To be inspired

 My friend Tom has many collaborative ideas that he is encouraging me to follow. I like some of them and we talk about what will not only inspire him but both of us. Lately, my inspiration has been waning. Sales have been so so, and if nothing fuels my fire it is likely that I will be putting rock painting on the back burner so to speak. I'm all about selling, marketing, and creating new products. So far, I have sold over a million rocks since I began doing this "Hobby" ten years ago. You read that right...over a million rocks.

People like Tom mean well, but unless they are willing to lift a finger regarding their own helpful suggestions it can be annoying. He is also looking to be inspired to create something new. We bat it back and forth, and if the idea has merit, we pick at it until it is time to go to work on it.

I can't rag on Tom too much though, because this is mostly my stuff. Besides, the guy is eighty-seven and has that many years of project experience as I do. He readily admits that I render my work much better than he does. That being said, I can't wait to see what he creates. We were talking about a handmade "Rock" made using clay with a flat surface like a mini canvas. I like the idea as we discussed the size, material, and properties thereof. 

My hope is that Tom won't get discouraged and lose interest because he is prone to do that. 

Anyway, the rock below has nothing to do with the aforementioned, but I like to keep my fans happy

The Rocks of the week...Rockshrooms !

 This particular idea came to me after a fellow vendor supplied me with a bag full of corks that he thought that I may be able use for a craft project. I know that corks have been used to make bulletin boards, trivets, corny figures dressed up in felt, etc. I found that placing a small flat rock on top of the cork inspired me to put together a little amanita mushroom. The look caught on and I have since painted and sold a bunch of them. Naturally, the dots on top of the "Rockshroom" glow in the dark.

A month ago, another vendor who sells mushroom jerky and medicinal mushroom tea traded me a couple of these Rockshrooms™ for a bag of his jerky ( which is delicious by the way ). His girlfriend Carly liked them so much that she made a little terrarium and created a sweet little gnome environment. If I can get her to send the pics on to me, I will be sure to post them. Below is a pic I took which shows you what they look like.

Variety is the Spice

 Between cooking for myself and creating new things to sell, my muse is back pushing me forward again. Going through the regular peaks and valleys of the sober life is still challenging, yet adventuresome. Currently, the gift rock business inventory needs a little help so the days have been going by quickly as preparation for the work, addressing my other commitments, and generally, multitasking is what has kept this mojo working. Making coffee drinks, chopping vegetables, mixing sauces, and trying some off-the-wall flavor combinations have kept it all very intriguing.

The mixture of Chipoltle sauce and peanut butter seems like an odd combination, yet it is really yum. Butter in general though has been too much of a go-to item that my stomach is beginning to pay a price. Other creative endeavors have included scallop shell night lights, mushroom rocks, spinner rocks, and the latest... a cupcake candy land UV lamp! Who says that food and rock creations don't go together ?!

Target had a sale on these small desk lamps, so naturally, I purchased two to feed my decorative curiosity. The pictures below show what one looks like both on and in the dark.