#123 Create a Piece of Art & Sell it

After a local artist removed her paintings (they didn't sell), I was in need of some unique artwork for my restaurants bare walls on an extreme budget. I had hundreds of corks from all the wine we sell and set out to find an idea for some cool, modern & cheap cork projects. I came across several creative cork sites: Cork Dork, Garbriel Wiese Gallery, & Terramia. They all had great ideas, but I settled on a large cork board. I used synthetic as well as natural corks and wood glue. I didn't have much luck with a glue gun, the corks kept popping off.

I have completed two, each took about 40 hours and 300 corks. The total cost was $30 (of course exluding my very valuable labor). They are hanging in my restaurant right now and tons of people comment on them. I think it's time to sell for the sake of crossing off another experience on my bucket list!! Pricing this weird art has been difficult; too low and you don't seem like a legit artist...too high and people think your a rip off. I think I have settled on a price of $349 each, now I just have to get up the nerve to put up the price tags!

#12 Learn How to Make Paper

Since as far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with paper. It doesn't matter if it is wrapping, printing or tissue paper, there is just something appealing about the array of colors, weights & textures. I have been known to peruse the paper store aisles and leave with goodies I have no intentional use for. Doesn't everyone do that? My closet houses at least 10 rolls of wrapping paper, 8 different colors of tissue paper, 12 types of printing paper & 15 sorts of craft paper. You never know what you might need!

I can't resist the after-Christmas 50% off wrapping paper sales. This is a great time to stock up on the "necessities" for next year. My question is: How many rolls of Xmas wrap is enough? I would have to buy approximately 300 gifts a year to use all that I have!

I have a secret fantasy (get your mind out of the gutter...not that kind of fantasy!) of sitting in my future craft room at home and creating handmade gift tags for a living, maybe I'll add that to my bucket list. My shelves would be lined with the worlds largest assortment of papers; parchment, linen, recycled, embossed...oh my! I suppose it fits that I would want to create my own paper. That way I can be the controller of my own paper destiny.