All the spring snow in Colorado meant more time to learn and experience new things! Here's what I've been up to over the last few months:
- In early May, I did my first craft show in at least five years. I read a lot of blog posts by MadeUrban to prepare my table display. One of her main points was that "less is more" when it comes to show displays. This felt so hard to do, but I was glad I met the challenge. I did find that those who stopped by my table did look at everything. (Shown below are my mini plant markers and the copper and steel bangle bracelets that debuted at the show.)
This show reaffirmed my basic belief that even if you don't make a lot of money, it can still be worthwhile for what you'll learn. I made a page of notes at the show with ideas on tweaking my displays (I want my bracelets propped up, not flat) and my processes (Maybe get a screen or case protector for the iPad I use to collect credit cards?). I also got a few product ideas based on comments from shoppers. I'm now feeling more confident about applying for a show or two during the Christmas holiday season.
- Since I finished the book When by Daniel Pink, I've been experimenting with different times of days for activities. I learned that your most creative time is opposite of when you're the most alert and focused. So for me, as a morning person, this means that late afternoon or early evening is best. This book doesn't focus on creativity; he covers timing issues for lots of activities including having surgery and taking an exam in school.
- Speaking of books, some of my favorites this quarter included: Fly Girls by Keith O'Brien (about five early women pilots), Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam (productivity tips), Educated by Tara Westover (a memoir by a woman raised by a survivalist family in Idaho), Shell Game by Sara Paretsky (suspense), Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl (a memoir by the editor of Gourmet magazine), and Asking for a Friend by Jessica Weisberg (the history of giving advice).
- I also read Dumplin by Julie Murphy (a young adult book about a beauty pageant) after I'd already seen the movie on Netflix. I'm usually pretty strict about reading the book before I see the movie because the book's always better, right? So it surprised me that I ended up enjoying both even though the movie didn't follow the book precisely. It felt like the essential spirit of both were the same. (And now I want to learn more about Dolly Parton.)
- In addition to all those books, I checked out a ukulele from my library. (Apparently, ukes in libraries are a trend!) I found the small how-to booklet hard to follow, but I did love using the electronic tuner that came with it. So much fun to strum and adjust the knobs to turn the light on the tuner from red (bad) to green (good)! I'm not going to rush out and buy a ukulele, but it was nice to be able to try it for free.
- My leather messenger bag (shown below) that I started a couple years ago from a kit is now sewn together. After I dyed the leather, I'd been stuck on step 2; the line illustrations did not make sense to me. I finally found this short video on Facebook and was able to slow it down and make my own sketches.
In working with this kit, I learned (or maybe just reaffirmed) that I am a very visual person. I need more than a photo of the front of a finished project in order to complete it. I also think that having multiple illustrations are much more useful at the start of a project when you have a lot of parts than towards the end when the steps seem more self-evident. (I really didn't need the 6 or so illustrations showing how to attach the sides at the end given they were the only pieces not stitched in already.)
I still want to finish (darken) the leather edges and maybe add some decorative rivets, but it does feel good to have made such major progress on an old project. Sewing leather with stiff waxed cord is hard on your hands, so I don't know that I will be making other bags, but it's good to know that I could if I wanted.
P.S. The first day of spring this year is officially June 21, but it always feels like it should be June 1, doesn't it?