Sporty Girl. Collage Pendant Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
565. Collage Necklace Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
He loves me, he loves me not. Collage Necklace Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
Tres Chic Mixed Media Purse Copyright 2008 Margot Potter

(Click on images to see close-up)

Crafty Advice from The Impatient Crafter^TM
The One Trick Pony Theory
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter

I've really been working lately on expanding my repertoire. It's easy to get stuck in a creative rut and keep doing the thing you know works, but I find it far more interesting to keep challenging myself to try new mediums and to learn new tricks. I've said it before and I'll say it again, a one trick pony's days in the circus are numbered. Everything that's "hot" will eventually cool down and working at QVC has taught me how insanely fast you can go from Superstar Product to Yesterday's News. So what's your next trick, Pony Girl? The more you can do and do with skill and panache, the more likely you will be to always find work as a designer. That being said, there is value in finding your niche and for many people that niche is the thing that propels their career. It's a bit of a Catch-22 isn't it? How do you find and maintain your niche while continuing to expand outward? How do you find the balance between being fresh and innovative and being so all over the map no one can figure out exactly what you're good at doing, including you. I think the key is to have a core that drives everything as you expand outward.

Well, my fine friends, you need a branding initiative. You need to sit down and think about what makes you uniquely you and what you can bring to the party that no one else can. My brand is The Impatient Crafter^TM. The concept behind what I do is making designs that look complex but are quick and easy to make while being very stylish and appealing. I make designs that are just nanometers shy of totally over the top, because I don't want my jewelry or accessories to wear you, I want them to accentuate the beauty of who you are and make you feel like your very best you. I don't want my craft projects to be so out there you can't imagine living with them, I want you to feel as if you could make them and proudly give them as a gift or keep them in your home and they'd be lovely and lively and fun. I try to make things that speak to your soul and have lots of heart and a slyly subversive sense of humor. That being said, I love kitsch, so everything I make has a little edge and a little funkitude.

The designs I've been working on as of late are far more resonant with the core of who I am. I love vintage things and I've collected vintage clothing and tchotchkes for 26 year. I love accessories and jewelry because I think there's no more efficient way to refresh a wardrobe than through brilliant accessorizing. I've been making things for my home as long as I've lived on my own out of necessity due to lack of funding and a deeply rooted desire for beauty. I love jewelry making, but I love all crafty expressions and I've been feeling a little stuck in a rut and wanting to break out of it. So I'm exploring new techniques, old techniques and creating a few of my own along the way, playing with inks and stamps and paints and scissors and glues and laminates and heat tools and layers and textures and dimensions. Oh my!

Here are a few things I've made recently that I'm totally digging. The necklaces are prototypes for a retail jewelry line I'm developing. The fabulous frames I've used here are from HHH Enterprises and I truly heart them because they're substantial and extremely well made. Seriously, of all of the frames and glass items I've seen and used, these are my favorites and I'm not just saying that. The little side latches are a great touch and the glass is not microscope slide thin so it's super sturdy. I particular enjoy the soldered look without having to solder and also the versatility of being able to reuse it if you get bored with the contents. I glue the images down so they don't slide around in the frame and I've been using a combination of old paper, scrapbook paper, inked backgrounds and scanned images.

The purse was created for a magazine, this is a photo sans handle and hardware, but you get the idea. I added multiple layers of paints, stamps, inks, vintage buttons, a vintage image and I figured out how to make a beeswaxesque finish that I'm seriously loving. This is the purse that was kicking my arse recently, I can't wait to get it back and sport it now!

I'm going to keep moving in this new direction as I expand my brand and we'll see where it leads. I've got a book shoot next week in Cincy, which I prepared for before I left for Tokyo, thankfully. It feels good to be ahead of the curve (for once.) It's going to feel good to get home and have a clear slate to fill in with new ideas and directions. Our first video has been kickin' booty and we're going to work on another when I return along with a Tokyo Trip Montage. Speaking of booty kickin' videos I wanted to give a super shout out to Stacy McQueen The Craft Whore for her extremely gracious comment on my video on YouTube. She's a class act. Check out her newest videos, they're wicked good crafty fun.

xoxo
Madge