My Photography

I now can say that my art is on display! We hung my first pieces in Johnson City, TN, at the new Mi Si Bella Salon. Hanging my art in a location such as this benefits both of us. I get exposure, and possibly a sale or two, and Krista gets free art for her walls. Mi Si Bella's web site is not yet up, but if you are a Facebooker, check her fan page out here. Below are some photos of the installation. Michael and Quinn came along. Truth be known, Michael did all of the manual labor.

I now am listing the photographs on Etsy. I will be adding a new one daily, today I added "What Lies Beneath" both the print and the wood block wall hanging. I just love all of these photos hung together... the grouping looks so very cool! <--Okay, surely I could have come up with a better adjective than that, oh well. Quinn likes the photos...

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Treasury Catch Up

I am in a Treasury, have a Treasury West, and missed posting about a Treasury (I had) that is now expired. I am officially a treasury-holic. It is beginning to interfere with my daily activities/responsibilities. Michael came home last night after being away for the day in NC, and I never moved from the computer. The main Treasury was about to become open, so I was glued to the screen. Poor guy. Left as I slept that morning. Got ignored when he came home. This is my blogged apology... Sorry, baby! You are an AMAZING husband! I couldn't ask for more. I am so happy that most days we are together living our art, and that you no longer have to trek back and forth to NC! I love you!

Oh, and by the way, I missed the main Treasury opening... My "old" list wasn't expired, and you can only have one list at a time. I tried to delete it, but not soon enough, apparently. Oh well... Tomorrow...

The Treasury I am in by PunkyJane of Etsy:

The Treasury West I curated and expires 8/17/09 @0511:



The one I never posted:

Wait, no! Don't tell me! I never got a screen shot! Hmmm. Surely I can find it somewhere... Anyone else get a screen shot?

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Studio 618 Blog Feature...

Studio 618

I'd like to take a moment to post a quick thank you to Theresa of Studio 618. She featured a gorgeous maple cutting board that we have for sale in our Etsy shop. Take a look at Theresa's Etsy shop and her blog.

Shared via AddThis

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Repeat Customer!

I am so very excited to announce our first real Etsy repeat customer! We've had others purchase multiple boards at a time. We even had someone buy a board online, and then commission Michael to custom make four more (before the first even arrived)! But this was our first "buy one" who came back some time later and "bought another." It was a pleasant surprise to find her order in our inbox this morning! Ashely bought this air dried walnut cutting board first:


Then she came back and purchased this cherry board (one of my favorites) today:


Tomorrow Michael is headed to Mast General Store in Boone, NC tomorrow to set up and sell his cutting boards. Stop by and say, "Hi!" or go to our Etsy shop and take some time to browse around.

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Family Fun in Snowshoe, WV

This is what we did after the festival... Walked around. Took pictures. Played air guitar. Saw three deer grazing. Posed for pictures. Watched the sunset.










See more photos on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/talinaripper/

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New Yellow and Green Treasuries!

Click on the photo to be taken to the live treasury.

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Our Setup at Snowshoe

We are still at Snowshoe as I type this. We are meeting some new friends Erin and Chuck Ball for lunch. See his work at http://www.infinitrekarts.com/ We had a poor show here at the Food, Wine and Jazz Festival. It makes me rethink the "one show a month" idea that Michael and I had. With expenses such as the show fee, our drive up, and our stay, our income from the show has us breaking even, barely... Well, not really if you consider our time invested in preparation and being away from the studio/gallery. I am trying to be positive and look at it as a free family weekend getaway.

This show, after the Blue Plum in July, reinforces the thought that when mixing food, drink, and music, the outcome for the artist (financially) is poor. Are people attending these festivals really looking to spend their money on art? That question alone makes me think that we need to focus on ART Festivals. Those shows that focus on art. We need to work on getting into juried shows next year. We have some promising shows for the fall. Creeping toward the holiday season and gift buying, sales can only get better, right?

Here are show pictures:

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Weekend Plans

We are going to Snowshoe, WV for the weekend. Actually, this post is scheduled for Saturday, where we will be showing Michael's cutting boards at their Food, Wine & Jazz Festival! We are looking to the weekend, as it is a getaway of sorts. Quinn and Aaron will be going with us. I look forward to some tranquil time in the mountains and sun by the pool. I will post some of my own pictures when we get back. Hope you are having a good weekend too!

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Fun Fest Balloon Glow 2009

This was Michael's first Fun Fest. This turned out to be his favorite event. I must admit, I love it too. Quinn was amazed, until they started the fire blowing.... Okay, forgive me, I don't know the "proper" term in ballooning. It was loud, and Quinn did NOT like it. Even today, he saw these pictures on my computer, and he held his ears. Poor little guy. He loves to see them from a distance, or in the air, but not up close where they are too loud. Enjoy our family picks below. I haven't been able to do a "personal" post in a bit, the business has been busy. I guess that is a good thing!

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It's Time To Go GREEN

EtsyTwitter Team's Going Green week long event is underway. If you use Twitter, search #etsytwitter to see related tweets, or go to the team's web site http://etsytwitter.blogspot.com

These are our green items made from recycled/repurposed wood:

We also use recycled packaging whenever possible. We reuse bubble wrap, boxes, etc. The finish Michael uses is 100% natural, food safe, exotic nut oil by Master's Blend called Preserve(TM). We give away our wood shavings/sawdust to those who garden or find other uses for it. We implement eco-friendly practices whenever possible, at home and at the studio/gallery.

Each day for the rest of the promotion, I will feature other green items from Etsy and the EtsyTwitter Team, so keep checking back!

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I'm a Curator

Of my first Etsy treasury! Woo hoo! I was online for hours waiting for this spot to open up. I am so excited I snatched a treasury! Finally! I'm officially an Etsy Treasury Curator! See screen shot below. Click and leave a comment, too!

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Loft Online!

Urban Synergy has been doing some updating and marketing for their Sterchi's Lofts. This is where we live. As a family, we have had fun looking through the pictures on the web site finding "our sink" or "our bedroom." They have even posted a video on YouTube. We've had just as much fun watching it and pointing things out.

We wanted to share with you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kADCc4J0yQ

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Another ETSY Feature!

Wednesday evening, I found that we are featured in Etsy's Gift Guides. The category: Rustic Redux Currently we are on page 3, but I think it rotates. So, if you don't see us, below is a screenshot.

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Working in the Studio

Working in the Studio
Originally uploaded by talinaripperarts

Jacob staining foot rests with Michael. "Yep, put 'em to work!" That is what we say. No, really, it has always been our dream to create with children underfoot, and look... We are living our dream!

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Biking with Baby

I don't even own a bike yet, but I am already shopping for baby seats. I can't go riding without Quinn, so I have to consider having him in tow before buying a bike myself. I am considering the iBert, Topeak's BabySeat, and the type my sister has WeeRide Kangaroo. All three are mounted differently. The iBert is mounted essentially to the handlebar. From what I can tell (see and read), it will turn when you turn the handlebar. The web site has a video you can watch. What I like about it is the height, Quinn could see really well. The BabySeat by Topeak is a rear-mounted seat. Again, from what I have read, there is complaints of the rear-mounted seats making your bike harder to balance. I don't know that I like the thought of Quinn behind me where I can't see him. Lastly, the Kangaroo has my favorite mount. It mounts to the center bar of your bike, therefore, it will not turn with you as the iBert does. Some complaints of this mount, though, is that your knees hit the carrier while pedaling. I am not tall, short actually, and I don't know that this will be a problem for me. What I do not like is the height of the seat (it sits low) and the padded thing-y that seems to impeed the view for the child. I wonder if it is a mandatory part of installation. Why is it there anyway? If the child is secure in the harness, I wouldn't think you would need to protect them from the handlebars. Crazy. Makes me wonder if Michael could BUILD me something... lol.

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Treasury Feature

Treasury features are so much fun! When in a treasury, we have the chance at a front page feature, we meet other fantastic Etsians, and we see an increase in our shop traffice, increasing the possibility of a sale! Mistflower Photo featured us in a treasury of lovely reds today. She featured my crochet necklace which is on clearance. The favorite print of mine in Mistflower Photo's shop is this Daisy Tunnel, because dasies are my favorite flower.

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Sneak Peek at the Loft

We have been in almost two weeks now. It is so hard to believe. It has been a whirlwind, a flurry of activity, a ... okay, no more cliches. Let me just say that, running the gallery, filling orders from our Etsy shop, Michael getting studio time, taking care of Quinn, visiting daycares/preschools, working my "nurse" job full time, etc., has made it VERY difficult to get settled. We have continuously had workers in the loft as well, after we moved in, for problems with the master shower, both with the tile and the plumbing, building custom storage doors, painting, hanging mirrors, moving towel rods, hanging glass in the second bathroom, cleaning windows, etc., and that has left the loft a mess--a dusty, dirty MESS! We had the "final" walk-through today, more issues were addressed, so I don't think that the dusty work-boot-prints across the hardwood floors are going anywhere... BUT, Urban Synergy has been fantastic to work with! John, Angela, Stephen, and John Z., have done their absolute best to pull it all together (oops, another cliche) and make things just right for us. It is amazing... They are amazing. The loft is amazing. Obviously, thoughwe will be relieved when things are truly FINISHED throughout the building, so we can have a clean, relaxing home, a block away from the studio/gallery, and not be woke up every morning at 0700 to construction noise. I will show you one photo. A sneak peek at the kitchen, still a work in progress (as we still are missing our island), and mind you, you can't see the boxes on the floor or paintings leaning against the wall due to selective cropping of the photo. By the way, photography hanging above sink is by a fellow Etsian, Everyday Eros.

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Summer Celebrations

Today marks the beginning of Fun Fest in Kingsport, TN. I actually took a week's vacation from my "nurse" job to spend Fun Fest with my/our boys. Although we will still have the gallery to run, we can enjoy some of the events of Fun Fest. Last weekend, we celebrated the Fourth of July in Downtown Kingsport. Below are some photos. Don't you just LOVE Summer? We do!

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Do You Wear Your Baby?

This is excellent information for new, or fairly new, mommies! From bronwenhandcrafted.etsy.com:

Babywearing is an ancient idea that is still practiced around the world. Most cultures acknowledge that the most comfortable, safe, natural place for a new baby to be is snuggled next to its mother. Here the warmth and noises of the womb continue. Snuggled up high, a baby has a great view of the world, more opportunities to interact with people, and much more ability to communicate. This actually leads to happier babies. Babies who are carried in this fashion are much less fussy. It can be the only thing that comforts some colicky babies. Wearing your baby, as opposed to carrying your baby, gives you back the use of your hands for your daily activities. It also saves strain on your arms and back. Slings and other baby carriers are much more portable and easy to store than strollers and plastic seat style infant carriers. Dr. Sears, a renowned baby expert believes that babywearing has 5 main benefits: 1. Sling babies cry less. 2. Sling babies learn more. 3. Sling babies are more organized. 4. Sling babies get humanized sooner. 5. Sling babies are smarter.

Michael got a ring sling for me (and Quinn) at Christmas. I love it! I kick myself for not using it more often! I wanted to share with you the Etsy seller who we have purchased from: Bronwen Handcrafted. Go straight to their web site here and they have great wearing instructions here. I have this ring sling. The picture here of me and Quinn doesn't do the ring sling justice, but it is the only photo I have. I was walking with Michael and the boys while they played Frisbee golf. Consider this handmade gift for a mom-to-be!

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Etsy Front Page

Etsy Front Page 7/5/09 uncorked
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

We made it!!!! This front page treasury was by uncorked. Check out uncorked's Etsy shop here: http://uncorked.etsy.comThis is our first ever front page feature. I am going to Google Analytics now to see how/if this boosted our page views. We've been doing very well on Etsy as of late. Michael has 10 custom cutting boards to make this week! We really need the orders to keep on coming in order to LIVE OUR ART!!!

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