Welcome to Inside the Studio!
Each
week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio,
creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our
readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free
prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we
choose a random winner.
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January always puts me in a funk.
I am not sure if it is the after-holiday sugar high letdown or the disturbingly cold weather or the fact that I sometimes feel like I am in the exact same place as I was last year or what... but I seem to be stuck in a rut.
One way that I force myself out of the blahs is to rise to a challenge.
I decided to add a feature to my own blog that I call
30 Words Thursdays. I used to do this from time to time and I enjoyed it. I have always wanted to have something regular to look forward to, and this picture above taken on my cell phone (!) inspired me to make it real. All the pictures on my camera are of jewelry related items. That just isn't right. I am challenging myself to take a new picture every week and then write exactly 30 words about it. No more. No less. And it comes out very poetic, which is a bonus! The
30 Words Challenge is open to anyone at anytime. Join me!
At the beginning of this month I challenged myself come up with something for each of the eight color palettes from the
101 Bracelets, Necklaces & Earrings call for submission. I have done this for the past few years and I have even had two pieces make the covers, so I have a bit of a soft spot for this issue. It is a publication that really brings out the best in so many talented designers and I feel honored to have been a part of it. I like the framework of the color palettes they select each year for this issue as it gives me guidance but also freedom (if you like that sort of color inspiration, I invite you to join me in the monthly
Pretty Palettes challenge I host on the
Halcraft.com blog).
Last week I found out that they wanted to see all eight of the pieces that I submitted for further consideration. Woohoo! I have no illusions that they will select any or all of them, but it is a great affirmation that I am pointing my toes in the right direction. ;-)
Keeping up with the challenge to myself and the rut-getting-out-of, I set about to make at least one thing for each of the
Stringing Summer calls for submissions. I am very excited about the themes: word jewelry, stackable bracelets, fabulous facets and upcycled jewelry. All in my wheelhouse! That will be an awesome issue.
I am sending in three pieces to them for further consideration, but that left a few things that did not get selected. But that is okay because that means I am free to submit them somewhere else, sell them in the
Gallery Q or share them with everyone (or keep them for myself!). So next week I am planning a tutorial on this blog for one of them. Stay tuned for that!
For the fabulous facets category, I thought it would be a good idea to explore the
faceted beads that I started making in November for the Art Bead Scene challenge. Do you remember those?
I wanted to make the same, glow-from-within rough faceted beads but in an ombre color palette. I decided to use
Pantone's Radiant Orchid color as my starting point and made a set of five beads. I used them in this necklace with faceted links and some Imperial Jasper beads that I call 'The Many Facets of Orchid'.
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| The Many Facets of Orchid |
Since it didn't get selected for Stringing, I decided to wear it today.
I love it!
Today I am offering these handmade beads on my website that I am calling
Facet Effects in
sets of four in whatever ombre color palette you like! I would love to make my first set for one of our Art Bead Scene readers who answers this question...
When you are stuck in a creative rut, what helps you out of it?
