I created 31 ink drawings! It was a great challenge to complete in a month (ok, a month and a half). They are all up on display at the Art Riot in Kingston, NY for the Fun A Day exhibit. They’ll be there until March 1st. In the meantime, I’ll be working on finalizing them into prints and cards! Sign up for my newsletter to find out when they’ll be available.
If you’re snowed in on Valentine’s Day like I am, I hope you are making the most of it. Cooking a feast, spending time with your loved ones, doing some cuddling in this snowy weather..
And shopping for cards – some love for my followers: use code vdayLoveSnow for 20% off my shop! Only valid today. Happy Valentine’s Day!
One of the babies that I nannied for turned 1! I had made this pattern for her and for her birthday we made it into a pillow. I also took the card and DIY-ed it into a number one. It was actually fun to write the message in the shape on the inside.. hmm.. new product? The mom said she’s putting it in the baby book!
It’s a little surreal to see something I created on anything but a card – but I’m working on some new products for the National Stationery Show. Hope you’re as excited as I am!
I’ve been mentioning the Fun A Day exhibit opening on Saturday. Now’s the time to figure out a ride, clear your afternoon and plan on coming! I’ll be there with 31 new ink drawings.
And a special release — The work above is a colored version of one of the drawings I did. See the original at the show. There will also (hopefully) be prints of this and cards available. It’s one of my favorites ever.
easy links:
[ funaday facebook page ]
[ cynla cards ]
New card up in my etsy shop! There will be dancing.
I LOVE to dance.. and if I wasn’t a graphic designer, I’d probably be a backup dancer. Another lifetime.
Easy links:
[ There Will Be Dancing Card ]
Unfortunately, no scale can measure your love.
(Inside greeting: No scale can measure.)
Order your Valentine’s Day cards today to make sure to get them by the 14th!
Easy links:
[ Scales card ]
[ See more love cards ]
This is the makings of a new pattern. It has a tiny message. Let go and see what happens.
It came about because I really was not in the mood to draw. It was one of those days.. but I just started, and all of a sudden it started coming together and I was excited to keep drawing. I try to implement this new strategy all the time now. [Some days are harder than others.]
This pattern might not make it to the card shelves, but it motivates me and makes me feel like I’ve unlocked my imagination to something new. It’s now my twitter background. Don’t forget to follow me there!
[ Pattern: Let go and see ]
I recently was contacted by a bride who wanted to use my You Made My Night Thank You cards as her wedding thank you’s. She had a Dr. Who and Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night -themed wedding and said they would be perfect!
I have never seen a Dr. Who-themed party or watched an episode yet, but it looks like it’s been done by couples and it seems very magical. I particularly like the one below. I would love to have a starry wedding – next wedding, right?
That last one is gorgeous! See more photos at the link below.
[ photos by Candice Benjamin Photography ]
I spend a lot of time with sharpies and ink these days. Wouldn’t it be nice if they all told me, “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry, this drawing will come out spectacular. And on top of that, everything will be ok and you look very pretty today too.”
This drawing is part of my draw 31 days in January series – check out the Fun A Day exhibit happening February 15-28 in Kingston, NY.
Oh 2014. I feel like my whole January has been a big battle against the flu – first my husband, then I had it for a good week each. I’m happy to announce we are flu-free! and happily back to life and work.
In conclusion, I’m extra happy for health this year. I wasn’t able to leave the house, see people, do anything besides be miserable – and I already feel like I have to make up for it. I’ve added a new resolution to my list. I’d like to get outside everyday. I need to let my eyes focus on 3D things. Breathe fresh, healthy air, (even if it’s the kind of frigid air that freezes your nose hairs). I want to go for a walk with my thoughts.
I need to soak up as much sunshine as possible.
[ This drawing is part of my funaday series. I’m drawing 31 days in January. Unfortunately, the flu has won out here as well and I’m a little behind — but more to come! Look for an announcement of the group FunADay show in February in the Hudson Valley area. ]
Well, kindness wasn’t really working.. so I’m killing my fear in 2014 with action. I’m drawing every day in January to start.
In this article from the Philadelphia weekly, a songwriter described how creating every day affected him:
“Mann says creating something every day means you have to give up your self-censoring mechanism. The embracing community of Fun–A–Day helped him accept that some days are going to suck, most are going to be okay and some are going to rock.”
My self-censoring mechanism has been very strong these days. Some days I spend hours on a pattern and still can’t get it right. The days I don’t make something “worth” my time, I feel distraught and untalented. It affects my whole day, makes me eat ice cream and kills my inspiration. So along with all of my other resolutions, I’m killing my fear, balancing any negativity with positive things in my life and making a resolution to let things go and keep moving.
I love to make resolutions. I make a long list of things to do, people and landmarks to see this year, things I want to accomplish, and of course exercise I’d like to do..
This year, I’m making a QUIT list. I have too much on my plate, need to make room for the new, get rid of some bad habits.
I started creating these quit cards as a class assignment. I wanted to help the world communicate and wanted to find a way to connect people with greeting cards that they might not have been able to do before. I wanted to show my support to my friends who were quitting smoking. A little over a year ago, I had gearing up to quit my job and created some more quit cards as an inspiration to drive up some courage.
It is my hope that these cards speak to people, encourages determination, and creates a show of support that helps someone overcome that thing they are fighting to quit.
1. Quitter
2. Congrats
3. Finally
4. Good Quitter
5. Quitaversary
6. Tons of Money
7. Truckin
8. Happy New Year Lettering
Happy New Year!
Hope you had a wonderful holiday! I don’t know if whirlwind or roller coaster is a better metaphor for the past couple weeks, but emotionally and physically I am spent. I’m taking the next couple days to reflect on the year, figure out my life and business plans for 2014, and getting ready for some serious card designing next year.
Want to motivate and give yourself a creative challenge? Join me in fun-a-day in January.
Some fun projects I’ve heard about: 31 Dreamers (describing one dream a day) and 31 Fractures (making contact with one lost friend a day). LOVE that idea. Another person who was moving, documented himself singing a song in 31 familiar spots in Philadelphia.
I’m participating in Fun-A-Day Hudson Valley. You pick a project, do it every day in January, then show your work in a big group show. Like their facebook page here.. they need lots of likes!
I have been meaning to do “100 drawings” of something, or 100 blog posts about another something.. but as you can see, these things just don’t happen on their own. Hopefully this project can give me some focus and I can commit to a month of creating – what a great way to start the year!
Join me in starting the year off in making beautiful things and committing to having fun making for 31 days! You can take a photos, make cakes, work on a project for 31 days..
I’m torn between making it very easy for myself to make sure I commit (I do have to run a business in the meantime), or challenging myself and coming up with art that really blows my own mind away. I wanted to get more comfortable with watercolors.. I wanted to do something with all of these photos I’ve been taking.. I want to do more lettering.. but maybe I’ll start small this year and just commit to drawing.
If you’re participating, let me know! I’d love to connect with someone and share the process.. especially if you’re making cakes.
easy links:
[ fun a day hudson valley info / cool photos from a past show / focus print ]
was the snowman party card! It’s also one of my best-selling holiday cards this year overall.. second to the NYC holiday card.
Second best-seller at the holiday fair was my fireflies card.. which is funny because these are the 2 cards I put in the ad on the Hudson Valley Hullabaloo’s website. Or maybe it’s not a coincidence and people found it there!
What is it about the snowmen? Is it the yellow color? or are these snowmen just TOO cute?
easy links:
[ Snowman Party / Snowman Party box / Fireflies card / NYC holiday ]
They’re here! Now you can quit some things.. because I have cards for that. I think quitting something makes huge amounts of space in your life for other things. That thing you want to quit probably comes with a lot of emotional weight, possibly taxing stress to your body and may be a huge time commitment. I’m always putting things on my TO DO list, never taking things off my DOING list. Quit some things and make room for the new. Support your quitter friends with encouragement and cards.
Happy quitting!
You can catch me at one more holiday fair for the season – December 7 (this Saturday) – the Hudson Valley Hullabaloo!
I’ll be there with holiday cards, gift tags, and PLENTY of greeting cards for all of your card-sending needs in 2014. Seriously.. put it on your new year’s resolution list to send more cards and then come stock up. Can’t wait to see you!
I’ll be offering these gift items as well..
[ bunnyLover cards, catLover gift box, holiday fabric envelopes, pea pod ornaments, art prints ]
It’s small business Saturday! Shop handmade & shop small. Here’s one place I know of: www.cynla.etsy.com.
But seriously, shopping small keeps the money in your communities, promotes small business entrepreneurs, and prevents big names, who will rename nameless, from taking over every street corner and eventually the world.
And if you needed another reason, I am offering 20% off in my shop. Use code: FULLOFTHANKS through Monday. Happy weekend!
I’m so full.. it must be full of thanks. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are ready to do some shopping from the comfort of your desk or couch. I have a coupon for you! 20% off through Monday with code FULLOFTHANKS in my shop. Like my facebook page or favorite my etsy shop.
I have lots of new holiday cards this year, catLover and bunnyLover gift box sets of cards, gift tags and pea pod ornaments!
about me
Hi! Thanks for visiting. Drawing and creating has become a way for me to de-stress. I'd like to do it more often. This is a space for me to share my art and inspiration, my card designs, and to remind myself to stress less.
My card business and moving outside of NYC [gasp] is a new adventure in my life and I'm happy to be able to share it with you. Feel free to drop me an email cindy [ at ] cynla.com, leave a comment or two, or visit my website (www.cynla.com) and shop (cynla.etsy.com).
Happy de-stressing!
~ Cindy
