Giving Thanks

This past weekend was Thanksgiving here in the Great White North. One of the best parts about moving back to Canada is that we have more frequent visits from my family. We were graced with the company of my brother and his lovely wife for part of this weekend and we made the best of it! 

We are having the most amazing fall! Last year it had already rained a lot by now and we'd settled well into our wellies, but this season has been dry and sunny and glorious! I don't mind the rain (I love how impossibly green it makes the forest!) but I'm doing my best to appreciate every single moment of sun before the rains come.

I've continued to be productive in the studio. I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to work there. I love everything about it. Even getting there. We are a one-car family so I often take public transit and I even love my bus rides! One morning I was literally moved to tears by the amount kindness I witnessed as I watched strangers interact with each other during my 10 minute commute. 

People are good, when it comes right down to it.

I also love that my new building is a whirlwind of artistic activity. There are always models coming and going for fashion show fittings, or artists nervously preparing for show openings, or filmakers filming, or party planners planning... not to mention the regulars, making art in the studios around me. It's impossible not to be inspired. And the best part is that even with all of this creative energy and activity just outside of my glass-doored studio, I can close the door, turn on my music, turn my back to the action, and be in my own creative space, just like that. 

A few new items in the shop. In addition to adding some new options for mens/unisex wedding bands, I've also finished this beast:

Sterling silver (but of course) and New Mexican Apache Rhyolite. Size 7

And two bracelets:

Double Strand Bracelet, Sterling Chain and Seed Beads

 And this, the first of several made-to-order bangles I will be adding to the shop:

I've also worked on several custom orders and have a few other pieces near completion on the bench. 

I can't wait to get back to work tomorrow. 

How lucky am I? 

xo

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Wednesday was my mom's birthday and we actually got to celebrate it with her!

I think we did pretty well. We celebrated at home with cake and streamers and balloons and beer and then later we went out for drool-worthy dumplings.

And my mom not only got her first piece of Buffalo Lucy jewelry (!) she also got her second! My dad gave her one of my necklaces and I made her this:

We only have one more day before they leave. :(  I have more pictures to share but I'll save editing them for when I'm missing them terribly as they make the trip back to Canada on Sunday...

And next week, back to the studio! Finally! 

Black Friday ~ Cyber Monday Offerings

Taking a quick break from visiting with family and stuffing myself full of turkey and cranberry leftovers (I'm not sure there are many things I love more than cranberry... good thing we had THREE different varieties of cranberry sides!) to let you, my faithful blog readers, know about my Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale:

Enter coupon code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to receive 15% everything in my shop.

(Yes, that includes gift certificates! Keep it on the DL ;)

Freshly listed this evening is this little (and I do mean little, this one's for a small boned girl much like myself) heart-charmed bangle:

Hand rusticated sterling silver, turquoise, and rhodochrosite. Each sterling component completely fabricated by hand. In the shop now!

Stay tuned... I might have a couple of more items to add before the weekend (and the sale) is over.

For now, back to the visiting and the eating... I think I heard dessert come out!

Perfectly Content

I was busy in the shop last week working on a few custom pieces:

And I made some changes to this piece and listed it in the shop!

Over 6 feet of sterling and leather and semi precious stones! Super versatile; can be worn as a bracelet or a necklace (long or short).

And then I had the most perfect weekend I could have asked for! I took Friday off of work because Aidan was out of school so we had a breakfast date and then ran some errands together for the rest of the morning. Her dad ended up getting off for the afternoon so he came by and picked her up and I got 3 uninterrupted hours in the studio before the rest of my lovely family returned home. Bliss!

Saturday the four of us went to a really fun Halloween party. I'll save the picture for Halloween but we all dressed up. I think the dressing up part was just as much fun as the party itself!

Yesterday was dedicated to house cleaning and cleaning out our car (ooh boy! did we need to do that!) but it feels so good to have it all done now.  I know, doesn't sound like all that much fun, but it really was a perfectly relaxed, perfectly family-filled few days.

I'm ready to face the week!

Welcome Autumn!

One new item, in celebration of the autumnal equinox (already in the shop!):

Rusticated sterling silver bangle with charms of carnelian, aventurine and hematite.

And a couple of scenes from the backyard where Lilah was getting into mischief and picking baby pumpkins from the patch!

Happy first weekend of fall!

xo

Another year older...

It's my birthday! Somehow, I've marked 34 lighting-quick years on this earth. Last night in our kitchen the conversation turned to a discussion of how old each of us actually felt. My answer, which was mocked as being random, was 24. But it's true. I don't feel as young as 23, but I don't feel like I should be approaching 30 yet either. See, not random at all! But, of course, the reality is that I'm getting close to approaching FORTY! Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves... I'm still in my early 30s. Right?

Ahem.

Last night I got to spend a delightful 3 hours in my studio, uninterrupted by waking babies (thanks to our lovely new roommate!) or homework or household duties. I feel creatively refreshed today! My studio's like a spa for my artistic spirit.

And I finished another piece. This one will be in the shop sometime later today:

Rusticated sterling silver bangle bracelet with sleeping beauty turquoise and rhodochrosite charms. And of course my buffalo stamp on the back of the turquoise piece.  The charms play like chimes as it dangles about your wrist. Jingle jangle.

Oh, and I wanted to share this with you! Guess what the foxy one came across as she was walking up the steps to her building last week:

It's a fox!! Right in front of the door to her office building! There's a whole family of them living in the bushes to the right of this walkway. I told her he came out to greet her because he felt her fabulously foxy kindred spirit!

Okay, I'm off to enjoy birthday festivities. Homemade cranberry upside down cake awaits...