A Metalsmith's Journey

Looking back at a decade of making & blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 12:52:00 +0000

I started this post two years ago - at the ten year mark - and then went about my business while this sat in draft mode. . . and then *BAM!* I log onto the computer today to find a link to moderate a comment and see that it's now two more years - so 12 years since I began this blog. Say whaaaaaaaaat?
CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST >>>

Allergies?

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 19:01:00 +0000

This has quite a bit of language that some will find offensive - but it's an interesting video........ Happy Weekend!

On leaving Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 19:09:00 +0000

It was for me.

I deactivated my Facebook account nearly two weeks ago.

It came rather unexpectedly and I did it very quietly -- no big announcement, no long or sad goodbyes.

I didn't disappear due to any online or offline 'problems', other than of course, the 'problem' of FB itself. :-)

I wrote a little bit about it here, The Surprise I Got When I Left Facebook and I will follow up soon with some things I'm taking away from the experience. Things I learned or am learning and some observations now that I'm looking at it all.

I didn't delete my account and I'm not suggesting FB is evil or that anyone else leave - although I will say that I think people should consider how they spend their time --- you get one life, a finite number of days - it's a gift - be sure you're thankful for it and that you're living it to the fullest.

I plan to pop in and out of FB, maybe a few times a month, if that. When you think about it - a month is short! I have found I am MORE than satisfied not checking in for nearly two weeks. So maybe I'll pop in once or twice a month - and maybe it will be less. I'm not really sure. And it's not something I feel obligated to figure out.

It will happen how it happens, and that's ok.

I'm not leaving the interwebs -- I'm on IG and I will blog - you can contact me through either or drop me a line: janice at doxallo dot com and if you know my number, text me. :)

I hope to blog a little more now that I have more 'free time'. I hope some of you are still reading! :)

Rest, Regroup, Recharge

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 16:21:00 +0000

Like most artists, I go through periods of high production and periods of lower production. There are times when I am bursting with ideas and times when I feel like I'm walking a dry and barren desert.When I do wander into that desert where ideas aren't coming I do what many other artists do. I either clean my workspace, or I sketch, or I create in a different medium (painting for example), or I go for a walk, etc

Garnet and Willow Creek Jasper in Sterling

available on Etsy

But have you ever had times when you HAVE ideas, sketches waiting to be brought to life, the time set aside to create, and you enter your studio and you feel?

Those are the WORST!

On occasion I will have a complete day to myself (rare, but it happens!) and I get so excited about the opportunity for undivided bench time - and tehn, when I sit down to my bench. NOTHING.

Sometimes I can push through, but sometimes, every once in a while - there is seriously NOTHING that seems to bring me out of whatever funk has settled on me. I can go for a walk, the whole time thinking about what I'm going to make, then go back and sit down and - pfft.

Nothing.

Sometimes I'll attempt to clean the bench, do something else, etc (and usually it works) but sometimes - nadda. nothing. it's not gonna happen.

While no less frustrating, I have come to appreciate these times.

I recognize that this is not a waste of a day, it's exactly what I needed.

Apart from creating jewelry, I work full time, I am a single parent, I have a house and yard to take care of and other various commitments and friends and family and, and, and...... Sound familiar?

Does anyone else lead a busy life? Wear more than one hat? Feel like you are chasing your own tail sometimes?

Seriously, sometimes 'life' just catches up to us. And that void when you go to create just may be a signal. It's letting you know that it's time to shut it ALL down.

No sketching, no planning, no creating in another medium. Rest. Read, watch a movie - take a nap!! Disconnect.

And breathe. JUST breathe.

We tend to push ourselves. Whether at work, at home, or in the studio. Always trying to make something happen. Finish a project, write a post, fix this or that, the list goes on and on and on and on and can be endless.

I believe we need, at times, to resist the urge to push ourselves, especially in areas of creativeness. Embrace the idea of being a fallow artist, no stimulus at all - just rest, breathe, renew. Embrace the down times when they come. You just may find the soil of your creative energies richer for it.

Anyone know what Tsu.co is??

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 20:20:00 +0000

Have you heard of the new social media (SM) site Tsu.co ?

It opened up with little fanfare but there has been a steadily increasing buzz about it.

Maybe you got an 'invite' to tsu from someone and thought - what they heck is that?

Or maybe you heard that you can make money on Tsu.co -- and thought What the what-what?

Has my friend been hacked? Can they monetize SM?

Is this for real???

Great questions.

And I don't know that I have answers, but I'm trying to figure it out.

I saw an article mentioning it and thought I'd check it out, so I signed up.

Here is a screenshot of what my view looks like:

Looks kind of like Facebook (FB) - right?

Well, it is kind of like Facebook - but a cleaner, less cluttered screen.

Here is what I can tell you -

Yes, it's sort of like Facebook --. but with an angle: Users are supposed to be able to earn money simply by posting the stuff they normally post to social media.

Sounds fishy but there may be something to it. The general idea is that by using Tsu.co and posting content, you are adding value. Tsu has algorithms they use to track 'value - shares and probably sidebar ad clicks, etc. You (supposedly) will earn money when your content is shared or when users take certain actions.

Similar to Facebook (FB) there are various settings you can use to determine what is public and what is private, what you receive notifications for, etc. And you post photos, video, updates, etc.

Unlike FB, to join Tsu you must be 'invited' or follow someone's link. (mine is https://www.tsu.co/Doxallo ) if you want to join and check it out.

Tsu says that they are about quality content not spam....they urge organic and meaningful communications and connections. And they indicate that they will be on the look out for spam, monitor it, and take action when needed.

Which they will have to do or the site would become spam central - share my post to earn $$ ! - Right? Presently it's not like that.

Plus, Tsu has some parameters around how many posts and invites and other things you can do/use in a 24 hour period. The limits are fairly high, it's not likely I'd cross them, and they should help kill any big time spammers from running rampant in a short period of time.

You can use and search hashtags on Tsu to find content relevant to your interests and choose to 'friend' or 'follow' people. Tsu makes a special point to drive home the idea that the content is YOURS. You own your content .

There are some infographics floating around Tsu that you will see which tell you that you don't just sign up and magically make money. And that you probably aren't going to get rich off your tsu.co network.

But I figure any little bit of extra cash is worth checking out so if I cross post from FB and I try to develop some authentic relationships it could be a great SM outlet for me as it may help broaden my 'reach' and help my other business endeavors (www.doxallo.com and www.jewelryartistsnetwork.com as a nice perk.

Can you link up to other social media on Tsu.co? YES! You can add your website, FB page, IG, etc.

Only time will tell whether tsu has the ability to be an authentic force in the world of social media. As for me, I'm willing to follow along and see. If I don't like it, I can always leave, the only committment is a little time to see if it has any returns for me.

I figured I didn't have anything to lose and just might gain so why not?

How about you? Want to just check it out? See what it's about?

You can use my link if you're interested - https://www.tsu.co/Doxallo

What goes around comes around

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 19:08:00 +0000

Quite some time ago I posted this photo on Facebook.

It was meant to be fun- a playful take on what may REALLY be going on inside when things look semi-normal from the outside.

Let's face it - we all have an internal dialogue going on - and often times it is NOT what others might think it is.....

CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST >>>

The more things change......

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 13:55:00 +0000

the more they stay the same. Or it becomes MORE of the same, as in 'deeper'. . . . ya know?

That is my take away message from this year's retreat. This, our TENTH !

And WOW, have there been a lot of changes over the years !

From locations - MD, to NC, to PA. To number of attendees, types of projects, and 'format'. But, the more things change - the more some of it stays the same. . . .

Our "tagline" is Share, Learn, Grow.

THOSE things have not only remained the same, but have deepened over the years.

The sharing has grown exponentially - from jewelry techniques to business to cooking to issues of relationships, family, and life.

We learn more, in many ways, each year - about our craft, about each other, and also about ourselves.

Together.

There is no "I" in retreat! Retreat is a group endeavor. We all bring tools and materials, we all bring knowledge and creativity.........we bring our different perspectives; we bring a little piece of ourselves -- and we toss it all in there. And we GROW as artists and, I think, as people.

In thinking about retreat and what it's meant to me over the years and the people that it has exposed me to, I tried to make RETREAT an acronym of sorts, this is just one of a few I thought of:

Reciprocal
Exchange
Truly
Raises
Everyone's
Artistic
Talents

People come and go over the years, fade in and out as life gets busy with family, business, teaching, etc. Situations, interests and people, change, (what is that saying? "the only constant in life is change" So true!) but the heart of the network retreat - Share, Learn, Grow - remains the same.

This year's retreat was our second smallest on the books.

There were 7 of us who explored (risked?) together a new retreat location in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. It's a little scary changing locations but I have to say, for me, this was one of THE best decisions. Don't get me wrong - I loved the house in NC....even the crazy ride there....the anticipation would build the entire time and the old location became an old friend that I looked forward to seeing, despite it's flaws. and it DID have it's flaws for a group of our size getting together for our purpose.

The new location is not without challenges as well - but overall - I'm sold ! The house is brighter and cleaner.....and for me, the surroundings were much more uplifting. Again - brighter, cleaner.

We lucked out and had GREAT weather. It wasn't too cold, or too hot; not too wet, certainly not too dry...LOL

You can see the house below. Stills on a little rise, in a clearing. Wrap around porch on three sides, deck on the back, 3 outside table/chair areas and a bunch of rocking chairs.

The house doesn't (didn't) have wi-fi so we often found ourselves outside, on the porch, trying to get a connection on our phones.

But the real business took place in the basement. (this year out of any cold breeze, no rain blowing in, no bugs in our drinks - YAY!)

With our tables set up in a square with a community table in the middle full of pickle pots and other tools, we spent the week creating.

Below is my little slice of that square. :)

And I think this is Eva's space.

Rina found herself working on a piece of wall art for a good portion of the week. This very symbolic piece will be set into a frame for installation on a wall.

Below you can see the overall set up. It really really worked out very well. :)

We had SUCH a great time!!!!

Planning for Retreat 2015 is well underway.

If you'd like more information, please go here.

Pricing Your Work - a challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:08:00 +0000

Yes, it's a challenge. At some point we all seem to struggle with this topic.

How do I price my work ?
Am I capturing all of my costs?
What if I want to wholesale?

Have you answered those questions for yourself?

do you have a formula/method that works for you?

For those who don't - for those who are struggling - I have spent MONTHS talking to tons of jewelers - professional, hobbyists, weekend warriors and those in it full time - and I've taken it all and created a workbook to help capture ALL costs - office supplies? packaging? postage, marketing, tools, rent, etc - calculate several retail and wholesale price structures, and track items.

Why did I do this? Oh my gosh.

Can I tell you how much *I* needed this?

Truth time - I was guessing and estimating and generally not taking it all seriously enough. And I was losing money. GRANTED, I wasn't trying to make money at the time - but when finances started to get tight I had to take a good look at where my personal 'expendable' money was going - and it was all going into my studio/jewelry.

SO, the workbook helped me take an objective look at my work.

Adding it to my tutorial offerings helps me in a business sense but it also stands to help YOU.

It's an inexpensive product that can help you focus and be consistent in your pricing.

This workbook can help you determine appropriate and sustainable pricing for your jewelry - both on a wholesale and retail level.

I've included the most common CURRENT pricing formulas and set them up in a workbook with formulas built in to auto-calculate prices. all you have to do is plug in some of YOUR variables and voila' - 4 pricing structures just POP out!

There is an overhead worksheet which can help you take into account all the expenses outside of materials and time/labor. As well as an inventory sheet so you can see what is selling well and at what prices and locations. If you want to create a production line that information can be really useful.

This is a comprehensive workbook based on methods that have been proven successful by numerous jewelers.

I'm offering it at a reduced price for the first 20 downloads. All purchases at ANY time are eligible for one free editing session. So if there are things you think are missing and there isn't enough space or you want to re-work something - I'm willing to help.

I want us all to succeed. :)

The workbook is available on Etsy for now.

No, I'm NOT perfect!

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:30:00 +0000

So yea, I guess that's no surprise.

ESPECIALLY to those who know me well. :)

So it's always mildly amusing when people comment on my diet - my food choices. . . . from the perspective that I eat SO healthy or that I must be depriving myself of something.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I think most 'online' lives are a little different than the fully rounded offline life. Not that most of us are trying to misrepresent - it's just that we share things we think will be of interest or the things that interest US. So, like it's not that interesting (I don't think) to post my recent cheeseburger (unless there was something unusual or exemplary about said burger) but it's interesting to me (and I think to a certain portion of readers) if I find a new recipe or if I get hooked on a new breakfast. Typically when I'm striving for something or interested in something - well, that's what I'm going to post.

So, in terms of dietary interests. I'm interested in a relatively healthy diet. But YES, I eat things that are not considered very healthy. OVERALL though I am aiming for a healthy diet.

Why?

BECAUSE I WANT TO LIVE.

I want to FEEL GOOD.

Our bodies are 'machines' and need the right fuel. Anything else is harmful to some degree.

I posted today on the new blog a few quick and easy changes you can make if you are interested: http://justenoughhours.com/?p=179

It's not hard to make these changes even if you aren't going to give up other things. And truly, we can all stand to make some changes to increase our health because I'm not the only one that's not perfect :)

It's official - I'm moving!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:33:00 +0000

Yep.

That's right.

I'm moving.

It has been a very tough decision and SO many things factored in. I've gone back and forth and up and down about it. And I know that it's a TON of work and will take some time. And I know I may lose some friends along the way.

But I finally decided it's what is best for me and my family.

Soooooooooo, my new address will be:

justenoughhours.com

Hey, you didn't think I was moving my physical residence, did you!??

Oh holy cow no!!

I can't even begin to imagine that. Not again. Not this soon.

Maybe never. (ok, so no, I KNOW I will move again, but oh my gracious, not any time soon)

I appreciate the feedback I received when I did my little survey a while back. And I SO appreciate everyone who has supported me here on blogger. Your visiting, commenting, sharing, etc has meant so much to me and I REALLY hope you will follow me to my new blogging home.

I know I can't be everything to everyone and I know that not everyone will like the new blog, and while that makes me sad, I also know that I need to carve out a little niche on the web that is authentic to me. I think I've outgrown the blog name here - I don't want to maintain 3 blogs or sites but I REALLY want to share my other passions and fun. So, at Just Enough Hours, I can do that and it makes more sense.

Why the name?

Well, how often do we say "there aren't enough hours in the day!"

I don't know - maybe you don't say it. But I do. And I know a lot of people, especially women, who say it as well. But I got to thinking - - - - - dangerous I know. But seriously. Could you imagine if we had like 34 hours in the day? At first glance you might think this is a kick-butt idea. But SERIOUSLY - you think you're tired now? What the freak do you think you'll feel like if you cram in more STUFF into an additional 5 or 6o or 7 hours?????

uh-uh. Not me. NO way. I'd put myself in an early grave working or busy-ing myself to death. Literally.

so I think we have JUST enough hours in each day.

It's a good reminder to me of how time passes and what I'm doing with my time. What I'm capable of doing with my time. What I WANT to be doing with my time.

I'll be blogging and sharing about life in general, food, family, smithing.....tips and tricks or things I do to help me 'get it all done' (hate that phrase) - I'm not telling anyone how to do anything, just sharing my experience - my successes and failures. And hoping to encourage other women who are in the process of busy-ing themselves to death.

There's got to be a better way. :)

JustEnoughHours.com

Bookmark it, RSS it, get it in email. Visit, Comment, Share it.

Please. :) I don't want to lose touch with you.

~Janice

Little things add up!

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 17:19:00 +0000

I've been reminded of this in different ways recently.

How little things add up.

Metalsmithing is like this in so many ways.

Each piece we make is the product of so many small steps along the way. And not only do we build on those steps but how well we complete each step often impacts the final outcome.

Little things add up!

Most pieces we make are the product of smaller components that we've made. Make earwires, make connectors, make a focal, made small detail elements. . . .and............

these little things add up!

Into a fully finished functional piece of jewelry.

Earring components by Doxallo Studio in progress

Earrings ready for final clean up and polish

Part of what has me thinking about little things though is this.

That is my bread dough getting ready for it's first rise.

If making sandwich bread from scracth doesn't teach me to slow down and see the little things, I don't know what will!

Every little thing you do to that recipe, all along the way, impacts how it turns out.

From mixing proportions, to kneading time, to rising temperature and duration.....I am learning this by trial and error (and 3 loaves of bread in less than 10 days)

Every little thing, every choice, they build on each other.

This lovely little lump of dough belongs to my grandson. He often joins me in the kitchen.

He likes to help. and I like to let him. :)

From pouring ingredients, to stirring, to kneading dough...I even let him crack eggs.

He has his own technique he has developed - it goes like this:

tap tap tap, hold egg over secondary bowl, and fist it, smashing it to smithereens. It's quite effective.

Yes, it's messy. But it's really effective. :)

I just scoop the shells out, wash his hand, and then he dumps the eggs into the main bowl.

it works for us.

and you know what? It's a little thing that we do together. One of many little things --- that will build on each other. and will contribute to something in him. Hopefully something positive. :)

In addition to baking bread, I have made brownies twice in a ten day period.

This is good -- YUM!

and this is bad...... Ummm, YUM!

I have gotten in the habit of making my brownies in cupcake tins. Everyone gets a corner!

A round corner, but let's not get technical. . . it's the same effect.

Crunchy edges, chewy insides. Oh em gee.

hello calories! how'd you end up on my thighs?

ohhhhh, yes..................

little things add up.

So, I suggest cutting them in half BUT, here is another 'little thing' I started doing a few years ago. I add fresh ground flax seed to my brownies. . . and sometimes some ground oats.

This stretches the batter a little and adds some healthful qualities to the brownies.

It's a little thing, but if done in various foods we eat, these little dietary changes will add up! (you can also sub out some fat and other things but I haven't done any testing with that yet)

One last little thing. :)

Try adding a tablespoon of instant coffee granules to your brownie batter.

You'll thank me for it.

Great Inexpensive (jewelry?) tool !

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 26 May 2014 14:00:00 +0000

I ran across this cool little item a while back and put it on my Amazon wishlist. When I needed to order a few things the other day, I popped this little cutey into my cart. :)

I love a tool that does double duty and this little Xyron sticker maker has such potential, it was a great score at just 8 bucks !

This cool little tool takes your item - a drawing, cut out, picture, and turns it into a sticker. You feed it in one end....

Pull it out the other end

Lift to tear it off on the serrated edge

Then rub to 'set' the glue

Cut and peel off the top plastic

And you are left with a STICKER!

Peel off the sticker whenever you're ready to use it

And they stick pretty good!

you can't go wider than the opening, but you can go smaller

Hello little cutie-pie!

And you can go lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnger.

Now, these examples aren't exciting.

Not at all.

But think of what you can do - appreciation stickers in the packages you send your customers, logo stickers, food labels, stickers for your kids, stickers OF your kids -- or their drawings for Grandma !

Annnnnd, dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnnnn - in your studio - use them as piercing guides - any design !

Create the sticker, attach to your metal, and pierce away!

I am sure I will come up with other uses too.....what about you - what can you think of???

Tales from Home Cooking....

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 26 May 2014 00:29:00 +0000

I should not be left at home alone. Seriously.

Whenever I have a couple of days at home alone (or almost alone) I find myself in the kitchen.

I always think I'm going to run to the studio but for some reason, I go through periods where instead I end up in the kitchen.

This holiday weekend was one of those kitcheny weekends. While I spent a lot of time cleaning, mowing the lawn, putting stuff up in the attic, etc............I also found myself unsuccessfully fighting an incredible urge to COOK.

I baked sandwich bread in my new pan, made mocha fudge brownie cakes, enjoyed cheese burgers, and chicken two ways. And I still have one more day at home! whoot ! whoot !

Today I ate nothing all day except bread. A slice here, a slice there, plain, buttered, apple butter............so good.

I purchased a special pan to make a long loaf of bread that is JUST the right size for slicing and sandwiches.

Look at that beautiful bread........

Sliced so sweetly.

I decided we needed something heartier than bread so made chicken and rice for dinner. (I know - rice, more carbs!)

As long as I was in a cooking mood I decided to do the chicken two ways - a baked crunchy chicken and a pan seared chicken with sauteed veggies.

Yes, that's baked chicken.

Looks fried, doesn't it? Frying can be messy and after all of that bread I thought we needed to be a little healthy for dinner - right?

More on that tomorrow - as well as a look at the Mocha Fudge Brownie Cakes and their surprise ingredient, again, to be a little healthier.

Pancakes like you've never seen!

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 19 May 2014 23:40:00 +0000

I was never much for pancakes as a kid. I didn't like them most of my life.

But then a few years ago I was part of a 'taste buds' group - a group of people (buds) who taste tested recipes for a blogger. And THAT is when my fascination with the pancake began.

I taste tested two recipes back then, one a fairly traditional number but the other was chock full of various grains and ground nuts and the result was a hearty nutty flavorful and filling cake of the pan unlike the lifeless pale rounds of flat dough I had been familiar with.

Since then I have experimented with the humble pancake, putting all sorts of things in there...nuts, fruits, various grains. I really feel like there is no end to what you can add to a basic batter. (seriously)

The other day I decided to stray a little further off the beaten path. (having sick kids at home for days will do strange things to a person...........)

First I made a basic batter. And by basic I mean I start with about a cup of bisquick. And then all bets are off. :)

To that I generally add a half cup of ground flax seeds and a half cup of freshly ground oats. This time around I added a bit of cornmeal too, just for a little added texture. Then the requisite milk (of any variety - often almond) and eggs.

And then

for just a bit of color

I decided to add something I rarely have on hand

Cereal

Not just any cereal mind you - but sugary crunchy colorful and utterly-devoid-of-nutritional value-cereal.

aren't they pretty?

And yes, there are crunchies of the devil in there - true.

But there are also some good things in there that the wee ones will never fret over as they delight in the fact that Nana (crazy old coot) put CEREAL in their pancakes.

And looooooooook at the blue and red and yellow balls in there!

Cerealously (see what I did there?) cereal. ously. okaaaaaaaaay.

So seriously, maybe putting kids cereal into pancakes is not earth shattering or record breaking.

But. What I did next?

Yeah, that's one for the record books. (And by records books I really mean my recipe book. That maybe my Mom and my daughter will read. Some day. )

I poured some batter in a small circle in the pan.

Then on top of that I placed a perfect, delicious, rich, golden chocolate chip cookie.

Oh yeah. It's going' down.

I'm yelling Timber.....you better move....you better dance.

On top of the cookie went a dollop of pancake batter, spread around with a spoon til it just eased itself over the sides of the cookie.....let it rest a moment and then flip - cook a minute or two and voila.

Dive In.

This is a rick, gooey, sugary, chocolatey pancake that will knock your socks off.

Really more of a dessert than a breakfast item.

And, if you can restrain yourself, and let some of them cool.....the most amazing thing happens. The cookies regain their crunch (more or less). And you have a dough covered semi-crunchy chocolate chip cookie.

ONE THAT HAS FLAX SEED AND OTHER NUTRITIONAL THINGS IN IT!

(uhhh, yea, I'm gonna keep telling myself that)

In my defense, as I said the other day - I like to be careful and I try not to waste food so when I saw these few leftover chocolate chip cookies, well, I just figured I needed to use them before they went to waste.

that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Here we have kid treats

And kid treats with Nana treats....

But ok, so I am typically compelled to actually make myself something healthy. Here are the pancakes that I ate - same basic recipe as above to which I added the thinnest shaved tart green apple and a dash of cinnamon.

You could almost see through the apple it was shaved so thin.

(I LOVE my titan peeler!! I think I posted about it before)

They are far less dramatic in appearance, but they were really very tasty and much more in keeping with a proper breakfast. :)

One more for the road, just because they are so colorful and fun!

Comment below and tell us what you like to put in YOUR pancakes.

Biscuit Bits Breakfast Bites - using leftovers

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sun, 18 May 2014 19:39:00 +0000

I posted the other day about some yummy biscuits that I made to go with some even yummier fried fish - trust me - both were delish!

but when you have a small household, even the yummiest items can go to waste. IF you're not careful.

I try to be careful.

Hence my Biscuit Bits Breakfast Bites.

Look at that browned biscuity goodness. And the fluffy egg and golden cheese. mmmm

These make great use of leftover biscuits but can also be made with fresh dough. In addition, you could put pretty much ANYTHING in them so they are a great use of other leftovers too.

Here is how mine went down....first I broke some biscuits into muffin tins (actually greased the tins first)

then I poured beaten eggs on (sorry, skipped the photo on that step)

then I added cheese - all I had was 'american' but would have preferred something with more of a bite

I added some meat - truth is, I added chopped hot dog on these, which really isn't what I'd normally call 'meat'...but ham chunks or bacon would be great. :)

In half of the pan I topped the biscuit crumbs with butter then chopped fruit, a pinch of sugar and some ground flax seed.

Although these didn't stick together completely when removed from the pan - THEY WERE SO GOOD. The butter in the biscuit crumbs created such a lovely crispy crunchiness....they truly were delicious. :)

This is such a great way to use leftover bread or biscuits....and leftover veggies and meat, and fruit. etc. So versatile and they store well for a few days and can be a great 'grab and go' item.

What is your best creative use of leftover bread?

I'm a litle OCD

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 01:43:00 +0000

It's true.

I have a slight tendency towards obsessive compulsive behaviors.

I'm recently finding myself more and more obsessed with jars.

Mason jars specifically.

I have begun switching out containers in my kitchen for jars. lovely jars. beautiful glass mason jars.

I don't know why but I am kind of in love with them.

Just a little.

Lately though it's not just storage.

I have recently become rather fixated on meals in jars, cooking in jars, food prepping in jars.

There is just something so lovely about seeing the ingredients stacked up in there.

Pastas and nuts and rice and beans, food becomes a decorative element.

I've begun food prepping my breakfasts in jars. Above are several bfast starters.

Some slow oats, a few chopped nuts, a pinch of raisins, a teaspoon of chia. In the morning I chop some fruit.......... Then a splash of almond milk and off to work I go.

Today it was mango, strawberry, and apple.

After an hour or two, give it a shake and dive in with a spoon .........

sooooooooooooo good.

You can also BAKE in them. Yea, I know. CRAZY!

(I hear you can then cool, cover, and freeze but I haven't gone that far yet)

Over the weekend I made a pumpkin spice bead.

Again - oh. my. gosh. so good.

I am not quite sure THIS size is a single serving -- I split it into two, but I have smaller jars that I will try as well.

I also made a 'smores in a jar' but I wasn't crazy with how that turned out so I am going to tweak that and I'll get back to you on it. :)

What about you - do you use mason jars in the kitchen? Cook in them? Store food in them?

Scare Away the Dark

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 01:34:00 +0000

I have a pretty eclectic mix of music on my playlist. I range from blues to pop to country and contemporary christian, to....dare I say it....a little bit of hip-hop - and ummm, rap. (did I really say that?? I never ever ever would have thought I'd say that......)

Lately I've been listening to Amos Lee, Etta James, Bread..........The Animals....Ray Lamontagne, Alexi Murdoch...mellow stuff. Slowing down a bit I guess.

Trying anyway.

It's so easy (for me) to get caught up in the 'busy'.

And busy isn't 'bad'...but sometimes there is a lot of noise in my life.

Too much noise.

I posted that little graphic to FB about 5 months ago. I had begun thinking about it a little prior to that and it has stuck with me.

So, why am I sharing this?

Well, I have been reassessing..........I've backed off social media, I'm not firing up my home computer every day anymore. (yes, I do check in each day, but sometimes just quickly on my phone) I've left a lot of online groups and cut way back participation in the remaining few.

And you know what? There's a lot less noise.

Another artist on my playlist getting a lot of play lately is Passenger - I'm really digging these lyrics:

We should run though the forest
We should swim in the stream
We should laugh, we should cry,
we should love, we should dream
We should stare at the stars and not just at screens
You should hear what I'm saying and know what it means

To sing sing at the top at your voice,
Love without fear in your heart.
Yeah and feel, feel like you still have a choice
When we all light up we can scare away the dark

Yeah we wish we were happier, thinner and fitter,
We wish we weren't liars and losers and quitters
We want something other then just nasty and bitter
We want something real not just hashtags and twitter

It's the meaning of life and it's streamed live on YouTube
But I guess gangnam style will still get more views
We're scared of drowning, flying and shooters
But were all slowing dying in front of computers

All of this to say, yes, I'm online a little less.....and not to be contradictory, but hopefully I'll be coming back to blogging a little more consistently - it's a little slower, a little quieter, a little less compulsive for me. It's a choice.

And yes, I am already missing some friends, and I'm trying to PM and send emails, and PLEASE feel free to do the same - if I've seemed distant it's probably not you, it's me. and it's not personal. :)

I'm just trying to scare away the dark a little over here. :)

Journey with camera to curating my photos

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 15:10:00 +0000

But it's more than that really.

It's a journey of discovering if this will remain a lovely, fun, inspiring, and creative endeavor or if it will turn into a business that is all of those things plus contributes to the health and happiness of my home.

It's a journey of self discovery as well.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST >>>

Getting to know the camera

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 18:24:00 +0000

A while back I began having some issues with my beloved camera. :(

And as much as I love my Lumix, (looooooooooooooove) I could no longer ignore that it was, indeed, time to get a new one. I considered another Lumix, maybe a slightly upgraded model, it's a GREAT camera (they have a great macro zoom feature for jewelry) but I have long wanted a DSLR that would give me a broader range of manual settings for other photography as well. After looking at various models, it came down to a nikon and a canon.....

CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST >>>

How to flush set faceted stones

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 01:20:00 +0000

Flush setting stones is a great alternative to having a raised setting such as a bezel, tubes, or prongs.

Flush setting round stones can be a quick and (relatively) easy way to add a bit of sparkle to a piece of jewelry. (and who doesn't like a little bit of sparkle now and then??) You can also set other shapes of stones, there is just a little bit of difference in how you get there. :)
Here is a wonderful video from Cristina on how to flush set round stones:

Cristina Pabon-Hurley.

A somewhat simplified overview:

for a round stone you drill a hole, enlarge the hole a bit with a bud or round bur, and then tweak it a little with a setting bur before inserting your stone and burnishing to lock it in place.

for a stone such as a trillion you need to mark off the stone position then drill multiple holes, use a jewelers saw to pierce the rough shape, use gravers and various burs to create a custom seat for the stone, then set the stone by 'tapping' or hammer setting to lock it in place

Alternate shape stones require a bit more time to create a seat, but with practice, you can master this and have a great technique to add to your skillset.

It's been a while since I have flush set anything other than rounds but Cristina piqued my interest and since I've determined to get back to the bench, I decided to pull out some practice materials and dust off the gravers!

Flush set trillion in brass mount

This is a cast brass ring mount just for practicing and a faceted trillion (black CZ). So - how is it done? In a nutshell:

I began by turning the stone upside down on the shank for positioning. I used crazy glue to secure the stone (I used an accelerant called Zip Kicker to rapidly set the glue) and then traced around the stone with a scribe. (you can just 'tap' the stone loose from crazy glue and chip it off with your fingernail)

I then drilled three small holes, at the points, before using my jewelers saw to pierce out the shape. (sawing at a slight angle to sort of mirror the slope of the stone)

After that it was almost all graver work as I don't presently have the proper burs for this size work. Working slowly I enlarged the hole with a flat graver and cut a seat (or ledge) for the stone to sit on. An onglette graver helped create an angled channel down in the corners and I used a tiny ball bur in each corner to create pockets for the stone points.

Once the stone could sit down in the metal at the right position I smacked a piece of packing tape across the entire setting and used a hammer handpiece in my flexshaft to tap the metal bringing it down on the edges of the stone to hold the stone in place.

I use the GRS quick change manual graver handle to go back and forth between gravers quickly. I like the system because it's compact and it feels very solid in my hand.

When I do the next one I'll take some photos during the process and share as I've received a lot of questions about this technique. :)
And here are some round flush set on a simple band

I want to say again that I really appreciate the feedback on my survey. If you haven't seen it, please go take a look and fill it out while you are there. :) It's been interesting to see the answers and read the comments - as I said in a post a few days back, there really aren't any surprises so far - BUT, I should add that it's helped confirm a few things for me. - and that's a very good thing!

Don't forget that we're in the planning stages for this year's Jewelry Artists Network Retreat - and we're accepting Interest Forms this year as we may have a couple of spots open. :)
Hope you'll consider joining us, it's always a LOT of fun!

People are great, so is smithing. :)

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:45:00 +0000

Don't ya' think?

OK, I know they aren't always. There is a lot of weird craziness out there, but there is also a lot of good in the world and people can be really great.

Everyone that has taken the less than 3.5 minutes (on average)to answer my little blog survey - you are GREAT!!!

If you haven't taken the survey, you can do so here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HXJ2C2F It's anonymous and would really help me as I consider, not if - but HOW, to continue blogging. :)

And please know that if you haven't taken the survey yet - I'm sure you're still great.

And if you have no intention of taking the survey - well, I imagine you're pretty great too. :) I mean, it's just a survey after all!

While the responses are fairly few so far - it is interesting to look at the trends. Mostly no surprises - the majority of respondents are here for the jewelry! Most are women. :)

I really had no idea about age group - but most of the respondents are my age group or thereabouts.

And I have to say that the comments left with the survey - ICING ON THE CAKE! I mean really - I really can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I love that you are being honest - telling me what you like AND what you don't like. It's all good!! I have never operated under the misguided notion that I can please everyone - I have always said that we shouldn't even TRY to please everyone - its a recipe for disaster. However, its great feedback to hear the positives and the negatives from your point of view. I mean really, I wouldn't blog if there wasn't a 'you'. So while I will ultimately need to do what is best for me and my family - I totally want to take into consideration my internet friends, peers, and readers. You take the time to read - and to answer surveys! - I want to honor that.

I feel like there hasn't been a tremendous amount of jewelry blogging going on around here lately....which is a direct reflection of the fact that I haven't been making a lot of jewelry. I am working on changing that. Carving out a little more 'me' time as I get more organized around here.

I took a few hours one day last week and made a new ring - really just an experimentation. Play. To get myself back to the bench I pulled out a jewelry book and decided to mimic a design technique - stamping. So I stamped a band with a 'v' design stamp, then added dots. Then I decided I wanted to mirror the 'v' diamond pattern on the band and I wanted to use up some stupid big triangular wire I keep buying over and over (and then not knowing what to do with it, but not knowing how to order it because of the way it comes described - not gauged. ugh) ANYWAY, so I decided to just cut a chunk of the triangle wire and solder it on and then for practice, and play, and the heck of it - I flush set two 2mm sapphires. Like so:

so the stones set fine.....but I'm not crazy about the design. weird little ring. I may disassemble it, not sure yet.

Then this week I decided I needed to get back to at least a once weekly studio time, so while the day is not determined, I did take last night as a night and decided to stay the course with the flush setting - nothing too complicated - just getting re-acclimated to my bench.

I left the topside matte - and set 5 clear CZs, two peridot and one amethyst.

the inside WAS polished to a very high shine - just along one edge that I had flattened. But much of that got lost as I cleaned the inside of the ring from burs from drilling holes.

I still like it though. Not a bad way to get back to the bench. So hopefully, whether here or on my website - I'll be blogging more smithing stuff from now on!

A request for help please !

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 17:48:00 +0000

You may have noticed that I haven't blogged for months. *sigh* I have always been a bit hit or miss, running in fits and spurts, but I'm afraid this latest absence is something 'more'. I don't know it it's a permanent break (would that be a 'break' if it's permanent?) or just a little extended vacay.....but I've REALLY been making some rather significant changes in my life since about the end of October.

In tons of ways in many areas of my life.

In all of this, thoughts about this blog keep coming up and I keep letting them go just as quickly because I really and truly am conflicted and haven't wanted to confront myself and this blog. However, there's only so long we can run, sooooo, it's time to confront it - no more running or ignoring or putting off.

And this is where you come in. If I could ever ask for help - this is the time....

CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST >>>

Opening doors

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 00:41:00 +0000

Yesterday I was sharing about strength and closed doors and how we can often re-open a door. I do realize that sometimes doors get blown to bits when we close them and there's no going back....but for the most part we can normally re-open a door. (We may not find ourselves in the same spot on the other side, but maybe that's a good thing.)

Personally I find that I have some doors that are revolving doors. I go round and round and in and out of them. Fitness is one of them - I have had periods in my life where I am on holding on tight and other times when I've been flung aside and no matter how much I want to jump back in, I just can't seem to muster the mental fortitude to make the leap. Well, the switch has flipped and I jumped on board almost 3 weeks ago.

My son is on the journey with me and it's been a lot of fun spending time with him exercising. We're using the Workout Trainer app on my phone which is great - you can select what level of workout and whether it's with weights or not, then you can schedule
them in advance and receive an alert or reminder on your phone when its time to work out. LOVE IT!

We are also walking/jogging several evenings each week. I hope soon to have him add some hand weights in to increase his muscle mass. He's pretty fit, not at ALL overweight, but he could definitely use some strength training. In addition, I found some old workout videos and DVDs! Some that I've never even used....so this should be interesting. :)

(see any familiar ones?)

I wish I could find the old Jane Fonda videos..Jane Fonda workout - anyone remember? The blue metallic leotard, the legwarmers, the 80s HAIR!! Here's a flashback. I'll leave you with that, it's time for me to see if the old Billy Blanks Tae-Bo videos still work........

wish me luck. ;-)

Strength

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 18:14:00 +0000

I recently read a blogpost which had a list of things the author had learned to let go of (can't vouch for the blog itself as I only read that post)....But..it gave me pause and some good thinking points.

Source: flickr

Many ideas on the list are the typical things you would think of once you begin reading the list - such as, the need to be right, the need to prove myself, the belief that I'm not good enough, etc etc etc. I think most of us can resonate with nearly all of the items that were on that list, maybe not all presently, but probably all of them at one time or another in our life. Anyway, the list got me to thinking about what I need to let go of presently - yes, some are on the list - but I also wanted to think outside the list about what things are truly going on in MY life, where I may need to let go of something.
(more after the break)
CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST >>>

Go all in

noreply@blogger.com (Janice) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 17:18:00 +0000

-- it's worth it.

I saw this via Facebook the other day, linking to an article which had a list of things to 'do'....about 'how to live life'. This particular bullet point was directed at relationships...and while I'm not as much of an 'open book' as the author was suggesting we should be in terms of relationships and going all in -- the overall idea of going all in resonated with me. In terms of just about everything else.

Work, hobby, recreation, etc.

Whatever we do - don't do it half assed - don't dip a toe in the water.

DIVE IN DAMMIT!

Break more than just the surface with a toe - dive in, glide a little, break the surface and suck in the air...............exhilarating !

When was the last time you went all in?

Share in the comments below, inspire and be inspired!