January cleanup

Well, don’t let that title fool you.  I wish I could report that I’ve spent all of January cleaning up–house, studio, closets–something!  In truth,  I’ve spent most of January vegging out with books and movies (yes, even during parts of the workday).  After Christmas, my retail stores hunker down for a while and I don’t hear from them.   I have no shows or sales events on the calendar right now.  Of course, I’ve blown all my New Year’s Resolutions by now….

A few years ago, I read a book about creative women and I remember that they all reported that they experienced fallow times and seasons, willingly or not.  Some of the women featured in the book could relax into down time, others found it very painful.  In my case, I usually embrace down time for a while.  Until I become so bored with myself that I go back to creating something because I can’t face not working!

Don’t get me wrong, I have had a few work projects this month.  In particular, I have done some design work for Polyform Products.  I am so appreciative of all the support they give me as a teacher and designer.   Several of the projects I did for them featured their new Premo colors and the Premo accents faux stone and metallic clays.  I think they’re awesome!

But another issue I mentioned to a friend recently is that when you produce a catalog (which was a major accomplishment for me last fall), you’re kinda saying:  “this is it…”  So what do you do with the impulse to push design, to come up with another variation, or something really new?  HMMM???  You don’t want to make that catalog (and the investment of producing it) obsolete!

Anyway, this week has been a good one.  I started to collect all the unfinished “stuff” around the studio and finish it, pass it on to some of my consignment stores, post on etsy, etc.  I really am trying to clean up.  Both externally and internally!

As I prepared for the taping of Beads, Baubles and Jewels in December, I needed to do many steps of the same project to show on camera.  I finished all the bezel pendants.  Here they are together with faux stones of unknown identities!

Another unfinished project I have lots of in the studio are silver “twigs”.  I make them as a way to use up some slip because I don’t do a lot of designs that use paste, except to join a seam.  Anyway, I have covered actual twigs, but found it’s easier to just make a bundle of fine silver wire twisted together for the base and then add the slip.  Here’s one I finished yesterday.  I think it’s an idea worth pursuing, what do you think?

Have a great weekend all.  I’ll try to come back next week!

Blessings,

Patti