Jewelry? What's that?

Jewelry?  What's that?  I've been a bit swamped since, well a long time.  But, it's all for good.  But, I wanted to give those who know me as a jewelry artist a peak at my other business - PerFurred Pet Care.

I've been a pet sitter for about 8 years.  I originally started doing this 8 years ago after I had breast cancer the first time (with a dose of Graves Disease on the side).  A Marketing Manager and Events Coordinator by trade, I just wasn't ready to go back into 60 hour work weeks, so I thought this would be a good thing to get me back in shape.  (Graves kicked my ass!).  I was contracting for pet sitting company and, when word got out that I was pet sitting, I started growing my own client base.  I always thought I'd go back to the corporate world and that this was just temporary, but I was having fun and I somehow didn't miss corporate life.  Besides, pet sitting gave me time to do things I love - like curating, animal rescue, and making jewelry. 

In January of last year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer AGAIN.  Really?  I honestly this only happened to menopausal women over 50.  Nope.  When they found 2 areas of cancer, I made the decision  - no more slicing and dicing, bit by bit.  It was time to get these cancer producing protrusions out of there.  Last year was all about bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction where my amazing doctor at UCLA took my stomach fat and created new, living tissue, breasts.  I had 5 surgeries last year and I'm not quite done yet.  But, I'm cancer free and I feel great.

  Cancer changes your life and your attitude towards life.  The challenge of cancer give you strength - strength that you didn't know you had.  I decided "no more corporate life" unless it was my OWN corporation.  So, I started a REAL pet sitting company - PreFurred Pet Care LLC.  That little "C" there at the end stands for CORPORATION!  I have 2 of the very BEST pet sitters in my business who have now joined me as partners.  We're as busy as heck and having a blast!  It's been a LOT of work, but it's wonderful to be back doing marketing and using my business management experience.  I can't wait to see the business grow.  Yes, I have a business plan, a 5 year plan, and LOTS of great ideas I want to implement.  I'm surrounded by amazing supportive clients and 2 business partners who couldn't be better.  My husband has been 100% behind me with each decision I've made.  I really feel like the luckiest person alive.

So, jewelry-making may not be quite my focus for a bit.  But, believe me, I will continue creating.  It's my sanity and I won't lose that.  I'll find my balance between all of my loves soon enough and you'll see more stuff soon.

Lisa

Jade Scott Pinwheel Challenge

 Lorelei Eurtro is an amazing jewelry designer, a fantastic blogger and an inspiration. She teamed up with one of my favorite component designers - Jade Scott - for a really fun challenge.  Jade offered 7 of her new, enamel pinwheels for the challenge and I got picked to participate!  My Pinwheel is the little white one on the right.  

The other bloggers chosen will have their posts up on 2/15 - go visit them!

Kate Richbourg - http://katerichbourg.blogspot.com/

Charlie Jacka- clay-space.com

Lisa Cone- http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/ - YOU ARE HERE

Shawna Tobias- http://shawnalees.blogspot.com/

Ann Rishell- http://mycriticaleye.squarespace.com/

Heidi Post- http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com

Lorelei Eurto- Lorelei1141.blogspot.com

There are 2 more bloggers who participated on their own:
Rebecca of SongBeads
Lindy's Designs 

As I posted a few weeks ago, I had lots of inspiration to choose from but, when it came right down to creating my piece, the massive and glorious windmills of the Coachella Valley led the way.  I ALWAYS take pictures of the windmills as we drive by.  The photos are always taken from the car at 65+ MPH, usually with my iPhone.  But you can't take a bad pic of these other-worldly creatures.  And, really, they're just giant pinwheels, right?

Our last trip out to the desert was magical. We stayed in Joshua Tree and I woke up every morning to amazing desert colors, clear blue sky, pale white clouds,  and a Mars-like landscape with veins of quartz running through the stone.  Jack rabbits, Scrub Jays, and lizards scurried about and fresh Bobcat tracks were next to the cabin every morning. That vision stayed with me and became this necklace. 

The lampwork and enamel focal is from one of my very favorite bead makers - Shed Beads

The rabbit charm is from Jess Imports

Glass Beads from Yuki Designs

Antique Chain and Vintaj findings.

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!