My Recent Creations

These are my most recent creations. I've been working with fabric again, continuing along the path of almost all re purposed materials. I've gotten some free wood on Craigslist, made some frames and stretched canvas over that. I'm also using paints from Craigslist that I got for free, minimizing front end costs, with a beautiful outcome (I think).

Hard Work

It's fucking hard being an artist and trying to make a living. I know it. My husband knows it. You probably forgot it. I refuse to subject myself to the corporate world of cubicles and memos. When I have to pay the bills, I choose jobs that are interesting and stimulating, usually requiring me to be on my feet for more than eight hours straight, and coming home smelling like deli meat and with stains on my clothes. I've been places a lot of my friends have not by choosing to not be tied to a salary. I know this limits my options as I get older but fuck it, I want to be happy.

I'm writing this because I really doubt most people think that art is important or worth dedicating a life to, especially in a society where work = money = happiness.

Waking up and deciding to create something that has never been done before.
Setting your own goals and overcoming new challenges every day.
Hardly ever seeing recognition for your hard work, and recognition could be considered a pay check.
Being an introvert, but having to promote your ideas and creations or no one will.
Struggling against the main stream consensus that you have to get a "real" job to pay rent.

When people are encouraged to use their natural talents, we get space exploration, works of art, inventions, research, music, PASSION! All these things make living on Earth a little better.

Don't let anyone tell you that "you're not good enough" "you'll never make a living" "how will you ever get a job if you keep moving around?" because it's not worth being unhappy doing something you can't bear.

Find of the week!

Hello world,

Anna here reporting on the awesome leather find of the week. Walking to Snappy Mart through the alley, I found a discarded leather chair in excellent condition and guess what I did? Ran home, grabbed a bag and my box cutter and went to town! I now have expanded my business after doing the necessary cleaning and preparing of the new leather find.

Here's a pic of me trying out new design ideas and messing with proportions before making the new batch of designs for the day, with my lovely cup of tea in a doggy mug and jamming Tobacco on the laptop.

Now all I have to do to get back up to speed is make ONE of each design in the new red brown leather, take pics, and upload it for everyone to see.

3D Rectangle Earrings

These are one of my creations for the day. Super lightweight and nicely accented brown re purposed leather with faux gold thread. This baby is sewn into a three dimensional rectangle... I guess you would call it a quadrangle? Maths, how I have forgotten you.

Anyway, these bad boys are on sale for $10 a pair on my Etsy.

Business Cards

Dear Everyone,

I made my own business cards to hold in my back pocket today. Just in case I'm wearing my own jewelry and someone happens to ask where I got it, and I can give them a card when I say, "I made them!" There's only 12 for starters. I used some old photographs of mine I shot and developed back in 2008 and my oldie but a goodie Remington travel typewriter.

Also, there are a few more designs up on my Etsy. I'm toying with an idea for plush floral cube earrings right now. Hmm, should I?

I've done it. I've gone and set up an Etsy account (and started a twitter)

I can't believe myself! It took this long to come up with something creative I could produce in reasonable bulk to hopefully be sold. I started making leather earrings and pendants for a pretty fair price of around $10 a pop. WoolenNickles is open for business! The idea for the first pair, 001, came to me in a dream. I wanted to make a present for my sisters 22nd birthday and in my sleep state came up with that first pair. I've been brainstorming for the other designs, using various shapes around the apartment as inspiration and circular guides.

Oh and I probably won't get used to tweeting for a while, but shoot me a tweet or ideas @WoolenNickles .

For now, here is a pic of my sister enJOYing her new jewelry.

Reusable Grocery bags from scraps

These are the first of hopefully many reusable grocery bags I will be making in the future. I've been copying paper grocery bags, or other box-shaped things in my apartment and making up patterns as well. They are all reversible, and sturdy. Most of them will have pockets from the shirts used included in the bag as you can see on the top one, from a long sleeved shirt, the breast pockets are visible. 

Anyone want a future bag? These three are wedding presents.

On the Liffey at night

Waiting for the bus, and all the city life has died down, the lights on the River Liffey are glowing.