Upleveling process

I got home a few days ago from a wonderful Upleveling experience with Christine Kane.  I went to get new business ideas, let go of old negative mind sets and refresh my entrepreneurial Spirit.  I experienced all of these and more.  I met some awesome 'kickass' women and men who are having the courage to step out of the old business box and into a new Upleveling business model.  For me personally, it was a Soulful event disguised as a business event.  Definitely food for my soul.  I came out of my four year semi-retirement (healing) to began pursuing new and more heartfelt business opportunities.  Right before I left for the event I submitted a proposal to facilitate my creative arts workshops this summer.  I am now trying to reintegrate myself into my environment back home.  It's a challenge since I just moved to The Triangle area in Sept and I don't know my way around yet.  So, I found my own creative way to process all the new energies.  Here it is a granny poncho!  What? How is crocheting a granny poncho an Upleveling experience.  Well, for one the colors are very sophisticated not my citrus color ways; Two it's made from silk and mohair (definitely up leveled from wool).; and Three it has a bright sheen (light) to it that the photo does not show.  Plus, I feel a lot of love energy as I am crafting it.   I can't wait to find more Upleveling metaphors as this project progresses.

Uplevel Live 2014 Conference

Here I am at the  Uplevel Your Business conference.  I'm so grateful that I was able to make it and walk through the physical pain and discomfort.  This was just what the doctor ordered.  Connecting with new business owners and re-establishing old relationships.  Changing out dated business 

Paradigms and upleveling my mindset to new ideas for creating a business that's more in alignment with my goals, dreams and desires.  It's also giving me the courage to not let my physical limitations limit the quality of my life and my role as a Creative Arts Coach and business owner.

Granny Blanket

Finished it!  Pumped out the product.  Massive love for this queen size granny blanket.  The photo doesn't do the Neon colors justice.  Or convey the nice cozy squishiness of the yarn.  Love, love my hot pink picot edge.

Coffee, cookies and crocheting

First gathering at the beach this summer.  Crafting with the ladies, drinking coffee, eating cookies and crocheting.  Had a great time teaching the ladies to crochet water bottle and cup cozys.  Thanks Suzanne for holding the gathering.

Mindless crafting

I have been participating in some mindless art therapy. Crocheting this neon large granny square throw. I just love creating fabric whether it be knitting, crochet, weaving or dying. It's my passion! I'm ramping up for the finish, can't wait to see the results.

My Craft Buddy

My Craft Buddy is gone:  just a few short years ago I couldn't craft in peace.  I had a little craft buddy who wanted to learn every craft that I did.  I could count on her to quickly capture the new technique and make it her own.  She began knitting at age 2 mastered it by age 5, channeling ancient potters at age 31/2 and sewing, weaving, drawing by third grade.  We loved sick days and snow days, the perfect time for mom & me crafting.

 She was marketing and demonstrating for me at craft shows.  Now she is gone.  She's moved on to creating flawless makeup and hair selfies, dying and styling her own hair and her friends hair, turning my kitchen into a beauty salon, and frequenting the MAC counter for 'just one more lipstick, please!'  She has perfected the perfect eye liner and lashes, she's the go to girl for getting a makeover.  Sometimes I can get her to reluctantly model my knitwear designs.  It must be 'selfie' style though.  She can't stand my 'itchy' yarn and bright colors.

 But, last night she came back for a minute.  We had terrible storms and I was working on my neon granny throw to calm my nerves.  When she came into my room I was surprised to hear 'Mom, wow, how long have you been working on that I love it!'  I realized then that my Craft Buddy hadn't gone anywhere she just moved on to a new phase.  Which I call 21st century 'Glam Crafting'.  (Also, she's been influenced by Watching too much Bravo.)

My Mission

This is the mission of Crafty Diva Cottage to create wellness through play, joy and laughter.

May Flowers

I love, love flowers.  They make me soo happy!  The past few months have been filled with wild wacky weather.  Let's hope that the April showers bring bright, beautiful May flowers.  Here's a look from my garden's past.

A Neon Easter

After spending a wonderful Easter weekend with my family and friends it was time to decompress and get back to business.  I mulled over and over and over the chart on the right.  My health is progressing and I am healing, but much slower than I want too.  I want to jump right into my purpose and passion.  I can't do it now it would be like jumping in with two left feet.  The foundation is weak, I don't want to build a new empire on a weak foundation.  So, I have to focus on healing and building a new sound structure for living.  

After being in my head for a few days I picked up the knitting needles and crochet hook and continued creating new fabric.  The funny thing is I am a yarn junkie.  Only handspun, hand dyed artisan(very expensive) yarn works for me.  I love, love, love it!!  My family NEVER wants me to knit or crochet anything for them.  They say the yarn smells, is too scratchy and too colorful.  So, this year I bought some craft store yarn (as I held my nose) that my daughters liked and made them berets, cowls and gloves this year.  They loved the cheap non-verigated yarn.  My sister came and loved them too.  What? 

 Now, this cold winter I changed the colors in my room.  Very bright, vibrant and almost neon.  I bought cheap neon craft store yarn (only because I love neon).  Then decided to make two traditional afghans with these very contemporary colors.  They would knit/crochet up fast on large needles.   The yarn is washable (since the dog lays on my bed) and was a perfect match with my bedspread and curtains.  Over Easter my eldest daughter, my sister and my son (wow) put in a request for these neon colors.  I was floored!  How could they!  I have shelves brimming with gourmet designer yarns (and I do mean brimming) and they want $3.25(on sale) craft acrylic yarn.

I was stunned to say the least. 

 But, as I always told my kids while they were in school and they questioned their teachers, 'give the people what they want'!  

Flow living

I've been going with the flow this month.  April is flying by fast and furious.  The outside world seems unsafe and violent.  I'm choosing to pay attention to my inside world.  I've been creating and updating my coaching packages; taking care of personal day-to-day business; and crafting a neon orange cable throw.  I've been branching out in my new environment meeting new people and exploring different parts of town.  Most of all I've been putting out lots and lots of Love energy out to the universe.  Why, because Love heals all wounds.

Self-Care

I have not totally recovered from my wonderful trip and training and week long visit from my best friend.  I have a list of to do's, but no energy.  I have decided to change my mind set and not beat myself up for not getting back into a routine.  Self-care is more important right now.  I realized that my energy has been scattered all over the place and that in order to be the most productive I needed RnR.  Free from guilt RnR.  I have never allowed myself the freedom to just rest and relax.  My past behavior was always on high alert, anxious and waiting for the next crisis.  Now I realize that in order to be successful I need to take time out to rest, relax and conserve my energy.  Then I will be prepared for the next adventure that is coming my way.

Art Venture in Asheville

After my wonderful session with Uplevel Your Business and Christine Kane.  My friend and 'Soul Sistah' Suzanne took me on a mini Art Venture in Asheville.  She's visited here for years and participates in the Biltmore craft show during the month of August.  As you all know I have been house bound for a couple of years and haven't been to an art gallery, yarn shop, or upscale hip restaurant in quite some time. Suzanne and her husband Paul were quite the hosts, they were patient and kind and assisted me with my walker/rollater and other paraphernalia.  We had a great time.  I really needed this kind of 'Art Therapy'.  I am inspired again to make and create, got lots of new ideas and remembered some old ones.

Here we are in front of the art gallery, both wearing Suzanne's 'Clothes Encounter' designs found at www.Arttowearhouse.com

Having a cocktail spiked lemonade with vanilla Stoli and cucumber.  Um, um good!

Gazing and dazing in a huge and fabulous yarn shop.

Thank you Sue and Paul for a wonderful Art Venture!!

Uplevel Your Business Event

I am so very grateful to have participated in the Uplevel Your Business Event this past Wednesday. I left my comfort zone to be in attendance and was very impressed with the kindness and support that I received from the other UYB and GOLD members. Christine was awesome and so focused on up leveling us on our dreams with the Becoming 360 Blueprint training. After a wonderful day of site seeing and experiencing Asheville I am now ready to go home. I have my task sheet and am ready to embark on my new vision for my business and my life. Thank you Christine and Team for allowing me to attend this empowering experience.

Welcome to Crafty Diva Cottage

Welcome to Crafty Diva Cottage, twelve years ago this month I came home from a funeral sat down at my computer and started manically drawing these dreamy crafty women.  I had never drawn or was a fine artist.  My creativity always was in crafting.  I created these women out of unspoken grief and pain at the loss that my children and I had just suffered.  I became obsessed with creating these crafty women soon to become 'The Crafty  Diva's.'  I drew them on the computer printed them out, designed fabric, scarves, aprons and bags.  Branded them and designed and developed craft kits.  I even wrote and illustrated a fairy tale around their creation.  I created a cottage business around them, where I sold my craft kits, hand knitting and held crafting parties and workshops. I created and crafted these divas to inspire women to use crafting and creativity to access their own innate power and voice.  For a couple of years I had fun with my 'adult 'girl scouts.'  The thrill faded away along with more grief and heartache due to my declining health and more family deaths.  Last year I decided that I would relaunch the 'Crafty Diva's' in a new a more updated way.  This blog is the just the beginning.  Stay tuned to watch how we evolve and craft new hopes, dreams and desires.  Here's a look back at the original line of 'Crafty Diva' Crafting Accessories.

Past vs. Present

Hey everyone! It's been a struggle this week. Part of my negative past bled into my positive upbeat future. I have had a legal issue ongoing for 12 years now that stems from my previous very successful business. This issue has been a thorn in my side and I allowed it to cloud my life these past several years. This week it came to a head. I realized that This issue came to life because I did not honor my own power. I gave my power and trust away to my legal team. They did not have my best interest at heart. At that time in my life I trusted authority figures and respected people in powerful positions. I learned the hard way that by giving my trust away to people who were undeserving dis-empowered me and caused me a great deal of pain and heartache. I shut myself off and began isolating. This January I made the decision to start expanding myself and took steps to stop isolating and step out into my power. This is why I joined Uplevel Your Business. Now that I have stepped into this new paradigm of up leveling I can look at the past with different eyes. I'm ready to slay the dragon because by up leveling my life and business I realize that I have the power, the knowledge and the control over my life.

I didn't get to work on module 2 this week. It will be a challenge to catch up, but I did face the greatest block that I have had to my future success and I'm ready to walk out the details. It's hard to admit that I let something else get in the way of my UYB work this week. Any suggestions on how to get back on track? Do I rush through module 2 for the next 3days and get back on track with module 3 next week or do I follow the theme of 'progress not perfection' because as I learned this week, all of the answers are inside of me.