Really Quick

Embroidered Silk Teardrop Earrings

This is the other pair of earrings that are on their way to the Fancy show. I said three pairs earlier, but messed the third up and didn't have time for a fix. I am supposed to be baking for tomorrow and am off to do that right now. I'm making this.

The finished product and more progress shots

This pair of earrings along with two others is on its' way to Fancy in Seattle for their December Earring show. They each have two sets of coordinated buttons. The earrings spin so you lots of different looks from one pair. I am really happy with this design.

I haven't been feeling so hot lately, battling allergies or some such annoyance. While my motivation to sit at my work bench has been low, I have really been enjoying embroidering fabric for my buttons! If you couldn't already tell I love color and playing with color combinations. Embroidery is something I have always enjoyed, both the process and end product. However I hadn't done any embroidery projects in a while. I am so glad I have started again because the outcome is really exciting and motivating for me! Luckily for me my Granny had tons of embroidery floss that she passed on to my mom. Mom has warned me not to buy any because there is plenty at her house. It is hard to resist buying more though, so I know how Granny felt!

Making buttons

Yesterday was all about making my fabric covered buttons. I am having so much fun with these! The fabric came from my extremely generous mom and are mostly Japanese fabrics that she has gotten at quilt show in Houston over the years. One of these years I am going to have to go down with her because she always comes home with lots of neat stuff. I made all of these buttons and am now planning to do some with embroidery as well. You can see a few examples with stitches here, but I want to do a bunch more. These will become earrings, rings and pendants and I will have them at my shows in Austin.

These buttons are for some earrings that I am sending off to a show this week.

Testing out a new design. These have bezels on both sides and spin around. There are two sets of buttons going in them.

Some of those buttons were my Granny's, as well as some of the embroidery floss, which I severely need to organize.

Japanese fabrics

The finished buttons

My Friend Gretchen

I have never talked about my friend Gretchen here. Gretchen is my oldest friend, not in age, but in years of being friends. Next summer will mark the twentieth anniversary of the start of our life long friendship! Gretchen is one of the most talented and most motivated women I know. I have been lucky to share many of my most memorable moments in life with this woman, as well as many years of plain old fun and friendship.

After attending middle school together for three years I invited Gretchen over to my house to make purses. We bonded over art, and still share that common bond to this day.

I am so proud of my friend Gretchen for what she is achieving in her career. Not only is she a wonderful artist, working in printmaking and paper making, but she also involved in teaching art to her community and the world.

I am lucky to own quite a few pieces of Gretchen's artwork. I apologize for the poor quality of photos, they really aren't doing these pieces justice. Please visit Gretchen's website to see her new work.

Happy Birthday G!

New Pendant

Well, as usual this one has been sitting, waiting to be photographed for a while. It is a tricky one. These photos aren't the best. I'm not sure if I like the necklace curved like that or not. I don't have a name for this one. I used to make similar pendants with different stones all hanging down in a row. With this one I wanted to go back to that idea but add lots of new details. The stones are Turquoise and Labradorite. I am really happy with how this pendant turned out.

Fort Worth is beautiful!

I talked about mine and Frank's hike at the Fort Worth Nature Center in my post about the CCC. I wanted to share the rest of my pictures of our hike. We did the most difficult trail in the park, which isn't saying much, this is Texas after all. It was a good workout in a beautiful setting, however, and we do plan to go back to this place as often as the weather and our schedules will allow. There are also plenty of flat trails that are great for kids, and we want to take out nieces back with us.

The park is situated on Lake Worth and has trails all along the lake.

This time of year the blooming and growing things are smaller and less showy than in the spring. You really have to stop and slow down to appreciate these tiny beauties.

The broken glass was in the CCC ruin that we had our picnic at. Though trash is never cool, I found the shards to be beautiful.

This hill of stairs is the steepest one that we encountered. It is a little deceptive from the bottom and steeper than it looks!

At the top of the hill even Lucy was tired!

Frank wondered what this sign meant. I knew it was supposed to be a yucca plant, and commented that there must be a field of yuccas ahead.

And, there they were....

Unfortunately, Lucy thinks she is our pack leader, and pulls so hard that picture taking can be difficult. The pulling is a bit helpful when going up hills though!

The sight of falling leaves made me happy. However, I wish I could suspend this season and this perfect weather. I'm definitely not ready for the darkness of winter.

Almost to the end of the trail. Malta, my old lady, will be 14 this month. We have traveled the country together, and she is a wonderful companion. Frank never knew he could love a dog until Malta and I came into his life!

Busy clicking away....

Luckily this time I'm clicking my camera, not my keyboard! I have been busy photograph tons of new stuff for my etsy shop, and I am nowhere near done. These items and more will be going in the shop asap.