In Joy Designed

Madison And NYC BUST craftaculars

Wow! Back home from the NYC BUST craftacular (no pics but on my mom's cell camera, poo) and the Madison WI. glitter workshop craftacular at the Masonic center.

Here I am in madison!

The shows were both fun in their ways - the small show was especially nice because I was able to drive down which feels more organized than hauling everything from MN to NYC on amtrak (ack) and overnighting supplies at the last minute to my mom's. I don't know how some people do it, but I plan to challenge myself this year and do the show circuit as hard as I can.

I really have wonderful good things to say about Naomi's show in WI. It's a great venue, a great town, an easy and fun crowd, and really REALLY well organized and responsive. I'd do this show again in a heartbeat.

BUST is an amazing show. They really bring the people. It's a little easier to be lost in a shuffle of 200 vendors and I don't really feel I got to know anyone. But I liked the cash a lot, and I would also do this one again. If I had it to do over I'd be more aggressive about mail list signups (ie. remember to have them, ha!) and have more midrange items.

Modish

Modish is a religious daily dose for me and probably anyone who's heard of indie design.

So how thrilled was I about this?  You can imagine.  Jena is so kind as to really say nice things about my work here, and to pick some of my favorite shop photos. This really made my week, in an otherwise kind of frustrating one. A good feeling.

Bubbles

These stones just got here (from luxury.etsy.com - and RARELY will I spill a source, so enjoy that if you care to!) and they're so amazing. They're smooth lemon quartz rounds with the mystic finish which we're seeing so much of lately. I like it much MUCH more on a smooth stone than on faceted - it gives the beads the look of soap bubbles. Gorgeous golden soap bubbles. To push that sense of transparency even more and to give it a touch of industrial roughness, I used oxidized findings.

I'm really pleased - here's a peek at them.

Enso on the Move

Busy busy - it's looking good here.

We've been featured today on Hey Susy - a great design blog by designer Susan Connor of Susyjack stationery- nice picks overall. It's always especially nice to be in good design company.

Here is an example of bad design company.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I was late in finding out, so it's not like I'm scooping this for anyone except the other willfullly lame people who only half-watch this.

Speaking of the left coast, though, it looks like enso is going to be in an SF boutique - I'll post the skinny when the deal is actually done being done. Yay!

Oh Valencia! Necklace

Vintage german etched beads, in clear and red. Man, I wish I could get more of these - they're from my LBS (Beadhive) and I think that's it for them. I've looked around to no avail, so when they're gone they're gone.

Joined together on oxidized sterling chain.

I've been trying to be restrained about stones and I'm eyeing a bunch of different things, depending on how the week finishes I may buy.  Iolite is one possibility, though I think that I may get these little 3mm songia sapphire rondelles for a special cinta style bracelet. We'll see.

Crow is back

It's the first officially hot day this year. I found that out on a trip to the post office.  Also, while I'm very in love with my curvy imperfect self there's a getting off point on that bandwagon and trying on a few sale things in Ann Taylor was a harrowing experience - so there'll be some foodie entries in the near future as I get more disciplined and have to start cooking again versus the takeout bonanza that I tend to do when I get too busy.

The crow necklace, which is wildly popular, is back in. I only have one more with this dark hessionite cube, after this sells it's on to a pretty honey color...

yeah, I know it's not strictest modernism, but it's simple and pretty. I'm going to be expanding my "totems" series a bit, too - look for some owls and a base metal buddha I just couldn't resist.

Right now it's exclusive to the etsy shop, so get it there.

Tabular earrings

Tab-shaped earrings are my latest obsession. I've got them going in silver, oxidized, and soon to do gold filled too! You can find them, as always, in the shop

These are really fun to make and the square woven unit has my gears turning, too - could they be connected into some kind of bracelet or necklace?

It's a hectic week. I'm doing some serious studio re-shuffling and house cleaning, but of course I'd rather be weaving.

Soundtrack lately has been going back to '78, Pink Flag by Wire. I can see why this is a desert island disc to many musicheads.