Simple Wisdom, Finding Joy and a Tale of Two Custom Orders

"i thank you God for this most amazing day, 
 for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the
blue dream of sky and for everything
which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."

e.e. cummings
  
Susan is one of my best customers. And yet I have never met her.

Last summer during the opening days of my exhibit, Susan was in my small town in Wisconsin all the way from Maine. She was visiting with a friend who was attending the Aber Suzuki music conferences that happen here each summer.

My show had just gone live, when Susan happened upon our little Gallery Q. And she was smitten with so many of the pieces that I made they left the gallery before the opening night of the show! But I am glad that Susan found her way to Stevens Point, WI and to our little Gallery Q on Main Street. I am mostly glad that the pieces I created found a wonderful home on the other side of the country, and that I have made a connection with a patron from afar.

I don't believe that you need to meet the person that you are designing for. I have had wonderful success making jewelry for scores of people that I have never met, who live far away from me. So I was delighted that Susan thought of me when seeking something special as a gift for her mother and her best friend. I asked if she would allow me to create my new 'simple truths' pendants for the pieces and she agreed. I am humbled that she has that level of trust with me. That is usually the last question I ask in a custom consultation: Do you trust me? Sometimes the client really wants to control every last detail, but more often than not, my clients believe that I will deliver something special for them and tell me that they trust me. I am pleased that Susan felt that way!

{This is where I started... translating Susan's descriptions into pendants}

When I work with a client, whether near or far away, I start by asking questions. I want to know about colors and lengths and style, of course. But I also want to know about what makes that person tick, what rocks their world, what consumes their passion. From there I can put together an image in my mind of the wearer and develop a piece attuned to her unique personality.

Susan told me that her mother was very much into ocean colors and is quite a character who appreciates one of a kind work (sounds like my kind of mother!). Susan told me that a word for her mother would be 'wisdom.' So 'simple wisdom' was born!

I created this piece with a starfish on the front as if it were floating in the bright blue sea. Complementing the ocean colors is a disk bead from Humblebeads hugged by two verdigris patinaed bead caps from MissFickle. I found some of my favorite picasso finish czech glass beads a while ago that meshed perfectly with the sea and sand color palette.

I wanted the other side to be lighter (in terms of the size of the beads), so I went with seed beads in a dark bronze color for one strand and the other strand a soft silver sheen to play up the silver plated bezel and the tiny twisted silver jump rings I added inside the etched brass jump rings. But it just wasn't enough to have those two seed bead strands as I designed it originally. There needed to be more visual weight to the piece. So I added a length of Vintaj etched brass chain that I wove the seeded strands through. It still wasn't enough. I realized that the lovely sea color was not represented on this side. So I went back and removed sets of two links along the chain and replaced them at various intervals with a wire wrapped Swarovski crystal in my very favorite color (I think it is called gray tabac and it is incredibly hard to find!) for a subtle flash of  color and sparkle. I like that the woven seed beads and chain remind me of seaweed washing up on the shores.

For the clasp I painstakingly wired tiny turquoise seed beads on a Vintaj hook clasp and ring. And I found a cute tiny starfish charm that ties it all together.

{'simple wisdom' - click to view larger}

For her friend, Susan told me that she loves nature in all its forms and is an outdoor person who walks every day and is an 'air' sign. She is also a mixed media artist and loves color, art and design. I hope that this friend appreciates my mixed media attempts and my color and design choices!

I call this piece 'find joy in nature' and it features a 'simple truths' pendant with those words on the back of a bird soaring high into a blue sky. In keeping with the bird theme, I found this special shibuichi bird toggle from Green Girl Studios. I have been saving that one for a very long time.

I started with two copper branches holding up a copper wire nest with a granite egg. That wire nest gave me all sorts of trouble. I think I ripped it apart three times before I figured out what I wanted to do. Specifically, I wanted to be sure that the necklace could be reversible on each so that the wearer can choose the image or the words to face front. That is a challenge in and of itself!

To represent the air that these two birds are soaring high in, I used gray opal Swarovski crystals and some amazing faceted labradorite heishi (which I have also been hoarding for about 6 years!). Labradorite is one of my very favorite stones. I love the subtle sheen of these beads and how substantial they look when they are all together. And the flash of blue is electric, like the hint of sky between the clouds.

Finishing off the back are two different copper chains and some sweet czech glass flowers dangling here and there.

Would you like to know a little bit about my process? I use a few tricks to make sure that the asymmetry works in a piece. I don't just launch into my stash and start throwing things together. There is a lot of trial and error in order to make it look cohesive and not random. Here are my favorite tricks:

• Similar shapes: The toggle, the branches and the egg all mimic the same oval shape and these pieces give your eye a place to travel through the necklace. 
• Repeated elements: Often I will repeat an element on opposite sides of the necklace, like the little czech glass flowers to tie it together. Sometimes I use color, like the silver seed beads and the silver twisted rings to tie both sides together. And both of these pieces are pretty monochromatic, but if I were to throw in an accent color,  I would balance it by repeating it elsewhere.
• Mix pattern with random: While these designs are asymmetrical, there is a distinct pattern to the beaded part in both designs. That helps ground the standalone elements.
• Pay attention to weight: Balancing the visual weight is key. When I started with the first necklace and only had two strands of seed beads, it felt a little lopsided. Now it has weight but also texture with the weaving.
• Numbers matter: Whether working with patterns or asymmetry, I like the numbers 1-3-5-7. I will use items in odd numbers to create a pattern, or to balance design elements, either repeating or solo.

I love to make custom pieces for people. It is like opening a puzzle and seeing all the pieces laid out before you. You have to find the corners and the outer edges to start to see the puzzle take shape. Then you start to fill in the gaps, focusing on color and shadow, as well as shape to find the perfect fit. And when you are all done, when you have found that last perfect piece, you have a beautiful image that you have brought into focus.

I am grateful for the chance to work with clients, whether they are around the corner or across the country from me. I hope that Susan is happy that she chose to trust me with interpreting her love for these special women in her life. Thank you, Susan, for putting your trust in me!


Have you ever put your trust in a custom order with a person that you have never met? 
What was that experience like for you? 
Do you like to have custom things made for you? Have you always been pleased with the outcome? Do you put your whole trust in someone creating a custom order for you? Or are you one who likes to manage every detail?
If you make something, do you like to accept custom orders? 
What challenges have you faced with custom orders? 
What triumphs have you had? 
Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

Simple Wisdom, Finding Joy and a Tale of Two Custom Orders

"i thank you God for this most amazing day, 
 for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the
blue dream of sky and for everything
which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."

e.e. cummings
  
Susan is one of my best customers. And yet I have never met her.

Last summer during the opening days of my exhibit, Susan was in my small town in Wisconsin all the way from Maine. She was visiting with a friend who was attending the Aber Suzuki music conferences that happen here each summer.

My show had just gone live, when Susan happened upon our little Gallery Q. And she was smitten with so many of the pieces that I made they left the gallery before the opening night of the show! But I am glad that Susan found her way to Stevens Point, WI and to our little Gallery Q on Main Street. I am mostly glad that the pieces I created found a wonderful home on the other side of the country, and that I have made a connection with a patron from afar.

I don't believe that you need to meet the person that you are designing for. I have had wonderful success making jewelry for scores of people that I have never met, who live far away from me. So I was delighted that Susan thought of me when seeking something special as a gift for her mother and her best friend. I asked if she would allow me to create my new 'simple truths' pendants for the pieces and she agreed. I am humbled that she has that level of trust with me. That is usually the last question I ask in a custom consultation: Do you trust me? Sometimes the client really wants to control every last detail, but more often than not, my clients believe that I will deliver something special for them and tell me that they trust me. I am pleased that Susan felt that way!

{This is where I started... translating Susan's descriptions into pendants}

When I work with a client, whether near or far away, I start by asking questions. I want to know about colors and lengths and style, of course. But I also want to know about what makes that person tick, what rocks their world, what consumes their passion. From there I can put together an image in my mind of the wearer and develop a piece attuned to her unique personality.

Susan told me that her mother was very much into ocean colors and is quite a character who appreciates one of a kind work (sounds like my kind of mother!). Susan told me that a word for her mother would be 'wisdom.' So 'simple wisdom' was born!

I created this piece with a starfish on the front as if it were floating in the bright blue sea. Complementing the ocean colors is a disk bead from Humblebeads hugged by two verdigris patinaed bead caps from MissFickle. I found some of my favorite picasso finish czech glass beads a while ago that meshed perfectly with the sea and sand color palette.

I wanted the other side to be lighter (in terms of the size of the beads), so I went with seed beads in a dark bronze color for one strand and the other strand a soft silver sheen to play up the silver plated bezel and the tiny twisted silver jump rings I added inside the etched brass jump rings. But it just wasn't enough to have those two seed bead strands as I designed it originally. There needed to be more visual weight to the piece. So I added a length of Vintaj etched brass chain that I wove the seeded strands through. It still wasn't enough. I realized that the lovely sea color was not represented on this side. So I went back and removed sets of two links along the chain and replaced them at various intervals with a wire wrapped Swarovski crystal in my very favorite color (I think it is called gray tabac and it is incredibly hard to find!) for a subtle flash of  color and sparkle. I like that the woven seed beads and chain remind me of seaweed washing up on the shores.

For the clasp I painstakingly wired tiny turquoise seed beads on a Vintaj hook clasp and ring. And I found a cute tiny starfish charm that ties it all together.

{'simple wisdom' - click to view larger}

For her friend, Susan told me that she loves nature in all its forms and is an outdoor person who walks every day and is an 'air' sign. She is also a mixed media artist and loves color, art and design. I hope that this friend appreciates my mixed media attempts and my color and design choices!

I call this piece 'find joy in nature' and it features a 'simple truths' pendant with those words on the back of a bird soaring high into a blue sky. In keeping with the bird theme, I found this special shibuichi bird toggle from Green Girl Studios. I have been saving that one for a very long time.

I started with two copper branches holding up a copper wire nest with a granite egg. That wire nest gave me all sorts of trouble. I think I ripped it apart three times before I figured out what I wanted to do. Specifically, I wanted to be sure that the necklace could be reversible on each so that the wearer can choose the image or the words to face front. That is a challenge in and of itself!

To represent the air that these two birds are soaring high in, I used gray opal Swarovski crystals and some amazing faceted labradorite heishi (which I have also been hoarding for about 6 years!). Labradorite is one of my very favorite stones. I love the subtle sheen of these beads and how substantial they look when they are all together. And the flash of blue is electric, like the hint of sky between the clouds.

Finishing off the back are two different copper chains and some sweet czech glass flowers dangling here and there.

Would you like to know a little bit about my process? I use a few tricks to make sure that the asymmetry works in a piece. I don't just launch into my stash and start throwing things together. There is a lot of trial and error in order to make it look cohesive and not random. Here are my favorite tricks:

• Similar shapes: The toggle, the branches and the egg all mimic the same oval shape and these pieces give your eye a place to travel through the necklace. 
• Repeated elements: Often I will repeat an element on opposite sides of the necklace, like the little czech glass flowers to tie it together. Sometimes I use color, like the silver seed beads and the silver twisted rings to tie both sides together. And both of these pieces are pretty monochromatic, but if I were to throw in an accent color,  I would balance it by repeating it elsewhere.
• Mix pattern with random: While these designs are asymmetrical, there is a distinct pattern to the beaded part in both designs. That helps ground the standalone elements.
• Pay attention to weight: Balancing the visual weight is key. When I started with the first necklace and only had two strands of seed beads, it felt a little lopsided. Now it has weight but also texture with the weaving.
• Numbers matter: Whether working with patterns or asymmetry, I like the numbers 1-3-5-7. I will use items in odd numbers to create a pattern, or to balance design elements, either repeating or solo.

I love to make custom pieces for people. It is like opening a puzzle and seeing all the pieces laid out before you. You have to find the corners and the outer edges to start to see the puzzle take shape. Then you start to fill in the gaps, focusing on color and shadow, as well as shape to find the perfect fit. And when you are all done, when you have found that last perfect piece, you have a beautiful image that you have brought into focus.

I am grateful for the chance to work with clients, whether they are around the corner or across the country from me. I hope that Susan is happy that she chose to trust me with interpreting her love for these special women in her life. Thank you, Susan, for putting your trust in me!


Have you ever put your trust in a custom order with a person that you have never met? 
What was that experience like for you? 
Do you like to have custom things made for you? Have you always been pleased with the outcome? Do you put your whole trust in someone creating a custom order for you? Or are you one who likes to manage every detail?
If you make something, do you like to accept custom orders? 
What challenges have you faced with custom orders? 
What triumphs have you had? 
Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

BTW::Custom Upcycle

I did it! I finally remembered that it was BTW before it was actually Wednesday!

{reinventing the bling - Julsbeads choices}

{sentimental favorites - Humblebeads choices for the two daughters}

{pulling it apart to put it together}

Tonight I managed to finish three necklaces.
I was given the opportunity to take some sentimental pieces from a friend from church named Rosan - like her mother's three strand costume pearl necklace and a pair of over the top crystal cluster earrings - and turn them into something new.

 The three-strand pearl necklace was not in the best shape, but the piece is sentimental to my client. She asked me to make an updated necklace for two of her daughters. I featured Humblebeads in both of these necklaces, using coordinating seed beads as spacers to make the beads go further, since a fair number of them had their lustre worn away over time. I mimicked the lines in the Humblebeads with the wavy silver and gold disks that remind me of flower petals.

I still have to make a double strand bracelet for my client from the remaining faux pearls. And to make it special I am going to use the ornate filigree pearl clasp as a little dangle.

Rosan also presented the challenge to take a very bling-y black crystal cluster earrings (complete with silver plated bows!) and tone it down a bit to make it something she would actually wear. So I selected a Julsbead from my prodigious stash and pitched the idea of breaking up the crystals into a necklace and earring set. I took apart about 30 crystals off their head pins and still only managed to use one of the earrings.

I like the way this piece turned out and think that Rosan will be proud to wear them now!

Turning someone's treasures into something they will actually wear is a great rush for me. It is like breathing new life into something that was forgotten or neglected.

BTW::Custom Upcycle

I did it! I finally remembered that it was BTW before it was actually Wednesday!

{reinventing the bling - Julsbeads choices}

{sentimental favorites - Humblebeads choices for the two daughters}

{pulling it apart to put it together}

Tonight I managed to finish three necklaces.
I was given the opportunity to take some sentimental pieces from a friend from church named Rosan - like her mother's three strand costume pearl necklace and a pair of over the top crystal cluster earrings - and turn them into something new.

 The three-strand pearl necklace was not in the best shape, but the piece is sentimental to my client. She asked me to make an updated necklace for two of her daughters. I featured Humblebeads in both of these necklaces, using coordinating seed beads as spacers to make the beads go further, since a fair number of them had their lustre worn away over time. I mimicked the lines in the Humblebeads with the wavy silver and gold disks that remind me of flower petals.

I still have to make a double strand bracelet for my client from the remaining faux pearls. And to make it special I am going to use the ornate filigree pearl clasp as a little dangle.

Rosan also presented the challenge to take a very bling-y black crystal cluster earrings (complete with silver plated bows!) and tone it down a bit to make it something she would actually wear. So I selected a Julsbead from my prodigious stash and pitched the idea of breaking up the crystals into a necklace and earring set. I took apart about 30 crystals off their head pins and still only managed to use one of the earrings.

I like the way this piece turned out and think that Rosan will be proud to wear them now!

Turning someone's treasures into something they will actually wear is a great rush for me. It is like breathing new life into something that was forgotten or neglected.

simple truths::modern wisdom

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."

~Oscar Wilde

{simple truths::modern wisdom}

Last fall I embarked on a journey to developing my own line of jewelry. Now I am finally ready to unveil it.

When I joined the Working Artists Initiative group in September we had to set goals for our 7 months together that would culminate in a body of artwork. My focus included creating a line of jewelry components that I would sell in the spring. My plan included developing a cohesive idea; selecting different mediums to experiment with; conducting market research at shows, through the Gallery Q sales, and through my blog; seeking the feedback of trusted bead artist and designer friends; and culminating in creating jewelry with the components for sale as well as selling them individually.

My goal is to sell 100 of the pieces (either as finished jewelry or as components).

I have been selling these as finished pieces of jewelry since the beginning of the year and so far they have been popular. I love this piece called 'fly high on love' with a sweet little robin. These pendants pair well with so much in my stash, from different metal tones (copper, silver, gold) to the beautiful array of Czech pressed glass to art beads from other polymer to ceramic to glass.

{a sweet little robin on a branch, for sale at Gallery Q}

 I started by making initial pendants for my niece and daughter for Christmas and a special necklace for my sister-in-law Mary who has done so much for our family and our kids.

{Christmas present for my sister in law Mary who loves teal and brown}

{the back, with the message 'life is grand'}

I have made custom pieces, like this pair of necklaces that are a remembrance of a young girl named Holly who died in a car accident right before Christmas. These two matching necklaces were given to Holly's mom and sister as a way to remember her always, the message in French says 'do not forget me'  and one small crystal to represent a tear.

{'non m'oubliez pas' - do not forget me in remembrance of a life cut short}

Or the mother's necklace for a girl I work with whose first child, Zayden, was born in October. And I even made a custom piece for my dear friend Kari as she starts a new chapter in her life, this piece has a dragonfly and the message 'every thing happens for a reason' and coordinates beautifully with Heather Powers' Humblebeads.

{for my dear friend Kari who is starting new - 'every thing happens for a reason' paired with humblebeads}

And I am currently offering a special semi-custom order form for these pendants as simple necklaces featuring my daughter's dance school logo on one side, and their initial or the name of the show on the other ("X" as in ten) and their favorite birthstone all as a fundraiser to celebrate Dance Education Center's 10th anniversary.

I am well on my way to selling the 100 pieces for my goal.

So, what is the concept and how did it come about?

I was inspired to create these pendants and charms, most of which feature a positive message, after reading a book by Patti Digh called "Four Word Self Help." This pithy little book is a great motivator. The idea is that by coming up with your positive message in just four words and carrying it with you, that it will manifest in your life. You know I love words. They hold so much power and presence for me. I pick a word to frame my year and I have quotes and snippets of poetry that mean something to me all over my life. So when it came time for me to settle on a direction for this line, I knew that words would play a big part.

Combining my love of words and jewelry has been a dream of mine. I like things that look old and worn, have a sense of wit and whimsy, and speak a deeper truth. I wanted to create components that I could use in my own jewelry, but also that others might want to put their own spin on. It would give me great pleasure to see what others would do with these!

{my initial prototypes included tiny dog tags - these are popular but not my favorite}

I started with metal. I stamped words on individual tiny dog tags, hammered them for texture and oxidized them for interest. People really liked these, and I still do them on request, but there are a lot of people who do stamped words so much better than I ever could, so I would have a hard time standing out in the Etsy Ocean. So, I will still hammer metal, and probably offer these through Gallery Q, but this idea was too much like things that have already been done and I wanted it to be my own.

{I love using resin and combining these fun pops of color with the words}

I also did the same thing with resin-filled bezels. I layered Japanese chiyogami papers in the bezels and then floated the words in the resin. I liked the colors, but no one really purchased any of these in my market research. So, I will still use resin, and it helped me decide that I wanted to bring color and whimsy to the pieces, but this idea didn't pan out for the components.

I really thought that etching the metal would be the way to go. But I couldn't come up with a plan that would make it easy, even with the E3 etching system. So, I will still experiment with etching, I do have a custom order pending for the dance studio using etched pieces, and I still want to try out all those patinas that I bought from MissFickle, but etching just wasn't it.

Then right before Christmas, Heather Powers had a little tutorial on little bezel bobby pins as last minute Christmas presents. Even though my plan that week was to have 10 pieces etched and patina-ed by Monday, I went out and bought polymer clay instead. Of course. Makes perfect sense. I used the bezels I bought in the fall for the resin experiments and started coming up with my own ideas.

{hoots - available on Etsy}

Each 'simple truths' pendant or charm is lovingly hand made by me using polymer clay set in bezels then detailed with paint and buffed with Renaissance Wax. I love the mixed media feeling of these and they have a painterly quality that I adore. Some are one sided with just an image or a combination of words and image, some are double-sided so that you can choose which side is facing out. Or hold the words close to your heart.

Each one is different and there are no two alike. I like it that way. I am not a machine, and I don't really have an interest in making dozens of the same charms. Who really wants to see the exact same pendant used by someone else? I made the decision to hand craft each one individually, and that is how I do it. While I do carry around a little notebook that has ideas for the words, I am never sure what the image will look like until it is done. Perhaps it isn't the most efficient way of doing things, but that is okay. I like them organic, growing from the work of my two hands, and lovingly painted and sealed.

Because I will make these in small batches, I plan to have updates from time to time. If you are interested in being included in a simple truths pendant update, please fill out the Treasures Found Nation form in the sidebar. I hate being spammed and I promise that I will only use that email to communicate with you about pendant updates or special subscriber only deals and discounts.

{what would you do with 'bloom where you are planted'?}

In honor of the big release of these pendants/charms (already selling - thank you!), I would like to give someone the opportunity to win a simple truths pendant of their very own. And I would really love to see what you would create with it (or if you are not someone who makes beaded jewelry, then I will provide you with a chain so you can wear it out of the box!). Leave a comment below to enter. That is all there is to it. You don't have to be a follower, you don't have to sign up for the pendant updates, you just need to leave me a comment, like...

Tell me what you like about these...is it the colors? the metals? the words?
Tell me what quote or phrase or word you would like to see on future pendants?
Tell me what colors you would like to see them painted in?
Tell me what type of beads you would pair with this pendant if you won... art beads? glass? pearls? gemstones?

I will pick a random winner from all comments on this post by 02/14/2011!
Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

simple truths::modern wisdom

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."

~Oscar Wilde

{simple truths::modern wisdom}

Last fall I embarked on a journey to developing my own line of jewelry. Now I am finally ready to unveil it.

When I joined the Working Artists Initiative group in September we had to set goals for our 7 months together that would culminate in a body of artwork. My focus included creating a line of jewelry components that I would sell in the spring. My plan included developing a cohesive idea; selecting different mediums to experiment with; conducting market research at shows, through the Gallery Q sales, and through my blog; seeking the feedback of trusted bead artist and designer friends; and culminating in creating jewelry with the components for sale as well as selling them individually.

My goal is to sell 100 of the pieces (either as finished jewelry or as components).

I have been selling these as finished pieces of jewelry since the beginning of the year and so far they have been popular. I love this piece called 'fly high on love' with a sweet little robin. These pendants pair well with so much in my stash, from different metal tones (copper, silver, gold) to the beautiful array of Czech pressed glass to art beads from other polymer to ceramic to glass.

{a sweet little robin on a branch, for sale at Gallery Q}

 I started by making initial pendants for my niece and daughter for Christmas and a special necklace for my sister-in-law Mary who has done so much for our family and our kids.

{Christmas present for my sister in law Mary who loves teal and brown}

{the back, with the message 'life is grand'}

I have made custom pieces, like this pair of necklaces that are a remembrance of a young girl named Holly who died in a car accident right before Christmas. These two matching necklaces were given to Holly's mom and sister as a way to remember her always, the message in French says 'do not forget me'  and one small crystal to represent a tear.

{'non m'oubliez pas' - do not forget me in remembrance of a life cut short}

Or the mother's necklace for a girl I work with whose first child, Zayden, was born in October. And I even made a custom piece for my dear friend Kari as she starts a new chapter in her life, this piece has a dragonfly and the message 'every thing happens for a reason' and coordinates beautifully with Heather Powers' Humblebeads.

{for my dear friend Kari who is starting new - 'every thing happens for a reason' paired with humblebeads}

And I am currently offering a special semi-custom order form for these pendants as simple necklaces featuring my daughter's dance school logo on one side, and their initial or the name of the show on the other ("X" as in ten) and their favorite birthstone all as a fundraiser to celebrate Dance Education Center's 10th anniversary.

I am well on my way to selling the 100 pieces for my goal.

So, what is the concept and how did it come about?

I was inspired to create these pendants and charms, most of which feature a positive message, after reading a book by Patti Digh called "Four Word Self Help." This pithy little book is a great motivator. The idea is that by coming up with your positive message in just four words and carrying it with you, that it will manifest in your life. You know I love words. They hold so much power and presence for me. I pick a word to frame my year and I have quotes and snippets of poetry that mean something to me all over my life. So when it came time for me to settle on a direction for this line, I knew that words would play a big part.

Combining my love of words and jewelry has been a dream of mine. I like things that look old and worn, have a sense of wit and whimsy, and speak a deeper truth. I wanted to create components that I could use in my own jewelry, but also that others might want to put their own spin on. It would give me great pleasure to see what others would do with these!

{my initial prototypes included tiny dog tags - these are popular but not my favorite}

I started with metal. I stamped words on individual tiny dog tags, hammered them for texture and oxidized them for interest. People really liked these, and I still do them on request, but there are a lot of people who do stamped words so much better than I ever could, so I would have a hard time standing out in the Etsy Ocean. So, I will still hammer metal, and probably offer these through Gallery Q, but this idea was too much like things that have already been done and I wanted it to be my own.

{I love using resin and combining these fun pops of color with the words}

I also did the same thing with resin-filled bezels. I layered Japanese chiyogami papers in the bezels and then floated the words in the resin. I liked the colors, but no one really purchased any of these in my market research. So, I will still use resin, and it helped me decide that I wanted to bring color and whimsy to the pieces, but this idea didn't pan out for the components.

I really thought that etching the metal would be the way to go. But I couldn't come up with a plan that would make it easy, even with the E3 etching system. So, I will still experiment with etching, I do have a custom order pending for the dance studio using etched pieces, and I still want to try out all those patinas that I bought from MissFickle, but etching just wasn't it.

Then right before Christmas, Heather Powers had a little tutorial on little bezel bobby pins as last minute Christmas presents. Even though my plan that week was to have 10 pieces etched and patina-ed by Monday, I went out and bought polymer clay instead. Of course. Makes perfect sense. I used the bezels I bought in the fall for the resin experiments and started coming up with my own ideas.

{hoots - available on Etsy}

Each 'simple truths' pendant or charm is lovingly hand made by me using polymer clay set in bezels then detailed with paint and buffed with Renaissance Wax. I love the mixed media feeling of these and they have a painterly quality that I adore. Some are one sided with just an image or a combination of words and image, some are double-sided so that you can choose which side is facing out. Or hold the words close to your heart.

Each one is different and there are no two alike. I like it that way. I am not a machine, and I don't really have an interest in making dozens of the same charms. Who really wants to see the exact same pendant used by someone else? I made the decision to hand craft each one individually, and that is how I do it. While I do carry around a little notebook that has ideas for the words, I am never sure what the image will look like until it is done. Perhaps it isn't the most efficient way of doing things, but that is okay. I like them organic, growing from the work of my two hands, and lovingly painted and sealed.

Because I will make these in small batches, I plan to have updates from time to time. If you are interested in being included in a simple truths pendant update, please fill out the Treasures Found Nation form in the sidebar. I hate being spammed and I promise that I will only use that email to communicate with you about pendant updates or special subscriber only deals and discounts.

{what would you do with 'bloom where you are planted'?}

In honor of the big release of these pendants/charms (already selling - thank you!), I would like to give someone the opportunity to win a simple truths pendant of their very own. And I would really love to see what you would create with it (or if you are not someone who makes beaded jewelry, then I will provide you with a chain so you can wear it out of the box!). Leave a comment below to enter. That is all there is to it. You don't have to be a follower, you don't have to sign up for the pendant updates, you just need to leave me a comment, like...

Tell me what you like about these...is it the colors? the metals? the words?
Tell me what quote or phrase or word you would like to see on future pendants?
Tell me what colors you would like to see them painted in?
Tell me what type of beads you would pair with this pendant if you won... art beads? glass? pearls? gemstones?

I will pick a random winner from all comments on this post by 02/14/2011!
Do tell!

Enjoy the day!

What Can You Do with a Humble-bead?

"Because our gifts carry us out into the world and make us participants in life, the uncovering of them is one of the most important tasks confronting any one of us." ~Elizabeth O'Connor

Oh, how I love a challenge!

And when the challenge includes some beads from one of my very favorite designers in this whole wide world, how can you go wrong?

And I think that by accepting challenges we find our talents are uncovered particularly when we are forced outside of our comfort zones.

Heather Powers of Humblebeads asked me to participate in a new Design Team Challenge on the popular Art Bead Scene blog. She sent some of her brand-spankin' new hand painted Autumn Wildflowers Pendants {have seen these labor-intensive babies in person and they are GOR-geous!} as well as some of her disk beads in coordinating colors. These are not really outside of my comfort zone, but this challenge helped me to explore new things nonetheless.

From that little goodie package I managed to come up with four designs.

By the Wayside

I was inspired by this focal that reminded me of some of the grasses blowing in the breeze in the ditches and culverts along the back country roads in Wisconsin. The colors are soft, and the flowers are so dainty. I paired that with some chain, recycled sari silk ribbon in a sage-y green color, a vintage scroll bead from Yone Beads in San Francisco and some pressed glass leaves that I picked up last summer on my jaunt to Galena, IL to visit the Vintaj girls.

Out on a Limb

...that is where the fruit is!
These branch beads in tones of gray and copper are so beautiful that they deserve to be center stage. I picked up a package of those new Industrial Chic connectors from Susan Lenart Kazmer's line exclusive to Michaels and thought they looked like a modified branch. {If you haven't seen these components you must be living under a rock, or else you don't have a Michaels nearby. So sad! See if you can find them! They are great!} So I wire-wrapped a little copper leaf connector and added some bead caps and Swarovski crystals.
The first is Out On A Limb - Rust {which is currently highlighted in the Reader Challenge on the Objects and Elements blog - go see all the great entries!} and the other is

Out On A Limb - Frost
{I actually painted some silver on the leaf to make it blend more with the frosty tones}.


Frost on the Blooms

And finally, there was a lovely pair of blue branch beads that were just begging to be earrings. These branches against a bright blue sky reminded me of the limbs of the trees by the Wisconsin River in the winter, starkly outlined against the sky. And "Frost on the Blooms" was born.

But the real magic is in seeing what all the talent produced with the same components. Go to the Art Bead Scene website to read about all of these amazing artists and their creations.

Enjoy the day!