Finishing Up

I can finally start to relax a bit and get out of the sewing studio.

I finished the last of the hand-embroidered purses for my next craft fair on April 24th. Signed up for my local artwalk (which by the way is today) but in light of the fact that I am dead tired, I am going to pass this go 'round.

Next month maybe.

Right now I am going to get out of the house and away from anything sewing related.

Blog is Coming Along

Little by little, day by day, I am getting the hang of this blog thing. New things are being added daily--looking good!

Featured Pendant

Thank you to http://craftydream.blogspot.com/ for featuring one of my pendants.

A Great Local Resource

I recently donated quite a bit of fabric and other art/craft related items to our local Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse.

I had so many boxes of fabric that I acquired over the years it was starting to push me out of my own art room. Why hold on to all of it? I literary have had most of it since the 1980's. I sew all the time and still hadn't made a dent in the supply stock. So why not share it with other creative types, students, etc?

That is where The Long Beach Depot  for Creative Reuse came in, the shop is always happy to accept unwanted, new or used stuff. 

I must say this place is a real treasure in our fine city, please support them, don't want to see them close their doors. All cities should have a place like this. A place that bring the community together and helps the environment.

So many items get tossed out only to fill up our landfills. A place like the depot helps that problem one person at a time. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

In recent years we have seen so many landmarks disappear to make way for condo's, don't even get me started on Acres of Books, I am still bitter over that loss.

Support local artist, students, go green and think about the items you are throwing away. Paper towels rolls, wine corks, bottle caps, that single paper clip. You would be amazed at what others are creating out of something you might call junk or scrap.

Check them out and get inspired:
http://thelongbeachdepot.org/home.html

Using My Time Wisely

I have joined the ranks of the recently unemployed, so what a better time to create an etsy site, a flickr page, a blog...all the things I never found the time to do.

Well, I have all the time in the world now. I moved my elderly mom in with me; taking care of her now. She is adjusting well to her new home with the exception of the recent earthquake.

I really need to start one of those "Things my mom says" sites...she's got some doozies. She recently tried to walk into the wrong house...good thing the neighbor wasn't sitting in his living room at the time, he is probably wondering, "what the hell" at least it made my mom laugh. Just another reason to keep your doors locked or some old lady is going walk in on ya.

I now have her crafting along with me to keep her busy! Helps me produce finished products faster and helps her feel useful and needed and she is pretty damn good at embroidery.

I have been sewing like crazy, displaying at various local craft fairs, meeting new people.

Job hunting is included in there somewhere, although that is not as much fun.

Trying to get all these sites off the ground and getting frustrated but I have not given up!

Have run into quite a few obstacles along the way...geez! Sometimes I want to quit. If anyone out there can send words of encouragement I am ready to hear them. Tell me some of your stories and how you overcame the obstacles. Share and share alike, that is the way.

Guess I will close for now have a few more purses to sew.

Let's Switch It Up

Summer is almost upon us and now is time to put away the oversized hobo bags, temporarily of course, and pick up a new, smaller handmade purse.