It's a Struggle

We all have our ups and downs and now more than ever with the holidays coming up we need to be focused....okay maybe not you but I do. This is day 3 of the Create Every Day and it seems all I did in my craft room was create a mess today. I don't think that qualifies, but I did fix 3 bracelets for a customer and make a necklace for me, so I guess I did get some creative time in there. I have all these ideas for things to make but just can't seem to get it out. I think I really need to clean up my craft room so that I can find those things I want to make. Maybe that will be my focus tomorrow is to create a cleaner craft room.

Here is my new necklace (the blue is AAA grade Kyanite that I had been saving that I purchased at the Tucson Gem Show...I don't know what I was saving it for and the other two briolettes are pink amethyst). 

This photo is of some more charms for a charm swap. I'm especially liking the mini tree of life charm and the long glass tube is a glass fuse. 

I seem to pull this piece out every once in a while. It is a concept piece that I call Imagination. I have created a button tree and mounted it on a base of collage. Truly mixed media. What I did yesterday was add the fabric around the outside edges.

Here are a couple of holiday themed Artist Trading Cards. I'll probably be posting these on my ATC group for a swap.

I did have time yesterday to go through one of my new books I had ordered. This one is called A Charming Exchange by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae. I was really looking forward to getting this book as I love my Mixed Media Art Charm book. If you need ideas then this book has it. There are several tutorials throughout the book which are very well written and appear to be easy to follow. I love how there are several artists featured in the book as it does give you a variety of styles and different points of view. If you are looking for a new book to give you inspiration or maybe to take your jewelry design in a new direction then the book is well worth checking out.

Well besides cleaning up my craft room tomorrow I should probably do some laundry, then we will see what I have time to create. If you haven't had a chance to visit the blogs of folks that are creating every day, take a moment and check them out. The links are on the right hand side of this blog.

Creating Art

Have you ever felt in just one of those moods? I haven't been in the mood to make jewelry lately..I know it will come again and I made so many gem trees in the last month that I don't want to see them for a little while. So, now I go to my studio (you notice that when I create art I now call it my studio) and paint, collage, cut and ultimately just make a mess but sometimes I do end up with Art.

I joined an Artists Trading Card group to get me back into art and painting and so far love, love, love it. When I join a swap, it forces me to create. I know a lot of people can't create that way but sometimes I need the little push. The first swap was called "Tiki Party", how appropriate for the end of Summer and I just finished today my "Native American Design" cards. All of these cards are original paintings, watercolor pencil or pen/ink. Now to get them all in the mail to the swap host. I'll share the cards I get in return from the swap when they arrive in October.

6/6 "Tiki Party" swap cards

3/3 "Native American Design" swap cards (the large circle one is not part of the swap)

I did make a couple other cards just for fun today.

Since my studio is such a mess, maybe I'll make more art later this week. No reason to clean it up if I'm just going to get it messy again.

Tomorrow we are off to the Western Washington State Fair to volunteer for a few hours in the Hobby Hall for the gem and mineral club we belong to. If you live in Washington and you haven't been to the fair yet, you really need to go soon as Sunday is the last day.