Tuesday, November 3, 2009

citrinus


a new piece that came out stunningly.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

el dia de los muertos



Years ago when my life was less complicated I did a lot traveling throughout the US. One city that became a favorite of mine is San Antonio TX. My husband and I found a wonderful shop down by the river walk that specialized in folk art from Mexico. That folk art shop was my introduction to El Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead also known as All Saints Day, a holiday that is celebrated in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. I am also a hoarder of Anne Choi beads, she has a couple beads and charms with sugar skulls on them that I just had to have, but of course I had to buy a few to subsidized my obsession. One thing about Anne and her work, if you don't purchase the beads when she has them on her site many times she moves onto other designs and the bead you had your eye on is no longer made... above is one of Anne's charms.


the time

The 26th of July was the last time I posted... where does time go? It's so elusive and slippery and you can never get it back... maybe I took the summer off and didn't know it.


Sunday, July 26, 2009

lapidary






When I discovered Gary Wilson's work a few years ago I was in love. I immediately began to hoard his work and only recently begun in earnest to incorporate it into my jewelry pieces. His work is very sensuous, tactile and just outrageously gorgeous to look at. The man is a genius. If you find yourself mysteriously in front of his booth at a gem show with your mouth agape with a little bit of drool, you know you have arrived.

I have never found any other lapidary's work that compares to his, I love his rocks.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

inertia




It's been awhile since the last post. Inertia struck, it's the only way I can describe it. Inert. Promise that this entire post won't be depressing ;) but I do believe that mental illness still carries a stigma and that many times is the unseen disability, or ability when you can turn it around. Since childhood, throughout of my life, I have dealt with my recurrent major depression. Art has played a big part in my life and made a big impact on my recovery.

This time is different, my 'inertness' has a great deal to do with the loss of my pet pig, Henry. I so believe in the power of animals and what they give to their human family. It's been six months since we had to have him euthanized, I still think of him every day. He was the biggest pain in the ass, he was the sweetest boy, he could be incredibly crabby, he gave really good kisses and you watch him think. I could complain to Henry about my husband and it later came out that my husband also complained to Henry about me! Henry was discrete and kept his secrets, he was a sweetie. We both miss him and laugh and tell stories of all of his quirky antics!

We miss the pig.


Sunday, July 5, 2009

dodad earrings


I am becoming a little obsessed with making these earrings and really need to stop it...

Saturday, June 20, 2009

handmadefeed.com

Tim Adam has a new site linking all of your handmade shops, blogs and social networking sites in one place, handmadefeed.com check it out and link away! comes with a descriptive button too.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

seo and etsy

if you are seller on etsy this issue of etsy changing meta tags in your shop may have affected your exposure on google search and impacted your sales and you may have been completely unaware of it.

this is a posting from sara hicks on etsy, SEO Announcement - 6/18/09 it's of great interest to all sellers on etsy and i urge you to read it.

off to find another seed bead artists ;)

boreal





just a few photos from a hike i took this afternoon.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

changes

i have sold my jewelry on etsy for two and a half years and have done well. i love the site and i want to continue selling there. but in the end it all comes down to business is business. since the infusion of 27 million dollars from investors and the change in business leadership etsy has shown that etsy will do what is best for etsy and i can respect that. i do what is best for my business too.

since the new search change and now with etsy adding meta tags to our shop title, many seller's sales have dropped dramatically and no longer show up in google search. a couple of sellers noticed that change in April of this year and have spent considerable amount of time and great determination to figure out why such a change in the views of items, google alerts and outside sales that originated from google search had dropped so dramatically.

well, what was discovered was that since April of this year etsy had inserted additional meta tags into our shops. the insertion of "handmade" was placed before every item description or name we had listed in our shop. we protested, many of us were very upset to learn that there was a "handmade" tag inserted in front of everything! finally etsy saw the error of their ways and removed the handmade meta tag on June 11th after the uproar in the forums. but what remains is the meta tags that etsy inserted in our shop titles.

the "archaicdesign on Etsy" was inserted into my shop title without my knowledge or consent. it takes up considerable real estate meta tag space. nor, did etsy ever inform any of it's sellers that this was done back in April of this year.

i think i can speak for many sellers that are protesting this change because we really want etsy to succeed, when etsy sellers succeed etsy in turn will succeed. the etsy admin have not said one word in regards to our forum threads, they only seem to want to close them. here are a few threads and a petition that is happening now on etsy. i can't guarantee that these threads will be open if you chose to read them but i will try to post relevant threads in case these are closed too.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6186413

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6189887

Saturday, June 13, 2009

the art of bead work




Darcy Horn of The Jade Dog Designs

i knew that when i started featuring and writing about seed bead artists that i wanted to feature Darcy Horn of The Jade Dog Designs her work is so diverse and interesting that it shouldn't be missed, i love her combination of metal and her seed bead art work within her jewelry. the top and bottom photos are from embellished bags the middle photo is of an intricate necklace, please take a closer look at her beautiful pieces. when looking through her shop i hadn't realized just how diverse and beautiful her work truly is, it's gorgeous and her photos tell all!

please be sure to check out her shop, thank you Darcy!

adding a third column on blogger

want to add a third column to your blogspot? this site is the best i've found, I am severely html impaired and only took about 2 hours for me, but for you? probably fifteen minutes! I have to admit that I am not sure I like it but will give it a whirl, I like a cleaner simpler look to a blog. I am thinking of offering advertising spots on my blog, thus the third column. here is the site, three column bogger.

just a quick note on banner size, it needs to be 928 by 100 px to fit within the outline for the 'minima' layout.

Friday, June 12, 2009

metals class



it looks as though Addie is about to be bopped on the head, not true! she was wonderful throughout the class, so was Jesse! and can't forget the class photo ;)


susan lenert kazmer



i took two classes from susan lenert kazmer, a patina on metal class and an ancient metal weaving class. here are a couple of photos, i wish i had better images to show you, if you ever get the chance to take a class from her, do it, you will not regret a minute of it!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

master class with alan revere




the bead and button show classes and shopping where a blast. i wish i had the energy of someone a few years, ok, a lot of years younger than my 51 years! what a frenzy!

the first three days were with alan revere, what an incredible teacher! ask him any question relating to metalsmithing and he is so willing share his 30 years of experience and knowledge with you! a total technique person :0 thanks alan! i learned a so much in his class!

the next two days were with susan lenart kazmer in a totally opposite perspective with technique, almost anything goes! susan is limitless when it comes to getting a desired result. always creative taking her classes.

i will post more photos of both classes within the next day or two.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

procrastinator!

damn, ever say to yourself, i will be organized and ready to make this road trip, leave with everything packed without forgetting anything? got munchies, tools, metal, my funky bead stash, camera, tickets, underwear, toothbrush and the list goes on...

this time? will i ever pull it off? just once, self, get your crap together and let's go... not going to happen ;) i'm so predictable.

be back in a week to post photos! see ya!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Alan Revere

my brain just realized that i will be traveling to Milwaukee to the Bead and Button show this Saturday, the 30th. i usually go with friends but this trip will be solo. i'm excited and a bit intimidated at the same time. i am in Alan Revere's "master" metalsmith class. as i write this i am laughing, it's been a while and my skills are a bit rusty but i know i will absolutely love every minute of it!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

the art of bead work




Lisa Savoy's work

i know Lisa from across the pond. that inland sea that we call Lake Superior, i live in minnesota, Lisa lives in wisconsin. i have taken classes from Lisa at our local bead store and i have to say that we all marvel at what she comes up with as far as design, color, and technique that she incorporates into her original bead work. please check out her etsy shop, savoystudio.etsy.com

thank you Lisa.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

the slump...

i want to thank everyone for their insight, advice and suggestions, i am very grateful, thank you! one event that has rapidly snuck up on me is the bead and button show in milwaukee :0 i'll post more later regarding the show!

~~~
i'm in one, a big one. finding it hard to create anything that requires being organized enough to pull something out of my proverbial hat. if you care to ;) comment about what it is that allows you to move past it to be creative enough to be productive again.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

spring




Wednesday, May 6, 2009

the art of bead work




walrustusk on etsy

i love this.
synchronicity, when color and beads and shape come together to make art. i think walrustusk creates some of the most elegant pieces of beaded jewelry, hair clips and brooches using shape, seed beads and color, her pieces are incredibly striking. Jen's photography of her work is extraordinary as well. please visit her esty shop and her blog, another favorite.
thank you Jen!

Friday, May 1, 2009

happy may day!

happy may first! got your may day basket?

Sunday, April 26, 2009

handmadeology



two more for handmadeology...

Saturday, April 25, 2009

handmadeology



the 'handmadeology' site is having a photo contest. i added one of my first metalsmith pieces that i made and the one of first photographs of my jewelry. how can my photography be better when it first started out than it is today? how does that happen?

Friday, April 24, 2009


cobalt blue. i love the color especially in glass, it's so striking with all it's intensity.

i make stuff. beaded beads, chain, wire wrapped beads with no purpose in mind. the doodads end up in small glass bowls or in a wicker basket that i paw through every once in a while. this cobalt blue beaded bead jumped out at me the other day, it demanded bead caps and a lapis lazuli dagger too. it ended up on a handmade chain with a small trillion faceted iolite bead. sometimes, that's how my stuff gets made, no plan, rhyme or reason. everything needs to wait it's turn, sooner or later i will get around to you...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

the art of bead work



dorothydomingo of etsy

sometimes ya just gotta love whimsy! the play of colors and patterns in these two pieces by dorothydomingo are just too much fun. i love finding art and jewelry with combinations that make a piece pop!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

secunda seal



i love taking a vintage component and turning it into a contemporary piece of jewelry, i think a lot of us do ;) a vintage swarovski crystal, secunda cut, in the color of seal, with a gold foil back and a seed bead stitched bezel.

life in the north


life in the north which grows longer every winter...

scilla, one of the very first blooming flowers in my yard. they are so sweet, small lily like blue flowers that spread and naturalize everywhere. they are in the hyacinthaceae family

... a forecast of snow tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

the art of bead work





SmadarsTreasure is an artist on etsy that makes beautiful beaded jewelry. many of her pieces have a very ethnic look and feel to them that i love to see in seed bead jewelry. her work is beautiful in color and the composition of her pieces. here are three of pieces of her work that i would like to share. gorgeous, thanks Smadar!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Etsy Trends

a little cross pollination here ;) it is spring time after all! check out this site, Etsy Trends for their latest picks with trendy colors and style. they have chosen two of my pieces for their site! thanks Trends!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

the tiny guys



the top is urchin, the bottom is pod.

looking through my 22,000 archived photos i spotted some of my earlier work. i get itchy fingers to mess around with those bad bad seed beads once again!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

the art of bead work




Patrizia Tager of triz

when i started to make jewelry it began with seed beads. i was on a mad mission to learn every stitch and technique because stitching seed beads into jewelry had a profound fascination for me. stringing, bead embroidery, gourd stitch, weaving and 3D sculptures, everything! i needed to do all of it and i did, i still love it!

i will be introducing some of the incredible seed bead artists on etsy on my blog. so many times seed bead work is undervalued and not appreciated for the time, design and incredible talent that is needed to become an artist in seed beads. it truly is an art form!

these three beautiful pieces are by Patrizia Tager of triz on etsy. her gorgeous work has incredible color and the detail used in her pieces is exquisite. please stop by her shop and look at her incredible work, it's lovely! she's one of my favs!


Thursday, April 2, 2009


a wonderfully organic pod pendant by Harold Cooney made from borosilicate glass that has been ground and sand blasted to achieve it's shape and texture. a beautiful piece.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009


thank you...

experiencing an early spring snow storm, once again.

Saturday, March 28, 2009






this is when i fell in love with borosilicate glass lampwork beads, when i saw multiple layers of glass that had been gold fumed and encased in crystal clear glass.

when i discovered these incredibly beautiful beads. i was forced by some unknown freak of nature, compelled to buy five without any plans whatsoever to create or god forbid sell them when made into jewelry to anyone else. i am a hoarder after all...

the really sad part is, i don't remember who made them, jeff olson? if anyone out there does please drop me a line, it would be greatly appreciated!