Lets do what we say we will do and just do it: The Craft Edition.

"Lets do what we say we will do and just do it."

We should get together and craft.
When is the next Craft party?

A friend used to have amazing craft parties. We would go.. chat.. hang out. I loved it. I really lived for them.
Then they faded away. I miss them.

2013 was the year of.. 
"We should..."
"We need to..."

Today, we did it.
Four friends, and I, got together. We spread our our craft messes, We created. We chattered. We ate. We exchanged ideas in a safe environment.


 The Menu:
Pasta with Sausage Marinara.
Veggie Marinara,
Albondigas and Rice. 
Fresh baked bread.
Scratch brownies. 
Midori and Vodka Shaved Ice.

There was Card making, paper cutting, polymere clay shaping & baking, and crocheting.

We all really needed the laughs and chatter.
It also shook the creative cobwebs a bit.

If you haven't had a craft party, before, make sure you just do it. Grab your friends, grab some food, wine, or what have you, and 
HAVE A PARTY.
Our day was so fun, we are getting together again in two weeks. Woohoo!

Dont let 2014 be the year of "We should".
Let 2014 be a year of "We did!"

Happy 2014 or OOPS

Um. Yeah.

2014. WOOHOO.

I think I should start by saying, the last post was in February 2013. 

I was sooooo ready to go. So ready to post. So ready to share. 

I lost it somehow.

So...

Sing with me...

OOPS. I did it again.

I posted to my blog. 

Promising myself a bunch of thi-ings.

Yes, you read it before.. 

You want something more...

Im not that organized!

I admit it. 

I am not organized. 

I wake up, swearing that each day will be better.

I go to bed swearing that each day will be better.

Its just a day , or a task at a time.

I will get better.

I will try to be organized.

OOH.. MIDORI SHAVED ICE.

( smile ) 

I NEED TO DELIVER THE WOW. 

Not World of Warcraft. THE WOW. The BOOM.
Something fantastic. Something. haha.

--- What I did on my first day of 2014---

I relaxed.  Til 2:30. 

I walked my dog. 

I wished at empty store fronts. 

I would love to have a retail spot.

Selling anything. 

I did some internet searches

for things that inspire me. 

I cant do Pintrest. It makes me bonkers. 

I see everything that I should be doing, and I cant do it. 

Im not that organized.

I dont want to do the same ol same ol. I want to do something new. 

My only passion, right now, is PAPER. 

Fold. Glue. CUT. anything with paper. 

I dont like to scrapbook. I dont like to do the usual things.

I also want to learn how to knit. 

I bought a KIDs how to kit once.

DISASTER.

I make a mean shoelace. WOOHOO.

Off to think some more. 

Do you have issues with inspiriation? Motivation?
Commitment to the small stuff?

Let me know in a comment or Contact Me.

UGLY FACE

Today, Amanda Bynes called Jay-Z,

"UGLY FACE",

then deleted it.

Of course, somebody caught it.

Two simple words that were strung together, 

sounds like they would be what a 1st grader calls somebody.
They can hurt, too.
I would be sad if someone called me, "Ugly Face".
The Squid is misunderstood.
People think it is ugly. I think its beautiful.
Cheers to the beautiful "UGLY FACE"s of the world.

Inspiration and crossing off something from the Bucket List

We took a day trip to San Francisco. We went to the California Academy of Science, fought through the crowds of knee high toddlers, and made the most of it.
We preferred the old building, compared to the new one. This one seemed to pander to the toddlers, and felt like a giant play area.  I want to feel like I am visiting my distinguished, educated uncle, rather than Chuck E. Cheese.
My favorite parts were the Butterflies in the Amazon exhibit, and the Albino Alligator.  He was chomping on the leg of the Snapping Turtle, just so the Turtle would play.  Funny Funny.

We went to lunch. Mr Jim, who is in the photo, chose the spot, because he saw it on Diners, Drive-inns, and Dives.
It was a dive, and the food was ho hum.  He feels decieved by Guy Fieri.
Why? His recommendation and his own restaurant, Tex Wasabi's, were crap.
We walked to a thrift store. I found awesome spring finds, because of the weather in San Francisco.  2 dresses, a skirt, and a scarf for $16.50. Yay!!!









After that was shopping in Union Square.
 I was confused for a native City dweller; I liked that.
 Id have to be a millionaire to live there.
I'd need a house with a yard.  A view would be nice.
I had fun with the people watching.
My favorite were the Flower Boys;
So stylish, so hip, so Asian.
Two tourists were behind me on an escalator, examining my
Classic Disney Dooney & Bourke purse. I noticed them leaning in to look at it, but I was scared so I scampered up the escalator.

A guy was sitting on the corner, in Union Square, making and selling these trees.  I had to have it.  I liked that he was making something to sell, rather than just begging.
I had the best Bell Jar and stand to showcase this gorgeous tree.

Driving through neighborhoods, peeking into shop windows, and the different location filled me with inspiration, and excitement to create something arty.
I saw a few cool uses for branches, and paper.








My Bucket List moment came when we were waiting to turn at a large intersection.  A guy started to cross, looked at us, then pulled out his phone to text, or whatever. That slowed him down to a crawl.
I hate when people cross the street, or walk in a parking lot while staring at the phone. That should be the moment you are most alert and speedy.
I rolled down the window, and shouted at the guy,
"Put away your phone when you cross the street! Just walk. You are soo annoying!!!". He had a look of shock.
It felt so good.

Show us your Goodies

I belong to a little artist group called
Fresno Indie Artisans.

We all love to support local, and have a great time

meeting new creative people.
We started the basket mixers for people to dip their toes

into the show pool.
A huge hurdle is that people are afraid to showcase their own talents.
This is a nice, easy way to "Show us your Goodies".
We host the mixers at Fulton 55.
Its a gorgeous club, in downtown Fresno.

Do you have artsy mixers in your area?
Are you a member of a craft or art group?
If you arent, feel free to attend.
If you arent in the Central California area,

start something in your neck of the woods.
I'd love to hear about your adventures.

The Vows of a New Year

A new year, a new day, a bunch of goals that are the same as before.
I should really vow to give up soda, swearing and carbs.

I would be soooo cranky, and boring, if I did.
I am not a coffee drinker, so I need my kick from somewhere.
I must have been a sailor or a construction worker in a past life.
I like to bake bread.

I will make a few other vows:
I vow to feed my creativity.
I vow to make time to look longingly at my creative space.
I vow to make time to create.
I vow to finish what I have started,
I vow to not feel shy about self promotion.
I vow to create enough for a full Etsy shop.
I vow to support my fellow artists.

I vow to share more with you.

New Year's day was my day to reorganize my creative space.
It became a catch-all of xmas wrap, boxes, crap, bought supplies, and other junk.
It felt good to clear off my desktop, and put everything in it's place.

"OH, I forgot about that".
"I had that many scissors?"
"That's where my glue sticks went".

It's a little neater, now, than in this peek-a-boo photo.

Now, to get these pesky stitches out of my finger,

 so I can get into a craft-a-thon.

Cheers!

Stitches!

Stitches!
You can be kept in stitches.
You can count stitches.
I have stitches.
5 lovelies in my left index finger.  I can type with the right hand,
 and hen peck with one finger on the left.
I had so many plans for last minute crafts that would be Christmas presents, 

 but this got in the way on Sunday morning.
No sewing, no  baking, no gluing for me.
I have 9 more days of stitches,

 so I hope that my finger will be able to handle lots

of catch up crafts before that date.

What did you create?  What did you receive?
Hurry, Im waiting in stitches, here :)