In with the New!

Good morning and a Happy New Year to all our readers. I hope you’ve had a great holiday!

We’ve had a lovely Christmas in our house, a peaceful time with family, and pretty relaxed for a change. It’s been good to step back and take a break, but I’m easily bored and have been itching to get on with new ideas since around boxing day afternoon. The change of date offers the opportunity for new dreams and to make long term goals, and whether you stick to them or not, it’s good to start off with a plan!

Chatting with my fellow AJE team mates, I discovered we've all made plans for 2015, so I asked each of them "what would you like to achieve in the coming year?"

Lesley Watt - “Find my voice! continue to work on more original components (ie use less commercial tools); Go back to basics (metalwork/technique based) with my jewellery and create a more cohesive style; Widen my creative scope...do larger pieces with clay, make books, sketch - think I'll stop there…”

 Jenny Davies-Reazor - “Restart my daily art journal/drawing practice. Focus on mixed media in jewelry to play to my strengths and hone my style. Commit to more reading- the myth and folklore books are piling up and the new inspirations will jumpstart the year. I also resolve to rejuvenate my personal blog”

 Lindsay M Starr - “Carve out creative time with my new working schedule. Run my own blog hop challenges. Make it to Bead Fest if medical expenses don't get in the way. Get into the bit art/craft show in Nashville in the fall, and actually sell enough to make it worth it.... Make more small pieces, primarily for listing on Etsy. Hem 5 pairs of pants instead of letting them drag on the ground…"

 Jennifer Stout Cameron - “I am going to learn to draw this year, create a schedule for school and studio that I can manage to squeeze quality time for both. (I've been working on that part already). And start daily journaling which I've always avoided because it felt like a chore. But I'm starting very small...a few sentences or phrases about the day, plus a small doodle relating to the day.”

Melissa Allford Meman - “Continue trying to find my own voice with metal clay, kiln enamelling, try cloisonné, be more consistent in listing new work, meeting deadlines, etc. I also need to get back to my personal blog!”

Rebekah Payne - “I'm going to be expanding my leather line… SO many ideas for that!! More new critter beads hopefully too. And I'd like to continue making jewelry. I'm not making any huge plans or goals for 2015, mostly I want to maintain what I'm currently doing and get in some more family time… life always seems to have its own ideas, so I don't like to make plans that are too rigid.”

Karen Totten - “I guess I would have to say I want to get back to daily art journaling like I used to. I would like to get back to painting - maybe in a journal, but in any case, dig out my old paints, pastels, ink, etc. and get back in the habit. I haven't painted (other than digital) for many many years. I plan to use my lovely sketchbook from Lesley for my 2015 sketching.”

Linda Landig - “I'd like to develop my ceramic skills and start to get a feeling for my personal expression in this media. I plan to explore sketching while in Oaxaca, although I don't know the first thing about drawing! I also want to continue to develop my wire working skills so I can be making more of my own findings and connectors.”

Diana Ptaszynski - “Hoping to FINALLY experiment with making decorative tiles and wall hangings. I'd also like to play with resin more, learn to sculpt and carve clay and also make more time for metalsmithing again. I miss metalsmithing.”

Susan Kennedy - “My goals are to get more organized, get rid of a bunch of junk cluttering my life, and hopefully that will kickstart some creativity”

Francesca Watson - “I want to work on developing my design skills - moving away from technique-based design and zeroing in a bit more on what my "voice" is. I'd also like to take a drawing course of some kind - I really suck at drawing, and I'd like to be able to do a better job of getting things out of my head and on paper while I'm working. And lastly, I need to continue to work at being more disciplined about my "making" time - scheduling it, protecting it, and making it a priority. As an instructor and business owner, there are a zillion things every day that can feel like higher priorities - I need more balance so I don't get eaten alive by all the admin” 

Kristen Stevens - “This year I have made the decision to complete all of my UFO’s (unfinished objects)" 

And for myself? Well I have discovered recently that my passion for ceramics lies in surface decoration, so I want to learn to throw pots for a bigger canvas. I also want to develop my sculpting work, learn new techniques and create larger decorative items. Away from ceramics, I have just ordered a new pastel sketch pad and am determined to make time to get back to drawing. I also have unopened metal clay that I want to try out. So for this year, my resolution is to be more organised, have some kind of structure to my days, and make good use of my time.

And how about you? Our readers… what are your plans for the coming year?  We'd love to share your hopes and dreams, let us know in the comments!

And from everyone at Art Jewelry Elements, we wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Where the magic happens...

Ever wonder what artists' studios look like? I do - studio tours are one of those things I really love. So here's a peak into some of the studios of our AJE team members.

Here's one side of my space (recently rearranged and not yet finished):

I'm really fortunate that I have a lot of natural light. Under the windows is a two-level metal working set up. The higher table is where I do soldering and sawing; waiting to be set up is a Dremel drill press and a grinding/polishing machine my best friend got me for my birthday. Underneath is an old TV stand which holds boxes of focal beads, metal sheet, and wire. The next level down is where I do my metal working, pounding, polishing and form-folding. (You can't see my vise, which is bolted to the table and is hidden by the chair.) I have a second bench pin there to brace things against when I'm using my flex shaft, placed right between the two levels so I can use it in both places. The wheelie chair lets me roll from station to station.

To the right of the metal station is a small table which holds the TV, modem, and wireless network stuff. In front of that is a rolling cart that holds a bunch of miscellaneous stuff. Behind the metal station is another table that I use for layouts and final fabrication. Right now it's covered with bags of wire that I'm sorting through. The whole thing needs a thorough cleaning - and there's more to show, but I'll hold off on a complete studio reveal until the reorganization is complete.

Jo Tinley works in this beautiful space, an 8 x 12 workshed in her garden:

She has a whole blog post up about it, which you can check out here if you want to see more.

Linda Landig works in this pretty space, complete with a gorgeous old printers cabinet. It was a gift from her wonderful husband, and she's mighty partial to it - and the entire AJE team covets it in the nicest possible way. (In fact, I suggested I might swing by her place next time she goes out of town and she suggested she might sic zombies on me!)

Jenny Davies-Reazor loves her glazing fort - in fact, her whole studio is her sanctuary. She's able to work in it for three seasons out of the year, but in the coldest months, she moves into her dining room. 

So there's a little glimpse into where some of us spend our time creating - hope you enjoyed it! From our studios to your hearts, happy holidays!

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This post is part of the Art Jewelry Elements 2012 Holiday Open House. 

Art Jewelry Elements team members are offering special deals in their online shops to AJE readers starting today and going through Cyber Monday (November 26). You can see the complete list of participating members and details about the discounts here.

Please help support the artist community by buying handmade for your gift-giving this year.

I'm also hosting a special giveaway over on my blog, here: www.francescawatson.com

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Flash Coupon

30 minutes is over, Coupon code has been deactivated.
Time for a Flash Coupon
30% off
 good for 30 minutes only!!

Use Coupon Code AJEHOLIDAY30 at check out at my

Click Here ----> Etsy Shop <----Click Here

This includes Components and Finished Jewelry.

And don't miss out on the Giveaway on my BLOG

Comment HERE to enter

Keep checking back to see what fun stuff the AJE Team is sharing every half hour.

 

http://artjewelryelements.blogspot.com/2012/11/welcome-to-our-holiday-open-house.html

 

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy