And what is it you do?

I get asked that question often, but mostly as a "polite conversation starter". And when forced to answer "what do you do?" I find I never have a really good answer. (I get distracted thinking about how to explain it QUICKLY..Don't you love this cloth belt and leopard buckle?)
I try to explain that to be good at what I do (be a creative consultant slash computer geek-squad for a pattern designer), I must shop, browse, surf the web, read blogs, tear pages from magazines and create like a mad woman now and then.. But I've usually lost the interest of the person questioning me by this time.
I have actually quit telling people that I work unless I think they REALLY care, or have an imagination, or at least ten minutes to kill. Because describing it just sounds like having a tea party with friends and makes some people really mad.
I have been fortunate to find a place to work in which creativity is essential, desirable, in-demand and most appreciated and ENCOURAGED. I have mentioned in the past that I have enjoyed working in a fine group of women that comprise Jackie Clark's design team. Jackie just finished publishing two new patterns which you can find on her website http://www.jackieclarkdesigns.com/ or by following the link in the title of this post and clicking "Patterns and Books". My favorite of all her patterns is one of the new ones, Midnight Breeze. I LOVE to look at it and think about what fabric I would use. Right now the team is setting up Jackie's booth for Fall market - Can't wait!
When I first began working with this wonderful team, Jackie was beginning a project book, since starting with her last year at this time, she has published two project books, two patterns, gone to Spring Market to firm up a new fabric line and is about to finish another pattern before Fall Market.
(I made a few scarves, a couple of necklaces, a scrapbook and some dinner reservations last year, but that's about it). Watching this process, being involved in it, having your opinion shape into decisions that you can watch become a reality.. and see a response to it all - EXCITING, I tell you!
So if you've never seen what Jackie does (or can't figure out what I do) visit her website. I just help with whatever is on the agenda, help with orders and computer geek stuff.. But I love watching the progression of Jackie's ideas, seeing them come to fruition over the course of several months hard work. I love hearing the response the public is having to Jackie's work.. and knowing I was part of that process. This is an exciting time for her, I am so happy to be able to participate.

As if..

Lately I find myself crafting more, blogging less. These are gift bags I decorated with leftover scrapping supplies. Each gift was a piece of jewelry for the ladies I work with at Jackie Clark Designs. I can't stop making things, and they are often the recipients of my craft experiments or my shopping spree's from the week between our meetings.
This little charm is a scaled down copy of the front cover of Jackie's project book "A Mother's Love". It was a gift for Beverly, who is part of Jackie's design team and who is the proud mother of the cover model, Courtney. Courtney's son (Bev's first grandchild) is the beautiful baby model on this cover. When I made the charm bracelet for Jackie, I thought it would be a sweet keep sake for Bev or for Courtney to have a charm as well.
For Jackie, I found this darling little sewing machine and added a sterling and turquoise heart charm from an old necklace I had. I LOVE to remake things. The tags are scrapping supplies that were left over from other projects. I made some earrings for Claudia, but the photo didn't turn out so great.
When I am not making messes, I am resting on the couch and watching television, dreaming of the things I want to do next, avoiding house work and hoping no one notices. The dogs always notice and are delighted that I am lying prone for a snuggle.
This is the chaos of moving my craft room again, sorting clothes for the garage sale we had last month and evidence that I shouldn't ever step foot into another thrift store again. It boggles the mind that I have time to lie on the couch which is hidden behind this bohemoth mountain of clothing and fabric. AS IF.. No, I don't have time, but I do try to make the time, isn't that right, Ladies?

Busy Body

Buttons! I have been cleaning up the craft room and sorting through goodie piles. I have a button drawer that was originally my mothers. I got to take possession of it since I am the resident sewer/crafter and she has no room at the Hoffice. The L pin was my grandmother, LaVonne's lapel pin. I got that too, because my daughter's name is Lauren. I dug out the buttons the other day to work on a scrapbook project and also to see if there were any jewelry components floating around in there.. I was making a bracelet and the hunting gathering part of it is the most fun for me. I always have ten times the number of trinkets that I could ever put on one piece of jewelry.. but one doesn't want to second guess a creative spurt.
This tray holds the scrapbook piece, it is going into a project book that the girls at JCD get to create for Jackie to show as examples of the notebook cover pattern that is in her new project book, Sweetest Gifts, by Jackie Clark. Jackie and Beverly and I were making one inch i.d. tags for samples from each of her patterns and books that she is sending to be used as a display at market.. a "trunk show". With the tags attached, you can see at a glance what book the pattern came from. The stinkin tags were so cute that I fell in love with the idea of making charms out of them.
Then there was a frenzy of OOHs and OHs and we all dropped what we were doing to discuss how that could be done?? Beverly asked Jackie where her Sally Jean Alexander book was so they could show me her work. WELL.. it was hard to go back to work after that. I was ready to go out and buy a welding tool, some silver tape and a stack of glass so I could make these CHARMS! Thank goodness I remembered I can't take on EVERY craft project.. I have to pace myself as to how much equipment and junk I want drug through the house. I reasoned that I could find a pre-fabbed charm.. and so glad I did. They weren't difficult to use, they were reasonably priced and I loved that they were ready to go! The word charms were fun to add colored beads to and bring out the colors on the pattern covers. They say Faith, Create, Journey, Humble, Inspire, Wish, and Spirit. I couldn't think of better words to describe Jackie or her business or her mission. Beverly and Claudia helped me make decisions and helped me pay for the trinkets and bracelet. We gave it to her as a gift on Thursday last week. I so enjoy when we can surprise her and find something she doesn't already have! Within minutes, you could see the wheels a-turnin'.. Claudia said, she's gonna want to make it a necklace - you watch. And we spent the rest of the day working at the big table watching Jackie dig through beads and building an extension so she could wear it as a bracelet or a necklace. I love it!

Lillies

These were an Easter gift from Jackie. I have never had lillies before. I see them every year and think how pretty they are, but have never purchased any. They smell wonderful. Transporting them in my car after work yesterday I could smell them all the way home and they were clear in the back of the Jeep. I hope they are hardy enough for my brown thumb. I want to plant them and enjoy them again next year!

Thank you Jackie!

Special brand of crazy

I just don't know anyone who isn't a little bit off kilter. Normal? I'm pretty sure that I visited there once, but wasn't invited to stay. Obsession, compulsion? Don't care, it all costs the same. I love the line from the movie As Good As It Gets when Jack Nickleson's character answers the door and the maid from down the hall asks if he would dog-sit for the scruffy dog Verdell.. (she is telling him what a Christian thing to do to help his neighbor who is in need).. Jack's character says.. "go sell crazy somewhere else.. we're all full up here!"
Crazy livin', I tell you, it's the only kind I know. Throw some normal in there and it's like stepping off the walking treadmill that they have at the airport to move you along faster.. that step from the automated floor to the carpet.. it's a doozy. I am working with Jackie Clark at least once a week now and every time I am there I hear her say, "I know you think I'm crazy.. but.." She's no more crazy than anyone else I know. But we all have our own special brand of crazy, don't we? Sometimes there are several of us gals there at once, sometimes it's just me and Jackie. It doesn't matter, someone will tip the scale of outrageous behavior and give the rest of us a good laugh. Yesterday we were trying to photograph a quilt. The lengths we went to! The laughter, the camaraderie... the only thing that beats a visit to crazytown is finding that your friends are already there, and they saved you a cup of coffee.

Red-eye

Exciting magazine, fabulous blogs, beautiful art, talented writers, fantastic photography. DEDICATION, DEDICATION, DEDICATION. Of course, I must thank Jackie Clark for loaning me this publication.. I dropped as many things off my To Do List as I could get away with to RUSH over and take up her offer to show me the exciting artists featured in this magazine.

I am considering taking out a second mortgage on the house so I can quit working and just create and blog all day, and so I can afford to subscribe to this publication. I give no thought to paying on the 2nd mortgage, way to mundane after all the yummie I have seen today. For inspiration, look no further.