Amy Peters' Studio Buzz

Introducing Faith and Virtues

Our two newest additions to our pewter build your own collections are our Faith Crosses and Virtues collections. They work so well together that I just couldn't put them on different pages of our website.  Mix and match the charms for your own unique, personalized look. 

Here are a few of my favorites. Just add our chain!

Put our hammer textured cross with faith and perseverance.  So often our lives really do require a big dose of faith with a helping of perseverance added in.

What a great reminder that great things come to those who wait.  Patience really is a great virtue.

My version of faith, hope and love. 

These charms would make great gifts for your bible study, youth group or as a fundraiser for a church group (email us for discounts for non profit groups).

Find even more fun ways to put them together! HERE.

 

For Me Monday: Being Still

Yesterday Jim took the kids into town to play Pokemon cards. I was busy cleaning house, but decided to take a little break.  It was the first weekend I've spent at home in almost two months.

The sun peeks through the trees just perfect for sitting in the swing. So I sat there and rested a bit. After the winter rains, the plants were all screaming to be trimmed and the leaves yelling to be raked.  I let them go unanswered and let myself be still for a few minutes.

I've had a lot on my mind lately and even more on my plate, so it felt good to just be quiet and alone for a few glorious minutes. 

The plants and leaves will get my attention soon enough.  For now, I needed to sit and visit with God a bit. 

I have a lot of big decisions in the days and months ahead....

 

Linking up...

 

Sisters

Over the weekend I spent some time with my sister.  We spent the weekend cleaning and organizing some things at my parent's house.  Some of the time we looked through and scaned in a lots of old photographs.  So much laugher and memories are in those boxes and books of pictures.  

I just love these old film strip pictures.  The three on the right are just Melissa, the last one is her TRYING to hold me.  She looks so determined to keep me still, it makes me laugh. 

 

This coming weekend is her birthday and I'm trying to decide what to give her.

Which one?

1. I Love You This Much Matte Choker

2. Sisters Chunky Choker

3. Message and Stacking rings

4. Fortune Cookie necklace

5. Wish Small Charm earrings

6. Dreams come true Chunky Choker

 

For me Monday: Play

This weekend I drove up to my parent's house again and took a little time to play in between helping to clean and organize their house before my mom comes home from rehab for her broken leg. 

Since I went to art school before PMC was invented, I've only done a little bit of playing around with it.  After talking with the talented Kristina Kada from Satomi Studio at the NY gift show. Our booths are across from each other and we get to talk and dream during the show down time.  We both decided we NEEDED to take a PMC class, since we studied metalsmithing at the same time and our formal education didn't contain PMC classes.  Unfortunately she couldn't make the class, since she was at another trade show.  Next time Kristina, it was a blast!

I searched online for a PMC instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area on the penninsula.  I found Virginia at Vine Design. We share a history of teaching at the Bead Shop, formerly in Palo Alto.  I was there in the 1980's and Virginia taught there until they closed and went strickly online a few years ago. 

  We are also kindred spirits, in the form of our tool addictions, she had all kinds of fun tools to play with.  

PMC is so different, that I need to play with it so much more to really be able to see what it can do.  I ended up making a few charms, but I left with a head filled with design possibilities!  

After working with metal for almost 40 years now, PMC is such a new experience.  There is such possibility for charms that I could never be able to create in metal...or wouldn't have time to try. 

Thanks again Virginia!

 

How do you like to play and stay creative? Sketching?  Beads? Metal work?

 

 

 

 

 

My blog crushes

Lately I've been busy sponsoring blogs that I love. How better to say I love you than to support them financially.  So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites on my blog CRUSH list.  This is just the first list of my blog crushes.  More to come.

The Idea Room

I often dream of the projects that Amy showcases here.  Mmmm...cinnamon pancakes.

Curly Girl Design

I just love Leigh's style and can't wait for her new store BIG Marmalade to open up.

Crap I've Made

Char has such a great sense of humor and makes some fun crap. I love seeing how open she is with her creativitiy!

 Indie Fixx

I sponsored Jen's blog 5 years ago when she was first starting out.  It's been fun to watch it grow and change! It is filled with indie goodness!

 

Kelly Rae Roberts

 

New momma and artist extrodinaire. Such fun art and inspiration. You HAVE to check out her book for amazing inspiration.

Beneath My Heart

So much going on at Traci's blog.  You just have to read her love story! Warning if you tear up easily...you WILL need a tissue.

Thrifty Decor Chick

Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick is a busy lady.  There is so much inspiration here for your home on a budget.  I dream of ripping apart my whole house and organizing it top to bottom like she is doing.

 Tidy Mom

Last but not least I'm linking up to Cheryl's blog for what I love Friday's. Serious cleaning and organizing galore! Some day I'll grow up to be like Cheryl.

 

Dream Big

So often I get emails from women who want to make a change. The want to own their own business.  They are looking for inspiration, courage...something that will push them into it.  The questions are usually the same.  How did I get started?  How did I know it was time to quit my day job? How did I just do it? When did I know I wanted create my own destiny?

I've often relayed the story of how I finally pushed myself into taking the leap to starting my business. 

It was just over 15 years ago, at the time I was working at a local gallery in town.  There is this amazing ceramic artist who's work I collect.

David Gurney is a true artist and his story from art school was the final push I needed. 

To see more of his amazing work visit HERE.

One day while he was dropping off more of his amazing work to the gallery.  We began to talk about hopes, dreams and living the life of an artist.  I was asking him how he did IT.  How he finally took the step into starting his company.  He told me a story his mentor and college professor had relayed to him.  His professor had said "If you aren't using your art degree 5 years after graduating from art school as a career, you never will".  That did it...for me it had been 4 1/2 years since I graduated.  It scared me.  I had always thought I'd get around to it. But here it was, my expiration date.

The very next day I filed my business papers, rented a Victorian Carriage Shed with a dirt floor and no running water and Amy Peters' Studio was born.

While I realize that I could have waited a few more years, that day it finally became clear that I was the ONLY thing holding me back. 

Whenever anyone is considering taking the leap into busines ownership.  I always suggest reading my friend Lisa Hammond's Book.

It is an inspiring story of her journey, as well as many other artists and entrepreneurs.  When writing the book, she interviewed me and several of my stories about my journey to dreaming big are included in this book. 

Buy the Book Now

Lisa is currently working on her next book.  She is looking for stories of women who have made a change in thier lives.  Stories of amazing transformations for the better. Does this sound like you? If so email me and I'll pass along your information.  Sales (at) AmyPetersStudio (dot) Com

 

Featured Store: Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio

Today we are going to peek inside another store that carries Amy Peters' Studio jewelry.  This is one of the stores I'd really love to visit.  I just know that if it was in my hometown, I'd be there all of the time.  The idea of a creative space where people can explore and be inspired by other artist's work...in a word Genius.  I dream of one day owning a store like this!

 

 

Name of your store:

Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio

 

How long has your store been in business?

Seven and a half years

 

Where are you located? 

32 North Main Street, Medford, NJ 08055  phone 609-714-1131

 

What makes your store unique?

We are a unique environment because we are both a gallery for the appreciation of the creative genius within others as well as a studio for the opportunity to explore one’s own creative genius. We think this gives folks a unique perspective on creativity, fine craft and the creative process.

 

What is something you would like customers to know about your store?

We love our customers and try to be very open to creating an accessible, fun environment in which to purchase art or create it.

 

Do you give back to your community?

We try to donate on a regular basis for anything that is raising money for any of our town’s schools and school programs. We are also active on our business association. In addition we donate to related causes beyond just our local community throughout the calendar year. In the past few years, we have donated proceeds from an exhibit to Artsphere (bringing art to inner city Philadelphia children), Flashes of Hope (supporting photographers who freely provide custom shoots for children suffering from life threatening illnesses) and American Cancer Society along others. 

 

How can we find you online?  

We are on facebook (as CreativeGeniusArtGalleryandStudio)

on Twitter as CreativeGeniusG

our blog site is www.creativegeniusonline.blogspot.com.

Our website is www.creativegeniusonline.com

 

How long have you been carrying Amy Peters’ Studio jewelry?

Since we opened seven years ago.

 

How did you first discover Amy Peters’ Studio jewelry?

Online when I was researching opening my gallery seven years ago.

 

Which collections of jewelry do you carry from the Amy Peters’ Studio line?

I have tried quite a few but the tiny fortune cookie necklaces and pewter collections are our customer favorites. 

 

Share a fun story about Amy Peters’ Studio jewelry:

I special ordered a series of pocket charms for an entire soccer team. Their coach wanted to remind them that they had done a great job and the charms were to celebrate their growth as players and as a team.

 

What other collections do you sell in your store 

We represent 150 so there are too many to name but among the most famous are Storypeople (by Brian Andreas).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Tuesday: Grandma's Biscuits

I love to bake and one of my favorite times to do it is Saturday morning breakfast. 

My grandmother's buttermilk biscuit recipe holds a special place on our cook book shelf.  Nikolas made me this fun recipe holder for it, when he was just 3.

Buttermilk Biscuits

•2 Cups Flour

•3 teaspoons of Baking Powder

•1/2 teaspoon of Salt

•1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

•5 Tablespoons of vegetable shortening

•1 cup of buttermilk.

Put all dry ingredients into bowl.  Cut shortening into dry ingredients.  Mix in buttermilk until dough follows fork around the bowl. Pat onto board.  Cut out with cookie cutter.  Cook at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

This is an easy recipe and is so much better than store bought biscuits, it is my go to recipe for relaxed weekend breakfasts.

Mix in all dry ingredients.

Cut in shortening into dry ingredients.

Mix in buttermilk with a fork.

"The less you fuss with them, the more tender they will be" June Peters

I pat the dough onto our cutting board and cut with cookie cutters.  I like to use different shapes depending on the time of year.  Last weekend we celebrated Valentine's Day!

 

I love to serve with fresh berries or fruit, usually in season.

We like our biscuits a little lighter in color, but you could cook more to brown them up a bit more.

My family loves bacon, so we usually have a side of it.

Do you have a favorite recipe tradition?  Does it bring back great memories of your childhood? Who taught you how to cook it?

For Me Monday: Beauty

This is my favorite time of year in California. After some of the winter rains, yet before our hills have started to turn brown.  The hills are so green and lush.  Serious green. 

I spent quite a bit of the weekend driving up and down highway 101 on the way to and home from my parent's house.

It's a drive I'm familiar with...I've been doing it since I left home for college in San Luis Obispo at Cal Poly way back in 1984. 

One of the greatest things about driving is the time to quietly think.  

Being surrounded by the beauty of nature always gets me inspired.

What inspires you?  Did you get a little time for youself to recharge this week?  Spend a little of Valentines Day giving yourself some love!

Give Love {discount code}

This weekend I'm traveling up to my parent's house for a quick weekend visit.  Giving them some love from the kids for Valentine's Day.

I'm also sending out love to you, my loyal readers and customers.

Use code: GIVELOVE20 for 20% off your entire order.

The code is good through 2/14/11.