Wanderlust Bling

Minnesota - the land where pudding pops still exist

2010-06-07T16:23:00.001-07:00

Seriously! They're made by Kemps, not Jell-O, and Bill Cosby has nothing to do with them, but boy howdy are they good. We're really liking our park here, even though the wifi is currently dodgy. I'm on a picnic table by the office trying to eke out a bit more right now. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but I used most of my monthly allowance of MB on my air card watching old episodes of Rescue Me via Netflix. This marathon did nothing good for my mostly latent Denis Leary crush, but now I'm going cold turkey off of constantly swearing and shouldn't-really-be-good-looking-but-is-for-some-reason-sexy Irish American men. It's actually a little alarming how much more I get done when I make a list of things I want to do online and then do them all once in the afternoon, rather than getting on throughout the day to do "one little thing" and spending 40 minutes clicking around. Of course, the Droid makes this easier as e-mail, FB, Twitter and basic searching are all available at surprisingly high speeds given the fact that there's wilderness to one side of me and a giant lake to the other. The park owner says he has a booster he's having installed, but right now the installation guy is fishing in Canada. We're not sure when he'll be back. I guess the demand for installation in this neck of the woods far outstrips the demand if unlimited vacations are a possibility that don't result in bankruptcy.

Cumberland Gap

2010-05-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'm going to ask you to go on a little time travel with me. We're not going too far back, just five years. Five years ago, K and I owned a house in Concord, NH. We were in the process of selling it. It was empty of nearly everything but the essentials. Most of our stuff had gone to yard salers, friends, family and our storage unit. Picture us sitting on the floor of our empty living room with its ugly mauve carpeting, poring over maps, state guide books and copious hand written lists of places we had heard of and wanted to go. On nearly every list is the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. Daniel Boone; the gateway to the West (back when the West was Kentucky); courageous pioneers braving the threat of attack, starvation and bankruptcy. I was fascinated by this low section of the Appalachians. I'm not a huge history geek, but for some reason, the Cumberland Gap held some mystique for me, and I was sure we were going to get there on this 5 month tour of the country.

Then, life interfered somehow. I don't even remember the details. We just never got there that year. Or the next. Or the next. We got close, we made tentative plans. But it never happened. Until this year. This year, we wintered in Florida (never again, never) and worked our way up to Louisville for the KY Derby Marathon and the Derby itself. We planned to stop at the Cumberland Gap on our way up, but the cold weather kept us trapped in the South longer than we expected and we had to get to Louisville more quickly. But Cumberland Gap is only 3 hours or so from Louisville. It would be a weekend trip.

It was this past weekend's trip. Finally, we got to Cumberland Gap. We planned to camp both nights at the NP campground, but thunderstorms on Friday made a hotel seem like a better option. Early Saturday, we got to the overlook - there was nothing to see but fog. Undeterred, we pressed on to the campground, picked a spot, set up our tent and then set off for a loop hike that left from and returned to the campground. We climbed to a ridge and crossed it to the Pinnacle Overlook. Below us, cleared of fog, was the Cumberland Gap saddle. It's an obvious break in the mountains, and by the time white folks discovered it, it had been a buffalo (technically Bison, but I like the word buffalo) trace and a route used by Native Americans for trade. (Buffalo, in Virginia. Seems odd now.)

In the late 18th and early 19th century, it was used by almost 300,000 people to gain access to the fertile land of the Midwest. They walked mostly in the winter, so they would be able to plant spring crops at their new farms. They walked barefoot. In the snow. At some point, the road was improved to become a wagon route. Now it's a hiking trail for those who want to walk on historic ground, which of course, we do. Cars use a tunnel that gets you from one side to the other in minutes.

After we left the overlook, we walked down the ridge and to the saddle of the Gap. I spent a lot of time being a big history geek and exclaiming about how cool it was to walk in the same spot and get the same view of a promised land that previous generations had. I did the same thing when we walked on part of the Oregon Trail. I guess I'm more of a history geek than I let on.

Of course, there's a dark side to the expansion of the US, and this was the beginning of some pretty terrible things, as well as a beginning of a larger nation. Bloody battles between Native Americans and the pioneers, the eventual marginilization of those tribes, the slaughter of the buffalo herds that once lived this far East. It's not all pretty. Most history isn't, though.

One more place crossed off my list. Off to the next!

Good (yawn) morning!

2010-03-26T05:26:00.000-07:00

Please bear with me this morning. I usually write blog posts later in the day when I'm a bit more awake but today I'm trying to be Productive. You know, when you get so much done it requires a capital letter? I need to be Productive because I have been severely unproductive all week. I made one piece of jewelry, I did not run at all, I did one weight work out and I did almost no promotion-y type stuff. I did however get taxation stuff done. Of course, this was accomplished by simply unvolunteering from the Streamlined Sales Tax system because I was sick of being harrassed by states who wanted me to report to them once a month and tell them I didn't sell anything in their state. It's possible I'm missing something about the whole thing, but it didn't seem very streamlined to me.

My allergies have been making me ridiculous this week and I fully blame them for my lack of initiative. They got so bad I made an appointment to see an allergist in Louisville. An allergist who was very confused by why I wanted to get tested for Juniper, which hasn't started pollinating there yet. But made the appointment I did. How I'm going to get a year worth of shots when I'm going to be moving every two months is beyond me, but the very nice nurse did say the serum can be mailed. Alternately, we could stay in once place for two years and get desensitized to allergens and get braces, which both of us need. I wonder how long it would take us to go bonkers. It would be nice if we liked the weather and culture in some place where we had significant quantity of family and friends, but this is not the case. I guess we'll see.

The most exciting thing that happened this week is that I got my Droid. I love it. It is so freaking cool. Now keep in mind that I went from an EnVII (a phone with a keyboard and web capabilities but not a full on smartphone) to the Motorola Droid. It was a pretty big jump to have all kinds of apps and craziness. It has GPS, it has Shazam (which I will have to resist using at pub trivia,) it has games, book reader and, and, and... and a lot. I kind of adore the touch screen, which surprised me. The camera a little touchy, but I may just be getting used to it, so we'll see. I can only assume there's a blogger app for it, since it's a Google Android phone and Blogger is a Google app. Perhaps I'll be able to send pithy updates from my phone and you'll get to see random scenery. For now you'll have to settle for this picture of Chimney Rock, NC. Pretty, huh? And good photo quality, I think. Very different than Chimney Rock, NE, where we went way back when in 2005. Back when we lived in a van and were traversing the country as young, crazy kids. Come May, we'll have been vagabonds for 5 years. Craziness. Here's Chimney Rock, NE so you can make your own comparisons. Feel free to poke around the blog and see where we've been.

Anyway, happy Friday!

Help-a-Honu Jewelry Launch

2010-03-17T15:24:00.001-07:00

For awhile now I've been wanting to create jewelry in the shape of sea turtles, or Honu as they are called in Hawai'i. I adore the creatures and am so saddened by the troubles they (and other ocean animals) face.

This new line features hand cut sea turtles in sterling and copper and eventually brass as well. Right now in my shop I have a large copper pendant and sterling silver earrings, but I plan to expand that greatly as soon as the weather cooperates and I can work outside. Then the variations will be endless - turtles with beads, turtles with patterns and designs, turtles, turtles, turtles. They can also be stamped with letters, either for initials, names, words, etc. A very versatile line of jewelry.

The best part of this whole line is that I'm donating 10% of the purchase price of each item to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, FL. They do wonderful things; taking care of sick sea turtles, rehabilitating and returning them to the wild when they can and giving them a home when the turtles are just too sick to live in wild. They also provide outreach and education programs and work with legislative bodies to protect sea turtles, all species of which are endangered. I visited the hospital on my way home from Key West a few weeks ago and they really provide a wonderful service to humans and turtles alike.

LaGrange, GA

2010-03-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Last week we were in Mexico Beach, FL. It was occasionally sunny, often windy and always beautiful at sunset. I spent a lot of time walking, running and lounging on the white sand beach and beading inside. As nice as it was to be across the street from the beach, I didn't get to spend quite as much time outside as I would have liked or run as much as my half marathon plan called for because of my horrible Juniper allergy. I was taking Zyrtec, Nasonex and Claritin and still felt awful. It was almost as bad as the Cedar fever in Austin a few years ago, actually and that nearly debilitated me.

Now we're in LaGrange, GA, home of LaGrange College and what I hope will be our triumphant return to pub trivia. The best thing about it is that there are no Junipers! My brain works again, I'm not itchy, I can run without nearly blacking out and my husband doesn't always think I'm sad because I'm sniffling all the time. Yay!

Due to my newly increased brain power, I'm working on a whole new line of jewelry. Stay tuned as I'm sure it will make an appearance here.

Have a great day!

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

2010-03-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

I can only hope that you read the title of this post as Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, as that's how it was intended. I am, of course, the subject of that sentence. Inconsistency is my middle name, in case you couldn't tell. I will try to be better, now that I'm taking this blog in a new-ish direction. Rather than focusing on my business and "exciting things," I'm going to just make it a random blog about me, which will occasionally include things about my business and "exciting things." Confused? Good, me too. ;-)

In the exciting things category, I got to see the last scheduled night launch of a shuttle by NASA. There's a sweet video and write up by my husband on my other blog here.

We also went to the Everglades:

And went to Key West on vacation:

Since then it's been quiet-ish. Half marathon training for the Kentucky Derby Mini (my last long race - I really don't like running long distances), jewelry making (ooh, shiny), and swimming with manatee s. I have no pictures of the last, because I do not have an underwater camera. But trust me, it was awesome.

So here's hoping that this new approach will make me a better blogger. I will probably also start up Wellness Wednesdays again, because I have been in a public gym lately, which means I've seen things that make me crazy. (Lat rows with 2 pound weights! Overhead tricep extensions! Augh!)

Have a great day!

Gasparilla

2010-02-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we finally made the trek to Tampa for the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. We'd been wanting to go since we heard about it a few years ago and the timing finally worked out with our location.

We drove over Friday night from Mims, FL and checked into a hotel in Ybor City, a historical strip of bars, restaurants and little shops just north of the city. We had dinner at the wonderful Acropolis Taverna and then went back to watch Burn Notice - we're so exciting!

On Saturday we woke up early to head down to the Convention Center for the Invasion Brunch. We hopped the trolley car and were there before we knew it. We took the time to grab a couple of drinks from the outdoor bar and then headed inside. The tables had been moved inside because of the rain, but we snagged a seat by the window and awaited the invasion.

The Jose Gaspar was visible around 1pm and we awaited its arrival along the barricades. It was a sight to see. Men hung off the rigging and crowded the decks. They wore brightly colored pirate clothes, had scars painted on their cheeks and carried beer in a variety of leather pouches. They all wore huge hanks of beads on hooks around their waists and started handing them out immediately. I even got a kiss on the cheek from the first pirate off the boat!

After they disembarked and handed out a bunch of beads, the Mayor of Tampa handed over the key to the city and the party began.

We made our way to our seats for the parade, but thanks to the rain, they were mostly deserted, so we hung out along the barricades again. The parade was a big blur of people dressed in bright velvet and bead lust. Everyone, myself included, just went nutty for beads, screaming and clapping to get the attention of the bead throwers. There was no flashing though, because apparently the Tampa police had begun clamping down on that sort of thing.

After the parade we walked back to the hotel. I had a very bad stomachache (beer on top of rum on top of buffet food, no doubt) and we just kind of lolled about for the rest of the night. I'm sure there was partying to be had around the city, but we weren't really up for it, since we'd gotten rather cold and wet during the parade.

All in all, a very fun thing to do! A recommended activity if you're into pirates and public drinking! ;-)

Kentucky Derby Hat Update

2010-01-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

I got my blank slates in the mail! I have massive piles of tulle and some beads and baubles to go on them, but I haven't started yet because I've been sick and not too creative feeling. I hope this feeling goes away soon and I can make progress!
Have a great day!

I made it out alive!

2010-01-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

My work area is now clean and about as orderly as I get. At the very least I have room to work. Of course now it's warm-ish out and I'm going to go outside and saw, but at least I have the option to work inside now.

Here's what I'm working on: hearts for Valentine's Day in all manner of metals, finishes and sizes!

Have a great day!

Send help if I'm not back in 3 hours

2010-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

I can no longer deny that my inside work area is a just a bit messy. I can usually work outside (which is better from a ventilation standpoint, anyway) but during this cold snap I've had to move my base of operations inside. Technically, I could work sitting at my nice little work bench/vanity where all of my beads, tools, etc are stored, but take a look at this picture and you'll see why I've been bringing my necessary tools to the dinette to work instead. I'll be sure to post after photos when I've finished. Wish me luck.

Kentucky Derby

2010-01-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

So we got tickets to the Kentucky Derby this year (Yay!) and now I'm looking for a fabulous froufrou hat. Well, I was looking for a fabulous froufrou hat. Now I'm looking for a plain hat that I can decorate myself because I'm just not thrilled with either the aesthetic or the price point of some of the hats I've seen around. A beautiful hat that costs $300 is just not going to fly and neither is something "eh" for $20. Stay tuned for updates of my progress and my sure-to-be-frequent mishaps with the hot glue gun!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T09:29:00.001-08:00

Whew, now that the dust has settled from the holidays, I'm getting back into the creative swing of things. I hope you've all had a great few months.

Yesterday I went to the fantastic Georgia Sea Turtle Center. I was blown away by the knowledge and helpfulness of the volunteers and really enjoyed seeing the veterinary staff work on injured and sick turtles. If you're in the Southern Coastal GA area, I highly recommend it.

I've been playing around with my new set of stamps so I can provide my customers with hand stamped jewelry. It's so popular and so personal (and so fun to make!) that I just couldn't resist entering this market. I am still hand cutting, shaping, forming and texturing all the metal I use rather than using pre-formed blanks, so each piece will be truly unique!

Much more to come in the new year! I'm finding tons of inspiration in my surroundings right now - Jekyll Island especially. I think this place will be making an appearance in my designs for quite awhile, even after the rig has rolled on.

Have a great day!

New stuff abounds!

2009-11-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

I know it's traditional to bring out new things as the new year rolls in, but I just didn't want to wait that long! For the past week I've been very busy revamping my craft fair table design for the Assumption Regional Catholic School craft fair. I'm pretty happy with the results and like the way the jewelry cards make each piece distinct from those around it. My pieces are all very different from each other, so the hardest thing about making a display is giving it a sense of cohesiveness. I think this set up works very well. Here's a photo of me and my table:
The other exciting news is that I have a new website! I'd like to claim that I've been slaving away over that as well, but I'd be lying. My husband did all the work on it and I think it looks just fantastic! You can see it here. I hope to make it a stand alone site soon where you can both browse and buy merchandise, but for now it links to my Etsy store.

Have a great day!

I'm still alive!!

2009-06-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't get mauled by bears in the great North! I just got home and wrapped up in a billion little things and time got away from me. Oy!

We had a great trip and we took nearly 3000 photos - yipes! I've posted many of them on my Facebook account here: http://www.facebook.com/ceridwenl. Here are some to pique your interest:

Vacation!

2009-05-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I will be gone until June 23. We're taking a long vacation to Alaska and I'm so excited. We've been planning it forever and now it's finally upon us. I'm sure when I get back I'll have tons of exciting new things to share, including Wellness Wednesday features and a new feature, Photo Phridays!

Have a great few weeks!

Wellness Wednesday

2009-05-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's Wednesday again! Time to discuss fitness, health and general wellness. This week I'll be addressing Beaded Tail's concern about fitting exercise into an already packed schedule. This topic is extremely important, because heaven knows we all have enough going on every day to pack a week. So here are my tips:

Break it up:
Exercise can be split up throughout your day. Just because you don't have the time to hit the gym for a solid hour doesn't mean you don't have time to exercise. Try a ten minute walk in the morning, another at lunch and another after dinner. You will have gotten the recommended 30 minutes without a huge intrusion on your life. Plus, these breaks give you a much needed "time out" to sort through the events of the day and refocus.

While you wait:
Here's a little trick I like to do. Weight training while I'm waiting. Say I pop something into the microwave for one minute. During that minute, I do a wall sit. This great exercise works your glutes and thighs. To do it, stand with your back to a wall and slide down it until you feel your muscles engage. Go no lower than a 90 degree bend in the knee. Hold until the microwave beeps. Some other ideas:
-Bicep curls while you wait for your Etsy listing photos to upload.
-Calf raises while your kids (or husband) find their shoes.
-Push ups while your computer boots up (sorry, Mac users, no push ups for you!)
These possibilities are pretty limitless. Once you get used to tossing a little exercise into your "down times" it will become second nature.

Running Errands:
This one may require an adjustment for some, but I find it second nature because I get very impatient when I'm not in control of how long things are taking. The next time you run errands, park as far away from the entrance to the store as you can. At first, you may think you're wasting time walking all that way, but if the store is really busy, you may find yourself walking through the doors ahead of all the people who were cruising the front rows and jockeying for position. Plus, you'll be upping your activity level. The same goes for taking the stairs instead of the elevator. In some buildings, the elevator is slow and stops on every floor. By taking the stairs, you'll really get your heart rate up and get to skip being crushed between that guy who's wearing WAY too much cologne and that seasick looking baby. Caveat: don't walk up 38 flights on your way to a job interview - you'll look a bit wilted!

I hope these help! Don't hesitate to offer more suggestions.

Have a healthy day!

The not-so-fine print:
All the information presented on Wanderlust Bling is for educational and resource purposes only. It is there to help you make informed decisions about fitness training. It is NOT a substitute for or an addition to any advice given to you by your physician.

Uh-oh

2009-05-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took a little shake down trip with our new camping equipment to make sure it all functioned properly. It all worked beautifully, so I'm pleased about that. But I find this picture troubling:

You may not see anything wrong with it, but look closer. Doesn't it look like the photo the police find on the camera of the couple who disappears into the woods, never to be seen again? It has a nostalgic, so-happy-and-carefree-it's-melancholy-and-foreboding feel to it. Or am I just twisted?! ;-)

Wellness Wednesday

2009-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the inaugural edition of Wellness Wednesday in which I will be addressing health, fitness and wellness issues. I used to have a blog that I devoted solely to this topic, but my attention span is short and I need to vary my writing topics!

Today's topic: Exercising with asthma. This issue was raised by LillyShayStyle, whose husband has asthma but wants to get in shape this summer.

The most important thing to remember about this topic is this: See your doctor! Get your asthma under control! I cannot stress this enough. Asthma is a serious health condition and while it can be controlled, monitored and lived with, it is not to be taken lightly. If you're on a daily controller medication, make sure you're taking it appropriately. If you have an inhaler, be sure you have it with you when you're exercising. So see your doctor and discuss exercising with her/him. You should actually consult a physician before you begin an exercise program no matter who you are, just to be sure you're healthy enough for the activity. OK, I'll get off my soap box now.

Cardiovascular:
Warm up: A warm-up before you begin your more intense work out is essential for anyone, but especially those with breathing issues, including asthma. This means starting off slowly to allow your body to acclimate to the activity. Walk before you run or jog, cycle at a slow tempo before revving up those hills. Five to ten minutes of warm-up will let your heart and lungs adjust to the larger demands being made on them.

Environment: Pollution and air quality affect everyone when they exercise because their lungs are pulling in a larger volume of them as your breathing becomes more rapid. People with asthma should avoid exercising when there is heavy pollution. To avoid pollution, you can exercise indoors, away from roads and in the early morning. For those with asthma, exercising in the cold is also problematic and should be avoided.

Activities: Swimming can be a very beneficial exercise for those with asthma. Swimming is great exercise and perfect for summer. If you can't swim, check your local pools or Y for lessons. Not only can you get in shape, but it's a great skill to have.

Intensity: If you have asthma, you need to monitor your intensity. You may need to curtail your intensity, working at a more moderate level. You want to keep your intensity below the point of breathing difficulty. If your breathing becomes labored, slow down and let your breathing return to normal.

Cool down: When you've completed your workout, don't just stop cold. Make a five minute cool down during which you lower your intensity part of your routine.

Start slow: If you've just begun exercising, start off with 15-20 minutes of cardiovascular work. This goes for everyone, not just those with asthma.

Strength:
Strength training is important for everyone, and especially for people who are trying to lose weight. Muscle torches fat even when you're sleeping, so the more you have, the more weight you'll lose. Start off with a full body work out that works all your muscle groups. It is very important to perform strength exercises with proper form and I highly recommend getting a routine from a Personal Trainer in your area. Many gyms offer one time consultations with a trainer for free or a very reasonable fee. This is invaluable as they will be able to assess your current fitness level and provide you with an appropriate work out for that level. They can also correct your form to prevent injury and maximize results.

Okay, that's it for this week! Next week: Fitting exercise into packed schedules and healthy snacks.

Have a great and well day!

The not-so-fine print:
All the information presented on Wanderlust Bling is for educational and resource purposes only. It is there to help you make informed decisions about fitness training. It is NOT a substitute for or an addition to any advice given to you by your physician.

I Need Your Thoughts!

2009-05-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. We ran yet another race - the Re-Run Run. It's a benefit for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and all the t-shirts, medals, food, etc. is donated from other races so that all the money from race registrations goes to the Society. The fun side of this is that you don't know from which race your goodies will come. We ended up with the Chicago Distance Classic t-shirts and finisher's medals - luck of the draw and very exciting since most 5Ks don't have finisher's medals! We both won our age group, so so both also got a very nice medal from the Catalina Island EcoMarathon, which looks like a great race! It's partially on trails, which is so much more interesting (albeit challenging) than a purely road race.

Here's where I need your thoughts: I'm planning on starting a feature on Wednesdays called Wellness Wednesdays (I'm a sucker for alliteration.) I want to provide the crafting community with health and wellness tips specific to our needs. In case you're wondering, I'm also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, though I should take this opportunity to point out that nothing on my blog counts as medical advice and I assume no liability should you attempt anything you read here. ;-) So does anyone out there have any diet/exercise/fitness/wellness problems they'd like to see discussed here? I'm open to suggestion and welcome your input! Thanks!

Have a great day!

Well that was interesting.

2009-05-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

I had an eventful weekend. On Saturday I did my first ever craft show. It was at the Waldorf School in Eugene, and it was fine, except for the weather. At first the rain was just a slow, steady drum on my canopy, but in the afternoon, it turned into a lashing, blowing storm that soaked my displays. The teachers and parents started moving their face painting, bag toss and food booths inside and all the vendors started to pack up. Sure, the fair was supposed to go until four, but no one was sticking around that long. Just as we were about to take the canopy down, a huge gust blew it up and over and it landed on a fence. Good from a containment standpoint, bad from a non rip standpoint. It tore a hole right in the thing. Glad I bought it used. Of course, Eugene being Eugene, once all the vendors were packed up, the sun came out. No one made moves to unpack, though. I did make some sales and handed out some cards, and while I didn't sell any of my Tile pendants, they were a huge hit. Everyone read the blurb I posted and asked lots of questions and told me it was a wonderful, creative idea, so that was nice. All in all I think I'll count it as a success and a good learning experience. I had a great time and it's so nice to interact with customers, rather than only having an internet transaction. Definitely something I plan on doing in the future.

On Sunday I ran the Eugene Half Marathon while K ran the Marathon. It was great fun. Okay, it was fun for awhile and character building the rest of the time. I ran the exact same pace I did for the last half I ran last November. While it may look like that means no progress, it actually means I was in better shape, as this time I was still battling a chest cold. My legs were killing me yesterday and I was hobbling around like an old lady. Every time I got up I screamed like a warrior going into battle, since my quads felt like they were going to explode with each exertion. Good times!

I took yesterday off and just sat around and read. Oh, alright, I also listed some cuff links. I'm kind of bad at taking a day completely off!

Have a great day!

My Booth

2009-05-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I finally got my booth all figured out. I spent a lot of time at local thrift shops getting table cloths for my tables and other display pieces. My items are priced, my layout is planned and I have a box filled with essentials like tape, scissors, markers, pens, etc. I'm quite happy with my layout. It's been a cramped few days as I've had the tables set up in the middle of the living room so I could make sure I liked how it was set up and to make sure I had all the signage I needed. Here I'll take more tomorrow once I have it set up under my new blue canopy.

Have a great day!

Countdown to Craft Faire

2009-04-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. I spent the weekend sick and miserable, but at least K is the best husband ever and took wonderful care of me. And no, I do not have swine flu, thankfully. I have no fever, just a hideous cold. On to better topics!

Next weekend is a huge one for me. On Saturday I'll be selling live for the first time at the Craft Faire at the Eugene Waldorf School. It sounds like a great school that emphasizes art for K-8 kids, which is great. The "fee" for a booth is a percentage of sales given directly to the school. Definitely a good cause. I'm excited, but I have so much to do. I got a small table and now I'm playing with display ideas. I plan on hitting the second hand shops for fun and unique tabletop fixtures. If any craft fair mavens have advice for a newbie, I'm all ears!

On Sunday I'll be running the Half Marathon in Eugene. I've been training for two months, but of course, this past week I've been unable to run. I tried on Wednesday and made it only two wheezy miles before I had to stop. We'll see how I do. I did one last year in November in Philly, and I was surprised that I was able to run the whole thing, since I had spent the week before in Las Vegas. Enough said there, really. Hopefully I'll do even better this time. And by "better" I mean under 2 1/2 hours - I'm not a fast runner! I can sprint very fast, but over any distance, I'm quite slow.

Hope you're all well and have a great day!

Happy Etsy Day!!

2009-04-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Etsy Day is a fun holiday to explore all the fun handmade goodies at Etsy. A lot of people have never heard of Etsy and the aim of Etsy Day is to remedy that. So, off you go; see the fun sweaters, handbags, jewelry, skirts, crockery, ACEO's, art, furniture, etc, etc!

Mother's Day

2009-04-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let you all know I'm having a Mother's Day sale from now until May 1. Of course, I can't guarantee that your shipment will get to your mother by the big day if she lives in Timbuktu, but I'll get orders out pretty much the moment I get them. So check out a huge variety of one-of-a-kind jewelry for your one-of-a-kind mom!

Have a great day!

Portuguese Tile Pendant in Silent Auction

2009-04-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I wrote about The Center for Discovery in Harris, NY. I donated one of my Portuguese Tile Pendants to their silent auction. You can support this great Center, which provides a variety of support systems for those with disabilities by bidding on the tile pendant here.

Class Part II

2009-04-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Last night was jewelry making class night. We did some awesome stuff: pressing patterns into metal (did not know this was possible) and riveting. I pressed some leaves into a piece of copper, but because I had cut my piece bigger than the rollers, the pieces of metal bound up and I wound up with a mangled mess. The leaves came out fairly well, but not great. Since the metal had been annealed (softened with a torch) I was able to bend it into a flower around a bead. It did not turn out quite the way I had hoped, mostly because I didn't take the folding into consideration when I cut out my shape. That's what I get for going by the seat of my pants. It's something I want to try again, and now I know how to go about it. The riveting was very cool, but involved very tiny pieces of wire that I knew would frustrate me to no end and I couldn't think of an immediate application, so I learned the technique, but didn't try it out. Instead I worked on this pendant that I made myself from silver. A big step up from my lopsided star, huh? Oh, and a side note: it is REALLY hard to photograph large pieces of metal. I had a hard time getting the texture I worked so hard on to show up, as you'll see from the photo, which shows no texture whatsoever. You'll just have to take my word on it - there's a fun, buttery texture from a lot of sanding and some baking soda paste applied with a toothbrush. The two white stones are moonstones, and the center purple stone is a lovely amethyst. I can't wait to attach it to something so I can wear it!

Something for the Guys!

2009-04-14T15:23:00.001-07:00

Woohoo! It's my first Bling for Boys and just in time for Father's Day. Okay, so I haven't listed any yet, but I've started making some cufflinks for the guys in your life. This is a pair I made for K from one of the Portuguese Tiles. Very manly, dontcha think? Check back soon and I'll let you know the moment I begin listing these beauties.

Have a great day!

Jewelry and Easter Eggs

2009-04-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took a posted an accidental photo of my wedding ring and promised to post about it, so here we are. When my husband and I were dating and fairly sure we were getting married, we were in college in Lancaster, PA. One day while we were off doing something in the farmlands of Lancaster County, we wandered in to store that had a ton of silver jewelry, as well as leather clothes and an assortment of other things. Amid the silver jewelry was a beautiful basket setting ring with a piece of glass set in it. Now we had been going around to jewelers in town, but hadn't found anything I liked very much. But this silver ring was just gorgeous and what I wanted. The woman who owned the store told us that the company had found old ring molds and recasted them in silver. We didn't end up buying the ring because it was huge and I had no need for more silver rings. Oh, and we were on a rather tight college student budget.

Fast forward about 9 months. Now we live in New Hampshire. We have just gotten our first apartment out of college after having lived with my parents for a month. I get home from my crappy job as a receptionist for a car dealer and am greeted by a set of tasks to complete to find my ring. I opened the box, and there it was: the ring from the little jewelry store in PA. Only it's now white gold and has three diamonds in it instead of one piece of glass. K had gone back, bought the silver ring, brought it to a jeweler and had them make a mold, recast it in gold, then fiddle with the design to make the two flowers on the sides of the stone into little diamonds. Gorgeous, and so thoughtful. Clearly, I said yes. The band on top is my wedding band which had to be soldered to the engagement ring so the thin metal of the design didn't get worn away from years of clanking.This ring is the reason I have a thing for vintage basket settings in the first place. There's no casting and recasting here. This ring has been handed down in my family for many years, and will continue to be. It's also white gold, and the stone is very tiny and hand cut, rather than precision laser cut, so it has fewer facets than a modern stone. But I adore the setting. That's the extent of my pretty ring collection!I got my Easter package from my parents in the mail today. Yes, I'm 31 and my mother sends me Easter packages, what of it? ;-) Easter eggs are always fun to get in my family, because my dad draws little pictures on them that are relevant to our lives. One year we got Vantom on an egg. When we bought our house we got eggs with pictures of us gardening. This year: A white motorhome and a green car! So cute! Thanks, Dad!Have a great day!

Class!

2009-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I had my first class in Beginning Jewelry Fabrication at The Craft Center and it was a blast! There are only nine people in the class, which makes it super hands on. The Center is located in the Union building of the University of Oregon and it's chock full of crafty goodness, as you might have guessed from the name. We were all set up at benches with really low stools so our work would be close to our eyes and we wouldn't have to hunch over. If you've ever made jewelry, you know that this is a good thing. I have a tendency to slouch down and hold things in my hands rather than resting them on the table, but that isn't a very good idea when you're wielding a saw. We also each had a baggie full of supplies to use during class. There are three tiny sizes of saw blades that break on a whim, some solder, three grits of sand paper and a sheet each of brass and copper metal. You can see outline of what I cut from the copper piece.

For our first class our teacher, Kerri, demonstrated cutting shapes out of sheets of metal and then we returned to our benches to trace and cut our own pieces. I free drew a star on a piece of copper which has a sort of unintentional primitive look to it because I don't free hand draw very well. Cutting was much easier when the lone guy in the class suggested longer, slower strokes with the saw, rather than the jagged little sweeps most of us had been using. When he suggested that, the sound in the room changed dramatically. I wish I could give you the sound effects I gave K when I got home!

Then we got down to the finishing and clean up work of filing and sanding the edges and the faces of our pieces. I thought this would be my least favorite thing, since I have a tendency to get impatient with clean up, but I found it incredibly soothing. Then I remembered that I dislike clean up on a large scale, such as picking up clothes off the floor, but I like cleaning on a small scale and will happily clean dust from heat vents for an hour. Filing the metal edges is like cleaning heat vents. I took great pleasure in finding the little nicks and gouges in the metal and replacing them with the buttery smoothness of a well filed edge. Kerry told us that clean up work is what separates metalworkers from dabblers. I'm going to be optimistic and think that my love for clean up portends a successful run at metalworking. I ran out of time to finish the clean up work on the faces, but I'm going to go into the studio tomorrow and finish it, and perhaps cut out and file something else.

When I got home I felt like a little kid showing my work to my mommy, except I was showing it to my husband. This feeling was reinforced by the fact that my star was all lopsided, um, I mean primitive. My wedding ring was all twisted when I took this photo, so now those of you who don't know me in person can see the lovely ring K had made for me! Pretty, huh? Okay, it's not the best photo of the ring. Maybe tomorrow I'll use my new found photography skills and tell you the rather long story of my ring and my family ring as well. They're both lovely and will make you vintage jewelry folks go batty. ;-)

Have a great day!

A little altruism

2009-04-08T12:03:00.001-07:00

Good morning! I recently came across a request for donations for a silent auction for The Center for Discovery. The Center is in Harris, NY and here's what they do, in their own words: "The Center for Discovery offers individuals with a range of disabilities and medical frailties - and their families -innovative educational, clinical, residential and social and creative arts experiences designed to enrich their lives through personal accomplishment."

I donated this Portuguese Tile Pendant to the silent auction and it should be posted soon. I'll update this with a link when it gets posted so you can help this wonderful cause if you are so inclined.

Have a great day!

Happy Monday!

2009-04-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I realize that Monday is nobody's favorite day, but I'm just excited to be getting back on the blogging wagon. It's been awhile since I had a non-contest related post that I'm a little unsure of what to write about. The contest was a clever ruse on my part to cover up that I didn't have time to blog the past few weeks, since we were moving from our trailer into our new motorhome. The process has been longer and more messy than you might expect. I still can't figure out how we had so much stuff in a 24 foot trailer, even though we did use the van as one big storage unit on wheels. Not good for the gas mileage, that's for sure! So now that we're all moved in, I'll share some fun photos of the new home.

There's a lot more space inside to work and more storage space outside where I can stash all my smelly resin supplies, which is probably a much healthier air quality situation. Once I start my class on Wednesday, I'll probably add a whole host of other fun stuff to my arsenal - torches and solder and sheet metal, oh my!

I made some new pendants as well, and I'm loading them as we speak. At least trying to; the Etsy upload is really slooooooooow. here's a collage of the newbies:

Apparently my collaging skills need some work, bsince one of these showed up twice. Ah, well. Hope you enjoy looking at them!

Have a great day!

New Winner!

2009-04-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

Well, after a snafu or two of unreachable winners, we have a new winner - Janetfaye! Thanks, Janet! I will be in touch shortly! I will return tomorrow with your regularly scheduled blogoliciousness!

And the winner is...

2009-04-01T00:07:00.001-07:00

MICKEYFAN!!! Congratulations! Since you gave me no way to contact you, I sure hope you check back to see that you've won. If you do, leave a comment with your e-mail address! If I don't hear from Mickeyfan by Friday, April 3rd, I'll choose a back up winner.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered - I'm enthused and honored by all the attention these pendants have garnered. I hope to see you all again soon! I've cast a new set of tiles, including 6 designs that I will post for the first time in coming days.

Thanks again for playing and have a great day!

Portuguese Tile Pendant Give Away!

2009-03-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last day to enter! The giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 PDT! I just made a batch of pendants with some new patterns I hope to list this week. Thanks for all your support - I'm overwhelmed by the response and all the kind words! THANKS!

UPDATE! I've begun listing tiles on my Etsy shop! I'll list throughout the day. Check here for newest additions.

I'm so excited I'm leading with a photo!
These are images of the long awaited Portuguese tile pendants! These are large, 1 1/2 inch square pendants with quality glossy photos embedded in crystal clear resin. I took each photo, cut each photo and embedded it in resin. Metal tags are attached firmly to the back to hang these beauties to a cord or chain. That's the fun part! Below is a mere sampling of the nearly infinite variety of coordinating cords I can make for each pendant. The colors pop and look simply lovely!

I will be offering Kumihimo braided cords, as well as traditionally braided cords. If you prefer a simpler look, I will include a chain instead. Don't like the cord I've shown the pendant with? No problem! Contact me and I'll make one just for you! Prices to be determined before I list these on Thursday.

These are conversation starters because they are so different and fun. The houses in Ovar are so beautiful and colorful, robed in these tiles. These are a little piece of Portugal!

GIVEAWAY!!
I'm running a giveaway until next Tuesday, the 31st. One lucky winner will win their choice of one of the pendants from the above collage and their choice of cord, either one of the ones pictured or a style and color of their choice. Wow! The winner will be chosen using Random.org.

For one chance to win:
Go check out my Etsy shop or my ArtFire studio and then come back here and leave a comment with the title of your favorite piece(s).
For a second chance to win:
Follow my blog and leave a comment that says "follow."

That's it! Good luck everyone! And be sure to check out my Etsy shop on Thursday for the Grand Launch!

Have a great day!

New Line and Giveaway Announcement!

2009-03-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was okay though we did have our hearts torn a bit when it turned out the car we really liked and were able to get for a price we could afford turned out not to be dinghy towable - dang it! So the car search continues. But enough of that - onto the fun, crafty stuff!

You may remember a few weeks ago I wrote a post about the Portuguese tile pendants. If not, I'll summarize by telling you that in December we visited Keath's family in Ovar, Portugal. I was taken with the wonderful tiles that cover the outsides of the houses and I took tons of photos with no idea of why. In the end, I decided to make some resin pendants out of the photos. I'm very pleased with how they came out. The pendants are large, about an inch and a half square. They need to be this large so that the details of the paintings can be seen easily. These pendants are striking and definitely a conversation starter!

I'm planning on selling these lovely pendants at my Etsy shop on Thursday. Today I went shopping for different colored floss, yarn and ribbon to make the cords for the pendants. I'll actually be selling each one with a choice of cord or chain in order to maximize people's enjoyment of the necklaces. Below are some photos of the results of my shopping - I went a little crazy! There's also some photos of one the process of one of the kumihimo braids I'm making. This one's for a blue and white tile pendant and I'm making it with yarn.

Did I mention there's a give away? It starts tomorrow, so I have time to take photos of the first batch of pendants. The winner will win a pendant of their choice with the cord/chain of their choice - woohoo! So be sure to come back tomorrow to learn how to win! These tile pendants are different and fun, and even though I'll be making multiples from each tile photo, each necklace will probably be one of a kind, due to taste variations in cord type or chain. So come back tomorrow and enter to win it before you can buy it!

Visit Sweeties Sweeps to get your daily dose of sweepstakes, contests, and blog giveaways.

Thursday Temptations

2009-03-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have some lovely things for you today! Before we get to them, I have to share my excitement at our impending huge purchase. We're going to be upgrading our rig to a Class A motorhome before the end of the week (if all goes well!) I can't wait! I love our little trailer and we've been in it for the past three years, but now that it's clear our full time lifestyle is more than a passing fancy, it's time to go slightly bigger so we stop having nervous breakdowns due to the lack of space (current count: K-3; me-2.) I'll no doubt post a ton of photos when we get it, so be forewarned!

Onto the main event!

I have the work of two artists today.

First up: A gorgeous pillow from Mireio. This pillow features a vintage Burmese flag and other vintage fabrics. I simply love the peacock on the front of this, and I wish I could smell the lavender inside! Mireio has tons of lovely items in her shop - it's a nice shop to virtually poke around in.

Next is this very cool painting by Maria Kitano:I feel very unqualified to discuss painting, but this really grabs me. The bright orange is so striking and the little crack so intriguing that I just can't help but look at it, even on a computer screen. Maria's DaWanda shop had a great variety of artwork, including ACEOs and other very affordable works. Definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Tasty Tuesday

2009-03-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

A tasty, healthy vegetarian recipe is what's on tap for today. The recipe is tofu tacos, and they're what we have for lunch pretty much every day. A few years ago, both K and I went on NutriSystem to take off the pudge we had put on traveling around the country and eating local delicacies. It worked very well, but the limited vegetarian menu kind of got to us. That and the processed nature of the food. So we worked out the nutritional guidelines and caloric counts of the meals and started following those guidelines when making our own meals. It has worked great and as long as we've been on it, we haven't yoyoed more than a few pound (okay, five when we went to Portugal and tossed reason out the window!) This lunch is about 175 calories and super yummy.

For each person you need:
One corn tortilla - Trader Joe's has good ones; these are Don Pedros. They have 50 calories each.
Tsp Tomato paste - seasoned with whatever you like - I use oregano and cumin
Tbs of refried beans - the ones here are black refried beans
3 oz slab of super firm tofu - I use Trader Joe's high protein tofu for these - 100 calories per 3 oz
Tsp of jarred garlic

To start, spray a pan with a little cooking spray and get the garlic going in the pan over medium high heat. Cut the slab of tofu in half and put it on top of the garlic.

While that browns, slather the tomato paste onto your tortilla, then put the beans on top of that.
I realize this look unappetizing in the extreme.
When the tofu has browned on one side, flip it and put the slathered tortillas next to the tofu on the pan. A minute or two later and you can put the tofu in the tortilla, fold it in half and have a yummy meal.I think it takes five minutes start to finish. Super yummy!

Have a great day!

Do you think....

2009-03-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

that the script for the new Wolverine movie explicitly states that the young Cyclops should look like Andrew Eldritch circa 1987? Not that the actor, Tim Pocock, has Eldritch's ow-I-just-sliced-my-finger-off-on-your-face cheekbones, but who does? Look at them side by side though, and tell me they didn't do this intentionally. Or did everyone look like this in 1987 and I was just two young to notice?

Thursday Temptations

2009-03-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Oy, it's late to be posting this! But I had to wait for the library to open before posting, since for some reason anything involving Google does not work on the network in the park. Any techies who have ideas why this might be, feel free to shoot me a note! Onwards!

It's Thursday again! Do the weeks just seem to be flying by - they do to me! Since it's Thursday, it's time to see some wonderful splurge items by handmade artists. This week we have something for everyone in an array of styles.

First up:
A beautiful wall sculpture by PoodleBreath on Etsy. I simply love this piece. It's called Little Helping Hands, and it's just that - 3D hands that come out of the wall to hold your jewelry or whatever else you'd like to hand over. Poodlebreath's shop is filled with items that evoke (to me, anyway) the mysterious, not-quite-dark side of fairy tales and fantasy. Looking at her shop is a little like walking through a dream.

Next up:
A lovely handbag by InkiMade at Etsy. I love that blue pattern on this bag and its wealth of pockets to stash all your stuff. I don't usually carry a purse, because I can stash everything I need for short jaunts into my pockets, so for me this would make a lovely bag for a day jaunt into a city, with enough room to carry lunch and a book as well as a wallet and cell. Inkimade's shop is chock full of a fun variety of items, including stationary and sachets.

On to:
A quirky laptop and accessory pouch set from Brokesy at Etsy. I adore this because it makes me giggle every time I look at it. The poor petrified squirrel looks like he'd like to hide in the pouch with your accessories. Brokesy's shop features cute, humorous ways to safely carry your laptop and other gadgetry. I love that the opening scene to The Crow (I'm pretty sure) is featured in one of the product photos - clever.

Last but not least:
A cozy lap afghan by PrimitiveJunkie on Etsy. This color palette is so soothing it makes me want to curl up and drink tea under it, which I'm pretty sure is the main goal in the life of a lap blanket. I love the look of crochet because my grandmother used to crochet things for me all the time. PrimitiveJunkie also features jewelry, hand stitched pillows and an assortment of other fun goodies.

That's all, kidlets! I think that my blog posts may be fewer in the next few weeks while I get my behind in gear and order an Express card so I can get reliable Internet wherever I am. Until that happens or the mystery of the nonresolving Google is solved, chances are good that I'll be updating twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll still do the Thursday Temptations because I love it so.

Have a great day!

Safari!!

2009-03-11T12:03:00.001-07:00

Here's my entry for this week's Thursday Sweet Treat:

I'm very pleased with it. I made the cord with the kumihimo technique I wrote about yesterday and I love the results. I think this will be one of my new favorites!

Also today, I'd like to take a minute to solicit submissions for tomorrow's Thursday Temptations.

Here are a few guidelines:
-Send a link to specific item(s) you would like considered to wanderlustbling@gmail.com
-Items can be on any handmade venue. If you are on ArtFire, I will give preference to Verified members.
-I'm looking for items listed for at least $50.
-I will notify you when/if your items will be featured. Following my blog, tweeting, blogging and/or Facebooking about your presence here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and have a great day!

Tuesday Techniques

2009-03-10T10:13:00.001-07:00

This past week I heard of the Japanese art of Kumihimo. I no longer remember where I heard of it, but when I Googled it, I found a website called Primitive Originals that sells every type of tool for this craft that you might need, including the portable Kumi Loom (tm) which is much preferable for me to the large wooden marudai would be.

While it's a beautiful piece of equipment, it would take up way to much room in my tiny abode. Besides, I've been looking for something that is relaxing and portable, like knitting and this fits the bill. The learning curve was a lot less steep than that of knitting (at least for me) and the end result is something I can use in my jewelry making. Plus it allows me to indulge my nearly unhealthy addiction to embroidery floss.

This is the Kumi Loom kit I bought. It really does have everything you need to get started and the book is well written and very helpful. I didn't read it all the way through, but every time I needed guidance the info I needed was easy to find.

Here's the first piece I made with my Kumi Loom and the practice yarn that comes with the kit. Not something I'd use for a jewelry project, obviously, but it's definitely a fun, easy technique with plenty of room for variations and creativity. I've already incorporated the technique into my jewelry, making a necklace cord for this week's Thursday Sweet Treat piece. I'm very happy with the results, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what I've done with my new toy.

If you're interested in trying Kumihimo, I highly recommend the Kumi Loom and the starter kit available at Primitive Originals. As you can see from the photo of the loom, the quick start instructions are printed right on the back of the loom. That was all I read before starting my yarn practice piece and it came out wonderfully. The foam loom is sturdy and holds the fibers firmly but gently. I have not used any other type of portable Kumihimo device, but the plastic ones I've seen online don't seem as comfortable to use. The bobbins that come with the kit (or are sold separately) are ingenious as well. Two simple pieces of plastic hold the fiber to keep it from tangling and only require a little extra tension to release more length as you work. And they make a lovely windchime-y sound as the bump against each other while you work. I think I'm going to become some sort of Kumihimo addict!

Have a great day!

Eugene!

2009-03-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

On Saturday we ran our last race in Redding, the NorCal 10 and 3 mile. K ran the 10, I ran the 3. I had been sick for a week, so I wasn't expecting much for myself, but I did well. Well enough to get 2nd place for my age division - if I was a guy, which they thought I was . After straightening that out, I still wound up with a medal, albeit for fourth. I did manage to sprint ahead of someone at the finish line, which is always fun. Not that my sprint affected my age group ranking, since the girl I got ahead of was 16 and I'm, well, not.

Cute, huh?

We moved from Redding, CA to Eugene, OR on Sunday and I'm a little peeved that the weather decided to welcome us with snow. Uck. It didn't help that the weather in Redding was gorgeous when we left! But such is the life of a nomad. Sun is in the forecast for the end of the week, so I shouldn't complain. Eugene looks nice and we're looking forward to pub trivia tonight, a diversion we missed while in Redding. Not that we're particularly good at it, but we like to try!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Time to Wander

2009-03-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well, we've thoroughly enjoyed our time in Redding, CA, but it's time to wander once again. This weekend we're heading to Eugene, OR. This will be the first time in many months that we've changed states. It seems like we've been in CA forever! We're looking forward to a change in scenery, since we tend to get a little antsy after a few months in one place. We've definitely been noticing that the past week or so.

So thanks to Redding and all Reddingites for the great time - see you on our next trip through! Eugene - here we come! Fellow RVers, now you know where to find us!

Have a great day!

Thursday Temptations

2009-03-04T16:55:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Thursday Temptations! It's the day when we take a look at some of the splurge-worthy handmade items available from various venues. Today we have one item from Etsy and two from ArtFire. Let's get started.

From Holmes Wilson Tables we have the fantastic Pliny End Table. I love the impressions of the leaves on this piece and the way it seems to glow. This, and many other pieces in their shop, makes me wish I had room in my RV for real furniture. Next up is this gorgeous necklace from Shiny Adornments on ArtFire. The Shara Necklace would be a lovely and unique bridal piece. The cluster is just stunning and you can see a single pearl is attached to the clasp. I love that kind of detail. Last but not least, The Jewelry Shop at ArtFire has this stunning Reconstructed Vintage Garnet And Glass Necklace. This necklace is so regal and it hangs so uniquely. It has a Crown Jewel feel to it that would make anyone feel like royalty.

Thanks for looking! I hope you've enjoyed this week's Thursday Temptations!

If you would like to be considered, please read the following:
-Send a link to specific item(s) you would like considered to wanderlustbling@gmail.com
-Items can be on any handmade venue. If you are on ArtFire, I will give preference to Verified members.
-I have no hard and fast guidelines, but in general, I'm looking for items listed for at least $50.
-I will notify you when/if your items will be featured. Following my blog, tweeting, blogging and/or Facebooking about your presence here would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great day!

I'm back!

2009-03-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ugh, what a long beginning of the week. My husband and I went to Trinidad, CA for my birthday over the weekend. We stayed at a lovely house we found on Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO), a site I highly recommend checking out if you're not already familiar with it. The house was set in the Redwoods and came complete with a hot tub - sweet! K made me the best Red Velvet Cake ever from a recipe he found on a high school friend's blog, Smitten Kitchen. Yum! It was fun watching him bake while I sat on the couch drinking wine and watching What Not to Wear. Yes, this is what I did on my birthday and I loved it!

The next day, we went for a hike at Patrick's Point State Park. It was a great, easy hike and we got to see a lot of fun ocean views. We spent a lot of time on Agate Beach, enjoying the surf and searching for sea stones. There are a lot of agates on the beach (duh!) but I'm not sure if I got any or not. I should get better at identifying stones, since I plan on getting a Dremel and making jewelry out of fun stones I find!

We drove home through the rain on Sunday and by Sunday night I knew I was sick. Glorious. The hot tub I had spent so much time in had done me wrong and I had to get myself some Cipro on Monday. I'm still not quite right, since UTIs throw me for a loop for some reason, but at least now I'm functional. Yesterday I was just a whiny lump and Monday I slept a lot.

On to the future!
Tomorrow is Temptation Thursday - be sure to swing by and see the fun, handmade splurge items from great artists. I think you'll find some drool-worthy goodies! Check out last Thursday's post for last week's featured pieces.

Have a great day!

Business cards and ads and sales, oh my!

2009-03-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

So last night (or rather early this morning) while I was waiting for UTI meds to kick in so I could sleep, I redesigned my Project Wonderful ads and my business cards. I've learned so much in the past few months that my old ones seemed horrid looking. So I took a simple photo and added simple black text. Here are the results of my PW ad reformat:
And the previous ad:
I think the new one is cleaner and crisper, important because the size is so small. We'll see how it does click-wise, but I much prefer it on a purely aesthetic basis. It also shows a whole piece of jewelry as opposed to a bead strand, which I think is more indicative of my shop.

I also have a new design for my business cards and I'm getting rid of my old ones by slapping coupon codes on the back and sending them to the lovely DirtyAss Soaps (love the name!) so she can put them in goodie bags at the Indie Garage Sale next month. That will drain me down to less than 20 cards left, which should really get my butt in gear to get the new ones printed!

Blech...

2009-03-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful weekend away with my husband... now I'm sick! Yuck. But at least I had a great time before. I'll write more when I don't feel dreadful.

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday!

2009-02-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday today! My 31st, in fact. Not that I feel 31. I feel better than I did when I was 20. Of course, when I was 20 I smoked 2 packs a day of Marlboro 100s rather than eating and regulated my sleep and wake cycle with a combination of caffeine and cold medicine. Now I run almost daily, strength train, am a Certified Personal Trainer and eat ridiculously well 80% of the time. Go figure. But 31 I am and as a present to myself I bought CoverGirl lip stain. Oh, so pretty. I hate the way lipstick feels so I rarely wear it, but this literally stains your lips like berries do. The only weird thing is that because it looks so natural, it looks like I have naturally fuchsia lips. I love it anyway.

Have a great day!

Temptation Thursday

2009-02-26T14:40:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new feature here called Temptation Thursday. I will be showcasing some special "splurge" items from artists on Etsy, ArtFire and any other handmade venues. If you want to be included in a later edition, please email me at wanderlustbling(at)gmail.com! Now, let's get started!

From Etincelle Design:

This necklace is lovely! It looks substantial and so special. I love the different textures. This necklace can be found here.

Looking around her shop I was intrigued by all her jewelry - definitely some covet worthy pieces here!

Next up: Marina's Knittery

This can be worn so many ways. And I love the pop of color it would bring to a somber jacket. This cowl can be found here.Marina has tons of other fun items in her shop, and her models look so happy and cozy!

Thanks for looking! I know we're in the middle of that big R word, but I've always enjoyed splurges rather than letting my money slowly dribble away. Hope this gave you some ideas! Come back again next week to see more temptations.

Have a great day!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-02-25T10:29:00.001-08:00

Hi all! I was going to just write a post about a new line of pendants I've been working on for quite awhile now, but first I want to point out the snazzy new box to the right. It's my ArtFire store with a check out built in! How amazingly cool is that! I have to say the ArtFire folks know how to make an online seller happy. Lots of fun features, quick turn around and a team interested in feedback leads to some great innovations. So feel free to browse my shop over there and check out in 28 seconds! 28 seconds!

Now that I have all the fan girl love out of my system, I'd like to show you what I've been working on! I'm so excited about it. In December, we went to Ovar, Portugal to visit Keath's family. We had a wonderful time there. The people were all so welcoming and kind, the scenery was beautiful and the ambience in the small town of Ovar was delightful.

The outsides of a large number of the houses in Ovar are covered in beautiful tiles. Ovar is known as a living museum of tile and it is a bit like walking around a museum. There's something wonderful to see on every house.The older ones are hand painted, some newer ones are prefab, but they're all lovely and they give the town such a unique look. My family was laughing at me because I would point out tiles I liked every few minutes as we walked to the markets or the cafes. Wandering the streets was made all the more fun by the prospect of coming across new tiles. On our last day in Ovar, I took the camera out and took photos of all the tiles that grabbed my attention. I had no specific plans for the photos at that time, but I just had to have them.

Once we got home, I decided to make pendants out of the pictures. I first attempted to laquer them onto tiles I made out of polymer clay, but that looked sloppy and I wasn't happy with the results. Baking polymer clay in our oven also set the smoke detector off a lot and filled the whole rig with odd fumes, so I nixed that idea.

The plan I finally settled on was to set the photos in resin. Shopping for the correct combination of paper cutters and resin molds was a bit overwhelming, but I finally wound up with a square cutter used for scrapbooking and a mold for making chocolate mints. I practiced resin skills with some random shapes from the mold sheet I bought, but I had to put them outside to cure for the first few hours and that led to some cloudiness. I was really happy with the fact that the cute little turtle I bought at Monument Valley was encased with his broken foot forever in resin and he didn't turn too cloudy. Cute, huh? Skills aquired, I set out to make my pendants.

I did twelve different photos in the twelve wells and carefully poured the resin in, squishing the photos down with a dowel to make sure all the air bubbles were out. Then it was off to the room with a vent to cure! After 72 hours, my little babies were ready for unmolding. Despite the warnings from Easy Cast about not using molds such as chocolate or soap, they came out quite easily. A little filing on the edges and they were lovely. The picture is intentionally bad here but you get the idea of them; I don't want this to turn up on some site to be messed with - this was a lot of work! ;-)

Next step is to attach those tags you see onto the back. I'm guessing some sanding will be necessary in order to get the glue to stick, so I'm going to wait for a day when it's not raining and I can do that outside. I don't want resin dust all over my house!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Mardi Gras!

2009-02-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras, folks! It's time to celebrate like there's no tomorrow before the beginning of the holy season. Of course, if you're not going to be abstaining during the holy season, you just get to party on a school night and have a hangover on Wednesday. I realize that this is not always been the tradition, but from what I can see of bar ads, that is what it has become.

In honor of Mardi Gras, I'm having a secret sale (because Mardi Gras is nothing if not subtle.) If you write "Gimme some beads!" in the notes section during checkout and follow my blog, I'll refund 20% back to you via PayPal! This is valid at my ArtFire studio and my Etsy shop! This is only good for sales today, Tuesday February 24, so act fast!

In other news, check out this pretty necklace I made for Thursday Swee t Treat:
The theme this week was rain. We've certainly had plenty of that this past week, but now it's beautiful out and I can't wait to get outside. Last night the creek became a raging torrent so strong it brought three shopping carts with it and they got hung up on the bridge in the RV park. Unfortunately, they were gone by the time I went to take pictures. I should be faster next time!

Have a great day!

Happy Weekend!

2009-02-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I took the day (sort of) off since I wasn't feeling great, but want to wish you all a great weekend. We're running one of the local races (we always do; so fun) and doing some kind of undetermined outdoors activity. I'm also going to check out the local flea market to see if I want to throw my hat into the ring, so to speak. I like to throw myself into things I'm unprepared for - otherwise I plan and never do!

So my question for you:
What are you doing this weekend?
Any insider tips for "live" selling?

Thanks, guys!

Post Office Love

2009-02-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

This may seem silly, but yesterday the Post Office employees managed to lift my spirits from the basement. You see, in a rush, I had printed a lot of mailing labels (woohoo, sales!) and not changed the "sent from" zip code from my South Dakota address to my actual location where the packages would be mailed from. So I voided all the postage, then printed new postage, brought the packages to the RV park office to be mailed and went about my day. Until I realized that one of the packages went out with the voided label. Oh crap. I didn't even know what to do in this situation, so I got angry at myself, of course and was unable to think for awhile. I called the general USPS number, but that was just a big automated maze that compounded my frustration. So I just went to the post office where a real employee would hopefully take pity on me and tell me what to do.

The very nice woman at the counter seemed genuinely concerned for my plight, despite it being my own fault and reassured me that there are ways to get packages back once they've been handed to the carrier. Halleluja! I just had to wait a half hour until the secretaries got back from lunch and I'd be in business.

After a hurried lunch at the Safeway next door, I headed to the secret door off to the side of the counter at the Post Office and rang the bell. I was admitted to an office like any other office and greeted by a lovely woman named Caroline. She was just as concerned for my plight as the clerk and was very encouraging. Apparently, if you're going to screw up and have to recall a package, buying postage online with a tracking number and knowing the address where the carrier picked it up is the best thing you can do. Now you know. After a brief form and an assurance that she WOULD find my package, I went on my way. I totally trusted her, because she was a fellow lefty.

Sure enough, at around 5 o'clock I got the call that my package had been found. I picture Caroline ambushing the carrier as he walked in the back door and rooting through his mail bags, though that's probably not quite how it happened. Since it was after business hours, she told me to pick it up with Tina, a night supervisor and gave me instructions to get to the bulk mail acceptance door. This is not my first experience with bulk mail as I used to be in charge of a non-profit newsletter from start to finish, and this included bulk mailing it. But in Concord, NH, the bulk mail acceptance was not in the middle of everything. In Redding, it is.

I rang the doorbell as instructed and was buzzed in to a warehouse filled with activity. People were unloading mail trucks, carrying mail to and fro and the noise was incredible. A man noticed me by the door and came and buzzed me through a second gate after I told him I was there to see Tina. He led me to an even bigger room filled with all the sorting machines. It was awesome! I've never seen what happens to the mail once it goes into a box, but it's amazing everything doesn't get lost. Redding is a town of 90,000 and the quantities of mail were immense. Boxes and boxes and huge sorting conveyor belts and machines I had no hope of identifying.

The man who opened the door for me had developed a very loud voice and managed to shout to a woman who was so far away she was practically a speck and let her know what I needed. She interrupted whatever she was doing to bring me my package and was sweet and nice, making small talk while she checked my ID and I signed the paperwork.

So there you have it; a two fold lesson about why you shouldn't rush (that's how I screwed up in the first place) and also that even when you're having a terrible day, there are people willing to help you. If I did this every day, maybe not so much, but they were incredibly helpful. I was very careful to not let my anger at myself seep over to my interactions with them, which probably didn't hurt their desire to help me. Because, really, who wants to help a grouch? No one.

I realize this may be the most boring post ever, but I was just so thankful I had to give a shout out to these folks!

Bead Store Review

2009-02-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is the first review of a bead store I've done, but certainly not the first bead store I've been to. Now this type of store is tricky to run, no doubt about it. A staggering number of tiny items to organize and price, a wide array of packaging (strings, loose, vials...) and the needs of customers are all daunting challenges. For me the most important thing as a shopper is that the method of selection is easy and intelligent. It is also one of the first places that many shops fall short. How many bead stores have you been in where you feel like you must pass some sort of test in order to begin your shopping? Some beads can be removed by customers, others can't, beads must be marked on sheets, or put in bags with tiny slips of paper, strings of beads are out of reach and can't even be seen properly. Sadly, I could go on forever.

Mana Beads in Nevada City, CA takes care of that with and ingeniously has muffin tins with little paper cups in each reservoir. Now the truly great part; each reservoir is marked with a price so you can simply stroll along and plop each bead into the appropriate cup in the reservoir. Beautiful! When you get the counter, they take the cup out and pour your beads into bags. The great many beads are all clearly marked and very reasonably priced. I was so impressed with their prices that I went absolutely kibby and rang up quite a bill. But it was a lot for my money.

A large selection of strung beads hangs on the walls behind the loose beads and all are clearly marked with both the price and the number of beads per strand. All are easily accessible by the customer and neatly arranged by color family, as are the loose beads. When you find a strand you want, you simply unhook it and bring it to the counter to cut off the hook. Easy and the same for all strands, whether semi precious or glass.

Which brings me to selection. They shine in this category. They have a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and finishes. Their selection of findings, wire and chains is quite good as well. They have most any metal you could want, allowing for greater creativity. I bought gunmetal, silver and copper findings, all at very reasonable prices. Even with this great assortment, the shop is not overwhelming. It's cozy and inviting.

The owners are inviting as well. A class was beginning in the back while we were there and I could overhear the students being offered tea and other refreshments. We were made to feel at home and welcome to browse, which is refreshing.

Nevada City is a wonderful place for a weekend getaway and popular with Sacramentoans for just that. Crisp mountain air, a cute town that hasn't let its character erode and great B&Bs make it a fun place to visit, but if you're nowhere nearby, Mana Beads has a very respectable website as well. I highly recommend them!

Give Away Today - Today!

2009-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

Emilly at Give Away Today is featuring Wanderlust Bling today! Check it out at Give Away Today and enter to win your choice of item in my Etsy shop. You need not be a resident of the US to win, though resident of the earth does help! You can enter three times.

And come back later for a review of Mana Beads - a great store in Nevada City, CA (they have a good web presence as well.)

Home Again!

2009-02-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! We took a trip to Nevada City to see one of our favorite bands, and had a great time. I also spent a lot of time at a great bead store, Mana Beads. I'll be writing a review of it tomorrow for those of you who adore all things beads!

On Tuesday February 17, Wanderlust Bling will be featured at Give Away Today! You will have the opportunity to win anything in my Etsy Shop - anything! Head over every day to check out all the great handmade goodies you can enter to win, and be sure to enter on Tuesday to score yourself (or someone you love) some bling!

Have a great day!

Finally Friday

2009-02-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

I'm very excited about this new blog I found. Natasha of Thursday Sweet Treat provides artists with a theme. The idea is to let your mind run wild and create a piece of art based on the theme. The rules are simple: you're not allowed to create with your "audience" in mind. It's a little like free writing. You create simply to create and see what you come up with. I tend to always follow my own inspiration when I'm making jewelry, rather than what is trendy or what I think people will want, simply because if you don't love your work no one else will. I learned that when I was writing fiction and it's held true for jewelry as well. But it will still be fun to have carte blanche to run wild with my creations.

Oh, and the theme? Dreaming in Color. Fun! For a former goth who wore only black, I have a strange lust for color now. Pay no attention to the fact that I'm wearing all black at the moment...

Have a great day!

Running Wild

2009-02-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

I had to drag myself out for my run today. The only thing that got me out into the cold, damp weather was the certainty born of experience that I would feel much better after. But it was still a struggle. When I was getting dressed, I put on my cutest, brightest running clothes in an attempt to cheer myself up and make up for the fact that I was leaving my beads for my fitness. (I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and it's hard for me to exercise when it's cold - don't you feel better about your reticence now?) The clothes helped a lot. The skirt just makes me happy. Large floral print - how can you not be happy?! AND it goes so well with my thrift store find - a wicking Nike hoodie for $3.50.

It's funny that when I'm hanging out at home, I pretty much wear yoga pants and t-shirts, and when I go run errands, I wear jeans and t-shirts, but when I go running, I want to look pretty and feminine. Why? No clue, I just find it motivating. Many people look at me funny for wearing a skirt while running, but they are the ones who don't understand the horror of your shorts riding up until it looks like you're wearing bikini briefs. Neither attractive or comfy. Men and women with thin legs are immune to this problem. I am neither. Hence, skirts! This one is from Skirt Sports. The owner is a crazy accomplished athlete and I wear the Spankies as underwear, they're that comfortable. Shhhhhh, don't tell.

And, yes, the run did make me feel better and I was super productive when I got back. Check out one of my favorite creations from today: I love, love, love it, and I hope you do too!

Have a great day!

Product Review and bit of Sisters of Mercy

2009-02-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Lately I've had some pain in my hands and wrists, and yesterday my hands were so weak I could barely grip anything. I kept dropping stuff and generally feeling clumsy. I realized that the wear and tear of using two pairs of pliers for a good part of the day, stringing beads and gripping little tiny objects, combined with typing and using the mouse was giving me carpal tunnel. In my years as a secretary I never got carpal tunnel, but now I am!

By chance I had seen some crafter's gloves made by F.A. Edmunds at Michael's when I was buying crack, uh, I mean embroidery floss. So many colors... drool... sorry, where was I? Oh, right, my gloves. Today I went back and bought a pair. I was bit put out by the price ($9.99, for one glove!) but I tried one on and my pain went away. Whoa! Totally worth it! $8.50 online, if you're so inclined, but it was buy them now or have another unproductive day of pain. Hmmm....

I got home and suited up, and I'm so happy with them. They're like support hose material. There are four finger holes; one for the thumb, one for index, one for ring and middle and one for pinky. They're comfortably tight and they really help my hands. I don't feel like I'm doing permanent damage now. I do feel a teed bit silly in them, since they're basically wristlets but frumpy looking. Along the lines of orthapedic platform goth boots. What's really great is that I also have a pair of black fishnet goth wristlets. Which do you think I should wear to the Sisters of Mercy show?
Bottom line: they let me get my work done in an almost miraculous fashion. I was cranking out jewelry with mad abandon this afternoon. Yes!!

Oh, and since I didn't have MTV when I was younger, and YouTube didn't exist, I had never seen their videos. I still love them (okay, him, Andrew Eldritch) but, wow.

Two For Tuesday

2009-02-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

I now have two, count them, two, shops! I just opened my ArtFire account and so far I'm impressed. They do the Google Base updating, which means I don't have to muck about with xml. Yes! You can see some of my items over there on the right. They're different than what's in my Etsy shop, and it's not nearly as full, but it will get there, I promise. I'm having a ton of fun with this whole online selling thing and just couldn't resist doing it again! Yay, ArtFire!

Here's the link, should you wish to check out my studio http://wanderlustbling.artfire.com.

And now I have to take the rest of the afternoon off, because I'm suffering from severe pain in both of my wrists. Since all of the activities related to my shops (typing or using a mouse, twisting metal, beading, etc.) all involves small wrist movements, I'm going to sit on my butt and read. Maybe I'll run if it gets a tad bit warmer, but my mood's not in it, I gotta tell you.

Have a good day!

Monday Mayhem

2009-02-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

So much to report, I don't know where to begin! On the jewelry front, there are some fun things going on here at Wanderlust Bling. My jewelry will be featured on Give Away Today on February 18th. The lucky winner will get to choose anything of their desire out of my shop! How exciting is that? Also, as I mentioned briefly yesterday, I will begin participating in the Virtual Craft Show at Cafe Handmade starting today. I'll post the link to my booth when I get it. I'm also working on a new resin line and also a birthstone line of jewelry. There are a few amethyst pieces in the shop now, like these lovely earrings, and I'm gearing up for aquamarine jewelry for March.

This weekend the DH and I went camping for the first time in a year. When unpacking the tent, K asked me when we had gotten sand on the tent. Took awhile for us to remember our last camping excursion in Texas Hill Country. On Saturday we hiked the Crags Trail in Castle Crags State Park. It was unbelievably beautiful. The trail is wide enough for two people to walk side by side until the very end and is clear of debris. The views of the crags, Mt. Shasta and the valley below look like an ad for California. We truly enjoyed ourselves and the weather was perfect for hiking - sunny without being hot.

We camped overnight at the Antlers Campground in the Shasta Trinity National Forest. It's a lovely campground and, other than the camp host, we had the place to ourselves. There was a nearly full moon, so the fact that we had forgotten to pack a flashlight wasn't such an issue. We even slept well thanks to our big beefy Endura inflatable mattress. Ah, comfort. The original intent had been to kayak in the morning, but the water level in Lake Shasta is so low that the boat ramp was closed and it was a bit too chilly to sit in a kayak full of water (we need a spray skirt.) We did go for another lovely hike, though, this time on the Bailey Cove trail. It's pretty much completely flat and has some nice views of the lake. The man who runs the Frosty Fun Runs we've been participating in runs a race on this trail in the summer. That would be fun, though your place would be pretty much decided by the order you get into the woods, since passing might be dicey. Speaking of the Fun Runs, I ran 4 miles at under a 10 minute mile, which made me pretty happy. I can sprint like a demon, but I'm quite slow over any real distance. Yet another collage (I'm Picasa obsessed), this one of the camping trip and the Bailey Cove Trail.

While we hiked the Bailey Cove trail, our hobbies started to intersect. K took photos of the landscapes using different camera settings for use in a photo merging project he's working on, and I kept slapping on the macro lenses to take close up photos of the flora for some as yet unidentified jewelry making project. Despite the cold, clammy day, we had a great time!

That's about it for now. Have a great day!

Quick note

2009-02-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Hope you've all had a great weekend. I have a larger post with photos planned for tomorrow, but I have a quick update. I'm participating in the Virtual Craft Show starting tomorrow. The Craft Show is hosted by Cafe Handmade, a great site featuring a lot of talented artists, giveaways and other fun things. Take a moment to check it out!

Picture pages, picture pages

2009-02-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling terribly verbal today, so I thought I'd share some photos of my recent activity.

Gift bags for my nieces in GA: I made them little bracelets. I hope they're big enough! I wasn't sure of the size, but they do stretch a lot. I love the bags. I think they're so cute.

I've been wrapped up in other fun Valentine's Day activities. Keath and I are going to Nevada City to see Blue Turtle Seduction on Valentine's Day at the Miner's Foundry and they're having a dress up event. So I've been trying to decide what to wear to that. There will be hippie dancing galore, so I don't want anything too short, formal, uncomfortable, etc. Here's everything out:
I haven't actually made a decision yet though. I don't think I'll be buying anything new, but I have been looking around vintage and thrift shops to see if I find anything fun. At least I know I can always make some fun jewelry to go with whatever I decide on!

Last night we went to B&N to plan our trip to Alaska, because when we try to do it at home we end up getting distracted. I usually end up editing photos to post online and Keath gets sucked into an online game or something. Our intentions are good, but our wills are weak! Tonight we're going to check out the local coffee shop, YAKS, instead of the B&N, though. We just didn't know where to go last night.
I don't know if you can see it from this, but we're using the Rough Guide. Rough guides are the best guides for travel, I think. There are a few that are for a different type of traveler than us. A few focus on shopping and five star hotels we can't afford, and another few are written in a tone that is so jaded that they take the fun out of everything. Rough Guides strike a nice balance. They're interestingly written, and you can almost read them like a novel, but they don't make you feel like a jerk if you don't want to go paracamping into the wilderness or something. They also include info for a variety of budgets.

I just noticed for a nonverbal day, I'm fairly chatty! Have a great day!

Evolution

2009-02-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd make my second post to this shiny new blog about my evolution as a jewelry maker and Etsian. I started making jewelry when I was 8 or 9, with giant plastic beads bought for a dollar a bag and a needle and thread. The knots were often visible and my lack of clasps meant everything had to be long enough to fit over one's head. The patterns were simple; alternating colors, or if I was feeling really creative, two of one color, followed by one of another color. Repeat until head clearing length is reached.

Several years ago, when I was still employed, I started making jewelry again, and I even sold a few pieces to my co-workers. They really liked them, and I enjoyed making them, but then we sold our house, bought a van and became vagabonds. There was no longer any room for my crafting shenanigans.

Present day. For whatever reason, I had this great idea that I could braid embroidery floss and string beads on it. A new love for design was born. But this time, my interest didn't fade. It seems that every day I think of some fun new technique, or I learn of something I'd never heard of. Now I'm not just beading. I'm buying silver and twisting it. I've contemplated hammering things. I've wished I had room for a kiln, I've puttered with pottery and I've even looked into resin molds. I can't go very long at another task before I mutter "I wonder..." and start maniacally putting things together. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's always fun.

Now, I have no photos of my really early slip on jewelry, but I do have some photos of my early jewelry from my present day obsession. I warn you; it ain't pretty.

See, I warned you. It somehow manages to look sad and dumpy and trashy at the same time. And the photography is less than stellar. I use my husband's awesome Nikon with macro lenses, but since I refused to listen to him about apertures and F-stops, the camera could not compensate for my badness. Note also the "mannequin." It's a jug of non-dairy creamer with a sarong thrown over it. Professional, I know. This particular piece I could never bring myself to list, though there are several pieces of jewelry on Etsy that are photographed on my makeshift model.

After struggle with a light box made from pieces of poster board, I just decided to use outdoor light for my photographs. It may be a rationalization, but it occurred to me one day while I was getting some great shots that very few people spend their entire day in a light box anyway, and isn't it nice to show them jewelry the way it will actually look? I think so, which is why I do it that way.

Okay, I'm tired of thinking about me. Anyone else have any stories of their own (hopefully continuing) evolution?

Helooooooo!!!!

2009-02-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

A new business, a new blog! I have another blog, over at that other blog hosting site, but I've begun to feel badly about hijacking it for jewelry making and other such things, when the loyal readers of Keath and Ceridwen really want to read about our traveling and gnash their teeth in frustration and jealousy about our really cool lifestyle. That would be full time RVing. So here it is: the official blog of Wanderlust Bling. While you're waiting, please check out my jewelry at Wanderlust Bling; The Store (not to be confused with Wanderlust Bling; The Blog.)