Grand Opening -- Playdates Without Pigtails

I am excited to announce that I have opened an Etsy Shop.  This is something I have been dreaming of for quite a while.  I have always appreciated art, but never saw myself as all that creative.  Wow have things changed!  In the past 5 years I have been dealing with the illness of my mother and had two children.  I found myself looking inward and needing a vehicle to express myself outwardly.  It didn't hurt that I lived on the most creative street in OKC.  Erin is one of the founders of the Girlie Show, and the other Erin volunteers with OVAC, works with the annual 12X12 art show and teaches art classes at the Oklahoma City Art Museum.  JD is a wonderful photographer.  This was enough inspiration to even get me going.  

I have also been inspired by the Creative Mom Podcast.  Amy Cowen is a talented artist and also a mom to two little boys.  She motivated me to "do art" in a way that would enhance the lives of my children.  I love the CMP because it has a great community of people from across the country who share their work and encourage everyone else.  

I began this journey knitting.  I signed up for a knitting class and the rest is history.  Then, I was inspired by one of the Erin's to design birthday invitations for the boys that reflect their individuality.  Meanwhile I had been sketching.  At first my sketches were rough.....I hesitate to call them sketches or even doodles, but I kept going and before I knew it I was getting better. 

Last Christmas was emotionally challenging due to the side effects of my mother's illness, so I decided to do an experiment.  I made almost all of the gifts I gave.  This was the best thing I have ever done.  I got so much joy from coming up with the ideas and seeing them come to fruition.  It helped my knitting too.  (I knit four hours a night for about 6 weeks.)  The gifts turned out awesome and everyone loved them....even my sister's boyfriend who received a halfway finished gift.  

I turned the corner with my art this summer when I began designing a robot card for the oldest's birthday invitation.  I couldn't find a robot I liked  so I drew one.  I loved it.  

This began my dream of an Etsy shop, Playdates Without Pigtails, to share these items with others.  Right now I only have some paper goods.  All of the illustrations are original and digitally colored.  I hope to have some knitted items, fabric gifts, and original art.....that will all come.  I am very excited and I look forward to sharing this adventure with all of my readers.  

The name, Playdates Without Pigtails, came from the fact that I have two boys and two nephew's....I have since had a niece.  Anyway, it often seems that all of my friends have boys and there are rarely girls at our playdates.  I wanted a general name so I would not have to focus on just one thing.  What is important to me, is to create handmade items to share with all of our children with the hope that they will inspire the creativity that lies in all of us.   Enjoy!