What I've been up to....

Celebrating

Loving

Being goofy

Coloring

Gardening

Sorry....

Hey everyone....sorry for the distinct lack of fascinating and captivating content (riiiight!) and awesome photography (HA!). My laptop is out of commission for the time being, until I get a replacement power cord. So, I can't really upload pictures or do any real writing like I want to until I can access my OWN computer (I'm using my husband's).

HOPEFULLY, the new cord should come in today or maybe tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed...I have a bunch of stuff to show you!

Until then, enjoy your day....and Happy Earth Day! And peace to you on this Good Friday.

(and it's also my birthday)

XO,

Christine

Muse-ic

From my torch session yesterday morning...

Storm

Sakura

Spring

Gypsy Rose

A good friend reminded me yesterday that sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. It is.

Bead Table Wednesday (and other stuff)

Ok, you guys. This is the first Wednesday I have had NOTHING on the agenda for the morning. I've been going to, or taking kids to, various doctor and other appointments every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the last, oh...four weeks? All necessary, but since my only free time is in the mornings when kids are in school, that's when I schedule all my stuff.

The good news is I got new contacts and avoided the dreaded bifocals for a while longer.

The crown on my broken molar is fixed and intact. Finally.

The test results were negative. (which is good)

My blood pressure is perfect.

Lingering (and annoying) problems are starting to look like they have solutions, finally.

All is right with the world.

SO, here is my contribution to BTW!!

The weather in Virginia has been glorious for the past few days, so I have taken my 'work table' outside to my deck. All the better to bask in the warm spring sun, and watch the kids play in the yard! The bonus is that the arms of my Adirondack chairs are wide enough to hold my pliers while I work, so everything is right at hand.

This is my tray that I work on. There are any number of potential projects, in-process projects, and fiddly bits I'm playing with on this tray. As you can see, I am still in love with copper, and plan for this to be a long-term relationship.

So there you go! Kinda boring, I know, but that's what I have been up to lately.

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I've been sort of a slacker about jewelry-making lately. I've made a few pieces here and there, but haven't been able to muster up the enthusiasm for really going nuts and getting my work out there. Truth is, I'm sometimes slightly envious of other artists who seem to have lots of materials and supplies at their disposal, or who can go buy whatever it is they want to try out or work with. I can't afford to keep up with the latest trends in jewelry-making that involve new, cool supplies. I also know that everyone's situation is different, so there's nothing to be upset about. I don't need to keep up, I just need to do what I do best -- be myself. But I'm also having a very hard time focusing on just about anything lately. Lots of projects get started and then not finished, across all of my creative realms. I don't know why. Hopefully this will resolve soon enough. But in the meantime, I hope all of you are finding joy in your creative endeavors.

And the other stuff...

I wrote about the custom order I recently completed for a friend of mine, the Encircled neckalce and earrings. In addition to those pieces, I had also made some pendants for her. The pendants were to be gifts for friends of ours who were involved this past weekend in cooking a very large meal for a large medieval event in North Carolina. It was my pleasure, and a whole lot of fun, to create this assortment of food-related beads and turn them into pendants:

All in all, I made about fourteen or fifteen different items, including some loaves of bread that didn't quite have the look I was hoping for (and so are not pictured above).

My personal favorites were the beer mugs, of course, and the turkey.

My eldest daughter had suggested waffles with syrup, a few weeks ago when I had been stumped for other fun foods. They turned out to be another favorite for both of us, and I just might have to make more of those:

I didn't post about these pieces before because the event was held this past Saturday, and I didn't want to spoil any surprise in case any of the intended recipients were reading this! But, now that the event is done, I am anxious to hear how they were liked, and definitely interested to know which of my friends received which pendant!

I love making the food beads, and now I might have to make a series of necklaces or bracelets that are meal-themed. I can see a breakfast one: eggs, waffles, a coffee mug....and dinner: a turkey, veggies, a wine bottle. Fun!

Up next, some work for another friend's bridesmaids, and a Tiffany-style beaded bracelet for another friend. Maybe I'll own my kiln by the end of this year! ;)