Where Am I Going With My Life?

I joined in with creativeeveryday.com to try to help force myself to make time to be creative every day. Overall, I did much better than I thought I would. I was able to work on more things than I actually posted, which I suppose makes sense. I would much rather be creative and not post than try to make time to post and not have as much time to be creative. I keep thinking that I am going to try to seel things I mark, but I haven't gone that way yet. I still have so much fear about failing, that I don't really try to peruse it. I really need to think about letting go of my fear of failure and go for it.

My latest sewing project for my 20th reunion.  I hand sewed it quick to have something to bring, but now I need to machine sew it so it lasts better.

I also really need to think about what I am going to do when I go back to work. I still have plenty of time, but if I don't start thinking about it, I'll be needing to find a full time job and I won't necessarily be Doing something I really want to do. Will I ever be able to make a living doing something I love vs something I like? Will I be able to be creative in my work instead of just following regulations? There has to be a way to use my social work degree, my love of creating, and my love of handmade and natural things in my career choice!

I really need to focus on what I want my personal life to be and maybe then my professional life will follow. I need to start eating right. I need to start making time to be creative and maybe making time to sell thinks I make. I need to continue to live a handmade and natural life and increase or even start practicing certain things like yoga, meditation, vegan/vegetarian eating, etc.

I will keep the focus on figuring out where I want to go with my life and figure out how to make sure that I can maintain a great family, a house and maybe start a new professional career in time for when I go back to work in the next 3 or so years!

Amy

Wishcasting Wednesday:What do you wish to remember?

There are so many things that I could write about, especially after reading so many people's posts.  Things from my childhood, that my sisters can remember (Sometimes I have absolutely no memory), day to day things, not to get all worked up over nothing, to let things go, etc.  I could go on and on, but what I really wish to remember is a dream I had one night.  I'm not sure if it was the feeling while I was in the dream, the path that I took there, where I need up, but I keep thinking of that dream?  Even last night while I was going to sleep, I tried to remember the dream and this dream happened quite a while ago!  There is something that makes me want to remember, but there is so little that I remember, I can't even remember why I want to remember the dream!

As simple as this sounds, I really want to remember that dream!

Amy

AEDM 11/17/2011

I am trying to be better and also in the same breath, trying to give myself a break when I don't find time or if I am just too tired to create.  I am still working on the advent calendar, and may need to re-do some of the ornament that I started ( I think they are too small), which is a good thing since I was thinking I hate working with things this small.  I also made a bracelet yesterday and really liked it, but again have to re-do it since I dropped the bracelet and one of the jasper stones broke.  The other thing that I did was make my first ever gluten free pie!  It came out ok and figures that my son I made it for has no interest in  eating it.  I am reading one of my jewelry books to get inspired to make some gifts, especially for the teachers in my kids lives.  I am off now to play with my older son and maybe even create with him while the twins are taking their nap (or at least are having quiet time)!

My newest bracelet

Amy

AEDM 11/15/2011

Ok, I'm getting a little better at making time to create every day!  I started cutting out the pattern for a fabric "paper" doll set for my daughter for Christmas.  Once I cut the patterns out, I put it aside and decided that I need to start working on my Advent Calendar for Christmas.  I need to have it done my December 1st, so that is what I really need to focus on.  I am using this blog post as my inspiration http://www.acaseofthemundays.com/2010/12/felt-friday-felt-advent-calendars.html!  I have my background and my tree on and I have started on the felt numbered boxes.  I need to find 24 buttons, otherwise, I think I have everything I need to complete this project.  I have a list of ornaments that I will be making to hang on the tree of the advent calendar.  I have to sew on the boxes to put the ornaments in until it's time to hang them on the tree!

The background and the tree for the Advent Calendar

I still need to make a car cozy for one of my sons and I think I am going to make an art case for my older son!  I want each child to have something handmade for Christmas.  Last year they all got aprons.  This year, they are going to each get something just for them!  I also want to work with the kids to make gifts for special people in their lives, aunt's first cousins, godparents, and grandparents.  It's time to start/maintain a handcrafted holiday and start making other traditions for our family!

Amy

Art Every Day 11/13/2011

We are on day 13 of AEDM and I really have not been meeting my goal. this weekend I did try a new recipe and I started learning how to make CP (cold process) soap and decided that my first attempt at soap making will be hot process (HP) soap making. I have a few goals for this week. I need to start an advent calendar and I need to start it soon. I plan on using this blog post as my inspiration, httt://www.acaseofthemundays.com/2010/12/felt-friday-felt-advent-calendars.html. I need to research HP soap making and supplies. I need to start the projects that I plan to make for the kids' Christmas gifts.

It is really difficult to make time for being creative when you have a 3 1/2 year old and 2 3/4 year old twins, but I think that it is really important for me to make time to be creative. I cant't wait for Tuesday morning. I will have about 2 1/2 hours all to myself. If I can get my act together, I will work on ,y daughter's Christmas gift which will be a felt "paper" dolls set. I am really excited to make this. It will be hand sewn so I can bring it any where. I am also planning on making some felt food as well as some wooden carved food for the kids. I am really excited to make the kids a lot of their gifts.

And now for a confession. I mentioned that I am going to start focusing on jewelry making as my creative medium, but I have decided that it is just not in me to limit the mediums or the type of craft that I use to be creative. I would love to be one of those people who can just excell at one thing, but I am the type of person who likes to try all kids of crafts and crafting mediums! I love learning new things and ways to use different materials. Maybe I really do have ADHD especially creative ADHD! I just need to plan better! I have all sorts of ideas in my head to get more organized and have more time, but right now they are just not coming to fruition! All in due time, I guess!

For now, I am just gng to try to focus on being creative and not worry about anything other than making time to enjoy being creative!

Amy

Newest Swap

I wasn't going to sign up for another swap, but I decided to participate in a Secret Santa Swap!  I've done a couple of swaps with Shawnee at http://www.flirtyapronswap.blogswap.com.  Shawnee has asked people to post answers to the following questions.

1. What are your hobbies? making jewelry and sewing
2. What are your favorite colors?  right now I'm into more earthy colors
3. Do you collect anything? tea cups and craft supplies
4. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? no
5. Do you have any pets? yes, an american eskimo dog named Takoda
6. Coffee, Tea, or Chocolate? Tea
7. What do you like to read? craft books, cookbooks, true stories
8. Do you prefer Cookies or Candies as a sweet? Candies
9. What is your favorite holiday treat? I don't know that I have one
10. Describe your favorite holiday tradition. being with family, seeing christmas lights
11. Did you believe in Santa as a child? yes
12. When do you open presents? We got to open one on Christmas eve before we went to bed and then the rest Christmas morning when my grandparents came over.
13. Do you put up a tree and when?  If not, how do you celebrate?  Usually the day after Thanksgiving, but that has changed since we have little kids
14. Does your tree have a theme? ornaments that I have been given over the years
15. What has been your favorite gift to give?  to receive?   to give: things I have made, to receive: My engagement ring

I can't believe that I am doing another swap, but I am pretty excited about it!

Amy

Wishcasting Wednesday: Who do you wish to have tea with?

It's Wednesday once again, and once again I am going in with Wishcasting Wednesday over at jamieridlersturdios.ca.  this week Jamie asks "Who do you wish to have tea with?"


I contemplated skipping this week, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to join in.  I read other people's post about who they ward to have tea with.  Some had some amazingly famous people and some had some amazing important people in their lives i.e., their significant other and even themselves.  It really made me think about who I would like to have tea with.


I could come up with some amazingly famous people, but as awesome as that would be, I think I would love to sit and enjoy a simple cup of tea with just my husband.  With 3 little kids, 3 1/2 and under, it can be difficult to find time for just us.  I would love to make it a huge deal and have a nice quiet, romantic time, where it is just the two of us, where we are not too tired to enjoy each others company, where we can just enjoy being together.


My husband and I are tea drinkers.  For my birthday last year, I got an amazing cast iron tea set with dragon flies on it.  It was really expensive and really nice quality.  That being said, I don't use it nearly enough!  I wish to get away from drinking the coffee that I stupidly started again and start really enjoying my tea.  I wish to make time to use my tea set and enjoy a nice simple yet perfect cup of tea with one of the most important people in my life (the most important other than my children), my husband!

My tea set that I need to start using more often!

Amy

AEDM 11/8/2011

I am sitting at Panera sans kiddies going through my old jewelry magazines trying to get rid of things. Unfortunately or fortunately, I am starting to get the feeling that I really need to get back to making jewelry. As much as I love all things crafty and creative, I am thinking making jewelry may be the way to go. Granted, there are lots of different mediums that I love that I can use in jewelry making, which is a good thing. I think I am realizing that I need to focus on jewelry and start getting more proficient in different things related to making jewelry. This may be the first time that I have recognized wanting to focus on one creative area. I can and will learn more about glass fusing, lamp working, using polymer clay and ceramic clay in my jewelry making, using wire, using paper, and Im sure there are other things that I want to learn, but I am going to focus more on learning these things in relation to making jewelry.

I have a number of things to make that are not jewelry related, but once they are completed, I am absolutely going to focus on making jewelry. My new goal is going to be to become proficient in things related to making jewelry instead of trying to always learn new things without really fully learning and becoming proficient in one thing.

So, I may actually make something today, like sew my mother's Christmas gift, or I may just use this time of reflection and motivation as my AEDM post. The nice thing about going through old magazines, at least for me, is that I get motivated and then I get creative. I hope that I can use this motivation to move forward and actually complete goals!

Amy

AEDM (art every day month) 11/7/2011

So I am not doing all that great with my goal of being creative every day and definitely not doing great with writing about it.  I am pushing forward with attempting to be creative every day.  I have been cooking, and yesterday I made honey mustard chicken which were awesome, my favorite easy recipe!

Today, I decided to get the kids involved.  My 3 1/2 year old and one of my 2 1/2 year old twins used some fabric crayons and colored and I ironed their creations onto some plain unbleached muslin.  I need more colorings to make more fabric for the lining of a bag that I am planning on making for my mom for Christmas.  I need something from my other twin and more from the other 2 kids so that I have enough material for the lining.  I think this will make the bag even more special!  I decided to cut out the pattern this afternoon and maybe I'll even pull out the sewing machine tonight or maybe I'll come home tomorrow while everyone is at school and sew or maybe during nap time.  Maybe I can finish it this week and have a gift or at least a partial gift finished!

Happy Creating!

Amy

AEDM (art every day month)

I decided to join in with art every day month at http://creativeeveryday.com/.  This will hopefully help me follow through with what I wrote about yesterday, nourishing my soul with my creativity.  Every day for the month of November, I will be attempting to do something creative.  It may not be a finished project, but it will definitely be the start of something, or it just may be creating a new recipe for dinner.  I was supposed to start November 1st, but I ended up getting sick and had literally no energy to even think about creating until today, and today, I was pretty good!

During nap time, I attempted soldering.  For my first time, it came out pretty good.  Of course, I can't find what I did to take a picture of, but I hopefully saved two beads that were broken.  Then later this afternoon, while we were outside, I decided to start carving one of my Christmas gifts for the kids.  I decided to try out this tutorial, http://www.duofiberworks.com/journal/2011/8/2/carving-play-food-tutorial-cutting-board-and-knife-cutting-f.html.  I still have a lot to finish, and I really want to do more wood carving, but I really enjoyed it.

I have wanted to carve for a long time, since I was a little kid, probably 30 years ago.  I bought carving tools probably about 5 years ago, then I got into grad school, then I got married, then I had my first son, then I had twins.  I've been pretty busy and haven't done any carving since I bought my tools.  Now that I have kids, I have the perfect reason to start, Christmas gifts.  Duo Fiberworks has a number of food tutorials that I want to attempt and then there are links for other food tutorials that I will be attempting.  Probably a lot, ok pretty much all of what I write will be about Christmas gifts.  After Christmas, I am hoping to work on building a supply so that I can sell on etsy.com at my page PixieWindow, but I haven't had a chance to post anything.  I am hoping to also maybe try a craft fair!

Here's my first attempt at carving in process:

Amy

Wishcasting Wednesday: How Do You Wish To Nourish Yourself?

It's Wednesday once again and time for Wishcasting Wednesday!  This week, Jamie at http://www.jamieridlerstudios.ca, asks:

"How Do You Wish To Nourish Yourself?"

I love Wednesday's and so look forward to the promts.  Every week, each question becomes something that is really important for me to ask myself.  This week, I can answer very literally and also from a more spiritual way.  I literally, want to nourish myself with foods that make me feel good and that are healthy for me.  After Halloween and also just in general, I tend to eat foods that taste good, but that don't have much value to it.  I know what and how I need to eat, I just need to do it!

From a spiritual perspective, I need to nourish myself by relaxing and doing things that I enjoy, but actually make sure that I take the time to enjoy the moment.  I love to be creative, but sometimes, I tend to not give myself enough time and then being creative become a chore and a hassle.  For example, I want to make a lot of Christmas gifts.  I know that I want to make things, but I need to make sure that I leave enough time and not try to do too much with the time that I have.  Being creative is no longer nourishing when I am stressed about the outcome.  I have joined in with creative everyday.com for creative every day month.  I am hoping that the month of November will be enjoyable for me to create, since I will hopefully do a little every day instead of trying to get it all down at once.  Creative every day month started yesterday, but I have been sick so I haven't started yet.  I am hoping to get to do something creative when the kids are in for their naps. 

I wish to nourish my body by eating what is good for me and actually enjoy it, and I wish to nourish my soul by being creative without stressing about the outcome!

Amy