Happenings... including a Feature Interview on Markets of Sunshine and Destash Sale

Hello!  I hope that your day was lovely and that you didn't have to endure the soggy day that I had here in New Jersey.

This week I'm the featured artist on the Markets of Sunshine Blog and you can read my here.

Saturday, May 4th, 8am-noon - I will be having a Destash Sale at a friend's yard sale in the 200 block of Dayton Avenue in Collingswood, New Jersey.  I will have a table full of items at bargain prices, ready for you to make something beautiful!  Please stop by, we'll be right down the street from the Collingswood Farmer's Market - it's opening week - so exciting!!!

Now for some news that I don't think you're expecting...

I'm taking the time to step back a bit from my professional world to spend time with my children.  I am feeling the nudge from God that my work has been taking me farther from my family than just the next room and I need to address that in my own way.  

I plan to continue creating and fulfilling the creative outlet that I do need and enjoy, but to a lesser scale than I had been striving for in the past several months.  I have several items created, awaiting photographing and listing.  I will continue to create new items - the second generation Tech Sleeve idea is burning a hole in my creative pocket!  There are other items that I have in mind and they will be made as well, but in due time.  I also will be accepting custom orders - my absolute favorite part of my job - creating something unique for a particular person.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading.  I appreciate all of your support and I hope that you continue to stop by to read.

Many blessings to you and yours!
Best,
~Nicole

Event update - the BuzzFest in Houston with The indiExhibit - Earth Day Flash Sale - Custom Orders

My OOAK upcycled phone/tech case was featured at the BuzzFest this past weekend in Houston, Texas.  Check out photos here of the featured art that was gifted.

There are about two hours left to my Earth Day Flash Sale - 40% off when you purchase $50 or more of product from WoodstreamDream using code:  EARTHDAY at check out - valid through 10pm ET today, April 22, 2013.

I'm busy working on a custom order of pairs of baskets.  You can see the finished baskets that I posted here on Friday evening.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a blessed week!  Praying that it's peaceful all around.

~Nicole

Wrenching

Again this afternoon I felt transported back 11.5 years ago to a horrible morning.  Then I was a teacher.  Today I'm a mom.  Then I sheltered my students - third and fourth grade boys and girls - from the terror.  Today I read online while my boys played and did homework.  I waited until they were playing outside with my husband tonight in the safety of our backyard before I dared to turn on the news.  I stopped watching the news many years ago - but tonight I wanted to know who and why, so much more elusive - WHY???????  I cannot scream it loud enough, I do not scream it at all, except inside - from every bit of my soul.

I know there are so many who are feeling this reeling, wrenching pain.  So many there who feel the physical pain that can't be taken away regardless of the amount of pain medication and that it will take so long to get past this day - to come to terms with this day, because one really never forgets this kind of thing.  This terror.  Wounds are torn open, actual and those that our friends cannot see, ones we hide with a smile and, "Fine."

But we are strong and resilient and we will be stronger and we will heal and remember and honor and revere those who stepped forward today and those who will never be the same and will never be forgotten because they were among the innocents.

This is the prayer I posted on my Facebook feed after I read first about what had happened...

Prayers for those in Boston and those reliving tragedies as they see this develop. Prayers for those helping, rescuing, and caring for victims. Prayers for those families that will never be the same.

I will continue my prayers tonight and for so many more nights to come.  And when this has faded from the headlines, something will remind me of this day and I will pray again.  I have faith.  Faith in our country and faith in the people.  Most importantly, faith in the Lord.  My faith gives me hope that He will teach me something that will make tomorrow a little bit easier to bear here on this earth.

Thank you for reading.  Please pray - or send positive thoughts, should you choose not to pray -  for those who are suffering tonight.  It will not end when the newspaper, Facebook, Twitter, and television headlines fade - remember and honor, regardless of the headline.

~Nicole

The Market Happenings

So by now you know that I am a member of Markets of Sunshine.  We're a group of artists who create and sell, but our goal is to promote one another through cooperative advertising.

Our April Gift Boxes are now for sale.  This is the link to the YouTube video of the contents in this month's box.  The boxes are available for sale each month until they run out.  They contain 5 full-size products in the small box and 10 full-size products in the large box.  The profits of the sale of these boxes goes towards funding our advertising.

Markets of Sunshine has joined 40billion.com to continue to connect with people around the world.

The Markets have teamed up with the indiExhibit and have been featured in the Celebrity Gifting Lounge at the 2013 Academy Awards and will be at the BuzzFest in Houston this month.  We have two other celebrity events coming up later this year.

The NerdWallet has listed Markets of Sunshine in their Earth Day Ten Eco-conscious Businesses - this is because many of our shops (including both of mine) reuse, upcycle, and use eco-friendly materials in the production of our goods.

There's a blog contest weekly for anyone who wants to enter to win - this week the prize is Watkins Vanilla Extract and a Horse Key Chain by Delecto Art (one of our member shops).

When you purchase a Gift Box, you'll see an additional piece of my art... I've designed the note card included in each box.

Thanks for checking in and have a blessed weekend!

~Nicole

DIY - Dollar Store to Designer

My older son's birthday was last month.  Eight years-old, wow, I can barely believe how the time has flown by!

He is a nature lover - animals, plants, you name it and he probably knows more about it than any of us will in a life time.  March weather is tricky in New Jersey.  We can either have pleasant and sunny 70s or cold, windy, and sometimes snowy 20s.

This year I decided not to risk the home party and we hosted a handful of his friends at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge.  It's not too far from our home and it was all about nature, just what my son would want.  Last summer we went there on a hike with friends and had a lovely time.

As I planned the party, I was trying to keep it simple.  The theme provided was Animal Tracks.  Light snacks that the kids and parents enjoy before a hike, check.  Of course we had to sing Happy Birthday!  Here's the idea I came up with for decorating the cupcakes sans food dye:

Cupcakes (don't you just love the paw prints?)

I was trying to figure out what to send home with the children as favors and it struck me... 

Nature Sketchbooks!

I purchased inexpensive notepads at the dollar store (look - made in the USA!) for each child.

Then with a few easy to find tools, I turned it into something much, much better.

I found free clipart and designed a cover to hide the dollar store blah-ness.

I printed out four per sheet of cardstock and cut each one to fit the top of the notepad.  

I used permanent adhesive to adhere the new covers to the notepad covers.

There was a gap between the top of the cardstock and the black adhesive trim of the notepad.  So I used a length of striped self-adhesive ribbon to hide the gap.

Voila!  Instant beautification!

Well, not quite instant, but it was quick and less expensive than ordering something custom.

You could also use this idea for a fashionista's birthday party - change the title to Fashion Sketchbook and the color of the cardstock, then deck it out with self-adhesive rhinestone bling.

Another aside perk to not having the party at our home was that we requested in lieu of gifts for guests to bring a bag of supplies for the animal hospital that's on the site of the wildlife refuge.  Everyone obliged, we helped the hospital and the animals, and have warm fuzzies from doing good instead of more toys to stumble over!

As always, thanks so much for stopping in!  I hope I've inspired you today.
Have a blessed weekend!

~Nicole

Quick!

I have to run back out into the beautiful weather before it is snatched away, but I wanted to share this contest with you... 

Delecto Art's Horse Key Chain

Win Watkins Vanilla Extract and Delecto Art's Horse Key Chain - this is sponsored by Markets of Sunshine  - a group of artists and artisans who teams up to promote each other's art.  It's a cooperative effort to build better businesses all around!

If you're an artist and would like more information, please contact us through the link above and let them know that member #124, Nicole Meyers, sent you!

Ok, back to my kiddos - enjoying this sunshine - hope you're enjoying your day!  Have a blessed week!
~Nicole