My Love for Hyperbole and a Half

I've been savoring this gem of a book since I discovered it at Books To Be Red during our ReMe Retreat on Ocracoke Island in May.  I admit that it was an impulse buy.  The artwork on the cover grabbed my attention, and after browsing a few random pages, I had to have it! 

In Hyperbole and a Half, Allie Brosh provides readers with a lighthearted look at serious issues like depression and mental health, while also drawing attention to the random absurdities of everyday life...and our pets...and our love of cake...and the heinous nature of geese...and so much more!  Virtually every drawing and chapter in this book brings a smile to my face, and I can't begin to count the number of times that these pages have made me laugh aloud.

Signs of love, or maybe jealously, left by
Clark the Cat.  He seems to be at his friskiest when I'm
laughing madly for no apparent reason. 

Given my love of instant gratification, by not reading this treat in one marathon session, I'm exercising great restraint.  Instead, it lives nearby, at the ready for those days that I need it most.  I'm hoping that I can make it last until April 2016, when Allie Brosh's new book, Solutions and Other Problems, will hit bookstores.

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For Leslie Lanier, the lovely and talented owner of 

Books to Be Red, if you're reading this, please reserve a copy of Solutions and Other Problems for me during my visit in May!  For my ReMe Sisters, and anyone else who loves this sweet bookstore on Ocracoke Island, please contact Leslie by email, phone, or Facebook to order or reserve your copies too.  While there's nothing like an in person experience at Books to Be Red, 

mail order from Ocracoke is the next best thing!  

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(For my grammar and punctuation-loving-friends, be sure to read this post from Allie Brosh.  I promise you'll love it 'alot'.)  

Clark looking deceptively sweet. 

Tips and Tricks From The Studio - Consistency in Matched Earrings

This week I created for the first time in my new studio.  (Yay Me!)  I was on a mission to make earrings as specific styles had been requested from several of my galleries and boutiques.  As I began to prepare my work area, it occurred to me that a few of my routines might be share-worthy.

Earrings made by Jean Skipper.

Somehow it's against my imperfection-loving-nature to create consistently.  Asymmetry comes naturally to me; symmetry, not so much.  When making a matched set of earrings, both consistency and symmetry are important considerations.  

A few of the tricks of the trade that help me to achieve this follow...

When selecting the components, beads, head pins, and ear wires, that I plan to use in each pair, I check them carefully to ensure that they're reasonably the same size.  Many of the parts and pieces that I use are handmade, and differences in their form are to be expected.  This is what draws me to them; it just doesn't always translate well into matched pairs of earrings.

As I gather the tools needed for this project, I spend a little extra time with my round nose plyers.  Using a Sharpie Marker, I mark two pairs of parallel lines around each side.  The first is a quarter inch or so down from the tip, and the second is about a half inch below that.  As I wrap my wire around the pliers these lines guide me.  If I'm seeking tiny loops that disappear into the design, I wrap the wire around the smaller line.  For larger loops, the kind that become a noticeable element in the design of the earrings, I use the larger lines.

When each pair is finished, I perform a final inspection by hanging them from a horizontal surface.  The edge of a glass or tin can work perfectly for this.  This process allows me to see the earrings as they'll appear when worn.  It also allows me to make any final adjustments before presenting them as a finished creation.  

Does consistency and symmetry come naturally for you?  If so, "Yay You!"  If not, how do you manage to overcome this challenge?   

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I'm happy to announce that we'll be making earrings in my classes

at Creative Studios NC in Vass, North Carolina.

My schedule will be announced next week.

Please send an email to me at jeanskipper@jeanskipper.com

to be among the first to receive this update.

Behind The Scenes with Wire and Found Objects

This week I shared a bit about my love of wire on the ReMe Retreats website.  Wire is a basic component in most everything that I create, and I'm consistently amazed by it.  Below you'll find photos of some of the results of my adventures with wire, and also a behind-the-scenes peek at a few of the results of my self imposed challenge with wire and a limited selection of tools and found objects.

I love 

All Wire 

and I 

cannot lie...

Simplicity of design with Wire, Swarovski Crystals, and a Clasp.

Rings of Wire and Beads.

"Pipe Cleaners"
just another
way
to say
"Wire".

Electrical Parts and Pieces = Fancy Wire!

Cocooned in each link is a piece of a plastic straw.

The humble beginnings of my Wired Copper Cuff.

Its initial construction was all about the stability of the finished piece.

Then I began to add a few interesting functional details.

The free form wrapping continued.

In the finished cuff, I intentionally allowed a small portion of the straw 
to peek through; enough to raise interest without revealing its identity.

While these individual pieces may never be a part of my retail collection, in the process of creating them I stretched.  I challenged my ability to create with limited options.  I explored the technique of encapsulating a found object almost to the point of its being unrecognizable.  I examined my feelings about whether or not this treatment increases or decreases its contribution to the final piece.  And I pondered the inherent value of found objects, in general and when they're elevated within a piece of mixed media artwork.

On Gratitude and New Beginnings

The road this year has proven to be more challenging than I ever could have anticipated.  My Mother's declining health was certainly a part of it.  More so than I'd realized as I was walking through it day by day.  After she passed, I was struck by exhaustion like I've never felt.  I've come to realize that it had insidiously crept into my very soul, both mentally and physically.  In hindsight, I'd been running on fumes, and it finally caught up with me.  I'm happy to say that I'm emerging on the other side of this period of my life.

With this emergence comes a heightened sense of gratitude.  Gratitude for parents who love us unconditionally; gratitude for my husband who supports me when I don't even realize that I need it; gratitude for family members who reach across the miles to embrace us; gratitude for friends who love us like family, and gratitude for my customers, both individual and businesses, who tolerated my behavior when I was giving all that I had, knowing fully well that it wasn't enough.

A before shot of one corner in my new studio.

The last few years have been a period of gathering for me.  While my time in the studio was limited, inspiration never ceased to dance in my head.  I know now that I was saving it deep in my heart.  Collecting it, along with my precious memories, to be put to good use later.

Later has finally arrived.  During the next month, I'll be moving my studio to a new location.  I'll soon be surrounded by creative souls in a place that I love, with a classroom, and gallery space, and so much more.  In September, there'll be a bit more routine to my schedule.  While one part of me resists routines of all kinds, at my core I know my life will benefit from this change.  Soon the shops and boutiques that represent my work will be fully stocked again, and I'll be creating with abandon.



My view of the future is lighter and brighter than its been in some time.  It's filled with hope, and of course gratitude.  Gratitude for all that has been and all that will be.

Stay tuned!  It's about to get exciting, and I'm looking forward to sharing every step of it with you.

Reacting and Responding - Part One

One look says it all.
Sculpture by Bill and Lori Gregory.

Once, during my early career in banking, I extended a one-finger-salute to another driver.  I was proceeding through a green light, and she pulled directly in front of me.  Clearly she had no business being behind the wheel!  Imagine my surprise when our eyes met, and I realized that we worked together.  My reaction that day caused me to reevaluate my behavior, and it was the last time that I used that finger in that manner. 

Hi.  My name is Jean.  I'm addicted to reacting.  

At least I was at one time.  I was young.  I was passionate.  I cared deeply.  At the drop of a hat, I was quick to proactively defend the principles and people closest to my heart.  Vocally, forcefully, and frequently, I did exactly that.  I tended to be righteous in the certainty of my position.  In the heat of a discussion, I'd barely take a breath to allow my perceived opponent to speak, and if they did manage to squeeze in a word or two, I'd mentally prepare my retort as they spoke.  In hindsight, this behavior didn't serve me or anyone else very well.

Through the years, I've softened. Time has taught me that our differing opinions are worth celebrating.  I enjoy listening to the thoughts of others in hope that I'll develop an understanding of why they do what they do and believe what they believe.  While we may never agree with each other, we can always be respectful of each other's feelings.  

Do I still react?  Absolutely and with great regularity!  Only now I try to use the power of my reactions for good.   I'm less enthusiastic about expressing my reactions to the world at large in the moment.  Instead I sit with them.  I reflect on the expressed and unexpressed feelings of everyone involved.  I strip away the rawest of my emotions from my reactions, and I consider the validity of all that remains.  

Then, and only then, I respond.  I find it to be a kinder gentler manner of expressing myself in most situations, and couldn't we all use a bit more kindness and gentleness in our lives?

On Breathing

My Mother was officially diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia several years ago, and in hindsight the symptoms had begun to insidiously weave their way into our lives long before that.  She was living with Ken and me at the time, and there was no question in our minds that we would care for her to the best of our abilities for as long as we were graced with her presence. 

From my collection of Folk Art
and Vintage Prayers and Icons.

As I write this, it sounds noble.  It wasn't.  My sister, Janet, and I were blessed with warm wonderful parents who loved us unconditionally throughout our lives.  They sacrificed for us, whether we deserved it or not.  Never ostentatious, and expecting nothing in return, they were shining examples of what it means to live with a giving heart.  For that I will be forever grateful.  We cared for Mom through good times and bad because we learned what we lived.

Early in this process, Ken would listen to my conversations with her.  He could tell that my level of frustration was on the rise, and he reminded me that logic was losing meaning for her.  He was right.  And his words lived in the forefront of my mind after that.

Thereafter, when we faced a particularly challenging situation, I'd seek a moment of quiet to reflect, count to ten, or silently pray.  These moments often took place in the space between my Mother's bedroom and our kitchen.

Consistently during these times, I breathed; I breathed deeply; and I breathed with intention.  With each inhalation, I focused on all that was right and good in our world.  With each exhalation, I mentally released all of the stress and sadness that seemed to be descending on us.  It's hard to describe the impact that this simple practice provided.  It allowed me to gain perspective, and it supplied me with a measure of relief amidst the chaos.

This year, as the speed of Mom's decline accelerated at a staggering pace, her challenges presented themselves more frequently and with increased intensity.  There was less time to regroup between episodes.  It was as if we were caught in the surf with no time to recover between waves.  All of our energy was focused on staying above water, and everything else in life was ancillary to that.  Calming breaths became a luxury reserved only for the most trying of times.  (In hindsight, this wasn't a great strategy; but it was our reality.)

After Mom died, on Thursday, May 14th, I immediately began to "do", and I immersed myself in it with a vengeance.  A few days later, when my pace failed to slow, Ken kindly suggested that I should stop doing and just be.  As soon as he said it, I realized that he was right.

The next day he escorted me out of town as we made our way to Pennsylvania for Mom's funeral.  A few hours into the drive, memories of Mom and our family in happier times drifted in and out of my mind.  We talked; we laughed; I cried; and we laughed some more.  As we marveled at the natural beauty around us, I exhaled loudly and fully.  In that moment, I realized that I'd been holding my breath for weeks.

The Prayer of Saint Francis speaks to my heart.
This one lives between my Mother's
bedroomand our kitchen.

Note to Self:

Inhale fully.

Exhale fully. 

Relax. 

Repeat. 

In good times and bad. 

Be aware. 

Practice daily.

It's good for the soul.

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Do you breathe deeply?  Exercise?  Meditate?  Pray?  

Or practice some other form of stress reduction in your life?  

I'd love to hear about it in the comments section that follows.

On Slowing Down

2015 has been quite a year so far.  The highs have been extremely high; the lows have been extremely low; and the speed of life has accelerated at an alarming rate.  In the midst of addressing one challenge, the next one seems to be knocking at the door.

I am strong.

My bench block, with the wise and loving words
of my dear friend and our ReMe Guest...
"Don't hurry.  Be happy."

I am woman.

I am overwhelmed.

I am also hopeful.

As I've done my best to navigate these uncertain waters, a few truths have revealed themselves to me again and again.  (Yes, I can be a bit hard headed and it often takes a few times for me to really get it!)

The first of these truths is that I need to slow down.  I realized this in the physical sense when I did a less than graceful swan dive on my stairs on my way to our ReMe Retreat earlier this month.  Ken, my calm loving husband, and a trained first responder, gently suggested these very words to me as he drove me to the emergency care clinic for x-rays.

He was right, and not just in the physical sense.  As we talked that day, and as I reflected on our conversation, I realized that my mind is generally at least ten steps ahead of what I'm actually doing. As I gazed at my bruised and swelling ankle and ego, I realized that this behavior wasn't serving me well.

As I walked down the stairs that morning, my mind was on Ocracoke Island and all that the next week would hold, on my Mother, on her last month in an inpatient rehab facility, on her current condition, and on my concern for her during my time away.  All of this thoughtfulness was great in theory; but it didn't help one bit as what my feet were doing at the time never even crossed my mind.

Speeding through life and badly multitasking has become my normal, and the time for change is now.  I will slow down.  Mentally, I'll focus on the task at hand.  Physically, I'll live in the moment.  I'll softly remind myself to do this again and again until the behavior is as natural as breathing.

Speaking of breathing, I'll address that in my next post, and then I'll share my thoughts on responding instead of reacting, and then...

There I go again!  One step at a time.  For now I'll slow down in the quiet confidence that this step, my next step, is where I must focus.

Please bear with me as I do exactly that, and share your thoughts on under-focusing, over-thinking, and multitasking in the comments section below.