Inspired by...Nature

by Patty Lakinsmith

"Nest Egg Watching" by Peylu.  I own this print and look at it every day.  I love Peylu's work, and this one is especially meaningful to me now.

 “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”
  

- C.S. Lewis

AshleyKimJewelry

 As usual I'm trying to weave some sort of meaning out of all of the threads in my life at once, and now that our chickens have started laying eggs, I'm consumed with thoughts about hatching, eggs, containers, incubation, and femininity, and I know from past experience when this happens it's bound to make its way into my work.

karadanieljewelry

Until I hatch my own nest related ideas, enjoy these beautiful, inspired finds on Etsy, and have a beautiful day.

inkets

Art Spark Designer of the Week

by Izzy Winterhart

This week was a hard decision as we’ve had so many lovely submissions. The piece I’ve chosen for this week is Over the Ocean Blue by DesignedbyLu.

Here’s what Lu has to say about her piece.

“Living so close to the ocean, I am provided with a great deal of inspiration...when i look at this piece, I can vividly feel and smell the ocean breeze as I slowly walk barefoot along the soft sandy beach on a lovely peaceful sunny day. Organic lampwork beads from twosisters and uvanamos; leaf resin charm, jadescott; antiqued brass rollo chain.”

For me, Lu's piece brings back so many wonderful memories.  When I was younger I attended college at UNC-W which is located on the coast of NC. During the summer I would work in a little concession stand by the beach in Fort Fisher. It was a State job so I had to wear the lovely polyester gray shirt and forest green polyester shorts. Between the uniform and the small confines of the concession stand, whew, it made for a long, insanely hot summer. But I loved it. My friend, Buddha, was the life guard and my ride to work each day (don't let the name scare you, he was an excellent life guard). Every morning he’d pick me up in his jeep and we’d head to work. He liked to get there early so he could swim a bit before starting the day. While he soaked up the salt water, I’d sit in the sand and enjoy the quiet beach before the crowds stormed in. It was my time to meditate, to smell the ocean, hear the gulls, feel the sun warm my cheeks. I’ll never forget that place and those times. We don’t visit the beach much anymore, we’ve become more mountain folk, but I sure do miss those days.

Thanks Lu for bringing back those wonderful memories and reminding me that my love for nature extends beyond my backyard.


Remember this is the last week to submit your piece for this month's Art Spark challenge.  Better hurry up and finish whatever you are working on and get it loaded to our Art Spark Flickr group.  AND, don't forget to show off your favorite pieces on our Strut Your Stuff Flickr group!

hOlY MoLy..... This post is loaded.....

by MaryAnn Carroll

I say that because we have a winner for the fabulous earrings that were so generously donated by Jen Vanbenschoten (vanbeads), a special interview with a special artist Lucia Tremont and to make that complete, a special giveaway donated by Lucia herself.  To win, you will have to answer a question at the end of this interview.

What is so cool about this interview is that I met this talented woman by checking out Barbara Lewis's enameling support site.  You can find that on side bar of Barbara's website by clicking HERE.  Yes, a site designed for those of who who cannot shake the enameling addiciton ;o)

What I soon discovered was that Lucia and I are pratically neighbors.  Not only that, one of her best friends is also a friend of my husband Bill.  They work together in the Syracuse City School District.  How cool is that?  I get used to meeting people who are usually a significant distance away, not one who went to high school right next to the neighborhood I grew up in. 

So, now it is your turn to meet Lucia Tremont.  She is a wife and mom of two boys 21 and 20, and a 17 year old daughter.  When not creating, she works full-time in a primary school.

Please tell us a little about your journey with jewelry creating.

I can remember the first piece of jewelry I made. I was 10 and glued stones onto a bracelet. Through the years I have tried many different mediums. I had a piece of enamel a friend had given me years ago and that sparked my interest in getting a kiln. That was three years ago and I've been making jewelry since.

I have read in your Etsy profile that you have always been involved in some sort of art, how did you first get interested in creating jewelry?


I am always making something.  When my daughter was younger, we decided to make bracelets at her birthday party that were on wire and crimped.  I enjoyed doing that and then began making necklaces for myself.  People would compliment me on the pieces, and I would make jewelry gifts for friends and family.

Enameling seems to be your art of choice.  Are there other materials that you like to combine with your enameled pieces?

Yes, I love patinaed metal, adding fiber and since I knit I've thought about adding knitted wire, natural fibers and felted wool.

How did you first decide to sell online?  Have you enjoyed your online experience?

It really was an evolving process.  I enjoyed searching through Etsy and the fact that everything I made could be just a little different.  Etsy is a very user friendly and it seemed like a great choice to get my pieces "out there".  I have asked many questions to shop owners and they have been very kind in replying and trying to help, so it's been good so far.

In terms of enameling, are you self-taught or have you taken classes to learn this skill?

I am self taught in enameling.  I decided to buy a kiln so that I could make pottery, glass beads and enamel. I did do a good amount of research before hand, I love the research part.  I did not intend to sell, it was for my own knowledge and enjoyment.  When my kiln arrived I was so excited, but the 2500 degree temperature scared me and with no one to walk me through the process,  I waited one month before turning it on.  I finally got the nerve to do a trial run, not even actually enameling, just turning it on.  I set it up in my family room and as the temperature climbed I began to relax and feel pretty good about it, but suddenly at 500 degrees my television and computer went out and the kiln shut down. I was afraid I had ruined the everything.  Luckily for me, all was fine and what I needed was a dedicated line for the kiln.  Once that was in, it was all trial and error. I did take out many library books but no enameling classes and that was 3 years ago.   Recently, I was fortunate enough to have a private lesson with Babara Lewis, who teaches her torch firing technique.

Have you explored other options to promote your online selling such as blogs, facebook, etc.?

I am only on Etsy and plan to explore social networks and blogs.

Have you set goals for your future creating and selling?

If so, what are those goals?

My heart's desire is to be known and respected as an artist. I would like my Etsy shop, Ciaolucia, to be successful, have work published and continue to grow and experiment with different techniques and mediums.  Enameling has so many possibilities, the layering of enamel powders produce such surprising results, always different.  But really, if I wasn't enameling, I would be making something.  I always have to be making something. I am a visual person, so when I see something that intrigues me, I can't wait to try it myself.

Would you offer some advice to those who may be reluctant to create jewelry using an approach that might feel out of their comfort zone?

If you have passion, you will find a way.  Research, read as much as you can, take a class and if there are no available classes, trial and error are the best teachers. Don't set limits on your ideas.

And there you have it, Lucia Tremont.....

Thanks, Lucia!

So.....

why did I leave the picture of these fab rings for the end of this post.  Yes, there is a method to my madness reason for that....a little teasing.... a little taste of what's to come....a little surprise....

 Lu has GENEROUSLY donated this gorgeous ring!!! 

 It could be yours if you just do a little window shopping and

head on over to Lu's shop by clicking HERE.

Come on back and let us know what your favorite piece is

and what you like about it.

As always, if you want to be entered multiple times, post this interview/giveway on your own blogs, facebook pages, etc. and come back and let us know each that you did (Each comment is counted once).  Please provide a link to the post.  A winner will be chosen next Sunday, July 24th so be sure to stop back (I hope you are reading daily ;o) to see if you are the lucky winner!

And while on the subject of lucky winner......

Island Girl

These are now yours!  Congrats!!  Just email Jen.  You can find her contact by clicking her name on the side bar of this blog.  She will need your address so she can get these shipped out to you.

when handmade is soulmade

mary jane dodd

yesterday staci posed the question 'why are you drawn to handmade jewelry?' ... it had me so tied up all day that i decided to answer in my post...

i am personally drawn to handmade/soulmade anything... where a person's imagination, energy and hands have traveled is where i want to be... we all have a voice - and are given different gifts by which to express ourselves... it isn't always easy to find the gifts - we may stumble around trying lots of things until we do... but once revealed, the authentic blossoms... 

'when we discover that the truth is already in us,

we are all at once our original selves.'

~ dogen

for me personally, my actual voice had been silenced for a rather long time... my work became  a safe place for expression, reflection... words became a key part of the designs... 

'words are the voice 

of the heart.'

~ confucius

a number of years ago i enjoyed integrating the work of multiple people into one design... i loved combining the energies into cohesive pieces... it was like collaborating with friends... and i still love that... but now, the goal is to make everything from beginning to end... the piece then reflects my voice completely - my hands have touched each component... i have made every decision... 

but why? because my soul is in each part - concentration, feelings, intentions (or not)... the finished pieces are testaments to my being alive - living, thinking, feeling... i will not, in fact can not, work if i am in a poor mood... i have to come around to it in peace or excitement... 

so welcome to the group, staci... 

and thank you for the thought provoking question ~

Little Ol’ Me in the Big Picture

by Staci Smith Of Staci Louise Originals

Hi there!  I am Staci ~ of Staci Louise Originals, and I am the newest member of the Love My Art Jewelry team.  I am so honored to be part of such a talented group of gals.  I have always adored and hoarded admired handmade jewelry, and now I get to be a part of this team, who promote Art Jewelry~ so I couldn’t be happier!

Here’s a little about me, in case you were wondering.  I am a stay at home mom of three children, whom I adore.   (aren't they cute?)

  I am a self taught jewelry artist, and make jewelry using PMC, Bronz Clay, sheet metal, gemstones, sea glass, and art beads, to name a few…I guess you can say my work is pretty eclectic.  I am constantly growing and changing as an artist, and never seem to be content, which forces me to always be learning something new. 
 I hope to bring those new findings to you here on LMAJ.  Whether it’s a new technique, or a personal revelation, I hope that in some way, my writings can make your art jewelry journey a little easier and more exciting.

Another reason I am so happy to be a part of this group is, that I think we are at a crucial point in our society, a place, where we really need to take a look at how we are living.  We need to think about where our food comes from, and how that effects our environment.  We need to look at our energy sources, our waste, and who we buy from, and why.  The exciting thing is, I really think people are doing just that.  I see more and more people making decisions that are beneficial, not only to them, but their environment and world as a whole.

artwork by julia smith 6

I know that buying handmade is just one small part of that, but lots of "small" actions are what it takes to make BIG difference!  Not only is it rewarding as an artist to look at your creation, and know that it’s handmade with love, but it’s rewarding as a consumer to know that the artist got paid fairly for that product, and that each part was made with care.  You can know that you just supported a hardworking artist, who is doing their best to bring you a quality and one of a kind product.  I have found nothing but friends in my journey to buy and create handmade.  I hope you will find the same.

So, now you know a little about me.  My turn to learn a little about you.  What I want to know is, why are you drawn to handmade jewelry?  Is it the economy- and your desire to support small business?  Is it because you can get to know the artist personally (I love that one)?  Is it the quality or originality… all of the above or something all together different?

 I’d love to hear your thoughts on why you are drawn to create and / or buy handmade.

Inspired by Nature- My Backyard

by D'Arsie Manzella of Mamacita Beadworks

This month's Art Spark got me thinking about the beauty of my backyard. Living in the Grape Belt of Western New York is nothing short of magical. Each day I look out on the grapes that my husband and I were married in. In addition to the vineyard views, we are right next to Lake Erie and that gives us some of the most stunning sunsets you've ever seen.

Two nights ago as I was doing my After-Kids-in-Bed Web Work and I noticed an orange pink glow outside. I stopped what I was doing, ran downstairs and snagged my hardworking husband from his own computer screen.
I was surprised at how willing he was to drop everything and go walking in the grapes. That's how vivid the sunset was. It was a super natural event. Right there in our backyard.

As we held hands beaming at the color in front of us and the dusky moon rise behind us, I was overwhelmed with joy and hope for our future. When life is spinning me, I always find peace in Mother Nature.

Here is my contribution to this month's Art Spark. I have the moon, (my hand cast pewter Midnight bead caps). I have the grapevines and the deep orange and pink sunset colors (Batik cotton cord from OhSoFabu). Together they capture a moment I will not soon forget.

Thanks Izzy for this challenge!

Give, Give and Give Some More

by Izzy Winterhart

This, my friends, is all the items in my Etsy shop.  Well, give or take a few.  All the items on the very top row are things I’ve made over the years that may or may not be shop worthy or things that collected too much dust so I’ve taken them off Etsy.  They now sit there, waiting, wondering and pondering their life’s purpose…  Until now.

I’m sending all this beautiful creations off to a wonderful place.  The place is Interact of Wake County.   Interact is a local organization that provides safety, support and awareness to those who have experienced domestic violence and/or rape or sexual assault. 

You know, as jewelry artists, we are all so blessed to have the talent to sit, create and then wear.  I can have the most rotten, crappy day but if I put on a nice outfit, spruce myself up then add some bling that I’ve made, it does wonders.  You all know what I’m talking about.  It is our duty to pass that feeling along to others.  It is our duty to make women feel amazing.  They are already beautiful, you see, we just add the accessories to make them shine.  So all these beauties plus a few more (collecting dust in my jewelry box) and some gorgeous dresses that I can no longer wear are being gently packed up with lots of healing thoughts and heading over to these women.

I’d like to ask you guys to follow suit.  Go through all your stuff and pull out anything not listed in your shops that is collecting dust, or something you were given many moons ago that you never wear, find your local women’s shelter and send a little gift of love.  Just think of the happiness you’ll bring to an amazing spirit who’s simply had or having a rough time.  Help make these women feel beautiful, amazing and strong.


"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."  ~ Anne Frank