my fist time.

so i was approached by this lovely lady at the valentine's trunk show who purchased my last heart worm note card and then got to thinking about some invitations she needed made for an upcoming party.

we got to talking and later got to emailing and i took on the project. it was my first foray into making printed matter on commission. i've been avoiding such activity because i find commissioned work totally nerve wracking. when it comes to working on demand, it seems you've either got it or you've not got it. i feel as though i've not got it. it's just so much easier for me to make things without worrying about someone else's pleasure of them. and in a case like this, where the imagery has to symbolize the union of two people - whoa, the pressure!

all that said, my commissioners (probably the wrong word) were incredible to work with on this, my first project. they supplied me with great imagery as a starting point, gave me lots of flexibility, and totally appreciated the general handmadeness of my approach.

would i work on commission like this again? hard to say. part of me doesn't want to taint this experience with anything else. i also charged way too little (without regrets, guys, this was a learning process for me) and would have a more realistic pricing scheme for future projects. but who knows? i actually think i may have already committed to doing road merch for my friends, woodhands.

oh, and as an aside, i saw emily martin of the black apple on martha stewart today chatting about etsy and making dolls. what a thrill! i guess this indie handmade thing has arrived. congratulations, emily!