Feathers! or when did I become bird brained??

Pins from my Pinterest Board

I’ve been in a feather kind of mood lately. I’ve noticed I’ve been pinning feathers for quite awhile now on Pinterest in either color schemes or pieces others have made. I’ve been oohing and ahhing over Karen Tottens ceramic feathers at Starry Road Studio  and Rebecca Paynes leather feathers at Tree Wings Studio for ages now. Even the last few pieces my son claimed were made with feathers. 

My daughter is a Fine Arts student and was kind enough to bring home a small piece of clay for me to play with. I made a business card holder (sigh it fell over and broke oh well two more pendants for me!), a couple trinket bowls/plates and a few pendants. Then I started thinking what would I really like to make? Small sculpture? maybe a tile with some roses…… What has been holding my interest lately?    ……. feathers …… What fun could I have with that?! 

Feathers!

So, my first what I’m playing with post! Not really a how to because I’m playing with clay that will go back to the university and it may be too late in the semester to actually get it fired (hmm bisque firing was yesterday sigh), so it’s just a peek into what I’m having fun with……. as an aside, I’m REALLY late with my blog post because once I started playing I completely lost time while sculpting. Good thing I got those feathers done first lol Well all except the copper feathers….I had planned on making some but noticed I already had some embossed copper I’ve been trying to decide what to do with and I just noticed it has a nice feather shape in it….. so maybe…. lol Then I needed pictures and examples and and and …  I pulled together a Pinterest board  because I already had so many why not……  before I knew it I had already missed the post and was late with a second! So BLOG post first THEN I can get back to playing, and house work something about Thanksgiving is next week? 

Thanks for stoppin by!

See ya next time! 

Making Time for MORE Playtime

Before Facebook there were forums, forums filled with people who liked the same things. I belonged to several forums, the community feel was really very nice. We fed upon the energy of each other. bolstering and encouraging and reaching higher and loftier heights. It was an amazing ride.

Then along came Facebook and what amounts to the slow death of forums. Groups replaced forums but the community feel just isn't quite the same. At least not for me. I see a whole lot of that's MY design and very little of let's all play with this design and see how many ideas we can come up with. No real camaraderie to speak of. Oh there is an amazing amount of support but no real push to play and move forward with the idea to try this instead of that, oooh I'd love to see it in this color, etc etc.

I miss that.

I miss the ever-present push to do better, to improve, to master.

Please don't get me wrong, I love playing and exploring the many myriad ways metals move and twist and morph into the visions in my head or sketchpad. I love learning new to me techniques. It just makes me sad to think I was playing with an idea and did nothing more with it. It makes me sad to see someone else go further with it in the direction I wanted to take it. Not because they did it, but because they remind me of what I DIDN'T do.

It also makes me glad I spent time just playing this last month and I've realized I NEED to spend more time just playing and experimenting and plain old enjoying what it is I'm doing, no matter what that happens to be.

I think I might just share some of those playtime experiments here. A little What I'm Playing With does seem to be a natural extension of What's on the Desk don't you think? Me too!

Hey! If you're stateside, today is Election day, if you haven't already, GET OUT THERE AND VOTE! Your voice does matter!

Want to know what is on the ballot here? They want the right to do whatever they want to do even if we voted on it. So not cool......  They also want to make the whole state wet. I live in a dry county.  Dry? Yup, no alcohol, gotta drive to the next county over if I want to buy a bottle of wine, made the kiddos 21st a real big deal for her. We made a special trip to the liquor store on the county line a half hour away.
What's on your ballot? Does it matter to you? Why?

Thanks for stoppin in!
We'll see you next time!

25 Sketches = Number 6

I know we're going a little backwards here but number seven beads were whispering such sweet nothings that I had to play with them first ...grin

Number Six of 25

the Backside & Clasp

I won the focal beads on the jewelry forum. My friend Anne was the host and she was sweet enough to call several of us winners!  As you can see I refined the sketch even more and cleaned up the lines. I actually have one more sketch where I worked out these lines, I'm a little more cautious with gold than I am with copper because when you're working with gold you ( read I ) don't want mistakes. Granted this is gold filled but it was over $100 an ounce there for awhile and I just assume not waste any.

25 Sketches #6

The earrings from Sketch number 7 have found their way into my Etsy store, I still have to wrangle the numbers for this one before it can go. And maybe a couple more photos. I think I may have finally got all the sugar taken care of on the camera so better photos are back! ::::knock on wood:::::

Thanks for stoppin' by!

We'll see ya next time!

25 Sketches #7

Skipping a sketch - not really it's still in progress on my desk but these gold and pink beads were calling. I've actually had this color combo on my radar for months and when I finally had them on my desk they demanded I play NOW!

I gave a preview of the beads on Facebook last week but it's been a busy time around here with lots of really good things happening and I kind of slacked on my Facebook postings. Here too obviously as it's Friday as I write this...ooops!

Beads!

Sketch number 7 & Beads

and the finished earrings!

Sketch number 7 Earrings

I rather like these and am really glad I decided to listen to those little beads. I'm also really enjoying working with my sketches again and am really happy to see them coming to fruition and am looking forward to sharing number 6 with you next week.

My advanced copy of Tammy Powley's book arrived and I have two pieces of jewelry on page 275! woohooo me! I bounced off the walls pretty good for a couple days off that one :) 

and...... today is my middle child's 21st birthday! We live in a dry county (No Alcohol - yes those places still exist) so we made a Rum run to the next county over and will be making Strawberry Daiquiris tonight. Normally birthday dinners are decided by the person whose birthday it is, but she doesn't seem to be able to decide what she wants...... so who knows what we'll be having. We may eat while she drinks lol 

All in all a good week! Here's hoping yours is/has been as well!

Thanks for stoppin by!

We'll see ya next time!

25 Sketches

  Todays post offers up #s 2, 3, 4, & 5 of my series of 25 sketches. Ideas hoarded away and finding their way into the light of day.  IF you were actually looking for my Bead Soup Post it can be found HERE!

Brass Lotus/Fans

 Sketches two and three were a no brainer. My muse demanded designs in Boho and that they were. I’ve often said inspiration comes from everywhere. I sew or I did quite a lot when my kids were much smaller. So when they out grew some favorite piece of clothing I would try to find a way to extend its life. Sometimes it meant shirts turned into throw pillows, sometimes it meant pants were turned into shorts and sometimes I didn’t get to something in the mending basket before it was completely outgrown. This was the case with a pink poncho/shawl and an embroidered paisley pant leg - a favorite outfit of my younger daughter.  That long forgotten pant leg was the driving force behind the original sketches, Bead Soup the vehicle my Muse used to bring the idea to fruition. She’s a smart one and at times can be quite persistent, and I’m thankful for it! :)

Brass Paisley with Pearls and Leather Tassel

 I make what I love, which pretty much means everything in my shop is from my heart. But, as in all things, we evolve. From time to time there may be an item or two in my shop that no longer reflects my current abilities. Loving what I have made, it makes me sad to think I could do better. So I’ll add a small flourish, a twisted ring or two, a back plate, tighten a twist or a wrap,  and sometimes it means taking the piece back to the original idea I had in the first place before I ran in another direction with it! This is the case with the second two sketches I'm sharing today. 

Trio of Copper Hearts

 The trio of hearts has been in the shop for some time. While I loved the rustic feel of them - I’ve been leaning more in a romantic boho direction. Classics given a touch of whimsy and added elegance in twists and turns. 

This particular sketch was an idea I was playing with using a key as the focal but as I tightened the twists in the hearts I realized the twining in them was what was really needed for the trio.

Silver Hoops

The hoops were simply a matter of finally working out that a small jump ring was all I needed to give the ear wire the flex I wanted without sacrificing the arc. A V-8 moment if you will. I have a pair of woven hoops in the shop that may get the same treatment in time as they have the same type of ear wire.

I hope you've enjoyed your peek into a few more of my sketches and design processes. 5 down and 20 to go! 

Thanks for stoppin' by!

We'll see ya next time!

Unicorns and Pixie Dust

I subscribe to Notes from the Universe. I like starting my day with an uplifting note. Some days the notes really resonate with me, some days they just make me smile. Always positive I usually save them for last while reading my mail, to be sure I finish up on a good note.

Today I kind of jumped ahead, midway through reading my mail I opened my Note. It said:

When you consistently take the high road, Dana, do the right thing, and see the good in all, the ensuing onslaught of serendipities and coincidences that turn out in your great favor will likely qualify you for your own reality TV show.

Tallyho,
    The Universe
"Unicorns and Pixie Dust with your charmed host, Dana” 

I like serendipitous happenings, I like taking the high road (don’t always manage it, but I do like it) but most importantly, I like Unicorns and Pixie Dust! This note started my day off wonderfully! How could you not smile at that!

Speaking of fanciful flights of imagination - hows that for a segue? - I promised last week you’d get to see my first completed piece from my 25 sketches.

The sketch, originates from some old text ornamentation. You know those cool signature lines, paragraph breaks, etc I had wanted to see if I could translate one into wire. Sat down and worked out the pathways, decided it was doable and then moved on to some other inspiration or urgent matter that needed attending to. You all know how that works, this idea sparks that idea, sparks another, omg why is…..? What the heck happened to …….? You can fill in the blanks :)

Showing Alex how nice his cross had turned out, sparked a little burst of creativity. I just happened to have another choker I wasn’t so fond of and wanted to try a variation of the bale I had used for his cross. But what to use for a pendant? Oooh  I could so do a dragon! Off to take a peek around Pinterest for some inspiration. Found some really well done dragons, gorgeous wire work but not quite sparking anything for me. So I hit Google and find the Game of Thrones, I don’t watch but thought maybe some inspiration from there…..Celtic vibes brewing….. Celtic Dragon! I like that idea, hey I have a sketch that could work as a knot. Oh wait, not a dragon, the eye of a dragon, an all seeing talisman!

So I pulled the sketch out, and an eye, then a second eye. Worked up a second sketch and the results are what you see here.  Sketch number one of 25. This is going to be a good year, one filled with Pixie Dust and Unicorns, I can feel it!

Thanks for stoppin by!

We’ll see ya next time!

The Here and Now…. or Looking Back and Planning Forward

The end of the year is fast approaching. I’ve been assessing my goals and where I stand, I’ve met or have nearly met most of them - yay me! So it’s time to create a new plan for the new year, building on where I am now and in keeping with where I want to go.



During the Bead Hoarders Blog Hop, Perri mentioned idea hoarding, and I had to admit I had been hoarding quite a few ideas. Mine mine mine, my precious….. all mine! Maybe not quite that bad, but it was getting there. So first things first! I’m going to sift through my sketches and pull 25 of them into the light. Originally I thought 52, a sort of on the fly homage to YOJ but, I do like to participate in a hop or two and that might tend to over load my plate. 25 on the other hand gives me plenty to work with and leaves me time to play, learn new techniques, and participate in hops, so that’s my number and I’m sticking with it!

I’ve noticed I have not been as active with Wind Dancers FB page as I would like to be or even as much as I used to be. As an added bonus the 25 sketches gives me a way to engage, to show my processes and start sharing again. I’ve also been looking into Rebel Mouse, if what I’m reading is right, it can act as the front page for the blog here and feed into FB the way this blog used to. What’s cool is it gives me back the ability to share the pins I find that are relevant to my blog posts. I really really liked that and I miss being able to share them. Annnnd it turns all that I spend way too much time on (place your fav soc. media site here) into actual productive time again. That kind of jazzes me, must be the Virgo coming out! Organization AND Productivity WHOOT!

Expect to see (hopefully) some finished UFO’s over the next few weeks I have a couple I’d like to get finished up by years end (knocks on wood!) and of course the home made Christmas features, only SIX weeks left!! Yikes, I haven't even decided yet what I’ll be making for gifts this year! ….. sigh I feel so behind …. Then we can get started on the new years postings!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
We’ll see you next time!

Proudly Embracing my "Idea Hoarding"?

During the Bead Hoarder's Hop my dear friend Perri mentioned sometimes what we are hoarding is the idea as opposed to the beads. What? pshhh who isn't?
Wait…..
Jean has been encouraging me to write, to share my ideas. (outside of my comfort zone but I've been working on it Jean!)
Perri hints I'm hoarding those ideas. (oh look! there's my comfort zone!!)
Those two things do not usually go together. One cannot hoard and share at the same time. They are essentially opposites.

hoard : noun
1: A stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded:

3: An amassed store of useful information or facts, retained for future use

share .verb [ with obj. ]
3: use, occupy, or enjoy something jointly with another or others:



I immediately took to Google and plunked in Hoarder of Ideas and found these:

"Freelancers are FULL of good ideas, and entrepreneurs are even worse. So I know you have all these little bits of ideas kicking around. You stash, you store, you fill up your hard drive with half-written files and snippets full of good intentions.
Just in case. Because one day you might need them. You’re planning to do something with them.

One day."

http://menwithpens.ca/hoarding-ideas/

I have been self employed my entire adult life, I have ideas for a second etsy store, ideas for this, ideas for that. written down, tucked away, filed for later - and I have started writing down ideas for blog posts so I can have something for later just in case I forget to write - you've even heard me plan that! I have stacks of post it notes filled with sketches of design ideas for jewelry, those I've made and have yet to make. Notes about colors of beads to use, which beads to use, their sizes and even on occasion the exact inspiration for the idea itself.

Certainly sounding like the shoe fits doesn't it? Before my computer died I also had lots of inspiration files hoarded err tucked away in folders on the hard drive - now I have Pinterest and probably have about the same number of files stashed away there. lol But I'm not guarding them, squirreling them away from others, all my boards are public, I freely share those finds and it makes me happy when I get the notifications that someone has repinned one of them.

and then this...

"But there comes a time when we should use them, donate them, share them, or toss them. We should stop treating the products of our research, observation, and contemplation as if they were precious objects. Let them go: Give them to your students, your colleagues, your friends, or anybody who might be able to make something from them.
Imagine what you’ll be able to do when freed from the guilt, the burden, the crowding, the clutter of your old stuff. What might the clarity offer?"

http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2012/08/27/are-you-an-idea-hoarder/

hmmm……



Maybe it is time. Time to organize my sketches, sort through them. No need to keep the ones already brought to life. Could be fun for a look book, from concept to fruition, but would I actually follow through on that? <-- hahaha did you need any more proof??!
OK then! It is definitely time to sort and toss, maybe write out a tutorial or two so I can really share. Clean the clutter from the pile on my desk and brain so I can get back to playing, to creating a new stack of sketches, or even better yet pretties to wear!

So glad you stopped by….. if you've been hoarding ideas too, feel free to share in the comments!
Maybe together we can break the habit and start using our ideas instead of letting them get dusty.