No Time For Grass To Grow Underneath My Feet

When checking with the credit bureaus about my possible data breach, they recommended I contact the credit card issuer directly. So I tracked down the phone number and called yesterday morning. After shuffling through a couple of people, I got to their fraud department where they double-checked on their side, finding nothing under my identification parameters. She said it might have been a typo or misinformation from someone trying to set up an account that had already been caught and eliminated. I'll keep my eyes open, but it looks like this identity theft problem may be quite minor. Yippee! 

I'm totally celebrating the fact that this ID theft turned into
nothing. Of course, my portcullis is still raised, the moat
monsters are still prowling, and I'm not giving up on the
archers stations at the top of my castle walls. 

Today is a busy, busy day. On Monday, DH disassembled my soldering bench - a behemoth of metal with a thick fire-proof top that he inherited from his Dad. It probably dates from the 1950's. Nothing short of a direct nuclear hit will harm this bench. But we need to move it from the shop into the breezeway, and we would like to cut down 10"-12" of depth before reassembling it. That has forced DH into researching "cutting steel". Fortunately he has a angle grinder that I purchased for him several years ago, so he's set on tools. We'll try and get the bench loaded into the truck and brought back to the house tomorrow. He'll work on more disassembly at the shop today. 

Renaissance Festival begins the weekend of the 17th. That's
only ten days away! It allows me one more weekend of
true work at home before I'll be cramming cleaning into
my short after-work hours and folding it into my already
filled Wednesdays. Tick tock! 

In the meantime, I'm running around, doing the shopping and my laundry, and I also have nine boxes of books staged and waiting to be packed into Minion for a trip to Half-Priced Books. Although Sharon's room is looking better, the clock is ticking down and my Sundays to work on the house are also disappearing fast with Renaissance Fest starting on the weekend of the 17th. Ack! So much still to do. But we're forging ahead and hoping for the best. 

On the recommendation of a friend, I've been using Mr Clean Magic
Erasers for my bathroom cleaning. It's been working really well,
although it still requires some elbow grease on my part. I'm pretty
impressed by the results I'm getting with these. 

It's currently 4:54 am, I've showered and scrubbed more of the shower down (it's always a task since I'm only in this shower 1-2 times a week, using the shower at the YMCA after my daily workouts). The first load of laundry is finished washing. Unfortunately, it will take more than an hour to dry and get folded, and I don't have an hour to spare right now. So I have it waiting for when I get home after Physical Therapy. I can do a quick dry and get another load washed between PT and leaving to buy groceries. Welcome to my life - LOLOL. 

I'm totally feeling like the White Rabbit right now - running late
even though I don't have a set schedule. Time keeps moving
away from me and my days are starting to contract. 

Here's hoping you have a really wonderful and accomplished Wednesday. I know I'll certainly deserve my beer or ale when I settle down later this afternoon for my weekly catch-up convo with Aearwen. I'm starting to feel like the White Rabbit - always running late! 

A Cleaning Sunday Leads to a Cleaning Monday

Yesterday DH and I spent two hours cleaning the breezeway. This small area between the garage and the house is where we will be setting up my jeweler's bench. Because it has no heat, it's a place I'm only going to be working in approximately six months a year. Still, it'll be nice to have things a bit more accessible than working from two completely separate locations. We still have work to do in the area, but it was a very good start. 

This is NOT our house, but it is a good example of a
breezeway - an area between the garage and the
house. Our breezeway is being re-purposed from
a general "junk" space into my metal-working area. 

Among the things we uncovered were several baggies of black walnuts that I had set aside for fabric dying. I'm quite happy about these, I had completely forgotten I owned them. My other natural dying materials are stored in a "cool, dark place" per instructions. I took an intensive week-long workshop more than two decades ago on natural and reproducible dying techniques from an amazing spinner and weaver. I learned a ton and have a lot of dyes and natural chemicals still left for playtime. Yippee! 

Spectacular colors can be achieved with natural dyes. Of course,
some of the dyes are poisonous, so you need to know what you
are dong, and also need to have good airflow. We did the workshop
outside using portable propane stoves. Breezy days were difficult. 

The back of Minion is now filled with blankets and comforters that I need to take to the dry cleaners. Even though my washer can now accommodate a large comforter, I prefer to have these dry cleaned to make sure I don't have any insect problems with them. I won't have a chance to drop them off until Wednesday, but I can search out which dry cleaner in the area I want to bring them to. 

This issue of "Life" magazine from December 1969,
sells on eBay for $20-$70. I think it's on the top of my
box. Those eyes are unmistakable. 

I also have four boxes that I need to go through on Wednesday. One is all old issues of "Life" magazine, and it's looking as if the cover on the top issue might be Charles Manson. That would actually be pretty cool, and might also have some value as an after-sale item. I'm sure most of the issues won't have value, though. Still, I'll go through the four boxes as quickly as possible because we're trying to move right along and get things done. 

The drawers all have paperwork in them, so DH
will pull that from the drawers today and start to
cull for shredding or keeping. 

Today we're bringing more boxes over to the shop. The file cabinet DH wants to bring home is next on the agenda, so he'll be emptying drawers, reviewing their contents, and then pulling the drawers out completely, ready to get the framework removed when we shut down for the night. It won't be easy, but we'll get it done. He needs it for our library area. 

So on we go - consolidating, throwing things away, reviewing whether or not to keep things, and finding the right places in which to put things. He's great with the spatial arrangements, I'm a bit better at actually throwing things out. It's a balancing act. Here's hoping your Monday is awesome and fun. I'll be back tomorrow. 

My Own Ton (Because 15+ Tons Wasn't Enough)

DH tried to get more paver base at one home supply store yesterday morning, but was unsuccessful. They've been sold out for a few days now. He prefers them because they are slightly less expensive than other stores, but that is offset by the fact that they don't have what we need. Since I was out and about doing errands for my morning, I offered to drop by the other home supply store and see if they had any for sale. Ooooof!

The area to the back side of our patio is now a brickyard, framed in
by the stone blocks and wooden palettes DH was moving on Tuesday.
It's our messy staging platform. Oh joy! 

My day started out by taking twelve boxes of paperbacks over to Half-Price Books. They accept anything, but I certainly won't get rich soon. Out of the twelve boxes, I got less than $50 for my books. Still, that's better than just recycling them, and it helped pay for my advance purchase State Fair tickets.

Somewhere under that pile of dirt and stacks of stone blocks, there is
a patio. The small table at front is what holds our utensils when we
are using the charcoal grill hidden by the stone blocks. The patio
table used to be a nice place to sit, but the pile of dirt is the only
thing seated there right now. 

After I dropped the empty boxes off at home, I set off for the other home improvement store. They had been restocked and had a palette of paver base just waiting for me. Grabbing a flat cart, I started pulling out and loading bags. OMG - those were heavy! Each bag weighs about 50 pounds (3.5 stones) and I bought twelve of them - 600 pounds. Then I pushed them on the flat cart through the parking lot and loaded them into my car. Once home, I unloaded them three at a time into the wheelbarrow and took them down to the patio. Finally I unloaded each bag from the wheelbarrow and put them in a pile ready for DH to use.

This is the castle walls so far. The far right is complete and nicely circular, the
left side is in process, and the straight section is the beginning of the
stepped walkway that will lead to our upper back yard. It'll be pretty
awesome when it's completed. Then we'll have to pull apart the patio
itself, lower the level, and repave it. I think that is on next year's agenda. 

Six hundred pounds per twelve bags, moved four times, equals 2400 pounds. Wow! I moved my own ton of dirt. I was quite impressed! Unfortunately the rest of the day was rather unproductive (grocery shop, two loads of laundry) and I fell asleep, exhausted, by 8:30 pm - only to wake up at 2:15 am unable to get back to sleep for my last hour.

This is my pile - my ton. Each of these bags is 50 pounds of paver base. The
walls require a four-inch deep base to support a six-brick height. We've
been going through a lot of paver base. Twelve bags doesn't really look
like a lot when piled up like this, does it? 

So, I did what anyone would do, right? I prepped and cooked the chicken for tonight's dinner at 2:30 am instead of after work tonight. I guess I'm ahead of the game in workload and behind in sleep. I wonder if I can swim in my sleep? I might find out today. Have a great Thursday!

Thoughts About Books

I'll be dragging by the end of the week. It's hot and my brain won't stop whirling enough to allow me to sleep with ease. It's unusual - both in the heat and in my inability to get quality sleep time, but the fact that I do or don't sleep doesn't change my schedule. I'll just have to live with it.

I wish we had room for a library's worth of shelving
and books, but we live in a house, not a huge building. 

DH and I dove back into deep housecleaning yesterday, continuing the library project I had started two years ago. While he resumed cleaning up the hardcover books and years of magazines that we no longer think we need to keep (as well as lots of paperwork because we seem excellent at generating paperwork), I moved my boxes to the den and resumed entering paperback books into my book catalog. I have a lot of books still to do, but almost 1500 of them are already cataloged and boxed into a rough alpha order. Once I've got the rest of the paperbacks cataloged, we can examine the listing and choose which books we want to keep and which to sell or recycle. I want to get rid of more than half of these. I need my house back and I read e-books now, not paper.

There are so many available ways to read electronic books. I
read most of mine on my phone with either the Nook app
or the Kindle app. DH prefers to read his on his tablet. Although
a dedicated reader is still an option, it isn't necessary any more.  

I know many people who have tried e-readers of various brands and don't like them. I thoroughly understand the glorious feeling of opening a book's cover and feeling the paper beneath my fingers as I turn pages of a printed book. There is a special bond that exists between a reader and an author through the printed page. But the ability to change the size of my typeface, change the background intensity, change the typeface to one I find more readable, and, most importantly, minimize shelf space for the additional 1000+ books that I have at my fingertips in electronic form trumps the paper book for me in most instances.

Craft books such as Linda Darty's "The Art of
Enameling" are essential for me to have in
paper. Her book has been traveling with me for
the past week as I work out what I want to do
for my next major project. 

Of course there are exceptions. Crafting books, although available in e-form, are really difficult for me to work with on screen. I keep my notes and syllabi from past workshops in the pages of books that I refer to again and again when I'm trying to design a larger project. Art books - books of types of art as well as books about artistic exhibitions - need to be in print. Looking at the paintings and sculptures on a small screen doesn't resonate with me as much as on paper.

We've agreed that any physical books we buy have to be
agreed upon by both of us. I broke the rule once this
year for Alexander McQueen's amazing exhibition
catalog, but usually we agree. 

So we'll still have physical books - hundreds of them. But it is my hope that what we keep are tomes that we have vetted and that one or the other of us will feel are worth their physical presence. There will be some difficult decisions, but we'll benefit from this organization and culling in the long run. Here's hoping you're staying cool and comfortable and that you got a good night's sleep. Have a wonderful Monday.

Running With Scissors

DH has been trying to get me organized so that my crafting and art stuff isn't strewn throughout the den, the computer room, and the craft room. I admit (hanging my head in semi-shame) that I have a lot of it. I also admit that I don't use parts of it very often any more. But I also know that I'm a multi-media artist who uses multiple techniques to make those things that I do. I'm always striving for the next project.

This is what DH built yesterday. It's very tall, almost to
the ceiling, and it will have adjustable shelving on the
right side, fixed shelving on the left. He put one of my
four-drawer units into it to make sure he had measured
properly. Pegboard is on the back to increase usefulness. 

Nonetheless, in our unexpected "warm snap" of high temps in the early-mid 40's F (4.4 C - 7.2 C), we're taking advantage of the garage. Yesterday was DH's day off and he spent the day making a shelving/storage unit for me which will hold bins of my supplies as well as two of my four-drawer storage units. When I arrived home from work last night at around 6:30 pm, he still was working on it.

Earlier this year, a month or two ago, he made this unit for my bins.
These hold a variety of supplies such as my stamping supplies for
my holiday cards, sketch pads, and lots of beading supplies. 

I put my things away and came out to help him. We were busy with it until almost 9:00 pm, finally maneuvering it downstairs (not a very easy move at all) and settling down to a very late meal of Thai egg rolls and chicken pad Thai. (spelling optional ... ) I didn't even get to bed until almost 10:00 pm.

So here I am, at 5:45 am, when I should be wrapping up laps 25-30 in the pool. Instead I allowed myself to sleep until 4:30 am and I skipped the gym for the first time all year (except my two bouts with the flu early this past year). One day off won't be the end of my world, and I desperately needed the sleep. I'll be working in the garage myself today, working with very smelly chemicals on one aspect of my holiday cards (I'm averse to using them inside at the house or at the shop).

Remember I mentioned cigar boxes yesterday? Here is my large pile of
cigar boxes waiting to be used. I also have a few in a different space, and I
also use them to travel with - handy things that they are. They need a good
home so that I can actually access and use the beads that are currently blocked
by the boxes. 

So here are pics for you of things DH has built to help organize me (as well as my large pile of cigar boxes). I can hardly wait until after the holidays when I can really get things put away properly, labelled, and cleared up. I'll be running with scissors then! Have a great Wednesday!

I Had A Great Weekend - Did You?

I had a great weekend. From the point where I locked the door of the shop at 5:00 pm on Saturday until I awoke at 3:15 am this morning, things went well and smoothly. Well .. except for gaining a couple of pounds. But that's water retention and it'll be gone tomorrow.

Breakfast was a skillet of veggies, potatoes and eggs. So good! Add
salsa on top and it's the perfect meal. 

DH and I had a nice breakfast and a relaxing day on Sunday. He was busy playing his game for most of the day, and that's fine because it kept him out of my hair. I finished cataloging the books from Sharon's Room and looked into the library - my next and final area. That one is a huge job and it'll take some serious time, but when I have it finished, I'll almost be completely done with the paperbacks. So far I've entered 990 books which I have in alphabetical boxes scattered throughout my living room. Many letters are into their second boxes, and "B" is into its third box. I still have 12 boxes in reserve and I suspect I will need all of them.

I'm just working on the paperbacks right now. There are so many that
I could get rid of - either reselling them, donating them or just sending
them off in recycling. I really wouldn't miss them. Now to finish the job. 

We had finished one of our Christmas ports last week, so we opened one of the smaller "taster" bottles Sunday afternoon for a nice treat. DH says he doesn't like the finishing on this particular port. We'll only get another two or three glasses out of the bottle, so this one will go fast. Then we can try the other "taster" bottle he gave me and we will probably return to our favorite brand once more. It's always good to try new things, though.

Our favorite Port is Sandeman. We usually drink the Founders Reserve, but
have enjoyed all of the vintages. It was recommended to us by a
bartender friend many years ago and we've loved it ever since. 

It's a guppy day today and I can hardly wait. I was listening to some new music last night, but didn't have a chance to actually add any to my play list - yet. I really like the way my playlist for my guppy days has come together. The only problem (and it's actually a good problem) is Pharrell's "Happy". I just love that song and it always makes me want to dance. It's impossible to dance in the pool while doing laps - LOL. Have a great Monday!

Accomplishments

My long list to be accomplished on my Studio Day actually did get knocked down a bit.  I managed to get everything except the sewing projects done.  Of primary importance was that I get my boxes stripped.  That's because I have to do this outside and I need to get this done while the weather still allows for outside work - i.e., before the snow starts falling.  I still have many boxes left to strip and refinish, but I now at least have seven boxes stripped and ready for refinishing and then decorating with enameling.  One of these boxes will become a gift for Sebas at some point.  I know how it will look at the end, and I have all of the materials for it, I just need to find some construction time for it.  That will happen.  Now I am researching high-gloss enamels.  I want a laquer-look for the finish on some of these, so I'm looking into various options to give me that look.  It does seem that every project I choose requires me to learn more things.  So far, for this project, I had to learn how to strip paint from wood, and now different refinishing techniques and materials.  I learned interior construction techniques earlier this year for my box "When Anor Rises", and I will carry those skills through to Sebas' box. 

A recent picture of Sebas on an
outing at the lake near his
new home in Michigan.  I miss my boyfriend!

This is the six-month anniversary of the blow-out on the BP oil rig; one of the worst environmental disasters of recent times.  It is one more example of how badly mankind acts as a steward for this land.  I fully admit that I'm an old hippie with the viewpoint that one should walk lightly on this earth.  I remember walking to support the very first Earth Day and I try my best to be kind to the earth within the parameters of my crazy life.  I know that I could do better, but I certainly could do far worse.  I am most certainly no paradigm of environmental virtue but at least I think about it as I live my life.  Do you?  Try to bring the environment into your creative life today. 

Number 600

Jeepers!  (Isn't that a quaint expression from the past?)  When I first started this blog I had little hope of keeping it up.  But I have kept it up as a journal of my personal journey through life and as a creative being, and here I am, at post #600.  I was never able to keep a diary or journal with any consistency, but I have managed to keep this E-journal going - at least one thing is going well. 

These 33 miners were trapped more
than 2000 feet below ground for more
than two months!  They are above-ground now.

Yesterday I accomplished a lot, but not as much as I had wanted to.  I have looked high and low in every room of the house for my stripper solution.  I had it last week (obviously) when I stripped two of my boxes.  I prepped six boxes and purchased a large roll of aluminum foil so that I could strip them, but then couldn't find my three cans of solution and brushes.  I really can't afford to purchase new supplies, so I'll keep looking.  I won't have a chance to do more on these until either Sunday or next studio day now, so I'll have a few days to keep looking.  I progressed in my plans for Chickie's birthday party and purchased cutting images for my Silhouette.  I cleaned at least two stacks of books from the den and I'll bring DH's pants with me to the shop today and draft the pattern for his pants from my large roll of brown paper that I have there.  I think I'll bring my Silhouette machine to the shop on Friday and test-cut some things.  I have the software on my laptop also so I can work with the machine away from home. 

What a dramatic rescue.  Above ground
after more than two months. 
Well Done!

And congratulations to Chile for their exemplary work in rescuing their 33 trapped miners.  It was an incredible effort, but they managed to get a rescue shaft sunk in record time and bring them back to the surface two months before the original estimate.  I had to smile at the one minor who was greeted by his mistress, his wife having found out about his affair while he was entrapped.  I have a great fear of enclosed spaces and tunnels, even large spaces underground like Carlsbad Caverns are difficult for me (although I was able to view the Caverns and they were amazing).  The thought of being that far underground and then having to get into that narrow capsule...I would have been a raving idiot by the time I would have made it to the surface.  Yeah.....(shaking off the bad feeling)...a raving idiot.  Congratulations, Chile!

Clean and Strip

So, today's goal is simple.  Bring books up to Sharon's room and start an assembly line to strip boxes.  First the books.  I haven't been able to continue cleaning the den because I don't have anyplace for my books.  My books are truly getting out of control.  I need to start culling my books, but for the moment all that I can do is put them into a locale where they will be out of the way but still accessible.  I've been using Sharon's room as secondary book storage for several years, but I need to make it more functional.  It is a store-room and currently has two broken VCR's and a couple of non-functional and very old TV's in it that need to be recycled.  I need to determine where I can take these and get them out of there.  Then I need to buy or make some new bookshelves for that room that will have more storage room than the old ones that are in there now.  Finally, I need to cull through the paperbacks and get rid of a lot of them, selling them back for pennies.  But I need the room for my art books and technique books. 

My house could be this bad.  I really need to get
my books under control. 

And second, I need to start working seriously on my boxes.  I love my boxes, but they are taking over my life and my space.  So I need to start stripping the ones that I want to work on next.  I want to strip the finish on all of my Onyx boxes as well as two or three others that I have plans for, and then I can refinish them and begin work on the decoration part. 

Chemicals and elbow grease will allow me to
refinish my boxes into new artwork.  It will
be LOADS of fun.

The last thing I want to do today is update my Silhouette software that I have on my laptop, and try a few more experiments.  I also have gift cards for $35 of downloadable clipping shapes and want to look through the options and determine which ones I want to purchase.  And finally, at the end of the day we may get a new lawnmower from a friend who replaced her's with an electric model.  She wants to get rid of her old one and we need one since ours is dying after 30 years, so we're happy to take it off her hands for her. 

GO TWINS!  Beat those NY Yankees!



Accomplishments

I had a GREAT extra day off.  I accomplished a lot of what was on my list, but not everything.  I did get the check from my brokerage and got over to the fabric store.  I did find a light-weight black fabric that will be perfect for a pair of pants for DH.  I'll try to get to that by early next year - it's not a rush because we're heading into colder temps now.  And I got over to Dick Blick to take advantage of the 20% off everything one-day sale as well as use a 40% off one item coupon that they had Emailed me.  I bought crayons for Sebas' box.  I'll strip the main box next week at the shop (as I recall, that's where I have my stripping solution at), and then can start refinishing the box.  I bought a 120 Crayon mix yesterday for a great price, as well as a nice shapener that I will insert into the side of the new box.  I'll build divider/risers in the interior of the box, cut out and insert the sharpener, and decorate the exterior.  The box itself is perfect for this application which is why I had purchased it.  By the time I'm finished with it, it will be adorable.  I see the finished item in my mind's eye and just have to work towards it. 

I just love Crayola Crayons.  I grew up with the
64 crayon box and still think that crayons are
one of the BEST gifts EVER! 

I had planned on spending the day at the sewing machine and that's exactly what I did.  I got home around 11:30 am, starting my load of laundry and settled down with my cape.  If I was on Project Runway I would just have used my scissors and cut around the stitchline to separate the satin lining from the wool, but I decided to use my seam ripper instead so it took more than an hour to get the two layers separated.  Then I began finishing the interior seams.  I could have left the seams as they were - rough, but I think that visible seams should be finished.  So I spent several hours pinning and sewing the three long seams down the body of the cape, the line up the center of the hood, and the joining between the hood and the body of the cape.  Then I pinned and stitched the entire exterior seam.  Everything has to be sewn in the proper direction to allow for the cloak to fall properly.  Then I threw it back into the washer and dryer again.  And I decided to give up on the embroidery and do what I do best.  I picked up some metallic fabric paint and I will be painting the scrollwork on the hood this morming.  I can set the paint before Sunday and mount the closures and I'll be ready to wear it on Sunday.  That's been my goal because it will be a colder day (temps into the upper 50's).  We will have a long day at the Fest because we always close the Fest down on the final day.  It's always a bittersweet occasion - it gives my Sundays back to me, but also means that winter is right around the corner. 

Looking Ahead

So I get Wednesday and Thursday off this week.  I've had a piece of artwork sitting in my head that I want to try to begin sketching out, I want to set up the band sander and begin working on my next series of boxes, and I still have my laundry (2-4 loads) and the continuation of cleaning up the den to do.  I want to split the lining away from my cape and put French seams onto the wool.  I also want to cut a new hood, although I'll probably draft a quick collar from the existing hood and see what that can do first.  I know, for a fact, that I won't get everything done.  I also know that I HAVE to get some cleaning done - absolutely necessary.  But I am determined to get something creative done also.  I just have to get through today first. 

I loved my Frustration Ball when I was a kid.  I was
able to put the ball into each of the eight numbered
cups in order for hours at a time.  Some people can
do puzzles, I did Frustration Ball and I did it well!

My Manager is frustrated right now.  He spent two hours entering an order in for a purchase and then saved the shopping cart.  When he went back to the order last night, the shopping cart had not actually saved properly and he had to re-enter the order again.  Since he does a fair amount of this by little notes and instinct, he came up with a different total.  I helped him save his cart this time and it saved correctly.  Now he has to figure out what changed between the first and second order so that he can bring the total back to the amount that I had approved.  SO glad it's not me who made the error....

Accomplishments

Yesterday was a great day, even though I had to drive all over the cities for several hours of errands.  But after I finally got home in the early afternoon, I started work beading on my BFAC box and have almost finished it.  The heavy beading is complete, and I can do the fill-in beadwork around my sun tonight.  Then all I need to do is place my Swarovski crystals where I want them to go and glue them into place, mount the beadwork onto the box and mount the disk as the final step.  An end is most certainly in sight. 

I dropped by my friend Eleanor's office on the way home from dropping Meghan off after breakfast yesterday.  (Whew!  That's a bit of a confusing sentence, isn't it?)  I had been quite worried about Eleanor.  We normally get together for breakfast every Thursday morning and she had cancelled the past two weeks because her companion/husband was literally deathly ill - heart attacks and pacemakers, etc.  Not good.  But he is home from the hospital now and we can get together today, just at a later time.  So I'll add some more miles to my car, turn things on at the shop first, and then drive north to meet her for breakfast.  I'll have to see if this later time will become the new permanent routine because snow days may be a problem with this increased driving in bad snow.  But, for the summer and fall, it won't be a problem.  Right now she can't leave Lee on his own and has to wait until the home health care worker arrives for his/her shift.  She has two home health care people every day helping her out right now, one for the daytime and one for the afternoon/evening.  That can run through money quickly so I hope they will be OK through this.  I spent a half-hour with her getting the update on what had happened to Lee and how he was doing.  He almost died several times, so she's been understandably on edge.  Lee could use some positive white light if anyone reading feels as if they would like to send positive thoughts his direction.  I hope you have a day of accomplishments today! 

What a Great Day!

I had one of the nicer Studio Days that I have had in a long time.  After starting out doing some errands for the shop, I stopped by a local hardware store that happened to be on my way to my box supplier.  It was just on the off-chance that they might have the perfect screws to mount my etched copper plaques to my box lids - something that I had been unable to find at the larger "big box" hardware stores.  Amazingly enough they had exactly what I needed - exactly!  I was so happy.  Today I'll put one of the screws in my digital caliper and determine the size of drill bit that I need to use for the holes in the metal.  I can then begin the final processes for the front disc and I can mount the plaque to the inside of the lid.  The plaque translates the Sindarin text of the front disc. 

I then went on to my box supplier.  She opened late because of some health problems that her DH had the previous evening - a kidney stone - very painful and an expensive hospital bill for the after-hours Emergency Room visit.  I found four boxes that I fell in love with, after more than two weeks of buying nothing.  And she was a sweetheart and gave them to me at no charge.  I showed her my etched plaque which I happened to have with me and she loved it!  She wants to see the finished product - that won't be a problem at all, since I'll have some time when I am photographing it to bring it over for her to look through. 

And finally I got home and applied resist to my silk, took my courage in hand, tested some colors along the excess borders of the fabric, took a deep breath, and started painting my silk.  It turned out absolutely fantastic!  I am thrilled with the colors and how they dried.  Tonight I'll set the colors and wash out the resist.  Then I'll look very carefully to make sure that I don't need any touch-ups.  If not, I can mount the silk onto the stiffer backing and begin the beading and embellishment segment.  That is the last segment necessary for the box and so I'm starting to wind it down.  If I can get the beadwork to look the way that I envision, this project will exceed my expectations - count me happy! 

Sushi Revenge

I love sushi.  It's expensive and my sodium intake goes through the roof because of the soy sauce, but I truly love it.  Last night I indulged in a very nice roll - tuna wrapped in brown rice.  Today I'm up THREE pounds!  I can place those directly at the feet of my sushi, and I'm not happy about it.  I know the pounds will be off in a day or so, but I'm not happy about the gain anyway.  I blame all of the things that I love to eat for putting pounds on me, but I can either eat a diet of no enjoyable food, or I can indulge rarely and simply lose the weight back afterwards.  Afterwards seemed the best course of action, so that's what I have to do.  It does get frustrating, though.  I'm working so hard on dropping some weight and in reality I'm just running very hard to stay in place. 

I did get my silk washed last night, and I'll assemble the stretcher frame tonight.  I plan to paint the silk on Wednesday and set the colors on Thursday (it requires a 24 hour period before heat-setting the colors into the fabric).  Then I can remove it from the frame and begin beading.  It's been a long haul to get to this point.  I started beading samples in March before I decided that what I was trying simply wouldn't work.  I shifted gears and moved from jewelry to household, beginning my box.  It has taken regular and intensive work to get to this point, but I'm very happy with the results thus far.  So, now I am moving into the final stages.  At every stage I had the chance to ruin my vision.  I still have that opportunity, so I have to be cautious.  I don't count myself any expert on silk painting - in fact I have never painted on silk in my life.  But I'll get it done because I need to, and if it turns out half the way my mind says it will look, I'll be very happy with the finished project.  I'm trying to get this finished before I leave for Bead & Button in June.  That's a tight deadline! 

Week is Progressing

Thank goodness the week is progressing.  But what started out as a strong week of sales and a fun week of interacting with customers, has sputtered into two slow days in a row.  This is NOT what we need with the purchase orders I have already placed and the supplies that we still want to bring in before the summer.  I'm also busy trying to figure out how much money I will have for Bead & Button and for my PMC/Enameling conferences later this year.  These will deplete my ready funds a lot.  I save in my cash jar regularly for just these occasions, but it is always hard to spend the cash and then have to save up again for the next year.  Money is hard to come by (for everyone - not just me) and I am a high-maintenance kind of gal. 

My etchings turned out very nicely, but I will have to do some touchup on the lettering with a ball burr this morning before I blacken the text and polish the tops.  Then I need to drill the mounting holes and wiring holes and get the plaque mounted to the interior lid of the box.  I can't mount the top disk until the final step - it will mount over the handpainted and beaded silk.  That's the next step for my next studio day, so I need to get the metal finalized so that I can begin the fabric part.  I hear the clock ticking - my time is running out and I will need to give up some of my night computer time to bead.  That's bittersweet - I love to bead and to create, but I also love to read and I read on-screen.  I'll figure it all out somehow.  Enjoy your Friday!

Accomplishment!

Well, I had a very long list to accomplish for my Studio Day, and I accomplished almost all of them. I even picked up a broom and swept one floor! Of course, it wasn't the part of the house that I had on my mental cleaning agenda, but it was a start.

My goal on my BFAC 2010 project was to finish the woodworking portion of the project. Although I can add more partitions to the top tray, I did get the bottom sectional completely finished and I can add more to the top tray if I decide I would like to by simply purchasing additional wood and another pot of paint. I'll drop by Home Depot this morning to pick up the pull I had ordered for the front, and I can call the woodworking part complete.

I didn't get a chance to work on my translation transcription because I was finishing my box into the late night hours. But I can work on that either at home or at the shop because I have the font downloaded onto both my desktop and my laptop computers. I did get a lovely card for Michelle for her wedding (now I have to actually fill it out, since I was caught by a blank card for its' beauty. I tried to pay my property taxes, but my county isn't accepting payments yet (although the website states that the physical property tax statements have actually finally been mailed - good idea since they are due on the 15th of May - DUH!). And I did three loads of laundry, stripped and remade the bed, bought two easy-to-alter boxes from my box supplier, went to the grocers, the office supply store, and the liquor store, and had a nice breakfast. It was a busy day.

Today I'm putting the final three of the BFAC 2010 current auction items up for your viewing. The top is by Beverly Moon and the bottom by Lynn Batt. The middle bracelet is by Tracy Vincent - another artist who I have had the pleasure of knowing for many years. I own a piece from several years ago that she made, and I never fail to get compliments on it. Please visit, bid high, and remember that next week is our last week of auctions, so if you don't win an item now, you'll only have eight opportunities left!

Thursday Thoughts

I accomplished a lot on my box yesterday. The interior is coming together very well and by next week, I should be able to begin working on my silk. I put in a request for translation for a two-sentence blurb that I think I'll want to etch on some copper for this project. It appears that the normal translator is back from Holiday, so I should get a faster turnaround this time than I did for the last translation I requested.

We still have not received our bills for our property taxes. It is currently the 22nd of April, and they are due on the 15th of May. I have usually paid them by this time and I'm getting quite anxious about getting this into my hand. I could go on-line, and may try that this weekend, but I'm not sure that would accomplish anything more. There was an article in the newspaper about 4-6 weeks ago about how the property tax statements would be delayed, but that the due date would still be the 15th of May. It's hard to believe that the State is that incompetent - then again...it is government at it's "not" finest.

Today's Beading For A Cure auction pieces feature work by Charlene Burke (top) and Gail Golden (bottom). Although I can't recall having ever met either of these two ladies, it is evident that their skill levels are quite high and their visions of beauty are strong. Remember to bid high - not only does it go for a good cause, but you will be receiving something of great beauty.

Studio Day - Yippee, Skippee!!!

I've been looking forward to my studio day since mid-day yesterday. I have a TON of stuff to try and accomplish today and I'll dive into it as soon as I get home from my many errands. And then I'll have to go out late in the afternoon to drop by the fabric store for a component that I can't measure until some other parts have been assembled. I was working on the assembly yesterday, but things didn't go together quite the way I intended - in other words, things just didn't work smoothly and they didn't get put together. But it will work today - I am giving it a mental mandate - LOL.

Today's Beading For A Cure auction piece deserves to stand on her own. This absolutely stunning beaded piece is by Dorothy Lewallen, who has been making her reputation as a doll maker for several years now. If you love one-of-a-kind collectibles, you can't go wrong with "Grace".

Busy Studio Day

Today I already have the kiln firing a couple of pieces for a customer. Later today I will begin building the interior of my box and working the full-scale schematic of the cover. I need to pic down exactly where in the lid I am going to drill the hole for my etched piece. I am beading, painting and adding etched copper to the lid for the box. I also need to work on the text that will be etched and finalize the exact size for the copper disc. I was going to continue painting the box, but the interior partitions should be nailed into place before I paint. Paint should be one of the last things. I did make a final decision on color, though, so I am pleased about that.

I have a long list of errands that I have to do today, but at the top of the list is getting the fabric for my box lining. It needs to work with the bead colors of the kit. I tried to stop by the fabric store on Sunday and pick some up then, but I didn't have the beads with me and couldn't decide on the absolute shade that would work best. So I will bring the beads with me today and do it sensibly. I can't afford to waste money or time on mistakes.

Today's Beading For A Cure auction items are by Wendy Reed (top) and Pamela Perry (bottom). Pam has been a friend for a long time. A friend, a confidant, a roomie, and the best workshop companion ever - we go back more than 10 years. I have watched her come into her own voice and talent, become a strong beader, and expand her creative wings - it has been a joy. This piece is a lovely contribution to our fund raising cause. Wendy's bag is fabulous. I love bags anyway, but her beaded embellishments will put this one into the unique collectible category. Wendy was on the Board of Directors for BFAC for many years and we would not have been able to accomplish all of the things we were able to without her contributions. Remember - view and bid high - the money raised goes towards a fantastic goal.

Dragons and Paint

Yesterday was a day of some small accomplishments. Even though we were VERY slow at the shop (sigh), it was a fun day. I decided on the final color for my box and bought that paint as well as the top coat sealer. I'll start the final painting coats this morning and begin building the interior tomorrow. I have a second box and I can use that for my template for my interior structures.

And I went to see "How To Train Your Dragon" in IMAX 3-D last night with Chickie and Claire. We all loved it and are planning on buying the DVD when it is released. If you get a chance to go see it, I highly recommend it. A feel-good movie all the way around with great graphics and wonderful 3-D. Animated movies seem to work so much better in 3-D technology and this was no exception.

Today's Beading For A Cure Auction item is by Lora Tobias. Lora was a good friend of mine. She lived in Oregon and I had a chance to meet her several times while attending bead shows in Portland, Oregon in the late 1990's. There was nothing better than a hug from Lora. A devoted pagan, she walked her talk and even though life was difficult after her husband died a few years ago, she kept her optimistic attitude and rolled with the punches that life threw at her. Last year she was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer and died from the disease late last year. She is a friend that I will miss and I hope that her last BFAC item goes for a very high price.