Okay Kristen. Must continue with blog as with everything in life that keeps going on. I’m not going to tell you it’s going to be easy. Maybe it’s gotten a little easier, every day.

I can’t believe it’s been 4 months since she left this earth. At first I wondered how life is supposed to continue after something like that. And by “at first” I mean as recently as last month. The holidays were tough. My mom loved the holidays. I guess the fact that I made it through them is accomplishment enough.

Just about every day I have that moment during which I have a thought or hear something or there is some other of the many possible combination of circumstances and it hits me. My mother isn’t here anymore. And it feels like someone punched me in the stomach and I can’t breathe. And then I keep moving and living and it passes. Until the next time, which fortunately is becoming more sporadic until maybe it’ll just be every week or every other week.

But the creativity is coming back, slowly. Buzz for Winter 2009 was not meant to be and it’s absence will be a reminder to embrace life and every day and so I am making Spring 2010 a reality and it will be lovely and so fitting for the memories I wish to have. Patience.

In case you wondered where I went over the last month…

My mother was suddenly taken away from this earth October 14, 2009. I loved her dearly. A wonderful friend, she taught me how to sew, the importance of personal style, strength and independence, and that one should always live in the moment.

I miss her every minute of every day.

Yes my dears, fall is coming.

Yeah, i know it’s a flower and thus not strictly a fall motif, but I’m the artist so get over it. I was really into this whole mechanical flower concept, and I think it’s pretty cool. Note: I’ve constructed this piece so that the flower’s spokes may turn freely and the stem can swing side to side. Tick tock.

His name’s Johnny Cool and yep he’s something of a legend already.  He walked into my life out of nowhere a few weeks ago like he owned the place. I fell in love with him immediately. Over the past few days during my visit with my family in southern Ohio I’ve missed him so painfully. 

But I’ve realized today, as I’ve paced between my desk and the front door, each time peering out and expecting him in his usual spot on the front stoop, that cats are fickle creatures. He doesn’t need me and I’m not afraid to admit that. He will go where the food is, where the shelter is warm and sheltery… and my house isn’t the only one in town. Although I do like to think my company alone is worth showing up for. I hope he comes back soon.

There’s a fabulous new gift shop in the Lakewood neighborhood of Cleveland - GreenSmartGifts. I met the owner’s daughter, Erin, at the Green Dream showcase in Beachwood and we hit it off instantly. It helped that she really dug the Buzz. In fact, she liked Buzz so much that last week I was asked to drop off a whole slew of Buzz Jewelry and Bags to Erin and her mother, Mary Evans, for their lovely shop.

Above is super-friendly Mary photographed in her warm, modern shop for a local newspaper feature. I’m excited to have such a great eco store in the Cleveland area and look forward to this new partnership for Buzz!

So I’m attending a 3-day workshop (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Sunday… yikes!) called the Artist as an Entrepeneur Institute, which is put on by the CPAC, a local arts organization. Sure, Buzz is kicking some major butt this year, but if I really want to make the future Buzz “empire” a reality, I figure a little planning and strategy couldn’t hurt.

The workshop takes place in a gorgeous old cathedral so airy and full of light that I felt energized and positive even before the sessions, which have so far proved to be informative and engaging. But, for me, the real showstopper was this guy:

Meet Stephen R. Cook, Esq, an unlikely combination of lawyer, comedian, teacher, and snappy dresser (love the bow tie). From the looks of this photo he graciously posed for today, I suspect that Mr. Cook might also make an intimidating jousting opponent. Well, he certainly had me in stitches with his old-school comedy styling.

Case in point: A discussion of the business type “sole proprietorship” began with Mr. Cook pointing out that the Bishop of our hosting cathedral could perhaps be considered a “soul proprietor”. Classic.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring. I just wish it started at 10:00.

Ever heard of ZeroLandfill? I hadn’t until a couple weeks ago, but fortunately it was just in time to catch the last in a series of material-dispersal events in Akron.

ZeroLandfill, like Buzz, is really into the notion of putting to use perfectly good materials that would otherwise be headed for the garbage. Volunteers very kindly gather samples from interior decorating and other companies and then let people like me loose on them.

Upholstery samples are my favorite. While larger fabric samples have always made up Buzz wristlets and totes, at this event I grabbed lots of little vinyl and leather squares that were just too cute to ever let go to waste.

And I do mean lots…

70 pounds to be exact. You’re wondering what I could possibly do with 70 pounds of small upholstery squares? They just might be the perfect canvas for sewing little works of art. Hmmm…

So it turned out that my 10-year-old Kenmore sewing machine, while fabulous for occasional crafting, was not up to the challenge of producing Buzz’s new line of super-sturdy, super-roomy tote bags. I kept the old girl around for more lightweight sewing assistance, but I knew I was ready to take on something a little faster and more powerful - a commerical machine.

I discovered this wonderful decades-old, family-run, independent sewing machine shop a short drive away, the Domestic Sewing Center in Warren, Ohio.

The wonderful owners helped me test-drive and purchase my new Janome 1600P commercial machine. I never knew a machine could be so powerful and fast yet easy to use. I got it set up as soon as I returned home and gave it some vintage upholstery fabric to chew on.

A short while later I had a new tote to add to the Buzz spring line-up… but more on that later.

So I get a call from my new friend Joyce who says she has a large collection of vintage neckties that were her father’s and she would like to donate them to Buzz, if I want them. Ummmm yeah!

So, you know, it was only a few hundred of the most fabulously stylish vintage ties I’ve ever seen but they just might keep Buzz Bags in production for a few more months… or years!

Do you have vintage jewelry, fabrics, ties, notions, etc that are languishing in the attic, just begging to be put to use? Email or call me and I’ll be happy to pick them up or cover the shipping cost. And, if you’d like, I’d be happy to whip up a Buzz heirloom for you from your donation that you can put to use.

But that’s not the only reason I hired her as my part-time assistant. She’s an art major, is a natural with scissors, glue, and hole punch, and loves the Buzz so much she was willing to hang her head (and arm) out of a wreath for like an hour in freezing rain so Don could get this amazing holiday photo showcasing the Buzz wristlet:

Her usual less inclement-weather-impacted assignments include making the lovely Buzz product tags, cutting fabric for Buzz Bags, and stamping “Buzz” on anything that’s not moving. Thus you just might just find me with a little more time to work on the Winer line. I swear, it’s coming soon.