Eye Candy Interlude-Today's Sneak Preview!

Navajo Blanket Ring

Size 7: Made from PMC fine silver with fine silver bezel

and Australian Opal- $250

Sometimes you create one of those pieces that seems to get even more exciting as you go, and this was one of them! I knew as soon as I made the impression in clay that things were going to turn out the way I envisioned them in my head.

I wanted to make something powerful and at the same time intricate using the traditional chevron shape but with a twist, so I decided on a repeating and interlocking pattern on either side that mirrored the point at each end of the central pattern.

The mazelike focal area at the top of this ring reminded me of a Navajo blanket like the one that used to hang on the wall at the top of the stairs in the Baltimore rowhouse where I grew up.

This ring measures 7/8" at the widest point and is nice and weighty at approximately 2mm. thick!

I was tempted to keep it, but knew that there would be somebody out there who would want it just as much.

If you are that person please convo me on Etsy before I list it tomorrow and ask that I reserve it for you and I'll put your name on the listing, then contact you back to let you know it is ready for purchase.

This is a very special one-of-a-kind ring, so don't let it get away! You might have someone on your holiday shopping list who would enjoy it (or you might want to keep it for yourself).

I am on a roll with lots more exciting metalwork to come, so stay tuned to my shop and if you aren't yet following my blog please do so that you will get up to the minute notice of new designs as they're completed. As always your comments are welcome.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Game Plan

Yesterday I took Carmella to the vet to find out why she was losing hair in patches on her neck. She had also developed some little pustules near her crotch and on her stomach that looked as though she had diaper rash.

The vet did a skin scraping test and found out she has Demodectic Mange, although some sources say that Demodectic and Sarcoptic Mange are impossible to tell apart. Apparently Demodectic Mange is not supposed to itch, but Carmella does itch somewhat.

According to this website; http://www.mange-in-dogs.com/demodectic-mange-in-dogs.php if a dog has to have mange this type is less severe than Sarcoptic Mange.

Puppies 3-9 months of age are the most likely to get it, even the transition from puppy to adulthood can trigger the disease, and it aften attacks dogs with weakened immune systems. It's very likely that Carmella's recent recovery from Distemper left her wide open for other opportunistic diseases such as mange.

Most dogs have mange mites living in their skin at all times on some level but it may never be a high enough level to cause a breakout.

Dr. Norwood prescribed an ointment twice a day to put on her neck where the red spots are, and then prescribed antibiotic pills twice a day for the rash she has on her stomache and crotch, which he said is a secondary staff infection most likely connected to the Mange.

After 14 days of that, if she's not cured or it continues to spread then he'll dip her.

My very first dog, Bingo, when I was 5 had Sarcoptic Mange. Interestingly she was reddish brown like Carmella. My father and I gave that dog baths every day with the most horrible smelling prescription dip that looked like milk. The baths had no effect and the dog was eventually put to sleep because after a few months was reduced to a naked, red ball of sores, and as I remember became systemically ill as well. I'm sure back then the medications were not as effective as they are today.

I talked to Dr. Norwood about Carmella's snorting also. He looked down her throat with the equipment he did have and couldn't see any obstruction with that, but said that she might have one further down and would need a specialist to stick a scope down the airway to check the area where he couldn't. Letting it go too long could compromise her heart, but he was being somewhat conservative about referring her to a specialist now, preferring to wait and see if it gets worse or happens in her sleep. He said if she passes out or really gasps for air then we'd have to but wasn't sure whether it was severe enough yet to warrant surgery. I will keep an eye on it but don't want to wait until she reaches that point before taking care of the problem.

Her very small snout in proportion to her size makes her prone to this sort of thing, and if she's part Shar Pei that could definitely be a predisposing factor.

Dr. Norwood can now do a DNA test to determine what breeds she's mixed with. He recently heard about the two companies I'd mentioned in my earlier blog post and has started using the blood test. I am going to put that off until I get more of the bill paid off before I get him to do that, but hopefully will have it done pretty soon. I'm going to do a blog giveaway to the person who has the closest guess and will probably run it in the weeks after the blood sample is drawn while waiting for the results.

Notice all the wrinkles underneath Carmella's chin. She is likely to have a very unusual mix of breeds in her.

I plan on doing a series of watercolor paintings on Carmella as soon as I get some Arches Cold-pressed block watercolor paper, and may select one of those paintings as the prize to be given away to the top guesser. (The paintings below are from my Greyhound Series).

Gwen, Dr. Norwood's office manager asked if I was selling my paintings and that got me to thinking about starting another Etsy shop for my other artwork. I've been mostly focused on jewelry but I could probably sell my paintings when the jewelry business is slow. There seem to be a fair amount of people who buy flat artwork on Etsy, both full-sized and ACEOs.

After the holidays are over I will be gearing up for Valentine's Day and will pick up where I left off in my new line of PMC using the rubber stamps made from my photos, and the two seed pods.

I also have an idea of how to bring jewelry and watercolors together that I want to test-market, and some new ideas for unique products to sell in my supply shop.

Also on the agenda is looking for more wholesale accounts. I've got to put some new variables into the equation in order to increase my earnings!

Be sure to watch Carmella on the Carmella-cam, and if you'd like to contribute to her vet bill we would greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all of you who have donated so far. Our goal is to raise at least $1,000 and we've raised about $100.00 so far in donations and blog ads, and $120.00 from the recent custom order (which you can see a picture of here (It was overcast that day).




Carmella is one fixer-upper that is worth every penny spent on her!
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Gift Day

Isn't it interesting how things come in sometimes just at the right time! I received this cute little purple star necklace I won in a blog giveaway by Ashley Spatula at http://ashleyspatula.etsy.com/ These each retail for $14.00 and come in various colors.

I also received in the same package some sort of CD-R that looks like it has 3 songs from http://www.sarahmacband.com/ which I haven't listened to yet but will soon.

Thanks, Ashley for the great gifts!

Also, I have now received the PMC I ordered and the molding compound. Now all I'm waiting for are the custom rubber stamps and I'll be all set to start my new line of jewelry!

I woke up surprisingly calm and renewed this morning. It may have been because I took some pain medication last night and the quality of my sleep was better. My head was killing me and my body was inflamed when I finally hit the hay, but since I awoke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed I decided to try to take some pictures of Carmella in the morning light. We were out in the backyard for about 3 hours.

Carmella was in a rambuncious mood and insisted on chewing my hands, arms, and shoes, or dive-bombing me taking a running start. She was not interested in chewing on pine cones after awhile and she quickly got bored chasing sticks, so I wrestled around with her and that seemed to finally tire her out enough so that she sat calmly sprawled across my lap and let me pet her for a good 20 minutes without the incessant gnawing on me. I got several really good pictures of her and tried to get some interesting angles other than just the traditional dog poses. Quite a number of them taken over the several-hour period had to be deleted because they were too blurred due to her moving around. I did get a few good action shots though in which the blur did not really detract from the photo.

I noticed that she was still falling every so often and it was sometimes her back leg that gave out, not always her front right. Even so, it was enjoyable for her to be active outdoors and it was a special time for both of us to just sit quietly. I'm rarely up that early these days and I'd already had an omelet and my iced coffee before going out there with Carmella.

There were some tufts of pine needles lying around amongst the leaves, sticks, and pinecones and the way the light was hitting the tops of things I thought shooting some holiday cards this time of morning might be a good idea.

There was no word today from Dr. Norwood's office, so I took the opportunity to take care of some other things that needed to be done with the jewelry street team I run. I found some resources on advertising that might be of use to the team, checked the forum, and followed up on some e-mails and convos.

I am beginning to gather some National news media contacts and will be collecting more over the weekend.

Other than that I want to make a point of spending some quality time with Carmella. When I came into the kitchen tonight she did something really cute I've never seen her do before. I wish I had been able to get a picture of it but she only stayed that way for about 2-3 seconds. She stood up on her haunches in that "beg" position that some dogs do and balanced. If I can teach her to do that on command it will be so cool! I sure hope her back legs hold on and that the jerking or incoordination won't prevent her from doing things like that. She is so intelligent! I bet I could teach her to do lots of neat tricks! I'm working on getting her to stay currently. She gets so hyped up that she doesn't always listen and will get up and walk away or come towards me before she's supposed to, but she is getting the concept.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

Beauty and the Bead

Exceptional Lampwork bracelet - $60.00
Measures 7 ½” without the clasp. The bracelet includes one sterling silver prayer charm and another sterling charm with kanji on it.

Judy Richards of Cat’s Paw Artifacts is a lampworker and she also does bead-weaving and incorporates her own handcrafted beads into her jewelry. She belongs to the Portland (Oregon) Bead Society, and the International Society of Glass Beadmakers.

Probably one of her best figurative pieces yet, the shape of the horse bead above reminds me of the elegant prancing glass horse in the movie the Glass Menagerie. In addition to its flowing and regal movement, it is also a glowing transparent amber color! This will make an impressive focal piece for a necklace.

Lampwork horse Pendant- $20.00
38 by 38 mm - stands up on its own, but made to hang as a pendant with Swarovski crystals. Carefully kiln annealed.

This bracelet filled with dotty, textured lampwork beads looks like the supple segments of a caterpillar with its variations on a theme transitioning from bead to bead while the composition works together as a cohesive unit.

Below is a tribal design using a variety of materials and combining stamping, beadwork, lampwork, and PMC to create a very rich but earthy feeling. The disk is quite substantial and contrasts well against the blue-green and the brown of the stones.

Mayan Look Pendant with Jasper necklace - $40.00
This necklace has a 19 inch strand with Jasper, Turquoise, and a smaller lampwork bead with precious metal clay (fine silver) detail.

I have always been partial to Ocean Jasper and this necklace combines that with a lovely circular peyote stitch cord, bead-woven setting, and bail; a lovely combination of texture, color, and techniques. I know from experience just how long it takes to create a tube of mesh this length. You are getting quite a bargain at this price!

Ocean Jasper Cabochon Bead-woven Necklace - $65.00
21 inch bead-woven rope with a lovely bead encased ocean jasper cabochon.

If you will be in the Portland area don’t miss the STUDIO SALE at the artist’s homeDecember 8 - 2 to 5 p.m. Please convo her on Etsy for directions and her address, or you can also call 503-621-4942. There will be refreshments. (Let her know if you saw her feature in one of these 90 Day Challenge blog posts).

To see what else this artist has available online keep an eye glued to her shop:
http://catldy99.etsy.com

To learn more about her and what she’s doing, read her blog:

http://www.catldy99.wordpress.com

It's All in the Details

Rilo the Fox Fine Silver Necklace - $85.00
Signed and dated on reverse with the Artist's signature and year 07, comes on an 18” chain.
Comes carefully packaged with a certificate of authenticity. Stones include Rose Quartz, freshwater pearl, and Aventurine.

Alternate Bliss Boutique is owned by a mixed media artist who lives in Utah who makes original art including Watercolor Art, ACEO's, Art Prints, and hand made Fine/Sterling Silver Jewelry with gemstone beads. Her work shows intricate detail in all her mediums. Notice the fur carved into the fox, and the numbers on the clock of the rabbit charm, for instance.

I really like the fine silver pieces with animals she makes such as the fox Rilo (shown at top), and the necklace below with a handmade charm of the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. The sculptural bas relief look is quite flattering and gives the piece expression.


White Rabbit Alice in Wonderland Fine Silver Necklace - $130.00
Rabbit in fine silver accompanied by a dark pink tourmaline gem (representing the Queen of Hearts) and a freshwater pearl (representing the color of the rabbit).
Pendant measures 1 inch in width from edge of heart to edge of clock: 3/4 inch16 inch sterling silver chain (if you would prefer 17, 18, 19 or 20 inch chain at no additional cost; please state in your note to seller).

If you want something really individualized for yourself or to give as a present, she can make you a custom charm necklace with any 3 initials.

You Choose Custom Initial Charm Necklace - $35.00
Your three initials stamped into fine silver, similar to necklace shown with a light peach tourmaline gem stone, a new jade stone, and a fine silver heart charm (or star if you prefer).
Includes a 17” sterling silver chain. Charms hang approx. 1 inch (Initial Charm approx 1/2 inch circular in shape).

In addition to these pieces, she also has a lot of Japanese inspired watercolor paintings and ACEOs.

This one below is beautiful, with little bubbles that seem to resist the pink paint.

Pink Jellies Original Watercolor and Ink Pink and Black Jelly Fish - $30.00
Watercolor and ink, painted on professional illustration board.
Actual Image measure 3 1/2 inches tall by 6 1/2 inches wide. Image has a 1/2 inch white boarder. Frame and Matt not included.

See her Etsy store for even more great gift items:
http://alternatebliss.etsy.com
and her blog, to learn more about the artist:
http://www.alternatebliss.blogspot.com

Divinely Guided

Shown above are a Rainbow Obsidian, and a watermelon Tourmaline cabochon wire-wrapped in sterling silver and gold-filled wire.

Beth Alexander of Cryztalvisions specializes in unique and hard to find gemstones and crystals. She works with sterling and fine silver and 14/20 Gold-filled wire for the rich look you
get from solid gold, but at an affordable price.

Fire Agate

Azurite and Malachite

Growing up, she was strongly influenced by a whole extended family of artists, and by teachers who encouraged and nurtured her natural talent in the arts, and taught her about geology, gemstones, and crystals.

Landscape Agate

Her father was an accomplished artist and craftsman who taught art in the public school system for many years.

Boulder Opal, and Carnelian

She is excited to learn new jewelry-making techniques all the time, and more recently has been learning about as well as implementing various healing energy arts such as Reiki, chakra balancing, Earth-based energy medicine, shamanic practices, and Angel Therapy.

Amethyst Druzy

Finding that she is spiritually perceptive, she melds this element of herself with her passion for gemstones, experience, and skill in crafting the items of jewelry that will be special conduits for good.

Chiastolite- Notice the naturally-existing cross in the center of the stone!

Beth loves nothing more than to be exhilarated by the creative process and is awed by how pieces seem to design themselves. She reports that each piece has its own unique energy that she can feel while she is creating it. (It is uncanny as I read about her kinship with and her way of understanding the essence of these pieces, just how similar my thinking is to hers! Very rarely have I run across anyone whose process I resonated with to such a degree. It feels as though I am looking into a mirror, but the mirror is looking back and seeing too! The Divine message ultimately is interconnectedness, which is the source core message of all that is channeled through me as well). On her other website she talks about Talismans and Amulets and the cultural transmission of the belief through the ages that such objects hold powers that cannot be fully explained (nor explained away), nor understood by the usual earthly means.

It is very possible that man’s fascination with adornment is not merely a form of anthropomorphism, a type of projection of our own inner psychological processes onto inanimate objects, as critics suggest, but instead, a real glimpse into another level of communication with energies we have yet to fully comprehend. Can I prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt? No, but it bears some looking into, having survived the test of time persisting on in an age of advanced science and technology.

As I was looking at Beth’s other website I saw a lot more wire-wrapped pieces than I noticed on Etsy. That seems to be her specialty, and she really has some impressive ones, some that have already sold (all the more reason for you to place a custom order), and others still available. Many have handmade bails bursting with curls of square wire that look like the curled ribbons on a wrapped present. The precision of the wire-wrapping on some of these is near perfect.

Rainbow Moonstone

This Swirling Ocean Jasper Pendant is on Etsy and it’s beautiful! Ocean Jasper has always been one of my favorite of all the opaque stones. I love the freeform diamond shape of this cab!

This piece, a flat circular donut-shaped textured piece made of pmc is called, Circle of Life. It has lines that have been filled with patina, creating nice definition in the pattern.

Shown below is a lovely piece using pmc and Labradorite squares (another of my favorite stones).

Check out her Etsy store at:
http://cryztalvisions.etsy.com

Also, see her other website at:
http://www.CryZtalvisions.com

and her blog:
http://cryztalvisions.typepad.com/

Dream-weaver

Impressive and intricate are the words that come to mind when looking at the works of jewelry artist and author Linda Chandler. Her style is reminiscent of ancient Egyptian adornment, much of it, museum-quality with its fine detail, high karat gold, sterling and fine silver, with some pieces encrusted with jewels.

Linda has been making jewelry for over 20 years and has studied at Arrowmount, the Midwest Federation, Metalsmithing Society in Illinois, the Gemological Institute (GIA), Indianapolis Art Center, The William Holland School of Lapidary Arts and, has taught and taken classes at (SFMS) Wildacres Retreat in North Carolina.

She has taught classes both locally and nationally in a variety of jewelry-making techniques, including wire-wrapping and weaving, metalsmithing, and glass fusing. Linda is certified as a PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and Art Clay teacher.

She has developed and refined a number of original wire-weaving techniques of which she sells tutorials on her free-standing website, which is also where you can see much of her best work. She also has an online store on Etsy.

Her work appears in several publications, including The Wire Artist Jeweller Magazine, in which she was the featured artist of the month (November, 1999). Her work has also been included in the published book, All Wire Up by Mark Lareau. Linda co-authored books Woven Wire Jewelry and Getting Started Making Jewelry, and created the jewelry used for display and instruction. She also holds a degree in computer graphics.

As we speak, the artist is currently teaching Intermediate to Advanced Metalsmithing at William Holland (in October 2007).

In 2008 Linda will be publishing her third book on wire jewelry through Interweave Press which will include approximately 10 beginning to intermediate projects; bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and a pendant, made with silver and gold-filled wire, some with a variety of findings and semi-precious gemstones.

Linda also belongs to The Art Jewelry Collective.

To purchase exquisite hand-woven wire and fabricated jewelry, check out both of her online stores at:
http://lchandler.etsy.com/
http://jewelrybylinda.com/index.html
and to learn more about the artist, see her blog below:
http://lchandler.blogspot.com/