Something different - Books

As I stated in my last post (a month ago) I have been dealing with an injury that keeps me from sewing my little critters. I was thinking I shouldn't wait so long before posting again.

Besides sewing up dragons, and other fantasy critters or attempting to make dolls, I have a few other things I do. One of them is book making. I'm fairly new at this (a little over a year) and the pictures I'm showing are some of my practice books.

I keep a daily written journal. Being able to make the books I write in has been a thrilling experience. I am delighted to be able to write in books that I created. I would like to learn a lot more about book making.

Right now, I'm making books using things I have. For instance using a telephone book instead of a punching cradle. I sew the pages without a sewing frame. And instead of a book press, I use hubby's weight plates and/or heavy books. :) I have invested in a few supplies, 80lb drawing paper, book board, linen thread, decorative papers, and mull. I'd like to eventually get "proper" tools and equipment as well as learning more.

In the meantime, I'm still healing up. It's slow and even though I probably shouldn't be, I've been sewing critters for a little bit every day. So, soon, there will be another photo shoot and more listings will appear in my Etsy store.

Until next time...

Where are all the dragons?

I think there must be a dragon shortage in the world. The reason I say that is my little dragons are flying away to new homes all the time. It's great. I love that these little critters are finding new homes. It means I get to make more of them. :)

I will be uploading a crop of new dragons to the Etsy store later today, including Chocolate pictured here to the right. There are also a couple of unicorns.

Unfortunately, I have pulled a muscle in my left arm. It's been very painful for the last couple of weeks with no quick healing in sight. I got hubby to help me photograph the new critters I had sewn up previous to the injury. But no new critters have been made since then. I feel bad about that since it's obvious the world needs more dragons. I'm working on healing up and getting back to the studio as soon as I can.

Until next time...

Dragon experiment

After the forest colored dragon, I got some feedback. The consensus was that the contrasting belly gusset was very cool. But, the separate legs, while fine, did not reflect my style. Giving it some thought I came up with yet another design. This time keeping the look of my dragon, but adding the contrasting belly gusset. I worked it out in Halloween colors.

The feedback on this design is wonderful. I've succeeded in creating something different, but still done in my style. The negative comments one and all were that I should choose a better color combination. No one liked the black and orange dragon. :( I even had a name picked out for him, Spooky. Ah well, not everyone likes what I do and not everyone likes the colors I choose. If you have an opinion please leave me a comment below. I'm still deciding on whether to take this new design forward and offer this style of dragon for sale in my Etsy shop.

While I think about it, I'm working on a few unicorns.

Until next time...

A different breed of dragon

After making the larger dragon, I was attempting to figure out a way to include more detail. One of my thoughts was to make the legs as separate parts, allowing the underbelly to be a different color.

I began with my miniature (4 inches tall) dragon pattern and made some changes. In addition, I liked the look of the gusset I used on the head of the large dragon and created that for this smaller size.

What you are seeing is the result of that experimental pattern. It's a lot more work than the original. Each leg has to be sewn separately and attached to the body. I chose to sew the legs first, then the belly gusset. Sewing the belly gusset became difficult working around the sewn on legs. If I continue this type of dragon, I'll experiment with sewing the legs on after the sewing the gusset.

However, I think this may have potential. It's currently residing with the large dragon on a shelf while I think about it.

Until next time...

Larger isn't better

The last couple of weeks I've been getting feedback from family members concerning my small felt stuffed animals. The feedback was that the 4 inch (100mm) critters were too small. So, I took the dragon pattern and enlarged it.

The first problem I ran across was that the wings with 2 layers of felt at the small size, did not translate well to the larger size. The wings weren't stiff enough to stand up. I cut out 3 layers of felt for each wing. The wing is better. It's certainly stiffer. However, the wings are too heavy for the rest of the dragon.

The picture to the left shows the comparison of the original size, in green, and the larger size, in white. I've got the white one sitting on a shelf while I process what I learned from the experiment. I know I'm not happy with it as is. The flaws, in addition to the wings, are that the head is tilted down too much, and I somehow managed to sew the ears misaligned. The ears are operator error. The head tilt, I'm not sure what happened. I also think the legs at the larger size can use more definition. What do you think?


Until next time...

Teeny tiny

Missed yesterday because I had family visiting. So, now, onto what's been happening this week. I've been trying to come up with a tiny doll the size of the bendy dolls to be in compliance with the toy law and utilizing only natural materials. My natural materials of choice being wool felt, and cotton embroidery floss. I've had a series of failures, but finally something resembling a success.

The doll is photographed against a 1 inch grid on a cutting board. Of course this is just a bare doll, not even a wig for hair. However, the experiment may stop here.

While visiting with family, I showed them this doll. There were exclamations of wonder at how tiny it was. But, also, everyone agreed, it was too small. And, they are correct. The doll is so small that a child would lose it easily. In addition, a medium to large pet might swallow it whole.

This caused me to pause for a bit. I've been thinking about what was said, and about potential customers commenting to a child who wanted one of my very small toys, that they would just lose the toy and it was a no. To that end, I am looking to make things a bit larger. I'd like the dolls to be a size that can ride on the animals I make. That means not only designing a new doll from scratch, but enlarging the critters. My concern is, as I enlarge the patterns, what is now cute at 4 inches will look primitive and lacking at a larger size. The only way to tell is to try it and see.

What is your opinion on the size of the toys I'm making?

Until next time...

Unicorns are here

I finally figured out how to put together a decent horn for a unicorn. I got a few of them made and they are now in my Etsy store. I've also added a few dragons and another Nessie. I got a wonderful idea for some witch and wizard dolls. I'm working on those this week along with some paperwork I have to catch up on. Over all it's been fun the last week. I finally feel like I'm back in my groove. I just love my studio space for creating. I think it's working very well.





I've started adding inspiration to my bulletin board above the desk. One of the images is the word "play". When I'm in the studio, it does feel like playing. In fact I feel rather guilty that I am playing and not working. Even tho' this is now my work. I have always heard the saying about doing what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. I always thought that was a bit unrealistic. And, to be fair, it is. After all, just because one has found joy and yes, play, in their work doesn't mean that you don't have to deal with mundane stuff. There are always chores that have to be done, that don't appeal. However, I'm finding that when I'm really involved in creating something in my studio space, I still need to take breaks. When I take that break, I'm perfectly willing to do a bit of the mundane stuff before coming back to play. I'm really thinking that play is an essential part of being human.

Until next time...

West wind

Finally feeling like I'm getting back into the swing of working again this last week. Seemed like the last 6 weeks were not very productive on the toy end of things. Tho' I did make a lot of candy, do the craft show, and prior to that went to a wedding.

The fellow pictured to the left is the newest Pegasus. His name is Seferino, it means "west wind". This is the first time I've not used beads for eyes. I embroidered the eyes so it's a safer toy. The Pegasus is made of 100% wool felt, wool stuffing and cotton embroidery floss. I think it turned out rather well. I've got several unicorns and a dragon in process in the studio. They will all be created using the same materials. I liked the beads for eyes because it had that shine factor. But, as I mentioned, these are safer.

I've been thinking more about "play". It's amazing how much of play is hard wired into us. And, not just us, but other mammals too. Cats, dogs, bears and dolphins all play. The professionals will tell you that the animals are practicing their survival skills when they play. Thinking about that, since we are mammals too, wouldn't that make playing on our part a survival skill also? But, where a cat is practicing attacking prey, what is it we are practicing? If you look at playing team games, it makes sense. Humans need each other, to be able to work together for a common goal, in order to survive. But what about other things that we play? Card games, board games, musical instruments or even video games. How do they add to our survival? Something to think about.

Until next time...

Showtime

To start today, I realized about mid-week last week, that I didn't post last Friday. Things happen.

The picture today is from the Art in the Park craft show I was at on July 4th. I've been wanting to see the castle used as I imagined back in January when I started painting it.

It was a success. It drew people's attention. The children loved it and dragged parents or grandparents over to see it. The critters and dolls were well loved. I really didn't expect to sell many toys at this show. And, I only sold one dragon. But, come time for Christmas shows, I'm sure there will be sales. One little boy was so cute. He very seriously asked me if I played with the castle and the toys. I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't play with them. And I guess technically, I did "play" with them when I was arranging the display. (And re-arranged the display after others played with them. *smile*)

I've been noticing lately how I use the word "play" in my everyday language. I refer to gardening as "playing in the dirt". I play my flute. When I get tense when learning how to draw and paint, hubby reminds me that I'm playing with the colors. It does put a more relaxing spin on things. I even realized that I refer to my sewing of the toys as playing with thread. Talking with my son the other day, I was reminded that back when he was in high school I would advise him to "play the game" of class work as a way to motivate him to do his homework and to keep up his attendance. Another common phrase, though I don't use it much, is "playing the game of life".

This has led me to give some thought as to what "play" really means. The word implies fun and games and children. Yet, as adults we still refer to things we enjoy as play. We also try to psych ourselves up by referring to work, life and school as play. Playing seems to be serious business.

Until next time...

The final drawers

Last week I shared with you how I made version 1 of a small parts cabinet for my desk. And, I shared how I wasn't happy with it. I proceeded to make version 2 out of book board. Let's just say, that was a failure. Not to be seen again by mortal eyes.

I resigned myself to seeing if I could find a small enough parts cabinet in the hardware store. I really wasn't happy with the metal and plastic sitting on my wood desk. Then I got the idea for version 3. I worked out the dimensions and cut into book board. I was able to create a 9 drawer cabinet that held the drawers I made previously for version 1.

It's not perfect. It does function. The drawer knobs are 10mm wood beads that I attached with perl cotton. In order to keep them from pulling out over time, I reinforced the drawer where I tied the thread.

Looking back, I'm thinking maybe I should have painted the beads blue or white to go with the rest of the cabinet. I was so jazzed that it was coming together, I just used them as they were.




Here's a view with a few drawers pulled open. 
Now, onto the next project. I'm struggling with the actualization of a round vision/bulletin board. I bought a large quilting hoop to be the frame of the board and intended that it be covered with cloth. The hard part is filling the cavity behind the cloth so I can pin things to the board. There isn't cork board thick enough on it's own. (And, even if there was, it's hard enough cutting cork board 1/2 the thickness.) More on that later when I reveal it completed.



I've been doing some thinking about why I'm not making more progress getting things done in my studio and making the toys. I've also been thinking about the fact that I have fallen off my resolve to have an actual work week. I had an epiphany this last week. I'm not getting to what I want because I consider it play time. I was raised that you don't "play" until your work is done, all of your work is done. That led me to take a serious look at what playing is and how it fits into our lives at all ages. I'll be continuing on this topic in the future. For now, I will leave you with this quote.

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
American writer
1803–1882

Until next time...

Parts drawers out of cardboard

I'm going to start off by saying, I apologize for not returning last week. Time got away from me as I have a craft show coming up and have been in the kitchen, not the studio. I can't appear at a local craft show without candy for sale. :)

To the right you can see the finished parts drawers. I am not happy with this. The drawers are the correct size. But, the sleeves ended up being less precise and the whole became a little wonky. But, as I said I'd share the instructions, I will do so. I'm also re-making this another way. Another note, I need some sort of drawer pull on the drawers. Right now, I'm catching the top with a fingernail and pulling. In addition, I have to hang onto the whole thing because some of the drawers are a little tight. If you want to try this yourself, you may want to play with opening up the sleeve part some to ease the drawer sliding in and out. I did not make changes to the directions, because I am abandoning this way of doing things and am trying a different design.

These are the dimensions I used to make each drawer and sleeve. With the cardboard I was using, I scored the sleeve on the outside of the box when it was folded up. It worked easier.

This is how the drawer is folded. I used white glue on each small tab and held it for several seconds to make sure it stayed before moving on to the next.

Below is how I folded the sleeve. I used white glue along the small tab and made sure the edge of the top was flush with the side. Again, holding for several seconds to insure it would stay and not fall apart.



Once I had 9 sleeves and 9 drawers, I assembled the sleeves together with white glue. This is where I discovered that I hadn't been as precise as I thought. Some sleeves were not rectangles but parallelograms. Some were slightly smaller or larger. I was determined and glued the sides and tops together anyway to create a 3x3 grid of sleeves. The picture below shows single layers of sleeves glued to each other before gluing the rows together.





Once everything was dry, I started installing drawers into sleeves. It sort of worked. Some drawers slide fine. Others are a very snug fit. I tried changing drawers around in different sleeves to get the best fit. It wasn't as successful as I would have liked. I have a new idea that will give the whole a little more substance. I may be that a small grid of sleeves would have been better. Even just a little 2 drawer set may be perfect. I really wanted the 9 drawers.




I'm going to attempt to create a "cabinet" out of book board to replace the sleeves and keep the drawers as is. I also plan on adding drawer pulls somehow so I can actually pull a drawer open rather than wrestling with them. I'll keep you posted.


Until next time...

Custom drawers

This is what's in the studio right now. I'm trying to streamline my workspace. I wanted little drawers as storage for the small parts I use to create the dolls and critters.

The ready made plastic ones I could find were not going to work for me. They had snap lids, or the drawers were too small, or the drawers were to big. None of them fit nicely in the corner under the riser like I wanted.

So, what's a creative person to do? Make it themselves, of course. LOL I had some .03 inch thick book board and no particular project for it. I've used 90% of what I had making these. It's not done by a long shot. I have to finish gluing the drawer sleeves into a box. Then, in order to stabilize the structure, I'll be creating a box with thicker book board around the sleeves. I still have to figure out what to use for drawer pulls. But, this, when done, will give me more space than I currently need for storing small things and fit under the riser over in the corner. Accessible, but out of the way.

I am taking pictures of each step along the way. When complete, I will post a tutorial on how to do this yourself, if you'd like. In the meantime, I will be taking next Friday off from posting. I will be involved in a wedding next weekend and will not be able to post. But, I will be back the following Friday with something new.

Until next time...

Little boxes

I've been working on boxes this week. I've also been attempting to learn about using FaceBook, Twitter and Pinterest. Feel free to "like" my stuff. :)

The first box I made was to hold the long pipe cleaners I use when making the bendy dolls. I'm working on eliminating the big (as in taking up space on the desktop) 3 drawer box that my doll making supplies are in. It's still a work in progress.

And, of course, the photo came out blue. (Sorry about that.) I guess I need to add that to my list. Learn to take better pictures.

I was able to get my new business card designed and printed out. That made me happy. Especially since I've been listing stuff in my Etsy store. What if someone actually buys one of them? :D Anyway, with spiffy new business cards, they needed a new home. I applied my cool new box making skills to make a container.

It's a miniature clam-shell box. I was quite pleased how it turned out. It holds 20 business cards. The only problem is, will it stay closed when I toss it in a purse or bag? I'll keep you posted. And, I will gratefully accept any cool ideas.

Until next time...

Unexpected work

Last Sunday, during a phone call with my son, I was sharing the progress on getting the critters and dolls out online. He was very supportive but mentioned that I should watermark my photos due to some unscrupulous people out in the internet world. Not what I wanted to hear. It took me a bit to figure out how to do that exactly. Once I figured it out, it is now a matter of getting this on each and every photo I have that I want to put online. Not an insurmountable problem, just unexpected. I'm still working on it.




The main focus this work week was going to be to improve my online presence and to get started on making candy. I have a craft show on the 4th of July and was going to get some lollipops made this week. Instead, I will be working on photos.

I don't remember if I've shown this Nessie before. Her name is Firtha which means "arm of the sea". I'll be listing her soon in my Etsy shop.

Until next time...

Studio expansion and more

It's been a busy week. I kicked myself in the behind to get my critters online. I've started a website. Not much, just a splash page so far. I've started an Etsy store, a FaceBook page, and a Pinterest account. I'm just learning the ins and outs of social media, so this may take me a bit to get the hang of things. I've also got more critters and bendy dolls to put up on Etsy.

I've added a shelving unit to my studio space so I can have more supplies at hand. I really am loving working in the new space. It feels so roomy! I know it's just a corner of the living room, but it's mine. :) The picture is a bit blue because I had a filter chosen on the camera. Oops.

In the lower left hand shelf, you can see 2 books. Those are blank books I made this last week. I was out of blank journals and as long as I was making one, I made 2. The darker blue is an experiment using the dragon pattern as an applique. It turned out ok. The problem is I was sewing on a heavy paper rather than a fabric. This evidently required a blood sacrifice. I poked my fingers at least half a dozen times. Drew blood most of the time. (Ouch!) The other is covered with some hand made paper I purchased last year. It has a really interesting texture to it.

Until next time...

Micro Studio

Oh, this has been a great week! The desk got finished. *happy dance* I've started moving in and working. The downer is not everything I want to have at hand will fit in the desk in an organized manner. I do have the wall above the desk and am giving that serious consideration. The riser under the lamps is because the lamp neck is so short the light is in my eyes if the lamp is sitting on the desk surface.

Aren't the geode book ends gorgeous? I forgot I had them until I cleaned the bookshelf that used to live in the spot where the desk is now.

I've got several ideas for storage to maximize the space and allow for all the supplies I want to have at hand for making toys, books, and art. I also want to replace the riser with something a bit wider. The bases of the lamps hang over the edges which could prove to be a problem. Besides, the riser is actually part of my booth set up for craft fairs. It would be better to return it to the booth furniture rather than trying to unearth it when I have a show.

The best part, I've found, is that I'm not as distracted when I'm working there. I've deliberately left my computer on the small secretary across the room. It means moving my chair from one to the other, but the chair is on wheels.

A while ago, I posted about organizing the felt and floss into zip bags. Putting them into hanging file folders in the file drawer (lower right drawer) is so much easier to access. It's also easier to put back the balance of the felt in a folder in the drawer after cutting something out. I'm very pleased about that change.

Until next time...

Chaos studio

I hinted at the prospective studio space coming. This is what it looks like so far. I bought a desk and chair to be the basis of the space. And, kind of defining the space since this is a portion of the living room.

This desk is heavy, being primarily particle board. I need hubby to help build it. Unfortunately, his days off earlier this week were pretty much booked. He and I worked on it Wednesday afternoon. We are up to page 8 in the instructions. The next step is starting to put pieces together rather than just installing hardware on each panel. When hubby is off work again, we'll continue.

I'm very excited about having this desk to be my workspace. It'll give me more room and a place to leave a project out that isn't finished. I don't know if I'll be any more productive, but my supplies will be handier and I'll be better organized. :)

Until next time...

Mmmm... caramels

I seem to have fallen back into my old patterns. I know I wanted to dedicate myself to having my work week, but things keep happening to thwart that. This week during the off days, there just wasn't quite enough time or energy to get everything done. So, first I had to make hubby the dessert I promised, a banana cream pie for his lunches. It didn't help I had a dental appointment the same day. Not a lot of work got done the first day of the work week.

Today, I finished up a candy order, which was work. I still have to make delivery, but that is done. Sure does make the house smell good when I make them. :)

During the off days, I got a desk for the new workspace. It still has to be put together and I'll need hubby to help with that. It's definitely a two person job. I'll be so glad when it's put together and in place. I'll have a home for organizing my supplies and a cool place to work. Unfortunately, the chair I bought will not work for me. Hubby likes it and he needed a new chair, so it's his. I'll have to look for another one.

Until next time...

Little ones

As promised, this week there are pictures. :) First up is Iantha, a purple Pegasus. I made this one while I was thinking a lot about artist versus toy maker and what I was going to do about all of this. I've got a bunch of ideas coming up that will take these little critters and dolls to all kinds of new places.

I've been writing and sketching all the ideas. Now, I just have to find the time to do half of them. To that end, I've decided that I need a dedicated workspace. In order to make room, I've been doing a bit of spring cleaning to create space. More on that in another post.



Next up is Murdina, a sea green Nessie. This one was mostly done, but was still made during the thinking time. I've come to the conclusion that I have to make these. I like them, they're cute. They appeal to  more than children.








And finally, there is a character from a story my mom read to me as a child, decades ago. She wrote the story and I thought it would be delightful to create the little girl in the story named Panny. Panny is a little witch girl and gets herself into a bit of trouble. So here she is with her pet frog in her pocket. I still need to make her broom.


Until next time...

I'm an artist?

No pictures this week. I am still working on wrapping my head around being an artist. Maybe one of the reasons this eludes me is because I don't feel like my little creations are exactly art. Then I tell myself not to be ridiculous. After all there are things in museums that don't even look like something remotely close to anything in reality. Funny thing is, I've continued to make things. I just didn't get a picture taken of them. This week's other project was looking at packaging options. I think I've got something figured out.

Of course it doesn't help that I've fallen off my scheduled work week with all of this artist stuff in my head. I was very unscheduled with my time. So, I'm recommitting to a scheduled work week. There will be pictures next week.

Until next time...

Feels like a wall

While doing marketing research, I ran across a BIG problem for my future business. I was making what I considered toys. I knew about using safe materials and warning that my items had small parts. What I didn't know and has put a stop to the whole thing is that, by law, I am required to submit my products to testing for toxic substances, have a certification, and have unique lot and dates for each item. This is nigh impossible to do. I don't make lots or batches, I make individual items. They are small and of mostly natural origin, but, not entirely. The eyes on the critters are plastic beads. The core of the dolls is a pipe cleaner. I can't afford to test each item, then I don't have an item to sell. I'm not in a position to make 1000 of a single doll or critter, it would take many weeks and I'd not have a variety to offer.

Now, I'm stuck with questions. Do I sell the items as art? They are unique and handmade from my own imagination. Do I not sell them at all and find something else to do? I did further looking at what I could call these. Art dolls is probably a good label. Tho' I'm not sure they qualify. And where does that leave the dragons, Nessies, Pegasus, and unicorns? Are they art dolls too? Or are they something else? I could call them miniatures since the dolls are only a little over 2" tall and the critters don't top 3", minus the wings of course. Will making these something other than toys reduce my potential for sales?



Then there is the issue of the actual marketing. I had thought that I'd be marketing to women who buy for children. Think mom, grandma, or aunt. Now who is my market? This is a huge derailment of my thoughts for a creative business. Lots of thinking instead of doing this week because of this hiccup. My conclusion so far is that I am going to have to sell myself as an artist rather than a toy maker. But, beyond that, I'm not sure what the next step is.

Until next time...

So close

Almost done with the castle. I still want to see if I can emulate a portcullis on the front door. But, I can use it as is. Next is to set up a proper photo booth so I can take better looking pictures than the little table I'm working on. I've painted the stones on the outside and stained the wood visible from the outside. There is a lot more I'd like to do to the inside making it an even better prop. But, it's usable as it is now. For which I am grateful. Honestly, I'm tired of working on the castle and would like to get back to making the dolls and critters. The original plan was to have the castle done by the end of January. I guess that's typical, that things take longer than planned.

The finish on the wood parts is a stain marker from MinWax, called Golden Oak. It was easy enough to use, but had to get some ventilation because the stuff stinks.

I'm rather pleased with the results now that it's mostly finished.

Until next time...

Finally, a logo

After showing people the first logo idea, I decided to pull things way back. Keep it simple. Just using the symbol on the door, rather than everything. I rather like how this looks. My thought is to use an even simpler version of this as a maker's mark on my critters to identify them as coming from me. Yes, it could be forged, but why bother? If someone is clever enough to copy my designs, they are clever enough to invent their own.

The castle is finally looking close to what I envisioned. I've got several colors of grey stones adorning all the outside walls and battlements. There are stones that aren't colored yet. I'm having a discussion with hubby about that. He advocates leaving them white. I'm looking at maybe leaving some of them white but introduce a blue-grey for the final color. Then, there is the issue of what to do about the wooden parts. Do I leave the wood natural? It's a light colored wood. Or do I stain it darker? But, I don't want to go too dark. I think there's enough dark in the darkest grey. More decisions and then a final push to get it done. Then, it's time to take some pictures. :)

Until next time...

Image quandary

I am making progress on the castle this week. Stones are being painted. It's just taking a lot longer than I ever anticipated. That's ok, because when I'm done, it's going to look so cool. :)

The image you see this time is one potential logo. I am certain this isn't the final. The feedback I've gotten so far is that the door is too dark. The blue symbol doesn't show up well. The hinges and doorknob seem at odds with the look. The person assumed it was a castle drawbridge opening rather than a door. All good feedback. If you'd like to leave an opinion in the comments section, I'd love to hear from you. I have a few other ideas for the logo. In fact hubby and I tried several things before we got this one. I'm going to go back and revisit some earlier versions, aiming for something simpler. 

The concept of an actual work week continues. I find that if I plan for being "at work", the chores and extra cooking & baking gets done during the off days. That and not answering every phone call. The concentrated effort is paying off. It also helps to set goals for the week. Overall, I'm pleased and plan to keep doing this. 

Until next time....

Spots and Working

I've finally finished drawing all the stones on the outside of the castle and the battlements. I was so jazzed when I finished.

Now, onto the painting. I'm starting with the darkest gray and randomly painting the different stones. Kind of looks like a Dalmatian, doesn't it?

Lesson learned: Even in a sealed bag, acrylic paint will dry out. *sigh* I tried to save the paint from yesterday, but it was a thick scummy mess. I'll be more conservative today and not put out quite as much paint, or paint longer to use it up. I'll probably be working on it longer today, so that should work out.

Speaking of working, I'm trying something new for me. I decided it was time to take myself seriously. I've talked about being an entrepreneur for years. I've even tried a few different businesses. There were the teddy bears, the herbs, and the candy. None of them were a complete failure, but I also allowed other things to take priority. During the first two of those, I was the sole breadwinner and worked out side the home. I also became a single mom which pretty much closed down the teddy bear business. It also kept the original herb business from getting off the ground.

Today, I have a sweet husband who is the breadwinner and the child is grown and has been on his own for several years now. I have the time to create a business. But, I found that I was spreading out the household chores so that I was busy with something nearly every day. I answered every phone ring. I was spending hours cruising the internet and reading blogs, forums and articles. I was playing computer games. Nothing wrong with any of that, but I wasn't getting any of my "work" done either.

Last week, I made the decision to establish a work week. The best way to do that is to follow hubby's work schedule so that we have the same days off. I started by making sure that other than the few daily chores, like keeping up with the dishes, my household tasks were done during the off days. That includes baking and cooking meals ahead. Hubby is very supportive of this idea and he assisted in making sure everything got done. So far, so good. I worked on some aspect of business for most of the day each work day last week. This is my second week and I faltered a bit yesterday. Today, I am back on task.

By taking work on the business I'm establishing seriously, it has actually created a peaceful, less stressed feeling. I'm able to focus on the preliminary work of setting up the business without feeling guilty about the household chores. And on the off days, I'm not feeling guilty about neglecting the business because, I know I'll be working again on my work days. By the way, the castle is part of the preliminary work on the business, it'll be featured as the background for the product photos.

Until next time...

Organizing

Record sheet

Hmm...no work got done on the castle this last week. I found myself with chores and social obligations instead. With my social outtings, I decided to bring along some toys to make. When I got back home, I realized that I had made a royal mess of my supplies. There has to be a better way. In order to keep track of everything I began by creating a record page of each toy. I printed the photo on card stock.

That was when I realized I had over 30 colors of felt and wasn't sure if I'd used gold on the wings or the marigold. *sigh* (It was gold.) Definitely time to get organized. I included a swatch of each felt and a bit of each color of embroidery floss. Rather than deal with glue or tape that could fail over time, I sewed the swatch to the card stock with  the embroidery floss. Now I have a record and can re-create that color combo again. This makes me happy.

In order to determine the color of the different felts, I had to look at my orders from Felt on the Fly. (This is awesome felt!) I started by pinning a tag on each piece with the name on it. Not very safe because I was using straight pins. I wanted a way to keep the embroidery floss colors with each piece of felt rather than having to search through my floss collection each time. I've been using the "BAG-IT" system to keep track of my floss for years.

It works well. I have a ring for each family of colors. I took a page from their system and determined that I could put each felt in it's own ziplock bag along with the bag of floss. To keep it organized, I simply label each floss bag with it's number for ease of replacement. The gallon ziplocks I had on hand for the felt were the freezer style. They have a label area. Great, I can write the name of the color of the felt on the bag and get rid of the tag with a straight pin. (And not poke my fingers.)






The plastic is slippery. I have a very old hole punch. I found that by putting a scrap piece of card stock top and bottom, I could punch neatly through the plastic. Now I just hang the bags with the large ring.







All organized. Not quite done yet, but was excited to show what I've been up to. I think this will work out just fine.





Until next time...