Milestones

Milestones are markers, like the stones that the Romans set up to guide travelers along their system of paved roads. That's the operative word here-- “guiding”- to show a pathway rather than mark a destination or goal, a meaning used more frequently in these 21st century times.

I believe that a milestone guides you in a direction as well as to a specific place. It's not a time to sit down and relax, to dwell on your achievements but rather to mark a passage and chart a direction for the future.

My goals when I first started this blog, this electronic journal (or journey) were to inspire, encourage and inform my readers in their creative endeavors. Obviously a pathway to doing that was to have my work, techniques and ideas published in print and online so as to reach more people. My first online contacts were with other art beadmakers and jewelry artists and I naturally hoped some day to get my work in the publications that inspired me the most. My Apocalypto Beads showed up in The Best of Stringing Magazine in a collaboration with Lorelei Eurto and this past spring I got my very own page in Stringing for my necklace tutorial “Reading the Stones”.

This past January I was contacted by the editor of Belle Armoire Jewelry, Christen Oliverez, on a referral from my good friend and fellow artist Deryn Mentock. I couldn't have been more thrilled or surprised, since BAJ was one of several magazines that I absolutely adored and admired for the quality of their articles and presentation.

So now I can announce that my very first tutorial has been published in BAJ in the Summer 2010 issue, called “Pas de Deux”. I am pleased as punch to be included with some friends (Barbara Lewis and Deryn Mentock) as well as other artists that I greatly respect for their work. But I won't be resting on my laurels, since I am full of creative energy and new ideas – for me the recognition is like a super wonderful tonic! I'm planning a book and hoping to teach my first classes this fall and possibly I'll have a booth at a major bead show next year-- who knows?

As I journey forward, I'm also looking back at pieces I've already completed. Some of these are going in my Etsy store to find new homes, some are being re-worked as my skills increase and my design sense matures in this wonderful medium of polymer clay.

Tundra beads - new in my Etsy shop

Tomb Relic pendant - new in my Etsy shop

Dance of the Ancestors - new in my Etsy shop

Dance of the Ancestors - detail

Dance of the Ancestors - detail of reverse side

Machu Picchu beads - new in my Etsy shop

Machu Picchu cuff - new in my Etsy shop

Delphi necklace - new in my Etsy shop

Delphi necklace - detail

Delphi necklace - detail

Inspired by.......Collaborations

If you are a frequent visitor to this blog, you know that I love to create pieces with other artists. Last summer I collaborated with four artists in a bracelet round-robin and I really became hooked on the concept of increasing the level of creativity by combining efforts with other creative people.

In the past year, the other passion I've embraced is interpreting two-dimensional artworks in jewelry. The Art Bead Scene  has presented their blog readers a diverse selection of works of art in a monthly challenge -- from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary folkart-- as inspiration for jewelry using art beads and I've amassed a respectable body of work over the past year, something I've never managed to do before in all my years as an artist.

So when one of my online artist friends, Erin of Tesori Trovati invited me to participate in a project of hers using new and unique artwork as inspiration, I jumped at the chance to combine both my passions and create a completely new group of art beads for her to use in her designs for a one-woman show.

Here are the watercolors by Ann Singsaas that were my inspiration.

Siljan Glade by Ann Singsass

This one was a bit of a challenge because the colors were definitely out of my color "comfort zone". But I tested out a new technique with alcohol inks that I'd been wanting to try and achieved the watercolor-y effect I was going for. I decided not to go too literal and to leave the black and white elements to Erin, since she was on her way to the Bead & Button show and was sure to find lots of accompanying elements that would work well against the texture and color of the polymer beads.

Red Ponies by Ann Singsass

I'm a big fan of the red and orange family of colors so this one wasn't hard to interpret. I again used alcohol inks but this time I decided to provide two sets of beads, both using the same colorway in very different styles. So the jewelry artist can use one set or mix them both together in one piece.

The show is called “Inspired by...” and runs at Gallery Q in downtown Stevens Point, Wisconsin from Friday, August 13, 2010 with a reception from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm to sometime in September so if you're in the area, please stop by. Erin's invited Heather Powers and Kerry Bogert to play with her too, so there's a lot to see and enjoy.

A Bracelet for Villa - Flying

Villa's bracelet is complete and flying out to Washington state. Not literally flying but it could be, buoyed with all the energy and love and caring craftwork that it carries. And you-- Gentle Readers and wonderful online friends-- helped me do it. Together, we did it.

Just working with the charms and arranging them all and then looking at the finished piece and all of the beautiful little pieces of art, each one a personal gift from one of you, brought a lump to my throat.

Maybe it wasn't endowing an orphanage, or riding a Zodiac out to stop a whaling ship, or rescuing someone from a burning building but I think small gestures are the most significant because almost nobody knows but you and the recipient. You don't get a Nobel Prize but to one person, it's really a big deal. And if we all remembered that our small, individual gestures are cumulatively the ones that change the world-- well, we would be flying every day. Because every day we all do at least one small thing-- kiss a scraped knee, make a phonecall to a friend, remember a birthday, hug that unruly teenager, compliment a friend's work-- that makes a difference. And millions of people around the world, all doing one small kindness once a day-- that would create the momentum to create a world that works.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Villa's Bracelet - June 2010

Puttin' It Out There

I realize that I've been MIA for several months so I'm blogging to let all you readers know that I plan to be back in the action starting today and hope to have new posts at least two times a week from now on.

That said, most of my time was spent either applying to various competitions or “calls” for artwork from polymer clay artists or on submissions to magazines. Stressful activity, in that deadlines wait for no one but exciting too because having your work recognized nationally is very gratifying.

I was actually working on some pieces but mostly I was applying. There are these online sites where you park your uploaded images and then when you decide to apply to a “call” -- as in, call for entries-- you just download them into the application, pay your fee online and off you go! The problem is, the images have to be higher resolution than I need for this blog or my Flickr site or for most of my everyday needs and so I just can't financially justify purchasing a full verison of Photoshop. So a week was mainly spent in frustration at having to dedicate large chunks of prime working time futzing with my Canon camera, reading the owner's manual, playing with settings, re-doing shots and searching for someone in my little rural town who could set up the images the way they were needed.

Grrrr!. But happy to say, mission accomplished, my little works were on their way to the Big Time-- that's the International Polymer Clay Association's “Progress & Possibilities” competition, which only comes around every two years-- and I'm anxiously waiting for the winners to be announced. I wasn't even doing polymer clay last time this occurred! One of my submissions for P&P was my “Lady of Shalott” necklace, which readers of this blog may recall was done for an Art Bead Scene challenge and the second one was “Blossom”, which was also for ABS.

Lady of Shalott

Blossom

In addition to stressing about various applications, I was also bummed that the piece I submitted to another magazine didn't make the cut.

Remembering Kathmandu

I was reminded of a wonderful quote on my friend Barbara Lewis' website:

“There is a force, an energy, a quickness, that is translated through you into action. If you block it, the world will not have it. You do not have to believe in yourself or your work. It is not your business to compare yourself with others. It is your business to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you, to keep the channel open.” Martha Graham

With all the social networking sites and things like Twitter urging us to put it out there, the volume of work being presented is overwhelming. It almost goes without saying that we will begin to feel competitive and work to a commercial standard, even if working as the quote suggests is the best avenue to a body of work that truly reflects our best creative effort and highest artistic standard.

I had a special new piece that I was trying to finish for Progress & Possibilities but it had a mind of its own and evolved into several pieces so I just let it happen. I think this might just be the best way to work.

Steampunk Tidepool

Artifact

Just Rewards

For all of you who contributed to the Villa Bracelet project, my thanks and my apologies. I posted that I would get the “rewards” sorted out last month and then life intervened-- as it does when you're not paying attention-- and now it's May! More about my distractions in my next post but now I'm moving along again in a more or less straight direction and it's time to announce who the Random Number Generator picked to receive the goodies. I added 2 more to the mix so five people will receive some of my work as a thank-you for their contribution. Here are the two additions:

Tribal Pattern earrings

Domino pendant

First picked was Jana Osborne and she will receive my Metro earrings.

Next was Mary Jane Dodd and a set of my Bumblebeads will be flying her way.

Third the Generator picked Lori Anderson-- Hi Lori!-- and I'll be sending her one of my faux ivory cuffs.

The fourth person chosen was Susan Colosimo, hope you like your Domino pendant!

And last but not least, Barbara Lewis-- for the Tribal Pattern earrings.

If you will all please send me your addresses, I'll get these out to you in the mail this week.

Please know that strong and peaceful energy and good vibes went into each and every piece I'm sending out to you fabulous ladies! But all of you are in my heart as well and will be with me as I begin to put Villa's bracelet together tomorrow.

A Bracelet for Villa - Progress Report

In a world where it sometimes seems that the rude, the greedy and the heartless triumph, I have seen that there is hope for this Third Rock from the Sun, even if it shows up in the form of a tiny charm.

I invited, and you responded-- 28 folks that wanted to do something for a person they don't even know and for no other motivation than it felt right to do. It was like a little miracle taking place in rural Vermont, watching those bundles of creativity and hope arrive in my mailbox, knowing each one was made just especially for Vila and sent with love and good wishes. All were handmade with care and all were different. Some were metal, some were resin, some were glass, some were polymer clay. All of them are precious to me and I look on them as on a great treasure because they came from the heart, the source of the greatest resource we have as human beings-- the ability to care about and empathize for a person other than ourselves.

As I sit here, my mind swirls with possibilities-- I'm thinking of a way to expand this out into the wider world, to keep sending hope in the form of a charm, to touch someone who we don't know at all but in whom we recognize our own humanity. A way of paying it forward. We know that our crafting community is worldwide, we could celebrate our global connection in the way we love best-- making art and sharing it!

Next Monday I'll announce the names that were picked by the random number generator to receive the thank-you gifts from me. I've added another two to the group-- but I'll keep the surprise until next week!

Thanks to all of you for your kind and thoughtful generosity and for being my partners in this. Bless you all!

A Bracelet for Villa

My sister-in-law, Villa, was diagnosed a year ago with leukemia. She lives with her husband in Washington state, a continent away from us. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy again to regain remission status but the ultimate prognosis is uncertain. So I cast about for a way to let her know that Douglas and I are thinking of her every day, that we send our positive energy and our love her way. I thought about making her a bracelet, something she could wear and think of us when we couldn't be there in person, something that might bring a smile to her face when things get tough.

As I was thinking of how I would do this, I remembered that this past summer I was invited to participate in a bracelet round-robin exchange with several talented designers, ultimately ending with a piece that I cherish more because of the wonderful energy in it and the generosity of the participants in giving of their time and talent than the monetary value of the finished item. So I thought of a way to kick that idea up a notch-- invite mostly total strangers to contribute a charm to make a bracelet for Villa.

Here's what I would like: Contribute a charm that is handmade by you-- that's the only stipulation. The charms can be anything, any theme, any color, any material, any technique but about 1” X 1/2” would be ideal. Send your creation to me and then I'll attach it to a nice chain that will become a charm bracelet with everybody's charm on it. The energy created in making the charm is what I'm after-- it doesn't have to be perfect, or expensive or elaborate. It could be resin, or metal or polymer clay or fiber or layered paper. My friends Cindy Wimmer and Barbara Lewis have already sent me their charms-- see the photos below for examples.

Charm by Barbara Lewis of Painting with Fire

Charm by Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio

Now I really love the concept of the “random act of kindness” and I have a pretty good idea of the kind of people I'm writing to out there so I know that a carrot isn't necessary to encourage you to participate.

But I want to offer some items for a giveaway in gratitude for those of you who would like to contribute to the piece. I'll use a random number generator to pick the three winners.

Here's what I'm giving away to say “thank you” for helping me to make this piece really special for Villa.

Jane Eyre cuff

Metro earrings

Set of Bumblebeads, 15mm

The deadline for contributions is Monday, March 22, 2010. E-mail me at cdamm1@myfairpoint.net if you plan to send a charm and I'll e-mail you my address back as I'd rather not broadcast that over the Internet! If I receive more than 50 or so charms, I'll collect them and pass them on to someone who wants to do a similar “kindness” bracelet for a friend who needs one. If you have your own blog, it would be wonderful if you would tell your readers about this-- just a short note-- to direct them over here where they can find the information.

I will keep you all updated on the progress of the bracelet and post pictures of the completed piece when I get ready to send it off to Villa. I'll do the drawing for the gifts from me the first week of April and announce the winners in a blog post. Thanks, everyone!