Ideas on Promoting your Art from Alyson B. Stanfield

I follow ArtBizBlog and love it. Alyson has such good advice, and what I love about it, she gets to the point, and allows you to run with it.

Her most recent is 50 things you can do better to promote your art. The list of the 50 things can be found here for you to view and use, "no strings attached" she says. Brilliant!

I am going to start with #1 and work my way thru her advice to #50 and I am excited about it.

She is also doing something very near and dear to my heart. She is giving back. She has set a goal to raise $5000 for charity to dig a well for a village.  It is a big goal, but it is also a big deal. Clean water is a very important building block for health. If a person is healthy they can do so much.

Now you say, but I don't have $5 much less $50 to donate to this charity. Don't loose site of the goal, it is not always money that a charity needs, awareness is also very important. So if you can't give money, give some time to tell someone else about it.

Making a difference is easy :)





"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Carnelian and Rhyolite

I have a selection of jewelry that I call K.I.S.S. - we all know what it stands for :) As much as I love the random, the over the top and the whimsy, there are times where just simple is best. Letting the elements compliment each other simply. That is what I did with this necklace.

I found the carnelian chips at Artbeads.com I love their deep and warm color. It is one of my favorite stones. Who am I kidding, they are all my favorites :)

Looking at the strand, I knew I didn't want to break up the chips and use them as accents. I really wanted them to be the bulk of the design. And when it did come together, it was wonderful!

Small carnelian chips with copper beads and a rhyolite focal.

Carnelian - Creativity, Individuality, Courage
 Rhyolite - Perseverance, Communication

I love how the carnelian accents the ochre colored deposits in the focal stone. Perfect!

It is warm and inviting, making you approachable. It is delicious in every aspect of the word.

  “Whatever you do, you should do it with feeling.” — Yogi Berra

In Love with Lapis

I love to order assortments. It keeps me on my creative toes. I LOVE lapis and loved this assortment from Firemountain Gems

This Lapis Assortment came with a good amount of beads, and except for the smallest, no two were like. Which made it even more fun :)




Lapis Lazuli brings truthfulness, openness, inner power, intuition, creativity, virility and manifestation. It strengthens the mind and body as well as increasing awareness and spiritual connection/evolution. It can help organize daily life as well as organizing and quieting a busy or restless mind. Lapis Lazuli is also used to contact with guardian spirits. Who wouldn't want that in their life!

Lapis also makes me think of blue jeans, it is comfortable, goes with anything, can be dressed up or dressed down, so versatile. I wanted to make a design that could be both as well.  I wire wrapped each stone to a twisted copper link and finished it off with a simple black cord, with the clasp on the side. Leaving the long lapis piece for the focal.  I pared the lapis with smoky quartz. 

Smoky quartz is an excellent stone for removing negativity and negative energy of any kind and transforming them to positive energy. It is also a very protective and grounding stone. It brings physical, protection, psychic protection and protection from negative energy. It enhances survival instincts, and can help one reach personal and business goals, as well as assisting in making wishes come true.


They just go so well together dont' they?






*sigh* This is one I may have to keep for myself :)

Fun Copper and Imperial Jasper Earrings

I have finally worked out a schedule that allows me to do everything I need to do - and I am thrilled. There was a lot of chaos in the beginning, as I was sorting thru this, and packing away that, just trying to get to a starting point!

Yesterday was earring day. (yes part of my schedule) I was a bit nervous at first, thinking I had pigeon holed myself into a work mode that would stifle my creativity, but it worked!

I made several pairs of earrings, and the ideas just kept coming. I wasn't side tracked at all with worrying about which beads, or if I needed to make a bracelet or necklace to go with them. 

I know it sounds crazy, but it worked!

I think of all the earrings I made, I like these best. Imperial jasper and copper. They are really light, and stupid fun. 

Imperial jasper is said to help you withstand heavy negativity. It is also believed to allow you to stabilize emotions. 

These also come in peace, love, truth and prosperity :)

“How long should you try? Until. ”

Jim Rohn (1930-2009)

Handmade Cork and Slate Coaster Giveaway!

This is a giveaway Saturday!

These are awesome handmade cork on slate coasters and they are being given away!!! Go on over to Handmade MN's blog for all the details and the multiple ways to enter!

Good Luck!!!

Great Give away from Lorelei's Blog

She is at it again!

Always fun stuff going on over at her blog. Stop by and comment, she is going to pick a winner today!

Good Luck!!!!

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

More in the Jo Jo Collection

Finally I have a working computer and camera! 

This is the set I made for my daughter for Christmas. I won the lamp work beads from a blog give away years ago, and never got the inspiration to work with them, until about a week before Christmas. Talk about cutting it short :)

Jo loves the multi layer look with the bulkier chains. Aluminum chains are great for that. You can really pack em on a toggle!

I LOVE the colors in this. In the south, we really dont' get winter, but I can tell you, I am ready for spring ")

Submitting your work

Start out the new year with new confidence in your work. Why not submit it to magazines and retailers for consideration.

Sundance Catalog -
How do I submit a product to the catalog? If you would like us to review your product for inclusion in an upcoming catalog, please send photos of your product and pricing information to Merchandising Department Product Submission, Sundance Catalog, 3865 West 2400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84120, or by email at samplesubmission@sundance.net. All photos will be reviewed and either kept on file for future consideration or discarded. If you would like us to return your photographs, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your submission. Due to the overwhelming correspondence we receive on new products, we are unable to accept telephone calls on product submission or selection. We will, however, call you if your item has been selected.

Art Jewelry -
Art Jewelry publishes articles of interest to those who love to design, construct, and collect jewelry that makes a statement. Our featured artists work primarily with wire, metal, metal clay, and complementary materials. We offer step-by-step instructions for a range of projects compiled to appeal to various skill levels. As a workshop-centered publication, we emphasize safety and take an accessible, friendly approach to introducing techniques. We also provide news about shows, events, workshops, classes, gallery exhibits, and other activities of interest to makers and collectors of art jewelry. Read more here

Stampington and Company
HUGE list of publications you can submit to. You can find their list here  

Bead Trends Magazine
I have been submitting here for years with great success.

Good luck to you!!!



"Give light and people will find the way." - Ella Baker

Project for Today (confessions of a hoarder)

14 hours it took me.

14 hours to get to a stopping point where I can move forward with the rest of my organizing of my craft room.

I stood for 13 hours and ironed 5 tubs of material. 5 tubs of material I have had for years, that has be stuffed and rolled and squished from bin to box to shelf to cupboard. I got a wild hair, and decided I needed to have it done.

So 13 hours of standing and ironing and 1 hour sorting, stacking and replacing it in tubs. I have taken the 5 tubs down to 3....well 4, because I took all of my fleece and batting that was stored elsewhere and put it in one of the tubs. What am I gonna do with the last tub???

All these were taken with my phone - having camera issues....

Here is the mess in the floor

After the ironing and sorting

This tub is for all of the panel fabric, shiney lining fabric and the lace. 

Just one tub of lace, I had to condense it down.....

Now that I had it all sorted, I had to put it back in the tubs, but I wanted to be able to find it. I got the bright idea, I have all of these magazine that we go for 'points' or something, I can use them as dividers!

So I stacked the fabric in by color bunches, and separated them with the magazines.

While sorting and ironing, I found of couple of these squares that my mom had done. In the scraps there are several of the pieces already cut, I just need to separate them out, and I can make several more blocks. I think it will be fun to finish it and send it to my mom.

Now I still have all of these 'scraps'. These are pieces of material that have already been cut to use for a project, or are very small. I haven't figured out how to store them as of yet.

I feel like I have a lot accomplished, and I have so much more to do.

Do you have any big projects you are working on? I would love to hear about them!

"Give light and people will find the way." - Ella Baker

A Singular Creation Art Community

Have you heard of them? I joined this site ages ago, and completely forgot about it until I received an email. I joined this site for two reasons. I love this site, I can pah-roos the images and be filled with inspiration. There are also posts of my jewerly there too :)

Do you paint? Are you a photographer? Do you need to be inspired? This may be that one little book mark you need to add!

Happy Day!



Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive – Howard Thurman.

Start the New Year Right!

Computer issues, camera issues, time management issues all seem to get in the way of what I have planned for this year. Worked most of the day trying to get camera software to work on my computer so I can post some really fun images of my newest creations.

Not happening today.

Until it is working, I will have fun pah-roos-in your blogs and seeing what you have in store for this year.

Can't wait!

New year comes with glows of hopes in our mind
It gives us new confidence and courage for a fresh start
Happy New Year and all the best for new ventures