Journal

In preparation for my upcoming collaboration collection with Kacie - I though you all should get to know her a little better. If you don't yet follow her on social media - you should. Artists add beauty to your feed through absolutely gorgeous photographs, hypnotic and soothing process videos, and so much more.  Enjoy the following facts provided by Kacie:  Full name: Kacie Landis Bourque (pronounced Burk) I'm from New Orleans, LA, but currently living in El Paso, TX. I started painting flowers when I lived in Louisiana - finding references was easy there. Now that I live in the desert, finding my floral inspiration feels like a treasure hunt. It forces me to constantly be looking for beauty & to "stop and smell the roses" when I find them. Painting from my own photos & memories is an important part of my process & helps me feel really connected to the work. I've known my husband since 7th grade We just welcomed our first baby girl this fall (assuming she'll be here by the time this goes out) In addition to my studio work, I also paint live at weddings and events! I started my career as a graphic designer and slowly transitioned to painting full-time over the course of a few years. I'm 6 ft tall. I have a studio pup named Reba who's always by my side. She gets so excited to see me packaging prints because she knows a ride to the Post Office is coming soon - her favorite! I'm endlessly inspired by impressionist painters - Sorolla is my all-time favorite! I love playing with different mediums, but I always come back to oil paint. Lately, I've been bingeing all the True Crime Podcasts while I work. I'm a total morning person & it's rare to see me up past 9 pm. In college, I worked as a graphic design intern at Disneyland where I got to design a bi-weekly magazine - so fun! I've been working on an ever-growing collection of garden paintings over the last 2 years. 17. A goal of mine for 2024 is to simplify and work slowly. I want to make some big paintings and really focus on making my best work yet! 18. I'm very much an introvert. 19. I love to travel, but I'm equally as happy at home watching a good movie with my family. 20. The best days are the ones where I get lost in a painting. I can easily go for 8 hours stretches if I'm really into it! -Kacie Her website is: https://www.kacielandis.com/  

Get to know artist Allie Burton Art!

Collaborations have been one of my most favorite parts of this creative journey that I am on. Each collaboration that I have been a part of has been so special - each one has pushed me out of my creative comfort zone, challenged me to try new color palettes, and exposed me to new styles and ideas. This collaboration with Emily Anne Art Studio is no different. I want to take you behind the scenes into the process of this collaboration from the beginning all the way to the launch. I was first introduced to Emily's work through my friendship with Greta Lindquist - one of the greatest things about being friends with other artists is you are always getting exposed to other artists. I loved Emily's artwork immediately - her ability to be loose and free with her brushstrokes and create beautiful marks blows me away. I also loved that she was a boy mama - like me. I followed her and watched her for quite a while - simply enjoying the peace and tranquility that her artistic process offered.  This past Summer, Emily started a new series in which she painted "mini" pieces of artwork. Tiny little abstract works of art. She continued to challenge herself to paint smaller and smaller and as I watched this progression - suddenly it clicked. If she likes to paint small - why not paint on earrings?? I immediately sent her a message - literally one of those like, "hey girl..." messages - I didn't even know if she knew of my work at all. I just asked her if she would ever be interested in creating some earrings with me and  to my relief, she responded with almost more enthusiasm than I had at that time. Actually, the first thing she said was, "I am 100% on board." She was so excited, which made me even more excited. We started planning the collection and talking color palettes right away.  We knew we wanted to stick with neutral and muted colors. We decided to go very neutral with the clay colors - to give Emily a completely blank canvas to add any colors she felt drawn to. I hand mixed and conditioned the clay into a soft and beautiful ivory. I also decided to add some speckle into some of the pieces - which ended up being Emily's and my favorite.   Once the clay was mixed and properly conditioned, I had to decided which shapes would best compliment Emily's work. I cut the clay and then baked the clay pieces. This beginning part of the process (mixing, conditioning, cutting, baking) can take upwards of 3 hours. I always bake clay for longer than the recommended time and place the clay between sheets of paper and clay tiles to reduce shininess and bubbles.  After the clay cooled, I sanded the pieces and got them ready to send to Emily.   I carefully packaged them up and mailed the pieces off to Emily. When Emily received the pieces, she immediately began experimenting. I have only ever used acrylic paints on clay and she did not want to use acrylics - she had other ideas and she was determined to make it happen. It took a little trial and error (RIP to a few clay pieces) but Emily was able to prep the clay in a way that allowed her to use many different mediums to create her artwork.  There was nothing I could do from thousands of miles away except impatiently wait for Emily to share photos and videos of her process. In my opinion, she was working literal magic. I love the freedom of her brushstrokes and her mark-making is breathtaking. I could not have imagined more beautiful work for these pieces. She also signed each pair on the back - so each pair is an official, signed piece of wearable artwork. She ended up varnishing the pieces before mailing them back because sometimes painting with certain mediums on polymer clay can result in a slightly sticky feel. She also bagged them individually to further ensure that they would arrive safely.  When I received them - I literally screamed. They are TOO beautiful and I was so excited to get to work finishing them. Finishing earrings is one of my favorite parts of the artistic process - adding resin and earring components elevate the work so much.  My first step to finishing these earrings was to resin each piece - which is lengthy process. I applied UV resin to each piece, carefully smoothing it out and spreading it to the edge. I then torched each piece to get rid of any air bubbles and then cured them under a UV light for about 3-5 minutes each. Then I got to choose the composition of each pair of earrings. Which earrings should dangle? Which earrings should remain studs? Should I use brass components or wood? I had to choose earring components that not only complimented Emily's work but elevated it. I laid each pair out and switched out components and compositions until I found the perfect designs.  I drilled the pieces that needed to be drilled, adhered stud posts, and attached earring components. I slowly watched the collection come to life. And it was gorgeous. This collection was special. I gained a new friend and got to be a part of making something truly beautiful.  It launches Saturday, October 9th 2021 at 1PM cst.   I am always looking for collaboration ideas so if you have an artist that you think would be interested in creating a possible collaboration - reach out and let me know! 

Creating with polymer clay has had a definite learning curve for me - particularly because every maker has their own way of doing things. When I was researching best practices and tips for making with polymer clay, I was getting tons of conflicting information. In all honesty, my journey with polymer clay has been a lot of trial and error. A lot of experimenting. A lot of ruined pieces and wasted clay. I still have a lot to learn, obviously. The difference is that now I am very confident in the quality of my creations and I truly believe that the jewelry and accessories I create will last. I know that they are beautiful and have value. If I could somehow go back and tell myself 10 things that I know now creating with polymer clay - this is what I would say: 1. Buy quality polymer clay. It is important. In my opinion, all polymer clay is not created equally. Buying quality clay is worth the investment (in both time and money). During the pandemic, polymer clay has been extremely hard to find. I finally had clay delivered in early March 2021 that I had been on a waiting list for since August of 2020. I just got creative with color mixing and used the colors that I was able to get. Personally, I enjoy using Sculpey Souffle, Sculpey Premo, or Cernit. 2. Baking time is important. Polymer clay breaks almost always because baking time was incorrect. Polymer clay is actually a plastic (similar to PVC, polymer polyvinyl chloride) and will bend before it breaks if it is baked for the correct amount of time. The clay packages have suggested baking times on them and they vary slightly for different brands of polymer clay. However, I have learned that it is pretty difficult to overbake clay and the longer that I bake the clay - the more durable my pieces are. I make sure that my oven is fully pre-heated and I bake my clay pieces for 60-90 minutes at minimum.  3. The Lucy Clay Machine is a good investment. I invested in a Lucy Clay Machine in September of 2020 and 100% wish that I would have done it sooner. The Lucy Clay Machine is a hefty investment (more than $600), but it completely changed the way I create with polymer clay. First of all - it is a quality piece of equipment and will last for a very long time. I have not had a single problem with it so far. It is easy to clean and so easy to use. It can condition an entire bar of clay at once, which is something that other pasta machines could not even come close to accomplishing. This has reduced color-mixing and conditioning time so much - which has improved my enjoyment of the entire process. It is also so smooth - I never get ripples or waves in my polymer clay, which is a huge issue with other pasta rollers. I definitely wish I would have invested sooner. 4. Invest in quality cutters. Good quality cutters are so worth it. I have had the most success with 3D printed cutters, as they have the sharpest cutting edge. A sharp, clean cutter will leave a smooth edge that requires little to no sanding later. You can definitely use any cutter - it just increases your sanding time so you can still get that smooth edge! A lot of other polymer clay earring makers have started designing and printing their own 3D cutters and the quality has been great!  5. Buy a micro-dremel for drilling. When I first started making polymer clay earrings, I was poking my holes into raw clay with a toothpick. The holes were not consistent in size or shape, which not only looked unprofessional, but it also made assembling earrings more difficult. The moment I purchased my micro-dremel and began drilling holes into baked clay pieces - my earrings looked a million times better.  6. Sanding is essential. I literally cringe thinking of all of the months that I was selling earrings that were not sanded. You HAVE to sand your edges (but never the top). The finishes are so so important to achieving an earring that looks finished and professional. I use my micro-dremel with a wool buffer attachment to sand all of my clay pieces. I also wear a face mask so that I don't breathe in all of that clay dust!  7. Save every piece of scrap clay. This tip is especially important due to the pandemic-fueled polymer clay shortage. I save every single scrap of clay that I can. You can get the most beautiful, muted colors by mixing the most random pieces of scrap clay. Some of my most beautiful custom colors have been from mixing my scrap clay. NEVER throw it out! 8. Take quality pictures. I primarily sell my work through my website, so quality photographs are so important. Taking beautiful photos is the only way that I can elevate my jewelry and convey its beauty and value to my customers. I am not a professional photographer, but I have learned a few tips. I always make sure to take photos in good lighting, usually by a big window or outside in a shaded area (if weather permits). I use simple props to create beautiful flat lays. I use eucalyptus branches, ribbon, and ceramic coasters the most often. I also always edit my photographs to make sure that they look finished and professional.  9. Price your work appropriately. In the beginning, I was under-pricing my work compared to other polymer clay artists. However, the quality of my work was not great either. As I continued to learn and become more skillful, I gradually increased my prices. I struggle with having my work remain at a price point that is accessible, while also honoring its value. I believe my work is valuable and beautiful and I am working to price it that way. I need to price my work in a way that is sustainable - a way that honors the investment made in materials, my time, and the value of the work.  10. Be creative. Don't be afraid to try new things! Try new techniques. Play with shape. Experiment with texture and color. One of my favorite creations to date came from my playing with polymer clay and dried flowers - a little bit of experimentation led to my dried floral polymer clay hair clips.  

SO SO SO much goes into a successful collection launch. Its exhausting and I am not the best at wearing ALL the hats that need to be worn in a small business - but I am learning. I am learning how to be more successful, how to better measure my success, and how to give myself grace throughout the entire process. My launches have not always been "successful" - and I am sure I will have more launches that do not have many sales. But I am learning to measure success in new ways.  Did you guys know that in February 2020 I launched my very first collection of artwork on my website? Probably not - because I did not sell a single piece. I was so excited and so proud of the work I had done - AND NOT A SINGLE PIECE SOLD. I have learned so much since then - and one of the most life changing things that I have learned is that I can only control so much. I am slowly learning that I can not control everything - thanks to the creative business course I am taking with Emily Jeffords called MAKING ART WORK. I can't control how many sales I make. I can't control how much money people are willing to spend on my work. So why am I setting goals for myself around that metric? I shouldn't set a goal to make $1,000 a month and then feel terrible about myself and question my worth as an artist when I don't reach that goal. I can't control how my audience spends money - no matter what I do behind the scenes. However, I CAN control some things.   I CAN thoroughly enjoy the process of creating. When I allow myself to get lost in the peace and quiet of the process and allow myself to enjoy the act of creating - then and only then do I make beautiful work.  I CAN show you behind the scenes of my process. I can show you timelapse videos and progress photos. I can let you be a part of my creative process.  I CAN take my time to do things right. I can invest in high quality materials to ensure that the product I am creating is beautiful and lasting. I CAN take beautiful product photographs and spend time editing to ensure my work is elevated and presented to you well.  I CAN control how often and how generously I share my work. I CAN control how I speak about my work. I CAN price my work in a way that honors its value and allows me to make a sustainable income so that I can continue to make beautiful work. I CAN continue to invest in myself and my business so that I can continue to learn and grow as an artist, a maker, and a creative entrepreneur. I am learning to set goals around what I CAN control. When I set goals around the things that I can control in my creative business and am consistent in completing the action steps towards reaching those goals - I can feel good about my work and my progress despite how much money I make from a launch.  My success as an artist goes so much deeper than making money or making a sale. Am I growing as an artist? Am I willing to try new things? Am I connecting with the people who follow my creative journey? Am I sharing my work in a way that elevates it and communicates its value? Am I helping people to see more beauty on their feed? on their walls? in their homes? in the world?  If I did all of the things that I can control to the best of my ability - then it was successful. And *usually* if I do all of the things that I can control to the best of my ability - then my audience wants to show up, they want to purchase my artwork, they want to own a pair of my earrings, and they want to support my creative business. 

As I am continuing to grow as a creative entrepreneur, I am trying to find new ways to connect with my followers. One way that I am going to attempt to do this is by starting a blog - which is wayyyy out of my comfort zone.  Here are some quick questions to get to know me better! Full name: Breanna Marie Ellevold Where do you live? I live in a small town in Western Wisconsin, only about an hour East of the Twin Cities. I am the biggest freeze baby - I always question why I live here but it is where my family is and Summers here are pretty amazing.  What kind of art do you create? I love being creative. I create polymer clay jewelry, primarily earrings. I also love to paint using acrylic paints - mainly florals. I love to incorporate my love for florals into my jewelry work by hand-painting flowers onto the polymer clay or adding pressed dried flowers.  Who are your favorite artists? I love so many artists. I follow many of them on instagram and following along with their creative practices brings me infinite joy. Some of my favorites are: Annie Quigley, Greta Lindquist, Emily Jeffords, Brooke Ring Mary Frances Carter, Julie Battisti, and Brooke Cormier.  Do you have any hobbies besides art? Reading! I am a complete book nerd - and read a book every 4-5 days or so. I primarily read historical fiction - but venture into other genres once and a while. Send me all of your recommendations!  What is something that you are very bad at? Singing. Jumping. Catching and throwing balls. Public Speaking. Parallel Parking. What colors do you wear most often? Neutrals- grey, black, muted green. If I am at home, I am in loungewear.  As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? I have always wanted to be a teacher and that is what I officially went to school in order to become. I taught elementary education for 5 years (while running this creative business on the side) until I decided to focus on my art full-time during the Pandemic. I am undecided as to whether I will go back into the classroom! What are a few of your big artist goals? I am currently working through Emily Jeffords' Making Art Work course for the second time and goal setting is a huge component of my work. I would love to someday incorporate a passive form of income into my business (art prints, licensed work, online courses, etc.). I would love to learn pattern design so I could make wallpaper, wrapping paper, fabric, etc. It be amazing to be successful enough with my earring business to be able to hire some help in the studio. I would also love to continue to grow my following within the United States and internationally.  Describe yourself in a hashtag? #inspiredbyflorals What’s your favorite time of day? Morning - after I have woken up and it is still acceptable to be sitting on the couch in my pajamas with a book. Dream country to visit? Germany What are three things you can’t live without? Family, art supplies, and a book Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life? Cliff jumping in Maui with my husband and also snorkeling in the open ocean but I also had a panic attack and cried and swam back to the boat (lol). A book that everyone should read? The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah What’s your favorite board game? Scrabble Where did you meet your husband? We actually attended catholic school together when we were younger. We met in 3rd grade. I "dated" him in 5th grade but he broke up with me because I wouldn't hug him during recess. We started "dating" again in 8th grade - and we have been together and he has been my best friend ever since. Introvert or Extrovert? I might be the biggest introvert ever.  How long does it take you to get ready? Literally 5 minutes. I brush my teeth, put contacts in, wash my face, put on lotion, and *sometimes* mascara. That is it. What do you see around you right now? It is Sunday morning so I am sitting in the living room in my pajamas with a blanket. I have water and a cinnamon scone. My oldest son, Brody, is watching youtube videos comparing different go-cart engine types (IYKYK). My youngest, Rory, is sitting on the floor making a book out of construction paper about his stuffed bear. My middle baby, Blair, is working on our Marvel jigsaw puzzle. I haven't cleaned the kitchen from breakfast and I have laundry waiting to be folded but - it is a quiet morning and for that I am grateful.