The Shift Back Into the Flow

Well hello! It's been awhile! So much has changed and shifted. I started off 2018 with several exciting events. Things had been brewing for some time but stars aligned and I was able to find an affordable work space!  I recently held an open house at my new place in the Arts Colony Pomona, CA. For those that haven't made it by yet here are some pics. The building is over 100 years old and it's just amazing!

It is so great to have somewhere to be creative again! If anyone needs anything or would like to come see what I have on hand, or simply stop by for a cup of tea, just give me a call or text and make sure I am there 909-519-8572. I am trying to be there 10-4pm daily but I can be there any time if I know you are coming. Also I am growing my crystal and stone collection. If anyone wants anything particular please let me know.

So while I was moving in I had a right place right time moment. I found a darling little drop leaf table I was trying to load in the door with my friend Heather. A woman happened to be walking by and offered to help hold the door for us. We got to talking and she asked if I had any jewelry I could show her. I invited her up to my studio and she said "want to be in an art show?" Turns out she runs The dA Center for the Arts and their Simply Red show featuring local talent was about to open the next day! I pulled several pieces and brought them right over! The show is going really well! I've sold several pieces so far and the show continues through March 30, 2018. She also invited me to participate in their Art in Bloom fundraiser this last Friday, as well as the Art Walk the following day. It also went really well! I decided last minute to join in with the fun for Art in Bloom by creating a crystal grid using flowers to compliment the theme.

A crystal grid is a geometric mandala style layout that is place with intent to attract a certain outcome. This grid was for prosperity, positivity, optimism, and cooperation. I think it did it's job just fine! I met so many amazing people from the art community. I also got to witness what the dA does for the community first hand. While I was there, they held a beginning violin course to expose local children to something they ordinarily would not have the means to afford. The also offer art classes in a variety of mediums from paint to pottery and more! Some are free and other have a minimal fee. I am looking forward to working with them in the near future. We have already discussed the possibility of a mother child jewelry making tea party for Mother's Day. Stay tuned!

Here is the link to the dA Center for the Arts. Please support this organization! They have given me the warmest welcome into the community and give so much back to the youth in the area.

Another big event early this year was music related! For those that don't know besides the jewelry, I also sing with my band 90 Proof, play keys and write music. Jimmy Ganzer and I had written a few songs over the last few years with his band, The Fallen Electric. TFE recently released their album "Never Seen The World" on January 20, 2018! I was beyond proud and excited to be a part of the process.

Album Cover Designed by NuncioX

Photo by Heather Bejar

It's been an amazing 4 year journey filled with all kinds of detours and twists but in the end it was all worth the wait and things went exactly as they should have! My talented friends Heather Bejar took amazing photos of the band in our foothills and Alan Nuncio of NuncioX was responsible for all of the layout, graphic design and printing. I love that so many local Artist were able to collaborate on this album. Matt McCasland of New Sound Studios was responsible for recording and mastering the album.  Jimmy poured his heart and soul into this project. So many people were part of it's creation and I was honored to help and watch it all come to fruition. 

Please support these local Artists!

Click here for NuncioX

Click here for Heather Bejar

Click here for The Fallen Electric

All in all, so much has happened and yet remained the same.  Things have turned up for me quite a bit. After a long period of swimming upstream, it seems I am back in the flow! With all that has happened I am constantly reminded to never give up, just reroute! I am trusting my intuition more and relying on my instincts to help move me in the right direction and it seems to be paying off. My path has lead me back to everything that I'm passionate about... music, jewelry, intuitive arts, and creating. I am looking forward to what the future has in store!

I love you all and appreciate the support and encouragement more than you know! I've been trying to post new items in Etsy daily, so be sure to check out my online shop too! 

Vintage Fairy Finds on Etsy

Sparkle on!
Crystal

Tuscon Time!

Hey remember me! I'm back! It's a new year 2015 and I hope it is treating you all well so far. Time for some big changes! I spent the end of 2014 really thinking about where I'm heading, what's truly important to me, and what exactly I'm doing. I've spent the last half of 2014 lost in a world of music. 

I have been writing with my friend Jimmy Ganzer and it has reopened up old creative doors for me that I find myself wanting to explore again. Please like the band page on Facebook. We are in the process of recording an album and we will be posting some music very shortly, so you all can hear what's going on.

www.facebook.com/FallenElectric

It has been a much needed break from the jewelry show circuit that I had been chasing non-stop the last 3 years. I was burning out on the jewelry thing and running on empty by the end of 2014. I made the decision to take a break from the Pasadena show this January because a good friend of mine is getting married and I couldn't stand the thought of missing another important event over work. I am however still heading to Tucson this year and I am very excited about it because I am not stressed out! I am in a new location at the Radisson on Speedway. It's the same show, the venue was just changed due to a remodel at the Windmill. The show starts on Monday Feb 2nd through Saturday Feb 7th I have been busy digging through all of my personal stash. 

I have decided it's time to part with some treasures I have been hoarding. I will of course have tons of sparkly treasures along with a ton of these one off pieces. You won't want to miss this one!  I can't wait to see everyone! I've met so many amazing people over the last few years in Tucson. It will be awesome to catch up with everyone!

I do want to let you all know I will not be at Glitterfest this Spring. I'm kinda bummed about missing this one, but I just don't have enough time between Tucson and Glitterfest's new date of Feb 28, 2015.  I may still have to go shop though! Don't worry! I plan to be back in the Fall and with a bunch of new work to show you. 

In the meantime you can always find me in my 

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/vintagefairyfinds 

or email me if there is anything you need. 

I plan to do a few local trunk shows at bead stores over 1st part of the year as well. All you locals are always welcome to come shop me in my home as well or I can come to you.  Just contact me at (909) 519-8572 and we can set up a time. 

So I only made one resolution this new year and that is to create. I have been lucky enough to be blessed with many talents and I want to use this year to explore all of them and maybe find something new that I'm good at in the process! I hope to see you soon!

Sparkle on!
Crystal xoxo

Do what you love now

This year is just flying by! I know I say that a lot but the events that have started off this year have made me realize there is just not a moment to waste. I knew going into 2014 it would be nonstop. I would be heading into my usual crazy show line up-Pasadena Bead and Design, Tuscon Bead Show at the Windmill, Bead Boutique in Concord, CA and finally Glitterfest in March. Literally a show every two weeks. I knew it was going to be hard work but I was used to that, but life has a way of throwing a wrench in our plans. Sometimes I think it's just to see what we can handle or maybe to put things into perspective. So lets go back to January. Some of you know that besides all the jewelry stuff I sing in a band. It is my other love. One of our fans and good friend of mine, Jimmy, very suddenly and unexpectedly lost his Father just moments after the year had begun. It really hit home hard, much harder than I actually anticipated. I had come to know their family because they have supported and loved our music for years. Jimmy had his own band that he had recently started which I had managed to catch a show or two. There I had a few moments to speak to his Dad, but really in the grand scheme of things, he was just an acquaintance. I could count on both hands the number of conversations we had had, but this person had left such an impression he had made his way into my dreams several times. His passing had much more of an impact than I was prepared for and I wasn't sure why. He was not only the same age as a my Father, but was equally as enthusiastic about music as my Dad is. I guess in someway he reminds me of my Dad. He would talk to me about how proud he was of his son Jimmy. He looked at Jimmy the way my Dad looks at me when I am performing. My Dad and I spent a lot of time playing music with Jimmy the first few months of this year. It seemed like the only way we could get him to smile and forget about his loss even if only for a few moments. Music is magic like that. It's the most powerful mood changer I know of.
At the same time all this was unraveling my Dad's twin brother was slowly losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. We lost Uncle Dan on Feb 18th, a few days after I got home from Tucson, which was also a few days after their 61st Birthday. Oddly enough the same age as Jimmy's Dad. It didn't seem fair. Two good people gone way too soon. My Uncle was a huge inspiration to me. Not only was he just as cool of a guy as my Dad is, he recently followed his dream to be a business owner right around the same time I did. He opened and ran a successful high end Bass Specialty store which had been lacking in the music industry. I loved hearing all the news about who was coming to do a demo in his store and how much all of his customers loved the service he was providing. It encouraged me to keep going the same way all of my customers encourage me at these trade shows.  But all of a sudden, all of this loss shifted my perspective. It made my question what I was doing. I still had 2 more shows to get through and inspiration was completely eluding me. All I felt like doing was crawling under a blanket and giving up. I know everyone deals with loss differently and it is normal to feel all of these things, but I felt like what I was creating was all of a sudden completely unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I was burned out and at the same time I was tired of wasting precious time. I was stuck. I didn't know how to snap out of it. All I wanted to do was escape from all responsibilities. This panic set in of impending deadlines but it just made it even harder to be creative. I ended up turning to the one thing that lets me escape everything, music. I had been spending a lot of time with Jimmy and his band The Fallen Electric as well as my Dad and the rest of the boys from my band 90 Proof. We sang. We forgot about everything. All the sadness just disappeared. We escaped to this alternate universe that only musicians can really understand and there my muse was hiding. I decided to use that escape as inspiration. 

The piece used lyrics from Coldplay's Yellow "it's true look how they shine for you"

I set out to incorporate lyrics from my favorite songs to create art and jewelry for Glitterfest. I was so in love with every piece it was hard to see them go. 

"Hero" was a piece I made using an old war medal, laundry pin, skeleton key and steel cut buckle. The lyrics "There goes my hero" were decoupaged on the skeleton key. Our band had dedicated it to Jimmy's Dad shortly after his passing.

    So I pushed through this artistic block with the help of my encouraging friends and greatest escape- the music. It always seems to come back to music for me. It's like breathing. Jimmy had written an original song about that feeling music gives you and the escape it provides. The song is called "Take Me Away." It's one of my favorites and I couldn't have said it better myself. So much has changed for me in just a few short months. I am refocusing my energy on what matters the most to me and breathing new life into what I am creating. As for Jimmy he is back to writing and performing his music with his band The Fallen Electric and they are rockin' harder than ever!

So what is to be learned from all of this? Don't give up! Ever! Inspiration is hiding in the most unlikely of places sometimes. Life is short! Tomorrow is never promised. Tell the people you love how much they mean to you because you never know. Most importantly, follow your dreams so when your time is up you can go without regrets.

Please take a moment & follow Jimmy's band The Fallen Electric on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/FallenElectric

Drew, Jimmy and Jon - The Fallen Electric

and to see where I'll be playing next 

www.90proofrocks.com or like us on facebook too!

https://www.facebook.com/90ProofRocks

Be sure to catch my rings in the latest Spring issue of Jewelry Affaire and check out what is new in my Etsy Shop! www.etsy.com/shop/vintagefairyfinds

Sparkle on!

Crystal

RIP

Dan Basica Feb 10, 1953- Feb,18 2014

Jim Ganzer Oct 31, 1952- Jan 2, 2014