DIY Friday - Tasty Spring Recipes

This is the time of year when new fruits and vegetables start showing up in the grocery store. I love it when all these tasty additions appear, and I can't wait to try out a new recipe.  I found some great new ideas and today I have a few of my favorites to share. Enjoy your Spring bounty!

Spring Wedge Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette 

Spring Panzanella with Asparagus

Sauteed Chicken Breast with Simple Chive Sauce

Cheesy Mushroom and Leek Quiche

Spring Pasta with Lemony, Garlicky, Buttery Walnut Sauce

Roasted Berry Sundae 

Click on the links and check out all theses tasty Spring meal treats.

What is your favorite thing to cook in the Spring?

Creativity and Your Mood

I am a pretty easy going person. My days are pretty peaceful and relaxed and I work easily throughout my day. When I am angry, upset, or tired my work day suffers and I rarely accomplish what I want in the day.

I know most people have days filled with activities, places to go, and creating is something they squeeze in when they have time.  For some people that time is what makes them happy and they create amazing piece. For others they feel like they don't have enough time, so they are not always pleased with the work they create.

I also know people who need to be angry or worked up to create art. Those emotions are what they need to do their best work.

Emotions are key to our creative output. Sometimes just having a bad day can throw you off balance. Be aware of your mood when you want to be creative, it may be a guide to how well you are going to accomplish your tasks.

Here is a question for you:

How does your mood effect your creative output?

Artist to Know - D. Westry

I received an email last week from my dad, who sends me all those random emails of funny pictures and videos, so it takes me a few days before I read them. Well I opened one of his emails last week and he sent me a video that was truly amazing.

Today's artist is a speed painter. I have never seen a speed painter and it was very cool to watch. Take a minute in a half and check out this video.



Want to see more of his work click here to check out his website.

What do you think?

Tips for Creating a Space That will Inspire You

It does not matter if you have a studio dedicated to your craft business or if you work at your dining room table, how you organize and set up your space is all that is important to keep the inspiration flowing.

When you feel inspired you do your best work, so having that feeling every time you want to create will help you produce pieces you love.

Here is a list of ideas for creating an inspiring space.

Create an inspiration board. Make it as big as you want, and then fill it with images that really inspire you. I am lucky to have the space for a large inspiration board right over my desk, but a small collage in a frame that you can move around is an easy option. Click here for ideas to create an inspiration board.

Have a dedicated spot for contemplating your ideas. A comfy chair and some light for sketching and writing is all you need. Using the same spot when you want to regroup and gather your thoughts is good practice. Every time you sit in that spot you will be inspired.

Creative organization will help keep you be ready to create. With so many cool ideas out there for staying organized, you should find a few creative ideas for creating a space that will inspire you to work. Click here for a few ideas for creative organization.

Hang an inspiring quote in view of your work space. Put up your favorite quote, read it often, and make the words part of your everyday life. Try this idea: Put your favorite quote into action

Create rituals that let you know you are ready to start working. Get a cup of tea or coffee, light a candle, pull out the supplies you want to use, take a deep breath, and then start working. Having a daily ritual will trigger your brain that you are ready to work and inspiration will flow. Here are some ideas for creating a creative space.

Choose one or all of these ideas for creating a creative space that inspires you.

What do you have in your space that inspires you?

Motivation Monday

                                   Source: flickr.com viaValerie on Pinterest

DIY Friday - Nail Art for Spring

There are so many cool designs for nail art this season, and most of them you can easily do yourself. Want to  create your own nail art, these DIY ideas should inspire your own creations.

Add flowers

Ombre nails

Marble 

With a few supplies from around the house you can create lots of interesting designs.

Click here for a list of ideas

Have you tried any fun nail art?

8 Infographics to Boost Your Business

Infographic are very popular right now and rightfully so. They are easy to read with fun visuals, and full of useful information.

Here is a list of 8 infographics that can be very helpful for your creative business. Take a few minutes and check them out, and give your business a little boost today.

30 Ways to Promote Your Blog Post
Social Media Cheat Sheet
36 Rules of Social Media
10 Ways to Viral Your Facebook Page
Instagram cheat Sheet
How Colors Affect Purchases
The anatomy of an Effective Homepage
10 Tips to Pinterest Business

easel.ly

Want to create your own infographic check out this list of 20+ sites for making infographics.

Do you like infographics? Would you ever want to make one?

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Spring Fashion Trends

It has been a chilly March here in the Midwest and I can't wait for some warmer weather. Hopefully if I keep thinking about Spring it will warm up, so today's is a list of fashion trends for Spring. All of these trends are easy to wear and incorporate into your wardrobe. Which trend is going to be your favorite?

Black and White

Bold Strips

Peek a boo 

Red

Graphic prints and print mixing

Which trend are you going to try in your wardrobe this season?

Your Perfect Chunk of Time

I am guilty of filling my to-do list with simple projects that I know I can complete, but may not be beneficial to helping me creatively or growing my business.

With all these simple tasks over time I may accomplish one of my goals, but I am not really making the progress I want to achieve in the time frame I want for success.

Instead of just doing a bunch of little tasks why not try the SAP method.

S - Smallest
A - Achievable
P - Perfection

With this method you choose one technique or skill you want to achieve (not just improve, but make part of your life) and give it a chunk of time to master.

Let's say you want to create a website. Using the SAP technique you can schedule a block of time for action steps everyday, until your website is up and running. That will become your daily perfect chunk of time.

This technique is perfect for those big long term goals you want to achieve, because a real goal isn't practice; it's progress.

"Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens - and when it happens, it lasts" -John Wooden

Do you have big goal you are working towards this year?

Motivation Monday

Give Back

Consider the good things in your life:

family, friends, loved ones, achievements.

We have so much for which we should be grateful. 

Whenever you can, return the favor:

give something back.

Support your community, or school,

or those who helped along the way.

They'll be validated and encouraged.

You'll be gratified.

Now Is the Time by Patrick Lindsay

DIY Friday - Photo Arranging

Do you have a lot of photos you would like to hang up but need an idea for arrangements, today I have a collection of ideas to get you started. Create your inspiring art wall today.

Putting together photo arrangements like these are easier then you think. Here are a couple of ideas to help you get started.

Wax paper template

Template arrangements

What's your favorite arrangement?

Join The Conversation...

Join The Conversation is a series, of community conversations about inspiration, creativity and business. Every new post will have a question and responses from bloggers in our community. Then, you the reader, will have the opportunity to answer the question in the comments. I look forward to having you Join The Conversation!

Question:
What single experience has transformed your business?

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Cynthia from Antiquity Traveler - For me, probably the most influential has been joining the blogosphere. Talking to other artisans has encouraged me to consider other options or angles to making jewelry or how I go about selling it. But even more so... joining all the various bead 'hops' has pushed me to try new things. We have a saying at our office (my day job) where we start meetings saying 'let's get uncomfortable.' Which means if we're comfortable then we're doing things the same old way and not trying anything new. But to explore new areas and learn new things you have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. So I might moan a bit about trying something new because I'm a perfectionist, and I hate when my piece looks wonky. But I wouldn't be trying all these new techniques, and pushing my creativity without having met all of you out there blogging. And for that, I am so grateful.

Shop ♦ Blog

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Duni from Duni's Studio - Although I've had a number of pivotal experiences concerning my business, the one that made the most impact was a remark a client made about my professionalism. It boosted my confidence in such a way, that I took the plunge and started selling my own clothing designs internationally. It still amazes me that people from Singapore to Sidney wear my designs!

Shop ♦ Blog

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LeAnn - Pounderings -My involvement in Etsy teams has been the single experience that has helped me transform my business from a floundering "Lost In the Crowd" shop with less than 10 sales, to a growing and evolving shop with steady sales.

I'd especially like to thank the leaders of the Lost In the Crowd, Etsy Success, Baby Boomers and Blogging Business Artisans teams.

Each team has its own personality, but each provides a sense of community, challenges, information sharing, promotional opportunities, and, most importantly, support and encouragement.

Shop ♦ Blog ♦ Facebook

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Sharon from Knot Cha Cha - No one single experience stands out for me. That I even have an online business is the result of so many different jobs I had throughout my career which gave me a variety of skills. I am still searching for that one thing that will transform my business to a higher level.

Shop ♦ Blog

_____________________________________________________________

Now it's your turn to answer the question. Share your answer in the comments.

5 Simple Steps to Take Care of Your Number One Tool

Our hands are the number one tool we use to work and create, as well as being the workhorse of our whole body.

Did you know that by age 30 skin-cell production decreases by 10 percent, making your skin less efficient at repairing itself.

Hand care needs to be a daily part of your life. As artists we use them more then most people, and we put them through a lot. I am really guilty of not taking care of my hands, and I have made a commitment to myself to do better. Here are some basics steps to taking care of our hands.

5 Simple Steps to Hand Care

Wash often

Our hands come in contact with so many things during the day it is important to wash them often. Make sure you dry your hands well, leaving them wet makes way for bacteria and germs.

Moisturize

You should moisturize each time you wash your hands to keep them soft. I know that is not always a option, so do it as often as possible. Use the best moisturizer for your skin, and don't forget to moisturizer before bed.

Exfoliate 

You should do this once a week, but you could do it a couple of times if necessary. A simple DIY rub is  some sugar with a small amount of olive oil rubbed into your hands in a circular motions. Then wash with warm water. If you prefer, their are a variety of scrubs available for purchase.

Don't neglect your nails and cuticles

When you shower gently push your cuticles back with a wash cloth, and always moisturize your hands. You can also do an oil dip to help keep you cuticles soft and your nails healthy. All you need to do is add a few drops of olive oil to a large bowl of water and soak them for 10 minutes. Remove and towel dry.

Hand massage  

Getting a hand massage is great for relieving tension, relaxing the muscles in your hands, and a special treat if you can get one. If not self hand massages are just as effective. Click here for some basic techniques for massaging your tired hands.

Taking care of your number one tool, will make them work for you as long as you need them. Don't neglect your hands they need as much care as our bodies. Take time out of your day to take care of your hands.

Do you have a hand care regiment?

Commitment To Learning

Business and art are always evolving, requiring us to learn new things to stay on top of what is important for our business and our medium.

In jewelry making their are always new techniques for me to learn, and when you are running an online business their is a never ending amount of things coming out often. 

Every week I set aside time to learn something new. I check out new websites, blogs, and books. I believe you can never stop learning, and that it will make me a better artist and blogger.

Question:

What are you committed to learning that will accelerate your personal growth?

Answering this question should give you some insight as to where you want to go with your art and your business. Once you have identified what you want to learn, make a commitment to yourself to make it happen. 

When you have completed that goal, ask yourself the question again and again. It's a question you can ask yourself throughout your career, so you keep learning and reaching your goals. 

Motivation Monday

                         Source: flickr.com via Divine Consciousness on Pinterest

Do Something Great

Never underestimate your potential.

Or discount your ability.

Most great achievements are based on perseverance.

Believe in yourself.

When others give in,

keep going.

When you falter,

have faith

and surge ahead.

It's Never Too Late.. by Patrick Lindsay

DIY Friday - Spring Bracelets

Bracelets were big on the runways for the Spring/Summer 2013, and their is no reason to spend a lot of money when you can make your own. The best part of making your own is that you can use the colors you like and create the styles you love. Try one of these easy to do bracelet trends to add to your Spring wardrobe.

Safety pin and bead bracelet

Leather and tube bracelet

Painted bangles

Embellished friendship bracelets

Eclectic mix bracelet

Hardware bracelet

Do you like to wear bracelets in the Spring and Summer?