Charlie the Artist Adventurer =)

Sorry for the Delay =-o

I will be posting again soon!

My New Charmed Blog

I decided to try out BlogCharm. Hey, if someone offers to pay you to blog, it just seems logical to at least try it. And customizing the templates seems easier than Blogger, my current blog host. I'm still kind of new at the whole blog thing and I'm trying different things. My new one is creating new silly holidays. If I'm faithful at that, I should have 365 this year (man, that's a lot for me!). I'm also thinking of putting the designs on my shirts, too (again, that's a lot for me!). Anyway, check it out at http://www.blogcharm.com/happyblog/

In Stores NOW!

Well, I finally got my shirts in a store! Bradley's Gifts and Goodies in Knoxville, Tennessee now carries the ScripShirts shirts! \o/ Bradley's is a small family business that sells an (awesome) assortment of chocolates and candies as well as the cutest gifts around Knoxville. I'm just super happy that they believe in ScripShirts!

More Cake!

I think I use too many exclamation points(!). Just wanted to share some other cakes I made. Not that they're SO great, but it's fun for me and the kids, and they're better than those boring old cakes with the little candy flowers on them(!).

The first one is the "Tornado Cake". I found this cool cake spray to spray all the color on, then I used chocolate sprinkles as 'debris' and I also found these spiral candles which went with the whole tornado theme.

The second one is Patrick from SpongeBob (kind of a simple version of him). I was actually going to do SpongeBob but I forgot to get yellow, but we had plenty of blue and red(!). Maybe if I get better at this, I can incorporate it into ScripShirts somehow(!)... not sure.
ChUck

Inspiration and Ideas

So, back to business (if I can call it that). Finding ideas for Christian shirts is almost like finding ideas for songs to write (http://charlieandheather.com/blogs/blog_charlieandheather.html). There's either inspiration or and idea.

INSPIRATION
One of the famous places people (including me) get inspiration is in the shower. Or I'll be listenening to something, like a sermon at church, or TV or even a song, and get inspiration. Almost like a picture to illustrate what I'm listening to. Then, in my mind I get all kinds of ideas that I can create from that. The problem is, that in my mind, everything is already done. And it's sometimes hard to translate the abstract pictures in my head into something that people can relate to.

I often think that my ideas aren't good enough for others to be interest in. But then I think about all the things that I see everyday that I think aren't that great, but people are buying them. The "singers" that can't sing, but people are listening to them. So if I think that my ideas might be good enough, chances are there are some others that will too. I guess I can be my own worst critic. But, as an artist, that's probably a good thing.

IDEAS
An idea is usually something I get from seeing or hearing something that already exists. For example, being in the graphic design field, you meet a lot of people that design their own Christmas cards. So why couldn't I do that too. I just did it in my own way. I made my kids draw all the pictures (Fuzz is Good). I guess the differnece is that ideas don't have all the magical(ness) that inspiration has.

Anyway, I notice that what makes people successful is that they're always trying. I can't stop, even if I think my ideas aren't that great. I know I'm not the best, but I also know that I'm not the worst. But if I stop trying, I'll never know.

Holy "Out of Shape" Batman!

Twister can be hazzardous to your health! Remember Twister? It came out before most of us were even born. Well I just realized yesterday, that you never really get tangled up with anyone else like they show on the cover (and in the OLD commercials). Everyone pretty much keeps to their own quadrant; which still, hurts! Especially if you're over 30 (and out of shape). Three things that I figured out about Twister while playing yesterday:

Stretch before you play (a lot)!
Don't play with little kids (unless they don't mind getting kicked in the face)
Be prepared to play for a LONG time

My kids can play this forever. Well, it's the kinds of things you do with your kids to kill time if you're home a lot. Kind of gives me an idea for a shirt!? Another thing to do is Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (awesome game)... but that's another post.

Happy Birthday!

I don't know how, but over the years I've become Mr. Birthday Cake Designer. I guess it started with my son Phillip. He loves the weather and not much else. Tornados, hurricanes, precipitation... all that. It's hard to please him unless it has to do with something he really likes. Anyway, for his birthday in 2004, I made him a "Tornado Cake". I painted a picture of a tornado on his cake with chocolate sprinkles as debris. Well, it became a tradition, that, for everyone's birthday, I would design their cake. It's usually nothing really elaborate, just a little different. This one is one I made for my daughter Harmony's birthday in 2005. It's a sun flower with Hershey Kisses for pedals. These are the kinds of things I do :) ...just thought I'd share that this morning at 4:00 am. What is going on with me!!? I gotta get to sleep!

Fuzz is Good!

I almost forgot about CHRISTmas! We haven't sent out Christmas cards in, like, forever!! But, this year (actually last year - 2005) we finally did. I thought it would be cute to make a card and send it out. Then, I though it would be EXTRA cute to have the kids make it. So I put 2 & 2 together and let the kids draw all the pictures and then put them all together... with their heads on elf bodies! I think it came out pretty cute.

I wanted them all to take part in it instead of me just hogging it all up. We try to do as much as we can with them, as a family. It's all about giving. I want them to grow up remembering all the things we used to do together when they were young. I'm always thinking of the things I did as a kid, and it makes me feel all 'fuzzy' and stuff. That's that same 'fuzz' I want them to feel when they are older! Fuzz is good!

Valentines Day

If you haven't already visited ScripShirts, you probably don't know that I'm also designing Greeting Cards. Well, I have 2 right now, but I'm gonna get more up soon I promise =)

Anyway, I think a good idea is to target holidays. Especially for Greeting Cards. I've just designed a Valentines Day card. One with a boy and one with a girl so both can use it! And I'm also in the process of designing a VDay shirt too.

Sometimes I look back and realize how many designs I could have by now if i would have just designed one shirt a day, or 2 or 3 a week. Well, I can't regret the past, I can only do something about the future! It's pretty hard sometimes, working from home, to get things done. Especially when we're homeschooling our 4 kids. That's what prayer is for (something I really need to do more of). And reading the bible too. Although, I have found that when I design a shirt, I do quite a bit of bible reading just trying to look for a verse that fits. But, It still is something I need improvement on.

Anyway, enough of me. Tomorrow's another day. Lord, help me to trust You more.
Chuck