puff earrings...
little mato!!
last week i got a package in the mail from my mom!!!! she is always sending me some great little surprise in the mail. this one tops 'em all. i opened up the padded envelope and stuffed inside was this sweet little tomato pincushion. the very one that she used while sewing our halloween costumes and her own maternity clothes when she was pregnant with my sis and i. yay.....momma, you're the best. this little tomato made my heart melt and i love it so. thanks mom...xoxox
new necklaces...
soshesews....
i love the pieces from soshesews. she uses all recycled plastic from shopping bags, newspaper bags and any other kind of random bag she comes across and fuses them together to make this plastic "material" for her pouches and wristlets. well done!!
condiments..
this site rocked my world. i am a long time forever fan of condiments. if they call it a condiment i pretty much love it: ketchup, bbque sauce, mustard, veganaise.... i dig the sauces!!
dear condiments, i love you!!
handmade austin women 09
group photo of the haw participants.....more coming soon!!
back row (left to right)- kathryn davis, jo bridges, melanie schopper, cherie weaver, chia guillory
middle row - lisa crowder, christa mares, trisha allen, gabel karsten
front row- me, beverly mangham
brooch and pendant potential
these are rough "sketches" of a new round of work i hope to soon bring to life...yay!! the primary materials will be soft fibers like felt or vintage fabric, sewn repurposed plastics and some vintage materials collaged together to make assymetrical pendant necklaces, brooches and head pieces with a bit less emphasis on the metalwork. i am really excited about the potential and new direction of these little babes :O)
i am tuckered out from an amazing day at handmade austin women. it was a blast!! nighty nite...
puff earrings and rings....
4th annual handmade austin women spring show and sale
come join the fun!! handmade austin women is this weekend in east austin. yay!!!! i will be showing my jewelry with 11 other fabulous ladies and their work at ginko studios. the address is 800 gullett drive, austin, tx 78722. go here for more info. if your on facebook you can search "handmade austin women spring show and sale" and it will bring up our page.
puff earrings
the new puff earrings are now available featuring my new handmade poms....here is the first of it's kind in a delicious orange :O)
they remind me of the dandelion blooms after they die and all that is left is the beautiful airy & ghost-like seed puff with the gazillion tiny little seeds just waiting patiently for a strong gust of wind to set them free. i remember picking these transparent little gems in my back yard growing up.
the pom experiment...
a variety of pompom colors i have been making.....i have been experimenting with different textures and gauges of yarn to see what gives the right balance between firmness and plushness for these happy little poms. (i guess i'm related to bob ross) if the yarn is to course it makes the pom look to rigid and it doesn't round out very nicely, but if it's too soft the pom looks more commercial and a bit to fuzzy (could that be bad????)....so continues the investigation of crafty "sewn teddy bear" flea market materials in search of a high craft vibe :O)
i love seeing the metal stem in this brooch idea, but it will be hidden when worn. i really like it as an object. to be continued............
potential brooch idea....
pick a pom color and pick a pillow color....maybe.possibly!!! hmmm!!!
circle.circle.circle.
i am making a paper chain...you know the kind we all made in grade school. it will be used to jazz up the site for the handmade austin women show: either as part of the border for the walk way, around the porch, hanging from a tree, as a bright orange paper chain mountain sculpture...who knows!!! weather will play a deciding element. this photo was taken early on today...i worked on it a half hour here and there between working on necklaces in the studio. i now have about 60 feet of chain made and hope to have 2-3 times that by the show. i just found all this paper in the drawer my mom had sent me awhile back while rummagin' around this morning and got inspired by it. i'm sure it being orange had something to do with it. as the signs i just made yesterday for the show are orange too. we'll see how long it gets when it's finished....i have two and half weeks to work on it in between everything else. eeps, it will be here soon. Yay!!!
garden goodness
beets and carrots just picked from the garden. today we had perfect weather to hang outside. the beets we'll boil and eat with balsamic vinegar and braggs and probably make my friend trisha's chocolate beet cake recipe...delish!!! the carrots i will most likely make my carrot ginger cayenne juice for breakfast. these tiny little carrot gems will probably only make about a cup of carrot juice though. it will be sweet knowing they are from out little garden patch :O)