practicing wire wrapping

Have you taken any jewelry classes online? I recently took Max Goodman's Jewelry Workshop through Craftsy.com. Max covers pearl knotting, wire wrapping, chain making & photo etching and does a good job of talking students through each step in the process. I took the class primarily for the wire wrapping and chain making and wasn't disappointed. I've been practicing the wire wrapping using wires, beads & findings I had on hand. The center item of the earth-toned bracelet below is one of my Friendly Plastic creations (love that stuff!).

Happy creating! And remember, as we learn new skills...

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." ~ Katherine Graham

Believe,
Di

jewelry mode

The earring swap I participated in last week ignited a bit of a jewelry craze for me. Here are the latest creations.

The beautiful purple and silver glass beads in these earrings are encircled by rings made from UTEE, alcohol inks and various powders. I thought then provided an atmospheric or planetary ring quality to the glass beads that remotely look like planets.

The pendant is stamped friendly plastic, coated with gloss glaze.

"Do what's in front of you as well as possible. Keep going until you realize what you're best at." ~ Helen Gurley Brown

Believe,
Di

beaded earrings

I joined another quick swap today ~ this time for earrings. I haven't made jewelry for months, and needed to get my supplies out to repair a bracelet for my sister, so it seemed like a great idea. And as always, I had fun! I've had these beautiful glass beads for quite awhile, but don't have any clothing in these colors so they are perfect to use for a swap. The earring wire itself is gold-plated, so will hopefully be ok for my swap partner.

I had so much fun, I decided to make something for myself. I'd purchased these pewter moons moons ago (ha ha). They pair well with the dragonfly and glass beads. It's simple bead work, but they are one of a kind and all mine, and each time I wear them, I'll remember the relaxing afternoon I enjoyed making them.

"The ability to embrace my ordinariness makes me feel extraordinary." ~ Jana Kennon

Believe
Di

generic vs handmade

I was invited to have coffee with a local business woman last week. She owns her own small business & gave me a tour of the beautiful facility. It wasn't a job interview ~ rather ~ we were just reconnecting (I'd taken a class from her many years ago, not long after she founded her business). I was so amazed and appreciative that she'd make time in her busy day to foster a relationship ~ that is what small business is all about! A generic, store-bought 'professional' business card feel right to me, so I chose to make one using her company's color. I wondered through Michael's looking for embellishments & came across some flowers. The colors didn't scan well but that's ok.

Customizing our creations for the recipients not only makes it more appealing to the recipient, but helps push our creativity where we might not otherwise go (or to use items we might not otherwise use)....

Remember...

"Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower." ~ John Harrigan

Believe,
Di

check in and bookmark swap

Yowsa! It's been six weeks since my last post. If anyone tells you looking for employment is a full-time job in itself, believe them! While I look forward to receiving a paycheck again, this transition period and journey of exploration has been tremendously rewarding as far as personal growth. I've met some fabulous women and discovered paths and opportunities I didn't know existed. Going out into the world after nearly 29 years at one company is like discovering a complete library of books when previously you only had access to a few. Oh, the possibilities!

Speaking of books, I've read several so far this year and if I had to pick just one to recommend, I'd recommend Aspire by Kevin Hall. I finished it and immediately started reading it again... it's that good. If you want something to get you thinking & truly inspire you, read this book.

And now for the 'goods.' In April I signed up for a Yahoo Group bookmark swap for May. It was a perfect push for me to create something when I might not otherwise take the time. I created yesterday and oh what fun I had! Creating was fun... the challenge was trying to make items that the recipients might like. I know one of the gals but the other two are new to me, so I had to make assumptions based on previous correspondence I'd seen from them, blogs, etc. Anyhoo.... here's what I ended up with:

The beautiful image of an Indian postcard is from Stampington & Company, cat stencil by All Night Media, and daisy paper by DCWV. Twinkling H2Os made one of the daisies pop out, along with a mixture of embossing powders for the center. It was a great day and I look forward to my next stint playing/creating. In the meantime, I leave you with a quote from Aspire:

"Talents and gifts do not reduce or diminish when shared; they expand and increase like the widening ripples from a pebble dropped in water." ~ Kevin Hall

Believe,
Di

new storage and wip

My hubby has been revamping his workshop. After building some new wall cabinetry, he had some leftover pegboard, so he built this storage/display unit for me.

I removed the handle on top, added casters to the bottom and filled one side with some clearance/thrift shop findings that will eventually be used in art or altered jewelry.

Here it is in its new home. Notice Winston and Gandalf there? Ahhh.... love....

And here's what I've added to one of the backgrounds I shared a couple weeks ago. It's my first painting of a person. I just "saw" her in the background and brought her forward. It was weird, and, it was magical. She's not complete, at least I don't think so.... I'm just letting this piece come about as it will. I look at it each day, open for it to to speak to me again... telling me how it wants to emerge...

"See into life -- don't just look at it." ~ Anne Baxter

Believe,

Di

winter isn't giving up

It's March 29 and winter isn't giving up on Iowa yet. We didn't get much snow overnight, but enough to blanket most things. It's so clean and fresh! Mother Nature is making everything clean & sparkly for spring to make a glorious & colorful late entrance!

When I turned back to the house, I discovered these two priceless babes watching my every move. Gandalf and Winston haven't let me out of their sight much since we lost Gandalf's brother Avatar to renal failure Friday night. They haven't had much attention the last few weeks since I've been caring for Avy, so not only are they making sure I'm ok, they are wanting their fill of affection (and believe me, I've been pouring it on them). I don't know what I'd do without my boys..... at the moment, they are each curled up napping in their baskets next to my desk. Yup, I'm in love..... :)

Believe,

Di

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time --

A day to begin transforming winter's dreams

into summer's magic. ~ Adrienne Cook

Believe,
Di

get your craft on

The last few days I've taken a break from job search stuff to nourish my creative side, which, quite frankly, was getting pretty darn cranky about not getting any attention. My husband gave a Zentangle kit to me for Valentine's Day (he rocks!) so I've started playing around a bit with Zentangles. I created and sent holiday cards (yes, I was so late with Christmas/New Year's cards that I sent St. Patrick's Day cards instead ... hey, better late than never, right?), and worked on two backgrounds for new pieces:

I'll share the pieces once completed.

On the book front, I finished reading Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings by Kelly Rae Roberts (excellent!). The last couple of chapters were definitely my favorites, and this book is now residing in my craft room, within easy reach whenever I need inspiration. I started Room by Emma Donoghue (love it!) and will finish Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston tonight. What have you been reading?

Now, in honor of March being National Craft Month, I encourage you to go forth and get your craft on! {smile}

Believe,
Di

connection, gratitude & hope

Sharing our thoughts & creations takes courage, but the rewards are worth the effort and with each step, connections are made & confidence grows. The creative blogging community is a wonderful web of support & encouragement that is sometimes hard to find in one's local community. Though we don't all have the same tastes and preferences (how boring would that be?), we look for something good in each new soul we encounter. I thank all the wonderful friends I've made through blogging, and welcome the new friends who have recently become "followers."

One of my new pals, Tammy at Bonsai Habits, posted this video on her blog last week. It's such an important message, I'm passing it along too. I hope you'll take a few minutes to take it in....



Believe,
Di

OWOH winner

OWOH = WOW! I am so glad I made the effort to participate in this wonderful event. I haven't even scratched the surface when visiting all the fabulous creative souls & their blogs. Heck, I haven't even read the comments on my own blog (I'm sorry for this ~ it's on the top of my to-do list for tomorrow!). For now, it's February 17 pm and time to announce my winner. Drum roll please...
#131.... Nicole at Beadwright! Nicole, I'll contact you for your book choice and mailing address.

My sincere thanks to all the visitors to my blog during this event. I'm anxious to read the comments tomorrow as well as continue visiting others from the event.

Believe,
Di

Walking Through Illusion

This week's snowstorm took out our internet last night, so I curled up & finished a good book I'd started in January. I don't normally share much on my blog about the books I read, but this book was different and since it's not a best seller or on Oprah's list, I want to get the word out about it. It's Walking Through Illusion by Betsy Otter Thompson. Here's the description on the back cover:

"Walking Through Illusion features a series of short stories about biblical people who either knew Jesus or knew of him, and were influenced by him in one way or another. It is about people who lived long before Christianity began. The author believes that we don't take our beliefs with us when we leave here; we take the love we found from having them.

"Each chapter focuses on the growth of a particular person and each chapter is complete within itself with a specific theme. The end of each chapter has a worksheet with questions, designed to bring the ideas from the book into the reader's everyday life in a meaningful way."

Let me share up front that I'm not Christian nor do I know much of the bible. As such, I was a bit skeptical about reading this book. However, I do pride myself on being open-minded & inquisitive, and I thoroughly enjoy books that help me grow & evolve so I decided to give it a try. While I believe it would've been an easier read if I had known something about these biblical characters, my naivete meant I came to the stories with no preconceived notions. Topics addressed included Morality, Approval, Confusion, Death, etc. (23 in all). Most of the stories were easily relatable to my own modern day life. To help with that connection, the author shared her own personal insights on each story/lesson. I would not have guessed it when I read those first few pages, but I ended up highlighting multiple passages in the book, having been touched by them, and even tabbing a few powerful pages. I'm very glad I opened my heart & mind to this book. It was well worth the time.

If you too pursue personal growth, or just enjoy a good read, I recommend Walking Through Illusion. http://www.betsythompson.com

One World One Heart 2011

Last night was the official kickoff of One World One Heart 2011. I am excited to participate this year and want to thank Lisa Swifka for hosting this wonderful event. I'm anxious to blog hop all over the world the next couple of weeks, meeting other bloggers and peeking into their worlds. We are all alike in one way or another, and it's fun to uncover those similarities and learn from our differences.

Oh, silly me... introductions....

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Dianna but my friends call me Di. I live in central Iowa, USA. Having worked in the corporate world my entire adult life, I decided a few years back it was time to nurture the other side of my brain/self. When I could make time in my schedule, I started dabbling in various creative areas, starting first with silk flowers & greeting cards and more recently playing around with mixed media, jewelry, essential oils, a wee bit of photography, etc. I've been having a blast! The biggest challenge has been finding time & energy while working a full time (plus) job. That issue is being resolved for me, as I'm one of 1,500 being laid off at our company. My last day will be 2/15/11, so while I've been busy & will continue to be busy finding a new job, I intend to find one that affords me more time to enjoy life & express myself through creative activities! One of these days I hope to land on one or two creative outlets that truly make my heart sing AND bring joy to others. My dream is to take that creative outlet and turn it into career in some way (hey, a girl's gotta have goals, right?). In the meantime, I want a job supporting someone else reaching their goal. When I'm not working, I'll continue learning, practicing & sharing various art & crafts.

The on-line creative community (bloggers, yahoo groups, etc.) has become an important part of my life, just like creating/crafting is now integral to who I am.

Anyhoooo, I encourage you to roam around my site. If you have a question, comment or suggestion about anything, please let me know.

Oh, and as a thank you for visiting my blog, if you are an active worldwide blogger & leave a comment on this OWOH post between 1/30/11 and 2/17/11 (with a way for me to contact you in the event you win), you name will be entered in a drawing. One lucky blogger will win this bookmark I made along with her/his choice of one of the following books (just three of my favorites, and don't worry, the winner will receive a new book and not my marked up, written in, tabbed version).

• Life is a Verb by Patti Digh
• I Can Do It by Louise L. Hay
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

I'll draw the winning name on 02/17/11.

Believe,
Di

craigslist virgin no more

Well, I made my first craigslist purchase this evening. While I don't typically get pulled in by trends and such, I've been taken in over the past couple of years by the versatility of dress forms. Keeping my eye open for an inexpensive one for many months now, I stumbled across this one late last week. She reminds me of my late-teen days working in the dress/gift shop. I can't wait to clean her up so she adds a bit of style to my craft room!

I hope you too are enjoying unexpected delights this week.

Believe,
Di

you are worth the time

This message is too important not to share...



Thank you, Jan Phillips.

bookmark swap

It's been many months since I participated in any of the activities in the Yahoo groups I'm in. I finally ended that cycle today. My plan was to make a bookmark from polymer clay, but for some reason the clay wouldn't harden so I switched gears and used metal. The recipient likes deep colors, nature-inspired themes, suns and moons so I choose jewel-toned ocean colors and end beads that have a sun on one side and moon on the other. The back reminds me of rain.

It was fun to make ~ I hope she likes it!

Believe,
Di

winter's splendor

Winter blessed central Iowa with so much beauty this morning, my heart was full...

May you too find peace & quiet beauty this last week of 2010.

Believe...
Di

it's the fifth & final but it's my first

Lisa over at A Whimsical Bohemian has announced the details for the fifth & final One World One Heart event. I plan to participate (my first time!). Won't you join, too?

haiku expressions - part 4

This is the last post for the collaborative challenge Phyll & I did. Here is the piece I created, followed by two haiku she wrote to express her interpretation of it:

The black hole confounds.
Man ponders its mystery,
But what if it's white?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I cut the black hole.
A total absence of light
Reflects in my eyes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Aren't these haiku thought-provoking? I really like what Phyll did with them!

As for the art, the background is something I started nearly a year ago and have added various layers to and tinkered with off and on for months, never quite sure what I'd use it for. When it came time for me to create a piece for our collaboration, I knew it would be the perfect starting place. I toyed with making it an underwater scene of some sort, but my love of moon and sun items won and thus it became cosmic space. The sun was made from Friendly Plastic (both stick and pellets) & alcohol inks. The moon too was made of FP. The photo doesn't show it well, but there's pearl ink forming craters. While I liked it the overall piece just like that, my intent was to illustrate balance.... internal balance.... but how? The idea of something busting through intrigued me, so I pursued it, adding the mirror to reflect on the viewer and imply the internal/personal balance breakthrough. Something like that anyway.... When my hubby saw it, his initial reaction was a black hole had consumed our earth. Then he saw it was a mirror and made some wisecrack about the universe revolving around him... LOL!! I like all our interpretations, and love that the piece has a voice at an individual level. It has become one of my favorites.

My thanks go out to Phyll for her creative talents, open mind, willingness to try anything and loads of patience! You are a true gem, Phyll!

Believe...
Di

haiku expressions - part 3

For the second half of our collaborative challenge, Phyll & I each created something artistic and the other wrote a haiku to represent it. Here is the intriguing piece Phyll created, followed by my interpretation, expressed via haiku.

traveling through time
they felt the pulsing rhythm
an eternal dance

Here's a close-up shot of some of the detail of Phyll's piece, so you can appreciate the work. She's truly got a knack for details!

My piece is done and as soon as I take a decent photograph of it for Phyll to work with, I'll share it along with what I'm sure will be a fantastic haiku from her.

Believe...

Di

haiku expressions - part 2

Phyll received my art piece so I can safely post a photo of it now. Phyll has a way with words, so I had a difficult time picking just one of several haiku she wrote. One, in particular, touched me, but my muse wasn't successful coming up with just the right visual representation to do it justice so I stepped away a few days and came back. This time, another haiku called to a part of me, and my muse was game! Here's the haiku Phyll wrote along with the piece I made to represent it:

I'm remembering

How mother loved fresh flowers

Tucked in every room.

She left me all her vases.

They don't fill the same.

Next up... we each create something artistic and the other writes a haiku to represent it. This should prove interesting! *smile*

Believe...
Di

haiku expressions - part 1

To challenge each other & ourselves, my online pal Phyll & I decided to try a collaboration. We each wrote a few haiku & the other person chose one and created a 5" x 7" representation. Here's the haiku I wrote & the beautiful representation piece I received from Phyll:

sweet nectar sustains

hovering so gracefully

blink and she is gone

The Friendly Plastic hummingbird is stunning! She's really taken FP places I haven't ventured yet. And isn't it cool how she incorporated an eye into the piece? Details! Art is in the details! Thank you, Phyll!

I'm mailing my piece to Phyll tomorrow, so will post a picture in the next few days.

Believe...

Di

meet "Heath"

or "Heather" ~ I haven't quite decided... {smile}

This precious & intricately detailed fairy chrysalis was created by the wonderfully talented Heather, over at Heather's Daydreams. I swear she must use powerful reading glasses AND a desktop magnifier to do this work...AND have extremely steady hands. It's quite impressive & she'd make a fortune if she'd sell them. Thank you, Heather! After the month I've had, your love & generosity brought tears to my eyes.

Yes, it's been a challenging month, but everyone has those so I won't dwell here. There's enough drama on tv ~ I don't want it on my blog. I'm finishing up a collaborative swap with my pal Phyll and will share the finished pieces soon. I've been chomping at the bit to share the eye-catching piece she created, so check back so you don't miss it.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a couple quotes...

"The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate and expand her sense of actual possibilities." ~ Adrienne Rich

"We are each of us angels with only one wing, to fly we need only embrace each other." ~ Jessamyn West

Believe...
Di

books aside

My free, gently-used art books didn't fly off the shelves like I thought they might but that's ok. I'm sure I'll find loving homes for them at some point. For now, I'm putting them aside to begin a creative collaboration with my online pal Phyll. She's worked with countless mediums and is always experimenting with new things. I'm anxious to see what she does. Heck, I'm anxious to see what I do, since it's been quite awhile since I've played on that side of the studio! LOL! I'll share the photos/scans of the pieces when they're done. For now, I'll leave you with a quote:

"The root meaning of the word art is "to fit together" and we all do this every day. Not all of us are painters, but we are all artists. Each time we fit things together we are creating -- whether it is to make a loaf of bread, a child, a day." ~ Corita Kent

recipients & a few more books to give away

I'm tickled to be able to pass along these books/publications to three lovely ladies:

• The Princess ~ The Art of Cartooning by Walter Foster
• Tami ~ Art Escapes ~ Daily Exercises & Inspirations for Discovering Greater Creativity & Artistic Confidence, by Dory Kanter
• Jodi ~ Artful Blogging, Aug/Sep/Oct '09 & Somerset Studio Sep/Oct '07, Nov/Dec '07, Mar/Apr '08 & Jul/Aug '09

Tami, would you please send an email to me with your mailing address? My email is shown on my profile ("about me") page.

Since I still have a few books/publications available, and have now added three more, I'll make another offer.

• Cloth Paper Scissors, July/August 2009
• Cloth Paper Scissors, September/October 2009
• Creative Cardmaking a Complete Guide, published by North Light Books
• Herbal Pleasures Cooking & Crafts by Katherine Richmond
• Old Age Is Always 15 Years Older Than I Am ~ a book of quotes that are great for making birthday cards
• Paper Crafting with Carol Duval
• Sew Crafty ~ Craft Projects That Are Sew Much Fun They'll Have You In Stitches by Heather Lancaster & Desiree Tanner
• The Stamper's Sampler June/July 2007
• The Ultimate Crafts Compendium, published by Hermes House

If you're interested, email me or leave a comment by 8/30/10 and let me know which one(s) you'd like. If more than one person asks for a particular item, I'll ask my dh to draw names from a hat. The items & shipping are free. I just ask that you only request what you'll actually read/use.

I'll announce winners 8/31/10 or shortly thereafter, and ask that mailing addresses be privately emailed to me at that time (if not already provided).

Enjoy every moment

Di