Hot Off the Bench

Here are the latest creations from my studio. I was really hoping to get more done since we had the long weekend, but there were so many other things going on. And then there was our attempt at a Sunday morning ride...more about that in another post. All of these items are currently available in my Etsy shop. I really like working with copper and am hoping to try my hand at cold connections and riveting this week. I've been putting it off a little though because I prefer to oxidize the copper instead of leaving it in it's natural state. When I was making the hammered disk bracelet, I opened my jar of liver of sulfur and it was bad...all dried up. Luckily, I was able to get just enough out of it to complete this bracelet. This is the second time the chunk form has dried up on me before I was able to use it all. I've ordered a new product from Cool Tools...a gel form of liver of sulfur that's supposed to have a really long shelf life. Once I've had the chance to try it out, I'll post about it. I've had these large round peach quartz beads forever, and couldn't come up with a design for them...until I bought the brass leaf beadcaps...then...bingo...it all came together! Funny how that happens. I have beads I bought years ago that still haven't found there way into a project, but their day is coming. Not the case with tiger's eye though. I love the way tiger's eye looks with sterling silver. I've also taken a liking to the peanut shaped beads. When I first saw them at a bead show, I passed on them thinking, "what in the heck am I going to do with a bead shaped like that"! Well, when you nestle a bunch of them together, they make for a pretty neat design. I'd really like to keep this one for myself, as I wear a lot of brown, but I promised Dave I would stop with the "one for me, one for the shop" thing I had going on for a while! I'm quite a bit behind in posting supplies in my shop, but here's one strand that will be posted before the night's over. I found these lampwork beads in several different shapes and colors at a bead show. I only bought a few strands, and was kicking myself for it later. Then I realized the vendor I bought them from has a store in northern Florida, so on a recent trip to my sister's, I wandered into town to visit the bead store...and bought every strand they had!!! Of course, Dave's reaction was "Do you really need more beads"?! Luckily, he understands my bead addiction and will be happy to see I've listed two of the strands (the other is a strand of aqua colored rectangles).

What I've Been Doing This Week

I'm on vacation from my full-time job this week and have been getting a lot of things done. Monday was a doctor's appointment. Three of the six spots I had biopsied in May came back as skin cancer (all basal cell carcinoma...not melanoma thankfully), so I had to have them removed. I'm also thankful that this time I didn't have any on my face. I've really been making more of an effort to wear sunscreen (SPF 70) if I'm going to be out in the sun for any length of time, especially since these were numbers nine, ten and eleven to be removed. Unfortunately, this is all damage from years past. Funny thing is, I was never a sun worshipper, grew up in New York, and can never remember anyone ever saying, "Hey...nice tan"! I guess it's just the harsh South Florida sun, and the fact that I'm fair skinned and have light hair.

Tuesday I ran several errands...nothing really exciting, just stuff that needed to be done.

Wednesday was spent in my studio (sounds so fancy...really it's just the spare bedroom where all of my beading stuff is!). It was in major need of some attention. I had to reorganize my beads...make room for some new ones, which now requires shuffling of supplies since I'm trying to keep them organized by color. Sorted through some other strands that I'm going to be listing for sale either on Etsy or Artfire and just some general straightening up of the place. I did manage to make a pair of earrings!

Today, I'm painting the hallway bathroom. I actually don't mind painting...it's the taping off of everything that I can't stand! Dave and I seem to take the longest time to decorate, but once we get started we really seem to get on a roll. We've been in our current home almost 7 years, and all of the walls are still white!!! For me, the hardest part is picking out colors. I tend to be very neutral in my color choices...including my wardrobe and my cars (my last 4 vehicles have all been silver!). But we finally decided on a color for the bathroom, and while picking up that paint, we made a decision on the two colors for the greatroom and the kitchen. All of the walls have rounded corners and the rooms are really like one big open space so I thought it was going to be very difficult. However, we found some really nice rustic, westerny colors. Not sure when I'm actually going to start that project yet...want to get through the bathrooms first!!! I have about another hour before I can start the second coat. I'm also going to try to get all of the trim in the main room painted today. Not sure that I'll be able to finish it all, but there's still tomorrow. I was actually hoping to get some yardwork done tomorrow morning, so I'll have to see how this all works out. It's just been so darn hot lately that any outside activities have to be done by 10:00am or it's sweltering! I was complaining to Dave about the heat yesterday, and asked him to remind me of that when it gets to be 40 degrees (which normally only happens about 5-7 times a year)!

A Weekend Full of Bead Shows

I attended two bead shows this weekend (insert groans from Dave!). Saturday I went to the Down the Street Beadshow in Palm Beach. They had a nice selection of vendors, but I made all my purchases from just two. Today I attended an invitation only show which had an incredible selection of semiprecious stones, many of which I've never seen before. I set a budget for both days and had to exercise a lot of control to stick to it, but I was successful. I always scout the entire show before making any selections. I'm very happy with my purchases. Now the big question is, do I resell them, or incorporate them into my own designs?! I did purchase multiples of each strand, so I should be able to do both (one for me...one for you).

Dave was a real trooper today and went to the invitation only show with me. It was about a 45 minute drive from the house so it was nice to have the company. Dave and I always have the best conversations while driving. I do need to clarify, though. He actually dropped me off at the show, went to the motorcycle shop around the corner and then came into the show when he was ready for lunch! His timing was perfect though as I only needed about another 15 minutes to make my final selections. While he doesn't always understand my need to buy more beads since I already have bins, boxes and bags full of beads all over the studio, he totally supports me and wants me to be successful.

Next year I would love to attend the Tucscon show. I'm trying to figure out how I can make a vacation out of it so it's more practical of a trip. I need to do some research on the area. I'm sure if I can find somewhere reasonably close to go 4-wheeling either in a Jeep of on ATV's, I can convince Dave to go. Only problem is, it may still be a little cool at the time of the year. I guess I better start my research now!!!

Forming a Habit - An Exercise Habit

You know how you hear people say they battle their weight or are a yo-yo dieter? Well, I battle my mind...I am a yo-yo exerciser! I will go through periods that last months where I workout regularly and really feel healthy (for me it's not about weight...it's about how healthy I feel). Then out of nowhere, I just stop and get back into a bad cycle of making excuses not to work out. I could be on my way home from work, and have myself all psyched up about having time to squeeze in a workout, but somehow, by the time I walk in the door, I've talked myself out of it! Why do I do that?! That may be a question I never answer.

In any case, today is a new day and the start of a new habit. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, whether it be good or bad. So, I got up at 7:00am (anyone who knows me is well aware that is early for me on the weekend!) and went to my workout room. I manged to get through 30 minutes of weight training and 40 minutes on the treadmill. I have to remember to download some more songs with good, fast beats to my iPod...good music always motivates me!

I'm hoping that blogging about it will keep me a little more committed. Hopefully others that read my blog will share their comments and tips for staying motivated!

That's all for now. I'm off to the local bead shop to buy some new tools. I'm venturing into the world of soldering and fusing. Normally I would order online because the prices are usually much better, but I'm so excited I can't wait for the items to be shipped. I need instant gratification! Fellow jewelry artisans will completely understand this!