Remember that song?  I used to listen to it and sing it all the time when I was a kid. :)  As I worked on this ribbon pendant, I thought of it, and soon the words were drifting through my mind as I wove the wire.

I started thinking about this design because October is coming up.  October is breast cancer awareness month.  I never really paid much attention to this designation until a few years ago when my gallery owner asked me to be involved in a breast cancer awareness luncheon event.  I made a special polymer clay pendant for this local event called "Puttin' on the Pink".   My pendant was given away at the luncheon.

Each year since then, I strive to create a new design around this time of year.  This year I new I wanted to design a ribbon pendant, however, I didn't want to do the ribbon design which is standard.  There's enough of those out there.  I wanted to do something different with a ribbon...a different  take on "ribbon-ease", if you will.

This is my signature ribbon pendant, which can be created in all metal colors, with different colors of pearls and gemstones, too. This particular pendant has been created in fine brass wire and has creamy white freshwater pearls and apatite gemstones, which are a lovely blue/green color.

I do plan on creating one for the upcoming Breast Cancer Awareness month, and yes, it will have pink stones. :)  Be watching for it to appear on my pendant page here.

I have a lot of aspiring jewelry designers visit my site, and I often have a lot of questions asked about making wire jewelry.  This week, I added a Recommended Books page to the website, which I hope will be useful to those of you would are striving to learn this elegant craft of wire jewelry making.  I've studied many of these books myself over the past 15 years, and learned a good variety of techniques from the wonderful teachers.  I also added my recommendations for collectible and vintage jewelry books, which I have also studied.  I refer to them often, as browsing through the timeless and exquisite designs will often spark a new idea of something I can do in my own work. I highly advise adding some of these books to your collection, if for nothing else, than for creative inspiration from those who have walked this path successfully. :)

I was in a discussion about my hair a few days ago on Facebook.  A friend of mine mentioned using olive oil as a way to control the frizzies.  I never would have thought that conversation would inspire a jewel.  But it did.

I remembered a book I have here on the Olive tree, and the uses of olive oil...the symbolism and the health benefits.  It only made sense that what my friend was saying was true...about how the oil would be good for the hair.  (I used it, and it's WONDERFUL, btw)

And then I started thinking about the olive green tourmaline in my studio, and I began putting together an idea for an olive tree pendant - my version.

This is what I came up with.  I used golden brass wire for this pendant and antiqued it for depth.  The bottom of the pendant represents the gnarled trunk of the tree...and the top, the abundant display of leaves and fruit. 

The Olive tree is one of the longest living and most recorded trees in history.  It's a symbol of peace.  Maybe wearing the olive tree pendant will bring a long, peaceful life to its owner.  Wouldn't that be wonderful? :)

The Olive Tree pendant is available here.

So I'm standing outside the day before yesterday, and I'm allowing the ideas of what I could do with this glorious yellow jade brew in my mind.  Suddenly I realize I'm not alone.  A little friend has come to visit, and he just would NOT leave me alone!  As I'm fending off his presence and trying to escort him off my porch, I had a revelation...

...I now knew what to do with some of this yellow jade. :)  And that's how the Ambrosia Earrings were "born". It made complete sense after seeing this little guy what I was to do with a couple of those stones.

Everything happens for a reason.

And I'm happy to say I finally managed to get one of my pod shapes to come out right.  I've only been working on that for about 34 days and 13 hours. :) 

The Ambrosia earrings are available in the earrings section of the shop, along with several more photos to give you a "bee's eye view" of them.

I used to be in such a hurry to make new designs.  One must produce...and produce a lot...list new items every day on a plethora of websites...you must get SEEN and seen frequently....you have to advertise everywhere...all the time...you have to be everywhere, simultaneously.  That's how I used to be.  And I'd watch myself wither away, run out of energy...deplete my creativity...fill up with a lack of desire...after about one month of going at it gung-ho.  And for me, that process never really worked. 

I left the corporate world to get away from stress.  I wanted to work at home - which I did for many years selling vintage costume jewelry on Ebay.  At first it was fun.  But it was the same principle...list frequently...more and more and more.  Even though I was working at home, I became stressed.  For one thing, I worked 3 times as hard at home as I ever had to do at any office job.  An office job would have been cush compared to what I was going through.  Of course most people around me thought because I was "at home", I did nothing but sit around and eat bon bons watching soaps all day. :)  Let them live a day in my life - pul-ee-zzzzz.

At some point about 5 years ago, I burned out.  Couldn't do it anymore.  The good thing was I'd learned enough about jewelry and designs to know what I liked and how to create it.  The bad thing was, I had no energy left to give to it.

So I took a break and have fluctuated between devoting my energy to both my art and my jewelry ever since.  I only just recently revamped my plan on where I wanted to go with my jewelry.  I've learned new techniques over the past year, and I've finally settled on my favorite supplies, and yes - don't fall over - a style.  Finally.  I've been drawn to two main elements in my recent designs. Combine that with my choices in materials, and viola' - there is a style. A similarliness. A LOOK.  After 10 years in total, I thought it would never happen.

So now that I've returned to this passion of jewelry design, that old familiar feeling and those thoughts and those words that everyone says you must do to "make it" have all come flooding back.  One must produce...and produce a lot...list new items every day on a plethora of websites...you must get SEEN and seen frequently....yada yada yada.

This time though, I'm not going to listen.  See, I've gotten to where I really enjoy sitting with my coffee. (and I love tea now too!)  I love the smell when I open the cans...I love hearing it brew...and my day is not complete unless I experience that little clink of the spoon against the side of the cup and the feel of its warmth on my lips as I sip it.

And I've decided, making and having coffee is such a good, pleasant and relaxing experience, I want my work to be the same.  I've found myself piling up my materials and tools and staring at them for a long time. Then I'll walk away. I'll sit outside and listen to the birds or watch the cats play.  I'll take a walk. I'll ride my bike.  I'll chat on Facebook or twitter.  I'll read.  I'll enjoy a sweet treat and I'll watch Dr. Phil in the afternoon.  And all the while...a design based on that pile of materials is brewing in my mind.  Just like my coffee.

It's called Percolation.  Percolate means to cause something (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; to filter.  So I put the materials in my mind, which then stirs them up into possible ideas.  Those ideas then pass through my brain.  I filter them using my feelings and emotions.  And when it's all done...I've filtered out the ideas which won't work...the ideas which aren't viable...the ones that don't feel right...and I'm left with something...some semblance of a design idea I think is good.

It's only then that I pick up the tools and work on it.  I may have to make adjustments.  Just like adding sugar or creamer to a hot cup of coffee...sometimes things just need a bit of flavorful sweetener. :)

The entire process is slow...it's easy...it's relaxing.  And I've found this recent go-round with my jewelry design work much more fulfilling, and the work much more flavorful.  Yes it takes longer to see new designs up here on the site - but oh, when they get here - they just seem to taste so much better.  :)

Of course I had to make a pair of earrings to match the Divine Harmony pendant. :)  Because these cherry quartz beads are so huge, I couldn't overdo it on the tourmaline and pearls on the earrings...I didn't want them to be too heavy!  They are just perfect right now, and look very elegant and interesting. 

You can find more photos and info. in my earrings category here on the site:
http://jaijohnson.weebly.com/earrings.html

I finally had a chance to work with this cherry quartz.  I LOVE THESE!  Rondelle shaped, they are huge and faceted and an absolutely gorgeous shade of deep pink.  I paired tourmaline in deep, rich olive colors (with a tinge of pink) with the stunning bead, and accented with freshwater pearls.  I wove silver wire with great precision to frame the focal bead, and added a tornado bead at the top.

The precision wire work paired with the freeform of the tornado bead wire work is representative of my life.  That perfect, woven frame is how I'd like my life to be.  Yet it often ends up in a tornado as represented by the top bead.  I'm sure some of you can relate.  It's tough when things are going along fine, and then they spiral out of control.  It's wonderful, though, to take that situation, and turn it into something of beauty...a keepsake...and heirloom to remind us that even though we have tornado moments, beauty can still come from within them. :)

If I could stay out of the vets office...I might get more jewelry made.  This week it was Lady.  Again.  We still don't know if she'll be okay.  Possible intestinal blockage or possibly IBD.  Treating for IBD as I didn't have the funds for a surgical exploration.  Xrays and ultrasound have been done...to the tune of wayyyyyy more jewelry than I offer on this site at this time. Needless to say, all proceeds will be going to pay this bill.  Sure would be nice if someday I could take my earnings and pay regular bills...such as the utilities or phone.  Sigh.  Tired of these emergency things...now I feel like *I* should see a doctor!

It was supposed to be smaller....

...than the last. But I got a bit carried away. Adding more wire...playing with gemstones and pearls. Okay, so it is a bit smaller. But not what I intended. :)

I've named this pendant "Risen". The sunshine colored genuine Citrine gemstones reminded me of the dawn of a new day. The beautiful golden and coffee brown colored freshwater pearls remind me of the upcoming fall season. Fall is in the air here in TN.

Because my bail turned out way too small (except for a delicate chain), I made a new bail. The tornado bead/bail is accented with those glowing freshwater pearls. Antiqued, hand woven silver wire pulls it all together into a unique, one of a kind cross pendant. I'm sure whoever the new owner is will enjoy it - it will become a family heirloom.

RISEN is available in my pendants section...unless it's already sold, of course. :)

What's next on the workbench? I scored some awesomely-huge cherry quartz gems this weekend...so I believe something soon will emerge featuring one of those beauties. :)

Yesterday was my daughter Allyson's birthday celebration.  She's the big *16* now!  She wanted to go to the local safari park and take photos. So off we went.  We had a grand time, and saw lots of cool animals and wildlife.  I've posted one of the funniest photos here...but you can see them all in my photography blog.  Hope you'll stop by and enjoy the photo journal of this wonderful trip. :)