Etsy Market, DT Art, & Thanks

Despite Steve and Seth being sick Thanksgiving we had a good holiday weekend. While the guys laid around watching football and napping, KC and I headed to the beach.....The weather was wonderful, low 70's with a gentle breeze. There were quite a few people out strolling the beach. While we were looking out at this beautiful view we heard some bicycles coming upon us. It was the cutest little couple....looked to be in their early 80's. They were talking and laughing...they parked their bikes and walked up on the deck wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. We exchanged a few words and then he took her hand and said "Sweetie, lets sit here for a bit"! I thought I was going to have to bury KC in the sand....she got so tickled. I tried to imagine Steve and me in 30+ yrs and I got tickled. We told them bye and continued combing the beach for seashells.

The water was a bit on the COLD side, but that didn't stop KC....she started by just walking along the edge and before we left she was wet up to her thighs....she said she was walking straight, but I could see her slowly moving further out as we walked.

While fighting the flu the past few days, the guys gave it to both of us I have been working on adding a few things to the Etsy Market. The Antique and Vintage Paper Packages.....

and a few Note Cards....images from some of my recent original collage paintings

and this one I did in 2001 following 9/11 in Honor of our Service Men and Women serving our Country......

While you are surfing hope you will take a minute and visit my Etsy Market. I will only be taking orders up until Noon Eastern on December 13th, as we are heading home (Arkansas) for the holidays. All orders placed after the 13th will be processed and shipped starting January 2nd.

If you have not visited the Design Team Samples lately we have added several more and the girls all have sheets they are working. Here are a couple more......

Artwork by Lori Bartel - CS 106 Artwork by Caryl Hoobler - CS 101

Thank you to all for the thoughts and prayers, comments in the recent weeks and emails with words of encouragement for the Design Team, Etsy Market, redesign of the website and blog. As I have said before I have a feeling of peace with the way things have been heading.....now I just need the time to make it all happen.

Until next time.....I am off to finish up the newsletter...If you have joined my mailing list you can look for it within the next day or so.

Debbie

Happy Thanksgiving

Here it is Tuesday afternoon and I am still thinking of things I need to pick up at the grocery store even though I did my shopping Sunday afternoon for Thanksgiving. We have planned our traditional dinner with turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, peas, mac & cheese and a few more favorites. We would love to be with all of our family, but distance keeps us from that....we had rather spend our time with all of them during Christmas so it will be Steve, Seth, KC and me again this year. Right now we are just praying that Steve is up to Thanksgiving....he has been sick and finally gave in yesterday when he couldn't walk from one room to another without gasping for air.....it is official he has acute bronchitis/pneumonia. If he would have listened to me last week....okay I want go there as I know many of you have been there and know what I am saying.

KC is on her way home, just called and was in the middle of Atlanta traffic so we expect her around 10:30 or so, but she is worried about our Thanksgiving dinner. When she found out Steve was sick.....her first question was who will cook our dinner! My kids don't think I can cook since Steve loves to do it and I love to let him. I have reassured the kids I can handle that turkey. I just would like for Steve to enjoy the meal and I can tell you he has a long way to go if he plans to do that this Thursday!

The past few days my inbox has been filled with wonderful samples created by the DOD Design Team. Here are a few, but you will want to hop over to my website to see everything that has been sent in thus far.

Artwork by Lori Bartel - CS 107

Artwork by Caryl Hoobler - CS 101

Artwork by Kelly Burton - CS 101, 102, 108

Artwork by Linda Peterson - CS 100, 105, 106, 108

Until next time......Enjoy the artwork, enjoy your family and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Debbie

Etsy Shop Open

My Etsy Shop has officially opened with 9 Digital Collage Sheets. The Antique & Vintage Paper Packages, Notecards and other items will be added over the next several days. I have many more CS in various stages of completion....will have them up soon.

The Design Team has been busy creating some awesome SAMPLES using the sheets. Here are a few....for more click on the above link.

This adorable piece of artwork was created by Kelly Burton using Collage Sheet 106.

Just love the way Linda Peterson combined all the colors in this awesome piece using Collage Sheet 100 and 106.

This sweet little hanger was created by Sarah Drayton using Collage Sheet 107.

Every time I checked my email today I had new artwork from one of the Design Team members. If was so much fun to see what they had created. Makes me want to print out a few sheets and work on some artwork....but I have got to get a few more things listed in the Etsy shop first, then I can play for a few days.

Until next time.....hope you will visit the samples the DT has been creating and if you are in the market for a collage sheet, hope you will give one of mine a try.

Debbie

Design Team, Collage Sheet & More

Sunday morning started bright and early.....Steve making us a wonderful breakfast and then us heading to the beach to greet high tide.

It was a little windy and cool but that didn't stop me from heading down with a vintage sand pail.

And this is just a sampling of the shells I collected this weekend. We had already been over Saturday afternoon and I came home with my little pail overflowing with sand dollars and shells.

Came in Sunday afternoon with wind blown hair, sand everywhere, a little pink here and there as I had forgotten to replace the empty sunblock in my beach bag to find my inbox full of interest to my Friday afternoon post for a Design Team.

I scanned a few emails thinking.....oh she would be great.....I am so excited she applied.....oh I have always loved her artwork......the more I read the more excited I became and then it hit me.....I was going to have to turn down some really talented respected artists and friends. I decided it was time to make a post that the call was closed and I would announce later in the week the DOD Design Team. This was very hard as I had some girls I would have loved to included but I had to narrow it down. I started going back and forth reading their email of interest, looking at their artwork.....I began to pace....then I began to dig in the candy bowl for the caramel kisses.....at this point Steve knew I was having a hard time picking team members. He let me eat and pace, eat and read, eat and surf for what seemed like days when it was really only hours. Then he asked if he could make a suggestion......why didn't he do that before I ate all the kisses!

He said you had a few girls in mind when you posted the call....did they respond? Start with those names and the rest will fall into place. If you applied and were not chosen please know it does not reflect your art or you as a person. I simply had to make a decision to start with 6 girls. In time it is my hope that some of you will still have an interest and I can add you to the team.

So it is with great excitement I share with you the DOD Design Team in no particular order.....

Kelly Burton, Linda Peterson, Lori Bartel, Sarah Drayton, and Caryl Hoobler.

I am looking forward to working with each of these talented artists. We plan to give you a treat of eye candy with their artwork and my collage sheets. Here is a peek at one of the sheets that will be available in the Etsy Market in the coming days.

Until next time......I have tons of things to get done so the market came open.

Debbie

Digital Collage Sheets

You know what they say....everything is going digital and I am not one to be left behind. I have been working 24/7.....okay maybe not 24/7 but it certainly has felt like it some days as I have been scanning images, reworking images and designing collage sheets day and night....even in my sleep I keep the process going. Some of these digital downloads will be available starting next week in my Etsy shop. If you would like to be notified of their release and future updates to Debbie Overton Designs please join my mailing list by clicking on the postcards to the left.

I recently sent a sheet to a few of my art friends at MMCA and here are a few samples they have sent me.

Timeless by Kelly Burton

Discover by Kelly Burton

Naughty Fairy by Lisa Gifford

I am looking for a few talented artists to join the DOD Design Team to create artwork as samples to be posted with the collage sheets as well as showcased here on my blog. Each team member will be given credit for their artwork with a link to their blog or website. In exchange for each digital collage sheet the team member will be asked to create 2 samples, scan their art sending me an image that can be used to showcase the collage sheets plus unlimited printing of the collage sheet to use again and again in their personal artwork.

If you are interested in applying please send me an email to include your name, a link to your personal blog or online artwork, a few sentences telling me why you would like to be a part of the DOD Design Team and include any links to any other DT's you create for. If you have any further questions please contact me via email.

PLEASE email me at debbieoverton@debbieoverton.com with DT in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you.

EDITED 11/11/07

The Call to apply has been closed due to an overwhelming response. I will post within the week the names of those chosen as the DOD Design Team. Thank you to everyone that responded.

Until next time.....I am back to work getting things ready for the Etsy shop to open.

Debbie

Free to Fly

After my visit to the beach last week I came home and started working on a piece of art and as a result of the freeing and mind clearing the beach gives me I felt as though I was Free to Fly. I have set some personal and business goals and I am working towards them and one by one I am accomplishing them. Some are short term while others are long term.....but I am free to do as I please and I am enjoying the process.

Until next time.....Let go of what you think you should do and do what you want to do.

Debbie

Hurricane Noel and Art

I have been working non-stop this week and decided to take a break and head over to one of the islands for the afternoon to watch Hurricane Noel grace us during high tide. Though I did enjoy the afternoon I was also very thankful he is heading NE. Here are just a few of my favorite photos.







Although the wind was blowing, the waves were slamming against the dunes, the mist reached me and the camera lens at times and you couldn't see the last 6 or 8 steps there was a feeling of calmness within me. The rushing of the water, the smells and the salty taste always give me the balance I need to continue. It clears my mind, I find answers that I have been looking for, I am recharged and ready to face my many to do lists and I leave with a feeling of strength that I can accomplish the things I have before me and this is why I always return with a few days.

It has been a busy week.....Steve is out of town and I always stay up until the wee hours of the morning and then wonder why when the alarm goes off at 6 I have trouble getting up and then around mid afternoon I have a sinking spell. But I have gotten so much done.....new artwork that will be posted to the website soon, mailed several orders, worked on the next newsletter and hope to get it out within the next week. If you have not joined my mailing list, I would love for you to. Just click on the postcards on the upper left. I have started making several lists for upcoming events, started an online art class with Karyn Gartel a few weeks ago that is awesome and will start a drawing/illustration class next week.

Here's a peek at one of the pieces I recently finished......more to come soon.

Until next time.......Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy your visits and will come again soon.

Debbie