Ready, Aim, .........

The new year is still over a month away, but I am making my resolution now. It's not the usual (although I need to make the usual as my pneumonia got me so far off track) but a jewelry business related resolution. (Actually I probably should call it.... updating my business plan!)

I was reading the blog of Babette Cox who sells personalized stamps for metal clay. Her site is http://www.babettecox.com/pnamestamps.htm. I have one of her stamps and am planning on getting more. (I just have to remember to use them and my .999 stamps. Darn I keep forgetting!) Anyway, she had an interview with Don Fredlich who was the guest speaker at the 2008 PMC conference. (His work is wonderful!) He told her that some people say Ready, Aim, Fire and that she was going Ready, aim, aim, aim......... It was time for her to fire. I thought that was a good way to put it. I think I'm just aiming too and haven't fired yet.

So, it's time for me to FIRE! Hence my new year resolutions (or my new business plan, it is that time of year.)

I AM ........

going to write those letters to the school superintendants to see if they will approve my classes for Act 80 credit for their art teachers.

going to take a picture a day of my jewelry for 30 days and post it every day on my Etsy site (it has been sooooo neglected.)

going to apply for the Etsy Metal Clay group

going to enter competitions

going to try my hand at a magazine article

going to check out more galleries for my work

going to begin work on Phase I of the metal clay masters registry (with my friend Carol)

going to check out more teaching venues (which I have already started to do.)

and I am going to finally get started on my Transit jewelry series which is based on the fabulous architecture of the National Transit Building.

Okay, does this sound like enough resolutions? I do have a year to complete everything, right?

Also, here's another piece of jewelry from my "water series". (LOL)

Production mode

   For the past several months I have been in production mode; trying to get enough inventory for the events at the studio.  It is good to get lots done, but it keeps me from really making art.  It just dawned on me yesterday, that the holidays are over and the slow months are coming up.  So, I pulled out my sketchbook and started to look over the many ideas I've sketched out over the past year.  Now, I can work on some really unique pieces (I hope!)  I've actually only made a couple of things from my sketchbook.  Most everything else was a result of playing and experimenting with the clay.  

   So this is my New Year's resolution.  (I print it here for all to see so I have to do it!)  I will sketch every day in my sketch book and create work only from my sketches for the next three (cold and wintry) months.    I will make something worth entering into a contest and enter it.   The worst that could happen is it gets rejected.    And I will post my work here for you to see and critique.

   Oh, and the other resolution?  I've lost 3.3 lbs. so far.