Speaking of my husband, we actually got to go out on a date night this past week! We've decided to have a date night every three weeks. It seems like it's so easy to get caught up in doing so much work day-in and day-out, that we don't take enough time out to spend time with each other. We are going to alternate planning our date nights. This week was my time to plan! We went out to Bahama Breeze. He had never been there before and it had been awhile for me. They serve Caribbean style food and have a really nice atmosphere. I had yummy ribs with a guava glaze and he had a Cuban sandwich. After that, we rented Date Night from Red Box. It was just so-so. I wish I had picked something else, but we had so much fun taking the night off and hanging out. I'm already looking forward to what he is planning for our next date night!
Portrait of a Steampunk #2 - Constance
I finished a brand new sketch this week. It's funny, because I set out wanting to create Portrait of a Fairy #2, but this girl just wanted to be a steampunk! I started to draw her clothes and they felt very steampunk-ish, but I thought, well, I really wanted to draw a fairy, so I'll add wings! Well, the wings just didn't look right on her, so I decided to leave them off for the final version and change her to Portrait of a Steampunk #2. That just goes to show that you should listen to your muse, because she usually knows best! I tend to let things just sort of happen when I sketch and when I do that, I usually do my best work. When I try to fight it and make things different than the direction I seem to be naturally heading, my work suffers greatly. I think it's a battle with the whole right brain/left brain thing.
Anyhow, I am thrilled with the finished version! I had a naming contest and Lisa Cree won! I decided to choose the name Lisa suggested, Constance, for my newest steampunk piece. The name has a certain strength that I think works well and it just fits her perfectly! A big thank you to Lisa and to everyone else who suggested names. It's always so tough to choose! She will be part of my Portrait series, so her full name is Portrait of a Steampunk #2 - Constance. She is my 6th image in my portrait series!
Below are pictures of the sketch and of the digital lines I created in Photoshop. The linework will be used eventually for coloring pages and for rubber stamps through Sweet Pea Stamps. I hope you all enjoy her!
Etsy and eBay Store Changes
I just wanted to update you on some changes to my eBay and Etsy stores! In order to make my Etsy store the best it can be, I will be cutting back my eBay store to make it a bit more manageable. Keeping up with all my stores and my website x 60 images x 10 product types is a lot of work and hundreds and hundreds of individual listings! I want to be able to offer you a complete selection of images and products in at least one of my stores so that you can always find what you want, so I have decided to concentrate on my Etsy store.
Today, I will be changing my eBay store to only offer ACEO, 5x7 and 8x10 prints and only the most recent 15 images. If you are interested in seeing my full selection of images and products, please view my Etsy store. I will be working on getting that store up to date with all missing images and product types. As always, I'm happy to create custom listings in any of my stores to sell you the exact image, product and quantity that you're looking for! You just simply have to message me and let me know.
Also, all originals will now be sold on Etsy which is fantastic news for you all! They will be offered at a set buy out price, no more auctions, and the prices will be lower than eBay! My original sketches will also be listed on Etsy.
Thanks so much for your understanding! If you have any questions about the changes, please let me know. =)
To view my Etsy store, please click here.
To view my eBay store, please click here.
Original Sketches for Sale on Etsy
I have been listing more original sketches on Etsy this week. Many of them have sold already, but currently, I have two up for sale at very reasonable prices! I have two lovely mermaid original sketches, Emmy and Krista. Both are available for only $25. I used these sketches to create my original paintings. The original paintings for both Krista and Emmy have been sold, so this is a great way to own the original sketch that those paintings were based on.
To view my original Krista sketch, click here.
To view my original Emmy sketch, click here.
I have Arden and Cassandra all scanned in and ready to be listed, so be on the lookout for those this week. I have a feeling that Arden will be scooped up fairly quickly, so if you are interested in her, be sure to keep checking my Facebook page, because I will make a post there when I list her. I still have approx. 20-30 more to scan and list so I will be continuing to do this for the next couple months. And all of my new sketches will be listed as well. I have just accumulated a backlog of some old ones that need to be listed.
Coloring Packs - Number 1 & Number 2
I have had so many requests for coloring packs! Previously, I offered my coloring pages which were printed on artist quality paper and had a slightly higher price point. I also had my printable coloring pages. But people were requesting to be able to purchase an assortment of images together like a coloring book.
So, I came up with my coloring packs! Each pack includes 10 coloring pages. Coloring Pack #1 includes: Arden, Belle, Cassandra, Cassia, Heather, Sabrina, Neva, Zoe, Talia and Vienna. Coloring Pack #2 includes: Kiandra, Tabitha, Astrina, Angelique, Gwynth, Ryla, Tracey, Valencia, Edeline, and Telsa.
Each coloring page measures 8.5x11". The coloring area is 8x10" and is surrounded by a black border. This makes it super easy to frame your finished creations! They are printed on 110 lb. white cardstock with a slight texture. They are perfect for many different media including crayons, colored pencils and marker. When using marker, I recommend coloring with an extra sheet of paper underneath in case there's any bleed through.
They will come packaged in a plastic sleeve with a backing board and a colored cover as shown in the first picture, so they make the perfect gift!
Each pack is available for only $10!
To view and purchase Coloring Pack #1, click here.
To view and purchase Coloring Pack #2, click here.
Sweet Pea Stamps - New Rubber Stamp Set
I license my artwork to Sweet Pea Stamps and they create beautiful rubber stamps from my images! This week, Sweet Pea Stamps has released a brand new set of my rubber stamps for pre-order. This set includes: Belle, Heather, Malana and Zoe, some of my newest and most popular images.
You can create beautiful things with these stamps, and the best part is, as long as you follow my angel policy, you can sell what you make with them! Also, my newest rubber stamp set is regularly priced at $18, but is currently on sale for only $14.50! They will begin shipping March 11th.
To view and purchase my new rubber stamp set, click here.
Sweet Pea Stamp - Rubber Stamp Fan Creations
Sweet Pea Stamps has a fantastic blog where her design team and customers post their finished creations. I am constantly blown away by the talent of these designers and card makers. Seeing them use my artwork to create -their- own artwork has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my artistic career. I decided to make a photo album on Facebook and keep it up to date with all the creations made using my rubber stamps.
I will post just a few here, but be sure to check out my Facebook page here, to see all the creations.
You can also see the Sweet Pea Stamps blog here.
Originals Listed on Etsy at Reduced Price!
I have moved all my original paintings over to Etsy and have reduced their prices significantly! So if you've had your eye on an original of mine, you have got to check out my Etsy store! I have moved over Telsa, Belle, Ryla, Angelique, Cassandra, Astrina, Karmina, and Chandra. They are priced anywhere from only $125-200!
To view all my original paintings, click here.
Whew...I told you it was a busy week! Thanks to all who stuck around and made it to the end of that lengthy weekly wrap-up! Let's see...what's in store this week? Well, I hope to work mostly on Constance. I also have a commissioned sketch that I'm going to try and work on. I will also be working on adding some missing products to my Etsy store, because my goal is to have a fully stocked store for you to shop in.
That's all for now! Thanks for all of your support. =)
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