Back to School and a Fresh Start!

After a short blogging break, I am back and feeling great!

Today marks Day#2 at my new school and I am having a blast! I spent all June cleaning out shelves and cabinets, organizing supplies, and setting up my room. This made for an easy start this past week for me. I think I have this back to school thing down to a science because I have had several classrooms to clean out and organize over the past years...

Here are some photos of what my room looked like to start...

By the end of the week, I will post what the room looks like now! I am happy with the "final" product and excited for a great school year!

Are your kids back to school? My husband is a teacher as well, but he started at the END OF JULY!!!!!! That is nuts! Many states do not go back to school until after Labor Day, but at least I will get out in May.

I think I am Going to Go Crazy..........

This week has been crazy in the way or new customers. It is weird how business is because in order for me to sell more, I have to raise my prices. I had recently posted some new crayon designs. Usually my crayons are hot sellers, but I have not spent as much time promoting my shop and products with so many things going on  in my life and three separate projects that need to also be completed this weekend.  The good news is that I completed my first THREE wholesale transactions this week!!!

These orders were HUGE compared to what I normally create at a time. I am sure I have been breathing in a ton of wax fumes (but the crayons are non toxic, so I should be safe right) and that will take its toll in about 40 years. I am almost complete with all three except for packaging, labeling and shipping. The only thing I do not have complete are the Rainbow Butterfly Crayons(see picture from previous entry) because they are so slow and time consuming to make! THEY ARE DRIVING ME NUTS! These large crayons are the coolest ever, but I have to make them one at a time. I have 10 out of 60 to make. I think after these orders, I will not wholesale those again....

In other news, the book I am creating about ACEO Art and Artists is coming along great. I have recently written a grant that will provide copies of Create. Collect. Trade. to all of 3rd grade at both schools (about 110 copies). Please wish me luck in getting this grant because it would mean so much for myself, the students, the artists in the book, and ACEO art in general. If you would like to make a $5.00 donation or donate a whole copy of the book for $23.00 (and get a dedication/donor label for the book) please visit The Official Book Blog for Create. Collect. Trade.

I was also featured in a blog this past week. Elektrajewelry blogged about my shop and my crayons, saying some wonderful things about my products and some of the services and items I sell/offer.

Well... I am hoping things will slow down for a bit, so I can catch up with life! Hopefully I will have more time to blog now! Check back for more updates!

I am Creating a Book!

My student-artist ACEO and ATC trade has become so successful that it has snowballed into something HUGE!  I am in the process of creating a book titled "Create. Collect. Trade. : A Collection of Artist Trading Cards by Artists and Students."

I will be looking for shops and artists to fill the space in the book along with student work. This book makes a great promotional tool for you and a wonderful coffee table book as well!  

My purpose in creating this book is to help teach and spread the knowledge and inspiration to artists and visual art students of this unique art form and eventually hold a nation-wide contest for visual art students to be seen and published alongside true ACEO and ATC artists. 

For more information, please visit the book blog.

Create. Collect. Trade.

Or these forum posts...

ETSY thread about the book

ETSY thread about the ATC Trading Experience Between Artists and Students

If you have more information or would like to be a part of this wonderful opportunity, please convo or e-mail me at art2theextreme@yahoo.com

**Blog Image is by Etsian AnnaCox with Purty Girl Designs