Saturday, February 16, 2013

CREATIVITY...








I used to always think I had a certain amount of creativity within.  I was a wife and mother, doing all the things that that job entails and was fortunate to not have to work outside the home.  I was very organized.  Back in the 70's or 80's, two sisters put out a little book that taught you how to become organized and how to keep your life on track. I can't remember the name of the book, but it taught how to arrange your life with the help of a card system.  There was a card for everything.  You got up in the morning and brushed your teeth, there was a card for that.  You made the bed, there was a card for that.  You got dressed, there was a card for that.  And so on and so on.  You get the picture, and after doing something for 27 times straight, it usually becomes a habit.  Well, hopefully it does.




It sounds very tedious, I know, but I have to be honest and tell you that it really worked. The bills were paid on time, the grocery shopping was done once a week, the house was always presentable if someone dropped by on the spur of the moment, the laundry didn't pile up, and dinner was on the table every night on time.  During this time the organization of the household was surprisingly easy and it left a few hours in the day for my favorite thing, crafting.





When we moved to Grass Valley, I tried to keep up with the system, but with all that goes into putting a house together and then I was fortunate to go to work at the school district, I had money to spend as I wanted, and those two things together kind of got me out of the habit of crafting.  Now fast forward a decade or so and I am starting to get back into it, thanks to all of you talented friends out there who are so generous with your ideas and projects.  I will not be doing it as extensively as I did before, but it is becoming fun again.





Where is this post going?? Well, you may remember that I have talked about the time when the Captain and I had a small antique/boutique shop.  We had a booth in an antique co-op and we did shows around northern California.  Our little operation was called "Country Cottage".  We had a van to carry the furniture that the Captain refinished and repaired and the ceramics and wood products that I crafted.  I had my own kiln and we had a lot of fun.  But the Captain had a full time job besides and we had our old classic cars and we wanted to play so something had to give.





So, I thought it might be fun to travel back down memory lane and share with you what went on way back when.  You have been seeing some of the things from the beginning of this post and here are a few more.














Remember when the all white animals were all the rage. I believe they were styled after the french faience pottery. I did a ton of those, from pigs, rabbits, chickens and lambs, which I still have a couple hanging out in the garden from time to time. They were a big seller.









I even painted a few pictures. I can put paint on if I have something to copy, because I can't draw a straight line!



I made a lot of mixing bowls.  They were a really big seller. People seemed to like them just as well as cats.




I sold a lot of these geese too.  I wish I had kept one for myself.



I had a large calling for sponge ware. I still use some of the pieces that I didn't sell.

I apologize for the quality of the photos. They have been in an album for a lot of years and I wasn't that interested in taking good pictures back then. 



Here are a couple of pictures of our set up in some shows that we participated in.



The following are sweatshirts that I hand painted and embellished. I had a little side business called "Bearable Wearables". I ran an ad in a national magazine, can't remember the name of it now as it is defunct but it was very similar to the Country Sampler magazine. I sold quite a few but the majority I sold when we did shows.










I hope you enjoyed sharing our creativity with us today and now I'm off to bed, because tomorrow the Captain is taking me to HomeGoods and Hobby Lobby for my Valentine's Day present. We are painting the back of the Cottage and I painted trim and fixed him a special dinner for his present..

I think I am getting the better of the deal and my creative juices are flowing!!

...Judy...

I'm sharing today with:








23 comments:

  1. Cara Judy,continuo a ripetere che sono contenta di aver trovato il tuo blog!E' pieno di cose che mi piacciono,come il negozio e tutti gli animali!Mi è piaciuto guardare il tuo post.Buon fine settimana!Rosetta

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  2. You are very talented! Hubby and I used to do shows in the good old days. Can't even imagine doing it again...so much work!
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  3. Judy,

    How cute all of your things were. The book you spoke about I checked out of the library when I was newly married and I loved it, and had great success with it as well. Have fun at Hobby Lobby!

    Blessings,
    Amy Jo

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  4. Judy, you are very creative and talented. Great job on the bowls and pictures. I love the 5 legged table, and all the stoneware. I always wanted to sell antiques in a store but ended up selling on ebay for a few years. It was pretty lucrative a while back.

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  5. Judy, you really had a lot going on. I love seeing your work. Those shows were so popular in the 80's and I bet they were fun! Jean

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  6. What a wonderful trip down memory lane!!! I actually have that same blue and white table cloth. And you know we are soul sisters because I love antique and vintage cars as well!!! My brother-in-law has a shop where part of the time he restores old cars! Your paintings are beautiful...such a talent you are Judy!
    BTW I sent you an email to answeryour bloggy question!
    Have fun today!!
    XO Barbara

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  7. Have fun shopping at home goods!One of my favorite stores :-).It was fun looking back! I remember many of those pieces too!Yes they were all very popular at the time.Too bad you did not keep a few of those pieces for yourself.You are a wonderful artist!
    Have a great weekend!
    xx
    Anne

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  8. My goodness...you really were a busy, busy girl and all of the things that you made are wonderful. We used to have a few gift shops here selling similiar items and I remember how popular they were. Your spongeware is especially impressive and that goose is great!

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  9. That was fun! I had no idea you did all of that. I got to stay home with the kids for 7 years. I loved it. I wish I had been in crafting then or blogging. It would have been a great outlet. Now that I work full time it's very difficult keeping the house cleaned and organized. I am impressed with all you did and sold. Amazing. I have heart shaped sponge bowl in my Etsy shop very very close to the one I see on the table there!! I like the sponged look. Thanks for the little step back in time!!
    Karen

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  10. Hi Judy. You really did some beautiful pottery and crafts. That was a fun era and it's kind of interesting how it's all changed now. Do you think some of those things might be collectible in a few years? You may find some of your pieces at the next flea market. :) Enjoy your shopping trip. Pamela

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  11. Judy, I have known for some time that you were very creative but was not aware that you were in the craft business. I love those sweet little lambs. How cute they are! It seems you and the Captain are good at crafting, remodeling and selling. That's nice to have so much in common. Thanks for sharing another part of your busy life. (I'm slow responding because of a stress injury to my hands. Been typing too much but am getting better).

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  12. Hi Judy, thanks for sharing. It is always fun to look back. You are very creative! Hope you find some goodies while you are shopping today! Have a great weekend! :)

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  13. What fun! Girl, you can PAINT! It's a good thing that you're getting back to a few crafts. Don't want to waste that talent. I love the butler. I remember seeing Uncle Sam around here and always thought they were so cute. Enjoyed my visit!
    Hugs,
    Dru

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  14. I love your shop Judy. It reminds me of the ones that are in Ky. I love the country decorations. I could decorate my whole house in country, but my hubby and I to compromise settled on traditional decorating. I am your newest follower.

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  15. What fun you had, Judy...and some very wonderful items. It's amazing how tastes change, isn't it? I had a lot of country stuff back in the 70s/80s, too. I still have a few pieces of my spongeware, too. You are a good painter. Hope you can do some more of that someday. Loved this post- xo Diana

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  16. Hi Judy, Thanks for taking us down memory lane with you. You brought back memories for me as well, my sister and I used to love to go to those craft shows. You did such a great job with your painting! I would have definitely shopped at your booth! Gina

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  17. Gosh, I loved spongeware, and felt like I took a trip down memory lane. You did a great job on the bowls, I'm so not creative that way. It sure was fun looking back an loved your set up, very nice!

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  18. Judy, I think we're Kindred Spirits! Thanks for the beautiful photos, loved every one of them. -- Jan

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Jan. This is the only way I can contact you so I hope you come back and read it..Happy Sunday..Judy

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  19. I had some similar pieces in the past. In fact, today I just brought back out my chicken soup tureen. What goes around comes back around.

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  20. Hi Judy,
    So nice to meet you and thank you for stopping by and your kind comment and new following. Your wonderful post took me back to a walk down that same memory lane. I too did the very same thing in my journey. The antique malls, shows and so on. All that you share, I worked with too. Small world isn't it for the crafter. Your decorative painting is darling and many of the patterns I have too. Your pics are great and I am so happy for you to be getting a bit back into the fun of your creating.

    Thank you for coming by via RH mag. feature. I am so glad to find you and now a new follower too.
    Wishing you lots of fun with your direction.
    Have a great week.
    Hugs, Celestina Marie

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  21. Hi Judy! We wanted to pass along the Libester Award to you, which honors new bloggers. You can get the details at Rusty Heart Designs. Congratulations! :)

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Your comments are so special to me...Judy