Setting aside time to create.

As someone who has a "regular" day job, I know how hard it is to find time to create.  Plus you have all the work of running/co-running a household.  It's tough sometimes to walk away from whatever I'm doing around the house to go work on jewelry, etc.  Luckily I have a supportive husband who encourages me to "go work when the creative urge strikes" me, while he finishes the chores. 

Still, that's not always enough.  So what I've started doing is setting a time that I must stop working around the house, running errands, etc.  For me, as a night owl, 11:30 pm is the cut off.  Anything after that is my RockBug time.  I usually put something on for background noise and get to it. 

I've found that it's easy to put pressure on yourself to create but it just doesn't work that way.  Some nights, I sit amongst my supplies and nothing happens.  That's ok though!  If nothing else, you've set aside time for yourself.   When you're new, as I am, you don't want your creations to feel like a chore.  I know that my work reflects it when I'm excited about working.

The above picture is a piece that I laid out and tweaked a hundred times before finishing it. 

Certified Handmade Artifact

I'm excited to announce that after an extensive vetting process, RockBug has been awarded a Certified Handmade Artifact by Artfire.  I want to share a little about the process and what it means to me.

To be eligible for this artifact your studio must contain only handmade items (no supplies, etc.), you must not have not have any disputes or customer complaints, your studio must be complete with policies and a bio.  These 2 are the most important requirements, in my opinion:  You must provide pictures of your workspace and of works in progress for all categories that you list in and you must provide detailed explanations of how you make your pieces.  I think I submitted around 10 photos with my explanations. 

It seemed daunting at first but once it was all done, I felt empowered and confident about my work.  This artifact means a lot to me, it proves that I'm willing to go the extra mile to make sure my customers feel confident that my items are made by me.  The Artfire community and staff has been a supportive and helpful place for me, especially as a fairly new artisan.  I'm proud to be a part of it.

Boy, it's hot!

It's HOT out lately and everyone is feeling it.  Even the pigs are sick of the heat and want some cooler weather.  Kumar loves to stretch out and nap in a sun beam but we have to block out some of the sun on hot days.  I change out their water a few times a day to keep it fresh and cool.  We spend a lot of time making sure everyone is comfortable.  

Rockford's trips outside are quicker and we're watching his water intake.  It's no fun walking around in 95 degrees.  Most days, you can find him sleeping on his chair enjoying the a/c. 

Here's hoping for cooler days!  In the meantime, we'll be enjoying some cold cocktails...indoors.

Christmas in July sale 7/12-7/25

Geesh, seems like all my entries lately are about sales!  This one is on Artfire.  There will be a sale going on July 12-25 over there.  I will have my entire studio 10% during this sale.  It's a great chance to get a jump on your holiday shopping while supporting handmade.  Click on the ad to the right to visit my studio. 

If you'd like to check some of the other fantastic artisans participating in this event, go to the Artfire "Christmas" trend page.  You can search within that trend to find some great deals on some truly unique items.