The Magpie's Treasure

Up to My Ears in Snow: The Blizzard of 2010

It has been a very snowy week here in Northern Virginia! In the past, I've lived in NY & Michigan, so I know that in other parts of the country life goes on as usual when it snows, but here measurable accumulations of the white stuff are not common. So we make a big deal of it!

Before the storms arrived, my husband & I headed over to our Wegmans grocery store and stocked up on all kinds of good foods. And when the snow finally started falling, we were ready to cook as if it was a holiday. Hearty German dinners with spatzle and red cabbage came out of our kitchen--as did pots of tomato sauce with cheese ravioli and homemade meatballs. And there was chocolate... 

 

I baked outrageously good Double-Chocolate Espresso Brownies. (Download My secret recipe)

 

While I was waiting for the plow to come, I also dove in and made a few snow angels! And I kept busy in my studio. I'll share some photos of what's on my workbench in my next post. 

That's the scoop for now. I hope you're staying warm!

Started the Week With My Torch Ablaze

It was a lazy and snowy weekend here in Virginia. My husband built a rip-roaring fire for us and we spent Saturday afternoon watching movies and snowflakes falling. (Did anyone else cry when they watched "Up"? What a sweet movie, but I needed to keep the tissues close!)

 

It was a perfect way to rest up for the new week and when I returned to my studio yesterday, my mind was clear and my hands were ready to work. I ended up with two projects going at once. 

 

(Click this image to see more photos of this work in progress.)

The first was a silver and brass pendant I've been working on for a few days now. It has a hinge and ball latch that have been soldered and then melted apart more than once. I've been working on positioning the parts correctly--and am afraid that my Little Torch is too hot for doing this work. We'll see... 

 

 

It's a learning piece for me--now that it's been melted so many times. I'm keeping track of what goes right so I can recreate a piece just like this one--with less re-do's and re-soldering. Although it is taking longer to finish this pendant than I'd expected, I'm actually enjoying the process and am really happy with how it's turning out.

 

 

The second project was an experiment with polymer clay and button making. Have you noticed any of the pieces of button jewelry  that people like Grainne Morton are making? Well, I was thinking that if you could make your own buttons or cabochons from polymer clay, then you could have a lot more control over your design and color scheme. So I grabbed a few vintage buttons and pressed them into Sculpey Mold Maker clay. In about 40 minutes, I had a handful of cute little buttons cooling. I love polymer clay for just that reason--it's so versatile and easy to work with. You can make just about anything you dream up!

 

 

Before I go, here's one more affirmation for you. It's not always easy to face days when nothing gets finished in the studio, but we need to trust and keep showing up to create. When we log in hours dreaming, experimenting, constructing, and learning, we are actually using the special gifts that God has given us, and few things feel as satisfying and right as that.

Friday's Affirmation for Artists - Remember to Take A Bow!

It's Friday and I have another affirmation for you.

Today it's all about taking a bow when we complete a work of art. When performing artists finish their acts, we expect them to take a bow--without hesitation and with a big smile on their face. But for me--standing in front of an audience and wearing my pride on my sleeve is not something I'm comfortable doing. Remember--I'm a woman who decided to spend most of her time working alone in a basement studio.

But while I was composing these affirmations, I came across a quote that changed my perspective on taking a bow and showing off my work (I wish I could remember who said it)... The gist of it was that when we create something that comes from our heart, we serve others by sharing it. By doing so we can make people laugh, make them remember, make them empathize... Christine Kane used Jerry Seinfeld to illustrate this concept--he makes most of us laugh 'til we cry and we need that laughter and are grateful for it.

So today let's give three loud cheers for the Internet!! It is possible for all of us to share our creations from the security of our own studios and without the aid of a gallery or store. We can serve others--with one click of camera and a few more clicks on a mouse. Hurrah! Let's take our bows!

That's it for now. I hope you have a great weekend!

When the Going Gets Tough--The Tough Reach for Their Affirmations

Here's an affirmation that most of us can use. There are those things that we do over & over again even though we know they don't get us closer to our goals. Sometimes it helps to have a reminder that once we let go we'll be on our way and so much happier.

More Affirmations for Artists for 2010

Here's one more of my affirmations.

Be. Do. Have. 

I borrowed this one from artist coach Christine Kane. Even though the success of a business is measured in monetary terms, the rewards that really keep me fired up are rewards for the heart--like the great feeling I get when I make personal connections with others through art, or the personal satisfaction I feel when I master a new technique, or even the swell of pride I experience when I finish making a piece that I think is really beautiful. 

So when I repeat this particular affirmation to myself those are the kinds of "emotional" rewards I'm hoping to see accumulating around me. 

Here's another:

 

This is an affirmation that I conjured up because I've always been impatient. I want instant expertise and don't like spending time mastering things. In fact, as a child I dropped out of flute lessons, piano lessons, karate lessons, and more--all because I didn't want to spend time practicing the basics. Somehow I expected my piano & flute teachers to help me play songs by telling me where to hold my fingers. I didn't understand that I needed to train my eyes to read sheet music or train my fingers to instinctively know where the keys were. 

It took a long time for me to understand that, but then I took a typing class and trained my mind and hands to type words without the aid of my eyes. And later on in life, I took pottery classes and spent weeks playing with mud before my hand-muscles developed a "memory" and could make stable pots without my thinking about the individual steps my teacher had demonstrated. 

Even with these experiences behind me, I'm still impatient with myself. There are times when I see the work of other amazing artists and think "Wow, I never would have come up with that" or "Hmmm, I'm never going to be THAT good." But I do know better. I know that those artists spent lots of time mastering their trade. They weren't born with those skills. And I know that I'm on my way, too. This affirmation card is a reminder that it takes time to grow and master skills -- the rewards are slowly coming my way.

It's a New Year With New Affirmations To Fire Us Up

 I hope your new year is getting off to a great start & that you are ready to spread your wings and go for it! 

I leaped into 2010 with a broom & dust pan in hand--had to give my studio a good straightening up. Then I joined an art biz class--the Blast Off Class taught by Alyson Stanfield. You might remember that I participated in the class last year, too, but it left me feeling so energized that I jumped at the chance to do it again this year.

One of the class assignments that I love is designed to help you focus on what motivates you as an artist and small business owner. We had to create index cards with affirmations on them and were encouraged to add artwork to our cards. That's where it got fun! 

Out came my markers, gelly roll pens, and water-color crayons. For the words on each card--I dug down deep and tried to pinpoint statements that I believe are true, that excite & motivate me, and that make me feel satisfied with where I am and where I'm heading.

 

I've posted these two affirmations for you today, but keep an eye on this blog -- because over the next few days I'll be posting more for you to see. Hopefully, you'll find one or two that work for you, too. And if you do--be sure to let me know in a comment. I'd love to hear what you think--and if you have any affirmations of your own to pass along. Enjoy! 

Jewelry Design Gets Personal

Oh my gosh! The big brown UPS truck just pulled out of my driveway, and left behind this beautiful book-- The Penland Book of Jewelry: Master Classes in Jewelry Techniques.

 

It looks like it's going to be an amazing read. Each chapter is devoted to a specific jewelry artist.

The artist tells their own story--in their own words, and that gives this book a very personal feel. Almost like the feeling I get when I read artists's blogs.

 

Then the artists provide step-by-step "how to's" for their favorite techniques.

And, finally they share photos of work done by their favorite jewelry artists.

 

The content of this book seems so different from the usual cut and dry technique-based books. It looks gorgeous, too. I can't wait to dig in!!

So Many Projects, So Little Time

If I had my way, I'd work on one project at a time, but I never seem to be able to do that. Right now, I have several projects in various states of completion.

I recently finished working on a custom order -- a whole series of glass soldered pendants for a local painter. Her prints are encased in the glass & she has signed the back of each one. She's going to be participating in the Holiday Market at the National Harbor (weekends from Nov 28th-Dec 20th), and we're hoping her customers will enjoy seeing this new product in her shop.

On Wednesday, I packed up my tools and went to the Art League Metalsmithing Studio. I spent the day putting elbow grease into a new concept that I’m developing for my jewelry line. Up until now, I’ve created lots of jewelry using glass, printed images, soft solder, and a soldering iron, but for the past 2 years I have been honing my metalworking skills. And one of my goals for 2010 is to design metal jewelry that displays my printed images. The design ideas are still percolating, but I’m getting closer to having a few that I’m happy with.

And finally, I'm working on updating my jewelry shop on Etsy.com. The store is a year old, so it’s time for me to do some renovating--new photos and new pieces. There is lots more work to be done, but the shop is looking better already. Check it out!

'Tis The Season To Be Jolly And To Spread The Glitter!

Holiday shows are rolling around, and I need to have lots of packaging on hand. And ordinary packaging simply won’t do--no way! So yesterday, Carolyn and I teamed up and spent the afternoon handcrafting packaging and tags for our jewelry. 

I made this festive box wrap using a technique I found on the Bethany Actually blog. All that I needed to get the job done was: tissue paper, aluminum foil, Mod Podge, glitter, some fancy hole punches, and card stock.

It was so much fun--I am still finding glitter everywhere, though. Oh well, 'tis the season to spread the glitter!

Making Art is About Making Connections

The holiday season is a busy time of year for most folks--especially artists who participate in holiday art markets. I usually sell my work in shops or online, but in the Autumn I like to add a few holiday markets to my calendar. They are great opportunities, not just to make sales, but to meet my customers face to face--hear what they like about my work or what they would like to see added to my collection. The events also give me a chance to meet other artists--admire their work and hear their insights about living and breathing the creative life. I often come home with notes-to-myself on scraps of paper that help me remember things I want to try next year or when I get back into my studio.

The down side of holiday art markets is that in order to have enough items on hand to fill my booth, I have to switch into production mode. And recreating finished designs can feel tedious. I miss the feeling of surprise and achievement that comes when a new pendant or necklace is finally complete. This year is no different, and I've been procrastinating about making pieces for my booth. 

Lucky for me I have very smart friends to help keep me focused and motivated. Right now, it's CarolynArtist's words that are fueling my fire. She recently wrote about the meaning behind creating art, and I had to print it out and tape her words to the wall above my workbench. She wrote:

As I turn on my soldering iron and cue up the audiobook-of-the-day, I'm thinking about what Carolyn said. Her words very succinctly sum up what truly is the heart of why I do what I do, and remind me why I need to get to work making jewelry to share at this year's art events. 

For everything there is a season... 

So when I'm designing new pieces, it is the season to lose myself in taking random beads, metal, or maybe just a fantastic quote and finding ways to connect them to create an appealing design. And when it's time to make more of those finished designs, it is the season to lose myself in the pleasure of using the tools and techniques--watching the glass breaking perfectly where I've scored it and the solder flowing smoothly around the edges of the glass. After all--it has taken A LOT of practice to do these things well, and there were times when they were not relaxing to do at all. Production time is also the season to enjoy perfecting each piece--no longer looking at them with "honeymoon eyes" I can take the time to revisit the designs and see what can be improved. 

 

No matter what season it is, when I'm making jewelry I'm always hoping that each carefully designed piece will find a home with someone who will think it is as beautiful as I do and enjoy wearing it.

Making art IS about making connections--the connections between artist and new materials, artist and tools & techniques, and artist and buyer. These connections are what keep this artist's heart in her work, and so does the camaraderie of other talented and wise artists. Thanks for the powerful words, Carolyn. You're one smart cookie!