Christmas Cheer

I must admit, I've been really excited about Christmas this year.  Maybe it's the new baby, I don't know...  But we got to pick out a tree this year with our little darling.  (So she slept the whole time, so what?)  She wore her daddy hat while we searched for the tree.  This is the first knitting her daddy has ever done- and he did a great job!  Very even and everything :)  (A small fiasco after that trip: the hat was almost lost for good.  It was safely returned, though!)

Sleepyhead was hiding, but showing off her hat.

Mini Stocking Ornament

For our first Christmas with a wee one,  I thought I would try to make some wee ornaments.  (Miniature stuff shows up a lot in what I make, now that I'm thinking of it again...)  A stocking and a santa hat were the only two things I got to with all of the free time I have.  (The santa hat still needs the pom-pom attached though.)

And then...

My new santa hat!

Her pumpkin hat was getting to look a little out of season, so I decided to make a santa hat for the baby.  

I looked up patterns, and then, of course, just made one up.  

I can't complain, though.  I am quite pleased with it!

                                 *           *           *

Now maybe, just maybe, I will get around to making some Christmas cookies.  Amaretti and chocolate crackle.  YUM. 

Im constantly working on something..

For the past 4 weeks, I've been a little too busy with this one "project", to be able to work on any other big projects.
And I'm pretty ok with that ;)
My little hurricane baby is growing (I hope!)
It is amazing how many things come with babies.
I never thought we would have so many blankets in our house (or that I would find myself using her blankets- they're all REALLY NICE! Not to mention handmade.)


I plan to get to making more jewelry soon, but we haven't quite gotten to that part of our groove yet! In the meantime, I am learning to be a mommy.

Bellies, Babies, Buttons, Bananas and... Butternut Squash?

Bellies:

My belly is getting HUGE!

38 Weeks

Babies:

See above.  There's a baby in there. That's why!

Buttons:

I just about finished baby sweater #2 (a few weeks ago).  Now comes the time when I try to figure out what buttons I want to put on here.  I am debating whether I should make some or find some.  

Of course, if I make them, I still have to decide what to make them from.  

Wood or possibly Sculpey.

  We shall see.  At any rate, I am pretty certain that I want toggle buttons :)

Snug Baby Sweater
*So cute!*

Bananas:

For a somewhat productive day, I started by making a loaf of banana bread. 

It's tasty.  

Butternut Squash:

Ok, so this one is a cheat. 

To continue the productive day idea, I was going to make some fall-ish Butternut Squash Soup.

But, my husband got Acorn Squash instead.

(No complaints from this girl- Acorn squash is FAR SUPERIOR in my book!)

So, anyway, I roasted an acorn squash, let it cool, and now it's ready to be made into some DELICIOUS soup.

http://www.eclecticcook.com/thai-curry-and-coconut-butternut-squash-soup/

Do yourself a favor on a chilly fall night, and make this soup!

First Baby Sweater

Finished!

Sirdar Snuggly Yarn Baby Cardigan
(still in need of buttons)

Just over a week to make my first sweater.  I'll take it!

Of course, staying true to form, I had to "alter" the pattern a little in order to get the "Snowdrops" yarn to work for the trim.

Go Figure.



Speaking of staying true to form, I made some ginger cookies the other day.  I followed the recipe to a "T"- and they didn't turn out all that great.
I you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now:  Change the recipe (or pattern, or whatever) all I want, I'll be happier with the product if I do.

Oh well, lesson *kinda* learned.

Circular Needle Shawl Pin
(Thanks to my husband for the idea!)

This past week has proven to be somewhat productive.  Spent a little bit of time in my studio.  Among other things I made this here shawl pin.
<-------------

Luckily, this means I have some more finished shawl pins and earrings to post in my Etsy shop.

Working on getting the baby's room ready means a little bit of crafty stuff going on.  I won't go into that now, though.

Friday was apple picking day.  31 lbs. later...

Coming up this week:  Apple Extravaganza

busy bee

I have recently gotten back into knitting.  Not because I had wanted to stop- but it's more of a fall/winter thing for me.  It just gets so hot knitting in the summer!

And now that I have more time to do things I want to do (and need to do), I started making a baby sweater.

My first baby sweater.
For my first baby  :)

While I have been making this sweater, I have also been working in my studio making shawl pins. 

I am trying for light and delicate- not big or clunky or heavy.

Hopefully I succeed!  

This one was my first, photographed before I have completely finished it.

I have about four in progress right now, and today's goal is to get into the studio and get going on those.  Maybe even make one or two more if I'm lucky!

**Happy making**

Took ya long enough.

At long last.
I have joined the world of Etsy!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cmjeweler

This, among many other things, makes me smile.

Other things:

Heading to a good friend's wedding today.

**Fun**

More peppers and tomatoes than we can handle up at the garden right now.

Baby kicks ♥

Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot.

The Hot Pepper Army

Back to making things... 

The Garden is fantastic. This is one round of harvesting our Hungarian Wax Peppers. 

An entire basket full of these things!  Not to mention there were some Anaheim, Jalapeno, and Sweet Banana peppers in the mix, too. 

**Yum** 

So we sliced and jarred pretty much all of the peppers.  (The slices that were laying on the counter, and whole peppers that had even a small bad spot were tossed into the compost.  We could only take so much!)

20 jars and 1.5 gallons of vinegar later, all we need to do now is wait for them to steep in the vinegar and become even more delicious.  

Still at work on getting an Etsy site up and running.  

These things take time, I guess.

I just wish I could get it to take a little less time.

Meanwhile, I am watching raindrops outside my window.

Weather maps for today look a bit like the pepper photo- if you blur your eyes...

Delayed

The way that I have neglected to update this blog,
can't the days just neglect to disappear so quickly?

My husband and I went on a long European vacation at the beginning of June.
So much to see- so little time- and my feet could only bear to carry me so far.
Everything was amazing- of course, I do wish we had more time to sit and just be a part of the place.
More time (and less rain and cigarette smoke in some places!) to sit under an awning, eating a meal or drinking a coffee.
More time to people watch.
And a better grip on the French and Italian languages, too.

Just a few highlights:

London, England

After a ride on a red, double decker bus, the loss of a child's wooden bicycle (it was returned), and walking around nearly all of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, we found the original gates of the Crystal Palace from the Great Exhibition of 1851. 

Amazing.

 Paris, France

<--Petit Palais

Awesome architectural work and mosaic floors.  Great artwork too.

Eiffel Tower-->

Climbed the stairs to the second level.  Rainy day, but still totally worth the walk!

Rome, Italy

Some pretty great stone carvings.  The detail was crazy- like this one- the woman has her foot on top of one of the bands on her sandal.  REALLY?!

Praiano, Italy

Our favorite boat near the beach.  We got to see it close up.  We were boat stalkers.  

And the clear blue water!!!

Baby's favorite: Lemon trees above us at the villa.

It was a great trip, even still, it is good to be back home.  

That set of shelves is finally done, I am just waiting to make sure the paint has cured.  And the engagements ring was done before our trip.  

Next up:  Etsy site?

Indirect making of things

I make things.  True statement.

It's a work in progress.

Gardens are kind of different, though.  I grow things, but really, the rain and the sun grow things.  I just tend to them, pluck out their adversaries, and their fruits.
More time in the garden, and it is really getting somewhere!  The tomato plants are growing like crazy, so is everything else, for that matter.  
And, the garden is still tame.  Which is saying something.  We put grass down on the walkways, and we have all soaker hoses this year in hopes that we won't waste water or over water the plants-- or just water their leaves.

The sky is bright blue today, a few clouds floating about.  Hopefully I will have time to venture to the garden to work.




Most importantly, though, more studio time today.
I cleaned and organized my studio the other day, which of course was like a trip down memory lane.
"Ooooh. I made that?"
and
"Oh, I should finish that.  That was a good start.."
and
"Why isn't that in the scrap bin?!  Yuck."

But, the small changes I made to the set up made the room a lot easier to work in.  So I definitely look forward to that!
Just a little more to finish on this ring, and it should be done.  *fingers crossed*
Photos to follow of the ring (but not until she gets it!)

How I started my summer vacation.

Now that I am really, truly done with school (again) my days are somewhat open.
That doesn't mean I don't have a lot that I want to do.  I have PLENTY to keep me busy.
But this "Free Time" should be good for the garden.  And my jewelry making.

Periwinkle Before.
Choking out my cute
little pansies!

I weeded in front of our house today.  Periwinkle- it looks nice, but it takes over, and that doesn't make me too happy.  So I pulled that out until I couldn't stand it anymore.  Good enough for now!

I also planted some cute yellow flowers that I picked up at the Mother's Day Plant sale at Landis Valley Museum.
I'd post a photo of them, but it's RAINING!!!! And I think I would even classify this as a downpour, so I'm not going out there!

After a few beautiful, sunny days, this weather is just what the big garden needs.  (Good thing I got some cucumber seeds in when I did.)

The thing about this rain, and the free time, is that it just makes me want to take a nap.  It just seems like the right thing to do on such a grey afternoon.  I'm holding out though.  I can make it through!

I do have a few projects going on right now:

The original ring. 

°Remake an engagement ring. (I must admit, I am glad to be redoing it.  I think it will look SO much better this way than how I originally made it.)  It is a rough diamond (great for those of us with self-diagnosed OCD who thrive on symmetry) and I tried to put it in prongs first. It looked so out of place.  So now, bezel it is.  And my, how I do love bezels. I was lost for a bit trying to design this ring, but then I realized, HEXAGON!  I love working with hexagons, and this stone lent itself to using a hexagon.  The puzzle started to make sense.  After photos coming.


°Make a pearl bracelet.
°Design some earrings for some friends.
°And, I am trying to decide if I should invest in a torch for lampworking (making glass beads.)  It would be an awful lot of fun...

I miss my co-op, and my classes.  It hasn't even been a week yet since I finished student teaching.  Luckily, I have lots to keep me busy (see above), but I realized that I certainly do like to teach- I think going back to school was definitely worth it.


The sun is breaking through the clouds now.  Maybe I'll find a rainbow.

Gardens love the rain, too.

The garden this year.
Hopefully it will be epic.
Or something awesome, at least.
Two Saturdays ago, we prepared the garden.  It was all chopped up and turned over- the dirt was like sugar.
So stakes and markers went it, hopes are always that there is enough room to get to things once all the plants suddenly become ENORMOUS.

The guys moving some dirt around.

So this most recent Saturday, we went up and started to plant- Hoping to make it just before the rain.  

It worked.  We watered all of the plants, because, just like if you wash your car it Does rain, if we didn't water the plants, it wouldn't rain...  Funny how that works.  (Even though it is a huge storm system, I swear the rain would have at least been delayed over us!)

Tomatoes, sweet peppers, lettuce, onions, carrots, radishes and squash went in.  

Some of their soon to be neighbors are still growing in little cups in my studio, and others haven't been purchased yet.  

We finished up at the garden and had plenty of time to spare before the rain came, but it did, and it was accompanied by some great flashes of lightening followed by claps of thunder.  

The rain continues here while other areas are promised snow.  There is a tinge of jealousy from me about that.  I know it's getting late, but I have seen snow in May (8 hours north of here, but hey) and there is something magical about snow.  

Maybe next winter.  

I am excited.  

But for now, I will tend to my garden with the help of some wonderful friends, and enjoy the fruits of our labors.

What should I make now?

Time is still flying by.
I feel like I am standing by railroad tracks, and the train is just whizzing by me, giving me no chance to catch a breath.  Just waiting for it to give up it's hold on me.
The amount of things I want to accomplish in the next few weeks are, well, a lot.
I would especially love to make some jewelry. I have been surrounded by metalsmithing, and designs and ideas are suddenly easier than usual to come by.  I should take advantage of that!

But, back to the ideas of time, and flying...
I tied some flies the other night.  And fished with them the next day.
Standing shin-deep in 48° water, watching the fish in front of me, (all too often ignoring my flies), time almost stood still.  Just a few hours really did go by quickly, but it was more like a cat nap.  Falling asleep and awakening right away, but feeling really refreshed and ready for anything.  That's what fishing was like the other day.

I should do that more often, too.

quick recap

The past few weeks have flown by.
In that time, I have:

My first (and only) three beads so far. 

•Learned to make glass beads. (Lampworking)

•Started an example project for my Metals I class. 

(I forgot how dirty copper is!)

•Pruned the heck out of this holly tree (with help from my neighbor)

After

I also visited my family for Easter, during which I:

•Turned a birthday bunny cake into something that looked more like a cow with long ears

•Didn't get around to dying eggs.  (oops!)

•Saw SNOW!!!

What a week

I love to learn new things.
and to remember how much I love what I know.  Like metalsmithing.

I started my new placement this past Monday.
If you are wondering about more teacher samples, the answer is "probably".  Twist my arm...
Fine metals and glass.
Darn.  [Dripping with sarcasm.]
I made my first glass beads today, which was completely awesome.
I can't say the beads are amazing, but it sure was fun.  If there is a torch involved, count me in.

It is just so exciting to think about the projects I want the kids to work on.  In part because it makes me think about what I want to work on.  It is really inspiring for me.  

I am not sure where this experience will take me, but I am looking forward to finding out.
It is always fun to be able to tuck another skill under my belt.
Onward and upward!

Robot putty

Next mission:

Bas-relief ROBOTS!
I must say, who doesn't like robots?
The fun looking ones, at least...

So this is what I made today after school. 

("Another teacher sample?", you may ask.  "Why, yes.")

I miss clay something fierce- and while this was fun, it's not quite the same as throwing :(

**Side note**

Millersville University Pottery Sale is coming up. March 22-24.  

I can't wait!

Anyway, I didn't quite finish the top, since the clay was a little too damp still.

But, I love the Jetsons.  

And I can't wait to see what the kids come up with!

Same old, same old...

Really, more teacher samples.
Hard to believe, I know.
But true.
I have some kids drawing cloth this week, others mixing paint, and some are still trucking along with those balloon animals. (I have to admit, I can't wait until they're done.  I think they are going to look great.  I am pretty impressed by these kids.)
Next will be some weaving. Thanks, Mom, for being a seamstress- that has provided me with a love of most things textile.
Lots going on- planning and all.
Making sure things get done on time, thinking ahead.  All that jazz.
All the while, I am hoping I can set aside some time to make amaretti cookies in the next few days.
Yum!

Pink unicorns?

Another year at the Buyer's Market of American Craft.
It's still like a family reunion.  And I like that.
Not to mention that this year I was able to see the most adorable nieces anyone could ever hope for!
Every year I'm there, I look around at all of the wonderful work and I become inspired.
I think about what I want to make.  What I can make.  What I haven't thought about making yet.
There is so much amazing jewelry made by people like Patricia Tschetter and Sydney Lynch.
(By the way, I suppose I am a sucker for high carat gold.  It just looks yummy.)
I also saw some great leather wallets and bags, and as always, some awesome ceramics.
Of course, then I came home, did some work for school, and got to bed far later than I hoped- without making a thing.
Today, I nearly made up for my lack of making-  Pink balloon unicorn.  No joke.

Good times.

Giraffes everywhere.

My project from last week carried over a bit.
I've made quite a few balloon animals at this point.  Lots of giraffes and frogs.
Here's the final product.
There is still a bit that I have not quite figured out, like how to make it stand on it's own, but there is still time for that.

As much fun as I had making this, it was even more fun to see a real, taxidermy giraffe over the weekend at the Eastern Sports show.
More art class projects to make this week.

bal-looney

I was always jealous of those people at fairs and events who could make awesome balloon animals.
Well guess what, I'm on my way to being one of them...
Ok, maybe mine won't be as awesome, but they will still be pretty cool.
I had this idea for an art lesson.  Make balloon animals and then paper-mache them.  (Because balloon animals, at some point, wither away to shriveled rubber, but a paper-mache one will last indefinitely.)

So, here is my beginning: 

2 Giraffes

A Frog

&

A Dog





I'll have to try to paper-mache one of these- it may be a little tricky, but it's worth a shot!                         

Other than this project for today, there is oatmeal bread rising in the oven and some banana bread cooling on the counter.  A day filled with baking.  Yum.  

so that's what it was

Last week I wondered what my next project was.
Now I know.
Lesson plans, complete with teacher samples (aka, a quick refresher for me!)
Chalk pastels and perspective drawings have taken up some of my time, but...
I actually had a weekend "off".  This is something new and amazing to me.
So, I worked more on those shelves, putting up trim.
I glued some panels together for a cabinet door.
I also helped make a feast for Saturday dinner, and baked two loaves of banana bread to enjoy for the week.
Let's face it, though, the bread won't last that long.
My first week of student teaching went really well, and I'm thrilled to have a wonderful co-op teacher!  I visited some elementary art classes which were really fun, and now I am even more excited about anything may be in my future as a teacher.
With that all, though, I don't want to forget to always make my own work.
Speaking of which, I hope I can make it in to the ceramic studio sometime soon!

A partially completed to do list.

Time has somehow sped up, and tomorrow is the day that I begin my student teaching.  

I had promised myself, and my husband, I would work on the set of built-in shelves in my time off.  

My fear of the table saw sitting in our basement is still alive and well. As a board goes through it, the saw shimmies and the fence slowly slides away from the blade, making a 3 1/4" board suddenly 3 1/2" at the other end.  Not the safest most precise piece of machinery I have ever encountered.  

The japanese handsaw and block plane, on the other hand, worked wonderfully.   

I donned my hoodie and took innumerable trips from house to garage with boards and tools in my hands on each trip.  

Measure twice, cut once.   

Sniffling in the cold weather, my fingertips began to go numb as I gripped the handle of the saw for cut after cut.  With the help of some creative clamping and a screwdriver, the shelves were mostly together by the end of the day.  (Yeah, it took me a while, but I am out of practice!)             Some more paint the next morning and my husband helped my put them in place at night.  Just some more trim to cut and install, and a few more coats of paint, and it'll be done!

On to my next project...  Whatever will it be?

But it's not really like riding a bike...

There are some skills that really require constant maintenance.
Not like riding a bike.
I am a maker- there are so many "making skills" that require use. Use it, or lose it.

I am a jeweler.  I love doing repairs.  It's been a while, though.
I still have confidence in doing repairs.  (But I feel a little more stress now than I did 5 years ago.)

But the table saw...
oh, the table saw.
It's been so long, and I am so out of practice, and it's a completely different set up than I was used to...  So the set of shelves that I was going to make are waiting, and waiting, and waiting.  I decided I would work on them before I started student teaching.  Better hurry up, that day is quickly approaching-- a week from tomorrow.  The little do's and don'ts and tricks of using the table saw have slid into a little crevice of my memory that I am having a hard time finding.  Not to mention the confidence I used to have about it.
So, if these shelves are going to be done (and I Really hope they are) the nice little japanese handsaw and block plane will have to be my tools.  But how and when do I get back into using big kid tools so my skills don't just fade away completely?

More projects. I love projects.  Better start soon!

inspiration or admiration?

I think that people in the art crowd have confused inspiration with admiration.

All too often, I hear the question "Who is your work inspired by?"

To this, I feel that I never have an adequate response.  I "um...", and "uh...", and try to name drop, because I never feel that I am Inspired by the who that is expected of me.


What I am inspired by is architecture, furniture, machines- minuscule to enormous, and so many other things that I see as beautiful.
Does that mean that I should I find out the name of every architect who designed buildings that I love to look at?  If that is the case, I should know the names of all of the people who constructed those buildings, or who put the trim around the windows, and the blacksmiths who hand-forged each piece of iron for the gates surrounding them.
Or maybe I should find out the name of the person who designed each Caterpillar truck, or airplane and train that I look at.  Except, my hunch is that they were all designed by teams of people, mostly engineers.
These are the things that I see that inspire me to Make.

Who I Admire?  Now that is a question I can start to answer. I like Scandinavian and German designers, especially when it comes to jewelry and glass.  For ceramics, I'm a sucker for things that look like Gwyn Hanssen Pigott's, or Karen Swyler's work.
I like the work done by MC Escher, and Charles Mackintosh, Art Deco, Art Nouveau and the Arts&Crafts movement. Though I keep realizing that picking one person to admire is a challenge, I suppose I like to lump them all into a group or category.

Just because I admire someone's work, does not mean that I want to make work like them.  (But maybe I do, and maybe I already have...)