The sun will come out

Today made me realize the sun or sunflowers as the case may be, do eventually come out.

I had planned to spend the day in the studio, but my car broke down and it threw me for a loop. The fuel pump packed it in, and after starting a fire IN the car with the new fuel pump, something about priming the pump? went wrong. My day was shot. Husband was late for the ferry, which meant he missed the ferry and will likely be in Abbotsford too late to compete, too much upheaval for me!

So I wandered out to the studio, or as it's quickly being named "the garden oasis". Maybe I need a sign for above the door?! I planned to finish the spinner rings I've been working on, and grumbling about for the last three days. Well, you guessed it the copper did not go well. One more ring split, so remind me when I foray back into copper soldering how much I hated it.

I got a few spinners finished, pleased with the ones with stone additions. I am going to save them to put into the School House Gallery this weekend. More on that tomorrow.

I wandered about to check the plants and the sunflowers are out, four of them! A hummingbird buzzed by reminding me to fill the feeder. A zucchini is finally growing on my late plants. My bergamot is blooming, which is heaven! I may do a whole bed in bergamot, but need t check how much is spreads first. All this reminded me that the sun, or sunflowers, always comes out.

Copper continued

Today was more copper soldering, and really I think I'm over it! It's too inconsistent for me and it patina'd a steel grey. So unless something magical happens in the tumbler it's really not what I was hoping it would be.

I have several silver spinner rings with stones coming. I'm very happy with them. A couple "aged" rings. Los of fun stuff!

Copper Solder

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”

Margaret Thatcher

My copper solder came today. It's a LOT different than silver solder! I played with it for most of the day and honestly I can't say I've figured it out!

I've got lots of new rings in the works, some with stones and a few heavily "aged". The new studio ifs fantastic it allows me to just wander in and start working. Not setting up, no tearing down, just work. It's wonderful!

Change

The moment of change is the only poem - Adrienne Rich

Interesting things happening here for me. Studio offerings, possible submissions for shows. We shall see.

Coast Collective

I'm teaching this weekend at Coast Collective. It's such a wonderful place! Yesterday was a beginners jewelry making class and today is byzantine. It was a fun group yesterday and they made some really nice pieces!

The gardens still have some left over floral sculptures from the last show that are really quite amazing. The weather is gorgeous and the staff area always friendly and welcoming. The current show running is called Lighthouse Living and is pretty unique.

I chatted with deb yesterday about doing bigger shows and I think I may bite the bullet and book the gallery for a week or two in 2011. Go big or go home right!?

Spinners!

I am loving these rings! I was determined to add some stones, I've always loved stones. I'm really thrilled with how they turned out!

This one has a old world feel to it, like something a knight would have worn! I want to try it with some stones, I think the contrast would look pretty cool.

They are listed in my etsy!

One of those kinda days

I woke up with a massive headache this morning. I don't get them often and this one was right behind my eyeballs. Not a nice way to wake up.

I had left myself a note the night before so first thing this morning I went and bug bombed the three wasps nest's we have in the garden. I think that made the headache even worse!

I lied down and wound up falling asleep for 2 hours! Something I never do, the headache had lessened a bit but was still there. Maybe it's the change in the weather, it's really windy here.

What did happen throughout the day was I started to think about all the friends I have who've moved away.

We used to spend a lot of time on weekends with good friends who've now moved up north (YES that's YOU Maggie and Terry if you are reading this) and I miss them. A lot as it turns out. They were a couple who had really similar interests, Maggie rode while Terry loved cars. So the guys could talk about cars and Maggie and I could talk horses. I have a lot of girlfriends, and my husband has a lot of guy friends but we have no couple to hang out with anymore. I miss the mid summer barbecue's. My girlfriends for the most part don't live in Victoria which doesn't seem to be helping either. There are times I just have "one of those days" and feel lonely.

Today was one of those days, I didn't get squat done. And doing nothing is sometimes a good thing, it helps me remember those who I miss and those who I can't wait to see again.

New kiln!

The kiln is in the studio! Sitting next to what now looks like me very small bead kiln. The large kiln is 31 inches across! Any ideas what I'm going to make in it?

The gift

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey

I'm really liking these keepsake vials! I think it'll give people some versatility! I just listed another one on my etsy.

I've always considered myself a fairly positive, appreciative person. I think like attracts like, so if I stay positive good things will happen. Like wise I try and DO something good every day. Whether it's as simple as holding open a door for someone, or volunteering some time. And today I think some of that came back to me. I was gifted a kiln, a HUGE kiln! A local lady is moving back east and can't take it with her, I'm excited for the possibilities it holds for me. Plus I fell like I was given a bit of glass kharma and sometimes that makes the most beautiful pieces.

New keepsakes!

“Many people will walk in and out of your life but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

I've been playing with ideas for keepsakes people can add their keepsake to themselves, so they don't have to ship their keepsakes to me. I came up with these!

These are cremains I did for a friend. I really like that people can add their keepsakes, making it a bit simpler and possibly a bit of a fond moment for them.

Here's the first one I've listed on Etsy. Spring Hill, it's got some great colors in it!

Deuce days

“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”

James Michener

I've been trying to incorporate stones into my sinner rings. I've done two different styles and the profile is just too high. Maybe the third go will be wearable?

Today we spent the entire day at the Deuce Days car show in downtown Victoria. What an amazing show! I'll admit I am not a huge fan of car shows, all the car talk is way over my head and man can those guys talk for hours!

But this was amazing, over 925 cars!

We took our little truck done up cowboy style of course!

I saw my dream paint job for my car, this had a rich purple base (metallic) with a pinkish purple scallop on it. I'd add some cool purple and pink pin stripes!

We saw an adorable family of ducks at lunch. 6 babies all puddling around in a small pond by a restaurant, the babies would swim within a foot of people now worried at all.

All in all a great day! I got way too much sun even with a hat on. Not burnt just really tired.

One of those days

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

Jawaharlal Nehru

I had the most amazing day. I was plugging away at a couple spinner ring ideas, one didn't pan out the stones sit way too high. The rest all turned out pretty cool. Pictures to come tomorrow.

I've gotten into a bit of a routine, while working in the studio I can putter in the garden between projects, water plants, listen to the pond and just enjoy.

Today was such a nice day I decided to take my comfy papasan chair out into the garden and file and sand my rings out there. Who joined me but a bunch of barn swallow babies learning to fly! I love the barn swallows, the twittering and flitting about makes me smile. The babies would all line up on the electrical line and wait for Mom to fly off, then they'd follow. This went on for about a 1/2 an hour, then the wind picked up and I assume they all went back to their nests.

What a great way to work!

Gorgeous day!

“No person ever ended his eyesight by looking on the bright side.”

Zig Ziglar

I thought I'd share my fourth acrylic painting with you today. I did a still life I painted over, a snow scene I still have but am not happy with, a landscape I painted over, then this painting.

I have to say I love everything about it, well maybe it's too shinny a finish but the rest I love. I've been drawn to the Northern Lights ever since I first saw them in Quesnel years ago. In fact a Alaska trip is in my "too do" book just to see them closer.

I also thought I should take a better picture of my wind chimes, pretty aren't they? There's a wonderful bone, or shell hanging off the bottom that makes the most soothing noise.

I made some window hangers I've been wanting to do for a while. The idea is not mine, it's Diane Woodalls' niece but she hasn't had any in her shop for ages so I tried it. Very fiddly, and not as nice as hers but I'm pretty happy with them.

And last but by no means least a new spinner ring. I'm really enjoying making these. I have one in the tumbler I'll do a happy dance over if it turns out!

Todays jobs

The flooring in the studio was driving me a bit nuts. There had been a small section tore up when they repaired a leak the building had before we bought it. They made a bit of a mess, I was trying to figure out how to tackle it when I saw some anti fatigue mats you can cut to size. I think it turned out pretty good!

I found a wonderful ceramic wind chime today that I thought would look wonderful by the front door. Then when I got home and looked at the wind sailing around still I decided hanging it inside may be a better idea. It's got lots of nice purples and blues in it.

Yesterday my husband cleaned up my smaller anvil, I love the texture the surface of it has gotten over the years. I didn't want it re surfaced, I have another anvil I get re surfaced to a perfect flat finish. He buffed it with his brass wheel and it cleaned right up!

I've got some discounted spinner rings in my etsy! Take advantage of it if you like copper rings!

Windy day

Got lots done today despite what are gale force winds out there! My husband got the work bench in place and got it lifted up 6 inches with the addition of some rail road ties underneath so it's perfect waist height!

He also made me a greta little holder for my ring mandrel! I can slide it in the slot and hammer on it! I stole the idea from Marion and Vicky of M&D Designs (where I will be teaching this Sept). They had one and I had to copy it, it's so cool!

I also played with copper plating, which wound up being what I think is an epic fail! BUT someone else may not think so, so Ill have some discounted spinner rings in my etsy this week!

Happy Heart

“The happy heart runs with the river, floats on the air, lifts to the music, soars with the eagle, hopes with the prayer.”

Maya Angelou

I've got a happy heart! I've found my morning routine is walking out the the garden, smiling, because the coolest studio EVER sits out there! Then continuing on to pick some raspberries for breakfast. Does it get any better than that?

The heat seems to be hanging around here, yesterday we got the sprinklers set up for the horses. It seems every year we do this they forget that they stood in them last year. Then run off, and look at them sideways when we first turn them on. Within the week they'll be standing under them again.

Welcome Mat

“The soul should always stand ajar. Ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”

Emily Dickinson

I think the door will often be ajar in my studio, especially in the summer. It's HOT here right now. So I figured since it's a great space it should have a greta welcome mat. And today I found one!

Today we got the last little bit of molding up, I'll paint it tomorrow. The paint in the large room I am not very happy with. If you lean anything up against the walls the paint comes off with it!

I made my first project in the new space today, I special piece for a friend who lost her son. I've been wanting to do it for ages, today seemed like a good day for it.

Move IN day!

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy - they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

Marcel Proust

Today was a very very happy day for me, I moved into the new studio space!

I've been needing more studio space for a very long time. We tried to think of ways to add on to my existing studio and it just would work. So we bought a portable building to move onto the property. I planned to make it a metal studio and leave the glass in the house studio. TODAY is move in day. Here's some pics! I am in heaven. I'll be posting more pictures as it progresses.

Years ago the studio spot was a small field.

Then is was a veggie garden for a couple years.

Then the studio flew IN! Well it came on a flatbed and a crane dropped it into the perfect spot!

There is sat for a while. It had to settle so we could square it back up.

Then my husband added a tiny deck at the front door. I cleared a pathway through the garden and this is now my front door!

This is the view from my back door, notice my wonderful little pond. My raspberry plant and two juicy raspberry's on them today!

My metals bench is immediately to the left as you come through the front door. I found the perfect bench, Thanks Karen and Scott!

This room will eventually be a machining/tool room. I can shut the door and the dust etc can stay in there. I love the bright cheery colors, I was worried when I started to paint with them but it makes me smile every time I walk in there. The tools will eventually be on a workbench and the cabinet they are sitting on right now will go on the opposite wall.

Currently this is my most favorite part, a HUGE workbench I can walk around. It'll be raised up about 4-5 more inches so it's more ergonimically correct for me. It's a bit low right now.

Some special photos

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”

Sir Winston Churchill

This is so true, and tomorrow I may have some very special photos to share.

Fuschia Berry

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”

Theodor "Dr. Seuss"

Today was another painting day. I'm making serious headway in the larger studio room and I think I may even be able to set up the silver bench in the next couple days! I love the brown paint I got for the walls, very much like Hershey's syrup! YUM

Listed Fuschia Berry tonight a gorgeous troll/pandora bead.

Wind

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”

Anias Nin

Today is windy and blustery, with a threat of rain. We do need it, but I feel for the farmers market people who are trying to set up is some pretty serious wind!

Today is a painting day I think, maybe I can get a coat of primer and one coat of paint on a couple of the studio walls. I am itching to move in!

Busy day

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”

Frank Lloyd Wright

Today was a busy, exhausting day. I had planned to get the larger studio room patched and primed. But the electrician showed up today and connected the power! I have lights! How cool is that? We did have to dig a large long trench to bury the line in, it was a bit deeper than planned we are going to put in the water line now too. Maybe not hook the water up right away but might as well sink the line while the ditch is already there.

All that digging has me completely worn out!

I managed to get this Purpling set listed today!

Canada Day

“Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.”

Joseph Wood Krutch

Yesterday was Canada Day and my husband was home which is rare. Usually it's a long grueling rodeo weekend with lots of driving and not much sleep.

As much as I missed hitting Ponoka rodeo as it's one of my faves, I had a great Canada Day.

We started the day with a antique car show on the Gorge, it was drizzling but there was still a decent amount of people. We had lunch there and headed home mid afternoon.

THEN we picked up the cabinets for my new studio space!! I think I may have actually got one too many, a friend is moving and needed them gone so we got a great deal! I am hoping to get the larger room painted this week so I can move everything in. Very very exciting!

Dinner at My Chosen Cafe and a movie made it a damn fine day!