TEAAA!!

I haven't posted here in a while, but I need to get started again!
I've been posting mostly to my facebook fan page at facebook.com/goldencalfjewelry. Check it out! I've just been accepted into the Art Star Craft Bazaar coming up in May, and need to get crackin' on some work. I came up with a good motivational tool: TEA! I bought a "Shanghai Green Tea Sampler" at Adagio Teas, and it's AMAZING. This is my new favorite tea shop. Go check out the green teas here: Green Tea and go see all of teh other yummy teas they have as well. You can even make and post your own blend for other people to see! Way cool.

I admit I have been rather relaxed about posting things...but as the weather is getting cool again, that pattern will be changing. I'm trying to get into another art show. This one is in December and is called Crafty Balboa. I made these two rings today. They were spontaneous and I had so much fun making them. The second photo is a necklace I made about 2 weeks ago. I'm going to make a few different versions. This one has carved purple heart. I might also try to do some relief carving with pierced silver.

image 1: Challenge. Mom gave me her engagement and wedding band from her marriage with my father. My challenge is to use the materials to make a ring for my sister and I. I'm kind of scared about it..but my gears are going.



image 2: I piece of turquoise I carved the other day. I'm pretty excited about carving rocks right now. I don't know how I feel about this little guy...but i'm making a setting for him, and it's coming out pretty well!


image 3: Close up of a copper incense burner I make on commission as a birthday gift. It sits about a half inch off of the table. It came out really well! I love that I had to do some things I haven;t done in years with this. I also made myself a sandbag for forming. cool!

This is the new piece. It's called From the Banks of the Wissahickon. I really love making hollow formed objects. When I was in school, I thought it was awe full...but not I love the challenge.
The rock in the top of the ring is a piece of stone I found on a hike with my mom. There are so many rocks in Wissahickon that have flakes of Mica in it. This one has some flecks..but it's mostly grey. I carved the rock down and polished the sides, while leaving the top natural and rough.
This is another piece with the idea of talismen in mind. I would love to make more of these with rocks from other places i've visited or for other people with rocks or shells that they have.

today made me realize that I really need to add things to my portfolio page on my website...maybe even write a bio?
I've been working on a ring for a while now. Well I made most of it about a week or two ago...but I have been very puzzled by where I should go with it. I came to a conclusion this morning, while playing around with it. I'll hopefully be done with it tonight, and will post pictures later or tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about it.
I need to sketch more. Ideas are floating around in my head. They need to be put to paper so I can work through them and develop the designs more.

I made this necklace the other day for my aunt Linda. Since I am super tired, you can just go read about it on her blog. She makes things too! (mostly bags made from ties!)
http://blog.lindaeve.com

So it's been a little while since an update! Getting ready for the show last week was hectic...and i had decided to take a little break once it was over. I wore myself out a little bit, being the perfectionist that I am. Wait..is that perfectionist or control freak? Either way, I'm getting a bit antsy, and tonight is my first night back at the bench. I've been doing embroidery the whole time though. Can't seem to stop doing that! What most people consider tedious, I consider relaxing. Of course not on all accords though.
So the first pic (sadly blurry), is of my table at the Art For the Cash Poor...with David sitting behind it, neatly placing labels on my art cards :) Thanks David! I'm pretty happy with the way the display turned out. I did learn from seeing other tables though, that varied heights are a positive thing. I suppose it draws the eye around the table better. I should have thought about that...but you can't think of EVERYTHING your first time around! I also learned that the lower priced items sell better for the most part. Next time I will have more things in the 15-65 range. I had a pretty wide range of prices this time....from 15-199. Of course I have things that are a bit pricier as well...just not at that show. With more time and material comes more cost. I try to keep the prices down as low as possible though.

The second image is of a necklace that DIDN'T sell at the show, so I started wearing almost every day since. I've been getting an extraordinary amount of compliments on it, and think I will make a couple variations in the near future.

*** I will start listing in Etsy again soon, so keep your eye out!!!***

The last photo is of the embroideries I've been working on. I'm doing a catastrophic disaster series. They will most likely all be brooches...and similar in form to "Shark Attack". I am working out in my head a better way to put it together. I have some idea's brewing.
So far, I have completed the stitching for volcano, tornado, and almost done with plane crash. I really love them!! I'm hoping that when I am done, I will submit them to a show or a publication.

Alright..that's all for now. I'm going to go treat myself to a toenail painting, courtasy of rite aid pharmacy. (( I love going and picking out nail polish and walking out with every finger a different color..... the lime green was the best, but I bought a hot pink)) :)