Work in Progress Wednesday - Halloween and Fall charms part deux

Happy middle-of-the-week everybody.  Hope you are all having a great one.

Today's Work in Progress Wednesday post is part 2 of my Halloween series, which is now complete.  These (along with the other Halloween Lucky Charms  already in my Etsy shop) are limited edition charms that will only be available through the end of October.

I thought it would be fun to show you a quick before and after. 

Some drawings I quickly doodled on Post-it notes on Saturday

Finished charms, etched in sterling silver

You can find them in the Halloween and Fall section of my Etsy shop.

Hope you all have a wonder-filled day.

(You can click on the pictures to see more detail)

It's the little things.

It's the little things that give you a sense of renewal, right? Think of the wonders of a good haircut, for example.  I just got mine done (finally) after a summer's length of neglect, and it's like a breath of fresh air.

My hair stylist (Stephen Posta of Dyer & Posta Salon in Kennessaw, GA) is hands down the best I've ever known.  He's been cutting my hair for 2 years and I've never not loved what he's done. 

Now that the oppressive heat of summer has lifted, I'm going back to my former hair style (bob with bangs).  I love that I can do so many different things with my new haircut, especially since it's a transitional, in-between period. 

I took some pictures of my new haircut to share with you.  You can make it bigger by clicking on it.

Hair behind one ear, hair behind both ears for a short haircut look, side-swept bangs, full bangs.

If by chance you live in the Atlanta area and you're looking for a great hair stylist (especially for short hair) go to my guy.  You will not regret it.

And what a good weekend it was.

Yay and hooray!  This past weekend was the Sandy Springs Festival, and I was awarded a prize. First Place among all artists! Do you know how happy that little blue ribbon made me.  Very, very.

The show was a great one, especially Sunday, when you couldn't have asked for more extraordinarily beautiful, gorgeous weather.  

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the show.  I met so many wonderful new people. I even met a couple lovely individuals who recognized my work from having seen it on Etsy.  And I love it when that happens. 

Hope you are all enjoying a great start to your week.  The weather in Atlanta today is perfection. I'm working on some more Halloween/Fall pieces to show you tomorrow.

(you can click on the picture to make it bigger)

A visit from the Postal Fairy

Today was one of those perfect mail days. It's as if the Postal Fairy came by instead of our regular postal worker. You know how it is. Every time you open that mailbox you hope there's going to be something fun and different inside.  Like a greeting card, or an invitation, or an unexpected package, instead of the typical bills, credit card apps, and fliers.  Well today was one of those days.

Yay, how exciting!  A package from my friend Sara Westermark of Etsy Metal, and along with it a magazine, and some other unknown package.  Isn't a surprise package the best?

My long-awaited goodies from the Etsy Metal charm swap I took part in this summer.  Wheeee!!! These charms look amazing!

Oh, and how great is this?  Apparently my husband has surprised me with the just-released CD of my new favorite band.  Thank you, Jonathan!  

The Noisettes, you can check out their myspace page here, are a new-ish, but up and coming Indie rock band out of the UK.  I discovered them when I was up in NYC this summer. The best live show I've ever seen next to U2.

What a great way to end the week.

Oh, and on another note,  I will be at the Sandy Springs Festival this Saturday and Sunday.  If you are in the Atlanta area, come by and say hi to me.

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

Work in Progress Wednesday - bringin' back the Zodiac

Today's blog post is one that I've been so looking forward to sharing with all of you.

I've been working on a new line of zodiac pendants since July. Well, let me backtrack...I did the original drawings for these pendants 2 years ago.  Never quite satisfied with how the jewelry part turned out back in '07, I retired them temporarily until I could come up with a better method to translate the drawings onto silver.

These are straight out of my sketchbook. 

Original drawing of Pisces

Original drawing of Virgo

Original drawing of Libra

Original drawing of Scorpio

I loved the drawings, but was totally stuck in terms of how to bring my ideas to fruition. I put the idea of the pendants on the back burner for a couple years. In the meantime I acquired some mad etching skills with sterling silver (self-taught, just thought I'd throw that in).  This summer I knew it was time to bring back the zodiac. I am happy to share that after much experimentation with drafts, re-drafts, layouts, re-layouts, etches, and re-etches, they are better than ever and ready to be unveiled.

All 12 signs of the zodiac have been etched, cut, and formed.  4 of them are completely finished. Now all I have left to do is finish the remaining 8, put together descriptions, and take photographs for my Etsy listings.  It will likely take me a few more days before some of them are listed in my shop.  But I thought you might like to have a little peek...

These are the 8 that I have left to finish.  The hard part is done.

Here is a little peek at what they look like finished.

I've always been drawn to zodiac jewelry.  Actually, I've always been drawn to anything to do with astrology, period.  It's fun to think that part of your character traits may have been predetermined by the alignment of the stars when you were born.

I myself am a Scorpio, and proud of it. (In fact I do believe I've never met a Scorpio who wasn't)

Now you can proudly show off your sign, too.

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

First day of Fall...?

The epic rain fall here in Atlanta that I blogged about yesterday (you can see pictures I took of some of the local flooding on my Flickr page) has ended, and the sun has been shining brightly all day, thankfully.

In other news, heard a rumor, via my calendar, that today is the first day of Autumn.

Autumn, huh? I stepped outside to have a looksee.

The trees on our property are as green and summery as ever.

This Canadian girl is suffering from cognitive dissonance, as there's not a turning leaf to be seen anywhere. How can it be Autumn when greenness abounds and the weather is so warm that I know there won't be a need for scarflettes for months to come?

I searched for evidence of the changing season. 

There's got to be yellow somewhere...

Found one!

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

Tale of a soggy but fun weekend

I'm about to go buy some lumber from Home Depot and build us an ark. The rain has not let up here in Atlanta for a fortnight (I've always wanted to use that word). This has resulted in the demise of a certain pair of fabric shoes...oh well.  On the bright side, our lawn is as lush as an Irish countryside. Lucky for us the temperature is warm, and there is no wind to speak of. This makes the sogginess more tolerable.

So here's a pictorial of my weekend:

Saturday

Saturday was spent at the East Atlanta Strut festival.

I want to say a quick thank you to the folks who braved the elements and showed up to support local artists.

It was great seeing everyone in their ponchos, rain boots, and umbrellas.

My minimally decorated booth because of the rain.

Me and my friend Dana Ruth making the most of it.

A couple of Fat Tires in hand makes any situation a good one, is what I always say.

Parade

Sunday

Sunday was spent with family and friends.

Here you see us posing (while the hubster makes a wish) with a much belated birthday cake (made from scratch, of course).

A girls' night out = a perfect end to a fun weekend.

Hope your weekend was good.   Off to paddle my boat to the grocery store now...

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

See you at the Strut this Saturday

I will be doing the East Atlanta Strut festival tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am - 7pm.

Now in its 12th year, the East Atlanta Strut is a community organized, one-day festival, featuring music, art and events to raise money for neighborhood charities and organizations and support local businesses.

If you are in the Atlanta area, come by and see me!

Happy Birthday to my Love

Thank you, Jonathan, for being my best friend.  To say that you are the most wonderful husband a girl could ever dream of really sells short the significance of having you in my life. I congratulate myself every day for having snagged you, as it's been my life's most triumphant coup :)  

You are the best daddy to our little girl. She adores and worships you, and with good reason. She has no idea how lucky she is to have you as the male figure in her life.  I tell her all the time, but she's only 2, and she might not really grasp the magnitude of it for another 20 years.  

You protect us and provide for us. I'm grateful for how hard you work to give us all we have.

Because of you I'm able to do what fulfills me. To be a stay-at-home-mom, and an artist.  That's part of what makes me love my life so much.  None of it would be possible without your support.

You are my Heart. I love you so much more than these mere utterances could ever actually express.  Words really do fall short somehow.


Happy Birthday. PS, I'm cooking a fabulous dinner for you tonight.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Good Witch Bad Witch

I launched my Halloween/Fall line this week, and I thought I was done.  But this is truly my favorite time of year. The ideas just keep coming.  So I continue to crank them out as the inspiration flows.

Here's a look at the work-in-progress today.  This morning I was scratching my head wondering what I'd blog about. The idea for this pendant came to me no sooner than I entered the studio. I'm giving myself a wee pat on the back for the cleverness of the design.

I give you my Good Witch Bad Witch 2-in-1 hand stamped pendant.

Strips of sterling silver, hand stamped with my custom font.

Soldering jump ring bails.

And voila. Done and done.

Which witch are *you*? 

Sometimes it's good to be bad, and sometimes it's just hard to decide.

Ah, but this pendant lets you have it both ways.

If you're feeling particularly benevolent and sweet...

If not...
just flip it over...

and proclaim your wickedness to the world

Perfect for all you bad witches who try to be good, and all you good witches who love to be bad. And available in my Etsy shop for you now.



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

Not just for Elphaba and Gandalf

Bewitching, beguiling, magical, capable.

Forget all that business about hags and green skin and warty noses. That's so 1735. Think Hermione Granger, not Wicked Witch of the West. Think Samantha from Bewitched. Think Charmed. Smart, sassy, attractive broads who make magic with a flick of the wrist or a wiggle of the adorable, button nose. It's good to be witchy.

Whether or not you can wiggle your nose, you can proclaim your witchiness with this hand-made necklace of sterling silver. From my original hand drawn artwork, and available in my Etsy shop now.

The complete set of Halloween and Fall Lucky Charms. Blog post on the Bat and Cat are coming soon.

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

Great Morning and Happy Monday to you, and you, and you, too

And you know it's going to be a great day when you've got hot-out-of-the-oven croissants and French Roast coffee in the equation.  I'm a classic breakfast-skipper (strong coffee only, please), but who could ever say no to the golden flaky goodness of a French pastry?

Mmmmm....

Hope the start of your week is wonderful.

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

For you for Fall

Acorns and Oak Leaves.  The quintessential symbols of Autumn.  To think that that cute brown acorn in its smart little beret will one day become a mighty strong oak.  What better example could you find of patience, perseverance, and strength?


I made these pendants so you could carry that sentiment with you.  And also because I knew you needed the perfect every day necklace to go with your new fall clothes that you've been so excited to wear. 

Little Acorn pendant in sterling silver

Autumn's Oak Leaf in sterling silver

They are in my Etsy shop now.  Sold separately, but they'd look great worn two to a chain, don't you think?

(click on the pictures to make them bigger)

On this path

This morning the Road called out to me,

the gentle Zephyr whispered,

and the Magnolia leaves chimed in:

"....you know it's been too long...

since you've communed with these ancient Oaks

who have so much to teach you

about the stillness 

that comes with determination and intent

...it's been too long...

since you've risen to the challenge of these paved hills,

and felt the pounding of your heart

drum in unison with

the power of your breath"

There is peace that comes with solitude and reflection.
There is fortitude that comes with courage and adversity.

Strong and steady

on this path that is my own.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Halloween and Fall designs are in the pipeline

I've got lots of new and fun stuff in the works for Halloween and Fall.  We're well into September now, and the stifling humidity here in Atlanta is dissipating by the day. This is hands down, my favorite part of the year.

Today's blog post is about the first of my Halloweeny/Fallish series.  Kind of a looksy at the work in progress of the Cauldron pendant, and a sneak peek at some of the other drawings that will become pendants in another week or so.

Enjoy!

Cauldron pendant 

Part of a series of special limited edition (and very reasonably priced) charms I'll be offering this season.  

The beginning of each piece goes from being an idea in my brain, to a doodle with my hand, to an actual pencil drawing on paper.

See that chocolate bar to the left?  Hazelnut Swiss milk chocolate.  And an integral part of the process, is what I say.

Cauldron.

I decided to redo the bat.  The one on the bottom looked too much like a certain superhero's logo. I like the one on top much better, don't you think? He's not quite finished yet, though.

Back to the Cauldron.  The design was etched in sterling silver, cut, filed, and oxidized.

The final step is polishing off the patina from the raised parts of the design.

Actually, the *real* final step is wearing it :)

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

The long weekend

As a kid growing up in Canada, Labour Day Weekend (that's how we spell it up there) was always a kind of sad time. Not only did it mark the end of summer, but it also meant the last couple days before the first day of school. Now I'm living in the Deep South and my "sense of calendar" is turned upside down. The weather is warm year-round. School starts in early August. Leaves on trees are still green at Halloween. And some years it's warm enough at Christmas to wear shorts outside. And snow? What's snow?

So according to the calendar on the wall, this past weekend was Labor Day weekend. And even though it started off rough, what a great weekend it turned out to be.

Saturday:
Saturday morning I found myself at the worst artist festival I had ever signed up for.  While there were some phenomenal artisans there (many of which traveled great distances), in and among us were people reselling imported junk, and I don't use the term junk lightly. One booth was selling Made in China David Yurman knock-offs (2 for $20!!), another was hocking Dolce and Gabana knock-off handbags, while the one across from her was selling cheap sunglasses (just a few examples). The show was billed as a so-called juried artist festival, but clearly we had been misled. In 2 hours I had sold nothing, while the flea-marketesque booths around us were selling hand-over-fist.  All the artisans I spoke with were furious. I decided, on principle, to pack it in and go home. I wasn't about to waste my long weekend 

And so this is what I did with the rest of my weekend :)

Sunday:

I took a quick trip downtown to Dragon*Con  (the biggest sci-fi, fantasy convention in the world) to scope it out as a possible venue for selling jewelry next year.  Many friends have suggested that my Celtic jewelry would sell well at the Dragon*Con Art Show. I had never been to it before, so I thought I'd check it out.

Almost everyone dresses up in crazy creative costumes.

Some peoples' costumes were especially eye-catching.

Dragon*Con was fun.  While I was there I met fantasy artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith.

I have always admired her artwork, and have been a longtime fan.  Check out her Etsy shop. It will blow you away.


In the evening, the hubster and I went to the Beer and Whiskeyfest in Atlanta. A friend of ours has a Weezer tribute band called El Scorcho. They were great.  We had such a fun time.

Mmmm, beeeeeeeerrrrr.

El Scorcho tearing it up.

 

Walking back to the car and showing off the new shoes I bought earlier that day. Piedmont Park and the Atlanta skyline behind me.

How's this pose for my new shoes?

Monday:

We paid a little visit to the Marietta Arts at the Park festival in historic Marietta Square.  I ran into a few jewelry artist friends of mine who said it had been a great show for them. I will apply to this one next year, for sure.

Little SweetPea and me walking through the festival.

We saw a couple dogs the size of small horses in the square.  They were so cute and gentle with the kids who had gathered around.

This one wanted to say hello.

Caught a snapshot of a beautiful butterfly in the flower garden.

Back home. Spent the rest of the afternoon drawing some new designs for fall and Halloween.

Oak leaves, acorns, bats, cats, and witch's hats.

Hope your long weekend was a lovely one, too!

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

The result of lots of work.

Edit: Saturday 4pm

Good news and bad news.  The bad news is the festival I was supposed to do this weekend did not work out.  The good news is that I can now enjoy the long weekend instead!  Hope you're all having a great long weekend. See you Tuesday. 

I've been working double-time these past 2 weeks.  Double time means: every free moment when I'm not asleep or taking care of the preschooler, which means probably a total of about 10 hours a day during the week and 12 hours a day on the weekends.  Wait, how many hours does that equal...?

...doing the math....

Wow, that's like 74 hours a week for the past 2 weeks! Holy shmakerel, that's a lot.   Why so much work, you ask?  This weekend marks my first artist market of the season.  My first fall festival of about eight that I'll be doing between now and Christmas.

This afternoon I laid out all my jewelry on the dining room table so I could take inventory of what's coming with me tomorrow.

Behold the result of my labors. 

 Lucky Charm series.

My Art Nouveau Initial Pendants are always a hit with festival goers.

Bangles, earrings, rings and things.

The whole shabang.

(click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Those Spooky Cats

Oh those black cats.  They're so cute and eerie at the same time.

Don't look up.

There's a cat in that window. And she's watching you.

What is she looking at? What is she thinking of, with that piercing and calculating glare of hers?  There's just something about these creatures that's always a little mysterious.

Take these cats, for example. You can't help but muse about their story. They could be spooky Halloween cats keeping vigil in the windows of a haunted house. Maybe they're tough old toms watching from a church on a Grecian isle. Or perhaps they're just your average, sleek house cats purring from the second window of a townhouse.

Hand-drawn and conceived from my own imagination, these sterling silver earrings are available now at my Etsy shop.

(You can click on the pictures to see more detail)

The Dragonfly - Work in Progress Wednesday

This is one of the awesomest things I've made lately.  Last week, a customer contacted me about my Art Nouveau Letter Wax Seal Stamps  in my Etsy shop and wanted to know if the design could be customized.   

Here's where the awesome part comes in.  She is an entomologist whose favorite animal is the dragonfly, and she had been looking for a dragonfly seal for a while. Never finding one that she quite liked, she asked if I could make one for her.  Absolutely!


I asked her to give me an idea of the type of design she had in mind. She sent me this digital image of a dragonfly specimen.  Does it get any cooler than this?

Such a beautiful creature.

So I got right to work. And drew a dragonfly based on the picture.

 

This is me drawing.  (Have I ever told you how much i love to draw?)

It took a few drafts, as it usually does, to get it just right.

I think this was the second of maybe four drafts.

I etched the image into a thick sheet of brass.  Cut the brass, sanded the edges, and affixed it onto a hand painted wooden handle.

Custom made wax seal stamp.

I had been meaning to make some jewelry with dragonflies.  Now that I've got the drawing, the hard part is done.

You can be sure that I'll be making some dragonfly pendants, earrings, and rings very soon.

(click on the pictures to make them bigger)