Open for Business

The shop is open again! Hurray!

I've decided to just go ahead and open since there have been endless delays with the addition we're building on our house (which includes my studio).  There's no sense in waiting any longer just because the built in desks aren't ready and most of my art supplies are in storage still.  

I'm not sure when I'll be able to make new work... I was so busy creating a HUMAN BEING for most of 2012 that all my creative.. ahem... juices... were used up.  But now that The Baby has been outta my body for 9 weeks, I think I can get back to creating new work in whatever time I can manage to spare. 

Ha.

Haha.

Spare time? I'm typing this entire post with one hand and while simultaneously nursing The Baby.

Clearly I must be delusional.

Here's a picture of what the studio looks looks like now-->

I'll be sure to post a picture once I set it up!

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.

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!

Catch Up

I can almost smell the thick-textured salty air.  The frilly beverages served inside a pineapple or a coconut are almost within reach, along with little cocktail umbrellas that I'll surely stick in my hair.  CAW! CAW! CAW! What's that? Why, it's the sound of seagulls in the not so far away future!


In less than two weeks I'll become a Mrs! And The Fiance (formerly The Boyfriend, soon to be renamed The Husband, or "The Hubs" if I'm in a particularly chipper mood) and I will be headed out as husband and wife to a remote beach in the Mayan Riviera.  Quite the change from the 17°F weather we've been having in our little corner of the world.


I've been MIA from the blog for a while now, I know, but I will be back to the blog, taking photos, and my beloved Swell Papel shop full force once I get settled in to my new life, new house, and new family.


I miss making new prints.  I can't wait to start that up again!  I miss the creative bit of designing something and putting it out there.  I have been able to do a lot of creative things for my wedding, though.  Nothing too major, but just little creative touches like this:

A little ring nest I made for our wedding bands (I put in my engagement ring as an example for this picture).  


Oh! I also have to tell you about my wonderful source of wedding inspiration.  It's called Ruffled, an extremely well-curated wedding blog which has helped me so much these past months to design my own version of a vintage/diy wedding.  Amanda, Ruffled's editor and owner, does a beautiful job of selecting beautiful and romantic vintage-inspired weddings.  The ideas that I've found by combing the blog have been invaluable.  Check it out if you can, whether you are planning a wedding or not.


That's all for now!  I'm not sure if I'll be able to post or not before the wedding, but I'll check in right after our honeymoon, hopefully with some pictures, some cool stories, and a smashing tan!


TTFN!

It's Beginning to Get Nautical

It's a sprint within a marathon.


...Planning a wedding so close to the holidays.


I've been simultaneously working on wedding preparations, holiday travel plans, buying and wrapping mountains of Christmas presents, and um... what was that other thing I do?  Oh yeah!  My full-time "real" job as "Catch-All Manager".  That's what I call myself, anyway, because whatever other people's job description doesn't fit, my boss gives to me.


I've also been watching Deadliest Catch via Netflix streaming, and even though I now know waaaay more about crab fishing than I ever cared to, I identify with those deckhands hauling their butts for long stretches of hard labor trying to catch Opilio or Alaskan King crabs.  Ok, perhaps what I have been doing is not as exhausting or dangerous as what these guys do, but at a lighter and super-superficial level, this kind of insanity is sort of in the same genus.


I need to be making sure that I'm always doing something, otherwise things can get piled up pretty quickly on the deck.  On top of that, I'm coming down with a cold (man down!).  Like the crab fishermen, I need to catch as many check marks on my To Do list than they need crabs.  All the while looking out for rogue waves of unpredictable work stuff that is thrown my way (mayday! mayday!), not by the Bering Sea, but by my current place of employment.





I'm enjoying every minute of it though.  


May your Bering Sea be calm and generous today and may your crab pods be full of... whatever it is you're fishing for today.


Ahoy!

Ahoy! Fine Art Print by Swell Papel $18 USD

Whirlwind

Happy Late Thanksgiving!  I guess the right way of saying that now that Thanksgiving has passed is "Happy Thanksgiven".  Har har haaaarrrr!

The Fiance, The Boys, and I put up some Christmas decorations up yesterday.  We had a fire going in the fireplace, new ornaments, handmade Christmas stockings, and Christmas tunes courtesy of Pandora.  I am so grateful to have times like that with my future family and in my future home.

I received my wedding invitations over the weekend, which I purchased from Benign Objects, a fellow Esty seller.  I love them and they totally go with the rustic/romantic theme I'm going for.  They are divine!  And Rachel, the artist behind Benign Objects, was so wonderful and easy to work with!

Anyway, there's a little bit over 2 months to go and I still need to tie down a lot of the details for the wedding!  So much to do in so little time!  Gotta run!

Spooky Street

The Fiance and I took the boys on Saturday to this wonderful street which they completely deck out for Halloween.  We had such a great time and the boys loved it! 


Here are some of our favorite house decorations:

Life is Swell

I've neglected the blog a little bit, haven't I?  I do have a good excuse, though.  

Over last weekend, The Boyfriend and I got engaged!  We are so unbelievably happy and blessed!  

Anyway, between then and now, I've slowly metamorphosized (is that even a word?) into "bride-to-be".  And in the whole happy process, I've managed to accidentally teach the word "Bridezilla" to The Fiance (formerly known as The Boyfriend), something that I've already began to kick myself for.  ;)

Please excuse me if posting is a little light in the coming months.  I will check in regularly, though, so stay tuned! 

Happy Wednesday!

(NOT) Too Legit to Quilt

I really want a sewing machine.


There are many affordable models available everywhere and I would really love to pick one up and attempt to make a quilt.  Problem is, I don't have any room in my apartment to store a sewing machine.  As it is, my camera and laptop bags have found a sad little spot in a corner of my dining room, out there, in the open.  And my monster printer lives atop my dining room table, which nowadays looks more like a printer stand because of the proportions of the MONSTER printer. It's sad, really... all those things want is a little closet or real storage space to call their own.


My closets are full from floor to ceiling, my kitchen and bathroom cabinets already house a variety of random things including, but not limited to: a tiny cube cooler, 2 Easter egg coloring kits, paint brushes, picnic blankets, Transformers wrapping paper, etc.


I cannot get a sewing machine if there's no room for it.  But all I wanna do is make a quilt!


I'm thinking I need to engage my brain in creative problem solving right now.  Cuz I'm (NOT) too legit to quilt.

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.

And We're Back

Wow! I just had the most dreamy weekend and I can't believe it's over.  With my parents visiting, I decided to take them out and about to places they've never been to and we had a blast.  Between vegan, organic meals at The Inn Season Cafe, a trip to Detroit's Historical Eastern Market, lunch at Slows BarBQ, sight-seeing in the city, and lots of warm apple cider, I will have to call this weekend a success!

There are pumpkins everywhere!

Heirloom Tomatoes + Fresh Mozzarella + Fresh Basil = Yum!

Does anybody know what these beautiful plants are? 

We even ran into the set of Transformers 3! You can't really tell that the picture below is of the set... but it is!  

Can't wait to do it all over again! Come back soon, mom & dad!

Out of the Blog-ffice

Hey there! I just wanted to write a quick note to let ya'll know that I will be out of the "blog-ffice" until Monday since The Parentals are coming.  



OMG... The Parentals are coming!



They should be here any minute now!  I haven't seen them since August (which is a long time for my little family of 3), so I'm hoping to take advantage of every minute of them being here. Hurray!


And they couldn't come at a better time because I'm about to throw out yet another one of my dining room chairs!


Enjoy yourselves and stay tuned next week when I'll have some new prints up for sale in the shop!



Oh! To keep in the theme of family, I wanted to share with you this wonderful Etsy shop by cozyblue.  She does amazing, custom family tree prints which are delicate and lovely!  One day, I will have my own cozyblue family tree print!

Family Tree Print by cozyblue $30 usd

Click here to check out cozyblue and order your own!