11.25.2012

Gift Certificates!


I've made my first gift certificates!



I had special request for a gift certificate for my shop, something I've been pondering but hadn't gotten around to designing and ordering them...this was just the boost I needed.  I'll be listing them in the shop today at some point, I just need to work out a few logistics with the listings and they'll be ready to go!  I think the best part of this whole thing is sifting through images, playing with the layout, deciding on a design, and then opening the package from the printer to find how RAD they look!  I feel so...professional!

Also, this necklace has been waiting to be photographed and listed...I got a couple good shots yesterday but will have to give it another go this afternoon.  Until then, here's sneak peek...



I was inspired by an old necklace with mexican coins strung around it, on some kind of braided cording...I liked the simplicity of the circular discs, their subtle texture, and the idea of how they'd hang around the neck.  When I sat down to string the discs I couldn't help myself, I had to use my most recent color palette, opaque gray seed beads, a few stunning faceted turquoise rondelles, and some bright orange/red coral tube beads.  This one will slip over the head, and hang low on the chest...and it looks AWESOME when pile up with a handfull of other neck adornments!  (I've been "test" driving it all week).  I have another pile of discs ready to be textured/soldered/stamped, these are a bit smaller but there will be more of them on the necklace...I feel a series coming on.

I'm off to have a day of relaxation at home with Jo...movies, coffee, breakfast, laundry, packing orders, phone dates, and of course some beading projects on the couch.

What are you doing this fine Sunday?



11.16.2012

Slices of Life


I've been loving my walk to work these past few weeks...
I get to dress pretty, and have seen a rainbow almost every day...
The morning light here is quite lovely...







Also, I've been banging out some custom orders, a few gifts, and a handfull of earrings for the shop.


I was gifted a handful of these awesome agates from an old friend
who grew up on a HUGE ranch in northern Nevada.  He collected these when he
was a kid, polished them, and kept them all these years...
when I was in PDX this summer he gave a bunch of them to me.  Ever since then,
I've been dreaming of making some weird, rustic, tab settings for them...
This is the first of what I'm assuming will be many, many more to come.  Now I just need
to scavenge for some more leather, I'm thinking of hitting the thrift stores this
weekend in search of old belts and things I can use for the straps.





Earrings: The bigger, and weirder, the better:












A customer sent me this amazing stone, among others...I'm now obsessed with Royston Ribbon Turquoise, for obvious reasons.





I've just finished wrapping up some orders, made myself sauteed kale with a fried egg on top, I'm sipping coffee from my favorite mug, and listening to my Eryka Badu station on Pandora...I've got a few massage clients this afternoon, and then it's back to work in the studio on some more creations.  I am BEYOND ready for the weekend, I've got some thrift hunting planned, a little beach time with Max, and hopefully a coffee date and catch up time with a good friend...Weekend: LET'S DO THIS!


11.13.2012

Make It, Do It, Dream It, BE IT...



I may have mentioned it before...If you connect at all with the idea/notion/feeling/ambition or whatever, of creating something, anything at all, then you have got to read this amazing memoir by Patti Smith.  A friend gave me this book last year and I've already read it twice.  More than anything, reading this book filled me with inspiration to create for the sake of creation...For the feeling in my chest, my fingers, my hands, my soul, that needs to work on something tactile.  Patti and Robert began their lives together at a very early age, with literally nothing, just a desire to make art of any kind.  Their first endeavors were making necklaces out of found bits and bobs, cutting up old pieces of clothing, scavenging for chains and findings, and just enjoying the process of making.  I found this shot down some deep black hole on the internet and was inspired once again to make things of all kinds.  


Patti talks a lot about all the things that must run through the mind of any creative individual...topics range from not feeling "ready", wanting to solidify a whole theme of work before starting out, self-doubt and the pessimism that can come with wanting to build a life around creating art.  She inspires me to KNOW that whatever I do is a success, simply because it came from my mind, out of my being and into this world...

That is all...I just wanted to share!



11.05.2012

Water Dog

















He can swim for days...and he did.  Now he's sleeping...

Goodnight.

11.04.2012

Yum


There's a butternut squash cooking on the counter.  It smells amazing...I'm gearing up to make my new favorite "recipe", red curry coconut squash soup!  It really couldn't be easier...roast up a squash, once it's cooled, cube it and saute it in a pot with some onion, and in this case I'm adding some roasted peppers, throw in a can of coconut milk, the stock of your choice, a few tablespoons of red curry paste, and let it roll for a while.  Once the flavors have had a moment to get acquainted with each other, let it cool a bit, and then have at it with an immersion blender, (new favorite tool).  I've got some cilantro to sprinkle on top, if you go in for that sort of thing, and/or some chopped up cashews on top!

YUM
AMEN
Lunch for work tomorrow and dinner for three is served...

I woke with the birds this morning, picked Jo up from working the night shift at the hospital, had some breakfast and headed in to the studio for some long overdue work.  Some things are coming together with long gaps in between stages, some things have been finished and need photographing, and a few things had their third "photoshoot", as I'm still battling the camera demons.  Hey, I'll take my progress where I can get it, no matter how slow it goes.

So, here we have a few treasures:






I've had this stone in my collection for quite a while...She's been waiting for the right moment.


I've just done a bit of research to learn more about this amazingly colorful specimen. Mookaite is an Australian Jasper, characterized by bright shades of crimson, gold, orange and sometimes purple.  It is connected to the earth element and said to habe properties of self-healing, and to protect against negativity...if you go in for that sort of thing.  I certainly won't be denying it.







These crazy creations have been in the works for a while, I tried out a few different combinations of color, and THIS is absolutely my favorite...If you've been around here at all you know of my love for all things chartreuse, so here we have more of that lovely hue of happiness.  I've paired it with some orangey/red coral tube beads, a few vintage chunks of white coral, opaque gray seed beads, and a bit of good old sterling sliver...Strung and knotted on bright royal blue cord, and ready to make your eyes and your neck happy with color.




Another in the chartreuse appreciation collection, this one is a bit "weird" too, but I'm ok with it...in fact I kind of love the weirdness.




 I've been loving working with these small beads, and brightly colored cord...It's a time when I can be creating, but a little bit more relaxed about it, total meditation/zone out/thinking but not thinking/therapy time.  Just seeing all the little containers filled with color,making a messy pile of beads, and finding inspiration in the random color groupings that come to life, makes me smile.  It's my tropical version of knitting.  I used to crack out on knitting projects for hours when I lived in a colder climate, and I missed that kind of work...I have found my knitting substitute!

A note abut these necklaces...I have piles of them by now, and have been photographing them for weeks.  Something about them refuses to be captured accurately with my camera.  The colors look different, the gray looks a bit washed out, and I just havn't been able to capture how RAD they really are...And it's frustrating!!!! I've still got to get a few better shots before I can list them in the shop...So try and try again, I will, and I have been.  There's handfulls more like these, and I've been enjoying wearing them layered, many of them at a time, or maybe just one or two depending on my mood...me likey!


Not the most artistic rendering of them on, but hey...A girl can try.

Ok, I'm off to deal with the soup, start on the shop listings, and then indulge in part 3 of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, (the Swedish version).

Oh, Monday...you're lurking right around the corner and there's so much left to do!

Aloha
S