It's a "Wrap"

The GBK 2012 MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge held on June 1-2, 2012 was a huge success!  Not only was the preparation and sheer anticipation of the event so exciting, but the event itself was far more than I could have dreamed.  Our lovely founder of The Artisan Group, Valerie Guerrero, along with her sidekick Erica, kept us informed up-to-the-minute with which celebrities and press members were stopping by The Artisan Group display table.   I kept my Twitterdeck page live, anxiously anticipating who the next celebrity they would tweet us as they stopped by. 

The Artisan Group Display Table

The Artisan Group displayed the products of 28 companies at the gift lounge, including Care More Creations, and handed out exclusive swag bags to celebrities and press valued at nearly $1,500.00.  Celebrities attending the event included nominee Rob Riggle, Lauren Velez, Rico Rodriguez, Taylor Armstrong, Janina Gavankar, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Autumn Reeser and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Natural Citrine Wire Wrapped Pendant

You can imagine how honored I was when these lovely celebrities chose my Natural Citrine Nugget Wire Wrapped Pendant to model out of the displays on our exhibit table.

The beautiful Camille Luddington is shown here wearing my Citrine Wire Wrapped Pendant.  This 29 year old English actress is probably best known for her role as Princess Kate in the 2011 film William and Kate.  She has also been cast in Showtime’s Californication and HBO’s vampire drama True Blood.
Read this exclusive interview of her looking back on playing Kate Middleton (and where she is shown wearing this pendant!)

Maiara Walsh is shown here modeling my Citrine crystal Wire Wrapped Pendant.  She is the lovely 24 year-old actress best known for her roles as Ana in "Desperate Housewives",  Sarah in "The Vampire Diaries",  Mandi in "Mean Girls 2",  and is currently playing Simone in the hit TV show "Switched at Birth". Maiara is an avid philanthropist, and spends much of her time volunteering
and coordinating community projects.

The talented Judi Shekoni is the next celebrity shown here modeling my Citrine Crystal Wire Wrapped Pendant at the GBK MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge on June 1-2.
This English actress is well known in Britain where her career included roles on every major television channel. She is soon to be seen as 'Zafrina', the leader of the Amazons in Twilight Sagas: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

The beautiful Taylor Armstrong is the next celebrity shown here showing off the wire wrapped Citrine pendant that was on display at the 2012 GBK MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge on June 1-2. This Oklahoma native moved to Beverly Hills in 2004 and was made popular through her role in the reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She is passionate about her business, BeautyTicket.com where she serves as Chief Creative Director. Also she has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence since 2004 and volunteers for the 1736 Family Crisis Center.














Along with these amazing celebrity photos, I also received a few tweets from the following celebrities.

 

To "WRAP" it up, this has been such a wonderful exciting experience.  Hopefully this celebrity exposure will take my business to the next level.  I want to give a shout out to The Artisan Group for this amazing opportunity!!
You can visit my shop:  Care More Creations on Etsy.
You can visit my website:  Care More Creations

Sneak Peak Week ~ The MTV Movie Awards

It’s Sneak Peak Week at the MTV Movie Awards and the perfect time to give my fans a behind the scenes look at my recent gig creating swag for GBK’s Luxury Gift Lounge Honoring the MTV Movie Awards Nominees and Presenters.

My story is a little tongue in check, in keeping with the fun and games that is the MTV Movie Awards, but please know I was seriously honored to be able to participate in the celebrity gifting for this long running event that made its debut in 1992, and quickly debunked the myth that celebs are too concerned about appearances to let their hair down. The spoofs, the kisses, the general mayhem that is the MTV Movie Awards are unforgettable pop culture moments and managed to loosen up, if only a teeny bit, almost every awards ceremony out there (lucky for us).

So, here’s to the MTV Movie Awards, the illustrious Golden Popcorn and what has turned out to be a really fun personal and business experience. And in case you were wondering, my vote for “Best Kiss” is going to Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdam!

SCENE 1

It’s January 2012 and the depths of winter in Sterling, Alaska. Or wait maybe it was “Drop Dead Gorgeous” in Belize. Anyway, I am “Desperately Seeking” marketing opportunities. Suddenly, I’ve “Got Mail.” It’s an opportunity to include my wire wrapped pendants in the celebrity gift bags at GBK’s luxury gift lounge for the MTV Movie Awards. Holy “Batman”!

  

SCENE 2

Cut to studio. Suddenly I am my own “Horrible Boss” and have crazily (“Crazy Like a Fox”) committed to creating a staggering 100 unique pendants for some of Hollywood’s hippest celebrities. And I have less than five months to do it. Working “9 to 5”, I am definitely “Romancing the Stone,” as my pliers become my most “Lethal Weapon”. As I wrap wire in graceful curves around carefully chosen natural, raw gemstones including Fire Agate, Iridescent Labradorite, Druzy Crystal Agate, Turquoise, and Citrine. When I get to my favorite, Picasso Jasper, I can’t help but think of “The Matrix”.



Picasso Jasper



Citrine

Labradorite

SCENE 3

Gifting at the MTV Movie Awards is not just about making pieces for the swag bags. I also have to create an eye-catching display for the gift lounge, so that celebs stopping by can see, feel and try on my pieces. I’ve commissioned a special wood display piece, but in an almost “WTF Moment”, it has not arrived and the shipping date is drawing near. With “Total Recall”, I think of a beautiful piece of driftwood I collected on the beach in Belize last winter. I find it, cut it down to size and give it a coat of acrylic for a soft natural luster. Voila, I’m good to go.

SCENE 4

It’s “Freaky Friday”. I’m fast at work packaging my beautiful pendants, with the help of my four year old granddaughter who has agreed to help (and who is very good at giving directions for a four year old).

The routine is box, b-card, bio, organza bag, ribbon—performed at record-breaking “Speed”. One after another, after another and suddenly what once seemed like “Mission Impossible” is DONE!

CUT TO FINAL SCENE

It’s time for a “Cocktail”, and what could be more apropos than a delicious “Buttered Popcorn.” Here are two recipes for you to enjoy while you’re watching the Awards.

Buttered Popcorn (by Aricka Johnson of Sedalia Mo)

This cocktail tastes exactly like a Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn jelly bean.

1/2 oz Frangelico
1/2 oz Disaronno Amaretto
1 oz Bailey Irish Cream - or other variant
1/2 to 3/4 oz butter shots
Glass: Old Fashioned or chilled liqueur glass

Pour all ingredients into shaker, add ice, shake or stir (whatever you prefer) and strain on the rocks or into chilled liqueur glass with no ice.

Note: add more or less butter shots to taste.

Hot Buttered Popcorn (Randy Tarlow, Los Angeles)

5 oz fresh popped popcorn
2 oz Hangar One Straight 
3 oz organic raw butter
0.25 oz sea salt, 8 oz sugar, 10 oz water, 6 oz mineral water, 4 oz sugar, 0.75 oz egg white, 1 tbs caramel

Heat popcorn, sugar, salt, water, butter in pot. Simmer and strain into glass with caramel, sea salt rim. Add vodka. Whip foam ingredients with immersion blender then spoon over top. Drizzle caramel over top with a pinch of sea salt. Serve along side of fresh popcorn.





Gifting Rachael Ray-Simply Delish!

I confess, I’m a huge Rachael Ray fan. I don’t know what I love more, her infectious smile and perky personality or her spunky, get it done attitude. Whether I’m watching the Rachael Ray Show, reading Everyday with Rachael Ray, or sampling one of her recipes—she’s always good for a dash of inspiration. If I had been in Alaska when Rachael visited in 2006, I’m sure I would have made the two and a half hour trek from Sterling to Anchorage on the off-chance of catching a glimpse of her at Mr. Whitekeys’ Fly By Night Club!

Needless to say, when The Artisan Group selected me to take part in an exclusive cooperative gift bag destined for Rachael herself, I got a little excited. Once the euphoria wore off, I started to think about what I should send. I knew I wanted to do a one-of-a-kind, created especially for her, piece of jewelry. Should I go with my own personal favorite stone, Picasso Jasper? Or maybe a blingy, Druzy crystal agate? In the end, I decided on Peridot, in honor of Rachael’s birthday month, August. The fact that Peridot brings balance and reduces stress was an additional consideration. The search for a stone was on, and in time I came across a stunning raw Peridot that I knew would make the perfect dramatic focal. Here it is: 

Raw Peridot

I always let the stone decide how I will wrap the piece, allowing the curves and swirls of the wire setting to enhance and add to the stone’s personality. This is part of what makes each pendant unique. For Rachael’s Peridot, I chose a rustic gun metal wire for the wrap, to enhance the stone’s lime, olive and emerald green tones. As a finishing touch, I selected a long gunmetal chain to hang the pendant on, in keeping with Rachael’s straightforward style. Here’s the end result:

Rachael Ray Pendant

                              Raw Natural Peridot, Rustic gun-metal Wire, gun-metal Chain

The pendant is now on its way to Rachael in New York City. What do you think? I hope she loves it. If I’m lucky maybe I’ll see her wearing it on The Rachael Ray Show. You know that I’ll be watching!

Oh, and one more thing! I create my jewelry pieces in the corner of my living room, overlooking the Kenai River. It’s not uncommon to catch a glimpse of salmon leaping in the water. In honor of Rachael Ray and my beautiful studio view, here’s a favorite salmon recipe, one I think Rachael would love. Enjoy!

And now, off to finish up my pieces for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. I’ll have my pendants on display and in the celebrity gift bags there. I’ll be blogging about that later so stay tuned.

Hugs, Carolyn

MAPLE-GLAZED GRILLED SALMON

1 C maple syrup

2 T ketchup                                                                        
2T brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
½ t salt
½ t ground mustard
1/8 t hot pepper sauce
1 salmon fillet

In bowl combine first 8 ingredients; mix well.  Pour ½ C into large resealable plastic bag;  add salmon and seal bag.  Turn to coat; refrigerate for up to 2 hrs.  Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.  Before starting the grill coat grill with nonstick cooking spray.  Drain and discard marinade from salmon.  Grill salmon skin side up over med-hot heat for 2-4 mins.  Transfer to a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.  Spoon some of the reserved marinade over salmon.  Fold foil around fillet and seal tightly.  Grill 5-6 mins longer or until fish flakes easily with fork.  Brush with remaining marinade if desired.  Serves 8

Time to Amp, Revamp and Camp

Care More Creations
Druzy Agate to be displayed
at MTV Movie Awards

Since the busy holiday season, I have been lax in the necessary daily tasks of promoting my wire wrapped jewelry.   Don’t get me wrong….I still am completely inspired by my craft.  I still get on my computer every morning, checking my emails, checking in on Facebook, and BAM! I am off in Facebook land for hours.  Every day, like clockwork.  It is quite humorous actually.  I have countless tasks on my “TO DO” list, which just gets longer and longer.  But Facebook land sucks me in every time.  My TO DO list consists mainly of “learning” tasks.  *learn twitter *learn Google+ *learn to make a press kit *learn SEO along with the countless e-books I have paid for and downloaded.  It is time to AMP it up!  I woke up this morning with a new excitement!  I am going to figure this marketing out!



The Artisan Group

This past September I was invited to join The Artisan Group, an exclusive group of talented artists that are represented at Hollywood’s finest celebrity Gift Lounges such as The Emmys, Golden Globes and Academy Awards.  I was so honored.  Valerie Guerrero, our founder, and Nikki Cutro, co-founder put their heart and soul into our group.  My first reaction of course was how awesome it would be to have my jewelry seen and worn by celebrities.  But since then I have learned that being a member of the group is so much more.  We are a close knit community.  We promote, coach, inspire, teach and cheer each other on.  I have learned so much about business and marketing, but better yet, I have learned so much about myself.  I am so excited about participating in the upcoming MTV Movie Awards this June.  So it is time to REVAMP!!  Time to get my act together.  Time to streamline my business and my presence out there in cyber space to be ready for possibilities this opportunity is going to give me.  It is time to get to that TO DO list... 

Labradorite on Etsy

I am such a regimented person.  I am so organized with my studio.  All of my gemstones, beads, tools are in their proper place.  Even my goals are nice and organized on my TO DO list.  But acting upon them has been the hardest task of all.  It is so overwhelming.   It is time to stop running around hilly nilly all day and actually CAMP myself behind my e-books and learn, learn, learn how to take this business to the next level!  Wish me luck.  I will be back, keeping you informed with my progress.  I will share my adventures over the next few months preparing for The MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge…

You can learn more about my jewelry at:  CareMoreCreations.com

You can learn more about The Artisan Group at:  TheArtisanGroup.org

 

Ammonite Fossil Wire Wrapped Pendant Necklace in Silver - Healing Gemstone - $62.00

"Seascape" is an ammonite fossil wire wrapped pendant necklace that I handcrafted swirling and shaping nontarnish silver plate wire by hand to create a beautiful setting that enhances the natural beauty, color and shape of the stone. This unique agatized fossil gemstone has shades of brown and beige with quartz-like crystals throughout. It is a fascinating jewel of nature. The elegant swirl wire-wrapped set...

Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

A Mystical Voyage Through Care More Creations

~Music is well said to be the speech of angels. ~Thomas Carlyle, Essays, "The Opera"

As I previously stated in my "Welcome" post, one of my endeavors with creating this blog was to not only self-promote Care More Creations and my wire wrapped gemstone pendants, but also to promote some of my fellow Etsy and Artfire friends. On a regular basis, I plan to feature an Etsy or Artfire Shop owner with video put to music, especially those shops that provide all-natural eco-friendly products. Then, of course, this video can be linked to Twitter, Facebook, other blogs, etc. To get this started, today I am featuring myself and my shops on Artfire and Etsy. To see what I have to offer for sale, please enter my shops that are displayed to the right of this post. I would love to know what you think of my video....all comments are welcome. If you are interested in a video created special for you, please let me know.



Also, please click my video on YouTube and leave any comments there as well.
http://www.youtube.com/caremorefor

I look forward to this adventure in search for great shops to feature on my blog...I think this will be a fun project, not only for the creative aspect of it, but also to get to meet new friends along the way!

AMBITIONS~

“THE CATCH”

Oh, the joy of creating! Those envisioned projects swirling around within our heads (and hearts).

Like the victorious “catch” of landing that elusive trout, the slow and steady challenge of reeling him in, and of course the anticipation of finally landing him ashore to finally reward our tastebuds being just moments away...

My daughter in 1995

So is the “catch” when we first feast our eyes on that perfect and essential key component of a future work of art that sparks our creative juices. The anticipation of the gratifying, though sometimes challenging creative process and the joy of utilizing the tools that God gave us, our hands and our hearts. And of course the great satisfaction of admiring our own finished accomplishment that has materialized before our very eyes.

Now the difficult decision….do I keep it to enjoy myself? Do I give it to a loved one with a generous and grateful heart that they are in my life? Or do I go ahead and set it free, spread the joy, and offer it to a stranger who will appreciate my talents and hard work and enjoy it for years to come.

Like any victory, which is the best part? The discovery? The anticipation? The process? The accomplishment?

To me it is the combination of each…into the whole shebang, the whole nine yards…hook, line and sinker!!

That is the reward…that is the reason I create!

This is a photo of my latest “CATCH”.
Each individual gemstone is a natural gift from God. I give each one the eagle eye…envisioning a design to bring it to life into another wire wrapped pendant to admire.

Clockwise from top:

Labradorite

Rose Quartz

Volcanic Lava Rock

White Quartz Druzy Crystal

Malachite

Natural Turquoise

Tennessee Conglomerate

Amethyst Crystal

center-Red Picture Jasper