Need a hug?

We all need a hug now and again..... and this little guy is here, ready to give you one anytime.

It's perfect as a gift for someone who is going through a difficult time and in need of a hug. A sweet sentiment, to show someone you are with them in spirit and thinking of them, even if you can't always be there to give them a great big hug.

And did you know - It has been found that human contact, such as hugging, is essential for healthy social, psychological and physical development.  Hugging can also help build a good immune system, decrease the risk of heart disease, and decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol in women.  So get out there and give someone a hug today!

And talking of hugs, remember that wonderful youtube of Free Hugs? Worth repeating, so here it is:

If that doesn't inspire you to hug someone, I don't know what will!

Anyone can fall in love

I had a whole day in my new studio today!  What bliss! And with all that new space, I managed to work in silver clay, bronze clay, aluminum, and wax - all in one day!!  What a happy Ruthie!!!

Working in wax again was great. It is the first time I have tried it at home after learning about it in San Miguel. I bought all the kit - not much needed actually - and made something inspired by a piece of my jewelry.  Recognise anyone??? (hee, hee!!!)

Yes - it's "Anyone can fall in love". I thought it would be good to give "anyone" a try in wax! Not quite finished yet...a work in progress, but it went pretty fast.

It was a different type of wax than I'd tried before - a little softer and I liked it.  It meant I could do a little more with my fingers rather than just tools.

Happy Ruthie and Happy Anyone. :-D

Follow your heart or hold on to love?

Here's another piece I just made for a German customer.

I have made it before and can never decide whether it should be called "hold onto love" or "follow your heart". I think follow your heart has a more positive sense to it...but then I also think the name changes depending on which direction the figure is facing.  If he's facing right - it seems like he is following but if he faces left it seems like he is holding!

What do you think? 

And are you following your heart or holding onto love right now ???

Anyone can stay connected

After writing my latest Merry Go Round blog post at the end of May all on the topic of Networking, I was inspired to make a piece of jewelry that embodied all that we do nowadays to keep in touch with people and stay connected....whether that is through Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, emails, text messages, the phone... and countless other ways.

So I came up with "anyone can stay connected".  It's a bracelet - you can add charms to it if you like - but the closure/toggle is my little "anyone" figure - making the connection!  His arms are raised and go through the ring and keep the bracelet connected!!!

Hope you like him!  I think he's quite a sweet (and skinny!)  anyone!!!...arms up, ready to connect... He'd make a great gift for someone you want to stay connected to...

What's your favorite way of staying connected?

Anyone can....

Heading out for the day today but it's a surprise so I can't tell you where or with whom!!!! 

In the meantime, I've  been busy making some new "anyone can fly" pieces -  as someone just requested one.  I always enjoy going back to my first "anyone can...." creation where "anyone" is a little bird who has spread his wings, ready to fly....but now just needs the courage to let go.....

Yes, when the "anyone can" series started - "anyone" was a bird. 

 

After this first design, I knew I wanted to create a figure but just wasn't sure how I would do it and what it would look like ...so there was a lag before the next "anyone" piece was created.... but since that time there have been quite a few in the series.

He's such a clever little fellow, inspiring us to try new things.  Here's a few of them:

Spring Cleaning Day

I'm busy sorting and cleaning my studio today.

At the moment, I'm trying out quite a few different media and with my limited studio space, I need to be a little bit more organized so that things can go away in drawers (and have room in the drawers) to leave space for new things!  As my husband will tell you, I'm not the tidiest of people.... I love starting things and then get distracted by something else and so the putting away part doesn't happen very well!  I'm also getting some new lights a and new stool for my studio too...so it deserves a little sprucing up.

Luckily I do have one little helper:

Anyone can do the dusting!

Anyone else want to come and help?? 

Wiggle Room....need your help choosing a name

I can't decide on a name for my latest little "anyone can" piece.  It doesn't haven't be an "anyone can..." name.....Anyhow, here's the necklace:

Yes, little Anyone wiggles his/her hips and legs as you wear him/her - but it's tricky to show movement in photos!!

I'm thinking:

• anyone can dance (which is what was in my head as I created it)
• anyone can wiggle (which then came next...)
• wiggle room (which is my current favorite....)

Which do you think is best? 

Let me know in the comments section which name you like best.

Anyone can do tricks! - Olympic earrings!

These earrings were inspired by a comment made a couple of years ago by my elderly mother-in-law.

My husband had been talking to her on the phone and she had said she had been watching the olympics on television, so he asked her which sport she had been watching. Her reply was "it was people doing tricks"!

We had to assume it was gymnastics!  I'm not sure the olympians would have been flattered to hear that they do "tricks" - but it did conjur up a lovely image.

And so - my little "anyone" figure, is doing "tricks"!

As my mother in law frequently makes interesting statements, we thought of starting a blog in her honor, calling it "mum's the word" and listing her classic phrases!!!  

Anyhow, hope you like my strong anyone's who have been working out hard.  Perfect earrings for gymnasts, yoga lovers, and any tricksters out there!!

They are part of my Month of earrings challenge - #22.

Anyone can be in the pink!

Here is my latest "Anyone" piece....as it's spring time and all the flowers are starting to come out - I thought Anyone would enjoy a little color - so its "anyone can be in the pink".

 
The phrase "in the pink" isn't used that often nowadays - but means to be in perfect condition, especially of health.   I think we all envisage glowing pink cheeks suggestive of good health, but the phrase actually came from "the very pinnacle of something" and not necessarily limited to health!

In the Pink Anyone does look sweet and all ready for spring in her pink hat and carrying her pink flower!  The hat and flower are made from polymer clay.

Are you ready for spring?  Are you feeling in the pink?

Juggling family life - Necklace and earrings comission

I've just finished 2 pieces in a commission for a 50th birthday present. Someone from England whom I met here recently, asked me to make two pieces for his wife. The first was based on my juggler piece and I'll show the other piece tomorrow.

He and his wife have 4 kids - the oldest is a son, then a daughter, then twin boys. So he decided he wanted the balls the juggler was juggling to represent his kids!


The blue ball is his eldest son, the pink is his daughter and the green balls are the twins! He chose to have the "biggest handfuls" as the green balls - as that was definitely the twins!

Isn't it a great idea.....Tomorrow I'll show you his other family piece.

Anyone can fall in love.....

I've made a couple of different variations on this piece and here is the latest with a different style "heart". It shows little "anyone" falling through the heart - and thus "anyone can fall in love".


There have been lovely stories from people who have bought this necklace in the past....from "anyone" being the messenger for a guy who didn't quite have the courage to tell his girlfriend he was in love.....to a good luck charm for someone looking for love....to...???? I wonder what the next story will be.....hope they tell me......

The other thing you should notice is that it is a lariat style necklace. And of course, autumn and winter are THE seasons for wearing lariats. They are just perfect over sweaters....so if you don't have a lariat yet....maybe you'll fall in love with anyone..... I'm sure it will be reciprocated...

Anyone can juggle!

Quite a few years ago (- gosh too scary to remember how many!) I spent a weekend with my sister at her new apartment. I remember going to Covent Garden on the Sunday and wandering around.... but then when I woke up on the Monday morning, I found I had chicken pox! Ugh!

My sister had to go into work and I felt horrid so I stayed in her apartment for the day - feeling too ill to travel home. It was not a fun day - but luckily a purchase I had made in Covent Garden came to my rescue! I had bought myself some juggling balls. 6 in total! And so, sat up in bed with the pox, I learnt how to juggle!


It was the most productive thing I did for the next few days until I felt well enough to make my way home. And by the end of my stay, I could juggle all 6, albeit briefly!!!


A couple of weeks ago, I was rummaging in some drawers in the laundry room, waiting for my kiln to finish a firing and I found 3 juggling balls! So now, whenever I have a couple of minutes, I'm back at juggling. As I only have three balls, I guess that is my maximum right now. Probably best to leave it at three.


And so, here is my "anyone can juggle" piece. I wanted some balls up in the air - so when you wear the set, the earrings provide 4 balls up high and then there are two more above 'anyone' attached to the chain!


A perfect necklace for someone with too many balls in the air - or a wanna be circus performer!! Hope you like him!

YOU are my sunshine

Every morning around breakfast time, I sing the first verse of "you are my sunshine". I sing it to (actually WITH) Harold, my pet parrot. It's his favorite song and he loves to join in. And he is my sunshine. Whatever day it is, whatever has happened, he is always my sunshine and can brighten my day.


A few years ago I made a brooch of the song for myself. It's a similar design to this new necklace but not sculpted. Then the other day I thought that my little "anyone" figures would incorporate nicely into the design and voila! A necklace to warm your heart!


Two little figures are huddling together under an umbrella....rain is pouring down, but they have all the sunshine they need in each other! YOU are my sunshine. I made a tag of the title that hangs down at the clasp.


Hope you have your own sunshine. Who is it? Who always brightens your day??? Go on...tell us!


If you are curious about all the lyrics to the song - here they are

Anyone can change direction

Are you feeling a little lost and don't know what direction to go in? Or been doing the same thing for ages and ages and now wondering about having a change and doing something different? Just remember - "anyone can change direction" as this little necklace shows!

My little figure"Anyone" is holding a directional arrow and it can move around in what ever direction you feel like! The arrow is held on with a super strength magnet and "anyone" hangs down on a 20 inch chain so you can see the arrow and move it around!

So if you are feeling like a change - be inspired by "anyone"! Change direction in life!

Anyone can ride a horse

The other morning, my hubby was about to go off to a meeting and he was telling me what was on the agenda. As he discussed it, he said "I must remember to try not to get on my hobby horse about..."

Not sure if you use the term "hobby horse" here - but basically he was meaning to say he would try not to get carried away and express strong feelings/get in a lather about the issue.

But all I heard was "hobby horse" and thought "anyone can ride a horse" - even if its a hobby horse!

So out comes my latest "anyone can...." piece!


Hope you like it - little anyone having great fun riding his horse - and definitely 'getting carried away' on it.


I've often been asked if I make horses and never felt that inclined to - all that body and getting it the right shape etc - but the hobby horse was perfect! Just a head!


Did you have a hobby horse when you were growing up? Did yours have wheels on it or just a stick? Did it have a name?

Hope you like anyone's latest adventure!

Anyone can be feminine.....

One of my customers asked if my "anyone" figure could be more feminine for a necklace she wanted. I said that "anyone" was designed to be either male or female but I would give it a try. So I made a skirt for anyone - but then "she" looked like a doll so decided against it......

On a couple of other occasions when someone has wanted a girl and a boy together with some distinction between them, I've just changed the hat and made it a little wider brimmed.


So this time, I did my usual hat adaptation but rather than just widening the brim, I also added a couple of flowers.


Hope you think she looks like a girl now! "Anyone can be feminine......."

Collaborations - part 4

Marly and Angie are coming over in about an hour so we can finish off our collaboration pieces.

They are fired but now need polishing and patina and....

So here are the pieces before they went in the kiln.


First in this picture is Marly's collage which I got second and then Angie finished. Marly then add a bail to the top. Second in this picture is Angie's reversible lentil showing the side that Marly finished and then how Angie put the two halves together. (The next photo will show the reverse and what I did to it!). And third piece in this photo is "Anyone" which I started, Angie impailed (!) and Marly made a heart and moon to hang on his wand. They will be assembled after firing.


This picture shows the same pieces again but the other side of Angie's lentil with the little flower that I made.

Hopefully I'll post the final pieces later today.

Collaborations - part 3

Here are the next phases of our collaborations. If you want to look back at how this started - scroll down to Wednesday's blog post.

Here's Marly's collage with a couple of additions my me:


Here's my "anyone" which Angie impailed with a wand in his hands (and tummy!) and a squiggle on his hat and then a loop through his head! Yes, she is cruel!


And here is Angie's split lentil (sounds like a soup!) which Marly chose to decorate one half of. Marly often uses three circles in her designs - and it seems highly appropriate as there were three of us doing our collaboration!

Angie and Marly are coming round tomorrow so we can finish our fired pieces - so look out for tomorrow's blog post to see our progress!

Anyone can kayak

Summertime - and time to get out on the water and do a little bit of paddling around..... and that's what my latest "anyone can" piece is showing you! Anyone can kayak.


My little anyone figure in his very own kayak, enjoying the peace and sunshine and water and activity.

We used to love kayaking in Florida when we lived in Sanibel. Kayaking in the bay and the dolphins would come and say hi, and the manatees...and birds.....and one day I saw a hammer head shark swim under the kayak.....Oh - it was such a great way to experience nature. Nowadays our kayak seems to stay in the shed waiting for a day out.....and envious of the canoe who sits in our tiny pond!


The pond is so small that you only need to paddle about once and you get to the end and have to turn around :=D So instead we sometimes take our cocktails in the canoe with us - go round in circles a few times, look out for the fish, otters, frogs, and birds and then cocktail hour is done!

Have you been out on the water yet this summer?