How do you find the time?

This weekend is flying by! I blink, and suddenly I'm getting ready for my week! What happened? 

Today is going to be slam-packed day! In between doing my normal chores, laundry, housekeeping, errands, cooking, I'm trying to find time to play with a few new ideas for pendants and sketching out some drafts of my very own designs. What does this look like? It means I'm also getting a great workout, running upstairs, tossing clothes in the laundry, making the bed, and then running to my work space to cut out new designs and prints, before running back down, and getting online to do some research. Rinse and repeat!

Some of my new paper. Do I choose some of my favorites or  use  each of them? I love them all!

Since I'm also new to a lot of this, I'm scouring the web for helpful tips, useful blogs, and interesting articles so that I can stay on top of current trends and information. I'll keep posting things I find along the way. 

It's going to be a busy day!

Making Some Magnets

Nothing like coming home and making some more magnets! I've been waiting for more magnet supplies. It's been hard to find the blocks I like for my inspirational magnets. I have been going around to all the local, standard arts and craft stores. Finally, I decided to mosey on-line.

I found a great site, Create For Less that offers affordable, wholesale prices for the craft items you want. I was a little hesitant ordering supplies online. You don't get to see them, handle them, and really get a sense of what you're buying. But so far, my first experience has been great. I bought some blocks to make more inspirational magnets, and they were better than I could have hoped for - nicely cute acrylic blocks with beveled edges. I looked around for other wholesale craft/art supplies stores online, but this one stood out - easy to navigate, find things, and good product pictures and descriptions.

Taken in my workshop - One of my finished inspirational magnets

30 Minutes of Creativity

So, you only have thirty minutes. What do you do? Do you take out your paints and brushes to put some finishing touches on something you've been working on? Do you grab your favorite pen and make some doodles as you unwind from your day? Do you scour Pinterest for some quick inspiration?

I don't let being short on time cramp my style! I grab the old stylus and start playing with shapes, colors, brushes, and prints. Like this graffiti-styled 'hugs and kisses' I did! I love the bold colors and forms. Just wondering now how I can incorporate it in one of my designs.

If you're like me, you too often pass up even the smallest opportunities to do what you love. I'm familiar with all the standard excuses: too tired, too busy, too many other things that need to get done. But even thirty minutes can inspire something great for the future. Either way - it's fun! And we all need some joy in our lives!

Who knows - this may show up on one of my future digital scrapbook paper designs!

What to Expect

armas asi now:

I offer handmade pendants and magnets in my shop on Etsy. If you haven't already, feel free to peruse my shop!


armas asi tomorrow:

By the end of the month, I will be celebrating the launch of my new website! A huge thank you to my partner who is helping me build something that is beautiful and easy to use where I can sell even more things!

That's right! I will be expanding my shop in just a few weeks, with more designs, magnets, and pendants!

And then right around the corner, I will launching my very own line of designs, patterns, and digital scrapbook paper! 

Please keep visiting my Facebook page for news!

Why Now?

Why now, you may ask. Is it something to do with the seasons? Am I going through another "mid" life crisis? Perhaps Jupiter's alignment with the moon?

Well, I have no idea where Jupiter is in relation to the moon. I don't even know what that really means... But there seems to have been some sort of cosmic shift that got me thinking a couple months ago: I can do that. I want to start a business. I want to make and share beautiful things. So here are a few things that I considered for myself before launch. Of course, there were a lot of other things that I had to work through before today, but for now, let's just focus on me! 

Timing
I feel like I'm at a very interesting crossroads in my life right now. My job is incredibly challenging and enriching, but I still feel like something is missing from my daily work. I spend most of my days thinking about and facilitating a 'process.' Much of my career to this point has been dedicated to this cause and I find great joy from working towards something I so passionately believe in. Yet, I would still come home feeling unfulfilled. I need this right now. I need something I still love to do, but something that has concrete tasks - a start and a finish, something tangible I can hold in my hand once I'm done.

Energy
I've spent the past three years reflecting on my career. I recently left a position with an organization that I absolutely loved, but had to let go of because of the emotional and physical toll it took on me. I moved across country and had a wonderful opportunity to explore the side of me that revels in creativity. Since then, I continue to hunger for opportunities to play with my craft supplies! I've also had this recent insatiable curiosity: What can I do with my special powers!? I have a new found interest and, like I said, curiosity about a side of me I have yet to fully explore: starting something from scratch and being an entrepreneur. 

Inspiration
My friends and loved ones inspire me daily. Whether they are fighting for something they believe in, standing up for others who don't get to have a voice, taking the plunge to try something new, or starting something from scratch, I am so fortunate to know others who are passionate about what they do and are willing to take daily risks. I draw on their energy and am compelled to join them!

So I write today, as I open my first shop on Etsy, with a celebratory joy. It's certainly a small step, but I'm confident that it's just the start of this new journey!

Open for Business!

Thank you for visiting my blog!

I am so excited to celebrate this day. It's a quiet celebration - some pumpkin carving, warm apple cider, a true fall weekend.

But my new Etsy shop is open! It's still small, a taste or sampling of things to come. I'm excited to launch my website which will be following shortly. I'll have more of my homemade items for sale there. And, the planner and dreamer I am, I will also be expanding the items I offer in the next month. It's truly a very happy moment for me - making my own products, exploring the entrepreneurial side of my personality, creating every day, and celebrating my parents and all they have nurtured in me.