A fresh take on business

Well, business has always been a bit of a dirty word in my book. As a creative person I have looked at business as something that proper people do and not something that my brain was ever properly designed to deal with.

I have realised though that in order to become the artist that I want to be, to develop my skills, create beauty and also be a positive role model for my little girl, I need to work on the business side of my creativity.

I have been making lots of connections, working on my teams on Etsy, joined the Indie hour, a support and network group for fellow small businesses (hello Jill and Peta!) and joined some great groups on Facebook. 

Some of the best articles I have read recently include:
The Design Trust 
How to sell your crafts online

There are lots of articles. Really good ones. So I will be going back for ongoing advice.

Etsy on working together and focusing on your target market
Marketing your shop together

A brilliant article that really helps you to focus and how to work with your online teams and buddies.

My creative mind is being expanded and I am enjoying the process. 

I haven't got to the number crunching bit yet though, but I promise I will. (Mentally uncrosses fingers). I will, I will, I will!

But not today. Now is sleepy time for baby and it's #wineoclock for me.

Card giveaway

My first giveaway!

I am giving away one frameable, keepsake card to three lucky people.

Each one is signed, titled and dated and looks lovely in a simple frame. (So you might want to keep it for yourself!)

 All you have to do is like my Facebook page, glitter and earth and share the card you would like on your timeline. Simples! 

You have a really good chance of winning as my page is quite new.

I shall select winners on June 6th at 8.00pm.

Good luck x

Spring in Cornwall

It's happening slowly. Just wanted to share some recent photos I have taken.

This is my front garden.

Sea thrift

Gorse.

There's magic in the air!

There's a lot of magic around at the moment, especially with the sun shining. Cornwall is transformed from a granite cage into a paradise with a stunning blue ocean that once again seems inviting. The air feels fresh and hopeful and the hedgerows are blossoming with whites and pinks. 

All in all it's very pretty!

I was inspired by Massofhair's suggestion to enter the pan pastel palette challenge and it's been on my mind all week.

I decided to do an entry in Tabitha's journal that included elements  of our days out together.

I'm quite new to journaling, but it's nice to have some freedom to explore shapes and patterns without getting too hung up on results.

I picked a flower so that I could do a close up study of it. 

Driving to the top of Sennen has been lovely this week. Tabitha has slept for a couple of hours each time, while I have been able to let my mind wander whilst doodling away.

I used the cd case to squirt my acrylics onto and baby wipes to clean my brush with. I used one of my stamps for the leaf pattern at the bottom, but was happy just using a brush to fill in the colours with.

My last few days

This is a slice of my last few days. A little bit of sunshine. A happy baby in between the teething and beautiful Sennen. 

Inspiration

So I've been getting into the whole stamping thing and was really inspired by Gennine

D Zlatkis whose beautiful imagery and striking stamps gave me the bug. Two blocks of speedy carve later I feel as though I have got some decent stamps that are fun to play around with. 

This is my mermaid painting that inspired my stamp.

I painted her after a trip to Ireland and the original title was The Mermaid of Lahinch because I channeled the energy of the place into the picture.

I'd love to go back to Ireland! Great waves and a wealth of fairy tales and folk lore. What's not to love?

I think I might have a glitter habit

I just love glitter and sequins. Not so much when the cat swipes an open jar onto the floor, but even then it's kind of pretty!

I went shopping for some new pots the other day only to get them home and find I had duplicated the same colours. Note to self: check stash before buying more!

It won't go to waste though, I've got plenty of cards to make.

New cards

Well I have slowly got there! Early mornings have been the only chance I've had to play with glitter, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far.

 My biggest problem at the moment is taking decent photos. It's been pretty dark over the last week and my tiny miners cottage doesn't get a great deal of light.

I get a tiny corner of sunshine in the late afternoon and then I am frantically trying to clear room!

However. I have ordered a Lightbox that I am hoping will solve my problems. It looks awesome! Really small and so it will fit into my home and you use it with a smart phone. It won't arrive until June though and so I will just have to hang on until then.

Anyway, this is a sneak peak of my work. My baby has had no naps today so I haven't had a chance to list them on Etsy yet.

Now it's time for a couple of chunks of chocolate and yesterday's episode of Nashville. 

Oh yes.

(Tabitha did however manage to stand up without holding onto anything for a couple of seconds. I am a very proud momma!)