Kickin' It in 2017!

Hey everyone! How's 2017 starting out for you so far? I know, we're only 3 days in, but I'm heading into this new year at warp speed! How about you?

I've got lots of irons in the fire right now and changes on the horizon, and I'm really excited.

Me: I've got my favorite haircut back and I'm feeling like my old self again. Funny how that works. I needed a re-do to get "back to me", if that makes sense. Something edgy and fresh. Got it! I even ordered some of my favorite make-up that I can't get here in TN and it should be arriving tomorrow via Amazon Prime. Yes!

Loving this cut!

I've also been eating very clean and watching every single bite. No junk or processed foods. Extra vegetables and fruit too. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatories as well, all naturally found in foods and spices. So far so good and I've shed some pounds. Goal: 30 lbs.

Yum! Fresh food goodness!

House: Finally getting the bathrooms remodeled that are long overdue. That'll be the final thing needed for our whole house revamp. Looking cute and cottage-y.

Fresh, clean and stylin'!

Plans? Hoping to list and sell either this coming Spring or the next. Where to? Utah or Colorado. Skiing. Mountains. Aspen trees. NO HUMIDITY or weird bugs! OR tornados!

Beautiful Salt Lake City

Art: I'm working on lots of new designs this year for By Way of Salem; one-of-a-kind tree toppers, adding some new handpainted fabric old lady dolls, and of course lots of new snowmen! I'm also adding new items for spring/summer like whimsically painted trailers, garden art, and painted bunnies and birds. In the jewelry department for Salems Charms, I'm hoping to be working with my favorite crazy ladies group, Sisters on the Fly, and either being a vendor on their site or getting licensed to do some logo items. I'd love to do that since they are just the coolest group of gals.

Spirited, fun group of ladies

How cute is that trailer?!

I think I mentioned awhile back that I got laid off from my job back in October and while I've been job searching, I'm also really enjoying the time off from work and being able to be with all my critters as well as do my art.

I know 2017 will be a fantastical year of changes and new adventures!

On With the Show!

Salem's Charms, my new jewelry store on Etsy, is going to do my first show! The Spring Jewelry and Accessories Show in Franklin, TN.

Date: March 12, 2016, Saturday
Hours: 9 to 5
Location: Franklin Recreation Center in Franklin, TN.
Address: 1120 Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064


I'm excited to get out there and show my stuff. Making jewelry is still very new to me so of course you don't know if people will like it, or what. I've been busy creating a lot of new pieces. This will be good to test the waters and get some good feedback. I started out working with beads, then got into metal stamping, but I've found my niche and my "true love"; glazed jewelry! It combines color, creativity, piecing, paint, all the things I love about being creative.

Glazed Pendant

Metal Stamped Jewelry



Lampwork Beads Earrings

Doing shows is a lot of fun too. It's always good to meet new people and be in a creative environment. I love setting up my booth display too - it's like buying anything; it's all about the packaging. A jazzy snazzy booth that's warm and inviting brings people in. Designing and coming up with props to display your jewelry on too will be something new as well. I'll make sure and post some pictures of my booth.

And if you've never been to Franklin, TN., it's beautiful! There's so much to see and do. It's very historical; battlegrounds and antebellum mansions from the Civil War era, wonderful restaurants, quaint mainstreet for great shopping. Franklin was also named as one of the 10 top small towns in America!

So I hope I see some of you there. Come on over and say hello if you're able to make it!

Something Unique from Salem's Charms

By now you all know about my other Etsy store "Salem's Charms" right? If you want to check it out, just click on the store name and you'll go right there. Anyway, it's just all about jewelry; metal stamped, beads, and my new favorite, fabric cuffs! 

I've been working on Salem's Charms for several months now, getting it up and running, trying to create as many pieces as I can while still painting and stitching for my first shop "By Way of Salem".  Yep, I've been busy! And I'm afraid through the holidays, my new jewelry biz has taken a back seat to BWOS while I've been filling orders for Christmas. Now that the season is over, I'm back at creating for Salem's Charms and have some really neat things in the works.

I wanted to share my newest fabric cuff with you. I just finished it and I love it! It's very raw. Lots of stitches and threads showing. Layers of fabrics are pieced together, hand stitched and embroidered and then topped off with my copper stamped tag that says "Kindred Spirit". Perfect for pairing with a sweater and jeans! Kind of has that "gypsy" feel don't you think? 

 

 

A New Year Begins Today!

Throughout the year, at different times depending on what's going on with my life, I have what's called a "regroup", it's a time where I sit back, examine, chill out, or whatever, to get it back together, to recover from something that is currently happening or has happened, that didn't make me very happy and caused a blip in my universe. That's what a new year is all about to me; a BIG regroup. So let's get on it!

I'm NOT making any resolutions that's for sure. I'm continuing on with my previous year which is to accomplish a number of goals I set out to do;

• Get healthier through exercise and eating very well
• Stay positive no matter what
• Forgive and forget all the negatives
• Weed toxic and dark souled people out of my life
• Find joy in something every single day
• Move forward with my goal to relocate back to the NW or Utah, and pursue my ski instructor job, something that I love more than anything!
• Focus on my art business by creating more and having a business plan

I know for me it's very important to have goals and dreams and never give up on them no matter what, no matter how "old" I am, or what shape I'm in. Dreams and goals are what keep me going.

Cheers to the New Year!

One Brush Stroke at a Time

Well it's finally Fall here in middle Tennessee. Thankfully the heat has dissipated and we're on our way to cooler weather. I couldn't be happier about that.

I'm slowly working my way through the utter despair and sadness of losing my #1 dog, Freckles. His death hit me hard and broke my heart. This is the kind of event that for me, makes me not only huddle under the covers and retreat from the world, but also makes me take a hard look at my life and realize what is important and what brings me happiness and joy and peace. Sometimes you have to seek out those things and other times they're right under your nose.

Like doing my art. That gives me peace. And happily this week I got several orders from both my Etsy stores; By Way of Salem and Salems Charms. It makes me happy to know people like my work. I create things to my liking, not what I think will sell (that never works), or what's trendy. I just do what I love and makes me smile, and if I'm lucky, others will love it too!

Painting witch's this week!

Love making jewelry for horse lovers!

Great Expectations! or Why I Haven't Updated My Etsy Pics?

Oh it's been a crazy couple of weeks around the homestead! Like the old saying, when it rains it pours, and it's true.

First, my horse: N'lilah or "Lilah" as I call her. She got what I thought was an insect bite with a big area of swelling and it was sort of squishy to the touch. And big? Oh yeah. Like about 10" x 4", down the middle of her backbone towards her rump. I did all what the vet said to do but nothing changed, so finally he had to come out and see what was going on. Turns out it was a hematoma, not an insect bite at all, and probably caused by rolling on a rock and bursting a blood vessel. He sedated her and then set out to scalpel and drain it. I had no idea that blood could be so red! This photo is not enhanced or retouched in any way. It was truly that red! Pretty impressive. Thank you Dr. Kimmons from Franklin Equine. The best!

Ok, next. Toby, my big Lab/Rott mix. Sam, my other dog kept licking Toby's neck. When Sam does that, I know there's "something" to it. Sure enough. A GIANT hot spot. Biggest I'd ever seen. From what? Who knows. Vet said they're usually caused by food, environment or insects. I'm thinking environment. He must be allergic to Tennessee. LOL! So it's steroids and antibiotics, again, for this boy.

As all the pet stuff is going on, we're working on the house and tearing out the carpet (again - just installed last year) and the vinyl plank laminate flooring I installed as well, to get ready for the flooring we SHOULD HAVE had installed in the first place! Pergo Max. With 6 dogs and red clay outside, carpet doesn't work. The vinyl laminate scratched and scuffed and looked terrible after only a couple of months. Lessons learned? you get what you pay for, and, do it right the first time! I am THRILLED with my new gorgeous Pergo. We selected "River Road Oak" which is a rustic, industrial looking wood; all colors of lights and darks, warms and cools, browns and greys, so really there's no decision making on which color to get cause you get them all. It's a pretty wide plank as well and it just looks amazing. Here look:

 

So...you can see things have been crazy and no time for creating and updating right? But now that it's done, I'll be back in my studio after a good nights' rest. Have a great rest of the week!