EtsyMetal Charm Swap

It can be a lot of fun to get involved in a group project with other artists. Etsymetal, a team of fabulous metalsmiths who sell their work on Etsy, started the charm swap amongst artists last year as a way to collect great work from other EM artists. The first charm swap was a great success and featured such amazing work that a charm bracelet was fabricated featuring all of the charms and is for sell in the Etsymetal shop.

I signed up to participate in the third charm swap on EM after I got tired of being jealous of all of the wonderful work! Each artist makes 22 charms and they are sent to one person who repackages them one for each artist and mailed back out. An extra set of charms is used for the EM charm bracelet and is listed on Etsy for sale. I have already gotten a sneak preview of some of the artists charms and I'm so excited I can hardly wait!

Really, 32?

I recently had the pleasure of celebrating my 32nd birthday and I keep thinking to myself, really, 32? It's hard to imagine! Of course, the best part of turning a year older is that it means my sister is as well! The slight twinge of disappointment is always traded in for the sheer glee of giving her a harder time still.

I often look at the years as a massive map with drawn out plans for my life. Though my life rarely follows the step by step instructions I have written, it helps me to realize where I am , where I thought I would be, and where I fell short. I know it is a bit neurotic and I am trying really hard to do away with this type of thinking all together but it is a bit compulsive very much like I am.

So it is up to Theo, Kai, and Maya to remind me to celebrate my youth (however fleeting)! There is always time for a long walk in the woods, a game of fetch, an extra cookie! So here is to 32, and really, it doesn't feel that different than 31!

Telling a Story

Last year I went to an emerging artist program for the Buyers Market of American Craft. One of the speakers emphasized the importance artists needed to place on telling a story. I spent a lot of time thinking about this and when given the opportunity to walk the floor I saw an artist who did it in such a way that though I did not need what he was selling, I wanted one. I wanted to be a part of his story and his vision. It was igniting and I felt like I grasped what they meant.

Since coming home, i have spent a lot of time thinking about my story. Allowing the random thoughts that jumble around in my head to be sorted into cohesive sentences and thoughts. It has really helped me to strengthen my vision and has stimulated an understanding of my collection that I had not realized previously.

After developing the story for each of my lines I couldn't contain my enthusiasm in sharing it with others. I told the story to each retail gallery and became fascinated with the changes in their facial expressions as they too became caught up in the idea behind the collection. Once I gave the collections an idea and allowed everyone to share in it's roots I was able to allow them to connect on a level usually only experienced by the artist. Previously only I was allowed to experience both the tangible and intangible merits of each piece and only I was able to enjoy the spiritual side of what I had created. By sharing the story with them I felt it truly gave meaning to the concept of art jewelry for now they could appreciate both fully.

So though they call this process, telling a story, I think it is better described as sharing the story.