So, I have a fancy new web banner and I've updated my main site (www.charmingsam.com) for what I hope is a decent holiday season.

The image here is new and called "Up Once, Twice Late". I have no idea why I named it that but it seemed to fit. It is a mixed media collage with everything from acrylics, marker, oil pastels, water color and some other stuff I can't remember now. I'm happy with how it turned out and have a bunch more in process. It's suppose to start raining tomorrow so I'm hoping to get some more art done this weeknd. I like to paint in the rain.

Over the last six weeks I'm been quietly finding my artistic self. I still haven't really found it but I am getting closer. One thing I love to do is art work based on travel. Many of my first paintings were done around Paris, London, Mumbai, Italy, etc. I love researching a geography and culture than putting it to paint. I also want to bring that to my jewelry. I'm exploring some unique and interesting ways to bring my paintings to my jewelry. I'm still figuring this out.

In the meantime I've designed and finished some recycled sterling silver travel jewelry. The silver is harvested from old computer mother boards and then melted and reused. Today I had a chance to upload my first earring designs including the quirky pair of "restroom" earrings shown in this post. The international symbol that everyone knows!!! Makes me smile. More "sophisticated" necklaces and bracelets will be coming. I have them finished and photographed but need to write descriptions and upload to my store.

On October 2nd, Denise Clenney was kind enough to tag me to share six secrets about myself. Today is the 21st of October. That would be 19 days since she tagged me and I am just getting to read and comprehend her email. My head has been engrossed in work and politics. Yes, politics. We need a revolution of sorts. Something along the lines of the French Revolution. I'll go in to that another day. In the meantime I've been tagged to share six secrets PLUS I get to tag six other bloggers who I'd like to know more about.

*Note: I like to have graphics in all my posts so the pic to the left is a new collage sheet I made of ATC/ACEO backgrounds. Available HERE.

My secrets:

1) I cannot be held responsible for my actions when a box of Lucky Charm cereal is in the house.

2) Math is a four letter word. Even with a calculator I am challenged. I took remedial math (not even algebra) all through high school just to graduate because I couldn't pass the ONE semester of algebra.

3) Before I was an artist I was in the hi-tech world. Software. Strangely enough I was a CEO of an Internet company called YourSafety.com. Then the dot com BOMB hit and well...the rest is history. Now I am an artist and oh, so much happier.

4) I grew up in Idaho. Yes, the place where potatos come from.

5) I spent 6 years living in Hawaii from the age of 19 to 25. It was fun. I did not go to college the first three years. I spent a lot of time getting fired from jobs and laying on the beach.

O.k., those are five secrets. I don't know if they are really secrets or just things you probably wouldn't know about me unless you really knew me.

Now for the five people I'd like to know more about. Secrets or otherwise. Consider yourself "tagged".

1) Jul @ HeArt Collective - http://heartcollective.blogspot.com/

2) Andrea & Christina @ Scrap Lovers at a Work of Heart - http://slatawoh.wordpress.com/

3) Deryn Mentock @ Something Sublime - http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

4) Sharon @ Manamoon - http://manamoon-studios.blogspot.com/

5) Christine Mason Miller - http://www.christinemasonmiller.com/

Bwah-ha-ha!

I have a really fun show coming up on Thursday evening and is called Appel & Frank, Eco-Chic Shopping Event. A great eco friendly event with all eco type designers. So, you say "how is Charming Sam Studios part of this event?" I am happy to announce that I have a new line of recycled sterling silver jewelry. Yeah!!

Here is a little pic of the pieces I finished yesterday using the recycled silver.

Come out and see me at either event. If you haven't bought from me before mention this blog post and I'll have a surprise for you. AND, if you have bought from me before be sure to say so and get your discount!

Cheers! Amy

Another weekend exploring my creative self. This time at a Soul Collage class. If you haven't heard of Soul Collage I encourage you to take a look at the website http://www.soulcollage.com/home/index.php .

In short it is a wonderful get together of creative minds who want to explore their inner self through art. My instructor had an ENORMOUS amount of images from magazines, books, periodicals, etc., etc. for us to choose from. We were all so excited just to pull images freely that we loved and create our own little stacks. The mission was to find images that spoke to us. Don't question why or what just go with it. I seemed to be drawn to birds. I actually have been drawn to birds for the last year or two but really don't want to include them in my art work. It just doesn't feel like my 'thing'. But for this exercise I was free to choose whatever I found.

Once we got our images cut, torn and clipped out we were instructed to create as many cards as we wanted in the time allotted. Again, don't worry about if what you were creating was a masterpiece but focus on how you felt about the images and put together images you felt went together. Again, don't ask why...just go with it. So that is what I did. I ended up with 4 cards at the end of the day and I am so attracted to each card and find them very interesting. Two cards have white stallion horses and two cards have birds. Go figure.

After this we all did a reading of our individual cards. Here is where you'll have to experience this deeply moving class yourself. I can only say it was wonderful, emotional and relaxing and tiring all rolled in to one big blob. LOL!

I've included a photo of my first card I created. This is my birds. The "I want to fly" card. My deep want for my art to reach a broader audience and to "fly".

If you aren't in an area where you can take a class I'd encourage you to get the book and maybe get some friends together to clip and paste.

Cheers!

A week ago today I was holed up in a conference room at the Embassy Suites in Portland Oregon. The floors were covered in plastic and there were about a dozen other kindred artists hanging on the every word and demonstration from our instructor and artist extraordinaire, Tracy Bautista. If you are a mixed media or collage artist or even someone who just loves papers than get yourself to the local book store and pick up Traci's book OR if you can find one of her classes near you I highly recommend attending. You may look at her style and think, "not for me". Not true. Her techniques can be applied to your unique style and what you'll find is a wonderful new sense of experimentation in your work.

As part of my new found experimentation I am also reflecting on my own work and things I gravitate to again and again in my work. Travel, flowers, written words, maps, buttons, texture, etc. This got me to thinking about brainstorming some words that may or may not be used in future work. Basically the following list is what came out....uncensored. I just wrote whatever came to my mind.

Paris

Sam

Twisted Straight

I'm Tired of Pretty

Sworn Secrecy

Change Something, Change Anything

Embrace the mistakes

Feel Forward

I'm not afraid of the dark

Figuratively Speaking

Dance Once

Dance Along

First try only

Up from Down

Old Soul

Happiness Kicks

She doesn't get it

Over the top

Moon to Cassiopeia

bon fete'

Then I had to stop because it was time to put Sam to sleep. Interesting list. I hope some psychiatrist doesn't read it and come up with the conclusion I am crazy. Although I've heard on many occasions that you have to be a bit crazy to be an artist. Not sure if that is true or not.

I encourage you to brainstorm like this. You might find some interesting inspiration.

Cheers!

Amy

PS - Inspirational books worth checking out

Christine Mason Miller - Learn & Buy HERE

Kelly Rae Roberts - Learn & Buy HERE

I spent part of last week re-energizing my artsy batteries at Art & Soul in Portland. Here are a few things I'm working on that are new and I think really fun. More of the colors I like to work with and if you can guess the material used in the top two I'll send you a pair of pretty earrings. First person who guesses right only (please)! :-)

These will make new journal pages and artist papers. I also made a decision to kill some of my existing paper products such as the vintage prints, vintage papers and bits & pieces. Look for a sale in the next few days!!

I've also been reading the new book from Kelly Rae Roberts called Taking Flight. She has contributing artists in the book including Christine Mason Miller and I've found the book very inspirational. I really love it and have carried it just about everywhere with me since I bought it last week.

Anitra of Anitra's Cute Art World with her submission of Beauty's Lot.

Thank you to everyone for tthe HUGE turn out of votes and supporting all these wonderful artists.

Anitra's Prize?

*$75 Gift Certificate from Charming Sam - http://www.charmingsam.com/
* A beautiful periwinkle angel with harp stained glass window ornament from Laurie Beth Beggin at Through A Looking Glass a $60 value!
* 3 months of free side bar advertising at http://marmaladepink.ning.com/ for her store, website or blog (ad size 120x240) a $30 value!

Congratulations to Anitra! Thanks everyone for voting and thank you again to all the wonderful artists!!