The Market Mommy Holiday Blog Party has begun! This is a fun interactive event is sponsored by marketmommy.com. This is a great way to “meet” some very talented Mom Entrepreneurs and have the chance to win some fabulous prizes! Including some from heavenlyflower.com: a $50 Gift certificate and 5 $10 gift certificates!
You may also like to check out their Holiday Gift Guide for some fantastic & unique gift ideas.
Best of luck to all who participate!!
I found this article several years ago, after looking up the exact wording to one of my all-time favourite quotes by Thomas Moore. The article spoke to me so much I cut & pasted it for future reference. I found it the other day while cleaning out folders on my hard drive. I thought I would share it here as I’m sure many of you can relate, esp. other “innerpreneur” types like myself. Unfortunately I am not sure what website this originally came from, however I was able to give credit to the author.
by Michelle L. Casto
Thomas Moore said, “We are all poets and artists as we live our daily lives, whether or not we recognize our role and whether or not we believe it.” Human beings have an innate need to create. Even you! There is a continuum of creativity, ranging from being slightly creative to highly creative. The good news is that you can learn to be more creative by observing creative people and modeling yourself after them. Artists, writers, and creative types seem to have similar characteristics. Some of the personality traits listed below may seem eccentric, odd, even “out there”—but that is where creativity lies— in the outreaches of our consciousness, in the depths of our souls. If you had the opportunity to speak to Picasso, Walt Disney, or Jane Austen, you would probably find out that they are ordinary people, much like you and I. The difference is that they have allowed more of their soul to come out and play and have freed themselves of convention and restriction. Creativity is essentially the art of discovery and an act of faith. When you create something— a work of art, book, software program, dance routine, or role for a play, you discover parts of yourself that you never knew existed. Creative people have a strong need to express more of who you really are and often have to fight for that right. The character Isabelle in the movie, Fire and Ice, has a great outlook on what it means to be creative, she says, “To create, sometimes you must rebel.”
1. Unconventional
Creative people do not feel the need to conform to society’s standards. They often swim against the current and flow with their own way of thinking and living. They have original ideas that literally turn the world upside down and right-side out. Take for example, the 16th century Italian astronomer, Galileo, who proved that the earth revolved around the sun (instead of the other way around), which was revolutionary in his time.
2. Individualistic
Creative people want to find out what the truth is, and they have a strong need to decide for themselves what works and what does not. Often they are ahead of their time, and much of their work is appreciated/acknowledged after they are dead and gone. Many writers are famous for marching to the tune of their own drum, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote the book, Self-Reliance, and Robert Frost who penned, “two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less-traveled.”
3. Inventive
Creative people live in the world of ideas, and don’t always have the best interpersonal skills. Because they are so highly intelligent, and live in the realm of possibility, they are constantly coming up with bright ideas. They also take notice of what is missing in the world and/or what could be improved. Take for instance, Thomas Edison, who invented hundreds of things in his time, his most famous invention being the light bulb. He saw that there was darkness and then created light.
4. Driven
Creative people cannot “not do something”-they are almost compulsive until they can bring their internal vision into fruition. They have that “fire in their belly”—a passion to contribute to the beauty and betterment of the world. Because of their high drive, they can produce a lot in a relative short amount of time. Talk about drive— the material girl herself, Madonna, has not let public praise or criticism stop her from being a super star. She is a modern day Diva, multi-talented as a singer, dancer, and actress who has released hundreds of songs, albums, videos, movies, books— all the while reinventing herself as someone new.
5. Visionary
Creative people have a guiding vision in their head, heart, and soul that they are often called to bring to life. Who else but Michelangelo could look at a large piece of marble and “chip away at everything that wasn’t David?” According to him, “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” One of his best-known works is the immense ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which took him three years to complete, where he often had to work upside down for hours at a time. If you ever have seen any of his work, you can easily see that it is a vision to behold.
6. Intuitive
Creative people are very in touch with their inner selves. They pay attention to the signs, synchronicities, symbols around them, and make use of that information in their work. They often act as a channel, where ideas and inspiration come from a higher plane. They allow the work to guide them to where it needs to go. The work clearly originates in their soul, not from their ego. Talk about ideas coming from out of the blue, remember how the scientist, Isaac Newton “discovered” gravity? He was sitting under a tree and an apple fell on his head! Had he not made a connection with his intuitive nature, he would have missed a major theory about the world we live in!
As you read this, do you find yourself relating to some of these traits? If so, it is time to start creating. Getting started can often be the hardest part, because we often limit our creativity by listening too closely to our negative inner voice. But so did all of these examples of creators. Even the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh struggled with that, but he created a remedy for that, he said, “If you hear a voice within you saying, you are not a painter, then by all means, paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Robert Henri says, “When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature.” Once you have created, you now have to put yourself out there for all to see. This is where your faith comes in to support you. Remember that if you are creating from your soul, it will not matter whether other people accept your work or not. You are simply doing what you are called to do as a human being, create.
Michelle L. Casto is a whole life coach, speaker, and author of Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Career Development, and Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world. Contact her for a free 30 minute coaching session: www.getsmartseries.com and www.brightlightcoach.com
Contributed by:
Michelle Casto
©2003, Michelle Casto
Website: Get Smart! LearningBooks, Seminars, and Life Coach
I added a little somethin’-somethin’ to my Artfire Studio today. This copper choker has been sitting on the bench for some time begging to be finished. I bought these copper discs – no word of a lie – 10 years ago. I used to buy a fair bit of Estate sell-offs back when ebay wasn’t so saturated. I admit at the time, being new to the jewelry making game, I wasn’t aware of the size when I bought them. 15mm just didn’t compute in my brain as being on the large side. So when the lot arrived – almost 100 – I had no idea what to do with them. They seemed so big and flying saucer like…
So they sat in the supply pile for well, a decade. Then this summer I decided to pick up some copper headpins, and see if I could make one of my signature funky chunky bracelets.
(Oh and I decided to pair up the discs with a 3.3mm bicone copper bead to add some dimension…)
I wanted the piece to be really solid so I started putting the discs really close together on the links of dash dot sterling silver chain (I love this chain by the way – although it is expensive it is really heavy duty, perfect for projects like this). It definitely was solid…however by doing this it did not have much bend…kind of hard to make into a bracelet. Since I already started it, I didn’t want to dismantle and start again, and I knew I had a fair bit of beads, so I decided to turn it into a choker.
So I got the beads put on and then, there it sat for a very long time. About three months! I just couldn’t decide how to finish it. Although I had assembled the discs on a heavy gauge sterling silver chain, I did not like the way the sterling stood out against the copper for the extender chain portion of the necklace. I probably could have oxidized the chain, but I was lazy. Instead I found some really heavy duty vintage copper chain to finish off the piece.
I put a fairly long extender chain on it so that it can be adjusted to wear in a variety of ways. I also like the dramatic effect it has: the large beads at the front, and the slender sleekness of the chain trailing down in the back…I really love how it feels like a puzzle in your hands.
This is a piece for someone who wants to make a bold statement, and own a truly one-of-a-kind. I know I could never get these beads again. They are assumed “vintage” although I cannot confirm this…
Expanding on yesterday’s post, that lately I have been working with colour themes, I now introduce you to one day’s project: fun with reconstituted smoky quartz. Essentially, these are glass beads that contain particles of smoky quartz. So yes, they are “just” glass but are they ever so pretty! I don’t purchase a lot of glass anymore but when I saw how these faceted beads danced under the lights I had to have them. They are a nice size too – 12mm, so they really make a statement.
Initially, I set out to make one of my signature chunky bracelets. However, as the piece evolved it became clear that it laid better across the neckline than on the wrist. And so, voilà – this piece was born:
Unfortunately, my photography skills do not do it justice. It looks and feels like a million bucks on. This is probably due to the heavy sterling silver dot dash chain, as well as the 22 gauge sterling silver wire each bead is affixed on the chain with. I also made sure to make it adjustable length wise so that it could be worn in different ways: choker style or longer. I love how it looks and feels on –
I was really, really tempted to keep it for my own personal collection!
If you can imagine, this was a fairly labour intensive project, so I finished up my adventures in sparkly amber coloured bead land with two elegant and tasteful pairs of earrings:
That was fun! I am really hoping to find time to do more projects like this!
So the other day I had the opportunity to have an adventure in sea blue – or aqua blue as these particular beads are properly called. I currently have dyed quartz and fiber optic cat’s eye beads in aqua blue. I have beads of all colours of the rainbow in the cabinet…so I love to get requests for specific colours to work with esp. if it is one I have not touched in awhile. I mean really, do I need an excuse to get creative? Twist my rubber arm…
Check out these dyed faceted quartz beads paired with sterling silver hoops. I tell you, the pictures do not do these babies justice: so pretty and sparkly!
I also have many round 4mm dyed quartz beads. Kind of boring, you know? So I had this idea to wrap them around some memory wire – the bracelet size – with 24ga sterling silver wire to make a fun & funky hoop earring. I have not worked in memory wire in a long time, & due to the success of this experiment I think I will be doing more projects using memory wire in this way. I can also see making some cool pendants & such as well, not just earrings!
The hoops face back-to-front when you wear them – just like a normal pair of hoop earrings. I decided to put them on sterling silver French ear hooks (earwires) for comfort.
Finally, I really love the look of this hue of blue with white, so I wanted to make a dangly pair coupled with a freshwater pearl accent…and here you have it: 4mm dyed quartz, fiber optic cat’s eye beads and 5mm frewshwater pearls on sterling silver:
It was really fun to work with this colour amongst all the Fall colours here in Québec…really makes me long for white sandy beaches and turquoise seas! 🙂
Re-gifting. You can’t tell me the thought has never popped into your head. You receive a gift that really, is perfectly fine but just not your personal taste or style.
So, I decided to give you my re-gifting blessing! Every purchase from my Etsy Shop or Artfire Studio will receive a gift from me.: A free pair of earrings. You can keep these handmade artisan earrings as a gift from me to you, or use as a gift for someone on your holiday shopping list.
The earrings will be made of good quality materials: either sterling silver or gold-filled ear hooks, hand-painted cloisonné beads or semi-precious gemstones. ANY PURCHASE qualifies. Just my way to say thank you and to give back. I know there is always someone on that list you’d like to give a little something to that maybe the budget doesn’t allow.
As always, there is free shipping worldwide on all items! 🙂
The promo is currently on and will continue until January 11th, 2010. You will automatically receive a pair with your purchase.
See this charm bracelet…
Want to win it?
This bracelet is the collaborative effort of members of the SATeam – Starving (Jewelry) Artists Team on Etsy. You can see my own pewter/sterling silver and Swarovski angel charm poking out at the bottom left in the top photo.
Basically, for every item purchased at participating shops, you get an entry to win this beauty. We can’t even start to guess what kind of price tag to put on this. We’re talking high quality handmade charms from fellow artists.
You can check out each shop to see more savings and deals. The list of participating Etsy Shops can be found here:
http://starvingartiststeam.blogspot.com/2009/10/sateam-wrist-candy-holiday-giveway.html
Take note as per the above post you can enter this contest without purchasing. Simply follow the directions indicated on the starving artists blog. 🙂
You can also do a search on Etsy for “SATEAMWRIST”. This will bring up the available items for sale in all participating shops.
The sale is running starting today, October 26, 2009 to December 6th, 2009.
Good luck!! I can’t wait to see who wins!!
As the saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20”. Something that may not make sense at the time will become crystal clear in the future. You have that, “Ah-ha” moment, as Oprah would say.
So a couple of weeks ago, I was browsing Artbeads, looking for an item to try & review. I had no idea what to get, only that I wanted something new to me that I had not seen before in person. So I decided to start browsing their jewelry making kits. Mind you, I am not a fan of anything that comes with directions. I would rather just figure things out for myself, like putting together a puzzle. Ikea is a nightmare for me. 😉
I started browsing the different Swarovski crystal charm kits, and kept getting stuck on these dragon fly pendants. At the time I wasn’t 100 percent sure why, just that they felt “right”. So I went ahead and ordered them.
So fast forward to last Friday, when the kit came in the mail. I remember thinking, “wow, this took awhile to get here”. I was anxious to get working on it but was delayed until tonight.
Today holds a very big significance for me. One year ago today, at this very hour, I was on my way home to Nova Scotia; feeling emotionally numb…sitting next to my then 13 month old daughter in the van, 4 months pregnant again, which at the time was not yet common knowledge. My mother had passed away suddenly earlier that day. She was only 54.
It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by already. I’d like to say today was hard, but really it was okay. It’s hard to be sad with my beliefs on the afterlife, and particularly when you have two little gems to keep you occupied. My eldest daughter is now 2 and my youngest daughter is 7 months.
So when I sat down tonight to put this kit together, it immediately had a meditative quality for me. The first thing I realized, is that one charm was made with smaller beads than the other: 4mm bicone crystals versus 3mm bicone crystals. That reminded me so much of my daughters, as one is slightly older than the other.
I was also reminded of my mother’s casket. When we went to pick one out, my eyes immediately went to this particular casket. I knew that was the one. Just something about it. There was an embroidered insert in the display, and it reminded me of my mother. I can’t remember exactly all the detail, but that there was a dragonfly. My Dad did not purchase the insert, but I thought how interesting that I would remember this detail, while I sit and put together these dragon flies.
To me, this final detail is validation to me, that it is no coincidence that I chose this kit. As I went to look up the details on this product for this blog post, I realized that I chose the blue zircon dragon flies. Blue Zircon was my mother’s birthstone.
Call it the power of our subconscious or something deeply spiritual ~ it really put a smile on my face tonight. Regardless of the reason, it was nice to do something this evening that turned into a tribute to my mother.
In light of this, I have decided to put these charms aside and give them to my girls when they are older. Someday I will tell them all about their Lola and give them these charms in remembrance.
Now here’s the technical stuff:
The kits are done by Creations by You, LLC and are copyrighted
They come with all the Swarovski Crystal & seed beads needed, stringing material (monofilament) and components to make these cell phone charms, if you so choose.
(Unfortunately – both charms were missing the amount of seed beads required to make the loops: one was missing one, and the other two. This is no big deal, you can easily modify to make a smaller loop).
If you have a basic knowledge of bead stringing, this project will not be challenging at all. They also work up very fast, great if you want that instant gratification feeling. I recommend a pair of tweezers, to help pull the stringing material through the tighter spots. The directions and photos are basic, I admit that sometimes I was a bit confused, but with my knowledge of beading I got the jist of what was being explained.
True to me putting my own creative flair on everything, I modified the patterns/beads slightly. I used Beadalon beading wire rather than monofilament. It’s tougher and I prefer to work with it. I also decided to skip the last step, as I thought it was unnecessary & a pain to get the beads to “lay down” properly. This resulted in extra beads that I then used to modify the pattern of the smaller charm.
The charms are very pretty, feel solid in my hands (probably because of the Beadalon) and sparkle wonderfully as Swarovski crystals do. The photos do not do them justice.
However, at $26.97 per kit I think an investment in loose crystals that can be used to develop one’s own creativity would be a better investment. But that’s just my humble opinion. 🙂
I’ve been thinking of cards lately. Cards Cards Cards. I’ve been hitting all the stationery/crafty places: Omer DeSerres (DeSerres, Loomis…Loomis & Toles…whatever their name is now in whatever official Canadian language ;)), Staples, Libraries Boyer…even took a trip to Ottawa to Michael’s for inspiration. I have the honour of making wedding invitations and all things stationery for my dear friend who is tying the knot next year (note to self: should do a blog post on *my* wedding invites…*giggle*).
So my mind lately has been drawn to the work of this very crafty chick who knows a thing or two about embellishing paper: Michelle Hanway, author of the Hanway, Ink Blog.
Check out this snazzy card “Inspired by Nature” ~ her own garden of echinacea being its inspiration:
Michelle has been crafting since 2007. She says, “I’ve always had crafty aspirations, but never stuck to something…”. Her creative preferences are card making & photography. Being a woman after my own heart, she does not scrapbook. 😉 Her favourite paper technique is heat embossing…something I hope to try my hand at later this week (Omer DeSerres was having a sale. Ahem.). She gathers her inspiration from many blogs, her garden, “whatever pops into my weird lil’ head”. Ribbon is her admitted favouirte embellishment. You will find Michelle’s crafty aspirations contained in a storage room in her home she has nicknamed the “Craft Cave”.
Michelle has been demoing for Stampin’Up! since Aug 11, 2008. (*Drool*…good thing Michelle lives in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia…otherwise, I would be *broke*!) The “Inspired by Nature” card uses stamps from the company by the same name.
Above: ‘Wings of Friendship” Hostess set Stampin’ Up ~ as constructed by Michelle Hanway
I have been prepping the emails, the blog post, the newsletter…and fretting excitedly awaiting the 11th hour…so that I could draw the winners of the Great Jewelry Giveaway Contest! Three prizes: $100, $50 & $25 in chosen jewelry from my Etsy & Artfire Shops was up for grabs!! Here’s the original post:
http://creativityinspired.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/the-great-jewelry-giveaway-contest/
So I waited…tick tock, tick tock…and even as the time drew near, the entries still came in…I am absolutely over the moon at the response. It makes me so happy to see so many people support & appreciate my creativity…remember this creative outlet saved MY LIFE…does that sound dramatic? Well, it’s true. Out of the depths of depression 11 years ago, I found a way to create & express & share…
Anyway, enough chit chat. Who won, right? We didn’t get 1000 entries, but it was so close! Probably in another couple of days we could have gotten there…but the anticipation was killing me too so…the winners, chosen at random (thanks to random.org)….
CONGRATULATIONS
Linda Kish of Winchester, CA~ Our Third Place Winner
Kim Powell of Sharon, PA ~ Our Second Place Winner
…and…drum roll please…
Kathy van Herk of British Columbia, Canada!!!!
OUR GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF A $100 SHOPPING SPREE OF HEAVENLY FLOWER JEWELRY!!!!
I am so excited for the winners, I am shaking while I type this…hopefully there won’t be too many typos… 😉
It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and although we didn’t make our 1000 entry goal, I am feeling festive. Therefore, I randomly drew 5 more names. These lucky winners will get a $10 Gift Certificate to spend in my Etsy & Artfire Shops:
Tia Barton of Derry, NH
Rachel Abugov of Montreal, Qc
Alicia Chandler of Norman, OK
Sarah Reed of Green Bay, WI
Linda Chen of Australian Capital Territory, Australia
I will be in touch shortly as to how to redeem your prizes. Congratulations all, thanks to all who entered, and stay tuned for future giveaways!!
I sold my “Day of the Dead” earrings, so I wanted to make something in replacement. I was drawn toward these faceted fire agate beads that I picked up at a Gem & Mineral Show this summer. Not exactly falling into the category of, “leftovers” but I have been jonesing for some true creativity & inspiration lately, so I’ll take it wherever it appears!! 🙂
This always happens when I go away. While on vacation, my mind is turned on. I get lots of ideas for marketing, photography backgrounds…what I would like to make and designs…however when I sit back down at the bench my head and hands just don’t seem to be communicating. What we got here is (a) failure…to communicate… 😉
So earlier this week I sat down with the beads and some sterling silver wire. I knew that I wanted them wire wrapped, that I wanted them to be somewhat free formed and more rugged/edgy than elegant, certainly not “perfect” – but would have a universal appeal and style. I tried a heavy gauge square wire. Then a heavy gauge round wire. Both attempts ended up in the scrap pile. I found myself digging out the bead caps and making a simple yet beautiful pair of fire agate earrings…
The only problem is, it nagged me all night and into the morning. It’s not what I wanted to do – at all! Although they looked great it wasn’t what I was going for. So out came the nippers and cut cut cut…I dismantled them. I could have gotten two more beads out of the stash but – these were the ones I wanted to work with. So with determination I sat down again. This time with a 20 gauge round sterling wire. I was amazed at how fast and easy these worked up:
These earrings were such a joy to make. They were truly meant to be. They also reminded me to never give up – and to never settle. The creativity will come back…it always does… 🙂
ARE YOU READY?! This is the official announcement: we will be drawing the $100 Jewelry Giveaway NEXT SUNDAY (Oct. 11th) at 11pm EST! This is your final chance to get your entries in to win this fabulous prize. Three lucky winners will get to choose $100, $50 and $25 in FREE jewelry from my Etsy & Artfire shops! The response has been AMAZING and will be drawing next Sunday whther or not we reach 1000 entries: but we are going to come pretty darn close!
Go here for the official rules and announcement: The Great Jewelry Giveaway Contest
I am so incredibly touched and pleased by your responses and support! Best of luck to all and I am so excited to see who wins next week!!
Sometimes I am totally inspired by a handmade item not just for its beauty-artistic appeal but for it’s practical-artistic appeal. So is the case with the Double Duty Diaper Buddies by Nicole Lulchak of Nana Browns.
I discovered this fellow Canadian’s Etsy Shop a few months ago, upon preparing for summer with essentially two babies. I was actually drawn in by her adorable sun hats which I ordered (they are totally cute too!). Then while browsing her shop thought I would try the diaper buddy as well. I was immediately impressed at the craftsmanship and by the versatility of the item. It held diapers for both my girls plus was the perfect change pad while on the go (and we have certainly been on the go A LOT this past summer!).
When I inquired as to how she came up with the diaper buddy, Nicole replies:
“The inspiration behind the Diaper Buddy was truly necessity. We were going on a vacation to Arizona and Mexico and I was trying to find ways to make the diaper bag lighter, while still carrying everything that we needed. I also wanted to be able to just grab the things needed for a quick diaper change and leave the big bag behind. The criterion was lighter, functional and stylish and after some tinkering with the pattern and different fabrics the Diaper Buddy was born. We tested it out everywhere we went on our vacation, it was fabulous, and I got all kinds of feedback from people who saw us using it and wanted to get their own. Mine travels everywhere we go and it really is great to just be able to grab it and go if we need to.”
Nicole has been designing and sewing for approximately 20 years.
“…not quite longer than I can remember, but a lot of years. I think I made my first piece, a patchwork pillow, on my Mother’s sewing machine when I was about 10 or 11.
“I have a large collection of fabric and patterns, both new and vintage and really enjoy designing new pieces from all the ideas in my head. Both my Grandmothers were avid sewers and I learned a lot from them. One of my favorite patterns is a hand drawn quilt pattern that came from my Grandmother on my father’s side. I use it often and it always reminds me of her.
“I have had a lot of fun since I set up shop on Etsy about a year and a half ago. It has been really incredible to send my pieces to people all over the world and know that they enjoy them. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to make more custom pieces for people as well.”
Nicole is inspired by colours and textures, and also finds her daughter is a great source for inspiration. Necessity will drive the creativity as well, and as a busy mom myself, I can totally relate! She also finds that her creativity & tactile nature motivates her to find inspiration in most things.
“I am a very tactile person – I love to wander through a shop and touch and feel the things that catch my eye. My husband always says it takes twice as long to shop with me because I have to stop and touch everything!”
Anyone who knows me, knows I love a great stone or mineral sample. My jaw dropped when I saw this necklace made with rough cut amethyst & citrine by Michele Carte of mcstoneworks. This piece combines my love of jewelry and stone specimens all in one! I absolutely love seeing these gemstones in all their natural beauty. A piece like this I would love to examine up close!
When I inquired about the piece, Michele, a fellow SATeamer, replied,
“I found the amethyst/citrine rough cut beads at a gem and mineral show. I couldn’t put them down. They were just so beautiful in their natural rough state. I decided to use a simple design so the focus was on the rough cut stones. I didn’t want to detract from them. This design is quite different from most of my other pieces.”
Michele has been designing jewelry for about 3 years, and I think I am drawn to her work because she too is inspired by nature (on a side note: Michele & I share the same birthday of April 22nd. So it’s no wonder to me why we are so drawn to nature ~ April 22nd after all, is Earth Day & makes us the very earthy sign of Taurus. :)).
“Most of the pieces I design are inspired by some aspect of nature. I use a lot of flowers, and leaves in my work. My husband and I own an interior plantscaping company so my designs are a natural extension of my love for plants and flowers. I also like flower gardening.”
See Michele’s other nature inspired pieces in her Etsy Shop. I also really like her resin flower jewelry!
I had a request for a komboloi (worry beads). I have never made worry beads before, so I jumped at the challenge. After getting a few details, I started searching through my supplies to see what I have that would be suitable. Luckily I have a pretty decent stash of supplies now. I buy wholesale, so unless I need to order a few hundred dollars in supplies, I don’t take custom requests unless I have the beads on hand. With the exception of, the chance I may be attending a gem show or personally visiting a supplier where I can pick up a few things at wholesale price. In this instance, I was putting in an order for chain anyway so I added a couple of strands of carved bone beads for accents.
A traditional komboloi is constructed out of light organic materials such as amber, coral, wood or nut beads, bone, horn…although they can be made out of just about any kind of bead from glass, crystals or gemtones. The key is to have a good feel weight wise but still be light enough to make the pleasant clicking/tapping sound when the beads hit together.
So…since I have never constructed one before, this posed several challenges for me. I had to judge size, weight and length as well as decide which materials I felt would work the best.
In the instance that I get a request for something that I have never encountered before, I will come up with a few variational designs (at least three, usually), show them to the potential client, and have them judge which they like best or tweak a design to their liking (if possible). This way the client can see my creative take on the design. Extra pieces get listed in my online shops.
The design itself looked simple enough, but I ran into a few challenges. Without having the client feel the beads first hand, I wasn’t sure which size would be suitable. So I had to do a lot of digging through my supplies picking a few variable sizes that the client could try to help decide which felt the best to them.
Just when I thought I had the right variations, I ran into a major problem with stringing the beads. I had originally laid out some leather cord & chain – of which none of the beads fit through. Holes on stone beads tend to be on the small size to prevent slippage.
So before throwing in the towel I dug deep into my stringing supplies and also got out a very useful tool: a bead reamer! It’s used to help file & shape out the holes of beads to (hopefully) make the passage wider. I ended up with 4 different designs in the end.
I decided to construct this horn & bone piece first since they had large holes & slipped easily through the chain. 11mm translucent butterscotch horn beads with 10mm carved bone beads on an antiques silver chain.
I dug out some waxed linen cord to make this one & was delighted that it easily slipped through the holes but has a durability that is needed for the constant clicking together of the beads. This one is 10mm onyx beads with 10mm carved bone beads. A 25x8mm carved horn bead is accented at the bottom.
I was really excited to work with these beads as they are very unique. I bought them sometime ago with the intention of making a men’s piece out of them, and never got around to it. It’s 14mm black banded agate that has been treated with an acid to give it this cool denim crackle finish. These are the beads that I had to ream (file) the inside of the hole to get he to fit through the chain. But it worked! Accented with a 25x8mm carved bone bead.
Finally, I chose these 16 – 18mm jade rectangles to make the final piece. It is constructed with a tough beading wire, and accented with a 25x8mm carved bone bead.
It was a fun experiment nonetheless. Always good to be pushed outside the box!
Halloween will be upon us very soon so I wanted to try my hand at some pieces inspired by the holiday. The first thing I thought of was All Souls Day: Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos and the artwork/tattoos that are based around this theme. The second thing that came to mind was a goth/vampire feel. So the challenge was to create pieces based on left over materials I had on hand (since my Etsy & Artfire studios are the places where I list jewelry made mostly from leftover materials from past projects).
I bought these pewter skull charms on closeout awhile back, so I knew they would be perfect. Paired with some red flower beads & hematite I created these Day of the Dead inspired earrings:
The red flower beads reminded me of the red roses I’ve seen in tattoos inspired by El Dia de los Muertos.
After those were constructed, I decided to go into a whole different direction. The words “fallen angel” kept popping in my head, as well as “Angel of Death”. So I worked with this idea, again with the pewter skull pendants, adding pewter wings. I just needed the perfect “body”. So for this time, I decided to wade through my “premium” (read: not leftovers) supplies as the hematite beads I had on hand just weren’t cutting it. Fabulous labradorite faceted rondelles caught my eye quickly. They are a nice ghosty gray tone, plus the metaphysical properties seemed to fit. Here’s what I came up with:
I used moonstone to create the neck of the “angel”.
This soon had my mind working in the direction of a pendant. I have a few of these black (dyed) quartz faceted teardrops that I knew would be perfect for the body. A little wire twisting and voila:
A 4mm hematite bead makes up the neck, & I used a 22 gauge sterling silver wire. I decided to hang it from a sterling silver chain so not to take away from the focus of the pendant itself.
What I really enjoy when making themed pieces – particularly when it comes to holidays- is to come up with a design that can encompass wear year round & not just for the certain event. I find if you are not careful, jewelry designed around a theme can appear costume-y (which of course is fine if you are designing costume jewelry!). I want to create something that could be enjoyed year round. I think with the right customer, these pieces can be enjoyed over & over again.
And you know what – I really don’t find these pieces morbid. Perhaps because for me death is a transcendence of the soul, where we are reborn…although the body may die and flesh rot away. To me, that is beautiful…
When I joined the Starving (Jewelry) Artists Etsy Street Team last year, one artist that caught my attention right away was Dianne Karg Baron. Her wire work is absolutely perfect: the attention to detail & craftsmanship is second to none & the designs truly inspire me. I knew that I had to have an example of her work featured here for future reference. Although there are several other pieces that are far more intricate, I was totally drawn to this pendant entitled: Mother & Child.
I chalked up my intense interest in this pendant as the result of being a young mother, having given birth twice in an 18 month period. Then Dianne shared the background on this design, and it was then that I understood why this particular piece held such a powerful energy:
“…And sometimes, the inspiration for a piece comes from an episode in my own life. In the case of “Mother and Child”, it was a miscarriage. Back in May, I discovered I was pregnant. It was a surprise pregnancy – completely unexpected. On the Monday I took the test, had a positive result. On Wednesday I went to my family doctor to get the process of finding an OB started and to schedule an ultrasound. On Thursday I started bleeding… After a couple of hours of sitting in Emergency, I had some tests and was sent home with the advice to come back if it got heavier. On Saturday, I started cramping severely, went back to Emergency and miscarried while waiting for a second set of test results.
It all happened so fast that I barely had time to wrap my head around the idea. Originally, I had planned on delaying doing the pregnancy test until Thursday, and then got impatient. It occurred to me that if I had followed through on the original plan, I would have never known I was pregnant.
I knew the chances of going full term were slim: I have underlying health issues that would have made for a very difficult pregnancy. So, the miscarriage wasn’t a surprise, but I was still sad. More than anything, it made me wish I’d met my husband 10 years earlier.
I’m of the opinion that every pregnancy is a soul connection between the mother and the child. That connection continues regardless if the pregnancy is terminated, miscarried or goes full term. Part of my grieving process has been to think in terms of still being “Mommy” to an angel who didn’t quite make it to Earth.
The pendant is my expression of that soul connection: it clearly shows the baby growing safe and secure in its mother’s belly. The foetus is abstract, and to my view, also looks a little like an angel wing. So my hope is that it works on both levels: celebrating the ones who join us, and remembering the ones who are growing up on the other side.”
When I received this background on the pendant, I found myself welling up with tears. I wanted it to remain in Dianne’s words rather than edited as I am sure many women will be touched and even comforted by her story. This piece is a true testament of how we can use our creative abilities to heal & inspire others.
Dianne has been making and designing jewelry for almost 15 years. She finds her inspiration from art, from architecture, from nature, from history – and of course, from personal experience. See more of Dianne’s work, including tutorials, at her Etsy Shop & visit her website.
I come across the most wonderful handmade work & it pushes me to keep creating and keep evolving. So I thought it would be nice to have a section on my blog just for work that moves me, influences me & speaks to me. I also wanted to get background on certain pieces. How and why were they made, what inspired the particular piece & the artist. This will be a place for me to refer back to especially when I need some extra inspiration, as well as share it with all of you & give these talented artists some recognition!
The first piece I wanted to share is this delica beaded ring by Lisa Brideau of Maked. I have always admired her skill to make such beautiful items out of seed beads (something I have tried my hand at but I just don’t have the patience or the vision!!). These rings not only look great on, but are comfortable to wear!
Lisa started beading in Jr. High after her mom gave her a cheap plastic bead loom. She took to it instantly, and so started an obsession with seed beads. The beadwork was shelved while Lisa attended university, but soon after she picked up the hobby again, this time discovering delica beads.
“I’ve been making the delica rings in particular since the 2nd year of my graduate program (a few years ago now) – I needed a small, portable project to do during my law class – not because I was bored but because I didn’t have to take notes so my hands were restless. My classmates loved them and they became a staple of my beadwork.”
These rings are great for those of us with busy hands. Says Lisa: “I love the way they feel – when I need something to fiddle with, I can take my ring off and squish it. Weird, but satisfying. There’s something lovely about the texture of woven beads. It’s also very pleasant feeling the perfect delica beads lock into place one by one as I stitch the ring.”
Although the delica rings give her a nice break from the long, involved & intricate work she normally does, larger projects are more to her liking. Check out her most involved beadwork project to date. She had to build a loom big enough to create it on:
I was fortunate enough to travel to Ontario Cottage Country in order to attend the 46th Annual Rockhound Gemboree in Bancroft. My husband & I are rock & minerals geeks but are very green when it comes to rockhounding. It’s definitely something we want to make a family activity. We met some wonderful encouraging amateur rockhounds & look forward to getting out to the field once the children are a bit older.
Bancroft is the Mineral Capital of Canada and the show did not disappoint. Two buildings plus an outdoor area filled with jewelry making supplies, specimens, info on rock hounding & many talented artists from jewelry makers to stone carvers. We did the full show: 4 days and we were never bored. We actually felt a little sad when it drew to the close on the 4th day. We Definitely will be back next year. Staying at a cottage with no electronics was also so clearing for the mind. My cell phone didn’t even work. We were just able to sink in and enjoy the natural beauty the area had to offer despite all the mosquitoes (thanks to a rainy summer!).
Besides jewelry making goodies we also picked up several wonderful specimens. Our favourite place to buy was from the amateur rockhounds who set up shop in the sweltering heat outside. Not only were they wonderful quality, but it carried so much meaning to us to acquire pieces that were collected by such passionate individuals. We had a collection of a few specimens picked up over the years, mostly from our days in Nova Scotia attending the Parrsboro Gem & Mineral Show. But after the haul of goodies we obtained from Bancroft, it was time to set up a display case so that we could enjoy our finds all in the same place.
Dare I say – our collection is TOO BIG for the display cabinet!! Next year, we will have to look at acquiring another one…
I would share here some of the jewelry making materials I acquired, but 1) the photos were pretty bad and b) it’s more fun to let the creativity flow & share the treasures through design! Stay tuned!
UPDATE Oct. 11th, 2009: CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LUCKY WINNERS WHO WERE DRAWN AT RANDOM THIS EVENING!! DID YOU WIN??
So I could probably find a more – er, creative name for it, but it is what it is. The largest giveaway I have ever done: $175 in free jewelry with top prize being $100 worth! You pick your prize from my Etsy & Artfire studios. You do not have to sign up for these sites. If you are the lucky winner simply go, browse & tell me what you want. So here’s the skinny:
Top Prize $100 Second Prize $50 Third Prize $25
HOW TO ENTER
Simply enter by visiting heavenlyflower.com and filling out the entry ballot at the bottom of the page.
WHO CAN ENTER
The contest is open to anyone, worldwide. Limit one entry per email address. No purchase necessary. Please note I will not be keeping the email addresses after the contest – they are only to inform you if you have won. If you have clicked the opt in button you will receive promotional info from me from time to time but let’s face it – I hate spam as much as you do, so they will be sporadic emails. IF YOU DO NOT CLICK THE OPT IN BUTTON YOUR EMAIL WILL BE DELETED AFTER THE CONTEST – you have my word on it. 🙂
CONTEST DURATION
The contest will continue to run UNTIL WE REACH 1000 ENTRIES. Upon reaching 1000 entries, the contest will cease the following Sunday, with winners drawn at 11pm EST. If we reach 1000 entries on a Sunday, then the draw will take place that Sunday night at 11pm.
I WILL ADD UP TO 5 ADDITIONAL PRIZES OF $20 EACH IF WE EXCEED 1000 ENTRIES!
Winners will be announced on this blog and on my Facebook Fan Page and via Twitter. Winners will be contacted via e-mail and will have 30 DAYS to redeem their prize. I will be giving status updates on the contest via these mediums so be sure to follow the blog or on Twitter, or fan the Facbook Page to keep updated.
PRIZE REDEMPTION
Winners will redeem their prize by choosing jewelry equaling the dollar amount of their prize from my Etsy &/or Artfire Studios. It is not a requirement to sign up to these sites. You simply can let me know via email which you would like. Winners have thirty days after contest close to choose their prize. Therefore any new offerings that I add during this time frame to the studios will be eligible as prizes, as well.PRIZE NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CASH. PRIZE NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CUSTOM WORK. Jewelry must be selected at one time; you cannot carry over any remaining amount after your prize has been chosen. You can pay the difference if your chosen jewelry exceeds the prize allotment. Prize is awarded “as is” and does not carry any warranty or guarantee due to breakage or defect. You must choose from active inventory listed on my Etsy & Artfire Shops; you cannot choose from work that has previously been sold or unlisted.
WINNERS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF CANADA WILL HAVE TO ANSWER A SKILL-TESTING QUESTION AS REQUIRED BY CANADIAN LAW.
Prize must be sent to one address at the same time. The prize will be sent to the winner in a timely manner however I cannot guarantee it will arrive by a specific date. I am not responsible for prizes lost in transit. Cannot be combined with any other promo I may be offering.
NON-CANADIAN RESIDENTS: I am not responsible for any duty, tax or tariffs that are imposed by your country at time of delivery. I do write GIFT and HANDMADE CRAFTS on the customs form which should alleviate the need to pay any taxes; however it is out of my hands if your government decides to charge you tax.
WHO CAN REDEEM THE PRIZE
Winners will have the choice to give their prize winnings to a loved one to redeem. The winner will simply inform me via email who I can expect will be contacting me for redemption.
So fellas – you should enter and make your mother/wife/girlfriend/sister – happy! 😉
Handmade jewelry always makes a great gift & Christmas will be here sooner than you know it! 🙂
Please enter & help me celebrate phase I of my new website!
I am enjoying my summer vacation, therefore I am on a hiatus from jewelry making. I did find time this evening to list this great piece I made several weeks ago. It is inspired by the orange dahlias in my garden. I have had these vintage orange beads for several years now. I bought them as they intrigued me so, but no design ever came to mind. Let’s face it, it’s a pretty funky colour! The 10mm oval glass beads have a gold AB (aurora borealis) finish on one side.
Since the piece is inspired by flowers, I was thinking wrist corsage when I made it. Therefore, I concentrated on getting a large cluster of beads to sit on the front of the wrist, rather than wrap all the way around. A magnetic clasp finishes the piece. I thought of adding a lobster clasp in order to make it adjustable but it was way too tricky to clasp. So a magnetic one means no fuss, no muss!
I am honoured that CJ Grand of The Grand Design chose my black cat anklet as today’s Handmade Tweet on her blog. She has some absolulely stunning work featured from many different artistic mediums. Go check it out & get inspired (and drooling!).
Thank you Lisa Holley for featuring my Etsy Shop as the shop of the week!!
Bejeweled’s Jewelry: All My Friends on Etsy
(on a side note, I should be back to blogging shortly. I got side tracked with web design & a new venture hopefully launching shortly there after…so many ideas, so little time…)
Newton’s first Law of Motion: “An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion…” So too does this apply to inspiration. I found myself “stuck” as of late to get jewelry making again. Out came the supplies & I sat down…but nothing came to me. No inspiration. I’m into jewelry making for the expression: the creative outlet; not just to mass assemble pieces for sale.
Over the 12 years that I have been making jewelry, I know a thing or two about finding inspiration for my art form. I was foolish to think I could just sit down and start again after a 10 week hiatus! So here’s what I do to get myself inspired again:
1. I get organized.
Regardless if you make jewelry, paint, knit, sew, etc., your supplies are bound to get messy despite your best attempts to keep it neat & tidy. We wouldn’t be creative individuals without a bit of chaos thrown in! So I take some time to sift & sort through supplies. Sometimes an object just needs a new place in the storage containers or on the workbench in order for it to spark some creative juices. Touching & feeling the textures of the medium you work with (for me it’s mostly semi-precious gemstones) can also kick start the process.
2. I go shopping.
Whether your budget is big or small, buying new supplies or simply browsing at your LBS (local bead shop)/supply store can be a wealth of inspiration. It also keeps you up to date with what’s new & exciting. Besides this, I like to window shop at the local mall. The window displays tell a lot about what’s “hot” for the season.
3. Check out the trends online & in magazines
This is a given, I know. For jewelry making, I like to check out the trends by browsing online jewelry shops, or department store catalogues. It’s also great to read trend reports on fashion sites. I tend to shy away from actually making anything based on trends, but it still serves as inspiration. Checking out what other talented artists in the handmade realm are making aids in finding creativity for me. Not just the jewelry, but the handmade goods on sites like Etsy & Artfire are sure to get the ideas flowing.
4. I look around me
Absolutely, hands down, the best form of inspiration is my environment. Whether it be the colours & textures of my children’s clothing, the vibrant colour of a fresh salad straight from the garden or the mixture of my own personal decorating style around the house. All these things serve as the best inspiration of all, because it is something intimate to me, that is easily relatable. Working with what I know helps my creations evolve with a sense of ease, & doesn’t end up looking forced or mechanical.
The change in seasons is a huge help as well. I am someone who is drawn to nature well, naturally! I think we all are in one way or another. Maybe you like to sit and meditate or read outdoors, go hiking in the woods, plant in your garden or play a seasonal sport. I know for me, this time of year the flowers in full bloom & the lush green foliage acts as a catalyst for me to create jewelry pieces that are vibrant & alive with colour: turquoise, orange, yellow, etc. I have some magnificent orange dahlias blooming out front that serve as the inspiration for my current work in progress.
5. I look at what the birthstone of the month is
Most of my jewelry is based on the metaphysical properties of stones, so I enjoy making jewelry themed around birthstones. This helps give me a benchmark as to where to begin. For example for June, I could concentrate on making pieces featuring pearls & moonstone to help get me going. Even if you don’t make jewelry, the colour of the birthstones may help give you a place to start your knitting or embroidery.
6. I Draw
I can barely draw a stick person mind you, but this is all the skill that I need to record any ideas I may have. As I become more aware of my environment in a creative sense, I will get flashes of ideas. It’s great to put them down on paper for future reference. It sounds cliché but a pad of paper & a pen by your bed really is a must. I can’t tell you how many times I have had brilliant design ideas just as I am nodding off to sleep or waking up, only to forget them later when I have the chance to actually put those ideas to use. Right now for me the best time for ideas is as I put my girls to bed. I lay down with them until they fall asleep, so this is great time to just close my eyes and think. I then draw them out on paper once I am free to get up & start my evening.
Of course some of my favourite pieces have been created out of spontaneity, and following the steps above I believe can help you create unique items regardless of what your creative medium happens to be. What are some of the ways you find inspiration? Happy Creating!
Well it’s offcial. I sat down last night I finally made my way back into jewelry making after a 10 week hiatus due to the birth of my second daughter. I am elated, because the hiatus was more like, one year after my first! It was just a couple of pairs of earrings but it was enough to get the creativity flowing & have the ideas come rushing forth. Here’s what I’m working on today, I think I’ll call it, “orange crush”:
They are vintage orange beads with a gold AB finsih on one side. I got these at an online aution get this – over 11 years ago!!! Yep. I thought they looked cool but in over a decade I was at a loss as to what to do with them. I’ve been hanging on to them ever since: something about them told me when the time was right, I would use them. Trust me, there have been many time when I have considered destashing them or giving them away! Stay tuned for the finished piece…