Craft Fair & Car Show

I am an active member of the Coastal Carolina Artist & Crafters (CCAC) guild, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. If you are in the area of 421 Court Street, we are having the annual Spring Craft Fair & Car Show in downtown Jacksonville at the historic River Walk Park. From 9:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. Club Creative Studio would love to see you and we welcome your interest!

We are celebrating the arts and the 275th Birthday of Onslow County.

It is free event to attend and admire and purchase from over 35 artists represented. There will be a special area for the children and food is provided by the area Onslow Shriners organization. Portion of the proceeds benefit the Shriners. Day long raffle from CCAC guild member's contributions. Car show trophies awarded at 2:00 P.M. Scavenger hunt for you to participate in, painted umbrella contest public display, birthday cake cutting ceremony and cake served at 3:00 P.M. while supplies last, umbrella winner announcements. made at that time as well. Scavenger Hunt winner announced at 3:30 P.M. Hope to see you there!

Motivation from the Mountains

Everything around you and any place you go can serve as a source for creativity. The Club Creative Studio artists strive to be aware and open to their surroundings and the creative possibilities that can come out of a seemingly "ordinary day".

Aspects that can make the world a better place, are right in front of you. Start by being aware of the next sight that inspires you to be creative. It is your creativity that will make the world a better place! A recent visit to a local shop filled with prom gowns for example, was an overwhelming yet satisfying few hours of gathering mental visions of color combinations both popular and unexpected. I was inspired by the prints and sequins, and thought those ideas would make beautiful beads. An upcoming trip to the mountain regions of western North Carolina will serve as inspiration for me as well. I plan to take many photos and incorporate the colors that I notice there, into Club Creative Studio's upcoming beads. I hope to be motivated by the mountains.

I hope the mountains are further inspiration for me to incorporate a bit of natural or raw look to some future beads. Usually, I love creating using bright and bold color combinations. The "back-to-nature" ruggedness will become yet another different style offered to chose from.

The color combinations found in Club Creative Studio beads are not mixed by accident. They are deliberate reflections of inspirations drawn from my surroundings on a daily basis. I will share upcoming examples on how the gown shop and the mountains directly influenced how a series of beads turned out. It may further illustrate how the motivation went from a molehill to a mountain and the final product will reflect the sights and surroundings I experienced.

To be continued...
-Club Creative Studio

Hand-made with Heart-strings

Hand-made items contain heart, soul, and emotion from the artist. Those qualities could be reflected in your reasons why you are drawn to hand-made art items as well. Club Creative Studio invests time and talent into the creation of hand-crafted beads. Insuring that an item is created with care and originality is a proud point in knowing that item is truly unique. It is one reason why persons prefer to purchase handmade items. It is the main reason why we say that our beads are works of Art That Set You Apart.

When you find an item that is hand-made, you should automatically realize that someone has dedicated their creative energy and time into the final product. Some may assume that because a person has "creative talent" it is easy for them to whip something up quickly and not spend time on a plan for the outcome. For me, the plan may be in my mind already but, it may have been inspired directly from something preplanned like a sketch, a prototype sample item or even something designed that did not work out well for some reason. A plan is involved.

The new item line that will be announced soon, has been in my mind for the market for almost a year. The inspiration was to find a functional and fun way to display Club Creative Studio beads...and this is it! This product will have combined heart-strings as it includes the artistic endeavors of another profession. This item will become a reusable keepsake as well. Continue to check this blog site and the Club Creative Studio fan page for more hints and information about this new item. I continue to be excited for the debut and the launch of a very creative and eye-catching item to enhance your home.

-Club Creative Studio

NEW PRODUCT LINE ANNOUNCED SOON!

I am extremely thrilled to announce a new item in our product line. It is a unique, creative and functional item that incorporates Club Creative Studio's hand-rolled clay beads. Hint: It is NOT jewelry.

It will be available very soon, in an exclusive shop. Keep checking the Club Creative Studio fan page, the Club Creative Studio blog and a "special feature" section on the Club Creative Studio website.

New Items to the Club Creative Studio Website

Visit the Club Creative Studio online store often, you will see two photos of each item posted.

http://www.clubcreativestudio.com/

Offering several items, updated often with new designs available.

My Imagination Station

Inspired by the goal of "Being Creative Everyday", Club Creative Studio completes the challenge on a daily basis, without fail. The work space may be small but, the production and demand is growing. It is a continued thrill to create everyday!

There are a variety of steps in designing jewelry. Because many of Club Creative Studio beads are also hand-made, there are additional stages of creation to consider. Making just one bead may take twenty or more minutes depending on the technique used. Time well spent. It is why we say that Club Creative Studio Art Sets You Apart!

My creative work space is not limited to four walls and a table. Sometimes, I need to be outdoors. Sometimes, I work while I travel in the car on the computer. Sometimes, I work while I sleep... dreaming of color combinations or designs! All of those methods are constructive.

The starting point of creation is IMAGINATION. It is the stem of what is rooted in technique and our distinct styles. Completed beads, environmental surrounding, visuals from stores, inspirational photos, art magazine articles, online research or plain old "people watching" may also dictate where the next starting point will be in creating a piece of wearable art. Not everything has to come from an natural talent or skill. Sometimes well thought out plans work best to organize the outcome or specific look of a piece. Both need to be interchangeable aspects. It is important to balance the effective use of creativity and work in a productive space. My "imagination station" has had to become a flexible studio to accommodate the places I go and the space that I need to utilize my creative outlets. So, in a way...my imagination takes me where I need to go. And, it is a welcome surprise to stumble across a new destination by way of my imagination station!

Spring fever, fresh colors and bright beginnings.

I am taking the gentle turn into the season by adding lighter shades into the clays, in an attempt to welcome spring. I hope to mimic the color combinations around me. My outdoor adventures help me take note of the color changes. By admiring the budding trees and taking notice of the trends, you will see fresh and lighter color combinations all around you.

I will be making a special point to add white clay to my color mixing so that the pastel shades emerge. Some of the colors you can look forward to are happily "accidental". I do not measure or mix colors in bulk. I just add a pinch here and here until the result is pleasing and cohesive with another tint. I other words, with my hand-mixing...there is no set recipe, the tints are made by having the confidence in mixing without ending up with "mud". Some colors that I plan to incorporate already have assigned names because of their inspirations. Among those named are: sea foam, sand, gull cream, azalea pink, lily pad and Augusta green, coral, furn gully, spring rain, blue grass, mum fest, asiatics, rose petals, daffodil, and blue bird.

It may be billed as a time for new beginnings but, that doesn't mean that you need to abandon those darker colors that you may like or are drawn to wear. If you label yourself as being an "autumn" person for example...you may like knowing that those gem tones look great on you. However, you might be wondering if you should take those colors into spring. Fashion is funny, personal and trendy at times. It may depend on your clothing choices and it may depend on your moods. It may also depend on your activities. The carefree days of summer, for example tend to call for a simple look or theme for the day. Club Creative Studio creates one-of-a-kind, hand-torched Italian glass beads on a simple cord that lend to this non-complex fashion feel and look. You can mix it up in the evenings, wearing something more substantial or with a piece with a specific theme like nautical or floral. The trends turn from colors to textures of the season as well. Sometimes, a highlighted stone or rock, a simple chain or knot, or a faucet cut crystal gives a different outlook of simplicity around your neck, wrist, or a dangle in earrings. If you want to follow trends, just "window shop" and see what is predicted or out there now. This doesn't mean that you have to follow those trends. If anything, you will know what to work against, right?

Whatever your style, personality, or personal taste dictates...that is what you like...that is what you buy...that is what you wear.

Creative Ideas from your own "Artist Eyes"

If you are looking to be inspired by art or just want to see it more readily... try to look around you with an "artist's eye". Let me elaborate:

I went into a local quilt shop to pass time as I waited for someone else in a hair salon nearby. I was warmly greeted by the quilt shop owner and because they were busy, I was also left to have browse time without interruptions. It was great to look around freely at all of the vibrant fabrics. There was such variety in bright and vivid colors and patterns. Many prints reminded me of the beads that I already create but, I was inspired by different color combinations. Time passed by and I had apparently been in the quilt store for about twenty minutes. By this time, the crowd had died down and the owner had time to approach me. She asked me if I was a quilter. I replied "No, I do not even sew." To her surprise, I should not have even had that much interest in looking around, let alone stay for the amount of time I had. I explained that I was an artist merely admiring the prints and patterns, she then understood that my focus was going to be an appreciation of the store's visual merchandise. I did end up buying some items though.

What would I buy at a quilt shop if I am not a quilter? The items that I did purchase were items for quilter's needs specifically but, I saw them in a different light. I saw the items with an "artist's eye". The buttons there, I saw as potential beads and connector shapes in my jewelry. The pattern for a purse, I saw as another way to incorporate my beads into the handle of a finished project. Within the mini wall hanging display, I imagined it being a great backdrop for a jewelry display with a beaded hanging string. There were other ideas that flowed into and out of my mind, so the notebook that I keep in the car was useful when I left the store. I'd store those ideas for later use.

When you are looking around, try to think of other ways that you can use your jewelry in a different manner. Why hide your necklaces in a jewelry box? We hang our earrings on a screen window hung on the wall. The screen holes are perfect to keep the earrings with their match. They are on display like a framed piece of art. We also hang glass necklaces around a lamp shade and the colors "light up" when the shade is lit. Bracelets and necklaces are on hooks and wooden plaques as well as on behind-the-door clothing hooks so that the art can be seen once the door is closed. I am looking for a large screen door to prop up in a corner to add even more earrings, bracelets and necklaces from. It will all be in one place and also serve as a central spot for color and artistic display. I use my bracelets and necklaces for curtain tie backs, to decorate a candle holder base and to wrap around bows for gifts. What ideas do you have?

Gift Giving- Sharing the Talent

Gift giving is easy for me to help you with. If you know you are giving to someone who is into festive jewelry or beads at all, you may find something online to give from the items offered in the online store Club Creative Studio collection. Even if they are not into wearing jewelry, they can still use a gift for someone else. Once one learns that Club Creative Studio's products are hand made it becomes special merely knowing that there is nothing else like it in the world. Not only are the designs exclusive but, the hand-made beads are made in limited quantities when created. The Italian glass beads are one -of-a-kind as well. This appeal offers one to consider finding someone to give to, even if it is for themselves!

I consider myself pretty lucky to be able to make my own gifts and sometimes even give it to myself! If I feel like it, I can make a new necklace, earrings and matching bracelet to wear today, or the next day. I can very easily pick up my spirits by creating for myself. But, that is really not what I am about. I enjoy the fact that I am also able to spread my talent and share with others. This is what really gives me the most joy... sharing my talent.

It is very rewarding to me as a creative person to know that what I produce is an artistic value to others. It is important to me to have the opportunities to share my craft. That is the main reason why I have published an online store. I wanted my art to be accessible to many people who can appreciate wearable art and other hand-made items. I wanted people to be able to look at a collection and find what they want in their own time. I wanted it to be easy for someone to order and pay for a purchase. I have all of those aspects in the Club Creative Studio website. I am thankful for those who are inspired by the creations they see on the site and for those who purchase gifts...for others or for themselves.

Thanks for wearing and sharing Club Creative Studio Art!