Something new.... Trees

This weekend I was compelled to work on something besides clay and jewelry. I have a show coming up this weekend ( the 2nd one this month) and I needed a break from the production. I wanted to make something just for the sake of making something with no pressure about getting sales, feedback or promoting. What was I going to make? I didn't want to use clay, I didn't want to spend money on supplies and I wanted to make some "green" art since polymer clay isn't very green and I do like to upcycle whenever I can. The answer came in a stack of catalogs that have been sitting in my closet forever. I knew they would come in handy at some point, so I just couldn't throw them a way (Yes, I'm a pack rat when it comes to possible art supplies). Earlier in the week, I helped feed Kyle's creative bug by having him cut out shapes from magazines to create a collage, so I figured I would do the same. I don't like cutting much so I grabbed my trusty circle cutters that I use for making stickers and tags for my promo materials and atrted punching. I punched a bunch of different sizes and separated them by colors. Now I had to decide what to make, so of course I immediately throught of trees. I have made bubble tree ACEO's and pendant;s. so I just went with it and I like how they turned out. I actually spent most of Friday and Saturday punching and arranging and gluing (Yes, I did stop long enough to feed my kids). I started with simple trees the like the ones above and below and uses some cedar wood samples as my canvas:














Then I started getting a little complicated:















































While I said I wasn't going to worry about sales, I do plan on offering the trees as prints in my new Etsy shop that will be opening this summer which will focus on prints of my artwork and photos (of course there will be a big blog announcement and grand opening sales once I get it started). I wanted to wait to share them until then, but I hadn't blogged in so long and they really gave me something to blog about.

Take some time this week to create something totally new. Don't put a lot of thought into it and just go with what you're feeling. Lose yourself for a while in your new endeavor. Try to upcycle something that's laying around your house (or stuffed in your closet). If you make something inspired by this post, please send me a photo and short description, and I will be sure to post it here.

I leave you with a collage Kyle was inspired to make after watching me create mine. He's already asked me to add it to my Etsy shop too:

SALE!!! SALE!!!!! SALE!!!!

I am only 1 sale away from hitting 1000!!!! So........I am having a blog exclusive sale! Sales 1000 and 1001 will receive 25% off their order & free shipping and will receive a free item of their choice (up to a $25 value). Just put blog1000sales in the message to seller and wait for me to send you an invoice before paying. If you forget and pay, I will refund the discounted amount to you! This is only for sales # 1000 & 1001, so when I've hit 1001 it's over. This discount can not be combined with any other offer.

Here's a sneak peak at some new wall art I am working on. These are still works in progress, so they aren't finished yet. They will be available at the Crafty Bastards Show on Saturday, June 28th in Silver Spring, MD. Any that don't sell will be added to my Etsy shop the first week of July.

Through My Eyes - Searching for Signs of Spring

Here are some pictures I took yesterday while looking for inspiration for the Spring themed ACEO ( It's a bit early here, so not a whole lot of signs available). I though I would share them for those of you who are creating something of your own alongside my collaborative project. I am working on my sketches and plan to have them up tomorrow, so in the meantime, check out my pics, and if you can, get out and see if you can find any signs of Spring yourself. Keep commenting with inspiring Spring words, signs of spring or links to inspiring Spring photos of your own. Remember, anyone that comments will be included in the drawing for the finished "Spring" ACEO!

Here are some of my favorite signs of spring: bright green moss, birds nests, Robins, daffodils, tulips, red tree buds, flowering trees, bees, butterflies.

Be Inspired by Winter

Well we finally got some snow last week and it was really nice to feel like winter for a while. Just a couple weeks prior, it was 70 degrees and I was fighting with the boys about wearing coats. The snow didn't last long because it quickly turned to rain and became a slushy mess, but for about 5 hours we had a beautiful snowstorm and about 5 inches of snow to play in. While walking and playing in the snowstorm, I made special note to look out for inspiring sites. The beautiful way the bare trees look covered in snow. Their branches really stood out to me against all the white. The red holy berries covered in a blanket of snow. The birds hunkered down on the electrical wires huddled together and also covered in snow. The mass of snowflakes falling all around. The foot prints we all made in the snow. The different sizes and shapes of the icicles. Inspirations was everywhere. Even though the snow storm didn't last, it left a lasting impression on me and I decided to create a treasury list in it's memory in hopes of inspiring others who may not have experienced "winter" in their neck of the woods.

The look of the stark winter trees has inspired some of my recent pieces too. I created a basic winter tree design and called it "Hibernation" and "Winter's Sleep". The names came from me thinking of the trees as sleeping through the winter. The series includes earrings, cufflinks, a pendant and a magnet set.





















I think a lot of us are guilty of not paying attention to the season we are in (at least those of us who still have seasons). In winter we are always longing for spring and summer. In summer we can't wait for the fall cool down and in Fall we look forward to snow and winter. We should probably take a little time to enjoy the season we are in and what it has to offer instead of always looking ahead and wishing for something else. Take a little time this week to appreciate winter, or whatever season you are currently in. Celebrate it's unique qualities. Think about both what you love about it and what you don't like about it. Make note of the foliage and clothing changes. (I know I can't wait till the first day that I have to wear my winter coat and gloves.) Think about the activities that you do in that season. I will be thinking about winter today and hoping for the snow that is forecast for this afternoon.















If it snows where you are, make sure to take some time to catch a snowflake on your tongue, catch a few in your glove to see what they look like before they melt, have a snowball fight, make a snowman or a snow sculpture, lay down and make a snow angel and snap a few pics of winter, so that they can inspire you during any season!