Yesterday I was treated to the most beautiful blue sky.  Its beauty was captivating, causing me to pause in awe of all the wonders that nature so abundantly provides.

With deep appreciation, I was inspired to create this bracelet…

…choosing elements that say “sky” along with a bit of “branch” (suede lace) to represent the amazing trees that are essential to maintaining the balance of life on earth.

And of course I included a spot of blue too.  I like how one small element, such as this single bead, can have a big impact.  This is very reassuring – it makes me feel like we can each make a positive mark in this world.  Hopefully, the impression that we make will exude grace, beauty, kindness, generosity, etc…all good things that are connected to love.

Later in the day I found time to make a couple more similar bracelets…I guess the beauty of the sky really got under my skin.  Luckily, there was space in the day to allow this flow of creativity and thought to run its course.

The bracelet shown above is up for grabs to the first person who expresses interest (simply leave a comment to this post.)

Happy blue skies ahead to all you creative lovelies.

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Many months ago a very thoughtful and generous Melody sent me this lovely nugget from nature.  The heart in the middle is SO amazing.

After months of admiring this little gem as is (it sat on my studio shelf where I would see it regularly and inevitably smile each time.)   Yesterday, while going through my items of potential, like this precious nugget from nature, I felt an urge to do something special with it.  So I did some slight altering and created this sparkle-centered necklace.

From within there is a light…

…let it shine.

May the glittery goodness inside you be the light that inspires others to shine.

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I have a weakness for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  And over this past Christmas season I allowed myself to indulge…I ate these little cups of joy, with joy.  And I didn’t feel a lick of regret or guilt afterwards.  It’s essential to give in to our cravings every now and then.

After I satisfied my sweet tooth I had  plenty of red and gold foil wrappers leftover, which I later used to make these tiny hearts.

And with Valentines Day coming up, I decided to use the twinkling golden one to make the canvas below.

Then I used the ruby-red one to make this necklace.

I tucked the heart into a cozy pocket made of tulle.

The foil heart rests on (and is tied to) a cardboard paper base.  These elements are so feather-light that this charm can be worn suspended from a chain with just a couple of metal jump rings.

The heart seems to hang there in space, creating a magical ethereal effect.

Here’s a look at the two pieces together.

I really enjoyed making these heart-inspired pieces…about as much as I enjoyed eating the Reese’s cups.  And I suspect that soon, there will be more red foil wrappers in my future since Valentine’s Day is coming up.  I wonder if this means that there will also be pink colored wrappers to play with?

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Thank you once again for stopping by.  And to those who participated in my giveaway, thank you very much for sharing your 2012 aspirations with me.  I appreciate your kind spirited words about my artwork as well.

The winner for the birdie in tree canvas is Terri (Junqueseeker) – please contact me (becky@beckyshander.com) with your mailing address, thanks.

While you’re here, I thought I’d share some details regarding a recently published article of mine in the current issue of Somerset Studio.

The article inside, “Visual Lessons”, is very personal to me.  It tells a bit about my early childhood experiences…what I’ve gained, what I’ve lost and what I’ve learned.  And as a mother, I feel a responsibility to share these truths with my darling daughter Brook.

Within this article you’ll see two art pieces.  One having to do with the message, “stand TALL.”

And the other having to do with the message, “lay low.”

I never imagined the immense impact that motherhood would have on me.  It has forever changed my life…bringing with it all that is good and pure.  And when I say pure, I mean love…deep, devoted love…the kind that conquers all.  Isn’t it amazing how the power of love can change us?  Hopefully, for the better.  And hopefully this better part of us will be able to make a positive difference in the world.

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I hope that everyone enjoyed a warm and festive holiday season.  And I hope that this good feeling will continue as you move forward into the new year.  May 2012 be illuminated with the brightness of love…lots and lots of love.

Speaking of love, a lot of love went into creating this mixed media canvas.  And thoughts of optimism perched in my mind as I worked on putting the pieces together…it would make me very happy to pass this good energy on to one of you.

Here’s a look at my light and bright creation (6″ x 8″ canvas).

This piece began with a little birdie…

…and a white canvas, to which I’ve added subtle details…

…such as a twisty wire tree…

…grounded with shimmery accents.

I positioned the birdie high up above so that he can fully take in the view…watching and waiting…with hopeful anticipation.

At the edge of his seat, he is patient and steady as he observes…

…for you never know what will come into view.  There are infinite possibilities beyond the branches…begin by believing.

The start of a new year always gets me thinking deeper – this year my thoughts are to continue to focus on letting myself (and my art) evolve.  Allowing change isn’t always easy so I’ll have to work extra hard at it.  And at the same time I want to stay connected to my truth.

Perhaps some of you have been doing some soul searching as well.  I’m curious to hear your thoughts on any new revelations or aspirations.  And I’m also curious to hear what you’ve been creating (or wanting to create) in your studios.  Please leave whatever message or comment you might have to this post by next Wednesday (January 11th at 5pm) and I’ll count this as your entry to the giveway.  Then I’ll randomly choose a name and post this winner the next day.

Have a happy week and thanks for stopping by…it’s good to be back!

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I just finished making some seasonal things using this n’ that.

Here’s a cozy little Christmas tree…

…on top of an antique door knob stand.

And here’s a fuzzy little bird…

…on top of an altered spool with a sparkly nest (the center piece was saved from the star ornament that our dog, Mac, got to.)

Here’s something else that speaks of the season.  I used organic cotton batting to create the stocking base.

I also added some simple machine sewn details at the toe and heel (I did this before sewing the 2 stocking pieces together.)

For a touch of elegance I added a paper trim cuff.  I received this beautiful trim many months ago as part of a gift (a box full of lovely art materials) from a very thoughtful and generous soul, Vicki.

I love using cotton batting so much that I went on to make mini mittens…one for me (the name tag is an altered clothespin)…

…and one for Brook.

Here’s another mini stocking that I made using a piece of recycled plastic bag from a box of breakfast cereal.  I love the strong yet transparent quality of this material.

To create the red and white striped stitching at the toe and heel, I threaded my machine with red thread on top and white thread underneath. I only stitched the top stocking piece with this mixed thread, and then I used white thread to sew both pieces together.

The number 6 is cut from a piece of cloth measuring tape and then sewn on top of cotton batting for a bit more heft.

And here’s a pair of mini mittens that I made using the leftover material (1 from the cereal bag, 1 from cotton batting.)  There’s something charming about mixed-and-matched mittens.  This pair could be cute stuffed with a handful of peppermints or mini candy canes.

I’ve been craving some quiet time…how about you?  When the volume all around me is turned up (this is definitely what’s been happening with the holidays coming up) I feel a need to take it easy and slow down some…to soak in some silence so that I can better process my thoughts.  And this time of year I like to try to focus on the true meaning of this season, which for me is about giving and gratitude.  So, as I readjust my internal vibrations to be more in tune with the Christmas spirit as well as the coming of the New Year (a good time to reflect), I’ll be unplugging for the next couple of weeks.

Happy Wonderful Holidays and a Happy New Year…see you in 2012!

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I love the look of crochet, but I haven’t gotten around to learning how to do it yet.  Luckily, there are ways of getting around this. It’s a temporary fix since I still very much want to take crocheting lessons.

I cut some circles out of a large piece of crochet which I found for next to nothing at a flea market (I think it was a tablecloth of some sort).  These lacy circles remind me of snowflakes or even sugar cookies.

The chunky texture is hefty enough to handle some embroidery details and other easy embellishments.

I made this one using felted wool scraps (from recycled sweaters) along with other recycled fabric scraps.

One tiny, metallic button makes a nice contrast against all the other soft and cozy elements.

I used a small scrap of red wool felt to cut out an even smaller heart…

…to make this.

Framing a circle at the center came about by chance.  I love how unique design opportunities will sometimes come up unexpectedly, don’t you?

I used the tiny cut out heart…

…to make this easy little ornament.

The layers are so plush and pleasing to my eye.

Here’s one that I made for my sweetheart.

It was fun winding and sewing the string around and around following the crocheted circular design.

I’m working on finishing up a few more holiday projects and will post them within the next week.  Until then, happy holiday prep and all things fun!

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Most of the time our adorable Mac is well behaved.  At home he likes to lounge around, hunkered down beside us.

Doesn’t he look so calm and innocent here?

Well, during the holidays it’s a different story.  All of the excitement tends to bring out the more naughty side of Mac.  For instance, last Christmas I caught him chewing off the point of one of my favorite ornaments.  And I must admit, this definitely upset me since I had no way of replacing it.  The good part though…the more important part…is that Mac didn’t get sick from his chewing episode.

Moving on…as I was walking over to the garbage to throw away the broken evidence, I noticed that the points of the star looked like mini Christmas trees…cute, little bottle brush ones.  So, needless to say I hung on to the leftover pieces all year long.  And just the other day, I reworked them into these itty-bitty things.

These tree ornaments are so tiny that they’re just a few fingertips long.  I LOVE miniature things, don’t you?

This lightweight ornament has a simple yet festive looking handle – the candy cane striped string sings a happy tune.

A vintage thimble makes the perfect base, and is just the right size for the teeny “2011″ label.

Here’s a close-up of the other one that I made.

The rustic top of an old salt shaker makes for a charming tree base.  Plus, it looks like a hefty bucket, grounding the entire piece.

To dress up this tree I sprinkled on some mica flakes and artificial snow (used craft glue to keep the flakes in place.)  Then I added a single star (slightly dulled down with Staz-On ink pad) onto a simple string handle.

It feels good to take something broken and turn it into something new.

I wonder what kind of trouble Mac might get into this holiday season.  Whatever it is, I’ll be ready…with some glue, glitter, saved up spare parts and hopefully, a good attitude.

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Being in nature has a way of opening me up, giving me the space and tranquility to see life with a broader perspective…I am thankful for these opportunities to look outside of myself.  Inspired by these thoughts I created this…

If you’d like to make a dragonfly too, you can find the instructions next to my piece that was published in the Winter issue of Sew Somerset.

Happy December…may it be a month full of meaning and genuine joy.

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I recently created some altered vintage cookie cutter ornaments and in my usual fashion, I made extra.

If you’d like one of the ornaments shown above simply leave a comment to this post.  And then I’ll send one ornament to each of the first six responders.

This coming week many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving.  I’ll be home this holiday, relaxing with my family and spending some quiet, quality time together.  Happy Peaceful Thanksgiving to you all as well.

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