October's Goddess and Fall in New England

Autumn is finally here, and I couldn't be happier! I adore this season, it has always been my absolute favorite. The leaves are starting to change (a little early), and the breeze is crisp and lovely. Time for gourds and pumpkins to make their yearly debut on the neighbors' porches, and for me to start making some pies, stews, and roasts.

I have been a busy busy beader! I just finished October's Goddess, and it is now on display at New Enland Beads in Keene, NH. I cannot tell you how happy I was to get this project finished, or how many times I had thrown it into a box of UFOs, completely disgusted with it... for some reason, I had the hardest time finding a way to complete the design, and was furiously rearranging components over and over and over...well, you get the idea! But I was in love with the colors, and the bead soup I had made. It was interesting, really, in that it seemed as if this necklace was pushing me to finish it (instead of me pushing myself), and it wouldn't leave me alone. No matter what project I was working on, it would keep popping into my head and whispering at me that it MUST BE MADE. It's been going on for months, and I was starting to wonder if I was suffering from multiple personalities! So the last time I took it out of the box of UFOs, I sat down and - you guessed it - started rearranging the components, and voila! This time, when I put them down, they seemed to fit. (Even though that same exact arrangement had looked completely horrible the last 20 times I had tried it.) I instantly began making connections, terrified that I would lose that 'right' feeling, and pretty soon it really started to come together. Then I added the strap bits and sat back... and began hating it immediately, finding connections that I felt just didn't work, etc. I decided that it must be shorter. I cut apart the straps and then put them back together. I still hated it. I made myself finish the clasp, and put the rest of it together, seething. Finally, having gotten it together at long last, I gave a huge sigh, slung it over a display and left the room. (Thinking as I left that I didn't HAVE to ever go back in there, lol.)

The next morning, I steeled myself and entered the room. I looked at it sternly... and was quite surprised that I actually liked it. Squinting at it from various angles, I found myself thinking that it wasn't as bad as I had thought it was. After twenty minutes of staring at it, I convinced myself that it was actually pretty. I put it on, to test weight and see how it felt around the neck, if anything dug in, etc - and ended up wearing it for three hours. The more I wore it, the less I disliked it, and the happier I felt with it. It was comfy! It didn't move so much that it ended with the focal up around your ear when you moved around yourself! It wasn't too heavy! The fringe wasn't too long!

So...here it is. Finally and at long last. And I love it:

I have now started on the cuff for my wonderful friend, Lynn Berry, who won my giveaway, and so far I really really like the design - oh please I didn't just jinx myself - and I have had my first sale at the Sharon Arts Gallery, which has me all in a dither. I've been invited into a new group of beaders - all of whom I love - and am thinking of opening a new shop, this time on Artfire (I would continue my Etsy shop as well). I even have two new ideas for beady things running around in my head... So I am still busy busy, and am having a grand time.

Autumn is awesome!!!!!

NEWS!!!!!

I am so excited!!! Margie Deeb has included my Dark Carnival Cuff in her new PDF download!!! Her new booklet is entitled "Instant Holiday Glam" and is chock full of lovely beadwork and delicious palettes to inspire you. Please come and check it out!! You can order your own copy here. Believe me, it's worth it!!! Margie has been soooo nice to me, and if you aren't familiar with her, I encourage you to meet her on her website (www.margiedeeb.com) or her Facebook profile.

Also, Lynn Berry, the winner of my giveaway, has contacted me and let me know that she is thrilled to have won, and that she would like her cuff to be in purples, which thrills me, as I love to work with that color. This afternoon I will be off to the bead store, to buy some supplies to make sure it turns out lovely for her!!

Have a wonderful weekend, and bead on!!

We Have a Winner!!!!!

We have a winner in my blog giveaway!!!!!!!!!

I went ahead and did it normally this time, and used the "True Random Number Generator" on my Google search - and the number that showed up was number 42!!! The winning follower is LYNN BERRY!!!! Who also happens to be a friend of mine on FB, so I am pretty excited to be making a cuff for her!!! (I'll let you know her response and her color choices in a little bit...) THANK you to everyone who followed me, and stay tuned, this is NOT going to be the only giveaway, I promise!!

Inspiration

I am SO late!! I should have posted this last night or this morning - to my team mates, sorry!! The Handmade Division Team Blog topic this month is Inspiration, and where we find it. This is a huge subject!!!

In reading over some of the other lovely blogs, and in the past years' reading of blogs, I notice that soooooo many people say they are inspired by nature...so my answer is boring - nature!! In my case, it is almost always plant life rather than animal, but to be specific - TREES inspire me!! Can you tell??

However, I am also inspired by emotions:

This little vessel was made during a week when I was very angry - and I thought that flames represented that for me. During a different time frame, I made this other vessel, and named it Serenity, which is how I felt then...

AND I am inspired soooo often by the work of others. The amount of fantastic beadwork out there is amazing, as is all of the jewelry and art created that we get to view on the web. Sensory overload!! But here are three of my favorite ladies who inspire me most:

Mikki Ferrugiaro

Linda Jones

And Julie Harper

There are wayyyyyyyy too many pieces from each lovely lady to post them all, but take my word for it that they are all amazing. To check out more of the goodness click on their names, and you will get whisked away to their shops and/or Facebook pages.

There is so much inspiration in the world that the easier question for me to answer would be; what DOESN'T inspire you!! Since I am sooo late getting this written, however, that's as much as I have time to squeeze in. Just so's you know, if you aren't with me on FB, I also have had the glorious luck to have a gallery (The Sharon Art Gallery in NH) accept my work and feature me in October! Yay!!! I am thrilled!!

Now, to make sure I have business cards, notes and tags for the pieces, on and on and on... wow, I guess I better get to work!!! (Instead of working on that new cuff I'm in the middle of. )

See you soon!!!

And please check out the other team members' blogs!!!

Andes Cruz: http://andescruz.wordpress.com/
Susan Moloney: http://susarto.blogspot.com/
Alice Istanbul: http://istanbuldesigns.blogspot.com/
Rebekah Meddles (Lunasa Designs Jewelry):http://lunasadesigns.blogspot.com/
Jewelry by Natsuko http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
nanotopia: http://nanopod.wordpress.com/
Bella-Bijou Jewellery http://bellabijoujewellery.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/
ArtJewel Designs: http://www.artjeweldesigns.blogspot.com/
Lisa Hopkins Design: http://lisahopkinsdesign.blogspot.com/
Thomasin Durgin http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
Abhaya Fibers http://abhayafibers.blogspot.com/

Two Giveaways and a Going Out of Business Sale (NOT mine!)

Hey hey!! I just wanted to make sure everyone got the word - I posted on Facebook, but apparently forgot to actually put it in my BLOG, that I am trying to reach 100 followers, and if I get to that number, I am going to host a little NEDbeads giveaway: The random winner will be able to choose their own width and color and I will make that winner a cuff!!! (Retail $250-$400.) Like this, or completely different, up to the winner!!!

There is another giveaway going on at Plumrose Lane, Sharon Henry's site. Oooo - you really want to get in on this one, I promise!! Several prizes, not just one, AND she is having a Going Out of Business sale at her shop, as well, with incredibly reduced prices on her gorgeous pieces!!!

Speaking of which, if you go and shop, please leave a note that you learned about her sale from me - and I get an extra chance to win something!!!! Thanks so much, here be the link to Plumrose Lane, and then you can link to her shop from there....

What has it done for YOU??

I should be beading. Yup. But I have been feeling terribly contemplative as of late, and thought I would share some of my pondering. In fact, I feel like I HAVE to share some of it!

So, what have I been thinking about? Beads, of course. But also a lot of self analytics, apparently - although I had no idea I was doing that. I learned some stuff. It's kind of cool stuff. Wanna know?

Stuff:

Beads have made it possible for me to be more outgoing! I feel like I can share my feelings and even some of my thoughts through my beadwork. I have found out that I work with fairly specific color combinations depending on my mood. I have always hidden anything emotional (unless it's good) from habit - but I have been sharing through my pieces for years things that I haven't been able to vocalize.

Beads have let me break out of my hermitage, even if it is mostly vicarious. I can't make friends IRL - it's amazing if I am able to smile and grunt monosyllables if I actually meet someone face to face. But through beading and the internet I have made friends with people from ALL OVER!!! And I can talk (type), and mostly don't grunt. All good! I have even been able to relate to someone closer than that - I can talk on the PHONE with some of my new friends!! To me, this is a huge step, and has taken place gradually over the last two or three years. And beading did that for me!!!! I have met the most amazing, talented, gifted, smart, funny and fabulous people through it. I have even been able to take part in a group setting for the first time since 9th grade, something I could NOT have done three or four years ago. I would have had to leave the room - usually in tears. I actually sat down and beaded as part of a group - with other bearers - for two whole hours (Twice!!!!!!) and only needed two breaks.

Beads have shown me that a lot of my limitations were set by myself FOR myself. I can commit to something and follow through! (I have such commitment issues you wouldn't believe it; I have trouble even committing to a dr.'s appointment, don't even ask me about relationships, I am floored that I have been able to commit to my husband.) I can stretch out creatively. I can make decisions. I can even find my own style and voice - something I could never never do with my creative writing (short stories and even one novel length piece). I have a voice?? Honest??This amazes me. This is so new to me. I think I am starting to figure out who "Nancy" is. Because of beads!!!!

I made my first successful attempt at freeform bead weaving (have I mentioned that about a billion times in different arenas? oh well!) and found out that I have to have borders still - I can't make something without some kind of surround. Which is also very true of me, personally. I have been struggling and struggling with all sorts of things, religion, weight, perspectives, etc etc - and I am trying VERY hard to break free of limitations and restrictions that I have put on myself, or feel that society has put on me*. (*Which feels a little like a cop out...) However, I found that I was comfortable with small breaks in the surround on the bracelet...so there's hope for the rest of it, right?! Right!! Hope makes me smile.

Beads have saved my sanity and helped me overcome some of my anxiety and a LOT of my depression. The lovely rhythm of weaving or embroidering soothes my soul.

They allowed me to have a (small) bit of ego. I have become comfortable (in the last six months) with calling myself an artist.

They have allowed me to be lots of things I like; curious ("how did you do that? How do you stitch that together?"), generous (I give away beads sometimes and have given beadwork gifts a LOT), sharing ("I did it by doing this."), even (my God) mentoring someone else, knowledgeable ("HOW many books have you read??? No!"), focused (I can sit at the bead table for hours and hours - with breaks, of course, to stretch), and (see above) enlightened.

I can't remember what I did before beading. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough.

I think that a lot of what I am talking about applies to any artisan in any fine craft. Beading, leather working, metal working, lamp working, crocheting and knitting, sculpting - you name it. I would LOVE to hear about how others have been enlightened or changed by their craft. There are two beady ladies in particular that I am asking to respond to this - either on here, on Facebook, or in their own blogs - Linda Jones (yes, THAT Linda Jones, the incredibly artistic creative fabulous gorgeous woman!) and Julie Harper - who creates so MANY amazing and awe-inspiring pieces in so MANY media!!! Ladies, I would dearly love to hear about your experiences.

In fact, I would love to hear from everyone!! If you have a blog, and you decide to blog about this, let me know!! I will be there in a flash! I will post your blog address! I will kiss your feet! Well, no, probably not. But I will have a great big toothy grin.

PS - the photo at the top is called Woodland Floor, and is a piece of freeform right angle weave, covering a humble rock from a nearby stream.

Handmade Division Team & Blog

Howdy do! I am back again, even if it has been a bit since I've written....

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a new (for me) Etsy team this last month!! I am very excited to announce that I am now a member of the Handmade Division Team, and let me tell YOU, this is one hugely talented team of artists. One of the cooler things that I really like about my team so far is that they give you a topic to blog about once a month, which is fantastic, as sometimes I just can't think of anything to write about. This month, the topic was irresistible for me: Something I would like to create that I don't currently have the skills to do. How do I pick just one?!

Ha! Well, my first priority, I think, would be working with wire. How I would love to be able to include wire wrapped bezels, little curly cues and so on into my work!!! I already add chain here and there to my beadwork, but wire would open up sooooo many possibilities. At the moment, I can't even properly construct a wrapped head pin for an earring! Honest. I can make a loop. Period. And I love trees and leaves and vines in my jewelry, so how cool would it be to be able to use seed beads on some wire to make little tendrils? Or wire leaves with little dew drop briolettes in there?? Making your own clasps and headpins? Learning that lovely 'herringbone' wrap that I have seen in some gorgeous jewelry on Etsy?? Oh, YES, I would loooooooovvvvvveeee to learn wire work. But, finding the money for the tools and wire in order to practice and perfect?? It may have to wait a little bit....and then I have to find someone patient enough to guide my fumbling hands around the tools and wire for a bit... But at some point, I WILL get there!!!

Since joining the Handmade Division Team, I also met a wonderful lady named Delias Thompson, who makes astoundingly beautiful sterling jewelry that I have a horrible horrible time resisting - in fact, I immediately asked her if she would trade with me so I could get my greedy little hands on one of her necklaces and a ring to go with it... and she liked one of my cuffs. So guess who now has a stunning necklace and a ring to drool over??!!! ME!!!!! I still feel that I got the best half of this trade, for sure! Please come and see more of her work at her shop !

And Delias chose my Mocha cuff for hers!! (I was soooo happy to have it go to such a wonderful home!!)

Please do come and check out both the team Facebook Page, and also all of the others on the team who blogged this month: (And don't forget to visit their shops for some MAJOR eye candy!!)

Lisa Hopkins Design: http://lisahopkinsdesign.blogspot.com/
Jewelry by Natsuko: http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/
ArtJewel Designs: http://www.artjeweldesigns.blogspot.com/
Abhaya Fibers: http://abhayafibers.blogspot.com/
Purified Art: http://purifiedart.blogspot.com/
Nova of Sweden http://nova-designs.blogspot.com/
Bella-Bijou Jewellery: http://bellabijoujewellery.blogspot.com/
Pink Crow Studio: http://www.pinkcrowstudio.typepad.com/
Sand Fibers: http://sandfibers.blogspot.com/
Alice Istanbul: http://istanbuldesigns.blogspot.com/
Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
Moxie & Oliver: http://moxieandoliver.blogspot.com/
Andes Cruz: http://andescruz.wordpress.com/
Tosca Teran http://nanopod.wordpress.com/
Delias Thompson http://deliasstudioinc.blogspot.com/