Happy new year!!

Sooooo excited!  I've learned how to edit my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/people/CapeCodPurls
Now I can 'go to town' on selling my junk crafts!  Wish me luck.  Any requests & comments are very much appreciated.
stay tuned............

Happy new year!!

It's a new day, a new year & a new life!  2010 was a fun & fattening year!

But, 2011 is going to be a highly productive one, whether I like it or not!  I'm starting off with bringing out my paints.  Switching from watercolors to acrylics and hoping to get the same 'look' with less $ and an easy time frame to work in.  Watercolors are very demanding of time and my pocket. 

Also, I'm going to finish my certification in crocheting.  It's a personal goal I've been working on for a few years, which helps my teaching too.  The 2nd level, which is the one I'll be working on, is the old fashioned crochet.  You know...doilies, baby caps, collars, etc.  Pretty but not my thing. I know I will learn a lot.

I bet we'll get a new dog too!  Dasher is a great old gal, but not very healthy these days.  She lives on Prednisone [steroid].  Poor Dashie.  I think we'll look at another springer type or a wired haired mini gray dachshund.  We have to control ourselves though! if and when we do start the puppy search.  We ALWAYS buy the 1st one we see, and they typically aren't the best.  But how can you resist those cute faces!

I have vowed to myself that I'm going to get healthier and hopefully loose some of this menopause weight.  This is a total pain to live with.  Playing with yarn on a hourly/daily/weekly,etc. basis doesn't help the waistline or my booty, which is flat as a pancake these days.  YUCK!

My #1 goal though is the same one I've had for a few years now, to open a yarn shop.  I've finished a long list of "to-do's" but haven't found the $ yet.  That's my next step.  Anybody looking to invest??

Time for a walk!!

Inspiration galor!

After spending waaaay too many hours in the car this past month I was able to pull something exciting out of the time.  I caught up on my 'craft' magazines and am now inspired to go off in yet another tangent of crafting.  I am spitten with http://ladiesandgentlemenhome.blogspot.com/ also on Etsy, their cotton rope crocheting doily rugs.  They are amazingly beautiful.  Oh, maybe dying them would really make them special or even handpainting them!  There is another idea!  And yet another idea is/was crochet/felting beautiful slippers for my holiday gift list.  Fast, fun & easy! 
I'm finding myself spinning in circles all day, around all my craft projects and supplies.....where to land today!

Autumn time

I LOVE the Fall.  Do you hear me....LOVE it!  Not only because it's my birthday season, but because of the ever changing weather.  I believe the saying 'if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes' was coined here in New England.  It is so true.  Then there are the autumn root vegetables to switch to when creating savory stews and soups.  Also, time to dust off the bread machine to add to the menu.  Oh and don't forget the heartier wines to enjoy all while warming the chill away.  Yes, I adore Fall.

These last few weeks of summer have be productive I'm happy to announce!  I've finished off some lingering projects.  TA-DA!  My #1 project was my Noni "Pears" tote [ http://nonipatterns.com/].  I'm proud of how it came out.  Fun patterns to work with. Now to choose my next Noni project!

Also, in the Fall I start back up with classes.  I do love having the summer off and dreaming about the anticipation of Fall classes!  At Sage Yarns in Falmouth [ http://www.sageyarn.com ] I'm running my Intro to Crochet and Step-Up Crochet simultaneously. Wednedsay's and Saturday's, 12:00-2:00;  Sept 29, Oct 9, 13, 16, 20, 23.  You can pick 1, 2, 3, or all.  My hope is that it will give students more class day options, also that they can meet and greet one another and help each other along as well.  It will give insight to the beginners as what they can work towards and be a 'refresher' for the more experienced ones.  Also, in my mind... the more the merrier!
At Sandwich Community School [ http://www.scslearn.org ] my classes will be Hooked on Crochet 1 and Saturday Crocheting Workshop.  The Hooked on Crochet 1class is yet another introduction to the art of Crocheting.  It's a fun and very informative class.  The basics are taught so that you are off and running with your own creativity and knowledge.  The 2 day class is running on Thursday, Nov 18th and Dec 2nd from 4:00-6:00.  This is a great class to get to know other Crocheters [and knitters] in your neighborhood.  Then on Saturday, Nov 6th or Nov 13th from 9:30-12:30 I'll be hosting a 'workshop' format with Saturday Crocheting Workshop.  This is a 2 hour group lesson to create a pair of fingerless gloves.  We'll go over different stitches and designs.
I'll also be working my 2 days at the YMCA Cape Cod, which is the best place to work.  Not only do I get a free membership [which I rarely use :( ] but I'm at the reception desk so I get to chat with EVERYONE!  I just adore this job.  Also the people I work for and with make it a job I look forward to going to every week.

In closing...the painters are here and my new kitchen is just about finished!  YEA!  It's been 4 weeks thus far.  The big bummer is that if they do finish before we leave on vacation I won't be able to 'play' in my new kitchen until we return from Swans Island ME.  My time on the island is so wonderful that it'll be worth the wait!  Till then...enjoy your last of the summer days!  I will, you can count on that.

Designing?

After returning from Chain Link 2010 I was all inspired to start designing and publishing my work.  I listened to the advise from Kristin Omdahl, Ellen Gormley, Lilly Chin and Robyn Chachula.  They had fabulous ideas and inspiration that I came away with saying "I should do this".  Sounds like a 'just do it' type of endevor.  Not so.  I can make the 'to-do' list of steps and produce the product but then to whom should I send it to where it will have the most impact.  And to choose something that hasn't been done.  Step by step....is the way to go.  Many times when the time comes to make the decision needed I get a 'aaa-haaa' moment.  Stayed tuned......

When am I really free?

It's been such a hot and humid week, with little work at the Y, I thought I'd re-organize my studio.  A dredded task that I've been putting off for about a year.  Hannah and I hiked to Target, found an open shelving system [cheap] and spent 2 hours trying to put it together while it was thunder and lightning outside to beat the band!!  So the studio looks so much neater, but now all the skeins, balls, cakes, hanks, and wads of yarn can see me not paying any attention to them.  Many lovely treats came home with me from Chain Link 2010.  It's their 'silent' screaming at me that I find so annoying.  "Yes, I'll get to you soon, be patient my little ones".  So that leads me to clearing up the small projects or projects of little to no interest to finish up before I can start something fun and exciting.  I was always taught that a "real" crafter has at least 10 projects going at the same time.  ???  Does that include all crafts that I do combined?  If so, I'm OUT OF CONTROL!  Let's start with scrapbooking.  Then move onto painting.  Add in sewing, weaving and wreaths.  Told you!  So, when will I actually be "free" to start a new project?

so much for my 'to-do' list.....

I'm off to the beach.