Creative Process: Idea to Reality

sketches of the initial idea 

chosen design drawn out in real size

Sample of finished product  ready to be reevaluated for final production

It's always satisfying to see an idea through to the end. Here's a nice set of photos describing that process with my new Japanese Cloud Pendant. I'm still perfecting this one, so these are just samples.

Creative Process: Green Examples

Awesome moss living carpet. Great example of Indoor-outdoorness

living house in Seoul Korea

Garden moss stud earrings

hanging garden necklace

If you've ever talked to me about house design, you know how I'm obsessed with what I've dubbed, "Indoor-outdoorness". It roughly translates into bringing  nature in it's natural state inside the home, just as it would be growing outside. Like the Spanish courtyards that enclosed the outside within the four walls of their house. Since I don't have the pleasure of owning a courtyard I make do with what I have, and I also make with what I have, that being MOSS.

  I love working with moss. I love it for so many reasons some of which are it's renewable nature, the color and texture it brings to my work, and of course it's message of growth and life it symbolizes. I have an ongoing collection I call,  Urban Garden, where I house most of my moss creations. I like the idea of  wearing a tiny piece of land or bringing you're garden with you on you're everyday travels. 

How do you add some green to you're life?

Online Seminar Series

Forgot to mention: Tonight is the start of the joint Etsy and MICA Indie Business seminar series. The topic for tonight is: Realities of running an Indie Biz. I've been highly anticipating  this series and will be watching it as soon as it goes up on MICA's website. If you are lucky, the first 100 Etsy members to click the link at 6:30pm on their events page will get live access. But for everyone else (including myself) you can watch them afterward for free here. It's not very often this type of resource is available free of charge. Take advantage!

Snowy Day Fun

view from the kitchen, not time for veggie planting yet :)

Pencil drawings before

and after

Woke up to a winter wonderland! So I turned on the Kotatsu and got to work on a project I've been thinking about for a while: Shrinky Dinks! I love sketching and I've been trying to find a way to incorporate my ink sketches into my jewelry. 

Here is the first design that I've fully completed and it is up in the shop for sale. They are inspired by ocean topography and all set inside a pleasing oval shape. These earrings also answer the frequent request I get  for more ity bity earrings. They are small and sweet and weigh just about nothing!  

New in The Shop!

Proud to say that my 3 Flower Statement necklace and Hanging  Garden Earth and Sky pin are finally  up for sale in the shop! These are two of my favorite designs I currently make. Feel free to check them out!

It's snowing here in Baltimore right now so I'm expecting to get some more items listed tomorrow since I will have the extra time :) What do you do when you're snowed in?

Treasury!

I Love Etsy for too many reasons. Here is a treasury I made that sums up my feelings pretty well! Feel free to check it out, and if you aren't a member of Etsy, what are you waiting for?

Also, as you may have noticed, I've finally created a Facebook page for the business! So you can "like it" if you feel like it. (pun so intended)

I'm going to do this, so should you!

 Just signed up to be part of this years Art House Co Op photo mobile. The project is to interpret one of the many themes (I chose "27 ways to say...")  provided on the website through 27 photos. When you sign up, Art House sends you a disposable camera and then you're set free to point and shoot!  You send the camera back once you're finished and the photos will be compiled on a coast to coast touring exhibition.  It's really an interesting way for people to connect and share their perspective, and will be an even more interesting  exhibition to view.  

I especially think this is a refreshing creativity exercise that many Artists could learn from. Sometimes a different perspective  is all it takes to create masterpieces. So go check it out!