a-Pair-a-Day: Fancy Pants

Inspiration: Fancy pants.
Today's pair is based upon a combination of two pairs that I made several years ago. I wear those pairs when I want to feel fancy. Because today's pair is a hybrid, it is SUPER fancy--fancy pants.

Mom pair.

Dad pair.

These earrings feature circular green glass beads held between brass spheres. The beads hang from brass findings taken from a vintage necklace. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 2 inches in length.

Baby pair.

a-Pair-a-Day: Find

Inspiration: Find.

I have a passion for bargain shopping. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that every summer my mom and I would go to the Christmas Tree Shop about 80 times a week. I found a fantastic deal for the seed beads featured in today's pair--I love a good find.

These earrings feature plastic teal seed beads connected by steel bars, which were taken from a piece of costume jewelry. The strands of beads are joined at the top by weathered silver hoops. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 1.5 inches in length.

a-Pair-a-Day: Watch

Inspiration: Watch.

Gabe and I stayed home today and puttered around the house. Well, I puttered. He crawled, rolled, and observed. Gabe watches everything, and he is fascinated by everything. The little owls featured in today's pair reminded me of Gabe, as they perch and take stock in their surroundings.

These earrings feature purple and white glass tubes, which hang from silver craft wire. A black metal owl hangs directly above the tubes from surgical steel ear wires. This pair measures approximately 1 3/4 inches in length.

a-Pair-a-Day: STUD

Inspiration: STUD.

Dazzle the Trekkie in your life with these fashionable stud earrings, which feature the alluring face of First Officer William T. Riker of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Riker's devilishly handsome face is highlighted by a simple epoxy dome. Make sure to wear this pair with your favorite Romulan tunic for the perfect Saturday night outing on the Holodeck. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately .5 inches in diameter.

The Week in Glue

Today marks the start of a busy, but great, week. My sisters are coming to visit! Carolyn and Mimi live in the South, so we don't get to see each other too often. We'll all be descending upon my mom's house on Cape Cod for a few days. Before Gabe, Erik, and I caravan to the Cape, we need to get our ducks in a row and pack. I decided that I'd rather not tote all of my jewelry making supplies with me, so I need to be an earring machine over the next few days. (My hope is that every pair will not come out to look the same!) I also need to start putting in major time getting my Etsy shop ready. I put together a shop to-do list last night. It's not as daunting as I thought it would be (okay, maybe it is), but I can do it! <awesome montage music swells and various images of me sitting at a computer drinking coffee appear on the screen>

Aside from the busyness of life this week, here's what's keeping my soul glued:

Beverage: There is a theme of coffee and seltzer in my life. There needs to be more water.

Watching: (Reading is being replaced for now, as I have 400 pages left to read in Red Seas Under Red Skies--I need to get reading.) Yay for TV! I thought I had watched all television ever during the early part of my pregnancy, when I felt so crappy that I couldn't move. I was wrong! There is lots and lots of ridiculous and dramatic stuff to watch (in the middle of the night on your phone while you're nursing your baby and trying to stay awake. I am also guilty of having the TV on in the background while Gabe plays. There. I said it.) I started watching Psych at the end of last week. It's funny, silly, and won't traumatize Gabe if he glances up at the screen.

Nickname for Gabe: I called Gabe "Lil' G-Man" this morning. Erik looked at me and said, "Is he a spy?" I said that I was trying it out. 

Could be worse. At least I'd have a hot babe with me. (source)

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: For the Trek lovers out there:
Which original Star Trek character are you?
Which Next Generation character are you?
Which DS9 character are you?
I got: Pavel Chekov, Geordi LaForge, and Benjamin Sisko. I'm not going to say anything else.

Troubleshooting: How I was matched with Pavel Chekov, Geordi LaForge, and Benjamin Sisko.

Words of Inspiration: Let's stick with the Trek theme: "It is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are. It does not matter that we will not reach our ultimate goal. The effort itself yields its own reward." --Gene Roddenberry 

See the clump of leaves? That is a nest! 

Around the House: A husband and wife chickadee set up shop in the hanging plant right outside the slider to our deck. They built a fabulous little nest, laid some eggs, and now the eggs have hatched! We've been watching Mom and Dad bird fly back and forth to the nest with little bugs for their babies. Bebe and Leelu, our illustrious cats, have been mesmerized by these birds, and continue to attempt to lure the birds to them with their weirdo cat chirps.

Craft Idea: Hats for Cats. Hehe. Erik is staunchly against outfits for the cats. I don't think little party hats for Leelu and Bebe, or unicorn horns, would be such a big deal...

Want to Learn More About: I want to figure out how to incorporate boating knots into my jewelry designs. The idea came to me randomly yesterday afternoon. This Pinterest board is amazing inspiration for how to create jewelry from knots.

Squash Update: SQUASH HAVE STARTED TO GROW!!! We have at least three baby zucchinis and one summer squash on the way. The lady squash could not stay away from the awesome dude squash party!

What's keeping your soul glued this week?

a-Pair-a-Day: Rinse, Repeat

Inspiration: Rinse, Repeat.

Last week, during my salt dough bead ponderings, I decided that I wanted to learn about how to bend wire into letters. I wanted to make wire "yeses," because, pretty much, I like that word a lot. I also thought that it would look simple and lovely to have little yeses hanging from my ears. I read about how to bend wire into letters on the internet, and then practiced, practiced. I'm enjoying the final product and looking forward to doing more wire work.

These earrings feature 22 gauge silver craft wire bent into the word "yes." Small wooden beads hang above the yeses as embellishment. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 1 2/3 inches in length.

a-Pair-a-Day: Hold

Inspiration: Hold.

At my part-time day job as a mental health clinician, I am often asked to hold a spectrum of emotions from great distress to great joy. Therapists learn to model how to contain emotions for our clients, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we don't internalize at least some of the intense affect of those we try to help. With all of this work/therapy/feelings talk in mind, I created this pair of earrings: Little bottles of holding.

These earrings feature tiny glass bottles topped with corks, which hang from silver craft wire. Inside of each bottle is a fortune--a bit of wisdom that you can choose to read or leave in the bottle as a secret. Turquoise beads embellish the earrings. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 2 1/8 inches in length.

a-Pair-a-Day: Mind

Inspiration: Mind.

My mom visited today and minded Gabe so that I could do yardwork, take a trip to the craft store (alone!), and take a nap. I love my mom. I picked up the clothespins I used in today's pair during my trip to the store. I enjoyed having a bit of time to myself to let my mind wander and explore new design possibilities.

These earrings feature tiny wooden clothespins, which hang from silver craft wire. Aquamarine glass beads dangle from the pins. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 2 1/4 inches in length.

Throwback Thursday Craft-along: Old Timey Crafts with a New Timey Twist

FINALLYYYYYYY!

Once a month on Thursday, I will adventure into the land of old timey crafts. These crafts might be fun activities from childhood, or, even better, tutorials from retro craft books. I have been looking for a reason to explore the classic 1948 craft manual Handicrafts and Hobbies, found at a church bazaar. This fascinating little book features such chapters as, "Adventures in Whittling" and "How to Enjoy Stamp Collecting." Ohhhh yes. I can't wait either.

Before I delve into that delicious gem, however, I want to do a feature on salt dough, and its many possibilities. While taking a long drive yesterday, and listening to an Elise Gets Crafty podcast, I starting thinking about new earring ideas. I'm not sure how the idea of salt dough popped into my head, but it did. I liked the idea of stamping salt dough and then making beads from those stamps. Salt dough is a classic baby hand print project, as well, so I would be able to do some Gabe-Craft too.

To begin, I googled salt dough recipes. The most common recipe I came across is as follows: 

1. Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup salt, and 1/2 cup warm water in a bowl.

2. Knead dough with hands until it is smooth and forms a ball.

3. Roll dough into whatever thickness you desire.

4. Go nuts with cookie cutters, baby hands, stamps, etc.

5. Place awesome stuff you have made on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

6. Cook at 200 degrees F for three hours. (The time listed is an average. The thickness of the dough will affect the time it needs to dry out in the oven.)

Keep scrolling and see where my adventures with salt dough took me:

Mix it up and roll it out!

Part of my earring brainstorm yesterday was an idea for earrings that simply say "yes." I experimented with using the
 salt dough to make this idea a reality.

They are slightly imperfect, but that might just make the final product more interesting.

Left: Hand fail. Gabe wanted to eat my hand print. Right: Hand save! Also, Gabe has really big baby hands.

Gabe offered to help with his muffin tin.

What went into the oven: Various salt dough bead experiments, love hearts,
and nautical ornaments.

Kitchen Before: All of the materials are so organized and lovely. Kitchen After: GAH! The materials have exploded
and are sliding off the counter (which somehow has become crooked...)!

Finished starfish and shark ornaments. I rushed through these and ended
 up smudging red paint on the star fish.I think I can live with it. I *think*.

Gabe's giant baby hand in ELECTRIC blue. I get carried away with
 my paint sometimes.

Whatever happened to my "yes" earrings? Read today's a-Pair-a-Day post to find out!

a-Pair-a-Day: Yes

Inspiration: Yes.

I love the word yes. I always think of an E.M. Forster quote from A Room with a View when the word yes comes to mind: "Make him realize that by the side of the everlasting Why there is a Yes--a transitory Yes if you like, but a Yes." So simple. The idea to create earrings that say "yes" popped into my head yesterday. But how would I do it? Today, I experimented with salt dough, and managed to create something wearable--! I don't know if I will put these earrings up for sale, as, you know, they're made of dough. (I could always market them as a snack in addition to a piece of jewelry, I suppose!) However, I think that they are a unique beginning to a "yes" earring collection.

These earrings feature--you guessed it--salt dough rounds with the word "yes" stamped into them. The rounds have been lightly painted white and glazed for sheen. They hang from silver craft wire. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 1 3/4 inches in length.

I attempted to make a rectangular set of "yes" earrings, but I snapped
one of the rectangles in half. Craft fail. Sigh.

a-Pair-a-Day: Bask

Inspiration: Bask.

This pair of earrings is one of my earliest designs, and one of my favorites--I love the little bunches of grapes! I've been saving them for a day when I need a pair to pinch hit because I have been out of the house. Where have I been? The beach! Basking in the sun, wind, and sand.

Theses earrings feature kelly green glass beads, which are in the shape of a bunch of grapes. The grapes are cupped by stainless steel crescents, taken from a necklace that had seen better days. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 2 1/4 inches in length.

a-Pair-a-Day: Found

Inspiration: Found.

Gabe and I went on an adventure today in search of earring inspiration. We found a few interesting pieces of costume jewelry just waiting to be deconstructed and made even more interesting.

These earrings feature hammered gold discs, taken from costume jewelry. The discs hang from royal blue porcelain fans via gold craft wire. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 2 1/2 inches in length.

a-Pair-a-Day: Joy

Inspiration: Joy.

This morning, I returned home from a weekend on Cape Cod. I have many good memories of times on the Cape. One that always features from my childhood is when my sister, Mimi, and I would go to an arcade with family friends. We would play the Simpsons arcade game together and have our fortunes told by a psychic mannequin in a glass booth. Today's earrings feature tokens, which reminded me of the joyful feeling I would experience while at that arcade.

These earrings feature brass arcade tokens, which are tarnished with age. Turquoise balls hang atop the tokens from gold craft wire. The ear wires are surgical steel. This pair measures approximately 2 1/4 inches in length.

The Week in Glue

Taste testing the beach for freshness.

After a busy weekend of work and play, I am back at home, trying to get resettled. Work passed quickly on Saturday, followed by a road trip to Cape Cod with a few of my oldest friends. On Sunday, we braved the overcast weather and went to the beach. The sun never came out, but the air felt soft and inviting. Gabe played in the sand and had his feet dipped in sea water for the first time. He seemed wary of the beach scene. I think he'll warm up to it, though. 

As for other news, I have been LOVING my a-Pair-a-Day project. From the design of the earrings to the pictures to the posting here and elsewhere, the process has been filling me with creative joy. Later this evening, I will be posting pair 13, so stay tuned. For now, here's what is keeping my soul glued this coming week:

Beverage: Coffee, coffee, coffee. Gabe's sleep patterns have not regulated yet, and I often feel like a zombie in the morning. I relish that early cup of coffee. Last week, I RAN OUT OF COFFEE. OMG. It was AWFUL. CAPITAL LETTERS SCREAM THE TRUTH. My mom arrived later that morning to babysit Gabe, and, angel that she is, brought me a cup that kept me from drinking warm Coke Zero at 8am. Phew. I have learned my lesson, and I am prepared this week, having restocked the coffee stores.

Nickname for Gabe: Still using a lot of "ChiChis" and "ChiChas." My friend, Roger, came up with the nickname "G-Hank" for Gabe, an abbreviation of Gabriel Henry. I want to start using that amazing identifier more often.

Reading: Have not read as much Red Seas Under Red Skies as I would have liked. I like to read before I go to bed, but some nights my brain is just too tired to understand any sort of written language. During the day, I try to keep up with my Feedly blogs, though I do not get to sit very much due to Gabe's recent increased mobility (crawling is wonderful and terrible). However, when I have a second, I've been enjoying many of the posts from the makezine.com blog, which features lots of fun craft tutorials.

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: I borrowed "Mary Poppins" from the public library in our town. It totally holds up. As an adult watching Mary Poppins fly, control the weather, clean with magic, and alter medicine with mind bullets, I began to wonder: What is she? A fairy? A witch? I then proceeded to waste 10-15 minutes searching on the internet for an answer. I think this might be the best explanation I found.

Lwaxana Troi models the Riker
stud prototypes.

Troubleshooting: I made a pair of Commander Riker studs that did not please me as much as I wanted. After much thought, I have come up with an alternative plan that I hope to troubleshoot this week.

Words of Inspiration: My Freewill Astrology horoscope (which is just good advice in general):
"'There is no such thing as a failed experiment,' said author and inventor Buckminster Fuller, 'only experiments with unexpected outcomes.' That's the spirit I advise you to bring to your own explorations in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. Your task is to try out different possibilities to see where they might lead. Don't be attached to one conclusion or another. Be free of the drive to be proven right. Instead, seek the truth in whatever strange shape it reveals itself. Be eager to learn what you didn't even realize you needed to know." Thanks, Rob Brezny!

Around the House: Making baby food: Chickpeas, mango, spinach, and apricots. I'm not sure how much longer Gabe will want the mush. I've been attempting to balance the incorporation of more finger foods into his diet with my ongoing anxiety about baby choking. Gah.

Craft Idea: I found this pin for making a flower out of a cut up t-shirt, while looking for tutorials on how to make felt flowers. When I clicked on the pin to see more of the tutorial, it took me to the lovely blog, Inspiracion Hecha a Mano, and a page of accessories made from jersey knit (a.k.a. t-shirt) fabric.

Prolific squash plant with no squash. Boo.

Want to Learn More About: How to make my squash plants GROW SQUASH. The plants are gigantic and grow lots of lovely flowers that end up falling off the stems after a day or two. I read that this is something male squash flowers do to pollinate the female squash. The lady squash are no where to be found, however. Maybe I will find some magical tip on the internet this week that will teach me how to entice the lady squash to the garden.

What's keeping your soul glued this week?