I Think I'll Stick to Jewelry!

Nope, I am NOT a baker by nature.  I have such respect and admiration for those who are naturally inclined to create amazing pastries, deserts, breads, etc., but blessed with that skill and creative vision, I am not.  But that doesn't mean that I cannot purchase a Betty Crocker cake mix with the best of them!  A little bit of mixing, baking, icing and what do you know?  I just made some cupcakes!  And guess what? There are so many fun and unique items to embellish your moist little cakes like....GLITTER! Yes, we now have bling for cupcakes.  


Wishing you all an amazing and fun-filled Valentine's celebration week filled with lots of love and happiness.  

Remembering Your Roots

“Never destroy any aspect of personality, for what you think is the 

wild branch may be the heart of the tree.” 

~Mrs. Henry George~

I took this picture during my last visit home to Georgia. It was a beautiful afternoon, and I snapped this photo while visiting my grandmother's gravesite. As difficult as it is to explain, this picture encompasses how I felt during the trip. Nostalgic, emotional, inquisitive...so many things about my family I'd love to know. I often think about my roots and all the little things to which I can attribute my personality and spirit. I had such a great time, conversing with my cousins, aunts, uncles about the good ole' days and learned some valuable information about my family heritage. My grandmother is of Native American decent, and embraced so much of their spirituality and reverence for nature. Her mother's name (my great Grandmother) was "Nancy Sophronia" - an amazingly beautiful name of Greek origin, which means "wise". I could tell you some funny stories; I could share some sad ones, but I'd rather just share my feelings with you through this picture. I encourage you to dig a little into your roots. Take a small climb up your family tree; you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find, wild branches and all!

Last Project of 2011

“Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can. I wish you Happy New Year and diary full of best stories ever written in your life".

~Douglas Pagels~

2011 has been a great year.  2012 is already off to an incredible start!  I wish you all an amazing year filled with much love, creativity, abundance and peace.  Challenge yourself to learn more, do more and be more this year.  Don't accept mediocrity; aim for excellence in all areas of your life.  Spend time with friends and family who want the best for you and support you in all your endeavors.  DO NOT invest time and energy into relationships which drain you rather than fill you with hope and strength.  Most of all, remember to be KIND to yourself.  Take care of your body and it will take care of you.   Take a few moments along your journey to relish in your accomplishments and enjoy your successes.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Below is my last creation of 2011.  A friend commissioned me to create this piece for her boyfriend's mother...she adores horses.  Nakota and Nevada (baby and mother) were the subjects.  I wanted to capture the essence of horses - worn leather, a little rugged with warm colors.  Etched brass mounted on stained glass soldered pendant with antique bronze wire-wrapped beads.  I loved working on this project.  More to come in 2012!

To Kali...

"The greatest masterpieces were once only pigments on a palette."

~Henry Hoskins~

I love the creative process.  It all begins with an idea.  It could be a simple thought or the elaborate daydream of manifesting something only you, the creator, can visualize.  For me, creating jewelry is  my main artistic medium and thoroughly fulfills my innate creative muse.  Recently, when working on  the copper pendant below, affectionally named "Kali", after the Goddess of Transformation, I had an epiphany...art, whatever the medium, is so symbolic of life.  Okay, I know, it's been said before, but it was the first time I truly embraced this comparison.  I worked on Kali, shaping her, bending her.  I hammered her, heated her, dowsed her.  There were times along her creative path that were ugly and uncomfortable, when I felt like discarding Kali and starting over.  But I didn't give up.  I continued working on her until she was complete.  And in her completion, she is still not perfect, for her slight imperfections and roughness make her completely unique and beautiful.  

I am Kali.  I have been shaped and formed, yes, I've been hammered, bent and put through the fire.  But all these things, even the unpleasant and unsightly experiences in my life have formed and shaped the individual I am today.  And I am happy with that.  No, I am not perfect and I am a little rough around the edges, but I'm on a continual path of transformation and growth. I encourage you today to embrace the changes that come your way. For it is only through the forging circumstances of life that we become stronger and more unique individuals, contributing to this amazing universe.

To Kali... 

Creative Blocks

"MUSICAL FAIRY"

"Smash creative blocks. Change the problem or sneak up on it from a different direction. Try something fresh - a new way with an old theme, a different point of view, unusual tool". 

~Nita Leland~

So what causes them and how does one "overcome" them??  I've been thinking a lot lately about creative blocks and obstacles, primarily because from time to time (more often than I like to admit), they creep into my mind and simply do not want to vacate my right-brain.  I've read articles and blogs, all of which offer varying solutions to battling and overcoming blocks.  Perhaps the best advice I've received is from my dear friend and talented jewelry artistan Leanne Emory of Triskele Moon Studios.  She says, "The best thing to do for myself is to walk away from the studio for however long it takes..typically, that will be the time that I look at other outlets of creativity (looking at other types of art besides jewelry, reading, journaling)".  Great advice!  And now I'm going to follow it...


Two years ago, I received a beautiful acoustic guitar for Christmas; a lovely and thoughtful gift (which I had placed on my wish list).  Guess what?  Two years later, this amazing instrument is in my closet; a sad, sad place for music to hide.  So to mix up my creative outlets and get some different types of juices flowing, I finally signed up for lessons! This doesn't mean I won't be working on my jewelry; contrarily, I feel confident this new path of self expression will open up my soul to even more unique creative abilities.  


Thanks to Leanne for this great advice; it was just what I needed to get out of my rut.  I'm already feeling like making something new!  

Wishing you all a beautiful week filled with lots of love, magic

and creativity! 

(sans any creative blocks!)

Release...

"Suffering is not holding you. You are holding suffering.

When you become good at the art of letting sufferings go,

then you'll come to realize how unnecessary it was for you

to drag those burdens around with you. You'll see that no

one else other than you was responsible. The truth is that

existence wants your life to become a festival."

~Osho~ 

Wow...isn't this a beautiful quote?  I love the idea of my life becoming a FESTIVAL.  Tonight is about releasing the things in my life that are holding me back from achieving my highest goals and potential.  I let them go, and affirm that I am open and receptive to all good!


Speaking of good things, I've been working on some new things for Fall.  I completed a couple of necklaces this weekend and am working diligently (as time permits) on wire wrapping some of my recently soldered pendants.  I tried some new things this time around, and am pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  

Colors of Autumn

Rich, deep and warm are the colors of Autumn, my favorite time of the year. Fall ushers in a kaleidoscope of magnificent hues. And not to mention the fun rituals that surround this time of the year. 

**Bonfires, and pumpkins and hayrides, oh my**

I really think my love of this season stems from my October birthday. Even though we are losing light each day, there's something magical and ceremonial about this time of the year. Harvest is ending and it is time for reflection and giving thanks. And it's also a time to focus on balance. Symbolic of this is the delicate dance between light and dark now; for we know Winter is fast approaching. So simply enjoy this beautiful time of the year. Embrace the change and have fun decorating with all the colorful bounty Autumn brings. And remember...to always give thanks!

;-)