Tag Archives: craft

Flowers and sweet potatoes

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Finn and I made the long loop — Jackson to Langley to Cypress and home. It was cold. Hat, scarf, neck warmer, over-socks, and gloves cold.

I listened to “This American Life” because it’s good and because the campaigns and the corruption of our government are all so overwhelmingly demoralizing right now. It was about a Somalian’s arduous, frightening, uncertain and ultimately successful journey to becoming an American citizen.

Even though the benefits of such a status are no longer clear, how could I not feel grateful?

I get to go home and write, I thought, with gladness instead of dread. I get to make sweet potato fries and rib eye later, I thought, for a special guy who has already brought me flowers. Why, I might even wander over to a posh mall and buy him a gift later, because I CAN.

Meanwhile, over on Instagram, I’m giving away this cloth wallet. Leave a comment over there to enter. I’ll pick the winner on Sunday.

@deeamallon

PS I made this big enough for an iPhone. Does anyone know if it’s okay to put one’s phone near a little magnet, like the one employed in this clasp?

PPS. I’m sure you’ve spotted the indigo moon? From Jude’s @threadcrumbshop also on Instagram.

PPPS If you haven’t seen or heard Maddow’s February 12 program, you must.

https://podbay.fm/podcast/294055449/e/1581566912

(For some reason the YouTube links incorrectly to other shows?!)

Deadlines and Being a Jerk

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1. Haute Couture – Voici Paris!, 2. Upon this Ground I Walked 010, 3. black merz 2, 4. gelb merz, 5. Structural experiments ( Jane Austen), 6. Blue Swirls and Teal Twirls, 7. Rust, 8. comfort, 9. Destined, 10. ACEO 42, 11. . Over The Wall ., 12. . Autumn Story – The Liquid-Rust Ship ., 13. Rainbow Sun Wheel, 14. Uninterested, Portrait of a Boy, 15. February geranium leaf, 16. 5 ways to Spring, 17. 13 Moons (detail 6), 18. 13 Moons (detail 3), 19. so many dreams, 20. Poppyblossom

What are all those things I’ve said about self-acceptance and self-forgiveness?!!  Would somebody please remind me right about now?!

I am meeting with a shop owner tomorrow (TOMORROW).  She is coming here (HERE!!).  She says she won’t even notice any mess (oh, really?!).

I should have already sorted through my inventory with a critical eye, asking — Can I bear to make more of these?  Is this completely and totally a one-of-a-kind item (most of my stuff is), and if so, can I price it ‘wholesale’ and still live with what I’d make on the piece?

I was going to make a Kitchen Angel and finish a headless doll that I’m going to be proud of.

(To be fair, I ‘drew’ many faces for the doll and embroidered two, and none are right yet).

My first and only venture with shop selling was last year in a five-week holiday shop in Brookline.  It was a bust.  Some selling ventures are.  I accept that.  But here’s the thing, I spent TWO FULL MORNINGS preparing an inventory, working with the price tags (they were taking 40%, so I had to raise most of the prices at least a little), boxing my work and driving it there or picking it up.  That’s roughly 8 hours.  I sold six items (one small quilt, five pillows) and my take? $126.00.  That is about enough to cover the work of prepping for the event.  I forget what I paid to ‘enter’ my work into their jury.

That’s obviously not sustainable.  In that case, the  query, “Was it worth it?” was a resounding NO, even BEFORE I took into account labor and materials, which somehow or other, I OFTEN do not take into account (and that is just wrong).

So, while I’ve been busy with other things (lots of other things), and my ambivalence about the possible venture is getting in my way, I ought to have been further along than I am in prepping for this meeting.

So what am I doing sitting here? you ask.

Good question.  Bye!

Enjoy the mosaic!!!

Spring cleaning

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Scrubbing the slate this morning.  On my hands and knees.  I LIKE cleaning that has a good result (as opposed to one that does not, like, for instance, trying to vacuum with a plugged up vacuum tube or the nearly useless task of trying to get burnt popcorn off the bottom of a pot).  Grime on slate cleans up beautifully.  As does the grout.  I used an abrasive cleanser, a toothbrush, a bleach pen, an old body brush and elbow grease.  The only trick was making sure that Jack didn’t walk through it while I worked.

Inside and outside don’t look that different today.  This is the blue stone pad outside our side door this morning.

Next days are crowded… A commission to start.  A shop appointment to prepare for.  A missing item sold on Etsy to find (oh, St. Anthony, St. Anthony come to me now!).  Not to mention the four file folders of applications for various services that I will be sorting through with my sister tomorrow.

So, it is time to get busy and keep myself away from the screen for a bit!