Simply Mad about de-cluttering and de-signing

I like publishing my postings on Mondays...the beginning of a brand new and shiny week, a fresh start, 5 days full of endless hours (ok, ok, not endless, but Mondays certainly hold the most hours to be had in a work week...) to make jewelry!  Mondays inspire me!  I am happy to leave the weekend behind and start up a new week with all its possibilities.  YAY for Mondays!!!!

Last week, I meant to start working on the "Japanese collection" - by the way I need a MUCH cooler name for it so send your suggestions, I feel a contest brewing.  Remember I told you and showed you the inspiration piece on the second to last posting?  Remember, that colorful and soft piece of Japanese silk I found tucked away at the flea market?  Here it is again...

Japanese silk; inspiration piece

Well, last Monday right after I told you about my find, I was ready to sit down and start making bright-colored jewelry, but something happened.  I sat at my work table and something didn't feel right.  Hmmmm...I didn't know where to start, all the beads were looking at me begging to be picked but I was stuck.  I sat back and looked around me and there it was!  THE MESS!  My studio was a complete mess...not dirty, just disorganized.  I couldn't stand it!   I put my tools and beads aside and spent the better part of the week de-cluttering, re-organizing, re-storing and re-labeling.  My beads are now neatly stored and categorized by color, folders have been filled with previously loose papers, and I rearranged the furniture for ease of movement and hopefully better flow of energy.  I felt like I was clearing my creative mind and making room for all those ideas, colors and beads that were waiting to be picked and explored!  Cleaning=Cleansing=Good for the soul :)

By the end of the week I was ready!  I sat down and approached my designing process in a whole new way.  New Year!  New Week!  New Approach!  You see,  ever since I started making jewelry, there has never been a rhyme or reason as to why I make the kind of jewelry I make or how I arrived at a particular design.  I would just buy materials I liked and in my head I would picture a piece and voila!  It was made!  That kinda of work, but there was always something missing - a why or what or how?  That has been my biggest challenge; to find my style, my theme, my story.  But with the new year and my renewed motivation, I thought I would do something different.  I have already decided my collections will have a travel-inspired twist, they will be born from places I have been to; from a picture, or a souvenir or a little treasure found in a local flea market. That will give the piece an instant story.  But I needed more.  I need to connect with my jewelry. 

This time I took my time to sit down and do some sketches of the mental pictures I had - I will not win a prize for drawing bu that's not the point.  Much like journal-ing, when you put all your thoughts on paper to clear your head (I am a BIG, HUGE journal-er, I do it first thing in the morning so I call them my "morning pages" and it does help), sketching helps me see my ideas more clearly.  By doing so, I don't stay up at night trying to dream up the next necklace or pair of earrings.  I am developing a new creative process and my little heart is very happy...jumping-up-and-down-happy.  Knowing the why? and what? of my designs makes me more proud to call them my own.  And in turn more confident in sharing them with you!  They are my babies...I am seeing them from inspiration to sketch to construction to the finish line - ready to be sent off to make someone happy whenever she wears it.

some sketches...Mad-style sketching

This inspiration piece has also made me push my boundaries a bit.  Normally, a monochromatic-muted-colors-kinda a girl, I find myself really leaning toward the pinks, the oranges and blues on the pattern.  I will dive in and roll around in these colors and I will honor Japan with a spring collection! After all, spring is the best season in Japan...endless festivals are held all across the country bringing the cities and it's people to life with colors, dances and age old traditions.  And who can forget the awe-inspiring cherry blossoms!  Here are some picts from Japanese spring festivals.  See all the color?

I could have chosen a wintery picture of Mt. Fuji and give my monochromatic-muted-colors side some joy with a black, white and gray collection....but nope!  Oh no!  This is the year to push the envelope, take risks and take a leap!  So Japan in the Spring it is! 

gathering materials

Will unveil the collection 2 weeks from today, but first I need a "SIMPLY" awesome name - submit yours for the chance to win a pair of Simply Mad earrings from the new collection - your choice!  I will have a contest on Facebook, so head on over to Facebook and click LIKE so you don't miss any of the details!

Cheers to a colorful week for everyone!!!
Mad

Tokyo looks Pretty in Pink - Sakura Season

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Cherry Blossoms (Sakura in Japanese) have finally bloomed and if you blink you might miss them!  The delicate pink tones of the flowers give this enormous and urban city a much softer and sweeter edge even if only for fleeting moment.  The blooms only last for about a week or two.  Rain and wind can cut this time in half :o(  We went for a walk this past weekend just to see what all the fuss is about (I had never witnessed a Cherry Blossom season) and OMG! it is all they say it is and then some!  These trees are breathtaking.

Cherry Blossoms have great significance in Japanese culture.  They can be found on paintings on dishes, on Kimonos’ design even on the street you come across an occasional concrete tile that has a cherry blossom flower on it.  I think those denote a viewing route.  Now that we live here I had to find out exactly what is it that these trees represent to the Japanese people. 

Cherry Blossoms are native to China and Japan.  The ones found in Washington were given to the USA by Japan as a symbol of friendship in 1912.  In China the tree is associated with women’s dominance and beauty as well as the female body and sexuality.

In Japan, the meaning has evolved along the centuries.  Historically, it had a more religious and philosophical meaning - they were admired and held in high regard because the short blooming season reminded them of the short cycle of life.  And it was an opportunity to ponder on the transient nature of one’s life.  They were also associated with Samurais who were expected to have very shot lives.

Today, however, the activities surrounding cherry blossom season are the social kind.  They have come to symbolize innocence, spring and simplicity.  People use Sakura season as an opportunity and get together with friends and family to eat, drink sake and be merry!  These gatherings are called “hanami” and they are as popular today as they were thousands of years ago!

These trees are truly one of nature’s wonder!

More blogging to come….Tokyo is amazing and everyday I discover something new and interesting I want to share with you!  Stay tune and follow this blog so you don’t miss out on any postings!

Mata-ne (See you soon)

Mad