Grow where you are planted

I had a fun time again yesterday at the farmer's market.  It seemed pink and purple were popular colors so I have done a couple of new bangles using those colors today.

The first I've entitled "Grow where you are planted".  I guess as I moved around a lot growing up and then also before arriving in CA, I've been one to follow this motto.  You have to make the best of wherever you are and find some roots and get growing!

Hope you like it.

The matched pair

A customer at the farmer's market this week asked me if I could make a cuff for her husband as a gift for their 10th wedding anniversary.  Aluminum is the symbol of the 10th anniversary, so it seemed a good choice.

The symbolism behind it is that aluminum is a flexible but strong metal and a successful marriage needs also to be flexible and durable.

The customer told me that she and her husband like odd numbers, so I did a simple narrow bangle/cuff for him, with black numbers on it. Their partiality for "odd" numbers got me thinking...One of the definitions of "odd" as an adjective, is "being part of a matched pair or set when the other is missing" - as in odd socks!

So "happy anniversary" to Kelly and her husband - the matched pair.

Hello Blossom!

Isn't it such a lovely time of the year. I love seeing all the blossom on the trees.  Such soft delicate flowers......And so two blossom bangles came out from my studio today!

At the moment we have apple, pear, asian pear, cherry, nectarine, and peach trees all in blossom. We had a frost two nights this past week however, so I hope they are all doing OK and weren't affected.

But I have to confess that while all those blossoms look lovely,  nothing can beat citrus blossom with that wonderful aroma...but then that's another season!!! So what is your favourite blossom?

And were you ever called "Blossom?". I recall as a child in England being called  "Blossom".  Was/is the term ever used for endearment in the US or other countries?  Not even sure if it's still used in England....???? I think we should bring it back in!  I'm going to call someone blossom this week and see how they react!!  What about you? Give it a try....

Alright Blossom? 

Dogwood bangle

Continuing with my aluminium bangles this week, I made a leaf and blossom one in a nice soft green.  The blossoms and leaves reminded me of a dogwood tree. 

We visited Yosemite with my parents one May and were greeted with the most gorgeous flowering dogwoods there.  I think that was the first time I had ever seen so many all in one place.

There is also a wonderful Asian botanical garden here in Glen Ellen, called Quarryhill Botanical Garden. They have a stunning collection of Asian dogwoods there, including gorgeous yellow ones.

It's such a pretty tree isn't it.  Masses of blossoms!

4/52 Bird a week - Sitting Pretty

For this week's bird, I used my aluminum.  I drew three little birdies "sitting pretty" on anodized aluminum and then dyed the aluminum and sealed it and shaped it into a bangle.

You can see one birdie from the front:

and two from the back:

The inside is colored a nice teal color.

Happy little birds, sitting pretty. I hope you are sitting pretty too. There's still time to join in our bird a week challenge too - check out the flickr group link below and get birding.

If you are part of the Bird a week challenge, please add your link here:

Last day to mail to Europe for delivery for Christmas

Phew! Last day of mailing to Europe today - or so the US postal service says.  If you speak to them in person, they do say that Monday will be fine too - however in my experience, it depends what country you live in.  Any delay, I find, tends to be customs officers rather than the postal service.  I know that in Germany, they tend to look at every package sent and at this time of year, get backlogged and so there are delays.  But other countries seem to only select a few packages to inspect.

So it's been a busy week getting those last orders shipped, with people buying right up to the last day.  Busy in a good way :-D  It's great to get all those sales.  This past week, I've sent lots off to Germany, a few to France and one to Switzerland.  The postal lady reckons I have 'cult following' Germany and I reckon over 80% of my work is sold there. I'll have to do a tally of my sales this year and see how the percentages work out across countries. 

Fingers crossed that all the packages get there in time for Christmas.

You know I've been quite purple-ish lately - especially after my trip back to England where everyone is wearing purple - all the time!!! So I had to do a new style cuff in purple - with a little bit of pink too!

It was my sister's birthday last month - she lives in England.  I think every birthday present she got was purple....and of course they all match her new purple glasses!

This cuff is like the "adrift at sea" cuff in that the same dyeing technique was used. This one is a little wider however.

It makes me happy to be working in color.

Hope you've got all your packages sent off!