Follow Me! Portraits of Animals Has Moved

Portraits of Animals new website!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here and that’s because I’ve been preparing and building a brand new website for my artwork and merchandise. Maintaining this blog plus my Etsy profile, Fine Art America account and a few other profiles where I displayed and sold my things and decided to invest the time to put one whole new site together.

Actually, this has been in the works for a few years, and I finally found the time to get the site built. I have set up my new website for Portraits of Animals! That’s what you see above, a screen shot for the home page. Finally, this plan I’ve visualized for the past five years has been put into action. I found a template I liked, I’ve planned out my new products and I set up my Sampler Box Program and a free gift for those who register for an account on the site. It’s ready to go! Mostly.

If you are already a subscriber, your subscription may have already moved to the new site—I moved subscribers today. But if not, you can go to Portraits of Animals and subscribe to “News and Articles” there. Of course, you can always change your subscription preferences if you no longer want to be subscribed. But read on—I have features on the new site that I couldn’t have here, including setting up an account with a free gift when you do, member rewards programs and a sampler box program!

A Soft Unveiling

Another Sampler Box view.

I’m calling this a “soft unveiling” because, while the site is structurally ready to roll, I’m missing…a few products. Well, quite a few. And it’s my own fault. I had started working on a new site in December set up on a template from my shopping cart provider, and while the back end of it is impressive, and the front end was attractive, clean and easy to navigate, the product area just looked like…and internet store. As well it should if it was selling merchandise.

But it wasn’t selling merchandise. It was selling my art. And it wasn’t looking like a gallery. And I couldn’t blog on that platform, essential for driving traffic to the site, and I couldn’t use some of the plugins to set up galleries of art and merchandise the way I’d envisioned.

The new menu.

January had originally been my deadline to have this website ready, but the holiday season doesn’t permit focus on too many things other than the holiday season, so I didn’t get too far. And then I ran off to Savannah to deliver a couple of kittens and visit family. But before I did I decided to stop building that site and decide which way to go: continue with the site or look for a template that better represented my work.

I found the perfect template, designed by an artist for artists. Next, I needed to find three or four days to set it up and get all the parts in there and start adding merchandise. Designing websites has always been a process of not only putting your visualization on a computer screen but also fixing all the little issues, bugs and conflicts that come up, and at this point in my life I like to stake out some time to just focus on it.

I have not posted since last week, on Tuesday. Because I wanted a long weekend to work on this I had to get all my regular work done early last week, so I settled in and focused on that so that Friday I could put it all aside and get my hands into this site and work through the weekend. I’d intended to post at least once each day, but I was so focused on finishing the other projects and lining things up for the new site, and I knew I’d be distracted and didn’t want to be. By Monday morning a good bit of it was set up and some products in place. All ready to present it on Tuesday, my hosting company had an issue on my shared server that kept filling up the memory and shutting us all down. It turns out it had something to do with the voting on Super Tuesday, and though they found the site that caused the problem and could shut it down, I wasn’t back up until Wednesday.

Now it’s Thursday and I miss posting about my cats and stuff and I can’t wait to share this site, even though it doesn’t have much on it! You can imagine it will take me quite some time to get my things up there. I shake my head and think, why did I do all this stuff? But really, I can’t wait to fill out the pages I’ve set up!

A display of gift items.

I love the way I can set up the galleries so that you can see a whole screen full of images and read the headlines, click on the item and read the details and order. Above is a sample of art papers on display and below is a sample section of animal sympathy cards.

The display of sympathy cards.

And here is a detail page, what you see when you click on a product.

Detail page.

A signing bonus!

I like to thank each person who signs up for an account on Portraits of Animals. Each new member receives a thank-you gift not only as an honest thanks from me for signing up, but also so that you can see a sample of my art and the quality of my merchandise, even if you’ve been a customer already and purchased from me in other places.

You don’t need to purchase anything to get your thank you gift, you can just register an account and get your free print.

The thank you gifts always include matted digital prints of art and photos that I usually sell for between $20.00 and $40.00. The selection includes the current month’s featured artwork and several of the more popular images I sell. Sizes vary according to the size of the art itself—some of my more popular sketches are as small as 3″ x 5″—but they are always matted to fit a standard frame size so you can use a frame you have on hand or easily purchase one without the cost of custom framing. Below is the current selection of prints you can choose from. Visit Current New Member Gifts to read more about the size and matting for each print.

The current selection of new member gifts.

About that Sampler Box

What’s in the sampler box

Each box will receive the following items in a design appropriate to the audience:

• an 8” x 10” print matted to 11” x 14”, ready to frame OR a small framed print, either an existing piece of artwork or a new one

• two or more greeting or note cards, current designs and new designs

• a handmade or other gift item—a small keepsake box or a little art sampler book, a polymer clay or ceramic item, screen-printed dishtowel, tote bag, crocheted item or rubber stamp, new art paper, for instance

These can be things your use for yourself or give as gifts or donation items to shelter or rescue or other fundraisers. Sometimes they’ll be little experiments and I’ll be asking for feedback. I’ll be happy that you get to see art you may have never noticed, and little handmade goods that work so much better in your hands than a photo on your computer.

Sampler boxes can be purchased singly or in subscriptions of three and six boxes. Shipping within the US is included.

$30.00 for one box, value about $47.50

$75.00 for a three box subscription, value about $142.50

You can read more about the content in the gift boxes on the page on Portraits of Animals, and don’t forget to go and visit the rest of the site too! I’ll be adding things every day, and also my links from Marketplace articles on this site will now go to Portraits of Animals. I’ll keep a few things on my  Etsy site, but nearly all of it in time will be moved to Portraits of Animals.

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Use Your Credit Card Directly on Etsy

After Dinner Nap, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

As an artist it’s my business to follow my muse and create what life brings to me. Click the image above to find out why Stanley is the face of  Portraits of Animals, and why this painting was important to my career as an animal artist.

As a self-employed small business owner it is my business to give you as many options and opportunities as possible to find what I create and make a purchase once you’ve decided you want something I’ve created.

Etsy, the online handmade marketplace, has made this decidedly easier for many of us so that we can spend more time doing what we do best, making stuff with their attractive interface and easy setup of accounts, shops and product displays.

Now they’ve added a new feature which not only makes transactions easier for us, but it may make many customers happy as well—you can now purchase with a credit card directly through Etsy, no PayPal involved, no redirect to your PayPal account or extra steps, so it’s quicker for you as well.

For many years I accepted credit card transactions directly through my own bank, so any opportunities for sale were like any other online store. But even with a moderate level of sales, the costs and fees increased to the point where it often cost more to maintain the account in certain months than I received in sales so when I moved my business account and discovered it would cost even more through the new portal, I sent back my leased equipment and closed the account.

That left me with PayPal for credit card transactions. I had never cared for PayPal, but discovered by that time, 2007, it was quite different from the online portal I’d tried to use in 1999. And looking at its security record I’ve found that PayPal has never had a security breach and has a very clean record for customer service. It was also basically free with no monthly fees or membership fees or equipment leasing of any sort, just sitting there waiting for me until I had a sale. Selling fees were reasonable. And more recently Quicken and QuickBooks have added PayPal as one of the accounts you can manage with the program. So I’ve fully embraced PayPal and am happy with their service.

But I understand those customers who don’t like the intrusiveness of PayPal, and often the confusing complications—you really can pay with PayPal even if you don’t have an account, but I’m often walking people through that process if they don’t because PayPal doesn’t make it easy to follow that method for their own business reasons, which irks me because in this case, I’m the customer.

I am currently putting together a new gallery for Etsy, and have been preparing new artwork to begin posting in April, so this is right in time for a clearance, and the arrival of new things. March is my anniversary month on Etsy, and once an individual item has been on Etsy for one year I either remove it or reduce the price, so prices are reduced on any of the things you first saw posted last year.

In addition, from now through April 30, I have an extra 10% discount if you use your credit card directly through the Etsy direct checkout: use code ETSYCREDIT10. Click the link below to begin browsing, and be sure to check back now and then for new items!

Welcome to my Etsy shop!

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And be sure to visit my Etsy shop to see what’s currently available.

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.

St. Patrick’s Day Special on Things That Are Green

God, I'm Cute greeting card sets.

I may not be Irish, but while everyone knows my first name is “Bernadette”, you probably don’t know my middle name is “Eileen”. Following a name like “Bernadette Eileen” I’m sure a Polish surname like “Kazmarski” is the last thing you expect—perhaps something like O’Toole or McShane (two Irish families I grew up with). So for St. Patrick’s Day a friend has pronounced I am honorarily “Bernadette Eileen O’Kazmarski”. Goes along with my bright henna-red hair, yes? Let the celebration begin!

I love totally random sales, and looking at the gallery of things that are tagged as “green” in my Etsy shop it certainly looks that way—original artwork, greeting cards, gift bags—and not just feline-themed things but also wildlife and nature and flowers!

One Pepper, pastel © B E. Kazmarski

Just for St. Patrick’s Day I’ve got 10% off your entire order if you buy one of the things tagged with green in this gallery in my Etsy shop. Just use the code STPATRICKGREEN10 when you place your order.

Winter Window, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

And as I mentioned, it’s not just 10% off your green item, it’s 10% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER if you purchase one of the items in the green gallery.

Set of three cotton washcloths, designed and crocheted by me (and supervised by guess who).

Happy shopping! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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And be sure to visit my Etsy shop to see what’s currently available.

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.

Vintage Victorian Crochet for Reenactors

Black Lace Crocheted Pineapple Collar from vintage thread pattern.

Black Pineapple Lace Crocheted Fingerless Glove made from modern-day pattern.

I grew up learning every craft available in the United States in the 1960s, and along with trendy macrame and decoupage and creating faux stained glass, I learned the traditional threadworking skills of knit, crochet, embroidery, hand-sewing and other related skills that had been handed down through the ages along with the doilies, tablecloths, sweaters and aprons made with these skills.

While I still enjoy indulging in each of these and anything new that comes along, I developed my greatest skill and threadworking enjoyment in crochet. I made potholders for the house in the 60s, afghans for family members in the 70s, fine lace collars, doilies and tablecloths and baby layettes for friends getting married in the 80s but put it aside in the 90s to rest my hands while I worked too many hours on computers.

Sky Blue Vintage Crocheted Lace Collar, modern-day coordinating gloves.

But it would not stay put aside for long and while I can no longer make the finest lace stitches I’m so glad to see a resurgence of crochet and knit, and I’ve once again been making scarves, hats, purses, shrugs and whatever else comes to mind. I’m a designer on paper and on the internet, and also a designer in yarn and thread—I’ll soon be publishing my books of crochet patterns inspired by and made for my cats, patterns inspired by my garden and also making my unique hats, scarves and purses.

But I’m still enchanted by the early days of crochet and all those elegant lacy and stylish patterns for the things people made for themselves.

Custom-made Sontag from Peterson’s Magazine.

In my work as a graphic designer I’ve come to know a number of Civil War reenactors, and while I have no historical connection to this era—my family arrived here just about 100 years ago from Eastern Europe—I’ve been drawn in by both the pretty things ladies wore and the functional things they used every day. Crochet was relatively new then and imported from Europe, but as we know today with any new craft or skill that comes along, people were hungry to learn it and to make the latest things, and manufacturers were ready with materials and patterns to satisfy their creative needs. And while I’m delving into styles and fashions in the United States before and during the Civil War, a historical connection I do have is that crochet was quickly picked up from the French by Polish threadworkers and many of the lace patterns were designed, and are still made, in Poland, so I am adding a bit of my own heritage.

Violet Crocheted lace fingerless gloves from my own pattern, to match a vintage collar.

So that’s my background in this, and after studying styles and patterns in books and found on the internet, and with the suggestions and guidance of reenactors I know, I’ve put together a beginning gallery of crocheted items for Civil War reenactors to purchase or have custom made to match their own outfits. This gallery of items also serves for those who enjoy Victorian style because, while we think of the Victorian era as a few decades around the year 1900, Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, spanning most of the 19th century. Lace collars, fingerless gloves, miser’s purses, tiny hats and grand shawls also span this era.

Each of the items I offer includes an explanation of the pattern I used, whether it is an authentic pattern published at the time in Peterson’s Magazine, for instance, or a pattern created from an actual vintage item from a known period in time. In some cases I’ve designed patterns that use shapes, styles and stitches from the era to suffice for patterns I either can’t understand, since terminology was very different in the early days of crochet, or which I only have a photo.

“Teresa’s Shawl” made from a pattern in DeAnn Upton’s book.

I found an invaluable reference in a book I purchased on the internet while researching patterns, Civil War Era Knit and Crochet Patterns by DeAnn E. Upton, in which she took vintage patterns and modernized the terminology, and created patterns from authentic photos and from vintage items she had purchased as a reenactor. In the book she also includes lists of color combinations used, styles of yarn and beads and lots of details that answered questions I had as I planned the items I’d make. I had the pleasure to correspond with her and confirm that I can sell things made from her book and share our love of making these things.

A sampling of hand-dyed yarns from Wild Rose Farm; also click the link to see more.

As I make more items I receive more suggestions for things to make, and I know I’ll be constantly adding to my gallery with new items. I am heavy on the lace work with white and colored crochet thread since I truly love to work with it, but the shawls are calling me as well, and what lady doesn’t need a pretty shawl to dress up an outfit? For lace, I am using modern-day cotton crochet thread, which is made in the same way today as it was all those years ago. For shawls and heavier items I have wonderful sources for commercial wool yarns, but am very excited to work with Wild Rose Farm in Hookstown, PA, very close to me, where the sheep are grown and sheared, and the spun wool is dyed by hand using natural dye substances.

Crocheted Miser’s Purse, again from DeAnn Upton’s book.

Please visit my Vintage Crochet gallery on Etsy. As I add new patterns I’ll post them here and on other social networking places including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

In the meantime, I’m getting things ready for the annual Civil War reenactment event that got me started in all this—the annual Living History Weekend at Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie.

And a few more images of the gloves and collars…

Black

Black Pineapple Lace Crocheted Fingerless Glove made from modern-day pattern.

Violet

Violet gloves

Sky blue

Sky blue gloves

Cranberry

Cranberry gloves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Aster Washcloth, Inspired by My Favorite Autumn Wildflower

Wild Autumn Asters

My favorite autumn flower is not a domesticated variety but is the wild aster that blooms wherever it can grow.

My set of summer flower-themed crocheted cotton washcloths was inspired by garden flowers as they bloomed in my back yard, but as summer wore on the wild asters began to bloom in the woods and fields as well as around the edges of my garden, where I let them grow for the birds and other wildlife who visit.

Set of three aster washcloths.

The inspiration

The slender blue rays surrounding the tiny yellow center make it seem delicate yet it grows in intense heat and drought in late summer to bloom undiminished all through autumn. The seeds provide forage for migrating birds and the stems a convenient place to perch even in winter. Of course, they also bloom in shades tending toward purple and pink and snowy and creamy white as well, but the blue is my favorite.

And there are hybrid varieties of asters which have long been garden favorites. These flowers inspired the familiar patterns which are the first and the simplest flower I remember embroidering on tablecloths, napkins, pillowcases and doilies, as well as the flower found on vintage china and other tableware, and I’m a sucker for this as well.

Working out the design

Crocheted Cotton Washcloth, Aster

As I worked out the design, I wanted to maintain the look of the rays and the detailed of serrated edge around the outside of the flower and the tiny yellow center, its overall delicacy and its sense of floating above its leaves, while producing a cloth that was functional as well as easy enough to make in an amount of time that would justify its cost. The colors had to be from easily obtainable off-the-shelf cotton yarns so that there would be no delays in ordering materials at any time.

That’s a tall order for a washcloth! Each of my designs fit these criteria, as did the aster, though I created a few versions that had far too much yarn involved or had such complicated stitches around the edge that they took forever. I also had a raised center as the aster flower has raised stamens in its center, but that felt awkward and took too long to dry. Finally, I put it to the test in both the bath and the kitchen to make sure the yarns were colorfast, that it performed its task of washing and also dried quickly enough that it wouldn’t grow mildew, a caution with using cotton yarns for products like these, and that it could be washed and dried in the dryer without losing its shape or shrinking. In the end, I was pleased with the design and glad to add my favorite blue flower to the set.

A wash cloth, a dish cloth, a hand towel, a doily…

This washcloth averages 9″ in diameter, though like most handmade items they vary up to 1/4″. In addition to their obvious use as a washcloth or dishcloth, I have a friend who uses these as small hand towels in the bathroom because they are absorbent and large enough to dry your hands after washing.

They can also be used as doilies for decoration or to protect a table top from scratches, and are even thick enough to be used as a hot pad. It’s not useful as a potholder, though, in part because the stitch is more open than a potholder generally is to allow for easy drying time.

Gift Set of Aster Washcloths

Ordering

I offer these in my Etsy shop as singles for $7.50 each and sets of three for $20.00. I also have gift sets consisting of two aster washcloths and a bar of vegetable oil and goats milk Lavender handmade soap, packed in a straw basket with green shredded packing tied with a white ribbon, all for $20.00, pictured at left. Each washcloth or set includes a decorative card including information and care instructions.

I also offer a discount on the purchase of two for $14.00 and three for $20.00, and you can mix and match the aster with other designs, but these are too numerous to list as products on Etsy. If you’d like a custom set, just send me an e-mail or a conversation on Etsy.

Set of all five cloths.

Other flower patterns

Inspired by the flowers in my garden as they bloom from spring through autumn, I designed these crocheted washcloths to brighten up your bath or kitchen or anywhere in your house.

The Red Rose Washcloth

The first was the rose, which I have always loved to draw and paint, and as I watched my roses bloom I envisioned how I would interpret the furled petals swirling out from the center in a crochet pattern, deciding to make it as a cotton washcloth. Then my daisies bloomed and as I worked out that pattern the idea was born for a set of washcloths of all my favorite flowers!

The Garden Collection of crocheted washcloths.

The full set consists of a rose, daisy, sunflower, red poppy and aster. The main rose is red, but I’ve also crocheted the rose in pink, white, yellow, lavender, burgundy, variegated…all my favorite rose colors, and you can see what’s available on Etsy as well. See the full set and the individual cloths on Etsy.

I wanted the patterns to be relatively simple, both easy to make and easy to enjoy, no more than two colors, and in simple stitches that would be practical for their intended use, easy to handle and drying relatively quickly. They can also be used as hot plates, doilies or just for decoration!

Each cloth is between 8″ and 10″ in diameter and is made of yarn-dyed cotton. I’m selling them as a set of five and also individually and in sets of two and three of each pattern.

Summer Landscapes

The Old Apple Tree, pastel

For me, a bit part of the joy of summer is getting out there in it, on the trails, canoeing the creek, walking around the streets and neighborhoods of my town and growing my garden. And from that, of course, come images, paintings, photographs, block prints, and all the other things I do.

Summer Field, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

I will always remember summer for the time I had to learn to paint en plein air during long, hot summer afternoons when the sun seemed to move slowly enough that I could keep up with it, out there in a field somewhere with my easel and drawing board, listening to insects and deciding exactly what shade a cerulean the sky was that day.

One Pepper, pastel C B E. Kazmarski

What better way to express a “fruitful” morning in the garden than with a quick little sketch? As I prepare for another summer “out in the field”, especially after renewing my studio in the house, you can find a collection of small and large original paintings, one block print, a few crocheted washcloths inspired by the flowers as they bloom in my garden and some very special aprons featured in my Etsy shop. Have a beautiful solstice!

Pre-Thanksgiving Open House at Portraits of Animals and Carnegie Antiques

Mirror, Mirror © B.E. Kazmarski

I’ve been framing and packing and wrapping and tagging items for our holiday shopping sales at Portraits of Animals and Carnegie Antiques!

Join us Saturday, November 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for an Open House. Cookie will be with me for at least part of the day too!

Pistachio Pawprint

I’m offering 10% off your entire order of items from my Portraits of Animals shop including greeting cards, crocheted pawprints, tee-shirts, tote bags, unframed prints and anything else you can find in my shop.

I Like Your Spots

As a bonus, I’m offering 25% off  framed artwork! I’ve been I’ve been busily preparing several dozen small framed prints of my feline, wildlife and nature art as well as photographs, including views of Pittsburgh. I’ve brought in several larger originals as well, so if you’ve had your eye on something, now is the time to get it!

You can see a good bit of what’s in my shop in my Etsy shop.

In addition, Judi has been packing her shop with so much new merchandise I can hardly keep track of it all! There’s new furniture large and small, sets of dishes, hand-painted china, novelties, jewelry and more. Make sure you take time to visit Carnegie Antiques too!

I'm not an antique!

Join us:

• Saturday, November 20
• 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• 423 West Main Street
• Carnegie, PA 15106

Cookie will be waiting!

Gray Pawprint Washcloths

Gray pawprints with pink toes!

Judi, the proprietor of my little bricks and mortar shop, rescued a long-haired gray and white kitty from the alley behind the shop. She asked when I was going to make a gray pawprint so she could have one to match Ally. Here is the set, solid gray and gray with pink toes!

Gray with pink toes.

This also coordinates with many breeds of dogs who are gray or who have brindled fur that appears gray, and even with gray bunnies.

Crocheted Gray Pawprint

Gray cotton yarn was a real challenge to find easily and affordably, and I’m glad I found about two pounds of this lovely steely gray.

You can find these pawprints in my Etsy shop as a set, and click on the images here to link to each individual pawprint.

I also have them in my shop at Carnegie Antiques.

Enjoy!

Black and White Pawprints

Black and White Crocheted Pawprint Washcloth Set

In honor of Mister Mistoffelees and all the other jellicle cats in the world, I’ve finally crocheted the sets of black and white pawprints!

White Pawprint with Black Toes

Most black and white cats have white paws, and while white paws on cats usually have pink toes this isn’t always true—some white paws have black toes if the kitty is mostly black! This was one of the things I noticed about Mister Mistoffelees, and I decided right then and there that I’d crochet white pawprints with black toes in his honor.

Black Pawprint with White Toes

But no kitties have white toes…but why not on a crocheted washcloth?! I’ve always simply loved black and white together, so this would be a natural combination and most of these pawprints are just for fun.

Black Pawprint

And, of course, my homage to all the black kitties I’ve loved, including the Big Four! A soft solid black pawprint, ready for shower, decoration, or gift. You’d have thought I’d do this one first!

You can find these pawprints in my Etsy shop as a set, and click on the images here to link to each individual pawprint.

I also have them in my shop at Carnegie Antiques.

Enjoy!

See You at the Polish Hill Arts Festival, July 18!

"The Goddess" will be well represented on my table!

I don’t think there is one level spot anywhere in Polish Hill, but last year I managed to balance everything so that nothing slid off my table in this wonderful little one-day festival.

Still, that means I carry a lot of “soft” things, like crocheted washcloths, tote bags and greeting cards! Nearly everyone who visits has a cat or dog, and many dogs visit the festival with their people.

That obviously means I’ll have a lot of my animal-inspired merchandise! I love to show it off to an animal-loving population.

Join us July 18 from noon to 8 p.m. for a variety of vendors, local music all day long both ethnic and alternative (including a drum corps that will vibrate your very bones), lots of food made in the church basement and hopefully as nice a day as we had last year.

Read more about the festival in this flyer, and read more about Polish Hill, one of Pittsburgh’s traditional neighborhoods, on their website.