The Drawing Board

The Timer experiment

2009-04-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well its not really an experiment but a re-alignment. I tend to waste a lot of time when I get overwhelmed, worrying more about what to do instead of actually doing something... ANYTHING. So last week for the whole week I used a timer and I gave myself an hour to fully concentrate on each task that I had to do that day. I tutor kids in the morning and in the afternoons so most days I have 4-6 hour window to devote to my creative work. I started on Monday by making a list on my calender of the things I wanted to work on for the day...
clean the studio, make beads, work on purses, and work on portfolio pages. Cleaning the studio of course is a 6 hour job in its self, but I freak out when I know that I'm going to spend my whole day cleaning and not get any 'work' done.

So, its Saturday and the studio is almost clean, it got 4 hours worth this week, I made 200.00 worth of beads, I got 3 sets of portfolio pages done and painted 1 new collection, and I worked on three purses all about 50% complete. I also spent the extra time in my schedule to teach myself how to do a repeat pattern with a tutorial I found on line (4 months ago) and experimenting with a new tool I got for jewelry design.

I'm setting the timer again today. And I'm including my household work I never want to do, clean the bathroom, organize my closet and put away laundry. Ill let you know how it goes!

this years valentine

2009-02-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

My daughter totally outdid herself this year. Every year she does something creative on a pretty big scale for valentines day, I photograph or scan it and print cards for her classmates for valentines day. I was driving home from work in the pouring rain thinking how is she going to do it this year, and after a little brainstorming with her we decided on an altered photograph. We did two (she insisted that the boys get a different one than the girls...) her dad cant stop laughing and she is very proud!

2009-02-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Im a week into this new direction and Ive worked up one collection of love/valentines. I have a coffee design and a tea design that need supporting pieces and ideas for more. Im working off of single word sentiments and building around the word...thanks, calm, dream, friend, love, family, joy, peace, anything that comes into my head and Im looking for more single words to work from... maybe some silly ones like boo, yikes, chill... I wonder if there is a place I can go to find more words, besides the dictionary.

CHA and a change of direction

2009-01-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

I just got back from the CHA trade show. Inspired and tired. I saw some great new products, my favorite being a personal (but really professional) silk screening machine from Provo Craft. Its a super cool all in one machine that is about the size of a personal copier complete with a light system for exposing the film. I'm really excited about this thing! I have been silk screening for a long time (probably 20 years now) and although I don't do it daily or as an income stream, I still get out the screens and inks to do something about once a month or so. If I had this system I think it would be more like once a week!!! I will be watching the Provo Craft website for launch info and saving my pennies!

I also met with my reps at the show. We found a quiet corner and they gave me the "you know what you should do..." talk. (they should charge for that, by the way) I walked away from that with a completely new and freeing direction. My art has gotten stiffer and flatter as I have gone on this year and nothing was really very good (good ideas maybe) but no heart. So, I'm going to try something a little crazy and all of my art is going to come straight from the sketch phase, no cleaning up, no machine type, fast and furious and full of my heart and soul. I'm excited and happy and a little scared... whats the saying... Feel the fear and do it anyway!

elf yourself!

2008-12-23T23:08:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

December 1st... REALLY???

2008-12-01T09:46:00.001-08:00

Well, here its is already December 1st! I take this whole month to update my portfolio. I file and save every sketch, idea, brainstorm in a big expanding file and then on December 1st I get the file out and go through it. I pull sketches that didnt get developed or even drawn (and that deserve to be drawn) and move them into a pile that goes by the light table. I refine the drawings, add details, borders and backgrounds and trace them onto watercolor paper to paint. I just went through my stack of sketches for this year and its about 2" thick.... this does not include my bound sketch book, and pulled out a pile thats about 1" high of stuff that deserves developement. Yikes! I better get busy!!!! I have a whole pile of birds of different feathers, fairies and mushrooms, cocktails, fruits and veggies and some cool halloween and xmas ideas. I also have some interesting scrolls and corners, and fun patterns. Cant wait to get started!

2008-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Ugh!!! its been forever! I just finished up my last show of the year and it was a not a good season. I can definitely see the drop in the economy in my own sales. In April it was business as usual, Summer was OK down a little but not bad, September was even slower but I did some bigger shows so I felt fine about it...now, at the end of the year, I have more inventory than Ive ever had (ever) in my studio. So I'm sitting here thinking the other day, what now, what am I going to do with all this stuff! I have friends who own a bead store and they have had the best few months in over a year and they are running out of inventory, ordering like mad to keep the store stocked. We were talking about other things, and they had just unpacked this box full of beautiful Venetian glass beads, Really expensive beads.... we were talking about the beads and then one of the girls said, ' these trunk shows are really cool, we get them for two weeks, sell what we can, write a check for what we sell and send them back'... I just stood there kind of shocked, why didn't I do that with my beads!!!!

That was Wednesday, by Thursday I have a contract written, by Friday I had a cover letter and mailing list ready for 20 bead stores in California. Today is Sunday and I have trays, 2o sets of beads, and I'm on my way to shipping out my first Trunk Show in a Box!!! It will contain 48 sets of beads, priced, trays for display and sample jewelry to show. And, of course, its going to my friends Stephanie and Penny at Bead Artistry in Fresno...thanks guys!!!

jewelry sales

2008-10-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

The days are flying by! Its already October!! Its still 95 degrees here in central CA so I can hardly think its fall. Another craft show this weekend. Just a single day show and luncheon. always pretty good for me anyway. With our fabulous economy I'm not sure how I 'll do. I usually sell about 1/3 of my inventory and can really count on that no matter how much jewelry I take (kind of weird how it works).... Last show I sold 25% of my inventory... So If I take 3000.00 worth of jewelry I should sell about 800. Right now I'm looking at 2400 in inventory and a pile of beads and silver! I will make beads for today and then move on to jewelry tomorrow and Friday. Shooting for a solid 4000.00 worth this time...
My next show is in early Nov. and its a biggie, I'm going for at least 8000 in inventory for that one!

Art Call!!!

2008-09-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

I get Art calls from my fabulous Reps almost every week. Directors looking for anything from birthday balloons to garden flag designs.... I answer EVERY art call, unless its totally out of my style range. My goal for the year is 100 art licenses and I just got two birthday cards last week for a small but really nice greeting card company. This is my main income and I love it. I just designed a bunch of garden flags and I'm back onto greeting cards next week. Here are a few of my favorite designs from this weeks art call... hopefully they will be chosen.

Back from a Craft Show

2008-09-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

I used to do craft shows all the time, about 15-20 a year (before I had a child) and I haven't done any major show for about 8 years. I started going to bigger shows again this year and I didn't know how much I missed it. I came home last night after a 2 day monster craft fair and I told my husband, I missed my Gypsy friends. I cant even describe the instant (and I mean instantly at 6:30 AM on Saturday) friendships that form with the booths next to you and across the aisle. We don't know each others names right away or where we live but in two days we all know everything. I took Juliann on Sunday and she went from booth to booth and sat with different people, learning about what they do and how they do it. The candle guy next to me had her smelling candles with her eyes closed to see what 'flavor' it was.

I sell jewelry with lamp work beads that I make at these shows. I will have a link to some jewelry later today.

Short on Creative time

2008-09-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

I'm short on Creative time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. How do I manage my time... I go to tutor kids from 7-9 then back at 2:00 till 6:30. So, by the time I get home this morning its 9:30 and I'm hungry, so I eat something and check my email twitter etc. That leaves me 4 hours. 2 hours for beads and two hours to get the apple done. Should be plenty... if I don't get sucked into the computer! I'm making a commitment today to check my email at 9:30 and 1:30 and that's it until I get home at 7:00. No twitter, no blogging, no research. Not on Tuesday or Thursday...

Whats wrong with me!

2008-09-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I may offend someone so Ill try really hard to be politically correct. I was at my daughters soccer practice and a mom sat down next to me. I was sketching some Halloween designs and she peeked over my shoulder and asked what I was doing. I explained the whole thing... how I sell my art to manufacturers for flags, scrapbook paper, etc. And then, of course, (because I never know when to shut my mouth) I rolled my eyes and said I have to do christmas next and I hate christmas. Notice that I'm spelling with a lower case c... Well, I was thinking in lower case too, but she heard 'I hate Christmas' not I hate putting red and green on the same piece of paper, I'm tired of drawing Santa, snowmen, elves and holly. She practically ran away from me and now shes not speaking to me. I later found out that shes a fundamentalist Christian and I had totally offended her. Now I sit at practice and think I should try to explain myself and 'get her back' but then I think, why... I have plenty of friends who know what I mean when I say I hate christmas! Is she over sensitive, she doesn't even know me, how could she not like me!!!! Back and forth I go,

I'm letting it go now...she has a right to her opinion and I DON'T need everyone to like me!

New kits on Etsy

2008-09-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

I finally got all of my kits organized and 4 more loaded onto etsy yesterday. I'm really happy to have all this stuff back online. Next trick for me is to keep this blog going.... I'm really bad at doing anything with any sort of regularity...I guess its the creative part of me that wants to keep it all mixed up! Today I have to get back to the studio. I spent all weekend at a soccer tournament and was too tired (mentally) to do any work between games and in the evening. I fell asleep at 9:00 last night! I guess the stress of watching your kid play competitive sports is more exhausting that you would think. And of course I cant keep my mouth shut so I have no voice today (My husband is happy about that)

New sets on etsy yesterday

2008-09-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ive listed two new sets on etsy and Ive got about 20 to go. The files are all over my computer and need to be organized! This set is probably my favorite. It was all done on Illustrator in an afternoon and reminds me of a bakery my Grandpa used to take me to that was painted inside and out with big pink and cream stripes.

Waking up in the dark

2008-09-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ive been getting up before dawn this last week, the light has finally left my mornings. Sad, to see the summer sun go, but grateful for the coolness. I live in the Central Valley of California, where temperatures reach 110 in the summer (for weeks at a time) Its still in the high 90s today but the nights cool off completely now so I wake up to a 65 deg morning instead of 80. Lots to do today again, cutting out the apple costume is top priority, bead making a close second and flag designs third. My daughter has a soccer tournament on Saturday that I'm thinking about... what to take for her to eat, how hot is it going to be, how many games does she have to play.

Weekend fun!

2008-09-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

back from a weekend with my family at our cabin in the High Sierras. Cool clean air, super quiet except the occasional bird, and no phones, tv, or computer!!!! I spent the weekend designing jewelry, sketching and playing board games with Juli. Started a new book (Twilight) OMG I had no idea I was going to sucked into it so fast! I read almost half of it last night!!!! This is a book (or series of books) for teenagers, here I am reading about 6 pages and summerizing the story for my 8 yr olds ears. She loves anything paranormal or fantastic, magical or just creepy.

Gotta focus!

2008-09-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today is a crazy day. I tutor kids till 9:00 make beads till 11:00. Go to the bead store for supplies, add two kits to the website, go to a lunch for a friends farewell, go back to tutor at 2:00, pack for a trip to the mountains... pass out!

Here are the two kits Im putting up today... a little early but oh well...

Im to sexy for my pod...

2008-09-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Oh yea, that's right people, pics of me in a corn and pea pod costume I just designed for a school health and agriculture program. Go ahead and laugh all you want! I'm not too proud, just know that if you play the tequila song I will not be able to dance properly... and will definitely not be able to get up on a table in these babies! I love making costumes like these, I don't get paid very much but its the accomplishment and the process of designing something so crazy that makes me happy! Coming soon to a blog near you, orange and salad greens! Back to the grind tomorrow~ making beads, designing for my art calls and getting that orange sewn together!

My plate is a little full

2008-09-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

I dont know why I do this to myself, but once again I have too mutch on my plate. I ve been struggling thru a costuming job all summer with two costumes out of 9 complete. I design and sell lampwork bead jewelry at craft shows, doing 3 this fall. I am a freelance illustrator and have at least 2 art calls per month sometimes 4. I have a 22 hour a week job that actually pays the bills. Ive been overwelmed all summer and not able to focus on anything... I wonder why...? I need to answer every art call ... this is the only way to get a bigger quarterly royalty check. I can make about 60.00 per hour on the jewelry (when it sells) with out the craft shows I dont sell that mutch. ugg!!! gotta finish the costumes....

Labor Day

2008-09-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

yep, it really was labor day... I moved furniture and got about half way through the studio today. I am taking a break and writing my thoughts... (my back really hurts right now!). Artists are slobs, pigs at best. I know this, I am one.... As I sit here with my martini, I realize I will never change, my desk will always have piles of mail, art calls, outputs for previews, the studio will be strewn with scraps, unfinished projects I consider unworthy of finishing, in progress stuff, finished stuff, and sketched ideas that are gonna be great...but that I may not get to for over 6 months... (I date my sketches...) and its this that makes me crazy... About every 3 or 4 months I clean up, really clean up, move furniture, organize and prioritize and yes... throw things away. It usually takes two days, and I am exhausted when its done. But the studio is great again, I have room to work again, that ugly painting isn't staring me in the face any more and my daughter will actually spend time out there again! AHHHHH, another day of this and I will have a perfect space again. Well, perfect for me anyway.

My Super Studio Mess!!!

2008-08-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOSH!!! I cant stand it any more. My studio is a complete wreck, there is sewing projects scattered every where, my torch table has a huge pile of used up glass rods on it. I have all of my markers out, a pile of paper waiting to be cut for painting... and the list goes on! I need to finish up a few art calls next week and I cant even think! I will be spending the next two days cleaning, maybe it will stay nice for a few days....

Digital Scrapbooking

2008-08-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

So, being an illustrator, it was really hard for me to go and buy paper for scrap booking with someone Else's art on it. I started designing and printing my own about a year and a half ago. I didn't know it but I was starting to scrap digitally and others were doing it too. I developed patterns, backgrounds, virtual stickers from my drawings and did the entire layout and then printed it out! I love it, no mess, I can match colors, change my photos to black and white or color, mess around with hand coloring, all right on the computer. I've listed my kits on eBay and now on etsy http://www.kirstenmcgrath.etsy.com/ and will continue to do so every day until all 35 sets are uploaded. This is the kit I loaded today. I designed it for a road trip we took to the coast.

2008-08-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Two more sets uploaded to my etsy store This pumpkin spice set and a wedding set.

I'm so overwhelmed by the little things today... Ive tried to simplify and organize, manage my time, but when I get thrown a curve ball I still freak! The cost of having a creative brain is that you think about everything all the time, while I'm drawing I think about blogging, while I'm blogging I think about cleaning up the computer and organizing my desk, while I'm cleaning I think about the half finished projects that need to get done and shipped, the beads I need to make, the kids I need to tutor.... the list is snowballing today! I need to sit down, write a list and prioritize it... figure out how long its going to take to complete it, throw in the time I need to pick up J from school, help with homework, make dinner... etc Ugh the snow ball is twice the size now!

Back to school Digital art

2008-08-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Added my back to school digital Scrapbooking kits to etsy yesterday. One for boys and one for girls. I love these two sets, made with quick sketches, not too overdone. Im really getting excited about the prospect of having my whole line of digiscrap back online. I was so angry and upset about ebay that I sort of shut down.... and didnt want to try new venus. All that cute stuff just sitting there on my computer!

2008-08-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

FInally!!! I have added my digital scrapbooking kits to etsy! http://kirstenmcgrath.etsy.com/ My first three kits are online today. Ive got a total of 25 kits and I will try to load 3 or 4 every day. I ve featured Zoo Babies today, one of my most popular kits ever! It feels really good to get back online after being told that Ebay would no longer accept sellers with digital products.