Etsy announcement!

I interrupt this random and infrequent blog...to let you know that my Etsy shop is live!  I seriously can't believe it.  It's been a long time coming (and dreaming) and I almost pulled my hair out this afternoon over this beauty:    Introducing...THE blog banner...

Ok, no time for chit chat.  I should probably work on listing more than one item.  :)  

Come have a look!  www.etsy.com/shop/studioK8

Finish things

I have a dream.
I dream that I will one day live off of my creativity.
I dream of working for myself.  Of filling my days doing what I love.  And getting paid for it.

I have another dream.
Of opening up an Etsy shop.

Now I know some of you are thinking, "Seriously?  It's not that hard.  Just do it."  Well, I'm here to tell you that it is that hard.  Maybe hard's not the right word.  But it certainly takes a lot of work, time & attention to detail.  Every little step seems to take a million other little steps.  I've come a long way, but I'm not quite there yet.

The other night, after a tireless day of prepping & organizing for my shop opening, I realized that it just Was Not Going To Happen that day.  So in an act of desperation & frustration, I decided to breathe.  (sigh)  And then I had a conversation with my wise self:

"Am I really meant to go down this path?  Am I really meant to live off of my creativity or am I just meant to live creatively?"

And my wise self said to me, "Yes, of course you are dear.  Live what you love and the money will follow."

"Well then, why does it seem so impossible?  Why does it seem so impossible?"

"Because it is.  If you make it so.  And besides, you wouldn't appreciate it so much if it came easy.  Now would you?"

"So what now?" I asked.

And my wise self wisely said,
"Finish things.
Start things.
Do things.
Make things.
But most importantly, FINISH THINGS."

And with that I went to bed.


Today’s post is part of a brave blogging link-up LIV LANE is hosting for the courageous students in her How To Build a Blog You Truly Love e-course.

2011 Create with K8

Many of you know that I'm addicted to art retreats.  I love participating in art activities, exploring photography, and being surrounded by other creative souls.  But one thing I always find myself saying when I'm at these retreats is, "I wish the ladies back home were here"...or "so and so would love this"...or "why don't I do this more often?"

So in 2011 I decided to bring the art retreat to me!  One Sunday afternoon out of each month, "the girls" gathered at my house for a creative adventure.  People came when they could make it; it was a no pressure, no experience needed kind of thing.  We did everything from rock painting to xmas tree decorations...but the end result wasn't the important thing.  It was about creating, it was about community...and turning a dream of mine into reality!

In honour of each and every one that joined me along the way - and to all those that really wanted to come but just couldn't get the stars to aline - I put together this little video of the monthly projects.  I hope the rest of you will enjoy it as well!

And now, on to 2012 dreams.  What are you dreaming about?

I just blew my own mind

oh my!, a photo by Kate Daniel on Flickr.

"I just blew my own mind."

That was the subject of a recent email that I received from a friend.

Isn't that awesome?! Doesn't it make you want to do something that just blows your own mind, too?

I think I will vow to create as many mind-blowing moments for myself as possible in 2012. How about you?


(Another friend reminded me about this photo this other day...thought it was appropriate.)

Hands Up How To...photo apps!

I love it when people share tricks of the trade!  Like Liz Lamoreaux does here when she talks about filling her Etsy orders...or like Regina from Creative Kismet does here by describing her learnings from another craft fair she participated in.

So when I heard about Jamie Ridler's Hands Up How To quest, I was game!

Give a hand up.  Help someone out.  Show someone how to...do what you do.  Share what you know.

And what do I know?!  Well, lately I know how to rock it on the iPhone.  Photography, that is.

It's true, I bought this phone for the photo apps...and have absolutely no regrets!

With photo apps, creativity doesn't have to take time.  It doesn't have to cost a lot.  And best of all, you can feel like a pro photographer in just a matter of clicks & taps.  

So let's sift through some of the fantastic photo fun to be had on your iPhone (and I say iPhone because that's what I know..but I'm sure you can find similar apps on your Android or whatever you're using..just search in the App Store).

Anyway, here's what I'm loving lately:

1.  Funky Frames!  It's all about presentation.  What photos don't look good when they're neatly packaged together in a collage?  There are so many ways you can put your photos together.  Try Diptic, Pic Collage & Frametastic!  Diptic has many layouts to choose from - load photos from your current photo album or take new pictures to fill the frame.  Pic Collage also offers a quick and easy way to present your photos while Frametastic adds funky backgrounds to your collage.  Experiment!

photo collage using Frametastic

2.  Fun with friends!  Everyone loves those old school photobooths in the mall.  Trust me, it's just as much fun...if not more...without the mall!  Try PopBooth or MPhotobooth for hours of laughter...things can get pretty carried away, pretty fast.  :)  PopBooth even mails your picture to someone at the click of a button.  ShakeItPhoto & MultiShot are also fun to play around with.

apparently I'm liking the limelight in this PopBooth photo!

3.  Artsy Images in an instant!  Turn your photos into art...literally.  With PhotoArtista-Oil, it takes your image and turns it into an oil painting.  ToonCamera turns your image into a cartoon.  And watermyphoto turns your photo into...well, water!  Seriously, you need to just play around with these apps...no explanation needed.  :)

A photo of a painting I was working on...processed with the watermyphoto app!

4.  Take the shot just a little further!  If you have a little more time to play around, I highly recommend Dynamic Light & PictureShow.  There's so much you can do to play around with your colours, contrast & creativity.  And Image Blender actually lets you lay one photo on top of another...creating some really neat textures.  It takes a bit of time to learn what looks best...but play, play, play.

exploring in an abandoned farm house...image processed with Dynamic Light

5. Words, words, words!  I love the idea of combining words & images.  Sometimes you just need a word to get your point across.  Try Phonto or Labelbox. 


And finally, where would I be without Instagram?  I think it deserves it's own paragraph.  Instagram is like an instant boost for the ego....but it's not about the ego, it's about the love.  Simply put, when people like your photo, it makes you feel good.  And it feels good to get your photos out into the world.  It's tons of fun to follow others from around the world too...it's like you're travelling without the noisy airports & dwindling back account!

Instagram offers many options for adding that extra little bit of splash to your photo.  Play around with the filtered effects and add a tilt-shift blur for an instant highlight on a section of your photo.  Here's a simple trick: If you have a little more time on your hands, play around with some of those other apps that I talked about above to create the perfect image.  Save it to your photo album, then open Instagram and pull that image up to post it.

Here's one of my Instagram posts.  I took a photo of my reflection in a barn window, layered it with another photo of a heart shape in a wood door, and pulled that up on Instagram.  

Already on Instagram?  

I'd love to see your part of the world...or come find me at username: katedaniel :)   

Louise Gale's heART swap

There once was an artist & life coach named Louise Gale, whose mission was to "raise the consciousness of the world, one by one through practicing self-care, love, kindness, forgiveness & gratitude through creative expression."  Now that's a mission!


With the help of other creatives, she gets right to it...over at Your Heart Makes A Difference.  Go check it out!  


One day she decided that she wanted to create a global herART swap to create, share & receive LOVE in the form of a gorgeous piece of artwork.  


I decided I would join in the love.  And so did Kolleen Harrison.  


Kolleen and I were randomly matched by Louise to be swap partners  - which was oh so cool...cause I actually know Kolleen!  She is one special woman.  I met her at an art retreat a couple years ago.  But that's another story.  :)


To make this long story short, I arrived home one day last week to find the most spectacular of packages...it was layer upon layer of goodness!  Wow, does this girl ever know how to make one feel special.  It was almost too pretty to open - with HEARTWINGSISTERS gracing every nook and cranny.  

Thank you Kolleen for the beautiful art, cards & bracelet - however she knew that I love that saying, "know and do" is beyond me!  


If you want to check out her blog post about the swap, head on over here.  And do you remember that wild donkey that I rode a couple weeks ago?  This is a picture of the finished piece that I sent her.  It's hard to see but the piece is covered in bees wax. 

Barn beauty

Barn beauty, a photo by Kate Daniel on Flickr.

Consistent is not a word that I would use to describe my blog...so I figured it wouldn't hurt to do 2 posts in one day! I just have to share a fun experiment that I had with another iPhone app. Painting with my photos...it makes you wonder why you need to paint at all, doesn't it...if you can do this with a few quick phone tricks. Perhaps I should take my painted picture and paint that?! The possibilities are endless...