That 'ol Kerry Magic...

I have been noticeably absent, but I return!! Rising from the Christmas ashes, I am ready to take on 2011.  We had a lovely two weeks off and really did nothing but eat, talk, read, and watch movies, but that was exactly what the doctor ordered.  December, as always, leaves me burned out and that two weeks of thinking and reading and nearly downright lazy time is what I needed to get myself focused on the new year. And I came to a few conclusions:

Dreaming of 2011??  I think so.

If I am to endure poverty and obscurity, WHY not in Kerry?  We have a house and friends and a life here, I have my studio.  It just seems overwhelming and financially devastating to start over again back in Seattle.  My wee little start into a textile career would be sucked away into the recession abyss and my training and struggling would be for a hobby, not a career.  Just can't face that.

If I am staying, then I am investing myself MORE and not less into Kerry.  I want to put Kerry on the map for handmade goods and crafts tourism.  First stop is KerryHandmade, a guild for handmade artists of all disciplines.  I am organizing a meeting for Monday, January 17 at 7:30pm at Benner's Hotel in Dingle, Co Kerry.  This meeting is for all handmade artisans throughout Kerry, so spread the word. We will be discussing the purpose of the group, how to get our message out, and a craft fair possibility during the Pan Celtic/Feile na Bealtaine on Friday, April 29th. There will also be workshop teaching possibilities throughout the Feile. If you make handmade goods, please plan on attending as this will be of great benefit to you! I have high hopes to get something going to really start branding areas of Kerry as centres of creativity --no, I wasn't going to say excellence!!  Come along and we will see how to get the ball rolling.

And my final thought for the New Year: felt my way through it!  My house is up in a heap since I had to move all home during The Freeze, but back it must now go and get cracking on developing clothing!  I will be teaching a felting workshop of undecided focus in April and I must plan that and shift into replenishing stock and PLAYING with wool and design and colour.  Certainly more dyeing :) 

As dreary as December felt, January is certainly looking up.  You can't keep a good optimist down!

Post-Christmas Slump OR Regathering My Thoughts...



Two books recommended on Etsy for marketing and,
I think, part of The Plan.



We have entered the post-Christmas slump, which is that delicious, drifting time of staying up late, sleeping in late, lazy breakfast and reading books.  Thank God for it because December always burns me out.  I have marketing books to read and lovely books of fiction to take my mind off the dreariness of winter.  I need it to recharge my batteries and focus on The Plan for 2011.  And in order to get to The Plan, I need to eat, sleep, and read and hibernate a bit to regather my creative energy.  I see on Facebook that friends were felting on Christmas Eve--how do they keep going???  I am always knackered by Christmas Eve and can just about manage making dinner before reaching for a medicinal glass (or three) or wine....

For now, I need to get my workspace reorganized and put back together.  I had to move most of my studio home because of the sub-zero weather and lack of heat and light in my studio, but my house is up in a HEAP that is driving me mad and it all has to go back before I flip out.  Usually, even in the worst mess I know where to locate things I need, but it has all gotten away from my like a large ball rolling down hill, getting larger and more dangers and faster as it hurtles towards disaster.  At least we are thawing and temperatures are up to normal. All that hunkering down by the fire and trying to stay warm was for the birds--I was only warm in bed and my son was always at me to get up and feed him.  No peace!

I suppose it's a natural time for focusing on plans for the New Year, although I do not do resolutions as such.  Goals to work towards...I need to get marketing and sales up for Etsy and get myself on Twitter.  I think I need to rethink Lámhdhéanta as it is not working--do I keep pushing to try and get the concept up and running or do I give it up???  I am personally thinking the concept will work, but the implementation needs tweaking.  And by that last comment I mean that I haven't a feckin clue how I am going to re-attack it.  It will come to me in a dream, most likely. 

As a goal for last year, I wanted to try and get nominated for the Irish Blog Awards, but I can't seem to find criteria for nomination.  I know the IBA ( are in March 2011, but that seems to be the only info I can find.  Anyone else know anything???

Does anyone else have any good goals/resolutions/common sense for the coming year????

All I want to do is stare at the tree like a cat...