Pinwheels Everywhere!

It's funny when you've got and object in mind that you begin to notice them everywhere!  Since I've been thinking about pinwheels (as opposed to actually DOING anything with the Jade Scott Pinwheel that sits in my studio) I've been seeing them all over the place.

There was an adorable garden pinwheel I saw today (that I didn't photograph - while driving - at 45 miles an hour).  A few hours later I was reading Carmi's Art/Life World blog post from the recent CHA show (Craft Hobby Association).  In a picture she took of the Basic Grey display was this lovely.

Then these popped up on Pinterest.

I walking dangerously close to having TOO much inspiration which will only render me lifeless.  But, it sure is fun to notice just how many pinwheels there are around me that I never noticed before!

I may just crawl into a corner and eat these.....

New Blog Challenge!

I threw my name in the Random Generator over at Lorelei's Blog to participate in the Jade Scott Pinwheel Challenge and I got PICKED!  There will be 7 of us participating.  I am very excited (and a bit terrified) but I've got some good ideas percolating in my brain.

My first associations with pinwheels were of spinning garden flowers, childhood toys and plastic tubes filled with colorful candy.  I think I would have gone in that direction if I had gotten a colorful pinwheel.

However, last weekend,we spent time in Joshua Tree and my entire inspiration changed.   Luckily, when I opened my package yesterday I found I had gotten the WHITE pinwheel.  White?  Lucky?  Yeah, that's not what I would have normally said.

So, I'll share some of my inspiration photos.  I haven't started working on the piece yet and I may end up in a completely different direction, but at least you'll have seen some nice photos along the way.

First, we don't go anywhere without the Pugs.  This was their first trip in the new CRV.  I'm glad I got leather seats!

 On the Road to Joshua Tree

Our Surroundings at the cabin (Photos by The Enlightened Hedonist)

So, it will be interesting to see where one little white pinwheel and a lot of beautiful photos take me.  The reveal date is February 15th.  In the mean time, I'm going to try and find some daylight time to get some pictures of some of the STUNNING art beads I got at the Pasadena Bead and Design show.

What Would You Do?

I've been hopping around the blogosphere looking at what other designers made the same components I used for the pieces I used for my Sunday post.  There's some beautiful work out there - and it is all so very different!

I was over at the Chinook Designs blog (who made the beautiful blue snowflake pendants) and she had a virtual design hop going on with another of her pieces called "What Would You Do Wednesdays".

This one.

I LOVE it! Since I'm taking a break from buying bead supplies for a bit (you'll see why soon), I thought it would be fun to virtually design a piece using this ceramic bracelet bar.

I'd start with some olive green leather cord (this is from Lytha Studios.). This would anchor the focal bead.

I'd find a way to add some beautiful blue Labradorite beads (maybe not briolettes, but definitely this color)

Or

  And add a few Picasso flowers as a good stabilizing neutral.

Then warm it up with a bit of vintage copper chain from Beach Castle Beads.

And I think I might add a strand of antique copper ball chain.

and add a clasp by Shannon LeVart (or maybe just use a nicely finished copper clasp)

It would be perfect with jeans and a bulky olive green sweater and brown boots.

I can't seem to get enough of 3 strand bracelets lately.  It has been my go to "fulfillment" project.  My work is always about collage in some way.  Complicated bracelets sort of match my complicated life and I fully embrace it all.

Can you see it?  I can!  It's a shame this is only a virtual piece.

Lisa

Secret Snowflake Challenge

One of my goals this year is to be more active in the bead blog world.  I "signed up" to participate in Michelle Mach's Secret Snowflake Challenge.  I chose this challenge because the chosen beads are not what I normally gravitate to.  I thought it would kick me out of my color comfort zone at bit.    It was somewhat successful - I used quite a bit of the beads that were in the challenge kit, but I just couldn't stay exclusively in the "light blue" zone.  I HAD to add contrast and color.  

My inspiration was my own experience with Winter.  Keep in mind that it has been in the 70's and 80's here for a while and winter, as most people know it, is something I have limited experience with.  The Sierra's in snow became my color inspiration.  The dark granite of the rocks, the ice white and blue of snow, and the pale winter light of the sun became my muse.  I re-worked the necklace 3 times before I got to a piece I was happy with.  I added more white by using indonesian glass beads, and pale orange using Carnelian (with both the large chunk and the small flashes of orange).  I also used some pretty Czech pressed glass that reminded me of the mountains.  

I ended up with 3 pieces - A necklace, a bracelet and earrings.  While it all goes together, it was not necessarily meant as a matching set.  I also mixed metals - something I also tend not to do.

Earrings

The Necklace 

Necklace Detail

The Bracelet

All 3 pieces

I think these are going to be delivered to Bella Cosa where possibly a homesick North Easterner will buy the pieces and wear them  while sitting in the sun, drinking a latte and remembering the good old days of snowfall.

• Blog Hop Participants
  
  If there is no blog link listed next to a person's name, check Michelle's Beads & Books. Participants without blogs will be posting their photos on her blog.
  • Alice (Alice Dreaming)
  • Chris (beadjewelry.net)
  • Christa (Adventures of One Beady Woman)
  • Crystal (Here Bead Dragons)
  • Cynthia (Cynth's Blog)
  • Dawn (Morning Glory Beading)
  • Donetta (Simply Gorgeous)
  • Erin A.
  • Jennifer (JenniferJW)
  • Jennifer (Jewelry, Art and Life)
  • Kari W.
  • Kate (We Can Make That at Home)
  • Kay (Palm Coast Art)
  • Linda (Lindy's Designs)
  • Lisa C. (A Bead a Day)
  • Lisa (Inspired Adornments) YOU ARE HERE
  • Mary (MLH Designs)
  • Michelle (Beads & Books) 
  • Michelle B.
  • Millie (AMM Jewelry)
  • Norma (Moonlit Fantasies)
  • Pam (The Crazier Sister)
  • Rebecca J.
  • Renetha (Lamplight Crafts)
  • Rosemarie (Gem Rose Designs)
  • Shannon (Falling into the Sky)
  • Susan (Bead Inspired)
  • Therese (Therese's Treasures)
  • Therese (Domestic Goddess Enterprises)

Resolutions?

I generally don't do traditional resolutions, but I do find that the new year is a good time to stop for a moment and take stock of the places I've been and the places I want to go.  Resolutions are more like Re-evaluations and an opportunity to make some adjustments in my path.   My current path looks a bit more like a tree top than a tree trunk.  It is very fragmented and branches off in many different directions.  While I love being busy, I need to do less and make what I do completely worth my time.  I'm going to be trimming some fat this month.  There will be some big changes, but I'm looking forward to every single one of them!

What I will NOT give up is my creative time.  As a matter of fact, that part of my  life needs to be much greater.

And so it shall!

My goal of 2012 looks something like this:

Ahhhhhh!

Great Giveaway Over on Lorelei's Blog

The one thing I try to do every day (besides the normal, obvious stuff) is read a few blogs that feed my creative soul.  Other artists - and not only jewelry artists - inspire and influence me and allow me to see possibilities that I don't always see right away.  However, I do read quite a few jewelry blogs as they help me hone my skills and my craft.  One of my favorite bloggers is Lorelei Eurto.  We've never met (or actually even chatted), but from what I can glean from her blog, we have similar backgrounds (art history majors, museum career) and a love of a collagey-type style.

(Pause - does reading blogs and then talking about what you've read seem somewhat stalkerish?  Maybe it is just me.)

Anyways, Lorelei always has amazing pics of her beautiful work as well as interviews with artists and, occasionally, an unbelievable giveaway.  She has some absolutely delicious Lark Books she is giving away on January 2nd.  Of course I would love to be the winner, but I also am going right over to Amazon and put them on my Wish List.

Here are the books:

The cover pictures alone want to make me quit me job(s) and make art all day long.  (A girl can dream, can't she?)  I'd start with that Pendant.  I'm not sure what material was even used in creating it, but it is delicious!

So, please, go take a look at her blog and enjoy the eye candy!  Maybe sometime in January I will have time to make my own eye candy to show you.

Lisa  

Triage

November and December are crazy months for me - always.  Craft shows, jewelry making, LOTS of pet sitting and dog walking, and the other 10,000 things that seem to happen at the same time.  I spend a month and a half in triage mode - just doing the next thing that has to be done.  It can be exhausting.  In the midst of all of this, our CRV was totaled in an accident.  Thankfully, my husband, my 5 month pregnant niece and myself were all ok.  But, I added car shopping to my "Must Do" list.  Blogging (and many other things) sort of fell to the "If I Have Time" list.  

Perhaps I should have invested in a few rolls of this tape?

But, the car decision is done and the purchase has been made, the work is crazy but manageable, craft fairs are done, and, while I'm working, I have time to get my little chickens in order (I like chickens better than ducks) and start with goals for the new year.  It's really very simple.  I'm concentrating on 3 things: My pet sitting business, my art and the shows I really love doing, and my down time.  The other things that took up so much time this year - cancer/surgery/recovery, the illness and death of my dear MI, and the car disaster - are all mostly over with. I should feel a lot more beaten down, but I'm not.  I'm surprisingly optimistic about the new year.  There will be a few more big changes of course, but they are all going to be instrumental in helping me achieve the things I want to concentrate on.

Meanwhile, back in the jewelry world, I signed up to participate in a Jewelry Blog Hop coordinated by Michelle Mach.  The theme is "Secret Snowflake Challenge" and everyone has the same jewelry components to start with.  

I've been thinking about my own experience with snow which, sadly, doesn't take too long because I have to actually plan on visiting a place that snows to even see some of this illusive stuff.  So, I have very specific memories and impressions of snow.  My inspiration is the granite of Sierras, the red bark and pine green of Giant Sequoias, the pale winter mountains sunshine and the sparkling of new fallen snow.  I've been playing with beads, adding some that reminds me of granite, looking at Carnelian as the perfect color of the sun.  I just need to put it all together in a pleasing piece.  The reveal date is January 15th.   You'll see my piece here and will also have links to others who participated in the challenge.  

Lisa!