I’m addicted to making mini things…are you?  If so, here’s a super quick quilting project for you.

To create the pieces shown above I used “Live to Love” Clear Stamps for the picture frame and heart designs.  You can find more specific how-to instructions over at Studio Crescendoh.

And speaking of mini, I’ll be taking multiple mini breaks this month so you probably won’t see much of me here.  Like a birdie, I’ll be flying around here and there…and just in case you’re interested, I’ll be back here sometime in mid-flight with an update or two.

Just one quick question before taking off.  While I’m away I’ll be thinking about my next giveaway (I hope to have my act together to be able to offer something in the beginning of next month.)  Anyway, in the past I’ve been sticking to offering jewelry…is this something you’d like me to continue or perhaps you’d like something on a canvas or something quilty even?  Or maybe you’re like me, and you like to have a little bit of everything.  Please share whatever suggestions you might have.  Thanks!

Brook recently went through her costume jewelry pile and decided to get rid of a necklace that she’s had for four years, but has outgrown since her style has changed.  I was going to add this piece to our donation box, but decided to keep it since I was low on beads.  So I took the necklace apart…

… and sorted out the beads that appealed to me.

I used these beads to make this chunky necklace,

this linear-looking necklace,

this duo of bracelets,

and this bracelet too.

I was so excited to discover that I could create 5 pieces of jewelry using the beads from Brook’s one necklace.  And it’s even more exciting that there are still beads leftover…I think these red ones can be made into a lovely something or two for Valentines Day.

It feels so satisfying to take something that’s lost its luster to create something fresh.  I love, love experimenting with the possibilities…do you enjoy doing this too?  And as a bonus, doesn’t it feel great to save money this way?

Lately I’ve been into making jewelry with leather and feathers.  And actually, I’ve been feeling more free-spirited altogether…how about you, have you been going with the flow too?  It feels great to let go!  And speaking of letting go, I am offering the two jewelry pieces below as a single giveaway.

I was thinking of a walk in the woods when I created this bracelet.  The blue colored stone represents the bright sky above…it’s like a big surprise beyond the canopy of tree branches and leaves.  The trees in my neck of the woods lately (finally!) have been rapidly filling up with dense, lime-green leafy-life.  The air is alive and bursting with energy!

On the quieter side, here’s a necklace which features a single feather.  The simple yet stunning beauty of Mother Nature is ever-amazing.

I’m not sure exactly why, but the floaty quality of a feather gives me a feeling of hope.  I’ve been wearing a very similar necklace to this one and have found that wearing this token of hope next to the heart feels comforting and reassuring.  Sometimes I can even hear a voice inside whisper, “anything is possible.”

To enter this giveaway please leave a comment to this post by 5:00 pm next Friday, May 27th.  And I’ll be back the next morning to announce the winner.  Until then, happy, easy-breezy, blissful week to you all!

In order to keep the creative process fresh and exciting, every year I try to make it a priority to learn some kind of new art form or techniques.  Sometimes I get to it right away (took up jewelry making as soon as I felt the urge,) but sometimes my art aspirations get pushed aside by life’s many responsiblities.  It took me roughly 6 years before I could fit in proper time for watercolor painting lessons… finally allowing myself 20 solid hours of actual class time felt fantastic!  And now that I’ve learned the basics, I’m very excited about the practicing part which will hopefully open up new creative avenues…we’ll see.

Here’s a look at my first painting attempt.  Of course I had to begin by honoring my love of birds…

which I combined with some scraps (well, I did a second variation on my first bird) to create this:

I included some sewing…

some sparkle…

and simple details.

I’m so excited to continue my exploration of painting in 2011.  Perhaps I’ll stick to watercolor paint, or maybe dabble deeper into acrylics, or maybe something else altogether…who knows?  Just thinking about all the options gets me all revved up…how about you?  What are some of your art aspirations for the upcoming year? 

I hope that the New Year will bring you all good things…peace, joy, love, adventure…cheers!

This coming Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 16th and 17th) from 12-5pm there will be Open Studios in Natick, MA with over 50 participating artists including Gianna Bird (can you believe her cool last name?)  Gianna is one of the crows of Five Crows Gallery which also happens to be in Natick. 

Here’s a quick look at some of what you’ll find at Five Crows and BTW, my jewelry is available there as well. 

 Each one of these adorable pincushions created by another Five Crows artist comes attached to a tiny plate. 

I fell in love with this copper wire creation by Gianna as soon as I spotted it.  

Unfortunately, her bird wasn’t for sale so of course I had to try my hand at making one.   Playing around with twisting wire was lots of fun…thank you Gianna for the inspiration.

I love how inspiration travels…from one to another, to another, and another…round and round it goes.   It’s good to share inspiration and it’s good to be open to it as well.

Over the summer I created a  jewelry line which is now available through my website.    There you will find feel-good items such as these.  I’m always looking for ways to keep positive messages close…jewelry seems to be a natural fit. 

And if you’re looking for essential stationary items, Lisa recently opened Annabel Gray, an online store that offers a well selected (and well priced) array of staples such as these.

The Kraft boxes are perfect for storing and shipping my jewelry.  And I love not having to run out to the store to buy them.  Online shopping is definitely a big time saver, which leaves me with more time to spend in my studio.

If you would prefer to buy jewelry in person and you also happen to live near the Boston area, please visit Five Crows.  This store currently carries my work along with many other local artists, making this a convenient and diversely pleasing shop stop.

Over the summer I met up with Susan for some coffee and conversation.  This was our first get together and it was fabulous.  It was fabulous because Susan is fabulous.  She’s full of light and good energy…everything about her is dazzling.

After meeting up with Susan I strolled over to The Beadin Path (a great place in Freeport, Maine, to buy jewelry supplies.)  As I shopped, I noticed that shades of purple kept popping up into view…making me wonder if this was brought on by lingering thoughts of Susan.  Perhaps being around her passionate vibe was guiding me towards these dreamy gems.

Here’s something that I created with Susan in mind.  Her energy is deep yet delicate and totally inspiring.

Playing around with purple is new for me and I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed it…so much so that I created another necklace, which I’m offering as a giveaway.   BTW, I think that purple will be big in the Fall, and I’ve been looking for the perfect shade of grape-colored lip gloss to wear with my sweaters and boots (can you believe it’s almost time to dig them out?) 

If you’d like to win the necklace below please leave a comment to this post by next Sunday, September 5th at 5:00 pm.  I’d love to hear what makes you feel passionate or inspired.   Whatever it is, I hope that you reach for it often.

These past few months I’ve been working on creating a jewelry line that would reflect my interest in spreading good messages.   I think that wearing jewelry, specifically necklaces with positive words, can help one maintain an optimistic mindset.  Here’s a look at some of the pieces I’ve come up with recently.

Remember this piece?

 This one has become my favorite everyday necklace.

Come August I’m planning to offer eighteen different necklace styles which will be available through my website.   And just in case you’re wondering, the price for each necklace will range between $32 – $46, with complimentary shipping for domestic orders. 

Before I get this all set up on my website I’d love some feedback.  Please share whatever comments or suggestions you may have.  For instance, which particular word (s) speak to you, which stones or bead colors make you the happiest or do you favor a certain chain style or length?   Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated…thank you!!

A Mother’s love is as deep as an ocean.    This is what comes to mind when I think about Brook and how much she means to me.  She is my biggest inspiration, in life and with art.

With Brook as my muse, last year I created several necklaces using small pieces of driftwood which we collected during one of our beach outings.  That day we also found extra-large clam shells which I later used to create a personalized jewelry container for a special “love” necklace that I made for Brook.  You can see the details for both of these projects in last summer’s issue of Somerset Life.   Please keep in mind that I’ll be sharing more project ideas in the coming issue of Somerset Life available at Stampington. 

This giveaway will include three parts:  A necklace (published in my article, “Endless Love”) and a kit containing the materials for making your own necklace (pre-drilled driftwood – 1 painted and 1 natural, freshwater pearls, wire and chain.)  I will also include a copy of my article which covers the how-to details.  Plus, I’ll add a few other beach combing surprises that could come in handy for future art projects.   If you’d like to win these items please leave a comment to this post by Friday, May 14th at 4pm est.

Have a Happy Mothers Day!

Last week Bill had a work conference in Nantucket so we used this as an excuse to sneak away for several days together.  While Bill was busy attending his conference, Brook and I made the most of this time by doing mother/daughter activies.  Then during his off-hours, we could all be together – having at least some time together is better than nothing right?

Nantucket is about an hour ferry ride from the nearby shore of  Hyannis.   However, this hour felt much longer since the water was quite choppy (lots of wind with splashing waters) during our ride there, as you can see from our blurry view from inside the cabin.  Looking back I can appreciate the beauty of this hazy image.

As soon as we arrived on the island we were greeted by this lovliness.  And there’s nothing like the sight of a lobster shack to get me excited about what’s to come!

And as soon as we checked in to The Boat Basin Cottages,  Brook immediately plopped down to relax.  She was still feeling very queazy from the ferry ride.

And what a treat this place was…a sanctuary bathed in white.  After staying here, I’m considering redorating our home in soft shades of creamy-white with touches of black.

The view from a window in our bedroom.

A view from our deck.  I loved the tree house feel.

And a small kitchen which we ended up using a lot more than I had originally planned.

Nantucket is a place of paradise with unbelievably charming homes and sights…inspiration was everywhere!

With cobblestone roads all around town (I learned that way back when, they hand-chiseled each and every stone!)

Getting around Nantucket without a car is all part of the fun.  Besides the last day of our trip when we rented a car to see the further points of the island, Brook and I travelled around by foot and bike.  I’ve always loved bike riding and I’m so thrilled that Brook shares this passion.  BTW, during this trip we discovered that she’s scooted ahead of me in this area.  She used to have to struggle to keep pace with me on a bike, but now she’s right there next to me (actually ahead of me, especially at the hills!)

And here we are walking together hand-in-hand… into the sunset.  This was during our last evening – Bill had this time off so we luckily had a chance to experience this moment together as a family.  He captured this shot by accident.  I’m not sure how this effect happened, but I think that it’s pretty interesting.  I’m also fairly certain that this camera effect will unlikely happen again.

With Mother’s Day coming up, I’m considering this special photo of Brook and I as my present.  I think this is way better than anything we could ever buy.  And speaking of buying, we didn’t end up buying any souveniers.  Instead, we brought home many breathtakingly beautiful shells and other gifts from the sea – many of which will become a part of coming art projects (possibly more jewelry.)  If you aren’t tired of my vacation photos yet I’ll enjoy sharing our Nantucket finds along with our Maine beachcombing finds in my next post.   This gathering process plays a major role in what I eventually create.  What do you like to collect on your travels?