Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Duplicating Your Designs?










Do you? As an "artist" do you duplicate your own designs? If you make something you really love, but don't keep it, are you tempted to replicate the design? Small tweaks but essentially the same or do you completely change it up? Or are you ok with replicating your designs even if that means they are no longer "one of a kind"?




This is my dilemma. I gave my mom a necklace that I took with me to Washington because she really loved it. I really loved how nice and chunky it was. It was comfortable to wear and provided an interesting focal for plain t-shirts. I am contemplating redoing one for myself...any opinions?

Updates...






















It's amazing to me that time gets away from us so fast anymore. Here is what we have been up to for the last few months:


  • We started to look for a house to buy. Viewed probably 50-60, offers in on 10, no dice. Financing is in place, pre-approved, but with all the short-sales and bank owned houses in the areas we are look at, it's usually 2-3 people bidding on the same house. We keep missing the deals by 1 hour, 1 day, we are 2nd or 3rd highest (because you are told to bid your best price offer and it's a gamble as to what the other people are bidding).


  • The buying not working out, we have started to look to rent again. We are doing excessive traveling to stay where we are at, plus it is about 2-3x's cheaper if we move. We may have just found a place and they may want to sell in a year, so this may be the deal we are looking for. We are waiting for the application to be approved as we speak.


  • Our current lease is up at the end of this month, so I've been packing up the house. I have too much stuff! I've spent 2 full days in my "craft studio" and I'm still most likely another day or so to finish packing in there. This does NOT include my bead supplies. Those have spilled over into our bedroom office nook.


  • I quit working full time and I now work 2 10-hour days in the office and 1 10-hour day at home. This way I can keep my benefits.

  • I have dedicated 20 hours a week to my already busy life to charity work and helping teach people about the bible. My husband has been able to work his schedule to do this for the last 2.5 years and this has been a wonderful experience for him. I finally have the circumstances to be able to join him!


  • We just got back from visiting my family back in Washington State. It was my parents 41st Anniversary, my Aunt and Uncle's 9th Anniversary, and my brother and sis-in-law's 11th Anniversary!

  • We celebrated my husband's parents 40th Anniversary with them (they live here in AZ near us).

  • Some dear friends of ours are moving to Florida for health reasons. Their kids are like our own, in fact their little girl calls us "half-mom" and "half-dad". We are going to miss them sorely.

I'm sure there is more, but these are the highlights. I might be missing in action for a bit longer as I finish packing/moving/unpacking/settling in. This always takes time! I seriously hate moving.


I thought I would share some of the fun stuff that I aquired in Washington. My dear husband toted me to Shipwreck Beads (my first time) and to Fusion Beads (my second time). He didn't even squak (much) about how much I overspent;). I found some pretty beads that I haven't found in AZ or they were priced very good. I also found some Humblebeads spacers, urchin pendants, and dandilion pendant, Diane Hawkey ceramic locks! Very fun stuff, I can't wait to create, but I think I will have to wait until after the move.