Friday, January 30, 2009

Ah Bummer!

I am feeling particularly restless on this fine evening. I had my tacos, my beer, my evening walk, and I still can't calm down. I want to work, but I don't want to clean my table off. I want to sleep too, but I just can't get comfortable. Therefore, I just don't know what to do with myself. Ciaran is asleep, Mark went out to run errands, and our 3 minus 1 cats are snoozing on the couch with no intention of getting up and keeping me company. The tortoises could care less about my dilemma, they both have full tummys and a nice rock to bask on. So I guess I will just keep watching useless t.v. and staring at my work table hoping it will clean itself.

Back To Real Life?


I hope so anyways. This week has been hard. We have been through a death, a funeral, my first years worth of taxes, a traumatic Dr.'s appointment for Mr. Ciaran (and his mom), and my stomach is still in knots. I have been on the verge of puking the entire week. For a week that started out so fantastic, with Ciaran's 2nd Birthday, it kind of went down the crapper Tuesday morning. I did manage to get some other things done during my dying kitty vigil. A new wallet design and a few other pieces that I needed to get finished up. I am glad it's all over and look forward to our dinner with Grammy and Grampy tomorrow. Steak and more cake! The only way to go. This time gooey chocolate cake with lots of fudgy frosting and perhaps some coconut on top!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

She's Gone

Miss Humbug Beazus passed away early this morning. I am sad but relieved for her. No creature should ever have to suffer. I am sure she is off to bigger and better things now.

Thanks for being my best friend little Bea. I am the luckiest person for getting to have you in my life for 14 and a half years. You were truly an amazing little critter. YOU ROCK!!!! and we love you!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Wednesday, Blah-day!


At least my taxes are finally done! Fifth try now. Forgot a whole craft show there and had to go back and refigure.............again. It feels good to be done. Now it's on to pencil cases and a new wallet design. I am quietly playing with designs while keeping vigil over our dear Humbug Beazus who is on her very last leg. She has stopped eating and drinking, and barely seems to recognize we are here. She is peacefully dozing at the moment so I am taking time to catch up on my blog and other computer and shop stuff while she sleeps. I try to keep her close when she is awake. She just wants to sit and cuddle, not much else. I wish her peace and I keep telling her that I am sure her next journey will be wonderful and without pain. I am certain she will be leaving anytime now.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

CAKE!!!!

We had lots of cake last night! Now I want more!!!! Ciaran and I shared a little golden baby cake decorated with lots of vanilla frosting with orange sprinkles and a farmhouse on top. It was yummy! We had some sweet cream ice cream to go with it, that was super yummy too. Our two year birthday celebration was very nice with Grammy and Grampy and dessert before dinner. That is the only way to celebrate. But now, all I can think about are little golden baby cakes decorated in lots of vanilla frosting and sprinkles. This spinach salad just isn't cuttin' it.

Monday, January 26, 2009

He's Two!


and growing like a weed! Little Ciaran turns two today! So today I am completely devoted to birthday fun. Our day will consist of lots of laughing and playing, then downtown to meet up with dad for a special present and ice cream.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Up At The Butt Crack Of Dawn

I don't know what to do with myself. I can't go back to bed because the little one is awake now and thinks it's play time. I am also hungry but not enough to get up and make something to eat. I am eager to get working so I can get a few things listed in my shops today and tomorrow, but it is still dark out and I can't see what I am doing. I want coffee but not enough to get out from under this blanket and off this comfy chair to make it. There is absolutely nothing worth watching on the television, there rarely is no matter what time of day. Ciaran just wants to hang out on the couch with his trucks and planes without being interrupted. None of the cats want to cuddle, they just want food. I guess I just get to sit and watch the rain come down until the sun comes up, or I think of something better to do.

Friday, January 23, 2009

I Got Tagged!

My newest little creations for my Etsy shop. I was inspired by my last piece of bright fuschia suede and had to make something special. Then when it was done, I wanted to try it out in a different tone. I think I like both, and I will be definitely making more!


I got tagged............again! I have to give my thanks to Athena's desk for tagging me. Now you will be forced to hear seven more random facts about my weirdness. You may be entertained, you may be disgusted. I apologize in advance for anything offensive.

1. I am an insomniac. I only learned to sleep again after Ciaran was born and I was a worn out new mommy. Now that he is going on two, my insomniac ways are coming back, I am back to crummy t.v. shows and late night snacks..........OH BOTHER!

2. A large portion of my hair fell out after my son was born and grew back in curly. I don't get it, but I am not complaining either.

3. I am a glass bead and pendant fanatic! I think I have a problem, I just keep buying beautiful lamp work beads.......I can't stop........someone help!!!

4. I love wool sweaters. I have more sweaters than anything else in my closet and I can never get rid of any until they fall apart. I wear all of them too! Good thing I live in a mild climate where you can get away with wearing sweaters at any time of year.

5. I hate painting my fingernails, I love to paint my toenails but my fingernails always get messed up.

6. When I was two, I fell off of a wall onto my head. I fractured my skull and was in the hospital for a week. I still have memories of my hospital stay.

7. I love birds. When I was a kid we had chickens and geese. I would chase the hens around the yard and just so I could pick them up and cuddle them. I love the little chicken noises they make.

I don't think I will be tagging anyone for the moment. I think I am all tagged out for now! Not that I don't want to hear other random facts about you all here or anything, it truly is fun to read them, I just can't right now. Sorry:(

Thursday, January 22, 2009

And Then I Fell Off Of The Face Of The Earth

That is how I feel today. I am doing a few things that seem to be sucking up all my time this week, so I am just sending along a little note to let you all know. Hopefully all will be back to normal by the weekend. I got tagged......again! so my next post will be my seven random things:) See you soon:)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

New Photos of an Old Friend


I have decided this year is my year to play around with the photos of my pieces. To learn a little bit more about photographing jewelry in particular, so I started today. I just decided to play around with a piece that I have had in my Etsy shop forever. I love this piece, but the first photos I took of it looked really washed out. So today, I laid it out on the remnants of an old bridesmaid dress and took a few shots for fun. Still not the greatest, but I am having a good time. I have been spending a lot of time this weekend looking at other shops and how they all photograph their pieces. All in an effort to give me some ideas on what I need to do to improve.

All this jewelry stuff is making me anxious to work though. I am trying so hard not to do anything with jewelry, ornaments, or masks until the end of February. My wrist and hand are slowly getting better, but I want to make sure before I venture into the world of metal work again. I will just look at my crowded and messy workbench longingly until then. I am not even going to touch the mess because I know I won't be able to resist working on some little project, or starting a new one. I miss you silver, copper, pretty stones and all. I will be seeing you soon.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

How Many Sips Does it Take......

To wake up enough to start the day? My coffee isn't cutting it this morning. I am trying to get motivated but I keep finding myself staring off into space with one eye only partially opened. Not that I have tons to do, but enough that I should be working right now. Ciaran has no problem waking up, I wish I could just suck up a little of his energy and go with it!

I am excited about my day though. The expectation of some bright green leather in the mail, and a few little projects to sew. Oddly enough, I am actually really excited about doing a little closet organization. I am in the process of getting rid of some of my work clothes that I haven't worn in what seem a bazillion years. It will be nice to say goodbye to my old peanut butter and booger encrusted, bleach stained wardrobe. I can't see where my lovely outfits of this nature would work for me. I am NOT going to be looking out that way for more employment. Even if I do end up having to go back into working out of the home, I doubt anyone really notices that stuff (especially around here), but I do. Since I have given up my interest of working in the childcare field, I think full closure would be to give up the wardrobe. It will be nice to be free! (Although partially naked and free, because my old outfits are the only things that fit right now:)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

New Bookmarks





So I finally got a couple of new bookmarks made up for my Etsy shop. I think I will make more too! They are super fun to make. I hope these two find good homes.

The orange bookmark is in the color combination that I wrote about yesterday. I find it to be super yummy right now. I still want to cover my walls in bright orange, pink, and blue and just sit on the floor and stare into it. I don't think that is something the guys would like to spend their time doing though. They just aren't into the whole color thing like I am. Ciaran would probably just ignore it, and Mark would make that face that he does when he smells something off. I would rather not deal with that face and the conversation that goes along with it, so I will just create bookmarks, wallets, etc. in my crazy color scheme and just stare at those instead.

Monday, January 12, 2009

The newest little wallet! I have quite a few of these to put together, so you will be seeing this and many others in my shop over the next couple of weeks.

Now, If I could only get the room to stop spinning for a couple of minutes, I could get back to work. My little tummy can't take it. I don't know what I did, but I am a bit dizzy. Oooh, I hate when my head gets swimmy! Though it should make for some lovely new applique designs. In fact, I think I created a whole fascinating world in bright orange, metallic blue, and fuchsia this morning. I might just paint my whole house in these colors and just lie on the floor and take it all in! It would probably make me even more sick than I feel already though. I just love when I hit a good color combination, I just love it so much I want to eat it! I guess I will just have to settle on making a few wallets, bookmarks, etc. instead. I don't think eating pieces of colorful leather is going to help my stomach or my head at all. Bummer.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Foxes Were A No Show

Little stinkers never showed up last night. I was so looking forward to getting a couple of pictures of them to post, but they never came by. They must have had other plans. Apparently there are no longer just little foxes, skunks, owls, raccoons, horses, hawks, and other winged and wild creatures, but there was a sighting of a mountain lion in the field near us. So now we have really big kitty-cats too! Yipee! Well, I say the more the merrier! Just don't eat us big kitty!

Friday, January 9, 2009

I Did it Again!

I let all my work pile up towards the end of the week, so now I have to haul butt to get stuff done! Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!! I hate when I do that. I know everything will get done, and the deadlines that I set are a little more strict that reasonable, I just wanted to start some other stuff and build up my inventory. So for now the list goes as follows: deep breaths, make another cup of coffee, eat a snack, take a vitamin, get out the glue and the scissors, thread the sewing machine, and get crackin'! Have a great weekend all!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I Was Featured!


I forgot all about an interview I did with Copper in the Arts online magazine this last November. I got to share my story about making my copper suncatcher/ornaments and what I am working on now. Yay! It is really nice to be surprised like that:) Now all I want to do is get busy on some new ornaments and masks, but, no can do, at least until my wrist heals. I can't even pick up a knife or fork with my left hand right now, so I think pliers would probably be overdoing it a bit. I will just have to miss my metalsmithing skills for now. Hopefully, all the wonderful ideas that have been floating around my head for the last few months will stay put until I can put them to use.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Ciaran The Artist


He found the markers and now he wants to draw every morning. Yesterday it was a blue and red marker and two full pages of drawings in my sketchbook. He also drew a lovely drawing on his foot in blue and my shin in bright red. Today it was black and yellow. Another whole page and then the cover of the sketchbook, all the while exclaiming "nice!" every five minutes.

I remember making his Father's Day painting and how much he hated having his little hand painted. Now he wants to paint everything in sight, including me, the cats, the couch, and daddy's big chair. Now he is sleeping off that hard work with marker stains all over his legs, hands, and nose.

Monday, January 5, 2009

New Neighbors!


A new cuff for my shop. I almost want to keep this one for myself. I really love the deep red and metallic green with the black. Maybe I will make another one just for me!

So, we now have two horses living in the field behind us. We got to watch them being led into their new home, right outside our patio door! They were both so happy, lots of prancing and jumping and kicking. It will be nice to have some new friends in the neighborhood:) They did scare me right out of bed in the middle of the night with their snorts and horse chuckles right outside our window. I woke up to their shenanigans at least three times last night. Here I am thinking someone is hanging out in back of our apartment, up to no good and lots of noise, and it's just our new neighbors........ Stinkers!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

My newest custom order


My newest custom order. A recycled leather luggage tag with a snap-closed cover. Appliqued in black and blue leather and brown suede. I am really happy with how it came out, I hope it's new owner is happy with it too. Now on to a few other orders and hopefully this next week, I can get some more items ready for my shop.

Friday, January 2, 2009

What Exactly Did I Step In?

With Ms. Humbug Beazus nearing the end of her days with us, she is having a harder time controlling certain body functions. She has been leaving little puddles by the front door for a couple of weeks now. I feel awful for her but even more awful for me, when I step in one of her little puddles and end up with pee-soaked socks. I keep a bottle of carpet cleaner and deodorizer right next to me so I can clean up as she goes. She is one mean little peeing machine! We love her so. I don't think I am going to miss her little puddles though.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Mmmmm Coffeeeeeeeee!

A good start to the year is a good cup o' joe. Mine ROCKS! Homemade chocolate syrup in the bottom, and foamy, happy milk on the top. You just can't go wrong. Happy New Year! Enjoy your day all!