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Customer Photos!

These first 4 photos are custom jobs I designed for Dr. Megan in Canada. In the 3rd photo you can also see our Safari Growth Chart. The 4th photo was for her husbands office the other 3 were coordinated for her office. All of them are very positive and motivation. Love that!

The last 2 photos are a custom logo for DkDesigns. They create beautiful handmade wedding favors including hand sculpted clay flowers. AMAZING work! You can see their work that appeared on the Martha Stewart Show on their website www.dkdesignshawaii.com We cut lots of logos and can cut yours too!

MC Escher

MC Escher is one of my favorite artists. While other teens had heart throbs on their posters (New Kids on the Block anyone? ok, I did have a couple ;) my room had posters of pencil sketches. I usually bought them at The Museum Store in the mall in northern Cincy. I also had a few pages torn from magazines of ads I found visually appealing. I remember a 2 page layout of a zebra with a bright colorful bird on it's back on a white background that I taped to my closet door. I don't remember the company or product but I can remember the contrast of the black and white stripes with the bold, bright colors of the bird. I still enjoy such contrast in color.

As I was going through my creative file today looking for inspiration this is what I found. MC Escher and his play on concave/convex shapes. He has a lot of pieces like this. I like this one. I also like his self portraits. They may be my favorites of his work. But today, this piece is drawing me in. Am I coming or going? Up or down? In or out? This piece and Deuteronomy 28 have been going through my mind today. I find it an interesting mix.

New Art!

Seems I found a little inspiration tonight.

Here are the results...

New Art!

Burn Rubber

Elegant Accents

New Art!

A Sign of Growth designed to coordinate

with our Jungle Nursery Mural Kit.

pushing beyond past successes.

Making plans into progress.

Finding inspiration sounds very magical - sometimes it is. Other times you must fight for it. That's what I've been doing the last couple of days. I have a big deadline approaching. The project is nothing I've ever done before. Not only is it my first time out of the gate but the work must be superb. It must be better than I've done up to this point. There's no room for mediocrity. Not that there ever is, really. But there are times when there just isn't any wiggle room. You must excel in an arena where others are experienced and you are not. You must compete on that level your first time out. No excuses. You must be relentless in your pursuit.

Do you know what it is you pursue? This project is not my pursuit. It's a big step but it is not what I ultimately seek. I think it's important to identify your steps as steps and not your pursuit. You must never lose sight of the truth of your motivation/drive. That is your pursuit. And if you are truthful about that drive your pursuit will never end. That drive will always push you to be better. A better person. A better artist (or whatever it is YOU are). You will instinctively follow it deeper and deeper. When you keep the the pursuit pure you enjoy even the hardest days of the journey (aka life) because you know, at the end of those days, you've grown into something just a little bit better.

New Art!

HALF-PRICE Gift Certificates!

It's time for holiday shopping already - less than 65 days to go! For a limited time our holiday gift certificates are HALF-PRICE! They can be redeemed on or after 12/25/2009 and must be purchased through our website. Give the gift of artful living.

the path.

As I was journaling the other night I wrote about making fresh foot prints on a new path. I'm starting on a project I committed to a few months back. It's a big project, lots of planning to this point and now it's time to implement the plan. So, as I was writing I saw, in my mind, a fresh dirt path leading through the woods with the sunlight illuminating the green foliage. Today I ran across this photo and thought it very closely captured my vision. Especially the light. I think it'll be a lovely place to walk.

journaling.

I wrote the first entry in my handmade journal yesterday. I don't think it's going to be a daily kind of journal. I have a notebook for that. I seem to reserve the pretty journal for more meaningful thoughts. Things that are a bit more developed rather than my random blathering and rewriting until something starts to gel. Not that it always does, gel that is. Sometimes things remain completely random. A passing thought.

I also noticed over the weekend that we are well into the month of Oct. Nearly a third of the way through the last quarter of the year. As you know, I write goals for each year in December. I am very attentive to them through out the year. I rewrite them often to keep them fresh in my mind. I say them outloud to others and to myself. I jot down extra notes as inpiration hits on how I may want to achieve one or part of a goal. My goals often expand as I move through the year. Or maybe they just become more clear than they were in the beginning.



So again, as I take inventory of time, the time left in the year to complete the things I set out to do, I am energized and full of wonder. Filled with great anticipation of what will become of the next few weeks.

Hello new shoes, bye bye blues...

Creative Community Service

Hey Everyone,

This morning, a friend of mine on facebook was asking for ideas for community service. We have a large group of people we can gather so plenty of hands to pitch in. Any ideas?! We're willing to hear them ALL! You can leave a message for me here on the blog or email me at shelley@singlestonestudios.com. No idea is a bad idea! Can't wait to read your responses and hopefully some of your own experiences.

Thanks so much!
Shell

FREE SHIPPING PROMO OVER

FYI - Our free shipping promo is now over but keep checking back for more fun promos we have planned for the Christmas shopping season! Yes, I said it - Christmas. Can you believe it's time for that already?! Ho Ho Ho