Building My Dream...and Bugsy

My Hat is Done!

2011-05-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

It is 11:01 here in lovely Arizona and I just finished up my first ever crochet hat! I'm not very photogenic myself, but you can see my cute hat! I love how the edge rolls up. I'm not really sure if it's supposed to do that (probably not), but I think it looks really cute! I had to stop working on it earlier last night than I wanted to because I ran out of yarn. I went to Joann's with a friend of mine today and it took forever for me to find the same kind of yarn I had used! There was only one little tiny row of the same brand stuck between two huge rows of other brands. I walked past it a dozen times before I finally saw it. I bought two more skeins, and only used an additional 3/4's. I'm not sure at this point what I'm going to do with the rest of the yarn, but I'm sure I'll eventually find something!

My next crochet project is going to involve tackling those cute little animals that are made of embroidery floss. I bought a tiny crochet hook today and recovered my embroidery floss from the depths of the craft "mess" and the clutches of my 12 year old. I think she is now past the friendship bracelet making stage. I have plenty of floss since I used to be very in to cross-stitch. Now I just need to find a pattern of an animal that I like and that I feel will be doable for me.

No, I'm not abandoning my ceramics. Tomorrow will be a paint day...maybe a greenware cleaning day as well. I really need to get some pieces fired to have ready to paint for the 4th of July. I have some really cute stars that would make great magnets for the fridge. I also have this tall frog that spoke to me at the ceramic shop that needs to be fired. He's already cleaned and in the kiln, just waiting to be fired! He's going to be fabulous when he's finished!!

Crochet

2011-05-30T23:46:00.001-07:00

I didn't touch my ceramics today. I was no where near being in the mood to paint today. I just kind of lazed around the house today, napping and watching movies. This evening, I got to thinking of the other crafts I used to do as a kid. Knitting and crochet were two that I came up with. Since I never learned a whole lot about knitting, that got tossed out the window. So, crochet it is. I popped on to YouTube and searched for a tutorial to refresh this rusty brain of mine. I managed to make a flower that is sort of catty wompus, but it does resemble a 5 petal flower! Feeling proud of myself, I moved on to beanie making. Big step...for me at least! My efforts are paying off! I only had one skein of the yarn I was using, but my beanie is coming along nicely. I think crocheting will be a good alternative for me when I'm not in the mood to paint or when I'm not able to get to my painting supplies. It's not too difficult to take crochet supplies along with you going places, so that will be nice. I also have tons of embroidery floss that I can use to make smaller pieces (after I purchase a smaller crochet hook). I might delve into making earrings or those cute little animals that are popping up all over the place. I can just see my tweenage and teenage daughters and their friends oohh-ing and ahhh-ing all over those cute little things!! They might also make for perfect items to sell at craft boutiques!

I was also thinking of the person that originally taught me how to crochet, my step-mom. I must give her a call and thank her once again!!

I will post pictures once I have my beanie finished!!

Skipped Two Days

2011-05-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know...I skipped two days of blogging. Ha...so there goes my challenge of blogging everyday for the next year. Well, I still plan to keep up with this on a regular basis, so don't give up on me! Here's what I've been doing the past couple of days:

I went downtown to one of the ceramic shops and spent some time with one of the ladies there discussing glazes and bisque. She gave me some good tips. I picked up several colors. I'm really excited to see how some of the beads come out. I should have some rather interesting beads if I manage to do things correctly! I also picked up some of the little feet things to sit the bowl and mug on that I have to glaze. I can't remember the correct term for the feet things...sigh. For the beads, I'll need to come up with a system of metal rods that I can "string" the beads on since glazed surfaces can't touch the surfaces of the kiln. So, I got 2 metal rods for sizing purposes and to get started with. I'll have to wander around Lowe's or Home Depot and see what I can come up with for my bead system!

Yesterday, I spent time working on my photography skills. Too many of my pictures on Etsy were blurry and didn't give the customer a good visual of my product. I was told to use natural lighting rather than artificial, so I took my things outside. Oh my goodness, it was HOT! I had to do it in small sections of time...and even then I wound up with a sunburn! I must say, though that the pictures do look much better! I hope this helps with sales!!! ;) I also took some photos of some Christmas and Halloween items so they will be ready when the time comes.

I've spent so much time lately doing other things, I haven't had much time to paint. I'm hoping this week will bring some extra time for me to spend painting! It's amazing how much other stuff is involved with trying to start a small online shop, even with Etsy! It's crazy! There's just so much you don't think about. Hope everyone has a great Saturday!!

Beads!

2011-05-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Something new...again!! Beads! I dug into the clay like I mentioned. I made some beads. Yes, I'm a bead newbie. I know it. The picture says it all. But I'm trying it. Those are just the few I made earlier this afternoon. I also made a heart pendant and a piece of cake pendant. They are in the picture, too. I still need to sand all the pieces before I fire them. They are definitely far from being perfect! I sure did have fun with the clay, though. So much that I continued making more things after dinner tonight. I made a set of beads with texture from a button, I made a few with daisies in them, and a few plain beads that I plan to turn in to ladybug beads.

My tweenage daughter mentioned to me the other day that she and her friends could never find a 3 way Best Friends necklace. They all seem to be split into 2 pieces. I decided I would make them the 3 piece Best Friends necklace/pendants they have been wanting. I tried to make the typical heart, but I didn't like the way it cut into thirds. So, I tossed that one. The next one I made was more of a rectangle. I wrote Best Friends Forever going from top to bottom. So one girl gets Best, one gets Friends, and the other gets Forever. On the back of each I wrote 2 of their names and drew a little daisy. They look really cute. When they are completely dry, I'll clean them up and then fire them. Then I'll do a dark purple as an underglaze then a really light purple or maybe light pink glaze. If they turn out like I think they will, I'll post the picture!! If not, I'll start over. :) I've never glazed anything before, so this will be a new experience for me. I'm very excited about it!

Late Night

2011-05-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Whew...last night was a late one...or should I say this morning was an early one? I didn't quit until almost 6 am! I tried to go to bed and sleep, honestly, but my paints and brushes kept calling me! I want to have something available for people to give to their hero's come this Father's Day. So, I looked to my husband for assistance and he gave me some ideas. I just couldn't wait to start painting. So, I spent the wee hours painting and brainstorming other ideas. As soon as the first item is completed, I will post a picture. Until then you'll have to be kept in the dark. Needless to say, today was a rough one! I managed to get some sleep off and on through out the day. Painted here and there as well.

Tomorrow I plan to dive into the block of clay that is sitting on the floor in my work area. I'm very excited about that! I have a feeling it's going to get messy, but it will be fun and might just be a bit therapeutic as well!! We shall see!

I haven't mentioned Bugsy lately. He's been right there with me as I paint each and every thing! Last night I was reading the news on the computer rather than paying attention to him, so he got behind me on the couch and bit me right where my head and neck meet! He's so funny. He just needed some undivided attention from his "Mommy"!! I just love that kitty!

Eyes on the Turtle

2011-05-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not the best at painting eyes. I've never quite managed to get the hang of painting on cute little eyelashes and lining the eye and making my pieces have those lovable doe-eyes. I've searched multiple web sites looking for a great tutorial. I've found several I've attempted to use. I muddled through them with my notoriously shaky hand. In my opinion, they come out a mess, while my family tells me otherwise. I'll never know if they are just being nice to me so they don't hurt my feelings or if they are telling the truth. We are our own worst critics, ya know what I mean? So, when they tell me for the 40th time to "LEAVE THE EYES ALONE", I try to listen. :) So, this evening when I was working on this cute little turtle, I discovered I'm actually getting better at eyes! Wooooo! Did I really just type that? This is good! I found that the right brush is the biggest part. Hmmm...I'm painting...the right brush...who knew??? Duh! I found the Holy Grail (for me anyway) of brushes for painting eyes. It was sitting at Michael's...and it came home with me after dinner tonight. So, what all those websites with great tips on how to paint eyes failed to mention is get the right brush!!! If you know of a great, easy way to paint eyes, please share. I have a long way to go to perfect the eye technique (I don't dare touch eyelashes, yet). I need so much more practice!! Tips from my readers would be very welcome!

Just a little on the turtle in the picture. It's for a dear friend of mine who loves turtles. She's introduced me to some pretty neat things lately...Italian sodas, Chai, & that s'mores don't have to be messy (we made them on a whole baking sheet, so yummy...don't teenagers like things messy??). If I could adopt her, I would...but that would mean next year we'd have 3 giggly teenage girls in our house at once. See the problem? Hahaha! Just kidding!

Day 5...I'm on a roll!!

New Camera!!! Yay!

2011-05-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought today was going to be another non-productive day again. I was mostly right...until we hit Target. I got a new camera! Yay me! I've been wanting one for quite a while. Even before I opened my Etsy store. Our old camera's zoom feature has been sticking and it is several years old. My 12 year old daughter's camera is better than our old one!! I would have just borrowed her's, but she is one of those picture taking fiends. My mother says it's a fashion accessory for her! She always has it with her and she takes pictures of nearly everything. She wants to be a photographer when she grows up. Anyway...my new one takes some pretty nice shots! The one in this post is of Bugsy "helping" me re-take the pics of the glittery star bobbies that I've put together for Memorial Day and July 4th. I've posted a pic of a set to the right. :)

I didn't get to paint any again today. Hey, it's Sunday. It's a good day to take off and rest. Tomorrow will definitely be spent cleaning greenware and painting. I would like to have enough pieces completed to enter a few craft shows this fall. Oh, I also found a boutique not far from my house that is accepting new vendors for Saturday mornings. I have them on my list of to-do's for tomorrow as well. I'd like to get more info from them.

By the way, today was day 4. I definitely don't want to lose count!!

Bugsy Day!

2011-05-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ok...not really an entire day devoted to the cutest kitty in the world...but he could dream, right? He did get several belly scratches since I wasn't up for painting today. Yep, that's right. A completely non-productive day. Nothing got done...no painting, no cleaning, no firing of the kiln, nada. I did "train" today. I can't let you all think I'm a complete slug!!! In-between Bugsy's belly rubs and my naps (yes, there were multiple), I searched the web for new techniques. I also looked for some books on glazes. I'm really considering a taking a class or two on them. Maybe I'll make that my reward for cleaning up the garage and organizing my new molds. I'll post a picture tomorrow, if I remember! :)

Distractions

2011-05-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

Today was full of distractions for me! I'd get started on one thing and something or someone would distract me and it would take forever to get back to what I was doing! I started the morning working on a pillow vase. It's pretty small, so it shouldn't have taken very long to finish. I was painting it zebra striped. Anyway, I just now quit working on it for the day. All that's left are a few touch ups, painting the bottom, and the inside. Those 3 things won't take long at all. If I hadn't had so many distractions today, it would be done! But, laundry called...kids called...dishes called...food called...the internet called...and of course Bugsy demanded attention (several times)! I'm planning on completely finishing the vase tomorrow. I'll post the pic so you guys can see it. I'm not sure if it will make it on Etsy...there's a zebra stripe lover lurking at this house in the form of a tween-age girl! :)

I'm going to try to run the kiln tomorrow, too. I have some really neat pieces I'm anxious to get started on! One is a standing frog and the other will be an introduction to glazes for me. It's going to be a pot for Bonsai trees. If I succeed with the Bonsai pot, it will open a whole new world in ceramics for me! Very exciting!!

Pink & Black!

2011-05-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Pink 'n black got me noticed today! I opened my Etsy shop back in April, sold one item the first day and have only had people "window shopping" since then. It's been kinda discouraging. Well, today I received a "convo" (Etsy-ian for email) telling me that this person had chosen me for their Treasury. Yay me!!! All smiles...what the heck is a Treasury??? So I clicked on the link she provided in the convo and it led me HERE and saw all the pink and black and was thrilled. I did some reading on Treasuries and apparently they help with promoting other's items. It's not a self promotion thing and the staff from Etsy can choose lists to put on the front page. That could be a good thing! :D Just looking at all the cool stuff in this Treasury, there are some seriously talented people out there!!! You should check them out!

Oh...by the way...it's day 2. If I don't count it, I'll forget what day I'm on! :)

Beginnings and Challenges...and Bugsy

2011-05-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

So, here it is. The beginning (sort of) of building my dream - one day having a successful business sprouting from my creativity and hard (?) work! What type of business you might wonder? Well, I love to paint ceramics. Some of you might be picturing ugly orange and black spotted ash trays (that's what used to pop into my head when I thought of ceramic shops when I was a kid!) or possibly the movie "Ghost" with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze bent over a potter's wheel. Honestly, I've never tried the potter's wheel thing...I'm open to it! It's not part of the "Dream", but I'm definitely open to trying it. My dream is to be recognized for painting ceramic pieces and to have a small shop that is successful at selling them. I'd also be very satisfied running a successful ceramic shop...selling greenware, bisque, paint, finished items. You get the picture.

My first challenge, and it's a doozy...will be to post DAILY on this blog. That is 365 days of telling you all about what piece I'm painting, pouring, cleaning, firing, etc. I'll share with you my successes and failures with Etsy and any craft fairs I enter. I'll ask for advise...I may use it if I get it...or completely ignore it...because sometimes I can be completely hard headed (ask my Mom and Husband, they'll tell ya how bad I can get!). :) For the next year, I will be here sharing all the fun with you all!

And we can't forget BUGSY! He's my sweet kitty! Why include him in this blog? Because he insists on it. He's usually with me...and if he isn't, all I have to do is call him and he comes running. If he can't find me, he calls for me. I swear it sounds like he says "Mama" at times! He loves to walk on my craft/painting table and enjoys annoying me by trying to brush his teeth on one of my mop brushes. I'll share some of his antics with you just to give you a few laughs here and there!

As a final note for tonight, somewhere on this page (haven't decided where just yet) there will be a link to my Etsy website. There, you can see my completed pieces and purchase them if you so desire. Eventually, I plan to have coupon codes available to followers of my blog for varying percentages off and maybe some for free shipping. What do you guys think? Comments are always welcome...even constructive criticism!!! :)