Sweet art of the soul!

Sweet art of the soul!  

I came across this painting by Octavio Ocampo as I was researching visionary art.  Stunning!  The age-old theme of time mixed with love and music.  It also reminds me of how many elderly people say that they don't feel old inside.  It's only their bodies that are old.  Inside each of us is the lovestruck spirit of eternal youth that sings out the swoonful serenade or is drinking it in.  May that spirit live strongly in all of us and therefore keep us spirited and youthful! 

Another visionary artist that I'm particularly fond of is a fellow Canadian -- Autumn Skye Morrison.  I met her first at the Filberg Festival in Comox, British Columbia.  We were both participating artists of that show.  I recall being struck by some of her works that incorporated sea shells.  I later started following her online and she is an inspiration!  Here's one of my faves, entitled 'Pura Vida':

Visionary art is art that transcends the physical realm and touches on themes of spirituality, mysticism, divinity, and other-worldly concepts.  I would love to incorporate some of these themes into my craft.  I'm not sure how yet.  I have experimented with painting on fabric and then making it into something.  I do infuse a spirit of WILDNESS into my work, if not in the fabrics and colour choices, then through a transfer of my energy into the work itself.  

Stay wild!

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** NEWS **

I've started up a newsletter to stay updated on all The Hobo Train's adventures!  Follow the link for a quick and easy sign-up!  You will receive one juicy update per month along with sneak peaks, promos, special coupon codes, and some surprises!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

Do you like visionary art?  Who are your fave fine artists?  What brings out the wild in you?  I'd love to hear from all of you!

Much love,

Renée

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** 'Cause nothing says cool like handmade! **

Not another GIVEAWAY?!?!?!

All aboard The Hobo Train!  Okay, this one will be short and sah-weet!  Giveaway started now.  Please enter to win.  Easy peasy.  Cool prize.  You in?  

Yes it's true!  As usual, I'm running the GIVEAWAY through Rafflecopter.... a few summersaults will get you MANY entries to win.  Who doesn't love gymnastics anyway? 

I like having giveaways because it brings more traffic and fans to my pages, but it's not entirely self-serving.  lol  Actually the MAIN reason by far is to give back to the people who help me live a life so free and creative.  And hosting a giveaway is downright fun!  So thank you to all of you! 

By the way.... what time is it?  .................  It's..........

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Please share this post if you think this giveaway needs to be experienced by other lovers of handmade items, or just anyone who loves a good giveaway.  If you'd like to subscribe to my blog, scroll down to the bottom of this page and enter your email under 'get my posts delivered right to your inbox'.  That will keep you updated on all The Hobo Train news!  I love any and all comments and read every single one. 

MUCH LOVE!

Renée 

Make a gift-giving reputation for yourselves!

YUP, it's that time of year again when everyone gets an ulcer trying to be organized and relaxed for Christmas.  haha!

Let's make it easy on ourselves this year, peeps!  Instead of braving the CRAZY stores and shopping malls just to buy a generic item, let's make a concerted effort to make the gifts special and make the gift-finding easy.  One way of doing that is to shop HANDMADE!  Yup, I feel like we're edging more and more toward a handmade planet.... #handmadeplanetISAID!  

Handmade gifts are ALWAYS the awesomest, most-remembered, most unique gifts that a person can get, and of course we all want to leave a reputation of phenomenal gift giving in our wake, n'est-ce pas?  That kind of reputation is GOLDEN!

Of course it doesn't all have to be uber handmade from that eccentric artist who makes his own paints and grows the cotton for his canvases.  For example, I'm looking at buying a super neat book for my nephew.  The best part is that it's a small publishing company and you can give them someone's name and they will print it with that person as the main character.  Mind. Blown.  Way.  Cool.

Long story short, we all still have time to order really funky stuff off the internet from the comfort of our own home.  We can find stuff that no one else has ever seen before and that will rock the socks of the person receiving it.  So in a way by giving more thoughtful and more special gifts we are actually giving the greatest gift to ourselves..... which is that satisfying feeling of making someone's day.  Okay okay, I know.... break out the violin!

But seriously, being a thoughtful and giving person rocks!

And this posting will inevitably get steered for my own purposes.  *evil laugh*  Should you know any awesome gals that would love one of my bags for Christmas, then head on over to THE HOBO TRAIN and persuse the variety.  

I am also having a contest to win a coupon code for my shop.  YAHOO!  Head on this way for that.... THE HOBO TRAIN -- FACEBOOK .  THANKS!!

All for now.  Big PROMO coming next weekend for BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY.  Love to you all!  Hugs all around!

Renée

GIVING AWAY FREE SWAG!

Hellooooooo my lovelies!  

Yup, it's that time again.  SWAG + FREE = AWESOME!  I'm having a GIVEAWAY!  It is ridiculously fun to give stuff away.  I love giving back to my amazing customers and followers, as they give me so much already..... *grabs kleenex*  This GIVEAWAY is pretty much exactly like the last one for those to participated last time.  I am giving away an awesome skull and roses regular-sized hobo bag.  However, the winner can choose to have that bag or their choice of any regular-sized bag in the shop.  Of course, I will also ship the bag for free to anywhere in the WORLD!  Ya baby!  Here a pic of the swag bag....

A real beaut for sure!  There is a maximum of 25 entries per person.  Yes there are a few little hoops to jump through to obtain the entries, but that's the fun part.  There will also be some surprise chances at BONUS entries over the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!  The giveaway ends on September 24th and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.  The winner is picked randomly by Rafflecopter, so it is truly anyone's win!  

Here is the widget...

a Rafflecopter giveaway



If you have any questions at all, feel free to message me or post at the bottom of the page.  You can email too via thehobotrain@yahoo.ca .  And there's always the FB page.... THEHOBOTRAIN .  Check it out!

If you want to see what new stuff I have in the shop, please have a visit.... SHOP THEHOBOTRAIN

THANKS in advance to everyone who participates!  This is going to be a good time!

HOBO BAGS + FUN = THEHOBOTRAIN

Renée

CANADA15!

Hellooooooo!  As it happens I'm part of an awesome team on Etsy that is called Montreal Etsy Team and is filled with amazingly creative artisans.  A bunch of us are teaming up to have a spontaneous sale.  Yup, you heard right.  SAH-WEEEEEET!!!   Use the coupon code CANADA15 to get 15% off your purchase in any of the shops HERE .  Of course this includes my bag SHOP, too.  Ya baby!  I think we'd all agree -- it's time to buy ourselves a prezzie.  lol  I'm always encouraging people to be good to themselves.  Treat yourself well and you will feel well.  :)

I was just perusing the other shops that are participating and I have to say:  HOLY WOW!  There are some talented artists out there.  Here are a few items and their corresponding shops that you might wanna check out.  So inspiring!  :)

From Polymer Clay Bijoux , these are gorgeous Celtic design earrings for only $14, plus 15% off using the coupon code CANADA15.  No brainer!

From BLPhotography, put your herbal tea down on one of these gorgeous coasters and then Namaste your way through the day.  

From AelaDesign, brighten your day with some painted bohemian jewelry.  Total wow factor!  Love this colour combo and can't beat the price.  Thirteen dollars, before even using the coupon code CANADA15 for 15% off.  Sweetness!

On another note, I can't resist posting this leopard print bag from my shop.  It will surely bring out the animal in ya!  I'm even keeping one for myself, too..... like I said, gotta be good to myself.  lol   RAWR!  Click here to see the full listing..... LEOPARD PRINT BAG!

Speaking of animals, check out one of my newest backyard neighbours.  What a beauty!  I'm hoping he will leave a few feathers behind, as they look so gorgeous.  He is usually travelling in a pack of 10 or 12 others and the other day they were napping at the edge of the woods.  Pretty funny!

All for now.  Have an awesome day everyone!  Please feel free to spread the word about the CANADA15 coupon code.  The coupon code is valid until February 25th.  Again, to see the list of shops participating, check out this link:  CANADA15 .  THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Maybe a little tune before signing off?  A great reminder by the great Van Morrison never to let your spirit die.  Enjoy!

Love to all!  Please comment below.  Love hearing from you guys!

Renee :)  

www.thehobotrain.com

FREE.... what an awesome concept. :)

Well then, is there anything better than free stuff?  Is there?  The answer, of course, is YES!  There's tons of better stuff.... like friends, family, love, creativity, adventure, excitement, relief, and more.  Also better than free stuff is BEING free!  I have to say that I am incredibly fortunate to have a freer lifestyle than most.  I work for myself and enjoy what I do.  I am able to have flexible hours and do as much or as little as I want.  It's pretty awesome and suits me well.  I wouldn't trade it for anything right now.  There is a trade-off, though.  I don't have a guaranteed paycheque.  I work alone (great a lot of the time, but kinda lame sometimes too).  I am entirely responsible for the development of my business.  And I don't have a path to follow.  There is no clearly laid out plan for me.  My biggest goal is being as free as possible.  After that I would like to make enough money to pay my bills and a few extras.  And I would like to keep my work interesting, so that I don't become bored with it or resentful of it.  I haven't been able to find a manual for this type of living, but I suppose that would go against the MO of it all anyway.  I kind of enjoy that the details are fuzzy.  lol  On that note, let's have a musical interlude that follows on this theme.  The group is called FREE and the song is All Right Now.  Enjoy!

                                        

And getting back to free stuff.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm hosting a giveaway.  I am giving away this bag:

It gives me a lot of pleasure to make someone's day, so I'm gonna do it dammit!  This giveaway will also bring me some new traffic and exposure, which is always cool with me.  And it's just downright effing fun to do.  Who doesn't like free swag?  Here's the rundown on how to gain entries into the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, if you're hanging out on my blog and have 1 extra second, please scroll down to the bottom of the page and participate in the survey question (to the left of the contact form).  Many thanks!

Good luck to you all!  The lucky winner will win the above bag or a same-size bag of their choice from my shop -- whichever they prefer.  This giveaway is open to anyone in the WORLD.  Ya baby!

Have a great night!

Renee :)

It's SHOW TIME! :)

Hey peeps!  Yup, it's mid-May and the anxiety is building.  Time to build stock for shows and inevitably I get some AWESOME bulk orders at the same time as I'm preparing for the summer (which is totally fantastic, but of course it all comes at the same time.... eek!). 

Here's my show schedule:

Art in the Park (Windsor, ON) June 1 and 2. 

Artfest (Kingston, ON) June 29, 30, July 1st 

Home County Folk Fest (London, ON) July 19-21st

Brome Fair (Brome, QC) August 31st, Sept.1, 2, 3rd

Ottawa Folk Fest, Sept.5-8

Oh my, I think that's enough.  *insert heart palpitations*  

Shows are great!  I get to meet my customers face to face, see their excitement for my bags, and make a lump sum of money (rather than one bag here, one bag there).  I also get to be on the road, out of my workshop, sleep in hotels (loves this!), collect carnie tales of adventure (oh my, do I have a few!), and come home stinky and tired but usually satisfied and feeling validated (except for a few crap shows over the years.... don't wanna remember those!).  Yup, shows are an experience!  :)

However, there is also a very ominous side to doing shows.  The fact is that the artisan vendor is always at the bottom of the food chain.  We pay upfront months in advance for ever-increasing booths fees (sometimes exorbitant amounts, with randomnly-set premiums for a corner booth) often with ridiculous cancellation policies, not to mention the application process itself which requires a life-story, and CIA screening (well, not really... but it can be an ordeal!).  On top of the booth fees we have to pay travel, hotel (not always, but often for me), and many times parking fees. I also pay to rent a trailer to tow my stuff behind my car.  All the shows I do in the summer are outdoors, so I have to have the right equipment (canopy with walls, etc).  There is usually 'security'..... ahem....  Some people do pack their stuff up at night, but it's really not feasible for most of us.  So I close my tent walls, cross my fingers, and hope for the best.  This is very unsettling when I usually have all my inventory sitting in a public park, separated from the open sky by a thin piece of plastic tarp material.  This is where I take a deep breath and surrender to the universe.  lol  Of course, these shows also require that I carry 2 million dollars liability insurance in case my tent blows over and injures some unsuspecting person.  This translates to almost $1200/year for me.  Yikes!  So, as you can see, just getting to the show and being set up is nothing to scoff at.  And after all this, I have to cross my fingers and hope it doesn't rain.  And the final coup de grace is that I've spent all this money, taken the corresponding risks, and there no guarantee that I will sell anything.  *Over and Out*

So as I was saying, shows are great.  hahahaha!  Obviously I do make money at shows, which is why I do them.  But ya gotta have nerves of steel and be just a little bit foolish, too.  lol

Hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet some of you at my shows this summer.  Come by the booth and say HELLO!  I highly recommend attending all of the above shows, as they're quality events with lots too see.  Yes!

All for now.  Would love feedback from other artisans who do shows, or any show-goers about their experiences.  Feel free to comment below.  :)

HUGS!  All aboard The Hobo Train!

Renee  

www.thehobotrain.com
Twitter: @thehobotrain

Changes.

Wow, within the 1 week I'm helping my mom move and my sister move.  Last weekend my sis moved into her new house near Montreal.  This week I'm on Vancouver Island helping my mom pack up.  She moves to Montreal next week and will stay with my sis for a while.  It'll be great to have all 3 of us in the same area.  Seeing as I am away from the workshop and unable to ship any sold items during this time, I thought I'd have a promotion for all of you lovelies who are jonesing for a sweet spring hobo bag.  Use the coupon code SPRING2012 in my Etsy shop (www.thehobotrain.etsy.com) and get 15% off your purchase until April 3rd.  All items will ship April 3rd (give or take a day).  I have been working hard on posting new bags and there are some beauties up in the shop right now. 

Back to the moving.... So, my mom had a gift certificate for Rawthentic Eatery in Qualicum Beach, which she used for today's lunch.  I had the raw chili with flat bread -- delish!  They even serve it warmed.  Dave had the bruschetta pizza, which he said was very good.  The portion wasn't very big, however.  My mom had the sandwich.  I didn't get feedback from her, but I've had their sandwiches before and they're great.  So, if you're in Qualicum Beach at any point, grab yourself a healthy raw lunch at the Rawthentic Eatery.  http://www.rawthenticeatery.com/

All for now.  Hope you are all having a hobolicious day!

Renee
www.thehobotrain.etsy.com

Great Handmade Blog

Hey everyone!  I'm involved in a great giveaway that I mentioned over a week ago.  It is being hosted by Jolynn's Hobby Shop and I'm giving away one of my skull and roses hobo bags.  The giveaway is still on and ends of Friday -- so, get your buns over there and enter to win.  Here's the link:  http://jolynnshobbyshop.blogspot.com/2012/02/giveaway-friday-win-handbag-from.html

Well in promoting my giveaway, I stumbled upon an awesome blog:  http://www.handmadeables.com .  This site has also posted the giveaway -- THANKS handmadeables!  This blog has great gift ideas and focuses only on handmade stuff.  One more point for handmade. 

In other news, I'm still on my cauliflower kick.  Ate 3 whole cauliflowers last week.  Well, and they were on sale for $1.67 at the restaurant supply store so that may explain why I bought so many.  lol  I've been making my own salad dressing (garlic, oil, vinegar, spices) that I just can't seem to get tired of.... *tooting horn* 

Goodnight,

Renee ♥

Peek into my Messy Workshop...

Hey my little hobo peeps!  Just dropped by to post a pic of my messy workshop.  lol  This is where all the action takes place.  It's awesome to have a space I can totally 'take over' and extra awesome that I have a 16-foot window right next to me.  Renee