Sometimes sleep just isn't necessary.

I worked a full day at Pearl today, hung out with Michelle, Justin, and both sets of kitties...and still I managed to spend a few hours working at the bench. It's nearly 5 am now...Jeez how time flies. I had a bit of work to do in order to complete my fathers Hanukkah gift. I bought a nice shirt and made silver buttons to replace the original ones. I really love the meditative process of making. These super simple buttons really let me get in a steady rhythm of motion and thought. Sometimes even the most mind numbing things can be good. So I went from making these buttons to sewing them on... (another meditative practice). I think it came out pretty well. I'm even kind of thinking about drawing up a bunch of simple buttons that I could make in the future.

It is so gross outside right now. I wish the ice was snow, and the sound of car alarms were birds.
I can't stop listening to this album by Fountains of Wayne. So many of the songs make me want to jump in a car and drive up to Vermont and hibernate in a cabin for the winter. Particularly "Valley Winter Song". So great.
Maybe I should sleep now..

Enter The Golden Calf

For the past week I have been working on starting up my own jewelry company. The website will be up soon at www.goldencalfdesigns.com . I'm very excited and also very nervous about everything...but things seem to be rolling fairly smoothly so far. I'm hoping to find someone to assist me with the web site within the next week. If anyone out there is reading this and does web desgin, please give me a buzz at melody.basch@gmail.com .

I bought a new sketchbook yesterday. Always nice to start a new one! This time I purchased a hardbound one. I realized after I got it that I usually put my mechanical pencil and pen in the spiral binding. I'm not the kind of person that carries a pen in my pocket. The pen and paper have to transport together....so I made a pen and pencil pocket on the front on the book with leather and copper. Came out alright. There are things I could have done to make it better, but I'm happy. It has character. I feel like such a nerd sometimes.

Today I decided to do more work on Riley Gets in the Way, rather than doing any sketching or working on the wax. It's been a work in progress for quite some time now. I had put it down around August and hadn't had the motivation to pick it up again until about a week and a half ago. It all started a little less than a year ago, when I decided to do a portrait of Sophie called Princess Sophie and her Sea of Fishies. The embroidery made it to a show at My House Gallery, and quickly pushed me in the direction of a small series.
I still have quite a ways to go, but I'm anticipating this piece being done by the end of the month. Like most of my work, the process is meditative. I like to take my time and think about every stitch and every line. Most of my embroideries focus just on the line, but these two are in full color.

I've had this drawing in my sketchbook for a few weeks, and decided to start making it. After realizing it was not going to be very effective as a carving in wood, I decided to make it in silver. Here are a couple of progression shots of the wax as of tonight