tiny little loveknot

I've been slowly using up materials that I have on hand to make our budget stretch just a little farther. That makes my ideas for projects jump around a bit, so my theme for the month is "practice." Soldering is still getting the best of me on most days, and I spend a fair amount of time doing fault isolation procedures, cleaning my work area, checking my equipment, reading resource literature, and then I usually melt something. This little ring is attempt # 4. The wire is 20 gauge, which is pretty thin. I like how it looks in this photo, but I think it would be more practical to wear if it were made of heavier wire. I'll try some more tomorrow. I'd like to make interlocking knots, too.

sterling silver loveknot ring

soldering practice

 Etruscan link hand-forged copper chain

sacred heart earrings

this is my first attempt at sweat-soldering

I have been practicing soldering, and these are my results so far. It is fun and engrossing.

love from the garden

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rose petal heart beads in progress

bye, Buddy

R.I.P. Buddy

July 11, 2010

This was truly one of the nicest dogs God ever made. He was one of the seven that lent this blog its name, and he left us peacefully and suddenly without warning. You will be remembered and missed, Buddy.

happy mother's day

hugs & kisses

thanks, mom

I called my mother on the phone today to ask her to describe how to do an invisible ladder stitch to close up a pillow I was sewing. A few minutes later I called her again because my seam had gaps. Ultimately, she came to my house and showed me the stitch. She is an excellent dollmaker, and I was filled with love for her as I watched her knuckles, swollen from arthritis, expertly and swiftly make the tiniest of stitches with ease.
Thank you Mom for countless lessons, for so many phone calls when I needed to visit, for teaching me how to live. I love you.

hanging in there

big hug

















wood-man



_ Woody still seems like he's still feeling OK, and he's getting alot of love.

a goodish, baddish day

Yesterday i was excited to watch the inaguartion of Barack Obama, and I was photographing images off of my flat screen TV like a nerd, but I don't care.

Meanwhile, my big dog had gone to the vet for routine bloodwork prior to dental cleaning.

______________________________woody




I was shocked to get a call from the vet telling me one of his tests came back showing an elevated "something"cell count that was an indicator of bone marrow cancer (rarely) or kidney tumors. I generally don't believe in extreme measures to prolong the life of a dying animal, and after several phone calls back and forth from the vet, to me, to my husband, blah blah...we decided to just let him be and keep him as happy as we can.

He's sort of a big dog, and he is 8 years old, but I felt like someone slammed a door in my face and punched me in the chest. We sucked it up enough to take a bunch of pictures, in the hopes that some turn out to be good, and even had some laughs doing that, but it's all bittersweet.

i love him and i'm going to miss him