NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

So I was in the Etsy forums again and found out that they are discontinuing shipments and production of the Gocco printers.

For those who have one, they will still be selling supplies for the time being.

Does anyone know the shelf life of the inks??? I think I will be stocking up!

Fore more information, please visit http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=18414

If you would like to buy one, here is the etsian I bought mine from.

Zickezacke
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5583283

In the News...

Two Wednesdays ago I had a Family Art Night for Artist Trading Cards at my elementary school where I teach art. The story made the front news of the paper the next morning!

Last Wednesday was my school's family art night  for Artist Trading Cards that I put together. I had written a DonorsChoose.org grant (my first one ever) and it was funded by the Prout Family and Robert Hanley, CEO of Home Video Studio.

This fun-filled art night lasted from 5:30-7:30 with a special presentation half-way though the night and a DVD slideshow IMOVIE that I put together of all the students artist trading cards. 22 Different families totaling over 70 people showed up for this event throughout the night. We even had a reporter present (who some how began calling these artist painting trading cards?!) that took photos that made the front page. 

It was so nice to hear from all of the parents and see the younger students making the ATCs (because I do not teach K-2 to make these yet). One family even brought a huge box full of playing cards, old book pages, puff paint, sharpies, and more to go above and beyond in making and trading their cards! 

This night was special because I had recently published a book featuring Etsy ACEO artists and my Elementary School Art students.

All proceeds of this book go back to purchasing books for students and ACEO education. 

Check it out in my shop or at the Official Book Blog!

A Week of Treasuries and Good Luck!

(Mine is the Second Row, Middle Image)

So it was a record week for treasuries and I had an item on the FRONT PAGE for the first time. Now I have had 1 treasury on the front, and 1 item to my knowledge! It was weird because the same item was chosen for each treasury and it was not even an item I had listed that week.. weird....  You can own this ACEO today for only $3.00!

THIS IS THE ITEM THAT WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE

I also was in three other treasuries at once and had one myself.

Here are some of the screenshots from these collections for your viewing pleasure!

(First row, 3rd image)

(Third Row, Middle Image)

I also sold 6 orders of my Rainbow Crayons throughout the last week or so!

Oh wow! As I am looking around Etsy, I just had a convo about another treasury I am in. Different item this time....

(Third Row, Middle Image)

Travel Plans and Fun Finds!

Passport Wallet by Glassbeach (closed view)

6 Days left of my first year of teaching! 

I have loved every minute of it, but I am ready for the summer, to start making more of my new art, and for VACATION!

For those of you who may not have read previous entries, I am going on a cruise though Royal Caribbean the second week of June! I have been on several cruises, but this is the first time my boyfriend will be going on one. I was concerned that his passport would not come in on time, but it got to him within a week without the extra rush fee! Great job USPS!

I have been every bit please with USPS so far, which is not normal from what I have heard. Since I have upgraded to printing my own shipping and postage though paypal and invested in a scale, postal life has become much easier! There is even the sweetest lady in the post office that knows me by name (but calls me little bit) and is so kind, even when they are rushed.

Anyways, back to traveling...

I want to buy a passport holder, purse, travel pouch, something cool for the trip. I am leaning more towards the passport holder, even though the cool ones on ETSY are expensive. Here are some sellers and items I am liking the best so far!

Passport Wallet by glassbeach

I love the way this one below is organized! I need pockets!!!

Travel Organizer Wallet by Sewnsational

Graceful Cranes Passport Holder by Minmade

Passport Holder by ponyup

Which one is YOUR favorite???

More Treasuries

I got lucky yesterday and got a Treasury in Treasury West. It is a black and white theme and I am hoping it makes it on the front. It has a ton of comments.

I am also in a Crayon Crafters Treasury (many Etsians have now caught on to my, what used to be, most popular item)! My Original Mini Rainbow Crayons are featured!

I am FAMOUS! (Well.. Getting Closer at Least)

I have some exciting news to share with everyone!!!!

This past January, I saw a thread in the forums about a company looking for some crafters for a new feature. I was extremely interested, but knew a million others would be as well. Luckily, I was the third person to post and was contact soon after. 

The result is that I am now working for a company in NY who is working with S.C. Johnson (a Family Company) with this new feature.

Unfortunately I cannot include too much information in this post, but will post the links here so you can see the project, learn more about myself and what I do, and enter your own project at the site!

Check out my crafting project here!

I would appreciate any comments or ratings from you on the site!

Learn more about ME HERE!

Enter YOUR OWN CRAFT PROJECT HERE!

This month's theme is " Fun 'N' Games".

The winner may be featured in an upcoming Clean Home Journal TM  issue!

Cleanhomejournal.com

Click on "Show 'N' Tell"

Please let me know what you think and thanks for the support!!!!

Gocco Print Sharing

I wanted to share a few gocco prints from some etsians who read, posted, and replyed to my latest gocco entry!

***UPDATE 5/11***

I put a new gocco print in my Etsy shop today! I have it in both print and ACEO format so far, but wanting to make cards soon!

Etsian clearpink has the coolest gocco note cards in her shop! I love the fish and the flower one personally and they are a great price!

Lizplummer has sold several of her gocco prints and journals since opening her shop on December 16, 2007. She took the time to share these images with me in a post!

Visit her shop HERE!

Want to share your gocco? Just put some links of your work in a comment in this post and I will share with readers!

Buried Treasury and TimothyAdamDesigns

For the past few months, I have had the pleasure of talking and working with etsian TimothyAdamDesigns. I met found him on Etsy back when he was looking for artists for his second edition of The Handbook to Handmade. I noticed in the forums that several were interested in being a part of this monthly publication. At the time, it seemed like a lot of money, but when I decided to go for it, the spaces to be in the book were gone. 

Shortly after, I was able to jump on board and be in the third edition and get chosen for the cover (the Rainbow Crayons)! I loved the book so much that I joined again in the 5th edition as well!

Since then, Timothy now has a HUGE following and sells out of the preregistrations sometimes in 24 hours or less. Being featured in his book is in high demand right now and it is a great purchase for anyone looking to advertise!

He has even now come up with a $10.00 ad space you can purchase (which I have twice already), which I think is amazing because this book is sent all over the world. It is a great keepsake, promotional item, or advertising source for anyone's shop!

He has also gone on to develop several blogs that have become popular:

Critiques and Reviews 

His personal blog

And his newest, Buried Treasury.

BURIED TREASURY

In the new Buried Treasury blog, Timothy features Etsy-Minis of all types of shops. Anyone can be features and tagged on up to five categories. All one has to do is comment on at least two of the postings/shops and send him a convo. For more information, CLICK HERE.

I did this yesterday and within a few minutes, Tim had me up and running! 

Tim Says, ".....there are so many great items on Etsy that are buried under thousands of items......lets dig up these Etsy treasures and display them in a different and unique way. These Minis are active and can change when

 shop owners change their items"

I took some screen shots for you to see above and below!

Listed Etsy Items From my First Gocco Experience!!!!

Last night I made my first gocco screen and printed a small edition of prints and ACEOs from the "Paisley Ann" design!

Below are photos of this at each step from the sketches in my journal to the actual making of the screen and prints.

I have listed the actual prints in my Etsy shop ( limited edition of 10).

I have also listed two ACEO designs that are limited editions of 3 each of that style.

-"Paisley Ann ACEO"

-"Paisley Ann II ACEO"

I would love any feedback that you may have for me. 

I would also love to see what you are creating. Please share YOUR gocco prints with my by replying with a link to the item in your shop and I will post them for you in my future postings!!!!

My First Gocco Night

On a rainy Friday night, I decided to try my hand at my gocco and break it in for the first time. I was a little scared that I would mess up my first screen (because they cost $20.00 for the screen and bulbs that you can only use once basically).

Last weekend, I made two sketches of some interesting designs for my first print (see pervious entry) and hopefully make cards from. I prepared earlier in the week making photocopies in various sizes to see how large or small I wanted my design to be. 

I also went to Kinkos, where I grabbed a large stack of good quality card stock and had a staff member use the electronic cutter to cut the paper to the size I wanted (only about $1.40 per cut though the whole stack). It saved me time and cost me less than $10.00 for about 200 sheets of smaller paper cut perfectly (and only took 3 minutes after getting their attention). 

All I really did before beginning  tonight was look at the tutorials and step-by-step pictures that I had listed in my previous blogs about gocco. It was very easy and self explanatory for the most part. 

Here are some photos below from tonight!

This is just starting off with my photo copy on the gray sticky pad. 

Inking the screen! I was worried that I did something wrong because the screen looked like it had squares on it afterwards.

Did I put too much on the screen???

Ready to print my first one...

Press down!

Voila! My first print!!!!!

It was very easy to keep printing. I even made a few ACEOs! 

Look in my shop for my prints and a few limited edition ACEOs this weekend!