Focus on Life: Week 26 ~ Choice

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is hosting a year long challenge which is... sublime... as you'd expect with such a studio name. The challenge is named 'Focusing on Life' and every week Sally is sending a prompt on what should we focus the following week.

As we are half-way through (grrr... really? half of the year gone?!) Sally just gave us complete freedom and asked us to choose what we'd like to talk about.

There are many things I'd love to talk about, but I'll just share with you moments from the last days of school :)

On Wednesday the kids had a Medieval Fest - with a King, a Queen, a true feast (William baked the scones all by himself!), a chainmaille demo, and a knighting ceremony!

The child wanted to buy a costume - however, a costume in July is impossible to find. Our city used to have a store for costumes, but it closed recently and we looked through every store we could think of... nothing...
He was adamant he'll not get dressed up anymore - until I convinced him to give me some credit and this is what happened: a white tunic from mommy's closet, mommy's trapshooting belt with daddy's buckle (he was quite sure that "PSSA High Lady" is not going to be acceptable!), a pair of black socks knee length (mommy's again), his own leather shoes, a piece of black velvet with - does anybody recognize it?! yes, it's the piece from the Challenge of Music blog hop :)

When I was done and he saw himself in the mirror he exclaimed 'Wow! that's really nice!'. Phew...

Chainmaille sample I had to make (he proudly explained it's a 4-in-1)

His buddy's uncle makes real chain maille stuff - he brought in this head piece, and a shirt too!

The letter 'Philip of the House of Townsend'
wrote to His most reverend Lady
to be made the King's knight :) 

There is a long story behind the letter; I'll give you the short version. He wanted it to look real, so we researched the internet (youtube was our friend) on how to make a 'papyrus'. There were many choices - we ended up with the easiest of all: tea! The letter is entirely written by William, after research on google for phrases that will match the era. I haven't seen him this excited to create something in a long time - he truly had a blast creating the letter :) Click on the picture to check the language and the font too!

The 3 squires waiting to become knights

We present you Sir William!

This was (among other many things) my focus on life this week :)

I am really curious on what everyone would pick for the week - and if you're too, please join me in finding out as we visit the gathering at Miss Sally!

Thank you for visiting :)

Last day of school

I should have known better than going to school on this last day. It always gets to me: the kids are happy, but sad at the same time; the teachers a tad relieved, and a lot sighing; plus all the teachers leaving the school and not coming back next fall! It's always sad to think you're not going to see the familiar faces. Especially when they've done a wonderful job; they are mostly the Educational Assistants, for the special needs kids - it is a job not everybody can do it successfully! Speaking of which - some of these kids leave the school as well - and that's even harder to imagine.

The weather knows something: after weeks of hot, sunny days we have a gray, almost crying day. And quite chilly too.

It was lovely to see the retired teachers from last year coming in to present their awards - when they left they asked for a special award to be presented each year in their name instead of a retirement gift. Those are the teachers you want for your kids: loving and utterly selfless. It was beautiful to hear the cheers from the crowd (kids and parents alike) when they entered the gym. It was lovely to see the grade 6th presenting a musical tribute - really well done!

One of the teachers put together a slideshow with pictures from past year - and it was absolutely wonderful!

And now I sit here and try to get some energy into my day, 'cause it was all drained off... I'm not doing well in emotional gatherings and the last day of school is always such one.

Life is ephemeral - but oh, so beautiful!
Just like this butterfly :) 

I'll remind myself of the wonderful memories we've made and the many opportunities we'll have to make new ones during the summer.

May you have a beautiful day!

Focus on Life: Week 25

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is hosting a year long challenge which is... sublime... as you'd expect with such a studio name. The challenge is named 'Focusing on Life' and every week Sally is sending a prompt on what should we focus the following week.

This week she asked everyone to complete this sentence, "You Are ___________!", and fill in the blank. The only catch is it had to be positive.

My issue is to pick just one word, one that will uniquely and completely define me.

That is almost impossible! I am so many things: I am a bright confident woman (I do have my own doubts, don't worry :)), wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend. I love many things, I hate very few things. I am positively skilled in many areas (artistically, technically, psychologically), I am a realistic optimist.

I tried to think and think - and what came to mind over and over was 'content'. I am truly at a point in my life where I am grateful for all I have. Yes, I want more and I working patiently and slowly to get what I want. I have been blessed with opportunities to complete some of my wild dreams, to work towards completing others. I have dreams, I have hope - I have family and friends to love me and to be loved back.

Because being content is hard to picture or capture - I decided to capture it through my son's eyes:

William's lens work - in the Royal Botanical Gardens

A peaceful moment in the Royal Botanical Gardens. A lovely day, where flowers can be touched and give you energy, when sun shined brightly (although not very warmly), where the basic necessities of life were met: we had food, water, shelter, and plenty of love!

Thank you, Sally, for another week of self-discovering :)

And you, my friends, are invited to learn more about what each of us consider themselves to be. A hard exercise, for sure - please join us at Ms. Sally's for a thoughtful gathering :)

Summer Elements

Welcome to the first day of Summer!!

We need to properly celebrate it - with a blog hop.

Rita from Toltec Jewels / Jewel School Friends set up a nice and easy blog hop, called 'Summer Elements'. We are to share something summer-related and it can be anything. Can't get any easier than this, can it?

Well - since we just returned from a trip I was so buried under the emails that I missed her prompt (we were still away) and... Sunday came and went without me posting anything (head falls in shame...).

I apologize to both Rita and all the blog hop participants and I promised I will rectify this unimaginable err on my side. So here I am.

I don't know about you, but when I think of summer there are a few things that spell it more than flowers - so you'll have a few flowers coming your way :)

A bouquet we picked at from the farmer's market - bright and sunny and very refreshing.

One of the peonies in the backyard (it is a neat pink, somehow the camera distorted it). Peonies are forever equal to end of school in my mind. Back when I was a kid we would get out of school middle of June. Peonies were in full bloom and I would pick up some from friend's garden and present them to the teacher :)

In a strange way the rhubarb is also firmly linked to summer - while not widely used in the area we lived, it was grown and made into yummy jams and sauces a 100 km west of our town, where the German people live :) I had good friends from the heart of Transylvania and many jars of rhubarb jam ended up in my possession :)

We can hardly go without mentioning strawberries! These have been freshly picked up this morning and they're patiently waiting to be made into jam and its delicious sister, 'dulceata' (I cannot find a proper translation for it... it's like a clear jam, more sugar is used, and it has a clear syrup, also the fruits stay in one piece).

And we circle back to peonies - freshly picked from the market too :) I didn't have the heart to pick the ones in the backyard, I know, I am strange that way!

Thank you, Rita - and sorry again for being late to the party!
Thank you, my friends for getting through my ideas of summer!

And because this is a blog hop - we need to hop and see what others made of the Elements of Summer.

Toltec Jewels (Hostess)

Marlene Cupo
Cheri Reed
Ailsa Cordner
Robin Reed
Nan Smith
Sherri Stokey
Christie (Charis Designs)
Carolyn Lawson
Andrea Glick-Zenith
Melissa Trudinger
Dini Bruinsma
Kathy Lindemer
Cory Tompkins
Gina Hockett
Karen Martinez
Liz
Jasvanti Patel
Solange Collin
Gerda
Karla Morgan
Alicia Marinache <- you are here
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell
Mischelle Fanucchi
Tanty Sri Hartanti
Shaiha Williams
Mary Govaars
Becca Sirevaag
Lennis Carrier
Regina Wood
Susie Harris
Nelly May
Anindita Basu
Andrea Trank

Focus on life: Week 24 ~ Green

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is hosting a year long challenge which is... sublime... as you'd expect with such a studio name. The challenge is named 'Focusing on Life' and every week Sally is sending a prompt on what should we focus the following week.

Being away for 2 weeks I missed the last 2 prompts, but I will come back during the week and complete it.

Can you believe we are at week #24?! That's almost half of the year gone! gone with the wind :)

I shouldn't complain, as I spent the past 2 weeks in a bliss of relaxation (more or less) - I did some admin work (apparently there is no getting away from that) and put up some fires (apparently there is no getting away from that either), but otherwise I did no work, I trained hard, I competed with joy and focus and I relaxed.

The range we've been at is in the middle of the Appalachians, in the heart of Pennsylvania - the hills are beautiful this time of the year (and most likely every time of the year!). The said range is located on a farm - a pheasant farm. What do birds eat? Real birds eat grains, and these were real birds :)

Somehow I missed the fields last year - or it just didn't click or maybe I was just more aware of the green around me because of Sally's prompt! All I know is that on our first day driving to the farm I was invaded by them - and hit with memories of childhood too.

You see - I haven't seen wheat fields in more years than I care to count (most likely more than the number of weeks that passed by this year). I've forgotten about their deep stern green: it's not the happy-singing green of the trees, it's not the froggy green: it's serious green. And the sound it makes in the wind - it's so pleasant and relaxing!

 You can almost see how it's going to look in a few months - all golden!

I love the drive to- and from- Pennsylvania: wherever we're coming from (Ohio, New York, Washington DC, South Carolina) we have to get through the mountains (there is a funny story about the mountains, remind me to tell you someday).

Weather really liked us this time - it barely rained while we trained or were in competitions. It did rain on Monday after competition, allowing us to do simply nothing! Then it was nice and sunny again - until the time came to leave to get home:

This is an incredible combination of rain with fog with a hidden sun. Somewhere through the hills of New York, on a detour :)

As we got closer to Canada the rain cleared out and it all became calm and nice again - and yes, that's the flag that sits in the front with me, in the air radiator (a small paper flag :) ). It helps us feel at home wherever we are!

This is my take on green for this week - for more refreshing views or cars and frogs (you must check Marlene's post for this prompt!) and whatnot - please come and chat with us.

We gather as Miss Sally's and we welcome you!

Artisan Whimsy 5x5 Team Test: June guest post:: Robin Showstack

Welcome to a new installment of the Artisan Whimsy saga :)

This month the 5x5 Team Test group had to work with a group of secret items from the amazing work of Elaine Ray of Ornamentea. As with last month, the June group agreed on a blog-hop on the Monday after the magazine has been published - which brings as to today, June 3rd.

As one of the ladies didn't have a blog, she will post her article on my blog and I am now presenting you Robin Showstack of HEARTS' DESIRES JEWELRY.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This month I had the privilege of being one of the 5x5 testers of Elaine Ray's components and I have to say that I had the best time dreaming up ideas for them as I gathered up beads, findings and wire to use with each piece.

This past month-May-I went on bead buying/binging trips and happened upon the colors that would match perfectly with Elaine's components and those beads and findings that I had in my bag of tricks!

So without further ado...here goes nothing!

I am what one would call a procrastinator. I stared and stared at the components for hours that turned into days and weeks. I placed each one on its own bead board piling up beads etc., that I thought would be the perfect combinations! Taking pictures of each grouping and zuzhing them up a few times.

On Sunday night-the finished works had to be posted on that Friday-I started with the necklace that I named UFO. I thought of the blue component as a conical space ship and wrapped and draped it with chain and wire. The loops on the blue component made it a little tricky but I had a vision and I knew it would work. I also knew that I had blue beads that matched it perfectly as well as some bronze beads and spacers. The beading came together very quickly and I think that it really showcases the blue conical component!

On Tuesday night I started and finished the next necklace which I named FLY AWAY. It turned out to be a little more challenging. I wasn't sure whether I was going to make a three strand necklace or something more unusual. Again I started by putting all the beads etc. together and decided that the 3 holes down the center looked like the openings for bird houses and voila! Once I had the idea it came together quickly. Some funky beads, birds, chain, a birdcage and a clasp that made it look like the birds were in a forest leaving the nest for the first time I knew and I was done! I have to say that this is my favorite component and piece!

Day 4 brought out more winged creatures when I made the necklace I named Butterfly's Garden. Instead of using the headpins in earrings which would be the obvious thing to do, I saw them as beautiful, delicate flower petals in a garden. For this necklace I "strung" the jasper on 20 gauge wire and wired on the headpins, butterfly, bird and flower etc. I think that the headpins look like they were made to match the jasper perfectly but if truth be told I bought the strand of jasper chips because I knew that they would be ideal! I am so glad that I tried something different in this necklace!

Day 4 continued with me putting all the beads out on my table and placing them in different combinations until I liked the way they looked. I named this necklace ODE TO ANCIENT EGYPT. Again I thought "why do the obvious" with the headpins and designed a necklace in colors that reminded me of Cleopatra and Nefertiti. The headpins wired onto a golden ring with crystals. The colors of the headpin components were also a perfect match to beads that I had purchased just for this necklace! I think that seeing the color of these headpins and the components come together I was taken back to the times I visited the Egyptian rooms in the MFA in Boston, MA. Another of my favorite components!

Ok, time for day 5 and the necklace named SOUTHWEST MEETS HOWARD JOHNSON'S. I guess that you could say that the colors of the beads and the component dictated its name! I had left this component for last because I just couldn't figure out what to do with it. Initially, I thought I would use it as either the top of a pendant or in a bracelet and then it hit me! Why not attach it to the side of the necklace with leather, beads and spikes! I really like this component. Its simplicity of style and bold color worked in the concept I had for it!
[ceramic beads in this piece by Keith O'Connor]


Thank you Elaine Ray for the fantastic components and Artisan Whimsy for giving me the chance to open my eyes to try something new and allowing me to design with abandon!

Well, that's it for now...I'm off to Howard Johnson's for an ice cream cone!

Robin Showstack-HEARTS' DESIRES JEWELRY

Please make sure you visit the rest of the June amazing team:



Components by: Elaine Ray

Team members:

Cheryl Provost Foiles
Cory Tompkins
Marcia Dunne
Robin Showstack <- hosted by www.allprettythings.ca; you are here
Sharon Palac