Just In Time For Summer

This week's Creative Bloggers are very talented in their respective crafts. While I'm not much for the heat that summertime brings, I do love the 4th of July. The holiday reminds me of how fortunate I am to live in America and have the freedoms I do. I also like the picnicing and the fireworks! This collection by Kim of The Polka Dot Press is perfect for this time of year. Combining patriotic symbols and beautiful dragonflies, these notecards and notepads scream summer!

I've been acquainted with Megan of Casto Creations for some time through social networking. I was thrilled when she joined us, and even more thrilled when I saw these earrings! Beautiful Mother Of Pearl starfish are wire wrapped with silver wire to highlight these glorious beads. My favorite thing about summer is the chance to go the beach, and these earrings remind me of a perfect vacation!

Creativity

I've been busy working this week on some new designs. I picked up some great gemstones, brass, and lucite that I hope will go over well at my shows this summer. I was able to sit down and turn out pieces I am thrilled with, but that isn't always the case. As fellow jewelry designer Teri of S&T Creations shared on her blog, " whenever sales slow down, motivation tends to slip a bit too. And whenever things get slow, for whatever reason, my creative side tends to go on vacation, I think." I can really relate to that. I find if I have nothing great going on with my business, I find less motivation to sit and create. If people aren't buying, why create more? I'm glad I was able to overcome that this week as I look forward to Art on the Avenue next Saturday. I think Teri has overcome that as well. Just look at this stunning piece:



On another creative note, check out Sara's blog to name her new horse! She is a beauty and when you comment, you will have a chance to win either a knitted acorn or a cat scrabble tile pendant if your name is choosen. Fun!

I Want These!

This week's featured Creative Bloggers are two more very talented ladies. This amazing cuff is totally handwoven using the single peyote stitch. Amber Leilani-Middleton is the talented jewelry designer behind this piece. I cannot even imagine the time it must take to create, but I just love the color combination and the boldness of it! Have a look at Amber's blog for some insight behind her design.

If you're a reader of my blog, you know I love cats. Coco is a talented stained glass artist, and I just fell in love with this pretty gray kitty! Each piece of glass is handcut and copper foil is applied to the edges before it's soldered together. The kitty is then put on a copper base. It would be so pretty sitting on a table where the sun could reflect through it! Check out Coco's blog for some more great reads!

What's Your Struggle?

For me I find that I struggle almost every day. I struggle to be a mom, wife, friend, entrepreneur, artist, and writer. With my soon to be 4 yr old daughter at home with me full time, I struggle to find ways to entertain her. She doesn't like to play alone very long, never has. The child has more toys, coloring books, and mind occupiers, but most sit to collect dust. Getting her out the door to go anywhere, fun or not, is also a struggle. So this leads me to letting her watch cartoons and movies so I can try to accomplish anything. I feel bad. I attempt to play, take her outside, and plan the occasional day out, but ultimately, this is her favorite pasttime. I therefore struggle with guilt about that.

The responsibility of all household chores seems to fall on me. So while the little one is wrapped up in Cindrella or Snow White, I clean, cook, do laundry, all the fun things I so enjoy. When my husband returns in the evening, he is often here, there, and everywhere without much question from the girlie. However, if I happen to leave her sight for too long, there is a sudden whining and sense of urgency that I return to her side. Heaven forbid I have to do a show or try to have an evening out with friends. I have never been made to feel so guilty in my entire life! After all, can't daddy put her to bed a or entertain her a few times a month?

With all of this struggle, what I really love to do falls to the bottom of the list. I find that I rarely have time to sit and create. It's next to impossible to do this while girlie is awake, because as any artist knows, it takes time for things to flow. Just when I start on a piece, she needs this or needs that. Even when daddy is home, she always needs me. I realize that comes with the territory of being a full- time, stay at home mom, but at the end of the day, it leaves me feeling depressed. I so want more time to create and to write, which is why I fail to do more than one blog post in a week. I so want to do more!

I did manage to create a few new pieces, which I hope to get onto my site within the next few days. The one pictured above is a bracelet with a large turquoise nugget in the center. It's flanked by two strands of Vintaj brass chain and accented with glass beads, and a Wish charm. Because I wish for less struggling! So my dear readers, I'd love to know (so I don't feel so bad), what is your struggle?