Getting Stuck Inside Your Creativity

Yesterday Jack came over and we spent a good while sitting at the kitchen table playing with polymer clay. Jack makes sculptures and I mostly make elements for my jewelry. I’ve played around with polymer clay for years but have never put a lot of time into learning new techniques. I do see wonderful things created on Pinterest that I would love to know how they are done. It’s one of my jewelry tools along with metal work and wire wrapping. I really need to increase my skills in all of these. 

This is one of my favorite things to do with clay 

is create these "Royce Rocks". 

They are my faux stones I often use in my jewelry. 

Several new clay molds came in the mail this week and I'm looking forward to using these. I've never used molds before. 

I’ve taken almost no classes, which I often regret. I’ve always thought of jewelry as a hobby and didn’t want to invest a lot of money into it. I understand now that this was a mistake. I have learned a lot on my own but sometimes you just need to peek inside someone else's creativity to get a new edge to your craft. 

So I want to set aside time for just practicing techniques. I’ve all but stopped putting metal into my jewelry. Not really sure how or why this came about. It takes time for me to work new things into a routine, but I must make time to hone those skills. 

I have become a bit bored with what I am making and that’s not good at all. I have a hard time making multiples of a piece, but making everything unique slows me down. I’d like to find a middle ground. 

I have a lot to work on. I have plenty of time and materials. Now to just push myself to do what I need to do. I’m sure after I get started and make a few things I’m proud of I’ll feel more enthusiasm to work more and push myself more. 

My sewing machine is back from the repair shop and now that it’s home and in it’s new area I look forward to getting back into quilting and fiber arts. I really enjoyed that and want to bring it back into my life. 

Mission Impossible

I’ve been making jewelry since the late 80’s and along the way I became very addicted to the craft. I still draw almost every day. Drawing will always be a part of my life, but I’ve never thought of it as a money maker. Thou I have had a small success with my sewing note cards on Etsy. 

I’ve always designed my jewelry to be something I would want to wear. Something a little off center and maybe a bit larger than some people might wear. That’s my style thou. I like rustic, earthy tones with an over all look as if the piece was dug up at a dig in some far away land. That’s all good and I really enjoy it. 

I know I have to design for other tastes. I fear this is where I often fail. I don’t put the same amount of joy into items that aren't my style. Not the colors or elements I love the look and feel of. Beyond my likes lies the out of the comfort zone designs. These pieces normally take a bit longer to make. They don’t seem to fall in place. Thou I know they must be done. 

I’ve always loved doing craft shows. I so enjoy the face to face with people. Talking to them about how each piece is made and any little story linked to it. I’m introverted big time, but once I relax talking about my jewelry is very easy. 

Over these last years their have been major changes in weather (yes global warming is real and the earth is round). I’ve also noticed it’s getting harder to unload the car, set up the tables and sit all day in that heat. Well I’m not a spring chicken anymore, but I just refuse to give up. I think the tables and props getting heaver over time is less a problem that the darn heat. 

Notice the fan on the shelf of my chair

The last show I did with a friend, was really hot. We looked at each other sweat dripping off of us as we folded up the tent and just said why. Almost together we said cause we enjoy it. 

So I guess it all boils down to what makes you happy. 

Just wondering thou if I’m that hot how does it effect the shoppers? Do they say "Oh I'd love to go to that show, but it's so hot"  I have stopped going to one of my favorite shows in Nashville because of heat and the parking issues.

So where is the happy spot? I want to continue to do shows as long as I can, but 90 degree plus is not workable for me. I over heat and turn an interesting blotchy red before I can get the car unloaded and stay that way till I get back home and out of the shower. At that point I usually fall over and say I can't do this anymore, but continue on. Yes I accept this mission. 

So lets go make something that brings us joy 

You are special and you are loved

Keeping It Organized

The last thing I do each year is look over my inventory sheets and save a new version for the new year. Some old designs will be benched, which means I'll take them apart and they will become just bits and parts again.  Every once in a while one that didn't sell might have been a personal favorite and it becomes mine. It moves from the sales case to my jewelry box. 

I don't really mind taking my jewelry apart,

it is almost refreshing. I guess it's a way to release it. 

I also review my supplies at the first of the year. Sometimes it seems I have such a huge amount of supplies. If I overthink that then buying new beads etc. carries some guilt. I recover from that pretty quickly thou. I just must have a good supply of yummy, beautiful things that make me want to create. Some times just looking at a bead makes the entire design spring to life in my mind.

I see all my crafting supplies like this. The closet full of quilting fabrics, the piles of art supplies. They are make me happy and fill many hours of my life with joy. I have a friend who said she might just like collecting craft supplies as much as crafting with them. 

I do have to have my supplies pretty organized thou. I've had people make fun of my bench and the way I keep it, but it works great for me. I'm not saying it always looks like this. In the middle of a creative spree it's a hot mess trust me. Then I have to stop and try to get it back under control. The last time I did major organizing it looked like a bomb went off in here and took a full day. I try not to let it get that way often. 

There are lots of these fishing tackle boxes on the shelves above my bench. 

TIP If you buy these at a craft store you will pay a good deal more 
than you will at the Walmart fishing dept. The quality is as good or better. 

I normally use all the dividers that come with one of these boxes.
I do have boxes for larger beads, and they stay together.
All elements stay with their friends, metal in a box as is glass.
Semi precious has several boxes, they are separated by size and type.

One thing I've had a harder time getting organized is the completed jewelry. I've always just put it away in a sales case after it's photographed, tagged and added to the inventory sheets. Anyone with better ideas please let me know. With a normal inventory of 150+ it's not a quick thing to find the watch pendant that just sold on Etsy. I wish I had room for one of the big old paper cabinets. They cost a fortune too, so that won't happen. 

For now I put all the trays from the sales case on the kitchen table take a photo 

then place them on a letter size layout and keep the printout next to my computer. 

Haven't been drawing too much this past week, 

but I did finish this little drawing. Ink and watercolor pencils.

Olivia and I need to get back to the bench. 

Have a great creative day and

remember you are special

The starting line

I've had a plan for many years that when I retire I will put serious effort into making my crafting profitable. I've been playing around with it for years, but now it's time to get serious.

The first new thing I've done is my Red Bubble account. Where I have a few of my drawings that you can have printed on just about anything from a phone case to a bed spread. Even cute little stickers. I've not put much effort into this yet but will start pushing it next month. I have new designs ready to load. I love to draw and this is a very passive way to make money off those bits of art.

I love making jewelry, it's kind of my addiction. In this case it's when I twirl my chair around and leave my work bench behind and face the computer, yikes! Yes there are some fun things I do on the computer, but slogging threw Pinterest laughing at cat memes isn't all that helpful and won't bring in any Etsy sales. 

There is a ton of information out there to make your Etsy shop everything you want it to be. I have looked at a lot of them. Lots of people out there have great ideas. It's often hard to find ones that fit your business and your style of creating. 

It's a lot of trial and sadly a lot of error. You have to stick with it and crack on. Behind every disappointment is a great discovery. I'll openly admit I get discouraged and wonder why I do this. That's mostly at the end of a show I didn't do that well at and I'm so tired and can hardly fold up the tent and make it to the car in the 90 degree heat. This is the point I look at Jack and say "why did we do this". He always smiles and that's my answer. Cause we love it. It's that simple. Every thing we love has effort put into it. Sometimes you have to scream and stomp your little feet, but in time you will receive what you have worked so hard for, but you have to keep working.

Have a happy creative day

Know you are loved

Know you can do it

Recovering Comfort

It has been over 4 years since I moved into my little house I now call home. I remembered I cried when my family and friends left after all the furniture was in place. It felt so strange to be in this new little house alone. This being the beginning of a new part of my life that I feared in many ways. Time passed and the little house became my home. I grew to love it and enjoy the area I live in. Learned my way around town and met new people. It's been a good 4 years. I remember thinking back in May of 2014 that I just wanted to roll up in a ball and not ever move again. I didn't know how to be a single person. I didn't want to know.  

Life isn't a straight road with no off ramps thou so I crawled out of my dark lonely hole and started over. I still have hard times, but now I know I will get past them somehow. 
One of the best things to happen to me in my new town was my sister introducing me to her church. That has been a huge step in getting my head and heart pointed in the direction I need to go. This church is perfect for me. 

I started sewing back in 2005 soon after my mom passed away to make curtains for the room I had put her living room furniture in. It just felt more like her than mini blinds. I bought a $99 sewing machine and tried to learn to make a few simple garments. I just hated it. I had a friend who quilted and I thought that would be fun and was soon hooked. I went more to the art quilt side but did make quite a few cozy quilts. I met lots of new friends, local and on line. It was a good thing. 

Sewing is one thing that I had let slip away from me over the past 6 years. I was involved in other crafts and couldn't seem to work them all into my life. I've missed quilting so on New Years Eve my version of celebrating was to move furniture to get all my sewing related stuff into one room. It's not been on the top of my list so things were a bit scattered, This took 2 days of "well if I move this, where will it go?" If you have a small home or just lots of stuff you know how this goes. It's all settled now I just need to re hang art and make it all comfy again with my clutter I love so much. 

So here is the point I am at now. 

This bookcase has been filled with little memories,
but now it needs to work and hold fabric.
Of course where will I put all this stuff?

This was the starting point of the closet in the new sewing room.
The metal rack on the left wasn't a good thing to
store fabric on so I moved it to the kitchen and
put the wood bookcase in the closet

Now the fabric and pillow forms, batting etc are all
in the closet. 

My primary sewing machine will be 

taken for service in a few days. 

This is the first time my fabric cutter has been
in the house since the move.
It has had a sad life in the garage. Yes I am ashamed. 

My dear sit down quilter

So now the fun part of decorating the room with some of my sewing treasures. I will leave my little collection of sewing machines in the other bedroom, where i draw and do jewelry. 
  

As always I wish you a creative day filled with joy.