Meet Liss Silverwing

I met Liss Silverwing in a Tophatter handmade auction one year ago. She was selling these neat hand painted pendants. 

I immediately fell in love with her style because each pendant looked like a wearable piece of art. Heck, she even signed the back of each one like artwork! It didn't hurt that she was a huge Michael Jackson fan, either (I used to own the sequin glove when I was five and "Man in the Mirror is one of my favorite songs... hard core). This is a digital painting she did of the King of Pop. Amazing.

I recently met back up with Liss on Facebook. I was so excited to see she had a Facebook page for her work and an Etsy shop, too, since I also use these methods to sell my work. Liss explained she's looking for more outlets to show new people her work, so I offered to write this blog about her to introduce you all. 

Liss Silverwing's process for making these unique pendants is somewhat of a secret, but she was kind enough to tell me some of it: set a casting stone, paint it, let it dry, then ship it to it's new home.

 
Check out this unique piece of wearable art that Liss did of Marilyn Monroe. She really made it special using a holographic mosaic process that catches all the colors of the rainbow when light hits it. 

CLICK HERE to view this pendant in her Etsy shop. It can be yours for only $27, which is a steal for a one of a kind art piece. 

Other items in her Etsy shop, Cute Little Things by Liss Silverwing, range from a very affordable $7 to just $37. She offers digital paintings, wearable art pendants, and these neat ACEO cards. 

ACEO stands for "art cards, editions and originals." They're like trading cards for artists. I've thought about making some years ago, and after seeing Liss Silverwing's cards I have the itch to make them again. 

Here are two of her ACEO cards that I've got my eye on... 

The card on the left is available on outbid.com. You can CLICK HERE to buy it. Bidding starts at only $20! Liss said she was inspired by a painting on the back of her son's bible to make this card. I love the color of the sky and the way she captured the ocean waves. 

The card on the right is available in Liss' Etsy shop. CLICK HERE to buy it for just $37 while it's still available! She calls this one "Love Never Fails" and used an intricate design of various patterns that build up to the holographic mosaic heart in the center. 
 

Liss lives in Romania and ships worldwide. The pendant I bought from her on Tophatter last year came in a neat international envelope, too. It was so neat to receive a piece of mail from another country!

Now that you've met Liss Silverwing (and hopefully liked her Facebook page and checked out her Etsy shop) please leave her a comment below. Thanks a bunch, guys!

Animal Hospital Keychains

I received am email last month requesting a quote for a bulk order of keychains which would be resold in a vet's office. I was excited about the bulk order and having my keychains displayed for sale at a physical location... but a vet's office? I had to know more!

Ruby, the kind woman who contacted me, told me how the vet's office sells certain items in hope of raising money for needy animals. They had a financial donor until last year when he passed away. Now the office is trying to raise their own money by ordering items in bulk at discounted prices from artisans and reselling at a retail price. I respect the animal hospital for utilizing artisans and trying to raise their own money. Heck, I always say that buying handmade goods keeps the artisan community alive, so you know I was interested in helping their cause! 

I had Ruby's order done and shipped in half the time I quoted her. I made 15 keychains with Tibetan silver charms. The colors varied (she gave me free rein on the color schemes) and the charms had different saying like "never never give up," "live your dream," and "karma." 

Here's what Ruby had to say about the order once she received it:

"Could there be anything more beautiful? I think not! I love these and I bet they will sell... I want more!"

Ruby was right. She contacted me three days later to tell me that five keychains sold on the very first day they were for sale in the vet's office. How fantastic! She even sent me this photo of one of the wall displays where my keychains were being featured. It was neat to see some of the other beaded items for sale there, too.

Ruby has been taking her family of animals to Dr. Rourke at this animal hospital for a while now. She says the owner, Dr. Rourke is more caring than some other vets she's been to. Check out these photos of her dogs. (I love how Oreo is lounging on the couch!)

Personally I think dogs are cute as long as they don't belong to me. I've always been more of a cat person. I don't have any animals right now, but here are three of my past fluffy babies. 

Groucho was named after Groucho Marx because of his mustache. He was my shadow for almost 8 years. Trouble was HUGE. I adopted him from a friend at work, and he stayed with me for a few years. Starkey was the quiet one. I named him after Ringo Starr (real name Richard Starkey) because on the way home after adopting him he meowed every time The Beatles played on my mixed CD. 

Do you have pets? Gloat about them like the proud pet-parent you are in the comment section below!  

DIY Euro Coin Table

I got this neat bamboo table from a friend today. It's small enough to use on my porch, and the glass top will be easy to clean on an outdoor table. As soon as I got it home I felt a craft project coming on! All I needed was good music, my Circle K drink, and craft supplies.

I've had these Euro coins for years (found them all under the seat of my old GMC Jimmy when I bought it). Since it's not worth cashing them in at the airport because of their fees I saved them for something crafty. Today was the day to break them out and put them to good use.

 

I started with the copper coins around the outer edge. I couldn't glue them right up to the edge because there was a gap at the end of the circle, so they're about 4mm from the edge so that all the coins are butt up against each other. 

I used my E6000 glue that I got at JoAnn Fabrics for jewelry making. It dries clear and holds better than super glue in my opinion.  

 

The music I had blaring on my cell phone woke my youngest sister Jennifer up, so she and my niece, Gemma, came outside and kept me company. Isn't Gemma the cutest little girl ever! This is her "cheese" face. They live next door to me in a secluded duplex. We actually share a porch, so this outside table was for them, too! 

Gemma is such a ham in front of the camera. Jennifer took some photos of her while I was crafting.

It felt like forever had passed before I had glued down the first round of coins. It's a good thing I had some jams playing to help pass the time. Did someone say 90's radio? Yes please! Gemma came over to help me out, too... how sweet.

After the first row of copper tone coins were glued down I began to place more copper and some gold tone coins down for a second row to give the table more color and unique-ness. I had 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 cent pieces to choose from. The outside ended up being one full round of 5's with an inner circle of 10's and 2's because they fit together the best. 

Meanwhile on the other side of the porch... I guess I inspired more creativity! Gemma wanted to keep playing with the coins as they dried on the table so my sister gave her some paint, paint brushes, and an empty box to have fun with. Her creativity spilled over onto the concrete slab that is our porch, so now we can remember today forever!

Once I had the outer edge of the glass top table covered with coins I moved onto the middle of the table. I wanted to make another smaller circle, but I wanted to layer the coins to create more depth.

 

I used the 20 pieces because they were larger with unique edges. Besides, I only had one of the 50 cent pieces. (It took me a while to center that circle of coins on the table. My sister still doesn't think it's center. I think she's silly.)

I placed three layers of gold tone coins down first. Then I used some leftover 5 cent pieces and staggered them on top of the 20's so more of each coin would be visible once they were all in place. One more layer of 10's for another pop of gold and I was done!

Here's the table all complete:

I made sure the inner circle of coins was large enough for our community ash tray and tall enough to keep it in place. You could also put a small vase with some flowers there. No matter what you use there, the depth those coins add to the table is awesome.

I love how this table looks on our porch. Now all we need are new chairs (and more of them so it doesn't become standing room only). These old chairs have seen better days. Do you like the cartoon stickers my niece put on them? She was trying to dress them up for me.

(Jennifer and Gemma live on the left, and I am in the apartment on the right with my boyfriend, Will.)

Graffiti the World

My boyfriend, Will, found an older CD of his last week from the band Rehab. I've never seen a grown man so happy. I love how he gets attached to music just like I do. Turns out his nephew "borrowed" it last year. Maybe I'll burn him his own copy. 

Anyhow, Rehab was a one hit wonder 5 or so years ago with their song titled "Bartender Song" (which is hysterical). He's had the CD in our car for a couple of weeks now so I've had time to listen to the whole thing. You know how you start to mumble a song under your breath and keep the beat with your toes as you learn it? That's me in the car now. You see, our car's radio doesn't work so we rely on our extensive collection of (mainly 90's and classic rock) CD's. This CD has lasted a bit longer that others because I'm still learning it and Will has missed the crap out of it. 

So we're driving down the road one day and Will is thumbing through all the songs on the CD until he remembers them. I thought I heard a spray paint can (which reminded me of high school art class - always does) so I frantically tapped his hand away from the buttons. I wanted to hear where this song was going. Was it about art? Was it about huffing? Was it about arts and crafts? I had to know. 

The song "Graffiti the World" blew my freaking mind away. I haven't felt this strongly about a song since I had lyrics from Blind Melon's song "Change" tattooed on my chest. No worries though, I won't be tattooing Rehab's song on me... yet. This song has such a powerful message and I totally agree with every point it makes. Play the below YouTube video to hear the song. There's even some graffiti and other art during the video that kinda go along with the lyrics for you to watch. Tell me what you think of or how it makes you feel. I just can't get the song out of my head, which isn't a complaint. Enjoy.

I know some of the lyrics may be hard to make out so here they are in text form: 

You know, they say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
So vengeful and mother earth has been done wrong
And I think she's sick
Yo, she's puking up LAVA
Her nerves tremble along fault lines ready to drop an entire city of filth
that's been forced upon her
We built these towers of Babel and feel remorse for nada
The momma divorce the father
The children are dropping bottles
The rich get richer, poverty's hot under the collar
Taking prayer outta schools and we're trying to raise scholars
Creationism vs. the theory of evolution
Air, water, land, mind, body and soul pollution
Kids stepping on land mines from wars we're all losing
We're chasing false idols, erasing from our bibles the golden rule
the youth are becoming more suicidal
Who teaches them, you and I do
No wonder they want to fight you
Raised by hypocrites, you feel lied to. 

Graffiti the land with skyscrapers
Graffiti the sky with airplanes and satellites
Graffiti the minds of children with your man-made laws
Graffiti the world, I saw the writing on the wall

 

 
We've got ABC, NBC, MTV, TNT, the BBC, DVD, VHS, DSL, A&E, XTC, mp3, FCC, THC, NRA, JOB, ADD
The fight for free speech, lack of responsibility
Thieves in positions of power
Internet pornography
Guns in the home for fear that the next knock at the door could be death
The terrorists are in the White House and oversees
Racists, separatists, vicious militias
The Buddhists, the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians
Could it be our biggest barrier is language
Or is oil that important that one would inflict anguish
So cars can deplete the ozone on highways
That stretch across the land where Indians once raised families
We're in denial, the world is afraid
And you say there's no more slaves

Graffiti the land with skyscrapers
Graffiti the sky with airplanes and satellites
Graffiti the minds of children with your man-made laws
Graffiti the world, I saw the writing on the wall

 

 
We're addicted to planes, trains and automobiles
We're addicted to addiction
We dig living in fiction
For money, power, respect, the Army's got to go kill
They're under contract so let the blood spill
Sorta morbid ain't it this picture that I just painted
It's an epiphany I had
I realized just how tainted our thinking really is
While in New York when I saw a teenager being arrested for tagging a fuckin' wall. 

Graffiti the land with skyscrapers
Graffiti the sky with airplanes and satellites
Graffiti the minds of children with your man-made laws
Graffiti the world, I saw the writing on the wall

Getting the Word Out

As most of you know from my previous post, I am now in the process of writing my first book. My mind has been overwhelmed with fantastic ideas that I have been trying to keep up with. I can't remember the last time I was this excited about an art project!

This week I started to get the word out about postcard submissions and how other artists and crafters can be a part of my book. I have posted links on Facebook and Twitter, emailed blog writers, and contacted my old art teachers. I am giving everyone 5 months to complete and send in their postcards. I can't wait to receive the first one! 

I got an email back from Mr. Bridges today, my old art teacher at Harrison Arts Center. I attended high school there with a concentration in visual arts. I asked him to use my book as a school project for his current students and he said yes. Actually, he said "absolutely" in all caps, which just made my day! I wonder if he will send one in himself, too. 

I am still waiting to hear back from Corrinne at Pin & Tack. I used to be a guest blog writer for her. I would write for her once a month about the day in the life of a jewelry artist, which seemed to be popular. I asked her if I could write a one-time guest blog post about my new book and possibly get postcard submissions from her and her readers. She has a large blog following. 

The other big email I sent out was to Megan at Katie at Tophatter. Up until recently, I was a live auction host for Tophatter. I would frequent the handmade and artisan jewelry auctions to welcome newbies, cheer on sellers, and help liven up the auction rooms. It was a lot of fun! 

Tophatter has a blog called The Monocle & Moustache where sellers can share their success stories, DIY craft tips are given, and much more. 

Wait... I just checked my email and I had a reply from Megan at Tophatter. She said she's very interested and sent me a list of questions for the blog interview. Oh, this is just fantastic! Let's see, I will have to wait until after work tonight (every artist needs a day job until they make it big) to reply to her email. 

I have a few other things in the works as far as channels I've reached out to about my postcard book. I have Sunday and Monday off this coming week so I am hoping to start the cover art for the book. The cover will be my postcard and the back of the book will look like the flip side of a postcard. Neat, right? My sister Jennifer helped me brainstorm that one. 

You can click on the "Postcard Entry Info" link at the top of this page for info on how to submit your work. Please share the link with anyone you think would be interested. Thanks!  

 

Postcard Inspiration

Years ago, back in 2008, a friend loaned me a neat book called Post Secret. I'm not usually much of a book reader... at all. This book was more up my alley because it was entirely made from postcards, kinda like a picture book. This dirty secret book drew me in and hooked my interest. It's entire premise was based on anonymous post cards sent to the author with secrets drawn on them. I admit, the art wasn't anything to write home about, but the dirty little secrets were sometimes jaw dropping, which kept me turning pages to see how outrageous the next secret was. One of the most memorable was how a young woman had a crush on Hitler. 

Anyhow, I started randomly thinking about this book tonight, and then I started thinking about how receiving postcards, letters, and packages in the mail really brightens my day (and doesn't happen often enough). Once these two thoughts started to merge my brain was on overload! 


What if I were to take the same idea with receiving postcards or letters in the mail and compile a book about dreams and inspiration. I get what I like to call "artist's block" a lot, but all the books I've been able to find to unlock my next big idea are more how-to books and feel stale. I want to create a page turner that will appeal to every artistic soul looking for a sneak peak into the lives of other artists and crafters. Seriously, to be the fly on someone else's craft room wall for a moment would be amazing!

I've been reading this book (don't judge me) called The Everything Guide to Writing a Novel. My dad has said for years that he's always wanted to write a novel. During our novel-writing chats I started to get the itch to write something, too. I've always been creative, and I absolutely love expanding my artistic abilities. 

When I was 10 I vividly remember begging my mom for this book about how a woman (I'm sure her name is floating somewhere in my memory banks) became a writer. She was reluctant to buy it for me because she didn't think I realized what the book was about. Honestly, how may 10 year old girls request autobiographies at their school's book fair? I wore those pages out and knew I wanted to do something creative that touched the world like she had. I was fascinated by authors and poets! So yes, I bought my how-to book last September and began brainstorming. 

Oh, and you'll be happy to know that my dad has actually written a few pages of his book already! He's such an inspiration to me. 

My first idea was to write about my roller-coaster ride of relationships (which still may happen) but I was overwhelmed with the details right away. I put writing on the back burner for months, fearing that I'd waste all that time and energy just to find out that I suck at it. (Yes, shame on me...) When I got that familiar itch to write again I started this blog, which I love. Honestly, I've wanted to try blogging since I saw that movie Julie & Juliet. The thought of connecting to so many strangers who become fans and and friends (let's avoid the stalkers, okay?) is such a rush! 

So there it is in a jumbled 2am nutshell - I want to enlist the help of strangers to collect a book of inspiring thoughts, colors, images, and what-not. I'll spend some time tomorrow making sure my exact idea hasn't been done yet, and then I'll get the details down on paper (or in a blog text box, whatever). 
 
I'd love to hear what you have to say! Comment below or email me at uphilldreams@gmail.com

Hopefully, if my idea plants roots and grows, I'll be asking for letters and postcards soon, too! I would love to send something back to each and every person who writes me (I feel like I need to specify "snail mail" which is becoming a dying art form in itself). I'm getting very excited thinking about staying up until 4am writing thank you letters to all the hundreds of people who participate in my book to help other artists. Oh, I can't wait!

Business Facelift by Vistaprint

I've been working on ironing out my new logo since the beginning of the new year. My boyfriend, Will, and I came up with a surreal hill landscape because of my business name Uphill Dreams. I used Vistaprint's logo maker to fine tune our idea, and I fell in love with the finished product. 

Now that I had a fresh new logo I needed a unique and recognizable font to make all my sites and material flow and look more uniform. What a task! I must've downloaded over 15 different fonts before I found one that reminded me of the seed beads I work with. 

Then I had to update my Etsy shop, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, this blog, and who knows what else. Seriously, why are there SO many different social media networks with different size headers?! 

My business cards took the most time to update. They usually do. I'm super proud of the work I put into my business cards. I can't shake every hand that buys handmade jewelry from me, so my business card is like my 1st or 2nd impression. They're very important and have brought me some repeat business. I chose the Premium Glossy finish this time. It's something new Vistaprint had and my 80% off coupon code worked for it... so why not!

 

My old business cards displayed a few of my items on the backside in black and white. I thought it was a great idea to put photos of my work on my cards, but the lack of color didn't go over so well with friends and family. 

This time around I decided to go for full color printing, too. I can't wait to see them! It's like Christmas when my new cards arrive in the mail.   

(Business Card Front)  

 (Business Card Back)

 

Vistaprint really made it easy for me to streamline my handmade business and look professional. I've been ordering from them since 2004 when I was selling prints of my artwork. They've earned my loyalty for realizing that this starving artist was on a budget but didn't want to compromise quality. 

So the next time you're in the market for business cards or anything else business related (like a new logo!) check Vistaprint out. CLICK HERE TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE NOW! This is an exclusive 50-80% off link for my blog followers.

  

Have you ordered from Vistaprint before? Do you use a different company for your business cards? Leave your comments below!

A Week's Worth of Updates

First of all, thank you to everyone who purchased items from my Etsy shop last month. It's because of you (and my laughable savings account) that I was able to get a used car. It's a '91 Chevy Corsica. The best part... no payments!

Unless you've lost your transportation and had to rely on city buses, expensive taxis and family you have no idea how alive I feel again just by having my own wheels. My poor family... I knew my situation was getting sad when I called them and before they said hello they'd ask when my boyfriend and I needed a ride. Hopefully those days are behind us now!

I received a lot of awesome feedback on Facebook about my new gift packaging. I ordered these fancy white jewelry boxes and some stickers with my logo on them, but the package still needed something else. I had leftover hemp cord in my filing cabinet (aka my craft storage space) so I tied some of it around the box.  I love how it looked! 

Then when I was at Michaels earlier this week with my sister I saw this stuff called Wraphia and fell in love! I'm hoping to go back this weekend for some. It's a LOT more colorful than the hemp cord I have, and it's cheaper than dyed hemp cord. I think it'll be perfect for my packages!!! 
 
We originally went to Michaels for bead thread. I ran out three days prior, and I was like a crack head lookin' for a fix until I got home and threaded my needle. I hate that JoAnn's doesn't carry my cord (WildFire). That would save me a 45 min trip out of town. Did you know you can't even order things on Michaels website? They need to catch up to the era of eCommerce. 

My sister, Jennifer, was looking for art supplies. I bought her a new sketchbook last month and she wanted a colorful medium to use in it. I suggested oil pastels because they're my FAVORITE. I couldn't believe it when I saw that Crayola makes oil pastels! WHAT?! She bought them, and we had fun breaking them in that night. She grabbed my Rubik's Cube and I grabbed my boyfriend's boot for our still life.  

I got frustrated with the laces on the boot and Jennifer was upset that her outline wasn't "perfect" so I knocked out a drawing of the cube in 10 mins with no regard to actual shape. She thought I was nuts, but it did get her to finish her piece. 

There's nothing like being able to let your guard down and let go of that fear of creating a "masterpiece" that some of us get (I'm guilty). I'm lucky to have creative sisters to do that with. So... can you guess which cube I drew?  

Translator Needed - Inquire Within

I received my order of white jewelry gift boxes yesterday. Yay! I ordered them from Nile Corp, which is a jewelry supply and bulk jewelry wholesaler with no minimum order requirement. I've been receiving their catalogs in the mail for about one year, so I finally ordered from them because I wanted to start offering gift packaging. 

Imagine my surprise when I start to open this big box from a reputable company and find this hieroglyphic looking drawing with chicken scratch that I can't read. I took a few years of Spanish in high school and college (that was over 10 years ago... and now I feel old), but I still can't make out what the box says. 

Please, if you know what the message on the box says comment below. I don't know if I'm more curious about what the words say or why Nile Corp would send me a box like that. At least the actual product was in great condition and not gratified. I probably won't order from them again unless the have the lowest price by a large margin for something I absolutely need! 

Gift Packaging

I had a few buyers take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale of a free gift with every purchase over $10. I sure hope they like their gift (keeping it a secret in case a buyer reads this before they receive their shipment). 

Now it's time to update my Etsy store's sale for the holidays. Hmm... what to offer..... 

How about 25% off the entire order? My jewelry is already affordable, so that sale would make it a no brainer to order a gift for a friend or family member. 

I've got over 80 items in my shop right now and I have to edit each one individually. Etsy really needs to implement a global editor so save sellers some time!

A few weeks ago I ordered new jewelry boxes and stickers with my logo on them so my packaging is more gift-friendly. They should be here tomorrow.... yay! I think I'll set up a photo shoot with my new packaging and add a photo to every product so customers can see how their items will be shipped to them. This is my version of keeping up with the Jones'.

I love Etsy stores that do that! Check out WolfwoodCreations on Etsy. I love their jewelry packaging (see photo to the right)! The owner of WolfwoodCreations was nice enough to tell me where she got those adorable gift boxes. If you're in the market for some I suggest using her supplier, Rio Grande. I should've asked her about those boxes before I ordered my white ones. At least I have logo stickers and other craft supplies to spice them up a bit! 

Do you use gift boxes when shipping your items out? Comment and tell us what you do to stand out. If you're a buyer tell us your opinion on gift packaging. 

Desperate Times

My boyfriend, Will, and I were supposed to buy a used car yesterday that we found on Craigslist. I had talked the owner down from $750 to $650 via email (I had to make sure we could afford it before we asked someone for a ride out of town to test drive it). Will's unemployment check was delayed a day because of Thanksgiving, so I emailed the owner and said if our money cleared today that I'd call and make an appointment to see the car. 

Well, his money did clear.... but he didn't get all of it. You see, the Florida unemployment office has been withholding 40% out of each bi-weekly check for old court fees from years and years ago. Those fees should've all been paid two weeks ago, but I guess my numbers were wrong or their system doesn't automatically update (my money's on the latter). I emailed the unemployment office but we won't hear back from them until Wednesday. 

The good news is that Will was called back into work starting this Wednesday, but the bad news is that he has no transportation to get there. His shift starts an hour before city buses even run, and our city (the county seat) doesn't have it's own taxi service so other nearby city cabs want a minimum of $20 just to pick us up! Screw that. We've been giving my mom and his brother gas money to do things like grocery shop and wash laundry, but the inevitable cabin fever has set in. 

We've been without wheels for 5 weeks now. That's unacceptable to me, but I've always been very independent. I hate having to ask for help. Will's the same way, but he hates seeing me so sad and depressed. I think that's why he posted THIS AD on Craigslist earlier today. I even posted a link to the ad on Facebook and Twitter hoping to bring in more jewelry sales so we could buy that car. No luck so far, even though I did sell some beads in a Tophatter auction earlier today. 

We're still $110 short to buy that car. I'm not asking for a cash handout; I'm asking you to consider my Etsy shop when buying holiday gifts. If 5-6 people can each buy one thing before Tuesday we can get that car, Will can go back to work, and I can remember what it's like to smile.