Feature Friday: Isewcute (June)

Being a part of Inkwell Alley is like being a part of a growing neighborhood--where new and exciting things are planned, new followers are popping up and the buzz on the street is that we want everyone to feel at home in the hub of Inkwell Alley. Feature Friday is just one way to say thank you for taking the time to include us in your daily read. So each Friday, I hope you'll join us to read about what makes Inkwell Alley such a great place--its' followers!

(Above) Top: Crochet Therefore I Rock...I Learned to Crochet and Got Hooked...a double sided soldered glass pendant necklace... by isewcute (Above) Bottom: Sweet Kitty Framed with Roses... purrfectly purple sparkly resin heart pendant necklace...by isewcute

Everyone has their firsts... first date, first kiss, first job. Our first? One of Inkwell Alleys' first followers! June or Isewcute (at left), a very talented artist/designer & craftster, who loves everything about being creative.

>>June's everyday life: Isewcute's love for making things goes beyond 9 to 5 as she extends it into her every day routine--wherever she goes, she's always prepared to work on her artistic endeavors! A true craftster, with a sketchbook in the car & a crochet hook in her purse, always ready at a moments notice. You can just picture June as she gets ready for her overnight travels--it's a must for her to take a bag of projects as big as her suitcase--ya know--so she'll have those supplies handy whenever the urge strikes to start a project.
>>So what else does June do? She visits http://www.craftster.org/ to see what others are creating--here you can also find some of what she categorizes as "the non-etsy stuff" she’s been making. June says she's always busy with a half dozen projects going at all times--all in different stages of completedness.
>>What makes her so well-rounded? June used to work as a full-time toy designer until she had children…now she enjoys being a full-time mom of 2 children under 5 & part-time crafter/illustrator/toy designer for hire.
>> What does June's day consist of? Currently her work is just a natural part of everyday life…like eating and breathing! And she's loving every minute of it. Since she's her own boss, there's little pressure to succumb to. No rigid, daily deadlines--just a unique schedule as she works around the kids!

At right: Sweet Hearts for a Sweetie Resin Candy Sprinkles Hearts Charm Bracelet ...it doesn't get sweeter than this...by isewcute

>>What does June love most about her work? June says, " The best part about making things…especially custom orders is that the person who receives one of her creations is going to have a little piece of June." She adds, "she does get attached to her work, and sometimes it’s bitter sweet letting one go." But no worry, June's heart is in her craft as she makes what she likes….designing jewelry for teenagers and adults who are kids at heart. She takes special care to make a quality product that will be around for years. She even has some hand-embroidery patterns (the detail is exceptional.) "In the future, who knows…", June says, "I may introduce some of the other things I make & expand to selling drawings, photography, and art dolls too!"
>>What inspires June? Music is probably the single most inspiring thing to June when she's doing her work… June says she needs music like some people need air! Her taste in music is pretty broad…loving everything from Mozart to Metallica. Her comment was, 'If a day is dreary & glum, I put on some good Irish drinking songs to whip up some new resin jewelry to!' Wow, what a great gift idea - note to self, I must check out resin jewelry... :)
>>In Summary: As you can see, Isewcute (June) is passionate about her work. Her enthusiasm is apparent as she talks about her craft, 'I have a lot of fun & if it isn’t fun…I don’t do it! I love what I do…and hope that others will love it too!'
>>Where you can find June: On etsy: http://www.isewcute.etsy.com/ Her blog where she features kids, crafts, and great etsy finds: http://www.isewcute.blogspot.com/ As well as on craftster…my username is: I Sew Cute http://www.craftster.org/ …if you’re the crafty type, bet you’ll love craftster!

June has a great selection of items, so many to choose from--be sure to check them out! Her technique and artistry is superb, and her passion for her craft is part of what makes her items so beautiful. Thanx June for sharing your story.

Quotes by June; edited by sbass.

TABBY FAT CAT FINDS HIS NICHE

Tabby Cat, ACEO, 3.5” by 2.5”, 

India Ink, Colored Pencil, and White Acrylic

Image courtesy of Melody Lea Lamb, artist who paints miniatures of animals and mythical beings; see below for more info.

Never owning an animal before, I decided it might be fun to visit the animal shelter. Upon arrival, I browsed. thinking... oh, how cute, oh, how cute, oh, how cute......and then out came a paw. I guess it was this tabby cats way of saying hello or to say, get me the heck outta here! I thought, hmmm, should I ask to visit the "get to know the pet" room? Ya know, the room they bring you to to meet the new furry friend - to see if you are compatible... Q! Am I ready to co-exist in an empty room the size of a closet--with no windows...with an unknown cat... A! YES! ...because what I found out is that he is declawed. The poor bud is declawed. So we met and he seemed to like me. I wasn't sure, but I think I was in love. Worst part about the whole thing was finding out that the cat had a predictably, ordinary name of "Simba" but don't tell him that... The sad part about the whole thing was that I had to check with family. Never had a pet before/not sure if this was going to fly.  Went home, dinner time. Q! Cat? Answer: Hmmm! Daughter: pleading sad eyes Dad: owwwwwww kaaaaaaaaaaaeeee. Call animal shelter next day. Q! Is cat still there? A! Which one?  >> "Er, Simba", I replied... >> Simba? You want Simba?  >> HUH? What do you mean?  >> Well, Simba is an old cat. Most people want the kittens. >> OH NO, I want Simba!!! >> Well, OK - He's still here. So off I went, to pick up the new member of the family. When Simba got home though, he learned that life was going to be a little more unpredictable. Every day I'd come home and yell, "Simbite!" or "Simmons" or just plain "Sims". It was NEVER Simba! Sims became my best friend. The perfect cat. Smart, energetic, loving. And forget about having a love life (I know, too much information), because that cat would stand on his back legs and suddenly you'd hear the door handle rattle as he used both paws to turn the knob. HOW HILARIOUS. Did he watch me do that? What would make a cat try to use both paws to open the door? BUT in response to Monica's last blog entry, I came to realize something funny about my dear Sims. He found his niche. [noun] a position well suited for. Synonyms: place, position, vocation, function  And even though Monica has found her nitch as a writer, you can see that it is never easy when it comes to striving toward a dream or goal. >>SO take it from Sims... who may have had to work for hours to finally realize he could actually open the door with his paws. Sims is no longer with me (been gone for quite some time now). Don't dismay--he will never be forgotten. BECAUSE...speaking of nitch, I met this great artist, Melody Lea Lamb, who creates miniature paintings and drawings and guess what...!? I found a Tabby Cat that she created and it looks just like SIMS! I had to order! Can't wait to get the ornament and print--in a remembrance of Sims. 

Image courtesy of Melody Lea Lamb, artist who paints miniatures of animals and mythical beings http://melodylamb.blogspot.com/ 

http://bit.ly/DuBv5 

http://bit.ly/TnDp0

Peeked Prose

For once I need to let myself be vulnerable. For the past several years I've been building walls to protect my delicate and complicated psyche from any additional pain that could be induced by human interaction or life-changing opportunities. That said I haven't experienced much, haven't had many friends, haven't taken any risks, haven't even felt the wind in my hair. Thank God for Robert, my husband of eight months who I met online four years ago during an intense period of hermitude. He is my complete opposite, perhaps a manifestation of the alter ego I have kept caged up for so long. He has a motorcycle, has gone sky diving, has been hurt and loved by countless friends and significant others; he simply loves life.

The bottom line is this: I need to let my alter ego take over a little so that I can start writing uninhibited, with reckless abandon. I want me--plain Jane, over analytical, worrisome Monica--to slip into sedation. I don't want to filter everything that comes to my mind. I want whatever coming to my mind to run right through my fingertips and onto the page. That will of course require me to keep chiseling away at the walls I've bricked around my creative chambers, which need to be fueled by life's experiences and observations. I must put myself out there and I need to let what I've bottled up wriggle free, no matter how scary or foul or offensive it might be. The writer's block, the dam, has broken loose somewhat, but the filters are still there, allowing only the purest of minerals to pass. But I don't think writing is about purity. Purity makes for a peeked story. I think it's about the raw, the ugly, the REAL. Life is the elixir of creativity and I need to do some more living.

photo courtesy of

http://photopostsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/girls-with-wind-in-her-hair2.jpg