Welcome March !!!

Yea, a new month is upon us. I need a fresh start. Time to get painting.

I was quite unproductive in February. I had absolutely no motivation or creative inspiration though I would have had plenty of time to execute any designs I came up with since I was snowed in for much of the month. Last week, I finally took time to simply sand some of my wood blanks. That takes no creativity at all, just elbow grease.

I also forced myself to do a little basic base coating. Again, not much creativity required. Base coating on the wood items does take some time so it was a good project for mindless activity. I based a few more pieces today.

I have a multi-piece custom order to be picked up over the weekend so I did get busy on that today. While paint was drying on parts of that order, I actually designed something new for the shop and got a bit of painting done on that, too.

That little trek to the beach this weekend did a lot for my mood and I think it woke my mojo up. I personally find a little exposure to sand, salty sea air and the smells and sounds of the boardwalk very uplifting. If only I could truly botttle that and just take a whiff whenever I needed a push.

Here's hoping you, too, have found some inspiration and motivation to push forward toward spring. It really can't be far off now, can it?

Have you seen my mojo?

Sorry, I haven’t written much in the last few days. I’ve been fighting a cold and have just had no umph. My motivation seems to have chosen this weekend to hibernate. The brain’s been busy but the hands just haven’t wanted to get involved.


We did finally get some decent weather over the weekend although I didn’t feel up to really enjoying it. Saturday evening, we spent a nice evening at a wine and restaurant tasting with two of my cousins and their spouses. There was a huge array of wines from around the world available to try and many local restaurants provided samples of some of their offerings. Some of those restaurant samples convinced us to plan to visit a few in the near future for a full meal. The best part of the evening was getting a chance to sit and chat with people we just don’t see enough.

There was good news this weekend. On Friday, Congress delayed the enforcement of the CPSIA for one year to allow the law to be refined and the CPSC to determine how to enforce this broad law and to determine what, if any, exceptions should be made. The new standards for lead and phthalate levels will still go into effect this February 10, 2009 and products must comply with those numbers. The delay refers merely to the certification and third party testing requirements. For those of us producing products which we know contain none or minimal (safe) amounts of those hazards, this is definitely a win. It will allow us to continue making the products we love to create. It is my hope that the Commission will determine that component testing and certification will be sufficient for folks like me who can show documentation that all components used are safe before I even touch them.


Now, I can now set about creating new children’s merchandise. I had put that part of my production on hold pending the outcome of all the chaos preceding that February deadline. I had also put a hold on all promotional plans I so carefully outlined in December. My self-promotion had been a little weak last year and I spent most of December mapping out a stronger push for this year. Unsure of what would happen in the marketplace with the new law, I simply went into a holding pattern with those efforts. I do still plan to continue adding some grown-up items to my inventory. It can’t hurt to expand my customer base.


Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll find my mojo (I know it’s around here somewhere.) and get back into the groove. My paints and brushes are calling my name and my shop needs restocking. I’m sure I’ll find something more interesting to share with all of you. In the meantime, stir up your own creative juices and enjoy your day.