When will the rain stop?

It has been raining for a couple of days now, and I do not like it. I have been diligently waiting for warm weather and got a taste of it on Friday (85 and humid), but it is gone. I need to go work this afternoon, but am at home with the kids while dh is hanging out with a friend. I am making a chalice pendant, and it is kind of going slow, but coming along. I do not care for the base, but can not figure what to do to change it at present. I am also not sure how I am going to set the stone that is the flame because they want it partially recessed in the cup... hmmm.

Anticipation. Waiting brings out the fidgety apathy in me. My brain gets a bit foggy and I get in a loop of checking my email for nothing in particular. Good thing I did last night, though, because I was able to sell a ring. Trying to break the cycle today because I think it is unlikely to happen again today.

Kids are back inside because they felt rain and it is cold. My foot is swollen- but not as bad as a couple of days ago. Supposedly, the heat was supposed to make the chillblains stop, but it seemed to have the reverse effect. It was really yucky after wearing cute boots with heals, so no more heals-meh. Alright, friends woke up from nap... somewhere to go get out of the house and stop the cabin fever.

hyperbolic paraboloids...

Just thought I might post some more pictures... stuff I was making recently for art festivals or maybe my etsy shop.
www.melissastenstrom.etsy.com

Excuses

I get a lot of excuses from my students as to why they could not accomplish what ever task, and a recent on got me thinking about all of the things I did... instead of why I did not do something :)


April 15th is a menacing deadline for many things: income tax and tax payments, 2 rivers app, Owatonna postmark on app, opening my studio to local design group and demoing what I do. So, luckily, short of entertaining the group, I have got many of these things done along with all my other responsibilities including sending kids off to school and picking them up.

I was aiming for the weekend before last to complete the applications, but decided that I was not happy with the slides I had. Last Friday, I retook some pictures. I think they are better, but I may be delirious. I have had a chest cold and sore throat for a week now. Anyway, they are now in jury circulation because I finally got my applications sent off. Temporarily feeling good about small victories- and hoping they pay off with some more shows.

Luckily, I decided to efile taxes in March, but unfortunately had to pay- must rework the W-4's. I could care less about a refund, but I hate having to pay after the fact- argg.

Finally, most of my studio is clean with the exception of my bench. I will tidy it tomorrow. I also have to complete about 3-4 more steps on my demo pieces. I am going to demo like a cooking show. I have pieces made at all stages of the processes and that way, I do not spend 3 hours making a ring and earrings. I am going to show the process of making my Miro Earrings like pictured below and also antlclastic band with an off-set stone. I hope they like it. I also have wine and tea, jewelry for sale, and hopefully (fingers are crossed) Kenny's cowboy cookies.

Alright, I am going to post the 4 rings slide because it was one of my recent slide updates and it is the ring I shall be making for demo time tomorrow night :)

So tired of snow!

It is snowing again. My toes are throbbing. I originally was thinking about going to studio work today, but the snow is putting a damper on my plans. I get to go to my referral dr. on Thurs. morning to get confirmation that I did in fact get frostbite in January. It is really the only option that was not ruled out by original dr. The only advice she was able to give was to stay out of snow and cold (no shoveling) and to keep my foot warm. It becomes fascinating shade of purple whenever it is cold.

One reason I would rather be at my studio is because I have show applications to complete. I hate applying to shows. Recently, my confidence has been waning because I keep getting wait listed. I really am not sure what I did right in the past to get into shows and what I have done wrong with current wait listing. I was wondering, if I somehow got black listed by Zap- I do not know how or why they would, but I have got into show this season that require snail mail methods instead of completely electronic. Maybe it is just paranoia, but I think I need to figure out something different. I really want to get into the next two shows that I have not applied to.

I will be hosting a group at my studio in a week and a half. They are all local designers and I am still trying to figure out how to rearrange the space to fit us all in comfortably. Part of the evening I am supposed to demo, which hopefully will go well. I think I am going to try setting it up like a cooking show. I have started making many pairs of earrings in the same style, and will complete them to a variety of stages. I also thought I may make a number of rings or paraboloids.

Saturday morning waking up

Getting ready to go work. My thumbs hurt due to over working yesterday. I have been buffing to try and finish a couple of pieces and I think I wore skin thin because my right thumb cracked in a long line and then had many perpendicular cracks- it almost looks like stitches. On the left thumb the injury was more dramatic, but stupid-attack of the burnisher when over concentrating. I was making a ring for ds's birthday, which has a garnet cab on it to look like the ring that Howl wears in the graphic novel Howl's Moving Castle.

Ds's ring is a size 2.5 and fits dd perfect, so I hope ds can wear it, too. Now dd wants a ring with blue stone that looks like Sophie's- I have the perfect little topaz that I accidently cleaved a small chunk off of - can not put it into a piece for sale, but still looks good to the unaided eye. Perfect for a 5 year old. I also have a small lapis that would be blue, but she wants it to shine a light directing her to home (I explained that she was going to have to imagine that part because my skills witchcraft are nil).

I just had a yummy coffee, but it never seems to last long enough. We are out of cereal and I am not sure what to do for breakfast. Maybe oatmeal. I think maybe another coffee, too, yum.

My plan today: keep attempting to finish and buff near finished pieces (uggg!), make a little ring for dd with chipped topaz, do a little repair work, keep working on pieces started for up coming show season... should be a full day. Hope I can concentrate with out injuring myself. Maybe I should try to remember to take the camera with me and take some photos.

This is an example of my Miro Earrings made with argentium sterling silver and black akoya pearl.

A fresh start blogging (I hope)

In the past couple of years, I kind of forgot I had a blog. Sometimes, it seems life is too busy and I do my best to keep up. Last Nov. I decided to move my studio. I even have regular open hours from 9:30-12 while Chloe goes to preschool or Grammie D.'s. Next fall, she will start kindergarten. I will miss having her around, but it will allow me to work more hours during day light :) I am also posting jewelry for sale on Etsy- www.melissastenstrom.etsy.com.

Currently, I am making items for upcoming art festivals. The first one I will be at is the Valley Junction Art Market in West Des Moines on the Sunday the 17th of May. This will be my second spring at this show and it is a really nice way to open the fall season.

Recently, I have been trying to increase my current inventory adding new pieces and making some of the old favorites. I will be making more of the "Miro Earrings" with a range of colored stones and some pearls. I made an experimental pair with 4mm square (princess cut) amethysts. I made a setting with prongs after being inspired by the Creative Stone setting book by John Cogswell. Because I had success, I made a pair of hyperbolic paraboloid earring and used the same type of setting with 3 mm princess diffused pink topaz. I will be photographing them soon, so that they can be put on my etsy site for sale.

I am trying to figure out how to post pictures because it is not working for me at the moment. If you see a picture soon, you will know that I figured it out. Hmmm.

Well, I think I will take a break from technology to go fold some laundry. I am really look forward to heading my studio later to make some more stuff.

Website!!!

Take a look at my new website http://melissastenstrom.com