1000 Markets Going Live Very Soon....

It is only fair to say, that I think I am going to love my new home at 1000 Markets. It is another online venue that sells only handmade things. I love that it is small and just starting. (It has been in the "sneak preview" stage for a while. But pretty soon (weeks) they will begin driving online traffic into the site, and the vendors have to be ready....
To be a part of this, you have to be approved. Then, within the site, you can be a part of various Markets. I am currently in Handmade Haven (boxes, some jewelry), Jewelry Artisan's Market (JAM- for all of my jewelry) and Captured Image (photography.) I think the site is lovely to look at and easy to use.

For those of you interested in handmade Christian gifts, there is a new market being formed, which I am going to help found. I will do a lot with their outside blog. I hope you will bookmark it, and go there when you are looking for something special and unique. We will have a variety of things and various artisans to appeal to everyone's taste! I will keep you posted as it unfolds!

My Etsy shop will continue to receive orders, but I will no longer be listing new merchandise, there and will gradually phase out when listings expire. I will maintain my account so that I can continue to be a buyer there. It has been a great experience, but 1000Markets is a better fit for me! Blessings, everyone! Gina

First Snow 2009

Ok-- so this is a little late, now that we are in to Spring, but I had to celebrate the first Roanoke, VA snow with everyone. I know, it is not a big deal. But for the 2 winters I have been here, this is only my second real snow.
One thing that was totally bizarre about this is one week later, we had highs in the 70's!! This was only a few weeks ago. There is a peace and reverence that comes over the world when it snows. For me, it never means staying home from work. (I need to be a teacher!) But the pace of life is definitely different. Things slow down. And I love the sound. I live remarkably close to an interstate, and I can actually tell, when I wake up, if we are having some type of inclement weather-- the traffic is too slow!
I left the US in the summer, and arrived for a couple of weeks of Paraguay's winter (which is wet and cold at night, but can still have temperatures that are amazingly high in the mid-day.) When I left the following year, it had just begun to get cold in PY-- now I know why they wear coats when it is 60-- and arrived to the US in July. So I had almost perpetual summer for a year.
So, forgive me, if I make a big deal out of snow. I love it. It is beautiful. One of the things that is dear to me about Virginia is that it has 4 true seasons. I love the transition months, especially the Fall (the Blue Ridge Parkway, is one of God's masterpieces in the Fall!) But I like my winters only one way.... If it has to be cold... I want it white!!!

Handmade Jewelry Show at Home

Thanks for everyone who asked how the show was!! It turned out great. I met a lot of really nice people and they all seemed to enjoy themselves. My hostess Lara is a good friend and I am so appreciative that she opened her home to me!
The food was delicious and it lasted 2ish hours. I made small wallet size replicas of photos that I sell online at my Etsy site (www.gpdesignsart.etsy.com) to give away as small tokens of thanks. I think I might know what I am doing, now :) , so if you want to host a show, just let me know. For those of you who were unable to come, I will be doing the next one at my house. And I'll be announcing a date, very soon. My studio is undergoing "Spring Cleaning/Renovation" which I hope to complete this week! Blessings! Gina

Photos for Sale!! New items listed...

So I decided that 9,000 pictures is too many to have to not start selling prints. I did some undercover investigation, to figure out how much it would cost, shipping, what 8X10s are going for and how to package them. Every new item has things to discover about trying to sell it. I have put watermarks (the identifying mark, like a signature) on all of the ones I think may sell. I am truly happy to be able to share these photographs with the world and the scenic ones will be like the one featured here, with scripture on them. I think they would be great encouragement to have at your desk, or a place where you see the Word of God and can be uplifted from it. So, I hope they will make great gifts. It seems strange to me to couple the Word with art that I have done and try to sell it. I don't think that I would be doing any of this, if I didn't know that the Lord has me with one goal, and one only for my time here-- get out of debt.... and maybe back to the mission field, as a photographer? I don't know I haven't been allowed to peek behind the curtain.
But He knows, so I'll have to be content in that.

Paraguay provided me with such an opportunity to explore, as a photographer. I know some of the people photos, which I love, I don't think there is a market for, and some that are so personal or emotional I would never sell. But as I go through them, it makes my heart swell with .... something. Joy? It was a deeply satisfying time (as a photographer) and I hope the Lord isn't done using photography in my life. (Something other than photos of jewelry would be good!) So stay tuned to the shop. If you have requests, you know I probably have a photo to go with a favorite verse, so email me, or write or whatever! I hope you all enjoy the next stage of designs by Gina!!!