Artist's ADD... Ooo! Squirrel!

Ahh... So many art forms, so little time...

So, many, many years ago, I started out beading. I got really into it and everyone around me supported my love and talent by buying beads, and gift cards to big box craft stores, and giving me old costume jewelry, and... you get the idea. 

Then I met my (now) husband. When his contracted ended and he took a position 2300 miles away, I decided to follow love and made the trek with him. When we first arrived, (we moved back to his home state) we lived with his parents and moved all of our belongings into storage, including my now fairly massive collection of beading supplies. I didn't have a job and had all day to myself. I desperately needed something to do. 

So I taught myself how to crochet thinking, "Oh, this will be great to add to my skills as I can make beaded crochet pieces once I get my beads back. Ah, yeah, NO. All I did was teach myself how to crochet...

Fast forward several years and this time my husband took a position (a promotion) which moved us another 900 miles away from my home town but allowing me to be a stay at home mom and work on (finally) starting my jewelry business. And what do I do? Nothing. I have no desire to even OPEN my drawers of beads to make anything.

I decide I needed some inspiration. Enter YouTube. YouTube is like crack. Once you're hooked, there's nothing stopping you. And what did I start watching? Tutorials on beading? Creative ways to crochet? No. I found the world of art journalling and book altering and making. Yet. Another. Art.

Oh, I'm in trouble...

I'm posting my wish list as a means of documentation and conversation, in the hopes this list will inspire someone or so someone can provide feed back on something listed.

EdgeryDoo®

http://www.edgerydoo.com/catalog%20002F.html

The Foldio
http://orangemonkie.com/product/foldio/
Marti Mitchell: Perfect Patchwork Templateshttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=Perfect%20Patchwork%20Template%20Set

Marti Mitchell's Perfect Patchwork Template
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=Perfect%20Patchwork%20Template%20Set

Kumihimo Disks Set of Three Different Looms

http://www.amazon.com/Kumihimo-Disks-Different-Square-Beading/dp/B005DP73NY/ref=sr_1_2?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1411421950&sr=1-2&keywords=kumihimo+disc

Lazee Daizee Viking Knit Bonus Kit

Beadsmith 1-step looper pliers

Books

http://www.interweavestore.com

Lampworking

http://www.sundanceglass.com/kitslamp.htm

Designs & Ideas for My Work Room Step 2

Dollar General Haul:
6 Sterilite Sweater Boxes $ 3.65 ea
10 Sterilite Shoe Boxes $1.00 ea

I already had:
2 4-drawer towers
5 large clear bins (no brand from Costco)
5 Sterilite small drawers
6 metal desktop pen holders
3 sets of snap-together boxes
a bunch of miscellaneous single plastic drawers & desktop drawer sets
more plastic baskets than I know what to do with
and more repurposed containers than I know what to do with

This is what I am working with now:

 

The large shelf is mostly filled with random containers and whatnot as I am waiting for all the supplies from my mom and have nothing else to put there.

I also seem to change something around every time I work. Move the location of something, transfer something from a bin to a drawer, combine two small bins into one large one... I'm sure you know the drill...

Designs & Ideas for My Work Room Step 1

 I Love Pintrest!

A few months ago we relocated from Kentucky to Florida. The move was prompted by my husband receiving a promotion located in Tampa, Florida. He came down for a week prior to moving, to "get some things done," one of which was to find us a place to live. His promotion (and subsequent raise) would allow me to stay at home with our one-year-old son and finally start my art business, so the residence had to have space for all my stuff. He found a wonderful house with a small but awkward formal dining room which was more a pass-thru from the front door to the laundry room than a dining room. It was perfect for my work room! I had a few pieces of furniture and large containers to put in it, but would need more when my mother would give me all of her stamping supplies. Not to mention a work surface.

I needed a plan. The space was awkward, like I said. No doors, a fairly small floor to ceiling window on an angled wall and a really weird inset on one wall. Not to mention the fact that our freezer would have to stay in there as there were no outlets in the garage besides the one for the sprinkler system. Who builds a garage without outlets?!?

But I love a challenge. And building my ideal work room was something I had always wanted to do. Enter Pintrest. But first, the wish list. I knew I wanted a work table, not just a desk or board against a wall and would need A LOT of storage, and nothing could be permanently attached to the floor or walls as we were renting. 

Here's what I found:

 

And this is what I came up with:

I had a great visit from my mom a while back. Thank you for all your help! We were able to get the "bones"of my workroom set up with:

• 2 Martha Stewart 9 bin shelving units
• 1 3' x 4' board
• 8 Martha Stewart cloth bins in green
• 1 6-shelf metal shelving unit
• 2 4-shelf metal shelving units

So, I found my work table. Next, organization ideas...

YouTube Shares: How to Use the Crazy Daisy Winder; Plastic Bag Yarn

Several years ago, I rescued a project from one of my family's garage sales. It was a Crazy Daisy Winder, about 300 completed yarn daisies and the remainder of the (now considered vintage) yarn - a project my mother started while in high school or college and never completed.

I am bound and determined to finish this project. Below are some tutorials demonstrating how to use the loom, but I am still unsure as to how to join the daisies.

YouTube Share: Plastic Bag Crochet - CRAFT Video Podcast

I found it!!!


Two years ago I saw this video and drove my husband NUTS collecting plastic bags. I ended up giving hem to a friend whose family owned a small grocery store and recycled them.







But now I'm determined. I'm going to collect enough bags to have a decent sized ball of yarn and make something. Want to help? Follow the video and create balls of the same color, then send them to me - I may send you something back!

Webpage Woes

So,

I can't log into my website. and to submit a ticket you have to log in, but I'm submitting a ticket because I can't log in! So after about a half hour I set up a bogus account with my private email address just to submit a ticket.

If I don't have a solution from their support team within 24 hours, I'm switching hosts.

Anyone have any suggestions for a new host company?

I had a great visit from my mom last week. We were able to get the "bones"of my workroom set up. 

After countless hours scouring Pintrest and Google images, checking pieces and prices at Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart and consulting with Mom as to what might be needed once she sends me what she has, we decided on:

• 2 Martha Stewart 9 bin shelving units
• 1 3' x 4' board
• 8 Martha Stewart cloth bins in green
• 1 6-shelf metal shelving unit
• 2 4-shelf metal shelving units

On my LMD to do list:

• Sand the raw edges of the board
• Unpack all the boxes of my supplies
• Find a baby gate to fit the 64.5"opening
• CREATE!

YouTube Share: DIY Camera Phone Macro Lens - Man Vs Pin #23

My Wish List

I'm posting my wish list as a means of documentation and conversation, in the hopes this list will inspire someone or so someone can provide feed back on something listed.

EdgeryDoo®

http://www.edgerydoo.com/catalog%20002F.html

The Foldio
http://orangemonkie.com/product/foldio/
Marti Mitchell: Perfect Patchwork Templateshttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=Perfect%20Patchwork%20Template%20Set

Marti Mitchell's Perfect Patchwork Template
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=Perfect%20Patchwork%20Template%20Set

Kumihimo Disks Set of Three Different Looms

http://www.amazon.com/Kumihimo-Disks-Different-Square-Beading/dp/B005DP73NY/ref=sr_1_2?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1411421950&sr=1-2&keywords=kumihimo+disc

Lazee Daizee Viking Knit Bonus Kit

Beadsmith 1-step looper pliers

Books

http://www.interweavestore.com

Lampworking

http://www.sundanceglass.com/kitslamp.htm

Getting Started

After years (and years) of friends and family telling me I should be selling my creations, I am finally making an attempt to do so. I use the term "creations" because I don't just use one medium or technique. I am a creative person and with that comes a view of the world that only I can see.  And capture. And create.

I find beauty and inspiration in anything and everything. Nothing is out of bounds when it comes to my creative flexibility. And I'm told I find inspiration in some of the oddest places... I don't just see things as what they are, but what they could be.

My website/store can be found at: