Bees On Pie

Saturday, January 28, 2017

NOT JUMPING ON THE "BRAND-WAGON"

I've been busy making things... lots of things.

ROSE PETAL SOAP

I normally make at least one thing every day, sometimes as many as 30 things, depending on how complicated they are. I love making things.

DAY AT THE BEACH MOISTURIZING HAIR SALT SPRAY

I'm great about going into the studio. I never really understand how people can have creative blocks. I just don't get them. If I'm blocked about making jewelry, I make bath salts. If I'm blocked about all of that, I patch a pair of jeans or make handmade chain. There's always something I can be doing. I love having a project in front of me.

ANCIENT FRAGRANCE BATH SALTS

I submit a lot of work to magazines and write a lot of articles. I'm always ahead of my deadlines. I love writing articles... no writer's block here either.

"DRESSED TO THE NINES" JUNK DRAWER NECKLACE

The thing I am bad about, and I am really bad about it, is actually selling things. I love making them, I love writing about them, I just don't enjoy the selling part at all.

SOME CREATIVE MENDING I DID ON A PAIR OF JEANS THAT BLEW OUT

I used to be in a dozen galleries and had an active etsy store. I did a ton of shows. Now I have two galleries, an empty etsy store, and I'm not doing shows anymore. I don't like doing them. I get too nervous and it makes me unhappy, so I've just stopped. Life's too short for that kind of stress.

PAPER FLOWER EARRINGS I MADE FROM RECYCLED CHILDREN'S BOOKS

It's easy to get lost in the vast ocean that is etsy these days. I used to list things, but I've stopped that too. It felt like a huge waste of time. I tend to use my etsy store as a place where people can pay for custom orders. That's about it.

CAPIZ SHELL AND TAPE TRANSFER NECKLACE

I say I have inventory. What I should say is that I currently have a HUGE amount of jewelry inventory, over 300 pieces.

JEANS SEAMS BRACELETS WITH CHARMS AND POMPOM FRINGE

There's no real reason for it. I'm not particularly attached to my inventory. I would like to sell it. The problem is that when I get into my (now clean) studio, I get inspired to make things, not photograph them or sell them.

CERAMIC COLD-FINISH BEADS

(OK, I KIND-OF LIKED PHOTOGRAPHING THESE BEADS)

It's funny too. I used to own art galleries. I used to be a seller of things. I used to love that part of it, but somehow I've changed. Now that I know I can make things, it's all I want to do.

EARRINGS HANGING IN MY STUDIO

MORE EARRINGS

There's a lot of pressure on artists to be fabulous photographers, amazing writers, stellar marketers, and of course we've all heard that we have to "create a brand."

BEE BRACELET

I love not having a brand. I love listening to my inner voice and making things that I am inspired to make in the moment. I love what I do. I love learning new things and then writing about it.

MEMORIAL HORSEHAIR NECKLACES MADE FOR MY FRIEND AND HER DAUGHTERS

I've been writing for a number of new Stampington publications. Right now I have work in the current issues of Jewelry Affaire, Belle Armoire Jewelry, GreenCraft, A Somerset Holiday, and Willow & Sage. Stampington is wonderful.

VELVET STRAWBERRY SACHETS MADE FROM VINTAGE UPHOLSTERY FABRIC

VANILLA JASMINE LIME BATH SALTS WITH VINTAGE MILLINERY FLOWERS

SHABBY CHIC BANGLE MAKEOVER

LAVENDER & ROSE HAIR MASK

"NOTIONS" COLLECTION

One of the reasons I have so much inventory is that I never want to make the same thing twice. I just can't do it. It kills my creativity. What that ultimately means is that I can't really create a brand. I've decided that's okay.

"LOVELINESS" COLLECTION

I wake up in the morning and think, "What am I going to make today? Bath products? Jewelry? Do I want to mend something or make something for my guinea pigs?" In the end, what I really enjoy is figuring out how to make things, simplifying the process, and then writing about it.

MELT AND POUR LEMON TEA TREE SOAP

I love the research and the experimentation, figuring out a new way to do something. Sometimes I feel like a scientist, or even an alchemist. I ask myself questions like, "Okay, that's how it's been done before, but what if...."

NECKLACE MADE FOR TRACY CROSSMAN'S MATERIALS CHALLENGE

Then if my experiment works out, I get to share what I've learned with others. I find the sharing part particularly rewarding.

"SUMMER JOY" BRACELET WITH POLYMER CLAY FOCAL

I have also written articles for Sew Somerset, Somerset Studio, Somerset Life, and even Mother Earth News. Whenever I make anything, the end-product for me is more the article and not so much the physical object, My main hope is that someone will be inspired to make something of their own.

TEXTURED COPPER BRACELET

This view I have, about making things for the pure joy of it, and then sharing the process, does leave me with a lot of inventory.

SOLSTICE NECKLACE MADE FOR BLUEBERRY COVE BEADS

I've decided that I'm okay with having so much inventory. I'm also okay with not having brand. I like to think there is some kind of cohesiveness to my work, but that might not be true at all. I'm okay with that too.

ANOTHER COLLECTION IN AN ALTERED MUFFIN TIN

Because in the end, for me at least, it's not about winning or selling the most. It's not about making one cookie-cutter thing and sticking with it.

CERAMIC COLD-FINISH POETRY BEADS

For me it's about finding my own voice, about making things that inspire me in the moment, and about sharing what I've learned... and for me that's enough.

RECYCLED TIN NECKLACE, WITH A NAPKIN RING BEZEL

To sum it up, brands are great for people who want to sell a whole bunch of the same thing. They're also great for those wonderful superstars in the industry who excel at both creating and marketing. I love them for what they do to inspire all of us. As for me, I won't be jumping on the "brand-wagon" any time soon. I'm just going to keep finding joy in inspired experimentation. I'm sticking to my own path and I'm excited to see where it will lead.

Leaving you with this quote:

"Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth."

-Rumi

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Guinea Pigs, Jewelry, and Magazine Covers!

MARIGOLD IN HER CROWN

There are certain unforeseen things that have happened to me in the last few weeks. One of those things led to me getting guinea pigs.

It all started when I found some little pink forest creatures on the ground. I'm still not quite sure if they were Douglas squirrels, wood rats, or large mice. Their mother, whatever she was, never came back to claim them, so I took them in and bottle-fed them. I've done that before, with baby birds and bunnies, later releasing them into the wild. It didn't seem like such a big stretch, but sadly this time, despite my best efforts (and 'round the clock feedings, every 2 hours for 10 days) my little woodland creatures did not make it. There were, of course, lots of tears, which made Mr. Bees feel sorry for me, sorry enough to go down to the animal shelter and take photos of all of the small and furry creatures that were waiting for homes.

VIOLET AND MARIGOLD

I ended up rescuing a single guinea pig and then I bought her a companion on my way home. I named them Violet and Marigold. What can I say? I'm a Downton Abbey fan.

The last time I had guinea pigs was over 10 years ago. They pretty much ended up with store-bought toys and hideouts, nothing too exciting. Well things have changed around here.

I MADE A DIY GUINEA PIG HAMMOCK

Yesterday I made them a hammock. The cage is about 18" wide. I hand-sewed a couple of 19" X 7" pieces of black-and-white mattress ticking together, with a piece of heavy felt in between them. I taught myself to use the eyelet setter that I bought at the St. Mary's church bazaar last year, and set eyelets into the corners of the hammock. It turns out setting fabric eyelets is very easy to do. Then I attached swivel clips to the eyelets, using large split rings. The whole thing took about an hour to put together, even with the hand-sewing. It's pretty big, about 4 times bigger than the ones you can buy at the pet stores.

I ADDED A FAUX FUR THROW

I added a leftover faux fur scrap to the hammock. I also put some faux fur inside one of the tubes that they like to hang out in (you can see the tubes to the left in this photo.)

MARIGOLD LOVES THE HAMMOCK!

I've heard that most guinea pigs don't like hammocks, but Marigold is in love with this one. Violet, on the other hand, had another idea.

VIOLET STEALS THE FAUX FUR TO MAKE HERSELF A COZY HIDEOUT

Violet took all the faux fur out of the tubes and off the hammock and dragged it underneath. She has actually made a very cozy bed for herself. She even put all the fur right-side up. She is the rescue pig and is a lot more shy than Marigold. She has been hiding inside the tubes most of the time, so I'm glad to see her actually hanging out somewhere where we can see and talk to her. They're both still babies and although the cage is quite large, they will eventually outgrow it.

WEIRDLY, MARIGOLD SEEMED TO ENJOY WEARING THIS CROWN

I have a lot of crowns. I used them as display props when I was doing tons of jewelry shows. I remembered that I had a tiny crown and wondered if I could get one of the pigs to wear it for a photo. Weirdly they both seemed to enjoy it. Maybe "enjoy" is not the right word, but neither of them really seemed to notice. Since Violet mainly hangs out under the hammock, I decided that Marigold should be wear the crown for the photo. Next I want to make hats for them.

Here's a second thing, also a little off the topic, but our garlic crop came in. I braided it and hung it in the kitchen.

A MESSY BRAID OF GARLIC

THE ELEPHANT GARLIC IS ON THE RIGHT

We eat a lot of garlic (we're totally safe from vampires in this house, I think.) This might last us 6 months. It's convenient because it's right there when I need it.

I've also been making some wonderfully fragrant things for Willow & Sage magazine. These Valencia orange linen sprays are super easy to make, and they're really pretty too. The recipes are going to be featured in the next Willow & Sage magazine, or I would print them here. Really though, even if I didn't have work in Willow & Sage, I would buy it. It's one of the most beautiful magazines on the stands right now.

VALENCIA ORANGE LINEN SPRAYS

VALENCIA ORANGE, LAVENDER, AND EUCALYPTUS BLEND LINEN SPRAYS

I made a lavender spray, and then a recipe that smells a little like Vick's to me. I used to be a Vick's Vapor Rub junkie. Now I make most of my own bath and body products. These recipes are going to be in Willow & Sage, as are these:

SOLID PERFUME: ENGLISH ROSE

LEMONGRASS AND SAGE BATH SALTS

HOT COCOA PEPPERMINT MELT & POUR SOAP

DIY bath and body projects are so easy and so much fun to make. Speaking of Willow & Sage, my little autumn orange soaps made the cover! Yaaaaaaay!!!!!

MY AUTUMN ORANGE SOAPS!

I get so excited when my work ends up on the cover. It's absolutely ridiculous. I jump around the house like a little kid. I am always so surprised. It makes Mr. Bees laugh a lot.

This month there are TWO COVERS! I'm a little blown away actually. Very exciting stuff. My spoon herb markers are also on the cover of GreenCraft this time!