Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Birthday gift - from me to me ;p

Dear Friends & Musies,
As you may or may not know, I've been contemplating taking a little break from blogging. The rapid growth of Muse Silk Paintings + the demands of the Muselet staff have really been keeping me super busy! While I love posting Fashion Finds, features, painting processes, etc., lately I've been getting less and less sleep.. and you know a Muse needs precious dream time!



So as a birthday present to myself (which is today, by the way), I will be taking a break for about 1 month from blogging. It will be great to re-evaluate the direction this blog is going, how often to post, etc.. Thank you for your support, encouragement and comments throughout the past year, and look forward to picking up again soon!

Would you like to share your ideas on how to make this blog more spectacular? Then please take this quick SURVEY.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Aqua Blues - Friday Fashion Finds

So, did you hear? Aqua blues are IN for summer so today I've decided to highlight some incredibly COOL turquoise and teal blue finds to add a fresh splash to your outfit. Mix in bright, beautiful aquas into a summer light wardrobe of sand whites, khakis, and straw totes for a marina ready, amazing summer look!

Aqua Blues - One by One
1. Turquoise from Cynthia Steffe by Pantone Spring/Summer Color Report
This report is chock full of lovely pastels and bright colors that will be important for Spring, and had references to high end designers showing how they've interpreted the hues into their lines

Such a dainty and beautiful set to add a twinkle to your summer outfit. Perfect for day or night, they look like little clusters of cool ocean mist resting lightly against each other - gorgeous!







Hand made, this beautiful ring with intricate swirling organic patterning is anything BUT crap! Love it's bright, happy color and large statement it makes - funky, bold, and beautiful.












4. Proenza Schouler had one of the best Spring fashion shows this year, and this aqua dress is by far one of my favorites! Read the review here.















Bursting floral blooms for Spring/Summer have been carved out of glass in this lovely, romantic ring. Perfectly appropriate in it's aqua hues.. and it's adjustable too! By the way, I just love everything is SoraDesign's shop!







So calm, peaceful, and alive - the composition and transition of aqua hues immediately transports me out of my head and into a beach side daydream - ahhh. This contemporary fine art painting would look amazing in a room adding just a little sprinkle of serenity.





These are SO hot!!! I can see them with rolled chinos and a tank, or a short, silver cocktail dress.. whatever you do, they add a air of sexy, vintage chic to your outfit. Wish I was a size 7.5 so I could strut around in these beauties!










Ok so I know this has nothing to do with fashion, but how cute is this little blue bear?! He is a vintage figurine, hand painted, and super cuddly. He would look so adorable resting on your kitchen windowsill - supervising all the bear treats being prepared! ;)











The easiest way to dress up your outfit is to throw on a scarf. This one is special, hand painted with the color of the ocean sweeping down the sheer georgette silk. So romantic and elegant.












This cuff is just to die for. Add a bit of rock and roll, and ultimate luxury to your bare wrist and loose T for summer. Goes with anything - has a silver lining and is just so hot.











11. Luxury online shopping site Netaporter features this sultry mini dress by Stella McCartney in their fantastic magazine pages.. what a sexy dress for day or night - love the blue!!














Perfect clutch for those summer weddings! Satiny smooth, with an elegant flower detail, I like this clutch because it it so modern and simple, yet ultimately feminine with it's understated scallops on the side. Would look great with a pale blue, white, gold or silver dress.





Hope you enjoyed today's Aqua Blues Friday Fashion Finds! Please help me improve my blog by taking this quick SURVEY! Thank you for your feedback, and cheers to an aqua cool summer!

Friday, May 14, 2010

10 Lessons from my first year on Etsy

You may have heard that the Muse Silk Paintings Etsy store just turned 1 year old this week! Instead of posting our Friday Finds today, I thought I would share 10 lessons I’ve learned in my first year of selling hand painted scarves on Etsy. In one year, MUSE gotten off to a healthy running start passing 100 sales, over 2,000 fans, and countless creative musings! Although always learning, today I would like to share some things I've picked up along the way. Enjoy!

1. Marketing

You could be the most talented artist in the world, but it doesn’t do you any good if no one knows you exist. Use everything you can – word of mouth, your local businesses, Facebook, Twitter, Etsy teams, community forums, etc.. and find out what works best for you. Personally, the MUSE Facebook fan page has been an amazing tool for sharing my creative process, and spreading the word!

2. Photos

Online shops are just that – customers cannot feel, smell or try on the product so the pictures better be good. A beautiful dress form and investing in OTT lights for incredible lighting have been key instruments in producing better pictures.

3. Descriptions

I like reading interesting descriptions, don’t you? The beauty of Etsy is that you can put your own twist, personality and voice into each listing, so I like to have fun with it and dream a little about the story my piece tells…it’s fun to write about something I’ve poured so much love into already. I really enjoyed writing this one!

4. Customer Service

Cannot stress this one enough. My products are luxury items, and feel the service provided should be as well. Answer your emails, pay attention to the details. This is like building trust – it takes time, however well worth the investment as people will know when they come to you, they’ll be receiving royal treatment. Who wouldn’t want that?


5. Fast Shipping

When you purchase a product, you can’t wait to get it, right? Right! Send it out quickly to get it into your buyers hot little hands! USPS cannot be trusted with overnight delivery, but normal shipping has been great! I hear FedEx is the way to go for urgent, overnight rushes.

6. Timing

Custom orders tend to take longer than expected, so budget more time than you think you need, as many questions and check points come up. To see one of my custom order (Dragon) photo albums, click HERE.


7. Be Yourself

I happen to have an odd love for piglets, and tried to hold back as pigs have absolutely NOTHING to do with beautiful scarves, but after a bit, my Muselet staff just had to burst out onto the public scene, and you know what? Some of my fans have come to enjoy the comic relief as much as I do! To view more Muselet staff member photos click HERE.


8. Deflect negative energy

As the light shines for one, another always tries to snuff it out. Don’t let negative responses or spiteful people get you down. Dismiss, delete, rise above, and move on. Put your energy towards creativity and smart business tactics. If you want to dwell on something, dwell on the raving feedback you’ve received from ALL the other people, friends and family who are rooting you on!

9. Let others speak for you

I find it hard to brag about my work, however I don’t mind blushing a bit from hearing all the lovely things my clients have had to say. So why not share the good news? Read MUSE customer feedback HERE.


10. Don’t forget why you are doing what you’re doing

It’s easy to get caught up in “best sellers”, taxes, treasuries, and reacting to all the other creative artisan’s requests, voters, etc. At the end of the day, always remember what made you start your shop in the first place and keep your priorities straight. For me, silk painting is my absolute dream and passion, and my Etsy store is just a vehicle to share it with the world.

Thank you to all my friends, family the CCCOE Team and of course, my clients. Your support, suggestions, and encouragement this past year has meant the WORLD to me, and look forward to many more!

Lots of Love,

A.R.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Spring Color Report - Friday Fashion Finds

Ahhh Spring is finally here.. the birds are tweeting, the sun is shining, and oh yeah, wait a minute, what colors are we supposed to be wearing? According to the Pantone Color Report, there are some really great pastels and brights for Spring that we should definitely explore!

This is part 1 of a series of color reports. Today I have put together 2 outfits appropriate for our warmer days ahead - "Coral Blossoms" and "Sage Adventure".

Coral Blossoms
Warm and uplifting, coral(1) is such a beautiful hue! But how do you wear it without looking like one of the Golden Girls?

Tip #1 - don't wear it in a matching pant suit
Tip #2 - use it sparingly with fresh whites, tans, and gold

You can still be comfortable in the sun in this chic, fresh outfit. Throw on a cotton blouse, your favorite cut offs, and yummy gold lame pumps(5) for a bit of glam. Then grab this heavenly, white linen tote(4) that looks like it can hold about anything, and you are already stylin'. Next, add in a splash of color with this romantic, hand painted scarf, and another pop of WOW with these stunning turquoise/gold cascade earrings(2). Top it all off (especially if you are having a bad hair day) with this amazing Fedora vintage straw hat(3) and voila - you're ready to take on Spring!


Sage Adventure
Cool and sophisticated, sage greens(1) can be so gorgeous if styled the right way. How to wear it without looking frumpy?

Tip #1 - don't wear it as a Snuggie
Tip #2 - style sage green with cinnamon browns, cool blues, lilacs, khaki and gold

Whether you are off on a Southwestern vacation, or just exploring your way through the city's urban jungle, you can still look fantastic and chic with this combination.

Gear up for your journey with this cute little romper(5)and super sweet boots(6). Add a little southwestern flair with this gorgeous wool handbag(3) and bring out the gold with this organic feeling, gold crocheted ring(4) ~ like twisted branches wrapped around your finger! And last but not least, tie it all together with this lovely, hand painted scarf(2) with the cool blues and sages floating together like feathers in the wind. Your adventure awaits - ready, Sage, Go!



Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Blog Survey!

Dear Musies,

In a 24 hour day of Musing, there is only so much time to express all that I wish! From Fashion to Art to Muselet endeavors, at times I think there will never be enough time to post all the blogs in my musing mind... I have been tossing and turning over what direction to take our wonderful Muse Silk Paintings blog into (and even debating on taking a break) but would LOVE to hear your feedback!


Please take a moment to fill out our survey by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much for your candid feedback, and have a wonderful week!

Best Always,
A.R.


Saturday, May 1, 2010

Go for the Gold!

It's Saturday night and all you have left in your closet is a pair of jeans and some tops from last season. You can still make it work without breaking the bank with a whole new outfit by keeping it simple - black, white, one color and GOLD accessories.

By throwing on a scarf, it immediately dresses up your outfit and turns it from OLD to BOLD ~ presto! Here are a few glamourous beauties available from MUSE that will do just the trick!


Shop Diamond Floral HERE


Shop "Shine On" HERE