Bungee Jumping OOPS!

No, not me silly,( I have and will hang glide in a heartbeat but i'm not jumping off of anything!) but my laptop. I guess it was a little bored just hanging out on it's shelf, so it decided to take a plunge. The problem was the cord was just a wee bit too long....... and it couldn't snap back up to the safety of the shelf...so..... Yes, it crashed. I spent 3 hours on the phone with a really nice computer tech person in India and finally got it running again. I am very thankful for warranty service.
Now that we ( the laptop and I) are back to normal, I can send a big THANK YOU to Campbell Jane. She featured my black and white daisy earrings on her blog. Woo Hoo! I haven't been featured before. Check out her blog when you get a chance. Everything there is black and white. It is so cool.
She has a picture posted there in black and white of some gorgeous African Daisy blossoms, that is pretty it will make your eyes hurt to look at it.

On the gardening front, I have had some seedlings emerge in my little baggies of plumeria and daylilies. I love growing anything from seed. I will have to set a clock and work early in the mornings to get them transplanted. This evening it was still
92 F at 8pm. I sure can't take The heat like I used to.
In the studio, I finally found the pictures I had taken of my most recent pieces. They were taken with my phone so I didn't have them downloaded.

I think I will use my real camera tomorrow and take some more photos.
This is my first attempt at chain maille. I was instantly addicted. I just need more jumprings and a lesson in aspect ratio.


I also used some sea shells I picked up from the beach to just make some fun things.
I would like to use more shells in my work, I just need to stop procrastinating and go work up these ideas I keep seeing in my mind.
Next project.... Transplant those seedlings and fill the aeropropagator.

Happy Gardening!
No! don't jump

C'mon, let's get planting!

Thoughtful Thursday

Look at everything as though you were seeing it
either for the first or last time.
Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.
Betty Smith

Today's Surprises

I awoke this morning to the sounds of a wonderful thunderstorm, broken only by the whines and howls of a terrified Dachshund and a quivering mutt. I love the rain and the storms it's a shame the dogs don't share my passion for it though. If I can see it rain on the beach it is even better. After the rain though is the best time of all. The sun has returned, you may see a rainbow and everything looks so green and clean. I am certainly a sucker for it. Anyway after the rain today I found a surprise in the garden. A pretty little Zebrina Hollyhock
blooming it's heart out. There were 2 day lilies blooming today as well, but I didn't get pictures taken of those. One was a pretty little lily called "Red Rum" and the other a Stella D' Oro.
A rainbow is also a wonderful surprise anytime you see it. They are just so beautiful.

I hope your Monday was a surprise packed as My Monday has been.

How Do you Doodle?

Lately I have been looking for and reading about ways to spark my creativity. I stumbled on Zendoodling this past week and I have had such fun. I read about drawing with my nondominant hand, which was kind of a joke because well let's face it, that hand really only holds my wedding band and keeps me from being lopsided. I decided though that I would try it. Just to see what came out.
So I closed my eyes, and using my nondominant hand I drew with a pencil until I counted to about 15 or 20. Then I opened my eyes and began filling it in with my other hand and I was amazed to see the patterns that were developing.


I guess the amazing part is that I have never really drawn or sketched and before I started seeing these patterns developing, I couldn't make a stick figure look "normal". The best part is that I am seeing lines and colors in a different way and now I can see new designs for some jewelry pieces.

Next time you feel as if you need to jumpstart your creativity, check into doodling. It is almost like meditating and you don't really have to focus or concentrate on the doodle, you can concentrate on other things and then just be surprised at what you drew ( almost subconsiously) while your mind was elsewhere.
I think you will enjoy it too. You can doodle anytime and anywhere, all you need is a pencil or pen and blank paper. Try it and let me know how it works for you.

Look What I found!

Hey, while I was procrastinating this morning delaying things that really need to be done outside, I thought I would check into my favorite artist's shops and take a look around to see what is new.
I found some of the cutest fun things.
Check this out. These little garden buddies by Campbell Jane are just so adorable. They make me giggle when I look at them. I think I need 1 of each.

Then I looked around a little more and found these hanging fairy houses! What fun! who couldn't find a spot to offer a house to a fairy in need of a little TLC?
I continued to "shop" around and I found these "pot heads". I just fell in love with these. I think they would be guaranteed to inspire a smile whenever you come across them "chillin' out" in a shady flowerbed.I really need to quit shopping and go get some work done, but this is much more fun and as much as I love having fun, heaven help me there's work to be done.

Have a fun day!

The Times, " They are a'changin'!

It is often said that the only constant in life is change and most of us resist it most of the time.

School is almost out for the summer, Bible study has ended for this year and most of all the times of routines and schedules are coming to an end.

Come on Summer! it's that magical time of year that almost every school kid and tired parent look forward to with almost as much anticipation as a snowy Christmas morning. This summer, there will be road trips taken to strange sounding places, driver's permits to earn and time to work uninterrupted ( yeah right!) time to work on countless projects that have been added to the to do list.

The aviary is in the process of being converted into a greenhouse and this little blog is in the process of becoming more focused on my gardening and photographic pursuits. After all, what is a better model for a photographer than a flower who doesn't get tired, complain, or hide from the flash and besides this justifies getting my hands dirty right?. Who can resist that?

I am planning to update more often too ( now that I have "free " time) and even add some results from some of my more successful experiments ( oops, maybe that should be experiences) in plant propagation and hybridizing.

Are you ready for a treat? This little picture is of a native azalea along side the road on our last excursion through the county back roads. A print will be offered in my etsy shop as well.

Stay tuned, there is more to come soon.

I finally got a "Roun'toit"...

Do you remember being on vacation and stopping in one of the normal touristy type stores and seeing a "rountoit"? Basically It was just a circle of wood with the words " round to it" painted on it. It was simply a reminder to stop procrastinating and get around to doing whatever your project may be. Well, someone must have wished me one because I finally got "around" to photographing some of the jewelry pieces I have been making and decided to share. I am still learning a lot about metals and design, but so far I have only made a few things I didn't like and needless to say, you won't see those. I truly thought I had made more, but tonight as I was photographing my pieces, I realized I must have dreamed it because I didn't have as many as I thought.
Anyway, I have learned some forging, some wire weaving, some beading and some wire wrapping. These two peices are my attempts at forging.

This pair combines hemimorphite stones with some tiny seed pearls. They are surprisingly comfortable too. I love the aqua color of the stones mixed with the copper.

This bracelet I forged from brass wire. I was using it to practice with and I think I like using it as well as copper. The brass is a little stiffer and just seems to hold it's shape better than the soft copper.

The next 2 pieces are green onyx that I made a woven Bezel for. I was really happy with it, because I haven't ever woven a bezel before now.

I love these open circles with the weaving between the frames too.

These are pebbles I picked up off of the beach. I love rocks and I have loved picking up these little pebbles for as long as I can remember. I have wrapped them as pendants, which is strange because I don't wear any necklaces but I think they are just too big for earrings.

Wire filigree caught my eye and I had to just try it. This is my attempt. I believe next time I will use a smaller guage for the filigree than I used for the frames.

Freshwater pearls are hard to beat. I wrapped these coin pearls to a hand forged teardrop frame and put some 1/2 ear wires on them. They are incredibly comfortable and fun to wear.

I will post more later on, I am just getting started and I am trying out some new designs too. I have so much to learn, but right now my hands are sore and I need a little break.

Maybe next I will design something with crystals or faceted gemstones.