ART PRINTS :: the 30 Day EC Creative INK Challenge

   

I am so excited to bring you my latest design idea! I want to challenge myself to "ink" an art print every day for 30 days to discover all of the different ways I can have fun with some hand lettering designs! I have always wanted to try some kind of challenge and I thought this would be a great place to start! But the best part is . . .YOU get to help! Yup that's right and possibly earn a FREE art print by doing so. Sounds interesting right about now huh? ;)


How this challenge works is every day for 30 days, starting March 1, I will share my daily creative "ink" that I have hand lettered for the day! I will be posting them via Instagram so make sure you are following me there to get in on the action! During the challenge I will be trying out different styles, hand lettering on different mediums, using different media . . . all kinds of ideas are floating around in my head and I can not wait to try some of them and share with you how they turn out. I think it's important when you have a talent, such as this, to keep practicing as much as you can so you are always putting your 'best' work out there. So that is simply why I want to do this, plus I think it will be fun since you all get the chance to be involved.

 

How can you be involved? Well, when I post every day on Instagram, simply put a suggested phrase, word, song lyric, quote . . . anything you want, as a "fan suggestion" of something you would like to see me "ink" and if I use your suggestion, I will send you the piece that I "ink" via email for FREE! If you would prefer to send me an email with your "fan suggestion" please do so, at laura@eyecandycs.com. I will be using the hashtag #30daysECcreativeINK in case you want to find them all quickly. ;)

When offering up a suggestion, please include the idea and what color you would like to see the art print done in. I promise I will be picking winners at least weekly (maybe more) during this 30 days, so you have a greater chance of getting selected and I like to have multiple winners, so make sure to play along. Feel free to also leave a comment here on the blog with your suggestion too! I look forward to hearing your suggestions and giving you all some new creative "ink"!

Are you loving the "eye candy" here?

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

One Little Word 2015 :: TODAY

     

Adverb : on or during the present day

  Noun :: this day

:: the present time

 Synonyms :: anymore, currently, nowadays, presently, right now

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

 
One little word. It can mean so many things. It only has as much power as you allow it to have. But when you DO give a word power, one little word, it can be amazing! I have always loved setting goals at the beginning of every year to keep myself motivated and on track with my life and my business but every since I heard of the 'one little word' concept, I was on board! So now I just choose one little word every year and it helps so much. 

My only problem is, it usually takes a little longer for my one little word to find me. Last month, I thought I had my word figured out but then something just didn't feel right about it so I waited and I'm glad I did.

I feel like you NEED your word to find you. To follow you out of a situation or perhaps lead you into one. You need it to stand for something that motivates you or keeps you driven.

The first year I chose HOPE, as it was only fitting because of what I had been going through personally & health-wise and I loved that word. Still do. HOPE is such a powerful word and will always be a favorite of mine. In fact it may be my all-time favorite as I am still drawn to it so so much. Then last year I chose CREATE as my one little word. It was the perfect word for last year, especially after my name change and I did a LOT of creating and still am.

 

BUT this year, this year's word finally found me just the other day and I think it's perfect for me. My One Little Word for 2014 is going to be  . . .

TODAY. 




Why TODAY? What does this mean to me? 

Well when searching for my word, I thought about what I wanted it to represent and how it would affect my life. It made me look inside and discover some things about myself that I wanted to improve on, get better at or try to change this year.

For instance, I have a tendency to worry about tomorrow. That needs to stop. It is also easier said than done. I am making progress already because I have noticed I'm a little more relaxed, not so high-strung with some things. My faith did that and is helping in this way, since we are only to focus on today because tomorrow is not promised, so why in the heck am I robbing myself of the joy and the moments of TODAY with worry? That has to stop and hopefully this year I will make a total 360 with this. At least I am trying. ;)

 

I'm also a  . . . what you would call a professional 'starter'. Yup. Hello my name is Laura and I am a starter. I LOVE starting projects, getting 2/3's of the way done with them, get bored with it and never finish. How crazy is that? The best part is the finished product right? Well I guess with me, it's the starting part - I'm so weird I know. So this year I am gonna finish some projects TODAY. I have decided that I will make realistic mini goals every day that I can finish so I can say to myself "look at everything I accomplished TODAY" instead of "uggghhh this is all the stuff I did NOT get done" . . . this is going to work as I have already implemented this and it is helping me get 'er done already and is quite motivating! ;)

TODAY. What we do TODAY is important because we are exchanging a day of our life for it. 

All I can say is WOW. I don't know about you but that really resonated with me, as sometimes, (ok alot of times) I am guilty of saying, "later" or "we'll do that tomorrow" and then I do something really dumb instead in it's place that does not even matter but I think it does at the time I said that. So the choices I make with HOW I spend my time now are viewed differently. I am relieving myself of the 'guilt' I used to have when I want to take a moment for myself or run out to do something fun with my daughter when we should be doing chores or homework. I am starting to live more for TODAY and my daughter is seeing all of this and I know that the lesson will be so worth it for her to learn as well. I am teaching her to love TODAY and embrace it with two big open arms!

TODAY I want to make sure I am on the right path with my business. Sometimes it takes trying new things. Learning something unfamiliar to keep me on track. I have a tendency to put those things off because I think it won't matter right now or they seem like too much work. I feel good about where I am heading and have lots of ideas that I would like to make happen this year. I also need to work on key areas that are outside of my expertise so I have to rely on someone else to help. I have already started with this. I am taking steps to improving in the areas I need and it feels so go to check them off the huge "to-do" list. I just need to do it TODAY as it only helps in the long run.

TODAY is sometimes all we have. We never know if it is the last day here. Life changes in a second so make sure to make it count every. single. day. Make TODAY all about what YOU want as much as you can. I am.

 

Do YOU have a one little word? I would love to ink your word into an art print for you so you could have a reminder to keep you motivated and focused for the year. Check out the examples I have done for some clients and their one little word here to see what I could do for you.

I would LOVE to hear from you and know if you are doing the "One Little Word" this year and what exactly YOUR word is? Perhaps you will start now with me . . .if you do, let me know that too below . . . let's do this. ;)

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

WEDDING :: St Patty's Day Inspiration Board

Hello everyone & welcome to "Wedding Wednesday"!

::  cake  :: dress  ::  cocktail  ::  art print  ::  cufflinks  ::  napkin decor  ::  garland

   St. Patty's Day is coming soon and I bet you didn't think you could do a St. Patty's Day theme wedding and keep it classy huh? Well, look at this board I put together! I am loving it, as it would be great for a couple who's Irish and want to represent for their wedding! Today I am sharing how using shades of green paired with a hint of gold, works well together for those who want to embrace this theme around this time of year  . . .

 
  The cake is THE show stopper so make sure to pick one that embraces your theme and looks fabulous sitting all alone. I adore the huge flower on the side to give this cake more of a feminine touch plus it exudes springtime! This dress is a perfect choice for the girls to wear as it's adorable and would look great at a day or evening wedding. A classic cocktail featured at the bar in your wedding colors is a must, so why not serve up some green martinis to your guests! Using fun art prints that tie into your theme is a fun way to add a personal touch to the tables. Set this 'Lucky in Love' print on the cake, gift or food table for added decor. These clover cufflinks are the perfect gift for your groom or his groomsmen. Keep your place setting simple by adding a clover casually tied to a ribbon around the napkins. Hanging a fun tissue garland, like this one, over the gift table or anywhere you need to add some pizazz is a fun and affordable way to add some color to the space.

 
Have you ever been to a St. Patty's day theme wedding that used lots of greens in their color scheme?  What was your favorite element of the event?  I would LOVE to hear the details . . .spill below ;) 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos! 

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 
 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

ART PRINTS :: Custom 'One Little Word' Prints Available

 

Hello there! I am so excited to be sharing some of my latest "OLW" (one little word) art prints with you all today! I am sure you have heard about the "OLW" trend but if not, basically it is choosing a word for the year instead of doing resolutions and I personally, love doing this as it gives me just ONE thing to focus on and try to do well instead of a million. Works for me!

 

I have been getting requests to ink people's "OLW" for the year, so I thought I would share some of them with you and share how you can get your own done as well.  These look so great framed, or blown up to a poster size and used as a daily reminder to focus on your one little word! Plus they make an amazing piece of art if I do say so myself! ;)

 

If you follow me on Instagram, then you have already seen most of these prints PLUS ones I am currently 'inking' and working on, as that is where all the 'behind the scenes' action is documented.

 

What I really enjoy the most about these, is seeing the words people choose and discovering the story behind why they chose it! Of course I am super humbled to be asked to do this for people too as it is such a personal thing. 

 

 

I would love the opportunity to ink your #OLW for you . . .  just simply choose the custom word art option in my shop, to get your custom OLW design inked just for you!

I will be sharing my personal #OLW later this week as it took awhile to decide on a word but I am finally there! YAY!

 

 

 

 

 

I am always working on inking some new art prints for the shop and adding them as I can. If you have a great idea for a print, I would love to hear it so shoot me an email at laura@eyecandycs.com and we'll chat!

 

More designs are available in the shop to purchase for yourself & to add to your decor or to give as a gift. They are perfect to frame, gift to a friend, or wrap up as a gift . . . everyone loves a great art print to decorate their space! I do. ;)

 
So tell me what you think??? Which one is you favorite? What's YOUR one little word this year? Let me know below . . .

 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

 

 

ART PRINT :: Love You Madly

This week's new hand lettered art print is coming just in time to use at as a gift to a loved one. It could be a boyfriend, husband, friend or anyone you have mad love for! I have added it to the shop and is available for purchase. 

How nice would this print be in a frame with a big fat bow wrapped around it? Pretty sweet I'd say . . . ;)

You can find the 'love you madly' hand lettered art print in my shop and I would love to hear how you will be using it. Enjoy!

AND as a reminder, I am offering to do CUSTOM hand lettering prints as well. So if you think you have a FAB idea shoot me an email . . . at laura@eyecandycs.com and we'll chat!
 
So tell me what you think of this week's print? Let me know below or one that you would like to see in the shop! ;) Thanks.

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

FREEBIES :: Valentines Day Printables

Today I am sharing a FREE Valentines Day printable set that I designed so you can add a little flair to your Valentines Day plans. This printable set features a modern black and white color scheme with a pop or red. It can be used for several different ideas and I want to show you a few to help get those creative juices going!

The set comes with four different flag designs and you can simply cut them out & add a little bit of glue and literally use on anything! A couple ideas I have for you . . . attach them to pencils and hand out as Valentines.

Attach them to toothpicks or a lollipop stick and have as an accent in your food you are serving or as a fun dessert item, like on this Peeps marshmallow heart. Insert straw into the bottom & attach the flag - instant cute food item.

Also included in this set is four toppers or tags, whichever you call them, that features a hand lettered saying as well. Use these to attach to a straw or toothpick as well to dress up some food items. Or attach to a gift you are giving to someone special and write a special little message on the back. 

You could also string them together to create a cake bunting if you were serving a cake. So many fun ideas you could use these on. 

This set also comes with the black and white stripe scrapbook paper you see pictured below, which is fun to cut into hearts and use as coasters or place on trays before setting food on them. You will also receive a FREE Valentines Day card that highlights the hand lettered phrase 'I love us,' that you can give to your loved one, which alleviates you having to go out and purchase a card. ;) You are welcome.

If you would love to see even MORE ideas using this FREE Valentines Day printables set, you can view the original post these were featured in for additional ways in incorporating them into your Valentines celebration.

Please let me know if you end up using these . . .tag me in a photo on Instagram or just leave me a note on my Facebook page or here on the blog, as I would love to hear from you. 

Which one is your favorite piece of this pack? Enjoy & Happy Valentines Day!

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!
 

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop!