Edi of Memories for Life SB

Brighten Up Your February with Turquoise and Red! by Rose of Random Creative

Be sure to check back here every week for more Tuesday Treasuries!

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Margaret is the artist/owner of Splendid Little Stars.  She loves many crafts and has been dyeing and painting fabric for more than 20 years.

photos by the individual artists © 2011-2012   all rights reserved       

February 2012 Challenge - Month of Love

One of the membership requirements of the BBArtisans is to participate in six monthly challenges. This condition was launched to help members grow and stretch their imaginations (even if you're not a member of the team, stretch your imagination along with us! And please link the BBArtisans Blog to your post!)

The February Challenge is brought to us by Edi of Memories for Life and is called Month of Love. In February we celebrate Valentine's Day. My challenge to you: Create a love-themed item. You can write a creative love letter, make a valentine, make a love-themed home decor item, etc. Be Creative and Have Fun!





I can't wait to see everyone's creations!

Here are some other things you might want to know about the BBArtisans Challenges:

1) There will be 12 monthly challenges with a given theme. Being a member of the BBA requires you to participate in at least six (6) challenges during of the year and to blog about your entry.(Want to see what other challenges are coming up? January through June Challenges are currently available to read about on the Challenges tab.)

2) One blog post must be submitted to the Team Blog linky about your Challenge between the 26th and the end of the month.

3) No late submissions will be acceptable.

4) Feel free to put any project you create in your shop, and talk about the Challenge in your description!

Shipping Suppliers - Small Business Tips

Tange Design

Over the last few weeks I've shared many tips for shipping your products. Today is the last installment of my Shipping Series and I wanted to share with you where I frequently get my shipping supplies.

Usps.com
One great place to get FREE boxes is usps.com. If your items weigh more than 13 oz., you can either ship them Parcel Post or Priority. Many times Priority is actually a cheaper or comparable option up to about 2 lbs. Usps.com has many sizes of free priority boxes that they'll ship right to your door! If you're not sure what size you need, they offer a sampler pack. Or choose packages of 10 or 25 of the size you know you need.

Bulk Boxes
Do your items weigh less than 13 oz.? Buying boxes in bulk may be the way to go. I've purchased from Uline a couple of times and love their fast delivery times and good prices. Roayal Mailers is another online option for bulk boxes. I've never purchased from them myself, but have heard great things about them as well.

Bubble Wrap
I recently purchased 2 BIG rolls of bubble wrap off eBay for about $22 with free shipping! I've also found good deals at Menards and Office Depot. The key is to do a square foot comparison with shipping added in. Bubble wrap comes in so many different sizes that I've found that this is the easiest way to see exactly what you're paying.

Recycle!
Luckily we have a large room upstairs that we use for storage...because I save every box and packing supply that comes to our house...LOL! And I have friends saving shipping supplies for me too :) My aunt works in the area that unpacks their supplies, so I get lots of great air pillows from her! Once you tell people that you're looking for packing supplies, they're thrilled to help you out. Most people throw them away and are happy to hand them over :)
I always wrap my items in new bubble wrap, but pack the rest of the box with recycled supplies if I can.

Do you have a great source for shipping supplies? Share it in the comments!

Thank you for stopping by the last installment of my Shipping Series. You can see the rest of the series here:
*Shipping From Home
* Shipping Internationally
* Shipping with UPS
* Shipping Suppliers
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Edi is the creative mind behind Memories for Life Scrapbooks (and Laser Engraving). She has been paper crafting for over 15 years and recently purchased a laser engraver that is keeping her creativity at an all time high!