Autumnal

Is there anyone who doesn't love fall? If there is, I just don't understand. All that cool, fresh air after the heat of the summer? And the rain! The rain here in the PNW is maybe my favorite thing in the whole world (followed very closely by Roots' cabin socks). Especially this year after our terribly hot, dry summer (and yes, that's right my Kansan friends, I now consider 80 degrees farenheit oppresively hot). I am *so* relieved that autumn is here again.  

I guess it also helps that the end of summer brings the return of my beloved Lucy from her annual summer trip to Kansas. 

I sure did miss that smile!  

But it was a good and fairly productive summer. The best part of it was that Alice actually enjoyed spending time with me in my new, big studio space (I *still* haven't snapped any shots of it - I'm just going to have to do that, mess and all), so I was able to bring her to the studio and get a lot more work done this summer than I have in summers past.  

By far my favorite project of the season was tackling these big-ass (come on, at 6mm wide and 2mm thick they are big-ass, there's no other way to put it) 14k yellow gold bands for Beaumont Studio-mates and candle-makers extraordinaire, Nick & Farouk at Vancouver Candle Company. These beauties are now also available as a made-to-order item in the shop: 

In other news, I will once again be participating in the Etsy Made in Canada Market - in just two short weeks! Come by and see me in booth 14 (across from the Etsy Booth) in Robson Square, Saturday Sept. 26th. If last year was any indication, it should be a lot of fun!! Until then, I'll be a busy, busy bee building pieces for the show and filling orders! And oh, I'll probably fit in a little puddle jumping. 

Oh Wow, Hello March!

Apparently February was not my month to blog!

As I type this, Jeff Buckley is crying achingly into my ear, "oh that was soooo reeeee-aaaaal," while the biggest, fluffiest snowflakes I've ever seen are fluttering past my window. 

Yesterday it was 70 degrees. 

So much happened in the last month that I had every intention of blogging about but just never made the time.

The month of February in pictures:

(a birthday present for my beautiful birthday girl)

(sold)


(sold)

(pink and blue sold, yellow available here)

And I think that about sums it up! February was good to me. My family is beautiful and amazing in every way. I made things and people bought them. We had every type of weather I love (snow, thunder, sun and warmth). What more could a girl like me ask for?
 I am blessed.

Here's to another beauty of a month!

xo

Whew!

Happy new year and all that. No resolutions or "one word" or big this-is-how-it's-going-to-be post from me this year. I'm just digging right in!

I have to say, I'm more than a little relieved the kids are back in school. We had a really nice winter break but by the end I was getting a little... testy. And so ready to get back in the studio! I really only got one day of work in during the break. It was so nice to finally be back to the regular routine today.

I finished up some custom work and made to order pieces today but I have so much else on the go and ready to start. I can't wait to share it all with you! Hopefully I'll have at least a few new pieces for you next week. And some with *faceted* gemstones! (Gasp!)

In other news, after a short burn-out break, Aidan has hit the sewing machine hard once again. Here she is making the most of her last day of break:

And this is what she made, all with no help from me this time! She also made two other pillows (one for her sister and one for her Mama Stephanie who wasn't feeling well) and a blanket with a pocket for her stuffed animal (which she also made). She's a machine, I tell you!



She really, really wants to open an etsy shop.

Megapost!

Well hello again!

I promised I'd be back with a little more content and boy do I have content for you...

First, the continuation of my last post: The Foxy Ring!

It's as if it was made for her. ;)

And now, a few shots of some of the work I finished over the last couple of months and weeks that I wasn't previously able to share...

I love, love, love this ring. It was a custom request as a gift for a very special someone. I was pretty much given free reign on this one and I love what came out:

Built of sterling silver and chalcedony. I may have to make myself a matching one.

And then there was this necklace...

with these

Carnelian, aventurine, and sterling.

And then this:

Leather, onyx, and sterling.

And then it was Christmas!! I have to say, Santa spoiled us. We were four very happy girls.

Aidan (with her edgy new haircut):

Alice (with one of my new dapping punches):

Aidan got a sewing machine from Santa and I think we found her calling! She spent a day just "stitching" paper trying to get used to how to it felt. Here she is doing a maze from the sewing practice book Laura bought her. She was determined to get it right before actually sewing anything.

The next day she decided to give it a try with thread (and here I'll take a little credit for myself since I managed to get the thing threaded even though I've never even seen a sewing maching up close before! I didn't even know it used two separate threads or spools or... whatever!). She practiced for a while on scrap pieces of fabric and then she spat out two pillows in a matter of about an hour! Here is Alice sleeping with the first one. Alice has not let go of this thing since Aidan gave it to her on Friday. I mean she has literally been clutching it to her chest  in her highchair while she eats:

Then today Aidan decided she wanted to make a bean bag animal. A penguin. So she came up with the design, I helped her cut out the shapes from the fabric and she sewed them! (it was even her idea to photograph it leaning up against the sewing machine like this. I'm telling you, the girl's destined for etsy!):

His name is Pingo. She's very proud. So am I.

All in all, we had a really nice winter break. And I didn't even get to the ice skating or the baking or the driving-around-looking-at-Christmas-lights-in-our-pajamas-drinking-hot-cocoa...

Hope your holidays were just as nice.

♥

Had to share...

I promise a *real* post this weekend, but I just had to share...

Alice ♥ Lilah :

The Birthday Girl

My sweet little Alice turned 2 yesterday! (that's right, she was born on Halloween!)

I mentioned before that Alice, who was born with some pretty serious challenges, took her first independent step back in July. Well, stubborn little thing that she is decided walking wasn't all it was cracked up to be and pretty much refused to take anymore until last week. Here's a short video taken yesterday, on her birthday (please excuse my excitement-induced helium voice):

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/GkufxkNaRsg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999

We're pretty proud of our little miracle (and as you can see, she's pretty proud of herself, too!). ♥

 Of course, both girls had a fun Halloween. Alice was starting to come down with a cold but donned her elephant costume and joined us for a little trick or treating anyway:

And Aidan was the prettiest little lion you ever did see:

~~~

In shop news, I'm finally wrapping up a round of custom work and will be making some new items for the shop this week. I'm also going to be listing some gift certificates (the perfect Christmas gift?) in the next day or two.

I hope you all had a safe and spooky Halloween and have a few minutes to relax before the impending holiday rush.

Treats (not tricks!) to all!

xox

The toughest job of all...

Parenting.

Don't tell my kids, but I'm highly underqualified.

I spent the last few days in the hospital with this little heartbreaker:

She's had trouble with asthma ever since her bout (and 10 day god-awful hospitalization) with RSV at 3 months old. Well, she scared her mamas something awful on the weekend when her seemingly innocuous cold suddenly left her gasping for breath (quite literally). But some steroids and a little supplemental oxygen later, she's back at home and on the mend.

I don't think I've experienced anything quite as stressful as having my kids hospitalized.

I'd like to take a 10 hour nap now.

Instead, I'll be watching Alice breathe.

Still here...

And I've actually updated the shop twice this week!

Just a few juicy little treats for you, but something none-the-less!

Teeny tiny little earrings in carnelian and aventurine. There are a few pairs of each available (and I made a pair of each for myself!). They're great little everyday earrings. You'll forget you're even wearing them. As I mentioned, they're in the shop now. I'm still working away on some custom pieces but I wanted to make you (and me!) a little something too.

I have some very big news from last week! Our littlest peanut, Alice, took her first independent step! Those of you who know me only through my blog don't know that Alice was diagnosed with a very serious brain disorder in utero. Doctors did not expect her to survive until birth and warned us that if she did make it, there was a high probability that she would not have functional use of her arms or legs (among other just as dire predictions too numerous to list). Well, Alice is now 21 months old, crawling into all sorts of trouble, perfectly healthy, happy as a clam, and TAKING STEPS!!!

In other news... we are getting ready for a trip to Newfoundland in two weeks. I am SO excited. Most of my extended family hails from the glorious rock but I haven't been since I was teenager. I cannot wait to see it again. I cannot wait to share it with Stephanie and my girls. I cannot wait to take pictures and share them with you. I cannot wait to see all of my relatives, some of whom I haven't seen in 18 years! I can. not. wait.

I will most likely be closing the shop while I'm away. I'll post order/shipping deadlines in the next week or so. I do hope to get a couple of more items listed before I leave but I'm not sure if that will be possible. We'll see. Speaking of that, I'm off to the studio now...

xo

PS: Forgot to mention... At the request of a few people, I've added that little Google Friends widget over on the right to make it easier to follow my blog. So follow me. Please. So I don't look like such a loser! :)

Baby tested... and approved!

What better way to keep a baby occupied while waiting on fish tacos? (Mmm... Esquina!) Well, give her some jewelry to play with of course!

This is Alice. Playing with Stephanie's necklace:

Those of you considering  a Buffalo Lucy purchase in the future (when am I going to get that darn shop open, anyway?!) will be happy to know that my jewelry stands up to being baby-handled--even by one who thinks that, "Alice, don't drop that on the floor..." is the beginning of a very funny game.

In other news... I'm official! Or I should say, Buffalo Lucy is official! I registered the business with the state of Kansas yesterday. I'm  a business owner!! Woo-hoo!

I will have more finished pieces to post in the very near future. It's been a  busy work and school week but I've got things coming. And I promise they'll be worth the wait.

xoxox