My Goodness, Where Did the Week Go??

I can't believe it is Friday already! I've barely been out of the studio all week, and am finally almost caught up on orders. Not caught up on gallery items, though. I am just so excited about these new opportunities - the two new galleries I mentioned before, plus a little boutique in a mall, and a museum gift shop that is opening in June. Oh, and I will be having a booth at our local farmer's market which opens in April. They have added artisans this year, and I've also joined the new board for this rapidly growing local market. I'm also hoping to sell cut flowers and herbs from my garden - we'll see how that goes. My plan is to use the garden for excerise - hopefully this will work, since my elliptical trainer is still gathering dust in the garage. Too bad metal smithing isn't good exercise, ha ha.....

All of the above is my excuse as to why I haven't blogged all week. And, oh, yes, there are those pesky taxes that are becoming more urgent with each day that passes - eeeek! I did finish the citrine ring, though, and have a new set of stacking rings with labradorite and green moonstone, and the start of a new series I'm calling 'Silver Tuxedo' ready to photo. So, here is the photo of the citrine ring, which I also finally listed in my 1000 Markets shop today. And now, more caffeine and down to the studio. See you all later!

Works in Progress, White Chocolate, and a Thank You

I've been busy as a bee in my Etsy store lately, and I'm sooo happy for that! Sometimes I think I must have been crazy to quit my day job and take such a risk, espcially in times like these, but I think it just might work! I'm working on a wholesale order for a little shop in a mall - handmade in a mall, how great is that!! Yay for handmade! I'm also getting ready to teach a class tomorrow - Introduction to Fire - which focuses on fusing fine silver. I'm really looking forward to it. Fusing is how I got my start with the torch, and it will be fun to 'pass the torch' to others....(sorry 'bout the pun, could't resist)


Also wanted to say thank you to my blog friends who have tagged me and sent me several lovely awards!! I promise I'll be posting and sending out my tags soon - I'm looking forward to spreading the blog love to some great new blogs I've come across lately!


Lots of things on the bench this week too. I'm working on a custom order with a prong set stone. Thanks to Jen, I've been pushed to finally get going on using my little stash of faceted stones. I've got a ring planned with a gorgeous 8mmm Irai Citrine. That one will be called Mountain Sunrise. Hoping to get it done this weekend after Saturday's class, along with the labradorite one started a while back.




I've been working on a buttercup pendant for a customer this week, too, and now I think I'm going to do something with pansies next. Check out all the tools that go into one teeny little buttercup.....sheesh!

And then I've got a couple of copper leaves going. This one will be called Dragonfly Spring, and have either a blue topaz or rainbow moonstone "raindrop" on the leaf. Probably the topaz, I think, kind of like April showers.

I think this burst of new things is fueled by the fact that I ran out of tea, and am back on coffee this week. Out of cream, too, so I melted squares of Green and Black's organic white chocolate (left from Christmas baking projects) in it. Wow, unexpectedly delicious!! I really didn't even think I liked white chocolate all that much, but this is just totally fabulous. It has 40% cacao in it, so there is a definite chocolate taste, and it also has a lot of real vanilla bean flecks in it, along with milk, so it actually is like cream when you put it in coffee. I'm going to have to make some white chocolate chunk cookies with this stuff - or maybe some of the incredible looking White and Dark Chocolate Mousse. And then eat a lot of salad.........

See you guys later, gotta get to "work"!