Studio Snippets No. 3: Celebrating Summer and Upcoming Shop Launch!
Happy June! Welcome to another issue of Studio Snippets—a little peek behind the scenes at what’s been happening lately in the studio and in life!
Inside this issue, I’m sharing:
Studio Update: When the Summer Slump Hits Earlier Than Expected
From the Blog: In Case You Missed It
Studio Spotlight: Behind the Scenes of My Shop Launch
Art & Life: Little Life Snapshots
The Latest in the Hamletta Studios Freebies Vault
Studio Update: When the Summer Slump Hits Earlier Than Expected
Okay, so technically it’s not officially summer yet… as in the summer solstice hasn't been celebrated yet but in my world that revolves around the school calendar, it basically is. You bet I'm excited!
Lately, most of my time has gone into getting my shop up and running (finally! I'm so close, promise!), which is super fun but also means I've been more inconsistent with my journaling.
Now that school’s wrapping up and the kiddo schedule is slowing down, I’m feeling this little spark of hope that maybe—maybe—I’ll have a little more space to do the things I love again. Like journaling just for me.
I've decided to sign up for forest school classes with the kids even for the summer this year, despite having to brave the summer heat. We've built up a community of friends there and it will give an anchor to our summer days. My kids and I are all introverts so we'll likely stay home all summer if it weren't for an activity or class to get us out in the world.
But we'll still have more free time than usual. No other enrichment classes, teacher meetings, school functions to care about this summer. I'll have more time with the kids to draw, craft and journal together. My kids take a keen interest in everything I'm interested in and I know this won't last once they're past a certain age. So with that said, I'm ready to get back into a journaling groove this summer!
So that’s where this post comes from. Not from being on a journaling hot streak, but from wanting to get back into it. If you’re feeling a little off your routine too, maybe this list of 25 summer journal page ideas will give you something gentle and fun to start with.
25 Must-Try Summer Journal Page Ideas to Light Up Your Pages and Your Days
Summer’s around the corner, but sometimes motivation isn’t. Try these simple journal page ideas to help you shake off the slump and find your flow again.
From the Blog:
In Case You Missed It
I know life gets busy, so here’s a quick roundup of recent blog posts in case you didn’t get a chance to check them out. Whether you need a little creative boost or just want something thoughtful to read, I hope these meet you where you are.
Art Journaling for Self Care
Did you know that being creative and taking time to simply create art is an extremely powerful form of self-care? It’s one of my absolute favorite forms of self-care.
Creative One-Line Journaling
Journaling should not feel like another task on your to-do list.
That’s where one-line journaling comes in! It’s a simple, low-pressure way to stay connected with your thoughts and creativity without needing pages of prose.
50 Creativity Quotes For When Your Brain is Toast
Ever find yourself stuck, wondering where your next big idea is hiding? Yeah, me too. Creativity can be a total mystery sometimes, like it’s playing hide-and-seek with your brain.
Studio Spotlight: Behind the Scenes of My Shop Launch
I’ve been deep in the weeds getting ready to open my shop. I’ve been taking product photos, setting up the storefront, coding, customizing... and spending way too much time hemming and hawing over things I have no business needing this much time to think over. I've been bouncing around different storefronts trying them out and figuring out which one will be the right fit for my needs. On the positive side, I honestly love web design and could do this all day (which I have been doing a lot this past week). On the downside, I've had decision paralysis and it's been overwhelming.
Maybe it's my own way of dealing with the anxiety that comes from launching an online shop. While I am excited, I'm also extremely nervous in that “what if no one shows up?” kind of way. Launching anything new is scary, especially when you care a lot and have poured your heart and soul into it. But I keep reminding myself: even if it’s crickets at first, it’s still a beginning. It's a tiny experiment. If nothing sells, that just means I get to keep learning, tweaking, and trying again.
All that is to say, I'm planning the launch of my shop this month. I've been trying to convince myself to delay it but I think I just need to rip the band-aid off and get it over with. You can expect diecut vinyl stickers and sticker sheets for the launch. (See how cute everything looks? I hope to send them off to good homes!)
And hey! Get ready for something special coming in June: a giveaway announcement plus there will be an exclusive pre-sale just for you. Make sure you’re on the newsletter to be the first to know!
Art & Life:
Little Life Snapshots
May was filled with adventures and laughter in our household.
My oldest son is obsessed with weather and meteorology. We've been enjoying lots of cloud watching, watching the wind blow things around in the yard, and watching the Weather Channel learning about tornados and hurricanes.
We're also spending a lot of time down by the river, taking in the sunshine, playing in the sand, collecting flower petals and leaves along the way. I've been attending forest school with my kids and playing by the river for nearly two years now! Time really flies. I feel right at home by the river now and that's such a special feeling.
We wrapped up my older son's kindergarten year and I've officially been homeschooling for two years! We homeschool through a local charter school so he even got to participate in a kindergarten promotion ceremony. We celebrated by making a giant collage poster board of our favorite moments. I've officially got a first grader in the house.
We celebrated the end of the school year with one last school field trip to the UC Davis Arboretum. It's my first time experiencing the arboretum with my kids. I attended UC Davis for my undergrad and spent countless hours in the arboretum studying plants and learning to identify them for my horticulture classes. It was nostalgic for me and a fun new experience for the kids.
I'm still just squeezing in drawing in the little pockets of time I have after my kids fall asleep, during swim lessons, and in between household tasks. I'm not usually able to make anything super elaborate but I'm proud to whip up the cute sassy doodles that I do and I share those with you every week. 😊
The Latest in the Hamletta Studios Freebies Vault
Hot Girl Summer... but make it introspective! I've got a special freebie for you because I couldn't help myself. 25 go-to summer themed prompts to inspire your next journal entry!
Thanks for hanging out and sneaking a peek behind the scenes. I’m excited to keep sharing my journey as I figure things out.
