forgive me..and a giveaway

Carol Dekle-Foss

Recently, I discovered just how fragile and delicate life really is. I was reminded that we need to take care of one another, and show kindness, love and forgiveness. 
 I know death is hard thing to think about, but what if you knew that you were going to die tomorrow. What would you do today? What would you be doing during those very last breaths? 
Some events in life can be painful and crush our hearts. That's why it's so important to live in the NOW and LOVE, while we still have the chance. Maire did a wonderful post recently on breathing that is very helpful to bringing us back to the present moment. 

I haven't been able to create or blog over the past few months unfortunately, because of a painful event. I am slowly making my way back to creating. So for this post, I have decided to offer a giveaway!

I am offering one lucky winner a leather bracelet, earring set and a sandblasted stone keychain! 

Bracelet and earrings are made with roll-printed sterling silver sheet, and earwires are handmade from 21g sterling silver wire.

Would you like to win all three pieces? Simply leave a comment and share whatever you like. What are your plans this summer? What have you been working on creatively? For an extra chance to win let's be friends on Instagram! Here is my Instagram page. Just mention that you followed me in the comment and it will count as two entries. Also, feel free to leave your comment on our Facebook page, if that's easier for you. I will announce the winner May 18th.

We are all given just one life to live and enjoy, to the best of our ability. So when our time is up, we can be grateful we had the gift of life.

Show Crazy

by MaryAnn Carroll

I have pretty much been consumed with our first time Potters for Pets event this weekend at the CNY SPCA in Syracuse, NY. My husband Bill and I have spent a ton of time, along with the Developmental Director, Theresa Para to prepare this first time event. This all started with an idea from my son CJ who works there.

I have been a crazy person starting yesterday making sure I have inventory.... nothing like waiting until the pressure is on!! Last night I got a few new pieces made. I have such a hard time switching from making bracelets to earrings to necklaces. Last night I decided I would take my own advice and let my hands do the work and not let my brain interfere.

This is what I came up with (I still need to work on my picture taking skills)..... that'll be down the road.... probably in the distant future!

And my bracelets.... quick pic this morning.

I amaze myself that I am able to pull anything off with the way I work! I wish I had a more focused brain...

I would never have enough inventory to fill up a booth by myself, so fortunately, I do these shows with Bill and it is mainly his pottery. I find that the older I get, teaching all day poops me out! Maybe one day after retirement I will get better at this inventory stuff!

And, like everything else I do, I realized that I didn't order the little 3 x 5 bags that I love to use. They do end up costing me about 46 cents a bag, but customers always comment on them. Hopefully, my papermart.com order will be here before weeks end.

These are linen and they come in an assortment of sizes. I love them!!

Wish us luck! I did have a post started about how to create a successful show, but I don't know if it will be successful or not, so I will wait until after. I hope to take plenty of pictures. If you're local, we'd love to have you!

There are on Facebook http://facebook.com/cnypottersforpets and I also created a website (I tend to go a litte overboard)!  http://pottersforpets.com.

Since I mentioned the website, I would recommend wix.com for website building. It is, by far, the easiest I have ever used!

MaryAnn

Room for Discovery in Fibers and Weaving

Do you ever put so much pressure on yourself to work on a project, that it becomes a burden?

I tend to do that, and the project gets pushed to the side and forgotten.

Here is a quick pic of a stash of various silks and fibers I have been collecting over the years (I'm not about to throw that stuff out - it's good for "something" - that project in the back of my head).

 And these stringing materials - LOVE them and have lots!

Picking up some Tapestry needles at the sewing store - done that a couple of times...

So as a kid - I loved knotting, braiding, twisting, tying, weaving natural things...

I grew up in the 80's and my mom was big into cross-stitch (oh embroidery thread - how I adore you! Especially the Magenta and Peacock blue colors...)

So as a "grown up" I wanted to try some weaving.

While on a very restricted budget, and refusing to go out and spend any money unless I really knew this is something I want to do, I went to Pinterest to look up some weaving practices.

It's been a while, but I think I searched things like: loom weaving, handmade loom, weaving for kids, nature weaving, and such (you get sucked in and hours later - there are ideas everywhere).

So this cardboard loom - made with an old cereal box and masking tape worked for me and my allowance for self discovery.

First I Wrapped hemp around in the long direction 8 times (I think an even number is what you need to make it come out right) - the ends are just temporarily taped with masking tape on the back - nothing special.

I left a tail - just incase I need that for when I figure out what I will be doing with these (bracelets???)

Then over, under, over, under...

Back and forth.

Add on more - hide the ends in there.

Tie a knot on the last string at the end.

For me - this was completely experimental.

I wanted to see what happened with different fibers in the warp and weave positions.

And how are pattens made.

This just barely touches the iceberg - seriously...

And always - if you think you are going to work towards making something wearable, you should make sure to do a skin test to see if any of the materials will poke or scratch, and avoid using them if your weaving is to be wearable.

So now that I have fiddled with my small, cheap looms, I can see about getting something a bit more sturdy. And I get to see about finishing these - so check back for that post.

PS - I watched Jill Wiseman's DVD on Kumihimo with Beads - and the finishing the ends part has my brain thinking in terms of how to finish something like these. It also makes my bead making brain think - what kind of ceramic component can I make? But that is a whole other issue...

Finding Your Creative Muse

Carol Dekle-Foss

How do you deal with your creative muse? Can you summon it instantaneously and just begin working on your art? Or is it elusive and fleeting and require moments of solace and peace to show its face? I believe everyone has creative ability, and that some have no idea how talented they actually are. I think it's just a matter of slowing down, unplugging from all the chatter and listening to your inner muse.

We all have our own ways of invoking our creative force as well, be it lighting candles, playing music that lifts our spirits, or even well placed crystals or natural elements collected from a cherished family outing. What helps you to be creative?

My creative muse and I, well we have issues. Sometimes I have self-doubt about myself and my ability, and also, at times the need for perfection overrides my passion to explore and create. But...when I do create something that makes my heart sing, or if I get a compliment while wearing one of my pieces, well those moments make me feel validated as an artist, and give me that extra nudge to create even more.

If you are just starting out designing jewelry or you are trying to create and are in a rut, I invite you to look past your fears and self doubts. Don't worry about perfectionism, and start being open to what your muse is saying to you. Also, just enjoy the creative process. Grab a pencil and paper, and start drawing to see what happens!

I recently discovered or I should say rediscovered what makes my creative muse come out and play. I read that it's a good idea to draw out your jewelry designs. I never fully grasped this concept until I saw this image. I'm grateful to Erin Prais-Hintz for posting this drawing of her necklace and showing one of her creative processes. This picture made me have an aha! moment and helped me realize how to rekindle my inner muse. Thank you again Erin!

I take a journal everywhere now. I have one in my car, in my purse and also by my nightstand. You just never know when creativity will strike. Sometimes I will be driving down the road, working out, or just daydreaming and my mind will drift to a design I am working on. I immediately grab my journal or whatever I can find and start to draw.

For example, I was recently giving my chickens some treats and noticed my roosters tail feathers flopping in the wind. They were long and wispy, so I tried to capture them here in these earrings.

 He is a damn fine rooster isn't he? Such a sweet thing too, not aggressive at all. Although at times I would like to ring his neck for being so loud and annoying!

Here is another example of how drawing out designs was helpful. I have this mound of leather samples from my previous job and wanted to make bracelets from them. The problem is they are only 2.5" by 4" in size. TIP: If you are looking for leather, you can try furniture stores to see if they have any discontinued pieces.

So, while enjoying a cup of coffee this morning, I drew out this design. Drawing it out really helped to see what it would look like and also helped with the actual size because of the graph paper.

Here are a couple more designs showing how drawing helped with the overall creative process. 

The dragonfly necklace was at first supposed to be a ring and then by drawing it out I realized I should make a necklace instead.

I have no idea why the heck I keep creating with swirls and flourishes!

Etched nickel bracelet.

Necklace made with a raku bead from Star Spirit Studio.

 These earrings were originally going to be round! I didn't like how they looked on paper and changed the shape.

This Pleiades necklace took me about 4 drawings before I came to this design.

I would like to share this special box. It was a project in our last metal smith class. I etched the hand drawn image on copper, then fire-kissed it with a light torch flame. The location, Ruth's Pond, is special to my family, particularly to my mom. She passed away in 2004, and it was her favorite spot to go and have fun. I made the box as a tribute to her. She would have loved where my creativity has taken me and sometimes I even think she is here helping me along. I also engraved the inside with her actual handwriting. Hopefully my family will appreciate the box and cherish it as a family heirloom.

I hope this post will help you find and embrace your creative muse!

Some of the above designs are not listed on my website because I have been prepping like a madwoman for the American River Music Festival, my biggest event of the year.

 Over the last couple of months, I have been more focused on creating than marketing. My website has suffered. After the festival, I plan to find new ways to drive traffic to my site, and will share any that work. Stay tuned!

Going once, Going twice......

MaryAnn Carroll

One thing I have learned from my experience with online groups is that similar to "real life" groups, people may come and go. It is the part of life we all have that takes us through different experiences. One thing I have experienced being a part of Love My Art Jewelry is that I continue to become a more inspired, educated and connected person through those in the group and those of you who follow, share comments, guest posts, jewelry creations on SYS and more.

I can't quite remember how this jewelry collaboration came to be because it was quite some time ago. It may have even been close to a year.... not sure.... life goes by so quickly.  The time has finally come that our collaboration was published in this very awesome edition of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

 

This art jewelry set was created by some wonderful artists that include, Mary Jane Dodd, Kelli Pope, Izzy Winterhart, Staci Louise Smith, LeAnn Weih, Patty Lakinsmith, D'Arsie Manzella and me. Our intent was twofold. One was to promote the love of creating handmade with handmade. The other was to recognize and support the organizations that fight to end domestic violence. Many of us have been affected by this whether it is ourselves or someone close to us.Check out the issue for some fab pictures. This issue also includes a bracelet tutorial by our very own Staci Louise Smith.

 

With that said, stay tuned for more details regarding how you could be the owner of this unique art necklace, art bracelet and earrings to match, while at the same time, helping with an important cause.  Once I receive the jewelry back from Belle Armoire Jewelry, we will be auctioning all five pieces together. I was the last one to have these before sending them off to the publisher and I can assure you that when I tried them on, it was AMAZING!!!

As always,

Thank-you for supporting those who create handmade with handmade.

MaryAnn

PS....

This awesome Art Bead Love Tour chain is ready to move on to the next winner. Click HERE to find out more about it.

From 15 to 51......

by MaryAnn Carroll

I really connected with Stacie's post about bling versus and more natural look.... something that is a part of you...  She didn't exactly use those words, but it made me think about my own taste in jewelry.  As a teen, I thought I was pretty cool.... perhaps, a little too much so due to teenage brain syndrome....

I didn't wear much jewelry, but was sure to adorn myself with ripped or patched jeans, oh yeah.... memory.... Jethro Tull necklace....  , whatever shoes were the latest style.... usually big platform shoes (never sneakers) that now look to me like something Herman Munster (maybe some of you know who Herman is) might wear, and whatever casual, yet hip shirt to match the rest of the wardrobe.  As I aged, I still kept my "in style - my style" personality and most of my taste in clothes.  If I felt comfortable wearing my jeans to work every day (which is frowned upon), I would.  Another thing with age is that if you are smart, you will realize that at 51 you really should NOT wear what you did at 15.  I've tried to remain true to myself (a rare dress and panty hose) with age appropriate style at the same time.

One thing that works well with my style is cuffs.  I searched on Etsy to find art cuffs that I would buy today ..... They are probably not fashion friends with my shiny Jethro Tull necklace (nor should they be), but I think they are pretty cool......

Click on any of the links below to see more of the artist's creations.  

Also....  a 30% off sale is being offered by Marissa Ringman, the artist behind Tornto until March 31st to celebrate her 30th birthday....  Coupon Code: HAPPYBDAY30

Ohhhhhh.....just remembering when......I had my third child when I was 30.... 

 febrarose

jamiespinello

jvinciguerra

kristinalein

silviascreations

ssdjewelry

tornto

urbandon

 and, of course.... Stacie Florer....

soultosubstance

How has your style evolved over the years?

........and as always,

Thank-you for supporting those of us who...

-create handmade with handmade-