by Great Joy Studio | Jan 2, 2017 | Projects, Studio
Happy New Year!
Still seeking light. And still hopeful,
in more ways than just a bright, well lit work space of course.
However,
I decided to share the Joy Studio portion and progress on our big project, to start out the blog year.
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If you’ve been following us in the past two years you may remember that as we outgrew our work space it was necessary to rent additional office and Etsy shop storage areas. This was working out nicely until our shop managers MOVED! So, everything came back to the home studio causing quite the challenge in 2016.
Here’s the timeline in a photo nutshell.
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Moved From The Rental
Dinning Room Designated for Drawing
Made A Plan for On Site Studio
With the former home studio now full of fabric, office and Etsy shop we (I) decided to build on our home site. A scary project but a long time dream that I never thought would be realized. Still waiting but it’s looking like in 2017, it may really happen!
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Broke Ground Early July
Poured Foundation
Floor Went On
Walls Went Up
Roof Went On
Wrapped While Waiting for Windows
We were told the wait for windows would be five weeks! Then they came, in a big storm. Windows were wrong. It was then we discovered that two of the four walls were also, wrong. So, they came down and we waited for windows. And waited. And waited. It would be another five weeks. Second try, they were wrong again. Windows held up the studio project until December.
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Windows Deliver During A Storm
Walls Torn Down
Wait for Walls & Windows
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We kept going luckily, wrapping walls, running wires and having HVAC installed.
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Electric And Furnace Installed
Shake Siding
We couldn’t leave out a fireplace of course. Built by family and friends. Nice!
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Stone Fireplace
Insulated
As the new Joy Studio sits now, we are fully insulated and with the correct windows.
I am starting the new year working in the designated drawing station in the dinning room at my dad’s drawing table. I’m feeling snug and . . . GRATEFUL.
Dad’s Table & Palette Tin
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Looking forward to 2017 and I hope you feel the same.
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I almost forgot! We are having a FABRIC special!!
Use Code: january2017 for 25% off at,
Great Joy Studio Etsy Shop
Through January.
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by Great Joy Studio | Oct 3, 2016 | Art News, Quilting & Fabric, Spiritual
O C T O B E R
is a favorite month for me.
Whats not to like?
Cooler weather, leaves turning,
&
International Quilt Market!
So, it’s that time of year that many of us are beginning to feel the stress in
Seamstress
noun seam·stress \-strəs\
: a woman who sews clothes, curtains, etc., as a job
: a woman whose occupation is sewing
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Joy Studio is in the push mode of quilt market prep, again. God willing, we will be there with a new collection
&
some designs for a brand new product!
Booth #2534 with Quilting Treasures.
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A couple of sneak peeks,
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So why do you (I) worry ? Yikes!
Lots of work, never enough time.
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Stress reliever, reminder to self:
Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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We still . . . are having fun though . . between the stresses of life,
wherever we can grab it.
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God bless.
by Great Joy Studio | Jun 4, 2016 | Art News
For June,
my birthday month,
I’m sharing the process that I follow when creating art for product.
Here it is in a visual nutshell.
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The LANG 2017 “She Who Sews” calendar and related product.
Available on their site now!
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First, lots of sketches.
The mermaid was inspired by this cool antique, articulated fish needle case!
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When I am satisfied, I transfer the final sketch to watercolor paper and render in ink.
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Then I view on the computer to help decide on a color story.
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Next, I go to paint.
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After that it is scanned into the computer where the layout is refined.
At this stage I love to coordinate the image with encouraging verse content.
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Finally, the really fun part, seeing it on product.
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And who knows, maybe this could end up on fabric, eh?
You can watch for her later this summer at
Quilting Treasures!
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by Great Joy Studio | Mar 2, 2016 | Art News
Following Atlanta Gift Mart’s winter show in January, we made an announcement on Facebook about a new licensing partner.
This one just happens to be,
my first,
life as an artist,
lifetime goals.
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Our new partner for a calendar is with,
LANG Publishing!
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It’s AVAILABLE!
It has been a full year since our initial meeting there before seeing it come to fruition, but well worth the wait.
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Initial Meeting with Lang Jan. – 2015
I have purchased their cards and collected their calendars for numerous years which I have kept as sort of a family record. They reveal the appointments, events and common notes of our everyday life as it was, in any given year. All are recorded in the grids of the artful calendar products. The images were simply too beautiful to toss. I’m so glad to be able to go back over them now, as an actual member of the LANG family! Hard to believe, me.
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Our new LANG calendar is called She Who Sews for 2017 from the Handmaids® series. And today, my good friend and artist, Paula Joerling has posted about us in her seventh installation of,
The Story Behind the Art
on her studio blog,
Paula Joering Studio.
I invite you to hop over and check out our story.
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As an extra added treat,
during the development process additional art was also chosen from Handmaids® “Draw Near” group for the LANG spiral sketchbook products! I may need several dozen of these.
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We are over joyed for this wonderful dream partnership opportunity.
Thank you God!
And thank you Paula. 😉
by Great Joy Studio | Feb 11, 2016 | Studio
‘To err is human; to forgive, divine.’
An Essay on Criticism, Part II , 1711 – Alexander Pope
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Please F O R G I V E me participants!
Intense focus on a new collection caused me to
F O R G E T
the Where Women Create Studio Giveaway drawing!
Deadlines are not my strength however, this is the F I R S T one I ever missed on the blog. 🙁
So sorry.
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Seventy one of you wrote to us about your work spaces and it has been a delightful read. It seams we makers have such strong personal attachments to our work spaces, wherever they may be, that we are naturally interested in each others. And I am no different. I loved reading each one of your comments on one of my, favorite subjects, the studio!
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
to the 3 winners! Picked at random:
- Pamela Huntington
- Barbara Struve
- Carol Kussart
Please email us with your ship to info at janet@greatjoystudio.com to receive your prize!
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I sincerely appreciate all of you for sharing your creative retreats with us.
THANK YOU!
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Stay tuned, for the Handmaids® Challenge Giveaway 2016 announcement next month.
Btw~
Sometimes, especially during this freezing, snowy week in February, I actually like to work from my bed under a vintage quilt, as in this sneak peek on the lap top below!
😉
by Great Joy Studio | Jan 13, 2016 | Studio
Trying to reset!
Holidays, hospital & high water presented some creative challenges at our, year’s end.
Hopeful however,
for reaching new heights in 2016.
Time to stand firm . . .
&
get ready for taxes!
By the way,
don’t forget to leave a comment & tell us about your creative space on our
Where Women Create Blog Giveaway
on the post link below:
Joy Studio
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we are still on news stands until the end of this month,
in the
Where Women Create, Winter Issue.
