Cynthia Thornton of Green Girl Studios

hand pendant

2012-01-17T23:18:00.002-05:00

Here's another wax in the process of being molded! This pendant is two pieces, the hand fits into the lace cuff, allowing the pendant to be cast in two different metals (imagine! a silver hand with a bronze cuff, or a shibuichi hand with a silver cuff....). I made this with Victorian elements in mind, thinking it would look nice with a cast key or little bird held from the fingertips. This piece has sat on my work bench for a long while and was actually cast once (it just didn't look right, so I did it over). I would pick it up, carve a little on it, then set it down again. I have lots of pieces like that, in various stages of completion, waiting for their turn to be finished and polished. I think this piece will be one that gets a little extra detailing before its cast, like adding a tiny, sparkling ring, or maybe the cuff will get pierced, allowing light to pass through its bell-like shape - small details to make each one unique. That said, I'll probably end up making a handful then moving onto something else! Sometimes I have such a limited attention span. Anyway, this piece will also debut at The Best Bead Show and the To Bead True Blue Show happening a few days from now in Tucson, AZ. Stop by and see the new things!

bronze bee clasp!

2012-01-16T22:57:00.004-05:00

This is a new clasp design carved by my good friend Jessica Wiesel, to debut at The Bead True Blue Show in Tucson, AZ. This piece will be offered in bronze at the show and on my etsy shop for a bit, then in fine pewter when that stock runs out.

Jess is an extremely talented artist in many mediums, from painting and drawing to miniature sculpting to couture sewing. She recently relocated from Columbus, OH to my neck of the woods here in Asheville, NC. We have been having a wonderful time creating new pieces and planning adventures (London, next year....). I am so happy to have my long time buddy so close! We met nearly 19 years ago in art school and became fast friends in a modern dance class, both of us rather awkward and embarrassed. We shared a love of dolls and detailed work, both things very unpopular then, considered too crafty for the fine art world. We persisted, making doll sculptures and noodly egg tempera paintings, focusing on our technical skills by making pretty things. Those days seem like yesterday, as we are both constantly searching for new techniques to learn. We have quite a pile of things to cast! Stay tuned for the next pieces!

facebook

2012-01-12T20:30:00.003-05:00

Lately, I haven't been blogging as much since Facebook is so easy to upload to. If you want to get updates and whatnot on goings on at GGS, like our page Green Girl Studios. I just started it the other day, but I thought it would be a cool place for folks to share photos of things made with our stuff.

Anyway, I took a long needed break today by heading up forty miles to Hot Springs, NC for a mineral soak and massage (above is the view from the front porch of the spa). My friends Jessica Wiesel and Jess Gaston accompanied me on our little adventure through the mountains. The spa is a little rustic, with private outdoor hot tubs filled with soothingly warm mineral water overlooking the French Broad River. I love it there and would go all the time if I had tons of cash. We're already planning a mud wrap when Tucson is over!

Jess Imports

2012-01-12T19:33:00.006-05:00

The last few weeks have blurred by as we approach Tucson 2012. The studio is always occupied, the sounds of metal grinding and torches burning heard at any hour. This year is special. I've decided to make exclusive masters for my friend Jessica Gaston of Jess Imports fame. She's known for carrying a wide variety of unusual clasps and rings featuring interesting designs ranging from vintage to modern.

I've known Jess ever since my first shows, way back when I was an art student testing the waters of the bead world. That was some 15 years ago, when the bead industry was still a mystery....there were only two bead magazines and a handful of shows. We used to travel around to different cities selling our wares at shows during the day and having fun in the evenings. A lot has changed since those early days, we've grown up and buckled down as responsible adults (well, sort of.....I still feel like 24). Some things never change, though, and we are giggling and silly whenever we get together.

The waxes above are the latest batch of clasps (the squirrel will be set in a box clasp or hook and eye) and will debut at The New Gem Mall Tent #Two Jan.28-Feb. 10. They will be offered in shibuichi and bronze, possibly pewter.

approaching winter

2011-12-02T02:11:00.004-05:00

My sister Sheila and Max enjoying the festive lights around our house (we were the first in our neighborhood this year!).

Winter eases over Asheville slowly, taking its time to settle blanket-like on the mountains....which is fine, since once its cold I retreat indoors, rarely leaving my nest. In a lot of ways this 'hibernation' or retreat, happens on several levels. I stay inside my house, inside my head, waiting for spring, warmth and green. The bare trees and frosted mountain tops are lovely, but I find it very hard to be cheerful. I am too affected by the world around me, the negativity and chaos, but also the sadness that always comes when I think of Christmas. For our family, we hope that one day my brother will come home from wherever he's been these past twenty years. Its a fog that creeps in and keeps me cold.

This winter will be different. I'm taking a stand. We put up lights on our house to cheer us when we pull up the curb. When I hear about something that makes me think humans are horrid creatures, I think about all the things we've made that make us brilliant: The Book of Kells, watercolor pencils, solar power, Japanese soaking tubs and ball jointed dolls (among so many other things). I guess that's like stringing happy lights in my brain. This world of ours is a wondrous place, full of beauty and magic. That is what this season will represent to me from now on.

compartments

2011-11-20T18:40:00.006-05:00

Here's the finished paper doll! Now to find a good printer.....any ideas? Sourcing printers is probably my least favorite part of making things. Maybe I'm too particular, but I find it really difficult to get good color, thick paper and a nice finish from one shop. Its either great paper and weak color, or way too contrasty. Of course when I say 'is it possible to make the print look like the original?' I get a blank stare, as if I asked for it to be printed on homemade marshmallows. Anyway, the search continues to find the perfect printer that doesn't cost a fortune.

The other day I found myself on a website featuring fantasy art and I wondered vaguely if my stuff would fall into that category. Generally, I find categories annoying, since I have trouble thinking of myself in one. 'Fantasy Art' seems to exude a strong air of fluffiness, not that I don't completely appreciate that aspect of it, but it doesn't seem like a good fit. I don't like 'female artist', as that implies a lot of huge flowers and a fixation on being oppressed. That feels a little too much like focusing on the negative, so I'll leave that to more angsty folks. I can't really claim the whole 'asian artist' thing either, since I'm a halfy - or 'hapa' as my brother Andrew likes to call us. Maybe there's a 'folklorist' category, since I'm hugely influenced by folktales and mythology and how stories become part of the fabric of everyday life.

I've never liked titles, compartments or categories, this isolation of an individual, this separation. I go through stages of not signing my paintings, since its not important that I made it to the person looking at it. That doesn't mean I think we should all work anonymously, but it is interesting to think of how much importance is placed behind the art and not on the art itself. On the surface, this doesn't seem to be the case with craft artists, but the more I sit here thinking about it, the more I realize that all aspects of art are broken in to parts, divided and ranked.

Most of the artists I know are many faceted: fiber artists that make jewelry, painters that sculpt and make knitted handbags, etc. We've talked about how hard it is to pick a direction and push that particular thing forward: make a website, establish a brand, then promote. I suppose I'm all over the place and should separate everything, a different website and blog for my dolls, for the crafts I'm into and for the beads and jewelry. I've been advised to do this many times, but I balk at the idea. Again with the categories! So much time and energy spent on partitioning off aspects of one company. I think i'd rather make something fun, like a felted vest or some slippers and not worry if I'm considered a jewelry artist or a mermaid painter.

drawing board

2011-11-17T23:02:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I read my brother's post on 'The Art of Thinking' (his reaction to an interesting article on Sparrow Salvage) and it got me thinking about my expectations of a days work and what I consider wasted time: fooling with materials, testing paints, organizing beads, picking up the house (how many times in a day?) and the worst time thief of all - staring at my laptop, searching for inspiration in beautiful images, reading tutorials and perfume descriptions (of all things!). Why I love to read how a particular fragrance smells is odd - I guess they paint a fantastic reality, imagining opening a bottle and smelling a cedar forest, all sharp, dark and green. While I love doing this, it doesn't help me carve beads, or work on my shop, or tend the kids. So I feel guilty and try and make up the time by furiously carving away on something. More often than not, these projects born of guilt look shoddy and done by a lunatic, so of course I don't cast it! This bit of failure leads to its own set of insecurities all artists have about their work.

The last few weeks have seemed incredibly unproductive. I keep staring around me, sort of shocked at all I need to do, but can't find the time or energy to finish anything. There's a huge pile of wax that needs carved, but I took out my watercolors and made a little booklet called 'possibilities' to sketch ideas for a little book. My esty store needs updating, so instead I began designing paper doll creatures that look like the forest floor has come alive- little beings built from mushrooms, lichen, bulbs, roots, sticks and flowers. Azalea will enjoy putting the bits together, since I'm designing them so the parts can be interchanged to form new creatures. Again, this lovely little project doesn't include carving, so I consider it frivolous.

After reading Andrew's post, I understood the idea, that its necessary to let yourself idle, to not make anything.... in order to create something wonderful. Of course this is an over simplification of the idea, but I see the importance of slowing down and allowing ones mind to process the stimulation, to let the creativity percolate uninterrupted. The stubborn part of my mind argues that this is a ruse and that I need to stop fiddling around and just get to the drawing board or nothing will get made. The inner argument continues, one side validated and delighted to have an excuse to stare at dolls and read hundreds of perfume descriptions, the other side appalled and furious, insisting I get off my hind end and finish something! Ah well, I think I'll have a glass of wine, the workaholic self will settle down and let my hands make what they want to.... I don't think this discussion is over quite yet.

pretty new things

2011-11-10T15:10:00.004-05:00

Fresh from the workbench! I carved these awhile back, but it's so busy around here with shows and new projects, that there hasn't been time to cast them. The mermaid in front is designed to either work as a pendant, with a dangle drop from her tail, or as a link. I'll try both, I think. The silver queen is a pendant with a hole through her crown. Her tail is looped around to accommodate a little tassel of crystals or pearls, like a spray of ocean water.

I made this necklace last night as a sample for the new lacy pendant we made this summer. I designed the piece with Victorian collars and delicate cuffs in mind, something I could add lots of sparklies to. I'm going to try this design with a single pendant and loads of dangles and also as a pair of earrings. We'll see how those work out.

Azalea was patient enough to sit still to model the necklace.....although I cropped head, since she had chocolate smeared around her mouth (still working on Halloween candy) and that wasn't really the look I was going for. Anyway, this pendant and many others will be available for purchase at the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza (or BABE, as everyone calls it) this weekend November 12-13, Sat. 10 - 6, Sun. 10 - 5. There's also a $2 off coupon on their website.

I'm making a small collection of bezels, glass capsules and will have the mermaids pictured above for sale, so come early to get the best selection.

new paintings!

2011-10-26T18:45:00.006-05:00

This is a jointed paper doll I painted in egg tempera on paper. I'm thinking of having it printed and selling them on my etsy store. I love jointed paper dolls, but I don't know if other folks will like her since she's a bit different from other merfolk.

This is one of three paintings I made for Andrew's opening 'Into the Night' held this month at Allegory Gallery. I really enjoyed working on black canvas with a very different pallette than I usually use.

I think this piece was the favorite of the bunch...probably since the owls face is cute.

This is a portrait of an invented individual. I thought of her as a witch, since her face held a bit of secrecy and maybe a little sadness.

lovely autumn

2011-10-26T18:11:00.007-05:00

Here's my girl sporting a new hoodie and new red-headed Barbie. Azalea enjoys a doll photoshoot.

Max lookin' lovely at the botanical garden.

Greg striking a pose with Max.

Kitsune blending in with the leaves.

Every fall, Azalea's school puts on a play for each grade. The students write the play (the older kids direct, design costumes, backgrounds and lighting) and help choreograph the dances. Azalea's class wrote 'Sleeping Piggy' and made all the pig masks. My girl played the Good Pig Fairy who helps Sleeping Piggy survive the curse of the Bad Fairy.

Andrew was in town last week teaching a workshop. It was a real pleasure meeting the attendants when they stopped by for a studio tour. I felt flattered and a little embarrassed by all the attention!

Whenever Andrew and I get together, the ideas fly fast and furious and we try to get as much done as possible. This time, we had a particularly fruitful visit and planned some interesting activities for the upcoming year. I don't want to share just yet, until we have the details hammered out, but I can tell you I am very excited about these projects!

pewter bezels

2011-10-07T23:28:00.002-05:00

Here are some of our pewter bezels filled with little paintings and covered with Lisa Pavelka's Magic Glos UV Resin. I really like the fact its only one part, so there's no stressful mixing (it sets up with a UV light, or the sun). The only downside is bubble removal - sometimes some pop up under the light, then its impossible to remove them since this stuff sets up fast once its under the light. So, its essential to seal the paper down completely (no dots of glue to tack the paper! bubbles form under there). Anyway, these bezels (and empty ones) will be available this weekend in Jacksonville, FL at The Bead Mercantile Show held at the Ramada Inn Mandarin saturday 10-5 and sunday 10-4. Stop by and wear your green girl creations to receive a free bead!

visitor

2011-10-07T23:08:00.002-05:00

I was looking out the window the other day and noticed this lovely bear ambling across the backyard! The main level of our house is on the second floor, so it was perfect to watch the bear from up above. This time of year the bears are really active since they are prepping for hibernation. Sometimes its a real pain when they get into the trash and drag it all over the yard, but I still enjoy seeing them around. We never approach the bears, or try to lure them over with beef jerky so I could pet their fuzzy round ears.

afternoons in paradise

2011-10-02T19:19:00.008-05:00

What do I like to do in paradise? Oh, the normal things like wading in tidepools, sipping mai tais under vast umbrellas and also taking pictures of my dolls. Yep, I packed up a couple of my favorite small dolls so I could take pictures of them in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The doll in the photo above is from a Korean company called Fairy Land. I made the wig and painted the face and Jessica made the little dress while we waited for coffee. I think she turned out rather well. I named her Sprout.

While driving through a botanical garden, we spotted a little family of wild pigs, a mama and four babies. This photo was taken from about twenty yards away. We also found two tiny mongoose! They were super adorable, smaller than an average squirrel, darting about like birds.

This is an elaborate species of hibiscus, found in a large collection of the flowers at Waimea Falls, on the northern part of Oahu.

I really loved this feathery shrub, but couldn't find a plaque naming the plant. I love the color of those feathery fronds! I thought it would make a lovely skirt for my tiny doll.

We discovered these unusual blossoms in a tree alongside a winding road. Luckily, we were driving slowly, so they were easy to spot. I'd love this color and shape in the form of enameled bead caps, for earrings. It would be a pretty surprise every time that bright shade of red popped into view. I just picked up a book on torch fired enamels, so that could be a fun little experiment.

hawaii 2011

2011-10-02T15:51:00.007-05:00

I love Hawaii, its one of my favorite places. I've been to many picturesque cities across the world, but there's something about the air, or light, or maybe its all the colors, that really put me in a tranquil state. I'm always happy and relaxed when I'm there. The picture above was taken by Jessica, outside Haleiwa, near the coffee and pineapple fields. The sun was really bright, but there was a light mist in the air, perfect conditions for a rainbow or two.

This was shot a few miles north of Waikiki, near our secret location for finding sea glass! This trip it was just myself and Jessica Wiesel; Andrew was supposed to come, but he had to tend the shop and couldn't make it. We missed his fun presence.

Doesn't Jessica look peaceful? Our rental car was a Mustang convertible, which was absolutely lovely on warm evenings coming back from the shore. Now I want a convertible. Greg really wants a scooter, so maybe we'll get a Mini Cooper. Its kind like a car-scooter. Anyway, we realized people are so nice here because they have such beautiful views filling up their eyeballs. How could you be mad in a place like this? We actually had two of our tires slashed by some hoodlum, but we were still smiling, even with all the inconvenience.

On our last day, we decided to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center, to get a full-on Hawaiian blast to the senses, with a luau and dance show. In the picture above, a roast pig is carried away from the pit (covered with burlap and a green blanket) which is lined with stones, then layers of banana leaves to impart flavor and to keep the pork tender. The neat thing about the center is that they really made an effort to make structures true to how they are made traditionally, in some cases, shipping in huge wooden sculptures from the native islands. We also liked all the little mini workshops in crafts and cooking techniques.

This is the dining hall for the luau, which I found really impressive. The whole area was covered by the upturned boat shape, which felt huge. The food was tasty and interesting - I loved the roast pork, but didn't care for the poi (a kind of light purple condiment made from a sweet potato- like plant called taro, I thought it was bland). All in all it was a fun experiance, especially the fire dancing and feasting. Maybe we'll take Azalea and Max here next time, it would be cute seeing them practice the hula.

productive days

2011-09-17T23:57:00.008-05:00

Ocassionally, I have bursts of speed and creativity that completely engulfs my day. I love days like this. I have more ideas than time, so I try to work as fast as possible. The benefit is all the work that gets finished, which feels pretty satisfying. The downside is that everything else kind of falls to the side. The house is a wreck, emails are piling up and I loathe leaving my bench. The idea of leaving for a few hours is almost painful. Sessions like this require a lot of time management, breaking up chores in chunks so things get finished and my family doesn't rebel.

My friend Bob Burkett helped me design and construct this little slider turtle, showing me tricks with wax to get clean results. Its really small, about an 1 3/4" long and 1" wide. The shell is cast in shibuichi, the body in sterling, set with onyx cabachon eyes. I love it.

After completing the turtle, I couldn't seem to get enough of wax, so I started this doll. She's about 5 1/4" tall, perfect for 1/12 scale dollhouses. I'm planning on making her into a little pixie, dressed as if she found her outfit from items found arond the house. Maybe I'm influenced by 'The Borrowers" from my childhood!

I'm really happy with how she looks and especially her jointing. It was a real challenge to get the elbows and knees to bend, with a full range of movement, but also look like accurate human joints. We're in the process of molding her now, so hopefully she will cast well in resin.

I made this ring while working on the turtle. Its a study in setting cabachons, using a large rose cut sapphire and two rose cut garnets. I really enjoyed learning to use wax to make bezels (thanks Bob!). Now I can use all those stones I've been hoarding. I told Bob he should make videos to teach his innovative techniques in wax work, but I don't think he thinks there's enough interest.

I have another 5 - 8 pieces on my bench that are in different stages of completion. I usually work in groups, shifting between carving in tight detail to loose, gestural lines. This gives my hands and eyes a break and its also good to step away from a piece, to really see it. This mermaid pendant is destined to be cast in bronze, shibuichi and sterling. Hopefully we'll have some ready to send to Andrew to debut at his store and a few to sell in Hawaii next week. This time it will be just me and my friend Jessica Wiesel, which will be fun, but probably hard since I've never been away from little family. I'm looking forward to soaking in the ocean and eating loads of tropical fruit and masubi (teriyaki spam on rice- love it!) not to mention all the other hard to find asian foods I grew up with.

If you're on Oahu next week, come down to Honolulu for the SoftFlex Bead Show! Stop by and say hello, check out our limited edition pieces (I'm working on some mechanical owls and another mermaid!) and maybe give us some tips on where to eat. Show starts on Friday, see you there!

where do the days go?

2011-09-17T22:32:00.007-05:00

The days seem to rush by, one minute I'm cleaning up the breakfast dishes, the next its midnight and the house is quiet and I have a few short hours to work before its time to start again. Sometimes it scares me, this passage of time, seeing my children changing before my eyes, limbs lengthening, slimming, losing the plumpness of babyhood. Its times like this that I'm bursting to stop everything, to stay in those perfect moments.

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time on etsy, since I have the store now and its doing surprisingly well. I picked up these labradorite pendant from a store called SilverFound. They are very beautiful, about the size to fit in a quarter, very luminous and reasonably priced. I think they'd look amazing with some faceted briolettes and handmade chain (my fave combo).

This is a custom felt animal I ordered from Pentip, also on etsy. She makes adorable felt animals like dragons, foxes, griffins and unicorns that are also poseable. This kitty was designed to look like my beloved Paddy. I think she captured his debonair charm and sweet expression.

My sister Sheila and her boyfriend Steve came for a visit and we had the best time at a little rock mining store called Elijah Mountain in Hendersonville. We love searching for rocks in creek beds and along streams, so this was a nice excursion only twenty minutes away. Basically you buy a big bucket of dirt and rocks culled from various areas where gemstones are found (along rivers usually) and shift through it with strainer and water. When the dirt washes away, what's left is rough stones like rubies, sapphires, citrines, amethyst, quartz and garnets. Sometimes there are fossils and unusual stones like kyanite and emerald. They are pretty rough, but we plan to use our yield on the lapidary grinder and smooth them out to make pendants. Azalea had the best time shoveling through the buckets and discovering the treasures. I think we'll have to make some of these strainers so we can pan along some of the rivers nearby. You never know, we might find gold.

new etsy shop!

2011-08-22T11:40:00.004-05:00

Hello! I opened an etsy store called Enchanted Adornments by cynthiathornton the other day, after months of hemming and hawing on whether or not to do it. I wanted a way to sell some of our limited run items (besides the shows, since so many folks can't make it to them). In a way, its a good draw for people to come to the shows. Its far easier to make a bunch of new things and carry them to the shows, but I'll take some of the special goods and upload them to my new little store. So far, it has been fairly easy to figure out, but I'm pretty slow at adding things since I'm such a perfectionist. It takes me forever to take good pictures, then write a description.

I really enjoy shopping on etsy, browsing through the listings and stores, knowing I'm buying handmade. I feel like I'm helping the economy by supporting small businesses like myself. Besides, its pretty nice to stay at home and not run around wasting gas and time hunting for a parking spot (one of my pet peeves - especially when I have to parrallel park, or when there's loads of folks competing for spots, like our downtown). Anyway, if you get a chance, stop by!

smokey mountain park

2011-08-13T20:57:00.006-05:00

Max waving 'hello' while attempting to wander through the tall grass at Cataloochee, part of the Smokey Mountain Park. There were lots of wild turkeys and elk roaming around the pastures, calmly ignoring the folks stopped by the side of the road taking pictures.

Azalea is learning to use a digital camera, something she is enjoying immensely! The elk and wild turkey look far away in the picture, but were actually pretty close. We were going to bring our dolls for a photoshoot, but forgot them in the rush to leave. I think Greg was a little relieved.

I took this picture of Greg and Max at a scenic overlook using a 'miniaturize' setting. I love how everything takes on a grainy, vintage photo look.

Here's my favorite miniaturized photo. I think the grass looks like moss, the trees like tiny wired and flocked toys and the flowers like painted paper. It was nice to take a break from preparing for the show in Philadelphia next week. Sometimes its easy to go into a zone and not move for several hours, resulting in a stiff neck and sore eyes. We are hoping to have the little house finished and ready to take with us, along with a few limited runs of some designs in bronze (which are always a hit!).

work in progress

2011-08-07T22:10:00.002-05:00

This is (a rather blurry) picture of one of my latest beads. Its carved in polymer clay on a brass rod. Its a few hours away from completion....but I'm at the point where I tend to go wild with details. I can't resist noodling on a piece forever. I adore simple, rustic and rough hewn pieces, with marks of the artists hand readily visible (Kathy Van Kleek comes to mind). Work like that always seems to have a magical quality to it, as if the fingerprints and tool marks lend a bit of mystery. I suppose its a subtle reminder of the artist.

Yet, its so difficult for me to make things simple. So, should I noodle away, add roof plates, window panes and other fancy details? Or should I aim for something less ornate? Smooth it out, crisp up the edges and cast it? What do you think?

paddy

2011-08-02T00:53:00.002-05:00

My sister took this picture of Paddy and myself when we were in art school, maybe 15 years ago. Its a very telling picture, I think, with his sublime expression and those melting eyes. He walked in through my open apartment window one day while I was airing out my room (in a vain attempt to disperse the fumes from oil paints and turpentine) and sat down by my feet. He visited every day, a friendly stray who politely accepted rice and other tidbits (even though we knew he dined on Fancy Feast and other fine treats from homes all over the neighborhood). He eventually chose my sister and I as his favorites and stayed with us through countless moves across the country, a constant companion through all manner of emotional terrain. He kept me company when I kept to myself, which happened to be a fair amount of the time.

I couldn't find the pictures of him wearing his red bowtie, which complimented his 'tuxedo' perfectly, but I think he still looks like a lover in this one. Paddy was one of the most loving beings I've ever known, winning over every dog, cat and human in his path. That cat was even patient with Azalea and Max, allowing them to hug and 'pet' him! I loved that cat. He died from old age last week, so we made a bed for him under the azaleas and rhododendrons (his favorite place to watch the birds). I'll remember him always.

jewelry t.v.!

2011-07-23T16:23:00.003-05:00

Can you believe GGS is a spotlight artist on Jewelry Television? This appearance has been brewing for a couple of months, negotiating time frames for filming in the studio and deciding which pieces to showcase. The whole process of going on t.v. is fairly interesting, a little stressful, but that's to be expected. I was a little nervous about talking on live t.v. but it turned out to be easier than I expected. One of the most nerve wracking things was doing my makeup! They instructed me to use a darker pallette, since the lights tend to wash people out. I felt a little like a drag queen, since I rarely wear makeup and even then its just a bit of eyeliner. The heat under the lights was startling, not to mention the numerous cameras. Looking into the right camera at the right time took some practice, but I think I did o.k. I dreaded going on the show, but it turned out to be a fun experiance. As soon as I get a copy of the segment I'll put it on you tube.

Here's a still screen of Greg demonstrating a bronze casting, that jtv used on the show. He cleaned the studio for almost a week in preparation of the camera crew! I think the video looks great! I told them that Greg was way more comfortable in front of the camera and far more photogenic, but they wanted me to talk (which I thought was surprising, since I've been told I have a sort of dry personality). Anyway, we really enjoyed working with all the lovely folks from j.t.v. and I especially enjoyed the tour of the huge warehouse filled with beads and gemstones!

summer afternoons

2011-07-10T17:28:00.007-05:00

I love this picture of Azalea and Max! He has to copy everything big sister does. Its pretty cute. Good thing she's a really good example and is very loving to him.

This little boy sure knows how to get into things. Note the impish grin as he pauses before chasing Suni with a stick. Unfortunately, he still puts everything in his mouth and if its attached to something, he uses brute force to make it palateable. Sigh. We have to watch him like a hawk.

We went to the Greenville Zoo yesterday and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon strolling through the exhibits. We love zoos, its fun to sit and draw the animals, or if your like Azalea, pretending to be one. Yesterday, red pandas were the favorite creature, so Greg picked up a foam mask at the gift shop and she wore it for the rest of the afternoon. Max absolutely loves it when she pretends to be an animal! Its sweet to watch. I can hardly believe the summer is half over. I find myself longing to be outside, playing with the kids, hanging out with friends and enjoying our mild weather. It has been really difficult to get back into work mode. My things to do list keeps getting longer and longer. I haven't even really felt like making anything. This streak of slacking will end, I'll force myself to design, or carve or string up the awaiting projects and feel productive.

Art Fest!

2011-07-04T14:29:00.002-05:00

Good news! The classes I proposed to teach at Art Fest were accepted! I worked on the proposals for a month, making samples, writing descriptions and photographing the pieces. I enjoyed the process, but it was a little stressful wondering if the workshops would be chosen.

Art Fest is an annual retreat that takes place at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA in the spring. People travel from all over the world to attend the workshops taught by well known artists and craftsmen from a variety of fields. The workshops range in skill levels and techniques, but focus on new ideas. You don't have to be talented, or professional - just willing to learn and to enjoy the company of other creative people. I attended as a student a few years ago and had an amazing time! I met lots of wonderful people and really loved the location, a beautiful small town 40 miles north of Seattle, nestled right on the Puget Sound. The other, perhaps best thing, about Art Fest, is the encouraging enviroment to experiment with new materials and ideas. Its very nourishing to the spirit to just play, with no expectations to make great art, or sellable products, which can be stressful and limiting.

I'm extremely pleased to teach again at this prestigious event! I am also very happy that my brother Andrew will be assisting my workshops! We work very well together and I think folks will be happy to have both of us there sharing information. I am so looking forward to Art Fest this year!

Wonder Cabinet Butterflies

2011-07-04T14:23:00.006-05:00

Create beautiful little butterfly creatures to place into wonder cabinets, incorporate into charming mobiles or sew into lovely dolls. This workshop will cover a wide variety of useful techniques: basic sculpting, raised effects on paper and wire, molding polymer and quick painting finishes. Many supplies will be provided, especially the more unusual ones like interference paints and polymer mediums. Various molds will also be available.

I am very excited to teach this workshop at Art Fest 2012! These little lovelies are really enchanting! I filled a shadowbox with a variety of them and displayed them along with my other butterfly specimens and they look pretty realistic at first glance. Observant folks always do a double take and lean in for a closer look, which always pleases me. These are so much fun to make and delightful to decorate with. I think they would also make beautiful ornament gifts. Join Andrew and I for this charming workshop this spring at Art Fest!

Whimsical Wings

2011-07-04T14:20:00.006-05:00

Make luminous and lightweight wings for pendants, earrings, mobiles, sculptures and dolls in this experimental workshop. Expand your technical repertoire with these useful techniques: decorative wire working, coloring resin, attaching and painting acetate films and using interference pigments. Students will create a variety of wing shapes, starting with simple leaf-like pieces, advancing to more ornate wrapped pendants and layered pieces with painted embellishments.

I am delighted to present this workshop at Art Fest 2012! I really enjoyed creating the samples and found they were quite addictive to make (in fact, I just finished another batch a few hours ago). They are a variation or advanced version of my project 'Woodland Wings' from my book 'Enchanted Adornments', which may be the most popular project in the book. Try out this fun and addictive project with Andrew and I this spring at Art Fest!

Resin Reliquaries

2011-07-04T13:36:00.005-05:00

Beautiful and unusual reliquaries are easy and fun to make with a few readily available supplies and a simple method. Create ornate frames or tiny wonder cabinets with a variety of finishes and textures, imbedded with sparkling stones and fragile botanicals. This workshop will cover a good variety of useful and spontaneous techniques: simple carving, resin basics (tinting, imbedding, pouring, finishing) and paint finishes.

This is one of the workshops I will be teaching at Art Fest 2012! These little frames/boxes are fun to create and are surprisingly simple in their construction. Interestingly, I developed this technique as a teenager, when funds and supplies were extremely limited! I guess that old adage 'necessity is the mother of invention' is proven true once again. Join Andrew and I for this useful and fun workshop this spring!

gratitude

2011-06-30T21:21:00.003-05:00

We've spent the last few days in Florida, slowly unwinding after all the recent difficulties. The slow pace, surrounded by family and familiar sights is a comforting thing. Max is back to his old self, healthy appetite and rambunctious spirit included! In the picture above, he's playing near a tide pool, with his big sister Azalea and the rest of the gang in the background, swimming.

I thought this particular shot captured how peaceful and magical our little spot is. I've relished watching Max recover from such a scary state, everyday gaining strength. When we first left the hospital, he couldn't walk, or even hold his head up. The physical therapist warned us it could be a month or more before he would be back to his old self. We are happy, no thrilled to say our little boy is back to normal!

We will spend a couple more days in Florida, relaxing and feeling truly grateful that our little family is happy and healthy. It boggles my mind how quickly everything progressed, from thinking he had stomach flu, to realizing he had perforations in his intestines from swallowing a set of 'mighty strong' magnets (not a pearl after all!). Those tiny things nearly killed him (so of course we threw out every last one of them). Things will shift back into place, our routines and rhythms will continue and I will look on my boy with gratitude and happiness.

recovery

2011-06-15T15:41:00.003-05:00

Max has been ill since Tuesday, with what we thought was gastroenteritus or stomach flu. He had all the symptoms, vomitting, diarhea and listlessness. So, my sister and I took him to the doctor, expecting the medicines he gave us would work and Max would get better. Well, they didn't do much, so we took him to the e.r. and waited for the i.v. that would make all of his issues go away. He seemed better, alert and even eating a little. That evening he grew worse, so were back at the hospital. Since then it has been an exhausting battle to try and figure out why his symptoms weren't responding to the treatments. When his belly grew distended and he was in obvious pain, the doctors used x-rays, ultrasound and finally a ct scan to see what the problem was. It looked like he had swallowed a pearl from the scans, but it didn't explain the blockadge. They decided he needed to go into emergency surgery to find out what was wrong. A few hours later they informed us they found three holes in his intestines, with white blood cells attempting to repair the damage, forming the blockadges. They didn't find the pearl. He is slowly getting better,he isn't vomiting constantly (a really good thing) but his tummy is still really swollen and things aren't progressing as fast as everyone hoped, but we are optimistic.

I've heard throughout my life that there is nothing more agonizing and frightening than seeing your child in a hospital bed. I discovered just how true that statement was during this week, when I wouldv'e gladly given a limb, if it meant his healthy return. I've left his side only when I absolutely had to, needing to watch him closely for signs of improvement. I thought I'd known real fear, since I'd been through some scary events, but the fear I had for my boy was bone deep. We're not out of the woods yet, but I can tell you I've never looked so forward to going home in all my life.

new masters

2011-06-02T19:12:00.007-05:00

Here's the next batch of masters. These are cast in silver and aren't polished or antiqued. They are destined for our pewter line. You may remember seeing the polymer version of this piece, when I was trying to decide what to do with it. I think it looks particularly good in silver.

Here's the back of the piece, engraved with the first lines of one of Emily Dickinson's most beautiful poems:

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

This little horned owl has been in more sketchbooks....but I just never got around to carving it. I've drawn it over and over, with different faces, feather patterns and body shapes. I sat down to make something entirely different, a rabbit, I think, then this took shape. He's quite small, perfect to dangle from a bracelet or in a long necklace with oval shaped beads.

I haven't made many pieces with openwork, but found a bit of antique handmade lace in my sewing box and thought it would make a lovely necklace. The first thing I thought of was a choker type piece, strung all the way around with the lacy drop pendants, with tiny briollettes wire wrapped in the middle opening and from the hole at the point. It would have a rather opulent and vintage feel, perfect for a summer wedding. I'm looking forward to making myself something with this design!

I love carving flowers and leaves, there is something quieting in the familiar shapes. It's almost meditative. Anyway, I carved this little dangly piece to go with our floral clasp. I think it'll look great with so many styles- retro or vintage, depending on the beads. These new pieces will also debut at the Bead and Button Show, so stop by and say hello!

winged things

2011-05-31T15:36:00.004-05:00

This is a new version of the bird clasp that we carried for years. The original was misplaced (an unfortunate occurance that happens sometimes) and the mold broke, so I decided to redo the whole thing, rather than cast from one that had been polished. Casting from a second generation piece results in a smaller, less detailed finished item, since the wax shrinks slightly. I like this one better, it has a more refined shape and the loop has more detailing. I've also improved the fit, carving the loop a touch smaller, so the bird has to be jiggled a little to remove it.

This is another piece I retooled. I love this little bird girl, but her mold broke several years ago and we never got around to fixing her, so the design was shelved. Greg found her languishing in a box and asked me to fix her up, so I detailed her wings, changing the shape and also carved her little feet so that they have holes - perfect for gripping bits of chain or briolettes. These two will also debut at the show, so stop by and check them out!

butterfly key

2011-05-28T00:46:00.004-05:00

This is a silver master of one of our newest pieces. It will be slightly smaller (since the molding process shrinks the final piece about 5%) and cast in pewter. We will cast a few in bronze for the show and a couple for my personal collection. One of the best things about this key is that there is a hole drilled through the bottom part, to hang crystals, or to use as a link.

Here's a shot of the other side. I'm looking forward to stringing up a bracelet with this! Or a necklace featuring a collection that includes Andrew's skull key and a skeleton key from our line. I love the look of antique keys, there's something about the shape that's bone-like and botanical all at once. The mystery of keys is universal, it sparks curiosity as one always wonders what the key unlocks. I think this one opens a tiny red door, a meadow of blue poppies and black butterflies just beyond the threshold.

calm afternoons

2011-05-20T12:19:00.004-05:00

Max is so handsome with his new haircut! I think he looks a lot younger and sweeter, probably because more of his plump face is showing. He's peeking through a playhouse window, where he and his big sister were playing Dr. Who (Azalea is always The Dr., I'm always a monster and Max is the alien baby who needs to be rescued).

Here's my girl, caught up in her game with Max. I love watching my babies play. I remember the excitement and sense of adventure a few hours in the backyard could yield. We lived on a sizeable piece of property growing up, some of it wild and overgrown, with huge trees to climb and a tangerine grove to hide in. That was the perfect hideout since it was cool under the shade
of the twisty limbs and the tangerines were sweet and tart and peeled easier than bananas.

This is a drawing Azalea made of our day at Disney, showing everyone that was there that day

(from left: Azalea, my brother Andrew,my sister Sheila, her boyfriend Steve and myself and Max). Don't you just love the bun on my head, the pink shoes and the little detail that she drew me taller than my sis (since Sheila is just a hair taller!). My girl is so talented. I save her drawings and plan on making a book of them one day, starting from her earliest doodles to her more polished pieces.

winner!

2011-05-20T11:42:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I'll make it a surprise to see what I chose to carve on the back. I'll show the results before we cast it. And now for the winner! The name that came out of the hat was #4 Rebecca! So, shoot me an email with your address and I'll send you your prize! Get ready for the next giveaway, which go up some time this weekend. Have a great weekend.

friday giveaway!

2011-05-16T22:46:00.004-05:00

This is a new charm for the 'little blessings' line. Its carved from polymer clay and features a sweet image of a mother cuddling her baby. Its about the size of a dime and the thickness of one side of an Oreo. I have an idea of what I want to inscribe on the back, but I'm sort of waffling between a couple of things, unable to decide.

Which brings me to the next thing on my list, a giveaway for Friday! Leave a comment about what you would like to see on the back of the mama charm and I'll draw from the comments section. The winner will receive a pack of the beads shown above. They are from our latest batch of new pieces and they are some of my favorite! The small floral clasp is perfect for a bracelet or a delicate necklace of faceted stones and the coral branch link is great for an asymetrical summer piece. Ok! Let's hear those suggestions!

evening

2011-05-10T22:03:00.004-05:00

Evenings at our house are spent together, cooking dinner, playing rambunctiously, quizzing spelling words (my girl gets 100% every time!) and talking about the day.

I am addicted to ball jointed dolls. Maybe its the whole crafty part of painting their faces and making wigs, clothes and shoes that reels me in. Or maybe its creating the characters. Or choosing from hundreds of eyes. Whatever it is, Azalea shares my obsession and is always ready to participate in any dolly endeavor. Here's my girl posing with our latest doll, Buttercup (a Fairyland LittleFee creation). I love her and try really hard not to bring her everywhere, so Greg doesn't have to feel embarrassed that his wife is so weird. Poor Greg.

I do my best work in the evenings. I wish I could rise early with the dawn, listen to the birds awaken the world and begin work. But more likely than not I'm seeing dawn from the other direction, so to speak. Here's my latest piece, inspired by a motif on a piece of Liberty of London fabric, 'The Strawberry Theif" I think, maybe by William Morris. This is a pressing from a mold I just finished carving (its a quick smoosh of polymer in the mold, untouched and sloppy- but it shows the bird nicely). It will probably show up as a bronze clay piece, or maybe I'll clean it up and engrave a quote on the back and cast it in pewter. What do you think?

mother's day

2011-05-09T13:16:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day, so we decided to load into the van and head over to Franklin, NC, where the gem show was held. I found my long time friend Jessica, from Jess Imports and we stood around catching up about the kids, my mom (and her love of Phillipine boxing star Manny Paquiao). We also planned some exciting pieces for her line (new bees!) to debut in a couple of months. Above is a vermeil ring featuring the Green Girl classic mermaid button, one of my Mother's Day gifts.
These sparklies are rose cut Champagne Quartz cabachons, destined for some limited edition pieces. I saw them at Sona's table and thought how great they would look on a ring, or even set onto a bit of enameling, to magnify and glitterize the color.

I found this unique amulet at a table selling pieces from various Boudouin tribes and couldn't resist shifting through the pile to find one with a.) a perfect stone with no cracks b.) really sharp carving. It's a quartz crystal sliced like a loaf of bread with an image of a gazelle or rabbit creature carved out. Looking at it put me in the mood to sit down at my lapidary grinder and have at it. I have some gorgeous rough stones that need attending to.

While at Sona's table, I found more stones to add to my hoard (from the top down): micro faceted sapphires, chrome dioxide teardrops, top drilled mini faceted black spinel, rainbow tunduru sapphire rondelles, rough cut diamonds, faceted pyrite rondelles and peach colored andalucite. Unfortunately, they don't have a website, so I have to wait till a gem show rolls around or call their offices in Morgantown, PA (610-856-7211) but their prices are great and I love the quality, so its worth it.

Sheila's store

2011-05-08T21:34:00.004-05:00

Look at this lovely print I purchased from my sister Sheila! I think it would look great in my collection of drawings, paintings and prints I've gathered over the years. She just opened a storefront on etsy.com called sthorntonart and has some of her paintings and prints for sale. Many are paintings she made while traveling to far flung locales like India or Thailand, while others were created closer to home, in Venice Beach, FL. She has a beach painting I immediately recognized as her secret shark tooth gathering spot, a lovely, quiet patch of beach she took us to a few weeks ago. I like that aspect of her work, the element of intimacy and connection, of knowing these are pictures from an artists life, seen and captured.

new stamps for Andrew

2011-05-07T14:21:00.002-05:00

These are polymer test copies of the new stamps I carved for Andrew. Remember a few months ago I asked what folks thought I should make to help Andrew with his cancer bills? Well, a lot of folks mentioned making a painting, or a doll, which are good ideas, just a tiny bit too time consuming. Those things take ages to make, especially when my time is so limited, so he wouldn't see money for awhile. He thought the stamps would be a good idea since he could produce them himself. We talked about what designs to make and spent a pleasant afternoon sketching and drinking coffee. We agreed on these designs (although the serpent is a fun extra I knew he would like!) and I just finished carving them last night. I will carve more designs for GGS to debut at Bead and Button, but these little lovelies will only be available at Andrew's shop.

winners!

2011-05-07T13:41:00.003-05:00

Ok! That was exciting! It also proved enlightening, as far as taste trends are concerned. There is definitely a strong pull towards detailed focals on simple settings. I wonder if this sway towards simplicity has to do with warmer weather? It's hard to say for me, since I love both ornate and simple jewelry year round. This little contest has inspired me to make some intricate pendants, ideal for threading onto some chain or ribbon.
And now the winners! The grand prize of a mechanical owl pendant goes to Patty of the Ornate Blue Bead! I think my brother Andrew was right, another prize should go to the runner up, Ann.
The drawing winner from the votes goes to #45 Heidi! To claim your prize, send me an email with your shipping address. All this month I'll be doing giveaways, so check back soon!

which should I pick?

2011-05-05T12:53:00.007-05:00

Hi! I meant to announce the winner, but I have to admit I'm torn. Which of these should win? Cast your vote in the comments section. The first is by Ann Cruzen:

"I mixed the colors using the closest shades I had on hand to your recipe and I liked how they turned out. To me they had a rich medieval tone ( my husband thought I had some berries on the baking tray!) .
So then my first thought was to use your "dragon bead" but the studded beads reminded me of the mechanical owl which I thought fitting to use an owl bead. My husband loaned me his wire cutters and I *may* owe him a sharpening as I think I nicked them cutting the nails for the studs! "

I'm drawn to the shape of the piece and the intricate wire work around the owl, which perfectly sets it off. The varied use of mixed color metals is an interesting design element, making it more wearable with either gold or silver. The studded beads are also very nicely shaped and luminous looking. Well done, Ann!

This entry is by Patty Gasparino:

"I hope it's not too late I was dying to do this! This is one of my favorite books!!!

I only had a few days so it's not as polished as I would like - I used your sweet bird toggle and simple chain.I will be blogging about this tomorrow. "

Blog:
http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/
Shop:
www.etsy.com/shop/thejunquerie
Fan Page:
www.facebook.com/#!/MyLifeUndertheBus

I love the simplicity of design in this piece, which is a great counterpoint to such an intricate bead. The sweet robin's egg blue of the clay is one of my favorites, as it goes so well with silver. The use of the flowers along with the nail heads is really creative and looks fantastic! Great work, Patty!

OK, let's decide together! This was a fun project and i enjoyed seeing the entries. VOTE and one the votes will WIN A PRIZE! I'm feeling festive, gearing up for Bead and Button and nothing says 'festivity' like a giveaway.

weekend at the farm

2011-05-02T14:45:00.005-05:00

We spent a lazy weekend at our friend Carter's family farm in Ridgeway, SC for a festive pig roast. The farm is over a hundred acres of forest and trails, perfect for wildflower gathering and the occasional ride in a four-wheeler. Azalea and I tried not to monopolize the hammock, but it was pretty comfortable.

Doesn't Max look like he's fishing on a raft? My little camera has a 'toy camera setting' that gives the edges a grainy look, like photos from the seventies. I like the look, it reminds me of pictures from my youth.

I spotted this brilliant flower growing in the deep shade of the forest and was surprised by the almost glowing yellow set against the browns of last year's leaves.

Our dog Suni came along for the fun and ran wild through the woods, coming back to sit with us under the shade between runs. It was particularly sweet to see how she stayed near Max when he napped under a tree, or when I would let him wander a bit, she was right by his side. Those two are already best friends. I think I may have to paint them together!

inspiration

2011-05-02T14:38:00.009-05:00

This picture was taken last week at the arboretum. We go there late in the day, when its quiet and most folks are leaving. Late afternoons are my magic hours, when my best ideas bubble to the surface. I'm always ready with a camera in one pocket, sketchbook in the other.

I love the shape and color of this plant. I can't remember the name, something with 'fire' in it and probably from Mexico, but I thought it would make a nice pendant.

I've been meaning to sculpt lily-of-the-valley and iris's for years....maybe this is an sign to stop thinking about it and do it.

I've made stamps of fiddle head ferns and columbines, but only for limited edition pieces, never full production. I keep seeing them everywhere, growing wild between rocks, along sidewalks and against old, dilapidated buildings. There's something a little sad about their drooping heads and impossibly thin stems, but in a sweet way, like they are determined to grow no matter what.

I like this picture of Andrew, doesn't he look like he's thinking of something poetic and heartbreaking? But knowing him, I'd say he's thinking more about what our next food adventure will be!

Azalea looked so small sitting in the center of all those pansy's. She's a good girl, sketching her favorite flowers and making up stories about them.

When our friend Kathy Van Kleeck comes over, its always a good time- she's fun and knowedgeable and time just flies past. I find that when she leaves, I can't wait to get into the studio to make things. Some artists have that effect on people, maybe its the excitement for the materials, or the willingness to share information. Above is a picture of delicate pinch pot she gave to me to put little treasures in. I love how every fingerprint and indentation is accented by a blue wash of color, giving it a luminous glow in sunlight. The lovely beads it holds are from the talented JoAnne Zekowski of "Z Designs in Glass" E-mail: rzekowski@mindspring.com.

great etsy craft finds

2011-04-24T18:19:00.007-05:00

WhoKnowsWhat Aren't these metal flowers great? I'm not sure what I'll do with them, but I think they'll be a fun component in a project (like attached to a chandelier, wire wrapped around a mirror or frame or separated to use in a necklace).

IUsedToBeATree I bought these to make kokeshi dolls for the kids, since the first batch I made for Azalea came out so well. These blanks are perfectly smooth and don't require any sanding, just grab your paints and get started! I use acrylic paints and mediums to the paint faces and clothes and seal the surface with matte or satin varnish. I'm so excited to paint these! I think an ocean creature theme would look interesting.

Giant Dwarf This felt is really pretty! The felt is made from a blend of tencel and wool fibers, making it naturally soft and sturdy. It's thinner than regular wool felt and thicker than polyester felt. I have lots of ideas for this stuff! Doll clothes, flower hairpins and small bags for gifts. I'd also like to see if this felt could be used with mohair wool, as prefelts.

I love finding good sources, especially if they support small businesses in the U.S. All the photos are from the listed shops.

saddlebag

2011-04-24T18:02:00.002-05:00

Check out this customer picture! The new winged skull was sewn onto a leather saddlebag that fits on a motorcycle. I think it looks perfect. Seeing this bag reminded me of some red leather I've been stowing away until inspiration strikes. I just love it when folks use our pieces in creative ways!

vacation

2011-04-19T18:46:00.007-05:00

Returning home from a vacation always seems a little surreal, relieving....yet strangely as though your brain hasn't caught up with your body and is still on the road. We traveled down to Florida for Spring Break, enjoyed the beaches, Disney, Epcot and the company of family.

The beach photos were taken at a secret spot in Venice, FL. My sister showed us the proper way to hunt for shark teeth and we were happily surprised by our findings. In the photo above, Max and I sift through shells and stones to find shark teeth.

At first, Max was pretty terrified by the huge expanse of water, but gradually grew more comfortable with getting wet (which made the adults reel with nerves!).

Max and Greg, happily traveling along!

My dad can't resist Max at all and loves to carry him around, which I totally understand. Our trip went surprisingly smooth, free of traffic jams or lost things. It felt wonderful to get away, especially after such a hectic few months of Azalea in theatre practice (she was a hedgehog in The Wind in the Willows ) and Greg gone nearly every weekend for shows. I'm glad we had the opportunity to relax before the yearly crush to make new things for the upcoming Bead and Button Show. Well, the vacation is over and its time to get to work!

Studded Bead Tutorial

2011-04-15T09:19:00.009-05:00

Here's a quick tutorial for making studded beads (for more detailed information, check out my book Enchanted Adornments). Start by clearing an area away from dust or other small particles that could marr the surface of the clay, then use a piece of plexiglass, or a thin cutting board as your work surface. Gather the tools: *polymer clay (I like premo) *small picture hanging nails (I prefer the golden domed ones) *metal rod/mandrel to use as a handle and hole maker (I like steel ones used in lamp work) *wire cutters *oven *sculpting tools or cuticle stick *liquid polymer

Press conditioned polymer onto the mandrel until they are secured and not loose, then bake.

Apply liquid polymer clay in a thin layer.

Wrap bead with a layer of conditioned clay - this bead was wrapped twice.

Press out any air bubbles and smooth the surface carefully, too much force may loosen the bead.

Clip the nails with wire cutters or bolt cutters. I left about 3mm on the head.

Then push them into surface. This is a very satisfying step.

Then bake the finished bead....some of the nailheads got a little buried, but I don't mind.

Process: 1.Condition the polymer by kneading it until it is soft and warm. Don't skip this step, since it ensures completely mixed polymer which means stronger beads.

2.Decide how large you want your finished beads to be and roll out beads half that size. These will be the core beads that clay will be added to.

3. Push the clay beads onto the mandrel, compacting them to the metal so they adhere well.

4. Cure them in the oven at 275F for 15 minutes for every 1/4" thickness. Allow them to cool, or dunk them into cool water.

5. While the core beads are cooling, use wire cutters and trim the nails to about 1/8".

6. Apply a thin coat of liquid polymer to the cores (you can use a brush or your fingers), then roll out some conditioned clay and add a layer to the core bead, careful not to trap any air bubbles. This is best done by working from one end of the bead to the other, pushing out air as you press the clay onto the core.

7. Smooth the surface with your fingers, using the cuticle stick to get around the mandrel.

8. Press the trimmed nails into the clay and make a pattern or cover the surface. Smooth out any blemishes on the surface.

9. Cure the clay in the oven and while still warm, twist off the mandrel and cool. Tips: Rubbing alcohol works well to smooth uncured polymer clay. Twill works well to buff finished beads.

comfort

2011-03-30T17:08:00.008-05:00

I admire this picture everytime I use my phone. It makes me so happy to see my babies so loving and sweet. I wonder where they get it from? In many ways, my little brother Andrew and I are alike. One thing we have in common is our sensitivity to the 'outside world'. We tend to cacoon ourselves, carefully avoiding the ugliness and sensationalism that plague our society. Everytime I hear about something terrible, it seems like all I can do is think about it for days and days, wishing I were more useful. Of course that is a fairly depressing line of thought, but is unavoidable when you make pretty things for a living and the world is in need of heroes. So, Greg and I try to use our skills in creating beauty for good. We are very pleased to have contributed 300 dollars from our last two shows to help the tragedy in Japan. Greg has spent a lot of time on the road these past couple of months, which means my studio time diminishes quite a bit. He is so nice to take Max for a few hours to let me have some time to myself. I took this pic from the top of my studio stairs, after spending a pleasant afternoon making a little teddy bear. I guess they wore temselves out! I made this bear from a pattern I found on an etsy store called The Old Pincushion. I was inspired to sew it after gazing at vintage Steiff bears I saw at a toy show. They felt different, sturdier, heavier, with jointed limbs. I've always found stuffed animals charming, a sweet symbol of childhood innocence. It was a tactile pleasure working with the fur, cotton stuffing and wool felt. This was my first creature and I have a feeling I'll be making more.

win this owl!

2011-03-30T13:34:00.002-05:00

Hi! I've decided to extend the contest deadline for another month, since it was pointed out that a couple of weeks isn't a lot of time and the short deadline wasn't conducive to creativity. I think it will be fun and inspiring to see what people make. I will post a quick tutorial of the studded bead if you don't have Enchanted Adornments and also some examples of the technique. Send in your pics and see if you win this sweet mechanical owl, which is only available at shows at the moment.

contest!

2011-03-19T14:31:00.003-05:00

A week ago I was all afire to win a contest, excited and anxious as a teenager. Well, I didn't win, or even place. At first I was disappointed, since I spent a good three days making my submission. Its easy to forget that with any gamble, there's a better chance of losing than winning. At any rate, I really enjoyed taking a break from my regular routine, forcing myself to paint when I would've rather carved. It really is refreshing to switch gears, stretch out and allow oneself to experiment. It got me thinking about contests in general and how they really can be useful and fun (if you don't take yourself too seriously!). *****I'd like to propose my own contest: make a piece using the first project from my book Enchanted Adornments (the studded polymer beads) and at least one piece from our collection. It can be anything you'd like, so have fun! Three submissions per person. Send a pic to my email (greengirlstudios@yahoo.com) and post it on your Facebook (to spread the fun, of course). The winner will receive one of my new mechanical owls and a pile of other goodies!
*****UPDATE!*****
The winner will be chosen May 2! Have fun!

staying creative

2011-03-14T14:25:00.002-05:00

One of the most popular questions that folks ask of me is: how do you make time for creative endeavors (jewelry, art, crafts, etc.)?I'm by no means Martha Stewart and have loads of unfinished projects on my desk, but I think I get a fair amount done in a day. I don't have a nanny or babysitter, so its a bit challenging, but there are ways to sneak in some time for your projects. Here are a few things I do:

*Bring a small notebook and pen everywhere. That time spent staring at the tabloids while waiting to be checked out, could be used making lists, drawing designs or jotting down an interesting color combo on a pack of gum that would make awesome earrings.

* Choose projects carefully- work on things that will revive you and provide instant gratification- smaller, quicker projects you can finish in a sitting. Working on large projects in chunks is o.k., but it gets depressing looking at lots of unfinished work.

*Find creative projects the whole family can enjoy, that way your not holed up in your studio while everyone is having fun in the living room.

*Ok, here's my number one strategy....have containers filled and ready with supplies in a handy location. I have various decorative toolboxes and tubs on the lowest shelf of a bookcase, easy to put away and take out. I have one packed for wax work, polymer clay and pmc, a small sewing basket, a little rolling storage cube with drawers for paper and pens and a bigger basket tote for jewelry. Nothing wastes so much time as hunting for your tools! The very second those kids fall asleep and I bust out one of my kits!

Anyway, those are the most helpful to me. Have any other suggestions for busy artists to make time to create?

Enchanted Doll Idea

2011-03-10T19:38:00.005-05:00

The wonderful doll artist Marina Bychkova of Enchanted Dolls is celebrating her birthday......and giving away one of her beautiful porcelain ball-jointed dolls! To pick a winner, she is holding a contest to pitch an idea for a doll you'd like to see made. For my submission, I made a paper doll of the lovely sea nymph, Ondine. Here she is posing with her long black hair on a background painting of the sea.

Here's Ondine with her jewel encrusted crown and fancy wave belt. My printer made her flame red hair extra vivacious!

Here's the original head/bust painted in egg tempera on watercolor paper taped to the sketch of details. I worked on this project for a solid four days (as solid as one can work with a baby up to all manner of mischief!). I can't believe how intensely I want to win. Its going to be a long wait to hear the winning name. Anyway, here's accompanying explanation for this piece:

Ondine

The inspiration for this design concept is the legend of Ondine and the symbolic connection of women and the sea. The tale of Ondine begins as many fairy tales do, as a love story and ends almost like a tragic cautionary tale. The handsome prince vows faithfulness to his last dying breath to the beautiful sea nymph, who trades immortality to become wife and mother. Eventually, Ondines beauty fades and the prince strays. Upon discovering his betrayal, she demands the fulfilment of his promise by cursing him so that the moment he falls asleep, that breath will be his last. Although likening a woman to the sea (in all its tempermental and life-giving beauty) is an ancient and universal idea, it remains intriguing.

This design features many layers of symbolism, from the crown of coral and shells to the tattoos of sea plants entwined around her lower body- as if unwilling to let her leave the depths, by binding her with reminders of her roots. The belt is a series of links, patterned after waves, ending with an eye-shaped clasp set with a moonstone and tear-like pearls. The paper doll is meant to be cut out, assembled with brads, then dressed in the accoutrements. It was painted with egg tempera on board.

useful things

2011-02-27T20:55:00.003-05:00

Hi! I just received these vintage style tool boxes from Rio Grande and love them! Lately, I've spent the majority of my time at the dining room table, since my studio is NOT child safe (beads, needles and fragile things are everywhere). These beautiful boxes are pretty and useful, perfect for transporting a 'few' supplies to various spots, since I like to craft with the family.

The smaller box contains my wax kit: alcohol burner, tools, wax, gemstones and a lighter. Its designed for beaders, with slots for soft flex and pliers, but I found the slots useful for tins of small objects. A nice detail about this box, is the little catch on the inside that prevents the drawer from flopping open. The large one is roomy, with pockets and drawers and a neat space for a necklace board (that comes with it) or for a piece of plexi glass (which I have sitting on top of the board). This box holds a variety of supplies, some for polymer, sewing and beading. One never knows when the desire to create will hit, so its good to be prepared!

slowly unwinding

2011-02-14T22:12:00.009-05:00

Max loves his utensils! He always has a spoon handy, just in case he finds something delightful. Big sister is sporting her new expression of exasperation, something we're seeing a lot lately!

The other favorite toy, bumpie alien ball, sees a ton of action.

This dress was a joint project between my friend Jessica Wiesel and myself. She made the scarlett silk dress and I embellished it with black lace, vintage sequins, crystals and ribbon.

Here are some of the bead strands Greg brought back for me from Tucson (from the top down):

emerald chunks, tunduru sapphires, green tourmaline crystals, rough cut diamonds, rainbow sapphires, pink and green tourmaline, andalucite and my prize.....teal alexandrites. This stone is unusual because it shimmers like labradorite and shifts color between pink and teal under different kinds of light. Now I just have to figure out what to make with my new lovlies.

Time is passing so fast! Just yesterday I was spending every moment working towards finishing goods for Tucson (which was great for us, by the way) now I can hardly believe its over. After spending so many days working way past midnight, I felt like relaxing, nesting and crafting (of course!). My friend Jessica Wiesel came down for the week and a half that Greg was gone and we had the best time! Here's a brief list of what we did/made:

- 16 jars of blood orange marmalade

-5 jars of bacon jam

-3 variations of chocolate pudding (a specialty of mine)

-vanilla madelaines

-sweet potatoe and kale soup

- doll kimono

-silk doll dress

-mini books

-suit for a doll

So, basically we feasted non-stop and sewed doll clothes. Yeah, I was in heaven. I'm taking a few more days to unwind, then its back to the studio, or the kitchen table.

how happy am i?

2011-01-29T23:24:00.006-05:00

Aren't these great? I love how warm and shiny these octopi look in bronze!
I love these owls cast in bronze and shibuichi! It was alot of fun setting the eye stones. I found some beautiful rose cut garnets and sparkly black spinels, polished cabachons in opal, moonstone, garnet, turquoise, peridot, jade, lapis, carnelian and iolite. I kind of went crazy with the gemstones! They still need silver wire bails to finish them, but I like positioning them around my desk.

Since this project turned out so well, I'm inspired to make more little jointed and jeweled lovlies! Anyway, I have loads of stones to set! Greg liked the idea of a toad or frog. I thought a cat or monkey would be pretty neat. We'll just have to see what happens.....

mechanical owl

2011-01-21T23:06:00.002-05:00

Hi! Here's my favorite of the new batch, a little 'mechanical' owl. Its round head will swivel and its hollow, so it'll be nice and light. This will be cast in bronze, with gemstone eyes. Yeah, can you tell I grew up in the eighties loving the original 'Clash of the Titans'? Anyway, I've got my fingers crossed that this piece will cast nicely, so we can debut it in Tucson. We've got a week left.......back to work!

almost done....

2011-01-17T19:22:00.004-05:00

Ok, here are the latest pieces in the new batch of goods. This will be a toggle clasp, with a feather as the toggle bar. Its quite dainty, perfect for jewelry made with smaller beads. I wanted a clasp for some simple faceted gemstone necklaces and I think this will work great.

This pebble is the latest piece in the 'little blessings' series. I haven't decided what to carve on the back. I'm thinking of 'fond memories' or 'sweet memories', maybe something about strength. This is the hardest part, next to carving text, which is always hard on eyes and hands. I've been meaning to mention something that has greatly improved my work.....optivisors! Bob Burkett has been talking about these for years, but the set I picked up had a light and were too heavy, so I never used them. I picked up a pair of opti visors and now I can't work without them. They pretty much eliminate eyestrain, since they magnify so well and aren't so close to your eyes, like glasses. Opti visors fit on your head and the lenses lower down, without touching your face. If you work with small things, try them out.

I just recieved these stones from a store on etsy, called stonestudiostoo and I just love them! They are nice and light and have lovely colors. I have an idea to paint patterns on the surface, like lace or seaweed. They seem like amulets, earthy and magical.

I have a few days left to finish carving masters, then its all production till Greg leaves for Tucson. He and TJ have been working around the clock developing formulas for bronze. There are so many formulas out there that determine color, strength and porosity. The recipe they finally settled on is based on an ancient formula, without any of the toxic stuff found in a lot of modern alloys. Its also very beautiful, warm and golden. I can't wait to show the finished pieces!

mini projects

2011-01-05T22:05:00.005-05:00

The gem show was in town today, so I stopped in to say hi to my good friend Jess (of Jess Imports) and do some shopping. I picked up these sparkly beauties from Sona: the top strand is rough diamonds, the pinkish brown are andalucite, next are tourmalines and the tiny ones are Tunduru Sapphires (gosh I love that name!). I've been on a tiny dangle stint- I think its like the sugar on a cookie, the tiny sparkles add so much to a piece.

These are some polymer face plates that will soon be cast in porcelain. These will serve two purposes: one, to attach to soft bodies of fur or velvet to make sculptures and secondly, they are a good size to practice china painting faces. It will also be fun, since painting the face is always the most delightful part, its like giving the piece life, or personality. I know very little about china painting so it will be interesting to see how different it is to watercolor or tempera. Any advice on the subject would be greatly appreaciated!

Ok, you know how Tucson is less than a month away and I should be freaking out, carving all night and drinking way too much coffee? Picture instead the table filled with paints, glues and glitter and......Barbies. That's right, Barbies. We spent the day customizing doll shoes and having dance offs on the wii. I also made a cardboard house for our new gals to live in, since they are so awesome. Azalea and i have renewed our love for Barbie after spotting the latest batch with jointed elbows, wrists and knees! Plus, they aren't all rubbery legged, but plastic. Some even have this crazy swappable head business thats amazing. You can buy one or two doll bodies and have a bunch of different heads! We adore Barbie Fashionista. Completely.

Anyway, tonight I'm getting serious, (seriously!) and will be carving till my hands are arthritic claws. Expect to see pandas and maybe a mermaid.....possibly a sphinx (i just listened to The Dweller in High Places by Sussana Clark and its got me in the mood for that sort of thing). And maybe a fairy clasp. We'll see.

winter activities

2010-12-26T23:59:00.009-05:00

Our side of the mountain is completely blanketed in bright, fluffly snow. It's unusual to see this much snow, we get a couple inches that stick around for a day or two, then its back to mild cold. This business is weird. Everything seems so still and oddly quiet, the snow crunching underfoot seems thunderous.

I love her hat from Ugly Dolls! I think it suits her perfectly. We picked it up a few weeks ago in Columbus, OH at the plush art show held at Rivet.

Suni loves the snow! She bounds through it, leaping and jumping and burrowing, enjoying every second of it. I, however, can only stand a few minutes of being cold, since my joints stiffen rather uncomfortably.

We love cooking all the time, but there's something about the cold that lends itself to really rich food. Greg made this Bacon Jam from the recent issue of Food Everyday (packed with fast and easy recipes-we love it) and served it with buttery crostinis. Its garlicky, tasting first of sweet carmelized onions, then finishing with a savory crunch of bacon- its rich and delicious. We also tried the Bacon Wrapped Mini Potatoes and they were excellent.

My husband is obsessed with duck. If its on the menu, he's ordering it. Doesn't matter if its crispy, confit or folded into a crepe. So he embarked on a quest to master the perfectly cooked duck. Pictured above is roasted duck with roasted brussel sprouts and mashed sweet potatoes. It turned out tasty. I have to say I am loving his obsession with cooking lately!

Azalea loves to wear Max's puppy costume. She wears it everyday and Max adores her as a dog! He follows her around laughing, petting her head and hugging her. Of course, he's an animal lover and is completely bewitched by Suni and our cat Paddy. He's so sweet it breaks my heart a little.

little dancer

2010-12-26T23:37:00.003-05:00

Azalea is currently into ballet and just had her first recital. She was really excited about dancing on stage and wearing her outfit. It was a little strange seeing her so serious and dainty, since most of the time she's rather ferocious. Here's my wobbly video of the last part of it. I thought she looked lovely.

school picture

2010-12-17T00:02:00.002-05:00

Isn't my girl sweet! She picked this outfit (its a little dress with sheer black layers, like a tutu) and sparkly flats. I think she has a flair for fashion. I can't believe how much older she looks. Sometimes I'll look at her in amazement, how did she get so big? Wasn't she just a baby? Then I recall that I'm a mom. Weird. I still feel like a girl myself.

busy gal

2010-11-30T14:01:00.004-05:00

Here are some of my samples for the taping on Beads, Baubles and Jewels. My segment is on clasps as focal pieces, which is good, since its one of my favorite themes. I really like a necklace that looks good any way it happens to turn on your neck, whether the clasp is in front or back. The necklace with the koi pond clasp is composed of tourmalines and iolites, with rose gold 'sequin' spacers. The bird clasp features large simple cut sunstones (that I've been hoarding for like five years) and some faceted ruby, sunstone and opal rondelles. I particularly like how the clasp looks resting on the back of your neck, a little bit secret. The loose clasps are just a selection of pieces that particularly work well for the theme.

I'd love to say that I work constantly, finishing projects like a bull dozer of creative energy. Mostly, I'm plugged into some sort of device, one eye on Max, the other on my Nook Color, my lap top or sketchbook. I just got the new Nook Color and I love it! The screen is better than I imagined it would be and I like being able to find any book I happen to be thinking of, read a sample and then buy it or not. You can check your email, look at blogs, read magazines and play games. Lately, I've been reading Pride and Prejudice and Food Everyday (there is a recipe for bacon jam that I will be trying shortly!). Its a nice thing to have when waiting at the post office or if you have a few minutes and you don't want to bust out your headphones and ipod (which is one of my most favorite things next to my dolls!).

The majority of my day consists of chasing this boy down, who is practically running! He loves that panda so much. If you look next to the stairwell, you can see something that just arrived that I am very happy about. It will begin my next stage of doll making and possibly some other small items (my kiln!).

keeping calm

2010-11-15T23:11:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I agreed to do a spot on a show called 'Beads, Baubles and Jewels', thinking it would be good publicity for my book 'Enchanted Adornments'. It is a good idea. It just so happens that I'm a little camera shy, or maybe its just that I don't like how I look or sound on video. Taping takes place Dec. 10 and I'm so nervous. I've been making samples and sketches and shopping online for the perfect outfit, hoping all the planning will settle my nerves. It does, a little, but sometimes doing something fun and noodly is the best way to calm jitters. So I started cutting out paper dolls I ordered from Dover books for Azalea. We picked out several styles, from Victorian to Elizabethan (all the most challenging ones to cut out!) now we just need to build a little paper house for them.

Here's a finished piece showcasing my new octopus pendant. It's so dainty and sparkly! I used faceted labradorites in several cuts, tiny rainbow sapphires, smooth teardrop spinels and the smallest Swarovski crystals I've ever seen. These pieces were nice diversions, but now its time to get back to work!

contentment

2010-11-06T17:29:00.003-05:00

Hi! Here's a picture Azalea took of Max and I while we were sitting on the porch practicing with the camera. I think she's a natural, but then I'm her mom, so I think she's great at everything. Its interesting to look at the photos she takes, most of them are odd; focusing on tiny details, or random shots of the sky. Sometimes, she catches really lovely moments, like this one. I believe I was daydreaming about a maple and smoked sea salt liquid truffle from The Chocolate Lounge. Or I was wishing, once more, that I could slow time and sit in the late afternoon, cuddling Max and watching Azalea dance around telling stories.

I took this picture a couple days ago, when it was about 70 and a tad breezy. Its 40 out we've got a fire in the hearth, Max is playing with wooden food and Greg is baking his amazing banana, walnut and coconut bread with Azalea. Its the very picture of family contentment. I think the only thing missing is Andrew, attempting to concoct the perfect hot chocolate to go with the banana bread!

winner!

2010-11-05T22:21:00.003-05:00

Hi! This is a picture I took while teaching Azalea how to use the camera. She posed them so that the one in front is proclaiming the winner of this weeks giveaway. And the winner of four GGS beads is.......Sharon P! Drop me an email with your info to claim your prize!

handcrafted jewelry

2010-11-04T21:35:00.005-05:00

Have you seen the new issue of Handcrafted Jewelry? I love this magazine! Its great for learning new techniques for a variety of materials; like resin, metals and fiber, to name a few. It also contains two of my projects (yay!) that feature techniques I use in my book, Enchanted Adornments.

I've been wearing this necklace constantly. As soon as I opened the box, this piece went on. It's hard to see from the picture, but there are lots of interesting items contained in that little glass capsule. I collected tiny crystals, bits of vellum with miniscule ink drawings and a single stripey moon shell.

When I worked on making the polymer bezel pendant for this necklace, I found it was easier to make them in batches of a dozen or so. It's pretty addictive- blending colors and brushing on finishing powders to the raw clay. Since its kind of a hassle to pour resin, I like to get a bunch of pieces together so I can finish them at once. Anyway, this project is easy and fun, perfect when you have a few friends over for craft night.

halloween!

2010-11-02T21:08:00.006-05:00

Here's a sweet puppy, worn out after a busy day of birthday fun and trick or treating! Can you believe it's already been one year? Wasn't it only a few weeks ago when I was bursting with this little sugarpuff? We couldn't wait to meet him.

Ready for candy! My girl dressed as a Kung Fu Princess, protector of her Uncle Steve, baby puppy and Aunt Sheila. Azalea loves this holiday, since it involves dress up and sweets, two of her all time favorite things.

Me and Greg, enjoying a quiet evening with our little family on our 6th year anniversary. Greg thought this was too unflattering to post, since he is in dire need of a haircut and I'm make up free, but I liked it.

Everytime I leave the house, I'm surprised by all the brilliant color. The trees are perfect examples of scintillation, colors so bright, they vibrate. I grew up in Florida, where its always hot and green and humid.

I've received so many great ideas for the contest and can't wait to get started! We're working on the details and will post them next week. The drawing for the giveaway will be this Friday. To enter, just leave a comment with a suggestion for the contest.

Max's first job

2010-10-28T15:09:00.005-05:00

Some months ago, I got a call from a friend that works at Lark Books, asking if Max would be available to model some clothes for an up coming book called 'Sew Tina'. We drove downtown to their headquarters and proceeded to try on various outfits. The photo above features a really cute Moses basket to carry little infants in. I might make one of these to tote dolls around!

Isn't he sweet wearing this cute little girl outfit? I think he was about a month old in this picture and very accommodating to all the folks surrounding him, adjusting and fussing.

Here's a pic of the book, 'Sew Tina' that just arrived. I just flipped through it, looking for Max, so I'm not going to do a thorough review at the moment. I noticed the projects were interesting and relatively simple for a novice seamstress. There's also a pocket with a bunch of patterns tucked into it, along with some in the back of the book. It also has a few projects for boys, along with a cool fabric book for babies. That one seems the most fun and least time consuming project. Max might get one for his birthday! The other nice thing is that the projects range in age, so its not all baby stuff. Azalea asked me to make her the quilted coat, which would definitly suit her!

giveaway!

2010-10-26T12:11:00.001-05:00

Hi! This post is arriving a bit late....but only because we've been so busy enjoying the season, by attending festivals and staring at all the gorgeous leaves! So, this time I'd like your thoughts on an idea for a bi-monthly competition using GGS goods or projects from our book, Enchanted Adornments. Several folks have sent photos of jewelry they've made using techniques from the book and of pieces made with our beads. Its always exciting to see how creative people can be! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment in this post - if its something you'd participate in, or ideas you might have about how we should go about it. Thanks for your input!

winner!

2010-10-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

Hi! Sorry this is getting posted a day late, I went around all day yesterday thinking it was Thursday! I only realized it was Friday when Project Runway wasn't on! Alright, the name drawn from the basket is..........Tesori Travati! Email me with your info and I'll send your prize. Well, I think its a toss up between a doll, painting or necklace with a ooak bezel. I guess I better get started sketching! Thanks for your input!

blue skies

2010-10-22T20:26:00.005-05:00

Lately, my brother Andrew and his illness have been on my mind. It got me thinking about what we've learned from each other and how we've managed to become close after so many years of being strangers. It's a true story-before Azalea was born, we didn't really know each other and would hear about the others activities through our parents. Now, here we are, me texting him funny pics or asking his advice about what to do about an aggravating situation. He has such a wide streak of optimism, of finding good in the most bleak of circumstances.

I've been sad a lot lately... it seems the world is full anger and ugliness and sometimes I wish I could isolate my favorite things on a far away island. It's easy to burrow down and wait for things to get better, but the problem with that is, there is always something to darken blue skies. I'm feeling fortunate and grateful- Andrew is better and seems to have angels looking out for him. I want to take a moment to thank everyone that has helped him, with the auctions and donations. It means so much to our family.

autumn outing

2010-10-22T19:55:00.006-05:00

Can you believe Azalea took this picture? I think she has an eye for design. We went to the park to enjoy the weather and take some pictures of our dolls (I know, weird hobby, but I have so many, this one just ties together painting, sewing and other odd skills).

Here's Max 'helping' to set up the shot. We were going with a Halloween theme, so we dressed the girls in their most goth outfits and started shooting.

The final shot of our Fairyland Dolls. I thought they looked like they were waiting for someone to arrive. It felt nice to go out and be silly. It makes me happy that Azalea is so into this with me (for now!) and loves to craft. Greg is easily embarrassed, so he doesn't enjoy going out in public and taking pictures of dolls. I can't imagine why! Azalea and I will bust them out anywhere (unless we think people will touch them, then we won't) since we put so much effort in painting, wigging, costuming and jewelry. Anyway, Greg is in Minneapolis right now, setting up the show for Saturday and Sunday, so if your in the area, stop by and say 'hi!' he will have signed copies of our book Enchanted Adornments and also some texture tools for sale. If you're interested in the hollow glass bead capsules featured in the project 'Time and Memory' take a look at our latest selection.

Fall giveaway!

2010-10-18T13:09:00.002-05:00

Okay, here's the prize for this week's giveaway. One 'love never dies' heart pendant/link, a bronze bee coin, a cute dragon bead and a botanical link. To enter for this prize, suggest something I could make to auction off to help Andrew with his hospital bills. I saw that Paula Best has made an art piece and is auctioning it on ebay and I thought I'd do the same. Leave the suggestions (like a painting, a necklace, a one of a kind bezel, etc.) in the comments section to enter this giveaway. Thanks for playing!

winner!

2010-10-15T11:17:00.002-05:00

Hi! The winner for the third October giveaway is.......Taralinda! Drop me an email with your address to claim your prize. Thanks everyone, for your input! Greg has already started using some of the great suggestions (like more categories so finding a particular thing is easier) and we are currently building the area for the customer gallery. So, if you have a piece you'd like to see in that section, send us some pics. I'm working on the background still and we will be uploading the info as it is finished. Anyway, thanks again, for helping us improve!

fall festivities

2010-10-11T13:58:00.002-05:00

Hello! It is so beautiful here in the mountains of Asheville! Fall is the best season to see this town. It seems like the leaves linger in vibrant color longer than anyplace else. We started our month long festivities with a picnic in the park, followed by evening walks through our downtown (to get liquid truffles at The Chocolate Lounge!). I took Azalea and Max to a fall festival held at the local nature center and they had fun mining rocks, petting donkeys, goats and rabbits. I've had fun making this month special for our little ones and it would be nice to try and make every month special, since every day is a blessing.

October giveaway 3

2010-10-11T11:38:00.003-05:00

Hello! Time for the next giveaway! This weeks prize is a bronze bee pendant, a faery realm pendant (with 'come away oh human child to the waters and the wild' on the back), a rose blossom bead and a 'sweet honey' bee pendant. To enter, leave a comment about what you'd like to see happen with our website: improvements, customer galleries, more links, sample pieces, meaning of beads, etc. Greg and I have been talking about freshening up the site for awhile now, and have started taking new pictures with a ruler under each bead and I've been working on the text, where the symbols came from, their meanings or how the piece came about. Its slow going since there are so many pieces, but it shouldn't take much longer. We ask this question to find out what folks are most interested in seeing change on the site. We'd really appreaciate the input! I'll draw a random winner from the comments section on Friday, around noon. Thanks!

winner!

2010-10-08T10:59:00.002-05:00

Ok! This weeks winner is.....Kiki! Yay! Send me an email with your info to claim your prize. That was fun to see what folks picked. My list is always changing, but I tend to love the weirder ones most, like the baby bird girl , tiny head dangle and baby owl drop. They are simpler designs, which are the hardest for me to make. I tend to love detail and its so hard to stop noodling and carving every little bit, barely leaving a place to sprue. Anyway, thanks for playing!

fresh new work

2010-10-06T22:57:00.002-05:00

I love Azalea's new batch of shrink plastic pendants! She's covered a whole menagerie of creatures, plants, potions and witches. I think she's inspired by Halloween. I'm not going to show my pieces- they seemed so overwrought and contrived next to her spontaneous little explosions of cute. I have a hard time not planning a thing till its exactly what I'm imagining. So I think it was a good creative exercise for me. It was fun watching her make these, she'd say 'what do you want to be?' then I'd say 'an owl!' or 'a monster!'. Most of the time I'd ask her to surprise me. The best part is watching her stare in amazement as I'd shrink them with a heat gun. Little things make me happy!

*On another note, don't forget the drawing for the giveaway is on Friday and that we're celebrating our favorite month with a surprise bead in every order!

the fun begins!

2010-10-04T20:38:00.003-05:00

After a lot of hemming and hawing about what to do and what to make, I finally just went upstairs, opened all the windows, burned some incence (a good suggestion, thank you Lisa G), then gazed at my collection of beads. Which is vast. Even for a collector. So, I took my time, which was refreshingly different, especially since I never get to do that (Greg offered to watch Max). Within that brief interlude, I picked out a handful of beads and started working. I was drawn to a monochromatic pallette of tigers eye (talisman associates), light smoked topaz swarovski crystals (from fusion beads) a flower toggle and a bronze luna moth fairy from our collection. I thought the liver of sulphur patina color was perfect for fall and the delicate wire work put me in mind of vintage necklaces I'd seen at an antique show. I was pleased to have something new to wear to the doll show I attended the next day.

Lucky me, I got to attend a doll show in Winston-Salem on Saturday! I was very excited, especially since I got to take a wig making workshop with reknowned doll artist Diane Keeler. I had the best time learning new techniques, meeting new people and best of all, knowing I could make all the wigs I could dream up. Of course, styling them may be an issue, as I am pretty unskilled with my own hair. Ah well, these things take time. I thought my first attempt came out pretty nice, a tad large, as I was bit over enthusiastic with applying the mohair! This past weekend's excursions proved extremely useful in helping me shake the slump that's hounded me. Ok, back to the studio! ;)

October giveaway 2

2010-10-04T20:30:00.003-05:00

Hello! Here's the prize for this week's October giveaway: 1 bronze bee coin, 1 'kitty comfort' pebble, 1 'love never dies' heart pendant/link and one of Greg's super dang cute hugging dragons. Just leave a comment naming your favorite Green Girl piece and we'll draw a winner on Friday, around noon. Thanks for playing!

winner!

2010-10-01T11:05:00.003-05:00

Hello! I just finished drawing a name out the basket and today's winner is......Sabine! Thanks for your input! This little game was pretty exciting and also an interesting way to get some fun ideas for a celebration. I'm thinking since I received so many good ideas, it'll just be a month long good time. It already seems so festive! Thanks everyone, for playing along. The next giveaway post will be on Sunday.

prize

2010-09-30T17:32:00.002-05:00

Ok! Here's the prize for the 'forest' post. I'll draw a random winner from the comments section, tomorrow at noon. We've decided to do a drawing for a pack of beads every week for the month of October. Plus, in celebration of our 6th anniversary, we'll throw in a surprise free bead for all retail orders! It's our way of saying thank you for all the support throughout the thirteen years we've been in business.

flattened

2010-09-30T14:31:00.003-05:00

There are days when I feel compressed, almost a paper doll of myself. This past week has left me in such a dark state. I attribute it to the weather- gloomy, slightly cold. Or to the troubles I'm unwilling and in some cases, unable to share. My studio has a ghostly, strange quality to it, familiar yet alien. I haven't worked up there for months, using instead my little traveling case to set up quick areas on the table that can be put away in a few minutes ( its under the table more often then not). I'm self-aware enough to realize the signs of a slump: lack of energy, t.v. on all the time, work comes slowly and most unfortunately- quick tempered. I have a list of things that can usually fire my creative spark:
*audio books, I listen to two or three a week (right now I'm revisiting Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
*drawing in my sketchbook
*walking
*perusing blogs and books
*shopping
*working with other artists
*experimenting with new materials
My list isn't working today for various reasons, so Azalea and I are busting out the shrink plastic. Maybe the fun of watching drawings magically miniaturize will kick start my brain. I'm curious what other folks do when inspiration slows to a crawl.

quick note

2010-09-27T08:15:00.002-05:00

Hello! Just a quick note that I'll be drawing a winner for my giveaway on Friday, October 1 at noon. To enter, add a comment on my 'forest' post about ways to celebrate our favorite month (since it'll be our 6th aniversary and Max's first birthday!). I'll be carving masters for our spring line and would love to hear suggestions for new pieces, so feel free to comment on that topic to enter. I'm gathering up the prize and it looks pretty good....so let's hear those thoughts!

i can tell that we are going to be friends

2010-09-27T08:08:00.003-05:00

Look how pleased Azalea is with her new pinafore from Grandma O (thanks Anne!). It's reversible, with a lovely lattern pattern on the other side as well, except the the background is a deep turquoise. These two get along better than ice cream and cake, something I hope continues forever.

forests

2010-09-21T21:32:00.006-05:00

October is one of my favorite months, second only to November, my birth month (and Thanksgiving!). The light seems cleaner, less heavy, allowing one to see far. We meandered through the Arboretum yesterday, admiring the fiery jewel weed and the pale lavender asters, looking for fairy dwellings. Azalea found several, one surrounded by a ring of scarlet-topped fly agaric. We heard the twitterings of winged creatures, but only spotted one lonely blue swallowtail that followed us along the path.

Azalea is always in charge of any maps or guides. She loved identifying the flowers and plants we found along the way. Later, we stopped to rest by the river and brought out our sketchbooks and drawing supplies to take advantage of the beautiful light. There is something magical about late afternoon walks.

Dress up is not uncommon at this house. Our box of costume pieces is rather large and it doesn't take much convincing for me to make yet another piece to add to the horde (what's that? you need a pair of wings? coming right up!)

Speaking of dress up, look at Max sporting this awesome fuzzy bug mask! He doesn't mind. My little Halloween baby is so good. I just picked up a really sweet costume for him, a fluffy puppy suit, with a cute little tail. I can't wait to dress him up! On another note, we're getting ready to celebrate the month of October, since its our 6th year wedding anniversary and Max's first birthday! We are trying to decide what special thing to do, so if you have any suggestions, leave me a comment. I'll draw some winners and send a prize! Mention it on your blog/facebook/etc. and double your chances!

the warmest days

2010-09-16T15:11:00.007-05:00

'Are you not entertained?' roars Max. We are, of course. It's still hot here in Asheville, but pleasantly so, especially on the porch. Lately, every time we take a break from work, we head over our charming downtown to walk around and see all the new stores and cute little street food shops (like one that sells pomme frites and another with Indian street food).

Azalea is so funny, she always designates herself as the 'mama' of all the dolls, no matter who they belong to. Here, she is modeling some of her favorites (the bottom row are from Fairyland Dolls and the ones close to her cheek are from Ellowyne Wilde).

When our good friend Jessica was here, we visited the Mountain State Fair and had lots of fun. Azalea won herself a tiger in a fishing game and rode all manner of rides, while I managed to get sunburned. Serves me right for standing around eating fried green tomatoes and not wearing a hat.

Max slept almost the whole time in his stroller, only waking up to watch Azalea ride on a scary pirate ship (her head buried in her arms the whole time). Luckily, I didn't stop at every food vendor and make myself sick, which happens occasionally. Can I help that I love fair food? Funnel cakes, cotton candy, caramel apples, dip n' dots ice cream, hot dogs, deep fried twinkies and other happy items on a stick make me feel dreamy, my chest on fire with heart burn. I wonder if I'm learning, or if the heat made everything less apetizing? Or maybe the fair food just isn't as awesome as it is at the Ohio State Fair. I guess I'll just have to wait and compare.

metalwork

2010-09-16T14:21:00.012-05:00

Hello! This is a new pendant I finished last week, utilizing my newly acquired stone setting skills I learned ffrom Bob Burkett. This piece is small enough to fit within a quarter, with tiny 2.5 mm garnet cabachons for eyes and is cast in shibuichi (a copper/silver alloy). He will look so cute on a nice bit of chain, with sparkly sapphires dangling from his tentacles!

The top of a 'sampler' bangle featuring different ways to set stones. You can see 'bright' (when the stone is flush with the metal) , 'prong' (when the stone is captured by little fingers of metal)and 'bead' (when the stone is mounted by small balls ).

Variations of bead and prong settings. This was cast in silver, with a variety of colored crystals. The finish shown is brushed with a liver of sulphur patina.

These are some of my favorite creatures made by Bob! Aren't they sweet? So tiny, only about a half inch tall. They put me in mind of luck amulets (remember the craze in the eighties? small sculptures that had places to rub for luck). Of course I was into that business when I was a child! I had loads of 'lucky charms' weighing down my pockets. Actually, I still do. I don't like change, I guess.

Here's another piece Bob made, featuring the koi fish he loves so much. This pendant was cast in shibuichi with a little cz in the fishes mouths. I thought this would look fantastic with turquoise.

Bob showed us how to forge metal and made loads of tools and little tiny swords. These fancy hairpins are the newest addition to his obsession with forging metal. I'm planning to make chairs for my dolls, all twisty and ornate, with cast animal finials. Its surprisingly fun to do and not as tedious as I imagined.

Well, the house seems awful quiet with all my company gone. There is always an exciting buzz in the air with a houseful of artists staying up all night, working on projects, sharing techniques and making delightful food. We definitely love to eat around here and its a lot of fun coming up with new things to try (Greg is fond of making bacon brownies and his new cocktail made with fresh squeezed watermelon juice). Oh well. I suppose its good to alternate ones focus from time to time. I spent a lot of energy learning new things and refining my skills as a wax carver. It'll be nice to spend some time organizing my house and studio, something I like to do at the change of each season. I'll get back to work on my doll and continue my research in porcelain, which includes rearranging our downstairs workshop to accomodate all the new equipment. I always love the feel of a newly organized room! Especially when its a workshop.

Hanging out with Bob Burkett

2010-09-04T16:40:00.005-05:00

Bob is amazing. Check out these tools he forged yesterday. They are made out of stainless steel rods that have been torched until molten, then manipulated with a hammer and vice grips. I tried the technique out and I felt really strong, like I should forge something every day.

This is a mouse head that my friend Laura made while also hanging out with Bob. He has that effect on most creative types. You can't be in the same room without picking up a tool and melting some wax. I thought she did a good job on her tiny little mouse charm.

My friend J'aime made this little cutie out of all the techniques she learned that day. I love how its head plume is also the bail. I made an octopus to match his sweet fish (I'm thinking of a charm bracelet) and Greg started a poison dart frog. Hopefully he'll finish it tonight so I can show pictures of it. Bob is a great teacher and I'm so happy he isn't stingy with the info, which is sadly the case with so many instructors. If your interested in taking a class on wax work from Bob, email us and we'll try and put a class together.

We've had a lot of company come through the last couple of weeks and I've enjoyed being around other artists. Its nice to share ideas and show off projects without having to explain why, or try to justify its purpose, since artists understand why one makes art in the first place. I find it completely relaxing to have a group of friends gathered around a table making things, music playing, good wine, tasty food.....what could be better? Of course, a beachfront view would improve the situation, but for now, I'm content with mountains filling my windows.

fishy-fishy

2010-08-25T19:53:00.004-05:00

What do you think of Bob's new fish? I love it. I called dibs on the first batch. He's making a whole mess o' fishes that are small and cute! I am too slow and have nothing to present today, but will soon. We have been learning to set small stones for casting (like the eyes in the fish) and its a lot of fun. Of course I 'm thinking how cool it would be to make tiny crowns that favor plant forms, studded with jewels and tinkling with shimmery droplets, but we'll have to see if I can carve what I'm imagining! I can never start simply, I always want to make the most challenging things as first projects.

The past week I spent cleaning and organizing my space, attempting to get it ready for the next round of frenzied, creative bliss. Contrary to popular belief, creativity needs encouragement, and the right atmoshere is the best way to get started. I'm not a neat freak, but I like to have my tools ready at hand, my space clear and my materials free from dust. So, it takes some noodling before I'm good to go. Generally, I like to have little stations, or traveling studios to move around the house with me (right now my upstairs studio is like an oven, so I work at the kitchen table). Anyway, we're working hard on new pieces, gathered in the dining room, having a great time.

texture tools!

2010-08-18T20:28:00.003-05:00

The wait is over! We have four designs to sell at Bead Fest. These are the same tools we made a year or so ago and stopped producing due to lack of time. Greg already has so much to do: filling orders, all the business stuff, website, designing, casting and doing trade shows. So we are so pleased that these are hand cast in Ohio! We were adamant that our work be made in the U.S. from quality materials, by folks receiving a fair wage. So much of what people buy today is made somewhere else, which doesn't really help our economy. Anyway, these tools will be available this weekend for 15 dollars each. I'll make up some samples to display the designs, but if you have my book Enchanted Adornments, the tools are used on many of the pieces.

We will be donating 3 dollars from the sale of each tool to Bob Burkett's daughter, Lisa. She has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and we want to help alleviate the huge financial burden this illness creates. Other products will be available with proceeds going to this cause. Bob will be there too, (with loads of pretty turtles and swirly octopi!) to help raise money. So, if you are going to be in the area, stop by and say hello to Greg and Bob and take a look at some of our new goods.

Ohio

2010-08-15T16:07:00.004-05:00

View from the cone-shaped pebble house at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, OH. I felt so peaceful in this garden, watching gold koi fish glide through lotus leaves. One day, I'd like to build a magical garden like this one.

Our friends Tony and Mark sculpted and cast this huge pitcher plant for the conservatory. The pieces in the Savage Garden collection include a glowing sundew, giant saracenia pitcher plants and a venus fly trap, all much larger than life.

Throughout the garden one can find many glass pieces from Dale Chihuly, an artist known for his chandeliers that put me in mind of great big pepper bundles. The floating glass orbs in the waterfall pond were such beautiful bright points amongst all the greenery.

While is Cincinnatti, we went to Parky's Farm, a quaint little spot perfect for kids. My girl had a good time riding a pony and chasing goats around a pen. I admired the miniature donkey and pot bellied pigs, wondering if my neighbors would mind if I started my own farm.

School will be starting in a few days, which means more time for me to work! I've made it my goal to finish my doll within the next two weeks. I've slacked off a lot lately, running around town, hanging out with my buddies, hosting doll craft parties and making miniature food with Azalea. Our dolls have quite a feast to choose from! Our tiny pizza's look super tasty. On another note, Bob Burkett just rolled into town, so you know new pieces are around the corner! Lately, I've been thinking about lace and how it would look translated in metal. Many of the women in my family have made lace, either by tatting or crochet, so I have lots of samples to examine. It might be interesting, to galvanize something so delicate and fragile. I'm imagining a roundish shape, floral with lots of negative space, a piece that would look awesome on a leather cuff. That's the other thing on my list to finish in the next couple weeks, wish me luck.

Lexington, KY

2010-08-15T14:07:00.004-05:00

Tiny dangle earrings for my friend Eva, perfect since she has a baby that likes to grab jewelry. These are made with 14K gold findings, rainbow sapphires and faceted crystal.

Lexington favors horses in a major way, erecting beautiful statues of them all over town. We loved the variety of techniques used to decorate them, especially this decoupaged crazy quilt.

This one is an homage to Van Goghs 'Starry Night', executed in mosaic. It was so beautifully done.

This beauty was our favorite, one we spotted while driving. Azalea made it our quest to find The Magic Wishing Horse. It took awhile (and many blisters later) but we found her!

Our friends live in this amazing house! Its filled with gorgeous details, like carved railings and decoratively etched doorknobs, each fitted with intricate keyholes. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that fairies lived in the garden and brownies in the floorboards! We really enjoyed our visit to Lexington, especially since we get along so great with our friends that live there. Luxuriant chocolate tastings and True Blood-we are so alike. I can't wait to visit again.

2010-08-02T20:01:00.008-05:00

Max dressed up and ready to charm!

Greg and I trying to look cool and comfortable, despite the heat.

Our little family posing in front of the National Archives. Look how beat those kids are, worn out after trekking through the Smithsonian Natural History Musuem and the National Gallery of Art.

My panda girl, happy to see her favorite animal.

My fave, the red panda.

Anyone want to guess this mystery flower? I wouldn't mind planting these next to the mailbox.

Three days in D.C. is not enough time to really enjoy even a small portion of what the city has to offer. We meandered through, between wedding activities, soaking up bits and pieces, longing to explore everything. I love the abundance and variety of food, art and architecture. Although Asheville is artsy, its far from being a big city. Sometimes I long for big museums and the feeling that it would take weeks to see everything. You can see all of Asheville in a matter of days. I love it here, but its easy to miss city life. Anyway, I'm bursting with ideas from having our creative batteries recharged. I'm thinking of making silver cuff bracelets, maybe butterflies or a swirly octopus. Exotic creatures are on my mind and I'm ready to sketch away.

2010-07-20T08:50:00.006-05:00

Work on the doll is speeding along, but its still a very slow process. I work in a reductive and additive way, meaning I carve away clay, then add layers on top. Carving baked polymer is very satisfying, as its texture is so dense, it reminds me a little of soap. Adding clay on top allows details that are much finer than carving.

The body is still in the shaping stage. Figuring out anatomy and jointing are the hardest parts of this doll. Making a figure that is completely correct is really difficult and somewhat odd looking, its as though softening muscle structure adds to the realism. Or, I just don't like seeing ropey tendens and bunchy muscles on my dolls. Anyway, I'm excited to get to the noodly bits, like hands and feet, which are so much fun to carve. The joints are going to be a pain, but I like a challenge.

Max likes sleeping in the afternoon sun, something he gets from me, I'm sure. I have memories of stretching out in front of the patio door after school, the sun streaming in and warming the carpet. Perfect napping conditions.

Max is a good baby. Quiet, relaxed and very good natured. He has moments when things aren't working for him and he lets me know (loudly). He loves riding around in his stroller, looking at everything and occasionally grabbing at objects that are close (like big sister).

Here's the family after enjoying the Southern Highlands show held downtown at the Civic Center. Its always fun to see all the amazing crafts, like carved birds and hand woven scarves. I really like witchy-looking wooden spoons and utensils and always find nice ones at the show. We found a twisty wood broom carved from a persimmon vine, collected from forests around town. Its nice and light and Azalea promptly claimed it as her 'magic broom, that's actually a princess in disguise'.

Well, the signing was less difficult than I imagined. It still felt odd, though, talking to people about the book, explaining what its about, how easy it is. Public relations is not my strong point. I do not enjoy center stage. I have no fear of talking in front of people, I'm not even shy, its just I'd rather be doing so many other things, like working on my doll. I'm so glad my friend J'aime came along and sat with me, helping to lighten the awkwardness. It turned out to be a good time, surprisingly enough.

This past week held a lot of instances of change for me. I've mentioned that I'm not very social, so organizing a get-together with my online doll friends is a bit different for me. Greg was very encouraging, baking fresh strawberry cupcakes for me to bring. We met at the new Barnes and Noble, and sat in a circle for a round of show and tell. It was nice to meet people that were into dolls as much as I am, getting excited over dress designs, shoe making and jewelry. I felt a little like an addict, nodding with understanding when someone would talk about the 'next doll'. I had so much fun, I decided it was o.k. to be social and had a craft night the next evening. I haven't always been so reclusive, I used to throw parties nearly every month and went on trips at a moments notice. Things are different now, I don't leave the house often and visit with friends only every once and awhile. I'm making an effort to widen my circle, so we'll see where it goes.

2010-07-13T00:20:00.003-05:00

Doll head sculpted from polymer clay and destined to be used as the master for a porcelain ball-jointed doll. This piece still needs ears, a good sanding, a coat of primer, another sanding, then if everything looks perfect, she goes into the mold. I work on her every time I have a spare moment, between feeding Max or reading with Azalea. I'm hoping to have her finished within the next couple of weeks.

A sketch of my most favorite people of all! I've had an image of this in my head as a photograph for awhile now. I just need to construct the bird wagon and pixie wings.

A nice sketch of Azalea at the bookstore, designing fairy houses for us to build. Its under construction, a process delayed by rain, heat and mosquitos.

The previous few days were spent in various states of befuddlement, annoyance and oddly, productivity. Too many emotions fighting for attention, I suppose. I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up really late, carving my doll with an xacto knife. I moved around like I was doll myself, stiff and wide eyed, my expression fixed in a daze. There were problems of all sorts to contend with, some with protecting our copyrights, scheduling conflicts, misunderstandings and arranging a doll meeting. Largest of my anxieties was the nervous tension surrounding my first signing of Enchanted Adornments. Which, by the way, will be at Chevron Trading Post in Asheville, NC this Saturday 2-5 pm. For some reason, I'm filled with an irrational worry that I might burst into tears or hysterical laughter, or talk non stop . I've spoken in front of groups of people countless times, yet here I am, swaying between excitement and dread. I asked one of my friends to sit with me, that way, if no one shows up, I wouldn't have to sit in utter mortification alone. Anyway, I can hardly think about it without imagining all manner of silly things happening. If you're in the Asheville area on Saturday, please stop by and say hello, it'll be fun! Plus, the store is wonderful, well stocked and totally worth visiting.

simple earrings

2010-07-05T13:44:00.006-05:00

I made these the other day, thinking I'd send them to one of the magazines I submit to. I changed my mind and kept them. So many things are like that around here! Necklaces, bracelets, doll heads, beads.....my work table is overflowing again.

I really love these skull beads and I think they are a perfect match with these amazing black rutilated quartz drops.

These links are part of the new collection of pieces and are fun because you can choose between two designs. The drops are faceted andalucite, a beautiful stone that shifts between a champagne pink and foresty green, depending how you look at them in the light. The silver loop earrings are made by Saki Silver and are of very good quality.

liquid sand

2010-07-05T13:11:00.004-05:00

This big and beautiful bead was made by the talented Martha Proctor, of Liquid Sand Studio . Greg was set up near her at the Baltimore show and picked up a small collection of her beads and marbles for me. This one has such gorgeous colors! I am not sure how I'm going to use this bead........

Greg collects handmade glass marbles and thought this luminous bead looked like a burst of stars in a celestial blaze. It put me in mind of tiny beings floating in the ocean or fiery balls flitting through the sky. There was some debate of the best description for this particular piece.

These are smaller beads, but still reminicent of undersea creatures and outerspace. I collect glass beads and use very few of them in jewelry. I think the bead with the greenish bumps is calling for handmade chain and maybe labradorite or green amethyst.

2010-06-27T22:06:00.007-05:00

My girl showing off her new silver 'Alice-in-Wonderland-shoes' and the hostas blooming behind her. The daisies are also in bloom.

We are very interested in the British Science Fiction show, Doctor Who. This little plumpy is a creature from last season, called an Adipose Baby. I made this glow in the dark one for Azalea, who always gets to be the Dr. when we're playing.

My last post proclaimed my readiness to hit the studio and create....so I did, accompanied by my imagination machine daughter and charming baby son. I unleashed my creative prowess making miniature sweets out of polymer clay! I asked Azalea what she thought we should do while daddy was away at the Best Bead Show in Baltimore and that's what she picked. So, we rolled out polymer, textured it and glazed it, the process similar to actual baking. As you can imagine, we enjoyed ourselves immensely!

Now the kids are asleep and I'm taking the opportunity to collect my thoughts at the end of the day. Sometimes I think I should be more focused, more driven to make art. There are so many thoughtful quotes to remind artists to let nothing come between themselves and their art, or how art is everything and should consume our every moment. I wonder at this notion. My days are occupied mostly by tending to my baby boy and little girl, marveling at their brightness, their brilliant energy. How can my work compete with them? What kind of artist am I that I prefer the whims of a child to more serious work? Its ironic, once I had so much time to make whatever I wished, yet I was empty of anything worth making art about, now, I'm bursting and have no time. Actually, I do have time, I just choose to spend it as Azalea's personal toy factory. Ah well, I keep a sketchbook to catch all my good ideas and there is that magical, quiet time when the house is silent and everyone is asleep. Then I get to work.

beads and buttons

2010-06-21T17:21:00.008-05:00

A few of the new pieces that we debuted at the Bead and Button Show. The little pebble is part of a series of tiny pendants (about 3/4" high), this one has 'family' carved on the back. The link has a different design on the back, and the cap was the big hit, since it fit our hollow beads perfectly. The little dragon is a retooled version of an earlier piece Greg made, and I love how cute it looks with the added wings.

The first place I go to when I step through the door, is Anne Choi's booth. I'm always curious what will be new and I can't wait to be blown away. The ouroboros mandrake bead says 'forgetting me, remember me' and the other side says '(when time from time shall set us free)'. The beautiful skull says 'until death it is all life'. The little eggplant says 'for luck' and I think it will be the last piece to add to my necklace of Anne Choi lucky pieces.

My other favorite stop is Gary Wilson. His large booth space is an easy place to get lost in, with all the lovely stones carved and drilled, some rare, some common. The strange pendant on the left is turtle back chalecedony, beneath that is a piece of smokey quartz with sparkly grossular garnets growing on it. The top ammonite is opalized, while the bottom two are pyritized and metallic (they are about 1/2" across).

These unusual lampwork beads are made by the talented Joanne Zekowski, out of Monticello, GA. I've known her for a long time (ever since we did a show in a horse barn without ac.....) and her work continues to amaze me. Its just so different! I picked up these rondelles imaging them with turquoise or large links of chain.

I meant to have this molded and finished so I could give some to my doll friends, but it didn't make it. Anyway, it works great for such a small comb (its about 1 1/2" tall). I think I might make a few into pendants by shaping the prongs into a couple of bails in wax. I thought it would
look delicate and beachy on a bit of chain.

Azalea wasn't afraid of posing along the waterfront, showing off her rainbow playsilk and magenta tutu skirt.

She and Andrew are so photogenic! Don't they look great in that low, half light? This is my favorite time of day, when its neither dark or light, but in between, gloaming....I believe is the word.

I am so happy to be home! I realize I spend most of my time home, but it feels particularly good after the work is done, the schedule open once more and the possibility of new projects is real. I think with most artists there are plans for today, but many are reserved for times when there is more time, more money or more training. So, I am at the delicious moments when there are no pressing concerns and I can persue whatever I wish. How often does this occur? Not often. So its with smiling abandon that I consider my options and retreat to my studio.

crab daddy

2010-06-04T23:07:00.002-05:00

Greg looks at his brood of baby crabs, pleased and satisfied with his handiwork. They look pretty realistic spread out over the table, seeming to scuttle about, waving their claws at one another.