My First Crusade ~ Make It Your Own

I adore this lady. I love her passion for art & life. Michelle is quite inspiring. She's been doing these crusades for some time now, this is 31. I don't know why it took me so long to get on board. Lots of them called out to me. This particular one did & the stars aligned & here I am.

A couple of years ago I started to feel really good about my art. I even blogged about it here. It was mine, it was personal & it was me. When I first started making jewelry, I was so intimidated by everyone else. While I was intimidated, I knew this was a true passion for me. As time went by, I became more comfortable in my craft. I tried all sorts of mediums in jewelry making. One of the first clues that jewelry making was my calling, was looking at other artists. I could look at a book, magazine article, or blog & use it as true inspiration. I didn't need or want to copy. I know my style is all my own. It's a bit eclectic & I believe everyone has their own special eye for things. You just have to listen to that inner artist in you.

My first inspiration is from Jewelry the Zine. I can't stop making these crocheted necklaces. Oh so fun! It goes really quickly & I LOVE to play with color combos. I have a bunch more to take pictures of, but the weather has been kinda crappy in FL. Gotta love the afternoon rain here! By the way, check out some eye candy from the zine authors Catherine Witherell & Deryn Mentock. I first blogged about crocheting here & it just keeps going :)

The second piece of inspiration that I Made My Own is inspired by Laurie Lenfestey. I first saw her work in a Country Living article & fell in love with her work. It is this page of rings that became my inspiration. I loved the idea of layering buttons, rhinestones, cameos, cabochons, filigrees & brass stampings.

Thank you to Michelle Ward for all her inspiration & the crusades. Be sure to take a look over at the crusade blog GPP Street Team. There is so much to look at. You have 31 crusades worth of eye candy to look at!