beads anyone?

while i was attempting to clean up my studio, i started playing with my beads. i started my art journey with stringing beads and making funky jewelry. i have gotten away from that as the market around me became more and more saturated. i ended up just making jewelry for myself. anyway, after deciding to spend some time organizing my studio - i ended up making jewelry.

the bracelet below is made with jangle beads. these are my absolute favorite beads to use. what do you think?

i am thinking that i might spend some more time making some pieces and listing them in my bead esty shop. not much in stock now but feel free to take a look here. hopefully i can get these and a few more listed before i take off for the weekend.

hope you are all doing well.

ox, mary ann

End of School is Almost Here!!!!

Hi. sorry i have been MIA lately. above is one of the reasons and below is the other.

My youngest son (in blue holding the trophy) is involved in spring soccer (which just ended) and baseball (his last game was tonight) and my oldest son (with the baseball bat) finished his jv season and is now in a babe ruth league. oh, and did i mention they both are playing summer basketball???? needless to say all of my free time has been spent at some sort of field our gym recently. with school ending tomorrow i hope to get back at it on a more regular basis. in no way am i complaining. i will have a freshman next year and its starting to hit me that i only have 4 years left with him at home. i have the rest of my life for art - so for now, they definitely come first. as they always will.

i am figuring out how to balance the need in me to create art on a daily basis with the love and desire i have of not wanting to miss a second of my kids activities.....i am beginning to understand that its all a balancing act and we just have to do the best we can.......

i have a promise out there to get one of my heart pendants posted and i will fulfill that promise asap!!! bear with me as i get through the last day of school. yippee!

ox, mary ann

follow-through

WOW. i am really proud of myself. tonight i figured out how to add my etsy site and i was able to add a button for kelly rae's flying lessons. there is hope for me yet. this just goes to show that nothing is impossible. so go out there and do something you didn't think you could do - i just did.

now i am ready for a glass of wine and going to dive into my new lucky magazine. have a great night.

ox, mary ann

Hearts, Hearts and more Hearts.....

i have been making hearts like crazy! i can't seem to stop.....

i am also really into earthy colors right now....not my usual "pop" of bright colors.......

i think it is all the inspiration i am getting on my e-course.........

and this is how i can best express my thoughts right now......

on another note, as i mentioned in a previous post, i have been researching to update and learn to work with my blog and have added a pretty cool background! ironically, this week on my e-course it's all about blogs.....hopefully this will help me. i really want to learn how to add my etsy shop info, my flickr info and other blogs that inspire me and that i just plain love. stay tuned.....

ox, mary ann

girls.....

Beth

i am often asked "who is that?" when i wear one of my paintings that has been turned into a pendant. i usually answer she (in this case Beth) is a girl i painted, scanned and then soldered into this pendant. then i get, but who is she? i have been thinking about this and i guess the simple answer is she is me. she is a part of me. an expression of an emotion i was feeling or longing for at the time i created her. i realized recently that i don't pick my jewelry in the morning to match what i am wearing, but more for what i am feeling or want to project that day. i mostly wear my own jewelry. i have most of my paintings (at least my favorites) all turned into pendants and funky necklaces. they all empower me in some way. for me, Beth reminds me of my mother and represents traits i hope have been passed on to me. i wear her when i need a little extra confidence and grace. traits my mother has.

hope you had a great weekend.

ox, mary ann

Quick Update

Hi there! it has been a while since I last posted. i have been so busy with kids, work and well, life. in the down times (usually while I am driving the kids to their next sporting event or racing to get to that event) i have been doing some soul searching about where i am right now and where i want to be and how to get there...... i have been taking kelly rae roberts e-course (amazing!) and while i am not quite ready to share my goals and dreams with you all yet, mostly because i am still fine-tuning them! i am ready to admit to all of you that i need to spend more time learning the layout of this blog - land. i have to admit: i really have no idea what i am doing.

i need to figure out how to add my etsy page, links, flicker info and i can't even figure out how to add kelly rae's e-course info which she has on her blog right here. i seriously need to get this together. i have not a clue on how to format my blog either. so, my goal is to try and figure some of this stuff out before the end of the month. meanwhile, bear with me, and please, if you have any insight you can share - please help!

i was able to spend a few hours in the studio this week and i've attached the results. new ideas that have been lurking in the back of my mind.....finally able to get them out.

i had painted some hearts for valentines day and listed them in my etsy site here and someone contacted me about making her wedding favors....while she ended up going a different route - my mind started working on ideas......and so far, this is what i've come up with. what do you think? hopefully i'll have some posted in the etsy shop soon.......

ox, mary ann