Zombie walk Des Moines.. even the undead can have a good cause!

I can hardly wait til Sat! I'm going to be in my first Zombie walk! It's actually the 3rd Annual Des Moines walk, but the last couple of years we were out of town.

More info here!

As if dressing up as the undead wasn't draw enough, it's for a good cause!! Central Iowa Shelter & Services is a wonderful organization helping Iowa families get back on their feet... they accept donations of money, and are on the look out for certain goods, such as coats and blankets. Read more about them here. They even take leftover food ... here is more information on donating.

If you need help on your make up, you can get it at the blazing saddle 11-1pm.

I hope I see you there, whether you are fast or slow, rabid or brain eater, or a trout zombie!

ID or Mommie Tags

I've gotten some questions on my Mommie tags lately so I figured it was time to put up a blog on them.

I can stamp just about anything on them that will fit... names, dates, pithy statements or words that have special meaning for you.
I can do them in brass, copper and sterling.
I have 3 different fonts available, and the brass and copper and I can etch instead of, or in addition to, adding words.

I can add crystals, beads or found items for you... basically I can do whatever you want, as long as you can give me a clear idea of what that is. Prices start at $20.00, so if you are looking for a personalize memento you can wear, let me know

Recent Chainmaile

Just a few recent designs in chainmaile. I will fully admit I love rainbows and it seems I do rainbows quite a bit in chainmaile. It's just such a natural thing ! This Necklace is done in one of my favorite patterns: helm. The kewl thing about helm is you can make 2 necklaces in one.. this view you see mostly rainbow in the correct 6 color range. If you flip it over (sorry I know I should have a pick) it's large black rings with smaller colored rings inside.. so a dark rainbow.

Here are some earrings I've been making to match all of my rainbow chains.

This is a caterpillar pattern. This isn't a rainbow, but it's a progression of 7 different colors, with brass rings. I never seem to use the same size rings on this pattern.. the important thing is the middle rings are just large enough to keep the larger colored rings "floating" on the small inner rings. I realize that reading that doesn't make the most sense, but you should pick one of these things up, they are as fun to play with as a slinky and have the most wonderful drape!

Shows and Weather.....

This is what my tent looks like normally:


And this is what it looked like this weekend ---- notice the lack of shelves ( gusts of 20+ mph wind kept trying to knock them down.. notice how much the tent wall is blowing inward...) Because of the rain and wind, I didn't put up my normal busts as they melt in rain while my jewelry only needs to be cleaned. Strange eh?

Customers were few and far between, and gosh darn it, I can't blame them! It was nasty, cold and Sunday, wet.

Here is a view of where I sat most of Sunday, making stuff to keep me occupied in-between the 10 or so customers...
LOOK! there is a customer! wow! (look how fast they march by, trying to get out of the bad weather)

Here is someone's tent after the overnight storms.....
and one of the kewlest things I've seen at an art show, stilt walkers... woot!

I've been doing shows for 9 odd years, and it's just part of the business that sometimes you have bad weather. Unfortunately the last 3 years the trend seems to be to more extreme weather. How many 500 year floods have we had in the last 3 years?

And this summer, I did a couple of shows in 106 degree heat. That's not counting index, that's what the mercury said!

I've only got 1 more show on the books ( October 16th, East Village Sunday Bazaar ). Now I do have my eye on a couple of holiday shows, but for the most part the show season is done.

This weekend I plan to spend up in the studio doing whatever the heck I feel like doing... cause I no longer have deadlines.

It's a good feeling. I'm thinking sometime in the next 2 weeks I'm breaking out glass again.. I hear the kiln calling me.....

Honestly I'll probably do spring, summer and fall cleaning all at once cause it's pit like right now! I haven't had time to really get it up to snuff since June.

Whatever I do, I'm not going to force anything for a couple of weeks. I need some "down" time, to just unwind and remember who I am again.

Life is good, when you can slow down enough to appreciate it.

motivation (as in lack of)

trinity brass dragonflies and dyed agate beads.


I'm having motivation issues right now. I Have a big 2 day show coming up this weekend, in Maple Grove MN. I have today and tomorrow to get a few last minute projects done and I'm having trouble doing ANYTHING. seriously.

It's not that I don't want to make jewelry, I really do. There is so much I need to do right now... clean the house, help the kid with play practice ( she got a speaking part and she's only a freshman! woo woo ! ) do bills, research shows, print out all the materials for this weekend show, etc etc etc etc etc.

I just seem to be numb, unfocused and guilty cause I don't seem to be getting anything done.

I haven't even had supper yet... nothing sounds good from the fridge, and frankly nothing sounds good at all. Chinese is slightly tempting, mostly because I don't have a car so if I can't eat what's here it has to be delivered.

But calling the Chinese place seems like too much effort. Maybe I 'll just open a can of tuna or something. It would be cheaper.

I started a load of dishes, but the thought of actually *washing* them just makes me wilt.

It's like all the color has drained from my crayon box.

But hey, at least I can cross my blog entry off the list.

bali beads for sale 89.8 grams

**** beads are sold, thanks! ****

OK, if I send these to the refinery I can get $100 + for them due to silver being so high right now. But they are lovely beads and it seems a shame to melt them down .. so here is the deal, I'll sell them for $95.00 postage paid in the US, which means after fees/ postage I'll get about $90.00 for them. So save the beads!!!
I took pictures in 3 lots, it's over 3 oz.s total between the 3 lots. I just don't really use big sterling beads in my designs anymore, so maybe someone who does can buy them. so just click the button on top or on the bottom to buy these. thank you for saving a bead.

Mage Con wrapup

Here is this year's mega booth, with both my set up on Best Friends' set up.
While the guys wasted time playing games, Us ladies made jewelry! this is just one of the projects I worked on.
My hubby, Mathew ( Sue's hubby) , Ryan, and the back is showing of an unknown player.
The secret side of the booth: where we sit and make magic ! Say hi to Cathie and Sue of Best Friends Jewelry...

Puttering around the studio.....

You know some days I just don't feel like making jewelry, or doing anything much. There is alot to be said about puttering. I've long been fond of puttering around the studio, but still, I don't like to waste my time either, as I have so little of it, to putter or otherwise.

So I always try to get *something* down even on a putter day. Something about that good German work ethic, darn it.

This past weekend I puttered quite abit. I also did some chores around the office that I've needed to do for some time. One of these is fix my colander.

I love my colander, it was a stocking stuffer from "Santa" this year. (Santa = hubby) The edge of the netting pulled away from the rim a couple of weeks ago, so I used some brass wire and sewed it up. I am pretty sure it will hold. I love how close the netting is on this one, it's darn helpful to clean small items that you don't want to go down the drain!