treasury and me

i received word today that one of my crystal lamps is showcased in an etsy treasury. the treasury feature is a great way to pull together various artist's work. you can create one with similar listings, colors, themes, whatever floats your boat. i really need to dive into this, although i fear i will never stop pulling them together. to view my lamp or any other work by the amazing artists featured, go here. now i just need one of the treasuries i am included in to be featured on the etsy homepage, that would really make my day!

25 things and me

the "25 thing list" has been going around facebook these days. i usually never do these things, i delete any chain emails i receive, in fact i don't even read them before i delete. however, i thought this was kind of fun, expect i am taking it to the blogging world. here goes...

1. i don't drink coffee. never have, never will.
2. my first name, tiffin, came from my parent's obsession with glass. tiffin is a town in ohio which made tiffin glass.
3. i love anything apple makes and never touch a pc unless i have to.
4. i am apple tech support for most of my friends.
5. i am the youngest of three, the baby some may say!
6. i grew up in pittsburgh.
7. i met my husband on the millennium new year's. party like it's 1999!
8. i watch far too much television.
9. i love power tools and am hands on in any house renovation.
10. if i had enough money for the first property, i would love to flip houses for a living.
11. a golf cart is my main mode of transportation 8 months out of the year. seriously, i live in a golf community where there are more golf cart paths than roads. i drive it to school to get my kids, the bank, the grocery store, you name it.
12. i wish cross-stitch would come back into fashion.
13. i think martha stewart has a direct link into my brain. every time i start a new project, the next month, it is showcased in her magazine.
14. i am mildly obsessed with recycling.
15. i love eating on outdoor patios. thankfully atlanta has a ton of restaurants with them.
16. i have a gym membership although i hate to exercise.
17. i taught swimming for over 7 years.
18. i took german from 5th grade through my second year of college. can i speak it now? nein.
19. i am trying to cure my obsession with www.perezhilton.com
20. which has led to my facebook/blog obsession.
21. beer is always my drink of choice. i am the girl drinking a beer while all of her friends have a glass of wine.
22. i love reading. pat conroy is my favorite author. i wish he would write more.
23. i am deathly allergic to cats among other things and have gotten allergy shots once a week for 2 years now.
24. i am very clumsy. i have broken 2 bones and at least 10 of my toes/fingers in my lifetime. or maybe i just need more calcium.
25. i have a very supportive family and couldn't do any of this without them.

art and watercolor

today, i bought my kids these amazing crayola washable watercolors and i am not giving them back! i am telling you, they are the coolest things. there is a small white pad that you wet and place back into the tray, you then wipe the tip on the brush on the pad and then dip the brush into a small hole exposing each color. there is absolutely no mess and no spilled water. the only thing i added for my adult use is that i had a small cup. the brush tip needed to be a bit more wet to blend the colors.

i think i am going to write to crayola and tell them that they need to market this to adults with a few more colors. it is the perfect tool to slip into a back pack when you are traveling and want to get quick sketches. i am absolutely hooked.

please excuse my less than mediocre painting, i am more than a bit rusty!

bag and ottoman

it is no secret that i have been swamped with design work this week. i always have a struggle between work which pays the bills and craft work which i truly love. design always wins the battle which means that i have art projects in various stages of completion spread out about the house. i finally have a weekend where i can breath, no deadlines looming (well one little one, but it should not take long).

so now i have to pick between an amy butler purse pattern called the weekender which truth be told doesn't look like it will hold much more than a pair of jeans, and an ottoman which needs recovered. i retrieved the ottoman base out of a dumpster (where i find many great things, honestly!) it was covered with the most repulsive faux black stinky leather, but i loved it's lines. i have painted the wood in a high-gloss white laquer and couldn't be happier. now, i need to sew a cover for the foam pillow that fits on top. the overall fabric is the green you see and i will pipe it with a sunny yellow polka dot. i also have plans for some pretty fancy buttons, but you will just have to wait and see how it all turns out. my biggest problem is finding and purchasing upholstery tacks, anyone have suggestions?

sleep and caffeine

this is my drug of choice today. i gave up real coke last year, and weaned myself down to diet coke. two weeks ago, i realized my addiction was full force again, so i stopped diet coke cold turkey.

but after going to bed at 2am last night, i really need this. there are not enough hours in the day to be mom, wife, designer, artist, housekeeper, bookkeeper, blah, blah, blah.

i might need about 10 of these to get through today!

etsy and sales

i started uploading items to sell on etsy this weekend. i love everything about this site. it is such a great tool for crafters to get their artwork out there, plus the support you get from other people who do what you do is amazing. i love how a random buyer can find you through the thousands of shops this site supports.

i returned home last night to find that i had my first sale! this sweet stamped bunny card is the first one to go. i love the glitter following the scalloped edge of the front flap. it is perfect for baby showers or to be used as an easter card. so thank you JEWB, you made my weekend!

pride and photography

i am so excited to finally be getting my etsy site up and running! the talented jessica from peachtree photography was over yesterday helping me get the perfect lighting for my lamp photos. i just love this shot. i had my laptop open all last night just so i could catch glimpses of this soft feminine beauty. i want to blow it up and put this photo on my office wall, that is how much i love it.

so today i thought no problem, i would shoot my remaining 12 lamps and in a flash they would be posted to etsy. wrong, wrong, wrong :) if i had not seen jessica take this photo from my camera, i would not believe that my camera is capable. nothing worked for me today. i tried it with morning light, afternoon light, bathroom light on, bathroom light off. and not one of the 100 shots i took, ever came close to this softness.

time to register for camera classes!

in the meantime, check out www.linwoodavenue.etsy.com and let me know what you think.

a new year and a trip to the ER

so i had big plans for the new year and this blog. big plans until my husband and i ended up in the ER sometime well past our new year's eve celebration. let's just say that one should never drink and ask for a piggy back ride. after 8 hours in an ER (which i will never return to), 2 cat scans, a chipped tooth, multiple x-rays, a broken finger, road rash and many bruises, we are resting at home.

that being said, once i am over this minor blip, i hope to, i plan to post to this space every day. so stay tuned, if the past few days are any indication, this is bound to one crazy and exciting new year!