http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog The official blog of Kristen Billing's Buzz Buzz Designs. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:28:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/so-that-was-longer-than-a-month/uncategorized/39 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/patti-billings-aka-momma/uncategorized/38 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/fall-preview/uncategorized/37 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/an-introduction-and-an-epiphany/uncategorized/36 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/green-and-smart-just-like-buzz-customers/uncategorized/34 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/ba-dum-bum-bum/inspiration/32 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/thanks-zerolandfill-akron/at-work/28 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/janome-where-have-you-been-all-my-life/new-buzz-jewelry-accessories/24 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/buzz-loves-donations/inspiration/21 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 ... http://www.buzzbuzzdesigns.com/blog/leigh-which-rhymes-with-bee/new-buzz-jewelry-accessories/20