Late Night Blogging

What a day! I finished up a bunch of jewelry for one of the galleries today. I am really looking forward to delivering it tomorrow.

This image is a bit blurry, but you get the idea. This is all going to Seasons on St Croix Gallery tomorrow in Hudson, WI.

I am sick AGAIN. What's up with that??? My mom is just getting over H1N1, luckily I don't have that. I just have a mild stomach flu. Just enough to keep me in bed half the day. However, I really can't complain that much. It's been cold and rainy; perfect cuddling-up-with-a-book weather. I picked up Twilight Saga: New Moon this morning. I need to get re-aquainted with the story since the movie is coming out next month (whoopeee!). I LOVE the Twilight books. I've read all but the second one at least twice. Yea, I'm one of "those" fans : ) New Moon isn't my favorite one...what's the point when Edward's not around, right? As much as I hope I can go to work tomorrow, I wouldn't mind another morning reading session! Actually, I really want to go back to work. I want to feel "human" again. You know - regular clothes, make-up, cute hair, and of course jewelry. I am getting tired of frumpy sweats. I am babbling now. Time to go to bed. Night.

Moved the Studio.......Again.

This weekend was absolutely nuts! It started Friday with me, Mike, and my dad moving my mom's office to a room upstairs. She has some pretty heavy and awkward furniture so it was very taxing work. But it was well worth it for many reasons. Her new space is very nice, it's like her stuff was made for the room. Another reason is because I got to take over her old office space to use as my studio!!! I really needed a better work space for my growing business. It is so nice to have all of my work stations in the same room again. And I have more room for organization, which I LOVE. I also have a nice, professional place for customers to come as well. It's good all around!

This is a before shot of my mom's office:
And here's the after, now my studio:
Ta Da!


I have lots of space for working now with all of my stones/supplies in easy reach. I still need to organize all of my stuff on the shelves above my tables. And I need some lighting. Ikea has great lighting solutions, I can't wait to go.

Again, I am in need of some lighting. My bench is a mess from my projects today. I made a couple of orders I received yesterday. I also played around with some new supplies. I turned an old plain hammered band into a rustic masterpiece! Well, maybe "masterpiece" is stretching it a little, but I do like the ring WAY more now. We'll see how long that love lasts. I tire of some things easily. It's in the tumbler at the moment...I'll see if it's shiny enough to take out...hold on a sec...
Good enough for now. I really like this ring! Well, I've gotta get going. Have a good night!

October...really???

This October has been unseasonably rainy, snowy and cold. I actually don't mind, this time of year I'm ready for sweaters and thick socks. However, it does make it hard when you have a puppy who doesn't like it when it's cold and wet. Some days it's like pulling teeth to get him to go potty!

I had the ultimate disappointment this afternoon. I FINALLY found some supplies I've been looking for for a long time online. And I FINALLY found a company that has them is stock. I was hoping the order would arrive today in the mail, but it didn't. Bummer. There's always tomorrow (that's why I love when I can order USPS... they deliver Saturdays!). I really think it will be here tomorrow.

Studio news: tonight and tomorrow I will be helping my mom move some furniture around upstairs so that she can move her office up there. I then will get her old office space to use as my studio. THANK YOU MOM! I have had one 4' by 2' table to do all of my finishing work, packaging, storage, and all other business related work; it has been miserable and messy. But now I will have an entire space where I will have lots of room to work. Plus I'll be able to move my bench in from the garage. All of my tools are covered with dust and who-knows-what from my dad's projects. It will be a chore to clean everything up. We were going to convert the gardening shed into my studio this Fall, but I decided that it would end up costing too much when all is said and done. So that will probably be a project for the Spring (unless I really like having my space in the house, we'll see). Anyway, I cannot wait to have my new studio space all set up!

I am finally finished with all the custom orders from my sister's jewelry party a couple weeks ago. This is the last piece, it's all packaged up and ready to go to the post office. Now I can focus on making a bunch of jewelry for the galleries before the 30th. This has been my biggest month for sales yet for my little business!!! I am so excited about that, and to think it's only October. We still have all of the Holiday shopping yet to come. My fingers are crossed for a strong finish to the year.

I had some questionable reconstituted metal clay and decided to see how far I could push it. I got a lovely paisley stamp while in Chicago and made this HUGE pendant out of a part of it. The clay fired up good and strong so now I have to figure out what to do with this sucker! It's 2" by 1-1/2" and I think I want it to be a pendant. I considered making it into a cuff, but I'm not in love with that idea. I LOVE PAISLEY and am very excited to play around with some designs. I am drawing blank today so it'll just have to sit on my bench as is until lightening strikes. Any ideas???

Well, I'm going to go have a brainstorming session with my sketchbook, a fleece blanket and some hot chocolate. I love it when I can get all cozied up on cold days like this. I am looking forward to a quiet movie night with my love!

Carpenter's Nature Center

I don't work Fridays (whoohoo!) so this morning I took Amos to walk around Carpenter's Nature Center. I have fond memories of taking field trips here when I was in grade/middle school. But it was my sister who got me addicted to it as an adult. She comes here to walk around whenever chance allows. It is a beautiful and scenic place as well as a nature research center. I am lucky to live about 5 minutes away! Enjoy the photos!

I love these old, gnarled looking trees. There is a forest of them along one of the grass paths. They remind me of that scene in Wizard of Oz when they are in the apple orchard and the trees come to life. They look like they could be grumpy don't they!

Amos loved his first time at CNC! There was so much for him to sniff out. He was happy to be given a lot of slack to explore. He was very patient with all of my stopping to take pictures.

One of the scenic river overlooks. This is the beautiful St Croix river. If you look close you can see a black thing perched on one of the bare branches. This was a bald eagle, which I assume was patiently waiting for breakfast to come along. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of it.

I am always drawn to pictures of wooded pathways. I love this path at CNC because it is paved yet bumpy. It curves and meanders through the woods. And all of the cracks have bright green moss growing in them.

For some reason I love moss!?! I just think it is beautiful in all of it's shades of green (my favorite color). Someday I am going to have a flagstone pathway that leads from our house to my studio that has tons of moss growing between the stones. Someday...

Moss grows on everything here! Look at the beautiful chartreuse color of this batch.

Another wooded pathway. This one leads down to the St. Croix river. I love how it's covered with fallen leaves.

We are teaching Amos not to pull while on his leash by stopping and turning around (eventually he stops pulling and then we move on). Well, this is what I saw on one of the (many) anti-pulling stops. I thought this was a beautiful scene. A lone little tree glowing bright oragney-red (the pic doesn't do the colors justice of course) among muted fall tones. It made me think of my favorite scripture: "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works which glorify your Father which is in Heaven" -Mathew 5:16. This little bush sure is letting it's light so shine!

We finished off our explorations with this group of beautiful trees. I wish the colors reproduced more true, but you get the point.

It was such a beautiful and inspiring morning. The crisp, cool fall air made my nose and fingers freezing cold but the beauty around me filled my soul. I always feel so alive and rejuvenated while surrounded by nature; it is therapeutic for me. I am so grateful I live in such a beautiful area of the country where I can experience the beauty and wonder of all of Mother Nature's seasons.

Enjoy your day...I know I will!