Featured

I'm so thrilled. Pravina Studio (who makes lovely bags, BTW) has picked me for a feature on her lovely, sophisticated, dream of a blog Heartland.

It's always nice to be featured, but it's *especially* nice to be featured on one of the few blogs you were following the feed of pretty religiously. If you haven't checked her out, do - not simply because I'm there, it's got tons of its own merit.

It's basically a serious answer to anyone who thinks that flyover land is, well, flyover.

Since it's inspiring to try and stay on top of culture instead of just being a beading shut-in, I've got to get to the Richard Prince show at the Walker before it's over. I'd hate to miss this one.

I've been doing a lot of non-wovens lately, they're kind of freeing and spontaneous. But I've got a great woven piece in the works today, glass and pearl, too!

Winners Garnets and Ginger

The September challenge was fun - I wound up with a pretty good showing, but didn't end up voting for myself - there was some work which really blew me away including this, the winner, from Manek Lady.

Isn't it just amazing?

In local news, I've found the best scone in Minneapolis. It's at Cafe Maude which I just can't say enough great things about. Whether you opt for the buttermilk, or the blueberry ginger, you will find it has a palatable texture, something most scones totally fail, amazing flavor that only actual butter and good ingredients will give, and best of all, an appropriate size, so you can feel momentarily naughty and not like you are indulging in the dietary setback from hell. No overinflated Starbucks sawdust packet - this is a thing of beauty. Get the blueberry ginger (yes ginger, just the right amount, too) and pair it with the chai teabag and go stroll in the southwest metro rain by the creek.

I did.


Now that I'm warm and dry, I've been playing more with those garnet marquise beads:




Rhodolite garnet, 24K plated delicas, a little goldfilled clasp. Something elegant and quasi-ancient looking.

Chartreuse

Chartreuse
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

Here's my September Challenge entry. The theme is "show your colors." Well, being someone who works mostly with sterling, showing a color was about as close as I can get, and I picked this vibrant and autumnal Chartreuse.

Did you know it's a drink and not just a color? I didn't till my mid-20's.

It's the kind of drink you fall in love with the wrong person over and sing songs loudly in public for the first time in your life.

This is a little more staid, but not too much.

Teamin' up

I'm a member of the Etsy Beadweavers street team - between a very active yahoo group, a flickr group to show off our designs and this great blog, there's a lot of great beadweaving unity to go around.

I've been an admirer of Bev Herman from noeasybeads for a long time - Bev is one of the celebrities of the beadweaving world, and it really tickles me to no end that I'm in a group with her. I'm not sure that everyone else in the group is really aware of this fact, and I'm not going to really make that much of a big deal about it, but seriously, I have to suppress squeals of fangirl.

Today I added this to the shop:




I had the most inspiring nugget of chrysophrase to work with, and wanted to make a more slender goldfilled cuff. It's kind of a watchband design. I'm pleased with it.