Creator Dark Survivor Glitter Fairy Princess

That is who I truly am. Me with my muchness full blown. And it is the me I am trying to find again. The past 8 years have been simply too much for my muchness; the good, the bad, the ugly - way too much of the bad and the ugly - but reaping more of the good, finally.  My muchness potion had lost it's potency with stress' constant presence. So it's time for a new recipe. 


In the revised potion of me, I've added a touch more of the mature yet still cool Creator, crafter, mom-ness me, than the Glitter Fairy Princess (GFP) - but enough of the GFP me to keep things fun and spontaneous.  There is no more need for Dark me, who is my protector and joined at the hip to Survivor me.  Both were once key ingredients and will always be revered for their robust and complex flavors. For now, I've only stirred in a pinch of each.  They have been released to go play in the woods, and be called upon if more is needed.  


So now I ask, what will give my revised potion for muchness the added kick of sustainability?
Start my own craft business of course!  I am finally happy and supported in my personal life, giving me that stabilizing hand to hold while taking the first steps of this journey towards my treasured childhood dream.  Yes, I know it doesn't go with the rest of the metaphors in this post but bear with me.  The challenge and the joy of creating something new every day is sinking in to the new potion.  Now combined with the shop, it is already re-charging my fuel cells reviving me, in the way a stew or potion just gets better when cooked long and slow as the nutrients sink in and the flavors marinate. No microwaved soup for dinner this time but a genuinely filling slow cooked meal feeding my muchness for a long time to come.  It's happening.  It's really happening.  I am overwhelmed with how amazing this feels.  Thank you. Thank you to everyone.  I am grateful. 


Hummm, all this food talk has made me hungry for lunch. 
And thank you Havi, your blog inspired me to write this blog. 

Image by RubyDragonMoon via Photobucket, used under a Creative Commons license.

New Shop Items

Listed some new items this week so I thought I'd give a run down of what they are. 


Two new jewelry sets both made with wonderfully shiny Swarovski crystals. I love the shiny!

Blue Swarovski Crystal &
Lampwork Bead Jewelry Set

Red Crackle Glass, Swarovski Crystal
& Rhinestone Jewelry Set

These can be bought as sets, with a 15% discount, or you can purchase each piece of the set individually at regular price. Check out my shop for all the details. 

In addition, I've added a couple new mini top hats - these are all 5.5" wide by 3" tall.  

The elegant Black & White mini:

Black & White, Flowers & Feathers
Mini Top Hat  - Front

Black & White, Flowers & Feathers
Mini Top Hat  - Back

The fabulous Pirate Queen...Skull - Pirate - Halloween - Themed mini:

Pirate Queen Mini Top Hat - Front

Pirate Queen Mini Top Hat - Back

Many more hats and themes are in the works.  I've just finished a major brainstorming sessions and come up with designs for 15 more hats. Many of these have Halloween themes given that it's just 2 months away.  Please check my shop page frequently as I hope to be adding new items several times a week. 

Let me know what you think of these new designs!

Thanks!

Darian

Tune up

So I just got back my sewing machine from the repair shop. Whoo Hoo! More hats in the making tonight!

I've had my Baby Lock for about 15 years, I call her Betty, and had never taken her in for a tune up and then on my last move she got accidentally dropped... okay well actually I had a fit while sewing a piece of vinyl (it sticks to the metal presser foot) and Betty got knocked off my sewing table - uh accidentally, yeah, that's what happened uh huh.  I don't normally have a temper about these things, just when machines don't do what they were designed to do - sew darn you sew, I'm going out tonight and I NEEED my shiny skirt done!  After the fall she started making strange noises, having problems with the tension & not behaving well at all - so I took her in. Apparently you are supposed to maintain these kinds of machines with regular oiling and cleanings.  I hadn't. I lost the manual so long ago I haven't the faintest idea where it could be & I can't find one online... I've looked, Betty's too old.

It seemed she had indigestion from all of the goopy thread fabric particle things getting in her gears...and she was getting very noisy.  So I brought her in, and was humbled by the long lecture on proper care and maintenance of a sewing machine I received from the elder repair man. Bad sewing machine owner, bad girl, sit, stay.  I was told several times that my Baby Lock is a good machine because she is older and they will likely be able to get her back in to very good condition. Which they did - even though it took 2.5 weeks and the kicker, it cost $315 to get her back. Yikes! For that price I could have gone down to Jo-Ann's Fabric's and purchased a brand new Singer.  I won't give up on Betty, and Baby Locks are way, way better machines anyway. I have a quality Betty and she's staying with me.

So tonight Betty & I will be off to the sewing races... hopefully more quietly.  I can't wait to test her out. I even went today and purchased machine oil to maintain her AND I found a Teflon presser foot for her that is specifically made for freaks ( like me) who sew vinyl! So cool.... Maybe vinyl hats... oooh... the shiny. Love the shiny! =) 

Some Background and my manifesto

This is possibly the scariest thing I've ever done... Don't get me wrong, I've lead a life mostly out side the box. I've been wild and crazy and stupid... I've lived, I've always paid the price, I've survived.  I have baggage, I've also over come and shrunk the baggage to minimal size.
But my biggest regret, the thing that haunts me, has been never having the guts to even really try to make a living doing what I love. When I graduated from high school, my parents and I discussed my college options. We even went and checked out a local art school... but in the end I was too chicken, didn't believe in my own talents enough and decided instead to attend a local community college for a couple of years before heading off to a small liberal arts college in Durango, CO - Ft. Lewis. I majored in English. I got my minor in Art, and one in German. At the time I'd convinced myself I'd be an English teacher.  I ended up temping after college, leading me to the corporate world and never escaped. I will make that happen in the next year if it kills me.  I have to.

This gets me so worked up; emotional and weepy. Just thinking about it makes me tear up, and it's not in my nature to be so sappy. It's so personal, it's part of me I'm selling out there. The fear - little purple monsters - starts creeping in from all sides, the little voices, the nagging doubts. And then another part of me says "NO! No more. I can do this, not only that, I will do it and I am doing it, NOW!"
The reason I can do this is because I've finally reached that point... you know, the point that I'm truly happy in my personal life, the point I'd given up hoping would ever happen.  My husband and our children, well let's just say I've never been in such a good place. My whole life I've been consumed with finding the kind of peace and happiness I now have because of them. And because this part of my life is finally (after almost 39 years) solid, I can now turn my focus on creating for a living.

So here it is, my creed, my manifesto, my damn it list (Inspiration for the Damn It List & Explanation from The Fluent Self)

• I am going to live a creative life (by that I mean own and run as my sole means of income my own independent craft shop in the next three two year) if it kills me damn it!
• My husband, children & family are my foundation, sanity, support & heart. I love and cherish them. 
• Balancing the first and second bullets is top priority.
• I am a creator, over the top, bold and distinctive - so are my perspectives and my creations.
• I will continue to hone my skills, take classes & learn new skills in order to make my crafts even better.
• I will quit the corporate world in the next three two year and never go back.
• I will not let fear cripple my passion.
• I will run my business with integrity, fairness and great customer service.
• I stand for creativity, thinking independently, learning, and growing.  
• I believe in overcoming your weaknesses, finding your strengths and pursuing your passions.
• I promote being a responsible, engaged parent who provides a structured environment while allowing a child to learn for themselves without scheduling every moment of their day or giving away parental control for a child's whim. 

Thanks for letting me share this! What's your manifesto - your damn it list?

WOW! One of my mini top hats just got featured in an Etsy treasury!

I've only been open for 8 days.  This gives me hope!  So cool!

Poppin' the Cherry on my first ever Blog post

After years of sad longing I've finally gotten the nerve up to pursue my lifelong dream of opening my own shop selling the things I love to create. I am now the proud owner of my own shop on Etsy.com.  It's been 8 days since I posted my first item and I am spilling over with anticipation. 


More to come.