He’s the one who bought me my first pasta machine for polymer clay, when I still thought I didn’t really need it. (How wrong I was)

He brings home cool tools and wire and interesting metal bits [...]]]> Dave (my husband) is awesome. I know I’ve said this before, but it must be repeated.

He’s the one who bought me my first pasta machine for polymer clay, when I still thought I didn’t really need it. (How wrong I was)

He brings home cool tools and wire and interesting metal bits if he thinks I could use them. He’s even created tools for me – like a specially modified caulking gun which allows me to use the metal clay gun without breaking my hands.

And in September, (just before NaNoWriMo so I didn’t gotten much of a chance to play with it before hand) he got me a Smith Little Torch. It may be mini, but it’s powerful. Speaking from experience, you can melt things quite well if you try. Fortunately, I was actually trying that time…

I’ve got it set up with the small disposable bottles of mapp gas and oxygen.

Mostly I’ve been playing around and practicing. Getting something soldered isn’t too hard. Getting the stupid little chips of solder to sit where you put them and flow into the seam where you want them instead of all over the outside of your piece– Well, that’s a little harder.

But that’s what they make files and sandpaper for, right? And I think I’m slowly getting better.

Of course, there are gaps and sections which don’t quite match later changes, and I have to strengthen my characters in the earlier scenes, and add some sections in different points of view, [...]]]> I made it – 50,900 words of first draft last night for NaNoWriMo. And I got to the end of the story.

Of course, there are gaps and sections which don’t quite match later changes, and I have to strengthen my characters in the earlier scenes, and add some sections in different points of view, etc, etc. There’s also very little description anywhere – it’s like having the actors move around on a green screen ready for the CGI backgrounds.

It is a ROUGH draft – very rough – but it’s got the skeleton of a good story in it. And it has the fight scene with possessed camels stalking people. I’ll have to punch it up later, but after doing some research on camels, I really wouldn’t want to mess with one. They’re fast. And if they get hungry enough, they’ll eat pretty much anything, not just vegetation.

Time to breath. And uh… I guess I should probably clean the house. It really needs it. It looks rather like a herd of crazed camels stampeded through.

Although if you combined the two… Anyone know if there’s a vampire Barbie yet? I’m sure she’d have a [...]]]> I’m actually working on the third book in what isn’t quite a trilogy. Each one is a stand-alone story about one of three sisters. And they’re princesses – of course. (YA fantasy) But not vampires.

Although if you combined the two… Anyone know if there’s a vampire Barbie yet? I’m sure she’d have a very stylish pink cape.

Actually, at the beginning of the second book, the oldest princess is very like Barbie. But that gets beaten out of her by the end. And there are pigs, but I don’t think they’re pink ones.

But back to my story.

I wanted this one to be my quest book. My heroine is the youngest daughter Chrysanthemum – the one who’d rather be out catching dragons than gazing soulfully into pools. The one who challenges all the princes to fight instead of swooning over them. And the one her father is trying to marry off and make into a model heir to the throne – very much against her wishes.

There will be desert caravans, and giant mythical creatures, and other creatures that don’t have myths yet because I completely made them up, and sword fighting, and possibly an un-dead* army of mind-controlled camels.

And an evil magician and a prisoner and a fabled jewel and a bunch of other stuff I’m still working on.

I’ve decided I was holding back too much on a couple of the other ones. What’s the point of having realistic fantasy? I’m going to have some fun with this one.

*As in alive, not zombies with bits falling off all over. Unless they’re other people’s bits – because have you seen how big their teeth are? And they’re fast. I’d watch out for the zombie camel army if I was you. You’re not gonna take them out with a shovel.

I was at the Bead Bazaar in North Haven, CT this past weekend. I had a great time, spent quite a bit (on aqua terra jasper, sparkling glass beads, more Gilders Paste, paper and bark cloth beads from Uganda, chain, etc, etc) and met a number of interesting people.

If you want [...]]]>

I was at the Bead Bazaar in North Haven, CT this past weekend. I had a great time, spent quite a bit (on aqua terra jasper, sparkling glass beads, more Gilders Paste, paper and bark cloth beads from Uganda, chain, etc, etc) and met a number of interesting people.

If you want to see unique jewelry, go to a beadshow. Don’t look at the vendors tables–although you’ll see some there too–look at the people who walk by.

There were gorgeous beaded collars, and a necklace I coveted of bunched up periwinkle shells. I found out you can create spiraled beading wire by running it through scissors the same way you’d curl ribbon – a nice effect. I met a woman and her daughter who is making feathered hair ornaments.

And I met some of my own past customers. That was inspiring and humbling and educational.

There was a woman who had one of my dragon’s eyes. She hadn’t strung it yet, but she told me she keeps it near her bed as a dream catcher.

And another woman who paid me the ultimate compliment of telling me she was going to use one of my pieces in her wedding. I was proud of the piece when I made it – two white birds intertwined – but it was wonderful knowing it had that much of an impact on her.

I also found out I need to bring more new work to the show. When someone can point to my tray, and say, “I have that one and that one and that one…” it’s great. It means she really liked my work – enough to buy more than one piece. But it also means I need to bring more new stuff for her to look at.

I did have some new designs but not as many as usual. We’ve limited it to 25 pieces per artist (you can’t fit that much on the tables with 15+ artists from the Guild) so since I knew I wasn’t going to need a box of 50-60 pieces I didn’t make as much this time. Next year, I think I need to bring entirely new work and leave the variations on older pieces (even if they’re good and I really like them) at home.

It was a good day. My feet hurt at the end of it, but it was all good.

I’ll be working the table first thing on Saturday morning. If you’re in the area, stop by. It’s [...]]]> I’ll be at the Bead Bazaar this weekend, along with a number of others from the Southern Connecticut Polymer Clay Guild. We’ll have a great selection of polymer clay beads and jewelry from over 15 different artists.

I’ll be working the table first thing on Saturday morning. If you’re in the area, stop by. It’s a nice show with some really gorgeous art beads and supplies – the only problem I have is that I always spend more than I make

2011 BEAD BAZAAR Sponsored by the CT Bead Society
NORTH HAVEN Holiday Inn
201 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT
Saturday, Sept. 10 10am – 5pm
Sunday, Sept. 11 10am – 4pm

You can find more information and a coupon at the Connecticut Bead Society’s site.

We have power!

Should I admit that I’ve been giggling in a happy maniacal way every time I flip the light switch and the light actually comes on?

That you really need a hot shower so you can wash your hair?

Irene (not sure if it was technically a hurricane or tropical storm at that point) hit Rhode Island [...]]]> Ever feel like things are spiraling out of control, that things are crashing all around you, that you’re sitting alone in the dark…

That you really need a hot shower so you can wash your hair?

Hurricane Irene

Irene (not sure if it was technically a hurricane or tropical storm at that point) hit Rhode Island this weekend and we haven’t had power or phone since. No estimate on when it will be back either.

It really wasn’t much of a hurricane for us – a bit of rain, some strong gusts of wind, a few branches and trees down. Of course, they were right on the powerlines so that does make it a bit more difficult.

We’re doing relatively ok – we have the grill to cook on, a small generator we can run intermittantly to try to keep the fridge cold… But I’m going to have to do dishes soon. And the laundry situation is gonna get ugly.

In case you’re wondering how I’m blogging this, I’m at work (on lunch) where we do have power. Figures, huh?

I’ve been playing with the Knew saw some more – I absolutely love it. But I do need to practice more and learn some of the constraints when piercing. I’m not used to considering the [...]]]> I’m trying to blog more this year… even if I don’t have pics of most of the interesting stuff yet.

I’ve been playing with the Knew saw some more – I absolutely love it. But I do need to practice more and learn some of the constraints when piercing. I’m not used to considering the gauge of metal etc and how thin metal will flex etc when you’re cutting an intricate design.

I’ve been prepping for a class for our guild’s Weekend of Clay – mine’s tomorrow morning. It should be fun. I’m teaching a 3 hour Magpie Eclectic – Mixed Media Jewelry class. I’ll be covering some basic wire working techniques, simple clay accent beads, using patina and gilder’s paste, etc, etc, and figuring out how to combing everything (including the kitchen sink if you can cut it into small enough pieces) together into one (hopefully) harmonious piece of jewelry.

I was trying to pack everything up last night – I’m bringing all sorts of wire and chain and ribbon and cord and tools and accent beads… plus my regular clay kit. I’m not sure how I’m going to carry it all.

But the worst part of it will be coming home Sunday night, dumping the bags on the floor and facing putting it all AWAY again. Should I admit I still have a couple piles that I haven’t put away from my last class?

I took Monday and Tuesday off. I’m figuring I’ll be tired, and hopefully inspired.

And Dave got me another brand new toy that I’m dying to play with! More on that later after some experimentation.

He’s awesome. He’s the one who got me my first pasta machine when I was still hemming and hawing over whether it would [...]]]> Dave got me an anniversary present! And he gave it to me a couple months early – when it came in tonight – because he knew how much I’d like it.

He’s awesome. He’s the one who got me my first pasta machine when I was still hemming and hawing over whether it would really come in handy.

Knew Saw and first project

If you haven’t seen one of these before it’s a Knew Saw – a special type of jeweler’s saw frame. It’s aluminum so it’s light and rigid – which means less broken blades. The really cool thing is that I won’t get any more bruises putting blades in.

For anyone who’s never used one, you put a blade in an ordinary saw by securing one end, then compressing the frame (so the blade will be under tension) before securing the other end. You do that by putting the end of the handle on your breastbone and the other end of the saw in the V of your bench pin and pressing forward.

The first time you do it, it’s mildly uncomfortable. Once you’ve snapped one blade, it’s getting a little painful. You put the third blade in and you’re looking for a cushion or something first to try to protect the bruise.

This saw, on the other hand, lets you secure both ends of the blade while it’s still loose. Then it’s got a tension screw which tightens the blade to wherever you want it (the ‘ping’ point where it sings because it’s taut). It’s easy and it’s wonderful.

You can see the little birdhouse I cut out in just a few minutes. Needs some filing and refining still, but it’s not bad for someone who hasn’t used a saw much. And I didn’t break a single blade – not even on the interior circle.

Thanks, Dave!