We DID it!! I just made the final payment on our new press! Thank you so so so much to all who helped make it happen and to all who sent their love and support. It means more than words can express. I will be sending out the thank you prints in about a week or so. The hand made journals and original art will go out a little bit at a time and will be sent in order of which donation came in first to last. The hand made items may take through the end of the year but will be completed and sent before January 1st. The online class will start up in January 20th and I will send you an email and be in touch as the time gets closer. If you are listed on the sidebar here on this blog and would like a link added, please email me and let me know. Sometimes I read things in the news, online and in social media that literally break my heart. But YOU have filled my heart with hope and faith and gratitude. THAT, above all, is a wonderful gift and I thank you for giving me that and believing in me. I promise to work at putting good things out into the world in order to return this kindness you have shared with me. I love you all to the MOON and back. xokp
Many moons have passed and turned to years, since I was here last. I say it quite often, but I just cannot believe how fast time goes by. I never meant to quit showing up here. My life has just taken so many crazy-busy, twists and turns that it seemed there is always another project between me and the next blog post.
You may or may not know my story or the events leading to the purchase of RubberMoon. If you want to know more, then go HERE to this post from 2012. If you read some of the posts that followed, you will see how it all worked out. If you are a friend or follower of mine and/or RubberMoon, then you probably know that I am about to celebrate my three year anniversary as the owner and creative conjurer at RubberMoon Art Stamps!
...A little over three years ago I shared a big piece of my life story with you. And YOU helped me to achieve something I barely thought was possible. But I had so much hope inside me.
At that time, I had nothing but that hope. I reached out and asked for help and YOU helped me make my dream a reality. (SO thankful to all the people listed over here and many others too.)--->
The financial contributions, encouragement, support, kindness and belief in me, made it possible for me to bring RubberMoon from Idaho to Missouri. My dream come true IS running RubberMoon Art Stamps, making and sharing art and creativity with others on a daily basis. My dream come true IS operating this as a family business, nurturing it and making it grow and thrive.
My dream come true IS making you all proud and happy to be a part of this magical story!
Shortly after I got the business moved, I said that my story “had a happy ending". But, of course, that was not true. It was not nearly an ending. It was only just the beginning.
Now, here I am almost three years in and RubberMoon is growing every day. And I am here, asking for your help once again.
You see, RubberMoon IS growing and with growth, there are growing pains. And so, I am asking for your assistance once more to help me achieve another big goal.
I need a piece of equipment in order to continue to move the business forward. This piece of equipment is crucial to, not only growth, but everyday operations. RubberMoon cannot live without it. RubberMoon needs a new rubber press!
Me, Kae Pea, pressing rubber!
Now maybe you will ask why I cannot manage to get this press without help? Well, simply put, even though we are growing, we are still new and like almost every new business, growth does not equal cash for ‘extras’, nor does it mean capital to work with (darn it). We ARE growing, yes. But it does not mean that I have enough profits (if any) with which to make this large purchase. The press we need is approximately $4,000.00 and I need to raise about $2,000.00.
So, I am asking you to please contribute to my fundraiser and help me get a new press....
...Of course, I would not dream of asking you to give your hard earned money without receiving something in return for your generosity.
Besides being the recipient of my enormous gratitude AND being part of RubberMoon's wonderful herstory you will also receive the following gifts for your contribution:
•A downloadable/digital limited edition art print from Kae Pea for any contribution up to $29.00
•A limited edition 5x7 art print mailed to you from Kae Pea for your $29 to $64 contribution
•A handmade gratitude journal, by Kae Pea for your $65 to $99 contribution*
•Access to my newest online stamp-art class for your $100 to $199 contribution (class will begin in Jan. 2016)*
•An Original MOON painting by Kae Pea for your $199 and up contribution*
•Receive these *three of the above listed gifts for any contribution $350.00 or more
•ALL contributors will be listed on this blog with a link of choice (if you agree).
Please help me so that I can continue to make more stamps and take our business to the next level.
Thank you for your consideration, help and support.
**Below is a photo of our 20 year old rubber press. It does still work, but the temperature gauge is broken, the lever falls off and it often loses pressure during pressing. We really need a new press so we can increase production!
Well, hello to 2014 and hello to you! I hope that you had a most excellent holiday season! I was really torn this year because part of me felt like such a scrooge for not being in too much of the holiday spirit. It felt like such a chore to get all of my shopping (both for all of the food and the gifts), get everything put up and ready plus try to carry on with my business. Most of you know that RubberMoon Art Stamps is my new company. Having a new business is sorta like taking care of a garden. It must be tended and nurtured. Being away or distracted from it, well, it is a challenge! Often, I find myself feeling guilty if I am not working at least, 10 hours a day. But I have a family, too, that needs me and so balance is key and yet, difficult to achieve at times. Somehow I managed it all and everyone got fed (quite well) and no one got forgotten in the gift department. No one had lumps of coal in their stockings and RubberMoon is still standing, so I guess I did okay! And through it all, I was not really too much of a scrooge! My husband and I managed to launch the NEW RubberMoon website on New Year's Day!! Wow! Wonders never cease! I wish you the very best that life has to offer this year, good health, abundance, love and the joy that creativity brings! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will check out our new site. It has and is, certainly a labor of love.And I am so excited about what the New Year holds! xokp
YAY!! Congratulations Tracey Fletcher King! Thank you all for your commenting and playing! I wish I could have given a spot to each and every one of you. I hope that you will take the time to check out Soul Food and consider signing up. It is going to be an amazing class and YOU deserve amazing!
I just want to ask you if you have checked out Soul Food?
If not, then you should!! If so, are you taking it? Wouldn't you love to?
click here to find out what's on the menu!
If you are not yet signed up and you would love to WIN a FREE spot... then leave a comment here! Winners will be chosen on November 29th 2013 and announced here and on the soul food class fb page! Happy Thanksgiving!
I admit it. I am a dreamer. A big dreamer. Though most times I don't dream in my sleep. I have heard it said that everyone dreams in their sleep, but if I do, I rarely remember a thing. My dreams occur while I am awake. I guess they call those daydreams. I daydream often. In fact, every day I find my mind wandering off to another place and time. My daydreams lead me into stillness and yet they are vivid and colorful. What I find truly fascinating is that they are, most times, filled with visions of my paintings and things I want to create, filled with my hopes and goals and my heart's desires.
My kids don't like it when I daydream. They accuse me of not listening and they get annoyed when they have to say, "Mom!" more than six times to get my attention. But I cannot help myself. Maybe they call it 'spacing out' but I know that it is matters of the soul calling to me to give those things my full and undivided attention.
I know from my own experiences in life that dreams can and do come true. I believe that daydreaming helps to call your wishes forth and gives them a gateway to manifest.
I am so pleased an honored to have been asked to participate in this on-line course, Dancing with your Dreams! I will be joining eleven fantastic artists and dreamers in this amazing course. For my part I will be offering a watercolor lesson called "Painting your Daydreams and Fulfilling your Wishes: A Portrait in Believing Your Dreams." I hope you will consider joining us and dreaming with us! Please leave a comment and tell me your best dream (night or day) for a chance to win a spot in this unique and visionary course.
Well it certainly has been a crazy year! For those of you who know me personally or through social media, than you probably know that I moved to a new town and bought a rubber stamp company in September of 2012! Since then, I have been in another world, trying to get settled and navigate my way through relocating and organizing a new business. It has been crazy, challenging and exhilarating! Did I mention crazy? Yeah. But it's been good. Really good. I have had a few meltdowns, of course and I have had moments of doubt and a few sleepless nights. But you know what? It has been, literally, a dream come true. I wouldn't trade it for the world! So now you know why I have been a bit absent. But I am back and ready for take off! Please take a look at the ALL NEW RubberMoon Arts Blog and follow us too!
Thank you for your continued friendship and support. I love you to the moon and back!
It has been quite some time since I have blogged! I was so happy when Mary asked me to participate in this blog hop (just the thing to get me blogging again!) So, welcome to the StencilGirl Map Blog Hop!! If you arrived from Nancy Curry's page, you are in the right place. If not, you can follow the list at the bottom of my post and start from the beginning. I am so happy to join in on sharing Mary Nasser's wonderful new stencil designs and honored to be a part of this StencilGirl
blog hop with so many talented designers and artists. I have loved Mary's map collage art for years and was super
excited when I heard that she was going to have some designs I could get
my hands on! The hardest part was choosing which
stencil to use (since one is never enough!!). Finally, I chose the Compass M041 stencil, shown here:
I decided I would use a Rubbermoon Stamp(well, of course I did!) I thought my favorite "new moon" stamp would fit perfectly in the center of the compass stencil and it did! It also went with the theme and colors I had in mind. I, then, chose a small 4 x 4 panel and prepared it with wood icing texture and gesso. I painted the panel with two shades of blue acrylic paint, like this:
After the paint dried, I wiped and scrubbed of some of the paint with a baby wipe to make the texture show a bit more and give the piece a more translucent look. Then I placed my stencil on the panel and used a dauber to spong a mixture of white and metallic baroque paint through the compass stencil...
After this step, I used white acrylic paint to stamp the ink spatter stamp and I stamped the new moon image into the center. I painted and shaded the moon with white and blue acrylic paint and added hand written words, "Find your True North."
I added a hanger to the back of my little painting and hung it right away!!
Voila! I hope that you have enjoyed my portion of this fun blog hop....
NOW FOR THE THE GIVEAWAY!! Mary Nasserwill be doing a giveaway for this hop –
giving away a set of her four new stencils.ALL
the
comments on each blog participating will be eligible for the drawing. So
what do you do? All you have to do is leave a comment by 11:59 PM Central Time on October 4th.
The more blogs that you comment on in the blog hop, the more chances
you have to win. Plus, you don't want to miss any of these wonderful
blog entries. Have Fun and good luck! Thank you for joining all of us!
Can
you believe I have saved and kept this catalog for over 15 years? It is
the ONLY rubber stamp catalog I saved throughout the years besides the
ones that I had designed! Is that amazing or what?
Finally the day has come for
me to be able to announce my “big secret”
As many of you know, I
recently bought a rubber stamp company that has been in business for 20 years.
Up until now,
we have not told anyone as we wanted to make sure that everything
was in place before either party ‘spilled the beans’!
Now, everything is a “GO”
and I will travel to Idaho, next week, to pick up all of the business equipment
and, finally,
give Rubbermoon’s owner and creator, Debra Valoff, a big hug!! The company, that I will have
the honor of taking under my wing, is
I cannot begin to thank Debra
enough for believing in me and entrusting me with her ‘baby’.
I look forward to
continuing the tradition of making wonderful, whimsical, imaginative stamps.
I
hope that you will continue to join me on my magical, artful journey!
With much love and gratitude
to all who have helped make this possible.
xo kae pea
P.S. Here also is Debra's statement:
***News
Flash***
"Rubbermoon
is going on a big adventure! The very talented artist, Kristen Powers, aka Kae
Pea, will be the new owner as of August 28, 2012 and she’s coming then to Idaho
to pick up all the loot and move Rubbermoon to Missouri. After 20 years it’s
time for me to retire and I feel so blessed to have Kristen taking over my
baby. She has some exciting things in store for you all down the road so I hope
you continue to support her and Rubbermoon in this wonderful whimsical world of
stamping.
By September
15 things should be up and running for her. The website will remain the same(
www.rubbermoon.com )but the email address will be changing.
Rubbermoon’s
Facebook page may need to be redirected but we’ll let you know if/when that
happens. I'll still be posting samples for Kristen and enjoying your company there.
All
of the designs that you have on your Rubbermoon wish list will still be
available along with whatever wonderful new designs Kristen and Gretchen bring
to us in the future.
I wish I could give each one of you a big hug to
thank you for all of the joy you’ve brought me over the years and I hope we can
continue our friendship through the world of Rubbermoon."
Hello to all of my wonderful friends near and far. I am sort of speechless. I have received so many beautiful messages, notes and comments. Each one filled with the kindest thoughts and words of encouragement. So many of you have given your hard earned money and even more than that your hands to help lift me up. I hope you know that I appreciate it more than words can express. I also hope you know that I will do everything I can to, one day, pay it forward.... I am not going to deny, I have had moments where I panic and wonder "Can I do this?" " Do I deserve this?" " What if I can't do it?" I mean, I wouldn't be human if some of these thoughts did not cross my mind, right? But these thoughts are fleeting and I will tell you this, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION! Period. I want to update you all on where I am at and ask for your continued support! I have set my goal at $2000 and have raised about $1100, so far! My dear
friend, Tejae Floyde, has so kindly blogged about my journey and decided
to do a bit of fund raising herself, on my behalf! Tejae has created this gorgeous heart (pictured below) and is going to hold a drawing on July 27th for anyone who donates to my fundraising efforts! Please go to Tejae's blog for details.
Also I want to remind you here about the thank you gift(s) you will receive from me if you contribute.
In exchange for your generosity, the following thank you gifts will be given:
$5.00 pledge-you receive a downloadable digi image of your choice from my digi shop.
$25.00 pledge- you receive a special edition u/m rubber stamp from the new stamp line!
$50.00 pledge- you receive a special edition mounted rubber stamp from the new stamp line
and a special art print by me!
$100.00 pledge- you will receive a spot in my 4 week art e-course (coming Nov. 1, 2012).
$500.00 pledge- you will receive a spot in my e-course, a special edition stamp set and an
original 12 x 12 painting by me!
* for anyone who may not know what the heck is going on...click here to see my story. Watch it and then you will be 'in the know' ! Thank you ALL again, so much. I cannot do this without you! xokp
This is a true story. It is my story. I do not tell it to make you feel sad or sorry for me! I tell you because I have the wonderful opportunity to begin my own rubber stamp line again! I have purchased an existing stamp manufacturing company and I need to transport the equipment to my town! I need to raise approximately $2000.00 for these expenses.
Please help me make this story have a happy ending by contributing to my truck and travel fund.
In exchange for your generosity, the following thank you gifts will be given:
$5.00 pledge-you receive a downloadable digi image of your choice from my digi shop.
$25.00 pledge- you receive a special edition u/m rubber stamp from the new stamp line!
$50.00 pledge- you receive a special edition mounted rubber stamp from the new stamp line
and a special art print by me!
$100.00 pledge- you will receive a spot in my 4 week art e-course (coming Nov. 1, 2012).
$500.00 pledge- you will receive a spot in my e-course, a special edition stamp set and an
original 12 x 12 painting by me!
If you do not want to make a pledge in this way, I ask you to PLEASE purchase from my etsy shop!
Every bit will help and be SO very appreciated. This means the world to me. thank you from the bottom of my art.
*to contribute, please see donate button above and also the paypal widget in the upper right corner of my blog!
I am a Work in Progress. Self Portrait. watercolor on Arches paper 12 x 12
I don’t have some hidden meaning for why I make art. I just do. I don’t have any secret messages in my art. My message is clear. There is no great angst in my work. The world is filled with enough angst. My heart and head are full of love and hope. If my art is cute and light and fun, So be it. You need not call my work art. What you call it does not diminish me as an artist. All I know is that, when I sit down to create, I am like a vessel that never runs dry, I am filled with optimism and the light of a billion stars. If those feelings show up in my work, well, I do the Universe honor if it does.
I have not been 'here' in a while. April held a whammy for me. Beginning the first day, I got a terrible flu and was, quite literally, down for the count. I 'lost' two solid weeks, so sick that I could barely even play on my ipad (so you KNOW that was bad!) Anyway, I am much better now and back almost to 100% although I still have a cough that seems will linger for a while. I have missed Paint Party Fridays and blogging and posting on my Etsy shop, I hope to get back into the swing of things and have lots of new ideas and art to share with you soon!!
I do have a little artwork I created...and I DO mean LITTLE! These mixed media angels are done on tiny blocks of board, just 3 x 3 inches...I love them though and think they are really cute. I made these in honor of Angels in my Studio, a creative and spiritual e-course that I am very excited to be a part of! AIMS begins May 1st. There is still time to join in!! If you sign up through my link, you will be entered to win and original painting by me.
I hope that May is filled with love, health and creativity for you and me both!
The days just seems to fly by and I find myself amazed that it is time for PPF yet again! I am so thankful that I decided to jump in and play, as it is helping me to at least blog a bit more regularly. I get so lost, sometimes, in my ideas and my artwork that it is easy to let other things get by....maybe you understand that feeling too. Anyway, hardly a day goes by that I do not paint or create and so I always want and need to post. One of my goals for the year is to be a better blogger. I have lots I want to say and do here...but again, time is an issue. For now I will be content to share my art. I appreciate your visits and comments. xokp
Wow! Cannot believe that another week has flown by so quickly! Paint Party Friday is here and I cannot come to the party without a painting...so, this one is called You Were Meant to Fly. It is 9 x 12 on Canvas. Thanks for stopping by Happy Friday!!
I had heard of Paint Party Friday. My friend, artist Mary Nasser, told me about it. I am also fb friends with co-host Kristin Dudish and quite a few of the weekly participants. But, still I drug my feet about getting involved. You know how it is. So many commitments and time constraints....but then I could not stand it as I began to see all of the wonderful art and creativity being shared! I just decided to jump in on the very last day of the first year! (Leave it to me!) Anyway, I want to share here my latest painting with you. It is very different for me and was brought about by my recent 24 hour painting jam session. I feel my artistic voice becoming clearer and stronger and my vision about my art truly beginning to emerge. I am very excited by this and hope you will continue to check back in to see where this leads! Like, every Friday maybe?
the angels intention. 24 x 24 acrylic and graphite on board
free to be. 5 x 7 acrylic on board
jane thinks of tears. 15 x 15 acrylic on arches
precious little monster 6 x 6 mixed media on clay board
When the idea of a painting for 24 hours, videoing it and posting progress was brought up to me by my friend, Whitney Ferre, I thought it sounded like a great idea. I thought it would be, not only, a fun experience but the idea of that much time in the studio with my brushes in hand, just thrilled me.I agreed to participate, right away!
Before I knew it, March 6th, the day of 24 hour paint was upon me. I began to fret. What if everything I painted came out ugly? How was I going to video all of it? What if I was a huge failure and could not even make it the whole 24 hours? Yes, all of these crazy questions reared their ugly head. That tiny nagging voice that likes to begin a dialogue in your head at the most inopportune moments. The one that likes to whine and fill you with doubt. I ignored it. I spoke out loud as I cleaned up my studio. I to myself, "It's okay. Who cares if it's not perfect? Who cares if the paintings come out ugly? You love to paint so just do whatever and have fun. Martin Scorcese is not directing this. The only way you can fail is if you don't give it a try and follow through." Whiny voice quashed.
Thank goodness the
love and desire to create, pretty much, takes over and the good always
outweighs any possible negative or even the concern about the outcome... The images above are the paintings I created over the 24 hour period. Each one is so much different from the next. I, of course, had a million ideas and imagined that I would get so much more done than was actually possible.
I ended
up having to split my 24 hours up just a bit due to the fact that I
drive my kids to school forty minutes away. I did not want to drive them
across town after pulling an all nighter ( I am not 20 anymore!) So I
got a few hours of shut eye, took them to school and came back and
jumped back in. All together I made fifteen videos and four paintings. I
feel it was worth every second and I would do it again in a heartbeat
(only, next time it must start on a Friday)!
I went into this project just thinking it sounded like fun. Which it was. But it was so much more than that. I really learned a lot about myself. I feel I had a bit of a creative breakthrough during the whole process. It gave me the opportunity to watch myself in a way that I never thought to do before. I feel that I can see my true style beginning to emerge. Even though the works I created during this session are not very cohesive, I can still see myself fairly clearly in each one. And during this 24 hour period, I really got to think about what I like, what makes me happy artistically and why. I think, that is worth it's weight in gold.
I hope too, through all of this, that it may somehow inspire you to do something that you never thought you would (or could) do!
Live Artfully!
xokp
P.S.
If you would like to see any of the videos please visit my YouTube channel
*Also please come back and visit my blog on Sunday March 11th for my Yard yART Sale!
I will have all of the artwork I created PLUS lots more AND art supplies too for sale at yard sale prices!
My facebook friend and fellow instructor in the AIMS course, Whitney Ferre, came up with the idea to have an all night paint session! I thought this sounded like a swell idea! So starting this afternoon at 12 cst, I will be posting a video to my Youtube channel ! I will be posting a new video every hour (or so) until 12 p.m. tomorrow! This should be very interesting :) I hope you will tune in and check out some of my works in progress and see what I am up to (because I honestly have no idea)!
"what making art means to me..." acrylic & graphite on paper
I painted this in response to a journal prompt. I really love it. I don't say that about my own work too often. But there is something about this that I loved from the moment I sketched it. That does not usually happen. I find that my art usually goes through and ugly stage where I dislike it very much and come close to abandoning it all together. Not this time. This time I knew from the start that I was going to be happy with the outcome. I hope you love her too and that it resonates with you. I made it into a print if you would like to have it hanging in your creative space too :)http://www.etsy.com/listing/94384502/making-art-a-print-from-my-original-art
I hope you don't mind if I mention, again, the Angels in My Studio e-course that is coming up. Please remember to leave a comment on my previous post if you are interested in winning a spot! I hope you will join us~ I truly believe it is going to be a very moving experience! If you decide to sign up, PLEASE use my link:http://546d8dldw4dlelbmj8x50zkd-q.hop.clickbank.net/
Would you like to win a spot in Angels In My Studio? Leave me a
comment below this post. Tell me what excites you most about the course.
On March 15th I'll randomly choose a commenter and s/he will take the
course for FREE.** Angels In My Studio is much more than "just" a course in art technique (though it certainly *is* that). This course is intended for those that are truly open to deepening their connection with the unseen. Each in-depth video lesson will provide you with both the tools for creating
a variety of mixed-media art from a place of connection to the
intuitive realm and grounded technical skills in depicting angels,
guides, and spirit. Over the course of the 5-months we spend
together you will deepen your skills and abilities in allowing your
artwork to unfold from a place of conscious connection to spirit. Students in this course will see their connection to the angelic realm blossom and spill over beautifully into their artwork. Each attunement from Michael Golzmane will bring you into deeper connection with your personal angels and guides as well as more universal angels that serve us all. Through optional weekly written exercises you will begin to hear/feel/sense your angels more clearly and
begin to communicate with them through your writing. This increased
angelic connection will support you in your life and inform your
artwork. There is no other course available that offers this powerful
combination of art instruction, angelic attunements and intuitive
development....
* I am very happy and honored to be a part of this course. I look forward to connecting with you and the angels and sharing my love of watercolor painting and creating with you! Please use this link when you sign up http://546d8dldw4dlelbmj8x50zkd-q.hop.clickbank.net/
