Shop Updates

This Week in the Studio: Frustrations with Starting a New Business

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Happy Monday!

Today I am sharing my weekly studio vlog and it was a bit of a challenge. Most of the week went well as I was able to get some studio clean up done and I also set up my new writing binder for a new story I am working on. I have signed up for a Self-Publishing course and I am really excited for it. To prepare I began with getting my current work in progress. I write all new stories by hand first in a notebook. My first edit comes when I type it into my computer. There is something about writing hand to paper that just connects me to the story in a way the keys don’t. It’s a fun way to get to know my characters and their world.

I set up a binder which is a new system for me, that is going to hold all my story information. Characters, worlds, plot, chapters that sort of thing. In addition to the one I am writing there are several others waiting to be edited so they can be self-published. I would love to have a book ready by the end of the year to publish-even it’s just all the editing is done.

When I first saw the class I was really excited and signed up for the waiting list. I have been following the author for a while and I really love her approach to career and this course feels in alignment with my own career goals. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as to how it’s all going.

The other goal I had this week was to print the sticker sheets I have been creating and add them to my shop. Theoretically this was going to be easy. The hard part of conception and creating the art was over right? I was so wrong.

I have been wanting to turn my art into stickers forever and I have tried over the years and basically ended up really, really unhappy with my cutting machines.

I finally thought I had it all worked out and then the machine (my newest one) was giving me issues. I managed to solve those issues only to have my printer give me problems. In the end, I have re-designed my stickers and I have one sheet available for purchase-woohoo!!! I am very hopeful that I will have the rest of the stickers done and ready for purchase by the end of the week.

To celebrate the sticker sheets are shipping for free so yay! You can purchase a sheet here if, like me, you love your coffee too 🙂

I will also share a secret little item that, for now, only you my faithful blog readers will know about. I have a new journal for sale in my shop too! If you have been following along in my Make a Journal Series this is the journal I make and this Friday the last of the videos will go live. I will also promote this journal for sale so if you would like to pick it up before then you can find it here.

So that was what was going on this week in the studio. I have lots of new projects in the works and I am hoping to have some new dollhouse content up if I could just decide on the upstairs flooring. I still think I want full carpeting but I am really not sure. I will keep you posted.

I hope your summer is going well. My oldest two have been enjoying camp for the past few weeks and I have been playing chauffeur. Looking forward to next week when the schedule quiets down for a few before another week of camp.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

 

 

 

 

Studio Vlog: A Relaxing Compilation of Studio Work

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Happy Monday everyone! I have a new studio vlog for you where I piece together a few different days footage that I have been collecting on my phone.

You may remember me mentioning that I am still trying to get the hang of studio vlogging. I will record but then often the footage just sits on my phone because I usually decide it’s not that interesting. However, since I love watching studio vlogs I really wanted to work to share some with you so I went through my recent footage from last week and a little older footage from early spring and compiled it here for you.

This past week was really exciting as I was FINALLY able to get my cutting machine to work for making stickers. I have had the worst time trying to make sticker sheets and have tried over and over for years with various degrees of success. I really want to start offering sticker sheets when I re-launch my shop so I gave it another try and was SO happy that it worked! I was very grateful to my fellow artist and business owners over on Insta that helped me out.

In this video you will see me going for a walk and some shots of the flowers that are currently blooming in my garden as well as in front of my studio space. I do some work in my creative corner at home and then venture over to the studio for some writing time and my first attempt at making clay pins. I hope to share the results of those with you next week.

How about you? How is your summer going?

Until next time,

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Free Music for Videos 👉 Music by ThinkChill – orquidea – https://thmatc.co/?l=F1952452

My First Ever Art Journal Kit! Unboxing Video

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I am so excited to share with you my first ever art journaling kit! I have wanted to curate my own art kit for years and I am so excited to have one for this holiday season.

This kit has everything you need to take part in December Daily, memory keep those holiday plans, decorate your planner-you name it. You can check out the video below for all that’s included. I only have a few of these kits available but you can buy them on my shop here.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: New DigiKit Reveal & Journal Play

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I have some really exciting news today. I have finally launched my first digital art journaling kit! I am so excited to share this kit with you in today’s video along with an entire process video to give you some ideas on how to use this kit.

If you aren’t familiar, digital kits are kits you purchase once and can then print out as many times as you would like to use in your projects. The kit I am sharing today is perfect for spring with butterflies, birds and lots of flowers. You receive 10 pages along with 3 pages of tags. I had so much fun creating this kit and I have 2 more that are almost ready to share-hopefully within in the next week. If you are interested you can watch the video to see all the kit has and visit my shop here to purchase.

I started out by making the tag. I printed the kit on regular weight copy paper and then backed the tags onto some chip board I had. Then I took different elements from the kit to collage on the tag finishing off with a ribbon and a handmade journal charm.

Starting in my journal I added some soft pink and blue gray acryllic paint and then tore up some more pages and glued them down. I added lace and a few more charms along with a pocket to hold my very thick journaling tag.

I am so happy with how the page turned out! If you have any questions about the kit please do comment below and if you happen to make a purchase let me know how you end up using the kit.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Finding a Groove

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Is it really just a few days until Halloween?

Halloween is a favorite around our house and we have been watching our Halloween videos. Tonight the kids and I watched “Nightmare Before Christmas” which we all love. Our drives usually involve at least one go of “This is Halloween” played over the radio. Tomorrow we are thinking “The Haunted Mansion” and then wrap it all up with “Hocus Pocus” over the weekend.

I have been busy creating a really fun Halloween project for what is my soon-to-be launched Patreon Page. I don’t have a deadline yet, I have just been wanting to make content and upload it so there is something already there when people sign up. I have some really fun ideas and am enjoying creating content.

I also plan to return to YouTube and maybe even work out a regular schedule. I think I just need to get over myself and stop taking it so seriously and just enjoy making videos. It’s so easy to make something a lot more than it is and I’m trying to just relax and enjoy doing what I love to do.

One of the projects I am working on right now is a miniature kit for Halloween. It’s a shoe box scene of a Magic Emporium. I have been construction a few pieces each night at the studio and filming it as a challenge to share with Patrons. It’s been so much fun especially since I haven’t really created anything like this. I started a kit last year but didn’t really get far and when I was a kid I made a piece of dollhouse furniture from a kit. I talked a bit about that in this week’s podcast.

It’s a bit of a lofty ambition but I am hoping to have the piece done by Halloween. We will see how I get on. In the meantime here is a sneak peak of some of the pieces I have created.

I changed a few things up in the studio. Moving my desks around to make way for my new printer and my Cricut machine. I have been working hard on my sticker creations and hope to launch my new sticker shop soon. Mastering the Cricut is part of that plan but I would really love to have it up and going in time for holiday shopping. I won’t rush it though, things happen in time and I am determined to enjoy the process and to make products I am excited about. I have come up with my shop name and just need to purchase the domain and set up my shop. If you want to stay in the loop on that you can subscribe to my newsletter here. I’ll be sending out a newsletter with shop updates and coupons but only once a week. I hate receiving daily emails so I won’t be sending them out 🙂

I am also going to be launching my digital download shop. I thought of having everything in one spot and I’ll probably do that here on the site but with my Etsy shop it seemed best to keep everything cohesive and theme based. I have been having lots of fun creating planner downloads and inspirational signs. It would be great to launch both shops at the same time but again, trying to keep the fun in everything but also taking advantage and harnessing the creative energy when it’s here 🙂 If you like digital downloads and want to sign up for updates about that you can do that here.

I know it may sound like a thousand projects but I am really learning how to make everything work in manageable chunks and making the most out of my studio time. I am excited to share more content with you here on the blog as this is my home base to connect with my fellow creatives. I would love to hear about the projects you are working on so please do reach out.

In the meantime I wish you a lovely weekend and a very Happy Halloween if you celebrate. I will be back with you again next week. Much love.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante