Monday Musings

Perspective, or point of view, is crucial for any artist.  It's what keeps your designs focused and uncluttered.  It makes your work unique and different from anyone else.

 

When started my business, I was painting on glass.  There were classes in the "Donna Dewberry" way and while I think she's a fantastic artist, I DID NOT want my work to be a duplicate of hers.

 

In fact, at my first craft show, a fellow glass painter (who had been in the business for years) made a point to come over to my table and chat with me about my technique.  When I told him I taught myself and that I wanted my work to stand out because it was different from what everyone else was offering, he came behind my table to shake my hand.

 

It confirmed what I had suspected...the way to be noticed in a sea of talented people was to create something that was unique.

 

  

I've carried this same idea over into my jewelry designs.   There are lots of jewelry shops on the internet, but mine is different from anything else.  I collect all the sea glass for my designs (except for a few pieces that came from Scotland and some colors that are more common on the New England coasts but not where I live).   

  

  

Be confident in your point of view!  You see the world from a different perspective than anyone else...share that through your designs. 

 



 

Monday Musings

I have found that the fear of something is worse than actually doing it. 

  

Getting started creating jewelry was a daunting task for me.  I really had no idea what type of jewelry I wanted to create and no way to make my work stand out from the amazing crowd of jewelry designers already out there.

  

   

I started out with simple wire wrapping techniques, like the earrings above.

 

  

Then I started creating my own links and findings and added that skill to my wire wrapping techniques.

 

Then a friend showed me her collection of sea glass and told me where she went to collect it.  I almost didn't start creating my sea glass jewelry because I was afraid to jump into a new technique.

 

 

I watched countless videos of different wire wrapping techniques and decided that I needed to start somewhere and that starting was better than just sitting there.  These earrings above were one of my first sets and I was quite proud of them!

 

   
Figuring out how to have a loop at two ends of a piece of sea glass was a real challenge.  It took many times trying and re-trying, but that's how you learn best.
 

Somewhere along the way, I realized that I wasn't afraid to try new techniques anymore.  I jumped in with both feet into the beading pool...and check out these designs! 

  

 

 

Starting anything new can be scary.   But unless you take that first step, you'll never know how far you can go!

Monday Musings

I've learned a few things from collecting sea glass over the past year or so.  They are the beginning of my "Monday Musings."  

 

   Sea Glass Bracelet

 

 I love looking for sea glass.  The sound of the waves is like an old friend to me.  A lot of my memories have this sound etched into them.   
     
Occasionally, my family or a close friend will come with me when I go to look for sea glass.  One of the most important things I tell friends when they come with me the first time is to "take your time." 
 

 

Most of the sea glass I find is either brown or white and blends in really well with the sand.  It takes time to train your eye to pick out what you are there to find.

 

I guess it's important to remember this for our lives as well.  Each day is a gift and a treasure, but what you find depends on what you are looking for.  Look for the unexpected.  Be prepared to walk for a while without anything amazing happening, but learn to enjoy those times as well. 

 

And while it's always more fun to walk with a friend, learn to appreciate the solitude and quiet that comes from walking alone sometimes.