Testing the Water...

The good news is, I'm selling more than I ever imagined I would !
The bad news is ,I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do!!!!
I've had to stop and realize I just can not do it all!!!
I'm still afraid to quit the reliable income of my day job for the unreliable income of my clay sales. Creating with clay full time, is my dream . But, I can't do that yet !

This week I had to make some VERY hard decisions about which direction I wanted my clay to take me.

I been involved with dogs in one form or another for ....forever !!!
I've been an obedience trainer and a long time dog groomer .
I've owned a pet shop and worked for big boarding kennel .
Presently I am a veterinary receptionist.
I think I'm about 50% dog hair !!!


Creating my custom pet items has been rewarding on many levels.
However, it is very labor intensive !!!
There just aren't enough hours in the day to fill all my recent orders for wedding cake toppers!
No time left to just play around with clay and test new ideas .

Custom work brings a certain stress to the clay table,
deadlines and a need to create with someone's vision in mind
I NEED the income from my clay work !
But, I also think I need the relaxation and escape , creativity brings me.
After long anxious hours of deliberation I have decided to
stop taking on-line custom orders . I am going take time to consintrate on bringing my new ideas to life.

There are moments in life when change is necessary or at least wise .
Not all of us are comfortable just jumping into the water and hoping we float !
Perhaps we would be better off just doing a big old cannon ball into the pond !
But, I'm going to take change more slowly.
For today I've decided to stop pacing the cage and test new waters !
:) m.e.

PS: the photo is my daughters work . It just fit my mood !

Hot & Sunny today....

August is HOT and sunny in Maryland!
It's a time of great abundance
Silver Queen sweet corn, ripe home grown tomatoes, Eastern shore cantaloupes and Chesapeake Bay steamed crabs!!!
Time to drink cool drinks in the shade or head " down the ocean" for some boardwalk breezes !
It's hard not to slow down on these humid, hot days of summer .
This is a month we all should take it easy ,
sit on a porch ,rock, and sip iced tea.
We should find moments to relax and relish the abundance of summer.
Rest and revive ourselves.

But, Fall is just around the corner ...
time for back to school and holiday preparations !!!

As I enjoy the lazy days of summer part of me is thinking
what new inspirations will I find this Autumn?
;) m.e.
,

My Mixed Media Heart

My polymer clay group's monthly challenge theme for August was "mixed media".
My entry is a tribute to Frida Kahlo .
Her life and her art have greatly inspired me.
I guess you wouldn't expect that .
Frida doesn't bring to mind the fairies and roses I so often make !!!
Yet she is tucked into my heart along with many other artists,
friends, sights , sounds , even scents.
I have a "mixed media " collage of influence within me !
Do you?

PCAGOE members produced some amazing creations for this months challenge
If you can pick a favorite ...be sure to vote
You could win a prize just for voting !
:) m.e.
http://pcagoe.com/

morphing

pardon me for starting your day with a cliche....
but, my children are my best creations ever!
Watching my daughter grow into a talented photographer is a wonder to me !
She has such passion and dedication .
The Butterfly Conservancy in Key West was an amazing adventure .
Zillions of butterfly jewels from all over the world in a tropical garden setting !
She was in photographers paradise ! She'll twist into any uncomfortable position and hold still forever to get the shot she's after !
At one point a guide stopped her to say"you have broken more rules than any visitor we've ever had! But, you're so dedicated to getting your photos ...go ahead !!! "
She explained she was being careful not damage the foliage.
But, she really wanted a photo of the Blue Morpo Butterfly !
Hard to do because they have rather dull brown outer wing color and seem to always rest with their wings folded shut .
"yes " said the guide "everybody wants a picture of that one ...but it's almost impossible to get"
hummmmmm.... oh yeah !
we stayed an extra hour...but, she got the shot !

Following a dream, takes patience and persistence
One must be willing to grow , change,and sometimes take risks, to reach a goal .


wonderful to watch my little caterpillar morphing.......
:) m.e. (proud mom )

Expect the Unexpected

I expected to return from my vacation with design ideas from our scuba diving adventures
I did return with a years worth of under the sea inspiration.
However, I unexpectedly found even more to influence my work !
Who could resist the calm graceful beauty of these koi ?
The pond was at the Key West Butterfly Conservancy,
a place I hoped find inspiring butterfly patterns and colors .
I did have magical butterfly encounters (more about those next Friday)
However, I also brought home many ideas for new koi pendants.

When we seek inspiration
we receive it ...
just not always in the way we expected .....
:) m.e.

How I Sea Things

I'm still reliving my wonderful experiences from my Florida Keys vacation .
My daughter was so excited to have the opportunity to use our new underwater camera
She had decided to concentrate on "things that stay still" ,like corals ,until she honed her skills.
But ,this turtle had other ideas !
It swam by just luring us to follow .
We had over 20 minutes of awe inspiring time ,swimming along with this wonderful creature.

My daughter was thrilled with her many wonderful turtle photos!
We will always treasure this "once in a life time shot "and the memory of the special moment we shared.

The first creation directly inspired by my trip had to be a turtle .
Most of my work is part nature as it is ..part nature as I imagine it .
My pendant is a bit like the turtle I saw .But, I used a fanciful cane to add the magic the encounter held for me .

I think this is the gift art gives us .
Artists (I use the term loosely to describe myself) are able share the world as they experience it
When we share our creations we are sharing the moments of our lives.

PCAGOE challenge

Garden fairies come at dawn,
Bless the flowers then they're gone.
~Author Unknown

This months PCAGOE challenge was to make a "vessel"
Sometime I don't know where my ideas come from!!!
This little fairy's head is an empty vessel
It's just waiting to be filled with all sorts of wonderful flowers and foliage!

Maybe I'm my own inspiration...
my head is often empty ...
just waiting to be filled with fresh ideas !!!
:) m.e.
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The Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy (PCAGOE TEAM) invites all our friends and colleagues to participate in our monthly challenge contest by voting for your favorite entry at our team website at http://pcagoe.com/ between July 1 and midnight, EST of July 7, 2009. Winning entries will be announced on the website on July 8. Five lucky voters, chosen at random, will also receive beautiful polymer clay items handmade by our member artisans, which you may also view at the website. So come join in the fun. You could be a winner, too!