Intentional Stones

Work and play

 

Dragonflies in Green on Brass by IntentionalStones on Etsy

I wonder... If i made nothing but dragonflies, how would I do?

I tend to be happiest when i am working whimsically. Probably, I could get lost in dragonflies for a long time.

Planning is nor getting me far enough. The process of applications and acceptances and rejections is slowing me down this year. I am learning that, as prepared as I thought I would be, I still needed to start earlier, make more, take more photos. It's time for some whimsey.

So, for today I will think about dragonflies.

 

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Did somebody say Steampunk?

I think I'm making this necklace backwards! I'm starting with the beaded chain and the pendant hasn't formed in my head yet.

I signed up to show at the Airship Pirate Days Steampunk convention in Washington County, PA. I pointed out to the organizer who encouraged me that I really don't have anything specifically Steampunk in my jewelry yet and she assured me that I would be fine!

So here I am trying my hand at the genre. I thought the pyrite would look nice and vintage, like those fantastic marcasites in old jewelry. With the pendant I need to experiment with the colors and shapes characteristic of Steampunk. Gears in steel and brass colors.

I have several ideas of directions to go for pieces for this show. I would never have signed up, otherwise. I don't think I'll have time to make truly functional pieces. (Some of the coolest Steampunk work I've seen are clockwork sculptus that really work! I would love to do that, but I would have only one fantastic piece and a bunch of regular gemstone jewelry!) So, for now, the clockworks will be decorative and imaginative. And the edirection will have a more vintage feel. I hope that will be good enough for this year,

It's truly fun to be experimenting with a new design direction. I can't wait to see the result!

-Simbelmynë

 

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Anybody for Chili?

We're getting ready for our very first show of the season!

 

 

I Made It! Market is back on Saturday, April 14th from 12 - 5 pm, featuring more than 55 local artists in a pop up handmade marketplace as part of Chili with the Works at 510 S. 27th Street in the SouthSide Works. Artists will offer ceramics, art prints, jewelry, accessories, housewares, plush, bath and body products and even more. For more information, or to learn about the artists, visit www.imadeitmarket.com.

This sure sounds like an ideal way to start the season!

Hope to see you there!

-Simbelmynë

 

 

 

Because I want to be more in touch

Life is overwhelming.   Whose isn't? 

I promised writing today, here I am.

It's the time of year for things to be waking up.  The flowers, the birds and animals, me.

This year I'm working much harder.  Period

I'm working to be more true to what I really want to be doing.  Working in gemstone.  Working in metal.  You won't see anything from me that's metal that anyone else has made, unless I've had it a while and I've drilled holes in it or added findings to it or taken it apart and put it together.  (see bracelet above, yes those beads were pretty, but only one hole?  Really?  for such a large bead?  they're almost an inch wide!  So I fixed them.)

I spent today working on findings and on the trinket rings that people seem to love.  Thank you all! 

I'm also working much harder on the kids' school.  It's like I have three full time jobs. 

Hence the blog falling off the face of the earth.

We went to Florida and saw breathtaking things, above and below the water.  I hope I'll have time to write about that. 

And the summer is starting to shape up beautifully. 

Save the Date on April 14th, we'll be showing at the Soutside Works I Made It Market's Chili at the Works!  More on this tomorrow.  I'm really excited.

 

Lovely Laurel Highlands

(Sunrise over the Laurel Highlands.  I never see this hour of the morning.  It was worth it)

These past couple of weeks I've done something entirely new.  Two shows in the Laurel Highlands during leaf peeping season.

This means a lot of driving.  I know, these places are only a little more than an hour from home, but arriving there without my family, they seem forever away.  Setting up in little towns, Bedford and Ligonier, in the chill of mid fall was something different. 

Bedford was a family effort.  Adam and I drove out and set up while the kids hung out at home with a friend.  Saturday morning, when I took this photo, I set out eerily early, long before the sun was up, and launched the jewelry shop amidst the crowds in summer-like heat!  The family joined me on Sunday to help break down.  Persephone wanted to help watch the tent and to wander the fair and to eat all the food.  And they let me go do the same.  I definitely want to go back next year.  Maybe I can participate in both weekends of the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival!

Just as I got home on Sunday, I got a text from my friend AR asking what I would be doing the next weekend.  She found us a little spot at Fort Ligonier Days!!!  I wondered if Adam would forgive me causing this craziness two weekends in a row. 

We set up inside the new bead shop started by Andrew a month ago, Allegory Gallery on the main street of Bedford, PA.  (This is my dream shop, Andrew Thornton has beautiful beads and artwork in the front and Laura of Second Chance Books has used books and childrens books in the back)

It was kind of quiet for the type of weekend we'd been expecting, but the weather was lovely on Sunday and we set up outside.  I made a big point of trying to get people into the shop.  And we loved the people of Ligoiner and the costumes of the festival!  I also got to spend more time with Maria of Lost Marbles.  (funny, her marbles don't seem so lost!  or maybe it's in comparison with me) 

Anyway, it was lovely to meet so many people and have so much fun.  Now it's time to get ready for the holidays.  And it was great and very very positive to have these experiences now.

-Simbelmynë

Bee in my Bonnet

Just a quick post before I go set up for the weekend's show in Bedford!!!!

My goal is art markets.  Good ones.  I imagine myself spending weekends in downtowns enjoying crowds of people.  Last year I started trying to apply to a couple and found myself at an impasse.  The application had a much larger requirement for the tent than I was prepared to meet.  Your tent requires coverings for the walls and to hang things from.  You need a carpet under customer's feet!

These didn't seem like good reasons to not be eligeable for an art fair.  So I began thinking about how to create these things for my tent.  But I've put it off.  Fabric is lovely, but expensive.  structures for hanging art are complicated and hard to carry in my little car!  A rug isn't a big deal.  Costco sells them and so do many of the other box stores.  But those walls!

I've been hunting for inexpensive fabric, ways to attach a support structure and lower cost materials for that.  Because I need money left over from the jewelry I've sold to buy metal and gemstones!!!!!

This summer's Heritage Markets have been awesome, not only because of the wonderful people I've met and supporting a great cause, but because I earned enough to get this dream off the ground!

This week, the first of National Craft Making Month, I've focussed entirely on getting my tent ready.  The carpet will have to wait a little tiny bit longer, but I've found a few very likely candidates, all I need is a little more money.  But I was in Big Lots and found very inexpensive curtains.  Far less than any of the raw materials I've looked at.  Curtain rods that are light and collapsable, and some little lit branches to make my trees sparkle.  (Focus, Woman!)  And at the local resued materials shop I found the webbing for making slat-style blinds at an incredible price.  A trip to Home Depot for dowels and and picture hooks I have everything I need!

Goodness it's good that I have family members who sew!  I've relied on them for a lot of help.  They made it look easy.

(pictures tomorrow, I'll take some tonight once we're done setting up the tent for the weekend)

They're not perfect.  One of my display solutions isn't working yet.  But the major problems are solved. 

Now I can focus on art without the nagging thought that I can't find a market for it because of the dumb walls.  Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy.

-Simbelmynë

Strands and strands

I have to reassure you.  If there's nothing posted here, it's due to the fact that I'm very very very very busy. 

Project Runway is on the TV on thursdays and it's vitalizing to see the design in process.

One last Sunday show is coming up at the Waterfront.  Look for us from 11-3 in the Pump House! I'll be there for their holiday market in late November, but I'm skipping the Biketoberfest on the first.  Maybe I'll stop in with my bike!  What a concept!

But, most of all, I'm getting ready for holiday shows.  I have many great pieces that I've started but need those last finishing touches or a necklace to hang from.  I have planned improvements to my displays to complete.  Photographs to get into the portfolio.  My tent needs repair or replacement.  (One gust of wind from Irene took it out [the storm never touched Pittsburgh, except that pesky wind]) And I need weights to keep that from happening again. 

Bedford's Fall Foliage Festival will be here in no time!  October 8th is coming up very very fast.  This one's a big time show and everything must be hand made!!! 

Then there's the listings.  I uploaded some photos to facebook, but they're not written up or listed yet!!!

School is in full swing around here.  Which is the primary reason for being too busy to blog.  It's like I have two full time jobs.  And while it's filling a lot of my time, I feel like my life is finally back where I want it to be.  We're having the most rich time working together and learning together.  And we completely back in control of our lives. 

Today in the studio I have strands of tiny stone beads getting ready to support beautiful stone pendants.  Woven chain with me all day long.  I'm finishing commissions and making a few larger gemstone rings.  OK, I'm overwhelmed by my aspirations.  

Still.  You get the idea. 

Tomorrow!

Jewelry in the woods, down by the river

Cheatfest 2011 has come and gone.  And I already miss it. 

It's a place of fun and community, a party that goes from the minute we arrive to set up until we pull out Sunday morning. 

For all the vendors, it's a long and fantastic day on Saturday.  (it's always the first Saturday in May.)   From 12 noon until 11pm we enjoyed music and laughter and talking to people about the things we love best-  our art and active outdoor fun!  My favorite band was the last of the night, rocking from Pittsburgh- Rising Regina

Meanwhile, Adam and the kids, with a few friends, enjoyed camping, hiking, dancing, hooping, climbing and hanging out by the campfire. 

I had some new things in my tent.  Hand made trees for the earrings, much less likely to fall over or poke someone in the face.  And I've hung my most complex pieces as art on the walls of the tent.  These are simple memory boxes and worked beautifully to highlight the new skills I've worked on in Jewelry class.

 

I cannot think of any better way to celebrate and support the hard work to clean up the Cheat River!

Please support the Friends of the Cheat.

Thank you again, West Virginia!

 

 

Local Love

Just a brief post.

Today was awesome.  The Rivers of Steel heritage organization offered a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and try out a few new things!  The Pump House at the Waterfront shopping district was a great venue.  I'm always happy to see it open so people can see the inner workings of the building.  

They're talking about doing a regular artist's market this summer, every Sunday.  I'm looking at my calendar! 

Thank you to everyone who came out!

-Simbelmynë