New interest

I didn't know paper could be such an interesting thing.  I have suddenly found a passion with origami, and now I see papers everywhere.  I touch them, feel their texture, and wonder if any of them will fold nicely while I try to make a new figure.  I have fallen in love with paper and there's no turning back...

Now, Photography is the truest of all my loves.  And I am making progress.  I found a Meetup group called Light-Pro Photography here in Miami and woohoo!, I think I found something really good.  I will be learning everything that has to do with the usage of lighting, and that precisely is the difference between a photographer and a Professional Photographer.  Knowing to use light in your favor. Manipulate it.  Not just counting on the random good shot.  Doing one excellent shot after another, knowing exactly what to do to accomplish it each and every time.

I have also started on my Product Photography website.  Color Depth Design is working with me in that department.  Too many options..... and looking forward to go through them all.

Surreal Imagery... Beautiful Song

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook, and it just blew my mind away.  Enjoy.

A Sorta Fairytale with You- Lyrics

on my way up north

up on the ventura

i pulled back the hood

and i was talking to you

and i knew then it would be

a life long thing

but i didn't know that we

we could break a silver lining

and i'm so sad

like a good book

i can't put this day back

a sorta fairytale

with you

a sorta fairytale

with you

things you said that day

up on the 101

the girl had come undone

i tried to downplay it

with a bet about us

you said that-

you'd take it

as long as i could

i could not erase it

and i'm so sad

like a good book

i can't put this day back

a sorta fairytale

with you

a sorta fairytale

with you

and i ride along side

and i rode along side

you then

and i rode along side

till you lost me there

in the open road

and i rode along side

till the honey spread

itself so thin

for me to break your bread

for me to take your word

i had to steal it

way up north i took my day

all in all was a pretty nice

day and i put the hood

right back where

you could taste heaven

perfectly

feel out the summer breeze

didn't know when we'd be back

and i, i don't

didn't think

we'd end up like

like this

and i'm so sad

like a good book

i can't put this day back

a sorta fairytale

with you

a sorta fairytale

with you

Epiphany

Yesterday I had a "spread your wings and fly" epiphany.  As I was writing a blog post at My Fairy Wings Boutique blog, I remembered something I had written on a personal journal I used to keep:

"Life is too short to ignore what you do with it.  Be passionate, be creative, but above all, be true to yourself."

When I wrote this line, I was going through a very deep depression.  Nothing in my life at that moment made sense, and this was a desperate call for me to step up and do something about it.  Two years later, I am surrounded by completely new circumstances: a new relationship, a new sense of being, a new address, even a new haircut.  Too much new is good, but it can be a little bit scary sometimes.  The familiarity of everything else is gone.  I have to mark new safe zones, new comforts.  Leave behind old ways of doing, and rebirth into this new version of myself.  I am making progress.  Slowly but surely.

I do know that life is short.  Time passes by like a soft wind against your face, fading away almost exactly as it first presented itself.  So, everything you do now counts.  Everything.  Every laughter, every kiss, every idea, your creative being, the effort you put into your projects, your dreams, everything.

My father died last November (check out the link to see his picture).  I took this picture exactly one year before his death, on a Thanksgiving weekend in 2008. We spent that sunset playing with my new camera, learning the tricks, practicing against the marvelous sky.  He was the only one who got it.  He was the only one that would take the time to do photography with me.  No one else cared enough.  That extra time, that little project of ours, made a difference in my life.  And he made sure it counted for something great.  So, as I try on making a business in photography, I think so much of him.  In all the things I wish I could ask him now.  But his time came, and he gave me exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

All I have to do now is believe I can do it.  Believe and put all my effort into becoming it a reality.  This is only the beginning.

Indie Craft Bazaar Summer Event, Ft. Lauderdale

I found out about this Handmade event in Ft. Lauderdale.  Save the date!! July 18th, from 1p.m. to 6 p.m.  They are still looking for vendors. Follow the LINK to their website.  They also have a Facebook page.

Where Fashion, Art, and Music Meet

This is the kind of stuff that thrills me! Yesterday I met with the wonderful people at Dekka, a new and upcoming gallery/boutique in Hallendale Beach. They are putting together a unique space for new artists, fashionistas, designers, and Handmade entrepreneurs to display their creations in a very unique space. Located at 139 NE 1st Ave, it offers an array of possibilities for business  and community development.

Josh (owner and artist) showed me the place and talked to me about all the ideas they are bringing to the table.  The city is backing their efforts and are working together to make this strip a one of a kind.

If you happen to be looking for an affordable place to start showcasing your Handmade products, this is a good place to go.  Look for the mannikin with the "Open" sign.  You won't miss it.

Contact:

Joshua Tiktin

Cel: (240)355.1265
joshuatiktin@msn.com

Address:

139 NE 1st. Ave.

Hallendale, FL 33009

www.dekkafam.com

Here soapy, soapy

I am shopping for soaps.  The last purchase I did was back in November, for my birthday.  It was a pretty depressing birthday and needed to treat myself with something nice.  I bought soaps.

Eight months have passed and today I opened the last bar of my birthday shopping spree.  I have cried so much during those months, and most of it has been in my bath, with my soaps.  Today, my spirit is much different.  I am looking forward to new ways of presenting myself to the world, and to attempt a completely different approach for becoming. So, the soaps that I will be buying now will have a totally different task.

And speaking of becoming...  The pictures I have been taking for Fairy Wings Boutique are coming along.  We are planning different shoots and marketing ideas. Here is a picture I took of one pair of wings.  We went to the beach at sunset and the pictures came up pretty nice.  I have no idea what this project will bring.  I am meeting new and very creative people along the way, and is really exciting.  Tonight I will be visiting a Handmade market in North Miami.  As far as I know, this is the only Handmade market in the area.  I have my hopes high so let's see what this visit will bring. 

I encourage these types of Markets.  They gather together a community that would otherwise be secluded. The most cost-effective way for an upcoming Handmade business to actually sell their creations is through a website.  The face to face interaction with clients is out of the picture. So, if you happen to find a Farmers or Handmade market in your area,  go for it.

I will continue my search for soaps now.  I will keep you posted on my final picks.  If you have any sugestions, bring 'em on!

My first Pro Bono Client

I have a client! And of course, a promise is a promise.  I will be taking pictures of her fabulous Fairy Wings free of charge.

About two years ago, she started making little fairy wings and started selling them online.  Little did she know that she would be setting up her own website and having an incredible amount of orders.  Fairy Wings Boutique is an ongoing business.  We met last week and she wants to take it to a new level.  She's doing lots of changes to the website and updating the photography and image.  It is such a wonderful project, and I am really excited to be part of it.  Here's a pic of the kind of stuff she does.  I am still battling some lighting issues, but I will get it right.

These rustic wings are my favorites.  They are simple and delicate and have the Handmade stamp all over them.

FREE Product Photography Set

Since I am starting this Product Photography project and I really need to build up my portfolio pictures, I am offering a FREE 20 pics session.  You will be able to use them on your website or Etsy shop. Anybody interested on doing this with me, please contact me.  I am really nice :) You'll love working with me.

An adventurous Spirit

I am a true follower of the Handmade movement.  I see it as the precise spot where skill meets ingenuity.  Take out the factories and the cookie cutter molds, put in creativity, attention to detail, dedication, and... you got yourself a unique piece.  One special something that will make the difference on this vast sea of random merchandise.

The trick, however, is how to make your handcraft idea into a successful business.

Like any other business, it takes a lot of guts to make it work.  A lot of planning and experimenting.  Practicality, a lot of sense, but above all, a lot of Spirit.  Whenever I meet a new Handmade entrepreneur,  my eyes focus and I get curious on knowing what drives this person into doing it.  What idea is moving this person into putting so much into something that it may not work.

Adventure.  The thrill, the risk, the trust you put in yourself.  Why shouldn't it work? It could be the best idea you will ever have, and it could be THE idea.

Trust your instincts.  Plan carefully.  Enjoy your craft.  Work hard.  It will pay off.

*I would love to hear your story, wether good or bad, or you don't know yet.  Thanks for reading.

Life and Soap

I have come to the conclusion that life is like soap.

Every single decision counts. The ingredients, the stuff its made of, is critically important. Extra care must be exercised when deciding what stays and what goes. Career choices, partnerships, living arrangements, likes, dislikes.... it all winds up in the enormous pot that is your heart, waiting to be mixed. If, for some reason, we rush into this selection, the consistency of the mixture does't flow. Is not right. But in reality, the true test of the ingredients comes with the lye.

The lye's job is to break down the ingredients. It melts them and transforms them into a completely new and unique element. It bounds the ingredients to such degree, that they no longer represent their original state. And so it is with life too. As we grow older, relationships bound us, tide us, and leave profound marks. When we get closer to the heat of tests, our souls transform into something we didn't know we were. And all we are left with is patience. Waiting. Letting things settle, and hope that the soap sets.

It is at this point when we decide if the choices were correct. If we got it right in the first try, or if we need to make adjustments. Go back to the ingredients and shuffle things one more time, and try again. This is the true craft of soapmaking. And I believe it is a craft that lasts a lifetime.

We will end up with a soap in our hands. We will enter our own space, in the bath, our own quiet time, and we will try the soap. It is there, you alone with the soap, where you will enjoy the results and smile. In the end, the smile is what matters. The true satisfaction of a well lived life accompanied by the small luxury of a good handmade soap.