Let's try a totally new one

 Now I've got the creative bug going.  Thought I'd do a new card with my super cute Diamond Press stamps and dies, with some DCWV paper and a Kingston Crafts acetate butterfly.

What do you think?

-H

When You Realize Not Much Has Changed in Card Making in the Past Decade or So...

 So I was going through some of my cards that I made once upon a time and I realized something.  With the exception of free stitching, which doesn't really seem to be a thing as much anymore, not a whole heck of a lot has changed since I was cranking out the cards.  Weird.  Even a lot of the themes are coming back around, like seagulls, rainbows, cute birds, cocktails, etc.  And there's still the prolific use of mediums, glitters, and stencils.  Although, gotta say, those mediums and such have gotten waaaaaayyyy better.  

So anyway, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.  There are a few that I think I can update to today's aesthetic, which I'm going to try to do and post in the next couple days.  

Still love me some grumpy seagulls.  Love the real twine on the pylons and the inking.

Always was a sucker for cute dimensional add ons like the hearts and the mini pearls framing the main image.

Inking in any form still has my heart.  

Again with the cute birds!  There's something that really isn't "modern", the metal book plate & brads.  

Rainbows, umbrellas, & mirror cardstock (the cloud's silver lining)>

Nowadays (damn I sound old) you'd make this out of glitter cardstock and probably a die cut for the basket.  This was made with adhesive spray on cardstock and glitter.  And I wove the basket from paper.  The lines between the basket and balloon are wire.  I really love making my own stuff.

Bird alert!  Simple but cute.  This is one I think I'm going to update.

I loved inking in frames and outlines.

Fun with shaped cards, specialty ribbon, glitter with stencils, and vintage clip art.

Inked stencil again.  I really love making die cuts from vintage dictionary and book pages. Might update this one, too.

The whole Roaring 20s, feathers, pearls, and beautiful floral papers is back, too. 

I was (and still am) obsessed with mixed media "goops" and specifically monoprints.  The splash was made with alcohol inks and glittery mists sprayed onto a non-stick surface then once dried, covered with clear glossy gel, dried, then peeled off into whatever shape it took.  There's another inked outline, too.  Think this will be updated.

Another monoprint.  Great way to not waste all the expensive mediums used on other projects. Definitely updating.

These hearts are also inked and cut from cardstock then covered with a clear enamel. Probably updating.

I also loved making my own faux handmade paper like the pink & silver here.  The skirt on the mannequin is made from a cupcake liner.  Free stitching!  

Cocktails anyone?  Resists, clear gels, and Copics coloring on that fun olive.

Umbrellas!  Lots of dimensional gel on this one, too.  Probably updating.

BIRD!  Definitely updating.

Lots of glitter and pearls, inking, and a very delicate die cut.  

Fun with markers with whimsical flowers.  And handwritten sentiments.  Updating.

Chicken.  (Bird.)  When you don't have the patterened  paper you want, make it!

The colorful paper in the background is glittery mists on a cloth-like paper.  

The dress is filled in with Perfect Pearls.

Love the tile look of the paper and the pun.

Sunrays are back.  Fun with Copics.

Tropical is huge right now.  Will be updating this one.

Fun glitter cardstock & Stickles.  Updating.

Glitter cardstock and summer treats.  Updating.

Bird!  Monoprint background.

Summer!!!!

Umbrella, clear gels, embossing, inking. Updating.

Copics & Stickles.  This one is crying out for updating.

Cupcakes & glitter.  Yum.

Fun with metallic watercolors.  

Cocktails & glitter.  Updating.

Definitely need to update this one.  Love the Copic coloring.  I loved this Lawn Fawn set.

Geometric backgrounds are still cool, too.

Sorry I bombarded you with so many.  This is just a smattering of what I had.  I was just floored at how many of them could be made today.  I'll get those updates done & share again.

Thanks!

Heidi

Carina Gardner's Design Suite Review

At the end of October 2022, I came across a link for Carina Gardner's Design Bootcamp - a five-day live online course for those who wanted to learn how to design better to sell their designs online.  

I'd been thinking about selling on Etsy for a while but hadn't ever pulled the trigger.  I mean, yes, I'd designed lots of my own SVG files for cutting on my Cricut, and sold a few things to my friends, but I didn't have the confidence that other people would want to buy my stuff.  I thought, at the very least, I'd get a few pointers and maybe learn a thing or two how to design in Photoshop or something. 

I was not prepared for how quickly I felt like what this smiley, sweet, energetic woman was showing us was my destiny.  (Ok, yes, a little dramatic but really not that far off.)  Every day I couldn't wait until the next day's class, and I was wondering if there was more.  I don't remember if it was the third or fourth day, but Carina finally let us in on that answer...for those who want to learn more but not go "all in", she has a Design Suite University.  

But...those who want the whole shebang - the classes, the mentoring, the community - she offers Design Suite Mastermind, a one-year design mentorship with her.  I was IN!  

Oh - forgot to mention, Carina Gardner is The Real Deal.  She has several of her own wildly successful (and profitable, like six figures profitable) Etsy shops, a very successful fabric (and now wallpaper) design career, she has been a professor of design at a university, and she used to be the Creative Director for a VERY SUCCESSFUL and well-known scrapbook company.  

The Design Suite Mastermind program is O-VER-FLOW-ING with in depth instruction for everything from learning Adobe Illustrator, to learning how to design fabric or clip art or SVGs or digital papers or...you get the picture.  

An early SVG design - Tropical Flamingo Heart Grid

And then there are the weekly meetings.   LIVE Zoom meetings with Carina Gardner and all the other Design Suite Mastermind participants.  You can get help on how to do things, help with how to maximize your Etsy shop, and so much more - REAL ACTUAL HELP.  

Carina will also look over your designs, make suggestions on how to improve them, and even show you how to make the improvements, like in your actual file.  

And the Design Suite Mastermind community is AMAZING.  There are beginners, people who have been designers for years, people who make clip art & cut files, those who make physical products, people with laser cutting businesses, fine artists who digitize and sell their work, etc, etc, etc.  And I don't know how this happens but every single person is so nice, and happy to jump in and share their knowledge and insight and perspective.  This is invaluable, people!

I know I sound like an ad for the program, but honestly, I'd never put this "out there" if I didn't feel like it is 100% legit.  It truly has changed my life.  I went from someone who dabbles in crafting to calling myself a DESIGNER, and actually meaning it.  

A current best seller - Distressed Rainbow Butterfly Fade

I now have a very good understanding of Adobe Illustrator, I'm learning how to digitally draw and paint in Procreate, and feel like my Etsy shops are definitely on the right track.  

I opened my first Etsy shop, Heidi Myers Art, at the beginning of February 2023.

Heidi Myers Art Digital Downloads

I had my first sale exactly one month later.  Since then I've added over 200 designs and I've had almost 60 sales in four months - and the summer months are notoriously low sales for Etsy shops.  I've had six sales alone in the first six days of July!  I have no illusions, however, that it's going to take a while to build up the business.  But I have the confidence to know that all this work is going to pay off.  

I opened my second Etsy shop, Agent Ant, in March, because I wanted people to be able to purchase printed merchandise using the same designs from my digital shop if they didn't want to actually make them themselves.  I currently have over 400 designs available.

Agent Ant Printables

I'm currently having a third party print and ship my items but I think I'm going to be bringing the processes in house by the end of the month.  

My design on a stemless wine glass - Distressed Juicy Watermelon

I've also recently opened a fabric studio on Raspberry Creek Fabrics, Designs by Heidi Myers Art.

I currently have over 40 fabric designs listed, with LOTS more planned for fall and winter.  

Faded Old Glory Red White & Blue Streamers on Teal Base Fabric

I feel like I never could have done any of this on my own.  The education, mentorship, and community in Design Suite Mastermind has been invaluable.  

Click on the link for Carina Gardner's Design Suite Bootcamp above, or here, or on the sidebar, to see if it's something that might help you grow your design business, too.  You won't regret it.  (If you decide you do want to go for it, please use the links I've provided in this post.  These contain my personal affiliate code.)

Thanks for listening to me gush and toot my own horn!  

- heidi

It’s been 9 years since I blogged…

 My last blog post was in August of 2012. 

2012!

Honestly, I was surprised as hell to come across my blog. Kinda expected it to be gone, kwim?

Anyway, as expected over the course of 9 years, things change. I pretty much gave up scrapbooking and card making right around the same time as this blog. I abandoned my foray into mixed media, too.  But, in the process of relocating and downsizing my craft room, I rediscovered all the fun toys I used to use and it piqued my interest again.

Sooo…I don’t expect this blog to be on anyone’s radar anymore, but I feel like I need a place to post my newly reclaimed artistic journey, if only just for me. 

One thing I decided to do was to learn how to draw faces. I came across a mind blowing online art teacher, Karen Campbell of AwesomeArtSchool.com and began following her tutorials on how to draw faces. 

This is from a lesson on how to draw a braid, with the added bonus of being a 3/4 face. 

I’m mostly happy with it. Right now my biggest obstacles to overcome are making my girls’ jawlines less masculine, and I just can’t seem to scale down the eyes to human sized instead of fantastical anime sex kitten sized. 😂 

I used Derwent soft graphite pencils (H, 2B, & 3B) in a Strathmore sketch pad, with a generous assist from variously sized erasers. There were a few last minute touches with a black Stabilo All pencil and a Posca white marker. 

So, anyway, yeah. 

If for some reason you happen to land here, say hi!

Thanks for listening!!

💚heidi

It Starts Today!!!! So Excited!!!

Words. Words? Words! Part 1 - Words & Text as Narrative starts TODAY!!!!

Woooohooooo!!!!!

This class is chock full of ideas for how to jumpstart and creatively express your storytelling on any sort of paper craft, from layouts to cards to canvases to art journals and more. 

I would LOVE to have you join me!

BUY NOW!

;oD

A few sneak peeks of projects from the class:

And that's just Week 1!

♥Heidi