First, you see a charming pendant on a strand of sodalite beads. In case you can't read the inscription due to the lighting, it says "Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite." And the dates above and below the message reflect their wedding and anniversary dates. So I could stop right there and be pretty happy with the necklace, but I didn't.....
My parents celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary back in March. For the last few years, my Dad has given my mom a piece of jewelry created by me for the occasion. This year I wanted to come up with something kind of smacktacular (yes, I just made this word up), and I want to share the finished product with you. I was pleased with how it turned out. First, you see a charming pendant on a strand of sodalite beads. In case you can't read the inscription due to the lighting, it says "Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite." And the dates above and below the message reflect their wedding and anniversary dates. So I could stop right there and be pretty happy with the necklace, but I didn't..... No...the real magic lies inside. This little charmer is a slide locket. Whaaaaat????!! That little pendant is just part of the package....The cover slides away to reveal a photo. It's a photo of my mom and dad cutting the cake at their wedding reception. And it is the ONLY photo that they have of them on their wedding day. Here, it (actually, a copy of it) is embedded in resin in a bezel behind the cover. Ta Da!!! And just for fun, a few more design secrets and details on the back: Not too bad, huh? Happy anniversary Mom and Dad! I love you so much, and I'm so happy and lucky that you are my parents!
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It's hard to feel gratitude when you're grieving. It's easier to feel angry,and cheated, and depressed. But feeling those things wouldn't honor Teddy, his memory, or the God that have him to me. And even though my heart is broken and I miss Teddy terribly, I have a lot to be thankful for. For one thing, take a look at the cards and flowers we received to mark his passing. And that doesn't include the email, blog comments, phone calls and in-person support from a number of other friends, and family. I am deeply thankful for each and every one of those cards and comments and calls, for the effort expended in selecting or making those cards and actually mailing them. I will keep them always as part of Teddy's scrapbook, and I'll print out those emails and comments, too. Thank you all for validating the loss of a very best friend. I am also thankful that I had a great dog for ten years, that I was able to spend a lot of time with him during those ten years, that, up until this final illness, those ten years were really healthy and happy. I am thankful for the ad in the paper and the phone call from my mother and the chain of events that led me to him. I am thankful for every walk I had with him almost every night for ten years, an activity which is probably one of my greatest joys in life...walking my dog, listening to my iPod, especially under the night sky in the brisk of fall and winter. This winter will not be the same. I am thankful that we had the funds to give him the best medical care available and that Teddy was treated so well by all the hands that helped him, even right up to the end. I am thankful for, in the words of my vet, a gentle death, and two kind and understanding people to help him make that transition. Teddy was the only being in that room that didn't struggle that evening. I am beyond thankful for a husband who understands "how I am" about my dogs and didn't bulk at extraordinary vet bills (buying time is very expensive) and stepped in when I couldn't do any more and who was willing to sleep on the couch downstairs so I wouldn't be alone with Teddy on his last night because Teddy could not climb the stairs one more time. [He's also really great about a lot of other stuff (see "four Christmas trees," below...).] Being thankful and feeling gratitude doesn't erase the pain, but it makes it worth it. Sometimes great joy brings great pain, but it's worth it. Teddy was worth every tear and every dollar. I think that's what gratitude does...it changes your perspective. In every thing give thanks...Thessalonians 5:18. Amen. I decided to go ahead with my Holiday Open House this year. I started planning it prior to losing Teddy, knowing that it may not happen depending on his health. After losing him, now two weeks ago, I thought it would be good to follow through with it. It would keep me moving forward. So, you might consider it a kind of therapy for me. If you've never been before and are thinking about coming, just know that I would be delighted to have you stop by. I offer my jewelry for sale, but it's really about the opportunity to get to know you or to visit with you a little, especially in an atmosphere that isn't rain-soaked or bug infested or miserably hot or humid, like it so often is at the arts festivals. So I hope you'll consider stopping in on Dec. 5th. I even have a few pieces that are not pet-related, so if you're bringing a friend that's not really into animals, why are you friends? No, no....even they will have something that might interest them. Here are a few photos from last year and some for this year: So, if you're on the fence, maybe becoming a little familiar with it will win you over. If you're looking at this and are not on my emailing list or didn't get a little printed invitation, you can still come...I'd love it if you did! Just send me a message in the "contact me" area of my website, and I'll send you all the info. So, I hope to see you there!
This weekend (May 16 and 17) is the Delaware (Ohio) Arts Festival, and it would be great to see you there! For all the info about the Delaware fest, see its official website: www.delawareartsfestival.org. I will be at booth number 59, which appears to be at the north end of the row of artists on Sandusky Street. This late winter/early spring has been so crazy with sick dogs and sick parents that I didn't think I was ever going to get around to making jewelry and finishing portraits, but I've been back at. Have a peek at my workbench to see some of the stuff I'll have at Delaware (it's actually a work stump, which is great for hammering...): Everyone (my parents, my dogs) is doing well right now, so hopefully the weekend will go off without a hitch. I'm hoping that the weather forecasters are wrong, and it will be dry all weekend. Why are they always wrong except when I need them to be?
Also, Teddy finished his third complete round of chemo last weekend, and he is feeling great! And, Maggie's Cushing's meds are doing the trick for her--she's as happy and peppy as a puppy! I'm having a holiday open house, and you're invited!
A great opportunity to pick up something for the animal lovers on your holiday shopping list, and a nice break from shopping at the mall! There will be refreshments, an opportunity to meet Teddy and Maggie, and a chance to win some jewelry and a mini portrait. Everyone who makes a purchase can choose an envelope from the Christmas Tree for their very own discount. So, where is this place?? It's at my home, and I'll be happy to provide directions if you go to "contact me" and send me a message saying that you'd like to come. I hope you will!! This coming Friday and Saturday is the Studio Sale at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center. I will be there both days, with jewelry only. Here's the official postcard for the event: Front BackThere is a Facebook promotion for this event (through Nov. 13th) whereby the Cultural Arts Center is giving away ART cash (a couple of certificates to be used like cash) for any purchase at the event. For information about that and a chance to win, visit https://www.facebook.com/columbusculturalartscenter. You can also find out more about the sale and the center on their Facehbook page. In case you can't read the address on the card above, it is 139 W. Main Street, Columubus, OH 43215. It is across the street (Main St.) from Bicentennial Park, at the corner of W. Main and Second Street. Parking is a bit of a hassle if you're not used to downtown. There are meters all over, and a couple of lots nearby...the one that comes to mind is at the northeast corner of W. Main and Second St., and there's one on of Mound Street just after crossing Front Street (Mound St. runs a block behind (south of) the arts center. Hopefully, parking won't be too bad in the lots because it will be after work hours and court hours (the arts center is not far from the Franklin County Courthouse.) I hope you'll give it a try! Here's a look at some pieces I'm working on....I hope at least some of them will be finished and ready for the studio sale! If you want a chance to shop some of my work for holiday gifts (or for yourself) and you can't make it to the sale at the Cultural Arts Center, I will be having an open house on Sat., Dec. 6th, but that information only goes out to my emailing list. So, if you're not on my emailing list, and you would like to come to the open house, or at least get notice about it, go to the "Contact Me" heading of my website and send me a message that you'd like to be added to my emailing list. I hope you will, as it would be great to see you at either event (or both!)
It's almost time....The Westerville Music and Arts Festival is coming up shortly, and I will be there! It's on July 13th (11 am to 8 pm) and 14th (11 am to 5 pm) at Heritage Park. That is located at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Main Street in Westerville. If you need more details about the festival, or directions to get there, click here and that should take you to the informational page from the Westerville Chamber of Commerce. I will be located toward the north end of the blacktop walkway that runs north and south, and I will be on the east side of the walkway.
I usually send out a coupon to my mailing list members for a little something off a jewelry purchase at the festival, so if you would like to receive one, just go to "contact me" and send me a message saying "Add me to your mailing list!" or something like that, along with your email address, and I'll add you to the list. I have quite a few new jewelry designs debuting at the festival, as well as lots of samples of my portraiture. So, if you've been thinking about commissioning a portrait and would like to see some work in person, the festival is a great time to do it (although you're always welcome to set up and appointment to come by at other times.) I hope to see you there! Check out this sweet little guy. As I was working on his portrait, I just wanted to squeeze him, he's so cute. Unfortunately, that won't be possible. Like so many of my portrait subjects, he has departed this world. It happened just a few months ago. He was 16 (like Sophie!). He was a much loved dog, with an owner that was crazy about him. I enjoyed meeting his owner, and she and I shared lots of stories about our recently departed loves. I think it was a little bit of therapy for each of us, and I was thankful for the experience. My job is about more than painting portraits, and I am grateful for the people I meet while doing what I do, and the bond I share with them that comes from not only loving our pets, but also knowing the pain of losing them. The owner was given a paw print of her dog by the funeral home that assisted her when Nicho passed, and she inquired about having a pendant made with his print on it. I had never done one exactly like this before, but I knew it was possible. I scanned a copy of the print and reduced it, then transferred it to a special kind of paper that is used to transfer the design to the silver and create a resist for etching. After a soak in an acid solution, a very meaningful piece of jewelry emerged. (See below.) You know that as soon as I finished it I was wishing that I had a paw print of Sophie's to work with, but not so. I do have a personalized pendant with a stamped paw print on it, and the pendant that's a little figure of her, which I shared with you on 4-29-13, which I'm very happy with. But still....the etched paw print was very cool. I don't often set out to make a piece of jewelry for myself, specifically, anymore. That's not to say that I don't occasionally think of a design, make it with the intention of offering it for sale, and decide that I need one like it, then make another one for me. That does happen. But I don't often design something with me in mind, then make it, knowing that I'll never make another one exactly like it. Well, I did just that, and I am very pleased with the result. I made a Sophie pendant for myself. And because Sophie was one of a kind, it's probably the only Sophie necklace I will ever make. I included her name on the chain on a little tab of silver that I stamped, and I added three little pearls to dangle from the chain, as pearls represent tears, because, yes, I'm still crying. This is a huge blog entry for me. I guess I'm making up for lost time. I've been super-busy this past month, with the usual Christmas preparations and such, on top of all the regular stuff, plus a birthday, and nursing my finger and my dog, so I've been really bad about updating lately. Here's a little bit about what's been going on... Having a bandaged finger doesn't seem like it should be a big deal, but does get in the way more than you would think. Things I take for granted, like the way I hold the leash when I walk Teddy, putting an elastic in my hair for a ponytail, opening jars, flossing my teeth, and trying to applaud at a great concert. It doesn't stop me from doing these things, but it does get in the way. It's also a factor when I'm sawing a design out of silver, because that's the finger I would like to be using to hold the metal against the bench pin. Oh, well. I did get my stitches out, and things were great for two or three days, then the joint got really angry and swelled up, turned red, hurt tremendously and became un-bendable. It's calming down now, and much of the pain is gone, but I lost a lot of ground with physical therapy. Despite the whining, I have managed to get some work done, and here's a photo of some of the jewelry I made while impaired. It doesn't interfere much with my ability to paint. Washing my hands, yes (when it's bandaged), but not in getting them dirty. Teddy had some dental surgery to remove a cracked tooth. It looked like it should be terribly painful, but he never showed any symptoms of the problem. He was very floppy from the anesthesia and pain medication, and it was sweet to see such a big dog be so...pliable. We didn't want him to fall off the bed that night (he usually starts the night with a visit for an hour or so), so we got him situated in his giant, very comfy Frontgate dog bed, which we covered with a sheet to catch his blood-tinged drool, and we thought he would be out for the night. Not so...sometime around 4:00 AM, Teddy decided he wanted to visit, so he flung his 73 pounds up onto the bed in a move that lacked any kind of grace or control and landed, like a bony sack of potatoes, on Art's legs. And then he wouldn't move. Art actually had to get out of bed and push him over. I was relieved to see that Art still had use of his legs. Teddy is pretty much recovered from his surgery, although we are still softening his food (which smells great, by the way.) He is now being treated for an ear infection. I really hope that Teddy is not trying to compete with Sophie's legacy of vet bills. We're hoping for an extended period of good health for Teddy (and our Discover card). Today is Teddy's favorite kind of weather: cold, wet and snowy. I took the photos below from inside our enclosed porch. He's watching the door and giving me the, "What, aren't you coming out with me?" look. No, I am not. Another Ernie Haase and Signature Sound concert. It was their Christmas concert, and it was wonderful. Cute boys on stage. They don't even have to sing and I'd be happy. Probably couldn't get my husband to go if that was the case... But they do sing, and they do it so well. And they are a lot of fun, too. We were able to take both my parents this time. My dad's recent knee replacement meant that we had to rearrange our seating at the last minute. They were very accommodating at the Midland Theater, and we appreciated that. Want a little taste of the concert? OK.....Here's a little video montage. It starts and ends with a complete "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen." While you may think that I'm using high-tech video equipment with amazing sound capabilities, which I have mastered from years of experience, from a well-thought-out location near the stage to capture my favorite parts of the concert, I am not. I am using my tiny point-and-shoot camera, which has a microphone I can't even see, from the middle of the balcony (thanks, Dad's knee), to capture those parts of the concert during which I was able to figure out which buttons to push on my camera to get the video to work, which I haven't used since the last Ernie Haase concert. So, basically, you're in for a real treat. But if you've got about three and a half minutes to kill, have a look. Then please go visit www.erniehaase.com, because they deserve much better than this. Anyway, here you go.... While you may not think that Ernie and the boys have anything to do with my work or my dogs, you would be wrong. I listen to a lot of music when I am working and walking my dogs (well, "dog" for now...), and that means a lot of Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. It's really exciting to experience their music live when I spend so much time listening to it otherwise. If they only knew that I'd never get any work done or walk a dog without them.... One more thing...It was one week ago that a lot of innocent people experienced an unthinkable tragedy in Connecticut. That has been on my mind a lot, and weighing heavily on my heart. A couple of days ago, a friend sent me something written by someone I don't know. I thought that it took a little of the sting out of what happened, and I'd like to share it with you. It's impossible to understand something like that, but where there is God, there is hope...
Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate. Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say. ...They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day. "Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. "This is heaven." declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house." When what to their wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same, then He opened His arms and He called them by name, and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring. Those children all flew into the arms of their King and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face. And as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad." Then He looked down on earth, the world far below; He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, "Let My power and presence re-enter this land!" "May this country be delivered from the hands of fools" "I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!" Then He and the children stood up without a sound. "Come now my children, let me show you around." Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran, all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can. And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, "In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT." --Patty Davis, Did you know that we have a premier facility for training assistance dogs right here in central Ohio? We do! Canine Companions for Independence has a regional facility in Delaware, Ohio. They're having a fundraiser in October, and I'm sending this cute little guy to represent Two Dog Studio and raise a little cash for a really neat organization. Good people, good dogs. Good job!
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