Little Lucy and Scooter

My Life is a Do-Over

2011-09-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the movie "City Slickers?" There was a scene where Mitch (played by Billy Crystal) is talking to his friend, Phil (played by Daniel Stern). Phil has just been dumped by his wife, who was having an affair. All of his money is gone, he has lost his job, and life is looking sad, no depressing, really.

And Mitch talks to him about when you were in school and you wrote something on the blackboard, and if it was wrong, you screamed out "Do-Over" and got to erase the board and start over all over again.

Life can be a Do-Over.

In one year, I have not blogged. Not one time.

Not when I was happy, nor when I was sad.

I remained quiet.

Earlier this year, I took this picture of myself at my sister Tara's house. In this picture, I am looking at myself in the mirror and there in the black and white photograph is a picture of my mother staring back at me. Something about this photo made me think.

At 45 years old, I am asking myself . . .am I turning into my mother? Please tell me you ask yourself this question too.

And my answer is . . . I sure as s--t hope so.

My mom moved down to Texas from Greenwich, Connecticut with 5 children (all girls), a husband, and leaving her son in Greenwich to finish out his senior year of high school. All for my dad to take a job with Gulf Oil.

Geez...can you imagine? It would take a lot of strength to uproot all your children, deal with all their whining about losing friends and starting new schools...and meanwhile not knowing a single soul in this new frontier called Texas.

This past year, I have lost a husband, my house, a career . . .
which I guess is one way of looking at it.

And I suppose my mom felt the same way after moving . . . losing her house, her network and her friends. I never heard her complain. Not one time.

What does it help? If you do look at your life as a Do-Over. then can you - -

focus instead on what you have gained?
For me, it is . . .
a new house, a new career, and a new relationship.

Art done by Chris Lockwood

And could you imagine by having these thoughts what would happen next time you looked in a mirror and took a picture?

It would feel AMAZING.

Wipe my slate clean dear Universe. Wipe it now.

Teaching a Book Class at Katie & Co.

2010-09-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

A picture of the class hard at work

A few weeks ago, I taught two classes in how to make a quick, easy, repurposed book.
I was really nervous, as this was the first time for me to teach this type of class.
My goal was that everyone would finish.
And they did!

If there is one thing I hate when I am taking a class,
it is leaving with an unfinished project that I have no idea how to finish.
And without a skill, that leaves me with the inability to replicate
the process again.
I think everyone could do this again.
And that makes me very happy.

Here are some samples of their work.
When I told some people I was doing this,
their thoughts were, "I'm not sure you should do that.
You don't want to give away all your secrets."

Whatever.
I want to teach others how to reuse things.
How to take nothing and turn it into something.
And they taught me as much as I taught them.

A sample of one of Mayson's page - I just fell in love with seeing their work.

Brenda brought scraps of cyanotype printing to add to her pages.

Laura did these crazy folds that were so cool & really inspired me.

Look what you can do with an old trim from a discarded pillowcase and some buttons!

Mayson's cover of her book - I am CRAZY about the bow

Brenda's book made from a gift bag!

Roberta's amazing stash of stuff that she brought.

Laura's finished travel book. Total serendipity.

And Ms. Roberta (whose book I did not get a pic of!)
who really has encouraged more than I could ever express.
Kisses to you!

Thank you to everyone who came.
I appreciate it very much.

Tuesday Time To Be Thankful

2010-08-31T13:38:00.001-07:00

It's Tuesday and dark outside.
And I am alone and working on taxes.

Sometimes when I know it is going to be a gruesome day,
I try to spread a little sunshine throughout my house.

The sunflowers are on my dining room table.
Hard to be sad when you look at them.

And when I know it is going to be a really long day of paperwork
and not the type of work anyone likes to do, I start making a list of all the things
that people give to me to be thankful about.

My mom gave me this whole quite last week.
A man that lives by her asked if her quilting group could do something with it, to restore it.
They could not - it was just too old.

So, I started thinking about what I could do with it to
make it into something else.

And I started cutting it apart, and used it to embellish
some head wraps that I made that are made with felted cashmere.
I like the way they are looking.

And I have gotten so many buttons lately.
It is like everyone has cleaned out their grandmother's stash.
I use these like crazy, so I really appreciate them.

My friend, Saint, just gave me a ton of stuff, stuff she was going to throw out.
Old wine labels, stamps from cool places, foreign postcards.
I know anyone into paper arts is salivating right now.

Thank you to everyone that believes in repurposing and trying to help me along the way.
I really do appreciate all of your thoughtfulness and generosity.
And even on a dark Tuesday, you brighten my day.

I Really Altered My Louis Vuitton Tote

2010-08-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite LV Bag

I am not crazy. I promise. Swear. Cross my heart.
I am brave, though.

Many of you know I worked for Louis Vuitton for many years. I love LV products, because they are handmade. My passion for handmade items started way before I started my current company.

One of the pieces I own is this rather large tote pictured below in an old ad from Neiman-Marcus. I used it as Lucy's diaper bag, which I am sure was ghastly enough for some people. The fact that I would carry something like this for that purpose. But that is what I think things like this are for - to be used and carried and worn out.

One day, I had it behind the seat in the car, and somehow, when the seat got pushed forward, it got caught and developed this terrible rip. The only way to replace it would be to order a new panel for it. And that new panel . . . would be about the price of a weekend trip to Austin at a five star hotel with all our meals included. No, I am not kidding. And since I was the Leathergoods manager, I know how to repair something like this, and I won't bore you with those details, except to say, no shoe place or anything like this could do a better job than what I did.

So, I decided to hot glue it back together (please stop screaming) and then cover it up. At least, I can still use the bag. And if years later, I come into a small fortune and want to get the panel replaced, I still can do it. But here is a LV tip for you . . . if you EVER have a shoe repair place touch your bag and repair it, and then try and send it back to LV, they will refuse to touch it. That's the French for you.

Digging through all my piles of things

The final product is a very happy bag

It looks better in person, I swear.
I cannot wait to go to Paris and sport this around town one day.
I might get stoned, but I will rock this bag. I promise.

Scooter, who I think, watches all this and often thinks I might be crazy

Trading Paper Can Be A Lasting Ritual

2010-08-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

A small selection of some of my printed stationery

out of all the things i take pictures of, one of the things i think i get consistent comments on are pictures of stationery. now i know a lot of people who read this blog have the same addiction i have, which is an addiction to paper.
my addiction can't kill me, hurt my family or get me in trouble with the law. not yet anyway.

i think people hunger for the written word.
when i send notes, people thank me for them, just like it was a little gift.
i enjoy writing notes, thank you's, postcards, whatever.
if i could get paid to do it, i would sign up for that job right away.

many years ago, my friend mary lou (who has more paper than you could ever imagine) and i came up with the idea to do a paper exchange. we both had so much stationery that we thought it might be fun to exchange 5 notes to each other at christmas time. we spent months over the year culling the best pieces of paper in the country.
and it was a tradition at christmas that honestly i looked forward to more than many others.

we invited our friend katie to join us about 4 years ago. this past christmas, we did not do our exchange. our lives got busy. we tried to do it around valentine's day. but it never happened.

last week, we made the time and went to tiny boxwoods. over dinner, we realized we can't ever be too busy for this ritual. we must make the time for the things that feed our souls.
because letters mingle souls.

items that went to katie

items that went to mary lou

and some of the wonderful things i received

i hope this would inspire someone to pull out their favorite pen, grab some stationery, write something wonderful to someone and pick an interesting stamp.
letter writing is not a chore.
it is an opportunity to touch someone else.

Cyanotype Printing

2010-08-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is a Cyanotype print. My friend, Brenda Benkenstein Cooper, invited friends to her house this past Saturday to share with us how to do this spectacularly easy and rewarding printing process. She learned the technique from taking a class at The Museum of Printing History here in Houston. Brenda and I met in a letterpress class at the museum last fall.

Brenda has been posting pictures, like these, on Facebook and people have gotten so excited looking at them and wondering about the process. Every once in awhile, I get the pleasure of seeing an artist emerge. Brenda has gone gun-ho since our class at the museum. Her abilities have expanded rapidly as she is just soaking up all the joy she is receiving from learning and doing. She will be a force to reckon with, I guarantee it.

Do you want to learn how to do this? Here is how . . . and these instructions were written by Brenda. She is so organized!!!!!

These are the supplies you need. Only 2 chemicals and a sponge brush, and these chemicals, as Brenda learned in her class, are not terribly toxic. You can touch them with your fingers, but she still suggests using gloves. Bostick & Sullivan sells the kit online for $26.95, under the heading of alternative process kits. With priority shipping, it's just under $35. Here is the link.

After you have the chemicals, you treat the paper. And when the paper dries, it looks like the ones above. The green stripes are the spot where you will lay your negative. You can brush very precisely, or if you are like me, unprecisely. Brenda already had all the paper pretreated for us, so we just had to go and select the size paper to match the photo we wanted to print. And it is important to use watercolor paper as you will have to rinse the photos, and this weight of paper tends to handle the water bath well. I want to try using grocery bags next - will let you know how that works.

Next, you'll need to print negatives on transparencies (at a copy store, or on your home printer if you have good ink). Here's a link to prepare your negatives using photoshop or a free program called GIMP.

Last step, select your paper and negative in a place with as little sunlight or fluorescent light, as you can. Because once these papers hit the light, they start exposing. I did it in my studio, with lights on, but not near where I was standing. At Brenda's house, we did it in a dark bathroom and she had the lamp on the floor with a bulb in it that cast very little light.

This is what your negative looks like. Now, lay a piece of glass on top of it. When I got home, I took a piece of glass out of a frame, cleaned it, and used it on some of mine. Brenda said you can also buy pieces of glass from Texas Art Supply (from the paper counter). So, you have a piece of glass on top, then your negative, and then the paper directly underneath it. Put all of this between 2 pieces of cardboard. This just ensures that no light touches this before you get outside. When you get outside, take the cardboard off, and be sure your shadow is not on the picture or paper. And let the sun expose the negative for you.

How long it takes depends on the time of day you are out there and where the sun is. We found 3 to 3 1/2 minutes was a good time, but you might have to test. Make sure you bring your cell phone to time it!

This is an example of the same picture, but exposed differently.

Next thing you do, when you feel like it is done, cover it back up, go inside and rinse the picture 3 times, dumping the water each time. Immerse it. And then let it sit for about 10 minutes in the water. Now go do another picture. When you come back, take it out of the water and let it dry on paper towels, and blot it on the top with paper towel.

That is it. I liked this picture the best. It's Joby in a Mardi Gras mask. I think it is stunning.

New Book Idea to Replace Photo Calendars

2010-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

I have a new idea brewing in my studio. A very good idea, I think. It was not mine. It was gifted to me by the manager of The Houstonian Sports Shop, Roberta Hethcox, and the buyer for the store, Holly Tuten. They had seen agendas I had done in the past, where every month had a separate page with that month highlighted through greeting cards or a collage.

This is a sample of one I did for Lucy.

They suggested I expand the idea into a book. Twelve pages of months and a blank page provided for someone to add a picture of their child or family for that month. Like the idea behind photo calendars, except this would never expire.

I like showing what the book looks like from the side, b/c they are 3 dimensional.

And with mom's so busy, the idea of a book already done, where all they had to do was pop in 12 photos and keep it for themselves, or give to the grandparents . . . this could be achieved.

So, this would be September.

This is the October page....

And then the page filled with pictures.

See how easy? The book is made. All you have to do is add the pictures. Anyone can do this, I promise. And if you can't . . . I could be persuaded to do it for you for an additional cost.

I will have ten of these ready for the show in September. When is the show? September 29th and September 30th at The Houstonian Sports Shop.

Here are a few more pictures of pages. I will add more embellishing and writing to mine, maybe later tonight.

My girl and her boyfriend, Brett.

Easter

Yes, these are Barbie Slippers.

Finally a place for all this little crap that lies in waiting at my house.

A Role Model In My Life is Alice Schuette

2010-07-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

A Teapot that Alice Made Me

Do you have people in your life who, subconsciously, you model parts of your life after? I do. Many of them. And all for different reasons. Alice Schuette is one of those mentors for me, even though she has never, even be made aware of this fact.

Alice and I met in high school. Although, I cannot really say we were friends, but we were in some of the same activities and shared some of the same friends. Mostly, our lives did not cross until later in my life, after college, when she became someone I wanted to watch and sort of "take in."

I remember she drove this red Audi, and she kept a bag in her car to accumulate things she used during her day to add them to her recycling bin at home. This was in the mid 1980's, when all the recycling was done by you - no curbside pickup, no nothing. Even though I was recycling at the time, and getting tremendous grief about it from my parents, her act made me start doing things differently. I had only thought of recycling what I was throwing away in my house . . . she revolutionized my thinking about something very simple.

She was an artist. She taught at The Glassell Junior School of Art, which is the school associated with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She had her own studio down by The Last Concert Cafe. I thought her life was so revolutionary; I just did not know how to have one just like it. But I wanted it. I loved going to her studio, with no air conditioning and all the projects lying about, how the door of the studio would open just like a garage door and the view looked out into an empty lot with all that air coming in. It smelled divine, and everywhere I looked I saw something inspirational.

Our lives now mirror each other in many ways. We both had our first child much older in life. We were both married at The Rothko Chapel, unknown to each other until recently, when she posted a picture on Facebook of her wedding. I have my own studio with no air conditioning that has a garage door just like hers. How about that?

I blogged recently about the 5 Things I Would Save in A Fire. Alice commented on her five, and it brought me to tears. I asked if I could share it with you. It makes me want to, once again, be more like her.

I have a photo of my dad dressed in drag when he was 8.
I have a photo of my great aunt and her cousin in 1920's dressed up like Pancho Villa. I have a stick that my dog Flash played with in our backyard at 811 Wade Hampton before she died in 1995.
I have a lock of Emile's hair from the first haircut.
I have several rocks from different trips that I've collected.
And I have a St. Martin (now sadly headless) and his prayer card that I got in Ecuador. These are just some things.

Aren't these things the real treasures? The ones we hold in her hands to evoke a memory or a feeling. I have a little drawer of this stuff too. I think I will move these bits and pieces into something a little more worthy of their significance to me.

Having these types of mentors, even in your head, is a powerful tool in my life. You do not even have to be close friends with this person in order for them to affect you profoundly. I wonder who you know that inspires you?

Perfection Is Something I Will Not Attain

2010-07-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

I took pictures of a book I made for my mother today to share with you. My sisters, (Karen, Kathleen, Tara, Beth) and I, all went to Florida this past Mother's Day with our mother. Mothers getting time to be with their mother - now that is a blessing, right? My intention for this book was to make a memory of the trip for my mother.

Here are some rules I employ when I make a book:

If I make a mistake, it is not a problem. This makes it human.
I use my own handwriting. It's not perfect, but neither am I.
I take pictures not just of each of people, but of things that remind us of the place. Signs on the street, places we go to (also b/c I have a horrible memory) - things that signify the venue.

I build a book, the opposite way I think a lot of people do it. First, I make the book. Second, I put all the papers and embellishments in it, without ANY idea where I will put the pictures. Last, I put in the pictures. It is amazing how this system has freed me up to get a book done quicker, and with a happier result. I would struggle before to get everything right. To get things in chronological order. To do everything correctly. I would obsess about finding just the "right" paper to put with the "right" picture. And what I did not realize is that I was putting obstacles in front of myself from getting the job done, since I was so worried about not getting it done, but getting it "perfect."

Here are some examples of some fun things I have learned to add to books, that make me happy. Hope they make someone else happy too.

I love to make pockets out of old envelopes and stick a picture inside that the person has to open.
I think it makes it eXtra special.

I enjoy adding postcards and writing a "pretend" message.

I am glad I got this picture, because my mom did this quite a bit - picked a gardenia and left the bloom in a bowl of water for all of us to enjoy. Remembering to take pictures of things.

Sometimes pictures that are not the most flattering, having something really special to say.

And pictures of places - restaurants, whatever, help me chronicle the time better.

Building pockets is one of my favorite things to do.

Here is a page with a folded note that you can open to write a message.

And here is the type of thing I write on the inside.

Remember. . . All you are doing is creating a memory. Everything about that is perfect already.

Teaching A Class in September

2010-07-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching a class in September at Katie & Co. here in Houston. It is ironic, as the very first blog post I ever did was on her store. I did it because she inspires me.

Before I tell you how she inspires me, let me tell you about her. Katie Hackedorn is a dear friend, who I met while working at Events. I worked at Events in the stationery department for 5 years. I learned all about helping people with the events of their lives: weddings, births, parties, showers, and sometimes funerals. Katie took over working there after I left, and so our paths crossed. We found out that we both share a secret love affair - a love affair with paper. Make that a LOVE affair with paper. And our love for paper bonded us.

She always had the dream of opening her own store. And you know what . . . she never let anyone deter her. This is what inspires me about her. When she was looking for space for her store, people would tell her do this, or do that, and it can be a challenge to stay centered on your dream. Why? Because of the fear you might make a mistake. Isn't that how each one of us feels every time we start a new venture?

She had the dream and she achieved it. If you go to her store over on Washington Avenue, you will see she is not failing. With over fifteen years of experience under her belt, she did her time.

Hope you will be able to come join me for this class or one in the future. I am cooking up another class right now. We have 2 people already signed up, so I think this is a very good sign. Katie makes me feel I can do anything. And having a friend like that is just inspiring in itself.

Bookmarks Inspire Me and Aggravate Me

2010-07-19T13:15:00.001-07:00

Some bookmarks I just finished

Books inspire me. Making books makes me feel purposeful. It makes me feel alive.

Bookmarks also inspire me, as well as aggravate me. They are a very HARD format for me to create, b/c they are small. And I like to pile stuff on to things and create lots of dimension. But working on this tiny type of canvas is really critical for me, because it helps me to learn to edit. I also think it's a great way to use all your paper scraps.

The bookmarks I always seem to like the best are the ones made out of complete junk. When I actually have to make something out of nothing . . . my mind creates more. And since I am very passionate about repurposing, reusing and recycling, that passion comes through.

Made from bottle caps found in a parking lot, an old earring, and a dry cleaning tag

Made from a Bandaid box, Lucy's discarded paperdoll bits, crepe paper, and some junk

Button, Bottle cap, and another discarded earring

Five Things to Save In A Fire

2010-07-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

The first needlepoint pillow I made of my dog

Do you know what these 5 items would be for you? Do you really know? If you are like me, objects can signify great meaning to you, and can hold stories behind them that you, the holder of the object, are not even aware.

For a moment, think about just 5 things, and write the first 5 things that come to your mind as quick as you can. And try this exercise with one of them (quoting from the book Leaving a Trace by Alexandra Johnson)....

Use ten minutes to freewrite, jotting down precise details to describe what it looks like. How would you describe it to a stranger? Fill a page. Wait a day. Select four or five significant details and jot down why you chose this object. Then let your hand begin to tell the story it has long stored.

Here are my 5 items... I would greatly enjoy hearing what you hold near and dear. I find this type of sharing exhilarating. Things can tell you so much about someone, but also quite a bit about yourself.

The Nantucket Basket Joby got me as my 'Baby Present'

My Bible (and I made this cover for it in high school)

Something with the Virgin of Guadalupe on it

The newest member of our family, Sullivan "sully" Hughes

Soul Collage Is Beyond Powerful

2010-07-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

I don't make a proclamation like this lightly. Soul Collage is one of the BEST tools I have found to not only unlock my creativity, but to work with my intuitive side. It lets me create without knowing what I am creating. Which is something we forget about doing as we get older. We constantly do EVERYTHING with purpose. This is not always the best mode for creativity.

I took this class at The Earth Sanctuary, and have blogged about it previously. The class is taught by Glenda and Sandra - who make the MOST incredible cards, btw. One piece of advice - don't try to make cards like theirs - they are amazing enough to be licensed products, and if you get immersed in trying to make yours as worthy as theirs, then you miss the point of the class . At my last class, I brought my mother, which is a whole other blog post, if you know what I mean.

Here is the process of the class - pull images for a period of time, sort of organize your images and then start creating a collage on one card. I have to go SUPER fast, or I find that I am censoring myself or making my cards with intention, and I want to make them intuitively. After you make the card, it is helpful to journal about it. You may not even know what the images are trying to tell you, which is just fine. Just go with it.

When I made this card, I was sort of scared of it. It is daunting. Fierce. Sort of spooky. This is NOT how most of the things I create look - they are more about happiness, lightness, and color.

I will share with you what I wrote, which is extremely hard, as I do not let anyone read my journals. However, if this helps someone take this class, and learn about the process, it is worth some minor embarrassment. You start each statement with "I am the one who..."

I am the one who feels beaten down by life.
I am the one who has fierceness and fortitude.
I am the one who works tirelessly to get where I need to go.
I am the one who finds refuge in church.
I am the one who feels dragged down at times, tired, and afraid of not getting ahead.
I am the one who is pulling my own cart.
I am the one who feels darkness.
I am the one who is strong.

It is interesting to note a couple of things about the context of this card and what my mind has been processing lately. My Bible study group, through Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, has been studying Ephesians these past weeks. A few weeks ago we talked about dressing yourself in the armor of God. There is a church in the background. And this man looks a little ready for battle, right? He is carrying a rickshaw - a detail that is hard to see. And I recently read a book about rickshaw drivers and other types of laborers in India. My point is that your subconscious mind is like a machine always processing things - things you may not even know need processing.

I am reminded to stay strong. Stay the course. No matter what my hopelessness can feel like in any moment, it can never equate to the feeling of hopelessness that a man in this situation must feel. And yet, he pulls his cart one step at a time. Isn't that how we get through life? One step at a time. And it helps to have your armor ready.

You Are Enough And So Am I

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been taking an amazing e-course this summer, where this picture originated from. It is transforming my life one step at a time, one action at a time, one play date at a time. I found out about it from this artist, and I am eternally grateful that from taking one class, you learn something about another one, and so on. Both Kelly Rae Roberts and the originators of Mondo Beyondo are people well worth getting to know. This e-course is about....

Play, Kindness and Respect

Now before you stop reading... I know this sounds simple. I even thought I don't need a class about these things, I need one about getting organized and setting goals and blah, blah, blah. I don't have time to have fun, and if I did have time, then how far behind would I get?

But something nagged at me to take it. I also had a friend and artist, Celia Clowe, who was doing it, and so with peer pressure and nagging thoughts, I signed up. This class has infused my life with things I had forgotten about. Things like silly string, ding-dong-ditch (where you leave a happy for someone on their doorstep), jumping rope, having tea ceremonies with Lucy. It has inspired my life in ways I cannot even begin to tell you.

But our assignment today is to tell you. To make a declaration to others that We are enough right now. Today. I made this collage in honor of how I felt. Notice, dark scary background, happy woman coming out of it, and a caged mouse at the bottom. I made this in my Soul Collage class this past Saturday. It was sitting on my desk as I writing this, and I was looking over at it, and then had the Aha Moment.

I am the woman who has come out of a very dark time with a long battle against postpartum depression, and am now overjoyed with life, and no longer a caged mouse (mouser is my nickname). The dishes are dirty in the sink. I am tired. I have been beating myself up for not getting this or that done. Enough. I am enough right now.

And you want to hear the CRAZIEST thing? I am now MORE productive than I was before I took this course. All those worries about getting behind . . . this has opened my mind to more power, strength, organization, less stress, and a lot more JOY.

And if I just set aside 30 minutes every night to have a play date with my daughter...than all is well with me, with her, and with the world. You would be surprised how this one practice can transform your life. Won't you try it? What do you have to lose?

Blank Books Are Intimidating

2010-07-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Book Created by Katie Gonzalez

A lot of times people look at the books that I create and like them, which is not just cool, it is thrilling, I have to admit. Then, I see, sort of a puzzled and sometimes embarrassed look on their faces, and then they ask, "What do I put in it?" I have been making books since I was a kid, so it might be very easy to be flippant about this question and say, "What don't you put in it?"

But I don't say that. I honestly don't think that. I know how hard it is to write in a beautiful book. You might feel like you have to use your best handwriting. You might feel like it is just to bare and too blank, and that bareness intimidates you. And there are many more fears.

I bought the book pictured above for Lucy. I blogged about the maker, Katie Gonzalez, awhile back. She uses a type of bookbinding process called coptic stitching. You can read more about her work here.

I would like to share with you what I wrote on the first page of this beautiful book:

Lucy, I think when anyone starts a blank book or journal, it is intimidating. You think things like...what if I make a mistake?, what do I have to say that is so special?, what if I misspell something? These are normal fears. Ones I hope that you will get over as you grow up and start books of your own.

I want to fill this book with all the funny things you say to us, because we forget them so quickly. And if it is one thing your dad and I treasure - it is words. We love to read them, write them and say them. You do too. We can already see such amazing things forming in your head and coming out of your mouth.

My hope is you will learn to use this as a book with me (see...I messed up here...does not matter one bit). When you say something funny or poignant, you will scream, "Where is my book? We have to write it down."

Yes, this is my hope, dear one.

Some books that have been really beneficial to me in the process of writing are:

Leaving A Trace by Alexander Johnson
The Right To Write by Julia Cameron
and just about anything by Alexandra Stoddard

There are many more. I spend a great deal of my time reading books about what to write in them. Sounds funny, I know. But it inspires me. To think for one minute that I could create something for you to record your life . . . that is motivation. It sure is.

Detail of a book I just finished - just digging this butterfly imagery

A very tiny detail of something I find VERY true

The finished look of this book

What Is The Universe Calling You To Do?

2010-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Cover for a custom book I am working on

So many things buzz around in my head before I sit down and write to you. I have to admit something here...this is my FAVORITE time of the day. Sitting and writing. Did you hear that? I said FAVORITE time of the day.

I want to share something with you. I have kept journals since the 5th grade. Reluctantly, I would write in them and then trash the written pages later when I reread them. Or I would start them and then never finish and due to the embarrassing fact that I left this journal half-filled, I would throw them away. God, we are hard on ourselves.

I have collected books on writing and blank books since I was in the 4th grade. Kind of a sign from the universe, don't you think? Why was I not paying attention?

This is what I am asking you today:

What are you collecting?
What signs is the Universe giving you
that you are ignoring?

Because believe me, it is trying to tell you
s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g.

Giveaway No. 3 & Something From Paris

2010-07-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Paris . . . is on my mind.
I have no plans to go there, but a girl can dream.
We can ALWAYS dream.

I am doing another GIVEAWAY.
Partnering with Vandi Hodges who graciously offered these gold hoops.

You can find all the details on my Facebook page for Little Lucy & Scooter.

24K Gold Vermeil over Fine Silver - Retail Value $195.00

Now getting back to Paris ...
here are a few details or thoughts that are inside the books.

Close-up of cover of book pictured above ... kinda proud of her hat.

This is one of the marblized pages I did with my friends, Brenda & Monica.

Some small details....

This paper was given to me by my artist friend Patricia Hinojosa.

Vandi just got back from Paris, and she brought me
some really CHOICE stuff.

This is some paper I had Bernard Bonnet bring
back from Paris in 2001.
Never found anything like this in the U.S.A.

I want to be this COOL.

This is the back inside cover ... of one book that is for me.
I am saving it for when I go to Paris.

If you make it ... it will come.

Selling Your Art to a Retailer Continued

2010-06-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Chain designed by artist Laura Waldusky

This article is a continuation of my previous post about selling your artwork to a retail store. I interviewed Jennifer King, who is the Divisional Merchandise Manager for The Houston Museum of Natural Science. I tell all my artist clients that if they have not set foot in this store, they need to make a date to go. It reminds me of what the old Gump's looked like in the Houston Galleria (if anyone remembers this). They have an amazing collection of not only handmade artisan jewelry, but also some cutting edge designers like Alexis Bittar and Charles Albert. And they carry the cool stuff from these artists - showpieces. The museum's clientele is stone savvy and many of them like to take risks, and their selections offer these undeniably original pieces.

I posted the picture above, because it represents a piece of work that Laura Waldusky made, an artist that I represent, and whose work is shown at the HMNS. This is a picture I shoot in my office, sent to Jennifer King and then got feedback from her. This part of the job is really the best. Collaborating with artists, taking the information from the buyer, and then interpreting it for the artist. It is not every retail store who will let an artist have free reign to just "work their magic." And I wish more would take this approach, because look what it yields? And the bezel Laura created on this is CRAZY-good. And all done by hand.

So you have a little more information about what the museum carries and how they work with artists. Now let's get to it! Last post I wrote about what Jennifer thought were the 10 really important things to do before you try to sell to a retailer. Always wanting to start with the positive, today I wanted to help you focus on what NOT to do.

1) Do not be a pest. Buyers are bombarded with product submissions - it takes time to go through everything. Constant phone calls and emails will not speed up the process and will just irritate the person you're trying to make your customer.

2) Do not pop in to the store and expect the buyer to drop what they're doing and meet with you. It shows a disrespect for the buyer's time. Also, do not harass the sales staff about your product, about the buyer's whereabouts, etc. Basically, don't be a stalker.

3) Do not take rejection personally. Understand that buyers must make many decisions when looking at a line such as, does it fit into my store's image? Does it compete with my existing product? Are the prices too high (or too low) for my customers? Do I have Open-to-Buy dollars for this classification (Buyers work on a flowed budget - they may like your product but not have free funds for the line)? Am I expanding or narrowing this classification? These are business decisions that may have absolutely nothing to do with the quality and worth of your product.

4) Do not over saturate your market. Consider carefully where you want to sell your line and what products you want the store to carry. While I may carry some of the same lines as MFAH, I do not want the exact same product assortment. That lessens the line's impact. Be strategic and thoughtful about your product placement.

Speaking as a rep here. . . I have to really educate the artist about the above things. Sometimes they put undo stress onto me to call or keep bugging me. I know when to call for follow up, and when to leave people alone. Trust whoever you enlist to know the basic ebb and flow of business.

Touching on her point about over saturating the market, I cannot tell you how often someone tells me to call on the person right across the street from the store we have already sold to. You must remember to keep your first customers first, and to broaden your market further down the road. If someone can go across the street to buy your design, it does not hold much worth to the store that it is currently in.

Look for one more post about the RULES of retail. Following these will make or break you, I can promise you.

Want to Sell Art to a Store? Top 10 Things To Do

2010-06-24T08:55:00.001-07:00

An Example of Vandi Hodges' Collection currently at The HMNS

Since I am always interested in helping artists out, I thought I would interview a buyer who I know and respect and ask her expertise on how to get your handmade items into a store. Please pass this on to anyone who needs some guidance in this area, because it's HARD to know what to do.

My interview is with...drum roll please...Jennifer King, the Divisional Merchandise Manager for the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Jennifer has been with the HMNS for over fourteen years. She is in charge of several classifications including fashion jewelry, fine jewelry, giftware and home accessories. The HMNS is a multi-million dollar retailer with a main store of 6,000 square feet, and a special gem and mineral store that is 1,000 square feet, in addition to 3 satellite stores. It is one of the highest attended museums in the United States and welcomes over 2 million visitors a year.

All this being said, I have placed 4 artists at the HMNS. Two of them, Laura Waldusky and Vandi Hodges, have extensive collections presented at this venue. Buying handmade for the stores is obviously one of Jennifer's favorite parts of her job. She says she is constantly amazed at all of the talent and creativity out in the world.

An Example of Laura Waldusky's Collection at The HMNS

Here are her Top Ten Things An Artist Should Do in order to obtain a Wholesale Account at a Store like the HMNS:

1) Create your brand and decide what image you want your business to project. Retailers like lines that create a merchandising story. Your products should be immediately identifiable as your work and each product in the line should come together as a cohesive whole. Alexis Bittar is one artist who is absolutely brilliant at this. He has three separate lines that are released twice a year. While each of the separate lines has it's own unique look, the individual pieces work with any other piece in it's own line or in one of the other two lines.

2) Be your own cheerleader. Don't be afraid to talk up your press, awards, what stores you are currently in, and your accomplishments.

3) Identify your customer and who you want to sell to. What kind of store do you envision your products in? This step is part of your brand creation.

4) Invest in some professional (or professional looking) photography. Photos of your product create the first impression - make it a good one. Photos should be clear, uncluttered and show details. Everything should be on a simple white or neutral background. If you can't include something that shows the scale of the piece, you need to include measurements. If you can afford it, get multiple shots of your signature pieces.

5) Have a catalog or a line sheet with clear pictures, pricing, contact information (email address please), bio, and detailed product information. For me, a print line sheet along with a digital photo follow-up works best. My mailbox (real and virtual) is overflowing, but I eventually look at everything.

6) Be professional in your presentation. That means writing a clear and coherent letter or email that tells me about your product and why it would work for my store. Consider it like a job interview - you're selling yourself and your work.

7) Really analyze your pricing. Remember, you are pricing at wholesale, not retail. You need to pay for your time and materials and then factor in a 2.5 to 3 times mark-up on the retail end. Does that retail price match the perceived value of your product?

8) Research your target store. What do they sell? Can you envision your product there? Does the store already have something similar?

9) Respect the buyer's submission and contact guidelines. Some buyers work on the phone. Some, like myself, are email only for prospective vendors. Some may have a specific submission process. Don't expect an immediate invitation to come show the line in person. Send a reminder email (with photos!) in six months. Expect that you might never get a response. Buyers are overwhelmed and usually understaffed. We're not deliberately being rude, we simply can't give an individualized response to every product submission.

10) Expect that the process will take time. If you mailed me something last week, don't expect follow-up the following week. Likely the buyer is still wading through last month's submissions. If you send an unsolicited sample, don't expect to get it back. If you absolutely must have your unsolicited sample returned, include a postage paid box or envelope. Even then, you might not get it back.

I will be posting two more articles about the process of a selling to a store. Stay tuned for what not to do, along with things every artist should know about the RULES of retail before they sell merchandise to stores.

Hope you find this information helpful. Jennifer really wrote this...didn't she do an outstanding job?

I'm On A Roll with The Second BLOG Giveaway

2010-06-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yup....you heard it here first. I am doing another BLOG giveaway. What to do? What to do? And here is the item....a handmade altered art journal/book for yours truly made by moi!

Now....I did not make the book. I found it...at a retired art store (so I repurposed it) by taking it all apart, restitching it together and then altering the cover to something completely different. This is called mixed media art, and more specifically altered art. These terms were completely unknown to me 3 years ago.

Here is a close up of the stitching...

Here is a close-up of the stamps and clock....stamps are actually on a piece of a bubble mailer, so they pop up, so to speak.

Here is a close-up of the layers of paper used. I took some from s French travel journal and some from Anna Griffin. The jewels are from an old box that I bought at Events 120 years ago, or so it seems.

The book measures 4 1/2 inches wide and about 4 inches tall. The pages are blank and ecru colored with a sort of rice paper like pattern . A perfect format for:

A Gratitude Journal

An Intentions Book

A Goal or Wish Book

All you have to do to win it is become a Follower of My Blog. How do you do that? Look at the top right corner where it says "Followers" and click on "become one." You have to register with Goggle. No, this will not come in your Inbox each day. Will you get spammed? Hasn't happened to me yet from signing onto others, so I think you are safe. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 29th. Lucy will draw the name again at 6:00 PST. Spread the word and Good LUCK!!!!!!!!

And The Winner Is

2010-06-20T17:46:00.001-07:00

She is looking for the winner of the first Little Lucy & Scooter BLOG Giveaway.

She is looking at the slip, but won't show me.

Come on Lucy . . .please show me??

Okay...I think I see it...Pam Best! You are the winner!!!!!!!!!!

Please stay tuned for another BLOG giveaway....details tomorrow!! Thanks to everyone that participated. You warm our hearts! And Pam...I will put your earrings in the mail tomorrow. Special acknowledgment to the ones who had never entered a comment on a blog before - it's easy, right?

I Have Two Very Silent Business Partners

2010-06-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

There are some blog posts I write with the reader solely in mind, i.e. something during my week occurred that I wanted to share with you. There are other posts that I write because I want to inform.

And then there are some that are really just written for me. Something I want to record about a feeling that I have and is so heartfelt, pure and raw that it is almost hard to put into words, much less share with another person. Normally in my journal, I would write something like this. This time. . .I want to experiment with trying to let you see what I often times do not share with others.

People ask me why I named my business Little Lucy & Scooter. After all, the name does not tell anyone what it is that I do for a living or what is the nature of my business. That is just fine by me, because I had that intention when I named it. Let me explain a little further.

As you may or may not know, Lucy is my daughter and Scooter is my dog. Some may think that this is a typical mom thing to do. . . to name her business after her kid. But there is so much more to the choice of this name.

I started this business as I sat in Starbucks writing morning after morning and trying to figure out what to do with the next chapter in my life. I started making lists of what I liked about my former life in retail and what I did not like - something my mom would always encourage me to do. "Make a list," she would say. With no better starting point, this is what I did. I would get up at six o'clock, roll out of the house (with my daughter and husband still asleep at home) and sit for one hour in the same spot and write.

It was not always easy. There were days the writing just poured out of me. There were days that it was hard to write 5 sentences. But I committed to the practice of 3 morning pages with Julia Cameron as my writing guide and mentor. And EVERY day I wrote those 3 pages. I still do.

I wrote down what I liked and missed about retail. There were a lot of dislikes written down too. I don't need to spell them out. What I did differently for the first time in my life was IMAGINE a life, a job, a lifestyle even, that fit with what I really wanted for my life. And one thing I wanted for sure was.....

To Wear Jeans Every Single Day That I Worked In My Job!!!

Now this may seem kinda silly to you. But for 28 years, I was not allowed to wear jeans to "the office," and if I was going to start my own thing, I was going to be able to wear jeans every day, because for once in my life, I wanted to be able to make the rules.

And I as I thought and dreamed and wished and prayed, a funny thing happened. I took one step. That one step brought me to the next step. Then a friend of a friend of a friend brought me to the next one. Low and behold, I had a business. It even had all the components that I sat and wrote about in Starbucks every day. This was not me that made this. This was me putting out to the universe what I wanted and it directly listening to me and giving it right back. I truly believe in answered prayer.

I have the privilege of a very loving husband who once wrote something to me that I carry inside my journal as my bookmark and rad every morning before I write. It says,

"Know with quiet certainty, I believe in you."

If this wasn't blessing enough, I then got aligned with the two best partners I could ever be with...Lucy and Scooter. Because it doesn't matter to me that my business say what I do, what matters is the feeling I receive every time I tell people the name of my business. I feel good starting something with my daughter's name on it. Proud. And Scooter? Well, if you had a dog like Scooter, you would name your business after him too.

Lucy & Scooter & Our Sick Day Ritual

2010-06-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Lucy's school called yesterday to tell us she had woken up from her nap with a 103 degree fever. I sometimes feel like Batman when I get these calls. Do you remember when the phone would ring in the Bat Cave, and they would drop whatever they were doing, jump in the car and run to the problem? That's what a mom does when she gets a call like this. I often wonder if anyone else ever feels like this.

Today is a sick day - she is home from school and I am not at work. Lucy, Scooter and I have developed a kind of sick day ritual to make the time special for all of us, and we want to share it with you. It is hard when your child feels a little better, but isn't quite ready to go back to school. Add in that they are probably still contagious, so you can't really go anywhere.

First, we go to the sick park. The what? The sick park is a term we came up with for a park where there are not a lot of kids and no playground equipment....somewhere your child can run around like a crazy person without getting everyone in his/her path sick. Our sick park is at The Menil Collection. Next door to The Menil is The Rothko Chapel. We go there all the physical activity and sit quietly and visit. Joby and I were married at The Rothko, so we find it sentimental and special to go back there.

A picture of The Rothko Chapel with a sculpture by Barnett Newman in the foreground.

At the Rothko, we really start to connect to our ritual. We do all kinds of things like talk about the wedding day, find our favorite painting that day, and discuss what new things we see in the paintings. At some point. I have to reiterate why she cannot touch the paintings - explaining about the oil on her hands. She will also inevitably ask why we made her. In this special, sacred spot, I can join to the intention I had the day I married her dad, and explain with an authentic heart, that we made her because we loved one another and wanted to have a family together.

Scooter, during all of this bonding time, is busy anxiously awaiting our exit out of the building and has turned over the stroller as his outward sign of dissatisfaction with our time table. When we get him settled again, he resumes his task of chasing squirrels and acting like a terrier.

We head home and have a tea party and try to put as much celebration into the day as we can. use the finest china? Why not? Wear our prettiest scarf? Sure. It is not every day we get to be together and leave the distractions of work and the household behind. Why not try and think of it as a gift and celebrate it? We do.

My Creative Family & My Sister The Florist

2010-06-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

Whenever I see a car that looks like this, it reminds me of my sister Tara. Around 1975, my mom and dad bought a VW bug that looked a lot like this (except the color was the same as a fluorescent tennis ball - I kid you not). This car was driven by all six of us kids. I learned to drive a stick shift from my sister Tara on this very car. This is one reason I still think about her when I see a VW bug convertible.

The other reason I think of her is she bought this car from my parents and used it as her delivery vehicle for many years when she decided to go into business for herself as a florist. My parents were shocked she could even begin to fit so much in her car. It looked pretty funny driving to the places she went with no A/C and all those gorgeous flowers in the car. She did what she had to do. And she did not worry about what people thought.

A lot of businesses could learn a thing or two by how lean she kept things when she started. I often times think of this business example before I make investments into my own business. Normally, I can get by with just what I have already.

Twenty years later, she is still in business. She has a very unique business model. Her shop is not open to the public...meaning it is not a retail flower store. It is by appointment or you can call and order something. They do not accept credit cards...no, seriously...they still send an invoice. Here is her website and her telephone number is 713.520.8010.

I think you can tell she is very talented...and the word, creative, applies to her in other areas in her life. I am going to see if she will let me take some pictures of her house...because I think you would die. She can buy things at Marshalls or TJ Maxx and mix them into her house and they look like a million bucks. My other sisters and I have been encouraging her to maybe think about staging or decorating as her next career.

A lot of these pictures are taken at River Oaks Country Club because she does their flowers. One of the cakes she decorated was in People, and she has been featured in Southern Living. She would never tell you this. I promise. She does not even have these things framed in her shop.

I have posted previously about other members of my family and their creativity. I am incredibly fortunate to have had this type of influence in my life growing up and to be able to continue to be around it.

First BIG Blog Giveaway Ruby Earrings

2010-06-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe....these very unusual, handmade earrings could be yours. First let me tell you about them and romance you just a bit. They are made with rubies and brass (but with gold-fill hooks, so they won't create a lot of the allergy issues other metals cause). They would retail for $85.00, so I am really pulling out the stops here.

Here are the simple rules....first leave a comment in the comment section with your email information so I can contact you ( and maybe a little something else like a word of encouragement, prayer, act of kindness), and, second, go to my friend Amy Huff's blog and leave her a comment too. I will randomly draw a number with my daughter, Lucy, on Sunday night, June 20th at 6:00 p.m. CDT. Please feel free to pass this along to friends. Even if these are not your "taste," they would make an excellent gift for someone else.

Is this everything you need? I took a few more pictures to highlight a little more about them.

Close-up of the color of the rubies, which are pretty spectacular.

Picture of the size of them....modeled by my sister, Tara. I think she has pretty ears. And I think I am going to have to start paying her, because she models for me a lot. Thank you Tara.

SoulCollage with Miss Lucy Hughes

2010-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I talked about a new process I tried called SoulCollage. The best way I can describe it is part art and part therapy. I thought it might be interesting to see if I could apply the process to one rambunctious 3 year old. Here is how our journey went. Do not think for ONE MINUTE that this process is not POWERFUL and REAL.

Headed to one favorite place and sort of neighborhood touchstone, Rudyard's, so we could spread out on a table and work. We were both feeling like this picture....

This was our pile of stuff a la Mary Ann Mossthat we collect and throw in this box to add to our books. I warn you if you got to Mary Ann's blog...you may not EVER get off.

This is the book that I made for Lucy. It looks like her, right?

And this is my tattered and happy book. I use this for experimenting, journaling, collecting keepsakes....whatever.

This is Lucy's page....she picked out all the images and told me where to put them, and I DID NOT critique her or try to tell her how to do it. I let her just do it.

And so what is her page made of? A sticker from the Beryl Grady band. We saw them at West Alabama Ice House not too long ago, and she loved them. A picture of Joby in bed....Joby is out of town right now. A paper cocktail umbrella - he is in Florida and he packed one of these for me before I went to Florida a couple of weeks ago and asked me to put it in my glass on the plane to signify that I was NOW on vacation. I did it - BTW. The last thing is a ripped off side of a RUNTS candy box; something we bought over Spring Break when we went to Candylicious.

So, there you have it. SoulCollage works for the toddler set.

Soul Collage Could Be My Newest Addiction

2010-06-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I completed a class this past weekend in a course I kept seeing over and over again in the catalogue for The Jung Center. Even though I was intrigued by it each time I read the description, there was always a completely valid reason for not being able to sign up for it.

Serendipity happens in our lives every day. I want to share this example of it with you. I called the Jung Center on Thursday to check on the availability of the upcoming Soul Collage class. And low and behold I was still on the fence about signing up for it due to those ever pending, already existing commitments. The next day, my friend Celia, emailed me with a class description for a class in Soul Collage at this place I never heard of way out on the west side. I signed up. Because it was then and there, I knew this was not coincidence.

I drove into this place and the directions said it was behind an Auto Check. So, I am thinking strip center building. And I drove into this place with the metal palm trees and stone driveway. It was like seeing an OASIS. It is part botanical sanctuary, and it's name is The Earth Sanctuary. You could not have asked for a more beautiful, peaceful setting.

I think once my feet hit this type of rock driveway, I was transported into a different place, and a better state of mind.

So, what is Soul Collage? It is an intuitive process that enables the person to create from a completely different part of the brain. You pick images from magazines and just intuitively pull them and put them together in a collage. I promise you...I do a lot of this stuff...and this is one of THE best tools I think I have ever tried. I have been journaling with these cards since I took the class and the amount of knowledge it has opened up for me has been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Well, there is a book about the process that you can purchase here . I think the facilitator, Glenda Rice, would be the best person to ask about it. You can reach her here. Glenda will also be facilitating a group to do this every first Saturday for the next six months. I will definitely be at some of these.

A picture of my favorite Collage. I finally just let go and added images with absolutely no idea why they were together. And thanks to my friend, Celia, I ripped the images which was the MOST liberating thing I think I have done in awhile.

Other examples of collages....

Learning to Marble Paper

2010-06-07T12:36:00.001-07:00

On this past Friday, with the commitment of strengthening my crafting skills, I ventured to learn how to marblize paper. Gathering with 2 trusted crafters, Monica and Brenda, I invited them to come to my house and I would host our craft day, be responsible for buying the kit, and have everything ready.

My two greatest weaknesses as an artist are reading directions and doing things exact. I have no patience. I like to get the tools and just rip into it. I want to just play and figure things out as I go. This was hard for me.

I bought a $15.00 kit from Texas Arts Supply (Marbling kit by Jacquard). I had to read and reread the instructions 10 times plus, then print out other instructions (from the maven of them all....Martha Stewart), and compare those instructions to these crappy kit instructions that were obviously written by someone who wanted to marblize fabric and not paper (who knew you could do this with fabric?). I went to buy eye droppers and clothespins - the only additional supplies not in the kit. Eye droppers were easy, but clothespins...no luck as I spent 2 minutes describing them to a salesclerk who not only did not know what clothespins were, but still had no idea after my lengthy description. If you see clothespins anywhere, please let me know....I still need some. I mixed all the ingredients, I prepped the paper with one mixture, and mixed a separate concoction for the paint. And I did it. Not only that, but when we got together and tried putting it all together, it worked.

I achieved two things: freedom and capability. Freedom from the fact that this art form is very loosey-goosey. You cannot EVER repeat the same technique as the last the one you previously used, because this is a SKILL. At its finest, you can appreciate that people who do this professionally have come from families that are masters of this art form. They have been teaching and mastering this technique their whole lives. Since I am not an exact person, this type of art was wonderful for me. I could play and just see what happens, because I sure was not going to be able to repeat any of it. I also achieved capability because I faced my weakness of reading directions and going slowly step-by-step. And I enjoyed it. When we had all the pieces laid out and you could see how beautiful they were, I don't think there was one of us who was not just a bit proud.

Alice in Wonderland ...It's What I Feel Like Most of the Time

2010-04-20T12:05:00.001-07:00

Finished making another book this morning with the theme of Alice In Wonderland. Alice has been on my mind lately. I ran across these words and it spurred me...

"Who are YOU?" said the Caterpillar.
"I . . . I hardly know, Sir, just at present," Alice replied, rather shyly.
"At least I know who I was I when I got up this morning, but I think I must
have changed several times since then."

I know just what you mean Alice.

Baby Book and Altered Art Bird Book

2010-04-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

Cover of Baby Book

Some inside pages - used a lot of vintage wallpaper in this book

I love this image of the girl and boy

These are my favorite pages

This red mesh stuff comes around wine bottles - I think? Christopher gave it to me.

Old popcorn bag container

And that's it. I have been using my new redone studio all day today. My words are short, because I am visually worn out. Too dark a day to take studio pictures. Will try tomorrow, because it is really something.

Hope you have a beautiful, restful day.

Little Lucy and Scooter: The Creative Connection Event September 2010

2010-04-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Little Lucy and Scooter: The Creative Connection Event September 2010

The Creative Connection Event September 2010

2010-04-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

I just registered for this event in September. And I am going with another artist named Amy Huff . We are so excited! I met Amy last year when we both attended Silver Bella. Amy's blog is a riot, and she is an artist who is multi-talented - she performs well in mixed media, jewelry, and other areas I have not even been fortunate enough to see!

I will be taking a class from Jenni Bowlin , an artist I have long admired and whose products I use and adore. The class title is "Old Book Journal/Scrapbook." And the other class I am taking is a folk art painting class from Laurie Meseroll (who I do not know, but based on her class description, I am just thinking is the cutest). Never painted in my life!

Want to know more about it?

Here is the link . . . and I love how you can sign up for one class or many classes! The format and the organization of the event have really impressed me.

Want to come play? Let me know if you need any further information.

My Sister Designer for Michael Kors

2010-04-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

If you did not read my post last week about my incredibly artistic family, you might have missed out on one important part of the story. When I started my business in 2008, the one thing people kept saying to me over and over again was...

"This sounds so perfect for you, because you are so creative."

And I would kinda laugh in my head. Me? Creative? You must be confusing me with my family. But, after thinking about what some of my relatives do, I know why I like my job. Because I was raised in a household of highly creative folk.

So, my oldest sister, Karen, is the designer for a line called Michael Kors. Maybe you have heard of it? She designs the Michael line. Having worked for the likes of Liz Claiborne, Tahari, Tommy Hilfiger, Jones New York and a slew of others, she has paid her dues and worked extremely hard to get to this point.

I remember her selling clay animals on the driveway of our house in Stamford, Connecticut. Her paintings and watercolors were framed and used as art in our house.

She can draw.
She can paint.
She has an eye.

Kinda hard to think you can beat this. She is the oldest child. And she forged the way for all of us to sort of find our creative spirit.

She does not like to tell people what she does or talk about her job. She would probably be mad that I wrote about her - typical New Yorker. The one thing I have on my side is that she is so busy that she will never see this AND I am not lying here . . . she does not know how to get to my blog. I send her the link, and I get voice mails saying she is trying to get onto it, but can't figure it out.

Karen...you set the bar.

Handmade Books That Will Make You Quiver With Delight

2010-04-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Now tell me....do you get as excited about seeing Cherry Blossoms as I do?

Do handmade books make you squeal with delight?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But maybe if you look at this very talented bookbinder you might change your mind.

I was glancing through Facebook one day when one of the artists I love the most, Charlotte Lyons, whose website you can visit here , happened to have a picture of this artist's work on her page.

I opened it. And low and behold....the world of Katie Gonzalez and her company, LinenLaid&Felt opened up before my already teary eyes (yes, teary - I did mention I love the Cherry Blossoms, no?).

I did SOMETHING I never do. I ordered something right then and there, I contacted the artist, told her I wanted a custom book, and we talked and I was elated. How often does this happen?

I ordered a book for Lucy with a special inscription on it that says, "The words of Lucy Hughes" or something like that. I want to be able to write down all the funny things she says and what better place to put them in than a book of this quality? And how much did this cost me? A mere $40.00. That's right. Now why in the world would you not invest in this type of craftsmanship?

So here is how you can contact Katie Gonzalez:

BLOG: http://linenlaidfelt.blogspot.com/
ETSY SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/shop/linenlaidfelt
or become her friend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LinenLaidFelt
and lastly, email her, which is what I did....linenlaidfelt@gmail.com

Hope you enjoy checking out her blog and reading about her as much as I have. Truly, I love handmade things.

There is Nothing Like Her Spike Earrings

2010-03-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am excited to introduce others to the artisan work of Houston local, Vandi Hodges.

I will be at TOOTSIES this Saturday, April 3rd doing a Trunk Show with Vandi and her collection known as Via Vandi.

Here is what is unique about Vandi's work . . . almost everything is available in both Sterling Silver and 24 Karat Gold Vermeil. What is Gold Vermeil? It is a process where you start with a silver base and put at least 2.5 microns of Gold over the Sterling base. And most people use 14 Karat Gold or 18 Karat Gold. Not Vandi. She uses a 24 KARAT Vermeil that is 3 microns thick and this makes the gold more durable and also a much richer color.

Her SPIKE earrings are the first two pictures. Want to see how they work? Well, put on your imagination cap. The front of the earring is the small piece, and it has a post behind it . . . this post goes thru the ear. The spike fits into the back of the post (sort of magically I might add). It's an earring in reverse.

This design is the PRIMARY reason I wanted to represent Vandi. I love good design and incredibly unique, in addition, is getting very difficult to find in the jewelry industry. Better to see these on an ear. Hopefully, you're own.

You can see more of Vandi's collections at the following retailers:

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
Kuhl-Linscomb
www.viavandi.com

Ukranian Egg Dying - A Way to Feel A Little Inadequate

2010-03-30T13:55:00.001-07:00

A woman named Brenda Cooper invited a group of ladies to her house to do Ukranian Egg Dying. I met her while taking a class at The Museum of Printing History here in Houston.

Okay, I thought, I am game. I love to dye eggs.

Oh my GOODNESS, this is a very impressive art form. Not to bore you with a million details of how this is done, just know it is a multi-step process that is not for the amateur artist (even though that is sort of what I am).

Look at the samples of these amazing eggs she has done . . .

I love the Eiffel Tower done in Pointillism, the most.

and then look at the last two pictures ... the blue one is one that was "in process" and then I dropped it like a major klutz and runied it and the last is my finished product. I was very proud.

We were there for 4 hours and I only got one egg done. It is not like you could go to town on these and do a whole bunch at once.

I LOVE lost artisanal processes like these, hope you do too.

My Creative Family

2010-03-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started down the road of being an artist's representative, I have gotten this one comment thrown at me over and over again. "Molly, this is so perfect for you - you are so creative." Now this is a very nice thing to say. But I have a confession. I really wasn't too creative.

I just have an incredibly creative family.

Here is some of their work . . . .

The first are pictures of what my brother, Joe, did to our rather dank and dark garage. I am moving my studio into it, and he really made the walls and the floor look amazing.

The next set of pictures is a necklace that my sister, Kathleen, made. It is metal crochet with beads. No one taught her how to do this - she just figured it out after she bought a necklace like it in Paris. It wraps around and around the neck, and can be worn a million ways - even as a belt.

The last are pics of my mother's stunning home. She should have been a decorator. She is so talented.

So...see...I enjoy being told I am creative. Yes, it does make me feel good.

I just learned from the best.

Artist Studio - Coming Along

2010-03-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Can you now see the progress?

The walls have been painted,
actually, stained and wiped off,
and the floors come next.

Yoda is going to look so good in his new digs!!!!!

Boys. . . I Have Neglected You, Haven't I?

2010-03-09T14:27:00.001-08:00

Every book I have made so far has been

let's face it

for a girl.

But here is my first book for a boy.

My friend and sort of co-worker/office mate, Christopher, wanted a book to honor his dog Miss Pooh.

She is a Chinese Crested, so I tried to add a few Asian influences without making it too girlie.

These next 2 pictures are of a book I made for my dear friend Katie, who gave me all that amazing paper from her store, Katie & Co.

Hope you are having a terrific day! Thank you for all the positive comments I am getting, I appreciate it.

New Books - New Pages - Short & Sweet

2010-03-08T10:02:00.003-08:00

I made 3 new books this weekend.

One is a surprise thank-you gift for my friend, Katie, one was for me, and one (pictured) that I am calling "Oilily Bubble Wand" book. The patterns and textures were inspired from Oilily and there is an actual "bubble wand" of Lucy's (shhhh.... don't tell her) on the cover of the book.

Hope you had a lovely, creative and, most-of-all, restful weekend!

There is a Hair Salon in My Backyard

2010-03-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

Please let me explain.

It started with being pregnant. At that time, I decided to treat myself to getting my hair "done" once a week. I am , after all, a 1950s housewife at heart.

We have a garage apartment in our backyard. We rented it in exchange for a part-time babysitter when Lucy was born. Our renter moved out, and my hair dresser, Christopher Huffer, inquired about renting it for his hair salon.

I was thinking...hmmm...all I would have to do is walk out my back door to get my hair done? Tempting.

Our garage apartment has my studio and office downstairs and I thought it would be nice to see people coming and going. He has been here since late November and I just wish everyone could have a set up like this.

Oh...and my hair has never looked better.

Christopher Huffer
Gloss the Salon
713.533.9192

FOUND: Sweet Potato Lying Behind Bathroom Sink

2010-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

If you have kids

If you have A.D.D.

this picture makes sense to you.

If you need to find change,
don't check your wallet,
remember to check the tub.

When you are not busy looking for things,
and thinking you are crazy for not being able to find "said" things,
start working on pages for Book #9.

This will make you feel sane again.

Now Finishing Book Number 8......and Loving it!

2010-03-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

I was so busy this weekend. Who isn't busy on the weekend...this is not a unique statement, I am aware.

Here are some bookmarks that I whipped out this weekend on my....
SINGER
SEWING
MACHINE

And I worked on this book -
Known now as Book Number 8 - A Travel Journal for Paris. . . . I am a bit discouraged by my photography. I just cannot seem to get the idea for how to photograph books and the pages.
I love the Hermes ribbon on the bottom of the book.

I also got surprised with 5 bags of stuff from friends. My friend Katie gave me tons of the things below - 3 LARGE bags full. My mom gave me a whole bag of old cards, and my sister, Tara, gave me a ton of old millinery items.

One of the things I did was cover some egg cartons with paper, so they could hold a lot of "the bit and pieces," as my organizer Denise would say.

When you are on a tight budget and really need to organize, you try to use anything you can to make ends meet .

I did not even buy my new sewing machine, I traded it by putting a couch on CraigsList for a client.

Feeling positively thrifty these days, and that makes me feel good.

I am also saving like a mad person to
be in my expanded studio by April 1st.

Cross fingers, say the sign of the cross, and whatever else you can do!
See you soon!

100 Books....I've Got You Covered

2010-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have been working on books....

thinking about books...

& buying paper.

Here is a picture of a page in a new book I have started.

People often ask me...where do you get all this stuff for your books?

Here is a list:

Katie & Co. - a stationery store on Washington - unique cards and where I get all my printed thing.

Chapparal - a needlepoint store on W. Alabama - the best vintage ribbons you will ever find in Houston.

www.lollishops.com/twigs and feathers - saw them at Silver Bella - you need to check them out.

www.speckled-egg.com - another Silver Bella find - look at their vintage liquor labels...the text and graphics are simply a project away for me.

The Guild Shop - on Dunlavy - sometimes I can score a whole jar of buttons or whatever for next to nothing.

Uncommon Objects - South Congress in Austin - Words escape me on this venue.

Stamps - I cut every stamp off of every letter - don't get many anymore.

And my best source is family and friends...people don't know what to do with old junk and are happy to part with it knowing it is being reused and repurposed and not just THROWN AWAY!

How to fit Office Space in a 5 x 5 cell

2010-02-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

This is what my desk looks like. I think I would do well in prison. I like tight little spaces. My studio is now divided into zones thanks to the organizing work of one Denise Hughes (no relation). Hiring an organizer was one of the best things I ever did for myself or my business. I have space to create, space to do my business related work (that which consists of sitting at a desk) and space for all my clients work, samples, display props, etc.

My desk was my father's and I had it painted by a local artist. Here is a close-up detail...we wanted it to look like MacKenzie-Childs, but cooler. Brighter and a bit more graphic. I gave him the desk and he went to town. I think that is when artists tend to do their best work.

And no pictures could really be complete without adding a close up of my trusty lamp and phone....Winnie the Pooh. when things get tough...Pooh is always there.

Handmade Book Challenge - Making 100 Books

2010-02-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is what my studio looks like when I am in the middle of creating a book. Bits and pieces are pulled down and strewn everywhere. At the end of the day, I put everything back and start with a clean slate in the morning. If I don't do this, I am overwhelmed in the morning, and cannot start up again.

People always want you to see their studio, and I want you to see what it looks like during crunch time, not just all pretty and beautiful (although I still think it looks pretty beautiful).

I am having a show of handmade books in September 2010, and my goal is to make 100 books. So far, I have been able to keep up. . . I calculated that I would need to make 3 books a week, in order to achieve my goal.

This Advent Book is a sample of one of the books I will be selling. The covers of the book are made from Sierra Nevada cartons, and then covered in paper...I am always reusing and trying to repurpose. The pages are numbered 1 -25, and on each page is a gift, a tradition, a special surprise or whatever for my daughter. Some examples are page 10 is for our first manicure together (i.e. 10 fingers), page 7 has a handmade bookmark attached and a special message to check under her pillow for a Christmas book. But not every page has a gift...page 19 has a prayer...this is a book of our treasured time together.
And here is a fan shape glimpse of what some of the pages look like....they are so fun. I hope people really like these.

2010-02-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day always starts with our "Friends and Family" tree. We have photo tags on here for some people and cut-out hearts for others with their names written on the heart. Lucy tells us who to add to the tree....we have neighbors, her favorite wait person at Empire Cafe, her friends from school, baristas from Starbucks...I mean this a prestigious honor to get on this tree. Plus some other heart type ornamanets....I think we need a bigger tree.

These were some of the gifts I gave to Joby. Our house was filled with love. Literally. The smell of baked chicken, the lights on and glowing and the warmth of a house on such a cold night was everything we could wish for on this special day.

I needlepointed an ornament for Lucy. She looked at it, picked it up and then threw it in her stash pile...the life of a three year old. At some point, the kid will appreciate it, or when I die, put them in a garage sale. The thought is that I care about doing it for her....and what could be better than that?
Hope your day was special. Was it?

2009-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

I finished the back page of my Saint Swap card today, and I thought I would include pictures of what these cards turn into. Here is a book from last year that had birds as a theme. So, I make 12 cards that are all alike, and then 12 books are made...one for each participant.

I have 2 more swaps to do...I am working on them. Boy, I am working on them.

The third picture is by my needlepoint teacher, Karen Lea. She was nice enough to lend me her book from last year, so I could figure out how to do one of these. Thanks Karen!

2009-09-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

I want to share the work of artist Linda O'Neal. She makes incredible rosary-inspired necklaces. Using antique medals that she culls from Belgium, France, Italy and a variety of other places, she makes necklaces that resemble rosaries, but are not formatted like an actual rosary.

Linda is a Registered Nurse First Assistant who specilaizes in Plastic Surgery by day and an artist by night. She is a completely self taught beader who was inspired by a collection of medals that she saw at the Round Top Antiques Festival. Looking at a bowl filled with these unique treasures, she was so attracted to the medals, she bought them and thought, "I am going to make a necklace out of these." And she did just that.

Her work is sold at Raintree Boutique, Lizzy Lou's and More Than You Can Imagine.

Crosses are soothing to my soul and the best design inspiration to have around for me.

2009-03-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

My studio is full of crosses. They inspire me. For religious reasons and for the simplicity of their design. I particularly like this artist, who I refer to as Peggy, even though I have never met her. My husband has given me several of her pieces over the years. She produces a variety of items: mirrors, shelled boxes, frames, jewelry and crosses. Her work is amazing and can be purchased at my favorite jewelry shopping haunt, 2620 ( which says a lot since I sell jewelry). They are located on Joanel Street in Houston and they are the coolest, nicest ladies who have an extremely well-edited and wonderful store. You might remember them as the old "Mom's Kitchen" venue. Plus, they love my husband.

Don't you LOVE old things?

2009-03-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

I love old things. No really.... I do. When I renovated my kitchen, I got all new appliances, except for my stove. It's a Tappan from probably the 30s or 40s. The temperature in the oven is screwy. Sometimes it takes 14 minutes to bake cookies, and sometimes 17 minutes. The knobs have fallen off (I'm getting some more next week). It has some aches and pains. But it's marvelous to me!!! Old things inspire me.

A person who has been inspiring me lately is the artist Pam Garrison. Just type in her name in Goggle and every SINGLE project she has is jaw-dropping and wonderful. CHECK OUT the wallpaper closet ( www.diylife.com/2008/04/14/pam-garrisons-embellished-closet-makeover). Her style is my style. Just move out of your house Pam, because all my things would look remarkable in your casa! Her blog is pamgarrison.typepad.com. Hope to meet her one day!

Those who love handmade goods receive and make handmade goods

2009-01-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

I'm always searching for handmade items. Not just for items I can sell, but also for items I can wear, give as gifts, make myself. Because I love handmade goods, at my baby shower for my daughter, Lucy, I received so many handmade items, that my dear friend, Katie Rafferty O'Brien said,"Uh -oh, I'm kinda embarassed. We bought our gift at the store." We received 4 blankets - 2 knitted, 1 crocheted and one handmade quilt. A needlepoint pillow, a handmade basket - I mean these items weren't just gifts, they were heirlooms.

Pictured above is a witch I needlepointed myself, a sweater set and hat that my mom's friend in her quilting group made for Lucy ( and I have never even meet her - how nice!), and a hat knitted for Lucy by our friend, Kathy McKernan.

It's true - the love of handmade makes you not only give it, but receive it, as well.

The Work of Artist Beth Benefield

2009-01-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

Beth Benefield comes from an incredibly creative family. I should know - she's my sister. Yet, Beth, a Regional Finance Director for a very large accounting firm, has never quite made a business out of her creativity....until now. Inspired by the designs of Chan Luu, Beth sought out a way to make these types of bracelets herself. After countless prototypes, using many different types of leathers and beads, she has definitely perfected a very unique, high quality and attractively priced line of jewelry.

She has all kinds of leather "tie" bracelets - 2 stranded, 3 and 4 stranded. You almost have to try one of these on, because honestly, displaying them is hard, because they look best on the wrist. There are also some very simple designs, like the red suede bracelet, that look awesome all piled together in a mass grouping or simply by themselves. And they are perfect and affordable for that gift for your daughter's girlfriend, or the house sitter or whomever.

Beth will be at the show on February 12th and 14th.

More of Bea Riley's Photography and Design Work

2009-01-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

These two samples are strong representations of what Bea can do with photographs that she takes. The first is a picture of my baby, Lucy. I can't tell you how many compliments I received on this note. She added a very light amount of graphic work to the piece, adding just the right amount of personal touch to an already beautiful picture.

The second example is a sympathy acknowledgement that Bea worked on for a family. This is the church where the funeral took place and inside the note there is a personal message from the family. Imagine receiving this after you sent flowers, etc. How moving and what a wonderful keepsake for the family and for the recipient.

The Work of Graphic Artist and Photographer Bea Riley

2009-01-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

Bea Riley is a very talented graphic artist with a "movie-star" client list that would impress In Style magazine. Okay....think I'm exaggerating? Working as the Senior Art Director at FOX, her resume would include working on shows like "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, "American Idol," "House," and "Ally McBeal" among others. She used her design skills on the concepts and layouts for ad campaigns on these shows and her photography skills for art diredting the photoshoots. If you saw a billboard for "The Simple Life" that was Bea's photography and her graphics. Or if you ever checked out the website for some of these shows, that was a lot of Bea's work, as well.

She now has a son and has left FOX behind and started her own stationery business called Plan Bea Design (great name, huh?). I have used her for my daughter's birth announcements, thank-yous with my daughter's picture (that she took) and for my own personal stationery. I will be showing her work on February 12th and 14th. We'll have some samples of her things, boxed notes and some single greeting cards.

Save the Date for my next Artisan Show!

2009-01-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

Please save the date for my next Artists' Show featuring the works of 4 very different artists that I represent: Betty Kyle, Carolyn Brougher, Beth Benefield and Bea Riley. The first show will be the night of Thursday, February 12th from 5-9 and the next show will be during the day on Saturday, February 14th from 11-4.

Just in time for Valentine's Day - please come and treat yourself or the one that you love or maybe their the same person! But please come, even if the economy is tough and you can't buy a thing, I would just love to show you their work and visit. I'll have food, drinks and a door prize, too!

I'll be posting picture of these artists this month on my blog.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

Lucy's Birthday and Other Inspirations

2008-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Where did Novemeber go? Oh....I know where...battling illness. My daughter, Lucy, got a staff infection and was hospitalized followed by the RSV Virus that she rec'd. from the hospital. She just got back to daycare yesterday and I am back at work. My husband, however, now has pneumonia, so....with the holidays here and no daycare the rest of the week....looks like I better get working today!

These are pictures from Lucy's party - Lucy and my mom - Scooter in his party hat - and Lucy's outfit for the party. I made a doggie belt with laminated pictures of Lucy with her dogs going around her waist - kinda hard to see - SOMEONE remind me next year to take a DANG picture with her in the outfit!!!

The other pictures are things that inspire me - The Virgin of Guadalupe images are all over my studio, the NIKE ad that says "There is No Finish Line" hung on one of my doors, My inspiration bulletin board and an old drawer that hold some of my newer pieces.

Looking forward to a Happy Thanksgiving!

Highlight of Katie and Co. - A New Stationery Store in Houston

2008-11-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

I thought that one of the things I would like to highlight on my blog are other businesses that provide excellence in service. After being in retail for almost 24 years now, I think I am a good judge of a place to go where you can consistently receive it. While I'm there, I thought it would be fun to photograph them wearing one of my store's jewelry pieces.

Katie & Co. opened this year in September on Washington Avenue. It has a warm, inviting and personable atmosphere. Having been in stationery myself for five years, and having an addiction to paper so severe that I am still chasing the dragon of my first Crane order, I can tell you about many unique reasons to shop at this store.

First, the seating areas and tables are expansive, so you can actually really lay these books out and have space to breathe. There's room for more than one person at the table, and the fact that it is not cramped makes you feel more creative, and have room to talk to let's say other hostesses who you are doing an invitation with you. Secondly, you are not surrounded by "stuff." This store has a very loft-like surrounding that is clean and organized, yet with all these quaint pieces of furniture thrown throughout the store that make you feel you are in more than a store, you are in part of Katie's life. For instance, on one large wall there are doors hung with racks attached to them that hold cards (pictured above). One particular door was numbered 3843 (also pictured above) and this door was her grandmother's front door. She also uses her grandmother's wash basket to hold some adorable printed Styrofoam cups for the Holidays. These are just some of the touches that I find undeniably original.

The selection - from Crane, William Arthur, Lallie to numerous other birth announcements, wedding invitations and personalized fare - is well thought out. It is not an overly edited store, because the selection is quite expansive. Most importantly for me, the experience in this store is why I have followed them from store to store before Katie opened her own shop. The "Katie" of Katie & Co. is Katie Hackedorn and her co-worker, Michael Pollard. They have been in this business a combined number of 21 years. They know the vendors, the companies and are able to steer the first time bride to the third time mother-to-be to the right type of invitation or announcement that will help them signify their special day.

Michael and Katie will always "know" what is going on with your order. One of my pet-peeves is calling a store to check on something or make a change and it takes transferring the call to three different people and then they still aren't sure about the matter at hand. Also, they are just so darn nice. If you see the picture above, there is Little Lucy doing an arrangement in their peppermint bowl of pencils and pens and they are laughing the entire time. My daughter loves going to her store - isn't that unusual?

Please go and check it out and leave a comment. Oh and Katie is wearing a chandelier earring made by artist Carolyn Brougher that is composed of Labradorite, Peridot and Smoky Quartz. They are surprisingly light and retail for $95.00.

Halloween and Hong Kong Phooey

2008-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Having a two year old has certainly increased the Halloween decor around our house this year. Who is that masked doggie in our Halloween tree? None other than Hong Kong Phooey. And the "BOO! witch" is propped on our beloved cedar tree that bit the dust in Hurricane Ike. {I also have to mention that my sexy husband dismantled that fallen tree all by HIMSELF!! }

I ran across the coolest blog today. Please go and check it out! stokeschicantiques.blogspot.com. Rarely, do I find pictures of decor, where I think...I want that, oh that would look good in my house and I need to find a place for that. Either we are related or she is like Being John Malkovich and she is living in my head.

There is a story on this blog about going to Fredricksburg, Texas, where I always tell my husband that if he makes me a widow, I will live out my days there! It is one of the most inspiring places for me. And in one of my favorite magazines, HOME COMPANION, one reader actually wrote in to complain that they were featuring Fredricksburg too much. Obviously, and I'm really not trying to be sarcastic here, she just hadn't visited.

My Daughter's Birthday is This Weekend - Ahhhh!

2008-10-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

We are having a PUP party. What's a pup party? It's where you bring a picture of your favorite pup (or animal if you aren't a doggie person) and incorporate it into your outfit. My idea is stellar - and I will post pictures after this weekend (but not before the party - please). I've made a belt for my daughter, and I have to say - it's pretty dog-gone good.

My inspiration is .... Scooter, who permanently has one ear up (the left one to be precise) and the other down. I oftern think of Elaine from "Seinfeld" screaming out the window in a NYC taxi "Fix that dog's ear!" Okay, she was talking about an ear that got turned inside out on a dog, but, whatever...it could apply here, too.

Little Lucy and Scooter welcomes you to our blog.

2008-10-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

The giant picture above is of my daughter and I on Easter Sunday of this year. She has changed my life for the better, and I am eternally grateful to her, and my husband for encouraging me to start a family in my 40s. What I lack in stamina...I have in patience.

This is my company logo, and many people ask...how did you get your name?

Little Lucy and Scooter is named after my daughter, Lucy, a two-year old with the proper name of Martha Lucille (ok, she might hate me for this name later in life) and her crazy sidekick, Scooter, our 3 year old Terrier mix from the SPCA. Together they encompass all the happiness in the world for me - so if I want my work to bring me joy, why not name my business after them?

Lucy has red on her bottom here after sitting in....strawberries.

Next question goes something like this....Okay...cute name. What do you guys do?????

I sell jewelry and have a store on Etsy.com (http://littlelucyandscooter.etsy.com/). I sell both retail and wholesale. Some of my wholesale clients are The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The International Folk Art Museum, Santa Fe, just to name a few. The type of jewelry I try and collect is unique, one-of-a-kind designs that are handmade by artists and NOT produced by anyone but the artist. These pieces have unique value these days, as they are not produced in China or farmed out to other individuals, where the quality suffers and the integrity of the pieces are compromised.

I also have a store on eBay.com (http://stores.ebay.com/littletexascharmer). I normally have merchandise on here that is jewelry and various other items from my vast collection of fashion and Western antiques.

My logo for the business has my daughter with multiple necklaces around her neck and Scooter trying to tug and take them off. Lucy has on cowboy boots - because we're from Texas and DANG proud of it!!!!!We had this designed at a local stationery store, owned by a friend of mine. It's called Katie & Co., and Miss Katie has the best ideas and selection!