Felt pebbles...

These wonderful felt pebbles couldn't be more fun!!  

They are handmade by Smika - who is extremely talented and wonderfully sweet!!!

I absolutely love using them in my jewelry - they add such a fun 

unique and unexpected look to the pieces they grace!!

So...I just ordered about 100 new pebbles in about 14  new colors!!! 

 Oh the fun I will have...the spring and summer line will be full of felt felt touches! 

 Can't wait!!

My Love of Art

I am participating in The Love of Art Blog Party today hosted by Rachel Payne

What a wonderful thing...writing about why we love art!

I am sure each of us is very different in the type of art we create

and the type of art we love or are drawn to

but I bet the reasons we love art are probably very very similar!

For me it's very basic at it's core...

I love art because it makes me happy!

When I am in the process of creating I am at peace.

Without those moments of creativity I am a mess...

nothing else can fall into place...

because I am not in place.

As long as I am creating at some level on a regular basis...

well it makes the rest fall into place a little easier.

(beautiful wooden heart by my sister Jamie)

Art connects!!!

This is another huge reason that I love art.

The artist community is a wonderful place...

meeting and chatting and brainstorming with other artists...

oh what an awesome thing... 

it leads to more courage, bigger ideas, and new possibilities...

and the discovery of some extremely awesome ARTISTS...

those Kindred Spirits...

(beautiful tin heart made by one of my favorite artists Carissa Fox of Brown Eyed Fox)

and their beautiful ART!!!

ART that now graces the walls of my home...

ART that brings a smile to my face...

ART that might just inspire more ART!!!

Not to mention the good artists do...

I have had the opportunity to help others through my art.

There have been times when maybe I haven't been able to give money to a worthy cause...

but I can always donate a piece of my art...

and it can be sold or auctioned off and maybe bring a slight blessing to another.

What's not to love about that.

So see it's simple...

art makes me happy...

I simply cannot be me without art!!

(posted both here and at Curry Chaos)

My wish...

My wish for this day is that you all are surrounded in love!

And remember I appreciate each and every one of you!!

The Bead Soup I sent

Remember this little sneak peak?

 Now I can reveal what I actually sent...

since my partner Mary Jane Dodd has received her soup and posted about it on her blog.

I started with this beautiful ceramic pendant by Lisa Peters.  

I added a couple of strands of autumn jasper pebbles because 

they seemed to be the perfect compliment.  As I was looking at the colors of 

the autumn jasper my thoughts went to my gorgeous stash of felt beads...

I knew I had some perfect complimenting colors.  

These come from a couple of different etsy artisans.  

The pebbles being from Smika!!  

And to finish it off I threw in an assortment of Vintaj brass components.

I look forward to Mary Jane's reveal - of course it will be beautiful!!

Guess what has arrived???

 That's right my bead soup!!!  And oh my oh my I LOVE LOVE LOVE the treasures that I received!!  Check out all the beautiful goodness!!  Mary Jane Dodd is so extremely talented - look at that beautiful pendant with all it's cold connection goodness!!!  (Makes me want to play with cold connection A LOT!!!!)  The cab she says is "vintage glass and acts like a mirror" and it a perfect little mirror!  Just gorgeous!  And the rich color of the fibers and silks - fantastic!  The coin pearls with the drilling like that - totally new to me!!!  Love the beautiful handmade clasp!  I love it all!!  Thank you Mary Jane for your thoughtfully beautiful soup!!