Dear Friends - Sunday,August 1, 2010

Boy, I hope I can do this and keep it up okay. I really don't know where to begin.

THE BEGINING: As early as 13 years old, I have loved to draw people. (women) As I got older, going through life, I kept busy with marriage and having my two children. I had always loved dolls and loved looking at paintings of people. I ended up getting divorced from my first husband and when my children got older, I went back to School and received an associate Degree in "Commerical Art". I thought I wanted to be a commercial artist, but no, it didn't work out that way. It was a fantastic experience though. Then, I started to paint portraits of people and paint animals, but that didn't work out either. I could not stay into it for long.

UP TO DATE: I remarried a wonderful man in 1997. It wasn't until I was working as a machinst in my home town that I fell at work and got hurt, enough to where I could not work outside my home any longer. I needed to find a way to earn money, I was so worried about losing everything we worked for. I spoke with one of my sisters and she suggested that I look at Ebay and look at the ooak sculptures. ooak???Sculpting with clay??? I never thought of that, how wonderful. I could make dolls and sculptures, but I didn't know how to do that. So I bought some clay and took over a bedroom in our house for a work space and got busy practicing and practicing and practicing. I hardly seen my husband at all, the first year. He was so patient and understanding. He is such a special man. Finally, I decided to try to sell something, so I made my first fairy. I think she sold for $13.00.(LOL)..I learned as I went and I made a lot of mistakes. I loved it, FINALLY, I found my passion. I could not put it down for long, I constantly thought about it. I was hooked.

I now have been sculpting since 2004. I have 3 grandchildren, 2 boys and a girl. Two nine year olds and one is almost 1 year old. I still sculpt, but I find it harder and harder to sell any lately, because of the economy (atleast I hope that's why). I love making Angels, but for some reason they just don't sell that great.

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Well, time sure does fly.......now it is Wednesday, August 4, 2010

GOING THROUGH LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS

Hi, welcome to my blog's of life. Ups and downs......... Lately it's been more downs than ups. With the economy making it hard to sell anything, let alone a sculpture. It has been so difficult, I take it personally and I know I should not do that, but you sculpted that sculpture, you put your heart and soul into it and if no one bids on it, you start to think why don't they like it? Is it me or the sculpt? Is it the economy?

I just turned 51 years old in March, but in February of 2010, I found out I had diabetes. I was so upset, why me??? My father had it and his mother had it. I had to figure out what to eat and start exercising. I went to the doctor, because I had some symptons, I was really thirsty all the time, I lost 20 pounds and I didn't know how I did it, I was so tired all the time, I had no energy. The doctor told me I had to start counting my carbs, which was so time consuming. I had to totally change my eating habits and cut out a lot of sugar. That was the hard part for me. I had such a sweet tooth. Since then, I have lost 32 pounds, which is great. I still want to lose atleast 15 more pounds. I feel much better now, but at first it effected my eye sight, it did a complete turn about, I was scared. I needed glasses to sculpt with, after a couple of months, my eyes went back to normal. I was so happy.

Life is so hard sometimes, But I have learned, you cannot dwell on the negative things! It will get better.

Saturday, August 7th..

Today was a good day. We have our grandson for a couple of weeks, the nine year old. I sure hope I can get some sculpting done. But, if I can't, oh well, he is more important. I sure hope sales get better, because I would hate to have to quit what I'm doing. I love to sculpt. I have been having ups and downs when it comes to sculpting. I have been trying different things and different ways of doing things, so I know for sure how I want to do things. You have to find the best way for you. Whatever you are comfortable doing or however you are comfortable doing it. I don't sculpt as much as I used to, because last year I think I burnt myself out. I just didn't even have the desire to sculpt much. We moved to the country on 20 acres, to a different house. We moved one hour from my friends and family. I think I was going through some kind of depression and I had to get used to being about an hour from anybody. It was hard, but I finally think I'm getting used to it and now I think I got my mo-jo back.

"The Economy"

Sunday, September 12, 2010. The economy is so terrible right now, that I have not sold any sculptures for over a month. I have listed on Ebay 5 sculptures that have not sold yet and in order to get them sold, I have dropped my prices way down. It seems a lot of sculptors are not selling anything. I am not the only one. I have been thinking of quiting for now. I am losing my desire to sculpt, because they don't sell, it is hard on your self-esteem and it is not much fun anymore. I have no desire to sculpt atleast for now. I may end up sculpting or making dolls later on, when hopefully the economy gets better. This poor economy is hurting everyone in one way or another and it makes me very sad. I will keep you up to date and let you know what I will be doing in the future. I love making crafts, so I am thinking about selling crafts on my website and changing the name. I need to do something that I love to do again, like I used to love to sculpt. I need to get that feeling back. thanks, Cheryl

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Saturday, September 18th. Well, I sold 3 out of 5 sculptures, I was so happy! I hate to see them just sitting on a shelf, I love when someone gets them and they can enjoy them. Selling them makes me want to keep sculpting. Maybe I just need a break for awhile to do something else for a change. Then I can get back to it later on with a fresh outlook. Life is so confusing sometimes. I thought I had my life all settled, all worked out. But things change and all of a sudden your thinking a different way. Your life changes because of different situations.

I got to see my grandsons today, I love spending time with them.