Thinking....

I did manage to get into my craft studio on Tuesday evening, but I didn't actually get anything done. Oh, I played. I learned that embossing powder won't "melt" onto metal (no matter how close you hold the heat gun) but the powder *will* go everywhere. My own, personal "Color Run" without the run! (hee) I looked at my jewelry clay from Envirotex Lite and pulled out some bezels and pictures to make jewelry... then chickened out... for now! I'll get back to it, I swear! Maybe I'll be braver tonight? If nothing else, I should pull out some of my copper wires and make headpins. I need more and I certainly enjoy the melting and making of them (it's the Pyro in me). So, no pics today, but maybe later? When I screw my courage back up to just jump in and DO IT instead of thinking too much.

Playing and Amusing the Muse

So, this weekend (I'm counting Friday night, here) I experimented with something new... well, new to me. Ice Enamels!  I really do like them! I have turquoise, a sort-of chartreuse green, and a clear/opalescent set of colors.

This first one is a steel washer I layered with turquoise, then added some small pieces of the chartreuse color and a teeeeeeensie bit of the opalescent (no, sorry, don't remember to precise names... I'll add 'em later)  I really like how this turned out. And I haven't done anything else to it, no resin topping or anything. Cool, no?

This one... well, it didn't work as well. I don't know if I got too excited, or just straight up too messy with my work, but it blotted in a few places on the wings and slid off around the dragonfly where it's attached to the shell casing.  Still, I think I may be able to do some clean up if I take my time with it. More experimentation is in order. Yes.

I'll keep you updated as I make further attempts.

What new things did YOU try this weekend, hm?

Why Creative People Are A Puzzle To Others

I have, in my youth, been accused of being a "schizophrenic thinker" and I have to agree. If you have a conversation with me, we're going to chase conversational rabbits. We may start out talking about Mary Shelly's Frankenstein Monster and end up twenty minutes later discussing why Curly Joe was the best Globetrotter player over Meadowlark Lemon.  0_o*  HOW did we get from monsters to basketball? Because something was said that lead down one rabbet trail to another to another until we reached Curly Joe (which would, eventually, lead to Curly as the best of the 3 Stooges, ever! Just ignore Shemp and Joe - although I'll take Shemp over Joe any day... SEE?!?)

I'm very much the same in my creative efforts. I play the piano (not as well as I should, but I do), I write, I create with beads, metal, and (someday) poly clay and have my eye on metal clay, I draw & paint (again, not as well as I should/could, but I do), I play with a camera & photography.... Again, with the schizophrenic thinking, eh?  Show of hands, how many of you are just as schizophrenic in your creativity?  Well, guess what?  This is normal for us!

Not that being like this ever bothered me. No one ever made fun of me for it so I never thought about it. Apparently my friends are either as crazy as me or just enjoy the ride.  That being said, let me share a link to an article I saw on my FB news feed the other day. It was written by Matthew Schuler and he found a book written by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly called  Creativity: The Work and Lives of 91 Eminent People.  Matthew gives us a few of the highlights from Mihaly's work including this line;  “I have devoted 30 years of research to how creative people live and work, to make more understandable the mysterious process by which they come up with new ideas and new things. If I had to express in one word what makes their personalities different from others, it’s complexity. They show tendencies of thought and action that in most people are segregated. They contain contradictory extremes; instead of being an individual, each of them is a multitude.”

As I read through the 9 contradictory traits described by Mihaly, my first reaction to each was "No, that's not me." But, as I read the full discription (not just the start) I realized that, a) yes, it did too fit me and, b) I really am a "multitude". Well, a multitude of ideas and thoughts and need to do's. Go read Matthew's article here and find out just how much of yourself is a mulititude. Learn why we're such a puzzle to the (supposedly) "Normal People."

Creative people really do live in our own little world, but it's okay. They know us here.

Keeping the Muse Satisfied

So, I didn't get to play with my poly-clay this weekend. Too much was going on for me to be abl to do it. HOWsomeEVER!  Last night I was able to play with my wire.  Yes, my fellow Crazy Creators, I have made my first ever fibula!  I am SO proud of me right now, I could bust!!

So! I used the bottom of one of my tool holding buckets to create the initial circular shape, then smoothed the shape slightly with my nylon jawed bracelet forming plyers, then hand tightened the circle. I wire wrapped some faceted, Tanzenite colored crystals to the circle, then created the pin and attached more beads. The pin is (it's been suggested) too long so I have plans to lop off about 1/4" and refile the point. Other than that, I'm happy with it.

Now, why did I choose the beads, etc. that I did? Well, there's a story.  I have a series of jewelry called my "Fishes & Loaves" line that is taken from the story in the Bible where Jesus fed the 5,000 with a little boy's donated lunch of five loaves of bread and two small fish. In the past this has mostly been fish-shaped earrings with five beads (3 on one fish & 2 on the other), a couple of bracelets with the fish motif and five beads wired on, and at least one necklace with the fish & beads (which I loved!). This time, I wanted to finish the story. See, after everyone had been fed, Jesus told His disciples to take up the leftovers. They returned with twelve full baskets. Bet that little boy's momma was shocked! (yes, I believe it went to the boy... after all, it was his lunch given to Jesus to use... why wouldn't Jesus reward his generosity?) ANYway, you'll see there's 5 small, purple round beads and two tiny fish on the straight pin. There's the fish & loaves. If you count, you'll find there are 12 beads on the main portion of the fibula... they represent the 12 baskets of leftovers taken up.  The end of the story (as it were).

I'm sure this will evolve in other ways (already have an idea or two) so keep watching.  After all, my Muse is speaking to me, I must keep her happy!

10 Minutes A Day... For Now!





Clockwise from top: amethyst & tanzenite colored,
faceted rondelles, citrine and citrine colored,
faceted rondelles, garnets & emerald colored, faceted
rondelles, moonstone and clear, faceted rondelles.

 I was able to get into my craft room last night for about 10-15 minutes (maybe a little more) and create these four pairs of earrings.  I saw a similar style in one of my jewelry magazines and made my own, slight twist on it. Z didn't let me play for too long (because it wasn't with him!) but at least I appeased the Muse enough that I think she'll return for my next session (which I hope is tonight... I have some ideas I want to get brave and pull out my poly-clay for!)