Who is This Debbie Clement? She LUVs a Sale!

Who is this Debbie Clement? She LUVs a SALE!

WELCOME!! WELCOME!! WELCOME!!

Let's start with the BIG news! My entire 'store' at Teachers Pay Teachers is on sale today, for TWENTY PERCENT off! Yes, folks. There's a group of us in +Kinderland who are cooperatively hosting a SALE for the day. We all have our TpT stores filled with bargains. Here's the direct link to my own little shop. 

I have learned a LOT about blogging in the last year, and one thing that I've noticed is that readers apparently like RoundUPs -- where everything is gathered into a one stop-spot. I've never done a RoundUP about moi! I have RoundUPs for bulletin boards, and word walls, for Eric Carle and fall time fun.  My time has come. Today? It's all about me. Since today is June 30th, today is the official conclusion of year number 17 of my company-of-one. Tomorrow launches year number 18!!!

June 30th, 1996 was my final day of my 10 year career at The Childhood League Center in central Ohio. I resigned from my administrative position as Support Services Coordinator to take a leap into the unknown. My passion for infusing the lives of young children with ARTS experiences led me to launch my own company. And so it began. With the moniker, "Have guitar, will travel" I began making visits to preschool and Head Start centers around Columbus. Then I started giving library shows and staff development. One invitation took me to the next and the next. It was all a 'word-of-mouth' effort. 

FAST FORWARD!
17 years later 
I have written (and recorded) over a HUNDRED original songs for children! 
{{{BTW: That was never a part of my original vision.}}} 
{{{Never-ever.}}} 
{{{My imagination was not that vivid in the beginning.}}} 

I started off singing the standards, the goodies: 
wheels on buses, being happy and knowing it..... 
and some little ditties that fell out of my head spontaneously. 

My teacher buddies asked me to record these little bitty ditties. 
And the rest is history. 
I have the 6 CDs pictured above, under my direction/banner/company. 
I have an additional CD for Zaner Bloser. 
I also have a two-disc release for Redleaf Press. 
YOWZA!!!!!

THEN.......... 
I began turning my songs into BOOKS!!!!
My DREAM really did come true!
Now I'm an author-illustrator, music-lady!



I continued making school visits in central Ohio, but now under the banner of the Greater Columbus Arts Council as an official "Artist-in-the-Schools." My favorite thing is to see how teachers direct their students in response to my books! 



My initial travels were back and forth across Columbus.
My travels continued by taking me back and forth across the midwest. 
Then back and forth across the country! 
And then back and forth across the ocean!!! 

There have been some MONUMENTAL collaborative projects created in response to my books! 
Here's one from a magical author-visit in Amityville, NY.
Imagine the look on my face when I walked into their gym! 



Here's another INCREDIBLE collaboration created in central Illinois.
When you are an author/illustrator, your books can travel AHEAD of you! 
This 'marble-painted' quilt was created two years before I got to Carie's school. 

Then all these years later, I had people asking me for digital downloads of my song creations. 
I joined Teachers Pay Teachers about this time last year. 

Last summer I uploaded my first zipped file with "Pollywog" in an Mp3 format, 
with support materials in pdf and power-point. 

I created five fabric-quilt illustrations to bring my song to life!
One quilted picture for each verse. 
Shazam a new era was born. 

The next of my songs to go 'digital-download' are the three that are the backbone of my books. 
Their files include 2 Mp3s: both the sung-song version, and their instrumental version as well. 

I get all sorts of feedback on 'how' people use the instrumental versions. 
Of course I included them for ease in YOUR performance, without my vocals.
The instrumentals are perfect for other language translations 
and song writing exploration and extensions as well.  





And the PERFECT immediate download for all of your Fourth of July festivities! 

Then I just started picking some of my very-very favorites songs, 
for the digital download treatment.

Then it occurred to me that at that rate it was going to take me forever. 
So I created a couple of 'bundle-around-a-theme' packs (with JUST the song Mp3s and simple lyric sheets.) 

I am now just two weeks away from my first REAL 15 minutes of fame. 
I have been given the great responsibility of opening the "I Teach Kindergarten" conference in Vegas! 

I know. 
You're probably thinkin' 
"How can she be giving the keynote, if I never heard of her?" 

My marketing word-of-mouth marketing plan is about to be joined by another HUGE contingent! 

Thanks so much for your time. 
I know how critical summer 'minutes' are to your well-being. 
We've had several of our notorious blue-sky days. 
I leave you with these happy glimmers that I've shared on Instagram recently. 

-- Debbie -- 

I'm now at 126,279 followers!     

Click this link to go there directly! 

Now at 432 followers!