Thursday, December 3, 2009

wohm, wip and wwt


wohm: work out of home mom

I'm discovering that my days of re-developing Bamboo Village are shaping into a somewhat predictable flow... and that flow simply consists of 5-minute bursts of time in which to get things done. Maybe if it was summer, it would be easier - I'd be able to open the back door and release these little hooligans into the yard. For now, it's Pacific Northwest winter, which means chilly, often rainy weather, and since my boys are to a large extent still crawlers, I can't really send them out into the elements so easily. I am bound by their needs and attention spans (as all parents are!), and this means my time to focus and concentrate is very limited.

wwt:
working with toddlers


My workspace is in our living room - susceptible to hands with a taller and taller reach, which means I have to do a lot of stacking and remembering where I left things. For now, I'm bound by the limitations imposed by my mama-to-twin-toddler status and the cash-flow realities of a single, stay-at-home mom. Not that I'm complaining - it's working, and I'm getting into the swing... I just figure if I'm going to blog and tell you my story, I might as well be real about it! I honestly don't know how other parents working from home do it!

my desk.
i finally got a bookshelf that now stands next to my workspace so i can get things a little more organized.



wip:
work in progress

Given this environment, it's been challenging to 1) come up with new ideas, and 2) bring the ones I have been able to dream up into production. I have been working on some new things, though, and I'm pretty excited about them!

I am developing a line of eco-friendly kitchen linens, and one project I've long had in mind is a design to print on produce bags. I'm about halfway there - I've got one of the papercuts designed and cut, and it's this papercut that will serve as the main silk screen. I've got two I'm working on: one for veggie bags, and one for fruits.

eat your veggies detail

I've got a new silk screen burned and fully in the process of development of a new print and Moleskine design. I hope this one will make people as happy as it makes me: it's a lovely papercut showing children at a panda exhibit at a zoo... maybe it's even the Panda Preserve in Sichuan? Either way, it's a sweet image, and I think it would be a great gift for a mom, a babysitter or teacher... a sister... or just for the love of pandas and general cuteness. It's going to be a pretty special design, and I'm particularly excited that I'll be offering it on those hot new Moleskine cahiers in deep red and midnight blue. Stunning! Here's a little bit of detail from one of my test prints:


Finally, here's a shot of my pretties all finished and organized. Oh, how I love and adore things that are orderly --- I've never been a very tidy person, but wow, I really value it now that I have extra small people wanderig around! Just the sight of all these cello bags makes me happy.




Hope you're having a nice early December! Stay tuned for weekly specials, new discoveries from Etsy and 1000 Markets, and more.

Friday, November 27, 2009

New Venue!


Bamboo Village now has one new place you can find us -- for US customers only (for now), please check us out at 1000markets.com!

I'm really excited about trying this venue. Here's a description:

Our passion is supporting small, artisan businesses as they deliver small-scale authenticity to appreciative customers. The end result, a work in progress, we call The Artisan Experience™ on 1000 Markets, and it’s our vision for the boutique, art-filled, authentic shopping experience you’ve dreamed of.

In the weeks ahead, I'll be adding special designs just for this shop - specifically, items that have been prohibitive for me to send abroad. I'll be bringing back my popular etched glass pieces with Chinese characters such as "love," "peace," and "joy." There will be some new designs based on traditional papercuts, and who knows... maybe even some Gocco!

What a nice way to celebrate my birthday today - with a grand opening! Through Monday 11/30, use the code 1000MARKETSBV in any purchase over $15 and receive a free Ancient Compass Moleskine!

Friday, November 20, 2009

BUMP!


Yesterday was one of my best Etsy days ever. After doing some digging, I discovered that my Cricket Notecards were featured in Etsy's email newsletter "Etsy Finds". This is how it happened that I had 500 visitors to my shop yesterday!

You can read the full article and view items in four different international groups here.

Congratulations, my little cricket, and THANK YOU to Emily Bidwell for selecting one of my items.