I still love you, I promise

It's not you, it's me.  There's just not enough time in the day to be a mom, a jeweler, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a cook, an organizer, a friend, a writer, an entrepreneur, an accountant, an errand gal, a saleswoman, a marketeer (yes, marketeer), a website designer, a photographer, a life giver, a cow (yes I said cow), a sick person, a well person with an 80-year-old back, and on, and on, and on.  *sigh*

We're all busy.  I get it.  But I don't have to like it.  And it's not like I'm deciding if I have time to get a pedicure, that's not what I'm talking about here.  You know that.

I love being busy and feeling necessary.  And I do lots of things to make sure I'm both of those things.  But some days I feel like this...

So on those days when I feel overwhelmed by all the leaves, I need to do this...

and just jump right in!

Happy weekend.

My workspace is a problem.

As all two of you know (hi Barbara, hi Lisa) my workbench is located in a corner of my bedroom.  Right next to it is a giant wooden wardrobe that is jam packed with my shipping, polishing, beading, etc supplies.  I live in an apartment with crazy high ceilings but only 1200 square feet to fit my 2 kids, 2 cats and sweet husband and all of our worldly belongings.  So you have to build up, not out in this space.  That's why in the other corner is a very tall, skinny shelf that has my packaging and craft fair materials on it.  It's VERY tall and VERY skinny but it does the trick nicely.  This is me standing in my Metalicious space.

Once you get past the fact that my hair is up-- again-- and I am not wearing any make-up-- again--- what you don't see is my bed.  Well you can kind of see it peeking up right in front of where I'm standing.  Because it's RIGHT THERE NEXT TO MY BENCH. 

I dream of having an office where I can have actual dedicated spaces for all the parts of my job that I NEVER HAVE TO PUT AWAY EVERY TIME I USE THEM.  But space in New York City though easy to come by... is very hard to afford.  Rent for a 475 sq ft dump is a mere $1750 A MONTH.  *faints*

So... I work out of my bedroom but it feels like I'm working in here most of the time.

Not to mention that working from home means I pass by the dishes in the sink and then put them into the dishwasher.  Then I notice a spill from breakfast on the table.  So I wipe it down.  As I'm doing that I see all the toys that the kids left in the living room so I put them away.  And THEN I feel like I can start working.  Until I see pajamas someone left on the floor so I fold them and put them back into his room.  And while I'm in there I see some toys that were left out...

You can see where this is going.  And this is my life. 

But I have dreams!

How to make your own Leaf earrings

Yes, I love to use parentheses (I use them frequently).  But let's move along to my bench shall we?

{NewNew} Tutorial of the day:  How to make your own leaf earrings.

You will need:
22 gauge sterling (or copper or brass) sheet
sterling earwire (see my previous tutorial)
heavy duty cutting shears
400 and 600 grit sandpaper
drill with bit (I use my flex shaft)
fine-point sharpie marker
dapping block and large rounded dap
hammer for dapping punch
hand file cut 2

Step 1:
Sketch an outline of the leaf onto the sheet metal thusly (yes I said thusly):

Step 2: 

Using shears cut out your shapes.  You can clean up the edges in step 3 so don't worry about perfection.  In nature leaves are all different shapes and sizes:

Step 3:

Use your hand file and then sandpaper to smooth out the edges:

Step 4:

Using your punch and block, add a nice domed shape to your leaf.  Again perfection is not the goal here.  This is handmade work people, we are imperfect at best.

Step 5:
Add your satin finish using your sandpaper.  Start with 400 and finish with 600.  I like to move the paper around in tiny circles to make a uniform texture.  Wax on, wax off.

Here is what mine looks like when I'm finished.  Almost there:

Step 6:
Drill a hole.  There are many drills, even hand drills.  I used my flex shaft but you can use a dremel or anything that can hold a skinny drill bit in it's jaws (how big should the drill bit be?  Big enough so the hole it makes will fit your earwire through it).

Step 7:
Thread your earwire through the hole and voila!  You have an earring!  I make both halves at the same time so that they come out looking similar but you can do it any way you please!  And yes, your fingers will be this dirty after working at your bench for a few hours, too.  Thanks for reading!

Asymmetry

So here's a sneak peak of a piece I just sent to be cast.  I'm so excited about it!!!  It's not as symmetrical as it looks in the picture and it will have a nice jumpring at the top to fit a chain through it!  WHOOO HOOOOO!

Do you like it?  *holds breath*

I'm craving a new bag from Tiffany's

I want a bag from Tiffany's new handbag line.  Yes, I realize they are mostly about marketing.  Yes, I realize that $500 for a bag is ridiculous.  Yes, I realize that I don't go anyplace to warrant wearing a Tiffany bag on my arm.  But I WANT ONE.

Intellectually I get it.  But there is something magical about the simple, generic-ish designs that makes me WANT one. 

That magic, for me, is Tiffany blue.  I am in love with the Tiffany blue color.  I love it so much I want to eat it.  It's creamy and sweet on it's matte-finished smooth boxes and I want some of it on top of pure vanilla ice cream.  But my biggest problem with Tiffany's has been that I could never WEAR the color, I could never OWN the color.  Because all of their jewelry is either silver or gold.  Not Tiffany blue.

But that has all changed now.  The game is on.  And I want a Tiffany blue handbag to go with my Metalicious jewelry.

I would carry the Morgan clutch to all the fancy dinner parties I imagine myself going to.  Look at how the baguette 'gems' give it a modern feel:

And the TRT: Tiffany Reversible Tote would become my son's new diaper bag plus I could bring home that baguette loaf for dinner.  Who cares that it's only large enough to carry a big wallet?  I clearly have one to be able to afford it.  *sashays away*

Maybe if I carried both of the above bags PLUS this Avenue Shopper Tote I could fit a diaper.  Or the baguette.  Or a pair of Christian Laboutins.  Or maybe it would become a tiny beach bag.

*sigh*  Thank you for indulging my whimsical trip to if-I-was-a-gazillionaire land!  What are YOU craving?

New York Fashion Week 2010

From Sept 9-16 New York City will be abuzz when designers gather to show their latest collections for Fashion Week.  For the first time ever, Fashion week will be at Lincoln Center, the mecca of all things artsy-fartsy. 

In past years it was held in Bryant Park, just a few blocks from the Jewelry District (where you-know-who spends waaay too much time).

As I walked by I couldn't help but get excited to see the white tents going up in Bryant Park each year.  There would always be lanky models, sulky fashionistas and crazy designers flitting around the area being filmed by large numbers of camera crews and paparazzi.  Here is what it looked like:

And the energy was palpable, you couldn't help but feel the excitement of new clothing lines being 'born' inside of those tents.  Plus I'm not naming any names but someone I am very close to watches Project Runway, who is having their show on opening day at 10am.  MAKE IT WORK!

Just between us, I have never been to a fashion show.  But this is what I imagine it looks like:

So.  Now it's at Lincoln Center.  One of the most beautiful art/theater/music 'campuses' in the city in my opinion. 

I have seen many classical concerts, theater, performance art, super high-end craft fairs and of course, ballet, Jazz, swing dancing and opera here.  *sigh*  It's the home of The Julliard School, the Mostly Mozart festival, New York City Philharmonic/Ballet/Opera and now the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  You might remember it from that scene in Moonstruck when Cher goes to see an opera and weeps.  There is so much culture in that one spot that I bet you can see it from outer space.

So alas I won't be seeing the tents this year.  Or the leggy models, pouty fashionistas or oodles of paparazzi.  The runway will have to go on without me.  Unless of course I can score a ticket to one of the shows...

Summer Lovin'

So I've been spending my summer trying not to get tangled up in myself and my everyday, exhausting routine of being a mom.  My 'baby' is now 8 months old which means he's getting wise to what makes mommy tick.  What I'm saying is that HE HAS BECOME VERY GOOD AT MANIPULATING ME. 

Those eyes...

That smile...

The incredible squishiness...

But that's not the point.  My point is that he is keeping me up at night and distracted during the day.  So I haven't had much time to make THE JEWELRY.  And it haunts me.  THE JEWELRY haunts me the way a really good date haunts me.  I dream about it.  I replay all the good parts.  I come up with new things we could do together on our next date.  *sigh*

I have made a few new pieces the few times when THE JEWELRY and I went on a date.  Like this uber modern sterling silver and blue sapphire bypass ring.  Unique and perfect for your best friend with the September birthday.

and these knuckle rings.  Contemporary, urban, chic, sophisticated and really cool.  The best part is I have made them available in either sterling silver or golden brass:

But you've seen what THE JEWELRY is competing with.  And he's getting smarter every day.  I am in big trouble, aren't I?