What Inspires You

The Rest of the Story
This phrase from Paul Harvey has become a frequent visitor to my blog.  It's not always possible to tell the full story in a short blog piece and sometimes the rest of the story doesn't happen until much later.  This is the case in the "What Inspires You" contest hosted by Artbeads.  I wrote about this contest earlier, and I believe I did a bit of whining about not being able to define my inspiration easily and lamenting that I was not going to enter this particular contest.  

Well you can see from the button above, and my shameless plug to vote for me, that I did in fact enter.  I thought I'd share the evolution of this necklace's creation. 

Japanese Owl Necklace

It all started in at a bead show in Flint Michigan, hosted by Flint Handmade.  A good friend of mine, Sue lives in the area.  She joined me at a show I was doing in Ann Arbor a few weeks before Flint's show and after a good meal and a couple of beers, I roped her into letting me spend the night with her and helping me out with the show.

This is Sue working hard in my booth.  Of course, before the show,  she took me to a local market that had beer and soda by the bottle.  I kid you not, there were at least 3 huge isles, floor to ceiling of the most amazing selection I've ever seen.  It was hard picking out a few interesting caps, uhmmm beverages,  out of so many (they were a bit pricey or I would have bought more).  When we stumbled across the Nest Beer, Sue bought a bottle and I bought a bottle ($5 each)...have I mentioned what a great friend she is.  We drank it up that evening and I bought these two amazing caps home.

 
I knew I wanted to bead around these so I prepped both with resin and set them aside.  I had been using cotton fabric out of my stash for my cuffs and had recently begun using oilcloth for durability.  The problem with oilcloth is that it's limited in designs and a bit stiff, although still very lovely.  I'd read about laminated cotton and a couple of my favorite fabric designers, Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler offered this in a handful of prints.  Needless to say, while on vacation Up North (it's a Michigan thing) I made my husband stop and a fabric store I had seen online.  My intention was to get ultra suede but when I saw Kaffe's laminated cotton I fell in love immediately.  It has all the suppleness of his cotton fabric with the durability of oilcloth.  It is luxurious to use on cuffs (and completely throws out my intention to use up my existing stash).

My first owl was transformed into this amazing cuff.  (I know I shouldn't say amazing in reference to my own work, but it really fit the adjective for me; comfortable, cute, unique).

I pulled the colors from the fabric and they went perfectly with this little guy.  When I was invited to join Artbead's blogging program with the Autumn as the theme, I once again knew this little owl would be perfect.  Using the fabric as my guide I choose beads from their website that fit the colors and complimented the bottle cap.  I took a chance on the funky fringe beads and I know have a new favorite embellishment bead.

Japanese Owl Necklace

When I look back at most of the pieces I've created, my inspiration doesn't come from a picture, or nature, or necessarily anything concrete.  It comes from an amazing focal point, a problem that needs solving, and my color wheel.  It comes from friendships, good food (and yes good beer), as well as the challenge to try something new, be it a new bead or a new technique.  It's hard to show in pictures, but it's a drive none the less.  


Inspiration also comes to me from the work of others I admire.  A fellow Michigan artist, Shannon Lovorn, has a shop on etsy called Gypsy Moon Art.   Her shop is a work of art and her jewelry is amazing.  I keep missing her at shows, but she is one of my favorite wire work artists and always inspires me to reach deeper into my inner artist and work to improve the look of my shop.  When I saw this piece she did sometime ago, I knew I wanted it (alas it sold before I got the chance) but I also knew I wanted to create something with that wonderful cameo she used.

While in a class by Annie Hesse, I chose to depart from the class project and use this cameo in pendant.  The pendant design came quickly, but it took several attempts to get the neck strap they way I wanted it, but I love the final result.

Gothic Wedding

Shannon's original piece captured my attention in a way that's hard to describe.  Everything from the photography, to the elegant bezel, to the chain.  It's a beautiful design, as are all her designs and I hope I've done justice to my muse.  You can see more of Shannon's work in her shop and on her blog. 

More to Follow

I have a backlog of blog entries partially due to procrastination, partly due to a writing slump, but mostly due to a backlog of pictures that I need to take or edit to tell the story.  So to move me along, I decided to do a short list of what's to come.

Where do you get all those bottle caps?

Subtitled "Things I'm thankful for and no, I don't drink it all."

 

Studio Space

Subtitled "Work habits, and things needing improvement"

Craft shows and Friendships.

 

It's never too late to learn.

Plus a follow-up on my favorite resources, teachers, and products that was the original purpose of this blog.  I've learned so much recently and I planned to intersperse the above articles with some of those tips that have made creating a bit easier.

Inspiration

Ode To Project Runway

I enter bead related contests every so often.  I find they keep me fresh and push me outside my normal creative process.  On a recent episode of Project Runway (a favorite show of mine), Gretchen lamented (okay whined really) that the challenges stifled her ability to be herself and create her best work.  What???  Hmmm, did she miss the fine print about what a "challenge" meant.  Ah well, I shouldn't scoff, there's no way my creativity would flourish under all the pressure.  Fortunately, beadwork challenges usually involve a bit more time and fewer restrictions (not to mention no hidden cameras in the bathroom).

Artbeads has a contest at the moment "What Inspires You."  A couple of entries have been posted and as I consider entering, I realize my inspiration is not so easy to describe in a picture.  When I create something for a challenge, it's a methodical (and somewhat painful) process starting with color and experimentation.  I'm not one of those artists who look at nature and a vision of beadwork comes drifting into my conscientiousness.   It may be due to lack of fine art training, but more likely my personality.  I think I've quoted this from Anne Mitchell before, but I'm more of a technician than an artist (her words borrowed here).   I'm not being modest (nor was Anne), I know there's artistry in what I create, but there's much more building and tweaking from what I've learned.  Much of my inspiration comes from the structural building blocks of the beadwork pioneers before me.   I see components of a piece and pull it apart and utilize sections or adapt it to fit my end goal. 

The piece above was created for the Use the Muse IV contest.  I challenged myself to create a versatile piece (the two side straps can be worn as bracelets).  The wheels connecting the centerpiece to the straps was adapted from a pattern by Cindy Pankopf.  I'm not sure how I would show that inspiration.  The wheels did not inspire the entire piece, they were a solution to a technical and visual puzzle I had created for myself when I made the straps.  The beading in the center of the wooden focal point came about when the colors of my strap need to be carried downward for balance (I was originally going to leave it bare with the stamped copper image I had added for depth).  I'd love to be able to pre-plan and sketch a design, but, at least for now, that skill (patience) eludes me and perhaps always will.  It's not a necessity, just a wistfulness "would this have been easier if I had sketched it?"  I've never created a piece based on a visual inspiration, perhaps that's a challenge I should tackle.

So for now I'm not sure how or if, I'll tackle this particular challenge.   I'm inspired by problem solving.  How do you define the indefinable and, harder yet, how do you provide a picture of the elusive?  I'm feeling more sympathy for Gretchen than I was a few days ago.  At least I can walk away from the challenge and no one will know (well, except my readers, but you'll keep my secret).

Nice Day for a Fall Wedding Etsy Style

In my previous post, I uploaded a gallery created in Artfire of Fall Wedding inspired items.  I created a similar collection (treasury) in Etsy.    In the past, in order to post an Etsy treasury here I'd have to do a screen shot and the picture would not link to the respective items.  There is a new tool created by Whaleshark Websites that makes posting Etsy treasuries easier and more dynamic.

Orange and Black Gothic Wedd... weddingdressfa... $599.00	Sweet Romance - Hammered Cop... MintyFreshFusi... $35.00	Forest Wedding Invitation, B... vohandmade $100.00
Golden Brown Floral Tapestry... dashandbag $80.00	Cocktail Keyhole Dress in Ch... TheSparklingCo... $330.00	sky dancer - natural vine cr... whichgoose $65.00
White Widow Steampunk Spider... bionicunicorn $69.00	Autumn Floral Collage Statem... goodgirlsstudi... $146.00	13 x 14 Tree Slice Cake Stan... roxyheartvinta... $45.00
Silk Bridal Bouquet - Terra ... mairzydozy $100.00	BRIDAL PARTY (13 glasses) FizzyArtist $360.00	Wedding Guest Book (LARGE) B... PaperThickInk $250.00
Edible Sugar Fall Leaves 50 ... andiespecialty... $120.00	Stainless Steel Spiral Thumb... leftoniron $25.00	Pine Cone Boutonniere fruitsofthefor... $12.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

In the process of creating these collections, I discovered that searching within Etsy was much easier than Artfire in creating a themed collection.  This is perhaps due to the way shops tag their items and the Etsy community of shops may be more creative with their tags.  I also had much more quality items to choose from within Etsy.  However, Artfire has learned from Etsy's struggle with creating balanced front page collections.  Their collection tool is fully integrated (no research needed to find it) and it let's you know if your collection is eligible for the front page using a set of criteria to help ensure a variety of shops are featured.  I also liked the framing and layout of the Artfire collection, it has a rich professional look that really enhances a blog feature.

Do I like Artfire?  Overall, yes.  But it has a ways to go in improving it's look and generating views on the site.  I have reservations about maintaining two similar shops, so I have to give careful consideration to what I place in Artfire.   While I welcome the increased exposure, I don't want to confuse my customers.

Collections, Galleries, Treasuries why do I care?

As sellers, most collections are created to increase the shop's presence in google searches, to make connections with other sellers,  and for the opportunity for a front page feature on the site (leads to more views and potential sales).  As a blog writer and reader, I will admit to collection fatigue.  Seeing endless arrays of products on a daily basis in the forums, on facebook and on blogs has created a bit of picture overload for these weary eyes.

I don't typically blog about collections unless I'm telling the story behind their creation.  I use them to feature a medium I'm interested in (like my bottle cap series) and to discover artists to feature.  I'd like to encourage collection makers to tell the story behind their collections, why did those items call to you.  Make me want to click on the item to learn more.  Tell me what you know about the artists.   

My Fall Wedding collections were created to celebrate my own Fall Wedding 18 years ago.  A good friend is getting married next year.  As I help her with preparations, I'm swept away again with the joy of the ultimate party.  It makes me want to do it all over again, I had the greatest time at my wedding.  The greatest gift I could give my daughter when (if) she gets married, is a fun day that she wants to repeat over and over again.  I love the colors of a Fall Wedding and I can so see my future daughter in either of the dresses pictured in these collections.

Until, next time.....

Fall Wedding

I'd like to thank all my followers for sticking with me during my summer hiatus.  I have many blog articles planned, but am lagging behind (primarily to take pictures).  I have a show October 23 and after that, I'll be back and running.  So to all my favorite blogs, I'm so sorry I've been absent, and to all you loyal followers, thanks so much.  Today's post is a collection I created in Artfire to celebrate my anniversary.  I'm really in love with Artfire's tool to create beautiful arrangements.  So easy to create something worthy of a magazine spread.  Enjoy!

Its A Good Time for a Fall Wedding

Curated By: ChristinesBea...

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Paintings

Celebrate the Colors of Fall

Owl Cuff

 Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  ~Albert Camus

I adore fall and October is a particularly special month.  In October, fall colors peak in Michigan and my husband and I celebrate our anniversary, a wonderful 18 years.  This year October begins a new venture for me as well.  I was asked to participate as an Artbeads design partner.  When I received the theme, "Celebrate the Colors of Fall", I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate a bottle cap I purchased during a show in Flint.   My friend Sue took me to a local market that sold beers by the bottle and we splurged and purchased a handful of brews with interesting caps.  I paid $10 for two bottles of Hitachino Nest Beer when I fell in love with this adorable owl cap.  I recently turned one into a cuff and its picture begins this post.

To select my products, I did a search on the Artbeads site for picasso.  I love the multi-dimensional finish of these beads.  I tend towards the triad approach in my color schemes and this finish has never let me down.  I was thrilled when I received my selection a few days later.

First, I must say I'm a big fan of Artbeads packaging.  It's so simple, yet elegant at the same time.  Each package includes an inspiration card that is beautiful to behold. The first item I included in my design were the Czech glass spade beads (code: CR-SP018) in Orange Silk Picasso.  I'm in love with these beautiful beads.  Although the peacock daggers I used on the cuff are luscious, these spade beads have a rich, two-toned colorway and an unique shape.  Strung on wire, they stack nicely, and used, as I have here, they provide a lovely accent for the cap.

After selecting the spade beads, I chose a selection of beads matching the colorway, but strayed a bit from my original concept once I began working on the piece.  What I didn't incorporate were the silk cord and copper cones originally planned for the back strap.  Although gorgeous paired with the cap, I liked the fullness of the beaded design better.  The silk cord matches the cap perfectly and I may need to make a trip to Flint to get another bottle of beer to use it on the next design.

For the strap, I fell back to my favorite technique, the embellished spiral rope.  I utilized four products in the rope:   Czech rondells, Czech grooved rectangles, Czech Ovals, and Toho seed beads. 

 The result is a fine tribute to autumn and represents the colors of the season shortly before the leaves fall to the ground; the colors of Halloween, pumpkins, and chocolate flavored candy corn.  You can almost smell the mulled wine (hmmm, wonder if there is a recipe for mulled beer...maybe that's carrying things too far).

Owl Necklace

Disclosure: The above mentioned beads from Artbead.com were kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.  You can find additional participating artists and their blogs on Artbeads' facebook page.