Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy – 12/27/2009

 

I have been missing posting my weekly handmade shopping posts for the last few months, and am happy to say that they are back!    I have lots of wonderful new discoveries squirreled away in my Etsy favorites list.  I really never get tired of browsing through the shops of the many talented artisans to be found online – I’m an expert at armchair shopping in my pajamas, ha ha…..

The first little treasure I’d like to present is this yummy canvas and lace tote by Wonderwear.  I’ve always loved the look of lace with rustic materials like faded denim, and this tote with its lovely lace against canvas recycled from a military duffle bag is a perfect example of that look.  Unfortunately, it is already sold, but there is another canvas tote in her shop as well, made from the same military canvas with  hand braided parachute cord handles.  Wonderwear’s shop is a great eclectic mix of interesting, one of a kind eco-friendly items that I’ll be keeping my eye on for sure!

Etsy is a great place for pottery addicts like me, and I have found another wonderful pottery shop – MissPottery, run by Pennsylvania Artist Melissa Older.  Her work has a  whimsical yet earthy feel,  and I just adore the lovely sage greens, lavenders and browns that are used in many of her delightful creations.  Read more about Melissa in this Philadelphia Inquirer article.   I am in love with her wonderful sage and brown pitcher with its fluted handle – just perfect for warm maple syrup to go with my Apple Cinnamon Nutmeg Pancakes!

And speaking of sage greens, browns and whimsy – this adorable Sea Owl print by Kentucky artist Kathleen Lolley definitely needs to be in my collection!  I love this description from her Etsy shop:  “Kathleen is a painter, a hermit and conjurer of crafty things”.  Another print of Kathleen’s that I love is the magical Gypsy Countess, who is painted in the soft greens and golds of my beloved chenille sofa – definitely need that one, too!   Do stop by Kathleen’s website to read more about her and view more of her work.

 

 

Continuing on in the earthy greens and browns,  I’ve discovered the shop of a fellow Tennessean today!  I have been buying my bags from artists online for several years now, and I suspect my next bag will come from LBArtworks’ shop!   I’m going to have a hard time deciding between the cute Birds, Trees and Leaves bag and the Ice Crystals bag with the wonderful crocheted lace paired with a swirl of flowers.

My coffee is done, so I am off to the studio for a pleasant afternoon working on new custom orders and my Mom’s Christmas pieces (yes, that’s right – I am finishing my mom’s gifts on the Sunday after Christmas…..but she is used to this, lol!)  Hope you all have a lovely, relaxing day!

Holiday Blessings

  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday Season!   I know I have enjoyed every minute of  it.  This is a cherished  time of year, made even more fun by being a part of so many other people’s holiday giving through my jewelry.  Christmas orders started back in November, and I’ve been hammering away in my workshop like one of Santa’s Elves ever since! 

My mom has been here helping me most of the month, and I’ve taught her how to ball silver, bend earwires, and bend and flux stacking rings and bracelets.  We had a little assembly line going!   This was a morning’s work ready to solder and  turn into shiny treasures. 

Peace descended once again on Christmas Eve, and we’ve been relaxing and making the Christmas Puzzle for a couple of days now.  My mom is the puzzle expert, and I’m the cheering section.  We only have one big table, so we just set the placemats right over the puzzle pieces at mealtime, lol!   And of course, the dog loves every minute of having everyone home with  lots of visitors, fun and laughter!

There is nothing  like this cozy, blessed week between Christmas and New Years, and now that I’m self-employed, I can enjoy it  to its fullest. 

 

 

Of course, there has been a lot of cooking going on, too.  One of my favorites is the delicious brie and dill strata that we discovered last year.  I think it has become a yearly tradition now.  (Ha, ha, these days, who can afford brie more than once a year…)  Here is the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens website –  enjoy!

Baked Brie Strata

• 2  small zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (2 cups)
• 6  1/2-inch thick slices crusty sourdough bread
• 8  ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4  Roma tomatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1  cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
• 2/3  cup evaporated skim milk
• 1/3  cup finely chopped onion
• 3  tablespoons snipped fresh dill
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/8  teaspoon pepper
• 6  to 8 cherry tomatoes
•   Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Cook zucchini, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, spray a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange bread slices in the prepared baking dish, cutting as necessary to fit. Sprinkle half of the Brie evenly on top. Arrange zucchini and tomatoes on top of bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

3. In a bowl combine egg product, evaporated skim milk, onion, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over vegetables and cheese. Lightly press vegetables down with back of spoon to be sure everything is saturated with egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for 4 to 24 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from strata; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes more or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Make-ahead tip: Prepare and chill casserole for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.

Settling into the Season…

I love everything about Fall.  Smelling wood smoke and feeling the crisp crunch of leaves under foot.  The sweet anticipation of the holidays (before the panic sets in), the softness of a warm sweater, and the lovely cozy feeling of waking up under my favorite down comforter. I don't usually like stones in the yellow/brown family, but the two gorgeous star sunstones I have are a definite exception.  I set one of them into a simple ring, and it positively oozes with that lovely cozy fall feeling.  Of course, the photo props  helpfully left on my garden bench for me by a busy squirrel help, too.    I

 

And if it’s November, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.  I’m already browsing through Thanksgiving recipes.    Working at home has brought back my love of creating food that is both good to eat and pretty to look at. I just received my annual beef order from my best friend who raises cattle.  I can’t remember the last time I cooked ‘store-bought’ beef, or had produce from the grocery store.  Our local farmer’s market is still open, so I had a lovely pile of beautiful sweet red peppers this week, the last of the season, along with a bunch of tasty fresh baby spinach and kale.  In addition to my pancake experiments, I’ve also been inventing various meatloaf recipes with the bounty from the farmer’s market.  This week’s version was especially tasty, so I thought I would share.  Now, the reason I make meatloaf  is to get a day’s worth of nutrition into a nice portable little item that can be frozen and/or sliced up for sandwiches, so don’t laugh at my weird list of ingredients!

Confetti Meatloaf

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup chopped onions

1 large red pepper, chopped

a nice pile of finely chopped spinach and kale (probably 1-2 cups)

1 clove of garlic, put through a garlic press

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup milk or water

1 egg

Stir everything up until well mixed and it kind of holds together.  Turn into a 9 inch loaf pan, and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.   I served mine with butternut squash and green beans. 

So, what have I been working on besides meatloaf?  I’ve been making some new designs in copper, and these earrings, titled ‘Dot on a Wall’ (not the most inspired name, I admit) turned out to be my favorite.  They are a simple abstract  design, with a bark-like texture from my favorite Fretz hammer – definitely going to be adding them to the Abstractions Market at 1000 Markets.    I’m thinking of doing similar designs in both brass and silver, too.  These are a great size to wear, not too big and not too small.  I’m also working on a winter series, and the first pendant is already posted in my Etsy shop.  It’s a cute little golden snowflake on a background of reticulated silver and a lovely little blue topaz for an accent stone.  My favorite new pendant  is this one, which I really love, named Permafrost.  This is a luminous  moonstone the color of pale green moss on a dangle of subtly reticulated silver.  I’m just loving the combination of the frosty reticulated silver with the pale green.  I am trying to do time-consuming processes like reticulating sheet silver in between other jobs so I have enough to play with when the inspiration hits me.  I never tire of the unique textures and feelings that can be achieved with reticulation!

That’s all for now.  Time to let the dog out and get supper going…..see you soon!

Pancakes and Inspiration

I have been feeling quite inspired lately, and everywhere I turn I find more to inspire me.  It must be the crisp fall air that is finally here.  Fall is definitely my time of year, even though I know that a winter of freezing in my studio is just around the corner.  I am dusting off my pile of warm fuzzies as we speak… 

Something else that I love when the weather turns crisp is pancakes.  (I used to own and operate a country inn where breakfast was included, so I am quite the expert on breakfast, ha ha).  It’s been a few years, but I am getting inspired about cooking again now that I work from home.  Lately I’ve been inventing new pancake recipes, and I thought I’d share one of my favorites with you today.  These were inspired by the French Breakfast muffins we used to serve at the inn (I’ll be posting that recipe one of these days).  I love the hints of vanilla and nutmeg combined with the apples and cinnamon.

 Apple Cinnamon Nutmeg Pancakes with Maple Syrup 

1 cup unbleached flour (I use half whole wheat and half white flour)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Scant 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 rounded Tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Maple syrup to taste

 

Topping:

2 large cooking apples, sliced thinly (rome, macintosh or granny smith are great)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 T brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Stir together dry ingredients, beat egg in small bowl, add milk to beaten egg, and pour into dry ingredients.  Stir until combined. 

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto preheated griddle, keep warm in 200 degree oven.

Make topping:  Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar and cinnamon, then add apples.  Cook until just tender. 

Serve pancakes topped with apples and maple syrup and enjoy!

Oh yes, a few chopped toasted walnuts on top are wonderful, too. 

 

While I was enjoying the above pancakes, I thought I’d browse the front page of 1000 Markets.  The first thing I saw was this stunning photo by Gary Gillis.  It is a Hummingbird Moth, and the photo took him 6 years to get!  I believe it, because the clarity is simply stunning.  I spend a lot of time with my camera, and I am always striving (and have yet to achieve) the luminous clarity that jumps out from Gary’s photography – indeed an inspiration.

Another photo of Gary’s that I love is this luminous pink water lotus.  I travelled to a garden in nearby North Carolina a year ago when the lotus were blooming and was just enthralled with these gorgeous and amazingly huge flowers, truly a photographer’s dream.   Of course, my photos were nowhere near the quality of Gary’s, so I shall spare you all.   The colors in this photo are reminding me that I just have to try enamels on my flower jewelry soon.  I can just see a cuff bracelet and earring set in these colors for next spring’s new designs. 

One of my little nature inspired experiments this week at the bench was yet another fold formed leaf.  I’ve been playing with the ‘line fold’ where the back of the fold is hammered flat, and I decided it made a great center vein for a leaf.  This one is done in brass, and accented with a little black star sapphire.  I really quite like it.  Lol, wouldn’t it be great if I could do one in 18kt gold……I keep looking at the gold sheet -one of these days I’m going to buy a couple of inches.

 

That’s it for now….have a great week!

What, October already?

I can’t believe how fast September whizzed by!  My head is spinning!  This September was a big milestone for me – it marked my 1 year anniversary as a full time artist.  It also prompted a  bit of reflection and a serious reality check.  I am happy to report that I survived the reality check.  Making a living as an artist is not an easy thing, and as I head into my second year, I had to pause and make sure that I am not running headlong into disaster.  And I may be, since I am “of a certain age” and now without medical insurance.  But on the bright side, that is the only negative (yes, I know, it’s a very big one, but I’m working on finding a plan) thing I could find.  I still absolutely love what I am doing and wake up inspired each day.  I am much healthier – my blood pressure is way down and I’m (finally!!) losing weight.  My business is still growing by leaps and bounds, and my biggest problem is figuring out how to produce more jewelry in less time while not neglecting  the various ho-hum accounting and paperwork chores too badly.  I am happily planning for additions to my business such as teaching workshops on a regular basis, and I’m steadily increasing the number of galleries and shops that carry my work.   In the end, happiness with my daily life and the freedom to create is more important to me than the financial security that a “day job” brings.   Unfortunately I did have to forgo attending the Jewelry Artist’s Network retreat this year which was a difficult and painful decision, but necessary at this point in time.  I will be there in spirit, if not in body, and am already planning how to swing it next year.

One of the things l love most about my business is the wonderful people that I meet through my shops on Etsy and 1000 Markets.  I received an inquiry a couple of weeks ago from Natalia, the author of a wonderful fashion blog  in the UK called Fashion Titbits who wanted to feature my Etsy shop in an article.  I love  international customers, and am always looking for ways to draw more attention to my work from overseas, so I jumped at the chance to be featured.  She did a lovely interview and is featuring several photos of my work. There is a giveaway as well – anyone can enter today through next Saturday, October 10th.  The winner will be announced on the 11th.  If you love a good fashion blog, (and giveaways, too!) do be sure and pay a visit to Fashion Titbits! 

I particularly loved one  of her posts from this summer, titled ‘Style Secrets A to Z’  What an interesting insight into fashionable pleasures from an international point of view.  Her pick of Bruges, Belgium for “B” reminded me that I need to go back there.  I passed through on a train ride from Amsterdam to Calais, and was positively enthralled.   Alas, we did not have time to explore at all since we only had a few minutes to switch trains.   This gorgeous city is full of history, fabulous architecture and yummy chocolate – I’m ready to pack my bags!

I wanted to post a picture of the new hummingbird ring design I’m working on, but didn’t get a chance to work on it today.  However, I did finish this custom order for a customer which I just love – a lovely brass dragon with a tourmaline and garnet set in 14kt gold.  I’m also working on a dragon ring for another customer that will be her engagement ring – I can’t wait to finish that one, too! 

Saturday Night at the Market and a bit of Denim Lapis – 09/26/09

 

I’ve been busy all day updating my 1000 Markets shop with my latest creations, the last of which was this simple but bold denim lapis ring.  Of course I had to do some shopping around the markets while I was waiting for pictures to upload.  While I browsed, I started reflecting on how in one short year, 1000 Markets has grown into a truly grand place to shop for fine quality handmade goods.  If you haven’t shopped there yet, you simply must check it out before you start your Christmas shopping!  The front page changes every time you visit, so I make a habit of stopping by the page a few times when I’m online, and I always discover something fabulous that I have never seen before.

 

Tonight I found this stunning painting by Reenie Kennedy  – Velvet Ruffles is the title – perfectly named!  I love fuschias, and some years I have a pot of them hanging from the Virginia Pines that form a kind of gazebo around my garden chairs.   Reenie also has a painting of  an adorable hummingbird that I’d just love to have, titled The Flyby.  I’m working on a new ring with a brass hummingbird, and this little guy will be on my mind for sure while I’m working on it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another delightful shop I found tonight was Intentions, a truly heavenly soap shop.  I will definitely be trying their ‘Put da lime in da coconut’  soap very soon!  I love handmade soap, and if it is half as good as this gorgeous picture it will be a shower to remember!    The ‘Berry Me’ is pretty high up on my list,  too – it is described as “A pure, fruity, berry scented soap, with a bit of vanilla for depth.”  Yes indeed, their soaps are ‘where heaven meets earth’ for sure!

My summer ‘blog vacation’ is officially over!

And yes, this is finally a piece for my “Stones of the American West” collection.  One of my main goals this summer was to increase my production speed so I can keep up with orders and work for my galleries, but still have time to create new things.   Ha ha, and my goal for the Fall is to keep up with orders, make new things, and still have time to blog and twitter…….and we won’t even mention the benign neglect that my poor garden has to put up with!

Speaking of galleries and shops – I now have work in the lovely Spirit of the Hand gallery located in Dandridge, Tennessee, just outside of Gatlinburg.  I’ve shopped there for years, one of my very favorite places for Christmas gifts and fabulous pottery.  I’m so excited to have my work featured there!

I’ve also been busy this summer with quite a bit of custom work, which I am finding that I really love!  My customers are truly a source of wonderful inspiration for new pieces to add to my shop!  I’m making myself a pair of these Dragonfly Dreams  earrings that I made for Doris to go with her Dragonfly Treasure ring (originally inspired by another customer request!)  Doris loves iolite, and both her ring and earrings have gorgeous iolite stones.

 Another request from this summer with an iolite stone was this sweet pendant that I did for Robin.  This one will soon be available in my shop, too.  I’ll be calling it “Live, Dream, Soar”, a saying that I’ll be incorporating into several new pieces that I’m working on.  

 

 

I’ve also been playing around a bit with fold forming this summer.  I really love this technique, and will be filling out an entire line in the next few weeks.  I wish silver prices would go back down so I can do some pieces in silver, but sheesh, I hate to buy a bunch of sheet at today’s prices – it’s almost $17.00 per ounce!   Here is a sneak peek at my next cuff-to-be.  This is just a small piece that I was playing with, and unfortunately, not long enough for a cuff.  It’s not soldered or anything yet, I’ve just got the embellishments set loosely on the piece.  Not sure what I’ll be going with in the end.  I might end up making a brooch and some earrings out of this piece.  It’s made with 16g copper, requiring HUGE fire to get it hot enough to solder, but I love how the thicker metal makes such detailed ruffles and textures.  (had to get out the BIG hammer, too, lol)   This fold forming technique is the ‘line fold’ which has been hammered flat after it was opened.  It’s amazing what can be created with fold forming, such fun to play! 

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back soon with great Etsy and 1000 Markets finds, as well as more about what I’m working on, and of course, gardening and cooking tidbits.  See you all later!

 

Technorati Tags: Maury Mtn. Agate,artisan ring,sterling silver ring,amethyst,dragonfly earrings,iolite,copper,fold forming

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets

This week I want to share a great sale with you! Sue, the artist behind Nine Dragons Sculpture Art has many of her incredible pieces on sale for 25-50% off! If you have been wanting one of Sue's pieces, or if you have not yet seen her wonderful work - take the time to check it out, you'll love it!

One of the pieces that caught my attention right away is the Big Bold Bohemian Bangle Bracelet. This one is definitely a statement piece! The bangle was created with laminate layers of polymer clay, loose cane work, hand rolled tubes of mixed color and several finishes of mica and metallic powders which were applied in different stages and then distressed with selective sanding to give an interesting smooth textured background.



Another piece that I love is the Red Fabric Bitsy Bottle pendant. The design is beautiful, and Sue has constructed it so it is quite functional as well - perfect for tucking away a favorite little inspiration!



Sue is also a talented sculptor, and her little sculpture pendants are different than anything I've seen out there in the vast world of online jewelry. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I am partial to the Baby Steps pendant where she has perfectly captured a tiny baby elephant in polymer clay.



And last, but most certainly not least, Sue is a Painter. Yes, with a capital P. Like the Old Masters. Her technique is amazing, and fully captures the life essence of her subjects. I am mesmerized by the eyes in her painting titled 'The Sultress' - I never get tired of looking at it. If it's still for sale when I can afford it, I'll be hanging it on my wall!

So do take a minute to check out Sue's sale - you are quite likely to find an exquisite treasure!

New Work and Today's Bouquet

I've been concentrating on finishing some new work for the Glamour and Glow boutique up in Horseheads New York. This little boutique is so lovely, I wish I was close enough to visit! Some of my favorite jewelry designers have work there, including Emily Gray, whose work I've drooled over since I first saw it!

Her gorgeous Clementine earrings are a perfect match for the flowers currently blooming in my garden! I think today's bouquet is my favorite so far this year. I love the combination of the pinky orange in the Sunset variety of coneflowers combined with the vibrant Paprika yarrow, the classic purple coneflowers and the hint of sweet blush pink in the calla lilies.

My garden is definitely a source of inspiration for my work. One of the pieces I sent was this little daisy pendant with a black star diopside center. I love making these, and this design will be in the shop very soon.

Another new design is the fold-formed silver leaf that will become the first piece of several that I'll be putting in my shop. This one has a lapis stone highlighting it - I love the crisp look of lapis and silver. I'm working on a pair of earrings in this design, so simple, but still interesting and fun to make. I love fold forming, and can't believe I haven't gotten around to doing more of it until now. I'm finally setting my one of a kind stones, too.


I started a 'Stones of the American West' series last summer, and have never replaced the pieces that sold so I 'm working on those now too. Hope to finish an amethyst in Maury Mtn. agate ring shortly with this great little stone.

Something else I'm working on is new earring designs for the shop. I've got a new hoop design going with a forged ruffle. I'm going to adapt this pendant design into earrings. I've really been in the pendant mode lately, and I need to get some more earrings going. The problem is making two ruffled hoops that match, not so easy! Actually, making earrings is not my favorite thing to do because I never want to make the second one - I want to move and and make something else!

Oh my - check these out this mid-week Etsy find!

I happened across the most beautiful shop on Etsy this evening, and I just had to share! Even though I rarely wear anything but jeans and tee shirts, I do love beautiful dresses, and enjoy dressing up (when I'm skinny enough to have fun with it, that is, lol). The costumes created by Steph of the Deconstructress Designs shop are so gorgeous, I'm inspired to start working out and losing weight this very minute!



Van Gogh's Starry Night is one of my all time favorite paintings, and Steph's Starry Night Fairy Gown captures the feel of the painting perfectly. What a dreamy dress - without the fairy wings it would make a perfect dress for an evening of dancing.



Another stunning fairy dress was inspired by Monet, another painter whose work I love. I could easily spend an evening dancing in the lovely Monet Waterlilies fairy costume, too!



And wait - there's one more truly amazing fairy dress you must see - the Autumn Pixie Fall-en piece. The way this one has been constructed to look like the wearer is rising from a pile of fallen leaves is wonderful. I need to find a fab Halloween party this year and go in one of these beautiful works of art!








I was excited to read in her shop announcement that one-of-a-kind formal wear made from new and antique materials is coming in a new shop that Steph will be opening on Etsy. I'll definitely be watching and waiting, that's for sure! The shop name is entwinedapparel, and will feature beautiful, unique wedding and bridesmaid dresses as well as some casual dresses.

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets - 06/13/09

It's been a great week down in the studio and out in the garden. Well, actually, the garden has been doing great without me, ha ha! I've been admiring it from the kitchen window, but most of my time this week has been spent in the studio. I've had a wonderful time with my hammer, and fabricated a new ring and cuff for my 1000 Market and Etsy shops.

I did spend the morning outside taking a few photos of this month's new bloomers - two of my very favorites. Sunset Echinacea, (coneflower)complete with two bumblebees discussing the day's plans, and my yummy Paprika yarrow. It barely bloomed last year, but it's doing great now. If I get into enameling I am definitely doing some pieces in these colors!



Speaking of enameling, a new member in the Metalcraft Market at 1000 Markets, Natasha Suter has some gorgeous enamelled pendants. My favorite is her Diamond Shaped Marbelized Green and Fuschia pendant.

Another colorful piece that grabbed my eye as I was strolling through the Metalcraft Market is the Here We Go necklace by Liz Hall of Lizard's Jewelry.

Her pieces have that perfect touch of whimsy that makes you go back for a second look. The combination of the bright yellow with the black and white striped 'tail' definitely made me go back for a second look at this piece! This piece, and many of Liz's pieces combine sterling silver and polymer clay for a very unique look.

There is news from the Wearable Art Market this week, too - Gale of Le Enchantement has finished a fabulous and professional video for the Market. Be sure to check it out below. If you can't visit a wonderful outdoor market like the one in the video, the Wearable Art Market is the next best thing to it!