A Wee Bite of Eyecandy

I received some new plates of rubber from Paper Artsy late last week and I finally have time to sit down and do a bit of design work with them. This is what I made this morning, in between laundry and a trip to the mall to scout digital cameras for my son. (Yes, I am the queen of multitasking!) Anyway, I made this pendant using two drawer plates, some wire and beads and a vintage subway tolken. On the back is another image for the PA rubber plates. I really enjoyed making this and I might make a few for sale in the Tattered Edge Mercantile some time next week. (I need to pick up more drawer plates first.)

We are enjoying am overcast and markedly cooler day here on the West Coast. It's not raining, but there's a nice breeze blowing and it's about 14C which is a welcome relief from last week's blistering heat wave. It was up to 40C here last week and let me tell you, the heat just sucked the creativity out of my bones! I would be very pleased if it rained this evening-I love lying in bed listening to the rain as I fall asleep.

It's interesting how many of my artsy friends have been experiencing a creative slump. I also find it funny how we all go into panic mode when it happens and try to push through it, instead of recognizing that it's our creative brain's way of saying it needs a break. You can't always be drawing from the creative well without stopping sometimes to fill it up. Sometimes you just need to go off and do something completely unrelated to art or take a class and learn something new so that you can come back to your work with a new perspective and fresh inspiration. It's always this thought of "What if..?!?" that scares us-what if we never have another idea?!? What if we never make another piece of art?!? What if the well dries up?!? It's a scarey thought, but usually if we can just grant ourselves permission to take a break, we will be rewarded with inspiration anew. Sometimes you just have to have to go on faith. The more you try and force it, the more it will elude you and you will just become angry and frustrated with yourself and that's definately not the mindspace that will lead to creative work. So, if you are having this experience right now, hang in there. It will pass!

Okay, time for me to get back to work! I want to get a few things done before I head out to a grand opening for a new scrapbooking store with a friend. They are having huge sales for their opening and I am going to see if there's anything I need. (Ha!Ha!)