Experimenting
I think experimenting is essential to discovering new ways to express yourself. I think either I have something (an altoid tin for example) and want to see what I could make from it. Or I have an art idea and I try to decide how to make it happen.
Today's experiments were a bit of both. I've been focusing my time lately on making some boxes. I had a candle holder that I thought I could work into a box design, sort of a pedestal for the box. Then, I thought it would be interesting to combine glass with it. So, I found some small pieces that fit (trimmed them a bit) foiled them and tried to solder them. I ran into problems right away. The stand was coated, it was gummy and didn't want to get off, not that I was sure I could solder that metal in the first place. I ended up with a big mess (kind of smelly too). I spent today with a failed experiment as the only result.
I still have the box and it's fine as it is. I don't have to have it on a pedestal, or I might find one I like better.
I still have a silver pedestal I'd like to play with and I have other box shapes I'm enjoying too. Right now, as my mind ponders my next quilt, this is a nice break. It's still fabric, but it's playing with it in a 3-D application, a different sort of game for my mind.