7 Days

I just arrived safely from the busiest week ever. I've chronicled parts in photos...

A holiday open house last Saturday. 50+ folks and kids joined us to kick off the season with nibbles, punch and a glass or two of wine. Everything went smoothly except the deviled eggs (the very same eggs that consumed much of my Friday morning....note to self: fresh eggs do not peel well) were never put out. I'm done with deviled eggs.

Beautified the abode inside and out with bows cut from our garden and surrounding woods.

Snow! The first significant snowfall arrived. Both the dog and AnnaB enjoyed a snowball toss and catch game. I did not enjoy shoveling.

She stole my gloves. We are seriously underprepared for this winter. The girl needs:

bibbed snowpants

warm parka

mittens/gloves

smart wool socks

earmuffs (this is her request)

boots

A trip to LL Bean this coming week!

Winterworks at the Hope Spinnery in Hope, Maine. Thanks to Bill for hosting this event!! This was my last show for the year. A great collection of vendors in a most beautiful venue.

Caps from Dory at Worthy Goods. I know someone getting one for X-mas :)

Quilted coasters and multi-purpose cloths from Kirsten at Anabelfuzz. I know someone who will be getting an Anabelfuzz smock, too!

Lovely bonnets from Anabelfuzz as well!

And to top of my week with a sweet note, the most incredible chocolate from Black Dinah Chocolatiers. Pure heaven. My sister and I shared (believe me, it was difficult not to run away and savor this all by myself) milk chocolate "bark" with peanuts, ground coffee beans, and a light sprinkling of sea salt. I think I have found the world's most perfect food!

Winterworks 2009

I will be participating in Winterworks 2009, an Maine Artisan Holiday Sale and Fundraiser at the Hope Spinnery in Hope, Maine. The opening reception and sale is this Friday, December 11th from 6:30-9pm. The sale continues Saturday, December 12th from 10am-5pm. Also vending at the sale are my friends Dory from Worthy Goods and Kirsten from Anabelfuzz.

Hope to see you there!

Free Shipping!!!!

I'm offering free shipping through Monday, November 30th! Yay for the holiday shopping season. Avoid the lines, headaches, and traffic and shop online!

Shop for a Cause

From November 13th to November 19th, I will be donating 15% of my sales to Preble Street, an organization in Maine which provides accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty; and advocates for solutions to these problems.

Over 40 Maine Team members are also participating in this fundraiser. A complete list of shops will be posted on our team blog in the coming days. Please consider purchasing during this time if you have had your eye on any Maine Team items.

In other news, I have new work, but have been slow to add to my shop. However, here's a couple items...the last I need to re-photograph before listing.

earrings

ring

earrings...yet to list

Etsy Front Page

My treasury entitled, floating, was featured on the Etsy home page this evening! I am pleased :)

New Work

Week 2 of the Maine Team challenge. List 5 items each week until the challenge is over and be entered to win a gift package full of Maine Team goodies! I should have paced the listing apart this week, but I had no time/energy/patience to photograph until today! Regardless, week 2 is complete and my shop is looking good for the upcoming shopping season.

cuff with vintage button

double circlet earrings

sprout earrings

vintage button duo ring

button cascade necklace

Things I Want

Enameling supplies...gotta learn the technique first.

Drawing bench...to effortlessly draw down wire to smaller gauges.

Hoop mandrel. I don't really need this , but I lurve mandrels!

A collection of stamps...for frippery.

These cooler than Zeus binocular magnifiers. My eyes are just not what they once were.

New Work

A few new items that will make their way to my Etsy shop in the next week.

Reclaimed vintage boot buttons and sterling earrings

Upcycled vintage mother of pearl button pendant in sterling silver and 18k

My signature earrings in sterling silver

Upcycled carved antique mother of pearl button pendant in sterling and 18k

Trio of vintage mother of pearl buttons brooch in sterling silver and palladium

My first outside, 2 day show...all over! Honestly, I am exhausted. For that reason, I will be short with words today.

Friday: set up... slanted venue, horrendous parking, lack of direction, forgotten tools. However, the tent was up, the heavy things hauled to the site by my husband, and we were finished ahead of schedule.

Saturday, Day 1: Rain, leaks, fog, wet feet, port-a-potties, sales (!!!), schooners, new friends, dogs, wool socks, excellent help (thanks Mom!), and a few odd people here and there.

Day 2, Sunday: Sunshine, warmth, dry feet, wind gusts, broken glass display, reorganization, sales (!!!!), more new friends, open tent, warm breezes, and gorgeous views.

All in all, it was a successful show. I had no expectations, made my booth fee and then some, received many compliments, and learned a thing or two about set-up, break down, and that force called wind!

Coming Up for Air

Phew! I'm buried in work, making many lovelies for my summer shows and stock for the upcoming holiday. With almost 70 pieces approaching the finish line and a box of castings schedule for delivery tomorrow, the next week promises to be a flurry of filing, hammering, soldering, and oxidizing. A quick glimpse of my works in progress and my cluttered bench.

button bracelet

the mess that I call my bench

bracelet with boot buttons from the 1930's

Pendant, almost complete and my new favorite

pendant with sweet carved button

swallowed

My latest treasury graced Etsy's front page yesterday (with a few adminstrative changes, of course). The title and inspiration came from fellow Mainer Sixhours Photography (her photo is in the lower lefthand corner). Do be sure to check out her work...beautifully disturbing and gracefully quirky.

The Two Quenches

I am amused at the technical differences between my "collections". The earrings below are from the Vintage Collection and, if you have followed this blog, you know that I incorporate vintage buttons and explore hand-pierced filigree. For me, the collection is frustrating....lots of time involved designing and sawing out these intricate patterns, lots of broken buttons from the riveting process, and lots of broken saw blades. As much as I detest the work I devote to this collection, I am repeatedly rewarded with the end product. I see my grandmother and her mother in these pieces. This collection is my homage to embroidery and sewing and I believe that my gram would be proud that I honor this tradition with my collection.

Earrings with vintage buttons

Pendant with sterling and 18k gold dots

The other collection, Dot, is an all out fun fest. The pendant above is the latest addition to Dot. The work involved is remedial...meaning a bit of soldering, a bit of hammering, minimal filing, no fancy patterns, no repetitious sawing and piercing. I form the dots by melting scrap sterling or gold, add a little boric acid while the metal is molten, quench the dots, and hammer flat. The process is a bit crude, but that's the appeal. This collection gives my brain, eyes, and hands the break it needs from my other challenging collection.

In the end, I am both collections (and I didn't even get to dissect my Armor collection!). I'm the consummate metalsmith who fusses over the tiniest blemish; I'm also the experimental artist eager to try create timeless designs. I hope you find a bit of both in my work as well!

Sneak Peek

I have a load of new pieces to add to my Etsy shop this week. Here's 2 pairs of earrings from the bunch.

New Work, Sort Of...

This pendant has been kicking around for a while. I made it for Maine Team's winter challenge. It was ok...but lacked the grittiness I like in my work....you know, oxidation to the sterling, scraps, bumps, and bruises. And I really detested this chain. So, I updated the pendant and it feels more like a Quench piece.

Just a little coloration to the sterling, sanding of the rivets, and a modern sterling cable wire to replace the chain. A vast improvement, wouldn't you agree?

Where does the time go?

Oh, shame on me! I have neglected my blog...I apologize and promise to post more often! You see, spring is here and there is much to be done in the way of gardening...mostly, weeding. And when the sun shines, my girl and I take to the outside to play, plant, and frolic about. When not outside, I have been furiously working at the bench preparing work for two retail opportunities and two craft shows. Busy, busy, busy!

More rings for the Candy Dish Collection were made this past week. These rings along with lots of earrings will find their way to a new multi-purpose space in Belfast, Maine. Meg of Love Light Studio and her musician husband are converting a great old retail spot into a gallery/ shop/ performance space. Cool things like a stage that doubles as dressing rooms and collapsible display case to make space for the evening shows are just a few excellent ideas at Roots and Tendrils. Their opening is June 5 th!

Self portrait...that's as much as you will see of my face today!