Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Sunshine Or Flower??



I've started playing around with faces. They are not as hard as I thought but not easy either. I definitely need a bit of practice but I didn't think it was too bad for my first one. This is actually an aromatherapy vessel. It has a handle on the back. He does have the perfect lips for kissing (don't ya think?). Maybe not......

The sun is still shining but the cold is biting these days. The best part is that the boys are spending more time outside. I think everyone around here is ready for some warmer weather. I just hope we aren't in for another round of snow before winter ends.

I'm trying really hard to stay away from wire working these days but it's almost impossible with the class coming up tomorrow night. I've been haunting one of my favorite sites http://www.enioken.com/. This women is a master & I just love her jewelry. Plus she offers tutorials that are "to die for". I have purchased a couple & I highly recommend them. Her directions & photos are clear & easy to understand. They are well worth the price!

Hope ya'll are enjoying your week!

Friday, January 26, 2007

It's A Wrap


Wire wrapping, that is. I know that there is wire involved in metalsmithing, however this class has the feel of a wire wrapping class. We started very basic with a simple wrapped bracelet, ring & some connectors. I wore a ring that I had wire wrapped a few years ago & the woman sitting next to me commented on how much she liked it. See photo......my rings, middle and ring finger....ring from the class, pointer finger. I still like the class though, but.......she didn't seem very enthusiastic or happy about being there but it could have just been an off night for her. Now, I want to drag out all of my wire wrapping things & get back to it but.....I will stick to what I've been doing with glass and clay for now, other than doing my "homework". This class does make me think that I might actually be able to try teaching again in the future. I tried teaching some beading classes a couple of years ago & they weren't too bad but it made me extremely nervous. I think I'm pretty much past that insecurity now though. I am curious to see what we will be making by the time the course is done at the end of February........Oh & I learned to wire wrap from Preston Reuther videos http://wire-sculpture.com/?utm_source=microsoft&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=PRESTON%20REUTHER. They are pretty spendy now and all on DVD but the tapes I had were very educational.
I'm very pleased with my little pretties that I made yesterday. I'm not ready to show them yet but will when I make some more to put up for auction.
I have more florals up on Justbeads. Check em' out when you have a moment.
Have a nice weekend!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Metal Smithing!!!!

My Glass Godess Muse was absent today. I couldn't make a decent looking godess to save my life......however I did make something a little new & different. I can hardly wait to see them & snap a pic tomorrow. Today was pretty much a practice, play day for the glass.

Finally got around to sorting some ear wires that I won in an auction awhile back. I ended up with 18 matching pair (& 6 odds) & they are all sterling. An excellent deal!

Made some split pea soup in the crock pot for dinner while I'm gone tonight. Everyone likes it and it's souper easy to fix....he, he.

I have no idea what happened to the sun. They said it was supposed to stay nice but now I'm hearing that it's raining down south....oh well.

I'll be heading out here shortly to meet my Mom for our class. The cost was a killer deal so I hope the teacher is good. I'll be leaving a bit early because I love stopping at Barnes & Noble just to have a quick look around whenever I'm in the area. It's kind of like quiet time at the library only better.

Time to take Connor out for a bike ride before the rain arrives.

Take care!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Flowers!

I can't seem to stop making flowers. I think it's that really strong urge for Spring to get here after this "fun" winter. I'm getting lots of requests for my Godess vessels so I'm going to need to get my butt in gear & make some of those too. I should have some new auctions up tomorrow or Friday.

The weather was beatiful today!! I actually washed the van & vaccuumed it out too, which is a true miracle if you knew how much I like to wash cars.

Have you ever seen orange & purple cauliflower??


This is part of our dinner tonight. I've had the broccoflower (green cauliflower), but this is the first time I've gotten (or seen) the orange & purple. Pretty cool looking, huh? The local Top Foods is one of the only markets around here that carries the "different" fruits & veggies.

I'm back at purging the house again. I actually cleaned up my desk last night. I love having a clean office area. Of course the space behind me still needs to be delved into. I promised Jim that I'd work on making some office space in here for him too.

I have lots of stuff that I need to auction on my "other" ebay, but I tell ya, it's just not as fun as doing my art work. I'll let you know when those things go up too.....leather coats, weekenders, pokemon stuff........just a small idea of what I've got and really doesn't even scratch the surface.

Time to go fold clothes........

Monday, January 22, 2007

Happy Birthday To Me!

Hey ya all! I'm 42 today! I can hardly believe it. The subject of turning 40 came up on one of the lampwork sites that I visit and it was interesting to see what people thought. For me it was rather tramatic. It made me reflect on my life and where I was and wanted to be. Needless to say it woke me up and got me on the ball to "go get it!". Time's a wastin!

Got a good lampwork session in this morning and last night I started working on the project I'm going to submit for publication. It's a polymer clay project but I think it would be cool to submit a project that uses my lampwork beads too. Maybe that will be my next one.

I tried out my roller blades this weekend. It's been a good 20 years since I've been on a pair......OMG!! I knew I was out of shape but.......welllllll, I need some serious practice!! I only bit it once but that was enough to stretch out my back muscles so that I know they're there. Duncan has got it down & Connor is coming along nicely. It will be a little easier when the weather warms up a bit but at least I got a taste of it & I can hardly wait!

My new favorite show is called B-Original. It's on both DIY & HGTV. If you like creativity for anything, & I do mean ANYTHING!! Then this is the show for you! Michele Beschen is great! Check it out when you have a chance http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dbor/0,3110,DIY_27276,00.html.

That's it for now.

Enjoy your day!

Thursday, January 18, 2007

This Week Is Gone!

I cannot believe that the week is over already. I accomplished very little in the way of art but overall it was a pretty good week with some bumps along the way. I think school is back to normal. I thought it was today but the bus never came and there was no report on the news of alternate routes so I gave the boys a ride and we ended up behind their very empty bus. The roads were fine so I don't know why they would have been on alternate routes......oh well. The weather should be back up into the 50's. I never thought I would be thrilled to have it warm up to 50. 70 degrees is more up my alley.

The kids all had dental appts. with a new dentist today. Connor did great and they did the floride & x-rays. The dental assistant said that very rarely are they able to do it on 4 year olds. Usually they have to wait until they're 5 or 6. He was quite the trooper. I think having all the older siblings helps a lot, plus his sister sat in there with him the whole time. This is the girl who hates kids but takes him with her to work to pick up her tips and show off her brother........go figure.

Today I actually did make 3 beads but just couldn't get into the groove because I knew I would have to leave. I don't think I've ever had a whole day of bead making.....WOW, I can't even imagine.....I wonder if I could keep my attention on it the whole time. Well, I don't think I'll be finding out anytime soon.

I've been experimenting with polymer at night. Some things I like and others don't work so well. I haven't done anything worth selling lately. My two favorite artists are CF Originals http://www.cforiginals.net/ & CA Therien http://www.catherienarts.com/. Both are very different. Check out the links to each site when you have some time. The second one does demos that I have mentioned before on Fridays with a webcam.

With any luck maybe I'll have something to show ya this weekend.

Lastly, I'm getting ready to write up a submission for one of the beading magazines. It's something I've been wanting to do for a couple of years & I figure I've chickened out long enough. It's time to bite the bullet and "Go For It!". I'll keep you posted on the outcome & if you can look for any of my articles in up coming issues of the more popular magazines.

That's it for today!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Growing Pains

There's light at the end of the tunnel. They are saying that it "may" be in the upper 50's to 60 by the end of this month. No promises but it's a possibility.....today at 35 it feels rather balmy.

One of my greatest joys & stresses are my children. Sometimes watching them brings back memories of my own childhood. I'm watching one of my children try to decide if it's worth being "friends" with other kids who don't treat him very well. He is one of my sweetest kids and just wants to be liked. These other children make me seeth!! I've decided to work with him on what he would like his friends to be like and to "open his heart & mind" to new & better friends. This kind of stuff keeps me awake at night. You don't ever want your kids to go through dissapointment & heartbreak but know that in order for them to be able to deal with life they must learn to face & deal with these things. It does however break my heart to watch but I want them to understand that I'm "ALWAYS" there for them even if I'm not nearby.........

I haven't gotten near my torch all this week so far. Yesterday there was too much snow on the ground for me to get the kids to the alternate bus stop so they got another day home. Today school was 2 hours late but the roads were good enough for me to get out. I have paperwork to do and will be driving back & forth to pick up the kids and take Brandy to work. Maybe tomorrow.........

Have a nice evening!

Monday, January 15, 2007

Acceptance!!


I've decided to make the best of this weather. The forecast people are saying that by next week we should be closer to our "normal" range for this time of year......in the meantime we "may" get another inch or so of snow tomorrow...sigh..... :).


I'm posting a picture of a sampling of the head scarves I'm hemming. It's nice because you only have to buy about a 1/3 yard of fabric. I have quite the range of fabrics too, from cotton prints to brocades. I also have a stack of my stash that is scarve suitable fabric by the time I'm done I should have quite the selection. I might even opt to keep my hair short or to just keep wearing scarves no matter how long it gets. I've found a new fashion statement that suites me!
I'll be lampworking tomorrow. This afternoon we are heading to Chuck E. Cheese for a combination birthday for all of the boys. My daughter said she'd rather shoot herself in the head than go to "that place". For the record, it's not one of my favorite places but the little guys love it.
On the health front I kind of fell off the wagon for a couple of days but have now climbed back on. I have found that if I have a good protein breakfast I do much better throughout the day and into the evening. Cereal of any kind, even the healthy stuff makes me just want to keep eating so I'm nixing cereal for breakfast altogether. I have to step up the exercise again too, even if it's just walking.
I realized yesterday, that I started a healthy program last year and if I had stuck with it I wouldn't be doing this again NOW, I would just be working on maintaining instead of losing. It does make ya realize just how quick a year goes.
Ok, I'm off to do a quick workout before I get on with the day.
Take care!

Saturday, January 13, 2007

More Snow??

They are saying flurries in the forcast today. We are heading out to a party for my Mom this afternoon & my daughter is heading to a debate practice. If it snows my daughter will be grounded because our van is useless in the snow & the roads are already so cold that the snow will stick immediately.

This weather is for the polar bears. Firewood isn't an issue at the moment because we want to make sure the the house stays warm enough so that none of the above ground pipes freeze and if we light a fire the back parts of the house don't get very warm.

It's a 3 day weekend for the kids (like they need another day off) with MLK day on Monday. Some of the school districts around here are talking about skipping (exempting) some of the make-up days because it was a "State of Emergency" and one of the school disticts farther North has about 26 days to make up. We only have 6 so far so I don't think that's going to be an issue.

Ok....I'm rambling today so I'm going to give it a rest. Hopefully I'll have something more exciting to share tomorrow.

Adios!

Friday, January 12, 2007

BRRRRRR!

We are in the middle of a deep freeze. The roads are clear but we still have snow on the ground and the highs are around 31 with nights hovering in the teens. The windchill puts it even lower......on the bright side.....it's sunny:).

I spent the day running around, taking care of things and the kids had a 2 hour late start for school because of the weather. Hopefully (fingers crossed) they won't miss anymore days of school this year due to the weather.

I'm still caining and I also put up some "Heart N' Bloom" sets (lampwork). Two on Ebay & one on Just Beads. The sample set I've shown here is my favorite but I can't sell it because of a small flaw in the flower. I think I'll turn it into a necklace.




I swung by the fabric store and picked up some cool fabric for scarves (photos later). They had some really beautiful fabric on clearance. I like scarves for my head that stand out.......my hair does "cover" my head now, as in no scalp shows, but I'm not comfortable going out in public without something covering it, plus it's a little chilly to even walk around the house without something on top.

Time to go run interference on the boys.
TGIF!!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Happy Birthday Mom & ..........

It's a Happy Birthday to my Mom, my son Connor & my nephew Bleu! We will be doing bigger celebrations at a later date. You all know who you are!

The kids won another day out of school from Mother Nature. We have less snow on the ground this time but it's a heck of a lot colder. I would estimate maybe 3-4".

See pictue out of my lampworking window......






Here are some samples of what I have been doing with the canes I've been creating. Besides glass I'm thoroughly addicted to caining and have actually been dreaming about it at night....ack!!







And a picture of some "practice" face scultping. Heavy on the word practice......




And last but not least a picture of one of my messy work tables/TV tray work areas.









Jim headed back to work today in the freezing cold. I know he wasn't happy about that (I wouldn't have been either) plus I think he was a little envious that I was lampworking/claying (playing) most of the day. He doesn't see when I'm posting or doing paperwork and forgets that there are other non-fun things that need to be done if you are going to market your wears. I do try to take advantage of the time that he's home, especially for lampwork. It is much easier when Connor is occupied by Daddy.

Today was spent shipping, listing & cleaning beads. My first set of Just Beads auctions ended today & I sold 3 out of the 5 items that I had up. I'm really pleased about that and have listed some other glass there. I have a couple of things up in my Ebay Art and will be listing a few more items with them tonight or tomorrow. I made up some new sets....kind of with Valenties Day in mind.

My daughter just informed me that they should be back in school tomorrow because all of the roads are clear.....yeah!

Off to get dinner started.
Take care & stay toasty!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Here Comes Another......

We are supposed to be hit by another storm tonight.......crap!!! The forcast went from 1-3" to 5-8" since last night. Now all we have to do is wait and see what Mother Nature throws at us tonight. At the rate things are going with missed school the kids will end up starting their Summer in July.

Jim is home today. He hurt his foot yesterday on the job. We don't know if it's broken or just bruised but he'll be heading to the Dr. to have it checked out later today.

Duncan celebrated a birthday over the weekend. My middle boy is now 9 years old. I can't believe it and my baby is going to be 4 on thursday. The time is flying!

In the creative arena I have been making canes out of polymer clay. I'll get some photographed today and post the pics tomorrow. Right now I have the kiln heating up. It's been awhile since I've sat and melted glass. It's also been a long while since I've made aromatherapy vessels so I'm thinking that "might" be what I make today. I never know until I start.

For my up coming birthday my Mom has signed up both of us for a metal smithing class. I can hardly wait!!! I starts on the 25th and will run 5 weeks. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I have pretty much all the tools already, it's just about learning how to use them and learning to solder. For some reason I have issues with that & yet it looks so easy.

Right now the weather is beautiful. I believe it's the calm before the storm....grrrrr.

I'll let you know what's on the ground tomorrow.

Take care~

Saturday, January 06, 2007

The Calm

Today dawns sunny & cold. The calm before the next storm moves in. By next week it's supposed to be sunny & cold after the snow on Monday & Tuesday.

We are heading out & about today. Need to shop for some more fruit & veggies for our new healthy lifestyle and some driving goodies for Jimmy on his long commutes home. He loves his sugar but is looking for something yummy & healthy to replace his chocolate & jelly beans. Costco carries this brand of dried apple that is just "to die for". I personally don't like dried apples but these are like a dried carmel apple and the texture is nice, not rubbery like regular dried apples, anyway Jimmy likes them so we will be picking up some of those along with some Yogo's. I need to stick to the fresh fruit & veggies to continue on my downward weight spiral. The dried stuff is good but packs a punch in the calorie dept, so I will be stearing clear except for the occasional quick snack.

I was able to play with clay yesterday and watched this really cool demo on a webcam for making donuts. Something I've always wanted to learn to do. This woman is great and makes wonderful polymer clay canes that she sells on ebay. She's doing a demo every Friday this month so take a peek at her website..... http://www.catherienarts.com/ and have some fun claying around..:-).

Jim is cleaning the truck before we head out so I need to finish this quick....The clouds are already moving in & it will probably be raining by the time we get home. I hope this Saturday finds you all well and relaxing.

Take care!

Friday, January 05, 2007

Enough Already

It's predicted that another storm is moving in. A little snow was falling this morning when I dropped my daughter off for her debate tourney. Personally I'm ready for Spring......enough wind, rain & snow. Did I mention that we thought we had enough fire wood for the winter......well that didn't prove to be the case. I have, maybe a day left. Crap we are going to have to buy some compressed logs to get us through.......oh well, it just makes for better planning next year.

Our healthy lifestyle is continuing. So far so good, & I've already dropped a couple of pounds. I'm working out every other day. It's just enough to keep me in the game. I can remember a time when I would work out everyday.......now I think I would rather sleep in, then sit in front of the torch for the rest of the day.....ha! In my dreams. I forgot that it's a bit of work to get in shape. We are looking at it as a lifestyle change for the long term.

Dakota is home sick again today. Not a fun way to spend Friday plus he missed band so I know he really isn't feeling well. I'm hoping to spend some time claying today but the torch is going to have to wait. I received a new lampworking magazine yesterday called The Annealer. It's very good read. Lot's of info and maybe even a couple of new things to try with glass. I added a link on this page somewhere but I'm not sure how it will post. Call this a link experiment.......I'm learning as I go.......if you're into artistic glass/lampwork then check out this site when you have some time.

What kind of calender do you have for the New Year? Besides the one's I use for the kids school I picked up an assortment of really cool daily craft calendars. I've had them for a couple of months and could hardly wait for the new year so that they could be tried out. I have 4 that I couldn't resist.....origami, paper airplanes, beading & knitting. Each one is instruction in that particular craft and they have daily projects or information......VERY COOL!!!!! The boys love the paper airplanes (that includes the biggest boy/man). I've always liked origami but am a little retarted when it comes to understanding the folding instructions. We'll see if I make any progress this year. As for the beading & knitting......well.....I think you get the picture;) There's a link to these cool calendars at the bottom. They have lots of other cool offerings too.

TGIF!!
http://www.theannealermagazine.com

http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/list/?page=1&category=Accord-Calendar

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Don't Be Afraid

I'm learning that fear can be a major factor in holding us back in our lives. I think the main fear is the one of rejection. On some level most of us are looking to "fit in", in one way or another around our lives. I've found that for the most part I don't feel like I fit into most of the "groups" on the internet & now I'm realizing that I just don't care. I usually watch/lurk from the sidelines and on occasion make a remark here & there. I do I have tendency to stick my foot in my mouth but for the most part I'm happy with who I am........Part of what brought this little speal on is that it's time for me to quite sitting back in fear and "JUST DO IT". Rejection is a part of life and as much as I don't particularly care for it......well.......in the end all that matters is whether or not I thought I did my best & if not, learn from it and move on. This is my year of change!!!

I'll get off my soapbox now......I've finally gotten some auctions listed on Just Beads....whoooo hooooo!!!! Etsy will most likely be next with a website even sooner. I will still be listing on ebay for the occasional bead/art things. And my "house cleaning" ebay isn't going anywhere. I do like what I've seen with Just Beads and think it will be fun to try something new. I'll try to get the link up today.

I have a sick kid home today & Jim was home this morning because we are have a problem with the truck. The window is sticking and it turns out that it's not covered under warranty....crap.....he's going to fix it himself but he's still not very happy about it & I don't blame him. The mechanical/engine is still covered but not things like the window. He is a wonderful mechanic (Thank you Al) but working on cars is one of his least favorite things to do. He headed into work late and the window will stay up for now to keep the rain out of the truck but he'll need to finish it this weekend.

Gotta run for now! I hope you're all staying warm this winter.........can you believe it's the 4th of January already???!!!!!

Take care!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Bye-Bye Tree

It's time to so so long to the Christmas Tree. My 3 year old made it a point to let me know that Iwas taking down the Christmas Spirit (Sorry!). I'm ready to move on. Jim & I are on a resolution to get healthier. Part his idea & part mine. I'm the one who really needs to lose weight and shape up but he has decided that he eats far too much crap and wants to eat better and do some toning. I haven't noticed that he needs toning but it will be fun to do this together. Did I mention that I did my first work-out this morning & all I have to say is....ouch!

I'm right in the middle of putting the living room back together and re-arranging. I'm also in the middle of a scultpting project and am surprised at how much fun the challenge is of sculpting a decent face. I think I'm going to try to do both a young face and an older face. I'm curious to see which is more of the challenge. This project will lead into a new idea too, but that's a secret for later.

I have a few glass roses (& a set of iris) that I need to get up for auction. They have been sitting in water for a week waiting to be cleaned. Was supposed to get them up over the weekend and everything else (life) got in the way.

Went & visited my Mom yesterday. She's doing very well & I'm so happy to see her getting back to "normal". She still isn't back to her art yet but we're working on it. I did beg a small bag of ceramic clay from her for me to "play" around with.

We (as in Mom, Aunt & sisters) are going to start getting together once a month for a book club. Mom picked the first book and the title escapes me at the moment but I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to start with inspirational books and then we'll see where it goes from there.

Time to get back to finishing up the living room & cleaning some beads.

Happy New Year & Good Luck on any Resolutions!!