Quick and Simple DIY for Keeping Your Boots

I love boots and have a lot of them! My mom told me about this great thing she found somewhere on the internet, she couldn't remember where. But I love it so I'm going to share it with all of you! =D

First take a simple pool noodle cut it to the length of your boots, stick it in and voila! It stands up and keeps your closet nice and organized! =)

Spotlight on Sharon Mooradian Designs

For all of you fellow creative types who love to decorate your home with pieces as colorful as your souls, have a got a shop for you! =)

From big pieces to the small every item in Sharon Mooradians’ shop is sure to make your other furniture jealous! Beautiful blues and pinks, oranges and purples everywhere! Hand-painted pieces and mosaics. Beautiful upcycled pieces to brighten your home.

No need to guild this lilly, it’s beautiful enough on its own. =)

ABOUT THE ARTIST

My path to becoming a decorative painter was a wiggly piggly road which I could only travel on at night, when I came home from a high pressure 9-5 office job. After cooking and cleaning up from dinner I could escape to my workroom. When there is love and passion about what you do, the energy is always there and so you take whatever time there is to do what makes you feel alive. When I couldn’t be painting a piece of furniture, I would be planning, designing and dreaming about it so there would be no wasted time sitting in front of a piece and wondering where to begin. Slowly but surely I created a few pieces and approached a local gallery that was willing to accept my work on a commission basis. That was fourteen years ago, the beginning of my wiggly piggly road where Sharon Mooradian Designs started. It’s a nice little road and hope to keep moving along this path, enjoying the trip and seeing how far I can go.

MY CREATIVE PROCESS

When I find a great piece of furniture or old frame, I sand, prep and base coat it. It’s what I call the “getting to know you stage”. While base coating all the nooks and crannies and curves, I get to know the piece very intimately! Then something I see in my daily travels will appeal to me – a piece of fabric, a color chip at Home Depot, flowers, dragon flies, music – it can be anything. Sometimes it’s looking through my kaleidoscope where I can see a myriad of luscious color combinations that I would never dream of putting together! Instead of counting sheep at night, I put myself to sleep imagining how the piece could look – visualize the colors and then the next morning, the fun work begins.

I really enjoy transforming an unloved piece of furniture. It’s very magical to me. The added bonus is when someone connects with the piece and loves it so much they want to take it home.

ADVICE FOR OTHER ARTISTS

My business advice is to go through every door that opens for you because you never know where it will take you. And yes, sometimes you have to knock on those doors to make them open. No one likes rejection, especially creative people. Just keep moving on to the next door. Never force anything, if it is supposed to happen, it will happen. My creative advice is to keep your eyes open - ideas are all around us, all of the time, pay attention and you will see them.

FAVORITE PIECE:

The Blue Willow Plate and Teacup Table is one of my favorite pieces. The table comes from fond memories of my grandmother. It’s a combination of faux painting and decoupage. The inspiration came from seeing blue willow china in an antique shop which reminded me of her. A few weeks later, I saw the same pattern in a magazine, beautifully photographed, like a gift. The proverbial light bulb went off in my head and the table was created. 

(My favorite piece too!)

THE END!

Well, she said it! =)

You can visit her shop, here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sharonmooradian

SharonMdesigns.craftlaunch.com

(Closer pic of that GORGEOUS table)

I Hearts My Kitties

They look like a heart, don't they! Had to share!! =)

I'm planning on getting them Halloween costumes this year but I can't decide which one! Check out the treasury I made of some of my favorite kitty costumes on Etsy, can you guys check it out and give me your opinion? =D

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTgxMjIyOTh8MjcyMzMxNjg1Ng/halloween-cat-costumes?ref=pr_treasury

Thanks you!! =)

Spotlight on Delicious HoBo

Today I turn the spotlight onto an incredibly creative jewelry artist whose work I find incredibly inspiring! It is truly one of a kind! Handmade from clay and chain each piece is a work of art worthy of being hung in a gallery.

But pictures are worth 1,000 words so no more from me, I give you:

(Don’t you just LOVE that name?!)

These are my absolute favorites! I want the sloth, he makes me smile!!

Short Bio:
I am a 25 year old who lives in a tiny apartment with my boyfriend of 9 years, Scott, and my very stinky dog, Rosie. There's no room for a studio, much less a dining room table, so every nook has become a storage compartment and every surface a workspace. Thankfully, I am completely addicted to crafting and can clay around anywhere!

What Inspired You to Start Your Business? 

Unfortunately, there wasn't an epic moment when I realized I should do this for a living. It was more like I was poor and loved new accessories, so I decided to try my hand at sculpting. Once I started wearing my pieces out, people seemed to respond positively, so I decided that I should try opening a shop.

What Inspires Your Creative Process? 

I definitely draw my inspiration from nature. I love to hike. I consider any excursion accomplished when I see an adorable animal or an awesome bird. It was only natural that my pieces would be filled with all sorts of creatures.

What is Your Favorite Thing You’ve Made and Why? 

I suppose it would have to be the “Birds and the Tree Necklace”. My boyfriend's mother always used to say we were “twitterpated” when we first started dating, and this necklace reminds me of that.  (Awww....!!)

www.etsy.com/listing/74297838/birds-and-the-tree-necklace-hand


What Advice Do You Have For Other People Who Want to Start or Grow Their Etsy Shop? It seems cliché, but I have to say it... Don't give up! There will always be times when you're stressed out or having a low week, but it's totally worth it if you love what you're doing.

Thank you so much for sharing! To see more unique and incredible pieces like these be sure to visit the Delicious Hobo on Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeliciousHobo 

Men & Women

“ In pop culture, girls who crush hopelessly on guys they can’t have are painted as just that – hopeless. Over and over again, we’re taught that girls who openly express sexual or romantic interest in guys who don’t want them are pitiable, stalkerish, desperate, crazy bitches. More often than not, they’re also portrayed as ugly – whether physically, emotionally or both – in order to further establish their undesirability as an objective fact. Both narratively and, as a consequence, in real life, men are given free reign to snub, abuse, mislead and talk down to such women: we’re raised to believe that female desire is unseemly, so that any consequent shaming is therefore deserved. There is no female-equivalent Friend Zone terminology because, in the language of our culture, a man’s romantic choices are considered sacrosanct and inviolable. If a girl has been told no, then she has only herself to blame for anything that happens next – but if a woman says no, then she must not really mean it. Or, if she does, she shouldn’t: the rejected man is a universally sympathetic figure, and everyone from moviegoers to platonic onlookers will scream at her to just give him a chance, as though her rejection must always be unfounded rather than based on the fact that he had a chance, and blew it. And even then, give him another one! The pathos of Single Nice Guys can only be eased by pity-sex with unwilling women that blossoms into romance!

— Lamenting the Friendzone, or: The Nice Guy Approach to Perpetuating Sexist

This is so true. I couldn't have put it better myself! Ever since I first learned about boys it was basically burned into my brain that women with a sex drive are whores and should be ashamed but men are programed that way so it's perfectly normal and they shouldn't be demonized for it. I just thought I'd share this.

Craftseeker.com

Craft and Arts Resource Website
Your number one resource for the craft industry
http://www.craftseekers.com/

Spotlight on Art Runs Deep

Todays artisan is a new seller on Etsy. While the art of origami and paper flowers isn’t a new concept I have never seen someone do what this woman does with paper! Centerpieces that are bright and eye-catching and sure to brighten any table and add a splash of color to any holiday meal or family dinner!

For those of you who have never tried paper-folding, trust me when I say it’s much harder than it looks!! I have attempted it and can honesty say, I have no idea how someone could have so much talent as to turn something so ordinary as colored paper into a brilliant work of art!

I asked Sophie to share with me a little about herself and her centerpieces:

My name is Sophie, I'm new to Etsy and only have 1 sale but because what I make is so different from what others make I'm hopeful for the future. 

I make origami balls out of post it's. I made them a lot in my free time and wanted to share them with the world so I started an Etsy account.

I love coming up with new color combinations and patterns which inspires me to keep creating. This is my favorite so far:

 www.etsy.com/listing/102965110/paper-centerpiece-green-purple-and-blue

The only advice I have is work hard and dream big. Good luck!

(This is my personal favorite!)

Thanks again Sophie for sharing with me and my readers! I hope you all will check out her shop and lend your support to a woman with a dream!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtRunsDeep