From Warped To Right

Life has been so warped lately, it is time to get back to normal. School is FINALLY done with and so is my wacko driving schedule. Did you hear me hootin' & hollerin'?

Today I set about making things right again. I want to get back to being me again and doing my creative stuff. It was either that or have a total meltdown. Last night, just before falling asleep, I promised myself that today I would get back to my art. I started off, today, like the good little procrastinator that I am, and cleaned the house top to bottom. Just to vacuum and wash the floor takes me about 4 hours. Mental note to self : "next house, make it small, really small." ... "and make the studio big, REALLY BIG." By the time I was done with the cleaning, the Ellis family needed a feeding, of course. I "threw" down a meal and made a bee line to the studio. If there was even the slightest delay, something might have gotten in my way and I would never be here, in the studio. Let me show you what I have been doing:

I walked around and around the studio in circles. Not quite sure where to begin. I figure I may as well begin by fixing problems.

Remember this?

As I tested different bulbs, going up in wattage, it started to warp.

At first it wasn't too bad, but when I got to 100 watts, the shape of the shade seemed to have a life of it's own. When the light was off it would harden nicely, but as soon as you turned on the heat, well sugar, it was a sad sight indeed. I thought my eyes were tricking me - I would turn around for just a minute or so and when I looked back up at it I could swear it was a different shape.

The entire history of this shade seems to mirror my own life. Well ... all of it needs attention. This amount of warpage, whether in my shade or in my life, simply won't do.

This is were we are at now:

I just gave the shade a major bath. I am cleaning up my act as well. I want to get back to my projects, and I figure that the worst lampshade I can make is the one that never gets done and sits there in a pathetic heap of fabrics. The ugliest painting I can paint is the blank canvas. The worst sketchbook I can work out my drawings on is the one that never gets cracked open. Right? I will discuss this topic, of doing vs. not doing art work, as I putter along on my projects in the upcoming weeks.

Back to fixing problems.

Enter Meliisa P., I won a giveaway on her blog. She has a new website to go with all the fame that is coming her way now that she is hanging with the big dogs of the fabric and quilting world. A note to you - she has loads of free patterns and project how-to's on her website.

This is what I won:

Crazy awesomeness or what? Thank you Melissa!!!

So what am I waiting for I thought? Lets fix that lighting problem. While the old one was drying I pulled out a few of my fabrics that always seem too precious to cut into.

I found a beautiful antique crocheted doily that I can't bare to get rid of just because it has a hole in it.

Added it to a few fabrics I thought might go with Melissa's gifted ones:

And while the old shade is drip drying in the sink, I have started to work on an all new shade.

That is as far as I got today. I figured I would spend the rest of my studio time, while I still had the energy, writing this quick post. Let me add here, that even the simplest of little posts, like this one, takes a long time to do. It is no small feat and I am high fiving myself for still HAVING a blog and still hanging in there, writing to you. I hope you liked what I shared with you today. I will be back sooner rather than later because I am going to try a new blogging tactic. I have had this feeling that I needed to show you only my finished projects. Ridiculous. I had to go back to the beginning, when I wrote my "ABOUT page" and see what my "mission statement" was. If I wait to show you only the finished products, then it is like Kindergarten "Show & Tell" time. This makes it longer between posts. Since I don't make money from my blog, I need to be clear what I use it for. I am here to share my process of how I go about progressing as a creative person and get closer to that mission statement. I need to focus on process, not the products I make, for the "product" is me, the creative me. Staying focused on showing you the process will take me "from warped to right."

I want to be a "Creative". EVERYDAY. That is all. This, this blog, is where you can see the steps I take along that never ending path.

See you soon. Real soon.

Carolina

 

PS. my husband, who can screen share our computers, just called me from the other room saying his "stomach is warping and it needs to go from "warped to right" and he is wondering if my mission statement has any mention of what is for dinner." That is my life, ladies!

Comments

[Elizabeth Mackey]

Good to see you back on here!!!

I keep doing the same thing here. Doing meaningless chores, because I feel they have to be done before I enjoy myself in my little studio. Even though I LOVE making the clothing that I do, it is like I have to be forced in here!!! I have a friend that is a violinist, and she said as much as she is passionate about playing, for some reason, it is the first step of opening the case, that is the hardest.

At least, as I type this I'm working on the little boy sunsuit, version to the bunny one that I just posted.

ANYWAY, happy to see you here, and can't wait to see whatever you are working on.

[Maddie Kertay]

A full 6 days of cleaning here... then back to the studio with lots of ideas in my head! Love to see how it is going for you!

maddie

[Melissa P]

Oh, he's quite the joker, isn't he? The only reason he dares to say such things is because he knows you adore him and are therefore highly unlikely to poison him for his impertinence. (I'm still chuckling over his comments.)

Much more importantly, I'm thrilled to see you back in the studio giving time to your creative self. I am definitely high fiving you! Finished projects are fun to see but the journey and the process are where the gems hide. It is in the process and the journey that we find out more about ourselves and others.

(Do they let lone wolves hang with the big dogs?)

[Eva]

It's good to hear you're finally getting some more time to be creative again! You are right, blogging takes more time than it seems. I've also been trying to show some WIPs, but a lot of the time, I feel like I don't have much to say about them. I guess if I made the effort, it could be quite insightful and useful to reflect my own process.

At the moment I don't have much creative ideas of my own, it feels, so I'm following patterns and projects by others. I guess it's better than doing nothing, as you say in your post, and always there's something to learn.

[The Muse of The Day]

Eva - I think that, when you enter times when the creative ideas are slow in coming the ONLY thing you must do is not stop.mit does not matter if you just paint color swatches, cut cloth and see how the pieces look next to eachother, or practice stitches. We can learn an infinite amount by following the work of others. Your eye is in traing. Your hands are in training. Even when your creativity seems to have hit the snooze button, the rest of you is still there, present and creating. It is kind of like weeding a garden, it must be done so that you can focus on what you planted later when it is full grown.

Carolina

[Sheri]

"I figure that the worst lampshade I can make is the one that never gets done and sits there in a pathetic heap of fabrics. The ugliest painting I can paint is the blank canvas. The worst sketchbook I can work out my drawings on is the one that never gets cracked open."
Such words of wisdom!!!! I feel overwhelmed by things at times and thinking of it this way is so helpful! xoxo

[Amy]

i loved that lampshade and can't wait to see what your new project turns into. i recognized one of those patters, i am not sure if yours is, but i have the same pattern and it is vinyl, i turned into a book cover for my college book - and it looks fab! glad to see you are back to the blogging business (even if it is for non-profit), perhaps i should consider getting back into it as well... hoo hummm

[Alicia Armstrong]

What a wonderful post! I am working my way from oldest to newest to catch up. I just love that round lampshade, I'm sorry to hear it was warping. I'm sure you will find an amazing solution. Beautiful fabrics from Melissa. I know they are going to be turned into something amazing as well. Love your husband's crack about the mission statement. Too cute!

There was a cartoon I watched as a kid where a dog would beg for a biscuit and when he got it he would rise up in the air and make blissful yummy sounds and waft slowly back down to the ground. That is how I feel about this post. Beautiful color and design, and great words of wisdom. I am inspired as always.

[Kathrin]

I am completely in awe of your blog and these stunning lampshades, round and cylindrical. Absolutely beautiful!