Lauren's Awesome Circles

I am totally in love with this artist! Lauren DiCiocco is an amazing painter that I discovered through Jen Berkman's website 20x200. First a word on the Jen's site: they do two limited editions of prints each week, specifically 200 prints each available for $20! This is a screaming deal and an awesome way to either build up your collection on the cheap or just get introduced to some amazing up and coming artists. Sign up for the weekly email and you'll be amazed at the variety and ingenuity of everyone featured.

Lauren DiCiocco was one of the artists featured this week and I'm totally enamored of her watercolors, featuring (you guessed it!) lots and lots of circles. Specifically, she took a magazine page and replicated the layout with lots of rainbow colored dots. My oh my, what a creative young lass! Click on the pictures to learn more about her work.

Circles Are a Girl's Best Friend

I have no idea why, but circles make me feel really happy. Maybe it's something about the roundness, the perfection, the gorgeously smooth proportions. It's entirely unexplainable, but I am truly obsessed with circles. I have circle tattoos, all of my paintings have circles on them somewhere and I am endlessly trying to incorporate circles into my clothing designs.

So here is my best circular achievement to date: the circle tank. "Why is it the best?" you may ask. Well, first, the sheer quantity of circles is downright impressive. But my favorite part is the way that the circles create movement on the shirt; the placement accentuates the back and shoulders, makes you look tough and chic all at the same time. As you can see, I'm really tooting my own horn here, but I'm totally in love with this design. And totally in love with circles. In fact, I think this might be the beginning of a weekly circular update. There really is a whole lot going on in the world of circles.

Winter Collection SALE!!!!

Check out the Etsy site for up to 60% off the all-handmade, totally killer winter collection. Here's the link! All the bright, jewel-toned silks and funky embellished tees are yours for the picking at super low prices!

One of a kind dress: previously $125, now on sale for $45

Embellished tees, previously $35 and now on sale for $15

Hoodies, previously $45 and now on sale for $25!

Baby Blue

I just had to share these photos real quick...the colors make me so happy and remind me that spring is here (even if it is really cold and windy today)!

Handmadeology Rocks!

I've been meaning to post about this site for a while and finally got around to it this morning. Handmadeology is the place to go if you're wondering about how to expand your marketing and promotions online. I has great articles about promoting your blog, getting more traffic on your Etsy site and tons of other information. Check it out. It's an amazing, FREE resource for artists trying to make a buck from their creations!

I Love My Mob Boss!!!!!!!!

I just read this super encouraging note from my Craftinista Mob Boss St. de Ville and it was so inspiring that I wanted to re-post it for all of you to read. Power to the people!

I just got an email from my rep today. She said the retail world is "the worst" she has seen it in her "entire career." Mama Mia! My first instinct was to be relieved that I simply had not received any orders for my fine artwear line St. deVille, versus, my fax machine not working. My second thought was recalling how excited I had been when my line was picked up by a professional rep and how I jumped around the house, swung my giggling toddler around in the air, and drove my husband insane with my incessant chatter about the whole damn thing! And here I am, twiddling my thumbs (metaphorically speaking since I usually have no time for that kind of nonsense, and when I do, I like to waste my time on Facebook instead), wondering about the next step. But there is almost an odd calm about the way I feel that has been puzzling me, and then it hit me. Wham! Yes, the money would be grand, don't get me wrong; I would love to sink the cash I used from our family coffers to launch St. deVille back into our pockets, lord knows we need it, but regardless of whether I sold another thing I ever made, I would continue to create, and THAT is what separates the Handmade Nations, the CRAFTINISTA, from the MallWarts. Even if we are broke, we artists scavenge through our junk drawers, hit up the free listings on craigslist (shout out to you Jenny), pick things up off the sidewalk, ransack the Mission Thrift and we turn them into wonderful loved possessions that feel good in your palm, or soft on your skin, or sparkle in the light. Our trunk show is the day after tomorrow, and I hope it is profitable for all of us, but mostly, I want this event to be a symbol of our solidarity as a community. I want everyone who attends to feel the love that we put into our work to share with you. I want folks to realize that they can buy lovely gifts from local people who use the money to fuel our passions, enrich our local culture and feed our families. I want to hear the buzz of roaming voices, nibbling Amy's cupcakes and sipping wine, all in abstract agreement that no matter how tough it gets out there, there are a band of us, loving, creating and sharing. Because thats how CRAFTINISTA do.