Finding my Tribe

Hello Friends!!!

Happy 2014. I have always been a blog reader never really thought I'd be a blog author. Almost a year ago I found myself sitting at home with two babies watching lots of sesame Street. Such a vast difference from just 4 years prior. I left a fast paced career of sales and marketing to settle down and have a family. My husband and I have now been together for 14 years and married almost 8. We have two kids Carson (4 1/2) and Madison (2 1/2). Back to last January as I found myself sitting here with the kiddos...I knew I wanted to start a business, I was certain it was going to be jewelry, but I didn't know where to start.

I began browsing Etsy, doing various Google searches, spending hours on Pinterst, all wondering if I could learn how to make these pieces and how was I going to learn? Was it going to be YouTube? No, I tried! I had my husband bring home a soldering iron and some solder from Home Depot. It was a mess, until I came across Terri Brush. She was getting ready to offer a new online class regarding soldering, stamped soldering!!! This was so exciting to me. I signed up. Then I saw that she would be visiting San Diego and offering a class. Oh my goodness, she's coming to San Diego? This is a sign for sure.

I gathered supplies for the upcoming online class that was about to begin the end of January. I had the date the class was to start, I arranged to have my mom come to the house to help watch my kids while I took my class. LOL this is funny now because Terri's classes are a watch when you want too, not a certain time you need to sit down! I was such a newbie but so eager and excited!! It was love at first watch! When I met Terri in person that following March I believe it was, I had taken all of her online classes that she had offered up to that point. It was like meeting a celebrity!

I picked up on creating jewelry so fast. I am certain a huge part of this is from my instructor, Terri Brush whom I will always credit! Along with finding Terri I feel like I have found myself again too!! Back to that January, sitting at home with my two babies, I now have an established business, The Rusty Owl, I have found my new "Tribe" of art friends that I just cherish and can't wait to see, and still can't wait to learn more. I will never claim to know it all. I feel like I have so much to learn and I just love to surround myself with creative friends.

2014 is looking to be an exciting year. I'm heading to Washington in February to Whimsy Blue's Creative Weekend http://whimsybluescreativeweekend.blogspot.com, beginning of April is a big show for me in San Diego at Summers Past Farms, End of April I am headed to the Oregon coast for Terri's Spring Art Camp http://www.terribrushdesigns.com/untitled2.html!!!!!

All this in just one year!!! I cannot wait to see what this year brings. I hope to share my journey here. I will not bore you with long drawn out entries like this one, just photos, my favorite recipes, great diy's, and tid bits of this amazing journey. I hope we all have the opportunity to find the tribe that makes us happy, we all deserve it!!!

Thank you to my husband and family for all your support on this journey and to Terri for your unselfish sharing of knowledge. I am so grateful on so many levels!