Weekend creation

I finished the last bit of sewing I needed to do on my leather cuff bracelet. It is now done, done, done. I don't think i'm going to add any little extra's to it though it still feels like it needs something. I'll just let it sit and stew for a bit.

edited to add (4-19-10) I gave this bracelet to Zoe Jakes of Beats Antique after the concert at Stubb's in Austin, TX.







I started another wearable piece and finished. Okay, I'm not totally finished, I need to change out all the crystals cause they aren't blingy enough. I used plastic scrapbooking crystals. Yes, I said plastic. I know I should be tarred and featherd for that but, they work so good at the positioning and design. The plastic crystals have a sticky back on them, not a permanent sticky but enough to help with working out a design. Unfortunately I don't have the right size crystals in the color I want to use so I need to get some more. BLEH! If I have to, I can use a back up color but I dunno. I've got so much on my mind right now that it isn't totally thinking straight.

Spring Cleaning

PHEW! I think I'm done with my Spring Cleaning. Okay, probably not.. LOL! I did just recently come across some more stuff, AHHHHH! I think I'm just about ready to start taking pictures for posting. I had planned on doing that this past weekend but I never got around to it. Just thinking about all that photo taking, editing, descriptions, listing, my head started hurting. I think it's my allergies and not so much the huge task before me. HeHe!

Right now the only thing I seem to have on my mind creatively is sewing projects. I have a pair of wrap pants to sew and hem. I also have a pair of arm warmers I'm making and I have an apron to make. I should have made that apron like a few years ago. It's supposed to be for my grandmother. I know shame on me, no really SHAME ON ME! I have several projects I need to do for my grandmother.

The urge to create is there, just still not much UMPH! to get the projects done, much less written down. I've been in this funk now for about 5-6yrs, the last 2-3yrs being the worst. Le' Sigh! I'll get back to my creating sooner or later. I just think I really need this purging of materials to get things back into a better perspective. I have so much stuff in such a small place that it literally becomes overwhelming trying to find or create something.

Hopefully by next week, i'll be at a point to either sit down and make something and show pictures or atleast being able to sit down and make something.

Just a jolt

Well it seems that I've recieved a bigger jolt of creativity than I had thought. YIPPEEEE FOR ME! Some of my readers know that i've been dealing with a major slump the past few years. This has been the longest and hardest slump I've gone through in a really long time. There are many factors that haven't helped in getting me out of this but I have hope and look forward to another year. Around the end of the year, christmas holiday, I get a little more inspiration to create, mostly gifts though. So here is a few things I'm working on at the moment.

Necklace- Sterling silver, fresh water pearls and black czech faceted briolettes.



Close-up


Cute little angel earrings- sterling silver and faceted czech glass rounds



Here are my girls, Kitty (aka Fat cat) and Lira (aka Brat cat). This is one of their more quieter moments. Kitty had been cleaning Lira.

The Muse came and visted

Hi everyone!

Hope ya'll had a lovely Thanksgiving Holiday. We had a small family get together, the hubby cooked a most excellent ham. I made candied yams, green been casserole, 7-up cake, cherry pie and a pumpkin pie. The next day we used the ham bone and made stock for a ham soup, it was sooooooooooo good..Mmm,Mmm Yummy!

I didn't get half the things done that I had planned to do over my little vacation. I had a 6 day weekend. Tuesday I had already scheduled off over a month ago not even realizing at the time it was the week of Thanksgiving. My appointment went well, I now have some medical coverage and assistance through my county for atleast a year. I only have to pay 25% of my bill, unless it's a private doctor thing through the ER then I have to pay the whole bill. My prescriptions won't cost me but about $10-$20 which is good. I also qualified for women's health services, which is why I needed the medical help to begin with.

Later that afternoon however, my good day went to pot. I was on my way to pick up my daughter from school. I didn't even get around the corner from my apartment before I got backed into. I was coming to a speed bump and slowing down because I have bad struts on my car. I caught the vehicle lights come on out the corner of my eye and no hesitation, the lady just started backing up. I tried to swerve and honk at the same time, but I just wasn't fast enough. She got a scratch on the pretty chrome of her bumper and I now have a dent in the rear fender well to match the dent on the same side on the front fender well. I got backed into back in February in a parking lot. It's almost identical except different parking lots. Both vehicles that hit me were trucks and both drivers said they didn't see me, even though my car was past theirs and if they'd bothered to look out the side mirrors they wouldn't have had any problem seeing me. Grrrrrr! So either I'm going to have a great christmas from the money I get or a newer car. Personally, I'm leaning to a newer car, maybe even a bigger car so that noone has a problem seeing me. (rolls eyes) Unfortunately, my car being old and way past it's prime, the replacement parts have all been discountinued and the probability of finding them is like 50/50 shot. Noone was hurt, I was a little shook up from it though.

The rest of my little vacation, went just fine. I have some pics of new stuff.

This is a pair of earrings I'm sill working on. I have some chain coming in so that I can finish them. I glued swarovski flat back crystals into their spots. I have realized that some how I've ended up with A LOT of the green flat backs in several sizes.



This is a necklace I finished. I'm really liking the new Global Nomad line of products by Blue Moon Beads (creativity inc.) that you can find at Michaels. I still have another centerpiece to work on, waiting on chain for that too.


A close up of the center piece.



Another gorgeous pair of earrings. I got the moon like shapes from a seller on Etsy (GreatMusings). I glued on tiny flat back AB crystals and a citrine crystal to give them just a little sparkle. I really like these earrings.



My grandmothers bracelet. She wanted a dice bracelet and charms to indicate gambling. She likes to get down to Louisanna now and then or the bingo hall. hehehe




I also finally took some decent pictures of some stuff I've been meaning to list on my Etsy shop. More handmade jewelry and some more supply stuff, like pre-printed fabric patterns for stuffed dolls. Like this cute little guy.

Update

Well, I can't say that there has been much creating going on lately. I started this blog in hopes that it would help inspire me some to create so that I can share. I feel like I failed that idea miserably at this point but I'm not giving up.

Today I got an email from SassyArtGoddess about the annual beaded face swap. I joined the swap the very 1st year (2005) and haven't done one since. 2006 was a rough year, lots of stuff going on about this time that year. 2007 well, not much going on and I really didn't feel that I could even accomplish a piece, things were that off. Things are still off but I have the perfect face in mind and know just about which beads I will be using to accent it. I will pull that stuff out tonight and get it ready.

The custom pendant I was asked to make is driving me nuts. The design in my head works but it seems that I don't have the right materials for it (sigh). I've been wracking my brain about the problem I'm having and I think I may have figured it out. One, I'm not used to working with different metals like brass. I'm used to working in sterling and silver colored wire mostly and maybe a wee bit of copper or copper cored wire. I would have loved to do the piece in 14k gold-filled but that's just a wee bit out of the budget. Two, this depression that is just hanging around like a noose is extremely frustrating. Today I bought a couple of things off etsy that I think will work better than what is trying to happen in my head. I also think the design change will also make the lady happy. I found some lovely glass cabs in a sunny color that I'll wrap in brass or copper, haven't yet decided which wire I'll use. The change in idea seems to fit better than whatever direction I was trying to go. She wanted something sturdy because she's hard on jewelry.

I think I've realized why the funk just keeps hanging around, time for change. My first step is to quit smoking and I think I'm making great progress. I've had 2 cigerettes in the past week and I haven't bought anymore nor do I plan to. I know I can do this, I went 4 days without one and haven't had to many issues. LOL! Wish me the best of luck.

I also have a few pic updates of Lira our newest edition to the family. She's growing up so quickly. She's not nearly as skittish as she was the first month we had her. She has picked up my other cat, Kitty, and her behaviors. I can't go to the bathroom without them both at the door, Lira terrorizing Kitty. I can't go into the kitchen without Lira wanting my attention. She lets me know when she doesn't have any water or food. It's funny Lira tries to hide the food when I put it into their bowl. Lira also thinks that making the bed is play time and attacks my hands and feet. She seems to think that it's my job to pay attention to her even though she's supposed to be my daughter's responsibility. So here she is:

Lira and Kitty lying next to each other.


Lira and Kitty waiting for me to give them some attention. Lira sure is growing fast.

A Journey of Creation

A new blog, A new day. This is a step forward into expressing my creativity.

What does creativity mean to me?

I've spent time thinking about this question. Creativity is my outlet of expression. As far back as I can remember I've always done something creative, drawing, writing, crochet, sewing, always something. Creativity is the release valve on the steam pressure cooker of my life.

I enjoy working with many different materials. I don't have one specific set design, I just go with my flow. I get inspiration from everywhere.

Examples of my work:

CF style inspired dragon.

Crystal and Tourmaline bracelet

Wire ring I made for my daughter.

Beaded art doll necklace

My craft bag that I designed and sewed.

As you can see I work with several different things. I also sculpt, crochet, cross-stitch, paint ceramics, knitting, scrapbooking, some paper/fiber crafts. I draw on occassion. I do what I like whichever idea and medium pull at me.