Taurus Full Moon November 21, 2010 9:27 am pst

Spotlight on Taurus Artist Jennifer Robinson Huntsville, Ontario, Canada Facebook: Liv Jewellery Blog: Liv Jewellery

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable?

When it comes to making jewellery, designing is the most exciting part for me. I love laying out my gemstones, pearls and findings, and moving things around until I find an arrangement that I’m pleased with. I am a very visual person, and I often need to see a design before it “clicks” and I know that it’s the right one. I actually get a feeling inside when I know it’s right. Second only to the designing is ordering new gems. It’s like Christmas morning when a gem shipment arrives!

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft?

I have always loved art and studied Interior Design in college, but after trying various art projects and media over the years, nothing seemed quite right. I would get bored easily and moved from craft to craft. Then I found a booklet while browsing through a craft store one day that showed the basics of wire-wrapping. I took home some headpins and beads and I was instantly hooked. Then I discovered the supply shops on etsy and realized that I could buy genuine gemstones, and the obsession with designing jewellery began.

3. Creatively, who has inspired you the most, and why?

My daughter Lauren has been my inspiration. She is a very girly-girl who loves pink, rhinestones and ruffles. I think as we get older we women sometimes lose that desire for femininity, particularly in the way we dress. Lauren reminds me every day how much fun it is to be a girl, and how important it is to accessorize! We women may have our hardships, but at least we get to wear beautiful things.

4. How did you decide what medium to work in?

I knew very quickly that I wanted to work with real gems and pearls, as this is the type of jewellery that I prefer to wear myself. I have always loved colour, and you can’t beat deep, red garnet, lime green peridot or brilliant blue topaz. Real stones sparkle and glitter like glass never will. And there’s something about smooth freshwater pearls – they just glow.

5. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity?

Being a Taurus, my strengths are patience, loyalty and steadfastness. You have to have a lot of patience working with teeny tiny gemstones and fine gauge wire! My designs are very delicate and lightweight, so I often use the smallest stones I can find. Taureans are also stubborn, and this is sometimes beneficial too – I will work and re-work a piece until it is just right. Taureans appreciate luxury, good quality and comfort, and this equates to luxurious jewellery and good quality gems. We Taurus women treat ourselves to the finer things in life!

6. What do you like best about your sign and least?

The thing I like best about my sign is my ability to be patient. This allows me to be a good wife, mother and friend, and to never sweat the small stuff. However, Taureans are sometimes a little lazy too. Luckily, I have chosen a profession that I am very passionate about. I rarely look forward to the end of the workday – I look forward to getting into my craft room to create! Now laziness is only a factor when it comes to housework.

7. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft?

The message I would like to convey is that we women deserve beautiful things, and should celebrate our femininity: think like a five year old girl, and don’t hesitate to wear pink!

8. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why?

Probably a peach: sweet. Plus my husband always says I have soft skin.

9. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why?

I have always enjoyed working with paper. I love the precise aspect of card making and the wide range of papers available. I often make greeting cards and gift tags for family, and may delve into selling them in the future.

10. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively?

My advice would be to try many different art forms before you find one that fits. For me, it took 36 years to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. But once that happened, there was no turning back. Jewellery making has become such a joy for me, and I sometimes wake up with new designs in my head. I also just let pieces evolve. I will start out to design a bracelet, and in the end, it ends up as a necklace. It just looked better that way, and I didn’t know it until I saw it in front of me. Creativity will evolve if you let it.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

It’s true what they say – if you do what you love, you never work another day in your life. I never really appreciated the honesty of that statement until I experienced it for myself. I don’t work anymore. I create sparkly, beautiful pieces of jewellery for women like myself. When I see how excited they are to wear them, it makes me truly happy.

More About Jen

I am a woman who loves to create. Whether it’s an apple pie, a photograph or a piece of jewellery, I am happiest when I am creating something beautiful (and homemade pie IS a work of art!) I live in Huntsville, Ontario with my husband Scott, my daughter Lauren, three dogs and a fat cat. It is a very busy household, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Spotlight on Taurus Artist, Aly New Britain, Connecticut, USA Etsy Shop: Amaranth Opulent Fashion and lifestyle blog: Her Lumpiness

Eternally awed by the beauty of the world, I live my life through a rose-tinted filter when looking at works of art made by both humans and nature. I have devoted my life thus far to the pursuit of beauty in all forms, and want to use every way I can to share what I've found. My current inspiration is in jewelry crafting, using hand-picked and hand-pressed local or naturalized wildflowers and plants I’ve collected myself from roadsides, gardens, and parks. These are combined with findings purchased whenever possible from local small businesses or independent Etsy sellers to create elegant, eco-friendly jewelry suited to the woodland princess living inside every woman, from students to grandmothers, and everyone in between. My pursuit of the old-worldly and the otherworldly has led me to Lolita Fashion and Lifestyle, devoted to the innocence and purity of a bygone or fairytale life, which I blog about and generally obsess over.

Spotlight on Taurus Artist Cassie Frost Chili, Wisconsin, USA Etsy Shop: Cakes and More

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable? I absolutely love the creative part of baking. I enjoy the fun of adding different ingredients together and in different ways to create something new. It always amazes me that you can take the same ingredients, yet by mixing them differently, come up with an entirely different result. I also enjoy the decorating end of my craft and seeing my desserts take on a new form.

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft? I had dabbled in this for many years and about five years ago my partner suggested we try a few 'bigger' cakes. One thing led to another and soon we had friends of friends asking for cakes. We finally decided to make our craft a full time business and remodeled our garage into a licensed kitchen this past summer. Now we can spread the work and our business anywhere!

3. Who has inspired you the most creatively, and why? My daughter has been my biggest inspiration. She is six and still has the simple wonder in her eyes. I love to step back and look at him in the simple terms that she does. She reminds me to relax and enjoy the creative process and reminds me that the rush to the end result isn't worth it.

4. How did you decide what medium to work in? I chose cakes/cookies and edibles because it is the one thing that brings all people together. Everyone eats and everyone can come together over our items. I love being able to supply people with an item that can be both beautiful and delicious.

5. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity? The wonderful Taurus stubborness has been my shining point throughout this entire endeavor. There are many times that recipes don't turn out well, especially when creating something new. It takes the Taurus in me to turn right back around and throw another batch in the oven.

6. What do you like best about your zodiac sign and least? I think what helps me in my creativity is also both my most and least favorite facet of my astrological sign. I display the true stubborn-ness that goes with being the 'bull'. It has helped me reach all the places that I have been in life. However, at times, it has been a hindrance. It is important for me to take the time to remember that I am not always right, and sometimes take the time to listen to others advice.

7. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? I would like to bring fun to food. I want people to enjoy themselves and take time to enjoy the time they have with the friends and family they share the treats with.

8. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why? I think a pineapple... Very unique and multi-faceted on the outside, sometimes prickly, but colorful and sweet on the inside.

9. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why? Paint. I love painting. The wonderful ways that colors mix and combine allows to show so many emotions.

10. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? Enjoy yourself and do what it is that makes you happy. There are a lot of people out there that are willing to give you advice, and there is a lot of great advice out there. However, in the end you are the person that has to be proud of your own work. If you don't believe in your craft, no one else is going to either.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to share? Life is short- Enjoy every moment.

About Cassie

My name is Cassie and my partner and I opened 'Cakes and More' this past July. We have a beautiful six year old who always reminds us to take life lightly and enjoy every minute. We consider our baking time our fun time and spend a great deal of time as a family looking for new recipes and tweaking old ones.