Web Sale Tease...

Yesterday, I happily finished a collection of ten, one of a kind originals for this-coming Wednesday evening's web sale! JP and I spent our Friday night taking their photos for all of the sale graphics I will need to create ~ it's quite the task... Along the way, we had a little fun with some teaser pics which I will post below. If you would like more information about my Black & White Delight Web Sale, please visit my Folk Art Originals page and join my mailing list. There's a quick sign-up form as you scroll down. And, if I have time to spare, perhaps I will complete a few more goodies to add to the collection. Have a wonderful weekend, and perhaps I'll see you on Wednesday!

~ Johanna



* Remember, if you see something you wish to adopt on sale night, please email me with the name of the piece so I can reserve it for you.



Photography, © 2011 Johanna Parker Design, LLC

Mark Your Calendars...

Finally, my friends, I have committed to my first Web Sale of the Year! I am working feverishly on a collection of one of a kind Halloween characters, all donning a vintage style, Black & White motif. This event starts on the evening of Wednesday, May 25th, so save the date! I will be updating the Folk Art Originals page of my website, so remember to refresh your browser as the sale begins. For the exact start time, please Join my Mailing List by clicking on the owl image on the right sidebar. See you there & thanks for your interest!

~ Johanna :)

Familiar Friends EHAG Challenge...

This week, a handful of EHAG artisans, including myself are offering our latest Challenge art pieces. The theme is "Familiar Friends". For those of you, ~unfamiliar~ with this term, keep reading for a little background history. My collectible piece features a grinning black cat that sits within a delicately painted egg cup. He's available on eBay this week, so visit his Auction Page for lots more pictures and additional info.



Why "Familiar Friends" you ask? Well, according to European folklore from the Medieval and Early Modern periods, "familiar spirits," sometimes referred to as "familiars," were supernatural entities that were believed to assist witches in their magical practice. According to transcripts from that era in time, these familiars would appear in various guises, often as animals and most frequently seen as black cats. Hence, the classic "witch and her black cat" image was born which we now see as an iconic symbol of Halloween.



This week, many of the artists of EHAG will be posting their renditions of this fun challenge theme on various sites, including eBay, Etsy and more... And with my passion for black cats, this was a theme not to pass up! For my challenge piece, I blended my signature black cat character with an egg cup featuring a detailed silhouette of a gentle witch cradling her black cat familiar.



This is a unique collectible, as the painted egg cup can be twisted to reveal a variety of scenes. With his hand-painted details, vintage paper collar, wire arms and a wee touch of black glass glitter high on his hat, this jovial character is certainly a keeper!

Thanks for looking and taking an interest in my creations! I truly appreciate it.

© 2011 Johanna Parker Design, LLC ~ Photos may not used without permission

Happy Mother's Day!...

To ALL our dear mothers who have taken us under their wings, fluffed our feathers and allowed us to soar.........

May it be Tweet :-)

With much love,
Johanna

Thinking Outside the Inbox...

I am the first one to admit that my mailing list is like gold. It's the best way I have to stay in touch with those of you that have expressed an interest in collecting my folk art. I have carted around a clipboard sign-up sheet since my first official show back in 2003, collecting your email addresses as I go. With the advent of my website and other online avenues that have helped collectors discover my work, I have accumulated a nice list of contacts that I automatically email when I have news and art to share! I try to keep my emails to a monthly minimum of one or two at best, and other times I may even skip a month if life is just too busy. Of course, there are those occasional bounce-backs when certain email address are no longer valid, and that's just part of life. But lately, the bounce-backs have been intense! Hundreds have returned in masses, filling up my inbox to the brim!....



And this is just a snippet of what last returned....



It's enough to make my head spin, and lately it has!



What is going on? Why are so many of my collectors' emails bouncing back? Upon further investigation, many of the names are from folks that continue to collect, travel to my shows, appreciate my work and on and on. Why... I ask?



Well, the conclusion I have reached is not so pretty! Your spam filters are discriminating, and I know it's not your fault. It's the wave of the future. As various email providers compete for your business, they have become increasingly diligent at fighting "spam." And, it looks like little 'ol me sending out my occasional innocent email blast, has been labeled as a spammer! Dahduhduhduuuhhhhh! (creepy sound-effect!) The more iron-clad your spam filter is, the more likely you have not been receiving my messages. After reading various forums on this topic, I realized that my last email was filled with no-no's, like green text, red text, exclamation points, and no clear option for you to unsubscribe if you choose. EEEEK!

As technology jumps WAY ahead of me, I feel that the time has arrived to meet it head on! So, I am in the process of transferring my mailing list over to MailChimp, which claims to be a secure way for me to reach you without having to jump through hoops. The advantage here will be clear when you see my next official Newsletter. I will have the option to actually "design" an email newsletter and integrate it with various websites and social networks. At first, I was dragging my feet, but as long as the learning curve isn't too challenging for my right-sided brain, I think I will be pleased. I hope you will be too!

So, for those of you that previously joined my list, you should be all set! However, if you haven't heard from me via email in quite some time, I would suggest that you join again. It's simple to sign up, and I have a Join My Mailing List form on my website. You can also follow the owl graphic, top right of this page to get there. And Fans on Facebook can also join from my FB Artist Page. (just look for the link on the left sidebar)

My fingers are crossed that this communications upgrade goes smoothly and works well for all of us! So, be looking for my new first official Newsletter to (hopefully) appear in your inbox soon.

Thanks for stopping by!
~ Johanna