admit I'm not looking forward to my show this weekend. I normally do- I like meeting with my customers and other artists. I like seeing all the wonderful creative artwork and displays of my fellow artists. Most shows have such positive energy! It has nothing to do with the show itself... which is the Amana's Art Festival in Middle Amana Park, 10-5pm. It has to do with the weather. This weekend it's going to be hot hot hot and humid humid humid... and windy. I have asthma, and I and humidity do not mix well. (well OK, I know living in Iowa is asking for it.. but I love Iowa!) And if it's windy, then we have to close up the booth to keep jewelry from flying around. You cannot believe how aerodynamic jewelry displays can be!
You might notice that this show isn't on my website... well if you recall my computer died in June, and I got a new one, which I love! While I was able to retrieve most items and transfer them to my new one, my website wasn't one of them. The pictures and the words all transferred to my new harddrive-- but it's all garbled up. I need to recreate it , and I've not had the time to do it, so no updates since early June. It's on my to do list for this Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed here, I hate working on stuff like this, it's even behind dishes and I hate washing dishes! It especially rankles because I don't know why the settings got scrambled, I hate having to spend time fixing something that shouldn't be broken. I would much rather be creating stuff in the studio or bonding with the kid or something.
It's actually one of my major pet peeves in life.. my time being wasted on "stupid" unnecessary things. For example, there is a mistake on a bill.. you have to take your valuable time to call in customer support, wait on the phone, then argue with someone to get it fixed... all that time is just unnecessary, and you never get it back.
This is in contrast to "putter" time. Putter time is when you’re not really being productive, but you are recharging yourself. Everyone needs down time to be mentally healthy. I go up to the studio sometimes without really getting much done, except putter time. I swear after a day of putter, I have the best sketch book days.. Where every 5 minutes I’m writing ideas or sketching. I think that's my real problem right now, I've been so busy with work and with the business and family and everything; I really need a putter day.
g on this pendant off and on (OK more off) for months!!! So I'm very pleased it's done.. and I'm mostly pleased with how it turn out. I've done just a few sterling bezel settings to date, all very basic. For this project I wanted more of a challenge and do more decoration. I have this pile of bits and leftovers of silver, including "malfunctioning" clasps pieces. The top of the angel is actually the circle part of a toggle clasp that the bar broke on... I soldered it on top of the bezel to make sort of a face area. The body is blue dyed Paula shell (yummy!) and the "face" is a vintage stone from my hoard. The Wings are actually feathers but they make great wings! They are soldered on also. The bail is my signature spiral bail. 
akota Friends Sue and Cathie! We actually set up a mega booth-- both of our jewelry booths together, and then sit and bead and make jewelry all weekend long.. and oh, occasionally help out a customer.
on at a show, so when I got home I had to unpack my little red bag of tricks and let things dry out properly. My earring box had standing water in it! Fortunately those earrings are in plastic baggies.. so I just spread them out to let them dry! Anyway, isn't it amazing how much I have packed in my Bag? Enjoy!
1st pendant.. I was experimenting with soldering silver on copper way over a year ago, and I got messy with the solder. I set it aside, and last month digging in my scrap pile found it again. So I re torched it, making most of the front of the scrap sterling in color.. and added a bail. instant pendant!
We have a meeting tomorrow ( If you are in the the Greater Des Moines Area, and would like to attend it's at 630pm at Valley Junction Community Center) so I thought I'd post pictures from meeting projects/challenges today. The top picture shows the earrings I finished a week or so ago, from a pattern that Cheryl Erickson demo'd at July's meeting. It's brick stick around a ring. I'm proud to say I made the rings myself out of sterling silver wire. Cheryl actually sells sterling rings made by me in her shop just for this pattern.. Her store is 2-3 down from the community center in Valley Junction in fact. 
this month's challenge is near and dear to my heart.... Silver! I made the below pendent in 20 GA sterling square wire, and I sold it yesterday at the art store art show, so I've made another one today for the meeting. However this morning I got a GREAT idea for a all ( or mostly) silver piece, and I've started working on it but I'm not sure I'll get it done in time for the meeting. Here's keeping fingers crossed!!
And I've gotten very little done in the studio! Had soooo much fun last night though... we had a surprise birthday Party for my little girl.. her birthday won't be until Sept, but she's always wanted a surprise party.... and my sister was going to be in town, it seemed absolutely the perfect time to try it! The look on her face as she walked into her grandparents house.. with most of her family there yelling Surprise! and singing happy birthday. We got her good!
OK, I thought I had all the older pictures posted, but I've tripped over these 2... done in sterling silver wire. Both Pendants already sold I believe, but if you are interested in these, just pop me an email I can make you something similar all your own!
