Posts Galore!

Isn't this color palate just so girly and fun? I'd have at least one room like this in the house if it wasn't for the man of the house. He'd put a fast veto down on this one. Cool headboard treatment too, right?

These Gerbra Daisies are the same colors and flowers we had at our wedding though, so at least he gave me that much. lol!

Anyways, I have two new posts (Yes, two!) over at YD Blog today. So go check them out for more eye candy!

This one concerns my studio decorating plans, and

This one is my Studio Friday post.

Studio: The Other Side

For some reason, I got the urge to rearrange my studio the other day. I didn't know I even had that much energy to spare, but suddenly I was moving heavy furniture, sweeping, and clutter busting like a woman hopped up on too much caffeine. This is a view of the other side of the room, which I've never shown until now. I love to sit on the daybed and look out of the big arch window at the massive old pecan trees, the magnolia, and the sky.


Eventually, I think I'll outfit the daybed with large backing pillows, and bolster pillows for the sides, making it more of a sofa than a bed. This bookshelf, above, is a 3 tiered vintage oak piece that my mom and I searched for when I was a child. It's exactly what I had wanted, and we were so thrilled to find it at a large flea market in Shreveport, La. I love the memory of that day when I discovered rock candy and antiques. I swear that I could literally feel the energy of each old item we brought home that day.

Studio Friday Moved Today

Hi, readers. This Studio Friday, I have posted to my other blog because I felt the topic was right for it. The post concerns ways to improve studio space and there is also a brief moment of reverie for my dream studio. Check it out!

Studio Friday: May Studio Treat!

MAY'S STUDIO TREAT!
Treat yourself to something your heart desires, maybe some chocolate or flowers or new art supplies... a nice little something (no spending of a fortune involved). Celebrate yourself !!


I am a day late for Studio Friday, and my husband is now a dollar short because he bought me an iPod yesterday! It's an early birthday gift. A little bundle of joy that I've affectionately named Eggbert. Eggbert the iPod. The features on this thing are enough to keep slow times at the day job fun. It has the capacity to hold full length movies, t.v. shows, and thousands of photos, as well as 7,500 songs that I can download straight from the net without ever having to go to the store.

Of course I'm excited about all of those features, but what I'm really pumped about is the photo capacity and quality. Now, I can keep a virtual portfolio of my jewelry designs everywhere I go. I can chat with the girl standing in line behind me at the Hobby Lobby, which has notoriously long lines, and show her what I do. Hand her a business card, and really get her excited about checking out my website. Hopefully, that is. So, there it is. I am so overindulged.

Inspired by Blue

I've been searching for inspiration a lot lately, and consequently, I have been very inspired. I just thought I'd share some images with you that I like. The color blue always seems to illicit a dreamy response from me. Hence, the blue theme. It makes me want to get my sketch book out and doodle until my heart's content. I found the above photo on Flickr. What I really like about it is its rugged beauty. It seems that lately, I'm more drawn to imperfection than I am shiny and new.

This photo, also found on Flickr, transports me. I am walking on the streets of a fabulous city such as New York or San Francisco. In a crowd of pedestrians who are rushing off for a bite to eat during lunch hour, I'm drawn to this lovely window. Amid this frantic pace, time stands still only for me while I'm taken in by the gently illuminated colors.

Finally, we come to this photo which was taken in one of my favorite places of all, New Orleans. I don't remember where I found it on the net, and I also can't tell you how many times I have seen this odd work of art parked on one of the narrow streets of The Quarter. I wish I had a photo of it from all angles, and mostly a close up would be nice. This old Bug is covered with tiny plastic toys, Mardi Gras beads, paint, rhine stones, and so on. It commands an audience everywhere it goes. Check back here with me soon for more eye candy photos because I'm off to hunt for more now.

Studio Friday! : 3 Wishes

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade yvettedesigns.etsy.com

If you had a magic wand what 3 creative issues would you solve? Maybe they are space issues that you are experiencing in your studio or issues about creating itself?

Three wishes. This is a great topic! Okay, for my first wish:

1.I would love, love, love it if I could start getting sales on my Etsy site. http://yvettedesigns.etsy.com
I have had it for half a year now, but I didn't get serious about it until just recently. When I first opened the shop, I was selling my jewelry at work faster than I could replenish my supply. Now, that I'm working in a different environment things have changed. Isn't it ironic that I work in a jewelry store now, and my jewelry sales are at a crawl?

2. I would love to have the time to dabble in all kinds of crafts and hobbies. I have a feeling this might be a common theme among all of us, time.

3. This doesn't have anything to do with the studio, but I wish that every day in Louisiana was like it is today. The weather has been absolutely perfect at around 75 degrees. I opened my windows this morning, turned the a.c. off, and breathed in the cool natural air. Aaahh! It just set my morning off right, you know?

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

Studio Friday: Striver or Seeker?

Which one are YOU??
Do you know exactly where you are headed and go to your goal in a super straight line which makes you a "Striver" and have you always known from the beginning? Or do you start out now quite sure what or where or how and go through twists and turns making your path longer and looking like a criss crossy chaotic kind of path that eventually will lead you to a place you love and that fits like a glove in the same way it does the Striver? In that case you are a "Seeker". Neither path is right or wrong or better, they are just different.
Does your studio space or art itself maybe reflect this in any way??


I am a bit of both, which is most fitting for a Gemini, such as I am, to say. I started off as a seeker. I wandered a lot, to the point that I lost someone I cared for over it. I moved all over the place. I tried new things, always wondering if this was going to be my "it". The thing that would hold my attention, something I could be passionate about.

It took getting married, when I made my jewelry to wear for the big day, to find my passion in jewelry making. Since then, I have been a striver. I've added and amended goals along the way, so it's taken me a while to map out the ultimate course that I want to follow for my future in the jewelry business. Now, the road is looking narrow and while, still long, it is a straight path.

The first necklace I made - for my wedding day.

Evidence of my dual nature can be seen in my studio. Sometimes my desk will be littered with paint, brushes, and canvas, and you will find "How To..." books on topics with great range. Meanwhile, my beads and findings are all lined up neatly on the desk residing peacefully with my seeker chaos and clutter.

This was a fun one. Happy weekend, everyone! Oh, and please check out my new jewelry and fashion related blog. http://yvettejewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Studio Friday: Pride

This week's topic for Studio Friday May 4th: sin #7: PRIDE!What feeds your desire to feel that you are more important or attractive or better or more special than others? How does this excessive feeling of pride feed your Ego and distort your reality? How does its shadow become your downfall? Is there a way that you see towards a healthier way of being?

Ooh, this could possibly worst of all of the 7 Deadlies. I do have a bit of pride in myself, who I am, what I stand for, etc. Though, I usually think of it as good self esteem, I realize how pride used in a negative context can be a problem because it serves to divide us from one another. At times, I tend to think of myself as being unique and therefore separate from the world. However, in my heart, I know that this cannot be true. Despite the identities that we carefully cultivate for ourselves, we are all essentially the same.

I have actually been working for the past couple of months on letting go of my ego, and the unyielding idea of who I am. Letting go of my ego is important to me because I know that without it, I will be able to accept others for who they are without judgment. I will be a much more loving, understanding, and compassionate person. This is the only unshakable truth about myself that I choose to own. Happy weekend!

Spring Cleaning Day

Check it out! I finally figured out how to round the corners of my photos. I'm really tempted to do this all the time because I think it's that cool. Though, I don't want to wear it out either. For those of you who are interested in how I did it, I used Gimp 2.2 . Trey introduced me to this handy little photo editing tool last night, and now I am somewhat compelled to play on the computer all day.
As you can see, I've been very busy in the studio trying to organize and clean all the clutter off my desk. I've tacked all of my pendants to my inspiration board, as well as a few loose bead packs, and I displayed the bead vials (color coordinated) that fit with the colors of this season's clothing and accessories trends. Now, I'm ready to make some new jewelry in my clean studio. It's such a nice feeling, like a breath of fresh air.

Now, how cool is the photo below? I managed to take it this morning and love the gradient effect of the background, not to mention how the pendant looks suspended in mid air.

Repurposing "Trash" for Organization

The chance to get out of town for the weekend was just what I needed to get motivated to organize my studio. What really kicked it off is that my Aunt, who works at a hospital, saved a few boxes full of these little glass vials for me to put my beads in. Can you guess what they were originally used for? These tubes, which were full of Morphine, were used in PCA pumps for patients who were in severe pain after surgery. Once they were emptied, the nurses cleaned them up and saved them to reuse in other ways. What a great way to eliminate waste in the work place!


Above is one example of how I have reused an item in my workspace. This plastic box full of silver findings once held screws, nails, and tacks. I peeled the original logo sticker off, and over each compartment I placed a small sticker with descriptions and prices on the lid. I always keep this box at my fingertips when I work, and find it to be a very handy organizational tool.


Beading Tip: Also, since the world's silver is quickly depleting, I save my silver scraps which will eventually be melted to make new silver items. I will get a cash credit for the cost of the silver. Also, if a silver head pin is still long enough to reuse, but the "head" is no longer there, I melt the end of the pin with a blow torch. It will form a ball which can easily be polished and you will have a new head pin. Two for the price of one!


Another way that I am trying to keep my workspace tidy while still trying to eliminate wastefulness is to reuse old plastic seal able bags. If you are a beader you know that when you place an order on line all of your items come in individual bags. I peel the sticker off each bag, which I then transfer to the new bead vials, and reuse the bags in these ways:
1. place larger items in them that need to be protected from scratching such as the items above
2. deliver jewelry to my customers in them
3. use them to protect my personal collection of jewelry
4. separate paper clips, rubber bands, etc.
5. put my makeup in the larger bags when I am traveling

I would love to hear what other people do to organize their supplies, and eliminate waste in their workspace. My organizing is still a work in progress, and in an attempt to live more "green" I will be looking for other ways to reuse items in the studio. Happy organizing everyone!

Envy and Wrath

This week's topic for Friday April 27th: sin #6: ENVY!
What do you desire that you are lacking and someone else has? If you could have it would you really want it or is it just a notion? How come you want to have it? What can you do to still that desire so that there is no need to be envious of any thing or anybody?

A favorite photo from Flickr

Hello to all of you Studio Friday bloggers. I missed last week's topic because I just plain forgot, so here are this and last weeks topics.

One of the biggest things that I have wanted for a long time is to live in a city with a happening cultural and arts scene. Living in a small town has its advantages, but I sometimes feel like I'm missing out on the life that I always saw for myself. I'd also like to have a circle of friends who are active in the art scene whom I can hang out with to mutually help and inspire one another. You are who you hang with, and I want to know inspired, pro-active people, but enough of this self pity! Instead of focusing on what I don't have, I'm choosing to focus on the positive things in my life, and there are so, so many.

Another favorite from Flickr

Studio Friday topic #5 WRATH!
As far as anger in the workspace, it's only happened once since I've been in the little pink studio. This necklace that I was working on had it in for me, see. So, after messing with it for about an hour, I'd had it. I let out a stifled scream through gritted teeth, and WHAM! pounded my fists on the table and succumbed to having an all out, pitiful hissy fit. Beads flew off the bead board, and the dogs backed away slowly. That succinctly sums up anger in my work space. That's it, folks. Now, I'll leave you with something I made in the little studio. Happy Friday!

Yvette Designs earrings

Studio Friday: Sloth

How do you fail to utilize your gift and talents? How do you feel at those moments? Are you unwilling to act? Is it that you are afraid? What is really going on? How can a few simple steps change you? What do you need for that happen?


For years I have failed to utilize my drawing ability. I was born with this talent for a reason, and I used to truly love it. I'm not sure if I ever consciously knew what I was supposed to do with this gift. I do know that it was not laziness that killed my love of drawing and painting.

I started drawing when I was 4 and eventually, all of the doodling paid off when I was accepted into talented art my freshman year in high school. Every year I entered competitions. I so badly wanted to win the top prize which I believed would validate my whole reason for being an artist. I won a ribbon in mostly every competition I entered, but never the top prize. Finally, the last competition of my high school experience, the end of Senior year, I won Best in Show.

See, all the years that I spent entering competitions, I was focusing more on how the work would be received than how much joy it brought me. Surrounded by great artists, I always felt beneath them in my level of skill. I always felt this pressure to be the best, and to outdo everyone. Now, I realize that comparing yourself to others is quite an unhealthy thing. I just want to find joy in the creative process again. Still, I haven't found the energy and the flow that I once had. I'm working up to it by way of my interest in mixed media, and more inspired jewelry design. Maybe someday, I'll feel free to create like I did when I was a child.

Studio Friday: Greed

Part III of the new SF mini series looked at from an artist's perspective in a different angle and light: "The Seven Deadly Sins"

This is an ugly one as well....uuuuh! What is it you are greedy about or feel greedy about? Is it material or is it a behavior? Are you greedy for emotions? Do you hoard? How do you want to change for the better? It can be small steps or do you rather take a big step to change?

Hello everyone, my name is Monica, (Insert: Hello Monica) and I have a problem with buying hundreds of dollars worth of findings and beads. I use them all in two days, and am immediately drawn to the computer to buy more.

I must ask myself, where is the logical business woman here? I have to break even at some point, and making a profit would be good too, but I can't help it. I go to my supplier's web sites, see all the cute new stuff, and just have to get my hands on it. What you see above is my new shipment, happily received today. I'm like a little kid with a cookie when I get that impatiently awaited package. Can you see me jumping up and down? No? Well, hand me a package full of supplies and I'm doing it.

I'm planning on rectifying this greediness of mine by putting down the credit card. I will not spend another cent on beads, that is, unless I absolutely need to, or until my merchandise needs replenishing. Whew! This is gonna be tough.

Design and Organize

My weekend started just the way I'd hoped it would. I finally received my package of jewelry supplies in the mail, tore it open, and in it was a PMC, Precious Metal Clay, starter kit. Yay! I have a torch now!...and a mandrel, firing block, and other nifty supplies. I had ordered four loose Topaz stones, and they came all wrapped up the way diamonds come to my jeweler mentor at his store. I feel all official, suddenly.

Also, I now have a small, but complete set of display items to put Yvette Designs in the jewelry store. It took me a while to piece it all together, but it looks great! I even made a very pro looking sign for the case.


The other thing that made this weekend worth while was the fact that I actually got around to organizing my studio closet. It's gleaming now, shining like a diamond, almost as pretty, but much more functional. Aside: (Nevertheless, this by no means gets you off the hook, Trey. I still want diamonds.)

Oh, let me not forget to mention the photo above. I had that pendant tacked to my inspiration board in the studio, and finally, I found the color scheme to suit it. Some of the colors in the magazine clipping related to the pendant, so I paired the other dominant colors of the picture with the pendant, and it turned out much to my liking.

Studio Friday: Gluttony

Sin #2: GLUTTONY!
What do you overindulge in during your days in your studio while creating? Food or drink? How bad is it and how bad is it for you? How are you planning on changing it?

We are all in this together, it seems. Coffee! is my overindulgence, oh, and black tea. I have a buffet of teas, and I strictly adhere to the Twinings of London brand. Supposedly, it's good for you in small quantities, but like anything done in excess, it's bad for you. I don't plan on quitting my habit. I'm not addicted. I swear! However, I do try to keep my intake down to at least 3 cups a day.

Today, while happily indulging in my deadly sin, I have worked in the studio to post more Yvette Designs eye candy to my Etsy store. Check it out y'all! More to come soon.

Silver and Other Stuff

Finally! I have begun using sterling silver findings to make my jewelry. Of course, with the higher cost of findings comes higher priced items. However, you can be sure that with the proper care, your Yvette Designed adornment will last for a very, very long time.

Another bit of exciting news is that Yvette Designs will soon be displayed in Pearson Jewelers, located at 206 Bell Ln. in West Monroe! As soon as my displays come in the mail, you will be able to shop there for always one of a kind items. Come on Mr. Mailman. Hurry, hurry!


Next, take a look at the new studio art that I put together today for under $25.00! Using a mat, I cropped and framed glossy vintage poster prints from my old 2006 calender. Now that I've recycled something, I'm feeling very thrifty indeed. Hmm... what else can I reuse around here?

Studio Friday: Lust

What do you desire? What feeds your passion and excessive love? Do you listen to your heart's desires or not? What happens if you do, what happens if you don't?

There are so many things that I desire, like to always surround myself with beautiful things, to travel through Europe, and to never lose my youthful spirit. However, the thing that trumps all of these desires is my need to be and to feel successful. A lady recently told me, "But you are successful!" She is so sweet, always pointing out the positive, but to me, whatever I have done is not enough. I know that to be successful, one has to first define what it means to them. So, I'll get out my pencil and journal, add to and amend.


The thing that fuels my passion for jewelry arts is all of the color and beauty in the world. I have a broad definition of art, and all forms of it is inspiring to me. Above is a photo of my inspiration board where I have tacked up a few pendants that I haven't known what to do with. I began cutting my favorite images from old magazines, and posted them where I thought they were most visually appealing. Wouldn't you know it, but that has really helped me to find direction for these little pendants!

If I were to not follow my heart and my dreams, I believe that when I am old and gray I will wonder why I wasted my youthful passion and energy. I only have one life, one chance to make the most of it, and I intend to live it like it were the best dream I ever had!

Tiny Plans

I have been obsessed for the past few days over the thought of a tiny cottage like workshop in the back yard. A few days ago, I found the perfect web site, then promptly forgot how I got there, and most importantly what the URL was. I searched for it for at least an hour using all of the key words I could think of. No luck, but I did find this extremely odd specimen (above). It turns out that this strange dream of a house is in Eureka Springs, Ark., just a stones throw away from my neck of the woods. Isn't that so country of me to say?

Since I am having such a tough time finding any cute little cottage workshop plans, I guess I'll just have to design it myself. As it turns out, my Mom, who happens to be my next door neighbor, has been dreaming of her own little cottage at the foot of the yard. Her idea is to have a jacuzzi with a path straight to the little spa house of her dreams. Lucky for me, she invited me to share in the experience. We will be working on combining our dreams to make a space that is suitable for both of us. We are both very excited about our plans. I am especially because I get to make all the decorating decisions. Yippee!

If any of you have any idea where to find cute little workshop plans on the net or otherwise, please let me know.

Fragile!

This Weeks Studio Friday Topic: Fragile
What is the most fragile in your studio? What makes it so fragile? What would you do without it and where do you keep it so it is safe and won't break?



I have a small collection of bottles that I keep in my little wooden apothecary style cabinet. Most of the bottles have a story behind them. My hubby, Trey, is a metal detecting geek who decided one day to dig up our back yard in search of hidden treasure. We live in the most historic part of the twin cities where the first settlers made their camps on the banks of the Ouchita River, (pronounced Wash-it-ah). What he found was not as old as we'd anticipated, but dated back to the 1930's and 1950's.

There was once an old house on the land where we built our new home. Back in "the old days" people dug holes in the ground where they would throw their trash, and would eventually burn it as the hole filled up. It was from one of these trash pits that Trey unearthed three perfect bottles. One, a large glass Purex bleach bottle still with liquid bleach inside! The other, a small cobalt blue Bromo Seltzer bottle, and the other appears to be a root beer bottle. It was so exciting to see each impeccable bottle as it was pulled from the ground.

Other fragile treasures I keep in, or on the cabinet are delicate shells that remind me of Florida where I used to live, and a ceramic vase that I made in art school. The vase is very imperfect, like so many things I find beautiful, and that's the quality that I seem to like most about it.

Let's Face It!

...whatever 'it' is. What have you been procrastinating about and dragging your heels to do? Does it concern your studio space like tidying up maybe or rearranging your desk or painting those walls in that wonderful new colour? Maybe you need to face something else like that awesome idea that has you sleepless at night because your inner critic has you chickening out planting doubts in your head? Or maybe it is a whole lot of unfinished projects, a letter that needs to be sent, that tool needs buying?

This is a great topic for me because there are a lot of things in and about my studio that have been neglected. As you can see, I have unfinished paintings, a journal that I have almost completely forgotten about, Yvette Designs jewelry that needs to be priced and/or restrung, projects that have left me wondering, "What does this piece need?". Once I hit that brick wall, I move on to other projects that I'm inspired and excited about. Then, as the months pass, I begin to see an accumulation of unfinished and seemingly unloved artwork. These things could be really great if I could just get motivated and inspired to get back to work on them.

If you are like me in this respect, I suggest that we as individuals designate an unfinished projects day. Prepare your studio for this day by cleaning, and organizing your desk and by gathering the materials that you will need. This will keep your stack of projects from seeming overwhelming. This shouldn't be a chore, it should be fun! Create a pleasing atmosphere for yourself, whatever you deem that to be. I will choose to light my best smelling candle, have a stack of my favorite CD's on hand, let the light stream in, and sit comfortably at my desk in my pajama pants. Better yet, I just may make a mix CD of the music that inspires me most, just for this day! Then, many months from now, when another unfinished projects day rolls around, I'll have just the muse to set the tone.

I'm so excited to get back to work on these things. Once they are complete, I believe that it will lighten the feeling of the room. Thanks Studio Friday!