Monthly Archives: January 2007

starting up again

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This is my desk after I cleaned up. Yes. It is.114deskb.jpg

I know it really isn’t cleared off. It must have been for a minute or two, but then I got started on something. While I was clearing things, I kept finding little sketches that I’ve done in the past few months- things I was thinking about, but I was in the middle of something else.114ideas.jpg

Now that it is time to get back to work, there are so many possible directions to go in. Which ever one I chose will very likely lead me down a path where these other ideas get forgotten or at least delayed a lot longer. They are all calling to me! So, I freeze up. But I know it is important to do something, anything, start somewhere. Start on the thing that has a deadline of sorts. So I am making Valentine postcards and Valentine robots-
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above, that is my work table. Below, the ironing board. All surfaces are covered again. In my studio, that seems to be a good thing.

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Thursday in January

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Thanks so much for all the feedback on the photo loading- things seem to be working again and I am SO relieved! Now, hopefully I can spend some time making the rest of the page look and work better. I’ll be researching some of my visually favorite sites and try to figure out why I like them.

In the meantime, some pictures-

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I made these 2 ornaments after Christmas and brought them down to Connecticut… where I left them. Oops. Now they are back home. My list (the one I’ve got taped to my sewing machine) includes making more of these- especially the robot and children- and making a pattern. I thought it would be an easy pattern to make and maybe not too scary… why do I find the idea so overwhelming? I don’t know… ask my son why he hasn’t written his English essay and the answer or non-answer is probably the same.

And I’ve got a knitting project started-

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Yeah! Inspired by Cassi at Bella Dia and Jane at Yarnstorm and all the other beautiful blankets around the blog world, I’ve got one going. I am looking forward to having it be long enough to keep me warm while working on it… yes, it got cold again. It is soothing to work on. Sort of how I felt about coloring books when I was little. All I have to think about is color. The pattern part is so easy- just straight garter stitch until I think it is done.

and some links- Sharon has again made me think with her inspired thoughts about blogging. And, Happy 3rd Blog Birthday to her! She is an amazing resource and supporter of the community of the craft/art end of the blog world. In another post she talks about the bloggies and choosing favorite craft blogs. I’m not going there, but I find I am most attracted to the blogs that are not so wildly popular- maybe I feel more likely to be able to have a real connection with the person writing (that community thing again). If I go to a blog and see something wonderful but there is 50 comments on a post, the likelihood that I’ll add my 2 cents is very slim.

Lastly- I love the YouTube Moleskine here.

deflated balloon

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That was how I described my creative drive at the end of last January- one of the good things about blogging is the record of such things. Now I can chalk it up to a yearly cycle and feel as though I am making progress if I get back to my studio before the end of January!

Hard to believe, but I’ve been gardening- doing the fall clean-up that I never got to in the fall. It was 70 degrees outside yesterday- which is just too very strange for Boston. I guess I can’t use the too cold up in the attic excuse for not working.
A few things that the blogging world brought into my house over the Christmas season-

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Shobana‘s wonderful knitting book- lots of inspiration in it. Knitting often gets me past a slump- I should start a project…

and this wonderful pin cushion from Betz White–

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I love pin cushions!

I was excited to see that Forest Rogers has a new blog. Her work is amazing, the faces especially. And beautiful photography.

So I’ve got a question- is this blog working better for you, oh reader? Are the photos showing up? Is it unbearably slow? Better then before or worse? It is better on my end, but I have to admit I don’t know how badly broken it has been… I kept finding new problems over the last 6 weeks. Feedback would be very helpful.

Some things I’d like to get to this coming year-

-write up and publish at LEAST one pattern.
-make cards, probably through cafepress shop
-go back and finish the many unfinished dolls sitting around my studio- they are all untouched since I showed them here and here. For the most part, they need clothes.
-teach a class- wool dolls
-more linking, more commenting, spend less money, make more dolls, go on a real vacation, laugh more, garden more, make a new friend, worry less… I’m sure there is more but that’s all for now.

Boston First Night Parade 2007

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Boston First Night Parade 2007, originally uploaded by Mimi K.

It’s been a very busy week or so. Full house, lots of food, cooking, mess, laundry, shopping. Down to Connecticut for a few days. Yesterday was First Night 2007. Eleanor and I went down for an afternoon of puppet theater. The most wonderful was the Flexitoons and their take on the Pied Piper. (The link includes some YouTube footage!) Love!!!
At 5:30 in the afternoon, the Parade started. I’ve posted many blurry, shiny, sparkley photos to my flickr account. Also photos of the 7pm fireworks.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!