The Artist's Way

I'm starting my New Year's resolutions early this year. It takes the pressure off and I didn't feel like waiting another week and a half. I've had the Artist's Way Workbook for years and I've barely cracked it open until yesterday. I was reading an article about another self-help book called Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance. I'm fairly certain I'm getting that book as a Christmas present but in the meantime, I dug out my TAW workbook to revisit what all the fuss is about. Self-Help is not really something I would normally entertain. I'm (sadly) much more into avoidance but that obviously no longer, or really, has never worked for me. I have friends that swear by this book so we shall see...

A quick aside, for those that don't know, the Artist's Way is a self-help book that supposedly gives you the tools to unlock creative block. Every morning you're supposed to write three pages longhand about anything that comes to mind, take yourself on weekly solo creative "dates" and complete weekly self-examination assignments.

Anyway, it's no secret that I struggle to bring my ideas to fruition, this has been the case as far back as my graduation from design school. It's been so long now that many days I wonder if I can really call myself a designer. Well, I'm tired of thinking that way. I opened up my Etsy site, which is something I never thought I'd accomplish and at this point, I want to do whatever I can so that I can finally get out of my own way. Maybe it's new age hooey or maybe today is a new beginning of sorts. I don't have anything to lose, yeah?

Harvey the Tree and More Holiday Colds

I got round two of whatever cold bug I had before so I've been down for the count for the most important days before Christmas. Accckkk! We didn't even decorate Harvey until yesterday. He only had lights on him for a week, the poor thing. Last night we broke out the egg nog and the Ray Charles "Spirit of Christmas" and finally got him dolled up. I couldn't really get a great picture of him but I'll try again later tonight. Until then, here are some of my favorite ornaments:

Christmas Tree Shopping

We just got back from picking out the family Christmas tree. This is one of my favorite parts of the holiday other than actually decorating the tree. When I was a kid and we lived with my grandparents, my granddad would just go out into the woods on our property and cut our tree down. I remember it as being snowy although I'm sure it couldn't have been because I grew up in Virginia and it rarely snowed before February. Either way, as my memory tells it, I would run after my grandad and "help" him pick out our tree. Once we got it back to the house it would be all prettied up with strings of giant-bulbed lights (the kind that are outlawed now because they get so hot), old German glass ornaments, and crazy amounts of tinsel. I would spend hours laying under the tree staring up through the branches, as only children do. Even now Christmas trees have a wonderfully tranquilizing effect on me.  

Today our experience was a far cry from a peaceful walk in the woods but it had a surreal charm all its own. We went to a tree farm to cut down our own Christmas tree. The place was huge and there were hundreds of families armed with handsaws and we were all actually driven out to the various tree lots (divided by tree species) on a creaky bus from the 50's. We brought Fred, my parents' dog along and he, of course,  made lots of friends on the ride. When we got to our stop we stumbled up a huge hill and wandered around until we found the one. It's a wonderful concolor fir tree that I've named Harvey and he smells like lemons and pine. Right now he's in the garage in a huge bucket of water but as soon as we decorate him I'll post some pictures.

To be continued...
and happy Sunday to everyone!

New Hats and Possible New Directions

I've been getting over a wicked head cold and I finally knit up three new flame stitch hats and a faux bois hat:

Cinnamon Multi

Olive Multi

Winter Multi

Brown Faux Bois

I've just started working on little knit peter pan collars just for a change of pace. I've knit up a couple of tests and as soon as I have them finished I'll post some pics. I will say that I really wish I knew how to crochet...I may have to learn just to make the collars work.

I've also been thinking about branching out into necklaces and bags going into the warmer months. My ideas are just sketches on napkins at this point but I think I'm going to give it a go. One can only sell so many hats when it's 80 degrees out. 

Because I've been trying to plan a year-round Etsy site I've been imagining what things I could conceivably make. If I could learn and make anything I wanted I would love to try leather tooling. How cool would it be to make leather belts and bags?! Plus I could make that ornate leather bib necklace I've been dreaming about but can never find in real life. I found this kit:

I'm very expensive!

 It's called the Ultimate Leathercraft Workshop....it's $649.99....so I'll just pick up three of them with my bazillion dollars I have squirreled away under my mattress. I wish, is all I can say. It would be awesome, yeah? Has anyone watched Project Accessory? It's a sad replacement for Project Runway people-wise but I have to admit I find watching the contestants creating all sorts of jewelry and shoes, etc., makes me want to go back to design school.

One day maybe...

Happy Friday to everyone!

When Anthropologie and eBay Come Together

I've shopped in thrift stores for as long as I can remember and since eBay is the largest thrift store on earth it is, therefore, one of my favorite places to shop. Anthropologie is my most loved non-secondhand store where the clothing has been and is steering back to being my favorite quirky-woodland-princess-trapped-in-present-day fantasy come to life. Since I've never had tons of money I've usually stuck to sale shopping but I've also had great time trolling eBay to score Anthro pieces that I couldn't afford the first time around. Here are some of my favorite past finds. Please forgive the lack of naming on one of them:

Ode to Spring Top

This-Way, That-Way Cardigan

Lisbeth Blouse

Wyeth's View Blouse

Heimaey Blouse

Knotty Pine Cardigan

Web & Loom Cardigan

Fire-Warmed Turtleneck

Head in the Clouds Cardigan

Armana Jasmine Cardigan

Things I Love

I listed 5 of my six new hats on Etsy yesterday so I'm pretty happy about that but I'm going to take a break today and just share some things that I'm finding inspiration in right now:

Fairytale Fabric

Victorian Powder Keg

Victorian Flask

Debris-scape
erictaylorart.com

Old Anthropologie Dresser

Take Me Where I Want To Go
Elly Mackay: Etsy

Needle Lace Silhouette

Yay for beautiful things!

It's December Already?

I've been running around trying to catch up after the two Thanksgivings, the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale and my brother crashing in my studio. I've also been applying for jobs and running around in general so I would say I've had one and a half good knitting days this week. I made six hats and am starting to assemble them. I should have them on my Etsy site by Monday.

And here, for no reason other than just to show you, are pics of the fried spicy oysters and corn pudding that I made for not-quite-Thanksgiving. It was alright but I like more of a garlicky, mayo po' boy type of thing when I have fried oysters...not that I have them more than once every 3 years. Next time...

I'm fried!!

 

Corn pudding waiting patiently for the oyster garnish