Welcome to the New Year!

 We have just ticked over to a New Year.  2022 is done and dusted and 2023 has just begun. (Well, it's actually mid afternoon now, but you get what I mean.)

I get excited during the Christmas/New Year period as it's a time to relax from the stresses of work and focus on what projects I'd like to tackle over the coming year.  As this time of year is usually hot and humid, it's a great time to sit inside with a fan running, doing some freehand stitching, or perusing books, websites and magazines and absorbing lots of creative inspiration.

This time last year, my focus was on jewellery making. I'd decided to tidy my workspace and sort the large quantity of beads and jewellery making supplies into a more organised system.

I sourced many images from my library of vintage textile books and started to form some ideas about the direction I wanted to take. I definitely wanted to combine embroidery and beading and use some of the many materials I had been acquiring over the years.

Ideas began to form. I wanted to try to have a better idea of how to make things with the materials that I already had on hand. Previously, I would get a vague idea of what I wanted to create, then become frustrated because I didn't have the right colour thread or the perfect bead. I had to focus on using what was on hand, not buying more.

I often think that I prefer the development and research stage more than the actual creating (which I have talked about previously). I can spend hours doing little scribbles on a page or flicking through books but more often than not, those ideas never become reality. I used to be annoyed at myself for this, but now, I realise that it's just who I am and I'm okay with that.

Carrying on from the "I have more materials than I could possible use in one lifetime", I changed tack Mid-January and acquired a whole bunch of necklaces from the Op-Shop. Vinnies and Salvos knew that they could appeal to my magpie tendencies, by bagging up broken and unloved old jewellery and selling it as a bulk lot.  I LOVE sorting through bags of broken and tangled beads! I think it goes back to when Mum would get boxes of old stuff from Uncle Frank (see previous post for more on him.)

I set myself a challenge to find an ugly old necklace and turn it into something completely different. It wasn't fully planned out- I just grabbed different bits of fabric and thread and started from there.

What was supposed to be a quick little project, ended up taking me about 5 months. I'd work on it for a bit, get frustrated at myself or the lack of findings and other components available in Australia and it would sit on my work table, taking up space.  I did make a few beading boards and that was helpful to be able to pick up the whole project and shift it out of the way. 

In June, I declared that the piece was finished and after photographing it on the mannequin, it now hangs in my hallway.  I'm not completely happy with the composition, but I'm pleased that I made it.

I have a recurring disc injury that made sitting at my desk quite painful, which explains the length of time it took to complete one thing. I'd get pins and needles in my arm if I sat for too long. I tried to complete some quick projects after that, but I could already see that my attention was shifting away from beads and back to textiles. I made few fun necklaces from old beads (some are for sale over at my website, if you're interested in purchasing.)

July saw me start on another piece using a dismantled necklace. I also started up a new sketchbook for jewellery making, to try to keep my ideas in one place. I needed to be better at recording techniques I wanted to try, as well as annotating my sketches with stitch and material ideas.

This piece, and the wall hanging behind it, both remain unfinished.

Another idea formed in August.  I discovered new materials that made working with beads so much easier, (I'm looking at you, bead backing and Fireline thread) and wished I had made this discovery so much earlier.  I had also recently acquired a lot of bugle beads in various colours (thankyou Op-Shop gods) and was kind of obsessed with them. So I started making gem pendants.

These are also currently unfinished and have been pinned to my WIP board for when I feel the urge to pick them up again.

I moved onto another beaded pendant, this time using some crystal chips from an old necklace.

I had an idea to create something weathered and worn, like a brutalist copper wall plaque, with mushrooms and moss growing on it. 

I've finished the stitching, but can't decide on how to mount it, so it's sitting on a bead board waiting for inspiration.

The latter half of the year seemed to be all about recovering from various bouts of Covid-19, respiratory infections or muscle tears.  We had floods and unusual weather for many months, so when the sun was shining, I tried to get out into the garden to make the most of it, and to get the jungle of weeds under control. I did spend a lot of time procrastinating this year. I think when you're not feeling 100% well, you self-soothe with the things that are the least taxing. I've spent way too many hours browsing on Pinterest and Instagram, or reading interior design books.  I've tried to be constant with getting some ideas into my sketchbook and I like going back to it for inspiration.

When I turned 50 at the end of 2020, I realised that I'm not going to make money from being creative like I did in my 20's and 30's. I needed to stop trying to create the Next Big Thing and just enjoy the act of crafting. Since having that revelation, I've enjoyed the creative process much more and I'm enjoying learning new things at my own pace. I read many stories of people that have had full careers, before deciding to live a creative life and having all of this success, seemingly overnight from it. The reality says otherwise. Many stitchers that I've spoken to have all said that they do it for the sheer enjoyment, or for the community that they found. Unless you are relentless with self promotion (which is harder now thanks to the changes to Facebook & Instagram), or market your products via sites like Etsy (which I refuse to because of their stance on CSA materials being sold on the site) or physical markets, how do you get seen?  There are various awards and art prizes that I could try for but truth be known, I don't seek external praise like I used to. I think I've finally realised that the only person that I need to create for, is me.

So in 2023, I've decided to revisit (and hopefully complete) old projects.  I'll fill blank spaces on my wall. I'll make random accessories when the mood strikes. I'll start a project halfway through something else I'm working on and then put the in a box with all of the rest, whether finished or not. 

Here's a few things started back in 2017, 2019 and later. 

I've got the red and green floral piece on an embroidery frame as I write this, and hope for some more hot and humid days over this Summer break, so that I can work on it.

So fingers crossed for a year of good health, free time and untangled threads. 

xx Joy