Spring Forward!

This past weekend we "sprung forward". This year is going by so fast already. Summer is right around the corner, and in my neck of the woods Summer means the county fair. It's called the San Diego County Fair nowadays but when I was a kid we called it the Del Mar Fair. And actually it's real name was the Southern California Exposition but nobody ever called it that. I think for most people it will always be the Del Mar Fair.

I am super excited about the fair because it is a wonderful opportunity for amateur crafters and artists to showcase their talents. The contest categories are quite diverse. You could enter your handmade quilt, your home made jam or your extensive matchbook collection in hopes of winning a coveted blue ribbon. The home arts showcase has always been one of my favorite exhibits at the fair (along with the poultry show), but it's even more meaningful to me since I took the leap last year and finally entered one of my projects.

My 2013 Entry to the San Diego County Fair

I didn't win anything but it was still a rush to see my bracelet on display at the fair for everyone to see. This year I am planning to enter two contests. I have a pretty nice travel bar collection I'm hoping will win a prize in the "collections" division. And I am teaching myself a new beading technique and making a beaded snake necklace. The beaded jewelry group attracts some talented competitors and I'm not sure I am at their level yet, but just completing the project and entering will be quite an accomplishment.

Not a Great Blogger...

My intention is to blog regularly. I do crafty stuff all the time, but I always forget to photograph my projects and take notes so I can blog my creations. However, I would rather not blog than to post a craft idea that is untested or doomed to failure. I also will not post craft ideas that are lame or ugly. I read a variety of craft blogs and some of the crap these ladies post is embarrassing. A lot of it is awesome, don't get me wrong, but there are a few wanna-bes out there who do blog on a regular basis (good) but don't have anything worth blogging about so they just post any old crap project (not good).

Not trying to be a hater, I just don't think your doing anyone a favor by posting a crap craft idea just so you have something to post. Case in point: A blogger who I recently began following posted some ideas for Valentines day and one idea was a photo coaster. I was intrigued so I clicked the link for instructions. Basically, buy a coaster size wooden plaque blank, paint the edges and then Mod Podge a photo onto the top. Now I am not criticizing on this idea because it is too easy, some of the best ideas are quite simple, I am criticizing the horrid technique.

First off, she doesn't specify that you need to use a laser copy for this project. You simply cannot use ink jet prints to decoupage. The decoupage medium instantly causes the inks to run and bleed. You must use an laser print or photocopy. Second, this blogger instructs you to seal the coaster with 2 coats of Mod Podge. You could seal it with fifty coats of Mod Podge and as soon as you set your wet glass on it it would be ruined. Mod Podge is not a sealer. It is marketed as such, but it is not. Trust me, I have know from experience. Mod Podge glossy will stay tacky-ish almost indefinitely. Even if you never set a glass on these coasters, if you stacked them they would bond together after a very short time.

I'm not trying to make this a Mod Podge hate fest, but any crafter who tells you to seal a project with Mod Podge is either on their payroll or doesn't really know what they are doing. You must use some sort of sealer over Mod Podge to properly finish it. They make an array of different types of Mod Podge now, so last time I was at the craft store I checked them out. I wanted to see if Mod Podge's Outdoor formula would work for a project I was creating. The instructions, state that it needs to cure for FOUR WEEKS before it can be placed outside. Does that seem reasonable? Not to me. Go buy a can of clear coat for a buck or two at Home Depot and properly seal your project so that it will last a lifetime. You owe it to your crafts and to the special people you make them for.

A New Year, A Fresh Start

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”--Maria Robinson.

A fresh start can happen any day, but most people get in the mood to turn over a new leaf right around the New Year. Shopping with my son at Costco, he marvelled at the wall of vitamins at the store's entrance. 

"That's because everyone wants to get in shape in January," I schooled him. "Look at all the organizational products, too," gesturing towards a display of various plastic bins. I am not immune to this siren's call. I have struggled to conquer my chaotic nature as long as I can remember. Buying day planners and shoe boxes and myriad other organizational tools that might help me get a handle on it. Really, it just takes work and discipline. Every year I get a bit better at it. I am 48 and still working on it, still making progress little by little. 

 My studio is finally getting properly arranged. The couch that took up way too much space got moved out and my desk moved in. A little more shuffling of furniture and the addition of a cutting table and it will be just right. 

This is going to be a great year. I am planning on it.

Happy New Year!

Another year has come and gone, and so quickly. I seemed the end of the year really snuck up on me, and I was actually pretty organized for a change. This year's "resolution" is to do better than last year, same goal I have every year. This year I will work on being much more organized and disciplined. I have my work cut out for me.

Along with my resolution to move forward, I usually set some other goals, more lofty intents. One of them is to have a tweet appear on TV, preferably during Dancing with the Stars. I also want to have an article published in a real paper magazine. And see the Northern Lights.