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

Welcome~ From a Nature-loving Jewelry-creating Alaskan

The day has finally arrived. I have been procrastinating this blog for weeks as journaling is definitely not my strong suit. I have a ton of thoughts, ideas and inspirations swirling around this brain and heart of mine, but putting them down into words is a whole other story. So bear with me at first, but I am sure I will get the hang of it eventually. I am sitting here looking out my studio window, watching a couple moose browze along the riverbank, and since I am inspired I thought I would give this blogging a try...

I live on the Kenai River in Sterling Alaska, where it is an everyday occurrence to see moose, bear, eagles, and splashing salmon in the river down below our deck. It is so serene and inspirational. I have so much to be grateful for. Living here definitely inspires my creations. I am surrounded by the very nature that I love and respect.

The weather this year has been gorgeous, which is unusual for Alaska, but I am torn each day whether to get outside or create my wire-wrapped pendants. I love making them...(though my housework leaves a lot to be desired! *smile*) I am building up a pretty good inventory for my Etsy and Artfire shops and will soon post them. I have also been making a lot of Alaska stone pendants for our local gift shops that have really taken off. I am very happy about that.

I hope to feature fellow artists in future blogs who I have come to know and who's work I admire. Becoming a member of Etsy and Artfire has become a life-changing event in my life. If I am not wrapping stones, I am on the internet trying to market my pendants. It has been a real challenge, as I am sure my fellow artists can attest to also. The answer is "EXPOSURE". The more we are out there, the more people will come. It is all a tricky game and I am still figuring it out. Blogging is supposed to help, but I want my blog to be more than a marketing concept. I hope that when people are finished reading each of my blogs they leave with a smile on their face or a sigh in their breath.

~~til we meet again…