Quick check in...

I was excited about sleeping in this morning. Silly me, my back decided differently so I will just plan on napping later.

Had a very productive week over all even with my behavioral issues (lol) every time I felt myself losing my temper I went and worked on a project. Been doing a lot of papercraft this week.

Yesterday I decided to break in my new cutting mat and I completed a full gift tag set, repaired and then completely revamped a writing box and upcycled & rebound some leftover materials into a nice journal.

It was a hard week but it was a good one too.

Question of the Week #68

I was stuck on the couch for a good part of this weekend so I made the most of it and played with some beading and paper projects while binge-watching The Tudors, Once Upon A Time and Game of Thrones. Mmmmm...love looking at the jewelry and clothes on The Tudors, lol.

Do you sometimes watch TV while crafting or making art?

Which TV shows, networks, or channels (even Youtube channels) entertain you
with creativity?


Looking forward to hearing your answers!

Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Question of the Week #61

We have several financial and business questions this week from different members and some have asked to stay anonymous so I'm going to post the questions and a little information as to the background concerning these questions (but no identifying information).

Some of us get Medicare (USA) and are in that and other income based assistance programs. Without these programs we wouldn't be able to get prescriptions or even (some of us) have our insurance co-pay covered. There are both financial limits as to what you can make at both the federal and state level. If your part time income goes above a certain amount you not only lose the coverage from the assistance based program but have to pay back for all the coverage that was provided from the beginning of the year and/or have to pay for coverage out of pocket which is impossible on a fixed income even exceeding the part time income limit (the gap is huge).

So you can’t afford to let your income go above the limit for the state or federal plan.

Yet you know your stuff is good, and you would like to be able to sell it and you are kinda caught between the rock and the hard place.

Questions this week:

Has anyone faced the situation of wanting to sell what is created, but facing the restrictions imposed by income-based assistance programs?

Has anyone found a way to sell and stay under the limits or go above and succeed?

And if you are, please tell us,  how is it going?


And our second set of questions is about the business side of your business:

How does everyone run their business legally, with as little $ as possible?

Can you keep selling at shows, if you have more than 4 years straight losses?

How--with SS# and full name, or with Tax ID?  The IRS.gov lists questions to ask to see if u require tax ID, but says nothing about the 4 yr loss thing (2 accountants have said that), or selling at shows.


Looking forward to hearing your answers!


Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Question of the Week # 58

When I first started working with wire I would sometimes actually cut the ends/sides of my fingers (or poke them) when working with finer gauge wire so I started using those rubber finger pads you can get from office supply stores, for "sorting" papers--they look like rubber thimbles. I use several on my left (anchor) hand and two (index finger and thumb) on my right (pliers hand) and since they cover the joints closest to the fingernails and provide some grip as well I've had a lot less problems when working with finer wire.

Questions this week:

What is your best adaptive trick when making art or working on a project (any kind of art)? What helps make things easier for you as a disabled artist?


Looking forward to hearing your answers!


Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Playing around when I've been stuck on the couch lately

 I lose hours sometimes when I'm just playing like this :) I've had a little Halloween fun on the brain recently:

Spider King pendant

I normally don't like spiders but I wanted to see if a could make a "cute" one...one that would be an adorable focal on a necklace. I love this little guy :)

Orange and Black Halloween pendant

Black floral wire (wiped a myriad of times to remove the excess powder from the paint) and some orphan beads. I think I am going to make an orphan bead and black wire chain for this pendant, I really like the way it turned out.

Thank God for Netflix (been watching all kinds of documentaries) and wire, pliers & beads!!!

Happy Wednesday :)

Question of the Week #57

First I would like to remind everyone to please help keep our questions of the month more interesting by emailing suggestions to me and I'll get them up here as soon as I can :)

So here's our question this week and it comes from Jenny who thought of this great question during her visit with Diane. She was feeling very happy and sentimental and it got her to wondering what PCASG has done or given to each member.

What has PCASG done or given to you? What have you gotten out of being a member?

Looking forward to hearing your answers!


Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)


Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Question of the Week #56

First I would like to remind everyone to please help keep our questions of the month more interesting by emailing suggestions to me :)

Sometimes I love to hit a bunch of garage sales for old craft & art supplies to pick up on the super cheap.

Beads never "go bad" like fiber, paint and glue can but you can get some great tools for a steal as well. Crochet hooks, knitting needles, sewing stuff, rivet/eyelet punches, scissors, scrap booking/papercrafting stuff...the list goes on and on.

The key is to keep an open mind and have fun :) I love finding vintage crafting stuff or "future project" items for little or no $. Other places for the specific items I go online or locally.

So the questions for this week are:

What is your favorite way to collect art supplies? Whether you make jewelry, paint, etc. Do you collect over time when traveling? Is there a favorite website for you to get things only as you need them? Share how you get your supplies.


Looking forward to hearing your answers!

Again, please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Question of the Week #55

Keeping it short and sweet this week:

OK...Who is working on the Creative Group Challenge and what are you making? Remember, the (soft due date) tentative deadline is August first :)


Looking forward to hearing your answers!


Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Question of the Week #54

The "Sunday Morning Craftiness" Studio

So yesterday I loaded up a bag with some beading supplies and went to my Mom's for "Sunday Morning Craftiness" (that's what we are calling it anyway, lol). 

One of my mom's many hobbies is quilting and she's really good but as her Parkinson's progresses she has more troubles so she's trying to get some specialty quilts she's always wanted to do crossed off her list before she's back to "grade school level" (her words, not mine, I never progressed above high school level in most areas of sewing, lol). She's currently working on a puffy quilt for one of my brothers for his birthday (July 7th) and we needed to put in a major crafting session since she wants to present it to him on the 4th. It's a king size quilt so even with her previous dexterity she would still have needed help with this large amount of fabric.

I brought my beads so she could work on her project and I mine and when she needed a hand stretching or pinning (about the extent of my skills in quilting) I could just jump up and help out. It's fun because she's got this huge long dining room table and we set up tv trays beside our respective chairs to hold our tools to keep the table from getting too cluttered for the actual projects and she likes to listen to an old time radio program (and I don't mind a bit) and we talk and sip our coffee while crafting.

One of the things we talked about was our "game plan" for Independence Day festivities--- we are having a grill fest and all but one of my siblings and their children will be attending. At last count I have 18 nieces and nephews ranging in age from 24 yrs to 6 1/2 months old. At least 14 of them are going to be in attendance. The weather is supposed to be nice so we've made sure to have the big swim rafts ready and I'm picking up some bubbles for the smaller kids on Thursday and let me tell you, I am really looking forward to all that bubble blowing and wet kid chaos!

I still have a bunch to do though and I am really enjoying getting the opportunity to get a lot of stuff done ahead so most of the entertaining prep work is minimized on the actual day. I know some of you don't celebrate this holiday but it made me wonder what everyone else is doing this week. Holiday prep or not, going out or staying home, I know everyone is doing something...even if it's just resting and recuperating.

and there is this week's question:

What is on your schedule for this week? Bunches? Nothing? Is there something in particular you are looking forward to this week? Care to share?


OK...Looking forward to hearing your answers!

Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Chaos Control

I know with all my posts where I'm talking about cleaning cleaning cleaning and exhausted from all that cleaning you'd think my house would be spotless right?

Nope.

It takes me a long to time to clean anything, I'm slow but I try because it's a never ending battle to fight the disorganization around here. I have areas of rampant chaos that I try to keep from bleeding into the rest of the house and I lose stuff all the time.

I'm not the only one who lives here so sometimes I'm afraid to set something down because I literally might not see it again for months or EVER.

Going through all this stuff lately has led me to two realizations: I have a lot of stuff. A bunch of art and craft stuff and so on...

But the other people who live here have even MORE!

OK, off on a major purge and donate mission and if they don't want to do that all they have to do is put it in their area and get it out of mine. So I can put mine away at least. Here's hoping anyway!!! :)

Question of the Week #52

I normally don't do much (or any) seasonal specific designs and I usually don't offer them for sale online if I do. (I posted about this at length yesterday, sorry if any of it seems repetitive.)

Usually any holiday specific jewelry or projects that I make are gifts, with a specific recipient in mind. An example is if a friend has a birthday in early October (and likes Halloween, lol) then I'll make them a gift they can wear for the holiday. Same with Christmas. With November I tend to make seasonal (Fall) themed jewelry rather than Thanksgiving but I'm sure you get the idea.

Now, that said...(lol) One of my goals on my 2014 list concerning my etsy store is to increase my listings and seasonal sales, specifically targeting the three commercially big U.S. holidays in Fall and Winter. AND make and offer some seasonal specific jewelry too PLUS all the fun vintage stuff we have been finding to list online as well. (Oh boy do I love the vintage holiday decorations! LOL)

From what I've found online it is generally considered best to start selling for the holidays at least 12-14 weeks ahead, especially for the Christmas season.

That would mean around September 16th for Christmas, around August 21st for Thanksgiving and around July 25th for Halloween!

I'm thinking that is pushing it a little too much to go all out (really? lol) but if I start listing holiday items low key with just a note or a reminder here and there reminding people about their upcoming gift lists...well maybe.

I chose June 15th for the start of my designing and crafting for the fall season but I am still working out listing dates and deadlines.

I just want to be ready and front and center when the holiday season hits full bore for once just to see how it goes and that takes a lot of planning to get to "do" the holiday season and enjoy it too. My slogan for my goal list (multi-year goal list BTW) has been "In it to win it" and so far it's been "try to get in it...try..." so this is a step IN (yay!)

Right now though I am enjoying focusing on the season I am preparing for and fully savoring checking off another goal on my list. 

I've got two questions again this week:

If you have a goal list, how are you doing on it? Care to share? :)

and

Halloween in June and Christmas in July...is anyone planning on major listing increases and/or increasing online sales this coming holiday season? It doesn't have to be seasonal/holiday specific, just more offerings as gift items etc.

OK...Looking forward to hearing your answers!

Please remember to submit your suggestions and questions to: spdychevy@gmail.com with Question in the subject line and we'll get your question up here soon!

Happy Monday to all :)

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Facebook Group

Short and sweet link to the PCASG Blog

Christmas in July means Halloween (and Thanksgiving) in June

I don't know if you've all heard the phrase "Christmas in July". I have but I have always associated with it differently than the definition found here on Wikipedia: Christmas in July

As to the "Christmas in July" article above, I really don't know much about it and that is not what I am talking about here.

I am talking about a phenomenon that used to exist in the world of periodicals and magazines. I don't know if still exists in this sped up world of easy push button desktop publishing but when I sat down at the end of last December to write down my wishes and goals for the coming year I kept thinking of this marketing preparation concept and how it could relate to increased online sales in my store.

I have been mindful of this marketing preparation because "back in the day" (about 10-15 years ago, lol) in the writing world, this is when print magazines were prepping their holiday features and spreads for the holiday editions. So if you wanted to pitch a Christmas article you needed to be pitching in May because you'd be writing in June for a July article and photo spread deadline. It was the same way with Thanksgiving & Halloween but of course plan even earlier.

I normally don't do much (or any) seasonal specific designs and I usually don't offer them for sale online if I do.

One of my goals on my list concerning my etsy store is to increase my listings and seasonal sales, specifically targeting the three commercially big U.S. holidays in Fall and Winter. AND make and offer seasonal specific jewelry too PLUS all the fun vintage stuff we have been finding to list online as well. (Oh boy do I love the vintage holiday decorations! LOL)

Keeping the "Christmas in July" preparation in mind I planned on designing and making some projects earlier than that to be finished, photographed, inventoried and ready for listing.

Checking the etsy listing length dates was another thing that I had to check and coordinate as I list a shipping deadline for each holiday about 5 business days in advance of each particular holiday. For instance, my shipping deadline for Thanksgiving 2014 (November 27th) is November 20th but the Christmas shipping deadline is a full 7 business days (December 16th) before the actual holiday due to the inevitable "mail crush" that happens to slow up the mail every year. I don't want seasonal listings (unless they are a holiday "overlap" such as Fall/Harvest/Halloween (some) and Thanksgiving) to run past the shipping deadline date. I calculate etsy listing date lengths so that I can tailor my listing end dates to the precise shipping deadline date.

What all this planning and preparation means is that June 15th is my kick off for designing, making, photographing and writing listing copy for the 2014 Holiday season...

If any PCASG member is interested in joining me in this silly adventure of crafting for Fall and Winter in the Summer, please let me know and maybe we could share our progress (or stumbling blocks lol) with each other.

So Happy Halloween in June so to speak :) I'm knee deep in black and orange and pumpkins this afternoon. Hopefully with more pictures and progress updates coming soon :)

Update of sorts

Been trying to get motivated and get off the couch but between the loperamide making me sleepy and the chronic fatigue coupled with my recent foot injury making me tired as well, I've not achieved much of anything except binge watching Hart of Dixie on Netflix to avoid binging on Orange is the New Black all at once. I waited so long for season two of ONB I'm trying to string it out and enjoy it as long as possible :)

The weather has been pretty nice lately and it hasn't rained but it hasn't warmed up either. All in all it's been a pretty chilly June.

I've gotten some little stuff done here and there but most of this week I've been napping or on the couch. It's hard not to get down when I'm physically unable to do the things I need or the do the activities I want. So far I've been keeping those bummed feelings about what I haven't gotten done at bay by remembering all the stuff I have gotten done.

I won't go into the list here but I accomplished some major monthly chores for the household and did some work on several projects I've been wanting to play with for ages :) Just the enjoyment of getting to work on little things here and there helps counteract the "blahs" when I'm feeling like a definite underachiever.

One of my biggest disappointments has been wanting to write more posts here on the blog and not having done it for so many different reasons: too tired, too uncomfortable, to yukky too...all just a bunch of excuses because I really haven't been ready to face how horrible I was feeling. Now that I am feeling a little better I can admit how horrible I actually was feeling. Does that make any sense?

I just find it hard to write about anything when I feel like I haven't done anything lately but loll on the couch. BUT as I said, that's not true, I've done some stuff, really, lol. And in theory I have many things to write about but this feeling of being unproductive by feeling shackled to the couch is overwhelming at times and presents a huge mental hurdle in addition to the obvious physical obstacles I'm trying to overcome. Sometimes it's the only thing I can think about....or expend energy avoiding thinking about.

This "choosing your attitude" is some pretty hard work but it does work :)

Of course, now all I'm thinking about is the nap I'm feeling coming up. So, off to do that with no guilt, I earned it :)

Well, it's been rough lately but it's getting better

The weather has "turned" and Spring is definitely here :) which is good news for my weary body because Spring is closer to Summer.

Summer is the best time of year for me and *THIS* is going to be an awesome Summer!

Why?

Well, for one, I will be feeling better ( I almost said like a "human being" but the truth is, I always feel like a human being but usually a pathetic painful lump of one) and my activity level will up as well the nicer the weather gets. I'm looking forward to staying off the couch and out of bed as much as possible and being outside. It's almost time to hang the hammocks out and pull out the yard furniture and get everything ready for the nice weather. Weather permitting we eat dinner outside 4-5 times a week in the warmer months. We'll have a fire going in the pit and chill out after dinner and watch the stars come out.

Really looking forward to it :)

But first, getting the yard and camping lots (next door to the house) ready. Cleaning up the winter storms debris, pulling out all the stuff we put in storage last fall and general spring clean up.

I'm really looking forward to some time playing in the dirt in the garden and working in the yard. I am currently considering raising my raised beds up about 3 more feet to make it easier for me to work in the garden but it is looking like that will be a project for next season. I've already seeded some of my starts indoors and will be moving them out soon. (Pictures coming soon, I promise). I've got the usual favorite herbs, salsa & salad fixings, several more types of Indian corn and of course a varied assortment of pumpkins, squash, zucchini etc...

Oh the anticipation :)

For now, I am heading to bed as this was "therapy day" and it's been a long day anyway. I'll be back soon I promise :) I've got the "before" pics of my pot rack project I'll be posting soon and I want to do "before" pics of the yard and grounds as well and get them up here. I've got some great yard and garden art that is going to be placed this year and I'm really excited about figuring out where it will go.

OKOKOKOK...I really have to go to bed so for now:

goodnight!!!

Spring? Where?

So, this crappy damp cold weather has been kicking my butt. I've been been really struggling to get the basic stuff done let alone planting and remodeling and ugh. I'm just now coming out of a several day haze. I slept mostly. And was still tired. I'm feeling a little better so YAY, even though these last few days are a bit of a fog.

But I did finally get some of the planting done. I got the corn, kale, sunflowers and pumpkins planted. So still waiting to do the tomatoes and peppers and still seeding the rest. Still, looking better. This weather had been ridiculous though, rain, rain, rain, stormy rain and drizzle oh...and did I mention rain? Yeah. Rain.

My desk is set up in the studio but I've been too crippled up to get out there to attempt to do anything, let alone sit in the chair. It's very frustrating but it is going. Slowly yes, but going. I'm just very tired of waiting is all. There is progress being made and that's what counts :)

I am excited about a project I am doing with some other physically challenged artists this upcoming month, aka "Bead Soup" which reminds me, I have to go get my packet I'm mailing out ready to go for tomorrow...the deal is we come up with $20 worth of beads out of our current stash (no findings,wire, clasps, etc, JUST beads) and send it to our swap partner who will do the same with theirs. We take a pic of the beads we receive and then a pic of the finished product we made with the bead soup we were sent. Then we share the pics. There are about 20 plus of us doing it so there are going to be some great projects to be seeing at the end of this :)

Now...I better go get that packet ready! :)

Surfin' Sunday: Dec 9th, 2012

Ok, so we all know it's "Surfin Sunday" in my house and I go all the places on the internet I've been wanting to go all week (yeah, I even make a list sometimes, lol) instead of working or fb or etsy or... you get the picture :)

Today was pretty fun and I'm wiped out (big surprise ha?) and almost ready to turn over the computer to somebody else for awhile.

First I went over to some blogs I made a list of this week. I got my eyes *full* of lots of great stuff people are writing about, cooking, crafting etc. Here is a partial list:
http://allrecipes.com/

http://homefront.prudentliving.com/prudent-pantry-gifts-in-jars/

http://www.bhg.com/christmas/crafts/handmade-holiday-projects/#page=16

http://mydailyphotojourney.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-centerpiece.html#

 but I spent most of my time at http://www.thecraftyblogstalker.com/

There is a whole series of "What can you do with..." craft articles. Wood pallets, pool noodles (known as "floaties" around our house), altoids tins, embroidery hoops and even things to make with old Crystal Light containers. I must admit, I was intrigued by all but especially the Crystal Light containers. I recycle Crystal light containers for many things but it usually just involves taking the label off and either putting my own label on or writing directly on the label-less container with a sharpie and putting the stuff in etc. I use them for holding many small items for camping: strike-anywhere matches, household matchbooks, toothpicks, AAA & AA batteries, plastic silverware, sunglasses cases, mini first aid kits, portable/disposable lidded glasses, small kitchen items (corn on the cob holders), fill them with water & freeze them for the "mini-coolers" and I use them in the studio for crafty stuff, odds & ends, brushes and...well, pretty much anything I can "stuff" in them, label the thing & be done. So I was intrigued as to what other uses they might have. Post was worth the anticipation and the others were just as interesting too.
wood pallets
pool noodles (known as "floaties" around our house)
altoid tins
embroidery hoops
crystal light containers

Then I went over to pinterest and looked at pictures. Y'all know how I like pictures :) and there is a ton on pinterest. Lovely lovely photographs of nature and babies and Christmas and...and...and... oh yeah. Lots of nice pictures :)

Other places of fun I visited were:
Pacific Science Center
Smithsonian Museum Collections
MOG: Museum of Glass (Tacoma)
Royal BC Museum: Thunderbird Park

I want to go back to the Royal BC this coming spring and take the kids. I want to go back so much I'd go without the kids if I had to. I love this place, it's so amazing. And...I want to go see Tut before he leaves North American for good. Had a good time perusing the Smithsonian collections and of course I had to go visit some Chihuly works. Sigh...glass...light...sigh...pretty...

Then I went and looked up this recipe I've been wanting to try: Spiced Apple Cider Vinegar Caramels over at WonkyWonderful.com
I'm excited to try this recipe but not today, I've got something else in the works today so maybe mid-week I'll do it. Gotta remind myself later. This pic will definitely help me remember :)

I also went and looked up my recipe for
Ratatouille
Because I've been thinking about it for a bit and I want to try a modified game version of ratatouille with elk. I'm crazy inventive that way (lol). No...it just sounds good. Since ratatouille can be so labor intensive, I've been thinking about an easy going recipe that the steps can be done somewhat leisurely for people like me. People like me who like to cook but sometimes forget they are cooking and take a nap (sometimes until the next morning).
 I marinated the elk (cube steak, diced) in a basalmic herb mixture overnight (oh shut up, it is *not* overkill! It is not! It just means it's really, really REALLY tenderized now. I just forgot---sh! dang internal editor) and then I threw my diced up summer squash, onions, garlic, zucchini, tomatoes etc with about a quart of water into the crock pot on low for few hours. I let it cool enough to transfer to a strainer and reserved the liquid ---this is where having more than one crockpot comes in handy. As a bonus, I have vegetable broth on the side later for other stuff :)

I have all that done so now I'm going to get off of here and complete the final steps for this and throw it in the casserole dish and pop it in the oven. In theory this is all going to go well and smooth. Get back to you on that one...
I am in SUCH a GOOD mood :)
I LOVE SURFIN' SUNDAYS!!!