"Zazzlove" - November

I know it looks like I just did a Zazzlove post, but it was from before the blog's "remodel" and it's end of the month so I wanted to give out some more love.  Also because it's the day after Thanksgiving, I am now in Christmas mode and 'tis the season to be jolly so I will be giving some love to more than one Zazzle artist on this post....

Cyber-Monday

I hate to admit it but, although I haven't gone since I gave birth, I enjoy Black Friday.  I never went as early as some people go, but I've found it to be fun.  There's joking around and pleneras and just having a good time while you're in line....

Why "N-E-Things"?

A while ago I mentioned a workshop I took on Creative Live.  It really got me going.  Well it didn't get me going quickly, but it got me to redo a lot of things.  I LOVED the workshop (it was given by Kari Chapin, btw and if you're interested in reading some of her books you can find those here ) and it took me a while to remodel and rethink, but I'm pretty happy with the results.  ...

"Zazzlove"

I'm going to do something new on the blog and I'm calling it "Zazzlove". (Yes, I know...I'm not very creative when it comes to names.)  It’s where I’ll do a search on Zazzle for something I think is cute and shown it some “Zazzlove” here.  Remember that post where I shared what I came up with for a Christmas gift?  Well, I did a search on Zazzle for more robots and came up with some gifts that were kind of cute.  Then...

What's Going On

Just a quick post on what's going on so far.  Have you heard of CreativeLive? It's a site where you can watch live workshops online with the ability to interact with the instructors.  They have workshops in audio, business, design, photography, and more.  They had one recently that I wanted to take, but I completely forgot about it.  I still had my settings in the wrong time zone and I didn't check my email. I was kind of bummed but then I saw another workshop which I found interesting so I signed for it.  The workshop...

Weekend Update - 5/24/2014

Things have slowed down a bit at NE-Things.  I'm reorganizing some rooms at home, revamping an old dresser, and making curtains.  Plus I have a curtain rod with ends I don't really like (doesn’t go with the room) so I have to come up with a way to change them.  But, I have tried to be a little more active on Twitter. (Following me there yet?  LO...

DotD For A Special Day

So, today is a special day...VERY special.  A very special person was born today many, many, many years ago.  (All of a sudden the Star Wars opening came to mind.  LOL)  Anyways, I'm not sure if you read my previous post but I had mentioned doing a deal-of-the-day soon and this is it.  Did you notice I let you know in that message it would be today?  Look through it again, if you didn't catch it the first time. ...

Future Milestone Giveaway

The NE-Things Facebook page has been growing slowly but surely.  I've decided to set up a giveaway once we hit the 50 follower mark.  I'm not quite sure what to give away.  I still have a little time to figure it out, though.  I decided on doing the giveaway because truth is I like all that stuff.  I like giveaways, contests, sweepstakes, scavenger hunts...ooooohhh...scavenger hunt!  Some years back my partner was participating in an online scavenger hunt and although not as fun as the one we did when we went on a...

Matching Mother's Day Bow Ties

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  It'll be my second officially, but my first one didn't really go as I thought, so tomorrow's kind of like a make up for the first. I don't have anything out of the ordinary planned, but I want to hang out with Little Man.  I'm thinking breakfast picnic, lunch, and a movie (Moms Night Out seems hilarious).  Do you remember that I'm into bow ties?  Just a few hours ago I decided I wanted to make matching bow ties for tomorrow.  I wanted to use polymer clay, but everything has been put away...

Mother's Day Gifts Aren't That Hard

I don't know what it is about gift-giving that people go crazy over.  It's one thing if it's one of those secret type of gifts that people do in the workplace or a gift for someone you don't know that well (I remember one Christmas I wanted to give my partner's mom a gift but I had no idea what and he was basically useless).  But if it's someone you know, it shouldn't be that hard.  It's even easier when it comes to Mother's...

A Milestone And A Discount

N-E-Things finally hit a milestone (get over 25 followers).   LOL. Small steps, right?  I'm okay with that considering I can't honestly say I've been on it as much as I should l be.  I was thinking of maybe setting up a contest for the 50 followers milestone but I have to think about what I would do exactly.  Also, I finally opened an Instagram account, but I've only uploaded my avatar so far.  =o/  It's really quite a bit to do.  It's not just create and...

Weekend Update - 5/3/2014

I finally opened up my e-store, my second one actually (can't forget about my digital illustrations).  AND I put most of my crafting stuff away.  I'm just going to take a couple of days to woosah for a bit, but just a bit.  There's still goals to work on.  There's still the technique goals and of course Jack & Justine.  Plus, other ones out of NE-Things (getting fit, anyone?)  But, as I thought about...

When You Find Yourself In A Slump

Sometimes you start doing something and you're just rocking at it.  Be it crafting, writing, exercising, whatever.  But then, something happens:  you find out you're out of glue and it's gonna be days before you can get to the store, you get writer's block, or you just feel burnout.  It's a little harder to get started again.  I think re-motivation is harder to find than the initial motivation....

YES! IT'S OPEN!!

I can't believe it's done.  After how long?  I was supposed to have opened this by April according to my vision board.  Oopsie.  But, it's ok.  I did it.  I DID IT!  Now, all I need to do is maintenance and seriously clean up and put everything away again.  It'd be nice to have the dining table back.  Not everythimg's like I'd like it to be, but...I'm used to that already....

I'll Write A Title For This Later

Have you seen the Wake Up Call for Artists post? In it, there are a lot of excuses to not beginning to create.  Procrastination.  What a killer.  I used to be a victim of it.  Then I realized, procrastinate as much as I wanted, time was going to keep passing and there was nothing I could do to stop it or hit rewind. (I've found myself honestly wishing for that remote control from Click).  I know I'm not the only o...

More Motivational Quotes & A Quiz

I needed to post, but it had to be a quick one.  So, I have a couple of more motivational quotes (having to do with creativity) and at the end I share a link for a quiz you should take if you feel you're lacking motivation. (source) ...

Motivational Videos

Today's post will be just of a two videos I found, just because one can never have too much motivation. Of the two, THIS one is my favorite:...

A Few Reasons To Buy Handmade

There are people that will spend hundreds of dollars on something just because it's X-brand, yet think twice about spending any money on a "trinket" they can "make themselves at home."  What people don't understand is that sometimes those X-brand items are made by people (that after a while, possibly resemble robots) in a factory (hello machines, chemicals, labor, waste?)  Handmade items aren't.  They're usually made by someone...

Not A Weekend Update, But A Celebrated Birthday

(source) My father passed away 20 years ago.  Today would've been his 67th birthday.  There were a lot of things we used to do as a family when he was alive, but when he passed away things changed a little.  Things were being done I guess out of habit or because it "had" to be done a certain way.  The fun was no longer in it.  My dad was a quiet man, but he liked having fun.  He was a prankster.  One day...

Finding Your Passion

Finding motivation can be hard, but harder still?  Finding something your passionate about.  I once asked someone what he was passionate about?  He shrugged.  I thought he thought I was just asking expecting no answer.  So I asked, "No, seriously.  What ARE you passionate about?"  To which he answered "Nothing".  It kind of shocked me.  I thought everyone was passionate about something.  ANYTHING....

Finding Motivation

I've shared motivational quotes before but what about when you don't really have something actually motivating you?  I honestly don't think that can be.  How can someone have one or more goals yet not have any motivation?  I think there is but you just don't know it.  We all have a reason to do the things we do and to WANT to do the things we'd like to do.  ...

A Wake Up Call Video

I was browsing YouTube again (don't worry it was during my non-work time) and I saw this.  The audio is a little low, but I liked it anyways.  Enough to share with you because I've said some of those things and when I sat to work, I forgot almost everything and entered my own world where  was no longer tired.  =...

Weekend Update - 3/29/2014

I have postponed work on Jack & Justine and added the two pieces in Ínarú that I originally sketched but never made.  They have similar colors, green being the one they all share.  I've also figured out the "ideal" baby nap/mommy work time.  If it doesn't happen, it's counted as half an hour chill time and we continue the day until about 2 hours later when baby nap/mommy work time is a must (mostly to avoid a...

Making Time

(source) One of the things I most struggle with is the one a lot of people struggle with also: time.  "I don't have time for that" is something I'm sure has been said once or twice before.  This whole "launch" has postponed over and over because of that.  I have my schedule which I really try to follow, and most of the time I do, but sometimes something happens and I abandon it.  I just got tired/frustrated/aggravated/upset...

Why Can't I Do This?

Since I've had to add to the list of things I have to do, I haven't been able to work on NE-Things as much as I want to.  I've done work mentally of course.  You know: what do I need to do, how I can fix it, no that won't work, how about this, where did I put that?  But to sit and do physical work?  Nope.  Not on Ínarú. Not on Jack & Justine.  And according to my vision board, I am slightly behind.  Considering...

Weekend Update - 3/22/2014

This week has been a slow one for NE-Things, but that's nothing new I guess.  I did some work on Jack & Justine and posted a word count desktop wallpaper for sale on Sellfy.  I've been able to reorganize Ínarú and make the collection a little more cohesive for me than it was before.  When I did the original sketching for Ínarú I had two pieces that I sketched but never did because I wasn't sure how I was going...

New on Sellfy

Do you know about NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo?  I've been wanting to do it for a long time, but as you can tell by my other posts, I have time problems.  LOL  Anyways, last year, I wanted to participate in the April session of Camp, but though I sat down to write on a couple of days, I couldn't finish the month.  I even made a desktop wallpaper calendar for the month.  Every time the laptop went on I would see it and I would try to carve out some time to sit and write.  When the next day came and I turned on the...

Jack & Justine So Far

Another quick post.  The laptop still isn't working right but I was able to work a little on Jack & Justine from the desktop (which is very slow).  I played around with the shading.  When I was halfway through I realized I wasn't sure if the light came from that angle since I haven't finished the background.  But, like always, I'll work around it. ...

Have Any Empty Baby Food Jars?

I'm not just a crafter, I'm a craft hoarder.  If you see that as a problem or a "situation" then it only means one thing.  You're not a crafter, are you?  Once my baby started eating solids I just couldn't find myself throwing away any of the jars.  Especially because some of them had the lids with illustrations on them.  I always tried choosing jars with lids of illustrations he didn't have, but sometimes I would have to...

Completely Forgot About National Craft Month

I'm not exactly where I'd like to be as far as my WIPs, so this is going to be a very quick post.  I caught up with some things relating to NE-Things, which is great, but I am still behind on some other stuff.  The personal matter I will be tending to for some months is not going awful or anything, but it is not going as smoothly as I thought it would either.  I have also been so preoccupied that it's almost mid-March and I just realized it's National Craft Month.  I am going to play that I knew all along and the Ínarú...

Where's That Update?!

This will be a short post because I don't have much news to give.  It was an "interesting" week.  I have something new I have to do on a daily basis which affects my schedule a little.  I had to update it again, but I feel it flows better.  At one point it divides itself into two separate schedules because it all depends on whether the king of the house takes his nap or not.  I've tested it towards the end of last week and it works.  Today was one of those days so we didn't follow it at all....

Quotes To Inspire & Motivate

More quotes I've found on the web: (source) ...

Seven Steps to Reaching Your Goals

In an previous post I mentioned having created a vision board and within it I had my goals for NE-Things.  When I created goals before I wasn't exactly reaching them, but I wasn't exactly organized either.  This time around, I created SMART goals: S - specific  (not "I want to be happy." but "I want to become a successful suspense/mystery/thriller writer.") M - measurable  ("For me, successful means I would have sold 500 copies.") A - attainable  ("How can I reach this goal?  What are the steps I need...

Weekend Update - 3/1/2014

My editing program is still down, so I have had to abandon Jack & Justine for the time being. :(   I tried using one of those online programs but they leave a watermark and it's just a hassle to deal with.  Hopefully by next week my partner will be able to fix it for me.  Correction: by the week after next.  I will be out during this next week because of some personal matters I must attend to.  Because of that I won't be posting my "usual" post...

A Different Kind Of Post

I wanted to write a little something about what I shared with an acquaintance.  I'll call her Sally.  Well, Sally and I are not exactly acquaintances that just met, but we're also not exactly friends.  We worked together many, many years ago and kept in contact through Facebook.  There's nothing more than the usual interaction within the posts and photos.  Sometimes, we communicate through the chat.  Usually just to touch up on something we may have read in the news feed. Well recently she wrote me just to ask...

I Always Knew When I Had A Kid I'd Make Bows

Computer program is still down so no work on Jack & Justine.  I have the feeling my goal of finishing them before the end of the month is simply not going to be met.  BUT, that does not mean I am without "work".  LOL. For New Year's Eve we dressed up my king in a polo (my partner's choice of attire).  For me, it needed a little "something" and I simply could not just let it go.  I decided to whip up a bow tie.  It was just a last minute thing.  I didn't think I could do it because I still had to get myself...

Weekend Update - 2/22/2014

A quick catch-up on the schedule: my partner had been on vacation so we steered away from the schedule a little bit. But, so far our scheduled mornings are working out great.  It’s the afternoons and early evenings that we’re still “as it goes” with.   I don’t mind, but I need to cut out a block of time to get my own work done.  Right now, I’m just trying to squeeze work in when I ca...

Slight Progress on Jack & Justine

My partner's on vacation this week so it's going to be a busier than usual one, working at home and running errands.  Luckily, I was able to sit and get some background elements together just to see what they would look like.  I'm somewhat satisfied with how it's coming along.  I like having Jack the same height as the flower in the picture.  I have to see how Justine looks in it because she will be taller than him and I don't know if she'll look too tall next to the flowers.  If that happens I may have to shrink Jack...

Weekend Update - 2/15/14

Sadly, this weekend update is a very short one.  I got a little caught up working on some home projects and I didn't get to do more coloring on Jack & Justine.  Although I started working on their shading and other details, I didn't work much on their backgrounds.  But, just because I didn't sit to work in a way that I have something to show for it, it doesn't mean my mind wasn't working on them. ...

Jack & Justine

After hours of trying out different body parts on Jack & Justine, I ended up using the same ones I shared with you before.  At the moment, I am not too worried about the arms because the project consists of different images in which the arms will be in different positions.  I settled on some colors, but I'm not sure if I'll be keeping them.  I have to add shading and details to the images so once I do that, I can...

My New Friends, J & J

On my Weekend Update post I mentioned a new graphic design project I wanted to work on.  I was finally able to put my characters together.  It gave me a little bit of work trying to find clothing I liked for the male character, but so far this is what I have. I'm not really quite sure if this is going to be the end result.  I'm also not quite sure about the colors I'll be using.  But I really like the...

Weekend Update - 2/8/2014

So I've been working with the schedule and it's actually been working out pretty well.  Of course, there are days when I have to go out to run an errand or go to an appointment so I can't really stick to the schedule.  When that happens what I do is simply switch that day I went out with that week's Saturday. ...

Goals for NE-Things

I created a vision board this year.  A vision board is basically a collage of images that represents the kind of life you want.  The collage is used as a tool to help you clarify the goals you feel you need to achieve this life.  The main thing on my vision board, the thing that I feel I would achieve if I work on the other smaller ones, is Inner Harmony.  There are a couple of material things on my board, like a car (tell me what professional pedestrian doesn't want one), but there are things I want to do like make...

The Last Design I Did

I wanted to share with you the last graphic design that I made.  It was originally supposed to be a Christmas gift.  I wanted something with robots because the recipient just LOVES robots.  At first I wanted to go with a retro classic looking robot like this one: (get this greeting or other gifts from Zazzle!) But, I wanted the design to be a simple design because I wasn't sure what the final product was going...

Here We Go Again...AGAIN

Ok.  This is it.  One more go at this.  I did try, but there are so many things that get in the way.  I think mostly it was time.  Like I just had a hard time fitting it in.  I am not the busiest person in the world, mind you.  I just always found others things to do.  Be it for the house or for my family.  I'm not complaining, I just...I wished I had more for ME. ...