Wednesday, March 28, 2007

500th Subscriber to my E-Newsletters

I'm celebrating this morning because the 500th subscriber was just added to my email newsletter list! It's so amazing that there are 500 people out there who are interested in my artwork. I'm truly blessed.

Because I'm an overachiever and "a lot" is never enough, my goal is to reach 600 subscribers by the end of the year. 100 new subscribers is a big undertaking so I need your help. Please tell your friends, family, coworkers and/or anybody else who might be interested in my artwork to visit my site and/or blog and sign up for my email newsletter. I really appreciate your help and support. My clients rock!

Have a fabulous day!

In Him ~

Mary
www.marymakingdesigns.com

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Website Updates ~ Cross Page & Galleries

A quick note to let y'all know I have updated the Cross page and Cross Galleries pages on my website. My hope is that the pages are cleaner, easier to navigate and easier to understand. The pictures have also been recropped and the lighting adjusted so you can see better images of each mosaic cross. I would love to hear your comments on the layout and design of the pages.

I still plan to add an individual page for each cross to give you more information, the "story behind the cross" and detail images. I will try to add a few each week so be sure to check the site often.

Thanks for checking out the site and I look forward to hearing from you!

In Him ~

Mary
www.marymakingdesigns.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

From Guatemala With Love

It just occurred to me that I haven't posted any new art lately. I haven't been creating as much lately because I've been busy with my art marketing classes and recovering from recent surgery. But I thought y'all might enjoy seeing some of my older mosaic crosses and learning their "stories."

This series of 3 identical crosses is titled, "From Guatemala With Love."

I was asked by my client to create a unique Christmas gift for her children's grandparents. The client has adopted 3 beautiful little girls from Guatemala. She wanted the crosses to reflect the girls' Guatemalan heritage as well as the incredible amount of love the girls have brought into their family. Thus we chose the blue, white and bright yellow color scheme to reflect the colors in the Guatemalan flag. The 3 hearts on each cross symbolize the 3 girls. The ceramic hearts were hand made and painted a bright yellow by one of my wonderful vendors. The client was thrilled with the results and word has it that the grandparents love their unique crosses and their symbolism.

These mosaic crosses were completed Fall 2006. They are on flared, small (7.5" x 10") bases.

I hope to have new mosaic artwork to share next week.

In Him ~

Mary
www.marymakingdesigns.com

Monday, March 19, 2007

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I've been working on updating the Cross Galleries on my website to make the pictures sharper and the pages cleaner and easier to navigate. It's a lot (that's for you Lori!) of work given that there are over 100 mosaic cross images displayed on my site.

But it's also like visiting with old friends in a comfortable, familiar place. Maybe that sounds odd. Let me explain.

I often say, "My crosses are my passion." Clearly, I love everything about creating my crosses (and other artwork too!). I love the symbolism of the cross. I love working with God and my client to create the perfect, unique cross for each client. I love choosing the materials. I love placing the beads, cutting the glass, piecing the design. I even love grouting. And finally, I love the awesome feeling of seeing the design come to fruition.

But it's more than that. Long after they have been sent to the client, each cross remains in my soul. I fondly recall each client I worked with, the give and take that goes with creating each unique design, the story behind each cross, what was happening in my life at the time, the completed cross . . . there are so many happy memories and associations with each mosaic cross I am blessed to create.

My crosses are an amazing, integral part of me. They are my passion. They bring me joy and awe no matter how many times I revisit their pictures. Not in a conceited way . . . but in a way that I know this is what God wants me to do.

May your life be filled with the same kind of passion.

In Him,

Mary
www.marymakingdesigns.com

P.S. The new Cross Galleries on my website should be complete in the next few days. I'll be sure to post and let you know when to check them out!

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Just Checking In

Have you been anxiously checking and rechecking my blog? Are you worried I have disappeared? Is anybody out there? LOL!

I have been spending alot of time focusing on my art marketing class and redesigning my website. My current class has been great and I'm really excited not only about all of the great information but about the wonderful artists I've met. I've received a wealth of knowledge and advice and I'm looking forward to putting it all to good use.

You'll also start to notice changes (some subtle, others obvious) on my website. I have a very long list of things to change, add, delete, etc. My hope is to create a tighter, cleaner and easier to navigate site. I also hope to provide better pictures of my artwork. If you have any thoughts on things you'd like to see on the site or other recommendations, please leave me a comment. Heck ~ just leave me a comment and let me know you're out there.

Stay tuned . . .

In Him ~

Mary
www.marymakingdesigns.com