End of August already?

Wow, I can't believe August is almost over.  I participated in Art in the Redwoods last weekend.  Freezing weather one day and warm sunshine the next.  Now I am getting ready to show my jewelry in a 2 weekend Studio Discovery Tour.  If you don't know what that is we have 43 artists on the northern coast of California that will open their studio's for Labor day weekend and the weekend after.  I have another jeweler showing at my studio.  We have decided to have a reception with a 15% discount this Friday night.  I know I will literally be falling off my feet after four days but I say if you are going to do it go all in!  My niece, Kristen Irons Photography who is starting her photography business made postcards for Walt and I as "Fire & Ice" (see above).  Walt works in gold and silver and stones and I work in fused glass and some lampwork. I had my earring cards and price tags custom made and they look like starfish, which is my logo.  They look so cool.
We went to a memorial last week for a friend that just died.  Usually they are very depressing but this one was very joyful.  His sons who are in the Marines and the Army both were there and we got to reconnect with so many friends that we haven't seen since we moved away 11 years ago.  Very nice in a not so nice situation.
I'll let you know how it goes this weekend.

Blog Carnival

Something happened to my blog this morning so hopefully it's fixed now:)

 Blog Carnival 2010 Stringing Magazine

Welcome to the Stringing Magazine 2010 Fall issue carnival blog!  By visiting my blog and posting a comment (while your at it consider becoming a follower), and then visiting the blogs of the other 24 Stringing designers and leaving a comment, you will be entered in a contest to win several beading goodies!  The giveaway will close on August 23rd and the winners will be announced on the 24th.
I've posted links to all 24 designer's below as well as the prizes.  So send this link to all your friends and maybe you will find some inspiration of your own.

Queen of the Nile

 I love all kind of beads, small, large, round, square, triangle you name it.  I love every color of bead whether it be yellow, blue, green, gray or any combination thereof.  I love sparkles, wood grain, clay, metals or just about anything beads findings or finished pieces are made of.  I admit I am a bead-a-holic!  So when I saw these turquoise beads I just had to have them even though I hadn't a clue what I was going to use them for.
I loved the rust colored grain of them as well as they were not perfect beads.  They had chunks missing from them but they had the most beautiful warm color.  They reminded me of ancient times.  Well about a year goes by and I kind of forgot about the beads by this time, until I was wondering through Michaels and saw this tassel.  I instantly thought of the turquoise beads.
 I went home and got those beads right out and started designing this necklace.  The beads are very heavy so I knew I wouldn't be using the whole strand unless you wanted to be bent over double while wearing it!  I decided to use two strands of wire and a two hole clasp.

I have seed bead mixes because I love that you get a mix of colors and beads and I also had a strand of soft colored gold brass beads that also fit into the "looking old" category.  Well I have loved the way this necklace turned out and that is when I decided to submit it to Stringing for the fall issue.  You can see how to make it and where to find the components in the Fall Issue of Stringing magazine which is on sale today August 17th, 2010.
By the way you can see more of my work at my website: www.simplyseablimejewelry.com.

 
Please leave a comment and then check out the rest of the designers and leave a comment with them also.  I hope you win a prize but even if you don't I think you will enjoy reading their blog to find out their inspiration for the project.
First the prizes
1) Copy of Fall 2010 Stringing Magazine
2) Handmade Porcelain Pendant  and coordinating beads by Gaea
3) Small filigree, gemstones and other findings from Rings & Things

Now the other designers:

Kristy Abner

Kelly Angeley

Ruby Bayan

Carrie Beckwith

Melanie Brooks

Gaea Cannaday

Lorelei Eurto

Amy Haftkowycz

Beth Hemmila

Tari Kahrs

Stephanie LaRosa

Michelle Mach

Denise Yezbak Moore

Kelly Morgan

Sharon Palac

Anne Perry

Lisa Petrillo

Erin Prais-Hintz

Erin Strother

Heather Trudeau

Jennifer Judd Velasquez

Jennifer Zeiger

Another day at the kiln

This is a piece I made earlier that my nephews new wife wanted, so she took it home from her visit hear.  My nephew came home from Iraq and he is now out of the service.  This was the first time we met his wife because they were living in Georgia until he got out.  We had a wonderful visit with them and earlier in the week his brother and his family was all here.  My other nephew also just returned from Iraq and is staioned in Alaska so we had never seen his youngest two sons.  We had a great time with them but they only stayed one day.  Anyway I did manage to get a load cut and into the kiln.  I have only four days left before the big Art in the Redwoods show this weekend at Gualala Art Center.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the big reveal!!! Come back to my blog and see some fun things.....
Marianne

Oh what a day

Wow am I exhausted!  I spent all day yesterday and today taking pictures of all my fused glass pendants.  I have my website almost completed. Tomorrow I will spend about 3 hours changing all the font colors and making sure of all the names and spelling etc. I love naming all the pieces but then measuring them and writing all the descriptions takes so much time. Then trying to get really good pictures which is so hard with dichroic glass.  I haven't had anytime creating the glass this week which I will do with part of my day tomorrow.  I have a booth at the annual Art in the Redwoods this coming weekend so I have to have at least 100 pieces available.  I am currently showing and selling my work at Violet's, downtown Gualala, CA (39000 South Highway One) and at the Timber Cove Lodge in Timber Cove, CA until September 18th.  Also if you get to Elk, California I am one of the artists at the Artists Collective Gallery. Stay tuned tomorrow when I announce my website!

Exciting day in Elk, Ca

Yesterday I was in Elk, CA at the Artists' Cooperative Gallery, where I have some of my jewelry.  I was taking pictures for my website and a man came in to the gallery and was looking for dichroic jewelry.  He bought 3 pendants and he wanted to see about different ways of hanging them.  We spent about an hour and I am customizing the fit for him before I send them to him.  Well it turns out he loves dichroic pendants and he is an entertainer that has played at Carnegie Hall and with Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra and a whole bunch of other people.  He had his daughter with him.  Anyway when I send him his pieces I am going to add another one just as a thank you gift.  So much fun.  I was surprised that a man would want the pendants but it just goes to show you that you never know what might be an offshoot market.  They looked fabulous on him. 
I am busy working on my website and will have it up this weekend.  I have exciting news coming on the 17th so tune in for a fun "Carnival" on my blog.
Marianne

My first post to my new blog

Well today I have finally started my new blog.  I am hoping that I will have many followers after I start posting about making my jewelry.  I have been very busy recently and I am also trying to get my website working www.simplyseablimejewelry.com. Please take a look at my site after the 15th of August when I will have it all up and running.
Marianne