A new home on the web

I have a brand spankin' new website, and a brand spankin' new blog, and I am so very excited. You should check them both out. Come one, come all. And be sure to check back in over the weekend. There's something exciting going on!

Here's a little sneak preview, to entice you:

The magic of words

I have pretty much broken the Starbucks habit, but I still go once a week or so. A few weeks ago I got this cup, and wrote the quotation down because I loved it so much. And then, after I threw it away, I really wished I'd taken a picture of the cup to share with you all here.
Wouldn't you know that after I went to Starbucks yesterday, I was thinking about it, and looked down at my cup to find the same quotation again. It was meant to be! I was meant to share this with you all, so here it is.
Such a lovely description of childhood. I have always been a lover of words; song lyrics and snipets of poetry, excerpts from a book, they all intrigue me. So I have been a huge fan of Starbucks' "The Way I See It" campaign. It's a little bit of fresh air in an otherwise hectic world.
I'm still plodding through some new designs. It's not easy, but I'm getting there. Somehow my muse comes and goes; I guess creative "unearthing" is like that. And I have a few exciting things up my sleeve, so stay tuned.....good things are in store.
Carter

Does anybody know....Russian?

So I have a tracker on my website that lets me see how many people are coming to my website and where they are coming from and what they look at. Yes, it's a bit like spyware, but it's totally harmless and totally fun!
And recently I have had a TON of hits on my site from a forum that's in another language that has linked to my site. And I really want to know what they're saying!
Does anybody reading this know Russian (I think it's Russian!)
Here's a link to the post.
And this is the post that quotes my Divali tag line, that I think somebody liked and posted about, but I can't understand so I don't really know.

Üks kunstnik, kes teeb imeilisi pärleid! A woman plays with fire. . . something exquisite is born. Carter Seibels_________________Susa Hobiblogi

Ah....I'm reminded once again that it's a small world afterall!
I'm curious, can you help?!
Carter

New ideas bouncing 'round the room!

Thank God for the small things in life. They are the things that really make me happy, and they are the things that really matter. For afterall, life is really about the day-to-day, isn't it? This flower (sorry, I can't remember what its called) sits on my bedroom windowsill. Last year, it almost died, and I have been nursing it back to life. In thanks for the nurturing I've given it, it has finally bloomed again, and it is so pretty. Every time I look at it, I am reminded to be thankful for the simple things in life. And the other day, I noticed that the middle section of the "bloom" had fallen off, and it was so beautiful that I stopped to inspect it closer. The little fronds fan out to create this gorgeous little spray. Isn't it pretty?!

Now on to some artsy bead-talk. I'm one of those "creative type" people. (I think that's what they call people like me who go through these emotionally-challenging creative phases...if you're one of them, you'll know exactly what I mean.) I tend to go through these constant phases (I guess you could call it a Roller Coaster) where I am either really excited about my work, or it's ho-hum, or I am so into expanding and exploring that I could stay awake 24 hours a day. From one week to the next, it's never the same. Lately I've been in one of those ho-hum moods....nothing too new, nothing very exciting. It's just beads. Which is not a good way to feel about something that you do every day, nor is it the reason I chose to be an artist as a profession. What I've noticed, though, is that one of those ho-hum phases is almost always followed by a really great idea. It's like someone (me) turns the light on in my dark room, and all is sunny and bright again. It's like I need to be in a dark room to think of a new idea or something. Which I guess is true. As humans, we can't be "on" all the time...we need time to sleep and think and meditate and breath and things like that!

So I'm moving through the ho-hum, and I'm on the verge of that sunny and bright swing, and I like the way it feels!

In the current economy, it can be pretty tough sometimes to sell things like art and jewelry and really any unecessary object. Yeah, yeah, they say spending is up, but I think we are all feeling the squeeze of a struggling economy. So I have been on a constant battle to try and come up with something that I can offer my customers that is affordable (to make and to buy.) At the same time I have been trying to come up with some products that are more appealing to a younger audience. Now when I say younger, I mean people my age. Because my jewelry tends to sell more to the middle-aged or older woman. And I love you all dearly, don't get me wrong. In fact, I have always been drawn to people who are older than me (I think it's part of being an only child; I have always been the "mature" one among my friends). But I want to create something for 20-somethings to wear too, because that will expand my market, you know?! Something with a little more spunk, a little more glam, and geared toward the more indie-craft scene that is so popular. And it's amazing how these ideas don't just come up overnight. They have to gestate inside, and slowly make their way out into this bright world of mine.

So... here are some of the things that I've come up with. They are in no way complete and ready to sell. But they are ideas that are coming to fruition, and I am excited about the potential here.

What do you think? I'd love some feedback, and I'd love to hear your ideas as well. What would you like to see me work on? Do you have any ideas for bead styles, jewelry styles, or items that you would like me to make? I would love to be inspired by what you, my dear customers, would like to see in the Divali Jewelry box!

It's a rainy day here- one of the first ones we've seen in a while. I hope it's not going to be one of those winters where we get lots and lots of rain. I want to crawl under a rock when we have winters like that. Something about the greyness of rain makes me tired, unmotivated, uninspired, moody, and just sort-of sad feeling all the way around. I try to do things to get over it (like use it as an excuse to get a Pumkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, eat hearty foods, and sleep late), but somehow it always seems to get the best of me. Last winter we were lucky enough to hardly have any rain at all. But the winter before....oh it almost never ended. At one time we had 30 days of straight rain!!!

So I'm doing the no-rain dance (not sure what that looks like, but let me know if you know the steps!)

And speaking of dancing, I got my hair cut and colored yesterday. I'm going through one of those ultra-feminine stages that seem to hit once a year or so. I've painted my nails, I've been wearing makeup, and my hair is looking all fresh and new. One of my coworkers told me I look like a rockstar when I walked in this morning! I told her I was about to break out into song and dance, just to give me a few minutes. I'll try to take some pics over the weekend and post them...my color of the month is dark browny-purple. I really like it!

I finally finished a piece of PMC jewelry that I am really excited about:

I don't know what happens to me when it comes time to fill something that I've created with resin, but it's like all of my creative juices freeze, and I have no idea what to put inside my recently-made treasure. You would think my life depended on filling this thing with something incredibly stunning and unusual. I just don't understand what comes over me (or doesn't come over me). I've been walking around with this ring in my pocket, searching in desparation for THE PERFECT THING to go inside of it with absolutely no success whatsoever. But yesterday I finally found just the thing to fill my ring with when I went to Scrapbooking Territory, a store down the street from my office. I am not into scrapbooking, but I have a slight obsession with paper and stickers and glitter and pens and ribbon and things of that nature. So I could spend hours in any sort of store that carries those types of things. And Finn is allowed in Scrapbook Territory, because they have a golden retriever, Wilbur, there too, and he and Finn like to look at eachother and wag their tails and flirt like that. So it's a great little escape from the office.

Anyway, back to the ring. They had these wonderful papers that I got, and I scanned them into my computer and shrunk down the pattern so I could fit a good portion of it inside the space of my ring, which is about 1 1/2" accross. All of the sudden, the task was so easy and perfect and done. And I am proudly wearing a new ring! I hope to have some time to make some more interesting things out of PMC over the weekend. I aim to have some pieces that I can incorporate into my necklaces by the time the Celebration of Craftswomen show rolls around next month.

Also at Scrapbook Territory, I came accross a new publication from Stampington & Company called Artful Blogging. It is a beautifully put together quartlery magazine featuring (mostly altered art) artists who blog; or who sort-of jumped on the blogging bandwagon a few years ago when the idea was just becoming popular. It's very inspiring to see how different artists use blogs as a space to unearth their creativity, or reflect on daily life, or reach out to other artists. And I discovered many artists who really delve deeply into their inner thoughts and manifestations in their blogs. It's very thought-provoking. I have always been a journaler; I write every morning first thing when I get up. I usually write rather than draw, because I am better at writing than drawing. But I often wish my drawing and doodling abilities were better. Frequently I think that if I could just doodle around with the ideas that fleetingly pass through my head, I could greatly expand upon them and bring them to the physical realm. These arists who are featured in Artful Blogging are doing just that, on the digital screen, for all the world to see.
All of this lead me to an interesting conversation with Aveesh about what exactly blogging is. And he argued that it is showing off. I, however, strongly disagree. I think blogging is what you want it to be, whether that is a place of reflection, growth, development, marketing, networking, etc. Yes, we are all human and we are lead by our egos, but the desire to open up and share one's thoughts with others in a public place is not showing off. Obviosly we are all curious enough about other people that we do things like read other people's blogs and rubberneck at car accidents when we go by. That's human nature. So show off or no show off, I am making a concerted effort to make this blog a place where I can explore my inner ramblings, and share them with those of you who choose to visit here. What's your opinion on this?

I'll leave you with a line that I always end with when I am writing in my journal every morning:

Here's to a positive and productive day!

Carter

Oh how I love NYC!

Well I made it back from NYC, and made it through a hectic but fun weekend.
New York was a blast. I do love that city. The energy there is so uplifting, and the constant bustle of people is so intriguing to me. I have always been a people-watcher, so big cities are lots of fun in that respect. Just sitting on the subway, watching everyone around me is purely entertaining to me. It was an early-morning flight, and the view of the sunrise from the airplane window was incredible.

We got some cool new beads that will be up on Beadtrust.com soon. And we actually had some time to shop. But believe it or not, I couldn't find a single thing to spend my money on. Actually, there were lots of things that I would loved to have brought home with me, but they were waayyyy out of my price range. So my wallet is happy, and the fashionista inside of me was a bit sad. But the truth of the matter is that I have everything I need, and the last thing I need is more clothes. It was a nice time to reflect and be thankful for all that I do have, and pull some of those rarely-touched items of clothing out of the back of the closet. I have quite an extensive closet, and I have a roof over my head and food on the table, so I was just being greedy, and falling prey to consumer culture.
I find that every time I resist the urge to buy something, I get an urge to make something new to wear (usually a new piece of jewelry, but sometimes clothes). So in typical fashion, I came back home and made a new necklace, which I LOVE! It's on the front page of my site. I think you'll like it too. The beads are really intricate, and I love the colors.

We did have some incredible food while we were in NYC too. If you are ever in SOHO and looking for a place to eat, go to Cafe Habana. You won't be dissapointed. It's a tiny little Cuban restaurant, and they have the most incredible grilled corn. It's covered in this cheesy sauce, lime juice, and paprika, and my mouth is watering while I type this. If you don't believe me, look at this, and tell me it doesn't look divine:

Ummm mmm good!
And here's a cute shot of me and Aveesh, that we took of ourselves in Cafe Habana.

It was a lovely trip, and I hope we sell these beads fast so we can go back soon!

I've got some orders to fill this week, so there probably won't be anything new up for another week or so. But I did put some new items in the Fall section of my site last week. So if you haven't seen them yet, take a peek.

Here's wishing you all a splendid week-

Carter

And the winner is.....

Jan Lichtenstein of Mt. Pleasant, SC. Jan is the lucky winner of the Black and White Kaleidoscope neklace!


Thanks to all of you who made purchases this month, and entered into the drawing to win.
I'll be doing another drawing before the holidays, so stay tuned.
The festival of Divali is just around the corner, in early November. And I hope to get a little something together to celebrate. You'll get another newsletter from me announcing the details.
I've got a few new pieces that I hope to photograph and post later today, before we head to NYC in the morning, for a whirlwind trip. Going on a buying trip for Beads Forever, and there will be no time for shopping (my bank account just took a sigh of relief!) But hopefully we will have time to eat some good food!!
Congratulations Jan!
Carter

Lazy Saturday

It's a gorgeous weekend here. But I feel a cold coming on....it's been trying to get me all week, but today is the first time that I really feel pretty crummy. So I am taking it easy today.

I did give Finn a bath (got a cute picture that I might post later), and have been doing some laundry.


I'm just playing on the internet and reading a really good book called "A Sense of the World: How A Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler." A very interesting biography about a young British Man in the 1800's with a love for travel. He became blind and still continued to trek around the world....more details to follow, as I'm just getting into it. But if you're looking for a good read, I highly recommend it.


Since I rarely watch tv or listen to radio, I tend to get lost in my own little world sometimes. But I have heard all of this talk about Paul Potts, who won Britain's Got Talent. I was just reading on another blog, where someone posted a link to this utube video, and I was absolutely blown away. I am a big fan of classical music; I grew up in a household where there was always some form of classical music playing. So I used to detest it (as most teenagers do!). But the older I get, the more I find comfort and peace in classical music. It is so moving and emotional, and I get so shocked when sometimes I'm listening to a piece of music, and all of the sudden I'll be in tears. (Like I was while watching this video). That is, to me, the beauty of music. There is something so innate inside of me that draws me to rhythm, sound, and melody. This Paul Potts is amazing. If you have a second, please listen, and I bet you you'll be glad you did. As for me, I'm going to buy the cd today!


And one last little tidbit for the day. If you like candy, go here:

The name says it all. Don't even know how I stumbled upon this one, but it's mmm mmm good! He does have a candy-giveaway going on; there are 400+ people already entered, so chances of winning are slim, but anything can happen!
Happy Saturday-
Carter

Yummy colors for Fall

Where do my color combinations come from? Usually I don't have to go searching for color inspiration. But sometimes I like to look at the color trends of the season ahead, to see what colors are in the fashion market. There's a company called Pantone that sets the color trends years in advance, and they put out a booklet every season talking about the colors to look for and pair together. Here's their outlook for Fall 2007:

And their summary of what color trends are popular this season:
"Complex and exotic describe the intriguingly unusual and inviting color palette for fall ’07. The traditional neutral shades expected for autumn have been replaced this season with rich, nuanced hues, offering more opportunity for creativity with interesting and unexpected color combinations."
More opportunity for creativity, huh? And unexpected color combinations? I like the sound of that. The deep plum-color reminds me of biting into ripe fruit. And the mustard-yellow next to olive green is so vibrant. And there's something about that pepper-red next to the orange that I love.....I've just printed this out and will have it next to the torch as I make beads over the next few weeks. I'll be sure to share what creations are inspired by these color suggestions.
Have a good one-
Carter

Necklace giveaway!

Aayyy....I completely forgot to mention on here that I am giving away a necklace!
Everybody who purchases from my website through the end of the month will be entered in a drawing to win this necklace:

It's a Black and White version of my best-seller, Kaleidoscope. So if you've been thinking about making a purchase and holding back, now's the time! So far there are 12 of you in the running, so the odds are good. I'll announce the winner here on Monday, October 1.

Thanks to all of you who made purchases in the sale. My load is much lighter, and I have been making new designs. I always seem to create better when the jewelry box is empty. Maybe it's my natural tendency to have lots of stuff around me....beads, predominantly!

I'm looking forward to a nice Fall weekend. We're going with some friends tonight to try a new restaurant in Alameda, called Dragon Rouge, that serves Vietnamese Fusion food. I'm looking forward to it.
And Saturday night we have dinner plans with my cousin who has just moved to San Francisco. So it should be a fun weekend.
I have some designs in my head in PMC that I might work on, and a few clothing ideas running around up there as well. This Fall weather is inspiring.

And speaking of inspiration, I was watching the Today show this morning (while exercising, of course...you know I don't just sit and watch tv), and they showed a clip from the All Candy Expo, which is taking place this week in Chicago. Ooohhh, if I could get my sugar-loving hands in there! It looked amazing! Of course, it's only open to the trade (hence the title "Tradeshow").....maybe in a next life! Here's a little snapshot from their website:

And on that note, I'm off to get some coffee (make that a Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte). Just finished my soup for lunch, now I need to satisfy my sweet tooth!
A good weekend to all of you-
Carter

A sale!

Several of you have asked, and I'm answering! I'm cleaning out the Divali Treasure Chest and putting together a Fall Sale! I'm planning on working into the night to get the sale together, and I should warn you that there will be LOTS of goodies up for grabs this time around. Somehow there are lots of necklaces in my box; I guess I haven't been doing that many shows, but I've been making jewelry. I get sick of filling wholesale orders and make new designs from time to time, and when I don't have shows, I don't sell them as quickly. So you, my lucky ones, win! Stay tuned tomorrow....I aim to have the sale open by noon, and some new Fall necklaces for you to choose from as well.
Goodnight!
Carter

Rare chance to buy my beads on ebay!

Hi everybody-
Saturday evening here, and it's been a lovely day. I worked out in the yard all day, and it's amazing how many weeds there were out there! We're getting ready to head out for some Margaritas at La Pinata, which is quite possibly my favorite restaurant. Blackberry Margaritas and Mojitos......yummmmmmy!
Lastnight I was at Calypso Twist in Walnut Creek for their one year anniversary celebration. It was a lively celebration, complete with Rum Punch and a Calypso band! I set up my torch and did bead-making demos, and got to chat with lots of other artists who sell in the gallery. I enjoyed speaking with customers and sharing my work with them. It's always fun for me to get to share my talents with people, and to answer questions people have about my techniques.

So I have an oppportunity for those of you who like to make things yourself. I always have extra beads sitting around, and they tend to pile up and take over the bead box. So I've decided to give these odds and ends a chance to get a new home, by putting them up for sale on ebay. Here's a link to the auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZctseibel
Happy bidding, and stay tuned....if this turns out to be a popular thing, I might do this more often.
Have a good rest of the weekend!
Carter

Back from Burning Man, back to reality!

Whew, it's been quite a month! I'm back from Burning Man, and very glad I went, but very glad to be home. It was a pretty incredible experience, and I'm not sure I can sum it up any more now than I could before I went. Some words that come to mind are: hot, dusty, amazing, colorful, free, dusty, surreal, intense, dusty, mind-boggling, eye-opening, dusty.....it was a great experience. But being on the other side of it, I can honestly say that the one thing that Burning Man did for me more than anything, was make me more thankful that I have friends and family who I love and love me, and a reality that I love. I love my life, I love what I do. I missed "my reality" out on the Playa. So now that I'm back, I am eager to wake up in the morning and do the tasks that make up my day.
That being said, here are a few pictures:

This was what Center Camp looked like. I loved all of the colored strips of fabric that they hung from the ceiling. One of my favorite things was to sit down and look up at the colors waving in the wind.
This was the temple....very awe-inspiring and moving. And a lot bigger than it seems in this picture.

In case you don't believe me about the dust.....
And this picture sums up my week.....full of awe, amazement, and shock.

So welcome me back to the "real world." I have a much greater sense of calm, and am ready to get back to my work. I have a renewed sense of discipline and peace of mind, and look forward to getting back to the torch and the tasks that await me. I think I'm going to work on some PMC this weekend too, for the first time in a while. It's my Mom's 60th birthday, and she might be getting something special (if I can get it made in time!)

Hope everyone has a good weekend. Hopefully I'll have some pics to share next week!

Ciao-

Carter

Not jewelry....but another form of wearable art!

As most artists do, from time to time, I crave creative outlets other than my main "task" of jewelry making. I've posted a few pictures in the past of some other things that I've been working on. So today I'd like to share with you the clothes I've been working on. I have always loved the idea of making my own clothes, but never had the patience or the dedication to follow through on that thought. But I'm changing my ways! I've gotten a sewing machine and have made myself have the patience to try new things, and to experiment with altering fabrics and clothes, and I love the results. I've finished two things: a skirt, and a shirt. And I am happy as a clam about both! The shirt was one of my favorites until I burned a hole in it one day while making beads. So I kept it in the closet and thought "I'll think of something cool to do with it one day." Well, that day came, and the cool thing that I did was put this strip of polka-dotted ribbon over the hole so it's like it's not even there!

And these jeans were my favorite jeans in college. They are so soft and worn in, but I never wear them anymore. So I got out my scissors. I also used scraps from the new curtains that are in my home studio (recognize these from an earlier blog?!). And I went to town. And I'm tickled pink with the result!

On another note, I am so excited that tomorrow I am going home. And for the first time since I've moved to CA, this trip home feels like a vacation. I'm not taking any jewelry to sell (I don't have any; I've been so busy filling wholesale orders that I don't even have any stock), I'm not stressing over the packing, I'm not doing anything big when I'm there, I've gotten all of my orders out the door....in short, I am feeling pretty footloose and fancy free! And I love it! So I'm looking forward to a few days with family, some hot southern sun (an humidity!). And then back here to crank more orders out the door before we head out to Burning Man.
It's a busy month, but a fun one!

Wish me safe travels!

Carter

Lots going on!

As usual, it's been longer than I anticipated since I blogged last. What can I say...the ole' cliche: "time flies when you're having fun!"
It was a very fun, productive week, full of beads and lots of other things.

For starters, Finn's birthday was last Sunday. So we celebrated in the office on Monday. Yes, all 11 of us sang him Happy Birthday while he paraded around and wagged his tail. And not one of us seemed to think it was strange singing to a dog! I love it! And of course Finn loved every second of it. This is him going for his birthday present, a singing birthday cake stuffed toy. Oh, what a cutie!

And I've been getting little goodies everyday in preparation for Burning Man. Some things are more exciting (wigs and costumes) than others (grill hoses and headlamps). Here is one of this week's best arrivals:

And for some Divali updates: I've been as busy as a bee putting together wholesale catalogs for buyers in response to an ad I ran recently in a wholesale magazine. Yesterday I sent out 19! It seems like it should be so easy to put some things in an envelope and mail it. But when there are 19 of them, it gets a little time-consuming. I hope that all of my efforts pay off. I have been filling orders for other wholesale accounts, and I am really enjoying getting to know my new accounts. Here's the pile of envelopes that went out yesterday, and a little peek at what's inside:

And I've leave you with some pictures of some new necklaces...finally! These have already gone out the door to the Noyes Museum's Craft Concept show, but I will be making some more. I plan to do crafty things all weekend. The Alameda Flea Market is Sunday, and it's supposed to be really good, so I'm going to check it out. And I hope to finish the skirt that I've been working on for what seems like an eternity. I'll post pics as soon as I do!

And the winner is....

ADDIE! E-mail me your address and I will get the necklace out to you today or tomorrow.
Thanks to all of you who participated. Stay tuned for more.
And I might have some more pics up later today of some new creative endeavors.
Until next time-
Carter

Seizing the day

I know it's been longer than I promised for a bead give-away, but somehow the time has just escaped me. Don't really have any explanation for what I've been doing....just not making beads. For whatever reason, I haven't been in the mood lately. But I have my gusto back, and have been at the torch all day long, cranking things out.

So here's the give-away of the week: this really cool, big bead, on a silver chain.
The bead itself is over 2" long, and the chain is 18". The bead is a bit heavy for the chain, but it works. If you have something else you can put the bead on, go for it. This beauty has been sitting in my drawer of "I don't know what to do with these" beads for a while, so I decided it's a good time to give it a new home. Post here if you want to be added to the drawing. I'll randomly select the lucky winner next Wednesday, so be sure to check back then.

And for a bit of my personal philosophy, for any of you who care....I've been reading an interesting booked entitled, "Crazy Busy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap" by Edward Hallowell. Am I about to snap??? No...but I have realized lately that I am spread a bit thin. I have so many interests and so many things I want to do with my time, and there aren't enough hours in the day. This book has an interesting perspective on how to tackle the distractions and stressers of the modern world. We (or I am anyway) slaves to our computer screens, cell phones, tasks at work, tasks at home, and all of the distractions and commitments we have. When I really stop to look at the number of tasks I accomplish in an average day, I am stunned. But some days I am left feeling so worthless. Like I have done a lot, been moving at the speed of all light, but not accomplished anything of any real value. And I don't even watch tv, so I can't blame my escaped time on that! So this book has helped me put things into perspective, and helped me realize that I have a choice: I can choose to seize each moment for what it is, and live it to the fullest, or I can waste moment after moment doing things that won't really give me a feeling of fulfillment. Afterall, for me anyway, life isn't just about ticking things off the "to do" list; it's about being fulfilled by what you are doing. So yes, there are plenty of things that we have to do in life that aren't exactly fulfilling....they are necessary. But there are a lot of other tasks that we engage in out of habit, that are neither fulfilling or necessary, but still we do them and just waste time. SO.....why I am writing all of this? Because I have been feeling a bit burned-out lately by beads. But I have realized that what I am feeling isn't really burn-out, but distractions from all that's on my plate. So today I cleared my mind of all of those distractions, and I had a thoroughly wonderful day of making beads. My creative bead energy is back, because I took the time and the effort to refuse all of the other things that were vying for my attention. It reminds me of the ol' adage(it's something like this:): you can please some of the people some of the time, you can please all of the people all of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." I am learning that I can't do everything at once. I can't succumb to every task on my list at once. I can make beads now, do paperwork later, walk Finn after that, and then come back to beads. And be with each experience mentally as it is happening. Or I can be thinking about one thing while doing another, and never achieving fulfillment of the task at hand.....wow, what a simple concept!

It's so nice to have these "aha!" moments. The great thinkers have been trying to tell us for centuries: "Carpe Diem." Hmmm....looks like they have a very valid point!

I'm back at work today, after a lovely day away from beads. It's so nice to take holidays; often I tend not to actually not work (please excuse that double-negative, I know it's grammatically incorrect) just because when you're self-employed, there's always something to do. But yesterday I really did take the day off. And since I have been working for Beads Forever I really enjoy weekends and time off, because my work time is more structured since I work in an office with other people. There's a lot to be said for being able to walk away from work and not think about it. I used to not be able to do that, but I'm getting better at it.
I made some really neat beads on Tuesday that were inspired by a set I saw on ebay. I loved this color combination, and had to make some beads in these colors. I'm getting ready to work at the torch for a bit and make some more beads for this set.

And for a little splash of color, here's a snippet of what my Burning Man pants look like. How divine is this color combination and fabric? Ooohhh, I love 'em!

I've been working on some new jewelry styles and color combinations and should have some new pieces to post on my site in the next week or so. I'll probably put some more previews up on the blog soon as well.

Tata for now-

Carter

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th!
Since moving to CA (yes, all of you folks back east warned me about this), I have had so much exposure to the "left" side of the political spectrum. Although I am not as involved as I should be, I do try to keep abreast of what's going on in the world. So on this Independence Day, I am not quite sure how to feel about being an American. Yes, I love my freedom, but no, I don't feel good about the state of our world, and I have so much sadness for what we have done as a nation to the rest of the world. I am not going to preach or get on a soapbox here, but I will pray today for peace around the world. I hope in my heart that our nation and especially our leaders figure out soon that we aren't the only ones here on the planet.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
And if you want some very interesting food for thought, take a few minutes to read the blog today of Rice Freeman-Zachary, an altered-clothing artist whose work I have recently discovered, and who I really admire. Wow, does she have some powerful commentary today about the work of women artists...how we, as women, tend to always go inside for inspiration, rather than looking outside at the world around us. And how women tend to limit themselves to the confines of what's inside, rather than growing as artists by being open to the world around them. Very, very interesting....and so incredibly true.
It's so connected to the things I have been reading about and thinking about lately, related to metaphysics and the energy in this world. How we are all (whether human, dog, piece of clothing, rock) made up of the same particles of energy, and how we carry and transmit that energy when we move about in the world. How if we emanate negative thoughts (energy), we are only poisening the world around us with negativity. Just by using negative words and thinking negative things, we inhibit the positive energy inside and around us.
So on a positive note, may you have a wonderful holiday full of sunshine and happiness. Send love into the world. And God Bless not just America, but all of the people in the world.

Hello Monday!

Good Monday to you all, and welcome July! I can't believe we have flown through the month of June so quickly. Where does the time go?!

I had a wonderful weekend, and did something that I never, ever do: I went to San Francisco all day on Saturday with no agendy, and just hung out!! It was so much fun! Aveesh and I went with Tony and Lisa to Haight St. to check out the costume shops and fabric shops for Burning Man attire. And oh, boy, did I get the coolest pants in town! I'll have to post some pics as the date nears and my outfits are more complete.

We at lunch at a really yummy Indian restaurant, had icecream at Ben & Jerry's, and just enjoyed the day. It felt so nice to relax! Haight St. is so much fun. There's just so much to look at, so many people to watch, and the weather was gorgeous. It's days like this that I still have to stop and marvel at the fact that I live here.

I finished working on a wholesale order for a new gallery in Washington last week, and they had requested a variation on one of my favorite necklaces. I think it turned out really well...what do you think?

Lots on the plate this week. Electrician is coming today to do the wiring for our casting equipment. I'm working on some new jewelry projects for Bead Trust, which is fun and challenging since I don't normally work with semi-precious. And it's the 4th of July, so we have a day off. And yes, I am going to take a day off! Looking forward to it.
Another bead give-away coming in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled.

Until then....

Carter

And the winner is....

Carol!
E-mail me your address and I'll ship the bead out. I guess I'll have to wait for you to send me your address before I can ship, huh?! Didn't think about that when I said I would ship the bead out on Friday.

Thanks for reading, and I'll do this again soon. I have lots and lots of cool beads that haven't found their place into jewelry. This is a fun thing to do with them, so I'll give some more out very soon.

I'm off to Smith and Hawken for a little Friday afternoon relaxation. I love looking at all of their plants and plant-related things. I've been looking for a new addition for my terrarium, so hopefully I'll find something exciting.

Have a good weekend,
Carter

Bead Give-Away!

It's been a busy, busy few days. But life is great, and I am having so much fun!
Tony and Lisa are here and getting settled. They've started moving the casting equipment into our warehouse space, and we are really getting excited about getting the Urban Relics Components started. Of course there's lots of electrical wiring and other things that we have to do before we can really get started. But as soon as they get settled and unpacked, Lisa and I will start working on the designs of the first pieces to be cast.

I've been working on some new styles of beads and pendants that are really fun, and I've been enjoying the new colors that I picked up at the Bead & Button show. Here are some of my new rods, and one of my new beads:
I want to try something new on my blog that a lot of other artist's do. It'll be fun for you and me. I don't have a clue how the response will be, but I'm curious to know how many people read my ramblings.

So I'm going to give away a bead this week. Here's what you have to do: if you want to be entered into the drawing for this cool bead, simply post a response to this blog entry. I'll put all of the names in a hat and draw the name of the winner on Friday. I'll ship the bead out on Friday afternoon via UPS Ground. Sound like a good idea? It's a great chance to get one of my loose beads. Usually I don't let any of them go without putting them into jewelry first. But there's a first time for everything, right?! So here's the bead. Put your name in the hat!

Back from Bead & Button

I'm back from Milwaukee and getting back to the torch. We had a lot of fun, giggled a lot, and sold a lot of beads. The Bead and Button show is one of my favorite bead shows. I have lots of fun new colors of glass from Frantz that I'm eager to try. And of course lots of ideas running through my head of things that I want to do with PMC.

Exciting news on the home front and the creativity front: Tony and Lisa (pictured below) of Zoa Art are moving here this wekeend! I am soooooo excited! We are starting a new company called Urban Relics Components, which will be a line of components for jewelry artists and other creative people. We'll have clasps, charms, and other fun little pieces that will be cast in various metals. We are all so excited about the energy that we have going, that we're truly going to have a hard time sleeping. They get here on Sunday, and as soon as they get unpacked and settled, we'll start doing some design work and then get started on the casting. We'll get a blog going on the Urban Relics Components website soon to keep everybody updated with what's going on.

While I was walking through the lobby at the B&B show one day, I whizzed through the ISGB (International Society of Glasss Beadmakers) booth, and was blown away when I saw this gorgeous display with a larger-than-life photo of one of my beads. It was one of the beads in the Trajectories collection. I honored and excited. Here's a picture of the bead and the display:

Happy June!

How did it get to be June already! I was always told as a little girl that the older you get, the faster time flies, but for some reason I never believed it. (Probably because I thought I knew everything then!) But boy, do I believe it now. (And I've also realized that there are lots of things that I don't know....LOTS!)

I've been busy filling orders this week, and working on my skirt and PMC at night. It's been a very creatively-productive and fulfilling week, and I'm really looking forward to a weekend where I can just create wildly for two days straight!

I made something really cool at the torch yesterday that I wanted to share with you. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet, but I'm going to make some more today because I really like it. This thing is about the size of a golfball, hollow, and has holes poked all around it. I thought it was going to crack several times while I was making it, and was so pleased when I opened the kiln door this morning to see this wild thing. Stay tuned to see what I make with this!

And on the "other creative endeavors" side, I am obsessed with altering my clothes now. Here's the skirt that I've been working on very diligently for a few days. Hoping to finish it this weekend.

Tata-
Carter

A whole new world....

I have hardly slept or eaten in the past two days! I've been completely engulfed in PMC and in an entirely new medium for me: fabric. Funny how I don't need sleep or really even food when I'm doing something I love!

I got my all of my things set up, and it took me forever to make two pendants and a charm. (And please excuse the poor photo quality; it's really cold and cloudy here today and I don't feel like fooling around with lighting, etc.) It's been about a month since I was working with Lisa, so it took me a while to get back into the swing of things....but I think I am finding my rhythm. I love the pendant that I made, and now I need to fill it with resin, and I always have the hardest time deciding what to put in the resin. It's like I've spent all of this time coming this far, and I don't want to mess up what I've done. So I'm stuck, but really want to do the resin pour today...so I'll come up with something.

And I have a ring idea that I want to work on later today too!

I am absolutely obsessed with image transfers and wearable art, and in making altered clothing. This has been coming on for a while now, and the snake has finally bitten. I am hooked. I went to JoAnn's on Friday and bought lots of fun things, and I swear I don't know why I have never stumbled into all of this before. As much as I love altered clothing and wearable art, it has just neer occurred to me that I could alter my own clothes! Probably because I have, in the past, been really bad at following patterns and sewing "properly." My Mom always tried to teach me to follow the directions. But I don't get along with directions....I just like to DO IT! And I can with all of this. I'm going to get a cheap little sewing machine today from Walmart so I can accent the appliqued pieces I've done....that kind of sewing I can handle. Just freeform and go.....no patterns shmatterns!

I started adorning my studio apron first, just so I could learn as I go. Here's what it looks like so far. And I think there's a skirt in the works today. Ooohhhhh, I love this stuff!

And no, I have not forgotten about beads! I actually made some really fun ring beads on Friday for an order for a new account. I was having a great time until a piece of hot glass got stuck between my watch band and my arm. Yes, it was the worst burn I've ever gotten from beadmaking. So I turned the torch off after that. I was tired anyway.

So don't worry....I am still going to make beads as my "day job". (Or one of them, anyway). I'll just do all of this at night and on the weekends!

Off to walk Finnigin!

Cheers,
Carter

A little philosophy....

I'm reading Wayne Dyer's book Real Magic, and really enjoying everything that he has to offer. This morning I read a section that summed up the beauty of being an artist for me, and living my dreams, and I wanted to share it with anyone who comes here, because I hope it will encourage someone else to live their dreams. For those of you who are doubtful of metaphysics, just bear with me!

Wayne Dyer explains that we are all "here" (ie. alive as human beings, here on planet Earth) for a purpose; and when we live in sync with that purpose, we will live a life of Real Magic. He suggests that we are all 99% spirit, and 1% physical; the physical part of us is what houses the soul. So if you are unhappy with your daily tasks (your job), you are spending a great deal of time doing something that you dislike, but you keep doing it because you have bills to pay, etc. Using the number equation, what this means is that 1% of you is going through the motions to make 99% of you unhappy. Pretty amazing when you stop and think about how true it is. Furthermore, you are unable to experience peace and happiness when you are trudging through something that you can't stand! Maybe physical needs are being met in abundance, but is the soul, the 99%, feeling abundant?

So what's the solution? Get on purpose with your life. Find what you are here to do, your purpose. Then do it. When we act in accordance with our purpose, we are leading a life of abundance, and prosperity will be abundant. All of our needs will be met when we are doing what we came here to do. It's really pretty simple. I truly feel that I am on purpose in my life. I am happy with the actions that I engage in every day, and I feel that I am doing the things that I came here to do. That, to me, is Real Magic!

Off to do the things I do best...
Carter

So much to do, so little time

It was a great weekend, full of stimulation and things to do. That's one of the great things about the Bay area: there's always something fun going on, and it's such a challenge to decide what to do. My inspiration just runs wild here.

I am in the midst of painting my home studio. It's like I'm inside a canteloupe! It's a very yummy orange color that I'm very excited about. But I feel like I've been painting all weekend, and it's the painting project that will never end.

I've been really interested lately in Artist's Journals, Altered Books, and Collaging. Tony and Lisa of Zoa Art peaked my interest when I visited them in Tucson last month, and it's been on my mind ever since. I bought a book by Traci Bautista on Friday called Collage Unleashed, and I have been learning to "doodle" again. It's been ages since I've doodled (I'm not one of those artists why typically uses a sketchbook for ideas, but I'm beginning to see why it's so helpful). I have been having so much fun learning to draw out the ideas in my mind. Traci seems like an awesome chica, and I did miss an opportunity to meet her in person this weekend at Maker Faire. But there was just too much to do!!

Went to a very cool event on Saturday night called in Alameda. It was a fundraiser to get a group to Burning Man. I am only scratching the surface of the whole Burning Man concept, but I am very excited to go. The time is quickly approaching, and lots of ideas are floating around in my head about costume ideas, and I'm getting really excited. For those of you who don't know about Burning Man, I am not even going to try to do justice to it by explaining it here. Just click on the link above and see for yourself.

Off to take the Number One dog on a walk. He's gotten a little overweight and lazy, so we're trying to get that metabolism going! No, he's not related to jewelry or being an artist, but he sure is a big part of my life....so for all of you who want to see this cute little guy, here's a picture of Finn with his summer haircut. Is that cute or what?!

More later,

Carter