deer and raindrops...

Listening to the rain and iTunes + packaging up an etsy purchase = a very nice evening indeed. Don't you think? Very lovely indeed.

Earlier today I was killing/wasting time, looking around one of my very favorites-- Velocity Art and Design--and came across this tray. After my mouth stopped salivating, I remembered that I had seen it before and, apparently, forgot about it--in what, as my sister so nicely put it, the exhaustion that is my mind. I'm staring at this tray thinking, how amazing would this look hanging in a kitchen? In a kitchen with bright, raspberry colored walls! No-turquoise! With other vintage plates hanging alongside it! And then reality hits and I think that perhaps a pink kitchen with wall decor that includes a deer tray may not be the best idea for, well, the gentlemen callers. You know, a sort of "You had me at hello, but lost me at the kitchen" sort of thing. Tragic.

Now, I am left staring blankly at the computer screen thinking "Surely, surely, I have something else of interest to share." But, no. I don't. No, just a deer tray (and perhaps the matching squirrel one as well?). Sorry for the lack of substance. But I do hope you have little things in your life that get you excited. Everyone needs a little bit of that.

Amy

fresh prints...

New. Fresh. Exciting.

Find it here.

I don't really have anything too terribly exciting to tell, and the treadmill is calling my name.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

love,
amy

another list

Other lovelies making me happy...

1. It is officially, officially Spring. And I am promising to enjoy it for all it's worth before I am shaking my sweaty fist in anger at 105 degree days.

2. A lovely exchange with a child (A three-year-old name Reagan)---
Me: Is that your baby brother?
Reagan: That's Baby Reese. (pause) I think he's my brother.
Me: Oh. Excellent.
Grandma: Reese was adopted.

Love it. She'll figure it out eventually.

3. I downloaded a new-to-me artist yesterday. I can do that more now because I joined e-music, and it has guilt-free downloading. (They wooed me in the promise of 50 free downloads.) Anyway, I tend to pay very close attention to "people who downloaded this also downloaded_________." So should you not pay attention to that, and always wonder who does, well it's me. I am the target audience of the "people also bought" in really any form. Not in a conformist sort of way, just more out of curiosity and a desire to discover other artists. So I just downloaded Andrew Bird's "Armchair Apocrypha"-- and I am loving it. I listened to it on the way home from work today, and was really enjoying it. But when it got to track five and he used the lyrics "and I was a cartographer of tangles in your hair" and "awkward pause" in the same song, I thought "Sold." I also decided that I seem to be drawn to artists who make good use of glockenspiels and whistling. Among other things.


I think, perhaps, that I'll leave my list at three this time. I am hoping to add a new print to the shop in the near future. I have an idea that has been stirring around inside me for quite sometime, and I just seem to be having the hardest time getting it out on paper. But hopefully it will happen. We'll see.

Hope you can find some blessings too.
Amy

gift (I)deas.

I was perusing a magazine this afternoon, and came across this most excellent gift idea for mothers using formula. The short little product snippet talked about how having to mix formula while out and about could get quite messy, and so on. As my direct experience with infants is rather limited, this had not occurred to me. But with this new bottle, you fill the main part with water and then measure out the formula into the top compartment. When the wee little baby is hungry, you just twist the top and give it a shake, and then you have formula. Brilliant. I'll definitely be getting my sister one. And I think I might get one for myself. You know, perfect for baby/auntie days out. (Especially when said aunt will be much too preoccupied with her previously disclosed inexperience with infants to worry herself over such things as formula on such splendid days out.)

But enough about silly baby things...

If anyone reading this knows anything about computers (and I'm fairly confident my "audience" consists of about four people), I am having trouble with my keyboard. I have this big, fancy computer and, though our relationship got off to a rather rocky start, I really thought we had moved past all that. But then, all of a sudden, it decided that the capital "I" did not exist if I pressed the left shift key (which I normally do). lower case = i. right shift key = I. left shift key = . Nothing. Emptiness. Why is it doing this? And why only with "I"? And why does it have to be the one letter that is capitalized, especially in a blog written in my own voice, the most? Why not Q or Z? I hardly ever need to capitalize those. Thoughts? Ideas?

Hope you have a beautiful Wednesday. Sorry this entry is nothing but baby bottles and mischievious keyboards. What a bore.

xo,
amy

Family

Okay. Back to prints. And one of my favorites. I will start by saying that I absolutely hate having to title things. I don't feel that I am terribly witty, in general, and as a rule I tend to not like overly cliched things. A few examples of this would be using titles like "Family Ties" or "The Ties That Bind" or, my sister's example, "Heartstrings". Yes, I know. All terrible. So that is why this print was left with the rather boring, generic title "Family". But that's what it's about, and I didn't groan from within when hearing it, so that's that.

I knew fairly early into the project that I wanted to somehow incorporate the lines from e. e. cummings' poem "i carry your heart with me". And I also knew that I wanted to somehow do an illustration of a family that was based upon this same idea. I'd had this image of a family tied together by their hearts for some time, but it took several different goes at it before I finally arrived at the end product. It was important to me that race or ethnicity not be suggested by the illustration. That is why I chose to leave out their facial features, and why I stuck to a neutral color palate. My goal, really, was to do an illustration of a family that could be any ethnicity, or several ethnicities combined--that the one similarity between them would be their love.

When Katie first proposed the idea of she and Michael adopting internationally, she said it to me as though she was asking if I would love this child the same as a biological child. My answer to that would be "of course" -- a million times "of course". I am sure that this is a question that is asked among every family who makes the decision to adopt internationally. But while it is true that I will never be able to look at their child and point out Katie's eyes or Michael's red hair, I am quite certain that attachment and love and a sense of an emotional connection will be no different at all.

I think that what Katie was really asking is something that we all ask ourselves--something that is so completely universal. I think we all have those moments when we just want someone to tell us that we are good enough. I do at least. Or did I just divulge too much of my own insecurity? I doubt it.

Katie has been watching a new show on TLC where they have given children video cameras and allowed them to document their lives. There was a young girl on one of the episodes who had been adopted into a interracial family. When speaking of her family she said "I don't think it matters who you are with, as long as you're loved". Perfect.

a list...

I thought I would take a little mini-break from writing about prints. Not for any particular reason. But I am really very, very sleepy and I am a little afraid that it might not be all that coherent. So instead I thought I would share 5 things that are making me really happy right now:

1. I ordered this little gem from a favorite etsy artist of mine the other day. Her name is Mati McDonough and I have already two of her prints. One of them is among my favorite items on my wall, because how many people, really, can say that they have a painting of a kitten wearing boys underpants and tube socks clipping feathers from a bird to add to his angel wings? Who among you can claim that? That's right. I love her work because, and this is intended as a compliment, she paints like a child sings. You know: free, unafraid. Anyway, it's currently in transit and I am really excited about getting it. Don't you love the anticipation of packages?

2. I visit my bestest little Beth in only three weeks from tomorrow. I probably could have listed five things that make me happy centered on this trip alone, but we'll leave it at that. I simply adore this girl, and as we seem to only get to see each other once a year, I am all a-twitter with anticipation.

3. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately, and I am fully confident that Spring is finally here. As much as I love to layer -- and I do -- it is nice to not have to put a thousand things on before walking outside.

4. I keep revisiting my Margot & the Nuclear So & So's album. You should give them a listen if you haven't already. I'm particularly enjoying the tracks "Skeleton Key" and "Paper Kitten Nightmare". We will ignore the fact that I am really -- not at all -- a cat person, and that kittens have come up twice in this list. We will also ignore that I could do several lists just on music that is making me quite happy right now. You could click on the profile link to the left of the screen for a short list, if you're curious. And I'm serious about the suggestions. Should you have any.

5. I have gotten to reconnect with several old friends since launching Project 8256. Which also means that I am checking my email even more compulsively than I already did. I am also meeting such lovely people through etsy as well. I am anxiously awaiting another very special package from a different designer on etsy (who, unfortunately, must go unnamed for the moment, because it was ordered especially for someone's birthday - see #2). She took the time to look at our etsy site and write a sweet little note. So nice.

So, all in all, not such a bad week. Hope yours is happy as well.

amy

forgotten/forsaken

I thought I would continue in my--what--series? I suppose it is a series, although that sounds a bit official. Which this is not. Tonight I am writing about the "forgotten/forsaken" print. This particular print is really quite special to me. It was actually done the same evening as the "Forget Me Not." print. I had been looking through all of these photographs of children, mostly orphans, and I came across a photograph of a young girl. There was something about her that absolutely arrested me. It was mainly in her eyes. She was so small but had the look of someone that knew much more of the world than a child should. I looked and looked, and then I read the caption. It stated, very simply, that this girl -- I believe she was ten -- had been raped by a man who had been told that he could be cured of AIDS if he had sex with a virgin. It is still so upsetting to me to think about. This was something that I had heard about previously, and, quite honestly, sickens me as much now as it did then.

I began doing a sketch of a girl, quite similar to the one I saw. It came very quickly, and was really a quite emotional process. As I was inking the drawing, I was overcome with the idea that it didn't seem right that all of the profits from Project 8256 were going only to Katie and Michael's adoption fund. There was clearly something much bigger that needed to be done. There will certainly be one child whose life will be changed dramatically by joining our little family. But there are so many others. I spoke with Katie the next day about donating a percentage to a charity that was working with orphans in Africa. She had been having the same thoughts. And so it was settled.

This was, for me, the moment the entire project came alive. I know that, when this project ends, there will be those who have made much larger donations, and who have most certainly sacrificed far more than I could imagine. But I have certainly been changed through this process. In so many ways. For that I will always be grateful.

Forget Me Not.

I thought that, because this is a blog about our etsy shop, I might write a little about a few of the prints I have posted and the stories behind them. Interesting? Well, we'll see. Today I'll talk about the print "Forget Me Not", becuase it was the first one I actually completed for the shop. Which seems like forever ago.

When Katie told me that she and Michael would be adopting from Ethiopia I was thrilled. Then came the realization of everything that would be involved in that. Long and short term. And especially the financial part of it. When I suggested that we open an etsy shop, I heard it come out of my mouth, and I may as well have said "Well Katie, let's just start a heavy metal band. People will love it." It seemed a tiny bit ridiculous, but it also sounded like such an amazing challenge--so I couldn't pass it up.

I played around with various ideas for several weeks, and nothing seemed to work. I would do something, scan it, send it to Katie, she would be her kind, supportive self, but we both knew it wasn't right. She finally told me that the prints should be centered more on adoption, and on Ethiopia. I began researching and looking at photo after photo. Sometimes I would stop and cry a little. Sometimes I felt like I was going to be sick. The original idea for this print came out of that. The same evening, actually. I ended up redrawing it after a while, and then played around with the colors for a while longer, but the original idea is exactly the same.

Katie didn't understand at first why I chose to scribble out the boy's face. I had looked at so many pictures of orphans. You can see the emotion in their faces. You can see despair. You can see hope. Sometimes you can see joy. But I think we tend to forget that when we are looking at something from the outside. Yes, we are still moved by the numbers. But each one of those children had a mother and a father. Each one has a soul. A personality. A face. So it came from that. And it also came from the reality that we can so easily turn our backs to tragedy and crisis. And I am certainly among the worst of those.

exhaustion/gratitude

I am really quite tired. It's the good tired, though. The kind that you get from working all day at something. The kind that is equal parts exhaustion and accomplishment. Katie came over this morning to work on a big shop update and we worked solidly all day, stopping only for a family dinner at my aunt and uncle's. Then back to work--Michael joined us and we were all able to get quite a bit done. As much as I would rather not look at glue or sharpies ever again, I know that it will feel so much better during my work week to know that so much is finished. And it was so nice to spend time with Katie. It's rare to spend a solid 12 hours together these days.

Thank you, thank you to all of those who have supported us either with purchases (which is matched only by unspeakable gratitude), or with kind words and well wishes (equally immense gratitude). I can't even tell you how incredible it is to check my email and find a little bauble in my inbox. And I know that Katie and Michael feel that. I know that my whole family feels that. I had a friend (so unnecessarily) apologize for not being able to contribute financially. But his words of encouragement--that moved me to work a little later into the night. And, more importantly, to get up a little earlier in the morning. And to anyone who knows me, well, they know the remarkable importance of that rare incident.

So, I'm off to bed. I'm starting to realize that it's really a whole hour later and, once I hang up all of my newly clean clothes, my bed is going to look awfully comfy.

Sweet dreams,
Amy

pass the haagen-dazs...

So, I recently finished reading Karen Joy Fowler's The Jane Austen Book Club. Finished, after only a few short months of carrying it in my bag for whenever I needed some reading material. But I did finish it and it was an enjoyable read. As I was reading the book, I kept remembering these movies where characters always seem to stereotype sad, single women as those that read Jane Austen and eat Haagen-Dazs. I don't know if it is the literary ability or the tolerance of dairy that seems such a put off, but I happen to like Jane Austen. And ice cream from time to time, too. So perhaps I should begin reading Michael Crichton or James Patterson? Or, who's the one whose books always get turned into movies starring Julia Roberts or Susan Sarandon solving crimes in the South? Oh yes, John Grisham. Maybe I'll stick to Austen. Or at least books about her.

Things are rolling along in the shop. I hope to be posting some other greeting cards and a few more prints in the near future. I won't give too much away, but I'll give a hint--one of the postings will involve robots. Yes. Yes it will.

amy

it's official!

We are getting there. Katie came over tonight and we were able to accomplish quite a bit. And so, if you were to hop on over to project8256.etsy.com, you might find a couple of prints just waiting to be snatched up. I have to admit, I wasn't quite prepared for the way my little heart fluttered as we listed our first item. I have spent a goodly amount of time perusing etsy, and have purchased such lovely things for myself there. So it seems a little strange to have my own shop and to be able to look and see that other shoppers are viewing our little items. Strange, but really exciting. Be sure to check back in the next few days, because I hope to be adding items throughout the week.