Well, March has been an incredibly busy month.  Rachel Mambach Art celebrated its one year business birthday.  Yay!  In honor of the milestone, I released two new tote bag designs: "Miracle Mermaid" and "Peace and Flora".  They can be found here.  Getting through this first full year of being a business owner, while also being a full time teacher and planning a wedding has  been tough!  I definitely would not have survived it unscathed without the help of Babes in Business and Asbury Tax.  Thank you so much!  You ladies have helped me more than you will ever know.  My family, friends, and many colleagues have also been so supportive.  

I've also been busy making some new art.  Winter is definitely not my favorite season so I'm always happy when it's time for spring.  

February is finally over, and that means spring is only a few weeks away.  Thank goodness!  This winter has been dragging, and I can't wait to get a little more green in my life!  One of the stores that sells my art, All Things Local in Red Bank, has changed the way they sell artwork created by local artists.  Instead of having it on the shelves where it can sometimes be overlooked, they've decided to host seasonal art shows!  I was so excited to be accepted into their first show, Spring Fever!  I entered a few of my pieces, and "Lush Leaf" was accepted.  How can you go wrong with all that green in a spring show!? 

Well, February is the longest short month.  This weather really gets me down so I have to find ways to keep busy.  What better way to keep busy, than to clean my super messy art desk!?  I can combine my love of Target and my love of organized art supplies into one beautiful clean desk dream.  

We will, of course, begin the journey together with an obligatory "before pic."

I started my messy desk mission with no plan, other than to walk around Target with a shopping cart and find practical pretty things.  I also wanted some kind of artsy crafty element to go into my organization methods.  If you follow my Instagram stories, you saw that I picked up a LOT of boxes, baskets and containers, and got distracted by all the other glorious things Target has.  I KNOW I’m not the only one who gets lost in all the greatness of Target :)  I won’t get into all the things I didn’t buy, but here are photos of the things I did buy!  (If you click the pictures, you can find out more info about each product.)​

The cute Sterilite container with aqua compartments ended up getting things off my desk, and organizing them nicely in my closet.  The white baskets hold my DecoArt Patio Paint that I use to paint my pebbles, along with one of my palettes.  Of course, I couldn’t resist putting the paint in spectrum order.  We will see how long that lasts.

I can't tell if January is flying by or moving like molasses.  I've all of a sudden become very busy!  I've finished some new art recently, had new prints made, and I also have some commissions and pop-up shops coming up!

Did you know that yesterday was National Handwriting Day?  Happy Belated!  One of my goals this year is to learn a little hand lettering.  Right now I can fake it, but I want to learn more about how to do it correctly.  I've gotten some book recommendations, and I've also found that videos are helpful.  Watching when to lift the marker and how to create the strokes is a great way to learn technique.  I picked up a few sizes of brush tip markers and marker paper from AC Moore so I've been playing around with those.  I really like the Faber-Castell markers. The ink flows really nicely.  I also want to pick up a set of Tombow Markers.  I've heard good things about them.  Side note:  If you are learning hand lettering, do yourself a paper and pick up some Strathmore Marker Paper.  It is so amazingly smooth which is really nice to work on, but also protects your markers...especially if you are using  brush tip.

​Happy New Year!  This last year has definitely been an intense one with a lot of ups and downs, but I will focus on the ups.  I officially launched my business as an LLC in 2017, which was very scary.  I do not know the last time I have had to do so much math or fill out so much paperwork.  There was a lot of guesswork and asking questions this year, but there is a great group of ladies in Babes in Business that are so kind and willing to help in many different ways.  They were a huge help!  S.C.O.R.E. of Ocean County was also a great help in the very beginning when I was overwhelmed with government forms.

 It's been a very busy few weeks!  Thank you to all the patrons who have purchased, complimented, or taken an interest in my artwork.  Thank you to all the markets who have hosted my little set-up.  Thank you to all the shops who stock my artwork.  Thank you to all who have supported this little dream of mine!  Here is a little peek at what I'm talking about...

I also have some more exciting news.  The Local Line in Red Bank now stocks my art.  Stop by to check out my work along with all the other great items at the store.  

I've also taken some time to really look into all the behind the scenes stuff to get ready for tax season.  I thought my records were good, but I have so much to learn!  After speaking with a tax professional from Asbury Tax and playing around with GoogleSheets, I know I have all the information I need.  I also know how to plan better for next year so I won't feel the end of year stress that I'm feeling now!

Well, today was the first snow of the season. Actually, over 12 hours later, it’s STILL snowing. Snowy days sometimes put me in the mood to cook, so today started with pancakes.

After several versions, I’ve finally perfected my pancake recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving!  ​It's been a really busy few weeks, and will be a very busy few weeks to come! This blog entry has a lot of photos.  You have been warned!

Second, I worked on a little blue jellyfish drawing for the "Art on the Line" fundraiser at Belmar Arts.  I love jellyfish, and I love Belmar Arts so it worked out perfectly.  I also did a little holiday shopping at their Artisan Marketplace when I dropped of my drawing.  So many great local handmade gifts! 

This past weekend, we took a trip to Washington, DC.  The original purpose of the trip was to go to a Pietasters concert, but we also did a lot of walking and sightseeing.  So much inspiration!  Of course we made time to see the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, and the Whitehouse, but we also went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  Amazing!  I'm was so inspired by the Ocean Life and  Gem and Mineral exhibits.  You will definitely be seeing the influence in my art soon!

Oh, yes. I am also working on a few more pieces for my "Under the Blue and Green" series available at ReFind in Bay Head. Zsa Zsa from ReFind is so creative and has a great eye. I always walk out of her store more inspired than when I walked in. I'm excited to finish the new mixed media pieces I'm working on for her store.

I will leave you with some upcoming events:
11/27 Cyber Monday- Check out my Etsy site for a special sale!
11/29-11/30 Holiday Shopping Facebook Sale! Special coupon code for members only!  Want an invite?  Send me a message on Facebook!
12/3 Pop Up Shop at Serenity by the Sea in Belmar
12/9 Art on the Line Fundraiser at Belmar Arts
12/17 Rachel Mambach Art at Asbury Fresh Markets
Check my Contact and Exhibits Page for all the details!

Exciting news!  Two of my works were accepted into a curated group show, and the opening artist reception is tomorrow!  The "Tiny Treasures" Holiday Show is at Heaven Art and Antiques in Asbury Park, NJ.  

​I am very excited and, admittedly, a little starstruck.  The gallery is curated by Patricia Arroyo, a well known local artist.  In addition to being talented, I found out how incredibly sweet she is after meeting her this week.  I wasn't able to bring my artwork to the gallery at the designated times, so she let me drop it off at her studio.  She even gave me an organic fruit snack for the ride home!  It is very apparent that Patricia Arroyo loves what she does, and I feel so honored that she chose my work to be displayed alongside these eleven other artists.