Museum geek...
Was playing around with these vintage clasps. They reminded me of a necklace I saw in an antiquities collection. It was a ring of fish sort of like this insect inspir
ed necklace at the Metropolitan Museum.
Maybe "museum" is my theme for fall.
Junk drawer necklace in process...
Playing around with some new ideas.
I was imagining pulling out a creaky
old specimen drawer at a natural history
museum,
a little copper, some coral, a quartz cr
ystal, some leather, a dinosaur. Danielle's new mother-in-law has a jar from Weston's childhood with a collection she created from his pockets when she did his laundry. I'd like to make a necklace out of that.
Playing around with some new ideas. I was imagining pulling out a creaky old glass covered wooden specimen drawer at a natural history museum, a little copper, some coral, a quartz crystal, some leather, a dinosaur. Danielle's new mother-in-law has a jar from Weston's childhood with a collection she created from his pockets when she did his laundry. I'd like to make a necklace out of that. 
A gaggle of magical pots...
My daughter Danielle makes these wonderful pots that are paddled so they nest together. The smaller ones she used as wedding favors. I mixed the tiny ones up with some pots she made me for Christmas to make this flock, herd, gaggle of pots that meanders across my dining room table. They look like I should fill them with magic potions, genie oil or fairy dust, but I decided to leave them empty since they are quite magical as they are.
Press preview...
Susan came to help me organize my workspace for Orlando Arts Magazine. I will be their featured artist for the November/December issue. Here's what we came up with. The photographer did a great job as I am beyond camera shy. His wife is an artist who makes amazing children's hats. Here is a link to her etsy store and my favorite hat. Apparently, she is in New York at millenary school! She has a company called Ma Belle Mademoiselle and is a fellow former French teacher, though she taught at the college level and I taught and speak seulement French I. 
Comfort food, best muffins ever, protein does not comfort me...
Lots of stress so not many blog posts. John was diagnosed with a very aggressive not-your-grandpa's prostate cancer. He is recovering from surgery and we are figuring out his next treatment, probably hormone therapy with a side order of unknown.
Though I don't enjoy cooking (unless it's glass or PMC), when I am stressed I find the rhythm of it soothing, so I have been cooking: mac and cheese (the recipe on ronzoni box rocks), soups, dumplings, potato casserole, John's mom's sugar cookies, and the list goes on. My friend noted that I needed more protein items. I responded: "Protein does not comfort me."
Above is the yummiest muffin recipe my friend Beth discovered and Susan baked and delivered to my door. (I have to give everyone credit or they won't bring me any more treats.) It has 2 1/2 Cups of those anti-oxidant packed blueberries, half of which you mash before you put them in the batter. I zapped them in the food processor.
Owls with attitude...
I'm having fun making some more complex earrings, or maybe they are earrings with a complex. I can't decide if this owl is feeling fierce because of the pearl crown or saying "Who put this egg on my head?" The heishi pearl chips remind me of a nest, so maybe the owls are just flying around securing the homefront.
New gift bags...
Ahhhh. These organza jewelry bags are so pretty I wouldn't mind being given one empty.
New giant glitter and sequins!
I am gearing up to sell my holographic silver glitter, largely motivated by these cute polka-dot containers. They remind me of a Christmas when I was five years old and we lived in Paris. Under the tree was a bright yellow box with multicolor polka-dots and a big red ribbon. My brother and I untied the bow, pried open the cardboard lid, and discovered a little brown poodle puppy!
So many people ask me where they can buy my FABULOUS glitter. I commission a manufacturer to make the glitter to my size, shape, and color specifications, so you won't find this puppy in a craft store.
(I also ordered a mix of big giant sequins. Oooh la la et lesser les bons temps rouler!)
Ad hoc studio, taking it to the beach...
Actually, I'm takin' it to the back porch, but 'beach' sounded more like 'streets' as in "Takin' it to the Streets." I am feeling cooped up, so I moved my beads and bottles out onto the porch to create an ad hoc studio, as though I haven't taken up enough of the house already. I'm guessing the only thing I will get accomplished is a tan. 
Tree of life revisited...
I made this pendant during a PMC certification class I took a few years ago. I found it this morning while I was rummaging through my jewelry. It is one of my favorites, but it didn't occur to me until today that it shares something in common with my bottle trees. It was made out of scraps. I had a little pile of bits of PMC paper from a previous project and started playing with them and this is what I got. Now I'm wondering if all of life is like that... bits and scraps and leftovers we do our best to transform into something we cherish.
Roll-of-wonder 2 at break of day... got bottles?
I found a bag of bottles in the garage and got busy on my second roll-o-wonder. I could hardly wait to get some daytime pictures of this latest piece in process, but even these photos don't do it justice. It's pure yummy.
Water bottles anyone? Send them my way! Recycling day isn't until Tuesday and I can't drink water fast enough to supply my habit.
Roll of wonder, take 2....
It was getting dark so the photo isn't the greatest. Starting a new panel.
Earrings with 'tude.
This flock of birds has had quite enough of the dinosaur's bad behavior. If the dinosaurs don't knock it off, I'm going to have to put them in time out.
Zuzu chilaxin', hippo color pop...
Zuzu and I have been tuckered out. She was very happy to see me after my six weeks away. She licked me for a solid 15 minutes. Now she doesn't seem to realize I was ever gone.
John got me these oh-so color popping flowers for our anniversary. I love how they look with the Metropolitan Museum's hippo that Heather got for me a few years ago. In fact, I like how that hippo goes with just about anything. Maybe I should wear it around my neck....
Hope with feathers...
I found the perfect home for a beautiful glass vase Danielle bought me from our favorite Baltimore haunt, Trohv. She gave it to me at the rehearsal dinner and said, "hope is the thing with feathers." When I was in elementary school, my class went on a field trip to a farm. In the gift shop they had a set of blown glass mallard ducks and my mother bought them for me. When we got home she pulled out an oval cosmetic mirror and we grouped the duck family swimming on the 'water' and I was entranced. I put a mirror under this collection of birds my grandmother made. Under each ceramic bird is her trademark, a birdhouse.