AN EVENTFUL WEEK

Some nature inspired jewelry for the Brucemore Garden and Art Show.

Wow, I've been gone for a bit. Actually, I've been here, just not "here". I've been busy with all sorts of stuff. A week ago my cats decided to have fight in the middle of the night. This has never happened before, but it was awful. It involved Lily (the younger one) and a paper bag that she got wrapped around her leg. Sophie (the older one) started chasing the bag and I think Lily thought that Sophie was trying to bit her leg off (except it was just the handle of the bag attacking her leg). I woke up with a start and raced into the living room to see what was going on and tripped and fell and smacked my face and head hard on a chair. I have a big bruise on my face and a bruised hand and rug-burned forehead. I look nice. Why do I have these cats anyway? Lily is still freaked out a week later, but things are finally starting to get better between them. All of this would be hilarious if it happened to someone else, funny how that works, isn't it?

I've got a show at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids on Saturday the 28th. I've been busy making finished jewelry for the show. I'm a bit behind, but I've got a week. It's amazing how much I can get done in a week. Brucemore is a National Trust property with a beautiful house and spectacular gardens. I feel very privileged to be doing a show there. If you live nearby please stop out and see me at the show. Click here for more information.

TOWER OF POWER

Lily on her Tower Of Power.

A close up of Wild Lily.

Miss Sophie, Princess Pink Nose.

No pictures, please.

Oh, hi!

Ok, so Paul and I are probably the most well trained cat people that I know. First, we put a new porch on our house that even the contractor called the "world's most expensive cat toy". Last weekend we went to Petco and bought the spoiled girls a jungle gym. if you have cat, then you know that sometimes when you buy them toys, they prefer the box that said toy came in. I was hoping that wouldn't be the case here, as the dumb thing was a few bucks. I'm happy to say that they love it! It's so cute to watch them play on it. Their play styles are different. Lily is the acrobat, dare devil who jumps from level to level like a tiger stalking it's prey. Sophie, always the prim and proper princess, likes to lie on one of the levels in the middle of the tower, simply observing her world. I'm glad that they like it, but mostly it's really entertaining for Paul and I.

THE ART OF METAL CLAY

The newly revised edition of Sherri Haab's 'The Art Of Metal Clay'.

One of my pieces that is in Sherrie's new book.

Photo by Jonathan Sabin

A few days ago Sherri Haab's new book, 'The Art Of Metal Clay' was released. It is a revised edition of her book by the same name which was originally released in 2003. Last winter Sherri contacted me and asked to use some images of my jewelry in the new edition. Sherri ended up using 3 of my photos in her book. I was so pleased because when I first started teaching metal clay, her book was the one that I really found the most helpful and inspiring. I still recommend her book to my students. There is a lot of new information in the new edition, including the newer bronze and copper clays. Plus there's a DVD with 4 extra projects on it. Check it out here.