Thursday, February 9, 2012

Eureka!

Hey everybody,

Thank you all for your get well wishes.  It worked!

Did you all notice anything new?  C'mon, take a minute and look around..........look some more.........
Yes! There's things on the sidebars!  Woohoo!  I actually have an etsy mini and all of the magazines I've been published in on the sidebars, there where they belong!   For those of you who have been with me from the beginning, you know what a huge accomplishment this is. You know, cuz of the tech-challenged thing I have going on.  Of course, they still look funky, cuz I'm too afraid to actually change the html code and center them, so I can get rid of the weird white shadow thing.   I'm saving that for another day.  You never know what surprises I might have in store for you, eh? 

I tweaked the commenting settings.  If you were having trouble commenting before, please try again.  Hopefully it will work for you now. 

Btw, I really did intend to respond to your comments as they came in.  Since time got away from me, your responses are below.  I'm really enjoying hearing what you all have to say, even if you don't actually know that until a week later!  :)

I've been working steadily behind the scenes here. Take a peek at what's been going on at the workbench, if you'd like.  Here's the status of the long awaited dioramas.  No, you aren't imagining things.  They do take alot of time.  But I think they're worth it. 

Garden of Love






This idyllic little scene is so peaceful.  Love it.  The front is darkly mysterious, layered with a map, transparency and text under a magnifying lens.    All ready to list.



Sometimes you have fun at the beach and sometimes you don't........looks like the odds are 3 out of 4 have a blast!

Did you notice the warning printed on the paper that the dioramas are sitting on?  You'll be thrilled to know I purchased it at a store where everything has been donated for reuse in art projects and to keep it out of the landfills.  Comforting, eh?


This one is looking sufficiently old now, don't you think?  It's all ready, finally, for me to put it together.  Stay tuned to find out what's inside.  Here's a hint.... it's not idyllic.  (insert evil laugh soundtrack here)

I also made some resin components.  The branches will be great neckpieces, don't you think?


They're all frosty clear and yummy.  The bezels will become earrings most likely.  I love using resin.  This week I listed a bracelet which has a fossil ammonite cast in resin.  The ammonite wasn't from this batch, I made it a few months ago.  Fascinating tidbit that you needed to know, eh?  Yes, of course I made the mold from the actual fossil. 


Oh and I turned it upside down cuz the pattern looks great from the backside.

I'm going to be listing this


The nubby white stone bead and the veined jasper cabachon are from fanciful devices. The 'wave' has been domed and dimpled, textured, strategically oxidized and has a brass embellishment cold connected to it.






Check out the cool eye painting 'onlyjolie' emailed to me.  If you remember, she's the one who commented on the giveaway that I'm a perfect creative queen or something to that effect?  Well see what being nice to me gets ya..........


She said it would be just fine if I shared it with all of you.  Great job, Jolie!  I love it!  I love how you put the reflection in the eye and how the eyelashes actually look fuzzy.  Some of you may remember that Jolie and I are pretty chummy.  Genetically chummy.  Which might be why she says such nice things to me.   You can imagine how absolutely thrilled I was to find out that she likes eyes as much as I do!  And because I think it's so cool that she likes eyes and isn't creeped out by them, I have a few eye things to send to the uber talented Jolie.  Who is also a very talented writer and quite the amazing singer.  Here's what's coming your way Jolie.....


you did say you like big weird rings.  Well, you've come to the right place! Oh and there's the "Jeepers Creepers Where'd You Get Those Peepers" necklace in there too! Plus a few pairs of earrings, only one pair with eyes, though.




that's one of Petra's fantastic beads there with the big toothy grin.

oh yes, Jolie, there's more.....


aged text, a bone bead and a cute little honey bee on the outside, lots of layered text encased in resin on the inside for your wearing comfort.
this next one is rather discreet so that you can wear it when you're performing to remember I'm always there with you in spirit.








How's that for a bunch of large, slightly weird rings?  This awesome eye bead was made by a local lampwork artist, Jo Kaczmarski. 

and last but not least


this fabulous bracelet is by fellow etsyian Molly Heltsley.  It's a baby doll eye that opens and closes.  How fun is that?!
Thank you Jolie for sharing your artwork with us!  Love it!

You may have seen some of the foldforming listed in my etsy shop.  It's one of my favorite techniques.  But just wait till you see this amazing foldforming by yet another talented etsy artist, SplendidFish



This is his Golden Orchid necklace.  How is that for cool?

Now I've had you looking at all these pictures and once again, I didn't get to the tale of woe.  Do we even care at this point?  You would only have to look at 11 more pictures to get to the end of that story.  Are you up for it?  Naw, me neither.  Another day. Maybe.  What's that? When I'm a bit more entertaining?  Ok.  Sounds like a plan.  (no, I'm not talking to myself.  I'm talking to all of you!)

I'll leave you with this........

Here's a hilarious statement that you're sure to appreciate...  my friend Kathy, yes THE Kathy, and no, she isn't a figment of my imagination, anyway, she thinks I don't blog enough!   Braaaaahahahahahah.  I know, right?  Hey Kathy, I was giving everybody who commented for the giveaway a chance to see my response to their clever comments.  And I was sick. You know how charming I am when I'm sick.  And, btw, we still don't don't see any clever comments from you on here.  These thoughtful people managed to take the time to comment and to say nice things instead of giving me the business.  So thank you nice people.  (and thank you, Kathy, because I know you did mean it as a nice thing.)   For those of you who asked questions, here's the answers as best as I know....I really will try to respond to your comments as they come in folks.  I just need an extra 5 hours in each day to keep up with my life, so don't hold your breath, okay?  :)

Skye, the reason my paper filigree looks so different than Fanci's is cuz I didn't cut the paper out of all the spaces.  I just pushed it through the holes in the filigree as I was applying it, while it was wet. Which is the quick version of paper filigreeing.  And go figure!  Fanci likes it!  See her comment.  That or she was just being very kind.  And thank you.  I'm not a pastel type either.  The colors are richer and deeper in person on the concrete necklace. 

Alice,  truth be told, the rock saw won't cut your finger off, but it will cut through rock!  I don't get it either.  It's the grinding wheels you have to watch out for.  get a tad to close and boom!  You're minus a knuckle.  Ladies, you should try the paper filigree technique.  The quick version.  So glad you like your earrings!  :)

martini, our only official Bond girl.  Hope you've recieved and had time to work with your treasures from Petra.   Did you see her new bead collections are flying out of her store?  wowee and one is heading your way!  The kuchi stuff is from Uberkuchi.  They always have something fabulous and different in their store.  You have a nature shelf?  cool!

Beatnheart,  thanks!  Did ya check out the gadgets?  Yup, I did it all myself.  Thanks for offering to help, really appreciate it and aren't you glad I didn't need you to? 

Petra,  aw, you're just too sweet.  thank you for the kind words.  Honestly, you need to be a writer.  You have such a way with words! Always so engaging and entertaining.

Gallery 13, thank you!  hahaha yes!  Concrete jewelry?!  It's not large at all and surprisingly, not heavy.  Only about 1 1/2" wide is all.  I'm guessing, didn't actually measure it, mind you.

fancifuldevices,  ok, are you really saying that you like the quick version of the paper filigree better than your perfectly executed style?  really? well thank you!  and thanks for all the other very nice things you said too. 

Corvid Delights,  Thank you! I'm delighted that she liked it. Twisted humor?  Doesn't everyone envision a giant starfish attacking a scuba diver as the perfect thing to hang around their neck??  hmmm

13,  thank you! The cocoons are available from larkspurfunnyfarm if you want to give them a try.   They are so fun to work with!  I actually made some other lockets from them and some necklaces.  Will blog about those another day. The lockets, that is.  I sent the necklaces to Kathy as a thank you for sending the cocoons to me in the first place.  So Kathy, how about you share some photos of those?

Shibui,  Welcome!  Thank you for the nice compliments.  I'm sorry you're having difficulty reading my posts. I've been messing with the widths of this poor blog's columns since I started it.  Sadly, these settings seem to be the only way that everything works correctly. But thank you for letting me know that it's giving you problems.  I'll keep working on improving things around this place as my less than stellar skills allow  :)

Tribalis,  So glad that you're feeling better!  I'm happy that the commenting is working for you now! Thank you so much, what incredibly lovely things to say. :)



A few days ago we woke up to a beautiful, frosty, crystaline coating of hoarfrost on everything.  Every surface, every branch and leaf and tree limb seemed to glow from within.  It reminded me of this stunning, pure white albino peacock. 

Have a great week everyone!

Hagoonea  (Navajo)







18 comments:

  1. Now I know who I am sending my horses' baby teeth to (yes, I saved them, no that's not too weird. Or is it?) Anyway, I'll see if I can find them in my ever-growing, scary stash. Great dioramas! Love the itsy-bitsy deer scene.

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    1. Baby horse teeth? You have baby horse teeth? Sounds very cool to me. Those could be bezel set or....... resined into a...... nope, not weird at all. But have you thought that maybe that's why your stash scares you? :) I find that us creative types save all sorts of unusual items. So nobody lurking in these parts is likely to think it's weird. Right, everybody? btw, exactly how big are baby horse teeth?

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  2. Ooooooh, I love the beautiful ammonite mold, and that wave piece is fantastic! If I wore that cuff with the doll eye I would be messing with it all the time.....eye open....eye closed.....eye open...I'm pretty sure my husband would cold cock me and then run over that cuff with his truck.

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    1. Thank you, Alice! Well then you need to get yourself one of those cuffs and test out your theory. Of course you need to tape your husband's growing irritation, then the demise of the bracelet as his gigantic vehicle reduces the poor little bracelet to nothing but a pile of bits and then....put it on youtube for all of our amusement. You'll do that for us, right? :)

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  3. All kinds of yumminess here. I'ma noobie to your blog but i rekkanize more than a few of your followers. We're all in the wonderful weird things boat together I think.
    Your dioramas are out of this world (more like in this world, actually) and that one metal piece with the danglies, well let's just say I aspire to that sort of creation.
    I'm in the throes of supply hoardom (whoredom?) currently with the gem show in my neighborhood, I thought I was done shopping but it's calling me back today. Need anything?
    Nice to meet you here, now that your blog is tidied up especially. ( I know you don't know me but that comment was supposed to be funny)
    xoxo Kim

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    1. Welcome Kim! Thanks for visiting! Thank you also for the sweet words!
      You're not talking Tucson are you? Tell me that Tucson is not your neighborhood bead show. Actually tell me that it so I can live vicariously through you! And yes, I need one of everything. Thanks for asking. :)
      Very kind of you to say, especially with the white shadow thing hovering everywhere. And yes,that's what makes it funny.

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  4. Bugger me backwards, lady - another awesome piece of posting!! Oh my word, the dioramas just get better and better! I invariably end up doing a very good fish impression whenever I come over here - wide eyed,and opening and closing my mouth in gob-smacked wonderment!!!
    Blimey Charlie, and that fantabulous wavy neck piece!! You've kept very quiet about that stunner in our conversations!! I have SO much to learn!! That honker really shows off your infinite skills, and demonstrates what a talented artisan you truly are. Those rings are amazing - what a lovely gift!! I do hope she likes that grinning fool hanging off her digit! -And the bee, and the gorgeous understated slim one - oh dear me - I'm getting quite palpitate-y! Just lovely.
    Thank you for sharing those other two pieces of extraordinary with us. Like Alice, I'd be poking that chick in the eye all day too!! Brilliant idea to include the functioning eyelid - I must check out her shop. I wouldn't know where to begin to comment on that extraordinary orchid - W-OW!!! Mind-blowing.
    Now that's some kind of bird going on there!! What a shameless exhibitionist!
    Thank you Janet, for this piece of Friday splendidness! It's always a joy to visit here, and guaranteed to lift my spirits.

    Petra xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

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    1. hahahaha you crack me up everytime your fingers touch the keypad! I wish we had such colorful terms over here across the pond. Sadly, the best we can do is yippee yi yay, or hot diggity dog. See my point? Pleeeease write a book of "Life Sayings According to Petra". That would be a good read.
      Aww thanks so much. See people, what a master of creative writing our dear Petra is?
      You'll enjoy Molly's shop. So much fun stuff to look at.
      I know! That orchid is amazing! Lots of cool eye jewelry over in his shop too.
      I thought you would enjoy the peacock. Do you have any albino ones living near you? There's a zoo not too far from here, that has both, albino and the regular colorful ones. They've interbred so some of them have big patches of white in odd places and vice versa. Very cool. I'll see if I can find my pictures of those one of these days.

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  5. Well Lady, you've done it again. Everytime I see your work, I drool down my chin, mutter to myself, haul the Iphone out, take a picture to study and show everyone I know what I aspire to be and make!! Funny thing now though, when I haul out the Iphone folks always tell me they got something to go do...............are they tryin to tell me something? I am part Polish, so a smack upside the head would work better for me. Anyway, the wave thing is the bomb (thought I would throw that out for Petra.) I LOVE the doll eyeball that opens and closes, I may have to try that. How fun to sit at my desk and wiggle and move to open and close the eye and I am always looking for a way to make people wonder what the hell I am wearing and why on earth would I wear that!!?? Hmmm, wonder what my boss would say if I did that when he was talking to me! Dang, that is something I definately will do the day before I retire! ;) Just as an aside, I wouldn't mind seeing you blog more frequently, but I sure understand that life comes at us with a velocity that rivals the Enterprise. Yup, I said Enterprise, I am a confirmed Star Trek, Star Wars, StarGate fan and I am proud of it!

    You should have told us the white shadow was on purpose, cuz I though it was a "frame" around the magazine covers! Thanks for your inspiration; is there a club for avilartifacts groupies?

    Later gator,
    Six cups and counting....................

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    1. Hey Coffeefreak, well thank you, I think, for letting me know that you're scaring everyone with photos of my work. And I didn't think the deer were scary at all. Wait till I show you what's in the big square one......
      Yeah, I'm sure your boss would be thrilled if you wore an eye bracelet to work. Though you could use it to intimidate people. You know, I've got my eye on you, type of thing.
      Yeah, that's it- I did mean to put that white frame around the magazine covers and my etsy mini. Doesn't it look fabulous?
      Thank you, I'm very glad that my scary jewelry inspires you.
      Live long and prosper.

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    2. Ok ya Goober, I didn't mean I was scaring folks with your stuff, I meant they get scared that once again, I bother them with talking about jewelry and what I want to do. After re-reading my post I guess that wasn't very clear!

      Hehe, love the Star Trek quote and of course you did the hand gesture too.........didn't you?

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  6. Absolutely loving the 'wave' necklace, the ammonite mold, and oh just about everything :) And your layout looks fantastic! Reminds me I need to work on mine ;P

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    1. Juliette, I completely understand how looking at my blog makes you think "work on blog". It makes me think the same thing. Thank you for the nice compliments, really appreciate it. :)

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  7. j, i am loving your wave necklace!!! an absolutely fabulous design! of course your dioramas are to die for! the ring with the Petra skull also intrigues me.....no, i haven't received the treasures yet but as we speak it has arrived in the US. i will now be sitting under the mailbox waiting for my valentines like charlie brown......sigh. this will be better than Christmas!!! everything you are designing is beautiful! don't you just love molly's designs??? i have been in awe of her for a long time. when i saw the doll eye bracelet in her shop i was in love...anyways, thank you for making me your official bond girl! I also agree that Petra needs to write a book of her famous life sayings. i would definitely buy it...yes we are boring...as bruce willis says in die hard which i quote frequently...yippee yay oh key yehhe...or something like that... L

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    1. hey Bond girl, I love your enthusiasm! Thank you for all the kind words. yes, yes and yes to everything you said! But I have this sad little mental picture of you sitting under your mailbox. Please go inside.
      What a great idea for my next giveaway.... best quote! Thanks!

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  8. Wow! Wow! Wow! I just found your site. I am in awe. I cannot imagine the hours of work you put into a piece. You have a new fan. I am already rethinking everything I have abandoned in my junk drawer. There IS a use for some of those bits and pieces. Thank you! One last time - Wow!

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    1. Welcome Rachel! Thanks for stopping in. And thank you for the "wows"! :)
      hahaha yes, junk drawer jewelry is a fav of mine! You never know when that one little thing is just what you'll need. Unless you get rid of it. Then, the week after you purge it, you'll discover the perfect use for it! Which explains all the odd bits around this place.

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  9. Yes...Tucson I actually RODE MY BIKE to the Gem Mall! We just got a little apartment here for when we're not in Bisbee or Alaska. I just had to go back and get some more mala beads and some other tribal looking and unusual stuff, I always think I'll hold back and not spend too much but it's impossible. I hope to be listing some of it in my Etsy shop soon.
    I'm loving your blog and your creations.
    xoxo Kim

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I love to hear what you have to say. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.