Just Keep Swimming!

Along with all the hand made goodness that has been consuming my life for the last couple of months I’ve decided it was time to give myself the gift of a lighter smaller stronger me.

I’ve always been very hands on in the construction of our house. When we started building it was really no different, I was very hands on and adamant about being environmentally conscious with the products we used. Having a big house made it even more so important as it’s a bigger footprint to be responsible for.  I even went so far as to source standing dead timber for our logs. 

Not wanting to use any more chemicals than absolutely necessary I opted for borate treating my sill plates over the arsenic filled pressure treated lumber for the basement. This meant my personally coating each piece of lumber with borate and while I was flipping 16 foot boards so I could coat the other side I tripped over a stack of boards the builder had set behind me. I went down, now maybe I would’ve been able to save myself had I not been holding a 16 foot board but all I could think of at the time was not braining myself with it so I held on. I held on as I felt the pop, I held on as I felt the burn. I held on as I hit the stack of lumber and slid sideways to the ground. 

My knee has never been the same and every time I’ve tried to get back to the gym or start running again my knee would tell me about. I’ve always been all out and gung ho so at first I thought I just needed a little more time to heal. Then I started gaining weight and the extra weight made it ache and I’d try to get back to the gym. Creating my own special downwards spiral. The more I tried, the more it hurt, the more I didn’t try, the more it hurt.

After several false starts - if you’ve been reading my blog for a long time you might even remember reading about some of them. I finally decided I needed this to be about the long term, slow and steady. No more all in or go home. That attitude had me going home and not achieving my goals - I don’t like not achieving goals. If I was going to make this happen I needed to allow myself to go at a slower pace. But going at a slower pace meant I needed some accountability, some one to keep me on track and give me a nudge every so often.

Every night as I drift off to sleep I think of the things I am grateful for. Special blessings of the day, some ordinary, some small, some big, reminders of the many things and people who are the good in my life. Sometimes I release things to the Universe, leave it up to God’s hands if you will. On this night I decided to release it and just do but I could use a little accountability to help me along. The next morning I had an e-mail from Bill Phillips on being over 50 and getting back to the gym, a challenge and a FB group to help keep you accountable. Believe it or not I had to take a couple days to think about it! My own personal GodWink as my friend Chris would say, and “well I just don’t know”…. I asked my son if he might like to be my work out buddy, he was my best  buddy when he was 4.  He and the kiddo had been working out together in the University gym but she graduated and he didn’t want to go alone so he’d been working out in our gym in the basement and hinting he needed someone to help keep him on track too. Make that a double wink.

So! Here we are about 5 or 6 weeks in, my scale hasn’t budged much but my measurements are shrinking, my clothes are fitting looser, my face is slimmer, I have a lot more energy and I’m a lot happier. My knee only hurt until I realized, it was the wrong knee and it was all in my head - just a little psychological self sabotage, a body at rest tends to stay at rest until a greater force comes along to change that.

But, a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Quoting Dori, Just keep swimming!

My 25th anniversary is coming up this next year…. I’m thinking Jamaica sounds like just the place to be for that! 

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming swimming swimming!

Have a great week! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

We’ll see you next time!    I think it’s just about time for our annual Hand Made Holiday Series!  

What’s on the Desk Today

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post on what’s new around here and I thought it might be a good time to share.

As you know I’ve been taking new photos of those items I’m listing on Amazon and some of those photos have found their way into their sister listings on Etsy. I have to say it’s giving me little glimpses of a look I think I really like. 

Even though both shops share listings I want each storefront to have it’s own unique offerings as well. To do that I’ve had to come up with a few pieces to put exclusively on Amazon.

So far I have some skinny bangles in aluminum and copper. While I was trying to get a decent photo of one of the necklaces I offer on Etsy I thought “maybe I should just remake this one, it’s just not hanging the way I want it to.” Which is REALLY funny because I had at least 10 good photos of it by that time! Shows you just how tired I was after taking over 500 photos lol

You might remember the hubs bought me a pretty good sized baggie of gemstone hearts from an estate sale some time back. Yup, I have THE best hubs ever! He buys some really fun tools for me too!! I’ve since transferred all those hearts from the baggie to a mason jar tied with a ribbon which sits on my desk just as pretty as can be. I caught those hearts out of the corner of my eye and knew they were just the thing for a remake so I grabbed my jar…….. a hammer, my torch, and a dapping block……

….. and I made these! The fun thing is I can keep making these until I run out of hearts in the jar and I get a really cute necklace for my HandMade Shop on Amazon and if you want, you can even pick your heart!

I’m really happy with my Caged Hearts and you’ll be able to find them exclusively on Amazon just as soon as I get them listed.

Thanks for stopping by!

We’ll see you next time!

Creating Cohesion From Chaos

Copper Butterfly available in my Etsy

I’ve been working on creating cohesion in my shop for some time now. It’s a process, no doubt about it. I knew I could use a little help not just in defining what I wanted that to mean but in keeping that cohesion once I found it. We all ooh and ah over the next greatest everything, and while I don’t necessarily chase each and every butterfly that flits by, I do meander along in complete awe on occasion.

Last Winter/Spring I joined in on B’Sues Build a Line Master Class. It was three months of Master Minding, research, defining and creating. I found that thing that I do no matter what I make, I found the well spring of my inspiration and was able to finally put my thumb on what I needed to bring cohesion.

The last couple of weeks everything I’ve sold on Amazon, I created during my Build a Line participation. I resisted some of the ideas Brenda had presented to us and Amazon insisted on them. Once I implemented them I started making sales first day. I respect Brenda’s knowledge, she’s very laid back in her methodology, she’s quirky and bubbly, but don’t let that fool you. She knows what it takes.

Brooch available in my Etsy

I made a brooch during that time, cute little thing. Brooches are making a comeback, so far so good, I like being ahead of the trend. Then the other day Brenda says “the key to selling brooches is to have matching earrings”  ……what? Runs into studio, tinkers……. tadaaa!  Earrings to make a nice set with the brooch!  

Brooch w/Matching Earrings

Brenda is offering the class again this coming year, if you’re looking for that little something and would enjoy a Master Mind group I can recommend this one.  Build A Line Master Class

While we’re at it. I’ve mentioned before I was a Business Management major in college, and I’ve looked at the different coaching programs around the web, then I realized they were all telling me to do what I already knew. I know I also told you about Marie Forleo at the time but this feels like a good time to remind you she has great marketing and business advice.  You can find her here and on You Tube.

One last business resource courtesy of Brenda’s business board on Pinterest. Debbie of Work Your Art has an email checklist she sends out - her site says weekly but I only seem to get them every other week. It’s ok valuable stuff anyway, I like the blog and the to do lists they’re great reminders to keep working.

Now I’m off to take MORE photos, yup I’m getting more of those pieces I had planned for Amazon puled together and am also trying to get a more cohesive look for the shop on Etsy, there’s that word again!

Thanks for stoppin by!

We’ll see you next time!

Goings On....

I’ve been hinting at lots of things keeping my attention away from blogging and making. I’ll admit it one too many things in the air and something is bound to get dropped, I know my limits and while I do push them they always push back lol So today, I’ll tell you about a couple of those wonderful things that have been perking around and about.

One: College finances have had me running in circles. My youngest is about to graduate, he’s been on scholarship this whole time but one of the rules to his scholarship is you apply for a Pell grant. They want to be sure you have every financial opportunity to help you succeed. This year the rules have changed a little bit on the University side of things, they want a whole lot more paperwork and we’ve had to jump through hoops as we’re self employed and just don’t have the paper work they’re asking for. I have provided all the alternatives necessary but it’s a pain to have to go round and round (especially when it’s ALL on file already) and it’s just emotionally draining and pretty stressful when they start talking about making him drop because the paperwork isn’t in order. But, he’s graduating this year! woo! I'm so Proud of the kid! He’s worked very hard for this.

Paige's Pottery She's on Etsy too HERE

Two the kiddo, my middle, graduated last school year, has finally gotten her kilns (yes TWO of them!) and has been ordering all the goodies she needs to get up and running. We have boxes everywhere right now, it almost looks like Christmas has come and gone! I’m excited for her, she’s been a little down, not being able to play in the mud but her face is becoming full of happy again and that makes me very happy! — first firing delayed there’s a problem with the plunger that turns the kiln on/off and the second kiln has the wrong plug, both fixable just means a few more days until her first firing, and she has boxes of clay calling her name. 

Three, The Artisan Group. I joined nearly a year ago. I’ve sat back and watched how things were done. Felt overwhelmed at times, felt so not ready at others and I have learned quite a bit. Enough so that I  took the plunge and sent some things in to stylists for Bones and Mariah Carey’s newest movie project. I have no idea at this point if either will use what I sent, but it’s very exciting for me to even be considered.

Four Amazon! I’m thrilled to announce HandMade at Amazon is now Live! You’ll now be able to find me there as well as on Etsy. This has thrilled and scared me simultaneously and so far it’s a been very very good thing!  I’ve been contemplating Amazon for quite some time now, I’m thrilled they’ve opened Hand Made and that I’ve taken the plunge. I’ve made several sales already and I gotta say I’m really enjoying that! I get the feeling this is just the tip of the ice burg….. lots of good things coming!    My Shop:  Wind Dancer Studios

It is by no means finished, I’ve taken over 400 photos, edited most of them and have only managed to list a handful of items. But, now I want to overhaul my Etsy too. After 400 clean no prop photos, my Etsy storefront feels….. cluttered. So my mission is to continue loading Amazon with pretties I think will do well there and now freshening the look on Etsy. Eventually I think I may want them to be unified in look and that may keep me busy for quite some time! 

And now that we're mid-way through October I really need to get my mind wrapped around the upcoming holidays.  Pull together some wonderful handmade goodness to share with you.  I've been sharing my inspirations lately, I think holiday gifting ideas will blend nicely. I hope you've had a chance to see all those gorgeous photos I've been sharing on my FaceBook page if you haven't, why not? lol 

So that's just some of what's been going on around here, never a dull moment it seems. 

Thanks for stoppin by!

We'll see you next time!

of Photography and Neutral Backgrounds

MultiTasking the To Do List

With the pending launch of Amazon’s Handmade I’ve  been up to my ears in retaking photos for those pieces I intend to offer.  My camera died just in time for Amazon to give the thumbs up for setting up shop.  The kiddo as you know graduated Fine Arts with a focus in ceramics, but she started out a photo journalism major. The kid has a camera! Kiddo to the rescue, this is no point and shoot and I have zero familiarity wth it. She set it up for me, showed me how to manually focus and was gone. Some 200+ pics later the battery needed recharging and that leaves me time to write this, and descriptions and SKU’s and sort through possible posts for my FB page— multitasking getting just a little bit of everything done all at once lol

Long Green Dangles

Amazon has asked for white to neutral backgrounds no props. Neutral no props is not a problem, I’ve got antique linens, burlap and hand thrown pottery (kiddo again!) that serves quite nicely. 

Wind Dancer Studios: Copper Bangles

White however, takes quite a bit more work. I’ve got a poster board that makes for a great back ground but it has a slightly reflective surface and a purple shirt during the photo shoot makes a pretty water color effect but…. I’m looking for a uniform white.

I managed the sliders well enough to get some of the photos to cooperate when Marica mentioned Foto Fuse. As we discussed it I realized  it works much the same way as PS Elements does using the magic selection tool and a paint bucket. 

Photo Editor Comparisons

In the true form of an artist facing pending deadlines I researched all three methods for the better part of an afternoon. The kiddo observing this and now has a healthier self esteem - Mom does it too! lol  Here’s what I found:

I’m on a Mac Book, iPhoto was the photo software installed for many years, the newest updates are Photos minus i. It brought back some of the functionality that was lost along the way and just takes a little play time to figure out what each slider does and doesn’t do.

If you take the time you can create a very natural white background with soft shadows and a hint of reflection.

PS Elements,  I’m still running 9, is much the same however shortcuts and time savers were what I was hoping for so I elected to use the magic wand to select the jewelry then a paint bucket of white to douse the background. That worked great! Only problem is it’s fairly resource intensive and tends to unexpectedly quit after just two or three photos. There is a tool that works just like Foto Fuse for deleting backgrounds, I just couldn’t remember what to click to get to it.

Foto Fuse allows you to upload a pic, or import it from Etsy (spent a little time playing with that feature too!), hi light the area to be saved and deletes the background. With a little adjusting of brush sizes this works very nicely. Sometimes it looks a little unnatural but overall it’s the fastest method and is a good alternative when facing a time crunch.

I’m using a combination of the two. If I can get a natural white with Photos I’m good, but if it still has a hint of cast to it off to Foto Fuse it goes. I do actually like the water color effect so I’ve kept a copy of those as a secondary photo.

As for the product in use for size reference photos - the kiddo has stalled in her promised life size portrait for me….. she doesn’t like the size of her mouth, the one she drew. So I’ll wait until she does.

I’m off to write descriptions, create SKU’s and maybe make a few things as the battery is still charging. 

Have a great day!

Thanks so much for stoppin by!

We’ll see you next time!

Inspiration in Color Ways

Color Inspiration from Design Seeds

One of my favorite blogs is Design Seeds, I get their posts in my e-mail pretty much daily.

The concept is simple, they find a photo that has great color and they pull a palette from it. It's an absolutely brilliant way to see color in combinations you may not have considered on your own.  I pin my favorites to one of my boards on Pinterest. I've been pinning them for a few years now along with a handful of other photos whose color inspires me.

Less orange more yellows

Most of the time the palette chosen is as I would choose it, sometimes I see more colors I would use but were left out of the palette, and then there are times when I wonder why these colors where chosen when others would be so much prettier. ALL of those scenarios are exactly what the site is about. To inspire you to look at the colors, in the photos, and in the world around you.

This is some yummy color!

I've found I choose color palettes cyclically, softer pastels a month or so before spring hits, sunny colors as summer approaches, deeper jewel tones as autumn rolls in and icy cool through out winter. I've also noticed I really like food and flower combos, nature scenes, and ocean /beach combos. The latter most likely has to do with growing up in California and heading off to worlds edge as often as I could.  Nothing like the view of the earths curve to make you feel small and your problems smaller.

Oh to dig my toes into the sands and stare off into the horizon, sighs

But I also found I really enjoy architecture, old peeling paint, heavily carved, large door knobs and lots of fret work, ancient, old world architecture. The colors in the patina of age and time when looked at from a design point are beautiful. Even if not always such a good thing for the structure it self. There is Beauty in all things if you look for it.

Chippy, shabby, tone on tone, and what wonderful texture!

It's like I say, inspiration is everywhere, all around you, all the time. I hope through color you can see the world in new ways and enjoy even some of the smallest details too.

Love that chippy patina!

Here you can see my inspiration as applied to one of my designs.

Have a colorful day!
We'll see you next time!

Change it up Blog Hop

Wow! I was beginning to think I wasn’t ever going to get this finished! I couldn’t seem to get started, I kept getting interrupted or frustrated so it took days to make and then just as it was all finally starting to fall into place, my camera died. Right after taking a couple of the most gorgeous clear pictures it has taken in a very long time. Well, since it went for a swim in my coffee anyway.

The bright side is I discovered that little slot on the side of my laptop that looked like it might be the right size for a memory card, is in fact the right size for a memory card! It seems not all the photos saved but I did get the photos that had saved uploaded! Yay! 

Just in case you aren’t aware, here’s how this hop works. Brenda Sue of B’Sues Boutique has given us a choice of four items to play with.  These cuties:

Change it Up Choices

Our job is to look at them from a different perspective. cut them up or use them in a different manner than you normally would. Keeping the months challenge theme in the B’Sue’s FB group in mind. Septembers challenge btw is Vintage.

I chose the cuff in the bottom right corner.  I don’t normally do cuffs, in fact the only cuff I’ve ever made was for the Build a Line Challenge in the beginning of the year.

My Cuff from Build a Line

 

First challenge, what the heck am I going to make with it? I’m actually ok with making a cuff with it because, I don’t usually make them so for me that is different but I can't just form it, that isn’t really out the box. I thought to myself, Oh I have a piece of Prehnite that would make a great focal, I’ll use that!

Prehnite Pendant

So I cut the filigree in half intending to create a focal with the Prehnite.

Challenge number two…….. the Prehnite is curved both front and back. The cuff would also be curved….. in the opposite direction. No matter how I worked it in my head there was too much air between the stone and the metal. So there I sat, with a cut up piece of filigree, a stone that won’t work and a piece of brass I had intended as a back plate. What to do what to do?

Not going on the cuff, but Hey! This is a cute idea!

I’ll emboss it! But it needs to be annealed first and now the color is nowhere near as clear and bright as the filigree …….. ha fire for you too!

I’m now quite happy with my decision! Yay me!  I just need to attach everything. Rivets! I drill four holes and I just have four nail head rivets left.

oops dropped one, three left. Where on Earth did that rivet go? It was JUST in my hand! sigh Two rivets left. That isn’t going to work. I still had some balled copper rivets I made for my Dia Los Muertos necklace maybe I can make them work. Grabbed them up, flattened the heads and Tadaaa!! Worked great!

Until I realized I missed on the hole placement and the whole thing was too far over. I cut the rivets off except the one that wouldn’t come off the filigree. That one I had to redrill, through the rivet.

Flatten more rivets and finally we’re done! Woohoo! That’s when I remembered I bought a new packet of rivets from B’Sue when I bought the filigree for the hop…… face palm! I had a brand new pack just sitting there waiting for me all along.

This is my finished piece. I’ve never had one fight me so hard as this one has. Apparently the change it up for me wasn’t so much about the cuff as it was with having to continually come up with plan b, c, d, e, f lol 

I may play with it some more, add another rivet on either side and maybe a little embellishment but for now I’m happy with it. Both my son and my daughter like it and my hubs gave me the  "You made this?" seal of approval. And hey! I kinda like it too!

Please join me in thanking our Wonderful Hostess Brenda Sue and visiting the rest of the Hop participants.

List for Blog Hop September 25, 2015

Brenda Sue Lansdowne

Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Mary Deis

The Rose Sword

Jann Tague

Clever Designs

Lori Beekman

B.Accessorized

Renee Hong

Fine and Dandy Jewelry

Cynthia Wainscott

Exotic Peru Jewelry

Dana Hickey

Magpie Approved

You Are Here!!

Mary Beth Quigley-Spiker

Q Settings

Karen Eaton

KJewelry Creations

Shari Gardner

SLG Jewelry Designs

Alison Huie

Ally's Baubles

Pamela Anger

Novegatti Designs

Carole Carlson

Beadsophisticate

Cindy Peterson

Howling Dog Jewelry

Marcia Tuzzolino

Aurora Designs

Charlotte Smothers

Sea Horse Ranch Life

Gillian Cunningham Wright

Bead Therapy Girl

Catherine Shattuck

Victorian Rose Boutique

Clare Wells Nemeth

Papercrafting Magic

Erin Whitacre

Shattered Time

Lynda O'Mara

Lomara Creative

Ginger Hammond
Lynn Leigh Designs

Ingrid Anderson

Lilis Gems Artisan Jewelry

Deb Beechy

Beetique

Harry Wood

Oscar Crow

Delyssa Maxwell

Past Time Fancies

Paula Gaskill

Lovely Layla Bugs

Irene Hoffman

Heart's Dezire by Irene

Alexandra Sefton

Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

Leslie Carver

Adorn Divine Designs

Thanks so much for stoppin by!
We'll see ya next time!