snail mail & a giveaway

I love getting mail. I love it even more when you get something really sweet or unexpected on a really crappy day. Yesterday, I got my Snail Mail Collective package from the very sweet Lauren! Which was perfect timing because it was just the pick-me-up I needed for such a wretched Monday. 

It was really fun getting to know Lauren, who blogs over at Going Green: Our Army Adventure. Lauren is the first Military wife I have come in contact with through the SMC and was such a sweet person to get to know. Her package was so thoughtful and was so perfectly timed! The theme for this past month was "grateful," so her package was filled with all sorts of goodies associated with things Lauren is thankful for. A sleeping mask for that much needed nap we both need but can't seem to sneak in, pens and notepad for doodling breaks, a wine bottle holder because a glass of wine at the end of day can soothe all ails, and chocolate because chocolate makes everything better! Perfect! 

Head on over and check out Lauren's great blog, she's a very inspiring lady and I'm SO grateful to have been partnered with her this month. Curious about the Snail Mail Collective? Melyssa and Chelsea are only hosting it for one more month! Become a part of it while you still can! I have met so many inspirational and wonderful ladies over the last 6 months because of it. Plus it's always a nice surprise to get a little something in the mail...

On to the giveaway! I'm currently sponsoring the very talented and sweet Chantilly over at Chantilly Songs. Right now she's hosting a giveaway for $25 credit towards the Sketchy Notions shop! Head on over and check out Chantilly (did I mention she's a very talented musician?) and enter for your chance to get some Sketchy Notions goodies! 

bits & pieces

14 hours...that's how many hours I worked on one day this week. Since the time change, my sleep has been thrown completely out of whack and I woke up at 5:40 am the other day. Which luckily turned into 14 hours of productivity! Most days this week I have been down in the art bubble around 7:30 am until 10 pm, and that still doesn't seem like enough time. 

I have my first holiday market in 9 days, then another shortly after. So much inventory to make and still find time to stay on top of commissions. As a result, the blogging and interneting has been at a minimum. My bloglovin' feed is now at 412 unread posts, ha! I feel the need for a nap every day around 4 and have to resist. All of this somehow feels so damn good. It's really nice when I have a full day in the bubble and have my list of to-do's crossed off at the end of the day. It doesn't happen every day but when it does, oh it feels good!

In preparation for the holidays, I finally purchased some ad spots for the Sketchy Notions shop! I currently have an ad up on Maddie's lovely blog, and my ad will soon be live on Chantilly's blog! Pop over and show those awesome ladies some love! I also bit the bullet and got a twitter account last week. Can't say I have tweeted anything of mention yet but you can follow along if you'd like @sketchy_notions! Here's a peek at what's been happening these days via Instagram...

1. I just started an after school workshop where we made watercolors from scratch! I'll share more on that once the kids and I test our watercolors next week...

2. Another perk of waking up before dawn, catching the gorgeous fall sunrises. Is it just me or does fall have the best sunsets/rises?

3. This was a rough day. This was the last print printed on the old printer. The new one is a little temperamental but has lovely results.  

4. Last month we went to the 20th Anniversary of the Nightmare Before Christmas at the El Capitan in Hollywood. SO fun! Ken Page, the voice of Oogie Boogie, came out and sang his song.

5. October had some crazy spooky foggy mornings...

6. I had a long day working and teaching then came home and carved up a creepy pumpkin. Seems fitting. 

a sketchy giveaway with Kitty & Buck!

It's time for a giveaway again! There's a lovely giveaway of a bunch of Notional Notions goodies over at Shell's blog Kitty and Buck today! You can win a pair of Pearl Snap Earrings, a set of hand-printed cards and a sketchy button! Pop on over to her sweet blog and enter for your chance to win! I would so very love to see one of you lovely readers snatch up this sketchy prize package... 

Enter now!

lately & adventures in sponsoring

One of my new Etsy items! A Sketchy Mini Book...

I've hit a mini rut with blogging lately. It's not that I'm not making things that I wouldn't love to share right this very instant, there are plenty! But a lot I can't share now until the projects are closer to being done. 

But I do have some lovely news I can share! I've been contemplating delving into the world of blog sponsoring for a while. Not having people pay to advertise on my blog, I don't think this little space in the interweb world is widespread enough to start asking for money. Nor do I think I should be channeling my funds towards directing traffic here, no matter how much I love blogging and sharing my projects and work.

So I found a great compromise (and a way to cross off a goal from my 25 before 26 list!)... I've purchased two ad spots on two fantastic and lovely blogs that I've been following for a while for my Notional Notions Etsy shop! 

Starting tomorrow, I will have ad spots on both Shirley's lovely blog, Trees.Hides. (she also has an amazing Etsy shop that I've drooled over for ages!) and on Shell's amazing blog, Kitty And Buck (who also has an adorable Etsy shop). Probably at some point during the next month I'll be participating in some form of a giveaway on both of these blogs so make sure you keep an eye on both of these ladies lovely blogs!