Tomorrow is September...which means it's almost Halloween

Autumn is my favorite time of year, and Halloween has something to do with that.

The approach of October 31st means I can wear my favorite black and white striped stockings and paint my nails black. It also means the return of novelty t-shirts. Target usually has some that are cute and cheap. So, I went  there today to see what they have this year. They had a bunch, and these are the two I picked.

A little known fact about me: I can neither wink nor whistle.

Who doesn't love a spooky kitty?

(click on the pictures to see the t-shirts close up)

Sometimes a little reminder never hurts...

As women, our days often become so frenetic. The demands on us are many. With one responsibility on top of the other, it's no wonder we get pulled in all directions.  How is it that we are able to be everything to everyone? Deadlines, appointments, to-do lists...  I'm a multi-tasking fool, and some days I have no idea how I do it.  Isn't it nice to know you're not the only one?

It never hurts to have a little reminder:
take a moment...
slow down...
catch your breath...

be still...

A sweet friend of mine requested that I make her a bangle with these words on them.  I loved the idea so much that I made one for myself while I was at it. You can have one, too.

(PS. You can click on the pics to make them bigger)

I love productive days

Phew! It's been a busy day.

I spent 10, that's right TEN solid hours in my studio today, creating one commissioned piece after another with my nimble little fingers. And boy am I happy with how they've turned out.

In the coming days I'll blog about the different projects that my lovely customers have been asking me to make for them.

But today I present to you these 2 "infinity" anagram necklaces, commissioned by fellow Mom Blogger, Gina, who has been so great to work with (check out her blog Stumbling & Bumbling). She provided me with the design and lettering (which is always a good and welcomed thing), and asked if I could make her a couple of matching pendants.

Deeply etched in sterling silver, they were quite tricky to make, but I'm thrilled with how they turned out.

(you can click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Look what I grew

Here is the result of my first-ever attempt at growing an organic vegetable garden. It's been a happy success. Every plant in my plot started from a seed. And with the exception of some uncooperative cucumbers, all the rest of my plants have sprung forth the most delicious and intensely flavored vegetables I've ever, ever had. I think that's just the nature of fresh-picked anything.

An abundance of tomatoes is always a good thing.

Heirloom variety, and the juiciest tasting ever.

"Sweetie" cherry tomatoes are so easy to grow. A little burst of heaven in your mouth.



Green beans galore.



The lone eggplant (who happens to be dressed in my favorite color).

I grew lettuces, Swiss chard and beets as well. All yum.

If you've been thinking about growing a vegetable garden, I say go for it. Read a few books (these are the ones I read), do a bit of online research, pick a spot that gets a full 8 hours of sunshine a day, and don't forget to water.

(you can click on the pics to make them bigger)

Ding! Charms are done.

17 out of 22 charms are done (2 are on the workbench, and 3 more need to be made).



Tag on back.

(click on the pictures to see more details)

What I did today - Work in Progress Wednesday

I'm taking part in the "Charm Swap 4" with 19 other metalsmiths from Etsy Metal. Read more about it at the Etsy Metal Blog.


This is the charm I'm making. In the style of my Lucky Charm pendants, I decided on an anvil (because of what it symbolizes to us metalsmiths), hand drawn and etched in sterling silver. And an inspirational "create" tag alongside it, handwritten and etched in bronze.

Here are some work-in-progress pics for your enjoyment.


The original drawing of my anvil. All my stuff starts out this way - pen on paper.

I forgot to take pictures of the etching part. So let's pretend there's a picture of some metal being etched here:



Ok, the metal is etched. Now it needs to be cut.


This is me hammering out the anvils into circles with my handy dandy disc cutter. Some tools make life so easy.



Voila, metal is cut.



Soldering tags to the backs of the anvil charms. The tags have my initials stamped in them, along with a copyright stamp, .925 stamp, and the letters "em cs4" (Etsy Metal Charm Swap 4)


Cleaning up the sharp edges with my silicone sanding wheel.

Tomorrow I'll post of a pictures of all 22 completed charms.

(you can click on the pictures to make them bigger).

And it feels like she's going off to college...

We are living a huge milestone at our abode today. Our little SweetPea is heading off for her first day at preschool. She is so excited about "pwee school", it's all she's been talking about. I wonder what she's imagining it will even be...?



Having never sent her to daycare, this is kind of a huge deal for us.



I think it's going to be so good for her (and me). She's such a social little girl. She loves making new friends, and she loves to learn new things.

Let's get back to the "me" part for a second, shall we? Can I just put it out there that I am so excited to have 9 hours of guaranteed uninterrupted creative time each week now? (she'll be at school 3 mornings a week for 3 hours) Imagine the possibilities. I am imagining them right now...

wait, still imagining... (it's going to be great!)

But then I'm back to the reality of what this day means. This is the beginning of letting her go into the big, big world without her little hand in mine. It makes my heart achy to think about it.



But it also means the start of me being able to take some time for me. The studio awaits. My silver is calling to me. My hands feels desperate to make something new.

And that's what I'll try to think about on this kind of difficult, but momentous day.




(you can click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Whisper an Ancient Song - New earrings in sterling silver

I love big earrings. Carry yourself with confidence, and there's no such thing as too big or too bold. This latest pair of earrings kind of remind me of some ancient ornamental artifact from a different era. They have a sort of tribal feel to them, especially with the long, curving hooks. When you turn your head, they brush against your shoulder and the faint jingling of metal is like a little song being whispered in your ear.

I made them using age-old metalsmithing techniques of cutting and forging with just a hammer and an anvil and a couple other basic tools. Sometimes when I'm in the studio, forging away with my hammers, I think about how some of the methods and tools I use are really no different than those from the Bronze Age. How cool is that?



I finished these earrings on Friday morning, right before we left for our trip to Charleston. I didn't take them off all weekend and got compliments on them wherever we went. They're available in my Etsy shop for you now.



(click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Etsy Front Page

Thank you to Rebekah Timlin Meddles, who wrote to tell me that my Art Nouveau wax seal stamp made on Etsy's front page today. I was at a restaurant so I took a screen shot with my iphone.


Please check out my friend Rebekah's Etsy shop. She's a super-talented metalsmith (and a work at home mama, like me) and she makes awesome, awesome jewelry.

(click on the pictures to see more detail)

The Great Blue Sea

Here we are in Charleston, SC. Our first family beach vacation, and in my 2-year old daughter's words, we came for the "great blue sea". Yes, we did.

We arrived late in the afternoon, but we still had time for a walk on the beach. We'll be spending the day in the sand and sun tomorrow for some good ol' fashioned family beach fun. She can't wait. And I'm so excited for her.



I'm admittedly not a lay-around-on-the-beach-in-a-swimsuit-all-day kind of gal (my Type A-ness makes it so that I'm bored within 20 minutes, the sand makes me itchy, and I don't like getting sweaty and not being able to take showers at will). But tomorrow I'll do it for her, and it will be fun.

If I had my way, the picture below is how I'd do a visit to the beach. In the sun's off-peak hours, barefoot along the shore, just taking in that sheer majesty of the ocean; of the Great Blue Sea.



(click on the pictures to make them bigger)

This is what I did today

It's good to be productive.



If you've been following my blog these last few days, you know I've been struggling with being disciplined in the studio this summer. This is me pulling myself up by my bootstraps. I spent the better part of the day working away on some great pieces. I'm so happy with the work I accomplished today. There's some super duper great new stuff I'll be showing you very soon.



In the meantime, here's a close up of the piece I was polishing in the picture. A custom order for a dear friend of mine. An Awen pendant etched in sterling silver. I'll have to follow up with a special post all about the meaning behind this symbol. It's on my to do list for the weekend :)

(click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Waiting for a home...

I never seem to find the time to create all the ideas I have swimming about in my brain. I had, up until recently, been amassing quite the little collection of stones. They're just too pretty to not buy. Alas, there's been a self-imposed ban preventing me from buying any more cabochons until I take these babies and turn them into jewelry once and for all.



Sigh...

What can I say? Time is an elusive thing when you're a work at home mom trying to keep up with a sprightly little 2-year old.


There are ant hills to investigate...


...tadpole ponds to explore...


...and tea parties to host for furry friends.

All very important things, indeed.

I love making jewelry. It's really a passion (cooking is another). But my daughter comes first. In the less than 2 hours I have to myself during the day (her nap time), I consider it a good thing if I've kept up with a few Etsy orders and commissioned pieces. Creating new designs takes time, and inevitably always falls by the wayside.

One of these days (hopefully sooner than later), maybe I'll find the time to do something lovely with these stones.

PS - You can click on the images to make them larger...

Front and center

There's my R pendant on Etsy's front page today. I love it when that happens.



(You can click on it to make it bigger)

Wishing you a beautiful Sunday morning

Ah, Sundays...

Nothing better than a slow start to the day. Roll out of bed, bake some fresh croissants. And then head to the back yard with some strong coffee in my most favorite mug to watch my little girl swinging on her play set.

Hope your Sunday is a lovely one, too.

So, where have I been...?

Here. I've been right here.

Oh, I was in New York City 2 weeks ago. Had a fabulous time, bought some very expensive shoes, caught up with a dear friend, met some new ones, ate good food, spent too much money, but other than that, I've been right here...

...but I've been in lazy, hazy summer mode.

Wishing August would never end. The end of August means saying goodbye to my little one as she heads off to preschool - sniff, sniff.

And it also means getting my butt in gear for my fall shows, and the holiday rush.

Which will be here before we know it.

Must.
Get.
Organized.

...but not today.

I think today I will just enjoy this beautiful summer afternoon....