Angelas Diner

Friday is Black Friday - but I’ve decided to buy nothing.  In fact, I may end up just relaxing, crafting, and hanging out at home.  Now doesn’t that sound great? There’s actually a formal movement to promote Friday as Buy Nothing Day.

And I’ve “done” Black Friday in years past.  Last year I spent hours at Joann Fabrics waiting in a long line to have my fabric cut.  Just to save a couple bucks on flannel! What a waste.

The Trader Joe’s grocery chain opened a store one town over from me about a month ago.  I’ve gone a few times, and today I went with J and S to pick up Thanksgiving stuff.  While there, we also grabbed frozen pizza and frozen chicken fried rice to have over the next few days leading up to turkey day.  The most fun thing was found by J in the produce section: A Guacamole KIT!! We smooshed it up, had grilled chicken, nachos and “bun buns” for dessert.  S picked out the “bun buns.” YUM

Gallery sat yesterday in the afternoon.  It was quiet at first, but then things picked up well so that I could have lovely conversations with all those who stopped in.  I brought in all my new work for December’s show and set that up just before I left since I can’t make the Monday meeting… Here are a few shots I snapped (poorly!) with the display as I left it. (things get moved around by the show coordinators, so if you stop by my work may be set up differently!)

Autumn Necklace

This was inspired by looking up at trees while driving - flashes of greens, reds, oranges, and yellows.  The beads are all handmade by me, and strung on a leather cord.  The clasp is a simple sterling “S” shape that links the leather loops.  This one hangs well around the neck as the beads are lightweight and the leather supports a lovely arc.

I got the top three bracelets in this pic ready in the morning before I went sitting.  It makes for a long day of jewelry and art….I like the top two best.  The top bracelet is made from glass beads that have a cobalt glass core - then I roll the bead across a flower frog and quickly encase in clear glass, trapping many tiny little air bubbles!  The second bracelet down features the encased twistie beads I’ve been making.  I take multiple colors of opaque glass and make long twists of them.  Then, I use those twists to wrap around the mandrel.  Finally, I encase the wraps with clear glass.  I love how clear glass magnifies everything!

Oh man! I came across some fabric I liked, and followed it to the designer’s blog - her name is tula pink and she is just the coolest!  Here are some of her newest line, Neptune, for Moda fabrics:

I love the hidden surprises - like the sea turtle.

Then, tula mentioned a really cool site (for crafty sewing people like myself) where you can design and print your own fabric!  Spoonflower looks like a blast, I am going to have to play around and print up some fun.  Got to run and pick S up from art class right now, but had to share some of my internet discoveries today.

While I usually just doodle in the margins during meetings, sometimes I go CRAZY.  This one is from a meeting today where I (short timer that I am) was only marginally engaged in the ongoing debate and discussions.

We took Sam and his friend Joe over to the high school to shoot off some rockets.  It’s really cool to do it at dusk when you can really see the flame light up.  I took the camera and hoped to get a few shots - these are a couple of the best.  It was getting dark, and the last one we sent up was so high and so small we lost it coming down.  So Sam, Joe and I fanned out around the field and Sam found it!

I took Friday off from work, and Mark and I went to the Chihuly exhibit at the RISD Museum.  Here are some photos - the lighting on the glass was incredibly effective.  I loved how the varied colors and shapes of the glass were enhanced by the directed lights.

On Saturday, we went back up to RISD and Benefit St. - it was the Alumni and Student sale.  Alumni and current students had tables all along the street in front of the museum.  We bought some ceramics (pics to be posted later) since you know I’m a fool for pottery…. the best part for me was afterwards, as we went and had lunch at Seven Stars.  Mark commented that most of the jewelry we saw at that sale had been simple stuff, plain earrings, strung necklaces, and such.  He actually said my stuff was “more artistic and unique” than the stuff made by the students and alums.  Now, if you know me, you would know I’m not saying this to bolster my ego about my work.  I’m just really grandly happy that Mark understands that the work that I do in glass, even though I’m primarily self taught through experimentation and exploration, can stand equal to the work done by people who studied art in college - a prestigious school as RISD.   On the way home, the colors of autumn pulled at me, and I’m planning on working those into one of the pulled necklaces soon.  My approach to my work shifted over these last months to making fewer but grander pieces.  I’m finding I’m happier when focused on singular work from the beginnings in choosing the rods of glass to the end where I’m stringing beads to create individual necklaces and bracelets.  I’ll never make lots of repetitive work - because I only get to work on the weekends, I don’t like to spend the time at the torch churning out more of the same.  It’s much more fulfilling for me to flow and create singular inspired work - and I’m glad to be able to continue on this creative path.

there’s a GREAT garden shop in RI on Rt. 138 called The Farmer’s Daughter, and they had their harvest festival last saturday.  weather was wonderful, bright and sunny, with just enough chill in the air to make it a perfect October day.  They had the wildest gourds and pumpkins - look at the variations in color and shape…..

My son dressed up in his halloween costume (he is an ANTHILL) and won a gourd.  He picked out a tallish bumpy one that he says he wants to turn into a penguin.  We bought some mums and freshened up the front step too.

Just realized today that I’ve been writing here over a year… Last weekend I made some really cool cupcake beads that I’m going to put in a necklace, or a bracelet, or maybe I’ll even make some earrings. (And I HATE making earrings because I hate trying to make two matching things!)

Here’s a look at the cupcakes - enjoy! (and if you are in Westerly in November, look for SOMETHING made from these little beauties!)   oh, and thanks loads to the best photographer in the world….. MARK! He had a fun idea for a photo with these little guys, isn’t it great??

my oldest daughter has a thing about shoes - take a look at these that she wore to the first day of school!