Wire Dreams Design and Other Things

Upcoming Craft Show

2010-11-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Next week is the craft show at my work. Basically all the people that make or do side business type stuff can sell things in the building for two days down stairs in the main area. It's usually pretty fun to see all the different stuff people you know do that you didn't previously know about. While I'm excited about it I am really not prepared for it. Well, I am but I'm not.

I'm pretty sure I have plenty of stock between scarves and pendants but I just haven't organized it in my head yet as to how I want to set it up or display it all. I have some ideas but nothing solid. Just got a shipment of wire in today too specifically for show pendants and bracelets so I will be busy with that later this week and the weekend.

Most of the pieces I've made I have put on etsy but this moonstone pendant I made this weekend I am holding back. It's just really lovely and I'm not ready to let it go yet. Since I don't wear a lot of jewelry it wouldn't be worn and loved as much as it deserves if i kept it but at the same time I'm just not ready to give it up. So, I'll save it for the show and if it doesn't sell up to etsy it will go.

On the knitting front I finally finished a sock I had been working on a design for. Sadly it took me needing the needles the sock was on to finish it up. Now I just need to write up the pattern for it.

Sock Blanket Square and Pendants

2010-11-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished a pretty big order of custom pendant wrapping and have finally gotten a chance to work on the new stones I bought at the show on the 31st. These are my first two that I've done for my shop. I love the labradorite and the kyanites that I picked up are awesome. There's a good chance that one of them just might end up in my own collection

I also finished the first square of my sock blanket I'm working on. This was actually finished before last weekend but it took forever for me to get it somewhat blocked and a picture taken. Haven 't started the second square yet but I have some Christmas knitting to do first.

Weekend Knitting

2010-10-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

To keep myself on track knitting wise I thought I would do an update each Saturday on what I'm currently working on or finished.

I finished one of two of these fingerless mitts. They are called Namaste Mitts and I bought them as part of a kit here on etsy. They fit incredibly awesome and are really fun to make. I have a couple of other projects I'm working on so these have taken a bit of a back seat but I definitely will be getting to the second one soon.

I also recently finished this slouchy hat/beret. Pattern can be found here. It ended up being a bit big which is good but bad.

It's really slouchy like I wanted but doesn't really fit at the ribbing. I haven't done it yet but I plan on buying some of those small, plastic hair combs and sew two of them in the ribbing so I can still have my slouchy hat and have it stay in place.

The newest project I'm working on, which I started yesterday, is a blanket that will be made out of sock yarn. It's called a Barn Raising Quilt and is a pattern from this book. It's basically a bunch of 7-7 1/2 inch squares knitted out of sock yarn scraps. Of course I'm not knitting mine out of scraps and am doing it in a rainbow type pattern. This block I'm working on will have an orange center and then red around it. I just started the red so it's kind of hard to see.

After forever and a day...

2010-10-29T12:21:00.001-07:00

I figured it was high time I FINALLY get back to updating my blog. And what better way but to show off my latest stone haul from the gem show today. I spent way more than I had budgeted but I found some really great stones this time around.

First, Dave and I were actually there at 10 AM when the doors opened. The previous times we have went I would work a couple of hours and we'd end up getting there at 10:30/11 AM. Of course the majority of people there are there to buy bead strands and finding type stuff. First I hit up my usual vendor for moonstone and labradorite. They had a nice selection this go around that were good sized and lots of flash. I was a bit disappointed in their labradorite but did find some nice larger pieces for pendants. I also decided to try some kyanite. It is one of my favorite stones but I'm not sure how it will do in the shop, so I'm taking a bit of a chance there.

Then we went around to some of the other vendors. I found some more nice labradorite so I bought those and then I found another vendor that had some beautiful stones. Alot of them were really big which was disappointing since they would be way bigger than I would want to wrap but very nice quality. I picked up some one off stones there that just looked interesting. Two fossilized sand dollars, a nice piece of lapiz, a green turquoise and then my favorite, 2 brecciated stones that are made up of turquoise, sugilite, and pyrite.

I usually don't go for man made type stones and stick to natural but these were too beautiful to pass up. The colors are amazing and they will make absolutely gorgeous pendants.

Stuff, Stuff and More Stuff

2010-06-28T10:07:00.001-07:00

I am looking forward to the three day weekend coming up. We have no major plans, but regardless I'm intent on enjoying that extra day. This weekend I worked a little bit on everything. I decided on a quilt block design and started cutting the pieces out. Did a pendant out of the apatite stone I got in recently and put it up on my etsy site as well as worked on some knitting patterns as well as start another project. Yeah, I know, I need help. I think I have something like 7 projects going on right now dealing with knitting.

The pattern I ended up choosing for my quilt/wall hanging is called Bouncing Betty and I found the block off of the Quilter's Cache site. I found the site several years ago and the amount of information and patterns are amazing. Right now I have some of the pieces cut out but haven't sewn any of them together yet.

Last week I sent in some of my silver scrap to the place I usually buy from and opted for a store credit. I'm running low on wire anyway, so I figure that would be the best way to use it. More wire and also a bracelet mandrel. I really liked how that labradorite one turned out and want to make some more but the method I was using to sculpt the bracelet was taking too much time. Better to invest a little and get a tool that can help with that process. I'm anxious to get it in because I have the one smaller moonstone that I posted about earlier and I wrapped this large round moonstone this weekned for a bracelet that is going to be absolutely amazing when it's all put together. I also found some time to wrap up this apatite stone.

What am I thinking?!

2010-06-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

So, as if I don't have enough projects and stuff to do I am fixing to start another mini type quilt. It all started this past weekend when we were putting some stuff back up on the walls in our dining room. My dining room is done in a rustic/americana look and one of the things that I have is a wooden quilt hanging shelf. Shelf on top and a wooden rod across the bottom to hang a quilt from. Currently it has about a lap blanket size quilt on it done in red white and blue fabrics. Now I'm jonesin' to make another in similar color and pattern. Here are some fat quarter's I picked up at the fabric store. I love the blue swirly one on top.

I also have new stones that have come in, 6 labradorite and there are two HUGE ones. Also some amber, apatite, rose quartz and lapis. Most of these are going to become pendants a couple maybe bracelets.
Speaking of bracelets this is going to be my newest one. My first one, the labradorite, sold today. Similar design but this one is going to be much thinner and dainty the the other since I'm making it out of a small, rectangular moonstone. In the end it's going to be beautiful I think.

A Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Today has been a pretty good day. Dave planned on grilling some steaks here at the house for dinner with his dad. It was a good time and Garret was happy to see Grandpa at his own house instead of going to visit him. Of course neither Dave or I are ready to go back to work tomorrow even though we took Friday off.

I finally finished a piece that I was on the fence of what to make with it. But in the end it decided to become a bracelet. I love how it turned out because now I know what to do with a couple of irregular shaped stones that don't really work for pendants.

Christmas in July? Well...Almost

2010-06-16T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of my latest test knit...a Christmas Stocking. I know the person I'm test knitting it for on Ravelry is planning a July Knit-a-long so it really will be Christmas in July. It turned out wonderful for just using up some leftovers of yarn in my stash. Now I just need to make two more before Christmas. One for Dave and one for Garret.

Yesterday I got in my box-o-yarn for the color work project I have planned. The colors are all as expected so that will possibly be started this weekend. I'm anxious to start on it but I really need to figure up a few other things on it design wise so that puts me starting it Saturday.

Halfway through the year

2010-06-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to figure out where the time as gone. It's definitely been a whirlwind of a year so far between Dave and jobs and watching the wee one grow up and the new things he learns every day.

Today I am starting a new eating regiment. I hate to say diet because I really don't want this to be that. Right now I'm taking notes out of the Eat Clean Diet book by Tosca Reno. I've done similar plans in the past and they have worked for me but was usually really strict and just not something I wanted to adopt for long term. So I'm giving this a try and just spent way more at the grovery store this weekend then I usually do but my fridge is now stocked full of fresh vegetables and fruits so that's probably a good thing.

I've been busy knitting lately. Did another test knit of an anklet type sock and am working on another now that is a Christmas stocking. It's turning out really cute so I'm anxious about that. I feel like I'm finally using up some of my stash yarns instead of just adding to it. Also am working on some cute fish socks for a Knit Along. One's finished but just need to fo the other. I also ordered some yarn for a pair of long armwarmers that is going to have some detailed colorwork that I'm designing. I think I have the design down just hoping that it transfers to knitting as good as it looks on paper.

After last month I've been a bit lax in creating new jewelry. Did up a larimar set that turned out absolutely beautiful as well as made a couple of labradorite pendants. I also have a moonstone one I need to list but just hasn't happend yet.

New Stuff

2010-05-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

This month has been super busy. Between playing catch up with jewelry, doing classes at the knit shop and personal knitting I feel like I've been going non-stop. I am definitely looking forward to the 3 day weekend coming up.

On the knitting front I am still working on that shrug. I hate to admit it but right now it is hibernating. I just can't bring myself to owrk on it right now. This weekend also starts the Gothsock knit-a-long. I have been totally hoarding this yarn here lately and recently picked up three skeins in her shop update AND got in on the sock club that opened up yesterday. I already have the pair of socks I want to do picked out and I also plan on doing some arm warmers since this knit-a-long is from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

As for my shop, sales have been terrific this month which is great but is kind of bad in that if you don't have as great of a month the next month it's kind of depressing. For now I'll take it and be happy though. If next month is a slower month sales wise at least I'll have time to make new things. I ordered some new supplies a couple weeks ago that came in last week and I've been having fun with that. One of the things I purchased were these sterling silver flower bezels that fit 6mm cabs. Here is the first bracelet I made where I set jade and lapis cabs in them.

I sold a lot of wire wrapped pendants this month and am trying to replenish the stock. I also finally found some carved shell cameos for a decent price. Here are the two newest pieces. I love both of these so much, they turned out beautiful.

Gem Show

2010-05-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

Friday I went to the gem show and stocked up on Moonstone and Labradorite. I got some really nice stones, but before I show off my haul I want to show off what I created last night from 3 of those stones. I'm finally getting around to try and make some sets with a pendant and pair of earrings all wrapped similar. I've done it before on much smaller stones and I can't say I enjoyed that all that much. But this moonstone set came out beautiful if I do say so myself.

I have another set that are similar in size that I might use to just make a stand alone pair of earrings out of.

As for the haul, here's a photo of all of them together. The labradorite are beautiful and all of them have a wonderful, rich, blue flash.

Hats, Ponchos and More

2010-04-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, I promised that I wouldn't take 2 weeks to do my next post so here it is.

I've really been getting into the test knitting so here is a picture of the color work beret I finished a couple of weeks ago. This was my first completed project doing a pattern and using two different colors. It was a great and fun pattern and went pretty quickly.

I am currently working on a poncho. It would be great for something to wear over a swimsuit at the beach. I'm making it out of some pima cotton in the most beautiful light blue color. It's coming together nicely and think I will be finished with it by this coming weekend.

After taking a bit of a hiatus I actually got some pendants done this weekend. Maybe it's the upcoming gem show or that I've had a pretty good month in terms of pendant sales and need to replenish the stock. Either way I made these 4 pendants this weekend. Two moonstone, kyanite and an amethyst cluster. All 4 have been listed in my etsy shop

Procrastination

2010-04-22T06:15:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted in forever it seems and the sad part about it is I've had stuff to post about and things going on but just keep putting it off.

Spring is finally officially here in Florida. As by my allergies every plant, tree, flower or whatever must be in full bloom with all the pollen in the air. Luckily we've had a couple of nice rain storms roll through to hopefully keep some of it out of the air. There for a while every day when I came out from work my car was yellow with pollen from the oak trees. Ick.

I have been keeping myself busy though. Picked up a couple more test knitting projects. I did a color work beret that turned out beautiful and I'm doing a very open work meshy poncho right now. I'll post pictures of the hat and what I have so far for the poncho in another post ( promise it won't be almost 2 weeks). It's so sad that it takes having a deadline to make me actually finish a project.

Speaking of knitting my yarn FINALLY came in for the hoodie I want to do for this fall. I think I won't be starting it until June though. My date to finish the poncho is mid May, which I need to finish next week because in May I'm doing a KAL (knit-a-long). So hopefully by June my board of knitting projects will cleared and I can start on that.

On the jewelry front I have been slow to create. Although, I have had a good month this month selling pendants. Moonstone and Labradorite seem to be the big sellers right now. Not that I'm really surprised. A couple of the newer creations have sold but this one is still around and it's a really nice large statement piece too.

The gem show is coming up next Friday. I stocked up fairly well the last time but I'm planning on going to see if there's anything that just WOWs me that I have to have.

Test Knitting

2010-04-06T04:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I did some test knitting. It was the first time that I had ever "signed up" to do something like that and test out someone's pattern. The pattern was for this scarf

It turned out better than I expected considering at first I wasn't really sure how the two yarns would go together. But it's beautiful and it was fun being a test knitter too. Definitely something I'm going to keep my eye out for in the future when people need patterns tested.

I'm slowly making progress on that shrug I mentioned in earlier posts. At least I'm down to the decreasing part of the other arm now so that is a relief. This coming weekend I suspect I'll get some more serious work on it done. I also made this really cool cabled bag. I need to piece it together and find a strap for it but it turned out beautiful, so pictures of that coming up when I get it all finished.

I've sort of been in a pendant making slump lately. I got a little bit of inspiration last Thursday when I sold 6 pendants in 3 days and then I made this piece and it litterally sold within minutes of listing it on etsy. That was a shock.

I also have these two newer pieces posted as well.

Daylight Savings Time

2010-03-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

I hate when the time change goes into effect. It seems just when I'm used to everything the way it is it's 7:00 in the evening and still daylight out. I prefer it when it's the time of year but it still takes some getting used to.

As I've said before I've been on a knitting kick. I think the reason I've been on this kick lately as I've been picking projects that I can finish so there's a bit of instant gratification in that and the need to start and do another project.

I still haven't gotten a picture of the bucket hat I finished last weekend but this past weekend I made an adorable little monster for Garret. I bought the pattern off ravelry from this etsy seller. I modified it some so he has horns instead of ears but it turned out really cute. I named him Iggy but Garret just calls him "monster" eh, whatever works for him I guess.

I'm in the mood to do something different with my hair. A couple of weeks ago I dyed it a dark black/burgundy color and before putting the dark dye on it I used this dye from L'Oreal called Fuchsia Flash to had some dark pink/reddish color. I like the pink mixed it with the darker color but now I want it cut differently. Right now it's just straight and boring.

Stone Shawl Pins, Redeux

2010-03-10T04:47:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I finally got around to playing with shawl pin designs again. I posted previously with a picture of a prototype shawl pin that was clay and had a stone in the middle held by sterling silver prongs. The problem I had with it was it didn't hang right for a shawl pin and I wasn't 100% happy with it. Interesting and beautiful? Yes. Exactly the best design for a shawl pin? Not quite. So, back to the drawing board I went and I came up with this idea...

I love it way more than the others design I had. It big, bold and definitely different for a shawl pin which is exactly what I was wanting. The stones are 30mm(about 1.25 inches across) and I have a supplier I know I can get this specific size from on a regular basis. Since these shawl pins are kind of big and not everyone would have a use for ones this large I'm thinking about trying to find some place that has 20 or maybe even 25mm round stones which would be about .75in or a full inch across to make some a bit smaller. I'll just have to check around and see what I can find and what works best. The best thing about it is I feel like I'm getting to combine both my love for jewelry making and working with clay and making something that is just beautiful.

On the knitting front I am so back into that it's not even funny. I think I have 3 projects ongoing right now or if I don't there will be. I'm still working on my shrug which is slowly but surely getting there. It's turning out really nice and should be kind baggy and airy so I think it will be great for spring. I'm still working on the dragon scarf/hood for the little one but it's sort of moved to the back burner for now. I also have a sock I'm working on that will probably get donated to the knit shop to be a display piece. I really like making the small ankle/footie type socks but just not that excited over making the regular length ones. The next project I want to work on is a vest. I picked up this beautiful blue and light green varigated yarn last Saturday at the yarn store for it and now just ned to adjust a pattern I have that calls for a different gauge yarn.

On the knitting front I am so

Dinosaur Roar

2010-02-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

I've been in the mood for some quick knitting and wanted something I could make for the G-man or put in my cube at work. I found this cute little pattern for a small dinosaur using fingering yarn on ravelry and I believe the pattern is literally called Dinosaur Roar!. I had some green and brown left over from some ankle socks and arm warmers so I made a little one first. Then I decided to use some blue and green worsted weight yarn to make a bigger one.

The pattern calls to make each piece individually. While making the first one I found that it didn't take long to make but I hate piecing small pieces together. For the second one I modified the pattern so I could make all of the body in the round and stuff as I go. Then I make the legs and spikes and sew them on separately. Adding pieces on like that is way better than trying to seam sections of the body together. Plus, it really seems to make it go faster.

I have a bunch of scrap, left over yarn from projects so I see a hoarde of dinosaurs in my future.

Trying Out New Things

2010-02-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

While I love doing my wire wrapping I have some stones that are too small for wire wrapping. Or they are at least too small for the work I like to do. I have done some metal working but I really just don't enjoy it as much as I do working with wire. I really wanted to start doing some stuff with prong settings and wire and alot of the stones I have aren't a perfect size that I can use a pre-made prong setting for. So, that only leaves doing it yourself.

I searched etsy for a tutorial on prong settings with wire wrapping and came across this ring tutorial. Since some of these stones are smaller I thought a ring pattern wouldn't be too bad to learn, plus I could understand some of the basics on making a prong setting out of wire. This was my first try, which didn't turn out half bad and used a labradorite stone I had.

Speaking of labradorite I recently listed this awesome looking labradorite pendant I call "Tempest" because of the blue section at the bottom that looks like a small storm.

And this moonstone pendant I called "Phantom" since the sutle blue flash on this one seems like it comes from the inside of the stone instead of across surface of the stone.

On the knitting front I am back to starting more projects that I can keep up with. I worked quite a bit on the shrug yesterday at the knit store and am finished with the one sleeve and am now a couple inches in on the back part. This will probably be my knit store project as I can go there, sit down and just work on it and it doesn't seem so bad.

Of course while I was there I picked up this pattern to make the G-man a dragon scarf. It's going quite fast and the more I work with it the more I'm thinking that instead of doing the head as it's shown in the picture I'm going to make it as a hood. Lets face it, it doesn't get that cold, that often here in Florida and if I make it into a hood he can use it more to play with and pretend he's a dragon.

I checked on my special ordered yarn and it will be 6 weeks before it shows up. Maybe earlier but that's the estimate right now. It sucks because I'm anxious to start on the hoodie but I also have these other things going on so that gives me time to finish them.

My New Project and My New Time Suck

2010-02-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

Dave introduced me to my latest time suck which is a game for the original Nintendo called Castelian

Actually, the entire website that you can play them on is a time suck. They have just about EVERY Nintendo game that was made, even some foreign ones, and you can play them in your browser window. Definitely a great little bit of nostalgia.

I've started another knitting project, this time a shrug. It's easy enough of a pattern it's just b-o-r-i-n-g. I am not quite halfway through the main part and just a few rows short of finishing up the increases for the sleeve. I'm having a hard time staying motivated on it and can only do about 2 rows at a time before having to put it down. I love the yarn I'm making it out of though. It is a great heather green yarn that is made from cotton and alpaca. In fact the name of it is Avocado.

I'm also just placed a special order for yarn for this hoodie.

I figure it's high time I make one of these to replace an older hoodie I had that was similar in color that I had bought at the mall at a Charlotte Russe or one of those type stores. It was my favorite ever but the elbows eventually got worn out. I'm going to make it out of some malabrigo twist yarn in the color applewood.

New Stuff

2010-02-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend I made another two pendants, this labradorite which is rather large and has a beautiful gold flash

and another amethyst one, which is a birthstone of February.

I also got a surprise on Saturday when some supplies I had ordered and thought weren't going to show up until today came in. Included were some flat swarovski crystals. I've been wanting to do a shawl pin with them and finally got around to purchasing them. I really like how it turned out too.

The long weekend has been pretty relaxing. I've watched a little of the Olympics since the winter games are my favorite. I like to watch the snow boarding, luge, speed skating and the downhill skiing events. It's probably a good thing that it was relaxing because I suspect this next week will be a busy one at work. At least it will be a short one.

Succesful Experiments

2010-02-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

This evening, after dinner, I was sitting at the kitchen table where I have a portion of it sectioned off for my jewelry work. There is a box sitting there that has a couple of stones in it that are ones I am the most anxious to wrap. I pulled out one of the marquise shaped moonstones and all of the sudden got a design idea that was out of the norm for my usual wrapping style for this shape of stone.

I love it, it's beautiful and kind of elven or medieval. Something along the fantasy lines at least and I have to say, am quite proud of it. There's always an amount of satisfaction that comes with drawing out a design or imagining it in your head and then the piece turns out exactly how you imagined/hoped it would.

Some Good News

2010-02-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

So, finally after 3 and a half months Dave finally got a job offer. They called today and offered him the job, which was the same one I mentioned that he went on an interview for. He is excited to get back to work so it's definitely good news. We went out for our usual celebratory Chinese restaurant.

I took pictures of my new pendant when I got home today and when I got around to taking them off the camera the main ones didn't turn out all that great. Ugh. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow. I did finally get a somewhat decent photo of the new shawl pin design I'm going to try out. I bought 3 more round stones (Labradorite, Ruby Fuschite and Chrysoprase) as well as some more silver wire. I really like how this one turned out, the stone in the middle is a type of jasper.

New Banner

2010-02-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to change out the banner on my etsy shop. I recently got new business cards made and they use the 4 pictures in this banner along the top and then my information is below. I still need to do some updating to my actual web page but here is how my new etsy banner looks.

I need to work on changing my avatar as well but that just hasn't happened yet.

On Sunday I made a new shawl pin but I haven't gotten a chance to take a good picture of it yet. It turned out really neat looking though and plan on making a couple more. Speaking of photos and I have a new rutilated quartz pendant that I wrapped last night that needs some photos as well.

Oh How I Love Moonstone

2010-02-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

I just finished this pendant up today. Sometimes you just finish a piece and you're like, "Wow, this turned out awesome." For me this is one of those that if it doesn't sell any time soon I won't be brokenhearted just so I can admire it.

I'm anxious to wrap some of the other moonstones I have. I bought quite a few at the last show and all of them are beautiful. I also have a couple of pieces of labradorite that I think will be quite nice as well.

Finished Cardigan, Hat and New Pendant

2010-02-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Today I finished the cardigan I mentioned earlier. It ended up that I did have enough bulky cotton yarn that I could use, just needed to hold two strands together. It turned out quite nice. I still have a few things to do to it like a crocheted border so I can put a button and button hole at the top. It also needs to be lightly blocked but overall I love it and can't wait to find maybe a denim sundress to wear it with come spring.

I also finally got a picture of my slouchy hat I finished. I'm starting a new one but just haven't been as "in" to it as other projects right now. It turned out pretty cute though and I'm considering making the beanie version with a plain or ribbed band instead of the cable for the little one. He looks adorable in a hat, he must get that from me. Haha.

I'm getting back into my jewelry making and made this amethyst pendant earlier this week.

Just got pictures and listed today in my etsy shop. I also have a new design in the works for a clay and stone shawl pin. I think I'm going to work it up tonight and see how it turns out.

Slowly getting back in the swing

2010-01-31T16:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend I started getting back into my wire wrapping. This is the butterfly pin I did last week that has wings made out of a banded agate. I have another pair of wings coming in that should be a reddish color jasper wtih black spots. I'm just using the flower pin for now until I come up with something better for it.

Then, this weekend I wrapped these two stones and listed them in my shop. First, is a moonstone with the wire in a heart shape pattern. I must say that this last selection of moonstone that I picked up all have some wonderful flash to them.

The other is a denim lapiz stone I wrapped in gold filled wire.

Jobs and interviews and none of it for me

2010-01-27T12:04:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Dave had an interview for a job. He has been out of work since the end of October. This is the first interview in almost 3 months and he has been applying for 2 jobs almost every day. Dave primarly works in the Telecomunications/Networking type field so that tells you how the job market is for that right now in the Orlando area. I am really hoping he gets this job though, I think it would be perfect for him and that next step job level wise. We're hoping we'll hear something next week some time as they were only interviewing yesterday and today.

As for my side work with my jewelry and pins I haven't been very active. I have a lot of ideas written down on scraps of paper as well as new wire and stones but I just haven't been feeling it to get it done once I get home at night. I did make this really cool butterfly shawl pin out of two pieces of agate that were carved into butterfly wings, then I wire wrapped the body and everything.

Speaking of shawl pins and knitting as it is, I found out today that there is a new yarn store that has opened up near me. It's kind of funny because it is right across the street from the place that I used to work at. I'm thinking about stopping by on my way home today and see what they have. I LOVE the store that is closest to me now and I don't see me changing my regular place to knit and buy my yarn but it'll be nice to pop in and see what brands this store might have that my other one doesn't carry.

My new favorite socks

2010-01-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

These are my first try at knitting socks and I love this little pattern. For those of you interested the pattern can be found here.

For me the challenge of knitting socks was never understanding the pattern it was working with the double pointed needles in the round. I never could seem to "get" it when it came to joining in the round and not twisting the yarn or having some huge gap. Finally, I "got" it while making a pair of fingerless gloves and then the possibility of making socks came to mind.

I wanted something quick and not too intricate and came across this footie pattern and thought it would be perfect. Everyone I talk to that has knit their own socks always raves about how much better they are than store bought and I thought they couldn't be that great....could they? Yes, they could! These have become my favorite thing to change into when I'm lounging around the house

Knitting, Knitting and more Knitting

2010-01-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been on a knitting kick. Maybe this makes up for October - December when I had no desire to pick up the needles or stop by the yarn store I go to. My recent obsession are anklet socks. They're quick and functional as I hate wearing slippers because my feet get way too hot and I don't like wearing full on socks around the house so these have been perfect. I also have a hat that I made that turned out really cute and another on the needles right now out of this awesome cashmere blended yarn.

With my new inspiration to knit again I took a trip to the book store to find a new pattern book. I found a book called French Girl Knitting that has some lovely patterns in it. There are quite a few patterns in here I really like but this is the one that I'm planning on making first, I just need to find the yarn I want to use for it. (picture from book)

I've already seen some variations of it made with the sleeves longer and that is defintiely a tempting option since I seem to be cold all the time, even living here in Florida. It's made with a bulky yarn but I think it will make a great little cardigan type sweater for spring. Especially if done in a cotton of which I think I might have the yarn already....we will see.

New pins and pens

2010-01-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

While talking to Dave the other day about shawl pins and enjoying the bit of a break I had over the holidays from making them, I got the idea to make some funky, retro, mod looking owls in various color combinations.

This one was my first one which is a bright pink and purple. I soooo love this little guy

Then I made another that is more "moody" looking in blue and green

Also the other day we were going through Target to pick up some envelopes which is down the same aisle that all the office supplies are. I am in love with different pens, gel pens being my favorite. Of course there was a pack that contained pink, orange and purple gel pens with this silver little tribal pattern on the pens. Then I look closer and they are ERASEABLE gel pens. Ooooo must have.

I love these things. They are soooo much better than the ball point eraseable pens and I had never seen these before. The only ting that would have made these pens better was if the eraser was on the cap since I take the cap off the pen and put it on the other end and it covers up the eraser in doing that.

I just checked the website and they make eraseable highlighters as well. Too cool, must find...

Holidays

2009-12-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hopefully the holidays for everyone was as good as they were hoping. Ours wasn't too bad at all. Along with turning 3 on Christmas day, the little one made quite a haul present wise. We don't celebrate his birthday until the weekend after so this Saturday we'll be doing a small get together for his birthday.

I made out pretty good as well. I didn't get a bracelet I've been wanting for like 3 years now but I did get some neat things. Dave bought me three new figurines from this company called Scheliech. I think they are more known for their horse figurines and other animals but can find them at Toysrus or Target. I've picked up a couple from their knight and elves series that I'm using to put in my cube at work. I also got a new purple hoodie and some other odds'n'ends.

I took today and tomorrow off from work and the little one went to daycare so Dave and I could have some adult time. When we took him to go potty when he came home we discovered that they had put his underwear on backwards?! Of course he is still under the care of the one that I don't care for all that much so I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. Hopefully he will be put in the threes here soon since he did just turn 3 and he has been doing well with not too many accidents at school.

Of course taking my time off now is going to cost me next week. The little one has his 3 year checkup that I don't want to miss next week as well as I found out that the gem show I went to the end of October is coming back next Friday so I'll be working extra to make up that time that I want off since I'm running low on paid time off.

Wow has it really been that long...

2009-12-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it's bee since I last blogged. But, as with everyone this time of year things get hectic ad busy. We finished up the little one's shopping today so his stuff is all done. Had to make some purchases for the grandparents who sent money for gifts for Christmas. That is done and I think I'll wrap them and some other things I just got i for Dave.

I've picked up my knitting again and have bee making armwarmers and started my first pair of "socks". They're really more like little footies but it's the same idea and construction as a sock just not tall like a sock. I also have a scarf that I started last night and so far it is going okay.

Too fast of a weekend

2009-12-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend has gone by entirely too fast. The weather was cool and rainy all weekend which was really awesome. But, it still seems to have went by way too fast. I'm not feeling the greatest today either. I don't know if it's the front moving out that brought the cold weather or what but I have been really light headed all day today.

Christmas is usually my favorite holiday. I love the decorating and every year I have Christmas candy that I make and even look forward to that despite the insane amount of work that goes into it all. This year I'm having a hard time getting in that Christmas spirit so to speak. We have been putting some of the decorations up this week and while Dave did an excellent job getting the lights put up outside and the tree is decorated on the inside that's about the only form of decorations that are in my house at the moment. I have this really awesome Jim Shore nativity scene that I bought at Hallmark a couple of years ago and it is still sitting in it's box waiting to be put out. It just hasn't happened yet and that makes me kind of sad. Dave says that maybe it's just taking a bit longer and as the month goes on I'll get more in the Christmas mood. I hope he's right because I'm just not feeling it right now.

It's officially the Christmas season...

2009-12-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

for me at least. Judging by the stores the Christmas season started just before Halloween ended. The weather here has been kind of cool here lately with a couple of fronts passing through, and by cool I mean in the low to mid 70's.

Here where I work every year they put up this huge Christmas tree (think the size that you see as the main displays at the center of a shopping mall) and this Christmas type scene in the center of our building. Throughout the day they have Christmas music playing down around the tree and you can here it faintly from where I sit. It always helps it feel a litle bit more like Christmas.

We also pulled the tree out of the closet yesterday to get it set up. The G-man is loving it this year. He gets so excited when he sees people have Christmas lights and decorations in their yard. He was pretty excited about seeing our own tree out as well. It's a pre-lit tree which we've had for about 4 years now. When Dave plugged it in yesterday we were missing lights in the top section and then only half of another string was working. Today he bought some tool to fix them which he says worked. So that's a good thing and tonight we should be decorating the tree.

I've been getting back into my knitting here lately and have a couple of projects going on. For some reason it's always feels like I should be knitting when it's the winter type months not matter what it is I'm knitting. right now I'm obsessed with fingerless gloves. I also made two new designs in my shawl pins. One is a bear which I've yet to get a decent photo of the other is this cute goldfish.
Speaking of shawl pins it was a busy month for them 37 sold between my etsy shop and the few I have listed out on ebay. Some people have been doing some serious knitting.

Thanksgiving Prep

2009-11-20T05:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know it is almost a week before Thanksgiving but I say that I am prepping for it because my parents are coming in to spend Thanksgiving here and are arriving today. I have mixed feelings about it when they come in general. For one my mother can be obnoxious and has a laundry list of ailments. They typically come out here and my dad doesn't like dealing with all the traffic so he won't drive or go anywhere and they sit around the house all day and by the 3rd day my mom is complaining about being bored. Yet, because of a lot of her medical issues she can't really get around that much so even if they DID go somewhere she couldn't really spend that much time up on her feet or walking around without being tired. So, I'm prepping myself now for the state my house will be in by the time Thanksgiving DOES come around. It will be interesting to see what they think of my nose piercing though. LOL.

Speaking of my piercing it is doing quite nicely after the whole debacle on Monday. The area right under where the stud sits is still a little bruised looking but it doesn't hurt at all and everything with it seems to be fine so I'm happy about that.

Craft wise I listed two new pendants yesterday, one Tiger Iron the other an Amethyst cluster or druzy. I need a better main photo of the amethyst but until I can take one this weekend with proper lighting I had to use what I had. I also have two awesome pendants to take photos of that are moonstone and larimar. My wreath and owl shawl pins have been pretty popular and I have an idea for a snowman and snowflake one to play with. I'm hoping this weekend I'll be able to get those together given they are seasonal and Christmas is approaching fast.

I officially hate Mondays more than Tuesdays

2009-11-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Mondays usually aren't that bad for me. It sucks going back to work after a weekend that almost always feels like it's gone by too fast, but other than that it's usually not bad. Today is and has been.

In my world there have been a lot of things going on. Dave has been out of work since the end of October with absolutely nothing promising any time soon so we decided to sell our corvette. It's a 96 model and paid for so it would be money to live off of while the job situation improves. I took today off since Dave was feeling a bit down about it and the situation we are in in general. Then, the bottom to everything felt like it feel out.

For the past 6 months Dave and his boss have been working on a side project that had been going well. Everything the customer had been asking for was done, made and they have been testing the software out in the field for some time. Things looked like they were finally looking up where this thing was going to take off into something larger with meetings and such going on that were all positive...and then today, today Dave got the e-mail from his boss that essentially everything has been shelved.

After going through all the emotions from total rejection to just pissed off we went out to run some errands. We had lunch and ran by the mall. I wanted to pick up a hoop and nose stud for my piercing since the stuff I had been using has cleared up my bump nicely. I found a nice 3 pack of studs at Claire's and decided to check the place where I got my nose pierced for a hoop. They had one and said they would put it in for me which was all grand and good. Or so I thought. I didn't have any issues with them taking the stud out or really putting the hoop in. It was after when she was done. She had put the hoop in but instead of putting the ball in between she just closed it together to the point it wouldn't come out I guess with the idea that if I wanted it changed I would just come back. Uh, no. I'm not going down to the piercer every time to have my jewelry changed out.

So we get home and the first thing I'm doing is taking the hoop out. It's way too big and my piercing is really a little to high/far back for a hoop. I try putting my original nose screw back in, no dice. Now I'm freaking out that I've totally messed up my piercing since I can't get the jewelry back in. So I put the hoop back partially back in and decide that maybe part of the problem is the screw part and the fact that my piercing is now extra sensitive from being messed with. I straighten out my original screw to an "L" type and manage to get it back in. Now of course I have to wait some time while this re-heals before I switch out the jewelry again. Damn I hate Mondays now.

The Dreaded Bump

2009-11-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

For my birthday (back in September) I got my nose pierced. Everything has been great and grand with and it's been healing nicely. Then about a week ago I noticed what looked like a pimple that had come up beside it. I left it alone and it eventually popped on it's own. Well now I have a "bump". I know these are common to cartlidge piercings but I thought I was in the clear since it's been over a month since I had it done. Luckily it isn't that big nor is it that noticeable but today I'm off to find some Tea Tree Oil that is recomended to help dry it out and continue with some sea salt soaks. I think as soon as it clears up I'm heading to the mall to find a hoop and another stud to change this one out with.

On the crafting front I FINALLY got wire in this weekend so I'm hoping to get a chance to work on some of those beautiful new stones that I picked up. I've had a couple of bigger shawl pin orders the past couple of days so that has been keeping my evenings busy. Here is the newest design just in time for Christmas.

I did have enough wire to wrap one of the Tourmalines from the show in a two tone style with gold and silver. I absolutely love how it turned out.

Busy Busy

2009-11-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

This past week has been hectic at work. I feel I've had time for little else being totally drained at the end of the day. It's the busy time of year for us, we're basically right in the middle of production season and have maps for all of our products for next year due now. It's definitely keeping me on my toes.

The days have a tendancy to drag on to what seems forever when you're looking at the same things over and over or just staring at your screen. To help pass the time I've been listing to music off a flash drive I bring to work with me. Usually it's something fast to keep me awake like techno music, the past week I discovered an old band I LOVED that came out in '96 that has been producing stuff independently. It's a band called Black Lab. Their first album was called Your Body Above Me. I loved the CD and could basically listen to the whole thing which was awesome.

I downloaded their latest, Passion Leaves a Trace, and a 30+ song collection called Give Us Sugar, which is their sountrack songs and songs that never made it to one of their albums from their website . They post alot of their videos and such on youtube and their website. Alot of their songs have that haunting type of melody and catchy riffs, which has been perfect for work.

Gem Show Haul

2009-10-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my first gem and jewelry show which was a wholesale show so you had to have a business ID number. It was the first day of the show and I got there pretty much when they opened around 10:00 am. Wow, what an experience. All I can say is good thing I came early and good thing I came on the week day. I would hate to see how crowded it was on the weekend.

I have been preparing to go to this show for over a week, checking out the website and making a note of which vendors I wanted to make sure I stopped by. There were lots of booths of finished jewelry and tons of booths selling bead strands. I was more interested in the cab sellers, which was a small amount compared to the other seller types.

First I went around to all the booths to check out what they had available before heading back to them a second time to make purchases. I found two sellers who had some wonderful things. The first specialized in larimar and amber. I picked up these 4 amazing larimar stones. The size and color of these are absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to wrap them.

Then the second seller had a good selection of stones I was looking for which was rutilated quartz and rainbow moonstone. The moonstone all have a beautiful blue flash at the wearable angle.

They also had some beautiful tourmaline cabs that I couldn't resist, pricey but I picked up a nice ruby colored one and a darker blue/purple one. Dave also picked out the Ruby Zoisite piece that he thought was interesting looking. All of them are going to make stunning pieces.

All in all it was a great show and it will be back again in May so I am looking forward to doing it again.

When is fall getting here?!

2009-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

It is the last week of October and it is still in the low to mid 90's here in Florida. I guess for some people that would sound great, but for me fall was/is my favorite time of year. When I lived in Texas, usually starting the middle of October we would start getting cold fronts in and by Thanksgiving it was already staying a nice constant 70+ degrees or cooler. Here it doesn't seem to get even remotely cool for a set amount of time until January which is kind of dissapointing through the holidays.

This last weekend I did absolutely nothing craft related and it was nice to take a break. This weekend there is a gem and jewlery show going on at one of the convention centers in the area that I'm hoping to go to. I have a couple things I'm looking for and some special requests as well. I'm anxious to go and hoping to find some neat stuff. The sponser of the event already listed a list of those that will be there and where they will be located at the convention center so I have my list of booths that I want to visit. It should be fun at the least.

On to new things

2009-10-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's Wednesday and life is grand again after my frumpiness over the lackluster show on Monday. Now, on to my custom order I was talking about yesterday.

Over the weekend I received a request from someone on etsy about shawl pins and if I did cats. We conversed back and forth and settled on a black cat head with a cute little gold fish. Here is a picture of the base model (yet to be glazed so he's not as shiny)
And after I finished making a base one I had some different colors of clay lying around and also made this version (who is glazed)
Too cute right?! So this inspired me to draw up some other animals. Now, there is also a dog, complete with boneAND an owl.
The owl is my new favorite with the turtle a close second. This one has turned out SOOOOO cute I can hardly stand it. I couldn't think of anything better to go with the owl than a leaf though. I thought about maybe a crescent moon or even a mock up of a lollipop in honor of the Tootsie Pop owl from the commercials but just couldn't decide, so for now he gets a leaf until I think of something different or someone else has a cool idea.

I also am planning on revisiting my fish design and I have a couple of other bird designs in mind like a parrot/canary and a penguin.

Monday's Show

2009-10-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

So Monday was the craft show where I work. This year was the first year we did it for one day and made it an all day event. In the past it's always been two days, usually on a Thursday and Friday and only from 11am to 3pm. I got in at 7:30 and got my table set up, ran out of room as always between my jewelry and scarves. I have to say that being on a Monday was NOT an improvement.

While setting up I had one person ask if I would hold one of the scarves for her later, so I was thinking this is a good start. Then closer to 10am people started coming down and looking around and I sold another scarf (that black and white one I posted about a while ago). Sold a couple of pendants made out of glass beads and then things got quiet for a while. Then they picked up a little and I ended up selling some more glass bead pendants and a couple of resin pendants.

I was bummed that none of my wire wrapped pendants or hoop earrings sold and that the person who wanted the one scarf backed out on it late in the afternoon. Also, it seemed the only thing people wanted to buy were $5 earrings or costume type jewelry. But on the positive side, at least I got lots of genuine compliments on the pendants and now I have some new scarves, bracelets and even pendants to list on etsy.

I wanted to get pictures of some of the new things yesterday afternoon but I was exhausted when I got home. I think I was asleep before the little one because when Dave came out of his room from reading him stories and putting him to bed I was dozing on the couch. So, today I want to get home and hopefully get some outdoor photos of the scarves and I have at least 5 new wire pendants to take pictures of and list. I also have a custom ordered shawl pin to finish that has turned out too cute and get that posted on etsy. But I'll post about that tomorrow.

New Mini!

2009-10-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I bought a mini laptop through Dell and best of all it's purple! Yay. It didn't get delivered until 8:30 last night :0 but I am loving it so far. Now I just have to decide if I want to buy a cute little case for it or knit one.

This past week I've been busy crocheting scarves. I was going through some pattern books that I have a couple of weeks ago and found this woven scarf type pattern where you crochet a "grid" and then weave in yarn. I used it originally for a black and white scarf I had posted about earlier but this time I used it for some ribbon yarns and other novelty yarns I had. They're pretty quick and actually kind of fun to make too. Plus they are a GREAT stash buster for extra yarn. Here's a photo of the ones I've made so far. It's a toss up of my favorite being the beige sort of neutral skinny scarf or the bright multicolored one.

Feels like fall

2009-10-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

Here in Florida we had a "cool" front that came through knocking the highs of the day down to the 80's. It's been wonderful to come out in the mornings and it be cool and crisp. So this week it has actually FELT like October should feel. Of course this won't last for long. Already the temperatures are starting to rise again and I'm sure by the middle of next week it will be up in the 90's.

I've been busy trying to keep my stock up. The last two weeks have been great with sales, of which I'm extremely grateful, but now I have to play catch up. I did manage to make 4 new pendants this past weekend and two yesterday that I have yet to post. I also got in a bunch of new ring sized stones for some metalwork. I'm hoping to do that this weekend as well. The craft fair at my work is being held on October 19th so I have a little over 2 weeks to get myself in gear and get everything together.

We've been working with Little G on his potty training the past two weeks. He's doing really good and is starting to get the hang of it I think, which is a good thing. The past two days he has been great and no accidents. Of course since I've typed this I'm sure today will break that streak, but all in all he has been doing terrific.

Nose piercing

2009-09-26T10:29:00.001-07:00

Just a quick photo of the piercing. It's doing really good today and not near as sore as I thought it would be the day after.

And really, my nose isn't that long it's just the angle of the shot, LOL. :)

Day Off

2009-09-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

So on this eve before my birthday and much needed day off, what have I done? Well Dave and I dropped the little one off at daycare this morning and went out to breakfast. After that he had an errand for work to do so we went for a nice drive through town to drop off some paperwork. On the way back we stopped at CompUSA and Best Buy to look at Notebooks. I was so disappointed with Best Buy. They list a bunch online and had 4 available to look at in store. CompUSA had double that, heck, even Target had more to choose from than Best Buy.

After that we headed back to the house to which I got some shawl pin orders ready. Since breakfast was pretty filling we skipped out on our traditional Cheesecake Factory lunch and instead headed up to the mall. Why the mall you might ask? To get my nose pierced of course. Recently the Altamonte Mall that is close to where I live has a tatto and piercing shop that has opened up called Inkspot. They did a wonderful job designing it and the people that I met working there were extremely friendly and good humored. The worst part about the whole piercing was when they put this forcep type clamp on your nose to make it easier for them to pierce, that was way more uncomfortable than the actual piercing itself.

I have wanted a nose piercing since I was about 20 but just never felt really comfortable walking into a tattoo shop to get it done. Having it located right there in the mall made it convienent. It cost $35 to have it done which included the jewelry that was put in. I absolutely love it and it is totally me. The only thing I'm dissapointed with was that I picked a flattend ball type piece of jewelry just to be safe for having it at work and I really would've rather had one of the small rhinestone type studs they had.

There is nothing in our rules that say specifically that you can't have or wear nose piercings and I had talked to my boss about it in the past so I know he won't have an issue with it, but still, I didn't want to get anything that would be too noticeable where it might be a problem given I'm going to have to keep this one stud in for probably 4 to 6 weeks.

So, all in all it's been a great day off and I am loving my new look.

Three day weekends

2009-09-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well it is for me anyway. I'm taking tomorrow off because Saturday is my birthday. Apparently it will be a busy weekend for me too. Last night I got an order in my etsy shop for 5 pendants. It's from a person who has boughten from me in the past and I think has a boutique or consignment type store. Not sure but just a hunch which if I'm right I'm totally cool with. It's nice to know that someone thinks enough of what you make or do that they will put it in their store and even better when they keep coming back to you because it sells. Then after that this morning I received a shawl pin order and at lunch another order of two pins and a pendant. Happy early birthday to me indeed. So, this weekend I'll need to start making some more pendants to replace the ones sold to keep my stock up. I plan on making some extras that I won't list until the craft show in October that way if some end up selling right before I'll be covered and have ones to replace them so to speak.

With the suden income I went supply shopping. Got some more solder to finish off some pieces and work on other things as well as some more wire to stock up on. The price of silver has been rising like crazy. Seems like just early last month I was paying high $12 an ounce and now it's up to almost $17.

I started doing some knitting again. I sort of got away from it for a while and am starting to pick it up again. I think it's the upcoming fall months that makes me want to knit. Right now I'm working on a hooded zip sweater for Little G. I need to get another ball of yarn for the hood and sleeves but the body is finished and being blocked. I think it's going to be really cute when finished.

I also did a crochet scarf that has a woven look to it. I really love the modern kind of look that it ended up with. Too cool huh?

I have some other yarn that has been sitting in my stash that I think I'll make another one with.

On the metalworking front this is the second labradorite ring that I talked about in an earlier post. I bought this stone in a matching set of two so I have a second one to play with as well. The color is beautiful and it keeps that same color flash at just about every angle. I really like this curved triangle shape.

Such a slacker

2009-09-17T12:11:00.001-07:00

I so have been slacking in the blog department. I've just been busy with things and then I have pictures but haven't edited them. The list of excuses is long, let me tell you.

I did some more metal work the weekend before last and made another labradorite ring using one of the stones out of a matching pair. I also did a pendant using a larimar stone I had that was an odd shape. While it's technically "finished" I have a couple of things I want to do with/to it just to expirement. I'm getting the hand of the bezel making for the stones but I'm finding when I make rings that attaching the bezel to the ring is a bit tricky for me. Of course there's a couple of tools I should probably pick up that would make this process much simpler and would hold everything in place better than what I've been doing. I am enjoying it though so I guess that's all that really matters.

I'm thinking of adding a discounted section to my etsy shop that will house my first attempts. I've made a really lovely double stranded bracelet from the unakite piece and the larimar pendant turned out pretty good. I have a couple of other rings in the lineup (as there is no way I'm giving up my two labradorite rings) but alas, I ran out of solder and haven't gotten around to ordering more to finish things up.

Here is one of the newer things I've been working on. I'm taking my love for shawl pins and wire wrapping and combining the two. This is my first one but I have a large light colored amethyst stone and a large fire opal that I plan on doing something similar with. I haven't figured up pricing yet so it's not in my shop but I think once I get another one made I'll list them.

Also, speaking of slacking, I need to get busy with getting stuff prepped for the craft show where I work. My pendants have been coming along nicely and I have been able to keep 32 in stock which fills all the spaces in a display tray that I have. The thing I really need to get cracking on is making a stock of wire wrapped earrings. They're versatile, reasonably priced and I think they will sell really well in person.

New Ring

2009-09-04T14:01:00.001-07:00

So, after my first attempt last weekend at some metalwork I haven't touched it all week. Yesterday I had some time and decided to try and do a ring since that is what I REALLY wanted to learn this for. The problem recently has been deciding what stone to use. I have quite a few sitting in trays just waiting to be plucked out and something marvelous done with them. This of course ends up being the hard part. I really love doing the wire wrapping so I'll pick up a stone for possible metal work and then think it would really look good wire wrapped and put it back down. This is why I decided to make a ring next. I have a handful of stones that are smaller than I like to wrap and are a nice ring size.

I had a labradorite oval that was part of a two stone lot. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it and after some time I figured it would make a nice ring. It really is a beautiful stone as it is basically all blue flash there is no green or yellow play at all. I am quite pleased with how it turned out for a first attempt. It is not totally finished so don't mind some of the imperfections in the silver, I still need to do a few tweaks in shaping and it still needs polishing. Of course I have to keep it off my finger long enough to do these thing....

Ready for Christmas

2009-09-03T05:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, so really I'm no where "ready" for Christmas but I'm ready for it to be the Christmas season. It's seems the older Little G gets the more I look forward to it. Not only is it also his birthday but it's fun to see every year how he reacts to the decorations and just everything in general. I typically try not to put anything out until the first week/weekend of December but I think this year I'll be wanting to decorate right after Thanksgiving so come December 1st everything is out and ready to go.

I'm also looking forward to the fall weather. Not that it gets that cold here in Florida but at least down in the high 70's will be nice. I'm hoping this year it will at least be cold for Christmas, last year I think it got up to 82 or something crazy like that. It just irks me for it to be Christmas and you can still where shorts and a short sleeved shirt outside.

Of course there is always the figuring out of what to get Dave for Christmas. I have a couple of ideas already floating around in my head and shopping for the little one is almost done. We've been buying a couple of things here and there in case things with Dave's job don't go so well come the beginning of November.

It's not perfect but it's a start

2009-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

So, earlier I said I was wanting to get into the metal working aspect of the jewelry making. I ordered some silver sheet and bezel wire and some other needed tools that came in on Wednesday. I was needing some more wire anyway so I picked up these additional things. For a first try at the whole process it didn't turn out too bad.

Of course I NEVER do anything basic or simple the first time around. I didn't want just a plain round bezel edge so of all things I used a pair of scrap booking scissors for cutting out decorative edges...worked great. Since this is just a test piece I decided I wasn't going to make it a pendant and once I was finished thought it would make a pretty nice center piece to a bracelet so I puched 4 holes into it and put the jump rings in. I have some unakite beads in my stash which is what the stone I used is so I'm sure I'll be able to put something together. I still need to get some new polishing tools for our dremmel so I can get it shined and cleaned up a bit more.

Other than that which I did this morning I've been busy wrapping stones. I have to admit that for pendants, I still prefer the wire wrapping method to making them. I really wanted to learn the soldering and metal work for rings and I do think it's something I'll be able to do. Here are the stones I've wrapped so far this weekend.

From left to right, Malachite, Larimar, Labradorite, Larimar and Tourmaline in Quartz.

Changes

2009-08-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been working on my website in Kompozer. I really didn't like what templates and such my provider had and never realized how simple it was to do in WYSIWYG type application. Plus with Kompozer, it's open source and I can get a portable version that fits on my flash drive and take it with me anywhere which is kind of cool. I had Dave upload and make it live tonight and in the process he killed all of the images that I had for my blog template. So, back to basics until I find something else. The other was neat but it really was too busy for my liking anyway.

I think the Little G is going through a teething period right now, the past two nights he's been cranky and complaining of his teeth hurting in the back where his molars are. Luckily the motrin has been working at night and he's been sleeping okay. I still wish there was something more that could be given to him to help.

I've decided to start listing more of my pendants on Artfire. I listed three new ones there today. I have a pretty good assortment on etsy and sales and views have been extremely slow compared to the last 3 months. I know Artfire is new and views there for some are low but I figure I'll give it a little love and try to build up some stock and inventory there and see where it goes.

10 years and new stones

2009-08-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Friday was Dave and I's 10th anniversary. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long which I guess is a good thing. I took the day off and we just spent the day together and went out for breakfast and lunch. It was pretty nice and the weather held out for most of the day.

I am starting to get in some stones I purchased recently. I still have two more sets of stones I'm waiting on, one of those most likely on Monday the other sometime next week. I'm trying to get some more colors and different stones so I can have a nice variety. Here is my latest haul.

The 3 green on the left are malachite, a pink andean opal, then an absolutely beautiful deep purple amethyst, 4 pink rhodochrosite stones, a speckled lapiz chrysoclla stone, 2 smokey quartz stones and lastly a petrified palm wood stone. The petrified palm has to be my favorite but that amethyst and the smokey quartz are close seconds. I think I have just enough gold filled wire left to wrap the palm wood and then I think either the amethyst or a malachite piece will be next. There's an idea I have in my head for the large rhodochrosite piece so I'll be saving that one for when I have some time to really sit down and just play.

Lately I've REALLY been wanting to venture into the metalworking aspect of jewelry making. I picked up a couple of books this weekend and watched a couple of tutorials on youtube just to see what I might be getting myself into. For some reason the idea of soldering kind of freaks me out. Don't ask, I have no problem at all working glass in an open flame but for some reason I doubt myself that I'll be able to solder and it turn out presentable enough. I figure it's worth a shot though and if I don't at least try I'll always wonder if I'd be able to.

New Stuff and Old Stuff Revamped

2009-08-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have a spot on the Just Jewels showcase tomorrow on Etsy so I was busy trying to get two more pendants done tonight. I know alot of people say the showcase spots are a total waste but I try to do one Main showcase a month and all of them have given me quite a few hearts, views and even sales either that day or people that hearted me came back and bought something. As I said, I prefer the Main showcase spots but the Thursday that they came open (the same as the Just Jewels one) I forgot and this was the only one that had spots left when I finally remembered.

These are the latest two pendants, a larimar and a labradorite piece. The larimar is pure perfection for me. The frame turned out great, the bail is fantastic and the design even surpised me as it just fits. I don't draw out or plan out most of my designs, I just pick it up and start turning the wire. Don't get me wrong, I love my labradorite piece I just did but the larimar one was just natural. It was like I started it and I was done with it, just like that.

As for my "revamped" part of my title, that's probably a bit over stated. Close to when I first started my blog I posted some pictures of my first attempts at making glass beads. Well I've FINALLY gotten around to doing something with a few of the firsts ones I made. I've started making a bracelet with them. I love how it's turning out so far and the only thing I really have left to do is add some chain to make it adjustable and to figure out what I'm going to do about a clasp. I really want to make my own hook type clasp out of wire but clasps are far from my specialty. For now I'm happy with how it looks and will be looking for some ideas on what to do to finish this piece off.

3 day weekends and birthdays

2009-08-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

I took yesterday off to spend the day with Dave whose birthday is tomorrow. It was nice and relaxing. We dropped the little one off at daycare and went out for breakfast and took a nice drive and just talked. It was nice because we used to do this all the time but with Little G around, most of the time he has something to interject or say and you don't really get to talk about anything to serious. Then, we went out to lunch before the rains came.

Knowing that my craft show is coming up in October I'm trying to keep a decent stock of pendants so I've set a goal of 4 pendants a weekend. This weekend I'm doing good as I have made 3 labradorite ones. I listed two on etsy but the third I need to get some better photos of. Here they are.
The second one is my favorite and if there has ever been a pendant that I have had a half a mind to keep for myself it is this one. I just love how the design turned out on it.

Here lately I have been on a labradorite kick. I have 3 more stones that I ordered this past week, 2 are more of the gold/green color the other is a green/blue one. I also have 4 larimar stones coming any day. One of them I am anxiously awaiting to get and wrap. If it looks half as good as it did online it will make an absolutely gorgeous piece. Next to search for will be some quartz stones.

Just Vanilla

2009-08-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after finishing up dinner Little G got to have some ice cream since he ate really good. We buy these 12 packs of single serving ice cream by Bluebell that has 6 chocolate and 6 vanilla cups in it and usually Dave or I will split it with the little one. You would think that the chocolate would be his favorite but he's all about the vanilla ones.

Yesterday I was the one sharing the ice cream and I let the first bit kind of slowly melt in my mouth and the taste and idea of it being "vanilla" made me think back to a time back in high school. I was of course one of the band kids and usually about 2 weeks before school started band practice started from 8-12 Monday thru Friday. Of course, once I could drive, my two best friends and I would always go to this little shed like looking house on the other side of town and get shaved ice. I say shaved ice because if I say snowcone people invision those pointed cups with hard little ice nodules that crunched when you ate them and had generic flavors. No, shaved ice was served in a styrafoam cup and you actually watched them shave this huge ice cube into the cup and then shape the ice slivers into a ball, just like you would with snow. Then there were the flavors, at least 50 to choose from.

One of my friends and I would usually try a different flavor each time we went, him the sweeter ones like cotton candy, bubble gum or blue rasberry and me the tarter or just different flavors like mai tai and cinnamon. Our other friend would ALWAYS pick vanilla, and we would always give him a hard time because of course back then when someone would say vanilla the first thing that would always come to my mind was boring and bland. There was nothing exciting about vanilla, and when we would tease him he would just smile and humor us and our antics.

I thought about him yesterday and his vanilla and how it really isn't that bland of a flavor at all. It's a staple to almost any baking recipe, if there is something lacking flavor wise some measurement of a teaspon will usually so the trick. It's like vanilla is the perfect balance of sweet. It has this sugary sweet taste but at the same time it's smooth and not harsh.

So yesterday, when I was half teasing my son asking if he wanted chocolate ice cream or vanilla , exagerating the word chocolate and he kept tell me, "No momma, 'nilla" I just sort of smiled to myself and thought about my friend who always had that smile as if he held some secret, some knowledge that only he could understand. Thinking back on it yesterday I think he did.

New Glass

2009-08-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I got a chance to really play with my new glass. I am now in love with CiM glass rods. I bought several different colors to try that included, Bordello, Celadon, Glacier, Simple Berry, Evil Queen, Poi, Ginger, Canyon de Chelly, Hades, Desert Pink, Comando and some clear. I've tried out all the colors to some extent and here is a photo of my creations
I am extremely proud of the two flower ones as they were my first attempt at doing flowers.

New Pendant and Just Stuff

2009-07-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

I got 2 new stones in the mail today. One of these being a labradorite stone. This one has a flash that is beautiful at the angle when it's worn but a bit tricky to photograph in my usual way. I could take a photo of it on my mannequin bust but it just wouldn't looks as nice as the wood grain/bamboo look my usual photo background does. The supplier I buy from gets this shape in quite often and I have to say that whomever is cutting these always does a beautiful job of cutting the piece so that you get the best flash at the perfect angle for a pendant. I love everything about these stones from the shape to the color and amount of flash that are in them. Each one I make I end up loving more than the last. Here's a photo because as I write this it just sold.
I also ordered a bunch of new glass rods today by a different manufacture I wanted to try out. I'm hoping they will be here by the end of the week. I have lots of really neat beads made, just haven't been in a stringing type mood when it comes to jewelry creation. Also, I want to make some beads that will fit the Pandora style bracelets for the craft show coming up in October. I'm sure there are a couple people around work that have these type bracelets so it wouldn't hurt to have some and see how/if they sell.

The Star at Starbucks

2009-07-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went through the drive thru at Starbucks to get Dave some coffee and me a frappuccino (I am a slave to those things). Little G was in the back and we rolled down the window for him as we were waiting. When we got to the window he was being his talkative self to the guy working the window telling him hello and talking about his Batman shirt. They weren't too busy so one of the girls working there came up to the window and was talking to him, of which he continued to talk about Batman and the fact that he was wearing his sandal shoes.

Last night Dave went up to get are usual coffee and frappuccino and took Little G with him. Dave said he was saying hi again to the guy working the window and another guy passed by and was all, "Hey is that the Batman kid?" then of course the girl that was there before was all, yeah we've been telling everyone the past couple weeks about the Batman kid at the drive thru. My son is 2 1/2 and already has a following. LOL

Our trip to the beach on Friday was not as great as we had hoped. We got there and there was swarms of these biting gnats. I forgot the bug repellent because last time there wasn't anything like that there. Dave and Little G seem to be doing okay, I on the other hand look like I am at the beginning stages of breaking out in chicken pox. Apparently, I have some allergy or something to these things because Friday they were just little flat red spots, by Saturday morning they had turned into welts that resembled mosquito bites but 10 times itchier and this morning it was about to drive me insane. Ugh.

5 Dollar Words

2009-07-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog lately. Just have been busy between work and posting stuff on etsy and artfire. I've been cranking out some pendants and they've been turning out pretty nice.

Tonight we put Little G to bed and were siting here talking about our planned trip to the beach tomorrow. A couple of weeks ago on a trip to ToysRus we bought this beach backpack that has Lightening McQueen stuff like sand molds and shovels. We were talking about how he calls it the Lightening Purse because he doesn't know what a backpack is.

Out of nowhere Dave says:

"Yeah, it's hard to teach him what the nomenclature of things are."
Me:"What?"
Dave:"Nomenclature."
Me: "Nomenclature?" *quizzical look*
Dave: "Yeah, the appropriate name for things."

Of course I had to go look it up. Good ol' Wikipedia had this as the definition

A set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community, etc.

So, while not exactly used in the correct context, I learned a new word today.

Upcoming Craft Fair

2009-07-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I filled out my form for the holiday craft fair that they have where I work. This year it is going to be October 19th and as of this weekend I will have 2 months to prepare for it. I always think I'm going to be prepared for this thing and it seems I never am. At least this year I'll have a better collection of pendants than I did last year. I'm not sure what I will have knit/crochet wise this year. I have a couple of shawls done up and I have a wrap I'm currently working on just to see how long it take me to do.

Yesterday I got some copper clay that I ordered in the mail. It's supposed to work the same as silver clay so I'm anxious to play with that this weekend and get creative. I already have a couple of ideas of what I want to do with it.

Busy already

2009-07-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have been in crafting mood all week but haven't had the chance to really work on anything. Last night I finally did my first ring using sterling silver wire and PMC clay along with an emerald cabochon that I had. I really love how this ring turned out and it's super light, I don't even feel that I have it on. I plan on playing some more with different things with rings in the near future but this was sort of the test.

Today I finally got around to wrapping a beautiful piece of chalcedony that I got a couple of weeks ago. I decided to turn it into a necklace and even had a design drawn up for it. Of course, it didn't end up being exactly like the design but that's okay. I have to admit that I think it is absolutely beautiful. I thought I really liked my fluorite piece but this one I love even more. I just listed it today too.

Bumps, scrapes and birthdays

2009-07-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got one of those dreaded calls at work from daycare that Little G had an accident. I know that they try to keep upbeat when calling when it's something minor so that you kind of know everything is okay before they tell you but it still can be a bit annoying. Anyway, he was playing outside pushing one of the push cars they have, tripped over it and scraped his chin, upper lip as well as bit his upper lip. Luckily it's all superficial and most of it will probably be cleared up in 2 weeks time. It still sucks, and I feel bad for the little guy having to be hurt like that. The somewhat humorus part of it was that it was the one teacher that claimed all the numbers she tried last time didn't work...

Dave's birthday is coming up fast at the begining of August and I really have no clue what to get him. It's even worse at Christmas, he gives me no hints or ideas whatsoever and the guy has no affordable hobbies. He like tweaking and building computers and working on cars. The parts from neither of those are cheap. He has plenty of cologne, not in to shaving kits, needs no clothes...I am just at a loss and he's not helping.

I've been treasured!

2009-07-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I got a nice convo from nsseaglass that I was in her Sunny Day treasury. It's always an honor to have one of your items picked. Also, if you're in to seaglass or sea pottery she is currently having a 20% off storewide sale.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=69208

New Pendants

2009-07-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

I've lived up to my promise to myself to seriously work on some jewelry this weekend. I took a break from the earrings and made these 4 great pendants that I plan on listing on etsy in the near future. From left to right they are Larimar, Rhodonite, Rutilated Quartz and Labradorite.

My shipment of wire came in yesterday and I picked up a couple of different things. One of the things was some 14k gold filled patterned wire so I can make some hoop earrings out of them. I'm not a big fan of gold but this wire is really quite beautiful. It will make gorgeous earrings. I also got some just plain rectangle sterling silver wire. I played with it some on the rhodonite piece so that pendant has more of a wrapped bezel. It takes a lot more to work with it then just the regular square wire but I have lots of ideas to use with it.

It should be a lazy day for us today. No 4th of July plans, just going to grill up some hotdogs and enjoy the weekend. Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing 4th.

Blog Changes

2009-07-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

So, my friend DJ came back to blogger and she's always putting together something clean and sleek looking when it comes to web pages. I often have "web envy" of her stuff and it's always what I need to get myself in gear and change things up. Her and I work together at the same place but I swear, she missed her calling in a web or graphics type career. At any rate, her changes made me rethink my blog so I decided to change some things up with my title banner colors and pick a different layout. My HTML skills are less than minimal so as simple as possible works for me.

I'm waiting for supplies that should be arriving today, all of it wire. I picked up some patterned gold filled wire to make my hoop earrings along with some more silver patterned wire that I was low on. I had some left over gold wire I use for wrapping so I'm playing with two toning some of my jewelry. I made two pairs of those new swarovski earrings in silver and gold. One is made with black and clear crystal the other has some nice pink and orange crystals. They've turned out really nice and I plan on taking some pictures later on.

New Earrings

2009-06-30T18:12:00.001-07:00

There's just all sorts of new stuff going on over here. I just made and posted, tonight, these great swarovski cube earrings. They have kind of a channel look to them. I have some other colors I can't wait to try out but I need to get some more wire.

This weekend I'm determined to get some wire wrapping done. I have a design drawn up for my blue chalcedony that I'm anxious to do and yesterday I got in the most gorgeous blue larimar pieces. They are going to make stunning pendants.

New Website!

2009-06-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

The new website is up and running! Yay me!

Here is the address for any interested

http://www.wiredreamsdesign.com

New stuff

2009-06-27T19:41:00.001-07:00

Today I finally posted some new things to etsy. One was the pendant I made up last week. The other was a necklace that I've had the majority of done for at least a month. It's the one I've redone the dangles for like, 3 times I think. I'm quite pleased at how it turned out. I also had a main showcase today on etsy and put that into the line up this evening and it's done well with views and hearts for the short amount of time it's been up.

I have spent a good portion of today working on my website. I'm actually making headway and really think I might have enough done to feel comfortable publishing it tomorrow. Still a couple of things to work out and do but it's getting there.

Today we started some serious potty training with Little G. So far I feel totally lost. There seems to be so much conflicting info out there on how to go about it. The biggest problem we have with him is that he has never had a problem with being wet. So not only does he not tell us when he needs to go he doesn't even tell us when he's wet because it doesn't bother him.

We started off this morning putting him in big boy underpants. Of course some of the things i read said to try putting him in the underpants and take him every 30 minutes or so to the potty. He was okay with that at the beginning but by mid-day he was totally fighting us on sitting on the potty so in some ways I feel like he's regressed some today. Tomorrow we are keeping him in the underpants and just going to ask if he wants to try to, if he says yes, great off to the bathroom if no then we're going to just let him be. At least when he does have an "accident" he is quick to tell us that he went potty, so I guess that's a plus and step in the right direction.

New Stones

2009-06-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday I found some great stones that I ordered online. I was really surprised to see that they arrived in the mail today. All the way from Oregon to Florida via first class mail. How awesome is that? I was thinking that they might would show up tomorrow but I'll take a day early any day.

The picture of them is eh, but they really are beautiful stones. The blue chalcedony is absolutely beautiful in person. I think it will be the first one I wrap but I haven't decided if it will be done length wise with some extra dangle or wire design along the flat side or if I will do it width wise and make a wider pendant out of it. I'm also quite intrigued with the Rhodonite piece because of it's hexagonal shape, that one should be interesting to wrap.

Circle Update

2009-06-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

Last night I did the deed and took my work off the needles to make sure my increases weren't too much. I was quite pleased with the results because everything looked fine and I didn't have to tear back any rows to re-do anything. Right now I'm alternating some purl rows into my work to give some nice little ledges going around. I'm about done with that and have to figure out what the next stitch pattern will be. Tonight I'll dig through some of my pattern books and try to find something interesting yet simple for in the round and increasing.

On the jewelry front I haven't done much. A couple of days ago I wrapped two stones, one completely and the other just to the point that I need to figure out what the design will be with the remaining wire. I also have two dried flower pendants I need to finish with resin. I experimented briefly with the torch last night and made a couple of beads so I've been active, just haven't put the finishing touches on a lot of things. All in good time I guess.

Circle

2009-06-22T04:54:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm a day late with this post. Here is the picture of the center circle of the vest I'm working on. It's going along quite quickly and I've already picked up the stitches and started the knitting part which I fear will be the part that bogs down for me. Figuring out how many increases or where on something I'm "knitting as I go" as never been my forte so I forsee many episodes of pulling the stitches of the needle on to scrap yarn so I can make sure I'm doing the right amount the right amount of rows inbetween.

I don't mind pulling the work off the needles or dropping sttiches because that's an easy fix. It's just threading scrap yarn on to 180+ stitches to check and then putting those 180+ stitches back on the needle again is tedious. But, I'm making notes as I go on what I'm doing so I'll have an actual pattern for the next one.

A nice relaxing weekend

2009-06-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

A quick update on our furniture mishap, we went back up to World Market yesterday and they gave us the missing hardware for our new patio furniture. Dave was able to put the bench together in no time and we spent the morning enjoying some time on our porch this morning while Little G ran around the back yard.

On my new project front I scrapped using the yarn I got in the other day. It was really too thin of a yarn to use for that. Dave's dad had some stuff going on this morning so instead of me going to the knit shop for a couple of hours and Dave and Little G going to grandpa's house we just made a quick trip to the yarn store to look for some yarn for my project and then to the auto parts store to pick up some tool Dave needed for one of the vehicles.

I really wanted a self striping yarn since this piece is in worked in the round for this middle part and I thought that would really make the design I picked stand out. So I ended up buying 4 skeins of Noro's Taiyo, which is a nice Cotton and Silk blend yarn with a bit of Wool and Nylon mixed in. I wasn't sure about the color as it is very bright but it's turning out absolutely beautiful. I have about 90% of the center circle done and hoping to finish that part tomorrow. I'll take pictures and have those up of how it turned out. I already have a bunch of ideas going through my head on what to do next.

Tomorrow, being Father's Day, were taking Dave's dad out to breakfast and I think grilling hamburgers for dinner and spending some time hanging out by the pool. It should be a nice relaxing day.

Almost the Weekend

2009-06-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

It is Friday and I am so ready for it to be the weekend. I have bunch of stuff to do but random stuff to do is better than work any day of the week. Yesterday I got some really cool mugs in from Magnolia Pottery and some yarn that I was really excited about but not so much now that it's in. I guess honestly I haven't totally decided on it. I bought two skiens of a color that I thought was amazing and when it came in the colors weren't really what I was expecting. I've wound up one of the skiens and am using it for my vest to start off with and testing out what pattern I want to use for the center circle. If this goes well I think I'm going to pick out a self striping type yarn or just a solid color and make another one. We'll see.

Today at lunch Dave and I bought a cute outdoor furniture set from World Market. I just got an e-mail from him and he said that there is no hardware to put the bench together. So he's livid right now and calling the store to figure out what the deal is. The set came in two pretty big boxes so returning the one box that included the bench is probably not going to be an option. I fear they're going to give us some manufacture number and say call them to get the replacement parts sent to us which sucks because we bought it for the weekend and grilling out and all that stuff during Father's Day and now it won't be done which will be a bit of a let down. So we'll see. That's all we can do for now.

New Project?

2009-06-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been in a knitting/crochet mood. I have multiple projects going on right now and am looking to add another. I saw the current edition of Vogue Knitting at my local yarn store and have been thinking about this pattern for almost a month.
It is knit in the round for part of the way on double pointed needles and then back and forth for the outer edge. I hate knitting on double pointed needles so my thought was to crochet the center part then pick up the stitches and knit the outer edge.

Yesterday I got a yarn catalog from Webs. Lots of cool stuff but this book caught my eye and would be the perfect place to find an interesting center circle.
Luckily it was in stock at the bookstore. I cannot wait to start trying out some of the motifs in this book. There are great instructions for each one and the pictures are absolutely wonderful. Now I just need to find the yarn I want to use...

My latest creation

2009-06-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to work some on my jewelry. Unfortunately I wasn't too successful in getting a bunch of stuff done. I finished up two pairs of earrings using some lampwork beads that I had made a couple of days ago and I thought I had finished this one necklace piece that looks absolutely awesome but I realized the swarovski crystals that I used are totally the wrong color when you look at the piece in the light. So, the dangles on this piece have to be re-done AGAIN for like the 3rd or 4th time.

The highlight of the day has been a quartz stone that I have had in my collection for some time. It is a very high dome cabochon so I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it since I knew it would need more wire then other stones that I do which means more wire to wrap and design with to finish off the piece. So I turned it into a dragonfly. I love how it turned out.

The weekend has gone by way too fast but at least Little G is feeling better. He went to daycare on Friday and has been a little pistol all weekend.

Sick Days and Daycare Issues

2009-06-11T16:28:00.001-07:00

Little G was home from daycare today with a fever. I'm thinking it might be related to him possibly getting in his last set of molars since the fever seems to be sporadic and he's been chewing towards the back alot on his fingers as well as drooling. I was beyond ticked yesterday though, when Dave went to go and pick him up from daycare. According to them, and by them I really mean the main "teacher" in the Twos room, he woke up with a 101.2 fever after nap time and that all of the numbers she tried on our contact list "weren't valid". Ooooookayyy....I'm calling BS on this one. There are 5 numbers on that list: my work number, my cell phone, Dave's cell phone, my Father in Law's house phone and his cell phone. All of these have missed call notifications and voice mail. You're going to tell me that NONE of those 5 numbers worked? I don't think so. Plus, if my son has a fever why would you send him outside to play in 90+ degree heat which is where he was when Dave picked him up.

For the most part I really do like where we take him for daycare. He's been going there since he was 11 months old and the teachers in the infant and toddler room were absolutely great. The two directors I usually see are really good too but I haven't had a warm fuzzy about the Two's teacher since the first time I picked Little G up. At first I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was having a rough day but her attitude toward this one little girl who wanted her "treat" for going on the potty was downright hateful until she remembered that the little girl HAD gone and then she practically thrust the treat at here and just said, "Here". She's usually hit or miss on what kind of mood she's in when I've picked him up. Sometimes all smiles and talkative other days brooding and radiating negativity. Thank goodness for the helpers that are in that room that are amazing, because if it wasn't for them and their redeeming qualities I'd seriously be looking for a new daycare.

Little G seems to be doing better today. This morning he still had a fever, but not as high and it seems his fever broke during his nap because it hasn't came back since, which is a good thing. So, him and I had a pretty good day of playing with cars and blocks and we watched the CARS movie as well as WALL-E. Today was the first time I had seen WALL-E and I have to say I didn't care for the movie at all. To me it didn't get really all that interesting until the last, maybe, 30 minutes.

Time Off

2009-06-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

So, this past week I took Thursday and Friday off. I sooooo needed it. Thursday Dave and I did a bunch of stuff in-between rain storms and had a really nice lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Friday we kept Little G out of day care and took a trip to the beach. It was his first trip to the beach and he had a blast.

We averted certain disaster this weekend as well. Little G's favorite thing in the entire world is his lion. We picked it up at the World Market store almost 6 months ago. I was putting him down for a nap Friday and was giving him his lion to snuggle with when I noticed the stitching on the back of it's head was starting to come undone. The material is knit and one of the stitches came loose and was starting to run. Luckily I was able to fix the stitches just like you do when you drop a stitch when knitting. But, to be on the safe side we made a trip to World Market to get another lion to keep just in case anything ever happens to this one.

On the craft front it's been a great week etsy wise. Since Wednesday I've sold 11 shawl pins a pendant and a necklace. So I have been busy making shawl pins for orders. I also made two new pendants from a beautiful blue peruvian opal and an agate with crystal druzy in it. Then, after our trip to the beach I thought it might be neat to wire wrap a shell and it turned out really neat.

Going through my stash

2009-05-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

So, today I decided to try and organize/go through my yarn stash. I have a front living room that is becoming my craft area and right now things are just sort of stored there so to speak. I am notorious for buying one or two skeins of yarn just because I like it's color or texture or just because the wind happens to blow a certain way on that day. Needless to say I have a bunch of yarn that by itself is good for little else than scarves if I just use that yarn alone. After an hour of trying to organize and categorize I gave up and decided that a trip to Lowe's is in order tomorrow to pick up another organizer and I'm grouping all my yarns by color. That way if I want to make a shawl or scarf with different yarns I'll at least have it all separated by colors and can choose that way.

While going through the yarn I also found bags that I had stashed unfinished projects in. One of the things I uncovered was a piece I was designing as I was knitting it. Originally it was supposed to be a sleeveless top that I was making in the round from the bottom up that would have a cowl neck at the top. The bottom part would be done in a semi lace pattern then below the bust it would turn to a stockinette stitch and finish up in the cowl neck.

First off my original gauge I did was either different then what I ended up doing on the piece itself or I just measured it wrong. I'm betting on the latter issue. I got to the place where I thought I would be changing to the stockinette stitch and put it on waste yarn and discovered it was HUGE. After all the work I had put into this ripping it out was NOT an option or it would never be done. So I decided with the shape it was and the size it was it would make the perfect caplet. Instead of a stockinette stitch at this point I change to a k1,p1 rib pattern to help cinch in the top as well as some k2tog around. It was going well and I tried it on again and really wasn't happy with it and knew I needed to do a couple more rows of decreases. I was tired of working on it as well as putting the multitude of stitched on the needle again so it just got stashed away.

All of this was before I got my bust that I use for taking photos of my scarves and shawls. When I found it today and put it on my bust and realized that it isn't as awful and I thought it was and really turned out quite nice. It does still need about 4 or 5 rows with some spaced decreasing but when it's done I think it will be quite nice. Here is a photo of it in it's current state.

Knitting in the Sun Review

2009-05-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for knitting books and magazines. My magazine collection got so large I had to break down and go through all of them tearing out the patterns I really loved and thought there was some chance of me actually doing and putting them all in a binder sorted by type, like sweater, top, scarf, shawl, etc. Honestly it's the most organized thing about my knitting which is sad considering how much yarn and projects I have stashed around the house.

This weekend I picked up a new book that came out this month (May 11) called Knitting in the Sun by Kristi Porter. Living in Florida I thought this might be a good book geared for our usually warm weather. It retails for $22.99 but I got mine at Borders using a 40% off coupon. There are 32 projects, so even at the retail price I feel it's a good value.

First off, let me tell you that my rule of thumb for buying a knitting or crochet pattern book is that if there isn't at least 4 patterns in the book that I like, I don't buy it. My thoughts on this is that your average, individual pattern sells for between $5-7 and your average knitting book costs about $21. So, if you can find 4 patterns in it you'd want to make you're doing good. Now, on to the review...

Obviously, the patterns in this book, for the most part, appeal to my style and what I enjoy to knit because I bought the book. If you like the layout of Interweave Knit books like Wrap Style or Scarf Style then you will like how this book is laid out as well as they are very similar. The range of levels for the projects in the book is a nice balance as well. There are things that would be good for the beginner as well as the everyday knitter.

These are the patterns I love and hope to be casting one of the on in the near future.

Windansea - This is a cute looking sun hat which I find intriguing because you need to use millinery wire to actually form and shape the hat and I've really been wanting to make something like this. I bought a book about a year ago with a similar pattern but this one is just a much simpler pattern to do something like this for the first time.

Queensway Bay - The pattern is listed as a "tunic" but this really would be perfect as a swimsuit cover-up or a cute dress for a stroll on the beach. I can totally see myself using one on a trip down to Sanibel Island.

Bridgetown - A really cute long sleeved cardigan sweater with a leafy lace panel along the sides and as a border along the bottom.

Coronado - A lovely shawl collared cardigan that uses a ribbed eyelet type pattern. This will most likely be the project that I do first. It was between this one and the Bridgetown and when I showed my husband he liked this one the best and I have to agree.

Santorini - A short kimono style jacket that uses a great Wavy Lace pattern around all the edges. I don't think I would ever wear this but I'm contemplating making one for my mother in law because it looks her style.

Haleakala - Have an old beach chair frame or an old beach chair that could use a revamp? This is the perfect update. The back piece is a great star/flower pattern that is just lovely

While these are my favorites there are some pieces in this book that are absolutely stunning but just aren't my style. I don't "do" knitted skirts but there are two long skirts in this book that are absolutely beautiful. There is also a very feminine wrap around top that has these great ruffle like sleeves and very romantic styled neckline. And yes, like all "summer" knitting books there is the knitted two piece bathing suit, but this one is a cute boy short and bandaeu like top that is a nice change from your typical triangle two piece suit you typically see.

The biggest dissapointment of this book for me was the short sleeve and long sleeve sections of the (the above mentioned wrap around top being the exception). They just didn't stand out and in my opinion were too similar to tops I've seen in knitting magazines over and over. There was also a lightweight hooded sweater that I really wanted to make based on just photos I saw and then when I looked at the pattern it covered 9 pages and in general I felt I could achieve a similar look with a much simpler pattern.

All in all I really do like this book and if you live in warmer climate area and looking for a book that caters to that type of knitting then I definitely recomend it.

The Eve of a 3 Day Weekend

2009-05-22T05:03:00.000-07:00

I am so looking forward to this three day weekend. The only thing I have planned is to take new pictures of practically everything in my shop. Or at least the shawl pins and the wire wrapped pendants. I've been working on my website and decided that I need to retake ALL the pictures for it so I'm hoping the weather holds out this weekend and is nice enough.

Other than the photo taking I have a couple of earring orders to work on as well as catch up on some of my jewelry. I have the neatest wire wrapped pendant/necklace but it's sort of an odd color so getting a matching stone/bead for the drop is proving to be sort of a pain. I'm serously considering making a glass bead myself that would go with it. I also plan on getting my kiln up and running and get the multitude of beads that I have made annealed. I have quite a few bracelet ideas for them and am just waiting for this one step to get done.

Speaking of glass I got larger mandrels in the mail this week and some new glass. I'm still getting used to the larger mandrel, they're the size that you use to make beads that fit a Pandora style bracelet. I love working with the larger mandrels just quite haven't got my rhythm using them down yet. I did make two last night that turned out pretty good size and even wise though so I'm making progress.

Rain, Rain and More Rain...

2009-05-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

It has been raining what seems like non-stop all week. It's nice because we need the rain but after about 4 days of it constantly I'm tired of it already. Apprently there's some front that was moving through that has stalled out so we're getting all of this rain from it.

When I first moved here after getting married it was the end of August. It rained every day at 4:00 for almost a month straight I think. You'd have beautiful weather in the morning and then it would get about 4:00 pm and it would be a downpour with high winds and whatever else. I used to kid my husband that if Florida was supposed to be the Sunshine State what gives?!

I have been busy lately working on different things. Practicing some glass techniques of which I'm waiting for some new glass and mandrels to come in today and tomorrow. I've also been working with my PMC clay some. Have a couple things done up that I'm anxious to get fired but Dave hasn't gotten a place in the garage done up yet. I think he's working on that today. I also did three new pendants this weekend and have been working on some clay earrings. All have been listed in my etsy shop.

Last night I worked up this wonderful piece of larimar I got in on Tuesday. I love the tie-dye effect that the crystals formed when this stone was created so, I'm really happy with how this one turned out. It will also be added to my shop shortly.

What a way to start a weekend

2009-05-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

So, Thursday, one of my co-workers let me have their indoor spot since they were out of the office. On the way to my car at the end of the day I slipped in a puddle of water left from a car's air condition and fell. If I was wearing regular shoes or even small heels this probably wouldn't have been too big of a deal, no I was wearing my 4 inch platform heeled shoes. These shoes here.

Yeah, ouch is right. I got extremely lucky I only dislocated my ankle and it popped back in to place right after. So, while it REALLY hurt when it happened and then REALLY ached after it happened I seem to not have done anything seriously bad to it. The bad thing was that yet again this week I've had to stay home from work. I swear, every time I get like 3 days saved up something happens and I end up having to take time off. I want some time off....I need some serious time off but here lately every time I get time accrued it is spent on something that is not fun nor all that relaxing.

Friday I could barely walk without it taking forever to get somewhere but today my mobility is MUCH better. Still a bit of a limp but at least I can bend/turn my ankle more than yesterday. Surprisingly I didn't get a nasty bruise like I thought I would. There is a dark discoloration around the ankle but unless it's a deep bruise that's still coming to the surface it doesn't look too bad.

Anway, on a lighter note, here are some cute pictures of Little G that I took last weekend. One of him in what I call his "Havana" shirt and the other looking like a home run hitter playing with his new T-ball set.

It's been a while...

2009-05-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted last as I have been busy with things. Lots of stuff has come in this week material wise. My kiln on Monday, which is going to be set up this weekend and some PMC clay and more wire for pendants that came in yesterday. I also got some beautiful ring sized cabochons of natural rubies, amethyst, sapphire, emerald, citrine and green tourmaline. I also have a beautiful colored iolite stone and opal floating around. Lots of stuff to play with this weekend. I'm also expecting some green turquoise in that I ordered that I think will make beautiful men's rings just in time for Father's Day.

Speaking of father's Dave totally ticked me off last night. On our weekly grocery trip I had bought some pre-cooked chipolte flavored chicken that was cut up similar to how fajitas would be with longer pieces or strips of chicken mixed in with smaller "chunks". Bought tortillas and some shredded lettuce and whatever else would be needed for the meal and cooked it up last night. I was busy getting Little G's plate ready and getting him buckled in his booster seat at the table so I told Dave to go ahead and fix his plate up first. So by the time I get back to the kitchen to fix my plate Dave is done and already put his on the table. I take a look in the skillet and he took ALL of the big, long, strips of chicken all that was left were the little chunks that were like 1 to 1.5 inches. Then he actually came back into the kitchen getting the drinks and says, in a truly genuine tone, "See, I left you LOTS of chicken". I was speechless, all I could do was shake my head pour my chicken pieces into the tortillas and just go with it. Tonight we're having spaghetti, at least I know there's no bigger pieces for him to hog tonight.

Day after Mother's Day

2009-05-11T06:21:00.001-07:00

I have to say that my Mother's Day weekend was pretty good. I got to spend lots of time playing with my new torch kit and glass. I have a slew of new beads awaiting my kiln that should be arriving today. Little G picked me a flower when he went to Grandpa's house while I was at the knit shop and then I got this cute little votive that is tissue paper glued to the glass to make it look like stained glass that he did in daycare.

We were originally going to go to the beach but decided that it probably would be too crowded. Instead we hung out here at the house and went swimming since our pool is finally warm enough to use. The only down part was yesterday evening when we went to put Little G to bed. He was really hot to the touch and turned out he was running a fever of 102. We gave him some motrin and it brought the fever down but he still had one this morning when we woke up so I stayed home today to take care of him. He's doing pretty good and his fever seems to be subsiding which is good.

I LOVE making glass beads

2009-05-09T11:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, so as some of you might have read I was expecting my bead kit and a kiln sometime this week. The kit came in on Thursday and the kiln will be here Monday. Friday night I decided to try out my bead making skills. I'm ambidextrous so the whole thing of working and spinning the rod in one hand and the mandrel in the other wasn't all that uncomfortable for me. The thing I seemed to be doing wrong at the beginning was holding the rods and mandrel too close to the far end so I wasn't as stable as I should've been. Anyway, I'm getting the hang of it and I am really enjoying it. I see another set of mandrels in my near future.

Here is a picture of the beads I have made so far in order, the clear blue one was my first.

This bead was my last and by far my favorite of all, although that black and white striped one I made before it I was pretty proud of as well.

I made it with this kind of cream/ivory colored rod with some Double Helix Psyche twirled in. I'm hoping I'm able to make some more in this style because I think it's beautiful. And I love the metallic shine that I'm getting with the psyche.

Mama's gettin' a brand new bag

2009-05-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone has those little shopping must haves. For most women it's usually shoes or purses. For me it's sunglasses and cutesy tote type bags. My tote bags usually end up turning into a knitting bag and I think I have 4 currently hanging around my house all with yarn and ongoing projects stuffed in them. The other day I logged into etsy and did a brief look at the little 15 seconds of fame boxes at the bottom of what's recently been listed. I saw this, by gardencris27 The color was what first caught my eye but after I clicked on it I totally fell in love with it.

While some might cringe at the color I honestly probably would've bought it just to have a new knitting bag just like it is because it's quite bright and cheery. It also reminds me of this vintage 60's sundress I bought off ebay one time that was close to these colors and pattern. But, I saw in the shop announcement that she did custom ones and I really wanted something I could use as a knit bag or some trendy bag I could go out and about with when I get tired of my normal purse. So, I contacted the shop owner and she sent me a link to where she orders fabric to pick some out. I picked out this awesome Joel Dewberry fabric for the main part and the lining and ties will be a solid brown that matches the butterfly.

I am WAY excited about getting it and can't wait to see it. So check out her shop and show it some love because she really does have a nice variety of things and all of them are totally cute.

Play toys

2009-05-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

So, last Friday I broke down and ordered my kiln and I am super excited about it getting here. I already have a ton of ideas going throuhg my head and have boughten quite a few smaller cabs to try my hand at making some rings and pendants with the PMC clay. Of course the kiln hasn't arrived yet but still I'm anxiously waiting.

I also ordered a glass kit on Friday that will be here tomorrow. So by the weekend I hope to be making me some glass beads. Dave and I were talking last night about how cultural Orlando tries to make itself out to be but it's sometimes hard to find places that cater to these type works. I found lots of studios but I had a hard time finding a brick and mortar store I can walk in to and buy glass rods or some other type equipment. When I was thinking about picking up hand throwing pottery I think I only found two places I could go and get clay but only one was really near to where I live. It can be annoying sometime when I want to go out and get something and not have to wait.

Anyway, with any luck I'll be posting pictures this weekend of my new glass beads. Yay!

And the winner is....

2009-05-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

Arelel Designs

She has been contacted about her win and I will be sending this lovely pendant out to her today. Thanks to everyone that participated! :)

Mother's Day Weekend Giveaway - Wrapped Pendant

2009-05-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

So, in honor of Mother's Day I thought I would do a blog giveaway. In my etsy shop I have this pendant which titled Love in Bloom. Click on the photo for more details about this pendant.

This is how it will work:

Starting today (Friday, May 1st) until Monday, May 4th if you leave a comment here under this posting or follow my blog you will be entered in the drawing that I will do Tuesday morning. If you make a purchase from me between these times as well you get an extra entry for every item purchased. Tuesday morning I'll draw the name, post the winner as well as contact them, address the package and will send it out priority mail in the hopes that it will reach it's destination before Mother's Day on May 10th. Also, please be sure to leave a way I can contact you via e-mail or convo.

I do ship to Canada and the U.K. so if you're from there don't be shy, just understand that it probably won't get there before the 10th.

Good luck to everyone! :)

Getting a kiln

2009-04-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

I am super excited because next month we get our incentive bonus at work. This will probably be the last year we get one for a while so I'm planning on enjoying mine completely. I have been wanting a kiln for a while so I can start doing some stuff with PMC clay. After looking and comparing for weeks I've finally decided on this one, the Paragon Caldera.

The nice thing about it is that it's small, reasonably priced and it fires up to a cone 10 which means if I ever want to actually get into some pottery and ceramic type stuff it should get hot enough to do just about whatever I want that will, of course, fit inside the kiln. Also, I'm getting the bead collar extension on it because I've always been a bit of a pyro and I have been amazed by glass work ever since the first time I saw someone doing a glass blowing demonstration when I was in highschool. I'm not interested in blowing glass but doing some torch work looks intriguing and from what I've read and seen I think I could do it. I'm starting off with soft glass so I can start off small but maybe someday I'll work up to the boro glasses. So any tips or recommendations on torch work are more than welcome.

Debating

2009-04-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend has gone by too fast, or at least today has. Yesterday I made it to the knit shop which was nice. Since I don't have any more entrelac classes I gathered my displays that I had up there and brought them home. This is what I'm debating selling on etsy.

I learned how to do entrelac specifically to make this wrap. I picked out the Noro silk garden yarn, special ordered it and made it up. I have never worn it and it's been a display up at the shop. I made it because I thought the pattern and idea was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, I'm bad about picking out things to make that are absolutely beautiful but are not something I will wear/use. This is a prime example. I love it, I think it's beautiful but honestly the most use it will ever get from me is draped over a chair and I think it's too nice to just end up as something like that. So I really am debating selling it so at least it will end up with someone who will love it as much as I do but will actually use it.

Speaking of knitting I did pick up some new yarn. It's a green tweed looking yarn that is alpaca and cotton. It is an awesome blend of yarn that has the smoothness of cotton but the softness and lightness of alpaca. I'm intending on making a hooded cable vest out of it for the fall months. I also have a hooded jacket I'm making out of some chunky cotton yarn that is progressing. I only have the sleeves complete and maybe 4 inches but I'm also doing the back and two front sides at the same time so there's a lot more stitches each row.

Revised Designs

2009-04-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

It is finally Friday and this week has felt like the longest week ever I think. Between getting my shawl pin order together and mailed out, being sick and everything else going on this week it has been hectic to say the least. At least my job has been relatively calm which has been a God send.

Speaking of my shawl pins and the title of this post I redesigned one of my pins. I loved my turtle one but something about it just didn't sit right with me. I worried about the fins coming off if caught just the right way and the head didn't look right. So after making some of the other designs like the bee and the lady bug I decided to take some of the things I learned and re-do my turtle. I love how he looks now. Just too cute. I put him and some other new pins on my etsy site this morning.

Last night I decided to do a bit of jewelry work with this totally amazing piece of fluorite that I bought. One of the qualities of fluorite that I absolutely love is it's ability to be multicolored, to shift from one shade of purple, blue or green to another so you get these really neat bands of color. This stone is teardrop shaped and it's banding goes from the bottom right angled to the upper left. The bottom right starts as this darker purple, fades into almost clear and then goes into this wonderful blue-green color. Just awesome coloring. I'll post some pictures tomorrow of the finished piece when I can get some good pictures out in the sunlight.

My name is my own

2009-04-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Well, at least in the State of Florida it is, and no I'm not talking about my real name. I'm talking about my Wire Dreams Design name. I started the process of actually making my jewelry and crafting a legitimate small business. The first step to that is getting you "doing business as" name registered. I got the confirmation today and I should be getting the actual documentation in the mail in a few days. I'm excited because this is something that I've always wanted to pursue but have always come up with some excuse. Plus in looking into some of the craft fairs that are held around here you have to have the proper documentation of being a business to even get a booth. Looks like that second major in accounting in college may actually come in handy.

I'm glad tomorrow is Friday. I got absolutely nothing done work wise today. Well, I shouldn't say nothing I did get some things done, but not nearly as much as I should have. I have no idea what I'm doing this weekend though. I know Saturday will be at the knit shop because I haven't been there in 2 weeks. I just haven't been working on anything that I need that couple of hours of "quiet time" to get a good chunk of knitting done. Plus, it's been 2 weeks, I've got to check out what new stuff is in that I can't live without. Actually what I really need is a couple of good stash busting projects. If I was in to seeming I'd make a bunch of random patchwork type squares and make an afghan but I hate seaming almost as much as I hate sleeves.

Long week and it's only Tuesday

2009-04-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged, I just haven't been feeling it lately. The weekend was busy with me working on things that were not going as I had hoped. I'm having some issues with my clay but just one color not baking right. It's really odd. Plus, today I woke up and was sick feeling. I'm better now but for most of the day I've just felt off kilter. I think that I have some kind of chemical imbalance that's causing it. It seems like after having Little G that things just never went back to normal. It hasn't really been a problem up until recently and I'm starting to notice a pattern with this feeling.

I've gotten quite a bit of crafting stuff done which includes an angora blend scarf that is this really nice shade of blue/gray as well as a larimar pendant. I also listed some pendants on my etsy and 1000 Markets store on Sunday. I also have some really neat carved mother of pearl leaves that have been dyed green that I want to make some stuff with. It's on my to-do list for right now though.

Snagged a Treasury

2009-04-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those super busy days. Dave is working so it's just Little G and I. I've been busy most of the day working on one craft or another but I thought I would jump on and post a link to a treasury I got last night.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=53259

Also, I redesigned my banner again. I wanted to create something that kind of showed off my knitting, my shawl pins and my beading. So I did a picture of my beaded scarf with a beaded shawl pin. For now I like it until I come up with some other idea. I already have one floating around but that's just something to add to it.

BTW - I fixed the link to my treasury. Thanks for letting me know! :)

Is it Friday yet???

2009-04-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

My days have been off this entire week. Everyday this week has felt like it should've been some other day than the one it was. Today is no different. Sadly because my week has been kinda off the last time I really got to do any crafting was Monday. But I have been doing a lot of designing and sketching ideas out on paper. I have about 4 different things I'd like to try plus I have another design I've been playing around with in my head for a knitting tool that might be useful. Well I know it would be useful for me at any rate. So I have those things going on right now. I also have some really nice stones that I got in about 2 weeks ago that haven't been touched and that's just down right a shame.

Last night we went out to dinner to celebrate some good news that Dave got job related. Little G was doing great until I made the mistake of letting him see his cup of milk that I was putting in my purse to take along. The joys of 2-year olds when they go from precious to crank-monsters in 2 seconds flat. The entire way to the restraunt all we heard about was "my milk". Eventually he settled down before we got there and then was totally happy about eating steamed rice and crunchy noodles (we went out for Chinese).

This morning Dave picked out his new orange and brown dinosaur shirt for him to wear. Orange is Little G's current favorite color and I think we probably woke up half our neighborhood when at 6:45 am we are raoring at each other back and forth like dinosaurs as I buckled him into his car seat. Eh, whatever, it's the little things in life that matters.

Busy Bee

2009-04-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been non-stop lately with my crafting which is a good thing. Lately I've been working a lot on my shawl pins and have four new designs I'm working on right now. One I did last night and it turned out pretty good, I just need to re-design one part of it and it will be super cute. I also got my bulk order in so I have 16 that I need to make.

This weekend I plan on shifting back to my jewelry. The craft fair that they were going to have where I work early May has been postponed to who knows when, but before November. So I haven't been as adamant about getting a stock of jewelry made up. Last week I did go out of my norm and experimented with wrapping multiple stones at one. This one is an oval rose quartz stone with two red rhodochrosite stoness above and below. It's huge though length wise, at least 3 inches. But for someone looking for something totally different, they'll love it.

I posted all three of my shawls yesterday on Etsy. So far the red appears to be the popular one view wise. I also finished another shawl similar to the red one but in a blue/green colorway, plus if I remember correctly it is a silk/alpaca blend which is a hand painted yarn from Great Adirondack Yarns. They have some awesome colors. This yarn was a bit pricey so it will be listing for more than what the others are in my shop currently. I was hoping to get some nice outdoor photos of it this afternoon but with the weather we're having today, I don't think that's going to happen.

Oh, and Little G loved his new Cars towel. He about jumped out of the bathtub just to be able to use it. Here's a quick cute picture of him hunting for eggs in the backyard for easter.

Monday again

2009-04-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and I really have no motivation to be here at work today but at least there isn't a bunch of stuff going on that I really need to have done. Hectic Monday's are always bad so today is okay.

The weekend was good. I spent almost all weekend working on shawl pins. I think I'm up to somewhere in the 30's have been made? I haven't counted recently. I'm happy with how they are all turning out though. Still waiting on the bamboo needles I use to make the closure part of the pins but those are fast and easy to make. They should be in sometime later this week.

Little G had an awesome weekend. Friday they had a "Spring" party at day care of which he got to dye eggs and do an egg hunt and have too much sugar. I was out early that day after working on some stuff from home and I finally got decent photos of my shawls. They are soon to be listed on etsy. Saturday we all just hung around the house and did some basic errands. I made the mistake of going to Joann's on Saturday to pick up some more clay and it was a freakin' mad house. Apprently this past Saturday was the "Sign up for a class and get 50% off it's price" day. Luckily they actually had quite a few lines open for checking out. It never seems to fail that I'll go in there to pick up oone or two things and they have two people working with 12 people in line.

Sunday we did an egg hunt in the back yard for Little G. I bought 6 of the larger plastic eggs and since he likes the Cars movie so much I bought one of the min Cars sets and put those in the eggs. I think he enjoyed the hunting for the eggs most of all though. Then that afternoon we went over to Grandpa's house and braved the hoard of people there. I'm an only child and Dave has one sister. Big family gathering were never something that were in either one of our pasts except for maybe Thanksgiving. Ever holiday for my father in law's wife is an event. Her borthers and sisters and mom are there, their kids, her kids and their spouse, their kids as well as the kids' kids. Get the picture? Plus the house is maybe 1400 square feet total. I don't care how hot or humid it is outside it's the one place you can go to not feel cramped.

Speaking of Little G and Cars, his towel came in today. He has a brown shirt that has Doc, Lightening and Mater on it that he wore to school today, tonight he'll have his new Lightening Towel and we'll top it all off with Lightening pjs.

Yay for Friday

2009-04-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and I am glad. I am so ready for the weekend too, the past two days have been hectic. I got my sample pack all done up and sent off yesterday. it all turned out rather well if I do say so myself. Then last night I got to work making some more shawl pins. I'm waiting on an order of double pointed needles that I use for the closure pin but that doesn't stop me from making that main part. I'm thinking about making quite a few to contribute to The Sampler

As glad as I am about the weekend being here I'm kind of anxious for Monday to get here. One of the ladies I work with sells avon and I ordered a Cars hooded towel from them for Little G. He LOVES Lightening McQueen. So, I know he's going to be so excited when he gets his bath Monday night and there's this new towel with Lightening on it.

We've had some seriously funky weather here lately. Two days ago we got a cold front in and things got down in the 60's for a couple of days. Of course today will be back up in the 80's. Usually the weather changes like this totally screw with my allergies but this time everything seems to be good. Plus the sunrise this morning was absolutely amazing.