Going On A Walkabout

I wanted to give an update on the new tutorial for all you wonderful, patient people who have been waiting for it and checking in every week for a status report. 

Without any hemming and hawing around, as my Papa Moseley used to say, the plain truth is that it is just not coming together as I want it to, and I have decided to set it aside for awhile.  

I am sorry to disappoint everyone, but I am finally caving in to the stress. I have decided to take a break, and do not plan to publish it before the end of the year.  Instead, I am going on a walkabout or sorts, to try and get my mind on track again to finish it.

This faux tutorial is the hardest tutorial I have ever written, and I am not sure why.  It is a simple enough process.  It shouldn't be this complicated or take 8 months to write, but it has.  

If anything, I think the stress of not having the comfort of a consistent paycheck is behind it.  I am experiencing an insecurity and uncertainty that I have never before in my life had to face.  The result is that I may be headed back to the outside work force, if I can find a part-time job, that is.  As long as I had that cushion of employment comfort, my creativity was a free-flowing thing that never let me down.  That may be a poor excuse, but it's the only one I have.  

I am a perfectionist, have a Type A (to the max) personality; and on top of that, am OCD. I also have some other physical health issues that have been exacerbated by the mental stress.  Since I have other people to think about besides myself, I am going to give the tutorial a rest, after nine re-writes, until the first of the year. 

The holidays are not a time anyone wants to pile on more stress, right?  I planned for this tutorial to be published back in April, no later than June.  I had planned to start some new, non-polymer projects for my second Etsy shop my Mother and I started two years ago, which has been sitting sadly neglected all year, so I am going to devote the time until the end of the year helping her develop some items for it, and I am going to sit back and enjoy a no-stress holiday with my family.  

Thank you all for your patience, and your support and encouragement, my friends.  

Brass Embellished Halloween Jewelry

Tutorial Update:  The new faux tutorial is in re-write stage, but the end is in sight, I hope.   Stay tuned, and thanks again for your patience, everyone.

In the meantime, I took a mental break for a couple of days to list some of the more than 400 pieces I made while writing this gargantuan tutorial; and some new, brass and crystal embellished, mixed media Halloween pieces.   

I don't celebrate Halloween myself, but I hear it is the second biggest holiday in terms of sales, so I thought I would try a few pieces in the shop and see how it goes.  What do you think?  I aimed for whimsical but classy, if there is such a thing.  LOL

Notice how I worked in tartan patterns?  I couldn't resist!  I created the tartans especially for Halloween using TartanMaker.com in pumpkin orange, scaredy-cat black and ghostly white.  Hee Hee!

Thank You, Everyone!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who emailed me and commented on my last post about my meltdown.  I am continually amazed at the generosity and kindness of people I have never met in person, but I should not be.  Your support has been tremendous, and I am so grateful to have so many wonderful friends.  These friendships, and your encouragement and support, mean the world to me.  I really appreciate your concern, but please do not worry about me.  I go through this angst every time I write a tutorial.  It's part of my process to get to the best tutorial I can write.   I would not know how to act if everything went smoothly with no hiccups.  Is that the way it works for anyone?  

I appreciate the offers of pre-orders, but I don't think I will ever be able to do that.  I would feel even more pressure to get this thing done, but I really thank you for offering, and for caring so much!  

And it won't be too much longer on the new tutorial, I promise!   

When Your Stress Level Goes Through The Roof

Faux Boulder Turquoise

It is always aa trying time for me when I write a new tutorial.  It seems old Karma picks that time to kick me in the butt, every time.  Stupid stuff goes wrong, the accidents keep piling up, and my stress level goes through the roof.  

Naturally, when a tutorial is now almost 4 months past the original date I had hoped to have it published, well, you can just imagine how stressed I am.  

Unfortunately, the new faux tutorial is still not finished.  In the past three weeks, I lost hundreds of photos, my camera died on me, my printer died on me, and my beloved Nesco oven died on me.  Ask me which is worse.  At this point, I couldn't tell you.  

Having no steady income means that sometimes, new supplies have to wait for the income to catch up to the need, but when three absolute necessities such as a camera, printer and oven go kaput, frustration quickly turns to despair.  I learned that when you work for yourself, a business loan is much harder to get.  The banker actually laughed at me.  I was so embarrassed.  Good credit will only take you so far.  They actually want to know that you can repay the loan.  Imagine that.  

I looked at some of the online lenders, like Kiva and others, but they would take longer than I have to get the new equipment and get the tutorial published. 

Faux Purple turquoise with genuine purple Howlite beads

I had to resort to selling some things I had hoped never to have to part with, more so because they were my insurance against something happening that I couldn't pay for in the future... oh, wait, something did happen that I couldn't pay for, so then depression set in when I realized, what will I do if something really bad happens in the future?  

All this put me in a bad place for the last two weeks, and I don't mind telling you, I was scared. Very scared.  I suddenly didn't like this full time artist business.  My creativity level has sunk to an all-time low.  I think my muse is even terrified of me.  

Luckily, all the basic technique photos were shot before the camera died.  I was able to find the same model of camera, my beloved Canon Powershot SX110is, on ebay, for a fraction of its original cost.  It arrived yesterday, and so far it works just fine.  

Faux Yellow Turquoise andAutumn Jasper

Before I found the Canon, I dug out my old Sony Mavica to use, then realized I had never used an SD card with it, only a floppy disc.   I took about a hundred pictures on it, then tried to stick the floppy into my laptop.  Guess what? It ain't got no stinkin' floppy drive!

This is the kind of stupid thing I do when in the throes of tutorial meltdown.  I don't think logically. I went and bought an SD card, with my increasingly small stash of emergency money, only to discover I bought a "Pro" SD card, not a "non Pro" SD card, which of course, an old Sony Mavica uses instead of a "Pro." Naturally.  I wasted a quarter of a tank of gas and 25 bucks figuring out that one.  

Do you ever have days you feel like nothing you do is right?   Yep, that's me, on day 23 of this pity party for one.  All this negativity isn't helping, I know, but for now, that's just where I am.  So, pardon my blue funk for a bit longer while you wait on the new tutorial.  

Faux Dalmation Jasper with Pink Rhodocrhosite and Blue Turquoise

The good news, and there is good news, is that I got the new camera out today and recreated some of the recipes in the new faux tutorial just to get my mind in the right mood to create.  So far, so good.

Here are a few more of the photos I took before the camera debacle, some Boulder Turquoise, Purple Turquoise, Yellow Turquoise with Autumn Jasper, Dalmation Jasper with Pink Rhodochrosite. and Blue Turquoise, and a mosaic mishmash of Lapis and various Turquoises.  

I can't bring myself to put out a tutorial that is nothing less than my best, and it just isn't quite there yet.  Good things come to those who wait, right?  

Someone should have told me when I started creating stuff that people with OCD shouldn't be artists.  That, paired with being a left-handed, Type A personality perfectionist... I was doomed from the start! 

  

A Big, Bad Boo Boo, and I Don't Mean Honey

I just wanted to let everyone know the new tutorial will be delayed a few days.  I had intended to publish it by August 1st, but I did a really boneheaded thing last night which will cause a delay. I accidentally deleted the photos for three of the projects.  I am just sick about it, but it means I have to order new clay and start again with those projects, so I ask for your patience for just a little while longer.   THANK YOU! 

The good news is, while I wait on the new clay, I have time to read Cynthia Tinapple's new book, Polymer Clay Global Perspectives:  Emerging Ideas and Techniques from 125 International Artists, which was published last night.  I bought a copy at 12:47 a.m. for my Nook HD+, and ordered a hard copy this morning to show my friends and family.   I stayed awake until 2:15 looking at every page, absorbing all the beautiful artwork.  

I am so thrilled and deeply honored to be included in this important and incredible book.  It is as beautiful as I expected, Cynthia!   Thank you again for the honor of being included.  I am so excited, I can hardly breathe, and I am still pinching myself.  

I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think.  You can find me in the Texture Chapter, on page 66, right beneath Helen Breil.  Helen Breil, for goodness sakes!  If I'm dreaming, don't wake me, okay? 

Congratulations to Cynthia and to all the featured artists!  

The Joint is REALLY Jumpin' Now!

Thanks to my faux turquoise pendant being featured today at Polymer Clay Daily!   Yowzer!  

I am so excited, especially as the feature is about the new tutorial, which I haven't even published yet.   I am so touched by the wonderful response and support!   Thank you, Cynthia Tinapple!  I can't say enough that you are the polymer clay world's best ambassador.  

I share the spotlight with you, all my friends and customers who make it possible for me to be able to create full-time.  

Thank you again, everyone.  Now come on, join me and Mr. Bowie and Let's Dance!  We'll really shake these old walls!

The Joint Is Jumpin'

Lots of activity in the Diva studio in the past month.  I think I am finally in the home stretch with the new tutorial.  All the random ideas I have taken from the keyboard to the work table are finally gelling together in a cohesive collection of instructions and projects.  It won't be long now before the new "Fabulous Faux Master Collection" will be published.

What I had originally planned as a faux turquoise tutorial has morphed into a range of faux finishes using the same technique.  I want to try a few more really unusual and beautiful finishes before I call it done, but I believe that by the end of July, this baby will get birthed!

These are some of the faux turquoise finishes which will be included in the tutorial.  I wanted to give everyone a variety of colors.

These bracelets, created using my some of my fabulous faux turquoise polymer slides and Regaliz, a/k/a Licorice Leather, are a new direction for me.  I haven't made bracelets on this scale before, but I absolutely love them.  I decided to include a lesson in the new tutorial on how to create them.

These beautiful little beads are a joy to create.  They will be included in the tutorial, too, along with a special project that I hope to include which will really showcase their gorgeous matrix.   They are an "all over" design, pattern on the front and back and around the edge.  LOTS of beady goodness!

Okay, that's my update.  Now it's back to work to create some more!