Dear Blog...

I promise to quit ignoring you....but I've been busy and soon you will see....cross my heart!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Got the turkey in the oven on time while watching the Macy's parade and football.  Now the turkey is done, working on mash potatoes & corn, oven baked rolls hot, on to the gravy!  Happy Thanksgiving from me, Tom & my brother, Jason from sunny Arizona to your family!

Back in the studio...

It's been a full couple of weeks for me and I've not spent time in the studio.  I have unfinished business in there.  Monday = studio time!

Great idea!

alisaburke: paper cup topiaries: With a little paint, glue and everyday materials you can transform just about anything into something creative!

I saw this on her blog today and I remembered I had tons of sno-kone cups!   A box of 200 for a dollar!!  I'm going to make christmas trees and use wooden spools as the base.  I'll paint them and glitter them up... can't wait to show you.

Election is over....some interesting facts

Women and Latinos got out & voted and made a difference!  One fact was the Latino vote made up 10% of the total vote and this is the first time in history it's been this high.  This country's politicians can no longer ignore Latinos.  The other thing is Arizona mainly here in Phoenix there are 600,000 ballots that have not been counted and many Latinos had trouble casting their votes. I just don't get it.  The lines were long at polling places.  One thing I notice at my polling place.  No signs indicating it was a place to vote.  Not signs no balloons no nothing.  Weird.
I'm happy the election is over and I must admit I'm happy Obama was re-elected but I sure am disappointed with Arizona.  Proud of the voters in Colorado & Iowa.  I'm proud my whole family got out and voted, three generation Mexican Americans!  Our Grandparents would be so proud of us. 

Vote!

The smell of home...

The electricity went out in our neighborhood tonight for several hours.  I was in the middle of making refried beans for dinner.  The power wouldn't be restored for several hours so we went out for dinner.  When we got home the electricity was back on, no harm done.  I wasn't sleepy so I made tortillas.  I love the smell of homemade tortillas.  It reminds me of home.  When I was really young my Grandpa Jose made tortillas every morning, loved walking into his kitchen.  My mom always made tortillas, too.  My Grandpa Ramon made her a wooden board and palote (rolling pin).  She still has them.  I have my favorite handmade palote, too. My mom taught me how and I was eager to learn...but only to realize that was going to be my job.   I really haven't mastered the getting them all the same size and roundness like my mom, hers were perfect.  My family used to make fun of the shapes of my tortillas, the fifty states...ha ha

Breakfast burritos...yumm yumm

October 31st

Happy Halloween

 

This photo reminds me of me with my sisters.

I'm the one on the far left...of course having something very important to say.

Melinda is next...she's in la la land

Then Rhonda, she's listening

Then my sister Patsy, She's acting like she's listening, but laughing.

p.s.  it's not coffee or tea in them cups

 

 

What to do on a sunny perfect day...

I've been out riding my bicycle in the neighborhood.  Up to four miles.  It's not easy riding a single gear bike.  Thank goodness it's flat around here.  I've been challenged with a breeze almost every day!  But I'm not complaining at all.  It's a good way to get some much needed exercise.  I actually ride it to do some errands.  I'm going to the post office tomorrow.
When I get home from my rides the dogs are waiting and we water plants and rake the courtyard.  Then we all sit for a bit..me on my swing and them in the shade.  I close my eyes and listen to the birds .... not a bad morning.

I wish I had some photos to update my progress in the studio.  Still working on jewelry pieces.  Still fun, too.

Wedding things...

Jackie & Aaron's wedding is just around the corner.  Working on some last minute projects for them.  Next week will be busy seeing their families and finishing up on the final wedding touches.  I can't wait.  On Friday I get to meet up with Jackie to pick up her dress!  I'm so excited to see it, again.  She asked to have some photos taken as she goes for the final fitting.  It's hard to believe it's almost here.  Should be a great time.

Metal workings going on around here

As you know, I've been hanging out in my studio. 

I wanted to make jewelry pieces not just a pendant or two.  I made bezels from scratch.  Believe me, I had no idea what I was in store for.  It's been a journey.  I'm in the studio daily!  Some days it's felt like I've made no progress. 

I had to cut the base pieces, round the corners and file the edges smooth.  Then make the bezels sides from metal strips, bending and cleaning up the edges. Finally, clean all the pieces free of grime and finger prints.

 

Next step, solder all the pieces together.  This was the funnest thing but believe me it was so time consuming.  I didn't want to stop but knew I'll never get to the next step if I don't quit.  I think I stopped after about 20 pieces!

 

 

The other night I decided to fill the round pieces with clay.  I haven't worked much with clay so this was a huge learning process for me. 

 

 

Once I filled the round bezels....oh...oh...wait...

I had to get the bezels ready.  I took copper pipe and cut it into rings.  I had to drill a hole and I'm telling you that turned out to be such a challenge.  But I got them done.  Next I wired them.

Now they were ready to fill with clay.  I decided to use some of my rubber stamps and metal letter stamps to make impressions in the clay.  Next step was to harden them by baking them.  I used my toaster oven...big mistake!  I don't know what I did wrong but it didn't work  out.  All the pieces were brown and overflowing.  Ugh!!!  I was able to dig the clay out and I'll redo them and follow the baking directions.  haha.

 

I moved on to working with the resin.  I got all the pendants ready.  Again, this was so time consuming.  Finding things to fill the bezels, backgrounds, words, and glitter!

Once I got most of them ready it was time to pour the resin.  A steady hand was needed.  Honestly, I made a mess!  Sticky mess.  Some of the bezels leaked and didn't work like I wanted.  Oh well... cleaned them up and will redo.

Once the resin settles little tiny bubbles form.  Here's a tip:  take a straw and blow lightly and the bubbles disappear!  Easy Easy Easy.  Only you need to check for the next hour for bubbles.

 

Not to bad, huh?  I got about half of the bezels done. 

 

 

This is a heart I designed from an idea a friend posted on Facebook.  I think it was a heart wall art piece.   I like it but I don't like how it hangs. It think I'm gonna drill another hole and hang it straight.  I have four more to finish.

 

 

That's a peek into my metal workings.  I have so many ideas and just can hardly wait to make a final necklace piece. 

Stay tuned............

Gabi & Me

 It was homecoming dance night.  I've been photographing Gabi since the day she was born.  I can't believe she's sixteen and a junior in high school.  She makes me so proud.

She will ....

 

 

... kiss some frogs on the path to finding her prince

What my day has in store for me.....

Today, I took some photos of my courtyard and live plants....I mean I actually have a number of plants that I have kept alive over the hot hot hot summer.  I need to email the photos to my friend Cathy, in Michigan.  She has the greenest thumb of anyone I know and she's been a supporter of my attempts to keep plants around my house/yard.  She does however, keep it real with me, too.  I know it breaks her heart each time I have to share how this plant or that plant didn't make it.  Mostly due to my neglect of not watering or placing the plant in the wrong side of the yard.  But, today I'm feeling some pride in how I've been doing.  I know when she sees the photos she's gonna tell me to trim back.  I feel giving plants a "haircut" is hurting them haha.

The other fun thing.... I'm fixing a flat tire on my bike.  I have three bicycles and I need to ride them.  I have no excuses, weather is beautiful, I have time, I need to exercise, on & on & on.  After I fix the flat tire I will have two bikes in riding condition.  I really do love love love bike rides!

Studio time, way fun.

Here's a peek....

I'm gonna be working with resin and filling my bezels.  I also filled some of them with clay so who knows how they will turn out.  I have a million ideas rolling around in my head on the details of what will be going  into the bezels.....words, beads, rinestones, shells, pebbles, images, glitter....

I'm also starting on making soldered glass charms.  But, if you remember my soldering iron blew up.  I need to shop for a new one and boy they can be inexpensive/cheap to very nice/expensive.  I have not idea what I should buy. 

Yesterday, in my studio I was struggling to drill holds in some of the pieces...none of my drills were charged and the dremel was pissing me off.  I forgot I had a flexshaft attachment to my dremel...what a great alternative to the stupid hand drills!  Worked like a charm...haha charm get it?