New Stuff
Weekends have become prime studio time for the past few weekends. I’m generally not working on artwork, instead I’m making stuff, and everyone once in a while I’m framing. That’s because beginning this coming weekend I will probably have a place to be with my stuff each weekend, and if I’m not, I’m looking for a place.
I was holding out for new wire mesh art walls and some other display fixtures, but that isn’t happening any time too soon so I’ve hopped onto the next available event. On April 29 I’ll be at Goodwill Manor in Bridgeville for the Mother’s Day Vendor & Craft Show to benefit South West Meals on Wheels, the very organization that delivered meals to my brother, my sister and even my mother years ago. I’ll be so happy to donate my table fee and an auction basket to help support this organization that does so much more than deliver home-cooked food.
My weekend projects often take all day on one or both days. That’s so much easier to accomplish on the weekend, and it also helps me to get to bed earlier during the week because I don’t start “after hours” on an eight-hour project. I can plan during the week, for instance, what images I want on a new collection of gift bags, inventory the bags I have on hand and get more if I need them, then on Saturday or Sunday I line everything up and get started, and do them all at once. It’s so much easier when I can warm up my printer and run all of the art I need while the printer is primed and happy. I can remember all my specifications and details for how I put things together much more easily when I don’t have to stop and start again.When the week starts again, the idea that was pressing for attention the week before is completed and I’m not distracted. Until the next idea comes along.
I’ve been doing things at such a rate that I barely have time to photograph them much less list them on Portraits of Animals and share them here. Last weekend I decided to get to the feline art and photo gift bags similar to the flowery gift bags I’d made for my most recent Nature & Wildlife e-newsletter. I photographed them mid-week but I still haven’t listed them, even though they were to have been my Marketplace post for last week, because listing, too, takes time. Just like making a selection of similar items, in listing a selection of similar items, too, I like to wait until I have a chunk of time and can quickly work up the details of each listing. Well, I still don’t have them listed, but I’ve featured a few of them here—I actually made five dozen. I kept telling myself that was a little excessive, but it’s good to start out with more than I need and a variety of designs so that I can see what’s popular. And I have so much inspiration!
And then there are always choices to be made in how I list handmade things on Portraits of Animals. Right now I have all handmade goods on one page, feline and non-feline together, and all items grouped under separate headings. But now I have about 100 gift bags and I’m concerned that overshadows everything else. Soon enough I will have a couple dozen more keepsakes and gift boxes, and also laminated placemats and a few other things and the page sometimes loads a little slowly. Should I start separating out household goods and apparel and jewelry? Should I separate feline items from non-feline? I don’t think so yet, but if and when I do need to do this it will take another chunk of time.
So I didn’t get a chance to write an essay for Earth Day as I’d planned though I did post a few of the graphics I’d made in preparation (I didn’t write my other posts, either, not just here on The Creative Cat), nor even finish my Health & Welfare article for Friday, though I relish the writing of my Friday articles for the research and interesting topics I can choose. But I’m not complaining, I’ll catch up with myself, and I feel blessed to have an overflow of ideas and initiative. It’s a good way to be.
Thanks for putting up with my erratic schedule. What I do to earn my living has always come first, especially important when I’m self-employed. Commercial art and graphic design were easier to constrain into a schedule, and if I am to make my living selling my art and things I make I need to give it the time it takes. I am so fortunate that I can make this choice, and follow through, and I’m so excited for all the things I’m planning.
Marketplace
The artist rests after a strenuous morning of telling a human what to do.
Take a look at other new merchandise and featured artwork.
Marketplace is a feature on The Creative Cat to share the latest coming out of my studio with my readers. Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in my “shop”.
Read about creating custom items
Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.
Find out about events and festivals where you can find me and my work.
Sign up for my e-newsletter (below), check the widget on the sidebar on my home page, or sign up to receive posts on Portraits of Animals Marketplace. I plan on plenty of events this coming summer in the Pittsburgh area.
It’s all done under the close and careful supervision of my studio cats!
Subscribe to my e-newsletter
Subscribe to The Creative Cat Preview E-newsletter.
Browse some rescued cats and kittens!
Gifts Featuring Cats You Know!
Sketch, Greeting Card or Note Card from Portraits of Animals!
Visit my gallery of daily sketches to see what’s available on Portraits of Animals.
All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item. Subscribe to The Creative Cat Preview E-newsletter. © 2022 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski Weekly schedule of features: Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters Tuesday: Rescue Stories Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork Thursday: New Merchandise Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!
Copyright
Subscribe to my e-newsletter
PORTRAITS OF ANIMALS WEBSITE
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE| EMAIL
| PATREON
© 2017 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski
—
Weekly schedule of features:
Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!
—
