with gratitude ~

thank you to the people at beads 2011 for including me in their 'woodlands' section - p. 56-57... it is my honor to share those pages with friends like - beth hemila, leann weih, marianne (mak) kasparian, marsha neal, heather powers, mellisa essenburg , mary harding, cindy gimbrone... and naturally all of the others who are featured - i just don't know them all! (but i admire them)


thank you also to the people at iceresin for including me in their flickr fridays feature... that was very meaningful to me... 


so many things to be grateful for - and you, my friends who take the time to stop by during your busy days to read and maybe leave a comment, are some of those i value most... 

RAW 52

a ring inspired by movement and silvery swans... feathers moving and beating... flying into the air, free... like dandelion parachutes blowing in the wind... carrying with them our wishes... 

~~~

needing to make manifest and work through the impending skin shedding that approaches... thinking as always of my grandmother who taught me to both knit and crochet... a snake of 
sorts - signifying rebirth... 

~~~

let no one - not even your self - suck the life out of you... follow your heart's desire, seek love, gaze upon the moon, celebrate each day, remain humble... return to life... 

'thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people

 are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home;

 that wilderness is necessity; 

that mountain parks and reservations are useful 

not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, 

but as fountains of life.' 

~ john muir

changeling

'things do not change, we change.'

~ henry david thoreau

we bend but do not break... becoming all the more strong and beautiful for it... our lives intertwining with those of others and the fate of the earth by the choices we make... 

exhale...

'inspiration exists, 

but it has to find us working.'

~ pablo picasso

this picasso quote is often what gets me moving when i feel daunted by something... resin work is a labor of love for me... it takes lots of time and attention... 

getting all of those wire paddles shaped, antiqued, polished and straightened so that they lie just right...

going through books looking for words that i want to use... that i connect to... that are meaningful... 

tracing each paddle shape on the paper - cutting each one out so that it fits perfectly...

getting them all set up, done, under the heat lamp... 

keeping a precious furry challenge asleep on the chair because he is drawn to that heat lamp in winter... i cannot blame him, i just prefer my paddles to be fur free... 


i would like to apologize to anyone who has gone to my supply shop looking for them because of the bead trends feature... they will be showing up soon... 

a primal place

finished 'inner sanctum' earrings - it took a long while to work through the design... but i ultimately relied upon interpreting my space... my inner sanctum is ancient... like a clearing in a forest - green with lichen growing on fallen stumps... breezes blow through the leaves, creating rustling noises... small shafts of light filter through the tree cover... and a trickling stream is heard in the distance... 

these 'journey' earrings were designed for the love my art jewelry giveaway this week... the powerful symbol of the unending circle, combined with papers preserved in resin that encourage one to live... hand dyed fibers in beautiful blue/green... and iolite - a stone for spiritual seekers which helps to balance the yin/yang energies... if you haven't entered, please do - the rules are on the site... 

synchronicity

near the end of class on sunday i started one last bezel for a cab of fossilized palm frond that i had to have when i darted into the vendor area... 

i used bronze sheet and stamped 'courage' into it... the cab had reminded me a bit of a spear head... and the bronze made me think of ancient times in history... 


but my chest started vibrating when i would touch it or start to work with it - it was feeling too masculine and intimidated me... so i left it alone... i happened to be 'talking' to a friend who mentioned that she had a landlady named elysium... which got me to thinking about the elysian fields in greek mythology (and for which the woman was named)... the fields are the final resting place for the souls of the heroic and the virtuous... 

And those that have three times kept to their oaths,

Keeping their souls clean and pure,

Never letting their hearts be defiled by the taint

Of evil and injustice,

And barbaric venality,

They are led by Zeus to the end:

To the palace of Kronos

courageous women, fighting often battles of the domestic sort, continuing to love & care for their children and friends and family under sometimes the most difficult of circumstances... i chose one paddle with 'fear' on it and one that was smaller and clear to represent tears... overcoming struggles, becoming a warrior in the spiritual way... the fibers are the colors of the sky, waters and things that grow... they are soft and beautiful... 


this talisman is attached to a copper bar with winding sterling wire which compositionally was necessary as a transition but symbolically represents growth... 


and i just don't know that i can part with it - 

rounding corners

'still round the corner there may wait,

a new road or a secret gate.'

~ j.r.r. tolkien

i doodle in spirals... and while i did just figure out how to fuse copper wire, the bracelets i am making are open, unraveling, breaking free...

padre bead from the 1800s was used as a trade bead... raku by mak at maku studio... old and new, experiences gained, paths taken and yet to take...

resin paddle with 'love' on it... blue encased glass that pulls you into it's depths by mika at pinocean... 

they say you should put out into the universe that which you want... 

fundametalist blog post #2

'i prefer to explore the most intimate moments,

the smaller, crystallized details we all

hinge our lives on.'

~rita dove

like those unsee-able moments when we venture forth, taking the steps from that which we solidly know, to that which is unsure... mica from fundametals has been cut to size, slightly larger than the metal sheet - stepping on to thin ice... with garnet for courage... you will be fine, just take a breath and believe... for you will undoubtedly grow... 

more fun with those washers that are carried on the site... this is a variation of the design i used in step by step wire... 

and resin - how i love ice resin... this medium constantly has me stepping out of my comfort zone... often to the point where i get frozen with doubt... and then that alter of mine issues the warning to get out of her way - and we begin...

july's abs entry wouldn't have been possible without it... 

calder

'i paint in shapes.'

~ alexander calder

blue feather c. 1948

this is the abs challenge piece for july... and since being announced it has been dancing around in my head... turns out it is at the calder foundation in nyc - but not for public viewing... darn... my goal was to see it because that top piece of sheet nagged at me the whole time - what color is it? what shape?

i wanted to create movement in my piece, to create something that was 3 dimensional, sculptural... my first thought was enamel for the sheet - but i switched over to resin... 

for the first time i tinted resin and was happy with the result... calder is all about movement and so this focal is made of 2 pieces that are riveted together but with a spacer so that the triangle swings... it has vintage paper that reads 'blue' 'feather'... the black paddles move and there is floss to add to the idea of movement as well... at the same time i attempted to keep this simple and clean, allowing shape and color to speak... 

'my whole theory about art is the disparity that exists

between forms, masses and movement.'

~ calder

visual diary

'painting is just another way of keeping a diary.'

~ picasso

i would take it a bit further for myself and say 'creating'... 

this week i have longed for respite into a world of elevating dreams, swirling colours... 

i had to concede to time after taking many pictures of this and not being wholly satisfied with my ability to capture the painterliness of the enamel (i now completely feel the name of barbara lewis' business)... not quite sure what i will do for etsy!

textural, aged, light... shakespeare's words float in the resin and are set off against layers of different colored enamels... 

'survivor' is defined in the 1877 dictionary that i used as 'one who outlives another'...  almost 130 yrs. later, our definition has greatly expanded... one can survive a natural disaster, a serious disease, a damaging relationship... i chose the colors of beige and red to allude to the root chakra... i think that often 'survivor' speaks to our self - the very core of who we are here and now... the root chakra acts as a grounding force - it empowers by allowing us to connect to the earth's energies... the faux shibuichi is rough - as trials can be...  

'remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.

every act creates a ripple with no logical end.'

~ scott adams

a copper ball representing your act... set within the depths of resin... a three dimensional ring, allowing you to gaze upon the potential you carry within... 

what i did this weekend ~

this weekend brought the opening of the monmouth festival of the arts... a show i had been making pieces for since december... emily came with me to the gala on saturday night and we got to see all kinds of wonderful art... sadly, i was only allowed to take pictures of my case... 


this was part 3A of my personal april challenge... 1 & 2 had to do with submissions... as these dates approached, i began to wonder if this 'feel the fear and do it anyway' thing was working... but they came and went and i met the deadlines... 


up until 24 hours ago (and my chest is pounding as i write about this) i was ready to write about this alter-ego of mine... who seems to take over now when i am presented with opportunities to try new things - she did/does not consult me, rather jumps in with both feet... then looks back at me and says 'this will be good for you, you'll see.'


almost in tears yesterday morning, i was not so sure she was right... you see, i had agreed to do a demo at the festival - part 3B of the april challenge... in january, the email came in - 'anyone who wishes to do a demo, please let so-and-so know with the title and topic of what you would like to do'... bam, the alter wrote right back to the co-ordinator... she didn't even ask me! i tried to put this in perspective, after all - some of you guys are teaching at bead fest, teaching regularly, at retreats, at big shows... i know this - i admire you for it and give you so much credit...

ok, so by now you know that facing fears is a big topic for me - and it is something i like to talk about because i know that lots of us feel that way... a piece of personal history - my mother tells me that the month before kindergarten  started, i asked her if it was going to be too hard for me... if i was smart enough to do the work... and i asked the same question for many years... seems i still do... 

i have begun to get comfortable sending in to publications because i don't see anyone's face... i still get the 'can i do this?' feeling about the idea and writing, but i am not at risk of stammering and shaking in front of a real live person... 

now i had VOLUNTEERED to do this at a very busy festival... and guess what? they most kindly gave me a sunday time slot... actually, you were asked to give them 2 time slots and they would make the final selection... my alter picked sunday and tuesday... the festival very nicely gave me sunday - the busiest day... there is a fine line between being excited and terrified... i was not bordering on terrified, by friday i was - certifiably... 

i knew i was going to have to create the components in all of the steps... that i would have to jump ahead 2 - 3 days in under 2 hours... so i busied myself with that part... 

as i realized i couldn't even think about it without shaking (i get nervous reading to a classroom of kindergarteners if that puts this in perspective for you) i knew i would need a thorough outline... just to keep me moving along in case i got stuck... 

got there, had about 16 -20 people in attendance - including emily, a very dear friend and a woman i met through etsy - and gulped... it helped immensely that they were interested and asked lots of questions... in truth, i got asked so many questions it felt more like a class than a demo... and i was grateful that the ice resin people have an 'ask the ice queen' place on their site... and then it happened, i was having fun... 

i walked out of there on clouds - the coordinator asked how it went and i said, 'great!' not 'fine'... i hope someday to know enough to maybe do some teaching at classes... i still get nervous thinking about it... but i am grateful to this alter of mine who pushes me now... who is showing me that with the proper preparation, kindergarten is not too hard for me... 

giddy

'i am giddy. expectation whirls me round.

the imaginary relish is so sweet

that it enchants my sense.'

~ william shakespeare

if you read this blog AT ALL, you know that giddy is not a feeling i often experience... i am more low key than this... in fact, this feeling has me a bit nervous... my chest is pounding and my hands are shaky... i cannot remember which experiment it was, but i have felt this one other time (have to think on this)... 

erin at treasures found is having another challenge - a dr. seuss inspired challenge! there is no way i am missing it... all month i have been thinking on it... even ordered a book from ebay - because cutting into books borders on the sacrilegious for me and i wouldn't cut up any of my treasures anyway... i have been sketching and making notes... so then, i became so invested that i was afraid to start it... i have visions in my head of what i hope it will become... 

having realized that i was doing my usual avoidance in the face of fear thing, i decided yesterday to just start... (doesn't hurt that i also realized it was already the 26th!)... got the chain made... paddles... and then found pictures in the book... this project has the potential to be one of those where i lose track of time, offer the kids cereal for dinner & allow them to stay up too late... 

today i did resin and got the etched pieces ready... using a technique of deryn mentock's from step by step wire february/march, i felt a little more in control of the paper... of course, i won't know until it dries... but i am hopeful... am i really having this much fun? the keith o'connor beads i needed another set of are sold out, so that has me a little disappointed... but it will work out... it always does... 

'if you never did you should.

these things are fun and fun is good.'

~ dr. seuss (theodor seuss geisel)

thank you erin, for encouraging the fun... this is really, REALLY good for me - 

completion

'there is no way to peace.

peace is the way.'

~ a.j. muste

i love when things come together... another piece centered around fragile strength...

and after a few days of prep for resin and with a bit of assistance (the assistant found the work lamp and fell asleep in the warmth)

'you can't look at a sleeping cat and be tense.'

~ jane pauley

well, yes and no... normally i would agree wholeheartedly, but when you have resin curing beneath said fur baby, it adds a slight complication... luckily, everything had set enough that i had no residual fur in my pieces... so i wasn't tense (after i checked)... and had gone back and forth with the 'it's only resin' and 'but it took me a long time to get all of this together' argument in my head... 

and was able to make these... 

'if we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,

our whole life would change.'

~ the buddha

ice resin blog hop

in the depth of my soul there is a wordless song.'

~ kahlil gibran

but i often try to put words to it... 

'what lies behind us and what lies ahead of us

are tiny matters compared to 

what lives within us.'

~ henry david thoreau 

i loved how the bezel turned out when i made it in december - the fabric set into ice resin had a quality of looking deep into an opal... but i couldn't completely hear the song - until this week... having made some resin paper, i cut a piece out and riveted it to the bottom... then integrated some paddles i had made into the design... on them, i had adhered paper with the words 'truth' and 'to self'... the fabric intentionally breaks the surface of the resin which has been roughed up in places - reminding us that we often barely scratch the surface of what is within us... this necklace is meant to be worn almost as a talisman - to help protect and guide... 

'a grown up is a child with layers on.'

~ woody harrelson

'peeling away layers' were created with mica, ice resin paper, and nickel sheet... 

'on a search & rescue mission' - resin paper made to look worn... 

'for my lost self' ... these earrings are about the return to authenticity... how over time, we build up layers that can remove us from who we truly are... they are also an exercise in contradictions - refined vs. distressed, fragile vs. strong... each one of us is all of these things... underneath the layers we have built up and despite how fragile we may feel, we are strong... no matter how much we have been through, we are beautiful... we get tied up into a package of functioning that does not always reflect our Selves... ametrine is used for its healing properties - but specifically the fact that it is amethyst and citrine - a combination itself - that allows one to visualize and then to act... 

ice resin was created by susan lenart kazmer, a mixed media artist of international renown... she is an incredible inspiration and i have been known to fall asleep with my copy of 'making connections' on my stomach! i purchase this resin at objects & elements and frankly, it is the only kind i have tried or will use... it is just too wonderful... even my first experiment with resin turned out perfectly... so far i have used it in bezels, in wire framed paddles and on paper... what i love about this medium is the depth it adds to my work and the freedom it gives me... 

'in all things it is better to hope than to despair.'

~ johann wolfgang von goethe

'lespwa' necklace created for the haiti by hand shop... 

'everything you can imagine is real.'

~ pablo picasso

i am very honoured to be participating in a blog hop with these talented artists ~ please take a look at their creations made with ice resin...

Molly Alexander  http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html

Keecia Frazee Deveney  http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood  http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers  http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/ and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/

Amy Purdes http://www.spritecreations.blogspot.com/

Jenny Barnett  Rohrs  http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano  http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com

Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/

And then also the Objects and Elements Design Team and Susan Lenart Kazmer

Jen cushman  http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John  http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/