tina rice

just wow.

2011-02-03T15:18:00.001-08:00

i couldn't love this more!

by hindsvik.

walker art center jewelry mart

2010-12-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

i still haven't photographed some of my newer pieces, but here are some pictures of the jewelry artist mart at the walker art center. it was so fun, and i loved the gallery space. plus we were very busy all day! i brought my sister-in-law to help set up, but i really needed her for the whole thing. i'm so glad she was there with me. she also took these pictures for me, since i left my camera in the car. though i started doubting myself at the last minute, i loved how my display turned out! i took apart a million books and stacked them to display my jewelry in tiers. i would have worked a few things differently (i spent too much time taking the books apart perfectly and putting them back together perfectly, when i really could have just ripped them apart), but i was pleased that my imagined display turned out pretty much the way i envisioned it.

my belgium cottage

2010-12-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

next time i go shopping for a belgium cottage, i'm getting this one. i worship the glass addition and the mixed stone and brick exterior walls. and i need the loft bedroom, just because.

three things

2010-12-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

from katie did

by dolangeiman

by slipcoveryourlife

and you thought i was a food snob!

2010-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

fancy fun!

2010-11-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

love this!

strawberry shortcake

it's been a year!

2010-11-18T08:23:00.001-08:00

and today i have this to say: i love this card. made by cool jane design.

also, this has been one of the best years of my life. busy, busy, but so great. i have some new jewelry to photograph and post, but that will have to be another day.

lovely things for nice folks like you

2009-11-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

someone needs this for christmas! made by SeptemberHouse whose tagline is "lovely things for nice folks like you." i'm a nice folk. and this is a lovely thing!!

plans for ornaments

2009-10-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

i discovered these fun cards on Etsy's homepage today. hello, overthinker. i love them!

by gracegraphics, found here:

woodland cutes

2009-10-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

i was in minneapolis last weekend, and while there, i spent an hour in the walker museum gift shop. i found a zillion things i wanted to buy for christmas gifts and birthday gifts and gifts for myself. that tiny shop is well-stocked! i saw work by several etsy artists, which was fun, too. i'm not sure if these are made by the same artist represented in the walker gift shop, but they are adorable all the same.

made by sleepyking:

p.s. i also enjoyed the most delicious sushi ever (two nights in a row!!) if you are in the area, you MUST visit fuji-ya!

hello again.

2009-09-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

i haven't posted here for.ever! i didn't mean to let so much time pass, but, there you go: it has. i've been the busiest human on earth, and have turned to more mindless things (read: facebook) to relax. but today, my sweet sister, nancy, showed me something worth blogging about. this little chart is the best thing i've seen in a long time, especially for a song that takes itself so seriously.

(you might have to enlarge it to read the small print.)

new ad for Take Ten Magazine

2009-06-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

i've just submitted this ad to Take Ten magazine, and i'm happy with it, but also nervous about it because i don't know enough about TIFF's. this is what it's supposed to look like:

we'll see if i got it right!

veryfun.

2009-06-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

i'm so tempted by these! laser cut cardboard kits, available in small, medium, and large!
made by cardboardsafari.

seven cheers for steel wire!

2009-05-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

not sure why i chose seven cheers, but there you go. these lovely lovelies are handmade by Claire Rougerie of Debeauxsouvenirs on Etsy. i love 3D line drawings! so beautiful!

ilovegreyskies

2009-05-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

let's take a break from happytape! and jewelry to enjoy some nice "mook" sculptures. these were created by etsy artist ilovegreyskies. i'm thinking this is exactly how polymer clay should be used!

happytape. japanese masking tape, third try.

2009-04-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

and now it's less annoying! i've slowed it down. yay!

happytape. japanese masking tape, second try.

2009-04-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

and this one rotates!

happytape. japanese masking tape galore!

2009-04-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

possible happytape ad for a few blogs...do i like it?

and a happytape.com update: sold out!! way faster than i expected! several blogs mentioned me and my stock was completely wiped out! i'll be getting more in about two weeks, but until then, i'm responding to a million emails a day asking when i'll get more. i'm so happy my craziness wasn't a flop! and i might need some employees if i'm still going to do enameling!

*darn--that ad is supposed to rotate! it's the first animated gif i've made, so i'll have to figure out what i've done wrong.

japanese masking tape for me!

2009-04-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

dear everyone,
i have an announcement to make! i have a new job title: 'jeweler/importer' (i've always wanted a slash in my job title) here's the story: once upon a time i was all in a fuss because this very beautiful, colored masking tape was made in japan. and only available in japan! i thought it was wrong for us artsy-folk in the united states to not be able to buy it. so, i imported CRATES of it and lived happily ever after.

love,
tina

p.s.i've opened a new etsy shop, happytape.etsy.com, and a new website, happytape.com to list my new wares. i'm so excited!

emetalworks on etsy

2009-04-05T06:35:00.001-07:00

i've just discovered a shop on etsy that i really love! it's emetalworks from kansas city. i love her nice use of fiber and other non-traditional materials with metal. plus, i'm a huge fan of rivets!

more new 'sticks' earrings...

2009-03-31T19:49:00.001-07:00

new in my shop:

food stuffs (aren't i hilarious?!) by GoBuggy

2009-03-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

imagine the happy little waldorf babes playing with these felt foods! the detail on that corn makes my eyes tired! (click to see it big--you'll be amazed.) and the noodles for the udon are a sweet bonus (the bottom two pictures make an udon set.) that shrimp actually makes my mouth water!
see more in her shop!
all by GoBuggy:

bar code art

2009-03-30T16:53:00.001-07:00

the idea of human bar codes is very funny to me. i'm loving this temporary tattoo by BarcodeArt:

where the wild things are MOVIE?

2009-03-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

hmm... not sure how they can make a full-length movie based on the book, but here's a trailer. i guess you can't go wrong with The Arcade Fire setting the tone. we'll see how the movie goes.

and some new 'sticks' earrings....

2009-03-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

i've just listed a few (several more to go) of my new 'sticks' earrings in my shop. i'm working on the pictures now and will post more over the next few days.

The Decemberists streaming 'Hazards of Love' plus '500 Enameled Objects'

2009-03-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

If you have a computer in your kitchen, and your kitchen is the center of your house and universe, you might want to click here for free streaming of The Decemberists new album/folk opera, Hazards of Love.

And, if you love enamels, enameling, and all enamelists, you might want to run and purchase this book. it's a beautiful compilation of artists, and it shows the huge range of enameling styles. i was working on something amazing to submit for this book, but i didn't get it finished on time (or even at all!) now i'm really regretting it. but i love the book!

personalized hangers by lilafrances

2009-03-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

since i love all things metal, especially all line-drawing type things made with wire, these personalized hangers are my favorite new discovery. my kids don't have especially organized closets (or even closets that close), so personalized hangers in my family might be a little ridiculous...but, if i was mrs. pottery barn, with perfectly organized/decorated rooms and closets, i would NEED about 20 of these. my family, though, does enjoy little artsy things hanging on walls, especially personalized hangers, so i'm thinking of wall decor here. (and, the fact that my daughter's name is lila pretty much seals it, don't you think?)
by lilafrances:

kathy brooks on etsy!

2009-03-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

one of my three sisters is now listing her cute prints on etsy! so bright and happy! she also has scary monsters, fabric cards, and cute magnets.

presenting kathy brooks:

revolutionary road by richard yates

2009-03-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

(i just discovered i could post my goodreads reviews here. isn't that fancy?)

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
i loved the writing. a lot. somehow i had the idea that it had a happy ending, that it was a happy book. it's not. i also thought it was written recently; that it was a book set in the 50's, but written from a current perspective. it wasn't that, either. it was written in 1961. i don't know where i got all my big ideas.
but. i thought it read like hemingway, and i loved that.

The whole point of crying was to quit before you cornied it up. The whole point of grief itself was to cut it out while it was still honest, while it still meant something. Because the thing was so easily corrupted: let yourself go and you started embellishing your own sobs, or you started telling about the Wheelers with a sad, sentimental smile and saying Frank was courageous, and then what the hell did you have?

View all my reviews.

love, love bon iver, skinny love

2009-03-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

i'd like to hear this song everyday, please. it makes me want to cry.

a march post

2009-03-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

let's pretend i didn't miss the whole month of february on my blog, ok?

moving right along, let's talk about some things i love:

1. these new bumpy pendants by ashleyjewelry are so bright and wearable!

2. this delicious ring! i wish it was edible. by QuercusSilver (if you are interested in the process, she also has really good pictures and descriptions on flickr.)

3. this re-fired postage plate by magpiepottery. i wish i had an excuse to buy these for my own self.

sexy people

2009-01-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

i've discovered a new way to entertain myself: sexy people blog
it's 'a celebration of the perfect portrait'

fire to go

2009-01-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

my house is freezing these days, especially my studio. my studio is set up in my walk-out basement, where there is a door to the backyard. when my heater (also in my basement) is running, it sucks outside air into my very cold studio, making it colder. when it's -15F, my heater is running all day long. it makes for a cold, cold studio. i freeze. and working with my numb hands gets very tricky. so, we've blocked the drafty spots and sealed the seam around the door, but it's still chilly chilly. i've been looking for a non-electric, portable way to make myself more cozy, and this is my favorite! it would be a ridiculous choice (can't really have open flames when i'm working with acetylene!), but i soo love it! a suitcase of cozy! it burns denatured ethanol, which burns super clean, so it requires no flue. very nice. (available at unica home)

more showing off about shea

2008-12-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

my cute niece, shea prueger, did some iTunes billboards and now, gift cards. isn't she amazing?!?

another happy thing

2008-12-02T07:15:00.001-08:00

this 'spontaneous picnic' dress also made me very happy the other day, as the snow was falling too early for me. by reddish design studio.

urban quilts

2008-12-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

just discovered amy ahlstrom's urban quilts. urban graffiti expressed in in a rural craft is an idea that makes me very happy.

fun art

2008-11-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

patrick dougherty recently came to iowa to create an outdoor art installation on a lake near us. i took my kids there on a freezing cold day, but we had so much fun! i loved the concept and the construction of the installation. my kids loved the tunnel-ness and hide-ability. we were all happy.

i've never done a panoramic collage of photos, so this might not be the most graceful, but i love seeing the whole thing. it was really a U-shape, but i'm not so fancy with the panorama. (hurry & click it to see it big!)

80's memories

2008-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

this morning i had a memory of loving the David Bowie soundtrack from the movie 'Cat People'. i remember the movie being an original, dark, artsy movie with Natasha Kinski (i loved her!) so i got on last.fm to see if i could listen to the theme song and remember feelings of my youth. i found this video and just laughed--my whole artsy-dark image destroyed. it's funny to get old and feel a little defensive about how cool i really used to be (though, i usually try to keep those thoughts to myself.)

if the video doesn't load, click here.

while you wait.

2008-11-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

while you wait for me to have something interesting to say, check out this hand carved footstool by Trillium Artisans member Dave Sage. now i wanna whittle.

and now:

2008-11-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

i'm slowly adding to my shop. today i added these long, bar earrings. i already sold the originals, but i'll be doing these 'made to order.' i love how they turned out! i have dozens of photos of new things to post, but i've got a lot of editing to do first. and i'm way too busy with jewelry-making to spend enough time jewelry-photographing.

i want these, too

2008-11-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

i'm pretty sure i need these. i'm a sucker for a metal rack, full or empty, but these little cups just work.

made (for me!) by cyrusthepotter:

i want, want, want

2008-11-11T20:28:00.000-08:00

i really love odd molly clothing. i'll never buy any, because 1. i don't buy myself expensive handmade clothes, 2. i'd have to travel to paris, milan, or barcelona, or wait until fall 2009 to see them in n.y. (they haven't heard of mail order?), 3. i think those are all the reasons. but, if i didn't have those reasons, i'd purchase these things:

tags for sale, tags for sale!

2008-11-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

i just made these very cute gift tags and decided to list them as a printable .pdf for sale in my non-jewelry shop, today.etsy.com. aren't they just primo?! (is that bragging?)

cozy shak

2008-11-04T18:39:00.001-08:00

i wish i could remember where i found this image, but i can't. i love it, though. it reminds me of my young high school days, where i would go dancing at 'the vortex' in downtown sacramento. we would pass a small village of homeless people huddling around a trash can fire as we walked through one of these concrete tunnels under the railroad tracks. wouldn't my homeless friends have been delighted with this cozified version of their concrete home?

and some bracelets, finally.

2008-10-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

a new thing

2008-10-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

here's something new (for hypnotizing your friends.) i love how it turned out:

smokey wide wings

2008-10-15T08:26:00.001-07:00

this little necklace has been in more etsy treasuries lately, and i'm not sure why. it was even on the frontpage today (yay!) it's one of my favorites, but it doesn't strike me as the type that other people will love. i love the 'found object' look, like i strung up scraps from an old car. but i imagine other people loving brighter colors with more refined character. i'm glad i'm wrong.

origami king

2008-10-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

tonight, my 13 year old son showed us (the rest of the family) how to make origami boxes. he's been doing origami since he was 5 and he's just amazing. it's been fun to watch him go from sloppy, to perfect; from frustrated to genius. and it's been amazing to see how intuitive written instructions are to him now, knowing how confusing they used to be to him. i'm so proud. i think it's time he opens an etsy shop of his own.

these are some of our forms. his are all the perfect ones. my favorites are hard to see in this picture, but they are the little triangle shapes, officially called hexahedrons (?). there are two on top of the wire basket, in front of the three cubes. they fit exactly in my palm.

these i love

2008-10-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

i'm noticing some great new (to me) things on etsy lately. maybe i need to start my christmas list?

by theilluminatedowl:

by naventin, who looks new to etsy?

by simonewalsh:

what luck!

2008-10-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

it's a christmas miracle! i was on the frontpage again!

(in my family everything good that happens throughout the year is a 'christmas miracle'...it's a joke. a very hilarious joke.)

chocolate mug cake

2008-10-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

i was emailed this recipe (and photo) today and tried it immediately. i love the idea of instant chocolate cake, but if you follow this recipe, chocolate cake isn't exactly what you'll get. without baking soda, baking powder, or salt, you'll just have a sweet, sweet pile of yuck. i added about 1/4 t. of salt and cut down the sugar, and added a little more cocoa and a little less oil, and definitely used the chocolate chips, and mine was very edible. though it wasn't exactly cake, it was definitely good. the texture was more like...not cake.

but the idea is fun, right?
and beware, this rises WAY out of the mug, like WAY out. it's better than microwaving peeps.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour
in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract,
and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake
will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and
tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this
the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of
the day or night!

etsy frontpage, for a minute.

2008-10-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

yay! i was on the frontpage! not for long, though. it changed very quickly! but i'm not complaining...

etsy's down....

2008-10-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

etsy is having some glitches with photo uploading, so i'm posting on my blog instead. i've been working on some very fun new pieces for my shop. here are just a few. i'm excited about some other new bits, but they aren't ready to be photographed yet. stay tuned.

LG chocolate phone in black cherry

2008-09-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

on a happier note (happier than my last post), i am LOVING my new phone! i've never loved a phone like this one. i love the upslide. i love the little vibration of the top surface buttons. i love the color. (still getting used to my new ring, though. why don't all phones have 'triads'? i love that ring.)

it wasn't actually time for a new phone, but i jumped into a pool with my clothes on and ruined the phone that was in my pocket. i was saving a little boy who was drowning, so i have no regrets at all! sadly, verizon has no special privileges for child-saving heroes like myself. but, it's ok, because my first full price phone has turned out to make me very happy.

sigh.

2008-09-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

i know i'm not blogging enough, but i'm soo tired...

i think i'm getting sick, and i'm still catching up with my jewelry projects, and i'm still getting re-settled after my vacation (a MONTH ago!) does everyone take this long to get back in the groove?

i almost sound depressed here, and i'm actually not. but, i do wish i had more time in my day. and i wish i wasn't so easily distracted. and i wish everyone i loved lived nearer to me. and i wish other things, too. 8-10 other things.

but don't these grapevine silhouettes make you happy? i've made a photoshop stamp of them to use on my jewelry cards. they overlap perfectly when i stamp them over & over & over & over & over & o

ta da!

2008-09-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

soon i'll be offering limited edition assemblage necklaces in my shop. this will be one of the first.

and, another thing (or two) i'm enjoying...
small sculptures by therunnybunny:

and by letterfest:

and i think i'm back....

2008-09-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

we had an amazingly fun vacation; very relaxing, very fun. i loved seeing my family and our friends. i loved being with my own family so much. it's been a big adjustment coming home, where i have to actually make dinner and get my kids ready for school. and i've had a hard time getting caught up with my jewelry orders. and the humidity hasn't been my favorite. but, here are a few last pictures from the california leg of my birthday.

there are 5 kids in my childhood family. i have an older brother and three younger sisters. when my brother turned 40, my younger sister had the genius idea that the other four siblings (sisters, in his case) would buy 10 gifts for him so he would have 40 presents. We brought all kinds of funny, sentimental, and sometimes homemade things that reminded us of him. We were all in Washington DC then, for my sisters wedding, so we were all together as he opened all the gifts. It couldn't have been more fun. We made a plan that we'd be together for everyone's 40th birthday to do the same thing, but early this year, we realized that it wasn't going to work for my birthday since 3 families were having babies and the other was moving across the country! so, I just thought it wasn't going to happen and i never gave another thought to the 40 presents. but, with two sisters in town, my brother on speaker phone and my other sister on ichat, it was an incredible and almost embarrassing surprise to open a pile of 40 presents. i loved remembering the fun times we had growing up. i loved knowing the memories my siblings had of me. i made a list of all the gifts and all the reasons they were given. everything had a story. everything was perfect! (and, oooh, what decorations!)

here is a picture of me with all my loot:

happy anniversary to me (and berrett)

2008-08-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

today berrett and i are celebrating (sorta...) our 16th anniversary. we just got back from a very long trip, so we both have a ton of catching up to do with work, plus our kids just started school again, plus other things, so our celebrating consists of getting some delicious mexican take-out. but, my sweet berrett, cheers! (as if i drink, and as if he reads my blog!)

happy birthday to me

2008-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

today i turn 40. forty. forty.
i'm healthy, happy, and fulfilled. i'm exactly where i would want to be. but, it just sounds old. and when my daughter drew a cake on a card for me with exactly 40 candles on it, it certainly looks like a lot of candles.

since chris's death, i've spent a lot of time appreciating life. today is a happy day.

good bye, chris rozier

2008-07-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

at the risk of being too personal, something huge has been weighing me down. this week, my friend of almost 20 years, took his own life. he was the most original person i've ever known. and the most funny. and so many other things, too. for several days, we've been mourning, but yesterday and today, we've been re-reading emails and remembering the best times. i'm lucky to have known him. i'm sad that he's gone.

small town life

2008-07-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

july 4th in a small town feels like the fifties (or my image of the 50's, since i didn't exist then.) we went to a pancake breakfast, a main street parade, a citywide concert/demonstration event at bandshell park, a bbq with a bunch of friends, then fireworks on the hill. i went to bed feeling so thankful for my group of great friends, my sweet family, my happy life.

(see even more pictures on facebook.)

again with daily poetics

2008-07-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

it seems like every time i read daily poetics i'm filled with regret that i didn't make/discover the item posted about (with this happy exception!) yesterday, with this silverware, i felt some of the biggest regret yet! i would be so proud to have created it!

made by kathryn hinton:

a few new things

2008-06-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

i'm thinking i should keep these new white tab earrings (with a little red), and maybe the new long cameo doubles (lavender/plum earrings). i've done the 'yawn' necklace in two new colors, and i've added some variety to my wide tab necklaces. i have more new things to add, but i'm sooo tired tonight....even now, i'm drifting off to sleeeeeeepppp....

*i haven't turned b & w myself--i just wanted to accentuate the color of the enamels and de-centuate my aging skin. where are my babe niece models when i need them??

big text by Little Factory and Des Moines Art Festival

2008-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

i saw, and loved this scarf by Little Factory on several different design blogs (at least four--little factory might get big!) So, i had to get a picture (actually, i forgot my camera, so i had to force my friend to get a picture) of this amazing sculpture last night at the Des Moines Art Festival. Maybe they should get married.

*as a side note, after the predictions of 70 mph winds and golf ball (or was it bowling ball?) sized hail, all the artists closed up shop for a bit, and some for the night. i loved several artists, but i was disappointed that i couldn't see eric silva or janice ho. jewelry-wise, i loved everything by rebecca bashara! i also loved mary and lou ann, donna d'aquino, and carla fox.

every, everyday

2008-06-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

i don't drink espresso, but i could definitely get happy drinking 5 shots of tea in these little cups. or i could just get happy looking at them all day, line them up, then re-align. over and over.

made by pppottery.

so nice: amanda blake

2008-06-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

today i rediscovered some original art by amanda blake (blog, shop). i love the still, stoic characters, the rich colors, the dryness of each piece. a. lot.

happy davis

2008-06-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

we celebrated my oldest son's birthday a little over a week ago. i can't believe he's 13. it seems like forever ago and just yesterday that he was born. davis is a perfect kid to introduce me to parenting. the adjustment from zero to one kid was pretty difficult for me, but he made it so worth it. and since making that adjustment, and continuing with my family, my life has been so much richer. he's been kind and decent his whole life. he's been an amazing big brother. i love his sense of humor. i love who he's becoming. i'm so lucky he's in my life.

*i don't have any digital pictures of him as a baby, so i'm posting some of the earliest ones i have on my computer.

new to me

2008-06-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

i've discovered a new (to me) shop on etsy: scrumdidlyump. i think my *sisters, my mom, and my own sweet self all need these spoons.

*sisters includes sister-in-laws, too.

lucky day

2008-06-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

i was on the etsy frontpage yesterday AND i had some earrings in the rotating tiny shots. (see the multi-color round earrings on top left?)

poppytalk handmade

2008-06-09T19:14:00.001-07:00

a new virtual market has opened at poppytalk and my jewelry is included! the theme is 'here comes the sun' and it runs from today until july 4th.

click here for the blog post.
click here for the actual market so you can shop, shop, shop....

my needs

2008-05-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

i suddenly discovered a need of mine as i visited etsy today: this set of handmade pewter safety cones. they are little (2 x 2 x 3.5 inches), but i think i need the whole set.

made by scott goss.

flooding

2008-05-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

my town is flooding all over. we moved here in august of '93, missing the 'floods of '93' that we've heard so much about since then. the worst since 1907 or something. i don't know what it was like in '93, but it's pretty serious now. i'm lucky; my house is on a hill. we are right by the river (it's across the street), but up the hill, so it flows into the field and parking lots and basements of the houses south of ours. main roads and freeway accesses are closed. businesses and homes are flooded. but, today the sun is shining.

this is the pool parking lot, across the street from my house:

these were taken at brookeside park, a main park in the very center of town:

this is the skate park across the street from brookeside:

this is facing south on duff ave., the main north/south street here:

this is in an apartment complex parking lot:

tasty enamels by melissa tolar

2008-05-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

i remember holding my oldest baby boy as an infant and wanting to taste his smell. i didn't want to eat him or anything, but i just wanted to lick his forehead and the little curve of his nose; more like a cat than a cannibal.

i'm having the same impulse today with these brooches. there's something just tasty about them!

by melissa tolar

and my sweet daughter, too.

2008-05-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

i keep looking at cute adam's face and feeling guilty that i didn't post about cute lila. her birthday was last month, and we celebrated her, too. and her birth and life is just as special to me, but her birthday just happened to be busier, so she didn't get her own personal post.

she turned 10 this year. recently we watched and re-watched a hilarious christmas video of her at about 3 years old, where she repeatedly says, in her super animated, very high voice, 'this wasn't even on my list!' it is the cutest/funniest/sweetest thing ever. she has always had so much personality!

here is her 'mad face' when she was about 3?

my baby's birthday and etsy's frontpage!

2008-05-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

today is my baby's birthday! he's 7! wow! Seven years ago yesterday, at about 10:30 p.m. i was grouting my newly tiled shower, when my water broke. i continued grouting because i really wanted to finish it before i had my baby. but, after about 20 minutes, and after considering how fast my baby before this one had come, i realized i had to get to the dr. i called my sweet in-laws, who knew nothing of grouting, and had them come over to stay with my other two kids and finish grouting for me. they go to bed around 10:00, so being awoken to come grout wasn't their favorite thing. but, they were good sports. they stayed up 'til midnight and finished my shower. i stayed up 'til just after midnight to deliver my sweet, sweet baby. and now he's seven. (as i think about it now, i probably would have grouted faster than my inexperienced in-laws, so i could have finished by about 11:30, and made it to the hospital by 12:15! ha!)

my kids are the best part of my life!

and...etsy frontpage today!
what a colorful mix to be included in! i'm so happy!
thanks to VerreEncore!

trunkt

2008-05-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

my portfolio just got accepted to trunkt.org

see i added a new badge on the right? what good news!
now my ever-growing to-do list includes updating my trunkt portfolio...along with so many other un-done things.

from orange to green

2008-05-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

last wednesday i tested for my green belt and got it on thursday of this week. i was so nervous! i'm glad it went ok.

etsy frontpage!

2008-05-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

yay! i'm on the etsy frontpage today! thanks to ericawalker!

speaking of erica walker, isn't this necklace just right for me???

beautiful things

2008-05-03T19:09:00.001-07:00

by Frederike Schürenkämper

oh, my weakness for repetition, for balance, for angles, for texture; all satisfied here. if only i could read the website....

(five brooches and a pearl necklace:)

sad day

2008-04-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

yesterday my husband took two of my kids and some friends canoing. on the way, our precious red canoe flew off the top of the van and was smashed by a truck. destroyed. we just bought it last year and no one was happy about it's fate. isn't it weird how things go? at least no one was hurt.

family tree necklace & daily poetics blog

2008-04-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

oh no! this is the best thing i've seen in a long time. i discovered it through daily poetics (which is becoming my very favorite blog ever!) and i almost have chills. i love the concept!

family tree necklace by sarah van gameren

"In the beginning there was my own family tree.
My mother gave me one part of it. For years the scraps of paper had been pressed between the pages of an old photograph album.
The other part I received from my grandparents. With the help of some old documents and photographs they tried to recall the names of their nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts.

I wondered if my genealogical research would solve some mysteries. Is the nature of my being a result of the various branches of my family tree that ultimately come together in my own being?
Is the source of our potential in life hidden behind the leaves of this tree? Can my tree tell me how far my talent reaches?
After I completed my own family tree, I stitched all the names of my ancestors on a handkerchief, blew my nose, and that was that.

Then there is Runa, 17 years old. A beautiful and smart girl with many talents. She gave me her genealogical tree to research and in return I made her a necklace. The collier is inspired on the ‘name-jewel’ that girls of her age tend to wear. The piece of jewelry I made for her has every single name of her family members. From her ancestors on her breast to her close family embracing her neck. She wears the collier like a genetic palette."

-Sarah van Gameren 2004

colorfest

2008-04-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

new to my shop:

and another thing!

2008-04-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

tiny earrings on the etsy homepage again! i'm so excited!

free chips by tina rice, plus a special order

2008-04-03T19:12:00.001-07:00

i just listed a few new, style- and time-wise, items in my shop. i'm busy with plenty of enamel work and i'm so excited about some of the new things i'm working on, but tonight i've only photographed these two pieces.

today i got a package with four new enamel colors, the old leaded thompsons, and i'm dying to try them....so, now i'm off.

mmm...round....

2008-03-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

as busy as i've been, i've still found browsing time on etsy. my current passion is bright and round. mmmm. delicious!

by spoton:

by artisanclay:

by madebymoxie:

by thegirlwithacurl:

by angelasdiner:

by artbywinona:

too many favorites

2008-03-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

i need to go on a shopping spree. my list (do you make lists for sprees?) would include:

this painting by jennifer davis:

this vase by whitney smith:

these earrings by megan auman:

these lunch trays by lorena barrezueta:

and these cute notecards by superfay (stephanie, these remind me of you!):

i posted direct links to all these things so anyone who loves me can just click and buy me some presents. i'm very thoughtful that way.

my lucky week! front page again!!

2008-03-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

wow! i'm feeling very lucky! i'm on the frontpage of etsy again! i can't believe it! thanks to mgcarmichael for today's front page and to yaelfran for the one on the 3rd!

yip! etsy front page!

2008-03-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

what a great surprise! i'm on the etsy frontpage today!

Craft: magazine ad

2008-03-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

i'm participating in an etsy ad in Craft: magazine. i lucked out when i purchased a spot for this ad; i'm one of 30 (or so) people who got one. so, i'm trying to decide what picture to list. i'm tempted to use one of my favorite pieces, but my favorites are never the most sold pieces. so i'm probably going to use one of these pictures. they are the most viewed (recently), or sold. i hope i don't regret my choice.

and the winter's so....and the winter's so looong...

2008-02-21T10:44:00.000-08:00

yesterday i woke up and it was -12F. today, i woke up singing this perfect decemberists song....over, and over, and over. this winter is sooooo long.

shea prueger, can i just brag?

2008-02-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

i'm so proud of my adorable niece! she's a model in NY and just signed with a new agency, so i'm seeing her in so many new places.

for catherine holstein:

for style.com:

for catherine holstein:

for Edun (Bono's wife, Ali Hewson):

for vera wang:

and here she is for milla jovovich-hawk/nylon magazine: (please click! she's lovely here!)

she's also in March's Elle magazine for someone...p. 288

faux treasury: spikefest 2008

2008-02-15T20:07:00.001-08:00

since i have given up on getting an etsy treasury, i decided to make my own. can you ever have enough spikes?? (click for full-size)

to buy everything from my treasury:
spike cup by claylabdetroit
bonsai spiked pot by jmnpottery
mace lamp by julih32
spiked pottery bowl by KathariyaSheltonspiked
bubble tree earrings by thesleepingdog
funky purple spikes ring by knots
cream tapas bowls by studioelan
"spiked" photograph by tiinateaspoon
spikey pod leather bracelet by randitan
green spiked flower brooch by jmnpottery
hardcore felt cuff by madebymoxie
beachcomb print by polaroidsandpinholes

this should soo be on the frontpage!

yawn necklaces

2008-02-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

more kiln-fired enamel on copper...i can't get enough. i love the colors. i love the process. i love forging the copper. i love every step. i have a pretty short attention span, so finding something i can happily work on everyday, without getting tired of it, is unusual for me. i might never go back to straight silver.

cozy jewelry

2008-02-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

i know i just posted about moonrover's knitted ring, but when it's a snow day, and -250 degrees outside (slight exaggeration), all i can think about is getting cozy. i might need all of these pieces to actually warm up, but aren't they deliciously perfect on their own? i can't get enough of the stackables!

stackables by hisano takei:

cozy rings:
knitted ring by moonrover:

'i felt in love' ring by saralagace:

moss ring by ottoman:

3 dots ring by 3FUN:

troubles

2008-02-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

yesterday i must have spent far too much time on the internet or caught some kind of consume-now bug, because i found three things that i'm dying to own! the first is a painting that has already sold, and i don't have a very big art budget right now even if it was available, so it will never be mine:

by cynthia benno of bennoartstudio on ebay or cynthiabenno.com

the second thing i NEED is this amazing necklace from eninaj on etsy:

the third is this adorable knit ring by moonrover on etsy:

besides being on the internet yesterday, i discovered i should have been in a sit com. on my way to tae kwon do, wearing my white uniform, i had to drop off a crockpot full of dark chocolate fondue at a party thing for my husband. as i stepped onto the sidewalk, my very first step, i slipped on a huge sheet of ice. i flung a wave of chocolate fondue all over my hands, up my arms, and onto the sidewalk. i landed on my left elbow, somehow, with the pot still in my hands. i lost only about 1/3 of the fondue. this morning i can tell that i also did something weird with my right leg because my right ankle (my red right ankle...., if you love the decemberists) is also injured, as well as my right...seat. my elbow, though, is almost un-usable. ouch! i'm sure i would have been given a role in a sit com if a) i would have gotten more fondue on my face and hair, b)if i had some laugh tracks on hand, and c) if a casting agent happened to be watching.

p.s. my white uniform remained surprisingly white. i put my coat on as i got out of the car, so the chocolate got all over my coat sleeves, but not my uniform sleeves. the only chocolate on my uniform happened to be on the backside of my pants, in all the right places for the kids in my TKD class to make hilarious jokes. i was meant for the stage.

new tab earrings

2008-01-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

here are the first of several new tab earrings for my shop. i'm editing the photos of about 30 more things, so i'll just post a few at a time. (remember this post from November 5, 2006?? yikes!)

more projects

2008-01-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

i've been sick this month (almost dead once) so my projects and my blogging have suffered. but, i did make several jewelry items (to be posted later) and a few paper projects. see:

i've listed these for sale in my second etsy shop: today.etsy.com
in this shop, i'm including my non-jewelry projects and some supplies.

red light male bowler and three men

2008-01-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

as i neglect my laundry and other obligations, i have been drawing everyday. i have a 700 page chinese book i'm filling with drawings. very entertaining.

frontpage!

2008-01-22T05:47:00.000-08:00

while i was sleeping, i was getting famous in australia! luckily i woke up at 6 this morning, just in time to see it.

shop news

2008-01-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

i'm updating my shop (slowly) with my new tag necklaces. i'm doing a made to order thing, posting possible colors and size varieties for custom necklaces. i still have about a million colors to add, so the process will be slow. but, i'm loving the possibilities.