Etsy Shop Update -- Need your help!

I am making plans to update my inventory in the CCreech Studio Etsy shop and need your help! 

What do you want to see there? More artwork? More bracelets or earrings? Certain stones? Or, less of something? Let me know what you think! 

Check out my current offerings here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ccreechstudio

Comment with your suggestions and receive a surprise discount coupon code to use on anything in the shop as a thank you!

FOLK Magazine, Issue VI - My First Ad!

The mail arrived yesterday, and as my 5-year-old always says, "is there anything for me?" Since all the mail is usually for me (and my husband), I usually rephrase a bit to, "is there anything FUN for me?" Well, there was!

My first issue of FOLK Magazine arrived. This is issue VI of the young magazine, which started up in September 2011. The magazine is, by their own description, "devoted to presenting a fresh and youthful interpretation of simple country lifestyles. We focus on the stories that make America our collective home sweet home. FOLK reaches across the many representations of American Country style to celebrate personal expression in our homes, businesses, and lives."

FOLK Magazine is put out bimonthly (one issue every two months) and each issue has a particular theme. Issue VI is Vintage. This is my actual copy - sitting on my bead mat :)

Not only is this my first issue, but it is the first issue in which I have put an advertisement for my Etsy shop! I was thrilled to see my little ad in the middle of the magazine:

I have yet to sit down and read through the articles, but it is gorgeously laid out, and I can't wait to take a peek. Maybe when the kids are out in the sandbox this afternoon...

Being a new publication, FOLK Magazine is also growing by leaps and bounds, so if you are interested, check out their subscription page for details on how to get your own issue. They are distributed via most Barnes & Noble stores and other independent retailers nationwide so check out their store listings page to find which retailers carry it. (NOTE: as of today, August 1, the store listings page is being updated, so check back later to see if the full list is up!)

The thing I love about this magazine, in addition to the content, is the fact that they put an emphasis on helping American, small businesses and artisans obtain affordable placement in a national magazine. The current list of advertisers for this issue, including myself, are listed on FOLK's Advertising page. Links to online shops are included.

And if you have a small business that fits the FOLK genre and you are looking to advertise, you can contact Hillary Lewis, Director of Sales and Marketing, advertise.folk@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

My Feature on Artists in Blogland!

Are you curious to know a little more about me? Check out Artists in Blogland to see the post about me in today's Creatively Featured article:

 

Be sure to bookmark or follow the site to see other artist features and enjoy the wide variety of talented folks who are a part of this site. Thanks very much to Heather for coordinating and posting the article!

Small Business Saturday! Support Your Local Small Business, Including Artists!

Today is the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday! 

It is a wonderful opportunity to support your local small business owners, including artists and craftspeople, during this busy holiday shopping season. There are many talented artisans offering unique, high-quality handmade goods as well as artists offering original art of all genres on practical and fun products from print-on-demand companies like Zazzle.

Here are some great resources to get you started - check them out! I think you will find some terrific gift items for both the hard-to-buy folks in your life as well as some great gifts and stocking stuffers.

• indiExhibit Holiday Gift Guide on Pinterest - Offers a wide variety of styles and products, from both handmade and print-on-demand artists and craftspeople for everyone from kids and teens to men and women. All items are produced by the very talented members of The indiExhibit, a global group of independent artists and creatives. 
• CCreech Studio on Zazzle - my original botanical, nature, travel, and wildife artwork featured on a wide variety of print-on-demand products including cards, t-shirts, mugs, coasters, tote bags, iPad cases, and more. I have been creating a number of new products on newly offered items by Zazzle including gel mousepads (great stocking stuffer!), puzzles, notebooks, ceramic tiles and gift boxes, and plates. Definitely worth a look around! Lots of great discounts being offered as well - check out Zazzle coupons as well as weekend deals. 

 Other artists worth checking out:

• Country Mouse Studio - Zazzle store of artist Carole Barkett offers original watercolor and digital paintings of favorite subjects including birds, wildlife and all of nature.
• Lynne Reichhart Fine Art - Zazzle store of artist Lynne Reichhart offers original artwork including archival prints.
• Bugs, Beasts, & Botanicals - Etsy shop featuring the art of Mindy Lighthipe.
• Bibliographica - Etsy shop of Louise Thompson, a New Zealand artist offering unique hand made journals, botanical photographic studies, & miniature wearable treasures.
• Mary's Jewelry Designs - Texas-based jewelry artist Mary Bishop creates beautiful and affordable pieces, many of which use some of my favorite semiprecious stones like jasper and agate.

Whether you shop from any of the above stores or your favorite local artist or small business, be sure to show your support this holiday season and all year 'round! 

Happy shopping!

Photos from the indiExhibit at the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards Gift Lounge

Here are some additional photos from the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards gift lounge where The indiExhibit had a booth. The group distributed swag bags containing items donated by indiExibit members to visiting celebrities and included handmade jewelry and other handmade items, prints and products featuring original artwork, books written by members, and more. We were fortunate to also have included the first volume of IE Magazine, featuring member ads, a great way to further promote the independent artists and creatives who are our members.

This was my first big events with The indiExhibit, and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to participate! I have an ad in the IE Magazine, and I was able to include a binder for my display item that featured my Woodland Peony illustration and my contact information. My swag bag item was a simple, but elegant packet of botanical seals featuring two of my other original botanical art pieces, the African Daisies and my Daffodil. 

Below are just some of the celebrities who came by The indiExhibit booth and received our swag bag. Yes, I deliberately chose photos that show my binder, either in the front or the background. :) As you can see, the celebrities often hold one of the display items for the photo.

Jim O'Heir of Parks and Recreation - holding my display binder!

 Alan Cumming

 Beverly Mitchell

 Joe Mantegna

 Kate Linder of The Young and the Restless

 Nia Peeples

Scott Adsit of 30 Rock

There was a great deal of interest in and support of The indiExhibit's mission to elevate the brands of independent artists. It was a very successful event! 

For more information on The indiExhibit, founded by Shannon Justice of Lollipop Labs, visit their webpage or find them on Facebook.

Notice anything new?

Why yes, that's a new logo! :)

I am excited to debut the new look for my business - check out the updates on my website, store, and Facebook page!

I love the simple, yet professional look of the logo. It was created for me by a graphic designer, Alejandro Farfan, who walked me through a creative brief and three rounds of suggested logos before I decided on what I wanted.

Three rounds for something so simple, you might ask? Yes! It turns out that analyzing how you want to represent your business takes a bit of brainstorming. I found it very interesting to think about, for example, whether I wanted an emblem-type logo to symbolize my business or just the business name, a logo in color or black and white (the text, especially), what type of graphic I wanted to include, and whether I wanted a larger, more involved graphic vs. a smaller, more subtle one. Not to mention, having in mind my audience, who I market my work to, how I want them to view my business, etc.

Alejandro was instrumental in taking my comments and ideas and putting them into visual form. That gave me concrete examples that I could then look at, think about, decide what I liked and didn't like about them. I was sort of surprised that I decided to go with just the text of the business name, but after much thought, I feel that the final result truly represents me and my artwork. Simple and elegant, yet personal, reflecting my interest in and inspiration from nature. I love it!

Have you ever gone through a similar process for your own business? What did you find most surprising about the process?

CCreech Studio featured on ArtPlantae Today!

I am happy to share that I have been featured in an interview on the blog ArtPlantae Today, a wonderful online resource created by Tania Marien whose aim is to increase botanical literacy by encouraging an interest in plants and nature through illustration. It is and educational website to connect artists, educators and naturalists.

Tania graciously offered to interview me about my experience with Zazzle, and how I use it to introduce my art to a broader audience. Read the full interview here!

While you are there, feel free to browse around - there are many fantastic posts interviewing very talented contemporary botanical artists, classes near you, and a store offering books and more.

Hope you enjoy and thanks to Tania for the opportunity!

Cyclamen - finished! Ink and colored pencil.

Here is the finished cyclamen. I think it turned out pretty well, I always end up feeling like I used a heavier hand than intended when I see the final product, but if I let it rest for a few days and come back to it, I tend to like it more. I think this just is my style of colored pencil work at the moment and that's OK! :)

Hope you enjoy!

Find new products at Zazzle featuring this illustration!

Cyclamen in progress - adding color

I've started to add colored pencil to the cyclamen drawing. Still have a good bit to go and lots of shading to add, but it's coming along!

New Facebook Page for CCreech Studio - please stop by!

Hi everyone,

I have created a new Facebook page to showcase my work, especially my Zazzle store products. Please stop by CCreech Studio and take a look! And don't forget to click the "Like" button if you would like to have automatic updates.

Thanks for your support and have a creative week!

Need shopping ideas? Unique stocking stuffers? Stop by my updated Zazzle store today!

Happy almost Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a wonderful start to the holiday season.

I have been hard at work updating my Zazzle Store in anticipation of the upcoming holidays and have added a number of new products in the last week. You may have noticed the Zazzle panel to the right here on my blog that shows some of the products available.  Much more is listed on the site itself, so please stop by to take a look!

All products feature my original artwork and include:

• Note cards and greeting cards
• Stamps
• Labels (return address--great for holiday cards!) 
• Ornaments
• iPhone Cases 
• Mousepads
• Mugs 
• Stickers
• Tote Bags 

Many of these items make great gifts for corporate groups, school groups, garden clubs, etc.

Keep in mind that all of the products are customizable. For example, you can add your own  text to create a custom return address labels for your holiday cards, or add your name to a custom iPhone case, etc.

If you are interested in getting email updates in the future as I continue to refine the store, add new products, etc., you can click the Fan Club link, and choose Join a Fan Club to be added. Or, feel free to just leave a comment (with email info or where I can find your contact details) for me on this post and I will add you to my mailing list.

Good luck with all of your shopping adventures, wherever they may be!