Inspiration of Sutton's Bay

We just got back from a Wonderful vacation near Traverse City Michigan. One of my favorite towns is Sutton's Bay. It is a very ART rich community.



My favorite gallery was the Michigan Artists Gallery. The art collected there seemed to be all made out of bits and pieces of stuff. Who would have guessed to wonderful things that can be created with "junk"??

Well, the two week break and my day trip in Sutton's Bay inspired a new design style that I'd like to try for a while. It's really a collage style as it is mix of just everyday items. Cast-offs, bits and piece of stuff that finds it's way to the bottom of junk drawers.

Have some fun with me and create a bit out of "nothing". The first kit is due to hit the DSP store some time today.



My Products

Dashboard Issues

As an apprentice designer, it is up to me to get my products as well as the product descriptions loaded on to the dashboard of the store. When I tried, I discovered that my password was not working. Not one to accept defeat, I decided to load the kits and their descriptions to my own dashboard.



Something tells me that this will not be as effective for sales. It was good for several laughs though.


My password did finally work for me this morning so I was able to get everything loaded in...twice I think! I really am not sure if I did things right but it seemed right to me. At least more right than loading them to the dashboard of a Ponitac Vibe.

Housework isn't worth it.

Okay, so call me a slow learner.

Many days, I work at the kitchen table now that the man-child (my 17 year-old nephew) has taken over the extra bedroom. The table was full of StarWars Lego storm troopers as well as an assortment of StarWars Lego ships and various lego pieces. There was also a bit of something unknown adhered to the table that was likely left over from breakfast. All around me were signs that OTHER people live in this house. Not that any of this stuff belongs in the main areas of the house. These people have their areas. Why do their things end up all over? Are they like cats and have to mark their territory in some way?

So after a day of working on new kit stuff with storm troopers staring me in the face the entire time, I gave up and decided to crack the whip on everyone in the house. The man-child had to clean the boy's bathroom that looks like it should be in a frat house and my darling son needed to de-Lego the main section of the house. I thought I would take the small tank vac and collect some of the giant size fur balls and dust bunnies that were lurking about every where.

As I was doing the wood stairs, the dog was running up and down them barking at me. So now the fur balls are floating in the air and I am just catching the mid air with the vacuum all while the dog is running laps along the stairs and barking at me. She got to the top and I had had enough. I thought what the heck, the fur is coming from her anyway. Why not get it before it forms balls in the corners? So I took the vacuum to her.

I quite literally scared the pee out of her. She left a giant puddle at the top of the stairs. It is cream carpet at the top of the stairs. I finished the top two steps with the vacuum while she ran past me down the stairs. My son brought me paper towels to soak up the mess. Oh fun.

The best part though...

I had no idea that the dog still had the stream of piddle going as she ran past me. When I vacuumed those last two steps while waiting on the paper towels...you got it...I sucked up pee.No I have to change the vacuum bag and wash out the hose, tube and fitting that were connected to the vacuum. That's just GROSS.

So I'm beginning to understand why HOUSE WORK just is simply NOT worth it.

Hibernation

I really should be working today. All of my kits are done and ready for the store but still need to be approved. To do that I need to send them off. What is the hold up??? Coming up with a look. I have to label the kit with the title, my name and the site stamp. I want it to be unique and different yet that can be difficult when you are designer #84. There are a lot of designers who have created a look that was both unique and different. There are only so many ways tho package the title, desiner name and store stamp. So that's my excuse for the day for the reason that I can not work. The fact that it is Sunday and rather gloomy out is not helping either. The dog is napping right next to me and it's very likely that I will soon be curled up next to her. Naps are always good.

Age

Now I'm worried! Digital Scrapbook Place asked for a head shot of myself so I had my son take a picture of me last night. Several in fact but finally I declared that the one on the right would do. The picture on the left is from two years ago. I look as if I have aged a whole lot more than just two years.

The girl on the left looks as if she is full of fun and creativity. She looks like she spends her days doing interesting activities. The woman on the right looks she's got a load of laundry in the washer and just needs to get the picture taken so she can move on to the dinner dishes.

This is so not what I think of as a picture of a designer. That picture will likely bug the snot out of me until I can get a new picture of myself. One where I don't look like I am 40 and somebody's mom. Not that being 40 and someone's mom is a bad thing, it's just not what I think of when I think of designer. A designer is some one who travels the globe for inspiration not someone who digs dog toys out from under the couch so the dog will quit whining.

I was bummed to have to write my own bio as well. You see, I have a published author of more than a dozen books as a girlfriend and wanted to have her write it for me. BUT she is on vacation right now and the bio needed to get done. I don't think I did half bad for a home hack but I think Lisa Wingate would have made me sound soooooo much more interesting.

After all, I'm a designer now. I can't be boring and frumpy!

My space

So I have discovered that if I hide out in the basement, no one will bother me.


The basement is great because all of my creative junk is down here. Yes, it's junk. I'd have to be crazy to say this stuff is valuable to anyone in it's present stage. There are 5 chairs is various stages of re-upholstery, two commercial embroidery machines that could really use their annual tune up, three computers (they are all on and in use by me today) two printers, a broken fax machine, the old couch and love seat from the first year of our marriage, a bean bag chair also from the first year of our marriage, totes filled with fabric, lace, yarn, paint, buttons, silk flowers, and patterns, an iron sitting on an ironing board, a heat press, a nortic trak exercise machine covered in dust, a drum set, a plastic playhouse and workbench, Fisher Price toys that are nearly as old as I am, probably 200 or so matchbox cars, several rubber frogs, marbles (those are fun to step on), two totes full of stuffed animals, and a 50 gallon trash can filled with scrap fabric that looks as if it exploded...yeah, I got in to it for inspiration.


Only the dog and the kid come down here to stay. Just a treasure trove of stuff down here for the dog and for the kid, it's an area that is already a mess just begging to be messed up more. One day it might be finished and be this great looking place. If it does happen, I sure hope I don't loose the creativity that is always in the air down here.

This is my for real work desk. And it actually looks pretty good in this picture.

Above is the first embroidery machine I bought in 1994 and below is the one that was purchased in 1998. Both are old and most days crankier than I am.

Would ya just look at all of that cool crap. Just oodles and oodles of it!!!!!

Above is the main sewing area. The old Dell computer is there. It is the only one old enough to "talk" to the older embroidery machine. Next to that is the broken fax machine. I really need to fix that. Then there is my sewing table. Notice the heater for my feet.

Below is the heat press and iron. Oh and my mud boots for outside.

Here is a school project for Zak in progress along with a jumprope uniform shirt waiting to be cut out and the bag of chips that go with everything.

More really good crap. Just look at it all! It's AWESOME.

Do ya like my Christmas lights. They may not offer up the best light but they sure do add to the charater of the place.

Yes, I should probably be ashamed of myself for having a disaster area as my treasured work zone but don't. I mean, LOOK AT IT ALL, it is a breeding ground for CREATIVITY!!!!!

The new Gig

Guess What?

I'm a designer.

Finally after three attempts.

I start Feburary 1st at DigitalScrapbookPlace.

Yeah!!!!!