What a busy week!!  Fibre & Finery happened last weekend.  It was a good day spent with lovely ladies in spite of the cold and bad roads!  I sold lots of earrings so I need to get busy and make some new ones. 
I love texture, movement and colour!  Lately, I have been playing with some new textures and ideas.  I love the look of knots...but tying knots in metal is not a simple matter!!  I had a lesson in patience.  Forcing metal to do what you want it to is a matter of patiently working the metal into the shape you want it to be. It really doesn't like to be forced and annealing is a must!  Still, after some finessing of the wire, clean up and accidentally punching myself twice (the pliers let go as I was pulling) , I managed this pair of earrings.  I really like how they turned out.  I am still learning, and playing so we'll see where this takes me.  I think some knotted pendants should come next...

Until next time,

Laura  

This week has had me working on some new things.  Bracelets are in progress at the moment and this is one of my newest.  I'm sorry, it's not the best picture...a better one is coming soon.  I have been playing around wtih some new ideas and techniques (at least, they're new to me!) involving some texturing hammers and a disc cutter.    I have also been tying knots in silver and playing with patinas.  

I am preparing for "Fibre And Finery", my first show of this year's Christmas season. It is coming up on November 24th (see the "Events" tab for details).  One of the things I've been doing is designing a banner.  I'm sure I was the only booth without a banner or sign at "Cream of The Crop" and it was a little embarrassing!   Creating a banner is not as simple as I thought it would be!  There is a  lot of messing around with photos (I really need to improve my photography skills!) but I'm having fun learning and I'll post pics as soon as it's done.  

In the middle of all this, I took some time to buy a new pair of boots!  I recently lost a substantial amount of weight and decided to treat myself to something that I haven't been able to buy for a long time!  I think I was in my teens the last time I bought tall boots so I used the money that I got for my birthday and went shopping!!  It really has nothing to do with making jewellery....but it was a lot of fun and they look (and feel) amazing!!  There are silver buckles on them... hmmmm, that gives me an idea....  ;)

Laura

November has begun.  October went by awfully quickly and last week was busy!  I took my girls out for Halloween and they had fun for the most part.  It was cold and they got chilly and tired fairly quickly.  They got lots of treats though, to keep them busy for a little while now.  We also got to see the Wiggles in Saskatoon...the girls loved it and I took my boy to see Video Games Live and we really liked that!  

I've been working on some custom rings and making pieces for my new line of "Twisted" jewellery...pics coming (no, really, I promise!) as soon as I can get them taken.  I'm also getting ready for my next sale - Fibres and Finery at the Senior Citizens Centre beside the Neil Balkwill centre (see the "Events" tab for details).  I'm looking forward to it as it was a very enjoyable day last year.  :)

I have also been incorporating more of my lampwork beads into my jewellery too....so far, I have made some cute little hollow bead pendants that are versatile as well as pretty...they are clips so they can be worn on a simple chain or on a larger linked necklace!  I love multi-purpose items!!  :)

I donned my poppy on November 1st.  I wear my poppy and think about the many people that have served and are still serving.  In my time in the military, I was fortunate enough to serve with many different amazing men and women.

While I never met most of the soldiers from the first two WW's , I never fail to think about what they gave up to go fight for us to have the freedom to live our lives how we choose.   I was fortunate enough in my time in the service to meet (and drink!) with some of the WWII vets and hear their stories.  They had Remembrance services to remember their fallen and drinks to celebrate and share stories with the ones who returned.  

I never did a tour but many of my friends have served overseas in a combat role.   I know many of them will never forget or be entirely free of what they dealt with while ensuring we continue to live our lives relatively conflict free and trying to protect the safety and security of people wherever they were sent.  I wear my poppy to also honour them and remember what they have done for people they have never met.  

We don't have to agree with the government, the military, or anything else for that matter...just keep in mind that there are people out there that willingly and without question risk their lives so that we may believe what we want, voice an opinion, vote, get an education, and disagree with the government no matter who we are.  We've got it pretty good here in Canada and we should respect those who helped make it so.  

I hope you will wear a poppy too and honour the deeds of these people, past and present. 

On November 11, I will raise a glass to all of them.

Cheers 
Laura

Hi there!  Welcome to my first ever blog post on my first ever blog!  I will keep you posted on what I'm up to and maybe share some things I've learned on a (hopefully) weekly basis!  

This week has been productive.  In spite of the snow and colder weather moving in, I have managed to get into the lampwork studio and get some new beads made.   I will be creating some new bead-related pieces this coming week - or at least I will be starting them!  . 

I have also got the beginnings of a new line (maybe two) of silver pieces involving twists, turns and knots.  Pictures will follow as I get them done.   

With any luck, I will adding some new listings to my Artifire page so keep checking.   If you have any questions or just want to say hello, drop me an e-mail!  

Keep your hammer on the block, not on your fingers!

Cheers,

Laura