Nothing But Pics

These are the medallions I have been working on. More my work and less lampwork beads. Inspiration thanks to Mary Hettsmansperger.

And of course I am still working with a lot of lampwork beads....because I have a lot of them :))

I meant to post these pics on Monday but I couldn't get my computer at home to upload them. It might have something to do with the fact that I am still on dial-up. I keep bugging Lou about getting something else. He runs Radiology IT for the hospital system that we work for. He can send a gazillion bytes of an x-ray as a digital image around the world.... but he can't get his wife something faster than dial-up. I could try to use my feminine wiles to get him to do it.....oh hell....who am I kidding there are no wiles about me....I more a bash him over the head type of woman. But as most women soon find out....if you want something done....do it yourself. So I am off to research whether cable or DSL is better. I can get a router from AT&T or get it through our cable company...although I heard that bandwidth can be compromised on cable if there are a lot of subscribers on line. No matter.... I plan to have something different soon.

Work Work Work Work

If it's not at the hospital...it's at home. I worked all weekend cleaning the house, doing laundry, and making jewelry. I'm going to try to take pics tomorrow. I made a number of ... what I call ... medallions. I just got some 3mm rubber cords in from Rio to hang them from. The cords are nice and thick and make for a substantial necklace. I need to make some additional accent pieces for the last few medallions and for a necklace/bracelet set of lampwork beads I have going. I'm going to try to do that this week.

I've finished doing my tracings of Parisii stater coins. The looked really good when I xeroxed the tracings. I now need to scan them and play with their size before I can turn them into textures plates. So much to do...so little time. I keep telling Lou I need to quit and do this full time. He just laughs at me.

And in my spare time I'm reading...The Private Lives of the Impressionists. It's focus is on Renoir, Cezanne, Pizarro, Monet, Manet, and Morisot (the only female)...how they started out in Paris and how they came together to form the Impressionist movement.

I'll post some pics in a few days.

Who Me??....Holy Crap!!

I've been so tired lately.... both physically and mentally. Work is just overwhelming. I've been too tired to do anything after work except curl up on the couch and sleep. But I think doing that for the last two weeks has done some good. Every once in a while I have this fantasy of just escaping from the world. Finding some cabin in the woods, someplace that I can just go to and "be". I think that's what I've been doing the last couple weeks....just coming home and "being".

I've made nice with the doc at work. We've worked together for 10 years...it was hard to be so upset with him. He was out of town for a week and we had to e-mail with each other to get some work done. The e-mails gradually got more friendly. It's a good feeling to be talking to him again.

In these past two weeks I have been contemplating giving up doing shows. When it comes down to it they are a major pain in the butt. Hauling all the stuff around and setting up/tearing down. Getting ripped off and dealing with persnickety customers. The idea of giving it all up is really appealing. And while I have been brooding over this I have let most of the application deadlines go by.... except for one. Today I got an e-mail from Ohio Designer Craftsman. I got accepted into the Craft Fair at Hathaway Brown. It is my first outdoor craft fair and what I consider to be my first real art show (vs. holiday boutiques). So all those thoughts about giving this up.....WHO ME?? I'm really excited about this. At 50 I'm doing my first art show. Look out Julia Child (she was 50 when she published her first cookbook). Besides...this might be a foot in the door to the ODCs Winterfair in Columbus. That show is huge.

So now I'm going.....HOLY CRAP!! Inventory is way down. I need to get cracking. No more laying on the couch for me. I've got to get it in gear and produce. You might be thinking...but it's 2 months away. Designing takes time and these 2 months are going to fly by. I'll start to work tomorrow. Luckily I have so much raw material in inventory I can work the entire 2 months and only have to purchase minor findings.

BTW....I've have no experience doing a tent show. Anyone have any advice or tips for a novice.....send them my way.

Costume Jewelry and Coco Chanel

So it's taken me a while to shake the funk that I was in. Nothing much has changed...going to work still feels like I am sinking in quicksand. I wish I would hit the lottery so I could quit....or find some bazillionaire who would supporting me while I explore and expand my skills and talents. Don't rich people do that...discover and support writers and artists. If ya'll know of anyone like that....send them my way.


So....my work has been referred to as "costume jewelry".... as in I don't buy "costume jewlery". Am I being dissed??? I always thought of costume jewelry as that cheap plastic stuff that you buy at K-Mart. Wikipedia describes it as fashion jewelry, junk jewelry or fake jewelry. Costume jewelry is jewelry that is made of less valuable materials including base metals, glass, plastics, and synthetic stones, in place of more valuable materials such as precious metals and gems. Costume jewelry is usually inexpensive, and often flashy. Its main use is in fashion, as opposed to "real" (fine) jewelry which may be regarded primarily as collectibles, keepsakes, or investments.


So I'm thinking I should be insulted. But I'm not. Primarily because I have no more rage in me....at least for now. I spewed it all two weeks ago. Also...if you do a search for costume jewelry on the intranet you will find that Coco Chanel is credited with creating costume jewelry. I know Coco Chanel created .... the little black dress, the Chanel suit, the perfume ... but I never knew about her life....until now. She was tough. She was born in the poorhouse and her mother died when she was 6 years old. Her father abandoned her to relatives. She went to Paris at the age of 16 with a millionare calvery officer. She opened a hat shop in 1914 and branched out to include clothes. She took up with a wealthy polo player in the 20's and also had a thing with the Duke of Westminster. From these two she was given jewels....which she copied and started her costume jewelry line. BTW...she turned down a marriage proposal from the Duke by saying "There are a lot of duchesses, but only one CoCo Chanel". During WWI she had a love affair with a Nazi officer and spent 15 years in Switzerland in somewhat of an exile. She came back to Paris in 1954 and worked until she passed away in 1971.


The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. ......Coco Chanel

Phew!!!

Thanks to all of you who commented or e-mailed. It's nice to know there are people that care and who are willing to kick ass for me. You girls ROCK!!!

I made it through Friday at work. Although I kept sniffling while I was sitting at my desk. But time and distance gives you better prospective. It's work...it's not worth this much heartache. One of my co-workers sent me an e-mail that simply put stated that you can choose to accept someone's garbage or not. In the future I choose NOT. What truely matters is family and friends.

Speaking of family, I picked Lou up at the airport last night. It's so good to have him home. We curled up on the couch for a while last night until he started to crash. It took 27 hours to get home so he was tired. As I write this he is taking a nap. Korea is 13 hours ahead so it messed up his internal clock. Tonight we are having dinner with my family and tomorrow I am spending in my workroom. It's a good weekend.

And hopefully I won't have any more tirades for a while :))

Pics

Half lentil beads

I've been going disc crazy. I'm going to use these as pendants for necklaces. I was on a roll and I'm not done yet. I'm so compulsive that when I get going on a design I make it in every variation of style and design. There will be more of these.

Below are some bracelets that I made. I am prepping the photos for Etsy.

A weekend to myself

Lou is in Korea. I dropped him at the airport yesterday at 6:30AM and I got a phone call today at 9:30AM that he had just arrived in Pusan. That's such a long time to travel. It would drive me crazy. He is there for a week for his martial arts. He will be getting his 6th degree black belt in Hap Ki Do while he's there.

I took today off and I have the entire weekend to myself...at least the next 2 days. Sunday I am going to my Mom's....but today and Saturday I am playing. I have the clay out and plan to work on it all day and who knows what I'll do tomorrow. I have so many projects to work on...2 days isn't enough. But I'm off.......hopefully I'll post some pics later.

New Rules

Where does the time go??? It's been a week since I last blogged. Seems like all I did was work. I did have Monday off. I ran errands. While I was out I stopped at a couple wallpaper stores to see if they had old books that might be used for PMC texture. Didn't come up with much.

I fixed a couple of bracelets...one was one of my designs. It must have snagged on something tough because the toggle was bent way out of shape and that's not easy to do. The other was a piece of crap jewelry that was probably bought at the dollar store. But it belongs to the daughter of a co-worker so I said OK. I think I need to get tough.... NEW RULE #1 ...I will only repair my own work.

I've also had people buy strands of beads on vacation and then bring them to me and ask if I would design them something. My work goes in cycles....I work in different mediums based on my interests at the time. It irritates me to work on something that I have no interest in....especially if they are ugly beads..... NEW RULE #2....I will only design the things I choose. My time designing is limited and I resent repairing something that I didn't make or designing something I don't want to.

I also altered a necklace that I sold at the last show. That's the other thing I hate to do.....alter my designs. I make designs that please me and I must do an OK job at it because I do very well at shows. When somone asks me if I can change the design, it's a little insulting....you know....like my design was only OK but the buyer knows how to make it look so much better. Would you ask DaVinci to alter the Mona Lisa's smile??? I know that's a ridiculous analogy...but really would you??? People will go into a department store and drop a couple hundred bucks on a piece that was probably made in some sweat shop in China and wouldn't think of altering it because it has the name of some big designer on it. But they ask a jewelry artisan to change their designs because they put a lesser value on it. In fact they should put more value on it because it is hand made....New Rule #3 .... I will not alter my designs.....I will make them larger or smaller so they fit they buyer....but I will not alter the design.

On tap for this week.....I have to get the taxes to the accountant, finish show applications for this year (already missed a few deadlines), and take photos of my jewelry. I want to start an Etsy shop and I need photos. I'll post them as I take them so you can see some of my work.

Basket of Goodies

I did make it out on Sunday to the Hollow Bead workshop. Surprisingly after 31 hours of snow, the plows were able to clear the roads enough for me to make it out. Unfortunately they don't plow our driveway. Since I took Lou's truck I made it out of the driveway easily. He on the other hand got my car stuck and the neighbor had to help him get it out. I didn't feel too bad. Lou doesn't shovel snow. He feels that we can just drive over it....and most times we can. But not this time. So when he told me he got the car stuck I just smiled and suggested that we need to get a snowblower.
Below is a pic of Barbara Becker Simon goodies (taken by my friend Brenda).



She is an amazing artist and her hollow form beads are just fantastic. As with most things....once you see the technique it is easier than it looks .... but in this case tedious. A lot of sanding and fitting and sanding and fitting. The hardest part for me was mitering the side walls with an exacto knife. There is nothing about me that says finesse....so I was taking chuncks out of the side walls....which meant more sanding, fitting, and carving. Surprisingly once my bead went together it didn't look too bad. I haven't fired it yet. I want to try a few more before I run a load.

I had the day off today. I never turned my blackberry on...still haven't. I slept late, ran errands, worked on some jewelry. I stopped at a few wallpaper stores. I'm looking for the old books that they usually throw out....wallpaper with texture can be used on the PMC. The one store had just given away a book the was full of textured wallpaper. I did take one book but it only had two different textures, but I'll give them a try to see if they are of any interest. NowI have to get my tax records ready for the accountant so Lou will stop bugging me.

The blizzard that ate Cleveland

My front door. The drift on the top of the porch is about 3 feet tall. It has been snowing for 31 hours and isn't suppose to stop for another hour. The snow is up over the windows in the front and back of the living room. We did make it out of the driveway today to go to the grocery store. That was about 4 hours ago and the footprints that we left in the snow....are all gone now.

We have a bench in the font yard. The snow was up to the seat early this afternoon....it is now up over top. We just keep looking out the windows laughing....and it's still coming down. Needless to say that I didn't make it to the workshop today and probably won't make it tormorrow. Hell...I don't know if we'll ever make it out of the house again

Did I tell you I'm sick of winter??

The week started out with freezing rain. On Tuesday I came out to my car to find it coated with 1/4" of ice. I couldn't get the doors open. After about 5 minutes I managed to get the passenger door open. It took about 15 mnutes of scraping and having the heat on full blast to get to a point where I could see out the windows. But of course that didn't stop me from meeting Lou down at Fahrenheit's for dinner. It was spectacular. A five course meal with wines to complement. All the while we were there it continued to sleet but surprisingly it wasn't difficult to get home. Also surprisingly after 5 different wines I wasn't smashed. Of course they weren't full glasses.

Now today it has started snowing....and it is suppose to snow through Sunday early morning. The are predicting somewhere between 12-18 inches of snow. I'M SICK OF WINTER. I have the workshop this weekend and I don't know if I'm going to make it, but I'm going to try. The drive is normally 40 minutes....I'm expecting it to take much longer. I've convinced Lou and it would be best to take his truck so I have a better chance of making through the snow. I'm also taking some clothes with me. If I make it there I don't think I'm coming home Saturday night. One of my the girls has volunteered to put me up on Saturday night.....a slumber party...I haven't had one of those in ages :))

If I don't make it...I've got plenty to do here and I can blog some more.

Did you vote??

Today is the Democratic primary in Ohio. I voted. As I was going into the polling place there was an older lady...~75-80 ... thanking people for voting. I think it's great she is still politically active. My mom is...she's 84. She's republican so we don't agree on who to vote for. I always tell her that my vote is going to cancel hers out so she should just stay home :))

Lou and I are going out to dinner tonight to watch the election results come in. We are going to Fahrenheit in Tremont. They are having a wine tasting dinner. We don't get there are much as we would like. Hubby and I don't agree on politics so the conversation tonight should be interesting. He called me a tree hugger today. He also said he was going to become a Democrat so he can have some of the entitlements we hand out. I told him he was entitled to kiss my butt. He's been entitled to do that for a long time :))

This coming weekend I'll be taking a workshop with Barbara Becker Simon. She is coming to our PMC guild chapter for the weekend. Check out her website. Awesome artist in glass and PMC. We had so many chapter members wanting to take her classes we thought we were going to have to draw names. I'll be sure to get pictures of the workshops. Saturday is clasps and findings and sunday is hollow forms. We're going to have a pot luck Saturday night and she will give a presentation of her work. Below is a pic of her necklace. It won 2nd place in the Saul Bell Awards.



I think I'm going to take the following Monday off. I am so tired after a weekend workshop. I'm getting old. Or maybe it's that I work 2 jobs. Or that I stay up until ~2AM. Last night I was up late getting my taxes ready. I closed out the 2007 books for the bead business. Now I have to do my personal taxes. I actually don't do them. I just get everything ready for the accountant.

I wasn't going to blog today but.....

When I got home I had two presents!! The first...hubby waiting for me on the couch and Susan Lenart Kazmer's new book, Making Connections . OHHHH ... what to do .... what to do. Hubby ... book ....hubby....book???? Hubby won. We went out to dinner and finally had a chance to talk, catch up, make fun of each other. We went to the bookstore then came home and curled up in front of the TV for a while. He was exhausted from traveling for the past 2 weeks. And I was the supportive wife..... "Honey, you are so tired...you should go to bed early (the book...the book)....no really... take a hot bath and go to bed (the book...the book). He conked out at 9PM and I dove into THE BOOK.

I haven't read any of it but I whipped through it from front to back. OMG... such eye candy. I can't wait until I get the chance to go back and soak up every page. I have a class with her this summer at B&B...a ring class. She is the type of teacher whose art gives you a whack upside the head and makes you think outside the box, outside the lines, outside your own reality. Her work makes you look at what most people would clean out of their junk drawer and see these pieces parts as beads, findings, and centerpieces for jewelry .... and it works ..... these pieces parts work as funky edgy jewelry. I have a hinged frame bracelet that I made in one of her classes....everytime I wear it people love it. Alright .... enough gushing. I have to get back to THE BOOK.

Beads...did you say you had beads???

I picked up these beads from Jacqueline in Switzerland. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to go there....she sells on eBay under the name "creartelier" if you want to look at some of her other beads. I know I said I wasn't going to be buy anymore beads or silver....but you can't go cold turkey....you have to wean yourself off these types of obsessions :)

Hubby comes home tomorrow after about 2 weeks of traveling. We saw each other briefly last Friday as he stopped home in between trips and I came home for the evening from my show. He calls every night when he's away. The other day we talked for 20 minutes....laughing and joking.....it was like we were dating again.

Needless to say I won't be blogging tomorrow night :))

Winter Wonderland

If any of you saw the Democratic debate tonight. It took place at my alma mater...Cleveland State University. They made reference to the snow storm that was brewing in Cleveland. This was what my backyard looked like when I came home from work. I had 6" of snow and I don't live in the snowbelt.

Perfection....is limiting

In the recent issue of Metalsmith there is an article by Kiff Slemmons on imperfection. In it, the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi is discussed. Wabi-sabi is described as the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete, the beauty of things modest and humble, the beauty of things unconventional. The article goes on to say that "Imperfection can offer openness, a way in, whereas perfection can sometimes be closed and frozen in place. Imperfection can contain energy - can make for flow. Perhaps imperfection is most obvious and easily understood in outsider or folk art, in which the expressive qualities are spontaneous and immediate".

This struck a chord with me because I struggle with perfection in my art. If you've ever worked in PMC you know that the clay can have a mind of its own....at least my clay does. It's not that perfection can't be achieved. I've had instructors that seem to do everything with an amazing level of precision and perfection....Celie Fago comes to mind. But I've come to accept that fact that perfection isn't me ..... imperfection is. And it's liberating. I don't have to be the perfect homemaker (thank God), the perfect employee, say the right things (outta my big mouth...yeah right), the perfect artist. Bumpy, irregular, off-center, cracked and split (this describes both my art and personality) are so much more interesting than perfect.

Speaking of perfection. Every woman wants her face to look perfect. I used a new product over the weekend. I primer of sorts that you put on your face before make-up....suppose to smooth out the lines and let your make-up just glide on. Well...I woke up Sunday with a rash/hives all over my face. So much for the perfect face. It's settling down now but it's probably going to take a week to clear up. Hubby is down in Florida for a conference and I was telling him all about this. You know what he said??? "Throw that stuff out....you have always had a nice face". So once again...I don't have to be perfect....cause my hubby likes my face just the way it is. Love that man!!!

Hello...this is Dave...

Every night I get this phone call. It's a recording..."Hello, this is Dave. To speak with a representative press 1. Otherwise you can call me.... at some 1-800 number. I didn't pick up the first few times...just figured it was a solicitor that would go away. I finally picked up after 4 nights and pressed 1 so I could tell these people to stop calling me. But pressing 1 doesn't do anything. I don't want to call the 800 number but this is getting annoying.....every night.

The show went really well. I didn't know what to expect as it was my first time. I got a corner booth at the entrance. Talk about traffic!!! It snowed the first day so I thought attendance would be down. I saw more traffic than any holiday show I've ever done. It was great. There was only one down side to it. I had a bracelet and necklace ripped off. I got really busy on Friday with a group of women. When I finished with them I noticed one of the bracelets was not where I had placed it. I thought maybe someone picked it up and put down someplace else. So I went over the whole booth and realized that a matching necklace was gone. It's such an personal offense to have someone steal from you. If you want to rip someone off....go to Wal-Mart.

A note to Patricia...Thanks for reading. I use Teamac. They charge $7.50/month...better than $30.

Show Tomorrow

Took today off so I could set up for this weekends show in Akron. I've never done this show before. The vendors look good. About 6 jewelers, a bunch of children's clothes, some felted purses, a glass maker, painters, potters and more. I have a corner booth right at the door...great location!! Across from me is another jeweler. I usually hate that but she seems really nice. Her name is Tracy and she knows Kim who is another jewelry person.....small world. Across the other aisle is Michelle who works for the same hospital I work for and is the promoter of Gifts from the Heart Boutique that I will be exhibiting at this year. Two booths down is Donna who I have exhibited next to a Mrs. Claus' Closet for the last three years. If the show get boring I'll have plenty of people to talk to.

Because I have a corner booth I have to set up a little differently. I need some pipe and drapinig to block the view of the booth that I am next to. Since I don't have any of that I went to World Market this afternoon and bought a dark wicker three panel room screen and a three shelf bookcase that folds up. The bookcase I will use inside the booth to put my packaging materials, cash box and credit card machine on. The screen which will become a side wall of my booth is pretty large. It fits in the car just fine because my back seats fold down and the front passenger seat folds down. My worry is when I pack up on Saturday night...I'm not sure I will be able to fit everything in the car. I'm going to have to be really creative. Of course I also stopped in a Pier 1...love that store. They had wire dress forms...about 12 " high. So I bought two for my table display. They were an ugly yellow wire and meant to be rustic with some rust on the wires. I bought a can of black Rustoleum spray paint and painted them. They look so cool now. I always find things at Pier 1 for my dispaly.

I used Lou's Tom-Tom to get to Akron today...I call it his Dum-Dum. I'm really good at finding places. I am known as Sacajawea in our house. When I was about 9 years old I was in the car with my Mom and sister. It was dark out and Nancy was driving. She missed an exit on the freeway and I started crying. I remember thinking that I would never see my Dad again. Of course, my sister thought I was being a pain in the ass...something she thought I was quite often. My mom assured me it would be OK...but since that day I always study a map before I drive anywhere I haven't been. I don't like to get lost. Of course now that I am older...I just keep driving until I figure it out. The cool thing about the Dum-Dum is that if you take a wrong turn it gives you directions to get you back on track.

Got a catalog last night....Micro-Mark. You know you're a geek of one sort or another when you spend two hours pouring over a catalog that specializes in small tools. It is primarily focused on model builders and train enthusiasts. But there were a number of things that would be great for working with PMC and other metals. They had a small double sided strainer that would be really good for when you need to patina small items. It is a tea strainer ball with handles. It was one of those hit yourself in the head moments when you see something that gets used everyday and you realize you can use it in your art. They also had some great corner punches to make windows in sheet metal. They send out free catalogs girls so give them a look.

A Clean Workspace....Never Happen

I've never found a way to keep my workspace clean. When I'm eyeballs deep designing, I create such a mess. Beads and tools everywhere ... on the desk, my chair, the floor. Maybe that's a good thing. I've always wondered how others work. Can good designs be created in a sterile environment or does it depend on the person?? I also create a mess when I cook...which isn't very often...but I've been that way since I can remember .... I create a mess. I'm very diligent about cleaning up afterwards ... but when I in the middle of something .... total slob. I've always wanted to be one of those people who have everything in its place....but I guess that just isn't my nature. Maybe I should stop fighting it.

Here's a container full of Swarovski crystal earring waiting to be completed for the show next weekend. They're not what I want to spend my time doing .... but these are so easy to make and they sell!!! The shows are starting to line up for 2008. I have 4 so far and about 8 more applications to submit. The year is just beginning and I can see the end already as the calendar starts to fill up.

Hearts and Bones

A perfect day to launch a website and blog called Hearts and Bones. A collaboration between two young, talented mademoiselles....Michele Goldstein and Stephanie Sersich..... who make amazing lampworked beads and jewerly. I am envious that they found their passion so early in their life. I wish them years of success!!! Below is one of their pieces.

3 degrees.....sucks

OMG....it's 3 degrees out. The furnace is running constantly and my windows upstairs are frozen over....got to replace them next year. Driving home from work today...I couldn't get my hands warm. I was actually sticking my fingers in the heater vents to warm them up. I'm glad I have seat heaters in my car....at least my butt stayed warm. We are suppose to get 8-10 inches of snow tonight. That is more snow than we have had all year long.

Still working on things for my show in two weeks. When I get some time I'll try to post some pics.

John Glenn, anvils, and a great bead book!!

The hospital where I work brings in different speakers during the year. This week was John Glenn. What an amazing man!! He is sharp, articulate, sincere, and funny. I could have 10 lives and not have his experiences. He was a fighter pilot in the Korean War, WWII, an astronaut, and a Senator. He talked about his experiences in the space...both the first and second times. It was amazing the things they faced going up the first time. They had no idea if the shape of his eyes would change or if he would loose his equilibrium due to the effects of zero gravity. He had to read an eye chart every 20 minutes to verify that he could still see correctly. The concern was that he wouldn't be able to bring the capsule back successfully if either of these happened. He was concerned with an emergency re-entry. His flight path went over Austrailia's outback and New Guinea. Many of the areas had aboriginal tribes that didn't speak English...so he kept a piece of paper that basically said..."Hello...I am friendly...take me to your leader" in a bunch of tribal dialects. He said he wanted to take a space walk on his second time up...when he was 77....but NASA was afraid he would wander off :)) He pounded home improving education and continuing basic research in the US as a way to maintain being a world leader and to keep people employeed.

I'm gearing up for a show in a couple of weeks. Pumping out the earrings, bracelets, and necklaces....which is good because I'm using up my stock of beads and silver. Once the show is over I want to work with sheet metals. I went to Home Depot today to get an anvil. I couldn't find them so I asked 2 guys working there. No....they don't sell them. So....being guys... I asked if they knew where I could get one....they said to try a hardware store. Is it me??? I thought I was in a hardware store. Nuts, bolts, nails, power tools....doesn't that say hardware store to you??? So I'm now in search of a "hardware store" that sells anvils. Got any suggestions?

I got Stephanie Sersich's book today..."Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads". The book and her beads are awesome. I always buy beads from her at the B&B Show. Her hearts, starfish, flowers.....awesome. I took her Spiny Knotted Bracelet class a couple years ago. It's fun to make...not as hard as it looks....but it will take me some practice to make one them as gorgeous as Steph's. She has been collaborating with Michele Goldstein on some pieces...they are really amazing. So different than anything I've seen.

Every Vote Matters....a Poem by Tara Bradford

Tara from Paris Parfait graciously let me post her poem. She says it quite eloquently...it's time for change and time to repair.....


Yes, we can
exercise our rights
and raise our voices,
like magic at the ballot box
as we vote for change
and begin to repair this world.

Together, we can
rediscover justice and equality;
opportunity and prosperity;
the promise America represented
when she stood strong and proud:
a shining beacon of light.

Yes, we can
begin to heal this nation.
No matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can stem the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We are one people; one nation
and together we will write the next chapter of the American story.

Yes, we can.
Together, we can bind old wounds,
tear down walls and find common ground
and unite, merging our hopes and dreams
for a better, more tolerant country
with liberty and justice for all.

Yes, we can! Si, se puede!

Yes, We Can

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes, we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom. Yes, we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes, we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes, we can to justice and equality.

Yes, we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes, we can heal this nation.

Yes, we can repair this world.

Yes, we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics…they will only grow louder and more dissonant ……….. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea –

Yes, We Can!

---excerpts from a Barack Obama speech after the New Hampshire primary
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It's been a long time since I've felt anything but disgust for our government. I was moved by this speech and it gave me hope that we might be able to get this country back on track ..... not necessarily by the acts of one man....but by one man capturing the hearts of a nation and inspiring its people to greatness.

Are you collecting boxes??

Lou came home from golfing in Florida today. He walked out into the garage and asked ..."Are you collecting boxes?" I had 4 boxes out there from all the stuff that got delivered this week. I swore off buying beads and silver, but that hasn't stopped me from buying tools. I bought a rolling art cart to haul my tools around when I go to workshops. It will come in handy going to B&B. I also bought a light box so it is easier to do tracings of ancient coin pictures. That's the first step to making lentil beads with these designs. The light box reminds me of something that kids would play with ..... if they play with these types of things today . It seems like they are more tuned into video games and anything that is electronic and high-tech. When my step-kids were little they colored...but that was 15 years ago and none of them have showed any interest in pursuing an art now that they are in their 20's.

When I was a kid I used to draw and paint. Not on canvas but on poster board with poster paints.... the poor girl's way to paint. Unfortunately they didn't survive the years. I wish they had. It would be interesting to see if they were as good as I remember or maybe I'm not the Van Gogh I remember myself being. I was always browsing through what little art supplies our local stores had. When I had money I bought drawing books and paint brushes. I still love art stores. Dick Blick is one of my favorite websites....so many supplies. They have one down in Columbus which is a two-hour drive from here. One of these days I am going to make the trip down there. Art stores, bookstores, and the tool section at Home Depot .... I love 'em. Of course, growing up in the 60's I also made seed bead necklaces ...."love beads" ..... one of the fads of the 60's. That's when the bead thing all started.

I can't claim the 60's as my era. I was only 4 years old in 1960....but those years did create many of my early memories. For those baby-boomers out there....do you remember the fads of the 60's.........troll dolls, superballs, ouija boards, granny glasses, go-go boots, lava lamps, the smiley face, tye-dyed anything, mood rings, platform shoes and bellbottoms?? OMG...I'm old.

Obsessions

I spent the weekend cleaning my workroom. I have more glass and silver beads than I know what to do with. I can design for the next year without buying anything. If any of my bead suppliers are wondering why I haven't bought lately ..... that's why. And it's not like I've used up all the goods ones and only have ugly beads left .... I have some gorgeous beads that I just haven't worked with yet. I tend to be obsessive. When I get into something, I really get into it. I know some of you can relate. So I am only buying basic supplies until I reduce the inventory.

Below are a few pieces I finished up over the weekend. The first is a pendant from Mary Hettmansperger's workshop. The glass bead is by Michele Goldstein. Keep an eye on her website for her Valentine's update. The silver piece in front I split when hammering it in a doming block .... hammered it a little too hard. Finesse has never been my strong point .... but it seems to fit with the overall style of the piece so I decided to use it. I think I need to patina this with LOS bring out more detail in the silver. It's a bit flat.

I also finished up a bracelet. Beads by Robyn Knapp . I still need to hang some small dangle from the clasp. As soon as I get some more PMC...which is on it's way!!!...I want to make some mice charms to hang off the bracelets.

When I'm not using PMC...I love to use Thai silver in my pieces...and since my goal is to use up my inventory I will be using more Thai in the future.

Generosity of the Human Spirit

I was searching for some information last night on Yahoo's Metal Clay Group and I decided to create an photo album there. So I posted a note to let people know and have them take a look at my work. Wow...these people rock!!! They are so supportive and complimentary. Many have come to take a look at my blog. It has taken me months to get 400 hits....not that it's a contest....but it is interesting to know that people are reading what you have to say. Today....I got 100+ hits.

I have to say one of the best things that I have done is getting involved with other artists. I go to the Bead and Button Show every year and I have met some wonderful people and have a group of friends that I always look forward to seeing each year. I also got involved with the local PMC chapter and I enjoy getting together with them each month. The support and encouragement that all these groups give is amazing. The generosity of the human spirit is priceless.

That's Madame Secretary to you

OK. So at today's PMC guild meeting I became the secretary for our chapter. Wasn't planning on this....but it will be fun. It is a great group of artists. So many are going to the PMC Conference in July. Turns out I will probably go too. I only need to take 2 days off work. It is at Perdue University in Indiana so I can drive in. Mapquest says it takes 4.5 hours....which means I can probably make it in 3.5 hours :))

Yeah....I meant it to look like that

Here is a pic of the bead I made last week. When I took it out of the kiln it had this huge gash in it due to the presence of the cork core and that I didn't hold temp of the kiln at 800 degrees to burn it out thouroghly. What to do...what to do?? It was a heavy bead and I hated the fact that all the silver was wasted. So I took a bunch of the little clay balls that I had and filled the gash with them. It looks kinda cool....like little blood droplets coming out. I want to add a few smaller ones across the middle strip but I am totally out of clay. Time to get the credit card out and let it smolder a little. With the price of silver, PMC is getting more and more expensive. Here are a few more pics of pieces I've made recently.

I've finished reading The Thirteenth Tale. Good book. If you are looking for something to read...try this. It caught my attention right away and kept me going until the end. Haven't decided what to read next.

Things to do...things to do

Busy week. Signed up for Bead & Button on Tuesday. I was actually a little nervous sitting at my computer waiting for the registration to open up. How stupid is that. But I got all the classes that I wanted....fusing and cold joining with Anne Mitchell, color on metal with Debra Weld, and rings with Susan Kazmer. My first 4 days are spent with my long lost twin...Cristina. I don't think these people will know what hit them. Imagine me in duplicate. I think we have to be the only two people to get chastised by Celie Fago in the middle of a PMC class. I left a full day open to shop in the exhibit hall and hopefully find some time to put ideas to paper while I am there. The week is such a whirlwind that it will be nice to have a day to do nothing. Every year I go back I know more and more people. The first 2 years I made Lou go with me so I wouldn't be alone. Now it would be difficult if he did go because all my time is spent in classes or the exhibit hall and with friends.

Went to dinner with Lou's daughter, Rachael, last night. She brought Matty along...our 18 month old grandson. He is sooo cute. Everyone in the restaurant was stopping over to see him. She is trying to break him of swearing...at 18 months. He was playing with Lou and fell down on his butt. He looked up at Lou and said...."Fuck". It's hard not to laugh.

Did the business taxes tonight and trying to make my way through a pile of papers I have stacked up by my chair. Things I wanted to get to or read or things that I need to do. No wonder I am up to 2 in the morning. And to top it off I got the new Tool catalog from Rio today. OMG....it's like being a kid again and getting the toy catalog at Christmas time. I believe the term "Tool Whore" has been passed back and forth between Cris and I. I had to laugh because Mary Hettmansperger referred to herself as a book whore. I am one of those too. Tool whore, book whore, bead whore.....

I pulled a load of silver out of the kiln. Most of the pieces turned out nice. I was making hearts with faux rivets in them and they looked like mice...so I moved the faux rivets in a little bit and did make mice. They are really cute. I take some pics tomorrow. I made this really cool bead around a cork clay core. This was the one piece that I was really looking forward to seeing. Popped open the kiln to find that the bead had split open. Turns out that when firing around a solid core you need to ramp the kiln up slowly and hold at around 800 degrees for 20 minutes so the core has time to burn out prior to taking the temperature up. Who knew??? I found out by doing a search on the PMC group in Yahoo. Oh well. Shame though ... it's a heavy piece. I think I am going to line the split in the bead with tiny little balls of silver and refire....try to make it a design elements instead of a mistake. Oh Yeah...I meant for it to look like that.

How do you like this??



This is a Parisii stater ....translation...old French coin from around the 1st century BC. I've traced the design and I am going to try to transfer the image to PMC either by the tear-away technique or with a photopolymer plate. I have been searching the net for other ancient coin designs. I've found a few I like so I am going to do a small collection of pendants with these designs.

I found a couple of web sites that have some very cool transparency images that would work great in resin. The first is Crafy Individuals located in the UK. They have got a great collection of transparencies...what they call acetates....I love the vintage portraits. The other site is Tuscan Rose located in Texas.