Keepin' Waco Wacko

So, I had a show in Waco Yesterday at Common Grounds. It only lasted for 2 1/2 hours because of the rain. However, I was pleased wth the turnout for that small amount of time. :) I'd say worth it. Its always nice for a change of pace and town. Not too mention I started College here in the fall 10 yrs ago! So, of course, I had to get a frozen milky way coffee at Common Grounds. It by no means should be called a coffee, but a tasty dessert full of sugar overload! However, it was the frist coffee I got my first day at Baylor in 1999 by the recommendation of my RA; Allyson "something or other"
This is a photo of my new patchwork and embellished embroidery rings. they are so great for wall decor. very organic looking to me. the fabrics are mostly my great grandmothers old material. however the background fabric (brown and orange) was a recent find.
I thought this would be a great way to display the bangle bracelets. I have simply repurposed a Starbucks coffee to-go tray. ( i think its genius) lightweight-no worries if it gets lost- and shows the bracelets well. The bracelets are part of my new wood burning adventure! I like these.
This is the next embroidery ring I have done. I just love the simple message of this one. :) And flowers are always a favorite. I think this would be great in a home entry way, kitchen, or childs room. Even next to a wedding photo on the wall. A small reminder of the love that should be present and nurtured in every home. :)
This past week we celebrated our two year anniversary! These are the flowers he brought home. bright and shining! Not to mention, they match the vase perfectly.

Celebrating Love and the Love of handmade today!

here are some blogs that LOVE handmade too!

www.thebarefootphotographer.blogspot.com

www.theartchamber.blogspot.com

www.deshawnmariehandcraftedsoap.com

www.merrittgade.com/blog

www.kfddesigns.blogspot.com

MUSIC FOR THE DAY: David Crowder Band Album: Church Music It just makes me wanna dance around, great beats, great lyrics, pure poetry. ( maybe thats why I'm feeling so full of Love today)

Have a Great day Friends!

"Wooden" it be nice...

Its been a while since I have last blogged; I know. Shame on me. Ive been in sort of a introspective spirit. Deciding what shows to do/not to do. Creating a line sheet for wholesale purchases. And just getting acquainted with my newfound freelance fulltime career. ilike. God is doing some great things in life right now and Im enjoying every second of the ride. Below are a couple of pictures of my newest venture. Wood burning. I was telling my mother how funny it was that all of my "doodles" in school have turned into my designs on many of my pieces. I even have the proof of notebooks past. Let me know what you think.

They are Organic, Simple, Fresh, and FALL-esque:

This one reminds me of playing jax as a kid. i love it. :)
A pile of some of the neckace-less pieces.
a bangle braclet. check out my etsy sight for a paisley bangle dyed with fresh homemade beet dye! :)

AT HOME: Been doing things to fight off the flu season, like making homemade chicken noodle soup with lots of garlic! (tip: i made triple the recipe and stored about three containers in the freezer for later)

Also, We have opted out of the flu shot. I did some research and it just didnt seem sensible for us to do. SO; 1)we are cutting back on white sugar ( i read this helps your immue system)

2) taking a vitamin d-3 suppliment this i sto build up our bodies ability to fight anything off if we do get exposed

3) emergen-C when we are feeling a bit like something MAY be headed our way.

obviously, do your research, but its working here!

FUN NOTE: Our neighbor had golden retriever puppies (well her dog did) and we will be getting one! it will be a boy, so as to keep the peace with our gracie-lou who may feel threatened by another lady in the house. pics coming soon!

Love n' Light

~B

www.beincreative.com

Refreshed

The sun coming through the bamboo leaves in our back yard, while we were getting an afternoon rain. we've missed the water falling from the sky this summer. glad to have you back.

I just had to post pics of the bamboo. :) We have finally gotten some rain! :) and the dew was simply gorgeous on the bamboo. I am happy we live here. It makes me feel like I live in a rain forest sometimes. When it rains, that is. haha

I know, it looks sunny, but, that's why I took a picture of the water on the leaves. :)

This is just refreshing to me right now, as I am on a journey to do only the creative! I left my part-time job on Friday and am headed on a different path; well, not that different just narrowing the focus a bit, I guess. My husband and I are getting excited about what this means for life ahead. its always a journey. But, not to get too overwhelmed, focus on the refresher that we have been getting with the rain, life, jobs, family and God. If we press through and focus on these things, it works. I hope you are having a fantastic Football season Kickoff weekend;smell it.... FALL IS HERE! :)

love n' light

~B

It's About Time

I mentioned last week that I was going to make clocks. Here are pics of an unfinished one, without all of the "clock parts" and the one at the bottom is the completed clock. :) Im diggin 'em.

The flame on this one made some awesome vibrant pinks on the copper, that isnt picking up as great on these photos. Ill have to invest in a better camera or a photo box. I think its about time.

this is a close up of the heart at the top of the piece. I like how it flows in with the vines.

The completed one was a process of cutting out the copper, drilling the hole and sanding it for the working parts. Second, I torched the the piece with blue and green enamel, accomplishing the "wave on the shore" effect at the bottom. I sanded the top left corner down to raw copper again and retorched it, getting the firey sun look. then, I hand etched the tree in the copper in layers, alternately torching and etching to create more depth in the tree.

I would love to create one for your home, or a friends home. please contact me via e-mail on my website and I will gladly get it going for you. Please allow a turn-around design time of 2-3 days. when ordering.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~B

www.beincreative.com

www.bcreativerubyslipper.etsy.com

Journey of Creativity

Oh my! it is that time that I have been SO overwhelmed with "stuff to do" that i have neglected the blog. I keep thinking, "man, i need to blog about this or that" and then I sit down, and its all chaos in my brain. So, let me preface this with a warning that it WILL be Scattered and may make absolutely no sense if you aren't in my brain. :)

Things going on:
Deciding on Art shows to do this fall/winter season and how in the world I will make enough stuff. My husband bought me an iPhone; so yes, i've joined that party. But, once I get it down I think I may be more efficient and "on top" of things. So Far from September-December we have Austin Handmade Market once a month (September 12th), First Thursday on South Congress, We Make Stuff at Scoot Inn on (September 19th), Art show at Common Grounds in Waco on October 3rd with Harts-N-Crafts, Art Outside 2009 (October 9-11th) , Possibly Blue Genie Art Bazaar December 2nd-December 24th, and the Cherrywood Art Fair December 12-13th 2009,

Other Ventures:

Weddings & Special events~
I'm excited about the fact that I'm in the process of working on some other avenues to sell. I will be donating an item to love me do wedding event on September 27th along with a coupon for future brides to come to me for the design of Jewelry for the Big Day! Something I love being a part of. I am trying to spread the word on my custom bridal designs. So you future brides, let me know. I felt that this was a great avenue to go. Being in many weddings over the years, and my own; I notice that there are two very diverse choices for jewelry. There is the UBER expensive that, honestly, most cannot afford; or the UBER cheapo stuff that looks generic and leaves the bride with little choice in expressing her style by accessorizing on her wedding day. I am excited to dive into creating pieces for women for special events in their lives. Even proms, formal events, etc. Those times when we allow our inner little girl to dazzle and feel like a princess with whatever style we chose to express.

Handmade findings for other artist~
I noticed while at events that a few artists had asked me about ordering my handmade ear wires and findings to use for the pieces that they create. I had never thought about selling my handmade components to other artists. That may be what you call a "duh" statement. But I've found that it provides a supplemental income for my business, builds relationships with other artists, and allows them to use ALL handmade components if they don't have the supplies or time to create them for themselves. "I'd be glad to" :) I have learned that to Top Sellers on Etsy.com are artists that also sell supplies to others. This weekend I will complete my first order of handmade ear wires for to fantastic creatives http://www.gemjunkie.etsy.com/ and http://www.polishedtwo.etsy.com/. SCORE! FYI: GemJunkie is an amazing supplier of very fun beads and stones for almost ANY thing you may need to put together.

Fellow Creatives:
If you are like GemJunkie and PolishedTwo and do not have the time to make your own handmade components, but value the "all handmade" send me an email and I would be So pleased to work with you.

ONLINE SHOPPING:
I have been trying to saturate my online presence.Boy, is this a job. Yay forhandmade support. Now i feel like a parrot, repeating myself on multiple sites. Listing items on sites such as etsy, Artfire, Facebook, facebook kiosk, etc... I will update when ALL of the shops are setup! the days of one website are over, you have to be present on five million different avenues to market your handmades. A lot of work, but kudos, to the world supporting Handmade!

WholeSale to Retailers around the country, world, and neighboring planets:
Ok, so maybe not planets yet. But there are a few ventures i'm itching to share with you about the posssibilities of Ruby Slipper Designs being found in Shops and galleries far from Austin, Tx. :) I will let you know when, where, and how. In the meantime, just put out that prayer for it to come into fruition. And if you know anyone, call me. ;)


CREATIVE IDEAS IN THE WORKS:
The following are ideas, inspirations, and objects that I am wanting to make ahead....

clocks: yes, get excited, i'm going into making clocks. those that know me may find it ironic that i would create a clock. go ahead. laugh.

recylced cup holders: this is going to be fun, you'll see. :)

wall decor: I am loving gray as my new neutral color accented with red and yellow. perhaps it was subliminal to the bombardment of these colors everywhere, that I didn't notice until i announced my new favorites. haha.

possibly a book: I know! WHAT?! we'll see. ;)


On a Personal Note:
Music favs this week: 1. Norah Jones~ humble me; specifically 2. Frou Frou; Imogen Heap 3. Otis Redding 4. The Beatles (always) 5. Susanna Choffell (hope i spelled that correctly) 6. Phil Whickham & 7.Alanis Morrisette
Boy do I have various music taste.

So, listening to good music, spending time seeking God and discovering where my creativity is from and what inspires it; what He has created me to be, and enjoying the pursuit of becoming a strong woman that reflects his Joy, compassion, and acceptance of all of his children. I am just discovering more and more each day how much I love strong relationships with people and how much God loves everyone. Yes, as most people say...I do belong from the 60's i think. haha. flower child a little bit.

I hope you all have a rocking Labor day weekend!

I'll be posting pics of all of the newest creations soon!

Love n' Light

~B

www.beincreative.com
bcreativerubys@gmail.com