Wow! Time flies when you are having fun. This last week has been hectic. But then again, Christmas always is.

I've avoided the shops because the after Christmas sales are on. I went up today to get some more paper for my printer so I can print out my zine.

This is a little pouch I made today. I wanted something smaller than my wallet and this seemed to fit the bill.

I saw one similar on Etsy and really liked it. I figured I could make my own, which I obviously did.

I will make it wider next time, but this will do for the moment. Until I have the money to buy the wallet off Etsy that I want.

It has two zippers. The front one is for coins, the back one for cards and notes, etc. It's lined with a bright orange print.

I've also been making lots of crocheted dish cloths. I'll soon have enough to put some up on Etsy. I want to sell them in packs of 3. They are good to make while I'm lurking in the Etsy chat rooms...lol.

How Much Do I Heart Etsy?

Etsy has become one of my favourite online hang-outs. There are a lot of great artists there and I find so much inspiration just from browsing the different categories.

So, in tribute to Etsy I made this felted ACEO to tell the world how I feel.

The whole thing is done on a piece of pink felt. I've added red, orange and purple fibers and dry felted them onto the pink felt. I then added the purple felt and felted that on too. I didn't want my person to be naked.

I added the beads and charms and whip stitched the whole thing to a piece of yellow felt.

I'm very happy with this piece. It's currently for sale in my Etsy shop.


This piece was done for a collaborative charm necklace project that I am heading up on Etsy. This is the charm I made.

It's a felted piece on purple felt, with beads. I sewed a piece of purple fabric to the back to hide the stitching.

This will not be for sale for some time. It is going to America where it will be incorporated into a necklace. Then the necklace is being sent to Belle Armoire for possible publication. Once the necklace has returned home it will be put up for sale on Etsy with all the proceeds going to charity.

I had lots of fun making this charm. I was up at 7am this morning working on it in my jammies cause I had the idea running around in my head.

And this is really how I feel about Etsy. It's a wonderful community of sellers who support and help each other. If you have any doubts, just go look at Etsy for yourself.

New Textile Art

I finally relegated my inner critic to the corner and had some fun yesterday with some textile stuff I've been wanting to do.

This piece is called "New Beginnings". It's based on Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." It's 4" x 4".

I'm extremely happy with how it turned out.

It's done on a base of purple felt and timtex. It is free motion stitched using verigated cotton thread. I've added some dyed silk waste and free motioned over that as well. I then beaded the piece.

The back is a piece of purple felt and I stitched the layers together using a satin stitch using the same verigated cotton thread.

It's a really yummy looking piece. I've added it to my Etsy shop and I'm hoping it will sell quickly.

Blessing Dolls

Blessing Dolls are a 9" doll for giving to babies and small children. They are designed and made by me. They come in any colour you can imagine. They are nice and squishy, and machine washable.

I created these dolls after looking through the doll and toy section on Etsy. It seemed to be full of monsters. I wanted to do something positive and uplifting for both parent and child.

This one is called "Amy". I have two more which are ready to go into my Etsy shop. This one is already up.

I'm hoping they will be very popular. They are quick to make up, and cheap to buy.

I'm happy to take custom orders too. I can make them in any colour you like.

On a different note, I have started writing the first issue of my zine, which will be available in my Etsy shop on January 1st. It's named after this blog, and will include at least 2 patterns, info, reviews and lots of general rambling by me. So look out for that.

I'm Over The Moon

Well, I've finally done it. I've done another little quiltie. This one is 7" x 7" and is soooo perfect for your little girl's room.

I had lots of fun making this one. And I've actually quilted it too on my machine. So I'm very proud of it.

It is for sale in my Etsy shop. I'm hoping it will soon go to a new home.

Today I have to work on a page for a friend's fabric book. Here theme is "Alaska". I've decided to do something rather abstract this time. No pictures printed on fabric, but purely fabric and thread and maybe some yarn stuff. I'll be sure to post pics when it's done.

New Fabric Postcard

I just made this fabric postcard today. It's much nicer in person than the scan shows.

I made it from upholstery fabric, angelina fiber, buttons and beads. I'm planning to make more of these using different fabrics, trims, beads, images, and anything else that will go onto a fabric postcard.

I'd love to sell it in my Etsy shop but don't know what I should charge or what section to put it in.

I think I would like to charge around $10 - 12 US plus shipping. Your comments and thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Are you Dirty? Then Read On

I have found one of the coolest sellers on Etsy.com (trust me, there are a lot of cool sellers...me included). She is kind, helpful, quick to give compliments, and I've never heard her say a bad word about anyone. On top of all that, she sells the coolest soaps, lip balms, and other stuff too.

So, who am I talking about?

You really want to know?

It's bradli of course. You'll find her shop here.

Please go and check her shop out. She's got lots of really cool stuff. And if bradli can't get you clean, no one can!

I've Got A New Banner

AbbieRoad on Etsy was kind enough to do this new banner for me for my Etsy shop (click on it for a larger view). I just love it. My old one was really boring, pink with writing and fuzzy edges. This is brilliant! I love it so very much, so I'm going to give AbbieRoad a good plug today.

Abbie is a graphic artist. She's now a stay at home Mom so designs all sorts of cool stuff from home. She can do logos (I'm going to ask her to do one for me next year) and banners (as you can see from mine). She's also incredibly helpful and very easy to work with. Please check out her shop. I'm not affiliated in any way, just a very happy customer.

New Items on Etsy

I've added 3 new listings on my Etsy site today, and shall be adding more hopefully tomorrow.

I added this necklace set. This is the first set I've made and I'm really happy with it, considering I made it totally from beads in my stash. I'm hoping it will sell quickly as it's at a good price and there is free shipping.





I also listed this cute little purse. I made it out of some Debbie Mumm fabric I had laying around. I'm very happy with this. Yellow isn't my colour so I'm hoping it will go to a good home. Would make a wonderful gift for the quilter in your life.


My life is going pretty well at the moment. I have sold some items on Etsy this week, but would love to sell much more. I would also love to sell some of my supplies off my main website. And that's going to be harder now cause the company I am doing my major advertising with stuffed it all up so instead of it coming out in December's issue, my ad won't be in until February's issue. And the magazine doesn't come out until the end of the month. So I am a bit peeved about that. So am trying to raise some money so I can advertise elsewhere as well.

I know it will all work out, but gee it's a bit frustrating at the moment.

NEW YAHOO GROUP FOR AUSSIE ARTISTS

I have been searching for a Yahoo Group for Aussie collage and mixed media artists but haven't been able to find one. I wanted a group where I could network with other Aussies who are doing the same sort of thing as me. So a friend and I got together and we've created one. It's called Aussie Art Addicts. With Christmas coming up and people being so busy we're not expecting many people to join before January. But we're hoping that the word will start to spread in the New Year.

The picture to the left is an ACEO that I made yesterday. I've put it in my Etsy shop for $5US, which includes shipping to anywhere in the world. While you're there please check out my other items. Mention my blog in the comments and I'll throw in a cool gift for you. I'll be uploading some more stuff in the days to come, including a handbag (which I'm almost finished).

I've had a good week. Sold one of my dolls on Etsy, and sold a bracelet to a friend. I'm hoping this next week will be even better. It's getting close to Christmas and it's not looking good for me.

Don't forget that I have lots of goodies on my main website for sale. Some of them would make great Christmas gifts for any crafter's you know.

I hope you all enjoy the time leading up to Christmas. It's supposed to be a great time, but instead it seems to be a time of rushing and stressing.

MY CAFE PRESS STORE IS NOW OPEN

I've been receiving such good feedback on my artwork lately that I decided to open a Cafe Press store and put my artwork on different items, such as mugs, t-shirts, magnets, etc.

Right now I have available a magnet (also available in a pack of 10) and a postcard (pack of 8). I will be adding more artwork and more items on a continuing basis.

I have a quirky sense of humour, so that is mostly what you will see there. Here's the link: Addicted To Art Cafe Press Store . Please check it out and let me know what you think. Thank you very much.

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: ARTchix Products Finally Available

I finally got my website updated today with a large order of ARTchix stuff that's been sitting here for a while. I've added a bunch of paper collage sheets, fabric collage sheets, German scrap papers and Rubber Stamp Sheets.

I'm so excited cause I love these products so much. The images are fantastic to work with, whether you're making ATCs or large collages. I especially love the rubber stamps. They're photo stamps, so when you stamp them they look like a photo.

I hope you'll drop by to Addicted To Art to check out the new products. All prices are in Aussie Dollars.

The ATC shown here is one I made using an image of one of the sheets I got in. This is a great Christmas ATC. The papers are Basic Grey, which I also stock.

Turbulant Week

This week has been a turbulant week for me. I've been back and forwards to the Drs several time, but now have the right diagnosis and medication.

I've spent the week doing lots of art to try and drag myself out of this pit called depression. It seems to have worked as I'm feeling quite good today. You can see all my artwork, including what I've done this week, on my Picture Trail.

I've also spent a lot of time looking through the current issue of Somerset Studio. There are lots of projects in there that have inspired me, but none more than Belinda Schneider's rubber stamped desk calendar for next year. I sat down and created my own yesterday afternoon. It was lots of fun using my rubber stamps. Most of the paper art I do is ATC size and many of my stamps are too big, so they don't get used as much as I'd like. I used lots of different stamps in the calendar. Once again, you can see the whole thing on my Picture Trail. This is a project I definately enjoyed, and will be trying to organise something for next year on one or more of the groups I belong to.

This week I'll get back into doing stuff for my business. I seriously need to make some money. Now that I'm on more meds money is very tight. It doesn't help that no one is buying from my website.

One of the things that I am introducing to my business is the option to view products via a Party Plan type situation. This can be done 3 different ways, as a demo, as a make and take, or as a class. The demo doesn't cost anything, the make and take is $5 and the class is $20. The hostess gets hers for free, plus she also gets a 10% discount on anything that she buys on the night. At the moment the only classes that are available are ATCs (paper) and Microscope Slide Pendants. I'm hoping that next year as my monetary resources increase that I'll be able to add some jewellery classes too, such as chain maille, earrings, and some wire work.

If you live in Orange, NSW, Australia and would like me to do a party for you, please leave a comment and I'll email you to discuss details.

Depression and Grieving

The last couple of weeks have been interesting. I have really been missing my late husband, Bobby. He passed May 2005, so it's been 18 months. I haven't really grieved, I guess I've been too busy. Things haven't been going as well as I had hoped and my money is getting low. I'm really missing his regular income, having someone to talk to and bounce ideas off.

I know he would be proud of me, of how far I have come and what I've achieved. I've changed a lot in the last 18 months, I wonder if he would recognise me. I'm more sure of myself, of what I want, where I'm going, even though I still may be unsure of how to get there.

Anyway, the whole grieving thing has caused me to be very depressed so I've been to the Dr and she's given me some meds and sent me for grief counseling.

I've also been giving myself therapy in the form of sewing. I've had quite a break from doing any sort of sewing but am now getting back into it. I made a healing Angel doll yesterday. It's so cool. I got the idea from the article in Cloth Paper Scissors, but didn't really like the faces. I had these faces I got from ARTchix Studio (which I now stock) so I used those instead.

I'm really happy with the way she turned out. The image on her chest is from Paper Whimsy. She reminds me of me when I was that age. She represents me. The Scripture verse talks about how God sends his angels to minister to those who will inherit salvation. The doll is created by me to remind me that no matter what I go through I am not along. God's angels are there helping me, strengthening me, and encouraging me through each and every moment.

So the depression isn't as bad today. Creating helps me to focus on other things rather than what I'm going through and how I'm feeling. I guess you could say "I create away my troubles". And with God's help I know I will heal.

Etsy Seller - bentN2shape

You gotta check out this guy's stuff. He makes all sorts of stuff from plain old wire. He does everything from jewellery to little figurines. This is my current favourite:

http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=590470

It's a horse, of course...lol.

He's one very talented but bent guy! Love his stuff. He's his shop link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=92603

Go check it out. Remember, Christmas is coming. You might find the perfect gift here.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

I have finally got my FREE online zine and forums up and running. They have been running for a couple of days now. I have a few articles up, and will be adding more as the days go by. I have quite a number that I want to write, and I'm hoping some of my readers will be happy to contribute articles as well.

Go to my website where you'll find a link on the main page to the zine. The zine is called "Art Addicts Anonymous". Please sign the guestbook and let me know what you think.

On a different note, this bag is one that I finished recently. Easy to make and lots of fun. It's a good size, perfect for church. Big enough to hold all your bits, but not so big things get lost. There's one inside pocket, but when I make more to sell I'll put 2 inside pockets, and one outside pocket.

I have a number of bags on my etsy shop. I hope you stop by and have a look. I am happy to mail anywhere in the world. I also have some doll patterns, and some small pieces of artwork that I've done.

Well, it's that time of the day, dinner time. So I'm off to cook spag bol and a nice blackberry self-saucing pudding for desert.

New Classes Scheduled for Orange

I am running some classes in the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, including some Christmas crafts. I thought it was high time I started sharing what I know, as that is what I want to be doing anyway.

I will be teaching classes on ATCs, Microscope Slide Pendants, Journal Jars, Christmas Ornaments, sewing and a bunch of other stuff. Details can be found on my website. Just scroll down and click on the link that says "Classes".

At the moment I am only running classes in Orange, NSW, Australia. I am unable to travel to teach at this stage. Give me another 6 to 12 months and I will be ready to travel to teach.

I will have products out on display for sale.

This is a venture that I'm really looking forward to. I've wanted to teach craft for quite a while and believe that I am now ready.

Keep an eye on my website and my blog as I'll have a big announcement in a couple of weeks. I'm not saying anything except that it's "free".

New Artwork

This is a small collage (it's 4" x 4") that I did some time ago. It's one of my favourites, and currently for sale in my Etsy shop.

One of the most important things that I have to remind myself is that it's okay to dream big. My dreams are really big. There's so much I want to do, but dreaming big is one thing. It's doing the little steps in between that make the big dreams become reality.

I've had to learn to set goals and mini goals. The mini goals help me acheive the goals, which help me achieve my dreams. If you don't set goals along the way you'll get discouraged and your dream will remain exactly that, a dream.

The little girl in the collage is so sweet and so young. It's important to encourage our children to dream big in terms of what they can achieve. It's all about accepting the dreams of the children and encouraging them to work towards those. If they can learn while they are young that dreams can come true, then they will acheive great things throughout their lives.

The image in the collage is from Paper Whimsy, her wings are butterfly wings from ARTchix Studio. Please check her out on my Etsy shop. Thank you.

Welcome to my adventures

This blog is about my adventures in art, business and life in general. First, before I get distracted, a bit about me.

My name is Johoanna and I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). I'm 34, single and work from home. I have a business called "Addicted To Art". I sell mixed media art supplies, including unmounted rubber stamps, collage sheets, Tim Holtz products, and a whole bunch more. It is internet based. I also teach art related stuff, such as ATCs, altered art, freeform hand embroidery, sewing, textile art, and a while bunch more.

You can find my site at http://www.addictedtoart.com.au .

I live with my cat, Mojo. She keeps me sane. She's a medium hair ginger cat with the fluffiest tail I've ever seen. I swear she has persian in her somewhere! I'll post a pic as soon as I can.

Now, here are some sites you need to know about. The first one is my picture trail site. This is where I post all my photos of my artwork. I have noted on the ones I have available for trade. If you'd like to trade all you have to do is email me or leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Here's the link: Johoanna's Picture Trail

The next one is my Etsy site. This is where I put a lot of my artwork that I make for sale, along with patterns and magazines I have for sale. Here's the link: Johoanna's Etsy Shop

I do hope you'll check those three links out and let me know what you think.