ideas, ideas, ideas

{mom-mom's birthday gift}

It happens every time. The week before I have a show I come up with tons of ideas for new products. Why is that? Is it because I'm procrastinating and don't want to look at the pile of semi-finished work in my studio? Or is it that shows get my creativity flowing?

This idea has been in my head for a while. When I first started milkshake crafts, one of the products I sold was frames. But the frames were already made - I just embellished them. It never felt right to me because I wanted something that was totally mine (like the clocks, which are made from a square of wood that my dad cuts for me, then collaged with paper and finished off with hand-painted numbers). I don't want to make ordinary frames like the kind you can buy at Target. But is that what people want to buy? Which is something I struggle with often - do I make things because I like them or do I tweak them so that they're appealing to more people?

The "frame" above was my mom's birthday gift. I asked Malayna what her favorite thing about mom-mom was, and she said "I like to play with mom-mom when she's Ella and I'm Barbara". Do you remember Barbara? She's not very nice. She bosses Ella around and then Ella does whatever she wants. Malayna usually only plays this game with mom-mom {everyone else rolls their eyes and tries to convince her to play something else}. But isn't that what grandparents are for - to play those games no one else wants to play?

Would you purchase the frame above? It would be customized with your own words, of course. {Each square measures about 4.5" and has a paper collage on a wood base. The photo is 3" and is held with photo corners. The squares are joined with a gold hinge.}