The Creative Adventures of Mona Rita

wires & baubles

2008-11-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

one's man trash is another man's treasure. i absolutely love the combination of a non-traditional recycled product with traditional jewelry supplies. it lends itself to a very unique look. i don't believe that jewelry has to fall into the "bling" category to be beautiful. What can I say...I like the unique. No cookie cutters for me. I feel like I have to stay firm with what I believe is my aesthetic and that beauty comes in many, many forms. I am aware of trends and fashion rules, but by no means do I feel like I should take them as anything other than "suggestions". I believe that dressing is more fun this way. When you don't constrict yourself with so many rules you feel free to be who you are meant to be, not who anyone else dictates. I always want to remember not to be stifled by what even my local culture dictates in fashion. There is a whole curious world of fashion out there and it's more fun to be open to it.

one step at a time

2008-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

things are at an exciting place right now. I think I'm finally starting to come into my own way. Ideas I have for my business are starting to work themselves out. Not that it's been easy. Trust me, anyone who owns their own business will tell you it's a heartache, a headache and euphoria all at once. The more I do things the better I get at it. Techniques and trials are all par for the course. Eventually, if you try enough ideas certain ones start to make sense. You find out what works and what doesn't. And even that is constantly changing. People change, tastes change. what works for you at one point will not do later. Fortunately, it's okay to fail, as long as you keep trying.

Back from Scandinavia!

2008-07-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

been fortunate enough to do some traveling this summer. went to Sweden and Norway. It was a cool 60 degrees the entire time. Norway is the most beautiful country I've ever seen!!! We saw the Fjords and I wondered why anyone would ever want to leave Norway. Then my husband responded, "winter". I guess I can see that...I can only imagine what winter would be like considering that I was cold in 60 degree weather! We took a boat ride partly in the rain...but the view was great from the top deck. So I had to brave the wind & rain because of the most amazing view thru the Fjords. At one point there were low level clouds moving in thru the mountains...bringing wind and rain and the thickest, most ominous look of winter I could imagine. I was so desperately wanting our boat tour to happen to travel right thru the clouds, but we cruised right by it. I could only stare at the clouds and dream and the legendary stories of brave men & women who had in fact passed thru the Fjords throughout history...going out on the frozen, unforgiving sea. What thoughts did they have as they passed winter in their ships? I knew it was June and only rain clouds, but I was so happy to have seen this small chance of ominous clouds, making my mind go crazy with wonder and thoughts of legendary people passed.

whew!

2008-04-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

been soooo incredibly busy yet so incredibly inspired to create, create, create! April has been a busy month for me with Earth Day events etc. The month has flown by...now I actually have a little free time to spend my upcoming weekend shopping for new plants...it's planting season folks! So goes the cycle of life!
This all inspires more need to create fun and fabulosity. I worked with some recycled fabrics and leather yesterday. I'm converging my designs into different "lines" since I have so many different moods and tastes. And I don't believe any woman is one-sided!! I don't see myself working with one material exclusively, however I'm committed to recycling...that is the one design element I'm all about! It's a challenge and a dream to work with such materials! I can't see any other way.
Other fun stuff...new season of Kimora: life in the fabulous lane (she runs the show and is a real inspirational woman!), ANTM.
gotta run!

cleaning up

2008-03-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

a lot has happened since I last blogged. Our cat passed away and he is dearly missed. It's amazing how attached you can become to your pets. They are constant companions who ask for little in return. Our cat was very mature and well behaved. It's hard to think about him.
I have been getting back to work despite feeling the loss in my heart. In fact, it's been a way for me to not think about him. It's just too hard right now. I decided to redo my packaging etc. I want to clean up the look of things and streamline. I've also done a first small update to my website...many more to come as soon as I can find out how to do things. And something cool is that I've started an Etsy account. Ecolibrio.etsy.com I hope if anything more people will find out about me. More work to do...oh yeah, i also joined a martial arts/women's self-defense class! cool!

color, color

2008-02-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

on a gray day like today I'm going to work on some new pieces that are colorful. I think my brain is going to naturally look for it! It's icky outside! Having moved from Chicago, winter brought about plenty of gray days. I'm spoiled here with so much sunshine...when the sun disappears I find myself thinking, 'when's the sun coming back????' Maybe there is some truth to sunlight affecting one's psyche. hmmmm....either way...gotta get to work.

going, going, going

2008-02-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

watched Valley Girl last night. Left 2 songs playing over and over in my head. Silly movie, oddly inspiring. The accident of youth paving the way to adulthood. Experiencing radical emotions for the first time and freaking out over every last one of them. That is teenage-dom. Good and bad. I'm inspired by my 80's memories of excitement, neon and spacey fashion. gone are those days, or are they?

So many things...

2008-02-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

today is looking to be a beautiful day outside. so i'm working on planning out my day. I will finally be able to get to my Hydrangea, which I'm going to transplant in my yard. Yay! I'm still learning about gardening and I can't wait to have my garden the way I envision it. I think I'm going for a more "cottage" feel since that will not only appeal to me aesthetically, but it will also favor the style and design of our house.
I'm making more plans for my upcoming home show. I hope that it will be fun. I'm still figuring out how my giveaways/prizes etc will work. So much to do.
My birthday is coming up in a matter of weeks. I am grateful for another year.

inspired

2008-01-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

ok. so last night my fabulous husband hosted a networking event geared toward "Green Business". Of course I went along as well and it was great speaking to all sorts of people and getting their feedback, seeing what other people are out there doing, etc. So last night added more fuel to my fire. I feel a bit renewed and ready to do the things I know I should be doing in order to grow my business. Last week I was a bit overwhelmed and figured out that I don't entirely see myself as a "business owner"...I guess I was seeing myself as an artist/designer first, business owner second. But after really thinking about it, I need to see both designer & business owner as equal partners. DUH...It's easy for me to get lost in my artwork...be a hermit. Finish pieces and then think, "this is fun and fabulous"...but then what? Oh yeah. If I want to make this a career I need to sell my work. That includes all aspects of business owner as well. It's as simple as that. So far my experience with selling my work has been quite positive in that I really love it when I see people playing "dress up". They do this when they buy things to adorn themselves. I like giving people that feeling of freedom and fantasy. It seems natural to me.
By the way, I'm looking for a tag line. In case you're wondering, it's something like for example, that diamond jewelry company that uses the tag line, "a diamond is forever", you know the one. So I want to propose to my friends (those who have seen my collection), if you can come up with a tag line that suits my vision, I'd award the winner with a free piece of jewelry. Just a thought. I think it would be fun to see what my close friends come up with. My jewelry is not for the wallflower types. It is bold and dares a woman to be her fantasy, all the while being conscious of how she gets there.

new year, new thoughts

2008-01-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

the days are back to being chilly. have to say it was nice coming back to 70 degree weather after having been in the snow of Chicago. I guess it was bound to get cold again. Today is cloudy out and it's got me wanting to stay indoors and work on stuff on the computer. But, honestly I'm running a bit empty today. I have started trying to focus my efforts on getting into better shape. I have actually done my fair share of exercise as a result. Today I'm sore and tired. I have to wonder if I'm feeling this because my muscles are repairing. Nonetheless, I want to have more get up and go, but today it's a struggle. Even my creative juices are low. Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully, I will be back to normal.

where does it all go?

2008-01-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

time that is! I have had a wonderful fall season. And now things are rolling into winter. It has finally gotten somewhat chilly here. After recently spending 2 weeks in Chicago, I don't think I miss the cold that much. Snow can be difficult to say the least. No chance of that happening here. In a few days we won't need any kind of jacket at all probably. I still love this time of year. I love fall weather! Of course.
so a new year means new starts...fresh beginnings! Still looking for "different" images that inspire me and my work. Lately, I have gone back to my roots and am being inspired by Duran Duran. Considering I met them on Dec. 13th, I have to say they brought back that feeling of "fresh"! Where does it all go? Why can't we feel fresh and fascinated like when we were youthful. Sure that's a part of being "young", but honestly...they were such different times to say the least. Why must it be that when we get older we lose that certain something. Hmmm...do we just get so involved with "life and job" that the "fresh" is forgotten? or is it just ignored?

shows of the tv sort

2007-11-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

I discovered a show called "wasted". It's on discovery home channel I believe and it's from New Zealand of all places. It shows how much everyday waste people create in their homes from everyday life and it includes how much money they waste in the process. I think it's pretty good as most people seem to have an eye-opening experience as a result, namely when they see how much money it saves them to be "green", but I think it also shows that people want SIMPLE solutions to being green. Otherwise, they oppose being green because they think they are too busy to bother. I guess it's all just a matter of priorities. But I still don't see what the big deal is about separating out one's recycling...just put it in different bin. simple enough isn't it? Plenty of homes have curbside pickup as well. How easy can it be? I think that's the minimum thing people can do. It's a start.

symbol

2007-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere recently that it's important to have a symbol or something that people can recognize as being your business image. I want to find something so I can put it on my business cards etc. I was thinking immediately of recycling symbols, but I don't want to automatically pick something so obvious.
After doing some research online, I'm thinking more and more about a bats. Yes, bats. Or a single bat...Not only are they good for the environment, but thanks to western folklore they are in fact very COOL! They are pollinators, they eat insects (especially those pesky mosquitos) and they have the ultra cool echolocation which they use to their full advantage. What could be cooler than that?!!! Well, hang on because in other parts of the world they symbolize rebirth. The Chinese regard them with good-luck and happiness. So they represent "protectors of the night" and are good for the environment. And in my book it never hurt to have an association to Bela Lugosi! Yay bats! Now I just have to figure out what bat "image" best represents my business.

is it work?

2007-10-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Did a lot of footwork trying to place fliers for this upcoming trunk show. It wasn't bad at all as most people were very receptive and friendly. Cool. I have already started looking for the next show/event to do. I am purposely making myself really busy and I'm liking that right now. It's feeling pretty good. You know what they say about "idle hands" blah, blah. I am being heavily influenced by anything British at the moment. Maybe it's all the bbc that has been on my tv lately. I am fascinated by other parts of the world. I always wonder what it's like to live there etc. hmmmm.

Trunk Show

2007-10-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last couple of days trying to sort out all the preparations for the upcoming trunk show. It will be from 4-8pm Friday, Oct 26th at Poe Studio, 819 Savannah Hwy, Charleston. I hope it is good fun. I don't really know what to expect, but I think it will be fun finding out! Lots to do, gotta run.

shows! shows! shows!

2007-10-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

I am looking to fill my calendar with more shows, more opportunities to sell my jewelry! I really want to push myself to do this. I need results. I spent some time this morning...now afternoon looking for various festivals to possibly join in as a vendor. I am looking for music fests and stuff that's a little more out of the ordinary. I joined a couple of lists to get notices on what's going on. I have bookmarked pages for future reference. I am going to do more research on this. As of right now it looks like there is more stuff going on in North Carolina than anywhere else around here. It's ok...I will make it work. I'm excited to see what fun festivals I can be a part of!

Show this weekend!!

2007-10-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have one of my first "official craft shows" this weekend and I'm really excited about it. I have done a couple of shows locally, but they were really small. This show is both Saturday and Sunday and I hope there will be a lot of customers. I'm excited to see how I am received and what people may have to say. It will be at the Omar Shrine Center in Mount Pleasant, SC. Hoping for a good show! Lots of stuff to do!

sort

2007-08-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

It has occurred to me that I have allowed certain things in my life stifle my creativity. Without going into it, I will say that I believe realizing this is a step forward. I am certainly going to try to work on becoming what I envision for myself. Why not? It's not like someone else is going to come in and make decisions for me. I wouldn't want that anyway! :) This is an exciting journey, not just creatively, but in life. Someone in a movie once said, "don't dream it, be it." Of course I believe that dreams certainly have their place! Dreams help us dare what we envision if only for a moment. What happens next is up to us.

catching up

2007-08-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

I think that I will finally be able to get back to work. At least sporadically. I have completed alot of the necessary work on the house. Of course owning a home is never ending activity it seems. But it is very nice to have such peace and quiet. Good for my creativity. I have yet to start the set up of my studio, but since the creative bug is biting I have to wait on that and just sit down and make some new pieces. Since all my supplies are in my workshop/studio I will have to fish them out of there and bring them back into the main house. I made some new friends on our recent trip to Philadelphia and I also sold some of my work. All in all it was loads of fun. Now back to work.

busy beep

2007-07-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Busy with fixing up our new house. No time for much of anything else. Back soon!

Back from España!

2007-06-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to Madrid! It was my first trip to Europe and I have to say that I had a magical time. It was like another world. We went to Madrid, Sevilla, and Carmona. There were so many things to see it was inspiration everywhere you looked! We stayed at the Parador de Carmona which is a very old and huge fortress which had a breathtaking view of the valley below. You could see patches of farmland for miles, all greens and gold...old style tractors pulling trailers...sheep, cows, horses. All very calming and grounding. The rest of the town had narrow streets and white-washed walls. Our taxi driver almost got stuck coming down one of the streets it was so narrow.
I would love to go to other parts of Europe in the future. Now that I have gotten my first taste of it I can't wait to see more. I love seeing how other people live. Seeing what they see everyday and how they go about it! I feel like the whole experience has changed my perspective or maybe enhanced it...it excites me that there are other cultures out there. I wonder why sometimes being in my tiny little corner of the world it is so important to fit in. I wonder what I am trying to "fit" into. I guess it's simply all relative to where you are. Seeing a different perspective and way of life is eye-opening and reminds me that I shouldn't take things too seriously.

picasso

2007-05-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

i checked out a short interview with Paloma Picasso this morning. She spoke about working with Tiffany and her jewelry design. She said the thing she learned from her famous parents was to be your own judge of your work, and decide what you like.
sounds good to me...i also noticed the importance of having good photos...i can see how people will pay good money for their own professional portraits...they are immortalized...a documentation of their lives. during the interview they flashed these fabulous photos of her...in cool jewelry and in black and white no less!

Yay! My first post!

2007-05-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

It is all new and all fabulous. This is what I am meant to be doing. This is what I love. I have embarked on the creative adventure of not only being an artist, but trying to make a living out of it! It is something that I have put on the back burner for years and the time is finally right for me to make it a reality. Great news! I look forward to the journey!
I am happy to introduce myself! I am a jewelry and accessories artist working with recycled materials. I find this material to be both challenging and rewarding at the same time! The result is unique and one-of-a-kind! Why do recycled? Why not? Being raised in low income family I was taught at an early age to find creative ways to use what I had and not only that, but to appreciate it! Now that I am older instead of trying to over compensate for what I didn't have growing up, I find myself still finding creative ways to use what has been discarded. It all just makes sense to me. I am thankful for my friends and family for their inspiration and support! I am grateful for past experiences which further serve to inspire my creativity and outlook. Onward and upward to all the fabulous new adventures and cheers to all!