The End of 2007

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? I usually don't, the first day of a new year is pretty arbitrary, we can start good habits (or work on squelching bad ones) on any day. And there seems sometimes to be a pressure about making a resolution at the beginning of the year, pressure to make it last, make it work, too much pressure. I really prefer goals. And I can set a goal any time.
Last year I made a short list of crafty resolutions, with the best of intentions, but my creativity took me in different directions than where I thought I was headed on January 1, 2007. Two from that list have been in my mind all year, working towards one, trying to eek out time for the other.
One, Etsy, I've mentioned before that I am working on things to get started. I am still nervous about getting a shop set up, and am looking for more how-to help on the business part, I am so bad with the business part! On the making things part, I have several things ready, and have been working on lots of ideas, trying out lots of different ways to make a few things. Trying to decide which ones will be the most fun for me to make. Etsy is definitely one of my 2008 goals!
The other, my 'retro craft project' is one of those things that I think will need lots and lots of time dedicated to it, so as much as I want to do it and share it, I've felt overwhelmed with the amount of time it will take (or that I think it will take, anyway), and I've let that overwhelmed feeling freeze in my tracks like a deer in the headlights. So another goal for 2008 is to just do a little at a time, on anything, not let myself get overwhelmed and frozen. To get started on that goal, and the 'retro craft project', here is a photo to serve as a reminder to me, a teaser for you:

One Boy's Christmas Present

Three sets of earrings
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Several days ago, my cousin who lives the next block over called to see if I could help him make a pair of earrings for his mom for Christmas. Of course! That would be fun. He is my first cousin, but a little younger than myself, just 12 (but all-of-a-sudden sounds like a grown up man), and I was pleased he thought of me, and thought of giving handmade!
We got together on the 23rd, conveniently after my immediate family had finished our gift day, and before his did. He brought over some pretty specific ideas of what he wanted, all based on birthstone colors, he being Sapphire, both his sisters being Emerald. Unfortunately, my current bead stash does not include any Sworoftsky crystals (his first choice) in those exact colors, and even more unfortunately, neither did the craft store we went to. For some reason, dark Emerald is hard to find in any kind of bead in a local store. Is it that unpopular, or just more expensive?
We found some crystals that would work, and some 'cat eye' or 'shadow' kind of beads, and a package of random Czech glass beads in our colors, but when the hard decision came of which one, or even two we liked best, then came the sweet question of 'couldn't we make all three, please?" So of course, we did.
He was a very good designer, and an excellent critic of color choices, and helped with some of the production as well. I hope his mom was happy with her gift, I know he and I had a great afternoon together making them (and playing a little Smash Brothers when we were done).

For photos of the individual pairs, click the photo and go over to flickr.

Art Journaller : First Photos

Art Journal Opening Page
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Sage words from my past self found in my new art journal. (Don't ask me what was up with the doodle, I have no idea!)
The paper is nice, a thicker than regular typing paper, about the weight of the card stock we buy to put through the printer, but the paper in the journal has a nice texture to it, as well.
Since I went with outer beauty and using stuff on hand, we'll see how well the pages hold up to different mediums. I already had decided to only do art on one side of the page, so the other side (the back of the page before) can be a place to write a little paragraph about the art. That's the idea as it stands right now.


Here's a close up of the awesome cover:

Holiday Tags Candy Cane

Holiday Tags Candy Cane
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I did a little eraser carving. I wanted to do something very angle-ly to start with, so I did a holiday tree, with star. All angles, no curvy parts. Then I tried a little bit of curve with the candy cane stamp, which actually is backwards from how I meant to do it. Gotta remember to think backwards! And lastly, that day, was the To/From stamp, which was going to have little colons after each word to be grammatically correct, but those little buggers were way too curvy for my skill level, and by that point I was getting a little tired.
I think they turned out pretty good for my first attempt at carving in 20 years! We did lino block carving in college, and boy, erasers are sooo much softer than a lino block!
I actually wanted to clean up more of the lines, but Extreeme Artist wouldn't let me, they have been carving in Arts&Humanities High School, and he said I needed to leave some excess lines because that's what that art medium is about. I understand what he means, but I think some of my extra lines are just sloppy not artistic.
I made all our holiday gift tags with the stamps, even though it turned out, my brush markers were mostly dried up, so I had to use the colors I had.
I have some other carving medium that I had purchased a while back, a pink block and a white block that I'm thinking is the same basic material as the white erasers that people say are the best to use. Having those big blocks I think kinda blocked me. ;p They are so big, I didn't want to ruin them with my practicing, so the small erasers were the perfect trial and error medium.

Happy Holidays!

I hope you had, or are having, or will have a wonderful holiday time!
And I hope it was/is/will be crafty, too!
I didn't do the 'handmade challenge' this year, but I was definately thinking handmade or creative for gifts. And so were others!
I gave a couple flickr pro accounts, a Make magazine subscription, and a couple kits, (one artsy, one craftsy). Promoting Creativity At Every Turn! I didn't actually give anything handmade by me, but it's easier for me to give handmade whenever, not pressuring myself for a specific holiday or birthday. My mom gave some knifty knitted hats, and my DAD(!) gave a scarf he 'real' knitted. I'm so impressed, my dad can really knit better than I can (and see, Honey, guys really can knit)!
Rawk Star got guitar strings and drumsticks for his creative outlet, and the Extreeme Artist got some paper and canvasses for his (note in the photo, a couple packages with cartoon character Ziggy painting--my mom's cool wrapping job).
I got a f'awesome set of knives that I both wanted and needed, to bolster the creative cook inside, and from Johan (My Guy's son) I got some great painting supplies; small brushes (that would be great for painting miniatures or small paintings), palettes, acrylic paints.

An Idea To Share & An Inside Joke

We had our gift exchange yesterday, and like every year for as long as I can remember, my Mom wrote down what everyone got and who it was from. I don't know where the idea first came from (maybe from my Dad's Mom, who kept meticulous scrapbook archives of every year, including all the news clippings from their small town paper that listed it as 'news' every time we came to visit). But every year when I was little, Mom would write everything down as we opened. When my own kids started opening also, Mom offered to continue the tradition. I like the idea that we will have these lists in her own handwriting, something so old fashioned in this modern age of computing.
A few years ago, after each year finding some paper, and trying to keep all the yearly lists together, I had one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that-sooner ideas, I had her write the lists in a journal. It's just a composition book, not decorated (yet) but it now has several years in the same book, and it's much easier to keep track of that way. I'm sure other creative folks would have a wonderful time decorating the book before starting, I may still decorate it at some point. But a good idea to keep track of the celebrations and memories.
After all gifts had been opened, in that lazy afternoon time when everyone tries out their own and other peoples' gifts, I was showing my dad how I could see the flower photo he uploaded to flickr on my PSP, and from the other side of the couch, on their laptop, checking out this very site, my mom chuckled. She had gotten to the part in my post about my first art journal, where I had joked about the first pages being to wipe your hands on. This is a running joke in my family (one of many!).
When I was about first grade or so (and a very good and attentive student, who mostly only got in trouble for a messy desk), in a class about how to use the library, the teacher or librarian told us that the first couple pages of a book are left blank in case your hands were dirty, so you could wipe your hands on those pages. I SWEAR THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID! She added that we wouldn't ever actually want to do that, but if there was no restroom around, and you couldn't wait to get to reading, in a desperate situation, it would be all right. Now, I took those words to heart, mostly the part about not wanting to do it, I always made sure my hands were clean before picking up a book.
Fast forward a bit, and this subject came up somehow with my parents. And I proudly showed off my knowledge of what those pages were for. And it was very kindly explained to me that I must be mistaken. Of course, I must have misunderstood, but I'm sure my little toe-headed, freckle-faced self was indignant about being right, I'm sure it was adorable. And she laughed. And every time it has come up since then, she laughs. And I still swear that is what the librarian said.
But it was a nice bonus present yesterday, to be able to hear her laugh reading my little inside joke to her.

Not that old

I took today off, which I think might be my new birthday tradition. So now I am going back to bed. In honor of my birthday, please buy yourself something creative!!

Art Journaller : First Objective

I officially started on my first Art Scout Button on Saturday. I purchased through Pay-Pal the journal to go with it, and got it today! (Why does Pay-Pal seem to take soooo long???) The journal is really cool, although I'm not sure how to fold it. I'm a dork. ;p
So far I've worked on two of the objectives, #1 selecting and naming your journal, and #3 researching examples of others' art journals (more on that one later).
Selecting an art journal wasn't hard, in fact the reason I picked this button to start with is because I had some journals I bought several years ago, and I had been thinking about starting an art journal for a while now, this was a good kick in the butt to get started. The journals I have are blank page books, about composition book size, with a kind of embossed cover (yeah, I'll take pictures soon), they were on super sale, like a quarter each, and "Made in India" which made them even cooler, so I bought maybe 7 of them way back when. Unfortunately, though I have been a diary writer/journaller off and on through out my life (I still have a Strawberry Shortcake key-opening diary from jr. high or high school), I somehow have managed to start with a fresh journal or notebook almost every time I get re-inspired. So I have probably a dozen journals with pages left, some day I will have to somehow chronologize them all. (is that even a word?) So the three of these cool journals that I can find, all had some stuff on the first few pages.
So Saturday, I pulled them all out, to see what could be salvaged, and which of these could be my new art journal. The first one I opened was definitely in my series of started-but-not-finished regular journals, and had a couple months worth of writing, too much to rip out, probably should use that one as a regular journal again. The next one, written in gold ink of all things, looked like my first failed attempt at 'morning pages' they could probably be taken out, even thrown away, so that one has potential for becoming an art journal. But the third one was maybe already meant to be an art journal. I had left the first two pages blank (of course for title page and table of contents-or wiping your hands on, but that's another story) then had a page with my name all done in a font I created back in high school, and on the next page, along with random scribbles, is the quote "If it's the right time, you will know." OMG. I don't remember where I got the quote, there's no attribution. Maybe it was just my own thought, a message from past me to present me. Very weird, and very cool.
And all this time, figuring out which journal to use, I was thinking 'name the journal?? that's kinda silly', I couldn't possibly think of a name, or how to come up with a name for an art journal. But when I found that little message that spoke to me at just the right time, I was struck by what a cool, random, perfect, co-inky-dink that was, and a word came to me that is now the name of my first official Art Journal:
serendipity

Make What You Like / Like What You Make

Do you ever make something you don't like? I don't mean when you are trying to make something and it isn't going quite right, or you decide you hate it, I've done that, we've all done that. There is an art to knowing when something sucks. And sometimes you just have to let something go, not pressure yourself to finish it. That's not what I mean.
I mean when you choose to make something that isn't your taste, your style, not something you would ever make for yourself. But you're making it for a certain someone who would really like it. It happened with the angel pin, and I'm doing it again now. And I'm surprised by how much I like them.
Maybe it's partly because these projects are completely selfless on my part, it's not something for me, not even remotely.
Today I started something that will be very cute, and will probably be very popular, and it probably could be something I could sell a bunch of if I could stomach making a bunch of them. But I can't.

Art Scout

I was never in Girl Scouts, we did 4-H at our house. I learned a lot, and for a short time even had a boy in our club. I got to take cookies (well, OK a cake that had to be baked three different times) to the fair, not sell cookies. I was then and am even more so now glad that I was never indoctrinated into that cult. But I did envy the badges.
Now there is an artistic alternative! Art Scouts is an awesome on-line club for creative types. I am so going to join and I'm getting started on my first button, the Art Journaller button, because I've already been thinking about starting an art journal, so this is a great way to get started. I have to do nine of the sixteen items, but I just may do all of them!
Does anyone want to play along?

Plushie Software

You've probably already seen this if you read Boing Boing.
This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!! It's a program to design plushies! Go watch the video even if, like me, you're a mac user and can't actually try it! But the video is sooo cool. Link
If anyone tries it, please let me know!

Felt Ric-Rac on Apron

Felt Ric-Rac on Apron
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Or I Sometimes Do What The Voices In My Head Tell Me To

Way back in October, I listened to Craft Cast episode 46, with guest Amy Karol of Angry Chicken. One of the many awesomely cool things they talked about was the wonder of ric-rac, and how ric-rac can beautify all sorts of things including aprons. Craft Cast host, Alison Lee mentioned that she had a utilitarian apron that she had (or was going to) put ric-rac on.
Hey, I thought, that's an awesome idea!! I have a great plain apron that my Mom gave me a few years ago, that would look nice with ric-rac. But, alas, I'm not really a ric-rac kinda gal, I thought.
A few weeks later, perusing the felt in a Joann's store, I found something amazing: FELT RIC-RAC!! OMG, how cool. It was with the scrapbooking supplies, which just goes to show that you have to look in all the departments of the craft store, even if it's not something you normally do. There were a few colors, I got the green one about a yard for a dollar. My next stop was an overstock store, where I found a package with yellow, pink, and green, only a couple feet each, for another dollar.
I finally sewed the ric-rac on to the apron a couple weeks ago, and I just love it. (despite the previous grease stains)

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You Want for Christmas

I figured it's a little late for a wish list for someone to go rush out and purchase something for me, and it's more fun to dream big, and creatively, so here's what I want for Christmas if money and some degree of magic were no object.

The power to magically know how to knit. And do it well.

And crochet.

And understand that knitting/crocheting language that alludes me, but I love listening to. Color-way, tracking (Trekking?), roving, koligu (?), fingerings (or is it fingerLings?), kashmina, stuff like that. It's all Klingon to me.

A studio!

A Czech bead vacation. I remember seeing an ad several years ago in the back of a beading magazine for a special vacation to the Czech Republic where you got to tour some of the bead factories. I don't know if there is still such a thing, I searched and came up empty. If they don't still offer this vacation, I would substitute a Crafty Chica Cruise.

A maid to keep my house picked up, so I would not have to do chores before I create.

A kiln.

A serger.

To never run out of creative podcasts to listen to!

For all my artsy/craftsy supplies to already be organized.

Someday Your Whole Name Will Be In Lights

Someday Your Whole Name Will Be In Lights
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

My brother's girlfriend had a birthday last week (Happy Birthday, D!), and when I got the e-mail reminder from mySpace Wednesday (not that I had forgotten!), it prompted me to think of something to make for her. I started this Wednesday during my afternoon break, and got most of it done during breaks Thursday and Friday. I had the idea to stop by their place after work Friday if it was finished to deliver it, but it wasn't quite finished then.
This is the first time I've named a pin, I guess that makes it an object d'art. ;p
I did the center of the D first, so I could stuff as I went along the outside. The stuffing went pretty well, better than I expected, it's very poofy.
And the background is my new coat, my early birthday present from My Guy (thanks, Honey!), isn't it luscious?

Felt Tissue Box Cover

Felt Tissue Cover
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

I have the most recent photo program now (thanks Honey), but for a couple weeks, I was between programs, and couldn't upload anything to flickr. In getting ready to upload the photos I've taken in the last couple weeks, I realized that I hadn't posted a finished shot of this. I blogged about starting it, I blogged about how I got the idea to use polka dots, but I hadn't blogged the finished product.
Well TA-DA, here it is!
Each circle was bead embroidered on separately, after the sides were stitched together making one long piece. Then the top was added, and the last sides were stitched together.
Each side is a bit different.