Spring is here!

Spring is here and I have been quite busy, between my jobs at the museum and at teaching Computer Arts and Graphics.

Unfortunately I have had little time to work at my etsy shop, however, since I last posted I have created a second etsy sight devoted entirely to hand-made items. I realized that my http://www.ecolemancruz.etsy.com/ shop had become full of as much vintage and patterns as it was handmade. I wanted a fresh start and decided on opening a second shop where you won't be distracted by vintage items.

My "deliberate creator" shop is at http://www.deliberatecreator.etsy.com/ and currently carries reusable coffee cup cozies, crochet plastic bag, tea travelettes, and hand-made cards. All of my items are primarily made of materials that are vintage, upcycled/recycled, or leftovers and remanants.

Seven Days Until My One-Year Etsy Anniversary!

Yeah! this is my first blog ever. I know--its about time!

Over the next week will be the countdown to my One-Year Etsy Shop anniversary (http://www.ecolemancruz.etsy.com/). I hope to have some fun promotions up my sleeve.

A little about me and why you should join me in my blogging adventures: my appreciation for making art and curious objects from junk and recycled materials goes back to when I was a kid. I think I was always very deliberate in my choices to reuse something to make it into something new. I squirreled away pieces of jeans when we cut them into cut-off shorts and I would make purses for my friends when i was only 9 or 10 years old. Puffy t-shirt paint could transform any old t-shirt or canvas shoes into clothing fit for a queen. I learned from a very early age from my mother how by wielding a hot-glue gun you could be creatively empowered. I owe a lot to my mom for her careful savings of pennies: clipping coupons, collecting old and very used antiques, and hitting every garage sale, thrift store, clearance isle and craft store in her path. This instilled a desire in me to preserve, save and collect, and out of that my art making practice was born, and has since flourished (with some encouragement from mentors and academic training--I am also a certifiable nerd)!

So yeah, I am going to say it, "I liked to make recycled art way before it was even cool."

Yep!