Sketchbook blog

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV) Matthew 5:16 Don't let anyone take your light!  And make sure to share your light with anyone who needs it.   Remember that there are many folks going through their own version of darkness -- they could use your inspiring spirit to remind them that life can be happy and good.  An encouraging smile, a helping hand, an act of kindness -- choose a way to let your light shine this week.

I don't usually post much about my life behind the scenes, but I will confess that March has been a hard month (and it's not over yet).  The past two Wednesdays have found me in the emergency room.  First, we watched over my daughter, and then last week, my family watched over me. I am praying for better health for all of us.   Things were not pretty while I was sick with the norovirus.  A full-time working mom pregnant with baby no. 3, I missed some important deadlines while I was in a nauseous land of forgetfulness.  Although I could barely remember my name, I did not recognize that precious time was passing and I was out of luck on several fronts. As I have attempted to recover, the words of this song have come to mind several times.  I continue to lose the battle of too many tasks vs. too little energy.  But when I begin to feel overwhelmed, I try to remember that there is Balm in Gilead. The expression comes from Old Testament...

Since December 2013, I have been selling my art through Art-o-mat   which has a mission of vending art in refurbished cigarette machines.  You can see some of the locations where I've sold my art on the above map.  (I cropped Hawaii off the map this time in order to zoom in.) (If you are an Art-o-mat artist and want to make a map of your own, then check out this blog post where I walk you through this step by step.) Recently, my Endearing Young Charms  (EYC) series has been my focus.  The goal of this series is to provide affordable, fun, youthful handmade bottlecap jewelry for the public. I recently received two very kind emails from patrons of my EYC series.  One patron bought her floral necklace in New Mexico.  Another customer, eight-year-old Aliette, bought her necklace at the New Museum Los Gatos   (NUMU). Here is a shot of the machine at NUMU, courtesy of Art-o-mat. Here is Aliette's sweet email: Hi im  Aliet...

Today, I'm so excited to tell you that I have opened my new  Endearing Young Charms   shop . You can see the five different necklaces I have for sale below. Click on the picture below to go to the store or visit  nicolearnold.bigcartel.com Currently, all 26 letters of the alphabet are available, but they will go quickly.   Here are some views of random letters below. You can also find an Easter Chick, 4 little arrows, a Good Luck necklace (for St. Patty's Day), and a yummy cupcake! I'm offering them for $5.00 each, plus shipping (as a shop-opening incentive). I'm so happy to share my new shop with you, and I look forward to changing out  these bottlecap necklaces with new inventory. Enjoy!