Moving with Velocity Toward Your Dreams

And the winner is.......................

ALGERIDAVINIA!

Isn't this button bracelet just the jangly coolest thing?

Congratulations Davinia! Email me your contact info at enjoytheday{at}tesoritrovati{dot}com and I will get your package boxed up for you. I am still waiting on the Bead Trends December issue that is part of your winnings, but my little white box hasn't found me yet (although I hear that it is a great issue!)

I had no daylight with which to take a picture of the winning prize, but I will hopefully today and I will post it when I do. The necklace I created has bits of this

Vintage cloth measuring tape...with the edges frayed and the numbers worn. And as I was using this the fabric was so old it was practically disintegrating in my hand...I love it!

and that

Vintage mother of pearl boot buttons...what every girl at the turn of the last century couldn't live without! Aren't they cute with those little metal shanks?

in it. Plus one of these really awesome resin word charms from my friend Lynn Davis, ExpeditionD. I will show the completed necklace soon. I promise!

We were a small but mighty group this time around. Keeping up with the holiday cheer making has gotten the better of us I presume. But I am so glad that the three participants graced us with their creativity! Using buttons and zippers and snaps...oh my! Just goes to show that you can find inspiration anywhere. What fun!

I have heard from many who were just not able to commit to this go-around that the Inspired by... challenges are intriguing and that if I create more opportunities for fun, you will play along. I promise that I will start up the challenge again in January, if you promise to bring your creativity to inspire us all. {And I never make a promise I can't keep.}

Use What You Have Challenge

I was also heartened by your support of my impromptu "Use What You Have" challenge. {Also, it is comforting to know that I am not the only one who sits and fondles her beads before putting them away!} I am not indicating that we need to stop buying things {because face it, this girl has no filters when it comes to shopping for great deals! And there are bead artists and sellers alike who are depending on us!}, but I do insist that we dig deep into our respective stashes and see what treasures we may find.

Like Christine Damm commented, "What I DO try to do is to start a project using as much as I can from what I already have on hand and only then do I think about ordering anything extra." Great advice. Doesn't mean that I will stop buying art beads...just that I will use up what I have first. Doesn't mean that I won't buy components...just the stuff that I really need. I pledge to try my best to be a conscious consumer and not get the "spendies" as my friend Jenners commented.

I don't think I proposed it, but I like that several like-minded individuals suggested a beading de-stash. I will have to think more about how that could work so that we could all benefit from some surprise packages of some bead-y goodness to brighten our day. Maybe a little secret "bead elf" exchange where we get names of various people, what their favorite colors are, and then we de-stash and send some goodies along, knowing that we will get back some more. That would be fun and inspiring. Of course, I would have to up the ante and challenge the participants to use the new-found treasures in a piece of jewelry with a contest of its own!

What is on your "stop doing" list?

A blogger that I feel blessed to have found this year is Danielle LaPorte. She writes a regular blog called "White Hot Truth: Because Self-Realization Rocks." And rock she does! I promise you she will rock your world if you let her message into your brain.

Today she posted her "stop doing" list. In setting out to clarify her "creativity intentions" for 2010 {don't you just love that word, 'intentions'? It is so positive and open...}, she decided that the stopping is just as important as the starting, and sometimes you cannot start until you stop. When you stop doing those things that don't bring you joy, aren't part of your genetic coding, and don't make the utmost in economic sense, then you are opening up yourself to make time for what matters most. Pure brilliance.

I have to reallly sit down and flesh out this idea for myself, but my first reaction is I think that it is time to stop dreaming about the great things that I can create with these beads I am hording and start doing it! So, for me, it is more of a wake-up call to produce, which will hopefully mean that I will sell more, and thus create more opportunities for myself {by walking through that open door that is just waiting for me}!

And I need to clarify my creative intentions and push myself out of my comfortable nest of reasons why I can't. I need to stop being my biggest entanglement and get out of my way. {Can you all help me with that last part...especially as it relates to persuading my husband to see that cutting back on hours at the day job will result in a happier wife with time to create so as to bring in a more steady income from all this beadiness?}

Danielle also says to sit down and reflect on what sucked about the last year. That will give you the momentum to create your "stop doing" list and spur you to make sure that your intentions are fulfilled.

"If your answers to what you're doing come up no, no, and no to these questions - then stop doing it. Shut 'er down. Take it off your plate. Let it die. Cease. And exhale a sigh of relief. You can move with more velocity toward your dreams." ~Danielle LaPorte

1) What are you deeply passionate about?
2) What are you are genetically encoded for — what activities do you feel just "made to do"?
3) What makes economic sense — what can you make a living at?

If you cannot answer yes, yes, yes to those questions, then they definitely get on your "stop doing" list. Now, go forth and set those creative intentions for 2010.

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