Hello Blog World...

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Shannon. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, artist, crafter, graphic designer, runner, pilates doer, daydreamer, lover but not a fighter, chocolate chip cookie eater and creator of fun and whimsical arts & crafts. For quite some time now I have dreamt of selling my art. Not just giving it away to loved ones. But actually selling it. Feeling the satisfaction of having people love it and want it for their own enough to pay for it. So, I am embarking on a new journey in my life of opening up shop on Etsy and I feel that documenting it and reaching out to you all would aid in the process and also help me become a part of a community of artists.

In the midst of making this dream a reality, I have been reading up on the best ways to have a successful Etsy shop and everyone repeatedly says you have to have a blog. I had never really considered having a blog myself. I love browsing many other wonderfully inspiring blogs, but have my own? Really? Would I be as inspirational? Would I have enough to say? After my initial nervous chain of thoughts slowed, the more I thought about it, the more it actually sounded like something I could do. I am warning you now that I am no writer! My sister the copywriter/proofreader would be the first to attest to that. As I am sure she is wincing at my punctuation and sentence structure as she reads this. But I do have tons of ideas to share, art to show and topics to chat about. So I am eager to get this blog up and running.

I have my Etsy shop and a banner up. No items for sale just yet. Soon though. I plan to sell paintings and prints of my work, paperclay sculptures, handmade crafts and the occasional vintage goodies that I find in my treks through yard sales. I tend to try any and all mediums in my mixed media art and pretty much any craft I can get my hands on the supplies to try. So my shop will have a variety of fun pieces to choose from.

Have any of you recently taken a leap in your lives that gave you that feeling of excitement and joy for what is to come while also bringing a bit of fear and uncertainty? The thought of selling my pieces makes me want to burst with excitement. While the business aspect of it makes me a bit nervous. I made this kind of a leap once before when I decided to leave a pretty stable position as a art director at an ad firm to freelance out of my home. It turned out to be a wonderful experience where I felt pride in myself and an incredible sense of accomplishment. I hope that feeling is to come for me once again.

Support of family and friends has always been the glue that held me together when I have made big changes in the past. Now as I move forward into this new venture, not only do I have them, but I am reaching out to new supporters through my blog.

Welcome to sharing a new chapter in my life. I look forward to having you join me on this journey!