You can fool the fans - but not the players.... John Cage

Projects! Paint, stain, dye, drill....

I started to tell you about projects with my last post and then I got side-tracked into thrift store tales. But I'm back to projects, cause I'm pretty happy with them.

First, wedding projects. I made a list the other day and it was so long and scary it got me busy yesterday afternoon. That and realizing that JC is going to be home for the winter soon and reclaiming the garage and workbench, or at least half, and I've been collecting projects all summer long. That's what I do in case, you know, there is a sudden project drought. I hoard projects, like books, since you never know when it all might dry up. It is a sickness.

Wedding.

You know the snow-dusted branch lights I bought. You've seen the french flower buckets from the wholesale floral supply. But something wasn't right. The buckets, in all their tin glory, were just too bright, too silver, too shiny. I searched the internet for solutions and tried spraying bleach on them....didn't much like that look. So I started thinking about what color I'd want them and it came to me that a chalky black would create the gray I'm searching for. Chalkboard paint!

 

Shiny galvanized bucket...

 

A couple of cans of Krylon Chalkboard Paint (you need at least 2 coats)...

 

Equals nice, black, not too shiny flower buckets. Let them cure a day or two, then prime with chalk - just rub it on and wipe it off with a rag...

 

The chalk takes down the black, takes down the shine even more, and now.... you can write on them. I love these, they are going to be perfect. And, they are all painted now.

Check!

Southern Charm is helping me make sachets for favors and my mom II recently brought me a huge bag of lavender from her garden.

 

Yesterday this became this:

 

Quite a lot of lavender to mix with flax seed for linen sachets. Today's list includes stamping the linen fabric I picked up last weekend at Mill Ends. Beautiful, drapey linen I'd like to go back and buy yards of. Just in case they stop making linen.

 

You might remember this little project with the rusty crystals...

 

That are now clean...

 

And hanging. I have one last thing to do to this and that is to add some chain so that it doesn't hang by the fixture... which doesn't really seem like a good idea.

 

A lot of these things I did yesterday were merely a matter of finishing up what I'd already started. I do that a lot. It drives JC crazy to see my in-progress projects sitting around. I don't know why I don't just finish them... the drought thing, I guess.

 

I had this little box I bought for 50 cents. Cute, slighty rusty, oxidized blue.

 

And a drawer pull from Anthropologie, on sale. LOVE these!

 

Enameled, like little flowers. I have a larger, single pull as well... no plans yet for it.

 

Pried the handle off...

 

Drilled holes and replaced the handle with the cabinet pull.

 

So easy, so cute. I also drilled my holes for my book covers, but discovered that what I thought I had (an eyelet setter) is not an eyelet setter for the tiny eyelets we're using on our soldered books. So it is off to the local Ben Franklin store today in hopes that they have an eyelet setter. Just when you think you have every tool imaginable... you find you need another.

Other projects that progressed yesterday were the two bedside tables for the GROG we bought well over a year ago at our neighbor's yard sale (yes, yes, I KNOW!). They got a coat of stain and will be finished today. Part of the reason they sat so long is because JC had to do some repair work on them and in my defense he did not get to that until this past spring. Really. And I slapped some walnut stain on my disppointing Dansko clogs - the ones that have the cute western pattern but are scuffing up to the point of almost getting rid of them.

 

I've been pondering how to save these... I feel like they need a toe cap.

Well, I have projects planned for today, too. JC is back tonight and tomorrow will be busy getting hay and getting Rhea home. I squeezed in a little ride on the cranky mustang late yesterday and will have to make time every day now for groundwork, riding, and just spending T-I-M-E with my horses.

 

Hits and misses....

Whew! Something kicked into gear this afternoon and I was on a roll. Must have been the list I made yesterday while zoning out during a meeting... and the realization that JC will be home soon to reclaim the garage. Gotta get my projects out!

But first....

One of the things I love about thrift stores is that you just don't know what (if anything) you'll find. Sometimes I cruise through finding little to nothing but junk. Sometimes I feel like I've hit the lottery. Yesterday was a little bit of a thrill - not a lotto day - but certainly worthwhile.

Unlike the time before - when the misses outnumbered the hits by far. There were the Prana sweats that turned out too low cut and too high-water. What were they thinking when they designed those? I used to really like Prana clothes but either I'm getting too old or they are just getting funky. Funky in fit, funky in fabric, and waaaay too expensive. Got 'em home, tried 'em on and back into the thrift store pile they went. Miss.

And the belt with the buckle, keeper and tip that I just knew was silver. Got it home, tried to shine it up and discovered.... pewter. Sigh. Miss.

 

Hit! These are Dansko, size 8 and super cute. Some people shy away from second-hand shoes and I'm cautious... but several times I've found almost new, too good to pass up, finds. Swap out the insoles for some nice Dr. Scholls, spray them with tea tree oil and you are good to go. Plus, I wear socks. And I change them daily.

 

I've had Dansko clogs for years - bought them when I first started catering. They wear like iron and have a timeless style. These are the first Dansko flats I've had... we'll see how long I love them.

 

Even the soles are cute. And yes, I paid $8 for them... from the "pricey" thrift store.

 

The clincher... that darling turquoise button. Sigh.

 

The other hit. Brand new, tags still hanging on it... Cabi jacket. Blue ticking - so French. The details, so darling. The fit, very cute.

 

Love the back details. And the red "X"s on the band. Soooo cute.

 

Not lined, but seams are bound in a contrasting fabric.... I can't wait to wear this jacket. Often. Hit! Hit! Hit!

Still another find.... not one but two...

 

Again, very francois in a country house sort of way. Copper, hand-forged hooks. Hit!

Then, finally, two Boden tissue t-shirts, both in neutrals....

 

Course I wore one today and ruined it with spray paint and walnut stain. This is why I buy my clothes at thrift stores.

A flame, a little brass and copper... bezel and book-making

I am busy this week juggling work, a stack of projects, a monthly commitment, and a one-week online class taught by Stephanie Lee. The class is about non-traditional book-making using soldered metal (brass or nickel) for the covers and creating pages from plaster and binding them all together into thick, palm-sized treasures. I try not to miss an opportunity to take a class from Stephanie as she is a favorite artist and a fabulous instructor. Last year she started offering classes online and although live is always better there is nothing like the flexibility of an video based class that you can view and work on whenever it fits your schedule.

You just never know what you'll learn in a class that will contribute to your own art - it might be the whole kit and kaboodle, or it might just be one or two elements. I am interested in these books, of course, being the journal fanatic and handmade book enthusiast that I am, but I am also interested in where I might apply it to the jewelry I'm making and how it can improve my soldering, spur my creativity, and push me off into new directions.

 

This has kept me up too late a few nights this week already - because night time is the only free time. I pay for it in the mornings, but it is oh, so great when the music is going and I am in my studio feeling in the creative groove. Makes me think back to college days when I would spend hours in my painting nook in the big school studio.

 

These are the two book covers I've started - cut, smoothed, flooded with solder and bezels attached. I've also dragged out bits of old jewelry from the stash to experiment with.

 

This one was very straightforward. I incorporated an old earring of sterling silver.

 

This one was more interesting. The butterfly had abalone shell in the wings and when I went to imbed it into the solder the abalone burned, smelled awful, and then just flaked out. Which was okay with me as I like the empty wings better anyway. I haven't started my plaster pages yet, since we are going through a bit of a cold snap right now and have had a cold north wind blowing the last two days, but will as soon as it warms up a tad.

 

While I'm at the bench it seems a shame not to be creating new work of my own, and I wanted to work with ball chain on these bezels.

 

It is more of a challenge than I thought it would be and I set off the smoke detector more than once! But I love the look of the ball chain around the bezels.

 

These are far from finished but already I can see that adding the ball chain will give the whole piece more shine. I can't wait to patina, collage, drill, resin, and hang pearls, crystal beads and bits of frayed silk from these...

 

I just love what I am doing these days. These will be joining the others in my etsy shop before too long.

The Branding we didn't make it to...

Ahhh, the best laid plans. The coolers are packed, the camera battery charged, the vehicles fueled. We were heading north to a branding. A weekend in the valley, good friends, beer, calf nuts and camaraderie. And we had all that - just not the branding part.

 

Vehicles have a way of determining the outcome of a day and driving up the 99 and over on the 80 has been hard on our vehicles. This time it was a camp trailer tire - the Holiday Rambler ended up disabled just long enough for us to miss the branding. But... nobody was hurt, we were all together and we made the best of it.

 

How could you not with weather like this? Driving over Conway Summit I stopped several times to take photos, knowing that in just a few days it would be all different. One hard freeze, one windstorm (not that we ever get those), and all those glorious colors will be gone, leaving bare branches waiting for snow.

 

I'm sure that up any canyon on the east side is much better than from the road, but it was a balance this day and as it was I got a late start (surprise!) and had several errands to run in Reno before getting to the valley. This is what I got and it was a heck of a lot better than no fall color at all. I know I keep saying this but the wheels are in motion for change and next year I should be able to squeeze in a hike or two.

 

There have been years when I've not made it up the grade to the higher country and missed October all together... I'm counting my blessings.

 

Once we settled in at our dear friends' house we made the most of it. The HR is such a cool camp trailer. Our wonderful hostess immediately produced a table and this stellar tablecloth, we pulled out the vintage pink chairs, and cocktail hour was upon us. We made it to the branding potluck and JC got his calf nuts, we socialized with friends old and new, and completed the weekend with no more mishaps.

 

This might be one of my favorite bumper stickers ever. The Plumas-Sierra Cattlewomen put this out and it adorns more than a few trucks in this ranching valley.

 

I love this valley and JC is falling for it too. I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up back here some day. It is a place where social networks are established around a someone's kitchen table or a cup of coffee in a cafe.

 

It has a lot of history. Families have lived and ranched here for generations. We saw too many "For Sale" signs on ranches, signs that things have not been easy lately. There's a lot of pressure on this valley and it isn't easy to make a living.

 

You can't come here looking for a job -  you've almost got to bring it with you. Retirees and second homeowners are buying up the old houses because they are the only ones who can. And it isn't a bad thing - lots of the historic houses are being lovingly restored by these new owners - but they sit empty a lot and some of the vibrancy of the community is lost.

 

I do love this valley and am so thankful for the years I spent here, the friends I made, and the memories I have and continue to make.

All the glory of October

After phone calls and meetings yesterday the puppy and I were in great postion for scooting up Bishop Creek to scope some fall color. We were not disappointed. From all reports this has been a spectacular year and it is hard not to race around and try to hit all the hot spots. I doubt that I'll see Lundy Canyon or McGee Creek this fall,  but I can pat myself on the back for making it up to Bishop Creek.

 

There were fishermen everywhere and it was a perfect fall day. Calm, in the eighties, brilliant blue sky. Everyone seemed so friendly and happy. Do yellow aspens emit some sort of calming energy?

 

We walked from one of the intakes above South Lake...

 

in the mid-afternoon...

 

on a nice little walk I often forget but would be good for visitors not wanting a hike but a walk. A stroll. Especially this time of year.

 

I became acquainted with this spot early summer when I helped at the Rotary aid station for one of those insanely lengthy mountain runs - I think it was a 50 miler. Or a hundred-miler. One where people running in are either super high on endorphins or dragging themselves along by sheer will.

 

The puppy goes just about everywhere with me now. She is instantly recognized as a heeler by people who have owned or know of someone who's had one and they'll say, "hey, is that a heeler?" And they generally have nothing but good things to say about how loyal and smart heelers are. Then there was the woman walking the Australian Shepard who said, "Oh, look, the same kind of dog!" and I was thinking, "really? Cause I'm pretty sure they are not" but I smiled and nodded and walked off with my heeler.  Anyway, I'm certainly happy and in love with her. She's fun to take places cause she doesn't wander off, she's bouncy and happy and alert to everything around her, friendly (thanks to her time at the resort), and just generally a kick to have around.

 

I'm so glad I took the time to drive up - it was tempting to just go back home and work but that has been my downfall for the last few years, choosing to work or at least not pulling away for a few hours during these incredible moments. I used to be more adventurous and I used to always choose outside over inside. I'm not sure when that changed, it has kind of snuck up on me.

 

It is the lure of the computer, I tell you. More than anything else it has contributed to a more sedentary life. We're not that much for watching TV but almost any winter evening you can find us on our respective laptops... and I'm much worse than JC.

 

All these shots were taken with an iPhone camera. It is one less thing to carry. And it makes it tempting to get the 4S, with the 8 mega-pixel camera... but really, I mean really. Most of my photos go here - at 72 dpi and only 400 pixels wide. And I have a wonderful Canon SLR if I want high resolution. So here is me admonishing me: "Get real. You do not need the 4S".

 

Because who can complain about these fun photos taken with the Hipstamatic app?

 

Or Instagram?

 

Gorgeous. Today we drive north and I bet that Conway Summit is going to have a show to offer.... I'll see a little more of fall's amazing glory in the eastern Sierra. We are invited to a branding this weekend and the "real" camera will be charged up and ready to roll. Dust, cowboys and cowgirls, bawling calves, highly functioning horses... can't wait. Oh, and the food isn't bad at a branding either!

A horse is a mirror, not always reflecting what you want to see

I knew that getting a yearling would be a challenge and that I had waited until perhaps the very last minute to do this in my life. A young horse is a good match for a rider in her 20s and 30s - at the top of her game, fitness, and agility. A woman in her 50s? Maybe pushing it just a little. Especially in my case, when I've been a desk jockey for a few years, not as fit or active as I was through my 40s.

But opportunities appear when they appear and I jumped at the chance to drive to northern Nevada to pick out a filly, a beautiful little quarterhorse. I had no idea what I was doing but I am surrounded by people who do know and I knew enough to ask them for help.

I got hurt and I came face to face with fear. Fear of getting hurt again. And now, almost four years later, that fear is really getting in the way. And I find myself angry, exasperated, and impatient with myself for the fear. Wondering how to best overcome the fear and anxiety. Wondering if I can ride this mare - not physically, but mentally.

It is a mind-game for sure. I saddle up the mustang, I ask of him, I expect of him, I know that he will come through. I sit confidently in the saddle and he responds to that. I watch the trainer ride my mare and I see the same thing. I get in the saddle on her and it all falls apart. Is it the mare? Nope, it is the rider. The anxiety creeps in, the mare can feel it, we are out of sync and it all falls apart. So what to do.

I believe I can get past my fear. A little fear when riding doesn't hurt at all - it keeps you alert, responsive, and makes sense. After all, you are riding 1000 lbs of rabbit-response. Too much fear isn't a good thing. It translates through your hands, through your seat and through your legs... and to a young mare looking for a leader, confidence and the next step - it isn't a good thing.

What to do? Sell the horse? What would that do for me? I have a relationship with this mare, I've been a part of her life for years now. I've invested quite a sum of money into training. None of that matters, of course, if I can't or won't ride her. I can ride her, this I know, if I can get my head out of the way.

She's coming home at the end of this month and we have a plan. Other people will help me keep the horse ridden. I will ride her and continue to do a lot of ground work with her. I'll watch others ride her. I'll get to know what she does when she's tense, or spooks, or wakes up marish. I'll ride a lot of other horses, as I think I've become too accustomed to just one horse. I'll push myself harder, to ride harder, faster, ask more, expect more and hone my own abilities.

I think it is going to be fine. Cause I'm looking in the mirror, not liking everything I see and wanting to find a better reflection the next time I look.

Studio time! When "Ride & Shine" takes off.

It is closing in on a year since I finally got the hang of making bezels with a butane torch and some solder and brass without completely cooking the metal... and my skill level has come right  along (although there are plenty more hours to put in). The last batch, the batch I took to Art & Soul, was well received and I'm ready to dive into making and selling handbag charms and pendants. I've even got some new ideas I'm ready to develop.

 

This holiday season I'll be setting up shop at some shows and developing more of a web presence. Etsy is a great marketplace but it is also a crowded marketplace and I'm not sure how to break through the noise. Having a website of one's own is probably the way to go, especially if ordering right from the website is an option.

 

We spent quite a lot of time in Portland talking small business - how to keep your focus, how to find your market, how to manage your time- and Southern Charm gave me lots of good, solid advice. On the plane home I played with words, brainstorming a better name for my line, and came up with "Ride & Shine" with the tagline "Jewelry for your inner cowgirl".

I'm keeping the western theme, which happily can include initials, and will certainly do custom orders.

 

And I'm so excited to have the beginnings of a "look" to my virtual and physical shops - leather, old traincases and suitcases, bits of vintage ribbon, pearls and crystals.

Southern Charm and I are both signed up for Stephanie Lee's Handbook of Elements online course starting next week and she will be loading us up with more techniques and inspiration that will only add to "Ride & Shine".  

If you are reading this and you want something special for the holidays - let me know and I'll happily pull out the torch and the resin and the wire and get to it.

Making choices, choosing time and back to projects

It is good to know I'll be home for awhile. Last night I was in the studio, putting things away from Art & Soul, cutting and bending brass for another round of bezels, and really truely enjoying it. Staying up too late. Planning. Making. Listening to music.

I'm to assessing projects and wedding plans since there is no time to waste now. There is more time to work on things, so if I don't squander it away on the computer I should be able to spend time each day working on a project or two. These are the acorn caps collected along the way home. I've see the cutest little ornaments made with felt balls and these caps - so I'm going to make some this year before Christmas. Easy - peasy, just gluing the felt balls into the caps and adding a bit of ribbon. Here is one tutorial.

Note the Copenhagen tins too - those will be recycled into something jewelry related.

See? Little tan caps and larger, yellow caps that turn dark when they dry. And a couple of bits of moss. All things we don't have on the east side.

 

This huge bag of lavender is from my amazing mom II. She grew, cut, and dried this and then carted it all the way from Washington to contribute it to the wedding stock. Since the color has faded but the lavender scent is still there, and since so much of the lavender is in the bottom of this bag, that what I'll use this for is filling for the sachets Southern Charm and I are making to give as favors.

 

Which was the reason I was up too late two nights ago on ebay browing through pages of linen and then, oh yes, French textiles. Thankfully I did not bid on anything - simply filled up my watch list - and in the morning it hit me, "What was I thinking? Buy pricey french linen to cut up for sachets that will live in an underwear drawer?" Sorry, guests, I'm going to Mill Ends for the fabric.

 

Now these, these also came all the way from Mom II's place. These, however, have maintained their color and will be used for some arrangement at the wedding. Aren't they gorgeous? And sturdy, as they went from Washington to San Diego, then up to the resort and back down and around the the Owens Valley. Well-traveled hydrangeas.

 

The colors are perfect, a range of gray-blues.

 

A couple of months ago, JC and I were in southern California for a wedding and we spent a morning at the swap meet. For $10 this rusty chandelier frame and a bunch of rusty crystals came home with us. At last there was time to pull it out and start looking at the pieces. I removed the old light fixture and tried this single bulb fixture from the hardware store - and it fit!

 

The crystals were put into a solution of white vinegar and water and soaked for awhile, then I came back with a nail brush and scrubbed them one by one.

 

Ta-da! It worked! Just a hint of reddish-brown on some of them.

 

It is ready to be reassembled and hung somewhere.

 

Rust + shiny sparkly....

 

Can you go wrong?

This is a glorious time of year for projects, for being outside with dogs and horses, and for being thankful for a wonderful life, an incredible man, and no end of satisfying work of all kind - paid, not paid, in the studio, on the computer, on the end of a manure rake.

"All things are coming".

Headin' home

Well, yesterday I packed up the puppy and hitched a quad and trailer to the Toyota (cause you can't go home empty) and drove across the Sierra (again). Quite possibly for the last time this year.

 

I puttered and poked along, stopping whenever and where-ever I felt liked. This was one of the first stops - mainly for the puppy's convenience after the bladder-shaking ride down the mountain. A pretty little meadow re-greening after the early snow.

I stopped to pick up acorn caps (long-time craft idea to try) - twice - because I while I did not realize this previously - there are different oaks along the way. Different oaks = different acorns and acorn caps. Learn something new every day.

 

Shaver Lake is a little mud puddle right now. So strange to see. Normally this lake is full of water, boats, and people. The people are still coming and are crowded along the shore watching. Watching what? I didn't really see anything happening but they must be there for a reason. And yes, I did see some sort of guard on duty. SCE is working on the dam and I'm sure that this is a sight we'll only see once. I should add, let us hope this is a sight we only see once.

 

Then there was Yosemite. I skirted the valley late afternoon and the light was fantastic. This shot was taken from the Tunnel overlook on Hwy. 41. Yosemite was hoppin' this weekend. All the campgrounds were full and there were people everywhere. Not like mid-summer, of course, but pretty darn busy.

 

By the time I hit Tuolumne I was losing the light but there were photographers everywhere. I drove by a girl posing for a man with the last light on her and all the granite of Tuolumne behind her - gorgeous.

 

The pup and I stopped for a snack at Tuolumne Meadows and enjoyed the very end of the day. It was amazing. I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to see the color along the eastside, but you only get a little rad beauty every day and on this day I got Yosemite. I've got some time to get up and see the autumn colors of the east side - but I'd best not dally. Like I am now. Indoors on a computer. Horses await, and a beautiful day.

Wedding ideas from Monticello

A few days ago I wrote about overall impressions of Monticello Antiques in Portland, but the ideas we came up with for the wedding were a bonus. Southern Charm was on a creative roll and I'm not sure I'd had enough coffee to process the input - I just kept taking photos and hoping I'd catch up at some point.

 

Baskets like these with their trimmings of burlap, gauze, and fabric flowers will be great in a smaller version to hold the favors we'll make (or buy) for our guests. What I like about doing everything ourselves instead of hiring a planner, is that I can pick out things that we'll use or that I can give away after the wedding. I'll find sturdy baskets that will last for years.

This looked like tea-dyed cheesecloth although it was labeled gauze and I bought a small amount of it to experiment with, making fabric flowers that I'll embellish with a rhinestone button. Like this tutorial. Or this one (love the huge flower on the pillow).

I used up my purchased gauze the other day to make flowers although I won't post photos until I get home and embellish them. I used another fabric for backing although I like the self-fabric backs better and will do that in the future.

 

This is fabulous and is a "must-do". First, I must find the perfect rusty bedframe - no springs, just the wire. Then we'll collect photos of JC and me when we were young things and of our new family, I'll turn them all into sepia in Photoshop, and it'll greet our guests when they walk in the door. Later, the photos can come off and this can become garden decor or used up at the resort. Love it. Love the banners too - cut out of burlap or linen and then stenciled or stamped with big letters.

 

This little picture frame with the torn paper and the tarnished fork gave us ideas for the tables - collecting thrift store frames, painting them all the same color (gray or cream) and then putting the table numbers or the menu on the paper.

 

I've seen a few variations on the fabric / paper backdrop / altar theme and I'm going to do one of them.... so far we've seen receipt paper used at another wedding (gorgeous), fabric strips at Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, this one at Monticello... and seems like there were even more. I just have to decide on one and go for it. And again, it'd be nice to be able to use it somewhere later. It could, with a bit of PVC pipe and JC's ingenuity, become a part of my booth backdrop if I decide to start doing shows.

 

These are just adorable (in my opinion). Lampshade frames, wrapped with fabric and a ruffle strip. I'd hang them with a great bulb like one of these from Restoration Hardware.

I think our venue currently has florescent lighting so we'll have to address that - I've seen the fixtures draped with lengths of fabric for a temporary fix. We're going to be busy the day before the wedding! The day OF the wedding - the cafe is open the day before.

 

I really liked these little earrings - but these were the only two sets left and neither set was just right for me... besides I do think I've found my wedding earrings and I've had them all along - I bought them a few years ago at an antique store up on Whidbey Island while visiting my folks. They are little puffballs of rabbit fur - wintery and perfect with the muff and hat from Junkee. Or, I'll find the time to make the aquamarine earrings.

We are getting down to crunch time now - with just 3 1/2 months to go. We need to get this resort shut down, get settled at home and let some cold weather roll in so that I have the time and the inclination to work inside on all these ideas.

Seems to me like it might be list time.