Parenting a business

As a mother, there is no point during the day that I actually stop thinking about my kids.  Between my 2 kids, aged 5 and 2 , I go through a whole range of emotions sun up to sun down. Concern, love, pride, joy, patience, impatience, restlessness, fear , patience, impatience, doubts, more love, astonishment, patience, impatience .. the list goes on. Every mother can relate to this one way or another. 

Raising a child is no joke, its a responsibility and a big one at that too. Children depend on you for love, protection, nourishment - their future. No one said it would be easy. But in all of this, when your 5 year old hugs you , and says you are the best, you know its gonna be alright.

Starting a business is the same, in my opinion. It is your baby. You create something out of NOTHING ..isn't that amazing ? You do everything to grow it. You make choices to take it to the next level.  It doesn't always go according to plan . There are mistakes made, lessons learnt. There are creativity blocks, then there are creativity bursts . There is finance to think about.

But, whoever said that running a business was easy ? It is the same range of emotions - as a parent for a child - that go through you when you start it - fear, joy, anguish, concern, pride , doubts , patience, impatience, love ... I am sure the more experienced  folks feel the same - maybe at a different level for different issues. (Feel free to chime in here.. !)

Image via HoneyBoo

This is the best analogy I could come up with for anyone out there who is thinking about starting a business or is new to it. Know that it is something you will think about incessantly. Know that it is not an easy peasy road. Know that it takes a lot of hard work . More importantly, know that it requires a lot patience....just like parenting !

Parenting and my fledgling business are close to my heart.....

The more you invest in quality time with your children, the more dividends you will get, in terms of their welfare and happiness as a family .

The more you invest in  your creative biz , be it monetarily or creatively or both, you will see it grow and prosper.

The more you love your children, they will love you right back .

The more you love what you do, it will love you right back -or at least slowly ? Thats what I have been told, thats what I see around me in other people's ventures , and thats what I believe in . I am still learning everyday.

As a new business or one that is trying to take it to the next level, what are your thoughts ? What do you feel is the best way to keep motivated and focussed on your goals ?

A little bit about me

I promise I won't make this a self glorified post .. It has nothing to do with art, color, my shop. I want to share a quirk or two about myself. All in good humor...coz I can laugh about it too ...

1 ) I don't like the heat . That may seem odd , since I come from a country that has pretty brutal summers . But I never have liked it and I don't think I will in the future. I am happy so long as the temperatures do not rise above 30 deg cel ..! Yea, wishful thinking ! Today on Australia Day, I was scorched ! The heat beat down on me ..and I drip sweat..yeah not a pretty picture.. You'd think I ran a marathon . No, its just me wilting away ... melting like butter.
People around me at Hyde Park looked fresh as tulips and here I am , trying to look cool ... hard to do when all i wanted to do was jump into a pool.

2) I like Ice creams - but I have terrible allergies - eating cold stuff just sets off my sneezing attacks and I l    look like I have been crying. So, most days, I have to avoid eating them... I just watch others eat them...and imagine how delish and cool it must be... such as today - people all around me were hogging ice creams in the heat and I just sat there .. without an ice cream trying to beat the heat !

Image via stoopidgerl

3) I have always wanted to take a nap in the park in the shade - don't ask me why ..but its just one of those things. I did it - today ! We got to the park and found a nice shady spot under a tree. The kids wanted to go on the slide ..so my husband took them . It was one of those magical moments.. nice shady spot, no kids, no husband, strangers around ignoring me , cool breeze just whiffed by ..I lay down on the picnic blanket and fell asleep ! It must've been a good fifteen minute nap at least..until I was rudely woken up by my phone ringing... oh well, it was heavenly while it lasted !

Hope you guys found a good way to beat the scorching heat today and had a good Australia Day. I'd love to hear quirky stuff about yourselves ....:) 

Honey, have you checked out Honeysuckle yet ?

Earlier this year, PANTONE released Honeysuckle as the color of the year...what a gorgeous gorgeous color !
Everyone's talking about it ..and why not ?! Here's my two cents on this color ..its feminine yet strong , its subtle yet strong .

Image via Pantone

The flower , Honeysuckle , is divine too. No wonder the bees are buzzing all over it ...

Obviously I couldn't wait to use the color ..I already used the shade on my Valentine's day card..but here is another one ..that I am rather chuffed about ! It's still work in progress.... Any suggestions are welcome :)

I call her Svetlana . The sheer grace of her posture coupled with honeysuckle shades gives her an aura of beauty, style and a sense of obliviousness to the world around her . yes, no , maybe ?? :)

 I'm thinking of using some nice quotes on this print ...I found a few on the web.

1. Dance for yourself, if someone understands good.
    If not then no matter, go right on doing what you love.


2. Work like you don't need the money,
     love like your heart has never been broken,
     and dance like no one is watching.


3. Dancing can reveal all the mystery that music conceals.


Which one is your favorite ? Is there any other quote that you think might be appropriate ?  Or do you think, Svetlana should dance by herself sans quote - and let the viewer interpret the mood...  ? 

The thing about color ..

...is that it is beautiful . What would the world be without any color ? What attracts your eye to an object ? Is it the shape or size or color ? It probably is all of it ..but I'd think color plays a big role.

When I draw, I love it . I let the pencil guide me . I let it flow and talk to the paper. Once it talks to the paper, it talks to me. Does that sound creepy to you ? You should hear me say "talk to me" to a sketch if I am not satisfied with it !

But , seriously, does a chef not want his food to taste just right before he serves it to his customers ? Does a sculptor not finesse his sculpture to perfection before displaying it ? Does a coach not bellow instructions to his team till they actually win something ? You get my point.

Once I have translated whats in my heart to my brain to the paper and once the drawing talks to me, I am happy as a clam. Not because it talked to me ..well that maybe a bit...but the real reason I am happy  - it means I can COLOR !!

Image via PrissDesigns

I probably may have mentioned that I like color ... or maybe not. But, just so you know...

Most of the times,  I have already envisioned something in a particular color(s) ..so I go for it and usually it makes me happy. Somedays, if I am feeling a bit blue ( pun unintended) , I can't get the creative juices flowing and its best I stay away from what I HAVE to color . Note that I said HAVE and not WANT .

At this point, I step back and  I go look for inspiration or many times, it finds me. It comes in the form of color - surprise , surprise . Color of the sky, color of a bird, colors on an outfit , colors of flowers ...you name it. What would I do without color ?

This would be the right time to introduce you to a blog that I came across today . And I can't believe I didn't know about it until today ! -  Design Seeds   I think this will be my new source of inspiration for color . My go -to place for when I don't have it in me ...  Most definitely . It has the most amazing array of color palettes , beautifully curated . Don't you agree ??

What inspires you ? The one thing that helps you unleash all that creativity ... I'd love to hear about it . 

Queensland Flood Appeal

As I write this post , from the comfort of my home, there are countless people in Queensland, who have no home to sleep in tonight. They don't know if their homes exist at all due to the floods. Images of people wading through the waters carrying whatever they can, sitting on rooftops waiting for help , cars being washed away, are on my mind - as is on others .

Image via The Globe and Mail 

I would like to do my bit to help out , by donating a percentage of my sales to the flood appeal. 15% of sales profits made from January 12th 2011 thru January 31st 2011,  will be donated to the Flood appeal. I would appreciate it very much,  if you could spread the word , by grabbing the image below.

Alternatively, if you would like to make a donation please do so through the QLD government website  or Etsians Australian Flood-Appeal . I will add more links as I come across them . If anyone would like me to add their links for the QLD flood appeal , please feel free to  contact me 

Project 26

Earlier this week I shared with you a few blogs, that I definitely stop by to read up for various reasons. I also mentioned that I wanted to blog more often.

Its not that I don't like to write. I procrastinate. I just don't get around to doing it. So, this year, I am aiming for project 26 . This is an idea that I borrowed from Alycia over at The Curious Pug  . She has embarked on project 52  .  52 weeks of photography. Once a week .

Now, I am taking baby steps here...sooooo ... I will aim for blogging 26 times this year.. Bi- weekly is doable , even for me ! I think.

So , thats  2 posts a month , anything above that is just gravy . I don't want to run out of steam and topics to post on and have the Project 26 die even before I reach half way.

Apparently consistency is key, so if I consistently blog twice a month, I will stay motivated.

Of course, I am always available for chit chat over on Facebook and Twitter :)

so, the question is - have I already completed my quota of 2 posts for January ?? I blogged twice this week !  I am a tease, aren't I ...? Or someone simply looking for an easy way out !

anyway, does anyone know how the first week of 2011, just flew by us , already ? Keep up with it, everyone :))
Until next time :)

Happy 2011

Hello everyone ! Hope everyone is having a great 2011 so far !
I wanted to share a few things with that I have found valuable in 2010 .

New year means  new ideas, new resolutions, new goals. A chance to start afresh. No, this post is not about MY goals - not yet anyway... maybe another time ...

I have had a blog longer than I have been on etsy . I have been on etsy longer than I have been twittering . Its safe to say that I am not much of a blogger . I will be the first to admit it.

But, I will also admit,  having a blog is a powerful tool . I may not blog that often, but I LOVE reading other people's blogs. I am getting to know some of the amazing people behind those amazing products. Its good to put a face with a name- as is  to do the same with the person who stands behind a product. A blog is a great way to know who is instrumental in making those products and what makes them so passionate about what they do.

Some blogs are not associated to online selling, but they are very  informative . I enjoy reading them for the sole purpose that they brighten up my day. I learn something new.For obvious reasons, I levitate towards ones that are associated with arts, colors , illustrations, jewelry... If I were big on knitting or sewing, well...thats a different story...and that's not happening anytime soon..

I want to share with you some of the really cool  folks and their blogs . Some blogs are really big in the blogging world, and they don't need an introduction.  Some have been around for a while and are making a difference. But there are some that are fairly new and are gaining momentum getting noticed.

I don't want to classify my favorites in any of the above . But, I read their blogs and follow their work because I find them interesting, creative and inspirational .

Many of them  have their crafty goals for this year on their blog . Its very uplifting... Have a read .. get inspired , create ...and have fun doing it  !

Alright, maybe I'll share one goal with you - thats to blog a bit more ...there, I've said it!

Without any further adieu ...in no particular order ..here are my favorites on the web ! Rock on, ladies ! 

                                                                     Mayi Carles

                                                                 Bridget Edwards 

                                                                      Vana Chupp

                                                                    Helena Tay

                                                                       Laura