Oh My!

I'm a bad, bad blogger! And I even promised some of you pictures way back on the 20th...  

I just...  time... it gets away from me...

ANYWAY, since I last posted I've turned 35 (what?!), gave the shop a facelift, created a few things, finished school for the semester, hosted my lovely in-laws for the memorial day weekend, and, oh, a handful of other things. 

Instead of writing about it all (because lord knows I'm short on time), I'll just post some pictures:

 

Edit: 
I just realized that I never put the "follow" widget back on my blog when I moved over to blogspot. So there it is, over on the right under my facebook and twitter feed. Feel free to sign up. I promise I'll try to be a better blogger!

Hooray for May!

Despite a rather sad start to the day (woke up to find a fawn taking its last dying breaths in our yard), I'm feeling much more like myself these days! I blame it on May!

Classes are over (one exam left to go!)

The weather is finally warm
Foxy doesn't have to travel at all this month

My headaches have subsided (interestingly, since it go hot...)

This week marks one year since I opened my Etsy shop (May 11, to be exact!) and I reached my goal for my first year! (It was to have 50 etsy sales, I'm at 51!!)

My birthday is in 6 days!

Hooray for May! 

As I said, I do still have one exam left to go (on Monday) but I'm not too worried about it. I already know I got an A in my other class, AND, I found out yesterday that I was chosen for a scholarship I applied for a few weeks ago! So things on the school front are good. And wrapping up. Which is also good. 

I've got a few things in the works in the studio. I'm excited to finish them up and share them with you. It feels like forever since I've made something. I'm sure that was part of the problem! All work and no studio time makes Julie a sad sack. 

Here's to sunshine and flowers!

xo!

Confessions...

Okay, I admit it...  I've been avoiding my blog! 

Things have been a little... intense lately. And I vowed not to be a blog complainer, so I've been avoiding blogging at all. But I can put it off no longer. And I have work photos to share! 

But first, since I can't really start off like that and then not go into any detail, a brief overview of the intensity... 

First of all, the weather sucks! I tend to be greatly affected by fluctuations in the weather, both emotionally and physically. I *need* sun. Like really need it. And we haven't seen a whole lot of it yet this spring. But May is coming!! 

Second, I'm taking this really horrible course this semester on African history. The course is actually amazing and by far the most important course I've taken so far in my college career, but... it's really getting to me. For the last two weeks we've been studying (watching documentaries and reading books about) the Rwandan genocide. I feel like I have been walking around in a Rwandan genocide-induced fog for two weeks. I cannot shake the terrible feeling. I have nightmares about it. And then I feel guilty for complaining about it! I mean... so what, I have to read about it. Hundreds of thousands lived it... 

Third, I have been plagued by migraines almost non stop for months now. I've suffered from them since I was 12 so its nothing new to me, but the hardly-a-days-break in between for months on end is kind of new. I am working with my doctor on this, though, so hopefully relief is somewhere in sight.

Finally, our sweet girl Alice is nearing the end of her time at the school/daycare she has attended since she was 3 months old. Since she will be turning 3 next year, it is time for us to start looking at transitioning her into a preschool environment. As some of you know Alice was born with a brain disorder (officially diagnosed as Holoprosencephaly, although she appears to have a variant of it quite unique to Alice!). Now, we prefer to spend our time focusing on all of the ways that Alice has defied expectations and all of the amazing things that Alice can do despite her challenges. However, the process of transitioning her into a new school environment has required us to once again look realistically at Alice's limitations... and that is always a little upsetting. 

BUT at the end of the day, I have so many things to celebrate: two beautiful daughters who are absolutely perfectly exactly who they are meant to be; an amazing and supportive wife who makes me laugh and completes me in the most perfect way; and a community of friends and family, both near and far, who I know would be there for me at a moment's notice if I needed them. 

So enough with the complaining! Life is so good. And I am so blessed. 

And I don't just fling that word around willy nilly. 

Now the jewelry!

I made a bunch of things last week (mostly because I was avoiding my African history homework)! Lots of turquoise and some jasper.

A ring. Turquoise and sterling:

(SOLD)

Earrings. Turquoise and Sterling again. Matching but not identical:

And finally, some amazing Red Creek jasper:

Both pairs of earrings are listed in the shop now. 

I finished my final paper for the Rwanda portion of my African history class in the wee hours of this morning. On the agenda for tonight: A hot bath and some Bailey's on the rocks. 

Whew!!

Oh my!

Between "single" parenting (Foxy's been traveling for work), homework, work-work, and custom orders, I haven't had a spare moment to blog or make any new work for the shop!

So... for that reason, I'm not going to be accepting any new custom orders for the next couple of weeks so I can spend some time just... making. And hopefully filling the shop back up. It's been rather bare for some time now!

That is not to say that my time over the last couple of weeks has not been productive. I've had the pleasure of working on some really fabulous and meaningful custom work and it always makes my heart happy to have created something specifically for someone and then know that it met (or hopefully even exceeded) their expectations.

Here's a piece that's heading off to its rightful owner tomorrow:

Vintage glass, sterling, and hematite.
 ♥ ♥ ♥

Okay, hoping to add some earrings and maybe a copper cuff bracelet and some mixed metal pieces (oh lordy, the price of silver has reached heartbreaking proportions!) to the shop in the near future. Of course, I also have a history paper due in week... Le sigh!

But don't give up on me, I'm still plugging away and don't plan on giving it up any time soon (translation: ever).

xoxo

PS. Don't forget to become a fan of Buffalo Lucy on FB, because I often post quick updates and news there even when I don't have time to blog!
 http://www.facebook.com/buffalolucyjewelry

Spring has Sprung... or not.

Spring is funny around here. We don't usually have much of it. It's cold. Then it's hot. This year, it was cold. Then it was hot. Then it was cold again. Then it was hot. Now it's cold again. 

I'm not exaggerating. Yesterday it was 92 degrees. Today it's 50.

Sure makes it hard to plan an outfit very far in advance! 

My parents experienced this very phenomena in the short 10 days they were here. It was HOT for the first few days. And then this: 

 But as you can see, we made the most of it! Mom and Dad have been back in Canada for a week now and while we all miss them terribly, we're settling back into our old routine (sorry kids, nana-and-papa-savings-time is over; back to your regular bedtimes!)

 I managed to squeeze out one piece of new work last week. I'm really proud of this one. I've been wanting to work with labradorite forever, but just hadn't found the right source for the stone yet. Happily, I found a handful of beauties (and some new lapidary contacts) at a gem show not long ago. Here's the result of my first piece with this amazing stone:

This is also the first in a series of rings I want to create with words or messages on the underside of the band. The inspiration for this particular tag came from the stone itself. Taken directly from the listing for this piece, here is the story behind it:

As a teenager growing up in Alberta, I remember standing on a frozen lake one early spring evening watching the Aurora Borealis in awe, thinking, "Who am I, really? How insignificant are my problems in the grand scheme of this fantastic universe?" I felt such relief in that moment. Like all of my worries flew up out of my body and were gathered and swept away by the glorious blue and green dancing lights above. 

I've been wanting to work with labradorite for some time now. Not only because it reminds me of the Northern Lights, which I can no longer see now that I live in Kansas, but also because my family is from Newfoundland and I feel a special connection to this rock from the land of my ancestors. While working with this particular stone I was again overcome with that feeling of awe and realization of the very magnitude of nature. It reminded me once more that my troubles are small and to just... let go. 

As I was working on the "let go" tag for the band of this ring I was listening to my iPod on shuffle (1000+ songs) and what should come on at that very moment? The words already stamped into the piece of metal I was filing: "Let Go" by Frou Frou...

So, let go, let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right
There's beauty in the breakdown

~~~~

I like that you literally have to let go (open your hand!) to see the words. :) 

This ring is a US size 6.25 (fits tighter because of the width of the band, so more like a 5.75-6) and is in the shop now!

I have a whole slew of new stones that I'm really excited to work with, but probably won't get to them this week. I'm working on some custom pieces and I also have a paper due and an exam this week so I'll be a busy little buffalo! 

I do, however, expect this to be a productive spring in my happy little studio, so stay tuned! 

Bloomingly yours,

Buffy

xo