Let me know if you make them I wanna see.

• Amy’s Awesome Topless Mitts

Here’s a handy dandy link page for sourcing just about anything I refer to in my sock making videos:

• Youtube Channel: Amy the Sockmaker
• Big CSM FB group: Circular Sock Machine Knitters 2.0 is always there for anyone who needs help or advice. They are great people with a great love of all things sock machine.
• Erlbacher Gearhart made my 1:1 ratio Speedster sock machine and I adore it and this company!
• The Circular Sock Knitting Machine Society is a great non profit org that you should definitely join if you make socks – dedicated to helping and preserving sock machine knowledge.
• Acrylic hand turned CSM handles: seek out Celeste Angello in the FB group
• Counter weight for CSMs who have custom handles installed: seek out David Huelster in the FB group
• Embroidered CSM machine dust covers and drip floor mats: A Creative Eclectic on Etsy she does great work and is also from Colorado!
• the custom color of my machine is Orchid Lavendar from Prismatic Powder
• My cone winder can be found here, shipping from Germany, I emailed the company and got a quote, then paid via paypal and a month later my winder/cones arrived.
• I buy my cobweb lycra from Erlbacher Gearhart
• I love fischerwool, simply sock yarn, Hue Loco, Lolodidit, Super Garne (Aktiv), and of course your local yarn store for sock yarn.
• I use these magic clips to pop on the cam shaft and make the machine quieter (only works when knitting in the round, not heels/toes), also works well for holding your ends when you yarn change
• I followed these instructions on the Colorado Cranker’s blog to make my soft weights. My big weight is 3lbs, my 3 heel fork weights are 8oz, 8oz, and 10oz (I don’t know why I did that, I would just make them all 8oz if I were to do them again). I used BBs/shot (the kind you load into a BB gun), old doubled over commercial socks initially, and made covers for the weights after shot started leaking out of the socks after a year
• Juana’s 1×1 Selvage

Files I made for tracking / planning my sock making:

• Here is my Sock Log sheet that I use for every pair of socks I make:
  • PDF version: ACS.sock.log.checklist
  • Excel version, if you like to tinker: ACS.sock_.log_.checklist.xlsx
• I’ve also created a “foot sizing” worksheet to determine how many rows to knit for the foot to get a correct size. I have not revisited this form since last year so use at your own risk. I have still had some issues with getting the right size, but I think that’s due to variances in yarn stretchiness. Still, it’s a good resource just for learning how to make the right size (even if more testing is needed).
  • PDF: ACS.foot.row.sizing.worksheet
  • Excel: ACS.foot.row.sizing.worksheet
• And finally, once I figure out the optimal tension of a yarn, I have a log to jot it down, along with other yarn specifics, such as yardage per 100g, how many rows per inch, foot rows (for me), etc. Here is that form:
  • PDF: ACS.yarn.tension.fabric.log
  • Excel: ACS.yarn.tension.fabric.log

OK, that’s it! Hope you enjoy

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Socks no. 8/31 for #socktober! It’s the 14th so I’m super behind but I carry on. These are a present so mum’s the word. #socks #socktober #socktober2019 #csm #circularsockmachine #erlbachergearhart #speedster #socksofinstagram #handcrankedsocks #handmadesocks #knitsocks

A post shared by amy sanders (@raine137) on Oct 14, 2019 at 10:22am PDT

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Sock machine in action. #csm #sockmachine #circularsockmachine #erlbachergearhart #speedster

A post shared by amy sanders (@raine137) on Oct 4, 2019 at 11:31am PDT

Good resources:

https://www.facebook.com/artfairinsiders/ – love this site for seeing if a show has good reviews
http://bermangraphics.com/contents.htm – fantastic wise advice for jury photos and booth shots as well as general show advice
http://www.artsbusinessinstitute.org – lots of good advice, geared directly to working artists

The quality of shows is directly related to the quality of the customers. A cheap $25 show at a school raffle or a church bazaar is going to have people who may spend $25. (If you make 1000 $5 earrings, this show may be a big hit for you.) A high quality Art in the Park juried show that costs $500 will (hopefully) have customers ready to spend $500+. Your results may (and will) vary, but you have a much better shot at making money at a quality show than at a cheap one. I’ve been in some very expensive shows that were absolute duds. Look for reviews of the shows you’re interested in, and make your decisions based on that. If it’s been a dud for several years, then maybe skip it. You never know though — I had a GREAT show that my neighbor sold next to nothing, so sadly, it’s very fickle. But quality shows do beget quality buyers.

It’s helpful to have a wide range of prices. A showcase piece at $1200 makes your $400 piece look enticing in comparison. And you never know. Someone may walk up and must have that $1200 piece, and hand that card over without a blink. Definitely do have a good amount of “bread and butter” pieces. Earrings are generally the bread and butter for jewelers, prints for artists. They love that $1200 piece, but feel good about walking away with their $35 purchase. And after looking at the $1200 piece, $35 suddenly doesn’t seem so much!

Make a checklist of what you need and put EVERYTHING on it and check it off as you pack. Then modify it at the show — some things you may find you need that weren’t on the list, some things you brought that you may not need. There’s lots of check lists out there, but you may not need what’s on them. Your list will become more specific to you as time goes on. Kleenex, wet wipes, and a flat screwdriver are essentials on my list, but they may not be on yours.

Square is fantastic, the fee is kind of low, and you can just get the free reader to start off with rather than the new ‘stick your whole card in’ $50 version. It sucks to only take cash. Get Square.

Make sure you’re charging the correct sales tax, and send in your sales taxes right away. This is a rule I break every show, and it sucks. If it’s confusing trying to fill out the form, just call the number on the tax form and talk it through with a person. They usually very helpful and don’t make you feel like a dumb dumb. They know if they help you, they’ll get their money!

I also like to just keep a notebook where I’ll jot down the sales throughout the day. It’s handy to know what is selling, and it’s invaluable the next year when you’re debating whether to apply to that show again. Memories are fuzzy. Write it DOWN.

Be nice to your neighbors. You’ll see them again. And they are INVALUABLE! Especially for a novice. Show folks start to feel like family after a while, even the ones you’ve never met. They share the same experiences of you, they’ve been through what you’re going through, most are ready to help. They’ll watch your booth for you while you go pee or grab a sandwich, so make sure you offer to do the same. Especially if you have someone near you who is alone – extend the offer at the beginning. If the show is slow, talk to them. They’re a fount of knowledge, and when you run into them at the next show, it’s like seeing an old friend.

Practice your set up at home. This one really sucks. God knows I don’t want to look at that tent when I’m home, but it’s worth it. You have time to arrange things, work out any problems, get some good pictures for your booth photo. Any experience taking your tent up/down will help when it’s show day.

It’s hard to hear “don’t be nervous” and actually not be nervous. I still get nervous before my first show of the year and it sucks. After sitting in a booth for an hour or two with no customers the nervousness wears off real fast.

This is just me, but don’t drink at the show (unless maybe it’s a 2 day show and it’s day one!) Lots of shows have food trucks which may include wine/beer. It’s tempting to go get yourself a glass of something, but alcohol in your system when you’re trying to break down and get out of there is just not helpful. You get overheated more quickly, your head will ache, your ankles swell, you’ll mess up the order of doing stuff (I drive a Prius, so putting everything in the car in the correct order is a must to Tetris everything in there perfectly) and overall, you’ll just regret doing it. If it’s day one, and you just have to zip up your tent at the end of the day, that’s fine, but otherwise, save the drinks for when you’re home and the car is unpacked. Manual labor is never made easier with alcohol. It’s still manual labor, and now you’re really hot and have a headache. Not fun.

Tall director’s chairs are fantastic. Having someone pop up out of a low chair when you walk into the booth is kind of off-putting. Like those greeters at clothing stores in the mall who hound you when you first step in. A high chair you can kind of slide off of gently to standing when needed. Plus I think they’re more comfortable. Much better for your back, which matters when you’re sitting all day long.

Start a mailing list at the show. A piece of paper on a hard surface or clipboard is all you need.

Be prepared with answers if someone isn’t sure but may want to buy later. What will you do if you hand out a card and someone emails you a week after the show wanting to buy that piece after all? Have an answer if someone asks. Always try to close the sale though – create a sense of urgency.
“Well, this one is a one of a kind, so it may not be available.”
“I only have 5 prints of this one.” etc.
“I do have a website but this piece I just made this month, so it’s not on there.”

Along with that, customers saying they’ll swing back later usually never do. NEVER EVER HOLD ANYTHING for someone saying they’ll come back for it later. If they really want you to hold it for them, they can pay for it FIRST.

“Oh, I just love this piece. I left my wallet in the car though, I swore I wouldn’t buy anything! Can you hold it for me while I go get it?”
“I’m sorry but I don’t hold anything, as a rule. I used to, but I’m afraid I just get too many people who don’t come back. If you hurry there and back, I’m sure it will still be here though.”

Prepare yourself for the litany of dumb, and sometimes outright offensive comments you will hear at shows.

“Did you paint/draw/make all this yourself?” (No sh*t, Sherlock.)
“My brother makes those I’ll just ask him to make me one.” (Oh really? That may be so, but I doubt it will be the same quality as mine)
“Wow, is it really $XXX?” (LE SIGH.)

If someone is fiddling about the price, (“I could get a nice XX at IKEA/WALMART/AMAZON!”) — just know they are not your target audience. Your target is someone who appreciates art, the time, talent and workmanship that goes into it, and doesn’t mind spending money on it. However, educating the WalMart masses is something all artists can take a little stab at every time they hear these degrading price-gouging comments. Think of replies before hand, and try not to be confrontational. You may think that they are trying to offend you, but honestly, the many times I’ve heard this, most people really don’t realize they are sticking their foot into their mouth when they say stupid stuff.

“Then why don’t you go get one there!” — nope, bite your tongue!
“Maybe you’d feel better shopping at WalMart!” – no no no no.
“You do realize that that was probably made by a sweatshop in China, right?” – actually, this one, when phrased differently could be used efficiently.

Keep the antagonistic one liners to yourself. A confrontation with someone strolling the show will be retold to their friends, and THEY will paint themselves as the protagonist, not you. The “moral” to their story will likely end up as those fussy artists who think they’re entitled to being rude just because they can wield a paintbrush or a silversmithing torch. This hurts not just you, but all artists.

People make these dumb comments because they are ignorant of the time, workmanship, education that one puts themselves through to product their art. It’s our job to EDUCATE, not denigrate.

“Oh, Ikea does have those nice Audrey Hepburn prints. And I love some the abstracts! You realize of course, there’s probably millions of those hanging in homes across the world, whereas this original took me X hours, and has a limited print run of XXX. See how that color just hits the light just so to make it glow? It took me a month to mix up just the right color I saw in my head to make it like that. It was a great moment when I finally figured out just the right blah blah blah blah…”

It’s hard to shift gears in someone’s head like this (and your own head, moving from offended to educate-mode can be difficult). Time and experience helps, but try not to let yourself get angry at the dumb shit people say. Don’t get mad at them. Educate them. If you can shift their thoughts of “I can get this cheaper at….” then you’ve helped change their perspective of the value of handcrafted art as well, which can then be BUILT ON by the NEXT artist they come across. When ALL artists educate the masses, it helps all artists as well.

If you CAN’T think of any way to turn the negative comment around… just say,

“It’s not for everyone.”

I love this phrase – and it’s true. Your work may not be for the person in front of you. Or, it might make them yearn to be a part of this elite exciting inner circle. It takes the pressure off of everyone, really, allows them to acknowledge that yes, this isn’t for them, and it allows you to still be gracious in the face of rudeness. Try not to say it in a snooty way

When you are selling, you are really selling yourself. Your story. Your experiences. Tell them what you were thinking when you thought of making it. Tell them how you were feeling, or how it came out of a trip you took to the city, or how your cat kept bugging you the whole time you were painting it, or how the solder just wouldn’t flow on the original design you had, but thank god because what you came up with as a cold connection turned out so much better. Anything that makes that piece personal. They’ve come into your booth because something drew them in. Engage. Tell them a story. Tell them something they can relate to their friends when they show that piece off.

“Isn’t it gorgeous? You wouldn’t believe it, the artist was actually on a road trip with her family and was sketching ideas in her sketchbook while they drove, and just when the sun was setting she saw…”
“Can you believe how gorgeous? The artist works right out of her basement in the rocky mountains!”
“Beautiful right? I got it from a student in art school, her parents wanted her to be a lawyer, but she’s going her own path!”

Tell a story. You are selling a part of your experience.

Bruce Baker has a set of CDs that are geared to help artists sell, as well as booth display and I think pricing (it’s been a while since I listened to them. Time for a refresher!) Lots of artists aren’t good at selling. But it’s a skill that anyone can learn. His website is down (at the time of this writing), but do a search for them and nab them if you can find them. If you can find a workshop he’s teaching, that would be an excellent reason to spend the money and go!

When the show is over, think about questions you were asked that you weren’t sure how to answer, or think you answered badly. Work out a better answer for next time. Think about how you could steer them toward your story, or create a sense of urgency to purchase now, or how to respond to a customer who needs education about art buying. Quick answers aren’t always the best answers, so take the time to think how you could respond better next time.

Never talk bad about customers. Even to your neighbors. They can hear you. Booth walls are thin. If it’s a slow show, never tell them.

“How is the show going for you?”
“Oh it’s fantastic, the day is so beautiful and I get to meet such interesting people! I’m new at this, so it’s a great experience for me!”

Always be enthusiastic and upbeat even if you’re in the hole $500. Feeling sorry for the artist never got anyone many sales. Success begets success.

In addition to that, a busy booth will attract more customers. It’s happened to me — you get 2-3 people in a booth and people wandering by want to come over and see what the hubbub is about. One person decides to buy something and then other people are suddenly in the buying mood. It’s fantastic when it happens. For my jewelry, it’s often a group of women who are shopping together, and suddenly decide they are all worth it! “I’m getting these earrings!” “Oh you should, you’re worth it!”

In addition, if you try to stay busy instead of just sitting on your butt with your nose in a book, it can also attract folks over, and make them feel like you won’t pounce on them. BUSY BUSY BUSY. I have a hard time with this one, there’s only so much arranging and rearranging I can do, but give it a try.

You’re stuck there, so enjoy it. Don’t keep your head stuck in your phone/tablet. Bring a craft that can keep you from going crazy with boredom, but also won’t make customers think, “Oh I don’t want to disturb her.” YOU WANT TO BE DISTURBED! Make sure no one feels like they’re disturbing you. I like to ..*gasp*.. make jewelry at shows! Haha. But sometimes I’m even sick of that, so I will also crochet.

Hope these tips help out newbies! Feel free to add any additional in the comments, or ask questions and I will try to help.

There’s a lovely special feeling when you’re at a show. Your neighbors are your friends. You talk to them, you chat about their work/your work, you talk about other shows, how they were good/bad. You talk about the nuts and bolts of booths — where did you get yoru tent? How long have you had it? Does it do OK in the mountains? You have HOW much weight on each leg! Those glass display cases are lovely. The talk can go on and on (and it does, depending on how busy the show is!)

When I’m setting up for a show, or breaking down, that is when I feel like I must have an idea of how carnival folks live, with of course, major differences. We put up tents, decorate the tents to be enticing to passers-by, and set up a little mini version of “life” behind the counter where we sit all day, with all the necessary accouterments to sell for 1-3 days and be comfortable and keep busy at the same time. Scissors are lent to neighbors and step ladders are borrowed. Help is given with that wall that just doesn’t want to zip on properly.

And then when the show is over, everyone breaks everything down, says goodbye, promises to write — as if it’s the end of summer camp, which in a way it feels like it is (except without nearly as much fun).

My first show in Colorado was up in Breckenridge 2 Labor days ago and I tell you, I was a HOT MESS — disaster-town!! I forgot my cheapo folding tables (I had to run to Lowes and buy some), I had a cheap tent that was a $200 popup from Costco, not enough weight, and if it hadn’t been for the guy selling wooden spoons named Rich across from me, I would have packed up and left. The winds that would suddenly blow bent one leg of that cheapo tent, and my kind neighbor Rich got some dog spiral stakes and tie downs from his van and helped me secure it so at least it wouldn’t blow away. The same wooden spoon guy was across from me at my show last weekend – two years later! – and we chatted again. He remembered me from that show, and commented, “you look pretty professional now!” because BOY my entire booth had changed from that horrible show! I have good tent that has to be put together pipe by pipe, but can handle the sudden Colorado mountain winds and storms without any issue. I have professional outdoor carpet covered tables that are 42″ tall, perfect height for folks stopping by to browse my jewelry (as opposed to making my customers get a backache from leaning over folding tables!) Plenty of weights holding my tent securely in place. Banners and curtains adorn my walls, and I’m behind my tables in my director’s chair, keeping busy. My booth is always a work in progress, but I’m not lost at sea as I was at that first show. And it because of the giving artists willing to offer a hand to the new gal that helped me to keep at it and give this show thing another go. I’m always trying to lend a hand to those who are just starting out or just need a hand — just like a hand was lent to me.

I feel like I’m at the next stage of not just improving my game at shows — but my game in my overall jewelry business. I’ve known this was coming for a while but it was just too scary to consider seriously. I want to get into higher end shows, but my work is much too scattered to get me into them. I have been doing chainmaille for so long but my heart isn’t in it anymore. Sure, I love sitting down and making a piece now and then, but take this weekend for example. A slow show is the perfect time and place to get a lot of chainmaille pieces made. I had the pliers with me, I had the rings. But I just couldn’t bring myself to work on it. It has lost the appeal, it bores me. I would rather be enameling! I would rather be stone setting! I would rather be soldering! I know that I need to expand on the work I am really enjoying, and start phasing out the chainmaille. I need to work on a cohesive line of enamel jewelry that works together.

I saw a painter friend who pointed at one of my newer enamel pieces and said to me, point blank, “That is where your artistry lies, my friend. That is where you should be spending your time.”

I knew she was right, and I’ve known it for over a year, but when everyone comes by your booth to purchase your chainmaille jewelry, it’s hard to give up your main revenue stream.

But when another show-friend (who’s opinion and advice and experience I greatly respect) reiterated the same thing.. it is really sinking in. It’s time to give up what I’m bored by doing and move in the new unknown direction — even if it doesn’t feel safe. Even if it’s dangerous and on uneven ground. It’s time for me to take myself seriously and get to work on what I love, especially when that work opens up more possibilities in my future, instead of being dead-ends. We’ll see how it goes from here.

In good news for customers, I’ll probably be having a closeout sale on lots of chainmaille by years-end!

– Amy

I also have a ton of shows I’m doing this summer. I haven’t done very many shows here in Colorado since we moved here from Virgina 4 years ago. I did a couple shows at the last minute last fall, and then planned booth upgrade purchases (which were then made before spring) and applied to a whole mess of shows. Many of them accepted me! Hopefully it is a successful return to the show circuit for me, we shall see how it goes.

Here are all the things going on for me this summer:

6/12-6/14: 24 hours of LeMons Race, High Plains Raceway, CO (nothing to do with jewelry, but still a hoot)
6/19-6/21: Art on the Green, Lyons, CO
6/27-6/28: Parker Summerfest Arts & Crafts Festival, Parker, CO
7/17-7/19: Colorado Metalsmiths Conference, Salida, CO
7/25-7/26: Longmont Arts Festival, Longmont, CO
7/29-8/3: Family Vacation
8/8-8/9: Denver Art Festival at Sloan’s Lake, Denver, CO
8/15-8/16: Steamboat Springs Artstroll, Steamboat Springs, CO

If you can make it to any of my shows, please stop by and say hello! If you are ordering from my website(s), Friday/Mondays around these dates will likely be “pack stuff away and organize” days rather than “make stuff/ship orders/work work work” days.

In another return to things I’m doing but haven’t for a long time, I dyed my hair purple! I went pink for a summer long ago when Jocelyn (now 11) was just a toddler gal. I had a corporate gig there and kind of congratulate myself that the HR manual at that company now has a line about “unnatural hair color” not being allowed (grin).

Well, I’ve been a full time ARTEEEEST! for 4 years now, with no corporate gig in sight, so purple it is! I did NOT do any bleach this time around, because I am a fickle, fickle woman, and purple will not be wanted forever, and when I’m done with purple, I don’t want to have to deal with thrashed, bleached, horridly abused WHITE hair. I learned my lesson on that from my adventures in pink. My ends were very light anyway from years of dying it red (which then fades to light blonde after 6 months), so those light ends took the color nicely.

Here are some crappy photos of me and my purple hair:

Purple? Or maybe pink.

A photo posted by amy sanders (@raine137) on Jun 7, 2015 at 12:00pm PDT

Wow, look at me, writing like, STUFF ON MY BLOG! About my LIFE! and ME! And my THOUGHTS AND THINGS I’VE DONE OR WILL BE DOING! SHOCKING!

It’s kind of miraculous. I’d better stop before I bring about the apocolypse.

Ciao,
Amy

ps: Even though I hardly update here anymore, if you do like little peeks into my studio/life/pictures of dogs — then you might like to follow me on instagram. Photos include, what we and my daughter did in the studio for “Take Your Kid To Work Day”, dogs, cats, things I’ve eaten (that sounds weird, I mean pretty food pics, not “here let me regurgitate this so you can see it!”), jewelry, stones, really cheap race cars, cute kids, kitties, doggies, etc.

You can also purchase a kit for the necklace right here!

Just don’t hold your breath.

So… we got a dog. She is the sweetest, most adorable, nearly perfectly well behaved doggie ever.

Now, I am not a dog person. I am a cat person. I love a kitty who will come sit on my lap and snuggle away, and then generally take care of themselves the rest of the time. Cats are for the low maintenance household. Dogs on the other hand… well, they take a bit more work.

My husband James though, now he’s a dog person at heart. Sure he loves our cats Ender and Valentine just fine, but deep down, he has really wanted a dog. And since we moved to Colorado from Virginia, to a house that has a fenced in back yard….. well, the hints have been dropped.

However, *I* am the one who is at home all day, *I* would be the one that would have to watch after her, take her out, and generally deal with her for the majority of the time. So.. it was kind of me that had to sign off on it. I wasn’t eager to.

But all summer long, every time I saw a dog… my heart melted a little inside. “DOGGIE ALERT!” I would say to Jocelyn, if she was with me, and she would join me in looking at/going over to/gushing over/petting/loving up said dog.

Then one day, after Saturday brunch at our favorite weekend brunch place, I said to James (KNOWING IN MY HEART WHAT THIS ACTUALLY MEANT…) “Why don’t we go over to the county shelter and look at the dogs?”

He looked at me, and had that look in his eye. That look that Charlie Brown must have gotten in HIS eye every time Lucy asked him to kick the football before she yanked it away from him. That look that said he REALLY wanted something but wasn’t sure he was actually going to get it.

“Are you sure?” he said.

“I’m sure.” I said — totally lying. I WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO SURE!! I KNEW what it meant. I KNEW that if we went there, we would get a dog. I was not sure. But I wanted a dog, and if we could find the right dog…

Well we went. So many dogs! When we got to her kennel, I knew she was something special. First off, she was standing right up against the door, and made nary a peep. The din of noise from all the other dogs was too much for my 12 year old son — he has always been noise sensitive — he left to go hang out with the kitties. We made a note of the kennel and then arranged to meet her outside. After that meeting, we agreed she was the one for us. We went up front and adopted her — but couldn’t bring her home until after she had been spayed, later on in the week.

We spent the days discussing what to name her, and preparing for her arrival. While James really would have liked a Star Wars name (Sabine and Ahsoka were the top favorites in that arena) we settled on Katara — who is the water bending friend to Aang in the children’s cartoon “Avatar – The Last Airbender” (NOT the movie Avatar with blue people, and NOT the live action movie version of the cartoon, called “The Last Airbender”, which was horrible, sorry, Shamalamadingdong. The cartoon is awesome, and the perfect show to watch as a family — good for kids, and still great for adults as well. It’s funny and charming and has a great world and storyline, go put it on your Netflix queue!) We have a history of naming our pets after Sci-Fi/Fantasy characters, and we weren’t about to break the trend now (Ender and Valentine are from Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, a book I highly recommend you go and read right now (it’s way better than the movie)).

(Wow, I really went all out with parenthesis in that last paragraph.)

Katara came home, and she’s been with us for 3 weeks now. That first week was kind of amazing for me, the non-dog-person. I felt like there should be a movie montage of the two of us falling in love — her running in slow mo through the grass toward me carring her rope toy, me with open arms waiting to greet her. Katara eagerly looking back at me at the end of her leash, me smiling at her and talking softly. Katara flopped down on our living room floor while the family watches the latest episode of Top Gear. All with the perfect soundtrack. “Dream Weaver” maybe? I’ll have to think on it.

“I LOVE HER!” I declared with astonishment and passion to my mom on breaking the news of our newest arrival. She laughed, “Of course you do!”

It’s been 3 weeks now, and the first blush of new love and excitement is past now — I still love her, but am no longer SURPRISED by how overpowering my love for her is, LOL! What I don’t love however, is the absolutely stinkiest farts this dog has been ripping. Maybe it’s the bits of peanut butter or spray cheese I add to her Kongs that then turns into the most foul, fetid smell that has ever been introduced to this planet’s atmosphere, but whatever it is, I wish I knew so I could stop giving it to her.

I feel like I did when I had a newborn breastfed baby. A baby who is breastfed has the most non-smelly baby poos ever. They smell vaguely unpleasant, I mean, it’s not like it’s appetizing or anything, but a breastfed baby diaper has a very mild, almost sweet smelling odor to it, so that you start to believe your beautiful wonder child is the first in the world to actually process food through their digestive system without actually making anything that stinks. “Of course they would, they are the most WONDERFUL BABY IN THE UNIVERSE, why wouldn’t they sweet smelling poop??” you think to yourself.

But when you feed the that same sweet baby some cereal or baby food for the first time and suddenly those diapers are filled with actual adult smelling shit, it’s a bit of a shock to one’s system. “I thought my baby’s poop just naturally didn’t stink!” one would think. Of course, one would be very very wrong.

It’s this same shock and surprise I’m experiencing now when I’m talking to my husband and an audible toot sounds, and I look at him. “Was that you?” I ask. Always full of surprises, this marriage. “No,” he answers. We both crack up as we look at Katara’s sweet doggy face. “IT WAS THE DOG?!!” we chortle — laughing until the smell hits us, and then we run for the gas masks.

So that’s the news from the Panders household — Our new sweet puppy, 6 month old Katara is a happy addition to our family, smelly farts and all.

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I feel like a new mom!

-Amy

So here we go– just going to bust these guys out.

This cute little guy was a sample piece I stamped when experimenting for a piece in silver. I liked it so much I kept it for a long while. I enameled the back, and then the front with a lovely transparent enamel that makes the copper surface shimmery and golden. I still love this cute little guy — I am not generally a “cute” type of person, but looking at this piece just makes me happy.

3xR week 2 & THAW2014-2

On to week 3! This guy also makes me happy. I am not happy with the execution — this is the first time I’ve tried to set a faceted stone in a flush setting — and as you can see, it leaves much to be desired. However, I still love this little guy. The rustic stamping goes with the “rustic” stone setting, and I look forward to perfecting this technique.

Week 3: 3xR & THAW2014

And finally, week 4! I have kind of a thing about poppies. In Virginia, there was one week in May where the exit from I-66 was awash with poppies. It was the highlight of my commute — every May I would start to wonder.. “where are the poppies? Did I miss them somehow? Did they get mown over last year and they’re not coming back?” and have a serious panic sad moment — and then a week later, there they would be, in glorious wild bloom. I miss the field of poppies – little dots of brilliant red against the green grass, right next to the roaring (or more likely, stop and go) traffic of folks traveling into DC from the burbs. Every May, right around Mother’s Day and my son’s birthday.. I think of the lovely field of wild poppies gently nodding right off of the Nutley street exit.

Ahem. Where was I? Right! The enamel tile I made late last year using a sgraffito method of enameling. First a fired base of black enamel. Then I mixed up some liquid white, painted it down on top of the black and then sifted the green on top. I used a pick to scratch through the wet enamel to reveal the black underneath. I also scratched through where the red flowers would be, and then fired. Finally, I added the red enamel for the poppies, and touched up the stems with some enamel crayon. It was a joy to do and I hope to do more.

The tile was sitting in my enamel sample box — so I fished it out and added some scrap chain, dotted with lovely lemon citrine nuggets.

Week 4:

And there we go — a full month of Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling — a Thing A Week! In February — we’ll see if I can’t blog weekly instead of a big post with everything in it!

Amy

Here is the video:

If you’re interested, the photo tutorial is also right here!

And of course — you can see all of my FREE jewelry tutorials right here.

After I posted yesterday, I got caught up in looking through my old blog posts. I am so happy I have so much about my children when they were little. Some of the stories I remember, and have been come family legend (this video for example… Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!! Is there a ploblem?! Oh my goodness that video KILLS ME.) Other stories have fallen behind lost to memory — except when I spend a half hour reading through my archives! This one (specifically, the barbie doll head story) got retold at the dinner table last night.

It has been a great month so far in 2014. Last Thanksgiving, we went to Utah to my sisters to have Thanksgiving with a lot of family on my side, as we usually do. At some point during our visit, we went and saw the movie Frozen. I was kind of on the fence about seeing it – actually, more on the ‘nah, i’ll see it later” side of the fence. But I went, saw the movie, and was COMPLETELY blown away with how awesome it was (and is!).

I pick my daughter Jocelyn up every day from school along with two other girls we carpool with. And every day in January, we have a ritual on our way home from school. We crank up “Let it Go”, grab our imaginary microphones, and belt it out as we drive home. Sometimes I need to circle the block until it’s finished! I haven’t been this much in love with a Disney movie since Beauty and the Beast. When I saw in the theater with the opening scene to Beauty and the Beast, I felt transported. I felt like I was sitting watching musical theater. It was so beautifully done, the music so lovely – I was in heaven!

Yup, Frozen has topped them all. I may or may not cry in at least 5 different places in the movie.

Here’s the song “Let it Go”, sung by Idina Mendel.

I ran across this parady version which totally cracks me up. It is an alto’s lament that Disney songs are always so HIGH. It’s hilarious, but I also think it’s funny because “Let it Go” is one of the LOWEST Disney songs every! The highest it gets is an E — it think it’s even an E flat — which really, is NOT that high! Still, hilarious parady.

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE! Don’t let your children wander over and watch it with you! Ahem. Like someone might do. Not me. No, it definitely wasn’t me. Why, did my kids tell you? Dammit, I told them not to tell anyone I let them see this.

There is a Frozen Sing A Long movie that is supposed to be released this weekend. I will be there!

I’m off to cut some jump rings this morning, and hopefully get to some enameling later today. My ideas for an entire enamel collection is growing — including the basket hoops up there in my new site banner. Aren’t they the CUTEST?

Off to work.. Happy Wednesday!

-amy pats herself on the back for writing. TWO TIMES in one week!