Reflection

For me, January is a time for reflection, evaluation, taking stock and planning. 

Reflection photo by mikebaird

I love this month.  Jewelry sales are typically slow after a busy December so I like to focus on the business side of Birdland Creations - what I've done, what I want to do, where I'm going, strategies, etc - and not on creating and selling jewelry.

To this end, I'll not be blogging much this month, but will be coming up with new ideas.  I'll share these with you soon.

Hope January is a good month for reflecting for you too.

Henry the Heron

I was just making another Rupert bird necklace for a customer and while I was at it, thought I'd do another bird too. And thus, Henry the Heron was born today!

When I began, I didn't have a plan for any particular bird - just felt I wanted his wings outstretched and a big beak.

Then when it came to the legs, I decided to do long legs.... that shake and wiggle!

When he was finished, I was looking at him and trying to figure out his name and John, my hubby, said he looked like Henry the Heron. I guess with the big beak and long legs, he could well be a heron! And so Henry it is! 

Since we've got back from San Miguel, we've had a great blue heron on our pond every day!  With all these ducks and herons and egrets on the pond, I'm guessing our over population of frogs has somewhat diminished!!!

Henry has a bail on his back and likes hanging out on a chain. I wonder if he enjoys eating frogs too?  Maybe I should have put a frog in his beak????

Flourish

Flourish

v.  v.intr

1. To grow well or luxiriantly;thrive

2. To do or fare well; prosper

3. To be in a period of highest productiviy, excellence, or influence

All the flowers that are definitely flourishing in our garden are inspiring me to make more flower!....and add some color.  Here is my latest entitled "Flourish" - a fuschia in pretty pink with green leaves.

As it is a three dimensional piece, I made it into a long necklace so it doesn't lie at your neck, but is free to move at opera length - either 30 or 36 inches. 

What I really like about this piece is the little sound it makes.  It seems funny that I'd like the noise - but I guess most of my pieces never make any sound.  This has a very tiny sound as the leaves hit the flower.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry based on it's sound?

Paw prints in the studio!

Look who's been padding around in my studio today....


Yes, a little cat! Walking all over my metal clay......so I thought I might as well make some cufflinks out of her little pawprints :=D


Cat paw cuff links! Perfect for cat lovers - either ladies or men!


We are bottling our 2007 wine tomorrow. Four friends are helping us...hope they are feeling strong to lug all those cases around, full of wine! Fingers crossed it goes smoothly and doesn't all spill or something ......

Reviewed on The Army Wife

My jewelry has been reviewed on The Army Wife website today. I hope you'll go and take a look at the review and the website.


Gosh - I'm even a little embarrassed to be telling you about it as Kia wrote such a wonderful review. I tell you - she was just so nice. Thank you so much Kia.


The Army Wife website has lots of different articles, reviews, giveaways etc in one of five categories: beauty, entertainment, health and fitness, home & garden, Mom & baby. It's like a collaborative blog with lots of different writers.

Anyhow - it definitely cheered me up today to read all those nice things :=D

Merry go Round - Is this what you expected?

It's time for another ride on the merry-go-round! Jump on and join a group of artists/crafts-women as they link around the world and tell you a little about their lives in art and craft.

This month's question that myself and other merry-go-rounders will answer is "Five years ago did you think you'd be doing what you are doing now (craft/selling)? What has surprised you the most?"

I know that 5 years ago I was just graduating with my master's degree in Health Psychology and prior to that I had been a research pharmacologist! Designing and selling jewelry was not in my head at all. I guess my only slight leaning to creating and selling at that time was that when I moved to California in 2003, I started knitting again on the car journey from FL to CA. I hadn't knitted in many years but the thought of a long car journey over a few days inspired me to try it again. When I arrived in CA, a gallery owner noticed the scarf I was wearing and asked where I got it from. When I told her I had made it - she asked if she could sell them for me....and so I went home and thought about it - and decided "why not" (this was before the big "scarf" influx!!!).

At that time, I still wore the same gold necklace, rings and bracelet everyday and just wasn't a jewelry person! And I never wore silver! Oh, how we change!!!

I think one of the things that did influence me around that time was that I went to Germany in the summer of 2005 on a singing tour - singing Bach where Bach lived and worked. When I was there, we'd find a little time to shop and I found myself so attracted to the German jewelry. I just loved it all - the style was just so "me". Just beautiful.

Fast forward 4 years and here I am making jewelry and my biggest customer base is Germany! Guess our styles are connected!!!

What has surprised me most is everything! 1) I never thought I'd do something like this, 2) I never thought I'd enjoy creating so much, 3) I never thought anyone would want to buy what I made 4) I never thought buyers/viewers would send such lovely comments on my websites, blog, etc and 5) I never thought I feel such a connection and friendship to so many people I "met" at an online marketplace! Everyday I'm surprised. Who knew that I could make little figures and sculpt clay? I never did! I never studied art!

Guess you never say never! and instead you say "anyone can....."


Please take at look at the 5 year review from other artists!:

*Jenny at Jenny Karlsson design http://designjennykarlsson.blogspot.com/
*Nikki at Beaded Zen http://beadedzen.blogspot.com
*Wendren at Wren http://thewrendesign.com/
Sara at Sara's Texture Crafts http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com
Marian at Florcita http://florcitasart.blogspot.com
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com
Fabienne at Easterya http://easterya.blogspot.com
Andreanna at Glamasaurus http://blog.glamasaurus.com
Ruth at Birdland Creations http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com

New Quentin Quail necklace

The quails have just returned to our garden. First of all we spotted one, the next day two, ....and by the time we left for England there were four of them. I had just finished a new quail necklace - and you may recall from my previous blog posts that all the male quails we have I call Quentin and all the females are Queenie.


They are one of my favourite birds to watch and listen to. They run so fast and Quentin just has the most amusing calls.

So here is the latest necklace - Quentin in his running shoes. As you can see from the first photo, he doesn't like being on his chain all the time and is very happy to just stand around when he's not being worn - rather than hang around with the other necklaces!

Bird tracks silver bracelet

I refinished my bird tracks bracelet today, adding small silver balls in between each square. It doesn't really change the visual look of the bracelet but without the balls, the squares jingle together quite a lot. I like to hear the sound - but in many environments you don't want a jingle as you move your wrist - so the little spacers do the trick. It's now a quiet bracelet - so you won't scare the birds away as you are checking their tracks!


I've also photographed it again trying a couple of new props. I'd like your opinion. Obviously close ups are necessary but I sometimes like to add one "prop" photo to catch the eye.


Here I've done the bracelet on binoculars and also on a 'field guide to birds' book. Which do you prefer? Which "grabs" you most? If you have the time, please let me know in the comments. Appreciate your point of view!

Gift from the cat

I was recently approached by a cat to do a commission piece for her owner! She wanted me to make her "mum" some cuff-links with her paw prints on them. So we discussed the idea.....found that she also wanted her name on them - and so I came up with some birthday cuff-links for her mum! Hope mummy likes them. Here they are:

How lovely to have cufflinks for women. I think I need to pursue this more...... Let's get those shirts out ladies and get some cool cuff-links in them! If a cat can start this trend - anyone can do it!


PS No cat was injured in the manufacture of these cuff links - and she didn't even get clay in her pads!!!! :0D

Anyone can fly

"Anyone can fly" is a necklace made from fine silver (.999). It shows a little bird about to make his first flight - but he is a little scared so is still hanging on with his feet. But his wings are spread and he's ready to take that leap........This little bird's story is:

I made this piece in the summer of 2007. I had just finished participating in a Chanticleer workshop. Chanticleer, as you may know, is a wonderful group of 12 male singers - "an orchestra of voices". They are a great ensemble, not only to listen to, but to get to know. At the Chanticleer workshop in Sonoma each year. a group of auditioned singers have the opportunity to sing with, learn from and become friends with the members of Chanticleer, their music director, Joe Jennings and other singers from around the world. It is such a inspiring experience and the summer of 2007 was no exception.

One piece of music that was selected for this workshop was "Leonardo dreams of his flying machine" by Eric Whitacre. The text explores Leonardo da Vinci's dreams of flying and Eric Whitacre has a great use of music to create visual images of flying...using not only words but also "noises" from the singers to conjure up the sound of the wind etc. At one point we sing about Leonardo watching the pigeons and figuring how they do it...and then he builds this machine...and the climax of the piece, with the notes rising is that "he leaps!" - and the air carries him and he manages to fly, despite his own and everyone else's doubts....

So after this uplifting workshop, where the singing and friendship was just incredible...I sat down one day to create something, not having any plan at all...and a bird came first with his wings outstretched and then "anyone can fly" was born. It is a piece that I hope inspires people to take that leap - to have courage and just try. So it seems a perfect piece to being my blogging experience with. I'm taking that leap today with my new blog "inside the artisan" - listening to the stories behind our creations - and believing the anyone can fly!