Laurie Barron

I have always been creative; however, 

I became a “late bloomer” in the winter of 2011.  

 After working a corporate job as an accountant for nearly 10 years, I felt unfulfilled and desired more.  I wanted a sense of purpose, creativity, and interaction with people- all of which doesn’t naturally exist in the world of accounting.  I moved to California in 2006 to join my future husband and search for a new job.

Since we lived in a small town, I was uninspired with the local opportunities.  My supportive husband provided me with the luxury of taking some time off and the means to pursue other opportunities.  After a series of events and ultimate brainstorming, my new venture turned into my creative dream.  I started 3 B Street (www.3bstreet.com), a new, online, handmade only marketplace for buyers and sellers.  The site is juried so only the highest quality, most unique, and exclusive sellers and their products will be sold here.  The idea originated from the need for such a venue to support and nurture sellers to succeed without the common frustrations of other handmade sites.

3 B Street is my creative mastermind as the site has been completely customized and built by myself and a small team of programmers, a designer, marketers, and the creative minded.  The most obvious difference is the rich, interactive design which entices both buyers and sellers with an exhilarating shopping experience.  After working on this for nearly two years and going live in late Fall 2012, I have officially combined my passions of helping others, being creative, owning my own company, and eventually giving back to charities.  I feel proud and relieved that I’ve finally blossomed and created what I’m confident will become my greatest venture.

                                                                          

                                                                                

You can find more about 3 B Street at:

                          

www.3bstreet,com

www.facebook.com/3bstreet

www.twitter.com/3bstreet

www.pinterest.com/3bst

www.3bstreetblog.blogspot.com

reminder

Here's her logo ~

Come back Wednesday to read her story!

Cindy Tarter

At the end 2012 I looked back at this year as a year of change with wonder and excitement for the future.  

I have been spending my adult life taking care of my 2, now grown, children, then working with many wonderful kids through a Parents Day Out program for 2-5 year olds.  After taking care of both my Mom and Aunt at the end of their lives I've had the honor of taking care of my nephew for the first 6 years of his life.  Throughout this time I've had many outlets to share my creative energy.  But this year with my nephew going to school for a full day and many hours free each day I panicked -  what will I do with my time?  And my creative needs-no more kids to do crafts with.

I had done a little with felted wool items in the past, without much success,  but I did like the technique of recycling old sweaters and turning them into new items.  So my creative juices started flowing and a new enterprise was started, Izzy-J & Bean.  This is my new business name, it was made up from the names of my kids and my nephews-they are still number 1 in my life!

I started going to many resale shops, garage sales, and thrift stores to find wonderful wool sweaters to repurpose.  I now turn them into children's jackets, cut them up and make scarves, pins hats, and gloves.  I am now making jewelry, too.  All using things other people no longer wanted.  Just think, I am saving the landfills!  I am, also, making what I call heirloom pillows.  I use special items of clothing from your family member and make a pillow that can be shared instead of keeping your memories in a closet or box in the Basement.  You can have Grandma's old sweater turned into a special pillow for your bed or give it as a special wedding/birthday gift.  I am looking forward to seeing some little ones wearing more of my jackets while I am shopping downtown or walking the River Walk in my hometown.  I know I have seen many happy faces when I give them their pillow that will forever keep their loved one's memory alive.

I use to have no idea what I was going to do with my time, now I have no idea where the hours go.  I am busier that I ever thought I would be.  I drop my nephew off at school and think I have all day until I pick him up at 3:00 and I look up at the clock and it is usually 2 or 2:30.

I haven't found enough outlets for all my ideas, yet.  I see a new idea in every sweater I find or in a new color I haven't used before.  My brain is always busy.  I never thought I would be this happy or fulfilled without someone to take care of.  Life is opening up all kinds of horizons and as long as my brain keeps coming up with ideas and there are sweaters available to me, I will keep making things for others to wear and enjoy.

I do have some of my creations in a few local shops and I'm in the middle of updating my website.  Soon I will be opening a shop in Etsy.

You can visit my website @ http://www.izzyjandbean.com

reminder

I'll see you back here on Wednesday!

Dorothy May

My entire story is in my Spiritual Memoir titled:

Will the Real God Please Stand Up: My First Eighty Years 

to be published first as an ebook in January, 2013.

            

Beneath the surface facts of my life are these:

I am a traditional non-traditionalist, a late bloomer, in the world of creative dreams. I never even had any dreams. I believed the lies of my family, my church and my society. It was history. I didn’t even know that I had herstory to finish and to write.

In my early thirties, it took a nervous breakdown for my soul to breakthrough to my consciousness. That breakdown was for me an existential crisis through which I finally awoke to myself and to my choices. What was I to do? If I followed the rules of my small world, I was to stay at home, take care of my husband and raise perfect children who would take care of us in our old age. Much as I loved my husband and my children, I couldn’t do it!

The story of my search is the subject of this memoir. Essentially, when I finally awoke out of the stupor where I had been “sleeping girl in a sleeping world” for the previous 32 years, I made some life-changing choices. I questioned everything in my life and in my church and in my society and became “winged woman singing her song.” I went back to school a few years later, beginning with the community college in 1969 and finishing my doctorate in 1977. I began practicing psychology and spiritual psychotherapy in 1979.

My passion is spiritual writing and my granddaughters. I’ve been writing since I was a young child. I entered the world of professional writing when my first book Codependency: PowerLoss, SoulLoss. published in 1994.  I was then 64 years old. 

More can be learned about me and what I do on my website   www.dorothymayphd.com 

reminder

Her first 80 years ~ Yowser!  

Be sure to stop by Wednesday to read more.

Janet Briggs

My love affair with making art started 

when I was just a little girl. 

There was nothing better than a big box of crayons and some paper. Colors are my passion. I love them all and like to be surrounded by beautiful colors.

One day while looking through a fashion magazine I saw a beautiful face and thought “I want to draw that”…I found a pencil and some paper and began. By the end of that day I had drawn five or six pictures from the magazine. I bought myself some drawing pencils and a couple of instruction booklets and I was off and running.

Around 2006 I discovered blogs and most specifically art blogs. I drooled over art journals and mixed media art but didn’t have a clue how to get started. I knew I could draw but this was a whole different thing. I started my own blog (so I could comment on others) and began asking questions. Everyone was very nice and so helpful and soon I was taking online classes. That was the door that opened it all for me. I knew I could do art. I just needed to learn some techniques and learn about products.

Now after about six years of blogging, taking classes, and learning from others I happily spend most days in my studio just splopping paint around or creating collages. I still love color. And texture is also very important. Those two things have been factors throughout most of my life. If I have color and texture I’m happy.

 http://jkbees.blogspot.com  (my main blog)

 http://jkbeesart.blogspot.com/  (my art for sale)

 http://jkbeesartopia.blogspot.com/