Meeting Tony Romo - Jewelry for his Wife AND Making My Brother's Dream Come True.

Can I tell you how special my brother Greg is?  And can I tell you I'd do anything to make him laugh, see him smile and make his dreams come true?

I had the experience of a lifetime this week as I was able to arrange for my brother Greg to meet one of his football idols in person.  Greg has been a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan (not sure how as he was born & raised in Wisconsin, but then I'm a Bear fan so I'll leave that alone).  Greg and my Dad even had a road trip a few years ago to drive all the way to Canton, OH to the Football Hall of Fame to witness the induction of Deion Sanders into the Hall of Fame and get his autograph... that's how big of a fan Greg is.

JOKE of the day... so a Bears Fan, a Cowboys Fan, a Packer Fan and a 49ers fan get into a car... yep, that was Myself, Greg, my sister Brenda and my mom... we're still laughing at ourselves.

Anyhow the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo grew up in Burlington, WI just down the road from where we grew up.  Once a summer, he returns to his hometown to host a football camp for young football players locally.  When I heard he was coming to town, I put my fingers to work and was able to contact someone who put me in touch with one of Tony's really close personal friends.

As a team, we were able to arrange a meeting so Greg could meet Tony in person and get his autograph.  We were also able to sit in on a live press conference, that was really cool.  I gained a lot of respect for Tony via the message he shared at his press conference.  He spoke of making the most of your opportunities when they present themselves.  He spoke of having a dream and following it.  He also talked about how important it is to give back - in his case to the community, to charities and to the fans that are behind him through great games and "not so great" games.  His sincerity was touching and the way he connected with Greg and I felt like he was an old friend, someone we could go grab a burger and a beer with.

What was more amazing though, Greg didn't know we were actually going to meet him.  Greg knew he was in town for the camp and thought we were going to head over there with hopes we could catch a glimpse of him.  I envision him saying "Dawn, there he is... can you run and get his autograph" then having me take off in my flip flops running down the football field in pouring rain trying to catch up to the 6'2" superstar quarterback.  Now THAT would have been something to catch on video for YouTube.  LOL

So even with the thought that we might see him, Greg is always looking out for his big sister.  His thought was, well if we do actually get to see him, you should make a piece of jewelry for him to give his wife.  I'm sure she'd love your jewelry.  Okay, BRILLIANT THOUGHT dear brother... and why it never crossed my mind I'm still puzzled over.  So I did a little research on Tony Romo's wife to get a feel for her personal style, tastes and created something that I think she'll be pleased to wear.  She'll be able to root for the Dallas Cowboys without sporting that ginormous star logo.  The custom designed necklace I made would allow her to be classy and elegant, allowing her support for the team an her natural beauty shine.

It was an amazing day and a great memory that we will all cherish forever!  And if Tony Romo and his wife want to come to our family BBQ anytime, we'd like to extend an open invitation.  Thank you for taking a sincere interest in making Greg's dream come true!

If you're looking for classy Dallas Cowboys jewelry or custom designed jewelry to support your favorite team, I'm happy to design something for you!  Making something exclusive and one-of-a-kind is my specialty and I'd be honored to help you support your favorite team and have a unique piece of jewelry you can pass down as your legacy!

Spring Inspired Jewelry Designs

Yes, we still have snow on the ground where I live in Lake Geneva, WI.  BUT I'm going to use the Power of Positive Thinking that Spring is on the way soon... she just had to stop and pick up a new handbag and killer heels.  :) And until she arrives fashionably late I'm going to stay inspired by pieces I've created that remind me of spring. 

Butterfly Kisses - Available for purchase

Fern Gully - Available for Purchase

Princess for a Day - Custom Order with JulsBead Focal

The funny thing where I live, the old saying goes something like this: "If you don't like the weather in Wisconsin, wait 5 minutes and it'll change."  Interestingly enough... it still feels like Winter.  However, this weekend we're supposed to be in the upper 40's (and maybe hit 50 - gasp!) for Easter Sunday.  So at least all the little adorable girls in the precious little white Easter dresses won't be too chilly.  They will have to worry about muddy shoes though!

GRAND Prize Winner - Romance in Bloom

Flowers for the Queen

I'm finishing an amazing cuff that I can't wait to share with you... picture this, chunky turquoise and amethyst with a druzy focal.  It really will be the bomb diggity when it's done... so off to the studio I go!

Walk in the Woods

Hope you have a fantastic day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

P.S.  I'm still sporadically having that thing with the "no-reply" email address when I'm commenting on other people's blogs.  It just did it again yesterday when I commented on my superstar glass girl JulsBeads!  So if you aren't sure if yours is also working right, I'd be happy to email you and let you know... just include your email address spelling out AT and DOT so the quirky online gremlin robots don't spam you.  :)

What is Art?

Art is evident in our world in many forms.  Art can be a painting or a sculpture.  Art can be photography or music.  Art can be movement and dance.  Art can take any form your mind can dream up.  

Art tells a story, whether in words, sounds, movements or feelings.  This piece was inspired by my heart and the feelings that are in it.  The focal is a lampwork glass work of art created by my dear friend Juls - JulsBeads.  I've had it in for a year (or 3) and loved it, loved the colors, but hadn't captured it's story. 

Until last week... and then it sang to me.  And I created it. 

I brought in shades of soft lavendar with Swarovski violet opal crystals, a rich amethyst and elegant turquoise.  I was even able to pull in Pantone's 2013 color of the year "Emerald" using blue zircon crystals. The necklace is finished with a few vintage inspired faceted glass beads and luxurious amethyst pearls. 

What's singing to you this week?  Are you working with black & gold or are you playing in green for St. Patrick's day!

Stay inspired~
Dawn

I Spy Something Turquoise

Did you ever play "I spy" as a kid... or count the (pick any color) vehicle as you were driving down the road in the back of the station wagon on a really longggggg carride?  Or was that just something my parents did to pass the time with the 4 of us wild & crazy kids?

Either way... I've been juggling a whole lot over the last number of weeks.  Let's just hope I don't drop my balls! ;) 

I started working on a piece using a focal that I've had for a very long time.  When a specific focal talks to you, you're supposed to drop everything and create, right?  Well taxes be damned and 87,524 other things on my plate right now, I've only been able to create in bits and pieces.  BUT, what I can promise you is that it will be amazing.  AND I promise it will be done before May.  IN ADDITION, I promise not to drop any balls... that could get messy. Tee hee he!

Coming Soon to a piece of wearable art - is one calling your name?

And because I really love you, that gorgeous lampwork focal in the piece I'm working on as well as the 6 you see above, were all created by my sister by choice, Julianna Cannon of Studio Juls (aka JulsBeads).  Juls gave me the kick in the shin I needed to dip my toes in the water of seed bead artistry and for that I am eternally grateful!  Won't you go show Juls some love and follow her blog?  She makes the most amazing glass focals and her beaded art is just out of this world! 

Love & Hugs to you!
~Dawn

Another Piece of Art created with a JulsBead focal

What starts as glass, transforms to wearable art! Thanks Juls for your inspiration!

Silver and Gold - Elegance and Oppulance in Beaded Jewelry

Have you seen it?  The bright shiny yellow gold finishes are all over this fall season and it looks like the trend will continue through the holidays!  It's been a long time since gold has been "in" as silver, antique silver and brass lent themselves to vintage inspired designs in the recent past. 

Recently I was inspired by a tutorial in Beadwork.  I usually flip through the magazine, get inspired and file it away with the rest of my jewelry magazines to take out when I'm having a lull of creativity.  However, I've been following their Beaded Bead series for their 15th anniversary and this one beaded bead popped off the page at me.  I thought what the heck I'd give it a try! 

I tried and I like!!!

I created 3 beaded beads for this necklace using the round beads as the inspiration for the color palette.  The rounds are black with silver and gold foil accents on them, lending perfectly to gold & silver netting for the beaded beads. 

I strung the necklace featuring pewter colored pearls, shiny gold rounds, some black faceted rondelles and a few bold, vintage gold beads for a little more va-voom!  The end result is a necklace that is super versatile, comfortable to wear and adds that splash of bling that I think every woman needs!

What's your "Must Have" in a design?  Is it a go-to color?  Are pearls in nearly all your pieces?  I know I bring Swarovski crystal in anywhere and everywhere I can because I really do thing every woman deserves to sparkle!  Follow me on Facebook for more inspired sparkles!

Hope your week is inspired!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

If you like this piece of custom designed artisan jewelry and would like something created just for you (or for someone that means a lot to you) now is the time to begin talking about Christmas gifts.  Drop me a message and we can discuss in more detail what you are looking for!  I just love creating a wearable work of art that perfectly depicts the person wearing it!

Custom Jewelry Order Spreads Happiness around the globe

It's amazing the reach of just one picture and the emotion it spreads.  Recently I finished a custom jewelry order.  What happened after sharing just one little picture shows just how much we can impact and make a difference to others.

The story goes something like this... a woman that knows I make jewelry was heading to a bead show with her friends.  She said if I pick up some beads, can you make me something with them.  Well Absolutely!!! I love bringing in someones personality into a design.

The beads she picked up were a great mix of turquoise, colored magnasite, red coral and some funky lampwork beads.  The colors were such a perfect mix for her vibrant personality I was instantly excited to make something with them.

Large Beaded Bead adapted from Beadwork, Small Beaded Bead adapted from Heather Collin's Anastasia tutorial

After discussing what she likes to wear for jewelry, I set out to make something truly special that showcased her personality to a T!

The necklace is a longggggggg necklace  - 42"-ish.  I wanted to incorporate the beads she selected with some seed bead work of my artisan hand.  I also wanted to make a pair of complimentary earrings because a piece this bold needed some WOW earrings to go along with it.

She received the set yesterday and the follow-up e-mail and voice mail she left me were really, really precious.  I'm thrilled she loved the design as it's what I see in her personality.  She's full of sparkle and shine and truly makes a difference in the lives of all of the people she interacts with!

My jewelry is out of this world! I love it! 

I love the way you write an email your passion oozes through!!!

Your work is so impressive and beautiful!!! I can’t wait to show my mom!

Mary Petersen, Keefe Real Estate, Inc - ABR, SRES,CHMS

www.sellinglakefronts.com

So when posting the picture of this set on Google+ imagine my delight as people started responding with "I agree, it makes me happy just looking at it" and "Absolutely uplifting and gorgeous work."  These coming from people locally all the way across the pond to South Africa!  The ripple effect stretches so much further than what we even realize... so my challenge for you today, do something that will make a difference again and again and again!

If you like this piece of custom designed artisan jewelry and would like something created just for you (or for someone that means a lot to you) now is the time to begin talking about Christmas gifts.  Drop me a message and we can discuss in more detail what you are looking for!  I just love creating a wearable work of art that perfectly depicts the person wearing it!

Dawn Doucette, Artisan

Have a terrific day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Get Your Custom Made Jewelry On

On occasion, I have a customer/client/friend/family member that sees a focal or beads that just speak to them.  However they don't know the first thing to do with such pretty beadiness.  The next action that transpires can be played in slow motion, with soft romantic music just like the love scenes in the movies.

They call (or e-mail) me to ask if I'd create custom made jewelry with the treasure they found!

I absolutely love creating custom made jewelry because I can bring the personality of the individual into the design.  That's what makes a piece so special... it wasn't design for just anybody.  It was designed especially for YOU.

Recently I had a set of beads sent to me that were orange raku.  If you've been following my blog for any length of time, one thing you'll see missing is anything in the color orange.  For some reason, my brain doesn't think well in orange or yellow tones.  So I had to wait for the right "ah ha" moment to strike me with what to design with these beads.

As I had hoped, I chatted with the beads and waited for them to b-mail me with how they wanted their party.  Once they decided and invited these funky vintage faceted beads to join them... and thus creating something that truly cannot be replicated.  Because vintage = mama ain't got no mo!

So if you see a set of beads or a focal pendant that are just shouting your name, and you haven't any idea what to do with it, consider asking for help from a jewelry artisan.  As an artisan, it brings me great joy to see a piece of custom made jewelry I designed put a smile on your face!

Have a fantastic week!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

P.S. Only 8 days of my 34% off sale left in my Artfire Store!  Great time to do a little back to school shopping for mom! :o)

Finding Your Niche WHILE Expressing Your Creativity

I'm a firm believer than when you find your niche (no matter what type of product or widget you create) you will still have abundant creativity and great ideas.

I also believe that while we can enjoy lots of things, if you really, really want to succeed as a true business (not a hobby) you need to find your niche and become really, really good at what you create.  It's not to say you can't enjoy doing multiple things, because as creative artisans, we all have several joys.  But the true love of what we create... the piece that comes from our heart... the pieces that reveal our soul are where we are meant to be.

I bring this up after creating custom made jewelry with several styles over the years.  I've strung, wire wrapped, crocheted, embroidered and woven.  Now that's one heck of a varied list when you're talking about handmade jewelry.  But, I really, really LIKE each style for different reasons.  It wasn't until I made the Dancing in the Tide Necklace that I had considered which direction was calling me. 

Seed beads have become like crack for me... seriously, I think they talk (outloud) to me.  They tell me where they want to live and who they want as neighbors and I just take their orders and try to make everybody happy.  After all, I'm a Libra... and I like balance.  In working with seed beads for a while, I finally got enough GUTS to try bead embroidery.  What was I afraid of?  Who knows, but I'm so glad I did.  Each piece is different, all are special and when I finish a piece, even I'm surprised at the messages they reveal.

Well last week (or maybe the week before) when I created the Dancing in the Tide necklace, it was like a Nirvana for me.  Each piece starts with a OOAK focal bead.  I happen to LOVE the artist Juli Cannon so her lampwork focals are most often the WOW factor in my pieces.  Why?  Because I know she pours an infinite amount of love into each-and-every-single-bead she makes.  Yes, they are all born of her very talented hands and knowing I'm helping out a fellow artisan is really important to me.

So I start with an already special piece and I added more pizazz and "Dawn-a-size" it, creating an even more OOAK piece.  I pride myself in being able to bring personality to a piece.  If I'm designing a custom order for someone, I like to bring their personality into a piece.  But if it's not a custom order, I let the focal do the talking.

I think I'm closer to finding my niche with this design.  Similar, but completely unique, I've created another seed bead necklace - again, similar but OOAK.  My goal is to be able to create a style that when somebody sees the photo or the jewelry on someone, they KNOW it's a Designs By Dawn Marie original! 

This very well could be one of those designs.  Each one I've made, it's like I can't get enough.  It feeds my creativity.  It's a mix of funk and a whole lotta soul!  The design is the type of project that makes me giddy to get in the studio in the morning and makes me forget that I didn't eat lunch. Say what?  I know... me forgetting to eat is like snow in Mexico... or is it? 

Where does your creativity buffet come from?  What's THE thing that makes you giddy to create what you create?  Hope your day is terrific! 

{Hugs!}

Wait Monday Don't Lose me...

I can't believe we're headed into the evening already.  My Monday has been NUTS... wait, back up... the last 3 days have been nuts.  But heck, I should be used to nuts and since I have a hankerin' for caramel cashew ice cream... I'll roll with the nuts.

Suffice it to say, Open House transition to going for coffee, coming home with a puppy and today has been adjustment day... wait, did I just say went for coffee came home with puppy?

No wonder I'm nuts!  Yes... and I'll tell you how serendipical that story is another day, but first, I have to share a piece I made that I myself am still drooling over.

Curly Girl by Designs by Dawn Marie

I call her Curly Girl.  I love purple... like almost as much as ice cream... somedays maybe more, just depends on if the bathroom scale is broken or not.  Broken = ICE CREAM bliss.  But purple speaks to me and has my entire life.  Pair it with a rich, coppery bronze... mmmmmm, now that leads to drool.

The idea for this necklace came from a set of beads I got from my favorite lampwork artist - JulsBeads.  I saw them the day she posted and said GIMMEEEEEEE, I couldn't log into paypal fast enough.  They were just shouting my name.  So they alone are each incredible works of art.  They are cylindrical in shape and surrounded with a coil of raised glass creating to me what looks like a curl... like my curls.

So once I had them in my hands, all the rest of the beads had a big 'ole party and made one heck of a piece.  I have to say, it turned out just how I hoped it would.  It will be in my Etsy store tomorrow (or later) it just depends when the puppy is napping.

I hope you enjoy Curly Girl as much as I do.  She's a looker that girl. :)  Thanks Juls for always making really, really special glass beads.  Honestly, your pieces make me smile just looking at them!

FYI, I'm also working on another Facebook Friday post for this week.  It's really, really an important tip that you will definitely want to read if you are on facebook at all (not just for your business, but personal too).  So stay tuned... okay, I must dash!

Thanks for checking in and hope your week is wonderful!
{Hugs!}

Pearls are a Girls Best Friend

Well Diamonds really fit that bill... but pearls rhymes with girls and rolls of the tongue beautifully!  So that's it... we'll stick with pearls!

WHY?  This is why...

This custom made jewelry set of pewter pearls with Czech FP rounds is striking... classy yet trendy with a pop of WOW!  I had gotten an e-mail from my website asking if I did custom orders.  It was from another jewelry artisan so I was immediately intrigued.  She creates jewelry, but doesn't work with seed beads, but she's always wanted a rope style necklace and bracelet that used Delicas and pearls.  So after making the copper and pearl bracelet, I sent her photos to see what she thought of that style!

It was a hit and is now en-route to it's new owner.  I know she'll love the way the pearl necklace sits on her collarbones!  It's really striking!

Today is the last day to vote for the Artbeads Make it for Mom Challenge.  If you haven't yet gotten in your vote, would you consider voting for my design Hope Eternal?  It was a labor of love from my heart with a very inspired message.  I greatly appreciate all those that have already voted and shared with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.

I hope you are having an inspired week!
Peace ♥ Happiness,
~Dawn