It’s been unusual in the work space this week. I’m completely frazzled and overwhelmed because I’m sorting through lots of glass goodies, substrates, plastic dohickey’s and gizmos and gadgets. It is wonderful to have all these inspiring things around me … I just don’t know where to put them! My space is small. I’m on the prowl at the local thrift stores for shelving and other unique things to use to help store all of these wonderful things!
MDF and wooden pieces to be primed before they can get a mosaic on them.
When I re-organize and clean, the concept is the same as what most people do, I imagine. I pull everything completely out of a box, sort it (depending on what it is, it could be sorted by color or by some other great label I’ve given it) and figure out what to do with it once sorted. Sometimes it all goes back into the box I just emptied because I have no idea how to keep it sorted. Budget is tight and buying cool organizers with lots of bins, or glass containers, or even simple plastic boxes can’t be done. I have to use what is available to me, so that becomes the challenge.
Assorted decorative gems in glass jars on my windowsill. So pretty in the sunlight!
Shoe box sized plastic container filled with yummy stained glass. I’d like to sort them again once all are in containers by color for easier viewing and use.
Only a portion of the blue and white collection sit on the floor. Many shards of all kinds and colors, not just blue and white, are still in boxes waiting to be given a place within the room.
An unfinished mosaic wooden holder (probably for mail, plastic ware or paper napkins?) sitting on the floor on top of large dishes holds saucers and small souvenir plates, ashtrays and what-have-yous. I need to finish this holder …
Something wonderful happened when I was cleaning up this past week. I think of things along the clean-up process to do with things I’ve found to use in some future project. I’m sure others do that too. That made me know the muse was coming back to life. Sometimes I stop to create right then and there and then go back to cleaning. That could be why it’s taking me a while. 🙂
I discovered a slew of business cards and post cards now no longer current, with my mosaics on one side and out-of-date info on the back. I found close to a full medium sized box worth in all sizes. I tossed a small handful of the cards back into the box as I was trying to figure out what to do with them and I saw a flash of lovely colors! I knew I could use them for paper art!
I cut up some of the cards while watching something from a DVD on my computer that night and the next day I had a great selection of things to play with.
Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose
What transpired was a day filled with creativity instead of cleaning! Yay!
I have some patterns and design templates from a craft club I belonged to in the mid 1990’s in a few binders and found quite a few things that I could adapt for my mosaics. I found a lot of inspiration by looking through these. The pattern below was actually supposed to be a wing of an angel. I saw something different. 😉
The Groovy Chicken
It took a full 8 hours to do this with many stops and starts during the day but it was so much fun and I’m anxious to do more! I want to add a few more pieces in the background for feathers and egg shells. I also want to paint around the chicken and the egg too. Because it’s on card stock and not that sturdy, I might glue it to a piece of wood or MDF. Maybe I could make a mosaic in glass tiles around it giving it a finished frame look??
As you can see, my creative muse is back but only working part time. I’m fine with that. Life is hectic and the studio is in shambles. Whenever a little bit of fun comes creeping out to play, I am ready and go with it when I can! Woo-hoo!!
In other news: I’ve opened another online shop on indiemade.com this week. I was going to do a full fledged announcement and promote like crazy but the household has been sick with bugs of all kinds and I’ve been adding only a few things a day on the site. Continuing to do this daily until it has all the items in it I want to sell may take a while. I also am not sure I like the set up just yet so it will be a while before I feel settled in it. Once I am, the promotion and marketing will go into full swing.
I am pleased to have another avenue in which to share my art. I’ve stopped using artsyhome.com because it just didn’t settle right in my heart that I had to charge so much in order to give them the commission they were asking for. It is a great website for those who have large pieces of fine art and can charge a few hundred dollars without blinking an eye. Someone said it’s where “real art collectors” go. I don’t know that I care about that. I like my mosaics to go to a home that appreciates them or to be given as a gift for someone special on a special day. “Fine art” doesn’t describe most of my work. After thinking about it for quite some time, I knew artsyhome.com was not the right fit for me. My work got quite a few “hits” but not one person wrote to ask questions about the pieces nor did I make a sale. My shop on artsyhome.com is not closed but it is empty. I always want at least 2 places on the web where I can sell my mosaics. That means indiemade.com is the right choice for me right now. I am always willing to try something new and have been through many transformations looking for something that fits me well.
Not all of the areas on the site have things in them yet, but check it out when you have the chance. Feedback is always welcome!
http://earthmothermosaics.indiemade.com/
Be at Peace.
☼-EarthMotherMosaics
©2012 Cindy White, EarthMotherMosaics
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