The Big Leap

I've been reading (listening actually) to a great book by Gay Hendricks called The Big Leap and I really want to share it with everyone. I loaded it on my iphone through Audible. I'm a big believer in paying attention to the information that's going into your head through your ears. There is so much media around that I think we're sometimes unaware of how much it can affect your mood. I really consciously try to listen to something positive at some point during my day. There are so many great podcasts and audio books available for little or no cost. Download them to your player of choice and YOU control who and what's informing you about the world. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not above an episode of Real Housewives on TIVO now and then!!)

So anyway, my current fav is this book The Big Leap. It's premise is that we all have "upper limit problems" that we're probably not aware of. These limits keep you stuck and prevent you from achieving your full potential. It's a fascinating concept and I've found a lot of truth in it. Worth checking out for sure. Here's the link: http://thebigleap.net/



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Just Let It Go!

I had big plans for today. Yes I did. I was going to get a lot done. But then my middle child felt horrible this morning and had to stay home and go to the doctor. Also, the dishwasher installer, dry wall repairman and roofer all showed up. (Not when they were scheduled to.) Add to the mix a certain 3 year old little boy who has not been happy with anyone or anything all day. Needless to say, the day didn't go as planned.

I finally gave up my big intentions and Jess and I made some Shrinky Dink jewelry. Which was a whole lot of fun for both of us. The to-do list will still be there tomorrow. Not too bad a day after all...

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A GOOD Day!

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What a good day it's been so far! Got a good workout in this morning, all 3 kiddos went to school, then I grabbed my laptop and was out the door. I've been hiding out in one of my favorite bookstores, The Tattered Cover, since 10:00. Adding new pages to the website and tweaking photos. I have to leave at 2:00 to pick up little boy, but what joy to sit at this comfortable table in peace for a few hours. Ahhhh......

Love This Band

Recently "discovered" the John Butler Trio! Great band!! Good beats, easy to listen to, they inspire me at the moment.

The Downside of Having Your Own Business

What did I "forget to find out" when I thought it would be SO great to have my own business? All of the numbers and paperwork!! Just finished taxes. This is a view of my poor desk. I will say that I'm much better with the business side of things than I once was, but I will NEVER learn to like this stuff. One day I should write down everything I've learned about taxes, liscenses, EINs, credit card processing, web hosting, business banking, wholesale buying, etc....but what I really want to do is make jewelry that makes me and others happy. SO, now that this silly Federal obligation is done, I'm back at it!!

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Totally random picture of a wood carving that I thought was cool. Love the thoughtful look on his face. I need some of that peace today! Life has spun out a bit the last few weeks. No idea when I'm going to edit and post the 140 pictures I downloaded today! Where did March go??!!

Cold Connections

Several non-jewelry making friends have asked why I went all the way to Santa Fe to take a jewelry class. (My 3 year old calls it "jewelry school"!) So I thought it would be good to explain a little about what I was doing in New Mexico. Bead Fest Santa Fe was the draw for my trip. Bead Fest is run by Interweave Press, one of the biggest and best names in art and craft publicaions. They have several of these events throughout the year accross the country. Here's a link: http://www.beadfest.com/beadfest/ These events are a great opportunity to take classes that aren't typically offered in your local area. It's also a great opportunity to buy raw materials and meet others who share your passion for making stuff!!

My main love is wire work and for a long time I've been wanting to know more about cold connections. What the heck is a cold connection? It's basically joining metal together without heat - solder or fusing. We're talking rivets and tiny screws. It's a great, somewhat industrial look, that I'm crazy for. It's also one of those skills where learning directly from someone with a lot of experience can save you a ton of time and money in the long run. I was fortunate enough to get into a class with Connie Fox, one of the superstars of wirework and jewelry teaching. So exciting!! Connie does beautiful work that is featured in many jewelry publications. She also teaches all over the country and has instructional DVDs. Here's a link to her site: http://www.conniefox.com/

I wasn't dissapointed. The class gave me all the basic cold connection skills that I was looking for. Connie has a very relaxed teaching style that made everyone feel at ease. (I couldn't resist asking her for a few teaching tips.) She demonstrated how to make plain rivets, tube rivets, cotterpins and the very cool tiny screws and nuts. We also learned some flex shaft tricks as well as wire guage and drill bit selection skills. Everyone seemed to throughly enjoy trying out our new skills. In fact, Connie had to push us out at lunch time - no one wanted to quit working. Now I'm back home with some cool new tools and lots of ideas bouncing around my brain. If you can make it to one of these shows I'd really encourage it. It will inspire you to try new techiniques and help you to grow as a jewelry maker.