Brushed with Magic - Functional art for the goddess within

ARt Studio

Some updated pictures of my rather messy studio. UGH!
I think I need to organize….

Hope you are having a great week.

To view larger images of the photos, just click on them with your mouse.

Keep smiling and creating!

Nicci

Art Car by Jim Cummins

will write more later tonight

What a week!
Tuesday I had a talk with my Mom about what to do to prepare myself for getting a job when my son goes to school full time. It’s more like a back up plan in case the art sales peter off.
It sucked me right down to almost the bottom of the barrel. It was like I was immediately encased in the bubble of … I guess I would call it ‘dread’. It was not like I had given up or been labeled as a failure. It was more like I had not gotten as far as I really have with my art and the old school ‘reality’ = ‘get a real job’ mentality was pushing at me from all sides and for a moment (24 hours) I forgot who I really was. That night I thought it had been put out of my mind, but then I awoke to …
Wednesday. I woke up with the idea engraved in my brain that I had to search out all local schools and possible interesting courses that I could find. I searched out Event Planner, Pastry Artist, which after a few hours brought me to Fine Arts. I was getting stressed. I was obsessed with looking into all of these options (since I can apply for Gov’t funding before my son turns 5 and my time is starting to run out).
I found myself getting frustrated at my son’s interruptions, not realizing that he wanted my attention because I had hardly given him any all day.
The Fine Arts lead brought me to thinking that if I try and get funding to pay for that it would help prepare me for becoming a quality Tattoo Artist (my Mom is probably cringing right now). Art… realization…. What the He** am I doing???? I am an Artist! … and I love my son! That is why I stayed home from a 9-5 job in the first place. I scraped the encasing sludge off of me, turned off the computer and went and played with my fabulously wonderful little boy.

Thursday, on our way out to Fort Langley my Mom says that I really need to check out this great shop that my Sister in Law told me about. So we make a detour in Cloverdale. We walk into the lovely store and started to look around. The shop owner comes over to say ‘Hi’ and pretty much before I could say anything else she comments on my necklace and asks where I got it.
I advise her that I made it and that it is my art work underneath the glass. Within a matter of minutes we have negotiated a commissioned sale of 20 necklaces and she cuts me a cheque for the deposit. YEAH! The shop is called ‘Teapots and Teddybears‘ located at 18408 – 64th Avenue, Surrey. Please make a point of stopping in, taking a look and saying hi to Rachel the owner. My Girlz Art Jewelry should be in there in 3-4 weeks on display. NOTE: They will have black cord instead of the ball chain shown in this picture.

It just goes to show that when we start to even think about making a different choice at that fork in the road, you will most likely be bumped back into the direction you should be going… sometimes the bumps even come from a intuative 4 year old that loves you.

As of tomorrow, I will have officially been wearing this necklace in and around town for a week. I get stopped at least a few times every day with people commenting, which leads them to asking how they can buy one. My last lovely compliment was from Kelly at the Evergreen BC Liqour Store this afternoon. Thanks Kelly.

I believe I am going down the path that is meant for me.

Have a lovely Saturday night.
Nicci

Experimenting with Solder and Swarovski Crystals…

I am really happy with my new art pendants and received many compliments on the one I have been wearing for the past few days. In fact, on Friday night I headed into Vancouver and had a wonderful time at the I Braineater (aka Jim Cummins) art show. I ran out of the business cards I had brought with me, which wasn’t many, as I was in the mind set that I was going to see Jim’s work and not that people would be asking for my card.
I am still suffering from a bit of an Art Show Hangover. I absolutely fell in love with one of his art pieces and ended up buying it. I thought it looked 6′ wide, which is definitely big.
Just before I left to head home to South Surrey (almost an hour away), I asked Jim… “So Jim, how wide is that piece?”. He then told me it is 8′ wide, not 6′.
I woke up the next morning thinking I bought an art piece that is how big????? Ha ha, at least I have a couple walls in the house that are big enough. My hubby hasn’t seen it yet, as Jim will be delivering it this week for me. Ooooh, it is so cool. Once it is here and up on my wall I will post a picture for you all to see.

It is like Jim’s version of Penelope Pitstop, but she is driving a old fashioned roadster with flames up the side. Absolutely FABULOUS and Funky!!!

Back to my pendants….
Yesterday I was heading out to another event and thought…. “I wonder how my pendant would look with Swarovski crystals on it?”. I proceeded to hunt for the crystals in my supply cabinet and then my jewelry glue. What you see in these photos is the outcome, but trust me the photos do not do them justice. You should see them in the light or especially in the sunlight. Wowzer! ha ha.

A Trip Into The CITY…..

Yesterday we took my son into the city for a few hours. He has already had a few ventures into Vancouver already, but this is the first time he got to take a ride on the Sky Train.

He thought that was pretty cool and said that he would like to ride on it everyday. It didn’t seem to matter that I told him I used to ride it everyday to work and the fun of it goes away. He just didn’t seem to believe me. Oh, the wonders and bliss of youth.

He quite liked it when we went for a walk down popular Robson Street and made a stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop.

Once he saw all the varieties of candied apples, he really wanted to go inside and take a look.
We bought him this yummy apple and I bought my favorite, the large dark chocolate peanut butter cup. Oooooh, it is pure heaven (I had another word for it, but I thought this one better for my blog. LOL).

On the creative note… here is a photo of three more girls for pendants, which are at the printers right now and should be ready any minute for me to pick them up.

However, I re-dyed my hair last night (black and blonde) and I still need to get the pink in there, so I had better leave you and get that colour in asap.
The sun is shining and I don’t want to miss any minute of it dying my hair (ha ha).

Keep creating an smiling,
Nicci