A New Venture with Style. Polka Dots Make Me Smile.

I've taken on yet another passion... pattern design. I've been working in architectural and urban patterns for years. I've collected as many fabric patterns as I have fonts. It is yet another one of those "you should be doing in your work life, what you do while you're "procrastinating".

If you've never heard of Spoonflower you're in for a treat. If you already know it, then you're way ahead in your crafy career. On Spoonflower you can design fabric, decals, gift wrap... it's AMAZING!

So here is my first shot at using my watercolors and some simple pattern basics to throw myself into the fabric and pattern making ring. I'm always inspired by images that make me smile... polka dots make me smile. Which is why I worship Kate Spade. Yeah. If you know me... then no secret there!

It is a lot of fun... and John asked me yesterday, "What are you going to do when Kate Spade comes knocking at the door?" I responded, "Well, I will faint. So, put some pillows by the door; in about 20 years." What a wonderful supporting dreamy husband I have. I don't dare to dream as far as he does. I am just enjoying myself. But, I won't deny I'm so glad he will do it for me!!

I'm excited to receive my first roll of gift wrap that will be made from these patterns. If you order from Spoonflower you can get this in fabric too!! I will have the gift wrap available in my Etsy shop too!! It's kind of a branding thing that I'm using the same art and ideas on several different design "fronts". I will also make these designs available on Vectorstock for seamless background downloads.

Here is my Spoonflower shop if you'd like to check out my progress.

I promise the shop will fill up, but it will be slow... this has been months in the making!! xoxo Thank you again and again for all of your love and support as I use every creative bone in my body to be employed!! I am blessed to have survived on my wits for so long (4 years now...) I am haunted by the words of my father when I enrolled in "art" school... "What, are you going to sell your paintings in the park??"... To me that was derogatory and mean. Somehow meaning that I'd never be successful with a fine arts degree. Yeah, well I should have stayed in art school... AND now I sell those paintings in an online "park". So, lesson learned. I hope to pass on to my son that life has a way of showing you that you should have stayed on the path you were on. If it made you happy then follow it. I'm happy to be on the path again!!

Love: House Portraits and Personalized Maps

I opened up a new Etsy store for exploring architecture and other things I like to draw... like maps! I love maps... I will highlight some of that work later...  I've call the new shop Aquarius Studios. Check it out here: AquariusStudios For now it is houses mostly. Some historic buildings that I took photos of during my travels. Some I sketched along the way. Other things I just sit down and well... I make it up. I've also taken some houses that other architects have had me do exterior studies of and I'm having a bit of fun with Illustrator. I'm on the spiritual journey of "simple".

A fun sketch from a Paris photo - I made up the shops :)

A re-imagined sketch with new storefront.

 

Both of these drawings are quick 10 minute sketch exercises.  

A typical elevation that I would do for another architect or developer. Not really simple... but close.

An Illustrator "sketch" of the lake I used to live on when I was growing up. No, I didn't live near the heart... actually just across from it... I wanted solid colors, bright and minimal. So after I got this out... I tried a house :)

I can't say that I would choose these colors in watercolor. I don't think I could ever get them to look this good! But I've got some other ideas up my sleeve to try. The drawing is also 8 x 10 so the small scale starts to muddy in watercolor. I like the boldness and simplicity. I needed to step away from my usual medium for a while to explore some new options. We will see where this goes.... I still love hand drafting everything even before I trace it all out painstakingly careful in illustrator. I'm still an architect at heart. Even if it is a digital sketch.

Which Social Media is Best for Your Brand?

A question I've been trying to wrap around my head lately... Which social media is best for my brand? Best for my marketing? I get invitations to join different social media options every once and a while and I wonder - should I be adding another place to post? another page to manage? will it benefit my time and effort? Who will I be connecting with - like minded people or buyers? what am I NOT doing that I should be?

I began with a goggle {because that is what we do in 2014}... Which social media is best for my brand? About 562,000,000 results (0.31 seconds) Excellent. 
I have time for that. Not. I have time for the first page. 
Twisted Toast blog says there are actually two parts to the question:

• Which social media are right for me and my brand?
• Which social media are used by my target consumers?

I was amiss in thinking I was asking both questions with the first? I'm not the business or marketing major so I will go with it. Especially because at the end of the post it simply says:

"So what is the moral of this tale, the spin of the plot, I hear you ask? Simply that social media is what you make of it, not what it makes of you." -- Twisted Toast

No, that doesn't narrow down that you should use this platform or that platform if you are in this or that business. But for me, it was a relief. I take it as you certainly should use the platforms that YOU are attracted to. Because the people you may be trying to reach are there. If you are comfortable using Instagram or Tumblr and facebook... then use them because you will enjoy it and your followers will enjoy what you post if you're doing it with intention. If you get invited to another platform - check it out, see how friendly it is to use and pose the questions:

• do you think you will enjoy inviting others to join? 
• can you be sufficiently creative to capture readership?
• can you make your posts interesting and more experience oriented?

For a visual business like I am in, I need to get my images out to people to react to. I need a virtual gallery of my art going out daily as I create and design. To that end... I've decided that I am not taking enough advantage of more visual means of communication. I should be posting on Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr etc. I don't have a smartphone... I know it is insane. I had one... then the financial crisis of 2013 hit. Then, it was stolen... ugh. So, while we are still in personal economic recovery there just isn't room to pay for such a large cell phone bill. Any media that I do for now has to be done via ipad {without data pkg.} or home computer. Of course I have an incredible iMac and great software so I do have that going for me!

With some of those personal barriers aside, I've tried to take advantage of facebook and the blog to post more pictures of the things I create. I hope to keep it coming!! xoxo

To that end... here is a quick scan of the ranch house in progress! Remember house ON a ranch - not the suburban "ranch house"!!

Draft sketch of the ranch house in California!! Working on details today and inserting it into a logo.

a little kindness goes a long way. xoxo

Valentine's is a month away!

It's Lovely Tuesday {the 14th - hint hint} Valentine's is only a month away!! To celebrate... Spend $25.00 at Rebekah's Valetine Etsy shop and receive $10 off!! Enter IHeart10 at the checkout! 

Two Days ONLY! Expires Thursday!

CLICK HERE 

How to Explain Your Artistic Process

I know that beginning any new project can be daunting! But after stumbling around for a bit {4 years} and encountering all kinds of projects, I've finally got it nailed down {to a point} so that my clients aren't too overwhelmed by all the back and forth emails that it takes to draw a home! My architectural clients are a bit easier because we've been working together for a while. I know what they like and they know my style etc. Just getting that to translate on Etsy is what I'm working diligently on now! That way folks know my style a bit better and have a better idea of what they will expect. My drawings are actually quite simple. I try to make my watercolors bright... and I love to add the character that makes a house... a home.

almost finished with this client! just a few more details to tweak, like adding the brick texture. i have omitted their address for privacy.

Some clients are very straight forward and their homes can be drawn quickly. Other homes require more detail etc. But, the process is pretty much the same. I've finally taken the time to type this up and add it to my about page! It also helped ME to understand my process and explain it to a prospective client. The biggest help to me was listing out exactly what steps are the most important for me to be efficient, how to prioritize my projects, when and how to communicate with my customers and also how I would package and send the drawings.

When I did my first drawing, I got it all finished and then I almost had a heart attack... Wait... OH NO! I have to ship this!?! How will I do that!?! Do I have anything to put it in so it won't get folded or crushed? I researched online for some good packing materials... and how to make sure drawings make it through the mail flat. I didn't want to roll these because the watercolor paper could get creased.

Check out my little process biography below and feel free to comment or even take what text you might need for your own use. This stuff isn't rocket science. But it can be difficult to begin - I certainly researched a lot of other people process to be able to explain mine. Even when you do this everyday you may not be used to writing it out. I am not the only person doing this job {obviously!}. There are a lot of great artists on Etsy that are extremely busy working away drawing houses, pets and people! All kinds of super talented folks. That is the great part about art. Everyone has a style and can market it. When your prospective client comes across your art, they will love it, appreciate it, or hate it! LOL!

Dita Von Teese said it best - 

"You can be the juiciest peach in the world, and there will still be people who don't like peaches." 

How to have a house or building portrait done!
Email me at rebekahkik@gmail.com. Please include your name, contact email and what size print or package you would like to order. House and building illustration packages I currently offer are: 8”x10” ($125) and 11”x14” ($150).
I also offer note card packages. These packages include 8 (4x6) cards of your illustration as well as an 8”x10” or 11”x14” original drawing. The 8”x10” greeting card package costs $150 and the 11”x14” package is $195.

I will contact you right away to let you know what my workload is like and how soon you can expect that I can begin your portrait. As soon as we are ready to begin, I will follow up with a link to the Rebekah’s Valentine Etsy website to your personal reserved listing. Once you purchase that listing, we can move forward to complete your house portrait!

Please send reference pictures to me at rebekahkik@gmail.com. I recommend sending a picture that is straight on of the whole house, then also including detail shots of the door, windows, house number, or other small details you'd like included. Please note, I only include landscaping directly on the house and minimal trees in the back of the house to keep a subtle framed look. I don’t include people, cars, power lines etc. in my house portraits.

Once I have all the necessary reference photos, I will get to work on your custom house illustration. You can expect an email with a PDF file of your illustration for review within a few days. At that point, You will have a chance to share any thoughts or suggestions. It may take a few days to make your requested changes but we will keep in touch and set solid deadlines. The overall process can take up to three weeks with excellent communication and editing. Keep that in mind if you are giving this as a gift!

Once the illustration & color palette is approved by you, I will watercolor the house on 80lb. bright white Aquarius II paper. My house portraits are drawn and painted completely by hand. These are NOT digital prints. You will receive your original drawing, unframed, and packaged in a clear sleeve within a stiff envelope and mailed to you USPS First-Class Mail.

So Many Ways to Say "I Love You" {some featured cards from Etsy!}

I will be the first to say... I love a creative card. I have a ton stashed away in folders, boxes {yes boxes} and some I keep out on my desk - just because they make me smile :) Friends acknowledge this obsession and send me cute things all the time. {I love you guys}

So, I went searching around to find some other clever folks that are doing awesome things outside of the regular hallmark scene. Yes, these are Valentine's Day themed. So if Valentine's day still feels like "singles awareness day" to you... don't worry, I've got you covered love :)

First up... Sad Shop. Will not make you sad at all! She says it like it is. Simple and sweet. Totally my style for giving :)

sadshop

Sweet, Sad Things from Seattle

Julie Ann - She rocks all the awkwardness out of every moment that you need to have a card. Her tag line ~ "you won't find this sh*t at hallmark".

Julie Ann

Los Angeles, CA, United States

Hello Small World ~ This couple rocks all kind of great art! But my sweetie is getting this card... He doesn't read my blog. So here it is!!

hellosmallworld

Amarillo, TX, United States

Love: Custom Home Portrait Stationery

I painted these cute little houses for a client over the summer and I've been thinking... why not make a set of stationery for realtors, a housewarming gift for new homeowners or maybe you've moved your office into a sweet new location?? As an architect... I could get working on one of my OWN home. This would be a nice gift for architectural buffs that love their home! 

Each card will be an original watercolor! I will draw then print the image... but watercolor each one separately. Because I love to paint... and printing just takes a little away... Each set of 8 will come with a stationery box and white envelopes. Check out the images below for a little teaser... Simple and bright is my style preference... I can go into more detail on fancier architecture. These are just for an example!!

Go to my Etsy site for full details!!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/174281551/5-x-7-stationery-set-8-cards-custom?ref=shop_home_active

Ready for 2014. DIY Happiness.

So, I title this DIY happiness. What am I getting at? Basically, what we choose to focus on in our lives does make us happier. However, I can't help but also being the victim of having SUCH a busy scattered unfocused life for so long that I feel like I'm literally missing something if I'm not constantly physically or mentally moving, searching, looking, improving myself... i must be human or something?...

will i ever be good enough? will i ever be successful? 

The absolute truth of the matter is... how will I ever know? How will I ever know if I'm good enough or successful if I'm constantly thinking I need to improve, need to do better, need to keep setting stronger, faster, better... unattainable goals. I say they are unattainable because I have not yet attained them in my imagination. I've focused on what I haven't done for too long. I have started a list of things I have done! What I have accomplished! Who cares if I set the goal or not... I did things that I didn't even know I wanted to do! And I am happy.

What I've been focusing on since 2010 (actually 2008). The "goals" that I thought were necessary to be happy and successful. I've focused on the fact I haven't attained them. I've focused on the how do I get them BACK. Yuck. It's really like wanting a bad relationship back. Bad Ju Ju. Letting GO!! Remove the trash!!!

Goal Unattained: In my 12 years of employment I would never make senior architect; nor senior planner at any firm that I worked in. Layoffs make it very difficult. My last corporate employment ended in 2010. It ended on a very, very, very sad and sour note. With my boss/ supervisor at the time on January 3rd making his last words to me:

"Happy frickin' New Year Rebekah."

I wish those words still didn't echo as loud as they do. I just wanted to squash him. But I just walked away as tall as I could.

But what did occur, was better than any goal 

I could have ever set for myself.

Goal that wasn't set... But what just "happened": I spoke with a woman that had been in touch earlier about a project for my former firm. However, I confided in her... I might be on the chopping block. Tammy, who would become a dear friend, on New Year's Eve 2011 would offer me the chance to start my own firm by contracting directly with me to prepare a series of documents for her that would keep me employed for 2 years. I now have my own firm. I have clients. I have published documents, plans and implemented policies and strategies. I did that with an incredible team (that wasn't a firm) in a small rural town.

THAT {to me} is DIY Happiness: Open yourself up to the world in a different way!! Don't ever let ANYONE hold your happiness key in their pocket. I really do believe that what you put into the world is what you get back... 3 fold... 10 fold... I have steady employment now that comes in from here and there. If I could focus more, I'm sure I'd get more! But I have Xan. He is my priority and my bit of the universe knows that. It hands me what I can realistically deal with. I really do appreciate that!!

I thought that if I had a title, a cool firm to work for, a boss to praise me, a team to work with... I could be fulfilled with everything that was my dream career... those have been my goals for YEARS! Even up to the end of this year I was begging for jobs. Sending out my resume to everyone I knew...

Nope. Not in the stars for me. And I focused on the rejection the lack of support. I forgot to focus on the work that was on my desk. The support from friends and family. That the phone that was ringing. Not to mention the orders that came into my Etsy shop, the creativity that I'm using everyday! THAT is what I need to put my positive energy into. My do-it-yourself business is REAL happiness. My blog header, my Etsy shop header... my about page says it! Why am I not meditating on it?? I meant it when I wrote it!! I love putting a happy message into the world. I want people to feel happy when they get one of my cards or pieces of art in the mail. I think of them when I am producing my work. I think... "I want the person who receives this to smile! I want to brighten their day!"

Not only is your food made with love... but this spoon... was stamped with LOVE!! xox

"I know that my inner cupid is not necessarily trying to get other people together... but to bring out the best in myself... and leave the people that I meet with a better sense of who they are too. Mother Teresa said (much more eloquently) that we should leave each person that crosses our path better than we found them. I think that goes for meeting on the internet too." -- from my welcome page xox

What I have done/ what I'm doing:

• Started up the Etsy store and focused on my art. Painting, stamping, wire, paper! All my favorite things!
• I have a successful planning/ architecture practice that gives John and I extra income every few months.
• I stay home with Xan and we have grown together like I could never have imagined. I love him so much!!
• I work from HOME!! {sometimes in PJs} I choose who I work with. No abusive bosses or co-workers!!
• I paint every morning. sigh... awesome.
• I have a loving, sweet, and adoring husband that supports me through whatever comes into my head next. Essential for any kind of artistic person!!
• I have moved home to Michigan to be closer to friends and family that I love dearly. My life is filled with so much more with them near John, Xan and I.
• I love being in my grandparent's old home. Yes, it needs love... but we can do it!
• 2014 is more Etsy marketing, craft shows and art focused. Planning and architecture will become the catalyst for doing art; not the other way around!! 
• I will let go of the relationships that have hurt me. I will let go of the goals that hurt me. I will let go of them because I am tired of their echos interfering with my future.
• No more goals. Direction is better.

Give: For the Love of Love!

hand colored watercolor cards. i'm having fun with images and sketching cute little animals and insects :) more will be coming along on my Etsy site. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RebekahsValentine?ref=si_shop

i love wire and hearts... what a combination! add a little velvet ribbon... so pretty!!

my flatware collection is growing... and hopefully i'm improving my techniques as well. you'll see i'm off the mark a little, but improving!! certainly looks handmade!!

I'm having so much fun coming up with valentine ideas. I hope that I will have more time to spend on them. Only a month away and I feel like I've been procrastinating! xoxo

Love: hand stamped sterling silver flatware!!

Okay. I had to have a set of these stamps as soon as I saw them.

Now... what to punch and stamp... After researching a bit online for cool gifts and jewelry I settled on silverware. I had a bunch from my grandmother that was a bit disheveled and not a complete set. I don't know where most of the pieces are... So I went to TOWN! Throw on a bit of angry music - Florence & the Machine or Nitzer Ebb... or both...

WA LA!

Forks are definitely the hardest... Small amount of space and I think they are stainless tines. {?}

'a' and 'k' are also difficult letters! 'b' is also... but practice makes perfect!!

i want to get a <3 stamp="" td="">

i sold this one about 10 minutes after i posted it!! i've ordered more spoons to keep this one going...

i may have to keep this one... it really makes me smile!! LOL!!

Holiday Brightness. The rainboot.

A new card set at my Etsy shop. I'm giddy with these colors. Maybe it's a reaction to my killer bright christmas tree... the stark white needing a POP. I don't know! But I'm having fun and these cards make me smile. I hope that they will bring a little smile to you too.

The white tree and color lights circa 1968/70, silver tree skirt 1980 and ornaments from 1930 to 2013.

Smiling is my FAVORITE!! {buddy the elf}