The Silver and Gold in Silver Bella

My last post Best Me? was such a catharsis. Thank you very much for reading it. Thank you very much for connecting with it. The bare naked truth is so very healing. I am feeling really good just saying out loud my truth that I thought I would be different than I am. I imagined some serene, content, wise woman might emerge as I grew up, but I got me instead. I am always trying to embrace the present and love the flaws, work through this and feel that. I now have to just accept that I am the kind of person that, with an embarrassment of riches in health, love,  prosperity and friends, I still whine and complain about my life. Thank you for letting me. This year has been an invaluable crucible for growth. This blog has been an essential record of it.

I want to show you the completed 'Best Me' necklace from my Sally Jean Alexander class. Kinda messy. Don't quite know what you are looking at. Beautiful. Asymmetrical. I think it is me.

One Silver Bella project completed. What a wonderful one. It means so much to me. Next, I put my efforts into completing my Josephine's Jewels bracelet from French General.

When working on this I asked Kaari whether I should put some of the charms on one side, half on the other. She said she likes to put them all facing the same direction on one side in case she wants to add ribbon and wear it as a necklace...! Never thought of that. I have taken several classes of hers and done many kits and yet she still teaches me such subtle and brilliant things. A mark of a generous artist and teacher.

Thank you Kaari. It is another delicious piece.

Here is a gift I had for Kaari to show my appreciate for her attention and creations.

A knitted corsage, just like the one Jemellia and I each have.

And thank you Silver Bella for the mirror that is you.



Best Me?

Having just returned from Silver Bella with a mound of supplies and incomplete projects, I have happily been re-entering my non-Silver, non-Bella life. I have been organizing these posts in my head, how to combine them, what order, which swaps, classes, friends, vendor night... I have been looking through the blogs and seeing pictures of beautiful friends, happy creations, just the best Silver Bella ever!

 

But before I get on with all that, all the beauty, all the good, I have to start somewhere and that would be where I am. Where I so often seem to be.

I was not all happy! all the time! at this event. I did deeply enjoy the people (most of the people) and really did laugh and love, connected deeply on occasion. But mostly, I struggled. Struggled being with so many people, often in tight quarters. I was sensitive to things people said. I was driven wild by barely having elbow room, vintage scraps a'flyin'.

I was prickly and irritable. I looked at people laughing, happily creating and wondered, "what is wrong with me? I have such a great opportunity here, why am I all yucky?" I finally broke down to two poor ladies. I was actually complimenting on how precious they were together, happy as two peas on a pink pod. I cried trying to get that compliment out. It was the last class, a crowded room with bags and knees suffocating me. I packed up and left. I returned to my room and cried. I got out my supplies and I thought I am going finish one freaking project!

I had placed a tiny picture of my 3 year old self in a rhinestone circle with the words "best me" underneath. I gathered myself. I did what I do which is retreat, get alone, get quiet where I feel less crazy. I started to copper wrap my glass. Smooth it out. I had a conversation in my head about how this blog post would look. I would wait and write it when it became true, when I deserve an award for being my "best me."

Then it struck me. I am my best me. I actively work on all these feelings of anger, resentment, agitation. I eat well, exercise, rest my body, write in my gratitude journal, tell people I love them, create, and on and on. I confront my fears. I open my big mouth and tell people my damn truth and you don't have to like it. I am prickly. I hemorrhage, and rage monthly. I am irritable. Robin needs a big circle. I feel crazy. Sometimes I act crazy. I take care of people. When my own family doesn't even ask about my dying mother but strangers at Silver Bella do, I love them anyway. I shake and quake and cry and laugh.

This is it. I am my best me.

I am just not what I expected...

Patty is Nice

Just wanted to say congratulations to Patty Szymkowicz of Magpie's Nest who was the winner of the give-away sponsored by Susan and Kat Reaney of Katsui and me. 

Thank you Patty for your lovely thank you. I appreciate your gratefulness! Also, thanks for the pictures, they are so lovely, I am using them here!

I Hooked Up 'Cause I Give It Away

Last year I met this Minnesotan gal I just really liked. Then we got all bloggy up in here. Now we are buddies and incahoots.

Wow.

No idea why I am writing like that.

Suz over at Katsui is my friend. We thought, being of the jewelry persuasion, we would do a joint give-away. I sent her this...

And she and her groovy little daughter came up with some earrings to accompany this choker necklace.

And we three girls are giving it away!

The necklace and earrings, I mean, you knew that right?

To qualify, leave a comment here or on the Katsui post.

Give-away ends Friday 29 October.

Thanks so much Kat and Suz!!!!

Peace ya'll!!!

Not Enough

Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude for a lovely post on Katsui the blog hosted by Susan Reaney and her daughter, Kat. Their blog is about their lives and love for jewelry repurposed from vintage elements.

The did a post called A New Talent about my soldered charm necklaces.

A very real compliment since jewelry is the kind of thing they do...

Here is Katie and this joyous necklace I have been looking at too many times to feel comfortable admitting.

I met Suz last November at Silver Bella. I can pick a Minnesotan out of a crowd let me tell you. I was immediately drawn to her. We have become good friends through our blogs and emails. I cannot wait to see her in at Silver Bella this year. She has a monstrous hug coming her way.

You can find their lovely pieces at Katsui.  We will be hosting a little joint give-away soon as well, so stay tuned for that.

Even though thank you is not enough, Susan and Katie, I will say it anyway...thank you, thank you, thank you...

Be Nice Part Two

Really. Did you think I would leave it at "be nice'?????

Be Nice

Dare to Bloom...

Just Fly...

Fly Anyway...

Busy with transitions, revelations, processing, sleeping and eating.

Must fly anyway...

Fly Robin Fly

Just made this. I think it took about my whole life to get to this. But this is it...

How A Hot Tool Releases Stress

We all need to focus on meditative tasks that bring us to our center, right? Especially in turmoil and stress we must. I must. I have been working on it and there are a few things that make me feel better. I tend to project to someday how nice a vacation would be. Someday I would love to have a margarita and sunshine and time.  But, someday rarely happens and today is the one that needs help. Someday is just fine out there all by itself, dreamy and tan. Today needs the lift.

One of the things I do to find some peace is make lists of what needs to be done. Making my list clears the circling, disorganized thoughts. Marking an item off the list pulls that pendulum a little more to the middle. The other thing which helps is busy hands. Busy, creative hands especially. I recently learned a new skill and it has been so comforting. It involves a hot tool my friends, one very hot tool....

In March, my twirly, sparkle Kim suggested I take a soldering class with her. We did a whirlwind road trip to Dallas to Heather Ales' Soldering Class. Heather really knows her way around a hot tool. She knows how to work it and how not to get burned. She taught us like the well trained Madam of the Tool she is. Here is my first piece.

Oh and there's Charlotte Perez, vital, vivacious, a bit of a vixen. Oh I like her...

Of course home, alone, I struggled. BUT the great thing about soldered charm making is there are many steps. It only takes a few minutes to sit down with the images and blade (oooh, a sharp tool) and make small collages. Time and energy have been so limited around here that my wee collages themselves have been such a respite. You can accomplish something really sweet in such a little time.

I have had three soldering sessions and have come up with these charms.

Here are a couple completed necklaces.

Here is my favorite. I have always been drawn to chairs. Perhaps I just like sitting but mostly it is about form, function and textile.

I used images of my old button cards for the back and some encouraging words meant to be worn against the skin.

I hope I have made Heather proud. I know I am.

Thanks for the new skill Heather, what a pleasure it is.

That's what she said...