Overcoming Creative Block

First, you immediately stop doing anything creative. If possible do something the complete opposite of whatever has you blocked. Since a lot of creativity is mental, it might be helpful to take up something physical. Perhaps a daily walk, or going bowling with friends or taking your tennis racket out of mothballs. 

If you have health issues that are causing you pain, that can also kill your creativity, so deal with those if possible. 

If you are grieving, making things can be an escape, but if you escape too much you aren't dealing with the thing causing you the grief. Allow yourself to experience that fully so you can perhaps gain some balance. Repressing things isn't healthy in the long run. 

Focus on any beauty you can find around you: The sunrise, the local zoo, photos on Pinterest or Flickr, your favorite happy movie. 

I find writing in a journal helpful. You can backtrack to when you first felt like you were losing your mojo. Was it when someone died? Was it when you felt like you weren't selling enough on Etsy? Was it when you gave up something you loved to focus on something that would sell? If you can figure out what went wrong, you can fix it. Sometimes it is just the doldrums, and this too shall pass. 

Also I find if I clean a table completely off, or clean my sewing area or clean my kitchen, I suddenly find myself ready to create something new in that space. Clutter can freeze up all your creative energy. Sweep out any corners with dead energy. I hope something I said helps.

Lastly, be kind to yourself. You are not a robot or a sweatshop. If you had a lot of deadlines before Christmas or a custom order, you probably have burn-out and should rest and do simple things that make you happy. Don't rush it. Sooner or later your creativity will come rushing back.

Hobby Lobby in Victorville, CA 

Doll Making Tips

Yesterday morning and this morning I worked on my witch doll. As the wind picked up I had to put her aside. The hair is time consuming. I picked a hairstyle that is a lot of work. So that is slowing things down some. But it is bringing pleasure.

Intuitive Doll Making Tips

Keep more than one sized needle handy. A tiny one for beads, a regular one for hand sewing, and a big eyed one for embroidery at the very least. Stick them on a magnet or your favorite pin cushion.

Take frequent breaks to rest your hands and eyes.

Keep a shoe box full of things you might need like ric-rac, buttons, trim, beads, lace, felt, novelty threads, and so on. Put elastic around the shoebox so it won't spill.

Don't wear lipstick while making your doll.

Don't get ahead of yourself. Leave room for new ideas to occur to you.

Listen to the doll. Change course if need be. Be flexible.

Don't forget to stuff things before you sew the shape closed.

Don't accidentally leave any needles inside the doll.

Hide the knots inside the doll or under trim or in the seams whenever possible, unless they are a
design element.

Keep a color wheel handy for inspiration.

Have fun and quit if you start getting too frustrated.

Put things away before you are too tired to do it.

Sneak preview.

Do You Need Some Craft Ideas?

Who wants some craft ideas? I have more than I know what to do with. Here is a list of things I haven't gotten around to yet: 1. Making roses out of fabric. 2. Making fairy doors. 3. Throwing little pots to hold beads and calligraphy water and ink. 4. Making steampunk spats. 5. Knitting house slippers. 6. Knitting yoga socks. 7. Recreating the green fairy costume I was wearing on Second Life today. 8. Making assemblages with found objects. 9. Wood-burning an ankh onto a gourd. 10. Embedding a mirror in a bread dough frame. 11. Making a mask for Mardi Gras 12. Making a mosaic on a metal table from broken tile found in my yard. 13. Drawing pin-up caricatures for use on Zazzle. 14. Make a decent knapped arrowhead. 15. Carving a spoon. 16. Making pink arrows for Valentine's Day 17. Making wooden hair forks. 18. Making corn husk or wheat dolls. 19. Making a shaggy retro 70's vest. 20. Weaving a hat out of raffia.

Do You Have Your Creativity In A Choke Hold?

I try to let my creative self have free rein.  If my creative self wants to have 100 different blogs, then so be it.  If it wants to sew today and throw paint on a canvas tomorrow, I let it change horses in midstream. I know in the long run I am happier if I don't keep suppressing myself.  There are of course money and time restraints, but if it's possible, I say yes, go for it. And if I get burned out on one art form, I do my best not to beat myself up. I put it on the back burner and hope my motivation comes back some time soon.

I don't think most people do this. I think that little nagging voice talks them out of being creative. It says things like, 'you don't really need to knit another scarf' or ' your last sewing project was a disaster, it's just not your thing', or 'you don't need to make that fancy cake, you are fat enough already.'  Well, maybe your inner self DOES NEED TO MAKE THAT FANCY CAKE.  Maybe you do need to cut up your jeans and sew them into a tote bag and a hat.   Just maybe you have to let your inner idiot run the asylum once in a while.

Do something novel.

Express yourself on Halloween.

Witchcrossing. Channel your inner witch. Witches are very creative.

Deleting the Kunoichi Redirect Widget

My boyfriend found a page with a fix to the bogus redirect on my blog. To make it quick for anyone else being redirected to http://kunoichi.info/ the bogus code is in the widget for showing current comments. I deleted the widget from the layout page and the problem went away.

If you need the more complex version, it's here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/webmasters/fogtwoOVQsc

1001 Things to Draw

Can't think of anything to draw? I just updated my 1001 Things to Draw list. Set your kids up with sketchbooks or rolls of paper on the wall so they can spend the summer sketching out their ideas. Time to get some fresh crayons and art supplies. Or if you are going on a trip or summer camp, take a drawing kit with you. The watercolor pencils make it easy to draw while traveling, then turn your art into paintings once you get home by using a wet paintbrush.

Quick sketch from life. Draw your friends, your pets, your plants,  you garden.  Draw, draw, draw.

Upcoming Projects

Sometimes I have so many ideas and things I want to try that I feel as if my brain will burst. Right now here are some of the things I am thinking of doing:

1. Making a bamboo container for my drop spindle. I want to add a strap so I can carry it with me to outdoor events and have it handy for spinning.

2. Cartoon tutorials. I'd like to make them in video format but don't know how to set up the camera so it looks straight down at my desk.

3. Make a messenger bag out of the upholstery scraps I've been hoarding.

4. Sew a spring wardrobe.

5. Calligraphy. Use it or lose it.

6. Something with a St. Patrick's Day theme.

7. Hair sticks with peyote stitch beading on them.

8. A belt favor for thrown weapons.

9. Wooden eggs painted for Easter

10.Scarves for a fashion tutorial.

Source: google.com via Theodora on Pinterest

Make a Rose Stencil T-shirt

Right now I'm working on a rose T-shirt.  You can grab the free stencil here from my fashion blog. It's too late in the day to put it on my shirt now, but hopefully I'll get to it tomorrow. Are you missing Spring? Don't fret. If you can't grow flowers in your garden you can paint them on a shirt, a messenger bag, or gift wrap.
You could even shrink the design down and put it on a hand carved stamp. Ooh, I may have to do that myself.

Making Journals

I want to pursue the idea of making some journals. So I bought a bone folder at Art Supply Warehouse.  I'm sure I have many papers sitting around here I can use. I sometimes buy up reams of colored paper and card stock when they are on clearance at Kinko's or Staples or similar places. It's not that hard to make your own 'blender' paper, but it does take a lot of counter space to dry it all. It is fun to use up junk mail that way. Making paper is a messy project but lots of fun.

I don't want to go the 'tradtional' book making route which is very exacting.  I just want to make simple art books. Youtube has a ton of tutorials on the topic.

Of course decorating the covers is a lot of fun too. Its a great way to use your mixed media skills.

Welcome to my new followers and autumn crafting tips

Always happy to see that people are coming to my blog more than once.

I think autumn is such a great time for crafting. Time to gather all those botanicals before they are covered by snow. Time to pick up and press autumn leaves and flowers to enjoy later in the winter months. Perfect time to make things for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Day of the Dead, and Christmas. Plus all those birthday cards. I need to make an inventory of birthday cards so they are ready to go. How many of you do that? Or do you find yourself constantly running to the store at the last minute. I find the trickiest part about cards is often the envelopes. So get the envelope first and design the card to fit inside. Or make your own envelope. Carefully take apart any existing envelope and use it as a pattern template. Find some big paper to trace it out on, or piece together glossy magazine pages until you get a piece big enough. Use brown paper, or heavy duty giftwrap. If money is an issue, check postal rates and sizes of envelopes first. They are a lot pickier than they used to be and have minimum sizes and so forth.
I imagine in this day and age most post offices have a website with that info on it if you poke around and look for it.

Don't forget to make Christmas projects like soap or glued items or paintings way ahead of time so they can cure properly.
The photo is my friend Aimee doing beadwork at one of our archery gatherings.

Crafters keep on blogging

It's official. According to a recent Etsy survey: Keep blogging: "Lots of buyers find out about Etsy through blogs. To be exact, 26% find out about Etsy on blogs and 17% find out about the handmade products they buy on blogs". So if you have one, keep using it, and if you don't have one, get one today.