ever so gently ringing

mary jane dodd

leaf hanging with bells - mjd 2013

so much pressure for an evening, a day -

resolutions, intentions

i have learned that year dates are a way to give a bit of structure to our recollection of life events,

but each and every day we have the opportunity 

to awaken 

to invoke change.

----------------------

balance

greys that calm 

building bridges between 

white and black.

soft threads 

fragile strength

for eons

providing humanity 

with exquisite

function

in the shape of mandalas.

crystals faceted just so

catching light

and releasing it

the dance of all 

that is open

reminders from the himalayas

that clarity 

of

thought 

word 

and 

deed

are critical

and bells,

lovely bells

softly ringing 

gentle reminders 

kin to birds singing

cats purring

leaves rustling

that life is best lived

awake. 

from benedictus by john o'donohue:

may i live this day

compassionate of heart,

clear in word,

gracious in awareness,

courageous in thought,

generous in love.

A Girl can Change Her Mind, right?

by Staci L. Smith

 

I got to spend a little time with some metal and cabs this week.  I made time actually, because I was so inspired by Joy Kruse in the Summer Edition of Belle Armoire Jewelry (both Stacie Florer and myself are in this issue).  It's an amazing issue, and I was really drawn to Joy's jewelry in it.  She bezels rustic stones and uses lots of little add ons as texture.  Since my very first bezel, I have added little things to the side, because it was too plain, but OH MY she takes it to an entirely different level.

 

So I sat down and made this.

 

 

 

 

And I loved it.

 

 

 

 

And I was proud of it.

 

 

 

And I posted it on facebook.  And I no longer liked it.  As I saw it in front of me, there was something that just wasn't setting right with me.  The piece just wasn't quite "staci" enough.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................

 

So I turned it sideways. 

 

 

And added some rustic stones.

 

Ahhhhhhh.  Now I love it.

 

 

 

See, a girl can change her mind!

Growth and New Beginnings....

Over the last few weeks since I returned from my first time being a vendor at BeadFest, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my experience there and wondering about whether or not there are more bead shows in my future. Over the last few years since I began making beads and jewelry, there has been a definite shift in my work from one that was mostly focused on jewelry to one that is mostly focused on bead making.

Making and selling beads is not for everyone and preparing for a large bead show takes months of preparation. Producing and making multiples of the same design has never appealed to me all that much and no matter how many boundaries you set for yourself, there is a tendency for customers to ask for something you are no longer very excited about making. For a working artist, that can mean crossing back over boundaries you've set for yourself because there are bills to pay and customers to please.

So last week, after I returned home and unpacked and put my studio in order, I sat down for the first time in over a month at my work table to make beads.

I had no idea where to start. Perhaps making beads for 6 months non stop will do that to you. I had no energy to put new ideas to work yet and the thought of making one more bead in a similar style to what I had been making sounded way less than appealing.

I decided to revisit some of the first designs I had made almost 3 years ago, small birds and owls. They had always been a customer favorite and many folks were disappointed that I was no longer too crazy about making them. However, as I sat and began making tiny birds, I felt something return that I haven't felt in some time.

Pure unadulturated joy at making birds.

While I don't know what the future holds at this point for my beadmaking future, I do know for now that each bead I make needs to be filled with that same joy. Each piece of jewelry needs to have that same enthusiasm and I'm excited to begin again...

present

mary jane dodd

autumn has a way of challenging you to be present... 

day by day the foliage becomes more spectacular... 

and mother nature shares her love... 

do the changing seasons affect your work?

and don't forget about the art bead love tour - you can get the details here

how we grow

'when you're finished changing,

you're finished.'

~ ben franklin

i love the evolution of style... how some shifts/refinements/experiments flow effortlessly, some are hard earned, some are delivered by the muse and some by the post wo/man... some broaden your options and some bring you closer to expressing your truth...

a subtle but significant change for me is switching to lower case stamps... 

as is playing with open forms... 

trying new colors (red is definitely a step outside of my comfort zone - 

browns and blues are not) ... but i have a different idea for them... 

did you try anything new this week? was it planned or unplanned?