This Blog is Moving....

Reading my last post made me laugh. I laughed because when I wrote it, over a year ago, I was going through big changes. I was moving my studio and trying to figure out how to build a Nutritional Therapy Practice AND keep going with Larissa Spafford Designs. It's funny because I am still figuring it out. AND I'm still going with both!

I have just completely redone my entire website. I'm really happy with it, in fact, it's my favorite one yet. I'm also working on something else....

I've only told one or two people, so you are among the first to know, I'm working on an online store! It's a little daunting just typing it, but I'm doing it! I have no idea how long it will take, but it's happening.

For now, this blog is moving to my new website where I'm going to be posting more regularly. Thanks so much for reading!!!!!

Life is full of surprises if you are open to them...

I like change. It keeps life interesting and exciting. It can be difficult to go through, but when you're on the other side of it, doesn't it usually seem like it was for the best?

I love making glass beads and jewelry. I love having my studio at The Workhouse. That makes it even more difficult to be saying and doing this... I am moving my studio back to my garage.  It has been a great 2 1/2 years, but it is time for me to move on. April will be my last month of The Workhouse being home to my studio. It's definitely bitter sweet.

Why the change? I have another passion and career! It has been quietly brewing for many years. It was brewing so quietly that I didn't fully acknowledge it's existence until after it hit me, seriously, like a lightning bolt. Have you ever felt like you were just meant to do something? Like you just had to do something? That is how I still feel about beads and jewelry and that is how I feel about being a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP). I didn't know that NTPs existed, but as soon as I did, I knew that was what I needed to become.

It was just before Thanksgiving 2014 when I discovered the NTP training program. It was only a week after that before things came together and I was enrolled. Some people like to take their time and ponder their options before making major life decisions, not me, when I know, I know. Luckily school didn't start until February, so I had some time to adjust to my decision. It seemed crazy to take on something new when life was already so full. I remember thinking on multiple occasions, and even laughing about it, "I have no idea how I am going to do this, but I know I am." And I did! In October 2015, I graduated as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP).

I have since been juggling Larissa Spafford Designs and getting my budding Nutritional Therapy practice going, along with everything else that comes with life. I have been doing some serious soul searching and wondering how I can continue to do both things well. The answer I have come up with is I can't do it all. Well, I probably could, but I don't want to. I want to have free time, to enjoy time with my friends and family, to have time to do other things I enjoy. I want more balance. To have this I am going to work less on glass and jewelry and more on Bend Nutritional Therapy.

Some things aren't changing though...you will still be able to find my work at The Workhouse, Red Chair Gallery and my Etsy shop. And...beginning in June I will be teaching nutrition workshops at The Workhouse!




 

February 26th Begining Silver Metal Clay (PMC) Class

Hi!  I have another beginning silver metal clay class coming up Thursday February 26th from 5:30 to 9pm.  Registration closes at 10am Wednesday February 18th so I will have time to order supplies and have them arrive in time. You can find more details and register online by following this link:

https://squareup.com/market/the-workhouse

These are some examples of pendants I have made using PMC. In the class you will make a pendant you can wear right out of class!  Absolutely no prior jewelry making experience is necessary. Hope to see you there!

I followed my bliss....until it wasn’t my bliss anymore..... Now what??????

I followed my bliss of making jewelry which led to making beads, which led me to every Saturday at the farmers market for 8 years along with almost every Port Townsend craft fair, and some in Tacoma and Seattle. Then I, along with my family, followed our other bliss of snowboarding to Bend, Or.

I followed my bliss to bigger and better craft fairs throughout the west coast and even as far away as Baltimore and Chicago. 

It’s amazing what being fueled by passion can do. It was a lot of planning, packing, money, work and time. Overall it was a great and extremely rewarding experience....peppered by a few sketchy situations. Both the artists and customers (and sometimes artists were customers) I met along the way were so inspiring, and encouraging.

But one day, I found myself saying the words ‘I’m starting to loathe’ packing up for craft fairs, and setting up and taking down my booth. Loathe is not a word I use, maybe ever, especially not to describe anything I do. That is when I knew, even though at first I didn’t want to admit it, even to myself, that it was time to take a break from craft fairs.

At first the idea seemed crazy, like there was no way could I do that. But then it became easy. It was really simple. I just didn’t apply for the craft fairs. I let the deadlines pass......every time I would get an e-mail telling me about a  craft fair application deadline approaching I would delete it. Honestly, it was actually really satisfying.

So here I am, towards the end of my first summer in at least 13 years that I haven’t participated in one craft fair or market. Not one. It’s no wonder I’ve felt a little confused about what I’m doing lately. Now it’s time to apply for next years shows. Some of the deadlines have already passed, and guess what? So far, I’ve continued let them pass and haven’t applied to one.

I’m not saying I’m never going to do a craft fair again. I already felt a twinge of wanting to do one when I saw Art in The High Desert is happening this weekend. But for now I am taking a break. I’m focusing on the other areas of my art and business, the ones I do still enjoy and feel motivated about. At first I couldn’t even see any other possibilities, but now I’m seeing a lot.

The really good and very relieving to me news is that I am still completely and passionately in love with making glass beads and jewelry. When I sit down at the torch I feel like I am in exactly the right place and making even the smallest most basic bead makes me really happy. The other day, I sat down to make some large circles and flowers. They took me more than an hour each, but I was so engrossed that it seemed like only 10min. must have passed. 
One thing I do know is that I feel really good and am happy right now. I’m at peace with how things are and the uncertainty of not knowing how things are going to work out. It’s kinda fun and exciting that way. I’m open to the possibilities and hoping for the best :)

I made a little movie to show you how my earrings are made

Craft-O! Indie Craft Fair in the Old Ironworks District!

Support your local designers, crafters and artists this Saturday 10-6 in the Old Ironworks District (near the Sparrow Bakery). We will have snacks and drinks too!

Indie Craft Loft!

This weekend I will be participating in the Indie Craft Loft at Gossamer here in Bend!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for sure. Seattle, Port Townsend, Thanksgiving & snowboarding, then Chicago. We just got home from Chicago yesterday and I'm already switching gears, and getting ready for the Indie Craft Loft this weekend.

The Calm Before the Storm

I am getting excited for one of my busiest craft fair seasons to begin. Right now is kind of like a calm before the storm and I'm just enjoying it. Mostly. I felt a tiny twinge of anxiety last night when I was typing up an e mail to send out to my mailing list. It was the first time I really put the pieces of my schedule for the next 6 weeks together. Seeing it all in black and white was a little intimidating. I'm going to do shows in Seattle, Chicago, Bend, and Port Townsend. And somewhere in there is Thanksgiving. And hopefully some snowboarding. AND actually making the things I will be selling. And being a mommy & wife. Yes I am.

This weekend I will be at the Bend Indoor Market again, one last time before the holidays. The market has been pretty slow for me. People keep saying it will pick up for me around the holidays, but guess what, I won't be there. I keep telling people that so hopefully this weekend will make up for it. I'll just have to wait patiently and see.

November 12,13 &14th I am going to be participating in The Best of the Northwest in Seattle. I really love Seattle and am happy to be going there and participating in this show again. I will be and staying with friends, which always makes doing a show WAY better. After Seattle I'm going to Port Townsend for a day or two to visit my family and friends. I really want to spend some time with my grandpa Norman who just had his 90th birthday!

The last 10 days have been pretty intense for me. My husband has been out of town, so I've been doing double duty. Triple if you count being mommie, daddy, AND the work he does for my business. I feel like I've been holding everything together pretty well, but am SO relieved, happy and excited that he's coming home today! The boys have been so sweet. They have been extra nice and helpful and have been really good about spending the weekends with me at the Indoor Market.

Most mornings between getting the kids to school, and bead making, I've been walking up to the top of Pilot Butte, a tiny state park right in Bend. The panoramic view from the top is amazing. You can see SO far. Rolling hills and buttes, and all the surrounding mountains. There is my personal favorite Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, The 3 Sisters, 3 Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Black Butte and Mt. Hood way off in the distance. You can also see Smith Rock just outside of Redmond. Every day it's been so clear and beautiful. Of course today, the one day I remember my camera, it's hazier and you can't see as far and clearly, but you get the idea. It's gorgeous! Walking up to the top and back really helps ground me and get my head out of it's early morning sleepiness, and prepare me for the creative and busy day ahead.

One day, ok maybe more than one, when I got home from walking and took a warm shower, all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and go back to sleep. I had to remind myself that my beads aren't going to make themselves. Despite being really tired I AM still really excited about some new jewelry designs I'm working on. So I dragged myself out to the garage/studio, turned on the music and fired up the torch. Instantly I felt refreshed and remembered how much I love this medium, how lucky I am to get to do what I love every day and live in such a beautiful place. It's good to know that after 12 years of bead making I still love it just as much, probably even more because my skills are better.

An exciting thing that happened this week is that I taught my first private lesson since moving to Oregon! It was really fun. I STILL don't have my own place set up for teaching. If you have been patiently waiting, THANK YOU. I have some ideas of how to winterize the garage, and once that is finished I will be back to private lessons at my house. It should be soon. I think the frosty mornings are going to be the biggest motivator for me to make it more comfortable in there!

Tomorrow we are celebrating our youngest son's 8th birthday with a party at our house!!!!!!! I'm baking him a cake and decorating it with the theme of his favorite book, Richard Scarys Cars and Trucks and Things that Go. Better start baking now!

Beautiful Day

Today, like most days, is a beautiful day here in Bend. The sun is shining and you can feel the crispness of fall creeping in. The kids are at school and it is eerily quiet around here! My husband Robbie is studying for his ski/board patrol class and I am waiting for my mandrels to dry so I can go melt some glass.

Yesterday we spent the day emptying almost the entire contents of our garage into our driveway so we could finally finish (after almost a year and a half!) moving in and organizing the garage. People kept driving by and asking if we were having a garage sale, which I think we just might do if we can find the time. My studio is in our garage along with way too many bikes, snowboards, skis, the gear that comes with, and all my craft fair booth things. Now it is a much nicer place to be. Robbie even hooked up our sound system. Yay! I'm really excited to go turn up the music and make beads today.

Here are my newest creations:

Colorful Circle Necklace in Eggplant, named by a very nice girl who visited my booth at the market this Saturday. Thank you!!!

Orbit Earrings in Turquoise, these are really different than anything I've made before. They can be ordered in many colors.
Matching Orbit Pendant in Turquoise, can also be ordered in many colors.

And a sweet and sparkly bead with little violets and cz's

Central Oregon Saturday Market

Just like that summer is over and the little ones, or I guess big ones now, are back in school. I can't believe they are in 7th and 2nd grade now. And I am only 30! Being young parents used to be something that my husband and I were reminded of pretty constantly by the surprise of others. People don't really bring it up as much anymore, which is fine with me.

So now that they are back at school I am enjoying a more regular bead making schedule. Yay! I'm planning on working on some new designs and adding things to my Etsy shop.

The next two Saturdays (Sept. 11 & 18) I will be at the Central Oregon Saturday Market here in Bend, as long as the weather cooperates. The forecast is looking good for this Saturday.