crafty goodness. and a good cause!

one of my 'creative' goals this year was to participate in one craft show/vendor event this year (babies sure take up a lot of time so i am starting small) and it looks like it is going to happen (else i lose my booth fee!) so i have been working on some new things and bringing back some old designs in order to fill up the space that i've been assigned.  some previews...

double duty for the bulletin board that usually hangs above my desk at the office

new pink (yes, PINK!) whisper-thin hoops... i am test-driving them as we speak to see how they hold up.  but they sure look pretty.

so i will be at the "Women/Men That ROCK!" event in Newmarket, ON, helping to raise money for "Look Good Feel Better", an organization that helps people with cancer get through treatment and beyond.  the details are HERE - tickets are only $10 and is all ages!  i am donating a portion of the proceeds to this cause too - because it's amazing. 

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resolute.

so of course new year's day has rolled around and in the fresh crisp light of morning I am happy to close the 2013 chapter of my life and put it away. as always, making resolutions come to mind as it does to millions of other people and I set myself up to fail. therefore, I am setting a different type of resolution this year - the kind of resolution that fosters my creative side and will be easy to keep. nothing to do with losing weight or aiming for a promotion at work, but a concerted effort to try to stay inspired. I will spend more time listening to music... spend more time with my girls... spend more time sketching and really taking a wide eyed look at the world... spend more time making jewelry... and taking the time to just breathe.

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holding off on the resolutions. do more of the love stuff. part 2

look how mini the mini was when i used her for this product shot in 2009!

of course the winter is here and even though it hasn't hit us in the GTA full force yet, it made me realize that i have a lot of yarn in my crafting space and that i miss crocheting.  i know that i did put it out there that i wanted to learn how to knit, but crochet has to be my first love.  to me, it's meditative, calming, and oh so COOL.  my mom attempted to teach me how when i was a kid, but it never fully caught on with me until about 10 years ago.  i even had opened up an etsy shop with my handmade cowls and scarves, but of course, i couldn't handle running two stores, breastfeeding 24/7, and trying to keep up with housewifey stuff and so the crocheting went by the wayside.  (but check out the photo above of the gorgeous super long pink scarf i made!) so now, i am going to use up some of that yarn and get to making some chunky woolen pretties, so that the mini and i can step out in style once the snow flies. 

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holding off on the resolutions. do more of the love stuff.

the artistic representation of how my legs feel right now. 
in 14K gold filled.

etsy posted a lovely article by fibre artist Cate Fitt, discussing the concept of not making new year's resolutions and instead, vowing to do more of what you love.

i had gotten into a little tradition myself of making "arts & crafts" resolutions - trying new things in order to foster my creative skills.  and while that has served me well (bookbinding! gocco printing! crocheting! cold forging!) i think that right now, i have on deck all the crafting that i can handle.  (except for that pesky learn-to-knit goal.  which i am going to meet.  sooner or later.)

so, my first "do more of the love stuff" was to incorporate more physical activity back into my life.  prior to the mini, i used to go to the gym every day.  EVERY DAY.  i'd pound out a couple of kilometers on the treadmill and then hit the weights.  but, since she was born, i let my gym membership expire and my exercise routine has mostly consisted of chasing after her and carrying her around.  while very worthwhile in an emotional sense, probably not as heart-healthy or as endorphin-pumping as a good run.  in the summer time i am more active (yay, jogging stroller!  yay, iPod!) but wintertime brings with it all sorts of other exercise-related challenges. 

our family gift to ourselves this year was a home gym set, that sits monolithically in our basement - heavy, imposing, and seriously, up to par with any gym equipment i used to use at the gym.  secretly, in spite of the financially crushing price tag, i love using it.  there is something about lifting weights that makes me feel like a stronger person, like a healthier person - and in the long run, hopefully it will add some longevity to my mortal existence on earth. 

however, as i sit here writing this blog post, my hamstrings, thighs and front delts feel like they are knotted up and thrum with the subtle pain that comes after a good workout - reminding me that yes, i did a good job, but also that i have now crippled myself.  even though the workout i did was 2 days ago.  out of shape, much?  goodness.

oh well.  it's all about doing more of what you love, right?  where are those endorphins!  now if i could just find a treadmill that would fit in the basement...

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the end of 2010.

in the couple of minutes i have before the mini wakes up and i have to get ready to go to the office, i'm scrambling to finish up a jewelry order, eat something (three day old leftover pasta), take my vitamins and blog. priorities, right? and being the last day of the year, i kind of feel like i have to say something to mark the end of 2010. i've learned a lot - about life, about mommyhood, about the astronomical rise in the cost of precious metals. (oh why did i not buy silver when it was $15 an ounce?????)

i'm not going to make any resolutions (because resolutions are always meant to be broken), but instead, i'm going to make some promises to myself. promises that i hope i can keep.

- i am going to promise to try to run more when the weather gets better. (couch to 5K - here we go again!)

- i am going to promise to carve out some quality "me" time during the week.

- i am going to promise to try to cook more at home - mainly because the husband and the mini seem to love my cooking the best. (what a compliment!)

- i am going to promise to try to not be so hard on myself. (so what if the mini is still breastfeeding sporadically? studies show that it helps attachment!)

- i am going to promise to try to say "no" once in a while. helps me not get overwhelmed.

- i am going to promise to try to spend more time watching the world go by instead of trying to catch up with it.

- i am going to promise to make the time to kiss my husband more.

- i am going to promise to spend more time just cuddling the mini. she is growing so fast that before i know it, she will be stealing my car to meet up with her boyfriend.

- i am going to promise to be more grateful for the wonderfulness in my life - especially the people who have helped my little etsy business grow!

- i am going to promise to figure out how to be more organized. especially with my workspace here at home. it's a disaster

and yes, i will promise to buy precious metal when the price is low.

happy new year, everyone! see you next year!

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Insomniac Reflections on the Year Ahead...

it's 3:13am here and for some reason, i'm awake. so is the mini-muffin. i've been surfing the internet and etsy looking for cool things, downloading music for my ipod for my walk on the treadmill later this morning, and listening to the hum of our ancient furnace... and also thinking about what the new year is going to bring! seriously, i'm quite proud of the fact that i completed my last year's crafting resolutions, have a fabulous consignment agreement with the wonderful Paula over at The Cat's Meow in Illinois, participated in my first craft show, and that this year is going to be the year that our little daughter is born!

like any good small business owner though, it is important to reflect on how one would like their business to develop in the future (hence the picture of my rustic reflecting pool earrings above, LOL) , and i'd really like to set some goals for myself again this year. so, in the spirit of insomnia, here goes...

- i'd really like to think about revamping my "corporate identity" (to borrow a term from Marketing 101). new cards, new banner, new website perhaps?
- i'd like to be more organized with my business paperwork. who else keeps all their receipts in a kitchen drawer/grocery bag? my accountant is going to kill me come 2008 tax time.
- i am super excited about the metalsmithing class that i start next week. i wonder which creative direction that will take me?
- i'd like to look at smaller craft shows this year and see what happens. (the husband has already offered to take care of the mini - i love you, beb!)
- i'd like to be more organized in regards to my space. i can't even find the photo that i took to post here because even my computer files are disorganized. sigh.

not too much to ask for the next 12 months? we'll see... :)

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The MAC Fair, and my New Year's Resolution... The 10th New Handmade Crafting Technique

so, i'm thinking that this baby (pardon the pun, LOL) counts as my 10th new crafting project for the year... our first baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the ultimate in handmade!

i'm about 14 weeks or so, and this is our first ultrasound. i've been feeling quite under the weather and have been sleeping so much that i've been neglecting my shop, my jewelry, and the blog! i am hoping that some of my energy will be back soon, because we will be in our first craft fair early in November!

McMaster University, my alma mater, had a call for submissions to their juried craft show... and muffintopdesigns was one they picked! this is my first show, so i've been worrying about what it's going to be like... but like everything else, i'm jumping in with two feet and hoping for the best! let's hope that i sell at least ONE item!!!!!

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adventures in soapmaking... and a total lip BOMB.

i bought some wonderful soapmaking supplies this week! i have been kicking around the idea of making my own soap for a while now, and have been doing some reading and research! before heading into the world of lye and water and possible explosions, i decided to try some amazing soap bases for melt and pour - and here are the results. i have two small batches of two types of soap - peppermint earl gray castile soap, and lavender goat's milk! they are curing as we speak and i am so excited to try it! maybe this will be a new direction? hmmmmm...

on the heels of my relatively successful soapmaking venture, i decided to try another batch of lip bomb. well, that's exactly what it was. A BOMB. the mistake i made was not measuring properly. and adding too much shea butter. it was like trying to swipe a crayon across my lips! oh well. at least it left a fabulous minty afterglow... lucky for me, my fellow etsian, salsagal (http://salsagal.etsy.com) took proposed a fabulous idea to donate them so we're going to do that! thanks, salsagal for the awesome idea... and for stopping me from throwing 20 tubes of bomb into the garbage!!!!!!!

i wonder else i can ruin today... :) hey, at least i knocked another crafting resolution off my list!

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Does This Mean I'm A wRapper? *insert laugh here*

I finally conquered the art of the wire wrapped briolette!! another new year's resolution down! (i really should keep count, LOL!) for some reason, the whole technique has eluded me for about a year and i finally gave up, despite having made a hundred wire wrapped rings. but then, i guess i had an epiphany!!! i got up early yesterday morning and sat down with a pink crystal briolette and twisted and wrapped it... and the rest is history!

i love the way they've turned out, kind of like little whimsical wire wrapped hats for beautiful briolettes!

yay for wire! yay for briolettes! and yay for me finally figuring it out!

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I've Got a Hammer... and Some Lip Balm... and a NEW Car!!!!!

i'm now obsessed... i've been dying to take the Jewelry 101 course that they were offering at my local bead store, but of course, once i had saved up for it, they haven't run it since! *insert lots of swear words here* so, like i usually do, i totally just took stock of what i had, scoured the internet, got some books off ebay and jumped into the world of cold forging!!!!


after slamming my fingers with my chasing hammer quite a few times, and actually smashing my knee once with it, i'm in love with metal and the wondrous things you can do with it! the earrings i made above were hand formed and cold forged by little old me! can you believe it? i almost cried when i finished them because i was so proud of myself! and now, i have tons of ideas in my head and not enough time to do it all... i'm going to try sawing and piecing and soldering next... so wish me luck!!!!


i've also been experimenting in the bath and body realm... my dream is to make my own lip balm! i don't know if you're like me, but i have hundreds of lip balms. seriously. i have a big mouth and am constantly applying and reapplying... it's driving me crazy and making me broke!




so i did a little research, and tried making lip balm for the first time. i was actually scared that i'd end up burning my eyebrows off, but i didn't! and i am totally thrilled with the results! oh, the miracle of beeswax... this lip balm is super fantastic, not too sticky, totally minty fresh and really moisturizing! it's really similar to burt's bees (sorry to them, i don't have to buy anymore, LOL) but less "grainy" and the minty feeling lasts longer!!!! YIPPEEEEE! i've given "tester" tubes to the gals at work and i've gotten the thumbs up. so hopefully, once i work out the packaging details, i'll be able to sell some in my etsy shop. seriously. i'm thrilled.

i think i'm going to tackle soap next. maybe even this weekend. hee hee! then i'll really burn my eyebrows off!

oh yes, and about the car...

when i had leased my little sporty Honda Civic three years ago, i thought that i couldn't and wouldn't ever fall in love again with a vehicle. however, my sister gave my mom her sweet Audi when her husband came home and told her that he'd just bought a new Volvo SUV (yeah, my sister married for money, i married for love, go figure), so my mom, in turn, offered the husband her old Mazda. well, he was all over that like white on rice.


long story short, we traded in both of our cars. but it was really hard on me because i loved loved loved loved my little Civic! that car can go FASSSSSSTTTTTTTTTT - i felt like Danica Patrick or at least Ricky Bobby everytime i drove that sweet little car. and yes, i had gotten quite a few speeding tickets in it.

because we were into TWO leases - yeah, don't even get me started - we had to trade up a little in order to get out of them both! so... the husband got my mom's Mazda, and i got this!!!!!

i totally feel like a traitor saying this, but i LOVE this car and barely even miss the little Civic at all. it's lovely to drive and since i don't work far from home, it's not too bad in regards to filling it up with gas! (yes, the mileage isn't as great, but oh well.) and we're saving on having TWO car payments, which totally, totally rocks. i do feel guilty about driving an SUV in this era of high fuel prices, but it certainly evens out when i have to move furniture for work!

hopefully soon we'll have tons of babies to fill up the backseat!! (hopefully REALLY soon!)

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Scrabble Tile Pendants - and My Backyard!

i'm still on my quest to learn ten new crafting techniques this year! Here is the latest (and lucky number seven!) - SCRABBLE TILE PENDANTS! i purchased a little kit from SunAndMoonCrafts (http://sunandmooncraftkits.etsy.com/) and these are my first three! i think i'm hooked! i will have them for sale soon in MuffinTopsyTurvy once i perfect my technique!



of course, it's hard to be crafting when our backyard beckons... we spent this morning in the garden weeding and coaxing the plants to grow. i have two tomato plants, a zucchini plant and a little red pepper plant. the rose bush didn't bloom last year, but this year, we have blossoms in SPADES! i'm so psyched! thanks to the husband for getting rid of all those nasty weeds choking our flowers!

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Resonating for Resin! And Clamoring for Clusters!

i'm lovin' these new earrings in my shop! the bright colours are courtesy of resin covered silverplated brass shapes... a little splash of sunshine in your ears!

i also can't stop making these amazing cluster cocktail rings! they are so fabulous and surprisingly comfortable to wear!!!!! hmmmm... maybe this is another new design technique i can add to my New Year's resolution list????

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In Real Life...

The Cat's Meow!

823 Niedringhaus, Granite City, IL 62040 618-876-3325 Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-5:00PM Sunday 11-2 or by appt.

You can now get my artisan wire wrapped rings from Paula at the Cat's Meow in Granite City, Illinois! It's my first consignment "relationship" (*blush*) and Paula is WONDERFUL to work with! We've already sold one "nest egg" ring!

The shop carries amazingly fabulous handmade gifts and decor - and supports self-representing artists! Her blog keeps us up to date on what exciting things she's found in her travels.

You can check out the Cat's Meow blog at http://catsmeowgifts.blogspot.com/ and Paula's etsy shop at http://picardcreative.etsy.com/. OR even better yet, if you live near Granite City, go and pay her a visit!

Thanks, Paula!!!! Looking forward to working with you for a long time!

xoxoxo

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The Unexpected Launch of MuffinTopsyTurvy!

So, Etsy has this new feature called alchemy...

And this wonderful fellow Etsian, underroos (http://underroos.etsy.com/) put out a request for a colonoscopy reminder card for her hunny...

And the rest is history! MuffinTopsyTurvy was officially launched with underroos' request! And, I think that it fulfills yet ANOTHER new year's crafting resolution for me!

Please come visit MuffinTopsyTurvy (http://MuffinTopsyTurvy.etsy.com) and throw me some hearts!!! I'd love to see you there!

Thanks, Mr. underroos, for letting me use your a$$ to kick mine!!!

xoxox muffin

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New Jewelry!

My shoulder has loosened up a little, and this is the day before I start holidays with the husband, so I'm up really early and have been making things!!! I sort have vowed to try to use up all of the supplies that I've accumulated over the last year before I do any huge shopping again, so here are my latest creations! And I'm quite pleased!

I am so proud of this ring! I can't believe that I finally was able to make one! I think that this counts as #5 on my New Year's Resolution list - my little "Nest Egg" ring! Those Swarovski pearls totally are so sweet.

I also seem to have been collecting semi-precious gemstones - they seem to speak to me, LOL, in the most unpsychotic way! And why they deem them "semi" precious, I don't know - they sure are wholly precious to me! Here is my new "Starry Bliss" bracelet - it glows with all the different shades of pink! Girly, yet powerful... can you get better than that?

The trading team is also looking to add links to members' blogs on the team blog! So head on over there and post yours!!!!

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New Year's Resolution

Someone said that New Year's Resolutions should be made 2 or 3 months into the year... that way, you don't have the pressure put on you that everyone else does!!!! I don't know if that's true, but I know that I have made the resolution to learn 10 - yes, TEN! - new crafting techniques this year! Not all of the experiments will make it to my etsy shop, LOL - some won't even see the light of day!!! But so far, I don't think I've done too badly!!!!

Here are the ones I've tackled so far:

1. Earring Spirals - the tutorial is in KaeLynn's shop - http://kaelynndesign.etsy.com/

2. Bookbinding - I bought a kit from MyHandboundBooks - the kit is WONDERFUL!!! Too bad I need a little more practice, LOL!!! - http://myhandboundbooks.etsy.com/


3. Wire Wrapping - see the photo above! I took at class and I tell you, I AM IN LOVE!!! I can't get enough of this - and combined with semi-precious stones, what a DREAM! They are selling quite well and I'm really happy with the way they turn out. I now have a section in my shop dedicated to these rings - and I've only been making them for two weeks! YAY ME!

4. Precious Metal Clay - this one I've been working up to - and it kind of straddles last year too. I had taken a PMC class in early 2007, bought a kit and some clay... and then it sat in the basement for almost a year. I know, I know, very sad - but I finally got the courage to break out the clay and I am so glad that I did!

So I have 6 more to go... I am saving up all of my etsy money to take a metalsmithing class, so we'll see how it goes!

You're never too old to learn new things. And I'm really excited!

P.S. thanks to everyone who has been participating in my little etsy contest - keep posting your comments and I'll choose someone to feature this week!!!!

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