Custom Order of a Different Sort

Over the past six weeks I've had the pleasure of working on a very lovely custom order set.  A new customer had visited my Etsy shop and fell in love with the "Delicate Walk" bracelet ~

...her hope was to have me create a coordinating necklace.  I quickly got to work contacting the focal bead artist, the most amazingly talented Zuda Gay, to see if she could create a matching focal pendant. These type of flower focals can be tricky because the artist uses polymer canes and once the original color combination is used up it can be tough to recreate.  Fortunately Zuda was able to accommodate my request and within a short time the new focal had arrived.

From there it was a matter of coming up with some coordinating side beads.  I original made the side beads I used in the bracelet but being without a proper torch or annealing kiln these days, I needed to find an alternative source.  Fortunately there are a few beading artists I like on Etsy and so within a few weeks several custom lampwork bead orders began to arrive.

The assembly was exciting and fun ~ it's wonderful to see a project you've worked on for some time, finally all come together.  The end result is this matching set that both the customer and I love.

I hadn't realized how similar these type of projects are to the custom order blog themes I create but they too possess the ability to create something truly special for someone and to connect with the person I'm creating for ~ I think in this crazy busy world we share, that's a true gift in itself.

Best,

New Customer Shout Outs ~

When I began putting this posting together I was absolutely amazed at how long it had been since I last wrote one of these ~ it's been over 2 months since I featured a Customer Shout Out posting!?! I honestly don't know where time goes anymore but it sure goes by at lightening speed! Wow!

It's not that I haven't been busy it just seemed to take a bit longer on some of these projects. I'm delighted to share them all with you and as always each cusotmer was an absolute delight! Watching the individual themes unfold is always an adventure too since I really don't have a clue how they will manifest until the finished project. These were all a lot of fun and some really original ideas, so without further adieu, here are some recent custom projects...

What Fresh Hell is This?

This project was a hoot and I love the final outcome. We incorporated many of this blogger's interested to come up with a theme that fit her personal style ~ one of humor laced with sarcasm; love it!

Puddin 'n Pie

For this particular banner the customer was looking to use some personal items like ladybugs and gnomes and in the end we would up with a delightfully whimsical design.

We then took the theme a step further to transition it into a functioning business card.

Alearea's Shop

This indie artist originally purchased one of my prefab Etsy shop themes and wanted to carry that look over onto her blog, Facebook and Twitter pages as well as having me create a selection of custom business images for print like thank you and business cards. The finished look was elegant and enchanting all wrapped up in one.Scrappin' from the Heart

This lovely customer had a very specific idea in mind for her custom blog theme and Facebook cover image ~ she loves being creative and wanted to include the close relationship she has with her children. To accomplish this we used a selection of fairies along with a whole lotta glitter, creative supplies and hearts to reflect her connections in life.

Butterbean Vintage Boutique

This project was to create a simple yet elegant set for this seller's indie shop ~ we can up with this design for her shop and then carried it over to print for a business card.

Tracy Ellen Studio

This last project has been one I've wanted to share for quite some time ~ it was a very long project which encompassed basically everything; from a custom blog theme, to indie shop images, and a multitude of printed products including an event banner, tag images, and business cards. It was not only fun to see the original theme unfold but then to see how it transferred into each new format.

Well that's it for this latest customer shout out ~ thanks so much for taking a peak and I hope you'll take the time to click the images and titles above to be taken to the various customer locations ~ it's nice to support other indie artists. Until next time, happy blogging and as always...

Enjoy~

New Customer Shout Outs

As promised I have a few more customer shout outs to share with you. These projects were especially unique in that each one stretched my skills and abilities but in the end we're all super happy with the results so here they are...

The Lantern Bearers

Created for a wonderful non-profit organization this theme took several turns during it's creation but in the end the customer selected to go with a look reminiscent of Maxfield Parrish's beautiful painting by the same title. The trickiest part about this theme was creating the lanterns from scratch but I absolutely love the final outcome and their luminescent appearance.

Beyond the Lillypad

Next up is this Etsy shop set and ad button created for Beyond the Lillypad. For this project the customer was looking for something detailed and whimsical, much like the butterfly image in my banner originally for Good Morning Butterfly and so this theme took on a life of it's own as the various images and techniques were 'sewn together' to create an other-worldly environment.

Memory Bound

The last item up is this blinkie button I created for Memory Bound. I usually don't show the many buttons and badges I create but this little guy is unique in that it's the first "blinkie" I've ever created. It doesn't seem to work in this posting but you can see it working there on my right sidebar under the Sponsors section.
I'm really excited to have learned this new technique because it opens up a whole new world of creative fun for me and adds one more item to the plethora of goodies I can offer my customers.

So that's it for this posting of customer shout-outs, thanks so much for stopping and taking a peek and I hope you'll have a chance to stop and visit all of these wonderful sites too! Until next time~

Enjoy!

Sale & Treasures

Just wanted to pop-in real quick to let you all know that today is the last day of my St. Patty's Sale where you can save 25% off everything in my shop.

It's a great time to pick up a Custom Blog Theme or even one of these new lovelies, just in time for spring!

Just stop by my Etsy shop and enter coupon code: StPatty2010 during checkout.

Enjoy~

Customer Shout Outs

Whew! It's time once again to give the spotlight to some of my latest customers and I have to say, next to creating, this is my favorite part of this job. I have the best customers e-v-e-r, and always look forward to introducing them to you ~ they're the type of creative souls you'd enjoy spending hours with sipping coffee and sharing stories. I hope you'll take the time to get to know them and what they love.

So here is a sampling of some of my latest custom order projects...

Josie's Jewels
custom blog theme

Captured within this blog theme are many personal elements that are dear to this customer, a talented Jewelry Artist including shells & sea glass, Gaelic elements, and a warm welcoming cottage feel like that of her home. Each item holds special significance for her but non more so than the use of Celtic butterflies, a deeply meaningful symbol of a personal tragedy and triumph for this wonderful customer and I think captured many of these treasures in Josie's new blog theme.

LuLu Kellogg
custom twitter background

Next on my list was a fun and festive Twitter background for my sweet friend LuLu. LuLu is a die-hard Halloween/Shabby Chic fan and one heck of a talented lady. While she has her fingers dipped in many creative pots ~ quality, glam and glitz are never lacking in her lavish creations. Knowing full well that a Twitter profile is an essential tool for today's Indie seller she requested a custom background and I had loads of fun delivering just what she wanted.

Another popular item in my these days seems to be custom Etsy shop sets. I love working on the smaller graphics since they require less images but still offer a fun & unique way for creative expression. So here are a few of the latest customer sets~

She Sells by the Shore
etsy shop set

Referred by one of my previous customers, this lovely customer was looking for a fun theme that included elements the shore as well as some of her own handmade jewelry creations embedded within the design.

Old Paper Shop
etsy shop image set

For this project the customer was opening a new shop geared toward the sale of vintage ephemera. It was a challenge bringing all the various elements together but in the end I love the way it all blended into a soft original vintage style.

Pepper Harrow MetalCrafts
etsy shop image set

This custom theme used one of my premade one-of-a-kind sets but added a few of the customer's handmade creations giving it a truly unique and personalized appearance.

There are many more projects to show off but they are still in the works so I'm looking forward to sharing them with you very soon. What new goodies have you created lately? I'd love to hear about them!

Enjoy~

Customer Shout Out & Home Sweet Home

Well, we're finally getting settled into our new home ~ have I mentioned how much I dislike moving?? Truth is we're exhausted and I'd love nothing more than to join my feline companion for a little cat nap. Honestly though, the entire experience went rather smoothly and I'm happy to know that most of the journey behind us now ~ just a few loose ends to finish up with.

As an icebreaker for getting back into the swing of things I thought a little shout-out for one of the recent custom order jobs I worked on might be nice. So here is a peek at Suburban Retreat's new blog theme.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the hostess, Lisa, and just love how the eclectic French shabby chic theme turned out. Lisa possesses such a fabulous eye for chic decor and it's always such a pleasure visiting her blog.

I have a few new goodies coming soon too ~ some new blog backgrounds and themes so look for those in the coming days and in the meantime...

Enjoy!

A Few Recent Projects

While I'm away working with the elves and fairies to get our family set up in our new home, I thought it would be a nice time to leave you with a little eye candy from some of the recent custom order projects I worked on...

Faery Realm Creations

The Suitcase Artist

Judy Painted it

As many of you know, I love creating beautiful images for blogs and shops, but nothing delights me more than to turn a customer's vision into reality. There's truly a sense of magic in the process and I'm forever thankful for that gift.

Enjoy!

Recent Customer Shout Outs♥

I've had the pleasure of working on some wonderful projects lately and just had to give a little shout out to each. I'm always so delighted when I can help bring someones inner vision to life and working with fantastic customers makes that journey even better. So here is a glimpse of some of my recent projects and a special thanks to each of you who help me continue doing what I love most ~ namasté♥

for Paula of A Soulful Journey

I had the pleasure of creating a set of images including a large promotional piece, business card, and mailing labels. Paula requested her existing shop banner and avatar be the source of inspiration for the overall design.

for Dorothy of Daffodil Dreams

Dorothy chose to have me create a custom theme and requested a daffodil motif for obvious reasons. She was also experiencing some technical issues with her blog and elected to have me fix the layout with my Helping Hands add-on ~ I'm delighted to say after the removal of some pesky advertising all was good as new.

for Ilse of Roses of Yesteryear

Ilse originally selected my Rose Garden blog theme and then took it to the next level with a coordinating shop set and other blogging elements. We altered the look slightly with a new decorative center oval which added a one-of-a-kind quality to the set.

Rachael of Gypsy Angel Row Reviews

With this project Rachael's business theme was for book reviews. We created a series of custom images including the sweet little butterfly ratings system and coordinating Twitter background, all based off my Lavender Dreams theme.

for Marlene of Scribbles and Scrabbles

Marlene first inquired whether an existing blog theme could be made into an Etsy shop image set. With that done she decided to request a custom product label to coordinate.

for Kimberly of Stampin' Enchantments

Kimberly was looking for an all inclusive online business image, one which could be used for her blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts and so we worked together to create these modified images for her new business.

Thank you again to all of my customers, past and present, you are all such treasured souls in this world ~