I am so excited to be introducing yet another product in the Words and Watercolor line up…..(drum roll)….wrapping paper!! And not just any wrapping paper but wrapping paper that could also be a poster!! I’ve been looking at wrapping paper for a long time. Initially thought of doing this in the typical fashion, small images …
Our cards are 5” x 7” (A7) and come with a white envelope. Cards are printed on FSC certified paper that complies with standards specified by the Forest Stewardship Council. $3.50 each if you order up to 9 cards in one order. $3.00 each if you order 10 or more cards.
I just completed another challenge. I did a 1/2 hour watercolor sketch of my St. Francis statue. I wouldn’t say it’s my best work nor will it be a greeting card someday but it is something on paper that I completed! It’s practice. It’s discipline. It’s a New Year and a time for new habits …
Being an Entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It is easy for me to revert to overwhelm. I’m in a bit of it at this moment but choosing to write about it, in addition to reminding myself of the power of plain old breathing. Breathing allows for movement, which is what I need …
learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable! Read More »
So happy to report that I’m stepping into a NEW YEAR with Lots of FOCUS and plans for tons of SALES!! How is this possible you ask?? I’ve just joined the Focused Sales family! It was official on Monday, December 3rd as I did a Powerpoint Presentation on a WebX Conference call to all their …
“How can I differentiate myself?” The question I wrote in my notebook on my flight home to Indiana last month. I was flying home for my nephew’s wedding but also, always one to make the most out of a trip, had been able to talk myself into an appt with a calendar publisher in Indianapolis. …
I had no idea when I started using some baseball analogy in this blog that our San Francisco Giants would go all the way this season…not only clinching the West early but then winning the National League Pennant and then easily sweeping the Detroit Tigers for the 2nd World Series Championship in 3 years. It …
It’s emotional, for me at least, as I read the SF Chronicle the past 2 mornings my eyes almost brim with tears. There is SO much emotions in the stories…from the fans, the history of baseball in the city, the past championships, the reminder of Buster Posey proclaiming 2 years ago at the World Series …
I had intended to write last week after the Giants managed to do the unthinkable and win the last 3 games of their Series with the Reds. That improbable win streak allowed them to head off to the Pennant race…trying to win the National League Championship. Alas, I didn’t write and what was such a …
In keeping with my Baseball analogy…the Giants just advanced to Game 5 in the series with the Cincinnati Reds and I’m advancing with production of New Cards as well as Reprinting cards that are running low. I was doing Press Checks this afternoon for reprints while the proofs for 8 new cards were waiting for …
This isn’t quite timely as I intended to write this Sunday after the SF Giants clinched the Western Division title on Saturday night. Of course, my baseball loving husband was estatic that we made it to the playoffs, again…hoping for another miracle October and play in the World Series. I, however, thought of the metaphor …
On Monday night I attended a meeting of the BALA (Bay Area Licensing Artists) and Surface Pattern Design Guild. The topic was on using Social Media for expanding your business. There was a panel discussion with 3 women, all who had lots of experience with various forms of social media. I learned that twitter wasn’t …
It was a busy week starting with a Watercolor Workshop I did at Prospector’s Nursery last week (September 8th). I had SO much fun as did the 25 women who signed up, many who hadn’t “played” with watercolors ever nor let their inner artist out since 3rd grade!! I began by asking everyone to …
workshop, new product ideas and computer challenges Read More »
It’s Labor Day, September 3rd. I suggested to Mark that we have a cook-out as summer begins now in the city! The rest of the country shows signs of fall and yet our best months, September and October, are coming to San Francisco! The fog, wind and chill of August receding, thank God! Hopefully Words …
Funny, the other day I began to say to myself, “I’m growing organically!”…and yesterday I got an order from Green Earth Natural Food, an organic grocery store!! Two days prior I had a phone message from Stacia, a woman in Opelika, Alabama, a small town outside of Auburn. She said she was interested in purchasing …
In keeping with the SF Giants, who beat the Rockies today 9-3 with a Buster Posey Home Run (yes, I’m married to a guy who loves the Giants and I’ve come to learn more about baseball as a result!), Sarah and I hit a Home Run with our Memo List Pads!! The SF Gift Show …
I can’t wait to show you my NEW product! Don’t have a photo yet but I should soon as these go to press tomorrow. This happened waaaay faster than I anticipated. Sarah and I were batting around ideas for new product that we could introduce for the January shows. We were thinking Journals. Then I …
One of my goals this year was to have representation in every state by June. I didn’t make it. It was a lot more difficult than I would have thought to find reps that want to take on a new line. I’ve been learning ALOT about this crazy gift industry since starting my company 2 …
I was back from Dallas for a little over a week before jumping on another plane for another trip. This time Mark joined me and we took a red eye home to Indiana on the 3rd of July. Arriving on the morning of the 4th in Indianapolis (after a 4 hour layover in Detroit which …
Once again I’ve allowed the busyness of business (and a bit of Facebook wasting time) to prevent me from posting a blog about my Dallas adventure last week. So here goes. I flew down to Dallas on Weds the 20th of June. Blessed to have so much family around! My brother Dennis and wife Leslie …
Just when I saw JR Ewing on the front page of the Datebook section of the San Francisco Chronicle today, I was thinking that I’m headed for Dallas in a week. JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen are back on TV! Now my Mom was a HUGE fan of Dallas but I was out partying and …
Not sure when I could pin the actual “Birth…Day” for Words and Watercolors. I officially launched in June of 2010 at the Denver New Age Trade Show. That is why I’m thinking W&W is 2 years old this month. In anticipation of June 1st, I thought, Words and Watercolors is a toddler! Using the analogy …
It’s Memorial Day, Monday the 28th of May Well over a week since the last entry. Happy to report that the Stationery Show restored my confidence (it was lagging) in what I’m doing. I wrote orders, talked to lots of people, received great feedback on the boxed cards, and made some great contacts for both …
I’m so happy to report that I’ve had the best day I’ve had in a Long Time!!!! So thankful since tomorrow is the 1st day of the Stationery Show and I’d much rather go into it feeling JOY in my heart rather than worry/anxiety. My sister, Mary Alice, and my cousin, Geri, and I all …
I’m thrilled to be introducing my NEW Boxed Notecards next week at the NYC Stationery Show. It’s been quite the challenge getting ready for this show. Doing a show in NYC is different from elsewhere. I admit to being in a bit of overwhelm but hoping this show proves successful. I’m in a 1/2 booth. …
The brilliance of the full moon shone through my bedroom window last night…as much as I love full moon energy, it often keeps me awake bathed in it’s brilliance. Last night was no exception as I tossed and turned, considering the mysteries of the goddess energy shining brightly. In my sleeplessness, I asked the …
I was listening to a Success CD (each month Success magazine comes with an audio CD inside) today as I drove and heard the suggestion from a marketing guru that one should blog daily. I was a bit taken a back by that frequency. Especially when I realized that my blogging efforts have been waylaid …
Angel/Healing energy I’m migrating back and forth…this blog became a page on my site but because the integration could not happen the way I had wanted, it’s back on it’s own platform, yet still integrated into the site…but wait…the changes ARE forthcoming as I’ve now got Lauren, master PR/Marketing whiz, reworking both my website and …
A bit of a woo woo post…I’ve been thinking about energy and how we all vibrate at various rates. Over the years I’ve read countless books on energy, metaphysics, dreams, angels, positive thinking, past lives, intuition, etc….you name it and I’ve most likely read about it. That in and of itself explains some of the …
Easy to tell that days are swiftly passing by when I don’t get to posting any new blogs. This morning as I was meeting Amy, who was the graphic designer who converted my website to WordPress format and then added my new 25 cards, for the first time I exclaimed “I’m going to go home …
Saturday morning and, finally, feeling better about things now that we are back “wired” to the world. Our internet has been working sporadically as has my printer. Mark called comcast yesterday morning. He was told that the comcast connection was good. The guy asked how old the router was…Mark looks to me and asks me. …
I’m happy to report that this has been the best Gift Show yet for me. It helps that this is my 4th show. People come by that have written orders in the past to say Hi! even if they aren’t ready to write another one yet. Others who have talked to me before but didn’t …
The old saying is true, “Time flies when you’re having fun”….or in my case being busy (and having fun!). Difficult to believe that is has been nearly 3 weeks since last posting an entry to the blog. What have I been doing?? Orders and more orders…which takes time to input into Quick Books, pull the …
(Began this blog entry Wednesday morning…..January 25th) I’m sitting in a room at my new printer’s office. I’ve been sequestered here since yesterday. I forgot that doing “proofs” for offset is waaaaay different than “proofs” for digital. Once I “OK” by signing my name and date, to a proof sheet, the printer runs the required …
More than 1/2 way through my trip, I’m sitting in my brother’s kitchen, contemplating the past week. Though my booth location was poor in Atlanta, I tried to make the best of it. I enJOYed talking to my booth mates and made some good connections for potential licensed opportunities for my artwork. It’s a long …
I’m on my way to Atlanta…literally on the plane with my laptop open typing away. The Atlanta Gift Show starts on Friday so I’ll be setting up my booth tomorrow afternoon. Come Friday 9AM I’ll be ready with cards in the racks, catalogs in a basket and order sheets in hand! Sadly Emily won’t be …
I can’t believe I’m sitting with the last day of 2011…ready to literally leap into the NEW YEAR of 2012! I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the coming year!! The title “prayers answered” came to me as I was silently giving thanks for John Frisch and Leewood Press. I knew in September and …
Just returned from dropping off 5 boxes at FedEx. The boxes contains all I need to set up my booth in January at the Atlanta Gift Show…cards/envelopes for the racks (those are shipping new from a vendor in Chicago), cards on colored ribbons, complete decks of cards for ordering purposes, matted cards, new catalogs, baskets …
I’ve been buzzing around flitting from one thing to another as I go about preparing for 2012! I have the sense that it is going to be a breakthrough, huge year for words and watercolors!! My confidence level has increased a zillion times over where it was about a year ago as I was still …
It’s been over a week since I last posted and Thanksgiving has come and gone. Two Turkey dinners and lots of leftovers later and I’m finally getting back into gear with the next phase of Words and Watercolors. The newest 25 designs have been printed (last week) and will be ready for pick up tomorrow …