Welcome to Creative Friends Friday. This month I’m really excited to introduce you to my friend Carla Stout.

Carla is a collage and jewelry artist and a collector of all the things; but she’s one of those collectors that manages to make things look like they are fresh from a magazine shoot and not an episode of the hoarders. It’s a treat to visit her home because there’s always a new mantle display, or a new wreath on the door, or a new vignette that she has made from bits and bobs that she has found or salvaged.

Carla sees beauty in things that I glance over and it’s not until she’s dragged it home and propped it up by the front door or wound it into a wreath that I even notice. She has gathered and created all of the years that I have known her. She created to make her home beautiful, she created to give handmade gifts that were thoughtfully wrapped. She created jewelry for herself inspired by catalogs like Sundance from which we would only dream of buying something.

But over the last few years I have witnessed a quiet transformation taking place. Her two oldest children graduated from homeschool and began college and her younger daughter has transitioned to a local charter school. And bit by bit her homeschool room has transformed into a studio space. And with that transition I believe that Carla has become to be a bit more bold about calling herself the artist that she has always been.

Carla works in found fabrics and needlework and papers creating handmade books and journal covers. She gathers vintage keys, buttons and beads and crochets them all together with her favorite gem stones into gorgeous necklaces that can alsow be worn as wrap bracelets.

As I write this she is just getting her first business, 210design up and running. 210design, named from Ephesians 2:10, is a "craft and design business with a focus on creating unique jewelry designed to tell a story and inspire wearers and onlookers alike. With a touch of divine inspiration, my designs are meant to encourage and spark conversations that are spiritual in nature."

And all of Carla’s work does just that - it draws you in for a closer look. It begs to be touched and that’s part of the plan behind her designs. She wants to share a story, to give joy to those around her, and awake eyes to the beauty that they glance over everyday.

I would like to invite you to follow Carla's journey as she launches her new business. You can find her on Instagram and watch for updates as she begins her launch.