Till the cows come home...

Or get names. Which ever comes first. I have to say there were some truely cute names posted and I wanted to thank everyone for putting their two cents in! Of course anything with belle or bella is going to get my attention but SummersStudio's "Moorice", I think, fit the bill. It didn't really hit me that the cow was a he, but I really do think it's a he! Send me an email with your mailing address (to gaea (at) gaea (dot) cc) and I'll get a goodie out to you! Thanks everyone! I just love a contest!

Guess who?!??!!!

It just kills me to sit on these things. I sent these things out about a bazillion years ago and then one day... plop! It arrives in the mail! The latest Stringing Magazine! And four of the items I sent in were selected. They don't tell you which ones they just say 3 of this 1 of that not saying which. So if you sent in 10 things it's a nice surprise! I won't spoil it if you haven't received your issue yet. Just check out the earring designs page and the bracelet designs page. OH! Maybe I should make it a contest. Now don't cheat and go looking at the back of the magazine to see who is who.... I have 3 pairs of earrings and 1 bracelet and the first person to correctly guess which ones are my designs (by listing the correct numbers) will get a gift! Good luck!

Ring Around The Rosie

This was a special request. They liked the Day of the Dead Queen necklace only with out the skulls! So here is the necklace that I made. Sweet!

Mooory Christmas...

Ok. It's not that clever but I think this button/pendant came out very cute. After naming the squirrel Clover, I'm thinking that would have been a perfect name for a cow. Any thoughts on a name? Of course your efforts will be rewarded and your name entered in a giveaway! Leave a comment by Tuesday and you will be entered in the drawing!







This is the perfect time to slow down, hang with the family and create some fancy newness! Maybe even finish up some loose ends....

I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday! I personally can't see Elf enough! I'm on my 4 viewing!

Aw Shucks!

I've been a Green Girl Studios "Super Fan" for years! And have been enjoying Cynthia Thornton's blog as well. You may even remember when Joelle and I were star struck at the Green Girl Studios bead booth last August. If you've been following her blog you may have been following the progress of the jewelry book she is creating. Last week she asked for help with the title and being the "Super Fan" that I am, as well as many others, threw in our two cents... her work is mystical, magical and truly inspired. We all seemed to be dancing around titles with similar words, mystical, magical, enchanted, adornments... my two cents were Enchanted Adornments! Thus the title of her soon to be published book... Enchanted Adornments: Creating Mixed-Media Jewelry with Metal Clay, Wire, Resin, and More. The last part was from her multi talented brother Andrew (read his blog here). They are quite the talent pool and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Tip toe...

Yep. Tulips. And yes, I've seen Tiny Tim live in concert. But that was a long time ago. Today is about this tulip necklace. A gift for my customers mother. Her fathers favorite flower was the tulip. I hope she enjoys it. I enjoyed making it. Tip toe on...

Happy Friday all!

Another step on the "Journey"

A few of the necklaces that were made, I made a total of seven, had crosses on them. I'm not a religious gal and was glad that my "t" worked out well as a cross. The Earthenwood bird charm was perfect for this as I was told that the recipient of this necklace loves turquoise and purple. Me too! It also had moonstone, labradorite (yum), chalcelony (DOUBLE YUM) and ceramic heart and round beads!

I've been working my way up to finishing the Art/Jewelry Exchange necklace... but not before my holiday shipping rolls out this afternoon!

foresty cuteness!

Check out Lorelei's Blog and the oh so cute mushroom necklace she made with our mushroom pendant! She makes me see my pendants in a whole new way!

Journey Necklaces

I had ordered/traded with Lynn Davis, some beads for some of her metal magic in the form of rings.



I was asked to create sets of necklaces and earrings for Sherry and the girls in her life, the journey necklaces. This one felt really special to me. Something about the wing and the tulip. There are chalcedony drops, ruby beads, opal, labradorite and moonstone beads as well as Lynn's magic ring....

This Girl Is Cookin'!

This is my dear friend Jenny. She is a down to earth glamour puss if ever I did meet one! Check out her cooking demo!

Bracelets: Less is more...

I've been selling on Sunday's at the "Made In Ojai" store here in town (you heard me Joelle, town ; )) and made a mess of these simple chain and bead bracelets. Some have beads that dangle and some are the focal. Some have multi chains in different styles of chain. It is such a simple design but really wearable. I really like the necklace I made to go with them. Just chain and bead. Easy!

Me, Only Craftier

Check out this lovely mention and mini interview at Crafty Hangover! Clever blog name, no?!

Winners and winners by association

Check out Heather Powers wonderful necklace. It won second prize in the heart category in the BeadStar design contest. Click here to read a bit more about it on Heathers blog. I feel a bit like a winner as well... that's my infinite love pendant right in front! That wonderful key with the glass bead is from The Venerable Bead check out her etsy shop! I had entered into the contest as well. Here is what I submitted but was not accepted...

Really? 14 days?

Can you believe it? It's just too quick. Have you gotten all of your shopping done? Me either. Actually, I've not gotten my gift making done yet. Every year is a new ornament. Last year was birds in frames. The year before was leaves and birds. This year... I'm not quite sure yet but I'd better step on it!

About those wooden beads...

Thanks for everyone chiming in! I drew a random # and the winner is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

7
Timestamp: 2008-12-10 17:11:51 UTC

OMG! Lucky # 7! I hope Nancy isn't using up all her good giveaway luck on us! Hey Nancy! I should have your address from last time and will send out another goodie!

About those wooden beads...

I found this $2 wooden bead necklace at a thrift store in town and have had the grandest time with it. I made this....



and this...



Maybe a bracelet would be fetching too?

Where have you found some great beading finds? Leave us some bread crumbs in the comment box and I may have to send out a few goodies to a random name, drawn on Monday!

Funky Owl Necklace

This necklace has had quite the controversy going. It was made for Joelle, a gift of thanks for just being the great gal that she is. I showed it to my family around the Thanksgiving table and it was almost all out war. Did it look like an owl? Was the design lopsided? Was it kind of long? Tears were shed and voices were raised. Seriously? It's a necklace. I think my family has post traumatic stress disorder over last months elections. Sore losers (insert raspberry here). At any rate, Joelle apparently loves the owl necklace. Nuf said. Goal reached. I got the big wooden daisy bead from Lorelei's bead pod shop on etsy and the oval shaped bead with circles is a ceramic gem from Golem Studio. I die! (Is it too soon to be in total withdrawal over the Rachel Zoe Project?) The owl (or as was debated over Thanksgiving, lion?) and the ceramic daisy are mine. The copper tone big link chain is a favorite that I hadn't gotten to play with yet. Me likey!

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!!!!

Oh My Gosh! I've been waiting for ages and it's here! The project I submitted to Belle Armoire Jewelry just about an eternity ago arrived in my mail box! It is an exquisite magazine, published quarterly. The kind with the really thick pages and beautiful projects and photography.... They are constantly looking for projects, so get up off of that thang!

More "Feeling The Love"

And today was a package from Andrew Thornton! A wonderful assortment of treats as well as his one of a kind work of art. It has a Daliesque quality that I am loving! Check out Andrews blog it is chock full of fun and amazing places and jewelry. So, a big "thank you!" to Andrew!

Feeling the love...

The post office held many a treat this weekend! Unfortunately I could only covet the little yellow delivery notification cards that were sitting in my tiny little P.O. box and wonder what was being held for me only a few feet away...

The one package that did fit and was delivered was from Lynn! I couldn't wait to get home to open it!!! It was filled with magical treasures! I could have gotten a bit fancier with the charm that I sent for her charm exchange... next time! Here is the amazing assortment...




Can you believe the sweet bag that Lynn made? So special! The treats inside were just as sweet! Thanks, Lynn for such a fun exchange! I can't wait to play with them!

Drip, Drop, Plop

This week went by (as most of them do) Way Too Fast! We took the kidlets to see Bolt. I have to admit that the ad's did not have me jumping up and down to see it. But I was very surprised. It was very cute and has a great message. It had great laughs and a few teary moments. Loved it. As we were watching the end credits, which are more and more becoming part of the movie which I love, who's name should appear but John Lasseter! We should have known! Is there anything that guy can't do well? And if you happen to catch the trailer for UP that looks super cute too! We couldn't be bigger Pixar fans.

So here are a few things from the last firing...
Drops...


I had found this wooden bead necklace a while back for $2 bucks at a thrift store. Stay tuned to see it in a new incarnation!

I Blinked!

And just like that, Friday went by! I wanted to post a picture Clover with the winners name....

From random.org...

Here are your random numbers:

2
Timestamp: 2008-11-22 18:40:54 UTC

Congrats to Round Rabbit! Just send your address to gaea at ojai dot net and I'll send you a squirrelish goody!

Art/Jewelry Exchange.... Just a little more time...

It is almost time for the long awaited reveal (much too long in my opinion!) It has traveled far and is now home. I will put the finishing touches on it and post some pictures soon. The above image shows how the last artist, Stef made her additions (Thank you Stef!) You can check out her blog post here! It all started last June on this post Just thought you might wonder what the heck had happened to it... I think it is looking grand!

All wound up!

I've been a wire wrapping fiend! No blister nor finger cuts will keep me from tirelessly wrapping wire. I'm on a roll! (pun intended) I'm nearly finished with my monthly firing and can not wait to see the new pendants and beads that will be in that firing. Yup. must wrap wire. I'm not doing very well in the listening to that little voice that says work first, fun later.....

Strange. I don't remember moving to India?

Occasionally I do a google image search just to see where my images pop up. Sometimes they pop up in the strangest places...

I don't remember moving to India or having my items bought by this company...

http://pinnacleexport.com/neckleses1.htm

and yet here are images that I took of my jewelry and beads on this website. I emailed them to remove them. They have not responded. It is a long distance call, but I'm considering making it. I would love to hear what they have to say. It just goes to show you have no idea what happens when you "put it out there".

Squeak, Squeakity Squeekin...

Did you know we speak squirrel? It may say November on the calendar, but it feels like freakin' summer! It was in the mid 90's this week and dry as all get up. Even with this weather I am in a fall state of mind. And for some reason squirrels say "Fall" to me. With all of their gathering of acorns and adorableness it is hard not to be in love with them. From our kitchen window we watch them chatter and scurry, chasing each other sometimes four or five at a time, sometimes startling us when they run across the roof. My son decided this squirrel's name should be "Clover". So cute and fitting. We have a friend Clover so it is a good fit. Although "she" is starting to look more like a "he" to me, with the hat and flower and all. This will need some consideration.





I think it is fun to see the drawing come to life. She looks a bit different but not too much. I am racing to get her done so I can put her and some of her squirrelish accessories in this months firing...

What reminds you of Fall? Leave a comment by next Friday and I may have a squirrel friend to send you!

This Mama Could Rule The World!

There are many thing we can not control in this world. Kids are one of them. It's not so much that I want to "control" my kids, as much as I would like to help them make good choices. Vegetables. Let's just say as an infant they were a big part of my sons diet. Organic vegetables. Nothing from a can. Nothing from a jar. Hand milled fresh and delicious. I'm not sure when or how it happened but they disappeared from his diet. Fruits? No problem. But not a vegetable for him in literally years. I've taken to giving him fruit and vegetable blend juices. Sneaking them into my pumpkin, zuccini, carrot "cake". So it isn't like he never has them, but more like, he doesn't know he's having them. The vomiting that ensues after eating just one raw tiny baby carrot is just too much. I've tried to let him pick his veggies. Not even sweet juicy corn can tempt him. Nope. Vomit. As the years have passed I've told my self, "Just be patient. He will grow out of it. He is healthy." Well today was the day. I said "Eat these six cooked carrots and you don't have to go to school tomorrow!" His reaction was excited and quick! "Really Mom! No school?" And guess what? He did it. No fuss, no muss. Veggies eaten. Please don't tell him tomorrow is Sunday.

Sweet Hearts...

This is an ornament that has been a back burner project for FOREVER. Geeez! Our dear friend Dean had thrown the idea of a hippo sculpture at me a while back. Finding it difficult to think about an actual "sculpture" was a challenge and I couldn't pull myself out of my jewelry freak mode to actually sculpt a free standing figure, which I am sure was what he was hoping for. This is how the "Bella" pendant came to be. Any chance I get to create something girly I jump on. His cutie-pa-tootie is getting to be such a big girl and I love things for the little ones so of course there had to be a wall hanging for her. This is the Sweet Heart ornament and it literally has her name on it!



It is now hanging above her bed in their new house. Dean tells me that many of the ornaments from years past are hanging in their house, which I find sweet and comforting. We have many an image and musical reminders of them as well. It is nice to know we are thinking about each other even if we don't get to visit nearly as often as life would let us. Friends. What would we do with out our sweetest hearts around us...

The BIG 200! Metal ROCKS!

It has been 200 posts! I can't believe how time flies! When I wrote my first post a year ago in June, I did not realize what fun I would be having. It is nice to look back and see what was going on over a year ago. How big my kids have gotten. How much work was done. All the lovely comments friends left. Thanks! This month is all about thanks. I sent some charms off to Lynn Davis for a charm swap she is hosting. Incredibly, she made some beautiful bags for the charms to be sent out in. Check them out! I will post a picture when they arrive! I'm sure I'll be doing a little happy dance when they do! Also, I got some very special somethings in the mail yesterday! Check this out...





Could their bohemian heart pendant and packaging be any cooler? Check out the Zoa Art blog. Great artists!



And then these arrived too!!! YIPPIE!!!! So much metal. So little time! Aren't these rings awesome? Thank you Lynn!

"Don't go into the light!!!"

Or my other funny title "WELCOME TO THE THUNDERDOME!!!! Three designers enter! One designer leaves!" Ok! Enough with the humor! There is jewelry to be designed!

Heather of Humblebeads sent some of her amazing beads out to me and to jewelry designer Lorelei with a design challenge, and I sent some pendants out to Heather and Lorelei. The rules were simple, create jewelry using at least one of each artist beads in each design. I myself noticed right off that I should have sent out a few smaller round beads, as the pendants were too big to make earrings. This mistake limited my designs to necklaces or bracelets. Doh! I had some really fun ideas for Heather beads and was really drawn to her color palate of warm rich reds, golds and creamy whites. Her beads were inspired by this painting by John Singer Sargent...



Oddly, I'd created the Lucky Lantern pendants a wile back but had never seen the painting. After seeing it I applied glaze in a way that would make the lantern pendants look like they were glowing with light. I would have loved to add a bit of black to the top and bottom of the pendant too but worried that it would bleed into the "paper" area. But the black would have made them even more like the painting.

Heather's oval floral bead has a beautiful blue color and I'd purchased some beautiful Iolite round beads last August that matched perfectly! I wasn't sure how I was going to use them when I purchased them... Serendipity!

Check out Heather's Humblebeads Blog and Lorelei's Blog to see what they did in this challenge!

The beads we all received...



The jewelry I made...

Woven Treasures

A while back I'd left a comment on the Cicada Daydream blog and won some of her amazing fabrics! The two selections of fabrics, "Wild Mushrooms" and "Pussywillow" are both from her Earthly Delights Collection of fabrics which is so sweet and adorable! I loathe the thought of actually cutting into this amazing fabric! What is a fabric junkie such as myself to do? I've been collect pebble cloth from the 40's and 50's and LOVE the Alexander Henry line of fabrics. How cute do my buttons look with these fabrics?!?

Happy Election Day! GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

P.S. It's almost over Joelle! XOXO

Rain, rain, come again....

I really do LOVE the rain (even if my alter ego "Zombie Mama" doesn't!) and it did a fair bit of raining over the weekend. It was great because it actually felt like FALL (Yippie a sweater!) and we desperately need the rain too! The smell was unreal! That sweet, green, rain smell! BEAUTIFUL!



I had quite a few buttons come out of the last firing. I just love their simple shape and colors. Being a fabric junkie, I have a rather large collection of mostly old pebble cloth from the 40's. I need to make something that involves the buttons and fabric, Hmmm....

Ok! I'm off to play with beads and organize my next firing list!
Happy almost election day all!

Zombie Mama Hate Rain!

I was, of course, horror stricken for my little ones to discover it had started raining over night. My first though was "Oh, they will be so disappointed about rain on Halloween!" Much to my surprise my big boy didn't seem to be too bothered by it. Dad and the kids decorated the front yard with our usual tombstones, witch, skeleton, and this years new addition, a ghost! Just by shear luck we had set up our display under the eve of the roof. I hope this keeps the rain from destroying our ghoulish set! For weeks, I have been "ZOMBIE MAMA"! I will chase anyone who gets close to me, droning "Zombie Mama need food!" and "Zombie Mama eat baby!" They run and squeal and I catch them eventually making loud gnawing sounds on their belly's and arm's, as they squeal in delight! Aside from our serious anticipation of Halloween, I've been working out a few designs. The little "Oooot" owl had me entranced and no other beads seem to be good enough to go with her. Hmm.... I think she's fetching!



Have a spooky, fun Halloween!

A favorite necklace... Journeys on....

I did this necklace a few months ago. I get happy comments on it all the time. I've been calling it the Journey Necklace. A new friend I met at Ojai Day decided that It would be perfect as gifts for all the girls in her life this holiday season and I'm lucky enough to create Journey Necklaces for them. She gave me information about where they were in their life and what colors and interests they had. It will be fun and challenging to turn her information into art on a string. The Earthenwood Studio blue bird is one of my favorites! And pounding the silver wire is great for stress. I can't wait and will post pics when I'm done!

I'm Such A TEASE!

OK! I've sent a few items out to various magazines....
I can't show them in full but thought I would tease with a few items that were mailed out months ago and will be published in a few months. But some things will not be seen until next Summer! It is so hard to wait!

It was an early morning..

And a most beautiful one at that! I couldn't believe the colors of the sky. I was up at 6 to get to Ojai Day by 7. It was fairly dark as I pulled out of the driveway and headed into town but the sky was MAGNIFICENT! A perfect sunrise. Pink and orange sky with dark gray and fluffy clouds. The mountains looked purple. I captured a few images with my cell phone but can't figure how to get them off of there (I don't have the fancy service so I'm S.O.L on that one I guess!) I was busy the entire day and couldn't have asked for more wonderful customers. I saw quite a few folks sporting Obama shirts and buttons questioning whether or not this or that pendant clashed with their shirt? I didn't think anything could! Many kids came up to have necklaces made. They are such joyful and enthusiastic designers and I marveled at their designs. They were so patient waiting their turn and saying their pleases' and thank yous. Ojai is such a great town and friends are around every corner. I hadn't seen my friend Jaymie in ages and ran into her and her two gorgeous boys. Her etsy shop Wooly Good Fun, has the most adorable furry creations ever! I got to be her first etsy customer! I am a huge fan of her work and I just know there will be MANY more for her!


This one is mine! I love her!