Ho Hum and Awesome

Yesterday was a Ho Hum Blah kind of day. It rained almost all day and it was the gray yucky kind of day where you want to stay in your jammies, under the covers, napping or reading a book. I did sleep in until almost 10:00am, which is unheard of because there is so much you can get done if you are up by 6:00am.
I finally took a shower and went over to mom's house to see if my professor uploaded our study guide for our second exam on Thursday, and she did. I also worked on updating the blog and uploading photos to Flickr. Mom rolled out of bed (had a migraine) right before I left and I had her read what I wrote on the blog. Mom gave me a great compliment saying my blogging has improved since I started in 2008. She said I have loosened up a lot and have made the blogging more interesting. I thought that was a great compliment because I think my mom writes awesomely. After leaving mom's I stopped at Wallyworld for some stuff then went home and changed into my jammies and started reading a book. Notice I didn't work on my study guide, priorities man, I have my priorities!
This morning was freaking awesome and the day is only 7:00am. As I was leaving the house I looked to my left and you wouldn't believe what I saw, the Moon. IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME! It is almost full and the moon was just hanging there, bigger than life. It was SWEET. I didn't have the camera in the car so I tried to take a photograph with my phone, no good. I called mom and got her voice mail message and left her a voice mail saying she had to look outside and find a camera and take a photograph. OH MY GOODNESS, have I said it was FREAKING AWESOME. That made my day right there. I hope people take the time to enjoy the simple things in life because that brightened my Monday morning right there.
I hope you all find something to brighten your mornings like seeing that moon did this morning for me. I hope you all have a great week and enjoy the small, or large, things in your life!

Our Work From Saturday

Saturday mom and I spent a lot of time in the studio. I think we are now in panic mode because our first show is fast approaching (May 8th) and we still have not heard if we were accepted into four more shows. We are going on the assumption we are going to be accepted so need to make more and more work!!!! Of course the full time jobs and going to school are getting in the way of our all important work; making jewelry and enameled bowls. Oh well, need the job to pay the bills, big sigh!

While mom worked on cutting out more bowls I worked on enameling four bowls and four pendants. I know there are times when you make something and you really don't like how it turns out; that happened yesterday with one of our bowls we enameled. Both mom and I DO NOT like how the colors turned out, but we keep telling ourselves that someone else will like it.

I also had two pendants that are having issues. One I need to fix because it stuck to the trivet and pulled the enamel off and the other pendant had enamel fill the hole, where the jump ring is suppose to go. I think I won't fix that problem, I will just figure out a different way to hang the pendant (improvise, adapt and overcome).

I am pretty happy with the other bowls we enameled and the two pendants that did turn out.

Bowls:

Abstract shape and enamels used were transparent yellows

Enamels used were Jungle green and two transparent greens and a transparent brown

We have had this hand cut out for over a year and I have been putting off enameling it because I was not sure how I was going to do it. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I used White and Atlantic Blue enamels.

Pendants:

Frog pendant and the enamels I used were various greens with red and sunset orange as accents. Isn't he adorable!!!

I LOVE this pendant. I am not usually good at choosing colors, but I am sooo happy with the way the colors turned out on this. I used transparent mauvpe purple and rose purple on the inside and two transparent yellows on the outside. This is so fabulous!!!!

Bowls mom cut out:

These still need to be formed and enameled

After mom and I left the metals studio and ate lunch, we went back to her garage to start cutting more stuff out and glueing down patterns that need to be cut out. I worked on sawing and mom worked on glueing stuff down.

Small bowls, earrings and pendants

More bowls and pendants

What I cut out: three plain bowls to be shaped and enameled, two leaf pendants, an elephant pendant, and five pairs of circle earrings

Our Studio - Thank Goodness for Mothers!

Our studio is located in mom's garage. Mom converted half of her garage in late 2006 into a flameworking studio. She had ventilation installed (and works great when you remember to turn it on), a kiln, cabinets to store glass, a table to put two torches (mom has a Bobcat and I have a Lynx), a place to work on stained glass and take photographs of completed work. We also have book cases galore to store books, magazines and the all important accent beads!

We are currently set up for flameworking but we are slowly buying pieces to do our metalsmithing. This past week we have bought an enameling kiln, a flexshaft (oh thank goodness), a forming block and various other odds and ends. We are slowly plugging away at becoming a more sustainable business, at least I hope we are.

Here are some photographs of our workspace. My side isn't usually that clean, what can I say I like to spreadout and look at the glass I am using!

Display case for our work

Kiln area and cabinets behind torches have glass in them

Our torch areas and photograph area

Moms beading area - under all that are earrings and pendants in the works - I set up where ever there is a clean space

March Art Bead Challenge Completed

I finally finished putting together the necklace I submitted for this months Art Bead Scene challenge. This months challenge was based on Vincent van Gogh "Almond Blossoms".

I made one of my tree beads and instead of using green for the leaves I used Silver Ivory Stringer for the almond blossoms. I then made ivory and turquoise spacer beads with a line of SIS in the middle of the bead. I also used some of my enameled "Transparent" copper beads in the necklace too. As accents I used Dalmation Jasper and seed beads.

Overall I am pretty happy with the results. I still like the first two tree beads I made, but they weren't meant to bead (hehehehehe). Sorry I couldn't help myself.

New Eye Candy

I have finally cropped and resized the images of the enameled bowls, earrings and pendants that mom and I worked on Sunday and Monday. Sorry it took so long, but I was actually doing other stuff while I was on vacation; can't always be in the studio, which is sad to say.


On Wednesday I finally finished painting my bedroom, it only has taken me a year to finish. I started painting my bedroom last spring break and I have now finished painting it, though the walls need a second coat, that is going to have to wait until I have more money. Oh well, at least all the walls are green now instead of splotches of green here and there. I can finally put my Rena Brouwer and Bonnie Taylor paintings back up on the wall. I have missed looking at my paintings!!

So, I am going to post the images and then go out to mom's garage and work on making some beads. I want to finish up the small oxygen tank and get more delivered tomorrow. Plus I finally made beads for the March Bead Challenge and I need to get the necklace put together and photos taken and get those images uploaded. Work, work, work, never is done, but at least it is fun!!! Enjoy and I hope you all have a sunny day like we do here in Indiana, soak up those rays!!!!

Bowl Images:
Amber Waves of Grain - Misc. Transparent Yellows Used

Tribal Bowl - Black Enamel with Red Enamel around the Images

Our Second Large Bowl - Black Enamel w/ Transparent Mauve Purple and Rose Purple - I wish you could see this bowl in the sun - the picture does not do it justice!!!

Small Misc. Yellows used - Mom and I plan on adding an image in the middle of the bowl. It is an image of a flower I took a picture of last year. I love this image. Isn't it awesome! (sorry had to toot my own horn)
Small bowl - enamels used were transparent Oil Grey and Mauve Purple
Small bowl - enameles used were an opaque brown and two transparent greys - which you really can't see
Folded small bowl - enameles used were misc. greens

Enameled Plates (I am sure mom came up with a name for these bowls but I can't remember what she said. Yes mom, in one ear and out the other):



Earrings:
Enamels used: Misc. yellows
I couldn't get these earrings to fit on the trivets we had, so mom textured them and then I patined them in Liver of Sulfer

Pendants:
Enameles used were opaque red and transparent turquoise - mom hasn't decided if these will be pendants or earrings. I still have to file the enamel down on the back of the pendants

Happy/Sad face - enamels used were opaque red and black. There was another mask mom cut out and I was enameling but I had issues with the mask and then I tried to fix it and it is just getting worse. I told mom to cut out another mask because I am tired of the other one (I should say it is ticking me off!)

Our Fantabulous Birthdays

Well, another year older for both mom and myself. My birthday was yesterday and mom's birthday is today.

I had an awesome birthday celebration at work. The girls decorated my office and we had tons of junk food to munch on throughout the day.

For lunch, since it was my birthday, I chose to eat at El Meson. Had my usual and then the waiters brought out this big honking thing with tons of whipped cream on it. They put a sombrerro on my head and held the cake thing in front of my face while singing happy birthday. They then put my face in the whipped cream. Next thing I see are at least five cell phones taking photographs of me. Oh well.

On Saturday mom picked me up for breakfast and then we went back to her house to open my gifts. Mom got me a coffee bean grinder, my favorite coffee beans, and textured plates to use on copper. Aunt Vickie got me a great copper pendant with a turquoise cabochone.

Mom and I then drove to Indy to Bead Angel and spent some money on seed beads, bead caps, and $1 cabochones. They didn't have any toggle clasps, so I will have to look for those somewhere else.

We then headed over to the fair grounds for the Patio and Flower show. This year they only had the show in one building, so that was a disappointment. So, I asked mom if she wanted to go to Macroni Grill and of course she said yes. So, that was our birthday dinners. I also have to do a shout out to the TomTom. We did not get lost once in Indy!!!!

Today, both mom and I are all out of whack because of the stupid time change. But I finally got over to her house and she finally got ready and then opened her gifts. I got mom a ticket to go see Nickleback in concert on May 22nd at the Verizon Center. I got a ticket also to go with her.

She was so exicted!!!!! Mom's gift from Aunt Vickie was a "King Turquoise" wire wrapped cabachone. It is awesome!

We are now over in the metals studio working on inventory. I am hoping it is nice out this week so I can take photographs of our inventory. Cross your fingers that the rain has stopped!

Great Giveaways - Gardana Beads

One of my favorite beading artists is having a bead giveaway this week! Anne of Gardanne Beads is having a giveaway on her blog for some of her WONDERFUL lampwork beads as well as some new torch fired enameled beads.

Check out her blog for more details on how you can enter and also to be sure to check out her shops for jewelry and supplies.

New Toy - TomTom

About a week ago mom ordered a TomTom from QVC for us. Now, cross your fingers, we will not get lost in Indy or Chicago (though I am not holding my breath). The TomTom's maiden voyage was our trip to Sleepy Creek Vineyards yesterday. Mom and I wanted to drop off a commissioned piece, pick up our inventory for a show in April, drop off some of my ceramics to sell and sit around talking and drinking wine slushies. Overall, it was a great Sunday. We both love Sleepy Creek!

Mom and I didn't go to the metals studio this weekend. Though I worked on making up beads for the March Bead Challenge and mom worked on making up some pieces. We need to make up earrings, pendants, necklaces, and bracelets for our upcoming shows. We both are freaking out about having enough inventory. Here are some photos of stuff we have in the works or have completed.

Oh, the tree beads I made for the challenge didn't work out. One of them cracked down the middle and the other one we can't get off the mandrel. Those are were my practice pieces, yeah right! Enjoy.

Beads for March Bead Challenge


Stuff to work on


Earrings


Rings


Viking Knit Bracelet