Saturday, September 11, 2010

What's new this week at alamode - where I've been and where I'm going


This morning, I found myself on the Australian blog Kasiabear.  I really like this collection of typewriters and typography products curated by Kasia and thought I should share it with you.  Please hop on over to her blog to see it in detail.  Thank you, Kasia!

This week I mostly spent my time fulfilling wholesale and retail orders along with ongoing production and developing a new line of clutches.

As it happens, more often that I'd like, I also got a bit sidetracked with projects and materials that seemingly called out to me.  We recently changed two bike tires and I couldn't part with the rubber inner tubes.  I've seen some really great things made with these and "had" to make something myself.  This necklace below was the result:

I still have a lot of rubber left and plan to make more necklaces and earrings.  I won't be selling these, but I will give them away!  Stay tuned.

After spending a lot of time dabbling, I was so happy to come across this great post by Cameron on the blog Cottage Industrialist.  She talks about being easily distracted by projects that in the long run may not  yield obvious, immediate, or worthwhile benefits.  This struck an immediate chord with me, especially since I spent several hours this week trying to make things for the heck of it.  Often, people will ask me why I do things that don't connect directly to the bottom line.  Why do I blog, tweet, and promote other sellers?  Why would I spend time making something that I don't intend to sell?  The answer, as Cameron points out, is simple.  It's because I'm doing what I want to do.  I'm satisfying my own curiosity and desire to create.  I'm exploring the possibilities.  I'm pushing myself.  Yes, it may be time consuming and ultimately unprofitable, but for me it is cathartic and meaningful.  It is necessary.  And it is okay.  I highly recommend Cameron's post.

Next week, I'm heading to Reno with the family.  We are going on trip number 2 [1st trip post here] in our quest to find C's next job and our new home.  C has been offered a job at a great practice out there and we want the kids to see the area.  I'm sure I'll be tweeting and blogging during our trip.  I'm also planning to meet a good Twitter friend, Angie of Jumping Jack Designs.  I love how the world wide web has created a global community of friends.  I'm excited to put a face behind @modernpaper!

6 comments:

  1. great post, linda! i remember you tweeting about those innertubes, cool to see what you ended up doing with them!
    i definitely feel what you're saying. i have so many ideas running through my head, sometimes you just need to give yourself permission to follow your creative gut and experiment + play.
    also, last week, as i madly sewed up the last of many many custom orders in a row, I took mini-breaks to sew up quick & satisfying projects for the kids, things i knew i could finish in under 15 minutes, as it always feels nice to complete something useful and fun while you're working for many hours towards completing something labour intensive. sorry for the ramble, but this really resonated with me!!
    off to read cameron's post, now!

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  2. Thanks, Lesley! I think mini projects help me get through the bigger projects. It seems a bit ADD (which I think many artist types have) but it's how we/I function. I think it's important that we accept (and give ourselves permission as you said) this about ourselves.

    Rambling is always accepted here especially since that it what I mostly do. ;)

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  3. I agree completely! If I didn't follow those seemingly sidetracking paths, I would never innovate. That's how I make the tiny or big leaps that lead to new ideas then sometimes new products in the long run. And how I keep the job fun and interesting and worthy of my attention regardless of whether the tangents amount to anything.

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  4. Yup You hit a chord with me a well (as did the cottage industrialist's). I've been beating myself up a bunch these last 2 weeks over all the stuff I didn't get done this summer...

    I hope you have a grand time in Reno this week! HOw awesome that you get to take the boys out! I hope you all end up having the same impression of Reno, I imagine it's gonna not be easy for them!

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  5. I'm looking forward to seeing you! I wish you safe, painless travels.

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  6. Love that necklace and so impressed that you started with a bike inner tube! I so agree...sometimes I get pulled in a direction that has nothing to do with my usual past-time. But I feel that when I take those jaunts it helps me discover new ideas for embroidery. Have fun in Reno! Hope your boys love the big outdoors!

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