Jewelry Desk


Acorn with bird and nest charms

Weisel's miniature Jackaloupe
Azalea and Greg

Hi! I'm in Columbus right now with my best friend Jessica Wiesel and her roomie, Jen. We tried to make necklaces last night while enjoying cranberry and vanilla stoli cocktails. I laid out several, but I got too darn tired to see straight and didn't get one done. We had dinner at the Cap City Diner and I have to say, folks in Columbus are lucky to have such delectable food. Think comfort food with a gourmet twist-mac and cheese with truffles, wasabi mashed potatoes...I was in heaven! It was so good I forgot to pine for my baby (Azalea Belle is at Gramma O's in cinncinati). The last couple of weeks we have been in a casting marathon! Lots of pieces did not come out, which is annoying since each wax requires a lot of cleaning up before being cast.I always seem to leave things to the last minute, I sketched designs for Stringing magazine months ago but waited the last second to actually string them. I hope some get picked! Its always exciting and satisfying seeing a creation in print. Today we have an art day planned (after breakfast at Northstar and hitting American Apparal for basics) we will paint for the pure happiness of it. I show our progress tonight.

Hello! Hawaii was a good time: made money, visited friends,shopped,ate loads of sushi,and sat on the beach. Now back to work! I made this necklace for a crystal book, it didn't get in, but I really like it ( I guess it didn't utilize enough swarovskis). Greg got me a fine laptop for my birthday (so I could write anywhere in the house) and I love it! I'm learning how to use photoshop and how to put pictures on my blog...who wouldv'e thought! I'm designing new pieces, making components to use in my finished line, which will be ready probably in 10 years. The biggest problem I have is being a perfectionist! Nothing is ever ready, or good enough, I always think whatever I've made could be better. I think when a person has such high standards for their work, it can be debilitating to the creative process. At what point do we say "Yes, this is good?", its easier to just set the almost finished piece aside and start on the improved version. My studio is a battlefield of half-finished pieces, waiting to be complete.I love making things, I just wish I could finish a project! I have doll heads waiting for bodies, fairies needing wings, purses without catches, skirts almost hemmed...the list is long. I should make a goal to finish one project a week, and not start another till they are all done. Although I did see a pattern for a cute leather skirt in Blueprint magazine, I will just get that done, then I'll get to the other things. Maybe next week.

Hi! Sitting at the GSP airport waiting to go to Hawaii. Whew! Made it! Worked like a dog getting ready: fixing waxes, making jewelry, and loads of finishing (my fingers are black!) Look at my girl! I miss her already!

Azalea Belle in her new dress! She was good today, she let me work on my outline and notes, happy in some independent play. Just finished a couple books 'The Stolen Child' by John? Donohue? (I seem to have misplaced it already) it was pretty good. The fairies of the story were like grubby kids wandering in the woods for all time. I've been reading whenever I get the chance, mostly kids books, dissecting style and plot. I really liked 'FableHaven' by Brandon Mull, lots of magic and funny dialogue. I wouldv'e been all over it as a kid. Greg has been reading 'The Witches Boy' to Azalea and I right before we go to sleep, we are really enjoying it.

Hello! This is my entry for the annual Saul Bell Jewelry Contest. I hope they give me the go-ahead to create my design. I actually started the pmc chain, and its nearly done. What a pain! It would be far easier in wax, but the challenge is for precious metal clay. The cage is the hardest part, I'm building it on a cork clay armature. I like the cage concept, even if it does't get picked I'm still going to produce it.

I make lists continuously in my sketchbook, here are a few:

favorite shows:
Project Runway
Avatar:The Last Air Bender
Extreme Makeover
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
Top Chef

things to do:
laundry
dishes
carve new waxes
work on story
prepare for Hawaii show

food eaten today:
cocoa puffs/cheerios mix
hot dog
fried chicken
dried strawberries
coffee w/ kahlua
chocolate
beef jerky
peanut butter oreos

goals:
write book
create new line of mini charms
learn to use my serger
make Azalea new dolls

Hi! Spent the day with our good friend Jeremiah and his son Arata at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Today was perfect, great weather, minimal traffic,good food (Wishbone Cafe). We always think 'Why don't we move here? Then we'd be neighbors!' but I always remember the time I came here in November for a doll show and froze my butt off. The BSGC Bead and Book sale is tommorow, and we are very prepared (just spent a week making finished jewelry in cincinnati),plenty of shibuichi castings and lots of new silver. I have a feeling its going to be good. We are getting delivery from Penny's Thai Food, I can't wait! Just enjoying good food and playing with the kids tonight.

Hello! Finally recovering from a scary week. I was feeling really tired and had trouble breathing, but didn't really think anything of it. We had three shows in one weekend that we were preparing for, so I wasn't focused on how I felt. It hurt to breathe and I couldn't sleep because of the pain, I thought it would go away, but after two days Greg took me to the ER to find out what was wrong. After loads of morphine and vicodine and a dozen tests (x-rays, cat scan, ultrasound,ekg...)they thought I might have a blood clot in my left lung. After more tests, they did away with that theory and sent me home with painkillers and no answers. So I went home,sick as a dog and worried how I was going to take care of Azalea (everyones at a show or on vacation). I went to my family doctor to get his advice and he thinks I have a disease in my esophogus and stomach (acids building up in stomach causing the area to expand and push against my lung, restricting air). He doesn't know what's in my lung, so that's an interesting mystery, but I'm feeling much better. My in-laws drove from cincinnati to pick up Azalea and I to look after us while I get better. Which is nice. Being messed up certainly made watching Project Runway a challenge to watch! Even though I was doubled over in agony I still cheered when Vincent got sent home. Anyway, I'm still in Cincinnati, waiting for Greg to come pick us up on the way to Chicago for a show and a visit to our good friends Jeremiah and Hitomi (and their sweetie pie son Arata!). I am looking forward to that trip!

Hello! We have been really busy here at HQ. I finished the dragon lady painting and started a couple others a few days ago. I will post the newest ones shortly. The dragon lady is painted with ground pigments and egg yolk on poplar boards. Egg tempera is one of the earliest forms of paint, I think the paint before that was rocks scraped on cave walls and charcoal mixed with spit. Thank goodness we don't have to do that. Tempera is one of the most satisfying paints to work with, the colors are intense (pure pigment, no filler) dries really fast, and you can scrape layers, revealing colors underneath (or whatever color you tinted your board). Now, it has some drawbacks, you have to mix fresh paint every other day if you have any left over,and it must be refridgerated! The stench that comes off of spoiled tempera is profoundly rank. I feel like an alchemist when I paint with it because of all the little accoutrements that i've made; little spoons for dipping yolk and fancy glass bottles for the pigment-quite magical. Anyway, I encourage everyone to try it. A version can be made with watercolor (tube is best) and egg yolk (break open the egg, seperate the white into another container, rinse the yolk in water careful not to burst it, then pop the yolk sac into a cup and add a little water to thin out just a little. The yolk sac is goopy and should be removed because it clumps up your paint. A paint called 'glaire' can be made with the whites mixed with watercolors, which was used to paint illuminated manuscripts. It is transparent and glossy and fun to experiment with if you want to feel like a medieval monk. The effect is like acrylic gloss medium thats thinned down but rewettable. Enough shop talk! Life is good in Asheville, the weather is nice, and theres no traffic to speak of.