Friday, July 31, 2009

Exuberance


Here is a little something I whipped up for myself. Yup, for me. I rarely make things for myself. These colors were crying out to me, as was this design. I think the result is adorable. They are lightweight and swingy- quite eye-catching. It's so hard to be a guinea pig.

I will be cranking out more earrings with this design for you, if you desire. You know you do. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Challenge


"To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist."- Gail Sheehy


Challenges are stimulating, invigorating, and motivating. They can get your creative carcass off it's rump, get your inventive juices flowing once more. Recently, a friend handed me a plastic baggie full of seashells and asked me if I could do something with them. Without hesitation, I answered in the affirmative, confident that I could come up with something. I had no idea what I would do with those shells; I just knew that I would eventually have an idea. I picked through them and started playing around with them and, finally, "Fantasea" was born. I am pleased with the outcome, as was my friend. It is unique and colorful- an artistic piece. What is more, I still have a bag full of the remaining shells to work with when I feel the urge.

Working on this piece got me to thinking about other types of challenges. In daily life, we may face tremendous physical, mental or emotional challenges that may make it difficult simply to desire to get out of bed in the morning. It has occurred to me that I should approach life challenges in the same way that I faced that bag of shells- confident that, somehow, I can do something with the fragments and shards of problems before me that seem useless or hopeless. Play around with those problems until an inventive way to deal with them pops in my head. Don't give up on them or view the whole mess as garbage to be tossed. And realize that there exists more than one solution to most problems. Sometimes solutions don't come easily, or they may never present themselves. But at the very least, a way can be found to cope.
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."- Herm Albright
"The impossible can always be broken down into possibilities."- Unknown

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Passion


Swishing skirts, clacking castanets, vigorous guitar, stomping heels- the flamenco dance is quite a passionate display of emotion and movement. I love to watch the unabashed expressions on the dancers' faces as they are caught up in the fever of the dance. Latin dance appeals to so many people and for good reason. It is powerful, expressive and bold- nothing shy or retiring about it. When it comes to dancing, I am a bit reluctant to 'cut loose' on the dance floor. I am working on that. Part of my therapy includes watching dancers throw their hearts into the dance.

One of my favorite foreign films is "Shall We Dance?" (not to be confused with the Richard Gere/ Jennifer Lopez film). The version I favor came out before the more recent Gere/ Lopez version. It is a Japanese film and is utterly charming. To me, it truly captures the great reluctance some feel on the dance floor, which the later film did not repeat. I highly recommend it as a general education in overcoming shyness. Watch it, if you can!

Speaking of passion, the asymmetrical necklace featured in this post is a project I have been working on for a while. Recently, I included this piece in a post about procrastination. Well, I finally quit procrastinating! The intense magenta, pinks and reddish oranges always thrill my senses. This piece also has a vintage touch- the floral components, reminiscent of those ruffled flamenco skirts, are enameled metal components from the sixties. I wired them up to create individual posies and strung them with freshwater pearls, pink crazylace agate, Czech glass, sterling silver and one of my own lampwork focal beads. Makes me want to clack castanets, stomp my feet and toss my curly, dark mane!

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance."- Japanese proverb

"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels."- Faith Whittlesey

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Cosmos


OK- I'll admit it. I am a sci-fi geek. I have always enjoyed watching sci-fi movies. I am a HUGE Star Trek fan. My parents got me started on sci-fi, actually, when I was a wee girl. We used to whip up our TV dinners, crack out the ole' TV trays and settle in for some Captain Kirk and Mister Spock. Good times. I once attended a Star Trek convention. Admittedly, I was there for people-watching more than anything else. (You wouldn't believe how serious some of those people are about Star Trek. Fascinating.) And don't EVEN get me started on Star Wars. Naturally, I have passed on the science fiction torch to my own child.
Along with an interest in science fiction is my avid interest in astronomy. I follow all the activities of NASA (such as the recent repair of the Hubble telescope) and hope someday soon to visit a large observatory. There is nothing more beautiful than being able to see the night sky in some remote location, far from interfering city lights. Several years ago we were camping on top of a 10,000+ foot high mountain in Wyoming. The closest city was about 50 miles away and there was no moon. We just put our heads back and watched an incredible meteor display for hours. Breathtaking.
The more I learn about objects in the night sky, the more I want to learn. I am amazed by the beauty and quantity of galaxies, the rarity of comets, and what causes meteor showers. So much to learn and be continuously inspired by!
(Earrings in this post are on sale now in my Etsy shop.)
"A sparkling trail/ Of cosmic glitterati/Attracts attention."-- Moon Katty Studios
"I open the scuttle at night and see the far sprinkled systems..."- Walt Whitman
"To Infinity and Beyond!"- Buzz Lightyear

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Discovery


I have made a fun discovery. I have a wonderful collection of vintage postcards that I inherited from my father. Most of them were actually mailed and have written messages on them. I just realized that several of them are actually little secret love notes sent between my grandparents, including mysterious secret codes that I cannot decipher (yet). What a serendipitous find! Most of these are dated from the very early 1900's. The one pictured in this post was sent from my grandfather to my grandmother, before they were married. The message on the back includes a charming and undoubtedly daring (for its day) little poem, written in my grandfather's own quirky handwriting: "Crackers are dry without cheese/ So is a kiss without a squeeze." Oooooo, so racy! I have never stopped to think about how these two individuals, my grandparents, originated their relationship. I barely remember my grandmother, who died when I was 12. My grandfather died when I was a baby, so I never really knew him. I've seen lots of pictures, naturally. But finding these cards and the long-ago sentiments inscribed upon them really brings these people to life in a sense. Without them and their love, I would not be here. This particular card is from 1908, originally sent over 100 years ago. Wow.

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."- Robert Heinlein

"You don't have to go looking for love when it's where you come from."- Werner Erhard

Friday, July 3, 2009

Inscrutable


It is a mystery to me how to accomplish all I want to do. My studio is a muddle of beads and wire. My mind is whirling with design ideas. At the same time, I have dinner to cook and laundry to attend to, shirts to iron and sinks to clean. I am pulled in many directions. A common problem for most women. The good part? I get to make art a lot! Not as much as I'd like, but that's OK. I think the biggest challenge is getting the goodies in the shop once I make them. I have to photograph them, Photoshop the photos (size them, adjust lighting, etc.), post pics in my gallery, list the items in one of my shops and then post a tweet and/or a blog post to notify folks of the new listings. Whew!

Right now I am scrambling to get a number of new items into my shops, so keep your eyes peeled for coming attractions! (I wonder about the origin of the phrase 'keep your eyes peeled'. Not a very appetizing picture.)
"I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it."- Harry Emerson Fosdick

The beads pictured in this post are now available in my Etsy shop.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Venetia


I have always wanted to see Venice. It just screams romance and historic charm. The closest I'll probably get is the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, which would actually work fine for me. No passports! Maybe someday...

Until then, I just made this pretty necklace to make me feel Venetian vibes. It is available in my Artfire shop.

"Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liquers in one go."- Truman Capote

"All that glisters is not gold."- from 'Merchant of Venice' by William Shakespeare

"I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs/ A palace and a prison on each hand."- Lord Byron