I'm learning to love.......

My Buddy

New Friends

The Pinata

Packing for home

Camping! We had a blast at the camp-out family reunion. A HUGE Thanks to my in-laws who
loaned us a tent we could stand up in, and a wonderful (queen size) fold out bed and mattress. It made things much more comfortable. We are going to look into investing into one of those solar showers for next year. In fact we are already looking forward to next years reunion. The last night, there are raffle drawings and pinatas for the kids. The site is next to a river for easy cooling off. The kids always make new friends or renew old ones. Best of all, everyone is great to be around!

That was our last big outing before the end of Summer. There might be some small weekend camping trips for Jimmy and the boys but that should do it for anything major.

Soooo, it's back to work. Today won't be much of a creative day since I've been working on unpacking and putting things away but tomorrow will be more back to normal.

It's hard to believe that Summer is half over. This really had been a very nice one even the weather finally got back to a more Summerish feel.

Up coming things......

A camping trip and a biker wedding. These are things I'm looking forward to. The camping trip starts tomorrow so it will be a few days before I post again and the biker wedding (my brother's) is going to be at the beginning of August. I'm making a shirt for Jimmy, by special request, to wear to this event. I'll photograph the fabric when I get back from the woods. I haven't sewn anything in ages so this will be fun and I'm sure it will inspire me to sew more.

I didn't get much lampworking in this week because of the preparation for camping but, boy, am I looking forward to getting back and picking up where I left off.

You can see a couple of my carved jewelry pieces on Etsy. There will be more to come!

I've given up on trying to narrow myself down to any one thing or any 5 things for that matter. Instead of getting stressed over all of my interests, I've decided to just enjoy each for what it is (a wonderful creative outlet) and continue to bounce from project to project. The most important thing is that I'm finishing things!

I'm off to bed. We are getting an early start tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of your week!!

I'm Lovin The Flowers

Lately that seems to be my thing in the glass world. I need to make some frogs too now and then but just haven't been in the mood for the little guys.

I finished a couple of carved necklaces and have been making aromatherapy earrings. I haven't seen anything like them and think they are too cool!! I'm really enjoying the flower (glass) pendants I've been creating too!

Summer is a bit of a slow time for sales since the weather's nice and I think people are on vacation or staying out of the house and away from their computers as much as possible. I really can't blame them.

With the weather warmer my mind turns to flames and I came up with the "Hearts a flame" aromatherapy vessels. My latest items will be spread out between Ebay, Etsy & Just Beads over the next few days. Check back often.

On another note I have to mention a movie we rented. I was totally sceptical because I'm not a fan of Adam Carolla's (radio) but I have to say that I really enjoyed his movie called "The Hammer". I would recommend it to anyone, it's one of those feel good kind of movies and hilarious. It's not a family movie but how it earned an R rating, other than a couple of swear words, I haven't a clue. So Jimmy wins the bet. He thought I would like it and he was right. He's a big fan of his radio show and likes the fact that he used to be a carpenter, which is reflected in this movie. Just my 2 cents for what ever that's worth.

Enjoy your evening!

Thunder Storms & Fire Works

In the couple of weeks since I've posted we've seen thunderstorms and fireworks. My guy spends some of his time working out of town so we got a heads up to the thunderstorms. The kids loved them but also thought they were a little scary (the ones they didn't sleep through) . The 4th was spent at my Aunt's and Uncle's with a a lovely get together, with a bit of my family and Jim's too. A great time was had by all, even with the stress at the beach with fire works going every which way. No one way injured, thankfullyl. I even got to brush up on my cribbage skills (it's been awhile). We will be taking that game with us (camping), so that I can teach my boys (the math wizzes) how to play.

I will try to get some pics up of my current work or who knows what, tomorrow.....

Have a lovely evening~

Adjusting To Summer....

Does anyone really think it takes any time to adjust to Summer? I don't really think that way and I ALWAYS look forward to it.

This Summer is a little different than ones of the past in that, I'm trying to build my art base with lampworking and a few other things. Lampwork seems to be my "bread & butter", at the moment. I'm trying to work regularly at it (ie...at least during the week). I'm also trying to keep some "fresh" listings in the mix. I need to add to my glass stock but haven't quite gotten around to sitting down to get an order together.

Morning is usually reserved for lampwork time since it's cool enough to be somewhat comfortable to sit in front of the torch. Afternoons are for the house (work) and then either wirework, polymer or whatever happens to strike my fancy, along with listing things. Sometimes (ok, a lot) I have a hard time trying to decide what to do and waste a lot of time "thinking". I've decided to put an end to this monumental time waster and just pick something up and start working on it. I did that last night and found that it helps a lot and then I feel like I'm getting something done.

The kids seem to be enjoying Summer (don't they all) and I took the 2 youngest boys in to the Dr.'s yesterday for their boosters (and check-ups) before school starts again in the fall. It's closer than you think.

Hope you're all enjoying your day!

Back To It......

A week hardly seems like enough and now that we're back home it seems like we never left. A great time was had by all. The week started a little on the chilly side but by the end it was beautiful! All got a little sun and wind burn and spent tons of time on the beach and in the pool. The picture of the clock is what hangs in the master bedroom. That was pretty much the attitude the whole time we were there. There were lots of deer hanging around and we have a picture of the boys for future reference for (growing) size next year.

Now that we're back home Summer has finally hit with the weather in the 80's and 90's. I've still got some beads to clean and list from before I left and I'm looking forward to hitting the torch again. I'm also starting some of my auctions at .99. Only a select few though. Our next trip will be later in July. Just a short camping excursion (have I mentioned how much I hate to camp). It's my Honey's yearly family reunion so I'm obligated to go, plus the kids absolutely love it. That will pretty much be it for the Summer runs. Jimmy and the boys might squeeze in some weekend camping but that's not my bag and I get the fun of being home "alone" which I adore!!!

I'm off to bed for now. Check back tomorrow for some new listings.

Have a wonderful night!!

No STRESS.......

I promised myself that I wasn't going to get stressed about this years trip, but in the end it got to me anyway. Having Internet issues didn't help in the least. I have replaced everything that needed to be replaced and even upped my dsl but in the end it looks like my computer may be failing me again.........I think that people should begin to think that the norm is, you should replace your computer, at least, every 2-3 years. Waiting longer than that will cost you endless aggravation in one area or another.

It should be an interesting week with out access. Kind of like a withdrawal only without the sick feeling.

The boys are acting like tomorrow is Christmas. I think we will be on the road fairly early. The dog will miss us more than the daughter but the drive should be a little quicker on Saturday than on Friday afternoon/night.

I'll be back in a week to post an update (camera packed).

Take care!!! Sorry no pictures the computer/internet.....whatever, doesn't seem to to working at the moment.

Trying To Decide......

It's down to the wire for our trip to the ocean and I'm having a hard time deciding what projects to take. In the end it won't really matter because I'm usually way too busy to do much of anything so..... I'll quit stressing about it and pack up a few goodies and see what I come home with.

I'm running extra long auctions on both Ebay & Justbeads. I want to maintain a presence on both sites while I'm gone. I had to let it go for one day on Ebay because the longest auction of them is 10 days.

The house is almost clean and between the daughter and the dog things should pretty much stay that way.

I will try to bring back pictures and keep your fingers crossed that it's not raining the whole time although we still have a good time no matter what the weather looks like.

It's Almost Here...

Summer that is, though I think we've missed Spring, for the most part, altogether. The kids will be out of school in a couple of days. I got my littlest one registered for fall but still need to get his boosters done.

The weather is sunny today with the occasional cloud or 10 moving through. A little warmer (60's) but a bit of a cool breeze blowing through.

I've been wrestling with internet problem over the last few days and think I'm finally going to have to give in to upgrading my service for a new modem. Of course it will speed my connection up a bit, too bad it won't work for my computer.

I sqeezed in a good couple of days of glass last week. I'm experimenting with writing on them. It's going well but I definetely need to work on it.

I've also been carving some small jewelryish items. Along with my shrink plastic. Polymer is on the back burner since my oven went on the fritz and I have no way of baking them at the moment. No matter what I'm working on it always ends being some sort of sculptural item, be it glass, wood or clay.

We are heading to the ocean next week. I will try to keep some auctions running while I'm gone and a bunch of stuff made to list when I return. My daughter will be here but she has no interest in helping to up keep by stuff. I understand since she's busy with work and such. Hopefully I'll have a laptop by next Summer. I will also be bringing some projects along to work on between the beach and the pool. My fingers are crossed that the weather will be nice and warm by then.

Hope you're all having a wonderful day!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away........

So I was wrong about Summer being in the air. It's more like Fall all over again. The rain can be almost relentless at times. I suppose on some level I shouldn't be complaining, after all I live in the Pacific Northwest and aren't we known for our rainy weather?? However with Summer just around the corner and the very occasional nice sunny day. Most of the days lately have been in the 50's and pouring down rain. The weather people are saying that we are 10-15 degrees below normal (global warming, maybe??). Oh well, I'm keeping busy, at least.

I'm registering my youngest son for school today. We are both very happy about it. I was going to enroll him in full day kindergarten but I don't think the cost is worth it. Instead I will request for him to be in the morning program, because that is my most productive time of the day.

Have I mentioned my band (saxaphone) boy. He's 13 and LOVES his music. He loves a wide variety which is wonderful to see at his age and he's also developed a passion for neckties. How cool is that!!! He's going to try out for Jazz Band next year too. I hope he makes it although it will mean I have to drive him to school every morning because they have to be there and hour earlier than everyone else for practice but I love Jazz and it would be a blast to watch him play.

On the art front I have been busy, busy, busy! I have been trying to pull off 2-3 morning a week on lampworking. This week I was only able to pull off one but that's ok. Once the kids are out of school I should be able to get a better scheduale going. Plus since the weather has been cooler my time is a bit more productive. I've also discovered the world of books on CD or MP3. I love it and only allow myself to listen when working. Right now I'm on a Nora Roberts binge, though I love all types of books from Sci Fi, to Mystery, to edge of your seat Dean Koontz.

If you have some time check out what I have up in my Art Ebay and Just Beads. Nothing new in Etsy lately but I should be adding some things within the next week or two.

I hope you're all having better weather than me.

Enjoy your weekend!

Summer Is In The Air....

At least for the weekend. Then we jump back down to the 60's. I'm really not fond of what the weather has been doing lately but it does add a little more excitement to the day to day, not that I need anymore with the kids.

I have been lampworking as much as I can, which doesn't seem like much these days, but I try to set aside Monday & Tuesday for torch time. I was hoping to squeeze some in this weekend but again that doesn't look likely.

We're celebrating my Honey's birthday this weekend but for the most part it should be a quiet but busy weekend. I have a ton of weeding to do since the jungle took off when the rain warmed up last week.

Keep checking back I'm finally posting regulary on my Art Ebay and Just Beads. Everything else is on hold at the moment.

Things have picked up a bit with the kids and school stuff for the tail end of the year and it's really keeping me on my toes. We will be doing our vacation right at the beginning of Summer so I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to run auctions and keep things going yet.

I hope you're all enjoying your weird (or not so weird) weather.

Have a great weekend!

Not Enough Hours In The Day

There are not enough hours in the day and to top it off I caught a cold.....arrrgh! I've been trying to spend my mornings lampworking and my evenings with wire. The kid(s) get my attention all day long and boy do the days fly by.

Just another little taste of what's going on behind the scenes.

I'm turning in early tonight.

Let The Sun Shine.....

It was supposed to rain all day but it looks like the sun won the battle. We are definitely back to more Spring like weather. The lawn actually got mowed over the weekend.

Have you ever heard of shrink plastic (shrinky dinks)? This has been my diversion lately when I need a little break from wire wrapping and glass. I forgot how much fun it is and the kids, especially my youngest, is fascinated by it. Of course you realize what I end up making with it..........I just can't help myself......jewelry no matter what it is made from, is FUN!!!! Somewhere along the way that shrink stuff (we used to use the lids off liver containers, when I was a kid) kind of grew up, a little. Also instead of using an oven to shrink them you can use a heat gun which is kind of a bonus sort of fun and gives you a little more control over the finished product. I don't have any pictures yet of the goodies but I should have something up by the end of the week.

In the meantime more wire, of course. Rings are my addiction. I've had a fascination with them since I was a kid. They are the piece of jewelry that I can't get enough of. I love to make them and wear them, especially if they attract attention. The "Flight Of The Butterfly" ring above is up on Etsy. I have one that I wear and another up on Ebay. None are alike and that's the charm of making these rings. They are my own design and each and every one is different.

The cross up above is for my guy. He picked the charms that are on it. I just need to put it on a piece of black leather and it's good to go. He can hardly wait. Thanks to Iza for the inspiration.

Funny, just writing in my blog makes me want to go create more stuff........

See ya later alligator!!!

Glass Issues......

I've been making some vessels over the last few days and apparently there seems to be a compatibility issue. I know that the glass is all the right COE but for some reason I keep getting cracks. I'm thinking that it may have to do with the clear I'm using and a combination of some of the newer colors I bought a couple of months ago. I've never had this issue so I'm going to try combining the older colors with the clear and see what happens.

Of course this gives me even more of a reason to continue my work with the wire. I went digging through some of my older work from a few years ago and BOY did I find some inspiration. It really makes me feel good about what I'm doing these days and I wonder what I found so hard about it at the beginning. Well it could be that I've had LOTS of practice over the last few years(ya think!).

I can remember trying to do some things and finding it difficult and putting it away for weeks/months/years, then coming back to it and wondering what the heck was so difficult in the first place. It's like a certain synapse isn't working and then all of the sudden it kicks in, go figure.

The weather is back to a more Springish feel, YEAH!!! I'm really not fond of colder weather. I have lots of family down in California and every once in a while I toy with the idea of heading that way, but for now the kids love there schools and I love the neighborhood, so I'll just have to live with the cooler weather, for now.

Hope you're all having a nice evening.

Just When I Thought Winter Was Over......

We get another 5" of snow over the weekend. Fortunately it's mostly gone today but it's still in the 30's. Last Saturday we had a 70 degree day. Talk about a rude awakening. How bizarre to look out and see the plum & asian pear trees, that are blooming,
covered in snow.

You can see by some of my pic's that I'm really groovin in the wire wrapping department. I can't tell you how much fun it is. I'm still lampworking too and will have some new aromatherapy vessels up today or tomorrow on Ebay.

Right now I'm working with mostly copper wire for my projects but I do have some sterling and gold fill around that I'm going to start playing with soon. Also I made the SRAJD (Self Representing Artist In Jewelry Design) list. My #1515. Woo hoo!! I have to say that one of my favorite things to make is rings. I've always had a thing for finger Art, especially if it's stand out & unique. I'm looking into going back to teaching more classes at Ben Franklin and will probably start with a basic wire ring. A kind of Wire Wrapping 101 type class. I'm working on my first tutorial too, which will be very basic. Kind of a dry run to see what's involved and how long it will take. I'm pretty sure that I have the basics down (I have plenty of examples to learn from) and am looking forward to actually having one in "print". I'll keep you posted!

I hope you're all enjoying your Sunday and having warmer weather than me.
Take care....

Making Plans

I was on a roll and then I got a little off track. I can actually say that it wasn't my fault this time (most if the time it is). Now with this little drama out of the way I'm back to the jewelry....YEAH!!! The weather is on the upswing again after spending all last weekend snowing???

As you can see by my latest work, wire has become my THING! I still love to lampwork too but the prep time is a little longer which makes picking up the wire much easier. I'm really working on trying to finish the projects that I start. I usually have not less than 3-5 projects going at once but as soon as I realize I'm starting another (hey, it just happens when the ideas are flowing so fast) I stop myself and backtrack to finishing the first ones. I've had a couple of prototypes in the works. One turned out fairly well, but not as eye catching as I would like and the other is way prettier but not functional as a piece of jewelry. I'm working to find something as eye catching and functional in the same piece. I'll get some pictures for you when I come up with the "perfect" one, with a progression of how I arrived at that point.

For now I have some wire calling.

I hope you're all having somewhat of a Spring day!