At the start of 2008 (yes, 2008) a fellow artist and small business owner posted a prayer on one of my chat groups that truly struck a cord. I saved that prayer and refer to it often. In light of the historic Inauguration today, I wanted to share that prayer here. The artist is unknown, but the message is still true, one year later.

New Years Prayer

Thank you Lord for giving me
The brand new year ahead
Help me live the way I should
As each new day I tread.

Give me gentle wisdom
That I might help a friend
Give me strength and courage
So a shoulder I might lend.

The year ahead is empty
Help me fill it with good things
Each new day filled with joy
And the happiness it brings.

Please give the leaders of our world
A courage born of peace
That they might lead us gently
And all the fighting cease.

Please give to all upon this earth
A heart that's filled with love
A gentle happy way to live
With Your blessings from above.
-Author Unknown

We have all seen reports on TV about animal neglect and abuse and maybe felt a little helpless. Due to allergies, and our nomad lifestyle, we have decided not to adopt a pet(s), but I have always felt like I could/should do something to help. Running my own business keeps me very busy, so I was very happy to learn about a website that allows you to help rescued animals just by clicking a button at a website. There are no fees, and you do not need to sign up for anything. The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for rescued animals living in shelters and sanctuaries. Funding for the food and care is provided by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need. You can visit the site daily and they will get credit from the sponsors for your click. I hope you will click on the banner below to visit The Animal Rescue Site website. There you can learn more about them and start supporting them.

Wow! Where did the time go? It has been a long time since I posted my last entry. The 2nd half of 2007 was incredibly busy for me and I feel very fortunate. Business was strong, in spite of the economy. To all my customers, thank you for your business. I hope you will come back and visit again very soon.

A large part of my business in 2007 was for custom sign work. I had so many people ask for larger sizes that I decided to add 8 X 10 inch tiles to my inventory. This larger size allows me to combine my two best selling signs onto one tile. Starting this month I now offer Welcome Remove Shoes signs. These signs will be available in limited designs to start out. This new sign will give people another option for greeting their guests while also requesting that they remove their shoes.

Beginning this month I also plan to start working on an overhaul of my website. I hope to keep the look of the site, but improve the load time for pages and make navigation easier. I plan to change to an XHTML/CSS format, as opposed to traditional HTML, in an effort to make my site more accessible to new technologies. I do have a few pages completed so far, but I am still working out some layout kinks. Hopefully I will be able to launch the new and improved site very soon.

                 

 

I love working with my clients at Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts to create custom signs to meet their specific needs. Sometimes the process is easy and flows smoothly, other times it can be more challenging. Most clients know what they want their sign to say, and what design they want on it, but in some cases my clients aren’t sure how to communicate what their needs or desires are. Here are a few tips to help with that process…

• What size would you like your sign to be? Sometimes it helps to measure the area where you plan to display your sign to help you determine what size tile you need.
  
  
• What do you want/need your sign to say? The length of text will also determine the tile size needed. Longer text requires more surface area.
  
  
• What design would you like? You can pick a design from my inventory or I can create a design specifically for you. If you require a custom design, it helps if you can locate a picture online to use as a reference.
  
  
• What colors will suit your environment?
  
  
• What is your timeline for delivery? Custom signs usually take 10 days to complete once payment authorization is received. Since custom orders are non-refundable I have my clients review the sign at different stages to make sure they are satisfied with the progress. If I do not receive a reply by email, I cannot continue, and that may delay the completion date.

These a just a few items to consider as you decide on your custom sign requirements. If you need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I started painting glassware after seeing hand painted wine glasses in a gift shop on the Seattle Waterfront. The glasses were absolutely gorgeous, but they couldn’t be washed in the dishwasher. Maybe I’m a bit lazy, but if something needs special treatment, I probably won’t use it. After looking at the glasses for awhile, and debating whether I should buy them or not, my husband asked me why I didn’t just paint a set of glasses for myself? I looked at the man blankly for a moment, and realized he was absolutely right. I had been painting my tile signs for roughly a year, but never considered painting on a surface that wasn’t flat. I left that gift shop with a new mission. I was going to try painting glassware. The next day I picked up a few glass pieces and got to work right away. I immediately fell in love. After a bit of trial and error, I finally completed a coffee mug that I was happy with. Eight years later I still have that mug and use it nearly every day.

My customers fell in love with my painted glassware right away, too. I couldn’t keep enough inventory in stock when I was making the rounds at the local art shows and farmers markets. I have also shipped glassware around the world through my website, Wendy’s Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts. I use the same enamel based paint on my glassware that I use on my tile signs. The paint is oven safe, dishwasher safe and microwave safe. Customers are always amazed when they learn my painted glassware can go through the dishwasher. I do recommend washing on the top rack of the dishwasher, using the China setting. I also suggest using a liquid detergent that is less abrasive to protect the gloss finish. For those who are uncomfortable with the idea of washing painted glassware in the dishwasher, you can always hand wash them using a soft cloth. Never soak your hand painted glassware.

All the products at Wendy’s Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts are painted one at a time. Nothing is mass produced. Each item is slightly unique, making it one of a kind. In addition to hand painted wine glasses, I also carry a line of hand painted accent lamps and glass accessories at Wendy’s Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts. I hope you will stop by to check out the items I have to offer.

           

 

Running my online business Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts is a constant learning experience. For me, building the web site was the easy part, thanks to my education. Everything else I have learned on the fly or from the members of Qflea, a Yahoo Group for small business. Qflea is strictly moderated by the group's fearless leader Charley. Charley also runs the website Qflea.com, a free virtual flea market community consisting of 400 vendors. All the sites linked to Qflea.com are run by small business owners who take pride in their products and their customer service. Qflea.com is a great site for shoppers interested in a wide array of products. It is also a fabulous site for small business owners in search of online resources to help them run and build their business. This group of small business owners has helped me more than I can ever repay. The Qflea members freely and generously share their knowledge and are never judgmental or condescending. Running a business online is more than taking pictures of product and writing the code to post it on the Internet. When I started out, I naively thought that if a website was on the Internet, then people would find it. Through the members of Qflea I have learned the importance of generating quality traffic to a website. Advertising and promoting my site are areas where I still have room to improve, and I know the members of Qflea will be an invaluable resource to help me expand my knowledge. I have never regretted joining Qflea and I look forward to being affiliated with these small business owners for many years to come.

People are always thrilled to find my hand painted Please Remove Shoes signs online. I am often asked what made me think to create them, and the answer is simple. My customers asked for them! Not wearing shoes inside a home is becoming a very popular trend. This choice also sparks a lot of debate. Some people have no problem taking their shoes off when asked; others are offended by the request. My signs help my customers gently coax their guests to take off their shoes when entering their home. I have many different styles, so hopefully everyone can find a design that suits their decor. I am also available for custom orders.

The products at Wendy’s Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts are not mass produced. I paint each item, one at a time, so every piece is slightly unique. My tile signs are very popular because they are painted with an enamel paint that holds up to any type of weather. This allows the owner to display the sign out side their home to catch their guests before they enter. In fact, the paint is so durable, the sign is oven, microwave and dish-washer safe too. I would suggest taking off the leather cord first, though.

The reason’s for not wearing shoes inside a home are endless. For some people, it is a matter of cleanliness. For others, it is done to protect their flooring investment. In some cases, it is a cultural preference to remove shoes when indoors. No matter what your reason, I hope you will visit Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts to find a Please Remove Shoes sign to help you express your wishes to your guests. Heck, Martha Stewart asks her guests to remove their shoes so it must be “A Good Thing,” right?

People are always surprised to learn that I have been painting less than 10 years. Truthfully, I was not the creative one in my family. My brother David is an excellent artist. He won awards in school for his drawings. I never had much interest in art as a kid. I was more drawn to sports and music.

I think my creative side came out after stumbling across various craft shows on television. Military spouses learn to fend for themselves pretty quickly, and I was looking for something to keep me busy while my Sailor was out to sea. I happened to see a sign at a local craft store advertising classes for Basic Painting Techniques and decided to sign up. The class was taught by a fellow Navy wife, and we hit it off. I took quite a few classes with Colleen, and I thank her for bringing out the artist in me.

Once I learned to paint, there was no stopping me. If it didn’t move, I painted it. I started out painting things for my home. As I gained more confidence, I painted items as gifts for friends and family. Next thing I knew, I was getting requests from neighbors and co-workers to paint gifts for their friends and family. With the encouragement of these friends and neighbors, I decided to start selling at local craft shows and Farmer’s Markets.

In March 1999 I was laid off from my job due to downsizing. Initially I felt this was the worst thing that could happen. Luckily, I realized quickly that it was a golden opportunity. Due to the lay off I was eligible for a Worker Retraining Program which allowed me to go back to college to learn a whole new trade. Rather than just brushing up on my office skills, I decided to learn how to design web sites. I was able to combine my education with painting to start my online business, Wendy’s Whimsies – Hand Painted Gifts. My website has allowed me to reach customers far beyond the local craft venues. As a result, I have artwork displayed in nearly every state in the US, as well as a few countries around the world.

I love what I do and I hope it comes out in my artwork. Painting is therapeutic to me and I hope my pieces bring joy to the people who receive them. I love to work with people to create one of a kind, custom pieces, so if you are ever in need of a special piece of art or an unusual gift, please stop by my website. I look forward to meeting you!

Welcome to the blog for Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts. From time to time I will be posting some thoughts and experiences about running an online business. I get to meet a lot of people through my website and I always enjoy helping them find products to make their homes more beautiful.

My name is Wendy Yorges and I am a proud Navy wife. I have been following my Sailor around this country for 15 years and have seen quite a few places I may not have had an opportunity to visit if it weren't for the Navy. Since we move frequently, starting an online business was the way to go for me. Having my own website allows me to "set up shop" wherever the Navy sends us. Running my own business also keeps me busy when I am flying solo during a patrol.

Please feel free to visit Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts and post a comment about what you think. I am always looking for constructive suggestions on how to make my site easier to navigate. If you have an idea for new products I would love to hear those too. Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy