Thursday, May 13, 2010

Getting Back into the Studio

"Rainbow Whorls" which will have an adjustable leather cord ready to wear.



Wire lace, silk ribbon, rusty vintage key and lampwork baubles.


'
Another vintage key necklace in different colors. I'm having fun with the baubles I made.
They are double ended copper wires with decorative glass blobs on each end.



A little fancier design of Labradorite and Amethyst




Carnelian and Amethyst necklace with colorful lampwork beads.





A piece I started in Mexico and still working on mounting it to something. Perhaps it will be a soft piece.



Somehow I've been in the organizing mode rather than creating since we returned to our Alaskan home, at least the first week I was. It seems now that I've expanded my mediums I'm  having to find space, readily accessible space for my new supplies. I undedicated the house office upstairs for collage-ing and gluing projects and moved that part out to the Garaj Mahal sewing room space.

It could be that I move projects back into the house at some point because of the nature in which I like to play with an array of images and such. Going into the garage studio is so focused and sometimes I avoid focus because it doesn't seem like play. Please tell me if that makes sense to any of you! I'm not sure if it makes sense to me! But for the sake of being organized and tidy that's how it's starting out.

My beading projects sit beside me on the couch because I don't care to create in banishment from the living room. I  prefer to sit watching movies when I'm involved with my jewelry designing which sometimes is difficult if I'm watching a movie with subtitles.The hot glass of course needs it's own room and that is my most focused creativity of all. I make myself take a break every hour to stretch and look into the distance. (which is a lovely mountain range, by the way)

After a Saturday at the first Tanana Valley farmers market of the season (which for you local Alaskan folks now has a Facebook page)  I was able to assess my inventory for the coming season after replenishing galleries and shop  here.

Which brings me to this week where I was able to get back into the groove and spend some serious creative time. Although I haven't yet gotten back into the ATC's and collage-ing I can hear the little pieces beckoning me. Today my husband has launched gung-ho into a paint the bedroom project in which I will be involved so I need to manage my time well so I can get everything done that I'd like this week.

Today brought me to a project of making some mementos for the cast and crew of my son's play
"Alice in the Underground" I've made some "jazools" glass disks in an Alice color theme of white, red and black like little bullseyes. Similar to the whorls but using opaque colors rather than latticino. i've got 40 made up that I need to string now!

12 comments:

  1. Yes I know EXACtly what you mean I used to do the same I had a workroom that I never worked in I used to go in a bring out 'stuff' to play....sewing machine plastic fabric threads ..etc etc ...and leave them all about the place and I didn't like the isolation .....i have changed my working now though as everyone kept complaining about 'stuff' everywhere ...yes you have seen how messy I am !!so I bought one of those dinky DVD players so I can stay in my room and watch a film and i quite like it now .....i still would like more room though except i know I would fill any space how ever big it was .... although surprisingly I do like to tidy before I start a new piece of work .....xx

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  2. Ah, Kim. I do understand something you said. I am a life-long serious creative who has had heartbreaking creative constipation for a few short years. (I'm not being humorous for a change here.) I remember how wonderful it was to play and revel in all of it - sewing, cardmaking, Fimo clay, beautiful little bigs of vintage-looking things that please me. There are plenty of good reasons for my blockage, but I yearn to get back to my joy. I chase around the blogs and moon over what some of you create. I'm reading about ATCs and telling myself, "Come on, Les. You can do inchies. They're one INCH, for crying out loud." So far I haven't squirted anything out of my soul into reality. But I'll keep dreaming. So ~ what I understand: when you focus too much, your creativity strangles. You have to have at least a bit of wandering, free association and dreaminess for the creativity to run free.

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  3. Oh, boy. Typo! That would be ". . beautiful little BITS of vintage-looking things that please me." ;~}

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  4. Love your facebook page. I would love to have a space like your Garaj Mahal to do crafts in.

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  5. Kim, these pieces are just beautiful..wow...

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  6. hi Kim, the photos of your amazing work are just great to see. I love the lampwork baubles you've made and your whorls look like they contain a whole world. Beautiful. Penny x

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  8. Thanks for your comments LimesNow, I'd say hosting virtual birthday party for Kass was pretty creative soul- squirting! and your yearning for showing Candace a good time doesn't sound so blocked oryour prolific writing on your blog too. Maybe you're judging yourself too harshly with your definition of what's creative. I get it though that you are craving some major dabbling and playing with "stuff"

    Penny- I had fun making those baubles, something new for me, Sorry I've not been able to comment more on your blog lately . This dial-up is so quirky/slow. Thanks

    And Linda and Kass, Your comments are always appreciated!

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  9. I totally get the moving around things with permission to play. In my little cubby studio in my office I have to move things around constantly just to do some work
    and that uncovers what the universe thinks I need that day. Your necklaces with keys are fantastic and your collage from Mexico, I will be watching for you to finish that. Glad you are back at it! xox

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  10. Kim, I need to thank you for something. I read your comment to me about my creativity early this morning. I've chewed on it all day. It has pointed something out to me I hadn't seen before. I've gone completely into my head to be creative. Somehow I stopped "doing" and started only "thinking". I've been musing all day on "when and why?" Was it when the husband wasn't that any more? Was it because the girl didn't need fabulous Halloween costumes any longer? Was it when a particular relationship ended and I kind of put the brakes on other areas of life than just my creativity? I don't know the answers yet, but I surely thank you for planting the questions in my head.

    Please - I'm sure I could find the answer to this on your blog, but I am brain dead after working all day. If I wanted to buy some of your beautiful work, what is your preferred method? Do I just e-mail you tell you, or ??? Those Rainbow Whorls and the keys are calling my name!

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  11. Kim, I am so excited to be seeing more of your bead work. I love, love, love the glass beads, and I love the style of the rainbow beads. You should do a UTube video of yourself working with the glass and post it on your blog! I've always thought that looked so difficult to do. Can't wait to see more! I'm also interested in what you do with ATC's. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  12. Goodness you hit a nerve there! I love my studio/selling space - sometimes the to do list is too long & I run out again, other times it's soothing, like a big hug. I try & have a basket by me while watching tv but I too spread alot. A 1/4 of my away son's room is for sewing - it gets too damp in the studio - but I don't 'see' it enough. If I lived on my own I would bury myself so it's a good thing I don't!

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