Project Restyle - Week No 5

This week's Project Restyle is about my favorite Purple Beanie. It had started to worn out and the edges were fraying so I've decided to give it a makeover.

I have crocheted around the edge with a light purple yarn, just to keep it from fraying more and I have also added two of the flowers that I've made following the instructions of my new book.

Doesn't it look cuter now?

(I'm a mess in this photo, sorry!)

My Creative History - part 6

Ooops! this was supposed to be published yesterday! Sorry!

So, the time went by and I was still "planning" my big entrance into the world of Crafting Business. In the meantime, I've attended  two art workshops, for teachers in elementary school. This and that. I've needed this break. I mean, I've needed an excuse to be crafty again, even if it meant doing just simple little projects for kids. With my day job and all of the stress, I haven't had the time to do or even think of anything creative. I was feeling really sad about it and like I was drifting away from my real goal. And this has been the truth. I've been occupied with all these irrelevant stuff and I was leaving behind my childhood dream, plus I haven't made anything for a long-long time.

So, I've decided to take more action. I've registered to Tell Your Story Online Art Journal Class and then also to Red Velvet Summer Camp. At least I would be motivated to be more creative again. It's been a challenge but a fun one. Slowly but steadily, my creativity began to be awakening. I've started experimenting again and I've discovered another field that I've never tried before (but I've always wanted to try it) SEWING!

 

I can't say that I'm that good already,

but I'm really trying and it's so fascinating!

I've also made my first listing on Etsy (after A WHOLE YEAR! on May 20 2010) but that was it. Too "chicken" to continue.

Why?!

This Summer I've decided to do many things.

I've joined Red Velvet Summer Camp

and I also wanted to expand my skills so, I've registered for Home Ec and I was determined to learn how to sew, although I've failed to keep up with the schedule. I'll improve, I'm sure!

In August my bob-boy's cousin Dorita and her boyfriend Michalis came for their vacation here from Athens and we hanged out a lot! They are both so creative and inspiring and they have always been pushing me towards my creative dream because they really believe in it. So, they've put me into action. This Autumn, I HAVE TO do something about it, starting with my Etsy shop. Yes, I know, I haven't done much until now, but we are still on the progress. (Give me some credit, I had a tough Summer this year. This Summer Camp has worn me out!)

First of all, I've changed my blog's layout

and also my Etsy shop's banner

so that it matches with my blog.

I'm not yet satisfied with my tag line though.

I've started developing more a series of characters-products that I've been planning for years and I've also started discussing some ideas about some other side projects with other two "creative souls". In time I'll share all of them here so that you can tell me your opinion about them. I think that I'm finally moving towards the right direction and it feels so good!

Wish me Luck!

A Project In Progress

Lately, I've decided to start painting again, or at least experiment more on that field, since I've never done it properly. I've always wanted to do it but I was never confident enough about it. I had the idea that I wasn't so good, or even that my designs were very childish. In my mind it was that "if I couldn't do it perfectly, I wouldn't be doing it at all". Silly me, I know. That’s not a really positive attitude. Well, this is me, I have my issues that still need a lot of work. Anyway, I’ve tried some things from time to time,

but nothing that I would be really proud of. I guess I’m better at sketching and drawing than painting. Or at least, I’ve practiced more these two and totally neglected the other. I decided to change that. So, I took out my acrylic paints and brushes and got to work. I can’t say that I really know what I’m doing, but it’s a try and error process.

This little fellow is part of a group of characters that I've been working on for quite some time now, but I haven't got the courage to release them just yet. I have big plans for them though.

I'd like to know

your opinion on that!
Is it a keeper?
I still find my
designs a little childish
but that's the beauty of them,
I guess.

My Creative History - part 5

I've already entered the magical world of blog sphere by regularly reading all kinds of blogs and I was also introduced to the AMAZING Etsy, so I've begun to realize the endless possibilities that any crafter may have. Then I came across this blog and this e-shop and suddenly, Elsie Flannigan has become my role model! She is so talented, so creative and so inspiring! She has fulfilled my childhood dream! She has become what I've always wanted to be!

She has MY DREAM JOB!

So, the idea stuck into my head, "This is what I want to do with my life!" or better rephrased it "Let's go back to the master plan! The one that has been there all along and I kept ignoring it!" It was a start.  I've registered in Etsy and on March 12 2009 I've opened my own shop. Meaning I had an account and a banner.

But still, I haven't had the courage to put anything in it. "The more you know, the less you act". I was reading here and there about "how to be successful on Etsy", "ways to make successful listings", "how to display & present your products effectively" e.t.c. and the more I read the more I felt like I wasn't ready enough, or that I wasn't well organized yet to take the big step. On May 2009 I've also registered for this blog, not sure about what I wanted to do with it yet. Well, I had this idea... it seemed to me very interesting and challenging at the same time... wouldn't it be nice if I'd start a blog that would be like a diary,  starting from my desire to have my own crafty business until I will have finally succeeded it? Nothing to report though until Monday, November 23 2009 that I posted my very first post. It was something like a push to myself, to take action and to start moving towards my dream. As I've said:

"This  blog will follow my steps until I reach my dream, or just follow my steps through creativity. Who knows, maybe we'll come up with something good after all.

This is a dream. A dream that I want to become a reality. A dream that is becoming a goal and goals are only for achieving. But even if I fail, what's important is the journey and not the destination."

Since then I've taken a lot of steps and learned some new skills but still I was searching for someone to help me get organized and on track.

So, I've taken the Indie Business 2.0 Online Class

with teachers the incredible Elsie from A Beautiful Mess, Leigh-Ann from Freckled Nest and Jill from Lune Vintage. I was admiring those 3 ladies for quite some time for their success and all that they have achieved and I thought it was a great idea to learn some things from them. It was really great! Knowing their creative stories from the inside, with all the try and errors that they have come across helped me realize that anything is possible if you really love it and believe in it. Plus, getting to know so many other fellow classmates-crafters, each one with a different story to tell, has made me think that I could do so many things just by taking the first step. Which have't been taken yet, even after the class has come to its end.

When I've started my blog

I've also started keeping an Inspiration Book

with all the things that I like and several ideas for blog posts, creations, designs e.t.c. All on a piece of paper and nothing on "flesh and blood". So many ideas... but I didn't know from where to start.

"A journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu

Why I've been so afraid

to make it?!

My Creative History - part 4

After opening my shop on February of 2007 (with my father's blessings) I've started putting some of my creations in it too. My father's idea was that I would finally get involved with the job that I've studied all these years. My idea was that "Ok, I'm opening this shop with THAT excuse so I can also put my handmade stuff in it and see how it goes". And so I did.

Here are some random pictures of them.

Photo frames decorated with pieces

of golden plastic tablecloth

and gold & silver foil

Bottles decorated with

pieces of plastic tablecloth

Jewelery made of flax string

 Beautiful hair pieces with buttons

 Cute bracelet

 A vintage button

turned into a brooch

 Beads and more beads

A cute "laundry" necklace"

 Earrings made of cork

and paper napkin

 A vintage button turned into a brooch

 Decorative candle holder

made of old cds

 Christmas earrings

 Plastic foil and paper

Cute bookmarks

Handmade brooches

made of old tights and wire

The result? My main occupation has been draining out all of my energy and the "crafting business" has been left aside. Plus, I haven't had so many sales of my handmade items because everyone that would come into my shop was coming with something else in their minds. Some of them would get interested about them but they weren't coming to buy handmade, they were coming to make some photocopies or design their business card. That was a little disappointing for me but I couldn't blame them. You can't have EVERYTHING in one shop. Some things don't mix or match. So, once more, I've left my dream aside for a while "until I 'd be ready". I just have put all of my creations on my Facebook page and Flickr for sharing them with my friends and my friend Annie has made a Fan Page for me.

Some random sales came out of it.

A friend of mine had ordered me

some pairs of earrings for his girlfriend

 

and a girl that I didn't know had ordered me a bracelet

and earrings made with buttons

and a pair of my earrings made of caps.

I was so excited, but yet... afraid to make the big step!

(to be continued...)

Check the previous part of my history here.