Craft Hoarder Confessions

It is always this time of year I look at my work space and say it is time for a change. I get it cleaned up and feel good about myself for about 2 hours. As I start to work and explore new ideas, the room falls apart around me. I have learned to accept that I create from chaos.

Up til now - didn't matter how bad it got, and trust me it was bad. I have posted several before and after pics to try and purge some, maybe shame myself into not doing it, it hasn't worked - but up til now, I always knew where everything was. As of recent, I can't find a thing. It takes me forever to find my shipping supplies, to find my packaging papers, stamps and ribbons, so when I mail out the order it is all wrapped and sweet.

  I saw this today while on Facebook -

This is me in a nut shell. I thought maybe it was time to confess.

Hi my name is Tish McDermott and I want to call myself and artist, a clever crafter, but all I am is a hoarder.

When I started making jewelry, it was always done on the kitchen table, and when I was done, I cleaned up and put things back where they belonged. We used the kitchen table for other things, why I don't know it was the perfect crafting spot, and I had a cat that loved to steal things.

Next I moved into the spare bedroom, oh the joy of it. All the space I need AND I could close the door. I had things organized in the closet, I had bought small little storage cabinets, it was perfect.

Then we had someone move in with us, and I was displaced. I moved into a small room off the office, that had been used for storage, and for my daughters sewing room.

This is where it turned bad. I had room and lots of it. Not the advantage of the storage of a closet, but still, room. The room did not have a door, it was a small hallway that lead into the kitchen. Not good. The zoo could come and go as they pleased. I brought down the armoire  from the bedroom we had used for the tv - storage and it blocked the hallway. This is MY domain. My husband built me a work bench, so things could be hung and arranged, and I had plenty of room to work.

Soon, I couldn't find things in my work room because they had spilled out into the office. Now I have shelves in the office to hold more things. The computer desk is now piled with business cards, shipping supplies- where is my computer?


Here is the confession - Because I not only make jewelry, I sew and paint as well.

I NEED THINGS!!!!

I save all cardboard boxes. I may need them for shipping.
I save all packing materials - again shipping
I save all tissue paper

To me, I think I am doing good, reducing my global footprint, recycling these shipping items.

I save every pair of jeans.
I save every t shirt
I save socks
I save towels
I save sheets
I can use the material.

I save empty coffee containers. They are great storage.
I have 23 of them

I save empty tins (this is a new thing) Again - they are great storage!
I have 2

I save pretty, heavy paper. I use them for my packaging.

Mason jars - storage

Magazines - I make canvas from them

Shopping bags - storage

I can't pass up a good sale - I don't make wreaths, but I got such a great deal, like serious after coupons and such, I just paid taxes on that burlap ribbon that people make wreaths with.
I have 12 rolls

And the list goes on.

BUT as luck should have it. The spare bedroom has now become my husbands office, and the office that is attached to my workroom is mine.

I am rolling up my sleeves and getting started.

Pray for me ;)

Moonstone - A Personal Journey

I am going to deviate from my normal posts for awhile and take you on a personal journey with me.

I have created two new pieces of jewelry made with moonstone for myself. 

 I tout the metaphysical properties of the stones I work with, and create jewelry based on these properties. Time to practice what I preach :)  The purpose of using moonstone is for weight loss (and so much more) and as I post you will see why I chose moonstone and why I am needing to loose weight.

Follow me if you will along my journey.

Hot off the Work Bench - Earrings!

Had a little bit of time this evening and worked up a few new pairs of earrings. I am trying to add to my Etsy store and also flesh out my display at The Green Monkey downtown.


These are cute little hippie earrings. I call them "Peace, Love and Sunshine"  Resin peace symbols, millefiori glass hearts, and seed beads.

Paired up these cute lampwork sugar skulls and added a crazy Czech crystal cluster on top. Looks like a crazy blue wig :)

Sweet little porcelain puffed beads topped with agate and accented with a cute little copper spiral.

Just having a bit of fun on a Thursday night :)

December Birthstones - What do they say about you?

It is December already! I think December brings out a love/hate relationship with a lot of people:) Love it, because it is your birth month, love it because it is the holiday season, love it because of solstice or hate it because it is your birth month, hate it because it is the holiday season, and you are not ready, hate it because - where has the year gone?!?!!??!?


December is my favorite month because of solstice - that means the days begin to get longer, and I love me some sunshine.

December birth stones are turquoise and blue topaz. These stones represent a happy life that is filled with good fortune. Blue topaz is a symbol of peace and relaxation, which may help with headaches - poor December babies seem to be challenged by them.

Ancient practitioners believed that turquoise would actually change color when the wearer was ill or in danger.

I am a huge fan of turquoise, and only recently did this love affair begin. My memories of turquoise were tarnished (for a lack of better words) from the 70's and what I remember of the squash blossom style jewelry craze. It was just too much for me. I never saw turquoise unless it was large and framed in lots of silver. It always looked heavy, a chore to wear. This was my association with turquoise. It wasn't til I started making jewelry and my husband wanting turquoise did I reluctantly start to learn about the stone. I had to get over that turquoise pieces had to be over the top. The turquoise could be an accent to a design, or the core of it. The beads could be small or faceted or square or whatever.

And I fell in love.

Turquoise, beautiful sky blue, or dyed to a royal purple. 

Mixed with other stones for a beautiful compliment of color and properties.


 It has a sweet and gentle energy. It feels like an old friend.

So hats off to you December babies, and your beautiful stones that represent who you are. I am a bit jealous ;)

Flooding the Streets with Art!!!! Friday, Nov 28, 2014 - The Entire World!

I have been getting my pieces together to drop this Friday, as I participate in,

Flood the Streets with Art.  

Flood the Streets with Art. 
Brain child of Scott Wong, that artists everywhere are helping to nurturer into a living, loving beautiful entity. It is a peaceful, giving movement to promote artists everywhere.



I have been working on my pieces to have them ready.

Acrylic - 18x24 stretched canvas

Heat treated agate, wrapped in copper with American Beauty turquoise accent - to promote harmony in communication

Fresh water pears wrapped in copper and accented with Swarovski crystals.  To promote charity and integrity

 Agate wrapped in copper and accented with moonstones. This pendant is to promote balance, harmony and bring hope.

Look in your streets on Friday,. there may be an artist dropping beautiful pieces for you to find :)

Flood the Streets with ART II!!!!!!!

While browsing Facebook, I found a really great movement that is happening. Flood the Streets with Art. 
Brain child of Scott Wong, that artists everywhere are helping to nurturer into a living, loving beautiful entity. It is a peaceful, giving movement to promote artists everywhere.

How do you do it? Make your art, tag your art as free, leave your art for someone to find it.

To quote Scott Wong - "Here in the United States of America, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 27th. We spend the day with family, friends and loved ones giving thanks for everything in our life we have to be thankful for.

On the following day a.k.a. BLACK FRIDAY (the day after we've given thanks for everything we have in life), we rush out in an uncivilized manner trampling complete strangers to death so we can buy a DVD player for five bucks. This is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but you get the gist of it."

I am not saying to stop shopping at the local chains near you, people who work their need their jobs to support their family. Just be choosy in your gift purchases. Make them count. Buy locally to support your local businesses, to support the arts in your community, to give a gift that is unique and represents the recipient, instead of giving that gift out of obligation.

Want to find out more?  Join the group on Facebook, see what everyone will be making for the "Flood"

Be part of the movement  - I am :)

Casualties of the Show

I try to make new pieces to debut at every show I do. Let me tell you the heart break of setting up and then because of the fumble fingers I am, drop my new piece on the pavememt and......

POW

My heart was sick. This isn't the first piece this has happened to. 

Does this happen to you? What do you do?

New Pendulums in the Shop!

More pendulums have been posted in the shop!!!

Picture jasper, mookaite, moss agate and more!

It is said, first ask - Show me 'Yes' then Show me 'No' - Then any of your deepest question and have them answered!

 See these and more at my Etsy Store!!

Hello September!

Celebrate September with sapphire!!!!

September is the month to celebrate sapphires. Did you know sapphire is a stone of creative expression? Sapphires come in all colors, and if you have a red sapphire, it is a ruby :) What I love about sapphires is they are the stone of hope - they bring hope where there is hopelessness. Isn't that awesome!

You can find this sapphire pendant and other sapphire designs at  Just A Tish Designs on Etsy!!!!

One Great Give Away!!!! - CLOSED

A collective of vendors have all gotten together and pooled our items to make a great give away for you valued at over $200!!!! What are you waiting for?!?!?! This is one pair of earrings that will be in the give away, I will leave the other a surprise :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Before and After Acrylic Painting

I started this painting months ago. I wasn't for sure the direction I wanted to go. It reminded me of something, and felt unfinished. My daughter nailed it by saying it reminded her of the Miss Saigon playbill. YES! It does! Ok, I'll take that playbill as the inspiration, and maybe that was what guided my hand. It still felt unfinished. I put the painting away and put it out of my mind. The inspiration will come, I am not going to push it. This morning it hit, like a wall of water. I felt refreshed and ready to paint again. It didn't take long to see where I wanted to go. It felt good. It finally feels finished!!

Sizzling Hot Summer Sale!!!!

I am having a hot summer sale!!!

Save 30% on your order of $25 or more from my Etsy Store.

80 items and more on the way this weekend!

All items are one of a kind, no duplicates. Don't miss out!

Use check out code SIZZLE to take advantage of the great savings. Earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and more. Free shipping on jewelry.

Sale ends 6/27/14

BONNAROO 2014!!!!!

Pet Appreciation Week - Comet

All bets were off in June of 2010 when a friend of mine brought boxer pups to the market. She says, "you need this little guy - he is deaf. If you take him, I will give him to you. You have a deaf dog, you know how to raise him." I saw the littlest white pup, with a black spot over his eye and of course I scooped him up and had to carry him around. I held him up, facing away from me, and made kissing noises - his ears twitched and his head moved.

"He is not deaf" I told her, "He is a boxer - he is hard headed." She still insisted I take him. He kinda did too. I put him down, and he made a bee line back to me and followed me around the booth. Damnit....we had imprinted..

I call James - "Jamie....... I have a little boxer puppy" and my voice trailed.

"Whatever makes you happy my love."

Jesus save me, I now have a Comet

So tiny!

But I had a plan!

It wasn't going to be my dog. Leigh and Russ were coming to visit. Leigh wanted a dog, and Russ loves English bulldogs - this is a white boxer, close right?? I would surprise them with this pup when they came, and if they could keep him, they would have a dog!!!!  Things don't always go as planned, and they couldn't work out a deal with their landlord (pet deposit was too much). We had already had Comet for a week by now, and Leigh and Russ were leaving. I told James, I will just take him back.

"You are not taking my dog anywhere" he says and with that we added a 4th dog to our house.

Comet was the most unusual puppy, all he did was sleep. Occasionally he would be a puppy, and a boxer puppy at that, and he would play in short bursts. He hates the broom, and vacuum, he must save me from all cardboard.  He was patheticly cute.

I can't make it

I found a mud puddle!

He couldn't get all the way up on the couch, but he could get his front legs up there. Then he would wait, and wait. Someone would take pity on him, and lift him the rest of the way.


He is very vocal and will tell you a thing or two, and sometimes three - and then he is asleep again.

Any warm spot will do

 Part of me, wasn't too concerned. He was a white boxer, and a runt. He most likely would be a little more laid back.

His being laid back was a boon for business. He was a festival dog for sure. He slept most of the day, and when he was awake, he was loving on everybody. He gets so excited his whole body shakes. He tries to wag his nub of a tail, and his whole body gets in the way. He tries to walk up to you in this state of excitement, and he comes at you sideways, butt first. You have to laff! He was too cute to pass up, and people would come into my booth just to see him. He traveled to every festival I did (unless it was Rose's turn)

New festival friend

In his festival shirt

Comet like Rose is a go go - he loves to go, to festivals, to restaurants, to the office, markets, parades, you get the picture. He knows when I start to pack the truck, it is time for a festival/market, and he is at the door. Even now, and I don't take him like I used to.  So as much as he is with me, Comet is James dog. Comet sticks to him like glue. James thinks this is great, because as he works, or watches TV, he has a little buddy to sit with him.

Sleepin with dad

As Comet grew so did his spots. We watched as more spots showed up on his skin, and the spot over his eye grew, but his hair never grew.
So here we have this little LITTLE boxer who isn't growing, sleeps all the time - and has no hair. No hair to the point his nickname was Piggy.


He walked very stiff legged, and couldn't raise his head. He seemed to always look at the ground. Several times to the vet, but no concerns were raised.  He started to cough, and he would cough til he seemed to gag, back to the vet. This is how it was with him.




Then the gods smiled upon me, the heavens opened, and I got a job at a local veterinary office. None too soon. Comet started having seizures.  Back and forth again. X rays, bloodwork, medicines, it was scary. He was so sick. Then the blood work showed he had a thyroid issue. Without doing massive tests to know for sure, there is speculation that maybe his thyroid stopped working, or was just too small. All of the sleeping he had been doing for 3 years was just his way of staying alive. My heart was crushed he had been sick for so long, and it was never caught . At the same time, if I had never got this job, we would never have known what was wrong with him or been able to help him. All things at the right time!



Comet now has a full coat of white hair, with brown spots! So much hair, you can barely see the black spots on his skin. He has so much energy, he runs and plays and plays and plays!!!! This little guy got an overhaul at just the right time, and we have plenty more miles left!

National Pet Appreciation Week! Here's Newd

National Pet Appreciation Week - Here's Newd :)

June 4, 2014 at 6:12am

Spring of 2009 (I had to  correct my last post, I got Rose, New Years Eve 2008) Allie and I were at the dog park, and I saw a girl come in with 4 dogs. One was a good sized white dog, with gray and black leopard spots. He had a limp. We called him pimp.  The next week, we were at the park, and the same girl came in, with the pimp dog. I  looked at Allie, and said, 'That is my dog.' She said, "Right, like you need three dogs".  I went over and talked to the girl, her name  was Caroline. She was fostering several dogs, and needed to find a home for  him. She was a woman after my own heart. We talked for a bit about this white dog. He was a Catahoula/American Bulldog mix and deaf.

This

American Bulldog

plus this

Catahoula

makes this

My heart Newd

She said his name was Chance, but she hated that name, because it was such a shelter name. I told her I was in love with him.  I  had to have him. I didn't hesitate, I didn't ask her about the process, I just had to have him. I asked about his limp. She  told me there  was talk of trying to get him surgery for his leg, possible amputation. He had an ununited anneal process - In laymans terms he  had dysplasia of the elbow.

I didn't let that stop me. I took him to my vet to see what kind of shape he was in. She told me, yup he has to have surgery. He needs it soon, the sooner the better to keep the pain down, and any more damage to his elbow. Then she told me the cost of the surgery. The surgery was anywhere between $1600 -  1800. That was a blow. She told me of several options and told me about several vets. One, was not board certified to do the surgery, but he does these types of surgeries all the time. He was an hour away, and half the cost. Sold. I talked to Caroline, told her I had to have Chance and what did I have to do. She waived the adoption fee due to his condition and I signed the paper work. He was mine, and now his name is Newd Ogg - Newd for short. Now where am I gonna get $800.  Inspiration comes in funny places. While walking the dogs one morning, I found .50, two quarters on the side of the road. (I still have those same two original quarters) It got me to thinking, if i could get 50 cents from 1600 people, I could get this surgery. how hard will it be.

Turns out, not at all. I made a blog post, started sharing it, started telling people and in a matter of 3 weeks, I had raised over 900 dollars. I had donations from around the world thanks to the internet. I would go into work, and I would find piles of change in cups on my desk, all annoymus. All to give this dog a new lease on life without pain. People are pretty awesome. Off we went to get the surgery, I was so  nervous. The bill for the surgery was less than expected, so I left the remainder of the money with the vet to help pay for the next surgery/procedure for someone who may not have enuff money.

Out of surgery and headed home

I know you are not suppose to have favorites, but I can't help it. he is my heart. Maybe it was how we met, mebbe it was his condition, or how he reminded me of something/someone. We bonded quickly, and immediatly started working on communicating with him. Being deaf is a challenge. I have taught him hand signals, and found stomping on the floor was the best way to get his attention, but stomp the correct way. Too soft, he wouldn't feel it, too hard, he jumped and ran. I am a heavy walker, been told I walk with a purpose. I had to learn to tone down my stepping because he would run from me, scared and get in his crate. Then it dawned on me, I was yelling at him as I walked thru the house :)

He could challenge Grumpy cat :)

He knows sit, stay, all gone, and come.

Nappin with Bast

He had to be supervised at all times in the yard. He could jump the fence. As long as he could see me, he stayed in the yard. As soon has I was outta sight, he was over. How do you call a dog that is deaf out running thru the neighborhood? You don't. What you do is train your other dog to go get him, and that is what I did with Rose. The training started when it was time for the dogs to come in, I would call to Rose - Bring him around - and she did. She would circle wide, and get his attention and he would follow her to the house. The same worked when he got out. I would get Rose, and we would go looking for  him. When I would see him, I would turn Rose loose, and tell her to bring him round. All she had to do was get him pointed toward me. When he would see me, he would run toward me. We put in a new fence :)

Newd and Rose

He has the softest ears every made and the floppiest face. I love to squish him up. Those icey eyes and that blank stare. Histerical! He has a "woo-woo" he does when he is happy to see you. He does a little dance in place, like marching in place when he gets excited. He has to be with me. No matter where I am. He follows me from room to room, around the yard, sits next to me on the couch, sleeps next to me in bed. He would love to go everywhere else with me, but because he is deaf, it is difficult to take him too many places. The vibration of the truck is kinda like yelling at him. He gets very nervous. 

That face!

He is mine completely, and i am his. He is so sweet. I love when I come home and he is asleep. All the other dogs are barking and running around so happy I am home, and he is asleep. He sleeps alot, but that is a common behavior in deaf dogs.   I gently touch him, and he wakes up so happy. His tail wagging and he blinks and he says "I have been waiting for you"

Puddle of Newd

What is on my head?!!?