State of My Studio

Over at Beads of Clay they are asking the question, how has this season affected the state of your studio? Well, I've been doing some holiday jewelry shows, bead shopping, getting packages in the mail from swaps, getting ready to send out packages for swaps and everything has ended up on my work table. Hmmmmmm.

Bead Soup Blog Hop

Lori Anderson who hosts the fabulous Bead Soup Party each year is hosting a more intimate gathering where the participants send their partner a piece of jewelry that they either aren't crazy about, hasn't sold, has been sitting around for too long, whichever. Then the partner takes it apart and makes it into something else. Sounds like fun. I didn't get in on this one but you can watch. Starting Monday November 15 hop to these blogs and see the before and afters.

Here's one I'd like someone to revamp. Needs some uummmppppfffff!!

Erin Prais-Hintz http://www.treasures-found.blogspot.com/

Jen Velasquez http://www.jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com/

Johanna Rhodes http://www.firephoenixcreations.blogspot.com/

Laurel Steven http://www.laurelsteven.blogspot.com/

Loretta Carstensen http://www.designsbyloretta.blogspot.com/

Lori Anderson http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

Mallory Hoffman http://www.rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/

Marianna Boylan  http://www.stargirlshop.blogspot.com/

Norma Turvey http://www.beaddreamsandmoonlitfantaseas/

Sharon Misuraco http://www.goinoffthebeadinpath.blogspot.com/

Stacey Curry http://www.starhitchedwagon.blogspot.com/

Tyne Bodenburg http://www.tynebodennecklaces.blogspot.com/

Celebration

 As my Celebration post for ABS Carnival Bloggers I am celebrating life and nature through pictures. No words could ever do the splendor of nature justice. I recently went on a 4 mile hike in the Guadalupe Mountains in west Texas. I'd like to share some of that splendor with you. Enjoy!! and Celebrate!!

Swimming to the surface

I hope I didn't lose anyone. I know I've been gone for a while. I feel like I've been in a fog or underwater since my husband passed away in July. I have been just dabbling in clay for the last 3 months. Mostly because I needed to attend my weekly clay group/therapy sessions. But I couldn't really bring myself to add any color to anything. I haven't even worn any of my jewelry in the last 3 months. I guess it's my way of mourning. I didn't wear black all the time but I had trouble adding that extra splash of color to outfits. It just didn't seem appropriate.

But I feel like I am slowly swimming back to the surface. I can see the light up there, even that sparkle when the sun hits the waters surface just right. I've been waiting for the right inspiration or jolt or something to spark the designer in me. I think it was a combination of several things. I moved and had set up a small but comfortable studio space in my new home. Then I just waited. There was plenty to do in the mean time. I was recently very inspired by Art Bead Scene's October Monthly Challenge. I loved the mix of metals and the muted colors of the inspiration piece. So I began laying out a design but I kind of stalled. Then, I mentioned to a friend who is also a clay bead artist and jewelry designer that I was really experiencing a design block as I was admiring a beautiful piece that she had created. I also mentioned to her that I hadn't worn any of my jewelry for the last 3 months. So she placed her beautiful piece around my neck. And by the way, I had on the perfect black blouse to showcase her lovely creation. And told me to wear it that day. So I did. And I have to say, it felt great. Here is Deana's piece and if you are local, she is having a preview sale at her house on December 3 before we do the Ardovino's Holiday Market in Sunland Park, NM. on December 5. E-mail me if you want her address or directions to Ardovino's.

After wearing this piece for the day, I went home and finished up my Art Bead Scene October Monthly Challenge Entry. And here it is.

I'm excited to be back in the wonderful world of color as they used to say in the Disney advertisements. Wow, I'm really dating myself there. I know there will be hard times to come. But the clay and the color and life going on will keep pulling me back. I also have a brand new grandson to celebrate. He fought hard to get here and to get strong and healthy. I will fight too.

Exploration-whether you want to or not

I should have no trouble with this month's ABS Carnival Blog Theme of Exploration. I am suddenly and unexpectedly embarking on a whole new journey at a time in my life when I was very comfortable staying just where I was. As one friend put it, "It's the end of an era".

I lost my most cherished, beloved friend, lover, husband and confidant last week. I have no choice but to explore lots of other possibilites. Everything in my life changed in one instant. This is the first time in my life ever that I will live alone. But I am not alone.

I will explore options by myself that I would never have dreamed of doing by myself. Buying a smaller home. Deciding what to keep, what to part with. Deciding what to eat for dinner, what to watch on tv without regard for anyone else. But I do so completely shored up by his memory and his strength. I can feel him holding me up and keeping me strong.

There is a poem by Ruth Bell Graham in her book Sitting by my laughing fire... called Plenty and in it she says,

I have been

so generously provided for

in happiness,

good memories,

family,

and true friends;

and more than all-

His presence and His Word;

perhaps it is a "sign,"

as mountain people say,

that winter is to be

a tough one.

If that is so,

let it be;

my larders are well stocked."

My larders are well stocked. So off I go to explore.

We Have a Winner

So without further ado.......... The winner of the  Welcome a Marine Home Raffle .... is...... Clara Resler!!!!!!! Congratulations, Clara. I used the Random Number Generator Widget to pick a winner and it picked number 123. I put everyones name on a spreadsheet the appropriate number of times, if you bought 10 tickets I entered your name 10 times. Then put the total number into the random number generator page and VOILA!!! So the winner was totally random, but I have to say that Clara was my first and has been my Best customer!! So Congratulations Clara. And thank each and every person who contributed. This was fun and I'm so excited that Shivon and her family can be in North Carolina to  greet this adorable face when he comes home.

July Art Bead Scene Blog Challenge

It's a new month and time for a new challenge over at Art Bead Scene Blog  This time the challenge is based on a sculpture called Blue Feather instead of a painting. I had the perfect pendant already made for this challenge. Perfect color and shape just sitting in my stash waiting for that Ah HAA moment. When I saw the sculpture I had that moment. I also had some pyramid shaped beads I had made that I thought depicted the triangular shaped feathers or birds in the sculpture and some small metallic glazed discs for the round shapes in the sculpture. The only thing I had to do was figure out how to include the blue feather aspect of the sculpture. It would add color and a linear shape to my piece. Then I thought, blue feather. I have a collection of naturally shed feathers that I clean and sometimes dye. I had a dove feather that actually had a blue tint to it so I added a little more blue to it, wrapped it with copper wire that I patinaed and added that to my assymetric Blue Feather Necklace. What do you think?