A little catch up—
Happy summer. I hope the world is being good to you, despite the chaos, oddness, and tumult.
As you have probably noticed, I stepped away from social media a little while ago, and this has been a very big change. I have been posting on there for the better part of the last five years, keeping everyone updated almost daily on the art I am working on, or pieces of what I writing, or photographing, and it has been a fun journey for the most part. It has also been quite the vacuum of energy, in many facets, whose scope I did not realize until my hiatus this time.
Moving forward, I will be still be posting on Instagram & Facebook, but the frequency will change. The majority of my time will be spent without it, and then I will peer out of my cave several times each year to post and catch up, and offer what I have been making. A true mountain dwelling, jewelry forging, elusive dwarf creature from the Northern myths, I suppose! I hope this suits you. I will make it so that you are able to acquire jewels, knitted wares, sewn treasures, et cetera before winter holidays, and in the beginning of each season. That is how I see this evolving for the next year or so. And, if we are ever able to attend markets and festivals again, I will certainly be at those.
I think it will be exciting this way—for me, for you. There’s something about wondering what someone is up to, and then being able to explore a whole bunch of their new work. Some artists are starting to do online virtual shows, and this is something I’ve been pondering on, as well. Maybe it would be fun to have an evening where I set up a space online and you are welcome to come see what I have; it’s a bit of an odd thing, as opposed to an actual opening at a gallery, but I am warming up to the idea. We shall see. We have to flow with what the world is offering to us, and get on a boat that is apt to sail in winds where we would like to go—that’s how I look at it.
So, sign up for my mailing list if you haven’t, I will be sending updates there as well. It is so easy to miss a post on social media, as that is the way (t)here.
hard at work
I am deep in the jewelry collection that has been keeping me inspired through spring and now into summer. I haven’t decided when I will release it, it may be next spring as that’s the season that feels right for these. They were going to accompany me to market this year, but then the world ended (momentarily, I do hope). It is mostly beaded pieces—earrings, bracelets, and necklaces and I can’t wait to unveil them! They are waiting patiently… I want to share the name of the collection, and the meaning behind it all so much, but it must wait!
I am busy planning my fall + winter projects, because those feelings are always around me. I am gathering wool to knit two coats, and I am so very excited to pick up the knitting needles again. I will definitely be putting hats and mittens in my shop this winter, as I designed patterns for those this past season. Eventually, coats and sweaters will be items I create for others, too. Designing those is a bit more work, and one of my coats will be just that: an original design that I can then make for others! I tend to plan way ahead, creatively, and my hands have to catch up.
I am going to be making my first quilt, that is the new thing I am going to embark upon creatively later this year. I am designing it now, selecting fabrics, and learning. It will be full of soft wintery blues, purples, snow white, watercolor batik fabrics, some midnight northern light hues, and the animals I dream of in that time. I love to see the entire thing in my head as I do right now, and then uncover the steps and materials I need to make it so. A dreaming quilt. Another thing I want to make for others, eventually. Magic~
And a jewelry collection! I had an incredible long dream of an earth spirit taking me on a walk around Iceland. He showed me two ways of being—enchantment, or disenchantment, and what awaits in both. The former required an absolute faith and steadfast work in the path I am walking. The latter, a much easier and mundane path, would be otherwise. I woke up that morning and cleaned my entire smithing studio until even my tweezers were gleaming. I have no doubt that being was watching me, tapping his foot, saying Get to work. So I will be back to forging silver pieces with most of my time when the weather turns cool. I have already made a few pendants to get that energy moving. I could write so much about all of that, but this has gotten quite long. I will save it for a later post.
I hope you stay well, and float on okay.
Blessings,
Christi