Photo Friday: Facebook Fan Giveaway!

So as of right this minute (10-18-2012, 9:38 PST) I officially have 95 'likes' on my Savannah's Sunshine Shop facebook fan page. My goal is to hit 100 'likes' by Thanksgiving but with a little help from my friends (insert John Belushi singing Joe Cocker here) I think I might just hit my goal before the weekend is over!!

As a big thank you to all of my friends and family (and their friends and family!) I'm going to be giving away a set of my hot pads!!!! As soon as we hit the 100 mark, I'll draw a winner. The winner will have the choice between a set of hot pads posted in the hot pad section of my Etsy shop or a custom set in whatever color they choose. Hey, it could be you!

You could win a set like one of these!

 **Please note that not all of the fabrics pictured above are still available but I can find something similar.

Photo Friday: How to discover (or rediscover) your style

To switch things up a bit, I'm throwing in a little 'how to' as part of this week's Photo Friday!

I need (and when I say need... I mean NEED) to have a creative outlet or I start to go stir crazy. Just ask Erik! If I'm not working on something or at least coming up with a list of things to work on, I start to have one of those, 'oh my god what am i doing with my life' moments...when I have something to keep these crafting hands busy, I'm at complete peace with the world. I'm learning, as I mentioned in my last post, that things seem to go in waves, we have ups, downs and somewhere-in-betweens. What do I do to keep sane during the slower times? I get out my old magazines and rediscover my style!

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to visit a few furniture factories, fabric mills, and textile design studios in North Carolina. It was an amazing experience but one woman stuck out to me. She was a color specialist at one of the design studios (ummm...officially my dream job). Her job was to research color trends and come up with colors and color combos for the fabric and trimming collections her studio produced. One way she researched color was by taking a stack of the newest magazines and cutting out everything she found visually interesting. Even if it was the background color of an ad, she would cut it out. She then took the pile of magazine clippings and sorted them into smaller piles. There wasn't really any trick or method to sorting them, she just thought the colors and images looked good together...the 'just beacuase' method- my favorite reason for choosing colors for my own work.

This would be a fun project for anyone, though, not just the crazy, color-obsessed weaving lady...Maybe you're trying to put together some new outfits for work? Or trying to decide what color to paint your bedroom? Anyone who is trying to discover (or rediscover) their style should try this out. And who doesn't have a stack of magazines?

My fancy flowery sketchbook, a big stack of old magazines, tape and scissors

Cut out everything you love....EVERYTHING!

My big pile of every image I thought was interesting...yeah, I started tearing out pages. Maybe I LOVED too many things. 

Sort into smaller piles...HINT: DO NOT THINK TOO MUCH...just go with your gut and what you think looks good together. I tend to go more by color but you be the judge! I try to let it just happen...

Glue or tape the smaller piles in your sketchbook and VOILA!
This one of my finished pages that turned into a lemon, lime, pink, and red color combo.

An ode to the celedon/aqua/'spa-qua' (spa + aqua) --this one's for my work mates.

Indigo and Red

I go through this little process every once in a while and it has been really interesting to look back through the pages I did months (or years!) ago. You should try it...Even though the colors and images change, you will start to see a common theme or 'look'. That common thread is YOU! It's your style...embrace it! :)

A Balancing Act

As I sit here, on my bed with my lap top, hitting the bottle after a long day at work (don't worry friends...its just a giant bottle of Perrier Sparkling water, pink grapefruit flavor), I find myself feeling off. I guess it's not necessarily off...just not on, if that makes sense. I'm staring at my little corner in a daze...my loom, the little light on, my music is playing, the bench is waiting for me, but all I want to do is sit here and try to catch my breath. I'm sure you know the feeling...the I'm drained, exhausted, brain dead, staring at the wall, 'just wanna lie around and watch 2 hours of reality tv (aka The Voice)' feeling. 

The problem tonight, though? It's only Monday...

At the end of August I made a promise to myself. I had a plan. I mapped out my creative goals and felt a new found burst of creativity. I told myself over and over again that the only person who can make something happen is me. I had been having a creative drought and I NEEDED to make something happen. My architect husband, who had to listen to me night after night made me watch a very inspiring TED talk. Although I don't quite remember what new technology the speaker was talking about, and until I googled it tonight, I coudn't tell you what she does for a living or her name, I did take one thing she said to heart. The speaker was having a hard time with something (or to put it plainly...she was in a funk) when she received an email from a friend, who has since passed away, who told her something that has stuck with her forever. He said:

“There is only enough time to iron your cape, and back to the skies for you.”

I came back to this quote tonight...while staring at the scarf, that for some reason, just won't weave itself. I've had extra stress at my day job and then come home to my 'second job' where I push myself as hard as I can to make just one more thing (or two more things, or three more things) to add to my shop...it is no wonder I'm in a daze. 

I'm still learning the art of balancing everything in my life. I'm still learning that I need to take a little break and recharge. I am NOT the Energizer Bunny. I rode this creative wave as long as I could. I think it is time to take a night or two to 'iron my cape' and then back to the loom for me.

Thanks for listening as I have a 'Carrie Bradshaw' moment...

Photo Friday: DOUBLE RAINBOW!

I may not have had the same reaction as the double rainbow guy on youtube, but I did run for my camera! 

Maybe some extra good luck will be coming my way...

I promise, no more Space Needle photos for a while but I couldn't resist...Happy Friday! :)