A Fun Run!

Sunday's game between the Packers and the Patriots was a nail biter! The Patriots are minus a lot of defensive players, particularly defensive linemen, and Sunday it showed. So it was up to the offensive linemen to step up! Or, uh, run... 71 yards!

Hah! and here is Tedy Bruschi's narration, which I thought perfect, reposted from ESPN's Boston blog:

"OK, here we go, I've got the L5 to block, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Got it. Get ready, here comes the kick. It's a squib! It's coming right at me! I've got this. Wait for the bounce … time the bounce … there it is, it's up in the air. I've just got to get under it. Got it! Now don't fumble!

Get both arms around this bad boy and just run straight ahead. They'll tackle me soon. I see a lot of Packers in front of me, why don't I try to go left. Yeah, good idea. I should be tackled soon anyway.

Wait, where is everybody? I'm still running? They're gonna tackle me soon, right? I'm in the clear! Run faster! I can't believe they haven't tackled me yet! I'm still running! Why am I carrying the ball like a little girl carries her teddy bear? Just keep running! Oh man, so this is what it feels like. I'm pretty good at this!

Here comes somebody. Let me try this stiff-arm. I've seen Benny [BenJarvus Green-Ellis] do this a lot. It worked! I'm still running! I can score! Oooh blockers, sweet! Block the kicker! Good job! Cutback time, baby! I've never run this far in my life! I see it! I can score!

How will I celebrate? Should I dance? Why am I falling? I can't believe they tackled me. Is it over? How close was I? Four-yard line? I should've scored!"

And THAT is a dream come true for any offensive lineman or linebacker who has ever played the infamous "back row."

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lol. GOOOOOOOOO PATS!

When Bad Luck Isn't the Worst, Sometimes

My place is old, and one of the things about old places is plumbing gets tired. Mine "pooped" out this past week. In this photo you see where the plumbers are inching up the building with new pipes. In the effort to save money, I'm doing the demolition/ construction end of the deal. You see the top of the wall to the left is cut away for more access to pipes. and the wall that's minus plaster, but still has some lath has plumbing here and there.

Why this is not a total omg is, the bathroom on top has not been used in 7 years, so there is no damage. I found out about the split in the stack from a plumbing problem below the split. Another positive is, I had to seal off this room to cut away all the plaster gobbledy gook, so I just shelled the adjoining outside wall to re-do with insulation. Might as well. And also, it gave inspiration for the name of my new pendant, the "Plumber's Special." ;)

Hat Trick

*Sigh. There is something about a neglected blog... it is painful and sad somehow. It's like a connection that you want, but there's been a parting... and to reconnect you need to explain or give some accounting to life's drift. But life's drift is an ocean. And, I'm at sea without a compass or map and catching rainwater to maintain.* **Loved the story about those kids from New Zealand surviving after 50 days.**

But getting on to hat tricks.

This New England Patriots season has been most entertaining. And I am not referring to the stuffed toy snake a fellow near me had with him during the Colts game...(yikes.) But the variety of ways the Pats have won, whether the special teams of the Miami game or the defense stepping up against Pittsburgh. Though when all is said and done and Brady starts clicking, the Pats then shed methodical decentness of play and turbo charge into greatness. But it is the Hat Tricks that provide yet another level. Something I missed in the Pittsburgh game (If Brady had been playing Brady, the Pats would have lost that game. Thankfully, there is only one Brady.). What I missed was the fedora Belichick wore ***before the game!*** What a cheeky boy. lol. If the Pats won, Belichick would then tie the NFL win record of Coach Paul Brown, whom BB wore the hat in honor of. In other words, Bellichick did the same thing the Giants did when they showed up for that totally forcefully forgotten Super Bowl, when the Giants wore black. They said, you will loose. Bellichick was saying that to Pittsburgh. What a cheeky cheeky fellow. lol.


Honestly. I wouldn't have thought it of him. Great coaching or game plan? great use of personell? yes yes and yes. But I would think Belichick would have left attitude apparal or appearance to either Jerod Mayo or, in an awesome display of glee, Brady.

Art

*I will entry more on this later. just haven't had great success on saving videos! this one I thought beautiful. "The Silent Evolution by Jason deCaires Taylor." animals are so victimized by humans. this juxtaposition neutralized that antagonism. I've heard reefs are built by sunk battleships. And reefs are killed by human pollution. we all have our living limits. it's nice to see a shared aquarium.*

Football and Hair

*Continuing on with feedback regarding coiffure and the NFL.*

I'm wondering if Brady is jealous of Troy Polamalu's hair...


Hahahahahaha! I just had to use that pic. lol. But. I think Brady is working up to something. A head shave must be on the horizon. Maybe he's saving it should the Pats make it to the play offs. It would definitely confuse folks.... just imagine it. Ray Lewis (of the Ravens) come charging into the back field and say, uh, Where's the Goldilocks dude?

Last week I watched the Patriots game at a place that gave free shots with every touchdown pass by Brady. He threw 3, as I recall. There should have been 2 shots for a kick off return for a touch down, and at least a free beer if Guyton intercepts a pass and runs it back for a touchdown. That would have about covered things, I think. But. Then my memory of the game would have been even more fuzzy.

This week I'm thinking they should give free shots with every Sanchez interception, and Brady touchdown pass. The total might not be as many as last week (maybe 1 and 1,) but as long as the Pats win.

Goooooooooooo Pats!

Gooooooooooo PATS!

hahahaha! And with that title I'll post the Cincinatti fight song *just because it is funny.*


But you have to admit, the New England Patriots song is more to the point...


I was going to write a post expressing angst over tough session ahead and blame it on Tom Brady's hair. lol. Because why not. But Mr GQ is still a great quarterback despite his locks. And while I have my doubts over the Pats abilities to prevail, I do think this season will be entertaining. Brady doesn't need hair like the fellows below to score. ;)


GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PATS!

The Demise of the Bucket Bird

Silence is golden on plane rides and before morning coffee. Not, as now, after trying to save the little maniac, the bucket bird. This afternoon I left him after his latest splat, down from his pot perch in the plum tree. I went out, grab the pot and went after his feathery ass, and he hopped chirping towards my massive holly bush. I should have put him in the branches of the holly from the first. Thing is though, everything likes to hide there, which includes all neighborhood bird seeking cats. But I decided to give him some time or something. I dunno. He wasn't taking to my forceful relocations well. One hour later I came back and heard... nothing.

Well. Almost nothing. There were the quiet questioning chirps of a parent nearby, and I watched as one grabbed a worm and headed to the holly bush. No gap mouthed maniac was there for enthusiastic reception. Nope. Only silence. I don't see evidence of kill. Just silence. And parents who are slowly giving up.

The violent storm on Monday I think knocked him down. I picked him up several times, putting him in a tree. And stood there once, watching a parent stuff that little maniac with worms 4 times as he flopped along belligerently on the ground. I might have bought him 24 more hours. He needed 48. Little birds are such dependent free spirits. I thought of the Calvin quote, when he told Hobbes "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul." Hobbes, "Ah, but of course" (of course.) Calvin then goes on to explain "My mandate also includes weird bugs."

On the Positive Side of Things...

The June challenge of the Metal thread group involved turning a "sow's ear into a silk purse." *Open for interpretation and all that.* It was a fun challenge. I like the attitude of looking for possibilities in discarded or odd items. I might try to do more of these. It suits my brain.

What I used was a steel ball (bearing?) I found in the street. I wrapped it with silver. The silver was going to get further cleaned up after I antiqued it. But I stopped with the piece still looking a bit abused, and unpolished.



More of the Chatty Metalsmiths challenge pieces can be viewed here.

And my hero of fun..

New Post

lol. I was stuck for the name of this post, terminating a long absence. My thought was to babble on about the hiatus, but.

See, sometimes I talk, sometimes I don't. I asked a poor fellow once, who patiently endured a rather content free stream of drivel of mine whether I talked to much. He said, "If you even it out, no." *perfect.* In those days I had more to talk about. I was living in Chicago, in one of those borderline areas where artists congregate. Those areas that are safe enough, but not yet expensive. The ones with the good bars and fun motorcycles. I was balancing inadequately on the nerve endings of an existence that had, like my occasional mind numbing loquaciousness, not too much substance.

But, as I recently said to a co-worker, whom I asked to do a favor which saved on trash produced, what's the point. This is where silence is the cat got my tongue. What's the point. As oil gushes into the gulf killing and killing, why worry about the small acts. Why conserve and be consciousness. *I'm not totally grandizing inarticulateness. There is something about disaster that silences. Silences the wetlands of Louisiana, for sure.* I feel like an aging trick or treater, waddling up to a particularly nice house, and the lights are turned out.

I need to get a motorcycle, and go camping.


*to enlarge the strip, click on it.*

Ocean Creatures

In the 1990's, I had a job where occasionally I'd look out the window to the Boston harbor, and see the cormorants. They'd lift their wings to the air the sun to the environment around them. I may not have been alone in feeling a sadness in that picturesque view. Creatures like those birds have no choice but to exist in the polluted waters, the polluted air. They derive no benefit from all those massive chemicals washing downstream towards them. They must only survive, and spread their wings.

Even before the catastrophe that is now the Gulf of Mexico, (but was already a catastrophe in making as there was a 70 mile wide dead zone created by chemical runoff,) I thought of a very frought design* indicating my tension and sadness about the environment, specifically the Ocean. There is something so intimate about diving or swimming in an ocean to survive. I tried, but could not make any design so loaded with feeling work. I hope at sometime to be able to. I'll call those pieces "Killing the Ocean." The below piece, called "Small Hope" is the only thing I could get going on. It's more designy, and is less about hope than a letting go of total despair. It is the only thing I could do. Hence the name. Not that the design itself says "hope."

I won't be able to get this piece finished in time for the May challenge. The center tentacle area is to be cast in bronze, along with the circle beside it. The 2 side pieces will be in silver.



*This design is for the May challenge on the Metalsmith's thread. It was for an Ocean creature, highly polished. Not sure the tentacle piece will get highly polished, but maybe!

Spring Cleaning

Well, kinda Spring cleaning! Wiping the dust off the blog anyway. Thought I'd post an inspirational video clip, and a photo of a ring I finished last week.

hahahahahaha! Doesn't that look like fun?

The top part is something I carved that never really made it on its own. I just combined it with a band I'd fabricated.

Have a merry May everybody. ;)

Things Not Known

Well. I was given an award by a very nice individual, Almost Precious. This has happened before... but I tend to be struck dumb by the occasion. This time I suspect the lassitude of my brain waves match the occasion and I feel a centrifugal force of expression. The challenge was to talk about 10 things not known about myself. I'm thinking 4.

One was a tree I climbed in first grade. My mother told me not to climb this tree, but it was a perfect tree to climb. It wasn't my fault the limb broke and I fell to the driveway below, breaking a toe. I wouldn't've climbed it if it hadn't been good.

I rode a Suzuki 550 to Sturgis one year, not knowing about the Harley rally happening there. Accidents happen.

Red is my favorite color. But so is green. And orange. Purple black grey white and yellow. I also love pink and turquoise. To me, favorite colors are a list, discussion, debate and relist. I think there is a reason that colors are assigned to politics. If I believed in past lives, I hope I mixed colors for Caravaggio.

And the 4th is for flying. As a kid my most vivid dreams were of flying. One time I remember seeing my mother walk down the hallway from the crack at the top of my partly open door, during a "dream." My poor Suzuki 550 left me one brain fog morning as I flew up over the end of a car. The landing was tough, but the moment of shocking freedom memorable. The glimmer of hope I have for the future is the possibility of jet packs.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,"

hahahaha... well that is known. I love poetry, though sometimes in recent years I have to recreate the personal environment for poetry. It is always worth the experience. Cheers.

*I'll have to think about the passing on of this award! Though I am curious what Suldog might say bad about me.... lol.

Mechanical Beauty

I got into light metals when making masks. The masks I made at the time were paper mache, and I spent an inordinate amount of time on the surface. I used modeling paste with the paper to build them, acrylic gel stuff to seal the back, but left the surface natural (For most of them. Some of the older ones were painted. Most all of the masks are gone.) To get a smooth surface, I had to sand and repair with added modeling paste and sand and repair over and over again. The pay off for all that effort wasn't much. But it got me thinking, that I really had to change mediums. (lol.) So I took a light metals class.

That light metals class was a blast. I loved the metal. During that time I wanted to do some metal mechanical masks. And with one I wanted to make a figure... That mask has stayed in my brain. Perhaps it's better there. It lead me to learn figurative sculpture, to the east coast, and now onto jewelry somehow. Several clips I've seen recently have reminded me of the intriguing beauty of mechanical creations. The first clip is an incredible one of Theo Jansen's Sandbeests.


And this next clip if a fun one of a simple mechanical brooch. It doesn't say where this is from, so sorry, I can't credit it.

Rose Rake Challenge

Here's some pics of my Rose Rake Challenge piece from the Chatty Metalsmiths thread on Etsy. It has a small cobaltian calcite druzy stone. Obviously it isn't set yet! Neither is the ring oxidized to bring out the forms. The 2 sides of the ring are competing forms, with the leaf-like side having holes and the rake side with straighter lines. The druzy sits in an odd shaped cup between the 2. I had thought to do the rake side with square wire, but it didn't turn out that way! Hope you at least get an idea of the piece. Druzy is impractical for rings, but I enjoyed playing with something different.


Here are some of the other responses to the Rose/Rake challenge.

Addendum: here's the finished ring as I posted to the challenge page earlier this week:

Biz Cards

Thank you very much, those of you who have visited. I am not apathetic about blogging, my blog or others'. I'd say more accurately I'm de-energized on life, at the moment. I'm finishing one job, beginning another, and have a mountain of projects I MUST DO NOW TO STAY SANE in my workroom. I also am in desperate need of business cards. I think I knocked off at least the card goal tonight. I've gotten rather tired of apologizing as I hand out my business card. "My card might look kind of silly, but check out my work..." I've ended up with a card that may not be less silly, but. Well. At least it's drawn and painted silliness. And that is the most serious kind. ;)

The card is reference to the avatar I use for my blog. And is from a previously posted drawing of mine. A troll, under a bridge, holding a flower and making the peace sign. (The colors are more vivid than this pic.)

One small project I finished is my Itty Bitty Cool Tree earrings. What I did was cut out the center of the Cool Tree Ring I'd carved, and made it into earrings.

Cliff Notes

*Note the cliff note. Hahahahaha!*

This is what I most strongly saw in a piece of jade bought from BeadersBoutique. I may revise. The stone is a pretty translucent new jade stone. It might do better with form, than relief. But I love the idea of Icarus staring at the ocean before he takes off. Somehow I identify with it. ;)

edit: I think I'll stick with a simple torso for my first carving! lol. I decided the above scene might be just a *tad* complex.

Old Metal Work

I saw this in an old house. I'm not an expert in antiques or anything, but I do enjoy the look of old metalwork. I didn't get up there to see what the green is...(getting closer would have involved me standing on an elderly gentleman's old bed. lol.) Could it be enamel? The fixture is cast, and weighs approximately 30 lbs.

Muttering Meditations, Pendantic

There is a difference between self expression and self obsession, and it is not even esoteric in definition. I looked at a clip of the below artist, and though the clip was about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, I got bored. I thought about the ballet dancers in the clip and that my lack of appreciation had to do with this demanding art form used in such a trivial fashion... but it bored me. I thought about self obsession being a part of the end result of capitalist society... how being advertised to and receiving information through the reductive quality of advertisement would lend itself to such cultural self obsession... but it's boring. Sometimes I think intense naval gazing blinds a whole culture to the huge abyss between self expression and self obsession. And the inescapable fact that, self obsession is mind numbingly dull. I'm sure this lady is a decent person, but I'm totally not interested.

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;)

And here's a pic of my lady of the wax, slowly emerging.

The Stone Roots Pendant

Well I'm sending this to my mother, regardless! And being a mother, she'll be delighted. They always say, know your target audience. lol. With some audiences the bullseye is bigger than the target... the delivery being what matters. What's great is I can sit there and tell my mother everything that's wrong with this and it will add to the charm. The next "Stone Roots" pendant will be improved, but probably less appreciated.

Time

This is my first figurative thing in a while. It will be a pendant with a stone, but the overall shape will probably change. This is a couple of pictures of the first hours of the piece. The second pic might have about 5 hours in it already. And this is the last estimate of time spent you'll see on this! Which, is one reason my work is molded and cast. The amount of time it take me to produce stuff cannot be recouped in one offs. I still hope to do a series of one off figurative pieces. But. We'll see. I don't have plans to mold this one, yet. I don't have plans for it period. My figurative fingers are still in the reforming stage.


One reason I appreciate figurative work, and well made work in general, is time. Time becomes a visual element. Its not that every piece has to take many hours to make, but the time to develop the craft is also present. That quality to me is deeply and recognizably human, whether the piece succeeds or fails.

Pondering Pendants

This is just a follow up post. Because this might be a model to be molded, it's not polished and antiqued. But I'm happy with it! Even though I managed to photograph it slightly crooked.... Like I'm unconsciously making up for the deliberate imbalance of the design.

With the model, I'm leaving the area around the stone blank. that's where I'll solder in a bezel or prongs to set the stone. I could add prongs before molding, but not a bezel. Oval cabochons vary too much in shape to do that. And I'm thinking this design calls for a bezel. There will be about 5% shrinkage which is why the area around the stone looks so big. Hopefully it works! If so, my mother will get one of these! I'm much happier with it than the triangular thingy.

Meditating on Cabs

*No, this does not involve New York City or excessive drinking.*

I was unhappy with my previous oval cabochon design. (The triangular one.) Now I have a couple more designs to think about! The photo for this one I thought fun enough to post. The other is still a sketch. In this one, the huge bezel (the ring around the stone that hold a stone in) will be replaced by a more normal bezel. So picture this carved wax in silver. *I'm not too sure about this design either! Except I do feel that one day my patient mother will get something!*

Apply for a Job

I'd love to apply for this job!
I need a job that only drives me crazy in small amounts, and being aa etsy forum moderator would be a perfect fit! Most posters are boring!

Qualifications:
I have no life. I am on Etsy whenever I'm not gainfully employed, which means quite a bit. I do not think I am quick to anger, and while I do consider some people nutty I realize that is totally within their rights and within the mainstream of humanity. I am comfortable judging people, though, and the mute button while used sparingly would be done with definite flair. It is not when someone is insulting or derogatory that is the worst, its when they are totally unamusing while being insulting or derogatory,

I am not certain I could come up with quotable closures, but maybe Shel Silverstein could help me out. I have his book "A Light in the Attic" on hand, and for weekends I think it would be sufficient. "The saddest thing I ever did see/ Was a woodpecker pecking' at a plastic tree./ He looks at me, and 'Friend,' says he,/ 'Things ain't as sweet as they used to be.'"

While that may or may not be appropriate to the snit of the moment, I do feel the imagery to be solid enough to have a global (mild) wtf moment. And Etsy is a world wide site.

Education:
This is tough. I do have a degree. It has been a dust collector at times, and an art enabler at other times! I also have a certificate in jewelry making and repair which is pretty useless and I am quite proud of.

Work Experience:
Cutting logs was the most memorable. Probably because it was the most odd. I was a kid and had no clue how ridiculous I was being. I then loaded the logs in a wheelbarrow and carted them 1/2 a block down a hill. Payment was much less a consideration than finally finishing.

One job I did not take was a yacht job in the South Pacific.

References:
My two cats. Their names are Ms Chubbs, and Ms Bird. That's all the references I need for a moderator job.

Associations:
My cats (as already listed) and my 1992 Toyota pickup. I'm heavily associated with my pickup. No one else drives it.

Achievements:
My biggest achievement is I am not incredibly obese, *yet.* This has always astounded me. There are individuals within my family that have battled weight gain. And despite my love for chocolate, frozen yogurt, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake pastries pasta cheese and french fries... I can tie my shoes without breathing hard. I can also still ride a bike, though it is now a recumbant with shock absorbers.

Other:
Here I'll link my self portrait, as I think it best depicts my inherent grace... http://stoneycharms.blogspot.com/2008/07/self-portrait-thursday.html

Contact:
After purchasing an item from my StoneyCharms etsy store, include job offer in comments. ;)

Question Answered

I was delving through my photo album... I have only one. The pictures in it are 3 and 4 deep with the plastic coverings split and taped. Its been years since I've added to it. In most of the shots I'm obviously not the one with the camera! The first is me having a true Peace Corps moment. I tried to entice a burro (or whatever it was) into a hotel room while not not spilling my drink. I was only partially successful. The critter decided my offerings weren't adequate temptation.


This is a photo of a road in Scotland. I hitchhiked on it. The day before this road had been closed due to snow. I, of course, didn't know that. lol. Nor did I realize it was such a scenic route. I had figured I wanted to go from here to there and that was the squiggly line on the map I choose. *The squiggles probably represented mountains.* Two of the 3 cars going my way that day gave me rides. Nice folks, the Scots.


And here is where I answer the age old question, why women go to the bathroom in pairs. Here's my friend Kate and I on a great road trip through Colorado and New Mexico.


I'd like to say I've become smarter as I've gotten older. But I suspect, I'm just having a bit less fun.
*oh and. Its been years... like, I don't think you would recognize me from these photos!*

Amazing Video

I must warn you it's of an elephant giving birth. I thought it would gross me out as I'm not into bodily functions. But it is amazing.

Fil Dogum Yapiyor (Elephant is Giving Birth) - Click here for the most popular videos

The Snarkwit of Snarkology

This post is a reprinting some snark from etsy forms. Specifically from the snark thread, which miraculously remains unclosed. Anybody that has a problem with it, well, I snark you. (lol):

desnarkification is futile

Snarkaholic - People who are drawn to snarkiness. lol

I guess I gotta go to Snarka-anon

Snark-weiser: a tasty blend of beer and snark.

SnarkMart - a place where snarks go shopping. lol

ensnarklements: when two people are snarking back and forth incessantly

lmsao (you know it)

snarkcophagus where dead snarky people go.

snarkfest!

snarkmark - claiming your snark term

snarkabration: when too many people are having too much snarky fun

desnarking- the act of disproving someone else's bad snark

snurker: when a snarky person is a lurker
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Disagree. True snarkers cant keep their snarks to themselves.

I cant stop laughing... or snarking I m snarkeling

Snarkometer - to measure ones snarkiness.

snarkation- the act of turning a comment into a snark

The Church of Snarkatology

Snarkvo = convo gone bad

snarkometer

M.F.S. degree: Master of Fine Snark

PMS premenstrual snark

Snarksters - - aren't those urban hippy snarks?
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Only if they live in New Snark City

snark-at-us interuptus-
when the thread gets closed before you get to hit the post button on a particularly well planned and typed snarky post

Snarkitute - someone who snarks for money! hehehe

snarklopedia - what we are writing here

Snarkie = newbie snarker

Snarkobreak.. I m back now.. whew...

snarktator: one who exercises absolute snarkiness

There once was a Snark from Nantucket
loves snark so much would post "F*ck it"
The OP cried lame,
it caused her great pain
but the snarks all said you could suck it!

Snarkenstein --It's alive!

snark pit - you don't want to go there

I. AM. SNARKTICUS!

snarkblivious ~ unaware that a thread has been hijacked and responding to the OP

And here are some of the snarkators of the above snarks: theeye, ScentedLuxuries, cctexan3, DesignedByLucinda, paperstreet, sunflowerexpress, Art2ArtColorado, azjewelrydesign, KreatedbyKarina, fivelittlegems, LovelandBeads, peaseblossomstudio, BambooFashion

Snarknificent

Resolution

Its the New Year. I'm not into resolutions. Not really. Its like I look around and say I've been meaning to do that, and that, and oh yeah that. Same old same old, in other words. Like I don't know how many times "brush up on my Spanish" has made the list, though this year "organize" is there too. (I know hopeless, and "organize" on any list of mine pretty well defines that.) So this year "eat more chocolate" is there, and I bought some chocolate fudge brownie frozen yogurt to get the New Year off to a good start. *I would have put down "drink more beer" but I didn't want to get redundant.*

I have this theory, that if you pay attention to what you were into between the ages of 10 and 12, you can peg what kinda makes you click. So like, for me, since I spent those years squirreled away in a workroom, messing around with different materials like twigs and sawdust, varnish wood burning lead soldering slate and chalk and beans and peas and boxes and clay and a jigsaw and whatnot... getting a job in a public relations firm, for instance, might not meet with the happiest of conclusions. *I still have that jigsaw, by the way.* So same old same old resolutions are like a scrap book revisited. They may not take you any where new, but they can make you smile.

Another thing that sidesteps into view, is the definition of success. Which is problematic with me. Because, well, I've thought about living out of a step van and (again) as a kid drew cartoon pictures of bums. At the same time, I *adore* showers, clean clothes and sufficient heat. I like being able to buy the metal and stones and tools I want. Money abstractly is not attractive, but anyone that says it isn't important has enough heat in their dwelling. You can't diss money with blue lips.

So if I were to add a resolution targeting my definition of success? a resolution about making stuff? What would it be? Selling would be nice for sure for sure. But more than anything, I want to make great stuff. I want to sit in my work room and have fun. I want to continue to evolve.
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Here's a pic of the pendant I've been mulling over. I've finished carving it now, just needs casting. I'm still up in the air about whether to have it molded, or just make it a one-off. I think there's enough slack there for molding (you need to allow 5% shrinkage.) But. Haven't decided. It will be cast into sterling silver, and the stone is torquoise.

And here is a pic of Linda's very fun piece. *The picture doesn't do it justice at all! Plus, the wall isn't right for it. but I have cats that like dangly things. so. What can you do.* *and the flash x'd out the shadows.*