This Weekend in Where I'm At

Well, this weekend isn't going to be at Squish. Sorry. I will be doing another one later in the year, but I'm going for the much-lower-priced-to-be-part-of small local event this weekend instead.

This will be a first and it might wind up being a good one. You just never know!

Where you ask? Well, I'll tell you:

I'll be at the Secaucus Public Library's Mini Fair and Book Sale. 10am-3pm and it's at the Secaucus Public Library. Which is at 1379 Paterson Plank Road in Secaucus, NJ (07094 in case you want to map it).

Won't have my tent, but my banner will be on the table so, if you're in NJ and want to come see me, please do!

Oh, and for everyone in PA, I'm doing the Indiemade Market again this December (the 5th) and a new one (also in Allentown), From Scratch, on the 14th of November. Plus, I have an in Gallery Jewelry Party coming up on the 11th of October in Beacon.

More details on all that later though. I'm adding brooches to my online store this week and I have one more to get up there. So, I'm off to write a description and crop some photos. Oh, and I have some jewelry I have to get made too!

Hurray!

Wire Knitting on a Spool

So, if anyone is thinking about buying the book: Wire Knitting... on a spool by Sharon Hessoun, DON'T DO IT! It's a total waste of money and time... unless you want to get so frustrated that you feel like ripping the book in half! Seriously. I came THIS close every time I tried to follow the instructions. And I'm pretty good at figuring things out from books. Almost all the bead weaving techniques I know I learned from books.

Anyway... I got this book with a knitting spool and, even though it's supposed to be for people who've neither knitted or worked with wire, there are almost no illustrations and the actual photos are blurry. Plus, it's $20 for a book that looks like it was put together at Kinkos! Plastic binding through square punch holes and all.

I wasn't very impressed when I got the book but thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I picked it up and started and got frustrated and put it away (for a couple months before trying again) several times over the last 8 months. After about 6 tries to start learning how to do this technique, using the written instructions (that mostly read like jibberish), I once more restrained myself from flinging everything and thought back to when I was 12 - the last time I knitted or crocheted - and finally just figured it out on my own. After a lot of deep breathing.

To be fair, the first couple illustrations make it possible to follow the written directions, but that's just for wrapping the wire on the spool to begin with. After that, there are no illustrations and the written directions make absolutely no sense. Very annoying.

So, I finally figured it out on my own and knitted a few lengths of tubey whatsits and now I have my first necklace using wire knitting (on a spool):

Thanks again to Phil for the watercolor. It's painted to look like stained glass. But you knew that, right?! Oh, and there's some vintage beads and little brass flower links; Quartz, (reconstituted) Larimar, Goshenite, Peridot, and Peruvian Pink Opal beads; and all the wire is actually Gold Fill. [I grabbed the wrong spool for practicing and didn't realize it til I got home and saw the Brass spool sitting there. Kind of hard to tell the difference when the wire is that small, unless there's really good lighting. Good thing I didn't screw it up too much...]

So, whatya think?

I did another couple of banana sections (they really do look like it, only holey and in wire) with beads on them. Still working out the design and bits for using them. Then I figured out I could use wire AND thread. So I did a couple with some Fiber Artist thready stuff. That was actually really hard. I still need some thinking for the design and bits for those too. I'll post pics when I figure the other two out and get them finished up as well.

In case you've just fallen in love with it... I sent an e-mail to Riverwinds to see if they want to add it to my other h2o painting necklaces they have. Just waiting to hear if they want to carry it in the Gallery or not. If so, you can run over and get it there next week. Of course, if you just can't live without it and need it RIGHT now, let me know that (you just have to have it) and I'll make sure you get it. Right now.

Ok.

Back to the book.

I actually did some serious research before I ordered it and only got it because it seemed to be the only one of it's kind. If anyone knows of another wire spool knitting book out there for sale, please, let me know. I'd like to see it but, I'm actually thinking that after a couple months of working on my technique with this, that I'll have Phil take pics while I'm doing it and make my own book. Apparently, if I take it to Kinkos for "publishing", I can still sell it for $20 each, so I might as well give it a shot. Right?

Let me know if you want to reserve your copy now, I think I'll have it finished by Spring. Just leave me a message and I'll put one aside for you. Actually, I'll probably do it as a pdf, buy it online version first. Then, I guess, I'll shop it around to some instructional craft type publishing houses for printing. Since it's said that anything's possible, that means there's always a chance I can get it published by a real publisher too. Right?

You can start crossing fingers and toes for that outcome once I get the online version up. Talk to you more about it then.

Rained Out Today...

Well, it looks like the outdoor season of the Hudson River Market has been overshadowed by the amazingly wet wonders of the sky once again.

Sing along with me, won't you?

Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day...

So, looks like some kind of conspiracy to me. What? You think I'm nuts?! Well, I was incapacitated for Monday's Market and rained out for Saturday's... sounds like Somebody's trying to tell me something... what could that be? I guess the Market in Brooklyn next Sunday will be the test. Maybe you'll only see me in Brooklyn and other states for a while?

Ok, it's early and I might still be a little groggy from being asleep for the last 7 hours and a little cloudy eyed from the weather...

Still works out the same way:

No Hudson River Market in Beacon today. (Wonder if the Handmade Cavalcade is still on?) Mother Nature gets to apologize for this one, though... I am sorry if you were planning to meet me in Beacon today for picking up or swapping out or grabbing that one thing you've been thinking about since last time you oggled my jewelry...

If you can make it to Carroll Gardens next Sunday, it's under a permanent tent... only be cancelled if the weather is extreme... So, I'm going to assume it's a go!

E-mail if there's something you were coming for today that just can't wait, and I'll work with ya!

Enjoy the weekend and I'll keep you posted on any future INdoor events this Fall in the, um, near future.

Behind Every Musician...

So, this last week I helped Phil launch a KICKSTARTER project. Most of the video work, some of the vox pops in the finished video and a lot of the writing is my contribution efforts. Oh, and the cracking of the proverbial whip to get it done in a timely manner...

Now, hopefully, a lot of people will see it and want to be part of the project. One of my friends who I e-mailed it to said the music on the video was creepy and gave him nightmares. I said: thanks for the compliment on behalf of Phil.

We put the project description video up on Youtube if you want to have a Look at it Moove!

I also figured out how to do wire knitting (on a spool) last weekend so, I'll have some pictures of new work with that for ya'll to look at - hopefully - next week. Maybe at the end of this one, if I have enough time. Phil painted a few more mini watercolors for them so, now I just have to put it all together and take some pictures.

I'll post updates for shows and events for the end of the month and beginning of October at the end of this week or, at the latest, by next Monday.

Til then...

Sorry I didn't See You at Mower's...

Ok, I know that at least one person was looking for me yesterday at Mower's Market in Woodstock...

I wasn't there.

Woke feeling less than able and stayed indoors, resting, all day instead.

Sorry if you tried to find me and hope you can make it this Saturday instead!

Um, ya. Still feeling a bit yuck, so just wanted to say that before getting back on the couch. (moan grumble hate being under the weather)

Hope everyone had a great time on the long weekend and see a few of you in Beacon on Saturday.

New Hudson River Market

[Another quicky... this officially makes the most blog posts I've ever written in one week...]

The NewNew and Hudson Valley Etsy Street Teams teamed up with Paper Presence and are having the Fall Calvalcade in Beacon on the same day as the next Hudson River Market. So, I thought I'd better put up a big notice for the 5 or so people who read my blog and live close enough to come down and help make all our days - on the lawn on Main Street - next Saturday!

That's next Saturday, September 12th, from 11am-6pm; just like the sign above says. [Click on the post title for a Google Maps link to the actual location, and on the poster image for the full size to print for your collection]

Thanks in advance, and I hope everyone has a great long weekend!

Quicky Update

Hey eveery body!

Some of you know this because I told you, it directly pertains to you OR, you subscribe to and actually read my newsletter...

What?

This: I have several pieces of new consignment jewelry out in the world as of today.

Six necklaces at Paper Presence (296 Main Street in Beacon, NY 845-849-2443), and three (now, but soon to be a few more) at Pink Cloud Boutique (2 Main Street in Harriman, NY 845-238-2752) as well. This is the first consignment I've had at Pink Cloud. [Any and all help at making it one of many will be very appreciated...;]

While the idea of the necklaces is similar; both stores actually have different, exclusive to them, versions of a new direction for me: wire word jewelry.

Since I'm just figuring out how to do it, I started with the short words and, as I get more comfortable with it, I'll make some longer words and then work on some other styles and uses I have kicking around in my head a little later as well.

For now, you can get something like one of these (or actually one of these):

at Paper Presence and something like this one (or this one):

at Pink Cloud Boutique.

Paper Presence still has some of my picture frame jewelry as well. You can put your own image in them OR, you can take in the photo you want in the necklace frame, hand it over, and Lydia will shrink it down and put it in one of my necklaces for you. These are really great for a personal gift.

As always, each one is different enough to make all the new necklaces one of a kind.

And that's pretty much all I have to say today. Oh, except:

Thanks for caring and hope everyone has a greaattt weekend!