They Say It's Spring, The Birds Are Light As a Feather...

Hmmm... not sure that's how it actually goes, but I'm in the mood for a little Blossom Dearie. Took my mother to see her play when she was out here visiting a couple years back. She's still a pistol that Blossom!

 

It's been snowing a little here today, but I sure feel the Spring coming on. You know that feeling you get when the season is getting ready to change? A little antsy and rarin to go... I think that's what gets some people "Spring Cleaning"... it's like a Pre-Spring thing. The "Spring is Here" feeling is different. Once it's here, there's no staying inside! No concentrating on the work at hand. I think that's why I'm itching to make so much stuff right now.

 

As I type, there's a mostly finished necklace waiting for me to come back to it. Brass and green stones and beads with some of it OLD vintage and some of it newer. Charms and beads and lopsidedly balanced.

 

I'm a big fan of the lopsided. Always been an asymmetrical person. My face is lopsided. My hair is usually longer on one side. I have more earrings in one ear than the other. I even like to dress crooked when I feel I can get away with it.

 

Back in the day I even had my own look. No, Shabby chic was never my style, the way I put it together I used to call Hobo Chic:

 

Rayon traditional Chinese style shirt or dress and a skinny 20' or 30's silk tie around the collar or my neck; worn on top of well worn jeans or immaculate 60's pinstripe slacks, always with a huge buckle belt; and a 40's vintage semi bowler hat and High Tops just to make the look complete.

 

I still prefer mens clothes to women's. Loose fit to tight. Though, I do wear more of both of the latter these days. I seem to be wearing a lot less jewelry these days too - as I get older, I just don't put any on before I go anywhere. Ironic for someone who makes jewelry, noh? 

Well, when I was a master control operator for local TV, I didn't have a television... though, I did listen to a lot of music at home when I was a radio DJ... hmmm... and I did go out dancing a lot when I was choreographing and teaching fellow companymates technique... Ok. doesn't always follow. I almost never listen to music at home or go out dancing now... Maybe I'm just getting old?

AHHHHHHHH! I'm old!

Ok. Not really.  I'm actually what the kids call middle aged. No, wait. The kids call me old. Drat those kids!

So, I took some time to finish the necklace. Elegantly complicated. Convolute in it's simplicity. I'll get a picture or two in the next couple days and put it up for all to see next week. It's full of lucky charms. It's a March themed month. Everything I've been working on this month includes these gorgeous MOP pendants from the early to late 1940's that have real Four Leaf Clovers on them. I've got some imbedded in resin and mounted in Silver frames I plan to use for bracelets too. Right now, I'm mixing them with Copper and Brass, vintage and modern. There are leaves and horseshoes and coins; all wireworked into a dangling mess of beauty.

 

Let me know if you want one for your very own; I am now taking custom orders. I can even do some earrings if you want. I did some for the physical shop with the smaller MOP charms. Quite nice. Waiting for the replacement bulbs so I can get the pictures of the new stuff, but here's a look at the earrings and one necklace I did for the store:

 

Sterling Silver w/vintage Swarovski
Gold Fill with New Jade
Gold Fill w/vintage Japanese glass

I've got another Gold Fill necklace waiting to get photoed and Silver necklaces on the way... I better get busy! 

Ok. Off I go. Until next week...

The Spring in Your Bling

                                                               

Well,  it might be threatening to snow later in the day, but my amaryllis have leaves and Mourning Doves have started cooing me awake each morning, and I felt like changing my blog to lighter colors so, I think Spring is imminent! To prove it, I've been making things with leaves and flowers and rocks and watery stones. Then photographing them to show others - who may eventually want to give me money to have it all to themselves...  or to give to someone else they'd like to have it more. 

I've also been making things with gemstones that look like those other things mentioned above (which I'd show you, but I'm  having trouble getting the images to upload and move around properly. Apparently,  it's only all in the same alignment or they load in the different arrangement on top of the blog and can't be moved around. hmmm. can't find any help issues that address this so I guess you only get the one image today and my blog will not be as planned. Looks like I'm going to have to learn a little more HTML so I can make it do what I want - any help with this problem would  be appreciated!)

Oh, and I did my bead Spring cleaning last week. Anyone else Spring cleaning? Inclined to? Know what I'm talking about? The car gets it tomorrow. Oil change, tire rotation, a good vacuuming... tune up when it's actually warm outside and I don't have to stay in the waiting room cause I don't want to brave the weather to walk down to the store and back while they're working on my mode d'transport. 

Yes, Spring is coming. 

The legs are getting fidgety to take long walks in the woods... inspiration from nature leaps to my mind and into my fingers and voila, creation... the ideas are pouring into my brain so fast they're practically keeping me from sleeping! Unfortunately, I'm having to file most of them away for now as the other menial but necessary tasks of life must take precedence. Noh? Well, they do if I want to have a roof from under which to work! 

Ah, life on the road. Those were the days. Not a care in the world - except the car. Hoping this year is the turning when I get to rome around the country plying my wares. Anyone who wants me to come visit them better be ready to host a rockin jewelry party so I can afford to come out! Rockin? With enough people ready to buy some jewelry that my trip is paid for AND the bills for that month. Work will have to be missed after all...

Anybody? I'm ready! 

Falalalla Spring....

Blah Blah ART blah Blah Create Blah blah!

I reorganized my beads etc. yesterday. I know. Sounds like FUN! You're all jealous, admit it! 

Had to though; I'd gotten to the point where I was just shoving all my new treasures in anywhere they would fit. I wound up not being able to find anything without taking everything out of every drawer and box... there are a lot of drawers and boxes to look in... and usually just not finding what I wanted at all! So, I decided to take EVERYTHING out (I was ass deep in beads!) and seperate and replace them all in a much more orderly fashion. 

It took most of the day to do it! [I cleaned the apartment first, naturally, but didn't get anything else done.]

Now, if I want my 1930's French Glass, I know where to find it. 1940's and 50's Swarovski? All in one drawer! Vintage German beads? They have 3 consecutive drawers divided by color shades: cool, warm, black/white. Pressed glass buttons? In the drawer with the modern glass beads. Precious metal plated leaves? You get the idea: All the modern is in the right stack, all the vintage in the left. Now, I can find what I'm looking for in half the time! Bring on the custom orders! 

So, since I felt compelled to get that out of the way on the first day of my mid-week weekend, I'm writing this blog entry a day later than my scheduled appearance. Hey. At least I'm writing. 

Hey again; is anyone watching Breaking Bad on AMC? Anyone out there living - or like me, having had lived - in ABQ? Did you see Sunday's episode? I thought the Crossroads got fixed up, it looked worse than I remember it... and that was definitely a Hollywood and Vine street walker and not a Central crack hooer... Noh? 

Just had to throw that in there;}

So, back to topic...

Now that my stash is better organized; I'm finishing this up and then getting straight to work on some more necklaces like the one I made for my sister's 40th (see "recently finished" pic). Though, since the heart shaped rock was found on the banks of the Hudson (and heart shaped river rocks are a little rare from my experience), and the leaves are real ivy coated in Sterling Silver (so each one is a different size and shape), and that particular style of prayer box doesn't seem to be out there anymore, and the chain is mostly vintage (so I'll run out of it soon with no more available to buy); they won't all look exactly like that. Did I mention the vintage station links? Or the hand wrapped Amethyst (birthstone) stamen and gewgah decoration? That always winds up a bit different too... jist? They're all going to be unique. Like most everything I make. 

The one I'm getting ready to work on now - because there is nothing I like to do more on a dark and snowy winter day - is with 14KGF wire, 40's Vintage Gold Plated chain and Brass links, with a 70's Vintage 24K Gold coated Ginko leaf as the center. I have a whitish yellowish river rock I'll use and some 30's Vintage French Glass bead - as yet unchosen - in place of the prayer box. Moonstone and Garnet replaces the Amethyst, and Sugalite and Crazy Lace Agate replaces the Botwana Agate and faceted Quartz Crystal. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get it finished and get a picture up next week. I'm thinking closer to the end of the month for this one though. Lots of other stuff going on that keeps interrupting my jewelry making. Damn and Blast! 

In the meantime, you'll just have to gawk at the one my sister will be wearing after this weekend and then, when you can't stand it anymore, drop a line to ask me to make one for yourself;} [I've got great copper chains and copper coated Carob leaves as well as some Brass stamped leaves to go with the vintage Brass chain I just got... some vintage keys are on the way as well as some cool old stampings... all colors, styles and price ranges accommodated here!] 

So, until then, blog ya next week.

The Birthdays are ENDLESS!

Been a long day. 

Long week. 

Been making more jewelry than I've had time for in a while. Two I just wanted to make (pictures to come, still have to find time to set up the camera and do them justice) and two I just HAD to make (see one of the pictures on the side). Two 40th birthdays, one I have to miss. 

Unfortunately, it's my sister's. The distance and expense to fly out and the lack of help at the shop conspire to prevent attendance on my part. Very sad. The other was Saturday and the birthday girl looked fabulous. Even more so once she put on the present I made her! I know, but it did look good. 

I had a head full of thoughts last night as I fell asleep. I was looking forward to the writing of the day ahead. Then, after the 4 hours it took to get my sister's necklace just right, it seems that my creative energy flowed completely into the jewelry; effectively erasing every trace of desire to expend more on writing. I can't remember a single thing that floated into my mind last night. So, I'll just leave it on a thought:

It's not a question of aging gracefully; most people just seem more inclined toward graceless aging. Kick, scream and run around. As long as you don't whine about being old and enjoy your life as if you will always have one, people will whisper about your grace until you don't.