About Me: Part 2

My specialty and why I chose it.

This I am actually just now figuring out. :-) The problem with me is I love EVERYTHING arts and crafts related. I do maybe 2 or 3 of one thing, then want to move on to something else crafty I am thinking of! My mind is just way ahead of my hands. But, I don't want my shop to be a miss matched frenzy of randomness.....so I have recently decided to narrow it down to three categories: crocheted items (blankets, headbands, scarves, etc), paper goods (cards, journals, etc.), and painted wooden items (wall hangings, puzzles, etc.). As my husband Michael said to me: you don't want to be a jack of all trades but a master of none. I want to be able to pick something and really master it.

I chose these three things because: they are things I really love, I feel like I could master them, I can think of a lot of avenues to take these categories, and I feel like at craft shows..those three items are fairly unique. (They aren't jewelry and they aren't floral arrangements) :-)

So, I watched the move Fame for the first time the other day...and I absolutely LOVED what the character Jenny says at the end...so I have to share:

“There are a few things that Success is not…

Success is not fame, money or power

Success is waking up in the morning so excited about what you have to do that you literally FLY out of the door

Success is getting to work with the people you love

Success is finding a way of connecting and binding them together

Success is connecting with the world

Success is falling asleep knowing you did the best you could

Success is joy, friendship and freedom

Success is LOVE”

 

I will leave you all with that :-)

New items added to Etsy yesterday:

Here are some new items from Bringing Sunshine!

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82870302/journals-spiral-bound-blank-inside

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82870302/journals-spiral-bound-blank-inside

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85589381/yarn-boxes-no-more-yarn-rolling-on-the?ref=v1_other_1

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85589381/yarn-boxes-no-more-yarn-rolling-on-the?ref=v1_other_1

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85589381/yarn-boxes-no-more-yarn-rolling-on-the?ref=v1_other_1

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81304497/crochet-purses

View Etsy listing for more info/to buy: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81304497/crochet-purses

About Me: Part 1

In the next couple of posts, I wanted to let you guys get to know me a little more. So, this is Part 1 of 5: How I became an artist.

I can't tell you when I became an artist, because as far as I can tell I have always been one. I have always loved art; it has been one of my passions in life. I was in Honors Art in middle school and also went to a summer art camp, which I absolutely LOVED.

Created sometime in middle school at summer art camp: charcoal

In high school I was in the Art Club and also went to the Governor's School for the Arts summer program (well, until I got homesick and begged my mom to come get me. lol)

Created in high school art class: watercolor and colored pencil

Then in college I majored in Graphic Arts. I would have loved to major in visual arts....but I figured I needed something more marketable. :-) I really liked my major and when I graduated I had a job as a graphic designer for about 3.5 years.

A flyer I created at my previous graphic design job.

I still did small projects for my house or for friends and family. But I soon realized that a cubicle setting just isn't for me (still do some freelance graphic design though). And I still longed to create with my hands rather than technology. So I took a leap of faith, quit my job for a part time job at a cupcake shop, so that I could also work part time as an artist/crafter. And I have loved every minute of it :-). This has only been in the past 6 months-ish, but I have already had ups, downs, made lots of contacts, and had to figure out my business logistics. I am pretty excited about what the future holds for Bringing Sunshine!

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for Part 2: My specialty and why I chose it.