Fast Food Frenzy!

I love fast food. I love coffee and donuts and cookies and chicken fingers and french fries and all kinds of yummy quick bites. Recently, I loved it so much, I created a bit of an imbalance in my gut... which forced me to make some temporary dietary changes to mend my little belly. But before doing so, I went on an all-out-fast-food-binge of ages. Like an alcoholic knowing they had to go into rehab, I devoured everything I could and enjoyed every single second of it. Okay, so maybe my McRib Sandwich came with a side of guilt, but it was still delicious!

As I ordered each of my offending foods, I couldn't help but notice the brightly colored graphics, supple paper bags and interesting text on some of the containers. So I started collecting them. They ended up in a mixed media collage and I have to say that it was worth every morsel!

The Starbucks Siren in the corner ended up as the inspiration for my girl's coffee cup... kind of like she's making an offering to the sinfully sweet mermaid of caffeine!

This adorably swirly sugar packet I've had in my arsenal for quite some time. It fit in with the green theme that was popping up in my piece... so I was happy to finally paste it onto a collage.

This sticker was actually from a package of chicken breasts — something a little more healthy as I began to change my diet — and it intrigued me and grossed me out all at once! Chicken. All Natural? Well, I certainly hope so!

The best part about the piece is that I didn't really plan for it to be a fast food collage per se, but that's how it ended up. A yellowy-blueish-pinky-beige theme evolved and it's one of my favorite so far. I look forward to using more fast food ephemera in future collages. As well as being able to eat more of it in the near future!

Letting Go...

Well, folks... it was fun while it lasted. After more than 2 years of running my own handmade business, I've made the decision to start looking for a full time job. As much as I've enjoyed hours, days, weeks and years of making dolls, collages, assemblages, jewelry, circus and boardwalk themed art and mixed media creations... my efforts are just not bringing in what I need to make ends meet.

I've thought about this for awhile and I am happy about my decision. This gypsy life of not knowing where my next dollar is coming from is not necessarily for me right now. I'm not letting go of the business altogether, but I am going to put it on the back burner. And I'm certainly going to keep making stuff... but in my own time and things that make me happy. I am my new customer!

So, along with this news... I thought I'd share with you a little bit of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the past 26 months that I've had my art business...

I loved waking up to make rag dolls... bits of fabric strewn about various rooms in the house. I was excited about scouring the flea markets for the random discardia that I would eventually turn into something new. And I stayed up late putting paintbrush to canvas, not knowing how many hours were passing by. I was exhilarated by the thought of a new idea and thrilled when it came to fruition. I was in my element!

When I discovered that certain products were popular, I came up with ways to streamline my processes... creating more efficient methods to produce a lot more pieces in record time. So, maybe I ate dinner on the couch for a couple weeks... but hey... the stuff got made!

Because much of my creative process is so organic, my one-of-a-kind pieces take as long as they take. And most of them took several hours.... yet my pieces don't command a "several hour" price tag. I found myself compromising my art to meet deadlines or perceived price points for my target consumer.

Being my own hand-maker of things means lots of work night and day... and very little time for leisure activities (oh, who am I kidding... I don't even have time to clean the house!). Great for saving money. Bad for my social life. I was literally tied to my work.

I was very regimented with my online and social media marketing efforts. I had a website for years. I posted on my blog multiple times a week and on specific days to create continuity.  I tweeted. I facebooked. I shared photos, techniques, projects, new stuff, old stuff, funny stuff... all kinds of stuff. I created an Etsy shop and kept it up-to-date with all my latest creations. I wrote cute stories about the products. It wasn't enough. All that effort did not really increase my sales.

I thought about teaching as a source of income, but it was so hard to come up with a project since most of my creations are really one-of-a-kind. When I finally entertained the idea of trying to teach online, the investment of time, money and new programs I would have to learn, outweighed my current schedule, budget and (lack of) patience! It was a good thought. But bad timing.

I did my share of craft shows over the past couple years. In the beginning, sales were great, I had tons of people crowding my booth, I was happy to share a piece of myself with someone, and could predict with some accuracy what items would sell. Since I started... the sales have gone down significantly, the art and craft crowd have diminished, I get more lookers than buyers (they love my stuff, but don't make a purchase), and what used to sell doesn't. For example... a lot of people at these shows are now making upcycled vintage mixed-media jewelry at prices that are way below what they're worth. The competition is hurting sales.

Not to mention Mother Nature... who rained on more than her share of art shows and ruined my displays, rusted some of my jewelry creations and blew over some of my now broken shadowboxes.

But it was a fabulous experience! I learned so much about myself and fine tuned many of my creative and business skills. I'm actually excited to go back to a regular 9-5 job with a steady paycheck. This journey has taught me a lot about what I really want in life and that new perspective is a big influence on what kind of employment I'm searching for. Although my background is in graphic design, I've realized that I don't necessarily need to return to that field. Of course I would love to have a job with some creativity involved, but it's not absolutely necessary.

So, I'm pretty open as to what my next job might be. What I really want is to work for good people, who appreciate what I can bring to the table, and who work together towards a common goal. People working in harmony. A company that really follows it's own mission statement. Heck... a company that has a mission statement! So hey... let me know if you hear of anything... okay?

On My Worktable...

Well, no matter what I do, my worktable keeps ending up like this! I've tried to clean it up. In fact, right after this, I put every single tube and jar of paint — as well as my palettes, paper towels and brushes — away in their appropriate cabinets and drawers!! And in 10 minutes... it looks like this all over again!

I guess all that means is I'm really excited about these new circus sideshow-inspired art dolls I've been working on lately. Too excited to clean up after every color change. I mean... the eyes alone were a combination of 14 different colors... Sheesh!

But they're all coming along nicely, now that most of the painting is done. Dressing them up is the fun part....

And well... that's a whole other mess!

New In The Shop...

Typically, before a show... I have a marathon jewelry-making session. However, I don't usually photograph all the new pieces professionally because many of them find their new owners at the event. Now that the show has passed, I get to share some of the new pieces with you! All of them (and more) are available in the Jewelry section of my Etsy shop...

The Carousel was inspired not only by my love of the boardwalk as a child, but also by this absolutely gorgeous vintage pin! I added a few more repurposed elements and gave this piece an interesting architectural twist!

I thought I'd Tie It Up In A Bow when I came across this adorable ribbon brooch. Add a matching chain with pretty flowers and this necklace is perfect for jeans and a blouse or your favorite cocktail dress!

The focal point of this piece is a carved bone mermaid (she's double sided!). Very hard to come by these pieces have inspired a plethora of one-of-a-kind necklaces. This one I call Chained To The Sea, as even though she loves being a mermaid, she feels like there's more going on above the surface and wants to explore!

To see all my mixed media, upcycled and repurposed jewelry creations... visit my Etsy shop!

Thoughtful Thursdays: Dimension!

No matter how hard I've tried (okay, I didn't try that hard!) to keep my mixed-media collages on the flat side, I pretty much always end up adding some kind of dimensional objects to them! It just makes the whole piece pop a little... makes it more real... and a little more interesting!

For this mermaid piece, I needed her to have a little offering of some sort. So I cut a piece of cardstock in the shape of an oyster... and painted it with acrylics. I then brushed some Perfect Pearls Pigment Powders over top to create that cool inner-oyster sheen. I wrinkled up the edges... attached it to the collage and then glued in some freshwater pearls.

Pleased with the results, I liked the subtle way it added to the otherwise flat piece. A little dimension goes a long way!

Diving Right In...

So... I'm finally getting a chance to make stuff and I'm diving right into making jewelry. I'm kind of going back and forth between vintage repurposing, mixed media creations, and detailed beadwork.

I was totally inspired by some gorgeous mermaid pendants I had purchased a while back... and am enjoying outfitting them with the perfect colors and combinations of freshwater pearls, vintage beads and Vintaj natural brass findings, chain, charms and wire.

I fell in love with these chocolate brown freshwater pearls and they really worked perfectly with this sea-inspired piece. With a mix of faceted vintage beads that have a hint of metallic sheen, everything just kind of fell together...

The filigree bead caps really lend an edge of sophistication to any bead... even oddly shaped vintage glass notions or freshwater pearls...

And a sweet little hook and oversized jump ring make the perfect duo for a closure on this refined yet whimsical piece.

It's funny but, it took a little while for me to get back into a comfortable rhythm of jewelry making again. Kind of like riding a bike. You get back on and you're a little wobbly, but then you ride around the neighborhood a couple of times and you're like... "oh, yeah... I've got it now!"

This piece is available on my Etsy shop.

Play Time?

I've been admiring, sorting, and enjoying my purchases from the Bead Expo this weekend... freshwater pearls, vintage lucite, unique glass beads, faceted rondelles and porcelain eggs. I've also been sifting through much of my old flea market finds... mini metal purses, antique pill boxes, brass stampings, costume jewelry, pins and other oddities. Creative inspiration at its finest!

But I've noticed something... sitting down to play as an adult is so much harder than it was when you were a kid, isn't it? You want to just let go and be free but the clock is ticking, the bills are coming, and the obligations keep tugging at your mind. Now if only I could call upon that childlike fearlessness and pretend that I am no longer bound by the constraints of time, money, and task. I think I'll give it a try...

Coney Island Mermaid Parade...

I'd heard about it for years... and decided to take the trip up to Coney... and go under the Sea for a day! Mom joined me for this maiden voyage... and what a treasure trove of jewels there were...

Mobile fish... with matching mohawk!
Mermaids of fire... and some like ice...
Plenty of bubbles...
A little burlesque-style (okay... a lot!)...
And plenty of BP references! A common theme among mermaids!
Some Marie Antoinette's... with a private message...
"All hands on deck!" At least that's what the sailors said...
Everything was great... to the very tail end... thanks for the memories... Coney Island!

Merm-Octopus?

In the arcade that goes through the old Casino building—between Ocean Grove and Asbury Park—they're doing some construction. How nice it was to see that they had a local artist—who calls himself Porkchop—paint this amazing mural on the temporary wooden structure.