Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop - Tribute to Tina

It is not everyday that you post your piece for a challenge already knowing who the winner is BUT, for me, today is that day!  Congratulations to Karin Grosset Grange who is the winner of the Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop hosted by the always awesome Lisa Lodge!!!  (much applause and general hoopla!)  This event took place a bit over a week ago and so, embarrassingly, that makes me more than respectably late.  I won't bore you with excuses and such, but just know that "life" took precedent over posting on time and then since the 19th, I have literally been out to sea sailing with my husband to celebrate our 30th anniversary.  

I loved the packet I received from Lisa but, as usual, had absolutely no idea what to do with it!  Upon coupling the gemstones with a focal stone of complimentary color from my stash, I realized exactly what this assortment of metal and gemstone pieces was destined to become.  The natural "picture" created by the striations within the stone reminded me so much of the amazing art of my friend, Tina Sotis . . . you should definitely check out her website here:   http://www.tinasotis.com

Tina and I met while scuba diving in Utila in 2012 and despite the fact that we live on opposite ends of the country, she continues to be a powerful source of inspiration for me.  I so admire Tina's ability to find beauty even in darkness and to never be satisfied with the ordinary.  Tina seeks out adventure and continuously searches for ways to become a better, fuller, wiser person. This piece celebrates the strength and beauty of my extraordinary friend and is dedicated to her with gratitude for all the many ways she unknowingly has enhanced my life.  

Much appreciation to Lisa for facilitating this blog hop and to all my fellow artists for their unique and inspiring creations.  I look forward to spending some quiet moments (they do happen periodically!) viewing and commenting on each of the sites below.  Thank you for your understanding and patience! 

Fire and the Thin Blue Line - Tina Sotis

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Margaret Pelech, Big Margaret

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (May be delayed a few days)

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things (May be delayed a few days)

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Judy Campbell, Macmillanmarie Jewellery Design

Nan Smith, Handmade Jewelry Nanmade

Marde Lowe, FanciMarDesigns

Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry

Lisa E. Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

Listen

The ocean is my passion and for that reason I thought this challenge would be simple . . . it was anything but!  I have learned through my struggles of the past few weeks, not to have preconceived notions about things that should be created spontaneously.  Try as I might, the brilliant and beautiful ideas I had in my mind did not translate well with the palette and materials I was given to work with.  As once again I failed to photograph the pile of sparkly treasures that arrived from Lisa, our faithful hostess, you just need to believe that it was hopeless to try and meld the two visions into one.  And so I pondered my dilemma and was reminded through this quote by John F. Kennedy of our genesis:

“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came.

[Remarks at the Dinner for the America's Cup Crews, September 14 1962]”
― John F. Kennedy

Those elegant words served to also remind me of my genesis (only a few short years ago) in the art of beading.  The very first project I made was a beautiful spiral rope bracelet which I kept and wear often for inspiration.  And so I decided to combine the source of my physical genesis with the first steps of where I began as a beader.  I choose a beautiful Green Girl Studios focal with a duo conch shell image for the centerpiece of my work.  This pewter focal also includes a quote from Gloria Stein (another wise and wonderful teacher) that reads: 

"Let me listen to me and not to them."

And so I present 

Listen

a piece which symbolically honors our place of origin as well as our source of life. 

  

 

Thank you all for your patience and understanding with my late post.  I am a dive medic and so it seemed fitting that on the eve of this ocean blog hop, I was called into the hospital for an emergency dive . . . to attend to a scuba diver who did not listen and respect the power of the ocean.  After an already long and exhausting day yesterday, I spent from 11:00 last night until 9:00 this morning treating this diver in a hyperbaric chamber.  I helped to save a life!!!  Thank you Lisa for always being such a brilliant a source of inspiration and for providing all of us with a vehicle with which to realize our imaginings.  Thanks also to all of you, my fellow artists, who are an unbelievable resource of motivation and support for me.  Please use the link below to view all the projects created in honor of our ocean planet for this blog hop.

http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/2014/06/ocean-blog-hop-june-14th-link-list.html

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." ~ Jacques Yves Cousteau

Refuge ~ created for the 8th annual bead soup blog party

Welcome to wanderware and to the . . . 

Such a beautiful event celebrating worldwide creativity, individuality and imagination.  On top of all of that, we celebrate the tenacity and determination of all the artists and in particular that of our incredible leader and hostess, Lori Anderson.  May every element in our collective creations be a symbol of appreciation for her monumental efforts and hope for ever brighter tomorrows.

My life has truly been enhanced with the new friendship I have found with my partner for this event . . . the amazing Catherine King. I fell instantly in love with Catherine upon reading her blog site profile and perusing her Pinterest boards.  I knew that I had met an inspiring and kindred spirit who will continue to be a precious part of my life long after the party is over! 

For Catherine's creative motivation I sent the following soup . . .   

 I particularly loved the Kokopelli focal piece that I had been saving for a special personal project but was moved to share it with Catherine after seeing her incredible artistry.  When you see what she has created with all these assorted goodies, you will understand how I felt.  Just go to http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com) and prepare to be inspired!

Catherine's gifts to me for this endeavor were bounteous and beautiful.  The pieces in the bowl are what I selected to use in my creations including a gorgeous copper toggle clasp by Kathryn Bowman but minus the incredible Firefly Design focal which I started working on before taking pictures  

Along with all these amazing ingredients, Catherine shared four small plastic boxes she uses to transport her projects.  Thanks so much for these, Catherine!!!  They have helped keep me organized as well as protect my work while I am on the go (which is pretty much always!)

My inspiration for this challenge came from a most precious treasure in my life, my daughter, Alex, and a book she had loaned me entitled Refuge, by Terry Tempest Williams.  To truly do justice to the impact that Alex and this book have had on my life and how they inspired this project, I am writing a separate blog post dedicated to that story. Until then I leave you with these pictures and a few quotes from the book.  Enjoy!

~ Refuge ~

"My refuge exists in my capacity to love."

"Perhaps, I am telling this story in an attempt to heal myself, to confront what I do not know, to create a path for myself with the idea that 'memory is the only way home'."

"We are no more and no less than the life that surrounds us.  My fears surface in my isolation.  My serenity surfaces in my solitude."

"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination."

"I pray to the birds because I believe they will carry the messages of my heart upward.  I pray to them because I believe in their existence, the way their songs begin and end each day - the invocations and benedictions of Earth.  I pray to the birds because they remind me of what I love rather than what I fear.  And at the end of my prayers, they teach me to listen."

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and comment on my work.  

Please find more quiet time over the next days and weeks to visit the blogs of almost 500 artists from all over the world who have contributed their heart and their art to this event.  You can find them at:

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2014/05/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

8th Bead Soup Blog Party - Meet Catherine!!!

I am thrilled to introduce my partner for this year's Bead Soup Blog Party!  The one . . . the only . . . the amazing Catherine King!  You should check out her blog at:

http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com/  if you think I am exaggerating!!!    It was actually a bit intimidating to concoct a soup for this multi-faceted artist, but I followed Lori's instructions and sent a favorite focal piece from my stash and color coordinated extras that I myself would be thrilled to receive.  I know she will do magnificent things with this humble but heart-felt offering!

I also want to thank Lori and her super awesome husband and son for putting this event together against monumental odds. In the last couple of weeks, I also became aware of a secondary team of Lori's incredible friends who were always right there ready to lend hands and hearts when needed.  I feel so very privileged to be a part of this group of incredibly talented and compassionate people.  You inspire me and support me in ways you could never fully realize and I am so truly grateful. This heart's for all of you . . . 

 

Bead Journal Project

The Bead Journal Project is hosted by Robin Adkins and I was lucky enough to be accepted into the group right before membership was closed for this year.  To be an active member of the group, you must commit to making and posting one piece and its accompanying journal entry on the BJP Facebook page each month for a year. The goal is to make a collection of pieces that are cohesive in someway (technique, color, size etc.) with each piece becoming a "visual journal" of sorts.  Because I became a member of the group towards the end of January, my first journal entry was for February.  The common element for my submittals to BJP this year will be my exploration of metals and wirework in combination with beading . . . techniques that are new and challenging for me. My pieces will all have titles that reflect their emotional impact and inspiration. This piece is aptly named "passion."

passion

I started beading about three years ago while trying to recover from a traumatic brain injury and the resulting open heart surgeries. The post-op medical therapy was mostly ineffective but it was beading that seemed to help my brain and my heart reconnect the most. Because of beading, I have been able to resume my career as a concert pianist and instructor of music . . . something I had spent my life pursuing but had lost as a result of the brain injury.  I think all of us are reaping tremendous benefits through our art that go far beyond what we can comprehend. I know that I owe so much to this new-found passion and will be forever grateful for it.

Thanks in advance to all the amazing artists of the BJP group for your inspiration and support.  I look forward to seeing all your projects in the months ahead and sharing my journey with you! 

icicles ~ Winter Sparkle Blog Hop

For this winter-time celebration of sparkling beautifulness, I decided to take a different approach to the creative process than I normally would.  Instead of challenging myself to the point of craziness, I chose to relax and just make something beautiful using techniques that I was already competent with. It wasn't so easy though, trying to incorporate the abundance, variety and unique sizes of beads that I had received from our hostess, Lisa (aka ~ Sparkle Queen!) I finally decided on a simple St. Petersburg chain which practically begged to have all the crystal and Czech glass drops dangling from it! 

Hence, my icicle necklace was born.

Tears of snow

held suspended
in winter’s
icy grasp
grow
drop by
drop
into
crys
tal
s
p
e
a
r
s

~ Elaine Magliaro

But now, what to do with the incredible pile of  beads I had remaining???  In compliance with Lisa's information sheet which states that we should "use as many beads from this bead kit as you can," I decided to put together my very first jewelry set which included these simple icicle earrings . . .  

and finally this super cool, super sparkle-y icicle bracelet.

While I didn't quite accomplish the "not driving myself crazy" part, I don't think I could have crammed more sparkle-y goodness into one blog post if I tried!!!  The full set all together is almost blinding with sparkle!!!

Many thanks to our amazing hostess, Lisa Lodge, for helping us all so successfully combat the grayness of these long winter days with so much light and beauty and hope.  Please visit all of my fellow "sparkle experts" blog sites to be further dazzled and delighted by their contributions at:

http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/2014/02/winter-sparkle-blog-hop-link-list.html

New Year's Peace

I

I received an amazing assortment of beads from Lisa Lodge (our lovely hostess) to motivate my creative spirit for this winter-time challenge.  For the past couple of months, I have been working on developing bead embroidery techniques and skills  and so out of this vast array of wonderfulness I choose these beads that I felt would best support my fledgling abilities in this area.

All of these beauties were also in my kit, some actually finding their way into my finished piece after pictures were taken.  They are a wonderful addition to my stash and will no doubt be stars in projects later this year.

Into the Forest ~ my inspiration:

Early morn on the first day of this new year, I found myself alone again, deep in the forest near Mt. Rainier Washington. I was searching for peace and hope . . . I had been sad for far too long.  It was cold and silent as I made my way along the winding forest path, but I felt welcomed there and more alive than I had in many months.  While much of the world slept, how blessed was I to witness the dawning of the year?  And in the stillness of this dawn I re-visited a humbling truth . . . this precious gift, filled with new possibilities, adventures and challenges would only be what I would choose to make of it.  All I needed was what I already had ~ strength, courage and wisdom.  The forest floor was mossy wet beneath my knees as I knelt in thanksgiving and praise witnessed only by God and the silent yet ever present tenants of this sacred place.  I had found what I was searching for and my heart was slowly and softly opening to welcome the warmth of peace and hope once again. 

  New Year's Peace

Gorgeous silver stag focal ~ Green Girls Studio

To all my amazing and inspiring fellow artists . . . I wish you a year filled with peace and hope, and the courage, wisdom and strength to make the most of all your possibilities.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Janine Lucas, Esfera Travel Blog

Jasvanti Patel, Jewelry by Jasvanti

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion

Janet Bocciardi, Honey from the Bee

Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales

Elizabeth Engriser, Bead Contagion

Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs