Happy New Year!

Ok. So I tend to run on the rather "late" side of things. Happy belated new year. This past year was such an eventful one. (Maybe they all are and it just feels like this at the end?)


I did get laid off in the spring, and as a result, had a glorious (ha! read "jobless", "moneyless") summer in the sun to relax, regroup, and work on projects. I feel that I was able to accomplish so much more, finally having the time to myself to work on my funny ideas.

The best thing that came from my time was the time I was able to spend with my jewelry teacher in helping her with her own commissioned work. It was a great times spent with many creative peoples. I learned so much and really earned some confidence in my abilities. *sigh*

Now onto what I actually did you say? Good idea.

This is the grouping that I brought to my studio group's holiday fair this past December. I am very proud of what I brought to the table this year. I really did try and push myself to come up with something newer and different. Something that is still jewelry, but maybe more unexpected. These copper barrettes and tiny hair clips were my solution. As my hair has grown SO much this year (for lack of funding for the cutting, I suppose), making these hair ornaments fit perfectly. I took many of my inspirations from Art Nouveau design books, and architectural elements I come across in my travels. With my camera always in my bag, I'm ready for inspiration always.

I am still amazed that pieces in my group sold. Sadly though, I didn't get the chance to have a proper photo shoot with them in someone's hair before the show. (Maybe next year I'll have them completed early enough to do that? eh. Maybe,)

I'm still onto copper and all the fun things I can do with it now. Maybe bobby pins? I love the look of something sparkly in a big wavy mash-up of hair. Practice. Practice.

A challenge has been thrown at me: Create a tiara with the flower designs I've already created, in silver, for my sister's upcoming wedding. "Will she chicken out? Will she succeed? Will her sister pick a dress that doesn't match the design at all and she will need to start all over again?"

We can only wait, watch and wonder.

**Please do check out my Flickr page as I've got lots more close-up photos of the individual clips. The light as it shines on the re-heated copper is just lovely.**

Have a happy!

Oh My Gosh!

So I've been busy... and obviously, not on the computer enough!

Here are some of my recent achievements:

This is a fun hair clip that I designed based on a book of Art Deco designs. I love the look and feel of that style, it's whimsical feel and order in line. I changed it a bunch to fit my plan, but I love how this first try came out! This one is to be a present for a friend, but I've got to copy it a few times before it gets sent on.

I'm loving this process so much I've already 3 more designs in the works!

Next one's a silly one:
My friends had a young son recently, and though I'm not sure they noticed, the young guy's initials are "B.A.D.". I couldn't let that one go by, especially as his dad is anything but a crazy bad dude. It was to originally just go on a tiny tee shirt, but when I found this cute (GLOW-IN-THE-DARK!) skeleton pjs outfit, I thought of a better plan.

The hat is made out of simple black acrylic yarn (best for washing!) and the iron-on transfers were found at my local JoAnn's Fabric. It was printed using my regular old printer. Not too messy, but the ironing was a bit tricky - though that might be due to my EXTREME love of ironing.  (Did you catch the sarcasm just there?)

The skeleton on the hat was crocheted and embroidered on. I made the pattern up to suit my purpose, so I'm not really sure what it was at the moment, but it worked.  I added a simple drawstring through holes so the hat can be worn sized for longer. Here's a closeup of the skeleton:

One more fun Halloween project that was finished:

My sister made the plan for this scarf based on a photo she had seen of a similar project online. We each knit 5 triangles of 3 different colors, and then we pieced them together haphazardly. The grey stitches at the end were the fun part as they didn't need to be exact. Messy makes them look better in my opinion. It was a fun project as the colors were bright and cheery and the pieces were super fast moving to make. The only bugger part was the piecing them all together....(my sister was in grad school at the time and dumped her knitted pieces on my doorstep. it's been waiting to be completed for some time.)

Fall / Winter Mash

It turned Fall rather quickly here in the woods. I was wearing shorts and tanks, what, 3 weeks ago? No jacket until last week, and then SNOW this weekend?

I am still mourning the sunshine of summer.

Having had the summer off from work, I've been working on more projects - or, rather, completing hanger-on ones. It's so nice to complete something on your "To Do" list. Right?

I'll be posting photos of my newly completed projects soon as well as my new favorite item: My Knitted Alligator. The pattern should be ready to roll out within the next few weeks. As it's my first, I want to make sure that all gaps have been filled and nothing is amiss.

For now, I'll tidy up my summer garden, pack up all of the seeds I've gathered, and go put out more seed for the birds. Maybe some for the squirrels too.

Super Things are Happening!

This copper pin was designed with a "Thank You" in mind. My metalsmithing teacher had a large commission project this summer that I had the great privilege of helping out with. As the deadline loomed closer, we were in dire need of some spectacular ribbon for the packaging. This gentleman Stan of nearby Windsor Button helped us track down what we needed, following up with phone calls to suppliers and to myself. To have a level of customer service that high deserves recognition and a huge THANKS!

I and my teacher dropped it off to him one recent Saturday. It was so nice to be able to thank someone in person. To say the least, he was shocked. A very nice moment.

After taking the end of August off for a vacation trip with my sister, I've had lots of beautiful experiences and shared moments with friends. I've lots to post of current work in progress and will be on again soon.

Princess Couture

A good friend has a young daughter who has a deep love for tutus. Who can blame her? What's not to love about twirling in circles, and watching the colors and texture swirl by? I figured, what better way to cap off a fairy princess attire than with a crown and wand?

I designed the crown and wand with the idea that a girl would play in and with them for hours, and pointy edges were kept at a minimum. The crown is entirely in acrylic yarn, so washing is not a problem. The wand, as it required prettier, sparklier yarns, it less washing-machineable, but is cushioned at the end, and the star is stuffed like a pillow. Hopefully, there is enough cushion to keep fairy princesses from knocking their little sisters cold!

Here is The Princess in my 1 allowed minute of photo-op. She's a busy princess. Places to go, people to see. Clearly, quite bored with my camera already, she allowed one more shot after this before the wand came down on my head, alerting me that time was indeed up.

 As the day played on and the yarn stretched out, I had to make a few alterations, reminding me that kids teach us durability and strength a lot faster than we can research on our own.

Now to see if  I can replicate the 2 again.....

One Creative Summer

Spring and Summer have flown by, but I've been keeping really busy!
The above knitted owl is an original design that I have been working on for a friend's son. He turned one in June, so he needed a special gift from me. This pattern was created using knitting and crocheting techniques. It was a lot of fun in creating and designing - and even more fun to watch it being loved and enjoyed!

I've been finishing up a few silver projects as well that I hope to post shortly. This summer brought about a big project for my metalsmithing teacher, as well as unemployment for me. It was only luck that allowed me to work with this professional metalsmith, gaining knowledge and experience. Well worth the time spent!

The Flickr page has just been updated with new photos of all recent projects. I've updated from February to August, so be sure to see what's new in all 4 categories. *phew* I'm tired just remembering it all!

Tweedy Warmth

So. I'm feeling mighty victorious. I've conquered a hurdle. It was a really small hurdle, but gosh darn it. It's conquered!

That's right! I finished a birthday present in LESS THAN A WEEK after the actual BIRTHDAY! Oh yay! Oh Happy Dance! (I'm actually sneaking some birthday cake in as we speak. Or type. Yes. type.)

My father is one of those gentlemen, that when walking around Galway in Ireland will get stopped and asked for directions. He's that old school looking. He's the "Irish wool cap and wool sweater with tie" kinda guy. And that's what I started with in my search for a perfect scarf for him.

I wanted something warm and cable-y that would loop around him a few times, while still looking distinguished. So I did just that. I've 2 small cables and one larger in the middle. Very simple, but with very (for me!) tiny yarn.

Doesn't it look just snuggy! I love the way it turned out, and my old man looks just charming in it. Now if I can get the ol' bugger to stand still for a minute, I'll post his mug wearing it. Stay tuned.....