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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Steve Martin and I

I've had a sleep disorder since I was very young, and have not slept without sleep aids for thirty odd, and I mean odd, years. My physicians have prescribed Ambien since the day it became available, and I've taken it since. But over the last few years I've started doing some pretty weird things in the night. I will
let my friend Steve explain the type of thing I mean:   (CLICK ON Steve.)



Steve Martin Video

When I heard Steve Martin talk about this poker thing I could completely relate. My night time forays and adventures did not begin until after several years of taking this prescription, and as far as I know perhaps people who just use it occasionally don't have these experiences. But I am relieved that the pharmaceutical company has added their little message about "...doing things with no memory of the event," to their little commercials. Because for a while I thought I was going batty.

With me it began with what my friends and family now refer to as Ambien dialing. I do realize that just as I am starting to feel the first effects of the drug I get sentimental and loving toward everyone I care about. So apparently I call them up and wax poetic - or speak in tongues. (Joking!) I've had long conversations with people I love and don't remember a thing till I see how many sent calls or texts I find on the phone the next morning. Sometimes the texts are completely unreadable. I delete them quickly and sheepishly. Next I moved on to eating. My husband is often up late and has said that he would hear me walking about the house, and sometimes I would answer him in a perfectly normal voice when questioned. But sometimes he noted that I would just walk past him happily stuffing potato chips into my mouth. He would stand in the bedroom door and say, "Hey whatcha' doing?" I wouldn't answer and he grinned about the crunching emanating from the darkness. But that's nothing...I have cooked full meals, and awoke one morning to find beautiful crystal glasses in the refrigerator filled with homemade chocolate ganache! One of my favorites, however, was the morning I walked into the bathroom and found a cocktail shaker sitting on the tile shelf. I puzzled over it and went down to the kitchen where I found a cutting board with nicely cut limes, Worcestershire Sauce, Louisana Hot Sauce, sea salt (Himalayan), vodka, and tomato juice. It seems I had made myself a lovely Bloody Mary in the night. And these are just a few of the things I've done--I hate to guess about the things I don't remember!

So...two points to this post:  (1)Be careful if you take these crazy pills and (2) TA-DAH!

A GIVE AWAY GAME for followers of this blog. 
The winner of the game will receive FREE PEARL EARRINGS.
(And for playing such a ridiculous game, you may choose copper, silver or bronze settings!)

(Trust me - this post will begin to make sense in a minute, so bear with me.)

A time ago I was going through my daily routine and got around to checking my blog for comments, new visitors, etc. As the blog opened I realized that there was a brand new post, looked it over, checked posting time, and sure enough I had posted it in the middle of the night. SO...somewhere in the above postings is a TOTAL AMBIEN SLEEPWALK POST.

Here's the game...The person who follows the rules below and then correctly identifies the post I created while in an Ambien daze-- at the designated time and day...not before...will receive a beautiful pair of pearl earrings absolutely free.

How to play: 1--You must Follow this blog. (Follow link at top upper left corner...)

                      2--Next go to my Etsy shop and click "Add shop to favorites."

                      3--On Saturday a week from today, 9/3/11 at 12:00 noon and not a minute before (or you will be disqualified), post a comment stating: (A)How much money did Steve Martin win playing internet poker on Ambien and (B)State the complete TITLE and DATE of the post that you think I wrote while in an unconscious state. Which one is the AMBIEN POST???  



Saturday, August 20, 2011

Custom Pieces

About a year ago I made a texture plate of big and bumpy and texture-y polka dots out of polymer clay. I made one elongated pure bronze heart with a pearl dangle for a gift, and then forgot about it.


 I came across it recently and started playing with smaller hearts. So far I've done a lariat piece in bronze and I have an order for a similar one strung as a regular pendant necklace on leather.

Here is the lariat worn in two ways - by my friend Heather.







I enjoy making custom pieces, so if you have an idea of a precious metal piece that you would like, just email me. I can make any pendant you like in bronze, silver, or copper. I can stamp a name or a phrase upon it, add different textures, gemstone dangles...whatever!


These are pure bronze hoops with pearl dangles set on bronze kidney wires. They can be set upon french wires or lever backs as well.




And finally this is a custom piece that I did for a
friend who counts mussel species on the
Sangamon River. I made a mold and carefully
cast it in pure silver. It would cost a pretty penny
to make a big fine silver piece like this today,
as the price of silver is sky high! But isn't it pretty?

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Not Just Jewelry You Know?


Blank Notecards with Envelopes on Etsy

Choose from my collections or design your own collections. Choose any photos you want from my fine art photo section of my shop (on left), then convo me your choices. Make a great gift for someone!


Autism...and Everyone Else

I've been thinking about learning styles for a very long time. Actually this issue is what lead me to Montessori education. As a Montessori educator we are constantly observing each child in order to discover how they learn best, and what it is that they are called to learn. Each one of us has special abilities and interests, and in order to serve each developing human to an optimum level, education must address this fact. I recently watched the film "Temple Grandin."  It is a transcendent and triumphant film that I think everyone should see. Families should watch this together, so that children can be reminded that no one person can do everything, but each of us is good at something. Everyone has their own learning style! Good Montessori schools teach this principle and model this idea every day. Hopefully, one fine day, Montessori education will be free for all children! Help to promote Montessori-visit, learn, volunteer, share...

But in the meantime...the increase in special needs individuals is staggering. I've been witness to the changes in children and families over my thirty years in the classroom. "ADHD" - "Behavioral Opposition Disorder" and Autism (and Asperger's) are on the rise. You could call this an epidemic: 1 in 110 children are now diagnosed with Autism.

On a positive note--there are many, many people out there who do more than their part to help solve the puzzle of Autism. Which brings me to a couple of sisters whom I've had the good fortune of knowing through Etsy: Betty and Rose Refour. Betty produces and sells art online to benefit a number of good causes, including cancer and Autism.


 Rose, who is Betty's autistic sister, also has an artist's site on Etsy. 





Here is a more complete story about Rose and Betty written by Lois of Foxy Knits.

I am going to continue to bug all  of my friends and family to buy handmade goods. You can bring the joy back to gift-giving by selecting items because they are handmade and the money goes to an artisan instead of a corporation, and better still you can choose items that actually help with important research that will benefit another human.

More about autism from Temple Grandin, PhD.

Monday, August 8, 2011

What a Nice Surprise!

After my last post about experiment with copper etching, I received an email from the editor of Beads & Button magazine asking if I would like the resulting etched pendant necklace, (in previous post), to be featured in a special edition of the magazine in November. Are you kidding? Who would say, "Well no...I don't really want the FREE publicity!!" I'm honored thrilled to be invited and can't wait till the issue comes out.

That necklace, by the way was a sample that I was trying out before I used silver or bronze clay with the copper plate. Seems they liked the polymer clay one, and that is just fine with me!

The magazine will feature my selling info and all my websites. It will be very interesting to see if my views go up. Sales going up would be a very nice thing too! Wish me luck!

AND FINALLY--Heather modeling some earrings today for the Etsy shop. Thanks dear Heather!





p.s.  Ask me about jewelry parties, wholesale and consignment. Email me for details.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Wanna See My Etchings?

My lifelong friend Pat called and invited me to experiment with etching copper. She brought metals and ferric chloride and I supplied the iron. I've been especially interested in mudcloth for some time, so this provided the opportunity to produce some plates for bronze or polymer. We heat pressed our designs onto the copper and gave them a ferric chloride bath. Voila! It works well, and with some fine tuning, (I've been practicing with polymer clay,) I'll move on to making bronze and silver pieces. The great part is that you can make any design you choose to draw...



Mudcloth etched copper plates






An example of Pat's beautiful jewelry:


Pat Howard Jewelry on Etsy


Pat and Cody Then...



...and forty years later.

Friday, July 29, 2011

I Like These Things

I'm posting things I like from time to time, in order to remind people to buy handmade gifts. In fact I think I'll just go ahead and post a Buy Handmade link right here in case you are moved to sign the pledge. Look on my gadgets and take the plunge! These are great gifts folks!