repurposed compact with tintype, rhinestones and skeleton key neckace available in my esty shoppe.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
feelings of impending doom
i can't help shake this bad feeling i have. i am sure it is related to Kirby's seizure and the uncertainity of it all. watching her hobble about. she can barely get off the floor when she lays down as she is quite weak. i was told some of that is due to her medications. still it is very upsetting and makes me feel weepy for her. i feel angry too because we all know that our pets will leave us some day, but yet it still seems so friggin unfair. i've dealt with so much loss that i am sure it contributes to all these feelings. she'll be seeing a vet again next friday to draw levels of phenobarbital and check her blood pressure. she needs to adjust to these new meds and that is important for me to remember - that she's medicated. i still hate it all.
pictures from dillon's last improv show
dillon has a new girlfriend. Abby broke things off suddenly about a month ago. about that same time though, Dillon got a message on his Facebook page from an old friend, Samantha, who he went to pre-K with. she wanted to know if he remembered her. they use to play together all the time and were really good buddies. she lives in Manasquan, about 10 minutes from here. she lives really close to dillon's nana actually. so anyway, they started hanging out together while i was in Wisconsin and really hit it off again. Sam is super sweet and very comfortable around me and jeff. when i saw her for the first time after so long, she gave me a huge hug. then the other night she came over as she and jeff were going to watch dillon at his improv show and she came up to my studio for awhile; wanting to see the jewerly i make, look at my room, noticing all my handpainted walls, picking up things and really looking at them. it was nice.
Friday, August 29, 2008
kirby's home
Thursday, August 28, 2008
women helping women
my friend Allegra sent a call out for support of this company, Lulan.com, in their hopes to enter into the top 25 contenders for American Express's funding to support companies trying to make a difference in the world. read more about it:
"American Express is currently offering $2.5 million dollars in funding to support innovative ideas that make a difference in the world. They will be selecting 5 'Members Projects' for funding. My company, Lulan Artisans (http://www.lulan.com/) has partnered with Architecture for Humanity to expand our weaving centers and we are excited to be number 32 out of 1190 projects! We need to be in the top 25 and we have only 5 days left to do so. If interested, mentioning us on your blog would definitely push us over the top!In many parts of Southeast Asia young women are left with few options in gaining employment. Unfortunately thousands, some as young as 12, are trafficked and lost into the sex trade every year. Lulan Artisans is a social venture that creates an alliance between textile designers and gifted artisans from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and India to produce hand-woven fabrics. We currently support over 650 weavers, spinners, dyers and finishers to produce these high-quality textiles. Lulan is ready to expand, reach our goal of over 6,000 artisans and build innovative weaving centers whose profits will support these artisans but also provide health care and schooling for their children.Architecture for Humanity and its designers will provide innovative off-the-grid weaving that respects tradition but represents anew way forward. Building designs will be shared openly with anyone wanting to replicate them through Creative Commons licensing on the Open Architecture Network. This way innovation is shared and more communities can benefit."I think this is a great project and would appreciate it if you could help put it in the top 25 so that they can get funding for it. If so, please do the following:
1) Click on this link to go to our project
2) Click the Nominate this Project button in the center of the page
3) Follow the directions to either log in as an American Express cardmember, or sign up as a guest member
4) You will be directed back to the project, at which point you should be able to click the Nominate this Project button again
5) Click on the discuss button and tell the jury about how the collaboration between AFH and Lulan will help create huge change.
if you'd like to post this on your blog, just copy and paste and viola! help spread the word.
Kirby
échange entre les amis (exchange between friends)
here are the necklaces that i made for my buds Kim and Maija. i was inspired by Diana Frey's necklace in the last Belle Amoire Jewelry magazine.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
finished pieces from Beadfest
and finally, here is my complete piece from C.R. Radding's charm necklace class
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Good Morning
Sunday, August 24, 2008
last day of Bead fest
my last day of class with C.R. Radding. the class was all about wire wrapping beads. i just loved this class! such a sweet lady, laid back, casual, unassuming, extremely talented and an awesome teacher. she just taught and taught and taught. she was even sorry we ran out of time as she had more to teach us! please ignore my horrible outfit - i was in my PJ's! the classes were so FREEZING and i had only brought skirts, so i finally had enough and went and changed into my PJ's to warm up. it helped for a little while and then Tabitha saved the day by getting me the blanket out of her car.
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here is the piece i started in today's wire wrapping class
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Saturday, August 23, 2008
bead fest cont'd - day 2
relaxing by the fountain outside, enjoying the beautiful weather and trying to warm up my bones, because this frickin hotel (classrooms) are absolutely FREEZING! i'm sorry, but not every woman is going through menopause.......
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bead fest cont'd
just some pictures from the bead show vendor area. talk about crazy and over whelming. people every where, crowded and serious beaders looking for their wares - don't get in their way! i found it really overstimulating, the lights were so bright and the "old lady perfume smell" just about did me in. then i made the mistake of eating there - bad move. i thought i was going to throw up later in the day it was so bad! i didn't have a class yesterday, so after shopping i came up to the room and relaxed, took a nap and then had Cheryl Strait come by for a cocktail before meeting Tabitha for dinner. after dinner it was meet the teachers to see what they are teaching. after seeing another class project, i signed up for a 3 rd class tomorrow. off to my other class now!
Friday, August 22, 2008
spoon pendant
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Philadelphia Bead Fest, 2008
Finally a well crafted hammer. beautiful and functional as well.
These little beauties are so exciting. Each hammer is work of art. They measure 9” tall, so they are portable.The handles are made of Padouk wood, a member of the rosewood family.They handles are small and so smooth. The heads are made of steel and each head is different.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
took tucker out to the reservoir today
tucker has a 2 week break before school starts in sept. so we decided we are going to take him on some outings instead of being cooped up in the house. today was the perfect day to take him to the reservoir since it was a beautiful sunny 72 degrees. just lovely. we all had a nice time (even Gracie got to go). dillon stayed home as he was still sleeping (teenagers)
new computer workstation
my previous area to check and answer emails, update my etsy shoppe, print orders, etc. was on the floor next to my bed. i had put a stool there, my laptop on top and had a cushion that i'd sit on. needless to say, i wasn't too interested in sitting on the floor for too long. so the other day when i was getting this enourmous idea of switching my bedroom to my studio and moving my studio into my bedroom - i started to feel overwhelmed by the prospect. so much stuff to move, so much crap sitting around. it motivated me to do some cleaning, re organzing, getting rid of stuff (i've also decided to have a garage sale - GASP! something i swore i'd never do again). so i was able to create this new workstation. i just love it. it is spacious and roomy. so much better than what i was working with before. there's even a kitty corner (bottom picture) for Lily who likes to hang out in whatever room i'm in at the time. see her lounging in her basket?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
manikin makeover
Monday, August 18, 2008
early signs of fall
Sunday, August 17, 2008
flea market frenzy
I created this necklace today by using pieces that i got at the flea market this weekend. it was fun to see what i could come up. the focal point of the Madonna is quite chunky and measures