Inside the Studio & Inspired by Nature

Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. Innovation is the production or implementation of a creative idea. If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.
—Linda Naiman

I know. I have been very silent of late. I am still here!

I have been reorganizing my studio bit by bit, and when it is more presentable I will share the new usable space.

I have been making new jewelry for the upcoming holiday blitz at all the places the sell my work, like Gallery Q, Northern Memories and Girls in Pearls boutique.

I have been playing with thin gauge metal thanks to Stacie Florer. And I just got my complete set of Caran d'Ache crayons. A hefty purchase, but the colors are so amazing! And you know that feeling that you get when you open a box of crayons and they are all standing at attention waiting for you to do something? Yeah, I have that big time. Thanks to Christine Damm, I have new color techniques to explore!

I also had my one and only show that I do each year, the A.R.T.S. Night, supporting the Women's Fund of Portage County. I only brought my Pop-a-Dot Jewelry and while that caused a few eyebrows to raise, and some overall confusion, it was a pretty good night. I had a lot of sales, and I am not sure how much that means (they do all the money and send me a check, less my 25% donation, in a few weeks). But I feel good that it was received well, especially the biggest sale of the night to a landscape artist and internationally known local art professor who is married to a custom goldsmith who has world renown! She giggled the entire time she picked out the Dots as she said her husband would never let her wear them, but they were more like her! That 'something good' made my night. ;-)

I am all packed up and ready to start the 6+ hour drive to South Haven, MI for the 3rd Annual Inspired by Nature retreat with Heather Powers. I get to teach a little bit this weekend.

I am a little bit nervous. Not that I can't teach. That comes naturally. But when Heather asked me to share some of my 'nifty tips' I drew a blank. I don't think that what I do is all that 'nifty'. It seems more commonplace to me. But she encouraged me and told me that the little touches that I do are what is 'nifty'. So I have come up with 7 tips with several variations. Of course, at midnight when I wanted to print the final handout, I only got 9 of the 18 I needed before my color laser printer ran out of black ink.

And today is my day to share on Art Bead Scene for Inside the Studio. I looked back at the last eight months of the Simple Truth Sampler Club. I surprised myself! I was not even aware of all the things that I created that matched the artwork there. I feel right chuffed, as my friend Rebecca would say. I do hope you will come by and see. You have the chance to win one of my owls from the latest parliament.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off!