Studio Update

Here we go, another month breezing by.  I have piles of inventory and will be updating my ArtFire studio momentarily, but wanted to take just a moment and share pictures of a little of what I've been doing..Many of my pieces will be going to consignment, so if something catches your eye, contact me quick.   I am really pleased to be working with Christine and will update with links and pics on my next post.  Meanwhile, here we go!.

Edwardian enamel reconstructed earrings...

Edelweiss enamel flowers, little sterling bells...

Vintage jacks and antique glass beads.

Bracelets, bracelets, and more bracelets...

 Nouveau brass heart, NOT a reproduction....and an amazing brass cross with a pocket knife.   Ironic.

I don't often keep my own pieces, but this hand carved Victorian bone castle necklace is calling to me...and I've pondered it's construction for months...we'll see...

Love and blessings to anyone kind an patient enough to stop here....

Lis~

Palette Pondering and What Happened to May?

I haven't been here in quite some time and it makes me a little twitchy!  I like to blog, I like to read others...and I've missed this very much.  So!  Cowboy Poetry was a success for me, a very respectable quantity of my work went riding off into the sunset, I had a birthday back then and it was made so lovely and special by my best peeps, and then the rest of the month...well, I wouldn't go back there for all the coffee in Costa Rica.  Major creepiness with a rental property (not ours, but in the family) but I think we're d.u.n.  Pretty much.  Being kept away from the studio makes it all the sweeter when I finally do get back, and I spent a couple of days catching up on some custom work.  Today I just puttered and pondered and piled palettes.  So this what I have to show you after my stress workout.  Palettes...

Design work happens for me in different ways.  Sometimes I sketch, sometimes I pile things up, but no matter, it's always an evolution process.  These pictures are just beginnings.

Tourmalines, one of my all time favorites.

I found this old celluloid cat brooch and think the grossular garnet and smoky quartz might be the thing with the chalcedony...ponder ponder.

Carnelian, faceted citrines, antique carved bone and a yummy old reverse painted glass brooch....sigh.  I've set a tintype into a cavity on the reverse of the focal.

I am thinking that the matching brooches will soon be earrings, and kyanite drops with antique mother of pearl just has to work in....

I'm pretty anxious to get to work on this one....the focal has an amazing story to tell.

These little "ponder piles"...well....some will be realized and some will have to wait for that perfect little bit that I must locate, or construct...the only thing I know for certain is that it feels really fine to sit here and be still......

I've missed you!

Cowboys Incoming

Jeesh, I hesitate to use the words "Cowboy Poetry Festival" since Harry Reid shot his mouth off and was so roundly criticized for it.  Taxpayers money supporting the Arts and all that.....and this event isn't even the HUGE festival they have in Elko every year....only the second annual for us, we loved the experience last year.  May 4-8   and we have no expectations but some relative level of hope for a successful event.  Nevada has been hit really hard in this economy.  Foreclosures are still very common and everyone knows someone or several someones' who are out of work and/or have lost their homes amd more.

The music and poetry are just a bit of what happens,  a small part of our culture here, and if you're local I highly encourage you to head on out.  The weather is purported to be fabulous. I will be peddling my handmade wares, the antique store will be open, and so many interesting things are going on!  Wonderful art, the Native Americans (Indians) will be in front of our antique store selling their legendary Indian Tacos and in the Mason's Hall next door they'll have Arts and Crafts demonstrations and goods for sale. Activities and events are spread all over town.

I've been diligently working on my inventory all winter and this will be my first opportunity to put some things out to the public that haven't been listed in my ArtFire studio.  My focus has been on a more organic, simpler line of affordable adornment though I do liberally scatter rhinestones around out of habit and necessity.  If you do come around, be sure to stop by and say Hey, Hiya, Howdy or something!

Always some element of sparkle, I'd have to hide my rhinestones from myself to work without them ever...

Happiest of Mother's Day,and my heartfelt prayers up for tornado victims.

 Now....where did I put my boots?

Princess Sophie

Sophalicious, Sophanocious, Snowfie....Personal property of my parentals, I call her a number of things but she is without a doubt, royalty.  If she'd cooperate, I have the perfect little tiara that would look so fine on her funny little head...but even getting these pictures were a challenge.  Getting up there in years, it's been a little rough for her of late.  When she went to have her teeth cleaned recently, they removed three of them...then it was determined that her trachea is collapsing and the liver isn't working so well....so I am a little nervous when I dog-sit ...we're off this afternoon to see Dr. Bob again...She is funny, smart, particular, spoiled, well behaved, playful, enormously provenant, cute as a bugs ear and no bigger than a minute. 

Pops and the Princess

My own dog (not pictured) is a geriatric patient so they rub along fairly well together...

till next time!

Tailspin

This piece, which I had barely finished and photographed, flew out of here yesterday with my oldest daughter.  I had named it Tailspin.

Ah well, a match made in heaven.....it suits her tremendously.

Tailspin.

I had just finished up a little pile of pounded and patinaed prototypes as well, she wanted one of the keytags, but I had designed those as a potential gift for a specific person.  A relative who is indeed working on an epic moustache.  What do you think?  Will he like?

This one above is the sleepy eyed version.

This one is after caffein...

Playing with metal makes me really happy.

So that's about it for now.  I have a little gathering of spring themed earrings to list tonight, reconstructed from old cufflinks, and some gemmylicious drops...but I won't be away for long.  I need to tell you about the houseguest I have coming tomorrow....Princess Sophie....

til' next time!

Lis~