Anyone want to buy some lampworking stuff?

excellent books on lampworking, including out of print hard to find Passing the Flame

 About 10 years ago, I flirted with lampworking.  Now , I'm a notorious bead flirt... when I get interested in some aspect of jewelry making, I can't just merely wink-  I have to pick up my skirt and do a can can apparently.

I can't just dabble.  Part of my charm really.  (no, really!)

So when I got interested in lampworking, I had to do massive research, buy all the books I could find, watch video's, buy tools and buy glass.  Boy, did I buy glass.

After playing around for 4 odd years, I just decided I really didn't like it.  Doing it in my house was hard-- for awhile I had it set up in the basement, and with my allergies and Asthma ever worsening, I couldn't do it in the basement anymore.

Actually some of the fumes associated with lampworking didn't agree with me either.. mind you I'm very sensitive - not everyone has problems with the gas and fumes.  (yes, that might be why I rarely use hot connections anymore... that and the fact I adore rivets!!)

Even with very good ventilation it can bother me.

While certain aspects of making glass beads thrilled me, the overall process did not.

I realized a couple of years ago I hadn't even tried to make glass beads in YEARS.

I floated the idea in my head to sell all the materials I had gathered.. and I just couldn't bring myself to do it, at least not yet.  AT that time I had started to fuse glass ( which I actually quite enjoy --much much more than I ever had making beads) so I guess I thought to keep my options open.

So I kept it all... and thought about it once in a while.

This summer I finally made up my mind... it was time to give up the idea.  It's just not me.  Nothing wrong with it.. I have several lovely friends who you can't barely pry away from the torch!

I learned some very important things while I "flirted" with glass beads, not the least is a great appreciation for those artists that do make beads.   My hat's off to all of ya... I'll just enjoy buying them, instead of trying it myself.

So I'm looking for a buyer.  I am hoping to sell it all, but I'll consider offers on individual bits if I have to.

Lots and lots of glass rods and stringers.  Seriously, this represents over $1000 in glass.  

lots and lots of frit, including specialty frit that was beyond pricey

tools, more books, and even a crockpot with vermeil

More books/booklets on torching

Hot stix Dichroic glass rods.. again, very pricey and about $360 bucks work in 2007 dollars

chainmaile Commission - team spirit

I'm cleaning out my photo folder, and ran across this picture... A good customer ordered chainmaile earrings in Viking & Green Bay colors as Christmas presents.

If I haven't stated it recently, I do love to do commissions.  And I thought it a wonderful idea to do these earrings up in team colors!  Such a thoughtful gift for friends who are really into sports!

planning a big big trip

A bed and breakfast we will be staying at this summer, in New Mexico.  It used to be some Millionaire's private home nestled in the foothills of the mountains.  Isn't it fantastic? 

Since we are a 2 income family again, and since I won't be doing so much art jewelry selling, we decided to take big family vacation again this summer.  Since I'm a crazy person, I've already started to research the trip... get ready to laugh, cause all my friends do... In fact I've already spreadsheet-ed the entire 12 day trip and booked all the hotels.

And this is the room I've booked there! 

Done laughing yet?   Actually it's not as rigid as it sounds.  The "main" goal is the Grand Canyon, and we are driving it, which is a ton of miles and 8 states by the time we are done.

Since the Grand Canyon is such a tourist destination, you have to plan it early... would you be shocked to know that some hotels were already booked up in that area?  If you are, you have never planned a trip to a big tourist destination before.  Thinking of one right now for the summer? start booking then!

In order to place reservations for the Grand Canyon area, I had to plan out the rest of the trip as well.

Most days of travel have 2-4 hours extra in them, so we can really do a "tour" ... I love traveling when we can mender at our own pace, and stop and visit anything that looks interesting.  But I also love knowing where I'm gonna sleep that night.  So it's a mix of surprise and plan,  unexpected and known.

I really can't wait!!

Time to Slay my Dragons......

OK, I don't have pity words tonight, but I thought that was a catchy title.. and it fits this piece.  So what "dragons" in your life do you wish where gone? what Challenge do you have yet to face? Maybe today is the day......

Catch and Release.....

 I've been trying to finish a 2 statement pieces for a month or more, and finally got this one done this past week.  I call it "Catch and Release"

I'm not exactly sure where my head was when I started.. but by the time I finished I had definite ideas of what it means to me.  That might be why it took so long to finish, I knew it had something to say (I had something to say?)  but I couldn't focus.  

 Let me explain the elements of this piece... the big patina back piece is a vintage clock gear.  The gold is a vintage drawer knob base.  At some point in it's life, something bad happened to it and it got smashed and bent and cracked in places and the knob disappeared.  It would have been round and hollow and concave and about 3/4 inches tall.  It's embossed with a lovely floral pattern.  So when I got it it's was kind of a misshapen lump.  I decided if it's already broken, why not go for broke? and used my hammer to flatten it completely out, making the cracks actual rips in the brass.  Even in it's abused form it has an elegance of beauty to it.  The last vintage part is the "release" which is from a LC smith typewriter from the 1920's.

To me, this is taking the negatives life throws you (and boy life's got a good pitchin' arm) and making it as positive as you can and letting the still bad parts go...

Now a online friend said that she thought I meant fishing... so yeah, releasing fishes is good too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! and new year's hopeful ramblings....

This is a picture from maybe a month ago, honestly my desk top hasn't changed much.  I'm still working on the big wings necklace and most of the stuff pictured here!

 It's kind of been a rough year both physically and emotionally.  I won't get into details because well, except for my family it's boring.  And it's private.  But how well you are doing in life reflects in one's art and that's taking a beating the past few years as well.  Add in how essential income from the business has been the last few years in keeping my family safe.   All the stress of living on whatever I make in my day job and in my jewelry business.  The stress of family health issues, my health issues, and various other life stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I have never considered my jewelry as a hobby, but until the last three years, any money I made in the business was pretty much used in the business, or I might fund a family vacation or something.  The business income was for extras in life, not the essentials.  Or more pretty somethings to turn into jewelry!

Cog from a clock, new key, old typewriter key.  I really want to express myself more this year in my jewelry, and part of this is letting go, or releasing some old baggage.  

The last 3 years most of what I made became mortgage payments and electric bills and food on the table.  I'm very grateful I had the ability to make the business work to help float my family, but I can't say I'm not very relieved that I don't have to going forward.

I felt right after the season ended in November, and still feel to some extent, burnt out.  Artistically, emotionally, and just about any -ly you can think of .

Don't get me wrong- it's not all been bad!  But it's been busy and stressful - and i'm tuckered out.

I've decided 2016 will be low-key.  The last several years we have done 18-20 or more shows every year.  (I just looked and one year we did 27 shows, most between May and October!!! )

This year we are going to do maybe half that.  I might look at galleries again.  If I'm not doing such a punishing show schedule then doing galleries is much more possible.  Or I might not.  I don't really have new year's resolutions per say, but I do plan not to stress as much.  I want my bliss back when I do jewelry.  I want it to be more like therapy again instead of deadlines and profit driven and scary.  I want it to be apart of my happiness again, not part of my stress of making ends meet.  Overall I  don't think I've been particularly happy the last few years.  I haven't had time for it.  I need to slow down, if not actually pause or stop.

If I have a watch word for this year, I think it will be "thoughtful".   So many decisions in the last few years were based on the stress of immediate life demands.  I want to be able to sit back and make decisions that don't feel so damn rushed.  I want to be able to spend more time contemplating my jewelry as my art.   I need to find the time to be happy again.

 I still plan on writing my blog 2-3 times a week in 2016.  I plan on doing Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market this summer , if they will have me and for how ever many slots they allow.  I'm hoping I can beef up my etsy store with more offerings.  Anything more than that, I will think about... calmly, deliberately, and with an eye to my happiness.

It's going to be an interesting year!!

Here's the general outline of my statement piece... now working on the embellishments.  I love how the colors turned out on the wings!

Taking a break for the holidays

Hey Guys I'm taking a break on the blog -  be back in January .  I wish everyone a happy Christmas and a merry new year!  

Cheerful owl locket broach

Aunt Betty

I've been listing to swing and 1930-40's big band the last few days.

I've always enjoyed this music... it's so energetic and full of vitality-- enjoyment for enjoyment's sake.  The best years were during WWII ( at least from this 60's baby's worldview)   But my Aunt Betty died this week, my Dad's last remaining sibling and I can't thing of her without thinking swing.

She was a nurse during WWII, and married a fly-boy ( well, she married 2, but her first husband died during the war).  That connection has set Aunt Betty firmly in swing mode in my brain.  I honestly don't know if she even liked swing, but living in the times she did I'm sure she did.

She was born in Waterloo Ia, but lived most of her adult life elsewhere.  For most of my life she's been in California or Arizona.  So I've only met her in person a handful of times.  Still I feel she had quite the zest of life, and boy, that's swing music.

I do have a bracelet she gave me some years ago.  She mailed it to me, and I was so ticked and frankly blown away. it's a Indian woven bracelet backed in leather.  She got it when she was a kid visiting a reservation, so it's probably 75+ year old now.   But it really must have meant something to her to hold on to it so many years.  She said her Dad bought it for her.  And she gave it to me.  That means something to me, and it's in the same treasure box I keep other mementos that are dear to me.  

Aunt Betty had a temper, and her nature could be, well prickly.  I remember me and my Dad beating her and her partner at trivia pursuit.  She got hot.. but then I was being a teenager in all my glory and probably gloated just little 2 much.  Dad and Larry (Betty's hubby, who was a great guy) laughed their heads off, which probably didn't help either.

I remember her Graciousness.  Jerry and I visited her and Larry in California on our honeymoon at their house.  They were tremendously accommodating, entertaining us for the day and treating us to a very fancy Mexican restaurant.  Their house was a showplace, though strange to our Iowan eyes-- due to water rationing concerns, their garden was mostly very artistically placed rocks, hearty shrubs and tiny trees. Oh, and a few palm type trees.

I'm afraid in later years I've not had much contact with Aunt Betty... she had Alzheimer's and after Larry's death, she seems to have had more "bad" days than good.  She was in a nursing home in Arizona when she died.

Rest in Swing Aunt Betty.

Last show of the Year.... Beaverdale Holiday Boutique!

Seriously, if you are gonna do a church "craft" sale, then Beaverdale Holiday Boutique is the one to do.  This is the 38th year!   Over 100 amazing vendors spread throughout the Trinity school, and best of all, the library becomes a huge bake shop.  I have to admit I adore a good bake sale... cookies and bar cookies and all kinds of treats!!

it runs Fri night 6-9pm, and Sat 8-2pm

This is my last official show of the year  - and probably the last Trinity show we will do.   With Jerry a full time school teacher, it's hard for him to get time off to do a show on a weekday, and disruptive to his students.  So going forward I won't be scheduling something like this.  Heck, it's not easy for me to get the time off either!

With the huge variety of vendors, I often start my Christmas shopping at this show.  Grab some buddies, come out and shop, eat and say hi.


There is a charge to get in, $4.00, and there are drawings throughout the weekend.

Happy Birthday to Ramona !

I had special guest last evening in my studio!   Turns out a very special customer's birthday was Nov 4th,  and what she wanted most was more of my jewelry in her collection.  Wow!  That's such a compliment -- how could I disappoint her?  So here are a few pics -- studio is as clean and neat


I should have gotten photos of her and her hubby, but I never think of that when people are here.... Anyway, I hope your Birthday Treat was everything you hoped for Romona!  Thanks so much for coming over.

yep, more file pictures

yep, I know, I need to get new pics taken.. but isn't this cute?  Old clock gear, and dragonflies and a crystals.  I even used this really cute paperclip style vintage chain on it.  I think I still have this piece actually  as it was made just before the last couple of shows in September.

optometrist lenses hoop earrings

OK, this is from this summer, I'm cleaning out my old pic files and I haven't gotten around to taking pics of what I made this week so old is it.  They are long gone, but they are in the category of CLEVER.  If I'm allowed to think myself clever.  (It's been a rough week actually, so please allow me to be clever at least in my art - I need the emotional pick me up!!)

I bought earlier this year a small stash of Optometrist lenses.. you know the lenses used to check out what your eyeglass prescription should be?   These are really old ones, probably 1920's or before.  Anyway, I bought this lot of them, and a few didn't have the glass still in them, so they are just the frames.  Well I took one look at them and realized they make the kewlest instant hoop earrings ever, and what gal cannot get by without at least 1 great pair of hoops earrings?   They sold the very first show I had them at.    I made a great necklace with one and it's also long gone.  I have a few left, and I've left them in my huge play stash on my back table.. so more to come.  Just probably not hoop earrings, as I only had these without the glass.  Seriously, if I ever find more of them, with or without the lenses, I am buying them.  Then maybe I'll make me a pair of hoops!

My starting pile for the week.

Good times this week!

flying like an eagle

I got these eagle pewter pendants a long long time ago.. like 15 years? Maybe longer.  I got them to make my Dad a key chain, but I had to buy them in bulk.. 20 pieces.  Dad's CB handle was the Bald Eagle, so that's why I wanted an eagle.

I've made stuff out of these pendants here and there throughout the years, and I believe I destashed some of them. I thought they were long gone, but I found one in the stash a couple of months ago, so I made this a necklace with just a touch of steampunk added.  Due to the material of the pendant, had to be urber careful drilling the holes.

I wanted the gear to be like the sun streaming down on the eagle, on some bright sunrise morning.

5,789 emails

hoooo boy.

We got new cells phones.  I reset up my various emails on my phone ( there are 4 - don't ask.  I guess 5 if you count the iCloud one...)

And I funny funny thing happened.. my mail cell phone account decided to download every email I've ever gotten on it from the server.  turns out in the last 3 years or so I've gotten 5,789 emails to that email.

Because of the settings it's downloading them in batches of 150.  I have to "read" them and then I delete them.  what fun, especially since so many of them are spam that I've already deleted.

Not really having the patience for this sort of thing, I went to the website where the email lives, and discovered all the emails where still in the box... and that's probably why it's downloading them.  Here I thought I was forwarding all of that to my cell phone, but I guess it's saved a copy on the web client instead.

so I'm trying to delete them in hopes it stops downloading them to my cell phone. 

It worked but that's a a couple of hours I won't ever get back.

Then I had to do the same thing for 2 of my other emails and Jerry's cell phone email.

Still the fun and games aside, love love love having my new cell phones!

I really like how simple and elegant the wing bracelets are

New phones!!! wooooo

I'm currently downloading and updating new phones for me, Jerry and Jesscera.  whee!   All of us have new iPhone 6s.  This is the first new phones we have had in almost 5 years.  Hopefully the transfer of service will be completed in a few hours ( they tell me it could take up to 1 full business day, which is weird when it's a Saturday and not a normal business day.. so does that mean Monday??? )

I'm getting my old iPhone ( a iPhone 4 BTW, who uses such a old phone anymore? ) settings transferred to my new one, and setting up programs and such for Jess & Jerry.  I figure this will take the chunk out of the day, but I'm so happy... new phones!! bigger, but still fits in my pocket!!   Then it's back to trying to clean the studio.

Life is good.

Vintage tag from a vending machine.  No idea of the age, as we bought this at an antique store.  I cleaned it up and buffed the front, it's really cool looking... and long gone.  Bracelet sold at the first show we had it at.  It's really neat that the buyers were from Muncie, and had family that worked at the plant back in the day.  I love when my jewelry is wearable history!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Since Tomorrow (10/7/15) is my 47th birthday, I'm taking the day off blogging... by posting this tonight instead!


Merry Un-Birthday all, and Happy BD to me!

Love how this turned out, it's elegant with a real clock gear....

Happy Monday!

I'm starting to feel better, yeah!   My official show season is done for the year, I have only 1 more scheduled show ( Holy Trinity)  and Jerry and I are kicking around doing another flea market or 2 this winter to destash the piles around our house, but that's it.

So honestly my thoughts are turning to - CLEANING, ORGANIZING, AND GETTING RID OF STUFF.

Just thinking about it makes me feel tired.  I feel a large donation to good will coming in the future.

Right now I just have to move, well slow.  I still have almost no energy from this vicious cold I have.  My goal right now is to get one of my back tables cleaned off and organized in the studio... so far I've barely made a dent, but I thought I would try something new this time: no pressure.

Whenever I get it done, I get it done.   If it takes me all week, that's what it takes.  The whole thing this week is surviving and getting better and sleeping as much as possible and not freaking myself out because I'm pretty ineffective.  I just want to feel better and not get sick again!!!

Maybe next week I can move up to real progress.

Anyway, Happy Monday!!

I'm Having an Etsy Sale!!

It's October and it's my Birthday Month, and I usually do some sort of sale on my Etsy sites this month, sort of a un-birthday present to others I guess.

so on the Jewelry side, I have the following deal:

Past customer can get 10% off just by using code GOODCUST10 with any purchase.

However, if your order is $35.00 or more, use GOODCUST25 for a whopping 25% off your order!

Only 1 code per order, and these are good throughout October.

The codes are the same on my destash site, and you only need to purchase $20.00 to use GOODCUST25 there.

so enjoy these savings all October and have a very merry un-birthday!
 

Momma and baby having fun with a very old pocket watch....