The Power of Passion

“Never underestimate the power of passion.” ~Eve Sawyer

My passion for work has been in overdrive lately. This means I'm whelmed with new designs creeping around my head, my body, my heart. It also means, I'm expanding on former ideas and work that is connected to those heady dreams I continue to harbor.

Yesterday, I began fleshing out a design I had to work out in my head first over a few weeks. Because that's how I roll.

My upcoming series now has it's title: "VENUS LOVE". Many of you are aware of my penchant for mythology, deities, goddesses, history, eras and those worlds of old fables, lore and legend.

I'm so very excited about it and I can't wait to show you the array of colorways I'm working on. Be assured, there are many hours in labor, love and passion in these pieces. It's very likely to be a limited production like most of my work. I hope you will be one who will "snap" one up, as my excitement and "whelm" of ideas consume me so, that I move on to new designs once the mood strikes me.

Also, I found some older drawings left over from my "ICONOLOGY" series. I'll be expanding on that series a bit as I had hoped earlier.

My "SERENDIPITY" mini handmade collage series jewelry has done so well this year that I have come down to just two (2) finished pieces, and (2) unfinished pieces. I started with a selection of approximately 50-60 pieces and they are GONE!  Lucky girl I am to have friends who share my links and photos on Facebook; this has really grown my business this year. I am so grateful for them. I will be seriously considering continuing this series as I have so many GREAT vintage fabrics I still want to share with everyone. I just LOVE making those mini collages into unique pieces. It's both my loves in one: jewelry and mixed-media collage. It's always been so hard to make up my mind. *wink*

The "SORCERESS" ring series has been good to me and I'm actually quite sad that I'm nearly out of my pile of faceted natural rock crystals that helped make this series so great. I'm fervently looking to replenish those crystals; yet no luck all year.

The website remodels and business name change is coming along, more slowly than I'd hoped of course, but progress is being made. I won't mind at all once that part is out of my way and giving me more time to work on jewelry - my ultimate passion and choice for work!!!

That then brings me to my post! What is your joy in life today? What is your passion? Are you living one, or are you denying yourself? There are so many to pick from in this modern world. It doesn't have to be jewelry or art or craft... it could be rock climbing, fossil collecting, volunteering, marathon training, martial arts, dance classes, painting, gardening, carpentry, mechanics, traveling, building, inventing... there are just so many. Are you making excuses about why you are not making time for a passion or hobby in your life? If so, revisit that. Give yourself permission to enjoy something that you are passionate about.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you're passionate about, or what you are making an excuse not to be passionate about? I'd love to hear your story.

Have a wonderful, passionate and creative day!

Much Love,
Juanita

"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born." ~Dale Turner

Wanting to express joy and excitement about all the upcoming new or improved projects and passions, I decided to put my thoughts into a blog post - because that is something I'm working on getting better at doing.

As many may know, over the summer I was in "Tonya Davidson's - Artful Success" program. I have made progress by leaps and bounds since then. You may not see all of those changes in tangible form yet, but they are on the way - because I have made them mentally.

Currently, I'm working on changing my "business" name from Lookie-Lookie -to- Juanita Burton Designs. This causes me to need necessary changes to all my social media sites, and websites and Etsy. I've been working very hard instituting all the changes, as well as working on custom orders.

It feels exhilirating though! With my background/education in Graphic Design, I thoroughly enjoy and get excited by design projects. I might sound silly, but I wish I had more time to just "play" with it. Hah! Here is a sneak peak at one of my new website design ideas:

In a couple weeks, I will be excited to share an article, and photos of a piece of my work, that will be published in Pasticcio Quartz. PQ is a gorgeous mixed-media publication/collaboration by Sarah Fishburn and Angela Cartwright. I have adored their work for many years, long before having an opportunity to be included in the next issue in November. Here is a sneak peak of an image in the article:

So many exciting things to do and be grateful for. I'm still working on my studio remodel and organization while working on jewelry -hjo that is taking longer than I expected. Anxiously waiting to receive my copy of Holly Gage's "The Art of Metal Clay" calendar. Also, getting Halloween costumes ready for an event this Saturday. Mailing surprise Halloween packages to my grandsons. Plenty of orders to keep me busy for a while... but most exciting is I have journaled tons of ideas for new work in my design journal ... and I can't wait to get started on it. I LOVE making women feel Romantic and Mysterious with specially made, handcrafted, one of a kind jewelry. I'm very passionate about it!

What are you feeling passionate about in your life right now?
Much Love. xoxo

Dream of Irnan the Irish Sorceress, in Icy Blue!

It was really cool to read the newest Disney on Ice show is titled "Dare to Dream". Of course, that is a favorite title of mine as well. *wink* I have always had an affinity for and was drawn to fairy tales, fantasy and mythology. As a child, choosing library books about Cinderella, princes, princesses, Knights in Armor and Dragons were common.

This love of dreamy, fantasy things, is also what inspires my work; both in jewelry and art. This also inspires my titles of my work; for instance, the title of the ring in the above photo is "Irnan, the Irish Sorceress".

Here, the title lured me in and the "charming" story of a real-life fairy tale will always cause me to stop what I'm doing to read.

[Black and her husband, James, are in their sixth year of performing as Cinderella and her prince for Disney on Ice. Both say playing these iconic roles is a dream come true and that being married makes them more believable to the audience. It also means the pair don't have to speak and can read each other's body signals on the ice...
..."Dare to Dream" features not only Cinderella and Prince Charming, but also Rapunzel and Flynn from "Tangled" and Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from "The Princess and the Frog."]

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/09/30/2650629/married-and-gliding-on-a-dream.html#ixzz1ZUVuNHJz

Is there something in your life that makes you stop and Dream - or inspires your work, or your day, or your life? I sure hope so...

Please feel free to comment here if you are inclined to share with others.

My War on Negativity! The Power of Intention and Positive Thinking

"If you think you can, you can; if you think you can't, you're right?" ~Mark Twain

Simply said...it saddens me. Negative thinking, whining and complaining seems to be the trend of the last decade. It's everywhere you go; in the grocery store, on the street, at your job, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, neighbors, family, friends, parents, kids, spouses; you name it, you don't have to look far to hear it. Disagree? Just ask a question at any local market ... "Hi, how are you doing today?" It's a loaded question for sure.... it's nearly guaranteed you will hear stories of illness, death, financial woes, aches, pains, complaints of children, parents, in-laws, spouses, legal troubles, etc. I try to look for an opening in there somewhere as quickly as possible to change the direction, and ask excitedly, "So what have you done that's fun lately; any trips; any exciting news?" My hope of possibly changing their mindset, a kind of a nudge to think about... Something good must have been mixed in there somewhere, come on dig deep. That may come across crass or sarcastic, but it is altruistic...I care about your mindset.

Sure, many will say there are plenty of excuses; because of our economy; because they lost a job; they lost a loved one; they are sick; lost a home, a pet, a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, couldnt get credit for a new car, a Nintendo, a Gucci purse,...etc. I've had personal experience with, and conversations with, those who believe positive people are not living in reality, the "real" world. Even going so far as to say they are phony. Well I beg to differ! I happen to be one of those people; I'm positive, daily, and there is no phoniness about it.

For the life of me, I cannot see the purpose in dwelling on misery or negativity, whether self-inflicting or imposing it on others. How you live your life is a decision you make ... you have options, you have alternatives, you have choices. If you choose sad, miserable, whiny, complaining, and negative... then that is what you attract (see above quote). If you wake up each day and decide your life sucks, then your day is probably going to suck - because you believe it to be so.YOU have the power to change your thoughts, to make your day better... to make your day as awesome as it can be. 

Test it out yourself! For 30 days, mark your calendar and wake up each day to remind yourself of all the things you have to be grateful for, that's a great place to start. Tell yourself you will do something nice for yourself each day - be kind to you. Make a point of doing one nice thing for someone else each day during the 30 days, but don't point it out or throw it in their face if they don't respond immediately. It could be as simple as, packing that person a lunch, or cooking dinner; finding a sick person and helping them with a small chore or reading them a chapter from a book. The power of our minds are very healing and forgiving. If you make up your mind to be more positive each day and work on that every day, you will be surprised at how easy it becomes to be more positive each and every day - as a LIFESTYLE.

I can testify to the power of positive thinking, how it can heal you and make your life RICH. Realizing that negativity and misery serves no purpose in your life will free you of those crippling feelings you build up and on. Break FREE from the worry habit that is perpetuated in our society; Protest It! Buy literature on "Positive Thinking", read articles on the subject, or find a group or program to join. It is also as simple as searching YouTube videos on "Positive Thinking". Those are FREE! Practice this daily. Stress and worry are so unhealthy for your mind and body. Stop the madness.

Life is for LIVING, be happy in your days on earth. Build good memories to talk about in your old age, not reliving memories of pain and anger.

Will you make time to invest in your own happiness? Will you make that worthwhile effort?

If you have 5 minutes to work toward your happiness: http://youtu.be/8qSTHPABoHc

If you have 10 minutes to work toward your happiness: http://youtu.be/pfWGoLj1JCM

Much Love,

Juanita

Glittery Sparkles Raining Down On Me

"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there's love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong." ~Ella Fitzgerald

Once I wrote a blog post about growing wings. It was related to an Art Journal I was working on at the time. Now my wings are sprinkled with glitter too. "...I have been working on growing wings. I started growing them a few years back. I think they are growing quite nicely now, getting full and large with soft feathers on them. I am getting quite attached to my wings. ... finding just the right wings ...  I love these wings. Heck, you can barely see the scars now. They feel like they've been there all along... click here for the post"

Many of you already know I have been in Tonya Davidson's "Artful Success" program. I attribute growth and a larger wing span since reaping the benefits of that program. This is a testimony, as well as personal reference, to the advancements I've made over the last couple of months; and I'm not done yet!

I have really been working on the "Artful Success" modules in Tonya's program. While I have been really busy, and have many projects on my plate since joining, I can feel them all coming together in a cohesive manner finally. Through the teaching in this program, things are starting to fill my life with many wonderful attractions through "mindful intention".

Exciting and fun news was recieved today when Barbe SaintJohn, an Ice Resin Design Team member, posted a link on my Facebook page showing pieces of my "Serendipity" jewelry (photo above) was featured on Susan Lenart Kazmer's Ice Resin Flickr Friday. Yayyy!

Some of you are following my studio remodel also. This has been much slower than I anticipated; however, I'm very excited about completing it and having a fresh new, larger studio since my move last year. The wall color I chose, Dusty Olive, turned out as lovely as I'd hoped. Can't wait to finish up and move my tools and benches in there and get to work on new pieces - a new series I'm working on.

I've had a terrific and fun summer that doesn't seem to be winding down quite yet and I am grateful for so so many people and events and abundance in my life. Due to these things and many other passions in my life, I do my best to pay it forward and also to inspire others to live an abundant, happy life. We deserve happiness, YOU deserve happiness, passion, love and inspiration in your life.

This is why I named my blog "Dare To Dream". We all benefit from Daring to Dream. What is your Dream; do you Dare to Dream it?

Much Love,
Juanita

So You Don't Claim EVERY Online Transaction? Well 2011 Just Changed That

According to Ecommercebytes.com:  Online Sellers' Payment Transactions will now be tracked by the IRS.
"Internet sellers who don't report their sales will no longer be under the radar. Starting next year, any bank or other payment settlement company that processes credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payments such as PayPal will have to issue information returns telling the IRS what merchants receive. The new returns are Form 1099-K, Merchant Card and Third-Party Payments." ...go here to read the complete article

More info here, please read on: ...starting with transactions in calendar year 2011...
"WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued proposed regulations under a new statute requiring that, starting with transactions in calendar year 2011, the gross amount of payment card and third-party network transactions be reported annually to participating merchants and the IRS. The provision was enacted as part of the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 and is designed to improve voluntary tax compliance by business taxpayers and help the IRS determine whether their tax returns are correct and complete." ... go here to read this article on IRS.gov


Better to know now then next year, right?

Much Love!
Juanita

Lady in Waiting: Studio Renovation

Phelps's Laws of Renovation: Any renovation project on an old house will cost twice as much and take three times as long as originally estimated.

Per my previous post I was so genuinely excited about, the project idea and preparation started out strong. The problems, however, are beginning to slowly chip away at what was assumed minor finishing steps to the studio remodel.

The initial prep work was done two days early last week: selecting and ordering carpet, selecting an affordable contractor for minor drywall repairs and wall/ceiling texture application, stripping borders, pulling nails, and clearing the room of items that collect in an unused/unfinished room. The contractor was supposed to arrive and work Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday evening, due to problems at their current assignment, my project was moved to Thursday and Friday. On Thursday afternoon, after not arriving that morning, I was informed my job would be moved to Tuesday. At that point, my project was now seven days behind schedule. In the mean time, all the items moved from the project room have been occupying the floor space in my current tiny studio; this is not good for productivity at all.

The contractors arrive today, a very nice family crew of three. Introductions are made, and instructions are gone over again. They methodically and systematically get to work. Toward the end of the work day, problems with the construction of the room begin to emerge. Drywall damage that was not noticed or foreseen show up due to the "wet" texture applied to the walls and ceiling. Poor workmanship of prior repairs and nicotine stains are now apparent. Now it's time to discuss newly required repairs to fix the unexpected damage. I am bummed out to say the least; however, that is only temporary. It is not my style to see the negative side of things. I can always find the bright side. I am very capable of seeing my vision come to fruition.



We now negotiate the resolution and the cost and time of the new issues. We consult our calendars and come up with a plan of action. I will not be beat down by a mere delay, nor the additional expense and time. I have decided my goals, and taking my action steps; something I've become very accustomed to doing in my Artful Success program now.



Although we have issues to resolve - more repairs to ceiling and walls, and cost and time of painting has now been added to the project - the carpet installation will go as scheduled this week. The contractors will be back on Monday to continue working.

While it's true I am behind my ideal schedule, I am still excited about my vision and my new studio space!

Have you had a home repair or remodeling setback disappoint you lately? Were you able to stay positive? I hope so.

Much Love.