So, obviously it's been awhile, hasn't it? It seems as though I start every journal entry with that, don't I? Aw well. I used to be quite the avid journal writer, but as I have gotten older I don't seem to write as much as I used to. But I have to go to work soon, I've got some time to kill, and I thought I would update folks on what's going on.

I've got a part-time job now, so that's taking up a lot of my time. It's about five hours a day Monday to Friday so I don't get a whole lot of time to sculpt during the day, which is kind of what I wanted. As much as I love sculpting and creating things, I feel like it is turning me into a hermit, so I decided to seek work out of the house. I work in an icecream shop, actually - pretty similar to what I was doing two years ago before the tornado destroyed the place. Just a different icecream shop, now. I get to make chocolate, do lunch specials, make lattes and milkshakes, scoop icecream, think of new ideas for candy and sweets, and I just got finished designing a brochure for the store, as well. It's been good for me, really - just something different, you know? It's definitely not the same as staying home all day and sculpting and sitting on the computron.

Before I got another job, I was feeling burnt out and uninspired, so I stopped taking custom orders and decided to get one of those "real" jobs everyone was talking about. Heh. Now I feel a lot better and I actually feel like experimenting with my own ideas. Just recently, I started working on a mechanical tentacle with a gap of the midsection missing, revealing copper wire with a lovely patina - I also added a lot of rust, which is really fun to play with. It's got wires and stuff sticking out the ends, too. It's going to go into a shadow box of some sort, along with one of those labels on the bottom that will make the piece look like some sort of scientific specimen. I've got another idea on the go, but it hasn't been sculpted into clay yet. But it'll happen eventually!





I guess I don't have as much time to sculpt as I used to, but now when I DO get to sculpt, I get to create what I would like to create - not what someone ordered, you know? Stopping custom orders and getting a job outside the home was probably the best move I have made for my happiness levels. So far. I've also noticed that because I have been sculpting less, my copycat has been getting bored and moving onto other crafting endeavors, which is interesting. I guess if I don't give her any ideas, then she can't exactly come up with anything else to sculpt.

I've been playing with more chainmaille lately, and have been using glass rings in my work, as well. It's a very nice combo, actually! I recently found this beautiful Swarovski crystal donut ring in these wonderful cosmic colours that I want to add to a bracelet or necklace, but I haven't thought of what weave yet.

DeviantArt seems to be a lot more slow, these days. I still check it everyday, though, and answer comments and look at new deviations that pop up in my feed. What has everyone been up to?

I'm not digging the fact that the Summer heat and humidity is coming, but I guess I will get through it like I do every year. XD Be good, cupcakes.