Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner. This week’s winner is Marilynart, you’ve won a set of Cindy’s Raspberry Links. Please email us your mailing address.
Why look who has popped into my studio for a visit. He keeps asking, “Whoooo loves beads?”
I’ve been experimenting lately, giving myself permission to play and try new things out. There was been a flurry of activity on the bead table, with new jewelry designs. I wanted to whip up a few for our monthly challenge, just for fun. This got me thinking about wisdom and symbols and so here is little hoot. Looking a little more inquisitive than filled with wisdom, but perhaps an inquisitive mind is the first step towards wisdom.
Prince of the Forest – I used a little Vintaj bead cap as a crown, too cute. And notice the awesome Bead Pod clasp, also from Vintaj. You can put in little beads and close it up. I filled mine with 4mm pearls.
And along with giving myself permission to experiment, I’ve been working on a new series of stamped beads that remind me of something, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. They have a ceramic, carved wood, dyed fabric, woodblock print feel to me. Does that make sense?
So many beads end up in a little pile of rejects because I don’t feel they are mine, they may be a technique that I was trying out and they ended up looking like another artists work. It’s a struggle to try new techniques and hold onto your voice with the work. After many tries, I feel like this new work is finally mine. Different from the traditional humblebeads, so maybe these are humblebeads 2.0.
So my words/pearls of wisdom for you today are give yourself permission to play and experiment. Try new things, but work to make them yours. Find symbols that help tell the stories that make your creations personal and you’ll be on the right path.
So my question for this week is really a request: please share a pearl of wisdom with me. It can be a quote, a piece of advice you received, a mantra that helps you get in the creative groove. It can be about life, creativity, finding peace, any pearl will do!
We’ll pick a random winner next week who will receive a Little Hoot bead. Can’t wait to read your pearls of wisdom!
heatherwynn
June 14, 2008 at 6:37 pmPeople grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.
heather, I am completely smitten with your blog! lorelei turned me on to your work, so I guess that makes her my ‘pusher’.
now I am slowly turning into a junkie =)
thanks ladies.
Lorelei
June 14, 2008 at 6:58 pmWhat is meant to be, will be.
I tell myself this in my head over and over throughout the day.
You made these little owls just for me! They speak to me. I’m off to buy my very own.
🙂
LampworkDiva
June 14, 2008 at 7:20 pmOh Heather!
I LOVE the owls! Very cute! I’m loving those carved look beads – those are right up my ally!
I don’t have a quote so much as I have a recommendation for a musician who impresses me with his lyrics – he is full of pearls of wisdom: Connor Oberst.
Cindy
Christina
June 14, 2008 at 8:29 pmSometimes you need to set aside the to do list and just play.
Love the owl bead!
Contessa Kris
June 14, 2008 at 8:35 pmFound my way here through your twitter. Gorgeous owl bead! I’m in love with owls, as you can tell from some recent canvases I’ve made. So cute. (Adding your giveaway to my giveaways post that went up on my blog today.) Some favorite quotes I have are:
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. – Thomas Edison
You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. – Henry David Thoreau
Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. – Edward de Bono
jude
June 14, 2008 at 10:25 pm“You never learn anything with your mouth open”
Gaela
June 14, 2008 at 11:25 pmEver since this month’s theme was announced, All I could think of was the “Pearls Before Swine” Card in the “Dakini Oracle” & the verse from the book of Matthew 7:6 …neither cast ye your pearls before swine… and at the time, I needed to hear that.
Your owl is so very cute! I live in the woods and get to see and hear a few different kinds every day, I’m lucky. The other new bead is very nice, very organic, you did some excellent playing! And we all have rejects, that’s just part of it.
LLYYNN
June 14, 2008 at 11:34 pmLove the carved beads, Heather, and the way you have combined them with the stick pearls and the metal elements.
I will have to look up the author of this quote, but the words run through my head something like ‘art is making mistakes, genius is knowing which ones to keep’ so I give myself permission to make lots of mistakes and live up to that permission quite a lot.
LLYYNN
beadbabe49
June 15, 2008 at 12:21 amIf we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep walking…
ancient buddhist proverb
Anonymous
June 15, 2008 at 3:16 am“A wild patience has taken me this far” Adrienne Rich
my mantra, Joan Tucker Off Center Productions
maryharding
June 15, 2008 at 9:25 amHeather, your creativity and experimentation is inspiring. Your carved bead is fabulous. Since many beaders and myself included speak of playing when we work with beads, I thought this wonderful quotation from Emily Dickinson is an apt pearl
“Blessed be they who play for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jean
June 15, 2008 at 1:18 pma pearl of wisdom: HELP people grow. Do not push them back as they try to make their way in the world. This will reward YOU in countless small ways. I know this has been said by many but it sticks with me today because of a couple of things which are on my mind this day. Thank you for the lovely photo. You are so terrific!
Suzann Wilson
June 15, 2008 at 3:36 pm“You can do anything for 15 minutes.” – Flylady.net
I love this qoute because when I am feeling overwhelmed, I try to pick one thing to do, set a timer for 15 minutes, and have at it. It is amazing what you can done in that time period (including cleaning off a messy beading desk! lol!).
Heather-Love the owl and flower beads! The flower one reminds me almost of carved ivory.
Carlene
June 15, 2008 at 4:17 pmWOW, your new necklaces are so new but still you!
My favorite snip of wisdom comes from the book “Horse Heaven. A trainer listed The Tibetan Book of Thoroughbred Training on his office door so he saw it every day, several times a day. There are six rules, but my favorite is “Do not hanker after signs of progress.” It’s keep me sane when I get really frustrated about beading, life, or just whatever. Life is good, let it happen:)
Valerie
June 15, 2008 at 4:48 pm“God helps those who help themselves” I’m not sure who said this but I think it was Ben Franklin. Anyway I would sure like to help myself to that cute little owl bead. I have a collection of owls and it would make a nice addition to my collection
AJ
June 15, 2008 at 7:52 pmEveryone else has been so deep and profound, and I know I can’t reach that level, so…
No matter how full your hands are, it’s never a good idea to hold your beading needle with your teeth.
(also, I really like the carved bead!)
kerri
June 15, 2008 at 10:23 pmWow all the words of wisdom are great very inspiring, which lately I have been needing. The beads are great. Listen to your heart.
Jenny J.
June 16, 2008 at 1:07 amThanks for the inspiration tonight! I love the 15 minutes for anything concept…set a baby step and then you end up staying for hours!!
Love the wise owl’s look…and my wise words? Make someone laugh. 🙂
Heather Powers
June 16, 2008 at 1:51 pmwow, each one of these speaks to me! share more, I need all the pearls of wisdom I can gather.
thanks for the positive feedback on the new beads, I’m enjoying making them!
Sprite
June 16, 2008 at 3:56 pmI love how you crowned your little owl! And how you filled out the clasp – what a lovely detail!
My kernal of wisdom is this:
“Honor your own spirit” – Kiki
This keeps me going at times when I get tangled up in obligations or perceptions to everyone else and can’t hear my own ‘voice’. This extends to myself and jewelry creation.
Jennifer Stumpf
June 16, 2008 at 10:28 pmif you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re probably right. – henry ford.
Fab Fibers
June 18, 2008 at 2:54 pmMy favorite saying has nothing to do about being creative…just about life in general. Says how much of our time we spend “what ifing”
If IFS were skiffs we’d all go sailing.
Geary always says that…must be a Bangor thing!