In preparation for the busy summer season, I’ve been working on some new 1 inch button designs. How rad is the Bill Murray button? *squeeee*

Riggghhhhhtttt? I’m not usually one to toot my own horn, but I love him so hard. And that sounded dirty. Whoops!

Changing the subject – I have a new painting in the works too and will hopefully have her finished off tonight. Any suggestions for a name?

If I can get her scanned and UV coated over the next couple of days, she just might make an appearance at my next market – the Kitsilano Farmers Market on Sunday, June 3rd.

The Kits Farmers Market runs every Sunday until October 21st from 10am to 2pm. It takes place in the parking lot of the Kitsilano Community Centre – 2690 Larch Street at 10th Avenue. I won’t be there every Sunday (& definitely NOT in October!), but if this is in your neighborhood, do pop down to visit and grab some yummy locally grown produce at the same time!

]]> http://www.acageybee.com/in-the-works/1500/feed 3 http://www.acageybee.com/cagey-critters-a-new-shop/1451 http://www.acageybee.com/cagey-critters-a-new-shop/1451#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:42:40 +0000 admin http://www.acageybee.com/?p=1451 …Click to read more]]> I’ve been working on a new project over the last couple of weeks and it’s taken much longer than I was anticipating. I’ve been holding off on working on anything else until this one was finished, but if I had known it would take WEEKS instead of days? Yeah…might have rethought that whole plan! At any rate, it is finished now (almost) & ready for the big reveal – TA DA!!!

I started a second Etsy shop to house all of my silly critter prints, paintings and silver pendants – Cagey Critters. Huzzah!

My main shop was starting to feel a bit convoluted with so many items (5 pages worth!). Because the style of the silly critter animal paintings is so different from my wide-eyed girls, it felt like they needed their own home. Seeing them all on a page with the silver pendants mixed in looks so much more cohesive and much easier to browse if that’s the style you’re looking for. I can just imagine someone stumbling onto my bright teal rabbit print & then poking around the shop looking for another print to pair it with for decorating a kid’s room. And then finding…Richie Tenenbaum? Or my Day of the Dead print? Not helpful!

So what started out as a little housecleaning project ended up bogging me down for weeks as I figured out a name, fiddled with a banner, photographed all of the silver pendants & then edited those photos (which reminds me…I’m missing the monkey silver pendant. Whoops!). I think it helps to have a few shots of a model wearing jewelry too so that you can accurately gauge the size of a pendant. Shooting self-portraits where you’re trying to have a tiny piece of jewelry in focus? And not look like a dork? And you’re on your balcony where the light is better & it’s really cold out still & your nose is starting to run? Yeah. That’s the glamorous world of Etsy!

Minor whinging aside, I am quite pleased with the way the new shop turned out. It will be interesting to see how running 2 separate shops goes. People say that it’s twice as much work since you have to double your marketing efforts, but at least the marketing can be more targeted. For kids’ rooms and nursery decor, I can direct people to the Cagey Critters shop. A lot of my other work does end up in kids’ rooms too (like the robot print or the Where the Wild Things Are print), but it’s usually a bit older & definitely appeals to a different decorating style.

Let me know what you think! Any glaring errors or major mistakes? Do the images look weird on your monitor?

(sidenote: I edited all the pictures on my laptop & then sat at my main computer to start adding them into the Etsy listings. I ended up having to re-edit every single one of them because they were way too dark. Apparently the glossy screen of my laptop tilted at the angle that allows for comfortable viewing of the television whilst editing photos is NOT accurate at any other angle. Doh!)

Click to buy the pirate locket on Etsy

I’ve been photographing and updating my Etsy shop with the antique lockets that local shoppers have been snapping up at my market events for quite some time.  I love the style of the antique patina locket settings I’ve found and think they compliment my paintings perfectly – just like treasured heirlooms found in your grandmother’s jewelry box.

Click to buy the fox hat girl locket on Etsy

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect shade of Czech glass beads or tiny vintage brass charms to adorn the necklaces. This is precisely the reason why it’s taken me so long to add many of the styles to my online shop – if I run out of a certain bead or charm, I need to take new pictures. I have folders full of  pretty locket photos languishing on my hard drive, some with me wearing them too (oh, self portraiture…how I loathe thee!), that unfortunately can’t be used anymore because I’m completely sold out of a specific charm. Hopefully one day I can design my own and have them made specially for me. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Click to buy the orca whale locket on Etsy

All of the lockets open up too, so you can put your own little picture or note inside. Someone asked me what was inside my own the other day & I replied, “Nothing, yet.” I opened it up to show my curious friend what the inside looks like anyway & discovered a pill that I’d completely forgotten about! Apparently the lockets can also store medication, just make sure you set a reminder!

Thanks to coffee, I powered through & it was totally worth it. After doing an inventory of all of my work, I realized I’d missed a few paintings from last year! “The Little French Girl” (inspired by the movie “Amelie”) & “Dorothy” never made it into the shop as prints even though I’ve been selling them in person at markets for over a year. This has now been corrected and their smiling faces look quite at home in amongst my newest friends. Speaking of…may I introduce “The Seamstress”:

“The Seamstress” started as a sketch on the loveliest textured cold press paper. As I kept working with her, I began painting in some color, drawing a looping thread-like border and finally delicate touches of gold in the Singer sewing machine details. The original work sold just a few days after I’d completed her and I have to admit I was a little sad to let her go so quickly.

I’ve always admired people who have the patience and skill to sew their own clothes or stitch beautiful details into cozy quilts. I’d love to become a better seamstress myself, but my tendency to want to follow my own path instead of the directions can be a bit of a problem. A sturdy seam ripper is my best friend!

Hanging “The Seamstress” in your craft room might be just the thing to inspire wonderful new creations!

Also new in the shop are these little darlings, “Chloe and Vince”:

Chloe and her pet turtle, Vince, have been inseparable ever since she discovered him paddling around a rather large crystal punchbowl left on her doorstep. You can often see the happy pair out on their daily walk, making sure to stop for puddle splashing and the occasional carrot. In the evenings, Vince enjoys being read to, preferring the genres of historical biography and science fiction.

Click here to see more art prints for sale.

I have plenty more paintings and lockets and silver critter pendants to add to the shop, so my next task is setting out to photograph everything. We have such short hours of daylight and such cloudy overcast skies that this is proving to be a bit of a pickle. As much as I prefer natural lighting, I may just have to make do without. Or maybe book a holiday to a sunny beach somewhere instead! That counts as a tax write-off, right?

I finished some new paintings in my critters series recently & though I haven’t added the original paintings to my shop yet, 4 new prints are available. I’m excited about these ones because I focused on some more neutral background colors, which should mix & match nicely with the rest of the animals in my growing menagerie.

A Wee Birdie print, 8″x8″

Click here to visit the art prints section of my shop.

I’d like to shoot photos of them all, mixed up & in different arrangements to show all the possibilities. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to do that soon as I’ve got a little surprise up my sleeves for the holiday markets!

I’ve been working with a custom frame manufacturer based in the USA to come up with a really lovely framing option for these cute critters. I usually show a sample framed photo in my listings – square, white, clean lines. Unfortunately, frames like that are proving very difficult to find!

Mouse & Kitty print, 8″x8″

There is the Ikea Ribba option, but the square size they make (9″x9″) means you would have to get a custom mat cut. Also, since a lot of these prints end up in children’s rooms, I’m finding it difficult to recommend the Ikea frames in good conscience. Yes, they’re cheap. That unfortunately includes the glass, which is notorious in picture framing circles for being such poor quality that many framers won’t touch it. It shatters so easily that the framing shop I use won’t do a custom mat & framing job for someone bringing in an Ikea frame unless they also replace the glass. Yikes!

Miranda & her Baby print, 8″x8″

I’m feeling the pressure of the ticking clock as we wind into Christmas shopping territory, but hopefully I will soon have a framed print option that will include a made in the USA square white frame, custom cut mat & UV protective plexiglass – shatter-proof, easy to send in the mail & will protect the art itself from fading even when hung in the sunniest of spaces. Huzzah!

I had a great time at the Blim Community Market on Sunday, despite rushing back from Seattle late Saturday & getting very little sleep. It was a rainy day, so the shoppers were a little sparse, but that meant that I had time to chat with my neighbors & even do a little shopping of my own. How cute are my new earrings from The Tiny Fig??? Love ‘em!

One of the things I love about doing local craft markets is getting feedback on new products. I’m always trying to come up with something new so customers have a reason to return to my table month after month to see what I’ve been up to. (Unfortunately the shows have been taking up so much of my time that I have been falling behind in updating my online shop. If they ever master cloning, I could use an extra k.g.b. to shoot photos & list all of my new goodies while I’m in the studio painting. Wouldn’t that be nice?)

That said, I *do* have something new in the shop today – Acorn Bookplates ready to be personalized with your name!

I love the tradition of bookplates & am thrilled to add a second design to my growing bookplate collection. I’m sure the pot-bellied robot will play nice with the acorn girl. Right?

If you’re a Vancouver local & want to catch me this summer, here’s a list of where I’ll be over the next few weeks:

Upcoming Markets

May 30th ~ Portobello West

June 20th ~ Main Street Car Free Day

June 27th ~ Portobello West

I took the ferry over to Vancouver Island to visit my folks a few days ago & since I still had a pile of prep work to do to get ready for my market on Sunday, I brought it all with me. It’s so beautiful out there. If you have to do really repetitive work, (like, say organizing postcards into sets of 10 and then counting out 10 matching envelopes!), I can’t think of a nicer place to do it. My mom is an excellent helper too, so that made it go all the better!

Here’s a peek at the new postcard designs:

I have to get a bunch more ready for the Got Craft market this Sunday and then I’ll be adding them to the shop, along with my new magnet sets. Yay!

One of the side benefits of doing local markets is the way it forces me to adhere to deadlines. I know if I were left to my own devices, I would dream up cute new products, but they would linger in my sketchbook for ages while I spent my time painting instead of making *stuff*. I seem to work better under pressure, so knowing that I have a show coming up is a perfect motivator. Ideally I’d like to always have something new at my table, so people always have a reason to stop by. And because it’s fun, of course!

OK…back to work. So many things I want to make before Sunday! eep!

I can’t decide which one is my favorite, but the Royal Tenenbaums are definite front runners.

Also making an appearance, a bunch of new magnets with actual packaging (that I haven’t photographed yet, but am really loving), new postcards and new prints from some of the paintings I just completed for my solo show. The Amelie (with gnome) print turned out great!

I know, I know…saying this stuff without snapping pics = fail. I’m unfortunately running out of time again. (go figure!) The plan is to drive down to the border to pick up the last couple of packages I need from my US mailbox, then race back home, pack up the work I need to do before Portobello, then haul my cookies (& postcards & magnets & buttons) to the island to see my folks for a couple of days. I’ll be coming home on Saturday, so hopefully I’ll be able to enlist my mom to help me sort and package the postcards (& magnets & buttons) so that I don’t have to stay up all night when I get back. Thanks, Mom!

Also on my working holiday TO DO list? Put together 30 little treats for the Got Craft swag bags. People line up for HOURS before the doors open hoping to get a swag bag, so I don’t want to disappoint. Last year I tucked a bookmark into each bag & this year I think I’m going to do magnets. I had been thinking I’d go button, but I saw the super cute buttons another vendor is donating to the bags & don’t want it to be overkill, so. Magnets is the plan.

And now it’s just about 1 a.m. and I have to get up at 7 a.m. to drive to the USA. And I’m clearly babbling. Goodnight!

PS – my Etsy shop will also be getting a BIG update very soon! Starting Monday I’ll be adding new prints and assorted loveliness. Finally!

Alice and Dinah
8×10 print

After many late nights in the studio, my Alice in Wonderland series of paintings is, though not quite finished, coming along swimmingly. I’ve released all 3 of the portraits (in progress here) featuring Alice and Dinah, the Mad Hatter and the Duchess.

I do have one more to finish, but that will have to wait until after my trip. Did I mention the mister and I are going to Seattle? And then Portland? And then back up to Victoria? I’m super excited. Spring has sprung, the flowers are blooming and a road trip sounds perfectly in order. But before I go, I have to show off one more painting – a BIG one!

Alice in Wonderland
8×10 print

This is one of the two 16 x 20 canvases I’ve been working on & really loving. Painting that size means lots of room to play with backgrounds and add detail. I have to restrain myself a bit or I’m sure I could work on these for months! I’ve released one of the new big paintings as a print in my Etsy shop. The other one isn’t quite finished and it makes me a little sad to leave it in its unfinished state as I gallivant all over the PNW. Unfortunately painting + driving do not mix.

In case I can’t blog from the road (though I should definitely be able to Twitter), have a lovely week!

Zoe and her Skunk
11″ x 14″, acrylic on canvas
available in the shop

My new painting, Zoe and her Skunk, is now up for sale in my Etsy shop. I’ve been nabbing frames of various sizes when I see them on sale lately, so it was nice to be able to photograph it looking…finished. I don’t mind hanging canvas paintings without frames, as long as the edges are painted, but sometimes a frame helps a piece look a little more important, gives it a little more oomph. This is particularly true with the size of canvases I like to paint on. They can feel lost on a big blank wall without a frame to anchor them.

In other totally random, train of thought blogging, an audiobook recommendation – Stephen King’s Under the Dome. I’ve been listening to it over the past few weeks while I paint and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s definitely not an easy listen or read – there are some seriously disturbing scenes of violence against women – but it wouldn’t be considered “horror”. Think more Lord of the Flies for grown-ups. If you read (or listen to) the first chapter, you’ll be hooked until the very end, if for no other reason than to find out how the dome got there in the first place.

Now what should I listen to next?