TLC

Every one needs a little TLC, don't you think?

And TLC is what I've called my latest bronze necklace - Tender Love and Care.  It's a reversible pendant which hangs on a 5 stranded 18 inch cable. On one side - "Tender Love" - it shows two birdies very much in love with each other with a few little hearts going upto the sky. 

On the other side - Care - a little bird is precariously hanging upside down from  a wire and so the other bigger bird runs to his aid by standing under, ready to catch him if he falls, in a big net!

Two necklaces for the price of one!

I hope you get lots of TLC.

Mondays with Marly - Memories of New Mexico

By guest blogger Marly

Marly and Angie own and run Studio 28 in Waterloo, Ontario

It is dubbed "the land of enchantment." Little did I know how much I would come under the spell of New Mexico, when, in my early teens, I had the opportunity to be part of a work-study program at a school on a Navajo reservation near Cuba, New Mexico.  It was an incredibly rich time of learning for me. I fell in love with the wide open vistas of mesa, desert, and the smell of sage and pinon in the air.

I felt deeply touched by the rich Navajo traditions that held such wise, deep knowledge of spirit and nature. It is another world, so different than the one in southwestern Ontario. I still regard this time as pivotal in my life, a catalyst to many directions and paths that might not otherwise have been taken.

As the years went by, New Mexico became my summer destination, my muse, and my sacred place.  After a stressful and demanding year of teaching, I would shed my roles and obligations, pack up my tent and gear,  and fly or sometimes drive to northern New Mexico.  I would spend weeks living in nature, visiting galleries, drinking coffee (or margaritas depending on the time of day) on sunlit courtyard patios, retracing the steps of Georgia O'Keeffe or soaking up the alternative and art-filled lifestyles that seemed to be the "norm" there.  Such a freeing contrast to the busy, traditional, less colorful, "in the box" lifestyles found here in Ontario. I felt like my thirsty soul was getting a long, cool, satisfying drink.

Angie and I enjoyed spending some time there when we went on our year long road trip a few years ago. New Mexico still is a very special place to both of us.  So when the opportunity presented itself to go to Beadfest in Santa Fe this March, Angie and I couldn't resist. A chance to learn some new jewelry techniques, and to see New Mexico in a different season was an exciting prospect! This time, we decided to rent a little adobe house near the plaza called Casa Adore. We were greeted by Noel Bennett, the owner, resident artist, and writer (I just love those Santa Fe types) who gave us a delightful introduction to the house and to her favorite destinations in Santa Fe.  We had a few days to explore Santa Fe and nearby Taos and in many ways it felt like returning to home.

Beadfest was a wonderful mix of meeting friendly and interesting jewelry vendors and learning new techniques in workshops.We particularly enjoyed meeting the owners of Santa Fe Jewelry Supply who gave Beadfest participants a limousine ride to their store and treated us to mimosas and goodies. Great people...great business and we have added them to our list of favourite suppliers. Our two favourite courses were "Bodacious Bangles" with Kim St. Jean and "20 Minute Spiral Ring" with Lisa Claxton. Below is a picture of the bodacious bangles we made. It was fun learning the steps to make this copper bracelet.  The thick copper wire we used for the bracelet is actually electric grounding wire for houses. We were excited when someone gave us some that was left over from a job site. What a great opportunity to recycle!!! The bracelets we made are pretty simple because of the time constraints of the workshop, but we are looking forward to playing with more rivet designs and wire wrapping in the summer.

Lisa Claxton gave a wonderful workshop on how to create a textured wire spiral ring. It was fun to hammer in textures into the wire, ball up the ends, and twist it around a ring mandrel to make a ring.  I wear mine all the time! It was exciting to walk out of a workshop with new rings on our fingers!

After a busy day of workshops, we walked along the beautiful streets lined with adobe and pinon trees, and were greeted by beautiful luminarias as we arrived home. I know why they call it the land of enchantment. I can hardly wait for our next visit!

Oh and by the way, we'll be teaching our first workshop in spiral ring making next week. So if you hear a lot of noise coming out of the studio...no worries...its just a bunch of crazy women hammering textures into wire! Let us know if you'd like to come to a workshop and get in on the fun too!

Sunday's spotlight - Sunny Memories

By guest blogger Pete.

After a few days of rain today, Friday has seen, I hope, the return of sunshine and summer.  Welcome back!.  The week before this one was a real scorcher; just the sort of weather you look forward to on those cold freezing Antarctic days of winter.

That spell of hot weather, though, made me look back to hot days that I've enjoyed in the past.  It must be my advancing years!!

Photo courtesy of AllyBally

The first "hot weather" trivia that comes to mind must have occurred something like 52 years ago.  At the time I was a theological student at Salisbury.  The college was situated in the beautiful Cathedral close and once a month or so there would be a concert in  the Cathedral.  On this occasion the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra were visiting and their programme included a particular favourite of mine, Dvorak's "New World Symphony".  Being a poor student  - altogether now ..aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... - I couldn't afford to buy a ticket but on that hot Saturday evening some seven or eight of us sat or lay on the grass outside the Cathedral and heard the full programme in much better or more comfortable surroundings that the hard seats inside the Cathedral would have given.

Photo courtesy of AndrewR

If you ever get to Salisbury then the Cathedral there is a "MUST" to visit. Externally, I would classify it as one of the best in the country - after Lincoln, of course.  Unfortunately most of the interior leaves much to be desired.  There are tombs aplenty placed in prominent positions either side of the nave.  This makes the whole building look rather like a glorified cemetery!

Photo courtesy of AllyBally

They had a great choir in the Cathedral when I was there.  (They might still have a great choir; I just don't know).  The main bass singer was outstanding and to hear him reach some of those low notes or when he was in full flow was an experience never to be forgotten.  Unfortunately, when  I was there they had a notice in the main entrance which read, "Members of the congregation are asked to join in the singing silently".  Oh dear!  There go, for ever, all the Salisbury Cathedral members who used to be readers of this blog.

 St Thomas' Church Photo Curtesy of AndrewR

I like to have a good sing so I used to go to St Thomas' Church in the city, where congregational singing was permitted.  (If you are ever in the city there is one of the best cakes shops I've ever come across next door to that church that I have ever had the pleasure to visit).  Any way, back to St Thomas' Church.  I must have gone there most Sundays for about 12 months and for the life of me I can't remember anyone speaking to me during all that time.  Perhaps they knew where I was from!  Oh Dear!  Here we go again!  There go all the St Thomas' Church readers of this blog along with their Cathedral compatriots.  Sorry, Ruth!

 Inside St Thomas' church photo courtesy of Jim Linwood

Listen to music outside in your garden - if you have one - on a warm summer's evening.  It's a marvellous way to relax.

Frog eaters in the pond

Just spotted a little Green Heron on the duck birdhouse on our pond.  We often see him by the pond under the dock or in the canoe doing some fishing but Green Herons are typically shy so we haven't seen him on top of the post before.  Got some nice photos of him too showing his green head...

I'm wondering if he is sitting further from the water to get away from the noise of Bello the bullfrog whom I mentioned in yesterday's post! Can herons put their wings over his ears to block out the noise I wonder????

And even though herons eat frogs - I think Bello could be a little much for the little green!  We also get a great blue heron regularly but not even sure if they eat bull frogs.... Adult bull frogs seem to have few predators.

I think I'd have to say that I prefer the elegance of the heron to the croak of the bullfrog.  Sorry Bello!

Desperately Seeking Female Bull Frog! - Friday's facts, fascinations and folklore

Yes, we have a male bull frog in our pond this year and he is making such a noise!  Day and night.... he never shuts up with his deep growl.  It sounds like a big monster from the deep - and just keeps going...  Apparently, the bull frog got it's name because it is one of the biggest frogs and it's call sounds like an angry bull.  I've decided to call him Bello the Bull frog as he looks like bellows when he croaks.



It is the "find a mate" call that he is making - or as they are officially known "advertisement calls"  - so if you have a female bull frog - please let me know.  I will bring our male bull frog to your female however - as we don't want a family of croakers in our pond!!!  One is deafening enough and we have all the other frogs in their chorus in the background too!



As you listen to the youtubes - turn the volume up to max and that is what we are hearing!!!

Let's find a female fast! Desperately seeking FBF......

Teatime

Times are a changin'.....

[Warning!!!!!: If you've have known me a few years or more, you may have to sit down to read this as it is quite a shocker!!!]

For 45 years I have been a tea hater.......the smell of it made me feel sick, never mind the taste.  Ugh the whole soggy teabag thing....who could enjoy that?  Yuck - just disgusting...

I always felt that I had leave England because it is, after all - a country full of tea drinkers.  It is quite the English activity - and indeed an integral part of the day, to indulge in the ritual of a nice cuppa!  Ugh - just the sound of it makes me feel quite ill....

And so I move to the US but it was even worse! Whenever I'd go to someone's house, they'd make me a "special" pot of tea - knowing of course, that as I was British, it would be just what I'd want!

But all that has just changed in the last 3 weeks....... what has become of me??????  Who can help me?

Recently, I have found myself not able to drink coffee and a few other things so was having hot water with a slice of lemon in it instead ....but then lemon went on the "do not consume" food list and so I was left with hot water.....This was fine for a  while - albeit boring -  until I went to a friend's house and saw she had some ginger tea.... Hmmm... I looooooove ginger ...surely a bit of ginger flavor would be good in the boring hot water???

And so I gave it a try.... The ginger tea also had lemongrass, peppermint leaf and pepper in it..... hmm... so  I just put the teabag in for like 5 seconds for fear of that awful tea taste.... But actually it was quite soothing and vibrant. 

So the next time, at the same friend's house,  I dared to leave the teabag in a little longer...... and the next time, I noticed she had peppermint tea to help digestion so I gave that I try.........

And now I''m converted!!!  My old tea-hating days are over.... But rest assured, I'm still only at the herbal tea stage - and only ginger and peppermint!  I haven't gone overboard just yet - although I do now leave the teabag in while I drink it!!

I recognize that I still wouldn't be accepted in England as I'm not actually using tea leaves or a teapot or anything quite that ritualistic....but still - change often starts in small steps - small ginger and peppermint steps....

And so, in honor of my conversion, I made a teatime ring!  Didn't know how to fashion ginger and peppermint - so did a teapot ring instead!!  Maybe I should call it my slippery slope ring..... 

But where will the slippery slope take me?  Will it be mushy peas next?  Please no!  Or maybe I'll go a little slower and just have to buy a tea maker! Remember those? - an alarm clock that made a cup of tea to wake you up in bed!!!! !  My mum used to have one! 

On the other hand...maybe I need to get off the slope quickly and find a way to get back to coffee!!!  Anyone out there with a lifeline?????

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?

Inquisitive Robins

In preparation for last night's concert, I've been practicing my music outside for the past few days.  Walking in the little wooded area and singing freely.....as Hildegard may well have done.

It really is a lovely way to sing and I will be doing more "al fresco" singing in the future...Apart from the freeing sense of it all,  one of the greatest things was watching the reaction of the wildlife!  Every time I went into the woods, this Robin would appear and stand quite close to me and just stay in the area....didn't matter if I wandered around - he just stood and watched, hopping around a little....  On the second day when I'd finish a loud song - I noticed that the little robin would sing his song too - but much quieter than me!  It was like a little duet.

Then a bluebird was busy building a nest in one of our nesting boxes one day,  flying in with a beak full of twigs etc - and he too stopped and sat on top of the birdhouse looking at me for a while.....A rabbit came by too and paused a while.....

But then I think of how Harold my pet parrot reacts to singing - joining in and wanting to sing even louder - especially the high notes - so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the birds and wildlife stopped to listen for a while....but it really did seem special.

Today I went out in the woods again - this time to check on some clearing we need to do - and who should come out but Mr Robin!  No time for singing today - but I couldn't leave him without singing a few notes to acknowledge his presence!!!  He sang a few notes back too!!!

And it seems fitting that at the same time as forming my Robin duet,  I have been creating a Robin ring! A wonderful customer of mine who is always full of great ideas for designs - even if many of them are too difficult or impossible :=D - asked me to make her a "perched" ring but with a red breasted bird on it.  I just finished it today.

Anyhow the concert last night was great. I loved it and the audience seemed to enjoy it too.  It was a full house with people standing as well.

Two wonderful audiences - the wildlife in the woods and the people in Berkeley!

Monday's Millinery Musings - A confession

By guest blogger Jennifer
Jennifer's Etsy Store

It may have been the balmy evening spent under the arbor - the first dinner of the season enjoyed outside - or maybe the rich food, delicious wine and excellent company. Whatever it was that made me do it, I made this confession with no apologies: I like blue jays. I take that back. I love blue jays. To be exact I love the jays in my backyard: the Western Scrub-Jay, and the Stellar's Jays that Dave and I run into when we hike the hills around Point Reyes near our home in Northern California.

Western Scrub-Jay

Stellar's Jay

Now, I can hear the human cry go up, just like it did the other night at the dinner table. If you are appalled  by this confession you would be in good company. Mr. Audubon referred to the blue jay as a rogue, a thief and a knave. A knave? An unprincipled, crafty man..er.. bird? A rogue? An unprincipled, playfully, mischievous scamp? Okay, okay, maybe there is a drop of truth to these accusations. As if all this weren't defaming enough, he accused them of mischief, selfishness, duplicity, and yes, malice! It certainly tarnishes their reputation. If they had one. 

Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed in Mr. Audubon's unfairness and lack of dispassion, if you consider him the Ultimate Birder. He did begrudgingly allow as how jays are beautiful and cheerful.

 

Jays in my garden

 

This is the very thing I love about them: they are cheerful. Of course they are beautiful, but looks aren't everything. I like to think of them as cavalier: haughty, arrogant, carefree and gay. I laugh at their antics every day, several times a day, and in this serious old world, to laugh every day thanks to a bird is a miracle. Besides, they are described as having "light gray underpants". Sort of fits.

It turns out that most of the charges leveled against blue jays are unfounded. The bit about eating other bird eggs (the main item that ruffles feathers so to speak) occurs only occasionally when their regular vegetable diet (estimated at about %75) of acorns, seeds and nuts is compromised. Of course, jays will eat almost anything edible: caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles. We have known them to patrol the plaza a few blocks from our house snatching tidbits (thieves?) from the tourists. One summer we found melting pats of butter in our rain gutter, still in their gold foil paper. In same rain gutter a small sunflower bloomed thanks to a blue jay.

Earlier this spring a family of jays made a home in our hedge. This rowdy band of adolescents have been hanging around our garden ever since. They are big teens now and hungry all the time but seem to lack gathering skills. Every so often the mother will drop a worm their way but she is trying to get them to be independent. Mostly they hang together as a gang, practice their hawk imitations (a practical joke they play on the other birds and they are good at it) fight over sticks and leaves, (as if there aren't a billion of those in a garden),  and make lots of boy noises: odd, raspy, scolding and/or weep calls at one another. In other words: a racket.

They jays have also befriended our garden Ganesh. It's a trying relationship for him.

Our long-suffering Ganesh is a pillar of patience with the jays. He allows them to sharpen their beaks on his hat. This is perilous since he is made of soft tuffa stone and tiny chunks of his ears routinely fall to earth. His hat/helmut is in a dreadful state. (You know how I would feel about that! ) They perch on his shoulder, and enter into countess scrapes and squabbles at his feet. Just yesterday a jay opened its beak wide enough for me to see its little pink gullet as it tried to swallow the spike on Ganesh's helmet! How ridiculous! How funny! Honestly, for sheer comedy I'll take a jay any day over a circumspect towhee or a mild mannered finch.

I know you have an opinion. Please do let me know if I have changed your mind even a millimeter about blue jays, and if not, I'd especially like to hear that too. Go on, I can take it!

Sunday's spotlight - A weekend in Devon

By guest blogger Pete

I can't remember whether or not we've ever visited Tiverton before.  If we have then it must have been years ago because neither of us could remember anything at all about the town, which we visited last weekend.  One thing I did notice is that it must be one of the few Devon towns where cream teas are not being sold in every other shop - not that Pam and I were interested in the least about cream teas!

Photo by Luigi53

The reason for the visit was to join with our nephew, Peter, and his wife, Anne, in the celebrations for their 40th wedding anniversary - Ruby Anniversary.  It was a very successful and enjoyable celebration, even though the weather up to the day and the weather after the day was so much better than the weather on the day.  But that didn't dampen folks' spirits.  Peter and Anne have a large garden - I reckon as Peter gets older that large will become immense - and so they were able to erect a good sized marquee for all the guests to meet in.  Conversation flowed as acquaintances were renewed and introductions made between folk who had never met before.  A jazz band - made up of septuagenarians - played some great music and there was even a dance floor laid out in the marquee,  The first time I've ever danced UPHILL and then DOWN HILL!  I bet they don't have to contend with that in "Strictly Come Dancing"!!!!

 Photo by me'nthedogs

A hog roast, complete with etceteras, was served to feed the hungry 80 or so guests.  I don't know if it was "nearly 80" or "nearly 90" but you'll get the drift, I'm sure.

Pam and I travelled down and back from Tiverton by coach.  The journey down took 10 hours - due to congestion from Bank holiday weekend traffic - and the return one 9 hours.

Photo by Haxxah

When we arrived in Tiverton it struck me that the ten hours it took us to get there was the same amount of time it takes for us to fly from Heathrow to San Francisco when we go over to see Ruth and John.  There were, however, 2 main differences:
          i)  We were able to leave the coach four times in order to stretch our legs.  Something even first class air travellers can't do on a flight!
         ii)  There was no jet lag.

Keep travelling and why not leave the molbile phone at home?

Quentin's a Charmer!

Anyone who knows Quentin, knows that he is quite the charmer!  He's just a lovely sweet character so I thought he should have his very own charm bracelet to show off his charm!

You can add other charms alongside him as he's quite friendly, or else you can keep it just to Q.

I think I like him on his own actually....but maybe we could add some family members as you know quails have lots of babies... We could have our own covey of quails all on one bracelet!

Keep on charming, Quentin!

Unfurl and show your inner beauty

You may recall a few weeks ago that I showed you a new ring I had made of a flower unfurling.

At the time, I felt I wanted some color on the inside of the bud so the title "unfurl and show your inner beauty" made more sense with the color representing your inner beauty.  I tried a few techniques to try and add bright color but they weren't very successful,  so I decided to put 22K gold on the inner of the petals - suggestive of precious....

I like the contrast - not a bright color as I had originally thought - but I think this works better.

I  seem to be enjoying rings at the moment even though I've always thought making rings wasn't terribly good business wise because of people wanting different sizes...but I guess as long as I make them to fit one of my fingers, even if they don't sell, I'll enjoy them!

What do you think?  Do you like the gold?

Vajra Voices

Not much time for silver stuff this week, as I'm busy with rehearsals with a new singing group.

Vajra Voices is a new womens quintet that I've joined and we are singing our first concert  this coming Monday in Berkeley as part of the Berkeley Early Music Fringe Festival.  If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area,  it would be great to see you there. Here are the details:

A Medieval Vespers

An Hour of Contemplative Music

Antiphons, Hymns, Sequences, Responses of Saint Hildegard von Bingen and 

Aquitanian Polyphony from the 12th Century Saint Martial Manuscripts

Monday, June 7, 2010 at 7:30pm

Vajra Voices

Karen Clark, Director

Ruth Baillie, Lindset McLennan, Joyce Todd McBride, Celeste Winant

with Timothy Rayborn, Harp and Hurdy Gurdy

Saint Joseph of Arimathea

2543 Durant Avenus at Bowditch

Berkeley, California

Let me know if you need any more information.

Dawanda Interview

I was interviewed for the Dawanda blog this week.  I was really pleased with it...so if you are curious, here's the link to find out more about me and my work: Dawanda blog interview

Thanks Azra!  I really appreciate it.