Blue skies, talkin bout blue skies

I have been spending some time here... google earth
I travel the coasts all over the world looking for a good place to settle down.
Pinky asks daily when we are going to the beach. I feel the same way. I do not want to hear booming bass, but ocean waves. I want my children to run and run as far and long as they can before something stops them. I want to live off the grid and collect rain water, completely sustainable.
Eat from my husbands grill, wash vegetables from our garden, make jewelry and art from sea treasures washed ashore.
Maybe volunteer to teach kids how to make their own artist trading cards?
Watch my kids grow and learn in tune with the earth, not focused on material things and career success.


Anyway...
I also spend time here... sandradodd.com
I just go down the list on the left side, feeling better after I read, able to apply what I've learned to my parenting. It's okay to not do things like everybody else. To pay attention to how my own unique family has different needs and adjust accordingly.


New Work!
I have actually had the pieces created and set aside for a long time, but I didn't want to list something that resembled another's work. But now, I think it's different enough to be my own.
I feel something has freed inside me, I can create what I what, when I want.

To the Zoo!

We visited the St. Louis Zoo yesterday with some family. A most glorious day, with a slight breeze and sunny skies. It was nice to be outside after suffering several days of storms (tornado warnings on Sun. and Mon. ) Our front yard floods with each rain and then even though it is nice the next day, the yard is still a swamp and not very much fun to run around in.
Some day soon we will have a yard, perhaps on a beach in Belize?
We could move down there and camp in a tent until we get green cards to work and find a shack to set up home in. What? It could work, I know it could.
I think we would be labeled expats, ex patriots.
Yikes, I don't like that. I love America even for all it's flawed history. I just can't afford to buy beach front property here.
Okay, I've gone off on a tangent. But I will have more to talk about tomorrow, or next week.

Black Tree on Lemon Polymer Pendant

This is what I will be creating today.

I list it, it sells. I list it again and again it sells. I've created a few editions of this pendant already and now I think it is time to create it in batches rather than one here, one there.

It is harder to create batches of a custom mixed color. But hard is not something I shy away from. I embrace difficulty. That's a joke. I am particularly motivated in this case though.
My husband just called and let me know he's bringing home a power washer.
"We desperately need it ."

Anyway, it's one of those items that just happened as opposed to planning, preparing, and organizing.
Which how I usually create.

I know it sounds kind of anal retentive, but it actually is one of the enjoyable parts of creating for me.
I have notebooks full of brainstorms, lists, instructions, techniques, supply companies, and notes that I constantly refer back to.
This keeps me from having to many failed experiments and spending money I don't need to spend. It really bothers me to hear of people who craft for the sake of shopping. You know what I mean. They have tons of unopened supplies. They buy all the new stuff, the trends.

So many people do not find their creative side due to the lack of funds until much later in life.

I would love to be the Robin Hood of crafting supplies. Sneak into peoples homes who hoard and distribute them to the underprivileged. Think of how many other young girls might be helped to quit smoking if given some wicked awesome beading or ATC supplies.

Ummm... I wonder what local places would think of that. Not using stolen goods, of course, but supplying and teaching young people how to express themselves through craftsmanship.

I don't believe art and crafts even has to be pretty. Anger could be relieved by slashing up some cool card stock and smearing it with any number of mediums. Hurt, neglect, ridicule, confusion, all emotions that could be expressed in art. Just thinking out loud here.

Yesterday, although a not so good sale day, I was very productive.
I learned how to apply my etsy mini items onto my blog. By. My. Self. This is so important.
As I am running a business by myself.

I also prepared links to some of my favorite artists and photographed a lot of cool things to edit and blog about. You know - Plan. Prepare. Organize.