Fish In The Attic Studio

It's FASHION WEEK in NEW YORK! Where's Tim Gunn?

2011-02-11T16:57:00.004-05:00

Inspired by New York Fashion Week in the big apple, I've created four new cards to commemorate the event! Using stamps from the Stampsmith's NY collection, I've combined landmark spots in the city with vintage images of mid-century fashion. These adorable "ladies" come from my collection of vintage ephemera, including illustrations from sewing patterns and advertisements. They are "collaged" with patterned papers and hand stamped designs, to create what I think to be cute and kitchy cards!

All of the cards shown are available in my shop on Etsy:
http://www.fishintheatticstudio.etsy.com/

Vintage Ladies Unite!

2010-06-08T15:21:00.003-04:00

I've gone crazy, collecting vintage 1950's era ads of beautiful women, handsome men and darling children! The style of illustration of that time is so captivating to me, the technique so distinct. I browse Etsy and eBay, searching for these lovely treasures. For my Mother's Day gift, I chose to buy ad pages from vintage magazines of the 40's and 50's in lieu of flowers or candy. That's how crazy I am about them!

Here is a card I designed using one of my Stampsmith stamps of a cute trio of bathing beauties. I've combined it with a gorgeous image of a very handsome couple of the era, having drinks on the beach. I chose to use colors as vivid as those found in the vintage image, and I think the effect is wonderful!

Again, I have combined a Stampsmith stamp, this one is "Wanda", with another vintage 50's era image of a very attractive lady from my collection. I thought the resemblance was remarkable! The theme I chose for this card was the romance of Paris! This woman looks like she could have been found sauntering about on the Paris boulevards back in the day!

My tags are in a giveway!

2010-05-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

Starting Saturday, May 1st, my "Little Girl" gift tags became the giveaway in a contest hosted by the Old Fashioned Living website. The site features home, family, food, gardening and more. The typical reader loves anything Victorian, antique, tea related, green living, recipes and keepsake crafts.

Old Fashioned Living offers it's readers a monthly giveaway contest, sponsored by a handmade crafter, and in return, promotes their shop or website. The chief editor contacted me after finding my work on Etsy and asked me to participate. So, go to the link below and enter as many times as you like. Maybe you'll be the lucky winner!

http://oldfashionedliving.com/Contest.html

Just Another Day of Beauty!

2010-04-15T11:40:00.006-04:00

This is another card created for the Stampsmith blog. It started with the stamp of the adorable 50's era ladies (Those Were the Days) under the driers. As I looked at these two, I tried to imagine what was being discussed. Even though the gal on the left (clearly the younger of the two) is smiling, I thought it might be under duress. Then I remembered another stamp, also from the 50's, of a perky gal with her morning cup of coffee (Coffee Gal), and I put the two together.

Now, we all know why she has that smile on her face, despite the barrage of gossip being hurled at her. She found her own way to endure a morning at the beauty parlor!

Please visit my shop on Etsy for more cards:
http://www.fishintheatticstudio.etsty.com/

The stamps highlighted above are available from the Stampsmith:

http://www.stampsmith.net/

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" with Audrey

2010-04-15T08:59:00.003-04:00

I created this card as a design team member for the Stampsmith blog. They have a wonderful collection of images of the gorgeous and stunning Audrey Hepburn. So, once again I was drawn to using her beautiful face in one of my creations.

This stamp captures an illustration of her character, Holly Golightly, from the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I paired the "Tiffany & Co" stamp with a vintage lace stamp to create an elegant, yet playful look.

This card is available for purchase in my shop on Etsy:
http://www.fishintheatticstudio.etsy.com/

Some girls have just got "it"!

2010-03-23T13:38:00.007-04:00

There's something about movie stars that we just can't resist, especially the ones that have that "it" factor! Two such stars, in my opinion, would be Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. They were both so beautiful and glamorous in such different ways. Marilyn naturally exuded pure sex appeal that drove men wild, and Audrey had a quiet, elegant beauty that made people love her!

As a design team member for the Stampsmith, I've created the following cards which depict stamped images of these two great motion picture screen legends.

Marilyn is shown wearing a soft, floaty tulle skirt, which evokes the innocent side of her personality. It was easy to depict her as an angel, complete with wings!

Audrey is shown dressed as a beautiful bejeweled princess. I thought any little girl would dream of being just like her one day!
These cards are available for sale on Etsy:

http://www.fishintheatticstudio.etsy.com/

Check out the Stampsmith blog:

http://www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com/

Stamping with ROCK & ROLL LEGENDS

2010-03-01T11:05:00.005-05:00

As you all know, I have been a contributor to the Stampsmith blog since October. They recently put out a call for new design team members, since the 6 month stint had ended for the team. I am honored to say that Estelle and Kim have asked me to stay on and continue contributing to the blog. It is a true compliment, and I am grateful and flattered!

Rock & Roll Legends!
Jim Morrison

Janis Joplin

Jimi Hendrix

John Lennon

My first contribution is a set of cards using the Stampsmith's hand carved set called Rock & Roll. It features some of the great legends like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. These were some of the people I listened to in Junior High School, back in the 70's. I incorporated the bold colors, psychedelic patterns and flower-power motifs of that period.

These cards are available for sale on my Etsy shop:

www.fishintheatticstudio.esty.com

THE CIRCLE OF ART

2010-02-05T15:08:00.005-05:00

Recently, I've been fascinated with illustrated ads from 1950's era magazines, the stylized technique, the colors and the images of life at that time. Most are of glamorous women displaying cosmetics, silverware or jewelry. I purchased a number of them from my fellow Etsy sellers, and have compiled a very lovely collection. I incorporate the images into my artwork, which I then sell on Etsy.

Today, I shot a couple of quick convos to the sellers, letting them know that I had used their ads on some cards. One of them, NotGrandmasVintage, sent me a lovely note and asked if she could feature my card on her blog. She made an interesting point, that we're all connected in the circle of art, so to speak. The seller sells something, that gets incorporated into a piece of art, which when sold, gets enjoyed by yet another!

Here are the cards made from the ads.

Please check out Kim's blog and read what she wrote!

NotGrandmasVintage
http://kimmy1013.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-little-things.html

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

2009-12-22T23:02:00.004-05:00

From our family to yours, we wish you the best holiday season ever, and a prosperous New Year!

Santa's The Star

2009-12-01T12:03:00.002-05:00

Using my collection of vintage turn-of-the-century Santa postcards, I had copies reduced and made these charming Santa gift tags. They are little mini collages and incorporate hand stamped images with sentiments of the season. They're perfect for packages, wine bottles or even ornaments for the tree!

These tags are available at http://www.fishintheatticstudio.etsy.com/

Vintage Ephemera Makes Great Cards!

2009-11-14T01:01:00.004-05:00

Birthday Boy Greeting Card
I couldn't resist this adorable baby boy blowing out the candle of his first birthday cake. He came from a watch ad, in a 1940's magazine, that I recently purchased on Etsy. I had him color copied and reduced in size, at the local printer, then incorporated him into this cute card that I am selling on Etsy. I have an extensive collection of turn-of-the-century vintage ephemera that I've been using in my work, but just recently began buying mid-century ads for their retro appeal. Keep following to see what other finds I turn into greetings!
www.fishintheatticstudio.etsy.com

FALLING LEAVES AND MANY THANKS

2009-11-13T14:28:00.004-05:00

This is a card I designed for the Stampsmith blog. The image is of a park in Paris, where the autumn leaves have already fallen. It is a photo stamp, which is made from an original photo, this one a vintage scene. The image is made into a rubber stamp, which can be inked and impressed on paper. The skeletal leaves are also stamps that were embossed in copper.

IS IT HALLOWEEN LOVE?

2009-10-16T13:09:00.004-04:00

I got inspired by this Stampsmith image when I was searching for a Halloween card idea. What if the picture of this amorous couple wasn't all that it seemed? What if he were really someone dark and sinister? Is it love or just another pain in the neck? I guess we'll never know for sure!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Visit and view my post on The Stampsmith blog:

www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com

Paris Inspired Cards

2009-10-05T12:24:00.010-04:00

For my guest artist submission to the Stampsmith blog, I designed a trio of cards inspired by the vintage style "Paris" stamp plate. I selected the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, and stamped each one with a different ink color. Then I color coordinated the cards using the three colors: eggplant, cranberry and mustard.

A young romantic couple smooches at Notre Dame Cathedral!

The Eiffel Tower, as seen through beautiful iron gates, has a majestic quality all it's own!

A vintage image of the Arc de Triomphe looks as grand then as is does today!

The Stampsmith blog:
http://www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com/

The Stampsmith website:

http://www.thestampsmith.com/

A Birthday Card with a Jolt!

2009-09-30T13:49:00.004-04:00

I created this birthday card for The Stampsmith blog using the "Coffee Gal" stamp. She is the epitome of the 1950's housewife, with that June Cleaver twinkle in her eye. The background paper screamed 50's to me, with those starbursts that were so popular in wallpaper, drapes and clocks. She's got her morning java, and she's toasting your birthday with "Here's mud in your eye!".

Visit The Stampsmith blog to see more:
http://www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com/

Guest Artist for The Stampsmith!

2009-09-25T11:31:00.008-04:00

I have been asked to be a guest artist for The Stampsmith blog, during the months of September and October. I am very excited to participate with such a great team of artists!

The Stampsmith, carries an exquisite line of rubber art stamps, including many vintage designs. Artists worldwide are featured on their website. Estelle, the owner, happens to live in nearby Huntington. She generously supplied me with stamps to create artwork to post on their blog. Here are just a few samples of cards created with these stamps.

" Wedding Bells" shows a romantic vintage couple who look like silent movie stars.

"Just Married" features an adorable newlywed couple in their old "jalopy"!

The Stampsmith blog:

http://www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com/

The Stampsmith website:

http://www.stampsmith.net/

HALLOWEEN GREETING CARDS

2009-09-23T13:18:00.005-04:00

Here are a couple of Halloween cards I created last week for sale on Etsy, and the witch already sold!
Dreamy Witch Card
Monster Baby Card

Birthday Butterfly Girl

2009-09-23T13:01:00.003-04:00

Over the summer, I created a card for my daughter's friend's birthday. I often use a rubber stamp that resembles my daughter when making cards or goody bag toppers for school. It sets them apart from everyone else, and there is no mistaking who it came from. The card recipient was a seven year old girl, so I created this adorable butterfly fairy who happens to look like my daughter.

Dance School Treasure Boxes

2009-09-23T11:48:00.010-04:00

My younger daughter attends Steppin Out Dance Studio, owned by the lovely "Miss Kathy". When she learned of my creative endeavors and saw some of my card designs, she commissioned me to make a gift for each of her three graduating seniors. We agreed upon a decoupaged wooden box, where the girls could keep their treasured possessions.

I hand stamped various papers and book text with images that related to dance, and inspirational sentiments relating to their future journey in life. I then decoupaged the paper to the top and sides of the boxes, which I had painted in different colors. Finally, I antiqued the surface and applied a light mist of fine glitter. Miss Kathy was very pleased and has encouraged me to set up in her lobby, a display of my work.

California Dreaming

2009-09-22T21:39:00.005-04:00

We took the kids to California in August, starting in San Francisco and making our way down the coast to San Diego. One of their favorite days, of course, was at Sea World. Both got to experience the dolphins up close! Overall, it was an exhausting trip, but worth every minute.

Summer Synopsis

2009-09-22T14:25:00.012-04:00

Welcome back! Today is the Autumnal Equinox! It seems I took the summer off, although that was not my plan!

We kept pretty busy between camps, beach jaunts and vacation. My little one went to dance camp and culture camp, and the latter was featured on our local TV station, News 12 Long Island. My older daughter attended marching band camp, as an incoming freshman. She plays the flute, and in addition to football games, she will be performing at the Newsday Marching Band Festival at Hofstra University. It features the best local marching bands and will be available on YouTube.

In July, my husband decided for his birthday, to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. So we parked in Brooklyn, and walked across to lower Manhattan. We had a great pizza dinner in Little Italy at Lombardi's, the oldest pizzaria in the US. Zagat's says, "Best on the planet."

My very own Cinderella!

2009-06-29T21:38:00.007-04:00

My daughter graduated from middle school on Tuesday, June 24th, and on Wednesday the class had their 8th grade dance, which was held on cruise boat off the south shore of Long Island. It was not supposed to be dressy, but we suspected a lot of the girls would dress up anyway. This was an opportunity for her to have her first cocktail dress and high heeled shoes. So, I took her shopping at the local department stores, and pretty quickly, she found two dresses she liked. We took both home to decide which she preferred, and even enlisted friends in the decision making. Between coral and blue-green, most chose the coral, so that became the one. When the day came, she had her hair curled and her nails done, and when she donned that dress, she became a beautiful princess. Of course, in my opinion, she was the most beautiful young girl there! She and her friends had a great time, despite the rain, and I think it will be a night to remember! In September, she's is off to high school, and many more adventures!

HERE COME THE BRIDES!

2009-06-18T14:21:00.004-04:00

It's June and wedding season is upon us, so I decided to make some cards featuring brides. This one is particularly cute because she's holding a Coca Cola bottle and the sentiment reads "Cherish true love". But, does this refer to the marriage or the drink? It depends on the giver, and can mean whatever they wish to express to the recipient!

Queen of the Yard Sale!

2009-06-14T15:02:00.032-04:00

Last weekend, on a beautiful sunny Saturday, my seven year old daughter and I went to a local church yard sale. We browsed around from table table, until she was able to find some books that she liked. She's a new reader, and she's building her library of books.

At one table I saw a old wire egg basket, the kind where the handles fold down, and the rim fold down like petals. At the same table I spotted an old game from 1960 called "The Barbie Game: Queen of the Prom". The colors are vivid, and the graphics have a sketchy quality, so typical of the period. The playing cards depict beautiful party dresses and evening gowns, handsome boyfriends named Ken and Poindexter, with crew cuts and thick glasses, and club activities like drama and scholarship. You could land on "He criticizes your hair-do, go to beauty shop" if you're not lucky, or "He asks you to go steady" if you are. I couldn't resist buying it for $8.00, plus the egg basket for $1.00. I hope to incorporate it into some of my work.

Well, this started our season of yard sale cruising, and you never know what great treasures we may unearth. Keep you posted!

You're never too old to make new friends!

2009-06-05T15:38:00.018-04:00

I made a new friend today, and it's an interesting story!

Not long after I opened my shop on Etsy last October, I was browsing the feature that allows you to find other sellers in your area. I found one located here in Northport, a stay-at-home mom with young kids who was also trying to turn her creative passion into a business. I contacted her and we e-mailed several times. She was wondering if I had any tips on getting that first sale on Etsy. I shared what I thought was helpful, and shortly thereafter we lost touch.

On May 13th, I started this blog, and contacted as many people I could think of to share my stories, and hopefully, draw a following. Yesterday, I gained my 5th follower, and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was my long lost friend, Vera! She had kept our e-mails, and checked in to see how my shop was doing, and that's when she found my blog address.

To make a long story short, it turns out we live within walking distance, and our kids attend the same elementary school. We spoke on the phone for an hour, and I think we have a lot in common. We both became moms later in life, love gardening, cooking and baking. I've traveled her street many times, and know a lot of her neighbors. She house hunted near my home, and as soon as I mentioned the barn in my yard, she knew exactly where I lived. And of course, we share the same dream, of turning our creative passions into a business, which would allow us to remain home with our kids. The next step is to meet, and that will be another blog post!

So no, we are never to old to make new friends. They just might be right around the corner!

Please visit Vera's blog: Emily Lane Studio on my blog list.

Boys and Bucking Broncos!

2009-06-04T13:33:00.018-04:00

Yesterday, I featured little girls in my work, and today it's the boys turn! I created two new cards for Etsy with a cowboy/western theme! Aren't they cute?

These cards are available on Etsy.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

2009-06-03T11:42:00.020-04:00

For the last fourteen years, my life has been about little girls. So naturally, I'm drawn to beautiful vintage images of litte girls that I use in my work. Here are some of my girls!

These gift tags are available on Etsy.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS UNITE!

2009-06-02T13:49:00.010-04:00

Country Living Magazine's
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS SEMINAR

I'm back from Chicago and ready to report my findings!

First, let me tell about my trip. Using hotels.com I located what I thought was a reasonably priced room for Chicago, $108 per night, having stayed downtown for more. The description was for an older hotel from the roaring twenties, set in a neighborhood with shops, restaurants, and more. It got good ratings from visitors, so I booked. What I didn't know was that Oak Park was a little further from downtown than I had stayed before.

The Write Inn Hotel is set in the historic district of Oak Park, Illinois. It was built in 1926 as a SRO (short residency occupancy), and eventually evolved into the 65 room hotel of today. Oak Park has some of the finest examples of Frank Lloyd Wright designs in the country, as well as Victorian and Prairie style homes. Ernest Hemingway's birthplace is nearby and the Hemingway Museum is directly across the street from the hotel.

As I rode in the airport van I had hired for the round trip, I began to get nervous as we seemed to be getting farther and farther from the city. But, as soon as we turned onto N. Oak Park Ave., and I saw the "L" train, I began to relax. The description also said that the train was a short ride and about 9 miles to the Navy Pier, where the WE Seminar was to be held.

My first night, I took a short walk to the Avenue Lake Plaza District. I visited their beautiful new library, browsed in book stores, stopped in The Paper Source, a great stationary chain that we don't have here in NY, and had a bite at one of my favorite eateries, Panera Bread.

The next morning I grabbed a quick chai tea and muffin, and jumped on the green line heading for downtown. The very nice woman at the front desk gave me the directions to the Navy Pier, which involved one train, one bus and the free trolley, all for only $5 round trip. Time consuming, but a great buy for the money.

Country Living Magazine really puts on a fantastic seminar for women entrepreneurs. The Navy Pier was a new venue for the event, since attendance keeps growing each year by about 200, and there must have been 700 women, or more! They come from all over the country, all different backgrounds and all types of businesses, and all are there to launch a business, or take what they've started to the next level. I was lucky enough to meet three Chicago natives, Janet, Vicki and Mary, immediately after arriving, and we enjoyed the seminar together. I hope to stay in touch with these terrific ladies, and watch them "bank on their bliss"!

The guest speakers and panelists were interviewed by the editor-in-chief and other editors. Some of the speakers included: Rosanna Bowles, owner of an international tableware company; Margaret Josephs, founder of The Macbeth Collection, a designer and manufacturer of home and office accessories, desired by the likes of Oprah and Jennifer Anitston; and Mary Liz Curtin, writer, speaker and consultant specializing in the gift and home industries, just to name a few. To close the event, five of the women entrepreneurs featured in the June 2009 issue, spoke about the struggles and triumphs of starting their businesses, and inspired all of the attendees to keep at it as well.

When I leave this event, I'm always motivated to continue on my journey, to see where the road takes me, and to inspire others along the way! If you made it through this post, I hope it inspired you too!

The glamorous Audrey Hepburn!

2009-05-28T14:17:00.009-04:00

My "Audrey Hepburn Your a Star" card was posted on The Stampsmith blog today! She is one of their many movie star themed rubber stamps that I happen to own. Although it already sold on Etsy, I wanted to share it with everyone! Check it out!

I'll be submitting more cards in the future, so keep watching!

www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com

Chicago, Here I Come!

2009-05-27T14:40:00.009-04:00

On Friday, May 29th, I will travel to Chicago to attend Country Living Magazine's "Women Entrepreneurs Seminar", which will be held on Saturday May 30th. This marks my 3rd year, and I am very excited to see and hear what they have in store!

The seminar is designed to support, inform, and inspire woman to "bank on their bliss"! In other words, find your creative passion and turn it into a paycheck! The panelists are some of the country's leading women entrepreneurs and business owners. They feature topics like launching, networking, marketing, e-commerce, and this year they are discussing trade shows. The magazine is currently featuring it's newest group of entrepreneurs, some of whom will be present this weekend. It's such a thrill to hear the inspiring stories of how some of these businesses came about!

I highly recommend attending this seminar in the future! I'll report back next week!

Here's the website: http://www.countryliving.com/women

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

2009-05-25T14:15:00.013-04:00

Today is Memorial Day, and we walked downtown with some friends to watch our village's annual parade, honoring our soldiers, past and present. The veterans lay wreaths at various monuments around town to remember our fallen heroes, some of which are quite young given the current war. It's a good reason to come together, to listen to the high school marching band, salute the volunteers of the local fire department, and wave to friends marching with the girl scouts. But for me, it gives a feeling of community and belonging, and that is what we want most of all for ourselves and our kids.

Design team update

2009-05-19T12:42:00.012-04:00

Unfortunately, I got news over the weekend that I was not selected at this time for the Stampsmith design team. Kim was very complimentary of my work and I was encouraged to try again in November for the next open call. I was, however, invited to be a Guest Designer on their blog for the month of September. This would be the next best thing, and I'm thrilled to have been asked! So, I'll keep you posted on when to look for my guest appearance.

Congrats to the ladies who made the team, I'll be looking for your great design ideas!

Here is the link to The Stampsmith blog, please check it out!

http://www.thestampsmith.blogspot.com/

I Love My Bird Tags!

2009-05-18T10:28:00.033-04:00

These are a few of my handmade bird themed tags that I sell on Etsy, "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade". Birds and nests are so very popular at the moment, and I see them in all areas of home decor. Maybe the appeal has to do not only with their beauty, but our desire to reconnect with natural simplicity in our lives.

The bird images on my tags are copied from original Victorian era trade cards from my collection. I've been collecting these beautiful miniature prints for several years because of the unique design images and brilliant colors. The printing process, chromolithography, was done on limestone printing slabs, and has become a lost art.

My tags incorporate bird and nest images, along with vintage book pages, beautifully printed patterned papers, rubber stamp images, with bits of vintage seam binding and mini scrabble tiles. They look great adorning a simply wrapped gift box, tied to a gift bottle or just hanging from a furniture knob.

My Beautiful Flowers!

2009-05-17T19:58:00.005-04:00

My girls on Mother's Day at the arboretum.

My Mother's Day Visit to the Arboretum

2009-05-15T12:39:00.029-04:00

As always, Mom gets to choose what she wants to do on Mother's Day!

When the kids were small, Dad got to be "Mom" for the day, so the real mom got to garden without interruptions. That was a big deal back then, because as you moms know, as soon as you get started, someone needs you for something. Don't get me wrong, I love my motherly duties, but gardening back then was one of my few creative outlets, and I truly cherished every back breaking moment! One year, my friend next door and I were each working simultaneously on our front gardens while the guys sat on the porch relaxing. Who knows where the kids were, but Dad was in charge and it wasn't my concern at that point. Luckily, it turned out fine for all, and to this day my husband thinks he got the better end of the deal.

Now that the kids are older and I can garden when they're in school, I like to find things that we can do as a family. Ultimately it's my day, so it has to be something that I like and hopefully no one will complain. This year I chose the local arboretum. This way I can look at the beautiful flowers without doing the work. The property is a former Gold Coast estate with gardens and greenhouses to explore, and great big lawns for running or playing Frisbee. It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed happy! I took some photos in the greenhouse of my girls and some of the flowers. What more could a mom want?

Actually, I did get more! On the way home we stopped at a little Thai place that we had tried once before and loved. So, we all had a great meal and everyone was happy!

Hope all of you moms had a great day too!

Things are blooming in my garden!

2009-05-14T09:14:00.004-04:00

It's been such a pleasure to go outdoors lately, now that spring has come to the Northeast. The bleeding hearts are blooming, along with tulips, daffodils and grape hyacinths, my daughter's favorite because they look like little grapes. Many of my perennials are waiting in the wings for their turn to shine. As a matter of fact, I have entered a local street garden contest, designed to encourage villagers to cultivate beauty for passersby, since we are a "walking" village. Three gardens will win top honors and receive a plaque to display in their garden, but everyone else will get recognition for participating. Wish me luck!

My Maiden Voyage!

2009-05-13T11:53:00.006-04:00

Hello out there in blog land! This is my maiden launch! This is opening day of my very own, brand new, first time blog!

I am absolutely thrilled and utterly terrified all at the same time! Of course, I want to make the best impression and totally WOW everyone the first time out, so I'll do my best. Here it goes!

I'm Karen Fisher, a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls, with a hardworking husband and a Ragdoll cat. I worked for many years as an interior designer, in both commercial and residential design, having graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

Since staying home with my kids, I've channeled my creativity into a small craft business that I've named Fish In The Attic Studio. I love creating handmade cards and tags, decoupage accessories, faux floral designs and hand sewn Christmas stockings. Many of these items can be found on my Etsy shop, which I opened October 2008. I love selling on Etsy, and I especially love the wonderful people I've connected with on the site, both buyers and sellers. They have proven to be a very creative, exuberant and supportive group, which is what I hope to find in the blogging community as well. So shop Etsy for all things handmade!

I am currently applying for for a design team position with The Stampsmith, and one of the requirements was having a blog to promote their rubber stamp line, so what better reason to start. If I am fortunate enough to make the team, please look for beautiful card designs using their unique vintage style photo stamps.

Part of my research into blogging came from reading Somerset Studio's Artful Blogging magazine. It has great articles by many talented artisans successful with blogging, and photos of their work is stunning.

So, here I am giving it a try! I know it will get better with time, and I welcome any critiques, suggestions and support! Thank you for visiting and hope to see you again!

Sincerely grateful,
Karen