Archive for June, 2010

• Summer Fun

  Date: 2010.06.25 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

  School is almost out. Summer is officially here and eventually, we’ll have some awesome summer weather (it has improved already compared to May and early June). There will be days when our favourite foot wear will be sandals and we’ll be in capris, and skirts and shorts. What better way to add that little bit of extra than to show off an anklet!!

  This pink and stainless steel double barrel anklet will be on show at Sunday’s Portobello West Market. I have a few styles of anklets ready to go but the double barrel weave is my favourite of them all.

  Since I’m on a bit of a pink streak, just for today, I’d also like to introduce another piece in my new “scale maille” line. These metal scales are fun!!! They are made from anodized aluminum which makes them super light weight and these earrings jingle just a bit when you walk around or shake your head. I can make these up in lots of colour combinations, not only pink and silver. I had thought that this style of jewelry has potential for belly dancers and I actually ended up selling a fun pair of longer style rainbow scale maille earrings to a young lady at my last show who wanted them for belly dancing. Too cool!!!

  My hours leading up to the market are crazy busy right now but I’m so excited about Sunday. I have lots of little things I’d like to add to my show inventory before Sunday but I’m not sure how that will all work out since there aren’t many more free minutes available. Somehow, between, the last dance weekend of the school year for my daughter tomorrow and my wonderful plans to sit and prep some more goodies, a trip out to the inlaws was snuck into my weekend plans.

  Have a great first weekend of summer!!!

• A Slump

  Date: 2010.06.23 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

  Every once in a while, life throws you a little curve ball and sometimes that curve ball is a bit of a slump.

  On the heels of Fab Fair, which was a nice event, I had a lot of visions and plans of the things I wanted to design and create next but I decided to take a bit of a break the first few days after Fab Fair. I had worked so hard getting ready for it that I needed a bit of time to de-stress and to just take a bit of a breather from the pliers and the rings. The hard thing for me is that when I have all my stuff out to work on, I work on it all the time. When it’s all neatly put away and organized, I struggle pulling it out. In the mean time, I have had many, many ideas swirling around in my head.

  Fast forward to a few days after Fab Fair when I’m ready to put some of those ideas into reality and poof, life happens. Work has been super busy and life as well. Now, though, the end of the school year is in sight and it’s hard to believe that the big year end dance show is over, too. My little tap dance group (this year named the Circus Cougars) finished off the year with a couple of great performances on stage. Of course, it was my daughter who stole all of our hearts as her hard work and determination this year really showed off on stage. It was a proud Mama moment and I wouldn’t change a thing, not even the countless hours of driving to, picking up from and waiting at the dance studio for her to finish yet another practice or another picture shoot or whatever else there was at any given moment. And there was that final curtain call after the curtain closed for the last time this past weekend and we were going out on stage to take our bows…. And here is my little girl, too embarrassed to hold her Mom’s hand running across the stage for our final bow… I’ll never forget that. Maybe next year, I won’t try to embarrass her by making her go out on stage with her old Mom.

  Now that this is all done and school is almost finished for the year and life will hopefully adopt a bit slower pace, even if just for a few weeks, I’m settling back into my creative routine. There are things that I want to do this summer: Crating lots of great new chainmaille pieces is at the top of my list. Dyeing yarn and fibre in the backyard ranks a close second (I just finished up a course in yarn dyeing and I’m in love) and of course, I will try to spend some good quality time with the kids and husband during our “staycation” in August.

  Up next is Portobello West on June 27 and I’m more than excited at showcasing my jewelry at this most wonderful market. One of the many pieces you’ll find me displaying at the show is my Chainmaille Star Flower, currently one of my favourite pendants.

  See you there!!!