Little Accomplishments

Well, I can't say that I've been just busting it....but I have managed to finish three things since my last post, and just wanted to share them with you.  

    The monkey bag:  I decided to do something different for the handle/strap and I really like the result...

 I made 'ties' on each end and then ran a matching woven belt through the ties...makes the length adjustable using the belt and using the side ties, which are made from the same soft ultra-suede as the sides.  

I love the way all of the materials I used for this bag coordinated so well...I'll be listing her on etsy soon. First I have to take her for a test drive to the grocery store to check her capacity and strength.



I also finished this colorful, cheerful grocery bag, which you last saw as a pile of raw materials....I really love the colors and also the belt strap, and it is very strong...double seams throughout for carrying heavy groceries....I'll be taking her for a test spin to the store this week to be sure she meets my strength standards.    

And, last but not least, I finished painting these awesome clogs (size 7)...all I need to do to them now is apply the spray-on matte finished protective coating.  I really am excited about these...they turned out very well, I think...                                                                                                                                                     ...and I've already started on a black pair (size 8) that will be based on night skies...a little bit daunting but I have a vision and I am going to try and replicate it on the shoes.  Should prove interesting and probably a bit difficult, but I gotta try!

What's next?  Well, I have a dress to embellish with Oriental fabric; I have a bag, a large handbag or tote actually, that will have crocheted front and back with fabric lining and sides.  Still working on matching things up, and I haven't begun to figure out what the straps will be like.  I just know these will be fun to do and I like doing fun things...work should be fun, right?  

I hope you have a wonderful day!! And please feel free to share my blog, my Facebook page, pieces of work, etc., with your friends and co-workers...I believe each piece that I create is made for someone individual, and so I want to do what I can to match the persons with the pieces that are waiting for them.  And of course, you can send folks to www.goodkharmarethreads.etsy.com if they'd like to see more of what I do.  I hope to get these new items and also some of the painted art listed on etsy within the next week. 

Peace to you...thanks for taking the time to come and see what I've been up to!

Mixing Work with Weekend

Well, it was a pretty productive weekend, here at GoodKharmaReThreads' new little studio space.  I always like it when I feel like I'm getting a few things accomplished....and for so long it seemed like my muse had left me, given up on me completely....but she's here and she keeps me filled with ideas.  My job is trying to keep things in order, to get each piece closer to completion, even as I can't stop myself from starting the next 'thing'....

I have managed to get the 'monkey' bag 85% finished....all that's left is figuring out how I want the strap/handles to be attached and exactly what I want this to be when its done.  I love the way the sides turned out and I think I will maybe extend them up with 'loops' made from the same material as the sides, then attach a strap (adjustable, like a belt, perhaps) to the loops.  

I think it will give it that unique look that I'm always trying to create.  We'll see what I've done with this bag by the next time I post.

I have spent most of my creative time working on the brown suede shoes that I started last week.  I have just finished the flora on the first one....I think it looks pretty good. 

I'll begin on the other shoe sometime later today, and it will be similar to the first, at least as far as the colors of the flowers, for consistency's sake.  But I know that each 'plant' will have whatever flowers come from the end of the brush, so they won't be identical, nor will I try to make them be so....that would take all of the fun out of what I do!!

I have selected the 'raw materials' for my next bag, too!  Always an exciting process....figuring out what goes with what and will look attractive and inviting when its finished (well, hopefully, right?).  I am thinking that this bag will be 'upright', basically a grocery shopping bag.  Of course, it could be used for anything, but I usually envision this style to be used for groceries.  I think it will be a very happy, cheerful bag, based on the 'raw materials', colors, etc.

So, I have lots to look forward to this week....finishing the 'monkey' bag, finishing the brown suede shoes, starting the new floral grocery bag, starting the black suede shoes (with starry night skies, I'm pretty sure), and I'm sure I'll work a couple more things in if my muse gets impatient with me....lol!!  She's a real motivator, for sure!  Hope you have a great day!!

So Much Fun!!

Yes, I'm definitely having fun now!

I've been working on shoes...painting them, actually...and it has it's own brand of joy attached to the visualization of what I want the end result to be, as I spend time tediously painting branches or vines or whatever they will end up being...suede seems to be like a sponge with the acrylic paint...but I've managed to get a few coats on and actually highlight as well these cool shoes...of course, now I have to figure out what kind of flora to add and what colors to use...you see, everything is a surprise for me as I go along through the process of creating each piece...it works for me to let whatever I'm working on kind of tell me what it wants to be...


Yes, artists are a little crazy!  We visualize concepts and then as we make these concepts real and tangible, things change and open as we go...its so much fun!!
I figured out the material for the sides of the 'monkey bag' that I'm working on...unfortunately, the material that I want to use is currently part of a pair of pillow shams...so I have to remove the parts that I want to use for this project before I can jump into making the sides...this goes with the territory of being a reuse artist.  I don't mind, really...it is a kind of therapy for me to take something apart so that I can put something else together.  Making something out of nothing, my forte'!! 

I also decided to see how it would be to put the background in a painting and working from there...I think it gives me, in the case of the Buddha watercolor that I'm currently playing with, a whole different perspective to go from now...the dark background certainly enhances the rest of it, don't you think?  He is definitely evolving...and I'm just plain having fun...I just love working with watercolors!

And I've continued to work on my yellow bird picture...working on more leaves and branches and adding detail and depth to them...such joyful work for me!  I know I'll get her finished eventually...but I don't feel any burning desire to rush this one...too much going on there to flub around...and I don't want to miss anything by getting in a hurry at this point, you know?
I think that is all I've been messing with so far this week...hopefully my next post will reveal a finished 'monkey bag' and a finished pair of shoes...I already have plans for the next pair, which is black suede instead of brown...I'm thinking of trying a night sky of some kind...that is what I feel about those shoes...just will be a blast to see if I can actually pull it off!
As always, I wish you peace and joy...hope you have a great day!...I'll be back in a few with new pictures and who knows what else...thanks for taking the time to tag along with me as I do my thing!  

Getting Started....Again!

Yes, my sewing machine is running like a top....no loopies or other issues, and I've actually started a fun bag - fun because it has monkeys - and because I really have a great time taking this, that, and the other, and turning it into a useful, attractive piece.  I put a lot of love and joy into everything I sew, crochet, paint, write, or turn into a jewelry item.  It never seems boring, even when I feel overwhelmed with ideas, like the present moment.  My head is filled with visions of so many different pieces...but I know I can only do a few things at one time.

I don't know why I picked the monkeys, except that I think they look cool and the colors are pleasant and I'm having fun matching the other parts to these interesting placemats.  The second picture shows the interior of the front and back, with nice striped pockets, one just right for a cell phone...and the fabric I've draped behind this 'bag-in-the-making' may well end up being what I use for the sides and/or the handles/straps....I haven't decided that part yet.  But it certainly is good to get back to sewing.  I'd forgotten how much I enjoy just doing it

and how fun it is to watch a concept come together into something real.  I will keep posting the progress of this one, of course.  I plan for the sides to be pockets and have pockets, too.  I haven't decided what kind of closure I'll use, but most likely it will be a magnetic snap, unless I find some cool button in my button box that says it wants to be part of this piece.  That's just how it works for me....

I've also started a watercolor of a Buddha statuary image.  This will become framed art, and I plan a series of Buddhas as time progresses and allows.  I just work on him a little every day and basically add a new layer to the picture, since watercolor is just like that.  Hopefully I won't make too much of a mess of him and he'll make the 'cut', along with two different Buddha bags that should get completed in the next couple of weeks, and a couple of other images that I want to paint.

I have picked out a couple of pairs of shoes for painting; different sizes and colors and styles...all from thrift stores, of course; but they're in fantastic condition and very good brands in very good condition to start with....I just have to figure out what I want to paint onto them, what colors, etc., and see how they turn out. I think that one-of-a-kind shoes....hand-painted....are super cool; and I had a great deal of interest in ones that I took to my last vending opportunity, before I relocated from NC to CO.  It will be fun to find out what Coloradans think of my work, you know!

And, I'm still messing around with my bird picture....she beckons me to work on her just about every day....
 I hope you can see some of the leaf detail from this picture...it really started to show up once I put background color....I'm also adding more thick branches and will be adding more details and shading, plus tweaking the background until I get what I want, and then my lovely girl will get her make-over.....becoming a more 3D-looking image instead of a flat thing.  I still don't know if I will be able to sell her....as in my attachment to her and to the quote that she represents so well! I guess

someone will have to love her as much as I do, when it comes down to it.  That is the way it is when you make things and then have to put a price on them.  It isn't like you can go and get one at the store, or will ever create another that is just like this one. But she will be going to whatever markets or fairs or festivals that I find here in Colorado and perhaps someone will fall in love with her, or perhaps someone will want me to paint one just for them.....
Speaking of the custom creation thing....I will be selling the "heart" that I was commissioned to paint....even though the person that ordered it decided, after I had incorporated all that they thought they wanted....that maybe they wanted it in a different color scheme, etc.  I feel that there is another person out there that will absolutely love this one and will 'get' what I put into it to make it special.  So I have a few more details to incorporate and I will be listing this one in my etsy.com store. 

And so this is what all I've been working on as 2014 came to a close and 2015 has arrived.  I feel like its a good start to the new year....so, Happy New Year to one and all!!!  I will keep you posted as these projects progress, get completed, and are replaced with those visions that I have waiting to turn into real pieces.  So much to do, and so much fun to have and share.....peace be with you as this new year brings new things for us all!

Machinery at the Ready

Well, I bit the bullet today and delved into my Janome Heavy Duty sewing machine, which had been giving me fits every time I used it, or tried to; and it is not a cheap machine to have repaired, so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get back to making bags any time soon.  
But I repaired the plate and cleaned out the bobbin casing area and she is running like a top!  So excited, just excited to be excited about sewing again after such a long hiatus.  I think I feel my muse getting excited, as well!!  
We have some cold weather ahead this coming week, and sewing will be something I can get into.  I also plan to get back to work on some sketches and paintings and maybe even a bit of jewelry...so I will make my snowbound time useful and creative.  
That's really all the news...good news for getting back to work.  It seems like I spent the bulk of 2014 living out of a suitcase, and that was okay because it really got me back into painting and crocheting and other such activities that could be made portable.  Now that we have a home and I have my studio space set up, I look forward to a productive 2015....I also look forward to finding some fairs, festivals, markets, etc., so that I can get to know the artisan community here in Colorado.  If you know of any folks that might be able to help me get more info on the best events to participate in, please feel free to send me a note.  
No pictures today, but I'll have some for sure when I post again, because I plan to get on with creating some new stuff for GoodKharma!  Stay warm and keep your heart and mind open....

Moving In, Moving Forward

I haven't posted here since August.  That may seem crazy but there is good reason.  I relocated to Colorado in September, and endured some adverse living conditions, which were anything but conducive to creativity.  Finally, I have a home and I have been setting up my new studio space.  It is certainly a
in progress, but it has infinite potential and 
fantastic natural light, so I'm pretty darned 
happy. 
I have so many unfinished works that I am starting to prioritize and get back to work on.  I have so many ideas for new things, modified things, and different directions to go forth with.  GoodKharma will have to find new places to be seen in the world.  I have much research to do on markets, fairs, and festivals in the area.  Also I have to look at the demographics of where the 'targeted audience' for my work hangs out.  And I have just tons of things that I'm dying to try and see what kind of response I get from those who understand the concepts behind all that I do under the umbrella of GoodKharma...it should be great fun and allow my creative gypsy muse to really dig in and do her thing!!!  I'm pretty excited...

                       

Ahh, some of the Buddhas I'm working on....I have many more to work on, but these need to be brought to fruition first.  The first one, on the left, is really just a little watercolor that actually fill just get framed and probably I'll keep him for myself.  He is likely too lifelike for most folks.  The middle Buddha is in a reclining pose and is acrylic on cotton fabric....he'll be part of a tote bag of some sort, and I already have the materials selected to compliment and feature him properly!  And the handsome guy on the right is a watercolor on linen....also to be incorporated into a tote bag....with some beautiful fabrics and textures...so, two out of the three of these handsome me

n will be going places!!

What's that in the background?  Well, still quite the work in progress, but much further along and will be available in a couple of weeks, if I can keep up the good work. I just love quote and designed the picture to go with it.....it will be very different the next time you see it, believe me...but I'm happy with the shape that she's taking!

Now these two are going to be available, or certainly the heart/eye on the left, as soon as I get my etsy.com site back up and going.  I'm not sure about the picture on the right...I may scratch that one and start over.  I like it, but I don't.  I think I can do better, but it was fun to do, nonetheless...and I learned a few things from it, too.

And there is a plethora of fabric and yarn and paints and jewelry-making material for me to delve into based on what I feel like making on any given day.  I am pretty happy to have this kind of flexibility.  Of course, there are some less-than-fun tasks to be done....I need to clean and service my two sewing machines, paint over some old canvases so that they can be reused, and other things that aren't as fun as being in the act of creating.  

Last, but certainly not least, there is my little corner of the office, where I have this little computer to work 

from:  for pictures, blogging, redoing my etsy store, ebay stuff, Facebook page updates, and hopefully re-starting my GKR website.  Much will be happening from this little desk. I also have three books to write in my spare time.  And I'll be assisting my partner with his on-line enterprises. So I will be busy whether I'm in the office or the studio, not to mention the day-to-day activities that happen in between the two locales.  You know: cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening.....life!
So, a hearty welcome to GoodKharmaReThreads' new digs.  If you know any artisans/artists in the Denver area or if you know of any markets, fairs, or festivals that you think would be a good fit for what GKR does, please feel free to let me know, as I'll be seeking opportunities to vend starting this spring...and I appreciate any suggestions or referrals anyone might have for me.
May you and yours have a  blessed and peaceful holiday season....I look forward  to updating you on GKR's progress as we take on the wild, wild west!!!!    

Rain...the Blessing and the Curse!

I am settling into my new space...my little room where my muse and I can enjoy whatever comes through...so different...took me a few days to realize i can close the door...close the door and listen to good music and write and paint and allow ideas to flow...how did I make it without this for so long.  No wonder I gave up my sewing machine, still parked in my bedroom...I know I'll get back there, too...can see that now..
just not ready for that part of my ideas to manifest into reality yet....which is okay, as there is no lack of work and fun and creativity in all areas...inside and out..
The rain should have given me license to come in here and work, but five inches of rain in a couple of days...wow....it became something that made me feel a little trapped...although I managed to get a good start on a painting that I've been commissioned to do for a friend...from a painting she found and loved the message more than the colors, etc...so I got busy and figured out what wasn't quite right about the original image...the message didn't quite match the image...so I have dealt with that as I make this work my own...
it is still a little daunting when I do work for a specific person...have to make myself not allow the fact that I'm making something for someone I already know block the creative process...I'm learning though!

These pictures are of my sketch and then my first pass at the painting....it still has much more to be done before its finished...but I feel like it has great bones...the message 'open the eyes of my heart' is so beautiful, and the original work was missing the thing that I find captures the truth  of it...it had the message and the eye...but it wasn't 'contained' inside a heart...which to me is the whole point...and in the middle of the flower, along with the little nectar-laden things I can't name at the moment...will be a few tiny hearts as well...to me, it will convey the message the way I want to see it conveyed, and will also make it mine...the little things that I perceive as important...fun to get to do this.  The person I'm painting this

for also wanted me to incorporate blues and greens, whereas the original was done with oranges and yellows...so I get to play with that, too.  I will work on this more today and by the time I do my next post, it just might be finished...we'll see how it goes, since my muse is torn between writing and painting at the moment.
I'm also nearing completion of my sweet yellow bird singing her special song...so hopefully that will be done fairly soon.  I'm determined to get some of the things that I had started and then not gotten back to brought to completion....because there is so much that I want to start and I feel I need to get these other things done before I give myself over to the new things...

On the garden front, well all of that rain had mixed results...I lost quite a few tomatoes, which exploded from all the water...but I was able to harvest my first corn...looking forward to trying it out this week...and I had one ear that was overly mature and I will be using it to learn how to turn those kernels into next year's seeds. The whole gardening part, GoodKharmaFarm; well, this is my year to learn from my mistakes, so I'm learning from the earth on a daily basis...I have a gazillion cucumbers...I will be going out and I know picking no less than a dozen today alone.  I see now that I will also be learning to make pickles this week...I have beets to pickle, too....no idea where to start, but I have great books to reference and thanks to technology, between google and youtube I should be able to find more than enough information to make my first products from the things that I've grown.  A new creative process, for sure.  I plucked carrots out...they weren't growing right and so I learned something there....that they should be planted with intention...spaced out instead of dumping seeds in a row and hoping they'd just do their thing...nope, some things don't work that way...I'm learning, and I will be learning from the earth and mother nature for this whole year...as fall approaches and I have to consider what I'll plant, where I'll plant it, get my fall/winter beds that get the winter sun cleaned up, and cold frames built....boy, that will be a big thing to learn...and they'll be made from all recycled wood windows and will be like mini greenhouses, allowing insulation from the cold but sunlight so those fall and winter crops can grow safely....I'm actually excited about the making of the boxes, although not too excited about the weeding and working of the overgrown beds...but it will all be done...and I may call upon some of the people that have been hinting at wanting to come out here and do something with the earth....town folk...city folk...well, I have plenty for them to do....plenty of work to share....I know I can't do it all myself!

And to add to all of the things I already do, I am getting back into the music, have been doing a little writing and playing....last night I enjoyed playing with my husband and son...as we start to evolve into whatever this incarnation of a 'band' we might become....I know that we'll have a good time, and hopefully get out and play some this fall.  Its been way too long....you can check out our former band, which disbanded in the fall of 2010, through our Facebook page or on Reverbnation....we were ShackTown....in case you are curious as to
   what we used to do....as I said, its been a long          time...I didn't play at all for over three years...but I    feel ready to write songs again and get out and        play and share our music again. It has been such a  pleasure to watch my older son grow into his own  as a musician, too!  We will have a good time!         
 So, as always, there is so much that goes into being GoodKharma......creativity comes in all kinds of packages and I've learned to be open to all of the ways that I can express myself...it has made this woman a whole person....and knowing that all that I do involves a positive message, or something made from nothing, made from what others would toss away, and turned into something different and with its own beauty.  It is my joy to share it all with you, dear readers, and I can only encourage you to do as I do, and listen to your muse, and do something, or many things...it is so important to grow and not be afraid to share all the parts of yourself that make this world just a little nicer, a little better...I've got a muse on my shoulder...poking me...whispering that its time to paint...so I will go...until next time, I bid you peace and joy!