Inspired by Early April Showers

I am still sketching for the "Spring" ACEO (they should be up tomorrow, I hope! I have made a ton, so I am trying to whittle it down to a select few). While you wait here's a little inspiration. I created a treasury list inspired by yesterday's forecast for today... Rain. For once they were correct and it is a very gray, wet day, but don't let the rain get you down, get inspired. I was inspired by the idea of a red umbrella amidst the gray/blues of a rainy day. I even sketched an umbrella for the "Spring" ACEO in honor of April Showers. Apparently a lot of other artists were inspired by the red umbrella and the rain too. Click on the picture to be taken to the list.






















Here's another list created from a fellow BEST Artist, Jen from jenmenkhaus.etsy.com, who's experiencing the same inspiration from the rain. She even featured my "Downpour " Magnets (notice the bit of red there too). Thanks Jen!






















So even if it is sunny in your neck of the woods, be inspired today by rain, clouds, umbrellas and a bit of red in a sea of blues and grays.

Inspired by Moths

I didn't choose this week's inspiration as much as it chose me this time. It seems for some reason moths keep popping up all around me. I sold one of my Moth to a Flame Pendants last week, and as I was packing it up decided that it would look great in a palette of browns and creams, so of course I had to make one right away. I love how it turned out. I think it celebrates the more subtle coloring of moths. Unlike butterflies, moth's don't always shout their existence to the world. They are more content to blend in with their surroundings. I think that may be one of the reasons they fascinate me.

Well after making the pendant, I jumped on Etsy and went to the treasury to see what was poppin and low and behold the little magic box was there. I was so unprepared, but the moth was fresh in my mind so I went with it. I started thinking about moth's and their deadly attraction to light and so Fatal Attraction was the perfect title. I had at first intended to include lamps/lightbulbs and moths, but after I found my first Entry, JohnWGolden.etsy.com's print, The Enamored Moths, I knew I wanted just one light bulb with the moth items surrounding it. here is the list for a little inspiration:


After making the treasury list, the boys and I went to the park for a little outdoor fun, and we found this amazing hummingbird moth sipping nectar from a thistle and I was able to snap a pic.

So since the universe was telling me to take a closer look at moths, I thought I would do the same for you. Tonight after dark, turn on one of your outside lights and see what it attracts (beware of the lurking mosquitoes). Take a look at the subtle colors, shading, patterns and camouflage of the moth. Make note of their fuzzy bodies, ever moving antennae and the shape of their wings when open and closed. Check out this "How to Start Mothing" PDF from mothscount.org for information about attracting moth's to your yard, or here to learn which flowers attract moths. If you can't find any moth's of your own, check out a Moth reference book or field guide from your library or purchase one from your local book store and explore Here's one to share with your kids, A Luna Moth's Life by John Himmelman. You can even incorporate moths and their wings as art. Like these works by some Etsy artists (click the photo to see more work by the artist):













Remember, if you are inspired to create something from one of the Be Inspired features, please send a picture and description to my e-mail, blockpartypress@yahoo.com and I may feature you on my blog. The piece must be inspired by the Be Inspired post and cannot be an item created prior to the posting. If your Be Inspired piece is featured, I will send you a free pendant from my Etsy shop (I will choose the pendant and it will be a surprise).

I will leave you with this inspirational photo I found on Flickr by theinfonaut .

Inspired by the Etsy.com Treasury

I have decided to start posting my treasury lists that I make on Etsy.com. Curating these lists can be a lot of fun and creating and browsing them can also inspire you to create. In many ways, a list can be a work of art in itself. That is how I approach my lists. I want them to be visually appealing on their own, no matter the clever title or theme.

Browsing the other lists can be a great way to get your creative juices flowing (You may also find something to buy!). Take note of the themes and titles, as they may trigger all sorts of ideas. The lists with color combinations for example, can be great starting points. I know I have been inspired to use color combinations which I hadn't used before after seeing an amazing list focusing on a specific color combination. Other lists have interesting subject matter or showcase materials which you may want to incorporate in your work.

This treasury was inspired by another list I made a of couple days ago called "Just You and Your Hand Tonight" which was inspired by a song by Pink (we will definitely explore inspiration from music in a future post). The list was a kind of a silly list showcasing finger puppets which was a play on the more adult theme of the song. While searching for the the puppet treasury, I started to find someone works of art that featured hands and that got me to thinking about my hands and how important they are to me. I am not sure what I would do if I couldn't create with my hands. This feeling led to the hand list as a way to acknowledge and celebrate my most important tool. (I hope you were able to follow my treasury list inspiration logic.

So start to see the treasury as more than just lists of products/art and start to use it for the powerful and inspirational tool that it is. Use it to get inspired and to inspire others and to of course find amazing handmade items to bring into your life!