Today is a bit of a personal post… well, completely personal, actually. Nothing about the Etsy shop, my design business, social networking, being an entrepreneur – we’ll get back to that next week, I promise!

As some of you may know, I’ve been having some health issues of late and it’s gotten me pretty down, at times. A little backstory, I was a competitive gymnast in my youth (many, many years ago) and as a result, my body is a little beat up, a little damaged and is much less cooperative as I get older.

Needless to say, my back has given me some serious complaints lately, and at my last visit to the doctor, an MRI was recommended to rule some things out.

I do NOT like closed-in spaces – I’m not claustrophobic, per se, but I’m certainly not a fan. So, the weeks between the doctor’s visit and last night (when I was scheduled for 8:45pm) were a little fraught with worry, speculation and concern. I tend to try and not get too worked up about things until I’m actually facing them in the moment – a wonderful tool I learned while having to gear myself up for those gymnastic competitions, I’m sure – and I’m happy to say that I succeeded here.

Mostly.

I did have to summon more courage than usual, however, as my biggest fear was that I was going to be lying in a coffin-like enclosed capsule for 40 minutes… but, to my delight, it was smaller than I thought & wide open on both ends.

Excellent.

It was, however, VERY LOUD! The lovely technician that was there to help me through the whole ordeal described the sounds the machine made as “jackhammering”, and she was absolutely right. I did have an option to listen to music through the headphones I was offered, but after sampling the crackling, tinny scratching they emitted, I chose to simply endure the machine’s own tonal qualities.

How do I describe this… ummm… it was like listening to a badly produced 40-minute hip-hop song… minus the melody! Just the beat. Changing it up every 7 minutes or so. I know ’cause in between daydreaming, designing, jamming to the beat & replaying the movie “Legend” in my head, I counted.

Well, what else was I gonna do?!

Oh, and every so often I would get unceremoniously scooted up or down through the tube as if I was on a bobsled, which was slightly unnerving as I was told that I had to stay VERY STILL.

Seriously?

Nevermind the fact that I suffer from legtwitchyitis whenever I lie down, the occasional impromptu scooting tested my willpower, to say the least.

The nice thing was that just before or after I got scooted, the lovely technician would click in and ask me how I was doing.

Now, I know they’re supposed to do that to make sure you’re not about to whig out and start flailing around helplessly or pounding on the machine (I figured that’s what the panic/blood pressure pump-thing was for), but I thought it was awfully thoughtful and kind of her to check on me.

So, I continued to lie there as still as I could, trying to see if I figure out the pattern of when I was going to get scooted next and had gotten to the scene in “Legend” where Darkness starts running towards Jack (in FABULOUS slow motion) and pins him to the wall with those great big black horns (SUCH a great scene), when the tech clicked in and told me I had 4 minutes left!

And after the last portion of the machine’s song that actually had me itching to start performing some sort of tribal dance ended, everything powered down (think the Death Star in “Star Wars”!) and the tech scooted me out one last time… and that was that.

The jackhammering stopped.

Of course, all that thrumming left me feeling a drunk exiting a rave into an unknown alley, but all in all, I thought I did pretty well.

Now that the procedure is done, however, the hard part comes next… waiting to hear and accept what the results are. With any luck, they’ll be positive and offer some relief for this back of mine that has decided to fail and betray me.

A great big thanks to my loving, supportive family & friends and to the wonderful technician who was the absolutely blissful blend of competence & kindness.

And always to my wonderful husband. Always.

TGIF and I gingerly negotiate the path to the weekend with a hopeful spirit – I hope you do, too!

Gerixx

ps… I know I’ve seen this design somewhere – maybe lots of places, so thanks for the inspiration to whomever originally designed it

… and following along from Wednesday’s post, I participated in yet another fantastic #omhg chat yesterday by the lovely Jessika of Oh My! Handmade Goodness & was co-hosted by the supremely sage Tracey Selingo, all about getting intentional & building a strong biz foundation.

Apt, no?

PLUS, I’m anxiously awaiting to receive my “Market Yourself” book that I pre-ordered weeks ago from the marketing guru Tara Swiger.

TGIF and I walk purposefully into the weekend with my guides, workbooks and advice – hope yours is productive, too!

Gerixx

So, I’ve got my Guide to Businessy Goodness, Roadmap to Action, Empowerment Kit & the Tip-Top Pitch Shop… time to sit down, soak it all in, fill ‘em out, organize, prioritize, expect some sighs and just plain git down to bi’dness with these bad boys (well, fabulous women, in actuality) to git ‘er done!

Stay tuned…

Gerixx

Last week’s #OMHG tweet chat on Oh My! Handmade Goodness was all about finding great ways to market yourself & your handmade business and had a great co-host, Tara Swiger, who was just AWESOME!

As usual, it was a great chat & amidst the flying tweets, Jessika came up with a succinct & (as usual) memorable quote:

“Find your awesome and let it shine!”

Isn’t that great?

A couple of us mentioned how great it was and Nikki Jeske of Design Coyote came up with the idea of making it into a poster, but the poor girl’s been sick, sick, sick lately… I’m pretty sure she’ll be creating one & her version will be – well, AWESOME!

Anyway, this is my version! It’s fun & bright & (hopefully) captures the tone & essence of the chat.

I’m offering it as a free printable so that EVERYONE can enjoy it & partake in this wonderfully inspiring quote.

Thanks again, Jessika (& Nikki for planting the idea)!

Gerixx

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED & CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER!**

These past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for me.

Despite having some pretty serious back issues (still waiting to hear about my MRI), I’ve managed to get shortlisted at the 2012 Handmade Olympics (voting ends tomorrow, so you can still help support us finalists!**THE OLYMPICS ARE NOW FINISHED! To see who medaled click here **) by Rik Rak Studio, I’ve signed up for a parcel swap-a-roon-ee with the “Send Something Good” campaign, I managed 4 days (& 5 nights – ugh) without my lovely husband while he was away at a very important conference and I’ve made some real headway with my Etsy shop relaunch TO DO LIST.

I have had tremendous support from all of my family & friends, along with a completely unexpected rush of generosity & kindness from new friends.

So, as a THANK YOU to everyone, I’d like to give back and offer my first GIVEAWAY to my readers/supporters! And as my “Be Kind, Be Brave, BELIEVE” Art Print has gained such exposure of late, I thought it would be nice to offer something different, so I’ve chosen my Shabby Chic Heart Garland.

Here we go:

THE LOOT …

A beautiful garland of upcycled hearts using gorgeous Ralph Lauren wallpaper – a wonderful decoration for weddings, parties or just to pretty up a room!

This garland is made up of 7 hearts strung on approximately 5ft of “Baby Blue” satin ribbon (each end has a loop for easy hanging!)

Each heart is approximately 3″x3″x3″ and is made from 3 hand-cut hearts that have been adhered together to form a 3-sided heart (notice a pattern?!) and is hung with a loop of the same satin ribbon.

This garland ships flat-packed in an envelope – don’t worry they pop right back out to their 3D loveliness!

Due the extreme hands-on nature of this item, your garland may not look exactly like the one pictured here – I randomly trace my hearts all over the wallpaper! – and there may be slight variations in each of the hearts.

Please allow 3 days for production before I ship.

PLAYIN’ BY THE RULES …

**This give­away is open WORLDWIDE to anyone who wishes to enter, however, by entering you confirm you are 18 years of age or older**

Please leave any (or all!) of the following COMMENTS (please note that each SEPARATE comment = 1 entry):

1:/ “I am a fol­lower of The Den via (choose: EMAIL | RSS | BLOGLOVIN’) as (choose: your name or email)”

2:/ “I TWEETED this Give­away” —> TWEET it here

3:/ “I FOLLOW The Den on TWITTER” —>; don’t forget to click the link & actually follow us! ;-B

4:/ “I’m a FAN of The Den on FACEBOOK” —>; don’t forget to click the link & actually “like” us! ;-B

5:/ “I SHARED this Give­away on MY Blog or Facebook Page” —>; don’t forget to include the link to YOUR blog/Facebook Page! ;-B

This giveaway closes MAY 2, 2012 at noon EST & the Win­ner (yay!) will be announced here at the bottom of this post the following day, being chosen using random.org, so be sure to stay tuned. The Winner will not be notified via email & they must claim their prize within one week.

and the WINNER IS …

#3,4 & 5 —> Jean from Happy Grape! Congratulations! Please email me to claim your beautiful shabby chic heart garland.

I love all most things paper. I love its colours. I love its textures. I love working with it – in fact, hey! That’s what I do for a living

So, when I came across the “Send Something Good” project started by the lovely Gentri Lee I signed up immediately.

This year, she’s also being helped out with this hefty project by Kaitlyn { Patience } of IsaVirtue and Kristy over at Gastronomical Sovereignty.

What a great way to get to know my fellow bloggers out there, as well as the great gift of putting together a neat, personalized care package for someone I don’t { yet } know AND I get one in return!

In the spirit of helping my blogger get to know me a little better, here are some things you may not know about me:

1/: I hate crowds,

2/: I have a tattoo,

3/: I have absolutely pointless feet,

4/: I’m a National Trampoline Champion,

5/: I’m an only child,

6/: I’m a fan of Walmart, but NOT Walmartians,

7/: I’ve been known to fall over while getting dressed (possibly due to the pointless feet – we’re looking into it),

8/: I’m an Apple girl,

9/: I’m completely self-taught,

10/: I say “mee-meep” whenever I see a Jeep!

I hope that helps my new pal get a better sense of me! Try to stop by on May 28 for the big reveal, if you can – should be a lot of fun.

pssst… there’s also still time to vote for my Be Kind•Be Brave•BELIEVE” Art Print in the 2012 Handmade Olympics – but only until Friday!

**THE OLYMPICS ARE NOW FINISHED! To see who medaled click here )**

Gerixx

… nah, I’m really not, at least not in the category I’m in I was in with such fierce competition!

**THE OLYMPICS ARE NOW FINISHED! To see who medaled click here )**

I’m talking about the 2012 Handmade Olympics going on over at the Rik Rak Studio… my “Be Kind•Be Brave•BELIEVE” Art Print was shortlisted!

There are actually 7 Events in all, with each showcasing different categories of handmade goodness.

They are as follows:

1) Favourite Handmade Goodie with an Innovative Design
2) Favourite Handmade Goodie for Kids
3) Favourite Eco-Friendly Goodie :: I voted for TrashN2Tees Reusable Produce bags
4) Favourite Handmade Goodie Inspiring Wellness & Loveliness :: this is where my print is
5) Favourite Nicey/Nicies Forwarding Kindness Through Handmaking
6) Favourite Handmade or Vintage Item that’s Fun
7) Favourite Blog with a Handmaking Focus

All of the Events have some amazing judges who shortlisted the finalists, including Morgan & Christine from Etsy, Jessika from Oh My! Handmade Goodness & Paul Love from Sweet Paul.

Not too shabby.

It also couldn’t be easier to vote – simply view the finalists & vote for who you like!

The top three vote-getters get some wonderful prizes and the general overall good feeling of having participated in such a lovely, community-spirited venture such as this. Voting ends April 27, 2012, so get there while you can…

Thanks so much, Rik Rak Studio for putting it all together so well!

So, go have a look – there are some amazing artists out there and I still can’t believe that l’il ole me is in amongst them. If you feel like my art print is worthy of a vote, then click here (or use the big button in my sidebar!) & vote away (thanks in advance for the support!)

If you feel like sharing the love, you can using the links below.

Good luck to everyone!

Gerixx

In preparation of my Etsy shop‘s new streamlined product line of stationery, favours, labels, garlands/bunting & decorative fixtures, I thought it’d be fun to create a new series of posts focusing on colour & style combinations for weddings… what’s trending, what’s hot & what’s just plain pretty!

Wouldn’t this be a fun wedding?

Images Source (clockwise from left)**: Dress via Sue Swink | Wedding Cake via Emmaline Bride | Bouquets via Biskopsgarden | Tequila Shots via Sue Swink

**If any of these sources are not the originals, please let me know and I’ll update my information

Daydream away…

Gerixx

As you might have read from my post last week, I’ve been in reorganization-mode lately & redesigning my studio to be more stimulating & inspiring. I used this really easy & affordable way to pretty up a feature wall… I happened to have a lot of different fabric (I tend to collect it when I see something I like!), but you can easily get remnants or “fat quarters” from fabric or craft stores.

STUFF YOU’LL NEED

:/ wooden embroidery hoops (varying sizes keep things interesting! )

:/ your favourite pieces of fabric (each needs to be big enough to fit the hoop with about 2″ extra

:/ spray paint

:/ scissors (sharp enough to cut fabric)

:/ picture mounting hardware

THE HOW TO:

1:/ Purchase wooden embroidery rings from your favorite craft/dollar store. I used 3 different sizes for this project (9″, 8″, 6″)

2:/ I spray-painted my rings white, but any color will do or they work just as well left plain. Separate the rings so you paint the outer ring only – the inner ring will be covered by the fabric – be sure to paint in a well-ventilated area… I took advantage of the weekend’s gorgeous weather & did it outside!

3:/ Gather your favorite pieces of fabric together & iron each piece thoroughly. { Image 2 } I tend to accumulate fat quarters of lovely fabric whenever I see one I like – a fat quarter is a 1/4 of a yard of fabric, typically 18″x22″.

4:/ Lay out your fabric pieces on a table or large flat surface so that you can see which pieces will look good together. I laid out the differently sized embroidery rings (using the inner portion) over the best areas of the different pieces (say, choosing a specific part of a pattern); take your time with this step – this is what makes the design great!

5:/ When you’ve decided which rings go with which pieces of fabric & where, cut a square around the ring (leave yourself about 2″ larger than the ring)

6:/ Lay the newly cut pieces of fabric squarely over the inner portion of the rings & secure the fabric in place with the outer portion of the rings… be sure not to overstretch the fabric, distorting any patterns.

7:/ When you’ve secured the outer ring, use a sharp pair of scissors (be careful!) & trim the excess fabric as close to the edge of the ring as you can. { Image 3 }

There ya go! { Image 4 } A super-duper, easy-peasy, inexpensive way to dress up a wall! Happy Decorating!

I’d love to hear your stories if you try this, or if you’ve already done something similar

Gerixx

Image Source: Rue Vintage 74

This wonderful weather we’ve been having has put me in much better spirits than last week

My back is still in pretty bad shape, but resting & pain medication at the proper intervals has found me able to organize like a fiend!

Just like this wonderful image, I’d like to achieve a wonderful balance of strategic organization along with a visually stimulating & interesting outcome.

Design outside the box!

Hmmm… where have I heard that before?

I’m currently in the process of focusing my Etsy shop to feature a more streamlined set of products and am hoping to relaunch in late April (which means I’ve really got to get in gear!)

I’ve temporarily redesigned my Facebook Page to comply with their new Timeline format – I’ll be redesigning it further when I’m closer to the relaunch of the Etsy Shop.

Very exciting stuff, so stay tuned for updates on the blog, Twitter and Facebook!

Gerixx