Wings of the Morning Publications got started several years ago. I used to make greeting cards out of my own illustrations and original paintings all the time and give them to people who were sick or needed encouraging in some way. People would often tell me how much the card had blessed and encouraged or comforted them. Many asked where they could buy my cards.
One day a woman asked if I would make some of my cards available to sell in her florist's shop. I didn't like the idea of going into business on my own because I suffer from an auto-immune illness that severely compromises my energy and causes frequent bouts of migraine headaches.
After praying a long time about the decision, I felt the Lord was saying to me in my heart that if I would take this step of faith and trust in Him to help me, that I would not fail. He promised that He would not fail me, because He was love, and love never fails.
So with that encouragement, I had some of my cards printed up and Wings of the Morning Publications, LLC was born.
As it turned out, the lady who originally wanted to sell the cards in her florist business ended up getting sick and couldn't sell them. I would have to learn all about selling the cards I'd had printed all on my own~my worst fears realized.
But I learned from that experience and am learning all the time, to depend on God and His strength and not on people or myself.
MY PROCESS
My cards begin with one of my own original illustrations. I then scan or photograph the illustration and import it into my computer. ( My Digital cards dont need to be scanned.) Using computer software I design a greeting card from my sketch or painting; I may alter the painting many times to create several cards from it! There is no end what I can do with one single painting or sketch.
After creating the card, I make a print. Trying to match the colors on the printer with the colors on the computer monitor is very tricky and often time consuming. And each card is different.
After I do this I make PDF and JPEG files of my cards and print each one exactly the way I want them to look and take them to my printer.
My printer needs to see exactly the way the cards need to look before he can try to match them from the files I give him.
He works very hard to ensure he gets a close match to my original designs.
CREATIVITY
Although it's been a huge learning experience, going from freelance artist/illustrator/author/musician to fledgling greeting card publisher I have learned and am still learning a great deal.
Creating things has never been about earning money for me, but rather the joy it gives me to be able to draw, paint, write, sing, or compose music on the piano, make cards for someone...make a book...whatever the Lord gives me to create, just the process of creating it is worth more than anything anyone could ever pay me for it!
For I invested a part of my life in its creation. (Painting & drawing with traditional media like oils, acrylics, watercolors, pens & inks can take me many hours because of my love for detail and because I work very slowly.
These days I work mostly with digital media on my IPad Pro ~mainly because of its versatility, portability, and it makes virtually all traditional media available to me without any mess to clean up! This is a big plus for someone with limited energy. Still, many of my digital paintings can also take many hours to create just like in traditional media because of my love for detail.
Still, painting with digital media has been a huge learning curve for me and requires a lot of experimenting to become comfortable with it.
I’m still learning everyday.
But I love it and that is the most important thing about any creative work that anyone does ~ to have a passion for it.
LOVE NEVER FAILS
Being an Etsy seller is a wonderful opportunity for anyone with a creative skill and something to share with the public. I really would not want to be doing anything else.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to sell my cards, prints, and music on Etsy.
The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and the amount of support is amazing.
There is still so much for me as a seller to learn to become a successful business but I enjoy what I am doing and that to me is more important than anything else.
To me the definition of success is being able to love your life while taking each day as it comes and enjoy doing what you do.
The Lord has been very faithful, and has never once failed me despite my health challenges. Through all of this He has shown me that through Christ’s grace I truly can do all things.
He has done just as He promised to never let me fail if I trusted Him, for He is Love and Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
One day a woman asked if I would make some of my cards available to sell in her florist's shop. I didn't like the idea of going into business on my own because I suffer from an auto-immune illness that severely compromises my energy and causes frequent bouts of migraine headaches.
After praying a long time about the decision, I felt the Lord was saying to me in my heart that if I would take this step of faith and trust in Him to help me, that I would not fail. He promised that He would not fail me, because He was love, and love never fails.
So with that encouragement, I had some of my cards printed up and Wings of the Morning Publications, LLC was born.
As it turned out, the lady who originally wanted to sell the cards in her florist business ended up getting sick and couldn't sell them. I would have to learn all about selling the cards I'd had printed all on my own~my worst fears realized.
But I learned from that experience and am learning all the time, to depend on God and His strength and not on people or myself.
MY PROCESS
My cards begin with one of my own original illustrations. I then scan or photograph the illustration and import it into my computer. ( My Digital cards dont need to be scanned.) Using computer software I design a greeting card from my sketch or painting; I may alter the painting many times to create several cards from it! There is no end what I can do with one single painting or sketch.
After creating the card, I make a print. Trying to match the colors on the printer with the colors on the computer monitor is very tricky and often time consuming. And each card is different.
After I do this I make PDF and JPEG files of my cards and print each one exactly the way I want them to look and take them to my printer.
My printer needs to see exactly the way the cards need to look before he can try to match them from the files I give him.
He works very hard to ensure he gets a close match to my original designs.
CREATIVITY
Although it's been a huge learning experience, going from freelance artist/illustrator/author/musician to fledgling greeting card publisher I have learned and am still learning a great deal.
Creating things has never been about earning money for me, but rather the joy it gives me to be able to draw, paint, write, sing, or compose music on the piano, make cards for someone...make a book...whatever the Lord gives me to create, just the process of creating it is worth more than anything anyone could ever pay me for it!
For I invested a part of my life in its creation. (Painting & drawing with traditional media like oils, acrylics, watercolors, pens & inks can take me many hours because of my love for detail and because I work very slowly.
These days I work mostly with digital media on my IPad Pro ~mainly because of its versatility, portability, and it makes virtually all traditional media available to me without any mess to clean up! This is a big plus for someone with limited energy. Still, many of my digital paintings can also take many hours to create just like in traditional media because of my love for detail.
Still, painting with digital media has been a huge learning curve for me and requires a lot of experimenting to become comfortable with it.
I’m still learning everyday.
But I love it and that is the most important thing about any creative work that anyone does ~ to have a passion for it.
LOVE NEVER FAILS
Being an Etsy seller is a wonderful opportunity for anyone with a creative skill and something to share with the public. I really would not want to be doing anything else.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to sell my cards, prints, and music on Etsy.
The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and the amount of support is amazing.
There is still so much for me as a seller to learn to become a successful business but I enjoy what I am doing and that to me is more important than anything else.
To me the definition of success is being able to love your life while taking each day as it comes and enjoy doing what you do.
The Lord has been very faithful, and has never once failed me despite my health challenges. Through all of this He has shown me that through Christ’s grace I truly can do all things.
He has done just as He promised to never let me fail if I trusted Him, for He is Love and Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)