That Is Better

Thanks for all the well wished and commiserating yesterday. Sometimes ya just gotta complain, right? LOL. I am feeling better today... not 100%, but I am getting there. A little time in the studio helped a ton. I have been having fun spray painting some of the rusty vintage enameled pieces I have been collecting. I have been doing the spray painting right on the studio floor! I get these colorful little flowers here and there. How cool is that?

This piece is another from "Re-Inspired Junk Collection", this piece called "simple bloom". Yes, with lower cases, because it is simple, not stuffy, it doesn't want capitals. I love that bright coral orange hollow with it's little turquoise dots. *sigh* and it is all hanging from some recycled chain I took out of a necklace my Mom brought me from an estate sale. This is the perfect wear with anything summer necklace. It looks great with almost every color! (all but red, I think)

There are more where this one came from, and I will be sharing those next week. OH! I came up with a bracelet design using these too!! I can't wait to share those. Just need to wait for the spray paint to dry.

Combating Rotten-ness

Yesterday was a really crappy day. A just down right rotten miserable day. It was a lot of little things that just seemed to eat away at my mood. Homer eating the veggies, then Andrew waking up "sick" but wasn't really sick he was avoiding school (though I didn't figure it out until about noon), Lauren being sassy and mouthy, arguments with my mom... then with my dad in the afternoon too, feeling like Jacob was treating me like a doormat. Ugh.

I tried to take the couple of hours in the afternoon that I have kid-free and use it to improve my mood. Didn't work. I just sat, trying to finish off my book club book, and working on a little knitting. Double Ugh. The need to be working on laundry or doing dishes was nagging at the back of my thoughts.

Everyone has those days. The ones where nothing.goes.right. Sometimes those days can be overcome, but sometimes not. All I can do is wake up today, take a deep breath, and face today knowing it can be better then yesterday.

Homer & The Garden

There is a project that Ron and I have been working on since mid-April. I have held off on sharing it because I was waiting to have something in it to show. We woke up at an early 6am and the view out our bedroom window had us very vexed. So, it is time to show the project and get some help from you experts out in the world.

RAISED BED GARDENS!!!



I know, not very excited to some, but it us, this is project has been a long time coming and it is very very exciting. We have always had a veggie garden. Though, in the past, it hasn't been much more then a small tilled plot with a half dozen or so plants. The new house gave us the opportunity to change all that.

Our yard is a full acre and although we would like it to be all lush and green, there is a large area what is dead and brown. In 2000, when an addition was put on the old house, they brought in a ton of "fill" to raise the level of the yard. Instead of bringing in "clean fill", they basically put a parking lot under ground. It is all the gravel and asphalt leeching into the ground killing the grass (and the two big trees that used to call the backyard home).



A big dead spot is PERFECT for raised beds!! Ron did tons of research, took ques from our friends Lindsey & Lucas that have beautiful raised bed gardens, looked at photos on flickr and videos on PBS.com. He debated if we would use cedar or pine for the wood. Once we heard that cedar would be about $50 a board and we needed 12+ boards, it was decided that the $5 pine would be the way to go, lol. And NO, not pressure treated, that would be putting chemicals into the soil... not good.

It was a really brisk cold day when we set to building the beds. The weekend before Easter, if I recall correctly. The sun was out, but oh how we shivered! The fill for the gardens is free leaf mulch put out by our town every spring. This isn't mulch in the classic bark like sense that you are used to. Leaf mulch is rich and black, and so much better then dirt. It took 8 truck loads (Ron filling his truck each night after work) to fill the beds. And they could probably use more!



We set to trying to grow plants from seeds. And frankly, we suck at it. Our tomatoes are tiny, our onions are so fine their stalks look like strands of hair, lol, and our peppers barely came out of the soil. Now, I know some things are easier to grow then others, but come on. LOL. We put the plants in the beds anyway, and added a few green house bought ones as well. Moving from the east to west in the garden we have planted... strawberries (a whole square bed to themselves), about a dozen tomatoes, onions, peppers, carrots, peas, beans, broccoli, eggplant, squash, cucumber, and zucchini. My Mom has taken over one of the beds too. So add to that list... spinach, radishes (yuck!), beats, more tomatoes, more peas, more beans, and other things I can't remember.



Now... our veggies are in jeopardy!! Homer, the groundhog, is eating everything!! Homer lives under the shed in the neighbor's yard. We see him out in the yard every couple of days. He is a bold groundhog, coming up close to the house, yet he races away with so much as a click of the door unlocking. Damn thing. GRRRR!!!! He has eaten all Mom's peas and beans... he has taken an eggplant... and chewed up the tops of the tomatoes too. We started researching what to do. Some say mothballs, but that is illegal because it contains a known carcinogenic (who wants that next to their veggies anyway), some say animal urine, Lindsey says Milorganite, I have read about electric fences, and Mom got these little gray-my-bobs that are supposed to work (but don't).



Lemme hear it... what has worked for you gardeners of the blog reading world?!? Lots more photos in my Flickr Photostream!!

And then... I was home.

I have been home since Saturday, but having a "then I was home post" seems only natural after the posts about my Loveland trip. Doesn't it? Thank heavens for good weather on the flights home. I had to get up at 4am to make a 7:30 am flight out of Denver (hour drive and security made for the early morning, lol). The ride was beautiful... smooth and nausea-inducing-free. Nice.

I was greeted at the airport with flowers and chocolate lollipops and peanut brittle. It was great! And so thoughtful. Ron doesn't usually do things like that, and it really made me feel the love. And I hadn't really noticed that I was coming home to a holiday weekend. It was the perfect end to the week. We went to see friends at a bbq on Sunday evening, and yesterday was spent relaxing on the deck in the sun with corn on the cob and new knitting project.



That pile of corn is a true right of passage around here. When I was little, the kids (meaning me and my sister) always, ALWAYS, had to shuck the corn. My dad even gave us a name... shuck-a-butt kids, lol. The name has now been passed down to my kids, Lauren in particular. I didn't have to shuck single ear! She did the whole dozen. :)

My tools and wire are, sadly, still in Colorado. They should be here later in the week though. I will be scrambling to be ready for my trunk show at the Memorial Art Gallery. Stay tuned for lots of jewelry eye candy in the coming days!!

Adventures in Loveland... Part 3

Anyone who knows me well (aka my family) will tell you, I am not one to travel off the beaten path. I am a creature of habit and when I don't follow my habits, I get a little anxious. When I go to a resturant for the first time, I am always biting my nails not knowing what to order. Then, once I find something I like, I will order it every time I go there, nothing else. I really only know a single route to any given place, and that is the road I take. You know what I mean? Anyway, it is something I am working on.

While chatting in the photo studio with Joe, we got on the subject of fine arts students. I mentioned that one of my uncles has a degree in Fine Art from Nazarath College. He asked what he "does", and I told him sculpture. Joe said "well, don't ya know, Loveland happens to be one of the sculpture capitals of the world!" Huh what? Loveland? What are you talking about?



Turns out Loveland/Ft. Collins really are famous for sculptures. There is a huge sculptural event every year that basically shuts the cities down. And just a couple of turns off the beaten path I was taking everyday was a place called "Bensen Park Sculptural Garden". The link takes you to a cool site that shows a map of the park, you can float your mouse over the numbers and a photo of the sculpture in that spot will appear. More then 120 pieces in one little park!

We wrapped up shooting early on Friday and I found myself with a little time on my hands. Not enough time to go up into the mountains (an adventure I wanted to take with my friend Debbie on Thursday but the weather was uncooperative), but enough to take a little detour. I don't think y'all realize what a huge step that is for me! And I truly "enjoyed the moment".



There are lots more photos from Benson Park in my Flickr photostream. Go check them out!

Another "playing" highlight of my business trip was getting to see an old friend. She isn't old, lol... but our friendship is. Debbie and I have known each other since 7th grade(that would be circa 1990). We had sleep overs, her family introduced me to having popcorn with pizza, we always made cookies when we were at her house, and once, we did a movie about Anne Frank in her living room with her nine brothers and sisters for an english project. When I got a car, we drove to school together everyday. After our weddings we lost touch. We have sent emails now and then, but life with kids makes it tough. You know I have three, and she has four herself (ages 6, 5, and twins almost 3). Once she moved to Colorado we really really lost touch.

As fate would have it... Debbie lives just about 20mins from where I was in staying!! She met me at the apartment the first night in Loveland and we headed out for a bit to each and lots of chatting. Thursday while I was there was her birthday! And we hung out in her kitchen cooking and chatting like we have never been apart. LOL... and I answered her question "was high school really as bad as I remember it?" with a resounding "YES" and she said "I knew I would get an honest answer from you!!" Oh how I wish we were closer. I would love having her and her crew over for backyard picnics and wine nights in the winter (or spring or summer or fall for that matter). I am sad to have left her there!! But hopefully, she will be here in NY next year visiting family and I can return the favor of a night of good food, lots of chatting, and good times.

Adventures in Loveland... Part 2

It is early Friday morning here in CO, it's barely 7am. I have been up since about 5:30 "working" on the computer at some behind the scenes stuff for book #2. I am trying to stay on NY time, which means it is really almost 9am and a lazy bum, but oh well. Today is the last day of shooting and WOW! so much to tell you all about.

First, by the hits on my Flickr photos, lol, I can tell y'all couldn't wait to see what was going down at the photo studio. I have so many things I want to remember to tell you, now I don't know where to begin! Hmmm... I will start with the man behind the lens... Joe Coca. Such a cool old guy, lol. I think he would be very comfortable sitting on the beach with Jimmy Buffet as he is working behind a camera. There is such a gentle laid back quality to him. I am loving getting to work with him. The photo above is the very unassuming entry to his studio. It was a grocery store in the 19 teens. And now it is a studio, with his wife and him living in the flat above the store. An absolute dream of a spot if you ask me.



Behind that front door is this. A HUGE room with vaulted ceilings, blocked out light, more camera equipment then I have ever seen in my life, and a gigantic MAC screen. Too cool, huh?

Wednesday was the first day of shooting. I created a "shot list" several weeks ago outlining each and every photo we would take for my book. When I counted them up there was 264, if memory serves me. We end up taking 4-5 of each shot so the art director as lots of angles and options to choose from. Do the math and we have literally taken more than 1000 photos.

It wasn't a task we jumped right into though! The morning was relaxed, I unpacked all my tools and all the jewelry, piece by piece. And as I was unpacking, editors from Interweave arrived. I got to meet my art director, my acquisitions editor, and the assistant editor (Rebecca, who has spent the whole shoot with me!). All the ladies are great, and so good at what they do. The first task was deciding which color background to shoot the process shots against. It sounds like an easy thing right? WRONG! It took almost two hours! The feel of the book is going to be very playful, fun, and fresh, so no dark serious colors. I have very pale skin, so anything too like and my flesh tones look weird.



The debate over which background ended with the one in this photo. A very neutral gray, that isn't too blue and isn't too yellow. Nice. The next debate was the angle to shoot from and how much "hands" to show. My art director hates "fleshy books" where when you flip through the pages all you see is skin. My acquisitions editor likes hands and thinks it is important to have them to show how to use the tools and do the technique. As we took each photo we kept those two points in mind... as little flesh as possible while showing the technique as clearly as possible. *sigh* it is so much harder then it sounds.

Once all the details were worked out we just started ticking things off the shot list. We worked through the entire "basics" section, all the earrings, and a couple of the bracelets the first day. Yesterday, Thursday, we finished up all the bracelets, all the necklaces, and did drop outs. Drop outs are images of the jewelry on a plain white background, so photo peps can lasso the object and drop it down on the finished page so it looks like it is floating. There was a point yesterday afternoon where I was just beaming with pride as I looked at Joe's computer screen and saw these huge images of my jewelry looking just absolutely amazing. It is something I highly recommend. If you can ever find a way to swing it, have a professional take some images of your work. It will give you a whole new perspective on what you are creating.



This last shot is just to make y'all jealous... look at all my pretty wire! I ordered this before I left and oh rainbows make me happy. LOL. We will be using this box of goodies today to shoot the "color wheel" section of the book and then it is on to the bits and bobs about tools 'n stuff.

WOW! That is a long post about the photo shoot... it made me tired just thinking about all the work we have done. I haven't kept 9-5 hours like this in years! I best hop in the shower and get the morning moving so I am not late for "work". More coming soon on the "playing" I have done in Loveland. All work and no play would make for a very boring trip dontcha think?

Adventures in Loveland... Part 1

*sigh* yes... I am here. LOL. First of all, before I dive into the tales of Loveland, my internet access is hit and miss. So if you are waiting for an email from me, sorry, updating the ole blog won out. But I will get to emails when I can, and if you suddenly don't hear from me until Sunday, it is because of the lack of internet.

Anywho. YES! I am here. On my first ever "business" trip. It truly is wild. I think being distracted by working on prep stuff for book number two kept me from stressing and working myself up about this experience. I didn't have time to nit pick each and every aspect of what might happen. I didn't picture what people would be like, I didn't worry about finding my way here and there, I didn't want to know what would happen before it happened... I am just sort of being in the moment. I am experiencing everything as it comes. And it all feels really *right*. Like this is what I am supposed to be doing.

The flight sucked getting here, lol... so don't think I am all rays of hope and sunshine. I am dreading getting back on the plane. Denver is a very bumpy city to fly over. Add a sudden storm off the mountains and 30 minutes of circling over Nebraska and you have a very ill, cold sweating, green sweater wearing passenger. I held it together though and didn't actually vomit on the two women on either side of me hogging the arm rests. No, I just tried to breathe and get the hell off that plane as fast as I could.



The views here are s.p.e.c.t.a.c.u.l.a.r. I mean, seriously, beautiful. I have lived in NY, and Florida, and Texas, but never seen mountains like these. We have the Adirondacks in NY, but they ain't nothing next to these fellas. I had about an hour drive from the Denver Airport to the Interweave apartment in Loveland. OH MY STARS!!! The expressways!! The speed limit is 75...with everyone going at least 80. I am used to 55 in Rochester, 65 at the most. These people are maniacs. LOL. But AH, the view as you speed through the state! I don't know why people are in such a hurry, I could go 30 the whole way and not mind one bit while starring out the window. :)



So, with mountains out the car window on my left... there was a rainbow out the window on my right. What a treat after the storm that had us circling for so long!! Wish I could take better 'while driving' pictures, but alas, my camera sucks at candids like these. I will just have to cherish the memory of a pretty pop of a rainbow. Hey, maybe I should write it in my Token journal when I get home! A token of love from Mother Nature. LOL.



Here is where I am staying! A cute little one bedroom apartment that Interweave has for authors (and others) that come in for various publishing stuff. It is cute, yeah, like I said, lol. (I think I feel a little jet lagged.) No tv though, and I already mentioned the spotty internet. Makes for a boring time all by my onsie, but I did have a visit with a good friend from high school my first night!! More on her later in the week though.

Up tomorrow is Part 2... all about my first day at the photo studio! If you can't wait to see, just hop on over to my Flickr stream and check out the photos I posted.

Finished Knit, A Dance, A Birthday & A Cabinet

Look! I finished my "Pucker" top this weekend! Woohoo. I was determined to get it done in time to wear on my trip with week. 15 inches of very boring stockinette stitching nearly killed me, but I am so glad I survived. I love how it turned out. I added a couple inches of length since I am tall, but I think it could still use a few more. Oh well. It is done. There is another photo over on Flickr. Just click the image above and pop on over to scroll through my photostream.

What else from this weekend? LOL... I know! My little baby boy went to his first school dance! Jacob went to the 6th grade dance on Friday night. And boy did I ever get lectured about "how things are" today. I had to be okay with him wearing ripped jeans and a short sleeve button up plaid shirt (a new request of his clothing wise, which my dad says is very late 60's and has a name but I can't remember). It was so cute. I wish I could share the high he came out of that gym on. He was a dancing fool that knew no embarrassment. He told me he was in the center of a circle break dancing. He is crazy. LOL, but I think it is awesome that he is so self confident.

OH, it was my hubby's birthday too. My old man it now 39. It was a quiet day, we had breakfast with his parents in the morning, and a cookout with my parents in the evening. In between we just hung out in the backyard burning brush. He said it was a good day.

Check out the photo below. It is the newest piece I have "thrifted" for the house. I picked it up at a local estate sale. I am told it is an "Empire Style" cabinet/hutch. It is solid oak and has a beautiful crackle to whatever shellac they put on the surface of the wood. There is a label on the back that says "CM Bott Furniture Company Incorporated, Makers of Dining Room Furniture, East Ferry St and Erie RR, Buffalo NY" and then there is a blank area with an address typed in that I can't make out. I have googled and googled trying to find out more but I am coming up short. I paid $225 for it and I am wondering if I got my money's worth... what is it really worth?

Alrighty, time to get this day moving. Tomorrow I leave for Loveland CO, to the photo studio of Interweave Press for a week long photoshoot for my book!! Which, has an official title, by the way!! I don't know if I can announce it yet, I will let you know when I can. I am going to bring my laptop and camera to blog along the way. See you from the road.

GO VOTE!!

YEE HAW!! CHECK IT OUT!! My "Springs Into Action" necklace has been selected as a finalist in the BEAD STAR competition.

Here is what you need to do:

Click the link above.
Go to VOTE NOW!
Input your email address and vote... My piece is #19 in the "Glass" category.

If I get the most votes, you get to have a tutorial for how to make one of these for yourself!! Yep, all the winning pieces are hen published with step by step directions in the Bead Star Magazine.

Now go vote!!

Beads & Some Stuff

Okay... I have settled down now. My presentation is turned in to one publisher, and my packages are ready to be mailed to the other one. *sigh* See, I need you send all my tools and wire and "stuff" to Interweave Press for next week's photo shoot, but at the same time, I was working on a piece to put into a presentation for the new book. Can make my jewelry with out tools, so everything suddenly came down to the wire yesterday. But things have settled now and I can take it easy until Tuesday!!

What do you think of this little number? Different huh? I can't tel you too much about it without giving away details that can't yet be revealed, but what I can say it that I wanted to make an easy project that should how you could use a bunch of beads with plain ol' dots on 'em. Then I needed to figure out a creative way to photograph it! Yesterday poured for most of the day which made for crappy lighting but oh well, I did the best I could. I though it would be interesting to "frame" the necklace, literally. So I grabbed an empty frame off the wall, set the timer, and stood still. LOL... try it sometime, it's interesting! LOL

I am tuning out for the weekend. My Ronnie is turning 39 on Sunday so some celebrating is in order! See you on Monday :)

In A Bit Of A Pinch

Okay... I am in the throws of a minor panic attack. I lost the week somewhere and I need it back!! I ended up staying up past midnight making beads for a last minute project for the presentation of the new book. And I was up at 6am to working things for next week's photoshoot at Interweave Press. I know if I can just breathe, I can get it all done.

Why did I agree to work on two books at once? LOL.

ReFunked

Don't worry, I don't think all the pieces will have "Re" in the title, LOL! But as long as I can come up with them they will. I introduce to you... "ReFunked". And my stars do I need to be careful when I type that. Wouldn't want to put a c in place of that n. I would need to put vulgarity warning on the old blog here. ;)

WOW! Truly, that is how I am feeling about the comments yesterday. WOW! You all are such a huge support. Thanks for your understanding and wonderful words of praise. LOL, you know, you are probably half the reason I get so insecure. Such pressure to keep delivering cool things! How can I keep up to the hype? I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll keep trying.

I think Deb said what I was feeling better then I could in her comment yesterday. She said "Until recently I worked with artists (some of an international calibre) for a number of years. One thing I learned is that, artists often hold things close - it's somewhat like nurturing a baby for 9 months....everything has to be ready in order proceed. That also goes for how you feel about it!" YES! That is how I was feeling... I didn't want to share... I didn't know if it was ready. (and those other things I mentioned too)

Enough about that though. More about "Refunked". I LOVE these colors!! So bright... so big... same thing I was saying about "Respired" yesterday. I think this would look good with a white top, pink top, orange top, black top. There are just so many options. I love the orange and red with the pops of pink and little touches of lavender. This piece has three beads (two hollows and simple disc). Man , I am getting anxious for more supplies to come to explore these designs more. I hope they get here soon!!

Re-Inspired Junk Collection

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I am feeling very vulnerable at the moment. I have been working behind the scenes on new jewelry designs for this summer. The process has been awesome. It makes me all giddy and excited. At the same time though, I am very unsure. I am worrying, holding them close, and not wanting to share. I have six new pieces sitting on me desk and I can't decided it they are genius or junk. I don't think you all could stand another fluffy post about nonsense on this blog so it is time to share what I have been working on...

"Respired" is the first piece in the "Re-Inspired Junk Collection". You had to know that if I was going to jump on the repurposed jewelry band wagon that I would find a way to do it with wild color. Yes... repurposed jewelry. The photo at the top is of an enameled metal brooch I bought while out thrifting with Lorelei last weekend. Very sixties/seventies. It is BIG and BOLD, measuring more then 3inches across. I totally busted it apart. I used wire to bring the pieces together in a new way, added big lampwork hollows, then strung them up with vintage enameled chain. I love using enameled pieces. Essentially, enamel is glass... so I am still using glass in a creative new/old way.

Why am I feeling all insecure? Several reasons. First, I can't decide if I love it or hate it. Is it too much? I have worn it a few times, outside the house, and it is light as a feather, you hardly know you have it on. Yet, everyone else knows you are wearing it and you gotta be prepared to have your chest stared at all day. Second reason, I really think I am on to something here. And I am very worried that the minute I show this light bulbs will turn on over peoples' heads and I am going to see tons of flower pins turned jewelry components show up every where. I am feeling very protective of it, at the same time, I can't not show it. How will I get feedback about reason #1 if I don't?



So far the reviews have been great. I previewed this photo on Facebook last week to lots of love. I am really loving an orange and hot pink design setting on my desk that I will share tomorrow. Now it is time to hear from you... leave me some feedback. Have I gone off the jewelry deep end? LOL.

Spoiled Rotten

"Habe MOMters Day" My make-shift card from Lauren on her dry erase board. I had to get a photo before she is on to the next thing. She is a writing fool these days, lol. I am sure the spelling will come along in time :)

How was every one's mother's day? Or, just because you are a girl day? (you don't have to be Mom to celebrate) I was spoiled rotten all weekend. Not only was it mother's day, but Saturday was Ron and mine's eleventh wedding anniversary! Saturday we got to have some kid-free time and we snuck out to a movie. We saw Star Trek. Yep, we are a bunch of Trekies. LOL. I don't know many other couples that would get as excited about having their anniversary weekend the same weekend a movie is released as we did. We have been counting it down for months! And the move didn't disappoint. You just can't look at it as if that is James T Kirk and Spock and McCoy, it is a whole new Star Trek... everyone just happens to have the same name, ha! After the afternoon flick, Ron and I came back home to have some leftover pasta and sauce. Not very romantic, but the peace and quiet was wonderful for a few hours.

Sunday was equally as nice. The kids gave me lots of hugs, and cards like the one above. We worked on the house... they made me new window boxes and we planted strawberries, and broccoli, and we took the shutters down on the house. Right now the color scheme of the outside of the house is faded mint green with cream trim and red shutters. By the end of the week the shutters will be dark navy blue. I still don't care for (insert, loath with a passion) the faded mint green, but Ron is baiting me with remodeling the kids' bathroom if I hold off on painting the house. The kids' bathroom is old and yellow, and no matter how often I clean it there is an odd smell wafting in there. So, bathroom remodel is winning over the painting of the house, but the shutters should help a little.

Dinner was amazing here. I have said before... I don't cook. Ron is the master chef in this house. He dolled up some amazing rice with carrots and green beans and white wine.... and oh my stars... the shrimp! Sweet chili peppered shrimp... yum. And oh yeah, some grilled teriyki steak on the side. I was a glutton and couldn't get enough. Though I did call my Mom and Sister and offered to share. Speaking of my Mom, the project I started for her last week was a total bust. Beautiful colors and inspiring, but ugh, horribly sized. It just didn't work. So I need to figure out another way to spoil her.

Not For Mom

(Mom.... don't look....)



No, I was not stumped about what to get my Mom for Mother's Day.
No, I didn't find a pattern last minute to crochet her something special.
Heck no, I didn't already have this yarn and fabric in my stash.
No, I have had something in mind for weeks... thought way ahead... yeah. LOL.

Pre-Orders Available!!

Yesterday I was mindlessly surfing Amazon.com and found two very exciting things! Remember back in Aug/Sept when I was scrambling to finish up projects and tutorials for books to later be announced? Well, here they are! And they are available for pre-order on Amazon.

The first book is Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs by Jane Dickerson. I am really excited to get my hands on this book. I can't wait to see all the projects in its pages. I know what my projects look like, and they are very different from the style shown on the cover. Which leads me to believe there are a wide range of designs shown! Something for everyone!! And the cover there... why it is my new jewelry pal, Lorelei Eurto! Congrats Lorelei, you rock!


Also up now on Amazon is 101 Wire Earrings: Step By Step Projects and Techniques by Denise Peck. I am really excited to be a part of this book too. I think earrings are my weakest skill design wise so I can't wait to see the inspiration these pages have to offer. This is my second time contributing to a book by Denise Peck, editor of Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine. The first one, Wire Style, is a great addition to every jewelry book collection.

While we are talking about books, I am entering the "presentation" phase of new book. If anyone is interested in putting together a mock project for me to use in the pitch, zing me an email! I would love to have some fresh ideas to use in the examples. I can give you more information when you get in touch. :)

State Of The Studio

It has been a few months since my last State Of The Studio address. Since I am kinda at a loss for words today, I thought it was time I did another one.



On Jewelry Things: I am in the throws of "research" for the new book. I am finding it incredibly inspiring, yet sorta frustrating. I am discovering worlds I wouldn't normally ever delve into and it makes me want to try things. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to experiment right now. Why? Well, I am currently: preparing for a trunk show, working on the new book, getting ready to head to Loveland CO for the photo shoot of first book on May 19th.



On Beading Things: My beading time keeps getting thwarted. I have had a few windows of opportunity to torch, but it is really limited. I am trying to use it wisely, but that doesn't always happen. The colors I am craving are BRIGHTS! But, brights that lend themselves to lots of blue. *sigh* Who woulda thunk blue would become my favorite color... I always thought I was a purple/pink kinda girl.



On Life Around Here: Things are in bloom! Compared to the last State Of The Studio: Around The House image, things look really different! The Sugar Magnolia is pretty much spent already, but the Dogwood is coming in nicely. We have built several raised beds for veggies and strawberries, but I want to wait to share that until it has a little more life to it. LOL. It still looks like a bunch of boxes full dirt and hay at the moment.



On Knitting Projects: I am still working on my "Pucker" top that I have show in process a couple of times. I have finished the back and I am working threw a tedious part. I need 15inches of stockinette stitch (yawn). I have about 10inches done so far before I get to do the cool puckering. The yellow yarn there is for the next project I have lined up. It is a top called "Buttercup" by Heidi Kirrmaier. My pal, Lindsey, and I are going to do it as a knit-a-long. Meaning, we are knitting the same top at the same time. Her's is a different color thought. *sigh* I really wanted yellow.

Something In Air

I don't really know how to describe the buzz that is in the air at the moment. It really is only the "early spring" around here, but it feels like the middle of summer. The sun is bold in the sky, and the breeze is fresh. Only tell that the summer isn't really here is the lack of leaves on the trees and the empty veggie gardens. I am really feeling like I am thriving of this buzz. I feel good mentally, I am working on getting my butt moving so I feel good physically, I feel inspired artistically, and (knock on wood) things are actually going good right now with the kids and my hubby too. I am in the midst of an all-is-right-with-the-world high and I want to relish it and keep it close for when the mood changes, as it always seems to do.

So... on to details from my amazing weekend. Friday... I know I didn't post, that's because I was totally distracted by THIS new estate sale find. And... Friday night, I got to attend the Glass Gala at the Memorial Art Gallery. I had a bit of a last minute dress disaster. Last week, I bought a cute black cocktail dress from TJMaxx. It was a great deal at $20, but I didn't pay close enough attention to the length of it when trying it on in the dressing room. When I got home, Ron told me it was kinda short, but that I looked cute and young. And he assured me it wasn't too short. Apparently, I grew a few inches in the past week, because by Friday night, it was way.too.short. I discovered this about a half hour before I was due at the museum!! I finished my hair, threw on my make up, and ran out to TJMaxx again. I grabbed a dress, tried it on, made sure it was past my knees, and bought it. It worked out well! I am assured by my sister that it is a fabulous dress (Calvin Klein) and looked great. I was so wired with energy after the gala that I popped over to her place afterward to unwind.



The Gala was awesome. The live auction was so much fun. I got to anonymously bid for a member on a gorgeous piece for a dollar value I would never write a check for, lol. I acted as a spotter too, while the bidding was going on. I saw pieces going for thousands of dollars!! My necklace ended up going for a good price too. And I got to meet and talk to the couple that purchased it. I got a big hug!! LOL and turns out the woman that got the high bid went to High School with a bunch of my Dad's sisters (remember he has 10 sisters). I am really excited for the trunk show at the Gallery Store in June. Mark your calendars! My trunk show is June 11-13th. I'll give more details as we get closer.

To see how I spent most of my Saturday, check out Lorelei' blog!! I had spotted that cabinet weeks ago and have been lusting after it. I got a firm no way from my hubby on buying it. When I saw the new studio Lorelei was working on, I knew she had to have it. It would organize her beads too perfectly. She lives here in NY, just a few hours away. We made a whole day of it!!



Now on to some much needed studio time for me! I have lots of cool things brewing that I can't wait to share. I am really excited about the direction things are going. :) OH... almost forgot! The two photos up top are of the piece I wore to the Gala. I got tons of compliments. It is just so fun. Random and blue... what could be better?