Now that I am feeling a little more myself, I will be, for the time being (and maybe only occasionally) bringing back some favorites, such as the Tuesday Tutorial Treasure Hunt, video tutorials, and the "Finish It!" contest. Unfortunately, there no longer seems to be the interest required to continue the Tutorial Membership Discount Program. But hey.... take what we can WHEN we can, right? I'm very happy to finally, after all this time, have the energy to offer a free lesson here and there, and host a contest here and there and maybe throw in a video tutorial ... you got it... here and there ..read more

Well. Hi there! It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? In fact, it's been OVER A YEAR since I last posted a new blog post and that is just one of many things I aim to change these next several months, starting now.  When Covid-19 hit, the world was forever changed. We had to re-evaluate how we interact, how we work, how we manage our spending and finances. Jobs were lost or forever altered. Businesses closed amidst frustrations and tears and, quite frankly, I almost saw myself among them, especially these past two years. Because, with the chaos of Covid, came a chronic-illness flare that saw ..read more

So, it's been an interesting couple of years, eh? A global pandemic rocked the world, which withdrew into seclusion, and we all learned new ways to cope with the difficulties and promises presented to us. After my own struggles, I recognized late last year that it was time for a refresh. A soft reboot, if you will. And I took to my notebooks and began contemplating what needed and deserved change, and how I could make that happen.  I started with something easy... packaging. My packaging, I thought, needed some sprucing. I wanted to maintain something recyclable, or at least ..read more

TRIGGER WARNING: This post discusses depression and suicidal ideation. I've always, from the time I was 10, been an avid writer. I used to sit on our porch and wax poetic about the trees as if I were a brandy-drinking Henry David Thoreau, using nature as a metaphor for social structures. This evolved naturally over the years into poetry and fiction, however, I always held true to my diaries, completing more than three dozen during a three decade stretch... all of which were burned in a yearly ceremonial pyre of release!  In 2016, with the growth of my business well under way, I began t ..read more

​Somehow, somewhere along the line, 2022 happened. Last year seemed to simultaneously fly by and drag on, and I'm still wrapping my head around a new year... and the changes that inevitably brings. I am a creature of habit, after all, and have always behaved in a way that invites change at the new year, perhaps in hopes of wiping the slate clean, so to speak, re-igniting a creative spark or rebuilding relationships and healthy habits. I wouldn't dare call them resolutions, which is (to me, at least) an inept and cliche descriptor for what's become a healing ritual for me.  ​C ..read more

Sometimes, we find that our creativity urges us to seek new outlets, or revisit and reinvent old ones. For me, this has taken the form of creating headdresses of late, which is a craft in which I used to indulge many years ago when attending my first Renaissance festivals and SCA or historical re-enactment events. They begin simply, as most crafts do, but have since evolved into something a little more.... ritualistic. As stated in a previous post, my spirituality and spiritual practice has begun to play a much larger role in my creative expression these past many months. Somewhat ..read more

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, 2020 has been.... well, it's been something. Interesting. Confounding. Confusing and frightening. But also enlightening. I've chosen to embrace learning the lessons this year has offered (and has yet to) and shift my focus from what's done to what's still to come. I've already embraced a sort of minimalism in many aspects of my life, cutting the clutter from my space and mind. Shedding myself of "things" that have served no other purpose than to either create in me a sense of guilt or a false sense of security. And this has been an incredibly freeing pa ..read more

So, if you've followed me for a hot minute, you may know I've dabbled in the idea of Low Buy/No Buy exercises (with varying degrees of success), and have embraced a certain idea of minimalism, if not a direct representation of it. A caveat (because sometimes the clarification is important to avoid the impression I'm passing judgment on those who don't live the way I live): Minimalism is a journey, totally dependent on the person partaking of it, and there is no one way to understand or live a minimalist life.  Let's get a little personal. While I've always been a rather org ..read more

Well, here we are at the end of another "Finish It!" Design Challenge, and the journey was well worth the wait (though I hope we don't have to wait so long for the next one). The entries were absolutely fantastic, and each of them deserves attention and praise, for their ingenuity and originality. I do tend to prefer these wire-only challenges, as they (hopefully) inspire others to design for designing sake, and not for an embellishment to a stone or focal. And you all always instill in me a true sense of appreciation for the beauty and versatility of wire. If you haven't perused ..read more

Yup, you've gone and done it again and created some absolutely fantastic entries for this (long awaited) design challenge. Not that I ever expect any of you to disappoint, but you've certainly exceeded expectations! Some had similar ideas to my own, as regards the flow and shape, but each were absolutely unique in the finished vision, which is why I love these contests so much! I'm always amazed by the effort, intensity and dedication to ones craft displayed by each of these entrants, and am filled with inspiration as a result.  Now VOTING BEGINS and it's time for the normal ..read more