Crafting Craziness and Listing Mania!

Sometimes you've just gotta love the Bipolar cycle! 

When I'm down, I am really down. But when I'm up, my Etsy shop explodes with new inventory!

These are some of the projects that sat in an unfinished limbo for several months during a stretch of Bipolar depression that halted my creative process. But it was only a matter of patience and time before the pendulum swung back the other way and I helped them realize their full potential.

I had the idea of upcycling more than just bottles and jars. I was in the process of replacing my plastic kitchen spoons with wooden ones, so rather than throw them away, I decided to decorate them. This one had been painted teal and coated with acrylic, right before the voice of depression convinced me that a decorative plastic kitchen spoon was a ridiculous idea. It was henceforth held in a drawer, without bond, to await sentencing. When my inspiration returned, I gave it a twine wrapping and some colorful florals, and now I think it's a beautiful piece of wall art that would accentuate any Country or Boho style kitchen.

This purple sunflower wine bottle had been completed, but it's jar partner sat on the shelf for two months, in nothing but her bare purple skin, waiting for the rest of her makeover. I had felt so guilty for not having a beer bottle to add, like I had done with this set, that I just gave up on the whole thing altogether. When the clouds finally cleared, I realized I was depriving you of a beautiful decoration for your home over a stupid beer bottle. Maybe sometimes, three is a crowd. 

This clear glass candle bowl was supposed to be decoupaged with vellum paper, but I was inspired by a YouTube video to use colored glass stones instead. It was a very slow, meticulous process because the specialized glue was slow dying, so each stone had to be taped down to keep it from sliding down the bowl. It took me several weeks to complete just one third of the project. But with a few days of heightened energy and the ability to focus, I jumped in and worked diligently until it was done. It turned out so lovely for such a simple concept, that it's now one of my personal favorites. 

These cute little bunnies were cut and sewn in plenty of time for the Easter holidays, and they would've have been listed, if only I could've made up my mind about their embellishments. Should they be this, or that? Should they have clothes? Should they have hair? It felt like the decisions were endless, and I became overwhelmed, so I just set them aside. A few months later, I avoided being bogged down in decisions by opting for an understated look. I can always make more elaborate ones another time. 

Last year I had found an old wooden recipe box at the thrift store, that was still in great shape, but was begging for a makeover. Around the same time I had bought some beautiful French paper napkins at the dollar store. The same napkins I used to decoupage this set of Decorative Beer Bottles (which has already sold).

I decoupaged the box, but with all of my embellishments, the lid wouldn't fully close! Well, that zapped my confidence and I gave up on it. But then I found a nice brass hook to hold it down without taking away from the feel of the piece. Ta-da, done and listed.

One day while waiting for the glue to dry on the glass stone candle holder, I sat down a sewed a set of Autumn leaves and turned them into kitchen magnets. Just like that, in a couple of hours.

And last but not least, here is the pretty plastic canvas tissue box holder that I described to you in one of my previous posts. It was intended to be featured during last year's Christmas season, but I missed that boat. But this year I'm first in line at the dock! 

But wait! I'm not finished yet. 

I have 2 new projects being completed right now, one that needs some time, and one more ready to list. Will I get them done, plus update my social media, and publish more blog posts before the cycle wears off?!

I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out!

The Bipolar Grinch Stole My Christmas!

It's December 2015. Christmas is right around the corner, and here I am with no Chachkies and Christmas Kitsch to offer.

It's not like I haven't tried to create new inventory for the holidays. I started back in September so I knew I'd have enough time to complete, photograph, list, sell, and ship any item in time for the big day. I had it all planned out.

"everybody has a plan... until they get punched in the face." 

-- Mike Tyson

Well, I got punched in the face.
As she often does, Life stepped up with a mean right hook, and took me to the mat for a little while. Of all the things that kept me from listing a Christmas selection, I'd have to say that it was the Bipolar Depression that gets most of the blame.

It steals my confidence, and zaps my energy, and squahes my motivation. This is why I mostly sell completed and "ready to ship", as opposed to "made to order"... because I never know when I will be heading into that dark cycle. 

But it's not like I didn't try.

I completed three feet of a six foot red and green plastic canvas chain style tree garland. 

There was a six by six inch plastic canvas, decorative red and green open top box, sewn in a diamond lace pattern, and filled with a display of personally gathered pine cones (not pictured).

I created this red and green diamond patterned tissue box cover, with green beads hand sewn into the center of each diamond.

I nearly finished this Victorian style, painted pine cone Christmas tree, decorated with strands of mauve ribbon, pink pearls, and various beads that sits atop a painted and decorated round box.

To my credit, I did make a flowery candle holder, a jute wrapped mason jar, and a yarn wrapped upcycled jar vase during this time, that were completed and listed! Yay Me!

It wasn't a total wash. The pine cone box became a gift for my mom. The other items will be completed and listed in plenty of time...

So maybe I'm not so late, but extremely early for the 2016 holiday season!