How Do You Do It?

I don't know how y'all do it.

My past few weeks have been quite busy, filling orders one after the next, and going through the lessons in my class. I can't complain. My two children both attend full-time school, which leaves me with a large chunk of daytime working hours, and during those hours, work, I do. But somehow, I'm still working every evening too. And barely finding time for life's work, dinner, and oh, being a parent.

And then there's this wild and wonderful online community of folks who seem to do it all. With grace, and wit, and talent to spare.

Take Lisa, for instance. She home schools her four children, has a photography business, cooks up a storm, and finds time to write thoughtful, honest posts several times a week.

Erin got a surprising amount of posts published while she packed up her home and moved cross-country. And drove there with her two young kids.

Ella writes often, her blog full of gorgeous styling, very cool downloadable freebies, delicious recipes, and fun crafts--all while dealing with a health issue that effects her every day.

Heather is posting creative projects just a few short weeks after the birth of her third child. Oh, and she home schools her two older boys.

So many of you share so much, even when your husbands are far away for long periods of time and all the responsibilities of a family fall square on you (Erin, Emily, Francesca).

Valarie writes often on her three different blogs, in addition to her work as a composer/pianist,and if that wasn't enough, she just started her own publishing company and wrote a book.

Susie runs her busy illustration business, is pregnant with her third child, and is currently packing up/trying to sell her house, in preparation to their big move (newborn in tow) to a different country.

Me? I get a good healthy serving of what I have always wanted--an onslaught of jewelry orders--and I declare that something's gotta give. Total time-management wimp, I know.

I don't know how you all do it, but I'm in awe. (And I'm taking notes.)








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Newsy Bits

A few things worth telling, on this very snowy April first.

I just got the April issue of Boston Magazine that happens to feature my Copper Jewel Ring. This is my first time having my jewelry in a magazine, and I am thrilled.

 

Have you heard about Molly's new site, Blarter? The name is a mash up of "blog" and "barter," and it's a little bit of genius. Finally a site that encourages the trade of goods and service between bloggers.

Have you read Francesca's story about the orange cake from war times? An amazing story worth reading.

Do you know about 21 Secrets, An Art Journal Playground? It's an online workshop featuring 21 different teachers/sessions. Check out Amy's class called Three Little Words. She's pretty much the authority on art journaling, and one funny gal, to boot. 

That's all for now. I'm off to shovel snow. Very funny, Mother Nature. Very funny April Fool's Day joke.

Another giveaway!

Just a quick note to let you know that Molly over at A Foothill Home Companion is hosting a giveaway. Click on over to win a fifty dollar gift certificate to my shop. That's right, you get to pick.

And while you are there, check out the two other giveaways she is hosting. It's pretty much a magical wonderland of giveaways over there now though Monday.

Giveaway!

Just a quick not to let you know EarthMama is hosting a giveaway of one of my items this weekend. The winner can choose from the pieces pictured above. Click over for details and to enter to win. There's also an interview featuring yours truly.

As a bonus,  I'll be offering a 15% discount for one week to EarthMama readers. Go git the coupon code!

Why I Had An Art Attack

My booth at SoWa

Something didn't feel right. Fidgeting in my bed, I tossed and turned. My breathing was rapid, my toes were twitching, and my belly was churning. I had just returned home from the most successful weekend ever of selling my jewelry. Shoppers showed up in droves, I got to meet lots of sweet customers in person, and hear many kind words about my work. So why did I have such an uneasy feeling?

I finally got out of bed and, without making a conscious decision, grabbed my sketchbook and started drawing. Ideas poured out of me—some were influenced by all the beautiful things I had seen over the weekend, others were my own concepts, born from the renewed motivation I had just gained. In essence, I was having some sort of art attack. A physical reaction to my stirred soul. An actual burst of artistic energy.

I was a vendor at the 7th annual SoWa Holiday Market this weekend. Eighty artists and independent designers, including a good handful of jewelers—every one of them talented, friendly, supportive, and creative. Neither shoppers nor makers could roam the aisles without being tempted and stimulated.

Being counted among so much talent and energy made me humble. I left bursting—with the ideas that swirled madly in my head, with gratitude for the extra income earned, and with a sense of connection to a community of people I can learn so much from.

Here's a shout out to some of my amazing SoWa neighbors:
Gorgeous neck pieces made from vintage ties at Lillian Asterfeld
Adorable felt items and hand spun yarns at Migration Goods
Bold jewelry from Amy Casher
Ceramic and wood creations by Firewood Furniture
Sewn goodness from Fisherman's Daughter

Why I Won't Look At The Calendar

I'm still here, and all is well. Just haven't been here.

The momentum of summer has taken over, and I find myself in places far away from the computer. It's refreshing.

In my absence:

We found a rainbow

I made a whole lotta circles

The girls set up an outdoor living room, complete with a couch (see it at the top of the picture?)

We took an evening trip to the beach (this was taken at 7pm, and it was still 95 degrees)

And I've enjoyed some lounging around

Lately, I have an ever-increasing sense of dread, as these days tick by and I face the reality of my baby entering first grade--full day school for the first time. Come September, both my girls will be spending their days away from home, leaving this mama to fend for herself. Now, I have plans--big ones--to make good use of that time and grow my business, but this change is just so symbolic. This is the way it will be for the rest of their childhood. I know that's life, and that I'm being dramatic, but it's what I'm feeling at the moment.

What's a mother to do, but make the best of the time we have right now? To linger at the beach, play long card tournaments, and let them stay up late to watch Wipe Out, so we can laugh together--these are the current priorities. And when school comes around again, I'll kiss both girls goodbye with a pat on the bum, and rush home to make hay while the sun shines, reveling in this new phase of parenthood.

Until then , you can find me here a little less than usual. I'll be doing everything under the sun with my girls (except looking at the calendar).

More Cabbage Love

Ever notice how gorgeous red cabbage is? I have. And I even dedicated an entire blog post to this most visually-pleasing cruciferous vegetable. Those pretty purple folds create such a striking formation. The contrast of color, the randomness of the swirls, the lineal arrangement that changes depending on how it is cut—it is nature's ultimate graphic design.

I vowed to one day give this cruciferous the props it deserves. Well my friends, that day has arrived. (I imagine you are on the edge of your seat right now? Ok, maybe not. Fair enough.)

The girls and I started off sketching and painting a cross-section of cabbage. Observing and then actually drawing/painting the many lines was fascinating and, for the girls, a little tedious. They both started off with gusto but eventually got bored of all those little layers and loops. Not me.

The obvious next step was an interpretation in silver. And since March is, apparently, the month of bent-and-hammered-wire designs for me (see Jane pins, and current header) I started with a strand of thin silver. I bent and swirled it in a random configuration, then hammered it all flat and rough, and soldered in onto an oval backpiece.

It turned out to be not-so-literal, this interpretation, but the cabbage influence is definitely there. My cabbage-in-silver series has only just begun, and I will surely show you more as I go. For now, this piece can be found in my shop.

(More) Bookmarks

By now, you may have guessed that bookmarks would be on my roster of holiday handmade gifts. I am lucky to have so many readers on my list, so just about everybody got a custom bookmark, and a book to put it in.

My mother and my sister each got a fleur-de-lys in all its tiny, hammered, oxidized glory. I expanded on my bookmark offerings, departing from the hearts and baubles I made so many of in the past two months. And now there are scores of ideas swirling in my head—a simple dangling charm is just so easy, almost any shape could be used for these. I am currently trying to narrow down my design choices for a few more bookmarks to round out the line. Any requests? Suggestions?

Five shillings for my father. My parents have traveled to Africa a few times now, so I used a coin from Kenya for his bookmark. A dangling object felt too feminine to me, so his is set in a bezel and attached directly to the silver hook. The coin I chose was beautifully time-worn, with some of the lettering nearly completely rubbed off. I like this idea of using a coin, and I was recently reminded of a Norwegian coin bookmark I had made for a friend a few years back. (I had forgotten about this completely. Scary!)

I am thinking of offering custom coin bookmarks in my shop. They'd be a nice way to remember a vacation, especially because it seems like coins are the one common souvenir everybody comes home with. (Then they end up in your coin jar, only to get rejected by the coin counting machine when it's time to cash your pennies in...)

Hope you new year is so far, so good!

Lots of Time = Lots of Projects

Whew. The loooong weekend left us with lots of time to occupy. We cooked and ate and created and read and now it's time to jump back into the swing of things. The jewelry biz is picking up for the holiday season and those bookmarks have proven to be quite popular (picture me crawling out of my cave-like basement workshop, protecting my eyes from the brightness of daylight, after making many, many bookmarks).

The last of the autumn-themed projects—delicious and simple sugar cookies.

..And the first of the Christmas crafts, beeswax ornaments (these smell so good!)

A couple of lanterns made from old jam jars. Just water down some glue and paint it over torn pieces of tissue paper to stick it right onto the glass. We tied string around the tops and took a few lantern walks around the neighborhood. Now that it gets dark around 4pm, we can do that before dinner. (We even played night hide-and-seek in the back yard, using the lanterns to light our way. Fun!)

Pomanders, which I forgot all about, but should have been started about a month ago. We figured we'd give it a shot and see what comes of them in a few short weeks.

I rejoice in the fact that Black Friday is done and over with, and we don't have to hear that term—or all the hype for another 11 months. Now, if we could only avoid all the other holiday advertising madness....

Happy Holiday Season!

The World's Biggest Apple?

A few images worth sharing with you today:

Mud puddle fun!

A little project I have been working on. I'll show you more, including what's inside, soon. (It's a gift, and I have to give it before I can fully share it)

And, quite possibly, the world's biggest apple. It measures six inches in height and 13 inches in girth (yeah, I really did measure it). Do you think this apple alone could fill an apple pie?

As for the Jewelry...

You may have noticed and absence of all things metal in my recent posts. It's true—I have spent very few hours in my workshop. With the kids home, it is impossible for me to sneak downstairs and get any work done, so we have been spending our days knitting, sewing, and cooking together. And, oh, how I am loving that the girls are big enough to participate in these activities in a much greater capacity than ever before.

As for the jewelry...

I am excited for the recent inquiry by a very interesting online store, for the gold I just purchased, and for the new line I have designed. Now, to actually fabricate those pieces...that's another story.

Summer Sale

I am making way for some new pieces, so a few of the old ones (including the one pictured above) must go. Check out the "SALE" section of my shop.

Bubble Ring

I have been getting things together for the Coolidge Corner Arts Festival this Saturday (6/6). Going through all my pieces, polishing and touching up each item to get them gleaming and ready for their place in an eye-catching display. I was giving this ring the once-over when I realized I haven't posted it in my shop yet.

Bubble Ring
A fun cocktail ring! A large oxidized dome is set into a ring that hides a mirror inside. The shape of the bubble's "highlight" was cut out to reveal the mirror's reflection. The blackened dome is a beautiful contrast to the shiny mirror and the polished silver body of the ring.

To read more about this ring or to purchase, click here.

Unexposed Talent: The Conemporary Wall Art Co

Give your room a modern flourish with Contemporary Wall Art Co's bold graphics.

This week's Unexposed Talent offers vinyl art decals that will look fabulous on your walls, windows, mirrors, fridges, and ceilings. The self-adhesive yet removable graphics are available in your choice of 18 colors, matte or glossy, and they will custom size most designs to your specifications, so you'll get exactly what you want for your space.

The coolest part? They can also create custom wall decals of your own photos.

Check out their new Etsy shop to see the collection of designs they are currently offering.

Blog Debut

The first blog post!

This is a good time to let you know what AGA Elemental is all about:
my influences
my interests
my jewelry

Or, to be specific: nature, metal, all things handmade and local, fashion, sustainable living, books, the craft world, gardening, design, creative inspirations and last but not least, trying to make a living through my craft

Please join me as I explore this vast world of crafts and the Internet in an effort to nurture an awareness of handmade crafts, inspire people, promote my own work and the outstanding work of others, and become entrenched in this community of bloggers and crafters and tweeters and...