Thanks (edited)........

I just wanted to say a quick "Thank You" to all the girls who came by the shop and helped celebrate the grand opening with me. The winner of the grand opening gift certificate is, Theresa of Georgia! Congrats to her........ I most say that it feels so great to have the site up and going. I feel so accomplished.

Today I have been in the Studio working on some new paper art and also working on some custom orders that I have received. I have decided to create a greeting card line that features my little cutie pie Boston Terrier, Joe Beans. Beside my husband and son, he truly is the LOVE of my life. It shouldn't be hard to see why, just look at that muffin head! So many days that I might be feeling down or just stressed, he somehow ALWAYS makes me smile and laugh. We have had him for six years now and everyday he does something that makes us all just love him more and more. It is amazing how that is. Dogs provide such happiness and truly don't ever ask for anything back. No where else will you find such a freedom of love then that from a dog.

The "Smoking Joe Greeting Card" series will of course be silly and fun, to match our little man and all the glorious silliness that he provides day in and day out. Here is example of the new series. This one has already been purchased but I promise there will be many more cuties to come. Please be sure to check back by the shop for new goodies. I have been trying to get new things posted everyday.

Some quick other news- In the upcoming weeks I will be posting two very very fun craft tutorials that can easily be made by yourself, with friends or even with your little ones for a fun weekend project. So be sure to check back soon for those and more wonderful blogginess!

The Website is up and running....Yeah!

Geez..... am I glad that it is finally done. It is funny how when you are opening a new online shop your focus is all over the place. I mean you have so many area's of concern that you have to think about, taking tons of pictures, posting tons of items, checking and making sure your shopping cart is working, that shipping is calculating properly and yada yada yada. The list seems never ending. Don't get me wrong, all of that is totally worth it but I am just so happy that it is behind me and now I can channel my focus to my art. I have so many ideas in my head for new things. It is like a never ending book. I have decided to start carrying an art journal with me. Sally Jean has mentioned that she does that and it helps her to keep track of her thoughts and ideas. I thought it would be great for me to. There is a website that sells such lovely journals that can truly inspire you. They just scream, "pick me up and write". I am planning to get one this week and give it go.

I must say that having this week off of work has been ever so helpful and even though the last few days have been filled with website things it has been nice just be home and stay in pj's past 6:30am. I also forgot what it was like to sleep in on a Tuesday, wake up and go get a cup of coffee, watch the Today Show, oh how wonderful it is!

This past Sunday I took such a fun class at Ornamentea in Raleigh. It was on a soldered shadow box. Here is a pic of my first attempt at one. (promise not to laugh!) I cannot tell you enough how nice it was to sit with a group of wonderful girls who all share a love of creating, cutting, pasting, gluing and laughing. It was great...... I plan to really work on this craft and post some of my creations with it very soon. If you don't solder, I can highly recommend it as a fun and rewarding way to create!


Something else that I really wanted to share was these wonderful custom stamps that I had made of my logo and catch phrase. There is a wonderful artist on Etsy that made them for me. I also purchased some of her stamps and they are just tooooo cute! I don't know what it is about them, but they stamp such a clear and sharp image. I was so glad to find her. Please be sure to check her out if you are looking for something like this.

Well I am off to rest and who knows maybe watch a movie. AHHHHH time off from work is truly one of life's simple pleasures. Check back again soon for more post and an updated recommendation list as March is upon us.......

OH YEAH! ENJOY OUR EXTRA DAY this FRIDAY..... HAPPY LEAP YEAR..... somehow it inspires me to go outside and play leap-frog.... go figure! Take care.

Some updates......

Just wanted to do a little update on the happenings of my life right now and share the news of just how busy I am with making new goodies for the shop's grand opening next Wednesday the 27th. I only have 5 days left and I am trying to get as much done as possible, while still working my day job. I am so thrilled though because next week I am off of work for the entire week and after Wednesday I am planning to add new items to the shop pretty much everyday, so be sure to keep checking back in case nothing is to strike your fancy on the grand opening day.

In the midst of launching the site, I am trying to balance everything else that is going on right now too. This weekend I have to totally clean my house which I am ashamed to admit is just a true disaster and the cleaning process "as always" really cuts into my time for creation so Saturday may just be one less day for me to get anything else done! I hate being faced with the age old battle of to clean or create! URGH!! :) Then on Sunday I am taking a wonderful class at Ornamentea in Raleigh. It is with Laurel Rupe on creating a soldered shadow box pendant. I am so excited but it will pretty much take the entire day and once again that leaves me with one less day. I am very quickly running out of days here! Honestly though I have truly neglected my soldering iron and boy do I miss it, but hopefully this class should get me back into the swing of things. Oh how I dream and wish that I could somehow channel an inner Sally Jean and create works as wonderful as hers. Maybe some day I can be that good too. Practice, Practice, Practice.

So needless to say the next few days will be keeping me on my toes with cleaning, designing, creating, posting and learning wonderful new things (which of course I am excited about)..... I can't wait though for the shop to be open to the world. I keep telling myself that all the stress and running around will be totally worth it!

On a much easier going note in my life- recently, I have been doing alot of looking and shopping on Etsy (well the recently part is a fib because I really look and shop on there all the time, but don't tell my husband that!) I have found some of the most friendly and wonderful artist who have shops filled with glorious goodies. I love Etsy, it is such a wonderful forum for artist and creators. It truly helps us to support one another's works and all things handmade, which I think is just great.

Here is some other exciting news in my life that I would like to share... I have just recently bought two of the most wonderful craft machines. I got a Provo Cuddlebug and oh how I love it! I have put off buying one for a while now but finally gave in. It really is great. My son and I stayed up late one night and I helped him to make the cutest embossed bookmark with it. He was so proud! I highly recommend getting one if you don't already have it. I may eventually start saving some pennies for the Provo Cricut Expression machine but for now the cuddlebug is just fine. The other crafting goody I got was the Xyron Creative Station . This little baby makes stickers, magnets and laminates! Talk about bringing your creations to a new level. It is so easy to work too and things come out excellent everytime. We of course laminated my son's bookmark. I love this machine and once again highly recommend it. I have been trying to make my own embellishments for my greeting cards and gift tags. It can be great fun and very rewarding but also alot of work! If you have any questions about the craft machines I mentioned just let me know and I would be more then happy to share more of my thoughts on them.

Well all this talking about crafting has got my creative juices flowing and we all know that my days are numbered, so I better get to work. Take Care.

Unexpected Surprise

My husband came in the door last night around 8:30 covered in white flakes (no not dandruff! :) I looked at him and said what in the world is all over you, he says don't you know it's like a blizzard outside! Nope-I had no idea and had heard nothing about it nor the possibility of it snowing but low-n-behold I looked out and it was coming down in buckets. Big beautiful flakes. Of course we knew that would mean no school the next day. :) My son of course was thrilled. This morning I woke up at around 6am and checked outside for the winter wonderland. It was lovely. Somehow a snowfall always seems to quiet the earth and makes things be still for a while. I went back out again later on in morning to take some pictures and as always looking at all the glowing white snow makes the Colorado girl in me awaken and I feel an empty spot and I miss home. My husband always laughs at me when I say that because I left there when I was 6 years old, but I truly feel that if you were born on the West Coast and then you move away from it- some part of you always wants to go back home. It is almost like a desire to live in that part of the world has been written into your DNA and no matter at what age you may leave some piece of you knows that is where you belong. I'm sure that this also works the same with those who were born on the east coast and now live out west. Maybe one day life will bring me back but for now North Carolina is home and that is alright with me. I wanted to share some of the pictures that I took and hopefully pass on some of the white stillness to you. It truly was a wonderful and unexpected surprise........

Celebrate the Shop's Grand Opening

To help celebrate the "Grand Opening" of Little Fragment Studio, I will be offering a drawing for a $25.00 Gift Certificate! All you have to do is visit the shop on Wednesday February 27th- go to the Contact Rebecca page- fill in your name, email address and put in the comment line to enter you into the drawing and then just like magic "bing-bang boda-boom" you are entered baby! Just think 25 smackers to use as you please. I hope to see your name in my bucket! Thanks so much.

Shop Grand Opening

I am so please to announce that the shop will be opening on Wednesday February 27th. I have been extremely busy making sure that there will be plenty of lovely items ready for each and every category. My wonderful website designer has done such a great job for me and I have just gone in and added all my own personal touches to the site. I truly hope that you will join me in my Grand Opening Celebration. There will be a wonderful surprise in store for those who come by, so be sure to check back here for more details on that! For now- I am off to the studio to CREATE CREATE CREATE!

The Creative Child

It is so funny to me to watch my son grow. In the beginning when your children are small you see little pieces of yourself, maybe in their eyes, the way they may smile at you or the way they laugh. But as they keep growing up you start to see a reflection of yourself in much deeper parts of them and their personality. My son has taken after me in so many ways but the one that delights me the most is seeing just how creative he is becoming as each year passes by. He loves to write stories and draw. I feel that he is quite a budding artist and has such an eye for detail. This picture, in chalk, was done by him a few years back. I always smile when I look at because somehow it reminds me of who I was at that age and how I looked at the world with such whimsy. It amazes me how something as simple as a picture from your child can open your eyes to who they are becoming and help you remember pieces of yourself. "Oh how simple things mean so very much". My hopes are that the creative things I do in my everyday life continue to reflect positively on him and that he keeps going down the creative path too.

Melody House

Just thought I would share with you this wonderful new 16" by 20" Canvas Collage (the frame is PhotoShop and of course doesn't come with the canvas!) that will be available in the shop. Which by the way will be opening within the next few weeks. The picture in no way does this beauty justice.(I should hire professional photographer, only how I wish if I could afford it) This piece is so whimsical and fun. I was inspired to make it today while I was thinking of my house and how it is always filled with the sound of music and I wanted to somehow transfer that to the canvas. As you walk up the path of this bright cheery home you are welcomed by musical notes and when you peek into the windows you can see the music coming through. I think that Music is Art in sound and how lonely life would be without it.
If this piece sparks your fancy then be sure to check back again for the Shop Grand Opening Date! Take Care.

My Mom

I am sure that most of us think of our mom's as our best friends. I know for sure that I do but I also think of her as my most trusted and genuine confidant in the world. My mom is one of my greatest inspirations. I have such fond memories of her from when I was child. We lived in Colorado and every Friday her and I would go to Taco Bell and to the thrift store while my sisters and brother were in school. She probably didn't realize it then but those little outings where the foundations of the friendship that we have now- 25 years later. I couldn't imagine a life without her undying support for everything I do. My creative spirit is a reflection of her. My childhood room was hand-painted by her with lovely images of Holly Hobby and our home was always beautifully decorated (even if it was shag carpet and seventies wicker, groovy!) I have the fondest memories of her telling never ending bedtime stories and teaching me to roll my R's when I talk. Now that I am to old for bedtime stories it is my son that gets to share in all these wonderful traditions with my mother, which mean more then anything to me. My mother is one of the strongest women that I know and I salute you mom, for your never ending kindness, grace, compassion, undying love, spirit and for giving me the greatest friendship of my life. I love you.