Jennifer Stumpf

blue patina necklace

2011-07-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is a necklace I created some months ago as a submission for a book on use of patina in jewelry. They only wanted images and I haven't heard anything back from the book company yet so I am thinking it is safe to sell! I created this beginning with a flat piece of copper, cutting it out into two circle shapes of same size using a jeweler's saw. I stamped the pieces with a bird and a moon/star. Then I domed the copper pieces into two rather organic shapes- meaning they were not meant to be perfect and were a tad crinkled on the edges. Lightly tapping around the perimeter of the domes while held together with the fingers melds them into each other for a perfect fit, mirrored crinkles and all.

Super stinky ammonia is the simple ingredient that produces this pretty intense blue. Easy as pie. Lots of info about using it for metal patina online. I intended to spray a clear glossy coat to seal this but I still haven't done it and months later the color is still true. I'll probably spray several coats on before I place it at its next stop-- my etsy shop.

Sterling silver chain, a hand stamped silver round (with the patina and stamped textures I love...) and some pretty apatite and gemstone citrine teardrop complete the piece. Look for it later tomorrow http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Where Mango can be found every single morning from about 7 a.m.- 10:30 a.m. Don't tell but I keep the window open for him in this intense heat, and run the AC full blast, just because I love him so much and he loves the window open. Shhhh....

trudi bird bracelet

2011-07-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post since I am heading out to work and I'm running late! But here is my latest creation-- the Trudi Bird Bracelet, which is currently for sale at http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. It is created from some of my prettiest beads (agates! prehnite! apatite! vintage czech glass! lampwork glass beads! Swarovski crystals!), some of which have been in my stash for quite a while, waiting for me to get the lead out and make something with them!

Awww.. isn't this turqoise bird the sweetest little thing? He has a sterling cap and a lovely Swarovski crystal perched on his head. A faceted green agate egg is next to him... Above is a drilled river pebble and a pretty antiqued round bone bead-- peeking above is a lentil shaped lampwork glass bead purchased years ago from the Greater Washington D.C. bead society bead show and I'm sorry to say I have lost the name of the artist who created it.

Paired with my grand-dad's watch, it makes a handsome piece and is very comfortable to wear at 7 3/4". I'm heading out for the rest of the day and evening-- thanks for looking!! xo

Beauty Walk- reloaded!

2011-07-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

I made a necklace today, incorporating a pendant previously created and dismantled with different elements. More and more I am enjoying simpler designs with just a hint of sparkle and color, just enough to catch attention but not so much that it is distracting. The pendant is hand stamped brass and is from the Navajo Beauty Way poem.

I am also loving the simplicity of vintaj wire and chain (this one is 20" with a 3.5" inch pendant drop), which goes so well with a summer tan and does not tarnish as easily as silver (no, it does not turn your neck green!).

Lanyard hooks are so cool! This piece has two-- one vintage lanyard hook on the 3.5" drop pendant and one as the clasp. I see all kinds of design potential using these simple but interesting elements.

And I had to post a cute photo of my big boy Mango the Manx, propping his head on his new squirrel toy. :-) I didn't plan for the sofa, toy and kitty to be the same color!

For a closer look (at the necklace, of course), check out my etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Boho Bracelet on Etsy!

2011-07-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's taken me almost a year of life getting in the way but I finally made time to make a piece of jewelry for sale. Woo hoo! This is an eight inch bracelet chock full of lovely earthenware, bone, nut and lampwork beads. Lots of charms to jingle jangle and a comfortable fit with double leather cord band and sterling silver clasp. All the details are besides the point, but it felt very good to make something again. What with tambour embroidery, weaving, crochet and needlework projects stacked to the ceiling, jewelry took a long term back burner! I'm happy to be back. I hope you enjoy this bracelet and you can find it for sale at http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. Thanks for looking!

tambour embroidery class piece finish

2011-05-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Last June 2010, I took a tambour embroidery class at the University of Kentucky, under the direction of Professor Bob Haven, who is a professor of costume design and also a graduate of the Lesage school of embroidery in Paris, France. This is the piece he designed for us to complete, using basically four techniques of luneville or tambour embroidery, which, simply put, is a form of embroidery using a very tiny sharp crochet hook. After some serious practice, intense concentration and a few painful (and bloody) stabs to my thumb, I got the hang of it all and here is the finished piece.

The base fabric is organza, with metallic and polyester threads, flat and cupped sequins, beads and gold lame to complete the design.

Tomorrow I am heading first to Pennsylvania with my husband, to attend first his art opening at the Dressler Center for the Arts in Somerset, and then a memorial "jam session" to honor my late father in law, who passed away in March. Sunday we are driving to Kentucky for me to study again with Bob Haven for an intensive three day course in tambour embroidery. From this embroidery study has come a new passion for me and when I am working it, I feel completely alive and aware, totally in the moment. More to come on my future with tambour embroidery featuring very prominently in my life!

updating since November!

2011-03-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is a necklace I made a few weeks ago. Probably is a little hard to tell but it is a domed piece of copper held together with brass eyelets and silver wire. How long have I been out of the loop? Last time I placed an order for silver I think it was around $18 an ounce. Imagine my shock at yesterday's prices! Upwards of $39 an ounce! :-O I think I'll be using up what I have and then working with lots of lovely colored copper wire and base metals! This piece was one of those immediate ideas that came to me and I just sat down and banged the whole thing out, except for the blue colored copper, which took longer for a nice patina. I am really liking the look of stacked flat beads and metal elements these days and as always, I love gemstone drops! This one is a gorgeous faceted citrine tear drop. I have very little sterling chain left. *sigh* When will prices come down, people? I really like silver chain with my pendants!

A close up of the pendant. Because I cut out my own round copper pieces, I don't always get them perfectly round (even though I try!). Consequently, when I use the dapping block, sometimes the pieces get a bit ~~wonky and warped~~ out of shape. After I hammered and banged (and annoyed the neighbors to no end), I was bemoaning that this piece didn't come out perfect on both sides to match evenly. WAAAAAAAA!!! BUT! I then discovered that if I held both wonky domed halves together and held them tight, then lightly tapped the perimeter with my little hammer, each wonked half conformed to the other and it fit perfectly, wonks and all! This one is not yet for sale, but probably will be soon on my long, long empty etsy shop. Just for the heck of it, here is the link http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Many things have happened this year of 2011 so far. Painful still is the death of our sweet dog, Lucy. We had her for fifteen years, since she was 10 weeks old, when I found her broken and bleeding by the side of the road, having been thrown from a car and abandoned. We were lucky to have her for so many wonderful years and she is missed to no end. Rest in peace, Lucy! You deserve it and we will see you again, sweet girl! August 1996- February 23, 2011.

Ah.... still makes me cry. Hasn't been that long. But we are still inspired to save another little life via animal shelter rescue and even though it hasn't been very long, we have started looking for that little critter that clicks with us. It's not like there is a shortage of dogs or cats or other critters for adoption and life is too short and precious to wait!

What else? I splurged and treated myself to a Bernina sewing machine. I taught myself to crochet and LOVE it. Needlework is still a passion, especially tambour embroidery. The University of Kentucky School of Fine Arts is calling my name again in May for the next advanced master class in tambour embroidery. The instructor has taken and completed the coveted Lesage school of professional couture, and he is most excellent at his art. I am in awe of his abilities. Since I can't get to Paris for the several hundred hour class myself, I head for Kentucky once a year for a week to learn all I can from Bob Haven. Most exciting!!

Hope life is treating everyone well. It there is anything that I continually learn, it is that we need to be kind to each other.

My husband and I are heading out for an evening power walk now. We both are trying to get into better shape. Ten hours prone in a chair at work has not worked wonders on my physique!

checking in

2010-11-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

Hi there! I've been long lost from the jewelry world and have not made a single piece of anything in a while... To catch anyone not in the know up to speed, here are my activities & passions of late:

I've gone to work full time for state police again. Yeah, yeah. Again. This takes up HUGE swaths of my time!

Needlework has intensely captured my imagination again and much of my spare time (heh. what spare time?) is spent bent over my tambour work (for which I have signed up for the next University of Kentucky School of Fine Arts master class in May- woo hoo!!), or an embroidery hoop, or free hand with cross stitch (mostly subversive cross stitch because it's more fun!)

www.postcrossing.com has brought me immense pleasure, introduced me to new and wonderful people around the world and I'm happy to have made one very special new friend in particular in Britain. Check it out!

Our sweet dog Lucy is almost 15 years old now and requires special needs care at this point. She is on pain meds, melatonin to help her sleep and Hills Prescription B for brain health food. So far she is holding steady but it's increasingly difficult. So when I am not at my ten hour shifts at work, I am spending time walking her and just being with her while she is still on this side of the hereafter.

Still working on numerous sewing projects and saving for my dream Bernina sewing machine!

Thanks to my cool friend in the UK, Michael and I spend as much of our time off as we can indulging in our new passion-- geocaching. We both love it! Good fun, outdoors, minimal expense, spend time together. What else can you ask for? www.geocaching.com

Oh, yes. Cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping. The usual drudge everyone deals with. For now, I may as well take the "beads and jewelry of" off my banner (in fact, as an after thought, I just did). My jewelry bench has collected serious dust.... Honestly I have just lost the mojo for it for the foreseeable future, and I'd rather wear the pieces I've made than sell them. :D

In case anyone was wondering what I am doing in this photo rooting around in the bushes, I have just found my first geocache and am examining the treasures! Woot!

Mostly Sewing

2010-10-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy with working full time again, it hasn't left the time to set down and organize my thoughts well enough to concentrate on coming up with new jewelry designs. So I have been doing some sewing, just to keep creativity flowing. Here is a bag I just finished-- the pattern is called Bow Tucks Tote and it is from Quilts illustrated by Penny Sturges. I've been itching to use my newest Heather Ross Far Far Away 2 fabrics-- they are the moons on the top portion and the orange moon pocket. The bottom is pretty blue corduroy from Joann's and the handles are from Red Rooster Fabrics The Quilter's Kitchen Collection by Jennifer Chiaverini. To make life easier, I eliminated the ties on the sides that the pattern called for.

Close up of pocket. Yes I did all the free motion meandering embroidery myself and I think it came out ok. What didn't, I hid under the pocket. :-)

The finishing touch-- a large vintage bakelite button for easy open & close. I love the smiling moons and the matching yellow thread. This is a great pattern and easy to sew up, once you get past the front pocket (thanks, Cheryl!).

Since I have quilted pincushions, a wallet and another bag under construction, plus a sewing tool bag, a knitted bag and a hexagon crochet project going on, it's busy enough to keep me going for a while.

earth elements boho bracelet

2010-09-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

Moving in a new direction with my jewelry making. Usually I make necklaces and earrings but now I am bitten with the bracelet bug. Why didn't anyone tell me they were so much fun to make? This is my first one. I wanted an earthy, organic bracelet with movement and rich color.

These natural green beads are actually nuts. Aren't they cool? I put a Thai silver leaf between them. The cord is distressed leather and has fabulous lampwork glass beads by Ellen Dooley nestled between the tied knots. Barely visible in the above photo is a tiny square Thai silver bead with carvings on it. So cute! Also I ran out of silver wire (horrors!) and I am tired of regular brass or copper wire so I used art wire for the first time. I can tell you I am a total convert. The spools come in all sizes and colors (it's treated copper that won't tarnish) and make the components pop! plus adds lots of interest. Here I used a green artwire to wrap the leather cord and a reddish brown to wrap the skull bead.

Gorgeous chunky red tiger eye bead next to tiny earthenware bead by unknown artist and on the other side a beauty of a green lampwork bead by Ellen Dooley. Carved bone flower...

The charms are a carved bone hand & skull, and a brass fertility goddess. I particularly love the oversized snappy brass clasp. It looks like it would weigh a ton but it is really light and comfortable. For ease of movement with larger beads, the bracelet is a comfortable 8.5". Go see it now on my etsy store: http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Have a great weekend!

keep calm & carry on

2010-08-27T09:09:00.001-07:00

New on my etsy listings is this necklace, featuring a hand stamped pendant, smooth rutilated quartz with lovely metallic striations, two beautiful sparkling geodes and quite a bit of cable link silver chain- 32 inches. This one hangs to my belly button. :-)

I stamped Winston Churchill's famous quote on what has to be called a "slab" of silver, as it is 14 gauge- quite substantial. It is textured with various hammers and as I always do, add patina and a good rubbing to soften it up and let it shine, all at the same time. The geodes I purchased at a rock show a while ago. The open slice is agate with crystals, the reddish orange one is carnelian with crystals. They just bling bling in the sunlight!

For those who look at that smooth stone on the left and say, "what the heck is rutilated quartz?" Well....

Rutilated quartz is a form of the mineral, quartz, that has attractive, needle-like inclusions of rutile. It is often cut and polished to use in jewelry and is prized as a metaphysical stone. Rutilated quartz is mined in many countries, including the United States, Australia, Norway and Brazil.

Close up of that lovely geode. I just love agates! http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com

in beauty may i walk

2010-08-20T14:42:00.001-07:00

The beautiful Navajo Beauty Walk poem is the inspiration for my latest creation. The main premise of the poem I've stamped on lightweight brass disc, with added texture and lovely patina.

I do so love Ellen Dooley's incredible lampwork glass beads. These worked perfectly for the natural earth elements theme of this piece. Isn't this cool green just lovely, and the brown speckles make it all the more beautiful.

A first for me-- and I am totally in love-- Saki's bronze metal toggle. And of course, another gorgeous speckled lampwork bead from Ellen Dooley.

River rocks are so soothing. This one is super smooth to the touch.

In beauty may I walk... see it for sale on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Every year in Richmond, the area below downtown called Shockoe Bottom becomes a way-station for migrating Purple Martin birds on their way to South America. Every year Michael and I manage to miss them for one reason or another. This year we made a point to see this spectacular spectacle, and with my parents visiting we had added incentive since my dad is a professional wildlife photographer.

Richmond train station, Shockoe Bottom at dusk.

The Martin's are quick and difficult to catch on camera. This is one of my favorite shots my dad took, right before several thousand birds spiraled into formation and dove into the trees next to where we were all standing. Every night at least 15,000 birds take their nightly snooze in the trees at the Farmer's Market at Shockoe Bottom. It was an awe inspiring experience and we are heading down there again this evening to take it all in, all over again.

My Boy Mango

2010-08-12T09:22:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am blogging about my cat. Here he is in his favorite spot (other than tucked under my arm) on my side of the bed waiting for the sun to come back out. He is a sweet and sour boy, my Mango. You never know what you're going to get but when he's sweet, he is very, very sweet.
The Mango Kitty Condo.
Since I have no jewelry to show, owing to life in general and getting ready to host relatives from Germany in particular, I can at least show my latest most fabulous find. Every Saturday morning until the first weekend in October there is an antiques market on Monument Avenue in a parking lot. It is within easy walking distance from our apartment and my new favorite haunt. Here is a swatch of 12 and a half yards of vintage 1960's lightweight home dec fabric I scored for twenty bucks. My husband was kind enough to haul it home for me, still on the huge rolled bolt. But I carried our old dog Lucy, who wilted in the heat and pooped out early. Hmmm.. who got the better deal? Anyway, isn't this fabric the greatest? There are more colorful combinations, this is just a piece. I foresee zippered bags, wrapped bags, shoulder bags-- bags, bags, bags! :)
One last shot of my fat little pink-bellied boy. All 23 pounds of him. :)

true to thee

2010-07-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

What are we true to these days? I have heard nutty things lately. A friend recently told me his dream came true-- something he never thought he would accomplish. I couldn't imagine what it was! Then he told me-- he installed a dedicated movie room in his home, complete with 110 inch projector television and state of the art sound system. He is thrilled. I was completely dismayed. Is this what we've come to for dreams come true?

I am true to these things: home, family, pets, friends, art. Long walks and cool evenings. Good books and great coffee. Viewing a gorgeous piece of artwork. Hearing from a friend or calling or writing a friend after a long absence in communication. The joy of accomplishing a long worked piece of needlework or a well wrapped piece of wirework, where all the elements come together just well enough to incite a smile. These are my small and large joys in life, and so many other things- all simple, all true to me. What are you true to these days?

Fabulous glazed earthenware beads (to die for!) by Gaia. Glazed earthenware building pendant by the ever-talented Mary at Jubilee. Stamped pendant is my own. Lampwork bead, unfortunately, is of the set I cannot identify the maker. Saki silver toggle.

Available at my shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

sometimes i fly like a bird

2010-07-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

I finished another necklace yesterday and it is now listed on my shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com (SOLD 7/27/10). Again, it is highlighting unusual and wonderful beads and charms that I have stowed away for years. This incredibly lovely lampwork disc bead was purchased at the Whole Bead show in New York City in March 2008. To my intense dismay, I remember the woman's face who created the bead and I remember purchasing a small king's ransom in beads from her, each one even more beautiful than the last. But I have no record of her name, a receipt, credit card slip, business card or anything so I cannot give her proper and due credit for her wonderful work. *sigh* I'll pay more attention if we get there again later this year.

The entire necklace is 22". The beads are large turquoise czech seed beads, freshwater pearl and then a terrific Thai silver curved tribal tube bead, which I have also sequestered away for a while. :) I am a certified pack rat, I guess, but it's lovely to put all these beautiful components together on one piece.

Hand stamped sterling with patina by me. It's from a song, don't you know it... sometimes i cry, sometimes i fly like a bird. Well, I do sometimes cry but I like the fly like a bird part better these days, so the rest got left on the cutting room floor.

A close up of this wondrous bead. I am lucky to have about eight more of these, but this is the only one of this size and lovely dusky rose hue.

It's off to the grocery with my old and trusty dog Lucy and then? A shared ice cream cone! I don't mind dog slobber too much. :)

Happy creating, everyone! I am working with copper and bronze for the rest of today.

enigma necklace

2010-07-24T17:47:00.001-07:00

It's been too hot to do much other than hang around the apartment. Owing to the incredible temperatures, amazing even for summer in central Virginia, we have been forced to limit our activities to quick runs to the grocery store after dark, hasty doggie pee pee's outside in the front courtyard, and household chores and laundry. In essence it has been rather nice, other than our AC blitzing out for several hours last night (thankfully repaired running constantly now). I have had time other than household tasks to take a few well needed naps, put things away in our new place, make some little quilted bags, work on needlework and also make some jewelry. Here is the first piece I had time to photograph just before dark tonight.

This is such an amazing bead, I have held on to it like a lucky talisman for a while, not sure what to make with it. Another necklace was taken apart, added to and re-worked to include this inscrutable double sided face as the focal piece. Enigma can be found on my shop page http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com (SOLD 7/25/10).

Each side of the face is ever so slightly different. It is quite extraordinary, handmade by sweet relish charms, which you can find on etsy.

Details of lovely faceted stones and pearls. I do so love a jangly necklace. :) Keep cool and have a creative weekend!

new published work, be-dazzled bezels!

2010-07-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

I have a new published piece. It is a necklace called "sticks and stones" and you can see it in the August/September 2010 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. Two of the components of the necklace, I thought, might not be something everyone would want to bother to tackle, so I am offering these two components as a package deal on etsy. See the finished necklace in the magazine on page 18. See the components for sale on my etsy site: http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

I've been enchanted and consumed with the idea of creating hand stamped bezel pendants. These are my first efforts and are also for sale on my etsy site. There may be an easier way to make these buggers but I did it the old fashioned way, entirely by hand. Hand saw the copper, rounds and tubes, cut a bale. Then solder. And perhaps re-solder. And in several cases, reposition the entire piece, add more solder and end up with too much solder evident on the finished piece. Ah well. I had fun making them, with minimal flung curse words.

Each bezel has a stamped word or sentiment that is dear to me... "home" is one of my favorites.

I found this gorgeous piece of weathered red painted board on the beach last visit home. It works fabulously well as a jewelry prop. My husband is used to me dragging large and unusual props home, usually dropping sand, dead bugs and other unmentionables with them.

Lovely texture and patina. I love copper. It's so wonderfully earthy. We are moved again to a nice modern small apartment, and even in the midst of the rubble, I feel fabulously back in the game again. :)

tambour bead embroidery

2010-06-07T18:21:00.001-07:00

Last week I drove from Richmond to Lexington, Kentucky to attend the University of Kentucky School of Costume and Design class in tambour bead embroidery, an ancient technique that is almost an extinct art form. Today it is taught almost exclusively at Ecole Lesage in Paris, an haute couture embroidery school that teaches day classes and professional classes in many forms of embroidery, including the above, which was worked with a tambour hook. A tambour hook is a needle sharp, tiny crochet-like hook that is used to work chain stitch on the reverse of the piece (stretched taut in a slate frame), utilizing a glorious array of threads, sequins, beads and fabrics to create dazzling purses, dresses and other garments. The photo above is a bead and sequined flower in progress, worked in such a way that it is three dimensional.

My class piece in progress, above. Black bugle beads, gold and purple sequins, lame and gold seed beads are worked in slow progress with the tiny tambour hook.

Wracked with nerves at first, I have my organza stitched onto and stretched across the frame before calming down to begin the learning process of holding the hook properly (over and over and over again!) so that it does not snag either the delicate fabric or thread as it pierces and loops a chain. Here I have almost all flower outlines complete, day two of the class.

Our utterly charming and incredibly talented instructor, Bob Haven.

The costume design classroom at University of Kentucky School of Fine Arts, hard at work on our projects.

Fine Arts Building where our class was held. Now that my love of this technique is confirmed, I can't wait to become more proficient with the hook, finish my class project and move on to other works of art. Lesage, here I come! (someday....)

Holy cow, more than a month flew by!

2010-05-06T19:05:00.001-07:00

My gosh, I have been bad about posting. Working, getting ready for a move, working magazine articles (!), sewing, housework (blah...) and making jewelry again has really occupied my days from morning til fall-into-bed time. The earrings here were a custom order, sterling with green sparkly fine aquamarine stones and overwraps. I had such fun making this pair, I already made another pair to put on etsy. Being freestyle wraps, they look a bit different but still, same idea.

Such lovely beads! So pretty.

And another custom order.. black spinelle rondelles and Peruvian blue opals. Gorgeous opals! The nicest quality I have ever been able to find. These are truly dazzlers.
And last weekend Michael and I attended the grand opening of the newly opened renovated Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Great looking guys (see above), beautiful artwork, free food and drink and wonderful live bands made for a charming evening. We walked from our apartment to save the environment and the parking fee, and the museum was quite huge so we really got our work out for the day. I'm sorry I cannot remember who painted the magnificent painting above but it was Michael's favorite.

My favorite painting in the 21st century art section, Self Portrait in a Coral Bed, 2003 by Julie Heffernan. The plaque on the wall said she has painted mostly self portraits in recent years but none of them really look like her physically, it's the meaning behind it of which she was conveying herself. Hmm. I need to look back at my notes to see what she was conveying here but it was most stunning and I spent quite a while engrossed in studying this piece.

Close up head shot of Self Portrait in a Coral Bed.

The museum opened at 10 a.m. last Saturday, after having been closed for renovations since at least a year ago (don't quote me on that). A group of Tibetan monks came and created a sand mandala. This is the mandala in a stage of completion. I wanted to see them finish it and then sweep it all away but alas, we missed that part.

There is a small room of incredible stained glass from the 14th and 15th centuries. This was my favorite piece.

Me in a moment of repose, taking a break from my flat, tired feet.

This wall divider was all needlepoint! The middle panel was more realistic, if you can call mermaids realism, but compared to the opposite panels, you get the idea. Again, stood here a long time and analyzed the workmanship. Quite stunning. We were so engrossed in all the artwork (and three wings of the museum have not even opened yet, still under construction...) that I neglected to write down many of the artists or even the time period. Pens were not allowed out in the museum so that hampered my efforts a bit. I can't imagine defacing a painting but I suppose it happens.

Family Portraits, 1944, by Robert Gwathmey. I am particularly fond of African American folk art. This piece spoke to me.

And who waited at home, contemplating his revenge while his tuna bowl lay empty? Hmmm. Sorry, Mango!

unfinished objects

2010-03-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

I know... What the *!#$! is it?? Looks like an oven mitt, yes? Well, daylight is running out and I haven't posted in forever so here you have my current work in progress, my soon to be finished unfinished object.

The inside has a lovely zip purse, two bill slots, and four credit card slots. Reproduction 1930's fabrics with cute Valentine endearments on the inside, mixed bag of pretty colors in my favorite shades of yellow, blue and pink...

Blurry shot of a closer view. My camera with the macro has died and needs recharged but I can't find the charger.

Use some imagination, fold it over, pretend it is all sewn up (it will be tonight) add a real vintage button, and I swear it will look something resembling this. It's supposed to have a strap but I hate little bags with long straps, so it is an oversize wallet instead, gifted to my cousin in Florida soon as it is all done up just so! I'm also selling a few of these on etsy that are also still in the UFO status. I have tried doing these on a production line, cutting out all the fabrics, interfacing and batting at one time for all the bags, then turning out all the credit card and bill flaps, then sewing down all the zippers at one time. Well, you get the idea. Anyway I ended up with a big pile of I-don't-remember-what-goes-with-which-bag so maybe it's not a good idea for me. I think all these parts are what is intended. Oh, there are side pieces to this bag, too, that keep your stuff from falling out the sides. I have to sew them down yet. And so on. I have a bunch of days off in a row now so I am sewing most of the days away, in between walking doggie, reading blogs, reading books, trying to drum up business for my husband, and running to WaWa for coffee breaks. Tonight my husband, who has been away for four days, comes home again. So I am looking forward to him coming home and making the best of the rest of my time off as a wife with no one to look after.

*sigh*. I see so many wonderful things online I want to try now. Fabric sewn buttons with stitched embellishments, stitching projects, more purses. And believe it or not (don't anyone gasp too loud...) I have a pile of jewelry waiting to be drilled, filed, finished and listed, soon as my husband comes home and fixes the blasted drill that won't work properly.

Books I am reading right now-- Frances Mayes' Every Day In Tuscany, which I am finding to be a surprising chore to get through. Very disappointing. And reading Tolstoy Anna Karenina, one of my all time favorites. And for magazines my very favorite Australian embroidery guild's Stitch magazine and an excellent current copy of SewNews. Not enough time in the day...

Liberty at Target finds

2010-03-14T15:24:00.001-07:00

My husband and I went to three places this evening trying to find a certain super glue he needed. Lucky for me the first two hardware stores didn't carry it and we headed for Target. Walking inside, I was bedazzled to suddenly remember that today is the day for the launch of the Liberty of London for Target line! Lucky me!! Not only did they have pretty sun-dresses but they also had wonderful huge scarves, such as the one I chose above, which is three different fabrics sewn together. Beautiful! I may use it as a scarf and I may cut it up and use it for project fabric.

I never thought of Liberty boxer shorts but here they are. The little cars are one of my favorite fabric from Liberty. My husband will not be wearing these. Instead they'll be put to the chopping block for project usage. I thought I was smart to get the x-large pairs for more fabric!

So cute!!

A new one of a kind purse from Get Real Purses & Pouches, now available on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Red variegated carpetbag material with colorful cotton florals and stripes.

Underneath the flap- a hand appliqued piece of dyed muslin with birds. I call this one "postage due".

Quilt show pics & my first quilt in living color

2010-03-03T19:18:00.001-08:00

The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest was held at the Hampton, Virginia convention center last weekend and I went with my friend and colleague from work and her good natured husband. These are some of the quilts that caught my eye in the display section. Although I know there are larger quilt shows, this was my first so to me it was quite something. My apologies to the makers of these wonderful quilts as I only snapped some shots of my favorites and did not write down the creators. The intricate use of applique on this lovely quilt above stopped me for a while.

Having lived on the Eastern Shore of Virginia for years and also in the Richmond area with the James River proximity, Great Blue Herons are a favorite bird and a familiar sight. I love the mariner's compass on this quilt as well as the vibrant colors.

I stared at this quilt for quite a while. A view of the cosmos, although that was not the title of it, tiny starbursts and galaxies were very beautifully machine and hand stitched. This was my favorite quilt of all that were displayed.

Interesting design feature of ribbons at the bottom of this art quilt.

I so love sock monkeys. I have been stockpiling sock monkey fabric when I find it and then, I saw this quilt. Adorable! This is a close up shot, of course, but the whole quilt was equally whimsical. I love it.

The last week I have been taking my first formal quilting class from my friend and colleague extraordinaire, Cheryl Schenck, who has her own fabulous blog http://myfeeddogsaredown.blogspot.com/. Pictured above is my pieced and finished quilt top, which when set down for a moment was immediately appropriated by big kitty Mango. I actually made it with him in mind since it is a baby quilt and my babies have four legs and fur. They may as well get a head start on it. Tomorrow is my last day of class and I must hum ding to finish it. I pieced the back in strips (not shown). Photos of the finished product when it's a finished product.

Mango on his quilt. It suits him, don't you think?

And my blog posts of late wouldn't be complete without a photo of one of my little pouch creations. This one features a cute little elephant machine appliqued on wool. It went to Charlotte, NC a few days ago. bye bye!

What have we been doing these prolonged winter days of late? Why, we have been studying history. Richmond, of course, is a treasure trove of Civil War sites, museums, trails and so on, and this one is a freebie we have never hiked before. Gaines Mill, near Cold Harbor, was the site of a battle that took place in June 1862. 15,000 men died here. This day we were the only ones on the 1.5 mile trail. It was still and eerily quiet. As we walked, we tried to imagine the spectacular battle and we stopped now and then, in spite of Lucy's pulling on the leash (you'd never know she was 14 years old) to read the historical markers and consult our map.

Near the end of the trail, Michael is happy we are in the 21st century, and so am I (most of the time, anyway).

Dusk at Gaines Mill, Virginia.

call me stupid

2010-02-24T13:16:00.001-08:00

Call me stupid. I paid seven bucks for a showcase spot on Etsy for my new bags I have been working on. Every spare chance in between a hundred other tasks, chores, work and projects, I've been working on these. For February 25. So I thought. Until I looked at my site today and found the site live. Today. February 24. I wrote it down wrong. (Stupid!!) So my big Etsy showcase is a total of two bags, the light too dark on this dismal rainy day, late in the day at that, to hurry and take photos and list more. So much for good intentions. So I am bummed. Time to break out the ice cream and crawl into bed with the heater on, turn on a DVD. At least I have the Mid Atlantic Quilt festival to look forward to. My friend and I are heading there on Friday, early. Day after tomorrow, oh boy! I am more than excited. Inspiration, fabric, who knows what is there because I have never been to one, but I am totally completely psyched! Oh well, that makes me feel better. And last night we walked with Lucy over two streets and down about seven blocks, just to gaze upon our soon to be new apartment. I pictured myself, my husband and our animals all snuggled warmly into the new place, June 1! Cannot wait! Tomorrow- work. Then the quilt festival! Can you tell I am squealing to myself?

hope and dream

2010-02-18T19:40:00.001-08:00

A quickie post since I just got home from work, haven't eaten and men's ice skating is beginning or in progress. Just finished this bag earlier today but didn't have time to post it. A departure from my wrap around closures, this one I used a large black snap, invisibly reinforced on the opposite side, combined with free motion stitching on the wording, luscious leopard spotted carpetbag fabric on the body of the purse.

I LOVE this waffle weave muslin lining! It feels so good and is nice and sturdy-- hand dyed for vintage appeal.

Reverse side stitching with beautiful variegated threads and batiks. This bag is a bit larger than the other ones-- about 5 x 8". I have a spot reserved for showcase on Etsy coming up next week, so I am not sure if I want to list this now or wait to list multiple items at once on the showcase.

Skating is on! bye bye.

Bakelite Button Wish Pouch

2010-02-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hello, Valentines!! It's been a day of fabric shopping and working on new stuff. I have a new bag up and listed on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. I am starting a new venture in bag making. My new shop within a shop is called "Get Real Purses & Pouches". The button on the front flap is a HUGE vintage bakelite beauty found at a Pennsylvania antique fair last summer. I have several of these and then another stash of huge bakelites in green. The bakelite factor brings the price up, as anyone who is a vintage button fiend will know. =)

This elaborate bag has alot more detail with free motion embroidery and quilting.

Check out my little hand made "Get Real" tags sticking out of the left side. :)

This pouch has alot more detail with free motion embroidery on hand dyed muslin and chiffon...

Fabulous blazing batiks. I can't get enough of them.

Close up of free motion embroidery. Let me tell you, that's not easy on such fine and slippery fabric!

I'm heading out to dinner with my Valentine now....

Enjoy!

a quick posting for a new purse

2010-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

I am off to work in a few minutes but wanted to share this bag I just finished up today and listed on etsy http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. It is more heavily embellished and a bit more romantic than my previous bags, with the layers of silky fabrics over the flap.

It is about 5" by 7" and opens to approximately 3-4 comfortable inches. All elements are machine or hand sewn.

"dream" is free motion quilting... so much fun!

The main fabric is super soft plush green carpet bag material.

And layers of chiffon, tulle and other luscious fabrics adds interest.

We found an apartment we like, for those of you who know what I'm talking about with our current apartment being not so great, and are moving the end of April/first of May. I am immeasurably happy and relieved. Have a great evening everyone!

new etsy direction

2010-02-06T15:12:00.001-08:00

I'm really excited to introduce a new line of fabric work for sale, inspired by the fabulous array of fabrics where I am employed. This small mixed media quilted bag is the first to grace my etsy site. I have so much fun choosing colors, threads, beads, and themes for these little purses. This one is based on a saying I often employ, usually to my husband and one of his far flung ideas-- get real! The definition of "real" is the focus of the front of this hand pieced and quilted bag. The fabrics are mostly from my favorite company, Moda, and then the rest are hand made and hand dyed in my little studio.

Vintage leather red star button graces the front for the closure...

Measures 6" by 4" and comfortably opens 3" or so to hold many small items to toss in your everyday bag. It is also lovely to use as a pouch for a special piece of jewelry.

Long hand made twisted thread cording wraps around the purse for easy closure and is embellished with strands of copper and lavender bead tassels. Now available on my etsy site http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. postscript: this bag sold tonight! be on the lookout for more coming very very soon!

Alas, we have had another snow storm in central Virginia. *deep sigh*. Michael & Lucy think it is wonderful. It is very beautiful on the first day when the snow is virtually undisturbed, laying majestically on the trees in our neighborhood.

Still, a well placed snowball goes a long way to vent frustration with digging our car out for the second time in two weeks! This mid air frozen ball was a direct hit on my husband's right leg. Whack!! :D

Our quiet, deserted street.

lovely swarovski!

2010-02-02T13:05:00.001-08:00

Since I am picky and our holiday season was particularly busy with work and short on time, my husband gave me a gift certificate to a Richmond shop that carries a particularly large array of lovely and unusual Swarovski crystal pendants and beads. Slipping and sliding on the ice, I finally found time to make my way over for a long period of browsing earlier this week. 1/2 my certificate nabbed the haul shown above. It was so difficult to pick and choose as these are pieces for myself for a necklace full of stars and moons that will dangle from a dismantled set of beautiful crystal and sterling rosary beads found at an antique show last summer. Michael helped me choose the colors. The centerpiece is the lovely moon crystal, which is clear but for the frosted moon, and casts a spectacular rainbow from whatever set of colors it is set against. The stars were chosen by my husband in yellow and purple. The other loose beads I picked for the sheer rich colors, even though two of them don't really match the rest of the pieces. I'm still thinking about the composition of this one. Given the large center piece, it won't be easy to wear with everything but I am moving in a direction where I am liking some glitz and glamour with jewelry so it feels right just gazing at the lustrous colors and shimmering rainbows of these beauties. Another trip to this shop is coming up soon... I see star earrings, necklaces and so on coming to my etsy site soon when I get the chance!

I am not a super regular blogger under the best of circumstances. Life is what happens when you aren't blogging, and I have had alot of it lately. Other than a large order of etchings that went out last week, I have not made a single piece of jewelry other than for family for Christmas. Ideas abound but time does not. Given our up and down business life since the Great Recession, I have had to find work again. About a month ago, given my increasing interest in fabric art, I started working part time in a local quilting shop. This is a huge learning experience for me, and more work than I would have figured. There is so much to learn, so many manufacturers of fabrics, so many patterns and questions, it makes the head spin around and around and even after a month of working and asking many questions, I still mostly feel stupid at my job. Stupid, but definitely not uninspired. For I have a new love in my life, one that simmered for years but ignited recently... BATIKS! And oh, working in a quilting shop with row after row after row of blazing reds and oranges, cool blues and greens and batik patterns of tantalizing ingenuity, it is all I can do for it not to eat up every paycheck I receive. This, my boss informed me early on, is her evil plan for us all-- to pay her to work for her. :) So far I have been relatively good but it is soooooo hard! The pieced strips above are all batiks, the beginning stage of quilting and sewing up a new large carry all purse. I will post photos when it is completed but I am having so much fun working with these fabrics.

Beautiful pieced batiks close up! Quite obvious my favorite colors and I love to mix and match them with varied patterns, of which there are a million and one... *sigh*

The other news is our big snow storm and another one coming our way Friday. Here are our two buried cars the day after the storm. Note my car is not parked under the large pine tree that dropped a huge limb on the hood in December...

these little faces...

2010-01-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

These faces, furry and otherwise, are the faces of those I love and they all rule my heart and my world. My posting has been silent for a while, as far as jewelry and creating goes. The reason is I am going through a time when I am needed at home, and needed in a new part time job that requires more learning and time than I figured on.

Priorities are at home. They need me and I need them and we are all going through a phase of refiguring things in our lives, where we want to be, what we want to do and how to get from here to there. In this transition, I increasingly find I am not interested in some of the same art that I used to be. Moving on, moving forward, is difficult. It's hard to let go of the past and the symbolism of many objects in our lives. Michael and I both are letting go of some aspects of our artistic lives that were once an integral part of our lives but after time and reflection, find that they were not realistic goals, or not really interesting to us other than in selling them to other people. We want to be true to ourselves while still making part of our living with art. This is not an easy task. Many artists put work out there that is really just cranked out, with little thought other than that it sold well in the past and will possibly sell well again. I am not interested in sell out, highly prolific art, which most of the time isn't art at all, but simple manufacture on an individual level.

Yes Mango has a deep love affair with our (I mean his...) motorcycle... I think we need to find him a kitty helmut and make it official on the road. =)

More etsy items are to come, soon as we get our redecorated apartment finished up.

A year ago today

2010-01-05T20:31:00.001-08:00

A year ago today I was deliriously happy standing here on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy- handmade paper purchases in one hand, husband's hand in the other.

A year ago this week Michael took glorious photos of the Ponte Vecchio from the viewpoint of the Ufizzi museum.

Brunelleschi's Dome. We climbed the narrow stairway clear to the top at dusk. Certainly one of the world's most beautiful views....

One of those spectacular views... Firenze at dusk.

*sigh....* No matter the cost, it's best to live without regrets. Captured forever in my heart and memory, I'm so very glad we went...

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Before we left for Christmas holidays, Richmond had the thrill and then the misery of more than a foot of snow. Here is the misery of it--- our newest car was the only car out of dozens that managed to have a tree fall on it. Fortunately enough snow fell prior to that the damage was minimal small dents and easily taken care of next week in the auto body shop.

Undeterred, we packed up and headed four hours northeast to visit my parents for Christmas eve, day and Boxing Day. Maggie and Lucy (looking a little off still..) are ready for their presents. As usual, they received a pile of new toys, chewies and treats!

Christmas Day. Lucy is not feeling very well. Rainy weather flared up her arthritis and she had an upset stomach. Nothing serious and she is fine now but I felt bad for her because she always loves Christmas and understands it (the opening presents part anyway!) better than any other dog I know.

My mom's lovely holiday shirt. She painted this design on it! Isn't it beautiful? I think she needs to start marketing them.

The view of the front room, Christmas morning. Mom and Dad cut a Charlie Brown tree from their property and set it up. I love it!

Some of my parent's ornaments. They decorate so beautifully every year. Old heirloom ornaments and figurines, lights and pine. I enjoy it all so much.

Christmas dinner at my parent's house with my folk's next door neighbor. My mom made a wonderful dinner of turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings, offset with vintage Christmas tablecloth, plates, and my grandmother's beautiful candelabra.

My husband started with a bad cold the day before we left, so I hurried to get things ready to go so we could get the germ factory out of their house. In between snoozes, Michael took this photo from the drive home on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. A lovely buttermilk sky...

Happy New Year everyone!

a little of this a little of that

2009-12-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

Working on presents and such for Christmas. These earrings and accompanying bag went out yesterday. Maybe I'll list some similar on etsy one of these days but etsy isn't lighting my fire right now so I am concentrating on other things. These sterling hammered hoops and faceted turquoise drops are lightweight and rather sweet, every day earrings to wear.

The bag that went with it. I adore making these!

I heart my local quilt shops. Aren't these fabrics fabulous?? Not to mention the threads. My husband checked out my burgeoning supply of silk and cotton threads and declared I have quite enough in the shade of pink, green and blues of every hue.

In the evenings after my husband's work is done, we take time and drive around looking at lights. This is my favorite, probably because it is so very weird. It is a cement truck that has lights circling the body, all blinking so it looks like the mixer is turning and then more lights at the tail on the ground blinking so it appears as if lit cement is pouring on the ground. I love it! I even filmed it. Again, my husband shook his head and put the car into drive... This company does this every year and I look forward to it with great anticipation, making Michael drive way out to the west end of Glen Allen to see if the cement truck is out and lit yet. =)

More random photos. Recently we worked at a llama farm on a piano repair. I spent part of my time when I wasn't needed (which was most of the time), walking the farm. These guys were very interested in me and Lucy. They came running from every direction and watched us intently the whole time we were there. Who knew llamas were so social?

Finally, Mr. Mango sleeping on his new L.L. Bean fleece blanket for our king size bed. Of course we got the big bed for the animals. Pshaw! Did you think it was for me?

We are expecting a heap of snow tonight, not my favorite thing at all. I ran around like a nut earlier today refilling dog prescription, getting presents for the furry kids at Petco, browsing Barnes and Noble and hitting the dollar store for gift wrap and ten for a dollar candy. I made the mistake of walking nonchalantly into Trader Joe's for a few things. Bah! People in line to the back of the store, on all aisles. So I hit the free coffee stand, the free wine stand, the free nacho stand, and left. Then I hit the not free Starbucks and drove home. Happy weekend, everyone!

one new listing/Mango antics!

2009-12-09T21:41:00.001-08:00

First things first-- a new etsy listing. all things work out hand stamped sterling silver pendant. This is one hefty pendant and would look lovely by itself on a chain or grouped with some other trinkets of your choosing, mix it up a little! Now available in my shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Now, moving on to other things. Isn't Mr. Mango a sweet orange boy? So quiet, so peaceful....

So deceptive!! Here he is on his little kitty perch. This is my husband's work space for a commissioned drawing that HAS to be completed by Christmas. Naturally, Mango has decided the only, only, only suitable object to scratch his little chinny chin chin is Michael's white charcoal pencil.

He's making his move! Come on-- give it to me!

Aaaaahhhh..... Success! That feels soooooooo gooooooood.....

Ah, the life of Mr. Mango. Fat kitty extraordinaire, we love him so!

blue bird bag

2009-12-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

I am just having too much fun making these little bags... This little blue bird bag was completed last night and is in the mail today.

Such an infinite variety of colors, fabrics, dyes, threads, shapes.... I love it all.

This holds a pair of commissioned earrings but it is the perfect size for small eye glasses, cosmetics, pens, or a little bag to hold the odds and ends of your pocketbook. Should I sell them on etsy?

do not be afraid

2009-12-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

One of my favorite bible verses put onto sterling silver with added natural and vintage elements. Now for sale in my etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

We travelled up to Wallops Island to visit my parents for Thanksgiving. While there my husband took these photos of Assateague Island at twilight.

Ibis in flight. Quite something to see and I am very sorry I missed it in person but happy Michael captured them on the camera.

The day after we devoured a good portion of Mr. Turkey and trimmings, we did what all nutty Americans do even though we know it's a bad idea-- we went shopping on Black Friday. My mom, my husband and yours truly all trekked up (with Lucy and Maggie, who refused to be left at home, in tow as well!) to Delaware to go outlet shopping. Afterwards we drove the 1/2 hour to Dover to stop at T.J. Maxx and a few other places before heading back to my parent's house. It was a long day and the dogs did very well considering they were in the car (although walked frequently) for more than eight hours. We did very well with our shopping bags too, scoring good deals on bedding at L.L. Bean, as well as jeans, thermal socks, sweaters, shirts, and the list goes on.... Here I am with my husband in his favorite Steelers jacket, enjoying a stop at our favorite Rehobeth Beach Starbucks.

And with my mom. One grande eggnog latte and one grande mocha latte, non fat milk with extra whipped, please! Oh, and some cookies, too, thank you very much, even though we ate enough to choke a cow the day before...

My dad opted out in favor of showing his photographs at a one man art show. He did well with sales for this time of year and in the economy.

Saturday my mom and I went, where else? Out for some more shopping excursions, although this time at a local school craft show. A lovely painting now graces our wall and some hand painted Christmas ornaments are stowed away awaiting the arrival of our Christmas tree. Hmm.. did we get something for anyone other than ourselves either day?? I don't think we did...

My husband worked on some pianos at churches on Saturday and Sunday we drove home, full of good food, good times and anticipation of heading back in a few weeks for Christmas!

We are going to Williamsburg this Saturday to spend the day. Walk on Duke of Gloucester Street, look at lights, eat a good dinner and the best part- choose our Christmas tree! Oh, boy, I love the smell of pine at Christmas!

This year, as last, we are doing all hand made gifts, except for a couple small things. I am a few days away from the panic that set in last year when we did the same and it was days before Christmas and madly wire wrapping and making books and painting and everything. Hopefully this year will be a bit more calm without preparation for a big trip overseas looming.

Tonight? We are off to the historic Byrd Theater in Richmond to see one of my favorite movies of all time-- Julie and Julia. *sigh*!! I am still obsessed. It's out on DVD in a few days but I may not be able to wait til Christmas!

each necklace comes with a bag sorta like this one

2009-11-21T18:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a rather quiet Saturday for a change and I've spent most of the day kinda tired and ready for a nap that just wouldn't come easily, even though I crashed in bed at 3 p.m. for a while. Too many things to think about...

At any rate, each memory necklace I make comes with a lovely freebie bag such as the one pictured in these shots-- all hand made, with machine and free hand embroidery, interesting textures of batik, recycled thrift shop fabric, couture silks- you name it, I'll pair it together. All cotton and silk threads. For some reason, polyester threads don't do well in my sewing machine.

Make a wish, people, it's almost Christmas-time!

Vintage cut steel button (purchased at a rural Pennsylvania antique show this past summer) with silks, tulle and hand made multi-colored sash.

Time to play with Mango and wear him out a little, then hit the bed early for a change. My husband is seizing the moment and energy to work on his drawing.

Saturday night married life-- full of excitement!

another twinkling memory necklace

2009-11-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

I used up the last of my really beautiful stash of fabulosity-quality faceted round amethyst for this memory necklace that is being shipped out tomorrow. All silver wire and chain, with bottom dangly stones of super lovely green tourmaline, citrine, pearl, green aquamarine and rubies.

This is the requested stamping on the pendant reverse. What a lovely quote...

I've been happily finishing this necklace up and making the collaged fabric bag that will hold it. In this disposable society, where electronics rule and everything is old and boring and tossed away as soon as it hits the stores, I feel honored and humbled to create small works of art that hold something so precious, something that can't be bought for a high enough price, for any price-- memories. "Oh, you are too nostalgic. Come on, live in the present!" Yes, but live for yesterday too and for all the days and people, homes, dogs, cats, travels and so forth that came before it, for that is from whence we become who we are, hopefully a good thing. Reminiscing doesn't necessarily lock you in the past, it teaches you about who you can be today and in the future.

Other pieces are in various stages of completion, both Christmas gifts and etsy listings. Lots to do... Lots of small triumphs. It's a good thing because I already got notice that I didn't get the rather rinky dink job I interviewed for the other day, which is actually quite ok with me. Quick as it came, they must have had them typed up before I even walked in the door to begin with.

Lucy is coming back to me again and again, nudging my arm to come to bed with her, so best to give in to the doggie's whim and head on in with some needlework instead of jewelry work for a change.

My husband is busily working on a pencil drawing. It is quite beautiful and is due for his own customer in a few weeks. He's making good progress and I'll post a photo when it's completed and after it's delivered. I'm so glad and grateful that we both have absorbing art pursuits that fill us with contentment. With all that is going on, it's so important for me to have something other than the everyday worries.

bright sky over winter earrings

2009-11-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I love earrings that move or any piece of jewelry with alot of jingle. It's gotta have movement or I probably won't wear it. My wedding rings fit one into the other, my necklaces, both bought and self made, are almost all accented by numerous interesting dangles and parts. And the same with earrings. Here is my latest offerings on etsy. The smoky quartz barrels twinkled so beautifully, they demanded to be paired with something interesting and different. These remind me of a lovely winter day, the contrast of the brown, gently laid to rest winter landscapes with a clear turquoise blue sky. For added interest and movement (again) I soldered a number of hand made jump rings and allowed them large enough to freely move up and down the layers of beads, but just enough to keep them from coming off the top or bottom bead. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them. =)

A closer look. http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

What a belly buster! Oh my sweet big boy, he is my little (?) love. =) This is the epitome of the lazy cat. Why lay on the floor when you can sleep on the sofa with your big orange head resting on a vintage pillow? Why indeed??

I've several orders to get finished up tonight and I am still coming down from a job possibility that looked promising but ended up disappointing. Always I am reminded how much more I like working in my studio than going out there trying to find another way. If I put all that time into making things I maybe wouldn't need the other way of life, and every time I go to a job interview for a job that is less than stellar, it motivates me back into the studio. Not many people other than those who make art themselves realize what work it is to produce artwork, jewelry, or whatever is your medium for sale. It is hard work. But I love it. What am I so afraid of?

This is definitely a coffee shop night.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

My lovely grandparents, Virginia Louise Freet Bair and Charles G. Bair on their engagement day. Salem, Ohio.

Going through the daily motions on this rainy day, it seems fitting to remember the past. Mostly today I am thinking about Veteran's Day. I wrote the following last year, and it still is one of my favorite posts. So, here it is again...

On a grander and more important scale, I am remembering all the Vets out there, living and dead, who have done so much to protect our country. My grandfather on my mother's side was a WWII vet, stationed in the extreme remote wilderness of Attu, Alaska for several years. Some of the worst bloodshed of WWII was fought on Attu. My mom was a tiny baby when he left, a three year old when he returned. I can't imagine not seeing my family for such a long time. I can't imagine his loneliness, living in a tiny quonset hut in the freezing cold, or my grandmother struggling to support a household that included my mother, my great grandparents, and my great aunt, who was a high school student at the time, all on a bank teller's salary. This is how people looked out for one another back then. But she never complained, either at the time or years later, an admirable quality I wish I possessed.

While the war raged on, my grandparents kept up a correspondence, writing each other every day the personal and plain events of their lives, documenting my mom's development from an infant into a toddler and all the events that my grandfather was missing back home in Ohio. The letters are voluminous and detailed and they were saved by my grandmother for more than forty years after my grandfather's untimely departure from this life at the age of 51. I never had the pleasure of knowing him, a gentle and kind man, and my mom was deprived of her beloved father and my grandmother her beloved husband for the majority of their lives. After my grandmother's death in 2000, my mom discovered these letters kept in a large wooden box, preserved in order, along with tiny Eskimo dolls, postcards and the long awaited cable from my grandfather, telling his wife that he was finally coming home...

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone. Thank you for your service.

Angel stamp

2009-11-09T15:15:00.001-08:00

Wow, I haven't posted in about eight days... Since last post, I have been down for the count with the flu and still recovering a bit. Right before I hit the bed for a few days, I sketched out this image of an angel and transferred it to a rubber carving block and went to work carving it out. For several years I have had a set of sharp carving tools in various sizes but never tackled the carving block until now. I think it turned out pretty well and am using it on some vintage distressed muslin for fabric work. This item is available on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

It was such fun carving this image that I carved a couple of pine trees, a self portrait of myself and my husband in miniature (this is hilarious), one of a dog sitting, a row of buildings and I have a few more sketched out but not yet carved. It does make a mess of rubber shavings all over the place and I keep finding them everywhere, even after I clean up with vacuum and attachments.

I see hand carved rubber stamped images for our Christmas cards this year. =)

Otherwise I am just applying for jobs since business is so terrible for my husband in this recession. I read yesterday that acquiring a job these days is akin to getting into Harvard. Very encouraging.... But I keep looking anyway. I'm pretty sure I could get into Harvard if I wasn't so old....

The most exciting thing I have done otherwise is color my hair. Grey be gone! yes!! Nothing real exciting for color-- just a golden brown. No red hair or white blond spikes. I keep thinking I may have an interview I'll have to look normal for. Or a Harvard application.

the pumpkin patch/a few new etsies

2009-11-01T20:17:00.001-08:00

I've listed a few more of these neat little fabric swatches to my etsy site. So far, no buyers. I think they are sooooo cute and for anyone who adores vintage, stained, rumpled, frayed bits of fabric art like I do, these are wonderful sewn onto a quilt, a fabric journal, a purse, or whatever you want. I made a few for myself to sew onto collaged fabric purses and they look fabulous. So there is my plug for my etsy shop for the day. =) http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

One more listing! I believe in so many things.... do you?

Michael and I bought our pumpkins this year from a country market where they had three wonderful patches to choose from. They had one patch with cut pumpkins, where we got these, and two with cut your own from the stalk. And they had gi-normous cut from the stalk pumpkins in their main market. I fell in love with all of them, which wasn't difficult for me since I love pumpkins to the point of dreaming of the day when we may live somewhere where we can try our hand at growing giant pumpkins. I'm talking HUUUGE pumpkins, like were on the PBS program last week, 1500 pounders! Fascinating! I read books about it, read online about them and their growers. I know. It's weird. Anyway, we already had one big orange pumpkin, and here he is perched on his kitty beanbag, looking a little peeved that we bothered his favorite big kitty resting spot. What an expression... Mango Man! We love you anyway, big guy.

Michael choosing a little pumpkin.

So many choices!! I picked a big one. Sadly enough, we've been so busy we haven't had time to carve them and now it's already going into November 2. We still plan to do it.

What else is going on.... We're like many Americans who are self employed these days, watching our ship slowly sinking at the same time as we are waiting for another better ship to come in. Hopefully my husband's business will pick up this week. Michael just finished restoring a grand piano and shipped it out to the customer. Now he is working on another but day to day jobs are scarce. It's kinda scary, folks.

This morning, since it was pouring buckets of rain, we did something revolutionary and cleaned our apartment. Michael took to spraying nasty smelling stuff into the moldy shower and I took the rest of the apartment-- a fair exchange, I thought. Afterwards, we took Lucy out in her little red doggie raincoat, got her rubbed down and wistfully settled in the apartment, then took off to go see Michael Moore's latest, Capitalism- A Love Story. We knew alot of this was going on, of course, but what an eye opener. We both laughed and cried throughout the movie, it felt so much our story and what we relate to with our every day living. After the movie, of course it was all we could talk about. Then it was on to Costco and then home.

Tonight I've mostly rested in the big warm bed with a big orange kitty at my side and a sleepy dog on the other, working on my stitching projects. I'm sure not many people outside my family know that I am an avid needleworker and love it probably more than any of my other creative endeavors. Someday I would like to design cross stitch charts but for now I am quite satisfied when happily stitching that of others. To explain what all I am working on would require another blog altogether, which may not be a bad idea. =D

Tomorrow is another day. I have my list ready!

a few new items with lots more to come

2009-10-28T19:11:00.001-07:00

I'm delving into fabric art, as I am making art quilts. These sweet little bluebird stampings are too lovely to resist on my own work, so they are to be offered up for sale on etsy tomorrow...

this is the cutest teeny tiny postcard on overdyed distressed muslin. so sweet!! about ten more to go on that front... have to work on the photos tomorrow and then upload. i'm spent tonight!

LOTS of new etchings, themes this time of vintage Paris. Each set is a mis-matched set of scenes and items pertaining to vintage Paris. Voila, mon cheri!

Check them out at http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

believe. There is no other way...

http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com

moonlit forest

2009-10-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have a high stack of pendants (I know you thought I was going to say pancakes, but no. but I would like some of those too...) and etched charms to list on etsy but etsy is not cooperating with me today. I managed to list this moonlit forest copper etched pendant photo and am still having problems that hopefully will resolve overnight... At any rate, this one is on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

It is a rainy, rainy day here in Richmond, dark and dreary. Dank and dark and dreary and I cannot get motivated this evening. It's a good night to lay in bed, watch movies and work on needlework.

I've been working on various projects all day-- etchings, sewing, cleaning up and running errands but it's hard to get real motivation going. Just when I was going to leash Lucy up and take a good walk, it started to really rain, not just drizzle out, so it was a quick out and back in again.

For cheap entertainment, I've been photographing funny pumpkins in our neighborhood.

I particularly like the top one. Something about the teeth make me laugh.

A bright-shinier day tomorrow, I hope...

a visit to the parents

2009-10-21T18:36:00.001-07:00

Two days ago my husband and I loaded up the dogs and went to visit my parents. While there, Michael did work for some churches (tuning pianos) and a neighbor. My mom and I went to the beach, loaded up the dogs and bought the most beautiful mums from a very friendly Mexican fellow, got groceries, washed loads of laundry (our laundry facilities are terrible where we live- scary place...) and in general we all got caught up after not having seen each other in several weeks. First thing my parents showed us from their beach walks in New England? A big tray full of sea glass collected along the shores of northern Maine. Beautiful! My mom picked a handful out for me to bring home and drill so she can make some lovely things with them. Last night we were treated to a full screen show of the New England pictures, with whale watching and the works.

Dad, Michael and I took Lucy for a long walk past the horse pastures and down almost to the bay. Along the way, Dad, a retired wildlife biologist with a keen eye, found umpteen neat insects on the road that I almost squashed for not having the good eye. Above, Dad and I stop for a photo op along the trail home.

Big hairy spider Dad found on the walk. It was HUGE and sluggish. Dad said it was cold. Good thing- I didn't want it jumping on me.

Mom finally had her bon appetit moment in the kitchen last night with Julia Child's boeuf bourguignonne.

Yes it was most delicious! Yum!!!

Now we are home again and I have a boatload of jewelry orders to complete and mail out, plus so many new ideas swimming in my head I sat down for quite a while tonight and wrote them all out, plus a to-do list so long I had to quit out of practicality.

Don't anyone faint but next time I will have new jewelry components on etsy and here!

Foliage Fancy

2009-10-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased to be included amongst the talented artists in the new Fall issue of Stringing magazine. My necklace, a copper and silver creation titled Sit Under A Tree, is on page 40. The pendant is reproduced and for sale on my etsy site http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. Before the magazine came out, I wanted to make the pendant available on my etsy site. Since my memory failed, I searched and searched through my photos, trying to recall if I made the stamped bar with copper or sterling and could not remember. So, finally giving up, it's created with sterling silver and went live a few weeks ago. Now that I have the free artist's copy back from Stringing, I see it was in fact made with copper. Go figure. I'm leaving it with sterling online, unless someone requests copper, as it is just as attractive, goes with the rest of the piece just as well, and is just as step-by-step tedious to create and wire wrap either way.

Foliage Fancy! Speaking of which, the leaves are really turning brilliant reds, orange, and yellows in Richmond. This is my favorite time of year so I'm really savoring it and drinking it all in. Maybe one of these days it will stop raining long enough to take a proper walk through our neighborhood. Today & yesterday we had record low temps in Richmond. yay! I love it!!

It's to rain all weekend, thwarting our yard sale plans tomorrow. A good day to stay inside and create some lovely new things, and also to head out and see the new Michael Moore movie we're both itching to see- Capitalism, A Love Story. I'd also like to go see Julie & Julia again but it's my husband's turn to pick a flick.

Have a lovely, fall filled weekend, everyone! Go buy a pumpkin, drink a pumpkin spice latte, take a leisurely walk or drive- enjoy life!

find magic in the moment

2009-10-09T07:52:00.001-07:00

It's been a long couple of weeks, people, after I had a mammogram (it's breast cancer awareness month, by the way!!) and a small lump was detected. My parents and husband rallied round. I am so thankful to have such a loving family. A biopsy was performed last Friday and then a long wait over the weekend for the results. Monday evening- the call from the doctor's office. Thankfully, thankfully- benign. Of course me being me, I assumed the worst from the start and my mind raced with fear for a week and a half in between mammogram and biopsy and then over the weekend until the good news. I literally felt frozen with dread- a new and terrible feeling. I was so glad to have my family here (they canned the first leg of a long planned vacation to be with me) to help keep fear at bay. It's definitely a reminder that we're not here forever. I still feel a bit strange now, like I should have some new lease on life or something, although it is indeed something that literally thousands of women go through every day. Still I am trying to figure it all out. Otherwise, as usual, creating things makes me feel good, satisfied and purposeful.

After the storm passed, I made this. It's available in my etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

This pendant is in the current issue of Stringing magazine, page 40. It's also in my etsy shop. These orders, piled and ready to be boxed and shipped, kept me sane during the last two weeks.

As always, Lucy and Maggie keep me laughing and loving. My lovely parents have resumed their journey north. I hope they have a wonderful time and see glorious leaves, blue skies and stunning scenery. My husband and I keep on keeping on, here where the skies seem just a bit more blue than usual.

birds on wire

2009-09-23T16:20:00.001-07:00

I guess I'm in a flighty mood because my pendants are all sprouting birds. Now available in my little etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

A mix of metals. The opposite side of this domed pendant has a single stamped bird under the sun.

I'm working on some submissions for not only jewelry magazines, but fiber magazines as well, with several interesting projects in the works.

My parents visited this past weekend, leaving their little dog with us for autumn doggie camp, while they travel in the Northeast. Since my mom and I saw the movie Julie & Julia, we have both become veritable Julia Child freaks. Since we saw the movie, we have been deeply coveting the original non-book club Mastering the Art of French Cooking book. My mom, who has a vast cookbook library, called my husband last week before they visited, all excited! What could be going on? Well, she knew she had the part two book in book club version, but! She rooted around in her vast cookbook library, in a hidden away part of a cupboard and VOILA! She found an original first edition copy of Part One Mastering the Art of French Cooking! We both screamed with excitement! And she didn't even remember she had it before... Goes to show, folks-- never throw anything away! I, being of meager means, have been drooling over the first editions on Ebay but they are going for HUGE prices. Good heavens.

We spent part of our time over the weekend trolling the thrift shops in search of an older edition of this cookbook and today I stopped at another Goodwill, still searching in vain. Until I come across a treasure, I am consoling myself with the fortieth anniversary edition. Price? $24.95 from Costco. That's more my speed.

Keep checking back on my etsy site, if you wish, and...

Bon Appetit!

bird under sun/bird under stars

2009-09-15T14:44:00.001-07:00

I've been working with copper and nifty blue patinas lately, after having purchased a lovely blue patina copper pendant necklace from the amazing Amanda Davie. I fell so in love with Amanda's beautiful creation, this my most favorite necklace of all my necklaces, that I asked her how on earth she did it. She told me, I got my ideas in order, set up my little chemical lab, shoved the cat out the door, put my pieces of worked copper inside, and then waited. and waited. and waited. After 1/2 a day and one full night, I eagerly opened up the container. And found the pendant that I so carefully constructed was black. Yes, it was black. I felt sick.... Not a lovely blue, not a glowing turquoise or even a faint green. Black. So, persevering creator that I am (read OCD at work...) I made another. Waited again. SAME RESULTS!! I'm totally puzzled by now. WTF?? I did everything right! But, it didn't look bad with the black as it worked into all the nooks and crannies, but I wanted blue. *sigh* So I tried an unorthodox method not highly recommended because of mess. And I waited again. Got up yesterday morning and dashed into our studio, kind of expecting the usual. But, no! It was bea-oooooo-tiful blue blue blue!! And here is what I created with it:

A double sided domed pendant with tinkling bell inside, secured with brass eyelets. Does anyone know how much I LOVE cold connections? Anyway, let me get a hold of myself. Isn't the blue lovely? A bird under the sun stamped on one side...

A bird under the crescent moon and star on the other. Paired with some gorgeous twinkling gemstones, an elegant little pewter bird from mamacita beadworks, a vintage brass clip, vintage brass chain and sterling clasp and voila! It is for sale right now on my etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. Go take a look!

September 13 found me a birthday boy in my household. My husband turned 47 on Sunday, which called for special events all day long. Above, something we eat about twice a year, real peppercorn hickory smoked bacon, care of our neighborhood butcher shop. It was absolutely divine.

Morning, honey! Nice bed-head. Happy birthday! He wished for whole grain blueberry pancakes and real bacon with lots of syrup and butter. Coming right up... Yum. Good stuff.

We spent a good part of the day lounging. And eating, apparently. Here is the man himself on his big 47, looking a bit spiffier in front of a homemade roasted walnut and carrot cake with cream cheese and zest of lemon frosting. We took it over to our artist friend's house and shared, both so we could have a little socializing with friends and also so we wouldn't eat the whole cake ourselves. Two kinds of ice cream, hot fudge, strawberry sauce, fresh raspberries, whipped cream and coffee rounded out the binge. Oh, and Michael and I went to a Chinese buffet right before and ate three plates each, plus tackled one heck of an amazing sushi bar. By the time of this picture, I was seriously wishing for two things: an antacid and an elastic waistband.

Earlier in the day... a kiss from my girl Lucy. What a sweet dog she is. She turns 13 this month. And she loves carrot cake.

Last night we walked til we could almost drop and I made a huge pot of vegetable soup. Cooler air is coming, I can almost feel it. More blue pendants are also coming.

new etsy listings/visiting the parents

2009-09-04T16:35:00.001-07:00

This etched copper pendant with silver swing bar is now up for sale on my etsy site http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. It was created with the upcoming fall and winter seasons in mind, a nod to Zen mindfulness in the quieter months of contemplation, or so I would like it to be. This pendant is featured on a necklace design of mine that is in the soon-to-be-on-newstands Stringing magazine fall 2009 issue.

"The Forest" etching on copper. This deep etching is the single version of the above. Now available on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

I am at my parent's house since this past Tuesday, to celebrate my dad's birthday and to spend some time with my mom and dad for almost a week. Yesterday my dad took us out on the beach in his four wheel drive truck, where my dad looked for interesting photographic opportunities and my mom and I went searching for interesting shells or whatnot. Can you believe we were really cold out there?? This is us huddled together wishing we had brought down parkas (seriously!) and examining a wood pegged log that washed ashore during the last storm. My dad thinks it to be vintage mid to late 1800's ship part, due to the sturdy wooden pegs. My mom and I, naturally, thought it would look smashing in their yard with flowers around it, but it's not legal to remove such things :( and also, the sucker weighed a TON. Yes, I tried to lift it.

More interesting things washed ashore in the form of this fishing boat, ran aground during the summer, emptied of its fuel and left to die on the beach. I don't know why it wasn't able to be towed or removed. On the beach there were hundreds and hundreds of small horseshoe crabs, all dead or dying, again I don't know why, but they brought a plethora of shorebirds to the area. My dad, having been a wildlife biologist, knew all their latin names but the only ones I knew at a glance were the obvious pelicans and oyster catchers. Dozens of pelicans were congregated around this boat, a delight to watch.

My lovely parents, the evening after my dad's birthday, posing before chowing down on a couple of pounds of Alaskan king crab legs, giant steamed shrimp and the best corn on the cob I've had in years. Mmmm. good stuff.

We've had a wonderful time and I still have the weekend before heading back to Richmond. Michael has headed to PA to his own large family reunion, so I am here alone with the doggies and my parents. Home is where your heart is, don't you think? xo

all things work out

2009-08-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

This sentiment hangs over my work bench. I look at it every day. It is taken from an old framed poem that was in my grandfather's workplace in Salem, Ohio (Deming Pump Company) more than fifty years ago. After it left the factory, it went home to my grandfather's next door neighbor and colleague, where it hung on the wall for decades until he went to rest and it was sold at auction. My dad bought it and gave it to me. I've had it for years. The frame is beat up and weathered. The paper is brown and the glass is wavy from the elements but the title says it all. All Things Work Out. And it goes like this:

Because it rains when we wish it wouldn't,

Because men do what they often shouldn't,

Because crops fail and plans go wrong,

Some of us grumble the whole day long;

But somehow in spite of care and doubt,

It seems at last that things work out.

Because we lose where we hope to gain,

Because we suffer a little pain,

Because we must work when we'd like to play,

Some of us whimper along life's way;

But somehow as day must follow the night,

Most of our troubles work out all right.

Because we can not forever smile,

Because we must trudge in the dust a while,

Because we think that the way is long,

Some complain that life is all wrong;

But somehow we live and skies grow bright,

And most things seem to work out all right.

So we'll bend to our troubles and meet our care,

For the cloud must break and the sky grow fair,

Let the rain come down as it must and will,

But we'll keep on working and hoping still;

For, in spite of grumblers who stand about,

Somehow it seems all things work out.

The copper version is in my etsy shop now

http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

But I like the sentiment so much I made a silver version, too, but it's going to be a necklace on etsy tomorrow, unless I can find more thick 14 gauge silver like this one in my stash. I crinkle domed the copper one and distressed it with texture and liver of sulphur, then brush and polish. And there is a copper domed one that is a necklace but I ran out of light before I could take more photos today and post on etsy.

sweet surrender

2009-08-24T19:34:00.001-07:00

I made this little pendant with my etching pen on brass. It's kind of hard to see from the photo but in person the words are much more pronounced. It's on etsy now http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

The last few days have been lots of work but mostly the kind of work that contributes to helping pay bills (our piano tuning/restoration business) and not so much working in the studio. I've spent a few hours in there playing with metals. Tomorrow's post will be photos of those finished and on etsy. I've discovered the joys of the dapping block, the big metal set I got about two years ago but had been too intimidated to take the oily block and tools out of the sticky bag, wipe them all off, and use them. Now that I've jumped off the proverbial high dive, I'm sawing out circle after circle and dapping away into some funny shapes that aren't perfect but work with the piece anyway, and some that look much better, more perfect, although I'm trying hard to have more fun and not so much perfection because that only leads me to feel kinda rotten.

I sell books on amazon marketplace. It's some extra income, sometimes more than others, from books I find at yard sales, book sales, thrift shops and so on. A few weeks ago I found three rare Alice Starmore knitting books each for a buck a piece. I about fainted with joy. One in particular, I wanted to keep but put up for sale anyway. Well, I immediately sold the first two to a woman overseas for almost $300 (I told you they were rare). And just when I was bemoaning not going to Beadfest, I got up this past Saturday morning and found I sold the third and most expensive Alice Starmore book (Aran Knitting, for anyone who knows of it). And a dilemma ensued. I suddenly had an unexpected windfall to go to Beadfest on the cheap. Granted, the bag of beads bought with that money, after tolls and gas money, would probably fit in my change purse, but I was sooooo tempted to go anyway 'cause I'm feelin' sorry for myself, like I'm not having much fun these days. Thought about it a little while, decided I would feel better about myself, better about our household, if I stayed my ground and stayed home. And so I did. But, feelin' kind of rotten anyway, although I'm not sure it's really about the bead show, 'cause there's lots of those all the time.

Life is fraught with worry, full of stress. I guess it is for most people. I'm just trying to keep in the moment and concentrate on what I need to do to keep going, keep trying, and not look back so much.

This, a most favorite John Denver song of mine, has been playing in my head for weeks, and it sums up my feelings. Yes, I am a total square. I even saw him in concert twice, God rest his soul. Best concerts I ever saw.

Here are the lyrics...

Lost and alone on some forgotten highway
Travelled by many remembered by few
Lookin for something that I can believe in
Lookin for something that Id like to do with my life

Theres nothin behind me and nothin that ties me
To somethin that might have been true yesterday
Tomorrow is open and right now it seems to be more
Than enough to just be there today

And I dont know what the future is holdin in store
I dont know where Im goin, Im not sure where Ive been
Theres a spirit that guides me, a light that shines for me
My life is worth the livin, I dont need to see the end

Sweet, sweet surrender
Live, live without care
Like a fish in the water
Like a bird in the air.....

Industrial Revolution

2009-08-21T16:53:00.001-07:00

Steel Trapeze Necklace.

More and more I am moving away from convention and loving the look of organic materials, many of them found, some of them hardware store finds, paired with simple lovely delicate chains, stones, beads and glass. This new necklace is an example of the direction I am currently enjoying. Now available on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

I pounded this piece of steel until the animals fled the room and most of my tools fell off my bench and my beads scattered everywhere from the cracks in the floor, behind the door and even nestled in the (clean?) kitty litter box which sets next to my bench. Tiny serrations line the perimeter of the steel. Oh, how I love tools that do special things to add character to a piece. I am dying for some new texturing hammers...

Stick pearl trapeze earrings. Now available in my etsy shop. These pearls literally spin around on this silver wire, so they are fun to play with and pretty, too. Faceted green and yellow aquamarine stones stack under silver and steel wire, with silver ear wires.

Alas, Beadfest is upon us and this grounded girl isn't going to market. I have no will power, and the limits of the bank account to contend with. The fact that I have bags and bags and little containers in six huge bins spilling over with past bead purchases that have not been used and probably largely forgotten, is deterrent enough. In addition to losing ten pounds, I am also determined to rethink how I do my jewelry and that means not attending every bead show within a two hundred plus mile radius every time they come to town and using material found and already purchased instead.

My husband is hard at work in his non air conditioned shop. It was 105 degrees today and it is still hot and extremely muggy now at 8 p.m. I must go check on him now and take him a cool drink, make sure he's not slumped on the floor with heatstroke.

Happy weekend, everyone. Get out of the heat and create something beautiful!

a few adjustments

2009-08-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

Make that, feathers necklace almost finished, from yesterday's post. OCD overcame me and I took the single leather strand off. I tried this necklace on as I had it yesterday and it just didn't lay right. The lone mustard strip was just not enough, weight-wise, to balance out the other side with the heavier (although fine) chain and amethyst strand. It bothered me so much I went to bed mad at myself last night that I couldn't seem to get it right. Grrr....

A new day today, lots to do other than this necklace but into the studio I went and just sat down and went to work. Mango, of course, put in his furry two cents worth... Of course he agreed that mustard was still the color to use. ;)

He's usually on top of whatever I'm working in, not laying on the bookcase when I'm in the middle of jewelry work.

Anyway, instead of just going with more chain and thus jacking up the price, I took the leather off (thus tossing the carefully wrapped silver wire into the recycle bin, which is pretty full to begin with...), cut three more strips off the hide, slid a few lovely mellow yellow lampwork beads onto the slimmer two strands, made a larger wrapped loop, re-attached both ends of all leather strips, and voila! It looks more balanced, is sturdier, and most important, has a very lovely non-droopy drape when worn. Ahhhh.... I feel ever so much better. Now, to get it on Etsy before midnight is the question http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. It's getting late and my household is still pretty lively. My husband has classical music booming in the living room where I'm typing this and the television blasting from the bedroom. Mango is dragging a toy mouse on a string around the apartment while howling his head off, and Lucy is on the bed barking for me to come to bed and sit with her (this is her old dog thing. why else would I have anything to do but sit with the Lu on the bed all day long?). How do I think at all?? Plus we have resolved to start walking again instead of coming home or finishing up work and just flopping like we've been doing for months. So we're walking soon as I'm done with this blog entry even though it's 10 pm oh yes we are. I am determined to lose ten pounds before Christmas!

Super cool necklaces coming later mid week. I promise you probably haven't seen anything like them anywhere...

feathers necklace- finished

2009-08-15T18:19:00.001-07:00

We are back from our trip and somewhat back in the groove. This week, other than recuperating from a pretty exhausting whirlwind schedule, I worked this pendant up into a necklace. It's a rather dramatic piece and I wrestled with whether the mustard leather meshed with the rest of the piece but the idea is to pick up one color in the bottom stones. I put it with green leather first, then decided not. Then brown and it was too plain. So I picked the deep yellow hue of the citrine briolette and found a lovely mustard leather to match. Four strands of fine sterling round chain and linked faceted amethyst make this a lovely assymetrical piece.

Isn't the fine silver textured circle to die for? I got a packet of them on etsy a while ago and have been wanting to use them. Look for them and more lovelies at Prolifique on Etsy.

The pendant is hand stamped and edged with texture. The stones dangling from the pendant are stick pearl, citrine, amethyst, watermelon tourmaline (at the bottom), spinel, yellow and green aquamarine.

All chain is sterling with patina. Here is a closer shot of the mustard leather and the chain. For added interest I put in a strand of faceted amethyst.

I'm really pleased with how this turned out. AND I got to sign my name on the back with my new etching pen. I have a hand stamp that I use as well that my husband designed and had custom made but using it on thinner metals causes a shiny spot to appear on the front of the design. Not cool. The etching pen is so useful and fun to work with and it's perfect for signatures on finer metals.

This piece will be available http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com tomorrow.

Hope is the thing with feathers...

2009-08-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

This is a pendant I worked up last night. Emily Dickinson, one of my favorite quotes. It'll be on etsy next week when I get back from a five day getaway with my hubby.

Week two of self employment netted a commissioned piece, finished and mailed yesterday. One of these days soon, hopefully, I will stop referring my self employment to "week whatever" and it will simply and seamlessly become my life without time to mark its passage.

I'm working hard on some submissions for magazines and some totally radical designs for necklaces but once I got in my almost finished studio and got to work, the setup just didn't work for me. Everything was in my way and after a day of that it took several days to move things around, arrange tools, silver, copper, beads, wire, and all my book making stuff and fabric so that it wasn't quite so overwhelming. At one point tossing everything into the garbage bin outside seemed a realistic and stress reducing option. Of course I came to my senses.

Off for a few days now with my husband. We need a few days away from crazy, although Michael may think he is taking crazy with him. See you next week with some cool as cucumber salad jewelry to post.

hey, hey, my, my....

2009-08-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

hey, hey, my, my... jewelry making hasn't died.

in fact, it's taking off...

because my new job wasn't what i was lead to believe...

and i left after a week...

even with the recession, even with benefits, even with, even with... i left anyway.

should i stay in bed and sleep?

eat junk?

cry?

watch the days go on by?

nope.

i have a different plan.

i'm now full time making jewelry and coptic bound books (new etsy shop for this passion coming very, very soon...)

day two of my new life is here on this post. four pairs of lovely earrings. go see them on my etsy site http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

happy trails, old jobs.

the time inbetween

2009-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

In between jobs I have had a little break from it all. The last eight days I've spent trying to relax (it's hard for me) and not do much of anything, other than things that are enjoyable (and also of course, get caught up on laundry, grocery shopping and so on). I've gotten spoiled this way, not working and having a vacation where we pretty much stick to an area within a hundred mile radius of Richmond to look, tour, drive, hike, photograph, explore and a little shopping and jewelry work thrown into it.

Here is Michael (above) with Maggie at one of the nearest hiking spots on Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Waynesboro, VA. This stop had an adjacent trail, where the two dogs went wild with excitement to finally get out of the car. Lucy found a chipmunk to chase but she's an older dog and was on the leash to keep her from hurting herself slipping on the rocks. As it was, Mom ended up carrying her forty five pounds up a near vertical set of stone steps at the end of the trail since her hind legs don't allow such things anymore. No worries, she loved it anyway, and so did I.

Lucy and Maggie, Greenstone Trail. Blue Ridge Mountains, July 16.

On the way to Skyline Drive, we found a needlework shop that was fantastic in their inventory (I wanted dozens of patterns but had to be semi-realistic) and their dog friendly policy. It was a very hot day in the town of Waynesboro and we appreciated the kind attentiveness of the Cross Stitch Station, allowing Lucy and Mag in and giving them water and also little bandanas for their collars. Pictured above, patiently waiting for me in the air conditioning.

No trip anywhere on a hot day is complete without a stop at McDonald's for ice cream..... Got milk?

I started a needlework sampler... Mary Wigham from Ackworth School series, an internet-based group project. It is a large one and I haven't had much time other than after crawling into bed in the evening to stitch much on it. But the silk threads are to die for & every time I pick it up, it's hard to put it back down again and go to sleep.

I spent two days filling this order for a "love your dog" necklace. Hand drawn etching on copper, with stamped silver banner and glass, turquoise, and coral beads.

Ah.... home again, home again.

Seriously, though, this is Westover Plantation, a Georgian mansion and grounds maintained by the National Park Service, off of historic route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. It was once the home of Admiral Byrd and family and although the house is privately owned and not open to public, the lawn, gardens and outbuildings are fair game for wandering at leisure. I am sitting overlooking the James River. This is a plantation not known to many people. Perhaps because there is no home tour, it is often overlooked on the plantation tour circuit but for anyone with an interest in early American history, you must make a stop here and visit the grounds and especially the cemetery located 1/4 mile walk from the house where some of the earliest tombstones and graves (some from the 1600's) in the United States are located, on the site of the original Westover Episcopal Church, which is no longer but moved up the road to its present location in 1800.

After touring everything, we walked the trail to the beach and I filled my pockets with interesting beach glass. It's fun to imagine some of the heavily weathered blue and green glass coming from the old church or the house...

Now I have but today and tomorrow and Tuesday and then I begin my new job. In spite of being glad for the job, I have a heavy heart about it, having had a touch of the ease of accomplishing tasks, shopping, cooking and working on jewelry and other interests such as I was privileged to experience for a year and half prior to my last job. Life runs easier when I am a household manager and business partner without a job to go to and come home from. Very soon I shall be those things and work full time again.

But there is still today and I must get back to it to enjoy all it has to offer before time gets away from me too quickly.

sometimes i mess around with other things

2009-07-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

I can't help myself. I love making books. The book above is one I just finished last night. It has beautiful papers in variation patterns of black and silver throughout. The interior has seven coptic bound signatures with fine Irish waxed linen in lavender. This book I have submitted for jury to a Richmond art gallery that is having a book arts exhibit later in the year. I call this one The Glitter book. If you could hold it, you would know why. The back end paper has glitter on it that is flaking off like confetti. It literally leaves a trail its wake...

End view of lovely silver insert papers and coptic binding. Isn't the lavender thread pretty?

This book for some reason it just sticks in my mind to call it Sturbridge. The covers remind me of something organic. In fact the boards are covered with some of the piles of papers purchased in Italy last January. So wonderful to work with. Not too heavy, not too light. Black, vintage ivory and rich brown papers with lokta end papers, again seven signatures with fine russet Irish waxed linen threads in a coptic binding.

This one was such fun to stitch up...

art paper postmarks in black and browns cover the interior boards... I accidentally turned the postmark paper on this side the wrong end up. The ripped paper is intentional to add interest.

A few more finished boards are being flattened right now under heavy books. I'm on a roll...

Thank you everyone for your kind comments, encouragement and congratulation wishes for my new job and journey in life. I appreciate it so much. I'm sure it will be an interesting adventure!

A Whole New Life

2009-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

In a move that has shocked even myself, in a good way, I am leaving my job with the Commonwealth of Virginia and am pursuing private industry in an entirely new career direction. I was hired two days ago to work full time at Hoover and Strong, a jewelry manufacturing company in Richmond. Check it out at http://hooverandstrong.com. I'll be working in the findings division at first and then lost wax thereafter. To say I am excited to be paid to do this full time, with benefits, and learn how to do so many things I probably would never have had the money to pay someone else to teach me, is an understatement!

dream a little dream

2009-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Venturing off into uncharted territory, I have taken up free motion quilting, or more accurately, free motion mixed media sewing. It's something fun that I'm enjoying, no pressures, just the joy of putting fabrics and thread and this and that together into something meaningful and not as deliberate as the jewelry work. This little scrap of hand dyed fabric is the product of a little experimenting tonight, a little dreaming. I used a little chalk pencil to write the words, then sewed over it. Needless to say, the needle had a mind of its own here and there and it's a little outside the lines, but there are no rules, and nothing is ruined, other than my first attempt where I put an extra "e" in the first "dream". dreaeme. oh well. I like those kind of mistakes-- it's just fabric, just thread, and there's plenty more of that, plus it's all learning, so it's all good. This is going on a little pencil case that is quilted with scraps of fabric and has a lovely button closure. More on that later, after the work week is over.

In other news, our computer has a tenuous grasp on reality since there is a cable gone bad in the laptop. This morning it suddenly went dark and it wasn't fixed by turning up the light button. So my husband took it into the Mac store and they said they could fix the cable for $280 and who know how much down time since they had to send it off to be fixed. It's always something, it seems... So the laptop came home with my husband until the money could be had or else he was going to take it to the more local Mac repair shop and get another estimate tomorrow. Tonight, however, we discovered that if one slowly opens the lid, and keeps it open, we can bypass the busted cable somehow and keep the connection going. If we shut the laptop, the cable takes the signal out again and it has to be jiggled and jostled to start again. For now we are keeping the lid open and shutting it off at night, but that temporary solution may only last as long as it takes for our big kitty Mango to discover this nice new sleeping surface. Or until one of us forgets and automatically shuts the lid. *sigh*. A money angel is needed at this time. Maybe one will turn up soon so we can fix our laptop.

Sweet Bead Studio Giveaway

2009-06-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Check out jewelry designer Cindy Wimmer's lovely redesigned blog, Sweet Bead Studio. She has a fabulous giveway going on with a number of ways to pick up some terrific goodies. http://sweetbeadstudio.com. Go there now and see what she's up to!

the blues beads

2009-06-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Resurrected from a box of forgotten beads, I believe these were the beads I used as the example beads in one of the 2008 issues of Belle Armoire Jewelry tutorial on mokume gane. They are now offered up for sale on my etsy site http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Do you ever get a bug about something? Something that you just have to do? Well, currently I am completely engrossed in a stack of fantastic books, some knitting that is driving me nuts to finish two cardigan sweater panels, and especially I am transfixed with sewing on some little quilting projects. With all the usual stuff otherwise, my jewelry bench is collecting a little dust! I definitely like to mix it up a little. In immersing myself in other art mediums, little ideas for jewelry projects spring up and fester until I can't stand it any longer and must take up the saw and hammer again. Sometimes it seems a terrible torture to feel I must always be busy doing something with my hands, else I feel lazy or demoralized. It sure keeps boredom at bay. I must say, other than some days at work (ok, most days at work...) I am never bored. No matter how bad things get with the economy or finances or whatever else, there is always a bit of artwork to pick up and work on and it serves me well as therapy. Always after a good session of creating, I come away tired but happy.

Tonight, watching tv about Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, mostly because we only can receive about four channels now and one of them is weather. My husband is now home from band practice and corn is popping in the pan. Mmmm. Right now, it doesn't get any better than that.

Happy Father's Day, Dad

2009-06-20T17:16:00.001-07:00

Deuteronomy 1:29-31
Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.

Of course I am my father's daughter, but the message is the same regardless. Through good times and bad, laughter and tears, through youth and into middle age, my dad has carried me through. He is an honest man of great integrity, whom I have the great relief and great good fortune to be able to turn to for advice, for sharing my day, and often, for carrying me emotionally (and sometimes financially-- sorry, dad), all the days of my life. I know he will always be there for me. This is my great blessing in life.
Thank you, Dad... Happy Father's Day! I wish we could spend the day together instead of from afar. I love you.

my husband's art

2009-06-14T07:12:00.001-07:00

Every now and then I can't help bragging about my husband and his wonderful paintings. This is a commissioned portrait he recently finished and delivered. I think he should do more pet portraits, don't you?

new etsy

2009-06-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

New etsy listings tonight. Delicate French script double sided etching with beautiful faceted blue violet mystic topaz rondelle wire wrapped with sterling. These stones are so lovely, they glint in the light and toss off little rainbows.

One of my favorite etchings-- the Kanji script. It is so unusual and no two turn out alike. This one has a larger window to accommodate the glistening faceted pink amethyst triangle wire wrapped with sterling again. Double sided etching on copper.

Both available on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

I've so been looking forward to this weekend. It's been a long week at work and lots to do at home with little respite. I slept until 9 am this morning and it was soooo wonderful. Mango got Michael up at 6:30 for a early morning feeding (he's so spoiled) and of course Michael obliged. When he came back to bed, he gently shook me and said, "jen, it's 6:30, do you want to hit some yard sales?" To which I answered by turning over in bed and putting the pillow over my head. That answered that and we both slept late.

Otherwise the day has been full and good. Leisurely steamy hot shower, brunch of leftover Chinese takeout, errands here and there, grocery shopping and then a mocha from Starbucks. Not a bad day at all. It's 11:30 and Michael has just popped corn and transported the bowls and icy cold diet cokes into the bedroom to settle in with a movie (Nights in Rodanthe, which I'm not at all sure about because I usually don't care for romances, other than Richard Gere). The critters have already settled in around him, I see from my perch at my desk. Lucy is missing more popcorn than she is catching and then searching around for the missed kernels. Mango is licking a big piece because he loves butter. What spoiled little animals we have but what would life be without them? They make us laugh every day.

It feels great, the absence of frustration from internet deprivation. Hopefully I can get more down to business with Etsy and magazine submissions. I'm getting into sewing, too, and that has been a big source of pleasure for me lately. Can we say art quilt magazine submissions? I see them on the horizon...

finally, a little home computing

2009-06-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

It is very late and it's been a very long day and I have to get up again in about five hours to go back to work again but finally, finally, we have DSL at home. I am sitting at my desk typing away, feeling little pain because my laptop has a real live internet signal instead of a big egg for the first time in ages. How wonderful to have it back.

I'm happy to show another cutout that will be on etsy soon as I have time to put it on there, probably this weekend. This one is french script, about two inches long, with a very beautiful faceted smoky quartz barrel.

Sleepy time now.

Cutouts

2009-06-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Files deleted, files moved, files lost, finally I have enough memory on the laptop to upload a few of these to Etsy. These three are now available on my site http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com. Above, etched cutout copper with double sided Italian script, Peruvian blue opal drop with sterling wrap.

Lovely etched Asian Crane with stunning faceted citrine drop. These are really, really beautiful stones, AAA quality. They toss out rainbows like crazy in the light.

My favorite one, etched Asian Crane with cutout, faceted blue labradorite that I got from AD Adornments at their show in Vienna, Virginia last year. Some of the prettiest labradorite I have ever seen, more blue than gray by far.

My coffee is long depleted, muffin down the hatch and my poor husband and dog have been waiting in the car for me all this time while I've been formatting and writing and uploaded whilst perched in Whole Foods wonderful wireless cafe area. It's the best free wireless signal in town.

Great for wireless, not great on the pocketbook, so our next stop is Walmart for groceries. Until the economy went south, I rarely set foot in a Walmart and sneered at much of everything about them. Too good for me! ha! No more. Now we rarely buy our groceries anywhere else and I am thankful for the cheap prices, marvel at how many bags we can haul out of there for 1/3 or more less than anywhere else. Sorry for whatever else is still going on there, but when money dries up, the thinking process changes radically and fast.

More of these pendants will be popping up on etsy soon as our DSL box arrives, scheduled for June 10 delivery from FedEx. Let's hope they're right and I can get back into business.

Cooperation

2009-06-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

These are my babies. I've been working on this new line of cutout etchings with gemstones for a little while. These and more are at the Bello Modo booth 957 at the Bead & Button show in Milwaukee this weekend. Some of the gemstones are pink amethyst, faceted citrine, smoky quartz drops, peruvian blue opal, gorgeous labradorite and then some.

These are also next in line to be in my etsy shop but my !@#@#$@#@$%##@!^&%%&#!!! computer (and more swear words) is not coorperating to get them from Iphoto to a modified form for upload. Soon as we can transfer more photos to the external hard drive and delete still more, maybe it will work properly. Don't ask me why they will upload onto blogger but not to my other file. *sigh*

Compounding the problem is where I am sitting at this very moment. No, it is not comfortably at home with our new DSL. This is because we do not HAVE our new DSL yet. We do have a land line but apparently it takes the signature of God Himself to get DSL delivered too. So, I am currently sitting at Panera Bread, grateful for their free WiFi but the signal is so bad that I could very easily take a deep restful dream filled nap inbetween page uploads. *sigh*.

ONE more day til the weekend. Hope to get these in Etsy then. Wish me luck. Apparently I need it.

Bello Modo!

2009-05-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Still I have no internet at home or phone but hope is alive! Tomorrow is supposedly the day we go "live" again after a month with no service.

Anyway, for any of you oh so lucky souls who will be attending Bead & Button in person in Milwaukee next week, stop on by Bello Modo's booth 957 and check out my etched pendants. My work will be represented by Pamela Maxfield at Bello Modo at the show. I will have copper, nickel and brass etched pendants as well as some sweet as pie little charms.

Next week, if the universe allows, I will be back online with pictures and real blogs instead of piecemeal-patch 'em together sentences here and there once a week.

Until then, have a great weekend. TGIF (almost!).

Stringing!

2009-05-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that my work will be featured in Stringing magazine, fall 2009 issue. This is my first time in this publication. Tonight-- celebration dinner!

I Heart Whole Foods

2009-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Still no internet at home, or phone, and barely television. Through some weird and cruel mis-alignment of the stars, planets and sun, we fell in amongst the .1 percent of people dissatisfied with Fios and utilized the 30 day money back guarantee to can the entire service. Apparently even though our building is wired to the hilt, we managed to find the one apartment where the internet, instead of being "blazing fast" as advertised by Verizon, was instead the Slowskies at work. The connection constantly dropped down to almost nothing or entirely nothing and really only would work at a minimal speed if we sat in the closet it was installed. So the whole thing with getting bounced around to 25 different Verizon "assistants" on the phone, from Richmond to Bangladesh, all unable or unwilling to help us, made me so angry that not only did I cancel the internet, but the television and telephone as well. So now we are going back to good ole reliable Cavalier service, with DSL and three channels on the television, at least until we can figure out what other service to get. I figure by the time we are ready to move out of this nutty place, we may actually have it relatively livable and wired for technology.

So no pictures of my pretty little green hutch. No photos of jewelry I've completed and sold recently, new etchings, or cute poses by Mango or Lucy. Hopefully next week our DSL modem will arrive and then the next day our phone service is supposed to kick in. It's always something, folks!!!

After a week at work I would prefer not to recall, where my most pressing need after every shift was a nap, an ice cold diet coke and a shoulder to cry on, we are now relaxing in the lovely air conditioned bliss of Whole Foods in Richmond. In front of me-- the biggest, flakiest chocolate croissant I've seen since Europe. In front of Michael? The heaviest pumpkin cream cheese muffin this side of the Mississippi. Heaven.

We watched the show on Farrah Fawcett last night. Man. What a gem she is and God bless her. How disturbing that anyone should have to go through such an ordeal. Watching it, I cried and cried, especially when she interacted with her elderly daddy. *sigh* So hard to watch. Then we took a walk and went to bed, where I fell into a deep, dream filled night of weirdness and bad dreams. Too much stress this past week I guess. But after watching that show, and thinking of all the people in the world going through so much more than my little Fios drama and so on, today and most days I know I have not a thing in the world to be upset about. Nothing nothing nothing.

I need a maid

2009-05-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have my jewelry bench put together and all my paraphernalia in that department in place. Otherwise I would be embarrassed to have anyone come in here, it's such an incredibly huge mess. We have no time to unpack, everything is in total disarray and I am so tired at work it's all I can do to make it through a day. *sigh*

This weekend, my days off, I am working two ten hour days at the Intergalactic Bead show in Richmond, a rather foolish decision I now see, after our moving ordeal, from which not I nor my husband or parents are sufficiently recovered, physically or mentally.

And I'm working on jewelry orders with boxes piled to the ceiling, my fat kitty Mango leaping from stack to stack (fat boys are light on their feet, you know...), my dog Lucy wanting attention and and and... oh well. no use complaining. better off just jumping back in and getting busy. My husband just told me that Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. We have 6 rooms. Why is this so hard??

Our kitchen is one of those things that makes no sense. Sometimes in an apartment or house, you just scratch your head and go, huh? 'cuz it makes no sense at all, the arrangement of it, the layout. Because by some sleep deprived state of dementia, when we looked at the apartment 5 weeks ago, I (and my husband) neglected to notice that this kitchen has one tiny countertop, next to the sink, and it has NO DRAWERS AT ALL! Seriously! No drawers. In the entire kitchen. None. I mean, WTF? Who thought of that? Crazy! And how did I miss it? I told you this was an old building but really, no drawers? So, I decided to do something original, stop whining, and get a hutch of some sort and put it in the kitchen. There's room for one. We went to Target and found a nice kitchen cupboard, waist high, with a nice countertop and three drawers. Not in stock. Went to two more Targets. Not in stock, only the floor model, which we didn't want.

After all those stops, time was up and it was back to the work week. Then, this past Saturday, we moaned and groaned, set the alarm for 6 and headed out with bed-head, no showers and rumpled clothes (oh yes we are living the good life these days...) for a huge yard sale on the southside of Richmond. We got there, found almost no one set up, browsed a bit, and left. Oh, I did find two little woven kitchen rugs, which after washing, Mango immediately appropriated them for his new bed on the sofa. They're still there for him. Our pets are our kids, after all, and we deny them very little.

So we figured it was a wash and headed for the James River farmer's market, a stupendously wonderful organic market off of Forest Hill Avenue (for you locals who haven't been there, get on over there, it's fabulous) that also houses local artist's wares. Turning back the road to the market, we spied a woman pulling stuff out of an old house and setting up a yard sale. There, gleaming on the side of the road, was my cupboard-- a vintage white enamel top cupboard with black enamel trim and lovely mint green crackle paint. It has two large drawers on the left side, one deep bread drawer on the top right that has intact the original punched tin sliding top, and a large double sided storage area underneath with chrome handles. Michael hit the brakes and swung into the drive. The lady was ready to make deals, and by 8:30 a.m. we were putting Lucy in the front seat, folding back seats down and loading up the lovely little gem, my new kitchen cupboard. A good scrubbing with Dow bathroom cleaner removed some of the paint and all of the grime, and it's now resting prettily in its new home- our little dumb drawer-less kitchen, full of bamboo utensil trays, vintage aprons and dish towels.

A little something to be happy about, just what I needed. =)

moved in

2009-04-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we are finally all moved in, except for two accent ceiling lights that Michael has to dismantle tomorrow, then we turn in our old keys and start living here at the new apartment. It has been an experience, dear friends, that I care not to repeat for a while!

It is almost ten thirty at night and I just pulled the fridge out and hand cleaned the floor. Super yuck, people. Maybe I am a rare bird to care that all these nooks and crannies get a good cleaning but I can hardly bear to go to work this week knowing dirt is lurking and I have not had the time to take care of it all before moving in, so we are having to move things around and then blast through this phase of it. Still to come tonight is a good swiffer scrub of the kitchen tile before I go nuts looking at all the refuse from almost a week's worth of four people, two dogs and one fat kitty walking back and forth over it. I'm not sure how long this old apartment has been standing empty but it is taking some work to bring it back to life. And I cannot get used to the super high ceilings in here. It is so weird compared to our old morgue apartment where one's head practically scraped the ceiling standing up.

And I was wrong about another thing here. Mango, my big fat orange Manx kitty, who was so frightened when we first got him that he hid under our bed for at least a month, absolutely LOVES it here. He is into everything, exploring all the cupboards and closets, sleeping in the bathroom linen closet and stretching full out on the bed to catch the sun's rays in the afternoon.

And Lucy is enjoying looking out the back bedroom window while laying on the bed, watching the afternoon convergence of several dog friends play under a huge old oak tree.

So it is going ok after alot of nerve bundle explosions and fits and starts of things not working and then being corrected by maintenance staff. I think I swore more in the past week than in the last year combined.

Our new art studio awaits unpacking. What with return to work, there has been no time to catch up on orders. I come home from work with the best intentions of setting up shop in earnest but fatigue is still my enemy and I end up propped up in bed, diet coke in hand, surfing etsy shops with droopy eyelids.

My jewelry bench is lined up on the correct wall but is surrounded on all sides by boxes, bags and even Mango's poop box, which has yet to find a permanent out of the way location. What can I say, it's a major move. Things will get put away when time permits. I would just like to wave a wand and have it all together in place looking clean and perfect right now. Patience is not my strong suite.

Two more days until the weekend. *sigh*

I had stars in my eyes of driving to the Beadfest show in Malvern but rest may be a better idea. The following weekend I'm working for a vendor Sat/Sun at the Richmond stop of the Intergalactic Bead show. Two hundred bucks cash or two forty for merchandise for the two day gig. I chose the cash. We need it. Moving costs the earth these days.

moving week & a quick trip to the bead store!

2009-04-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

It's moving week!

That said, I hope to get back on track with jewelry, blogging, writing letters, filling orders, and all that jazz after next week (plus back to regular work).

A real live true dedicated art room. i can't wait. =) happy.

We picked up our keys today and celebrated at Starbucks after. Then we drove home and collapsed into a heap of humans and furballs on the bed for an early evening snooze, still exhausted after a nine hour drive to Pennsylvania.

Saturday afternoon found us creeping along in DC traffic for four hours straight, foot by foot in agony (and a bit of road rage), unsure I would make it before 5 p.m. closing time at Accents Beads in Rockville, Maryland, where they have some of the loveliest strands of beads around and the amethyst beads I was out of. Happily we made it with 1/2 hour to look and purchase.
The photo above is my makeshift pic of beads purchased at Accents Beads. From top to bottom, drilled Robels wood, faceted amethyst, white hemimorphile, large round amethyst (awesome deep purple!), cube flourite, faceted tourmilated quartz, loose stick pearls.

Above, a better photo of the fabulous AA grade amethyst.

Sunday- a family reunion, running all over visiting other friends in the area, bed at 3 a.m. Up at 7 to take my sister in law's dog to the vet. Another visit to a friend, then the drive home in pouring rain and thunderstorms last night. Not real pretty in the Laurel Highlands of PA yet. Still looks like the dead of winter except for very few daffodils here and there. Michael took this photo of a lovely clear stream & first daffodils of the season near Rector, Pa.

Calling all day today to switch out cable, internet, phone, business phone, electric, and so on. Hey, we'll have Fios after we move. I guess I am not living enough in the modern world that I never heard of such a thing. Fiber optics...hmmm. ok. all I care about is we'll get HBO and the History channel again, plus unlimited long distance calling.

The tired old stance still holds-- I must can this and get back to packing. Maybe along with May flowers I'll also have neat jewelry to show for once on here.

Buy this pendant!

2009-04-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Come on, now, people! What isn't cute about this owl pendant? Why hasn't it sold? I painstakingly drew it with a tiny brush onto the copper, etched it, and it is so cute! Based on an Aegean owl drawing from a ka-jillion years ago, it's a fabulous focal piece! Help me out and buy it now, a one of a kind, never to be made again owl etching from my etsy shop before I lose track of it in the rubble? Good deal. Now that you are on the way to my shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com, you can snap up some other lovelies and add them to your collection and I can go to bed and sleep soundly for a change.

Good night and sleep tight! Friday is right around the long bend of the corner.

Easter candy

2009-04-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Random thoughts today only. My mom AKA The Easter Bunny sent us a package in the mail full of candy. We'd planned to visit my parents over the weekend and it was thwarted by the flu for me (again, seems to be a pattern). Instead we have been stuffing ourselves sick with goodies. So far we have eaten the following: one huge homemade chocolate covered peanut butter egg, two packages of Reese's Pieces in bags the shape of a carrot, 1/2 of a huge homemade chocolate covered cherry flavor egg, two packages of yellow peeps. Left to chomp on: one package of jelly bellies. The best of the batch? Definitely the chocolate covered peanut butter egg, made by some church ladies up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Yummy, yummy good for my tummy.

Otherwise it was a low key Easter. Every year I look forward to Easter, and I know this sounds strange, but I love watching shows on tv that are historical documentaries of the time of Christ and the events of Easter, Christmas, and so on. This year, sick with flu and feeling drained, I sank into the futon with Lucy to catch one of the programs. Flipping, flipping, flipping through channels for hours and at the end of the evening? Nothing! No documentaries at all!! What??!! What happened? Maybe because our cable canned the History channel? But what of PBS, that staple of documentaries? And what of CNN, who has put out some fabulous religious history shows? Hmmm. Nothing, and that goes for the entire weekend. *sigh* Oh well, back to the chocolates...

Although we were not able to attend religious service for lack of want of making everyone there sick, we had a service of sorts of our own in the blessing of nature, taking a mid afternoon walk through a local park that is busting with glorious azaleas.

Tonight I am filling three more jewelry orders and debating on halting my etsy shop and my other commissions until after our move next *gulp* Friday. You cannot imagine (or maybe you can) the disorder (putting it politely) that is this apartment. It is very difficult to work on jewelry, especially when I really need to be packing up my workshop corner.

Last night we packed Michael's easel, and then sorted and packed his paints, brushes, canvases, pens and pencils, and other assorted art gear. What a messy job. Paint all over the place.

It is kind of an exhilarating feeling throwing things out, taking unwanted stuff to thrift stores and finally getting some order into our possessions. I'm feeling it's a hair less of a drag to move than I did a week ago. I'm also finding things that have been lost, some things lost for weeks, others lost for years.

But the more I talk about it, the less I get done, so back to work!

Silver Lao -Tzu Pendant on Etsy

2009-04-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

I made this pendant for Heather Powers a while ago. Whilst going through my things in preparation for the big move (April 24!), I found just enough 14 gauge sterling silver sheet to make another. It will be offered on etsy very shortly. I don't anymore make pendants with this hefty gauge. As any metalworker may know, silver is almost double the cost of a scant two years ago or so. In fact, silver closed at $13.70 today, about three bucks more than my last silver sheet order several months ago. But anyway, I was happy to make this one up, as it is one of my favorite zen quotes, and makes a very lovely organic pendant with added texture and antique patina, and I'm happy to offer it for sale on my etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Otherwise I am laid up sick today. Just what I needed! A three hour nap after work last night, ah, I shrugged it off. I'm tired, my body needed more rest than usual. This morning, a slight sore throat. Still not too concerned. This evening, more of that, plus aches, dizzy, fever. Dang. This stinks. I really need to go to work tomorrow, too, but I don't want to pass anything on to the uniforms I work with and their families. Happy Easter! Bah!!

My hope is I can still work on some pending jewelry commissions and pack more things up. I'll be so very glad when this move is over. There is so much anticipation over it that this tiny apartment is feeling toxic. I want out now! Even the animals seem to feel it. Other than our fat kitty, we all want to stay out of here as much as possible. Poor Mango, he will be totally discombobulated when we move. He was a Manx rescue when we got him. We drove to North Carolina to pick him up.

Shortly after we got him home, he became critically ill and almost died. He spent more than a week at the vet hospital, touch and go, with a high fever. Finally, loaded up on steroids and meds, he came home and other than gaining 12 pounds from prolonged steroids, he was fine. Our big orange 23 pound ornery boy. This is the home he has known and very slowly gotten comfortable with since October 2007. It took months for him to come out from under the bed and longer to get comfortable with our dog Lucy. I wondered if he would EVER come around. Heaven only knows what he went through before we scooped him up.

I worked with him, loved on him, and slowly, slowly, he got it. We loved him. He was safe. Now he plows over us on the bed to get to his spot at night, bangs the lamp next to my bed if he wants fed at 3 a.m. and sleeps under the covers tucked under my arm with his head on the pillow. I kid you not. In short, he has adapted. Here is our boy, amongst the rubble...

Happy Easter!

12

2009-04-05T19:06:00.001-07:00

For our twelve wedding anniversary today, Michael took some photos of us together. This is the one I am using on my blog and etsy site now. Compared to our wedding, Michael looks about the same- still handsome... don't you agree? I, on the other hand, look much different. More wrinkles... much longer hair... thinner face, but whatever. We had a fine day today and yesterday, although the movie we planned to see this evening gave way to a very long walk instead, much needed, and a pitstop for chocolate covered pretzels and coffee (not needed). A very fine evening indeed. Simple pleasures.

Looking back over the course of twelve years, I was thinking today while Michael was at band practice. What have we/I done for the past twelve years? At first thought, I surmised, well, not much! But I made a list. Here is what I came up with:

We've lived in three houses and five apartments.
I became a published artist.
My husband became an award winning artist.
We travelled to Germany, Austria & France in 1997.
Took a train around the country for three weeks in 2000.
I went to Sweden alone in 2001.
We drove to New Mexico in 2005.
Flew to the Pacific Northwest in 2006.
Italy in 2009.
Countless trips to visit parents, relatives and friends for weekends.
We've camped, seen the cherry blossoms in DC, and hiked mountains.
We saw the passing of Michael's mother, brother, grandmothers, aunts, uncles and animal friends.
We've cared for two cats (Max, rest in peace) and the current big kitty Mango Man. And we've raised our sweet dog Lucy since 1996 to the present. She is our sweet, smart, adored little gal.
We've laughed and cried and fought and made up. We've learned about each other and ourselves, grown and developed in ways that never would have come to pass without our union.
So much, so many things. I am grateful for my husband.

A while back I asked Amanda Davie (http://amandadavie.etsy.com) to do a necklace exchange with me. Hers arrived in my mailbox ages ago. Mine to her, pictured here, has just been sent off to Wisconsin. I consider this a talisman necklace, with a favorite Wordsworth quote stamped in copper, textured and with patina.

Talismans from left to right are: stick pearl, faceted pearl, agate, turquoise stick, Peruvian blue opal chunk. All accented with patina saturated sterling wire wraps and handmade jump rings.

Sterling links and a lovely diamond shaped agate. That agate is so luscious. I think I got it at the Greater Washington DC Bead Society bead show about two years ago. So beautiful!

A close up of the goodies.... Wear it in good health, Amanda!! Enjoy!

Tomorrow it is back to the grind, although the list of what needs to be done yet makes me shudder. blah! Someone needs to descend on this place and rescue me from the perils of packing. I am a serious convert to minimalism at this point and really would love to throw almost everything away. Possessions are such a dreadful drag.

Time for some serious zzzzzzzzzzzz's now. I can't wait.

tackling life from all sides

2009-03-29T20:32:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we sign our new lease and then let the fun begin, packing and more packing and sorting and tossing. I'm actually kinda looking forward to the tossing part as we (especially me) have way too much accumulated stuff. Anyone in the Richmond area looking for just about any knitting book ever published? Because I am selling off almost all of them. So get in touch with me via email or else by the end of this coming week they are all going to Chop Suey books on Cary St. for whatever they'll give me for them. Ditto for about 200 (plus?) other books I have not glanced at for years but still thought I needed until now.

Most jewelry books, other than absolute beginner books, I am keeping. But, I am going through all my jewelry, knitting, art and whatever else magazines and am taking them all to the thrift shop. All that money.... boy. These days I am pretty selective about purchasing magazines, but there was a time when every month found me at Barnes and Noble, coming out the door with every knitting, embroidery, bead and needlework magazine out there in a bag heading for the pile at home. ye gods. You've never seen so many art magazines as are stuffed in this tiny apartment, people. I resolve to do better! I cannot stand so much clutter! It really does hinder the creative process. I can't stand working in a piggish (my definition) atmosphere. Some people can work with trinkets and junk piled to the ceiling. More power to you! But I'm telling you, my nerve pill bottle would be empty in a day if I had that going on here, because there is nothing worse than spending all my time searching for some elusive missing object that I just know is somewhere in the stacks of stuff. I have to have some organization and especially, cleanliness. As it is, this place seriously puts me in the car heading for the loony bin. Hopefully that will all change into glorious la la land after we move.

Today I washed, ironed and organized all my bits of fabric and boxed them in plastic. Then since it was such a gorgeous day, Lucy got a nice long walk and a car ride (yes, I take my dog for a ride in the car just because she loves it so, no particular destination). Afterwards more domestic tasks, then I finished a long standing necklace project that will be posted soon as the recipient receives it.

Lucy is already in bed crying for me to join her. For anyone who is my Facebook friend, check our her new Dogbook profile. =D

One final note to self: do not fill big screen tv size box with oversize hardcover books and then attempt liftoff without bending knees. doh!

Before and After

2009-03-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

November 25, 2007, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia. My husband and I travelled as we usually do to visit my parents for Thanksgiving that weekend. The evening of November 25 we took off from where my dad had a photography art show winding down for the day and set off on our own. It was spectacularly cold for a November evening and we had the heat cranking in the car as we drove the road to the beach, just me and Michael, while my parents headed on home. Michael wanted to take a few photos and the stars aligned just right in our lives together to provide us with one of those extra special nights where the scenery on both sides of the road and over the Atlantic was so beautiful that we hardly knew where to look next for a breathtaking shot. I remember feeling safe and happy.

Michael ventured down the road on foot to shoot the moon rising photos. I leaned on the car until it was too cold for anything but retreat into the heated car. There I watched both the scenery and my husband's figure, small in the distance, crouched low against the marsh, getting these lovely pictures that forever remind us both of the dividing line of life- before, and after... for it was at this very moment, although we had no inkling whatsoever, that my husband's oldest brother lay in his bedroom in rural Pennsylvania, dying of a heart attack, surrounded by his faithful animal friends. These pictures depict scenery and atmosphere that are amongst my most treasured memories in life but also often bring me to tears to look at them, for what came the day after.

I am thinking of the "befores" and "afters" in life because we are moving to a new apartment in three weeks. It is an older building, still in the museum district of Richmond, and not as modern by any stretch, but much larger than our current apartment. It is full of windows and light and trees outside, birds and squirrels and people for Mango the cat to look outside and watch for the first time since he came into our lives eighteen months ago. It has wood floors and a dining room, two bedrooms where we can finally have a dedicated workshop and art room for us both instead of our entire dwelling serving as workshop. We are so looking forward to moving forward in our lives, to making this a very positive "after" in our lives together.

I am sure I am not alone in compartmentalizing life into many befores and afters (there are some crazy people out there like me, right?), some of them good, some of them tragic and most of them life changing. Before school and after... before marriage and after... before when I lived at home and after... before we lived in Richmond and after... before this person and this one and that one and this one died and after.. those are the most poignant, of course, but the list goes on.

In the midst of the sorting and packing, I can't help but wonder, what kind of "after" will this move be? What will happen while we live in this new dwelling?

Projecting positive thoughts is honorable but I do believe most people ignore the huge role that luck plays in our lives. How many people out there can honestly say they did it all themselves without any help or luck in the journey? I know I can't. My parents have helped me and helped me and helped me, both emotionally and financially, for which I am forever grateful. My husband has an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time and he fully acknowledges it. Certainly I feel very fortunate and lucky that at this time in my life, we both have found creative outlets that make us happy and fulfilled and make others happy, too, or at least that is my goal when I create something. All I can hope for is to worry less about the "afters" (is that possible?) and focus on the here and now, while cherishing all the "befores."

Now I am going to take a hot bubble bath, banish all worries, and relax while indulging in a book (The Daily Coyote) and an ice cold diet coke. *sigh*. It'll all work out.

new hair, new etchings

2009-03-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

I am now a redhead! Looks like I need more hair gel though. Frizz city! The excellent hair salon where I have been getting my hair colored the last two years went under in the crappy economy and I am not about to pay what I used to pay for hair trim, color, styling now that they are out of commission so off to Target I went and found a lovely shade of auburn. Two bottles of Miss Clairol later, and voila! A five dollar redhead (two bottles for long hair, with a dollar off coupon). I like it, as does my husband, but I suspect the guys at work will give me some ribbing about it tomorrow. Notice the lovely Spring blossoms!

Recently we watched my mom and dad's little dog, Maggie. She weighs exactly half as much as big kitty Mango. As you can see, all the critters are pals, which is cute to watch. This is a king size bed, which we got several years ago so our dog would have more room to stretch out. I kid you not.

New etching. Catch it on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com/. Whimsical Aegean owl, hand- drawn and etched on copper.

Another new etching. Latin script double sided etched copper pendant. Also on my etsy shop. These are both one of a kind pieces. I am having to scale down my production of etchings since we found an apartment we like and are in the process of renting it and have about a month to sort, toss, donate, sell, pack and move to a much larger, two bedroom apartment with wood floors and a real live dining room. What the H is that? I haven't had one in so long! Lots of light, lots of room, lovely view of tall trees and a very green courtyard where pets are allowed, not easy to find at all, without high dollar and many restrictions.

So, busy busy busy. But happy.

New Design

2009-03-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Busy day today so this is a very short post. I just wanted to acknowledge the designer behind my new background.. Cristi of http://cristiscreations.blogspot.com. She offers a lovely and very generous free service and only asks for acknowledgement and her banner on your sidepost in exchange., something I must attend to today. I have a list of things to accomplish the next three days I am off, including etchings for orders (today), two commissioned memory necklaces (work on today), attend to my husband's business papers and mailing list (tomorrow), clean this pig pen apartment (hmm... pick at that all weekend, probably), work on a long standing magazine submission for consideration (far from a done deal, but something I want to try anyway), AND in addition some relaxing knitting and maybe a movie? Plus my husband wants to wander the Museum of Fine Arts this afternoon after some of my jewelry work is completed.

That sounds like alot now that I read it off, and also the list has about ten more things on it. A list is a must for me, or else I flounder and go from one thing, pick it up and put it down, to another task, start it and go on to something else. On and on and then I don't get anything done and frustration ensues. Brrrr.... We seriously need a larger apartment. I can't even say a better organized one, because everything here has its place (it usually just doesn't stay in it, though). Well I feel already like I'm rambling on incoherently so will sign off until I have something decent to say or show. Life right now is just taking care of business and if I can get it done, it has its own satisfaction even if its not that interesting to anyone but me.

taking care

2009-03-12T04:45:00.000-07:00

Today we are up early to get everyone (animals and ourselves) ready for the monthly jaunt to Yorktown Veterinary Hospital to pick up four cases of dog food for Lucy (prescription Hills R/D) and one giant bag of cat food for Mango (Hills prescription R/D kibble). The last few times I have gone by myself with Lucy and that's a nice day for me but it's extra nice to have company today. My husband has one quick appointment on the way and then we are off to travel scenic Route 5 past plantation homes and lovely glimpses of the James River through Charles City County and on to Williamsburg. In Williamsburg we plan to stop at a favorite and most familiar Mongolian buffet (scene of our first date almost 14 years ago plus the best cheap good food I've found anywhere), the yarn shop (return duplicate knitting needles), needlework shop (pick up a tiny pinkeep kit I ordered ages ago) and then on the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown for the pet food. Maybe a trail walk is in order, although a shorter one because Maggie, for all her little dog bundle of energy, just isn't much into walks. I end up carrying her half the way of our shorter walks at home.

It's almost simple how much I've been looking forward to this day and it always is this way and makes me realize something about my life that I've known for a long time-- it needs to be dialed back. I could say it's just because we are on a strict budget (ie- little money) and really don't do much "out there" but it's more than that. This journey always feels special and it's one of the few times we both have the pleasure of living in the moment all day and not worry about work or money or the jewelry I haven't had time or energy to produce or petty wonderings about friends who aren't really friends, the apartment search, and all that sort of thing. It's a take care of ourselves day, that we both dearly need. A time to take in beautiful scenery where the green of spring and the flowers of the season are upon us and a good time for good conversation. The two dogs enjoy the road trips as much as we do, so it's taking care of their needs for companionship and interacting with the environment too.

Tomorrow I'll hand myself back over to the perpetual worry. Today is mine to take care of myself and enjoy.

Some things are too good to be true, oh yes they are

2009-03-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

I wish I had pictures. Michael took the camera to take photos of the little apartment with the front and back balcony but I was so appalled at the condition of the place, he knew better than to take any. Honestly, I cannot win when it comes to the living arrangements. This place had a triple slap of white paint all over everything (windows, cupboards and one door clear painted shut) and the wood floors sealed but it couldn't seal the holes, YES, HOLES, I found in the edges of the floor around the walls here and there. The back bedroom window was bolted shut on one side, and had an inch gap on the other bottom side where one could stick their fingers out and give them a good wiggle, or in my case, flip someone off, which is what I felt like doing, namely the lame prospective landlord, who acted like we were wandering through a pot of gold. "Oh, I'll fix that, and that and that," he said whenever I pointed out yet another crumble, crack or hole somewhere in the place. =( And I asked to walk out to the back deck and the guy conveniently did not have the proper key to open the back door. Good for him since I already looked out the back window and saw the three crater size holes poking through the wood floor boards. Jesus Christmas, folks, seriously... So much for my romantic ideals. The place looked like a crack den.

THEN I swung back around to the opposite end of the money spectrum, drove down to Tobacco Row on Shockoe Bottom, where there are glorious loft apartments that have exposed brick walls, huge original wooden beams from when the building was a tobacco warehouse, with a heated pool, hot tub, coffee bar that is free for residents, fabulous floor to ceiling double pane windows, workout room with flat screen tv's, and on and on, right on the James River. A large one bedroom loft? $860 a month plus ten bucks per month per pet. So we're looking into that one now. So much for saving money. Of course it is far from a done deal, but we put our sixty day notice in to our landlord anyway. We did take photos of this place but no posting until we know anything for sure.

After that entire debacle, I was strangely depressed the rest of the day and useless, got nothing done. Yesterday I worked on laundry and cleaning up the apartment and also our visiting dog was sick all night so we are dragging from caring for her through the night and into today. Thankfully she is ok this evening but whew... so tired today. We're both dragging.

All that said, and I have no jewelry to show for my weekend. Blah and double blah. It was one of those well intentioned weekends. I did get a long standing commissioned pin completed, so that was a major accomplishment, but my pendants I've made and materials I've gathered are still perched in a box on my jeweler's bench, waiting for work to be over tomorrow so I can chip away at their creation. This, at least, makes me happy to think about.

Snowstorm 2009

2009-03-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Alas, now the snow is mostly a melted pile of mud and sludge, with alot of green mixed in. Sidewalks and roads are dry, snow replaced with huge chuck-holes and sidewalks to chopped up cement from too much salt. We had no power part of Sunday and most of Monday last, but just when we were cozying up to the idea of a candlelit evening on Monday, the power roared back on, with heat, television, lights and yes, hot water for the bubblebath. :D I like roughing it for about a day, then I need my comforts again.

Since then I've been at work, and my parents stopped by to drop their little dog off on their way to vacation in the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida. So we have a very small, 10 pound furry dog to spice things up a little for the next few weeks.

The weekend will find me busy at my jeweler's bench putting finishing touches on a commissioned piece and some magazine submissions that may/may not be up to snuff. Also the neverending pile of laundry and housecleaning awaits yours truly.

Adding to the mix is a look-see at a new apartment. We've lived in this building since 2003 and frankly are tired of it after a change in management and ownership, it's kinda gone downhill in perks and uphill in rent. Anyone know this scenario? Ain't it great? To put it simply, we have issues with this place now and management isn't doing enough to make things right for a long time, usually-pay-rent-early tenant.
Looking at Craig's List this morning I spied an unbelievable listing-- an apartment about the same size as this one, second floor, with (get this!) two balconies, front and back! hardwood floors, about five blocks from where we currently reside. We have been dying for balconies for years, or at least I have, where we can have plants and tomatoes and herbs and cute hanging ornaments and chimes. *sigh*.

My radar goes up, however, at the much lower rent. My husband looked at the place this morning and said the landlord was a laidback hippie kinda guy (good news) and only required first month rent as deposit (also good news) but he could hear a guy playing guitar through the wall (hmmm... could be good, could be bad) and the apartment only has ONE closet. Potential problem there... but I also think it's a good opportunity to put creativity and willpower together and throw lots of stuff out or donate it or sell it to pair down our current apartment. I could not tell you hardly one thing that is any of the four closets here. So tomorrow, ten a.m., we are both going to take a look and (oh, I hope...) sign a new lease for April 1. At any rate, in this economy, even with me working now and all, it would be very nice to save almost $400 a month in rent from where we currently live.

Hopefully Monday I'll have lots of good jewelry photos to post. I'm dying to put my ideas from paper into moving motion.

sit under a tree

2009-03-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

This etching and matching stamped bar is a work in progress that is my designated project for tomorrow. The beads are chosen, the design is designed and it's just left to string it, wire wrap it all up and send it on, hopefully for publication somewhere. Who knows!

I think I've calmed down a bit from the last week. It was definitely my week to wig out and I did it with the full jumping-up-and-down, hair-pulling-out throttle I am oh so capable of doing. It's not good to experience, not fun to witness.

Today I am working on a long standing commission for another memory pin. That first one I made was a total bugger to get totally straight with the pin segment, meaning it was difficult to solder the pin around the bezel without either 1. melting the bezel. or 2. un-soldering the already soldered bezel. or 3. both.

So I am carefully planning strategy before I begin so I don't run into the problems I had before with this one and start another wig out session all over again. :D

In between working on this pin, I am having a very difficult time tearing myself away from a book, Beyond the Four Corners of the World, by Emily Benedek. It's the non-fiction story of a Navajo woman in Tuba City and her family and I am mesmerized by it. Now I am dying to hit the road next fall and go to Indian Country, the Grand Canyon, see tall cactus, the desert. *sigh* I'm ready to travel.

Michael and I are meeting a friend for coffee soon so better get ready. This guy, before arthritis forced him to scale back, used to play back up guitar with the Dave Matthews band and is a total alternative, post '60's throwback who makes me laugh and laugh, so it'll be a good time.

This alien is me with my full respirator gear in place, ready to start dumping chemicals for etching. Everyone who is beginning to etch with caustic chemicals, please run to the nearest hardware store and invest the best and healthiest $30 you'll ever spend for a 3M full respirator dedicated for anti-chemical or pesticide inhalants. Don't breathe that stuff! You will have skulls and crossbones floating in your brain if you do.... Be sure to wear protective eyewear, too and wear gloves!!

Happy Sunday, everyone. It's to freakin' snow in Richmond today. Unheard of!! The city will come to a total panicked standstill. We can't wait!!

the never ending to do list

2009-02-26T16:10:00.001-08:00

I am a total sucker for a pretty sunset. So is Michael. We'll veer off any highway, anywhere, pull out the camera and snap lovely pink and purple clouds with the receding sun. We take at least one camera everywhere we go. Not only in case we finally see a UFO, although that would be the coolest, but to capture moments such as above, December 30, 2008, on the way to my parent's house for belated Christmas. This was taken on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and believe me, it got alot more red and orange as the moments passed. So pretty.

I have to remind myself of lovely moments like these when I feel too much under the gun, as has been the case today. Too much to do, too little time and everything must be done, you know the feeling? My apartment is grossing me out. Definitely not up to the standards I set for it before I started working again and seriously making jewelry again. Right now I have four loads of laundry going in the machines, laundry that needs folding, a wet floors that are drying, etchings in various stages of completion that must be mailed tonight from the post office do it yourself kiosk, resin setting that must be periodically checked for the dreaded rising bubbles, a dog who is itching for a walk, people I need to write letters to, and and and and. A day off is rarely a true day off.

The problem is that I get into too many things at once, then I crash with the weight of all that I've put upon myself. *sigh*

Then again, what I don't get done weighs heavy on me. Particularly keeping in touch with people, something very important to me, and too much neglected on my part. I have a dear old friend in Australia who is not well whom I have owed a letter for two months. Another older lady I keep in contact in PA, again, about two months overdue. And a lovely gentleman in PA (hi Owen!!), recently having lost his dear wife, whom I owe a letter. I hope you are keeping in touch with me through this blog, Owen, because I am thinking of you, and will email you soon...

What I know is that some of these folks are not able to use computers and write long hand to me, and look forward to return letters like no one's business. So, like I said, things weigh heavy on me and I have a responsibility to keep up that has been put aside for the jewelry business, work and household duties. It just plain makes me sad.

Anyway, one of the reason for my flurry of activity tonight is my husband is at his band rehearsal and a gal can get alot more done with husband away than with husband under foot, at least in my household this is true. Also, I'm trying best as I can to free up time for this weekend to finally finish up some jewelry I want to submit to a few jewelry and beading magazines. These deadlines are coming up fast and I'm trying to submit to more than just Belle Armoire Jewelry, much as I love it. I have one piece accepted in Creative Jewelry magazine, although I'm not sure when it comes out.

Guess I better think of something for myself for dinner since it's almost 8 p.m. Then I'll walk Lucy, finish laundry, finish etchings, mail etchings and get to bed. Like I said, the never-ending list. Sometimes it's a bitch. I need to look at the sunset some more.

buying stuff

2009-02-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

I have tomorrow off from work so tonight is nice and relaxing. I don't have to get up at 6 tomorrow. whew. Nice feeling.

Right now my husband is watching some show called I Shouldn't Be Alive. If anyone has seen this, it's not a recipe for relaxation. Some guy is being taken down by a crocodile in Australia....he's screaming and gushing blood while being chomped on with big teeth. Michael thinks this is inordinately fascinating. Really it's pretty gross. What's to like about this?

Today my workload was light. Towards the end of the shift, I went somewhere I rarely go-- etsy surfing and finding neat and inexpensive goodies to buy. I had a small balance left in my paypal account from etching sales, so decided to treat myself to a few neat things....

a pewter Funky Nut from Mamacitabeads: www.mamacitabeadworks.etsy.com

textured jump rings from cathydailey: www.cathydailey.etsy.com

textured fine silver round and rectangular links from prolifique: www.prolifiquejewelry.etsy.com

*sigh* I saw so many beautiful things. I am so in love with buri nuts and wood beads these days and I luuuurrrrrrve freshwater pearls in all their multicolored, multishaped glory, but didn't buy any. I had to seriously shut the etsy surf down before I did serious bank account damage. Then my shift was over and I went home.

Pictured way above is me and the Lucy dog on our Yorktown battlefield Surrender Trail walk. It is the most beautiful, peaceful place. Hard to fathom all that went on there, a great expanse of land to the distant right of the trail early in the walk was a large hospital during the Revolutionary War. Imagine that, people... Probably carnage far surpassing the croc eating the guy in Australia, at the very least.

Tomorrow I have a glorious day planned of filling a few orders, working on some commissioned pieces at long last, washing and drying and folding PILES of laundry. Clean folded clothes always make me happy! Some vacuuming, putting things away, and basically cleaning up the mess here that has been neglected for a while since I've been too swamped to get anything done other than work at work and work jewelry at home.

What to do before bed tonight? Forget the crocodiles... I'm taking a nice hot bubblebath. :D

new in the shop

2009-02-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday we took the day off, loaded Lucy in the car and trekked over to the battlefields at Yorktown, where we walked Surrender Trail, where Rochambeau and Washington had their respective camps very close to each other. This trail was five miles and Lucy in her advanced age did wonderfully well, better, I think, than did we. Michael and I used to live very close to this area early in our marriage and before, and we walked this trail several times a week, so it was a wonderful day and made all the more due to the complete lack of litter, bottles, trash, cigarette butts and other refuse so commonly seen on "scenic" trails. The US Park Service does a fabulous job with Yorktown, so head out and hike some well maintained areas if you are nearby or passing through. Once we finished this trail, we put Lucy in the car to rest and walked another five by ourselves. It was great fun to get some good exercise for a change, away from the city, breathing fresh air by the York River. Beautiful!

All the historic markers recounting Rochambeau and his assistance to Washington in the Revolutionary War made me itch to etch something French. So I cut the above piece of copper with a jeweler's saw into a coin shape and etched both sides with a lovely flowing French script. It is a very rich pendant and looks quite old. It is thin and weathered, much as a coin would be if found from centuries ago. Look for it now available in my etsy shop www.jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Other items now available for sale in my shop... etched copper charm earrings with whimsical shaped earwires and free floating drilled river pebbles.

The French influence again... etched on both sides.

On to another continent- etched Kanji characters on copper with patina.

And smaller Japanese kanji characters etched onto copper with rich antique patina.

My big kitty Mango is snoring next to me, Lucy is bugging me to go to bed, Michael is already off in dreamland, and the king size is calling my name for a six a.m. wakeup. Time to nod off...

100 sales!

2009-02-17T19:55:00.001-08:00

Well, I know for alot of Etsy sellers out there, it's not alot but to me it's HUGE. I made my 100th sale on Etsy today! Yay! I appreciate the business so much and enjoy creating my wares. Thank you, everyone!

new etchings on etsy shop

2009-02-16T16:44:00.001-08:00

I spent the last two days filling more orders for etchings. I'm grateful for the business. Today I also worked on some new designs, seen here. Japanese name hanko with poem above, etching on copper with fine antique patina.

Asian stork at pond, copper etching with antique patina. For added interest, I put double holes at top center.

A little whimsical bird, copper etching with texture and patina. Top center and bottom center holes.

Asian stork at pond, brass etching on slightly lighter weight metal than the copper version. Same double center drilled holes at top and one center bottom.

And finally, a brass version of the letting go lao tzu connector bar. Again, lighter weight metal than the copper version.

Lucy the dog is itching for a nice walk in the cold weather and even after three days off from work the grocery store is still calling my name tonight. I had fun making up these new etchings today. My cleaning is neglected, clothes not ironed for work tomorrow and dishes in the sink but I feel good anyway. All the above now listed and for sale in my etsy shop www.jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Real Quick

2009-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Real quick. I flew on down to Yorktown early this morning to stock Lucy up on prescription dog food. She also had a quick checkup to look at a lump on her stomach. Thankfully she got the all clear and she was very ready to head home. We drove the Colonial Parkway, pit-stopped at the bead shop in Williamsburg where I couldn't resist some new large Swarofski crystal beads. And since the yarn shop was right there, well, it would have been rude not to have stopped in to say hi. And rubber stamp shop is a skip up the road, on the way back to 64 west and home, I had to say hello to the good folks there. Starbucks called my name, too. Hey, Happy Valentine's Day to me, you know? Lest anyone think I am a fibber from my post yesterday, all this was accomplished before noon and I was on my way back to the salt mines, where I am currently rubbing out metals for etching preparation.

The photo above is of some beads I made recently, just some whimsical one of a kinds from leftover scraps. I love the swirls and stripes on them. For a closer look, check out www.jenniferstumpf.etsy.com

Back to work, now. Happy Valentine's Day!

a fiendish weekend in progress...

2009-02-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have no photos today! But just a heads up to anyone of you out there who ordered the BeadStyle pendant or versions of it from me on etsy. I am working like a fiend, although with mindful care so your piece is beautiful, to get orders created, completed and mailed over the weekend, so the last batch since february 11 will go out tomorrow evening. unfortunately for the mail, monday is a holiday. fortunately for me, monday is a holiday so i have more time to make things and experiment with new designs. in advance, i thank everyone who is waiting for their patience!

pictures soon, i promise!

French Script Etched Brass Pendants

2009-02-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

A version of the BeadStyle magazine French Script Pendant is now available for purchase in my etsy shop www.jenniferstumpf.etsy.com in a rich high sheen brass. The etchings really POP in brass and it's also a bit lighter weight than the copper version.

Also I finally made it home from work at sunset today and managed to snap a few lovely outside shots of the BeadStyle magazine etched copper pendant. The patina really varies on these pieces and I was really pleased with how the last batch turned out. I've listed four new photos on this piece.

Still at work on the tree etching. I doused it in patina several times last night and polished, polished, polished, trying to get exactly the right dark and light spaces inbetween limb and sky. Since I worked on pendant orders until 3 a.m. last night (oh yes...) and slept for two hours before getting ready for work, I am taking tonight off from all creative pursuits and am vegging in front of the television with some DVD's (Atonement & Vicky Cristina Barcelona), tomato soup and crackers, diet coke and a warm comforter.

I'll get back to my other list tomorrow evening...

If nothing else, a pretty view...

2009-02-09T20:28:00.001-08:00

Florence, Italy. *sigh* Isn't it beautiful? 7 January, 2009. I can still feel myself standing there, right in this moment....

Since the entire weekend was swallowed up by errands, cleaning, laundry, animals, more errands and yet more jewelry orders, I had not a moment to create anything new in the way of jewelry to post, although along with a stack of prepared pendants, there are new and lovely things coming that just need doused with acid and a little rub, and presto, voila! Etchings a-new.... coming soon although not as soon as I would have liked.

Tomorrow I am back in my office, which is not such a bad thing. In this economy, I drag myself up and out of bed at 5:30 and am glad for it.

A Mother Of a Load, A Mother Of a Bead

2009-02-06T16:59:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Lorelei Eurto www.lorelei1141.etsy.com and her lovely spread in the current BeadStyle magazine (page 48!), I am selling etched pendants like hotcakes. The above are but a few of those already shipped, on their way to their new homes and eventually featured dangling around someone's lovely neck. I made most in copper with French script etching as seen in BeadStyle. Due to lack of time (I leave for work when it's dark and get home when it's dark) a few orders were delayed. These folks got an extra goodie as a thank you for waiting, in the form of a brass version of the Starry Night necklace pendant. Also you will spy an etched Chaffinch bird pendant and some etchings in Italian (imagine that... I'm still stuck on Italy). For all of these pendants and connectors, beads and other goodies, they are listed on my etsy site www.jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

This Mother of a Bead is one I created last weekend prior to leaving to go to my parents. I felt in the mood for a big huge bead and this is it. I think it's about four inches long. A mokume flower is wrapped in the middle. I can see it on a shorter multiple chain with lots of charms dangling from the bottom. Maybe. Not sure yet. Should I put it on Etsy or make something with it myself? hmmm...

Opposite side of Mother Bead.

Mother Bead and a few other tubes and rounds. The darker color didn't turn up well, but it is a dark purple, in between the yellow stripes and swirls. I thought all week I would get home in time to get some good daylight photos but it never happened so these are the flash under the kitchen light versions.

For Lynn, who asked about my trip journal, this is the one I made for myself. I got a bag of small art and handmade papers from an artist in California a few months ago and just picked and chose bits I liked for front, inside and back covers of this small square coptic journal. Art = Love. Don't you agree?

First page was written on the flight over, when I was still gripping the pen with fear of plunging into the ocean... Oh, wait. I did that the entire fright, I mean flight... :D

I wrote in the journal and also collected lots of tickets, scraps of interesting papers, maps and business cards to glue in. It is a work in progress still.

Somehow I had to capture the moment of standing where ancient Romans stood at the Colosseum. In my bag of supplies were some fat colored pencils. Leaning against the outside wall of the Colosseum, I placed a single sheet against the heavily pocked surface and made a rubbing of it. Also filled pages with green, black, yellow and blue pencil rubbings from other spots at the Colosseum.

Inside back cover. Giraffe, anyone? In it's own weird eclectic way, all the pages seem to go together in my mind.

The whole sha-bang. I'm off for the next three days. YES! I will be, as Heather Powers put it, a busy little copper etching making bee for a good part of the time. Also some new etchings are coming soon to my etsy shop so check back over the latter weekend. Right now I'm off to an art openhouse where my husband has his paintings. Happy weekend, everyone!