Business Development & Marketing Products

I've been on the computer and iPad this week working on business development, marketing my workshops and up dating social media.  Here are some samples.

Plus I finished up my scarves and putting them up for sale at Blue Pelican Gallery.

August Crafting

August was an amazingly creative month with lots of crafting, traveling, site seeing and art ventures.    I settled in more to my creative space and celebrated my one year anniversary 'living la vida beach!' I have lots of ideas manifesting now and I'm enjoying the creative process.  

Today, I've made space in my narrow and small studio for a long folding table.  This clean virgin area holds many creative possibilities.  Should I continue dyeing and stamping fabric, quilt or sew, paint or collage, weave (now that I made room for my loom at the other end of my studio).  What's a girl to do?  I have space to work on my computer projects, my good sewing machine is finally fixed.  So many options.  I think for today though, I want to enjoy this blank canvas. (uh table?)

Organize Studio Day

We had the perfect weather to organize and dust my studio today.  Camp Crafty Diva starts in two weeks and the last minute preparations begin.  First and foremost I needed to get my house and studio organized.  Next on the agenda is to get my plants planted in the yard, then start the camp.  My studio four years ago was a perfectly organized and decluttered vacation house studio.  Everything was in place and everything had a place.  It was 'Virgo perfect.'  This last year moving twice and filling it up it became a cluttered mess.  Now that it's become a full time studio/office space I needed to get it organized.  Yes, I admit it 'my name is Michelle, and I am a craft hoarder.' I'm ready to let go of that identity and this fall I will be decluttering my studio and my storage unit  of craft supplies.  For now I have walking space, sitting space, computer space, sewing space and maybe room for a couple of visitors to sit down.  I'm relieved and enjoying this creative domain.  Yes, the shelves and walls are 'packed to the gills' with yarn and paint and glitter but I can see the endless creative possibilities now instead of overwhelm.

A little off kilter

 We are already 13 days into April.  Time flys!  I have not been feeling myself these days.  I went out into the real world for a few days and got over stimulated.  My creativity is on hold.  I don't feel crafty or creative.  I feel peaceful and zen.  Enjoying the NOW.  My house is clean and organized for the most part EXCEPT my studio.  It's a creative mess.  Over the winter I brought things out of my storage unit to inventory for my summer camp projects.  My studio is small and narrow.  I LOVE it!  But, I haven't been able to get it clean or organized because it's been so cold out there.  Freezing cold in fact.  I didn't buy a heater to put out there.  Makes me nervous with all of that fiber.  Now that it's warm it's time to get in there and clean it up. I'm a Virgo so I need organized surroundings in order to calm down and create.  This winter I have been sitting in my comfy chair in the living room crafting and reading or painting at the kitchen table.  My soul is screaming to get out to my studio where all of my creative stimuli is stored.  For now I'm going to sit in my chair and finish off my Noro sweater.  Stayed tuned.

Sunday Morning

I had fun this morning finishing up some unfinished projects.  Finally got my sewing machine out of the box after two years. Love my finished projects and uplifted my Spirit listening to Bruno and Macklemore in the studio today. 

Morning in the Studio

Morning in the studio.  Planning next year's garden.

Organizing the Studio

This is the agenda this week.  Organizing an already WELL stocked studio with more (crap) supplies!      Right now it's overwhelming, there will be a reveal later this month.  I'm going to spread out into the guest room (loom room) too.  How many balls of yarn, knitting needles, books, yards of fabric, paints and glitter does one 'craft junkie' need?

Where I create....

I have been working in my studio this summer.  Creating art and writing workshop curriculum.  I'm dispointed that the workshops did not get filled as planned.  I'm not discouraged though.  It was fun to get prepared and relaunching my business and myself was invigorating.  I had been in a healing hibernation for the past couple of years and this year I was committed to putting myself out there.  Which I did in full imperfect glory.  Now, I have to switch gears again I am once again in the process of relocating.  The lady who owns the house that I rent in Durham has to sell it so I have to move out now.  Don't cry for me, I am taken care of.  The Universe is placing me right where I need to be.  It's scary, exciting and full of possibilities.  I'm moving into my studio, my happy place, 30 miles off the mainland on a barrier island.  It's not where I wanted to raise a teenager or live full time, but I'm ready for the experience.  Now I get to create and explore my artistic side unencumbered by time constraints.  I get to live my dream of  living the life of a real artist.  I'm looking forward to finally shedding my past and finding my own rhythm.  Stay tuned for the adventures...

This week in the studio

It's been a rainy couple of days so, I decided to paint.  I'm definitely not a fine artist.  I just love color, texture and making fabric.  So, I decided to practice drawing and painting on silk scarves.  Am I going to wear them, probably NOT!  Are there a lot of flaws, of course!  But, that's not the point.  The point is having fun and exploring different techniques.  I just love how the colors turn out and meld together to form a unique piece of art.

Playing in the Studio

I'm still emotionally, physically and spiritually hung over from Arthur.  The energetic eye of the storm landed right on top of me and I'm trying to shake it off.  What's the best thing for me to do?  Of, course go to the studio and play.  I'm not a fine artist I love texture, color, whimsy and the mess.  When I'm creating and listening to music it makes my heart and soul sing.  Just what the Doctor ordered.  Painting, playing, singing.

Studio Time

All hail 'creative chaos'!  It's nice to have a clean organized studio, but!  We all know you can't create or make art in a 'Virgo', perfect space.  Fabric, glitter, glue, paint all run amuck when making the latest art project.  So here's a toast to the creative process.  'Embrace the chaos'!

The first Crafty Diva Cottage

Today for throwback Thursday I'd like to present the first Crafty Diva Cottage which was located in Prescott, Az.  I had always dreamed of having a little 'shotgun shack' to create in.  A grownup 'dollhouse'.  When I found this little cottage it was the beginning of me really understanding how your dreams can manifest.  I had placed in my journal years before the concept of a little cottage to have my business in.  I traveled high and low looking in five different states trying to find the perfect place.  I went to Arizona to study Art Therapy at the college there and lo and behold I found my little cottage.  It didn't last long, life events took over and my stay in Arizona was cut short, but the Dream had manifested.  I knew that if it manifested once there would be another one more suited to me and my business goals and dreams. P.S. There was!