End of Summer

Even though it is officially the end of summer, it still remains hot here in Virginia through November. This weekend we spent a night at a local state park. I never even new this place existed and it is so close to our house. Another couple go here every year. Even though we spent only one night, we had a great time. We went on a bike ride and discovered a peaceful beach. At night we sat around the fire with drinks and good convo. We decided that every year we are going to join them. It is a nice paradise get a way so close to home and very inexpensive. It is a great way to get in touch with nature, recharge your juices and get creative new ideas. Next week I start my enamaling class. I am going to be creating new designs and finishing up a couple of copper bezels I worked on. This year has really been all about learning and discovering things in the DIY world. I want to learn as much as I can so when I sit in my studio I am armed with creative possibilities. I have so many collection of things that inspire me in binders........I am thinking.......why are they in binders? Out of site, out of mind. I want to put a wire on one wall to hang such inspirations, I want to get a bullentin board to post ideas, reminders etc. So even though it is the end of summer, I already have new beginnings starting. With the end of each season something new can be born. Kinda like shedding old skin. Yeah!

Get Clear

Today I read something from my Skinny Bitch book. Anyone who feels empty, sad, or like they are not ahead....I hope this helps:

Get Clear:
Are you living your life
as someone who is healthy,
happy and vibrant
or someone who is
sick, angry, and sad?
If it is the latter,
it's because your being a victim,
KNOCK IT OFF! The best way to turn
that shit around
is to make a list of all the things
in your life you are grateful for.
Every single one of them.
Bask in your gratitude all day long!

Listen, it doesn't matter that you don't have a Lexus in your driveway, a big fancy house or a few friends/family instead of an entourage. What you have is good enough. I have to remind myself of this daily. We are all going to run into life's dilemmas and fall short somewhere. That is what makes us....US!
The more we appreciate the better we will feel. :)

A Riveting Experience

Last night in my silver jewelry class, I was paging through a very cool book on riveting for jewelry., Wrap, Stitch, Fold and Rivet. Soooooo of course I wanted to learn how to do this and my teacher just happened to have her equipment with her. We took a piece of copper that was aged and distressed and riveting other metal materials and WA-LA! .





I think I am going to turn this into a necklace.........:)

Fresh New Goodies

The best thing about summer is flowers and lovely gardens. I just created this piece not to long ago. It is a pink enamal flower on a copper chain. Very simple and fun. It reminds me of summer.





This is another flower piece. The flower pendent has an egyptian spiral wrap that attaches the flower to the beads. The copper wine brings out the brown and copper tones on the beads....love it.



Both available at my Etsy shop! Check them out!

Ciao!

Indie

The Power of Handmade!

The more I create, the more inspired I feel. I can't tell you the last time it was that I went shopping at a department store or mall to buy clothing or jewelry. I don't need to run out and buy the latest and greatest trend. I use to, and all it got me was wasted money and a sense of disappointment after the newness wore off so shortly after the purchase. I have learned not to buy into all the commercial hype. It is garbage and not needed. Ever since this change.....I feel lighter....

When you buy handmade, you are supporting someones dreams and hard work. When you buy Indie, you are getting one of a kind piece of art! How cool is that? These artists really are so appreciative of your purchase. It feels good. I really do not like supporting mass productions. I will spend my money on a more deserving community.

I also support local farmers markets. If I am not growing it myself, I will buy from the locals. It is healthier and tastier. I am gravitating more towards an organic diet. The hormones, pesticides, and processed foods are a real turn off. I feel healthier and not so sluggish. You can change also, you have to start small. Change one thing at a time....Rome was not built in a day ;) If you change a few things in your diet you are ahead of the game. Maybe eat fresh fruit in the morning or snack on veggies for a start. You can even do something as simple as replacing a can of soda with water.

So this change I have been going through the past year is a good one. I am so glad I got into the Indie world and am so very appreciative of my crafty artsy people I have met along the way. The world is a much brighter and healthier place!

Is there any change you made in your life that makes you feel like a new person?

A Key To All Things

This is a recycle piece with vintage flair. We were getting rid of an old door and I saved the brass decorative plates. I just new I could make something out of it.

I love skeleton keys. I love the old look. I wonder how many doors they have opened and imagine how cool it must have been to live in the olden days. I like to think of keys as symbolic. Such as a positive energy, when your looking to pass from an old situation and into a new one. I like to look ahead and "unlock the secrets" of new things.

Collecting skeleton keys is one of my many obsessions. They are hard to find, but when I do, it is such a satisfaction.

Ciao!

Take Control Of Your Life

Today is Monday and I am sure having the Monday Blah. Well, I was until I read a post over at Scoutie Girl! I wanted to share it:

You are in control: of your life, your opportunities, your ability to enact change in this world.

Use your creativity, your outside-of-the-box point of view to make something happen today. Stop wishing for change, stop envisioning a better world, stop hoping for a shift of power.

Seize control. Take your ideas to the street and demand to be heard.

If you are a consumer, use consumption to take control. If are a creator, use innovation to overpower the status quo.

We all as Artists get into these frumps. Everyday life can do that to

us. It is when we come across a post, a quote or someone who says something like the above that instantly gives me this recharge! I wanted to pass it along. Hopefully it inspires you as well.

I have not blogged in a while so this is what has been going on with me.....

Yesterday I spent the day with an artist friend of mine, Kat Allison. We dyed fabrics like muslin and china silk. She also taught me a little bit about screen printing and

mixing my own dyes. It is very fun to do. My hands have red dye on them still.........gives me a very arty look :)

I was fumbling around in my studio the other day and put together a piece with scraps. It is my favorite piece at the moment, my circle eternity necklace.

This necklace I wore at the local Etsy party we had for Etsy's birthday. This is going to be part of a flower line I am creating. I should be posting this necklace on Etsy soon......I have someone who may be interested...yeah! We will see.....

I am continuing with my silver jewelry class. I am working on some copper pieces. I figure I spend this year learning and working on inventory so I will be better equipped for shows next summer.....Besides this I am spending my weekends walking around farmer markets and laying on the beach....enjoy the simple things in life and absorbing all the earth has to offer!

I like spending evenings after work on my patio and looking out at our gardens....








The other week was my birthday. My husband knows how much I love Marilyn so they got together and order me this cake!!


It took me a day or so to cut into it, but they took a picture of it for me and had it framed.