Nomadic Creations

Traveling

Today I am busy preparing my studio to temporarily move to my parents for a few weeks. We are going home to visit family and friends although both of us still have to work. I finished 5 necklaces yesterday that I am going to run by the gallery today, and run some more errands before we head out in the morning.

I have been working more with etched copper and brass over the last few weeks.  I found some ferric chloride a few weeks ago via a friend, and now I have loads of it.  A fellow artist came by my studio yesterday and we visited for a while and then topped it off with a great lunch.

I will be going crazy with photography on this trip again, so stay tuned...tomorrow is a travel day and we won't be settled at my mom's until Thursday.

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I have had some interesting conversations of late with new friends that I have met. Seems to be something in the air around these parts regarding finding your passion, doing it, and creating the sort of life you have ever dared to dream.  These conversations have touched every surface of work, relationships and purpose.  Shayne and I are having a hard time figuring out where we want to live around here, and whether or not we want to buy a house torward the end of the year. There is something about living light on our feet, ready to go in a day if need be.  Shayne counted up all the places he has lived in the last 20 years...the number came to 23.  I think my number is a bit more. The longest I have ever lived in the same place as an adult is 2 years.  We hope to hack out what we want to do on the car trip.

Car trips are good for that, aren't they?

Marrakesh Earrings

Maryam is looking for a new pair of earrings and while I was at the studio today I rummaged through my beads to see what I could come up with that might work for her.  She wants something long and languid...with pale blue tones...I had some Citrine, Amazonite and Carnelian that I put together with some of my new chain. 

And on...

They hang about 2 1/2 inches down from the earlobe...
I think she would like some faceted stones instead, but what do you think of the design idea?

And I made some more earrings...

And a few more necklaces...

Ask....and

Able....

Guess I am working my way through the alphabet for some meaningful words...LOL....tomorrow is another gallery day....then back to the studio to make another similar pair of earrings only with faceted stones....

Banner Day

I had a great day yesterday in the studio with MH and I also had some visitors. L is an artist that is looking for some new studio space a bit closer to her new apartment, and she was able to find a great space in my building cheaper then what she is paying now.  The light is better then her old studio so she was thrilled. It will also be nice to have her as a neighbor too.

I worked on 3 necklaces yesterday, and will have pics of them tomorrow. I love the chain that I bought from Monsterslayer. I have a lot of ideas and now just need the time to execute them. We are going to be going back to Mississippi for a couple of days next week then on to Arkansas for a few weeks. I have a show coming up in September that I have to get ready for, so I will be packing up my portable studio next week in anticipation for the long trip. Sadie is still healing nicely, and we went for our usual walk around the block today. She should be in fighting form for the trip, and I am anxious to give her a much needed bath before she meets the rest of our family.  She still has the yellow all over her belly from the operation, so she gets a few looks when I take her outside.

All of this walking must be good for me, as I am having no trouble getting to sleep these past few days.  For the last year, I have had a huge problem going to sleep, but the exercise lately seems to have jump started me back to a normal sleeping pattern. I am finding that a good routine, or starting my day out with a defined purpose really helps keep me healthier.  Sadie is really instrumental in getting me on a good routine.

I am working at the gallery today and look forward to seeing who comes in. I love working there...always interesting and the people I meet make it worth it. 

Bliss Necklace and a workable clasp...

Sadie bounced back from her surgery as most dogs do...yesterday she thought she felt great and most likely overdid it, since today she has been sleeping mostly in her crate.  Her incision looks good, though, and other then being a bit tired out, she is healing quite nicely.

Yesterday, I went furniture shopping with a great friend, and helped her spend loads of money on a new living room set-up. French country!  I can't wait to see what it looks like when she gets it finished...the Bordeaux leather couch and hand carved floral print chair looks wonderful and the accent chair is comfortable to boot. 

I worked on the Bliss necklace on Friday, and finally came up with a good clasp that is still easy to hook and unhook, but it is more in line with the size of the 3 mm chain I am using. I had a commission to work on too...two necklaces with the word ASK on them...they will be finished on Monday. I also made another one that says "ABLE".  I like these for a change. They are a very simple design, but I am cramming a lot of texture on the pendants too. Bliss does not have a little gemstone on it yet...I wanted to wear the necklace all weekend to see how the clasp does...it never came off after showering, sleeping and rough housing with it...so I feel comfortable now selling them. BLISS needs to go back into the tumbler for an hour or so, and I may put it up for sale at Etsy this week. 

Other then that...all is well. I am hoping to show more work this week I made several new pair of earrings too this week, but they are awaiting a liver of sulfur bath and polishing.

Dog Mother

LOL...

I have been living in the same building now for 8 months. All of a sudden, people that I have never spoken to are addressing me as "Sadie's Mother".....evidently she gets around when I am at the studio.

Shayne works from home so he takes her for her mid-afternoon lunch walk. He and Sadie are getting to know the neighbors, as I guess many of them come home to walk their dogs too at lunch.

I was walking her for her "long walk" this evening and she came upon a Scottie dog.  As I was pulling her away from the encounter (Sadie is not "doggy socialized" and I am afraid her growls towards other dogs will turn into bites) the Scottie owner said, "Oh, they have already met, isn't that right Sadie?"

Huh...now I see why parents of children have so many friends!

On Friday, Sadie goes to the Vet...for the operation.  On my last post, I spelled spayed incorrectly (spade)...thanks Mom for the correction.  I have not had a dog in over 20 years...this is all a bit new to me.

I was in the studio today and finally (gasp) came up with a clasp that seems to work really well with my new necklaces. I will photograph it tomorrow and see what you all think...it is quite a bit smaller and it is a hook and eye clasp...but it seems to be more in proportion and it stays on better. The "Yes" necklace had a smaller chain (2 mm) and this new chain is 3 mm.  It really does make a huge difference, that little millimeter!

Otherwise,,,,I am adjusting to having the dog...and the dog duties....and the dog toys scattered everywhere.  She likes to suckle one particular toy and knead my stomach like a puppy nursing at night. That is very sweet, but a little weird.  We are getting used to each other slowly...tonight I caught her trying to snag a piece of my dinner and I told her "No!"...she slunk off to her crate and hid...I tried hard not to laugh...I guess she has been told "NO!" a few times!

Welcome to the family, Sadie Florer

I have a dog.

A 2 year old poodle princess by the name of Sadie. Her given name was Sassy....just couldn't do that, though.  Shayne refused to yell out, "Sassy!", when pee duty is undertaken.  So, her name is Sadie...much more dignified, don't you think?

We got her in Jacksboro, TN. The result of a strange turn of events, but no matter...we love her and she loves her new family.  My dad was 'given' this dog a few days ago because the owners were unable to care for her properly.  She still has to get spayed, and get up to date on her shots, but otherwise, she is very healthy.  She is just coming out of her heat cycle and the vet wants to make sure she is not with puppies before we get her spade and have her shots updated.

So, without further ado...this is Sadie....cute, isn't she?

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I went to the studio today and produced a few pair of earrings and I am working on a new clasp idea. The other clasp on the "Yes" necklace is a little too heavy for the chain, so I am trying to come up with a new one...grrrrr......

Yes Necklace and Tobi the Wonder Dog...

I got up early this morning and took my camera downstairs to take some recent pictures of what I was up to yesterday and Monday in the studio.

But first, look at this little face that I visit  with every day....

That is Tobi the Wonderdog...and he is a whopping 16 weeks old.  I have been going down to our landlord's office every day now for the last 8 weeks to visit with this little guy...and what do I get for it? Pee on my shoes. Yes...he gets so revved up when I visit him that I am known as the "lady Tobi pee's on" now in the neighborhood. I guess I am a roving fire hydrant in his eyes...anyway, this little fella makes me smile and laugh everyday, so I think it is worth a little puppy pee...

I have been working on some necklace ideas this week and I made some more earrings as well.  I ordered a lot of chain from Monsterslayer, and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival. In the meantime, I did get 18 inches of 2 mm sterling silver oxidized chain from a local bead store, and I have been messing around with it this week, trying to figure out my strategy for necklaces.

One of my favorite blogs ever, Gluten-Free Girl, has inspired me to make a necklace with the word YES on it...Shauna has YES tattooed on her wrist as a reminder to think positive and grasp wth both hands what the world has to offer on any given day. I have often thought about what my life would be like if I said YES to every opportunity or invitiation that I recieved instead of finding an excuse not to expand my experiences a bit...so, I decided to make myself a necklace instead of getting a tatoo to remind myself of the possibilities of a YES life instead of a Maybe or NO life...Here is the new necklace...

Shayne is not too happy with the clasp...but I like this clasp as it is easy to get on and off. As long as the hook is facing upward on the wearer's neck, it won't come off...I wore this all day yesterday, and the clasp did not slip down around the bottom of my neck either...since my hair is now shorter, I thought I would put a pretty little stone at the clasp too...adds a little interest at the back of my neck that I think is becoming.  (I first saw this idea in the Sundance Jewelry Catalog).  Anyway, I will be working out some more things with the necklaces as time goes on...much simpler then the big, chunky necklaces that I used to do.

My jewelry is heading in the direction of "wear it most everyday" instead of "with a certain outfit" thinking. Yesterday, my studio mate and I were discussing necklace and bracelet design ideas regarding this direction.  I want to go back to doing some interesting wire pendants too.

Here are some earrings that I made this week too...This particular style of sterling silver disc and wrapped pearl seems to sell really well, so I made 3 pairs. Two will be going to the gallery and one will be on my Etsy site.

Each pair has a different pattern on the discs...I really like the JOY ones though!

The following earrings are going on my Etsy site too...hoops, copper discs, and my layered sterling silver earrings...

Thank you for looking today...and have a great Wednesday!!!!

Back to work at the studio...

Today was great.

For the first time in 3 weeks, I had a normal production day at the studio. The electricity leaves a bit to be desired, but they are working on it and for the most part, it was up today.
I spent 2 hours cleaning up the studio, organizing and sorting and rearranging....then I sat down at my bench and cranked out 5 pairs of earrings. I even came up with a new idea, and tried it out on a piece of scrap metal. I am sort of sewing with wire on a pair of earrings. When I get the details worked out- like how to finish off the weaver wire, I will post of photo of it.

It felt good to be back in the saddle again! No back pain, no balance problems, just feeling well and making jewelry. I feel very blessed today.  And I am glad so many of you liked my CSA share post. I could go on and on about how neat it is...(as she sits munching on a tomato with juice dribbling down her shirt and mixing with the blue Gatorade she drank like a slob in the studio).

Shayne looked at me wondering what was up with the blue mustache when I walked into the house this afternoon.

I told him I was thirsty and I had been playing all day.

 

I love summer!

Sequatchie Cove CSA Share, Chattanooga TN

This is what I am usually doing every Saturday morning...Shayne and I get up and have our hot coffee, then we head over to Greenlife Grocery, where we meet Pete at the back of the CSA truck and pick up our box of organic produce.  Today, we picked up squash, zucchini, blueberries, lettuce, 3 different kinds of tomatoes, Swiss Chard, mushrooms, onions, garlic, Edamame (soybeans), okra, cucumbers and 3 varieties of potatoes.

We paid $800.00 at the beginning of the year for 30 weeks worth of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. That works out to about $27.00 per week for all of this produce. I can't even imagine how much all of this, organic, would cost at the grocery store. Surely a lot more then $27.00. We have 10 big, ripe and beautiful tomatoes to eat as well as the little orange sweets that you pop into your mouth like candy.  This is hands down one of the best things we have done since we have lived here in Chattanooga.  We eat vegetables at almost every meal, 7 days a week and we still have some left over by the next Saturday.  Our food bill does not go up with inflation either.

Since I have been reading in the paper the difficulty that the government has had in identifying what has made so many people sick this year due to Salmonella poisoning, I am resting easy confident that I know exactly where my food comes from. All of this is grown 30 minutes from my door. We have also started buying our meat from a local producer too...we can't buy as much as we used to, but we are eating fantastic chicken, pork and beef at most meals for around $60.00 every two weeks. 

We supplement our diet with milk, eggs and tea from the store. But the rest of the week, we eat what is currently growing in the garden. We get new stuff every week, and we have been getting a purple variety of potato that is delicious.  We also get fresh herbs weekly from the CSA. This week we got parsley and two different types of basil.

I know I have posted about CSA's before, but today, I thought I would show a picture of the amount we get...

Yummy!!!

For more info on a CSA near you, click here.

Hope you are having a fantastic weekend. Here in Chat it has been cool and overcast. Perfect weekend walking weather....

Using Sterling Silver Chain

I found a great place to purchase some sterling silver chain and in order to get the best deal, I had to order 1200 inches of it! Yikes! I hope I like it since I have enough now to make about 88 necklaces at 18 inches each.

Tammy at Tammy's Treasure Chest was very helpful in steering me to Monsterslayer. I liked the chains that they had, as they were oxidized and that was one step less that I would have to undergo to get the chains to match the pendants that I want to make.  Here are the chains I bought:

These are both around 3-4 mm in width. I ran over to a local bead shop that is very expensive and bought about 18 inches of a chain that was 2 mm and just like the bottom picture. So that gave me a benchmark to use as I ordered it online.  I am really excited to make different bracelets too...and maybe some earrings if the chain is not too big. I considered getting chains that were already equipped with clasps, but I decided I wanted to make my own clasps instead, and I have a lot more design options by going with the bulk chain. 

I didn't really find too much information on the Internet regarding using chain in your own designs, especially for the type of jewelry that I make. I have been playing around with sheet metal pendants that are similar in style to my sheet metal earrings so I can sell a necklace with some earrings as a semi-set. I don't like matchy matchy sets, but I think a necklace and pair of earrings and maybe a bracelet made with similar components and the same sort of look might go over big. I have been asked by many people to do this...so I am hoping with my 1200 inches of new chain I can accommodate them!

Yesterday, I went back to the physician for balance problems. My ear is still not looking great, and now I am experiencing dizzyness and balance issues that are most severe upon waking up.  I am now on a decongestant to try and clear up my ear, but this issue has been going on now for 3 weeks. I am so ready for it to go away!  In metaphysical terms, this illness has a lot to do with not listening to my inner self.  Which makes sense as I have not meditated as often as I would like to due to my lower back still giving me fits. This last three weeks has taught me to slow down and reassess some areas of my life, not to mention all the time I have spent at home with Shayne. We have had some interesting discussions about what we want out of life, and where we want to have that life.  Right now, we are seriously discussing getting a new puppy, a toy poodle. I found an excellent website discussing what to consider, My Smart Puppy. I think we are in a good place now to have a dog, a new family member!  Anyway, I will keep you all posted on how this decision ultimately plays out.

All in all, things are getting better. I hope to have electricity back on in my studio today. We drove by the building last night on our way home from Art-A-Ma-Jig, and EPB (electrical company) was out in full force on the street where my building is. I hope the water has dried up enough for the electricians to do whatever it is they do to make the electricity come back on.  I tried to work a bit from home yesterday, but I didn't bring all that I needed and it was just not a good work area. So, today, I am banking on getting back to to my studio and getting back to my routine. I like routine. I am ready for my routine!!!! Thank you to all of you that sent well wishes and thoughts this way about my studio mate's dog...she is having a difficult time of it...and I worry about her. Time is the only healer now...