New Year, New Design

LOL... I am feeling rather pathetic this morning. Is it really 2009? I, um, slept through it. I ended up going to bed in a huff of exhaustion around 9pm. Oh well, if you have seen one ball drop, you've seen them all.

I did want to do something special to mark the special occasion though. So, I have been holding off on sharing this new bangle design... I have been saving it for today. It is a new favorite! I love love love the texture and movement in this bracelet. And now, if you had any questions about what you could do with those long tube shaped beads, this is a cool suggestion. Don't cha think? I made this for the Gallery Store, and I don't know if it is still available or not. Sorry. But never fear... there will be more. :) I am working on it.

Okay, so... looking ahead. This as good a time as any to look ahead to the new year, right? I already told you of some of my plans (no art shows). But a few of the other things I have been thinking I need to improve on is...

1) Be more on top of my "business" business. I am really bad about putting numbers into my spread sheets and now that we are going to have our taxes done by a professional, I really really need to be better about things.

2) Make more ART. I love exploring the possibilities of mixed media. (Like the new piece I previewed yesterday.) I want to explore more! I want to explore enough that I can put together a calendar for 2010 of my mixed media pieces. Lots of artists offer really cool calendars of their work. And I wanna too!!

3) Compute less, Create more. If I were to set a stop watch next to my computer and click it on every time I am online... I think I would find that I am on way more then I think I am. The internet is a HUGE part of my business/art life, but there needs to be more time with the computer put away and the creating of things being in the fore front.

4) Learn new stuff. I have already started on this!! As my last purchase of 2008, I bought a "fusing kit" from Rio Grande. It comes with a new kiln (mine doesn't reach temps high enough to fuse glass), kiln shelves, kiln wash, new glasses, heat gloves, a book... and GLASS!! I have had design ideas running like crazy around my head for fused pendants, and components. BUT, to make them the way I want, I really need to learn to bezel set. Anyone local know how to do it and want to teach me? I'll trade ya cool beads for my education :)

5) Get outta the house more. I can be such a hermit. I need to branch out. When I am working on writing, I need to get off my bum and get out in the world. So many places have WIFI. Why sit at home in pajamas not taking care of myself? When I could go sit at Panera with a cup of hot cocoa and a bagel and type in the crowds. This doesn't just apply to writing time either. Now that I am not doing shows, I won't get to talk to people. I like talking to people. So maybe we should start a beading group that gets together a couple of afternoons a month. I don't know. I'll think of something.

I think those are some good ideas to start with. OH, and they are NOT resolutions! I don't make resolutions. Hey, lets call them goals instead. These are my goals in the new year.

You got any goals?