Happy Friday- Gotta Love a Short Week!

The winner of last week's giveaway for Whimsy and Ink's personalized flask (chosen by random.org) is:
Min: 1 Max: 382 Result: 33- Cinders!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter and a great big YIPPEE to Cinders!

A link to my post HERE on TeamEcoEtsy's blog giving a shop critique to wonderful organic "food for your skin" seller Natural Grace - I have a
great publicity tip
for makers in that post - you will want to check it out!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone- next week will include a funtastic upcycled tutorial and I will finally get back to my meditation series - tomorrow is my favorite local flea market - it is on the beach in Ocean Grove - if you are in NJ, it is a great one, but you have to get there early - we are bringing bagels for a beach picnic while the sellers set up.

(and by we I might mean me because it seems everyone else is working and Olive is much too neurotic to wander around in those kind of crowds without kicking back a couple martinis first and it is much too early for that - even for Olive)

Check out some new work in my Uncorked shop above ↑- 10% off any purchase in Uncorked thru 6/15 with the shopping code MARTINI.

Be a Sprinter, Not a Marathon Runner - defining clear stopping points

When I first heard this quote by Tony Schwartz, CEO and President of The Energy Project I felt a little WT-?

(use your own discretion for the last letter, I'm from Jersey you know what we use)

Be the hare and not the tortoise? Didn't the tortoise always win those races when the hare got distracted and headed off to Mary Mary's garden to munch out on carrots ..

(or am I mixing up my nursey rhymes here?)

Whatever the story was - the lesson, I am pretty sure, was to plod along slow and steady - this is how winners were created, races won and hares taught lessons about responsibility.

And I am a big believer in process (as in you have to love it!) and the fact that the end-zone keeps getting moved on me (as in I'm tired and need a nap and my mommy).

So, I thought about this again ... be a sprinter, not a marathon runner.

The key to productivity, Schwartz says, is to "recognize the power of renewal, and have a finish line." He claims that "we've lost our finish lines."

Hallelujah!

(clouds part, blue skies blind us - cue the chirping birds)

YES, we need finish lines! Someone keeps moving my finish line (could it be me) and I need it. The never ending pace of this online maker lifestyle is not sustainable -

and if we are concerned about the sustainability of our makings we need to be concerned about the sustainability of ourselves.

It's almost summer folks - the internet slows down (trust me on this, I've been on here a long time) - your sales, unless you have some makings focused on the season, will slow down - it's a great time to think about renewal - think about creating some finish lines for ourselves

(I'm getting myself some of those paper banners I can rip through, arms in the air, screaming I DID IT!)

before things pick back up in the fall.

Time to set some clearly defined daily stopping points so we are not ending our work days with a sense of incompletion or not ending them at all.

I have summer shows including Beckman's Handmade in Los Angeles and Chicago for the first time

(cue the nail biting)

but I am going to start taking a little time between projects for renewal and not just jump into the next thing, set some clearly defined stopping points every day - create those little "end-zones" because the truth is ...

I was the kid who always won the 100 yard dash (and standing broad jump actually) - the same kid who could never quite finish the mile without walking the last lap - I've always been a sprinter.

*awesome I Dare You To Run Like a Girl print by Penny Jane Designs

GIVEAWAY - Mary's Granddaughter Mixed Media Journal! CLOSED

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY 6/17!

Mary Steiler taught her granddaughter, Gainesville artist Cindy Steiler, how to sew and crochet as a young girl and really sparked her love for things made by hand. Cindy loves to paint, sew, embroider and crochet.

I have worked with Cindy (although we've never met) and she is an inspiringartist with a passion for her work and brings out that passion in others! Her work is amazing and distinctive and her characters make me want to know more about them.

She has worked as a set and costume designer and scenic artist for the stage. Cindy is mom to a wonderful daughter and amazing French bulldog, Chihuahua and Jack Russel Terrier.

WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive this mary's granddaughter gorgeous girl and her goat moleskine cahier journal. It has the great little signature inner pocket and 64 acid-free pages of which the last 16 are detachable.

The image is done in pen and acrylic paint and has a little antique bisque arm from Germany attached. This journal comes with a sleeve made of a wool and rayon blend felt.

HOW TO WIN:

It's easy, peasy - just leave your contact information below!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog
(5) Facebook this post

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:
Enter by midnight, Sunday, June 12th! Good Luck!

The Bicycle Cap ... why the story behind our work matters

The Bicycle Cap by peSeta for the New Museum from casa peSeta on Vimeo.

I hope this video inspires us to tell our
own story
with our work - we are the only ones who can!

(also inspired me to get my bicycle tires aired up for this weekend)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

xo all