2014 - Working for it

So, this is the time when I am supposed to pick a word to describe how I want the year to go. Everybody's doing it, you know. I did it last year. My word then was LIVE... cause I wanted to. I was facing health issues, turning 39, and other stuff. And I wanted to remind myself, not only not to die... but to actually live. And I did... kinda. But it was messy and interrupted by work stuff, and just didn't really seem to accomplish anything.

I think if I must pick a word for 2014, it shall be WORK.



This year I shall work at being healthier. I shall work at being mobile. I shall work at being creative. I shall work at being happy. I shall work at living. Because living takes work. It takes effort. It doesn't just happen.

I'm not dead, I swear

long time no type... lots I could say about being busy at work, stupid knees, crazy life... whatever. hoping to come back in the new year. more to come...

Please stop spamming my Pinterest

You may have noticed my lack of posting lately. The main reason for this is that my day job has been incredibly, mind killingly busy lately. When I get home I hardly want to even look at a computer. So, in the few spare minutes when I do want to peruse some internet fluff, what I don't want to see is my Pinterest homepage filled with a zillion variations of one thing. Example:

Now, this particular grouping was spammed by a scrapbook supplies company I follow. I chose it so as not to offend a specific person. However, this is not the only time this has happened. Sometimes it cards... page after page of cards, or tattoos, or earrings, or 200 year old jewelry... wait, those were kind of cool.

Anyway, I know that many of us (myself included) tend to think of Pinterest as our own personal picture bookmarks. We pin whatever is amusing us right now, and sometimes we pin a lot of it. I am pretty sure I did it to people the other day when I was pinning cameos. My point is, remember that you have people following you. When you pin 27 of nearly the same thing within a few minutes, they see 27 of nearly the same thing all at once. So, vary what you pin, or spread it out. Remember, if you are just going through other pins you don't have to repin - you can like it instead. This will still allow you to find it later, but won't spam your followers.

Thank you for pinning courteously. P.S. Keep your recipes off your craft boards, I am trying to diet here...

Monday Weigh In: 297

Down 4.4 lbs from 2 weeks ago! Woo!

Last week was a little crazy and I skipped the weigh in... not on purpose, I just kept getting distracted in the morning and forgetting to do it before I left the house. But, it was a good week for me. The Friday before I saw a new doctor, an orthopedic specialist, who did more cortisone shots - both knees at once this time. Hurt like you would not believe! But, a week later my knees are feeling almost like the did a year ago. Almost. The new doctor also prescribed physical therapy which I started last week. They have me doing exercises in a pool. Since I love swimming and being in the water, this is awesome!

So, last week was so busy I even forgot it was the first Friday of the month and forgot to post the new Zodiac ring pattern... this will be rectified later today.

I want to thank all of you who comment on these posts and offer me encouragement and support. It means the world to me.

Exploring Jewelry: Works of fiction

Remember back when I used to end each post with a quote? Yeah, me neither.

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction. Oscar Wilde

So, I have recently become obsessed with cameos. For those of you who don't know, cameo is actually a method of carving. Specifically, it is carving a raised image into a multilayer material. I am told the opposite of cameo is intaglio. In the jewelry world, when you say cameo most of us think of a carving of a Victorian woman's head. But, it can actually be any carving - even large scale such as vases or art installations.

Now, I can't carve to save my life so when I wanted to create my own cameos I had to cheat. Step one was to borrow a cameo from a friend (strangely not a true cameo as it is all one solid material).



Loved (and love) this piece, but because it is solid black, it is very difficult to see the details. So, step two was to make a mold.



An early foray of mine into moldmaking, you can see I used way to much material - my container was too big. I have since learned better.



My next step was to use resin to fake a cameo - multilayered, but definitely NOT carved. Did you notice that I chose not to cast the frame? By leaving this out I can go with a simpler look, or I could choose to add a different frame in a new style.



I loved it so I made another - and several more since. The face on this cameo is so deep/thick that it just really stands out beautifully in the two tones. And the color possibilities are endless. I added a simple glue on bale to this one to make a minimalist pendant. Oh, and I used silver Sharpie to color the outside edge to make it look like it has a metal bezel.



Next up was a couple of commercial cameo molds. I have to admit, I was spoiled by how deep the mold I made was. Getting that first layer of resin to be just in the head area of the new molds was hard! The shoulders especially tended to spill over. The other commercial mold I got(not shown) had a pony tail - OH MY GOSH WAS THAT A PAIN!



Before you decide I have gone totally off my rocker in posting a picture of a silver earring in a post about cameos, stay with me for a sec...









Take a thrift store earring with no mate (which is actually sterling - score!), add an oval bead picked up in a bag of seconds, and suddenly (or actually about a week and a half later after the pouring, curing, gluing, more pouring, more curing...) you have a flower cameo! And again, since I am making these myself, I can do any color combination I want to match my jewelry design!

I am planning for my next foray into cameos to be one I actually carve myself in wax. Then I will make a mold and make lots and lots out of resin! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Exploring Jewelry: The forest for the trees

So, you ever hear the phrase "Can't see the forest for the trees"? It basically means that you are so focused on the individual that you can't see the whole. Today we are going to explore the opposite - combining many little things to make one big whole.



I came across this necklace laying on a friends desk. I have no idea where she got it, so I don't know if it is commercially made or hand made. I noticed right off what appeared to be links of mesh chain between the pearls. But then I looked closer.



It wasn't chain at all! It was tiny daisy spacers strung in a series. What would barely be noticed individually had a wonderful presence as a bunch! I love this as it reminds me of making ropes with seedbeads (I do love my seeds!)where unless you look close you can't tell it's individual beads.

I did find one drawback to this technique. Tiny beads are easy to get hair tangled up in.



Still, something to thing about...

Tuesday Weigh In: 301.4

Down a whole, whopping 0.2 lbs! Though honestly, since this was a holiday weekend that involves eating mass quantities, I consider this a pretty good deal... though why do so many holidays seem to revolve around over eating? What's up with that?

On the knee front, I am now scheduled to go see an orthopedic specialist. My rheumatologist thinks I may have damaged a ligament... due to walking differently due to pain... so, another fun doctor to poke, prod, and test. I am hopeful that maybe a new perspective can help. It would be really nice to walk without pain again.

On the blogging/making cool stuff/patterns front - I have been a little remiss lately in posting much beyond the weekly update on me. I will be doing better. I have some new patterns worked up and am working on making some samples. I have some new resin molds to try and share. I also have a long post planned on my recent infatuation with cameos, but have to get it typed up. So, things are coming your way and thanks for sticking with me!

Monday Weigh In: 301.6

Up 1.3 lbs this week and I can't say I am surprised. My right knee keeps refusing to support me, so I didn't do much walking this week. I may have also had a pity party this weekend and made some bad food choices. But, pity party is now over, and I am going to get back on track this week!

Monday Weigh In: 300.3

Down 3.1 lbs! Woo!

I had a really good week. I was able to walk 5 out of 7 days and did some upper body focused weight lifting on 2 days. Also stuck to my calorie goals. Feeling really good about myself and my future right now.

Wanted to share that Iron Man 3 is, in the words of the kid behind me at the theater, AWESOME! Totally worth the money to see it in 3D. Have a good week!

New Ring Pattern: Star Wars Tie Fighter

So, I was supposed to post this ring last Friday, BEFORE May the 4th, so that everyone could have one for Star Wars day if they so wanted... but I got busy and it didn't get posted. So, now you have lots of time to bead one up for next year! This ring features a TIE Fighter - which I know is an Empire ship... but I couldn't get the X-Wing to look anything remotely like it is supposed to - and I am not gonna even TRY to make the Falcon! But if you think about it, once the Rebels won against the Empire, they probably took possession of all their stuff anyway. I offer all a belated "May the 4th be with you!"

Monday Weigh In: 303.4

Down another pound! Woo!



I got kinda discouraged this week cause I really wanted to do another 30 minute walk and I just wasn't able to. I was on the verge of tears at one point. But, after a lot of thinking and reading online I have decided that I am really being too hard on myself. Everything I am reading says that with RA, if it hurts, you should stop and that it can take several months before you work your way up to longer walks. What the sites I read were recommending were lots of short walks. So, in addition to the walks I take with my sister on Tuesday and Thursday, and the walk I have been doing with the family on Saturday, I am going to try to do a ten minute walk on my own each day this week during my lunch break. Wish me luck!

New Ring Pattern: Zodiac - Taurus

"You mess with the bull, you get the horns." Or so I have heard... I love 80's movies. April 20- May 20 is Taurus - the Bull. My mother was a Taurus. That woman could hold a grudge like you would not believe! Want to skip ahead to your (or your signifigant other's) sign? Well, you can! There is a PDF that includes all 12 designs and some tips on creation and care available in my main etsy shop for the low low LOW price of $5.00. Or, you can just wait a year and collect all 12 for free... you know, which ever. Of note, the PDF for the Signs of the Zodiac rings does NOT include instructions on how to do peyote stitch. Tips only. So, if you don't know peyote stitch, follow the link at the top of the page to the How to Make Peyote Rings post.

Monday Weigh In: 304.5

Down 0.2! Doesn't seem like much, but I was on vacation this past week - thus the lack of posting - and I was having trouble with my knees. This means much less walking than in the previous 2 weeks, and while I stayed within my calorie limits, I was not as low as I could have been. So, holding even is ok by me.

I have gotten another cortisone shot in the left knee and will be getting a second in the right knee as well. This should help with the walking - would also help if the weather would stop being stupid, but that may be too much to ask for in Kansas. Back at work this week, so will be able to get back to regularly scheduled meals and snacks. Looking forward to next weeks weigh in!

Thanks to those who comment on this weekly baring of my soul. Your encouragement and support really does mean the world to me!

Monday Weigh In: 304.7

I am down 3 lbs! Woo! I had a really good week. Long walk of nearly 30 minutes on Tuesday and a shorter walk on Wednesday. Kept to my calorie goals all days but one. And it has paid off! Woo!

On the down side, the Salonpas patches that I was loving are now causing a rash. Not sure if it is the medication or the adhesive that I am having problems with, but I will have to stop using them... boo! I will not let this deter me though! I will keep going!

New Ring Pattern: Recycle!

Monday is Earth Day in the US. Last year I featured a ring with a picture of the earth. This year I am giving you a ring that encourages recycling! To support this theme, if you make this ring try using recycled beads that were salvaged or left over from a previous project! If you are looking for more recycled goodness, you can check out my recycled tile pendants! Happy Earth Day!

What I have been working on

So, I haven't really shared lately things that I have been working on... and I have been working on things. Today I will share two of those things with you.

First up is the case for the Kindle Fire I got for Christmas. It started life as a plain black leather case, but I knew from the beginning that I wanted something more geeky. After looking at different ones online, I decided I could paint mine the way I wanted it and ordered some leather paints for this purpose. Then I didn't paint. I was afraid... cause once you put the leather paint on, you can't really take it off, and what if I screwed up royally? Well, this weekend I said "screw it" and went for it. So very glad that I did cause I love it!





For those of you wondering what on earth this is... first, go watch Doctor Who! Start with the 2005 season on Netflix and move forward. You will love it! Second, it is the diary of River Song (BCC printable dust cover version). Basically, a prop from Doctor Who... but a really cool prop!

Next, I made a necklace this week. Oddly, it is a strung necklace - I almost never do strung jewelry. But this design just popped into my head one day and demanded I make it. The original concept in my head was for black beads, but I didn't have any. So I used some dark purple beads instead. I have decided after careful consideration that I am glad I did. The color is wonderful!





Sorry for inflicting the really crappy mirror picture on you, but I wanted to show what it looked like on. The back is chain... and some chain extender as I need it really long to go under the collar of this shirt. Do you ever dress up a little just so you can wear a particular piece of jewelry?

So, this is not by any means all I have been working on (cameos anyone?) but it is all I currently have pictures of. More to come in the future!

Monday Weigh In: 307.8

Hey look! An actual number!

So, this past week I started meeting with my sister 2 nights a week. We go for a walk - short right now - and are talking about nutrition and general health. Since my sister has managed to loose 48 lbs over the last six months while dealing with back issues and knee issues she is a good person to help me with this.

Tuesday's walk was 10 minutes, Thursday's was a whopping 17 minutes! I also took a walk on my own on Saturday. It was short, only ten minutes, but was followed by a trip to the grocery store which I am counting as another 10 minutes of walking.



Speaking of grocery shopping, my sister has me making some alternative food choices as well. A lot more low calorie options, and a focus on portion sizes... have you noticed that healthy food is kinda expensive? Yeesh! I am now tracking my food and excorsize through MyFitnessPal.com. I am liking it because it has a phone app that will actually scan the barcodes of things and then give you the nutrition info. AND, you can also download Runtastic which will track how far you walk and then automatically update MyFitnessPal. I can be lazy even while I am being more active! Woo!

So, all in all, I am feeling much more positive about things this week than I have in a while. And that is good.

BSBP - Ronxanne's Creation

My partner in the 7th BSBP was able to post this weekend. I love what she made - such an innovative use of some of the things I sent! Go visit her site - now! GO!

Oh, and while you are there, be sure to click the link to the rest of the second reveal!

Monday Weigh In: ????

So, the Wii (which I use with the Balance Board to weigh myself) was hidden behind a large stack of boxes today. This means we have no number for today. Which is ok, cause I am sure it was up. BUT! I have a new plan. I spent some time with my sister this weekend and she has agreed to be my new weight loss buddy. So starting this week, we will be walking twice a week and she will be supporting me in my weight loss mission. She suggested that we walk outside, her theory being that you can always get off the treadmill, but if you walk out side you are required to walk back home - thus you will walk more, even when it hurts.

She also introduced me to the Salonpas pain patches... and boy am I loving those! Pop one on either knee and for a couple of hours I feel almost like a real girl.

So, that is what is up with me. Hope you are all doing well.

New Ring Pattern: Zodiac - Aries

This month we get a ring pattern for Aries - March 21 to April 19. Apparentley, Aries is actually the FIRST astrological sign... figures I would start in the wrong place. Some famous Aries include: Lady GaGa, Jackie Chan, Robert Downey Jr, Eddie Murphy, Mark "The Undertaker" Callaway, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Jim Parsons. Want to skip ahead to your (or your signifigant other's) sign? Well, you can! There is a PDF that includes all 12 designs and some tips on creation and care available in my main etsy shop for the low low LOW price of $5.00. Or, you can just wait a year and collect all 12 for free... you know, which ever. Of note, the PDF for the Signs of the Zodiac rings does NOT include instructions on how to do peyote stitch. Tips only. So, if you don't know peyote stitch, follow the link at the top of the page to the How to Make Peyote Rings post.