The freebies have arrived...

and they're so pretty!
i was a bit worried because the company i was working with was a bit... um... dense at times, but they were a great price and turn around was pretty quick, so i'm super duper happy!

we were up visiting my parents last nite so i didn't get a chance to download the photo of the freebies in all their glory, so i'll post it soon.

DON'T FORGET THE GRAND RE-OPENING ON MONDAY!!

now if i could just convince myself that i should probably get a few more things for monday so that i can post some things, that would probably be a good idea.

in other fun news, i FINALLY finished up the desk calendar for next year, so test prints will commence this weekend! i'm so happy to have finally figured out the final design... that was a year + project.

off to tie up some loose ends!

WOW!

i can honestly say i wasn't expecting so many people to leave comments! i'm really excited- especially since what i have in the shop isn't in the new collection and people are reacting well to those pieces. i'm glad i linked the Sneak Peek as well. though i understand artists don't need validation and should do it for themselves, i take it as a compliment and for me, it validates that i'm moving in the right direction. i'm following the path that was made for me and it's refreshing. as artists, we all have our ups and downs and for awhile i had hit a flat line. i feel like my line is creeping up slowly now :-)


i was also really excited to get my 50th heart! i truly appreciate those that have taken the time to look in my shop while i've been out and still appreciate the pieces i have in there now.



i can only imagine how the next carnival will go with my new collection in the shop! Thank you everyone and keep commenting- please! i've tried to go thru the list and comment on others as well, but honestly, i start to go cross-eyed with so many giveaways! i'm working thru the list, though!

Blog Carnival Giveaway

In preparation of my Grand Re-Opening next week (Monday, the 4th!), I'm hosting a Giveaway! Whoo hooo!

One lucky winner will receive 1 set from my new line!
An additional winner will receive 3 singles from my new line!

Yep, two winners.

Take a look here to see a few options that might be sent to you or browse thru my "Let me Sneak a Peek" sections over to the right to see glimpses of what I'll be offering in my shop. I will draw the names of the winners this Friday at 5pm and announce on Saturday morning. Simply leave a comment on my blog if you're interested in winning- and bookmark me or sign up for my newsletter to be kept up to date on what's going on with Five Dot! Please make sure I'm able to get ahold of you if you're one of the winners!

Click here to find others that are participating as well!

**100**

i have officially found 100 ways to procrastinate everyday...thankyouverymuch!

heather bailey put me over the edge! now, if i can figure out a way to get her a little something...

little toes...

who will it be??

99 blogs... who will be #100?!
i just might have to send them a little something if possible! i'll update when i hit the big number!

July Favorite- SeaSprayBlue

i decided i needed to bring back the favorites, but with a different angle at it. instead of choosing 24 a month (that really was hard and very time consuming), i'm going to pick 1-3, depending on what i see. to start back up, i decided to have the random number generator pick the shop in my favorites that i would post.

SeaSprayBlue



this was the print that introduced me to SeaSprayBlue on etsy. the muted color scheme and whimsical style immediately drew me in. i still plan to purchase this print and find a place- even create a space- for it to live in our home. i then stumbled upon this print while shopping for a friend's shower gift.



if i would have started shopping earlier, i would have ordered this print for her. each piece has a definitely thoughtfulness to it and each emotion within the print is portrayed in a very careful and gentle way- not over the top and in your face.



though a wide range of storylines and subjects are apparent in SeaSpray's work, the colors and style bring a cohesiveness to her work. definitely one of my very favorites- and one of my first hearts given out! if you have a few moments, follow the link to SeaSpray's shop and take a look around for yourself. this print below was one we considered hanging on the two walls looking into the dining room from the living room, but opted for a letterpress piece instead. i still wouldn't mind owning it, however ;-)

Freshly cut...

and ready for their close-ups



some of the new designs and promos waiting to be photographed



and promos heading out the door to the Little Black Box!

Brush with Fame

The hubz and I went to see Gavin DeGraw last nite at a local venue- Bogarts. Bogarts isn't exactly the, um, classiest of joints you could say- decent, but not somewhere you dress to the nines. so we stand in line for probably 15 minutes- probably longer but i was eavesdropping on the girls in front of us, so i was entertained.
we get up to the door to find out what the hold up is- they're searching EVERYONE- and i mean searching. they were taking hair barrettes, pens- yes, writing pens, sharpies, bobby pins, cigarettes and lighters. they would go thru your bag, find the naughty items and ask "how much do these mean to you?" and you had to decide whether or not 3 hair barrettes and an ink pen were worth taking them back to your car and waiting in line again. apparently some girl was stabbed with tweezers there a few years ago , so they take everything that could be anything. it's quite possibly easier to go through airport security than it was to get into the venue. luckily, i didn't bring my big bag otherwise we would have been there for hours. they give you a quick pat down- and may as well given ya a tab on the ass and move you to the ticket guy and then the wristbanding guy.
the hubz and i sit down at a table in the back- prime people watching area- and just wait for the opening act, marie digby, pronounced MAR-E-A, to come out. i noticed this chick walk in with her friend and thought- holy mother they are way too dressed up for Bogarts. The one was in a black button down short dress with super cute boots on and the other this silk short dress and heels. needless to say, they stuck out like sore thumbs, but no one really gave them a second look, except maybe to think the same thing i did. so they were over talking to the merchandise guy and hanging out around that table for the first act and in between sets.
the hubz saw a guy he went to school with, went to say hi and they chatted for a bit. he told us that he was really good friends with Gavin's manager, Jeremy (super nice guy, by the way) and had come to see him while he was in town. they parted ways and in the meantime a few people had stopped the two girls and took pictures with the one in the black dress. the more i looked at her, the more she looked familiar but i never thought twice about it.
the hubz friend came over to us and was like, do you watch extreme home makeover. we said we didn't watch it but know about the show being in town to rebuild for a local family. he said, the girl over there is paige. PAIGE! yes- that's why she looked so familiar! i told the hubz i was going to be "that girl" and go over and say hi.
she was so nice and so was her friend. she said the reveal to the family was today and they were really excited about it. i told her i saw them when they came in and that i thought to myself, "those girls are WAY too dressed up for Bogarts, so that explained it all." they both laughed and said "well, the two LA girls stick out, i guess. it was either this or the toolbelt, so we opted for this!" i told her i didn't blame her and then said my good byes/nice to meet yous and went back to our table. i definitely would not have put two and two together if i wasn't told who she was- she looked nothing like she does on TV, but maybe that's because she was all done up last nite. either way, she was extremely nice. turns out her assistant on the show (the girl in the silk dress) is married to or dating the merchandise guy they were chatting with all nite. small crazy world.
i wouldn't say i run into famous people often (Muhammad Ali at the LA Cheesecake Factory, Bryant Gumbel in our hotel after our wedding) so I'm not one of those that asks them to pose for pictures or anything. but it was still kinda fun!

Our new friend...

aw man.

Get outta' here!

promos and first round of new designs off to get trimmed and scored! slight weight lifted...

Progress... yes progress

I'm finishing up some prints to send to the print shop to be scored and trimmed. i figured that i was sending my promo pieces there to be cut and scored... and i AM reopening very soon... so i might as well print out the designs that are definitely going into the shop and have them cut and scored as well for photos. it will save me a lot of hand work and with having to stuff all these sleeves with cards, i welcome any work i can shove off on someone else ;-)



here is my new packaging for multiple items. i'll probably end up doing it on the single items as well, but i'm a little torn- it seems a little much for one card. i'm justifying it on single cards because i have little thank you notes that get tucked in and business cards and i don't like the idea of them flopping around in the envelope. everything needs to be harnessed in.



here's a shot (and a little sneak peek of some of the new designs) of the giveaway items i sent off to Miss Melissa. she sent me a sweet little convo saying she enjoyed her little treat... and that the honey bee was appropriate because that's what Melissa means. huh... learn something new everyday!

i'm really excited for the unveiling of my new designs. i'm liking the direction i'm going and the ideas i have in store. a lot of my designs are pattern driven and i like that. i like the effect it will have on my shop and i like the overall feel.

Another busy weekend with only more lists to show for it

as usual, long weekends never mean productive weekends. we had, well i should say I had a lot of engagements, making it feel even shorter than a regular weekend.

but even though i wasn't physically productive or designly productive, i was brainstorming productive. i created a new line within the five dot brand and i came up with a new design style while finishing off my calendar project on friday. the new line throws back to a thank you/happy new year card i created for a friend's wedding, so i'm expanding on that concept. i think it will look really nice- very clean- after i flush out all the details. i have my list going, so cross your fingers it works! it will coincide with my file box project nicely if the designs are bought as a collection (which i'll offer AND promote in that manner!).

right now i have two collections within the line (to give the bulk purchase a better appeal)- holiday and specialty. they would be BEAUTIFUL letterpressed pieces (the original design is pressed and looks great), but seeing as how i don't have a press and know i can't afford to have them printed in high quantity to be able to charge a competitive rate, flat printed they go. i'm okay with it though because i might see about limited edition prints when i get an idea of whether or not everyone takes to the designs and which designs to press.

i also sat down after charlotte went to sleep and started printing my promo pieces for The Little Black Box. unfortunately i ended up wasting a good chunk of paper due to ink on the roller transferring to the paper and transfering my logo onto the sheet behind it. BUT, i've come up with a fun little idea to salvage the design, so all is not lost.

we'll see how this Little Black Box goes, as i've never done any sort of promotion push like this. i'm doing 50 pieces with 2 cards per piece. my head would spin if i did 150 with 2 cards (as would my wallet), so i figured low quantity with higher quantity per item. i know i'm losing "eyes" on my product, but if those 50 people give both of their cards away, that's 100 eyes i didn't have before. maybe i'll do it again in the future and be able to handle more samples with 2 cards each.

chip off the old paint can

yesterday i went with a co-worker to the paint store. she wanted to get some chips to try and decide what color to paint her new little one's room. i think i won in the chip collecting competition- i walked out of there with a giant handful of chips and pre-made palettes. pantone books overwhelm me, to say the least, so i usually dive head first into paint chips when i feel the need to work out color schemes. i'm in that mood now, so i was a kid in a candy store yesterday! i even considered buying the booklet for $10 with all the chips in it- much cheaper than a pantone book and i can always color match if need-be. but- as my rules state "don't spend what you don't have" so i was quite content in walking out with my handful of chips instead.

i have a custom wedding coming up in the next few weeks, so that will allow me to purchase some of the things i've been wanting to get! maybe knock a thing or two off my wish list... but most likely i'll just save it for a rainy day- and keep paying for that website... and a lightbox. i'm dying to get a lightbox! this job will allow me to do so and i can't wait. now i just need to find one that won't break my bank! i saw something yesterday that suggested using a cooler as your lightbox, which i thought was pretty ingenius- everyone has one of those. i know you can make them yourself, but honestly, i don't want to take the time. i know it's fairly simple and i know it's fairly inexpensive, but i just don't feel like doing it. i'm lazy and i want instant gratification. i think i'll save the carpentry skills for when i want to build my light table.

pictures of the giveaway contents and new packaging coming next week!

Treasury!

i'm in my first treasury!
go click click click away!!

thanks tisascreations for including my sweetpea!


later this week or after the long weekend i'll have a shot of the giveaway contents and my new packaging!