Keep Your Best

"Doing the best in this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."
~Oprah Winfrey

When I create my jewelry I like to say that it is one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. So when people see my jewelry, like the set of 9 pieces that I created for the Bead Star contest, they invariably want it. But they can't always have it. {At least not at that moment.}

This past weekend at the Arts Walk, I could have sold Tiny Dancer's "Icy Rings" about a dozen times over. Same for "Lily at Twilight." And even "The Bee Whisperer."

But I had to tell everyone that they were not for sale.

Now that can sometimes send people over the edge.

"But I want it!" cried one woman.

"When can I buy it?" another asks.

The truth is that once I make something I rarely want to make it again. Maybe that is shooting myself in the foot. Or maybe that is marketing genius.
I have created a culture where people want what I create. That is great. But most of what I create is either custom work for one individual or for potential publication. And that leaves people wanting.

I like the fact that they want what I create. That is very flattering. But I also find it hard to let it go. Does anyone else have that problem?

In 2009 I challenged myself to be published once per month. It took a lot of constant work and stumping my ideas to various publications, but I did it. I was proud of that fact. But that left a lot of what I had to show only in the pages of a magazine.

I have sold a lot of those pieces. And the prestige of having a copy of the magazine where the piece is shown creates interest on its own.

But I haven't parted with everything. And my studio is starting to look like an episode of Clean House {or more precisely, Hoarders.}

I wonder if great Master artists had that problem? Did they feel as if they wouldn't want to let their latest work of art out into the world? Did they ever regret letting them go? Or is it simply that they had a desire to make more, they needed more money for supplies and that overrode their desire to hold onto their art?

I am by no means comparing myself to Master artists. But I think that anyone who creates for a living would have the same feelings. And since I know my readers are a creative lot, I am wondering...Do you?

I recently started following Lori Koop's blog. Lori make amazing pottery. What I love most about it is the idea that words have power and they feature prominently in her work.

{I am pining for a bit of her wall art like this one.}

But what most attracted me to Lori was the fact that if you sign up for her emails she will send you a word of the week. And I am all about words {I am sure that I told you that in another life I was an English teacher. Of 7th graders}.

Lori calls this service UPWoRDS. You can sign up right from her blog {and be entered for a chance to win her pottery!}.

This week's word was FOCUS. {How did she know that is what I am lacking in completely this week. Or this month. Or this year.}

I also appreciate the short but sweet posts {so unlike me!} that she has on her blog about how to be successful at your handmade business. Like asking yourself "would you buy it?" as a way to see if you are on your own unique track, not the boring ~ SAFE ~ track of doing what everyone else is doing.

Just the other day she posted about whether you should KEEP or SELL your best work.

Lori advocates KEEPing it.

She says that by doing so you are making it your best calling card. It should draw attention to all the best that is in you, and be your strongest ambassador. Then when someone's interest is piqued, that is when you hand them your skillfully crafted business card. {Why yes, I would be happy to make something just for you...}

And your best can help you see the worst. It can help you improve and strive to delve deeper into your art, challenging yourself to rise above your best.

But the one point that Lori makes that I like the most is that keeping your best reminds you of why you are an artist and how very good you are. Because there are times when you won't believe it yourself, until you look at your best and know deep in your heart that you are, in fact, a talented artist. Believe it.

And believing that I am doing my best will help me in the next moment that is about to arrive.

Where do you stand on the KEEP vs. SELL argument?
Do you think that it is a good idea to keep some of your best pieces for yourself? Does it make people want your work even more? Or does that just make you unapproachable because you won't let those pieces go?
Have you ever regretted letting one of your best pieces go?
Do you feel that you are doing the best in this moment? If not, what is holding you back?

Do tell!

Check It Out:Move Upword

Enjoy the day!

30 Words::Last Days

{ Photo Credit: Praveen M Tomy}

Walks to Emy J's for ice cream

Returning library books to avoid a fine

Trips to Ojibwe village

Bowling party

Cleaning desks, lockers

Water balloon games

Saying good-bye until Fall

Enjoy the day!

Starring in the Movie of My Life

My friend Jenners writes the best blog called Life With a Little One And More. Erma Bombeck's got nothin' on Jenners. She chronicles not only the life of a mother of a little boy, the hilarious home life with Mr. Jenners (not his real name), and all things zany. My very favorite post so far was the one where she tried to decipher the icons on the badges she earned as a power-girl-scout-er. Go ahead and read it. I guarantee that you will be peeing your pants at the ridiculousity. And I promise you will want to follow her for more fun and games. Or at least to find out what other soul-baring tidbits she wrote in her diary circa 7th grade.

Jenners also writes a blog about her love of reading and recommends some awesome books. She is a prolific reader, that Jenners. I stand in awe of her ability to devour the printed word.

Just the other day on her blog Jenners posted about the people who would play her in the movie of her life. What fun! I thought. She always has the most fun of anyone I know. So I hopped onto MyHeritage.com and found some fun little techno-tricks. The first one is who my celebrity look-alikes would be.





I have to say that I really didn't know all the people that were chosen as a spot-on match for my face, but I am not that disappointed. I hope that Claire Forlani is someone decent. I remember how creepy Lara Flynn Boyle could be in Twin Peaks. And I think that Daniela Pestova is a swimsuit model {yea, me!} or she could be a porn star {although SI's swimsuit issue, which is NOT welcome in our house - per the Bee Whisperer - is akin to porn.}

I always knew in my heart that I was royalty. Now I know that my bone structure has the Queen Mum written all over it. {Oh, to be in my 20s and single. And living in London. And somehow related to the Queen, however distant. Because I wouldn't get the chance to wow the Prince without those things going for me.}

And Christy Turlington was one hot model in the late, great 80s. I am tickled to have the validation that I always knew in my heart {and truthfully, so is the Bee Whisperer who I am sure carried some sort of torch for her - but didn't they all back then?}. Now I know who will play me in the movie of my life...

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

But Richard Gere?

Really?!?

I mean, he is a fine actor, and a damn hot one to boot. But I was a bit shocked to find out that bit of news. But more importantly, did you know that I have Richard Gere's nose? And he makes a damn fine woman {or else my testosterone level is running a mite too high!}

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

Check out MyHeritage.com and let me know which celebrity you are most like!

Enjoy the day!

My Inspiration Wears Pigtails

"Always gotta keep busy or the voices start telling me to do wild things." ~ Steve Brown

I have been absent this week, I know.

We had our lives scheduled down to the millisecond this past week. And it shows no signs of letting up. And although the busy-ness doesn't allow for much creating time, it is something I wouldn't trade.

My husband, the Bee Whisperer {and the inspiration behind my Stones entry in the Bead Star competition of the same name!}, is coaching both children. So that means on Mondays-Wednesdays it is boys 11-12 baseball with the White Sox and on Tuesdays-Thursdays it is girls 9-10 softball with the Cubs. And on Friday there was a White Sox game. And all day on Saturday, too. He actually had to go to his car in between to change jerseys, just like Superman {minus the cape of course}.


That is every night at the ballpark, late. Eating lots of ballpark food, no cooking. {And although our ballpark does have some great food - particularly during tournament time - I am getting a bit sick of cheese curds, hot dogs, chicken tenders and greasy cheeseburgers.}

So I haven't done much more than encourage everyone I know to vote for the Bead Star entries.

On Friday night our local Arts Alliance held its Arts Walk in downtown Stevens Point. The weather was a bit iffy with the drizzles here and there, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the many, many people who came out to enjoy the arts. The stores along Main Street stay open later and house the beautiful artwork of about 50 local artists. I was lucky to be featured in the window of a little gem of a shop called Paper Doll that sells the most wonderful paper products like cards, gift wrap from Italy, special pens and journals.

I also had to hop back and forth to the Gallery Q where I am an exhibiting artist. I am also on the events committee and that meant that the after party with all the food, wine and merriment fell in my lap {okay, I really didn't have to do it all, since there are some really fine people, but I wish that I could have walked the street to see all the art and schmooze a bit more, but I was stuck putting cookies on trays and cutting grapes for the chicken salad}. It was really a wonderful event and a great way to raise awareness and appreciation of the arts.

On a positive note, I was stopped by hordes of people all asking to buy my Bead Star pieces. Especially the Under $25 piece, #12. I am sure that I could have sold that one to the highest bidder about 12 times! So I know that I am on the right track! {It was a good thing I had the presence of mind to print off business cards with my voting information, because they all walked away with one.} And here is the inspiration behind that special piece....

{Vote for #12 in the Under $25 category!}

You might recall back in February that I posted about the solar system project that my third grader was involved with. And the fact that around here, when a project comes home and the teacher gives you a suggestion, that we won't allow the children to settle for that. They have to think outside the box.

Tiny Dancer thought about it and came back to inform me that we were going to make jewelry for the solar system. {I am raising that kid right, I tell ya!} So we got out our sketchbooks and came up with ideas. And then we combined our ideas before going shopping at Michaels. And that is where "Icy Rings" was born.

I knew as soon as we put this together, the Tiny Dancer and I, that this would be one for the Bead Star contest {actually, there were three that were in the running for the contest, but Icy Rings was the clear winner}. There was originally a little brown bead, striated with the exact colors that you would see on Saturn, floating in one of those rings. But I knew that no one would get that from the picture, so we opted to remove it for the contest.

And if this particular piece wins in the Under $25 category, the glory will be shared with my Tiny Dancer, since it was her idea. I just helped her execute it. I promised her that I would put both of our names on the byline, and that the picture would be one of us together. She says that we need to use the one with the pig-tails.

I couldn't agree more.

And if you haven't gone to place your vote for Bead Star, I would be honored if you would vote for me! {And if you want some suggestions for the other categories, I have friends in all of them!}
Pearls #10
Stones #14
Under $25 #12

Enjoy the day!

Bead Star Finalist!

Bead Star is a contest that is billed as "American Idol for beaders."

Each year around 2,000 entries are received in nine categories: Crystals, Glass, Heart, Metal, Pearls, Plastic, Seed Beads, Stones and Under $25.

Last year I entered 6 categories and had 3 place in the top 20. And one of my designs - "Good Advice" - placed 2nd in the Heart category.Not bad considering the odds and that there are over 26,000 votes cast.

This year I challenged myself to entering all nine categories.
I am delighted to announce that I have placed in the top 20 in three categories again:
Pearls, Stones and Under $25.

Anyone with an email and a computer can vote. Go to www.beadstar.com and click on the Vote Now button. You will be taken to a group of pictures for each category. If you are interested in voting for me here are my entries:

Pearls: Lily At Twilight: Vote for #10

Stones: The Bee Whisperer: Vote for #14

Under $25: Icy Rings: Vote for #12

And in case you were wondering about the ones that didn't make it? Here they are.

Thanks for your support!

Enjoy the day!

Coming To My Senses

{Terrarium scene by LBrandt on Etsy. I am smitten! Check it out!}

I see....tiny purple blooms peeking out of the cracks in the sidewalk.

I smell....the sharp, earthy scent of freshly mown grass.

I hear....bickering of two tiny birds vying for the same perch.

I taste....warm saltiness on my upper lip.

I touch....the cool water flowing from the tap.

I feel....glad that the weather is so gloriously upper 70s and I had a chance to go for a long walk at lunch yesterday.

Senses are things that we learn about when we are so small. I can remember doing projects in kindergarten around the senese. And they are such an integral part of our daily lives that we don't stop to appreciate them. Yesterday I went for a walk with the particular goal of paying attention to what my five senses were telling me. By the simple act of paying attention I am opening my heart and mind to the inspiration that is all around me, with an added bonuses of being supremely grateful of all that is and a peace of mind that comes from truly being present.

I plan to do more of these "Coming To My Senses" posts.
Would you like to see them randomly appear or on a certain day?

I invite you to share your own observations.
What do you see...taste...smell...hear...touch...feel today?

Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

Open Your Heart to the Madness

'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat. 'We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
'You must be,' said the Cat. 'Or you wouldn't have come here.'
~Lewis Carroll

Strange happenings are afoot.

There are pixies flitting by, flowers blooming large and talking to you, girls in twirly skirts eating cupcakes and a mad hatter on a tricycle with a special invitation.

Have you ever visited the enchanted world that is A Fanciful Twist? I found Miss Vanessa in the pages of Artful Blogging magazine in the fall of 2008 and my life has been richer to have her in it {even if it is only a cyber life!}. She is an incredibly gifted artist with a kind heart and a generous soul. Her blog is one that I won't miss because the stories and pictures she posts are so achingly beautiful and fanciful, as her name implies. I have some of her art from her Etsy store and have gifted it as well. It is really very lovely. I invite you to check it out.

Each year in June Miss Vanessa hosts the Mad Tea Party. This blog hop attracts some pretty incredible people from around the world to participate, many with giveaways, but all with loads of cotton candy fun and mad hatter zaniness!
In case you didn't get your invitation dropped off by sparrow or placed on your porch by bunny, I am inviting you to come and be a part of this fun event. You can read all about it from the enchantress herself {whom I am convinced is part fairy}. If you don't feel that you can sign up to be part of the party, do make a point of hopping around and seeing all the amazing things that will be happening.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 26th!

Let me know if you will be participating in the party so that I can be sure to stop by and say hello and have a spot of tea with you. I will be hosting a giveaway on that weekend in honor of the party and would love to toast to you.

Here is my question for the day...
What would you like to see me give away for my party gift?
Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

Inspired by...Flowerless Weddings

The Western bridesmaid tradition is thought to have originated from Roman Law, which required ten witnesses at a wedding in order to outsmart evil spirits (believed to attend marriage ceremonies) by dressing in identical clothing to the bride and groom, so that the evil spirits would not know who was getting married (Source: Wikipedia).

Do you remember your wedding day? {And if you aren't married yet, have you ever thought about the perfect wedding day?}

If you are like most you were planning it since the time you were small. You dreamed of fairy tale ball gowns, special flowers, candlelight and cake.


This is a picture of me on my wedding day, October 24, 1992. {I wanted to get married between Christmas and New Year's, but that was vetoed by my family and then I had to be sure to miss any major hunting seasons and whatever the Wisconsin Badger Football team ws doing!} It was a beautiful day, with sunny skies and 70 degree weather. Pretty good for late October in Wisconsin {when just the week before it snowed.}

In this picture is my sister, Kelly. She was all of about 20 years old. But she still looks this young today, I swear. {Me? Not so much.}

I wish that I could say that I made things for my wedding {we did have the bridesmaid dresses made from a picture we saw of a similar dress in the Victoria Secret's catalog that year} but I wasn't as artistic then as I am now. I shudder to think that I spent weeks looking for just the right earrings for me and my bridesmaids....at a department store! {Just say no!}

I did make my veil. I don't sew so that really was a challenge to do it all by hand. But it was, and still is, very beautiful. And I hope to pass it along to my own daughter one day. {Coincidentally, I made the First Communion veil for my niece to wear - she is now 23 I think - and my daughter was the last of the Hintz grandchildren to wear it last year. It is a similar style!}

And the flowers....those are the stargazer lilies and the white roses that I talked about. Fairly safe and predictable, maybe. But so very pretty.

The Inspired by...Wedding Flowers challenge is on! But so far I do not have one entry. {And I am remiss in creating my own...that is on the docket for this weekend!}. I thought maybe you might need a little more inspiration, so check out these really different ideas for flowers...

I found a cool article about the trend to go flowerless in the wedding world. You can have your bouquet made up of all sorts of things that are non-traditional. Like felt. Or leather. Or paper, especially recycled paper. Check out this article at the Best Wedding Blog Ever for more ideas.

Check out this way cool butterfly bouquet from www.bellzandwhistlez.com that would be perfect for spring or summer celebrations. I just want one for my house!

For sheer wow factor, I found a site called Emplume. They translate the traditional form of a wedding bouquet into a fantasy of feathered fantasticness! They evoke a sense of old-style Hollywood glamor and would be a wonderful thing to pass along to your own daughter or granddaughter on her wedding day. And I didn't find their prices for an everlasting keepsake that out of line! Wish this had been around when I got married....{she says wistfully...}



The things they do with feathers is outstanding. They even have a pretty cool blog. Check it out!

And my personal favorite for most unique...The Wedding Chicks show off these dynamite vintage-inspired, upcycled flower brooch bouquets. Such a clever and unique keepsake! Wouldn't it be great to use your own grandmother's brooches for this? Talk about something old!

If you need more details on how to enter the Inspired by...Wedding Flowers challenge, just go to this post here.

And if you need still more inspiration...the grand prize this month is a $100 gift certificate to shop at any of CSN Stores over 200 websites (like this one right here). For $100 you can get anything you may have missed out on registering for your own wedding there {even a toaster!}

And if you are looking for other opportunities to win something, check out the talented jewelry designer Lisa Leonard is wrapping up her 5 day Wedding Week giveaway. All you need to do is go to her blog and leave a comment. Simple as that!

What is your favorite wedding bouquet? Would you go with real flowers? Or maybe silk? Do like the feathers or the vintage brooch designs? Have you ever thought about felt, or leather, or crystals or recycled paper?

Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

The Journey - The Ending

"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before."
~Erich Fromm

I really didn't get to finish what I started with the first post about "The Journey" because Blogger wouldn't let me upload this one. {Stupid Blogger.}

Near the end of the performance is when my Tiny Dancer debuted in her Fabric World quartet. {If you want to cut to the scene, skip to about 2:55 on the clock. Tip: You have to let the gray bar on the bottom get past the arrow before you drag it. Tiny Dancer is one of the all white clad dancers with the fabric that I keep focusing on.} There is a lyrical and free flowing quality to this particular modern dance piece. Such a freedom of expression and happiness in their bodies. I get choked up whenever I watch it.

I especially love that one of the principal dancers is next to my Tiny Dancer. This dancer has been such a positive influence and a wonderful role model to my Tiny Dancer and to all the dancers at the studio. It gave me chills to see them performing next to one another. Perhaps my Tiny Dancer will follow in her accomplished footsteps...or perhaps not. But having had this experience makes life richer.

This senior dancer will be studying dance performance and one day hopes to be on Broadway {and after seeing that performance can't you just envision it?}. I have promised my Tiny Dancer that when she does, we will be in the audience to cheer her on.

No matter where the road of your journey takes you, always enjoy the scenery.

Enjoy the day!

The Journey - The Beginning

"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination."
~Don Williams Jr.

It was Thursday night, April 29th. After witnessing the snippets of the dress rehearsal for "The Journey" I just knew that I didn't want to miss a moment. So at 8:15pm I found myself at Best Buy plunking down my credit card to buy a camcorder {I won't bore you with details of how I had to return there on Saturday morning to exchange the whole thing and ring it in again. Suffice it to say that I spent twice what I thought I would to get it to work the way it should}.

I am so glad I did.

The recital for DEC is comprised of Act I and Act II. It is awesome to see what the dancers have learned and the poise and confidence they exhibit on stage, from the tiniest ballerinas to the most accomplished dancers. But the Performance Group is something only seen on Friday and Saturday nights. And this performance was special.

Inspired by the Cirque du Soleil with its incredible costuming, larger-than-life characters, dramatic staging and haunting music, "The Journey" was unlike any dance recital performance I have ever seen. 70 dancers ages 6-18 were the cast. And two seniors were the stars of the show.

This story takes the two on a journey through many different worlds to explore.
The symbolism was not lost on anyone in the audience.

I have to warn you that this was my first attempt to videotape anything in about 6 years. So it is a little rough, but I think you will get the idea. This is the Opening number. You will see me focus on one Tiny Dancer a bit here and there, but mostly I wanted to capture the entire flair of the performance.




Enjoy the day!

RAW::Your Moment of Bliss

Your Random Acts of Wisdom today are brought to you by Dove Chocolates, of which I have been indulging in quite frequently of late since I found two errant bags that were tucked away in my pantry closet since some time last year. Mmmmm....creamy. {What? It is still good. Never waste chocolate.}

{I miss my massage therapist. Help me, Allen! When can you see me?}

{breathe in, breathe out...repeat...repeat...repeat}

{That's a good thing. Because I don't want to have to think about making that stick. And superglue never works for me.}

{Oh yes. I wonder what sort of temptations I can give into this weekend...Dove is nice but Moonstruck is superior!}

{Great advice that I learned when I was in kindergarten and it is still true today.}

{Oh, I found it. But now I need to work at making it my life's work rather than my 9p-1a passion!}

{I think I will try to NOT stay up until 1am working my fingers raw wire wrapping a bazillion crystals or pounding metal until it begs for its life and actually get a good rest for a change!}

{Wha?!??!!?}

{That is actually what the wrapper said. I couldn't make that up if I tried!}


Random Acts of Wisdom is all about paying attention to the little nuggets that appear when you need to hear them.
Which of these wrappers speaks to you?
What message are you NOT paying attention to that keeps popping up in your life?
What is your favorite brand of chocolate?
Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

And Happy Mother's Day to all those women in our lives who help raise us, guide us, and help us on our way to becoming productive and happy people. You know who you are, whether you have a child of your own or not.

30 Words::Floral Bling

{Isn't this the prettiest front porch wreath for your front door? You can find it at KnockKnocking on Etsy. I used to make wreaths but nothing as lovely as this. Agnes Blum's work is simply stunning!}

Front porch sits

bare

bland

lacking

I need

a trip to Lensmire's

for glorious
hanging baskets

and

a fresh new wreath for the door

to bring the
spring floral bling

Enjoy the day!

Inspired by...Wedding Flowers

First things first...sorry for the radio silence this past weekend. It was the big recital weekend. I hope I got some good video with my brand new camera. If I did, I will bore you with a short exerpt soon!

There were so many beautiful Befores-and-Afters in this challenge. We were a small but mighty group! I love the reinvention of something old just by looking at it with new eyes. Please go to the Flickr account if you haven't seen them already.

Without any more fuss, the winner of the April Inspired By...Before And After challenge is.....

Sharon Misuraco!

Sharon is a first-timer to the challenge and her name was randomly chosen as the winner of a beaded chain of her choice and also her choice of either the recycled sari silk or some dotty lampwork beads from Amy Houston. I will be in touch!

Sharon took a really drab necklace and edited it down to some really key elements paired with beautiful lampwork glass from Cathie Roberts. The Vintaj elements really work well with the sandy colors of this Beach Day, Tossa de Mar bracelet. Well done!

____________________________

May is Inspired by...Wedding Flowers

"Flowers are love's truest language."

~ Park Benjamin

When I got married in 1992 I chose to have the bridesmaids in a custom made tea length dress made of black velvet. We got married in October and it was a gorgeous 70 degree day {odd for that time in October. The week before it snowed.} The dress was an original pattern inspired by a dress that we found in a Victoria's Secret catalog. {I wish I still had that issue. And I wish I could still fit in that dress.}

For the flowers I decided on hot pink and white stargazer lilies. And they showed up so lovely against the black backdrop of the dresses. I found out that stargazer lilies symbolize wealth and prosperity. {There is more than one meaning of wealth and prosperity. I may not be rolling in money but my life with Husband is definitely rich.} There were two huge altarpieces filled with a profusion of pink including gladiolas {my birth flower}, roses, and many others. When they were transported to the reception, and placed back-to-back it looked like one incredibly full centerpiece. It was placed high above the hors d'oeuvres table. {We got married in the evening with the church lit by candles and the reception was one big really cool cocktail party, no dinner, but more hearty hors d'oeuvres than you have ever seen in your life. The coconut shrimp still haunt me to this day. And the dessert table. Don't even get me started.}

I carried a dozen long-stemmed white roses tied with a ribbon and my grandmother's embroidered handkerchief. Simple. Classic. Elegant.

June is traditionally the month that most weddings occur. The choices that are available to brides these days is mind-boggling. I just wish that there had been more innovation and options when I got married. If I were to do it all over {with the same man of course!} I think that I would make much more artful choices. What about you? Would you do anything differently for your wedding? Or are you still dreaming about the day it will happen?

I have a new blog love called Colour Lovers. This blog features really cool palettes created from every day life and come from all around the world. I haven't figured out how to make my own palettes, but I will. A new article written by Molly Bermea about the color palettes of flowers in a wedding entitled What Hue Are You? was just posted there recently.

Go read it and then come back here.

{Such an elegant and spring-y centerpiece.}

This article at Colour Lovers is all about the color palettes in wedding flowers. And since we are coming into wedding season, I thought that it would be nice to have an Inspired by...Wedding Flowers challenge.

{I love this palette. I would have chosen this for my wedding.}

If you go to the Colour Lovers website to that article you will see many more palettes to choose from. Select a palette to work with as your muse. Or perhaps choose the palette from your own wedding flowers.

I am going to open this one up a bit more and offer to accept more than just jewelry pieces. You can create anything you like based on this Inspired by...Wedding Flowers challenge as long as it is primarily created with beads. And if you include art beads you get extra entries as always!

Think about the jewelry for the bride or the bridesmaids.
Or how about beaded corsages or bouquets.
There could be a cake topper or table decorations.
Or maybe a gift for the mother of the bride. Or the flower girl.

Whatever you decide to create for this challenge, it has to be primarily beaded {it won't cut it to sew one bead onto the front of a fabric ring bearer's pillow}.

The rest of the rules are still the same. How it works:

• Create something beaded using the inspiration of the Wedding flower color palettes found on Colour Lovers. You can even grab a palette from the Colour Lovers site {just right click on the palette you like, save to your computer and then post that as part of your inspiration - read below for a bonus entry if you do}.

• Post your pictures to the Flickr account here.

• If you are so inspired {and I hope you will be!}, feel free to create as many pieces as you like for challenge and post to the Flickr account, but your name will only be entered once. {For extra BONUS ENTRY opportunities, see below}. You have until 11:59 pm CST on Monday, May 31st to post to the Flickr account.

In the description of your picture be sure to add the following:

•Title of the piece
•Short description of your inspiration {if you can share a color palette that would be great!}
•Your Name
•Your email address
•Your blog or website

BONUS ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES:

• If you use an art bead in your piece {art bead is defined as a bead or component created by yourself or another artisan}, be sure to point that out in your description {with a link to the appropriate artisan’s website, shop or blog} and you will have THREE extra entries.

• If you blog, Facebook, Twitter, sky write or take out a billboard to publicize each week’s challenge, be sure to let me know {leave a comment on that week's challenge} and your name will be in for ONE extra entry.

• And since I have asked you to use a COLOR PALETTE from Colour Lovers, if you figure out a way to post that to your blog or the Flickr account, that will count as ONE extra entry!

•That's a total of SIX ENTRIES!

And the prize? It is pretty cool if I do say so myself.

Do you remember setting up a gift registry for your own wedding? And picking all the cool stuff? Well, the good people over at CSN Stores have over 200 web storefronts. They sell it all. And if you win this random giveaway at the end of the month, it will be like your own personal shopping trip at any of their over 200 sites.

I checked out just three sites. I was smitten with the vinyl wall decals and the cool clocks and wall sconces at www.AllModern.com {I am starting to decorate my new home}, the very elegant pet bowls and crates that integrate into modern decor at www.AllModernPet.com {so much better than the one we had with our dog}, and the beautiful baby furniture and bedding for all the cool kids at www.AllModernBaby.com {that my babies totally missed out on}.

How fun will it be to go on a shopping spree!

Go forth and get inspired!

Enjoy the day!