eastward bound – huge news

Sharing something super special with you today; I can’t believe I haven’t shouted this amazing news from every mountaintop in Canada yet! I hinted at the possibility of this news back in December with my post about meeting the ladies of Etsy Canada.  Shortly before the New Year, Elisabetta of Etsy CA personally invited me to apply to a special first time ETSY section at the Spring Toronto One of a Kind Show! I did an OOAK show once before in Vancouver, but it wasn’t halfway across the country, nor did it have anywhere near the attendance level of the long running Toronto Show. After a bit of deliberation, my beau and I decided that it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up, and that even though every big show I do is scary, we always make it out inspired, profitable and with a bigger and better business. At the end of January I got an acceptance letter from ETSY Canada & OOAK; I was selected as one of their 40 Canadian designers to be part of their special ETSY section!!! Can you spot yours truly above? I am so excited about this show, even though there is so much to prepare and make before Easter rolls around! It’s going to be a busy next few weeks leading up to our flight out east, but I can’t wait to see where this opportunity takes nature’s my friend. If you are in the Toronto area, you better come visit me! Click the image above to save $1 off admission :)

a new look for nature’s my friend

I am so thrilled to finally be sharing this very exciting news with all of you lovelies! It has been almost 2 months that I have been toying with the idea of re-vamping both my etsy shop and my blog, and it has finally come to fruition after a lot of planning, drawing, collecting, photographing and editing (and many other -ings in between like imagining, sourcing, smiling, stressing, worrying, etc). Perhaps you already noticed the change with the new blog header above! The online shop has had the most work done to it though, with new, natural and creative photos for almost all of my 100+ products. My hope is to generate more traffic, be included in more treasuries and have a boost in sales by shedding a fun and creative light on all of my animal art. I finally feel like my inspiration and my personality are not just demonstrated in my artwork, but are also now included in the photograph’s scene and ambiance. My shop and my creations just look so much more alive now; I couldn’t be more proud of all of this hard work. Along with the shop make-over, I have been quaking in my boots to post some of the new products I’ve created. The most awesome of which are my new round stickers / letter seals. These 20 beauties feature a plethora of animal portraits created in a variety of media including etching, silkscreen, painting, drawing and more. Animals included are: foxes, wolves, owls, deer and passerine birds. Stickers are available as a large group set of 20 or as animal groups in sets of 4. Take a peek:I have also rounded out my large rectangular sticker packs, and my glossy postcard packs, up to collections of 10 which include a couple of new designs like the proud hawk portrait and a graceful flying tree swallow. My rectangular stickers are now available individually like postcards, so get your favorite postcard and write to a far away friend or scoop up your favourite sticker and slap some nature wherever it’s needed! In celebration of the shop make-over and the new treats in there, I wanted to offer you sweethearts 15% OFF all orders made May 31st – June 3rd. Just pick out the nature inspired creations you’d love to own and during the checkout type in the coupon “NEWLOOK2012″ to have your goodies discounted! And for those of you who are always looking for a good bargain, I recently lowered prices on some items and moved them to a new SALE section in my shop. Thank you SO MUCH for taking a look at all of the adorable new product shots in the shop and please do spread the word if you like what you see! Also wanted to say a big thank you in advance for any favorite hearts or potential sales you may be responsible for. Much love to you all and feel free to share your thoughts and reactions to all of the exciting new products and visual changes, I’d love to hear them!

SPRING FEVER

I think everyone is itching for spring to arrive: more birds chirping, the sun shinning daily and visitors coming out of the woods to play. To get in the mood and to encourage the animals and landscape to wake up, I am having a BIG SALE in my etsy shop for the next 3 days. With the coupon code SPRINGFEVER25 you can save 25% on ANYTHING in my entire online shop! With over 100 items to choose from, you can now own that special nature inspired piece you’ve been eyeing up.  Don’t wait though, the sale is on only until midnite on the 9th!