Thursday, December 9, 2010

Apricot Nectar


I've always loved making daisy beads, they are simple yet fun! Just listed this set, Apricot Nectar in my artfire shop!
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

What's Easy

I stole this from Treasures Found blog. I think I may get it printed out and frame it for the studio!

Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com/.

What's Easy. What's Not.

by Christine Kane

It's easy to be right.
It's not easy to be kind.

It's easy to hope.
It's not easy to know.

It's easy to be a damsel.
It's not easy to be a heroine.

It's easy to complain.
It's not easy to make requests.

It's easy to have the perfect retort.
It's not easy to listen.

It's easy to be busy.
It's not easy to be productive.

It's easy to criticize.
It's not easy to create.

It's easy to say you don't feel like it.
It's not easy to do it anyway.

It's easy to obsess.
It's not easy to meditate.

It's easy to sing your heart out when the audience loves you.
It's not easy to sing your heart out when no one is paying attention.

It's easy to wait for rescue.
It's not easy to rescue yourself.

It's easy to resent people who take up your time.
It's not easy to say no in the first place.

It's easy to make excuses.
It's not easy to take responsibility.

It's easy to worry.
It's not easy to make a plan.

It's easy to come up with reasons why someone pissed you off.
It's not easy to ask yourself how you participated.

It's easy to dabble.
It's not easy to commit.

It's easy to rail on the idiot driver behind you.
It's not easy to just move out of his way.

It's easy to read books about writing.
It's not easy to sit down and write.

It's easy to say no to bad things because you want good things.
It's not easy to say no to good things because you want great things.

It's easy to fire off an angry email or blog comment.
It's not easy to pause and breathe and clarify your feelings.

It's easy to react to an angry email or blog comment by firing one back.
It's not easy to pause and breathe and clarify your meaning.

It's easy to start your idea.
It's not easy to finish it.

It's easy to buy something cheap because it's cheap.
It's not easy to buy something expensive because you love it.

It's easy to say you don't know what you want.
It's not easy to admit what you do want.

It's easy to let a kid watch TV.
It's not easy to find ways to play with a kid.

It's easy to do urgent things.
It's not easy to do important things.

It's easy to say it's too hard.
It's worth it to do what's not easy.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Caught singing

“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”

Unknown

This morning crept in dark, I woke early still fretting about the previous days drama. I yanked the covers over my head, determined to hunker down and fall back asleep. KAWHUMP, the cat landed on the bed. Her curled up on my chest and started to purr, and drool. He’s a big cat, so I stretched hoping he’d get tired of my wiggling and get off me. No such luck, he proceeded to start snoring, loudly.

A smile crept into me, slightly warming my dark inner thoughts. I started to mentally list of the “things to do” I had for that day.

Pick up my anvils – They were resurfaced and look fantastic!

Buy, write and mail Christmas cards – done!

Start another batch of resin – done, with some neat new images!

Coffee at Starbucks – done with a smile.

I also managed to squeak in some Christmas meandering. One of the things I like about the holiday season is the ornaments, the smells and the decorations.

As I drove home one of my favorite Christmas songs came on and I found myself belting out loud along with it, then giggled as the guy in the car beside me laughed at me!

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Monday, December 6, 2010

Running and Anger


“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.”

Henry Van Dyke

Last night I was angry, I decided to sleep on my problem and I woke up just as angry. But, I had a bit more perspective this morning than I had the evening before.

It was brought to my attention last night that my spinner ring tutorial had been “gifted” to a group of people. Someone bought it then “gave” copies to their friends, in essence stealing.

Many many emotions come into your heart when someone steals from you, hurt, betrayal and anger were strong ones for me.

This morning I went for me run, I lagged a bit getting going. Stretched for longer than I normally do, maybe hoping I’d talk myself out of going. As I walked outside my husband gave me a smile, a hug and said “today will be better”.

As I trudged along huffing and puffing, I started to feel something happening. I felt a weight lifting, anger sweating out my pores. The realization hit me that there really wasn’t a damn thing I could do about this. I cannot make people be honest, I can only do my best in the moment.

My best today involves taking care of me, my family and my close friends. Protecting my own sanity, caring for those close to me and looking forward to the future spent with those who love me.

I ran longer and harder than usual and in those moments of pain and soreness that come from exerting ourselves I pushed through, and kept going. And as drama, demands and anger come forward over this event I’m going to push through and keep going.

As I crested a small hill today running towards the water this greeted me, I am positive it welcomed me into a better day.




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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pollination


Pollination a new set of boro beads in my etsy! I'm really enjoying boro!
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Friday, December 3, 2010

The Challenge of Color - Blog Hop



I am participating in a challenge hosted by Erin Prais Hintz. It's called the Challenge of Color, and she assigned each of us a paint chip we had to design a piece around. I loved my paint chip, the colors are really up my alley.

But, boy did I struggle! I went from this pile of goodies.


To this pile of goodies 24 hours later.


I worked on assembling the pile into some finished pieces last weekend while I was on the studio tour, it gave me something to do when we had some downtime. I really struggled with a fixed color palette, normally I just pick out beads I like and they somehow fall together into a finished piece! This involved thought, and more thought. Then I second guessed myself, tore the bracelet apart and made another one.

The finished pieces have my own lampwork beads (of course!), moonstone, pearls, swarovski crystals, some polymer goddesses, my own ear findings and a quartz drop.

This is what I wound up with for finished pieces, a pendant, bracelet and earrings. I've named it Garden Urn after one of the colors in my paint chip.




I am really happy with the pendant and earrings, I may have to keep them for myself! The bracelet doesn't thrill me, the dangle seems out of place to me.

I'd definitely do this again, it really got me thinking in a bit more of a calculating type manner than I normally do. It pushed me to work in a set color palette. Next time I may request a color palette outside my normal favorites for a BIG challenge.

Please check out Erin's blog and the other challenge participants work. There are some very creative people participating in this!


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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Challenge of Color Teaser



Here's a teaser for my "The Challenge of Color" piece. I participated in a challenge where we are given a paint chip palette to work from and you are to create at least one piece of jewelry. Tune in Dec 3rd to see what I made!
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