Did I mention...

I am leaving for Switzerland the day after tomorrow?!?
WHOA!!!

First stop, Luzern.

I have been blessed with some amazing friends,

without which I would not be traveling so far!

I will be accompanying my good friend, Katrin, on her European music tour.

I will be there for almost 2 weeks (how excited am I?!?).

We will be traveling around, having a blast...

I can't wait!

My hopes for this trip, aside from supporting and traveling with my talented friend, are to absorb as much around me as possible and bring back new ideas and inspirations.

Of all the packing I (still) need to do, I have my pens, paper, paints, markets and knitting ready to go...

Ha! We can all see now where my priorities lie.

I have been struggling with what to pack, clothing-wise, as well as what footwear to bring.

I am a notorious over-packer and am trying desperately to keep it to a minimum!

This is going to be tough!

Well, I better get back to it.
I already can't wait to share photos from the trip with all of you!

Bolton Valley

We spend the weekend visiting friends, enjoying lots of fresh powder and snowboarding in the woods at Bolton Valley in Vermont.

It was amazing, I am so glad we could make it!
There is nothing like being out all day in the snow, surrounded by beautiful nature and feeling like you are flying as you weave through the trees...
There is nothing like coming home sufficiently tired and blissfully sore from having a grand old time and sleeping like a baby!

There is nothing like spending the end of the day with good friends laughing hysterically and knowing that you get to do it all over again the next day!
Snowboarding is one of the many loves in my life...

*****

While we were there, our friends ran out of gas for the heater so we had to rely on space heaters.

This led to our "indoor fort" of which I turned out to be to foreman, directing construction.

They live in a space that is very open and not insulated very well, so we created a room within a room with tarps and then ran the heaters in there.

Nice and toasty.

(Albeit, not very safe. Don't worry, we didn't leave the heaters unattended)

It was a great time.

I hope to get some more boarding in before the end of the season!

Untitled

"What we find in a soulmate is not something wild to 

tame, but something wild to run with."

-Robert Brault

I'm very lucky.
I have found that person to run wild with...
And to laugh endlessly with.
I am so thankful and blessed to wake up every morning to such a wonderful being,
I can't imagine it any other way.

P.S. I have to brag that he knit that hat for himself. How awesome is that?!?

Oh, and these are now in the shop.

HERE

Giveaway!

I have had a lovely feature over HERE.

And I am giving away the necklace pictured above over there as well!

You should stop by, check it out...

Also, today I am offering free shipping on everything in my shop

using the coupon code SNOWSALE.

Hop you are enjoying your Sunday...

We have been just lounging around until the Bruins game tonight.

I am slowly working on a sweater that I starting a while back and some new necklaces, too.

What have you been up to?

Untitled

(Inside my studio: My 'years of collecting' yarn stash, Painting in progress, feather collection...
Well part of it anyway, it is pretty extensive!)


I once had a artist friend of mine (ie: went to and taught at prestigious art schools) tell me that I am not an artist, I should not call myself an artist, rather I should call myself a crafter. And she said it as if my work was not worthy of being considered art. She said an artist is someone who dedicates to one medium and explores that medium until it is exhausted and then explores it some more...

I have thought long and hard about it, about what those two words mean (to me anyway). I think of an artist being like a scientist, someone who is exploring and experimenting to get to the next stage in the hypothesis. Trying different mediums and avenues to find the final conclusion. And I don't believe they have to dedicate to one medium alone. And I believe that a crafter is someone who makes things, usually functional things or things with a specific purpose (other than just being beautiful, which I believe is a purpose all on its own) developing a special skillset. Crafting, to me, is largely based on functionality and skill.

So what if I do both? It seems to me that there is a fine line dividing these two titles, but does there have to be? I feel as though I am both. On one hand I like the slight disconnect from reality that I associate with being an artist, but on the other hand I like the practicality, functionality and ability to create something of use that I associate with being a crafter.

I didn't go to art school. I learn better by doing things myself, figuring them out in my own way and on my own time. That's not to say that I have never had guidance (nor am I in any way against going to art school), but I didn't have a so-called structured educations when it comes to my creative endeavors. And I am happy with that. I (continue to) choose this path and am proud of it. I have many outlets and mediums that I work with creatively. Some are extremely tangible, some are more interpretive, some are functional, some are for the sheer beauty of it or to make one think... And who knows, maybe one day I will find the right school offering the right classes in a new medium or a new idea about a medium that I already work with and I will feel compelled to attend. Either way, I have decided that I am both an artist and a crafter. And anyway, they are just words, they are titles, and titles aren't always necessary, or beneficial. In fact, sometimes that very title can be the block in the road and you just need to let it go in order to continue on your path...

A wonderful quote by St. Francis of Assisi:

"He who works with his hands is a laboror.

 He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.

 He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist."

Art doesn't go in only one direction... And neither does crafting.

Both have endless possibilities, endless directions they could go.

It is all open to interpretation.

It is all based upon the individuals inspiration and intention.

I choose to focus on that.

Tell me, what do you think the difference is between an Artist and a Crafter?

Snowshoe

All the wonderful moments and finds on our showshoe adventure!

*****

FLASH BLIZZARD SALE!!!

Thanks to blizzard Nemo, we finally have LOTS of snow!

We went out last night to explore, it was super windy with big snow drifts.

I am definitely feeling the trek we made...

Today I am inspired.

By the wind, by the snow, by the solitude and by the coziness!

(Have I mentioned how much I love snow?)

This is the time to play outside, drink hot tea and hot chocolate...

To bake bread (and dog cookies) and to snuggle up with a loved on or furry loved one under the blankets.

So, with that I am having a flash blizzard sale today in my etsy shop.

10% off everything using the coupon code HECKYEAHNEMO.

This sale is going on for a yet undecided amount of time,

it could be a few hours it could be all day...

To take advantage of this sale, go HERE.

I hope you are all warm and safe if you are experiencing blizzard Nemo (or even if your not).

And I hope if you are out in the snow, you are enjoying yourself tremendously!

~xo~

A thought on inspiration and creativity

I had been dreaming up some simple, bold, seed beaded necklace designs for quite some time...

I acquired an array of beads a while ago... and then did nothing. Beading is one of the crafts I started with and lately I have been feeling like I almost need to start over, start simple, to refocus my motivation. 

These things can't be forced. This is something I have to remind myself frequently, anytime I find myself out of the "flow" of creativity. I have found, for me, my creative cycle stays more consistent if I have multiple projects going on at any given time so I always have something else to shift to if I get bored or stuck on whatever I am working on. If I take to long of a break, have to lengthy of a gap between projects I have to start the cycle all over again. By start over again, what I mean is I have to go to places that inspire me, surround myself with beautiful things, have good conversations with people, play, laugh, dance, take in the colors of the world around me. Basically, live life aware and with intention.

I have found that I have to build myself up to a certain point to be able to start pulling out what is bubbling up inside, what ignites and electrifies my soul and forces me to create something physically. This can take hours, days, weeks, sometimes even months. It can be very frustrating, but in the end I always find passion. Passion is a large part of why I do what I do. I want to feel passion for what I do on a daily basis. I want to be in love with it. It is a relationship all on its own and it can be very difficult to maintain, but I love, long for and need it all the same.

So with that, I have been inspired to make these necklaces. They are of simple construction, but there is something about that simplicity, paired with the definitive, luridness of color that just sparks an emotion in my core. Many of them I add crystals to, crystals that I feel connected to for the individual piece, crystals to evoke a certain energy when worn so close to the heart. I believe in color as a therapy and these make me happy and smile.... That is what it is all about.

*****

In a so-called blizzard

We are supposed to get a heap of snow! (*smirking* and all fingers crossed... but power on for the birdie, please!)

We are also supposed to get our butts kicked by this so called blizzard. They expect such an intense storm that they called a driving ban... Um, what?!? I have never even heard of that before! I guess the last time there was a driving ban during a storm was the blizzard of '78. Yikes!

Anyway, we didn't plan on going out for a drive anyway. We have been entertaining ourselves by playing Wii and listening to music while doing silly dances. And it hasn't been too bad so far, it is windy and a bit snowy, but that is about all. We might try to go sledding later or a late night wintery walk.

I did go for a walk this morning in the woods just as the snow started and the wind picked up, it was nice out there. Quiet, except the wind whirring through the trees. Quiet, but not still.

I like walking out in the vast deciduousness and transitioning into the pockets of evergreens. They are all snuggled together letting less light sneak through. It seems so cozy to be a tree in that part of the forest and the floor is always covered with fluffy, shaggy moss. It is quite nice. But still I hope for an accumulation of snow so I can feel the woods sleeping underneath my footsteps. So I can smell the sweet, crisp and fresh air that wafts up.

I can't wait to wake up to everything sheltered in white!

*****

I have had these beads waiting for me to work with them for a while.

So I made some necklaces.

HERE.

Meanwhile...

I am hoping for more snow.

Fingers crossed!

Happenings

These are cards that I made prints of out of some of my original paintings.

They come as a pack of 4 (the 4 you see here) and are 5x7.

In the shop now!

*****

Also, I will be putting these necklaces in the shop soon,

as well as a few other things,

so stay tuned!

I'm off to knitting night in a bit at our local yarn shop

(which is awesome, by the way... check them out here)

for some knitting and many laughs.

Then maybe head out of town to see a friends band play...

Happy Friday, Y'all!

A Happy Snow... Part 2

The snow is all gone now.

And today I am wishing for more.

I have a few things I am photographing to put in the shop.

So, now onto my list of 'things to do' for the day...

xo