Tribal Poetry.

The creation of Tribal Poetry slowly unfolded over the course of eight months. I started the piece while vacationing with family in the Adirondacks. I found the 18 gauge copper wire in a unique “everything under the sun” store called Old Forge Hardware. When I returned to our cabin, I was inspired by the mountainous landscape and created the focal piece. It sat in my “to create” bin, until recently. While working on some other pieces of jewelry, a strand of teal mother of pearl caught my eye as the perfect compliment. It reminded me of the ocean waves of Cape Cod, where my husband and I vacationed the year before. This necklace is a story about visiting unique places and the beauty of spending time with family. 

I am very honored to have Tribal Poetry featured in the September 2011 issue of  Bead Style magazine! It is in their  "Designs we love" section on page 17. The issue hits news stands on August 2, 2011.

Humblebeads Awesome Giveaway.

Heather Powers of Humblebeads creates some of the most beautiful polymer clay beads I have ever seen. Their detail is amazing. She is giving away some of her gorgeous hand crafted beads. Check it out...

Humblebeads Giveaway

A Golden Opportunity.

Having a wooded area behind our house, we frequently get a variety of visitors from the animal world. Owls, deer, squirrels, bunnies and a variety of birds seem to enjoy our yard. This gold finch landed on the black eyed susans in our back yard Sunday morning! The golden color in the bird and the flowers pop against the green grass in the background.

This image, while quite literal, is my interpretation of Andrew Thornton's weekly word-Golden. There are so many ways to explore this word, both creatively and literally. My interpretation isn't about the color as much as it is about the golden opportunity to capture such a beautiful aspect of nature, right in my own back yard!

Time for an Adirondack Adventure!

Each summer, we head to the towns of Old Forge and Inlet for our annual family vacation in the Adirondack Mountains. It is a beautiful, peaceful, inspiring and exhilarating place to be. I spend most of my time capturing the beauty of the landscape with my camera, going on hikes, creating jewelry and relaxing on the floating dock. It is pure bliss!

I am most inspired by nature, and my creativity is always sparked as I take in the natural beauty of the landscape. The textures and colors of the trees, plants and rocks influence a lot of my autumn season designs. The subtle ripple of the water in the lake, so clear you can actually see the bottom, influences my summer designs. Everywhere I look their is inspiration brought on by this breathtaking place!

To really understand the natural beauty of the landscape, you must be willing to hike across or up it! My husband, his mother and I like to challenge ourselves at least once a year by hiking a difficult/somewhat difficult mountain. Last year, my mother-in-law and I hiked up Mount Jo near Lake Placid. We made it almost to the top, when a thunderstorm and pouring rain forced us to turn around and head back down the mountain. So close! This year, the three of us and our dog hiked Mount Jo again, making it all the way to the top. What a spectacular view, worth every step!

At the top of the mountain, there was a garnet vein running through the rock.

While I didn't carve any garnet out of the rock (disrupting the mountain face is discouraged) it did inspire me to work on a garnet collection for the winter season!

We also spent some time exploring a small marsh island in 7th Lake. We collected some drift wood that I intend to use as part of my jewelry displays for craft shows.

My husband and our dog Twila-she loves to run through the water!

I decided to cool off in the crystal clear water. The water is a bit deeper than it looks!

7th Lake. Wish I was still there!

Fiber Artistry Inspiration

Lindsay, my sister-in-law, showed me how to make felted beads. We had fun rolling the wool into ball shaped beads until our palms were raw! Taking inspiration from the natural beauty of the trees and pink hued sunsets in the Adirondack Mountains, I designed a necklace. I used the beads I created, along with square jasper beads, and added in a polka dotted bead that Lindsay made. I submitted it to Bead Trends magazine, who published it in the January 2011 issue! I named the piece Dutch Hollow after Lindsay's farm, Dutch Hollow Acres.

This week, Lindsay is going to teach me how to crochet. Only I plan to use 26 and 28 gauge wire instead of yarn! I can't wait to learn as I have been wanting to create bracelets and necklaces by crocheting wire! I might add in some fibers as well. I will post my creation, assuming it actually resembles a bracelet or necklace!

Best Bead Show - Baltimore

I took a day trip to Hunt Valley, Maryland last Friday to scope out the Best Bead Show. This was my first time attending this show and I will have to say that it was a really great bead show! Well organized and a wonderful selection of vendors. I made a point to first visit vendors that I haven't been to at Bead Fest. Once I gathered up some unique beads and findings, including a really cool sea urchin spine and unique lampworked glass bead, I headed to the Silver Silk booth to purchase a spool of gorgeous double knit silver wire. Becky Machinski, their ultra friendly sales director, demonstrated some beautiful ways to create with the different size knitted wire they offer. I can't wait to start working with it! I also love that it is made local in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania!

Some of the highlights of this buying trip: 

A beautiful lampworked bead created by Jennifer Fahnestock.
Gorgeous gold filled textured chain from Atlantic Gems. 

Modern pewter wavy discs from Elka Designs.

Faceted cloudy amazonite beads from Star's Clasps.
A sea urchin spine from Mommimia.
Gorgeous knitted wire in baby blue and silver from Silver Silk.
A Hill Tribe pure silver leaf from The Bead Goes On.
Chinese Crystal from C&I International.

Arts and Music Festival.

I am very excited that I have been accepted as a exhibitor in the Arts and Music Festival at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland September 24-25, 2011! I received a letter of congratulations yesterday from the selection jury. My booth location will be in the Formal Gardens. This is my first large scale craft show, so I will be spending the next three months creating, creating creating. I really can't think of a better way to spend my time! I have already recruited my awesome husband, who has been assisting me with craft fairs throughout the summer, to help me on both days. He has been a tremendous help with the set up, tech support, and even creative design of my booth presentation. All that and he cooks for me too!

Inspired by the Ocean.

One of my recent night time creations, a seaside themed sterling silver charm bracelet. With summer officially starting, thoughts of the ocean influence a lot of my designs this time of year. The Atlantic ocean and it's beautiful sea creatures were the inspiration for this summer piece. I have vacationed in Chincoteague Island, Cape Cod and Bar Harbor, Maine. Memories of those trips influenced me and made me smile as I created. The large link diamond shaped chain adds some contemporary flair, as I always like to incorporate a modern aspect into my designs. The rope toggle finishes it with a hint of nautical.

The oxidized dotted bead and sea glass beads are from one of my favorite bead shops, Dry Gulch in Joplin, Missouri. The silver star fish, hand crafted by the Hill Tribe in Thailand, and sand dollar were purchased at the Innovative Bead Expo in Clarksville, Maryland. The chain is from Rio Grande.

What time are you at your Creative Best?

I have found that I am at my most creative and productive between the hours of 8 pm and 11 pm. I work on my jewelry designs throughout the day, but once 8 o'clock rolls around, the ideas and momentum really kick in.  Strange, maybe. Habitual, yes. Fun, definitely! What time of day are you at your creative best?

Hello Blog World!

As a jewelry artist, my designs are influenced by nature and the aspects of my daily life. The journeys I have taken, places I have visited, and the colors and texture of the landscape all inspire my creativity.  It is a creative world, the one I live in. Through this blog, you will find insight into the thoughts and inspirations that influence my creativity. It is a fun, artistic, colorful, sometimes comical and always adventurous place to be! Welcome.