Summer, oh summer..Where did you go?

It's almost impossible to believe that half of the summer has gone by already.  It's almost hard to even think about it.  Things around here have been super, super busy and I'd like to share a few reasons why.

To start with, our garden that we planted earlier, didn't quite go how we planned it.  Between the horrendous winds that had uplifted our seedlings, TWICE, and the people who take care of the grass spraying some sort of weed something on the lawn...we didn't get much.  But we did manage to nurse a few plants in some pots and wound up with this:

Yeah, that was exciting!  That corn was so yummy and the cayenne pepper is drying and being flaked, to add to some chili in the fall!  Yay!  Thankfully there's still about 10 cayenne peppers and about 20 ears of corn (minus the 3 we just picked yesterday) ripening!  Hey, at least it's something!!

On the crafting front, I've been commissioned to do the jewelry for an entire wedding party.  Bride, 3 bridesmaids, and flower girl...Plus, 100 thank you cards handmade for the bride to give to wedding guests!  Yes, it does keep me quite busy!  I've been very thankful that she'd given me such advanced notice on all of it.  At this stage of the game she's getting married in September and about 70% of the jewelry made and 60% of the cards done.  That's not a bad ratio! I've gotten the flower girl's necklace finished, complete with flowered clasp!  I also have gotten the bride's necklace and earrings done and sent, however silly me forgot to take pics before I sent it!  Well, at least she's gonna take them for me!  I think there may be a little part of me that's more excited to see everything finished and on everyone than the bride!  It's always an awe inspiring thing to see my works "in action".  I hope to be able to share all the completed pieces with you soon!  =)

Random thought this week!

So, I've been taking a few weeks and really trying to get the hang of this home based business thing.  I'm always trying to create something, which lately has been a little difficult (creative pressure block).  I've been doing all sorts of research online and I came across something today.  I found a website that pretty much says that anything a jewelry artist creates is copyright from the time the piece gets finished.  Even if it doesn't have the copyright symbol.  I'm not sure I understand how that's possible.  Now, I create a lot of pieces.  Some like this really simple piece that was created for a friend of mine.  And sometimes they are a little more complicated like this woven bracelet that's for sale on my site.  How do I know that someone else hasn't already created it?  Or quite possibly how do I know that someone might create it in the future without me knowing it?  Is there really a true way to enforce this?  And is there that strict of an enforcement on this?  I really had no idea about this.  If anyone knows more about this, I would LOVE to hear some responses!! 

Busy Times!

It's spring in the mid-west and you know what that means!?!  Warm, sunny weather, and being very busy!  My husband and I have a serious love - hate relationship with spring.  We love that it's beautiful and it's warm and our children can go outside and play and not drive me crazy in the house, BUT we are always so busy at the beginning of spring.

For the last few years he and I have been trying to become more self sufficient, no more depending on mass grown under ripened veggies and fruit.   Plus, there's no better feeling than to bite into something you know JUST came out of the ground.  Oh look at me I'm digressing!  Anyway, we have decided that we were going to grow our own food, well as much as we can.  Easy "ish" things, ya know, potatoes, tomatoes, radishes, onions, corn, and even maybe a greek pepper.  Yeah, we're also learning how to pickle and can things too!  This means that where I usually am busy with my part time job, my full time mom job and a soon to be busy jewelry artist, I now become a gardener!  Not that I mind though.  I love to plant and listen to all the animals outside, it just means that other things get neglected, such as my blog and other things I know that shouldn't.  It's all for the better though!!

There's so many benefits to the spring too.  Tulips, my favorite flower, have been popping up in my front yard in beautiful purples, reds, oranges, and I even planted black ones this year.  I'll have to post pics if they come up!!   All other sorts of flowers have been out and blooming too.  It just seems that the spring is when nature really comes alive!  I mean yeah the smart thing to say is "Duh, it's warm and sunny, so definitely flowers will grow!"  But seriously.  I've never seen nature more beautiful than in the warm weather of the spring!  It's one of my favorite inspirational times of the year!     Here I go again talking about inspiration being in nature, but where else can you find colors in their natural state the way they were created and meant to be?! 

So as I post this today, we have planted all of our seedlings in pots to transplant when they are big enough and have planted our green onions in the ground.  I still need to get my potatoes and radishes in the ground!  I guess that means that I'm done with this post, otherwise I'm not gonna have any potatoes and that I couldn't have!! 

Next time you're in the park or just driving down a country road, take a good look at what's around you.  You just might be inspired!!

Nature's Inspiration

Last year, while on vacation, my husband and I took our two children to a nature preserve in the midwest.  I've always been a fan of natural beauty, finding that going on trips to the country or the park would help me in a creative slump.  I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning.  I took pictures of everything I could find - all types of different flowers, waterfalls, trees, practically every step I took I snapped a shot.  We eventually came upon a marsh that was filled with grasses of greens and yellows.  I went to take a picture and something caught my eye.  I zoomed in closer on my camera and noticed that in this sea of greens were two bright pink flowers.  It astonished me and I instantly new that I needed to capture this and try to create a necklace that resembled these colors.  

A few days later we returned from our trip and life's routines set in again.  I would think about this picture from time to time, but mostly when I sat down at my desk to work on other jewelry work.  I had even said to myself a few times "I need to work on this!"  But the idea just kept slipping into the back of my mind, until finally I never really thought about it at all.

Almost a year past by before I thought of this picture again.  I was going through some photographs on the computer and came across the beautiful picture I once couldn't get out of my head.  I decided instantly that I would sit down and create this wonderful piece of jewelry art that had escaped me for so long.  And create I did.  Within 20 minutes I felt a wonderful sense of accomplishment and a knowledge that sometimes the best inspiration can be right in your own backyard.  

This piece will soon be for sale on my website.  Please feel free to look around at the other items I have for sale on there - www.artfire.com/users/esjewelry