dream a little dream

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.