vanilla

Hi! We had a great weekend! We went to the biggest festival of the year yesterday, Belle Chere - an art and music fest held downtown. We met up with some new friends and enjoyed the excitement, music and interesting crafts.

I've been in nesting mode, cleaning and organizing. My studio is now bright and cheery with only a few beads left to put away. I'm beginning new projects and have to have everything just so.

During this nesting, I've also experimented with making my own flavored sodas. I made this vanilla syrup (poured into a repurposed Chambord bottle) with madagascar vanilla pods from Arizona Vanilla Company. It is so fragrant and lovely! I pour a little syrup into a tall glass of ice, fill with seltzer and top off with a touch of cream. It tastes like an ice cream float. I'm a big fan. I tried making blueberry soda, that was only ok, but blood orange is really nice.

I haven't made much art lately, on account of all this soda making and organizing. But I have been planning a lot in my sketch book. I picked up some bronze clay and have spent some time arranging my workspace (apparently, one must not cross contaminate tools that have been used on silver clay) and making new tools from wood. I have to admit, I'm a touch nervous about opening the pack, it seems like such a persnickety material - the epitome of fussy. It looks beautiful in the samples from Art Jewelry! It has to be easier than actually casting bronze ( a thing I focused on in art school, only then I made figures!) so we shall see what happens. Maybe I can make tiny figures, or little orchids....or even a nesting doll! I can't wait to play!