Last week, I gave myself some time off to refill the creative well. I went to the library and chose randomly inspiring books on Andy Goldsworthy, Shaker furniture, Antique Jewelry and William Morris. I scribbled ideas in my sketchbook. I wandered off and washed a couple of windows. I tidied my desk. Eventually I dug through my drawers of materials… and there were the findings, waiting.

So I made something that isn’t strictly anything, and had a wonderful time doing it.

Now this blanket-curtain-whatever-it-is is hanging on the wall, catching the light in its old metal shimmery way, and delighting me. I want to make a GIANT one if I can hunt down more of these findings. The bagful is all used up.

Drop by if you’re in the area — the people are friendly and the store has been in business for nearly half a century.

snow

more snow

I95 with only one other car in view

welcome to blizzardy Pennsylvania

you’re really in trouble now

just 3 more blocks to the hotel. Phew.

A few buyers and artists weren’t able to make it at all, or had to scramble to create displays out of office supplies when their shipments got stuck on the other side of the country. I was very lucky to have everything with me.

We had more snow on the way home, but M drove (thank you!) and we made good time.

I’m glad to be back in the studio filling orders, with the help of my trusty assistants.

and this

going on, in preparation for the next Buyers Market wholesale show next week in Phili.

And through the end of December you can see a collection of my work at Langman Gallery in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.

I’ve been making armies of earrings and necklaces, including lots of these Daisy necklaces, and shipping them off around the country.

I’m delighted to be showing at two new stores – Diane’s Artisan Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas, and The Collector in Merrick, NY. Go check ‘em out if you live nearby!

I feel positively magpie-ish when I see lots of pieces laid out like this. A good feeling of abundance. Making the new designs has given me more ideas, spiraling out in some kind of fractal pattern of inspiration, too many to chase down. But I want to try.

Some new pieces and some experiments not yet sorted through to satisfaction. Pieces to have hanging around to play with in case a solution pops into my head.

Not me. I’m more prone to activity binges. All studio for several weeks, followed by 2 days of website updating, followed by a stretch of solid gardening is more my style; it balances out over time.

I’ve been in a phase of house projects, house guests, a trip up to Canada for a family reunion… so it feels like ages since I’ve had concentrated time in the studio.

Before leaving for Canada I reorganized the studio, moved furniture around, tidied up. Now I’m excited to get in there and to make some new pieces. I have a little pile of envelope backs with doodles of earrings and pendants and I need to make them to find out if the designs work.

I’ll let you know.

This time I made a longer pair of Square Earrings, without the drops at the bottom.

I like the way they came out. They would look great worn with hair up, the length accentuating the neck.