Viking Knitty

"Your work is going to be featured in Spring Knitty! Just wanted to let you know that I'll be featuring your Viking Knit Kit in Knitty (http://knitty.com). Sometimes this can create crazy demand, so I thought you'd want to know in advance.

Great Work!

Best, Amy"

How much fun is this?! I received this email on Etsy from Knitty. Knitty is the longest-running free knitting magazine on the web. I love that kit and make Viking Knit all of the time so I’m pretty proud of the whole thing. It’s so nice when others recognize it and you get a nice little write up. I never knew about Knitty before and it’s a great resource for knitting patterns and supplies. I was delighted to find it. All of my knitting friends this post is for you!

Spring Issue of Knitty

Walking on the Wet and Wild Side

They can have my cup when they pry it out of my cold slimy hands

I have a friend who says boldly, "No fat, no flavor!" I get that bacon, Mickey D's, and a plethora of other foods might not be good for you. With food additives and pharmacy additions to the food chain it's enough to make even me think herbal and organic.

Despite a constant medical barrage of advice I've been drinking Dunkin' Donuts coffee like a fiend. Lately, even the addicted kids I work with are telling me I need a ten step rather than a larger cup. I'm guessing they don't like it when I'm as hyper as they are OR when I am having withdrawal symptoms. But, when a medical segment on a news show said tea might contribute to cancer ! Well...they've just gone to far.

Aren't we doing our part? Reduce, reuse, recycle. I take it seriously that I am reducing your intake of caffeine. I'll reuse it - if it's cold I'll microwave it. Recycle - absolutely. Too cold and I'll turn it into iced coffee. When I'm tired of coffee I have tea. I enjoy the herbal stuff but adore a good Lipton so I do the same three R's with it too. Now apparently, according to these "experts" you aren't supposed to drink this stuff scalding hot. It hurts your throat. It must have been a medical scientist who deduced that drinking boiling hot tea would scald your throat and thereby leave it open to possible infection - up to and including a higher risk for cancer. Well, strike me down - I'm dumbfounded....AGAIN.

The last time I checked I was pretty sure I'm not a rocket scientist (or an MD) but I know better than to bathe in hot water so why would I pour it down my throat? I have got to quit watching the news. The pressure of constantly worrying about what to eat could cause a stroke. Let's fight back! Eat whatever the heck you want. Use the wise way - moderation (and without it piping hot).

Maybe I need the holds only one cup of coffee mug - mine holds three. Susan, she gave me one that can take a pot of coffee on the go. I haven't used it - YET! It seems though with all the liquids and caffeine I'm hopping past everything but gas stations. The tank on the car is a little larger than mine but less expensive per gallon.

See you all in line at the next bathroom...........have a Sunday morning cuppa Joe with your paper and enjoy your day! Wet kisses and humor from Michigan.

This is not clucking funny...

Okay already – there was a chick on his head! It didn’t poop on him. It wasn’t offensive. It was just a chick to represent Easter and all of its yummy goodness. It’s not that I don’t like the little marshmallow guys. I’m probably one of the only people I know besides sugar hungry kids who will actually purchase a pack of the things over the holiday and greedily eat one at night. I don’t need the sugar, the calories, or the buzz. I just like them – and cotton candy – and taffy – and other weird things.

BUT, I trampled on the ‘chick” owners toes by posting an image of Skully with what is their intellectual property on his head. Shame on me! Really…I don’t have a defense to stand on. I laid an egg. Oops, pardon the puns but it’s the first time “big brother business” has taken an interest in little old me and I’m in shock, sugar shock. And I haven’t even eaten any yet.

Skully sans “chick” is gone from the sales market…Boo Hoo!

All the faces of the offending images have been blurred to protect the innocent. ME!!!!

The Idea That Almost Hatched

Shucks, Darn, Drat, Poop, and all of the other really good words that go with a project completed, photographed, and nearly listed when…zap! The fatal error shows its ugly face in a close-up. There it was – a crack! It is the tiniest of the tiny and not noticeable to the eye but as bold as red-headed floozy in church when looked at through the macro lens of the camera. Amen brothers and sisters.

Well, thank gosh for quality control, editing, and cameras because I’d be sick if I listed it and someone got bead that I had passed an inspection on. It’s a great necklace too! Boo Hoo.

Let’s look at the bright side though. I did get to practice a whole lot of wire work and forging. All the metal on this pendant was made by me. And, it is cleaver. The ring is soldered and it swings freely from the spiral in a unique way that allows the sway but will not allow the dangle to fall off. I even made the bail to hang it it all from. It’s cute – parts are salvageable. Maybe none of it will end up being the same necklace but whatever it goes it’ll work too! For posterity though it’s pictured above. The pendant that almost was…………..

Welcome Sharon Berkan-Dent

Hi Ho Everyone! You all know I do metal casting and I adore doing it. Finally, my mentor, instructor, Svengali, teacher, and mostly my friend has opened up her own Etsy shop. Actually she is destined for BIG BIG things in Galleries but luckily for all of us she now has a shop that's accessible to the rest of us. Take a look at that necklace that's featured in the shop banner. It is absolutely so gorgeous in person. It is white, yellow, and rose gold and it feels so decadent on. When I wore it I felt like I needed to be in a flowing black full length chiffon on the red carpet somewhere. It drapes around your neck perfectly so you don't feel that tugging you get sometimes when a necklace of beads is weighted toward the front without a fob at the back. You are going to want to see what she can do with gold. Her "traditional" web site is Mystic Swan Art Jewelry.

And, I own that dragon...it's a wonderful piece and makes you feel like you could whip the world and still lovingly guard an egg or two. Your chain or leather necklace fits between those wings and she lays perfectly on your neck. Coolest piece I've ever seen.

You are going to enjoy checking her out and don't forget to heart her shop and pass the good word around about her jewelry.

MysticSwan.etsy.com

Whoa Nellie!

Who hasn't planted a garden and had a "wild thing" eating a gourmet meal in it? So, let me introduce you to Gretchen the Garden Bunny. She likes to hide in the flowers - I'm thinking she is loosely related to Ferdinand the Bull. Like I am loosely related to Gandhi but not that nice, noble, or skinny. Well, I could be, right?

Don't you just love the Strawberry Girl? I did and will miss her so I might make another one. But the next time I post late at night when I'm tired I think I better use the grammar check and not just the spellcheck. Whoa Miss Nellie, what were you thinking? Some days you speak weller.

A Case of the Cutes

Who'd of thunk! I had a previous customer who asked for a set like this and I made it up. A little different because she needed it for a bracelet but I loved the look of it. I remember when my daughter used to love a character similar to this. During a torching rage the other day...out she came. I listed it and off she is going to a happy home...I guess someone else remembers too!

Me Hat's Off 2 Yah...

Happy St. Patrick's Day My Friends!

Mixing it up

Not a lot of time to post but I wanted to show everyone what I'm up to. I'm mixing the castings with the glass. This is one of them. It's not quite finished yet and I threw on the leather at the top (although it's not like you couldn't figure out the orientation on this). The bead can be removed so the pendant can take on different "looks". Yeah, I know, it's not a new concept...but, it is an original casting and the first of many. I've made a similar one (also roundish) but this one has some flattened and twisted wax wires on it so it looks like it has some glass twisties running through it. It will be a good style to compliment these types of beads. Got to run..........sleep is calling my name.

Butterfly Award

Several months back I received a few surprises in the mail – some random acts of kindness that made my day. One of them was a Butterfly Award from a beading friend and colleague, Janel Gradowski, of Janel’s Jumbles. She is spectacular person and artist and has written for several of my favorite magazines, like Beadwork & Bead and Button. If you need a recommendation about a book to read or a beading stitch ask Janel. She knows the answer and probably wrote a tutorial about it besides!

I have been amazingly slow, even for me, in passing this award on and I apologize to Janel for that. Thanks Janel you don’t know just how much that made my day!

This is a “meme” award, so it gets passed on. The rules for passing it on are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Award up to ten other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

I’m passing this on to:

Susan, at Susan’s Arts

Mallory, at For the Love of Beads

Angelina, at Angelina Beadalina

Eileen, at Dorset Hill Beads

Marcy, at Studio Marcy

Lori, at Loribeads

Jennifer, at Jennifer Jangles

The Etsy Metal Team, at Etsy Metal

Janelle, at Pigeon Point Glass

Cindy, at The Studio of Cindy Gimbrone