Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere

Pick Me Up

2012-02-15T10:24:00.000-06:00

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." ~ Buddha

I am a bit under the weather today, so I am at home nursing myself through a nasty head cold and trying to stay awake long enough to complete few things that have been on my rapidly spinning plates.

But at least I am not dead. So there is that to be thankful for (thanks, Buddha, for always putting things in perspective for me!)

I am enjoying my mixture of Emy J's Costa Rican mixed with Dunkin Donuts Vanilla Nut coffees and my Bailey's fat free French Vanilla creamer in my new favorite mug...

Thanks Miss Jennifer Jangles for always being a bright spot in my day!

There is no way I cannot help but smile when I see this Dr. Seuss tableware sitting with a steaming heap of liquid courage to face the day.

Today I am eating toast with cinnamon and sugar. I also tend toward wanting graham crackers with a light dusting of butter on them in little crumbly rectangle sandwiches. And my mom always made us warm milk with a touch of butter and sugar in it when we were feeling sick. Weird, I know. But that is the only thing that I want right now. That is comfort food to me.

Later I might catch up on episodes of Project Runway All Stars, American Idol and Raising Hope while snuggled under a blanket prepping bezels for 'simple truths' or maybe read some more of the book Goose Girl that I am reading as inspiration for a project that is looming for me...

But more likely than not, I will be working on starting my Challenge of Music accessories or creating the Verse & Vision poetry submission pieces (three are due right now!). Just because I am sick doesn't mean the multi-tasking has to stop. ;-P

I am sure I will be back to my old, slightly less haggard self in no time.

Now where did I leave my mug?

What picks you up when you are under the weather?
What comfort foods do you gravitate to?
Do you slow down when you are feeling sick? or do you see that pile of dishes in the sink and feel compelled to wash, dry and put them away? (yeah, me neither! ;-)

Nothing Like the Sun

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

"If music be the food of love, play on."

~ William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 1

I am experimenting with making beads in my 'simple truths' style. I think I am going to call them 'simple tales' or 'story beads' or something like that. Nunn Design has some really beautiful things to work with in your jewelry. I am fortunate to be a part of their first Innovation Design Team. Just the name of that makes me giddy. They sent me some goodies to play with and I sent the baubles off to Becky Nunn for her trip to Tucson. I hope they were a hit!

One of the products that was in the goodie box she sent were their new channel bead tubes. They come in different sizes and finishes. There is a channel that can hold images or clay. I was so intrigued by them that I went right out and bought a few dozen of my own to play with.

Round about the beginning of this month, I found out about a gallery called the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center in a town about 30 minutes from where I lived. They were hosting a juried art exhibition entitled "That's Amore." I have a goal of putting my work out there into more galleries, so I thought this would be a good place to start. So I decided that I would make something special just for this exhibit.

In thinking about love and and what it means to me, I happened to look up and noticed a piece of art that Kerry Bogert made for me. The mixed media canvas is a riot of bright reds and deep purples with swirls of black and sparkled lines in stylized flower shapes with some of Miss Kerry's beads for the centers. I asked her to add my favorite love poem, Shakespeare's sonnet 130.

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips’ red:

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound:

I grant I never saw a goddess go,

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.

At the time that Shakespeare penned these lines, there were a lot of love poets out there throwing around impossible cliches of comparison for their muses. You would think that these ladies were floating on air, with garments made of flowers and shining as brightly as the sun. Shakespeare is clearly using conventional love poetry metaphors as a statement against his contemporaries. The 'Dark Lady' inspiring these lines as well as sonnets 127-154 would ultimately betray him, but at the time he wrote this one he is truly professing his love for her.

Sonnet 130 pokes fun at the overblown comparisons that most of his contemporaries used to hold their muses up to an impossible ideal of beauty and grace. Shakespeare does not compare his love to grandiose metaphors of golden locks shining like the sun and rose blossomed cheeks on fair snowy skin. Rather his love is of dark complexion with obvious flaws, such as stinky breath and decidedly unmelodious speech. That is precisely what I love about this poem.

This sonnet always speaks volumes to me. The ordinariness and humanity of his 'Dark Lady' is what makes him love her all the more and he finds that beautiful. It sort of gives me hope that my love would find my flaws appealing as well. In this time of Hallmark-driven love declarations, it is comforting to know that I don't have to be perfect to be beautiful in the eyes of my love.

I wanted to honor this poem with my new beads. Each of these barrel beads is an inch long. I filled them with clay and pressed the words from the sonnet into them, two lines of the sonnet in each. You can read them by spinning the bead in your had and reading each line as it circumnavigates the beads. And if you read each bead in order, you will have the entire sonnet.

I took my color cues from the beautiful lampwork glass bead set from my friend Julianna Cannon of Julsbeads. Their dark earthy colors in burgundy and forest with the unexpected flash of gold guided the choice of color for the barrel beads. I knotted each bead on three strands of hand dyed silk cord from Marsh Neal Studio and finished it with a strap of cinnamon colored leather and a heart shaped hook clasp. I wanted them to have the look of old parchment inscribed with the scratch of an ink-filled quill.

From afar, the beads just seem to have a rough texture. Upon closer inspection, you can see that there are words on the beads. And if you look closely, you can read the entire poem around each barrel and from left to right on the necklace. I hope to make more of these types of beads with secret messages, or even snippets of poems or lyrics on them, to carry the message that is important to you close to your heart.

Your turn...
Have you ever received a secret love note that you treasure?

Tell me... What message, poetry or sentiment would you like to see on these channel bead tubes?

P.S. Today is my day to post on the Earring Everyday blog, and I am hosting the first EARRING LOVEFEST over there today. We have 7 - count 'em 7! - winners in the EARRING LOVEFEST. I am also honored to be the guest poster today on Love My Art Jewelry. And there will be a little giveaway there as well. (Totally a coincidence that I would be posting in so many places at once, you would think I never sleep ;-) Go and check them out!

Music Paints the World with Hope

2012-02-10T11:15:00.000-06:00

"Music is the regular man’s magic wand, the fairy dust of commoners, the heart surgeon for the broken masses. One minute you can be gray and lost, covered up in a thin film of your own questions and worries and self-focused mess. And then you turn on the music and all the world springs to life, anxieties crumble small to the ground, worry hangs his head in the presence of whimsy. (Those two can never hang out together.) When I’m writing and find myself in a dark, colorless corner of non-ideas, the right music can paint the world with hope." ~ Emily Freeman

One of my new favorite blogs to follow is Chatting At The Sky with author Emily Freeman. I am not exactly sure how I landed at Emily's blog, but I am glad that I did. It always feels like a respite in my day when I take the time to read her thoughtful posts. Emily is a wife, mother and writer who recently published her first book Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life. I don't have a copy of this book, but the blurb about it sounds like I should. I am putting it on my wish list.

Miss Emily wrote her most recent post on February 9, 2012 titled "Using Music to Inspire Your Writing." Seeing as I have music on the brain this month, I was intrigued. The quote above is the opening paragraph of her post. It is well worth a read.

Miss Emily says that when she is working on some new writing she needs to listen to orange-yellow music. The idea that music could be expressed in colors really moved me! She goes on to list some tracks of music that evoke that bright vibrant pop of color and never fail to get her brain dancing in the right direction. One that she mentions is the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice. Now I have seen the movie, but I can't say that I recall the music that runs so seamlessly through the scenes. Miss Emily says, "Nearly every song on this album is yellow-orange, with the occasional deep green-blue undertone." Take a listen to this selection from the soundtrack and see if you agree. I know that I am going to have to get a copy of this soundtrack to play while I work, especially since yellows are so hard for me to coax out of my studio.

Some music is rich with jeweled undertones. This is music that feels sumptuous and luxurious, rich and dreamy. Lush music like Norah Jones Come Away With Me or Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake can transport you so completely to another time and place. I love that about music. I recently had the pleasure of treating my daughter, Tiny Dancer, her favorite friend and favorite aunt to the Russian Ballet's performance of Swan Lake at the Fox Valley Performing Arts Center. The music was a glorious accompaniment to the stength and beauty of the dancers. I totally felt that the Prima Ballerina was transformed into a swan as the tendons in her arms rippled as she extended her arms and seemed to float on the air. It was incredibly moving.

The movie Black Swan was haunting and so masterful. The score is by Clint Maunsell based on Tchaikovsky's iconic Swan Lake. This last song in the soundtrack is called "A Swan Song (for Nina)" and is so rich and flowing. (If you listen, the first 57 seconds are so quiet you may think it is not working. Keep listening.)

I can feel the quiet desperation in this song. There is an oppressive sadness that hints to grey and black but with a release of white for me in this music. It is somber and haunting and completely evokes the madness of the character of Nina.

Last week, in phase two of the dance performances, Tiny Dancer and I went to see the Lily cai Chinese Dance Theater company perform. What a treat that was! Not only was it a great experience of another culture, but we were immersed in sounds that I had not heard before as well as movements that were so expressive it was as if they were painting the air with their bodies. In one of the four dances they held lit candles while performing an intensely lyrical choreography to a Mahler symphony. The only light on stage were these lit candles that flickered and seemed to respond to their every move without ever going out. The final number was a feast for the eyes. They were dressed in simple black leotards and used long silk ribbons to literally paint the stage with their presence. It was a tribute to Jackson Pollock's paintings melded with Chinese calligraphy. Beautiful! This YouTube video I found is a bit rough, but I thought you might like to see it.

So music can evoke feelings and memories, but also color and light and shape and movement. The beat is like the pattern and the foundation. It can be dramatic and driving and colored in shades of crimson and plum, or it can be soft and ethereal and colored in tones of azalea and lavender.

What color is the music you are listening to today?

Last Day to Sign Up for the Challenge!

2012-02-04T09:25:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day to sign up for the Challenge of Music.

Go to Take the Challenge in the menu above to sign up by midnight tonight (CST).

We have participants from around the globe playing and their music tastes are as diverse as they are, which is exactly what I was hoping for! We have heavy metal rockers, ladies singing the blues, indie and alternative, classical and jazz. We have a lot of country music fans as well as electronica dance music. There is a healthy dose of 80s music lovers (it will be a walk down memory lane!), and even some new-to-me music genres like kirtan, which I found out is a call and response sort of chanting performed in Indian devotional services.

Now I don't know exactly what each of the 36 (so far!) participants will choose, but I can tell you that on February 29th we will have one heck of a dance party!

I am delighted that you have had such a great response to my Challenges and this one in particular is so wide open to your interpretation. I am already thinking ahead to the next quarterly challenges in May and August, as well as thinking about how to shake up the 3rd Annual Challenge of Color in November. If this one is well received, I will consider making it an annual as well. And as always, if you have suggestions on how to make the experience better for you, or ideas for future Challenges, feel free to email me.

If you would like to help spread the word and show your participation, please feel free to grab my button and post it on your blog.

I searched high and low to find a way to make a blog button with a grab box. I found a lot of tutorials and copied a lot of code and tried in vain to make this work. Then I stumbled on the coolest little thing... a "Grab My Button" Code Generator! Check it out!

Remember that sign-ups end tonight at midnight (CST) so if you know someone who is interested, please send them over and encourage them to Take the Challenge of Music with you!

The Challenge of Music

2012-02-01T00:49:00.000-06:00

"Music is the soundtrack of your life." ~ Dick Clark

Imagine what your favorite movie would be like without the soundtrack.

The soundtrack can make or break a movie. It propels the story and sets the tone. Music can build suspense and help us form reactions to the characters. The right music can elevate a movie to mythic standards. What would Star Wars be like without the iconic music composed by John Williams? or The Lion King without Elton John's lyrics? or how about the times-defining music choices in Forrest Gump? Other songs may have worked, but they wouldn't have been as powerful. They might still be great movies, but the music adds so much dimension to our enjoyment of the films.

The same is true for theme songs. Do you remember the show Cheers? If you do, I will bet that you can hum the theme song, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name." Or how about Friends? "I'll Be There For You" is not only snappy, but it perfectly defined that show.

Now think about your life. Chances are there has been a thread of music running through it constantly. From the time you were little to just today, every person has a soundtrack to their life. Some of the music is something that you might have grown up hearing because your parents or siblings listened to it, perhaps it is the choices that you made for yourself as a teenager and were able to select music that suited your developing style, or maybe it is the music that you gravitate to in your daily life, for working out, waking up, celebrating or falling asleep. Our music choices say a lot about us.

With the advent of the technology available to us today, every person walking down the street has their own personal playlist, some walking right along with them. When I was growing up, you were defined by whatever radio station you chose to listen to, or what 45s you purchased. I eventually graduated to a Walkman that played one CD at a time but was not shared with others. Today we have iPods and MP3 players and we can share our music choices with each other fairly easily. There are satellite music stations that beam only the genre you want to hear into your car and websites that allow you to create your own channel based on your thumbs up or thumbs down on a song. In fact, it has become a sort of a game to share playlists with others, or to see if you can identify the person whose playlist is labeled anonymous. Remember when you could tell a lot about someone by their medicine cabinet? Now you can learn a lot about them from the playlist on their iPod (for the record, I don't have an iPod, but I am an avid listener of Pandora channels and have dozens of them to set the mood for whatever I am doing at the moment. And I understand that I can even create and swap Pandora channels with other people. I should try that sometime.)

What does music say about the listener?

Music is a common topic of conversation with people who are just starting a relationship. Assumptions are made about what type of person someone is based on their musical preferences. Not only is musical preference an outward expression of our inner personalities but our choices of music can be influenced by external situations as well.Musical preferences can be influenced by our personalities (extroverts may tend toward choral music; more religious people may tend toward music with messages in tune with their beliefs), our mood (someone who just had a breakup may be more inclined to somber melodies) or our upbringing (children with a parent who plays in a symphony may find themselves drawn to more classical music).

In 2008 there was a great deal of interest in the first presidential playlist ever released: the iPod playlist of George W Bush. He had country music with a smattering of 70s rock and folk thrown in. His playlist was the subject of much psychoanalysis at the time. What did his song choices say about his state of mind when the Iraq war was raging? Did the song "My Sharona" by the Knack indicate that he had had a wild affair? And during the last presidential election the release of Obama's iPod list revealed his love of jazz but also hip-hop and included African-American greats as well as Bob Dylan. Very diverse tastes that could say something about his personality... or not. Of course, these are just observations that others have made based on what was revealed and we will never know exactly what that means other than they like one song over another.

Cambridge University psychologist Jason Rentfrow did a study of the preferences that individuals have of music and what that says about their personality. If you like, you can watch this short YouTube clip showing the highlights of his study.

Rentfrow noted that everyone has stereotypes when it comes to what music genres say about other people, but that they don't believe their own music preferences say anything about themselves. I find that incredibly interesting.

Rentfrow and US researcher Sam Gosling created a questionnaire they administered to undergraduates at their respective universities to determine musical preferences and personality traits for their study. They came up with four dimensions of musical preference made up of various genres and then correlated those music dimensions with personality traits (information adapted from ScienceBlogs.com report "What Does Your Music Say About You?" and the study paper "The Do Re Mi's of Life"):

Reflective and Complex - blues, jazz, classical, and folk
Researchers found that those who listened to Reflective and Complex music tended to be inventive with active imaginations, consider themselves to be intelligent and reject conservative ideals. They generally found them to be open to new experiences and emotionally stable.
Intense and Rebellious - rock, alternative, and heavy metal
This type of music is more often than not associated with negative images, anti-social behavior and a combative attitude. Interestingly, this study concluded that those who like this type of music are curious about different things, enjoy taking risks, consider themselves intelligent and are physically active.
Upbeat and Conventional - country, sound tracks, religious, and pop
People who prefer this type of music are cheerful, socially outgoing, reliable and enjoy helping people. They tend to be conventional and rate themselves as physically attractive.
Energetic and Rhythmic - rap and hip/hop, soul and funk, electronica and dance
Those who are attracted to Energetic and Rhythmic music styles are energetic themselves, are talkative and forgiving and adopt more liberal ideals.

So what does that mean? Our music choices certainly are influenced by so many things, and it is an outward indication of our personality, but it is not the only thing that determines who we are. It is just one dimension in a whole spectrum of attributes. But music is a way that we connect with those who have similar styles and tastes and how we show our personality to the world, much in the same way that we show our personality through our accessories and adornments.

If you could pick one song to be your Power Anthem, what would it be?

For my own life, I can claim a wide variety of musical tastes from classical and jazz to Broadway musicals and country. I have a love of singer-songwriters and based on my preferences in the channel that I have built that I call "Nighttime in the Studio," Pandora has determined that I like "basic rock song structures, a subtle use of vocal harmony, repetitive melodic phrasing, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation and major key tonality." What does that say about my personality? It might say that I am intelligent and cheerful with an active imagination. Or it could just be a fact that I need to have more melodic music when I am working that won't distract me or make my pulse race too high which I have found to negatively impact what I am trying to create.

I have certain performers that I keep coming back to, like Maroon 5 and Sting, Journey and Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and Jack Johnson, Billie Holiday and Sara Bareilles, Mozart and the soundtrack to Wicked. I will admit that I do have an affinity for Glee as well as a love of the American Idol process. And I also sing as a cantor, or leader of music at my church. In fact I will be leading the congregation this coming Sunday.

I like popular music that my kids have on their iPods as well as music that I grew up listening to with my parents, like the Beatles, Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett. I go through phases. I will latch onto a song and play it over and over again in my car until I get the words just right (Adele's 21 is on a loop in my car now. I almost have song #7 down). And there are songs that I will forever hold in my memory as evoking a certain time and place, like the song that my husband chose for our first married dance (Garth Brooks "If Tomorrow Never Comes") and one of the best concerts that I ever attended (Genesis "In the Air Tonight").

Are you getting inspired yet? Ready to take the Challenge?

What song do you connect to so personally that every time it comes on the radio the beat moves you, the lyrics speak to your soul, and the harmonies make your heart sing? If you love music, this is the challenge for you! For the Challenge of Music, we will choose a song that speaks to each of us personally and translate that song into an accessory. Here is how it will work:

1::Go to the tab above that says 'take the challenge' and sign up. Participation is limited to the first 100 who sign up between February 1st-February 4th.

2::Start thinking about a song. (Don't worry, you don't have to know right away what song, just start thinking!) Go to your playlist or CD collection or Pandora or Slacker music apps and just listen. Select a song that you love. It can be one that speaks to your soul, moves your feet, brings back a memory or never fails to put a smile on your face. It can be in any genre, from any time period. Consider songs from your past: the song you danced to at your wedding, the music that defined that special summer, the song that brings back memories of your first crush, etc. You get the idea. And no, it doesn't have to be music with words. If you love classical or instrumental music, that is fine, too.

OR challenge yourself to try a new music genre (it is called a challenge after all...)If you like country, try classical... if you prefer hip-hop try jazz... if heavy metal is your thing, try blues. Not sure what songs are out there? Go to Pandora.com and select one of their general music stations in a genre and spend some time listening to it before settling on a song you connect with. You might be surprised to find something new that you really like!

Just for fun, want to find the Playlist of Your Life? Try this exercise from WikiHow.

3::Mark your calendar: Blog Hop on Wednesday, February 29th. Yes, you must have a blog to participate in a blog hop. You are encouraged to blog about your song selection (be sure to tell us the complete song title, artist), your inspiration, your creative process. Be sure to tell us of your connection to this song, why you chose it. Please find a way to share the music on your blog: add a clip from YouTube, link to the artist's website, share what you learned about the artist's inspiration, supply part of the lyrics, etc. It doesn't have to be all of these, but some way that we can enjoy the song will be helpful in making the connection with your accessory.

Hopefully we will have as many different songs as we have participants. And if we have our overseas friends join us, we might even have a real world beat! You won't reveal your song until the blog hop, so don't worry about claiming a song. I don't care if you all pick the same song (that is highly unlikely). But even if we all did the same exact song we would still have so many different interpretations. This is an exercise in how to take an intangible inspiration and interpret it in your own way. I hope that this Challenge of Music hop will be a great way to expand your horizons to new music, find a way to make the intangible tangible, and show off your unique and lovely personality!

I will compile all the entries into the database and email all of the participants by Tuesday, February 7th with more information to help you enjoy the hop. The most important thing is to HAVE FUN!

Your turn... and completely for fun if you want to answer it...What is the most surprising song or artist on your playlist or CD in your collection? In other words, what song or artist is the one that people would be surprised to know that you listen to?

Okay, I'll start... I will admit that I love Weird Al Yankovich. Does anyone remember a radio syndication called Dr. Demento? Apparently, the Dr. is still going strong. Back in the 80s I used to listen to this show on Sunday nights. Songs like "Fish Heads" and "Pencil Neck Geek" and "They're Coming To Take Me Away" were all the rage. And that is where I was first introduced to Weird Al. When my son started coming home and telling me he found these really funny songs like "Eat It," "My Bologna" and "Like A Surgeon," I was delighted. I had no idea that Weird Al was still recording and still funny after all these years ("White and Nerdy" - new classic!). Of course, my son thought that he had discovered Weird Al, but this allowed me to introduce him to some of the best songs of my 80s generation so that he could fully appreciate the parodies. Because you can't understand the Weird Al tune "Fat" without seeing the King of Pop gyrating, popping and locking in an abandoned subway station to fully appreciate the genius that is Weird Al.

P.S. I know that some people were excited and thought that this would be another Challenge of Color. I intend to do the Challenge of Color in November each year for as long as anyone wants to play along. But each quarter I have committed to a different challenge to keep things interesting.

Hope to care to join me in the Challenge of Music!

Bead Soup & a Teaser

2012-01-31T07:00:00.002-06:00

"There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet." ~ William Frederick Halsey, Jr. 

I wanted to post a quick shout out to my friend Lori Anderson who has just revealed the cover of her upcoming book called "Bead Soup: 34 Projects Show What Happens When 24 Beaders Swap Their Stash":

I am delighted to share that I have a spot in the book! I was so excited to be paired with my partner, Miss Jennifer Cameron of Glass Addictions. I only know what I have done with my soup ingredients so this new title will be such a surprise to me when I see it! But I can't share any more with you, so you will have to wait for the reveal just like me!

I am so honored to be in a book with the following people:

Zachary Anderson

Kerry Bogert

Jennifer Cameron
Diane Cook
Malin de Koning
Cassie Donlen
Jeannie Dukic
Nan Emmett
Lyn Foley
Brandi Hussey
Libby Leuchtman
Shannon LeVart
Barbara Lewis

Melissa Meman
Sharon Palac
Heather Powers
Erin Prais-Hintz
Stefanie Teufel
Cindy Wimmer

Lori's next Bead Soup challenge is coming up on March 3rd. I am not playing this time around due to some other commitments that I have, but I am looking forward to seeing what beaders from around the world do with their swaps!

Are you ready for The Challenge?

Back in November I hosted the 2nd Annual Challenge of Color blog hop. This hop has been so well received I pledged that I would do one hop each quarter of the year. Well, tomorrow is the start of the next quarter!

I have been thinking about this for months, and I think that this new challenge will be one that will allow you to really show us your personality and style with your choices. I hope you will come back and join me.

I have been banging my head for days trying to create a blog button for it, and hopefully I will be able to do just that...soon...if I don't drop kick my computer to the curb first. Why do these techno things have to be so hard?

Stay tuned for the big announcement tomorrow...with or without a blog button!

Earring Cards for Less

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hop on over to Earrings Everyday to read about my post Earring Cards for Less and see the results of my new branding materials!

Something Good

2012-01-27T10:40:00.001-06:00

"Every day may not be good,
but there is something good in every day."

Hello, bloggees. I have missed you. I have been lurking here or there, coming up for air. But there have been some things that have been happening lately that seem to be swallowing me up whole. So I have had to retreat a bit. But never fear! I am still here!

If you have known me at all, or received an email from me, you may recognize that quote above as my catch phrase. I adopted that one day many years ago when I was having a rock bottom moment where the whole world seemed to be conspiring to get me. I remember that the cheerful girl at the check out seemed to demand that I have a great day. She could not have known that I was having a rotten time and her sugary sweet outlook just fanned my flames. I recall biting her head off. My reaction to her surprised me (and probably her). That day I stumbled upon this quote. And it hit me like a bolt of lightning.

"Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day."

I realized that that poor girl had no idea what I was going through. I couldn't possibly have a great day. But that didn't mean it wasn't filled with good. So I started looking for the 'something goods' to show up. And truthfully, it was painful at first because there weren't any. That's not true. I just didn't see them. Actually, my mood had become a defensive fortress that was not only keeping out those 'something goods' from reaching me and shielded my heart from seeing them. And yes, I do believe that you can see with your heart. That day was like a crack that allowed in the light. I just had to keep chipping away in order for the light to flood on in.

At first I had to look. And look hard. But as time went on, I started to notice that these 'something good' moments seemed to find me. It isn't that those things weren't happening before, I was just too blind to recognize them. And I also believe that my heart was more open to receiving them so that the Universe started sending them my way in abundance. Now not a day goes by that I don't have the 'something good' moment. But lately I had built up those walls again.

I am not a cheerful, smack-you-in-the-face-with-my-bubbly attitude type. I can be downright surly. And while I am definitely a glass half full kind of girl, that doesn't mean that I am always happy. So seeking out the 'something good' moments truly helps me to stay on an even keel.
I have a page-a-day calendar on my desk at work each year. This year it is Mary Engelbreit. There is something about the sweetness in her illustrations and the attention to detail from the tiniest button on the dress of the little girl that looks just like her to the patterns in the background. Today, here is the page.

Late last night I found myself walling up that fortress again. I needed a dose of happy. Since my happy is usually found in retail therapy (even if it is virtual), I found myself at Etsy, which I do find myself every.single.day. (Right now I am buying some really cool things to create three necklaces inspired by poetyr for the upcoming Verse & Vision art exhibit.) I stumbled across a piece of word art. Oh, how I love word art! I love positive messages and affirmations. I love that they can live on my walls, printed on stationery, etched into stone or hung around my neck. I love to read the wisdom of famous or not-so-famous quotes. So I put together a quick little treasury called "Something Good in Every Day". Because with one month down in 2012 I need to stop the spinning and point my toes in the right direction so that I can propel myself forward. So I thought I would share with all of you, just to brighten your day a bit.

'Something Good in Every Day' by TesoriTrovati

There is something good in every day. Go and find your 'something good' today. Enjoy the day! Erin

Dream Greeting Card nameportraits $6.00	Bright Side A4 Print Un... hellomonkey $14.00	star - beginning today ... TesoriTrovati $35.00	the glass is half full whimsystudios $18.00
Hand Embroidery in 5 in... merriweatherco... $34.00	Your Possibilities are ... bitowhimsey $32.00	BE THANKFUL Thanksgivin... RetroModernArt $20.00	think positive - motiva... eatpraycreate $8.50
Love Yourself, First. ... BrandiFitzgera... $20.00	Inspirational quote nec... lulubugjewelry $62.00	You CAN do it creativethursd... $35.00	the ultimate confidence... jackandellapap... $3.00
Hand Painted Comic Drin... AZillionDollar... $24.00	Typography print - Quot... KathyPanton $16.00	Authenticity Necklace -... lisahopkins $78.00	2012 Wall Calendar - Ta... blushface $14.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I have felt stripped bare by this month. Thank you for landing that punch Miss January.Yes, January is traditionally my fallow time, but this is something more. There have been some personal and family issues that have threatened to block out the sun for me. You know those 5 stages of grief? Denial ~ Anger ~ Bargaining ~ Depression ~ Acceptance. I have attained every level and back again. Sometimes in the same day.
I am not at liberty at this time to explain more about the swirling eddies of murkiness that seem to be engulfing me right now (please know that they are not life threatening, maybe just a little life altering), but I can say that I am finally able to see the clear path even through the muck.

My dear friend Beth Hemmila makes the most lovely jewelry componets from her company Hint Jewelry. Her art is full of good intentions and powerful messages. Beth recently published a book called "Lemonade Mantras." She sent me a little sneak peek of it and there are a few free downloads to try out on her website. Lemonade Mantras is a book and a companion journal with exercises. In her words, "I truly believe that when your heart and mind work together to transform bitter moments into sweet possibilities, you create more happiness in your life and more peace in the world." Amen, sistah!

Her book is just like I would expect from her. So wise and knowing, but with a giving spirit. It would be an honor to meet her one day and spend time soaking up her goodness and light. But since we live in different parts of the country, having her Lemonade Mantras nearby is the next best thing, and after trying out these free exercises, I realize that I need this more than ever. I don't know how she does this, but her words always reach me when and where I need them.

One of the worksheets that I printed from Beth's book is called "Guerilla Peacemaker." There are some issues going on in my life right now that seem to be out of control. When I read through this exercise, it hit me squarely between the eyes.

"Sometimes a trigger event stimulates such an intense physical or emotional response in your body that a quick and easy strategy is necessary to immediately change your negative thinking so as to remain present and focused. Like a guerrilla force you need to make yourself small and adaptable to move through the experience without being big and reactive where you may cause harm to yourself or others."

There are destructive behaviors and there are punitive behaviors that we engage in when faced with situations - trigger events, as Beth calls them - that threaten to spin us out of control. I sort of link this to a 'fight or flight' syndrome. When faced with conflict, I want to tear it down and run away. But that isn't helpful to me and certainly doesn't make the situation any better.

I cannot change the situations that I have been faced with this month. But I can change my reaction to them. That is the only thing that I have control over. I like that the worksheet leads me to recognize the trigger event, name the destructive or punitive behaviors that I feel, and then asks the questions, "What can I build in this moment? How do I appreciate this experience?"

I will tell you that my first instinct is definitely not to build on these things and I doubted if I could even appreciate them. They are lemons of course, and they suck! But that is what building lemonade is all about. Pushing through the sour taste and adding your own brand of sweetener to come out with something delicious and satisfying on the other end. I told Beth that instead of lemonade, I might add raspberries and a buttery little crust and make those raspberry lemonade bars that I saw on Pinterest instead.

Ohh! I have a 'something good'... I finally, FINALLY was able to purchase a bag from Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone. I love her work. I have coveted each new bag she has made. I have dragged my feet and let all the great ones slip away. No more. She had a sale and I snagged this pretty little number.

Oh.My.Blue.Suede.Goodness.

It makes me so happy to feel the soft fabric and know that someone I admire created it. Rest up, Miss Lori! Make more bags this spring because I know I will need another one!

This month I have had to really work hard to live up to my own mantra, that quote above. But I think that after writing this, Erin has got her groove back.

And that is a 'something good' to celebrate!

P.S. Next week I plan to share with you the next "Challenge of..." blog hop theme. I am still tweaking the idea, but I think it will be a good one. Sign ups will begin on the blog on February 1st-4th with a limit of 100 participants (last time we had about 60). And hey! It's a leap year and we should have a party on it! The blog hop will be scheduled for February 29th. Stay tuned...

Your turn...
Tell me a 'something good' that has happened to you this month.

FEARLESS

2012-01-18T00:50:00.001-06:00

"I                have no fear of the future. Let us go forward into its mysteries,                let us tear aside the veils which hide it from our eyes and let                us move onward with confidence and courage." 

~ Winston S. Churchill 

I know. You must have thought I had fallen and I couldn't get up. Something like that.

When I said that I would explore I thought that would mean more active things. I have been doing a whole lot with not much to show. I have been here, but I have been absent. I have been present but my mind has been a million miles away.

*sigh*

This month for the 'simple truth' sampler club I chose a custom carved stamp that I had made with the Chinese character for 'FEARLESS' on it. I think that FEARLESS is a great way to start out the year, and it goes very well with EXPLORE. After all, the explorers would not have gotten very far if they were stopped by their fears.

Then I found that quote above from Winston Churchill. 'No Fear of the Future' - to me that means that I need to open my arms and welcome whatever comes my way.

I posed the question on Facebook about what FEARLESS means. I got some interesting answers:

My dear wise college friend Kari said, "FEARLESS means being able to accept the truth, whatever that may be. FEARLESS meands being able to accept any outcome and deal with it honestly."

My high school friend Anne said, "FEARLESS means staying true to yourself, despite possible outcomes."

Sweet Miss Courtney said, "FEARLESS is moving forward without concern."

My friend Miss Cherrie said, "FEARLESS could mean if you never try you will never know."

The oh so talented, funny and lovely Miss Rose said, "FEARLESS is doing what others only dream of."

And my cousin Jane said, "No regrets, whatever the outcome."

These were all answers that I had not really thought of when it came to the word FEARLESS, but I think that they are all things that I am striving for. To boldly go in the direction of my dreams, to dealing with truth and honesty no matter what the outcome...being true to myself and to live a life without regrets... to giving it a shot because I won't know if I don't try. Thank you so much to all of those FEARLESS women for their honest responses!

So, I guess that I have been doing something to make my January FEARLESS. I have been experimenting with materials and forms. You might think that a bracelet is not a really earth-shattering form, but for me it is. It takes a lot of effort for me to make a bracelet. They are always either too long or too short. So I rarely make them, even though others will think that it is the simplest form.

In addition to the form, I wanted to use materials I am not comfortable with. I was playing with leather the other day. I wanted to see if I could paint on it. So far the results are encouraging. I have quite a lot of bins of stuff to play with, and I have a whole one dedicated to leather. Old belts that have fallen apart, suede cord, flower cut outs. I am still experimenting with what can be done with it.

Back in September when I went to visit Vintaj for the 2 day workshop we experimented with all sorts of things. In one of them we did an image transfer and sealed it with a resin. I added riveted details and did a filigree wrap. And that is as far as I got. I have bins and baskets and boxes and bowls full of stuff like that, particularly when I attend a class.

So I got to painting the light leather with inks and sealing it. There were these holes in the leather which were perfect for embellishing. So I whipped out some wire and attached the flower filigree wrap to the leather, added snaps, et voila! Instant bracelet! I know that I will make more like this, particularly since I have a pile of leather to play with and an idea now of what to do.

{Brass Blossom Cuff available on Etsy}

In other FEARLESS news, I managed to sign up for two classes that will put this new FEARLESS mantra into practice: Barbara Lewis' Painting With Fire method at Bead & Button in June and Richard Salley's Alchemy & Relics class at Valley Ridge Art Studio in July. I am over the moon excited about taking these two classes.

I have Barbara's kit, but I have a healthy fear of fire, even though almost every single class I have taken since 2007 has been using a torch. I have done things with fire. I just need to set up that station in my studio and start. I might break out the creme brulee torch first just to get used to the flame before I launch into Mapp gas. But I am going to torch fire something real soon!

I have always, always wanted to meet Richard Salley. Taking a class and learning from him will be the cherry on top. He is someone I have long admired. He has been very encouraging to me and I know that this class will be an awesome adventure. I just wish that it was July already!

So those are some things that I am doing to keep this year about FEARLESSLY EXPLORING.

{January 2012 Simple Truth Sampler}

What does FEARLESS mean to you? How are you FEARLESSLY EXPLORING?

My One Word 2012

2012-01-10T10:10:00.000-06:00

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,

but in having new eyes."

~Marcel Proust

I am like a seafarer setting sail for distant shores.

I am not sure exactly where this adventure will take me, but I am confident that I will find the journey exciting.

{Sailing Boat free wallpaper download}

I have the most sailworthy vessel set to embark on a journey that will take me around the world and back. The foundation of this vessel is strong. It is outfitted with the right equipment. And I have surrounded myself with the most supportive crew.

I will encounter many detours on my journey, each one opening up new possibilities. I will also experience set backs and uncertainty, when the horizon will be shrouded in fog and I will lose my bearings. But I will use that as an opportunity to discover new lands and all they have to offer.

I will become familiar with monsters lurking just below the surface ready to drag me down, but I will also be grateful for the playfulness of the dolphins as they buoy me up and remind me of the spirit of this adventure.

I have a vision for where I am headed, but I am certain that once I arrive there I will be surprised by how much more beautiful the vista is than what I imagined it would be.

{Antique Map of the World by Nekarius on DeviantArt}

I am heading into uncharted territory, forging my own path, drawing my own map.

This may not be the map for others to follow, but rather it will plot where I have been and show me that I had the capability to succeed at this adventure within me all the time.

For the past few years I have selected a word to frame my year.

The first time in 2010 the word came easily to me. I chose INSPIRE a few days before the end of 2009. But that was so very obvious for me. It was not a stretch, not something that would challenge me, since that is my modus operandi. I realized that I pounced too quickly on that word so in early 2010 I added UP. I am a glass is half full sort of person but I am not always that cheery. Such is the dichotomy of me. UP was a challenge for me. And it worked together with INSPIRE to create an atmosphere that fostered encouragement and enlightenment in this space.

In 2011 I spent a bit more time on looking back at what was lacking in my life and chose a word that embodied what I needed to do: FOCUS. Not that I never accomplished anything, but just that my accomplishments were so scattered and not very impressive when rounded up. I don't mean impressive in the sense that they made me a lot of money, or got me a lot of attention. I mean impressive in that they built upon one another and added to each so that they were all connected and amounted to so much more.

Those of you who select a word each year will attest that not only is it something that will challenge you, if something can go against it to drag you in the opposite direction, it most certainly will.

With FOCUS as my word, I really had to work hard at putting together a plan each month and sticking to it. That is incredibly hard for me to do. I wasn't completely successful last year with some of my biggest goals, but that will change for 2012.

I did FOCUS on much in 2011.

I launched my own line of components that I started researching and planning for back in September 2010. I took several solo vacations to art retreats in DC (ArtBliss), MI (Inspired by Nature) and IL (Vintaj Intensive 2-day workshop). I was surprised to find my 'simple truths' in the Beads 2011 Buyer's Guide and two of my necklaces on the cover of Stringing and Creative Jewelry. I started the 'simple truths' sampler and have been blessed with participants who choose to stay on and many who return. I was honored to have my pieces selected in the top 10 for design contests at Soft Flex and Jewelry Television. And I had a much better plan to handle the participation in the 2nd annual Challenge of Color blog hop.

But there were things that tested my FOCUS last year.

I only did 10 of the 12 Art Bead Scene challenges (still a great accomplishment, but I still might go back and do the ones I missed). I didn't spend as much time with my children as I would have liked becuase I was in the studio so much. I let a major self-imposed deadline pass time and time again, with all manner of excuses. I had the worst time with any paper that came into my studio, and I am still struggling with that (especially with tax season upon me). I seemed pulled in so many directions that it was hard to see what I needed to do when I needed to do it (so I felt more scatterbrained than ever, even despite my focus). And this singular FOCUS has led me to some unhealthy choices that need to change.

But that is the magic of the word that you choose. It will be a rewarding challenge to look back and see with clearer vision all that you did to fulfill it, but you will also see glaring lapses.

This year I am hoping to be a bit gentler with myself. I want to get back to doing what I love to do: creating and writing. I want to see what the possibilities are and chart a path for myself that feels authentic to me. I want to challenge myself to learning some new things, and taking all the knowledge that I have gained over the years, rolling it all together and seeing what comes of it.

My one word for 2012: EXPLORE.

I looked back over the past few years and I realized that every single class I have taken since 2007 has been concentrated on metal. However, I don't really do much with that knowledge. I have learned about sawing and hammering, annealing and etching. I have bought tools and materials to tumble, patina, texture and affix metal. But what I have never done is put it all together. Once I take a class, the knowledge has been stored away, and it does come out an play every so often, but it has not resurfaced until the next time that I take a class. I want to change all of that.

Today, hopefully, I will be signing up for some classes to attend at the Bead and Button show this summer. Last year I didn't make it in because I waited too long for the classes I wanted. I discovered the joy of attending art retreats so I know there are other retreats and gatherings across the country that I would be thrilled to attend, like this or this or this. Maybe I will meet some of you there.

I want to EXPLORE the limits of what is possible for me. It will take a big leap of faith for me, but I think that I am ready.

It is not that I don't think that I can do it. Whenever I am in a class, I surprise myself with my ability to pick it up quite handily. It is putting it into practice that always stops me.

"All you need is the plan, the road map,
and the courage to press on to your destination."

~Earl Nightingale

I want to EXPLORE more projects with metal which means that I have to get my studio in top shape so that I have someplace safe to do it.
I want to EXPLORE developing my 'simple truths' and seeing where their modern wisdom will lead me and those who love them.
I want to EXPLORE mounting another show that is a collaboration with other artists.
I want to EXPLORE the process of getting my work accepted in other galleries and exhibits beyond my narrow field of influence, within my state and maybe even beyond.
I want to EXPLORE my ability to connect with others and inspire their creative lights to shine.
I want to EXPLORE my dream of writing a book of my own.

To set off examining this new territory, I need to look at myself as an explorer. I need to see that the whole world is spread out in front of me to enjoy and experience. Explorers need to have the tools to navigate and the knowledge to take where they have been and plot a course for where they are going. They need to surround themselves with crew that will lift their spirits, cheer their successes, point out when they are off course and rally when they are far from land. Explorers need a map to guide them, the stars to chart their course, the winds to fill their sails.

I look at this blog as a place for me to share, but I have to tell you that you have all become that wind in my sails. You encourage me to keep moving forward, to challenge you by the example of challenging myself. You are a valuable part of my success.

I am ready to set sail.

Have you selected a word? What is it?
What is on your map for 2012?

Get Inspired to Make a Change

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good  resolutions. 

Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.   
~Mark Twain

I want to live in the Pottery Barn catalog.

I want to wake up in that four poster mahogany bed with the billowy curtains blowing in the effortless breeze. I want to shut off my vintage alarm clock next to a glass bowl filled with white roses, a cream colored candle and a rattan beehive basket.

I want to get ready in that bathroom. You know the one with the classic turned leg consoles and the marble tops. Cushy towels are rolled like burritos in a French market basket and I would stand on the His and Hers bath mats and brush my teeth admiring my visage in the beveled glass mirror.

I want to step lightly into that living room with the antique looking propeller on the wall and the humongous mirror leaning just so. I would glide by the effortlessly elegant beige twill slip covered sofa and stop to plump up the white orchid applique pillow, leaving the book open on the trestle coffee table to the page that I will come back to later whilst sipping lemonade in tall glasses.

I want to fix a glorious meal in that kitchen with the multi-tasking island with the clever glass canning jar chandelier and sink into a classic brown leather nailhead studded Parson's chair at my substantial carved wood table with bottles of wine, layers of casually mis-matched dishware and oversized canning jars brimming with faux dogwood blossom stems for $59.50 a piece.

*sigh*

But since that is not likely, I will but dream of the rooms that could be.....and indulge in a little virtual home staging.

I got my new Pottery Barn catalogs today (those PB Teens have the coolest and tidiest rooms around! My almost teens don't know how to make their beds so it looks more like a herd of monkeys live in my house ;-). I always paw through them, dog-earring the pages and circling the things I like the most. I won't likely get them, but it is okay to dream.

However, I was struck by the title on the catalog.

Home Resolutions: Get Inspired to Make a Change

I am not very big on resolutions. They don't work for me and not for many other people. Usually they are too lofty or not specific enough and that makes them hard to keep longer than a week.I look at resolutions as merely....suggestions. Sort of like when you come to a crossroads and you see all those signs pointing in different directions. Except that these signs point me where I should be headed.

So I was struck by the title and had to read more (yes, I treat the hallowed PB catalogs like the finest novels. I can't afford magazine subscriptions and they are just so entertaining, enlightening and filled with fantasy!). And I decided that this is as good a plan as any for the new year. So I thought I would see if these suggestions could actually apply to me.

Resolution No. 1 ~ Get More Sleep

I am horrendous at upholding this one. I am a night owl for sure. I do all my best work at night. Or so I think. I have never really had daylight hours to create anything. And I am starting to think that when I do get those precious few rays of sunshine, I just can't seem to make them work to my advantage. Still. The bags under my eyes are starting to take on a life of their own. I am resolved this year to go to bed before midnight. At least a few nights a week.

Resolution No. 2 ~ Have More Family Meals

"The simple act of sharing a meal together each day keeps families connected."

This would be a good one, too, if by family meals you mean take out from Chef Chu's or Chili's To Go. Because most nights with the schedules that we keep around here, that is about as close to a meal as it gets. I may have forgotten how to cook from scratch. But I did get a brand-spankin'-new microwave for Christmas since my son came downstairs holding the handle that broke clean off in his hands as he popped some corn ("I wasn't hanging on it. Honest!"). The new one is so spiffy I am almost afraid to use it with it's highly polished interior (I keep thinking that the lights are on it it but it is just a reflection) and the carousel that not only turns but gently rolls back and forth (not sure if it cooks things more evenly, I am mostly concerned that it will just be one more thing to break). So maybe the whole family meals thing could work. As long as they are all microwaveable. ;-) Reheating take-out is a family meal if you are all sitting down to it together, yes?

Resolution No. 3 ~ Eat Healthier

Or course. I would guess that is connected to Resolution No. 2 above. I will have to find a way to sneak more vegetables and fruits into the mix. They are onto me with the baby food carrots trick (what? Don't all moms of teenagers buy #2 baby food carrot puree to put into all the red pasta sauces that they serve? Well, I sure do!). But I have already started for myself. No more pastries, muffins, scones and the like from my coffee shop. A bowl of oatmeal awaits me each day and I am fine with that. Along with that is the need for me to get more active. I am thinking that I need to take my daughter up on Just Dance 3 more often. That game is a work out!

Resolution No. 4 ~ Stock Up on Basics

This is one that I truly try to accomplish, and this year I will redouble my efforts. I rarely wear trendy clothes, preferring solid colors and classic styles to whatever silhouette is hot. I don't have a trendy home, unless you consider that custom made sectional couch from Dayton's in the 1980s that we 'inherited' trendy (it actually is probably back in style in a retro sort of way). But this year I do resolve to do a massive use-what-I-have, in life and in jewelry design. I have dozens of picture frames in need of some art or photos, cans of paint that I have purchased in the hopes of painting a room and massive amounts of bedding stemming from the fact that my parents sold their little used Florida home in 2009 and we inherited whole rooms. In terms of jewelry design, I would really like to use up what I have as I am sick of looking at it. Or maybe I need to start giving it away so that someone else will see it as exciting. Sort of a purging. Of course, that will be right after I finish my shopping spree to buy the beads and components I need for the next Gallery Q exhibit that I am working on right now. ;-)

Resolution No. 5 ~ Change Your Style

Well, I don't see that I will be running out for a whole new wardrobe or buying out the Pottery Barn catalog (didn't they just tell me to stock up on basics? Now they want me to change my style?). Still. We did rip out the innards of a closet over break, but have yet to construct the closet cubby of my dreams (and I am really getting tired of tripping over the coats and boots in the living room because my husband now says that the 'plan' that I came up with seems too challenging... simply a box and some hooks and a shelf. (Pass me the phone book. I need the name of a handyman).

{Have you checked out AnaWhite.com? Cool stuff there. I wouldn't even need the fancy dividers. I only have a small 42" closet so I just want the ledge on the bottom divided in two with room for shoes and boots, coat hooks and a shelf on top. It doesn't even have to be yellow, although that would be pretty cool. Is that too much to ask?}

I would like to try on some new styles of jewelry for a change. I have a desire to make more minimalistic pieces. I want to explore using new materials, focusing on metals and trying new techniques like enameling. So maybe that is how I can resolve to change my style.

Resolution No. 6 ~ Make Every Detail Count

This is an easy one. I always try to make every detail count in all my designs. I always try to think about adding details that will make the wearer feel special and give them something to look forward to each time they wear it. So I guess that this is really a call to making my home details count. Like getting rid of that ugly royal blue in the bonus room rather than trying to decorate around it. Or putting up shelves and pictures on the walls. That is something do-able especially since we can no longer say that we just moved into this house... in 2009.

Resolution No. 7 ~ Refresh Your Bed

I think that means that I need to dryclean my bedding. Or perhaps buy new bedding. And new pillows. The old ones are killing me. That is a can-do resolution!

Resolution No. 8 ~ Update Your Bathroom

Funny. I was just thinking that would be a good one.

We have a powder room that we swapped out the ugly gold plastic light for a really beautiful scroll-y metal one. But you can still see the outline of where they painted around said ugly fixture. And it isn't like this bathroom never gets used. It is likely the most often used room in the house. So I think about this all.the.time.

The kids bathroom is a jack-and-jill style. I thought that would be all the rage having lived through the Brady Bunch era, but it really is not ideal. My 13- and 10- year olds are constantly bickering about the bathroom, especially how the doors work or if they ever get closed at all. If I could rip it out and start over there would be an entrance from the hall. But since my husband is not that keen on building projects (see Resolution No. 5) I will settle for painting it. My son's room is charcoal gray with white and red accents. My daughter's room is green and blue (but she would kill to have an orange room!). The key is to blending these two. I have some gray and green and blue paint, and maybe even a little orange (since the previous owners had painted the dining room blaze orange but was thankfully changed to beige before we got here), and I had always planned to do wide stripes up the walls. I think that this is the year to do it.

And then there is my master bath. The only thing that could stay is the huge whirlpool tub simply because it is so large and unwieldy. The rest could go. At the very least I want to redo the double sink with the tower in the middle. Do you know how inconvenient a tall tower is in between the sinks? It feels so cramped because of this and it is really a good size room. Here is a good PB option:

Right down to the greyhound statue and the smart looking baskets (is there enough room for all my toiletries?). Not sure why I need to store my sugar canister in the bathroom, but I can roll with it.

Resolution No. 9 ~ Get Beautifully Organized

"Life is so much better when everything is in its place. Great storage does more than just organize a room; it adds an element of invention."

Now these last two were not resolutions per se, but rather titles on the pages. But they sounded like perfect resolutions to me. And ten is such a nice number.

I have this great studio space. It is large. My husband who is not into building things, is pretty good at hanging things, and he put up some shelves that I had sitting around (see use-what-you-have above). My hope is that I can get all the boxes, bags and bins off the floor and put away in the next month. I would also like to hang artwork in here and decorate a bit so that it feels more artsy and less hodge-podge to me. I have this fantastic printer's cabinet that houses most of my beads but I actually have three drawers that are completely unused. And all that could populate it are in various states of stack-age in danger of toppling. And it makes it very hard to know what I have and what I don't.

When my office downsized last year, there was an opportunity to obtain a huge L-shaped desk and table. As a gift. As in for free. It was my Mother's Day gift to transport it home. And today I asked about a few extra office chairs (we are an office of 9 people and there are at least 18 rolling office chairs. I offered to buy them, but I was told to just take them. Woot! So instead of the folding chair I am currently sitting on, I will be getting two new-to-me and very nice matching office chairs for my space. My back will be thanking me ;-)

I would like to have everything in its place so that I feel good about showing all of you. And inviting you over. I have in the past hired a professional organizer, but one or two hours with her is just not enough. Maybe I can bribe my sister to come up and help me out. It would be a great gift to me. Her bubbling-just-under-the-surface OCD with order could really come in handy. ;-)

Resolution No. 10 ~ Declutter Your Desk

Ah. This is something that is a true necessity. Especially with taxes looming (but most everything is in folders this year so the sorting should be a bit less). When I brought in that new desk and the corresponding table, that table sat in my living room from Mother's Day 2011 until just before Christmas! My sweet husband brought the table down and set up the computer on it, but moved the folding table and all it's junky contents into the center of the studio. I talked myself into it being a perfect place to stage my shipments and orders for the holidays. And it was. But that time is gone and I need to open the space back up. Or clear off the table so that I can set up an enameling station on it (if I can convince myself to open the enameling kit and buy the Mapp gas and hope that I don't burn the house down in the process! I am so scared to do it but so ready to start!). I have been trying to put things away after I use them rather then leaving them out. But I still think I need professional help. ;-)

So, there you have it. Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of spaces. The Pottery Barn catalog may inspire me to indeed make a change or two this year. Even if I can't live the Pottery Barn dream I can be inspired by the lifestyle these fantasy rooms espouse.

What about you? Do you make a list of resolutions for yourself? How successful are you at keeping them? Which of these ten resolutions might work for you?

I pick a word to frame my year. But since this I obviously had a lot to say with this post, I will save that for another day. Stay tuned for more information on what my word is... soon!

The Angel's Game, Wonderstruck and Peculiar Children

2012-01-05T06:00:00.003-06:00

I bet you thought that I fell off the face of the earth.

Hell, I think that I may well have.

I am not sure exactly what my problem is, but I do know that I am in a slump. If you live in a snowy climate you know what doing a donut means. You get in the middle of a deserted parking lot filled with ice and then you race your car around in a circle really fast. You go nowhere and you may get a bit woozy, sort of losing your bearings. That is where I feel I am, doing donuts in the parking lot. I seem to be spinning my wheels a lot lately. I am not sure what direction I am headed and I feel like even if I got pointed the right way I wouldn't know how to drive anymore. Have you ever felt like that?

Over break I spent a lot of time just sitting in a chair with the fireplace going reading books. In fact, in December alone I completely read three books (of course one I had started months earlier, but still. Record!) Three! I know! I can barely read three in one year let alone in one month, and the last two were read in one week!

I like books that transport me to another time and place. That is what I got with the first one that I had been reading a long while. I read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Shadow of the Wind a few year ago. He is an enchanting storyteller. This book, The Angel's Game takes place in Barcelona in the 1920s. Every chapter was a new twist that kept me hungry for more. This is a tale of obsession both in literature and in love as we follow the main character David Martin into a spiraling chain of events. In Zafon's books there is a connection to the Cemetery of Lost Books. That part is always fascinating to me, and I wish that he would spend more time on that. I hear that there is another book that is set to come out this summer that goes back to the same bookstore, different characters. The Angel's Game is a haunting book with whole passages that I will go back and read again someday, particularly the funeral of his friend Sempere the bookseller. If you are looking for intrigue and the mysterious world of a writer, this is a great read.

I was excited to read the book that my daughter got for Christmas ~ Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Selznick is the author The Invention of Hugo Cabret (in theaters as Hugo ~ which I saw and would HIGHLY recommend! And in 3D!). This novel is only similar to Hugo in that it is graphic, the pictures tell half the story. But this one is even better than Hugo. I do hope that they make it into a movie. The cool part is that this is truly two stories that seem to be unrelated 50 years apart and merge in the end and intertwine. I was most impressed that Selznick is an artist and a writer and a storyteller and a researcher. All the things I love. He really delves into making sure that the the events in the book are true-to-life. And it is incredible how one little thing can spark the imagination of someone like Selznick. If you are so inclined, please check out this video of the author explaining this new book.

The last book I read is a bit more bizarre - or peculiar as the case may be. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. The haunting cover with a strange woman-child hovering in mid air was what sucked me in. I bought this last summer when we went school shopping. Took me this long to get around to reading it. This is also a book that has a mysterious twist and pictures that tell part of the story. The story is fantastical, involving time travel and monsters, a mysterious island and a strange cast of characters. Watch this YouTube video and see for yourself. I have read that Tim Burton is set to direct the movie. That would be fantastic!

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What about you? Have you read any good books lately? Since I finished all of those I am on the hunt for something new for 2012!
Do tell!

Stick a Fork in Me, I'm Done with Christmas Leftovers

2011-12-27T11:53:00.000-06:00

Chandler: Stick a fork in me, I'm done.
Phoebe: Stick a fork what?
Chandler: You know, like when you're cooking a steak.
Phoebe: Oh, I don't eat meat.
Chandler: Well how do you tell when vegetables are done?
Phoebe: Well you just, you know, you eat them and you can tell.
Chandler: Okay, then eat me, I'm done.
~ Friends
Are you as stuffed as I am? It was three solid days of eating and drinking and piles of wrapping paper and whining (and wining) and more eating and piles of dirty dishes. But it was so very fun.

Yesterday evening we relaxed on the couch and watched the last two Harry Potter movies. Makes me think that maybe I didn't read that last book. So much of it was new to me. But it was such a good movie series.

Today I brought in the leftovers to work. Enough for a fourth day of feasting! Luckily, Tuesdays are my half day so I won't be here to eat any more of it.

And speaking of leftovers, the winner of the Christmas Leftovers bracelet is.....

cryssT of Here Bead Dragons!

Here is what cryssT said...

"What a nice blog about Christmas and making it have meaning. Those are beautiful bracelets that you have crafted. The red one has such deep wonderful color that I find I really like it best of the two. Anyway, hope your Christmas with family was great. ~cryssT"

cryssT, please email me your address at enjoytheday(at)tesoritrovati(dot)com and I will mail out the red LOVE bracelet.

But wait! I decided that in the true spirit of the season, I wanted to spread more JOY, so I am gifting the JOY bracelet to....

Cindi of Strings Attrached Beads and Accessories!

Cindi, please email me your address at enjoytheday(at)tesoritrovati(dot)com and I will mail out the greem JOY bracelet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is there a present in your family that brings a tear to the eye each year? One year when I was in high school it was surprise tickets to Florida leaving on December 26th through New Years. Another time it was ring settings containing the diamonds from my grandmother's wedding ring, my grandma we called Bousha who died just before Christmas 1986. There were loads of tears that year.

This year it was my present to my daughter, Tiny Dancer.

Obviously, she is a dancer. She is good at it too. She often tells me that she wants to be a senior up on that stage. She also says that she wants to open a dance studio. I have told her that will take a lot of commitment and she will be giving up a lot in order to continue taking dance as much as she does now. For now she is all about that. But there could come a day when other interests take hold. So for now, if this is what she loves to do, I am all for encouraging it.

In the box with the sweatshirt from her dance studio, I added an envelope. Inside the envelope was the gift of dance performances. We have already attended an amazing performance this fall from the Azure Barton & Artists (Ms. Barton choreographed and danced with Mikhail Baryshnikov). We also saw the Afterimages performances by student choreographers at our very talented UW-Stevens Point dance and theater department. But I wanted to gift her more.

I wanted to expose her to different kinds of dance. So I bought her three performances in the coming year.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia's production of Swan Lake to experience ballet. We will go with her favorite Aunt Mary and a friend of her choosing for dinner and the theater about an hour away (this will double as her birthday party). Ballet is not her favorite type of dance, but it is the foundation of all the dances she does. This will show a classic story told through dance with beautiful costumes and thrilling music.

The Lily Cai Chinese dance theater production to experience a world culture and unique contemporary dance. This will just be the two of us. The contemporary with a Chinese twist will be a fun way to travel the world through dance. Their use of props is fascinating and will show a different type of movement.

CATS at the Overture Center in Madison, WI (a truly remarkable place to see any performance) to experience the longest running Broadway show in history. This will be during our spring break for the entire family. (I am terribly allergic to cats, so this will be the only way to view them without sneezing for me!) Broadway theater is some of the most fun and this will be a great way to see what goes into making a contemporary musical theater performance.

Three performances with memories in the making.

There were much tears from my Tiny Dancer. I didn't expect that. She was so moved by the chance and that makes me feel even more gratified that this present hit the mark and will be appreciated (and especially since these tickets were not an inexpensive gift!). But I am glad that I hit the nail on the head with this present that will keep on giving through the first part of the year.

Your turn...
Were there any unexpected gifts that you received this year?
If you could be gifted with an experience, what would it be?
Do tell!

Christmas Leftovers - Giveaway!

2011-12-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~Burton Hillis

Hop on over to Art Bead Scene today where I have a post up about what to do with Christmas Leftovers... of the beading kind!

I need a bit of a blog break to take care of making the holidays merry and bright around here.

We have my husband's family on Christmas Eve, complete with a "red & green" theme this year (I was lobbying for dressing as the "12 Pains of Christmas" but I didn't win - next year I am pushing harder for that - "rigging up these lights!" Ahhahahaha!), Aunt Mary's chicken noodle soup that is all noodles and no soup and the famous White Elephant gift exchange. I think I will use the Left-Right-Center game to kick that off and get the presents moving.

I have just started wrapping gifts last night (special thanks to my husband who stayed up hours past his bedtime to wrap only the ones that with square corners!). A few have gone MIA and I hope to find them in time to give. Or they will be tucked away for a birthday or a random Tuesday. I also decided on Tuesday night that I needed to create something for the book lovers in the family so I came up with a clever design for a book mark and everyone is getting one personalized with one of those cute little intials pendants you see above. Maybe they will make the debut in the New Year on Etsy.

I will be hosting my family on Christmas Day after church. I am the 'Christmas Angel.' Every year with all the masses that are celebrated at our parish that are well attended (like the 6pm children's mass and the main 9pm one on Christmas Eve), there is not a cantor available who can take Christmas day. But since my husband's revelries last into the night, that is the only time we can go. So I end up being the Christmas Angel each year. I have a new pair of earrings I bought from Brandi Hussey before she closed down her shop that I am wearing on Christmas Day. I always love this celebration with the trees and the poinsettias and the creche. I even love the "Chreasters"... those that only come to church on Christmas or Easter (where I am the 'Easter Angel' as well). The carols are ones we will be familiar with but my favorite song I will sing is "Wood of the Cradle" (this is not me singing it, but a sweet girl named Emily with the voice of an angel.)

This afternoon and tomorrow (in between having all the carpets and tile cleaned in the house) I need to start baking and cooking. I made some of these Santa hat brownies a few weeks back and they were gobbled up. And I plan to jazz up my banana bread with this. Other goodies will be box mixed or those really cute and tasty corn flake wreaths, but I will make them shine by "dukesing" them up as my Bousha always said. We ordered a fancy deli meat and cheese tray from Ski's Meat Market and fresh baked bread from the Main Grain bakery. I will make my refreshing white wine sangria. My dad is bringing is famous Wild Rice Soup. It is laden with butter and cream with meaty hunks of ham bobbing up and down. It is a feast. And it is only brought out once a year (and believe me, that once a year is plenty!). There will be much oohing and ahhing all night long as we take the time to open one gift at a time. Slays the kids but exaggerates the fun for the rest of us!

It never really feels like Christmas to me until we attend the Christmas concert. My daughter's concert on Tuesday was so lovely. She had a solo in the performance and I am just blown away by her singing. (If I have time later i will see if I can post the song.) She wore the prettiest red dress, had her hair all curled up and sparkly and I made her a pair of dangly earrings to match. She is growing up so beautiful. Someday she will likely eclipse me as the Christmas Angel at mass. ;-)

I want to make someone's New Year bright. I would like to give away one of the bracelets above that I write about in the Art Bead Scene Post today. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and be sure to have a way for me to contact you (either turn your email on in your preferences or leave your email in the comments). You can comment about anything... but if you need some prompting...

What is the one gift that you are giving this Christmas that is the most special?

Winner will receive either the JOY or LOVE bracelet shown above. Winner will be chosen by random from all comments received through December 26th. I will announce the winner on December 27th.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. My husband just sent this to me: 11 Christmas Songs We Hope to Never Hear Again. I could have written this. EXACTLY what I have been harping on for YEARS! # 7 really gets my goat. And my kids think that my reaction to the line "Tonight, thank God it's them, instead of yooooouuuuu!" is hilarious. But seriously, people. It is horrendous.
But I think they missed out on adding in "The Christmas Shoes" song. Blech. Make it merry and bright!

A Charming Gift

2011-12-19T12:43:00.001-06:00

There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament.
~Henry Van Dyke

My cousin Jane visited with me at Easter this year. We had a delightful lunch at Christian's Bistro and she brought along a bag stuffed with jewelry that she inherited from her Nana and her mother, my Aunt Elsie.

I remember Jane's Nana. She was one classy lady, always dressed to the nines.

Nana was famous for wearing her 24kt gold charm bracelet. It was laden with charms from all her travels around the world, a sombrero from Mexico, the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol building, a working German bier stein. You can imagine how jangly this bauble was. And how heavy. Being that Nana was a slight woman, at some point all the charms were transferred to a necklace so that she would wear it layered with her pearls. Jane being the only daughter of 5 children inherited this and wanted to share it with the rest of the family. Her idea was that I would create some necklaces for the women in the family, each containing one of the charms.

We decided to start with four of the great-granddaughters of Nana, Jane's nieces: Jackie, Anna, Elizabeth and Barbara.

I am most lucky that Jane trusts me to tell their story through these charm necklaces.

I had a great budget to work with and that allowed me to pick out some beautiful pieces from Nina Designs. I recently had the opportunity to play with some of their new bronze pieces through their Blog Partner program. I thought it would be hard to match all the new gold charms to the old ones, so I opted to go with a variety of brushed gold plated sterling silver, the more rustic gold plated bronze and sterling silver as well as their birthstones, and mixed metals are so hot right now. I did all my shopping at Nina Designs (aside from what I already had in my stash) because I knew that the quality and the variety of what they offered would allow me to write each charm necklace story to be as unique as each girl.

{More Than You Know}

Jackie is the youngest child of Jane's brother Mark. I have to tell this story.

I once babysat Jackie and her brothers when she was just about 3 years old and her brothers were about 5 and 6. I haven't seen her in many years but I am still chuckling over the time. I was folding some laundry in the house while the kids were outside. Jackie's brother Eddie came into the kitchen and asked me where the towels were. I directed him to the drawer in the kitchen. That aroused my curiosity. I opened the door into the garage and was sprayed with the garden hose. They were in there playing "car wash". Jackie was standing there hopping up and down in the middle of the stream of water drenched from head to toe as the cars were being doused with water. And the windows were open so it was an interior wash as well. I lost my cool at that moment and I will never forget the moment that Jackie saw me lose it and went from absolute joy to tears. It is a funny moment to look back on.

For Jackie, Jane chose the palm trees from Hawaii. To round out the rest of the charms, I selected a wave charm holder in sterling silver. I selected an initial for each girl in a 24kt gold plated over sterling silver with a pretty bright brushed finish. A bronze owl charm (they are quite silky and give the look of gold without the price!) paired with a sterling silver feather charm and a freshwater pearl for Jackie's June birthday.
I call this "More Than You Know" for Jackie, because I am sure that she is a bright and successful young woman now, but sometimes we need a reminder of how very special we are.

{Dreams Come True}

Anna is the youngest of the nieces in this group. She is a lovely young lady just younger than my son Rocket, the youngest of my cousin Paul's children whom they adopted from Russia when she was very small. I call Anna's necklace "Dreams Come True".

The sterling silver cloud reminds me that there is always a silver lining. The charm from Nana is a gold treble clef. I wanted to remind Anna that she is a star on the rise so I found a sterling silver shooting star charm and a crescent moon with star to go with her gold plated initial. To celebrate her birthday in February, three pale amethyst faceted rondelles and sterling rope spacers.

I am wishing for Anna that she follow her dreams whatever they may be and remembers to see the positive in any situation.

{Bee Yourself}

Elizabeth, the second oldest of my cousin Paul's children is a young woman making her way in the world. I found the sterling silver leafy vine charm holder for her. The cool thing about this one is that the charms are removeable if she likes. A bronze bee is seen hovering over a Bali sterling silver flower. Bees are very industrious and hard working and this opening flower reminds me that there is so much to be revealed in her life like the petals of a rose unfolding. Elizabeth goes by the name of Libby, but we decided that the "E" was more appropriate for her initial. A smooth aquamarine teardrop for her March birthday was added to two special charms. The Inuit symbol from Alaska is from Nana's necklace to remind Libby of all the mysteries that await her in the world, and the pale blue enameled Mary medallion from her grandmother Elsie to remind her to stay true to what is important.

Libby may go around the world and experience many things, but the most important lesson is to "Bee Yourself."

{New Beginnings}

The eldest of Paul's children, Barbara just got engaged. This is such a happy time for their family as they welcome this new member into their ranks and celebrate the life journey that Barbara is starting. Symbols of new life and happy beginnings abound in this necklace.

Hanging from sterling silver branch are a gold plated inital charm, a sterling silver leaf, a gold plated bronze nest and a tiny sterling silver acorn. Barbara's birthstone for February is a faceted deep amethyst round. And this sweet little cuckoo clock charm from Nana's necklace from Germany reminded me of a bird house, and the start of her new life.

May this necklace be worn by Barbara as she embarks on these exciting "New Beginnings"!

All of the necklaces were hung on a delicate 14kt gold filled Saturn chain.

I sent all these out to Jane in Ohio last week and hope that they have been received and are winging their way to stockings, coincidenatlly, back here in Wisconsin (I could have hand delivered them for her!). Thank you, Jane for trusting me with telling the story of these lovely young ladies! I look forward to working with you this coming year to complete the rest of the necklaces!

Your turn...

If you were going to have your life told in charms, what charms would you select?

Ornament Blog Hop: The Nutcracker

2011-12-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

"According to German folklore, nutcrackers were given as keepsakes to bring good luck to your family and protect your home. The legend says that a nutcracker represents power and strength and serves like a trusty watch dog guarding your family from evil spirits and danger. A fierce protector, the nutcracker bares its teeth to the evil spirits and serves as the traditional messenger of good luck and goodwill."

~ The History of Nutcrackers

The Nutcracker is a beloved Christmas tradition the world over but most certainly in the United States where the ballet is performed yearly around the country.

The Nutcracker ballet was based on a story called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King written by Alexander Dumas in the late 1800s. Tchikovsky composed the music with strict guidelines from the choreographer Marius Petipa, which included exactly the number of bars in a set and the tempo. Understandably, Tchaikovsky was not fond of working under such tight constraints and the music almost did not get written. I, for one, am so glad that it did because that music is some of the most recognizable and enduring of all time.

I can still hear the crackle and pop from the stereo as the 33 LP record played. My father would put those records on through the Christmas Eve night. I loved getting lost in the story that was told through the music.

My favorite of all scenes are the ones with the dances from the different countries called the Character Dances in the second act. The way the music captures the cultural identity of these countries has always entranced me. The music that I long most to hear are the somber tones of the Arabian/Coffee Dance. I would lose myself in a sort of trance during that music only to be reawakened by the lively notes of the Chinese/Tea dance. The Russian/Trepak Dance is stirring and the Waltz of the Flowers is so very ethereal.

But the pas de deux (literally 'steps of two') by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier is so amazing. To see it performed live on stage is quite a sight. I didn't get the chance this year to see it, but I would really like to make that part of my holiday tradition. Maybe I can still find a televised version of it.

In deciding on an ornament to offer my dear partner Alice Peterson for this hop, I decided that the Nutcracker would be perfect so I made one in my 'simple truths' style. It is an easily recognizable symbol of the holiday and often evokes very happy memories through the ballet or the story or the music. It is a very traditional decoration that I hope will bring protection and strength to Alice's family and envelope them in a mantle of peace and goodwill for the coming year and every year they hang it on their tree. I added a pretty red ribbon for hanging and embellished it with a little beaded cluster of holly leaves and berries. If she wants she can even remove the ribbon and put it on a chain to wear it for Christmas.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Please go and check out the rest of the participants of the Ornament Blog Hop on Sally Russick's WireWorked blog.

Snowflakes Stick Together

2011-12-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!"

~Author Unknown

Living in Wisconsin, it is hard to escape a winter landscape. But it is not as bleak as you might think.

The colors of spring and summer are long gone and the explosion on hues from the fall have blown away like so many leaves swirling in eddies at my feet as I walk. But there is color to the frozen tundra.

The way the sky melts just so at that in-between time right before it rapidly descends to dark is my favorite time of day. The last rays of the sun dance along the blanket of white showing nuances of blue and gray in the shadows. But the real star is the sky at the horizon. If there are wispy clouds they will be tinged with soft cashmere hues of pink and orange and red. Throw a little lavender and just a hint of blue and you have a sight to see.

I am often found on my front porch just oohing at the sky. Until my toes start to freeze and my nose grows icicles. If it weren't for the cold I would stand out there all day long.

That is what I have tried to capture with these slight washes of color. These snowflakes, with a custom made message, have been proving to be popular in my shop, at the Gallery Q and with my friends and family.

And each one is one of a kind, as it should be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you all kindly for your very insightful thoughts on my post from Tuesday. I really wasn't trolling for compliments and it always takes me aback when people are surprised that I have feelings of inadequacy and 'what ifs'. I am so much more like all of you than you realize. I figure that if I have these struggles it is best to share them because the insights that I get from all of you are golden. I tend to get very inward-focused at this time of year, and it seems from the comments that I am not alone. Your thoughtful comments have made me pause, and I am savoring each one of them. And I will comment back if you have allowed a way to receive that so we can carry on the conversation. If I have sparked your own inner dialogue, I am grateful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just found out in the last few days that I had an epic failure. I was alerted from one of my 'simple truths' sampler club members that she received my nice festive note....with no charm inside. Uh-oh. So I quickly emailed all the sampler members and found that several more had received the card, with the glue unstuck, but did receive the charm. That will teach me to use a very old set of cards that I had been hoarding for years. And it will teach me to make sure that everything is taped shut!

Only a few went missing, but I have yet to hear back from everyone. So if you are reading this, and you received your card from me sans charm, do let me know! I am sending out replacements this week (with my tail between my legs... this has never happened and I will not allow it to happen again!)

This is a week of continuing gratitude as I thank the steadfast members of the 'simple truths' sampler club. You know who you are. And I hope you know how much I appreciate you!

Your turn...

What would your snowflake message be?

A name and a date?

A message of hope?

A snippet of poetry?

Do tell!

Random Acts of Wisdom: Regrets

2011-12-13T10:28:00.000-06:00

"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets."

~ Arthur Miller

{"Regret" mini art feeling from Art Mind on Etsy}

When I hit my 40th birthday, I made a statement that my living would serve two purposes: to live a creative life and to live without regret. I think that I have worked hard to fulfill my first quest, but there is still a lot more that I could do, and I am not talking about making more necklaces or writing more magazine articles. Sometimes it is as simple as finally picking a color to cover the drab taupe walls that came with the house, or to put the pictures of my kids in frames and actually hang them on the wall. I am working on that.

But that second one, boy is that the tough one.

Perhaps it was naive of me to think that I could live a life without regrets. All life is filled with choices every day, and each choice implies a corresponding regret. I chose not to buy that double chocolate chip peanut butter scone this morning and now my stomach is letting me know that regret. Sometimes we agonize more over the small choices we are faced with every day, rather than grapple with the big ones that will have a mightier impact on our regret level. It is far easier to deal with that hunger pain.

When I made that declaration, it was with the intent that I was going to turn my hobby into my job. Little did I know how challenging living up to that statement would be. I am working at that every single day, I think I have what it takes, but yet here I am, 3 1/2 years later sitting in the same chair and going nowhere. I know that there are those who argue that I should not do that, that trying to make something that you love to do into your life's work spells disaster for continuing that love.

I beg to differ.

I think that you need to be loving what you do to feel fulfilled. I speak from experience in that my daily life is so uninspired, so unfulfilling. My most fundamental needs are not being met, and that crushes me just a little bit each day.

I have a fundamental need to do things that are creative.

I have a fundamental need to tell stories.

I have a fundamental need to connect to other people, to encourage, inspire and educate.

I am trying fiercely to align my fundamental needs with the choices that I make. But I won't lie. It has been very hard.

"Some choices hold you down.
Some chances set you free."

~Christine Kane

Every year at this time it seems that I come back to this same theme. It makes me feel just a bit helpless and sad that I have this recurring theme, that I can't get my own record unstuck from the groove that it is sticking in, when it is infinitely easy for me to nudge others.

There are a thousand choices that we are faced with every day. Each choice represents a path that we can follow setting up a whole new set of choices. A sort of 'Choose Your Own Adventure' for real life. And if you are like me, you see every chance as an opportunity and want to leap at it. It might be an open door that could lead you to a whole new set of options, perhaps the one that will set you free.

But maybe I am making the wrong choice by waiting for that pefect chance. Perhaps I need to create my own chances if I really want to be set free.

Is it possible to end up with the 'right regrets'? What would that look like for you?

For me, the right regret would be having less money in my pocket, but more time in my studio doing something creatively fulfilling, what I feel called to do. The right regret would be giving up a daily commute, but having time to volunteer in my children's schools, make actual dinners and maybe even clean my house. The right regret would be to sacrifice a steady and necessary income, but loving what I do every day and not having to wait until 10pm to get started each night. (Oh, daylight hours! How I long to see you!)

But my biggest regret is that I lack the courage to make these 'right regrets' a reality, even though I am chipping away at it every day.

Your turn...

What would the 'right regrets' look like for you?

What choices are holding you down?

What steps could you take to create your own chance to be set free?

Thank You Seems Too Weak

2011-12-12T10:54:00.000-06:00

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.
~John E. Southard

Just a quick post today to say Thank You to all who stopped by the blogs on the Artists Helping Artists auction this past weekend. Truly inspiring to see everyone come together. The comments were just as uplifting as the bids. Thank you seems too mild a sentiment. The generosity of so many will surely change the lives of those for whom this auction is intended. I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful {cyber}friends!

The winning bidder on the pretty "Frosted Berries" bracelet offered by Regina Santerre is....

Kim of CianciBlue

and

the winner of the necklace "New Growth, New Directions" offered by Erin Prais-Hintz is

Jennifer Cameron of Glass Addictions.

Barabara Bechtel will be in touch to arrange for the payment.

Thank you so much!

Artists Helping Artists, Part II

2011-12-10T09:13:00.000-06:00

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not.  
~Dr. Seuss 

The outpouring of love and generosity this week has been amazing. I saw that someone likened this auction to being "Friend-bombed." What a great concept!

I have discovered a few new auctions going on that I want to call attention to that weren't in the original list.

Miss Regina of SundanceGems has offered up her lovely 'Frosted Berries' bracelet and asked that I post it on my blog. This bracelet was her entry in the Challenge of Color blog hop on November 30. Regina's color palette was red with touches of gray and cream. She designed a perfectly wintery bauble that really looks just like the picture I sent her!

"Frosted Berries" bracelet offered by Regina

You can still bid on my necklace on this previous post.

Same rules apply to this auction item.

Leave a comment here to get the bidding started on the 'Frosted Berries' bracelet.

I will personally start the bidding at $20.

Also, be sure to check out these newer additions to the Artists Helping Artists silent auction.

Kerry Bogert http://kabsconcepts.blogspot.com

Erin Seigel http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/

All auctions end at midnight on December 11th!

Artists Helping Artists Auction

2011-12-08T08:32:00.007-06:00

There is an endless net of threads throughout the universe...

At every crossing of the threads there is an individual.

And every individual is a crystal bead.

And every crystal bead reflects

Not only the light from every other crystal in the net

But also every other reflection

Throughout the entire universe.

~ an adaptation of The Net of Jewels, or Indra's Net,
one of the oldest written creations of humanity

Several artists in the blog community have decided to band together to help a fellow artist in need.

When I heard about this late last night I dropped everything and created this necklace.
I call it "New Growth, New Directions."

Eggs are a symbol of new life and are a very hopeful image. This necklace features a polymer clay "grow" egg bead from Barbara Bechtel of Second Surf, one of my faux enameled brass leaves in a shimmery green, taupe pearls, Czech pressed glass, hematite, amazonite and copper accents.

What happens to a tree when a branch breaks off?
Sometimes the weakest limb is shed in a brisk wind, but that doesn't mean the tree won't continue to thrive. The landscape may be altered, but the tree remains steadfast in the buffeting winds and strong enough to stand up to anything.The branches grow in a new direction, seeking out the light. The shape may change, but in time the leaves will return to fill in the spaces. The roots are deep and will keep the tree strong and healthy. This tree is just like our community which keeps us strong with the connection, the grounding to the earth, the celebration of home, the love of family, and the kindness of friends.

New Growth - New Directions

Would you like to be the winning bidder?

Please leave a comment along with your bid.

If you are the winning bidder, you will receive an invoice after the close of the auction.

There must be a way to contact you.

If you have email preferences turned off in your profile, please leave your email.

Many wonderfully talented people are auctioning items to help out! These would make great gifts for those you love and show support. Please visit these the other artists below and place your bid!

Bids will be taken through Sunday, December 11th at midnight EST.

Bidding will start at $40

International bidders welcome. I will pay all shipping costs.

List of participants:

Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/

Marie Cramp & Lori Anderson http://skyejewels.blogspot.com/

Barbara Bechtel http://secondsurf.com/

Erin Fickert-Rowland http://elysianstudiosart.com/

Keirsten Giles http://www.cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com/

Andrew Thornton http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Karen Totten http://starryroadstudio.blogspot.com/

Kristi Bowman-Gruel http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/

Nan Emmett http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/

Maire Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Amanda Cargill Austin http://www.seashoreglassgirl.com/

Janice Everett http://jlynnjewels.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com/

Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Justman http://mysoulsfire.blogspot.com/

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/ - YOU ARE HERE
NEW ADDITIONS!
Kerry Bogert http://kabsconcepts.blogspot.com

Erin Seigel http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/

We are like those crystals in the net, reflecting our powerful light to shine on someone we care about, to surround each other with good will and love, to make the world a better place by being there for each other. I am humbled to call these people friends and I am so proud of what they are doing.

Please help us make a difference.

Feel free to return and bid again!

Happy bidding!

Color Hangover....and 9 Lucky Winners!

2011-12-05T10:20:00.000-06:00

"If one says 'red' - the name of color - and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds.
And one can be sure that all these reds will be very different."
~ Josef Albers

I am still recovering from the party. I think I drank a little too much of the color Kool-Aid (was yours spiked with vodka?). Like I have a color hangover or something. The lampshades are askew, there is a mystery stain on the carpet, my head is playing the marimba, and my mind is a blur. But it was all good. When can we do it again? ;-)

Wow.
That is all that I can say.

You very talented people - all 54 of you - totally blew me away with your participation in the 2nd Annual Challenge of Color.

I know that I set the bar for myself pretty high, so don't judge me on that. I am a consummate overachiever and it was my party after all, it wouldn't do for the hostess to show up in faded overalls with one pendant on a chain. And also I might have bit off more than I could chew as evidenced by the series of migraines I suffered last week. But you know how it is after a party, when the guests have gone home and you have a chance to actually sit still even in the midst of the sparkly chaos? Well, I did a little bit of that the past week. I spent time trying to actually put things away, and organize some paperwork and catch up on some custom orders.

It is really nice to hear the accolades that you showered on me, but that isn't why I do these challenges. I do them because I need a swift kick in the pants sometime. I need a jolt of color during these darker days. But it wouldn't be half as fun to me if I didn't have so many talented people with which to play.

For playing along with me, I thank you.

One of the comments that I read frequently on your blogs was that you all had a color idea in your head. When you said "red" you thought one thing and then I challenged you with a different hue. That is all part of the fun! I think that was a great exercise in how our clients must perceive color and I know it helped me see the beauty in all the colors. And I am glad that you didn't let my color palette choice phase you. Not one person asked to change, which was so nice! ;-)

You brought me many smiles and much joy in hopping around this colorful world. I am super inspired to put more color in my designs, to try new techniques, to use up my art bead stash. And I hope you are, too.

It sounds like there are a lot of people who would have loved to participate in the Challenge. A few years ago I set out to do a specific "Inspired by..." challenge each month. That was fun, but proved hard to do. And then last year I started the Challenge of... blog hop and it was most successful. I have told a few of you this, but now I will make it official.

I plan to throw down a challenge each quarter of the year: February, May, August and November.

Since this challenge worked so well, I will keep the Challenge of Color in November.

But the other three months will be different challenges. Because let's face it, there are more challenges that we as jewelry artisans and designers face that are not necessarily color based. I haven't decided what they will be, but if you wish to send me some suggestions, I am open to them. Feel free to email me.

I will announce more about the next "Challenge of..." blog hop around the end of January.

Same format (one month to create with a blog hop).
Limited participation (60 is a good number, don't you think?).
Prizes and giveaways (if you want to sponsor a prize, let me know!).

I think that this will be tons of fun! (And I don't know about you, but I have to have a party every so often just to clean my house, so maybe this will motivate me to clean my studio! ;-)

I promised winners and I have nine of them! All winners below were selected at random and should contact me by email to claim the prize.

First, one commenter (who was not a blog hop participant) who wins her choice of my Pink palette earrings is..........

Emakaye!

Now onto the prizes for those who braved the Challenge!

I decided that since this is the season of giving, that I would give away two gift certificates of $12 each to sample the colorful goodness that my friend Brandi Hussey is serving up at Freshly Hued. And the winners are....

Rose Noble and Linda Landig!

My friend Marcie Abney of La Bella Joya creates some stunning designs. She proves that seed beads are more than just filler (as in my beady world) by wrangling them into the most stylish of shapes and designs. Marcie couldn't play in the hop, but she wanted to contribute as a sponsor and is giving away one tutorial in her shop to the lucky.....

Tanya Goodwin!

I am completely smitten by the lovely Miss Jessica Colaluca and her Design Seeds palettes, aren't you? I know a few of you have mentioned that you will come back to doing this challenge on your own with her palettes when you need a little fresh start in terms of color. Miss Jessica was most impressed by how we were inspired to use her palettes. She also let me know that soon there will be a big unveiling of a new website to make it even more interesting to use her palettes. She has some of her best palettes all packaged up into beautiful Blurb books (I intend to buy a few for myself) and now offers those same printed books as eBooks suitable for either an iPad or iPhone. I don't have either device, and realized that you might not either. So... I will offer this to both winners... you may choose the Design Seeds eBook of your choice from her bookstore OR 50% off one item in my Etsy shop. Two random winners...

Cilla Watkins and Jen Velasquez!

My humble little 'simple truth' is going to live with...

Jennifer Justman!

And last, but certainly not least, I have two winners of the stash (equitably doled out, I assure you!).

In this stash of beady goodness are polymer clay beads donated by the lovely Jeannie Dukic, enameled ceramic beads from the talented Sally Russick, and a whole bunch of art beads from my considerable hoard including Marsha Neal, EB Bead & Metal Works, Julsbeads, Round Rabbit, Birgitta Lejonklou and an assortment of beady goodness as well, including things not pictured. I tried to hit something from each of the twelve palettes. Congratulations to.....

Angela Little and Amy Severino!

All winners should email me to arrange for their prize.

Thank you to all who joined in the challenge, whether you were on the hop or you just left comments.

I look forward to the next "Challenge of..." blog hop in February! ;-)

Paint the World with Your Palette: 2nd Annual Challenge of Color Blog Hop!

2011-11-30T02:01:00.000-06:00

"The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors which at every suceeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your ever-moving thoughts." ~ James Allen

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Challenge of Color Blog Hop!

The reason that I started this challenge was because I was stuck in a color rut. I thought it would be fun to jazz up my pieces with a dose of color on what would normally be a gray month around here in Wisconsin. So I invited some friends to play along. Last year over 40 people accepted my challenge. I never realized that so many others needed that color jolt as well!

So this year I decided to mix things up a bit. I found a wonderful color palette blog called Design Seeds. Jessica Colaluca is the brains behind that operation that takes a fresh look at color and supplies creatives like me with beautifully rendered palettes. Miss Jessica was kind enough to let us play along with her palettes as long as we linked back to her site. So I asked the participants to choose one color from a group of twelve. This could be a complete challenge to them, or something that they loved. Either way, I sent a totally unique palette to all 54 players in this colorful game. The only rule was that they had to use the main color that they chose. At the end of this post you will find a complete list of all the hoppers. I hope you will visit each one and of course, leave some feedback for them to let them know what you think of their interpretations!

Now it wouldn't be a challenge without me going a bit overboard. I threw down my own gauntlet to myself and declared that I would create one piece of jewelry for each of the twelve palettes. AND I would try to use an art bead in each. AND I would only use what I had available - no shopping.

And I did it.

I am exhausted but proud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First we start off with one of our participants from afar, my friend Kirsi, all the way in Finland. Kirsi requested that I post her palette and creation on my blog, and I am happy to oblige.

teal - dragon hues

wings of a dragon - by kirsi

Kirsi chose the color teal. Kirsi is a color lover and loves to pair music with her jewelry designs. This is what she had to say about her necklace.

Hello. My name is Kirsi Luostarinen. I love colours! For this challenge I was inspired by the colour and I have always been fascinated by the dragons. I am a dragon, too. I was thinking about the Japanese new year celebration and "the walking dragons "there. The sound of music here is absolutely "Big in Japan" by Alphaville. It blows your mind with the necklace.

." The wings of a dragon" is made of coloured-patinated copper wire, feathers of pheasant, gemstones (mokaiitti in Finish) and artisan hollow lampbeads by Nadin Sandler.

Well done, Miss Kirsi! I am totally digging the feathers and the way you displayed the necklace!

On to my palettes! All twelve of them!

I will let the colors speak for themselves.........

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brown - chocolate chips


polymer clay bead - the lovely Miss Pam Wynn wood, ceramic, leather, copper

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purple - flora hues


cold press clay pendant - Israeli artist Alona - Rafya on Etsy amethyst, amazonite, peridot, gold filled and gold vermeil components

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

green - caprese hues

ceramic pendant - the sweet Miss Mary Harding on Etsy
mosaic green magnesite, carved bone, sponge coral, wood and nut beads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blue - indigo hues

polymer clay 'simple truths' pendant - why, me, of course!
silver plated connector, pearls, seed beads, silver plated spacers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

gray - color fuse

lampwork glass bead - the ever amazing Miss Kerry Bogert of KABs Concepts
agate slice, vintage carved onyx, snowflake obsidian, gold plated spacers, steel wire

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

red - red velvet hues


polymer clay message toggle - the oh-so-cute Miss Heather Wynn Millican of Swoondimples on Etsy dyed wood beads, glass cubes, pearls, amethyst, sterling silver flower ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


lavender - dried tones

pewter button - talented D'Arsie Manzella of Mamacita Beadworks on Etsy
etched and silvered lampwork round - my new glass crush from Luxemborg, Maryse Fritszch of Glass Bead Art on Etsy
ceramic round - the nicest person you will ever meet, Miss Melanie of Earthenwoods Studio on Etsy
dyed charoite and amethyst rounds, seed beads, silver plated spacers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

yellow - pear tints

polymer clay disk beads - from my best friend, Miss Heather Powers of Humblebeads on Etsy
silvered ivory ring - created by the delightful Miss Cindy Gimbrone
branch connector, brass oak leaves, green glass, vintage glass pearls, peanut beads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

orange - barked orange


lampwork egg - created just for me by the Midwest girl at hear, Miss Kelley Wenzel of KelleysBeads on Etsy (and she is making eggs again!) little birdie bead - my good friend, Miss LeAnn Weih of Summers Studio on Etsy glass, wood, copper leaf connector

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

teal - flora bright

lampwork glass ribbed bead - my friend from down under, Miss Jenni Connolly
green hollow lampwork bead - Miss Kerry Bogert of KABs Concepts
striped and dottie lampwork beads - from the laugh-until-it-hurts friend in the shiny shack, Miss Julianna Cannon of Julsbeads
silk strands - expertly color coordinated by my friend, Miss Marsha Neal of Marsha Neal Studio
colored glass disks, upcycled silver plated ball chain

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

beige - shelled tones

tiny lampwork beads - the crushworthy Pinocean on Etsy (I hear there is a shop update today!)
Swarovski crystals, rhinestone headpins, pearl rondelle spacers, gold plated bead caps, 14kt rose gold ear wires

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

pink - agate pink


gold filled ear wires and spacers mother of pearl mosaic tear drop beads dyed crazy lace agate rondelles, Swarovski crystals, silver spacers

lampwork glass beads - lovingly created by my friend Miss Julianna Cannon, also of StudioJuls fame
rose quartz, silver plated spacers, sterling ear wires

For sticking it out until the end of my very long post, I have a chance for one lucky person to win either pair of the earrings inspired by the pink palette. To win, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post. Any comment will do. This giveaway is exclusively for those who are stopping by to comment and is open to anyone in the world. Winner will be announced on Monday, December 5th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, what did you think? I feel energized that I was able to complete this challenge and it is gratifying to know that I did it by dipping into the lovely beads that I have been hoarding for far too long!

I also have a heaping helping of great prizes exclusively for the 54 players to win. Wish I could gift you all, but know that I so appreciate you! For the players, we have the following goodies:

Gift Certificate to Brandi Hussey's new Freshly Hued store filled with colorful goodies galore! Check out the new do-it-yourself holiday cards. I can't wait to get mine!
One lucky winner. Value: $12

One tutorial from LaBellaJoya on Etsy - you pick! (Thank you, Miss Marcie!)
One lucky winner. Value: $12

Design Seeds is now available for your iPhone/iPad. I will personally purchase a copy of the app as my gift to you! How great to carry color with you wherever you go! (Makes me want an iPad of my own! ;-)
Two lucky winners. Value: $5.99 each

One of my newest designs in the 'simple truth' line is a long stick pendant perfect for your fortune cookie message. One lucky winner will receive the pendant shown above.
Value: $18

And thanks to the generosity of some amazing artist friends, and my attempt to create from my stash, I have an amazing group of beads to give away - many of them art beads - in all twelve color families! Beads shown will be divided equitably and include art beads from Round Rabbit, JulsBeads, Birgitta Lejonklou, Marsha Neal, Sally Russick, Jeannie Dukic and Beth & Evie McCord. Also included are stones, wood, lava and pearls. And who knows what else might jump in the box!
Value: Priceless

All participants in the list below are entered in these drawings just for playing along (no commenting necessary). Just my way of saying thanks!

All winners will be announced on December 5th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So tell me which of the palettes I completed was your favorite! And after you leave a nice comment (with a way for me to contact you if you win the earrings - kindly turn on your email in your profile!), please start your hop here and work your way around the world on a colorful magic carpet ride!

1 Norma Turvey ~ Teal ~ Color Crave

2 Jeannie Dukic ~ Green ~ Mineral Tones

3 Mary McGraw ~ Teal ~ Embellished Hues

4 Jo Tinley ~ Red ~ Decadent Tones

5 Rebecca Anderson ~ Pink ~ Tulip Tones

6 Kristi Jaro ~ Red ~ Temple Entrance

7 Stephani Gorman ~ Green ~ Dew Tones

8 Melissa Meman ~ Green ~ Fruit Star

9 Kathleen Lange Klik ~ Teal ~ Silk Hues

10 Cynthia Riggs ~ Red ~ Autumn Comfort

11 Heidi Post ~ Teal ~ Flora Bright

12 Cece Cormier ~ Teal ~ Merino Teal

13 Amy Freeland ~ Gray ~ Cultured Tones

14 Alice Peterson ~ Blue ~ Island Play

15 Rose Noble ~ Gray ~ Autumn Stacked

16 Kristina Johansson ~ Yellow ~ Sunny Flower

17 Kirsi Luostarinen ~ Teal ~ Dragon Hues

18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones

19 Mallory Hoffman ~ Purple ~ Petaled Dark

20 Molly Alexander ~ Brown ~ Peppered Tones

21 Regina Santerre ~ Red ~ Frosted Berry

22 Emanda Johnson ~ Teal ~ Color Purl

23 Amy Severino ~ Orange ~ Winged Tones

24 Bobbie Rafferty ~ Teal ~ Lime Hues

25 Tanya Goodwin ~ Gray ~ Pecked Tones

26 Lisa Lodge ~ Blue ~ Nocturnal Tones

27 Hope Smitherman ~ Blue ~ Bloom Tones

28 Linda Landig ~ Green ~ Cacti Dark

29 Ambra Gostoli ~ Teal ~ Perched Autumn

30 Lori Bowring-Michaud ~ Blue ~ Sharpened Blue

31 Pippa Chandler ~ Teal ~ Hungarian Hues

32 Keirsten Giles ~ Purple ~ Mineral Brights

33 Jennifer Justman ~ Blue ~ Autumn Rays

34 Sandy Richardson ~ Purple ~ Moroccan Brights

35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air

36 Shaiha Williams ~ Teal ~ Sushi Hues

37 Kay Thomerson ~ Purple ~ Autumn Spectrum

38 Sally Russick ~ Purple ~ Golden Gate Tones

39 Cilla Watkins ~ Purple ~ Autumn Infused

40 Shirley Moore ~ Purple ~ Frozen Heather

41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 Tamara Soper ~ Green ~ Field Tones

43 Sharyl McMillian-Nelson ~ Blue ~ Nested Blues

44 Jen Velasquez ~ Pink ~ Sweetened Tints

45 Maria Grimes ~ Red ~ Bright Bloom

46 Elisabeth Auld ~ Gray ~ Petaled Tints

47 Susan Kennedy ~ Pink ~ Zinnia Tones

48 Shannon Chomanczuk ~ Gray ~ Autumn Leaf

49 Holly Westfall ~ Yellow ~ Sprinkled Tones

50 Patty Gasparino ~ Red ~ Color Carton

51 Angela Little ~ Pink ~ Singapore Brights

52 Lizzie Zawinski ~ Green ~ Budding Hues

53 Kristen Stevens ~ Pink ~ Scooped Tones

54 Dawn Doucette ~ Brown ~ Jarred Tones

Cyber Sales, Computers and Ornaments...Oh My!

2011-11-28T05:00:00.001-06:00

This week I was blessed with the return of my computer. Yeah for Computer Magic! Like a new-born babe, all clean and shiny with no memory to speak of and history yet to be written. So I am attempting to get this baby back up to speed by teaching her all the old tricks. Frustrating to say the least. House training a new puppy might be more fun!
The Virtual Craft Show over on Lori Anderson's Pretty Things Blog is in full swing. 70 artists. 70 giveaways. 7 days. And most of them have special discounts in their shops. Mine was up on Sunday. Comment (on Lori's blog, not mine!) every day for a chances to win these fabulous arrays of prizes and goodies, perfect for gifting to others (or hoarding for yourself!;-).

For my own gift, I will enroll one lucky commenter (on Lori's blog, not mine!) in the Simple Truths Sampler club for 3 months. That is a $54 value people! Includes shipping! Limited edition pendants NEVER sold to anyone else! International friends welcome as well! Just hop on over to Lori's blog and comment everyday for a chance to win. Oh, yeah, and as if that weren't super-duper special enough, I also have a special discount code good on anything in my Etsy shop - yes, even the custom made-to-order pieces (sorry, not available on the sampler club - that is already a great deal!). But the discount vanishes when 2011 does, so stop on over and stock up! New designs being uploaded right now!

On Wednesday I hope you come back to check out what me and 54 of my friends from around the world have been working on in the 2nd Annual Challenge of Color blog hop. I am really excited to see the palettes that everyone has and how that inspired them. I have already heard from some participants that this challenge has literally changed their life. Heady stuff! For my part, since it is my challenge, I threw down my own gauntlet and stated out loud (or as out loud as you can be on a blog ;-) that I would be making something for each of the 12 color families. I have been working on that, (okay, not this past weekend where I made the mistake of going shopping on Black Friday, despite all my better instincts!) and I think that I have at least 4 more to go. Check back on Wednesday to see if I can make it.

We decorated our front porch and put up the tree this weekend. But there is still so much to do. My son Rocket went upstairs to pop some corn and came back holding the handle to the microwave in his hand. "It just fell off in my hand!" he declared. Of course it wasn't a clean break, the screws are still in the door (I suspect there was some hanging on the door to make this happen). And tonight as I tried to carefully access the microwave door, I knocked off the plastic doodad vent cover at the top so now that is a pretty sight. I guess a new microwave range hood is in my immediate future. Maybe there is a sale.... Happy Christmas to me!

And last but not least, I was talking to my art peeps at the Gallery Q where I sell my work and I noted that with all the gifty items that are stuffing the gallery, there was not one Christmas ornament. Of course they encouraged me to make some. I realized that my 'simple truths' settings would look just as pretty on your tree as on your neck, so I came up with several designs. (That is why I don't have my challenge done, darn it!) I talked a store owner into selling me her really cool rustic metal bare branches tree to display them on and carted them to the Gallery today when I worked my shift. I entered them all in the computer. No sooner had I done that then three sold! (Here they are, Miss Kristen, as you wish! ;-)

{Stamped images courtesy of Michelle Ward. The Holiday Botanicals: mistletoe, pin, holly and poinsettia. The bezel setting is larger than my usual pendants at 1 1/2" square. Available in either silver or just a slightly smaller antique gold color. What do you think? With or without the embellishments?}

{The Snow Series. You will recognize my 'let it snow' snowman. Perfect as a little ornament with a cute snowflake ribbon, and then after Christmas just slide it on your favorite chain! I am still taking custom orders for these with more sold each week! I also made some new snowflake designs I like very much with a subtle wash of color. The messages on the back varied, but I like the two above. And lastly a little glitz for your tree... Blingcicles! Sparkly octagon crystals dangle from an icicle of Swarovski crystals, rhinestones and other beads.}

{Stamped images courtesy of Michelle Ward. The Nutcrackers. I have very fond memories of the Nutcracker. Particularly the music. I have only seen the ballet a handful of times but it always leaves me feeling so nostalgic.I have these larger rectangle bezel settings in 1x2", just the right size to put a little message. Some of these have a loop at the bottom so I wired a cluster of holly leaves and berries on each one. Or they could be left without any embellishment... or adding the embellishment as an add-on? What do you think?}

So I think I have a possible new custom made-to-order to add to my shop - ornaments! Tell me what you think about these and if I should add them to the shop with embellishments (like holly beads and little pine cones and ribbon) or if they should just be sold plain so that you can do with them what you wish? Or maybe they are sold plain, but the added embellishments would be a little extra? I would love your feedback!

P.S. Oh, yeah! Sorry... one last thing... I will be the featured artist in the Art Bead Scene Studio Saturday this week (with a giveaway for the holiday season!) and I will be hosting the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge blog hop showcasing all the talented folks who inspire me daily. Be sure to stop by Art Bead Scene for some inspiration.

Gratefulness

2011-11-22T12:02:00.000-06:00

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"
~William A. Ward

These are the pendants that I created for the small but mighty 'Simple Truths' Sampler Club. I promise them that they will get a new sampler every month that includes a pendant that will not be available anyplace else. This month, to show my gratitude for these lovely ladies who believe in me and lift me up and give me courage to keep going on, I decided that they would get a custom made 'simple truth' pendant.

I asked them to tell me their favorite color and metal what they were most thankful for. It was a great reminder to myself of the things that even I overlook. Some were thankful for their kids and family, their faith and music, nature or this beautiful earth. Even someone is thankful for creativity and the ability to express it. That made me think that there could be those who don't know that they are creative, and if they do they might not see a way to let that creativity shine forth. That is something to be grateful for indeed.

I know it has been too many days since I sat down to write. Being without a computer (in case you didn't know... my Dell caught a nasty virus, this time, at the 'doctor' right now - hoping that my photos from the past 6 years will survive) has made me hyper aware of how much time I actually spend online and attached to this keyboard. Too much. My life feels strange without it, but yet I have had more time to sleep and play and connect with those whom I know that do not have an email address or a profile picture. I am still without a computer to call my own, so my attempts to stay connected with this larger world have been limited. But I did want to check in to let you know that I am still lurking about. And I miss you.

I realized during this accidental hiatus that my 3rd blogoversary has come and gone this month. I remember when I started this blog. I set out with a plan even then that I would blog and write and get my thoughts into the world, even if no one would ever read a word. I still feel that way, although I am eternally grateful for the friendships that have been fostered through this little experimental community I have created.

I actually think of each of you as I write. I recall your names and faces (if you have a picture in your profile). I remember details of the emails that we have shared, whether we agree on things or not. I think about the things you have told me about your lives, the city where you live, the colors that inspire you, the names of your children, the causes that are dear to your heart. I think about all these things and more when I sit down to write, because although I would continue to write without an audience, it is so much more meaningful to know the people on the other side of the world who are reading this.

For that, I am ever grateful.

It is a uniquely American tradition to share a meal on this upcoming holiday, whether with those you love or those less fortunate. And yes, there are parades and football games and enough food that borders on gluttony, but there is something more to this. I don't think that you can be truly great unless you are grateful. Whether you celebrate this holiday or not, it is a good time to pause and shut out the rest of the world, surrounding yourself with those who love you... to reflect on the passing year... to focus on those things that came to be, or those that didn't, as something to be equally thankful.... It is a good time to look back and see where you have come and look forward with a renewed purpose. That is what I will be doing this week.

Thank you for giving purpose to my passion by reading my words.

Thank you for continuing the conversation with me outside of this forum (and if you have never received an email from me, please make it easy by turning on your email in your profile!).

Thank you for supporting my journey to becoming the artist that I know I am meant to be.

Thank you for sharing a little bit of your spirit with me.

Your turn...

Sometimes the things that we hope for don't always work out.
What may seem disappointing is often a blessing in disguise.
It is easy to be grateful for those things that go our way, and play into our plans, but much harder to be grateful for the missed opportunities, the dashed dreams.
But if you can look past the initial disappointment, you will often find something to be truly thankful for.

What blessing in disguise are you most grateful for this year?

On Winning, Gratitude and Challenges

2011-11-14T11:47:00.000-06:00

WINNER ALERT!

Karyn B of Plus Sized Bangles has a great sense of style. I am always crushing on her jewelry submitted for the Art Bead Scene monthly challenges. You win your choice of one of my class samples on faux enameling! Email me and you can decide which of the four that you would like to call your own!

Speaking of winning... What are you grateful for? I am grateful for family and friends, for the changing seasons, for coffee every morning and chocolate every night, and for all my wonderful supporters out in the great big ol' world. You make it seem so much smaller despite the miles and that makes me grateful. The Art Spark for November over at Love My Art Jewelry is all about gratitude. And I am grateful for the opportunity to sponsor their giveaway for this month. Hop on over to Love My Art Jewelry and show those ladies some love by creating something that shows what gratitude means to you (and maybe you will win one of my 'gratitude' simple truths pendants.) They also have an awesome giveaway of art beads in their Art Bead Love Tour. This is such a clever way to share the art bead love, I would be in heaven if I won!

Last night my computer got infected with a nasty virus. I am not sure when I will be back in the swing of things, so excuse me while I try to piece things together. I had planned to put up the final list of the participants in the 2nd Annual Challenge of Color blog hop. But of course that is on my computer. I have recreated it by hand the best that I can right now, because I wanted to share with you the lovely participants. 54 of them. From around the world. So excited!

To recap... I invited people to play along with me as I explore the color palettes put together by Jessica Colaluca of Design Seeds. The challenge is to take a color from Miss Colaluca's palettes, one that is either a challenge or something comfortable for you (no judging!), and create jewelry from it. It really is a selfish thing in that I need a little jolt of color during these gray winter days, plus this forces me to make things that can of course be for sale for the holiday season. The fact that 54 of my blogging buddies want to play along is just the icing on the cake! We will have some prizes donated by some of our fellow participants (thank you Miss Jeannie, Miss Sally and Miss Sandy!) as well as beads and things selected from my stash representing the 12 color palettes and even a 'simple truth' or two. Wednesday, November 30th is reveal day, a chance to hop around and see the unique color palette that I chose for each participant and what she did with it. It is always inspiring to see.

Here is the final list of participants including a link to their blog (stop by and say hi!), their color palette choice, and the unique color palette I selected for each one.

1 Norma Turvey ~ Teal ~ Color Crave

2 Jeannie Dukic ~ Green ~ Mineral Tones

3 Mary McGraw ~ Teal ~ Embellished Hues

4 Jo Tinley ~ Red ~ Decadent Tones

5 Rebecca Anderson ~ Pink ~ Tulip Tones

6 Kristi Jaro ~ Red ~ Temple Entrance

7 Stephani Gorman ~ Green ~ Dew Tones

8 Melissa Meman ~ Green ~ Fruit Star

9 Kathleen Lange Klik ~ Teal ~ Silk Hues

10 Cynthia Riggs ~ Red ~ Autumn Comfort

11 Heidi Post ~ Teal ~ Flora Bright

12 Cece Cormier ~ Teal ~ Merino Teal

13 Amy Freeland ~ Gray ~ Cultured Tones

14 Alice Peterson ~ Blue ~ Island Play

15 Rose Noble ~ Gray ~ Autumn Stacked

16 Kristina Johansson ~ Yellow ~ Sunny Flower

17 Kirsi Luostarinen ~ Teal ~ Dragon Hues

18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones

19 Mallory Hoffman ~ Purple ~ Petaled Dark

20 Molly Alexander ~ Brown ~ Peppered Tones

21 Regina Santerre ~ Red ~ Frosted Berry

22 Emanda Johnson ~ Teal ~ Color Purl

23 Amy Severino ~ Orange ~ Winged Tones

24 Bobbie Rafferty ~ Teal ~ Lime Hues

25 Tanya Goodwin ~ Gray ~ Pecked Tones

26 Lisa Lodge ~ Blue ~ Nocturnal Tones

27 Hope Smitherman ~ Blue ~ Bloom Tones

28 Linda Landig ~ Green ~ Cacti Dark

29 Ambra Gostoli ~ Teal ~ Perched Autumn

30 Lori Bowring-Michaud ~ Blue ~ Sharpened Blue

31 Pippa Chandler ~ Teal ~ Hungarian Hues

32 Keirsten Giles ~ Purple ~ Mineral Brights

33 Jennifer Justman ~ Blue ~ Autumn Rays

34 Sandy Richardson ~ Purple ~ Moroccan Brights

35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air

36 Shaiha Williams ~ Teal ~ Sushi Hues

37 Kay Thomerson ~ Purple ~ Autumn Spectrum

38 Sally Russick ~ Purple ~ Golden Gate Tones

39 Cilla Watkins ~ Purple ~ Autumn Infused

40 Shirley Moore ~ Purple ~ Frozen Heather

41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 Tamara Soper ~ Green ~ Field Tones

43 Sharyl McMillian-Nelson ~ Blue ~ Nested Blues

44 Jen Velasquez ~ Pink ~ Sweetened Tints

45 Maria Grimes ~ Red ~ Bright Bloom

46 Elisabeth Auld ~ Gray ~ Petaled Tints

47 Susan Kennedy ~ Pink ~ Zinnia Tones

48 Shannon Chomanczuk ~ Gray ~ Autumn Leaf

49 Holly Westfall ~ Yellow ~ Sprinkled Tones

50 Patty Gasparino ~ Red ~ Color Carton

51 Angela Little ~ Pink ~ Singapore Brights

52 Lizzie Zawinski ~ Green ~ Budding Hues

53 Kristen Stevens ~ Pink ~ Scooped Tones

54 Dawn Doucette ~ Brown ~ Jarred Tones

Since this is a challenge for myself, I have decided that I would attempt to make one thing for each of the 12 color palettes. Crazy? Most definitely. But it wouldn't be a challenge if I didn't push myself.

This weekend I selected the color palettes based off the pictures on Design Seeds that grabbed me and some that would be a true test of my color IQ. To further complicate things, I will only use what I have on hand and include as many art beads as possible. I resurrected the muffin tin challenge from earlier in the year as a great way to corral the pieces for each palette. Last night I made two pairs of earrings for the PINK palette and a bracelet for this one below in the GRAY palette (one that I thought would test me, since yellow is just not on my radar, but I quite like it and might even do one more!).

{color fuse}

Stay tuned to see if I can pull this off or if this will be (to quote my son Rocket) an 'epic fail'! And, of course, now that I have put it out there to all of you, you are likely going to be reminding me to get it done! ;-)

So now it is your turn...

What are you grateful for?
What color is a challenge for you in your life? What color are you most comfortable in?
Do you like to challenge yourself? Or is it better when others do the challenging for you?
Do tell!

Free Tutorial: Oh So Faux Enamel

2011-11-11T16:32:00.000-06:00

What do you get when you combine metal, glitter paint, beads and 41 girl scouts? Why, masterpieces of jewelry, of course!

A few weeks ago I was invited to teach a jewelry making class for local girl scouts out on the town on a day off from school for a girls day out. Other places they went included a pizza place to see how the pizza is made, the local art gallery to view the displays, a bakery to make cupcakes and a pottery shop to paint bowls. In thinking about what I could do with a group of girls in a short time frame, I thought it would be fun to make necklaces. The problem is that my ideas are often really great but not realistic. Read on....

I had recently attended the Vintaj master class in Galena and purchased one of their Big Kick embossing machines (click that link to take you to a great video tute of Jess from Vintaj showing off the Big Kick. Pay close attention to the necklace that she is wearing... my 'simple truths' charms are part of it!). Tiny Dancer had a great time embossing every metal piece that I had with the folders, so I knew that it would be a hit with the girls.

I ordered a ton of embossing folders from both Vintaj and from other companies. The Vintaj embossing folders are made expressly to emboss on their metal pieces and have a crisp impression to them. My personal preference is for the DecoEmboss folders rather than the DecoEtch ones. (And I have told Jess this, that I would prefer bigger folders and also ones that have a little more 'breathing room' on them so that if I just want the owl I can just get the owl and not some other motif. I understand that new folders are in the works!). The other ones that I picked up (all from the Cuttlebug line) worked fine, but because they are plastic, the detail is not as fine. But for the purposes of what I was doing, this was an okay compromise to get a wide variety of looks. These folders may not last as long because they are plastic, but for the price and the variety, they can't be beat. (Note: I have tried it and I wouldn't recommend using the non-Vintaj folders with either the arte metal or copper pieces from Vintaj. Those metals are a bit thicker than the usual brass pieces and don't take the embossing well.)

I was very encouraged by the results of these different embossing folders on the metal. I had some animal prints like giraffe and zebra and peacock feathers. I also had some birds on swirly branches, clock gears and big paisley prints. The one that the girls gravitated to the most was the cute little owl from Vintaj. And this makes me want to get more of them, especially the Tim Holtz line.

I had my trusty assistant with me that day (note to self: you owe her big time!). Tiny Dancer enjoyed being in charge of the Vintaj Big Kick and helping the girls choose their metal pieces and cranking their designs through the machine. She was a huge help. And it proves that everyone, every age can have success with this process!

After they embossed the metal, we had them put a little elbow grease in with pieces of steel wool to buff the raised areas. That was hard, they said! I told them that now they know what mom goes through when she scrubs the pots and pans, and they can offer to help next time! ;-)

Then we set about painting them. When we were buying supplies, Tiny Dancer assured me that all girls love sparkles so we opted to buy the Folk Art Extreme Glitter acrylic paint. And when they say "extreme" they mean it! When the paint is wet, it looks sort of like a glitter bottle got dumped into the milk in your cereal bowl, but oh man! When it dries the glitter is all you see. Some of the girls were very precise with their painting and some were more liberal. We instructed them to try to concentrate the paint in the recessed or darkened areas of the embossed metal, but it worked just fine if you aren't precise.

While things were drying, I let them pick from a wide variety of glass and acrylic and gemstone beads to go with their color palette. We had to work on reigning in the desire to choose one of every type of bead and color! We discussed scale (no, you can't string 6 beads on the head pin and have it work) and I taught them how to do some simple coiled loops on their head pins to make little dangles. They did a pretty good job with these tools for their first time. It was frustrating for some but a great start if they are interested in working with more tools.

I ended up with three groups of about 12-14 girls each in ages that ranged from 5-13. Whew! If you think that sounds like a challenge, you are right! I used to be a teacher, so I understand about lesson plans and the fact that things never go quite as planned, and I have a pretty healthy ability to roll with the punches. They were really great though. The older ones helped the younger ones, and they all created such marvelous things. Unfortunately, given the time frame I had to work with (only 45 minutes per group), the little overlooked glitch that paint takes time to dry and the fact that my project was more ambitious than complete beginners could accomplish in that time, they did not finish their pieces that day. But I assured them that I would take them home and put them together for them and get them back to the girls for their next meeting.

That was two weeks ago. Do you know how long it takes to make 41 uniquely different collage necklaces? About two weeks. If you try to squeeze it into your regular nightly routine and all the other things you are supposed to do. And are willing to stay up until 1:30am a few nights. Or maybe just a few days if you have nothing better to do! ;-)

We had them work on paper plates that we had them write their names on (that was a brilliant last minute decision!). They left all their beads and their painted embossed metal on them along with their choice of either a ball chain necklace or a steel cable choker. At home, Tiny Dancer and I painted a thick layer of Triple Thick glaze on each and left them to dry completely for a few days. Then I set about to make sure that each girls' dangles were well formed (some where so prolific that I couldn't include them all, but I wanted them to have the fruits of their labor, so I sent these extras in their baggies), so that the loops were closed and no wires were poking out. And then I put the dangles on their necklace for a nice collage effect. I wish that they had been able to complete this part on their own, but I think that they will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

What do you think? The Extreme Glitter paint in the recessed areas coupled with the Triple Thick really makes this look enameled to me. Very lush and sparkly. And these girls did a marvelous job with picking out beads in coordinating or complementary colors as well as charms to enhance their style. It was a lot of work for this project, and I was exhausted after this, but I am very proud of their creativity. Below are a few of my favorites from the 41 who participated. These had the most precise painting, a great grasp of color palettes and a nice collection of coordinating beads and charms. Which one is your favorite?

So, after wading through the narrative, how about a quick free tutorial on how to make Oh So Faux Enamel Collage necklaces?

Oh So Faux Enamel Collage Necklaces

Materials:

Vintaj brass blanks
Vintaj Big Kick
Various embossing folders - Vintaj and Cuttlebug
Folk Art Extreme Glitter paint (red, blue, purple, green, aqua)
Triple Thick glaze
Assorted beads, charms, head pins, jump rings
Steel cable neck wires or stainless steel ball chain
41 girl scouts (ages 5-13)
tiny paint brushes

Optional: one darling daughter helper and tons of patience

Directions:
1:: Choose your metal and embossing folder. Run it through the Big Kick embossing machine.
2:: Buff the raised areas with the nifty Vintaj buffing block or steel wool.
3:: Paint in the recessed areas. Let dry.
4:: Select beads and charms that complement your paint colors. Create coiled loops on headpins.
5:: Paint a thick layer of Triple Thick glaze on your metal pieces. Let dry.
6:: Use a metal hole punch to open up the hole in the metal piece after the Triple Thick has dried.
7:: Attach embossed metal, beaded dangles and charms to the necklace with jump rings.
Enjoy!

Your turn!
Have you ever taught something to kids? What did you do? Did any unexpected glitches happen? What were the results like?

Would you like to get a collage necklace of your own? I have four samples that I made for the class and I will give a random winner their choice of one of the collage necklaces pictured above. Winner will be chosen on Monday, November 14th.

Just leave any comment! (But make sure I have a way to contact you - either your email or be kind and turn on your email for commenting. If you are not sure if your email is turned on, view your profile. If it says email with a link, then it is working. If not, turn it on so we can keep the conversation going! ;-)

Out of the Bosom of the Air

2011-11-09T13:32:00.000-06:00

Snow Flakes
Out of the bosom of the Air,

Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,

Over the woodlands brown and bare,

Over the harvest-fields forsaken,

Silent, and soft, and slow

Descends the snow.

{Fine Art Photography by CountryDreaming on Etsy}

Even as our cloudy fancies take

Suddenly shape in some divine expression,

Even as the troubled heart doth make

In the white countenance confession,

The troubled sky reveals

The grief it feels.

{Fine Art Photography from elgarboart on Etsy}

This is the poem of the air,

Slowly in silent syllables recorded;

This is the secret of despair,

Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,

Now whispered and revealed

To wood and field.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

{Fine Art Photography by EyePoetryPhotography on Etsy}

The skies delivered winter whites today, ready or not.

The first snow of the season usually consists of random tufts drifting down creeping in on kitten feet. Not so today. It is as if the skies were torn open and the clouds were shook loose of their heavy wet down. It looks a lot like that first picture out my window.

{'down comes the soft silent snow' snowflake simple truth pendant available on Etsy}

When I was a teacher, you could always tell when it was about to snow. The kids were a great barometer. So on the first snowfall I would always abandon what I had planned for the day and focus on the snow. That way we could shift our focus to what they were thinking about anyway and maybe still learn a thing or two.

I would get out the white copy paper and tell them to come armed with their scissors. We would fold and snip and make a flurry of our own in the classroom (I am sure the janitor loved me ;-). Then we would take our favorites and afix them to a large piece of colored construction paper and write poems dedicated to snow. I loved that class activity. And even though I was teaching 7th graders, they really immersed themselves in the simple beauty of taking a plain piece of paper and carving it into life.

{'let it snow' snowman simple truth pendant available on Etsy}

While I am not a huge fan of the many months of cold and ice and deep dark that the winter brings, I do celebrate the beauty of this day. But who knows? Tomorrow it could be 50 degrees and this could all be gone. Or it may not leave until April. Either way, I know that winter will break in the spring and I will be so much more grateful for the color to return to the earth because of this blanket of white. I think I will go and make some snowflakes with my kids tonight while I enjoy a big mug of hot cocoa with peppermint infused whipped cream. But only six-sided snowflakes.

Unexpected Surprises of the Heart

2011-11-08T00:28:00.001-06:00

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller

A few months ago, I was approached by a woman in a convo on Etsy. Would I possibly be interested in making a piece of jewelry for her using her polymer clay beads? I was intrigued, so I asked to see a picture of the beads.

I was blown away by these.

Aren't you?

I had to hold myself back a bit to be sure that I didn't scare this lovely lady and her pretty beads off. ;-)

Did I mention that the bead artist in question is Cynthia Tinapple? Do you know who Cynthia is? I confess that I didn't but I was tipped off by some of my bead friends that I should get to know her. You see, Miss Cynthia is the editor of the Polymer Clay Daily, a blog dedicated to all the artful things happening in the world of polymer clay.

Miss Cynthia was planning a trip to Nepal in November. While she is there, she plans to work with the village women there to share the art of making polymer clay beads and the celebrate the beauty of their culture. You see, these Nepali women don't see the value of their rich cultural heritage. But Miss Cynthia does, and she wanted them to see what can become of their handiwork in a completed piece of jewelry.

Wow. That is a truly noble cause.

I am still not sure how Miss Cynthia found me, but I am so glad she did!

At the time I was preparing to travel to Michigan for the Inspired by Nature retreat and it just so happens that along the way there was a Rings & Things traveling beads show stop that day in Chicago. What a great excuse to buy beads!

I purchased strands of leather disks, dyed magnesite, dyed coral nuggets, shell heishi, rustic brass spacers and twisted aluminum cubes.

The following week I spent a few days with my friend Jess at Vintaj where we learned all manner of techniques to work with the Vintaj line. One of the coolest new things to come along is the Big Kick where you emboss metal. It is really quite addicting!

Armed with this bevy of beads and this new-found embossing knowledge, I jumped into the project. {Of course, if you mean by jumped that I took my own sweet time and left it until the last possible second before the November 1st deadline, then yeah, I guess you could say I "jumped" right into it!}

As a way to tap into her inspiration, she sent me a link to her Pinterest board filled with colorful images of textiles from India, hanging lanterns from Morocco and embellished walls of monasteries. Looking at those images she selected it looked as if her beads were those textiles come to 3D life. There was a riot of color in these images, and it was clear to me after holding these beads in my hand that Miss Cynthia is a kindred spirit, able to take the inspiration and translate it to her own art. Having those images handy as I created these pieces was truly a blessing and so inspiring.

Each of her beads is slightly different. The amount of hours that went into each one, to create the canes and slice them so thin... to painstakingly place each tiny mirror and each miniscule hole-less bead into the design... it simply blows me away. I knew I need to get my creative mojo to come out and play for this one!

I really had no other parameters other than that Miss Cynthia requested some lush and more substantial pieces. I actually ended up making three pieces: necklace, bracelet and earrings. The Laila earrings are posted on Earrings Everyday blog today. Check it out.

{Meet Me at the Bazaar}

The necklace sort of sprang to life from the beads, as if they just wanted to be dancing in that circle! Multiple strands repeating the lively palette with varied shapes and sizes. Cynthia's beads separated by vintage textured saucer beads (that I have been hoarding for a few years). And a hand embossed arte metal clasp and hook to complete the look. It is so pleasing to wear (I had to try it out!). It garnered a lot of compliments!

{Dance of the Bells}

However, the piece that I like the most is the bracelet, despite the fact that I had to pull it apart three times and restring it. First the colors were wrong. Then the magnetic clasp was too dainty and finally, I didn't cut the wire long enough. Doh! Miss Cynthia had told me that she imagined whatever piece of jewelry I created would have a jingly quality. I am not a fan myself of wearing bracelets, but this one with its substantial brass leaf bead, the three strands of color and some brass belly dancing bells really hits it out of the park for me. I love the sweet jingle of those bells. I have to find a way to make another one like it!

Miss Cynthia has the baubles and told me how pleased she was with these pieces, that I exceeded her vision. Right now they are being packed up to travel halfway around the world to a remote Nepali village. I can just imagine these women touching the pieces I made and marveling that they, too, can make jewelry and in turn make a life from this living. But most of all I want them to be inspired by the fascinating story that their culture weaves into the fabric of life. And I hope that they will be inspired.

Thank you, Miss Cynthia, for finding me... for seeing the potential in this arrangement... for giving me a chance to make you something special... for believing in me. May your journey bring you unexpected surprises of the heart.

The thing about collaborations is they can be really outstanding or really horrid. It seems that there is no middle ground for people on this. For my part, I actively seek out collaborations. My show in 2010 is proof of that. I find it thrilling to bring another artist into the game and look forward to dynamically working through the process together. By working together you bring out the best in you both, and you also push yourself to rise above your own limitations, because now it is not just your own reputation at stake, but your collaborative partner's as well. It was a pleasure to be a partner in your success, Miss Cynthia!

Your turn...
Have you ever participated in an artful collaboration? What happened? Was it a good experience or a bad one? Do you actively seek collaborations or do you prefer to stick to your own designing? If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be and why? (It can be any artist, living or dead.)

Flex Your Creativity - Vote!

2011-11-02T12:41:00.002-05:00

I recently received news that one of my designs was selected as a Top 10 finalist in the Soft Flex Company’s annual design contest Flex Your Creativity.

The finalists had to use both the Soft Flex beading wire and craft wire in the jewelry design. I created this necklace called “Free Wheelin’ Summer Days” inspired by an art nouveau advertising poster for the Art Bead Scene August challenge.

You can read about my inspiration here:

Multi Tasking is My Middle Name

Everyone can place one vote for their favorite design. If you like mine, would you consider voting for me?

Click here to go vote!

Voting will be open from November 1-December 1, 2011 with winners announced on December 5, 2011.

Are you up to The Challenge?

2011-11-01T00:10:00.002-05:00

"Colour is a basic human need…like fire and water, a raw material, indispensable to life." ~ Fernand Léger

I don't know about you, but I need color in my life.

There was a time not too long ago that I designed only in hushed tones. Dark and earthy. Shades of gray and brown with a little deep plum or russet orange thrown in for good measure.

Then I decided to challenge myself in 2010 to fill my work room, my bead table, my life with color. And it felt as if the world were on fire for me.

I broke out of my color ruts. I embraced Crayola tones and soft pastels. I experimented with mixing light and dark, matte and metallic. I embarked on a journey to discover all the colors of the rainbow. I confronted my color demons, namely yellow and orange. And now I don't look back. Oh, sure, there are times when my more grunge-y side comes out to play, but more often than not you will find me mixing colors fluidly.

Last year at this time I introduced my first Challenge blog hop. At 41 participants I felt that it was a great success! I had every intention of continuing the challenge blog hops into 2011 but lost my focus (which is fitting since FOCUS is my word for 2011!). I am regrouping and asserting my desire to do a Challenge blog hop once per quarter, with a different focus each time. Who's with me?

The one that started it all was the Challenge of Color. So I have decided that that will be the one to start with as an annual homage to color.

Color Inspiration

Since last year, I have discovered all manner of color inspirations. At the top of my list is my friend Brandi's blog. Brandi Hussey is a jewelry designer with a keen eye for mixing colors, snapping downright gorgeous pictures and inspiring us all with her palettes. I am the proud owner of one of her custom necklaces. This year she created an off-shoot of her company called Freshly Hued, bringing you digital goodies to make your blog colorful. I point out Miss Brandi because I hope you will hop over and check out her blog and her use of color, but you also might be inspired to make some color palettes of your own (especially if you decide to jump on the Challenge of Color blog hop!). She offers some free templates on her blog here, but for less than the cost of a pumpkin spiced latte or two you can get a set of palettes for your very own here.

For a truly mind-boggling experience in color, check out Colourlovers.com. This place is filled with palettes of all sorts, patterns made from color palettes and even an engaging game that can be played with the names of the colors. They claim to have 1,824,796 user created color palettes to inspire your creative projects. I have mixed a few palettes myself and could easily spend my day there, especially doing the leap-frog game with the color names, if I only had some extra hours to kill. But if you are looking for what is hot and trending in colors, this is a great place to go.

I don't know how I stumbled on Design Seeds, but I am oh-so-glad I did! Jessica Colaluca is a brand designer who lives in Madison, WI. She has a company called SEED that has worked in creating and launching products. One of her primary passions is color. She posts color palettes that she creates on her blog regularly. And when I saw these color palettes I knew exactly what we would do for this year's challenge.

Challenge of Color Blog Hop

Last year, I scoured the local paint stores for paint palettes and mailed a different one to each participant in the color family of their choice. I don't have the time (and frankly, I think they may be on the lookout for me at the Lowe's paint center ;-) to do that again, so I approached Miss Jessica to find out if we could use her palettes as our design inspiration. She gladly allowed me to promote her Design Seeds blog and to use the palettes that she creates on the stipulation that they not be modified in any way (that means no Photoshopping your stunning necklace into a digital collage with her palette) and that we link back to the exact blog post for that palette. Easy enough.

Jessica has arranged her color palettes in themes, seasons and colors. The colors that she groups them in are below.

These colors are just representational of the colors that are listed in any given palette. Each palette and picture is different, and the colors will be either more vibrant or more hushed than the ones above. The variations in hue and saturation are beautiful and her combinations are so awesome. I know you will enjoy her palettes as much as I do. And if you love them, you may even want to buy one of her beautiful books. I plan to put these on my wish list for Christmas.

Are you getting inspired yet? Ready to take the challenge?

Here is how it will work:

1::Choose a color family to work with (i.e., blue, green, brown, etc.). It can be something that you feel safe with... or pick a palette that is challenging for you. (It is called a CHALLENGE after all. ;-)

2::Go to the page above that says 'take the challenge' and sign up. To keep things smaller and easier to manage for me and for those who are following along, participation is limited to the first 100 who sign up between November 1st-November 4th.

3::I will email a unique color palette from Design Seeds chosen just for you by November 7th.

3::You will create an accessory using your color palette in any percentage of color that you like from the chip. You must use at least one color from your palette. Extra feel good points if you can use all the colors provided!

4::Blog Hop on Wednesday, November 30th about your color palette, your inspiration, your creative process. There are rules that Miss Jessica has established for sharing your palettes. I will be sure to let you know what those are and you must agree to abide by them to play along, namely, no modifications of the palettes. Linking to the palette post is required.

One random winner chosen from all comments on the main blog hop post here on Wednesday, November 30th. What will you win? Why beads, of course! I have an assortment of colorful beads {including art beads} and fibers that are just dyeing {get it?} to go home with a random winner. {I will post the goodies next week.} If you are a bead artist and want in on the prize giving, shoot me an email and I will see if that can be arranged! I will also gift a second random winner with one of Jessica Colaluca's Design Seeds eBooks of the winner's choice suitable for an iPod or an iPad or iPhone.

Sound like fun?

What are you waiting for? Head up to the 'take the challenge' page up top and sign up!

A button to add to your blog with a link to this page:

Hope to have you join in the fun!

Your turn...
What is the one color that you turn to when you know that you need to design something special?
What is the one color that really stumps you?

Take Time

2011-10-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable,
than risk being happy."

~Robert Anthony

I have this little magnet that I bought years ago that is called The Daily Guide to Happiness. I have seen many versions of this poem and more seem to be written to it all time. I don't remember to look at it every day, but when it is all of a sudden unearthed from my refrigerator, it reminds me that I do indeed have all that I need to be happy. But if I have an awareness of that happiness, then I have a responsibility to share happiness with others.

It is easy to complain, to sag your shoulders and adopt a woe-is-me attitude. It is not easy to pick yourself up in the face of whatever adversities are yours to bear and smile through the tears. I am not always the most cheery person on this planet. I am a bear in the mornings and when things don't go the way I expect them to go I can be downright gloomy. And don't even get me started if I misplace something (happens very frequently) as I am a like the Tasmanian devil (just ask my family). So little reminders like this magnet that I have held onto for years serve me well to realign myself and plant my feet squarely moving forward instead of being rooted to a sinking quagmire.

I thought that those messages were ones I needed to carry around so I decided to make them into a series that I call 'take time' in my Simple Truths style. I have this great new bezel that is a long thin rectangle. Perfect for telling fortunes or carrying a mantra or word that is near to your heart. I modified the original poem slightly and added a few new ones for my own twist, but overall there are some messages here that I need to wear and be reminded of every day.

{available for sale on Etsy - custom orders welcome}

Here is my modified 'take time' mantra....

Take time to care...it makes strangers friends.

Take time to read...it's the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to create...it's your gift to give.

Take time to think...it's the source of power.

Take time to work...it's the price of success.

Take time to laugh...it's music of the soul.

Take time to play...it's the secret to youth.

Take time to give...it brings joy to others.

Take time to love...it will lift you higher.

Take time to pray...it's the start of miracles.

Your turn...

Your happiness is not divided when you share your positivity with the world, it multiplies and is reflected back to you tenfold.
What are you taking time for today?

BTW::Small Things with Great Love

2011-10-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

"We cannot do great things in this life, only small things with great love."

~ Mother Theresa

For this Bead Table Wednesday I will show you some small things that are threatening to take over my life.

My displays from the show - by themselves they don't seem like much, but when they are amassed in one or two or five bins, they take up a lot of space. I am hoping to get that shelf up on the wall so that I can display things properly! Maybe tripping on these every day will encourage me to get that done!

The pile for the girl scout class - I am teaching a simple jewelry making lesson to 35 girl scouts on Friday. (35 girls? What am I thinking?)

We are using the Vintaj Sizzix Big Kick to emboss metal blanks and then we are painting them with Extreme Glitter acrylic paint (that is what Tiny Dancer said they would like), covering with Magic Glos and hitting with the UV lamp to make faux enamel components. Then we are layering them in simple mixed media, multi-medal charm necklaces.

{'simple truths' pair well with Vintaj embossed blanks, Humblebeads egg nest and mushroom and ForTheLoveofBeads glass headpins by Mallory Hoffman!}

The mass of 'simple truths' (I have about 100 waiting for me!) that are destined for either jewelry for the holiday shows or for Etsy.

{Small Things-Great Love}

And my entry for the Art Bead Scene for October inspired by the painting A Hedgehog in a Landscape by Giovanna Garzoni. I created a little 'simple truths' hedgie with the message "do small things with great love" as a nod to that quote up above by Mother Theresa. I used a combination of picture jasper, wood nuggets, painted wood ovals, stick pearls, shell bead, Vintaj leaf and Mamacita's pewter acorn. Squeaked in just at the last minute!

What is on your bead table today?

Shift Into Iridescence

2011-10-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry that this somehow didn't get posted yesterday...

The winner of the enamel earrings "Nothin' But Blue Skies" is Stephanie McGinley! Stephanie, please email me with your address.

The winner of the signed copy of Barbara's book Painting With Fire is Courtney Breul! Courtney, please email Miss Barbara with your address.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The Dragonfly

a poem by Louise Bogan

You are made of almost nothing

But of enough

To be great eyes

And diaphanous double vans;

To be ceaseless movement,

Unending hunger,

Grappling love.

Link between water and air,

Earth repels you.

Light touches you only to shift into iridescence

Upon your body and wings.

Twice-born, predator,

You split into the heat.

Swift beyond calculation or capture

You dart into the shadow

Which consumes you.

You rocket into the day.

But at last, when the wind flattens the grasses,

For you, the design and purpose stop.

And you fall

With the other husks of summer.

When I attended the Inspired by Nature retreat in South Haven, MI in September, Heather had the idea to do a bead mixer party. We each had to bring in a 16" strand of nice beads in the colors of green, teal or purple. We cut them all apart and put them in a big stock pot. Then one of the ladies got a big spoon and stirred them all together.

There were pearls and amethysts, crystals and pressed glass, ceramic and seed beads and every shape and size you can imagine. We were each served up a healthy portion of the bead stew and challenged to get our creative juices flowing. Then we set about to create something special from this mix.

Around this same time, I had found out about a little contest that Jewelry Television was hosting. I had heard about it through the wonderful Miss Margot Potter. Do you know Miss Madge? She blogs, and writes books and comes up with unique and crafty ways to stretch your jewelry creativity. Plus she is the on-air educator for the Jewel School videos. I have found many helpful videos on there from the likes of Sherri Haab, Leslie Rogalski, Katie Hacker and more. Check it out!

The contest rules were to make a piece of jewelry and submit it for judging. That's it. There was not even a rule that you had to use a Jewelry Television product (I checked on that) which I thought was pretty generous, especially since the grand prize is valued at $5,000 ($2,500 in cash and $2,500 in JTV credit plus the chance to have the winning design created as a kit or for sale on JTV and in the Jewel School videos!).

I wanted to find out how their products stacked up against other online vendors so I gave it a shot and found a few things to try. I bought some druzy cabochons (I am thinking of filigree wrapping them) and some clay beads (which I ended up using in my ABS entry for September) and these intriguing mosaic mother of pearl shell donut beads. I never buy that shape. I don't know why. But something about the way these donuts shimmered when the light shifted and the soft colors really drew me in.

As far as a critique of JTV, I will say that I was a bit dismayed when my PayPal account was charged a separate charge for each item, instead of one charge, and it took a bit longer to receive them than I expected, but the quality of the beads and cabs was very good. Each was packaged in a separate, very sturdy and almost decorative box. Nice touch.

I started with the donut and a Czech pressed glass shimmering dragonfly button that I bought in a little bead shop in South Haven. I wanted the donut to be the focal of this garden-themed bracelet, and so I started grouping clusters of dangles in the hole, like a wrist corsage, with the bee hovering up above. I have a few of these golden bees left that are dimensional on all sides (wish I knew where I found those so long ago!) and I thought that with all the silver toned spacers and wire I was using that this little pop of gold would draw your eye in nicely.

The rest of the bracelet came together rather quickly. I used two strands of Beadalon beading wire and started with the purple peanut beads to make a button hole for the dragonfly button for the clasp. Then I just strung a random pattern of beads, weaving them in and out of the beads for structure. A few more dangles to fill the space, and voila!

{Shift into Iridescence}

I don't enter challenges because I think that I am going to win them. Often I don't make it that far. I do challenges just for the fun of it, to stretch my creative wings and to see if I can rise to it. I am very honored to have been chosen by a very esteemed panel of judges to be in the top. I have seen the other finalists and they run the gamut from metal clay to wire wrapped gemstones. Each is very beautiful in its own way.

The next phase of the Jewelry Television contest, I am told, consists of a live broadcast on Wednesday, October 26th where they will show off all the finalists. The program guide shows it from 11:00am-2:00pm (but that could be EST). They will be kicking off the popular voting portion of the contest. If you don't get the television station (check your listing guides), they do have streaming video on their website and they are on Facebook, so there might be a way to vote through those methods as well. But hurry! I believe that they will be announcing the winners on Sunday, October 30th!

I hope that you will go and check out the wonderful finalists and perhaps think about voting. And if you choose to vote, please vote for the design that you feel really deserves the top honor (I won't know if you voted for me anyway!). I have no illusions that I am going to be in the top three after the vote, but it is certainly an honor to be selected as a finalist.

Your turn....

If you were to get $2500 for your creative business, what would you spend it on?