Week 30 - Catch the Sun

Focus on life... Sunshine  (what is that?)

If I wasn't currently sitting at 29/29 for these posts... I wouldn't be posting this week!

I have been away for the last 8 days got home late yesterday after flying over night in the middle seat of the plane... Today we got over 3 inches of rain.... We dont' need it, so no liquid sunshine images will be shown on this blog.  I apologize to everyone for not commenting last week but I couldn't get any of the macs in residence at my sisters house to recognize me....

This is a new gallery artist, Natasha Miller... the 'art' is an original charcoal sketch... I took pictures of a few of them to add to my 'real' blog.  I noticed when I was editing them that this one acquired a sun that isn't actually in the drawing!  A very appropriate reflection!

My sisters lavatera... My lavatera is all wild and the flowers are much smaller!

This really has nothing to do with sunshine.... My parents moved into a retirement condo almost 3 years ago... My mother got tired of dads change sitting on the dresser so she started sweeping it into this garbage can.  It was almost 1/3 full Wednesday when I took it the coin counter in the bank.  I  left the bank with $380!  (the wine bottle is for scale)

This may be the only picture that has anything to do with the prompt!

I've always wanted a yellow vehicle... they seem so bright and cheerful!

My son... yellow shirt and yellow flowers!... That's sunshine isn't it?

My parents... the purpose of the trip was my mothers 90th birthday.  
( dad will be 90 in February)

Flowers we bought for the party 
(the picture is their 60th wedding anniversary, their 65th was May 2011)

I'm not sure what this blog really has to do with sunshine.. I certainly didn't see the sun today.. I was wading through water in our basement...

To see how other people interpreted sunshine follow the links on  Sally's blog!


or click on the pictures below!

week 29 - Routine

Focus on life... week 29

This is very much a warm summer day routine.. I wish I could do this year round!

But first things first  FEED THE CAT!...(. & the fish and wind the cuckoo clock)

This is Emmett We have 3 cats but he is the only one that jumps on the bed and licks your face to point out that his food Bowl is EMPTY!  ...

Next make the coffee

Coffee pot and grinder in their temp home  note the can of pliers behind them.... Now the fun part sitting outside and drinking it.. My favorite part about this house in summer!

(the coffee cup says "I thought normal was a dryer setting")

Coffees gone... time to quit reading and put out the gallery flags... have to do this in the rain too....

Now my day starts...  If it's not raining I'll probably water plants, then maybe work on a piece of jewellery

I finished this up this morning...

The major differences in my days are totally controlled by weather!

To see what rituals other people follow check out Sally's blog!

July Syncroblog

July Topic: 
MORNING BIRD vs NIGHTOWL “I am neither!

The Artists Synchroblog: is a group of bloggers who post every other month on the same topic, sharing our experience or perspective. On alternate months we undertake a Pinterest Project where we each take inspiration from a pinterest picture, create something (art, a meal, a DIY project, etc) and then post about it.

I wander around the house for the first hour or two every morning with a cup of coffee... very little work gets done ... I have never done anything in the evening except knit ... (I guess I used to do homework and study... back in pre history when I was a university student...)  The only art related thing that I have ever done after supper except knit is when I used to do a lot of stained glass I would foil in front of the TV... but I do not work in the studio after super; doesn't matter what I have to do....  I can be forced to do work in the morning but only under protest... In the summer I run a seasonal gallery the flags do go out most  mornings by 8:30 even though my offical opening time is 11... but they are always in by 6 pm unless I forget them... I hate having my supper interupted by someone who just wants to chat!

The image/collage  is a silver and torch fired enameled necklace.. a bunch of 'kadinsky' glass bead bracelets and a couple of pairs of what I refer to as Kroc Sox... everything you see except the toggles on the braclets were made by me... I started life as a fibre artist... but have been a full time glass artist since 1988

Other bloggers participating:

http://amyestellemetalworks.blogspot.com
http://www.islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.ca/
www.elenorbuffington.blogspot.com
http://www.wrapturewirejewellery.on.ca/blog
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com
http://www.journeyinjewelry.com/blog/My-Journey-in-Jewelry
http://simpledesignjewelry.blogspot.com
http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com/
http://marikach.blogspot.com/
http://design.kcjewelbox.com
www.allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com

week 28 -Pattern

Focus on life -  Week 28- "Pretty" Patterns

Pattern....  The first thing that comes to my mind when you mention that word is sewing pattern... I haven't sewn anything from a pattern for years... but  I still have some...  The ones I used as a background  for my chainmaille were my mothers ... You can tell by the prices on them how old they are, and they probably aren't particularly pretty.. but the product could be!  The retro one is actually  mine, I've never made it as it takes miles of material!

The necklace covering the top two patterns was bought in Eastern Europe in the 70's, it was a gift from my mother... I was in total awe about how it was made... I took a chainmaille class in 2003 at Series in Red Deer and learned how to do the Byzantine Pattern/weave and discovered that it isn't actually as mind boggling as it looks.

I like Byzantine also know as Idiot's Delight because each unit is a stand alone piece that doesn't flop you can add big links into the middle ... the end... put links between a unit... it's entirely versatile

The bracelets were all made by me and show what a difference gage makes in the final product.  ( I made the glass rings in the middle bracelet)  The necklace with the Carnelian was made for the first bead soup ... It has triangular byzantine elements...

To see how other people interpreted 'pretty pattern'

Black & White Jewelry Challenge

I started making glass beads in about 1994...  ... I love making black and white beads... although I've found that black & white jewellery doesn't sell all that well except for earrings.  So when Sally Russick of The studio sublime put out this challenge I had to jump on board!

Since I like making black and white beads and they don't sell I have a pretty good selection of jewellery... through the ages...

 !997  with early attempts at wire work

2003 I really like the design of this necklace...
don't think I tried very hard to sell it!

2007 ... those have got to be some of the filthiest silver beads I've ever seen.. the look red!

 2013
These are some of the beads I made for this challenge.. Really comfortable bracelet to wear!

These were suppose to be a necklace, they are hollow beads made on a normal mandrel

To see how other people interpreted this challenge follow the list on Sally Russick's blog the host of this wonderful challenge!  or follow the links below!

Week 27- Texture

Focus on life.. Texture


Finally a prompt I like!  I got all gung ho and photographed all sorts of neat bead tools... this is the only picture I took that was in focus

I thought the texture on the dirty rug (bead shop doorway) was kind of interesting...  This is actually a relatively new tool....

I used to do a lot of leaded glass panels.... mainly textured clear with a little bit of colour....
This was the prototype for a much larger commissioned window.  I made the roundels on the torch.  The commissioned window is here . The scarf in the same blog was never finished it was ripped apart and turned back into balls!




















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Beads made with one of my favorite bead rollers These were made using the BR-5301 RIBBED SMALL ROUND SPACERS graphite mold.  I also have  BR-5101 the     RIBBED SMALL STUBBY BICONE SPACERS... I find  the bicones to be much harder to make!  

The beads in between my etched glass beads are carved Quahog shells made by Marcia Poirier... she makes gorgeous pendants and earrings  from Quahog shells under the name Wildabout Wampumhttp://www.wildaboutwampum.com/index.html

To see how other people interpreted texture   & to see where the 'garbage/treasures' in lasts weeks ? post came from?

The kitchen..... Destruct Mode

 The North wall of the kitchen pre renovations....

Dish washer and kitchen sink missing...  Floor under the sink cupboard which is still in place was totally rotten!

One cabinet over from the sink  sold all the doors and a free standing counter to a fellow islander for $20 ... much cheaper and easier than hauling them to a 'restore' place in Saint John!

The home of the insulation in last weekends focus on life blog...  It's a balloon foundation so the former owners kids used to throw their treasures and garbage down the wall.. we found a shoe, a few pennies, toys, marbles, lots of paper, empty cherry blossom boxes, pencils etc.....

My son thinks we should sell this design to IKEA!  Temporary home of the sink... the red thing is my toaster!

New cupboards are suppose to arrive the week of July 15th  Will we be ready?