Tuesday, December 29, 2009

"Artist" VS "Crafter"

I've always been a practical, logical, Type A person, but after "retirement," discovered one surprising brain cell that was artsy. Since then my world has changed. I am now an old dog learning & loving new tricks! But am I an "artist"? Frankly I've spent little time philosophizing about the definition of an "artist." I'd rather just make my jewelry as well as I can. I certainly would love that title & will work hard to earn it one day.

But tonight as I was saying good-bye to friends invited to my party, I received a beautifully wrapped item from my new & instant friend Sue "to open later." Over the year I've known her, I've witnessed her passion for "crafting" (her term) & admired her creations... products of a life-long love for every form of creativity ==> photography, knitting, quilting, felting, writing... you-name-it! I am in awe of such people. When I later opened this stunning silk-felting neck scarf from Sue, I realized that she is not a "crafter," but an "Artist." Does she Sell? Market? Do Craft Shows? Have an Art Degree? Work As An Artist In Her Past? NO to all these questions. But she's an Artist.

Too bad she hasn't shared the beauty of her work with the world, but I'm honored & overjoyed that she shared it with me! If you know as little about silk felting as I know, click this helpful blog.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Jewelry Supplies -- Take Them or Leave Them?

I've got a husband of 41 years, a dear daughter & son-in-law, & their 2 special gremlins- ages 6 & 3. Greg & I are heading to the Methow Valley to spend Christmas with them. En route, we will celebrate our 41st anniversary in 2 lovely B & B's, nestled in tall evergreens & snow-covered mountains...



So how sick am I to want to bring along my jewelry-making supplies for those "down times"? What will I do when my hands aren't busy creating something for 6 days?

What did I do with mind & hands 3 years ago BEFORE I adopted this obsession?

Wish me luck, as I have no idea which decision I'll make tomorrow. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL:)

Friday, December 18, 2009

"Letting Go" of a Treasure


When I've spent 25+ hours creating a piece of jewelry I'm VERY proud of, I get an attack of Maternal Instinct. I reluctantly offer it for sale... I mean, I'm not totally nuts... but I do wish I could check the worthiness of any unseen buyer before releasing it for adoption!

So when A FRIEND is shopping to buy something & wants to spend "some money," I quickly gravitate to My Special Jewelry Babies. PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT THE ONLY ARTSY 'NUT' OUT THERE WITH SUCH ISSUES!

Today I feel joyous that a friend bought Artistic, my wire-art special treasure. Maybe she'll wear the necklace & earrings when we meet so I can visit them:)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Bringing the Holiday Look Online

I may have had trouble cleaning & decorating my house for the holidays, but right after Thanksgiving I couldn't wait to decorate my online Etsy store==> SeattleChic.etsy.com. I spent a lot of time creating Holiday versions of my shop's banner & avatar. (Well, maybe if I hadn't spent so much time fiddling with my online stores, I'd have fixed up the house sooner! But that's another story:)

So here's my avatar with its Standard vs Holiday Looks:


And here's my store banner -- Standard vs Holiday Looks:



Cooooooollll!

Friday, December 11, 2009

SeattleChic's on Facebook- Another Learning Curve

I'm really proud of my new online store, SeattleChic.etsy.com. So I decided to add a Product/Fan page to my Facebook, also called SeattleChic.etsy.com. I admit that Facebook baffles me. I'm comfortable with a lot of techie things, but on FB I'm lost in a crazy maze! Please check out my new FB Fan page by clicking on the BECOME A FAN link to the right. I'D LOVE SOME TIPS FROM FB GURUS:) For ex, how can I get ALL the pics in my album to appear on that page... not just 3 pics. I'm a babe in the woods! HELP:)