Growing from Card Maker to Artist (De la Artizan la Artist Plastic)

I started this blog in 2007 as a way to share my crafting and card making with friends across the globe. I still love the things I was making back then. However I wasn't happy to call myself a crafter. I wanted to be an artist and believed that as an artist you have yo be able to draw. I knew I had it in me. I just had to practice, learn and practice some more.

Here I am, 9 years later, having turned that initial hobby into a full time business and after some formal training and continuous informal learning, finally being able to call myself an ARTIST.

Of all this story, the most important lesson I want to share with you all is to FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, WORK HARD, and while you may not end up rich, your life will be filled with the joy of DOING WHAT YOU LOVE EVERY DAY.

 

{RO}

Am inceput sa scriu acest blog in 2007 ca mijloc de a-mi impartasi pasiunea pentru handmade cu prieteni din lumea larga. Si azi iubesc felicitatile si lucrusoarele pe care le faceam atunci, dar in sufletul meu stiam ca vreau sa fiu mai mult decat un artizan, ca vreau sa ma numesc 'artist'.

In mintea mea un artist plastic trebuie sa stie desena, lucru pe care m-am straduit sa-l invat si sa-l exersez anii astia, fie mergand la Scoala Populara de Arte, fie participand la diferite cursuri online.

Intre timp am reusit sa-mi transform hobby-ul in afacere, crescandu-mi in acelasi timp cei doi baieti si crescand eu insami ca artist, astfel incat azi ma pot numi fara umbra de ezitare 'ARTIST PLASTIC'.

Lectia pe care vreau sa v-o impartasesc din toata povestea aceasta este ca, daca aveti un VIS, sa indrazniti sa-l urmati, MUNCIND DIN GREU si, chiar daca nu va veti imbogati din asta, FIECARE ZI VA FI O PLACERE iar MUNCA va deveni ODIHNA.

Taking a Break from Blogging

I was washing dishes tonight while listening to Marie TV when I made the decision to post this announcement. The simple thought of it felt so liberating so I know it's the right thing to do. I'm not going anywhere, just taking this burden off my shoulders until blogging feels part of me once again.

The truth is I haven't been present here on the blog for 2 1/2 years since my second son was born and with it my life changed immensely. I tried to schedule one post per week or at least one post per month. I even set a phone reminder that went off every Saturday night. Nevertheless, it didn't happen and the guilt kept adding up.

Instead I have been very present on Instagram lately where I can quickly post a snapshot of what I am working on, mostly watercolor painting and some of my couture invitations.
You can also find me on Facebook where I have  a personal page Meda Halmaciu and a business page Invitatii Couture. And lastly I have my Etsy shop where you can purchase some of my invitations and where I will hopefully add more designs in the future.

I hope I will see you all there, or you can still contact me by e-mail.

My Corner of Heaven (Coltul meu de rai)

Thus is my little corner of heaven. It's a place where I can be myself. A place where ideas emerge from everywhere I look, a place that calls me every time I am someplace else. Probably the reason for my not being a good christian. I don't long for heaven. Mine is already here.

The table on the left is one of my inspiration tables. This is where ideas are born. It's where I put things that look well together for when I have time to complete a design.

I bought a handful of fresh lavender bouquets from a gypsy lady outside my local Lidl today. My studio is filled with the scent of these lovely flowers. I initially bought them to have in stock for future lavender invitations, but now they fill my heart with joy because they are beautiful, they smell good and they bring a new light to the studio.

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Pe romaneste, asa arata masa mea cu idei (una dintre ele) asa cum am lasat-o azi dupa-masa.
Abia astept sa ma intorc luni la atelier. E coltul meu de rai. De asta nici nu pot fi un bun crestin, pentru ca eu nu tanjesc dupa alt rai decat cel pe care il am deja.

Acolo nu trebuie sa fac pe plac nimanui. Acolo miroase frumos a lavanda pe care am cumparat-o de la o tiganca in parcarea Lidl. Initial m-am gandit sa o am pe stoc pentru alte invitatii cu lavanda, dar acum ma bucur ca miroase bine si ma inspira, pentru ca aduce o noua lumina in micul meu colt de rai. Nu am avut timp sa o aranjez in borcanase. Poate luni....

Hristos a inviat! (Christ has Risen!)

(pictura realizata in colaborare cu fiul meu, Iona. -  collaborative painting with my son, Iona)

Fara oua vopsite sau mancat in exces, sarbatorile acestea au fost cu adevarat un ragaz pentru suflet. Ma reintorc la munca cu forte proaspete.

I hope you had a great Easter day. I spent it caring for the soul. No excess eating, just putting my thoughts in order. I am really grateful for this time of peace and now I am back at work with fresh energy.

Torn

Lately I have been feeling torn between these 2 guys and my work, writing bilingual or just one of my favorite languages and which, shipping or not shipping out of EU, ending or not my maternity leave, believing or not in a God that is the essence of goodness and the list could go on.

Work, work....

Happy New Year!

A little bit late indeed, but I plunged directly into work as 2014 started.

I am currently working only 4 hours a day at the studio and another 2 at home so I have to keep up with a tight schedule. I have a lot of things going on and I hope to find some time to share them with you.

I am also trying to spend more quality time with my family which is why I made a few changes to my policies. Please check the FAQ page for details. Any questions, please ask. I am always here.

My First Etsy Sale

I just shipped my first Etsy order.
I had made it a goal to make a few sales quickly after opening the shop and those sales came very quickly, within 1 week from opening.

For a moment it felt just like my old web design team manager job. Every mistake I made could be reflected in my shop's feedback and I felt pressure. I have been making invitations for 9 years it always felt so natural to deal with customers. Where does this strange feeling come from? I will analyze that and share it with you in a future post. But since my computer time is limited with 2 little ones I will just share my positive experience.

The great thing about this first sale is it resulted into a new beautiful design that I immediately fell in love with: Flutter by Baby Shower Invitation.

     

I'm on Etsy!

I have finally opened an Etsy shop: InvitatiiCouture.
I have been thinking about it for years but have been hesitant and waited for the RIGHT TIME to do it.

WHY NOW?

I needed a place where people could have a quick look at my style, price range, production time, shipping and other policies.
Finally, this fall I had to admit I wasn't going to make a real website at least until the kids go to school and I would have to make do with Etsy+Blog.

I needed a place where people could order quickly if they wanted a design I already had in my portfolio.

And honestly, I needed to make more money and get more value from the work I had already done. Some times I work for a full week on a single design and not only it never gets posted, but it happened to never hear from that client again or to be told 'Thank you, but I found someone else...*insert various reasons*'

I am hoping that my Etsy shop will allow me to showcase work that I am really proud of and never had the chance to show it simply because the bride has chosen something else or I didn't have time to post it on the blog.

I am hoping that with this new shop, you will be able to see my creations in a more compact and organized form than scrolling down through my blog posts.

Please have  a look at it and tell me what you think.
I will be adding more and more products as time allows, so check back often.

Dazzling Blue

It's that time of the year...
I woke up this morning thinking: 'Hey, what's Pantone spring color for 2014?'

Dazzling Blue. And dazzling it is – a couple of steps up from navy, more matte and usable than cobalt blue, and sure to be all over the wedding industry trends soon.

Here is a little inspiration from my own portfolio. A ribbon rose bouquet I made this time last year for my friend's brides made.
It was a wonderful experience that kept me enthusiastically working for about 3 days. I never imagined this was going to become Pantone spring color one year later.

You can see Raluca's Winter Wonderland Wedding Invitations here.

And here is a picture of me at her wedding. I was very pregnant with Eduard who is turning 6 months today.

Quinceanera Masquerade Invitations (Invitatii bal mascat)

Just a few pictures of these black, bright pink and purple masquerade invitations.
You have seen them before here. This time I also tried the no-feather version, but I ended up making the same design again.

Acest model de invitatie pentru bal mascat l-ati mai vazut si aici. De data acesta am incercat varianta mai simpla, fara pana, dar modelul ales a fost acelasi.

Work-in progress-pictures from my ex-studio space where I have enjoyed a beautiful year with Raluca before she got married and my son Eduard was born.
I am currently renting a space closer to home (across the street). Maybe I'll show you some pictures one day when I finish unpacking and arranging everything.

Cateva poze din timpul lucrului, in urma cu aprape un an, pe cand mai lucram impreuna cu Raluca in vechiul atelier. Intre timp ea s-a casatorit, iar eu l-am adus pe lume pe Eduard si a trebuit sa-mi gasesc un nou spatiu mai aproape de casa. Intr-o zi, cand toate cutiile vor fi despachetate si lucrurile aranjate va voi arata cateva poze.

Guess Who's Who?

Meet Eduard

at 4 weeks... in one of his few quiet moments. 

Invitations for Spring-Summer Weddings - Work in Progress (Invitatii pentru nunti de primavara-vara in pregatire)

Time to Slow Down (E timpul sa o iau mai incet)

Last night as I was driving home I realized I was going slower than usual and didn't feel like going faster, so I pulled to the right and drove on at my convenient speed.
It was the second day I felt like leaving the studio early because I was tired.

All this can only mean one thing: it's time to give you the big news. We are expecting our second son at the end of April.
We haven't decided on a name yet and we are totally unprepared given my husband's shoulder surgery. We need to redecorate and get a new bed for Iona, extra car seat and all the other little things needed for a new family member.

On top of all this, I feel I need to slow down on my work. So, until further news I will no longer be taking new orders for custom design. My team can handle the production for existing design, and I will be around for communication as much as possible. I don't plan on taking a long maternity break and I am currently looking for a new studio space closer to home. But these are just plans and you never know when life has something different in store for you.

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De la Craciun ma tot pregatesc sa va spun marea veste, dar nu am gasit niciodata formula. Aseara insa, venind spre casa, am tras pe banda dreapta sa las sa treaca o masina care venea in spatele meu. Dupa ce a trecut am vazut ca avea un semn de incepator de vreo 15 cm diametru. Lasand la o parte restul detaliilor, se pare ca organismul meu imi spune ca trebuie sa o las mai moale cu munca, avand in vedere ca in putin peste 2 luni asteptam al doilea copil.

Asadar, incepand de azi nu voi mai lua comenzi pentru modele noi de invitatii. Colegii mei se pot descurca cu productia pentru modelele deja existente, iar eu voi fi disponibila pentru comunicare. Nu intentionez sa-mi iau un concediu prea lung, doar atat cat e nevoie, si sunt in cautarea unui spatiu mai aproape de casa pentru atelier, insa cum nu se stie ce-ti rezerva viata, prefer sa nu incurc pe nimeni.

Spending our Long Winter Evenings (Cum ne petrecem serile lungi de iarna)

It's not something new that I HATE winter. It has snowed a lot here since yesterday afternoon and although the beauty of the landscape I am definitely not getting my car out of the parking lot tomorrow.

On the brighter side, here are a few pictures of how we spend our evenings.

My son loves drawing and even more painting so I can finally enjoy some time with my sketchbooks again. No acrylics or oil colors yet, but watercolors are back in my life and I am grateful for that.

Dincolo de toate problemele cauzate de acest anotimp care mie nu imi place deloc, dincolo de faptul ca nici nu visez sa-mi scot maine masina din parcare sa ajung la atelier, ma bucur macar de faptul ca Iona manifesta mai nou interes pentru desen si mai ales pictura in acuarela.

Summer Days at Invitatii Couture

It's hot and I wouldn't want it any other way. I am not a winter lover.
Although I am too lazy to post any serious stuff about current projects, I thought you may enjoy some photos from our home studio (we had to leave the real studio because paper didn't like it there).

  My son Iona

Raluca, my colleague

I don't have any pictures of my mother and myself, but the 4 of us spend every week day together working on invitations and whatnot made of paper.

This week is special. My brother is getting married on Saturday.

Have a great summer, everyone, and if it's too hot where you are, just imagine the long and cold winter. It's not much until she's coming back.

Living Angel Moments

Hello,
I have hundreds of invitations etc. pictures of my recent work, but I just don't feel like posting about that.

These days I am enjoying my son's adventure in discovering the world and living all these unique moments with him.
Today I let him eat water melon like adults do and gave him his own slice.
He sat on the kitchen floor and savored it. I took my own slice and sat beside him. There could have been no greater joy on this hot summer day than sharing this moment together. We ended up eating half a water melon.

If I Climb on a Box, I Can Reach on the Table

Paper Love

Last night I spent some time sorting out my paper scraps. Can you guess why?

Does he look like his mother's son?
He can scatter all my scrap papers in a matter of seconds. I need a few minutes to half an hour to put them back.

But last night I let him pull them all out and didn't get mad. He had so much fun and didn't crumple a single one like he used to do just 1 month ago. I guess this means he is growing up and it makes me verry happy.

My Little Artist is Turning 1

My son is turning 1 tomorrow. It has been a very challenging year and I have to thank my mother who was here almost every day to help me do it both: raise my little one and run my ever growing business.

As you can see from the pictures , I am doing my best to turn him into a little artist. He is allowed to search through my paint drawers and we even take the acrylic paints to the table. He receives one tube for every spoon of foods he eats. Luckily I have a lot of them and by the time all the tubes are thrown on the floor there is no food left on the plate.