My Super Studio Mess!!!

OH MY GOSH!!! I cant stand it any more. My studio is a complete wreck, there is sewing projects scattered every where, my torch table has a huge pile of used up glass rods on it. I have all of my markers out, a pile of paper waiting to be cut for painting... and the list goes on! I need to finish up a few art calls next week and I cant even think! I will be spending the next two days cleaning, maybe it will stay nice for a few days....

Digital Scrapbooking

So, being an illustrator, it was really hard for me to go and buy paper for scrap booking with someone Else's art on it. I started designing and printing my own about a year and a half ago. I didn't know it but I was starting to scrap digitally and others were doing it too. I developed patterns, backgrounds, virtual stickers from my drawings and did the entire layout and then printed it out! I love it, no mess, I can match colors, change my photos to black and white or color, mess around with hand coloring, all right on the computer. I've listed my kits on eBay and now on etsy http://www.kirstenmcgrath.etsy.com/ and will continue to do so every day until all 35 sets are uploaded. This is the kit I loaded today. I designed it for a road trip we took to the coast.

Two more sets uploaded to my etsy store This pumpkin spice set and a wedding set.

I'm so overwhelmed by the little things today... Ive tried to simplify and organize, manage my time, but when I get thrown a curve ball I still freak! The cost of having a creative brain is that you think about everything all the time, while I'm drawing I think about blogging, while I'm blogging I think about cleaning up the computer and organizing my desk, while I'm cleaning I think about the half finished projects that need to get done and shipped, the beads I need to make, the kids I need to tutor.... the list is snowballing today! I need to sit down, write a list and prioritize it... figure out how long its going to take to complete it, throw in the time I need to pick up J from school, help with homework, make dinner... etc Ugh the snow ball is twice the size now!

Back to school Digital art

Added my back to school digital Scrapbooking kits to etsy yesterday. One for boys and one for girls. I love these two sets, made with quick sketches, not too overdone. Im really getting excited about the prospect of having my whole line of digiscrap back online. I was so angry and upset about ebay that I sort of shut down.... and didnt want to try new venus. All that cute stuff just sitting there on my computer!

FInally!!! I have added my digital scrapbooking kits to etsy! http://kirstenmcgrath.etsy.com/ My first three kits are online today. Ive got a total of 25 kits and I will try to load 3 or 4 every day. I ve featured Zoo Babies today, one of my most popular kits ever! It feels really good to get back online after being told that Ebay would no longer accept sellers with digital products.

jobs and life

I havnt blogged for a while but been twittering alot. I have finally found the perfect part time job after working at a grocery store restocking shelves and then a retail job (the WORST). I quit the grocery job because I had to travel 60 miles twice a week to service two of my three stores... stupid with gas prices and no compensation...thought the retail job would be brainless and fun I was sooooo wrong! Nights, weekends, no customers for HOURS, all I could think was, I could be doing something right now!!! I could be painting, I could be drawing, I could be designing jewelry. I tryed to take stuff to the store to work on, but its not my studio... I couldnt focus, the lighting wasnt right, the music was bugging me...so finally I again started looking for the prefect part time job. Iwas at my daughters reading tutor and there was a sign on the door 'teachers needed'. Iasked my daughters teacher, if I needed a credential, any special college degree, and she said no, you just need to have the creativity and patience to work with kids who are dyslexic, adhd, autistic, etc. I let it go, for about a week.... then I turned in my resume. I got a call the next day for an interview and got hired on the spot! I am now a fully trained reading tutor for kids with learning challenges! I love it!!!! 5 hours a day 5 days a week with 8 fantastic children! I am so happy and grateful for this job and fot the ability to help these kids learn.