A beginning...

I am going to do it. Most definitely. After letting my Brave Turtle Creations Etsy shop lay dormant and all dejected like for two years I’m going to open it. I was still in college when I set it up and at the time thought I had a boringly easy semester ahead of me, as I am intolerant of boredom (possibly allergic) I was going to fill my down time with something that could potentially profit both my wallet and my general happiness in life.  This planning fell through because I forgot to take into account the fact that all my materials except for a large box of Costco colored pencils, some sketch paper and watercolor paper were in Oregon whereas I was in Utah. I’m not so great at the drawing bit so original pieces of pencil art were not really feasible. Regardless of the lack of materials my educational plans had changed and I gave myself a more than full time load of classes and projects. That’s generally how I operated at school. So the shop didn’t start besides the naming and page creation.

Originally I was going to do my first love of papier mache masks for my shop but I’ve been having difficulty locating all the proper materials to realize the designs bobbing around in my head. I also had some ideas for innovative ways to make them that I’d picked up and adapted from the classes I took in stage makeup. Special effects pieces were fun, if I’d had my head screwed on straight and some time to spare I would have delved into them a lot more than I could afford. Instead I’ll be using some similar techniques and a few of the same materials to make masks unlike those already on Etsy. My goal is to really get going on those sometime soon-ish.

   I don’t like doing things half heartedly which often results in my doing nothing. Well, I plan for that to stop. I have started to make hand knotted rings akin to the old school friendship bracelets I used to make in my preteen and early teen years. The prototypes look like this:

             

I’ve already constructed 22 rings which belong in 4 different collections (birds, flowers, hearts and dinosaurs). I ordered necessary supplies online to properly finish and accurately size these rings which I am now waiting for. They should be here around Monday or Tuesday and after I test some water and/or stain proof finishes that will be safe for constant ring-wearage but which will increase the durability and wearability of the rings I’ll start posting them to my shop. I have no idea if these things will sell. I know that just because I like them doesn’t mean anyone else will. Alas. Still, I’m going to try –especially since I haven’t seen their equal yet, only a few things vaguely similar. Doing something different has always had a strong appeal to me.

                Though it’s following in the footsteps of many a modern creative before me I’m starting this blog to share some stories behind these creations, some inspirations and indulge in some artsy babble from time to time. The pseudo academic may rear its nerdy overly-analytical head fairly often–just a warning.

P.S There will be changes to the design and layout of this blog when I get to figuring out how to do them.