New Little Ideas Coming To Light

I have had one idea after another over the past few weeks. However getting them to work quickly is frustratingly slow.

It's not that I haven't tried - it's money that's the issue. I have little of the money I need and a lot of the ideas which are pouring out of my head and I can't seem to keep up with.

I love that I am having these ideas, but it's the time I don't have to make them work... well, I was hoping to get some of the ideas working by next month, and see how they go. But it seems I have to wait on a few things and see how it all happens while I work on other projects I still have on hand.

There's a commission I am working on - which is taking its sweet time to get going as my brain just isn't switched on into is, because it's from my old work from years ago and I don't do the style I've been asked to do anymore. The customer asked me to do Aboriginal dot and in the colours and I told her I legally can't; but she pushed me about it. I'll have to see what I can do. Deep down, I really don't want to do them because I have my ethics and know I'm not allowed to make that kind of art and sell it. I'm not an Aboriginal and it wouldn't be right.

So, I've made the decision and will not do the pegs the customer asked me to do; and I will have to explain again why. Yes, I'm an artist, but no I can't do those types of designs due to the laws and that I'm not indigenous; and I'm not permitted to sell Aboriginal artwork.

Other ideas are going well, yet slowly - as usual - and I've got around seven coat hangers all in some way either in the beginning, middle or ending stages of being painted. Then, there's the picture frames... oh do I have picture frames! I have new ones from yesterday and then there's other ones from a week or two ago and then there's one I'm donating to Old School Tattoo and Barber Shop for their raffle - the big black one with gold and silver flowers I can't sell at the markets. I can't wait to get into that venture with them. 

So, what have you been up to? Now you know why I haven't been here for a bit. Until my next post, keep creating.

Wet Weekend of Work

This weekend is going to be a wet one... very wet.  Cyclone Marcia is going to affect everyone within coo-ee of it - which includes my city of Brisbane and all the way down past the New South Wales border.

However, this also gives me plenty of time to work on more art and craft than ever.  Now I have enough paint and plenty of magnets all set up, I can have everything worked on at my bench for as long as I wish - even if the power fails on me, as I have a headlamp stored away nearby to attached to me.

So, what do you get up to when the weather turns foul?  After I run out of things to do at my work bench (which will take a while), I'll be reading, writing and cleaning out the house.  Well, keep creating - no matter what the weather!

An Arty Week!

This week, I'm tired; very tired.

But there's a good reason for it.  I've been busy and today has been my first day off to sit down and pretty much do nothing much but paint.

Sunday's Creative Market was small but I made $21.50.  I don't really count the rent on my stall as I've paid it 3 weeks previous, and it's been paid out of another account.  However, not for long.  My sub-account for that will be my main account to be using for the rent and my float and rent will be coming out of that.
Anyway, the Creative Markets were down by 12 stalls this time around unfortunately.  However I was told by other retailer that this isn't anything out of the ordinary when it comes to the beginning of the year, it will pick up when the Markets get going again next month.

I had my lovely little stall working well and quite a few of my friends showed up to see what I had on sale.  Mum showed, but Dad didn't.  Geoff Treagus - a friend of mine - showed but he didn't have any money on him.  And three ladies from the Queen Bees Craft Group showed too.  They were really impressed with my little stall, but they wondered why the markets themselves were so small.  I said that next month will be better.

Yesterday, I went to Garden City and bought some more paint for a commission I had been asked to do by a neighbouring retailer.  She asked me to paint up 24 Crafty Pegs for her in Zig-Zag partial pattern for her in burgendy and silver on mauve.  Very pretty.  I'm halfway through the commission and needed more paint.  I also had to buy some more string for the Cool Pencils so I thought to go for gold and silver so that they looked good when on display - eventually.  

So, what have you been doing lately?  Do let know as we'd love to know about your progressing arts here as you know about mine.  Until my next post, keep creating.

Busy Week - Especially Today

Today, I was hoping it would be a good, slow day of catching up with the small stuff.

I was wrong.

Instead, there was a lot of small stuff, but really it was just fiddly crap I didn't like dealing with, and other stuff I needed to do before the Creative Markets started up again this year.

So, I was out the door before 10am and off to Logan Central Plaza to Go Fabrics where I bought 4 metres of white polycotten to make a throw for displaying the little jugs this month.  I'll reuse the fabric to display the coathangers next month or so that I'm working on; so that won't go to waste.

Anyway, I was off to the Op Shop around the corner to collect a book for an overseas thing I was doing online with Bookcrossing.com.  This didn't take long, but I did get chatting to the lady there.

Once I was back on the road, I headed to Springwood, where the really fiddly bits started for me.  First:  the bank.  I had to get some money out.  Second:  Sam's Warehouse for a box.  Third: the doctor's to drop off a cheque from Medicare.  Then, I was off to Coles where I bought some chocolate and then I was off to Mum and Dad's house after running into some of ladies from Queen Beez Craft Group.  We chatted for a while, and then we went on our way.  

While at Mum and Dad's, I told Mum that I really wanted to get myself a stamp to put on the paper bags I had bought last pay - to make it look cool.  She thought it was a nice idea.  So, she looked up the stamp company she used when she worked at Mt Gravatt Primary School and then we made a plan about the stamp and she called for me, and we had to wait for an e-mail with a quote.  

Not lot ago, we got the e-mail and between us, over the phone, we both talked it out on what the stamp should look like and found it was going to look great.  Well, I hope so... it's just going to be a plain old rubber stamp where I'll need a stamp pad and ink (these two things I can get from Officeworks; easy!) and so I'll be more into the markets than last year... I can't wait!

Three weeks to go before the first Creative Markets on 23rd, February at Springwood State School.  9am - 1pm.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Work Progress

I've decided to work hard on getting as many pegs done as possible... and it's working out well.

Yesterday, I got:

Sprung Pegs:  2
Dolly Pegs:  4
Magna Pegs:  3

I have enough 'Cool Pencils' for the market so I'm only concentrating on pegs right now to get the numbers up.

Today, I got:

Sprung Pegs:  3
Dolly Pegs:  3
Magna Pegs:  1

So, I'm getting a fair bit done in 3 hours each time.  This afternoon, in about an hour's time I'll be back at it until later tonight... then tomorrow I'll record how much I got done all day (as I won't be going to my Craft Day with the ladies at the community centre).  I'll spend the whole day at home working on my pegs.  Then, on Tuesday, I'll varnish and wrap up the pegs I painted up and finished.  Let's just hope the parcel arrives from the UK of Dolly Pegs so I have more to paint tomorrow... if not, I'll report to e-bay what has happened and get them to talk to the retailer I bought them off.
Well, I hope you're being as creative as I am right now.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Work Update...

Since my last update only last week, I've been burning the midnight oil.  I've been working around 6 hours a day - off and on - and making sure I have more than enough stock to work the markets.

It's been hard, and yet a lot of fun to get these things done.  But I've been almost burning myself out - which isn't good.

So, I took a few days off this week and have been happy about doing that.  One of those days was to watch over the Melbourne Cup... where I won in a sweepstakes and at the TAB; both places I won $48!  Sweet!

However, since the last time you were updated, I have gotten a lot more done:

Sprung Pegs:  7 dozen
Dolly Pegs:  3 lots
Cool Pencils:  13
Magna-Pegs:  13

Over the last 24 - 48 hours, I've managed to get in do more work:

Sprung Pegs:  4
Dolly Pegs:  7
Cool Pencils:  7
Manga-Pegs:  5

So, I'm getting a good lot of stock up in just over a week since I last wrote here.  With only 2 1/2 weeks to go, I wonder how much more I'll get done before I go off to the Creative Markets on 24th, November?  With the amount of work I'm doing, plenty I'm guessing.

What work are you doing at the moment?  Are you progressing with it well?  Or is it going slow?  Until my next post, keep creating.

Working, working, working!

As you all know, I'm at The Creative Markets on the southside of Brisbane - in Logan City actually - and I'm looking forward to it!

So far, I've done a lot of work - more than I normally would have; and I'm proud of myself:

2 dozen Sprung pegs
10 Cool Pencils
12 Dolly Pegs
13 Magna-Pegs

And this is all in the last week or so... it's taken me a long time to get it all done, but I am thankful that I've had my Crafty Pegs work station all set up.  And I've also bought a Load&Go card from the post office (this is where I can load money onto it and use it online safely without accumulating debt - even though it's through VISA).  

Well, I'm going to hopefully keep myself busy throughout tomorrow and have this weekend off (as there's a party to go to of my brother's) then keep myself working on everything more!

And to make it more real, I've just paid the rent on my stall at the Creative Markets at Springwood... it's my first markets and I'm kind of excited and scared at the same time!  Woot!  I'm enjoying the fun and games of learning all of this as it comes along.  So, have you done anything like this?  If you have, let me know anything I should know... until my next post, keep creating!

One Busy Month!

It's been one busy time with Crafty Pegs, and I haven't had much time to do anything but paint them up and organise and try and find Dolly Pegs (which are becoming more and more like Hens' Teeth than anything I've ever come across!).

But!  I'm working this out really well.

Since I've completed my Crafty Pegs Work Station, created my Crafty Pegs Facebook Page and organised the business card and - just recently - bought myself a Load&Go Card at the post office, I'm well and truly on the road to getting my butt into this fun and intensely tiring life of my hobby business.  

I've begun buying paint in tubs as they're $6.99 each and will last longer than the tubs - which are $4.99 each.  I've bought myself my first lot of Dolly Pegs off a supplier in the UK for under $20 and they'll be here next week!  Yay!  I've bought myself a roll of sandpaper for when I need to sand down any rough edges.  And what I do is just cut off a small strip and use that until it's worn out and then toss it out and cut off another strip and keep going; and at $11.99 a roll, that roll will be worth it.

The best news I have right now, though, is that I've put my name down at The Creative Markets for next month!  My market stall will be at the Springwood State School Creative Markets on 24th, November - which is a Sunday.  The markets start at 9am and finish at 1pm.  I can't wait!  It's going to be an exhausting day, but I'm hoping it'll work out for me.  Wish me luck!  And if you're in the Brisbane area, come by and have a look at my stall - as well as the other people's stalls! - it's all under cover and out of the weather.  

Well, that's what I've been up to lately.  Very busy, very tiring and working very hard on my pegs, pencils and magna-pegs too.  I just hope I have enough stock by next month!  Until my next post, keep creating!

Busy Working

I haven't been in here very much; and I apologise.  I've been so busy with the Crafty Pegs business that I have had barely any time to do much else but paint pegs, talk about my small business to anyone who'll listen and hand out business cards to everyone and anyone who will take them.  

And now, it's coming up to the time of when everyone is looking for Christmas gifts, I'm working twice as hard to get some of my gift packs together.  I want to be able to pack them up and send them out and make a bit of money without having to keep too many people waiting for too long.

I've also made up a collection of new things that people are loving, such at my Magna-Pegs these are cute and I sell these for $5.00 each.  I also sell Cool Pencils... these are usually sold in twos so I can personalise one and put a nice design on the other and can be sold singularly for $4.50; but $7.00 for two.  

I'm looking forward to having a few things sold when people want me to painted up and sent.  And I'm looking forward to making a bit of money soon.  It's early days yet, and I've been getting into the work.  My workstation is working out well as it's all organised and I love how everything's all just there for me to grab.  Now it's a matter of getting a customer base to work from.

What project have you been working on lately which is going from strength to strength?  Is is working out for you?  Or do you feel as though you're stuck?  Until my next post, keep creating!

Extreme Painting

Since I hurt my right arm, I've been taking it easy; but I haven't been lazy.  I've been working on my garden out the front; and built a wall, but it took a week.  And believe me, I'd rather slow down and take a week to build something than stop work all together.
I also potted a lovely Draceana plant in a large pot too.  This has made my front garden look just lovely - so far - as it's just the first quarter of my garden being fixed up.

Then, I've been working on that painting you've read about below.  Now, it's been going really well!  I can't wait to finish it, but I can't rush the writing part of it.  So, I have to make sure I don't hurry it along too much or I'll end up smudging the pencil or the paint.  But it's looking good.  I still have to fix up the face so it looks good; and edges will stay rough so the hair looks like it's moving and isn't fixed in place.  I love where it's going too... I've added even more books and authors to the hair tonight (which I'll take a photo of it tomorrow and update it here to show you all, so you see what I mean).  So, what have you been doing lately which has kept your creativity going?  Love to know about your projects.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Updated Photo1 

Updated Photo2

Updated Photo3 

As promised, I've taken some photos this morning and above are the updates of the painting from a couple of days ago. Enjoy!

All Finished!

Over the last few weeks, I've been working hard on getting some new artworks done for my bedroom and its new furnishings.  And just last night, I finished up the last two paintings!  

I'm so stoked that these two are done as there were six paintings and I painted them from photographs - which is something very new to me.  So, here's a photo of them all finished up.

Six Flower Paintings  

I'm Home!

Yay!  I'm home... and now, you can all see the paintings and photos I've been working from too.  But first, I must apologise for how long it's taken me to do this.  Normally, I would have jumped on here and done it immediately, however, I had to deal with a pet fish dying, clean out the tank and make it clean enough for the other fish to live in - but I don't think he's going to survive either; poor thing.

Anyway... on with the photos!

Stripey Daisy 

Yellow Daisies
Yellow Daisies2 
Yellow Daisies3 

Red Flower 
Red Flower2 

A Pair 

Orange Daisies 

So, there you have it.  All the photos, one of the paintings is finished, another is almost done and then there's a few to be done... it looks like a lot of work, but it's not really.  What have you been working on lately?  Until my next post, keep creating!

I've Done Something Impulsive!

Yes!  Me!  Well... okay, I'm Little Miss Impulsive at the worst of times, but this time, I really don't know if I've stuck my foot in it or not.  

Okay, okay... I'll explain.

I'm a big daggy fan of 'Neighbours'.  Yep, Australia's longest running soap opera.  I've been watching it since it began - and given I missed a few years of it while I worked and was away living it up, but I caught up again within a few weeks.  I know the storyline and remember a lot of the cast right back to the beginning.  I even have the cards from the time of the original cast members when 'Neighbours' put out their cards with the cast on them.  I found them amongst a memory box Mum had put together of mine in high school; along with all my World Expo '88 stuff.
So, last week, as I watched my usual half-hour dose of it, I wondered if it would be really awful of me to send them a couple of dozen of my Crafty Pegs.  Would it be so bad to have my pegs used on their set?  No, I don't think so... actually it would be a lot of fun to see my art on their clothes line or used in one of the houses in the background.  Lots of fun actually.

This week, I looked up the address to post off something to the 'Neighbours' set and posted off two dozen of my pegs with instructions on how to care for them and a short letter on why I thought they'd like them.  
You see, the 'Neighbours' set has undergone a facelift and this is the perfect time for somebody like me to add a little something new to it, don't you think?  Now, I've posted them off, I can't wait to see how it all goes down at the set.  Well, I hope it goes well... 

The worse they can do is not use them and have somebody else take them home instead, right?  Until my next post, keep creating!     

My First Sale of Crafty Pegs

Two big things happened to me this week!  I found a cute name for my painted pegs - besides what I've been calling them - and I made my first big sale!  Yay!  

I posted my first photo of my Crafty Pegs on 365 Project and found the response fantastic.  People loved them; and one lady asked about price and postage.  So, through e-mail, we organised a sale.  And today, I posted 3 dozen off to her.  I do hope they arrive safely as they are for a house-warming party this weekend.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Arty Pegs for Chrissy Pressies

I've got about three weeks until Christmas Day; and I have finished all of my present shopping.  Yep, I'm that organised!  But I'm taking my time with one lot of the family presents; and for a good reason too... it needs a lot of patience and detail.  Fortunately, I have that in spades.
I'm painting up a set of clothes pegs for my brother and his partner so they always have enough to use.
I thought of making them some - personalised ones - while I was minding their place at Brighton in October.  Thought it would be a fun thing to have on their clothes line... and a very arty thing to add to their house if they use them on their clothes horse too.  I've taken a few pictures of the ones I've gotten done so far... nice don't you think?

Personalised Pegs1 

Personalised Pegs2  

Well, Until my next post, keep creating!