Time Flies

Thought For The Day:

The last time I posted I only a few days before my art show. The art show was a success. My screen earrings and unisex bracelets were a hit, I managed to sell a painting, and get a few commissions.  All in all, the networking opportunities were priceless. I got the chance to meet tons of people who were sincerely interested in the arts, and more specifically...my artwork!

In the last post I mentioned that I was doing a good job at keeping up with both of my blog sites. Well...the time lapse doesn't lie. It has been a bit more difficult than I previously thought that it would be. Now I am looking into rolling both sites into one. I originally wanted to keep them separate since I am selling on this one, and really talking about my journey on the other. However, I am about to get my website together. That way everything will be in more of a central place. 

On The Work Desk:

Since the show, I have been busy continuing to form relationships with fellow artists and those that love art. I have been creating stretchers from scratch and coming up with new concepts for jewelry.

These earrings happen to be one concept that I am developing. It has a lot to do with iconic symbols in our society today. 

Corner of Gratitude:

Growth

Pearls of Wisdom:

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom."

~ Viktor E. Frankl

As usual...thank you for purchasing, reading, commenting, subscribing, and following! Until next post...

If For Only One!

About This Piece:

I don't make pins often, but as I told a friend...I just needed to create this. The focal point of this Cheetah Chain Pin comes from a broken belt, the chains that are hanging from it hail from a broken necklace, and the fabric was purchased. It hangs about 4 inches long. 

The price of this item is $20 (tax and shipping not included) and please remember that the paypal button under the pin is ONLY for this Cheetah Chain Pin. There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

Thought For The Day:

About two weeks ago I created what is called an info-doodle for my business and my life that contains vision and mission statements for both. I have come up with both before, but not quite like this. This go round I had the help of an awesome business group that I am so honored to be a part of. There were some edits, but I finally came up with four solid statements (two mission & two vision). 

I received some very kind words attached to this blog via an email. Come to find out my blog has been encouraging to her. It was at that point that my life mission statement came alive to me: Tene' is an integral renaissance woman committed to sharing her God given talents with the world as a vehicle to encourage people to seek a greater relationship with God.

It hit me smack in the face. If I was writing, sharing, blogging...creating to encourage only one person (even if that one person happens to be little ole' me) then it is all worth it. I will write on, share on, blog on, paint on, draw on...you get the hint! I won't stop! The one is depending on me...and according to my mission statement, I am well equipped to deliver!!!

P.S...for as much as these writings may encourage you all, I am far more encouraged when I receive kind words from readers. It really does ignite a continued pursuit to be aligned with my mission and vision, which is all tied to my purpose!!!

On My Work Desk:

Sunset piece is in construction. I did some more layering, and now the drying process. I am super excited to get some paint on here!

Corner of Gratitude:

The ability to share with others

Pearls of Wisdom:

"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift."
~ Steve Prefontaine

As usual...thanks for purchasing, reading, commenting, subscribing, and following! Until next post...

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Why Do You Follow?

About This Piece:

The focal point of this bracelet comes from a broken belt, the clasp comes from a broken necklace, and the chains and pearls are purchased. 

The price of this item is $35 (tax and shipping not included) and please remember that the paypal button under the bracelet is ONLY for this Gold Round Pearl Bracelet. There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

Thought For The Day:

These days with social media being the "it" thing, everyone is following someone. If it's not on Facebook, it's Twitter. If it's not on Instagram, it's Flickr. If it's not on LinkedIn it's Foursquare. Oh and who could forget this lovely site and it's rival Wordpress. My point is...if it's not one social media site, it's another. And there is someone out there for everyone to follow on these platforms.

So, I am on almost all of the sites that I posted above, with the exception of a few. A friend of mine said to me the other day, "Oh...you have xxx amount of followers". It sparked a question inside of me and made me wonder, why I follow the folks that I follow. I came up with this short, but not exhausted list:

They have something great to share:
I'm always on the hunt for someone who has something great to share. That something great could be encouraging words, a product, something funny, or something that is just aesthetically pleasing to the eye. After all, who doesn't like a pretty picture. It doesn't have to be something super deep, but sometimes it is. It's just something that I deem to be great.

They are going in the same direction as I am:
There are lots of people that are going in the same direction as I am. I like to keep up with them. I like to know how they are doing the things that they are doing. I like to see their progress. I like to be inspired by their progress, and cheer them on all at the same time. It keeps me in the mind frame of constantly pressing forward...constantly going after what I know in my heart I am here on this planet for.

They are good for networking:
I have a business, and I want my business to be successful. I want it to thrive. I want it to become all that it has the potential to be and more. So I follow those that can get me to that place. They are more than my peers. They serve more as mentors...seasoned in the game that I am just becoming a part of. It's humbling and exciting all at the same time. I get to hear about and see their story, and become inspired to have a great story of my own.

They are family and friends:
Now this can get a little sticky if family and friends don't fall into the categories mentioned above. Everyone (including myself) has someone they follow because they decided to follow you. I'm not saying that this is a great idea, but I am saying that it exists.

At the end of the day, those that I follow brighten my day in one way or the other. I only pray that I can offer the same to those that follow me.

On My Work Desk:

I am working vigorously on the sunset series. This is the foundation for the third piece. I do believe that this one will be fun to complete. There will be more to come in a bit.

Corner of Gratitude:
Those that keep me grounded

Pearls of Wisdom:
Success, recognition, and conformity are the bywords of the modern world where everyone seems to crave the anesthetizing security of being identified with the majority.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr

As usual...thanks for purchasing, reading, commenting, subscribing, and following! Until next post...

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Kind Words

About This Piece  

This Serpentine Cluster bracelet was the start of me making "chunky" jewelry, and I would dare to say that this is the chunkiest of them all..lol! This piece wasn't actually "found" or "broken" jewelry, but purchased pieces with my vision in mind. The stones are serpentine and the chains are bronze and silver plated.

I don't know much about Carrie Bradshaw from "Sex in the City". I wasn't really a fan of the show. However, from some of her outfits, I think that this would be a great addition to her collection. So...eat your heart out Carrie!!!!! 

 

The price of this item is $36.00 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the bracelet is ONLY for this Serpentine Cluster bracelet.  There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

Thought For The Day:

It's hard to believe that it has already been nine days since I have posted last. The past few days have been out of control (schedule wise) to say the least, and having a cold that is trying to keep me down doesn't help.  However in the midst of the chaos I found some joy and peace in knowing this:

Although things are challenging right now, I was manufactured to create and share those creations with this world!

I know...I have said this time and time again, and it may become redundant to you, but it serves as a constant reminder to me of what I am purposed to do while I have breath in my body.

As I sat eating lunch with some of the leaders that I fellowship with on a regular basis at a leadership meeting two Saturday's ago, a brother said something to me that made me ever so grateful. He mentioned that he reads this blog and thinks the content is good!

Now that may not mean anything to you, the average reader. However to me, it meant the world! Sharing my creations, thoughts, and ideas is no walk in the park for me, a woman that was once hesitant about allowing others to be privy to her creative process. Continuing to stay on the path to carry out a purpose and have the world critique is not easy! It may be necessary, but nevertheless, not easy.

Comments like, "I wanted to let you know that I love reading your blog.", "The Pearls of Wisdom is what I look for.",  and "You have good stuff there! I look forward to reading!", are the comments that keep me motivated to post regularly. They add fuel to the already ignited passion that I have for the arts!

So today I say a heartfelt thank you to all of those that take the time out to read, comment and follow. Your kind words go farther than you may know.  It really does mean the world to me!  And more than anything, it serves as a constant reminder that I am doing what I am called to do!

Pearls of Wisdom:

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
~ Leo Buscaglia

As always, thanks for reading, commenting, purchasing, subscribing and following! Until next post… 

Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Voting

 About This Piece  

This Metal and Natural Stone Bracelet was created a few weeks ago. This is it's first appearance here. The small circle discs are from a broken belt. The bulky chain that the natural stones are attached to are from a unwanted necklace. The natural stones were purchased.

The price of this item is $32.50 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the bracelet is ONLY for this Metal and Natural Stone bracelet.  There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

Thought For The Day:

Yesterday I rocked my vote! This should have been my third time voting, but it was only my second. This time, like the first time, I took lots of pride in voting.  I was proud because I exercised a right that my ancestors fought so hard for.  I documented my experience not because I was proud of who I voted for (although President Barack Obama won), I was more proud that I just made an effort to vote period.

Now I know, you may be saying, "Oh my goodness, you were documenting your experience?" And my answer to that would be an emphatic, "YES!". You may also ask, "Isn't that illegal?". Well that is what is so wonderful about this age of technology. We have information at our fingertips. I did some research, and there is no law for the state of NJ (where I vote) that states that it is illegal to document our voting experience or choice.

My choice is my choice. I don't rag on or have a problem with others who decided to vote for the party of their choice. That is what America is about right...CHOICE!

This is what the Federal Bureau of Investigation had to say, "Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice."

By documenting my own vote, I am not intimidating, harassing or interrupting other voters. I am protected by the federal law. I have the right to mark "my own" ballot. And that is exactly what I did folks!

Okay, enough of my racket! My prayer is that you voted period...whomever your choice was.

Pearls of Wisdom:

Choose your love, love your choice!

~ Thomas S. Monson

As always, thanks for purchasing, reading, commenting, subscribing and following! Until next post… 

Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Fall

 

The price of this item is $14 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the earrings are ONLY for these Feather Quartz Earrings.  There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

About This Piece

These earrings are new! All of the components come from other broken earrings. The gem at the top is light gray quartz.

 

Thought For The Day:

The fall season is quickly approaching. School has started, the weather is cooling down, and allergies are wreaking havoc on folks sinuses.

In the past, fall hasn't been my favorite of seasons. It reminds me that winter is right around the corner. And honestly, I could do without the winter season...at least the snow. This go round I wrap my arms around the fall season like a lover embraces their object of affection. It marks a fresh start for me. I am letting go of some things, people, and thoughts. I am adopting and implementing new habits that will become mainstays.

This morning as I was leaving a client the leaves were on the ground, which to me is a sure sign of fall. It reminded me of a few things.  Here in the NJ it rained. As the ground started to dry, the wet fallen leaves were the last to dry, leaving a wet ring that surrounds them. It reminded me that in this new season, I am covered. Like the leaves, God has surrounded me with just what I need to make it through this upcoming season. There is nothing that can change that. And when I have completed this season and ready for the next, I will be carried by His fresh wind to the next part of the journey, just as a the dry leaf is carried to its next destination.

Pearls of Wisdom:

Through the years I have been getting better and better and better, and it's what you learn through the seasons!
~ David Ortiz

Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Random Thoughts

 Front view

 Front view

Back view

The price of this item is $25 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under this bracelet is ONLY for this Peace Begins With Bracelet.  There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

About This Piece

This is a new piece that has lots of mixed pieces. The metal circles on the front of the bracelet are part of a chain belt. The attached bronze chain pieces inside the circles come from a necklace, and the piece of chain on the sides connected to the toggle come from a belt as well. 

Thought of The Day:

A few days ago it was September 11th...the anniversary of such a tragic event that killed plenty of folks 11 years ago, and all I can think about are random thoughts. Truthfully, I am not even sure the random thoughts would make any sense to anyone other than myself right now!

I guess for the most part my mind drifts towards my resolve to do this thing I call my purpose.

I am taking you on a ride through transparency lane. Sometimes I am not sure if this world will catch on to what God has given me to give. Sometimes I am not sure if I have the stamina to create until that "yes" comes. Sometimes the feeling of stability can't come fast enough, although I am unsure if being comfortable is something that is good for me.

At the end of the day...I JUST WANT TO CREATE! I want to create without thinking about anything else, but creating. I don't want to have to think about where funding is going to come from. I don't want to have to worry about coming up with a savvy sales pitch so that folks will buy, and I don't want to have to think about customizing my creations so much that they are no longer my creations.

All that may sound a bit unreasonable, unrealistic and perhaps even a little lazy in some aspects. It's so true though. I simply want to share where I have been, where I am, and where I am going through this creative outlet that God has given me.

Pearls of Wisdom:

God grant your children the ability to see clearly each individual tree, which compiled make up a forest. Let us appreciate each individual blessing that eventually serves to set the stage to allow us to understand the big picture.

Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Increased Production

 

 

The price of this item is $40 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under this necklace is ONLY for this Square Serpentine Chain Necklace.  There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

About This Piece

This is another piece that has been here before. The chain portion was a broken belt. The bottom chandelier portion is from a broken bracelet that I decided to cut to get the effect you see. The square wavy stones are green serpentine, and the small round stones are semiprecious rulite quartz. I am partial to this piece. I have been looking for a way to use these particular green serpentine stones for a while, and now was the perfect time.

Thought For The Day:

I have taken the plunge. The TV in my bedroom is gone! 

The first night was extremely peaceful, and this morning I woke up feeling refreshed and was really productive. I made some necessary calls, went through mail I haven't opened in months (I know... pretty pathetic), and did a little bit of organizing. 

I rearranged my room a little to accomodate the missing tube. I now have two bookcases where the TV used to be. So I wake up looking at books, which is a good thing.  I actually like book stores and libraries for this very reason. It's nice to bring a little slice of what I deem serene to my bedroom!

I will keep you all posted!!!

Thanks for purchasing, reading, following and commenting! Until next post...

Be blessed!

Pearls of Wisdom:

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.

~ Thomas A. Edison

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Sacrifice

 

The price of this item is $18 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the earrings are ONLY for these Chain Chandelier Earrings.  There will be posts following with other jewelry available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

About This Piece

These chandelier earrings have been here before! I didn't sketch a concept for these earrings out in my journal, although I sketched it out plenty of times in my head. The execution was pretty effortless, and the finished product was what I hoped it would be.

The main oval shaped piece hails from a belt that was purchased from a broken lot of jewelry. The chain pieces came from a necklace (shown above) that was in the lot of jewelry given to me by one of my mentors.

Thought For The Day:

I am convinced that everything great comes with some sort of sacrifice!

Before this season I thought I knew what sacrifice was. The reality is though, I had no clue what the word meant. It was just a cute word for me to say to put up a front for others that I was putting things away that were preventing me from growing in life, but mainly my purpose.

In this season of sacrifice, I am thinking about sacrificing the TV in my room. I almost don't believe that I am saying that, but I am. In the past few weeks I have done without cable for the most part. I had to get rid of DISH. It didn't fit in the budget for this new season of sacrifice and was just another bill that was robbing my pockets and my time.

So in getting rid of DISH I thought that it would be great to get rid of the TV in my room altogether. I have always heard that it was best to use your bedroom for sleep only, and I think that I am ready to try that theory out in some form or fashion.

I really do get more done without mindlessly watching TV. I am more creative and even more at peace. I will have more space for the mountains of items that I have, and when I do watch TV it will be with purpose.

Let's face it...there are several other TVs in my home, I still have Netflix, and the internet if I want to watch something special. Ultimately I do believe that I am probably setting myself up for a wonderful marriage free of the TV in my future love nest! What a lesson and more importantly, what a sacrifice!

Ready to make that change!

And while I am on the subject of sacrifice, I want to thank a couple that is special to me. They sacrifice much, and today sacrificed greatly! God hears the cries of His children, often answers in mysterious ways, and when we least expect it!  I love the Stewards, and am so grateful for them on so many levels!!!

Thanks for reading, commenting, purchasing and following! Until next post...

Pearls of Wisdom:

“Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to.”  
~ Mitch Albom

Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

The Courage To Continue

Front & back view 

Burnished parts for the toggle

The dress I got the charms from. You can see where I took the charms off!

SOLD

This beauty was sold to a woman by the name of Katie at the Piazza at the Schmidt's Bazaar that Exo31 Art took part in on Sunday, August 26th! Thanks Katie for supporting local artists!
 

   Although this bracelet is sold, stay tuned because there will be posts following with other bracelets available to purchase. Also, please remember that Exo31 Art jewelry is recreated from other broken or unwanted pieces. That means that most pieces are one of a kind and cannot be duplicated. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale!

  

I posted this bracelet before. It's a beautiful piece. The circle portion of the toggle comes from a broken belt, and the end of the toggle comes from a bracelet that I took apart. I burnished the created toggle to create a worn look. I saw so much potential in these charms on the dress a friend gave me. The dress fared well without them too! I took the jump rings off a broken belt, and the chain is from another piece of broken jewelry from the lot I purchased a few years ago.

Thought For The Day:

I woke up this morning feeling the sting of the blows that come along with pursuing this creative vision I have been given. I thought (like I have so often) it would be so much easier to get a 9 to 5, but who am I kidding? I am not built for that. I am miserable in that atmosphere...zapped of energy and creativity.

I often wonder if I have enough courage to continue with this journey, but today asked God this very same thing, and cried out for courage. Well, here I am...at my office (Starbuck's) pushing past my feelings and getting work done!

While I hate feeling this way, I understand its origin. This weekend was absolutely amazing from Friday to Sunday. As Proverbs 18:16 tells us, " A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great."  I yielded to my gifts this weekend and gave them freely, and indeed I was in the presence of greatness! Doors were opened, and I look forward to many more opening as a result.

Performance painting done on Saturday for a wow renewal ceremony. Thank you Nate & Thilana Chandler for this awesome opportunity! They used a print of the painting as wedding favors!

So despite this temporary rough patch, I have my game face on...time to win! Until next post...

Pearls Of Wisdom:

I get low
I get high
But I keep my hands to the sky
I won’t break down, not this time
But I keep on running, even through the lows and high
Hold me God, pull me close and show Your nigh 
~ Lows and Highs by S.O. featuring Leah Smith

Be Blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Defining Style

The price of this item is $18 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the earrings are ONLY for these Blue Tye Dye Screen Earrings.  There will be posts following with other earrings available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

 
Thought For The Day:

It's mid morning here in NJ, and it's rather gloomy, but I am feeling super creative! I am actually feeling much like I can do anything, which is a good thing since I have so much to take care of.

I mentioned a book in an earlier post called "Imagine" by Jonah Lehrer. It's a pretty deep book that unfolds a little more scientifically how creativity works. As I was reading a chapter called The Unconcealing yesterday I was floored by how many similarities I had with some great artists.

It goes into the idiosyncrasies of a legendary graphic designer who came up with the infamous I (heart) NY campaign. He, much like myself, used whatever medium he needed to in order to get his point across. “ Glaser has no defining style. He isn’t a minimalist or a maximalist, a realist or a cartoonist. (‘I distrust styles’, he says. ‘To have a style is to be trapped.’) Instead, Glaser treats each assignment as a unique problem with its own requirements and constraints. He doesn’t know what the answer will look like or what kind of image it will require.”

I completely understand how Glaser feels. Working with just one medium or just in one particular style definitely makes me feel like a caged bird begging to be free. I paint, draw, design, etc. how I feel, and to do anything less is like committing a highway robbery. I understand that sometimes in this industry I may have to bend to fit the mold, but for the most part, I am stern about not fitting in the box if it doesn't lend to how I feel.

So here is to using different mediums to express who I was created to be!

Until next post...ta ta! Don't forget to share, comment and follow!

Sketch Of The Day:

I had been trying to sketch this all week. I took it on as a 30 min sketch. I like the image and took some artistic liberties with it. 

Pearls Of Wisdom: 

"Style is the hallmark of a temperament stamped upon the material at hand."

~ Andre Maurois


Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Thinking...

 

The price of this item is $18 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the earrings are ONLY for these Cheetah Print Screen Earrings.  There will be posts following with other earrings available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

 

Thought For The Day:

I've been thinking. As a matter of fact, all I have been doing is thinking.  It's almost too much thinking to be honest. It's the kind of thinking that wakes you up in the morning and keeps you awake at night.

They aren't worried or fearful thoughts. They aren't thoughts of not having enough time or money to accomplish what I believe I was birthed to do. They aren't thoughts of being single or childless. They aren't thoughts of the injustices of this world. And they aren't thoughts of what's next.

They are actually quite joyful thoughts. They are thoughts of excitement. I am excited that I am finally realizing who I am, and am finally comfortable with me. I am excited that I have family and friends that support me and believe in the vision that God has given me.  I am excited that I know my purpose and going after it with a tenacity that won't quit.

 I can honestly say that I am learning to enjoy the journey! As I posted on Facebook this morning...I woke up refreshed knowing that although things aren't perfect, I trust that He is in control! I am resting in that small morsel of truth today.

The fact is the rundown of "aren'ts" above are true on paper for now, but they are not my end. So I find rest in the truth that my victorious destination is a beautiful one! One that I don't have to be concerned about how I will attain. The victorious destination will come in it's due season!

Sketch Of The Day:

This isn't such a detailed sketch, but it was an impulse sketch.I am trying to make sure that I do more sketching like this. It was done while in the recording studio. It helped to bring a creative surge to some lyrics I needed to write.

Pearls of Wisdom:

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
~ Henry David Thoreau


Be blessed!

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.

Creating The Atmosphere

The price of this item is $18 (tax and shipping not included), and please remember that the paypal button under the earrings are ONLY for these Giraffe Print Screen Earrings.  There will be posts following with other earrings available to purchase, and in the event it is needed, a return policy is at the end of this post. If you are looking for other items that are for sale, please hit the for sale label on the left side of this blog. That will bring up all the items that are currently for sale.

Thought For The Day:
Like so many artists, I have an alternate form of income in order to avoid from becoming a starving artist. For those that know me know that I am also a massage therapist. I used to waste an immense amount of time in between clients. Last week a friend challenged me to use each bit of my time wisely. She encouraged me to treat my business as my job. That means that I need to designate at least 40 hours towards my craft each week in the midst of the 90 million other things that I need to do. My purpose is worth at least that!

This is my first week, and I have gotten a good start this week. So far I have logged in about 25 hours with the rest of today and tomorrow to go.

It dawned on me today that there are atmospheres where I feel more creative than others.  I’ve also found that those atmospheres vary depending on what type of art I am working on. 

I love to paint in a naturally lit area that has lots of windows where I can gaze at the outside world. I like to paint alone mostly (with little to no interruptions) with loud music of the genre that lends to the piece of work I am painting. I can conceptualize for a painting, draw, and journal for the most part in any setting.

I know the experts say that the bedroom is supposed be used exclusively for sleeping, but for me crafts are best done in the comfort of my bedroom work desk. There is something about the bed being readily available to take a nap when I need to that is so appealing while doing crafts. I can take a quick break when needed, and get up and get right back to work.

I tend to write (poetry, songs, blog postings) best in an area that is dimly lit with a steady flow of people, and music quietly playing through ear buds.

With that said, in light of this new 40 hours a week that I am committing to my craft, I have no choice but to create an atmosphere that is conducive to what I need to do regardless of where I am. The things that my gifts and talents will produce are worth me giving it my very best shot!

Sketch of the Day:
Of course I was inspired by my garden today. So excited to see the veggies grow!

Pearls of Wisdom:
" Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts.And never hope more than you work."

~ Rita Mae Brown

 Be blessed!

 

Exo31 Art, LLC Jewelry Return Policy

If you are not satisfied with your jewelry, you may return it for an exchange or credit ONLY. Any item purchased at a retailer other than Exo31 Art, LLC cannot be returned to Exo31 Art, LLC for an exchange or credit. Please contact the retailer your items were purchased from.

• Your exchange or credit must be requested within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Please notify us via email (exo31art@gmail.com) before the return.  Your package must be postmarked within 7 calendar days of receiving it.
• Jewelry must be its original, new, unworn, and undamaged condition to be eligible for exchange or credit. 
• All return shipping charges are the customer's responsibility and cannot be refunded. Please return jewelry in its original package. When shipping please make sure that the container is well padded and ship using UPS or USPS. Shipping insurance is not required, but recommended. Exo31 Art, LLC is not responsible for damages or loss incurred in return shipping.
• Information as to where to return items will be sent in response to your exchange or credit request email.
• Once your jewelry item has been received and examined, your original method of payment will be credited within one week, not including the original or return shipping costs. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund once it is processed.