The World of Twitter

I am feeling engulfed by Twitter - it has become a staple of my day. I have updates appearing on my desktop computer and every few seconds I hear a little sound that lets me know that someone has updated their moment to moment existence on Twitter. I really have to work hard not to continually go and check to see what someone has written.

I'm not sure why I Twitter, in the same way that I'm not sure why I update my status on Facebook. Maybe it's a way to feel connected with a larger community as I work alone in my studio most of the time. I absolutely love hearing from some folks, and others I seem to ignore. What is it that draws me to some, and not others?

Hilary, of Designing Hilary - http://57designstudio.blogspot.com/2009/01/tweet-tweet.html has an interesting perspective on Twitter - she writes that there are different takes on how to use Twitter effectively - some believe use it as a vehicle of self-promotion, and others think personal sharing is what brings people in. I know that I filter out many updates I receive and am more likely to read them when they are personal - in particular ones that focus my attention on what's current, whether on the news or in their lives. I am not wanting to know what someone had for breakfast, or that they have a dentist appointment today. I'm more a feeling oriented person and like knowing how they are feeling, what they are struggling with, needing a break from, wanting to focus on, new learnings, etc. That said, I also read posts that have to do with jewelry making, networking, marketing tips, new ideas for displays, etc. Most importantly it needs to connect to some part of my life. This virtual world I've created is full of wonderful people I likely will never meet, but feel that in some profound way they are known to me and I am known to them.

How cool is that?

Not Enough Time in the Day

How strange for me to say that there "isn't enough time in the day" for me to get everything done that needs to be done. I don't have a real job, spend all my time (supposedly) playing with beads, and yet feel like I'm leaving too many things undone. How is that possible?

So I thought I would try and break down my day.

I wake up, have coffee with Elaine, and watch the beginning of Good Morning America. After she leaves for work (at about 7:15) I sit for another 20 minutes or so and then go into my studio. First thing I do is put on music - depending on my mood I play folk, reggae or celtic. Then I attack my email - from last night until this morning I had 331 new emails. I am on a couple of very active email groups and there are times when I am shocked by the quantity of email. Imagine if it were snail mail - I would be recycling tons of paper a year :)

Okay, I've made it through my email, now I'm paying bills, looking for craft shows to apply for, letting the dogs out, in, out, in etc. Now it's time for breakfast! I usually play solitaire on the computer while I have my cereal. So now it's 10:30 and I still haven't created anything. By 11:00 I am ready to work. If I have pieces that I've started, I try and finish them before starting something new. If I am starting from scratch, I will open and close my bead storage drawers until something strikes me and I can play around with different gemstones and silver until the right combination hits me. I think today I will work with Citrine.

Now I am focused!! Oops dogs want to go out. Phone rings and it's a friend I haven't spoken to in a while.

Okay I'm back......focused.....humm not sure I still want to work with the Citrine, maybe Peridot, or Amethyst. Here I am starting over again figuring out what I want to do.

Of course it isn't always like this. Sometimes I can sit down and spend the day creating. Especially if I am making earrings - I can make a number of pairs in a day. I sell a lot of earrings and when I have a large stock of them it takes the pressure off me. I feel freed up and can do what I love which is to create necklaces. Necklaces are like a large canvas to create on which appeals to me.

Of course, there are other things I do during my day in the studio - photograph my pieces for the web, write descriptions for each piece, catalog them, update my website, twitter my daily thoughts, try to keep up with my emails, read blog entries, write in my blog.....the bead goes on.

Truthfully there is nothing I would rather be doing with my time. I love what I do.

Unique Gift Cards - with a vintage feel

I just found this blog, by Kelly of Macaroni & Glue. She creates unique stationary with a vintage feel - there are cards for every occasion. I love them. Personally I'm tired of sending email cards because I'm too overwhelmed, or forgetful to have cards to mail in advance. The computer has led to such a huge shift in how I live my life - mostly for the good, but there are a few things that are not so good! It's easy to be lazy - one of the things I've noticed is that I no longer mail out thank you cards. I don't know about you, but I was taught to always send out a thank you note if someone either gave me a gift, or did something especially nice. My mother would not be pleased to know that I've replaced the thank you card with an email thank you! The personal touch to the note is less palatable with email. I'm going to try and be better at this.

I Won a Wonderful Print on One World/One Heart Giveaway

How cool is this????

Pam Warden of Pam Warden Art contacted me to tell me that I was the winner of her giveaway. Her giveaway prize had been one of my favorites when I was visiting the different artist blogs involved in the One World/One Heart giveaway. And I won. I rarely win things so it is a double treat. It will be nice to have a reminder of my involvement in this event, which remains a highlight experience for me. Please go have a look at her art - colorful, funky and full of life.

A Winner Has Been Chosen!

What an exciting ride it has been for the past three weeks, being a part of the Gypsy Caravan - One World/One Heart Giveaway. I know that I've stated it before but seeing how many people got involved, both in offering art, and participating by entering giveaways was fantastic! I loved looking at other artists' blogs and reading the comments from the 358 folks who entered to win my turquoise necklace.

My heartfelt thanks to Lisa Swifka at A Whimsical Bohemian http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com for coming up with the idea, organizing it, and allowing me the opportunity to be involved in such an amazing, worldwide event. Okay - so now I will let you all know who won my necklace. The winner is: Kim Mailhot - (kdebroin at comcast.net) http://queen-of-arts.blogspot.com - go have a look at her wonderful blog. Thanks to everyone for participating - looking forward to seeing you again next year.

Terry

Just 5 hours to go!

One World/One Heart ends tonight at midnight. I live on the east coast of the United States and therefore the giveaway will end at midnight EST. I will use a random number generator to pick a winner and will announce it tomorrow on this blog.

I must say I am sad to see this all end. It has been a wonderful experience.

One World - One Heart Giveaway

I am a part of the 2009 One World - One Heart Giveaway. This is a unique experience where artists from all over the world participate through their blogs. I believe this is the third year of this event. How it works is that if you want a chance to win my donated piece of handmade jewelry, you need to leave a comment on this blog entry, including your email address so that I can inform you if you win. This giveaway is open to everyone! If you click the One World - One Heart Logo at the top of this post, you can learn more about this amazing venture, and if you want, you can also sign on. The giveaway will end on February 11th and the winner will be notified on February 12th. I hope that you will go to the website to see the huge number of artists worldwide who are taking part in this venture. Sign on to as many as you want. Now about the giveaway: This is a necklace that demands to be seen. This remarkable 23" necklace of Turquoise chunks is surprisingly light and gently caresses the neck. The necklace is finished with a Bali Sterling Silver "S" clasp. I call it Chunks of Stone. If you are interested in winning this wonderful piece of jewelry, make sure you comment on this post, and include your email address. Otherwise I have no way to let you know if you win. Good luck!

Color!

I often wonder what it is about bright colors that attract me. I've been drawn to primary colors since childhood. I can remember a long sleeve t-shirt that my mother bought me when I was maybe 15 years old that was bright purple. I wore the shirt until it fell apart. The color was deep, bright and full of richness. My mother giving me that shirt was the beginning of my love affair with purple - I could never get enough - I wore purple shoes, clothes - even put purple in my hair for a short time. Something few know about me is that for a while in my late teens I used a pseudonym - Violet Rush! When I was Violet I was a colorful character, not afraid of anything. I was a teenager in the 60's and Terry was just not colorful enough for me. I used to fantasize about changing my name, but I outgrew the desire to leave myself behind.

My preferences and choices of color have shifted over time. I've branched out one can say. Jewelry making has been a great catalyst for exploring color. In particular, shades of blue and green, from turquoise to kyanite to Larimar, Peruvian Opal and freshwater pearls are some of my favorites. Other colors come into play certainly, but seem more secondary than primary in my jewelry designs.

When I was younger I made jewelry with the gay rainbow colors - partly to show my alliance and commitment to supporting the lesbian/gay community by being visible. But I also used the colors because I loved how they looked together - vibrant and rich. The world has changed so dramatically, especially here in Massachusetts, that wearing my "colors" on my sleeve doesn't seem so necessary. I've gotten older too. As I've aged I tend to wear more silver and less color in my jewelry. I wonder about that sometimes and have decided that it suits my current life. I live in a small town and rarely go out for the evening. Jewelry with sweat pants just doesn't seem to make it.

When I am feeling loose and creative, I mix colors that aren't typically used together. When it works it's fabulous. Here are a couple of pieces that I think really express themselves well through color: