Inspiration Tuesday!

I'm working on being inspired. I'm NOT inspired lately, which is normal for an artist... highs and lows of ideas and plateaus where you work on ideas. Thing is... I need a little nudge in the creative department this week. I'm fully energized and ready to work... I just am not finding the "it" that makes it happen. SO, until "it" shows up, I'm focusing on my inspirational room (see yesterday's blog post)

I've got it painted and today I'm moving furniture into it (all stuff I had in other areas of the house... just re-purposing/re-cycling), so that the bones will be in place. Next step is adding UMPH. Adding the things that make it ME... the things that will make me feel happy and ready to create. And as I started to write this post, I thought... SO, what ARE those things???

I'm not completely sure. I know that my old studio made me happy... for lots of reasons, but one of them was color. It was full of color. So, I plan to bring in a lot of accent pieces/pictures that fill the room with color. (and the clock that hung on the wall of the old studio, which I love... a funky garden-angel whose legs swing back and forth as the pendulum! I wish I knew who made her...she's so cute!... anyways, I miss having her on the wall, so I'm bringing her back!)

Next, I tried to think about other rooms I've been in/had and what I liked about them. My dorm room in college was one of my FAVORITE rooms I've ever had. My room-mate Elaine and I filled the room with all kinds of stuff... a mix of fabrics, an oriental rug, white christmas lights, movie posters... you name it, we had it. I LOVED that room and its coziness. That's one of the things I'm going for in my space.... cozy. (which is why in addition to having work-tables/chairs/storage stuff, I've got an over-stuffed chair and couch!)

In that room, we covered the walls with a collage from fashion magazines. It looked so funky and fun! SO, I intend to have a collage wall, where I can pin up stuff that makes me happy or makes my brain twirl around with ideas.

I have several artists whose work does that for me... so I plan on putting up pictures/prints from them, as well as snippets and quotes that make me smile. The book I referenced yesterday, talks about putting up a clothesline for hanging stuff like this. I love that! I'm pretty sure that's how I'm going to handle the collage idea. I have plenty of wall-space and that will be a great way to switch things out as I go along.

I LOVE having something to write on like a white-board or a chalk-board, so I'm putting up a "peelie thing" (I'm pretty sure these things have official names, but it's something that is easily removed from the wall) that's a chalk-board in a funky shape like an old picture frame. That way I can write myself notes or reminders or just write things that make me smile. I have that in the glass studio for "to-do" lists, but I'd like this one to be a little more fun.

I'll add nick-knacks that I've got in the studio downstairs, along with some glass pieces from friends that have never really had a home.

I'm also bringing in a bunch of different fabric swatches because colors and patterns are a great place to draw from when doing beadwork... PLUS I've got some new mixed media stuff brewing that i'll be using fabric for... so it's going to have a dual purpose.

I'll add a small stereo because I can't live w/out my music.

What else?? Not sure. I'll keep you posted!

What inspires you??? Maybe it will give me some ideas too!

tiny blah blah blah...

no coffee, but I really need some.

music - about to turn it on!

Happy Rainy Monday my friends!

Well, it might not be raining where you are, but it definitely has been raining here in Atlanta. I'm ready for more sunshine... no more rain!!!

(and this concludes the weather portion of today's blog) :D

I've been reading a wonderful book on handmade craft and marketing written by Kari Chapin, "The Handmade Marketplace" In the book, she talks about artists needing a space to call their own. A space that inspires them to create.

Well, I don't have that. I have a basement glass studio which is also housing for kilos of japanese seed beads, but there is NOTHING inspiring about it. Even the walls are bleh taupe. I think I've talked about it not ever being intended as a studio in the first place and how I'd like to relocate it. After reading this book, I've decided that I need to MORE than relocate the studio. I need additional space. And you know what??? I can have it!!! I have a whole house and it's ALL MINE and I can re-purpose spaces to be what I need. So I am!

I began re-purposing another room as MY space. It's not going to be my glass studio (although that's getting an overhaul too.) This is going to be my work room. My inspiration room. My ME room.

SO... there is now a Granny Apple Green room in my house. The color makes me happy. It's the color that was my favorite wall of my old studio in Marietta. I kept telling people how much I missed that green wall... so I made a whole room of that green. And now it's time to finish the room, add a work table, add storage and add inspirational STUFF for the room! When it's all done, there will be photos. I promise! In the meantime, I've got a lot to do!!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - nope

music - a mix of mellow stuff while I painted.

Just sent out the Sylviebead News!!!

If you're not on the list and wish you were, then go to my website and sign up!!

Sylviebeads Mailing List

If you'd rather not sign up, but really feel you're missing something that everyone else knows (or you're afraid I'll know it's YOU signing up and for some reason you wish to remain confidential, but STILL want to know what's going on with me) you can go here and read it online....

The Sylviebead News Online

(see? I'm all about your needs... even those of you who wish to remain anonymous. I'm looking out for you!)

In other news, I did research and development stuff today and I'll talk about that another day.... but it's fun stuff!

and in OTHER way more important news... It's FLIP FLOP SEASON!!!! woo hoo! Spring is finally here!!!!!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!!!

tiny blah blah blah

coffee - OH YEAH... I totally needed it this morning! Cinnamon Dolce Latte (a free coupon too!)

music - just the type type typing on my keyboard getting the news out!

It was back to being cold and grey again here in Atlanta, BUT the trees are starting to get some color and that means SPRING IS ON ITS WAY!!!!!! It's even OFFICIALLY here next week!!

And in honor of spring... here it is, the official announcement of the spring retreat. Isn't it pretty??!!

You're going to have to click on it to see it larger... I can't figure out why it wants to stay tiny here in this blog entry. OR you can go to the site and read all about it!! GO GO GO NOW!!! I'm really hoping that when I send out the announcements on Friday it will book as quickly as the New Years one did. That was REALLY fast though... so I have to remember to be realistic in my expectations.

ok... this was a short entry, but I've got a lot of stuff to do besides blogging tonight! I'm still working on the color samples for You Are My Sunshine. I'm hoping to have the "new project announcement" in a newsletter SOON! (and I have to do some laundry too... but you don't care about non-beady things do you??!!)

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - nope. iced tea felt better in a sore throat.

music - nope... unless you count the radio in the car. It was a run-around and do stuff sort of day, not a studio day.

I'm only slightly behind in my blogging!

Sorry. I know sooooooo many of you depend on my updates (ha!)

So.... what have I been up to while away and not blogging?? I've been busy in the studio making beads! I've been busy planning the next retreat. I've been busy working on samples for the ring project and the spring Head Over Heels and I've been busy brewing ideas for future things!

The invitations for the spring retreat were mailed to the New Years Bead Divas yesterday and the remainder of my email list will get notices later this week. I'm hoping that the demand for the retreat is like it was for the New Years one... hopefully it is! We had such a good time, I'd like to have another weekend like that!

Having a bead fairy (Marie) again is really really helping things get done in the studio. I've got my big "to-do" list going for Bead and Button and I'm going to work my way through it in the next two months. I'm excited to have a head start... beginning early getting these things in order. It will make the first week of June a LOT less stressful!

ok... got to run and be mom. Kids are home!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - nope. Lunch with Marcy

music - nope. Great conversation!

Sylviebeads Spring Dreams Retreat

It's time to talk about the retreat!!!!

I'm not ready to register people, but I'm ready to talk about it for a couple of days. I'm going to be teaching a 2 1/2 day workshop in Elijay, GA (same site as the FATABULOUS New Years retreat, The Scrapbook Lodge... we LOVED this place! It's the larger of the 2 cabins shown on the site)

May 14-16, 2010.

The project? The Halo Neckpiece.

It is a GORGEOUS head-turning necklace. Whenever I wear this piece, I get comments. The FUN thing about this project is that it is 2 necklaces in one. One is the piece as shown above, with an angel centerpiece.

The other option is the embellished "rope" (I call it a halo) underneath. I wear it this way ALL the time.

When I tell people how easy it is to make, they never believe me. It's true though! This will be a class where you can actually FINISH THE PROJECT!!!! This project converted my sister who spent the first 3 days of Bead and Button telling people "I am NOT a beader" to a real-live beader. (although she is a totally spoiled beader, having a sister who has a veritable bead STORE in her basement!)

Back to the retreat...I do have to say, that some of the spots in the class were spoken for by the New Years girls, before they even knew what the project was. At the time, I thought I would have a BRAND NEW project to teach, but that was unrealistic. Having new Head Over Heels every 3 months, along with a totally new ring project is about all I can handle right now. SO, since some of them thought they would be taking an alternate class, I'm not sure how many will still want to sign up. Once I know how many spaces remain, I will have the official announcement along with a link to the registration page.

We had SUCH a great time over New Years. I know we'll have just as much fun this time (only a day shorter).

ok... that's it for today!

Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday!!!

tiny blah blah blah...

No coffee or music today. Chicken soup and quiet (until my kids got home! lol)

Sunshine Tuesday!!

I almost wrote MONDAY, but realized quickly that I skipped a day of blogging. I apologize to anyone who was on pins and needles waiting to hear from me (as if!!)

BUT while I was gone, I got an award!!!!!!

Holly, of Holly's Folly gave me a Sunshine Award!

I think it's because I'm always complaining about the weather this winter, wishing it was sunny! (actually it was very nice of her and she said sweet things about me on her blog. Go check it out! She's a glass beadmaker AND designs rubber stamps that can be used in cookie decorating! How cool is that??!!)

Here are the details about this award... (and if you are one of the winners of the award, here's the scoop)

Here are the rules, so please pass this award along….
The rules for accepting the Sunshine Award are:
- Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
- Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
- Link the nominees within your post.
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

As a result of receiving this award, I'm supposed to award it to 12 more people. OH NO! 12??!!!

I don't even read 12 blogs!!!!! But I will do my best to give you links to the blogs I DO read. They are a variety of things... most of them not bead oriented.

1. Dooalot - My friend from college, Laura has a wonderful blog about her life. Sometimes it's memories, sometimes day-to-day, sometimes it's her Couch to 5K stories. She's a great writer and always makes me smile (which I thought appropriate for the whole sunshine thing)

2. Reganleigh - An aspiring author, who is also a friend of mine. You never know what you're going to find in reading her blog. Sometimes it's writer-oriented... sometimes it's music....sometimes it's just fun. BUT on the site there is a trailer (like a movie trailer) for her first novel. She is in the final editing process then looking for a publisher. I've read the book and it is FANTASTIC. Once you see the trailer you'll want to read it. So, even though I would never think of Regan as "sunny" (she'd hate that), I'm giving her an award anyways!!!

3. McIntyre's Move West - Jillian's HILARIOUS blog about her life. She tells the funniest stories about things that happen in her every day life. My favorites are about the elderly woman Audrey who lives in the apartments where Jillian works/lives. Go read this blog! You will LAUGH till you cry at some of the stories!

4. For the Love of Beads - I'm not sure I know anyone MORE Sunny than Mallory. Her sweet spirit is SO evident in her blog. She's so generous with praise for others and you can just tell how much she loves lampworking. That kind of enthusiasm is contagious. When I need a lift and a reminder of how fun it is to make beads... I visit this blog.

5. Studio Marcy - One of my very best bead buds. I might venture to say a BBFF (beady BFF). I love our visits together and her work always makes me smile. Her BLOG is great for inspiration though. She always finds something new and interesting to share with people!

Ok... for now, I'm just going to have to go with 5. I'll try to come up with some others as the week progresses. After all, the instructions didn't say I had to have all 15 at once!!!!

Other studio news will have to wait till tomorrow! I'm late!!!!!!

tiny blah blah blah

coffee - not yet, but sooooo need some!

music - not yet, but sooooooo need some to get my rear-in-gear!

FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you hear me woo-hoo-ing all the way to where you live?? It's Friday and it's GORGEOUS in Atlanta! I neeeeeeded some great spring-like weather!

Not that I saw a lot of it so far today. I spent the majority of the work day in the studio making beads. I've got a kiln full of tiny little faces ready to go into You Are My Sunshine kits. I'm hoping to have those up and ready on the website by month end. HOPEFULLY!!! They will for-sure be at Bead and Button this year as the NEW PROJECT possibly along with another project, depending how thing progress this month. I'm not crossing my fingers at this point though. If it happens great. If it doesn't happen... that's ok because I got ONE new project done!

I just have a lot lot lot on my plate at one time and I'm having to try to find a way to balance everything. Not easy.

This weekend is NOT a work weekend though. It requires a tiny bit of balancing, but it's going to be a great weekend full of friends (and relatives that are friends).

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you have the great sunshine that we have here!!!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - definitely! It was a Cinnamon Dolce Latte day for sure! I had my weekly rendez-vous with this sweet older man who always shares a table with me on Fridays as I sit in the comfy chair and read/work on my bible study. We both always seem to be there at the same time on Fridays, so we've become reading buddies since he's there doing the same thing. I have no idea what his name is. We don't talk (although I did ask him what book he was reading this morning) other than to say "is this seat taken?" I just think it's nice to have the continuity of seeing the same people every Friday.

music - the soundtrack for studio work today was a combination of my Long Mellow List and conversation with Marie, the Studio-Fairy. She was there keeping me in line today!

Hey gang!

Happy Tuesday!!!

I skipped a day yesterday, but it was just one of those days. I was really frustrated with beads and didn't feel much like talking about them.

I'm working on my piece for the ISGB Convergence juried show and it's just NOT coming together the way I want AND the deadline is at the end of the week. It's not looking like I'll have a piece to enter, but I'm not giving up until I have to. I'm going to try to keep at it.

The colors are just not working out the way I want them to. I keep stitching and tearing out and stitching and tearing out... ugh.

BUT today is another day and I'm going to give it a fresh start this afternoon. I'm going to be in the studio making beads this morning while Marie keeps me company. YAY for studio assistance again!!!!

time for work!!

Have a wonderful day beady world!!

tiny blah blah blah

coffee - not yet. Keurig here I come!

music - I'm thinking new Sade... we'll see.