For Paula's birthday

Paula is my Executive Assistant and my friend. She looks out for me and makes sure I have what I need when I need it. I wanted to make something special for her birthday. I know that one of her favorite vacation places is Sanibel Island so I obsessed over the right components to reflect sun, sand and sea.

I made the pendant from clay and pressed real shells into it for texture. I added two glazes--silver and copper--over the aqua blue clay. Other components were pearls, sea glass and copper features. I'm hoping she will wear it and relax thinking of her favorite place to unwind.

Thankful for Janice

I am so blessed in so many ways. This year I have a new blessing to add to my list--Janice is my successor and already taking on the leadership of my EY coaching team. She is awesome--lots of fire in her belly, creative, scary smart and so respectful of me and the work I've done. We have a mutual admiration society and I am loving working with her and doing what I can to set her up for success.

When Janice and I first got to know each other, we discovered that we were sorority sisters--different chapters, different generations--but both Kappa Kappa Gammas. We joked about the secret handshake and signed our notes (tongue-in-cheek) "love & loyalty"! I made Janice a necklace out of the sorority colors of dark blue and light blue and incorporated sorority symbols--owl, key, fleur-de-lis. I added a heart for love and a shoe, as she is definitely a cool shoe woman and jokes about stepping into big shoes. It's a fun piece and looks great on her!

Bottling time

I had big plans for bottling my Homemade Cherry Bounce. I ordered special swing-top bottles and labels. I bought green polymer clay, black wire and red beads to make a holly berry dangle for the bottle. After washing all the bottles and utensils, bowls, funnel, etc, draining the cherries, filtering the hootch and filling the bottles yesterday, I ran out of steam. No dangles. However, I did pit all four quarts of cherries and froze them in separate packages to use for baking. I plan to make some buttermilk, cherry and pecan scones for breakfast tomorrow. The cherry bounce will go with me to dinner today at Susie's so that every family gets a bottle of "Santa's Helper". I tried a little yesterday and it was "okay". Not sure I will go to this much work again next year!

Another Michael's re-do

I love taking the pendants on sale at Michael's and upgrading them with good beads. This necklace looks great with just jeans and a sweater.

Happy birthday, Kim!

My youngest daughter-in-law is turning 40 this week. Now that makes me feel old! I made her a necklace to signify this place in her life. They just made a move to Chicago and will be building a new home there. She is taking this year off and will do some thinking about her career. I'm hoping she dreams big!

When Ellery saw the necklace, she commented, "I doubt if she will wear it. It's not her taste." Oh, the honesty that comes with being six!

When the clouds part

A friend of mine went thru a rough patch of life--made a major move, lost her mom, then her job. She is now with a great organization that fits her perfectly and was recently promoted to Chief Talent Officer. I made her this simple necklace to celebrate her new role and a new beginning.

for me!

Ever since I lost my sister almost 24 years ago, I've had a personal motto of "no regrets". I try my best to live my life that way. I decided to make myself a leather bracelet to remind myself to live, laugh and love to the hilt.

Jasper

I went to my favorite metal store today in Bellingham where I had this jasper focal set reserved. Came home and strung it with some ceraminc beads and jasper rectagles. Looks kinda "jungle-fever-y". The center piece looks blue in the photo but it is grey-green-tan.

Cleather earrings

I made some simple feather shapes out of clay and then wired them under an antique cone. Not sure I am finished with them yet as I may gild the edges, but they are cute. It took multiple shots to get Mr. Crow to pose wearing them!

Think it's time to put my feet up and watch the Cooking channel! Be sure to go to "older posts" to see everything I posted today.

Really into the polymer clay

I went to my favorite metal shop yesterday in search of some copper sheet to stamp and found a trove of stamps for clay. Loved one with different size feathers. I traced this one on grey clay and then painted it after I baked it. Added the wire wrap and beads today and put it on a silver chain.

Mermaids!

I bought some ceramic pieces on etsy and have been looking for the right home for them. The focal piece has a mermaid tail and the two hearts have shell impressions. This looks very retro to me and would be cute with a sundress. Guess I'll need to post again in nine months!

Michael's pendant

A few posts ago I talked about buying some pendants at Michael's and then challenging myself to see how out-of-the-box I could get. This one is crazy! I made the spiral beads. Shel says the yellow ones look like corn. It's a three strand, random string with some copper highlights.

Autumn evenings

This piece was inspired by the tiny drop beads that are orange and blue. When I first saw them in Oregon I envisioned this piece and thought of the combination of rust and cobalt blue. I added golds and brown. The lacey maple leaf didn't photo well. It was a purchase, but I made it more substantial by making a leaf close to the same size out of brown clay and glazing it with gold powder.

Another necklace using the clay pendants I made

I got feedback from several of you on the pendants I made and everyone tactfully avoided comments about the brown one. I love how it turned out in this necklace.

You won't see the third pendant made up for awhile. It's a work in progress but also a gift for someone, so I won't post it until she receives it!

Autumn leaves

Fall is my favorite season. The leaves are just starting to turn here so I made this piece in anticipation.

Finished piece

Last time I posted (and thanks to all of you who check regularly and remind me you are waiting!), I posted three pendants that I made out of polymer clay. Here's one of the finished pieces. It took a long time to make as there were multiple connectors.

Clay pendants

I'm always disappointed in how my stuff looks in photos versus real life, but the photos actually help me "see" pieces differently. I worked on a couple of necklaces over the weekend (photos at 6) but spent most of my time making these three pendants. Actually, if truth be told, I spend most of my time running from Jo Ann's to Michael's on the weekend cashing in coupons and adding to stash. These three will eventually become necklaces so stay tuned!

Contest entry

Stringing Magazine (yes, there are magazines for people like me) runs a quarterly contest. This quarter's theme is "Fairy Tales". Who wants a necklace with three little dangling pigs or poison apples? Fairy tales are about bling, baby--happily ever after stuff. I'm still playing with the photo to submit, but here's my rendition of Briar Rose.

Embellished

One of my new challenges is to buy a focal piece from one of the big box craft stores and design around it. I bought this pendant at Michael's and fastened it with two types of chain. Then I made three flowers out of copper beads and a beaded dangle and connected those asymmetrically to the chain. It's a long piece and looks great with t-shirts.

My first custom order!

I made a bracelet for Susie for her birthday. Last time we were together she asked if I could make a necklace to coordinate. (You notice I didn't use the word "match". Old ladies do the matchey-matchey thing.)

Susie--it is ready for pick up. Hope you like it!

Studio Crow

I had a great Labor Day weekend. The weather was perfect for day trips in this beautiful country we are privileged to call home. On Saturday I drove up to Bellingham and then came home Chuckanut Drive that hugs the Sound. I stopped in my favorite gallery and found this metal cut-out of a crow. He now stands on the window sill in my "studio" (aka laundry room) to provide inspiration for Crow's Feet Crafts. The gallery had crows in various poses. Decided when I'm rich and famous I'll buy him some crow cousins to share his perch.

For my favorite quilter

Jo Beth and I were next-door neighbors and only 12 days apart in age. (She loves reminding me that I'm the oldest!) A couple years ago she and her quilting friends made a beautiful quilt for the Hospice Association auction. I thought that was especially thoughtful since she now lives in GA and I am in WA. I was in Atlanta this week on business and got to have dinner with her. I gave her this necklace as a long overdue thank you for the quilt.

At first she thought one of the charms was an ice cream scoop--it's a rotary cutter--and she didn't notice that the pendant is actually a quilting piece. She liked it regardless and thinks her quilting friends will be jealous. My wish is that she will wear it and feel my gratitude.

Love this bracelet

Old wrist but new bracelet! Love this design that I put together with sliced wine corks. (I have an unlimited supply!) Found some cute buttons and there ya go!

Unintentional

Wasn't planning on making this necklace but the beads called me. I was in a hurry so the picture is crude. Alice made this pendant too.

For me

Bought this beautiful pendant on etsy. It is polymer clay. Put some simple beads together to make this piece for me.

Alice's raku pendant

I really liked using the pendant that Alice made to make a necklace for my sister-in-law, Barbara--truly a collective effort.

Purple pop

My sister-in-law, Marlene, likes purple, so I've been collecting purple beads for awhile to make her a necklace. Couldn't find the right focal piece so I made one using polymer clay, silver paint and beads. I hope she likes it!

Fairy house

Ellery and I made a fairy house when I was in Oak Park visiting. Not sure if any moved in yet, but they should. It is full of custom furniture made from clay by little hands!

Ellery's creation

I recently spent a hot, but delightful, few days with our son Jess's family in Oak Park IL. Ellery, who is 6, loved looking at the jewelry I made. Next thing I knew she strung together a necklace from some wooden beads she had. She also asked me how long I'd been making jewelry. When I told her "about two months" she replied, "I've been in the jewelry business longer than that. My friend Katherine and I made jewelry when I lived in Dallas. We didn't sell anything but it was cute--we made it out of string and paper." No doubt she has a lot to teach me!

Work in progress

Bought some hand-dyed silk ribbon and just started playing with it knotting copper rings as I went. Then I created several dangles, which I attached to the rings. I still have to find an S-hook to finish the clasp and work the chain on the second half of the necklace, but I ran out of steam for the weekend. Oh, I'm calling this one Sedona Sunset.

Think I deserve a feet-up-sit-down with a glass of wine before starting dinner.

Open for business

Okay, so the photo is not in focus, but you get the idea. I had cards made. God bless Vistaprint--500 for $2.99. Bought a little stamp and inked the bird's feet on the plain cards.

Polymer clay faux leather

I've had some polymer clay for awhile with the intent of making my own beads or pendants. I saw a cool project online for making faux tooled leather. Believe it or not this started out as tan clay. I rolled it thru a pasta machine, distressed it with crumbled up tin foil, cut the shapes with a cookie cutter, cut the holes with a drinking straw and marked "stitching" with the head of a pin. Then I baked them and wiped on a mix of black and burnt sienna paint. Some are better than others and I still have to file the edges and buff, but I think they are passable.

Empty Nest

What kind of person names her necklaces? This is my first attempt at an asymmetrical design. Shel keeps trying to straighten it for me! I also made a coordinating bracelet. Two tries on both!

Terrible Two's at 64

Seems like everything I do lately takes two tries to get it right. I tried a couple weeks ago to make cherry bounce and the mixture molded. I'm at it again and this one looks promising. I played with the recipe combining several off the web and incorporating some tips. The mixture is supposed to ferment for ten days before adding whiskey to the jar, sealing it and letting it sit until the holidays. Is Labor Day a legit holiday?

Need to get busy

I drove 230 miles round trip yesterday to a bead shop in Lacey--Shipwreck Beads. The place was huge and I shopped for over two hours. Came home and placed two online orders for things I wanted, but couldn't find there. Then today I went to Joann's and Michael's with coupons in hand and added to my stash. I have enough now to keep me busy for the next ten years!

Going to a friend's tonite for crab. I'm taking a layered Mexican dip so Shel will have something to eat. Should be a fun time!

Second try

I don't think I've stopped with the first try on anything I've made yet. I posted this one before and then went back and added to it--made it longer and embellished the pendant. I like it better now.

Shel's favorite

I made this one to wear with the many turquoise and black clothes I own. It's a heavy necklace. I made matching earrings, which I will never wear with it as I don't like the matchy-matchy look.

Ask for that raise!

I think this necklace is classy and perfect to wear when asking for a raise. In hindsight, I'd probably make it shorter in proportion to the focal pendant.

Steep learning curve III

This one was a "from-scratch" necklace which I've actually worn several times.

Steep learning curve II

The next attempt was an addition to a cheap necklace from Kohl's to which I added some resin flowers and a charm. I think it looks like "grandma trinkets". Wore it once too.

Steep learning curve

I pulled out my first three attempts at jewelry making. Two were simply adaptations of existing pieces. The first was made from a money clip that Carol gave me after our trip to AZ. I saw a necklace made out of Buffalo nickels and thought it was cool. Carol found the money clip in the airport gift shop on the way home and sent it to me. I spent hours (honest) making it into a necklace that I wore once.

Food/Mood

I worked so hard from Oct-Mar to shed 40 pounds. I'm not admitting to how much has creeped back, but I am so frustrated. Damn the 3 Basic Mood Groups--red wine, chocolate and cheese. How I wish I were one of those people (and I'm sure they exist somewhere) who only eat when they are hungry! Not beating myself up, just dealing with my demons.

Cherry bounce

Just pitted 3#s of Yakima cherries to make cherry bounce--an old pioneer liquor recipe. I added brown sugar, cinnamon sticks and grated nutmeg. It will sit in a "sunny, warm place" (if I can find one!) for ten days. Then I'll fill the gallon jar with Jack Daniels and let it rest in a cool, dark place until Christmas.

Wish it were ready now! I have a four-day weekend and I'm wishing my family were closer. I have fond memories of entertaining Ellery here two years ago. There's nothing like a small town 4th, but way more fun with kiddos!

Newest necklace

Great weekend--sunny, warm (low 70's--hey, we live in Washington!) Soft jazz on the radio and time to play with my stash of beads. I was inspired by the tumbled sea glass beads and think this will look great for summer.

for Ellery, keeper of the fairies

My granddaughter, Ellery, has discovered fairies. My great-grandmother, Polly Plimmer, from England helped me see them in the flowers in her garden when I was about Ellery's age so I helped Ellery find them the last time I got to visit with her. Since then she has made several houses for them including one with air-conditioning! I made this necklace for her this weekend as I think it is fitting for a fairy keeper. Who knows--the Queen of Fairies may visit soon!

Memory necklace

The picture is of my mom at about age 16. On the back side of this necklace is a quote from Colette--"let me never forget that I am the daughter of a woman, who herself, never ceased to bloom all the decades of her century." I miss her. What a great model she was for me in so many ways--loved life, laughed at herself, accepted whatever life gave her.

Hop head

This is a bracelet hanging on a real hop plant that I made for Kathy. She loves IPAs--the more bitter the better. The silver plate says "hop head" and the round object is actually a flattened bottle cap from an IPA. I used an italic stamp on the metal and "hop head" looks more like "bop bead". Kathy and my husband drink beer together. We all went to the Portland Beer Festival two years ago. You might know the quilt pattern called "drunkard's path". Well, the path they walked on the way home would have made a crazy quilt!

Dog's Best Friend

This is a bracelet I made for Barb. She is the ultimate dog person so I made her the leather cuff bracelet by sewing tiny sead beads along the edge, riveting a copper plate that I stamped with "dog's best friend" and attaching a dangle of beads and two silver dog bone charms. The copper plate was one of my first stampings and took many tries including one on which I spelled friend as "freind"! All of this is a learning curve, which is what makes it so fun for me.

Welcome to the Grandma ranks

I made this necklace for Ellen after Jake was born. The tiny silver charm is stamped with his name and the dangle has an "emerald", which is his birthstone.

Susie's bracelet

Every time Susie hears the bracelet jingle (and it does!) she is reminded to exhale and that she is loved.

Blair's birthday necklace

Every little girl should feel like a princess, especially on her birthday. This necklace is made of colorful beads and stacked resin flowers.

pastel of calla lily

I painted this last year from a picture a friend did of a calla lily in Santa Barbara. I love the soft shapes.

found art coachkeeper made for Pam McLean

I collected pieces for over a year before putting this together for Pam, who is the CEO of the Hudson Institute. The photo doesn't show the detail, but it is loaded with symbolism and was created with great affection.