SoBen Arts

2008-10-22T06:57:00.002-04:00

Huge custom bib order

I just finished up a custom order for a bunch of Toddler XL bibs. The order was from a returning customer doing some Christmas shopping. She bought six more bibs for her own kiddos, but then bought five sets of three for gift-giving. How cool is that! I'm really pleased with how they all came out and to see them all piled up together is pretty impressive. I'm inspired now to make a few more for my own little ones, since my daughter kept coming over and asking if she could keep some of the ones I was working on.

2008-10-21T07:39:00.001-04:00

Now HALF OFF!

Just wanted to let everyone know that the last four pumpkin and jack o' lantern tie dyes have been marked down 50% - I want to see these gone! There's still time to enjoy them before Halloween!

2008-10-17T11:29:00.002-04:00

First Christmas listing of the year!

I did this little Christmas tree as a trial the other night to see what ideas I could come up with for the holidays. This one is a 6-9 month long sleeved onesie. I think a long sleeved toddler tee would be best for this design, so the tree could be a tiny bit bigger and the lines more crisp, but I still really like it. It would be awfully cute for baby's first Christmas!

I also have the idea to try a snowman - all blue dye with the outline left white. We'll see how that one turns out!

2008-10-14T21:54:00.001-04:00

Halloween Sale!

Just wanted to announce that all of my pumpkin and jack o' lantern tie dyes have been marked down!

I'd love to move these cute shirts out so that some kiddos out there can enjoy them for the holiday. I would hate to see them just sitting around with the rest of my stock until next year. My own daughter loves her jack o' lantern face tie dye so much, and she's gotten a lot of great compliments - so I know they're crowd pleasers!

2008-10-12T21:54:00.003-04:00

Dresses!

My three-year-old daughter outgrew her cute lap shoulder dress I dyed for her at the beginning of the year, so she's been asking for a new one. I finally placed the order and got an extra couple of dresses at the same time to list on Etsy. They arrived at the end of the week and I did the dyeing last night and this morning.

First, here's my daughter's - she chose the colors and was awfully proud when it was finished. I love the way it came out - and its even better looking in person...

And here are the other two that I did up as in-stock items for my Etsy shop. I was happy with the way they both turned out, but I absolutely love the brown one... its dark brown with sage green and it turned into this cool, mossy looking mix. The blue and purple is size 12 months and the brown is 18 months...

2008-10-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

Little butterfly

I thought I'd show off this cute little custom onesie I made... the mama wanted a simple costume for her baby for Halloween, so she bought a pair small costume wings and wanted me to make a tie dyed onesie with a butterfly on the front in matching colors. I can't wait to see pictures of the her all dressed up - I think its going to be simply adorable!

2008-10-07T10:23:00.001-04:00

Two more jack o' lanterns...

I just think these are the cutest shirts! This is the kind of thing I definitely would have bought for my own kiddos if I didn't make it myself... so I'm hoping others like them, too!

The long sleeve is 2T and the short sleeve is 4T...

2008-09-29T12:40:00.002-04:00

Jack O' Lantern!

I just LOVE how this one turned out. Its a pretty small shirt (size 18-24 months) so I wasn't sure how crisp the face details would be - but it came out just like I'd hoped!

It was more labor-intensive than other designs, because it required four separate areas to be sewn, gathered and dyed... but I think it was well worth the effort. Now, hopefully someone will buy it up and put it on their little one this Halloween!

2008-09-19T12:54:00.003-04:00

Need something for baby's first Halloween?

I made this little cutie last night. Just think how adorable would your little pumpkin be in this tie dyed pumpkin onesie!

2008-09-17T08:08:00.001-04:00

Fun custom

I just thought I'd show off a cute custom order I just finished for a friend who's taking a family trip to Disney at Christmastime.

2008-09-02T10:24:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin tie dye!

My latest listing on Etsy...

I'm actually kind of bummed that I didn't make this in a size that would fit one of my own kiddos (this is a 3T) because I totally would have kept it!

2008-08-01T20:43:00.002-04:00

More custom work

I just finished up a custom bib order this evening...

I love the fabric on the top bib... I can't wait to make some more in-stocks with it! It looks really cute with the pink terry I paired it with here, but I also have a darker coordinating fabric with multi-colored dots that would look great with this fabric in a reversible option.

The woman who ordered these also opted to have two snap settings, which I offer as a customizable option, which is great for a smaller baby. It will fit them better now on the smaller setting, but they'll have plenty of room to adjust as they grow. I do this on some of the bibs for my own kiddos because I make the Toddler XL size to accommodate both my three year old and my peanut 20 month old.

2008-08-01T19:21:00.005-04:00

Cute custom

I just finished a custom order for a mama and her two little girls... I love the way it turned out and I think they're all going to look super cute together!

2008-07-28T09:44:00.005-04:00

New tank tops!

I found some cute, simple tanks the other day and bought a few to dye up and list as in-stocks. They've come out cute, I think, and are great for summer!

Here are the ones I've finished - in order: 12 months, 3T, 4T and 4T...

2008-07-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

First solo craft fair

I did a tiny craft fair last year with my stepmother at a little church near her... I sold a few things, but it was really small and the shoppers really weren't my demographic... but it was fun and a good experience. Last weekend I did my first solo fair - an outdoor gig hosted by a local historical society. Again, it was pretty low-key, but the entrance fee was very small and I figured it would again give me some experience, which is always good.

The entire fair was pretty much a bust. The weather was pretty gross - it didn't full-on rain, but it was misty pretty much all day and cold. As far as I can tell, the organizers of the fair didn't do much for advertising - there wasn't even a sign on the road saying exactly what was happening - people driving by wouldn't have known if it was a craft fair, a yard sale, a party - whatever. I wasn't really impressed there. There was very little traffic and not real successful for anyone. But I did make a couple of sales, and I'm pretty sure there are some people who didn't make any - so at least that didn't happen.

I also got a special order - the woman set up at the table next to me liked one of the dresses I had but needed a different size for her daughter. I just finished up that order and am about to ship it out to her... it came out pretty cute, if I do say so myself...

2008-06-18T10:15:00.002-04:00

New set of infant bibs - fully reversible!

I finished up this set of infant bibs the other night (and yes, they do have snaps now just like the rest of my bibs - I just had run out and decided to take some pictures without them!)... and I love the way they turned out. I wanted to make this set fully reversible - with coordinating prints on both sides... so its like actually getting 6 different bibs when you buy 3. Fun, right?

I'd asked for feedback from some mom friends about the infant size - because personally we never used them with our kiddos. But I know that a lot of babies are more prone to spitting up or drooling, and they wear bibs a lot right from the beginning. Anyhow, some of the moms commented that they really liked to have a selection of some pretty but basic patterns and colors that would coordinate well with a lot of their baby's wardrobe. I kept that thought in mind when designing this set, and I think I did pretty well. Lots of gentle patterns with versatile colors. What do you think?

2008-06-12T07:21:00.002-04:00

New bib set

I've been working on a new batch of bibs, and there will be lots of new ones to come soon! For now, I've got one new infant set that I just listed on Etsy.

I love the colors and patterns in this set; I think it would make such a sweet baby shower gift or gift for a new baby boy. All three bibs are backed in white terry.

2008-06-06T19:48:00.003-04:00

Patriotic peace signs

I made this shirt on request for a friend's little boy... I love the way it came out and think this would be a great design for the 4th of July! I've already gotten an order for another one (actually, its finished but is still drying right now) and I think I might list them as a custom order item on Etsy. As they are seasonal (well, not necessarily, but I think that will be a big selling point), I don't want to try to guess which sizes would sell and over-stock, but if I list them as a custom item and make them as the orders come, that might make more sense. Any thoughts?

2008-06-06T18:03:00.004-04:00

New set of bibs!

I finished up a set of infant bibs and listed them on Etsy today - and I love the way they look together! I spent a long time selecting the fabrics to coordinate but not be too matchy - and now that they're done I'm really happy with the way the set looks!

I like it so much, I made a toddler set with the same fabrics, just with terry backing instead of flannel, which I'll be listing soon...

And I'm going to make a reversible bib for my daughter with the floral and green fabrics, too... maybe I'll make a couple to list, too, if I have enough!

2008-05-28T20:15:00.003-04:00

Custom dress order

I finished an order for two custom dresses this morning. I love the way they came out! The fact that they are the same size as my daughter makes them even harder to give up, though, haha.

2008-05-20T06:24:00.004-04:00

Cool site for Etsy shoppers!

I just listed my Spring Cleaning Sale with this great site that keeps a list of on-going sales on Etsy! Great for when you've got that shopping itch and you're looking for a deal!

Check it out: Sales on Etsy

2008-05-17T19:16:00.003-04:00

In-stock peace signs!

After attempting a couple last summer, I got discouraged and gave up. My sister wanted one earlier this year, so I modified my method a bit, and I'm finally really getting the hang of these! I've done a few custom orders and I love the way they're turning out. They're pretty time consuming, but a lot of fun.

Anyhow, I did a batch to list a couple of nights ago and I just LOVE how they turned out...

18-24 months:

5T:

12 months:

Hopefully they'll sell quickly so I'll have an excuse to make a bunch more!

2008-05-02T09:12:00.001-04:00

Long-sleeve clearance still going on!

Just wanted to mention that my spring cleaning sale is still going on! Get some great deals on all of my long-sleeved tie dyes. This is a great way to stock up for the fall - or even those cooler summer days and evenings. Just click on the link at the top left to visit my Etsy shop and check out the deals!

2008-04-10T12:33:00.009-04:00

Spring Clearance Sale!

I would LOVE to clear out some of my long-sleeve tie dyes to make room for more spring and summer styles. Soooo... I'm offering $2.00 off ALL my in-stock long-sleeve tie dyes. That brings the onesies down to just $10! And tees to just $12.00! I even have one long-sleeved romper that I'm including in the sale - bringing it down to just $16.00!

0-3 months:

3-6 months:

6-9 months:

12 months:

18 months:

4T:

Come visit http://sobenarts.etsy.com to shop!!!

2008-04-05T08:23:00.002-04:00

Custom order for a peace-lovin' boy

I did a cute custom order the other day for a mom with a little boy who wanted a peace sign t-shirt. How cute is that?

I love how it came out...

I really like doing the peace signs, but because of the detail its difficult to do them small. This shirt is a youth size 10/12. I could do a smaller youth size, but it would be hard to do an infant or toddler, I think. I'm going to give it a try, though, because I'd love to have some for my own kiddos and I think other parents would enjoy them, too. Its just a matter of making sure the dye is precise enough to make a good quality image in the end.

2008-04-05T08:20:00.003-04:00

Three more new bibs

Just added these three to the inventory...

Infant size:

Toddler size:

2008-03-31T16:19:00.007-04:00

New bibs available now!

I worked on a new batch of bibs over the weekend. I finished six toddler bibs and one infant one. I have two more toddler bibs pinned and ready to be sewn and one infant that just needs a snap, but I just ran out of time. They'll be done soon, though.

Here are the toddler sizes that are finished and available right now:

And here is the finished infant size:

I'm really happy with the way they're turning out. This entire batch was made with either terry cloth or flannel backing. I love the softness. I like being able to mix and match fabrics and choose two coordinating prints (or even a great matching solid) as well, and I will continue making those still, but I just really like the functionality of the terry and flannel. They're nice and absorbent (and I add an extra flannel middle layer to any of the non-terry ones, just to be sure), but they're also really nice for wiping up hands and face when you are finished with them. I always give my little guy a once-over with the back of his bib after I remove it. Granted, he often needs more clean up than that, but at least its a nice start!

Anyhow, all of the bibs listed in this post are available for purchase. Most of them are listed in my etsy shop, and those that aren't yet will be in the next day or so. Feel free to contact me if you check etsy and don't see the one you're looking for!

2008-03-28T19:19:00.007-04:00

Latest tie dye projects

I've had several custom tie dye orders in the last couple weeks... here are a few of my latest efforts...

And while I was at it, I dyed up this 6 month long-sleeved onesie to add to my in-stock inventory...

I love how vivid and bold the purple and pink turned out. This would be so cute on any baby!

2008-03-28T19:16:00.002-04:00

Custom Bibs

I finished up an order of four custom bibs for a friend of mine yesterday. These are for her new baby girl, due in a couple of months, and I think they came out really cute. These are the infant sized bibs - perfect for catching drool and spit-up in those early months, and are such a cute addition to any nursery. They would be such a great shower gift or something fun to bring to a new mommy and baby!

2008-03-07T19:26:00.002-05:00

Another custom dress

Just thought I'd share my latest custom order - an adorable little 18 month dress. It came out pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

2008-03-01T12:49:00.002-05:00

New favorite bib

My daughter and I did some fabric shopping a week or so ago (she's got a great eye for a three year old!) and got some new fun stuff for bibs. I finished four new toddler bibs yesterday and one of them is definitely my new favorite. I just love the print - its this great, funky deep red with a black and tan floral pattern. Not your typical baby material, which I love.

And while I'm at it, here are the other three new ones...

These ones all have terry backing, which is my personal favorite. The aqua alphabet print and the black and white music note print both have white terry and the paisley print has a really nice coordinating pink terry.

I've got lots more cut out and ready to sew - and even more fabric still left to cut. Should keep me busy for awhile!

2008-02-18T14:08:00.004-05:00

Latest custom

Just thought I'd show off a picture of my latest custom order... a little 2T lap-shoulder dress in purples and blues. I LOVE the way it came out, I hope the customer loves it just as much.

I posted pictures of the long sleeve version of this dress I made for my daughter. I'll definitely be picking up a few of these short sleeve versions to dye up for her once summer arrives. They're so cute!

2008-02-16T15:36:00.002-05:00

Latest

Here are my newest listings...

These are both youth sizes - the off-center spiral is a size 6/8 and the camo-style one is a 10/12. Beside custom orders, I try to keep my tie dyes in the baby/toddler size range, but I had bought these shirts for a project that didn't pan out. Rather than let them sit there, I figured I'd dye up a few as in-stock items. Hopefully somebody out there will want them!

Just $10! Go check out my Etsy shop if you're interested!

2008-02-11T07:57:00.001-05:00

An idea I've been toying with for awhile...

I've found that people are generally more interested in custom orders - they have something specific in mind that they can't always find with in-stock items - and they're also so much fun to make... so I've been thinking about creating a listing for this purpose. I finally worked out all of the details and got it up over the weekend. Right now, it is set up specifically for long sleeved onesies or tees, sizes 3-24 months for onesies or 12 months to 5T for shirts. I will happily do any size, long or short sleeve, but I wasn't sure how to manage the price differences in the listing, so I just made mention that if someone were interested in something different, they could contact me and I would create them a new listing reflecting their choice and corresponding price. If it becomes successful enough, I can always create separate listing for the youth and adult size options.

The pricing for this baby/toddler listing is $16. Youth sizes will be $18 and adult will be $22.

The listing right now includes choice of size, onesie or tee, up to three colors, and design.

For dying style choices, I have narrowed it down to three choices:
* An all-over mottled look, where some of the original white shows through in spots.
* A low-water immersion look, where the entirety of the fabric is covered in dye.
* A spiral.

Here are the examples I included to show each option...

I also offer a regular unisex long sleeve or a more girly shirt with slightly scalloped edges, and here is the example of that style...

Finally, here are the current color options...
Lemon yellow
Deep purple
Black
Kelly green
Chocolate brown
Claret
Red wine
Baby blue
Rust orange
Olive drab
Teal blue
Dark green
Sunrise red

Although, of course, if someone is looking for a different color, I hope they will contact me and I can certainly get it for them.

I'm hoping to get some orders soon! This could be a lot of fun!

2008-02-02T19:49:00.000-05:00

No such luck

The shamrock attempt didn't quite work out like I'd hoped. I would be able to do it on adult shirts, I think, but the pattern is too intricate (too many ins and outs) for the small scale of a onesie or toddler tee. Oh well. It was worth a try.

2008-01-29T08:50:00.000-05:00

Next project...

So, this is probably the last week I'll be getting orders for Valentine's Day, so that they can be dyed and shipped out in time. (Of course, the hearts would be great for wearing year 'round, so if you're still interested, don't let the date deter you!)

I've already started getting inquiries about St. Patrick's Day and whether I'd be able to do a shamrock tie dye. I'm going to do a test sometime this week and see how it turns out. It will be more difficult, for sure, because its a much more intricate shape... but I think it can be done. I'll be sure to post my attempt and I'll get a listing up soon if it works out!

2008-01-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

Today is my Etsy-versary!

Its been a full year since I opened my SoBen Arts shop on Etsy!

In honor of this accomplishment, and to show my gratitude, I am offering FREE SHIPPING on everything in my shop today!

Please come and browse around - if there's something you've had your eye on, now's a great time to scoop it up!

If you do make a purchase, simply wait to pay and I'll send you a revised invoice - or if you want to pay immediately, I can always refund the shipping fee.

Happy shopping! :-)

2008-01-21T10:16:00.000-05:00

New pictures

Trying to get better pictures of that purple dress got me thinking about all of the photography of my tie dyes. I think I've done well with my jewelery pictures (at least a far cry better than when I started!), but the tie dyes were a different story. I had a hard time finding a background that would really showcase the colors. Lighting is really hard this time of year, too, because its impossible to take the photos outdoors, which is what I really prefer.

Anyhow, after some experimentation, I decided to start using a white background, like I do with my jewelery. Its not very exciting, and I hope it doesn't come across as too stark or boring, but it does give the best results. The colors all look more true-to-life and the intensity and variations of the colors are more clear.

So, I've retaken the photos for about half of the tie dye items listed in my Esty shop. My goal is to have them all finished this week - so I'll slowly go through and retake, crop, and post the pictures as time allows in the next few days. Once I have them all done, hopefully things will look better in the shop... right now, the page looks a little scattered and mismatched - but I think the end result will be much more appealing than what I started out with.

Here are a few examples of the new photography - feel free to check out the shop to see more!

What do you think?

2008-01-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

More of the dress...

I took some better shots of that purple dress and thought I'd share one. Also, the listing is now up on Etsy if you're interested in seeing the rest of the new pictures - or buying the dress! :-)

2008-01-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

More low-water immersion results

Here is the other dress that I dyed at the same time I was doing my daughters...

It came out really beautiful, I think. The colors are much more rich and have more depth than the pictures portray. I should probably try to get some better shots in real light tomorrow. But for now, you get the idea.

If anyone's interested - the dress is size 12 months, but in my opinion looks like it would fit more like an 18 month size. One thing that's great about this style, though, is that the fit is so easy - it can be worn a little big or a little small and still be comfortable and look cute. You can really get a lot of use from them, which we all know is a big bonus with baby clothes!

This isn't for sale on Etsy yet, but I should have the listing up sometime tomorrow!

2008-01-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Busy weekend!

I had a weekend full of tie dyeing! I got quite a few orders just before the weekend, which was a great feeling, so I did some dyeing on Friday night and then finished up on Sunday. (Saturday was my daughter's 3rd birthday - so we did the party thing and let the entire day be all about her.)

I'm pretty proud of how everything came out. Here's a little sampling of these orders...

I also did my first adult heart shirt - and honestly I think its really cute! I think these colors and the basic heart design works really well for a grown-up look, too. Here it is...

Now that I'm caught up on orders and have gotten everything packaged up and shipped out, I'm anxious for some more sales! Anyone need a cute heart tie dye for their kiddo? :-)

2008-01-13T13:12:00.000-05:00

Those dresses were so much fun...

I decided to do own for my own daughter! I'm still toying with the idea of a blue and green one, but for now I decided to keep the primary color purple, because that is her favorite color. Her birthday - and party - was yesterday, so I dyed up this dress on Friday evening and let her see it yesterday morning. It wasn't really a birthday gift, since she knew I was making it and helped me choose the colors, but it was still a fun treat. She actually decided to wear it for her party, too, so I can a cute picture of her in it. You can't see the entire dress, but you get the idea.

For this dress, I used a low water immersion technique. I've used it a few times before, and I really enjoy the effect. In traditional dyeing, you soak the fabric in the soda ash (dye fixer) solution first, then apply the dye. With low water immersion, you scrunch the fabric into as small a container as it will fit into - then you add the different color dyes you want, then you add the soda ash water solution on top. I did a combination of baby blue, teal, a bit of dark green, and of course purple. The dyes bleed together and seep through the fabric, some penetrating further than others, creating some really cool mixtures and effects.

At the same time I did my daughter's, I also did another short-sleeve version of the dress in size 12 months, which I will be listing on Etsy soon. I can't stand to have dyes all mixed and ready to use without getting the most from them! I love the way the smaller dress turned out, too - hopefully someone else will love it and buy it up!

2008-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Really fun custom order

I had a woman contact me who had admired the tie dye lap shoulder dress I had listed on Etsy but wanted to know if I could make two more for her triplet girls. I loved making that dress, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make two more! Plus - she told me that she wanted them each to have the same mottled two-color look, but each to be different colors; she didn't care about colors - just something pretty. Which gave me total freedom to make whatever my little heart desired. :-)

The dress that I had in stock was a mixture of pink and creamy-brown. So I chose baby blue and green for one dress and purple and teal for the other. They were so much fun to dye and I really love the way they turned out. Particularly the blue and green one - I may just make another for my own daughter because I liked it so much!

Anyhow, here are the finished products...

Seriously - how adorable will those triplets look??

I just loved making these - if anyone else is interested in one of these dresses (long and short sleeved available) just let me know! I'd love to do more!

2008-01-08T14:57:00.001-05:00

Custom Valentine tie dye listing is up!

I sold the one Valentine onesie that I had listed, so I've put up a custom order listing now. The customer can choose whether they want a onesie (sizes 3 - 24 months) or a tee (sizes 6 months - 4T) and whether they want long or short sleeves. Colors can be changed, too, although so far the only examples of I have are of this same basic scheme.

I think these are just so cute and my own daughter LOVES the one I made for her - so I'm hoping to get lots of orders!

2008-01-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

Time to promote for Valentine's Day!

I am offering these adorable heart tie dyes for Valentine's Day. These would be super cute for the holiday, but really they would wear great all year long!

I have one listing up on etsy right now, but primarily I plan on selling "made to order" items. Customers will be able to choose the size, whether they want long or short sleeves, onesie or tee (or dress, romper, etc) and color.

So far, these are the ones I've made...

These are all variations on the same color scheme, but I can do other colors, too. I'm about to finish an order with a long sleeve toddler shirt with deep red and black for a little boy. I think that should be really cute.

If you're interested in ordering, visit my etsy shop and send me a message there - or just leave me a comment here and I'll contact you!

2008-01-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

So, here we are - the starting off a fresh year. Despite the lag in blog entries, I kept myself busy through the fall - mostly with tie dye orders and some bib sales. But I did take a break through the holidays and put SoBen on the back burner. I had a lot of my own projects to work on - I made my first real quilt as a gift for my sister, and I had lots of graphic design stuff to work on for calendars and books of the kiddos. Plus I took lots of time for fun holiday crafts with my toddler - gingerbread houses, cookies, ornaments, and such. I even let the baby join in one day when we broke out the paints and brushes! It was a fun time. I'm glad I took the break and didn't feel the pressure to keep up with a million things at once.

But that said, I'm ready to get back into it!

I'm craving a creative outlet and I'm ready to start marketing more. I want to get my work out there for people to see. Whether that's by blogging more, by keeping up with myspace, by posting more regularly on etsy - I'm not sure. I'd love to come up with some new ideas. I was too chicken to participate in the whole craft-fair scene this year around the holidays, but I'm keeping my eyes open for spring and summer fairs. I'd like to get out there in the community and get some visibility. I just need to get brave enough to actually do it.

So, here's to a new year and a renewed excitement!

2007-08-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

Introducing SoBen Baby!

I've added a new line of baby products to my SoBen Arts shop!

I'm so excited! I love making things for my own little ones, so it seemed like a natural extension to start offering them for sale. I have some plans to add a few more types of items, but so far I have listed bibs and tie dye onesies and tees.

The tie dye is just so much fun. I started out experimenting with dye because I wanted to dye some of my son's cloth diapers and some little tees to match. I love the entire process so much that I did a few more batches and then decided to start selling. I've already sold a handful of shirts to some mommy friends, and so far the response has been great!

The bibs are a lot of fun, too. I love fabrics and all of the choices that are available. I like putting my kiddos in something different - something that not every other baby on the block has. I also love the terry-backed bibs, in particular, because they just seem to work a bit better - I like the way they are weighted, the added absorbency, and just the way they look.

You can click here to check out everything currently listed in the SoBen Baby section... but here are a few of my favorites as example...

2007-07-26T21:54:00.000-04:00

A little slow-down

After the rush I had over the past couple of weeks, I'm welcoming a bit of time without deadlines and such to work on some new stuff. I've been mulling over some ideas for custom holiday card design for awhile now... and having some time to plop down in front of the old computer and do some photoshop "doodling" has been nice. I've gotten a few templates done for photo cards, but I'll wait to list those until fall because few people are going to have Christmas card pictures ready yet! But I have gone ahead and listed a custom snowman family design.

You can click here to see the listing.

For my daughter's first Christmas, I designed some cute return address labels for our holiday greetings... a little snowman family with a mom, dad, and baby girl. I have been thinking about expanding the design into a sort of mix-and-match for cards for awhile now, but hadn't had the time to sit down and actually create the illustrations. The actual card designs might get a facelift or two before the holidays actually roll around, and I'll at least certainly be adding another option or two for background, but overall I'm happy with the way they've turned out. I think its a cute way to personalize your card without necessarily having an actual photo.

I guess we'll see what the people think as the holidays get closer and orders either come in or they don't... :-)

2007-07-18T16:42:00.000-04:00

More graphic design examples

Along with web banners, I've also been getting orders for business card designs. Here are a few examples...

Sometimes I'm given an existing logo to work with, or a pretty clearly defined idea of what the customer wants, but the really fun projects are the ones where I get to really create everything from scratch, like the ones above. Its a lot of pressure, because the logo and design needs to mesh with the customer's business, attitude, style, etc... but when it all comes together, its so satisfying!

2007-07-18T09:09:00.001-04:00

Been busy

I had a burst of orders over the past week which has been wonderful, but it has certainly kept me busy. I've been working on some custom graphic design projects - mainly web banners and business card designs. I'm really enjoying the digital medium and love getting orders like this because it seems I learn something new with each project.

To give you an idea of the work I've done, here are a few of my banner design projects...

2007-07-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

Some current favorites

To add a little taste of what I do, here are a few of my favorite jewelry pieces currently up for sale in my etsy shop...

(Click on each picture to see the enlarged image.)

2007-07-08T16:32:00.000-04:00

Introduction

I feel as I should have a little "Hello, my name is..." entry to introduce myself. My name is Aimee, I'm 26 years old and mom to two beautiful children - Sophia, who's two, and Benjamin, who's seven months. I am lucky enough to stay at home with them, which also gives me some time to work on my various art projects. While I love doing pretty much anything creative, right now I am focusing on three areas professionally - cards, jewelry, and graphic design. I have always loved making paper projects, including greeting cards, gift tags, envelopes and notecards. I have more recently found a real love for jewelry creation, and have been working on improving my skills and style in that area for the last couple of years. Lastly, I have become addicted to graphic design work. Its something that I wish I'd known more about in college, because I'd have loved to pursue it that way. But instead, I started slowly teaching myself how to use Photoshop and have just fallen in love with it. I love designing photo collages and creating my own illustrations. I am always up for a challenge and have a great time working on new projects. (Which means that custom projects are always welcome - just ask me!) One huge perk to finding a place like etsy to transform my hobbies into paying work is that I can feel like a contributing member of our household in the financial arena - no matter how small that contribution may be, it helps. We sacrifice a great deal to allow me to be at home with the kids, and while it is totally worth it, it has been very nice to have a little extra income.

In any spare time that I have, I enjoy reading, being outdoors, and just hanging out with my fantastic husband and kids. I've got a pretty great thing going, really.

2007-07-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new blog for SoBen Arts!

I love the idea of having a place to talk about my newest creations, show off some of my designs, and promote some of my favorite fellow artists!

I currently sell my work on etsy - my shop address is www.sobenarts.com and can be accessed by clicking on the avatar at the top of the sidebar to the left. I also have a myspace page for promoting - www.myspace.com/sobenarts - please feel free to add me as a friend! And please, if you like what you see - pass the name along to your friends. The best kind of advertising is word-of-mouth and I would be so honored to be recommended to those you know!