Continued Inspiration.

Inspiration is everywhere! I'm here trying to make the most of this day which only comes once every 4 years. I just finished reading Design for Mankind's e-zine : Issue 2 which is all about inspiration. The e-zine promises a monthly dose of inspiration, "motivating you in your quest to accomplish each and every one of your goals." Erin, the woman behind Design for Mankind has put together thoughts from various creatives on what inspires them. If you have trouble finding where to download, the post was written on 02.25.08 I first learned about Design for Mankind thru my "week in review" from Indie Shopping I enjoyed it so much I felt it necessary to share! I still have the included artists' individual blogs and sites to look forward too for now and hopefully many more days of Inspiration in this wonderful life!

Inspired

At the moment I am looking out the window onto a beautiful sunny day. It's been a great day! I feel really excited about my business right now and all of it's potential. It's been one year since we packed up and made the move to portland from texas, which I think was the best decision that brian and I could have made. Although we miss all of our friends + family back home dearly, it has been a dream come true. I love more than anything living in a city full of artists and dreamers and people really working at what they believe in. Reflecting back on the year, I think one of the toughest things for me has been working from home. I know...how sad. I have all the freedom in the world, while some others are stuck working inside not able to see the light of day. At times, I get into my jewelry and art and get busy with all of the things that come along with running a small business and forget to go experience what the day has to offer. It's always inspiring and refreshing to be around people that are experiencing or have experienced the same things you are going thru. Last night I attended a workshop/meeting organized by Grace Bonney of DesignSponge that I had marked on my calendar back in october! It was a wonderful evening. Amy Ruppel spoke very candidly about her experiences as an Illustrator/small business owner. I have admired her work for years and it was great to learn that she is such a sweet person! There was also a woman speaking from Mercy Corps NW and Grace the woman behind DesignSponge and the fabulous evening shared some of her PR and Marketing advice. I'm happy that I went, now I've got more work to do!

35% off SALE

I'm so anxious for spring, that I decided to do some spring cleaning! I've discontinued 23 images from my site. I'll be posting new pieces in the sale section of my etsy shop daily for the next couple of weeks.

Time for a change

Happy Valentine's Day! It's been a beautiful Thursday. In the last couple of days, I realized just how much I've missed the sunshine and designing. I finished up my friend's save the date today. I was happy with the outcome and in the process, I realized that I need to spend more time on my art. I've been working on Handmade Julz as my full time job for almost 1 year now. Previous to that, I've always had a full-time job as a graphic designer. I think it's time to change things up a bit. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Hello Gocco

It's probably been close to a year since I last used my Gocco. I'm always amazed by that piece of machinery! Last week I designed a Save-the-Date for my dear for Cara to send out for her wedding in October. And yesterday I printed it! I also made lots of large magnets that will also help friends remember the special day. I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I'll post more pics tomorrow of the finished product.

Shoot Cupid + Crafty Wonderland

I've got 2 shows coming up this weekend! Yippeeeee! Saturday, FEB 9th SHOOT CUPID featuring PDX Street Artisians. The show will be at Plan B (bar) : 1305 SE 8th St. and Sunday, FEB 10th CRAFTY WONDERLAND