Overflowing Stash Of Objects and Elements...

I received this awesome bag of findings from Objects and Elements, titled Overflowing Stash. 

There are so many fun and unique findings here! I already have an idea in mind for the brass blanks...stay tuned!

I was one of the three lucky people who received a bag full of findings and some beads after commenting on a blog post on December 26th. They asked their readers what type of content they would like to see on Objects and Elements blog in 2013. The first three comments received a bag from their overflowing stash!

My comment was "I would love to see ideas using the Spring 2013 Pantone colors".

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Create Art...

For week four of Focusing on Life - 52 Photos, Sally asked us to create art and then photograph it. I have been wanting to create note cards with my photographs for some time. I already had a vision of the style and type of materials I wanted to work with, I just needed a photo printer.

My Epson Stylus Photo printer stopped working last April due to clogged printer heads. The repair cost was almost as much as a new printer. So I had no choice but to bid it farewell. It was a somewhat difficult separation as I had this printer since 2005. It produced archival prints and printed wide format. The print quality was phenomenal. As a photographer, these aspects are essential to me. I have been researching new printers on and off, in an attempt to find a replacement. I was trying to decide between getting another professional photo printer or just a standard daily use photo printer.

On Christmas morning, I awoke to a beautifully wrapped box that was almost as big as me if I were sitting! I couldn't imagine what could be in a box so large. To my surprise, it was the Canon Pixma Pro 100. I was ecstatic! Brenton had bought me a new printer. Not just any printer though, it is a wide format professional photo printer!

So after Sally's prompt to create art, I decided to create some photo art!

Materials: corrugated cardboard note cards, textured white cardstock, black cardstock, photos..

First Snowfall Of 2013...

This morning I awoke to our community blanketed in snow. I have been wishing for the arrival of snow every day since Christmas, and it has finally arrived! These are some photos I took while on a morning walk with my dog Twila...

Lake Anne, partially frozen.

 Van Gogh Bridge, leading to Washington Plaza.

 Cubist style homes set in a beautiful wooded area.

Lovely bridge along one of the many paths that connect our communities together.

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Time For Myself...

For week three of Focusing on Life - 52 Photos, Sally asked us to create an image that shows how we take time for our self. While I honestly consider creating jewelry and photography time for myself rather than work, I do need to take a small mental break each day.

My favorite way to do so..snuggling with my dog Twila! Twila can be found most days lounging on our bed in the warm glow of the sunlight coming through the windows. While my husband never puts up with her being on our bed, I on the other hand look into her beautiful eyes and at that adorable face and my heart just melts. So when he is at work she is on our bed. Shh, it will be our little secret. And when I need a little break, I join her!

There really is nothing that can compare to these quiet moments that I spend with my dog. Being next to her puts a smile on my face, makes me feels a sense of bliss and fills my heart with love. What a wonderful way to spend time!

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - My Word For 2013

For week two of Sally Russick's photography challenge, she instructed us to choose our word for 2013 and create an image inspired by it. I started out with the word organize but then realized what I really need this year is focus. 

A year ago at this time, I was setting up my new studio. It took me four months to do so. I then dove right in to creating jewelry for the upcoming weekly Arts Market here at Lake Anne, the Arts Festival at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, a shop in Maryland that sells my jewelry and a home show. I never really had a chance to put a focus on my jewelry business and write down a list of goals or even create a business plan. I didn't have the time. 

So now that my studio is all set up, (just needs some organization as it became hectic over the holiday season)
I can start to focus on what I want to accomplish this year and how I will go about doing so. 

I created my image early in the morning. A dense fog set in as the unseasonably warmer temperature started to rise. This image is a perfect example of how my life right now has aspects that are perfectly clear and others that need more visualization. All I need is focus!

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Self Portrait

Last week, I signed up for a challenge titled Focusing On Life: 52 Photos hosted by the ultra talented Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime. Each week throughout the year, Sally is sending participants a word or phrase. We are to then create an image. It is up to the photographer to decide the interpretation of the word or phrase.

Week one: self portrait

I have been a photographer since I was 19 years old. Actually, I have been taking photos since I was old enough to hold a 110 camera (remember those), but I was 19 when I received my first photo assignment for a local music magazine. I studied fine art photography at the University of Buffalo and photojournalism at Rochester Institute of Technology. Upon graduation from RIT, I proceeded to work for newspapers in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. I have also worked for magazines in Maryland as well as the Associated Press. During this time I received seven awards that I am immensely proud of.

In 2005, I started doing freelance work. This enabled me to explore my interest in jewelry design. The majority of my time was still devoted to photojournalism and it wasn't until 2009 that I found myself splitting my time equally between photography and jewelry. I opened a shop on Etsy, had my first piece published six months later and two years later, started this blog. 

I am equally passionate about both mediums. I am exhilarated over documenting life in the communities; capturing beautiful moments of everyday life. I am in love with the creative energy that goes into designing a piece of jewelry and am completely addicted to beads! Creating jewelry has added many wonderful aspects to my life. While I have a very fulfilling life immersing myself in both photography and jewelry, in my heart I will always be a photographer first.

I am excited to take on this photographic exploratory journey with Sally. Not only is it a really fun concept, but it is also a great way to explore my world through my camera, one week at a time.

12 Days Of Christmas - Day Twelve...

The twelfth and final gift is from Inge von Roos.

Inge sent me some of her gorgeous lampwork beads. Really fantastic patterns and colors! 

I especially love the discs-oh the possibilities. These will be a lot of fun to work with!

Thank you Inge for these beautifully crafted beads-they have added color to my world!

Many thanks to Lorelei Eurto for hosting this spectacular gift swap.
I really enjoyed creating and receiving beads/components for the 12 Days of Christmas!

12 Days Of Christmas - Day Eleven...

The eleventh gift is from Francesca Watson.

Francesca sent me a really cool copper connector enameled in navy blue, red and white. 

At first glance it appears to be steel gray in color, but once you look closer you see the different colors-amazing!

I Love it's unique shape, this is going to be a lot of fun to work with!

Thank you Francesca for this gorgeous component!

12 Days Of Christmas - Day Ten

The tenth gift is from Cheri Reed.

Cheri sent me a lovely handmade toggle clasp created with copper. It has a unique design etched into it. 

I love working with toggles; they are my favorite type of clasp!

Thank you Cheri! I look forward to incorporating this into one of my designs.

12 Days Of Christmas - Day Nine...

The ninth gift is from Karen Totten.

I was really looking forward to opening Karen's gift; the hand dyed fabric was intriguing and made a beautifully artistic statement. I was also thrilled to see that she too is a fellow packaging enthusiast!

Karen gifted me a fantastic set of her black ceramic beads with a cool tribal pattern. She also included a strand of beads that include glass, ceramic, metal and bone as well as a second strip of hand dyed fabric-love it!.

Thank you Karen for this gorgeous gift-I am really looking forward to creating with both the beads and the fabric!

12 days Of Christmas - Day Eight...

The eighth gift is from Renetha Stanziano.

Renetha sent me a really fun and unique set of polymer clay beads. I especially like the teardrops-I envision a pair of earrings being made with those! I also adore the little handbag shaped box that they arrived in!

Thank you Renetha for creating such a wonderful set of beads for me!

12 days Of Christmas - Day Seven...

The seventh gift is from Carolyn Chenault.

Carolyn sent me one of her beautiful faux sea glass beads with the word WISH on it. 

She also included a red barrel bead that has the word WISH on it as well.
I really liked the wrap she made for the box too-looked fantastic!

Thank you for this beautiful set Carolyn, I look forward to incorporating them into a beach themed design!