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

Star Carol

My Star Carol ornament is in honor of Carol Ann Risher, the artist who hand crafted the beautiful art bead that I was so privileged to use.  I came upon some of Carol's ceramic pieces at a little unheralded bead show in Ballard Washington a couple of months ago and, when I dug it out of my stash, thought it spectacularly perfect for this blog hop.  I generally do bead weaving and bead embroidery but I was some how moved to try a bit of metal and wire working. My Star Carol piece can adorn a lovely evergreen tree as an ornament or a lovely special person as a pendant.  I was so touched to discover, just prior to writing this blog, that Carol had died in December 2010, one day after her 56th birthday.  I can't think of a better tribute for an artist who was born and died in the Christmas season and whose name is the holiday season's song than a beautiful ornament.  So here's to you, Carol Ann Risher . . . thank you for your art and inspiration and all the beauty your life brought to our world.

Many thanks to Heather for her efforts in coordinating this fun event for all of us.  Find some quiet, peaceful moments to enjoy the holiday offerings of our fellow artists whose challenge ornaments can be viewed at the sites below.

http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/12/ornamentbloghop2013.html

Merry Christmas to all and God bless us, every one!

Peacemaker

It was only moments after signing up for the "I Love Clay" Blog Hop that I began questioning my sanity.  Who in their right mind adds more things onto their December "to do" list?  When I received my kit, even though I loved the beautiful antique pink floral focal by Southern Gal Designs and the assortment of white pearl beads that accompanied it, I had never worked in this color palette before and wasn't sure I could come up with the creative impulse needed to be successful.  Then one evening my incredible daughter arrived for Sunday dinner looking so amazing in a mixture of cream, browns and antique pink and unknowingly became my muse for this challenge.  Rebeccah, or Becca for short, is my youngest child of three and is literally one of the most incredible people I have ever met in my life.  Her name means "peacemaker" and she definitely embodies that title in every single facet of her life.  I am so blessed that God trusted me to be her mom and so privileged to also share her life as her friend.  This "peacemaker" cuff bracelet is made with so much love to honor this truly amazing young woman.  I love you more, Beccers!  *poom* 

Becca ~ my peacemaker

Thanks to our always incredible host, Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist, and all the other crazy, amazing artists who somehow found time in their busy holiday schedules to bring more beauty into this world.  Please join me in enjoying their offerings at the individual sites listed below.

Happy and peace-filled holidays to all of you! ~ chris

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

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations

Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems

Dolores Raml, Crafty D's Creations

Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Mowse Doyle, Mowse Made This

Janine Lucas, Esfera Travel Blog

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Kelli Nelson, Zenith Jade Creations

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Jasvanti Patel, Jewelry by Jasvanti

Candida Castleberry, Sugar Spun Beadworks

Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out