They Grow Up So Fast

It seems like one moment they're just lying there, all inchoate and full of possibilities, and the next moment they're all dolled up and hanging off the neck of some exotically gorgeous model at a glitzy party. Sigh. You want to keep them all to yourself forever, but they have to grow up eventually.

My Baby All Grown Up

And I imagine, or at least I hope, that my coppery little bundle of joy won't be under our roof much longer. It will be winging its way across the country somewhere, destined for romance and excitement. With its white stick pearls, garnets, periwinkle glass and deerskin leather to remind it of Mama.

I'm not even going to tell you how long I was in labor. It seemed like forever. Like two whole days. But it was probably more like two half-days. Because I did other stuff yesterday too, and it's not even 2:00 yet today and I finished it a couple hours ago.

Exotically Gorgeous Model

I suppose I should get dressed. It's almost 2:00.

Grape Jelly and Autumn Splendor: A Natural Pairing

Ashanti cross in pewter with garnets and Crazy Horse Stone.

I can't help it, those garnets make me think of grape jelly. And the Crazy Horse Stone make me think of plum glaze. I've combined them above with Hill Tribes sterling silver spacers, each intricately stamped with a tiny design, some other sterling silver spacer beads, and a pewter Ashanti-style cross from Happy Mango Beads. Hand-forged sterling silver S-clasp and rings. I love these two stones together.

I couldn't resist doing this monochrome number below--I've been obsessively churning out these heavy wrapped copper rings, and after they came out of the tumbler all darkly glowing I pawed through my pearl stash to find something to pair them with and these teardrop and potato pearls in dark copper said PICK ME. I love the varying colors of the freshwater pearls--from dark gold to bronze to copper to almost cranberry. The teardrop pearls look like molten metal to me--very irregular and organic looking. Wish I could remember where I got them. (Jewelry Supply?)

Copper and freshwater pearls.

Hand-formed spirals, oval link chain, toggle bar and ball headpins.

In other news, I can say that I have mastered (as far as I know) the art of sawing jump rings, and getting my saw blade strung nice and taut. My project for my upcoming staycation is to saw metal sheet with it, and do some etched and stamped pendants and charms. I have some sketches done of what I am hoping will be easy designs. I don't have the patience right now for the iron transfer technique so I will attempt to freehand them with my limited drawing ability. I figure if they look too kindergarten-y I can just hammer the crap out of them and turn them into beadcaps.

Acquired Wealth

As opposed to inherited wealth. I have neither. (Unless you count my beads. I have converted a good portion of my negotiable currency to beads and bead-related items. When we experience a complete societal breakdown and dissolution of our financial markets I'll be the richest broad in town.)

The pendant on the necklace above was entitled, on the Happy Mango Beads site where I found it, "Acquired Wealth." Maybe this is what rich Ghanaians wear, or used to wear, as a badge of wealth. I don't know. But I keep rubbing it like a Buddha, hoping some of that wealth will come my way. (Well, if somebody buys it, it will.)

I was sitting in my studio (which we also use as a living room), pondering what I should make, feeling a little bit of designer's block. I went and pawed through my pendant stash and came up on this one, with a vague idea for a color scheme. I actually then completed a necklace with it and didn't like it. So I cut it up and started over. Kept the garnet and carnelian, and added the "trade beads" (I'm not entirely sure about this, as the 12-year-old clerk at the bead store seemed to be improvising when I asked her what they were--if anybody can verify this, please do!). They look like red agate to me with some sort of etched stripe applied--they're really stunning. (The little girl also informed me they were planning to stick around, which I hope was true.) I'm wishing now I had used some wire spiral tubes I made instead of the commercial ones that are on there, but I think it's all right.

I really need to get a life.

Color Inspiration!

I've really been knocked out by the copper pieces Esther of Mes Illusions Baroques and Mary Jane of Maire Dodd have been doing, with lots of rosy tones, peaches and lavenders, so I decided to haul myself out of the green-and-copper rut. Rifled through my bead stash and found some stuff I forgot I had bought (hmm, bead "blackouts", might have a problem)--really loved this peach aventurine (I got at a 75% off going-out-of-the-bead-part-of-our-business sale) with the copper, and then just had to stick the garnets in there. Couldn't bear to leave any unadorned links. I've really loved the purple-pink-peach-copper palette so many other artist bloggers are doing, HAD TO COPY IT!!! I really hate wrapping briolettes, so this was my desensitization therapy. I wrapped 8 of the little bastards. Rule No. 1: Always use a mini vise. Unless you have three arms. (But from what I've seen, third appendages tend to be more decorative than functional. Even if you have three arms you'll probably still need a vise.)

Made the chain yesterday while I was pretending to watch football (go Griz) with the BF and his offspring. It's like knitting. Except with a hammer.





OK, off to make earrings to go with this before my brio-wrapping-aversion reasserts itself.

Call Me Crazy

Crazy Horse Stone with annealed steel and garnets. Made 'em myself. CLICK HERE for more info or to purchase.

Apologies, and On Being Submissive and Compliant

Sorry everybody for the radio silence. Haven't felt like writing anything. My Grandma passed away Friday before last and we were pretty tight so I haven't been in an entertaining mood. Super busy at work too (day job I mean) so I'm just dog tired. Anyway, figured I'd better surface before you all wandered off.

I am slowly learning to be pliable and accommodating, as I get more custom orders. "I can do that" is my new mantra. Unfortunately this pliability had to come from somewhere, and it appears to be getting diverted from my day job. I feel I am becoming less pliable at my day job ("What NOW????"), while I am becoming more pliable with my jewelry. My pliability is finite, there is only so much to go around. Except for Becky. Hi Becky. I have reserved some day-job pliability for Becky because I like Becky. Although she might have recently gotten a heavy sigh and The Look. Sorry.

So here's what happened recently when some people told me what to do:







These happened when I was told EXACTLY what to do (which was based on something else I made completely under my own direction so it wasn't quite so galling):



And this happened when I was left to my own devices:

I have more of both types of items in the pipeline. My new plan for accomplishing these is to NOT work 16 hours a day and accomplish surprisingly little. My new plan is to NOT make jewelry or do anything jewelry related maybe a few nights a week and just come home from work and do nothing. Maybe read a book or watch the tube. And maybe on the weekend I will NOT make jewelry or do anything jewelry related for a day, or a half a day, and see if I get more productive. I should write a book: "Conquering Fatigue with Rest: a Novel Approach."

Premonitions of Autumn

The weather has been cold, wet and dreary in northwest Montana the last several days; it feels just like October. The high today is 61, and snow is expected in Glacier Park. Some of the maples are even changing, confused by the cold weather. The market is filling with every kind of apple conceivable, from the deep cabernet-hued Red Delicious to the winter-sun-yellow Golden Delicious to the delicate rose-and-green Pink Lady.

The pendant below is a premonition of fall and the apple harvest, coppery autumn leaves and hot cider. Right after I bought this lovely strand of apple jade the weather turned and I knew some burnished copper was in order. I created a hammered, three-dimensional spiral in heavy copper wire (inspired by Sharilyn Miller's ethnic jewelry tutorial), lightly oxidized to an autumn glow, and hung it from a strand of generously sized multi-colored apple jade roundels in shades of red delicious, golden delicious, braeburn and pink lady, and a scattering of button pearls in the same hues. Garnet heishi anchor the piece in a deep Red Delicious tone.



I was having so much fun with this wonderful jade (which I'd never heard of before) that I kept going, finally finding a home for the big brass bead from Happy Mango I'd been hoarding all summer. The brass reminded me of the mellow golden sunlight of autumn and seemed a natural match to the jade as well.



I had made a couple of copper spirals, the second a little smaller, and as I was digging through my stash of supplies I came across the strand of copper rose rice pearls I had bought several months before and thought they would be the perfect complement to the pendant. I had used a few of them here and there, but they were so striking they needed to be used in luxurious quantities in one piece to really make the most of them. I had a pile of awesome copper beads I had gotten here and there as well, and finally settled on the exotic snakeskin flat rounds I had gotten here in Whitefish at Brought to Life Beads. I hung the strand from some copper chain I had made and oxidized with some Midas solution (I have since discovered ammonia fumes work just as well, the finish is more durable, and it is a no-mess approach). I like it so much it makes me wish I still wore jewelry. (I lost interest in wearing it when I started making it, go figure).



The remains of the strand of the first strand of apple jade I bought are all in tones of caramel, apple cider, eggnog, and the pale, buttery color of apple flesh. They will be paired with golden brass, warm wood beads and soft green and taupe pearls. I bought the last strand of apple jade today when I went to the bead store to buy pliers--it was full of merlot, pink, pink-and-green, and the pale green of unripe Golden Delicious. Earrings! And maybe something with cherry quartz. I also have a big trapezoid of deep pink coral I've been carting around for months. Nothing seems to do it justice, but this just might. I KNOW I can change public opinion to make pink an autumn color. Pink cheeks, Pink Lady apples, pink tights...

The back-to-school advertisements are on the television now, and I know some children have already begun school again. If I had children, I would be jumping for frigging joy that they were out of my hair, so it's a great time of year. For quality of life, and for jewelry. Bring it on.