On June 16, 2014
So many beautiful entries. What else is there to say really? I could receive five entries or 500 and each alone would have been worth hosting another contest. Your creativity and ability to extend yourselves beyond the limitations of a tutorial are, as always, extremely impressive and inspiring. I want to thank each and every one of you for participating, supporting the idea of this contest and perfectly exemplifying what it means to not be defined by the “rules”. You are masters of your own mind and ingenuity and I hope, at the very least, you enjoyed experimenting, which is, at the end of the day, all we need to expect of ourselves. A fear of failure does not negate the importance of the effort, and you each have obviously made each effort count. BRAVO! View the entire GALLERY OF ENTRIES here! If you submitted an entry, but do not see it listed in the gallery, please email me at nikki.hanna@gmail.com with your entry as soon as possible, and it will be added immediately upon receipt. The gallery of entries will be available for viewing… well… indefinitely or, at the very least, until Pinterest falls into the dark abyss of the internet, at which point the images will (hopefully) be moved to another file sharing system. The gallery of entries will be available for VOTING, however, through June 22, 2014. Voting is open only to those who participated in the contest. This helps assure votes remain fair and unbiased and stray as far as possible from the ever present “popularity contests” so prevalent on social media these days. If you are a participant, you may vote by commenting below with the name of the entry (located beneath each image). Now this doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to see comments and supports from the creative community as a whole. I encourage anyone to visit this gallery and oggle the amazing entries and share your appreciation for the work submitted. Each piece is worth the recognition it receives, and then some. On June 23, votes will be tallied and the “Group Favorite” (most voted by participants) will win my completed version of this project, any ten tutorials of their choice, and $25, deliverable via PayPal. In the case of a tie, I will place the deciding vote. Also, a “Judged Favorite”, chosen by a panel of four jewelry artists and three “consumers” (who are not participating in the contest), will also receive any ten tutorials of their choice. Every contestant should have already received the finished version of this tutorial as a thank you for his or her participation. If you have not received the tutorial, or have trouble accessing the file, please contact me at nikki.hanna@gmail.com I wish I could give everyone a cash prize. They were all so worthy. And I do hope to provide larger cash prizes in future contests…. just because. Thank you all so much! You make “coming to work” every day perfectly perfect! Happy weaving everyone! Nicole
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On May 25, 2014
It’s that time again! Time for the “Finish It!” design challenge! The purpose of this challenge is to encourage the participants to extend themselves, their talents and creativity, beyond the limitations of a single set of instructions and create pieces uniquely their own. Each contest has resulted in a wealth of beautiful and original artistic expressions, and I expect this one will produce no less the amount of brilliance. You have all amazed me with, not only your exuberance and enthusiasm, but your results as well, and I’m excited to see what this contest will inspire within you. Here’s the gist: At the bottom of this post is a link (highlighted in red) to a tutorial only 8 pages long, and ending abruptly halfway through the instruction. Your job is to create a piece beginning with the steps, as explained in the file, but ending with your own imagination! Contest Rules
A “Judged Favorite”, chosen by a panel of four jewelry artists and three “consumers” (who are not participating in the contest), will also receive any three tutorials of their choice. Every contestant will receive the finished version of this tutorial simply for participating. So it’s a basketful of goodness, and all you have to do is try. Happy weaving everyone, and I hope you have fun! Nicole On May 23, 2014
….this sentence: “There’s nothing new under the sun.” or “It’s all been done before.” or my personal favorite, “There’s no such thing as originality.” These three sentences, word for word, I read today by three different people. In a single day, in a single social media post. And it was the most disheartening realization upon which to stumble, second to an ASPCA animal abuse commercial, toting a Sarah McLaughlin-sad animal montage. I could live my whole life having never heard these phrases and die a happy woman. This philosophy (popular amid the tablet users and smart phone users and the Age of the Internet and digital sharing) damages something fundamental about the process of creativity. It stints the flow of creative thought. It aborts the idea of art before it ever takes root. In a world with 7 billion people, is originality dead? Is innovation the unicorn of the creative community? Of. Course. Not. Yes, an idea is built upon the history which came before it, but it isn’t dependent on that history. It’s not a replication, a copy devoid of soul or meaning or invention. It’s simply an idea with a single root, or a cluster of roots, that somehow shoot up from the ground an entirely different formation. And from those roots, each branch springing out with an ever-reaching energy, is an underived originality, thankful for, but not shackled to, the designs of others. So why do people hold to this depressing ideology that originality is dead, especially in artistic communities based entirely on the opposite? Is it an excuse to violate the copyrights of others? Is it an excuse to perpetuate laziness? Is it derived from the low place of fear and self-doubt? I don’t know. Perhaps it is due to none of these. Or all of them. However, it’s time to stop perpetuating this myth, this unbelievable belief that art has been reduced to an endless sea of mimicry. When you say “nothing is original” what you’re saying is “I don’t know how to be original”. And, to be fair, there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with mimicry. There’s nothing wrong with copies or distinct derivatives. Copies are simply a gateway to growth, and art has room for this because art is ever-evolving. It reincarnates itself every time a brush is put to canvas, a pen to paper, or wire to stone. But it’s time to stop confusing the limitations we put on ourselves with what we perceive to be the limitations of creativity as a whole. It’s time to stop confusing the origins of technique, with the birth of design. It’s time to say “I can” instead of “someone else already did.” Don’t you want to be the sun in your own creative universe? Don’t you want to silence the voice that says otherwise? On May 15, 2014
So, I’m going to admit something, and no one is allowed to laugh because we all geek over something (I’m looking at you, people who watch American Idol). I… (dramatic pause)…. am a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Which is like LARPing but without potions and lightning bolts. We dress up in gorgeous gowns (sometimes made with Hawaiian-themed t-shirt fabric… yeah, I don’t understand it either), or armor (sometimes made out of trashcans and old tires… the ingenuity is amazing!), and we learn cool things like falconry and basket weaving and archery. Well, I don’t. Someone else learns those things. I just like to look pretty. Anyway, this weekend is one of the local events I like to attend which, if you’re in the area, you can read all about here. I’m planning on lots of fun, lots of pictures, lots of crafts, lots of campfire mayhem and general frivolity shall prevail. Mostly, I’ll spend the weekend sitting beneath a canopy beading like a madwoman with my hair wild in the wind. Or something dramatically romantic. Sometimes I bring tarot and read for random strangers. Sometimes I pull out henna and mark my victims with paint. Mwahahahaha. I digress. In honor of the golden age of the Renaissance, I’m offering the few viking knit bracelets I have currently available for discounted prices. This weekend only. You can see the selection here. And I’ll have many more added in the weeks to come. They are one of the most therapeutic creative exercises to which I have ever been introduced, and I find such joy and satisfaction in each piece finished, and each piece re-homed. But this weekend will mostly be about the photography. I so rarely have the opportunity to pull out my camera for use that extends beyond jewelry and, though it’s not the most extensive collection of gear, I have a lot of fun with it. And then, when I come home and unpack and get settled, it will be more viking knit, hair combs and anklets and moon pendants and trees and tree bracelets and tree hair combs and… well… I like trees. Also among the list of things I find amazingly rejuvenating. Besides, if I can’t find inspiration among the Middle Ages, then all creative hope is lost! And maybe I’ll learn some basket weaving somewhere along the way. How will you be spending your weekend? Nicole On May 13, 2014
Which is to say, I know nothing about them. Oh sure, I can point out an amethyst, or a labradorite, and I can even tell you the metaphysical properties of a few stones. I used to carry a lapis for wisdom and vision and a beautiful citrine for energy and clarity of mind. But, in reality, I just like things that are pretty. I know nothing about the Mohs scale of mineral hardness and, as far as I’m aware, a jasper is a jasper is a jasper. If it has nice colors or pattern, I like it. If it doesn’t, I don’t. Beyond that, I find there isn’t much more I need to know. Did I just commit jewelry blasphemy? I recently ran across a series of comments about gemstones which inspired this post and were (ahem) spirited, leading me to believe perhaps I was doing a disservice to my customers with my lack of interest in gemstone specifics. One comment suggested the stone should always be the focal of the piece. Another suggested you should never sell jewelry in which you don’t know the name, origin or specifics of the stones used. And another implied you should have your rights to sell stripped entirely if you couldn’t distinguish between a Feather Ridge plume agate or Mexican flame agate. And then I realized I’m an artist, not a jeweler. I’ve never considered it important to my work to know where a stone was mined, or that jasper is a member of the chalcedony family, or what that even means in relation to the piece in which it is used. Does it make the stone less beautiful? Hardly. Now, I understand the porous nature of the stone can effect its wearability, that aquamarine is not kiln-safe, but I’ve never allowed these details to dictate how or when or if I utilize these stones in my work. If it’s pretty, I use it. If it doesn’t work out, lesson learned. And, for some, this may be an elementary or irresponsible approach, and maybe I should have my wire wrapping card revoked and then burned in a funeral pyre at my feet. Or maybe, I’ll carry on not worrying about the specifics, and you… the you who needs to know the water content of opals, can educate yourself and help educate those who seek to learn these facts. Gemology, although an incredibly informative field, is science that, for me, wont change the art. My interests are born from a place of beauty or spirit or energy. Beyond that, everything else is secondary and, I dare say, not at all important. The stone, for me… and I’m going to say something shocking here… doesn’t matter. It’s an accent, a pop of color, it compliments copper or silver, it helps determine the flow and pattern of the metal. But I don’t need them. In fact, I don’t always use them. And if I cover half a 30mm cabochon with 25 yards of wire, I don’t consider it a loss of something precious. Because what’s left is a piece that represents my vision. I suppose I should clarify that I don’t want or need to know the specifics of the stones I use, because for my work, those details are (mostly) unimportant. I don’t use a kiln. I don’t use a torch or other extreme temperatures. I know enough not to use fragile stones in rings and, usually, don’t make enough rings for it to matter. I rarely use a hammer and I’ve yet to ship to the arctic or nearest volcano. And none of this should suggest that I don’t learn things along the way, because I can now distinguish between a Feather Ridge plume agate and Mexican fire agate, but that I don’t seek to allow these things to determine the direction in which my work flows. And (though I am loathe to hurt the hearts of my rock hound friends) could live and work happily if never a gemstone existed. So what am I really saying here? I’m saying make what you want, with what you want, and the rest, my friends, be damned. On that note, happy weaving and a joyous creation to you! Nicole On May 12, 2014
Last weekend was the quarterly, local Holistic Festival. Though I hadn’t attended in years, not since renting my last table, it somehow still holds me in its warm grip. The people are kind, the energy inviting and the creativity easily contagious. Unable to attend, the notice I received about the event managed to stir up in me a few memories of the bygone days of craft shows, both as a vendor and consumer. And, as is always the case when one of these festival dates arrive around the calendar bend, I’m reminded of a particular instance when my wire wrapping was still a budding possibility and hadn’t yet rolled around in the soft sounds of its own voice, and another vendor (who I imagine felt he was doing myself, himself and the crafting community as a whole a great service) approached me and my work with criticism. “Your prices are undercutting mine.” “You should be wrapping in sterling silver or gold. Everything else is substandard.” “Copper makes your work look cheap.” Mild discouragement with the first comment. Then, with his second, doubt began to tip-toe towards the gods of good reason and push them over the edge of my own self-consciousness, one by one, each screaming an echoing, sad refrain. But the third…. the third made me angry. And with that anger, I smiled sweetly at him, thanked him for his advice and continued to work. Because the only ways to silence the criticisms of others is to either shut your ears to them, or (in cases in which they are intended with a good heart) take them and endeavor to learn from them. In this case, I endeavored to learn. And I learned sometimes people have opinions founded in nothing but their own prejudice and selfishness. Sometimes, they’re rude, and push beyond the boundaries of polite conversation. Sometimes, despite my lack of experience, I do know better. That day, I found a voice, and my work listened to it and flung open its petals at the sound. Thanks random rude craft show guy! Your criticism was worth something after all, and I’m glad I was strong enough to find that worth. But, finding the worth in words such as those is of secondary concern to having them even been uttered at all. So, with that in mind, here is my list of things, as a vendor or consumer, you just don’t say or do at a craft show or creative event, and still remain in the company of polite and pleasant individuals. Consumers
This list is certainly not all-inclusive, and if you have any suggestions for those looking to attend a craft show, please feel free to add them in the comments below! Happy weaving! Nicole On March 16, 2014 I saw a brooch of bird droppings, visited the doctor…. twice, changed diapers on a dog…. a dog, made more earrings in seven days than I did all of last year, and viewed a gallery of photographs that was comprised of dead animals. Interesting week, right?
So the dog…. Yeah. She’s 14. And she likes to pee on my things. She learned how to wiggle out of one of those velcro diapers you can get at pet stores so I got desperate and purchased 2T-3T pull-ups. She’s wearing toddler pull-ups. I have to cut a little hole for her tail and every day she looks me square in the eye as if to say she will eat my face the minute I fall asleep. But look at that face! Adorable, right? Now on to the bird dropping accessories…. I have to talk about those, because they were simultaneously disgusting and completely entertaining. And, though many may recognize the artist’s work for it’s shock value, I admittedly found it refreshing, bold and a great exercise in establishing what art is for the individual viewing it, and for society as a whole. Frances Wadsworth-Jones created a collection of brooches inspired by London’s pigeon population, called Heaven Sent, constructed from silver, black diamonds, tourmaline, yellow sapphires, and formed into the shape of droppings, which wearers can pin to their lapels, in what the artist considers an act of “intimacy”. Now, just for a moment, step away from the context in which the pieces are delivered. With what are you left? A craftmanship which exemplifies originality and attention to detail, a deep appreciation for quality and a bold, unexpected use of color . The artist clearly understands the medium with which she works, and uses that understanding in a delightfully tongue-in-cheek way. But it’s poo. Right? There’s something to be said for creating art from the most unlikely, and even undesirable, things. Nick Brandt, for instance, took photos of animal carcasses washed ashore a deadly lake in Tanzania, and despite the state of the animals, managed to capture their characters in each frame. It was this gallery of images that first allowed me to consider beauty by yet another unpopular standard, and it is by that standard I took to viewing, and appreciating, the “Heaven Sent” brooch collection. When digesting this collection (ahem, figuratively, of course), I recognized and understood the dichotomy between using beautiful materials to represent what society accepts as an undesirable occurrence. Perhaps I’m pretentious. Perhaps I’ve had one class too many on the symbolism of art. Perhaps I’m one of those people who, instead of accepting something as simply pretty or ugly, I have to dissect it for meaning. Most likely, however, I just really get a kick out of this. It’s funny. And yes, I might even laugh at fart jokes a time or two. Those are funny as well. Ultimately, I think it’s a brilliant way for an artist to stick her tongue out at convention, while still maintaining her code of providing quality product. Besides, I’ve always believed if you can’t have fun with your art, then you’re doing it wrong. But whether you can appreciate the quality of the work, the purpose of the work, the symbolism or all the crazy, there is, without a doubt, a place for this collection in the world, in the artistic community, in the fashion industry even. Is that place with you? On March 16, 2014
So voting in this one could not have been easy on anyone! It certainly wasn’t for me. Each and every entry was filled to the brim with creativity, originality and a unique essence, with which only its creator could imbue it. Thumbing through the gallery of entries is like thumbing through a favorite book… and dog-earring all the best parts. Though, in this instance, I found myself licking a finger and reaching for the corner of every single page, worn with use and appreciation! I have to extend my gratitude to each of you who have entered, and those who were encouraging along the way. I’m sure those with a piece to submit appreciated the well wishes and applause as well, as they were all given so honestly and freely. It’s a beautiful sight to see when art is shared and enjoyed on any scale, great or small. Though this contest was just one corner of an artistic world, I was happy to live here for a time, and hope you were as well. I started earlier this evening tallying votes, and was glad for the added time. Several people voted multiple times and several voted without having entered. Some voted using alternate ID’s than those attached to their entries. Some voted via anonymous email. Eeep! I should have planned much better! But, the collection of votes declared a clear winner regardless, and I would like to introduce the over-all winner as Katerina Balarinova! Congratulations Katerina for Fan Favorite! You will be receiving a surprise piece of jewelry from the Nicole Hanna collection. Fan Favorite: Katerina Balarinova The judges also had themselves quite a time in determining their favorites, between the seven of us, a single winner arose the victor. Both for personality and its craftmanship. Congratulations to Susan Sutherland for Judges Favorite! You will be receiving the finished “Finish It!” design, as detailed in the Hidden Heart tutorial. Judged Favorite: Susan Sutherland Thank you again to everyone for your participation and patience while I still find myself sorting through the best means for hosting these contests, of which I am planning many many more! I ask that the winners email me their address at nikki.hanna@gmail.com so I can ship their winnings promptly! Also, if any entrant has yet to receive the finished (“Hidden Heart”) tutorial, please email me and I will get that to you as soon as possible. I apologize for all the confusion regarding emails and hope to have the process better streamlined in the future. And I hope you enjoyed yourselves, whether entered or whether viewing the gorgeous pieces. I’m already looking forward to the next one! View the entire GALLERY OF ENTRIES here! Happy weaving! Nicole On March 10, 2014
So really this is a week and a half in words, because I meant to start this series of blog posts last weekend and it just never happened. Ironically, I set myself towards writing a series about life and creativity and was too distracted by it to do so. Funny how things work out. I had a son turn seventeen, which sort of makes me throw up a little in my mouth. My youngest is seventeen. Gah! How depressing, while simultaneously amazing I managed to keep him alive. Go me! He tells me he plans to attend the University of Michigan, but only for a “superfluous” degree in business since he’ll make his millions on YouTube. He spent his birthday with friends, huddled around the dining room table with pizza and pop, talking about filing taxes and Obamacare, and I was absolutely positive someone slipped me a hallucinogen while I was distracted by beads. They grow up so fast. A series of unfortunate events happened these past two weeks, as well, though didn’t deter me from working. In fact, perhaps I was determined despite them. I can’t imagine a world in which I allow the unfortunate to dictate to me how I should behave. Isn’t there a saying about defining oneself by ones reactions to problems, not by the problem itself? Or something. I’m sure it’s a Benjamin Franklin quote. Or an Adele song. And it’s almost certainly a meme on Facebook. But these misfortunes made me question the role creativity had in my life these past three weeks (months even) and appreciate it. Appreciate what an outlet it is for frustration, sadness or stress. That with wire and beads, I can transform even the most upsetting or unexpected plethora of news and events into something, if not joyous, at least acceptable. I can allow the despondency that settles inside to flow from my hands, through the metal, then out. Out into the universe. The ether. Whatever word there is for that other place, no longer internalized and damaging. At least out there, it can attach itself to happiness released by others and be transformed, and allow me the same transformation by the absence of it. And then my heart has room for happiness as well, which is also released into the universe, and it cycles through the same symbiotic process, the same collective of emotions we all experience. Now try to imagine a world without creativity. I know, right? It’s like someone just killed a unicorn. All the magic is gone. So today, right now, I charge you with this: create. Anything at all. Cook, draw, write, garden, but release your emotions, whatever they are, into the ether. And maybe someday my emotions will meet them there. Nicole On March 1, 2014
What an amazing month it’s been! February has brought to me emails full of delightful wonders. An incredible 85 emails, I might add. I’ve never been so impressed with the quality submitted into the “Finish It” contest, with the exception of every contest I’ve had the privilege of hosting. Because none of you ever cease to showcase your boundless abilities. I want to thank you for giving this contest a go and providing me an endless supply of inspiration this past month. Whenever I found myself lacking in the motivation I need to produce new work, an email serendipitously arrived to push my work forward again. Though there were a few submissions which were not, in the strictest sense, in alignment with the provided list of materials and tools, they were simply too beautiful not to share with you. And, of course, every participant will receive a copy of the finished tutorial (pictured above), just for giving it a go. Because really, the intention was to show you just how far you can go with the same set of steps, and a minimal set of supplies. Each entry is completely original to its creator and, I dare say, just as lovely! If you have entered and do not see your entry, rest assured, the email was likely lost in transmission somewhere along the lines. Resend and it will be added to the gallery as soon as possible! View the entire GALLERY OF ENTRIES here! On to the voting, shall we:
I hope you enjoyed the idea behind the contest, the partial tutorial, and the trials and errors which (if you are anything like me) most definitely followed before the great satisfaction of the final “Ah-HA!” moment. I have more of these planned in the coming months, and hope to see more entries as delicious as these have been! Eye candy, for sure! Happy weaving and see you soon! Nicole |
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