“Pet Peeves. We all have them. What are yours?”

April’s topic for our Blog-o-Sphere Think Tank members is: “Pet Peeves. We all have them. What are yours?”

Let me introduce you to my pet ~~ ‘Peeves‘.  Snarky little guy from the Stan Winston School.

Unfortunately, I felt that if I truly expressed my pet peeves, my post would rapidly digress into a rant.  My goal with this blog is to keep things positive.  Thanks to my husband’s suggestion, I opted for humor.

In fairness to all of you who read this, I will share one pet peeve….a real one.  One of the things that really bothers me is a lack of follow through and/or commitment.  When someone says they are going to do something and they don’t, I’m disappointed.  Generally that means I cannot rely on them.  I am let down and know I cannot trust them to do what they will say they will.  Just ‘DO IT’ or don’t waste your breath on false promises.  So that is the one pet peeve I will share.

I hope you enjoyed my twist on this topic.

Now let’s see what my fellow bloggers had to say:

Andes Cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com

pencilfox. www.pencilfox.com

KSkiles Studio:  http://kaskiles.com/studio-updates/

Catherine Witherell:  http://happydayart.typepad.com

Diana Bell http//www.bellsprings.blogspot.com

WATTO: http://blog.wattoonline.com/

barbaradonovan:  http://barbaradonovan.blogspot.com/

Namaste

Serenity and more…..

Serenity ~ Treescapes
All Photos by Daniel Krucoff

I have been fortunate that the start of 2014 has been relatively quiet and allowed me the precious gift of time to prepare for the busy months that are coming.  I am so very grateful that I have had this time to explore new things and improve on existing techniques.

The pendant at the top of this post represents one of the staples of my Treescape series.  A stone variation, yes, with a lovely Chinese Writing Stone.  To me they symbolize simplicity and elegance.  Garnet is my birthstone.  The deep red in this faceted garnet seemed like just the right contrast for the Chinese Writing Stone.  The pendant has a sense of tranquility to it, so that is why I call it Serenity.

Another of my favorites is Picasso Stones.  I finally understand why I love these stones so much.  It is because they look like tree roots and as most of you know, I LOVE trees.  This one has a touch of gold.  A great friend, Jerry McClure (who creates the most spectacular knives), suggested that I add Keum Boo gold to my Treescapes as leaf accents.  Well, I definitely like this look so you can expect to see more gold in my work.

I am exploring textures.  I find that just the right amount adds so much interest, especially when patina enhances them.  These earrings are comprised of Mookite and textured sterling silver with a dark patina.  I’m very happy with this look.  Expect to see more of this in my future works.

Ah, the return of the stone bracelet!  I so enjoy making these.  Now I must admit that wasn’t always the case and I made more than my share of mistakes with my first couple of these.  However, I am persistent and I have learned from my efforts.   Now I’m changing things up a bit with textures, adding some gold accents and trying to find the right color combinations that make these statement pieces for the wearers.  This one has warm rich hues of yellows and rusts.  I’m working on others with a more monochromatic palette along with a couple with smaller stones.  Variety is the spice of life!

Success is when preparation meets opportunity.  I am so fortunate and grateful for the opportunities that have been coming my way.  May will be the start of a very busy 2014 for me.  If you would like to be the first to know of an event and/or exhibit announcements, please sign up for my newsletter.  In the stillness of these past winter months, I have been working very hard and diligently in the studio.  Now the new works are emerging and will be available at trunk shows, exhibits and Art Hops.

Thank you for your interest in my work and my journey in this wonderfully artistic world of metalsmithing.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.