I know, I've Been Away...

Greetings All - I can't believe that I have not posted anything on here since early February! Then again, I can't believe that we are in April already! I really did miss all of my followers and the blogs that I follow. There are some brutally honest ladies that I love to keep up with...I'll be checking you ladies out soon.

What's been going on at Mocha Child you ask? (I've always wanted to say that for something). Well, I have been working on new stationery. I'm now making fabric journals, combining my stationery and sewing. I don't have any pictures yet, I will begin posting them by the end of this week, keep your fingers crossed. I have also been sewing more wristlets and clutches, and re-purposed some old pants and skirts into summer beach bags and purses for girls.

I am really excited to get back on here more often...stick around, I'm working on some big things!! Be sure to click on the Facebook link above to "Become a Fan" of Mocha Child Greetings.

Blessings

I've Been Blogged!

I opened my e-mail today and found that Jenn over at DailyTag sent me a convo through Etsy letting me know that she liked my cupcake tags so much that she blogged about them. She did a great job with the combination of cupcakes. It's great to get good news early in the day...it really helps to set a motivated tone to the rest of the day.

Thanks a lot Jenn!

Above is the pic of the tag set Jenn used...Check out her blog over at http://www.dailytag.wordpress.com/ to see the other cupcake pics and to check out some of the other shops she has featured. She really know how to find some cute tags! Jenn also has a great shop on Etsy at http://www.shoptagit.etsy.com/.

Enough Rain Already...I Can't Take Pics...

I can not believe it has rained so much lately! What happened to "It never rains in Southern California"??? I like a lot of rain just as much as the next person, but when you have two 32 gallon trash cans, several 5 gallon buckets, small trash cans and anything else I could use to collect water in, I would say that enough is enough already! The ground is so saturated that it will be a couple of months before I even need to use any of the water. Well, good thing is that we haven't had this much rain in about 10 years, and may not see this much for another 10 years.

Don't get me wrong, I love that the air is so clean and when the clouds are moving, there is a clear view of the snowy mountains and a beautiful clear blue sky. The clear sky doesn't stick around long enough to take pictures though. That is the hard part about using natural lighting. Just when I think I am getting a break to take pics and start setting everything up, the clouds huddle back over the sky as if t say "ha ha...got ya"! At least the weekend is expected to be really nice and clear, I guess I can wait one more day!

In the meantime, I do have some pics of notepads and notebooks that I have made over the past couple of months. I have started postng to my Etsy shop, so check them out and don't forget most of my items are one of a kind. I love special and large orders, so e-mail me and let's talk!

It's funny...I love making cards, but have been shifting more lately to stationery. Don't be surprised if you see more stationery than cards in my shop soon. I'll try to keep things balanced though!

Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Happy 2010...

Whew...made it to 2010! I have my little assembly line going getting notepads, thank you notes, valentine cards and gifts together. I have also added a line of monthly cards celebrating the sign and colors, so be on the lookout! I will also be attending more fairs this year and will be listing those as I get the dates. Oh and one more thing (for now) don't forget when you become a fan of Mocha Child Greetings on FaceBook you will receive free shipping (on orders of $15.00 or more), first dibs on new items, giveaways and more...

Have a safe weekend!

Happy Holidays...

Sending Holiday Greetings to everyone out there on this Christmas Eve. I wish for you and your family good health, togetherness, love, respect, and all that you desire in the coming year and in years to follow.

Peace and Blessings

2009...2010

With Christmas only one week away and 2010 speeding fast behind it...as with tradition (or just habit), now is the time for “2009 in Review”. We have seen the worst recession I have known in my 35 years in this form. We have all been affected directly or indirectly by unemployment, foreclosures and political backlash and false accusations.

We all know the details of the worlds’ ups and downs of 2009. I feel it is in all of our best interest to begin discussing more of what has happened that has been positive in 2009. First and foremost, we made it through this year! I felt like I have finally stopped going in circles in my “2009 maze” and am finally able to see another path opening up for me. For those that know, I purchased a home in 2008 so 2009 has been a financial roller coaster for me. No matter how small I thought the repair would be, the end cost was always higher. The kids are still growing and eating like horses and the income although stayed the same seemed to continue to decrease! It does help to know that I am not alone in this and I hope that by discussing it we can find that we are not in a fixed maze. No matter how many times we seem to go in that same circle and never notice another path, it doesn’t mean that it’s not there, maybe we just weren’t ready to see it. I know that I wasn’t. Summer came and the harvest was good and the kids were happy and I was happy and all of a sudden it seemed to stop and a reality hit me that I could never have imagined. We weren’t happy and things weren’t good. We, like so many, were getting by.

That realization is what has caused me to take a break and re-evaluate what I and my kids need! The fact of the matter is that they will only be this age and do what they are doing ONCE, and I don’t plan to miss it because I am too busy going to a job that is not fulfilling or trying to live up to some standard that I didn’t set. Now in no way does this mean that I am crazy enough to just quit my job, but it does mean that it is time to start living the life I have dreamed of and focus on those things that are most important not only to me and my family but to my community. The time that I would love to spend with kids, teaching (not in a school environment, but teaching just as well), the creative energy I would love to stop suppressing in the middle of the day, and the time I anticipate spending in my back yard in the garden with my kids and their friends and families…ok let me get back to my point I could go on forever!

The point is that though this has been a tough year, it has shown me a strength I didn’t know I had. A willingness to step away from the “normal” day to day work, kids, house…routine of a lifestyle that I used to think would be my life. I have never felt that the 9-5 monotony of the corporate world was for me, but I ended up there because the money was pretty good and it allowed for those weekends off and quite a few holidays. Somehow I needed something else. I needed to do what I am on this earth to do. To be an active mom, positive role model, mentor, activist, artist, etc. Now this doesn’t mean abandoning all of my current lifestyle, but it does mean a drastic adjustment is required. I wake up in the morning now knowing that I am on the right path. Finally I feel that I can be all of these things without giving up me! I feel that though there will be hard times, I have the understanding that this is life…hard times will come, but they are so minimal in comparison to the good times. You know if it wasn’t for my hard times, I wouldn’t stay focused. It wasn’t until those hard times that came this year that I started to evaluate my life and work and the life I wanted and knew was possible for me and my family.

So while some people are waiting for this year to be over (trust me I am one), it is important that 2010 is started with a focus and plan in the works now. Next year will be an open opportunity for all those looking to improve their life/situation. It doesn’t matter what it is, all that matters is that you took time to think about what it will/should be and you don’t wait! This is not a “resolution” those are easily broken. This is a life adjustment and it only works with a plan, determination and action. Oh yeah, the most important part of this is to know who you are right now. You will change throughout your life, but you can’t make a plan to do what you enjoy if you don’t even know what that is. Well this is like part one with lots more to come. I will be starting another blog soon to keep this one just about my business(s) and the other one about stuff, so look out for it. It’s on my list!

New Items...It's Time

For some strange reason, it takes longer and longer for me to take pics and post to my blog. My idea of a perfect work day would be my working on and finishing items and then taking awesome shots (with a lot less effort) and get them posted to my blog and etsy shop within 48 hours.

The reality is much slower. I will have a good productive day and it will take me a couple of weeks to get it posted. That would be ok if I were participating in shows the way I did last year…but that is not the case, so I have lots of completed items and I haven't taken pictures of about 1/4th of them. They are slowly on their way...

So here are some pics of cards and boxes that I will be posting to my shop soon.

The card is made from red handmade paper. It is from my handmade paper collection. The inside is fully lined with blank ivory paper and the outside has a handstamped tree scenery and "Thank You" sentiment in deep red. The ivory background is also dusted with copper giving it an antique look.

I love this tag set. I keep saying that if they don't sell, I will use them myself! But just in case you were wondering...they were made with green handmade paper. The tree is printed on thick paper and is glued to the 2" circle with foam adhesive for a 3-d effect. The string is a gold rope just as sparkly and perfect for the occasion.

My daughter is such a prissy little girl. She loves her jewelry and fashion and thing like that. When she saw these "trinket" boxes, she just wanted all of them. I managed to get a few from her and decorate them. They are all painted with regular latex house paint (let's just say I couldn't make up my mind on the colors of some of the rooms in my house) and finished up with paper. Some also have glitter and charms and ribbons... They fit perfectly on the dresser, just as decoration, key holder (my son says I shoul keep one of these for myself!), they can also be decorated to fit the design in a room in your house.

This card was inspired by daughter. I purchased a set of soft pastels and thought I could hide them from her. I think she smells out things she is not supposed to have! She took out three colors and started scribbling over the paper that I had previously cut. I showed her how to dust the colors and the focus sheet of this card is the end result. I added the coordinating background, the charm, and the sentiment. All in all I think she did a great job!

Last but not least is one that is still in my W.I.P (work in progress) bin waiting for the actual card and finishing with a sentiment. I came across some really nice rub-ons and thought they would fit perfectly with MC Greetings style. I will post all to my shop soon, but you are more than welcome to make a request for items by contacting me at mochachild07@gmail.com.
The kids have decided to start earning for their education (I think it's a trick really...my son loves video games and my daughter loves shoes, so we'll see..) and they will have sections in my shop to add their drawings, paintings, etc...Look out for those soon!