Focusing on Life :: Sisu

Oh boy. I thought last week's challenge was a tough one, but this week's might be even more so for me. You see, my word is not one that is easy to capture. The word sisu is a word that most Finns would use to describe themselves. It is one I've heard my whole life, and one that I've learned is an essential part of being Finnish. But this year, I've challenged myself to truly live by the word and to be true to myself even if it takes a little more inner strength.

So what exactly is the meaning of sisu? There are plenty of definitions, but the one most agree with is that it translates to the strength of will, determination and perseverance. I often heard it translated as a child as 'having guts.' Other, more thoughtful interpretations say it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain an action against the odds - even with repeated failure.

Now you can call that stubbornness, which many Finns are accused of, and you can call that stoic-ness which is also a typically Finnish trait. But I choose to call it persistent: to keep trying until you get it right. That in a nutshell is me. And I'd like to channel that energy to realigning my life this year. To let go of those things that are holding me back and embrace those things that are helping me grow as a person.

Ok, so how do you capture that in a picture? I took the entire week to try to figure out what I could photograph. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that when I think about what this means to me it is captured by my grandparents. Funny thing is I think of my maternal grandparents, who are German. My father is actually the Finn. Nonetheless, that is what I think of. They grew up in rural Nebraska, on neighboring farms. They were sweethearts from about the age of 6 and ran off to get married at 17 across the Nebraska border in Kansas (that wild state of KS - ha!). 

But by the time the kids came along, they were heading into the dust bowl. And Nebraska was right in the heart of that crazy thing. They tried to move the family to Oregon twice. The first time Grandpa just couldn't find any work. So he went back to Nebraska. But the second time he found work on a Dairy farm and went back to pack up the family and drive across the states in an old Ford pickup truck shown here (c. 1938). The little girl is my mom.

My grandparents were hard-working, people of few words, and what they said was honest. They lived their lives simply and with love. I think that is a great guide to assess my life this year.

Pay it Forward :: Mama's Got To Doodle

Today is my last installment of my Pay it Forward series.  You see, the way this works is that the first 3 people who commented on my blog (when I posted that I was participating) are the bloggers who received a handmade gift from me sometime within the following year. 

This last gift went to Jayne of Mama's Got to Doodle. Looks like she's having a great kick off to the year with a big clean up of the work station, and a bead in the Art Jewelry Element January challenge. Congratulations Jayne! Can't wait to see it.

When I asked Jayne what she liked in jewelry she let me know that she really wore bracelets. And after visiting Jayne's blog many times to see what kind of bracelets she liked, and made for herself, I thought this amethyst one called a crystal helix would be something that she might like. But I needed to ask as she had said that the colors she liked were greens and reds. Happily when I asked her about amethyst she said she would love that, and indeed when it arrived she told me it fit perfectly and that she loved it! Phew! 

Pay it Forward :: Caron Michelle

My next recipient of my Pay it Forward series is Caron of Caron Michelle. When I asked Caron what style of jewelry she preferred she said "Surprise me! I wear all sorts of jewelry"

Caron is from Australia, and I know they have reverse seasons. Currently Australia is in summer. Oh how I wish I were there soaking in some warm weather! 

Several blogs back, Erin and Brandi gave us a challenge of color. And this is the necklace that I created inspired by Guinea-Bissau. The apatite stones and flow of the pattern in the Murano glass just make me think of summer and the blue of the ocean. I knew that I wanted to send this to Caron; especially when she told me her favorite colors were blue and red and she loved silver. This piece just seemed perfect for a lovely summer outfit. When I posted this necklace for the blog hop, Caron did say that she "absolutely adored it." And I hope she felt the same once she saw it in person!

I have one more recipient to tell you about, so I'll be back tomorrow with my final reveal of my 'Pay it Forward' pieces.

Pay it Forward :: The One That Got Away

As promised, this is the other version of the 'Pay it Forward' necklace I was working on for Chelsea that I mentioned in yesterday's post. 

I played with this version and re-strung it several times. I was looking for a sort of 'webbing' effect that just wasn't working. And you simply cannot force the beads where they don't want to go. I will come back to that pattern, just need to use different weight beads. The ones I was using are micro beads, and while I love the look of them they simply don't have enough weight.  I'll be back in a later post with a version of a webbing effect. 

For now, this is a pattern that I strung Christmas Eve, sitting in front of the fire (really). I was thinking about holly berries, and that beautiful deep rich red that they have. We have several bushes of them just outside the kitchen window and I love to watch the birds scamper for them. Usually they come 10-15 at a time and try to peck them out of each other's beaks ... you'd think they'd just grab another one from the bush, but what's the fun in that?

This one is now listed in my Etsy Shop; for anyone interested. I used bamboo coral for the red beads, silver coils (I picked up in Brighton, UK) and a large Murano glass focal. I'll be back tomorrow with a second recipient of my 'Pay it Forward' pieces.

Pay it Forward :: Chelsea Art Designs

I know I haven't shown you guys any jewelry since before Christmas, but rest assured I have still been working away at the bead table. So I do have a few things to show you.

Let's start with a series on my Pay it Forward. I joined this blog hop over at Alicia's All the Pretty Things blog back in September. We have one year to 'pay it forward' and send a surprise gift to 3 recipients who comment on our blogs. Today is the first of three reveals for participants who clicked on my blog.

I tried to take time and really think about what each of these lovely ladies might really enjoy as their surprise. My first reveal is going to be the one who gave me the most to ponder. Chelsea (shown here) of Chelsea Art Designs. When I asked Chelsea what she liked by way of jewelry she told me she liked warm colors and preferably red or orange. 

The first piece I made was with red (I'll show you that one tomorrow). I wasn't quite sure it would work as I used a large black pendent, and after a quick chat with Chelsea we decided that I should try again.

The second piece uses orange in a number of different materials. The chain is handmade with silver wire wrapping and carnelian beads. The large beads are enamels that I received from Keri at Pink Lemonade that are such a rich, deep color. And the pendent is called golden ochre which is a shell from New Zealand that I picked up while I was there. I also used a bale with a little silver leaf (another symbol of New Zealand). I hope she likes this one!

Focusing on Life :: Self Portrait

Sally at The Studio Sublime asked who would "focus on life through one photo a week" with her? The idea is to create a photo collage of an entire year. Each week being an exercise in looking at your life, your surroundings in a new and unique way, and then capturing that moment with a single click of the camera.

So week 1, our first photo inspiration prompt was to take a self portrait. AaAaRRRRRrrr ... I'm pretty sure the neighbors down the block heard me on that one. Don't get me wrong. I love snapping pictures. I have hundreds of them. Of my kids, my jewelry, my travels .... but of me? not a one. In a word: crap-ola.

Al-righty then. I tell myself to 'pull up my socks' and get on with it. I decided to think of this more artistically. To create a portrait that is more a depiction of me. I prefer to be behind the camera. 

Yes, that is my iPhone. I recently talked about needing to upgrade my photos ... and there you have the reason. As lovely as my little phone is, it's time for a big girl's camera. 

This is me. While I love to create jewelry; big, bold, artistic jewelry, I don't wear it. Jewelry creation is more of an artistic outlet for me. To express design, and to study history or culture of another place and time. I'm just a geek that way. If I wear any jewelry; it is one of about 3 pair of earrings. These are my favorites; a simple Tahitian pearl. I do; however, get completely giddy to see other people wear my jewelry. It still amazes me each and every time when someone likes my pieces enough to wear them. 

I will be back next Saturday with another installment of Focusing on Life, and every Saturday there after. You can find my building photo collage on Pinterest. 

Blogger Award: Premio Dardos

The lovely Marcela at Fashion Adictas has given me a most wonderful award ... the Premio Dardos. Thank you Marcela! It means a lot to me that someone with so much talent and creativity has decided to share this with me. (That is, once I figured out the meaning of the award!)  

Ok, so my search did make me laugh just a bit because I have to tell you that Google translator makes me giggle at the nonsensical idioms. But I believe after translating some 30 or so blogs, I can give you a sense of what this award means. I can also tell you that it seems to have swept through Madrid and made it's way here. 

The award was created by the Spanish writer Alberto Zambade in 2008. It appears to be a journalistic award for bloggers. Zambade wanted to recognize those bloggers who write about everyday life, culture and art, and who do so on a personal level and with integrity. Now mind you, that isn't exactly how the translation goes, that is my interpretation.  If you want a flavor of the translations they go like this: "the award aims to recognize the values ​​of each blogger, for his commitment to the transmission of cultural, ethical, literary and personal. Expressing ultimately their creativity through their remaining living thought innate in his words."

The one translation I particularly enjoyed was that this award was created: "In an effort to promote brotherhood among bloggers, show affection and gratitude for adding value to the blogosphere" The following blogs do exactly that in my opinion.

So now the fun part. I get to give this out to other bloggers (the rules say up to 15 other blogs). But, I'm going to focus on a short list of some of my must stop places each week. The list is by no means exhaustive as I read quite a lot of blogs, but this handful of bloggers seem to really exemplify the meaning of the award to me. While I'm including a few links (of more serious discussions) all of these blogs also have a lighter side and most provide plenty of laughter in their posts.

Janice over at Bikbik and Roro has done many a blog that talks about today's issues, whether they be environmental or humane. She's also had the courage to do some pretty deep soul searching and to talk about it in a way that I would say has the utmost integrity. One of my favorite posts from Janice is one she wrote "On the Perception of Beauty."

Another regular blog for me is Martha at Plowing Through Life. She has a big heart for animal rights and has done quite a bit of work with animal shelters. 

She also recently wrote one of the most thought provoking posts on humanity and helping a neighbor in need called "Please Remember the Less Fortunate." 

A blog that I have been very impressed with is Amy of Copper Diem. She is continually thinking about other people, and how she can help in whatever way she can. She's organized and motivated many of us to come along with her and support causes like Ears to You and 7000 bracelets for Hope. In fact she did a whole blog post title "So how can I help?"

Here is a blog, Jacqueline at Cheapskate Blethering, that has just a general curiosity about life that never ends. Asking great questions, exploring different cultures or just enjoying the world around. A recent post is a wonderful remembrance of how our elders can play such an important part in our lives called "Time Goes Marching Ever On."

A blog that I have just really come to enjoy ... each and every post ... is Ana at Introverted Art. Here is a quote from a recent blog post that for me, sums up just why I love to read her blog: "I admit, without shame, I am one of those people who make new year resolutions. They are not about losing weight or exercising, but they are about what I want to become. My birthday is in January, so the new year has always represented a sort of rebirth to me."

The Zen of Motherhood is a blog that creates a lively forum of discussion ... but with less words and more telegraphic images. Like her recent post called "Bad Moon Rising" with subtitle "Happy Apocalypse!"

To all these wonderful bloggers, I wish you warm congratulations and a deep thank you for 'promoting the brotherhood among bloggers.'

New Year Resolution

When it comes to beading I simply just like to create, but I confess that I have not done a lot of 'blue sky' designing in the past many months. I've either been working on a commissioned piece of jewelry, a challenge (with a theme and parameters) or something for a friend. All good things; mind you, but sometimes I just want to sit in front of the beads and create with no limitations. 

Lately, however, I've started doing a couple series just for me. I did the Van Gogh Series with a focus on earrings; inspired by the colors of his art. I am currently working on my latest one called Native Peoples with a focus to the simplicity of art from native cultures.

And yes, I do have at least half a dozen more ideas for themes in my head. I am enjoying these series as I feel like I'm able to let my creativity soar. I'm not trying to create it for someone else, but just to create. Some people paint, I guess for me ... my beads are my way to express my art. Who knew?

So my New Year's resolution for the year is to find time for this part of my jewelry. I know, I know ... I need to set a quantifiable goal for this. How about at least one post a month, and to introduce at least 2 more of my series. 

The question I have for all of you is whether any of you want to play along? I have 2 more Van Gogh paintings (Stary Night, and The Cypresses), at least 3 more Native Peoples themes (dream catchers, petroglyphs and Pacific Northwest Indian Art). If so, let me know and I'll send images for inspiration. Perhaps even commit to a reveal date. 

Happy New Year everyone. What will you resolve to do with your beading this year?

Etsy :: A Work in Progress

The one thing that I struggle with when it comes to my jewelry is selling it. I love to make it, to talk about it, to blog about it and I even enjoy photographing it. But when it comes to selling it; I simply struggle. I don't enjoy 'working the sale' and would far prefer to just give my jewelry away as so many of you know!

But alas, there is this nagging voice in my head. Ok, truth be told it is actually my husband (ha! there I said it) asking that I at least attempt to break even on my beady obsession. And so I have taken some steps to improve my Etsy store. 

I joined a wonderful group of Etsy shops this Fall called the BBA (Blogging Business Artisans) who have been a source of encouragement on Etsy. They have put out a challenge to all of us in the group to think about how we might improve our shops. I took this as a sign. 

In the past week I've taken several steps to update my shop. And I have to admit; it feels good to stop avoiding this, and I can see that this might actually help sales. So here is my running list (I'm sure I'll come up with more, but let's start here).

1. Photography: I've been in search of a style that I like, that I think will shout "oh yes, I know that look ... it's so-and-so's shop."  Anyone whose been to my Etsy knows that it looks like perhaps 12 different people work here. Sadly, that is both my art and my curse. I like lots of things. But I've committed to getting my photography to one style. It will take a bit of time to swap out the photos, and I need a new camera. But I've begun. You'll see a new look in the shop (the photos in this post are examples - and taken by a friend - Thea of Baby Cocktails). 
2. Regular Re-Stocking: I was really on top of this when I first opened my Etsy Shop in 2010, but in the past year I've let re-stocking fall off. Sometimes I went several months without adding a single item. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to diagnosis the problem there. I added about 30 new items in the past month. I don't expect to keep up that pace, but I needed to make up for some lost momentum this year. 
3. Sections: Sections are a way to navigate your shop. I'm now at almost 100 items in the store. That's a lot, and people get lost. So I re-worked my sections in a way that makes more sense. Well at least to me, and I hope to my shoppers.
4. Treasuries: One great tip I picked up from my BBA team is optimizing the use of treasuries (my treasuries). When I stock a new item, or add a new section (as I just did with Kitsch Stitch), a treasury is a great way to get the word out. But remember to include other shops, and then be sure to send them a note letting them know they've been included (don't forget the treasury link so they can find it!). This way you spread the word, and get views. 
5. Social Media Linking: I've been trying to make sure I stay on top of this, but this feels a lot more like 'working the sale.' One way I've been able to deal with this (at least for me) is to have social sites that are separate between my personal (my real name) and my shop (Antiquity Travelers). I don't want all my personal friends on Facebook to think I'm constantly asking them to buy my stuff! But I have linked my shop FB page to twitter, so when I post on FB it automatically 'tweets' an update. I have entire boards dedicated to my jewelry on Pinterest, I have collages to highlight my jewelry on Polyvore ... but all absolutely need to link to the Etsy shop. That way if someone really likes a piece, they know exactly how they can buy it. This is still a work in progress for me, but I'm getting more disciplined about it.

I have a few more ideas in the works like a revamp to my logo. I want to keep the Shiva as it is part of my identity. It is a real item in my studio, and one I brought back from the Himalayas. So that stays. But everything else is up for grabs. How about all of you? Will you be making New Year's Resolutions to update your shops? Any ideas to share on what makes a better shop experience? Leave me a comment .... I'm interested!

BBA Secret Santa :: Nancy Fallon Designs

My BBA group (Blogging Business Artisans) did a Secret Santa swap this year and I was matched up with Nancy of N. Fallon Design Studio who sent me a few of my favorite things!

And like one of my children, when I got my box in the mail I promptly ripped it open. Opps! so I I don't have a picture of the individually, beautifully wrapped gifts. Oh, and one of them is missing from the picture since it was wonderfully scented soap and quickly was put to use! 

Included in my box was two scented soaps, tangerine orange tea (I LOVE citrus and tea - so she combined that!). And she included a cute little notebook, which will be put to use in my beading studio.

I've been having a wonderful holiday break; enjoying a little down time. Which reminds me it is time for a little afternoon tea ... perhaps some tangerine orange

Happy Holidays Everyone

Happy Holidays :: Happy Blogiversary!

A year ago I started my blog. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this blogging thing, but I decided to give it a try for a little while. A year later, 153 posts later, and many bloggy friendships later ... I can say that I like it and will continue. To all my new friends, from around the world, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas




















Today I'm going to leave you with a holiday tradition that my husband and I started with our two girls. We collect Christmas ornaments from our many travels. And then once a year, when we put up the tree, we have fun reminiscing about all the fabulous places we've seen and people we've met. A sneak preview of the Pinterest board my youngest daughter and I created with the collection of ornaments from our tree. 

I hope you have time this holiday season to share in some warm traditions; whether they be old or new.

The Van Gogh Series :: Flower Fields

Recently I was shopping with a couple of beady friends and we happened across a booth filled with wonderful artisan beads, including these beautiful flowers. The artisan is Patricia Dugmore of pjBeads. I knew I had to pick up a few for my Van Gogh Series, but the question was ... which ones? 

Right away I decided I wanted red, which reminded me of his Field of Poppies seen here. Poppies are often associated with blooms covering expansive open fields in the South of France. I love the way Van Gogh captured flowers, whether in a vase or waving in the wind out in the fields. Simply stunning. 

Van Gogh's earliest paintings of poppies were during his time in Paris where he painted mainly cut flowers as he did not have the money to pay models. Still-life was just more practical. 

He notes years later in a letter to his sister Wilhelmina that he used the brilliant red of poppy blooms against the bright green of the alfalfa fields because of the color contrast it created. He says, "these are the fundamentals, which one may subdivide further, and elaborate, but quite enough to show you without the help of a picture that there are colours which cause each other to shine brilliantly, which form a couple, which complete each other like man and woman." A bit of a run-on sentence, but hey he's an artist. This use of complimentary colors is what Van Gogh became known for, and what sets his paintings apart from other still-life work.

The red pair of earrings came together quickly. I wanted them to focus on pops of red with green as background; just like Van Gogh had done in his paintings. The result is an abstract pair of dangle earrings with large pops of red. In my Etsy shop.

The white ones gave me more trouble. I pulled them apart several times as adding leaves just put the whole thing off kilter. In the end, simplicity won. I knew I wanted to do something that had the look of snowdrops with the flower facing downwards. I just love this beautiful, simple flower with its hopeful sign of spring. Also, in my Etsy shop.

I went in search of any paintings that Van Gogh might have painted with snowdrops. I didn't find any. But what I did stumble across was a crazy sub-culture of snowdrop collectors. One man apparently gardens in secret; living in fear that someone will steal his precious bulbs. There was a run on his garden (literally) when people found out that he had sold a rare variety on eBay for £357 [$577 USD] ... holy smokes. 

He promptly moved his precious bulbs to a super-duper secret location. He says he always gives one bulb away to a friend for security (in case one is stolen; he'll have a back-up). He is quoted everywhere as saying "stealing snowdrops is like stealing a Van Gogh. If it’s rare, all the galanthophiles [enthusiastic collectors of snowdrops - nope I did not make that up] will know who propagated it and where it was stolen from." 

Ok, so I think that has got to be the most anyone has ever paid for a crazy friken bulb beautiful flower - right? Nope. A mutant variety sold for £725 [$1,172 USD] on eBay. Ian Christie, a local nurseryman in Scotland, spotted the 'one in ten million' plant and propagated it as a new variation. He sold it and gave the money back to the elderly couple who run the nursery since financing has become more challenging in recent years. Now that is some Christmas spirit!

Native Peoples :: Headdress

I mentioned yesterday that I was working on a piece, and in my mind's eye it was in the Native American style of a headdress. I saw in my head the use of feathers and their flare with dark tips (see yesterday's post). I've always loved this style. I find it striking how so few colors can have such impact on design.

The central focal is a rock from the shore of Lake Michigan; given to me by Christine of One Kiss Creations. Whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person recently. We had way too much fun, gabbing away far past my curfew (I jest, but I did nearly miss dinner with my kids - ooops!). Christine tells me that MI is a treasure trove of rocks for the serious rock connoisseur, and it sounds as though she had lots of fun trolling the shores looking for her favorites.  

I have promised Christine that I will try my hand at a beaded bezel around a rock. And I will, just not for this one! I wanted the shape of the rock to be au naturale because it is so unique and beautiful all on its own.

The beaded pattern is an alternate St Petersburg stitch with tila beads (aka double hole, square beads). After Christine and Therese's A Time to Stitch Blog Hop I've been trying to use more of their beautiful bead weaving in my work. I remember seeing this version and I have been dying to try it.

Lastly, the finish to the necklace. I posted this piece yesterday on CBC (Creative Bead Chat) and got lots of great suggestions. In the end, and if you read yesterday's post, you see that I went for simple. I wanted it to be in the style of a headdress, and the sides are typically leather. This happens to be suede from Mokuba (my all-time favorite ribbon store), but not your usual suede. It is a synthetic that looks and feels exactly like suede. And it is tough enough to stand up to my rough sewing style with fireline. I sure hope that Christine likes this, as I'm dropping it in the mail to her. I can not think of a more loving home for my headdress necklace.

A quick addition to this post. From Christine:
To some of the readers, a little aside...I was an Anthropology/Native American Studies major in college. And it is long believed (though I cannot find absolute written proof so it is more a folklore belief, which is fine by me!) that heart shaped rocks are a symbol of good luck. Once you start looking, you will find them everywhere :-) 

How cool is that? Christine, I hope this brings you much good luck

Native Peoples :: On the Bead Table

As I wind down my Van Gogh Series, I've been thinking about another one. One inspired by nature and native peoples. I recently met up with some bloggy friends (Christine and Sally), which was just so much fun to get to know them better in person. Christine gave me a few pieces from a trip where she picked up some great rocks from the shore of Lake Michigan. And now I have ideas swirling in my head for a new series. 

This piece is currently on the bead table. I posted it on CBC (Creative Bead Chat) last night to see if I could get some inspiration on how to finish this necklace. I got suggestions from knotted suede, to beaded spiral rope to simple stringing. I'm still thinking it through.

Until then, I'll leave you with some iconic pictures of Native American culture: the headdress. Not all tribes wore a headdress, but those that did typically reserved the right for the tribe leaders. The ones shown here are Sioux. They were mostly ceremonial, worn with pride, as another feather was added for each brave act by the person wearing it.

A little known fact is that women did not participate in making the headdress. Only men. Usually it was the privilege of the chief or the warrior's closest friends and allies. Of all the feathers, the golden eagle feather was the most coveted. It brought great reverence and respect from the rest of the tribe. The colors of the feathers depended on what birds were indigenous to the area, and the strap on the headdress typically made of leather. Ha! I believe we have our answer to how I should finish my necklace. I am now off to find just the right piece. I'll be back with pictures.

The Van Gogh Series :: Peach Blossoms

I still have several 'singles' that I've been working into pairs of earrings. I'm a tad behind on posting as things always tend to get crazed at the end of the year. But I'll try to get more posted over the next week.

One of the many styles I love from Van Gogh is the the way he captured flowers and blossoming trees. The paintings feel so organic and natural with accentuated colors that bring out the uniqueness of each style and type. He painted a peach tree (below) many times, through several color ranges that doesn't fail to disappoint.

When Van Gogh first arrived in Arles (1888), he didn't find the warm climate he'd expected. Instead he found snow on the ground, but still he painted what he could find. He painted indoors at first because of the weather, concentrating on still life and portraits. Likely when sprigs like this almond blossom (above) were just coming into bloom.  

But once spring was in full bloom in Arles it brought on a flurry of painting by Van Gogh where he was fascinated by blossoming fruit trees, including peach, almond, apricot and plum trees. He made 14 paintings on this series shown here of a Peach Tree in Blossom. He wrote Theo, his brother, "I will have to seek something new now the orchards have almost finished blossoming." 

He picked up this style of painting during his time in Paris where Japanese art and painting blossoming trees were popular. Lacquerware and porcelain from Japan poured in from trading ships during the 19th century, and artists began to copy the powerful colors and clear lines of Japanese works. Van Gogh was impressed by Japanese prints, as were many of his fellow Impressionist painters. My earrings for this post are clusters of pink Czech glass with pale pink quartz-faceted briolettes. Simple cluster earrings that you'll find in my Etsy shop.

Cuff Tutorial :: Biker Chic

I have had a lot of people ask me about this cuff. Truth is, it is a very easy project, as long as you don't mind doing a little stitching. I've made several in the last 6 months; honestly there are endless ways you might add your own twist to this pattern. 

For those looking for the tutorial, you'll find it on a new site that all us beaders have been enjoying called Artisan Whimsy. The tutorial is on the front page today. If you bead, and haven't yet signed up, give it a look. There are lots of great ideas and patterns on the site.

If you don't bead, but would love to own this one ... try my Etsy. Hope everyone is enjoying family and holidays, and holding your loved ones close. 

Happy Anniversary My Love

Ok, so I'm one day late on this one. But when you're celebrating your 19th wedding anniversary the specific day doesn't really matter anymore!

Yesterday, Dec 11th, is actually the day we got married. We went up to wine country in CA to an old Inn and got married there in the library. It was very small. We asked my brother-in-law and my husband's uncle to be our witnesses. What a wonderful day it was. 


A week later we were off to New Zealand to see my sister, and then followed by 10 days in Fiji for the 'real' honeymoon. 

Spending time out on a little Island in the South Pacific; snorkeling, hiking and meeting the people of Fiji. Simply amazing. A place and time that will be with me forever.

Now, 19 years later I love him more than I ever realized possible. Strange how another person can become such a part of you --- body and soul. I can not imagine sharing the twists and turns of life with another person. We have 2 beautiful daughters and a wonderful life together.

While my girls are now 10 and 14, I thought I'd share some of my favorites. This one of my baby was when she was just a year old and we had only just moved back East. That year was a bit of a blur settling into our new life and moving across the country with little kids.

The second picture is of my girls a few years later. They are the best of friends. Ever since they were little, they've always hung out together, played together and honestly been inseparable. Nothing makes me smile more then to hear their giggles at night when they are off reading before bed. I get so sentimental this time of year, but life is good.

The Van Gogh Series :: Sunflowers

I did a guest post over at Gloria's New End Studio blog last Sunday. What a fun idea, and exciting to see myself posted over on a bloggy friend's site! Just in case you missed it click over, or read on below for my continuing Van Gogh series .....

Vincent Van Gogh is an artist who had periods of visionary creativity juxtaposed with times of deep despair. Such a complex story, but then that is what this series is about. Taking certain aspects of his life and using that as creative juices.

You might recall that I mentioned having a bowl of earring 'singles.' I have this bad habit of creating only one earring because I love the creative process, and then I grow tired of duplicating my efforts. As inspiration, I've chosen Van Gogh and his rich use of color to motivate me.

Van Gogh moved to Arles, France in 1888 where he was enchanted by the local landscape and light. His works from this period are deeply influence by intensity of color and light on his subject. Yellow is prominent in his paintings of the wheat field series, haystacks and sunflowers. A letter home from Vincent to his brother Theo noted of painting bunches of sunflowers on multiple panels "the whole thing will be a symphony in blue and yellow." He worked on it from early sunrise to afternoon when he lost the light on the flowers. You can see the richness of color throughout his many paintings during this period. And as a little inspiration I created an Etsy Treasury as a tribute to Van Gogh's sunflower yellows. 

I picked up my unfinished pair of lemon quartz dangle earrings. I love this color, but wanted to add a rich secondary color with them as the quartz can be a little timid. I don't normally mix and match colors like this, but I was going with it from Vincent's influence. I added ruby rondelles to mimic the deep richness of the center of the sunflowers which play off the yellow. That is influence for this pair that you'll find finally posted in my Etsy shop!

BTW :: Memory Wire Bracelets

These bracelets were recently on my bead table. One of these bracelets you saw in my reveal for Lisa Lodge's My Bead Table Blog Hop, and one is a second version. 

When I posted my blog hop reveal, I had a sweet note from Kristen over at Peanut Layne. She seemed to love this bracelet far more than me! And so into a package it went.

But that isn't the fun part of this story. She mentioned that she had two daughters. And having two daughters myself, and also having a sister ... I knew I couldn't send only one. 

I pulled out a little more memory wire and quickly created a second. Slightly different shades ... the second one is a little more green. And since I was working up a green one I grab what spare green beads I had on the bead table. 

Well unbeknownst to me, one of those beads was a claimed 'precious' bead to my 10 year old. Who knew? I mean she has bowls of them lying around. But you know the second she saw the finished bracelet she said 'hey, that's my special green bead!' I'm thinking ... there is no way I'm ripping this out. But I put on my mommy hat and calmly say 'honey, you have so many beads. You want to pick one of my other beads?' She still wasn't budging. Ok, full mommy arsenal. 'I will let you pick a special bead and I'll make you a necklace with it, and I will take you to the bead store and you get to pick out anyone you like.'  That was very close. But still, she hesitated. 

But then like any self-respecting mom I told her this was going to two sisters and how nice it would be that they would have matching bracelets. That was it! She was hooked. She even helped write out a note to Kristen and her girls to make sure they knew that it was a special bead she was giving to them. For me, this is the Christmas spirit. My daughter was now way into this gift, and she feels a personal pride in having contributed to a sister gift. And now I'm crying. Kids can be amazing sometimes.

The Van Gogh Series :: Bearded Iris

Iris is a very popular flower at my house, particularly any that are in the purple hue. They are my husband's favorites and he's got them planted all over the yard. Our favorite is the bearded variety as they are just so lush in the way their petals cascade. 

It is no wonder that it was a favorite subject for Van Gogh to paint. His Iris paintings are some of his best known and most recognized pieces. But what I find interesting is when in his life he started to paint these gorgeous flowers. In 1889 he committed himself to the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint Remy, France after many hospitalizations and self-mutilation. 

It was during his stay here that he painted some 130 paintings with the surrounding gardens at the clinic. He started work on his Irises within the first week of his stay at the asylum. He also painted Starry Night during his stay here, but I'll save that one for another post in this series.

His Irises painting is on the list for one of the most expensive paintings ever sold, selling for 54 million dollars in 1987. Currently Irises is on display at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, CA.

To understand a little bit more about what was going on with Vincent during this period, you can read some of his letters. He mentions that he's had epileptic seizures and that it was one of these episodes where he's injured his ear. There seems to be many stories about how he ended up with a bandaged ear! He had several primary subjects during his stay, but the flowers in the landscape seem to capture him. He writes "the landscape of St-Remy is very beautiful." and that he has "two subjects taken from the garden - violet irises and a lilac bush."   

I took inspiration for these earrings from the gradation of purple hue in an iris, and the cascading petals from the bearded variety. They are a diamond cut amethyst that stacks in a cascade as you layer them together. I like the effect of these, but also wanted them to have that long hang to them like the long stocks of the flower. This pair you'll find posted in my Etsy shop! Also for a little fun, my friend Gloria over at New End Studios has allowed me to guest post on her blog, and I've got a Sunflower inspired Van Gogh pair there and also listed in my Etsy shop. I'm working my way through that bowl of single earrings! 

BBA Gratitude Challenge :: Indian Carnelian

The month of November is a month for giving thanks, and the BBA team challenged us to stop, give thanks and create something inspired by our gratitude. Yes I am aware that today is actually December, but I just have not had a chance to get to this blog post until now!

Ok, so on with the show. As those of you who follow me regularly know, I have been doing an on-going series on things to be thankful for while traveling in India. 

I recently gave you my top 10 reasons to be thankful while in India, with my top reason being traveling with my mother-in-law. 

Yep, you read that correctly. I really love spending time with my mother-in-law. She and I haggled with a guy for some strings of carnelian who was sitting right on the front steps of a place called Fatehpur Sikri. 

This is one of the best preserved collection of Mughal architecture in India. It was built in the 1500s by one of the Rajput Rajas, and served as the capital between 1571 and 1585 - a very short time. What is so interesting about the city is that it rather perfectly preserved since it was abandoned in 1585, they say mostly due to it's lack of a water supply. In its hay day it included royal palaces, harem, courts, a mosque, private quarters for the Raj. Akbar, the ruling Raj of the time, was seeking to revive the splendors of Persian court, and planned the complex on Persian principles. It is gorgeous architecture. The complex has independent pavilions on the ground level in patterns derived from Arab and central Asian tent encampments. And there is a large open air market with stunning columns and roof ... still standing. The city spreads out over nearly two miles long and one mile wide, and today is India's version of a ghost town. What is left are red sandstone structures to a time past. 

So my piece that I've created for giving thanks is from the carnelian I purchased for 100 Rupee (roughly $2.50). I wanted it to be a bit rustic, so I used knotted hemp cord with the strings of carnelian chips. It reminds me of my time in India, learning about the culture of the country where my mother-in-law grew up. 

Holiday Collection :: Give Away

Last week a group of jewelry designers at Artisan Whimsy announced a holiday sale at our Etsy sites. You can check out all the other shops in the linky on my post. Also, each one of us are doing a give away of an item to our followers, today December 1. 

So without further ado, I took everyone's name that wanted to enter the drawing and did a 'Random.org' spin of the wheel. 

The winner is Jean Wells! Come on down!

I simply love this stone! These are African opals and have the most amazing colors ... from pale blues to sandy oranges. No two stones are the same, which is what makes them so fun to use in my designs. I hope you enjoy them Jean! Happy Holidays