Lent - A time to subtract & a time to add

Hello Cole Here -

I am an Episcopalian and we are Lentan people.  In the past few years I have tried to enter this time of stillness with both subtracting some bad habit stuff and adding something to focus on.

I am subtracting - drive thru food!  I hope I can stick to this

I am adding - projects that I have put in the someday pile.  This is my year for everything in it's place.  I hope to finish the studio and start the pantry in the next 40 days.

My first project was to make sauerkraut. So this Ash Wednesday I cleaned up my crock.  Bought a couple heads of cabbage and started some Kraut!

40 Days - What could you focus on?  What would make your life easier & better? What have you put in the someday pile?

Much LOVE!

2011 Collected & 2012 Began - Part 3

Cole Here - Metal work done.  Now the rubber meets the road.  I am writing this in hopes that it happens in my own space.  "do what I blog, not what I do"

Tackling the bags of supply's a jumble after the Christmas dash.  Are any of you like me an in the insane rush to get handmade commissions & gifts made you now have no idea where your supply's actually are.  Cultivate is my word for my work in 2012 but "EVERY THING IN IT'S PLACE is my phrase for my home in 2012 (& Yes my studio is in my home... so no excuses).

I went out with my art sisters for holiday lunch this week and everyone was saying that they are the only ones who go into their studio so that is where the christmas presents are stored, wrapping, and in general piles.  Except for Sister Darcie - who let's just say - is a super hero of organization.  She has a small but mighty studio and keeps it neat.... I need to work on it!

So step one - WADE IN.... survey, breath and set a 15 minute timer.  Garbage bag in hand, and basket of doesn't belong here in the corner & goodwill bag in the other corner.  Start by cleaning out a path & table work area.

Step Two - Continuing to work in 15 minute incraments until you need a break, drink or just to sit down....

Step Three - keep your goals in mind.  Brenda Dayne from Cast On podcast (yes - I do not knit but I listen to a knitting podcast - I love her what can I say)  does an "annual airing of the stash"  I love this idea.  What do you really have, what can you make?  Try taking the first three month challenge.

• Challenge - Do not enter a craft supply store from Jan - March.  Works completely from your stash.  
• Air your stash
• Make project bags where you can gather all you need for a certain craft.  
• I make supply suitcases - one for felting, one for altered book journaling,

Tomorrow - Keep working on the studio!

2011 Collected & 2012 Began - Part 2

Cole Here - Now you have written down your UFO's, Successes & Learning you want to hold onto... and set free the projects that you never need to see again.  Today is looking 2012 beginnings and direction.

Five Medium Focus - I am one of those artists who just will never be able to pick and stick with a medium... so I pick five each year to stick with for that year.  This helps me limit my range and learn and work more deeply in these arena's.  Just from a stuff management perspective - I don't go shopping and have random stuff end up in my cart as much.  And I can put away supply's in deep freeze storage if I know they are not my focus that year.

• What are your five mediums?  Mine are acrylic painting (stick), Mixed media collage (stick), Rug Hooking (Stick), Sewing & Quilting (new to me), art journaling (new to me)

Project Focus - What projects are you going to attempt.  I try and list all the idea's I would like to fit it.  Last year I had twelve that fit into each month.  I finished 10 of 12 and one is left in UFO's and the other has been set free from 2011.

• What is your project focus?  A few of mine are Encrusted Baby Quilt (art quilt), Jenni's Sign (acrylic commission), Susan's pillows & painting Commission (rug hooking & pillow), Judy's Dog Flower Commission UFO (stained glass - because it is a ufo)

Learning Focus - What do you want to learn this year.  A magazine subscription you just must have, classes you always wanted to take?  I have often related my obsession with the library to a masters degree.  With as much learning as I do each year for free I feel like am working my way through an 'Handcrafted Masters'

• What is your learning focus this year?  Quilting, Quilting, Quilting for me - I am working on getting a new sewing machine and would love to USE every feature on the machine in the first year.  I am hoping to really learn what it can do!

Marketing & professional Focus - Shows you want to enter, blogs you want to start, stores or galleries you want to hang in.  Where is your focus?  How are you going to make the time for marketing?  

• Shows I want to focus on - 
• Blog Plan for 2012 - at least once a week for the year.
• Podcast ???
• Stores & Galleries - 
• Submissions - 
• Taxes & Billing - Smash taking over in 2012 Awesome!

Tomorrow - Tackling the studio!

2011 Collected & 2012 Began - Part 1

Cole Here - I am a self-confessed planner.  I love to look back and collect those things I loved about the last year & begin the new year with a vision-casting session for myself.  This is the start of a multi-part series on refocusing your art in 2012

I have spent a lot of time thinking, praying and talking through my art goals.  I believe it is one of the reasons I am as productive as I am.  Smash (hubby) said something to me this year that helped me focus - "climb up a coconut tree every so often and see if you are still going in the direction you chose, then hit the ground and go powerfully in that direction!"

• UFO's - to continue, to set free or to return to stash as a cuttable piece.  Let it go with grace!
• Successes - I love to Collect all my art successes on one journal page - it always makes me feel great.
• Learning I want to continue to incorporate into my work - do you have techniques that you just plane forget to do, even though you love it?  I have a technique page in the back of my art journal that I fill with successful techniques.  Just to keep track of them. I flip to it when I am stuck on a painting.
• I have a few learning binders where I put articles I want to keep.  I also try to flip through and purge these at this time.

More tomorrow.... Squirt is up!

Working... not in the studio

We are working on updating all things electronic - blog, Etsy, website, our books! Not as fun as being knee deep in paint, but together it is so nice! We love to hang out and look at blogs we love; we are trying to recommit to posting often! Put it out there and be accountable - cross your fingers and PRAY!

We have updated our calendar of art fun - look for posts about our Great November Art Adventures!

Urban Craft Uprising - A creative Jugernaught

As I get ready for this weekends extravaganza of creative goodness. I started counting all that I have done since September to get ready for this opportunity.

• Paintings - 50 finished + one commission & two gift paintings = 53
• Jewelry - 44 prayer flag necklaces
• Pins - 25 for UCU Swag giveaways + 30 buttons + 40 zippity-doo-daa's = 105
• Sketchbooks - 1.5 in progress

So in a few months I produced 203.5 creative moments in my life... a blessing - OF COURSE! I adore my soul sister in creativity - Darcie! I can't wait for this weekend and hope to come home with just memories & some pocket money (hee hee)!

Urban Craft Uprising - check it out! SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISANS & SUPER COOL HOLIDAY GIFTS!

www.urbancraftuprising.com

Art is cool... live with it!

The If Project

"What If …. There was something that someone could have said or done to have helped you that may have prevented you from getting where you are now, what would it have been?"

A simple question asked to a group of inmates in a Washington women’s prison. Answered 240 times in essay form at theifproject.com. I heard from the co-founder and a graduate of the program tonight at St. George’s Episcopal Church.

It was an eye-opening experience. Seeing women who look like me, locked away, who have never been asked - how did you get here, what advice to you have for children, what would have made you path different? What if?

As I listened to these fabulous women speak, I thought about my own life, what if my path wasn’t as supported, what if I was not raised in the bedrock of my family, but instead on shakier ground. What if I had not married a kind, gentle and loving man? What if?

I was humbled by their stories and by their essays – what if? Please take time to look at the website www.theifproject.com. I hope to do some volunteer work with them soon.

The thing both Kim & Miss B came back to – was to listen to children, come along side and support them as a caring adult, show love, honest true love.

I'm Back!

Hello ~ I have been trying to do it all... and doing none of it well! I know no one else has this problem.

So what changed - Baby Boy (now almost two) started sleeping through the night, I met some fabulous Mom's (Go RCC Mops) & one of them introduced me to the FlyLady! Check her out... She teaches you how to FLY by cleaning and organizing your home to make it easier to live.

She helps you bite off a little at a time, so you can change your space in small ways that make a huge difference. I have moved 240 pounds of stuff out of my house in the month of March. Literally - doing organization 15 minutes at a time (with the loving help of my Momma!)

I am FLYing to Create. In honor of how I like to learn & the FLY principles - I am using this blog to provide you with small (less then five steps) bite-sized projects to get you in the studio & painting! WOOP! Stay tuned...