Like most people I crashed HARD after the holidays. Physically and spiritually I needed a couple, three weeks off before I even entertained anything. Shutting my brain off has always been a weird fear of mine. As much as I need it, sometimes it can turn on the slippery slope of the "big sads". I was sure that was going to happen, especially once we got the crazy cold temps. It was kind of the best time to hunker down for a few weeks, though. Nobody wants to leave that house when it's -20°F out.
I think I can solely thank Lin-Manuel Miranda for keeping the seasonal depression at bay. I've watched Encanto probably 30 times. No, I don't have children. I just really resonated with the story and the music was top notch. I was almost ashamed for wanting to watch it every day. Then remembered I'm an adult and nobody was here to tell me I couldn't do it, so why not watch it every day until the music wasn't stuck in my head 24/7.
Turns out when I haven't checked in for awhile I get chatty. Anyways, when it got super duper cold I decided to plan this years garden and focus on how close spring is! Thinking of the warmth and vibrant colors got me thinking of Valentine's Day and lovey designs!!
Look how colorful and beautiful these cards are! The rainbow one makes me so happy! The bee one and the ghost one are Valentine specific while the other two are general lovey cards that say "sending you lots of love" on the inside. They're surely to fight off the "seasonal sads" for anyone right now.
I've been a busy little bee this week! I've been approaching every season in the same way. If you've never been a freelance artist it's so easy to get overwhelmed before you even start. I'd wanted to design cards and other products for over a year before I finally said "now or never" in August and just did it! Those first designs practically fell out of my head onto the paper. I know that's not going to always be the case, so I've thought a lot about how I can make it easier for me to continue showing up. Basically, I start with the three "spooky" characters I created when I started the shop. I make them seasonly appropriate. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they're fun to make! It's a good starting point, anyway. I always brainstorm some ideas then see where the creative juices take me. I'm a huge fan of pen art, so I've challenged myself to create something like that every season.
Some of you may or may not know that I bake, specializing in some Scandinavian goodies. My grandma and mom have always had plaques with Norwegian prayers/blessings on them and I've always been fascinated with the folk art they were decorated with. It seems so easy, but my brain is not used to designing that way. I've perused a lot of the internet to get ideas. Obviously I don't want to copy anyone's ideas. It's been a fun challenge and makes me feel a little closer to that part of my ancestry.
What I'm REALLY excited for this season is...
expanding the apparel section of my shop! I found a new company to print through (I was struggling with the print quality during the last run of sweaters). This new company has a lot of different products to offer! I've been blown away by the quality of the samples I've gotten so far! I haven't gotten to add as much as I want to the shop yet, but I have a really good start!
Look at these cute kids clothes!
I'm so excited to offer these!
You can even match your kiddo!
AND have a matching backpack!!
OMG I can't!
There's so many awesome new products that I can't even begin to list them out. I went from like 40 products in my shop to about 115! I'm very proud of all I've been able to add this week. Go check it out and let me know your favorites; I'm excited to see what calls out to everyone!
Every season I get a little more confident in my abilities and it makes me extra excited to see how this little shop grows over time.
I hope everyone is staying warm and safe and keeping the "seasonal sads" at bay!
💜
