it's evolution, baby

It is pretty clear to me now, that this plain fancy life is becoming more a way for me to chronicle my life, and less about my craft business.  It is a bittersweet transformation, for me.  While, as I've said before, I do love crafting, my life is ever changing, as I evolve and change as an aging human.
I have never been a social creature.  Never been one for a packed social calendar.  Almost never have the urge to invite friends over.  I've never been the one in the group to say, 'hey...let's go grab lunch'.  I've always been 'the invited', the 'tag-along', the 'follower'.  I like to stay home...be home.  Crafting had become a way for me to keep myself busy AT HOME...an outlet for my creativity and a way to de-stress without leaving the house.
But, just as I've found my safe haven, my little nest of security and certainty, I am changing again.
I've been called 'fickle', 'moody', and yes 'whishy-washy'...and, I've never been offended, because I know they are all spot on adjectives to describe me.
I feel like a bit of a cad going through this struggle to decide to change my name, jump feet first into trying to re-brand and sell myself to retailers...just to be woo-ed away by the call of roller derby.  But it has happened...
We have only so much time in our days, and we must pick and choose which activities will bring us the most joy.  Do I know that roller derby will bring me more joy than making jewelry?  Well, it's hard  impossible to say right now, but it is something I must find out.  I could be typing a new post next month saying I'm done with derby and I'm returning to my craft business.  I could say next week that I have been able to find time for both.  I could be mauled by a tiger tomorrow...one never knows, but one must find out!
In all honesty, in prioritizing and trying to make some sense of my life, I feel like my jewelry has become a way to make money.  And that is the kiss of death when you're in a creative business.  I love making jewelry and especially when I can make jewelry AND play with paper!  But I'm excited about my auto repair class and it's ultimate purpose of getting me outside fixing that Barracuda.  And I'm excited about skating.  Unfortunately, these two activities alone are taking up a considerable portion of my life.
Once my car class is finished, and roller derby practices/meetings are more structured and consistent, then I will be able to re-evaluate my scheduling.
I believe each of these three activities (roller derby, car project, jewelry making) can co-exist in my life somehow...it's just taking longer to figure out how with everything sort of happening at once.
Timing is everything, and it's never been my strong suit!

Derby is rolling!

I am admitting right now, that my love is being spread thin, these days.
I do love making my jewelry, but time has not been abundant enough these days to fit it in!
So eager to really get things moving with my plan of getting my stuff into local retail shops, that I started re-branding process, new name, fancied things up a bit...I mean, I was ready to go full force into this.
Then derby happened!
Yes, roller derby has taken over my life.  Well, let's clarify...roller derby is slowly consuming every non-working, non-sleeping moment of my days.
I am still going full-force into my car restore, once the weather is more consistently agreeable.  I'm taking a 3-hour class, once a week at a tech school about 45 minutes away.  It's actually fun, not a huge time commitment (just 6 out of my 8 classes left now), and I'm learning just enough that I will feel 100 times more comfortable once I'm inside the engine.
But that's not what this post is about!  This post is about how derby has pushed my jewelry business to the back-burner.  How, something I thought was going to be my 'night job', has sort of taken a back seat to a sport.  An activity that I will have to pay for...in more ways then just in the monetary sense!
Last weekend we had our first meeting.  About 4 out of 22 ladies had skates.  That number has been growing, of course, but we are not all decked out yet.  Our first skating practice won't even take place until after our next meeting (waiting for our practice space to drain it's ice rink)!
But I have never met a group of girls so over the moon about an activity!  I am so proud to be a part of the very first Cape Cod Roller Derby League that I can't even stand it!
The day after our first meeting, we had our first public appearance...the 9th Annual Firefighters Chili Challenge (for MDA).  We had a few sweatshirts printed on the fly.  We passed out fliers.  We danced.  We had a ball!

Waiting for winners to be announced. 

Winners!

Our coach (The Sarg), is the pirate holding the plaque.  We went to represent ourselves (as a roller derby league/team) but also as part of his Fire Station in West Barnstable.  They won best booth design (obviously...I mean, they had a homemade WORKING canon!)  They also won 'Chef's Choice' for best chili!

I am not giving up my jewelry making...I still love what I make and the process.  But I see myself spending more time trying to get comfortable on skates, playing derby, and there are gonna be tons of fundraisers in my future, to be sure!   I have to prioritize a lot more suddenly with everything I've got my grubby little hands in!

I'm not sure where I'll go from here.  I will keep the shop open as long as I can, making new items when time permits, but I may have to put the brick & mortar hopes and dreams to the side for now.  We'll see.