I'm a terrible blogger!

My days are so haphazard. I want to do A, B, C, but often it's A, oh crap, I forgot to do D yesterday! I want to blog, post to my Facebook page, post to LinkedIn, take photos of newest pieces, list said pieces and draw. It just never turns out the way I want it to. I would love to have an assistant, but since I can't support myself through my art at this point, I can hardly pay an assistant!

I am working on new pieces. I have completed a horizontal beadwoven bracelet in 24k gold and ivory and have just a closure to put on another filigree style cuff also in 24k gold and ivory. These are pieces that may be for my daughter's bridesmaids but I'm sure they'll sell quite well if they aren't used for the wedding.

I've also been drawing more. 

Someday, I hope to learn how to allot my time better and get more done in a day. Until then...I'm in progress...

Blooming Zentangle in progress

Zentangle ACEO in progress

24k gold and ivory jewelry in progress

So Much To Do, So Little Time

The bane for most artists is the lack of time. I literally have projects lined up, along with the beads I'll use, on a table in my studio! And after a wonderfully successful show at Kent's Art in the Park, I've started creating a lot of new pieces for the two shows I have in the next six weeks. But there just are not enough hours for everything I want to do!

Popular pieces at the last show were the triangle bead cuffs, Victorian style pieces, sterling silver pieces and my swirly filigree cuffs. I have several new triangle bead cuffs already created, a couple of new sterling silver pieces and am now working on the first of at least a half-dozen new filigree cuffs. Sometime in the very near future I really need to get a few more photo cuffs created as well!

There are two chokers here in the Victorian style. The top one (crystal) was sold at Kent's Art in the Park. I'll be creating a few more of these pieces in various colors, along with matching earrings. 

This is the latest of the beadwoven images pieces that I've created. This is based on a photo of a pink rose in my neighbor's yard, but I've altered the colors a bit to make it more a mauve-purple.

So, I have a lot of things I want to get done and in the midst of these projects, we are planning our youngest daughter's wedding plus I'm working part time, too. Oh, if only I could have a few extra hours in each day!

Emotional Rollercoaster

On Saturday, August 3rd, we lost our sweet Sadie. She was just over 12 years old and she was our fur baby. She had suffered from skin allergies for most of her life. In the last several years she also suffered from awful arthritis in her back legs. She never complained though, she was always a happy pup. Yes, she could be stubborn, but that was as much a part of her as her very expressive eyebrows and her "Chewbacca" grumbling. 

She was by far the sweetest, most loving dog. She helped me keep my sanity after losing my mom. She would stay by my side and lay her head on my lap whenever the sadness overwhelmed me. She certainly knew who the soft touch was in our house (my husband) and would gaze at him longingly whenever he had food, not to mention, follow him anywhere. She also liked having conversations with several of our friends who knew how to speak "Sadie". She was definitely a people dog and believed everyone who came to the door was there to see her.

Our house is so quiet without her and there is a definite hole in our lives and hearts that will never be filled. I know someday we will get another dog, but there will never be another Sadie.
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I did have something positive happen today, I received acceptance into Kent's 20th Annual Art in the Park . It will be held on Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th at Kent's Fred Fuller Park. I'm really happy about it as I did very well at this event last year. I hope this year will be just as successful. I feel I have a lot more to offer and definitely new and unusual items, such as my beadwoven images. I also hope the weather is beautiful and the turnout is huge.

Frameable Pieces and Upcoming Events

This is my second frameable piece. This one is called "Into Chautauqua Lake".
It was created using over 20 different Delica colors and consists of almost 4,300 beads.
I created and sold a cuff which featured these trees as well,
though it was based on a different photo.

Here are both frameable pieces..."Into Chautauqua Lake" and "Serenity".

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday, July 21st at the Terry Macklin Center in Solon, OH from noon until 5:30pm
(Proceeds will benefit the Cleveland Animal Protective League)
and
Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th
at the St George's Fellowship Center in Fairlawn, OH from 11am to 5pm both days
(Proceeds will benefit Jade's No Kill Rescue)

I will also be participating in the Oddmall "Chrishanukawazmadan"
on Saturday, November 2nd at the Clarion Inn & Conference Center in Hudson, OH
from 10am to 6pm

 After a lot of thought and consideration, I decided not to apply for Winterfair in Columbus this December. If, by some crazy chance I had been accepted, I would have to be prepared to spend three very long days on my own, as well as have enough pieces to last the entire event. An event of that length would require months and months of preparation and I have not had enough time this year with work and the shows I've already accepted. Next year I am going to plan out which events I would like to apply for and keep them to a minimum. I would also like to inquire about having my pieces in the Cleveland Natural History Museum gift shop or the Akron Art Museum and possibly at the Don Drumm Studio. It is still my goal to create art full time and I'm hoping the experience I've gained through these shows will be the catalyst to make that goal a reality.

Love My Space!

The studio is getting there. Love the space and it's all mine! OK, so I have to share it with an elliptical, but the rest of the room is ALL MINE! :)

Beadwoven Images

Though I have created many beadwoven photo cuffs, this is the first time I've created a piece suitable for framing. I am really happy with how it turned out and I am now working on the next piece! I've always had a love of water and it shows not only in my photography, but also in my beadwoven images. The next one is also a water scene!

"Serenity"
3"x 5" beadwoven image from original design

Going to Try Something a Little Different

So, I've been creating the photo cuffs for a while now and at different shows I've had people ask if I would sell the photo with the cuff. I've decided that I can do that with all the cuffs created from my own photos. (The NASA photos are property of NASA.) Then I thought, why don't I create an actual picture, sort of a mini-mosaic of a photo? So, that's my next project. I'm going to create a 3"x 5" photo piece. I've decided to start with a more simple design, in that there isn't too much detail, just color and this is the photo I'm using as my inspiration...

Chautauqua Lake at Sunset

It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm really excited about this project! Then I'm going to have to figure out how to display it! 

Shows/Sales

I had a good show in Akron and a really good show in Hudson. The one in Akron was Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show (http://www.avantgardeshows.com/). I sold the Crab Nebula Cuff there and then the purchaser came back and bought my Reflections Cuff from my Etsy Shop! The one in Hudson was Oddmall- Emporium of the Weird (http://oddmall.info/ohio/). I sold four of my smaller pieces, had a special order for two cuffs and several inquiries regarding personalized photo cuffs. Hopefully the last will pan out.  

Reflections Cuff - sold to a young lady who had already purchased my Crab Nebula Cuff

Silver Scrolls Cuff - special Order for Jynjyr (Kay), along with a Hemitite cuff

Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show

Don't forget...if you find yourself in the Akron, OH area today, I'll be at the Tangier (532 West Market St., Akron, OH 44303) with Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show. It runs from 11-5 and the admission is $3, which benefits Stewart's Caring Place Cancer Wellness Center (http://www.stewartscaringplace.org/). And remember...Mother's Day is just two weeks away and I know you'll find wonderful things for Mom at this show!

Free Day!

It's been a rough couple of weeks at work, but I finally have a day off and I'm taking total advantage of it! Beading, blogging and of course, started the day by sleeping in!

Finishing another sterling silver bracelet and then I'll be starting on a new photo cuff. This one is a photo from Lake Chautauqua, NY...well, it's really a place on Goose Creek. This was my last Goose Creek piece and it sold at last year's Kent Art in the Park.

Goose Creek Cuff - sold 

New piece will be based on this photo. Love the reflection.