The 9 of Cups is the card of contentment, satisfaction, gratitude, and wishes coming true. This quiet moment between two characters in our story is just that. Let’s take a look…
Read moreCreativity – Use the Good Stuff
Use the stickers, the candles, the nice markers, the fancy paper! DO IT!
It’s that time of year where resolutions start clearing out closets, vitamins re-enter the diet and new habits make an entrance. One of my resolutions for this year is to use what I have, and use the good stuff!
We all have those things in our home. A fancy bottle of wine. The really nice candles and dishes. That extra special shirt. All for special occasions. My resolution is to use all of those things! Burn the fancy candle. Have a glass to the fancy beverage for any personal victory at all. Use the fancy things before they expire, don’t fit, or gather too much dust. You deserve it too!
One thing that I know a lot of us have is that pile of stickers without the perfect space to put them. They build and build, and we worry that we won’t be able to find the perfect place for them. What if they get ruined!
A few months ago, I took all of the stickers I had, and I took care of this issue once and for all.
I took the stickers, all of them, and I stuck them to random pages within my new notebook. I tried to spread them out, but didn’t get too worked up about perfection. I spread them out on different parts of different pages without overthinking it too much. I will be doing the same with the sketchbook I have on the go. Maybe these stickers will inspire or get incorporated into the illustrations that end up on the page!
Check out the reel here to see how it turned out!
Now I don’t have a pile of stickers losing their stickiness. They aren’t staring at me while I add to the pile. They aren’t stuck and forgotten, they are all there waiting for me as I work my way through the notebook and sketches. Now, it’s a fun surprise as I come across one with every page turn! They
This is one of my favourite solutions so far. Now I feel way less guilty about buying new stickers!!!!
How do you use your pile of stickers? Or your version of that pile of stickers?
New Year, More Magic!
Happy New Year!
It’s a new year and I am getting myself into a groove for the new year. I am in a battle with myself in between the strength of “vacation Erin” and the momentum of “studio Erin”. We will find a balance, I am confident.
My first starting point is to get all of my plans out into the open so that I can have you all hold me accountable. Here’s a few things that you can expect from the Hues & Tones space this year.
Tarot:
This year is the year! November 2026 is the launch! Brace yourself, there’s lots of work to do still, and I am so excited to see what you all think. Watch the live streams every Monday to see where things are at.
I am also hoping to have a lot of different content surrounding the deck available for all who are interested. That’s all I’ll say for right now. Lots more to come!
Socials:
I have a few things I am going to be adding to the social media content and YouTube channel.
First will be a meditation stream. A tiny few minute video of some drawing and relaxing music. Something that you can draw along with, or just watch and breathe. You’ll start to see this content in February 2026.
I also have a series that, at this moment, is very precisely named ATTSHBA (Art Things That Sound Hard But Aren’t). In these videos I will be going through something that feels daunting in the art world, but really can be made simple. This will be fun, come watch! These will be launching in March 2026.
Blog:
I am hoping to revamp the blog a little more this year as well. Not necessarily just tarot and project launches but more of the Creativity content that we started with.
Shop:
Quite a few of my pieces from the pandemic era of the studio are having milestone birthdays this year, so each one will be getting its proper feature and focus. Along side the features there will be some content available in the shop related to those pieces.
Traditional Work:
I am hoping to get back to a few more of my art tools this year outside of the digital realm. I am hoping to start some of my art in a traditional realm before finalizing each piece digitally. I’ll be featuring some of these on my live streams, meditation videos, and social media as well.
Livestreams:
The live streams will be continuing every Monday at 7PM EST on a regular schedule again this year.
Creative Jams will also be back starting in February! Keep an eye out to see who my first special guest will be, and when we will be streaming. Don’t miss these, they are going to be extra good this year.
Out in the Wild:
I also have so many plans to have Hues & Tones out in the world this year too. I’ll be in shops and markets again in 2026! Looking right now to lean more towards the second half of the year, because I will have lots to prepare to get ready.
Whew, well I’m tired… anyone else? I need a cookie and a special coffee after all that. No? Water and vitamins instead. Booooooo.
Make sure that you are following me here and on all of my platforms to be sure that you are catching all of the content as it flies into the world. Here’s a quick refresh for any that you might be missing:
December Newsletter – 2025 in Review
2025 was a huge year for the Hues & Tones studio. A lot of new things have been happening… so let’s get started.
This year I did something huge, and applied to be in-store at The Barntique, and I am so glad that I did! It was an amazing experience and Jen is truly wonderful in her support for the vendors and team. What an amazing way to start this new adventure for the studio.
I started with a small shelf to see how things would go, and then graduated to a whole bookshelf in the fall so I could display my gnomes AND tarot content at once.
I caught the bug and then decided to keep going. I applied and was accepted into the brand new Handmade Haven Collective in St. Thomas, ON. I was also accepted into three hospital gift shop locations in the area. This is part of a new program that is underway to feature and support local vendors.
I will be continuing to look for opportunities in store for my products. You’ll be seeing me in familiar and new locations in 2026!
Markets were wonderful this year as well. The consensus among vendors is that shoppers aren’t spending as much as they have in the recent past, but who can blame them right now? Even with some lower sales, I found each of my markets to be beneficial, a great learning experience, and another great way to expand my bubble and network. I have met so many amazing people at my markets, and I am thrilled to have met some returning customers. That is truly mind-blowing to me. Thank you!
I will be back in the market circuit in the second half of the year in 2026. Keep an eye on the website for dates and locations.
In the background the studio has been full speed ahead! I was able to launch a new pocket sized colouring book and 2026 track your reading bookmark. These were both in high demand and I heard the call. Both are available on my website today!
There has also been no lulls in the tarot card progress. I am currently working on card number 46, and we are on track to be ready for launch in November 2026! This project is getting a lot of traction, and I will be thrilled when we get to the point of sharing all the work with you. Check out the progress on my Behance page now!
We aren’t done yet! Still more amazing new developments this year…
I was nominated by the lovely Jane Bradbury this year to join the Adobe Community Experts program, and I was accepted! I am now an Adobe Community Expert and getting the lay of the land. In 2026 I am looking to dive right in and see where I can contribute to the community even more!
2025 was also the year of collaboration! This time last year Dan Flores and I were working on the Joker card. This blew up into a world-wide collaboration further developing face cards for a deck. We had artists from Canada, the US and UK participating. Keep an eye on the socials for more updates on where this project took us.
And finally, I launched another big initiative for the Hues & Tones studio. The new Creative Jams series was kicked off, inspired by the super bash stream on Behance livestream shut down day in 2024. I wanted to ensure that the artists from the platform were able to collaborate and stick together throughout the adjustment to new platforms. I have been lucky enough to have amazing artist from all over the world join me on unique streams where we are able to work together and talk about our creativity. Definitely more to come in 2026! Watch out for the new schedule.
This is all just the beginning! I feel like the studio is really gathering momentum and I can’t wait to see where 2026 brings us. Keep an eye out here next month for an overview of what I have planned and where I want to see the studio in the new year.
Happy Holidays all! Thank you so much for all of your support.
Tarot – 10 of Wands
The 10 of wands is the card of burden, responsibility, hard work and completion. When you’re on a personal journey, sometimes you’re called upon to reflect on where you’re at. What better location to find a set of unique reflections than the Hall of Mirrors tent at the Night Circus?
Check it out…
Tarot – 4 of Swords
The next card is the magical umbrella of the 4 of Swords.
The magic umbrella makes the life of the owner a lot easier, it has the ability to keep the umbrella dry during a rainy day. This is just a relaxing style card and really applies to what the 4 of sword embodies.
Check it out…
Read moreTarot – The Wheel of Fortune
The new card is another Major Arcana – The Wheel of Fortune!
I chose the rings for this card because they are each literally Wheels of Fortune. The rings take the stage early on and are essential to binding our main characters to the game/circus.
The appearance of the rings for each character represents a turning point in their lives, ultimately leading them to their destiny within the challenge and their abilities.
Take a look…
Read moreDecember Newsletter
We are coming down to the end of the year, but there is still a lot happening in the studio while we head towards the holidays.
Markets and Shopping
I have one more market before the end of the year, and it is this weekend. Come on out to Talbot Street to say hi and support some amazing local vendors.
If you are looking for Hues & Tones out in the wild, take the next two weeks to make a trip out to The Barntique and shop a whole new experience. You’ll also be able to shop Hues & Tones at The Handmade Haven Collective.
This month I was fortunate enough to install my products in three gift shop locations at hospitals in the area. While I hope that no one will be at the hospital for the holidays, should you know someone there they have activities at the their finger tips to help lighten the day.
Online Shop
The online shop is all up to date with all of your holiday needs. There are so many great stocking stuffer and gift ideas. The brand new Track Your Reading bookmark is amazing for book clubs, readers, and teacher gifts. I also have heard you all, and the gnome colouring book is now available in shop. This makes a wonderful stocking stuffer for kids of all ages.
I am still shipping for the holidays, but don’t wait! Canada Post is still running rolling delivery schedules and I don’t want anyone to miss out this season.
Livestreams
The Creative Jams collaborative stream will be on holidays until at least February of next year. I will be continuing my regular Creativity Talks stream every Monday at 7PM EST until December 20th, and then I will be 100% on holidays until the new year.
Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to the studio this month. There’s still more to come so please make sure you’re following me on all the socials so you are sure to be in the loop.
Tarot – Strength
The next card in the deck is the Strength card in the major arcana.
I chose the beautiful Madame Padva for the Strength card. Although she isn’t in the book too much, she plays a huge role in getting the circus underway.
She embodies the essence of this card. She has strength, courage, and really uses persuasion and her influence to keep our proprietor under wraps, while using compassion.
Check it out.
Read moreTarot – 6 of Coins
One ticket to the night circus please!
Laying out this card took a looooooong time, I couldn’t get the concepts to fit into the card in a way that would be clear and made sense. I marinated on it for a while… then one day on the way to work, an apostrophe (IYKYK ;D).
Let’s get our tickets and go in!
Read more
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