Pink Slipper Project - first donation

I made these slippers this past fall and early winter.  Yesterday I shipped them off to the Pink Slipper Project http://www.pinkslipperproject.org/  It's been very a humbling experience and I hope to knit alot more in 2011.   I stumbled upon the pink slipper organization through this press release.  http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6f5c6248e876916e9c5a7fd6c&id=b7fc5bde4d  It also lead me to this website http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/ 
I've never been more aware of those in need and feel compelled to help and spread the word. 

Two Angels Believe - Do you?

October 9, 2010 My Wedding Day!

My wonderful niece Jen took the photos of my wedding and this was my favorite of all them, barefoot on the beach.  I turned the photo to black and white and added just a touch of color on the bouquet. 

Bittersweet

If a pictures speaks a thousands words, then this photo is my life.

My Creative Business Goals Monday September 6, 2010

I'm finally getting back on track after a few hard weeks.  I was able to finally set up my shipping area, which includes all my Etsy shop items that are currently listed.  I have all other completed artwork & crafts in two totes.

I have also set up my painting area, so I can keep works in progress out, so even on days when I only have a few minutes, I can get some painting done.

I had the most satisfying long weekend of domestic bliss.  Painting, sorting, organizing, painting and more painting and general puttering around the house.   Uncovered these cute fridge magnets that I painted awhile back and finally got them photographed.  Hope you will see them, along with some fabulous hand painted glass ornaments in the near future for sale in my Ety shop.

My Goals for this week:
1.  Set up my sewing area.
2.  Continue sorting Art and craft supplies so I can easily find what I need without tearing my whole craftroom apart every time I need something.
3.  Self care - exercise, eat healthy, get a good night's sleep.  Starting new work out classes at my local YMCA with my sister.
4.  Journal, blog, twitter, FB
5.  Add at least two or three new items to my Etsy Shop.
6.  Work on one new technique in Claudine Hellmuth's online class, that I am way behind in at the moment, so I can start incorporating these new skills and techniques for ideas I have my Etsy shop.

Self care

I have been in a terrible funk for weeks from personal and work challenges and pressures.  I have not had the energy to do anything creative or enjoy the domestic pleasures of puttering and most distressing, find the time or energy for my paint brushes.  My camera is in the corner collecting dust.  I had all but disappeared from the internet.  No blogging, twittering, or Facebook.  No journaling either.  I have felt defeated and my self confidence took a big hit.  I've not been taking care of myself physically or emotionally.  Not good.   So, I'm cutting back on junk food, making better food choices and portions, I'm walking with my sister in the mornings and joined my local YMCA and start some great exercise classes next week.  I've begun journaling again.  Just spent some satisfying time this morning cleaning up my craftroom and going to practice self care by getting a paint brush in my hand as soon as I'm done with this post.  Later this weekend, I'm going shopping for some new workout gear and maybe even a new skirt or two for work.   I have not wanted summer to end, but today, I am ready for Fall.  I think it might to time to dig out my knitting needles, too.  While I paint this afternoon, I'll think about some lovely soup and stew recipes.  Hearty and healthy.   My paint brushes are calling me...

My Creative Business Goals - week 6

It's going to be a demanding week for me at my full time day job, that's my reality, so knowing that, I really should keep my goals for this week simple and easy and uncomplicated, but I'm excited that I finally put some time and energy into my Etsy shop last week and want to keep up the momentum,so this is what I hope to accomplish this week.
1. Twitter, FB, blog - hopefully a few times this week because I have posted  a couple of  new items in my Etsy shop last week, so online presense feel especially important to do.
2. Post two more new items to my Etsy shop.
3. Participate in Creative color challenge (kind of doing that right now, the color is yellow this week)
4. Make a little progress with online class with Claudine Hellmuth.

sketch book project

This is the sketch book project.  I'm very excited to be participating!  I hope to document the project from beginning to end.  I look forward to sharing photos and videos of my art work in progress.

Creative Business Goals - week four

http://mycreativebusinessgoals.blogspot.com/

What is week four going to look like for me? My first thought is positive attitude. And that is because I can clearly see what has and hasn’t worked for me over the last three weeks. I tend to put more on my short term goals list than is realistically possible, so I set myself up for failure. That is going to change with week four. Most of my goals are going to stay in the medium and long term lists. I‘m going to attempt to make my short term goals list that more doable, less vague or project oriented. I will have only small, defined weekly goals. I purposely put “Take care of myself physically, emotionally and creatively” on medium and long term lists, for a visual positive reminder of how important that is for my success. For my weekly short term list, I will put specific tasks like walk with my sister to accomplish that. I changed up the medium and long term goal a bit, defined what I consider medium and long term. Last week I backed off my time spent on the internet. It was a good decision, but it’s an important part of the process, so I need to keep a steady online presence.



Short Term Goals - week 4

Twitter once a day

Blog once this week

FB once or twice week

Picture summer online class each day

@ home with Claudine Hellmuth 15 min - half hour each day

Buy flat long boards for craft room for more surface area to work on

Move storage bins around in 2nd bedroom/craft room, for work surface area

Goals for week 5



Medium Term Goals - things I would like to accomplish over the next 6 months

Take care of myself physically, emotionally and creatively

Keep connected on twitter, blog, FB

Organize art/craft supplies

Set up work surface and shipping area

Create lists:

Supplies to sell/set price

Type of things to sell/set prices

Future ideas

Resources for packaging, craft-art supplies, surfaces, etc

Log type of materials/paint color used on projects

Set up second Etsy shop

Taxes

Business license

Copywrite

Accounting log/books

Sales tax exempt #

How to get published

How to sell designs

Networking

Online courses



Long Term Goals - things I hope to accomplish in the next year or two

Take care of myself physically, emotionally and creatively

Keep connected on twitter, blog, FB

Establish a website

Business plan

Calculate minimum income necessary to quit day job

goals for week of July 5th (week 2)

This week I am going to mostly focus more on creativity than business and even as I write this, I feel tiny bits of guilt creep in, because I have so much to do for the business aspect of my Art business.  But I have been seriously neglecting the creative part, so I will comtemplate as I create this week on how I can find a happy rhythm and pace to accomplish both. 

1.  Do something with paint everyday.
2.  Write/journal everyday.
3.  Sort and do a bit of organizing with my craft/art supplies.
4.  Do a happy dance if some of my supplies arrive in the mail for my online class.
5.  Make do, if they don't.
6.  Share my creations in progress or complete on twitter, blog & facebook.
7.  Support and encourage my classmates (former & present)

That's it!
The photo is today's submission for my Picture Summer online class.  This is a glass of iced tea sitting on my outside metal table that has a whole in the middle and I photographed it from the bottom up, about half an hour ago.  It's as hot out as it looks.

This is the beginning of my painting of Owl's Head Lighthouse.  It being a long holiday weekend for me, I had the luxury of time and energy to settle down to some serious painting.  Until recently, most of my painting has been on a very small scale, so it was challenging to use larger brushes.  I can usually complete a small (miniature) painting in a few hours.   This size painting is going to take much more time and I need to practice patience and not get distracted with too many other projects until I complete it. (I'm also taking an online course to learn mixed media art)   I've been wanting to make the transition to a more tradition size canvas and then move to a really large canvas and then wall murals.  I've deperately needed to get a paint brush in my hand, and for quite sometime have let the distractions and responsibilites of everyday life get the better of me, so I hope this to be a new beginning of serious dedication to my art, whether it be tranditional, mixed media, decorative, sewing,  or photography.

Vintage lighthouse

The painting above is my first painting, back in 1977.  The artwork below it is something I created earlier today using a technique called gesso transfer that I learned from an online class I'm taking with http://claudinehellmuth.blogspot.com/

The first class project is nothing like this, but I'm still waiting for the supplies to arrive, so I improvised and used what I had because I couldn't wait! 

Let me tell you, this process is rediculously fun and the possibilities are endless.  I'm in heaven.  I can't wait for the next lesson.

I've always loved the look of mixed media art, but never tried it and now I'm hooked. 

Progress on goals for the week

1. Walk with my sister Kim 2 or 3 mornings - walked wed & thurs and will be walking Saturday.

2.  Twitter at least once or twice a day - so far, so good.

3.  Post to my blog 2 times.  -  posted Tuesday and today. 

4.Gather class materials for ecourse that is starting July 1st.  - been picking away at this all week, almost done. (I crossed out half of this task, because it's actually almost done) -my dry sense of humor, can't be helped.

5.  Do something creative, just because.  - 6am this morning, base coated a couple of wooden surfaces for a couple of projects that I hope to complete this weekend, using new techniques that I'm learning with online course with Claudine Hellmuth.  I will post more pictures this weekend as I complete them.

6.  Respond to all new friends from Flying Classes - slow progress on this, hopefully more of this on sat/sun.

7.  If overwhelm sets in, go to craftroom to touch and look at craft supplies, Oh wait a minute, do that anyway, overwhelm or not.  -  did this thursday, refer to photos above :)

8.  Work on medium and long term goals.  -  hopefully this will get done Sat/Sun or will have to bump to next week's list - it's all good.

My goals for the week

in no particular order:


1. Walk with my sister Kim 2 or 3 mornings

2. Twitter at least once or twice a day

3. Post to my blog 2 times

4. Gather class materials for ecourse that is starting July 1st.

5. Do something creative, just because.

6. Respond to all new friends from Flying classes.

7. If overwhelm sets in, go to craftroom to touch and look at craft supplies, Oh wait a minute, do that anyway, overwhelm or not.

8. Work on medium and long term goals.

1977, age 17, my very first painting

This is the very first painting I created at 17, after my first and only art class in highschool.  I had gifted this painting to a relative.  Never framed and a little shabby around the edges, it's in fairly good condition, even though it survived a number of moves and I suspect that it probably never even made it onto a wall.   It was on it's way to the dump about a year ago and another relative claimed and asked if I wanted it back.  While I am sad that it was not loved or appreciated by it's original recipant, I will be forever grateful that it made it's way back to me, thirty three years later. 

decisions, decisions

I have two blogs, http://bethscraftroom.blogspot.com/  and http://bethmegquier.blogspot.com/ because I wanted one for my things that I create, paint, photograph, etc to sell and one for writing.  Not sure why I thought I needed to separate them, it's all me, all creative and they are in the end all connected, who I am.    Then, recently, I realized how seriously I wanted to take my art and my writing and want to make them a full time profession, I've made the commitment, so am now thinking that it will be too much to keep two blogs going.  I even thought about two Etsy shops, because I have such a wide range of art that I like to create. http://bethscraftroom.etsy.com/ But that is just going to keep me all over the place.  And will keep my followers all over the place.  I started BethsCraftroom a couple of years ago because my craft room was my little space where my dreams slept.  I dreamed and created in that little room, keeping it all a hobby and making a small amount of play money.  I told myself and was told, be careful about how you put yourself out there.  Don't burn out.  Don't take a chance that if you take your art full time that it will become a only a job and you will loose the joy of creating, painting, etc.  I bought into that for a long time for many reasons.  But things are different now.  I've recently created a whole new life for myself and know in my heart what I need to be truly fulfilled and happy with peace in my heart.   So, it may be time to let Beth'sCraftroom go and forge ahead with http://bethmegquier.blogspot.com/ Yes, I've decided that's what I'll do.  It will take a bit of work to make the transition with my blogs and Etsy, but now is the time to do, while I'm still in the very beginning stages of this journey.

Welcome summer!

Primrose in early morning light.

Good Morning Summer!

Oh the possibilities...

When you say yes to the Universe, show me the possibilities, be ready and willing to take the offerings, because I believe the Universe is already looking for us and gifts we can give to the world. When I stumbled upon Kelly Rae Roberts, I was asking for the possibilities, but I didn't just get Kelly Rae and her story and gifts, I got so much more. I found a whole community of souls searching and reaching for the same possibilities and I am humbled and inspired. Like the sea glass I harvest from the ocean to create things of beauty, I feel like I have just harvested hearts from around the world. What a gift!