Found Moss Pendant

Found Moss 1
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

Hello readers...a quick post and a photo to let you know of what's to come...

I'm getting ready for a much needed vacation. A much, MUCH needed vacation, so my shop will be closed for the rest of the week through Sunday. Orders will be completed/fulfilled upon my return on June 30th.

This beauty here is called "Found Moss," named after all things earthy that I hope to uncover during my upcoming stay in the woods. I hope to get it listed today before I leave. The pendant is a type of gemstone called "Chinese 'Chrysoprase'" (at least that's what I think it is based upon my research). The blend of colors is quite lovely, and it coordinates nicely with the oxidized sterling silver wire that's wrapped around it.

I'll share some vacation photos upon my return...scenes from campsites and canoes. Cheers!

Etsy Purchases for My Home

Hello readers...as you all may or may not know, occasionally I enjoy sharing my Etsy purchases with you by babbling about them on my blog.

Today's post is related to some of the things I've been buying for my home. Art, pottery/ceramics, and home decor are the biggest categories I shop from, so I thought I'd give these sellers some recognition for their beautiful work.

One of my latest is from ArzuMusa. See this lovely little candle holder? Yep, she created this "Trio of Shamans" piece all by herself, and shipped it to *ME* all the way from Fethiye, Turkey. I absolutely adore it, and it coordinates perfectly with the colors of my home. The glow is beautiful, the craftsmanship is superb, and I've received many compliments on it already! Thank you, ArzuMusa!

Another item that I purchased...in fact, purchased multiples of, are kokopelli prints from Etsy seller kathatart. I have my favorite displayed below. Much of my living room is done in a southwest theme, so these are perfect accompaniments! I also love kokopelli, so whenever I see something that captures its magic, I snag it immediately. Beautifully done, Kathy.

Yet another purchase that will coordinate perfectly with the colors of my home is this beautiful painting by treeartist. Stunning! It is an original, so I'm very excited about that. The warm oranges and yellows are stunning, and will be a fabulous addition to my kitchen or my office. Thank you, Jordanka!
Last but not least, you may have remembered me talking about khphillips a while back, during the holiday season. I had my eye on his chip and queso dip set, and I finally snagged one for me! This is going to be perfect for my summer parties, indeed. Keith also sends his recipe for black bean and chorizo queso with this set. Keith--have I told you lately that you ROCK!!??

That's all for now dear readers...some upcoming items I'll be looking for is place settings. I'm going out with the old and in with the new, and I'd like to have them all be handmade. I like rich, earthy colors, but they have to be unique. If you're a seller of pottery/ceramics and you'd like me to check out your shop, by all means leave me a comment. I'll be happy to look!

Bead Trends Magazine

Today's post brings some news I'm excited about--two of my pieces have been chosen for inclusion in the November/December 2008 issue of Bead Trends magazine. Wheeeeeee!

A while ago I sent them some photos when they had their call for submissions, and about a week and a half ago they contacted me to ask me to send them my stuff! That's partially the reason why things have been so hectic...the one piece they requested had sold since I sent in my submission, so I had to create another one very quickly. I also had to write the instructions for each. For the earrings, it was easy, but for the lariat...not so much. There are many, many steps...about four pages worth! Apparently the editor revises them as necessary, and from looking at the magazine, it seems that directions are generalized for the most part. So, I gave them my text-based steps with as much detail as possible so they could edit as necessary. The hard part is, being an instructional designer, I'm VERY DETAILED with that kind of stuff! So, when I see the edited version, I'll probably cringe a little bit. If you're an ISD nerd, you'll know what I mean! ;0) I'll just have to get over it. LOL.

From what the kind folks at the magazine told me, the issue will be released some time in October. You can find copies of the magazine at Michael's.

The Big Oops

The Big Oops
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

Hi readers! I'm back from a long break...but not a break from work or jewelry making...nope, I've been busy, busy, busy. More about that in a later post.

My story today brings about some of the activities going on inside my home right now. As you may or may not know, my husband and I do some backpacking trips on occasion (he more so than I). Another one is coming up beginning this Thursday--the North Country Trail. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend because of work responsibilities as well as the lack of a babysitter for our kids (I mean, our dogs).

For this particular backpacking trip, my husband decided to invest in a food dehydrator, based on recipes recommended in The Back-Country Kitchen: Camp Cooking for Canoeists, Hikers, and Anglers. This is a big project, indeed, folks. For the past week he's been dehydrating things like vegetables, meat, and fruits. The vegetables and meats are part of his dehydrated meals, similar to the Mountain House brand (but without all of the sodium and preservatives).

The fruits go into his trail mix...which is why I posted this photo--this is what strawberries are NOT supposed to look like once they're dehydrated. Apparently we cut them too thin, and they basically shriveled up and stuck to the wax paper. I thought it would be a cool looking photo, though, so I thought I would share. Needless to say, the dried strawberries will not be making it into our mix--better luck next time!

In case you're interested, however, these are the things that ARE making it into his trail mix--it's our standard tried and true recipe:

• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries (next time, we'll be cutting them in HALF rather than slicing; apparently this is the appropriate size/thickness for dehydrated strawberries)
  
• Bananas
• M&Ms
• Candy store chocolate (like covered peanuts, pretzels, and raisins)--very important!!
• Granola
• Nuts

Mix it all up, stash it in a Ziploc, pack it in your backpack in an easy access location, and munch as necessary. Note the importance of the candy store chocolate...the reason is because when you carry the mix in your bag, it gets somewhat warm, causing the chocolate to melt just enough that it forms "clusters" of all of the good treats in your mix. YUM.

I hope all of you get out into the woods this year--it's good for your soul. I have a canoe trip coming at the end of June that I can't sit still for. I'll post pics, I promise!

Bridesmaid Jewelry

midnight5
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

Dear blog...I'm sorry I've been neglecting you...but I've been busy finishing these for a dear friend of mine.

Swarovski crystals and pearls are surrounded by hand wrapped wire...the circular frames around the pearls were soldered and hammered for a textured look.

See how it lays on the neck at http://www.flickr.com/photos/simply_wired/2542003554/

Next is four pairs of earrings...and then they're ready!

More photos to come after that, but I'll be on break from today (6/1) through June 4th, as I'm going on a trip for work.

I shall love you again, dear blog, upon my return.