a secret something (part 1)

I started a little project months ago, for one of my fiance’s best friends, Teddy; he wanted to get something meaningful for his daughter Autumn’s second birthday (not just another pile of toys that would eventually get left behind). After seeing my grizzly portrait that hangs in my family’s cabin, he knew he wanted to commission a large graphite drawing from me. The other two points of inspiration, came directly from his daughter: her nickname “squishy squirrel”, and this stern look that she often gives her dad (reminiscent of a very serious owl). We talked a bit about imagery, but Teddy basically left things up to me… Since we were staying with his family for the OOAK show, I decided to double to size of his commissioned drawing, as a thank you for hosting us. Today I am sharing a couple process photos, and tomorrow I will share the finished piece, along with Autumn’s reaction!

heart in hand

Seemingly simple and delicate things can often hold the most meaning.

be good to yourself

It is inevitable: when either the spring or winter craft show season hits, I get a little frantic and manic… SO MUCH TO DO, WHERE DO I START, THERE IS NO TIME, AHH. I always get things done, and somehow on time, but I often am a frazzled puddle of a person afterwards. Being a business owner (especially a flying solo business person) you end up wearing many hats and doing many things that it is just so easy to end up exhausted. This year I am trying to be different in my approach:  I am planning further ahead and am starting to get the hang of these big shows… but something else I’m doing is making a conscious effort towards finding (or making) time for MYSELF. It could be as simple as a relaxing hot shower before bed, a calm yoga stretch session, a little walk around the block, sipping a cup of tea, etc… but let me tell you, these simple things do wonders for the mind, body and soul. My friend Valerie shared this link the other day, and it is right in tune with the mantra I am trying to keep up. The shared post lists 55 ways to gently take care of yourself. We all need to do more of this, so why not try 1 of the 55 today?