The studio has puked all over us....

The studio is getting out of control.  There is limited space, and overwhelming amounts of stuff....art supplies...tools....finished and unfinished masks...books... necklaces and crafts...papers and notes....you name it, its in there.  Things are getting insane, and its time to put an end to it and make order out of chaos.  Next week will be designated cleanup week- I'm going to do a complete overhaul so that we can max out the space and begin using it for its intended purpose- a studio instead of a storehouse.  Hopefully it will go from throwing up all over us, to inviting us in for artistic pursuits and functional creativity.  To be realistic, this is a small workspace with limited dimensions, and its the only room in the house that can be spared- but after life in a one bedroom apartment, its a big step up and everything is workable.  After organizing every corner of the room and every object within (a monumental job in itself), I'm going to decorate- bring in candles and natural objects like feathers and rocks, and wallpaper the walls with photos, fabric and memorabilia.  Maybe make a "memo board" out of one entire wall, to inspire and add to later.  Make it serene and mellow (burn candles and incense, dried lavender and green tea) and play some great music- jazz and rock, the Twilight soundtrack, anything to increase the good energy.  Feng shui the place from floor to ceiling.  I want function but also want it to be a cozy haven out of the storms of the outside world, a place to roam barefoot and carefree.  Later on we'll add curtains, maybe upgrade the old furniture and add another bookcase and shelving, but for now will focus on finding a home for everything to max out the space.  Ideally this room will transform into a studio/library for the long haul.  I want to take it from your typical "functional workspace" and turn it into a place that encourages dreams and productivity and inspiration.  Now, its time to hit those yard sales and find furniture to put all our collective junk into!    

An Improv Moment

The paper mache mask line is going strong, and we have about 8 half-masks in the works as of today.  All of them are completely unique, individual and hand-made from start to finish, but one of them will be even more different from the others (see above pic).  This blogger is guilty of being "too busy" and made the monumental error of leaving the room to go grab some tools from the studio.  One of the masks was left on the coffee table in the living room, unattended for mere minutes.  The mask was within reach of Beau (our gorgeous and badly behaved 6 month old puppy), who at the time was busy playing with his toy.   Unfortunately, he has a yen for any new and exciting objects that don't belong to his Beau collection.  So he landed on the mask the minute my back was turned, and carried it off to his kennel.  Minutes later when I came back from the studio, I could see him busily chewing on an "mystery object" in his house, with his back to me.  The turned back was the tip off- Lucas always noticed that Beau was busily getting into trouble or doing something wrong anytime he presented his back to the room.  So I retrieved the stolen object- and discovered the mask.  After a minor meltdown (and a speedy departure by Beau) I took a good look at the damage- the corner of the mask, about 1/4 of it, was chewed thoroughly.  I had put days and hours of work into this one, as all the rest, and could not stand the idea of tossing it in the garbage when so much of it was intact.  Then I was seized by a *Lightbulb moment*- instead of throwing it away, let's work with it- and that's when the idea of making it into a jigsaw puzzle popped in my head.  I came up with the design and Lucas did the work/carved the mask.  Now not only is it salvage-able, but it has "broken the mold" and set itself apart from the rest of our line as being the first carved mask, leading the way for other carved designs.  I'll post the finished product in a later blog- for now it is still officially (and mercifully) in the works. 

Eye Candy

"Heart of Glass" necklace

Introducing Eye Candy....this is my official necklace/jewelry line that specializes in guitar pick necklaces, bracelets and others in an assortment of styles and lengths. The best way to describe the line would be "whimsical"- oftentimes these creations evoke fantasy themes and otherworldly symbolism, along with a touch of rock n roll attitude. It is a highly imaginative series and borrows some elements of the 60's (think lovebeads and emphasis on nature), but with a modern twist. Currently I am branching off into wire work- the necklace pictured is the latest creation. Wire is difficult to work with and shape, and the thick wire being using is durable and not very malleable, but I'm slowly learning the material and will be making more accessories with it in the near future. Eventually I would like to progress into making rings and serpentine-style bracelets completely out of wire. My husband is very adept at this type of craftsmanship,  and I'll have to get his guidance. In the meantime, I'm too determined (read: too stubborn) and want to learn independently first before asking for help *sigh*. Stay tuned for more samples of  necklaces and other accessories. And email me if you would like something custom-made or want info/quotes/jewelry for sale.


For further info about Eye Candy, along with samples of my work and a list of prices, feel free to stop by and visit the official website:

http://nolaphotos.weebly.com/ 

The Beginnings of Kitchen Magic

This is my first "real" online blog, so keep that in mind, "gentle readers," as we take the journey together. Blogs have always been a source of interest- it takes great courage to put the private moments of your life out there for an invisible audience's scrutiny, feedback and comments. Fear of the unknown is a legitimate concern. But its also richly rewarding- meeting folks with similar dreams and mindsets, and finding the good souls out there that can encourage and provide moral (virtual) support, in the crazy world of the internet. It seems these days that the world has been reduced to a tunnel of virtual communication and we have lost the gift of the 'face to face" and phone/real life/written correspondence of the past. In light of that, I've decided to take the plunge and attempt to chronicle the inspiring minutiae of a new small business owner and aspiring artisan, to see who else out there can relate, and find out if the experience is rewarding or one best left to others better equipped to enjoy the virtual world.
To introduce myself, my name is Jamie and I am an artisan from New Orleans, specializing in making jewelry, arts & crafts and masks; I am also a full-time photographer and writer. Photography is my passion and my profession, although I don't have a resume listing credentials and schooling to that effect- my picture taking skills are completely self-taught, supplemented by the guidance of my husband and other photographer mentors. I am a shutterbugg, running around with a small camera and big dreams, determined to capture all the large and small moments in life while doing the small business thing full time. In another life (read: about a year ago) I was a full time legal secretary, nose to the grindstone, working 8 hour hectic days at the office, on a rigid schedule, and coming home each and every day with zero energy, stress headaches and fading dreams that were lost in the daily grind. Forward to present day, unemployed but ambitious, I have lots of time on my hands to create and visualize and learn, and am doing everything I can to make my at-home business dream a successful reality. Running through the soundtrack of my days is a fascination with cooking- and that's where the blog title "Kitchen Magic" kicks in. Kitchen Magic is a twist on an old expression- the small everyday "magic" that women were purported to possess as they ran their households and make everything go smoothly like magic, behind the scenes. A garden-variety craft of sorts, Kitchen Magic is also a phrase referring to the everyday use of herbs and seasonings in the kitchen, an art that has been with us for centuries and that has filtered down to the modern world- a lost art for the most part, as few people take the time to grow and create anymore. Finally the name is relative to my love of cooking, and this blog will be filled with many culinary detours, recipes and helpful hints for the beginner cook- because that's what I am. You won't find specialty foods and hard-to-locate ingredients in my writings, because the average beginner has a shoestring budget and limited expertise. You'll be learning alongside of me, because I am starting from the ground up as well.
To sum it up- our journey will cover a lagniappe- (the N'awlins term for "extra something") of poetry, cooking, photography, good quotes, everyday moments, and the arts, from the corner of my world to yours. If this blog was a meal, it would be gumbo, filled with a variety of many ingredients that lead up to one highly-seasoned, satisfying experience. Enjoy!