The Power of Colors

While writing the previous post on color, I became acutely aware of my connection with colors. Colors wake me up, challenge me, inspire me, and change me. For me, and for many, color is what makes the world go 'round. Seeing a gorgeous combination of hues is sublime. Just take a look at this and tell me that doesn't light your fire.

A few months ago, I "met" Brandi, a jewelry designer who draws her inspiration from color. This week, she hosted a Color Palette Blog Walk, and here is my contribution. Tomorrow's theme is "blogger's choice--what's inspiring you."

Well, what's inspiring me right now is the time I have had in the woods with my family recently. A camping trip to the mountains, a climbing trip to an old haunt of ours, the quiet discovery of kids in the forest with no agenda and no distractions.

This photo was taken at our campsite. I was trying to capture all the different greens that were glowing above our heads, and the almost graphic quality of the darks where the leaves overlap. The photo doesn't quite do it justice, but making this color palette for it made me happy. I was transported back to the campsite, with all the serenity, scents, and feelings that go with it.

Also inspiring me right now? The skill, tenacity, and finesse with which our girls scaled these rocks. We are looking forward to a lifetime of rock climbing together as a family.

What's inspiring you right now?

Take a look at the color palettes other artists have created here. Amazing.

Linky Love, the First of 2010

Want to know what has inspired me lately? There are far too many different people, projects, articles, and art to mention, but here's a (small) sampling of my recent favorites:

First, Kate of Marmalade Moon has reviewed books on creativity AND she's giving away one of my sterling silver bookmarks! Head on over to her blog, read her book reviews, and leave a comment to enter to win.

I am participating in String-a-Long 2010, hosted by Mousey Brown's House and Rattling On... Here's one I have already completed. These string bags work up super fast and easy, so I am making a whole bunch.

Mandy's illustration, Yellow Iron with Steam, is winning me over (even though I don't iron)

I am loving anything and everything Made by Joel

We are planning to craft a large flock of these Spring Birds

I'm brimming with ideas from the e-book 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion

Happy to have found 3 great ways to spend MORE money

Drooling over this recipe, from Staten Eats

The graphic artist in me has a crush on these Daily Drop Caps. I might just have to decide on a fav to use on my blog.

I'm excited to suggest Green Fundraising with Let's Go Green at the next school parents' meeting.

Jane's family (of Jane Was Here) has received roughly 720 cards, and counting. AMAZING!

...aaaaand last but not least, I had fun making a few of these Swat Team Kitties for my nephew Nicholas and another little friend, Elizabeth (happy birthday to you both!) . I hadn't knit or crocheted any new friends since the holiday projects and birthday gift. It was a much-needed break but it's good to be back at it. The girls have noticed a lack of new stuffed cuties, too, and they're putting the pressure on now. Stay tuned for more...

There's so much out there to be found on the web. I wonder what I'll stumble upon next? What will prompt me to start along a new creative path, try a new ingredient, or rethink how something is done? I promise I won't hoard all the good ideas.

Design in the Drink

This weekend we found design in some unlikely places—our drinks:

Just-juiced fruits and veggies merged, then separated into a rainbow of layers.

Before it was stirred, the chocolate syrup lay in heavy swirls on the bottom of a glass of milk.

Where have you been finding design?

Book Art

The girls have a new tradition when we visit my parents. My mom takes them to the basement and they go "shopping". To them, it's like going on a treasure hunt. They come back upstairs with bags full of old Christmas decorations, various plastic serving dishes, and out-dated costume jewelry. I brace myself to see what they found and, ultimately, want to take home (so much for trying to get rid of the clutter).

But the one thing they always come up with are books. Hardcover books that they have been granted permission to do whatever they please with. This is an absolute thrill to them, and I can see why. It's the joy of being given carte blanche to something that is usually to be treated with care and respect (careful, that's a library book!). And what they come up with is great...

Sometimes they write complete stories.

(some of them are suspense thrillers)

Sometimes they use the books like you would use a sketchbook, and doodle on each page.

The girls will sit for long periods of time with these books and write, draw and scribble in them just because they can. I save all of them, and the great thing is that all this work is bound neatly together already—no loose papers to gather up and go through.

Buying hardcover books would be a good purchase for the kids at a yard sale (instead of that skanky Snoopy stuffed animal they inevitably want). Tell them it's theirs to do whatever they please with, take it home, and watch their newly-granted licence inspire them.

Red Cabbage Wonders

Irresistible. Each and every time I cut into a red cabbage, I am amazed at the graphic beauty of it. I cannot get over that bright plum (cabbage?) purple, swirled into mazes that fold over each other in beautiful randomness.

And every time I cut into one I think to myself, "Someday, I'm going to give this cabbage the props it deserves." I dream of painting, drawing, knitting or interpreting in silver this boldly contrasting composition. I'm working up to that, but this weekend we did do a little experimenting with the color.

I boiled the cabbage for about a half hour, allowing all the pigment to leach out and boil down to a slightly thicker liquid. The result was this inky, deep purple dye.

We soaked some cotton string and fabric scraps in the dye and they dried this gorgeous amethyst color. The girls have big plans for me to knit stuffed animal hats with this string, and make clothes for their soft friends with the fabric. We shall see...

Of course, we ate the remainder of that cabbage. There is an excellent recipe for Red Cabbage with Lemon and Black Pepper, in A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg (Of Orangette fame). If you haven't picked this book up yet, I highly recommend it. Our favorites from that book also include Tomato Soup with Two Fennels, and Custard-Filled Corn Bread. yum-y!

Surroundings: Part 3

When we moved into our home, the kitchen was a bit out of date. And by out of date, I mean 1940s, complete with a huge contraption that we believe was the first dishwasher ever. Fast forward a few years to the kitchen renovation—a budget remodel, done completely by "A".

The new walls, windows, floors, cabinets, and counter tops were a dream come true, but it is the back splash that remains the conversation piece of the room. We covered the walls between the counter tops and cabinets with pebble tile, giving the kitchen a natural feel. The best part? The wave.


Crafted in homage to our time spent surfing in Southern California, our wave is a reminder of the place where we started our family. And with time flying as fast as it is (case in point: our baby started to kindergarten today), we are doing all we can to keep our special memories at the surface. This pebbly ocean swell may seem like merely a decorative touch to some, but to us it is so much more.

Surroundings

There were plenty of folks at the party this past weekend who had never been to our home. This brought on lots of kind comments about our surroundings—most of which had to do with the great architectural details of our older house (built in 1920) or the landscaping. It got me thinking about where we live, and how we forget to appreciate our little nest sometimes.

There's the furnace that has been known to shut off only on the coldest day, the paint that's peeling from the foundation, and a front lawn that is mostly crabgrass. It's easy to get hung up on what the neighbors might see as not up to par, but it is what I look past almost daily that makes this house special. A pretty window that looks out to the backyard, the kitchen back splash we put in a few years ago, and the sturdy front door that we opened with a skeleton key the first time we entered the house

Today, with renewed enthusiasm about my home, I have decided to run a series featuring the special things that surround me and my family. These things might inspire, spark an idea for you and your own home, or could be a clever solution you may want to try for yourself.

So here goes! The first "Surroundings" feature:

This trellis was built by "A" only three years ago. The vines have completely covered it, creating a green "room" that houses our hammock. And it just so happens to be this very week that the vine explodes with tiny white flowers that drip off the top of it. We call this place our "secret garden," our little hideaway right in our own backyard.

What about you? What is your favorite thing about where you live? Is it artwork, an architectural feature, an outdoor element, a prized piece of furniture? Do tell.

Accidental Gifts

Back—after a quick trip to visit family in New Jersey and a much appreciated change of scenery. It was a whirlwind road trip that blended the relaxing and the non-stop in perfect proportions.

We spent a day in NYC and, despite the touristy things we did, it was getting caught in a downpour at the Central Park water playground that was the highlight. Oh, you can plan to wow the kids with this and that, but when it comes down to it, it's so often the spontaneous events that are the memory makers. I find this to be true with fabricating jewelry and, really, any art I create. The unintentional becomes the focal point. A series of fortuitous events is frequently the way a new design is born.

It can be so frustrating, though, can't it? The accidental can be a gift, but keeping that in mind is much easier said than done. In fact, it's something I seem to have to re-learn everytime it happens.

Studio or Workshop?

I am never sure what to call it—Studio or workshop. "Studio" sounds artistic, refined, and peaceful. "Workshop" sounds rustic, industrial, and well, a bit elvish.

Tucked into a corner of my basement, partly under the stairs and an arm's reach from the hot water heater, my space is both of those things—a studio where I design my jewelry and a workshop where I fabricate it.

It is cool in the summer and chill-to-the-bone cold in the winter. It's gray all around, as most basements are, but the splashes of color I have added give it just enough life. A nearby window brings in some natural light, which is one of my favorite things about the space. A Radio, iPod player, TV, fan, and portable radiator provide all the creature comforts I could ask for. I consider myself lucky to "commute" down the stairs into a space that has everything I need to design, saw, forge, and solder tiny works of art.

Call it what I may, my sometimes studio, sometimes workshop is an all-the-time pleasure.

Inspiration Station

It happens to everybody, artists and non-artists alike. A lull when you just can't seem to find direction -- in designs, in daily routines, in what to cook for dinner, and in life itself.

Inspiration is the cure-all, but it is inevitably gone when you need it most.

But it is there (resist the urge to roll your eyes here). We simply forget to recognize that the dogwoods bursting pink and white are inspiration. That funny comment from a child? yup, inspiration. So is that interesting scribble, drawn long ago, in your sketchbook, and the seedlings reaching upward. The friend who just competed in her first triathlon, the silent gesture from a family member, the cat slinking across the lawn -- all potential inspiration. Aromas, textures, sensations...you catch my drift.

Look with fresh eyes and you are bound to find the spark that will get you heading in the right direction again.

An Idea Whose Time Has Arrived

Starting with a newspaper article I was reading on slow family living, I clicked through several links until I found myself on the website of the Future Craft Collective.

This brilliant organization's focus is to provide ways to build connections through crafting. On their site and blog, they offer various projects and tutorials to help get you on your creative way.

To give you an idea of what they are all about, the Future Craft Collective answers the question "What are we doing?" with the following:

*We offer ideas for the promotion of self expression

*We want to provide a place for crafters and non-crafters alike to find inspiration

*We want kids to understand the thrill of creation over the desire of consumption

Great reasons to want to be involved, but it was Future Craft Collective's answer to "Why we do it?" that won me over:
"We truly see this as an idea whose time has arrived, and one aimed to arm families, friends and community groups from all over with the tools they need to craft positive change in the world!!"

Their tag line pretty much sums it all up. "Make Stuff Together."

CraftBoston

This weekend, I was excited to attend CraftBoston (presented by The Society of Arts and Crafts), a show of contemporary art, craft, and design.

I go to CraftBoston each year for design inspiration, to interact with other artisans, and to check out the various booth designs and layouts. I encountered artisans from around the US and had the pleasure of chatting with some local artists whose work I have admired from afar.

As I bounced from booth to booth I found my heart beating faster and my mind spinning with ideas awakened.

The number of talented and imaginative artists was endless, but I found a few that really lit a fire in me.

Kimberly Morris, fabricates silver and copper jewelry then adds colored pencil to embellish each piece. The result is a line of jewelry that has unexpected depth, interesting details and bold colors.

zpots is a pottery studio run by a husband-and-wife team in Vermont. I admired their Classic Large Mugs that were comfortable to hold, and their thoughtful Home Bowl, which would be a delight to put out at a family gathering.

Donna Veverka, of Donna Veverka Jewelry, handcrafts jewelry inspired by architecture and ornament. I was excited to try on some of her structural rings that, while substantial, weren't overly heavy or uncomfortable to wear. Check out her website to view some of her one-of-a-kind pieces. Unique and fantastic.

I left CraftBoston with a stack of postcards/business cards in my hand, and a catalog if inspirations and ideas in my head.

Blog Debut

The first blog post!

This is a good time to let you know what AGA Elemental is all about:
my influences
my interests
my jewelry

Or, to be specific: nature, metal, all things handmade and local, fashion, sustainable living, books, the craft world, gardening, design, creative inspirations and last but not least, trying to make a living through my craft

Please join me as I explore this vast world of crafts and the Internet in an effort to nurture an awareness of handmade crafts, inspire people, promote my own work and the outstanding work of others, and become entrenched in this community of bloggers and crafters and tweeters and...