Week 46 in my sketchbook practice.
sketchbook : week 46
the brown speckled wingnut and other new songbirds
Songbirds are slow work – it’s all slow work I guess but songbirds in particular will not be hurried. They are the boss of me. I know when I start it’s going to take a long time and I struggle with that for a while – try to speed it up – it never works. I don’t make any real progress until I settle in and forget about finishing at all.
They have evolved over the years into something more realistic than my early songbirds. And every time I make one I reach for more – more life-force, more curiosity, more birdness. I want them to seem to have just perched, or as if that are just about to take off, or take a step or as if they only discovered you this very moment. I’ve added the four above to the shop today – from left to right : a Brown Speckled Wingnut, a Mrs. Brown’s Nuthatch, a Bashful Finch and an Ebony Woebegone. You can see the Edwardian skirt the Mrs. Brown’s Nuthatch is made from here – I’ve been making things from it for years.
sketchbook : week 45
Week 45 in my sketchbook practice.
songbird work, a spider and a seedpod
I’m working on a little group of songbirds – some made from Japanese garment fragments and 2 from Edwardian garments. Their beaks are carved from twigs collected over the summer and their legs are paper mache over wire. Hoping to have all 6 finished and photographed for next week. The commitment to add new things to the shop every Thursday has been a good push so far – a good sort of pressure.
And a couple newly finished things – both are in the shop now along with rag doll #1 – a hand stitched botanical experiment and a bustled spider.
Don’t go away mad little spider – just go away.
rag doll # 1
Made of lovely old cloth from Sri Threads. I had such a good time making her – got lost for hours and hours – that’s the prize. Doll making is like riding a bicycle – both make me feel like I’m 11 again. I’ve already started rag doll # 2 – I have so many doll ideas – it is such a good place to experiment.
P. S. if you like you can join me next September at The Squam Art Retreat for a doll making workshop.
sketchbook : week 44
a scoundrel and an edwardian bird
Last year I focused on creating my first patterns and a couple other large projects and made very little of my own stitch work – the slow sewing I love to do, the creatures I love to make. I’m determined to do more of that this year and to get them into my shop. To build some momentum, for the remainder of January, and starting today, I’m committing to adding something new to the shop every Thursday. Maybe one thing, maybe several, the usual suspects and some surprises and experiments too. If you’d like an email when new pieces are available you can sign up here. Two of today’s new pieces are below, a dark bird and haggis ( a scoundrel) – both made from Edwardian garments.
sketchbook : week 43
Week 43 in my yearlong sketchbook practice.
the beacon, the compass, the driving force – my list
Are you a list maker? I work best and most happily when I am diligent about creating thoughtful, daily to do lists. I’m moving multiple, large-ish projects forward at the same time and I would be lost without my list. My list gets me to do things I don’t want to do, things I’m uncomfortable with or intimidated by. One of my current projects is putting together my first kit- paper flamingos. I love creating the instructions but there are tons of other details to work out, details I don’t love dealing with – wholesale suppliers, packaging, printing, assembling and distributing. It is on my list and I chip away at it every day.
The difference in what I accomplish and how much happier the work is when I take the time to carefully and thoughtfully make my list is so remarkable, such a dramatic shift, I’ve spent some time thinking about why. Why beyond the obvious benefits of being more organized, not forgetting things etc. I came up with some reasons and I saved the one I think is most important for last:
* I tailor my lists to my own personal brand of nuttiness – the anxiety and procrastination, indecision and overwhelm I’m so prone to. Tasks I REALLY don’t want to do get assigned small chunks of time – 15 minutes – 30 minutes etc. So much easier to start and to focus when an end is in sight. A surprising amount can be accomplished in 15 truly focused minutes. I use a timer for these sorts of tasks. I mix those short bursts with longer, more open ended work. My day feels designed.
* Breaking things down into time chunks changes my relationship with time – I am conscious of, and accountable for my minutes – less time slips mysteriously away – I push harder and squeeze things in.
* It’s effective even when I screw up. If I’ve over-scheduled myself – it’s easy to see and fix going forward.
* I’m less anxious about what I’m not doing at any given moment – I know it’s planned for – has it’s own focused chunk of time instead of floating around in a vague and oppressive cloud of things that need to be done.
And the biggest benefit:
It can be hard to feel momentum and progress on large or longterm projects and goals. Checking things off on a list is undeniable evidence of progress and a chance to congratulate yourself a little and build momentum. I save my lists and when I’m feeling frustrated or stuck I can look back and see how far I’ve come.
Lists are a way of celebrating and recording little successes – and that is terribly important in accomplishing big things.
P. S. If you would like an email notification when the flamingo kit is ready to go you can sign up here.
sketchbook : week 42
Week 42 in my yearlong sketchbook practice.
my big creative year : youness
“No one is youer than you.” – Dr. Seuss
So lovely and simple and true. A perfect message for a child or grownup. And the idea that is at the heart of all that is creative.
I think the youness is worth exploring deeply and sharing as fully as possible. The world only has one chance at what’s in there – one chance at you. I think it’s worth time, energy, embarrassment, failure and disappointment to work your way through to the deepest, most truly creative work you can do – the youest – the work of your utterly unique, snowflake of an imagination.
My Big Creative Year moved me closer to that work, closer to my youness. Some of the things that helped:
Showing up – whether I wanted to or not.
Failing and starting again, and again and again….
Intention – making experimenting a priority – making room for it.
Learning more about how I work (one of the benefits of working) – following my energy.
Listening carefully for the magic – I do believe it is there- waiting to be noticed…. Listening is part of the work and that kind of listening takes practice and patience and the afore mentioned showing up.
I got more tuned in to recognizing where I stumble – I see more clearly what is in the way, what trips me – again and again – this continues to be my biggest sticking point.
And what’s ahead for 2016:
Blog-wise nothing programmed – except the sketchbook – I need to freestyle for a while- post as the spirit moves me. And work-wise – I have a lot of ideas for the coming year – new patterns and for the first time kits! are on the horizon. Also, Some projects came to me at the end of 2015 that hit me right in my youness – work I’ve been enjoying immensely – I’ll share some of that soon.
And for you, for 2016, I hope you’ll continue to visit here – I am grateful that you do. I wish you a happy, healthy and creative year. I wish you a year of magnificent youness.
houses for mouses
So many nice mice! I love seeing what you make. Check out the fantastic mouses and houses!! by readers below – I love them – every little detail. This multi level affair is by Maura for her son – I can’t stop looking at it.
And A little house in a box by Mama with a Needle and Thread for her little girl – so freakin sweet. Good night little mouse!
Susan added little wooden bases to her dinner place card mice – it’s such a happy crew.
They survived a perilous journey across the couch – stay in a group little mice, stay in a group!
And finally from Larissa – mmmcrafts – slippers, mittens and snowballs – I love it.
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