No Pic Post -- Winding Down

Or winding up. Depends on how I decide to look at 2016, which pretty much sucked by-the-way. I did pull myself out of the hole of doom at the last minute and almost slide back in. This year is almost over. One thing I will work on for next year is to just let most things go. Some things I just can't change and I really don't want to lose sleep over it. I've been cleaning up the place and working on finishing projects before the new year so I can start on new things.

There's been a flip of things. I will still do longarming on quilts but now I'm getting back into dolls and other artwork. I'm working on doll clothes and will show pics next week, the first full week of the New Year. I will be adding more to my black and a splash of red series of drawings. I really want to make some new dolls and join an art group here in town. I'm already planning a better menu to feel better and start losing some weight. And then there are my short stories I want to get done and sent off for possible publication in online magazines.

I want to fill 2017 up with art; color, textures, variety.

I am the Creative Storm.

Yeah, we'll see how that works out. Until next time, have a good one.

No Pic Post -- Books and Movies

In 2015 I decided that in 2016 I was going to start to read more. My goal was four books a month. Fluff books because things just weren't going great and I wanted mindless entertainment. A total of 48 books and I'm at 40 right now. I don't think I'll get 8 more read by December 31st but that's okay. I'm pretty close to that goal.

Next year, I want to keep the 48 fiction books, add 12 non-fiction books, 12 documentaries, and 12 classic movies I may or may not have seen. That may not look like a lot but it's what I can manage. This isn't a competition. I love to read. I want to expand what I know by reading non-fiction about a variety of things. I'm not a fast reader, so this is what I've come up with. I will be posting what I read. Here and on Goodreads. I've got to do better with that too. Documenting what I've read.

#books #nonfiction #fiction #documentaries #classicmovies

Recuperating

Didn't mean to neglect my blog but I was crazy busy three weeks before the Krankie's Craft Fair which was last Saturday. It was a good show. The first I've done in several years and I'm so glad I did it. I met new people, some fans showed up and those who followed my blog which was surprising and amazing. I love talking to fans. Things I thought would sell didn't and things I didn't think would sell did. I had a handful of black and white drawings and quite a few of them sold. People really liked them, so guess what I'll be doing in the near future? Making more drawings to sell. I finally did my final tally and I did way better than I thought I did.

Sunday, I did absolutely nothing. I'm not quite 100% recovered but I'm getting there. I started straightening things up and can now see the floor in my apartment and I've cleared off my art table so I can get started on new pieces.

I set up a small holiday setting because once again, I ran out of time to do something really nice. And this won't take long to dismantle once Christmas is over. I'm in planning stages for upcoming projects and I hope you will be as excited as I am when I show them.

Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild Party

My quilt guild's holiday party was also this week. Two parties in a week, I don't think I ever did that when I was younger. And some of the members decorated the tables. Once again, the food was good and there was lots of talking and laughter.

Loved the different themes. There was a winner for one of the tables and I can't remember which one and there were door prizes and I won one. It was fun at the end of the year.

Holy Smokes!

It's been awhile since my last post but I've been busy getting ready for a craft fair. My first in a couple of years. Making new things, repricing some old ones. I finally got a nice roly cart to haul things and a friend's teen is going to help me out a bit. As life would have it, I got more quilt tops come in to be done for Christmas. It's all good. I'm feeling happy for a change and I plan on working to keep that vibe throughout the new year. I also made a swap ornament for an online group I'm in. It's a Krampus but he isn't very scary.

 
I added another painting to my sketchbook and I don't know if I'll get anymore filled by the end of the month.

And then there have been the holiday parties I went to. Not as many as I was invited to but the group Mary's Mavens had their party last night which was amazing. The food was wonderful and the energy of all the women there was wonderful. I made some new friends, saw some old ones, and had a tarot card reading which was pretty much on point. A tarot reading is different from a psychic reading because you don't tell anything to the person doing it. She reads things through the cards and she hit several things right on the head. As far as things that I am pursuing as far as career and what I want out of life and the things that are standing in my way. But I am on a good track. That part was really cool to hear and it has empowered me to forge full speed ahead.

Here are ornaments I finished yesterday. Today I work on tiny table toppers and finish pricing things, pick up a table from a friend to use at the fair. I'm excited but starting to run on fumes. My apartment is a wreck and it will take a week to get things back together for the next big project.

Moving Right Along

Yep, six days into a new month. Time... what an amazing concept. So, I'm working on some new pieces for this show that's coming up way too fast. And I'm working in a new medium for me, Creative Paperclay. I'm getting better at it, I'm not great, things aren't coming out the way I wanted, but hey, I'm learning. I will continue because in the past, I'd be giving up just about now because things look very goofy. But I shall persevere. See these things to the end. Who knows? I may surprise myself. Ha!

#creativepaperclay

Dolls

I'm making dolls again. I had started these two ages ago and decided they needed to be finished. Deserved it. Or make the decision to toss them and move on. They screamed that they wanted to live, so here we are. Working on hair and hats. They will be ready for sale at an upcoming craft fair.

#skelliedoll #witchdoll #halloweendoll

Hello December -No Pic Post

I keep saying it. Time flies by whether you're having fun or not. We are into the last month of 2016. And even though the bulk of this year sucked like no one's business, I've decided to turn it around. Taking a look back, I have allowed things to happen to me, waited for things to happen to me and be thoroughly disappointed with the outcomes. If there were any. That hasn't been getting me anywhere I want to be. So instead of waiting for the New Year to make those goofy resolutions which pretty much don't work, I'm working on the change right now. No more living for others (I've probably said that before but it's finally clicking); it's time to start enjoying life. I only get one. At least on this plane of existence. I'm finally ready.

I can talk about things that have hurt me in the past without bursting into tears. Although, a good cry every now and again helps get all the toxins out that have built up. I am working on new projects and working on not worrying about things that I have no control over. It is what it is. Things happen. I can be so upset about those things, crawl under a rock and want to whither away or take a deep breath, see if I can fix things or wait for them to play out. I've got plans now. I'm not afraid to wake up and get my day started. I wake up, give thanks that I've been given another day, and get excited about what I will do.

Excited. I can't remember the last time I've been excited about things that I want to do and have started to do. I love getting back to my watercolor painting. Will it bring in money? I don't know. Maybe one day but right now, I'm learning to work the medium again so that I can get comfortable with it. When I paint, it relaxes me. For an hour I can forget everything else and paint. Then when I'm done, my head is clearer and I can do what really needs to be done. I'm learning that being busy all the time is not necessarily a good thing. Rushing to finish things because I think I'm running out of time. Maybe I am for a few things but my point is is that I'm beginning to enjoy the process. Starting with Step 1, then Step 2 and to not think about the final destination and that it should happen like in five minutes. I have been missing the process. And I tell you, when you take the time for the process of a project, you slow down. Our culture is so on a fast track for everything. But I was happiest when I created work when I enjoyed each step. Sometimes things worked, and sometimes they didn't. When they didn't, I didn't get upset. I reevaluated things and kept going. I'm getting back to that. Slowly but surely it's coming back and it feels great!

And I'm working on curbing the thinking. Sometimes I would think so much on a project that I would think myself into not doing anything. Then I'd beat myself up for not doing anything. Really bad cycle. I still have my lists but they are a lot shorter and if a project takes a little longer than the time I'd given, that's okay.  I'm okay. I am a work in progress and I like that. Growing is a part of living, of being human. And I'm smiling more.

After hitting rock bottom in October, pulling myself out of the hole of despair and self pity in November, I'm ready to rock it in December and 2017. Time to reach for those stars.