I can't finish American Dreams............

Sometimes I feel like making simpler pieces like this one.    The brass stamping is so pretty all by itself, I just added a couple of holes for crystals and and curved the flat piece and woot!  Pretty pretty bracelet.


Sometimes my jewelry is more about how I feel, and sometimes it's about how it makes me feel to make it.  Something like this just feels good to make... and I know the gal that bought it loved it.  I love when someone buys a piece and has to wear it out of the booth they are so excited!

And the times when it's about how I feel, that I need to express what's inside me.. they of course take longer.  I've been struggling with just such a piece.  I'm calling it "American Dreams" .

 This First picture shows the first layout I had.  The round bit is a vintage MOP buckle, the drop crystal and the earring are both vintage.  The flag pin is vintage as well.  Do you remember when veteran groups would hand out those little tin flag badges at parades? that's what the flag is.  (do they still do that? I don't remember getting these anytime recently.. only as a kid )  The coke tag is actually from a 90's coke tin, made to look like a turn of a century coke tin.

 This picture you can see it's getting more complicated.  the round bit in the square is the top of a pocket watch ( proper term is crown)   The damaged type writer key says " back space" which sort of expresses my American dreams right now... I kind of wish we had a back space button to go back to Nov. 7th.  But I'll save that discussion for my therapist.

This is the current rough layout, but I'm still not happy with it.   I've added in the back a vintage Gage plate,  to express all the pressure we are under, watch parts because it feels like time is running out, a key for hope, the liberty bell ( broken bit from a key chain)  as another symbol of America, the compass because we are trying to find our way, a cross for spiritualism, a part of a ruler ( from a typewriter) because we are not measuring up right now... a spoon and the arrow for personal reasons.  The "r" on the top is a beer bottle lid.  I've since removed that.


 I want to try to express both the current crap we are all in, but yet express hope from the future.  In some stories of Pandora, hope is a butterfly... maybe it needs that.  I just don't have the right mix yet to say what I'm trying to say.... that America will survive this and someday will actually be better.  I guess I'm having a hard time believing it myself, so that makes it hard for me to hold on to the optimism I want to have.

It's gonna be a long long long 4 years...........  I think I'll go play with chainmail now.

Let the sun Shine in......

OK today is pretty dank and dark and hard rain, so I though this picture would brighten things up.  This sun started out life as maybe a keyring? It was broken in a mix of a jewelry lot I bought.  The face was just such a happy one though, I wanted to rehabilitate it.  I filed and sanded the broken off bits and decided to add some color.  I added wings cause well happy sunshine always makes my heart fly!

This one is already sold, I'm trying to clean out my picture files.

So on the cranky, rainy day enjoy some sun!

I'm on Court This Weekend.......

 Yeah, I know, I'm normally on 4th across from Hy-Vee, but this weekend is also Oktoberfest and that's being held exactly where I normally pitch my tent... so all the vendors on 4th South are getting moved to other areas of the market.  The fest doesn't start until 3pm or so, but they need time to set up!

My new spot is 207.  Now vendor spot # means nothing to you folks, so I'm about 4th booth in on the north side  from the corner of 2nd and court.   That means I'm in front of the parking ramp that's on 2nd and court.

 I've never actually been in this part of the market before.   Always an adventure, is Farmer's Market!! 

I've been making earrings mostly this week, with watch parts and other things.  I'm up to 13 for the week -- I've got about 6 more laid out and ready to assemble ( all the cutting, filing, holes and glue steps done) and then I'll probably get everything priced and see where I'm at.  I feel the itch to make a bigger project... so maybe I'll work on something like that.. or maybe I'll catch up on a novel.  It's almost the end of the show season for me and I'm getting tired.  I don't want to be down to the last dregs like I was last year.  Last year it took nearly a month before I really felt creative again.  I've been pacing it better this year, but still I'll probably take a few weeks off to reconnect with real life.

Not that real life is all that fun lately but still, it is what it is.

On that note, off to finish some earrings... see ya Saturday in a new place !!

Farmer's Market this Weekend!

I'm feeling pretty positive about this weekend.. I'm working on a piece right now I'm excited about and I'm pretty sure I'll get it done before Saturday... I've got some new earrings and bracelets at least.

If you haven't been out to the market lately this weekend might make a good one for you... I just had to show off my spiffy new sign, I think it looks great!  It took a couple of weeks to figure out exactly how to hang it best, but it really does seem to draw folks into the tent.

We are getting to the end of show season, we have 3 more markets left... this weekend, September 23rd and October 14th.

So stop by and say hi, as always we are on 4th st across the street from Hy-Vee.

Very True.....

Happenings at the Gallery

 As you know, I'm very happy being a artist in Five Monkeys, Inc , one of the nicest galleries here in Des Moines.  What you might not know is all the great things happening there starting this weekend!

 Starting tomorrow, the gallery will also be the source for vinyl in Des Moines!  Rogue Planet Music

 you can read about this new store in the Des Moines Register here

 The gallery will also start hosting live music from time to time -- it's gonna be fantastic!!! All these lovely changes means Dina ( the fab owner of the gallery) is rearranging  - so here are sneak peaks of how my jewelry is set up now...

Be sure to stop by Five Monkeys  this Friday and Saturday for the grand opening -- and even special 1 time discounts on art.

I still love Chainmaile

I still love making chainmaile, it's just such a nice yen to my yang of steampunk inspired designs.  So here are recent bracelets - the top pic is the shaggy, and the bottom are just a few of the endless helm chain color combos I get to play with.

Chainmaile is very meditative to make, and good therapy -- after all you make a bracelet or a earring just 1 link at a time.. just like you have to do one step at a time in life.......  

Happy Labor Day!

 I've always loved that "labor" is celebrated with a day off.  There is a lesson in there somewhere...   So while you enjoy your day off, my plans include a whole day of puttering around the studio in jammies making jewelry and organizing stuff.... labor of sorts but pure joy to my heart! I hope your enjoy your day as well..