DIY Wrapping Paper - Reuse, Recycle!

I am a big fan of recycling. i haven't bought wrapping paper in years. It is too much fun to make it myself.

This is our local newspaper and a bit of paint. Quick and easy - AND my present wrapped in this will get the most attention - guaranteed :)

More wrapping paper ideas tomorrow!

What do you do to recycle?

Sunday Morning Tickle

Just A Tish at Chambers Arts!

Few weeks ago, I made a quick flyer using my non existent graphic design skills, to get out to some people and for the gallery to use for promotion - not too bad.

Makes me feel kinda special :)

Last nite was Final Friday and I was there for an Artist Meet and Greet! I am so excited to be showing my pieces at Chambers Arts in Cary, NC thru Jan 19, 2013! While I was there, I demonstrated how to make copper bangles. Live music (I sang and danced most of the night), wine tasting (I should have took a picture of the bottles, so cool in their copper sleeves) and other artists who were showing their work were there for the fun!

I wanted to share a few pictures with you of the display. It was work putting it together, I was so grateful for Lynda's help. She has a great eye.

And me :)

The turn out was awesome! Met some great people and made some great connections! (more to come on that one, I am so excited!)


Stay Tuned!

Creative Cleansing - Sewing!

I needed to clear my mind today, and decided to busy myself with another project.

I needed to make Comet a new coat :)

He is the boss of the house, and quite spoiled.

See how happy he is with himself?

There is a little 'challenge' for lack of better words in our area, called The 12 Acts of Kindness.

Starting on Dec 1st, it is a challenge to do an act of kindness toward your local rescue group or shelter. Making this coat got me thinking, how fun would it be, to go to pick up your newest addition to your family and show up and have them in a new coat :) So I am going to make several and drop them off around the area.

What is your 'creative cleansing' that gets you rejuvenated to move on to your next project?

KISS Collection - Message Necklaces

Most of us are familiar with the KISS theory (Keep It Simple Stupid) and I am adopting this for a new line of necklaces. Simple designs with a straight forward message. Not everyone is looking for an 'edge' with their style. Sometimes you don't want to be 'on' all the time, you just wanna blend. This is what this line is about. Amazonite and Agate - a combination of honesty and harmony.

Rose quartz and Jade - Love, love and more love :)

When the statement is not as important as the message. These designs say what you need them to say, simply, elegantly and honestly.

Resisting Autumn - Dangle Bracelet

When it comes to fall I am never ready. I am always holding onto my summer greens. That is what inspired this bracelet. Fall came late this year in the south. Leaves are still green and still changing and still falling to the ground in splendid color.

I love the eclectic sampling of beads on this bracelet. Green glass and lampwork, mixed in with golden brown lampwork and glass. Add a hint of mookite for a pop of color, some lapis for a glimpse of autumn skies and it all starts to come together like a picture from a fall meadow. There is so much more in this bracelet, as you wear it you will come across other beads and stones, like when you are walking in the yard, and kicking up leaves and finding small treasures buried beneath. What is your favorite part of fall?

Beaded Hairsticks

I got these hair sticks from Firemountaingems.com. OMG! They are so cute, so addictive and what a hit! 5 links is all I used, I didn't want them to be too long and get caught in the hair. 5 links is just enuff to great a great little treasure cluster. So easy to personalize too.

The top is fresh water pearl, agate, glass pearl, swarovski crystals, glass beads. Pearl for calming and centering, agate for harmony and balance, and a butterfly to remind you you are beautiful inside and out.

The bottom is snowflake obsidian, jet, agate, crystal and lampwork. Protection and healing. Snowflake obsidian and jet are both used to bring issues to the surface to be dealt, healing emotions.

 What would your combination say about you? 

Silver River Jewelry is having a give away!

Scooch on over to Silver River Jewerly's blog for the rules and the link to the give away sponsored by 12 different artists!

Browse through their work, and see all the beautiful designs! Pick your favorite (up to 3) and you are entered!

Good luck!

Peace and Love - Messages from a stone necklace

I love being inspired by one component of a design and starting the build from there. The glass heart pendant started this design. The green in the glass was a perfect compliment to the sandy colors of the jasper beads. Jasper is the stone of gentleness and nurturing. It is said to bring joy. Why not pair it up with that heart, and wear your heart out for all to see and bring joy to those around you!

The little brass clasp with the peace symbol - didn't take much to push me in that direction :) Amethyst, fluorite, apatite and tourmalated rose quartz. Coupled with the lampwork heart - all speak peace.

I added the blue shell that I found on the beach as a personal touch, and now I am a bit torn about it... Should I change it up? Does it need a different focal? Should I stop over analyzing it?

Hammered Coppper Earrings - Mismatched style

This is a fun mismatched style, meaning large and small. Kind of a throw back to the 80's, and I am an 80's child. I remember off the shoulder sweatshirts, mini skirts, leg warmers, BIG HAIR, heavy make up and some of the best jewerly ever!

These are a fun throw back to that time. What was your favorite part of the 80's?

Lampwork and Lapis cuff

This cuff makes me stupid happy. There is no rhyme or reason to the wrap, and that is the purpose.

I wove small lapis beads into the design to represent creativity. When I look at it, it tells me a story. It is a story of a journey, and how the journey takes so many twists and turns, but if you keep your eyes open, it is full of treasures along the way. Does it tell you a story?

Multi stone, multi layer copper necklace

I love the multi layer necklaces!

These are fun to do, especially when you have scraps of chain, or just a few beads.

Don't let the metals/colors of the chains scare you either! Mix and match your silvers, coppers, brasses and golds! Start your own trend!

I used jump rings to connect the wire wrapped links to the closed big copper rings. Gave the design more flow and the wire wrapped layer didn't seem to 'kink' up as much.

Now to snuggle into a nice sweater and display this right on top!

Breaking New from Bead Trends

I got an email from Bead Trends, they are having issues with their submission page - Need to pass it along to you!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

If you have submitted to Bead Trends for publication for the April or May 2013 issue, or if you would simply still like to submit a design for consideration please email those submissions directly to me at tatia@beadtrendsmag.com. We are extending the submission deadline to October 31, 2012, giving designers one more week to get those gorgeous designs submitted!!! Our April issue calls are listed below:

Bead Trends is currently looking for designs with the following themes for our April 2013:

Inspired By — Do your designs tell a story? What inspired your latest creation? We love pieces that were inspired by people, places, colors, art, nature, and more. Submit your photos and tell us your stories!    Metal Smithing & Wire Work — A great trend in jewelry design is the use and manipulation of all types of metals. Metal stamping, PMC, texturizing, soldering, wire working and more.
Quick & Easy – Featuring beautiful designs that can be created in less than an hour and are perfect for designers of all levels.
Fashion Favorites – Features designs from a variety of styles and mediums that can be a personal favorite or necessary staple in any wardrobe.
Seed Beading — The popularity of seed beading is growing in all areas of jewelry design and in new and creative ways. Show us your creations.
Bead Weaving — Whether you use seed beads, pearls, crystals, or gemstones: How do you weave your beautiful masterpieces?
Mixed Media — We love the trend of mixed media designs. Combining the unexpected, edgy, recycled, industrial, and found objects with traditional jewelry elements. Get creative!
Crystals & Quartz — In honor of the April birthstone submit your favorite designs that sparkle!
Celebrate Spring — Flowers begin blooming, birds begin making their nests and we want to see your designs that celebrate and are inspired by Spring!

Deadline for the April 2013 issue is 11:59 p.m. MDT, October 31st, 2012. All ideas should be your original work and not previously published.

We will review all submissions, and if selected, we will contact you by November 2nd with additional information. All pieces will need to be shipped to us directly for photography and arrive in our office by November 12th. Your creation will be returned to you insured, after the issue has been printed.

Because of Zeus bracelets are in!!!!

In a previous post Because of Zeus I wrote about part of my creative process that involved my cat Zeus who I had to have put to sleep.

I am in the process of starting a Because of Zeus foundation, a non profit, that 25% of all of my jewelry sales will also fund.

Be a supporter and purchase your "Because of Zeus" bracelet today from my site - Just A Tish

On a side note

If you are ever on the NC coast, you cannot miss out on Ducks Donuts!!!!

Get the lemon iced with bacon crumbles..... They are sinful!!!!

Because of Zeus - Personal post

This is a personal post, and I feel necessary.

I am writing this through teary eyes as I think about my dear Zeus.

I had to put my cat Zeus down yesterday. Zeus was a big part of my jewelry making process. He would be in my lap, laying across my beads, or on his pillow next to my work desk always supervising. Where I was,  he was. He was a level of comfort while I worked.  I could reach over and touch him, run my hand across his silky fur, and feel his purrs vibrate back thru my hand. As much as he was a comfort, he worked my nerves -  he was a thief.

He liked to play fetch, that was his favorite game. Anything I would throw he would bring back to me. Gallon milk jug cap rings were his favorite, and running a close second was zip lock baggies.  All my crafty friends may have gasped at this, because I store EVERYTHING in zip lock baggies. There were times I would come home, had forgotten to put my lid on my finished jewelry, and I would find bags of jewelry and beads all over the house. This always happened when I would be working on a piece, I knew I had that bag laying right there. RIGHT THERE!  I would tear up the entire room looking for that bag, because of course that bag had the most crucial component to the design. Eventually I would have to give up the search, and move onto something else. Several days later, it would never fail, Zeus would come trotting in, carrying the bag in his mouth and drop it at my feet, with his tiny little mew he would say - Let's play!

He had this thing about plastic. He LOVED it. Plastic grocery bags was his addiction. He would lay on a corner of a bag, and drag his nose across it. Several times he figured out how to make the bag taunt and he would drag his nose so heavily across the plastic you would hear...squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......This is my cat.

Oh that damn cat.

I brought Zeus home in 2006, he was a ferel little mess. His head is misshapen, one eye is bigger than the other, and the one eye has a scar on it, causing it to be always milky and always dilated.

Zeus snuggling on my husbands shoulder

He lived for a week under the couch and wouldn't come out. I wondered what I had gotten myself into. When he finally ventured out, he lived on my shoulder, or in the hat of my hoodie. You never knew when he was going to snap,  and when he did it was always very 'tazmanian devilish' A wild flurry of fur, fangs and claws. Myself and many others have been left in the bloody wake of his rampages. Still I couldn't give up hope on him. He was mine, and no one elses. When I would come home from work, he was at the door with the dogs, meowing and pawing at me, so happy to see me. When I would watch TV, he was in my lap, when I was in bed he was under the covers. His purring was loud and honest, because for whatever reason his poor soul was tortured, he was happy in my arms.

Zeus was the inspiration behind several pieces I donated to different causes. This you may remember from a previous post. I made a piece for Safe Haven, a no kill shelter just north of Raleigh. This was for their auction a few years ago. I named it "Basking Tabby" because he was always sunning himself on his pillow while I worked.

And as always, as I am trying to take the shot, he has to be in it. This one was fitting.

He was always trying to get into the light box as I shot my pieces. You know cats, the spotlight is always on them.

A couple of months ago, he became sick, very sick and went downhill so fast, it was mind numbing how he could be raging one day, and thin and sickly the next. Due to issues beyond my control,  I didn't have the money to have him looked at, or to have him treated. He had diabetes. The blood work, the office visits for check ups, the insulin, was too far out of reach. It is maddening, I felt like I had let him down. I couldn't watch him waste away. I knew what had to be done but I didn't want to stress him out with a car ride, and go somewhere he didn't know and put him down. Thank you God there are mobile vets. Yesterday the vet came to the house, and quietly put him to sleep, in my lap.


When I made the payment to vet for her visit, the payment was lower than expected. I had already stopped by the bank and pulled out enough cash for the procedure. For a split second I was happy that I would be getting money back. Then I had a thought. Yes, this is money I could use, but I had this money ear marked for this procedure. There is someone out there who doesn't. I don't want someone to go through what I am going through because of money. Maybe I can help someone else. I told the vet to keep the change. I needed it to be like a trust fund, that she would keep the remaining balance, and when someone came to her, who didn't have enough money, she could use that remaining money to help them. She didn't understand at first, or maybe it appeared that way. She blinked at me. I explained to her how I was feeling. I couldn't help Zeus because it was so much money that was needed, but maybe someone needed just a little bit more to help them over the hump. She hugged me and said thank you. She already knew who she could help. I felt 1000 times lighter with that comment.


I didn't want to stop right there. I want to keep on trying to help others who have pet needs.I have decided that 25% of all of my sales will go to the Because of Zeus fund. This will be my way to pay it forward.  I will set this money aside and use it to donate to vet clinics to help someone who is trying to help their pet, help them have a better life but can't make the commitment due to financial reasons. Keep watch in the upper corner of the blog. There will be a scale as money accumulates, and a listing of the recipients.
 
My hope is that when someone asks, Where did this come from? How can this be? How did I get this help when I needed it? Someone can tell them -  Because of Zeus.

More Give Aways! A Little Etsy Love and Seed and Sky!

A Little Etsy Love is showing off the beautiful talent of the artist at Seed and Sky, along with a Give Away!!!!

Look at her beautiful work,  here and at the bottom log in to get an entry, and comment to get another one!!

Good Luck!!!

Social Networking and Give Away!!!!!!

I am not going to reinvent the wheel or preach to the choir about social networking - we all do it - we blog, have facebook pages, twitter, pinterest and so much more. We are connected to the world now, and not just our local community. (how cool is that!) On Facebook, I follow several pages and groups that are kinda focused on what I do - crafting, shows, festivals and so forth. For example, Raleigh crafters: a group of crafters that share information on upcoming shows and festivals. Also we 'de clutter' we may have items that we no longer use, that are taking up space, or we are just plain tired of looking at. We use this group to network with other crafters and barter or sell items.

What groups do you follow that have helped you promote or grow your business?

That in mind - on the crafter group, I see a post from a fellow jewelry maker who is wanting to get rid of 'stuff'. I contacted her, but too late, and she had already ear marked the items to other people. She did however keep my email, and yesterday I got an email that she had more things, a box full, would I want them.....*blink* *blink* hell0 :) of course I do. All this for 10 bucks!

Strands of stone, glass and glass pearls.

Links, charms, jump rings, crimp tubes, bead caps and cones.

E

Earrings she had already made

Necklaces she had made

zipper pulls

I don't know how to explain the brilliance of this piece. She says, maybe you can do something with it, you could use the seed beads in something else....Nope - keeping it just like it is - I have to have this!!!!

A fresh water pearl stretchy bracelet she was going to re purpose

It was fun to dig thru it and see what treasures were in this little box.

I have to share the fun!!!!! These items, plus some fun not pictured!  Leave a comment on my blog to be entered! I will be opening this up to my Facebook fans as well. Drawing will be on Sept 15, 2012.
Are you a fan of my facebook page? Like the post that is about this giveway, and I will add another entry for you :)

On the street where I live

I couldn't help myself. It isn't where I live, but it would be the coolest street to live on....

8201 Beaded Stone St, Raleigh, NC.

How fitting!

Bringin' the 90's Forward - Repurposed Necklace

 My brother and sister in law are two of my biggest fans. They oooh and ahhhh over all of my creations, I make jewelry for both of them, and they excitedly wear it and pass under the nose of everyone they meet. Too cute :) Lonnie was 'purging' her jewelry collection, so my brother thought it would be awesome to send the whole kit and kabodle to me. And what a pleasant mess it was :) One of my finds was these earrings. Lets all say it together - "The 90's called and they want their earrings back!" These are very light weight, clip on earrings that hang over 5 1/2"! I really never thought anything could be more over the top than most of the 80's styles, but the 90's did give them a run for their money :)

I have had these earrings set aside for some time, looking for inspiration. This last few weeks I have been gearing up for a gallery display, and the creative juices were flowing. I finally tackled this project, and think I came up with a necklace design, that is just as over the top as the earrings :)

 

 

Dyed quartz, porcelain, coral, mookaite, stoneware and garnet. It was a labor of love, it was a loving gift from my sister in law, it has hearts in the design, so I chose the stones and the colors that would compliment all of the love that went into the making of this design. 

Garnet is a stone of romantic love and passion,  It is said to bring positive thoughts and be excellent for manifestation and bringing abundance.

 Mookaite is a jasper, and jasper is a stone of gentleness and relaxation. It enhances one's ability to relax and brings tranquility, comforting, wholeness, healing, and gentle endings.

Coral attracts love and prosperity, particularly red coral, which is a stone of passion. Creativity and optimism are also qualities that coral brings out. Emotionally, coral brings inner peace, strength, and understanding of purpose.

Yellow is the color of confidence, joy, cheerfulness. Which I find fitting, because you would have to possess confidence to wear the earrings, and pulling that element of the design forward, you need confidence to wear this necklace! Get it Girl!

Lorelei Eurto Bohemian Inspired Jewelry Challenge Kit

New bead challenge from Beadin' Path and Lorelei Eurto!

Read more about what inspired the bead challenge at Lorelei's blog -  HERE

Good Luck!!!

"Celtic Pearls" AKA, How do you name your pieces

I name most of my pieces, do you?


OK, now I am going to admit, there are times when  I am bulking up my inventory for a show that I just crank out simple designs, and really don't give them much thought. As much as I would LOVE to make all those funky over the top necklaces only, that isn't the taste of everyone. I don't want to be exclusive. I want to appeal to everyone. Sometimes the KISS rule is the best rule. :)

Then there are those special pieces, that take hours to make. The idea concept, the creation, the finished product. I feel like I have nurtured this piece along it's whole life, and now it is time for it to find it's own home with someone who will wear it and love it - wow - I am sounding a bit crazy here - but it is true! When I am creating this piece I take alot into consideration, the colors I use, the time of year it is, the time of day it is, the stones I use, the design, and a name comes from that. Does it work that way for you?

For example -

This started as a bracelet, but I couldn't stop adding the glass pearls. It felt to bulky to me when I wrapped it around my wrist to size it for a bracelet. I didn't want to remove any of the glass pearls, so what do I do with it - I know! Make it the focal of a necklace. Awesome.

How do I connect it to a necklace. Let's play with some copper. Great, now I have links, but what do I use to connect the links - the chain is too small, multi strands of chain take away from the focal - OH!! Hemp! Ok, now we got a real earthy feel, but there is too much symetry for my taste  - Oh, what is this I found? Sweet! Lamp work - add one random one to the mass.


Now lets name it - Well there are pearls. There is a really cool copper swirl, looks Celtic, the green in the lampwork reminds me of Ireland - holy cow - Celtic Pearls!!!!

This is the thought processes that go thru my mind as I work.


Do you find it important to have such a connection with your work, that it has a name?

Tie Dye T Shirt Necklace How To

This is such a cute and EASY idea. The variations are endless.

I used a 2T shirt

Cut the band off the bottom

Cut the shirt across in strips. Thin or thick, each will give a variation in the look of the necklace

Drop the strips over your index fingers, like you are playing a string game :)

Now pull...PUlling will add a curl to the strips and lengthen them. If you cut the strips thin, don't pull too hard, they will break.  Sorry or the dark picture.

Now you have the focal for your necklace, add chain, beads, silk - you choose, and make your creation!!!

Soon I will show you what I make with the left over pieces of the shirt!