The Rabbit Muse

EXTRA shop update FRIDAY at noon!

2012-01-18T19:21:00.002-05:00

I have made the bees once again! Yay! To those who are fairly new to my components, I made these pillow bee beads early last year. I don't repeat too many designs but I loved these so much so I thought I would make them again. So here they be(e).

Since Valentine's Day is approaching I had to load up on hearts. I love to make hearts so this time of year gives me an excuse to go crazy. These hearts above are nice and chunky and full of heart goodness.

Open hearts!

Small heart pendants!

These little cuties come in a pair and are the perfect size for earrings.

Lastly, I made these large flower pendants! I love the almost cartoon quality (in the most sophisticated cartoon way, of course...) of these pieces. I also love the way some of my latest glaze experiments came out. Fun fun!

The place: http://roundrabbitextra.bigcartel.com/
The date: Friday, January 20th.
The time: 12:00 EST
Watch the action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoundRabbit

Hope to see you all there! :)

It's SALE time!!!

2012-01-13T18:56:00.003-05:00

It's been so long since I've had a sale in my jewelry shop that I thought, "Dang it! I need to have a sale!"
So I am.
25% off any and all purchases in the shop.
Use the coupon code PARTYINJANUARY2012 to take advantage.
Go HERE!

Yay!

God is in the details

2012-01-10T20:02:00.005-05:00

On Saturday I found myself with some time on my hands. The weather was unbelievably mild and I was near Lodi Point on Seneca Lake. So that's where I went. I had the place to myself. It was a perfect day.

The sun shone brightly and the sky was emerald blue. (That's an extra special blue only visible on perfect days.)

This lake is enchanted. Of this, I am sure.

The ghost version of me posed with the ghost version of a tree.

Treasures are hidden within these piles of rocks.

Rock candy.

I found beauty in everything.

These shores gave me hours of quiet adventure.

Found treasure!

Water-worn bones, rocks and walnuts...

Smooth brick, flat black stones, rusted metal and crab claws...

Old pottery shards, striped rocks and beach glass...

It was a perfect day. In every way.

Extra Shop Update - Monday the 9th!

2012-01-06T15:16:00.002-05:00

The event: Round Rabbit Extra shop update.
The place: http://roundrabbitextra.bigcartel.com/
The date: Monday, January 9th 2012
The time: Noon EST

I'm a little excited about this batch of pieces. I think it is one of my best. I am especially thrilled with these Starry Night pieces. I wasn't sure if I would be able to glaze them the way I had envisioned...but I was, and I did, and I'm tickled pink over the results! They measure in at just under 2" in diameter and have a hole in each point. Versatility, baby!

How fun are these, I ask you?! They are big donut style pendants measuring 2" in diameter. They will make a great focal for a spring or summer necklace.

Deer!

I only made four of these...

...but I made a ton of these. Many more than pictured. Over 20, actually. I was on a roll...

These are crazy versatile! A hole on either end and a big window in the middle! I mean, really!

Butterfly embossed pendants.

Rosa embossed pendants.

Great shapes and one of my favorite textures. I could use this texture of everything and never grow tired of it!

Lastly, I have these very cool and large (over 2 1/4" in diameter!) pendants. I must have spring on the brain cause I can't get enough flowers!

Just to recap...
The event: Round Rabbit Extra shop update.
The place: http://roundrabbitextra.bigcartel.com/
The date: Monday, January 9th 2012
The time: Noon EST
If you would like to see the batches as I list them you can watch on Facebook, right here.
(Just in case you are new to shopping in my Extra shop...everything doesn't go up all at once at noon. I list each batch of designs one at a time.)

Hope you see you all there! And please spread the word! :)

Earring love

2012-01-05T18:14:00.002-05:00

Hi there. Here I am. Freezing in my studio. It's cold here in NY. Due to the rather large nature of my house and the fact that it costs me a small fortune to heat, I keep my studio a little on the cold side. Usually I can handle it and keep myself warm with a pot of tea and a few space heaters, but these past few days have been just a little too cold. So, I'm whining. Forgive me.

In other news...I've been making a lot of earrings. I love to make earrings. This pair is very long (2 1/2") and very elegant.

Starry Night, baby! Few people know this about me but I have a collection of van Gogh's Starry Night paintings. And by collection I mean I have about 18 hand painted versions of the original - some are fantastic, others look like they were painted by a blind 3 year old. One of these days I will hang them all up and take a picture. In the meantime I have made these earrings! (and just wait until you see the Starry Night components I have made for my next Extra update!...)

I call this pair Modern Relics. They look old and rusty and feature a layering technique that I've been working on.

This acanthus design is one of my old favorites. This time I put them on my new favorite long ear wire design. It's amazing how you can breathe new life into something by making a simple change...

Lastly I will share with you this colorful pair. Yellow porcelain and contrasting poppy red...delish!

All of these earrings can be found in my shop! :)

Tune in tomorrow when I will post a preview of my next Extra shop update (which will take place on Monday, the 9th at noon).

Congrats to....

2011-12-19T11:59:00.006-05:00

SHARON who said "Lovely bracelet, good to see you back in action. My favorite color is aquamarine, the luminous blue of the sea."

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to comment! It was fun to read what everyone's favorite colors are and I think I learned a lot. I had no idea so many of you liked the warmer tones like yellows and oranges! I will be keeping it all in mind the next time I sit down to glaze.

I did this drawing the old fashioned way - writing out each name and putting them all in a bowl. I was able to include those where not able to comment on the post and left me messages on Facebook, so I don't think I missed anyone. Thanks again for participating and be on the lookout for more giveaways in the future! :)

Time for a giveaway! Woo-hoo!

2011-12-15T18:48:00.003-05:00

I've been feeling extremely thankful these days. Thankful for the help I received after the flood. Thankful for having such wonderful friends who look after me. Thankful for having a wonderful man in my life who makes me feel like the most important person on the planet. Thankful for my loyal and new customers who continue to support me even after months of absence. For the first time in a long time I feel content and grounded. So what should I do with all this sicky sweet happy happy joy joy? Have a giveaway! Hell yes!

I made this bracelet this morning in a mad fury of inspiration. I love it when that happens. I think this is a design I will continue so I thought it would be fun to offer the very first one as a giveaway.

It has all kinds of fun things going on, starting with the oak leaf porcelain focal I made in my last Extra batch. I attached some leather cord and threaded one of my faceted beads on it along with some super chunky jump rings to slide around.

I crimped the leather with a small piece of copper pipe/tube that can be found at your local hardware store. It comes in a coil and can be cut with a normal pipe cutter. I threaded all the leather cord through and just flattened the copper until it was tight. Works like a charm! Also included on this piece is one of my little porcelain hearts, a beautiful lampwork headpin by my friend Kelley of Kelley's Bead Studio, and a sweet little ceramic bead by one of my heroes, Elaine Ray.

Sooooo, how can you enter this giveaway, you ask? It's easy! Just leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite color is. Be precise! None of this "my favorite color is blue." I want specifics! "My favorite color is deep sea at sunrise blue!" OK, I'm kind of kidding about the favorite color (not really, I actually want to know). Just leave a comment and on MONDAY, December 19th at noon I will draw a winner. And please feel free to spread the word! I feel like I've been totally out of the loop these past few months and would love to have some new blog readers so please share the link to this post with any and all, on your blogs or on your Facebook wall. I would continue to be the big old sappy, grateful pile of misty-eyed goo that I am today! :)

Small print: This bracelet measures 7 3/4" in length. This contest is open to every single person on the planet. Even the married ones. :)

EXTRA shop update MONDAY at noon!

2011-12-09T16:56:00.002-05:00

Yay! Everything came out of the kiln looking just spiffy! It feels good to be back to work, and getting this first batch made has done wonders to kick start lots of new and exciting ideas. The Extra shop update will take place on Monday, December 12th at noon EST. As always, you can watch the items as they go up on my Facebook page.

First up are the oak leaf pendants shown at the top. Not entirely new and exciting, but who doesn't love leaves? And these are genuine Finger Lakes Region, NYS oak leaves! OK, that means nothing to most of you and it's really not THAT thrilling, but let's just go with it.

When I first made these funny bumpy caterpillar thingys I wasn't really sure how well they would work as components. Now, however, I love them! The holes are small but just big enough to thread beading wire through.

They would be awesome as the focal of a bracelet or a spectacular multi-strand necklace!

You can't really tell from this photo but these pieces are slightly curved to make them bracelet focals! Woo-hoo! I loooooove this reptilian deep texture....

...so much so that I used it on these cool triangular pieces. I only made four, for some reason.

In my last update way back in early September I made one piece that had this pattern on it. I had a lot of people ask if I could do a whole batch of them so here they are! I could make these all the time. There is just something about concentric dotty circles that makes me happy. And the way it takes the glaze.....xo!

Pretty and chunky. That's what these pendants are all about.

They are a nice large size and will make a beautiful focal!

Last up are these fun little flower power pendants! Smaller in size, they are sweet and pretty.

So there you have it! Hope you all like what you see! Don't forget: The update will start at noon EST on Monday, December 12th in the shop, right here. Hope to see you there! :)

And update is coming! Finally.

2011-12-07T15:05:00.003-05:00

Yep, it's been a loooong time since I checked in. Things are mostly back to something resembling normal in my little world. My house is finally heated which has done wonders to dry everything out. The mold seems to be taking a sabbatical, though I suspect it may return in the spring with warmer weather. We shall see.

In other news...I really need to get back to work. That has been difficult for several reasons, the primary one being that I am still without a kiln. The studio where I work now has two new kilns and two more on the way but due to some really big screw-ups we were sent the wrong amperage and now we will need some major electrical work done. I still am not able to order my own kiln due to some really big New York State screw-ups concerning rebates and flood relief. I won't go into it because I get so angry that I may start to pen my manifesto and plot the downfall of state government... I kid! I kid! (or do I?)
Anyhoo, the photo above shows my very first batch of components in progress.

I must admit that it has been hard to get back to work. Before the flood I had built up a good momentum. It's a bit like chugging along in a train only to be derailed at top speed. (Yeah, I could have come up with a better analogy but after two glasses of wine I'm lucky I can spell analogy...) But I have prevailed and made a fun little batch of pieces!

My friend Maryanne is firing the pieces for me in her studio which is a real lifesaver, though not entirely ideal. However! I will able to have an update on MONDAY!! It's been so long, I wonder if anyone will shop with me. I do worry about that. A lot.

I'll be sure to post a preview of the finished pieces hopefully by Saturday, so please stay tuned.

I haven't been entirely work-free. I've been keeping myself busy making jewelry with pieces I have in my stash. It's been so long since my focus was pointed in the direction of my own finished jewelry and I must say, I really miss it. My first love will always be making jewelry with my porcelain. I got the Etsy shop up and running again and have been listing lots of new pieces like these earrings shown above. I really enjoy making these extra long sterling ear wires.

This is another favorite pair in one of my favorite rusty glazes.

I love this pair, too! I call them Joan of Ark.

I've also brought back my adjustable and super affordable rings. It's been a while since I listed any, though I'm not really sure why. I need to get on the ball!

I'll leave you today with some dragonflies.
Please visit my shop for some holiday shopping! :)

Catching up

2011-10-14T19:57:00.003-04:00

This photo of the local movie theater pretty much sums up the feeling in my town. Soon. Soon we will all be somewhat back to normal. Some of us will be more normal than others, for sure. I am doing well. After nearly a month I had my power turned back on last week. Hot water followed a day later. A new furnace and the heat it will provide with be back sometime next week, hopefully. In the meantime I have been burning wood to keep warm and to help dry out my ridiculously damp house. Fighting mildew is my new day job. It seems to crop up on everything from my furniture to glass to the walls. I clean it. It comes back. I swear at it. It gives me the finger. Bastard mildew.

Anyhoo, the flip side of Mother Nature has been stunning this autumn. My friend, Susan, described the brilliant fall colors as make-up sex after the nasty flood. Must admit I laughed out loud when I read that.

This was the view during my drive yesterday as I made my way from my refuge in the Finger Lakes to my cold, damp house. G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.

In other news. Bunny news. Finch and Laurel have finally bonded! I didn't think it would happen but it did. They love each other. Awwwwwww!

Finch still won't let me touch her but she's making real progress. She such a funny rabbit. So fluffy, I just want to squish her...

It's been hard to get any work done outside of house related things. I will be ordering a new kiln soon and the studio in Binghamton will hopefully be up and running soon as well. By soon I mean it will probably be another month or so before I am able to make any new ceramic pieces. I'm going a bit crazy not being able to work like I usually do. I made these earrings (above) from some patterned brass and copper sheet that I picked up at Beadfest back in August. They have my signature sterling ear wires and I riveted them with aluminum. I kind of really love them. A lot. :)

Bleach IS my friend!

2011-09-14T10:38:00.003-04:00

It's been an overwhelming week. I've been working in high survivor mode for a while now but today I'm feeling reality set in. I shouldn't sit still for too long because my mind starts to take over and things get a little too hard to handle. For the most part I am doing well. I have wonderful friends and family who are helping me in so many ways. I have received so many emails, texts and messages from people expressing support and offering to help. I haven't been able to write everyone back just yet but please know that it has been these messages that have kept me hopeful and focused.

The photo above shows the scene in front of my house as of yesterday. That has all come out of my basement and there is more to come. Again, I just keep reminding myself how lucky I am compared to the entire rest of my town. Though I live right across the street from the Susquehanna River my part of Front Street is just a slightly higher elevation than most of the rest of town. The houses behind me on Main street have water half way up. Many houses will have to be bulldozed. I'm still trying to get my head around this idea - that this has happened in my hometown - to my friends and neighbors. My heart just keeps breaking.

The damage to my house is still being assessed. There are sink holes in the parts of my basement that have a dirt floor and there is damage to part of the stone foundation at the back of the house. The furnace is most likely dead as is the hot water heater. These things are fixable though a little overwhelming to think about at the moment. At least I still have a house, and my rabbits are fine. And thank God nothing happened to my Pee-wee Herman collection! ;)

For those who have asked how they can help me I will point you in the direction of a donation page that my brother has put together. It is very hard for me to ask for help. I am usually the kind of person that tries to fix everything myself and not draw attention to my troubles, but my pride seems to have receded with the flood waters and I am now realizing that if people want to offer me help I am willing to graciously take it. Thank you so much to those who have already donated. With your help I will be able to get back on my feet as soon as possible. I don't know how I will be able to thank everyone enough, but I will think of something.

I also want to thank my dear friend Lorelei. She is donating a portion of her jewelry sales to me. I cried when I saw that she was doing this. I really can't believe what amazing friends I have....and now I'm crying again.

OK. I better stop here. Time to get back to the mud and bleach. I used to hate the smell of bleach and now it's the most welcome smell.

Water is not my friend

2011-09-12T07:01:00.003-04:00

As many of you know there has been extensive flooding in much of the north east. This photo is of my town, Owego, NY. My house can be seen on the left hand side of this photo, across the street from the river. It's the second to the last house with the black roof. I was alone on Thursday, the 8th of September, as the water surrounded my house creating an island. My basement filled, stopping within a foot of my first floor. Part of my porch has been washed away. There will be no power for who knows how long. In other words, things kind of suck at the moment.

I managed to get out of town on Friday and will return today to see just what I am dealing with. I am one of the "lucky" ones, however, and I realize this with great amounts of survivor's guilt. So many of my neighbors have lost much more. I have lost my kiln and the studio where I work in Binghamton has also been destroyed so at this particular place in time I am out of business. This is a fairly terrifying reality.

To those who have made purchases with me, I will be shipping your orders just as soon as I can.

Thanks so much to everyone who has expressed concern and offered to help. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of it. Your kindness has kept me going over the past few days. Once I get an idea of what I need and what needs to be done I will let everyone know.

Extra shop update TOMORROW, Thursday, AT 3:00 PM!!

2011-08-31T19:29:00.003-04:00

I'm doing the update a little differently this time around. It will start at 3:00PM tomorrow, Thursday the 1st of September, in the shop. I am hoping that the later time will allow some people to shop who normally don't get a chance to. We shall see how that works.

The pieces shown above and below were made from a mold I made of one half of an antique buckle.

I love the asymmetrical design!

This is fun pile of textured round pendants. No two are alike!

For some reason I only made five of these ginkgo leaf pieces. I think I got fidgety when I was making them, but seeing them now makes me wish I had made more.

Hearts! I heart them!

These are the kind of pieces that are much more complicated to make than they look. I'll give you a hint...they were NOT made with a mold or a stamp....

Small pile of large shards...

A close-up of another small pile of large shards... LOVE the design and detail in these pieces!!

Lastly I have these large Scarab Beetle pendants.

They are cool. :)

Don't forget! The update will take place tomorrow (Thursday!) at 3:00pm EST. That's 3:00PM in the shop! Hope to see you there!

Face-down Tuesday!!!

2011-08-23T19:06:00.002-04:00

Yep, it's been a freaking long time since I have done a Face-down Tuesday photo! I attended Bead Fest in Philadelphia this past weekend (hope to blog about that soon) and one of the things I was asked over and over was, "When are you going to do another Face-down Tuesday shot?" That and, "Why don't you post more photos of your bunnies?"

Forget about my jewelry. It's all about the face-down shots and the rabbits. Yeah, I know. I know. ;)

Without further ado...I present you with Face-down on a bale of hay.

Extra shop update Wednesday August 17th!

2011-08-15T14:28:00.003-04:00

The more I work with this technique, the more I love love LOVE it! I warned you that I would be making a lot in this style, and I am keeping my word.

See what I mean? I can't stop. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Every time I sit down to make new pieces, those pieces spark an idea for the next batch, and so on, and so on... It's a vicious, crazy, wonderful cycle of creative mayhem!

I was calling these pieces shell drops, but they look more like almonds, don't you think? Especially the ones that have the rusty glaze on them.

These are rather large focals that will surely make a fabulous statement piece. I can see multiple strands of beads draping around it, looking very Titanic/dramatic.

Lastly, I made these very ornate pendants. They are good medium size so they won't be overbearing in a design. Just pretty. And that's what we all want. Right?

The update will start at noon on Wednesday the 17th right here, in my shop and you can watch the pieces as they are listed right here, on Facebook. :)

Owls in the house!

2011-08-14T16:46:00.003-04:00

Surprise!! There is a parliament (Google it) of owls in the Extra shop at this very moment!
It's a rare sighting, so fly on over and pay them a visit!
You can find them HERE.

Extra shop update tomorrow - Wednesday August 10th!

2011-08-09T12:14:00.003-04:00

Every now and then I make some new pieces that really get me excited. It's the kind of excited that makes me smile like a mental patient and makes people wonder what I've been smoking. Now THAT'S excited! These pieces have done that for me. I made them last week and felt rather clever after I did. I felt like I had invented the wheel. Sounds silly, and it is, it's just that I came up with a technique that I had never done before and it produced something awesome...therefore, I must have invented it! Ha!

Nope. I didn't. But it was a good feeling while it lasted.

I am just thrilled to bits with the way they turned out! Hope you all like it as much as I do because I will be doing this technique A LOT. I have BIG plans for it... just giving you a warning.

This is a sweet birdy design that I haven't used in years. Birds are always good, right? (and speaking of birds......keep your eyes peeled for a feathered friend surprise ambush in the near future....shhhhhhhh...not telling......)

How fun are these? Pretty darn fun! They are a good size so they will work great as a focal, and you can make them extra sassy by dangling something fantastic from the center.

These rings will be sold in matching sets. They are a little bigger than my usual rings so they will work for many different things...earrings, connectors, bracelet focal.... oh the possibilities!

Some simple drop focals.

Last up are these large pendants. They are super feminine and make me think of the beautiful women in John William Waterhouse paintings. I imagine one of them wearing a necklace made with this pendant. (Smoke another one, Nancy...)

Anyhoo. The update will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, August 10th at noon EST in my shop.
You can shop HERE
You can watch the pieces go up HERE

The pace may be a little faster then usual during this listing. I am going to try to have everything ready to go so expect it move right along. I hope! :)

Extra shop update Friday, July 29th!

2011-07-27T13:47:00.004-04:00

I have lots of colorful pieces for you this week, starting with this fun batch of tile connectors. I've got bathroom renovation on my mind (it's kind of been on my mind for the past 15 years actually) and everything I make lately makes me think..."gee, maybe I should make tiles that look like this!"

I thought the same thing about these funky components. It would be pretty cool to make larger versions that fit together perfectly to use as a backsplash above the sink. Am I right? (Am I crazy?)

It's been a while since I dragged out my never ending supply of dark and groggy clay. Every time I do I remember why I don't like it. And every time I do I get on my blog to tell you all how much I don't like it. Sorry about that. I'm a creature of whiny habit... Anyhoo...despite my dislike for this clay I am usually pretty happy with the end results.

I went for an embossed look on these hearts and had some fun experimenting with glazing techniques.

I kept that look going on some round and oval pendant pieces...

I especially love how this matte copper green glaze looks on this clay and the way it highlights the embossing.

I played around a little with a new shape, which I like a lot. It's very tribal and ancient looking...I could see these pieces paired with natural stone and wood beads.

Lastly I have this small batch of textured rings. Always a useful shape and they are large enough to be a focal.

So thar she blows! The update will happen in my Big Cartel shop on Friday, July 29th (two days from this very day!) at noon EST. As always, you can watch the listings as they go up on my Facebook page, right here. Hope to see you on Friday! :)

EXTRA shop update TOMORROW (that would be Thursday)

2011-07-13T14:01:00.002-04:00

There will be an Extra shop update tomorrow, Thursday, starting at noon EST.
First up are these large pendants which I have used in a my own jewelry for quite a while. It's consistently a good seller; always an eye-catcher.

These big rings will be sold in matching pairs. They would make some really cool, hoopy earrings or great rings to hang a cluster of beads from.

Fun, posy squares!

These are my Piccadilly links that I made from a mold I made using a button I bought in London a while back with Lorelei. Still one of my favorite designs and it brings back some great memories of shopping like fools for buttons, ribbon and pretty much anything else we could think of. These links will be sold in matching pairs.

I made these face shards some time ago and always wanted to make them again. So here they are! They are very classical and ancient looking and I think the face adds a little unexpected element to a piece of jewelry.

I wanted to share my latest color combination obsession - red and teal. I love it! Expect to see a lot of pieces in this combo....beating a dead horse is one of my all-time favorite activities. ;)

Don't forget TOMORROW, Thursday, starting at noon EST....Extra shop update!! And to see the pieces as the go up be sure to follow on Facebook. Hope to see you there! :)

Grab Bags in the Extra shop... NOW!

2011-07-08T12:37:00.002-04:00

I've been cleaning! Yes, it is a rare thing, me cleaning...or parting with anything, but I'm in just the mood. Soooo, I've put together some grab bags of assorted good things and they are in the shop RIGHT NOW!

Check them out here. :)

EXTRA shop update tomorrow!!

2011-06-27T17:53:00.003-04:00

I have a fab bunch of components for my Extra shop update which takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, at noon EST. First up is this batch of ribbon slides. The above photo shows how great they look in action!

They are a good size and would make excellent bracelet focals or even a choker.

These fun little pieces could also be used as a ribbon slide, though I think they would be perfect as a pendant with chunky wire wrapped beads and fringe hanging off one end.

These are small rings that will be sold in matching pairs. Perfect for earrings!

I love these! They are a fun take on the classic donut.

And lastly are these large pendants with a floral design. They have a slight Asian flavor going on... I could see them paired with satin cord and lacquered wood beads.

Join me tomorrow over at the Extra shop at noon EST! And as always, watch the pieces are they go up on Facebook. :)

Shipping Note: I am running a batch behind in my shipping (as I am sure many of you have noticed). Thanks so much for your patience!!

Bead Dreams 2011

2011-06-22T12:40:00.000-04:00

After several years of thinking about it I finally entered Bead & Button's Bead Dreams handmade beads competition. Hey, and guess what?! I won second place! Woo hoo! I thought it might be kind of fun to show you some of the process in making these beads. They were a real labor of love (with a heavy twist of crazy).

In a nutshell, this is the bead lowdown: they are handbuilt, hollow form, hand carved, big-ass beads. Each one measures approximately 2 inches in diameter and each took about two hours of work.

I started by making a bunch of halves by forming the clay over a hump mold. The white powder you see inside each piece is cornstarch which kept the clay from sticking to the mold I was using.

Usually I would construct the beads while the clay is still a little wet but I wanted to have a little more time to work so I let each piece completely air dry. Then I sanded the edges smooth so that the halves would fit together flawlessly.

Here you can see all of the halves which have been sanded and bushed clean. I made a lot of pieces just in case I messed up (which I did...several times....).

This is paper clay. Paper clay is one of those things that I can't live without (along with duct tape, Goo Gone, my tumbler and various food related items which may or may not contain a lot of bacon, garlic and/or salt). Paper clay is a mixture of clay slip and paper fiber (in this case I used a roll of toilet paper) which can be used to join completely dry pieces of clay. I could build a house with this stuff, it's that awesome!

Here are the beads in a pretty rough state after I joined the halves together with the paper clay. They look pretty messy and unfinished and this is where my trusty sponge comes in. I have often joked that I could take a solid block of dry clay and make a set of dishes using only my sponge. I kind of love it. A lot. It allows me to shape the clay just the way I want it with no harmful dust or special tools.

After I got the beads cleaned up and shaped the way I wanted them I took my torch and burned off the paper clay seam. Yes, I am extremely anal sometimes. This step is really completely unnecessary since the paper will burn off in the bisque firing but I wanted to have a really clean piece to work with. That and I wanted to see what would happen if I torched them. (Incidentally, they will blow up if you get them too hot and there is no hole is the piece to allow air to escape. Just so ya know...)

And here is a stack of perfect, hollow beads waiting to be carved. At this point I was kind of thrilled just to look at them. They look edible. Don't they? Or is that just me...

I failed to take any photos of the actual carving process but here are the beads after I finished. I drew the design directly on each bead freehand with a pencil and carved the dry clay away with my micro carvers (this set, actually). This was a dusty job and I don't really recommend carving dry clay unless you have a mask on and really good ventilation. However... carving dry clay is pretty darn nice. As long as your tools are very sharp you will get a smooth, clean line and you have a lot of control. I will carve dry again. Outside. In an open field. With a fan blowing. While wearing a hazmat suit.

I agonized over how to glaze these beads for quite a while but finally settled on this look. The carved side of the beads were layered with several colors of underglaze. I would apply a layer, wipe it off with a fair amount of water to achieve a watercolor effect and then apply another layer and do the same. The back of the beads are a solid glossy purple but I left the front unglazed and matte with only the underglaze.

So that's the story of the beads. Hope you found it even just a little interesting. I'm already thinking ahead to next year's contest and what I will make...

EXTRA shop update TOMORROW!!

2011-06-14T16:30:00.003-04:00

Yep, it's time for another Extra shop update. It seems that lately this blog has turned into nothing more than an Extra shop update preview. I really need to do something about that. And I really need to make some of my own jewelry. I miss it. Soon.

Anyhoo... I have some real humdingers for you this week!

Birds, anyone? I've been asked to make these birds for a long, looooooong time. So here they be. Wings and all.

I did something that has been in the back of my mind for while. I live in an 1870's Victorian house and this is what my downstairs door knobs look like. (Yep, there are different, slightly less fancy door knobs upstairs...) So, I made....

...these shards using the door knob for the impression. I love how they turned out.

One of the many things I just love about Victorian architecture is how they felt the need to make even hidden things beautiful. Take this door hinge, for example. I think I lived in my house for about three years before I discovered the secrets these hinges were keeping.

The shards I made from the hinge design have a decidedly Steampunk feel complete with screws and a pebbled texture.

These little guys will be sold in matching sets. Perfect for earrings or to use as connectors or links.

These are a little unusual, I will admit. Not sure what I had in mind when I put a line of holes going up the center (see the flipped piece).... I think was imagining lacing cord or wire in and out of the holes. Can't wait to see what some of you come up with!

Lastly I have these sweet little vintage tattoo inspired LOVE charms. Freaking cute, eh?

The update will start tomorrow, Wednesday, at noon EST, in the shop. And just to let everyone know, I do read all your comments and I am aware that it is very hard for some of you to shop at the times I usually do my updates. I am trying to come up with a way to make sure that everyone has a chance to get what they want. If I could make more pieces, I would, but as it is I am working at full capacity. It's just me doing what I do, no one else, so please bear with me as I try to make enough for everyone. I'll work out a solution, just give me a little time to think up a plan... :)

Extra Shop Preview! Update on Tuesday!

2011-06-04T14:11:00.003-04:00

Have you ever started making something only to get about half way in and suddenly find yourself thinking, "Why the hell did I start this in the first place?"

That was pretty much my thought process on this project. I started to stamp way-passed-its-expiration-date clay with an antique button. It seemed like a good idea - looked pretty cool right away - but as I began to lose feeling in my thumb and forefinger from pressing so hard and my ADHD mind began to think of all of the other things I could be doing... I suddenly hated what I was doing. Not entirely unusual for me. I get bored fast and kind of drive myself crazy with my own impatience. Soooo..... I stuck it out and stamped like a freak until the entire slab was covered.

Then came the part where I could really waste the whole slab by cutting the pattern into something ugly. I figured I couldn't loose with hearts, right? So hearts it is!

I must admit. I totally love these hearts. They are a little chunky, a little funky and whole lot of awesome! (Damn! I have real way with words, don't I ;)

Next up are these large button-inspired pieces. Lots of texture and holes going on.

I'm thinking some wire wrapping, ribbon weaving, clusters of seed beads nestled here and there...

These little links will be sold in matching pairs. Great for earrings or connectors.

This design comes from my own jewelry line. I put a hole in each point to provide you with lots of draping, dripping and dangling opportunities.

Last up are these Deco inspired pieces. I made the mold for this design from a piece I found during my last trip to NYC. It takes the glaze really well and they are big enough to be a focal.

So that's what I have to offer this time around. The update will take place in the shop on Tuesday, June 7th, at noon EST. As always, see the pieces as they go up on my Facebook page.

Hope to see you there!

Extra Shop Update on Wednesday!

2011-05-23T20:03:00.004-04:00

What say we start this blog post off with with a big old fat apology. I feel like I have been doing that a lot lately, apologizing. Generally speaking I try to keep my private life private (thus the name...), but sometimes life gets a little messy and it starts to interfere with my business. This would be one of those times. I guess you could say that I am in a bit of a transition period. It's a good thing, a little scary, but good. I've gotten behind in my shipping and correspondence and for that I am sorry. I promise to get my act together and get back on track very soon.

Soooo... on to the Extra update preview! All of these pieces will be in the shop on Wednesday starting at noon EST. First up are these ultra Gothic pointed components.

There is a great deal of detail in these pieces. And... there are four holes. Most of you probably know my motto by now: more holes means more options! (You know you love that motto. Secretly.) I envision this piece hanging vertically, with drips of vintage chain draped from side to side and asymmetrically up one side. There is a definite religious feel going on so the addition of some antique rosary beads would be perfect.

Yep. Mini owl charms. :)

These cherry blossom pendants come from my own jewelry line. What's not to love?

I'm really digging these bees. I've used bees and other bugs in my own work for years and they always get attention. I made these pieces with four holes so not only do they make great connectors but they would also work really well in a bracelet.

They have a wonderful sculptural quality.

I loved the bees so much I made a two-sided pillow bead version. These are chunky and damn near perfect. :)

I wanted to share with you my latest color combination obsession. Pink and golden yellow. Years ago I visited Paris and this color mix was everywhere. Large bouquets of fresh flowers in soft sugar pink, warm yellow and lavender left quite an impression on me. Hope you like it as much as I do.

The update will start at noon on Wednesday right here. And as always, if you want to see the pieces as they go up be sure to keep your eyes on my Facebook page. Hope to see you there! :)

Extra Shop Update on MONDAY!!

2011-05-14T13:31:00.002-04:00

I will be having an Extra shop update on Monday starting at noon!
First up are these large birds. I've been using this piece in my own work for a while and it is safe to say that they are one of my favorites. They are big and bold and the kind of birds that says, "Are you talkin' to me?" Whatever that means...
If you would like to see some examples of these birds in action take a look here, here and here. (note: the dark green bird tried to make a run for it and broke his tail feathers, so he won't be able to make it to the party, sadly...)

These are some fun connector type links with a stylized dandelion design.

I really love how the lizard skin pieces came out. The detail is fantastic and gives them a rather unusual look, especially with the wonky holes.

Nor sure what to call these pendants.... fan leaf? Yep, that will have to do.

Here are some of the pieces from my stencil experiment. They turned out pretty cool, though the black slip did not stay as black as I would have liked. I will be mixing up another recipe and giving that a go the next time. But I really like the faded, antique look of this batch, so it was well worth the experiment.

And lastly we have the nightlight pod beads. I didn't glaze them all because I had no idea how they would turn out and didn't want to ruin them all at once if they looked like crap. But guess what?! They look freaking awesome!!!! Good enough to eat, I say. There are two smaller hollow beads there as well that are pretty cool, too.

So that's that. The update will start at noon EST on Monday in the shop, which is right here. And don't forget, you can see everything as it is listed if you check out my Facebook page. Hope to see you then! :)

The lights are on

2011-05-05T06:45:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was spent in the studio trying to make up for lost time. I got quite a bit done and left feeling less like a slacker and more like a rock star (a clay rock star...). I made some components for the next update but I also worked on some things for myself. (Very important for maintaining my mental health)

So, what's this, you ask? Can you guess?
It was the inspiration and tool I used to make....

...these giant, hollow beads. It's a nightlight cover, actually. I looked at it the other day and thought it had such a great shape and texture - perfect for pressing some clay into. I made each half and then put them together to form these very pod-like/organic/cocoon-ish forms. They are bisque firing right now and hopefully I will glaze them this weekend. I'm thinking matte, earthy colors... but I'm open to any other ideas.

This shot gives you an idea of how big they are. They will shrink a little after the final firing but will still be pretty substantial. The big question is how to use them. It's fun to make large, sculptural beads but what good are they if you can't make something freaking amazing with them?! That remains to be seen.

I made a nice big batch of large birds. Some of these will go into my next update, some will be for me. You can see a bit of the process that goes into them. These are birds in the rough. :)

This batch is kind of fun. Lizard skin texture and wonky holes go well together. Is it just me or does the prospect of having to deal with odd number, off-center holes in a component make you giddy too? Strange, I know, but I love a challenge.

Lastly, these are the test pieces I made from my stenciling experiment last week. I am curious to see how they fire and whether or not the black slip I mixed up stays black. Depending on the outcome some of these pieces might make it into my next Extra update. Unless they are wretchedly ugly. Then they will go into my archive of hideous pieces and never see the light of day. ;)

Face-down Tuesday - 5.3.11

2011-05-03T19:52:00.002-04:00

It's been a while, I know. Today I was at my mother's house visiting with my grandfather. Once he went off for a nap I took the opportunity for a face-down shot. Notice the kitty on the couch. He thinks I'm a little touched.

Mine. All mine!

2011-05-02T21:11:00.003-04:00

I'm not generally one to brag about purchases that I make, HOWEVER.... take a look at this amazing painting that I scored at the show I did this past weekend! It is by an aritist named Paul Bozzo and his work is very cool. And by very cool I mean incredibly awesome.

I purchased my first Bozzo piece (he calls them textured paintings) last year at the Athens Arts Fest and one of the main reasons I was looking forward to going back this year was knowing that I would be able to get another one.

Be sure to check out his blog to see more of his work and learn about his unique technique.

Color tunnel vision

2011-04-29T21:02:00.003-04:00

Do you ever find yourself having color tunnel vision? I do. This week has been all about golden yellows and turquoise/copper greens. I didn't realize I was doing this until I was packing everything up for the show I have this weekend.

The funny part is that yellow has always been my least favorite color until very recently. I love it now and I don't know why. I'm not sure what has changed. Maybe I've grown up. Yellow is for big girls.

I hope others like this color combination as much as I do. :)

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Tomorrow!

2011-04-27T12:59:00.002-04:00

I have a beautiful batch of goodies for y'all! The update in my Extra shop will be tomorrow, Thursday, at noon EST.

First up is this lovely group of pendants/connectors (above) with a bamboo leaf print. I just love how crisp and clear the design is - it took the glaze very well - each one is a little work of art!

These pedants look a little like an upside down fleur de lis. They would make a lovely little focal drop from a multi-strand necklace.

This group has a ferris wheel design stamped in the center. Very fun and summertime-ish!

A small pile of large Aztec inspired shards.

These little pretties are from my own jewelry line. They feature a gorgeous trumpet flower motif and would be prefect for a romantic girly-girl necklace.

This is the last batch. Large, bold pendants/connectors. They have a very old, woodcut type of feel to them. Perfect for making a medieval inspired piece to wear to the renaissance fair! (I've always wanted to do that... have you ever been to a renaissance fair?)

So there you have it! The update will start at noon, EST, tomorrow (Thursday!) in my Extra shop. To see the pieces as they go up please visit my Facebook page. Hope to see you there! :)

Printing inspirations

2011-04-25T20:00:00.003-04:00

I've been sleeping for the past week. Forgive my absence. The sinus infection that I've had for the past 75 years migrated to my ears and left me feeling drunk and dizzy without any of the fun that can be had when being drunk and dizzy. Anyhoo... I'm feeling a bit better and thought I should get back in the blogging game.

I've had the pleasure of attending two fantastic pottery workshops over the past month. One with Forrest Lesch Middleton and another with Hayne Bayless. Though they work in very different ways (Forrest is a thrower and Hayne is a handbuidler) they both shared some surface printing techniques that got my brain spinning. The above plate was made by Hayne and shows his stencil printing technique.

These pieces were made by Forrest and show his silkscreen printing technique. (That awesome little cup is now my number one sangria drinking vessel. Love it!)

This rather poor quality photo (only had my cell phone with me) shows my first experiment with a stencil design. I gave my friend, Ilene, a pattern and she cut out a stencil with her fancy cutting machine (I will be getting one of those magical machines the first chance I can!). I cut out all kinds of shapes and am very anxious to see how they glaze and fire. Can't wait!

In other news, I've been working on a lot of new things. New jewelry and new components will be coming up by the end of the week. Look for a component update on Thursday in my Extra shop. I'm also going to be posting info on special ordering OWL pendants. I know many of you have not been able to get them so I will be breaking my own rule and will be taking special orders for them. I'll let you know how that will take place very soon. :)

Winter Enchantment.... in Spring!

2011-04-15T13:24:00.003-04:00

Yes, it is April, it is Spring, and I am just now getting around to showing you my ArtBeads Winter Enchantment blog partner piece. I'm what I like to call.... slow.

Anyhoo, I LOVE what I made, so that must count for something, right?

It all started with this watch face, (I'm all about making watches now so look out! ) and these luster finished Czech glass beads.

Once I started to build the watch I realized that the Winter theme wasn't really sticking around.... I was choosing greens and plums instead of icy blues and grays. Oh well. For me it's all about the passing of time - waiting for Winter to end - longing for Spring.

Along with the watch face and the Czech beads I added several of my own handmade porcelain beads and one glorious lampwork egg made by my friend, Kelley, of Kelley's Beads.

Making this piece has fueled my interest in making more watches, for sure. Artbeads.com has a lot to choose from but most of them are out of stock as the moment. (hmmm, these ARE hot at the moment!). So hurry up, Artbeads, and get some more in stock so I can feed my new addiction!! Please. ;)

This watch can be found in my shop. :)

Let's try this again!

2011-04-14T12:52:00.002-04:00

I'm back online! Yay!
I have no idea why I lost my connection but I am very happy to be in business sooner than I expected. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it lasts.

Anyhoo, I will resume the Extra shop update tomorrow starting at noon. There are still crowns, shards and owls left. I will still stagger the remaining owls throughout the later part of the day so expect one batch after noon at some point and then a few more later on, into the evening.

Thanks for hanging in there with me! :)

Lost my internet connection!

2011-04-13T13:35:00.002-04:00

Attention!

I lost my internet connection while in the middle of my Extra update. Verizon is telling me that it will be anywhere from several hours to a day before the line is fixed. I will let you all know when I can resume the update as soon as I can.

So sorry!!

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Wednesday!

2011-04-12T17:55:00.005-04:00

This week's update will be a small one. Just owls and some other repeat pieces. I have been sick, once again, with a nasty cold this past week and have been moving in slow motion to say the least, so I didn't get as many pieces made as I would have liked.

I am going to list the owls in a different way this time around. I will be putting them up in small batches at random times through the day, starting early and ending late. That way (I am hoping) everyone that wants one will be able to get one. I made a lot, hopefully too many. :)

To know when they are listed be sure to check out my Facebook page. I give alerts once each batch is up so that is the best way to keep track of what's going on.

I made several more of the Yesterday's Bird pendants. These will go up starting at noon.

Some more crowns, for those who missed out last time.

These are the only new pieces I made this time around. They are rather large shards in a nice bold design.

OK, so to recap: The owls will be listed in several small batches throughout the day tomorrow. The rest of the pieces will go up as usual starting at noon, my time. Hope this all makes sense, my brain is a little cloudy these days. :)

Links: Facebook page and RoundRabbit Extra Shop

Competing with the past

2011-04-08T18:49:00.003-04:00

Today I was rummaging around my stash looking for pieces to make some new necklaces with and I came across these three pendants. I made them over three years ago and promptly put them in my "archive" thinking that I would get around to using them at some point. Obviously I never did, which is typical for me. So, when I came across them today I had several thoughts...

Thought #1: I really like that rusty red/brown glaze. I remember that it was a test and for some reason I never used it again. I hope the recipe is still floating around somewhere...

Thought #2: I was much more ambitious three years ago. Or perhaps I should say I was "differently" ambitious. I am still ambitious, just in different ways.

Thought #3: While handbuilding this type of pendant is very time-consuming nothing more needs to be done in the way of a necklace design. No beads or other embellishment is necessary, in fact, they look best just placed on a simple neck ring. So... are they really more work or are they actually less work????

Perhaps the thoughts that struck me the most were these: How has my work progressed since this time? Has it? Was I better three years ago? What have a I learned during those three years?

I have no idea how to answer those questions but I am going to do some serious pondering over them. Have you ever looked at your older work and wondered if you are a better artist now than you were then?

Face-down Tuesday - 4.5.11

2011-04-05T20:40:00.002-04:00

A nice creepy Happy Face-down Tuesday to one and all! I love the moody lighting and eerie feeling of this shot. There is something very soothing about looking dead. I know that couldn't possibly sound any more macabre and I don't mean to make it sound like I wish I was dead. I don't! I like living! But.... there is a side to me that really digs crime scene photography (was actually going to write my thesis on the topic) and this captures that feeling.

So anyhoo (now that I have completely weirded you all out)... that's my Face-down Tuesday for ya! :)

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Monday!

2011-04-02T20:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a quick preview of the Extra shop update that will take place on MONDAY at noon (EST). Some of you may recall these pretty flower pendants from a while ago. My friend, Lorelei, used one in a necklace that is now in Stringing Magazine (I believe, hope that is right) and I have had some requests so I made up a batch. They differ from the originals just a little, mostly because I couldn't really remember just how I did the originals. So this set has a different number of holes in different places, but it is basically the same thing.

Pretty cherry blossom pendants/connectors. They have three holes across one side which creates interesting design options.

Butterflies!

Crowns!

And lastly, these are very ornate and fancy pendants. A little larger so they really make a great focal .

OK, that is all for now. It's a much smaller update than usual but I think it is a smashing little group of pretties.

Hope to see you in the Extra shop on Monday at noon! Now, I am off to bed. Had a good first day of the show and I am beat beyond words. Cannot wait to connect with my pillow. Sleep! Yay!

Discus Longs

2011-03-31T17:11:00.005-04:00

I've been making earrings in my Discus series for several years now. All that really means is that I take round porcelain pieces and see how many different ways I can use them in an earring design. Nothing too groundbreaking, for sure, but fun for me nonetheless.

I really like this new style a lot. I had the idea for the ear wire yesterday and dreamed about it all night long. Once I awoke I got to work and happily they worked out just as I had planned.

Very simple and modern. I gave the sterling a nice oxidized finish and tumbled them for that lovely warm and weathered look.
I have listed a few pairs in the shop today and will probably put the rest in tomorrow.

In other news... I have my first show of the season this weekend. I am under stocked and underexcitied (new word!) to say the least. I am still not over my show burnout from last year. I am cutting my shows this year by half in an effort to not become a bitter old whiny craft show hater. I know doing shows is an exciting thing for those new to doing shows, so I really don't want to be a killjoy. However....... keep your day job.
Just kidding! Kind of! ;)

Anyhoo, I am thinking about doing an Extra shop update on Monday. I have a small batch of things ready to go but I think Monday will be the soonest I can do it. I'll try to preview tomorrow before I leave for the show set-up. And to those who have wondered, I WILL be making more owls!!! I realize that many of you who wanted one did not get one in the last update. So, I am currently making approximately 500,000 and hopefully that will do it. They should be ready next week (not in the next update). Stay tuned...

The ears have it

2011-03-25T22:50:00.004-04:00

I warned you that there would be more earrings... and there are! Woo-hoo!
I love this pair. Just love them. I cannot get enough of this lavender!!

This is an older design with a new look. (yep, this was my Art Deco link in my last Extra update. Good eye, you!)

Gorgeous cherry blossoms! I have done a few variations with this design, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Ornate ovals in Delft blue. So pretty!

And lastly, this is another variation on this gorgeous pair. I had fun with this design.. so many options and all so beautiful. :)

They can all be found in the shop.

Face-down Tuesday - 3.22.11

2011-03-22T18:07:00.002-04:00

Another Tuesday in the studio, another face down shot in an awkward position. This time around I noticed that there was some empty space on the student's shelving so I maneuvered myself into position and thankfully Dani was there to take the shots. There is no way I could have set the timer and gotten on those shelves in time!

I couldn't decide on a shot so there are two different angles this week.

Dani thought she was pretty funny taking shots of me as I tried to get into position. It wasn't that easy, but anything for art, right? (did I just call Face-down Tuesday ART? Hmmmm, that might be stretching it a bit...)

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Wednesday!

2011-03-21T20:39:00.002-04:00

This will be short and to the point. I've had one doozie of a headache all day so I am a woman of few words tonight. I'll just show you some pretty things, tell you that I am having an Extra shop update on WEDNESDAY at noon, and then I will go to bed. :)

Up top are those gorgeous HUGE focal pieces I showed you a few days ago. They came out perfectly. I am so pleased! I may have to keep one for myself...

These are medium sized connectors. Very Art Deco and highly detailed.

This batch is a bunch of pretty pendants. Love the detail!

The return of the owls!! Trust me, THIS really will be the last time I make these. :)

These cute little connectors will be sold in sets.

And finally, this is my own (from my own jewelry line) Yesterday's Bird in a pendant/connector. This is one of my best selling designs in my own jewelry so I am sure it will certainly be a hit in yours!

OK, bed time for me. Remember, the update will be at noon EST on WEDNESDAY in the Extra shop. Hope to see you there!

Earrings X 3

2011-03-20T20:56:00.004-04:00

You will have to bear with me over the next week or so. I had a wonderful batch of earrings come out the kiln today and I must share them with you all, so I will be inundating the blog with earrings for a while. This is the first trio that I completed today.

Above is a new design of which I made several variations.

This is an older design that I haven't used in quite some time. I'm not sure why since it is so beautiful and looks especially wonderful left unglazed with only black to bring out the design. I am so obsessed with unglazed porcelain at the moment.

This lovely little birdy pair is part of the light bulb moment I had last week. I have made a pendant with this design for several years and it only JUST occurred to me how I could isolate the bird and make it into earrings. Seriously. That is why it went from being an Ah-ha moment to a Duh(!) moment in a just a matter of seconds.

Ah, live and learn...

Anyhoo, I will be putting all three pairs in the Etsy shop in the morning. AND, I will be posting an Extra shop preview tomorrow as well. And let me tell you... this batch is a real humdinger! So much pretty stuff I can hardly stand it. I am going to be updating the Extra shop on Wednesday. :)

In the green(ware)

2011-03-17T08:45:00.004-04:00

I've been working like mad this week, trying to get ahead while feeling like I am just falling more behind. I hate that feeling. My body tells me that I am working too much but my mind tells me that nothing is ever enough. I am behind in shipping, haven't even started an article that is due on Monday and I need to glaze all that you see in the photo above tomorrow. I don't like to whine and I try to keep that to a minimum, but..... boo hoo.

OK. Enough.

As you can see, I have a lot of great pieces in the works for my next update. Some of you may recognize this large focal from Bead Soup a few weeks ago. I sent my partner, Barbara Lewis, one and she made an amazing necklace with it. A lot of people asked if I would be offering them, so here they are! They are quite large and quite a statement piece but oh so beautiful.

I said I would never makes these guys again and here I am, making them. I had to make one to replace one that was broken so I figured that I might as well make a bunch. I know there are some of you out there who have wanted one, so here is your chance. Probably the last chance. ;)

This sweet bird pendant comes out of my own line. I call it Yesterday's Bird.

I only made one group of two-sided beads this time around. They are a bit labor intensive, to be honest, and I am not entirely sure I can price them where they need to be and still have people buy them. Does that make any sense? People outside of ceramics might not realize how much time goes into making pieces, especially when it comes to the way I glaze. Pricing can be difficult...

So anyhoo, that is a small preview of what I am up to. I hope to have them all glazed and fired by Monday and possible put in the Extra shop sometime next week. We shall see. :)

Face-down Tuesday - 3.15.11

2011-03-15T18:12:00.003-04:00

I am running out of places to go face-down at the studio. This was the shot I was trying to avoid. It just seems so cliche. Well, as cliche as being face-down in a kiln can be. But people tell me it's a good one, so I am going to go with that. It is pretty funny, I will admit. There was an even better outtake but it was a bit too, how shall I say, bootylicious. It was very funny but in a "Wow, look at the size of your ass" kind of way. I can be self deprecating at times, but not THAT self-deprecating. Even for a laugh.

Anyhoo, my day in the studio went from being just so-so to being fantastic. I had a real light bulb moment that was quickly followed by a real Duh moment. As in "It took me how many years to figure this out? Duh!" But it was all good and I can't wait to finish up my new things. I wish I didn't have to wait! I've been very impatient lately and that is really not a behavior that is compatible with pottery. I must have Spring fever!

Can porcelain get any more exciting?

2011-03-11T19:58:00.003-05:00

Some of you may recall that I played around with some colored porcelain a few weeks ago. Well, I took some of the results out of the kiln and I think it is safe to say... I'm in love! I tried two different colors to start and just used different underglazes on them to see what kind of effects I could get. The pair above are made from teal porcelain and white underglaze.

This is a lovely dark and broody pair made from lavender porcelain and black underglaze. I have always loved this design and seeing it in this color combination makes me love it even more.

This pair was made with the same lavender clay but I used white underglaze instead. It's amazing how different the clay can look with such a simple change.

Here is another pair made with the teal clay and dark purple underglaze. Gorgeous! This color combination brings me right back to 1984 and the teal and purple striped shirt I had. I thought I was pretty hot in that shirt and was so terribly disappointed to show up on the first day of school to see another girl wearing the same one! The horror! Anyhoo... I will have to make more in this combination since this pair was snatched up already. :)

This is another one of my favorite designs. The Spanish Fans look great no matter what color combo I do but in the lavender clay with a hint of black underglaze... yum. :)

These earrings can be found in my shop. Now... what color shall I play with next?

Round Rabbit EXTRA preview!

2011-03-10T17:32:00.003-05:00

I'll be updating the Extra shop tomorrow at noon! So here is a preview for you. Since I was so sick last week I didn't get as much made as I had hoped. But I'm very happy with what I did make, so I guess it all evens out in the end. :)

First up is the bees!!! I love how they turned out!!! Yay!!! I stalked the kiln until it was cool enough to get my things out, I was so anxious, I nearly went crazy. And how about that wonderful lavender color on the trio above? My new favorite color. Expect to see it a lot. Hopeful I won't be the only one who loves it, otherwise I will be making a lot of lavender jewelry with the left-overs. ;)

As you can see I left most of them matte with a just a touch of color to bring out the design. They have such a wonderful feel.

This shot gives you an idea of the size. They are nice and chunky. I want to eat them. And just for fun, click HERE to see the very first pair of earrings I made over three years ago with this same bee. Gotta love that pink background. ;)

These are also two-sided beads. They have a wonderful deep texture and are a pretty good size.

Lavender!

Spiral two-sided beads. Also a good size. They would be a great focal.

For some reason I only made one of these. It's large and very fancy. I will have to make more.

These beads remind me of the top of a poppy seed pod. This particular design is one of my personal favorites. I make a lot of earrings with it. It seems to look great no matter what form it takes.

Square rings. Is that possible... for a square to be a ring? Huh. I'll have to think about that one...

The rest of this week's batch is made up of four different batches of shards. This groups is a little larger than my usual shards and highly sculptural. To me they really look like something you might find from the past. Beautiful.

Arrrr!! I was feeling a little bit pirate when I made this bunch. I might have been wearing an eye patch at the time, I really can't remember.

This group got its texture from a piece of vintage depression glass.

Here is the final batch. Very pretty and floral.

So there you have it! The update will begin at noon right HERE. Hope to see you there!

Two-faced

2011-03-03T14:52:00.002-05:00

I've been doing a lot of low-key work this week while I get through this devil illness that decided to live inside me (dramatic!). I've been getting a lot of new listings up in the Etsy shop and I've been trying to get some new pieces made. I made these two-sided beads last night and I am quite in love with them already, even in their naked greenware stage.

These spirals are fun, no?

And check out these bees! Dare I say they are the bee's knees? (had to.)
So let's hear it for two-sided beads! Yay!

In other news: My apologies go out to any and all who are waiting for a package from me. I am slowing making my way through all of my shipping, so please bear with me. I hope to have it all done today and tomorrow. :)

What's the weirdest tool you use?

2011-03-02T15:41:00.004-05:00

My love affair with glaze continues, always. Check out these three pieces.... I'm still working on super low energy so staring off into glaze space suits me just fine.

Ohh, ahhh...... dreamy.....

In other news.... I was looking around my piles of mess today and I realized that I have an inordinate amount of cat and dog nail files that I pick up every time I go to the local Pet Smart. I've found that they work perfectly to quickly sand the ends of freshly cut ear wires or to smooth a rough edge of metal. They are fairly heavy duty so they hold up well and really do the trick.
What kind of odd things do you find yourself using in your craft?

Face-down Tuesday - 3.1.11

2011-03-01T16:47:00.003-05:00

I'm still feeling pretty crummy so being face down wasn't too terribly unpleasant today. It's a good napping position. Better with a pillow underneath...

Anyhoo, this is me at the table I inherited from my grandparents. It was in their kitchen for something like 60 years and nearly everyone who came into their home got to carve their name in it. It all stared with the small artist's palette that can be seen to the right of my wrist that was carved by my great-grandfather.

It's strange to see this table in my house now, and not theirs, but I am very happy to have it. If this table could talk...

The day of the earring (Bead Soup post is below this one!)

2011-02-26T16:51:00.005-05:00

Today is a day for making earrings. For realizing that the show season starts sooner than I would like to admit. For realizing that I have extremely low amounts of inventory. For realizing that I don't want to start the show season. At all. I really don't want to do shows this year. Sick. Of. Them.
And speaking of sick.... that's me. Yesterday it hit me a like baseball bat in the teeth. I haven't been sick in so long and I am mad about it. I feel like dirt.

Anyhoo, I'm trying to get the old earring inventory built up so I spent a good portion of the day making ear wires and putting together some earrings. The above photo shows the backs of one of my favorite new styles. The are like puffed pillows and they are large.

And this is the front!

And here they are on! See how big they are? I love them. Even my "I may vomit at any given moment" face can't hide the fact that these earrings are awesome. (sorry. I blame the meds...)

This is a new glaze combo that I am playing around with. I have to admit that in a group like this they look rather yucky. At least they do to me.

However, on their own they are stunning! The colors are amazing, all swirly and crazy. I love glaze...

I really like these two pairs of unglazed porcelain disks. They just have black stain rubbed in to highlight the dots.

Lastly, this is a design I've been meaning to play around with for a while. It takes glaze very nicely.

I was going plop some of the earrings in my Etsy shop today, but I think I am going to grab a bunny and go take a nap. I shall return. (Update - I got two pairs in the shop - more tomorrow!)

Oh, and if you came here looking for Bead Soup, it's the post right below this one... :)

Bead Soup reveal!

2011-02-26T00:01:00.003-05:00

It's Bead Soup Party time! As some of you may recall I received this lovely bead assortment from the equally lovely Barbara Lewis. And this is my finished piece! Yay! And I finished it a few days ago, too, which is a small miracle for me.

The first order of business was to make the sweet little Green Girl Studios pendant part of something bigger. I like a big, bold focal so I combined several elements in order to achieve that. I started with one of my porcelain shard pieces and created a nice long dangle with a Czech glass bead and an unglazed porcelain bead cap(of sorts) that I made. The little birdy hangs nicely and is further highlighted by the large mother-of-pearl ring. I love that ring! I think it draws the eye right in and gives the whole necklace a pop.

I made a two strand necklace to hang the now large pendant from. One strand is made from these cool wonky frosted glass seed beads that I got in NYC last month. I need to go back to the city just to get more of them. The other strand is made up of the beautiful enameled beads that Barbara made along with some natural stones and some of my own porcelain faceted beads and also my ABC (Already Been Chewed - thanks for the name Helen!) beads that I showed being made here.

I tied and knotted a ribbon throughout the beads, which is one of my favorite things to do these days. I love how cozy it makes all the beads feel and it adds a nice texture to the overall piece.

Barbara sent me this gorgeous sterling clasp which is from, I believe, Star's Clasps.

One more view...

I made the necklace a short, choker length so that the long pendant would not be lost on the wearer. My striped shirt isn't the best thing to be wearing to model this necklace, but oh well. :)

This was another fun Bead Soup project and I send out a big thank you to Barbara Lewis for sending me such gorgeous beads to work with, and to Lori Anderson for organizing this party in the first place! Thanks ladies!
Be sure to check out what Barbara did with the beads I sent her!! I can't wait to see myself!!

And also be sure to check out all the other blogs that are participating in the party! It's a long list but bound to be worth the time (take a few days if you need to. ;).

1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

2. Kitty Durmaj, Perles and Life

3. Michelle Heim, Life In the Bead Lane

4. Lisa Petrillo, Lucid Moon Studio

5. Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

6. Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

7. Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

8. Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

9. Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto

10. Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

11. Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas

12. Rachel Walsh, Balanced Crafts

13. Marian Hertzog, M's Place

14. Mary McGraw, MK's Musings

15. Sarabeth Burke, Chronicles of Sarita

16. Deci Worland, Gem Trails

17. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

18. Laura Zeiner, Stick Lizard Designs

19. Kristin Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

20. Cathryn Brooks-Williams, Chile Cats

21. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs

22. Janna Harttgen, Palima-Lim

23. Libby Leuchtman, Libby Leu

24. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads

25. Deb Hunter, Living On Air

26. Diana Ptaszynski, Suburban Girl Studio

27. Jennifer VanBenschoten, VanBeads

28. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter

29. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts

30. Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

31. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

32. Patricia Gasparino, My Life Under the Bus

33. Tari Khars, Pearl and Pebble

34. Kristi Bowman-Gruel, Kristi Bowman Design

35. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

36. Becky Fairclough, Chameleons Designs

37. Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead & Metal Works

38. Lynne Bowland, Islandgirl's Insights

My Partner! - 39. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire

40. Lorelei Eurto, Inside the Studio

41. Stacy Hartis, Sissy & Jack's

42. Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

43. Marcie Abney, La Bella Joya

44. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations

45. Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles

46. Melissa Mesara, One Eared Pig

47. Amanda Davie, Articulations

48. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady

49. Virginia Joste, ViviBijoux

50. Andrew Thornton, The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
51. Lori Dorrington, Lori's Glassworks

52. Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles

53. Kate Gardenghi, Tropical Blonde

54. Serena Trent, PinkIce Jewel's Blog

55. Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin de Koning

56. Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

57. Francy Inman, 8 Second Studio

58. Amy Freeland, Copper Diem

59. Lisa Liddy, Joolz By Lisa

60. Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do

61. Mary Harding, Mary Harding Bead Blog

62. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon

63. Leslie Gidden, Mad Maggie Designs

64. Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

65. Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

66. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.

67. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash

68. Laurel Steven, Rue's Daftique

69. Ingrid McCue, Wrapped In Silver

70. Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

71. Diana Hawkey, Diana Hawkey

72. Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

73. Jeanette Ryan, Jeanette Blix

74. Jackie Ryan, Silver Lodge Gems

75. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Be Done!

76. Debbie Goering, Prairie Emporium

77. Valerie Norton, Hot Art

78. Jana Trupovniece, Stories of the Secret Garden

79. Amy Severino, Amy Beads

80. Emma Thomas, Fred Beans Nook

81. Karen Zanco, Everyday Gypsy

82. Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria

83. Janet McDonald, Singing Woods

84. Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

85. Kristina Johansson, Wild Roses and Blackberries

86. CJ Bauschka, CJ Bauschka

87. Angela Barribea, Re: Angela Rae

88. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy

89. Tanya Floyd, Glass Migrations

90. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss

91. Sue Hodgkinson, Hello Gorgeous

92. Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Bead

93. Nally Parfyonova, Nally's Creations

94. Karyn White, Releases By Rufydoof

95. Emanda Johnson, Artemisia Studio

96. Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box

97. Cindy Dolezal, Cindy Dolezal Designs

98. Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

99. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

100. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings

101. Nicole Valentine-Rimmer, N. Valentine Studio

102. Jacinta Meyers, Jamberrysong's Creations

103. Charlene Gary, Gray Girl Studios

104. Rubiee Hayes, Glitter and Keys Galore

105. Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

106. Elizabeth Freeman, Turquoise Sky

107. Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

108. Lynda Moseley, Diva Designs

109. Grace Danel, Grace Beading

110. Lois Moon, Que Onda Quitman

111. Agnes Shapiro, Beader Bubbe

112. Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo

113. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs

114. Mary Ellen Parker, Bee Tree By Me

115. Barbara Bechtel, Second Surf

116. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer

117. Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

118. Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

119. Ronda Adams, The Ravished Heart

120. Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe Designs

121. Anna Lear, The Laughing Raven

122. Susie Hibdon, Vintagesusie & Wings

123. Amanda Austin, Sea Shore Glass

124. Jennifer Velasquez, Jen Judd Rocks

125. Hazel Ward, All Those Things

126. Brenda Salzano, Salzanos

127. Dee Gordon, Runako Designs by Dee

128. Anna Denisova, Anita-M

129. Margaret Saari, Mags-Jewelry

130. Genea Crivello-Knable, Genea Beads

131. Penny Neville, Copper Penny

132. Angela Blasingame, Hopemore

133. Helena Fritz, Beadwork by H's Blog

134. Stephanie LaRose, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

135. Stephanie Haussler, PixyBug Designs

136. Diane Cook, Rosa & Josies

137. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art

138. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by J.P.

139. Shannon Chomanczuk, For My Sweet Daughter

140. Lisa Godfrey, Bead Happy

141. Heather Pyle, Welcome to My Muse

142. Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

143. Liz DeLuca, Creative Arty Facts

144. Sig Wynne-Evans, Beaded Bear's Nonsense

145. Loretta Carstensen, Loretta's Boutique

146. Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

147. Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul

148. Shelly Graves, Stars Dance With Me

149. Jess Italia Lincoln, Vintaj Blog

150. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

151. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T

152. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals

153. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Quiet Area

154. Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

155. Magdalena Sikora, Poranna Gazeta

156. Nicole Keller, Nicki's Reef

157. Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

158. Noemi Baena, Fire, Metal, and Color

159. Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman

160. Barbara Blaszczyk, Labotorium Flory

161. Collette Collins, Firefly Myst

162. Carola Greiser, Polymer Clay Shed

163. Joanna Kopijczuk, Bizuteria z Filcu

164. LeAnn Weih, Summers Studio

165. Cassandra Watsham, Design by Cassandra

166. Anna Motz, Stunning

167. Shea Zukowski, Gr8findings

168. Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads

169. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings

170. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

171. Alison Crenshaw, Beads by Earth Tones

172. Dorcas Midkiff, Wondrous Strange Designs

173. Melissa Rediger, Sea of Glass

174. Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre

175. Julie Nordine, Julie Nordine | Credit River Art Glass

176. Menka Gupta, Menka's Blog

177. Patsy Evins, Patsy Evins Studio

178. Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're

179. Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

180. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

181. Lyn Foley, Lyn Foley Wearable Art

182. Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog

183. Natalie Schuetz, Natalie S Perlen

184. Kim Hutchinson, Running on Ink

185. Haley Frank, Wide Eyed Smilin

186. Grace Caputo, Suddenly Last Summer

187. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Skye Jewels

188. Erin Siegel, Erin Siegel Jewelry

189. Janea McDonald, Organized Chaos

190. Kristi Evenson, Colie Bug & Co.

191. Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry

192. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

193. Whitney Lassini, Whitney Lassini

This is me! You Are Here! - 194. Nancy Schindler, The Rabbit Muse

195. Pam Brisse, The Blue Between

196. Beth Bricker, Vintage Sweets

197. Ruthie Stickney, Rose Works Jewelry and Gifts

198. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Designs

199. Karen Williams, Baublicious

200. Claire Maunsell, The Next Bend

201. Christine Damm, Stories They Tell

202. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts

203. Wendy Blum, Sand & Sea Designs

204. Juli Cannon, Julsbeads

205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique

206. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry

207. Pam Krinski, Ewa Beads

208. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love

209. Dana Jones, Dana's Jewelry

210. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Tomorrow!

2011-02-24T15:51:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, Friday, at noon (EST) I will be doing an EXTRA shop update. I have a interesting mix of pieces this time around (though I probably say that every time... forgive me if I do.).

First up are these awesome feathers shown above! Is anyone else singing the theme song to that educational kids show from the early 80s called High Feather? Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Bumpy connectors.

For some reason I only made three of these larger pieces. I must have gotten distracted...

I love these sweet rosebud pendants/connectors. They have four holes to provide all kinds of interesting stringing options.

I made these different pieces by pressing the clay into a piece of coral. The texture is pretty awesome!

These connectors are sold in a set of two, making them perfect for creating bracelets.

I'm doing a bit of Spring cleaning and found these two fun heart pieces.

Fun flower rings.

These four leaf clovers are pieces I use in my own jewelry but I thought they were rather appropriate to offer everyone since St. Patrick's Day is coming up.

And finally, I mentioned Spring cleaning earlier... I am really trying to clean things out both at the pottery studio and my home studio. That means I am forcing myself to stop hoarding pieces that I will not use. I tend to keep things for a rainy day and sometimes years go by before that rainy day comes. So, I'm lightening my load, so to speak, and cutting some things loose.

I'm not sure how I will be listing these things - most likely in groups of grab bags. I can assure you that they will be a very good deal than if you were to purchase them all separately. Some pieces do not have holes so they can be used as cabochons or you can wire wrap them or adhere a bail to the back... just use your imagination!

I will probably have more clean outs in the future as well. Out with old, in with the new! Yay! It feels good... :)

I hope you can make it to my shop update tomorrow at noon!

Glaze porn

2011-02-21T15:36:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I showed some glaze porn. We had an excellent gas kiln firing at the studio this weekend and Maryanne and I had some killer pieces come out of it. For those new to my blog, I collaborate on a line of pottery with my friend/mentor, Maryanne White. She throws the pieces and I glaze them.

I can't get enough of this red combination, though I will admit that I hold my breath EVERY firing. This combination of glazes is very tricky, very runny, and has been known to adhere itself to the kiln shelves on more than one occasion (not my fault, of course....cough cough..)

I especially love the turquoise spots that sometimes peak through the red. It's never a sure thing so I get pretty giddy with it happens.

I call these small dishes Bead Trays. Maryanne doesn't call them that but that is what I use them for. They work perfectly for sorting beads. The corners act like funnels when pouring the beads back into a storage container. Cool, right? I keep telling her to make more so that I can offer some to my beady friends. :)

This final shot is a dreamy closeup of the inside of a bowl. It looks like an island in a sea of melted strawberry ice cream. Yum! :)

Odds and ends..

2011-02-20T20:23:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to fill in some blanks and tie up loose ends. Several people asked for some more information on the painting that was shown in my last Face-down Tuesday shot, so here it is.

It's a large pointillism painting by my grandfather, Andrew Geller. He painted this for my wedding present nearly 20 years. Yes, I got married when I was 12. It's true. The marriage only lasted about 13 years (who really knows what they want at 12?) but the painting remains. (And so does another huge portrait of me, my ex and my very first house rabbit that was named Corduroy.... that one does NOT hang above any mantle, needless to say...) There are all kinds of secret hidden things going on in this painting, including my grandfather's not so subtle self-portrait in the clouds.

Anyhoo, I am very lucky to have many, many wonderful works of art by both of my grandparents. With the passing of my grandmother last Summer and the declining health of my grandfather they take on new, deeper levels of meaning.

I wanted to thank everyone who participated in my blog link exchange! And if you haven't, please feel free to check it out and see if it is something you would like to do. I apologize to anyone who I may have missed that has been linking to me for a while. I try to tell by my stats who links to me and where people are coming from but I can't always see everything. So please let me know if I have missed you and I will add you right away.

In other news... I spent part of today playing with some colored porcelain. That was fun! Can't wait to see how it looks fired. The lighter clay on the left is lavender and the other is teal, obviously. It felt like I was playing with Play Doh today. A nice break from stuffy, snobby, grown-up white porcelain.

And finally I wanted to share this cute little pair of earrings with you. They make me happy in this wonderful pistachio green glaze. :)

Two new rings...

2011-02-17T16:34:00.005-05:00

I think I started these two rings sometime before Christmas and only today did I decide to finish them. Casue that's how I roll. :)

Geo Pop in Teal. Size 5.75

Spirograph. Size 5.50

Both can be found in my Etsy shop. :)

Face-down Tuesday - 2.15.11

2011-02-15T12:23:00.003-05:00

I'm working from home today so I had to make due with my house as a face-down location. Truth be told, there are very(VERY!) few spots in my house that are uncluttered enough to be camera ready. And you wouldn't believe what I went through just to get this shot. Don't laugh. It's a sickness. Anyhoo, I am very happy with the end result. I look dead (or maybe just exhausted from cleaning) and overall I think the photo looks very mysterious. Or maybe just odd.

I know the whole face-down thing is lost on some of you, so I thank you for indulging me. I can't really explain why I find it so amusing. I just do. :)

I wash your blog, you wash mine...

2011-02-14T12:29:00.003-05:00

I've been tidying up the old blog, getting rid of the clutter and trying to streamline it a bit more. I decided to go through my blog list and I did a little cleaning there as well. If you were on my list and you no longer see your blog listed it is because either...

You no longer link back to me. Or..
You haven't blogged in many, many months.

My blog list is a reciprocal one. Meaning, if you link to me, I will link to you. So, if anyone is interested in participating OR already links to me and I have failed to add you to the list, please let me know in a comment. I would be happy to add your blog, just be sure to do the same. And please, if you have a blog that does not link to anyone else at all, do not ask me to link to you. We need to help each other out so it has to be reciprocal. :)

My bead soup from Barbara Lewis!

2011-02-13T11:32:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to be paired with the amazing Barbara Lewis in this third round of Bead Soup! Barbra sent me a lovely collection of goodies including several of her own enameled beads, a beautiful sterling dragonfly clasp and a Green Girl Studios sweet little bird pendant which Barbara has enameled.

The color palette is very inspiring (also one of my favorites!) and I happened to take some new beads out of the kiln last week that will match perfectly! The real challenge for me will be to take these rather dainty pieces and give them my usual "statement" piece spin. My wheels are turning... I can't wait until February 26th!

Oh, and check out the post below to take advantage of my Valentine's Day Sale!! It ends tomorrow!

Valentines Day Jewelry SALE!!

2011-02-12T08:32:00.005-05:00

Photo by ftwentytwo

I'm having a Valentines Day weekend jewelry sale! Woo-hoo! Just use the coupon code VALENTINE11 in either my Etsy shop or my Big Cartel shop and received 20% off your purchase.

This sale will end on Monday.

Just to recap: That's 20% off in both of my jewelry shops!!!
Coupon code: VALENTINE11
Click here for my Esty shop
Click here for my Big Cartel shop

AND... there are still some great items left in my components shop. I will be taking them out of the shop in a few days so if you see something you like you better snatch it up pronto. :)

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Tomorrow!

2011-02-10T16:15:00.015-05:00

Tomorrow at noon (EST) I will have an Extra shop update! It was a great week for pieces. I really enjoyed making this batch and playing with glazes. Every time that I make new one-of-a-kind pieces I end up taking away so much and coming up with new ideas that really spark my imagination. I just love that!

First up are these fun stars (above). They are a good size, over an inch in diameter, so they can be used as a focal or a connector. They would be great as a bracelet focal (oh, on a leather cuff!!! Ideas, ideas...).

These pieces are also a decent, large size and have a mess of holes to play around with. When I first made them I imagined them being used with the three holes at the bottom for dangles but then I turned one sideways and realized what a super cool piece that would be! OR flip it the other way with the points hanging down! So many possibilities with this one...

These are some fun, large star focals. Again, many holes for many options.

These might be my most favorite beads that I have ever made EVER! They are unglazed with only black stain rubbed in the cracks and crevasses.

And here is another view. They are so dreamy...

Sweet little rosettes.

More exceptionally cool unglazed scratchy beads.

A Spring themed batch of shards.

Unglazed and cracky rings. Love these!!!

Hands! Kind of creepy. Kind of my kind of thing. :)

A small pile of floral shards.

And finally, some cute little connectors which will be sold in pairs.

Be sure to check the shop tomorrow at noon when I begin listing. I have all my photos ready this time around so it should go a little quicker than the last time. Hope to see you there! :)

This ring tried to kick my ass

2011-02-09T17:23:00.006-05:00

I had a brainstorm several days ago to create this ring. The idea came in a flash so I immediately set to work thinking that it would only take me a few hours at most. I was wrong, for several reasons. The biggest reason of all is that I pretty much still have no idea what I am doing. I understand the mechanics of it all but have zero formal training so it's a bit like teaching myself how to ballroom dance by watching videos on Youtube. I can do it but I'm klutzy and slow and THANK GOD(!) no one is watching me.
I am so pleased with the outcome, however, that all my struggling and cursing was quickly forgotten.

It all started with this large stoneware disk bead that I made a little while ago. The green glaze was screaming "I need to be paired with copper!!!!" so I thought it best to listen to it.

I cut a freeform piece of copper and hammered a nice texture on it. A sterling silver tube was soldered in the center and sawed in fours to become a star rivet which holds the disk in place quite nicely.

This was the tricky part. I wanted to float the copper, which was now dapped somewhat into a bowl shape, on a piece of sterling. I wanted sterling to be the metal that touches the skin so as to avoid that whole pesky green finger problem that copper causes.

After several attempts I was finally successful and managed to create the layered look I was hoping for. You can kind of see it in the photo above - all the layers doing their own thing.
I finished the piece with a chunky sterling band. Ta-da!
I love it and probably won't take it off any time soon. It is huge and will double nicely as a means of self-defense if necessary. :)

Face-down Tuesday - 2.8.11

2011-02-08T18:07:00.002-05:00

I've been a slacker on the Face-down front so today I had to do something goofy. I was in the studio and I am running out of good places to pose so I opted to climb on top of the slab roller. I've been avoiding the obvious face-down in a kiln shot, but it will probably happen sooner than later. For now, this will do. :)

All about a bracelet

2011-02-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

I made this cuff today. I have a thing for cuffs these days. That is probably due to the fact that I have piles of leather laying around that is screaming at me to use it and the only thing I can think of at the moment is CUFFS. So... when I was in NYC a few weeks ago I made a point to get various ribbons and trims that I could use in conjunction with leather. What you see in this cuff is some of that trim. It's a wonderful gray woven wool trim. It's like a sweater for your wrist!

As you can see I tired to use as many different materials in this piece as possible. I used leather, wool, porcelain, brass, glass and natural stones. Did I forget anything? The kitchen sink??

My own porcelain ribbon slide was the piece I started with. This slide differs a little from the ones that I sold in my last Extra update in that it has a small hole on either side which allowed me to attach clusters of stones. I made this piece a long, long time ago and when I decided to make some more I chose not to put the holes in. But now that I am using it I really like the holes so I think I will have to make some more this way. Live and learn...

I riveted the wool trim to the leather with these lovely antiqued brass rivets. I'm still in love with rivets.

I made the end crimps from textured brass sheet that I sawed and bent in half and riveted into place. I really like how they turned out. The only thing I haven't finished is the toggle. I put a beautiful brass button on one end but I still need to put a loop on the other end. I was running out of daylight and I wanted to get it photographed so just imagine a loop on the end, if you will. :)

So that is my show and tell for today. I am anxious to get back to work on some more cuffs, probably similar to this one. Once I get an idea I tend to make many versions until I am tired of it. Do you like to expand on ideas or are you more of a one-of-a-kind kind of maker?

The week in pieces

2011-02-05T17:54:00.006-05:00

Somehow nearly a week has passed by without a blog post. This happens from time to time. I get busy, I get distracted, I play with bunnies for too many hours. If I could get paid to play with bunnies I would be a wealthy woman.

It was a productive week, however. My only problem is that I am all over the place when it comes to what I want to do. Too many ideas brewing all at once mixed with the problem of being easily distracted makes it very hard for me to actually finish anything. I'm such a good starter... If I could get paid to start things I would be a wealthy woman.

This week I had a great appreciation for cracked edges and unglazed porcelain. Perhaps it is the uncanny resemblance to molasses cookies? If the clay was dark brown I might be tempted to eat it.

Today was spent making things smooth. One of the things I just love about porcelain is its ability to go from cracked and rough to smooth and creamy.

More cookie inspired pieces...

And these... I imagine they are made of chocolate! And I imagine myself eating them.

And this is what happens when you drink too much sangria before you finish writing a blog post...

New necklace... hoarders edition

2011-01-30T19:39:00.008-05:00

I love the fact that I keep everything I have ever made/had any contact with in any way. Yes, some might call it hoarding. I call it being prepared for any given situation. If it weren't for my "serial collecting" ways this necklace might never had happened.

You see, I made the two focal porcelain pieces about three or four years ago. I loved how the glaze came out but didn't have any fabulous ideas for the pieces at that moment so I hoarded them away in my special drawer full of other pieces I made a million years ago. Some day I may use them all! Or... they will continue to live happily in my drawer until the event of my death when some poor unsuspecting family member discovers (what will surely make a great documentary film some day) my ~~not so~~ secret piles of precious bits and baubles. I remember my grandmother once expressing concern over what people would find once she passed away. I've moved beyond concern into pity...

Anyhoo, on to the necklace! There's all kinds of things going on in this piece! I started the whole piece by attaching a lovely shard of mother-of-pearl to the porcelain using my new favorite Memeory Thread wire.

Then I wrapped two copper ring links with the same ivory Memory Thread. The toggle is a metal button that I found in NYC last week and it works great as a closure.

The rest of the necklace is comprised of pearl and mother-of-pearl (the rest of Pearl's family refused to participate... snobs), white turquoise, dyed jasper (or agate, can't remember) and bone. I made it to fit rather short, almost a choker length. Might have to hang on to this one for a while. I like it a lot. :)

A bunny named Wren

2011-01-30T10:51:00.005-05:00

We have a new bunny in the house! Her name is Wren and she is a year old Harlequin Rex. She belonged to a friend who is going through some tough times so I offered to take Wren in and spoil her as I do all bunnies. :) She seems to be settling in quite nicely and has been playing non-stop since she arrived yesterday. She's a big girl, the biggest bunny I have ever had. Her ears are gigantic and I am convinced that she can hear the sound of her treat bag opening a mile away.

My hope is to one day be able to bond her with Emma who is upstairs by herself. Since Petey passed away Laurel and Finch have developed a friendship that is truly adorable to watch, though I don't leave them alone for even a second. Laurel is still very aggressive, but seems to be getting better. They still miss Petey, as do I. I think of him every day and still can't believe that he is gone.

Anyhoo, here is a video of Wren playing in her blanket. If you have ever wondered what a bunny does when it plays here is a good example. Can you imagine keeping this gorgeous rabbit in a cage? Or any rabbit, for that matter? I can't.

NYC January 22 + 23, 2011

2011-01-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Tomorrow!

2011-01-27T18:28:00.014-05:00

I'm pretty pleased with this latest batch of goodies. I tried out some new glazes and a few different techniques and for the most part they came out pretty cool. A few didn't make the cut, but that was to be expected. The main problem I have is the fact that I can't figure out what is what. Which glaze is which.... one of these days I will write things down and stop fooling myself into thinking that I will be able to tell once it is fired. So wrong, I am. (said in my best Yoda voice)

Anyhoo, the Extra shop update will be tomorrow around 1:00 pm EST. I wasn't able to get all of my photos done today so I have to give myself a little more time in the morning to get ready. But I digress... First up is this fun group of dark stoneware pendants (above). They are chunky and have a bold geometric pattern stamped in them. I really like them.

I made one piece like these a long time ago and have been meaning to make more. So here they are! They might not seem that exciting, but they are. Really!

See?! They are made to slide ribbon through! Of course you could use them in any way you see fit, but this is what I had in mind when I made them. Porcelain buckles. Love them!

And this is a round version of the buckle. They look like giant buttons with giant holes and you could certainly use them that way if you wanted.

Or you could slide a ribbon or leather through the holes and party like it's 1999. Woo-hoo!

This week's shard collection is very bullseye-ish. Some have one hole, some have two. All are very cool. :)

Here is a little assortment of textured stoneware pieces. I particularly like the football shaped pendants with the askew holes. They will hang at a jaunty angle.

These are tiny little pansy charms. Very cute and dainty. I think I will put these in multicolored sets of three.

These shells are little big to be called charms so I guess I will go with pendants. Small pendants.

I just love these pieces! They have three holes, one at the point and two at the other end, which allow for them to be used in several ways. The pattern is raised and really defined on some of them. They are just so pretty!

This is a fun assortment of round pendants/connectors. They are larger in size and some have many holes for many design options. All are very textural and took the glazes nicely.

Lastly I have this group of dark stoneware "things." I'm not really sure what to call them. I guess some could be considered beads and the ones with the holes are for separating multiple stands.

Here they are grouped together by color. It's an odd group, I will admit, and I have a lot more of them that I didn't get glazed this time around. I like how the colors pop against the darker clay - very earthy and raw. Not my comfort zone, for sure, but I need to do this to myself now and then. Silly, I know. I'm a freak. :)

The update in the EXTRA shop will be at 1:00 pm EST tomorrow, Friday. Hope to see you all there!

Recovering

2011-01-27T07:52:00.017-05:00

As many of you know I took a quick trip to NYC last weekend with a group of crazy bead-loving friends. We shopped like it was our job.

Tinsel Trading Co. was our first stop and I am still spinning from the visual feast.

This is the back of their dress form window display.

I wanted to take all of these mannequins home with me.

Especially this one....

Group photo op with a big mirror.

Walking to dinner... stopping to take in the view of the Chrysler Building.

A wonderful meal with great friends..... (that is Lisa Peters Russ with us! My new BFF!)

This is a display in Anthropologie. It has to be my most favorite display EVER!!

I mean, look at it!

Bunny candle stick holders. I wanted a whole army of these...

Pretty lights in our hotel lobby.

I just accidentally deleted my last photo which was a face-down shot taken in the hotel lobby and I am feeling far too lazy to fix it... so, I'll post it later.
Since I've been home I have been feeling a bit run down. Very little energy. And yet I had to jump immediately back into work. I spent all day Tuesday glazing and today I get to open up the kiln and see what kind of pieces I have to offer tomorrow. I played around with several new glazes and glazing techniques so I am really keeping my fingers crossed that they came out lovely and not not-lovely. I'll try to put up a preview later today. :)

Studio time

2011-01-20T20:41:00.006-05:00

I spent all day at the studio today getting my next batch of pieces ready to bisque fire. I even made several dozen more pieces after these were all sanded. I was feeling THAT ambitious.

My goal is to have a Friday, January 28th, Extra shop update, as long as I get all my glazing done on Tuesday. I'll try to post preview photos on Thursday as soon as I take them out of the kiln.

And here is a parting photo of forlorn doggy, Nebu. She gets very sad when Maryanne leaves the studio and whimpers and whines like a big furry baby. I had to give her two treats after she looked at me with such sadness in her eyes. Then I realized that this is her normal "give me treats" face. And then I realized that this is her normal FACE face.

Dogs have that whole pathetic-me-shower-me-with-treats thing down to a science.

Seeing the clay & and a sneak peek..

2011-01-19T21:10:00.000-05:00

I have finally put several pairs of Valentine-ish earrings in my Big Cartel shop. I started these pieces a few weeks ago, you may recall, and just today I made the ear wires. And.... I love them.

There is something so pleasing about unglazed porcelain. Perhaps it is the potter in me, but I know I am not alone when I say that I have dumped more than a few cups of coffee on myself after turning someone's pottery cup over to see 1. who made it and 2. what kind of clay and firing methods were used. I like to see the clay.

From time to time I am asked "why don't you glaze the back of your pieces?" The answer is simple. I want to see the clay. For me, that is part of the experience of buying/wearing/using ceramic jewelry/components. Just as I look at the bottom of a cup to see what it is made of, I want to see that history in my pieces as well.

I really love these little heart earrings. Very simple yet elegant. I made them in two different styles; a hook ear wire and a hoop, which I oxidized to a nice dark gray finish. The matte black you see is a stain that I rubbed in and then wiped off to give it that wonderful antique look that I like so much.

They can be found here.

In other news... I have been playing around with my new riveting ribbon technique that all started with this piece. On this piece I am using a beautiful 3" wide ribbon. I'm really enjoying "sculpting" the ribbon; coaxing it to bend and fold the way I want it to. It's part dressmaking, part jewelry making. I can't wait to see how it comes out!

Face-down Tuesday - 1.18.11

2011-01-18T14:48:00.003-05:00

The weather kept me from going to the studio today so I had to take my face-down shot at home. This is now my favorite FD shot yet! Not because I have dared to show the world one of the many cluttered corners of my house (this is actually the LEAST cluttered room in my house..... yes, I know...), but because my sweet little bunny, Emma, decided to show up at the top of the stairs. I set my camera timer to take three shots and two of them captured this little fat bunny looking at me. I just love that little furry thing! :)

Click on the photo to see Emma a little better.
And for those who have no idea why I photograph myself face-down on Tuesdays... Check out the Flickr group to see more crazy people. :)

EXTRA Shop Preview - Update Tomorrow!

2011-01-13T16:15:00.009-05:00

I got everything done, whew! And I am very pleased with all of it. Yay! So, that means that tomorrow, Friday, at noon Eastern Standard Time, I will do an Extra shop update.

Above are all of the limited edition dragonflies that I am offering this time around. They have been one of signature pieces in my own jewelry for several years and now I am giving you a chance to have one. There are 20 of them and this is the only time I will ever be offering these pieces so.... ya know...

As you can see I glazed many different colors. There is certainly something that will appeal to everyone. I personally love this purple one. :)

These are wonderful large connectors/pendants. They are made to use vertically. Very modern and simple, but bold, don't you think?

This is my idea of a Valentines component. It's a large circle (about 2" in diameter) with little hearts cut out all the way around. It's a very versatile piece - you can attach a chain, cord, or whatever you want in any number of ways. As always, more holes means more fun!

This batch of shards features a sweet little flower design. And something new for the shards: some of them have two holes so that you can use them as a connector (bracelet, maybe...)or dangle something from the bottom. Yay!

Here is a fun little batch of buttons! Not one to waste clay, I used the ovals I cut out for the large oval connector pieces, flattened them a little and put two holes in. Waste not, want not, I always say...

And here are some more hearts. These have a funky texture going on. Very zig zaggy.

I need some feedback on this last group of pieces. As you can see they are made up of broken dragonfly pieces. I made extras just in case some broke when I was sanding them, as I knew they would since these pieces are sooooo fragile before they are bisque fired. However, I really like the broken pieces so I continued to finish them and thought they might be pretty cool as wing fragments. What do you think? Should I list them in the Extra shop? Does anyone else find them as interesting as I do?

So that is the preview! I will begin listing at noon, my time, tomorrow in my EXTRA shop. Click here! Just so there is no confusion, this is my Big Cartel shop. I am no longer selling components on Etsy. My apologies to anyone who was waiting over at that shop last time. If you would like to see things as I list them please join me over on Facebook. I don't think you have to have an account to see my business page, though I may be wrong, so come on over! :)

Can we talk about food for a moment?

2011-01-12T18:23:00.002-05:00

(Photos by ixeniya)

The other day while cruising around on Flickr I came across these photos from one of my contacts. As some of you know I have been doing a cleanse since the first of the year. I've been eating veggies and fruit. Fruit and veggies. An occasional egg. More veggies and fruit...

It is safe to say that I am more than little tired of veggies and fruit. I feel fantastic, however, so it has been well worth it. My energy is through the roof and all my usual food allergy problems have gone away. BUT, I want chicken in the worst way. So, at this very moment I have a whole chicken slow cooking away in my new crock pot AND I have rosemary bread baking in my bread machine. The smell in my house is MAKING ME CRAZY. I am drooling (seriously) as I wait for the chicken to be done (30 more minutes!!!!).

Back to the above photos. It was love at first sight. I mean.... a bread "boat" filled with some sort of crumbly cheese topped with an EGG!!! Holy crap, I need to know how to make this!!! (I am fairly certain that everything tastes better with an egg placed on top and I actually seek out foods that have eggs on top. I've been thinking about starting a support group for other "Eggs on Top" enthusiasts but I fear I might be the only member.) Anyhoo, I asked the woman who made this creation what it is called and she replied "Ajarian khachapuri." It's a Georgian dish. I will make this soon. I must.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

OK, I had to stop and eat and let me tell you.... the chicken and the bread were awesome. Just what I needed. I found the chicken recipe on Cathie Filian's blog and it couldn't be any easier or delicious. Not only do you end up with a perfectly cooked, tender chicken but then you can make stock right in the same pot. Love that! The rosemary bread recipe came via my friends Ken and Don who found it here. I just ate half the loaf. It's that good.

Soooo, I'm done chatting about food. I got my fix and I feel satisfied. Time for tea, some snuggling with the bunnies and sleep, sleep, sleep. :)

Face-down Tuesday - a day late...

2011-01-12T09:19:00.002-05:00

This was actually taken yesterday, so it is a true Face-down Tuesday photo. I'm just a little late getting it up here.

This was another self portrait so I had to set the camera on the hood of my car and run like mad to get in place. One thing I didn't anticipate was how slippery that little roof would be. I slid off right after the photo was taken.

BTW, all of those little garbage cans are used in Raku firing. Once the pots are removed from the kiln they are placed in a can which is filled with shredded paper or sawdust. The paper bursts into flames, lots of carbon is produced and magic things happen. :)

Chances are good that I am a slob

2011-01-09T19:02:00.005-05:00

Well, this is hardly news, especially to anyone who knows me. I am a bit of a slob, there is no denying it. Some find that hard to believe since my work is very clean and tidy looking. But, it's true. Today I had to laugh at myself when I realized that the clothes I was wearing are the same clothes I have been wearing in the studio for years now. I have washed them, don't get alarmed, thought not too often. Ha! I kid, I kid...

There was a time when the shoes in the photo above were new and awesome and I thought I was very awesome for owning them. Now they are ripped and worn and stained with clay and glaze. They still work, though, so they won't be going anywhere anytime soon. One of these days I would like to get myself a new pair (that I would NOT wear in the studio), though after seeing how much they have gone up in price I don't think that will be happening right away. (Of course, it has been about 11 years since I bought mine.. the price was bound to go up by now...)

I've had this Black Flag sweatshirt for at least ten years, probably more, and it is still one of my favorites. I wear it to the studio a lot and have been for years. I looked though some of my photos on Flickr and laughed when I saw nearly two years ago to the day I was wearing this same sweatshirt in the studio. Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :)

While me and my slobby clothes were in the studio today we got a ton of work done. Above is a sneak peak at what I am getting ready for my next Extra update. Those of you who have followed my work for a while will recognize the dragonflies. They are one of my early signature pieces. For years people have asked me if they could buy them to use in their own jewelry and I have always refused. But now I am giving everyone a chance to get one!! Woo-hoo!! It will be a limited edition run of just 20 pieces. And then I will never make them again. Except for me. :)

My goal is to have them ready to list on Friday. As long as the weather here in upsate NY cooperates and I can get in to get everything glazed in time, that is the plan. I will post a definitive date and time once I know for sure.

New shop, new work!

2011-01-07T12:08:00.008-05:00

I've opened a new jewelry shop! Why? Well, let me tell you... I will still keep my Etsy shop open but quite honestly the fees are killing me. Big Cartel is so much more manageable and I have really enjoyed using it for my component shop.

My goal with my new shop is to put more one-of-a-kind pieces in it, so that means that all of the pieces I have been showing here on the blog lately are going in the new shop along with some new porcelain creations (including this, this, this and this).

Like this gorgeous pair of earrings which I call Drops of Victoria. This is a very fussy red glaze that doesn't always come out red and often times I end up with two earring pieces that don't match. So I was extra delighted to have this pair come out SO red and beautiful.

This is another larger pair I call Elegant Blossoms. Fabulous detail!

And some of you might recognize this design from my last component update. I love them as earrings! I call them Edwardian Romance.

Check out my new shop and tell me what you think. It's pretty bare right now but I will be working on it. Eventually it will be integrated into my website, which is something I look forward to. Big plans for the coming year... time to get going!

Challenge for ME - 1st Piece!

2011-01-05T14:51:00.011-05:00

Here we go - the very first piece from my Challenge for ME challenge (need to work on that name...). The first piece I made is a bracelet. This is actually the very first thing I envisioned when I saw the pulls at the antiques market and I am just thrilled with the way it turned out. I'll take you through the steps I took in order to complete the piece. To see the original drawer pulls take a look here.

First I used my jewelers saw to cut the central medallion away from the side pieces. Then I figured out where I wanted my holes for jump rings and drilled them with a hand drill. I used my Euro Power Punch tool to punch out the center hole in the center of the medallion. All rough edges were filed at this point with needle files to remove any sharps points.

I wanted something really special for the center of the medallion and I think this antique button fit the bill.

Here is a back view so you can see how I attached the button. Nothing too fancy, I just took two cotter pins off of a few antique buttons and they work very nicely to hold the button in place. And since the medallion is domed the pins are up higher and won't touch the wearer or be annoying in any way.

The next step was to curve the side pieces. I used a small jar that holds beads to gently form the the pieces. Then I dug through my mother-of-pearl button stash and was thrilled to discover a matching pair with a sweet little floral design carved in them. I attached them with wire that I twisted in the back and pushed flush against the metal so it would not be irritating to the wearer.

Lastly I linked some peacock freshwater pearls together to form the rest of the band and connected everything with jump rings. Ta-da! Done! And it fits like a dream...

Once I had my plan of attack in mind the whole thing just kind of fell together. Now, on to the next project! What will it be......... I have no idea....

Face-down Tuesday - 1.4.11

2011-01-04T22:16:00.005-05:00

I was in the studio alone today so I had to take my own face-down shot, which proved to be harder than I thought. Setting the timer and running to jump up on a table was quite the feat and I had to do it a few times in order to get one right. But it was fun and I still laughed out loud even though I was all by myself.

I got a lot done in the way of new pieces. Next up is Valentine's Day so that means hearts. Hearts, hearts, hearts, hearts. I always like hearts so I am happy to have a real reason to make them. These little guys above will be sweet, dainty, girly-girl earrings.

The fast is going well, though it is more of a cleanse at this point. I ended up getting quite the migraine the other day which rendered me useless. I can't be useless so I decided to switch over to a raw veggie and fruit cleanse. In the photo above I was thinking "Should I run out and buy a gigantic peperoni and eat the whole thing in seconds flat?"

I didn't do it. Instead I ate a salad the size of Rhode Island and pretended to feel satisfied. :)

A challenge for ME!

2011-01-03T18:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was browsing around the local antique market when I spotted this set of four antique drawer pulls. I come across a lot of antique hardware but rarely does it look me in the face and say "Nancy, you must purchase us and turn us into something so fantastic that it will render all who gaze upon us speechless." Yes! They really said that, I kid you not!

OK, so no, they didn't. I lied. But I did buy them and I have decided to challenge myself. The challenge is this: I will make as much jewelry as I can from these four pieces and their hardware.

The first step was to take them all apart and clean everything up. That wasn't too bad, though I did have to saw a few of the screws in order to get them out. Not too much work, though, and as you can see things are starting to take shape. Seeing the pieces all laid out makes it easier to visualize just what I can do. And. I. Am. Excited! Tee-hee!

My plan is to post each piece as I complete it, so hopefully I will have something done within the next few days. Those who have been reading my blog for a while now know that I am a great starter and a not so great finisher. So.... this will be a challenge to me in more ways that one. But I am determined to do it! So there.

And just to keep me really fresh and uninfluenced please keep your comments free of any ideas. I know that many of you will see these pieces and have a zillion thoughts on what to do (and I love that about you!), but I am really curious to see what I can come up with without any outside influences, so... I'm sure you all understand. :)

I'm off to play with them right now! Wish me luck!

Noon, baby!

2011-01-03T08:43:00.003-05:00

The Round Rabbit Extra shop update will begin at noon - eastern standard time!

Hope to see you there. :)

Caffeine withdrawal is hell on this earth

2011-01-01T15:37:00.007-05:00

I'm on day one of a two week fast. It is something I have done for the past several years - a way to cleanse the body and mind and prepare for the new year ahead. It's not easy, but it's not too bad either. However..... this time around I have a major coffee addiction to kick so the headache I have at this very moment is not showing me a good time, to say the least.

I have been trying to keep myself occupied all day making ear wires, putting together earrings and making this necklace. I'm trying not to look at the two(!) bags of potato chips that are in the kitchen (just because something is on sale doesn't mean you have to buy it...). Anyhoo, I had so much fun making this necklace the other day that I wanted to do another one using the same ribbon technique.

This time around I used some beautiful jasper stone beads and one of my own faceted porcelain beads. I entwined a deep coppery ribbon around the beads and then attached them to a chunky copper chain.

I think it goes rather nicely with the new earrings I made. The darker "ruffle" of the earrings somehow balances the weight in the chain. At least it does to me. But I might be hallucinating at this point, so...

Tassels in porcelain. Pretty cute, huh?

OK, nap time. I'm hoping to sleep through some of this headache. The first few days of a fast are the worst. I can do it! I can do it! I can do it! :)

Round Rabbit EXTRA preview!

2010-12-31T12:30:00.010-05:00

Hear ye, hear ye! I will be doing a Round Rabbit Extra update on Monday, January 3rd! And here is a preview of the pieces I have this time around.

Above is a new design. It's a rectangular link with a very delicate pattern - some with four holes, some with two. I can see this as a focal for a bracelet or as a connector on a multi-strand necklace.

I love these wreathes! They each have two holes, top and bottom. The design possibilities are endless! They would be wonderful in a lariat style necklace or as a fancy toggle..

This is a beautiful connector with three holes. It would be gorgeous as a pendant with one long drop hanging from the center. I plan on making something along those lines myself. :)

Here is a funny little assortment of pieces. I may put these up as one group, or not.. not sure yet...

The pieces above remind me of birds. Very fancy, scrolly, Victorian birds... This piece has three holes and, again, would make a beautiful focal for a necklace or even, when turned sideways, an interesting focal for a multi-strand bracelet.

This particular design is one from my own jewelry line. I call it Petals Upon Petals and I made the mold from an antique black glass mourning button. Two holes make it an excellent and versatile connector piece.

Here are some of those odd beads that I made a little while ago. I really like how they came out! I decided to glaze all but the center so there is a nice contrast in textures.

Here is the back of the beads. I didn't get them all glazed so there will be more of these beads in the future. For now, I have three sets of five that will go up on Monday.

I only did one batch of Shards this time around. But they are a pretty batch, for sure!

And finally, I made only four of these larger, extra fancy focals. (Actually, I made five, but I am keeping one cause I fell in love with it.) I just love how romantic and sweet they are. I can just imagine a gorgeous necklace with satin ribbon and pearls....

So there you have it! Starting on Monday, sometime in the morning and going all day, I will be placing these pretties in my Extra shop. I will give my usual disclaimer now for any newcomers. Most of you have probably heard this all before so you can stop reading now if you like. :) Here goes:
For those new to Round Rabbit Extra updates.... all of my jewelry component pieces are one-of-a-kinds. I do not make the same designs twice and I do not take special orders. It's a first come, first serve kind of situation so I encourage you to act fast if you see something you like. I cannot hold or reserve pieces. And lastly, I do refund any shipping overcharges for multiple purchases once you are done shopping.

Ta-da! That's it! Have a Happy New Year, everyone!!! Be safe tonight!

Happy fun me love you long play time

2010-12-30T15:22:00.005-05:00

So, the other day I was browsing around Michaels, as I often do, and I came across some new wire that I had never seen before. I don't know if it is new new or just new to me but I can tell you that I screamed like a little girl when I saw it.

This is it! It's DMC Color Infusions Memory Thread and it is used in embroidery. It is a fiber wrapped copper wire that is acid-free, fade resistant and colorfast!

It is fairly soft and bendy so it didn't work so well for wire wrapped links but it coiled and knotted nicely and with some more play time I am sure I will be able to figure out a million more things to do with it (and a way to securely wire wrap with it).

Isn't it pretty? I love to use it as a way to bring in some color and texture.

The rest of this bracelet consists of a lovely selection of glass and stone beads along with some vintage chain and one of my porcelain heart charms. I am so thrilled with how this piece came out and even more thrilled that I have some new wire to play around with. Don't you just love to find new materials that get your creative fire going?

Face-down Tuesday - 12.28.10

2010-12-28T21:47:00.005-05:00

Yay! It's Tuesday again! This week we took things more public. That's me, above, face down in a local Subway restaurant. You gotta click on the photo to zoom in and see the look on the guy's face. Too funny!

After that we ventured on over to the CVS drugstore where Dani hit the floor. The best part about this photo is the fact that the other people in the shot didn't even acknowledge us. Not only was Dani laying on the floor face down but we were laughing uncontrollably the entire time and they didn't even flinch. So odd...

I took one more of Dani - just caused it looked so cool.

Start thinking about some good face-down locations and join in the fun next week!

About two years ago....

2010-12-27T14:49:00.006-05:00

...I made this gigantic blue hollow porcelain bead. I was pretty excited about it. I mean, it's hollow! Those who make ceramic beads might understand my joy (we are an odd bunch who take pleasure in simple things...)

Anyhoo, I have held on to this bead for a few years now, not sure what to do with it. In my typical fashion I have made several pieces with it and have taken them apart, not satisfied with the result. Part of the problem is that it is just so freaking big!

See what I mean? It's a monster.

Then last week, while I was at the hair salon reversing time, I got the idea for this necklace. I used large lava beads (I am determined to use up these beads!), large glass pearls in a lovely gunmetal color and bright green grosgrain ribbon.

I am very pleased with the result and will not be taking this one apart. Yay! The big-ass hollow bead has finally found a home!

Thanks for all the kind comments on my last post. One of you asked for some tips when working with ribbon... I'm probably not the best person to be giving tips since I don't use it too often but the one bit of advice I can give is to use Fray Check on the ends. Not groundbreaking info, I know, but I have found it to be invaluable for keeping the ends nice and clean and crisp. If that is the look you are going for, that is. Use super sharp scissors to make a clean cut and then apply Fray Check to the edges (it will dry invisible) and you won't have to worry about your new creation looking all mangy after a little handling.
That's my tip of the day! Hope someone found it helpful. :)

Show and tell

2010-12-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a nice relaxing holiday. I, for one, am glad it is over. Time to get back to work! Crack that whip!
I thought I would share a few recent pieces that I made for the Jewelry Accord: Call for Contributors that was hosted by co-authors Lorelei and Erin. First up is this beaded number that I strung on hemp cord.

My obsession with carved natural bone and mother-of-pearl beads is in full swing in this piece. I also used lava, natural stone, cyrstal and my own carved faceted porcelain beads.

I love the cluttered feeling created by all of the textures. "Natural Debris" might be a good name for this piece.

I've had the idea for this bracelet for a while. This brings up another of my latest obsessions, rivets. I got a bit rivet happy on this bracelet. And leather happy. Thanks to my shoe-making friend, Margaret, I have about six huge garbage bags full of gorgeous leather scraps. So don't be too surprised at the sudden surge in leather jewelry that will be coming this way. I'm going to challenge myself to come up with some wild stuff. :)

This final necklace uses one of my new bird pieces paired with satin ribbon that I riveted to create some nice folds and shape. I love the way that worked so I definitely have plans to explore that technique a bit more.

I also used one of my friend Kelley's (Kelley's Beads) lampwork eggs. It was the perfect compliment to the bird!

So that's my show and tell for today. Hope you all enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Happy Holidays. :)

2010-12-24T16:41:00.002-05:00

Happy holidays, everyone!

(Yes, I know, I really need to work on my holiday decorating.....)

Chunky Happiness

2010-12-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

This bracelet is making me ridiculously happy right now. I made the chunky square beads a few weeks ago and have been carrying them around like a child with a serious Binky addiction. I made a few things with them and then took everything apart. Several times.

I finally came to this rather simple design that includes just one carved bone bead and a cute little porcelain charm. Copper wire holds it all together.

I am off to the studio to make more chunky beads. I need to feed the addiction!

This bracelet is in the old shop, right here. :)

Face-down Tuesday - 12.21.10

2010-12-21T19:09:00.003-05:00

Happy Face-down Tuesday everyone!! This time around we did a two for one. Those super tiny crazy people laying in front of the steps of the Roberson Museum mansion are me and Dani.

See? There we are! It wasn't nearly as cold as last week, thank God.

Have you joined in the fun yet?? Join the Flickr group!!
(Lorelei did it. Hehehehe...)

Current state of mind

2010-12-20T17:37:00.003-05:00

Loopy.

In other news..... I have been meaning to send out a very big and heartfelt Thank You to everyone who shopped my Extra update last week. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Some of you have contacted me looking for pieces - but, alas, everything sold. So that is why the shop is empty. I am working like a freak to get some new pieces made and will hopefully have some new exciting things to show you all in a week or so. Yay! :)

In the meantime, THIS necklace is now in my jewelry shop. :)