Tiny Egg Book

Another of my passions in life is book making. Here is a book I just completed. It is made from cut up matchbooks for the covers, vintage maps for inserts, and 70 pound drawing paper. The stitching is two needle coptic binding, although actually this technique uses six needles to sew up a nice opposite braid for each set of two holes. It has eight signatures and measures 4.5" x 2.25". I intended one more signature but Mango sat on it and mashed the papers while I was working.

Lucy and I are off to the Eastern Shore of VA now to visit my parents and deliver some jewelry.

I'm thinking of selling these on Etsy. What do you think?? Comments, please... =)

Beads on Ebay

In an effort to assist our trip finances, and to eliminate some beads I have had sitting around for far too long, I am de-stashing some artisan beads courtesy of Ebay. This Anne Choi sterling silver Mandrake With Eye bead was purchased last year for $75 plus shipping. It will be listed on Ebay tonight for a seven day auction under the user name doggiecentral, so check them out and bid, bid, bid! Get some good beads that are no longer made, some one of a kind, for far less than retail. I will be putting a "buy it now" listing for this bead, so go and take a look. Some of these beads I hate to part with but honestly, in my drawer for two or three years? Time for them to ship to another loving owner...

Otherwise, I am heading to my parents house on Tuesday for the visit that was previously delayed. I'll be back on Friday. I'm looking forward to seeing my folks, my mom's good cooking, and some beautiful scenery on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Have a good week, everyone!

Finished with some projects

My dear friend of many years asked me several months ago to create a necklace for her based on one I made for my mother. My mom's necklace is comprised of a photo of her mother taken in the mid 1940's, set in a bezel and nestled in resin. It has a poem on the back I wrote and was appropriate for the piece. My friend, an artist in advanced age, was taken with it and asked me to do one up for her with her mother's picture, highlighted with silver chain and blue stones of my choice. This is what I came up with:

As an afterthought, she also asked me to do a different one for her daughter featuring her own picture from her youth. This is it:


I was to have travelled to the Eastern Shore of Virginia this weekend to deliver them and visit my parents but the flu derailed my plans, so it will be next week after the bug is long gone, I hope.

For anyone so inclined, I create custom memory necklaces based on a photo you provide and your color preferences, and go from there.  For more information or requests, contact me at my email jennifer@jenniferstumpf.com.  Prices start at $130 and as you can see, I use fine stones and I don't skimp!

I didn't feel quite right last Friday evening and by Saturday morning, boy, I knew I was in for it. However, the Northern Virginia Bead Society Bead Show was that day and Sunday. What to do, what to do.... Why, go anyway, of course! Michael didn't want to go (I can't imagine why) so I went it alone, all 109 miles one way up 95. It was no trouble to find the Vienna Community Center. Here's what I got:AD Adornments was there with a jackpot of lovely things. As my budget was limited, I actually made a list of beads to look for instead of my usual MO-- scoop, pay, and run to the next booth. AD Adornments had tons of interesting base metal chain but good heavens it was so expensive it made sterling chain look like an incredible deal. So I didn't get any. These are faceted blue labradorite teardrops, and faceted freshwater pearl in a deep blue.
Natural Golden Coral and again, faceted freshwater pearl, in a color I wouldn't normally buy but it was such a pretty shade of pink, it called my name. This bead show was four rooms in all, and many more artisan dealers than I have ever seen before at a bead show. Nice to see. Also, I am always on the lookout for faceted pearls but never could find them at shows until this one. Always before I had to order online. Wonder what the deal was? Seemed everyone had them for the first time ever.
I bought these faceted crystal and prehnite from a very patient Indian man who let me handle all his fabulously expensive beads, explained the cuts and origin of many different stones, before finally ringing me up some of his less expensive wares, these two strands. As it was, they were the most expensive items I bought, but aren't they beautiful? A beautifully cut stone with gorgeous color can just make a piece of jewelry pop with a single bead.

I got lost on the way home, after chasing cheap gas promised at a WaWa from a sign on 95. Once I got into Potomac Mills area, turned here, turned here, turned here, etc., got gas, I could not remember at all where I should go, so 15 miles later I found myself in the middle of Prince William county cow country. Oh dear. Finally, after several calls to my husband, I made my way back to 95 and home. Then I spent the next four days in bed with the flu. Now that is dedication to craft, folks.

Tagged!

Well, I've never been tagged before, but Lynn has tagged me so I must come up with something.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

You know what, I don't know seven bloggers, other than the ones already tagged by other bloggers I read,
so I'll tag as many as I can but maybe not seven. Anyway...

Seven Facts:

Fact One: Every form of art I've endeavored I have learned almost entirely on my own intense study.

Fact Two: My apartment was a morgue until the hospital closed and the building renovated into apartments in the late '90's.

Fact Three: A Victorian home I used to live in for years was haunted.

Fact Four: In my spare time, I make books with coptic binding out of old and new boards.

Fact Five: I've chewed my fingernails since first grade.

Fact Six: In my twenties I was a uniform patrol police officer. Yes, I drew my weapon.

Fact Seven: In 2003 I lost 72 pounds and have kept all but five pounds off.

Now, I am tagging:

http://somethingsublime.typepad.com

http://happydayart.typepad.com

www.urbanpaperarts.blogspot.com

http://karengberger.blogspot.com

Relaxing, Guilt-free

My big orange boy, Mango.

When I first started this blog, I intended it solely for the purpose of furthering my jewelry and bead passion. Now that time has passed, business is business, and I am busy with a multitude of pursuits, to the point that I don't have the time I thought I would to post regularly. I lead a very bohemian life, quite different than that of most women my age. Sometimes I have time, sometimes not. I'm making jewelry several days out of the week, I'm just not finding it easy to take time away from my household, my husband, our pets, our business and enjoyment of life (which is far too short) in general, to diligently document my progress in jewelry making.

So I've decided instead of feeling guilty, instead of feeling a slave to the blog, this weekend I'm just going to enjoy life. Today was such a day. Yesterday I spent all day (since it was awful outside anyway) to devote myself to cleaning and doing piles of laundry. This I did not only because of the pure necessity, but because I work, think and feel better in a clean environment and this place was getting out of hand. It also left me free to enjoy today unencumbered by a big mess from which there is no room available to escape. Today we intended to go to a big auction in our neighborhood- an historic home with loads of antiques. But, instead of buzzing crowds, we instead found a sign announcing the auction postponed until next Saturday. Oh well. Til next week... Then we drove and got coffee since we skipped breakfast for an early start. Then we went to some yard sales, where I scored some great vintage crochet manuals that I will list on Ebay shortly, went to WalMart for a few items (small pumpkins there were five bucks, folks. forget it!), then drove home, where I proceeded to work on some memory necklaces, then relaxed on the futon with Mango, watching tv and chatting with my husband. I watched two old episodes of Sex & the City, then some foreign movie I forget the title... And hey, Paul Newman passed away. What a shame.

We walked Lucy about two miles or so, then came home and watched recaps of the debate (Go Obama!), fixed dinner, then wound yarn into skeins for a new project.

This was the kind of relaxing day I have maybe once every couple of months, so no guilt at all!

Time for bed. Happy weekend!

devil cat and the monk

Since the show is over, I decided to put some of the polymer pieces I've made a while ago into necklaces. This particular one is cast from a mold I made from an antique set of pewter monks, all playing instruments or singing. They have fascinating and funny little faces. This one looked like a moon face and was the little monk holding a choral book for the other monks to look on.

Several necklaces I wrapped in vintaj brass wire, which compliments the gold leaf in the mokume gane or the bronze clay. This piece is securely held in vintaj brass, with the wires twisted here and there for added security and decoration. The chain is lovely links of vintaj brass as well, with either copper or brass vintaj lobster clasps.
Diamond Drop Green and Bronze Mokume Gane Necklace, available on my Etsy shop.
I was happy to sell several of these at the University of Richmond art sale. I have one left. The little knots are very time consuming but hold strong and flow beautifully.

Bronze mokume gane bracelet with faceted smokey quartz rondelle and copper spacer bead accents. I haven't made many bracelets, other than those in the current Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine, but I am really falling hard for copper and brass chain, not just because it is less expensive than silver but because it is already with patina in alot of cases and it is very versatile and lovely to wear in layers of several types of chains.

Twisted wire.
Everything here should be available for sale on Etsy by tomorrow. I am having technical difficulties in the shape of a large orange devil cat, who insists on tormenting me to scratch his head or play with his mouse, with me holding one end of the mouse on a string, him holding the other- ears flat, and growling. That is him growling, not me.
*sigh*
At least I got some jewelry made.

Art Show

Well, by now I expected to have some news to tell but nothing so far. We trekked up 95 to West Chester, Pennsylvania last week for my husband to interview at West Chester University to join their staff at the school of Fine and Performing Arts in the Music Department. He had an excellent interview (four hours!), looked dashing in his new suit and the weather was utterly fabulous. But now that we are home, it is hurry up and wait. They said within a few days he should know. It's hard to know what to do, although if the offer is good enough, of course we will be there. We've lived in Richmond together for eight years, and I've lived in this neck of Virginia for eighteen years, so it's not just a purely simple matter of heading out. It's literally starting over, although I've heard from several friends that they have lived near there and it is just great. So we're hopeful we can begin again, somewhere new and more exciting, prosperous and secure. Fingers crossed...

Otherwise, I had an art show to attend at the University of Richmond this past Sunday. It was a short show, from 11-5 only but it was also Parent's Weekend at the University, and also for the first time in two years the show was held in its normal spot, along a lovely trail next to the lake there. The weather cooperated beautifully with cool temps, no wind at all and our spot was in the shade to boot. With all that going for it, I sold almost 3/4 of my inventory, a nice mix of older items and new things, so I was a very happy gal indeed at the day's end. I have removed a bunch of things off etsy that sold at the show and am now figuring up what to make next.

No pictures again today. My camera croaked, although all it needs is a charge.

For anyone, but Karen in particular, if you are reading this, a book recommendation. The evening before the interview we went to the ginormous mall at King of Prussia and spent some time in Borders. While there I picked up a new book, Acedia & Me- A Marriage, Monks, and A Writer's Life, by Kathleen Norris. A quote in there kept me thinking of you-- "When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "do you want to be made well?" - John 5:6
Look it up on Amazon and see what you think.

Pictures of new stuff, I promise, VERY SOON! I have no more excuses.