June 30, 2008

It was almost like a real vacation!



We had quite the Weekend! Two! Count' em TWO birthday parties! Loads of fun treats (corn dogs, homemade marshmallows, and the CUTEST shark and Orca cupcakes ever! Maybe Joelle will post a pic on her blog?) and bouncy houses and great friends! Then in the evening we had a swim and Grandma Sandra's house and dinner. I was nice to splash and play. On Friday we saw the matinee showing of WALL•E. Very excellent! Those Pixar folks are magic!

Today is hot and we could use another dip! Test shots of my new project were the plan for today and I sent them off to be evaluated. I hope they pass muster.

We are thinking of taking a family vacation this year. Something we have never done with the kids. Usually our getaways B.C. (before children) consisted of camping trips or visits to San Francisco. We were thinking about San Diego and the zoo. I love the idea of travel but it is often overwhelming for me and doing it with the kids seems scary. We may just do a day trip to Universal Studios instead of renting a car and hotel for over night. We are not made of money and theme park tickets are pricey enough. Does anyone have any special travel tricks? How do you keep it in your budget? I have a special pendant with your name on it if we pick your name! Happy Monday all!

June 28, 2008

You don't have to tell me twice!

This from my home page on Yahoo!

Capricorn (12/22-1/19)
Try not to edit your behavior today -- so what if you raise a few eyebrows or get people gossiping? Embrace your inner eccentric and remind yourself that what other people think of you doesn't really matter. Trying to fit in all the time is not only exhausting, it limits your creativity and forces you to hide the most special parts of who you are. So let your freak flag fly -- wear your favorite holey socks or sing that song out loud. Ignore propriety -- and free yourself.

I think we all should!

Fly em' proud people! Happy Saturday!

..

June 27, 2008

Fantastic Friday!

Thanks for the good advice about keeping a full house under control! All my good "mommy tricks" seem to be MIA. Calder pulled Lorelei's name from the hat (I love giving them turn with this!) too bad I didn't think to do a drawing before I mailed a package out! So, congrats, Lorelei! You'll be getting another package soon!

On other news, I have been hemming and hawing for just about forever about submitting jewelry designs to magazines. I finally got my act together and did it this morning! And as luck would have it I had a project accepted by Step By Step Wire Jewelry! Now if I only knew what I would be getting myself into! It is quite a challenge! I need to take test photos and then photograph every step to be shown and write up instructions! Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in.... I am extremely excited though! So if any sage soul out there has any advice....

Aunt Kookie Cookie came out for a visit and glaze fest and had no idea how it really is with tantrum throwing 6 year olds. She got to see our big boy in action. On his behalf I have to say that It is job number one for them to get our parental attention. And they will fight tooth and nail to get it. I was being a bit selfish in my wanting "jewelry mommy time" and not jumping in the middle of the fray. With that being said, I did get the chance between battles to play with copper wire and heat. Look at how cool this copper is! RED! Bright red! It was purple when it camp out of the over!



Look at how cute Aunt Cookie is with her beautiful hydrangea's (special just for us!)

June 26, 2008

"Just keep swimming. Swimming. Swimming..."

"I WANT TO SWIM!"

I think Dory has it right. We have to keep swimming. So, on to the next thing. Greek gods and goddesses. I've been rolling this idea around for ages. Here are a few sketches. Let me know...


June 25, 2008

Jewelry/Art exchange. How to begin?


I have a little nugget started and will mail it off to Lorelei first. I thought I would go in blog post order. After Lorelei is finished It looks like Joelle then Mary, Jennifer, Norma, LLYYNN and Stef. Sound like a plan? I will post something today! I can't wait to see what happens!

June 24, 2008

Tuesday.

I'm procrastinating on the cleaning. Finding things like blogs to look and and etsy stuff to sigh over. I know that if I just clean the house I can welcome friends and enjoy a few well deserved hours of jewelry play time. It always feels so much better in a clean house. I did "manage" to find time to take photos of some other new pendants...



I often have things listed on my web site that I only have an idea for. These small round bird frames are one of those things. I had photos of other, larger square and round bird frames but not this very small 1" size. I have become enamoured with tiny.



These new customizable hearts had been on the drawing board since December or January. I'd hoped to debut them before valentines day. I guess I'm just early for next year. Yah! That's it!



This was supposed to be fired with the other Love Wish pendants.
Happy Tuesday all! Do something nice for yourself today!

June 23, 2008

Less is more.

I've been on a "less is more" kick for a while. It feels good to play with one idea at a time and let it gel for a while. I tend to get too many ideas going and then they collide. Earrings were a fun idea this weekend...




House cleaning was another idea that didn't come to pass! I thought maybe because it has cooled off a bit today I could get some house cleaning done! HA! HA! HA! Maybe someone (ANYONE?!) has a great tip for keeping a house with two kids under control? There maybe a shinny new pair of earrings in it for you this Friday if you leave comment? I'll post a winner Friday!

June 21, 2008

Is it hot enough for ya?

As I sit in front of my a/c trying to keep the 106 degree heat at bay I came across these fun clips of cool weather treats! Ok, Miss Joelle, this is for you!



And for the geek in all of us...



Do you think they come in decaf?

June 20, 2008

Introducing....

While he is "some pig!", I left it up to my Kidlet... He chose....



Thanks Melissa! Send an email with your address and I'll send out a goody ASAP!

Here are the other glazed Kidlet Critter charms...



I am sitting on pins an needles...

Just waiting to open the kiln! Only a few more hours! I think I will wait to post a winner for the "This little piggy" name giveaway until I see just how the little piggy turned out....

June 19, 2008

10 Questions With... Tina Frugoli!


"Denny's on Sunset" acrylic on wood, 48"x 48"


I have admired artist and friend Tina Frugoli for years! Her work is wonderful and thought it would be nice to know a bit more about her and her work...


A photo of Tina from a 2002 group art show.

1. What is your name, where do you live?

Tina Frugoli
Thousand Oaks, CA


2. When did you discover you were an artist?

I was very young; maybe 5 yrs old.



"Emily" acrylic on wood, 4'x 8' or 8'x 4'


3. Can you describe your art for us?

acrylic on canvas / bright colors / flat / abstract / size range 2 ft to 13 ft
My paintings are based on snapshots of everyday moments. I photograph these moments just as I see them. I don’t adjust the camera much to avoid or include details. For example, I take pictures while driving. Sometimes the inside of my car will be in the photo. The picture might include the rearview mirror, frame of the windshield and whatever caught my eye outside—like a street or gas station.
Initially I translate these snapshots into loose line drawings accentuating unusual composition and perspective. Enhancing and dramatizing characteristics of the environment makes the picture exciting to me. I strengthen lines and shapes that would normally fade out into the background. For example I love the lines where walls meet the ceiling in a corner, or where something is poking in or cut off by the edge of the frame. These elements really are there—but are often disregarded by our minds. I think our expectations and how we value certain forms determines what we see. Although my paintings are abstract, enhancing these “background” elements makes them more realistic to me.
I color in these line drawings using vibrant color fields. Bringing all the shapes onto one plane unites the elements; giving objects, figures, and shadows equal value. If there is a person in the painting I see that figure as simply another part of the landscape.
I’m mostly drawn to the aesthetics of a moment in time and space. I paint things I see from the perspective in which I see—like the view of the freeway, from my car, or my dad standing in his cluttered garage. These are not profound moments, or visually special images—they are just snapshots of an instant of time. I like to take a frozen moment and activate it—make it visually fun. Some pictures may be more exciting or may have more dynamic compositions, but to me any moment can be made
visually stimulating.



"David Block" acrylic on wood blocks H7.5" x W15" x D1.5"

4. Tell us a little about your creative process. Is there a jumping off point for you? Where does it begin?

I’m constantly seeing moments that I would like to paint, I have a notebook full of ideas for paintings and series of paintings, and I’ve got a stack of photos ready to paint. Some of the photos I shoot myself and others I get from friends. When I go to paint I like to have everything tidy and ready so all I do is blast the music and paint.

5. Can you tell us about your most current work and how you got there?

I like to paint ordinary moments—a lot of what I see is through a car window.
Right now I’m working on a series of images taken from inside cars while driving. I shoot these pictures really quickly, just hold up the camera in the direction of what interests me and click (I do this safely! –sometimes stopped at signals—sometimes I’m the passenger). The paintings I’m working on now include traffic, gas stations, bus stops, fast food joints. Some contain people as part of the landscape.


6. Describe yourself in one word...
ha!


7. What is important to you as an artist?

It’s important to have fun and do whatever I want!


8. Tell us a little about where you work?

I work in my barn. It’s big, I think that is why my paintings got so big. They grew like a goldfish in a big pond. Now I’m doing smaller paintings too—they’re easier to transport.



"Target" H48" x W48"

9. Who or what inspires you artistically?

I’m inspired by music, exploration and fun.

10. If you are stuck creatively, what do you do to get unstuck?

I don’t really get stuck. I keep moving, clean my barn, organize and blast the music.

Thanks Tina! Check out Tina's website for show updates!

June 18, 2008

Etsy shop giveaway!


Happy Summer! All orders of $20 or more on our etsy shop, placed 6/17/08 thru 6/24/08 will be entered in a drawing to win $20 gift certificate for our shop! We will email the winner and post it here on 6/26/08! Enjoy!

June 17, 2008

Jewelry/Art exchange.


I was floating around this afternoon and found this interesting blog did a "international moleskin sketch book exchange" where several artist mailed a moleskin (artist sketch book) around and did amazing drawings in it and then mailed it back to the originator. I was inspired by this blog and thought it sounded like a fun version of "exquisite corpse". I think it would be fun to do this with a piece of jewelry. So if anyone out there is interested let me know. We can all take turns "adding" to the piece, maybe a necklace or bracelet. When it is our turn we can take a photo of what the item looks like and then do our thing to it and send it on it's way to the next artist. They do the same and pass it on. Maybe 4 or 5 people? The final product maybe could be auctioned and proceeds donated to a charity? Any thoughts?

June 15, 2008

This little piggy...




This little piggy needs a name. I love to name things but though it would be a fun giveaway Monday topic. So this little piggy has obviously been to the tie market, I don't think he's had any roast beef... So. What would be a good name for our little friend... I'll post a winner Friday and one of these new "piggies" may be yours!

Later this week an interview with artist Tina Frugoli.

June 13, 2008

Wow! Friday came up fast!

I was so excited about the BeadStar voting (thanks Lorelei for the fantastic mention on your blog) that I almost forgot about picking a winner for this weeks prize! Congrats Lorelei! My little one Magnolia, drew your name! I will send a little something out to you this week! Come back Monday for a new question and giveaway!

This was one of the other necklaces I sent for the Bead Star contest but wasn't chosen. I think it would have been a great fit with the stars and all!

June 12, 2008

How cool!



Hi Guys! I just found out that one of my necklaces was included on the "BeadStar" website and if it gets enough votes it will be shown in the December BeadStar issue! Mine is at the bottom #20, the heart with the clouds and round beads (#20 on the "designs with a heart" page)!! Voting ends June 18th.

http://www.beadingdaily.com/beadstar/2008/bead-star-heart.asp

June 10, 2008

Ok, Kiddo!


So, I'm diving into the kids jewelry thing and I'm so LOVING the way it is going! Hippos (thanks for the inspiration Dean!) and cats and.... goats! They are from 1" to 1 1/4" tall and will be a bit smaller by the time they are fired. I remember spending one summer with my dad out in just about the middle of nowhere on this farm. There were cats and dogs and goats! What was his name? Billy of course! I remember dressing the cats up in doll clothes. There was also a donkey and a horse and chickens! I can't wait to fire these!

On a different kid note, check out Joelle's blog today. XO

Whew! The weekend is over! Never thought I'd say that!




It was a long and rather warm weekend. The yard sale took all my energy and now I could use a real weekend with movies and popcorn and.... rest. Aunt Cookie came to visit but had to cut it short when she couldn't reach her elderly mother by phone to check in. It's better to make sure she was alright. Turns out she had all the ringers off. Nothing like a little peace and quiet and scaring the pants of your closest living relative! Now school is almost out for my big 1st grader and it got me to thinking about fond school memories. I remember sitting way out in the school athletic field in the spring, when the grass would grow taller than we were, with friends, just taking turns reading out loud to each other. 6th grade was wonderful. A caring and lovely teacher, Mrs. Hill. She was teaching up until a few years ago. She was my favorite teacher. She loved us all, warts and all. What is your favorite school memory.... A summery goodie awaits someone on Friday!

June 6, 2008

The Yard Sale.



I've been putting it off for WAY too long. The yard sale. We've out grown so many toys and clothes that we are being engulfed by piles and piles of it. "I can hear you honey, but I can't see you!?" It is an effort to go out the front patio and requires much maneuvering and playing "Rubic's House". Enough is enough! I'm done! So Aunt Cookie will join us for some coffee and a sale and hopefully some fun clay time as well as her much coveted "Brownie Briquettes!" just for Robert. I hear tell she may even have some of her famous moon pies, if we are good!! With all the clearing out I've only had a few minutes of bead time but I did list a few items in the etsy shop and a lot of sale items!

OH! Thanks everyone for the great romantic movie pics! My Netflix que will be even longer! Congrats to Libby! Please send your info to gaea@gaea.cc and I'll send out a bead treat! Monday will be another giveaway! Have a great weekend!

June 3, 2008

Today... I am....


Sea Girl! My new alter ego! I live in the ocean and swim all day and drink frozen magrraritas on the beach in the evening! Just kidding! But really, I could use a vacation away from this acute PMS I'm having... This necklace is made of seed beads that I linked together (I'm obsessed with the tiny!) and more tags with my new tools!

This is rather cute though. In fact it is... Cute Overload and it is, well.... an overload of cute! This will perk up any crummy PMS day! Thanks, Joelle!

June 2, 2008

Wow! So this is what it's like....


to see a movie with out kids?! This weekend went by so quickly! Friday was our son's schools yearly "Hoe Down" a fun family event with games and music and food. As we were all really tired, we only stayed long enough to hear the first graders sing "This Land Is Your Land" which was ADORABLE! All with hand motions and everything. That sort of thing just kills me! Then Saturday, Robert AND I were going to see "Sex And The City" together but Robert just wasn't feeling up to leaving the kid for that long and that far away. The closest theater showing was 30 minutes away (out of his comfort zone!) so I went with Joelle and her mom Cheryl. As they are great company and since it was the ultimate chick flick, it was just as well it was just the girls. It's funny, I LOVED the movie and had a great time, but I seriously could have done without the "sex" in the city. I have no problem with nudity and sex but I felt like it was a bit out of place for the tone of the movie. Or maybe a 20 foot buttock is just too much for me! I did love the use of love letters though. Very romantic.

Then Sunday we all went out for breakfast with Jen, Andrew, Noah and Alex. Let's face it, 4 kids under 7 is just not easy in a public place, even with DVD players and toys and books. We will have everyone over at our house next time where screaming, messy children do not garner looks of horror from even the most seasoned of wait staff. We tipped well.



Did you think I forgot about a giveaway? NOT! What is your favorite romantic movie. I have a soft spot for "A Room with a View" (Oh! That kiss!) There may be a treat if you don't trick! What's your fav romantic movie?!