Encyclopedia Side Table

If you kept up with me via social media while I was off the blog grid then you saw me post this fabo table not too long ago. This was one of those projects that I had all the pieces laying around for ages and I just never did anything. But then I did and I instantly didn't want to sell it. 

Reed and I finished this piece off back in about February but I just never found a spot I wanted to photograph it. Then I did, right in my own living room and I fell even more in love. But alas, I do not need another table, despite how cool this one is so it's up for grabs. 

This awesome side table features some 1950's  world encyclopedias, mid century modern table legs, vintage beveled glass, and hardware. 

That list is sure full of history. Each material has so many story lines etched on its surface and I am IN LOVE with it. I wanted the table to feel like it was made from history and I think that was achieved nicely by the simple design. 

The best part of the table is the negative space between the binding on the books and the glass top. 

Such beautiful lines that allow each material to stand on its own. 

 I hope the home that this little table finds loves it as much as I do.

All this history needs a place to be the center of attention, and those lines need some loving too :)

I am hoping to pump out a new furniture design every month for the remainder of the year. Join me on Instagram to keep up to date on the progress and I will be sharing the final products here!!

New Artwork and ETSY Shop Updates

Hello lovelies!
I haven't done too many DIY projects to share lately cause I've been running around like a crazy lady. I had some issues with our septic tank, a week of fabulous family time, then a week of nasty weather that is just never super inspiring. But one thing I've done a lot of work on this year is my ETSY shop. I did some rearranging, added new sections, and have made some fabulous goals that I can't wait to reach :) I thought I would just do a quick update on the shop to share some of the recently added pretties!



My favorite update has been adding a Painting section. I have always done commissions and larger pieces for friends but was never very confident about adding one of a kind pieces on ETSY. I think all of my work is unique and I hand paint each piece so everything is super personal but doing something that I am not going to attempt to reproduce is really fun. These are mostly pieces that speak to me personally and if I lived in a house with more wall space they would be hanging everywhere :) This Painting section has allowed me to be more creative than the quick gift pieces I've been focusing on for so long. It has been super inspiring and very fun, so hopefully this section will continue to grow!!

I also did some updates to my Watercolor section. I LOVE watercolor and I always have. So by adding some one of a kind pieces I am able to get back in to the medium that really started me on my life as an artist. While my acrylic work is super fun I find watercolor to be so therapeutic. It is a super fluid paint and is so whimsical that its almost impossible not to relax while working with it. 

I did a lot of updates to my Tin Sign section. It is still my largest shop section and where all of my best sellers come from but I decided to build a photo back drop so hopefully the section will be a bit more orderly :) I am still working on this but as you can tell lots of tins have already been re-photographed. 

Of course I still have the Serving Tray section, which is the second best selling section :) It's a favorite because I get to do a little bit a building and painting :) These are often what people buy as gifts for weddings, anniversary, and this past christmas I had an order for TWENTY SEVEN!! Yeah it was crazy awesome!

 And finally what I think is my most unique section, Clocks. Most of my clocks are made from rustic tin and hand painted with all different designs. The tin is so stunning and just perfect the way it is but most clients tend to add a personal touch to match their home decor.

As you can tell the shop is going under some changes and I am loving the way they are going. I can't believe how people have supported me with all of my work. Having a small business is hectic and crazy and not really something I thought I would be doing at 24. But God is blessing me and in just 1 year my sales TRIPLED! I am trusting in God and that He is gently guiding me the way I am supposed to go and I think that direction is towards my passions. I hope this little business will keep growing and that these passions will never burn out :)

I would LOVE to hear what y'all think of the shop so please be sure to visit GraceLangdon on ETSY!!

Trust God. When you run out of trust, just Obey Him.

It seems like winter is the time I learn a lot about myself and when I see how much I actually need God. I've had so many things I wanted to share on here about what I'm learning but didn't because I wanted this to be a place for "business". Yep, my creative online studio turned in to business...  I'm not sure how I got there and I'm not sure I'm gone either but I know that isn't how I want things to be. Business is good in the fact that it provides for my family, but the reason I am able to have a successful business isn't just about how professional my blog is, or how beautiful my Instagram account is. I'm not saying those don't matter, cause they do, but thats not the entire story.

This blog and business started as some place fun that I could share my heart. I talked about what was happening in my life whether it was art or budgeting or marriage goop. And when I was sharing and speaking boldly from my heart this blog and my business was much more successful. I think there are lots of reasons I could chalk that up to, like people just think I'm interesting, or I got hooked up with the right blog group, but what I really think it was was trusting God. I didn't have some big plan that told me how I was going to use this space and lead me to be successful. I just used what God gave me and knew that it was good.

One thing that I've been hit over the head with a lot lately is that my plans suck. Well, they may actually sound really amazing and it may look like I've got it all figured out. But God says, "Nope, stop planning and just follow me, do as I say and all your needs will be cared for". Like seriously, He says that in the bible in Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?".  I know my value in Christ, I know He sees me as priceless. For heavens sake He DIED for me!! So why do I think He has forgotten what my desires are or that if I don't succeed on my own that my family will never be able to move forward? Like seriously whyyyyy does that plague me so much.

Like I said earlier, that thought process of trying to provide always sneaks back up on me in the Winter months. I think it's because I have time to sit, its slow in business since because it follows the Holidays, our bills are higher than normal because of the cold. So basically the winter sucks. Except for the fact that I can always count on it to lead me right where I need to be. I hate the cold weather, and I hate not having much business come my way BUT each time this happens I am reminded that I need to trust in the Lord and when my trust runs out I need to OBEY Him. I need to boldly trust that if I follow His plan for me that I will not only make it through the winter but that I will be successful in all that I do.

So I pray that each of you will also learn that sometimes our plans aren't what we need. What we need is to trust that our Heavenly Father values us much more than the birds of the air. He is going to take care of you and your family. He wants you to have the desires of your heart so be patient in His timing, trust that He is good, and obey what He says to you.

Love y'all!!

Easy ETSY Backdrop

¡Hola Chicas!
So many of y'all know I have an ETSY shop and that it has been growing steadily in the past year or so. Well I mad some goals for it in 2015 because I'm ready to take it to the next level! One of my goals was to have a more uniform look.

What I mean is I want my pieces to be the focal point of the shop and not my crappy quick photography skills. In the past year I've been working so fast that I haven't taken the time to photograph my work at a level that is any place close to professional. And thats where this super super easy backdrop comes in to play. 

Really all I wanted was a clean space that I could take to the well lighted spots of the house. So I decided to make a folding backdrop just big enough for the majority of my pieces. I wanted it to be versatile so I could kinda change it up depending on the product but also have a unity that flows through out the shop sections. That is where the two tone scheme came in to play. My tin signs I wanted to photography on a wall but my serving trays need to be laid flat. The white is great for the serving trays to highlight the stain of the tray and the stained portion would look awesome with some of my tin products. 

I didn't take photos of making it because it was pretty easy but I will explain how it works.

Basically, I got 2 24inch birch boards and 2 4 inch hinges. I painted my boards and place the hinges on the UN PAINTED side. This way when I had the boards open for photographing my work you don't see the hinges or screw heads. 

Now the board will sit open and flip backwards on itself for easy storage when I'm done :) 

The picture above shows how nice a backdrop can look. 

This spot in the house had great lighting but our floors are scratched up, the trim needs to be painted and I would have to put a hole in a random spot in our wall to the tins for photos. The back drop solves AALLL  those issues :) Now I have a clean and crisp area I can take with me to the best light and photograph any of my small goods!! 

I LOOOOVVVVEEE how much better my tins look with a crisp and uniform back drop. Can't wait until I can get every piece in the shop reshot and posted :) I wish I would have done this forever ago, now every bodies gonna want some of dis!! In fact, if you are intersted in any of the Tin Signs above they are $20 plus shipping >> click here to go to the shop!

If you have an online shop be sure to always make time to photograph your work with quality. You don't have to be a professional photographer to get photos that display your work in a positive and uniform way. 

Do you have an online shop? If so leave me your link in the comments I would LOVE to check it out :)