Fun Friday and Work in Progress

Since it's Friday, I decided to do a fun little post. This is a site I found on Craftymoose's blog. It's called Blogthings. It has some fun little tests. I did the name test. Try it and let me know what your name means. Boy, did it ever get mine right! Here's what it said about mine:

Aimee:
You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.
You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.
You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!
You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

My favorite part is that I'm flaky and a type A personality. If they only knew!

Here's a look at my latest work in progress. It's going to be a necklace if I ever get it done. Not pretty right now but you get the general idea of what it'll be. I wanted to list it this week, but I probably won't get listed until the first part of next week. It's a necklace with an Asian inspired bird pendant.

Finally

Well, the time has finally arrived where I actually have made something new. The best part is that it was unplanned.

It was created in response to this week's Creative Challenge. The challenge was to create something just to create. Kind of a get back to basics thing. I just sat down at my table knowing I was going to make a ring. Seems I have a fascination with making rings. I happened to see some leftover pieces from a custom order and started playing around with them. Then I happened upon a prehnite I had laying around. The result was the ring you see pictured. I call it Mint Julep. I LOVE this ring and will have no problem keeping it if it doesn't sell before it expires on Etsy.

This getting back to basics was just the thing I needed to help pull me from my slump. I stumbled on the idea when I read Craftymoose's blog, and she happened to be discussing the idea and the Artist's Way. The whole thing was rather invigorating. There were no expectations, no time limits, no customers to satisfy. Just me, my supplies, and my torch. I might have to start doing this every so often. It was like being a beginner again except with new knowledge and new techniques.

I suggest everyone try this every now and then. It's a good exercise. And, the Mint Julep ring is listed in my shop. Thanks, too, for all the congrats yesterday. I would've shown the cover page, but someone(ahem, Steve) forgot to scan it in the computer. I will have to get him to do that.

Time Flies

I do apologize my lovely blog friends. This house thing is killing me. I'm going to need a vacation after all this. Why does my yard have to be so big?!

The lady in charge is supposed to be here today after making an appointment last week. We'll see if she actually shows and what she has to say. At least things should be getting back to normal after this week.

So, what I have missed? Anything exciting? I, personally, have so many things to blog about like my seedlings, my new items for my shop, and my new vintage fave that I'm keeping for myself.

There was an article yesterday in the Storque about the challenges. Very lovely. I'm crossing my fingers that I don't sound like an idiot to anyone. It's great promotion for the challenges. I do love doing them and have been so surprised that they've lasted as long as they have.

Oh, now for the pics so you know what they are. They just happen to be the latest in my little etsy shop. The first is a sterling silver bangle accented with a freeform/recycled piece of silver. One of Steve's friends rescued that for me at his job. I have a couple of other pieces that he gave me as well, but that one was the best for that piece. It's been accented with a sterling silver sphere. Next is my latest edition to my wedding collection. A very pretty copper Art Deco style tiara. Very fashionable and vintage-y. Plus, I love that it's not too tall. You know I have that problem with making things big and chunky. I don't know why I have such a hard time making delicate things.

Oh, and I have to find time to blog about my newest tv craze, The Real Housewives of NYC. Talk about catty and social climbers! Until tomorrow...(Yes, I will blog again tomorrow.)

Lazy Morning

Almost overslept this morning. Well, technically I did oversleep this morning but not too the point of missing the bus. I blame it on the birthday cake we made for K last night. It is a one layer, but it's like 4 inches thick. Made from funfetti batter and funfetti icing. I don't think funfetti is the technical term, but that's what I call it. She's having a party on Friday so we will be making cupcakes in the same style in a couple of days. The cake is for us.

Well, I am almost finally caught up on my custom orders. I've had a lot of custom work to do in the last couple of months. Don't know if that's good or not. I'm also surprised by the fact that a couple of older, I say older because one of the was even expired, have sold or had a lot of interest. It's funny how this world of selling works sometimes. You can see my Lunar Tie Neckpiece in the pic. I had some interest to relist it so it is in my shop. Now just to get everything mailed out. I wish I had a little robot for that.

I can move on to some of these ideas that are rattling around. Glad I got them down on paper so I didn't forget them. Sketchbooks are my best friend even though I'm the only one who knows what the drawing is of. Lots of great things are in the future or so I hope.

Okay. Now I have to go motivate the child because she is taking too long to get dressed. We will miss the bus if she keeps this up.

Note: We missed the bus.

New Bangle and Auction Finds

What to blog about? The eternal blogging question. Hmmmm.

So, this weekend not so fantastic, but in some ways it was. Steve was sick this weekend. Now, if any men are reading, answer me this. Why do men have to be such babies about getting sick? Seriously. He wasn't even sick sick just a cold, and yet, you would think he had the bubonic plague. He forced me into going out of the house because of his melodramatics. So, in a way, my spending money at the auction I went to was his fault. lol. I went, I saw, and I bought. I didn't spend that much money. $40. I did get an incredible mahogany dresser with both a modern and retro feel, a black retro chair, a bunch of drawer pulls from the 40's and 50's, and a couple of terracotta planters. Of course, K was with me so she got a few things as well as always, and I did bring an old world radio home for him to tinker with. All in all, I don't think I did bad. Photos of the dresser will be forthcoming. I should've taken pics of it before I got it into my nasty house under construction :)


In other blog news, I finished this great bangle. I created it for my challenge in the forum. This week's challenge was bubbles. As usual, I am all late and wrong, but at least I finished it this week. It took much longer than expected or should have. It's created solely from sterling silver tubes and copper tubes in different sizes. I still have to polish it, but I will be listing it in my shop this morning after I do that final step.

Hope all my lovelies had a beautiful and terrific weekend! Pssst. It's March and that means it's almost spring for us Northern Hemisphere people. Yay!

A Little Bit of Everything

Well, my duckies, how did your weekend go?

I was back to painting my mom's hall and second floor yesterday. With the cost of gas and the gas guzzler car I have, I can only afford to go to her house once a week as she lives over 30 miles away. Why did I ever agree to paint her house? Seriously. I'll be glad when this is done. I at least got some color on the second floor this time. Thank goodness. Don't get me wrong I love to paint, but this is just ridiculous. I think it's the color. I just don't like the colors she's picked out together. It's just too much. It was literally giving me vertigo.

Oh, I was on the front page of Etsy this weekend. Thanks, stephaniegibson, for letting me know! It was like all of 10 minutes so it's a good thing she told me. I do believe this is the first time I have been on the front page when it involved a treasury list. Last time was because of the Crest trunk show at the Labs, and the other was Christmas Day last year. Here's a screenshot just because.

See my ring in the top corner?

Btw, Project Runway starts this week! In two days as a matter of fact! Yay! I'm so excited.

Last but not least is my little oyster ring. It was inspired by the Creative Challenge in the Etsy forums. This week's challenge was to create something inspired by something under the sea. My little ring is all copper. The copper oyster has been soldered to the band ring, and then it was accented with white opal bead attached with copper wire. I just love it even though it's a substantial ring. I'm planning on doing a necklace just like it in sterling if the Post Office would quit taking holidays so I could get my solder. lol.

I'm Back!

Apologies for my being away so long!


Let's play catch up for a little while. Really truly not much has happened. Still haven't finished painting my mother's house. I'm on the upstairs landing so not much further to go. Hopefully, just two more trips. Cross your fingers for me. Still remodeling my studio and house. I cannot wait to show you photos of what we have done so far. Remember the roses growing inside the house? Well, they're gone, and that particular room is almost finished except for drywall and all that jazz. Moved on to the next room and have replaced the windows and started to vault the ceiling. I've learned how to put siding up. It's just going to be beautiful when done.




My biggest news of all is that I will be in the summer preview issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. How exciting is that?! They want me to write a tutorial of my copper bubbles cuff. I'm so excited. I'm almost finished writing the tutorial. Now I have to take step by step pics then my headshot. I'm not so keen on the headshot. You don't suppose I could pass my Elephant spokesmodel off as me, do you? Oh, and you may have noticed the new Squidoo logo on the side. Yep I do have a lens so go check it out, leave me a comment, blog about it. They are actually quite fun to make, but I'm not quite good at getting people to it. lol.


The piece in the pic is one of my latest. It's from my men's collection that I'm working really hard to fill. It seems to be received very well by customers on Etsy and off. This particular piece is a simple sterling silver band ring. I wonder if men know how hard it is to design for them. Anyway, it can be found in my shop. If you would like to see the rest of my men's collection, check out my for men's category in my Etsy shop. There's only a couple of things so it won't kill you, and I'd love to have some feedback.

It's here and other things

It's here! It's finally here! Today is the last day of school for K. No more getting up so early. No more having to here whining and complaining. Hooray! I thought this day would never come. It's a shame it only lasts until September.

I had a terrific weekend. How was yours? I went to some auctions and got a few things that I wanted/needed. Added a new elephant to the collection, got a table for my "sunroom" when it's finished, a new coffeetable, a whole bunch of plants for my yard, and a really beautiful crystal/glass clock that I paid next to nothing for. The topper is the absolutely gigantic potato vine that I got. I love it. It's going to look beautiful hanging in my yard.

As I said last week, I will be relisting a few things as they expire on Etsy. Today it happens to be the hammered oval chain that you see in the pic. I really like how soft yet chunky this chain is, and it is what a few of us call a booby tickler. lol. This is because if you wear a semi low-cut shirt it will drift inbetween the girls and probably get lost if you are like I am. It's a great everyday chain or could be dressed up for the evening out. That's what I like about chains. It can be found in my shop.

New Pieces

Well, there's a new American Idol and somehow I just don't care. Why is it that they make such a big deal about it? Btw, I boycotted American Idol when they kicked Melinda off. Now, let's see some jewelry because I really just don't have anything else to say. lol.

I've got a couple of pieces to show you this morning since I couldn't do my blog post yesterday because somebody lost my notepad from my computer. The first is my newest pair of earrings. I've been wanting to make something like these for a while now, and I just decided that now was the time. The blossoms earrings are constructed out of two separate pieces of copper sheet and bent into the blooming position. Copper chains dangle labradorite and moonstone briolettes. I love the contrast of the moonstone and labradorite even though the labradorite I had not planned on using. When I first started making these, I thought they were just going to be horrible, but they turned out better than expected albeit not according to design. In fact, I rather like them. I keep shaking them when I walk by where they are displayed.


My next piece shown is my Creative Challenge piece for the week. I am quite proud of this necklace even if it looks somewhat simple. The challenge for this week was to create something inspired by your high school experience. I chose to use my Geometry class as inspiration as it was the only Math class that I got higher than a D in. In fact, I actually scraped out an A one quarter. lol. The large square links are formed from copper, hammered, and soldered into place. Yes, I actually soldered it all by myself. You may find this amazing, but I just can't seem to solder. Perhaps that has changed. I added a couple of double links to give it a little more character. It's very chunky, but lots of fun to wear. I wish I had a model because this is one of those necklaces that could benefit from being shown on a model.

Both pieces are currently available in my shop so check them out. Until next time, my lovely readers...