Just wanted to share a new product I am rolling out this year. …
PASSPORT HOLDERS/SLEEVES : Each is hand painted with a travel theme or colorful design. These make perfect graduation gifts, Bon Voyage gifts and even Mother’s Day gifts for those adventurous moms!
You can purchase them at my etsy shop at: OpenHandCreations 🙂 And as always, I welcome your suggestions and comments. I love fresh ideas 🙂
Holiday Greeting everyone!
I wanted to share info on this weekends Holiday Show at the Arsenal Project in Watertown, MA. I will be there with my mixed media art gifts as well as host Uni-T shirts!
hope to see you there!!
Valid 12:01am est Nov 27, 2014 until 11:59pm est Dec 1, 2014.
20% off your entire purchase at OpenHandCreations (www.openhandcreations.com)
Please SHARE this code so your family and friends can also take advantage of this discount!!
The more the merrier!
From now until December 20, 2014, I will enclose a free handmade felt and collage gift tag with
every purchase made at my etsy shop: OpenHandCreations
Happy Days!!
First let me introduce my new line of Clay And Metal Pendants. These pendants are all made one at a time, by hand. Sculpted, baked, painted, embellished and sealed.
They have a good weight on them and can be added to any number of chains and cords. (Ball chain, link necklace, leather cord, silk ribbon and more!)
It would make a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer for that creative person in your life.
These pendents range in price from about 25.00 to 40.00 USD and will come with a gunmetal, 18″ metal chain with clasp.
Now … Let’s Support LiNK!
LiNK is an organization dedicated to the Rescue, Rehabilitation and Resettlement of North Korean Refugees. (I am not affiliated to LiNK in any way). This organization is especially close to my heart.
Since 1953, 100,000–300,000 North Koreans have defected, most of whom have fled to Russia or China (online source). Some defected to South Korea… My father (and his immediate family) are among those people.
When I hear stories of my dad’s past and the hardship and unfathomable pain he had to endure as a young child, I can’t help but cry out because I feel his pain through his recollections. It equally breaks my heart to see that the people of North Korea are still yearning for freedom and peaceful lives. I am grateful that he was able to come to live in a free country, South Korea, and eventually immigrate to the US. Not everyone is that lucky. I’m sure along the way there were people helping him and his family… and that is what I wish to do.
Defectors of North Korea risk their lives for freedom. They sometimes have elaborate plans to escape and if caught are most often returned to North Korea where they face harsh punishments (ie. years hard labor in far less than humane conditions).
I want to help and I’m asking for your help too… here’s one way how.
Purchase this SPECIAL EDITION: DREAM Pendent Necklace from my etsy shop
and 100% of my profit will be donated to benefit LiNK.
Dream Pendant with Chain Link (gunmetal) Necklace (sorry… not shown here… but it is included).
What is LiNK?
LiNK: LIBERTY in NORTH KOREA: http://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/
“Every year, thousands of North Koreans risk their lives to escape political persecution and economic hardship. If caught trying to escape or caught in China and sent back, they are at risk of extremely harsh punishments, including brutal beatings, forced labor, forced abortions, torture, and internment in a political prison camp. To make matters worse, while hiding in China their illegal status forces them to work in invisible industries and leaves them vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous employers and sex traffickers, as they have no recourse to any authorities. Although many refugees try to escape, many do not have the resources or connections to get themselves out of China. That’s where we come in.”
I believe that one person can make a difference…
but can you imagine what a group of people can do?
We can change the world!
If you wish to help LiNK directly, please visit their site. There you will find a huge amount of information including many ways you can help.
Another way you can help is by purchasing this Pendant Necklace : Dream by visiting my etsy shop (currently this is the only place to purchase this pendant – but I hope to be able to place them in a few local shops – in this case I will donate 100% of my share to LiNK.).
I am committing to this project for one year (and hopefully for many years after – but let’s start with 1 year). Each time we hit the $100 mark, I will send a paypal payment to LiNK and keep a running total on this blog.
I appreciate your support and welcome any comments or ideas you want to share with me! And PLEASE SHARE!
if you have a local shop and would be willing to showcase some of these pendant necklaces please either leave a comment here, or contact me at thoughtfulcreations22@gmail.com. As I mentioned earlier, I will donate my share of the proceeds. Let me know if you will partner with me!
Thank you!!!
Leather and Mixed Media Collage?!?! Yep!
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These Slim LEATHER WALLETS are perfect for holding credit cards, ID cards (for school and work), business cards and even those many store loyalty cards we all have!
They fit snuggly in your purse, back packet or book bag! or even within your existing wallet… The leather is soft and conditioned. Flexible.
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The best part is that they feature original collage, mixed media art~ They are all one of a kind and make a unique USABLE ART gift for everyone on your holiday list!
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The first wallet is now listed online at my shop: OpenHandCreations! with a few more to come this week!
I’m working on a bifold version as well! Holds cash and several cards and includes an ID Window.
Stay tuned!
Could it really be true?!?! Has it been a month since I last posted here?
Crazy how fast time flies… I know I say that a lot, but it’s true. What have I been up to…?
One thing I’ve really been submerging myself into are other artist’s (and non-artist’s) blogs. Reading and learning and admiring how they are written and polished. I spent a lot of time wondering what it is that makes me come back for more… tugs at my attention and/or has me feeling things that are deep and thought provoking. I’m not sure 100% what that answer is, but one thing is clear… when you share something that has meaning to you, whether it’s a product or a process, something you have experienced personally or are ‘close’ to someone’s journey… it draws in an audience of people just like you!
Now that I’ve been sharing on a blog for some time, my new challenge is to become more personal and intimate with it and my readers. I want this place to be about more than just sharing news about my work but more of why I started creating gifts to begin with… the act of giving brings joy and enrichment on so many levels – and it’s what I am inspired and called to do. When I do something nice for someone it inevitably makes me feel happy . Do you feel that way too?
This brings me to the holidays and probably the biggest giving season of all! Although I love giving for the pure reason of giving… I still have to think of my job. How can I join the two completely together? Is it possible?
As a seller of gifts I have always been on the “by the last minute” schedule of the holidays. When other retailers are setting out their holiday gifts, I am only then reminded… “oh, I better get on that.” But this year I am trying something different… I am thinking ahead. What do I want to put out there that has greater meaning, that shows true kindness and can really spread cheer, love and happiness?
Something I want to do is take 100% of the profit from a product to help with a illness very close to my heart (and for many of you as well.) I will share soon what that is how we can help ~ 🙂
I hope this is the start of something more genuine and real. I am thankful to God for this challenge in my work and life… after all He is the greatest example of giving that I have ever known!
I’m thrilled to announce that OpenHandCreations will now be available locally in Cape Cod, MA!
MOSEES is chock full of handmade, many local, items from clothing to home decor… jewelry to skin care items… It’s a one stop shop for gifts for everyone on your list and yourself!
Mosees Homemade Fashions and Gifts
3261 Main Street
Barnstable Village, MA 02630
508-362-2232
Thank you Maura for adding my mixed media items to your shop… !
If you live in the Cape or your travels take you that way, be sure to stop in~ You won’t leave empty handed!
I’ve counted.. it’s been almost 3 weeks since I last logged in here. Yikes!
Over the past month we went on our long awaited family vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii (yes, Hurricane Iselle hit on our second day there – our rental house was heavily damaged and the area where we were, South Hilo and Pune, was pretty devastated.
Luckily we were able to move to the Kona side of the island where there was not even a drop of rain… we got lucky!)
It turned out to be a wonderful vacation for our family of 4. We snorkeled with the amazing fish, climbed through some amazing lava tubes, visited the remote green sands beach (only one of 2 in the world!) and watched the sunset from Mauna Kea. The volcano put on a nice glow show under the supermoon and no visit to Kona is complete without a trip to a genuine organic Kona Coffee farm (Mountain Thunder was impressive!)
One thing that really inspired me was the coffee farm. All Kona Farms are “small businesses”… basically family type farms with a small number of employees . I was taken back by their roasting room and packaging room. All hand done and in no more of a space than I have here in my studio! And yet they ship their heirloom coffee all over the world! What an inspiration to me. I may be a small one woman run show, but I am mighty – I can grow infinitely!!
So with that in mind, I am introducing a new product to my mixed media line!
Starting this fall I will be selling my wall art. Most are mixed media on wood panels and are ready to hang or stand! all different themes and I will welcome custom orders (at least for now). These are some I started… a few shown here are not going to be for sale , but I wanted to share a photo of my worktable with some examples of what you might see!
I’m excited to start this new addition to my shop. I will keep you updated on when these will start to appear on my etsy shop and around town.
Hope you are all having a creative month… I hope to get back on track here and start posting regularly again!
August has arrived (already!) and I am ready for a family vacation!
to prepare for my trip I have been spending the past couple days working on my new set of clay mini houses. I take these with me hiking and other special places and leave them behind for others to find. This time these will travel with me to the Big Island of Hawaii! Each house has a special saying or word and I hope that it brings a smile to their new owners.
Therefore… I will be not be blogging or posting new items for the next two weeks. Although my shop (www.openhandcreations.com) will be open for purchases, I will not be shipping between August 4 and 14th. All purchases made between those dates will be shipped on August 15th 🙂
** If you have your eye on something and you want it shipped asap, I will ship all purchases made until 8am EST on Monday 8/4 by noon that day.**
When I return I will have something new to share with you regarding a new product line in my shop….
Until then…
Wishing you all a fantastic two weeks and start to August! See you back soon!
thoughtful creations 