New Bespoke Designs

A few weeks ago I ventured into a local arts and crafts store in a quest to find yarn to knit a throw for my mum. While wandering the yarn aisles I stumbled across a display for a technique called needle felting. You could buy ready made appliques or create your own. They were used for hats, scarves, purses and a variety of other projects. I immediately started envisioning using the technique for my cards. I purchased a kit to make an applique that was already designed so I could get a feel for how to needle applique and from there I ran with my own designs. For months I have been trying to incorporate the flower I doodle into my designs. It has popped up on mugs I have decorated at pottery parties. I still plan to have a rubber stamp made and use it for screenprinting, but for right now it begged to be needle felted! I incorporated some hand sewn beads and the result is above for you to see. I'm currently working on some needle felted Christmas cards for Etsy.

New Ideas

Well my first Etsy store offerings were a success. By March 22, 2009 the store was sold out. My intent was to restock the store pretty quickly but an unexpected blessing was given to me the day after the store opened. My life was turned upside down (in a good way).

Now I'm ready to get back on track and get the creative juices flowing. I am always looking for ways to expand my skills so I took a screenprinting class on May 16, 2009. I had so much fun and cannot wait to produce some cards using this process. Last year I bought a piece of equipment called "Bamboo Fun". It connects to your computer and it allows you to draw and write freehand. I'm using it to create some of my own stencils for the screenprinting. I'm not the artist in the family but I have a few simple ideas that I'm playing with!

Open for Business

In the wee hours of the morning on March 17, 2009, a dream became a reality. I opened my store on Etsy.com, bespkecarddesigns.etsy.com!!!! There is a link to the store just above the slideshow.

My initial offerings have the central theme of the Adinkra symbol. These symbols originated from the Akan people of Ghana. The modern day use of the symbols reflects the philosophy, social values, religious beliefs and political history of the Akan people.

I used my computer, digitizing software, my embroidery machine and my hands to create these cards. I am very pleased with the final product.

What a whirlwind journey this has been but here I am...at the end of this journey and getting ready for the next...developing my business. I feel like the little train that could.

This could not have happened without God's grace and the support of family and friends. That is why the first card I posted was Gye Nyame, the symbol of the omnipotence, omnipresence and immortality of God.

Picking Up the Pace

Okay so construction is underway for the cards I plan to sell on Etsy! I went to the Board of Equalization on Wednesday and left with my Sellers Permit. It all seems so official now I will be responsible for taxes. I have written my bio for the store in the profile,you can read it online at, bespokecarddesigns.etsy.com. I also registered for my PayPal shopping cart. Next, calculating shipping and my store policies. It's a lot of items to check of the list but I want to do this right the first time. I'm excited that this plan is coming ot fruition.

Still Inspired

Where does the time go? I'm still working towards opening my online story at Etsy.com. I had planned to open the store with Valentine cards but, the creative juices were not flowing. Rather than force the issue I decided to relax, and, the ideas started to flow. The picture of the book "The Adinkra Dictionary: A Visual Primer on the Language of Adinkra" has a lot to do with the first cards that will on sale at bespokecarddesigns.etsy.com!!!

As a side note you never know who is looking at your blog. A business acquaintance of my brother had seen my blog and mentioned it to my sister-in-law, when she told him my brother was picking me up from the airport. He asked if it was his sister who made cards. Why is this worth mentioning? First of all I do not know this gentleman and secondly, all of this happened in London!!