i would like to share some of the goodies i have had made for opposite of far. i love having these little touches to add to my orders.
business cards (and all other logo designs) from my talented friends jared & callie- schlemmer media designs
(contact schlemmer media designs via schlemmermediadesigns@gmail.com)
return address labels by less ordinary designs
little pins by black sheep limited
circle sticker labels by less ordinary designs
it’s still early in january and i’m not quite organized yet. well, not as much as i’d like to be anyway.
i am still on the lookout for a calendar for our kitchen! i have an awesome antique railroad clip board (from mom) that is perfect for hanging a calendar. last year i printed a simple word doc calendar there but i was hoping for something more fun & colorful this year.
isn’t this a lovely little wall? it deserves better than a plain ol’ boring calendar!
so…
i have been looking around on etsy to find just the right one…the problem is i like so many! which one is your favorite?
eight bear – animal wall calendar
1canoe2 – letterpress desk calendar
gingiber – little foxes calendar (she also has an owl calendar!)
paper sparrow – animal band calendar
so, is it weird that (almost) all the calendars i like have animals on them? 🙂
my studio calendar for the 3rd year is a beautiful collection by sally harless:
sadly harmless – wall calendar
we also have a csx calendar from my mom- she has a photo featured on the month of march!
but we still need a cute one for the kitchen….which one? or should i just print a simple word doc calendar again this year?
i do not like resolutions. they are a set up. a conspiracy. they disappoint and ruin self worth. they allow me to make excuses and justify when i could be laughing, creating, enjoying. i decided several years ago to nix the resolution come new years eve. instead i like to inspire myself, challenge, even. this is different from a resolution because i’m not promising anything to myself…i’m not setting a concrete outcome that i can’t or won’t meet. that’s no way to start a new year!! not for this girl anyway.
last year my bff {hi allison!} participated in a lovely tradition with friends: they lit candles inside of paper lanterns and let them fly into the new year full of whispered wishes, resolutions, goals, dreams, etc. every person has their own idea about what the new year could bring and how they hope to find it. allison shared with me that she whispered “back to basics” into her lantern. she had her own personal ideas about what this meant for her. to me it meant something else altogether. i was forced to slow down (correction: STOP) last year around this time. i had been laid up with back trouble and was looking miserably at another surgery come march. i was absolutely devastated with my current situation. everything i wanted and tried to do hurt me. everything i had planned was dashed. i was left with laying on the couch all day, everyday. this may sound glorious, but it is only glorious when you have been working hard and as a reward you get to spend a lazy day on the couch. anyway, for me back to basics was a way for me to organize my thoughts, feelings, hopes, goals, wants, plans, etc. i focused on “when i’m better”. those days were long and torturous, but i did so much sketching and dreaming too! that time was when opposite of far really came to life! i started this blog and shared my plans. little dolls came to life on my sketch book pages, i opened my etsy shop, applied for a show in june (my first with opposite of far, i was willing myself to be “better” by then), and i started making plans to get more involved in my local art community. for me back to basics was just the mantra i needed to not only get me through the dark days of being stuck inside, but it helped me look forward, reach out and develop what i really wanted! and looking back…i found it! i did it! i am happy, healthy, successful, and fulfilled!
so that brings me to 2012~ what is my mantra this year? allison and i have discussed a few options.
allison came across this one:
hello 2012 calendar by blush face
and i found this one:
believe – wall art by seed and sprout
then i checked my e-mail and allison had written about the book she is currently reading the elegance of the hedgehog. allison wrote: “…and there was a part where the little girl starts thinking… (in so many words and butchered by me) that its so easy to tear something down. So easy to quickly forget or move past or not see good in something. Or maybe just to crash through life or something. But its much harder to build. But building is where all the beauty is, where all the good things about humanity come from. So the girl decides to make an effort to build.” {now i need to read this book too!}
i love that.
so in 2012 i will focus on building. focus on enjoying the building, not the finished product. process over product (that is the mantra of every quality preschool teacher i have ever known…maybe we should all look back to childhood!) i think the believe wall art really fits with this sentiment too, so i will be incorporating both into my new year! what are your resolutions, considerations, mantras, plans, goals, etc for 2012?? please share!
and for some musical inspiration, please enjoy this video!
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my aunt ann shared with me her daily mantra recently. she finds her mantra brings her daily unexpected gifts- she believes “putting it out there, in the universe” and really, truly believing is quite powerful!
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{another great message i saw today on instagram via hulaseventy‘s pic of a gorgeous piece of graffiti: trust your struggle
if you are on instagram check out her pic}
this pic found here…hmm…apparently this phrase is popular among the prison crowd. well, still a good message, no?!
the 2011 bloomington holiday market was a success! my friends were all very happy crafters at the end of the day!
my good friend talia from conduit press shared her booth with me!
talia’s hollow books, leather journals, clocks and planters make magnificent gifts for just about everyone on your holiday shopping list! it’s not too late to shop conduit press for the holidays! {for clocks and planters, send talia a message!}
near&dear dolls, professor foxes
opposite of far is still taking custom orders for dolls, animals, & masks for holiday orders….but only until dec. 10th!!!
my other good friend, elizabeth makes fabulous clothes for little girls- all organic and completely original designs!
elizabeth’s clothing is B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. seriously- these hats, dresses & separates will put a smile on any little girl this holiday season!
brand new design- the hoodie dress…SO CUTE!
elizabeth & her mom also recently started *bets & mags* – super cute padded carriers/covers for ipads and e-readers! giving someone special an ipad, notebook or e-reader for the holidays…well i think these pretty carriers make the perfect wrapping! they also fit beautifully into stockings hung by the fire with care! 🙂
sally is my favorite print maker! if you need holiday gifts for friends, family and yourself check out sally’s shop!
…and more pretties from the 2011 holiday market…
ah, the famous bloomington tuba santas!
gorgeous dried bouquets
hand-died & homespun yarn
my favorite part of the holiday market…the reindeer!
i am SO in the holiday spirit this year!
*more to come on our christmas decor at home and other holiday preparations!*
please enjoy the latest photo of custom masks!
check out this adorable family in san antonio, texas!- they dressed up as fantastic mr. fox characters!
this afternoon i went to the farmer’s market/ a fair of the arts to visit the lovely Talia of conduit press and Sally of sadly harmless. both their booths looked great! it was quite a hot day but full of energy and happy people! markets are stressful and don’t always pay off financially, but the energy keeps you going back (as an artist). just the exclamations of people admiring your art can make a long hot day worth the effort.
i hope Talia and Sally, along with all the other talented artists, had a great day!
whoa! i can’t believe i missed it! i have surpassed 1000 views on this little blog in just about 4 months!
thank you very much to those of you who stop by my humble little space.
i cannot write tonight, i also cannot sleep.
but i do want to give you something, so here is a collection of some special summer items from etsy. i wanted to do 1000 but that seemed like an awful lot, and would make like 4 pages of photos- for only one post!!
{remember 100 day in kindergarten? i loved 100 day}
johnny vintage-vintage suitcase
leVintage Maison- vintage lunch set
VitalVintage- vintage camp stool
conduit press- vintage encyclopedia hollow book
the greedy seagull- 60’s woven clutch
curbside curator- vintage pennants
twin hearts vintage- 80’s shades
the bold banana-i like naps shirt
alley cats vintage- vintage straw hat
a velvet leaf – vintage metal tray
scout dry goods- vintage yellow dress
i have lots of good things to say about lots of good people:
to captain husband- thank you so much for being my booth buddy yesterday!
to allison- my new lumbar pillow saved my back yesterday and forever!
to all my friends who stopped by to say hello- you brightened my day and made me feel loved!
to everyone who “ooed and aahed” over my work- you made me feel so proud!
to the organizers of IHE- you did an amazing job of organizing the event, thanks a million times to you!
and…
to all the wonderful artists i had the pleasure of sharing an event with yesterday-
i feel so grateful to be in the crafter world with all of you sweet and talented people!
listed below are only a handful of the lovely people i met and admired yesterday. please click on their links and show your appreciation for their contribution to a more beautifully handmade place to live.
some new favorites:
{abby, thanks for trading with me! i can’t wait to meet up for crafting next time i’m in cinci!}
{deb and her mother were our lovely neighbors for the day}
morninglori on etsy and morninglorivine blog
{mike and i were both completely obsessed with every single sculpture by lori! her work is truly unique and stunningly beautiful!}
lolley on esty and kathleen lolley’s website
{kathleen’s work is even more amazing in person…especially her shadow boxes!}
matt cipov on etsy and matt cipov website
and some familiar favorites:
{laura…i’m exited to join in on your little crafter group sometime soon!}
since i am only mentioning a very select few here, please check out some of the artists listed on the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange vendor page! there were so many great artists there!!
OH! the food {duos} and beer {sun king brewery} were also amazing!
today i thought i would share a few of my favorite foxy prints from etsy
sass and peril- red fox screenprint
blackoutwell- portrait of a fox
drkennedyjones- punched tin dreaming art print
marissa frances- feels like a fairytale boy
berkley illustration- red fox print
iota illustration- two fine foxes print
sadly harmless- sail close to the wind
ashley percival- fox and bunny
fuzzy ink- nighttime nuzzle print
and there are so many others!
This week I am participating in a give-away on a blog called White Sugar, Brown Sugar. This is the blog of an adoptive family- Rachel, Husband, Miss E and Baby E. Their children came to them through trans-racial, domestic, open adoption. Rachel saw my little etsy shop and fell in love with Near & Dear Doll-Louise. She asked if I would be willing to offer one free doll to her readers as part of her give-away month. So, from Monday, May 9th until Friday, May 13th you can enter the give-away to win one free doll of your choice. Just go to White Sugar, Brown Sugar to read the details! You might also learn a thing or two about your truly!
In preparation for and in honor of Rachel and her give-away this week I have made some new African American dolls! Here are the 5 I just posted this afternoon:
::Beatrice::
::Corina::
::Super Marcus::
{his cape has a dinosaur on it!}
::Samantha::
::Thomas::
There are several more dolls to come, so keep checking in!
It is so thrilling every time I see that someone has “favorited” my shop or one of my items. Thank you friends and family for your continued support while I pursue this great and exciting venture!
And don’t forget to pop over to White Sugar, Brown Sugar to enter that give-away!
opposite of far 