As the Crow Flies

Welcome to the inaugural launch of my blog. After much consideration and at least one false start, I've decided to try my hand at blogging. I haven't mapped out this little adventure so I'm not quite sure where I'm going with it. I'm going to "play it by ear", (a phrase I often heard as a child)

So, I think a brief introduction is in order,
I live with my husband & 5 cats in a small town in central New Mexico. I have a BFA from long ago that I've never really done anything with. I worked as a custom picture framer since I left the fertile, creative grounds of collage, working on my artwork when time &/or money permitted. When I got married a couple of years ago, I quit my job to move to a small town where my husband was employed. I'd often thought about having my own little business so I would have the time to pursue my creative urges. And with the help of my trusty computer, I built my first website MadRat Studio.

MadRat Studio is a catch all for my various creative endeavors. Photography was my first love but I quickly found I was also drawn to painting, woodworking, jewelry and collage. I also have a thing for fabrics & try my hand at sewing every now and again. I guess when I get right down to it I just really love various materials. (I've collected stuff for years with the intent of making something with it) Once I had my "art" site set up, I turned my attentions to starting a web based business that I could run from home. I combined my love of art with my interest in collecting and came up with WildDesertHare, a small gallery of functional & decorative arts. I don't get the kind of traffic I'd hoped for so I haven't been able to really develop it as well as I'd have liked. My budget can be described as shoestring, at best.

I was surfing the net when I rediscovered rubber stamps. I had an eureka moment when I realized I could use stamps to create multiple images on the boxes I make. I also discovered all the really creative things people where doing with them. There was a whole bunch of folks out there using stamps. I did a little research & decided to start my own little company, MadRatRubber. Most of the images I carry are vintage and a little quirky, others are from my own drawings but I've had little time to do many original images so far. I've since expanded my inventory to include anything I can see being used to create art. I also expanded my web presence by adding 2 shops, MadRatStudio.Etsy & MadRatMiscellanea.Etsy. The former is where my artwork can be bought & the later is where I sell materials for the mixed-media artist.

Well ok, I guess that's a start, until next time....