Swell Papel is Out There

Hiya Internet!

I have had the good fortune and pleasure of being interviewed by Danielle from scribe & maker and the post is up today!

Please check out the interview here.

I will be back to posting regularly soon... promise!

Happy Place

There are many lessons that I have learned in my life.  One of them is not to bother calling the hotel you just checked out of from the airport asking for the Prada sunglasses you left in your room.  Your Prada sunglasses are gone.  Get over it and move on.

But this blog post has nothing to do with life lessons or Prada sunglasses.

I've been painting outdoors recently.  Outdoors in the bright bright light, where bugs and fuzzy plant matter land on my acrylic paints as I drink Diet Coke so watered down by melting ice cubes that it tastes like nothing.  Painting outside, although charming, comes with its challenges.  One must squint one's eyes in order to see what one is painting. One ends up being blinded by the reflection of the light off of one's painting.  And one ends up looking like an artsy Clint Eastwood armed with a paintbrush and some cadmium red in a tube.

One misses her Prada sunglasses.

Anyway, I'm completely enjoying painting outdoors.  So much so that it's become my newest happy place.

DIY - Jewelry Frame

This DIY project is so easy and it looks wonderful!  Total cost was $5 for the vintage frame.  I had all the other supplies here in my house.

I encourage you to try it out... now, I'll let the pictures tell the story:

DIY - Succulent Terrarium

I got all sorts of crafty today, mostly because I was overloaded with inspiration from some of the beautiful projects and things I've seen on Pinterest.  


My project today was making 2 terrariums with a couple of glass containers I used for my wedding's dessert table.  


I had a variety of things I could have done with those containers: filled them with limes, lemons, or oranges, turned them into hurricanes for candles, or filled them with sand and some decorative seashells.  None of these things really appealed to me (it's been done SO MANY times), but when I saw a few pins on terrariums on Pinterest, I knew that's what I wanted to do.


I followed Martha Stewart's Succulents Terrariums instructions and here are the results:

Such a simple and cheap project!

One of the new terrariums found a home by our kitchen window and next to a lovely Ashley G Woodsman wall art from Urban Outfitters.  


I also want to make a big enclosed moss terrarium later on.  I'm hooked now!

Toy Photo Shoot

Over this past weekend, it occurred to me that the boys need some new wall art for their bedroom and playrooms.  I've seen that they get so creative when they make their Lego bases, that I wanted to capture that as a keepsake of their amazing and unafraid creativity.


So, this weekend, the boys and I did this awesome project where they designed their Lego bases or scenes with their Star Wars figurines and I photographed them.  I loved the results!  They look almost like candid shots one would take of people without letting them pose. 


Here are some of the final shots, some of which will end up in pretty Riba frames hanging in the boys' rooms.  Yay!

Rust Belt Market

I love Ferndale, MI.  With it's indie and eclectic collection of shops, bakeries, grocery stores, and cafes, there's always something going on.  This past weekend was no exception.  The Rust Belt Market opened its doors for the first time, and I could not miss it!  Located in what used to be an oversized Old Navy store in the corner of Woodward and 9 Mile, the Rust Belt's Market just officially made Ferndale my favorite town in Southeast Michigan.

Think of the Rust Belt Market as the "farmers market" for cool, indie artists.  Instead of selling produce, the vendors there sell their amazing collection of handmade and vintage fare.  Kind of Etsy-ish, except less virtual and 100% real life.  Artists and shoppers have a chance to interact with one another, making this a super rich environment for the creative types to thrive in...  An oasis for people like me who are parched for a fresh source of inspiration and tangible sense of craft community.

While there, I discovered (perhaps a little late in the game), Detroit Lives! a group created by Philip Lauri to basically spread the good things about Detroit (high five!) utilizing all sorts of different media.  I absolutely loved artists who project a positive image of the city and Detroit Lives! fits the bill beautifully!

I'm so glad that this place now exists.  I've seen for 10 years now that there is a bustling craft/indie community in the area and the Rust Belt Market is another definitive sign that this community is here to stay. 

New Print - Detroit Water Tower

Today, I'm super excited to have posted a new print at the shop!  It's simply titled Detroit Water Tower and it is an 8.5 x 11 inch archival digital print with some bright colors you may remember from the Swell Papel all-time favorite, and most popular print, Mountain Range No. 1.

Here it is!

Detroit Water Tower Print

This print was inspired by a picture I took when the husband and I went to the D for Dally in the Alley.  I love love LOVE the geometric nature of water towers and the silhouettes they make.  I try taking pictures of water towers when I can but most of my collection is taken while I'm driving and with my crappy cell phone camera, so they don't make it any further than the confines of my phone's memory card.

Anyway,  I had been working on this print since last fall but I wasn't fully satisfied with it so I just left it.  And left it.  And then I got married and became a "bonus mom" and a wife, and a dog owner, and my workload spiked and I... I... I just left it.  Sitting in my little Drafts folder on my computer, this poor little print was finally pulled from the depths of my computer to fulfill its destiny as another print in the Swell Papel collection.  Yay!

In other awesome news, I was contacted by the writer of a very famous wedding inspiration blog to feature our wedding in it!  It hasn't been posted yet so I can't say much yet, but stay tuned!

The Perfect Place

We finally have a date for the wedding, it's less than 3 months away!  It's going to be really really cold here in Michigan where we'll get married, but there will be lots of love to warm us up.

I'm in all-out bride mode... it's absolutely awesome!  We're going with a rustic/DIY theme and found the PERFECT location EVER.  I use all caps because it's THAT GOOD!  It combines my secret love for vintage items and coffee!  Here are some pictures I recently took of the place:

The owner and I seemed to have found each other at just the right time for I was looking for a small, quaint, wedding venue, and she was considering adding weddings to the list of events she wanted to host there. It was perfect timing, and meant to be.  Our wedding will be the first one had there, and it will be soooo beautiful. I can't wait!

Back from the City of Mountains

I went back to visit friends and family in my hometown in Mexico last week.  There was tons of fun to be had between visiting my friends, and having good quality time with my folks too.  The summery weather was a nice change from Michigan's crisp cool.  I arrived wearing my Uggs and a heavy sweater (hot!) and ended up wearing open-toed shoes and summer dresses.  Ahh! So nice!


I love the city, though.  It's surrounded by Sierra Madre mountains which sparkle with the early morning sun.  It's truly an amazing sight.

And now I'm back in FLAT (yet charming in other ways) Michigan... Back to wearing my cozy sweaters and warm fuzzy boots.  I'm filling some print orders that I received while I was gone and planning the unveiling of a new print for this week.  Hurray!


Looking at these wonderful mountains, I kind of feel like printing my own "In the Mountains" print (available at the shop, of course!) and hanging it somewhere in my apartment so I can see it all day.

In the Mountains Print $18 USD by Swell Papel

Ahoy!

I feel like it's been a long time since I've posted.  Luckily, I've been very productive and have managed to post a new print on the shop!  It's called "Ahoy!" and I had a ton of fun making it.

Here are some of my inspiration pictures:

            

And in honor of this print, here is a clip from one of my favorite all-time movies, What About Bob? starring Bill Murray (genius, as far as I'm concerned) and Richard Dreyfus.  To give you a little bit of background before you view this clip, Bill Murray is Bob, a man with multiple psychological issues who decides to crash his psychiatrist's (played by Richard Dreyfuss) family vacation against his wishes.  In this scene, Bob is invited by the psychiatrist's daughter to come sailing with her and her friends.

Just looking at this clip cracks me up! Anybody who knows me well will tell you that I can quote this movie, almost in it's entirety, without even thinking about it.  It's one of the many talents of mine categorized under "Mildly Amusing and Useless".  It sits right next to knowing Disney's Aladdin by memory, and being able to raise my right eyebrow without raising the left one. 

Swell Papel on Tall Dark Roast

Have you heard the good news?  I have a new article up on Tall Dark Roast!   The newest one features a slew of Etsy artists who have captured my eye with their striking yellow goodies.


Click here to check it out!


Don't forget to leave a comment and to follow Tall Dark Roast and Swell Papel on Twitter!

Om

Last night was my first yoga class over at a local yoga studio.  My only experience with yoga was a few classes at a noisy gym but I got a great offer via Groupon that I just couldn't miss: 5 lessons for $25!  I had been curious about yoga since I've been reading The Art of Happiness and I thought yoga would help me "connect" some of the things I've read in the book with real practice.  And it did.


I got to the yoga studio early - really early - because I was worried that I wouldn't know where I had to leave my shoes while I was in class (weird, I know).  So I arrived 30 minutes earlier (ok, I'm lying... I got there 55 minutes before class) thinking I would have enough time to figure out where the shoes go and not look like a complete dork.


It took me like 2 minutes to figure out where we were supposed to put our shoes so I spent the rest of the time reading a yoga magazine and watching the people come and go from the studio.  The time finally came for the class- Short Form Ashtanga which is basically a specific series of poses followed in a specific order.  The class was amazing!  There was a lot of emphasis on breathing and being mindful of our bodies.  After we finished the series of poses, the instructor guided us through meditation, which I found to be very relaxing and therapeutic. I left there energized and content.  I can't wait to go back next week.  

In other news, I received a note from Katie at b u d this morning telling me that she had included one of my prints in her lovely blog which features dreamy collections of items she finds on Etsy.  Her website is really well curated and super inspiring, so please follow the links to her shop and blog. 

Swell Papel Update - Indie Fixx Galleria Lookbook

Open publication - Free publishing - More jewelry

Swell Papel Update - Treasury Love

Swell Papel prints have been chosen to appear on a number of Treasuries on Etsy.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Speed of Light by b u d

Lovely Roots by MaaP Studio

you know I love geometry by nomilk today

Imagine a Map by Big Brown House

Less than 10

Autumn Geometrics

Redecorate the home in warm seasonal colors

New Shops! Vol 4

Take a Look at These

National Honey Month

Being part of the Etsy community has been so rewarding and I am really grateful for the opportunities to have my prints show up in these wonderful treasuries.

Swell Papel on Tider Designs' Etsy Favorites

Swell Papel's Mountain Range No. 1 Print is featured today on Tider Designs' Etsy Favorites blog!  


Please check out Diane's beautiful metal, resin, and enamel jewelry in her Tider Jewelry Design shop on Etsy. 


Her MidCentury Chair Necklaces are to die for!

ReCharged- A Story in Pictures

Because the foliage is at it's prime right now, the boyfriend and I decided to take a little drive this past weekend and we ended up in the beautiful towns of South Haven and Saugatuck, MI.  It was amazing... but I will let the pictures do the talking.

The South Haven Lighthouse

The Boyfriend and I

Early Morning Sunlight

Folks on an early morning sail. 

Repetition

A Walk With the Lama

I had a really great dream last night.  


In it, I met with the Dalai Lama and his entourage (it was a dream, the Dalai Lama had an entourage the size of J-Lo's back in the "Jenny from the Block" days).  I was offered the opportunity to be taken under his wing and spend a few days in his "complex" (which in my dream was a beautiful hacienda in the mountains).  During those days, the Dalai Lama and I would take strolls through his property, which randomly changed from dessert, to mountain woods, to wildflower prairie, etc.  I talked to him about my concerns and he guided me with his wisdom and meditated with me.  After our walks, his crew treated me to holistic SPA treatments such as hot stone massages, yoga, etc.

So, this morning I woke up feeling refreshed, positive, grateful for the life I have, and knowing that I have the things I need to make this a great day, no matter what happens.


Good morning to you and I hope you make yours a great day too!

Sneezes for Cash

Ah! It feels so good to get Monday out of the way.  Even though Tuesday lives right next to Monday, I find Tuesdays somewhat comforting, like a nice place to hang out after going through the shock of being ripped out of the weekend and thrown in the murky waters of Mondays.

My allergies have been insane lately.  Saturday was especially hard for me.  I tried everything from over the counter medicines to home remedies like green tea and local honey, and nothing seemed to work! Instead I turned into a dazed Sneezy-bee/ face-contortionist (anybody with allergies will know what this means), trying to survive Saturday without sneezing my head out of it's socket. 

On Sunday though, I was surprisingly achoo-less so I proceeded to actually ENJOY the day instead of suffering through it like on Saturday.  My face is back to normal, and my head is safely in its place.

Man, if I could find a way to make my sneezes profitable... I would be able to quit my day job, make a decent living, and have enough money to give to charity.  Is anybody out there interested in giving me cash for every sneeze?

All that sneezing left me drained and feeling a little uninspired.  I really want to make one new print (at least) for the shop by the end of this week, so I'm drinking my french pressed coffee and hoping to find some inspiration at the bottom of the cup.

New Work- In the Mountains

One of my favorite things to do on a plane is take pictures through the window.  There's something really peaceful and abstract about images taken of the earth down below.

Here are some of my favorites:

Inspired by some of these images, I created In the Mountains, a new print available in the shop!  

In the Mountains - 8.5 x 11 Print - $18 USD