ARTSWorcester fundraiser this Sat night

Come on down to Coney Island this Saturday night, 7-9pm and perhaps win a necklace I donated along with some other amazing pieces of art. The event will benefit ARTSWorcester and will include hot dogs, grilled cheese, beer and more!
View the details on the events' Facebook page

Beady Inspiration

I love to search out beaders online and of course there are hundreds of thousands (millions...) of people out there beading but I am particularly inspired by one this morning, Mary Darwall . Gorgeous gorgeous beadwork with primarily seed beads....so inspiring!


So - off to the beading for the day!

Finally Finished! Freeform Beaded Necklace #821

After what seemed like forever working on this bohemouth necklace, I finished it today.

Freeform Beaded Necklace #821
Adjustable from 17.5" - 19.5"
Sterling silver lobster claw clasp and chain
Carnelian, amber, jasper, glass, crystals, found items, turquiose, ceramic, pearls and a felted bead, plus a lot more.

$175

The felted bead is my own, made years ago, waiting for something large scale enough to not overwhelm. This piece is heavy! Not for all-day wear, but fun for a few hours at a time.
I'm not pleased with these images but for now, they will have to do.
Glad to be done with this one...now on to the other ideas in my head!

Freeform Beadwork Necklace, #821 closeup 1

Closeup of some pendant - the glass on is an image of a flower, with assorted semi-precious beads and freeform beadwork.

Freeform Beadwork Necklace #821, closeup image 2

Closeup of the felted bead and freeform work.

Freeform Beadwork Necklace #821

Back in the saddle again...

It's been an interesting journey the past 4+ years. I can say the one thing missing has been fulfilling my desire to create things with my hands. Let me re-phrase that: my desire to create the things that I WANT to make with my hands, not things that I NEEDED to create to pay my bills. Where's the inspiration in that?
I have enough dreams, desire and motivation on my own. My biggest lesson learned recently: I can't take to heart anyone else's dreams. I can't dedicate my will to something I can't "own" 100% mostly because I like to get things done, make things happen.

Diving head first into beading again has been like putting on my favorite yoga pants :-) Why did I wait so long to do this?!?!?!?!

The piece I've been working on has been fun - I'm trying to be less strict and allow myself to use as many beads as possible. It's a HEAVY one already and I havent added any fringe yet. Hopefully I can get it done today as I have three more ideas in line in my brain behind this one - mostly focusing on freeform beaded pendants on simple necklace strands.

I have been trying to re-inspire myself lately so I've gone back to view the sites from my favorite designers. Way back when, Mary Hicklin of Virgo Moon was an absolute IDOL for me. Her designs are clean and streamlined, she uses gorgeous stones and pearls and she blends freeform beading into pieces in a way that isn't intimidating. And quite honestly, I loved that her pricing was (what I would call) high. I dont think I ever saw a necklace below $200, with her more extravagant pieces over $1,000! I guess when you use quality stuff + her skilled labor, she was comfortable pricing her work at its true value. This is something I still struggle with as 20+ hours on one of my pieces is not unheard of (so if I paid myself $15 an hour, some pieces should start at $300 PLUS materials...ugh - not in Central MA)!
ANYWAY....I digress...Mary lived in an inspiring home in CA that was caught in a wildfire and destroyed in 2003. I went back yesterday and read her inspiring story about the rebuilding of her home and how she continued making jewelry through it. She really is awesome!

So, back to beading! More pics of todays progress to come!

Done with day 2

Freeform beaded necklace

Work in progress - freeform beaded necklace day 2

Work in progress - freeform beaded necklace

Fall Blahs...

It's Fall. It's cold and I do not like the cold nor the layers required to stay warm in my 59 degree house.

Besides the usual stuff going on I am finally working on a project I started last year with Scott Holloway - kind of the beginning of a larger project I hope to complete in a year: large scale jewelry pieces focusing on an art pieces by local artists.

I had Scott paint my eye, really close up - it has amazing detail!!! Gorgeous, really. My Dad cut the wood it is painted on and when I showed him the piece yesterday he asked "how did he imprint the image on the wood?" because he couldn't believe it was painted!!!

So I've been working the past few days getting that started.

The pic is not very good...still working on editing using my phone and NO Photoshop, grrrrrrr. I dunno if I'm going to be able to handle this laptop thing...

Sky from the highway

Sky from the highway
Originally uploaded by 3CatNite

In Millbury on the way to Blackstone Shoppes...such interesting clouds tonight!

New Zentangles!!

New Zentangles!!
Originally uploaded by 3CatNite

Ok, so much for applying for the grant - that didn't happen. I suck.
I literally had the application sitting in front of me and got as far as coming up with the project I want to work on...even sought out a tentative commitment to host an exhibition...
Then I stopped.
Not sure why. Maybe the fear of losing my motivation to make art when I am REQUIRED TO as opposed to when I feel the desire to. I just can't seem to to turn it on when I want to - or if I do, I hate the things I create. The project I have in mind I'd rather be ALL IN instead of forced to pump out sub-par work just to meet a deadline.

I've been making Zentangles the past few weeks...they are SOOO relaxing to make! It's akin to the art I have made my whole life where I get into a groove and lose myself while making it. Very satisfying!

I sat today and talked to someone whose mother is about to lose her batter with cancer. It was a difficult conversation but for some reason I did not feel like I was pressing, asking questions...letting him talk about what has been difficult these past few weeks. What is there to say...feel bad...

Without being too specific I am officially out of something that has made my life easier the past 5 months and it's giving me anxiety. Nuff said.

I am donating two items to Cirque du Noir this upcoming Sunday - a black red and white scarf, pieced from cotton scraps and a necklace with some felted beads...I just need to add some finishing touches to each and drop them off tomorrow.

Up next...finish the eye project I started with Scott. I asked him if he would like to make a few smaller versions so I could make them up for the Station show in December and maybe share a space. We'll see...

Back to blogging...

There's just SOOOOO much going on with my life right now and I'm realizing what's missing is something grounding me. In one way or another I've been able to dive into distractions that keep me from understanding the gravity of what I'm doing, ie: the Big Picture.

So much is up in the air, waiting for other people...and I am not the type to sit around and wait for others to make my life happen.

I can finally say I am in a place in my life that I made for myself. I am successful in my job and I can actually say I love what I do. I love what I am doing.

I wish I was making art...it always seems to be the first thing to slip away when I am overwhelmed with day-to-day life.

Every day seems to hold a new battle in understanding that I did the best I could in my commitments and not to beat myself for making the decisions I did.

More to come soon when I have time.

One goal this Fall is to apply for a cultural grant and commit myself to a year of making my art. Collaborative beading projects...we'll see...

Take a look at Lisa Peters website for a listing of the piece I made with her raku clay donut.

Necklace for May 29th

497A
Originally uploaded by 3CatNite

Here is the piece I worked on over the weekend. Sometimes I can get into such a nice pace with the freeform stuff and crank out a few pieces in a couple days (Tina has the necklace I made before this one with similar colors, but with a simpler shape).

This features a Lilly Pilly engraved shell pendant I've had for over a year...it;s been waiting for the right project and I wanted to bring together the orange in the 2 carnelian nuggets. I was concerned when I strubg the initial strand because the 2 carnelian pieces were REALLY off-center and I am constantly struggling with things not being symmetrical. I worked on evening out the symmetry right up until the last beads added (the lilac pearls on the right side).

This has more actual peyote stitching than randomly added beads and such, but I like the heaviness of it.

Here is one of my favorite necklaces I made with a Lilly Pilly pendant (Karen from Worcester owns this one...such a nice lady - Hi Karen!)

May 19 necklace

I made this mostly last night - added a little more tonight as the left side was needing more.This piece starts with a rutilated quarts drop focal which has some great browns at the bottom. The bail is sterling wire - a simple wrap. The piece starts with the simple black ends and graduates to a funky mix of grey, brown, black and white beads. Also in the mix are quartz, moonstone, different pearls, labradorite and Swarovski crystals.

I am generally happy about how this came out, from the shape of the freeform to the finished look.

May 17 necklace

494D
Originally uploaded by 3CatNite.

Here is a piece I struggled through, but am pretty happy with the results. The starting point was the focal pewter branch coral by Green Girl Studios and I am a huge fan of all the things I have bought there (especially the silver mermaid pendant I bought last year).

So of course the theme was oceans and it was a real challenge to use greens, browns and white, instead of my comfortable green, blue and purply ocean colors.

I think I really struggled with the shape of the freeform piece before I even added any embellishments at all - it wasn't behaving so I decided to keep the beading piece small and added "hooks" on either end. My intention was to add some novelty yarns in addition to one beaded strand but when I added the one strand I felt that anything else would distract from the centerpiece.

Other elements used: coin, stick and potato freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, lots of Delicas and 11/o beads (my favorite are the clear robin's egg blue with beige lining...yummy!). Also, I bought some teardrop dangle glass beads in a kind of light green/amber AB matte finish - they were perfect for this!

9258

9258
Originally uploaded by 3CatNite.

New earrings...

I agreed to purchase an ad today in the Digest of ReadyMade. Such a big step for me. $350...ugh!
The item I chose to feature is the felted pincushions so out of guilt and anxiety I worked on completing 4 of them tonight.
Lots of stuff happening in the all the crafty worlds...a sneek peek of the Indie Craft Documentary came out on YouTube, nice chatter on the Boston Craft Mafia Yahoo group and post Craft Congress messages, and oodles of stART on the Street business today.

I am a bit tired and a touch depressed. OK, in reality I have been exhausted and despondent lately...I'm exaggerating but yesterday was rough and I'm not sure why. Thanks for the numerous ears listening to me rant the past few days. And you know who you are. And I appreciate the support. :)

I think the fog is starting to clear a little.