Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Square Up

This is my iPhone's newest playmate--the Square.  I have recently published an article in the SAQA Journal about my experience with a smartphone app called GoPayment.  It is a credit card processor that makes your phone a terminal.  I knew about the $20 a month charge for GoPayment, but missed the additional $20 in minimum fees, so I had to quickly suspend my connection.  


Then a couple of weeks ago a friend told me about Square Up.  It is also makes your smartphone a credit card machine, but this one is free!  The only fees are a transaction fee of $.15 and a percentage fee based if the card holder is present or not--2.5%-3.5%.  Not the cheapest, but certainly not the the most expensive fees I've seen either.


Its intended user is personal and low-volume small business users.  The story around how it got started was the guy that invented it was always getting stuck with the bill at restaurants with his fellow diners saying they would square up with him later.  So, he invented a tool where it was cost-effective for people to square up with cashless people right then and there.


One of the reasons it is for a low volume business is there are currently limits on the amount of money you can get back--$1000 per week.  If you go over that, you have to wait 30 days to get your money.  They are still working out the kinks to avoid fraudulent use of the device.


But for my art quilt business, it seems like the perfect match.  It is available for the casual studio visitor as well as major open studio events like the one planned for December 11, 2010 from noon to 8 pm.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Studio Progress - Blinds

With some design help of my friend, Jill Becker, I created a very functional solution for my windows in the new studio.  This is a minimal sewing project--only a tube to hold the upper slat of wood.  I used two layers acrylic felt to make blinds that block the intensity of the afternoon sun, but not all of the light.  











I drilled holes in each end of the slat and the middle.  I strung twine through each end and then the middle, knotted it and ran it through the loop on the window and another loop handily provided in my wall or a pipe before tieing it off on a hook to the side.  



The bottom is stapled to a little heftier piece of wood and gravity keeps it in place.

The blinds look like sails on a ship when they are being raised!  And even though they are attached to the handy loops at the top of the windows, I can have them up with the windows open, too.


Thursday, November 18, 2010

New Studio Neighbor

This weekend I had the pleasure to meet my newest neighbor in the Studios at 1100 Broadway--Anna Luna.  


She is a the owner of Crafty Girls Workshop and will soon be offering fun classes in the 1400 square foott Suite 311.  


She has a lot of ideas and enthusiasm plus great fabrics.  

Anna is also very technology savvy--I hope to learn a thing or two from her.


Two textile people in the same building!  How wonderful is that?!







Saturday, October 23, 2010

Abundant Choices - Hiring a Life Coach

Abundance, 2007 24" x 24"
About a week ago, my husband and I were taking a walk and talking about our day together.  I was explaining to him that I felt so close to where I wanted to go with my life (and art business), but I felt blocked from actually making that last little critical step of actually making it.


His response was that I should hire a coach.  My reflex, even though I used to be a coach myself, was that I don't need help.  I can do it myself.  I didn't even have time to think before these ideas flooded into my brain.  


Because when I did take a mere second to think, I thought this is the time like no other that I could really use a coach.  I am so ready for to accept the goodness of the Universe, which sounds a little flip, but actually I've put a lot of work into that part.  Having help in removing the obstacles that I place in front of myself, might be a really good idea.


And then the second reflex occurred, which is I don't have any money to pay a coach and the money that I don't have yet, I've already spent on new studio space.  And who would I hire anyway?  It would have to be a co-active coach.  And then the beautiful face of my dear friend Sue Vittner popped in my brain.  She is a life coach, who is mostly doing massage therapy because marketing coaching isn't the easiest thing to do in the world--I can relate to that!  She collected Abundance a couple of years ago and had recently inquired about Three Waters, shown below. 
Three Waters, 2010


So, my next actual thought was I may be cash poor right now, but I am art rich!  So, I met with her the next day, as she was in town, and we came to a pretty straight forward arrangement of her coaching me in exchange for Three Waters.


I can tell you that I immediately felt energized and hopeful again that I can accomplish the goals and milestones that I have for myself.  I have witnessed the power of coaching first hand and know what life-altering affects that it can have.  And I have allowed myself this "help" at a critical juncture in my life.  I am allowing Abundance.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Spaciousness

Spaciousness, c2010, 24"x30"

I rediscovered spaciousness in the studio this week.  I have always been attracted to small spaces.  I think it may have something to do with the organizational challenge of making it functional.  

I have recently moved into a new space in my building.  I was trying to solve some of the weather challenges of my current space and thought that it was going to be a this OR that choice.  But it ended up being a this AND that choice.  

The new space on the 2nd floor is my dry studio.  I have moved my sewing machine, cutting, ironing, and painting stations.  As well as carved out a space for an office.  The new space has amazing light (except for a couple of hours in the late afternoon when it is a little too amazing--but I've got a solution for that!) and is well air-conditioned.  

The old space on the 3rd floor is my wet studio that I use for dying fabric, storage, frame-making preparing food and coffee, and journaling.  As I used the big empty spot yesterday to work with my dyes, I marveled at how it felt to be in spaciousness.

This week, I've also felt spacious with my time.  My metronome schedule with my day job has changed as my carpooling schedule with my husband's new contract has changed.  Instead of working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday--were I was always one day from the studio and helped me a lot to be more present--I'm working 10 hours each on Wednesday and Thursday.  

The new schedule gives me a lot more time consecutively which makes dying fabric easier and it feels like I have more time in the studio.



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Me, Myself, and I and Her and She and Them

I was having a conversation last night with my DH about my alter egos.  Two of them have cute names--Stinkerina and Babycita. 

Milagros (Stinkerina)
Stinkerina is playful, demanding, and likes to tease.  She can be a little mean sometimes.  She doesn't mean to be mean, but it does happen.  She can get really competitive when playing games, too.

Babycita is the sweet, patient, loving, calm, happy one.  She showed up when I started doing art full-time.  I really didn't know that she existed until then.  Chuck fell in love with Stinkerina, but Babycita got a lot of positive reinforcement when she came on the scene.

So, I was thinking of who else is out there. 

Well, there is Adventure Girl.  I had forgotten all about her until she showed up last weekend in the studio.  I like Adventure Girl a lot and am going to invite her over more often.  She can be a little reckless.  She doesn't plan or think about things--she just does things.  She is very experiential and brave.
Child's Play
(The Organizer and Artista)

Chuck reminded me of The Organizer.  Of course, how could I have forgotten her.  I wish she had a better name, but I haven't thought of one yet.  I'm pretty sure everyone in my life has met The Organizer.  She comes by at least once a month to organize or re-organize something--more often if she is really needed.

I really do know that Chuck fell in love with Stinkerina with her devilish eyes, but when a dear friend asked early in our relationship what he loved about me, what blurted from his lips was, "She is so organized!"  I guess even The Organizer can be endearing....in that special methodical way.

Line Study 1
(Artista and Simplicity)  
 The Organizer has a twin;  she is Simplicity.  Simplicity is shy.  She has a lot to say, but she doesn't use words.  You can feel where she has been, though.  She is the one that you see out of the corner of your eye and she is gone if you actually try and focus on her.  The Organizer does her best to make space for her quiet twin.

And then there is Artista.  She has been around forever and likes to play with everybody and everything.  She is very social and likes to share what she is learning with all of her friends.

She is just happy to be creative and have a "canvas," even if that canvas is spreadsheet on a computer screen.  She regularly has play dates in the studio with The Organizer, Babycita, and Stinkerina, and has even hooked up once or twice with Simplicity.

I know there are more of me out there, but Artista is begging me to go to the studio that The Organizer was so kind as to clean up last night.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Day 4

Day 4 was rained out.  There was rain from the ramp.  There was rain from the old drips that had been sealed.  There was rain in brand new places.  After moving my studio mates canvases out of his area to keep from getting wet or to dry out.  I was too distraught really to anything in my studio. 

There are so many things that I love about my space, but it all is forgotten when I have to deal with this much water or my own continuous stream of sweat.  It seems that I am being chased by water.  My lease is up this month, so I'm officially looking for new digs.  I need a space that supports me and that doesn't distract me.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Day 3

I got a better offer from my husband on Day 3.  We spent a lovely day together.  But while he was napping, I snuck up to the studio and looked at the results of my dye studies.  I didn't get the blue-green I was looking for, so I'll be doing more studies.  I came really close on the red-violet and cool-red that I think I can adjust and be happy with the result.

Now the juggling begins.  I could mix up dye for both one of the pieces and the studies on Day 4, but I'm only going to have time to rinse out one on Wednesday night.  So, I'll have to choose and be patient!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Day 2

While I was waiting to rinse out the dye studies that I had batched the day before, I organized the previous dye studies that I had done.  Of course, I have to make 12 more sets of each of these for my classmates, but that I left for other evenings.

These are two different reds mixed into yellow dye at 10% increments.

I also emptied out the front part of my studio to make room to dye the large pieces of fabric. I knew this day was coming....

I have two 2'x4' plastic tables set up and will be adding one more to have 12'.  At first I was going to set up on the floor, but then I thought I would have better control if I did it at a more comfortable height.

So, the ramp is filling up.  I need to get some more metal shelving to create stair steps up on the left side.  There will be a day, I'm sure, that I will be in the mood to organize, and I'll have the perfect project!

So my studio day ended with hanging three sets of dye studies.

I'm excited to see how my idea eventually plays out.  There are four possible outcomes.

1.  The fabric comes out exactly how it is in my mind.
2.  The fabric comes out differently than I am imagining it, but I can still use it for this project.
3.  The fabric comes out differently than I am imagining it, and I can't use it for this project, but possibly it can be used for something else.
4.  The fabric comes out differently than I imagined and it can't be used for anything!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Day 1

My plans for the day were to quilt on one of my pieces for my Jane class and then work on another piece of my Jane class.  But when I got to the studio, I thought I have 4 days in a row (which seems big to me now!) and I have these color shift ideas that I'm seeing big. 

So, I decided to push things a bit and start something brand new, knowing that I would fill in with my Jane work.  Starting something big and brand new, not playing it safe with my homework, and not playing it safe by choosing not to work at the day job on Monday all contributed to accessing my adventure value.  That was why I was so pumped yesterday.  Note to self.

I used to access my adventure value by travelling alone and doing other fun stuff like canoeing and camping on the river overnight by myself.  Clearly, I am getting old if living on the edge is pushing deadlines and missing a paycheck for a day! 

I mentally went through a check list of how I was going to proceed and then decided to actually write down these choices.  What was different for me is that I chose the easiest option for each item. 

For these quilts--I see two that are playing with each other--I am using cotton because it is less slippery than silk and easier to manage the way I'm handling the finishing.

I chose wool batting because it is the loft that I want and is so easy to cut and hold its shape.  The other choice I have been using lately is easy, too--felt.

I chose invisble thread as I didn't want to work about matching subtle color shifts.  And I know I'll make other choices in the future for thread, both color matching and color contrasting.

The sizes that I chose are skinny enough to not have to sew pieces of fabric together.  That choice was made for simplicity sake.

The colors were tough to choose. I could sketch and visualize the shapes of the quilts in my head, but not how the colors would play with each other. So I painted several varieties.
In the past, I would have just jumped in mixed up some dye and threw it on the fabric and hoped for the best.  But I guess I value good results more than fast results, because not only did I do paint studies, I also did dye studies, which is really going to take time.  Two of these are ones that I had to do anyway for my independent study.  I can rinse these at the end of Day 2.  Make decisions based on the colors at the beginning of Day 3.  Batch the first piece of fabric on Day 3 and rinse on Day 4.  If all goes well, batch second piece of fabric on Day 4 and rinse after day job on Day 5.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Art Quilt Finishing Techniques

I just wanted to share my latest finishing technique that I have used. Finishing techniques seem to be one part of the process that I experiment a lot with. I have have been very innovative in this area, and many successes, but there are a few that I haven't gone out of my way to use again.

The piece that I'm showing here is a small custom piece that I made for one of my collectors. She specifically wanted a red circle quilt. I ended up using red felt, so even though it is stitched, it isn't officially a quilt.

I had several ideas of how to finish this piece including a shadow frame, (which I didn't offer because it would take away from the roundness that she desired), mounting it on a square piece of plexiglass, and floating it on a fabricated plexiglass mount, similarly to how I mounted Three Waters. It was important to me that it was away from the wall.

My collector thought of using the embroidery ring, which was a very inexpensive alternative that I hadn't considered. I covered it with fabric and then mounted the piece. The embroidery ring has a built in hanging device.

It is actually the same idea (smaller scale and different shape) that I had picked up at Translations Gallery, when they were more involved with fiber media, the last time I was in Denver. They had the flat quilts by their featured artist carefully pinned to black fabric covered stretcher bars that were a couple of inches smaller than the quilt. It allowed the quilt to come away from the wall maybe an inch, but I think it gave the piece more of a presence.

Measuring Fabric
Added Notch & Hemmed Edges
Giant Yo Yo
The Other Side
Finished Back
Finished Front
 
I'll be leading a discussion in my studio on Saturday, September 25. 2010 from 10 until noon on this very subject!  It is called Art Quilt Finishing Techniques--A Discussion.  I will be talking about lots of different options, what to consider when choosing, pros and cons, and hopefully talking about specific projects that participants bring in.  It should be very informative and a lot of fun.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

2010 Mastery Class with Jane Dunnewold

I have a philosophy about workshops.  Sometimes, you don't get what you want, but you get what you need.  I really don't have explicit expectations about what I want out of the mastery program, as it was a very intuitive choice,  other than to add depth to my work.

But I can assure you that I have learned a ton about dyeing that I clearly needed to learn to make dyeing a fun and effective studio process.  I resisted dyeing my own cloth for a long time.  To be honest, I really didn't have a good space for it until I got my studio last year.  Hind-sight has also shown me that there were other processes I needed to concentrate on.

But now that I have a dyeing process established, I am off and running.  I'm dyeing fabric for projects and for studies--which may be my favorite thing yet.  I can't seem to get enough of the fabulous colors that I'm making.

There are four things that have improved my process since I started the mastery class.

1. Hot water. I haven’t really had a problem because circumstances took care of the hot water, but clearly I would have been in trouble without this knowledge. It has been a pretty easy step to add in a boiling water rinse. I now have a dedicated plug-in water kettle.

2. Salt. I really noticed the difference when mixing the black dyes with salt. I see it as a choice that I will probably mostly use.

3. Mixing colors from liquid dye. Previously I would mix colors by adding powdered dye into the water until I got close (by testing on white paper). With this method, I was frequently using a lot more dye powder than I needed, which of course took forever to rinse out.  I'm now also mixing liquid dye in larger batches and keeping them in the fridge, which I bring them to room temperature before use.

4. Soaking. The soaking of the fabric to get out most of the dye is working really well. It is amazing though to get to pretty clear water after soaking/rinsing with cold water and then add the hot water and see how much more dye comes out. This has made the dyeing process a lot less hard work.

Friday, July 23, 2010

The Invisible Bridge

My head believes in the Invisible Bridge--that wonderful bridge that connects me to the Universe and allows my needs to be met if "Do the Work" and "Follow the Connections."  But it is clear that my body needs to see and feel the bridge below my feet.  I hate admitting that I'm not evolved enough to really know that all of my needs will be met as I step out past pay checks.

I want to keep this blog real and on track about my journey of making my living from my art and being abundant, but I just couldn't write about my discomfort anymore.  So, here are the cliff notes of the last week (with a happy ending) instead:

     Week ago Thursday - Meltdown
     Week ago Friday - Decided that the fear is getting in the way of making art, so it is 
                                 better idea to get job
     Last Saturday - Connected with the employer that I solved the money problem with a
                             previous time that Chuck quit his job and started sending out resumes
                             locally
     Last Monday - Changed my mind about the previous employer because I feared getting
                           sucked into making enough money and losing my art more than not having 
                           money.  Sent out a couple more resumes locally
     Tuesday and Wednesday - More unproductive time not making art
     Thursday - Interview for a local part-time job doing light accounting, excel, access, and
                      organizing -- all the things that I want in a money job right now!
     Friday - Start part-time job

I cannot solve all of our near future money needs with this one part-time job, so maybe one foot is on the visible bridge while the other is on the invisible one.  That is all I can do right now.  I feel like this part of the equation is resolved and my mind is clear to make art.  This blog needs some art postings!!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Me and My Pal Frank

Chuck had his last day at the Base on Friday. But he started the day with a phone interview for a short-term tech contract in Austin. They met all of his criteria for such a gig, so he told the recruiter they could submit him to the state agency that was looking for a data conversion programmer.

I found myself really elated by this prospect.  Chuck said it was what he "asked for" but he didn't think it would show up so fast.  We planned how we would manage the car, who he might live with, and how four months of work could buy us eight months of living expenses.  Of course, we always make these kind of plans in these situations, like having the car paid off before Chuck left the Base, like waiting until my lease was up before I moved in (was that 11 years ago?), mapping out furniture arrangements before we actually move into a new apartment--our "plans" never, ever work out--but they keep our brains busy and make us feel better.

Another thing that I said was, "It would really solve a lot of problems."  But after I gave it more thought, the only problem that we have right now, is my fear about unknown income sources.  My head is completely OK with our new economy, but clearly I have some major wires that are still coded in the old economy.

I don't think it is possible for me at this moment not to worry about it.  So, I'm accepting that my fear about money is going to be around a while.  And since we are going to be together--I didn't say friends--my pal should have a name--Frank.

I'm going to keep on eye on Frank and hopefully he doesn't cause to much trouble.  Things like fraud on now two of my bank accounts, I'm probably going to blame on Frank.  And while I acknowledge that Frank is probably going to be around for a while, it doesn't mean that I have to talk to him.  For now, I'm going to let him sit quietly in the corner.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Language

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  My mom said this as probably every other parent on the planet.  I don't believe this anymore.  I think words can leave a big impression, especially if the person saying them is ourselves. 

Here is a little excerpt from Spiritual Economics on page 36 in my book, "Failure or lack in your life is simply the result of continuously 'minus-ing' yourself.  Conversely, success and prosperity are the results of constantly 'plus-ing' yourself.

When I started paying attention to this about 6 weeks ago, I found myself "minus-ing" myself all the time.  Sometimes it was just in my tone of voice.  I heard a lot of "only's" coming out of my mouth.  I only did that or I only did this and I should have blah, blah, blah.  I noticed these often.

The hardest question for me to answer was how is my business doing.  And it always seemed to me that in that moment all I could focus on was the no sales I was having.  But a coach friend, Sue Vittner, helped me to look at the situation differently.  She told me to step back and look at all the successes that I had achieved and my knowledge that I would have sales in the future.  I have had sales in the past and all of the innovative work that I have been doing.  It wasn't a lie to say that my business was terrific.  Of course, since I'm prepared for that question, people have stopped asking it.  But I can authentically answer that my business is terrific. 

But language "minus-ing" can be pretty subtle, too.  Yesterday, when I was writing on my blog about our grocery store budget, at first, I used the word careful to describe how we had to be with the budget.  But I changed it to mindful.  To me, careful is attached to danger.  Mindful is paying close attention.  I just "plussed" myself.

I would love to hear how you "plus" yourself with language.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Feeling Abundant

There are several things that really make me feel abundant. 

One is Starbuck's Italian Roast ground for my French Press.  It used to be their lattes but after drinking this strong, thick wonderful coffee, I find the lattes too milky.  I love the ritual of boiling the water, counting out the six scoops, pouring and then stirring the water, and finally setting my iPhone timer for 4 minutes but knowing that a little extra dawdle time is needed to get the perfect brew.  The little chime goes off and then the slow, resisting plunge.  A little half-n-half and then the perfect start to any day.

Another thing that makes me feel abundant and almost decadent is good bread.  I love the crusty bread that we can sometimes find at the farmer's market and the yummy bread at Broadway Daily Bread.  Going there is always a treat because they always have samples.  Good-bread-still-warm-with-butter just doesn't compare to HEB-bread-that-has-those-plastic-seals-that-I-can-never-get-off-without-ripping-the-bag. 

In our new economy, as I choose to call Chuck's and my latest adventure, we have a pretty tight grocery store budget.  I have allowed us $200 per person per month, which is what I heard on NPR is what single people on food stamps get.  I don't know how accurate it is, but that really isn't important.  It is a lot less than we have been spending, but seems reasonable if we are mindful.  I feel it is just as important to feel abundant as it is to save on dollars.

I wasn't feeling very abundant this morning, though, when I was ordering dyes for the studio.  I calculated my checking account balance and subtracted out my rent that hasn't hit yet and next month's rent and saw a much smaller number than what I had expected, so I ordered smaller quantities and skipped a couple of colors--and was feeling pretty poor. 

I had to really stop and regroup and ask my brain what was true right now in this moment.  Right now in this moment, my bank account is pretty fat.  Plus we still have one more big check coming in from Chuck's job.  I have receivables from lay-a-way purchases.  What is true, is I have abundance all around me--in this moment!

I was able to relax and go on to have a great day in the studio, where I was presented with an amazing and potentially very lucrative opportunity.  It pays to feel abundant!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Great Books

There are three books that I would like to plug. They have all really helped me or are helping me.

The first one is Creating a Life Worth Living.  It is the book that got me on my path from accountant to life coach to artist.  The author of this fabulous book is Carol Lloyd.

There are a lot of stories of how artists be artists and how they live in order to keep art centered in their lives. It might be time for me to re-read this one.


The second one is called Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterfield.  I've just finished it and now Chuck is reading it.  It is easy to read and a practical guide to a spiritual practice and beliefs around money and prosperity.  I was introduced to this book recently at Celebration Circle, a spiritual group that meets in San Antonio.  The book contains a lot about gratitude and allowing flow. 

A favorite paragraph on page 23:  "You see, the basis of entitlement is the startling assertion:  The Universe owes you a living!  Yes, we are saying owes you a living.  Note:  We are not saying that the world owes you a living.  Actually, the world owes you nothing.  You are a creative expression of the Universe, with the responsibility to let your light shine.  Thus you owe the world a life.  But in all the many ways in which you apply yourself in the world, the Universe owes you complete support."  Let that sink in for a while.

Finally, the third book that I'm half way through is I'd Rather Be in the Studio! by Alyson B. Stanfield.  As always, the right resource--teacher, book--shows up when you are ready.  I've known about Alyson for a long time, but the student wasn't ready until now.  It has a lot of information on how you can spend hours and hours marketing.  My goal is to have my business foundation built by the end of the summer while still squeezing in studio time. 
I signed up for her class, Cultivating Collectors, a few days before Chuck resigned, an event that I knew was coming before he turned 50 (May 29, 2011).  It was a hard decision to spend a hundred bucks on this before the plug was pulled.  It just seems that I should know about this stuff.  (I know, the dreaded "s" word.)

I am grateful that I did sign up, because I might not have made the same decision afterwards.  It is so hard to be in flow and make good financial decisions when we naturally contract when known money sources are stopping. 

So, these are my "opportunities": 

  • To prudently spend and not spend money in an unknown money stream as if it were a known money stream

  • To know when to add or not add known income sources

  • To not buy into the fear of those around me have for me.  It really is ok to go along with the emperor not having any clothes.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Ready or Not, Here We Go

I have been very fortunate that my husband, Chuck, has been employed for the last three years with a job that has supported us both, given us insurance, and allowed us to rest and regroup from our previous self-employment adventures.  During this time, I have been able to "create an artful life," the description of my previous blog.

Well, as of July 10, 2010, Chuck will be giving up his "perfectly good job" that energetically has become unsustainable.  Chuck will be free from "eating fear and death" and be able to do what he loves--acting and everything related to theater and movies.

Which puts me in the situation of going back to regular employment or actually getting my art business off the ground.  I've been checking in with my energetic self for months to see if I should get a part-time job, and so far the answer coming back is no, but this could change in the future.

So, the purpose of this new blog is to share my journey of creating abundance while creating art, share resources, and generally allow people to root us on.  I'm not freaking out yet, but I reserve the right to do that tomorrow.