fibre friday: 'embrace' wire and fibre collar

copper wire and fibre collar with polished beach pebble

My mother taught me to crochet.
My mother taught me to sew and embroider.
My father taught me to beach comb.
My mother picked and polished the pebble.
This is all held in an embrace within the necklace.
In return, the collar embraces the wearer in safety, warmth and security.

 

studio thursday: QR codes and promo stuff, oh my!

QR code and logo cards

Promotion is the name of the game (la) and I want to play the game with you (with huge apologies to Bruce Forsyth).
Part of my promotion and marketing strategy (used in the loosest sense of the word) is advertising future 'in person' events to people passing by my table at craft fairs. They may not want to buy there and then, but maybe the time would be right at another occasion. Usually I print out a list of upcomings for people to take along with a business card.

This time I'm being a little more high tech.
Dear readers, may I present to the first pomo mama design QR code.
The QR Droid app on my smartphone generated the code which I then sent as a jpeg so I could download and print out.
Using MS Publisher I designed a cute 3cm square card with my logo on the reverse.
I'll let you know how they worked out at Got Craft?

promo cards for Got Craft? this weekend

QR code (go on, scan it! (you now you want to)

i will be selling here on Sunday

"

wordless wednesday: just sayin'

fine silver 'little forest' pendants with freshwater pearl or peridot

fine silver'little forest' pendant series

fine silver maple leaf with freshwater pearl

fine silver maple leaf pendants with moss agate, denim lapis and freshwater coin pearl

home is where the heart is

Leaving home, leaving the country of my birth, leaving my family, putting down roots half a world away. The old familiars are no longer at hand beside me.

Yet I look up to a new night sky so similar to the old one I used to gaze at as a child from the shadows of my childhood garden. I orientate myself with familiar constellations; Orion the Hunter, the Plough, the Milky Way though it is dimmer and the stars sparkle less. So comforting, knowing that over the seas my family are rooted under the same sky. Even the water I dip my toes in is remotely connected through the great oceans to my childhood beach where I gathered shells and sea glass treasures. I carry my memories as wearable, portable touchstones of those precious to me.

I remain connected. I make my home.

One of the first reasons for making my own jewelry was extreme homesickness experienced after moving to Canada, selling our UK home and putting down roots here. I missed and still miss my family and friends as I make my new life in BC. Emigrating exacts a huge price on social networks, family ties, and security, especially for the non-working, trailing spouse who has no familiar work routine to slot readily into. On the trip back to the UK to sell our home I spent a few weeks with my parents in the Scottish seaside village which I grew up in. I came back to Canada with almost a kilogram of beachcombed sea glass from my childhood beach and over a hundred photographs of my childhood garden. Somehow they developed mystical qualities, tying me to the homeland I will probably never live in again and influencing my work. My jewelry-making initially focused on creating portable mementoes using sea glass, vintage beads from unstrung hand-me-downs, and other souvenirs of a former life, so I could carry them with in my new homeland.

So I can remain connected to who and where I used to be.

So I can feel safe and secure and put down new roots.

moonlighting and career development

interconnected social media metwork for Blackberry Artist's Society

Readers of my other non-business blog will know that I am attempting to branch out career-wise by taking a part-time diploma in professional writing studies. As my son gets older my life as a work-from-home mum is changing and I have more time to reflect on what I would like to do in, around and in spite of my family. The jewelry design and crafts teaching business has been a great introduction to being self-employed in Canada, and also a boost to my own income/confidence/self esteem as an unemployed, former career gal ... but I'd like to do more. Hence exploring writing as a career, either self-employed, contract, freelance, or within another organisation.

As part of my new career 'development' I'm trying to write more. I blog regularly for the Blackberry Artist's blog and occasionally pluck up the courage to submit a guest post. The latest is a description of the first 12 months of a new social media network which I set up for the artist's co-operative. Read all about it on my guest post on Full Bleed Arts Marketing (thanks John!).

my heart, my home

'milky way' night sky wire and fibre cuff - wool, copper-core coated wire, glass, gemstones, pearl

I thought I'd set a theme going while my work's on display at Port Moody Arts Centre.
I've already posted a few numerous bletherings about my "home is where the heart is" exhibitions so I'll try now to introduce the pieces on display. Most are for sale thru the arts centre, btw ;)

But first, how did I end up taking over the display case in the Plum Gallery?
It was a total fluke. By Christmas, there was a gap in the exhibition schedule and I was asked if I would like to fill it. The theme was totally up to me, no pressure but pieces were needed by the beginning of March.
I accepted.

Christmas, and I was busy with prepping for two other exhibitions plus all the usual domestic concierge stuff that goes with the festive season, so I didn't really have time to do much towards my first ever solo show. I didn't even have a theme until the end of January. I had an idea to theme around whatever was also showing in the gallery when I was 'in residence'. The only other confirmed artist was Kathy Zhang who was exhibiting 'a series of interiors' (these are unlike any interiors you have ever seen - you really should see them!) This got me thinking.
... then I remembered a series of work from my buddy and co-conspirator, Tanis Alexis "we shall live here" which I adored in both concept and execution.
... which reminded me of why I got started making jewelry in the first place.

"home is where the heart is" - an exploration of homesickness through wearable art and jewelry
(exhibition runs until May 29th - go see it!)

fibre friday: handmade for mother's day

These cute little wire and fibre flower brooches will be for sale at the upcomgin Got Craft? spring market next Sunday (Mother's Day, don'tcha know?).
Why not come down and say hello to them in person (and then take one home to make you feel all spring-like)?
It would also be a huge treat for mum to take her to one of the raddest handmade shopping spree events in town.

See you there :)