4/23/08

pretty isn't it?





look what i made.....it's my very first chain.....i made it from 16 gauge fine silver wire.....

i fused all the links with my new torch and shaped the links by hand.....
the center piece is also the clasp, there is a large yellow glass drop, the elephant and fish beads are czech pressed glass and the large blue stone is light aqua chalcedony its rough faceted.....one of my favorite stones
it's a very striking piece 
and i'm so proud..!!!
looks like the self teaching is working!!
xo~

parties and passion



i feel much better now....i've been sick ugh...


we had a surprise get together for my mom and my son sevrin the sunday before last....
my son's birthday is on the 5th and my mom's is on the 15th....
in my family there seems to always be two birthdays a month well the months of march april and may so we group them....
well anyways sarah brings some bug as a gift...
all us have passed it around....ick!!
"thanks sarah"
;)
i have tried to keep busy since last i posted.... making my jewelry
i'm self taught and its my passion....

to fill you in...
i have always loved handmade jewelry....when i was younger i lived in San Antonio Tx.
my grandparents lived in FL... i went to spend the summer between 4th and 5th grade with them. my grandfather got a job in Banner Elk, NC while i was there so i went with them when they moved..... what a neat experience.... i had never seen mountains....
that summer my grandmother took me to the coolest places including tons of craft fairs.
and thats what started my love affair...
i loved all the beautifully handcrafted jewelry.
the artists there did amazing things with the natural stones and silver.....
i was about 10 then
.... after that i was infatuated with silver and the artist that used it.... in TX all the woman wore tons silver and there were even more incredible artists....
when i was about 15 i began to make what i could.... the usual friendship bracelet ... remember those? fishing lures and seed beads....
then i moved to FL and met jimi, who became and is still my best friend
he introduced me to the joys of dmc embroidery floss and chinese knotting....
he made the best stuff...... and still is my biggest inspiration... he is my muse....( i don't think he knows this~ i guess he does now)
in high school i signed up for beginning jewelry making i was SOOOOO excited finally i was going to learn how to use that metal....
well my luck there weren't enough kids that signed up that year so they stuck me in sewing.......i at the time had no interest whatsoever in sewing ... i flunked that class.....
:(
and shortly after my first year in high school, the party started......those following years are pretty much a big blur....i had fun but accomplished nothing..... wasted youth (wow, i'm such a cliche..lol)
somehow in that blur i began playing with beads again.....
indian bead weaving....
oh the the joys of hanging with hippies....
:)
of course jimi ended up into the beads as well.
his work was amazing and so inspirational.....
(i think men make some of the best jewelry ....the fusion of the femininity and masculinity can be so very beautiful)...he taught me so very much.......peyote stitch was our passion!
i never thought we could do it and make money... way to many hours in the process.....
but fun anyways.....
then when i was about 24 i met another man who inspired me..... we'll call him daniel....
when we first started hanging out he showed me the joys of hemp.......he was amazing i still have some of his stuff..... i should take a pictures of it and show you ..... he was so talented....and we we both became obsessed with old african trade beads.....
then my life went on another roller coaster ride......
and now i'm where i am now.....
mother of a 9 year old and convinced that my passion should be my job....
so here i am passionately teaching my self one step at a time.....with my creativity pushing my abilities every day, i learn just a little more......
i have recently fallen in love with the beauty of gold.... old tribal gold.... soooo very lucious
my goals are to work with those old trade beads i fell in love with and gold wire.....
but my wallet says patience....
i sometimes think this should have happened so much earlier in my life due to it being a constant love... but all things i believe happen for a reason.....
and alas i am understanding the lesson i have always struggled with......
patience
xo~

4/16/08

sick

the past two days have been crazy and long.

i have had a bit of a stomach flu or something somewhat similar,
i have also had a swell headache to match....ick!!!!
yet i have pushed myself right along....
i swung by fdj twice this week, and still i need supplies....
i picked up some solder paste and some bur cups .....wrong size of course but i'll survive.
they kinda work.... now at least i know what size i do need.....
busy bee i will be......
i am making a bunch of new stuff this week i'll have more pictures up in a few days..... i promise.... 
keep your eyes peeled for my website that should be up and going soon.... bittergreendesigns.com
yay!!! (let me do my little happy dance for you)....*use your imagination*
;)
i also got some pretty groovy news last night as well....
i expand more on this later once i have some chit chat time with my girlie...
tons of detail sorting in this area.....
things seem to be really looking up....
ok ta for now.....
there is a ton a beads calling my name
xo~


4/15/08

ta da...


here she is .... my lap magnet....

isn't she just so cute....
true: i'm crazy.....
false: i regularly dress my dog (it's only necessity, she was cold)...
true: i made her pearls...
meet my lil devil
Talula
;)

4/12/08

demonoid

so i got good news today.....

demonoid is back...
woot woot!!!!
those of you who know... know how wonderful this is....
they've been gone for like 4 1/2 months....... i almost gave up
;)

summer or spring?



such a beautiful day outside......

summer is coming .....
we had a debate on the porch last night... the men swear it's already here....
i reminded them of how lovely it is in the shade it is after all only April.....
still without convincing them they banter.....
fools they forget how hot the shade can be in August......
;)


4/11/08

earrings...

here are a few pics of my earrings...
i hope you enjoy...
if you have any questions,
email me....
xo~










testing

here goes....

i can't lie this isn't my first blog....
it's been a while since last i posted...
and with so many things still unsaid....
i shall begin again.....

xo~