Fini Friday! Studio Reorg and a Space-y New Creation!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope your week has been filled with wonderful adventures so far!

I've some fun and interesting things to show you today!

Let's check out a bit of studio reorganization first!

I brought home two of these rolling cabinets a little more than a week ago and was excited to see how they could move the progress of my studio forward! As some of you know from listening to my July BlogTalk Radio Interview, I've been looking at options in replacing my flat files (which I blogged about here). They are absolutely marvelous still and an excellent storage/work area, but I'm finding that I'm losing materials and things in the back of the files. This has become a case of having a little too much room! (I know, what a problem, huh?!) I don't have a completely coalesced vision of what will replace all of it, especially the very sturdy workspace that the top provides, but I am looking at mechanic's tool chests! I've been pondering on these for some time and I love many things about them, including the more finite space (less opportunity for 'lost' things), more storage on wheels (YAY!) and just the whimsy of having my artistic things in tool chests! Hee! So! Here is one of the rolling cabinets clean and empty (but not for long... Mwwwwhhahahahaha!!!)

The second photo shows the two cabinets and another organizer that had been languished unused and is now pressed into service all full and sitting next to those lovely flat files!

I've the bottom three drawers as well as another mostly empty, so that's progress!

Ok!  Onward to more fun stuff!

I've a new earring creation to show you!

I was playing with these bead-caps and beads and these grew up quickly!  Their title was literally singing in my head as I finished them (courtesy of the Muppet Show, let's see if you get the reference!)

Title:  Faeries In Space!

Ingredients:  Glass, lead-free pewter, metal, surgical steel earwires (hypoallergenic)

Get the reference?  The short min-series on the Muppet Show - Pigs In Space?

Anyway!  

These will be available for adoption at my show tomorrow!  

The show is just outside an independent coffee shop on the North end of Saint Paul, MN (USA)!  There will be yummy beverages and nummy treats available, most excellent art and enticing music (especially by our friend Todd Madson)!

It would be grand to see you there!

August 11th!

Saturday only!  10am to 6pm

The Coffee Grounds!

1579 Hamline Avenue North
Saint Paul, MN 55108

Have an excellent weekend!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! A Peek into Preparations!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I've been busy preparing both for the Bean Factory Artist Market this weekend and creating new shinies!

I'm excited about all of this, so let's get right to what you'll see this weekend if you stop by for a visit!

First, a little project...

The white sign that you see to the left in the photo below is my current earring price sign.  The beginnings of the new sign are to the right in the same photo.  The current sign has weathered the shows well, but now looks a little the worse for wear. I've also wanted to try something more in keeping with the Faerie feel of the booth.  And Lo! The idea for a sign that looked like an old scroll was born!

And this second photo is the new sign all rolled up, secured and with the dots filled in! I'm pleased with this first prototype and look forward to seeing how well it works this weekend! 

I just received more Mood Beads in the mail and so will have a nifty selection of them for adoption this weekend! Take a gander! I love creating with Mood Beads, they are so much fun! 

And finally! A pendant that is still growing! My current idea is to wire-wrap or otherwise suspend or secure these beads to the bicycle finding. The rest of the creation will grow from there. 

I'm interested to see what you, the audience, think of which beads to include and where (and perhaps, how)! Leave a comment with opinions, if you like! 

 And onward to the weekend!!! 

This is where I'll be! Maybe you can join me!!!

Bean Factory Artist Market

July 28th and 29th
Saturday 10am to 7pm
Sunday 10am to 5pm

J and S Bean Factory

1518 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN (USA)

It would be grand to see you there!

Also! Coming Up In August!!!
August 11th
Saturday only!  10am to 6pm
The Coffee Grounds!

 1579 Hamline Avenue North
Saint Paul, MN 55108

See you soon!

Ciao!

Amidst the Buzz and Whirl...

Of preparing for the upcoming Deerwood Days in Deerwood, MN, I've finished several pairs of earrings, a few necklaces, rings and likely a mixed-media creation to show!
*whew*
Deerwood Days actually starts tomorrow! at 9am!! Figuring in travel and set-up time...I'll have everything ready tonight so we can merely pull out at O-Dark-Hundred tomorrow morning. Not a fan of that, BUT! the fair aspect of the show closes at 5pm tomorrow and runs from 9am!!! again on Saturday and ending at 4pm. The shorter evening closing time will be quite welcome!

I wanted to show you a few photos of what I've been up to before I disappear into last minute preparations!

First, a general photograph of most of my recent new creations:


In the midst of all of this, I didn't resist playing with my new shinies from Rings-N-Things!* I'm looking forward to more time to play with these next week, but I took some time and played with some of the brass charms!
Voila!! Earrings!
Title: A Charming Halloween



While I found these charms quite detailed, I wanted to add some color and "punch" to the monochromatic palette they presented. That's when I was inspired to use the colored jumprings. I wanted these earrings to be whimsical and fun and to still center the attention on those cute charms, so I used three colors of the jumprings, but kept the hanging of the charms to a simple, single dangle.
I *love* them and hope they charm you, too!
Stay tuned next week for more Boo-goodness!


*The charms were provided free of charge through Rings-N-Things Blog Partner Program.

Whew! Busy Week!

This week has been extremely busy for me, chalk full of lots of travel and time away from the Interwebs! I'm pleased to say that the MN Shadows Faire was a success this past weekend both financially, in making new contacts and developing deeper relationships with those I already know and in terms of feedback.
This was a bit of a new set-up for me. We brought the canopy framework for our outdoor tent, but strung Christmas lights around the top instead of the fabric canopy. It looked very Spritely and I am very pleased with it!! Now I just have to find a photo of it to show you!!!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a photo of a very happy Creation and person, who found each other at the Faire this past Saturday!
Meet Poppy, who is happily bringing home the necklace creation "Earth and Sky"!



YAY!!!

Happy Valentines Day! And an update about next week...

I met a lot of new folks at the Ladies Winter Getaway in Minneapolis and have come home with a commission! Thanks to all who stopped by!
There is so much to update you-all with before the start of the new week!that this post is a bit photo-heavy!

On the Road: Supercon:
I attended Supercon (a relaxacon in Hastings, MN) with my beloved last weekend. As is my tradition, I entered jewelry in the charitable Art Auction. The only requirement is that the art be made at the Con. This year, however, I used beads that were gifted with the stipulation that they go to a good home for the Auction. It seems proper to donate gifted materials to charity.. keep the giving going, as it were!
So, here are some of the goodies that I came home with from Supercon:

Earrings: 5 Pairs in all. Titles from top left to bottom right:
Wishes and Bottles, Pink and Fierce, Galactic Seashells, Mining Planets and Infinite Spirals (MANY THANKS to for the title help on Wishes and Bottles and Mining Planets!)

A Pendant of Moonstone and Tiger Eye Wolf or Coyote. Title is: Singing the Moon


The Clasps: Have arrived!!! Here is some of the Shiny Goodness I get to play with!

Next Week:
I'm excited to say that I'm to be part of the Ice Resin Blog Hop (courtesy of Objects and Ornaments.com) starting Monday and continuing through to Friday! I'll be posting photos and tidbits about the new creations I'm using Ice Resin with, as well as links to the other lovely artists who are playing with this medium as well! Stop on by and see what we're up to!

And with that, I'll leave with wishes for a Valentines Day filled with Love and Beauty!

Valentines Kit Beads and a Show Reminder...

I'll be at the Curves at 53rd and Chicago Avenue tomorrow from 5pm to 8pm. I'll be offering mini-classes on making simple earrings. I'll also have kits available to purchase with sweet little (or big) hearts of all sorts of lovey colors... accented with Swarovski crystals!
I've snapped a photo of the beads that you'll be able to choose from for your kits!


Stop by to say HI!, take a look at what I'm up to and maybe take home a present for yourself, a friend or loved one!

Did I mention that there will be free prizes and munchies at this event? Yup! There will!
Hope to see you there!

Let's Twist Again Like We Did Last Summer!

So, this is where we were this weekend.



We were fortunate to have folks and several friends stop by during the weekend and so we had little mini-parties in our booth for most of the day each day, Thanks Guys!!!!
This is a picture of one of our new friends... whose home is the JS Bean Factory, where the Crawl was held.


The Crawl went so well that a Bean Factory Artist Market has an Inaugural Show already scheduled!
That would be:
Saturday, September 19th from 10-6pm.
JS Bean Factory
Randolph and Saratoga
Saint Paul, MN USA

Come on out and join us if your schedule allows!

Show!

Hello All!!
I'm pleased to be at the premier of the Twin Cities Healing Symposium!
It is this Saturday from 10am to 7pm at the Earle Brown Heritage Center, 6155 Earle Brown Drive, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, USA

This is a new direction for me and I'm excited to see what unfolds!
It is perfectly in keeping with a concept that has always been near and dear to my heart: helping people help themselves.

Come on down and see it, me and my creations.
There are many, many new shinies that none of you have yet seen!!!
(How's that for incentive?!)

There is a ticket fee to get in. Follow this link to the website for details and a coupon!

Hope to see you there!