Green is the color for Week 32

Here is a pair of malachite earrings from last weeks group. I decided to use jump rings instead of wrapping with wire. They will be able to move and sway easier on the jump rings.

This is one of three pair of green earrings I made this week. I don't know why. Maybe I'm really wanting Spring to come. We have no snow here and can see green all around in the trees and grass. *shrugs* Perhaps my Muse likes green this week.

Another Week Done...

...only 20 more to go. This is one pair of earrings from last week. A bunch of berries for your lobes.

Week 30 !

Wow...that's 207 pairs of earrings! Am I insane for doing this? Or just extremely addicted to the beads?

Here is a pic of today's pair. I got some new beads in the mail yesterday and I LOVE these. Handmade lampworked beads in ten different colors and two different designs. I'll have to be very creative so I can get all of the colors into the earrings.

January 23

Oops & Roller Girl

I have completely forgotten to get my earrings up for last week. It's been a busy week this week. The puppy went in to the vet for dew claw removal and to snip his "buds". I've been playing nurse and babysitter. Also, my sweet little mother in law was not feeling very well, so HB got her to the doctor. It turns out she has shingles. She will be fine with medication. At 91, we do worry.

Life is going to be busy this year. Wy'east Artisans Guild has tapped me to be Treasurer for this year and Portland Art Collective has asked me to step into the Finance Committee chair for our annual Open Doors Show. And I thought I'd just sail through this year and work on bead competition pieces. Yeah, right, maybe next year.

I did get a chance to make one of my Roller Girl dolls for a doll show at our local library. Each doll starts out with a paint roller body, tennis ball head, sisal rope neck and light switch cover for feet. This is a fun doll to make because everything to create her is from the hardware store. I shop our local Ace Hardware and have a great time confusing the sales people. "A doll from hardware?" teeheehee

Her head is covered by cheese cloth and I also use it to make her shawl. Untwisted mason line is her hair. Wire is wrapped around her body to make her arms. Rags from t-shirt material was wrapped around her bodice and arms to fill her out and an emergency blanket was cut up to make her pleated skirt. She stands on a large electrical box cover which is on a smaller electrical box. RG's crown is a PVC drain filter wrapped with Duck Brand duct tape, on top is an acrylic night light part and small tile spacers, which are also on her shawl. Everything is held together by hot glue. Lots and lots of hot glue.

Roller Girl - Before


Roller Girl - After

I had the greatest time playing with all my hardware to create this doll. I will be making more of these Roller Girls later this year. Next time, instead of leaving parts in their original form, I will use paints and other colorants I find at the hardware store to add some color for more personality.

New Online Auction Shop Open

I've finally gotten my shop open with just a few auctions ready, (still filling up the pages). I'm selling all those earrings that I've been making. Each auction will be a week in the challenge. That's seven pair of earrings per auction. I decided to start off with a minimum price of $3.50 and hope that the prices go up.

Actually, I'm hoping the prices will go way up because I'm taking all the proceeds of the sales and dividing them between two charities. A Place to Bark and Cat Adoption Team are no-kill shelters for cats and dogs who need loving homes. I've grown up with cats and dogs all my life and having just lost our sweet Bear in September, I wanted to help these great places.

To see what I have up for auction, click here - Z'annes Bazaar take a look around and have some fun spending some money. Valentine's Day IS coming up soon. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Please pass this along to all the animal lovers you know, after the holidays is always a hard time.

NOTE: I am not in any way affiliated with either organization.

YOWZA ! ! !

Half way through the year! Week 26 is now on the page and I'm feeling rather accomplished. This has been a real challenge to make a pair of earrings every day and not duplicate. I may be using the same style over and over, but not the same beads. I've also learned that I have a WHOLE lot of beads I've forgotten about. I have purchased beads for this particular project, but most of the beads I've used are from years of collecting because I was going to use them in another project. So, this is a good way to use them up and start over again. (wink, wink, buy, buy)

I'm starting a new store at OnLine Auction so I can offer these earrings up to the public to help a couple of very needy charities. More on them coming later. Still working on getting the store up and running. I'm trying to get it open next weekend. Wish me luck!

I was a bad girl

With all the fatigue and chaos that goes with putting on our show, I forgot to make my earrings every day last weekend. I did, however, make three pair on Sunday to make up for Friday and Saturday. I think it will be the only time in this year-long project that this will happen. I hope. One never knows what may come.

I did finally get my pictures up on the Earrings 365 page tonight. My entire schedule is all messed up. I have a Christmas party to go to tomorrow, a board meeting on Friday, Saturday holds family stuff and a partridge in a pear tree.

...and so starts the season. Merry Christmas!

The Show....

...turned out great last weekend and all of us had a FABULOUS time! I'd like to thank the PAC member who took pictures of all of our booths, because I completely forgot my camera.

My Booth

The weather turned out cold, but mostly clear and we got a lot of people coming in to see us. Portland Art Collective has pictures of all the booths from the sale on the blog. Check out the coolness that is PAC. If you couldn't make it this year, we missed you, get your calendar marked for next year. The first Friday and Saturday in December is when we will be at the Multnomah Art Center. Christmas is so much more special when presents are handcrafted.

We are already planning new artful goodness for next year. Come early, stay late and take home the best in original art, direct from the artist's hands.

Open Doors

This coming Friday and Saturday I will be part of a fantastic art show. There will be 24 of us crazy artists, from Portland Art Collective, selling our art at the Multnomah Art Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland. This is the fourth year we've done this. As we continue these shows, our customers turn into collectors and then our friends. It's great to see familiar faces returning to support our local artists.

If you can make it, come by to say "Hi!" and stroll through the doors to see what's new.

Phew!

I have been VERY busy getting ready for the Portland Art Collective Open Doors show. It opens this next Friday, December 3rd and goes through the next day, Saturday, December 4th. Check the link to see more info on the show and the great artists that are involved.

Anyway...I just spent the last few days organizing and pricing each and every piece of art I am bringing. Next comes the set up. I have a place in the barn that I have traced out and will figure out how to get the "bones" set up for the display. This is the most important part of any show, how to display the wares to the best advantage. Sigh..busy, busy, busy.

This is always exciting and very tiring for me, but I enjoy each and every moment!

Don't forget to check out my latest on my Earrings 365 page. I've been having fun with my beads this last week!

Oh My Goodness!

I can't believe this month is over! The last four weeks went whizzing by. At the first of the month I attended Art & Soul classes. Had The Best Time and learned some new techniques. (If you ever get the chance to take a class with Keith Lo Bue or Richard Salley, take it! They are some of the best teachers and fun guys, too!) Went on another art retreat with my other art group, Portland Art Collective, meetings for business, art, family and then...there was Andy.

Getting Bigger By The Day

He takes so much of our time, just like any baby/toddler. He is learning not to bite so much and my bruises are slowly going away. He is just too fun and too busy!

During all this crazy month I have been making my earrings. Every day, one pair a day, minimum. Here is my pair for today...I hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

14 Weeks

Wow! That's a long time to make a pair of earrings a day and I'm having a blast doing it. There have been some flashy ones, crazy ones, plain ones, fishy ones and all sorts of others. This morning I tried to think of a new pair without duplicating. This is going to be the challenge in this project. I guess that means I have to buy a bunch of new beads to avoid that. Oh, the sacrifices I make for my art. ;)

Here is a pair I made on September 30th. I wanted to change things up and play around with wire and wood. As the leaves fall, I will be out looking for small pieces of woodland to incorporate into more of my earrings.



38 more weeks to go! Stay tuned and check out the new weekly postings at Earrings 365

New Diet and Exercise Program

New Puppy is the first ever interactive diet and exercise program!

This little guy has both of us running and playing and so tired out that we don't even want to eat, let alone cook anything. I forgot how much a new "baby" can take up all your time and energy. *YAWN* It hasn't even been a full two weeks yet, either!

You can't tell by this picture, but he has grown longer and lankier in that short time period, too. The best part is, he didn't take very long to make himself at home. He knows his name now and comes when we call, most of the time. Andy discovered the cat. She hisses, he barks...it's funny from my point of view. The cat on the other hand is NOT pleased. Lucky for her, Andy is not allowed in the house yet. He is happy in the shop and that's where he'll be until he is fully potty trained.

Keeping an eye out for that overly-hyper fuzzy "Thing".

Portland Art Collective September Giveaway

The Archeologist's FindYou Could Win This Necklace!

If you want a chance to win it, go to Portland Art Collective and post a comment about the necklace. A winner will be picked at the end of the month and it might be YOU! We will contact you by email for your shipping info then. Good Luck! Sorry to say, PAC members are ineligible to enter this give away.

Turquoise is one of my favorite stones to work with. It is such a powerful stone and paired with copper and coral, it reminds me of ancient jewelry worn by great royalty from long gone civilizations.

History of Turquoise
Turquoise is a stone that has been prized for many years. The ancient Egyptians used turquoise in jewelry. Turquoise is greenish-blue or pale sky blue. The name means "Turkish stone" as it came to Europe by way of Turkey. Turquoise was mined more than 6,000 years ago in Sinai. The best turquoise comes from Iran, but not much is exported now. Much turquoise comes from Mexico and the United States today.

Turquoise Gemstone meaning
Turquoise is one of the oldest protection amulets, and was also known as a symbol of wealth in many ancient cultures.

Strength, protection from harm, psychic sensitivity and connection to the spirit world

If given a turquoise by a loving friend, that stone would protect the wearer from negative energy and bring good fortune. The turquoise is the symbol of friendship. It also brings peace to the home.

This stone is a very personal and meaningful stone to one who wears it. Turquoise takes on the characteristics of the owner.

Turquoise carries great wisdom of basic truth within it. It is one of the oldest stones known. This is a stone that a person must learn to attune to instead of the stone attuning to the person. It is important that the owner of a Turquoise give it the proper attention.

Healing properties of Turquoise

Neutralizes overacidity
Alleviates rheumatism, gout, stomach problems, viral infections
Increases growth, muscular strength
Alleviates pain, relaxes cramps
Contains anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects
Application: should be worn on the solar plexus

Use with copper to increase the power of turquoise.


Red Coral meaning
Coral has been called the 'garden of the sea'. It was once believed to be a plant, but is now known to actually contain living animals called polyps. Coral is the result of accumulated skeletal masses from these polyps. Red is considered the most sought after color but coral also can be found in pink, white, yellow and black.

Records dating back thousands of years confirm that coral was used in decorative art objects. It was believed to prevent ill fortune and offer protection from skin disease when worn as a necklace. Dreams about coral are believed to foretell recovery from a long illness. Ancients believed that Mars was composed of red coral.

Coral is a good aid for meditation or visualization.

Healing properties of coral
Coral symbolizes life and blood force energy. Dark red coral is used for heating and stimulating the bloodstream. Pink shades restore harmony to the heart. It is used as an aid to depression, lethargy or deficient nutrition.

Sources of coral
Locations where coral can be found include the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Australia, the South Pacific, the waters of Japan, and Africa.

Copper meaning
Any stone set in copper or used with copper with have an enhanced energy field. Copper even enhances the energy of silver and gold. There are some stones that are very powerful when used with copper. These stones are:

Azurite
Chrysocolla
Malachite
Turquoise

Copper is a healing metal
Copper has long been used as a healing metal, especially for arthritis and rheumatism. Copper has been used with blood and metabolism disorders. Copper acts as a conductor when worn on the body. Copper will help the healing effect of any stone when both touch the body.

The above information was found at Emily Gems. Search their site for further information on other gem stones you may be interested in. (I am not affiliated with this site.)

Meet Andy

After a lot of tears and the breaking of hearts, HB decided that he needed a new dog. A trip to the hardware store produced an ad with a phone number. He had to wait over the long Labor Day weekend before he would know if the puppy was still available. Tuesday was the day he was able to go pick up his new pride and joy. Andy came into our lives at 12:30, Tuesday afternoon. And what a bundle of energy and joy. This time, HB will be the teacher and caretaker of the new puppy. (I got that job with Bear, and what a job it was!) HB has his office set up for a puppy prison when it's time for bed and Andy seems to feel right at home there.

My 3 Seconds of Calm

At eight weeks, he is all GO then all STOP. He is wearing HB out and it's not even a full day, yet. We started him in a collar today and HB put the leash on him. He is learning very quickly. I think that's why I love the Aussies so much. They are so smart, even at this age.

The Cat is not so happy about this new THING. She is curious, but not to the point of actually going over to it and sniffing it. For now, Andy mostly stays in the shop with Dad and Mira stays in the house with me. I'm sure there will be a meeting of noses sooner than later and a lesson from the Cat right then.

In Memorium

BearMarch 1, 1997 - August 30, 2010

A companion, a friend, a jester, intelligent and kind. A good dog. We love you.

Pirates in a Dragon Boat

Today was the day Portland Art Collective Pirates took to the water and drove a Dragon Boat up the Willamette River. We were truly a sight to see. I don't have pictures, because I didn't want to either lose my camera or get it wet. But, if you go here Portland Art Collective there will be pictures to keep you entertained for quite some time.

We dressed the part and had a rollicking good time. Paddling up and down the river and scaring the water fowl. I'm sure if we had been a bit more graceful, we could have raided the submarine at OMSI. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) But as it is, we stayed in the boat, sang, laughed and got wet. And then we had pizza!

It was a wonderful day!

Strange Goings On

Western Screech Owl

I was sitting at my computer the other night, cruising and perusing. All of a sudden I heard a thud on the window and looked up to see a screech owl trying to get hold of something to land on. His little face was right up into the window, just glaring at me. I don't know if he was trying to catch the moths that are attracted by the light or wanted to try for something bigger, but it was strange indeed!

This little guy was caught by my cat two years ago. She had brought him into my studio. I rescued him and took him outside to recover. He was NOT very happy, to say the least.

More Earrings

I think I'm making up for all the jewelry I didn't create last year. I made these today after I got my daily pair of earrings completed. I'm feeling very good about getting one pair of earrings done each day. It's helped quite a bit in sitting me at the bead desk, and if I don't do anything but the earrings, I do come up with design ideas for other things to do later.

More Beady Things

I've been busy at my bead desk lately. These necklaces are for upcoming shows through the end of the year. There are still a bunch more that I haven't taken pictures of, yet. And...still more ideas for the beads I have and recently purchased. There can never be enough beads!