Nick Light



I can't stop sneezing and my back hurts right between the shoulders. Finally getting a sneeze out feels good but then there is a stabbing pain on my back. It's a win/lose situation here!


What does this have to do with my oldest dog? Nothing!


Nicholas doesn't walk around much since he's now 98% blind. For some reason he wondered into the 'craft' room and plopped down in a small wedge of sunlight. It's bittersweet. He's very old but he still has that Boston Terrier spunk.


He's been my best buddy for 8+ years. I want grow old with him. Buy a house and have a lawn of our own.


Nicholas sleeps for most of the day. However, he still greets me when work is done and I'm done with people. He jumps, barks, and of course attacks Henry Fonda (the dog not the actor), all to impress me and say "Hello".

Found Parts

Over a year ago, some students decided to perform what they believed to be "guerilla art". For me, it was an annoyance and a huge pain in the ass to remove. An old television with the wood casing, possibly from the early 70's, had faux vines and plants weaving in an out of broken areas and sat in the middle of our main gallery. The lack of imagination irritated me. Ok, it was because I was the person that would have to clean up their half-baked idea. I still don't know who did it!

I decided to add my touches to the "piece". Printed papers of sardonic views on the fantasies of secretaries portrayed by our media culture, frustration about the giant television sitting in the middle of main gallery, and tape wrapping the television to "bind" the damn thing. I guess I'm still irritated by the act.

Eventually, I decided to take it apart. I found all sorts of neat do-dads inside. I wasn't sure what I would make of them. There was so much inside that I wanted to take but to remove the items would have destroyed them.

I was able to salvage a handful of pieces. It wasn't until last night I found a purpose for a few of them. Inspired by the pieces from Melanie Brooks' ceramics, some of those salvaged do-dads found a home within a necklace. Melanie's pieces contain impressions into clay by the use of hardware, tools and toy train parts. The focal piece feels like an old factory window looking into what housed the machines that created the parts I had salvaged. Her orange square connectors matched an orange television tube so perfectly. Very cool ceramics.

Then, I found a chain I had stashed away. A great gunmetal chain that has an industrial or bike chain look. I wish I could remember where I bought it.

I can't decide if I want to re-do the whole piece. The stones were put in because I have a difficult time creating jewelry without some gemstone beads. I keep thinking they are out of place in this necklace but then I feel that the stones somewhat represent the origin of the television pieces.

"...Man against Nature. Nature against Man..."

Beads 1-Up

"1-up (or “1UP”, 1-UP” etc.), pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game."

I was trying to think of a label other than repurposed, upcycled, or recycled since these beads are a little more than such descriptions. Magazines and (s)crap papers are cut and rolled. I can't imagine the amount of patience it would take to make a bead like this at home. SCREW THAT! Just buy 'em.

It's pretty awesome how the beading community and industry is getting on board with the 'green' movement. I often wonder where my beads come from, especially stones. If I see something that notes the origin as Madagascar, I keep away.

However, you don't always know the entire story. You probably wouldn't want to. I guess that could apply for most products.

RANDOM!

Here's an older picture of my little old man Nick looking worried. The camera red eye adds a little extra something to his emoting.

'membering

I was at Debbie's house the other day to check out a door she's thinking about refinishing. We went to a local hardware store to look at paint swatches. Oh How I Love Looking At Paint Swatches. Debbie probably thought I was getting a little kooky.
I was trying to explain some faux and decorative painting techniques I had done when living in Dallas, Texas. Then, DUH! I remembered I had some badly scanned photos saved to an internet site.

These are some of the stencils I did for clients where they wanted the original antique wallpaper design but tweaked to their new color palette. So many base layers, then stencil layers, and then color washes. The first picture is a dining room and it took me two weeks by myself. So much anxiety in the measuring and scaling of the design. Luckily I was able to meet the design up perfectly in a corner.




The mystic blue hallway. One of my favorites because it was so fun. Time consuming but fun. It's a finish that just can't really be captured on film. The first step was PRETTY scary looking. A lot of soft blues, a deep blue and a cream just blended up in a spotty way. Then layers of pearl finish and metalic paints. Then some soft metalic flogging and burnishing. Pretty crazy stuff. One of the clients college aged daughters asked if I knew what I was doing. Hehe!

It was often difficult to talk to clients who didn't know what they wanted, how colors worked together, or even how light and shadows affect colors. So many samples would have to be made. Not an easy job but I do miss it. Although, I don't think I could handle doing it fulltime again.

Sunday! New Beads, New Necklace

I'm sitting here and listening to the guy trying to describe yellow. Words like:
"Larve, jaundice, puss, grandma's teeth, grandpa's toenail, egg beaters yellow, is this butter still good yellow. I'm trying to think of things that sound classy. Don't ask don't tell yellow. Glow ball isn't perfect either. I do think that, well, man, I dunno."

This is the help I get. Now my mind is distorted about yellow. Great!
I would describe the yellow in these as pale pear or chartreuse yellow. I really like these colors next to dusky brown or warm grey.


I love this chain but I don't think I can find anymore. It was an orphan piece in a grab bag of mixed brass.

I'm Not A Loser!

I have pictures to prove it. Last Saturday, Debbie and I went to a bead show presented by The Crystal Limit. They had a raffle box at the entrance. No way was I going to win whatever it was that required me to fill out a slip of paper. I quit reading those signs for raffles so long ago. Probably not the smartest thing.
OK. More importantly, today I get home to see a package waiting for me on the entry table thingy. Wait, no it was a heavy box and I was so confused because I just received all my Etsy goodies. It was truly a "WTF" moment.
The proof:







So there is all kinds of crazy stuff happening in this mix. I counted twenty four strands!











I have to give mad props to The Crystal Limit from Missoula, Montana. Yay!

FOUR Etsy packages in one day!

I didn't realize how much I spoiled myself with the items I seized from some of Etsy's finest. You gotta be quick with these stores. Items sell quick and you gotta get in there! Just don't get in there when I'm shopping!

These are the contents of the opened parcels:

I actually slowed myself down to enjoy the opening of some of the most wonderful items I have yet to purchase from Etsy. Of course I took some pictures to document the occasion for future enjoyment and to give props to these artists.

First package is from
Paperpeacock created by artist Heather Robinson. MAN! I just looked at her sight and there's already new stuff I want! Here we have some uber cool ceramic work. These buttons (and a super neat treat) have been created with considerable attention to detail in shape, form and color. You gotta check out her wall sculptures too.

Next, it's Sandhra Lee with her handcrafted porcelain pendants and buttons that have a fun energy. AND again she has more items listed that I want. Browse on over there and check out her cool buttons and especially those owls. I love the gator pendant. A group of my friends have a MS Paint gator love that one of the group members moved into the polymer clay gator sculpture world. This gator pendant was like reading my mind! The loot:

Here are the Kylie Parrycreations. They are REALLY durable. I've been having some annoying migraine shakes lately and I dropped the umbrella pendant. Of course it would land on my little anvil but the pendant didn't even chip! Such cool designs that each have a unique style. Some how a butterfly flew into my package. Kylie must know magic! =)

Now for the fun metal package from Shannon LeVart of Missficklemedia. All of these metal pieces have been prepared with much time and effort to achieve such beautiful colors and durability. They most deffinitely look so much better in person. Wonderful color shifts and copper sneaking through the patinas. I'm going to have to get some more of these pieces.


Oh and the package I received on Friday from Amanda Davie. The Boston Terrier pendant. It's so smooth and well constructed. Love it! Her packaging is so neat and handmade.


Buy Handmade!

Patina Little Things

I've been collecting some random copper and brass findings or wire wing-dings in order to give them a patina all at once. Some of the pieces were very tiny. This was my solution.
Tulle baggies!



It's a very dark patina but getting the wire guards oxidized was really easy using a tulle bag. I still need to think ahead and get my pieces darkened before I assemble a piece. For example, the necklace I made last night. It's pretty bad lighting but I do live in a basement.

Star Date: 64037.9

Pssh, I'm not that big of a nerd. I just Googled it.
I made some copper bead cages recently. They look neat once they have a patina going on. Well, I think so.
I've been trying to achieve the same look with red brass wire but the 'angles' aren't sharp enough. This is the copper:





Anyhoo, I purchased a handmade Boston Terrier pendant by Amanda Davie and I'm itching like crazy to get it. Etsy goodies in the mail are such a dangerous giddy/high.


Amanda makes awesome jewelry and components. I really really really hope she can make some more unique Boston Terrier items.
I never wanted to be one of 'those animal loving people' that have the bumper stickers, shirts, or sun catchers of their fave pets. But ya know, Boston Terriers are absolutely cool and they beat your kid off the honor roll. So now I've got pictures of my Bostons up in my office and a Boston Terrier computer wallpaper.

It's happening.

Found my older camera

and I found a silly bead video left behind! I'm not drunk in this video, just really dumb. Really. Please note the really dumb messiness! How did I live in such a mess?
R.I.P. Mrs. Messy House. =(

Out of my funk?

I received a little extra cash from the IRS recently. Which is completely weird since I had 'owed' them taxes and gave them a check. But it's like they came back and one upped me and was all like,"Hey lady! Look, you were wrong. Real wrong. So like here's the amount of wrongness you were translated into dollars with interest!" Can you believe those people?!
Yeah, so being all bummed out with this new cash, I had to calm myself down by purchasing some more beads and other handcrafted items from Etsy.
Then all of the sudden this multi-month long funk slightly faded. I'm watching the television and I think how amazing it could be to bead while 'watching' a movie. DUH REBECCA, use the TV table and the Ott Light. So it looked kind of like this:




It's kind of cramped and I keep bumping it. I have to refine this beading/TV thing. Or I could quit watch TV again. =/

I did manage to make a bracelet using some of my new fancy firepolish beads and twirling copper around chop sticks and such. The colors look off in this picture because I'm now living in this dark basement. Boo Hoo for me!

Picture please:



The Mykonos square beads appear to have such a rich color but in the real world they are so subtle and nicely compliment the focal glass bead. I wish there was some kind of high tech liver-of-sulfur pen that you could use to give small areas of copper a nice patina. Then you wouldn't have to mix up a new cup all the time. Life is real rough without such pens.
I think I'm going to go eat cake while sitting next to my beads now.

67 Degrees

This weather is awesome! Good thing I'm in a big brick building with no windows! I'm not missing living in Dallas, Texas right now.

Moving/Beading/Sanity?

Ok, I'm still moving and packing items. I had FIVE trash bags of clothes that I donated to Goodwill! Moving is a great time to reflect on what we actually need as to what we have collected for whatever crazy reason we had at the time. The always popular "I'll need this someday!" excuse is hard to let go of. Probably more difficult to let go of than one of my 100 or more tubes of acrylic paint. Seriously, what am I going to do with all this paint before it loses its umpf!?
Books. Those are trouble. I love my books but there are just too many. How do you tell a book that you still love it but it just has got to go? Currently, I have four stacks of books that I should have taken to Goodwill weeks ago but of course they are still sitting in the bedroom.
BEADING. OH BEADING. I haven't beaded for almost two months now. Basically, forever! However, yesterday my good friend Debbie, the bead-buying-pusher, tipped me off on a bead store that was closing in town. The sale was just amazing. 75% off loose beads and 50% off strands! There were even firepolish picasso finish strands for $1. ONE DOLLAR!
Let me type that one more time.
ONE DOLLAR.
Ok, so I walk into this store I've never been in and the first strand I pick up I fall in bead love with. It's a bead I haven't seen before. Beautiful egg shaped, microfaceted, deep black fire agate. I see a tag of $40+ and think about the damn budget I'm on. I put the strand down. Some lady comes in and picks up the same strand and mentions how beautiful it is (YES IT IS GORGEOUS!) The shopkeeper says, "Oh, that's only $7.50."
!!!!!!!!!
Important lesson learned: Just grab all the freaking beads you like until check out and then find out the real price or you will be kicking yourself.
The End.

Moving

I've been moving. It's hard to give up all these little trinkets that I love but they won't fit into my little basement apartment. The dreaded couch moving has my anxiety in full freak out mode. Couches should come with handles! I've learned that I have too many candles. I keep finding them everywhere! I think they have been secretly propagating behind my back.

Sorta Bummed

I bought a rather inexpensive photo tent kit and the lights are just so dim. I guess I have an okay light tent but now I think I will have to take a trip to one of those large hardware stores to buy a better light set up. Ya get wat ya pay fer!

She's so cute when she sleeps











Sooo those polymer beads...



...that I posted about awhile ago. Here they are. I finally got the camera out today and took the SD card out and plugged it into this laptop and TA DAH! Something happens that was far too easy to take so long! DUR!
I'm rather surprised that I actually got them to a decent round shape just by rolling them in my hands. I mixed up some of the colors and some colors were thrown in just because they were next to me. Not as exciting as pizza but I'm pretty happy with my first bead try.
Now the dumb part:
I coated them with a high gloss acrylic sealer from my art supplies stash. Duh, I should have just left my house to buy what I've read on tutorials when it comes to coats of varnish. Now this varnish is slightly gummy and I don't think it's going to harden. I don't know if they are worth sanding again and varnishing them correctly. Times are tough, I tell ya!

Oh you know what time it is!

ETSY FINDS!

Recently, it seems as if birds are ruling the world of jewelry design but this regal faced rabbit has inspired me. Maybe I have also been inspired by the all the pre-Easter bunnies I’ve been seeing.


Pulling from the color palette, I see a warm Indian Yellow blended into a beautiful mix of tangerine, antique rose and gorgeous indigo blue. The rabbit with these colors remind me of a bright spring season. I’m getting a little too impatient waiting for the tulips in the back yard to bloom. They are so full of yummy candy colors of vermilion, orange, or yellow filled with big centers of maroon or the deepest purple.


Now I have to find the beads and parts to bring all this to fruition. Pulling it all together is the hardest part. Finding the perfect bunny charm or just the right stone or glass or shell or wood or ceramic... ah ah agh so many choices!

Rabbit Art - Precious Pumpkin Pie Dollface by Amber Alexander
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42048666

Etsy Find




Another photograph by an artist selling on Etsy! It is an intriguing find in a forest that appears to be reclaiming its territory back from humankind. Lush little trucks. I love this!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43405187

Two Trucks by Chad Bratt

Super Exciting News

I'm going to eat pizza for dinner! Yay!

Am I Alone?

Don't know if anybody is out there. This blogging experiment is very hard for my personality type. I'm often too harsh on myself in general and the unsporting little voice in my head tells me this blogging is an internet version of me talking to myself. Yeah, I talk to myself too often. Whatever 'too often' would be. Who knows?!
I've had some polymer clays sitting around in my craft stash for a year or two. Never did much with it because of the baking time. Couldn't bring myself to buy a dedicated oven or heating an entire oven for a few pieces of clay. Well, last night I got over that. I made some beads. Let me say these are very basic beads. Decided I would go with some brick reds, translucent, and caramel browns.
The work involved in making such simple beginner round beads amazes me. My respectometer has clicked up some notches for all those polymer clay artists out there. Getting those pesky bead holes to lay straight is a little frustrating. Then again, I could be trying too hard on my first real go at making polymer beads.
I sanded one bead so far. Amazingly enough, I had extra time to kill this morning! I sanded it up to 600 grit paper and buffed it. But it still lacks the high gloss look I'm aiming for. I read that floor wax (what? really? weeeiiirdd....) is the way to get that glass like shine.
I don't have pictures at the moment but I will post some tomorrow to see if I can get any critiques from this space-like and quiet world of the Internet.

So, my real point here is to ask about tutorials and books. What's your favorite beginner or bead polymer clay book? Do you have any favorite internet sites with neat little tricks for this kind of media?

I'd love to know. It's pretty fun stuff to mush your hands into. I get the feeling one of the tougher aspects of polymer to learn will be the color mixing and coordinating.
Okay, back to 'work' here during this Spring Break lull.

I took the day off...

because it is a Monday and it's Spring Break at the school I work at full time. I actually woke up this morning at a reasonable time for an adult but I've been sitting around this laptop and cruising Etsy. I'm thinking if Etsy was a walk-in mall, my boyfriend would send out a missing persons report. It's bad. I need help!
Then come the blogs. Lorelei's Blog introduced me to Gardanne Beads, a lampwork glass bead artist on Etsy. Another bead crush! Check out her 'Amber and Ivory' set.




They're so earthy and rich like jaspers mixed with warm agates. Still, they shimmer like glass bead candy. I want to eat them up!
Showed these to the boyfriend and he gave the quiet guy nod of approval. That means quite a lot coming from him. Maybe this is license to buy them. I'm going to say it's a 'yes'.

Etsy Find Of The Day



Well, I find something every day on Etsy that I love. This photograph by Etsy seller Raceytay is a wonderful mix of subtlety and fun. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41318951
I'm unable to ride the new fast rides at fancy amusement parks but I enjoy the old fashioned ferris wheels or merry-go-rounds. They are such beautiful objects of joy and heavy machines built so masterfully.

And of course here is a picture of me next to a wonderful merry-go-round in Seaside, Oregon. It's a spectacular machine.


Supporting Montana One Boston Terrier At A Time


I own, haha "own", two boston terriers. They're wacky fun little guys that always keep me laughing. Until they steal food or randomly pee on the carpet. I love them. I love my cat too.





However, I have to own all things made of BOSTONS! That's why I love this necklace by For The Cross Jewelry on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41173611



The 'ugh, what are you doing to me' expression on this little dog's face cracks me up.



Edit:


I should post pictures of my little wiggle dogs:






Sunday Morning Ramble


Ok, it's almost noon. I slept in waaay late. It's SUNDAY!

I've denied myself my several cups of delicious french press coffee I would usually have. However, I did eat two small cupcakes! What is up with that? If I eat a couple raw baby carrots that would put my little food intake world at balance.

I really want that coffee.

Sundays are troublesome for me. It's mostly a day off, even though I do work three hours at night. Which does jumpstart my workweek. Yuck! But I do get to hang out with people and teach basic beading. I feel pretty damn lucky to be able to do get paid for something related to beads. ALTHOUGH, technically it starts my work week off early. Sooooo.... I like my Sundays but it also feels as though the weekend is over too soon.

I still want some coffee.

Since yesterday I have been trying to watch Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson but the Netflix stream has cut out four times now. I don't think I've ever tried so hard to watch a movie. What I have seen so far has been pretty darn interesting. Just imagining working on typewritters again with all the correction tape and lack of spelling check programs puts me in a 'thank goodness I didn't have to do that' frame of mind. I would really be in trouble at my job as a secretary. Typewritters, record players, and even DVDs are all coming to pass.
Thank goodness beads have been with us for thousands of years.
OH Screw it! I'm getting that coffee, I'm finishing this movie and maybe I'll get this done before work tonight!

Yummy new bead store

Barbara Lewis, bead artist and jewelry maker, has started up a new blog along with a new look for both her Etsy stores. These new enamel beads she's selling are delicious. Really, seriously, very very YUMMY! I have to say that I am quite jealous of her new store designs. They are seamless in layout and this woman knows her color theory!
Check her blog out at:
http://paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/
You too can envy or just go buy her beads. Payday is rolling around and I will be visiting her shop to update my beading stash!
Check out her bead giveaway! The orange is mine, I hope!
Happy Saturday!

My wrist is too small!

Okay, my wrist is small. This makes my photos with the bracelets I have made to sell look goofy. I should probably hire a well tanned, large wrist model. =P

Computer fried!

Thanks to some 9 year old virus my main computer has fried up. I refuse to pay somebody to fix it, I just know it can be taken care of at home and that money could go towards buying more jewelry supplies. Thankfully, I am able to borrow a laptop and cruise Etsy. This was the weekend I was going to finally add my jewelry to my Etsy store, DyaniAdorn, but fate of the boyfriend using the Internet, I am without all my pictures. It also hasn't helped that my brain is on a three day weekend fritz and I am unable to remember passwords to my online photo accounts. I am making jewelry. Slowly. It's a slow weekend. This brain's ability to find the right beads (always need more ya' know) and techniques doesn't seem to be surfacing as easily as it all was last weekend. I did accomplish making two sets of earrings and necklace. Right now I'm in the middle of another necklace or maybe a bracelet, I can't tell at the moment. So, it's not all that bad. Etsy will just have to wait another day or two. Fingers crossed.

DyaniAdorn Jewelry

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