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.