the way it is, and why i love it

so i keep coming here, with proclamations that i am in fact really working, with excuses for the lack of new stuff, and promises of more pieces soon. but really, what i need to say is that i do not know when i will have new pieces for you. and here is the reason why:

i made a very definite choice to have less time to work and more time with my girls. and that is what is happening. and although it is an adjustment, because i do value my time in my shop so very much, it is the right thing and i am so happy that i am doing it. this month is especially crazy because we have been gone every weekend, glenn will be gone this weekend, and then my BIG TRIP starts one week from today!!!

but the new schedule makes it so that two mornings a week i have special dates with just junebug. and two afternoons a week, i have them with hazel. it is wonderful. and although some of that time is spent running errands, etc., it is special because we are together. also, (as those of you who know me personally already know) i really struggle with keeping my house clean; that is something else i am focusing on. so i am just going to apologize one more time, because i do truly wish that i was producing new stuff for you, but at this time i am not, and that is the way it is.

thank you all so very much for your patience, and just think how fun it will be when i DO have new things for you! it will be an occasion! don't give up on me...

denver gem and mineral show!

well, glenn and i had a date today. mimi and pops kept the girls and we went to the denver gem and mineral show, then the wynkoop brewery downtown. it was AMAZING! i spent a lot more than i intended to, that's for sure. but here's what i got:

from top to bottom, left to right: flourite, fossilized algae, picasso jasper, septarian nodules, tiffany stone, cobaltan calcite druzy, crysoprase, prehnite, opal, rocky butte jasper

prehnite and chrysoprase, from australia

and this here is shamus, also from australia. his prices were absolutely incredible!

and some close-ups...

i cannot wait to get home and make some beautiful pieces for you with these new stones!

...tide will bring and tide will take...

so here is the newest "collector's edition" piece. it was a great show piece; everyone wanted to pick it up, feel its weight, and marvel that it was a ring.

there are few things i love more than getting up very early in the morning and going for a nice long walk on the beach to collect seashells and sea glass and any other treasures the tide has brought in. are you a collector? what do you like to look for? maybe it’s a nautilus? or sand dollars? or are you a sea glass kind of girl? whatever it is you search for, don’t you just love the feeling when there it is, among the detritus and ocean debris, hiding under a pile of seaweed? don’t you love the sensation of picking up that piece of the sea and putting into your pail to take home? i made this series to honor that sensation, to help you remember to look for those treasures whenever you can. and to cherish each and every one.

this piece is part of my "collector's edition". it is not called that because i have become terribly arrogant and have decided that folks are lining up to collect my work, it is called that because it is a tribute to all of you collectors out there. the ones who go to the beach with a pail and become elated at all of the treasures, the ones like me.

this particular piece has some lyrics from the a.a. bondy song, slow parade. "tide will bring and tide will take". as my friend who turned me on to bondy said when he saw this piece, the tide will bring and the tide will take, and hopefully you're left with something. it's not gonna be a lot, it's not gonna be what you were mining for, but something weathered and perfected by time. right? so here you go. freshwater pearl (from the pearl farm in tennesse), lake superior agate, and carnelian, amidst all of the bits and pieces that washed up.

you can find this here ring in my shop.

i am in denver now, visiting my parents. my dad had a hip replacement recently and the girls just cheer him up so much. but i really, sincerely, honestly apologize for not having more new pieces for you. i thought i would have more pieces left over after the show. but i promise, soon! thank you so much for being so patient with me.

durango arts festival!

the show was totally amazing, in so many ways!

i had a really great time, met a bunch of wonderful people, and got so much excellent feedback about my work.

i had a perfect spot and the weather was incredible. (i was very inspired by a lot of other folks' booths. my displays that brandon built are beautiful, but now i need to work on the background of the booth and i need to come up with some way to get things up to eye level.)

patty just might be the world's best sales person. she had this wonderful little schpeal that she said, sort of talking about me like i wasn't there, then introducing me, as if i were famous or something. i am not very good at selling my own stuff, but she is amazing! and, because she is so good, i far exceeded the amount of money i had hoped to make. my trip is definitely on!

this sweet little guy just loved this little prehnite with epidote necklace. (you know how i feel about that stone.) i felt like he needed to have it, so i asked his dad if that would be alright and then gave it to him. he was so grateful, and came around the booth to hug me several times before he left.

and i met these incredible ladies, denise and ravelle. i think we will be lifelong friends. their jewelry is family-made by these two and diana's husband, humberto. it is this gorgeous multi-metal, riveted, whimsical stuff. we actually did a trade, which was awesome. they each got a ring. here's what i got:

(don'tcha think?)

teresa (tajones1463.etsy.com) and wayne had a booth there too. we got to go out to dinner afterwards.

this here is jason, an awesome glassblower. he is going to be making me some incredible, small borosilicate glass flower cabs. i am very excited!

this woman's booth was beautiful. i bought myself a lovely mug from her:

i told her i had just "found my voice" and this was perfect for me.

from this guy i bought two kids' books for the girls and a sweet print for glenn of different animals playing instruments. his work was awesome.

i also met a woman who is a metalsmith instructor at UNC. she had such great things to say about my work and invited me to join COMA, colorado metalsmith association. she also bought a ring. and, the "among the white storks" piece prompted several conversations about my upcoming trip. during one such conversation, a woman overheard and said that she lived in san francisco. we talked for a while and by the end she had invited me to stay at her place when i'm there! also, the owners of the only gallery in durango that i've ever thought would be a good fit for my work, azul, asked me if they could carry it! i haven't decided what to do about that yet. it was just a really magical time...

here's what i got...

well, here is what i have for the show: (you may recognize some pieces; they've been at the gallery.)

(yes, i am selling the phoenix bracelet.)

this is a new "collector's edition" piece, which i will show to you in more depth if it doesn't sell this weekend.

please just wish me luck and keep me in your thoughts this weekend! send me good vibes!

i HAVE actually been working...

A LOT. although i've been having fun too, i've been out in the shop super-late every night this week. i've done some custom pieces...

this one for kim

and this one for emily

a flapper bracelet for eileen

and one for deborah.

and these are some pieces that i made for durango this weekend. it's funny; i was so worried before moab about having enough stuff. but with this show, it's been a bit different. i have been so wrapped up with hazel starting school and wanting to squeeze every last drop out of summer that i haven't been too worried about it. i will be fine. (right?)

these are fun; these large pieces of aquamarine and morganite look like sea glass. i love them!

some fun, less expensive necklaces. the chrysoprase one is my favorite.

i have some other pieces as well, but i want there to be some surprises for you! i will let you know how it goes.

pagosa folk festival!

we had a wonderful weekend! lots of great music, good time with old friends, meeting lots of new friends, making a lot of music, late nights around the campfire. i know you will find it hard to believe, but i didn't take very many pictures. here are the ones i did take:

hazel and her sweet buddy, jackson

oh, junebug...

check these guys out!

the bounce house was the savior!

these guys, the black lillies, were incredible.

another new friend of hazel's, miley

anne and pete sibley. i cried through their entire set.

this her is sarah jarosz. she is 19 years old and an INCREDIBLE singer/ songwriter. and, please note that she has my exact guitar!

i hope that you all had wonderful weekends too! i am now busy getting ready for the durango arts festival this weekend. i will share some pictures with you soon!