Dear Blog,

After quite some absence from blog land, I'm back! Seems that when I went back to work after the summer break it was difficult to find the time and energy to actually sit, think and write. There have been many changes on the work front and I have not been in the frame of mind I need to be to be creative. Some responsibilities have been completed so I am hoping to find my muse again.

Fall has finally arrived in NC after what would more likely be described as an Indian Summer. I have the most beautiful ginkgo tree across the street from my house and it has been gradually turning a bright yellow over the past few weeks.

Almost all have fallen now and it seems like golden snowflakes have drifted down to the street creating a soft hushed sound as I walk through them.

So dear blog I'll be back soon with jewelry pieces I made while taking an online class with Deryn Mentock and Sharon Tomlinson called Towers and Turrets. Great fun!

Art in My Pajamas

I am loving taking classes online. Wear whatever you please.  As I mentioned before, I recently took a digital layers class with Susan Tuttle. I am now taking a mixed media class with Sharon Tomlinson and Deryn Mentock. I feel like I am going ten different ways to Sunday, but it's been fun and I've learned a lot. I thought that today I'd share some more photos from the digital layers class...mixed media coming soon. Have a terrific Tuesday!

Jewelry Charm Swap

I have been trying to take time to reflect on all the things I am grateful for. So many....my husband, family, my job, my cat boys, even running water. Friends are up there on that list too.  A few years ago I was looking for something to get me out of the house and be creative. I found a jewelry fabrication class that I thought looked interesting taught by Erica Bailey. I never thought I would have loved it as much as I do. I also made some great friends in this class. We often socialize and have jewelry swaps. It is a great way to challenge ourselves and always interesting to see what each person creates given the same topic. We have had pin swaps, Christmas ornament swaps and recently had a charm swap. This is what I created to exchange.

There's a lot of excitement as each piece is displayed. Each person created twenty one charms and when we exchanged them we had a bracelet with a charm from everyone. 

Each pin, ornament and charm is a reminder of the people that have led me along this path I am on. I have always believed that people come and go in life for a reason. Our task is to be aware and learn from our relationships with those that cross our path. So I am grateful to  Kelly Rae and all my "Flying Lessons" friends. I believe I am becoming who I was meant to be.

Do Fortune Cookies Tell the Truth?

I am still cleaning, rearranging and taking apart my studio to make it more creatively friendly. This is what I found amongst much ephemera lurking in a drawer.

How cool is that? I think that when I first saved this it was in the spirit of hope. Now that I am keeping it; it  is now my talisman, my inspiration to succeed in becoming who I am meant to be.

My trip to find some suitable storage for my soon to be remodeled studio was successful. I'm excited to see the way it is coming together and to show it to you.