Ispiration from snow to the sea

Walking into the Stash one day opened up another opportunity for us. Making custom pendants for Janie's daughters. We were asked to make Flower girl pendants to match the white delicate dresses they were to wear to a wedding. We took on the challenged and brainstormed what little girls can wear that they can still grow into and yet be dainty enough for a wedding.

We came up with snowballs beads. I was to turn these into pendants for 3 flower girls.



Here are the results. White beads with bumps embelished with Swarovski crystals, sterling silver heart charms and findings daitily hanging on a satin necklace.





The pendants were a hit!Janie was so kind to send pictures of the girls wearing it. It looked so dainty against the beautiful white dresses.




In the middle of creating these little snowball pendants...Bo made a set inspired by the ocean water that we miss so much. This turned into a sea life bracelet for a friend in California who loves the ocean and misses her trips to Hawaii.

Ocean Inspired Beads





Sea Life Bracelet







After sharing the pictures with family and friends I am now in the process of a custom order for one of my favorite cousins for another ocean inspired bracelet. Hers will depict the waters of Hawaii and so Bo took his inspiration from a shell we had at home and made her set. I am ordering her charms and will be putting the bracelet together for her soon. But I had to share the beads and the inspiration.







Fall has come in full swing here in Fairbanks and although I know what that means...I am enjoying the beautiful foliage that nature loves to share with us.

















Have a great day!

Fall Creations Mid September

I have been busy creating glass jewelry and also taking a metalsmithing class at our local University. Here are some of my newest work.
Beads Bo made with a swirl

Pendants made with the beads




Fall Colors




Mocha Browns




More pendants



This pendant was for a friend for her 40th Birthday

This bracelet was a re-string. The beads were made for me by Bo in 2006 when he left me for 5 months. I turned it into a bracelet and wore it everyday he was gone.
The purple and green colors were to remind me of my favorite flowers the Irises. Here is the bracelet restrung.








Hope you enjoyed some glass "eye candy".

Just a quick shout out....

My days are going by so fast I have to run to keep up with the time! LOL! I will be updating soon and hopefully sharing some pictures.

Football is about to end with 2 more weeks left. My boys team is undefeated for the season and will have their first play off game this Saturday.

I have been busy with the action pictures I take of the team and resizing them for web and also getting them ready for parents. I upload them to my Flickr site for parents to view. That has been rewarding but tedious.

I also enrolled in a metalsmithing class at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and I am enjoying every minute of it! Everytime a project is started I spend so much time in the planning because I want my style incorporated into each piece. There is still a lot to learn like not being intimidated by drills and torches....LOL!

I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful fall season. The leave have sure changed around here.

Have a great day or night............will be back soon to update with pictures.

Busy...busy....

I know....I have not been around...I am sorry for those of you who check my page up for updates. I have been a busy bee...

Football for both boys is on full speed with practices every night and games every weekend, pluse we had to get things situated for school to start tomorrow. My eldest is a freshman this year and that has of course put me in a lot of mixed emotions..mostly because he is starting high school in my hometown high school. My second son is ready for school..he will be an eigth grader this year and is ready to see his friends again and be in school.

Besides the busy stuff of the household I am also busy with my jewelry. I have a couple special orders that I need to help Bo finish up and I need to start working on my inventory for the upcoming fall and holidays.

I am really contemplating taking a metalsmithing class at the University here...but I have to make sure that I am not piling up too much things on myself. Going to a class like that would actually be escape from my busy life...smile.

Here are some beads that Bo pumped out about a couple weeks ago. I need to still turn it into jewelry and started with the earring pairs. I love the amber and green color together. It is colorful and yet organic in look.


Here are the finished earrings that will compliment the future bracelet.



These two beads are the result of an expirimentation of swirls. I will probably be turning these into pendants.


This is another organic looking set of beads with a darker hue or browns and greens. I am hoping to also turn this into a bracelet.


Bo has been working a lot and so when he is home it is hard when we are busy with the boys to get him firing up the torch. Hopefully though once we get the boys schedule all worked out again with school and sports we can dedicate more time into our work with the glass. I know he has a lot of ideas and cannot wait to put them to use.

So before I say good bye since we have an actual football game tonight instead of just practice I will leave you with pictures of these fun rings. I call them Sparklies. Are they not fun looking? They are also fun to wear. These two are sitting at The Stash downtown.




If you cannot visit The Stash here locally please visit the blog.
Here is the link.
http://threadsinmystash.wordpress.com/

If you are a local here please stop by the store. Everything is handmade by our local artists and the owners are a pleasure to meet. I am very honored to have been asked to be one of many artists featured in the store. They will be having First Friday events and Bazaars soon so do not forget to check on updates on their blog.

Okay well off I go for now........have a football game to not only watch and cheer on my boys but also take pictures of.

Have a great night ya'll!

A Peaceful Walk at Creamer's Field

My wonderful walk at Creamer's Field one beautiful early evening. This once working dairy farm is now a nature reserve for the migratory ducks and geese and cranes. The Sandhill Cranes are in....and although I do not want winter to come to fast...I love Creamer's Field in all seasons. The fall being my favorite.

Enjoy the pictures............

I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. It has given me blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern day. It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful. Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy.

~Hamlin Garland, McClure's, February 1899~


























As the sound of rain drops echoes in my room.....my bed is calling my name.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Glass Jewelry....

The main reason I started this was to keep everyone up on the progression of our glass endeavors.

My husband is a lampwork artist and I am the fused glass artist. We make pieces and transform them into wearable art. It started off as a hobby we both shared and would make them for myself or to give as gifts.

Last year I was finally talked into selling them and realized I actually could sell them after a Holly Days Bazaar Show. In February we were a featured artists at a First Friday event for a local clothing store here in Fairbanks called Willow Creek Clothing. Both were a success.

Now my jewelry sits in a new shop downtown Fairbanks called The Stash. Most of my inventory will go there. I love how everything in the shop are handmade items and are from our local artists and the owners are just such awesome gals.

In the midst of football season going on and my husband's crazy work schedule I am trying to find time to just experiment. I want to dive more into metal and incorporate that with my glass. I am also contemplating(wishing it will come through) taking a metalsmithing class offered at our University this fall.

This so called hobby has grown for us. I am just so tickled to know my jewelry is liked by many but to be able to sell it to at least make up for more materials has really made it a real passion for us.

Here is a sample of how far along we have come.

2006 Jewelry







2007 Fused and Lampwork













2008 Pieces








Hope you enjoyed the eye candy.