Third Year Anniversary

Midnight Garden, 2007

It's my third year anniversary working with metal clay. Well, technically, I fired my first piece (the ring with the little rice-shaped bits inside in the above necklace) about three years and a week ago, but I finished this necklace on May 31, 2007, so I feel it's close enough. I always take a moment to reflect on the year's work. First, I wonder why I haven't made more progress than I have. (Don't you wish there were an extra five hours in the day? Or maybe that you had an extra set of hands? Me too.) Of course, inevitably, while I'm brooding the Short One comes up to me and says something like "Mommy, you're getting really old, aren't you?" and snaps me out of it.

Also, I actually have tried a few new things. I work on my own, more due to circumstance than design, so progress is pretty slow for me. Last year, I sat down, thought about it and decided what I really enjoyed doing was making the big showcase pieces, pieces that ideally stretch me a little creatively and technically. So I ended up narrowing my focus and spent the bulk of my available time making contest pieces this year. I'll be able to discuss several of these pieces in just a week or two, as judging will be over shortly. I can't wait! Now if only the price of silver would descend from the stratosphere...

Mostly, though, I think about what a great field this is and how boring my life must have been like before I had this creative outlet - sort of like before the Short One arrived in my life but less noisy (the metal clay doesn't constantly complain about what a bad job I'm doing and ask for more ice cream). Really, bead-making and beading are so satisfying that way, don't you think? Let's hear it for the power of the bead. (Oh, and another great year of working with metal clay, of course.)

Thanks for visiting.