GIVING BACK:Share the Power of a Wish!®

Giving back is very important to me.

The wonderful people at
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Rhode Island
do such important work and I am so honored to be involved with them.

These are some of the jewelry creations I have made throughout the years for their silent auction fundraising events.

Their symbol is a star so when ever I stumble upon anything "star" related I scoop it up and use it for inspiration for my next donation.

You can visit
http://www.makeawishri.org/

to help support their mission!

Be back soon!
p

MILESTONES: My 1st 100 Hearts on Etsy!

This was so exciting for me.

Last night (4-8-08) I hit my first 100 "hearts" ♥ on Etsy!
Yea!

For those of you that don't know what that means...Etsy "hearts" are a way of recognizing a favorite shop.

When I give a heart, it shows that I appreciate some aspect of that persons shop, work or talent. I think it is a great complement to be recognized by your peers.

I wanted to thank
Donna
from "The Garden Bath" for being number 100...

Please visit her beautiful Etsy shop at
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5300235

______________________________

A bit of what she does

(taken from her Bio)

Welcome to The Garden Bath! My name's Donna and creating handmade bath & body luxuries is a labor of love that I've been working & playing with for almost three years now.

I have a huge love of nature so when I first began making my own bath & body products, I had a nature theme in mind - like I was wandering through a beautiful botanical garden and experiencing various gardens, fruits, tropical greenhouses, exotic blooms, and more. And so I've refined my fragrance collections down to 5 "gardens" as you can see below. I do also offer some UNSCENTED products for those people who want to experience great handmade products but may be sensitive to fragrances.

I list all ingredients for each & every item I make as I think everyone deserves to know exactly what they're putting on their bodies. If you have any allergies or sensitivities, please read carefully. I want to make sure you're safe! If you're unsure of an ingredient or item, please convo me and I'll gladly assist you.

(all my fragrances are VEGAN)

______________________________

Be back soon!

p

No Work Done!

We rented this movie Sunday night..."Dan in Real Life"...with Steve Carell, Dane Cook, Juliette Binoche, Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney.

I was all ready...we sat on the couch and I had all of my supplies around me to inventory and write descriptions for the new jewelry I had made for my Etsy shop.

Well, to make a long story short, I only ended up inventorying two items the entire movie!

I assumed I could just listen and work like I usually do...but this movie sucked me in. I really enjoyed it. It was sweet and funny. About parenting, finding love, fate.

Steve Carell's facial expressions are great and Dane Cook just makes me giggle.

Oh, and it also took place in beautiful Jamestown, Rhode Island...and area that I love.

I recommend renting it for a "feel good" evening - just don't expect to get any work done!

(These earrings are one of the items I finished.)

Be back soon,
p

Revelations: Freedom of Etsy!

What a wonderful thing Etsy is for an artist...especially an artist that has her hand in lots of crafts and uses many mediums.

A site like this gives you the creative freedom to express yourself and your vision based on your desires and whims.

I have sold my art in various forms for many years and there was always some kind of restriction...taste of the shop buyer or owner, preference of the targeted customer, cost guidelines or quantity needs.

Sometimes, for me, it could get stifling creatively. Like boundaries that I needed to stay inside. Having to worry about pleasing someone else.

I think Etsy opens an avenue to unleash creativity.

Even though I still wholesale to shops, still have private shows and still do art fairs, I have been waking up my art at a deeper level with my new little shop. It feels amazing.

Knowing I have a venue to do whatever I want...express myself in a way that feels right to me.

Check back often to see how my style, mood and materials change and evolve.

Be back soon!

p

Revelations: When Lightening Strikes

I seem to have my best, most useful ideas at the most inopportune times!

Like when I'm driving or when I am about to fall asleep and don't want to move or even at the movies.

My ideas generally come at me like a tidal wave, a runaway train or a pot boiling over. It can feel involuntary and take on a life of it's own...but just as quick and hard as they come, if I don't write something down they can leave and fade away.

Take yesterday. I was on the highway and an idea for something related to my business hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew if I didn't write at least one key word down it would be gone in a flash. I reached next to me to grab a piece of paper out of my notebook and when I held the paper I had just pulled out in front of my face...I realized I had accidentally ripped out a page from a book I was reading. Aghh!! Not what I meant to do.

I know that I can't be trusted with notes on little pieces of paper...they never make it where they are supposed to and my desk just ends up cluttered with scraps that don't make sense.

Because of this, I like to write things in bound notebooks.

I was thinking about this new commitment I have made to blogging on a regular basis and thought a dedicated "blog idea" journal sounded like a good idea. That way, instead of staring at a blank computer screen trying to instantly formulate some clever post, I will have a book full of ideas and topics to use.

So now I have a pretty journal with a pearl metallic cover to collect ideas, notes, stories and other random blog related stuff! I am looking forward to this journey!

Be back soon,
P

Thinking too much?

Nilak
Originally uploaded by creativepotentialonetsy

In the forums on ETSY I read all the time that people are blogging...have updated their blog...have interviewed someone...have highlighted a fellow artist, etc...and I have been feeling bad about not adding to mine.

Then I stopped to ponder why I haven't added to mine.

It hit me today. I think I have been feeling intimidated by all of the experienced bloggers and figured mine wouldn't be "good enough"...so why do it.

That realization released something for me. It helped me to remember that I don't have to be anything I'm not. I am fine just the way I am...writing about what I want to...creating in my own way.


So here it is...(I think)...the real beginning of my blog...MY blog...

and that's great.

see you soon!
P

Romance!

We just returned from an amazing trip...the most memorable 40th Birthday and 10th wedding anniversary gift ever!!

Our two week excursion included an 11 day cruise and two nights in Ft. Lauderdale.
I am in California right now collecting my son from my parents and enjoying them for a week.
I have missed ETSY posting and look forward to getting back in the swing of things soon.
This photo was taken in Cozumel...our first port of call.