Etsy site.....up and running....Smiles...

Holy Cow,

I have made myself a nervous wreck over this....

I hope I have covered all my bases....

Each of my bags are made with

recycled jeans, so as you might expect...

they have flaws..

just like me...

But they are sincere..

a bit like me...

So glad to finally have them listed...

If you see where I have missed something

please let me know.

Appreciate your encouragement more than you know.

Smiles.

Not Yo Momma's Handbag....

OK.

Right up front,

let me just say that I was not in the

market for a new idea

for making money....

I like my camera,

thank you...

But

fate has stepped in...

I think.

I made a Recycled jeans purse

for myself....

Really.

I had no idea how much attention it would

garner.....

I carried it on trips this summer,

and without exception

everywhere I went

someone would come up and ask where I

bought my purse.

Even men would come up and whisper

"I like your purse".

(Now, I would love to think

that they just needed an excuse to talk to me,

but they were staring at my handbag!)

Finally, my sweet baboo....

says "you know, you might want to

consider selling those.".

He is too nice to be pushy,

but the response was

becoming a little

overwhelming.

So....

Well, here goes...

I have made 10 handbags.

I have an Esty site

here.

I am working on the photos today.

Hopefully by the end of the weekend

I will have handbags for sale.

Good Grief!

(as my dear Charlie Brown would say...)

Smiles

Show your heart.....

Thank you Nancy!

Saved by the sweet idea you've offered..

Well, here goes...

The tag reads -- With as much creativity as you can muster,

show your heart in a picture, poem,

a song (or a piece of music), a phrase (or quote),

an item of clothing, a place and

(just for fun) a Disney Princess.

Picture;

See above,

This is my sweet little Michael..

He will be 21 yrs old on Sat.

This is how I will always see him.

Poem;

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepard...

you know the one.

I am not a religious person..

however, I memorized this psalm

as a child.

It comes to me automatically when I am in

"deep poop".

Song;

"From a distance"

by

Bette Midler...

the words bring tears to my eyes

everytime.

Phrase/Quote

"What goes around....

you know this one too,

I am sure.

Well...I have seen it in action.

(instant karma?)

Item of clothing;

A designer shirt that I bought with

a gift certificate given to me

by my first heart (see above)

I think how proud I am of him

everytime I wear it.

Place:

My heart

belongs to the Carolina Beaches....

I've got sand in my shoes....

Disney Princess;

Well,

I would have to say that Cinderella

and I must have signed up for the same

strange life....

we walked thru hell...

and then by the strangest of circumstances...

along came Prince Charming.

If ever you loose your muse.....

and the windshield wipers don't do the trick...

and the fog gets thicker and thicker...

Consider this....

The Artist's Way that I mentioned previously

is like a road map...

one that you don't even realize that you are following.

First, it is a book...

You can read and do the exercises on your own.

OR

Even better, get a group of fellow artists,

writers, painters, photographers, jewelry makers,

potters, collage artist...you get the picture (no pun intended..)

Anyway, a bunch of artists...

everyone buy the book,

you can find many used copies online.

Decide on a meeting place and a day of the week to meet.

Agree to do one chapter at a time.

Now, here is the thing...

artists are rarely disciplined...

it is very difficult to "herd" us...

So, have an incentive...

like dinner (potluck is good!)

When you meet,

make sure there is a designated

"leader" to keep the conversation going....

No hard fast rules, really...

Except one..

There should be no room for judgment of one another's

opinions...this is a journey...everyone has a right to their

current place on the path...

Julia Cameron has spelled out the steps to take...

it is really easy,

but requires a commitment...

There will be tough spots along the way...

some will want to drop out...

let them....

Be prepared for new and exciting insight into

your creative self.

This is truly one of the most important

things I have ever done to improve my

creativity.....

and open myself up to my talent.

If you have lost your muse...

no worries...

allow fellow artists to walk with you

on your journey...

they will inspire you,

challenge you...

and

allow your muse to return..

Smiles