Quite a bit ago, I told you about the Sibling Artistry podcasts. Well — it definitely took a bit but we finally got them edited and up on the wonderful House of Faux site.? The premiere broadcasts features a three-part series on Marketing & Promotion for Artists.? They will also be available on the Talk Faux forum and the Art Fusion networking site.? We hope you take a listen, leave a comment and/or give us feedback here.

We already have the next two scheduled with special guests on the topics of Websites and (tentatively) Woodgraining.? If you have a subject you’d like us to research and discuss, by all means please let us know.? Have a great day!

So, by now (’cause of?Oprah?or Ashton, take your pick), you’ve probably heard about Twitter.? I first heard of it back during the blog convention?and then wrote about it later.? I actually joined Twitter?this past October but it hasn’t been until the last few weeks that I’ve stopped circling it overhead and really explored what it does.? You’re probably thinking “MySpace, Facebook, Twitter…does this ever stop?!?”? Well…no.? Change never stops but that’s what I love.? I?do look forward to all?the “new” and tapping into what is going on in the cultural and online zeitgeist.? I wish I could stand still in one place and fast forward years into the future and see what is going to happen, what has happened, what we will become.? It makes me sad that I won’t be around to experience the continual cycle of change — so I can only enjoy what is available in my life today.? Carpe Diem!? (BTW, has anyone seen?the final scenes of the?2002 movie The Time Machine?? That’s what I’m talkin’ about!)?

Since I couldn’t figure out Twitter, I bought a book about it: Joel Comm’s Twitter Power.? I’m having a blast?learning what Twitter is all about and how it can help your company go beyond?local.? On the site, I’m following interesting people I might have never “met” and have become part of a crazy and exciting online conversation.? Twitter even has an informative blog, various applications?and a nice search engine.? Mr. Comm also provides a beautiful website, Twitter Patterns, where you can download very pretty Twitter-only background designs for free.? I haven’t even finished devouring the book yet and I’m already seeing results!

All great and wonderful — but how does this help business exactly?? If you wrangle it well, Twitter can be an effective?business tool.? It does so by providing a new (and free) way to market your “brand”, selling your goods to those who are looking for it and making potential clients aware of your business.??Also, you can join groups called Twibes and share pics with other Twitter users via TwitPic.? Sometimes you can even help your industry — through Twitter, I found a company in PA looking for a faux finisher.? I can always help find someone near them that can take on the commission.? Love that!? I feel good, they feel good, another artisan feels good.? Win/Win.?

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So — I do hope you look into?Twitter, if you haven’t already.? I’m @fauxology?in case you’d like to Follow Me.? If you’re on Twitter, leave a comment with your Twitter address so that myself and others can look you up, too!??I look forward to your?tweets.? Have a great day!?

P.S.? Many thanks to Randa Clay?for that?nice Twitter graphic!

I’ve been receiving a few e-mails from artist acquaintances who have been?inspired to?(possibly) start their own blog.??To which I say:?You’ll love it!? Of course, I love to gab, I love to write and I love my career so I can say that with ease.? ?(Lot of love going around, no?)?

In case this is you as well, dear Reader, then I?have three online sites to get you started or?take you to the next level:?

1)? Blogging category?on About dot com – Truly one of the best and easiest ways to find out all about blogging.? In fact, even blog pros can find something to learn there.? Plus, they have a handy dandy quiz to see if you should really start a blog.? If you’re still not intimidated,?then head on over to their Starting a Blog area. Be sure to sign up for their weekly newsletter — fantastic tips!

2)? Meet the Bloggers! group on The Art Fusion – Online blogging group for creative artisans.? We have members that range from novices to pros.? We all take turns chatting and?posting up tips in the different discussion boards?within the group.? Think about joining — it’s a nice mix of creative personalities.?

3)? ProBlogger?– Right now, they have a??31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge?going on.? We’re on Day 6 and I’m having a hard time keeping up!? But check it out, it has some really good tips and exercises to follow.? How did I find out?? Fellow Meet-the-Bloggers!-member Angela from Spinach Tiger.? She’s got a few of us going through it with her. (You know you rock, Angela!)

One thing to remember!? You see, I recently had?a?great online conversation with artisan Lynne Rutter?about an important aspect of? blogdom — giving?credit?to the photos and/or content you use.??She had a really interesting story about it on her end.? (Lynne is?also a fellow?Meet the Blogger!?and has that jewel of a book I recommended.)??When?you?start a?blog, chances are you are looking for an?outlet to?chatter away about your love of art.? When I started, I used the photos in my “idea books” — favorite magazine shots that I trimmed?and pasted?in an album for my eyes only when I needed inspiration.??I literally had?no way to tell where the pics originated from.?? I’ve recently come to?a fork in the road and this is why:? I’ve?been paralyzed by a surreal disbelief at my growing visitor statistics and realize?it’s no longer just read by my family and small circle of online friends.?? So, I’ve decided?to start being very responsible for crediting my photo sources whenever possible — which is something I’m sometimes lax with.? Haven’t gotten in trouble but I certainly don’t need to tempt it.? If I don’t know the source, I’ll say so — and maybe one of the Readers can point me in the right direction.? If I’m asked to take something down — I will do so immediately because, quite frankly,?I don’t think I’d take a very good mugshot.? So, dear Reader, if you can keep that in mind from the get-go, you’ll be in a far better starting position.?

So, I hope you go forth and keep the blah, blah, blogosphere going with fresh new ideas and personalities.? Keep me posted!

My brother and I have been talking about the classes we want to take this year.? There is always the IDAL convention?but as much as we want to learn new finishes, we also want to learn about the business end of this industry.? One of the classes that offers this solution is?“The Art of Making a Profit: Taking the Guesswork out of Pricing”?by Susan Bickford.? We already do have a formula for ourselves but it’s always good to remain open-minded about learning new business and finance techniques.?

Ms. Bickford has an education in not only the Fine Arts, but in Finance and Economics as well.? She took this background and developed an automated estimating system to make pricing easier and more efficient.? She called the program The Client Workbook and during the 2-day class, you’ll?not only receive a CD with the program — you also receive?step-by-step?guidance on using it.? The program includes job costing, estimating, proposal & invoice forms and ways to estimate overhead and do a break even analysis.? She also teaches about business accounting concepts in class.? Well, that part?doesn’t sound so exciting but?you know what does?? Consistenly showing a profit.? Hard thing to wrap around when you are all about the right brain.?

So, this is one of the classes my brother is looking to take — we’ll let you know what we decide.? This year, the classes available are all top notch and it’s so hard to make a decision (especially when every class investment penny counts).? Either way, you’ll be hearing about our exciting workshop?experiences!? If you are interested in taking the class or receiving more info, she will be teaching?on February 13 & 14 at The Southern Institute of Faux Finishing in Jackson, MS, April 23 & 24 at Prismatic Painting Studio in Cincinnati, OH, June 15 & 16 at The Faux Finish School in Louisville, KY?and August 3 & 4 at Faux Assured Studios in Heber City, Utah.? The class averages between $525 – $625, depending on location.? Maybe we’ll see you at one of them?

A little bit?ago, I?accompanied photographer Lindsay Pardo to some of my job sites that needed professional attention.? It was such a great,?fun day and I feel as if I?gained a lifelong friend.?

Lindsay shares this about her career,

A little bit ago, we did a two-part Faux-cus on the Pros interview?with Sisters Hands, a group of ten artisans who came together due to their passion for decorative painting.? (Click here for Part One and Part Two.)? They formed a strong sisterhood — sharing ideas, working together and networking.

Back then, they talked about their plans to expand that idea to include all artisans by providing a?beautiful and resourceful?website and an info-packed newsletter.? Those?plans have?come to fruition!? Their website has?Class Info, Recipes, Fauxplay Product Reviews, and…oh, just click in to see it all.? (Plus, I looooooooooooooove how on the home page you can click on their shadows and it brings up their bios.? They’re all wearing the same colors, too — very cool. Whoever thought of that idea: kudos!)? If you hurry, you can still enter to win?a beautiful Tapestry Portfauxlio Bag by signing up for their newsletter. The premiere issue?comes out on January 1, 2009…can’t wait to check it out.

I really enjoy being friends with women — I call them the Power Girls — who are all about entrepreneurship, breaking new ground and being forward-thinkers…and still being oh-so-chic and good to others every step of the way.? I find that balance of equal parts generosity and ambition to be very inspiring.? I hope you do, too!

[...although that may go out the door if it's between you and me for that paisley tapestry bag, LOL... =) ]

Reference Site: Sisters Hands -?www.sistershands.com

The shopping day after Thanksgiving is usually called Black Friday.? I’m renaming it Black FauxDay since I’m putting forth my 2008 Wish List of items I’d like as an artist.? I’m going to steer away from products and stencils because there are waaaaaaay too many I want?to try.? Did I name what’s on your list or omit something?? Let me know in the comment box!

1)? We had our trailer stolen along with?important?tools & equipment.? Besides?samples (sob!!!), what I miss the most is my Werner 10-Foot Stocker’s Ladder.? It had casters that safely locked down when you stepped on them and then popped up to allow for super-easy movement of the ladder to the next area.? Then there were the?sides built for two people, a mini-platform for supplies and a bar to hold onto at the top. Sigh.

2)? Painter’s pants by HakanWear.? These are so cool that we are doing a more extensive post of them in the near future.? They have?pockets specifically for?brushes,?tools and your?cellphone or iPod.? Plus, they fit really nicely.? The best part?? There are?areas where you?can perfectly position the knee pads they come with and you never see them.? They don’t slip out and when working upright, they don’t hinder you,?look bulky or give the impression that you need to be cited by the Fashion Police.

3)? The job estimating software that comes with?the business class?The Art of Making a Profit by Susan Bickford of Singing Walls.? I’ve been in business over a decade and pricing is still tough for me.? I?get those questions going on inside my head: Did I cover everything???Am I really making a profit on this?? Is this the best price I could give for both them and myself? I’ve gotten it down to what works for us but still — anything I can learn to better the bottom line of my business is worth my attention.

4)? Amazon gift certificates.? Because you can never have enough resource and technique books.? ‘Nuff said.

5)? I would really like to lighten my load when I go to consults.? Regular samples, trim samples, cabinet samples, Venetian plaster samples, mirror and glass samples…it can get heavy!? That’s why I’m wishing on one tool that will help along the way.? Its the Cabinet Sample Blanks by Krista Vind and Cindy Everett.? No more heavy cabinet doors — just small sample sizes?that?showcase the finishes perfectly.

6)? I’m 5’2″ and not only to I get teased by my team for my height (actually, the lack of it) but sometimes my clients join in as well.? And guess who gets to squeeze into the really tight spots?? That would be me.? When I saw a pic of the?stilts from?All-Wall, I loved them.??I really want them.? The only thing I wonder about is how long?the team is going to stay laughing when they see me strolling in with them on.

7)? A fellow?artisan, Mardy from Indiana,?turned me on to the Racatac in a recent Art Fusion post.? She thought it was the best discovery of 2008.? I have to admit, it does look sweet.??I?also saw the gel-filled Knee Blades recently online.?? Both would help on a jobsite by the ability to roll around easily to get to tough areas or while working on floors.? I will give the Racatac the edge since it looks like you can actually rest and work at the same time, LOL!

8)? Love it when big-time artisans put out “sample packets” — recipe cards that are inexpensive but yet give you an all-new recipe to try out.? (Heck, nothing can beat a professional class but these are a nice distant cousin.)? A few available are the Master Methods, Royal Recipes, ProFaux’s online techniques, Sandra’s Recipe Cards from Faux Like a Pro and the Technique Packets from Prismatic Painting.? Now, Anthony Pinkstone and Jason Lucas have teamed up to provide Method Finishing, a “subscription based online resource tool”.? The cool part is that for approximately $35/month, you will receive five fresh finishes every month.? They are striving to?create these techniques with the finisher in mind — not the product manufacturer.? Cool, no?? And quite frankly…and I don’t say this lightly…I do think that?both Anthony and Jason will be future titans in our business.? They are that talented.? So, yeah, it’s on my Wish List.

9)? I’ll keep it at 9 — it’s a superstition.? If you get a?perfect 10, there’s nothing to strive for anymore.? So, lucky number 9 it is.??My last item on the 2008 Wish List is that everyone who is reading this will be blessed with life, joy?and prosperity in 2009.

Now…don’t be shy…anything I missed?