Here's what I'm up to...

My creativity has been at a peak. I'm not even unpacked and all I can do is sit at my artdesk and play. I am trying to make some Christmas decorations for my house and possibly to sell on my etsy site. The rusty star is my take on the one that graces the cover of Somerset Studio's cover. I am not finished with it yet. I need to put it aside and work on something else. I also want to do a banner. I started it. I want it to say "be merry". I keep stalling on this as well. Is this normal to get started on a project and come to a screeching halt? I made a Sally Jean inspired ornament. My soldering skills need to get better but all in all I was happy with the result. I only burnt my fingers once! My little blue birdhouse is also inspired by the colors on Sally Jean's website. I have always LOVED that color combination, mixed with chocolate brown. We will see what happens with that. Oh so much to do & not enough time to do it!!!! I will get some extra art time in this week due to falling down the stairs and spraining my ankle pretty badly. Note.... let the dog get down the stairs first if it wants to! Still this time of year is crazy at work. I hate working in a retail environment around the holidays. There is no time to enjoy it. I am going to try to make time but it's hard. Thats all for today. Lots of stuff to do before I hobble off to work.

Keum Boo Cool!

This past Monday I took a PMC class with Nancy Millerhttp://www.nancymillerjewelry.com
,of Saratoga Springs, NY, using keum Boo.I have learned everything I know about PMC from Nancy. She is a marvelous teacher and makes the most amazing jewelry. I have not been able to work too much on my art. We are moving and most of my things are in boxes. It was a wonderful break taking this class and I am in love with the results. I wasn't thoroughly impressed with Keum Boo until I actualy saw it myself. The gold with a liver of sulfer patina, makes me sooo happy! I had this skeleton key and wanted to make a silver heart to put behind it, or a star. My drawings did not come up with anything I was thrilled with. So I decided on wings. The "winged key" will be part of a necklace I want to make for myself. I have an "idea" in my head. Lets see if I can bring it too life. Also in the photo are Celie Fago inspired lentil beads I am making earrings from and a geometric bead I will use in something else. The square piece, made from scraps, has an impression of a horses head I made for my horsey daughter.

I am just starting to think of myself as an artist and seem to be growing into the role slowly. I have always known I could be creative but it has been suppressed for all my life. I just wouldn't or couldn't let it out. Once I started to let myself feel and see, the possibilities seem endless. I am inspired by other artists and follow what they do and what inspires them. I have not yet created my own style, but my guess is that will come in time. Right now I am learning new techniques and appreciating others style in hopes someday it will begin to emerge in what I do as something unique and beautiful. My confidence hopefully will build as I continue to grow and I will not feel so awkward calling myself an artist. My new home will have a studio ( I even feel weird saying that) for me to retereat to. My plan is to fill my spare time creating the visions in my head. Then I will be a true artist and not just a wanna be.

Things that inspire me. Nature, animals, vintage jewelry, old photos , landscapes, the sea

My head is in a fog .

I am sick of being sick. I have had this virus for 8 days now and I am ready for it to be over with. I do not even have the energy to work on my jewelry or anything else productive. Oh, I did complete a collage I was working on last week. I titled it "Blue Boy" I think it is OK. I wish I had more confidence in my work. Being self taught I have no one to get feedback from. I do take pictures and show them to friends and they all say, "How nice." I have a small ETSY shop that possibly I can sell some of my work. I just started it and have not sold anything yet. I would like to get good enough that I can earn a some extra money after I retire. I enjoy the creative process very much and sometimes I can't sleep with all the ideas spinning in my head. I do have a small journal that I have sketches but not all these wonderful ideas I have get in there and many are gone forever. I haven't yet found my niche . I am hoping something will click at some point and I can take all the ideas I have and come up with something truly unique. But today is not the day. My head is in a fog and I cannot think clearly. I am going to rest the majority of the day. Nothing good on TV so I decided to check out this BLOG thing.