ponder press – Page 12 – custom keycaps, jewelry and crafts handmade in Seattle

A week in the life

Once again I can’t help but marvel at how a girl who really likes to write struggles with creating blog posts. Regardless, I’m here now and ready to share some of what claimed my time last week. I had the week off, and it was great to be a little bit lazy and whole lot of productive.

Before I could make a mess, I had to tidy up. In doing so, I took a long look at this encaustic piece I did a couple of years ago. After trying it out, I think it might just stay where it is.

Then, I rekindled my romance with pearl knotting and whipped up these necklaces. Two of them sold at the market last week. (Yay!!) Plus, it’s the ideal craft for Morgan’s place. We don’t alway agree on how much light there should be, and pearl knotting does not necessitate any kind of interrogation light.

The week away from work also gave me an opportunity to have lunch with my friend Jonna. It was a pleasure to visit with her and her daughter. And, I ended up the happy recipient of many new enameling powders. So, I spent Wednesday enameling. I still haven’t mastering the bead-pulling station. Grr …

But I’m pleased with these flat pieces.

Then it was time to break out the polymer clay to see what I could do. I’d recently seen a post about creating a faux glazed- ceramic look with clay, so I gave it a whirl. Like the enameled pieces, there were hits and misses. I’m particularly pleased with these two.

This piece is no specific look, but I think it’s kind of cool. How will I turn these all in to actual necklaces? Stay tuned …

And here, just for fun, are two pieces I whipped up while at the market. I am very much taken by the cat. I just love those colors.

Resin clay cat in a beaded bezel with a wire-wrapped necklace and a beaded circle necklace

Next, I want to say how much I love Rubber Moon Stamps. Some of their designs are so lovely and inspiring. Sure, they might be a little woo-woo, but I do mean that in the best possible way.

So that’s kind of it, in a nutshell. I found stuff to donate, throw away, file away and finish. It was indeed a soul-satisfying week. Now, four about 10 more just like it.

The Unpost

How did it get to be nearly the end of July? Summer feels like more of a theory this year than an actual season. I suppose that’s ok, as I’ll take this cool weather over last year’s sweltering temperatures.

Last week I participated in Lake Forest Park annual summer craft vendors’ day. It was a great day in the sun, meeting new people. And, there I’m able to sell journals, so I spent some time making a few journals. (How much do I love my bind-it-all?!) And, how much do love the journal I made from a copy of the Christian version of the Ungame?! I glued in some question cards, and think that overall it’s pretty great.

It’s Wednesday, and I’m already feeling good (that is, ready) for Saturday’s market. There’s just a little gluing and some connecting of shrink plastic pieces, and I can call it good. It’s amazing how many jewelry elements I have squirreled away that are nearly ready to go, but haven’t been completed. I will be making use of those.

I have next week off from the day job. I think I’ll putter around, do some enameling and put some beads to good use. All I know is that I need a week at home.

Also, twice last weekend I was asked about teaching. It’s exciting, but terrifies me. That seems kind of silly because I’ve been thinking that I should have gone into education. Could that be “two great ‘tastes’ that taste great together?” I don’t know. What I do know is that, as usual, my head is full of ideas, thoughts, worries, speculation and so much more. How to make sense of it all?

Road blocks

Long before I ever had a blog I told people that it was the photography that was holding me back. I didn’t want to photograph each and every pendant or piece I make. Even with a light box or taking advantage of natural lighting, I’m rarely happy with my photos. The staged photos seems to be riddled with too many shadows or less-than-accurate colors. And the off-the-cuff images are plagued by distracting backgrounds or close ups of my hands, which look like they belong to someone about twice my age.
But, I’ve kept plugging away at it, knowing that it’s better to post something than nothing at all. And then, I learned that when I post photos to my blog by using my phone and the photos all looked upright like they should, that if I looked at those same images on my computer, the photos were all sideways. That will explain some previous posts.
Apple does something weird with photos, something that Morgan could explain. So, I tried taking some landscape photos. And guess what. I’m left handed, so my photos ended up upside down. Come on, Apple!! What’s the deal. I have been one of those people who has felt smug about my love of all things Apple since the early 90s. Could the love affair be coming to an end? Oh, I hope not.

no-exif-03 — Dried flowers + dried leaves + my Sizzix = these fun shapes just waiting to be put into bezels.

So, I’ve shrugged off making any posts as a way to not start down the frustrations of flip-flopped photos. (Update: Even though my photos are upright here, they still look sideways when I look at my blog on my phone. I really don’t know what to do anymore.)

no-exif-04 — I’ve had these glass circles for years. But, a reminder that peyote stitch would be a great way to connect them finally helped me put them to use.

Not to mention being caught up in some summertime blahs that have left me less industrious than I care to admit. It’s been a weird summer. Between rain and work travel, I have yet to get into a good market groove. The market is entering its third month tomorrow, and I have yet to see some regular customers. Am I that dependent on routines? Maybe. Probably.

no-exif-05 — These dried flowers on this blue background make me smile.

no-exif-06 — Foil is popular for card making and scrapbooking, so why not jewelry? I love the leopard print!

What I do know is that I want to harness the energy I do have to enamel some beads, which will be a first for me. I also want to put to use my massive quantities of seed beads. And there’s clay. There’s always clay. Someday I’ll be seriously proficient in something. Someday I’ll feel like less of a jack of all trades, master of none. Maybe. Until then I’ll keep being me and doing what I do, how I do it. There’s still so much to try and learn, including how to take photos with my phone that will show up with the right orientation when viewed on a desktop computer.

Flower power

Morgan had the brain last week, which left me with little energy for much of anything. I did, however, smash a few more flowers. They just keep showing up on my desk at work.

In this process I’ve learned that:

Hydrangeas are a hearty flower.

Sweet peas will fade to a weird grayish blue.

Lantana looks like Fruity Pebbles.

And the pansies growing outside of my door don’t mind that I keep taking the blooms. The plants just keep making more.

oh, I also had time to realize that I still love playing with clay.

Will I ever learn?

Hand stamped, colored and resined beaded bezel

We’re a month (five weeks) into the market season, and today was only my third day there.

Two weeks ago it was so very rainy, and in a market first, I called to cancel the day of. The forecast was for 90% chance of rain, and it was really coming down on my drive in. I was filled with equal measures and and guilt as the thought of cancelling.

Bird bezel embellished with paint, glitter, flowers and resin.

I did feel some guilt for cancelling, but the rest of the day felt like a snow day. You know, I had plans for something else, and then my day opened wide up. Morgan made a fire, and I crocheted and added items to my etsy store. (Which led to sales, so it’s not like I had to swallow the cancellation fee.)

Last Saturday the forecast was for rain again, and I studied the hour-by-hour forecast as if my life depended on it. I decided to go, even though my normal neighbors wouldn’t be there. I was cold and miserable for much of the day, but sales-wise, it was the best Memorial Day weekend in three years.

Even so, sales were slow in the morning, and I dislike the negative self talk that starts up when people pass my jewelry by. I know it’s not for everyone. I know people not judging me. And, I know that my self worth is something more than the $35 booth fee. Never mind that there’s a huge sense of relief upon making that amount for the day.

It’s one thing to know these truths. It’s quite another to internalize them.

The funny thing is that despite today’s sunny weather, sales were kind of slow. It really is a crap shoot.

All of that said, this morning an adequate song was on the radio when I pulled into the lot. It was the best I could find. Last week it was the Beatles’ “Let it Be.” There was a message there for me. And, it’s no secret that the song playing in the radio when I pull in will determine the day I have. It has to be the radio; it can’t be something I choose. Yup, see the previous post about he having weird ideas.