Our first Art product review (we're psyched)

We love our art supplies just about as much as we love breathing!  I'm not kidding.

My husband, being the consumer insights, marketing trender he is, has told me that I am a marketer's dream.  Well, I think he told me something a little different but it was a little to R-rated for this family friendly blog.

Not only do I love product, I love the packaging the product comes in.  If you package it right: color, font, material etc.  I most likely will attempt to purchase it.  Even if there is no need or purpose whatsoever.

Hence, our first product review.  The products I find myself having the weakest self-control for are art supplies of any kind.  Spray paint, stamps, brushes, markers, crayons, glue, glitter, fabric.  I fall into the mixed-media artist category (in my own eclectic way).  I have come to the conclusion that you never know what you are going to need or use in the studio, therefore, you better be prepared and have it on hand.

It appears that I have Ava and Cate in training as well.  We were at one of our favorite artisan boutiques yesterday and Ava noticed a set of oil pastels.  As I was wandering through the shop I noticed the two of them huddled to around the pastels to take a closer look.  What am I going to do...not join in?

Upon further examination we noticed these weren't your typical oil pastels.  The set included 12 of you standard, everyday colors, however, you also get 6 metallic and 6 neon colors.  They're packaged securely in sturdy travel case that will fit easily into any bag of any kind.  Possibly even my purse, considering I carry the world in there. 

The color options looked great, but my first reaction was "what makes them so different from the other pastels I love?"

Here's the answer: The Black Paper Sketchbook

International Arrivals has a Black Paper Sketchboook.  This is the perfect accompaniment to highlight the colors from the Super Mix.  You want the neon and metallic colors to pop and the black paper makes it happen.

When we got home we all wanted to try it out.  Rather than ripping the sketchbook apart we each took a number.  Well, they took a number.  Ava got to try it out first.

Ava's reaction was simple.  She loved the black paper concept.  She enjoys sketching and will ocassionally accent with some color.  For the most part she used the white oil pastel but she liked the texture of the pastel and the ease of use against the black paper.  She agreed that without the black paper it would just be another oil pastel.  The beginning of her doodle.

Cate went next.  Cate's my color girl.  The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree with this one as I love color too!  She tried to use just about every color.  She loved the options and went as far as to say that she wished she had even more color options.  Possibly a bigger kit.  Cate's always dreaming big.  She said they felt like they were "gliding" on the paper and she was having a bit of fun mixing the colors together.  The Black Paper Sketchbook was a big hit with Cate as well as she said it made her colors "pop!" 

Certainly not our best work but not bad for experimental, 5 minute doodles.  We loved the Super Mix and the Black Sketch Notebook.  For kids and adults these oil pastels are fun and easy to use with minimal mess.  I work with all different brands of artist grade oil pastels when I'm painting and they can get messy.  

By far, though, the Black Paper Sketchbook was the hit.  It has a thin paper quality and the fact that it comes in a journal style adds a whole new dimension to the selling factor.  

In addition to the products themselves, the packaging is fun, eye catching and creative.  Just what you expect from a company like International Arrivals.  I suppose they will have people buying their products even if they're not art supply junkies like us!

In addition to the journal and pastels I couldn't help myself and picked up some ergonomic crayons that day as a gift for a left-handed friend.  Seriously, can you get more creative than this?

After perusing through International Arrivals website I came to find out I was already the proud owner of the Color Appeel Crayons.  I guess I know what I like.

Ava, Cate and I highly give the International Arrivals products a thumbs up.  They get an A+ for packaging and unique products that actually hold up to the reputation when you go to use them.

In addition, these creative supplies make incredible gifts for the child or adult in your life.  The packaging is so well done you won't even need a gift bad.  Tie a bow and you're ready to go.

We'd love to hear your thoughts if you own or have tried the International Arrivals products.

The power of the blog

SNAP

I went to Utah last weekend.  Salt Lake City to be exact.  

I could tell you that I was skiing the gorgeous mountains or hiking the wilderness terrain, but I wasn't.  I was attending my first blog conference.

I had no idea that blog conferences even existed until this past fall.  I had just started my Lapis&Moss as a blog after closing down my antique booth.  Desperate for a creative outlet I turned to writing.  My life just keeps coming back full circle.

A promotion came across my computer screen for a blog conference, located in Salt Lake City in April.  The conference focused heavily on design and DIY blogs.  The conference was called SNAP.

I'm going to admit this, freely, that at the time I signed up for this conference I had barely written two blog posts and I had no idea where I was going with it.  I had been doing DIY and design for 20 years out of necessity so I took the leap and signed up for the conference.  What did I have to lose?  If anything I would go out to Salt Lake City, spend the weekend in a nice hotel and enjoy a little R&R.

The SNAP conference was held last weekend. I flew out on Thursday and took the red-eye home Saturday night.  Three days full of jam packed informational sessions, talented speakers and hands-on activities.  I was completely beyond my comfort zone.

Beyond my comfort zone because it was all so new.  I walked into a new environment, I knew no one and to be perfectly honest I really didn't know what exactly I was doing.  Thursday was a whirlwind.  Totally exhausting from travel and the adrenaline rush of the first day.

At The Picket Fence

When I woke up Friday morning I went to the hotel lobby for a cup of coffee.  I sat and watched as talented bloggers walked by and I thought to myself "what am I doing here?"  I'm the new kid on the block.  Do I really think I have a chance at this blog stuff? 

At that moment a woman walked by.  She was on a mission to find caffeine.  Without hesitation she paused her momentum to find the perfect cup of coffee, looked my way, and walked in my direction.  She introduced herself as Vanessa.  She sat down to chat.

Vanessa sat down and had a demeanor that invited you in as if you'd known her forever.  I think she could see the look in my eyes as if I was attending the first day of school, in a new place, and needed a friend.  She selflessly prolonged her cup of coffee to inspire me for the rest of the weekend.  Little did I know at the moment that Vanessa was guest speaker at SNAP from the ever popular blog http://www.atthepicketfence.com/

Vanessa took me "under her wing", so to speak, for the duration of the conference.  Vanessa introduced me to her sister, Heather, later that evening.  They created their blog At The Picket Fence as a coordinated effort due to living apart long distance and a love for design and DIY.  Heather was equally as inviting and spoke of just recently launching her own health & wellness group called Heather Patterson Health Coach.

Vanessa and Heather, shown pictured above (sorry for the poor photo quality), have so much talent!  In addition they're just good, nice people.  In a world full of "it's all about me" and "what can you do for me" it was refreshing to meet them.  Fate was on my side that morning.

They introduced me, without hesitation, to their peers and I found them to be equally inviting and welcoming and the gap in my comfort zone was growing smaller.  I was introduced to Tauni the creator of SNAP,  KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms, Donna from Funky Junk Interiors and Miriam from Hometalk.  So many amazing women who are out there doing what they love.  When I met Laura from Finding Home she handed me her business card and I knew I wanted to visit her blog immediately.  I hadn't spoken with Laura in length but upon seeing her blog I knew we had a connection.  The power of the blog.

In addition to meeting these incredible bloggers, I was also able to connect with one of my personal idols, Jo Packham.  She's a publishing goddess in my eyes.  She's the Creator/Editor in Chief of The Where Women Create which she partners with Stampington & Company to publish.  Knowing Jo was going to be at this conference was a contributing factory to why I flew the many miles to attend SNAP.  It was worth it.  In person, Jo is about as inspirational as it gets and she's kind.  Really kind.  My expectations were exceeded by meeting in her in the flesh.  Another poor quality photo below, but who cares! I I had my picture taken with Jo Packham.

All in all SNAP was an incredible experience.  I could not believe the talent that surrounded me.  There were so many bloggers in one place with so much in common and my only regret is that I didn't get to meet more of them while I was there.

I am grateful to Vanessa for her instinctive kindness and excited about the new friends I met.  The blog really is a powerful thing.

Green Grass Art~ Montana Mixed-Media

I have never been to Montana.  So I've  heard that it's raw beauty is spectacular.  Montana is on my bucket list.

When I get there I'll be sure to look up Betina Johnson of Green Grass Art. 

I started this blog last October.  I also started a Facebook page for Lapis&Moss so that I could help promote the blog and search for artists that I would potentially like to feature.

Betina had posted a comment on my Facebook page and her work caught my attention.  I began to follow her on Facebook in return.

I've never met Betina and up until this blog post I had never reached out to Betina.  Here's what I can tell you from pure observation.

Her work is lovely.  A representation of her Montana roots, she is able to give me a sense of her domain through her art without having to be there.  Her work embodies the natural environment that surrounds her and the simplicity of her work presents a folk style. 

The mixed-media paintings resonate with her audience as her subject matter appear to be familiar and local.  While the actual paint techniques and style may be more complex, the rich colors and tangible subjects open your eyes to her world.

I have been following Betina on Facebook for about 6 months now.  Here's what I can tell you.  Not only does she appear to have a genuine beauty through her art it is clear she lives this beauty in her everyday life.  Her written posts are full of interest and positivity and it makes her art work that much more meaningful and alluring.  

Betina is an example of the complexity between creating art with a meaningful soul. 

I encourage you to take a look into Betina's world and her work at Green Grass Art.

https://www.facebook.com/GreenGrassArt

We sold our home in one day based on two words: Curb Appeal

It drives me nutty when I see a home that is fully decorated on the inside, yet the outside is sorely neglected.  The outside is considered a separate entity.  Not connected to the home.

I believe Dave and I began working on the gardens at the blue house almost immediately after we moved in.  Well, immediately after the frigid cold of winter passed.  Yes, we moved into the blue house in the middle of winter as well.  Our strategic planning skills when it comes to moving are completely lacking. 

I love to garden. I love flowers, plants, gardening tools, garden art and the list goes on and on.  I am particularly infatuated with English cottage gardens.  Dave and I could never really figure out what the style of the blue house was.  It wasn't a bungalow, it wasn't a cape therefore we decided it was our very own English cottage.  Right, smack dab in the middle of Ohio.

The gardens in the beginning were non-existent.  Neighbors told us stories of beautiful tulips that had been planted by the previous owners.  Unfortunately, by the time we moved in, the tulips were no longer blooming.  We know the tulip destruction had something to do with an ugly divorce and a lawnmower.  That's all we know to this day.

It was time to start over.  I would go to the bookstore and study book after book on gardens.  I knew what I wanted, but considering I had never owned a home, I didn't necessarily know how to make it happen.

The first year was great.  We lived about 5 minutes from a stone center.  I would take my car, drive over, put as many stones in my car that it would hold and drive home.  That was about 5 stones.  It was the most inefficient way to do stone in a garden that you could ever imagine.

In addition to building stone walls and borders we started our cottage gardens.  I wanted them to wrap around the house.  Tea roses, vines poppies.  The garden was going to be fantastic.

The garden was fantastic the first year.  The second year came and I had a jungle.  I had planted too many flowers, too close together the previous year and the garden didn't like it.  

I repeated this viscous cycle of planting without planning for quite a few years.  One year in particular, I was so frustrated I just stopped gardening all together.  Dave and I spent a few weeks in Europe, did absolutely nothing to our yard and upon returning we were awarded the Neighborhood garden award. 

I kid you not.

It wasn't until the last five years in the blue house that the gardens really began to take shape.  When my guests came to the front door they were greeted by the scent of fresh lavender.

At the end of the day don't forget about the outside of your home.  Curb appeal is critical and it can  determine how long your home is on the market.