Christmas Tree Card

This is my latest greeting card!                     Below is a helpful Assembly Guide: 

 

 

 

 

Artist, Business... ARTIST

 

From today's Instagram post: I’m in my studio working on holiday card designs. I couldn’t resist doing Merry Chrysalis. I’ve had a good number of monarchs in my garden this year. Milkweed plants are treated with utmost respect and allowed to grow anywhere without disruption. It’s late summer and my favorite morning glories are creating a symphony right outside my kitchen window - an inspiration to do my dishes!

This has been the longest break I have taken since starting my blog 11 years ago. To be an artist, hopefully making a living doing so, one needs to appear on social media and share one's self - ON A REGULAR BASIS. Ah, but in there is the rub, or contradiction, or perhaps ruin. For me, being an artist means climbing high in a tree (metaphorically speaking) to be alone with my thoughts. Precious or perhaps ridiculous, my vaguely formed ideas are not yet ready to see the light of day - these ideas can not be shared or they will almost always FREEZE into the time and space when they were exposed like a camera flash. (Remember camera flashes?!) Imagine yourself on a path in the woods. If at some point you see a lovely tree and stop to shout to the world 'Look, here is a lovely tree!', you will miss what might be further down that path. This is what social media sharing is for me. Speaking too soon, stopping at the lovely tree, not letting ideas mix in the creative batter and soup of inspiration.  Artist, Businesswoman, it's a tough juggle if you ask me.  

So, dear universe, if you have found this humble blog coming from a little farm in Maine, and IF you were wondering where I went, know that I have kept to myself so that I may freely roam creative paths for the past several months.

My flower gardens had a wonderfully flashy season this summer. My phone is reminding me that it can not take anymore pictures of flowers, I need to deal with that.

This is a card design I created earlier in the summer. It's called 'Strawberry Jamming'. I'll add it to my Etsy Shop today. Happy autumn to you!

New Strawberry Greeting Card Design

This is my most recent greeting card design - strawberries! 

Possible uses: I love/miss you berry much!  I'm berry fond of you!  You're the sweetest!  Thank you berry much! 

Actually, I think it's just a lovely all-occasion blank card with a beautiful strawberry design. Almost a hint to the Art Nouveau style of art.

Strawberries are a significant crop in this area of rural Maine and they're delicious! Strawberry shortcake is a must when the Forth of July arrives. 

(Click the strawberry card to the left and it will take you to my Etsy Shop. Have fun checking out my work!)

This is our new rescue dog. He's kept us on our toes since early December. We're currently working with a very effective trainer in Montville because this innocent looking boy came with a suitcase of issues. Don't be fooled by the zen-like pose above! On the other hand, this picture explains why we love him whole heartedly. Note: I let him on this couch in my studio, but not the nicer furniture in the house. (He now knows the difference.) Originally back in October, he was starving and wandered onto the porch of a house in Georgia. The owners of the house fortunately got him into the canine rescue world and he ultimately made his way north to us. He's maybe 1.25 - 1.75 years old. We named him Renny. Renny wishes you a Happy Spring!

 

Luna Moth and Butterfly Cards

 

I've been putting together groups of cards in my Etsy shop. This is my Luna Moth and Butterfly set. I've also made a Birthday group and a lovely trio of Poppy Flowers. I'm seeing these new listings as 'variety' packs.

        

In addition to the Luna Moth, this group has an Eastern Tailed Blue Butterfly card, and a Monarch Butterfly on the third card. Technically speaking, this is a female Monarch Butterfly. Male Monarchs have a black dot on their lower hindwings, females do not.

Butterflies symbolize transformation, rebirth and hope. This just might be the perfect time to send someone special a butterfly card. Think how lovely it would be to receive a butterfly or luna moth in the winter months. It will show you really care and you have faith that summer will indeed return in all its glory.

I think it's still early enough in the year to post this quote. The background photo is out back, it's what we have nicknamed our 'lower field'. It's hard to see but the Sheepecot River is in between the trees and the snow covered field. Here's to making a wonderful new beginning in 2022.