And you thought I was kidding about the toads and frogs..... sigh. No toads were harmed in the taking of this picture. In fact the boys were very gentle (made mama proud) and carefully put mr. toad back in his home after communing with him for most of the day.

www.lunasadesigns.etsy.com

Some crazy circles and gems....

I made this today amid the chaos of what has become my home life lately... chasing my two year old around trying to get gemstones out of his mouth (no I did not use those in this piece!) and taking care of a sick 4 year old. Ahhh.... Life doesn't get any crazier than this! At least I remembered to turn off my torch before sprinting after my 2 year old! So, I guess that means that the plus side of today is that I didn't burn my house down! OH! And I made this necklace! I was hoping to create more today but am always amazed when I'm actually "allowed" to finish anything!

I have definitely found a greater appreciation for work at home moms (which is EVERY mom, whether they run a business or not) in the past 4 years.

I'm starting to feel like my jewelry is as random and chaotic as my life right now! I look at other jewelers/designers and they seem to have a particular cohesive style. I just have whatever comes out of my head at the moment. I sketch designs out but try not to think about them too much - action is the key to getting anything done when you're a mother! Thinking, dreaming, philosophizing, figuring out the little technical quirks before you start working doesn't seem to cut it anymore. My motto now is: Think it and do it FAST before the little guy tries to break into the room (and devour gemstones) while you're torching an intricate piece (that could melt into a puddle of disaster at any moment). And I used to be such a dreamer.... ahhhh.... those were the good ol' days. :)

For sale at www.lunasadesigns.etsy.com $55.00 SOLD!
I really need a better camera!

Hanging on a delicate sterling silver chain are two contrasting, slightly domed discs. The inner orb is sterling silver and hangs freely within the larger copper disc. Copper disc is heat treated for an orange, reddish, green swirl of color and is adorned with a 6mm genuine Carnelian stone.

For sale on www.lunasadesigns.etsy.com SOLD!

Not a very good picture - but this is my latest creation... Copper and silver wrapped on very soft Greek leather with some turquoise thrown in. OK... It was a little more involved than just throwing it in...
I'm going through "Jewelers Block" right now. For the past few days I have not been motivated to do anything. It's not a creative block - I have tons of ideas swirling around in my head - but a physical block. Or something just not connecting right for me to get my work done. It's extremely frustrating! Anyone else ever go through this?? I'm sure I'll get a resounding "YES!" to this question! I have tons of ideas in my head - I walk in my studio, look around, sit down... And just CAN'T get started! UGH. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones. Maybe it's the lack of coffee. Maybe I need to reorganize my studio... get the feng shui flowing again. lol
I read something interesting recently from www.gmarketing.com ( http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/2/The_Truth_About_Creativity.html) Here's a little sampling of the parts I found most interesting: "Professor Ray believes there are five qualities of creativity: intuition, will, joy, strength and compassion. Four tools stimulate those qualities – faith in your own creativity, absence of judgment, precise observation and penetrating questions. He and I agree wholeheartedly that creativity is not one great eureka moment that produces a brilliant idea. Instead, it is a way of life." I agree, wholeheartedly... Only lately I'm not feeling the flow of all of those things together. Maybe this is why: "Almost every creative professional knows very well that true creativity is not the result of inspiration, but instead comes from hard work and focus. I’ve authored or co-authored 29 books so far and not one of them has come from a moment of inspiration. If I waited for that flash of inspiration, I’d still be laboring over page one of my first book. The idea is to be able to create by reaching deep into yourself and not to wait for a bright light to flash inside your head. If you do, you’re in for a long, dark wait. " Hmmm... very interesting... So - I seem to get that "bright light flash" inside of my head but when I actually go into my studio to work I just feel, blah. I'm still managing to plug along through this.... Inertia... But it takes twice as long to do anything lately.

Experimenting with the simple.

As if my jewelry wasn't simple enough... I love this new piece though (can I say that about my own jewelry??) It's a concave sterling silver disc hanging from soft Greek leather. It makes me feel calm. It makes me feel like a little kid after I had finally wiped all the snow off my round disc sled... It's like having a clean slate. Everyone needs a clean slate. It's shallow enough that memories and feelings can swirl around inside but not get trapped. The best part is you can also flip it over and wear it like a shield! lol

I'm still wondering if this needs something or if its ok just plain and simple like it is... The hardest part about being an artist and "making stuff" is knowing when to stop.

Urban Cowgirl Series - this one is listed for sale on Etsy (www.lunasadesigns.etsty.com)

My little jewelry company is finally (kind of) off the ground. After 8 years of dabbling in jewelry (many, many more if you count all the jewelers saw blades I broke in my dad's studio as a kid) things are moving forward! I just completed my first big order for a REAL store! YAY! Naka in Ferndale, MI (www.nakastore.com) will now carry Lunasa Designs jewelry (hopefully forever)!
I also have some jewelry on consignment at the Northville Art house in Northville, MI. (www.northvillearts.org) They are a cool little gallery that just opened up a sweet little shop... Go check them out! I saw a TON of cool stuff for sale in their shop... Made me feel bashful about selling my stuff there!
I'm also sending a few pieces out to LA for a show next month. Hopefully some famous movie star will see something, buy it and wear it EVERYWHERE!!! haha!

I'm sure I'll be posting a lot about the trials and tribulations of starting a business - especially starting a business while raising two very rambunctious little boys who think fire is cool (not good when I'm trying to solder something) and think its their duty to "take care" of mommy's tools! When they hit 18 I'll send them a bill (because I'm assuming they'll be out of the house, right??? haha) for all the damaged walls from hammering, all the gemstones and beads that have been consumed (yes, they EAT them), and all the precious metal that has been flung through the air! Maybe I should just add those losses as a tax write off??

They're still precious.