necklace

Progress Counts

by CZeitler

I am working on auditioning patterns to quilt my Aunts quilt with. A cousin suggested a couple of styles that hold sentimental significance for our family so I am going with those. I’m going to let the patterns ruminate for a little bit while I decide if I like them there or not.

This is not the only project I have going on at this time. I’m also still working on getting my craft room organized. It does not look like I have made a lot of progress, however I am considering every step a small win.

I have many of my fabrics, threads, and other crafts on the shelves, labeled, and mostly organized. In attempting to use up some of the smaller fabrics and pieces I am trying to make small projects. This should free up some of the space and help my organization as I see how I am using materials. This type of organizing is already helping me feel more motivated and willing to do some crafting.

I have been experimenting with making mug rugs using some basic quilting patterns on my embroidery machine, this also doubled as a good way to see how the pink thread was going to show up on white fabric. I have also been using some of my scrap fabric to play around with fusible applique on squares to see how I like them and what kind of applique I can do/enjoy.

Of course I cannot be happy with just one type of project, though I guess this could also be considered sewing.

There is some, very slow, progress being made on creating a beaded cord necklace. This craft takes a lot of beads, a lot of time, and patience to ensure that the white cord is completely covered and that the beads a laying where I would like them to be. I am enjoying this as my slow craft.

Other things are going on in the background, my local library had a book sale so I need to weed out some of the books I am no longer using to make room for the ones I just bought. I am attempting to coordinate programming for one of the guilds I belong to. There is some minor medical stuff going on in the background. Work has some exciting things going on as some construction is going to get started and we are ramping up for summer reading, which can add some stress.

All in all it looks like this year is going to be fascinating. I’m hoping to continue adding fun stuff, and hopefully add some items to my storefront again in the near future.

Until next time, remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!

Word Switch = Mind Shift

by CZeitler

As I wrote in my last post, I’ve been hustling to make earrings, necklaces, and other items, to stock up my Etsy shop, thinking of ways to improve my jewelry game to generate more (any) sales, etc. Then as I was looking at what tools I need to start getting serious about jewelry, soldering, etc., and pushing off whittling again, I came to a realization. In my mind I had switched around a few words of what I had created my etsy store for. I was working toward: “Crafting to sell”. My Original intention was: “Selling my Crafts”. I know, some of you are looking at that like, what’s the difference? The difference is intention.

For the first, “Crafting to sell”, changed the motivation of my work. I was not focusing on creating what I wanted or learning new skills to be able to teach my patrons at work, I was thinking about: “Will this appeal, does this go with the brand I am trying to build up, how can I market this?.”

For my original intention: “Selling my Crafts”, I was using up materials I already owned, learning new skills without worrying about putting something new out each day, and having the crafts I lovingly created going to new homes instead of just sitting around my house or being given as gifts to friends and family that didn’t really want them. I think that it is time for me to get back to my original intention, and allow the universe to generate sales from my lovingly crafted goods.

That is not to say that I am not going to post updates and new items onto my Etsy store. As one maker said, “Don’t wait until your crafts are perfect, put them out there and see if they appeal, then work on getting better.”

I have some loom beaded pieces that I am going to learn how to back, some cabochons that I am going to learn how to create beaded bezels around, and a secret project that I am working on perfecting before I, potentially, launch a kickstarter. Along with all of that I am trying to learn how to cut a straight line on my wood, or plane down to a straight line, without a power saw (Since I don’t own one). This is with the intention of making my own jewelry display, and possibly some of the projects I’ve seen on YouTube. There is one more thing, the next time I have some extra funds, I’m buying the whittling kit.

Remember to slow down, make sure you are working toward your actual goal, and Live Life A Little More Abstract!