Springtime in the Islands

Spring...the transition between Winter and Summer in the Florida Keys is a vibrant beautiful time of year.  The temperature is warm in the high 80's with very little rain and moderate humidity. The ocean is warm yet refreshing for an afternoon swim in the backyard or beach or with a short boat ride to a nearby coral reef you can immerse yourself with a variety of colorful tropical fish.  The waters are mostly calm and there is a light breeze swaying the palm trees just a bit. Flowering bushes and trees pop with gorgeous shades of pink, purple and orange contrasted with white picket fences in beautiful small front yards.  What a joy and pleasure it is to be living on an island in the Florida Keys in the Springtime!
Wishing you new beginnings and the promise of beautiful things to come!
Live a colorful life,
~Nancy

Marathon Key, Fl Keys

Florida Keys

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~ Island Beach Style Bracelets

Little Torch Key, FL Keys

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~  Island Beach Style Bracelets

Key West, FL

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~ Island Beach Style Bracelets

Key West

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~ Island Beach Style Bracelet

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~ Bohemain Style Collection

Island inspired party boat decor

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~ Palm Tree Collection

Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry ~ Island Beach Style

Key West Art

The life and studio of a creative soul

Mt. Crested Butte, CO

Summer Island Mountain Girl

Turquoise Ultra Midi Drop Earrings

Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado

Tropic Midi Drop Earrings

The view outside, Mt. Crested Butte, CO

The life of a creative soul is a busy one especially when you work at home.  My studio is a happy place filled with colorful glass for fusing in various sizes and stages of design and there are bins and drawers filled with jewelry supplies including beads of all types in every color.

My postcard collection

...more post card collection.

It's a cozy place to work even in winter with 10 feet of snow outside, the walls are painted soft creamy yellow, rusty red and deep sage green and are covered with artwork from friends, paintings, wildflowers posters, photographs of family, art design books, a key west calender, and my post card collection from all over the US and quite a few countries I've visited.

Handmade art by Laura from Joy Warrior Gallery, Crested Butte, Colorado

Being the visual creative soul that I am, I love the stimulation I receive from artwork and color everywhere.  My thoughts and eyes can dart from one vibrantly colorful place to another but when it needs a visual rest there's the breathtaking view outside to gaze at.

The view outside, Crested Butte, CO

Cobalt Blue Dazzle Earrings

Elk Avenue Downtown Crested Butte, CO

In the mountains, one day it may be snowing large clumpy snowflakes and the next day may be the bluest sky you've ever seen.  On an island, one day there may be a light, gentle breeze and the ocean is like glass and the next a gale force wind is blowing the outdoor furniture over on it's side and white capped waves are crashing over the dock. I just love the contrast of it all.

Sunset view Mt. Crested Butte, CO

Working at home in both environments gives me many occasions to venture outside and enjoy the day.  I just have to remind myself to do so because my days are a crazy mixture of glasswork, beading, healthy cooking, business, laundry, marketing, bookkeeping, inspiration, correspondence, housework, photography, hot tea breaks, trips to the post office, daydreaming about the children's books I'm working on and of course making time for outdoor play...skiing, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, boating or going to the gym.

Nordic Skiing, Crested Butte, CO

Did I mention I also share my studio space with my husband, a lifelong casual musician.  There are guitars and concert posters on half of the room and a living room arrangement, with a couch, chairs and a coffee table with tree bark legs. It's a quiet spot for reading or contemplation or a loudly inspired place when I turn up the blues tunes or island beach music.

Sky Blue Midi Drop Earrings

If you agree my days are busy then you'll believe me when I say my nights are busy too! I love great restaurants, live music and live performances such as dance, plays or comedy and movies so even though I may live in two small towns there always is something to do to inspire and enjoy!
Wishing you days and nights filled with fun and entertainment that you love!
Live happy,
Nancy

It's all about days filled with Color

To me working with glass and beads for that matter is like playing with color.  Each day I wake up to spend my days thinking of and working with color.  Being a visual person and one that is passionate about color I surround myself with lots of colorful inspiration to fuel my design process and keep me excited throughout my day.  Magazines and catalogs inspire me as well as does reading online about interior design, paint and fabric trends. 

According to The Color Marketing Group, the leading international organization of color design professionals the new hot color for Spring and Summer 2010 is Barefootin'.   A rich shade of sand that you would find in Spain or even Maine beaches with a warm terra cotta tint to it.  It is described by the President of CMG as a new color infused neutral.  The vivacious color orange, has taken a step back to soothe a weary psyche but without being dull. I am inspired by  all the shades of orange from burnt orange to pale peach because they are all found in nature.

Fla Keys Sunset

Crested Butte, Colorado

The Tropics Necklace from the Island Style Collection Nancy Yuskaitis Jewelry

I've enjoyed my experience with the color orange this summer and one of my favorite tops, a vivid orange with a pretty muted gold trim receives lots of complements each time I wear it.  I've since moved on to a reddish brown on my toes but enjoyed my previous pedicure and the shade of bright orange was really fun with my fancy brown fit flops. I love designing orange glass jewelry and most woman are quite striking with a pop of a highly energized orange necklace or earrings. I always enjoy an orange sunset in the tropics or in the mountains and orange poppies and hibiscus are equally gorgeous.

Additional Color Trends for this year which are paired with neutrals are
Red; A bright Red Pink filled with energy and excitement
Yellow; A natural Green Yellow to pair with gray
Green; An uplifting clear and bright Green Blue
Blue; A saturated Blue Gray
Beige-Brown; to complement darker shades
Gray; A mineral Lavender Gray or Steel Gray

High Altitude Art

As I prepare for the summer art season in Colorado I admit I must step up my habit of list making or relatively important things may be overlooked.  It helps me to remain calm yet productive when the intensity ramps up, it also encourages restful not sleepless nights trying to recall all the business details awaiting me the next day and it harnesses the the creative energy that flows through me at this time of year, instead of letting it just flitter by.

Although island living fuels my design process and enriches my jewelry with intense color and tropical flavor, it's the summertime living high up in the mountains that opens me up and excites the passion in me to create art jewelry and to write.  Last summer after a series of rolfing sessions from our wonderful local rolfer, Susan Marrion I could not stop writing.  I must have expressed about 10,000 words about my life and drafted several children's books which I hope to finish one day soon.

So far this summer I have new and re-orders to fill for Florida and Colorado gift shops and gallery's including one that I'm totally thrilled about.  Soon Margaritaville.com will be selling a few of my jewelry items.  I'll keep you posted when it goes live.  I am also preparing for several shows starting this weekend including, July 3rd - ART-rageous - A Day of Art at the Center for the Arts in Crested Butte, Colorado, AWEfest and the CB Farmer's Market and I am looking forward to an inspired high mountain summer.

Celebrate creativity in all forms!  What creative projects have you been immersed in this summer, I'd love to hear about them?  Wishing you a creatively abundant summer!

An Afternoon of Music & Art in Key West

This is my first year to be involved with SoDu Gallery's "From a Woman's Hand" 3rd Annual show in Key West, Florida. I am honored to be chosen to join the 50 + women artists of the Keys in this celebration of art. As I am writing this I received a message that my necklace has sold...before the show even opened, but the gallery would ship it after the show. I'm so excited!


On Saturday, when I stopped by the gallery to deliver my handmade necklace entry "Blue Bamboo" I was thrilled to be greeted by Frank Decker, a painter whose work I have admired for years. The show runs May 8-23 with an opening reception on May 8th with live music, chocolate and champagne. Proceeds of the show benefit Womankind, a woman's health center in Key West.


We then headed over to Mile Marker 0 and Ocean Key Resort for the 15th Annual Key West Songwriters Fest. We have attended this event for nine years and many times with family and its always a festive way to experience the colorful flavor of Key West and enjoy some great entertainment. Ocean Key Resort on Sunset Pier is one of my favorite restaurants in Key West and an excellent songwriter venue. It's ocean view is beautiful and while sipping a cold beverage along with conch fritters and fresh ceviche you can watch it's varied boat traffic going by and an incredible sunset. It is located near Mallory Square a renowned sunset destination with unique vendors and unusual entertainment. Some of my favorite songwriters at festivals over the years have Brett James, Billy Dean, Craig Wiseman, Chuck Cannon, Scotty Emerick and Randy Houser to name a few.


Our next stop was to Simonton Court Historic Inn and the "A Taste of Art" art show where I will be the featured artist on May 15th with my Island Style Beach & Summer Jewelry. It is a charming poolside setting with an outdoor bar and gorgeous tropical foliage. That night it was 85 degrees and we were wilting in the humidity but enjoying the live classical guitar music and a chilled glass of wine while admiring the striking artwork of one of my glass idols, Mary O'Shae and a few other artists.


Life is good in the Fla Keys! Wishing you a delightful art experience!