the Creative Thursday blog

Creative Thursday Gift Guide 2014

A personal selection of some of my favorite things by my favorite people & makers!

After running the Kickstarter campaign a couple of  months ago, I realized more than ever how important community support is, both online and in person ~ especially for small businesses. Creative Thursday was built and still continues to grow and rely upon the generosity of others spreading the word. In gratitude {and because it's holiday time and you might want some more fun giftie ideas! for you! and for those you love!} I've compiled my first ever gift guide, featuring 20 selections including my new coloring book. I know every one of the makers and either already own {or will own something soon!} from each of them. I am sure you will love their beautiful creations too. As of this email launch, all of the items featured above are available. Many are handcrafted and made in small batches, so if you miss anything, more will be made! 

Featured above 1. Mati Rose {abstract painting} 2. Petit Pippin {soft toy} 3. Melissa Moss {zipper pouches} 4.Outi Harma & Bonnie Solomon {oracle card deck} 5. Lisa Gillespie {artisanal soaps} 6. Cathy Nichols {original painting} 7. Whimsy & Spice {cookies} 8. Laura Nelkin {knitting books + kits} 9. Frantic Meerkat {cards} 10. Betz White {sewing projects book} 11. Jenean Morrison {notebook} 12. Mincing Mockingbird {calendar} 13. Cotton & Flax {pillow} 14. Jaime Derringer {art print} 15. Christine Mason Miller {original painting} 16. Darling Design{holiday cards} 17. Woodmouse {ornament} 18. Creative Thursday {coloring book} 19. Mabel {magazine for the creative life} 20. Aureata {jewelry}

 

Support your favorite Makers and Small businesses this season and all year through!

it's time! holiday shop update and sale

OOPS! I included the wrong code in the email I sent out earlier, so please use the code: HOLIDAY2014 to receive 20% off at my Etsy shop, now through Friday, December 5 at 11:59 pm PST.

The shop is stocked with lots and lots of new treats for the holidays, from originals, ornaments, pillows, to bears in tiny holiday dresses. Enjoy!

morning greeters

New cups and ornaments in the shop! and for the first time ~ I've been wanting to try this forever ~ decal embellished ceramics. Finally! this allows me to create and repeat a design on ceramics. The faces in this series are called the "morning greeters". Perfect for gift giving, I think! It's almost that time...which reminds me. Thursday December 4th is the annual holiday shop update at 11 am PST.  See you then, and probably before :-)

the tinies - it's ok to be small

6" x 6" 

I painted this several months ago and promised to tell the story about it.

It's simple really, and this is it: Right now it feels like bigger is better. That if you aren't doing something BIG all the time you aren't doing something vaulable, that you aren't valuable? you can feel like you don't count. Maybe I'm projecting? So I'll just own it myself and say this is how I feel sometimes.

It seems that first, you have to have BIG dreams, and then you have to tell everyone about them. Then you also have to SHOUT to be heard, and then if you get a bunch of people listening to you - the more followers and friends you have the more we respect you, the more we listen to you? the more we think you know what you're doing? the MORE you have going on, the busier you are = the MORE important you are. Any of this sound right to you reading this? or is it just me?

It's similar to how I felt as a kid, that I couldn't wait to be a grown up because then I would be important, and then I would be heard.

Life on these terms, is exhausting. And it's not that going for something BIG isn't worth doing or something we should reach for {if we feel like it's what we want to do? and not everbody does} but it shouldn't be the only way people can get attention or receive the respect and value they deserve.

I feel as if doing something small and quiet is underrated and overlooked right now.

That if we're not always doing something BIG {and talking about it} we will be forgotten, lost in the shuffle, that our contribution as people will lose relevance.

It might seem strange to write this post after I just ran this Kickstarter campaign - because all of this was a BIG/HUGE leap for me and I had to be in people's space way more than I've ever been - and now I'm creating something entirely new, where all the same risks apply - but this experience has made it even clearer - as to why this sentiment is especially important right now.

These characters, "the tinies" are about acknowledging the small. Because actually - the BIG moments in life are made up entirely from a collection of small moments. It's those small individual moments, that move us; and I don't want to miss those, not in my life and not in other's lives.

I also want to remember that it's ok to be quiet. It's ok to just be. It's ok to not want to do something BIG all the time.

It's ok to be small.

 

{I've decided to keep this original, but as of today "the tinies" are available as a print in the shop}

 

2015 calendars

 

they're here! and they're bigger this year!

first official! Creative Thursday tee

 

Long overdue don't you think? 

All that cute baby clothing, I couldn't leave us out. {and to my guy friends I'm working on some designs for you too!}

You can find the t-shirt and two tank top options over at the shop.

tiny tiger {with flowers}

4" x 4"

My creation for last week's #mycreativethursday. Hence the flowers :-) Oh and Sean's title is "crouching tiger; hidden flowers"

Happening again tomorrow on Instagram, if you want to join us?

{available as an original here and a print at the shop}

flowers for you

It's no secret; flowers and photographing them is a great source of inspiration for me.

What started as a gift for my aunt, painted outside at 'The Porch' during our weekly gathering with the neighbors, became a series of 6.

Not new, painting flowers. Just another call back to earlier work revisited in my now style.

My adventures in painting continue...

{originals are available here and prints are now at the shop}

sky sailing

Go whereever you want to go.

{original is here. also available as a print}

'Thriving Artist' cups back for a limited time

Due to multiple requests to bring these back after seeing the photo of them in the book, and the fact that I still love this design, I'm taking special orders for you to have one! now through June 8. In fact I think I will be making myself one too.

We also created some pretty summer bundles for you in the shop.

hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend!