Sunday, May 27, 2012

Painting Pots

Yesterday my husband and I ran all over town, doing errands, going places, buying stuff. One thing I was hunting was a scrolling cross-stitch frame for a big cross-stitch I've been working on. I had started it in a hoop, but almost had that all filled in. I found frame and also happened upon some terra cotta pots. I had no idea there would be pots at a craft store. As we looked them over, I about fell down when I saw the price - they were only about a dollar each!

Gardening and taking care of my house plants (some of which are very prolific, creating lots of baby plants!) is one of my hobbies.  I'm always on the lookout for pots and other plant care-related things.  So we bought 4 pots and saucers.  We also noticed a bunch of "Patio paint" in that section and ended up buying a couple bottles of it.  I hadn't thought about painting the pots, but as soon as my husband mentioned it, I thought: "oh, how fun!"

We decided to spend some time outside this morning; it is our first sunny day after four entire days of solid overcast weather with rain and fog off and on.  ("Is there no sun in this cursed country?!" - from Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves)  Hubby put together the composter we bought yesterday while I sat and painted pots.  :D   I did two with the patio paint, a bright blue and a cornflower blue, and started a third with acrylic paint in Black Cherry color.

I'll have to upload pictures later, yes I know I'm bad about doing pictures for the blog lately!  I will get better - I promise.
I also brainstormed an idea as I was painting.  My husband mentioned a few times how cheap the pots are, so we could get a bunch of them and I could have alldifferent colors.  That got me thinking...  I have a bunch of the aforementioned baby plants that I've been selling off and on.  I sell them potted in plastic cups, then people can pot them in whatever they like.  However, maybe not everyone wants to mess with dirt and such when they get a plant.  These particular plants stay small and these pots we bought are the perfect size for them to live in. 

So...  I thought, wy not try and sell some of them in pretty, painted pots??  I think it's a neat idea and I could see how they might sell better, already potted and ready to go. 

Whew - add that to the mile long list of projects and ideas...  haha

Friday, May 18, 2012

Feeling better and getting stuff done!

I've been down lately and was not able to put my finger on it. I finally figured out, I think, that the cause is that school is ending. This puzzled me. I had thought that once school was done I'd feel free and happy and have SO much more time to do things - like craft and get back to work on the Studio. My husband and I talked about it and he reminded me of something that I knew, but had forgotten. Any kind of change can bring on the blues, grief, a feeling of loss - even a positive change. In just a few days, I will be done with school and something that, like it or not (and sometimes it was NOT), was a big part of my life for the last 2-1/2 years will be finished. Once I was finally able to identify the perplexing depression brought on by something that I thought would make me nothing but relieved and happy, I began to feel better.

Yesterday morning the power went out; it's been doing that about once a week or so because of work being done in the area. It goes out in the morning and stays off until noon - with no warning. I was frustrated at first, I had been just about ready to start on my Final projects on the computer. I then decided to start on a couple of greeting cards for the Card Makers Guild challenge on ArtFire.

Each month the group leader posts a challenge for us. It's just something to get the creative juices flowing and I have enjoyed participating since it keeps me creating new work. The first month I participated, the theme was black and white, then last month it was the colors of the rainbow. This month it is to create a card or cards with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue all incorporated into the design. I had started to compile some ideas and decided to get to work during the unannounced power outage.

I initially started working here at my computer desk, but I was missing some things that were down in my Studio room so I was about to bring even MORE supplies into our office/computer room when I thought "this is ridiculus!" I have not actually created anything in my actual Studio room for a little while now. For the past couple of months it had been repurposed as a plant nursery while I started my seed crops for the garden. That room is the only one I can leave closed up to keep the plant eating cats out of! Most of my little seedlings are outside now, hardening off to be put in the ground, so my desk is all clear again.

The first order of business yesterday suddenly became - move all scattered supplies BACK to the Studio where they belong. I did that and then set up at my desk once more. Then came a flurry of card making. I created 5 new cards yesterday and came up with ideas for at least a few more.

It felt really, really good to get back to work down there again!

I will have to get pictures of the new cards and I will post them on here in the next few days! I'm looking forward to sharing them. :)

Sunday, May 13, 2012

The end is in sight!

Well, once again, I had fallen off the blogging/crafting wagon. To blame this time was my last term of college before I receive my Associates degree in Accounting. I decided to triple up my course load so I could be finished before summer. I've been back flipping through hoops, juggling tons of assignments with other obligations. At long last, I'm almost done! This coming week is Finals week and then I'll be FINISHED with school! (until I decide if I'll be going back for a Bachelors at some point in the future) I have a bunch of plans for my time after I'm free from school, including big plans for the Studio and new projects that have been on the backburner - some for years! Until then, stay tuned!