What Now? Value Added Tax! :(

So it sounds like the European Union's VAT (Value Added Tax) is going to muck things up for those of us in the States that sell digital items through Etsy. While it's still a confusing mess, I don't want to have anything to do with the collection of taxes for these European countries - which varies by country, by the way. So until Etsy comes up with a solution, my Etsy shop will be on vacation.

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2014/new-european-union-rules-on-the-sale-of-digital-items/

Today, my Etsy vacation is official. I've posted this on my Etsy shop:

On December 22, 2014, Etsy released a statement notifying sellers of the European Union requirement regarding the collection of VAT (Value Added Tax) from EU buyers, effective January 1st. Until the Etsy site can facilitate the handling of this process, I am placing my shop on vacation. Unfortunately, this shuts down my Etsy store to Everyone, not just EU customers.

There is some discussion about a possible loophole, allowing sellers to bypass VAT by emailing PDF files to buyers. This may or may not be factual. That being said, here's my website: www.blueherondolls.com   Check out the pattern page if interested. Sorry for any inconvenience, but I'm not inclined to get in any trouble over TAXES.

I also posted this, if someone if trying to contact me through Etsy:
My Etsy shop is on vacation until the European Union's new ruling on Value Added Tax (VAT) collection procedure is clarified here on Etsy. If you need to contact me, feel free to email me at blueherondolls@hotmail.com and I'll answer as soon as I can. Sorry for any inconvenience.

I have loved selling on Etsy. I hope they get this straightened out quickly.

Merry Christmas!

Today wasn't such a bad shift at work, though it was "gearing up" as we say, when we were leaving. Hopefully tomorrow won't be bad, either. And we get a free meal for the holiday. I think. Yay.

Life Book 2014 December Lessons

I can't believe it's December already! Life Book 2014 is soon to close, and I'm still about 13-14 lessons behind. Slowly catching up, but this is a busy time of year.

I haven't started my yearly Santa yet, but as I haven't heard anything about a work Christmas party/auction yet, perhaps there won't be a Santa doll this year.

For Lesley's lesson, we made advent pages. I had some trouble with the Transfer Artist Paper (it was probably old) so had to modify the lesson a little, adding crisper images on the flaps. It was frustrating and more work, but I like it in the end.

This was such a sweet lesson, taught by Kelly Hoernig.

This is where I'll put my video flip-through when all the pages are done and the book is bound.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

As we head off for work this morning, we are thankful for what we have.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Life Book 2014 November Lessons

November already? Wow, October sure went by quickly! A new Life Book lesson was released today, but I'm in Kansas City for work and away from all my wonderful art suppies. More catching up when I get home.
Oh, and decided to sign up for Life Book 2015, you know, just to keep myself out of trouble.

A difficult lesson. I have very few photos of myself, so had to take a selfie. Awkward, at best. The painting part wasn't so difficult, it was having to look at myself!

 

 

Small miracle: finished a page the same day the lesson came out! Taught by Tascha Parkinson.

   

This week's lesson taught by Dyan Reaveley.

   

This week's lesson was by Serena Bridgeman (http://www.serenarty.com/). Her lesson included a technique using petroleum jelly as a resist. Couldn't find ours, so used Vick's Vapo-Rub.

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Happy Halloween!

Here's to a wet and soggy Halloween!

Published!

Today I came home from work to find my complimentary copy of Somerset Studios magazine, published by Stampington & Company. The Nov/Dec issue of this lovely magazine features an article about Life Book, and two of my journal pages are in there!!

The first (lower left)

And the other (upper left)

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Creative outlets...

I haven't had much time to sew or do much in the way of art journaling lately. I've been busy working, spending time with family, and playing music.

Last Friday we were invited to an open mic at a local brewpub (Hondo's). I was pretty nervous, but I think it went really well. There were some really good musicians there that night. I'm sure we'll be doing more of this (playing out), but we're struggling to find a name for our little group.

We've got a music night planned at our house on the 30th (sorry, neighbors). Ariah (second from left) is my music buddy, and her mom will be visiting from Idaho. We LOVE playing and singing together. I think it'll be a really good time, and I'm so looking forward to it.

Last week I started sewing a little witch pin doll, using my Hazel pattern ~ one of my very early patterns. I haven't made one of these for years, though I really doubt I'll get her done by Halloween. I'll try to work on her a little today. These little pin dolls can take as long to make as bigger dolls.

I may even get a chance to work on an art journal page, though my to-do list for today is pretty long and includes boring things like laundry and vacuuming.

Life Book 2014 October Lessons

Here's my take on Tam's lesson. Had fun with this one.

Here are my expressive florals, as taught by Tam Laporte.

  

Struggled a bit with this one, taught by Christy Tomlinson.

  

I put this lesson off for a long time, because I knew it would take me a long time tom complete. It may be February, 2015, but I finally finished my interpretation of Steven Speight's wonderful lesson. I used a photo of my grandson to model my figure, instead of Steven's Whimsical Wizard.  http://speightoftheart.com/

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Anyone know?

I'm working on a Life Book lesson from earlier in the year ~ drawing knick knacks using my non-dominant hand.

So I picked a couple old figures I bought on eBay years ago. Not much information was included in the auction description as I recall, so I was hoping someone out there would know something about these dolls. They're not very big, the faces are sculpted, and the bodies are pipe cleaners. I fell in love with them.

 

Oh, and here's the drawing (each figure done separately). I'm definitely right handed!

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Finally! Amandine paper pattern available

I finally received the cover paper for my Amandine pattern today, and got the cover photos attached and everything folded. I also stopped by PayPal to generate an "Add to Cart" button to my website.

Anyone interested in either paper pattern or e-pattern, just drop by my website. It's all updated!

http://www.blueherondolls.com/blue_heron_patterns.htm

A Productive Week!

In addition to finishing my Amandine pattern, I managed to finish three journal pages for Life Book 2014 this week. I'm on a roll!  Still very behind, but making progress.

And now there's been an announcement about the teacher line-up for Life Book 2015! Each of the teachers is giving away a spot in the year-long course. Today's blog hop stop is at Effy Wild's site.

 

Here are the pages I finished this week. At this point I've just been jumping around to get to the lessons:

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Done!

I'm finally done with my Amandine pattern!!!

 

 I put in an 11-hour day today, and boy is my back killing me ~ I didn't exactly use good body mechanics while drawing the pattern pieces. I still need to get cover photos for the traditional paper pattern, but the e-pattern is ready to go. Well, maybe I should proofread it one more time.

That being said, I don't think I can stand another minute in this studio to update my website or Etsy store. I'm so done!

 

The pattern is now up at my Etsy store, on Craftsy, and on my Website

Slowly but surely...making progress

My Amandine pattern instructions are nearly done. It's been such a tedious process, as this pattern is full of progress photos. What better way to help illustrate a step?

What's left? The wig, the hat, the shoes. Oh, and drafting the actual pattern pieces onto paper (instead of paper towels, etc.

 

I went with colors I don't usually use, which is nice for a change. Next, I'll be going through all my Tibetan lamb to find a color that works for her.

Life Book 2014 September Lessons

This is the month I play catch up. I've got most of September, and if I can manage my time I'll be able to get so much done.

And though I'm falling more and more behind in Life Book, I want to finish my Amandine doll pattern before I start working on my journal pages. But just think...if I could do a page a day, that would be so cool!

I may need to add some more viney things to this page.

Here's my take on an artsy abode:

I still haven't done Carla's lesson, which is a series exercise.


This is my take on Flora Bowley's lesson. This style is way out of my comfort zone, but I'm glad I did it. It's always good to stretch your skill set!

Struggled with this one. It may or may not be finished.
Taught by Alena Hennessy: http://www.alenahennessy.com/

http://www.fracturedangelics.com/
It took me the better part of two days, but I like the outcome of this page. I used a copy of my sketch from Kate's earlier lesson.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Amandine progress, testing new app

I used to have a way to post to my blog from my phone, but with this newer phone it's not working. Trying this new app.

Here's a quick photo taken this morning as a test. This is a far as I've gotten with my second Amandine doll (my Hoffman doll was the first), and the instructions with step-by-step photos are done up to this point. Very time consuming!

Next comes the face sculpting and painting instructions/illustrations/photos, and then the costuming. Whew!