Greetings from the Emerald Isle

I'll make no excuses for the disappearance from my blog. I will say I've been a little busy, but I figured that my trip to Ireland would be the perfect impetus to get me blogging again. The wifi situation is a bit sketchy, but I'll get them up at some point.

Day one and we are in Dublin. To me, traveling between time zones is tantamount to time travel. At the time I am typing this, it is 5:24 home time and I have essentially been awake for over 24 hours. I thought I'd sleep on the plane, but the acute allergy attack I suffered kept me pretty awake despite combining antihistamine and Guinness. I saw the sun rise over the Atlantic. It was lovely and the first sun I'd seen in over a week.


Anyway, we landed in Dublin around 3:00 am our time and spent the day roaming around. Our cab driver from the airport was lovely.


Ann and I wanted to keep him. It was a challenge to get us to our hotel (Obama is scheduled to arrive monday, the day we leave), but he got us there and imparted some wisdom, and we (Ann and I) missed him after he'd driven off.
It rained off and on, but we didn't let that dampen our enthusiasm for wandering around aimlessly in circles. We ate and drank


and shopped a bit.


Our hotel is right near Trinity College in a pedestrian friendly area of the city, so wandering was fun if not a trifle damp.



The parks in Dublin are lovely and full of sculpture





Even the doors are lovely






Tomorrow we visit Guinness and Jameson and more touristy points of interest. As of right now,I am extremely jet lagged and punch drunk. Hopefully subsequent posts will be more coherent. Or, maybe they wont. The successful completion of tomorrow's activities may come to bear on my posting abilities.

He Called it "Kicky"

Heading out the door this morning, my husband kisses me and murmurs "isn't that a kicky outfit". This brings me up short. My husband and I have an agreement. If I am experiencing a wardrobe malfunction, I have something in my teeth, or anything seems awry once I've left the house, he discreetly informs me. I do the same for him. Other than that, we generally do not comment on one another's wardrobe decisions. We are both fairly conservative dressers, so we know what to expect from each other when we leave the house.
"Kicky? Kicky? What exactly does Kicky mean?"
"it's interesting"
"what is interesting about this outfit?"
Now I had already determined for my own damn self that my outfit was different for me.



Little gray cable-knit dress, striped tights and Mary janes. I know this reference is incestuous when applied to my husband and I, but he is the Alex P. Keaton to my Mallory. He is republican to the core and is singlehandedly bringing back the sweater vest. I wanted to know what his issue was with my Kicky outfit. After hemming and hawing, he revealed his distaste for my tights. I tried on two different pairs of boots and different flats, but the tights were the deal breaker for him. Let's take a closer look, shall we?



Fortunately for him, he has not looked in my sock drawer lately. It would send shivers down his spine. I have been stockpiling tights in every imaginable pattern and color for this fall/winter season. I hope he is comfortable with his new term, because he will be using it a lot.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

what does creativity mean to you?

I was checking up on the blogs I love to read, and on How About Orange, Jessica included a link to this quiz.  I took it, and wasn’t surprised.

“Creativity enriches you

Creativity is separate from the real world for you. But it’s a magical world in which you like to immerse yourself. When you’re involved in it, you get the wonderful sensation that there are no limits, that anything is possible. What you are really looking for is harmony — you want to feel you are a part of what you create. Planting flowers, writing poetry, embroidery or putting together a photo album, these are all suited to your sort of quiet creativity. You want to fall in love with what you create. You also think of creativity as a part of you in which you can take refuge and feel protected. As the psychoanalyst D Anzieu explained, creativity acts as an ‘encouraging parent — loving, enriching and supportive’. You would love to use your creativity to retreat into a world that is kind and reassuring. For you, being creative means having the chance to become one with what you create, bathe in the glory of it and allow yourself to be taken over by it. This is why you seem more suited to the sort of creativity that calls for gentleness, subtlety, harmony and patience.”

Take the quiz, please,  I want to know what it means to you, too.

Coming soon- a new website!  My uber talented and amazingly generous sister, Abbi Peters, did me a solid by removing the website design from my hands.  We used Patterncooler to create the backgrounds and patterns used, and Wix to create the actual site.  I was getting so bogged down between creating the patterns (mesmerizing, you could lose hours to Patterncooler)  and just not being familiar enough with Wix, she swooped in and in a day, had it pretty much ready to go.  Once it is running, you will be able to use my domain pulledsugardesigns.com to access my store, my blog, to contact me and see a gallery of work.  I am in the process of getting the photos into my flickr account.  Then I will have to redo my store, and the blog, because the current themes do not jibe with my new site’s feel.  When you decide to undertake such a thing, you never realize how much work you are creating for yourself, until you are really invested. 

So, that’s what is going on here (oh, I also have a gorgeous new nephew, welcome to the world Luke).  What’s up with you?

so I have this dog….

Long time no post, I know.  I started this post in the beginning of May, and never got back to it. I  made bunches of jewelry in April (for the ECCOTA Gallery), but for various reasons, took pictures of nothing.  My life is pretty scattered right now, and here is an example of how.

So I have this miniature dachshund.  She is nine.   This dog is a giant pain in the ass on paper, but I love her to pieces.  She is admittedly a replacement for the kids I don’t have.  I try not to anthropomorphize her too much, but she does have a lovely sweater collection (she gets cold in the winter) and she has some really cute Halloween costumes.

About four years ago, she injured her back, and had  spinal surgery.  The surgery was an amazing success.  She went from being almost completely paralyzed in her back end, to regaining 90% strength in her hindquarters.  These past four years, I have always accepted, in a back corner of my mind,  that she would probably lose use of her hind legs some day.  A spinal injury is so fickle, she could reinjure it playing too hard, or scar tissue from the incision could cause pressure on the spinal column, you never know.

In early May, she started favoring her back left leg.  I could not find anything wrong with it.  Then I noticed that when she walked, her hind end was less in sync with the front than usual.  Mother’s Day weekend my hubby and I traveled and left her with a dear, dear family, who care for her as if their own.  When we got back she hadn’t deteriorated, but she hadn’t improved.  That next Sunday morning she was the best she been in a while, really wanting to play.  When I came home later that afternoon though, she had gotten worse, now favoring her right side, but the left side wasn’t strong enough to support the entire works.   This means she was dragging  herself around, with that one back leg making feeble attempts to help her scoot.  Well, long story marginally not as long, she is back to normal again, but for a month I was dealing with a dog with so-so bladder control, scooting around, acting like nothing was wrong.  That is taxing on a lady’s energy. 

I am feeling very drained lately.  Not physically, but in my psyche.  I’ve got a couple of things using up my mental energy, and I’m not sure when that will be over.  I made a commissioned piece recently, and thankfully it was based on another piece I had made, or I don’t know what I would have done.  I don’t know if I could have pulled an entire design out of thin air.  I hate feeling like this.  I know it will pass, but I feel guilty when I have an opportunity to be at my bench, but I pass it up with a wan “I don’t feel it”.  It is so lame, but I have learned that when I am in this type of funk, I am much better off riding the wave.  Forcing myself to make stuff usually ends in ugly, tortured metal.  I did sit down this past weekend for a bit.  I had some leftover fine silver rings, and I fashioned them into an acceptable necklace (again, nary a picture).  I am still working on the clasp, but I think there may be a light at the end of this tunnel.

Or, it could just be a train….

Thank you x’s 7

I had a lovely surprise this morning (aside from my Greek dressing-bomb debacle). I was given this honor:

Susanna Originals awarded me this honor, and I am very excited. Susan has a great blog, where she writes about her her lovely jewelry journey(with wit and humor), and talks about life on snake free Prince Edward’s Island- yes, she’s from Canada! Someone from another country reads my blog, too cool. Anywho, there are two requirements for accepting the award, one you must reveal seven things about yourself that no one else knows, and secondly, you must award 7 other blogs this award. Too neat, I get to let seven other bloggers know that I love what they do- this really is twofold cool.

So, seven things you don’t know about me- when you talk as much as me, I can’t imagine there is anything left, but here goes:

1. I am terrified of heights, but love roller coasters and most other amusement rides. I was in full freak out mode at the Grand Canyon this past fall. My husband is climbing around like a Billy goat, and all I can think is “Do not fall, do not fall, do not fall”, about myself. If there had been somewhere to strap in at the Grand Canyon, I would have been fine.
2. If I love a book, I will read it over and over again. Some examples: Little Women, Dune, The Dark Tower Series (by Stephen King). If I love it, I LOVE IT!
3. I love to be organized, but find it very challenging to stay that way. So far, the only organized area in my house that really works is my vanity counter system, which keeps my next secret ( and here) hidden away…..
4. I am addicted to lip gloss. I must have 75 lip glosses of all kinds. I tell myself I am looking for the perfect one, but I think we all know that I just have a problem.
5. I am allergic to certain types of fresh fruit. Specifically, I cannot eat raw apples, pears, plums, peaches or cherries. I can eat them cooked. I can eat citrus, melons, grapes, berries. Weird, huh? Apparently (this comes from another woman who suffers this, I actually know two other women who have this problem), it happens in women of western European descent, the onset is usually late puberty, and can be reversed by childbearing. Apparently, we are sensitive to an enzyme in the fruit. There are varying degrees of sensitivity. One woman can only eat bumpy berries (meaning they carry their seeds on the outside), some can’t eat fruit at all, even cooked.
6. I am a big crybaby. I have been known to cry over commercials, TV shows, movies and books. Pitiful, I know. The worst of it, is that I also can cry when very angry. Nothing worse than being furious, and crying at the same time.
7. I think that I am making jewelry for the woman I wish to become. It is weird, many of my pieces don’t match what I would perceive to be my current “style”.

Now for the next task- picking the seven blogs I wish to pass this award on to. It will be hard to limit it to seven, but here goes nothing, and in no specific order:

• A Metalsmith’s Journey. Janice is a wonder woman of sorts. She creates amazing jewelry, runs the Jewelry Artist Network, is a single mom, has recently changed over to a raw lifestyle, she does it all, in the same 24 hours the rest of us has.
• Ginga Squid . Vicky creates the most delicious fiber and gemstone (often combining the two) treats. She is from New Zealand, and her works are over the top amazing- handspun wool and unique stones, and cute kiddos too!
• Kelsi’s Closet Jewelbox : Melissa’s jewelry is swirly goodness, and her Tool Time Tuesday Tutorials have great information for those of us just starting our tool addictions!
• Stephanie Distler : Stephanie is also quite the mixed media wonder woman. She does a little bit of everything- artbead dolls, jewelry in sterling and copper and beads, and is very active in her community, whew, tired just thinking about her schedule!
• Painting with Fire Artwear : Barbara’s article in Belle Armoire about torch fired enamel was so inspiring. She is a gifted artisan who is very generous with her knowledge. I learned about the next blogger from Barbara’s Ning site Painting with Fire…
• Beautifully Broken Me : Another talented and generous woman, featuring copper and resin and enamel and neat little bits and baubles. Her site is full of inspiration.
• Chris Kerr Jewelry : Chris can and will stamp on anything metal! Her embellishments are so lovely and bring a smile to my face. She’s been having a rough time with wrist issues (a nightmare for sure), but she is coming through it, and continues to inspire with her work.

Okay, so this blog entry took WAY too long to write. I am up to my armpits in jewelry components which need to be transformed into jewelry before Friday. I am in low-level freak out mode right now, trying to get a gazillion things done so that I can drive up to Ridgway, PA to participate in the Spring Things exhibit at ECCOTA. I leave Thursday, after a short work day to make the four hour drive. I still also have to pack. Things could get very interesting.

Thanks for checking in!

Jen

Technorati Tags: Beautiful Blogger Award,Ridgway,Springs Things

they are DONE!

just a quickie-

The wind chimes are done!  You are probably all sick of hearing about them, but I guess because they are on a scale larger than I usually deal with I just can’t stop talking about them.  Anywhoo, here they are… they sound pretty good now, and I think they will not be my last set.  I made them for ECCOTA's 4th Annual Feed the Arts Soup Benefit on April 8th.  Click the link for details.  If you are near Elk County PA that day, I highly recommend this event.  $7 gets you in to taste 25 homemade soups, complimented by bread and desserts.  There will be a door prize awarded, and there is a silent auction featuring handmade items from area artists.  Go ahead!  Feed the Arts!

I also made this:

for a bride getting married on the first day of fishing season.  I hope the lures I used are not laughable, as I do not fish, and have no expertise in the fishing arena.  I hope she likes it, and if the lures are weird, I hope they at least make her smile, not cry.

Okay, that’s it for now- thanks for checking in!

Technorati Tags: wind chimes,fishing lure jewelry,ECCOTA,Feed the Arts

giving what’s owed….

My lovely girlfriend and fellow blogger Janis (hi Janis!) nudged me the other day while I was up on a tipsy soap box about blogging, that I probably was a little behind on my own posting. So here goes a quickie…

I offered to make something as a donation for an event my sister Abbi has something to do with (see ALL that helpful info I was able to provide- scary).  She asked what I had in mind- meaning thanks, but something other than jewelry please.  So I had this hare brained idea that I could make enameled copper wind chimes.  I even sketched my ideas!  That is huge for me- very little of my creative process involves sketching out my ideas.

 

So I dove in, and things were going swimmingly until I hit one of the pipes with the handle of my hammer to see what it would sound like.  Lets just say that when my two year nephew bangs on pots and pans it is acoustically more pleasant than these wind chimes were shaping up to be.  Luckily, I had only dry fit all the components together, and I had bought an extra length of copper pipe.  I googled making wind chimes, and just as I had hoped, I found a tutorial that had a chart that gave me the specific lengths of pipe for each note, also the spot where the holes for hanging needed to be drilled so as not to interfere with the sound waves- pretty intense. (I could have skipped this whole first step had I only googled first- that is not lost on me).  I skimmed the entire post, it was very involved, but it really made a 100% difference in the chimes.  I’m not saying they could be used in an orchestra, but they sound quite lovely now.  I have cut, drilled and enameled the new set of pipes.  Tomorrow morning I will set all the hanging mechanisms for the pipes, and once again dry fit all the pieces together.  I am in a bit of a time crunch now, as they are due to Abbi the first of April, but I will snap a few photos, to show my process.  I also need to pick up some type of wooden finial to use as the “striker”.  I am enjoying this process, but don’t think I will be adding these to my web store any time soon.  I don’t think anyone would be willing to pay for the time it takes to put these things together.  I will never again wonder at the price of beautiful sounding chimes (not that I ever thought the prices outrageous, I just now have personal experience with the why behind the price).

Work is crazy, of course, but we are down to the final 3 weeks of tax season, so the finish line is visible, but this final push is always a bit painful.  Tempers run short, but we also get a bit punch drunk as well so we vacillate between killing ourselves/each other/the clients and peeing ourselves when we do something silly.  So posts will continue to be sporadic until then.

Another announcement:  my sister Abbi and I will be testing the podcast waters.  We have been wanting to collaborate on something for a long time, and given we live four hours away from each other, this seems to be accessible for both of us.  We’ll see.  Maybe we just want an excuse for a scheduled phone call to each other.  We are also working on some jewelry component design ideas, but that is still a bit vague, so more details to follow.

So, this ended up being a bit longer than expected, but just as rambling as expected.

The moral of this story- be careful what you wish for.  Seriously though- thanks Janis for the gentle reminder. Sisters in blogging!

Technorati Tags: wind chimes,copper wind chimes,enameled copper,podcast