New Hand Embroidered Art Coming Soon: sneak preview.

This is a sneak preview of new work coming soon to my shop. The photo shows unframed work; all pieces are hand embroidered and, with the exception of the red birdie on a branch, Artist's Own Design (please do not copy). This is larger work, each about 7 inches in diameter when framed. All work is one of a kind or a very limited edition.

I will be listing these items late next week. Subscribe to my shop feed not to miss a favorite. View also my entire collection of hand embrodered decorative art to see more and to view framing methods.

HISTORICAL INSPIRATION: turning a museum find into own art

I'm a bit of a geek this way: a fan of all things bygone. I love following nature in my creativity, but historical design is a big number 2 influence for me. When I can combine the both nature and old imagery in my work, I'm in seventh heaven.

The image above is a museum find of mine. It's a page from an Art Nouveau decorator book discussing applications of natural elements in design. The gorgeous upright peacock father struck me as potentially the most appealing to contemporary audience.

My first creation based on the pattern was a photo frame. I abandoned the natural color scheme and went with 3 basic, striking colors: navy blue, white, and gold. I painted the feather on the paper I had decoupaged onto the frame. A portion of the design wraps around the edge of the frame in contrasting gold.

Later, in the summer mood already, I went with the colors of nature for the other piece and chose soft, cream colored linen as the background. Mom embroidered the feather that I later placed in an oval frame that I dry brushed with a weave pattern. The oval enhances the nouveau feel of the piece; the angled brushstrokes add a contemporary flair.

I'M FEATURED IN THE STORQUE!

For the first time ever, something of mine has appeared in the Storque! The Spotlight series of Etsy Finds written by Christine (iheartmoustaches) features my Bird on a Branch embroidery and discusses the first spring visitors: birds and blooming trees. Interestingly, my featured work had sold 3 days before the feature! Take a peek at the article, titled Out on a Limb.

IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY

Sure, the house is a mess, and Easter preparation nowhere, especially that the microwave broke yesterday...

But being featured on Etsy Front Page 3 times in a day does not happen every day! Or selling 3 items at once! My hard work is finally paying off.

And the sun is finally out. Hope it sticks around.

CHERRY BLOSSOM INSPIRATIONS

The short-lived wonder of cherry blossom is reason for celebration. Delicate and capricious, it's one of nature's most inspiring spectacles. Here's how Etsy artisans see flowering cherries in their work:

Mini salt and pepper shakers by Gamiworks; a great spring wedding gift.

An ephemeric pendant by EverythingsBlue.

Gorgeous art for your home in the form of an artwork print by AmberAlexander.

Weekend Deals: let Etsy promote your sale.

Are you frustrated with ineffectiveness of the Promotions forum? One other method of free promotion that Etsy is offering is Weekend Deals. It is an opportunity to post your sale in a Promotions thread started by an admin, usually on Mondays. The admin then browse the thread in search for interesting sale and discount deals and prepares a Storque article featuring some, and allowing the rest to list their promotions in the comments.

It may be important to make your promotion an interesting concept. This weekend, for example, I'm offering an IN FLIGHT SALE: mention it in "notes to seller" upon checkout and receive a 20% discount on any winged creatures you find in my shop. Feathers count, too!

So, prepare the stalk the Promotions forum on Monday and come up with a cute, catchy idea for a sale!