Major Etsy update: I now have 45 items in my shop. Check out my Shop Updates for a coupon code for free shipping for the holidays!
I sent out my first e-newsletter! If you’d like to be on my mailing list, sign up here.
More of the items included in my Etsy update:
As for myself, I’m excited to see my love over this coming Thanksgiving weekend. I’ve managed to do a majority of my holiday shopping already, so I’m looking forward to cozying in…and hopefully selling a few things online!
One of the best quotes from yesterday’s craft fair: “You know what these remind me of? In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, when he made an angel out of silverware.”
Angel charm pendants
I currently have three angels listed on Etsy here.
Wow, it’s the last day of October! Happy Halloween!
This month, I:
Sold two items on Etsy – from people I don’t know in person!
Went to a gem and mineral show and bought quite a few pretty stones.
Two pieces of Ametrine from the gem show!
Did one craft fair.
Started working on editing my oracle cards again.
Screenshot: working on a card in Photoshop
Sent off my first holiday order.
Made a pair of earrings and a pendant for a friend for her birthday
Earrings: bronze plated wire with lapis lazuil and aquamarine
Constructed a feather barrette and mask for my Halloween costume
Did my first art abandonment and three pairs of Halloween barrettes in different places for people to randomly find.
Halloween barrettes
Made a few other jewelry pieces, such as these:
Chrysocolla and brass pendant
Quartz and silver pendant
I finally got a new mixed media sketchbook and have started playing in it already.
I’ve had some days lately where I’ve wondered if I’m doing enough. After writing all this out, I realize that I’ve done a lot this month – and that I deserve the moments in between where I can rest, play, and dream.
“Ridged and ragged.” Monoprint/painting, October 2015
I made this piece using my Gelli printing plate, which is like a permanent reusable version of a gelatin plate for printmaking. After I made the print using the plate and acrylic paint, I added painted details. I really like how it turned out.
Yesterday, I was feeling a little anxious. There’s something soothing about creating a chain through connecting beaded links. It’s methodical, detail-oriented, and repetitive. So I decided to make something.
I have a bag full of beads leftover from other projects, or given to me by a friend who didn’t want them. I’d seen a picture somewhere of necklace created with leftover mismatched beads, and wanted to try it.
This was my result:
Assorted Bead Necklace
This necklace is simple, yet it stands out because it doesn’t follow a pattern. I appreciate its asymmetry and variety.
How did I feel after making this piece? Definitely calmer and more focused. Creating is part of my self-care practice. I’m so grateful there are times when I can take care of myself and make something beautiful in the process.
It’s hard to believe that today is the last day of September.
Me at the OFF Center Folk Art Festival in downtown Albuquerque
This month, I participated in one craft fair. I didn’t sell too many things, but the atmosphere was pleasant and I learned from it. Looking ahead, I’m trying to sign up for at least one craft fair a month through the holidays.
It’s been hotter than usual for this time of year: the high temperatures are still lingering in the low 90s and high 80s. It’s definitely feeling more like Fall at night and in the mornings, though.
This past weekend, I went on a hike with my dad and his friend and saw some of the fall colors. I came out of the forest, turned, and saw this:
The Sandia Mountains, late September 2015
I’ve also been busy making things.
Spiral circlet
A custom-made hair accessory with silver plated chain and wire wrapped abalone pieces
Simple and stylish earrings
I made two more pairs of filigree flower earrings, this time with glass leaf beads. Now for sale in my Etsy shop!
I hope to create more custom orders, some seasonal and holiday items, and more. I’m looking forward to seeing how Fall inspires my creativity.
I am not what you would call a sports fan. I played soccer for a few years when I was younger. I sometimes would stop and watch the last minutes of a basketball game my dad was watching on television. Simply, I lack the patience and the interest to watch the full game of any sport.
One of my regular customers recently bought this circlet and she sent her family pictures of her wearing it. The next thing I knew, I had a request for two circlets in Broncos colors.
I enjoy commissions: they give me a chance to be creative, experiment, and collaborate with my customers. This particular request gave me a new challenge: I am used to working with the colors and energetic qualities of gemstones. However, this project required a different approach. When trying to match beads to Broncos team colors (navy and orange), could I successfully bring out the kind of team spirit a sports fan might have? Could I succeed in making something visually appealing?
I went to several bead stores to find what I needed: orange, white, and navy seed beads; a strand of dyed orange bamboo coral beads; and finally, several triangular-shaped cobalt blue glass beads.
Then I took my beads to my design board and came up with this:
which evolved into this:
I’m pretty pleased with the result, and the chance this project gave me to practice and come up with something completely new.
The two together, complete with ribbons
My circlets are great for Halloween costumes, dressing up, and other occasions. If you’re interested in a custom-made circlet, please contact me here.
A woman at a recent craft fair, looking at the wish bone illustration on this card (second row on the right):
“You know, wish bones have worked for me every time. I grew up on a farm so we often had wish bones. I kept wishing for a horse. It took several years, and then finally, my parents got me a horse. You know what I named her? ‘Wishbone!'”
Seeking Spirit Designs 