Journey & Adventure

Where has the time gone?   And by time, I mean Summer.   The temperatures have been above normal for October, so that’s not the problem.   The problem is the lack of sunshine and copious amounts of rain.   It’s dark when I wake up and close to dark by the time I get home.   In a few weeks IT WILL be dark by the time I get home and soon, I’ll need to have the snow tires put on my car.   After that, everything goes downhill until April... I’m experiencing a great deal of “funk” these days – especially as it relates to work.   I’ve got the “seven year itch”, but it’s only been 4 years.   Believe me, 4 years is like an eternity for me right now.   My job duties are in flux at the moment.   I’ve taken on extra/new duties, with the promise of a new hire to take some of my old duties away and as it just so happens, that new hire is still weeks off.     I’ve become so disgusted by this place, that I’ve given up caring about anything ...

I mentioned in a previous post that J and I were creating a business plan that could assist us with our post-retirement sustainability plan.  I mentioned I would continue to sell jewelry as the area we are looking at retiring to has a great cruise ship business.  Well, J is also getting in on the "crafting" experience.  Here are some of his Surfing Flamingo creations (wine bottle candle lanterns and wine bottle wind chimes).  I personally LOVE them, but then again, I'm kinda bias.  Tell your friends - we will ship with the US, Canada and internationally too!

The BIG day is nearly upon us. No, not Christmas. That’s BIGGER than BIG, but the BIG day I’m talking about is the BIG craft show that I’ve been preparing for since… ummm, June. It starts tomorrow and I can hardly wait to get that beast behind me. I cannot even begin to explain how much I HATE – yes HATE making earrings… and necklaces… and bracelets. It used to be fun, but it’s turned to misery. I have made no less than 117 pairs of earrings, 120 necklaces and 35 bracelets since June. I HATE it all right now. Seriously. I know HATE is a strong word, but if I see another bead roll across my floor I will lose my mind…again. I think I’m prepared and I hope I have enough inventory; but in all honesty – I don’t care anymore. I just hope to sell it all. Then, all this misery and misspent time will have been well worth it. For four loooong days, I’ll be immersed in the world of crafters and crafty hunters. Wish me luck and say a little prayer that my sanity remains intact.

Good news (I think). I’ve received confirmation that my jewelry has now been juried and I have been accepted to participate in the craft show I was telling you about last week. So with that, I’m revving up production.  I'm exhausted from just thinking about all the work and it hasn't even started yet. It’s exciting to know that my stuff will be getting a lot of exposure at that show, but at the same time, it’s frightening to think about the “what ifs”. What if I don’t have enough inventory to last the entire 4 day show? What if I have enough inventory because absolutely no one buys a thing? What if I don’t make enough money to pay for the show entrance fees? What if I lose my mind because the eccentrics at the show drive me over the edge? You know who I’m talking about – those over-the-top “crafty” people. What if there is a home-baked goods booth set up beside me? I’m doomed to lose my mind and all my money for sure. Now that think abou...

Summer is still upon us and I’m loving every extreme heat moment of it, but my thoughts have slowly been turning to the holiday season that’s not too far around the corner. I know – it’s a sure sign of insanity. Believe me, I’m not wishing the next 3.5 months away; however I’ve had a dose of reality in that I’m not remotely prepared. You see, I sort of diddle-farted around and didn’t get my application in for participation in my usual November craft show and now, I find out there is no more room. Eeek! Flamingo Tongue Designs has done well this year overall, but I relied on that craft show to increase my sales into the “almost break-even” range.   Shame on me for procrastinating.  What am I going to do now? Well, after some scrambling, I found a bigger and better show to participate in – if I’m accepted. It’s a juried show and my work will be judged before I’m accepted, so you never know which way it might go. The entrance fees are twice as much to participa...

I’ve never considered myself a crafter. I don’t like felt, craft foam, glitter or sequins, BUT I do love my glue gun. It’s a heavy duty industrial model – not one of those wimpy crafty ones. It’s a manly glue gun (if there is such a thing) and I have the burn marks and blisters on my fingers to prove it. Anyhow, I’ve taken a bit of a break from the jewelry side of things to explore my other creative side – the one where I get to use the glue gun. Soooo, here is what I’ve created with some picture frames from the dollar store, some white spray paint, some glue and of course, some of my sea glass treasures.  The photos in the frames are courtesy of J.  I think I’ve found another excuse to go on vacation…I need more glass and J needs more photos! You would not believe what sea glass picture frames have been selling for on Etsy by other artists. Let’s just say, I could quit my day job if I sold enough of them.

I love jewelry, but I don’t own a ton of it. I have a few simple pieces and am quite content with what I own. While I’m not one to parade around wearing gobs of bling; I will admit that I have a fascination with shiny or brightly colored objects – one could say “different pieces”. I prefer pieces that contain an element of the unusual, BUT nothing gawdy. No Grandma Betty jewelry for me. Many of the pieces I’ve collected during my travels. For example, I have a rock pendant, wrapped in copper wire that was made by a band of roving hippies from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I have a “stone money” pendant made from the husk of a coconut by the betel-nut chewing crack addicts of Yap. I also have a turtle-shaped pendant that has been carved from elk horn, which was most likely made in China, but I like to tell everyone I carved it myself while on safari in Montana. As I said, unusual stuff catches my eye and before you think I’m totally off my ...

I have been working on this crocheting project for a couple of weeks now and can hardly wait to see it completed. It’s not the easiest pattern to follow and I would be further along if it weren’t for pulling it apart to start over a couple of times. O.K., perhaps it’s not the pattern – it’s my lack of focus when CSI is on.