How things happen...

I had a very interesting Saturday at the shop.  It started out ordinarily, kind of quiet and I was working on my collage...

I was painting and scrapping and sanding and adding and then Marlene came by from Summer cottage antiques in Petaluma. I was chatting with her and then Shelley came in, who I had never met before and says "OMG your stuff is so Spark".  Having no idea what "Spark" is I asked her and Shelley told me about this big event called "Spark the Event" in October in Utah.  She started to name some of the people involved like Margie Romney-Aslett, and Christy Campbell Tomlinson and I recognized their names right away....I thought maybe this is something I need to participate in,  Shelley tells me how she has wanted to go for YEARS and she brought all her best handbags and shoes to Rags to Riches to help pay for her ticket there.  I was intrigued.  I said to Shelley, maybe we should go together, and I should bring my stuff and sell it, and we just went crazy with how this was going to happen...Marlene was still in the store, marveling at how we JUST met and were concocting our whole Thelma and Louise "Spark" trip..I said I'm in.  So less than 24 hours later it's on.  It's on like donkey kong.  And I just know it is meant to be.  This event has tons of artists who I know via the facebook/artist network and it will be a weekend workshop of crafting, fun and networking.  I have dreamed of going to one of these events and now I am.  Just like that, SNAP.  Cause really that's how things happen.  I just follow the next thread that appears, instead of over analyzing it and talking myself out of it.  Here is the link for anyone who is interested...http://www.sparktheevent.com/

aside from all that excitement, I am working on getting more classes lined up for the shop, soldering jewelry and doing my homework for Traci Bautista's "discovering Y.O.U." class...there is never enough time to squeeze in all I want to do.  But I do what I can, and it's all good.  Hope you are enjoying this summer weather, today I get to go to our pool for a little R&R with my sister and the kids.  Thanks for checking in on Hip Chick happenings, let me know what you're up to, I love hearing from you!!

and let me know if you're ready to buy a tutu....they brighten ANY occasion!!

Podcast With Risa and Benicia Farmer's Market on Thursday

I love free press.  How flattered was I to get interviewed by Risa the other day...here is the link for it,

http://voodoonotes.blogspot.com/2011/06/podcast-with-hip-chick-carrie-clayden.html

Risa is a sassy lady who found me via Pam Carriker, a well known artist and author who I sent a tutu to, and who is in my tutu series......Thanks Pam!  She wrote "Art at the Speed of Life" and we met on facebook (my favorite social network vehicle).  Pam's husband is a pilot like mine, I am an artist like her and we bonded immediately.  Thanks to Pam wearing my tutu, Risa saw it and asked about it, and that's how it goes....so these tutu's really do have magic in them...I swear.  I sell these magical skirts on my website and invoice via paypal for anyone who is interested.  I can get any size and color, just email me what you like at carrieclay@yahoo.com.
The latest new happening is coming this Thursday as I will be at the Benicia Farmers Market selling my wares.  Thankfully the weather has finally warmed up, so it will be a lot of fun to be outside chatting with the locals in downtown Benicia from 4-8pm.  Come on down and see me ok?  I am soldering up some charms and necklaces, I got a shipment of feather earrings and of course I will have tutu's for sale...
As always I thank you for checking in on Hip Chick and her adventures...stay tuned as there are always more around the corner.....

Sodering is fun!

Saturday we had another fun class at the shop, this one was a wine bottle charm necklace class taught by Laura Ellington.  Laura and I met at Room with a Past about 4 or 5 years ago, we both had spaces and sold our treasures there before I left to do my Hip Chick thing.  She has been soldiering for years, and makes amazing necklaces with vintage charms and such.  Recently she had the idea to use wine bottles as a charm and they look beautiful, like little pieces of stained glass...We had 5 students in all and everyone was fearless about diving right in.  My mom came and we celebrated her birthday with cake and presents, so it was a big fun filled day.  Here are some pictures to share.....

Linda and Nancy from The Thrift Station in Danville came..

Christy came to her first class

Our teacher Laura Ellington

My Mom

our yummy tray of glass and ribbons...

Laura shows us how it's done

mother-daughter love

Mom was a pro

Patti( our class regular) loved her necklace!

nice work Patti!

Christy used two charms

we sang Happy Birthday and had cake.....

yummy princess cake

Nancy's finished work

Christy made this amazing three piece necklace

my turn..

I want to solder everything now...

I am going to get a soldering set up tomorrow as a result of this class...I just love making things and the sky is the limit when it comes to making jewelry.  Hip Chick is going to make some vintage charms and sell them at her shop and at the farmers market.  I love learning new art techniques and this could be scary as I am such a spaz and it's a HOT iron...must use some restraint....haha...not likely...thanks for checking out the latest happenings...always up to something creative...please let me know what you're up to as I love to hear from my blogging friends...

Annual cherry pickin party

Today it was finally nice here in California, it's been really wet and chilly so seeing the sun shine today was glorious.  Last year about this time the hubbie and I went cherry pickin' and it was really fun.  and delicious I might add...I love me some crunchy bing cherries.  don't you?  Man they are good!  This time our daughter Abby joined the fun and we ate as many cherries as we could before feeling sick.  Then we picked cherries to bring home, far more than we will eat.  I like sharing.  Sharing is caring I always say...so here's some fun shots of our cherry pickin excursion...

don't these look delicious??

Ben certainly thinks so!!

had to wear my tutu, it's tradition!

yo, who loves cherries?

Abby in the treetops

the cherries killed her

our bounty

here's my lot, where's yours?

this is the life!

my darling daughter Abby

she humored me with the headband (pressie from Ben from Italy)

it's fun up here!

Hellooooooo overrrrr thereeeeee.....

there were tutus falling from the sky...

and landing on ladders

exquisite contrasts

tutu in cherry orchard

Now who wants some cherries?  They go quickly as they are sooo yummy...after all the joy of this excursion I came home to find I got published in Crescendoh in the Art Saves category....this is really exciting for this Hip Chick.  I entered my story on a whim and forgot all about it and then today find out I'm in !  Yipee!  Here is the link for those who are interested...

http://blog.crescendoh.com/readers_share/2011/06/finally-found-my-niche-by-carrie-clayden.html

I am honored to be in this publication and it validates all the effort I put into my business.  Being my own boss is a learning experience everyday, as I am the bookkeeper, the buyer, the artist, the marketing manager, the spokesperson, the writer of blogs and websites, etc...I could go on, suffice it to say I wear many hats.  Motherhood has trained me well for this job, as being a Mother ones juggles numerous things at once.  It's always changing which I like and there is a never ending list of "To Do's" which I don't always like, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Thank you to you who have been supporting this adventure.  You help motivate me when I am down, wondering what the heck I'm doing...all it takes is a simple, "way to go" and I'm feeling good.  Let's keep frolicking on and see where the road goes....I'm glad we are on it together....

Whatever works

Hi friends.  I am psyching up for my day, looking outside at the dark clouds, trying not to let them 'dampen' my spirits.  But I do wish for a warm day I have to confess...I am a sunshiney girl for certain.  I always say I'm like the weather, "when it's sunny, I'm sunny and when it's cloudy then you know....I'm cloudy.  And this late June winter weather has got my panties in a wad let me tell you.. I mean geez.  The forecast for the weekend is rain.  all weekend.  So much for the BBQ that we are having on Sunday, oops I mean Rainday...ok enough about the weather.  I could write for hours...

The topic today is whatever works.  I chose this as a result of my recent joining of "Etsy".  I am doing whatever works to get my name out there, sell my art, and make a couple bucks.  As you know I have the shop in Benicia, and it's fabulous, but it is quiet...because it is hidden.  My biggest challenge is finding my customers and then getting them to come to me.  I am still working on how to do that.  An easier approach is to post items I have online as I have built a huge online friend base.  This way people that don't live nearby can see what I have and hopefully buy it.  So I joined Etsy the online crafty website for yummy goodies.  I only have 1 item at the moment, but you gotta start somewhere right?  I will add more little by little and see what happens.  One thing I have learned with my business is it's good to keep trying new things to see what works.  I don't have a road map for Hip Chick's, I am 'off road' seeing all the sights and meeting new friends in the nooks and crannies of the road less traveled.  One thing I love about having my own business is there are no rules, I am in charge and it's scary and empowering all at the same time.  There is a big learning curve, I am not always going to make everyone happy that's for sure.  But I do try to make my shop a happy place for people to be inspired, myself included.  So for those who can't come in, I will provide an online shop and then I'm reaching everyone I can.  I have met so many amazing artists from facebook and online art classes and we all support each others endeavors.  It is one of my favorite parts of my business.  We are all trying to do what we love and hopefully make some money at the same time.  That's the main objective after all.  So with out further adue, here is my Etsy link...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75305978/vintage-bottle
Be the first to buy my stuff, I would be sooooo inspired.  I have many more bottles with fun sayings, art I will post, vintage treasures and the like.  Thank you for all your support, it really does keep me going.  I often wonder if I am just spinning my wheels, round and round in circles, and when I get comments from you telling me how much something I did affected you, it makes it all worth it.  Thank you.

Art isn't always happy

Reunited and it feels so good....

Last weekend I got to reunite with my old best friend Cindi Thompson.  Cindi and I met in the girls
bathroom at Leigh High school and we became instant best friends.  We were inseperable.  We shared so many life experiences I couldn't begin to write about them...we had 20 plus years of fun together.  But then we had a rift, and sadly the rift lasted about 7 years.  But then out of the blue, we talked again and we mended our differences.  What a miracle.  If I had my old pictures scanned I would do a photo log of our relationship, but it would takes hours to find the pics and scan them to do that.  Just picture the 80's, then both of us with feathered hair and you have the image....then fast forward to these...

Cindi with her boyfriend Gage, and her brother Scott with his kids

Carrie, Scott and Cindi

old St.Croix friends Susan and Cindi

old roomies Cindi and Ben

Cindi and Gage

The Claydens

group shot in Santa Cruz

best buds 

here was the reunion, at Aldo's in Santa Cruz and Alex (my son) was our waiter.  So fun.  It was a wonderful day for everyone, we all ate yummy food, caught up and walked to the beach.  I have missed my friend and when I thought of us it made me sad.  It's such an empty feeling to end a friendship, its like a death.  But we got a second chance and I am so grateful.  Life is too short to hold bad feelings, and if you have an opportunity for happiness then take it.  I did and I am glad.  The day after I talked to Cindi I healed another relationship that was painful in my life.  Talk about synchronicity.  It was on fire that week!  How fortunate to have this happen in the same time and make my life twice as good in two days time.  I am still adjusting to the enormity of it.  I am always open and willing to what life presents, and especially so when it's a blessing.  What a blessing this is.........