So Icey

The latest in the circular soldering collection; since blue is one of my favorites to wear, this will be hard to get rid of. but, for you! I will sell. ;)
Buy it!

Own It!

:)

Fall time is Filling up!!

I havent totally been great on my end and ambition of blogging every day this week. however, I have been busy filling up the calendar with events for the fall. :) My website is up to date and I will officially be participating in We Make Stuff on Spetember 19th and Art Outside 2009 October 9-11th! you can find links to the websites on my website. www.beincreative.com. OOH and heres the image of the heart on fire pendant that I was talking about in the previous blog!

See you soon! :)

lemonade and heart pendants

Today I have been busy working around the house. In an attempt to keep up with my promise to blog, i documented all of the creative things I did around the house. However, I neglected to put the camera card IN the camera, and don't have a cord to directly connect it. oops. I will just tell you.

I made lemonade, the real good kind, fresh lemons and all! My last attempt at lemonade, was a little sour and then too sweet where it was sweet and the sugar wasn't melted. Solution, I made a simple syrup with organic raw sugar and mixed the syrup with the lemon juice prior to adding cool water. all I can say is; its almost all gone. :)

I covered an unattractive wall light with a cool basket, creating a nice ambiance lighting effect. I really wish I could get the photos to you. i even took before and afters.

I did get pictures of the pendant I made today; and enameled copper two part piece. I made each piece separately and connected the heart and the base... i like. however, blogger is not wanted me to import pics right now. ... so, al pics will be added later. :)

Daily Post,

Wednesday began My attempt at Blogging daily and posting new items daily for at least ONE WEEK! This is my way of trying to get myself in the habit of spending time promoting online. I have found that cross promoting on all online mediums has really increased my online presence and exposure. Yesterday, when I posted a new item on etsy I posted the link on twitter. Within 3 minutes I had 20 views! This was my way of tracking, to see if it really works...and IT DOES! so my advice tweet away. :) Here are a couple of things I made this morning. I am trying to create at least two pieces each morning to build up on stock for shows and such this fall! Its gonna be BUSY! :)

See you tomorrow!

SHOP NOW

Going in Circles

here are a few more shots of the Circle designs I've been working on. SO fun, and the possibilities are endless it seems. soon to come, bunches of circles, squares, and layering! OH BOY! :)

BUY NOW!

Floating in Circles

ABOVE: This was orginally created for a friend who saw something similar and asked if I could recreate it. Its hard when you are in the middle of a whirlwind of others to deviate from it and try something new. I have been so emmersed in enameling and firing lately, that the simpler and softer designs have kind of fallen away. Now they are back. I loved this so much that I wanted to tweek and play with it a little. as always, I gotta add something to it. haha.
ABOVE: is the result of the tweeking. I took copper wire and added one crystal of different colors, sizes, etc and soldered the cirlces in links together. Then, attached it to brass chain. I pickled the copper to get t\rid of some of the oxidization, but I didnt do it for too long, i kinda like the rusticness, AND the crystals cannot stay int he pickle solution too long or they will desinigrate. bummer.
For those of you that like going green; you'll be pleased to know that i use a non-toxic citrus pickle solution. :)
I love the delicateness of these cirlces, but the boldness of the style... as my friend andrea put it "this is probably my most favorite thing you have ever made!" yay for friend approval!

im thinking about doing a sterling one with all different shades of purple..hopefully ill post pics tomorrow.

Happy Day!

If you would like to purchase either of these you may do so at my etsy sight.

Heartbeat

This pendant is designed based on the painting above that I started and haven't quite finished.
How Its Made:

As you can see, it is a cross with a wave over it. I have done this by layering different enamels and drawing the designs with a toothpick. I love this technique. It allows for so much creative freedom. I hand fire the copper in each layer, until I have the desired design. ......

The Story Behind the pieces:

My father-in-law gave me a book about a year ago titled "I would Die For you" . It is a testimony of a 16 yr old boy who chose to be obedient to what God called him to do. On his second trip to Peru, he contracted an infection and passed away. The book is about the fulfillment in his life beyond our comprehension, and more than most would ever dream of; even after living a "full" 100 yr. B.J. Higgins brought peace and Joy to so many people's lives, because he sought after "heartbeat obedience" to God. I really felt touched by this, and in turn challenged to live the same way.

Since reading that book, I have made the decision to live my life differently; For God's purpose and not mine. There is so much darkness and hate in this world, I have made the decision not to allow myself to get in the way of any light through my own selfish desires.

Thus, the painting and the pendant. These are illustrations to me of the heart standing alone;and in turn being over taken by the "wave" of obedience and experiencing such beauty and joy. The heart alone in this, would look lonely. but with the power, vibrancy & beauty of the wave, it is given life! The painting will have vines going t the top of the right side, I haven't added those yet. :) To me, this will represent giving the heart life and purpose.

Through my own life lessons, trial and error, unfortunately; I've learned to live for what I am called to do. Be a light in the darkness of our time. And that is the story of these pieces.

A little peek into the world of the designers heart. :)

Have a great weekend!

~B

1st Thursday

On the 1st Thursday of every month, on South Congress in Austin,TX; the street is filled with music, yummy food, and awesome handmade pieces for you to purchase. Most of the items, you can not find in any stores around. This makes it somewhat like a treasure hunt for fantastic handmade goods; that no one else will have. Come on out and enjoy the sunset, a smoothie on a great Texas summer night! I'll be there!

This is what my set up looks like; and it gives you point of reference of where on SoCo i will be located. Across from Allen Boots (see the sign)

Right here in front of MamboBerry, can i suggest a yummy frozen yogurt or smoothie? mmm. :) nothing like a smoothie on a rediculously HOT day! I think I'm set up in the right spot. hehe.

see you tonight around 7:00 on South Congress!

~B

Thankful For You..

I decided I needed a brand able tag for my pieces. I wanted to be able to let every customer know that i am thankful for their business, yet make it cute, simple and allow them to receive a gift even if they are purchasing just for themselves. Thus the following creation:

The red shoe represents my business name "Ruby Slipper Designs" and i love the brightness of the turq and the red.

So now when you purchase a piece from Ruby Slipper Designs, it will be tagged with a thank you, especially made by me. :)

My thoughts behind the "thankful for you" come originally from a bible verse "Every day I thank God for you" and also, appreciation for my clients believing in what I do.

I thought that if a person was purchasing this for a gift, they already have a gift tag that's cute and ready to pass on to the person. After all, if we are giving someone a gift, chances are, we would like to tell them that we are thankful for their presence in our lives anyway.

I look forward to seeing you all at 1st Thursday this week!

Love n light