EtsyMetal Blog Carnival - The 5 senses

This month's EtsyMetal Blog Carnival is:
"The Five Senses"
Describe your 5 senses. Which are your favorites and least favorites?

I'll start with my eyes! Perhaps one of the more important senses for a visual artist, although my vision isn't all that great. Normal with glasses or contacts, just not naturally!

Touch would probably be next. I am a very tactile person and the way things feel is really important. Often my fingers can feel something my eyes may miss. I can be really jump of something lightly touches me though. It's especially hilarious when my hair is long and tickles me the wrong way and I'm startled by my own hair!

Hearing... I would say I have selective hearing. Sometimes I have really great hearing. Sometimes I can totally miss hearing something b/c I'm in lala land or just paying attention to something else. I've recently started noticing that I can hear better at certain ranges (maybe that is common?) And I seem to be able to hear better at night. I can turn the tv volume wayyy down late at night and in the morning wonder how I could hear that! maybe it's just that all the cicadas and summer bugs are more quiet at night.

Taste - I like it. Food is good. I wouldn't say I have a super wonderful palate, but I think maybe it's better than some. I like most flavors in moderation though. Not big on too too sweet or salty or spicy. I like all of those flavors, but just not too much. I think I'm just really sensitive.

Smell is my least developed sense. I don't know if it is similar to my hearing or I just don't have a good sense of smell. Sometimes I'll ignore a smell until someone says, "oh, do you smell that" and I clearly can, but I just hadn't noticed b/c I was too busy thinking about something else!

So for least favorite, the winner would have to be smell. I like things that smell good, and I often don't notice things that smell bad, but yeah, if I have to pick a least that would be it.

Sight would have to be my favorite. I don't think I miss much. I have great peripheral vision even when wearing glasses. The connection between my eyes and brain seems to be the strongest.   I also think that my poor vision has aided me in ways I would have never noticed. When I practice yoga, I usually don't wear contacts (and definitely don't wear glasses). When in a class, it helps to keep me more focused on myself and not comparing to what other people are doing. It also allows me to not be as distracted - allowing my internal awareness to really come forth. I actually think I have better balance b/c I'm not as reliant on visual cues.

I'd like to add in the "6th" sense of intuition... or whatever you'd like to call it. That feeling you have when you're thinking about calling someone and they call you within seconds, or when you know that someone is looking at you and they are... It's a pretty important sense that I continue to try to develop. It's pretty subtle most of the time, but something to be aware of nonetheless.

make sure to check out everyone elses's take on the senses!


2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Victoria Takahashi - http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/
Cynthia Del Giudice - http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com
Rebecca bogan - http://AdobeSol.wordpress.com
Lou Hunter- http://peculiarforest.blogspot.com
Inbar Bareket - http://inbarbareket.info/blog
Abella Blue - http://www.abellablue.com/blog
Quercus Silver - http://quercussilver.blogspot.co.uk/

Blogosphere Think Tank - July Installment - Favorite time of Day

ooh, so interesting... I guess I'd have to say any time the sun is up. I like day time best. Once the sun goes down I start to get tired and want to sleep. I think of myself as the anti-vampire! haha! I think I'm just in tune with nature and plants enough that I work on their rhythm.

Each part of the day I like for different reasons... and depending on the season, it changes too! I do really enjoy mornings. Friday mornings I go running and teach yoga and it is just fabulous! Such a beautiful time, shortly after the sun has come up - still slightly coolishhhh in the summertime. There's a certain calmness in the air, everything waking up and a subtle anticipation for what the day will bring.

I tend to be most productive in the afternoons though. My brain seems to be in top gear between 1 - 7pm. For some reason, stone setting around 3 or 4 seems just right as long as I know I have several more hours to work and don't have to rush. So prime work tends to get done between those hours.... most days. When it is super hot in the studio (over 100F) I do tend to slow down.

But really, I like night time too... because I like to sleep! Stationary time of watching tv or a movie or reading and then sleepy time.

make sure to check out the other participants this month!

Andes cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com
pencilfox marie: www.pencilfox.com
Tosca Teran: http://nanopod.me/
Wendy Kelly: http://www.wendykianakelly.com
Robyn Hawk: http://flyviewsandreviews.blogspot.com/
Shannon yeah yeah okay Koochin: http://thebassplayersdaughter.blogspot.ca
Barbara Donovan: http://barbaradonovan.blogspot.com/

EtsyMetal Blog Carnival - Jul 2, 2012 - What in the world are you doing?

 It's time for the EtsyMetal Blog carnival! Every month a new theme is picked. For this month, it is - What in the world are you doing?

And it doesn't have to be just jewelry and metal related. Jewelry has pretty much been my entire life for the past few years and recently I decided I needed to find more balance. In January I started teaching yoga which has been amazing. I've had a fairly flexible rotating schedule with a few other wonderful teachers. And at some point during the spring I started running before class.  I'm not exactly sure what led me to this... The weather I'm sure helped - spring time just makes everyone want to be outside! And I had gotten some new shoes. I hadn't gotten them to be running shoes, but once I wore them - they made me want to run! Although, it was about

Here they are if you want to check them out - Merrell Barefoot Pace Glove

And this is where I get to run whenever I want! (I'm actually headed there in a few minutes) 3 days a week I practice yoga right after I run in that sweet little yurt. The path I run on is around a huge field, which you can see a little of off to the right.

I remember loving to run when I was younger - then it became a chore in high school. Why they decide to make running a punishment is beyond me. Such a horrible thing to teach our kids! Maybe they don't do that anymore...


I used to do a bit of trail running at the botanical gardens but not regularly. And then it started bothering my knees. Not terribly and I wasn't so in to it I was going to continue to injure myself, so I pretty much stopped.


The idea of minimalist running was very appealing to me. I'd read a few articles and tried the Five Fingers - which were fun to start, but then found out my toes weren't quite perfect enough and the shoes rubbed my little toe in a not so great a way... I did love how I could feel the earth beneath my feet though - and the Merrell's did just that while letting my toes wiggle around.
After I got them, a friend and I were talking about running and she told me to go run from one end of my house to the other and notice how I ran and to translate that in to running outside (or, you know, where ever I was running). It wasn't for several more months that I actually started running, but her comment really stuck with me. After having a serious yoga practice for so many years, it was easy to approach running from a very mindful angle. Noticing my breath, my stride, how my feet landed, what happened if I changed where my foot landed or how I took off, what happened on an uphill or downhill, every aspect has been easier for me to notice because of how engrained my yogic perspective is.

My yoga teacher actually recommended Chi Running - and I mean, really, the title says it all "A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running". Who doesn't want to run injury free? I'm about half way through and find it to be great. I don't know that it is that much different than what I've been doing already, but nice to have a little bit of instruction and guidance. The author makes a comment about the stretches he recommends as being "amazingly similar to yoga" or something like that... and I just had to laugh. Why not just call it what it is and do some yoga? I never run without doing a hatha practice afterwards. I don't consider myself a runner and not sure if I ever will. I am a yogi (or yogini if you prefer) and consider my running as just another asana. I treat my running the way I do my hatha practice, being mindful and not pushing myself to the point I may cause an injury. Because, after all, aren't I doing this for my health? And as much as I love yoga, it won't help me run from zombies if the zombie apocalypse ever comes... running will help me and yoga will keep me from being that girl that trips and can't get back up... see, the perfect combination :)


So... that's what I have going on that is new and exciting. Other than that... I make rings all day every day. Sometimes I kind of feel stuck in a factory of my own making. Creating a more balanced life has helped me to enjoy the creating and relax.

Check out the other participants this month and see what they're up to! 

Laney - http://silentgoddess.blogspot.com
Evelyn - http://markasky.blogspot.com/
victoria takahashi - http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/
Miranda - http://gracebourne.blogspot.ca/
Rebecca Bogan - http://AdobeSol.wordpress.com
Anne Walker - http://www.creativeinclinations.blogspot.com
Erin Austin - http://metalmusing.blogspot.com/
Danielle Miller - http://daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com/
Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - favorite quotes / sayings/ music lines

Ooh, I have lots!! But as a time saver, I narrowed it down to two of my faves... I've been on a Mumford and Sons kick recently and find many of their lyrics to be really fabulous.

This video has the lyrics for the whole song if you want (you have to view it on youtube)! I really like it all, but these 3 lines are why I picked to share:

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again




which is actually kind of related to the next song I picked called "Be" by the Tossers - it's basically what I wrote for a speech I gave at my high school graduation (which is kind of funny... only... it wasn't out then)

You can be what you want to be.
You can be whatever you see.
Whatever in this world makes you happy.
Don't listen to them listen to me.




Make sure to  check out everyone else's favorites!!


Andes cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com
Christine: http://sistinachapel.blogspot.ca/
Robyn: http://flyviewsandreviews.blogspot.com/
Tosca Teran: http://nanopod.me/
pencilfox. www.pencilfox.com
WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear: http://www.wattoonline.com/news
Kathleen Krucoff http://mysticalmythicalmetalwork.wordpress.com/
Barbara Donovan:  http://barbaradonovan.blogspot.com/

EtsyMetal Blog Carnival - May 7, 2012 - Unconventional tools

This month's EtsyMetal blog carnival topic is unconventional tools! What a fun topic! 

My most unconventional tools are some of my wax working tools. In terms of being a tool made from wax work... many of them are not. But most likely, many other wax workers have similar pieces in their arsenal.

The one farthest to the left I think is some sort of embossing tool? or clay tool? I think I got a couple different ones at Hobby Lobby or Michaels many many years ago... I can't remember!

The next one over, I think you'll recognize as a pencil. :) with a needle in the end. I actually use the soft graphite end sometimes, both for waxes and for actually writing - but mostly the needle in the end. It has a tiny little crook in the end after years of constant heating. It is so perfect and probably couldn't be easily duplicated if I tried. The short little stub of a pencil is the prefect size for my hands too.

The 3rd is... a stick! With a slightly smaller needle point. I don't use it as much as the pencil. Even though the smaller needle is good for some things, just not as comfy in my hand as the little pencil.

The 4th is another of those tools I have NO idea what it was or where I got it. I have 3 different sizes - one side is kind of serrated, many little parallel grooves. I use it for doing the vine texture. The other side is a smooth convex surface - perfect for smoothing out the inside of rings.

You'll also notice a small handmade q-tip - toothpick with a tiny bit of something... tp most likely! or paper towel... If I'm casting stones in place they often get a bit of wax on them (go figure) so I like to clean them off a little after all is ready to go.

and of course, ye ol' razor blade.... which I would be lost with out. The nice marble surface I work on get cleaned off every few minutes so it is perfectly smooth. It probably isn't that unconventional, but there is no substitute for what it does.

Make sure to check out other unconventional tools from our other participants this month:

Mary Anne Karren - http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/
Laney ~ http://silentgoddess.blogspot.com
Inbar Bareket - http://www.inbarbareket.info/blog
2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Theresa Kwong - http://tkmetalarts.blogspot.com

Danielle and Phill

As I have mentioned before... I love getting photos of weddings!

Danielle and Phill had an amazing wedding in Thailand and kindly sent some gorgeous photos. So fun to think of the journey Danielle's ring has made from a blob of wax to being given in a beautiful ceremony around the world! So lovely! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to provide something meaningful and symbolic for such a lovely couple.

And the winners are.....

 
Source: Hubblesite.org

 Thank you all so much for entering my give away! I am super excited to announce the winners! I was waiting to hear back from both... and I still haven't, so I thought I'd just go ahead and post anyway!

The winner of the galaxy ring is Jenna G! Yay! Congrats Jenna! (We've been working on details for her ring - I'll post photos when it is all done!)

and the winner of the $50 gift certificate is Larc.! Congrats congrats!!!

A very big thank you to everyone who entered and gave feedback. I'll be adding some new designs to my collection over the next couple of months.

I'm also going to be working on getting my website up and running - with a shopping cart and everything!

xoxo

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - April Edition - Favorite Tool

I do have many favorites... tools that I couldn't live without, that I use every day, that I would recommend to any jeweler... but I do have one tool I just simply love. I do have a thing for hammers. My Peddinghaus "planishing/grooving" hammer is the one I don't think I could live with out. You know how you always look for the perfect tshirt or the perfect pair of jeans, often never really finding it. This is my perfect hammer. Even though I have another 20 or so, this will always be my favorite.

 

Other tools that come close - my flex shafts - I have one w/ just a quick change handpiece and one w/ a hammer handpiece... love them both. My torches - without which I would not be able to work! I also have a few favorite wax working tools (stay tuned for etsymetal blog carnival first Monday in May for those). Make sure to check out everyone else's favorites!!

Andes Cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com
Shannon Koochin: http://thebassplayersdaughter.blogspot.ca
Barbara Donovan: http://barbaradonovan.blogspot.com/
Robyn Hawk: http://flyviewsandreviews.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Krucoff: http://mysticalmythicalmetalwork.wordpress.com/
Natsuko Hanks: http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
Christine: http://sistinachapel.blogspot.ca/
WATTO (Mary): http://www.wattoonline.com/news
Wendy Kelly: http://www.wendykianakelly.com
 Stephanie Clark: http://thethinkingsofacoldweathergirl.blogspot.com

Last Chance to Enter Spring 2012 Giveaway!

In a little over 24 hours, my giveaway will end! The giveaway will close Tuesday, April 17th at 5:00pm EST. I will organize all of the entries and run the random picker. The winners will be announced by Wednesday the 18th (may depend on how quickly I can get in touch with them)

I'm giving one last chance to enter!

Order anything from either of my shops (ring sizers not included) and use the coupon code SPRING2012 to receive free shipping. For each item purchased, your name will be entered TWICE in the drawing. You do not need to post here, simply using the coupon code will let me know who's name to enter. I just added a couple new pairs of earrings to my regular jewelry shop. Two styles - each with two sizes. Very sweet and simple, but matching my sands of time and love rocks texture I use for my rings.

Purchases made before 5:00pm EST will qualify for the drawing. Any orders or comments made after 5:00pm EST will not be entered in to the drawing.

 One more dayyy!!!

EtsyMetal Blog Carnival - 3.2.12 - Nobody's Perfect

This month's EtsyMetal blog carnival is "Nobody's Perfect" - Care to share a piece of your work that did not turn out quite as beautiful as you had planned?
Perhaps you have an interesting experience that went awry...
Do tell!

What a fun topic!
I used to do so much experimenting... and then often just kept my messed up experiments! I know a lot of jewelers have scrap boxes. It is part of the great thing about working with metal - even when you mess up, the metal is still good and can either be melted down or turned in to something else.

Here are a few of my favorite disasters:
(sorry for the horribly fuzzy photos this morning)

The top two photos were when I was working on setting stones from the back of a piece as opposed to on top in a normal bezel... apparently you can see how well that was working for me! haha!




Make sure to check out the other participants this month!

Silentgoddess
Gracebourne
2Roses
Inbar Bareket
Anne Walker
wildflowerdesigns
Michele Grady Designs
TK Metal Arts
Evelyn Markasky