Sometimes I wonder when I disappeared. Gone from advertisements, gone from beauty, gone from children. Am I irrelevant, an archaic version of my long ago youth? Do the dreams I have now matter as much as the dreams that followed me through my school years? As I approach my sunetting years, I want to feel the explosion of creativity in me. I want to still have the  inability to contain the excitement a new painting or technique brings. I want to vanish forever the doubt, low self worth, that my journey began with as I wandered into my adult years. Moonlight becomes me. Dreams bare me. Experience is me. Do not turn away but look into the direction I am heading now. No longer a wanderer.

I am working more in my shop these days like six days a week more so when I have time to be in the studio, I find I am working in short blasts of creative energies. Painting, now jewelry, now embroidery, now sawing, gluing, fusing... Then onto the office for ordering, calling, making more order from paperwork chaos and the less time I have? The more intense the creative bursts. Maybe the longer light in my days is contributing to this. Maybe a day without gloom. Maybe the teeny bit of caffeine that has crept into my drinks. I am not sure but I am thanking the heavens!

Still making awesome and creative charm bracelets and although they are not always in my shop; I am entertaining  the idea of adding them into my long neglected easy store.

When I think of all the ways, primarily on line, that I can access my customers, I am exhausted, frustrated and uneducated. I am a child of the 1970's and computers were not even in the forecast for this old lady dinosaur. I need a crash course in getting everything, everywhere on line.

There is so much merchandise in my shop that I could show you! I carry japanese indigo fabrics, cotton slug fabrics, original Bali cotton batiks, yarns, fibers, buttons, trims, ribbon, beads, beads, beads and all kinds of charms from my own designs to manufactured designs. All charms made in the USA. I could tell you stories, show you technique, teach you stitches and so much more but where will the time be found and what will you want to learn and see.

Tonight, my mind races in a thousand directions and they are not all points of light. Everything seems tall, unclimbable. The journey of this creative soul has become so much more than opening the doors of my shops and doing business. My paintings so much more than mere wall ornaments.

Sigh… I am running out of steam so I think I must go read this week's People magazine and call it quits for this day.

Good night all.

Things are turning to spring now especially after this nergetic sunny day. I pulled a few, very few weeds, took pictures, opened the blinds to the office and worked out there and even had a bit of time in the studio. Being in a bit of a funk, I comforted myself with some Cheetos. Ick. Now, the day is nearly done and already I am planning my shop day tomorrow. Display windows need chanfging, repair work needs to be done, trunk show merchandise needs to be priced. Here are a few photos of today's mostly mundane non adventures.... oops. Can not add pictures from my FB page do I will try again later!

We have had a bit of snow and although I did not get a snow day out of it, when I could close the shop and stay all day at home, I enjoyed it anyhow. I love the soft quiet that snow on the ground makes. The freshness in the air, the sting of cold on my cheek, the softness of the ground with all the layers of white. People who wish for snow and don't get it and feel sad - you could lump me in that group!

I have been spending as much time as possible working on a new collection of paintings done with saturated colors on watercolor papers. I am trying to reconnect to some of the organic, doodle like shapes and marks I make when emptying my mind of drawing and doing something else.  I do not know if I will be successful but I am enjoying the journey. 

All the while I am continuing to make jewelry and gather inventory for the Sew Expo in Puyallup at the fairgrounds March 2 - 5. I think this show, at which we work so hard and is equally hard on our bodies shall be our last. I will miss it but it is time to move ---- onto the internet! Plus more time in my shop which is actually one of my favorite places to be. 

Finally, a sad goodbye to my friend Ellen who unexpectedly and suddenly passed away. I did not get to say so long but not a day has gone by that I have not thought of her. I will be missing her a long, long time. 

Live in love and light. Hug the ones you love tightly. Life is so sweet, so short, so wonderful. 

I am a woman who has always loved winter. The cold, gray days, a possibility of snow, hot cups of perk all conspire to make me feel cozy, creative and inspired in the warm nests of my shops, home and studio. However, I am a bit over the season. Yet another cold, Lucas can not play outside due to his four paws and a lot of mud and I am tired of wearing socks. Northwest geek that I am, I have socks on with sandals. I would insert a picture here but I can not figure out how to do it. Blogger only wants to add old photos already used on this blog. Sigh. See what I mean about winter? Every single day has been filled with minor, irritating little blips. Anyhow, as soon as my laptop is returned to me from the shop debugging it; I will be able to continue on with this post and add photos. Until then onwards.