It has a lot of character though. I like the crusty, worn look of the pipe, reminding me of the old, well-used and somewhat battered looking easels we used in art school. I love the ridiculous ornaments hanging on it, stuff my mother brought back from Malaysia. I love that a little grey tabby cat claims my seat in front of it every time I get up.

Mostly though, I love that it’s simple and suits my minimal needs as a weaver. And in truth, I’m not much of a weaver at this point in time. I dabble at it, creating minor experiments and samplers out of scrap yarn, but I’ve never really finished anything I felt worth keeping. Lately though,  the ever-increasing pile of hand-spun yarns has been calling for attention and it’s time to get back to the loom.

Well, I’m back at it…kinda…with lots of distractions…as if I can function any other way, right?

Over the past several weeks I’ve been running back and forth between here (South Texas) and Houston. My super woman MIL recently decided to change careers again (she does this every few years) and has decided to unload significant portions of her studio into my garage. Awesome! This means free/cheap supplies! Yay! She even left her big (relatively speaking) glass kiln on long-term loan! Double yay! However, since I cannot work if I cannot get to my bench, I have to find homes for all of these new toys… meaning the last week has been spent cleaning and organizing my stuff.

Blah.

I freely admit to being totally OCD regarding many things…but I’m not the tidiest artist in the world. (Note: I realize that art does not automatically equate tidy in most minds, but such people do in fact exist. For instance, print makers as a rule are really tidy so as to prevent unwanted ink contamination. Graphic designers tend to be rather tidy as well…at least in my experience. Also, I once dated a ceramicist that flipped out whenever he got the slightest bit muddy…but I digress…) So yeah, cleaning is a necessary evil and I seem to develop a sudden case of ADD whenever it comes time to inventorying things.

Knowing this, it’s not terribly  surprising that I kinda found other things to do, right? Normally, this means reading a book, surfing the internet, or spinning wool while watching alien conspiracy documentaries. You know, the normal stuff.

But this time, there was this slight incident involving eBay…

eBay is a very dangerous thing. Until this year I’d always been able to successfully avoid it.  I’d shop the “buy it now” stuff, but absolutely refused to do the whole auction bit. Not any more. The auction bug has hit in a nasty way and but I’m beginning to figure out who I should buy from and what I should buy. As an artist, I love color…all color, give me more, give it to me now. As a jeweler, I try to be a little bit more practical, only purchasing items that I think I can sell and tending to stay away from synthetic stones. The problem with eBay is that I can’t do the touchy-feely thing and I tend to get caught up in the highly competitive, ego-driven bidding wars (although admittedly, it may only be ego-driven on my side).

So in the end, I’ve bought some really amazing stones and a few questionable ones as well. I’m also created a lot more kinda dull inventory work for myself. *big sigh*

Materials: Sterling silver (.925), picture jasper, sky blue topaz

Processes used: soldering, bezel and tube setting, cut and pierce work

Created: 6/11

It’s always nice to have role models in life, especially when trying to give yourself permission to be a creative person. While growing up, my mother’s painting always formed the storybook background for our lives. It was a cool experience.

Thanks mom. Happy Mother’s Day.

I suppose it’s not terribly surprising. Life has been a little chaotic lately.  I guess I mentioned last time I posted that I’ve been doing a lot of technical writing. It’s not very creative stuff, mostly editing and recompiling the contents of other reports in order to meet some rather frightening deadlines.  It’s been challenging and humbling at the same time.  But for some odd reason, I kinda dig it. I’ve missed working for something bigger than just myself and this has given me an opportunity to reconsider writing as a serious career possibility.

And yet, all things change. The writing job looks to be ending soon and now I find myself back to where I was last summer…trying to figure out if it’s really worth trying to start a creative career for myself.  At the same time, the price of silver has jumped so high that I don’t know precisely how I can make the jewelry thing work. Then there’s that big new kiln and the multiple boxes of glass that someone sent me to play with. There’s also a house that I never finished remodeling and a veggie garden that’s already in full swing.

So here I am at 2 am in the morning, wide awake, sitting in the dark, trying not to disturb those in the house that actually do have to get up at 6am to try and make a living, and wondering what the hell I’m supposed to be doing with my life.

Well, that and wondering where the purple crayon went to…

You know…there are times when life sweeps you up and carries you off in entirely unexpected directions. Then, without realizing it, you find yourself far away from your original goals and intended destinations. The last few months have been like this.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, I received an odd message via Todd…that the boss of his boss’s wife had requested that I call the University on Monday. Coming out of the blue and through a weird convoluted path of individuals, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. But, out of respect for a former employer, I called and was offered a job on the spot. The task was to write a series of really important reports which, in a round about way, determine whether or not the university continues to exists and/or receive federal funding (aka, accreditation). It’s something I’ve done before.

Now, I wasn’t really keen on going back to work for the university, primarily because it had taken every ounce of courage I had to leave my job there. However, I started thinking about it and realized that my husband, my friends, and just about everyone I know is in someway dependent or associated with this university. It was also only a temporary part time gig and to be brutally honest, my fledgling business needed a cash influx for the new equipment I’ve been eyeing. Besides, I enjoy writing. So, I said yes. I’d do my part and take one for the team.

Within a week, the number of reports doubled and I was shifted to full-time.

*insert the sound of head hitting the desk*

So, I’m now over halfway through the writing, capable of seeing the light at the end, and constantly waking up at night dreaming of missed deadlines and papers dripping with red ink. (I’m brutal when it comes to formal writing…not that you’d know it from my blogging.) I’m tired in ways that only entire days filled with writing at desks designed before the advent of ergonomics workstations can make one.

But dear blog…I will be back.

]]> http://idacadesign.com/archives/499/feed 0 http://idacadesign.com/archives/613 http://idacadesign.com/archives/613#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 21:50:47 +0000 Cadi http://idacadesign.com/?p=613 The following are a series of random images taken from my previous week of morning rambles with the dogs. There are no words or labels, just interesting things that we come across as we wander. Please enjoy.

Happy Holidays

Materials: Fine silver (.999), amethyst, white sapphires

Created: 11/11

Plants used: morning glory leaf

Location collected: Kingsville, Texas