Amy Peters' Studio Buzz

Inspiration and Flowers

Being a California native does have some great perks....year round flowers. 

A few weeks ago I replanted the pots in the front of the studio.  I used stock, alyssum and threw around some wildflower seeds.

A few of the wildflower seeds have sprouted around my inspiration stones.  I can't wait to see what they are!

I love being greeted by the smell of the stock in the morning, they've always been my mom's favorite.  The words put me in the mood to insipre! Remember to take some time to smell the flowers...

For me Monday: letting go of too many hats

Have you ever read the book Caps for sale?  It was a favorite of mine when I was a kid and I still read it to my kids. 

If you aren't familiar with it the story is about a cap salesman who walks around town with all of his hats on top of his head, selling his wares. After a busy day of sales he falls asleep under a tree.  While he is sleeping a band of monkeys steal all but his own personal cap.  He yells, stomps up and down to try to get the monkeys to return the caps.  Finally in frustration he throws his cap onto the ground.  The monkeys do the same thing.  And he gets his caps back.

The story is so how I've been feeling lately. I've been wearing too many hats. So often I fight and struggle when really I should just let go. 

Do you ever feel that way?  Letting go is sometime the hardest thing to do, but often the right choice.  I've been working lately at letting go of things that aren't working in my life and business.

Is there something you need to let go of?  What's holding you back from letting go? 

 

 

family {ties}

 This week I'll be sharing stories, new designs and fun stuff related to family. 

A few months ago I was able to visit my Great Uncle Murray while I was at the trade show in Orlando. He is the last living sibling of my maternal grandfather. 

Growing up we would travel to my mother's hometown of Kissimmee, Florida for a family reunion every 4th of July. My memories are filled with dirt roads, capturing frogs, fishing, sulphur water, sweet tea and trips to Disneyworld.

My uncle Murray had been my Grandfather's partner in their construction business.  After retirement my uncle tried his hand at Bee Keeping for a short time.  When he quit that pursuit, he laughingly told me when he took up the hobby he didn't realize he'd be old in his retirement.  Instead he started to research our family history. He and my great Aunt traveled all around the southern states collecting tidbits of our history. 

In my early 20's, years after we stopped traveling to Florida as a family.  I continued to travel there on my own to visit with my cousins, granparents and aunts and uncles.  Each trip I would look forward to spending time with Uncle Murray hearing about the latest family treasure he had uncovered.  A distant cousin found, a family portrait of a great uncle twice removed and images of gravestones from relatives that had fought in the civil war.

On one of the trips he had a present for me, that I treasure to this day. It is a detailed family tree and binder filled with images of great grandparents, census reports, documents of house sales and wills.  My children have used it in each and every history report and lesson in grammar school. Thanks to my Uncle Murray our history is detailed back to the American revolutionary war.

Nikolas just shared a letter from a great, great, great, great uncle during his "visit" to the 1850's.  It was written to his great great great grandfather and detailed his travels and intrigues all written in beautiful penmanship I could only imagine writing it with a quill pen. 

The stories are what I treasure the most. While I visited with Uncle Murray and Aunt Agnes in January we laughed and retold a few of our favorite stories for the hundredth time.

As the special today.  I give you the gift and reminder of time. Time to be with family.  Time to be present for your family. Time to be patient with family. Time to give someone a call or a visit.  Make it a priority and reach out to someone you are missing.  Someone you've lost touch with. 

 

 

 

 

ripples from a pebble

When I was younger my mother was a stay at home mom.  As we grew and became less dependent on her she decided a part time job would be fun.  She found a job as a secretary at Stanford University for several research professors. 

The students she also worked with would often travel and they would return with small gifts for my mom.  Not wanting them to spend money on her, my mom suggested they bring her a pebble from where they had traveled.

She has always collected rocks, shells and pebbles whenever she is out and about. This way she could be connected to the places she might never have a chance to visit. 

Over the years she collected hundreds of pebbles, each inscribed with where it was from and who had given it to her.  The pebbles and memories of those students mean so much. 

 

 

When a pebble is dropped into a pond it creates ripple effects that can be felt far away. What has created ripples in your life?  Who or what has touched you?  Where do you want your ripples to reach?

Pebbles. Small sterling silver tags can be hand stamped with special words, a date or a meaninful saying. Next to it hangs a beach pebble chosen to adorn the necklace as a sweet reminder of the ripples that have touched and changed you. Strung on our adorable long and short link chain.  I love that the pebble can be worn in back of the tag or in front to keep the message hidden and just for you. 

Go Shopping.

We have been listening to our customers and we have heard you loud and clear.  You want more additions to our personalized line.  The next two weeks we have a lot of new hand stamped designs to share. 

For this Contest:  We will choose two winners.  We are giving away both of our example necklaces to two lucky readers. 

First Entry:  Tell us about the ripples in your life, that have affected you. 

Extra Entries: Tweet, Facebook or blog about this giveaway. 

We will let Random.org Choose the winner on Sunday Night at 10 pm

 

 

 

 

 

where women create...yay!

Even after so many years in business there are things that still get me really excited.  The other night I had one of those things happen. I got an email from one of my favorite all time ever blogs....

I'm over at Where Women Create today with an interview and Fabulous Friday Giveaway.  If you aren't already familiar with the magazine and blog, are you in for a treat. 

I spend hours pouring over the magazine and blog peeking into the creative spaces of so many other talented women artists. It is so inspiring.  I just love seeing how people organize their work space.  Just my thing. 

So head over to their blog for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to our website.

 

saved up {wishes}

For the last week I've been driving by a fun patch of dandelions that had gone to seed.  Why hadn't someone picked them and blown them away yet?  What were all of those stored up wishes doing just sitting there?  People walk by them everyday, why hadn't they pulled a few to cast their wishes into the air? Then I realized, they were waiting for us.  

 

When I was a kid I never saved up my wishes.   They would all come pouring out, Nik was the same way.  Hey mom, can I do another one? How many wishes do I get?  Look at all of these blowey flowers! I am SO lucky!

I love seeing wishes through his eyes.  They are meant to be cast out into the universe.  They are meant to be shared with the world. 

Do you save up your wishes? Do you spread them far and wide?  How do you work to make your wishes come true? For me I've found writing them down in a journal to helps me work towards making them come true. How do you keep yourself accountable to the wishes?

Stop saving up your wishes and let them all come out...

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

No more saving them, use all of your wishes.  

 

 

Blue and White

I love blue and white together, there is something so soothing and calming about the color combination for me.  

So crisp and clean. 

I especailly love white blooms on a bright blue spring day.

Are there color combinations that spark your imagination? What feelings do they bring out? 

Creating {friendship}

Ok...I couldn't resist adding in this funny page from my 1955 version of the popular mechanics book, since I forgot to take pictures of my jewelry date with a friend.  

On Tuesday I spent a day laughing and creating jewelry with a Janett from Waterlily Jewelry. This year I've been focused on creating more outlets and opportunities to tap into my creativity and grow as an artist. 

After taking the class in precious metal clay (PMC) I had to play around more.  Janett does some pretty amazing things with PMC, so after I ruined a few pieces I asked for her help. What I realized is that the jewelry we created was  secondary to the friendship and conversations we shared. I came away from the day invigorated and overflowing with ideas and possibilities. 

 

 

For Me Monday: Blue {Skies}

 Join us on our walk today. Longer days give us more time to explore.  The skies, so blue, so vibrant. 

Our neighbor's sign a wonderful reminder.

Slow down and take a look around, the air is crisp, warming still, beauty envelops us. 

Our minds quiet, we wander and dream. 

 

 

 

Helping {Red Cross}

 

On Thursday before I went to bed I watched the news of Japan with a deep sadness, knowing that the worst news had not yet unfolded. 

Friday I woke to a call from our school phone tree.  Here, so far from Japan it's ripple effects touching our lives.  A Tsunami warning.  A school closure.  Plans changed. I worked from home and watched news and twitter streams of this most recent disaster, feeling helpless. A call to a dear friend, her family still unaccounted. Her plans to visit them were just 2 weeks away. Fear and worry.  What could I do to help?

Today, I have been moved to do something, anything.  What are the gifts that I have that can be given to our friends and family in Japan. My thoughts, my prayers and my help in the way I can do it best.

I chose Red Cross because of its history, it's effectiveness and it's response to this and other tragedies through out our world.  On this little blue marble where we are all closer and more connected than ever before.

We will be donating 30% of every retail order placed with the Discount code: REDCROSS between now and March 31st. Our website Here.

 

UPDATE: Don't need any jewelry right now, don't worry you can still help me help! If you post on FACEBOOK or tweet on TWITTER with our @ tags we'll add to our donation.   $1 for each tweet.  $5 for each Facebook post and $5 for each comment here.