working like a dog

I still can't show anything I've been working on...

BUT - there's the stack of boxes ready to ship out today - full of personalized pendants and ornaments! There will be several more before the post lady comes by...

I've totally trashed the lovely new work table Tim built for me. I'll work on that after the holidays.

Meanwhile - we went to the farm supply store and bought some barn style light fixtures - the other one is hanging above my desk. I love my work space even when it's a big fat mess.

Yesterday a lovely customer/friend came by to pick up her order and it was such a lovely day that we sat outside and had a glass of wine-or two! Less than an hour later another lovely customer/friend came by and so we sat down and had a glass of wine. Two more lovely customer/friends came by....I love my work.

...::~*~::...

Truth: that's the only time this season that happened. I promise I didn't work on anymore orders - but I did knit a baby hat. Speaking of baby stuff - here's a pair of baby booties I made last week:

The Sunrise Keeps Me Humble

Day one

 Since I can't post any photos of the projects I'm working on, I thought you might enjoy seeing what I see every morning from my studio window...



Day two

Everything I'm working on is Christmas Gift Orders. If I posted photos, I could possibly expose surprises - because I'm pretty sure that everyone in the world looks at my blog to try and see what they are getting for Christmas! 



Day three - this time you can see the Canadians on the Pond

We are thrilled with the sunrises and sunsets we witness here at Two Dog Pond. It reminds me that no matter what I create and have a sense of pride in, it does not compare to the beauty of Nature. The sky is quite large here, so imagine the above sunrises covering 75% of what you see. It brings me to my knees.

Let The Holidays Begin

 Tomorrow, Saturday November 17, is the SJW Holiday Craft Show in Seward. It's the largest, best, show in the area. If you are within 2 counties of Seward, it's worth the trip over. I will be in the Harvest Hall (not the Ag Pavillion) with lots of jewelry. LOTS of jewelry. There's a sampling above. Bottom middle shows what a mess I'm making.

When I need to relax a bit, I turn to the torch and make beads. They end up in many of my designs.

I can't express enough how much I appreciate the support that my customers show me during this season.

Remember: It is time to start thinking about those ornaments - next week we'll discuss that a bit more.

Tomorrow's show is the only show I plan on doing this holiday season. It's just that grand.

Keeping Secrets

 There's been lots going on here at Two Dog Pond, and in between events, funerals, visitors, etc. I've been working on these necklaces. I learned the technique from Stephanie Lee's Pipe Dreams Class, but wanted to take it a step further... 

 I wanted to hide my secrets inside the pendant instead of sticking out the top.

 Each pendant has a copper tube to hide your treasures in...

 The large lampworked beads were made by moi, as are the headpins turned dingles.

A lovely place to hide a secret note, emergency fairy dust, your crazy pills...

Holiday Sparkle

 New Obsession: soldering vintage chandelier crystals and

...beveled glass back to back.

 garnet rosary style chain

Making Other Things Feels Good Too

 Because I have a show tomorrow, today seems like a good day to finish up the earring display I started last July... I got out my box of Ranger products from my week-long vision of being a paper/collager/mixed media person... I used some inks, some alcohol, some melty leather stuff, some UTEE....and covered a wooden flower thing.

 This piece I had made from an old candle bobeche - I added a resined heart.

 It's all been added to this old quilting frame I varnished. I have the other half ready to make a necklace hanger out of... It's laying on the floor because I caulked the pieces on it and they aren't quite dry. Those are welding rods I cut and put in the holes drilled into the sides to hang the earrings on.

 For fun, I made some dio de los muertos magnets. Ha. 

...and just so you know I'm still working on jewelry, made an 'alis volat propriis' necklace. See how I incorporated the chain making skills I'm learning this week? I know.

Autumn Antique Market

Everyone is invited! Bring your friends, buy each other presents!

It's going to be a chilly day, so if it's too cold, we'll be inside the Liberty House.

Making Chain

 I am taking Stephanie Lee's on-line chain-making class called "Off The Chain". She is amazing.

I incorporated her 'teardrop' chain on this special order yesterday...

this morning, I learned how to do this!

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?! I'll probably wire wrap myself to a chair so I get some real work done.

Bugcuff

 I just finished this bugcuff and I love it.

Shameless of me.

 I etched some heavy brass, cut up an old tin, added a tin bug.

Now you can love it too.

Nebraska Junk Jaunt

 My husband and I just got back from the Nebraska Junk Jaunt. It's still going on and will be tomorrow too. We left Friday morning and didn't see even half of what was out there. It's over 300 miles of yard sales, estate sales, junk... 

 buckets of buckles...

 We started in Cairo and could have spent the day there. We did see Hobbin and Julie there,  but headed North on Hwy 2 because I knew I'd see them next weekend at the Liberty House Fall Market Festival...

 Look at this beautiful label dispenser shelf cabinet thing.

 

 Part of my stash...

 Part of Tim's stash.

 More of my stash:

 Still more.

 The boots and leather jacket are for Larry and Kira... look at that jacket!

It was a fun time - we ended up in Broken Bow... next year we'll take the North Route and end up in Burwell. Either way - it's cowboy country out there, and they have some good junk. We drove 375 miles!

...::~*~::...

I do have an award I would like to present. It's for the WORST ad in the Junk Jaunt Shopper Guide:

Joe of Hazard, Next year you might want to reword your ad:

"Fill Your Trunk With Joe's Junk" kept us laughing all day. Thank you.

It's Been Mostly Custom Work Lately

 A spoon pendant with a sterling "banner" soldered on, rivets and a sweet sterling heart on the back side...

 Voting for the right candidate...

Lots of TV pendants resined up for the holiday boutiques!

I Can See Clearly Now

 Last week I picked up a bag full of these curtain rings and after a conversation about turning your own photos into viewmaster discs, decided that it would be fun to use slides for the images... then after thinking that if I use the slides, then that's the end of the slides, I thought about transparencies and how I could print "slides"... then I thought about how much more interesting boxing bunnies are than travel slides from the Garden of the Gods.

 My first attempt at filling the rings with ice resin was a disaster. It all leaked right out... I read somewhere that flypaper was the answer as it's stickier than packing tape. Perhaps it is, it's also far more disgusting to get off your fingers and everywhere it touches...and it still leaked.

 I finally figured it out - the solution involved placing a heavy board (and two large atlases) on top of the rings while the first layer of resin cured.

 The rings are now curing quietly relatively drip-free and fly-free.

Meanwhile - I also bought this cool table for displaying jewelry in my shop. Judy from Gatherings came over and taught Suzy and I how to distress the piece to make it look this beautiful. Suzy was here on vacation from Denver... isn't that nice of me? Invite friends for a vacation and then make them refinish furniture? Ha.

A Few New Pieces

 

 Turkey feathers and rutilated quartz. The feather has a beautiful sheen.

 Pounded and riveted silverware.

 Bless Your Soul.

 Soldered and stamped pendants

Did you know that if you can't find the cord to attach your camera to your computer and you spend days looking for it, it's probably still attached to your computer? Seems it's true.