The Filigree Garden

Regal Wings

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:31:00 +0000

(Written in October 2006)

There is a wondrous show taking place all around us on these late fall days, though we humans are often oblivious to being surrounded by such a magnificent stage. I have caught glimpses of the performers in many places. One flits over a stoplight at a busy intersection; another visits the bold yellow sunflowers basking in the afternoon sun of my garden. Still more drift through the busy parking lots of shopping centers, or pause to rest in trees along the sides of the highway. Some have a solo role and some act en masse. Their costumes are spectacular, self-made in an arduous process requiring weeks of preparation and patience. The silky fabric of their gowns glows in rich shades of pumpkin, gold and ebony. The sculpted sleeves are lined with tiny pearl beads that glisten like moonlight on water. These are dangerous parts to play for such fragile beings, but play them they must, for they know no other life but the great earthly stage. They will be assaulted by cold temperatures, predators, cars, and countless unknown perils, yet still they are consummate actors in this cosmic show. They will finish the production or die trying.

The players in this pageant are Monarch butterflies on their fall migration. Monarchs born in the late summer will outlive their spring counterparts by up to eight months, allowing them to make the great trek from North America to a dozen isolated and rare fir forests on the mountaintops just west of Mexico City. In this unique place, they will cluster in groups numbering in the hundreds or even thousands, and they will remain inactive until it is time to gather nectar and reproduce in the spring. These delicate faeries will never again see their birthplace. The adult Monarchs will usher in the children of the next generation only to send them northward on an ancestral road that leads to an endless cycle of death and rebirth.

Another flash of color appears in the corner of my eye. This gentle little soul seems to float aimlessly past my car window, but I know it has a weighty purpose to its journey. To us, it may look like butterflies flitter and dance on rambling paths that have no direction. But like most arduous, life-changing expeditions, their courses are not straight; there are many twists, turns and stops along the way. I wish I could know all of these winged thespians by name. I want to know what they see and feel as they take their place in a long line of actors in this natural drama. What is it like to undergo no less than four complete physical metamorphoses in the course of a short life, changing from egg to larva to pupa to full-fledged butterfly? How do I find my way thousands of miles to a place I have never been without a compass? Will I arrive to meet my brethren and continue the circle of life, or will I meet my end in the middle of a night with an unexpected frost, or lie broken-winged on the asphalt? Would I know and understand that I was born only to grow, transform, and die?

We humans, like all other animals and plants, also follow the butterfly way. We transform many times in our lives, both physically and emotionally. We come into this world and become part of a cycle that leads to our demise. It is strange to think that we are growing towards dying; these two processes seem opposed to one another. I wonder if the butterfly thinks about its purpose in life like we do. I wonder if the butterfly knows it is on a one-way course and feels despair. Perhaps the Monarch lives only for the journey, making the most of every stop on the path. She visits every flower to gather all the nectar she can; she flies when the temperature is right because tomorrow may bring a freeze. She accepts the seasons in life which call her to change, knowing that there is no other choice. Her only goal is to live for the purpose of living.

I watch the butterfly by my window fly off above a rooftop and out of sight. Sadness washes over me as I realize I will never see her again. She was like a flash of early morning sunshine through the trees – breathtakingly beautiful and fleeting. I wish I could know if this one would make the trip alone or would find companions on her adventure south. In my imagination, my winged friend safely arrives at her destination amidst a cloud of her relatives and friends. I thank her for visiting me and wish her well. I think she wished me the same.

© 2006 Olivia Herbert. All rights reserved.

I said I wouldn't...

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:05:00 +0000

...but I will, post pictures of my ceramics experiments - at least of some of the better pieces. These were made in pottery class using low-fire clay.

Bottom of a slab-built bowl, hand-painted in majolica style with lead-free glazes. The white glaze could have been a little thicker. More coats next time!

The top of this same bowl was imprinted with a floral design by pressing eyelet fabric into the clay after the slab was made and shaped. (Evidently I have to use textiles in everything!) White glaze was then washed into the design and the piece was coated with a clear glaze.

First attempt at beads. These have one coat of "pottery patina" glaze. The grooves were made by pressing with wooden skewers after the beads were rolled into shape by hand. I am fond of the melon shape.

Same pottery patina glaze but the word "imagination" has been imprinted on the bead using stamps made for metals. I think the bead is too small for words, and the imprinting would better on a pendant.

The round pendant was a test to see how using buttons and jewelry components would work for making designs. This piece was just a "play-around" item, not a finished one.

Oh, by the way, this background is my new favorite for close-up photos. It's just a piece of scrapbook paper, but I like the subtle pattern in soft browns and golds.

I have only one more pottery class, so I must have all my items glazed and ready for final firing by the end of next Wednesday evening. I'll post pictures of the best pieces after that, which should include more beads and two more slab-built bowls, provided that they survive the kiln (crossing fingers!).

Modish Monthly Goal Meetup - July

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:21:00 +0000

I knew it was coming, that July deadline for the Modish Biz Tips Monthly Goal Meetup, but I was trying to hide in a corner to avoid it. Truth is, June turned out to be very unproductive and more contemplative business-wise than I had anticipated. I have no excuses for why I went into a stall and nosedive. It just happened.

To recap: As part of this Modish community effort to stay motivated in business ventures, I agreed to publicly post a list of goals each month, then follow up with a note on how well I met those goals. I started in April with this list, posted on my blog. May seemed to be more successful as I actually crossed off things that were on my May goals list. Unfortunately, June floated away high into the atmosphere like a lost helium balloon. One minute you're flying higher and higher into the clouds. Then POP! - you're stuck in a tree somewhere along the side of the road, deflated, with nothing but a string holding you on.

Oh well...there's always next month.

What I had hoped to accomplish in June:

1. Continue to think about and just be open to inspiration for my latest shop name idea.

I did think about this and will continue to do so. There is some gelling of purpose happening, but not enough to do a reveal just yet.

2. Work on new banner for my Etsy shop. Coordinate with packing materials for a complete "branded" look.

Uh, nothing done here. Nothing to see, so move along...

3. Reflect on the nature of my business and how much time and effort I want to, realistically, put into it. Do I have the energy and motivation to market it more seriously? What is my relationship with money with respect to creative activities, and how do I need to readjust my thinking to allow my business to grow naturally? Where does my heart really dwell? Where is my business heading?

I have probably spent most of the month dwelling on these questions, so I am crossing off #3 even though I have not reached any important conclusions. Well, maybe that is not entirely true. I did come to the realization that I feel the need to make some sort of unique jewelry component from scratch. I have a few ideas to try but I feel a little willy-nilly about this at the moment, running from concept to concept without settling on anything concrete.

I also have a gnawing sense of needing to give back, to do something that benefits others in need. Perhaps start a local crafting-for-a-cause group, or find an activity that allows me to make a difference with what I create. Maybe this quest needs to be put on top of the list for next month.

~~4. Continue my quest for the perfect background against which to photograph my jewelry.~~

Ok, I guess I can cross this off for now since I did pick up some new scrapbooking paper that has photographic promise. I don't think I will ever be completely satisfied with the photos, but I am taking a breather from this for now.

5a. Make more jewelry and get it listed.

Embarrassingly, I did not make anything except some jewelry for a friend's birthday. I'll have to hang my head and slink off in shame on this one; good intentions but no creative umph. My main stumbling block, besides creative inertia, is needing and not finding long blocks of time to sit and play with materials and designs. I seem to need more than an hour here and there to let the creative juices percolate.

5b. I want to focus on using what materials I already have rather than buying anything new. I also want to return to one of my original goals of recycling and repurposing old pieces of jewelry, making them into new creations.

I did give this some thought, and I learned about a new technique that I might use to assemble pieces of recycled vintage glass from a large collection I have into pendants and rings. Still need to think and experiment, however.

6. Start working on my own, stand-alone website.

Nada, zip, zilch, zero. Onto July's list it goes.

So there it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly truth for June. Now on to July... Considering that July and August are going to be interrupted a lot by vacations, summer activities with family and friends, and gardening tasks, I don't have high expectations for business advancement during the next two months. Still, I'll put a few things on the agenda for July.

July Goals:

1. Continue to think about and just be open to inspiration for my latest shop name idea. See if any further inspiration occurs or consider dropping this for now.

2. Start to make jewelry items for my September craft show, stART on the Street, which is a well-attended street fair in Worcester, MA. This may be the only show I do this year, so I'll need to make a big effort to have enough stock for this event. I know the next two months will fly by, so I shouldn't waste any time waiting to make inventory.

3. Test a few of my ideas for making unique jewelry components. Find a use for the recycled, vintage glass I have.

4. Contact a local bead shop about forming a crafters-for-charity group, or look for some other way to use my crafting to make a positive impact.

5. Think about a design for my own website. I know I won't get the site created this month, but I might have some time to play around with background colors and graphics to begin the design process.

I think these are doable. We'll see how it goes. Happy creating and best wishes for a productive July to all the Modish Meetup followers!

Stuck in the mud

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:36:00 +0000

I've always loved pottery and I have a small collection of artisan-made pieces that I have had the privilege to buy over the years. Every time our family would go on vacation, often to Maine, I would try to make at least one stop at a craft co-op store or pottery shop to browse through the hand-thrown, brightly-colored mugs, bowls and dishes created by local potters. I've also bought several gems online at Etsy from such ceramic shops as Fehu Stoneware. There is something pleasantly tactile and curiously comforting about owning and using clay-based items that were lovingly formed by an actual person and not a machine; the hands of the artist leave a unique imprint on each piece, imparting a little bit of him or her onto the clay. As I hold a handmade ceramic bowl in my hands, I can almost feel what the potter felt as the wet clay or "mud" slipped through her fingers. It's no wonder this magical process has fascinated me for years.

For some time, I have yearned to take a pottery class to feel this clay-molding process for myself. Perhaps I had fond memories of playing with Play Doh when I was a child, and I thought making pots on a wheel would be just as much fun. Perhaps I was emboldened by my recent enjoyable experiences learning weaving and spinning, and I thought, "Why not give pottery a try too? How hard can it be if I take a class?" When I saw an ad with a 20% off coupon for pottery classes given at a local studio that was only five minutes from my house, I jumped at the chance to make my pottery-making dream come true.

Toting my little plastic bucket filled with newly-purchased clay-sculpting supplies, I went to my first class filled with positive expectations. The teacher showed us the ins and outs of the studio, and gave us a demonstration of how to wedge the clay (pounding and kneading it), which softens and conditions it prior to starting a project. This was much harder than I anticipated as the clay was very dense and heavy, and much arm strength was required to make it malleable. But I managed to get a medium-sized ball of clay ready for the potter's wheel, which was the next step on my clay odyssey. Over to the wheels we went. We were told to slap our lump of clay as close to the center of the wheel as possible in order to make "centering" easier. After a few attempts and some pushing, I managed to get the clay secured and ready to go for a spin.

Next, the centering...a process, which I soon discovered, must involve some mysterious incantations or magical hand movements that still elude me after four classes. Three different wheels and five lumps of clay later, I still couldn't get the clay to behave. I tried pressing with all might, but it only made me feel like my arms were made of muscle-less rubber. Then I tried concentrating on the "zen" of pottery-making - to no avail; all I could muster was one tiny bowl after another while my happy classmates were delighting in the pottery-throwing experience, making lovely, tall pots and vases. Some were even adding handles to make mugs, or advancing to slab-built projects! On the outside I laughed at myself and my puny little bowls that looked childlike in comparison to the other pieces being made. Yet on the inside, I was heartily disappointed in myself. Why was this so hard for me? What was I doing wrong?

After the first class, and some encouraging words from friends, I vowed to go back to the wheel and try again. I would not admit defeat just yet. I studied YouTube videos on how to center and throw clay; I read about making slab bowls. I was ready for round two. I wish I could say that my second class was better than my first, but it turned out to be a rerun of the same slapstick comedy that played during class one. I had only finished trimming my little bowls and threw one more before it was time to leave. The other students were busy making large hand-built bowls imprinted with leaf and other decorative designs. Slab-building was on agenda for the third class...definitely.

Ding. Round three. A different approach. I would stay away from the wheel in this class and concentrate on textured bowls and a vase made using flat slabs of clay that were pressed down using a slab roller. This neat, hand-cranked device was like a table-top steam roller for clay. It was quite fun to use and it did what it was told to do, unlike that pesky wheel. I managed to make a small bowl with a delicate floral design inside, which I created by pressing a piece of eyelet fabric onto the clay. I also made a slab-built square-topped vase that had a border of lace imprinted on the bottom edge. Hey, this slab-building was ok! Finally something I can do with clay. I was feeling somewhat more confident, perhaps a little too much so. Inspired by the lovely, tall pitchers other students were making on the wheel, and drunk with the power of hand-building, I decided to give the wheel another try. This time I used a bigger piece of clay and all the power my arms would give me. I felt like Scotty on Star Trek with the engines rattling at full speed and about to blow. She's givin' it all she's got Captain! I was determined to make something TALL this time.

Well, if you are wondering if I made a pitcher, I did not. Did I make a tall vase? Um, no. However I did achieve a little more height in what turned out to be yet another bowl; this one sported a fluted top rather than a plain rim. It was a nice bowl, but it wasn't a vase or a pitcher or a tall success. I finished round three with the clay and wheel 3 for 3. I was feeling thoroughly defeated.

Round four came along with my last shot at making something for glazing, which we would begin to learn in the fifth class. Sadly, I learned that my best bowl had cracked during initial firing, so the bottom was sheared off. This was another hard blow. So I decided to stay "down for the count on the mat," away from the wheel, and to focus on building another slab bowl. However, I re-learned that if you come to class without a solid design idea in mind, you will spend a lot of time re-doing projects, and feeling like the clay is fighting you every step of the way. Clearly, I did not have a good design concept in mind because I spent most of my precious class time starting a platter or bowl, getting stumped as to the shape or decoration, then rolling the clay back into a ball in frustration. Finally, I resigned myself to using tree-shaped cookie cutters to add 3-dimensional interest to a bowl, which became lumpy once it was inverted onto a plaster mold for shaping. SIGH Time to go home...hooray!

The fifth class arrived with its lessons on glazing. No more clay work or wheel throwing for the remaining classes. I heaved a sigh of relief. The only clay work I did was prior to class; I took my clay home and made about a dozen round beads, which I brought back to the studio for bisque firing. Bead-making was fun and more like working with Play Doh. Rolling little balls of clay between my palms was easy and satisfying. I enjoyed making melon-shaped beads by pressing lines into the clay with wooden skewers. I even found another use for my letter stamps, normally used on metal, as I imprinted words on the beads. On to glazing them...

At first, glazing seemed like painting, which was something I had liked in the past. But, as I would soon realize, glaze was not paint. Glaze was persnickety and liked to separate. It had a habit of running and pooling in odd places. I discovered I couldn't glaze the impressed design areas with a second color the way I had planned. Pieces with indentations would have to be washed with glaze to get color in the design, then the glaze wiped off leaving the majority of the pot in its natural reddish clay color - not what I had in mind. Also, I learned, to my dismay, that dried layers of glaze were easily disturbed by subsequent wet layers, creating the possibility of a messy mixture of colors. Finally, to add to my paranoia about clay work, somehow only I seemed to be having a problem with hairs from paint brushes coming loose and finding their way into the pools of wet glaze, causing me to have to fish for the hairs with my fingers which marred the glaze I had just applied. Even the teacher looked puzzled when the brand new brush she just gave me started to shed mysteriously. The curse of the pottery studio had struck again!

So here I am, class six of eight coming up soon, and I find myself wishing the class was over already. I have taken a lot of classes over the years, and I enjoyed most of them. There were a few that were less than exciting, but very few that left me feeling completely perplexed and inept. I should make it clear than this is not because of the teacher and her methods. My complete lack of ceramic skill comes from something in me that had greatly puzzled me. I am certainly not adept at everything; I can't play a guitar, I don't have a great singing voice, my painting skills are only so-so, and crochet is a struggle. So why do I feel so stuck in the mud with this particular craft?

After much pondering and soul-searching, I have come to the realization that passion - or lack thereof - for a creative process is at the core of my success and failure rates. But it's not so much my passion level as the relationship between my passion and my skills, and my expectations for both that cause a cognitive dissonance. For example, I have always loved textiles and weaving. My interest level and past experience with fabric led me to have high skill expectations for weaving. When I started to learn to weave, I found I had decent skills, though I still had frustrations. The weaving path is a long one with many things to learn. It is a fact that it will take a lifetime to achieve proficiency in this craft. Had it not been for my inner passion for textiles and some moderate initial success, that fact would likely have easily stopped me in my tracks, causing me to drop classes after one session. Yet I eagerly look forward to fall classes and to eventually improving my skills. Even though I know I will have bad experiences along the way, my love of fiber will keep me moving forward.

With ceramics, my beginning interest level was high, and my skill level expectations were high as well, but I soon discovered that my passion level was fairly low for this craft. As I began to proceed through the classes, and I realized that my abilities did not match my expectations, I waited for passion to kick in and cause me to persevere to improve my skills. That never happened. In fact, without passion the opposite took place: I wanted to quit. Yet, I still liked pottery-making - or the idea of it, and I wanted to succeed, but evidently not enough that I was able to muster sufficient energy to steam up the learning curve when it was steep.

I should add, that I am not above admitting there was also a certain amount of ego deflation and embarrassment in play here too. I didn't like doing so poorly at something that seemed so easy for everyone else! My fragile mid-life ego sustained a critical blow from this experience, but only because my expectations of being able to "do it all" were unrealistically high.

So what have I learned from all this? I learned that there are several scenarios possible in any learning situation, and that some cause more internal struggle than others.

Scenario 1. There are things I like but I am not good at doing, yet I am willing to work to improve my skills because I have some passion for that particular creative process. My very early sewing experiences fall in this category, and eventually I moved up my skills to match my interest level. It was the internal passion for textiles that provided my continued motivation to learn.

Scenario 2. There are things I am good at doing but I don't like (office work and accounting come to mind!). I'll do these only if I have to do them. These require a lot of external pressure to complete.

Scenario 3. There are things that I like and I am good at doing, which require very little passion to sustain my effort. (These are hard to find!) The existence of this scenario is what can set up disappointment and overly high expectations for other scenarios. I'd put learning to use a spinning wheel in this category since spinning seemed to come fairly naturally to me. That's not to say that I can't improve my skills, for I certainly have a lot to learn about this craft.

Scenario 4. There are things I don't like and I am not good at doing; needless to say, I don't even try these things a second time, or I don't even contemplate attempting them.

Scenario 5. There are lots of things which cause a neutral response. They evoke a so-so interest level and my skills are so-so. I may come back to them later, but there's an equal chance that I won't. However, because my initial interest level was only moderate, I am not very disappointed if I don't succeed. (This is the "I can take it or leave it" response.)

Scenario 6. Then there are things I like, but I am not good at doing. I want to make the experience a success because I still have interest in the process or product, yet I don't have the passion to sustain my learning curve. This is the most frustrating scenario and what I found while trying to learn ceramics. Basically, it bugs me to continue to like a craft but not have the necessary innate skills OR internal drive to improve my skills.

The Scenario 6 experience of getting "stuck in the mud," though very frustrating, does the most to shake us up and honestly realign our goals with our inner motivation levels. It brings us back to center and forces us to re-examine our expectations for what we can and cannot do based on where we most want to spend our precious energies. It is definitely a wake-up call to tell us that we cannot do it all, and we cannot be good at it all. To expect to be able to do it all with equal skill and effort is to put undue pressure on ourselves. We all have our passions and best skills, our Scenarios 1 and 3, and it's ok that not all of what we like or attempt falls into these categories. For me, the spinning wheel is fine, but the pottery wheel is not, and that's normal and not a failure.

So I am returning the mud to the hands of those of you who love and are inspired by it. I can't wait to see what you do with the clay. I'll be waiting with money in my handwoven, hand-sewn purse to buy the fruits of your passions. I think I will be weaving my life in another direction for now.

Clean-up crew

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0000

My rosemary plant from two years ago died and dried out but I just got around to tossing it in the compost pile. After two years of growing in the house, the roots of the plant had firmly adhered to the inside of its pot. Not feeling like scrubbing it out at that moment, I set the pot on the back steps hoping the rain would do some of the cleaning for me. While sitting at the computer one day, back door open, I heard a strange ceramic clinking sound coming from outside. I was surprised to see this chipmunk earnestly chewing away all the rosemary roots from inside the container. Nature's clean-up crew had arrived! Who knew this cute, efficient, (and sometimes destructive!), little furry creature loved rosemary so much?

Thanks for the help, now please stop eating my strawberries!!

Wordless (sunless) Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:31:00 +0000

fading memories of the sunshine

Gilding the Radish

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:27:00 +0000

The radish. Some would say it has a taste only a mother could love...or in my case, a grandmother. I remember my Nana loved a good radish, plain and unadulterated. Though I tried to enjoy this colorful little vegetable numerous times, the peppery taste always stopped me from eating more than one or two at a time, and usually in a salad with lots of dressing for disguise. Yet radishes are worthy of a second - or third, look because their roots and leaves are packed with nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and trace minerals.

Since radishes have been included in recent CSA farm shares, and I just pulled the last of them from my garden, I was determined to find a way to enjoy this often overlooked veggie. While browsing through some online recipes, I came across one for glazed radishes. This sounded like an intriguing way to camouflage the radish's peppery bite. Then my thoughts naturally turned from glaze to maple glaze, which then flowed to maple pecan glaze. Hence, the recipe Glazed Maple Pecan Radishes was born...but would it meet my dreamy expectations?

I am happy to report that I was very pleased with the resulting taste. Even my vegetable-skeptical family ate this concoction and enjoyed it. By cooking the radishes while reducing the glaze - actually an accidental effect of adding too much water, their peppery harshness was tamed to a pleasant, light accent. The cooked radishes had the texture of less-crunchy water chestnuts, which contrasted nicely with the crispness of the toasted pecans. All-in-all, this pairing made a delicious topping for the steamed salmon we had, though I can imagine it would also be great over grilled chicken breasts. I reduced it a little more than I would have liked, so there wasn't very much liquid glaze to coat the fish. Next time I will stop the cooking process before most of the water has dissipated to leave more glaze for the meat.

The recipe:

Glazed Maple Pecan Radishes

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
2 cups chopped or sliced radishes (mine were peeled and sliced)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop ½ cup pecans or use 1/2 cup pre-chopped pecans. Lay pieces in a baking pan in a single layer and toast in a 400 degree oven for about 4 minutes or until pecans start to brown. Set aside.

Peel and slice or coarsely chop radishes to make 2 cups. (I peeled mine because they were large and the skin was a little tough.)

In a saucepan or medium-sized frying pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the radishes, maple syrup, water, vinegar, sugar, and salt and stir to coat. Cook on medium until the liquid starts to bubble, stirring periodically. Continue to gently boil until the liquid has reduced in volume by about two-thirds and the radishes are starting to get translucent. The glaze will be thickening. You can cook until there is as much or as little liquid left as you prefer. Reduce heat to low, add the pecans, and stir to coat. Cook for an additional minute or two. Remove from heat and serve over your main dish of choice, or eat as a side dish.

A sweet glaze remains after reducing the water

Served over steamed salmon and with oven-roasted broccoli

To roast broccoli:

preheat oven to 400 degrees

clean and trim broccoli into small florets

coat bottom of small baking dish with olive oil

place broccoli in a shallow baking dish and
drizzle with olive oil

sprinkle with salt, pepper and onion powder

toss broccoli to coat with oil and spices

roast in oven for about 15 minutes
or until broccoli is lightly browned

Enjoy!

Confessions

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:42:00 +0000

I am here to admit that I am a foodaholic. Yes, I confess to thinking about food way more than I should during the day, especially now that summer is here (almost), and the fruits and vegetables are coming in at local farms and in our garden. On Thursday we had our second CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pickup from Rabbit's Dance Farm in Cumberland, RI. I am splitting a summer share with a friend; a whole share would be too much for me to eat because we have a large home garden. Even though we grow a lot of different fruits and vegetables at home, I still like to receive part of a CSA share to compensate for crop failures we might experience, and also to support local, organic agriculture. The weather is so variable from year to year that we can't depend on all our own plants producing an edible yield. It is nice to have back up.

Excited about cooking with my CSA produce, I recently joined the "Cooking Away My CSA" Challenge started by Heather on her Flour Girl blog. Beginning June 22, we are to blog about our culinary creations based on CSA fruits and vegetables as a way to inspire each other to break out of our eating ruts. For any of you localvore CSA-lovers who would like to commune with other like-minded folks, she created a group at Google so we can exchange recipes and photos. If you have ever wondered, "What the heck do I make with kohlrabi?" this group may be for you.

I'm starting a little before the challenge begins because I so enjoyed my breakfast that I wanted to share it with all of you - ok, not literally, because I ate it, so there is none left! Here's what we received in our CSA share this week:

beets
kale
mixed baby lettuce
garlic scapes
peas
thyme
and the infamous kohlrabi

How they will be used:

beets - steamed and sliced
kale - blanched and possibly added to soup
mixed baby lettuce - salad
garlic scapes - chopped and sauteed with shredded kohlrabi and Parmesan cheese (see below)
peas - eaten raw and slightly boiled
thyme - given to share partner
kohlrabi - shredded and sauteed with chopped garlic scapes and Parmesan cheese (see below)

The peas were you-pick, in the rain, but still fun none-the-less. I re-discovered that there is nothing like the crisp sweetness of a freshly picked pea right out of the field. We ate a few raw and blanched the rest, which were so much better cooked than their canned or frozen cousins.

This morning, for breakfast, I made a one-egg omelet which included the kohlrabi and some garlic scapes. Fresh and mouth-watering strawberries from nearby Cook's Valley Farm added a touch of sweetness to my meal.

How it was prepared (a quick, unofficial recipe):

wash and remove stems & leaves from one small kohlrabi
(save leaves for another meal)
peel kohlrabi and shred
rinse and chop garlic scapes (I used four)

sautee kohlrabi using approximately a tablespoon of olive oil and
a teaspoon of butter until it is softened and starting to brown

add chopped scapes and a drizzle of oil
cook for a couple of minutes

in a small bowl, fork-blend one egg, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of water
add to scapes and kohlrabi, still in the pan on the stove
stir to mix

sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese - about 1/4 cup on top of the egg/veggie mix
let cook until the egg starts to set
carefully loosen sides of omelet and slip a spatula under it
flip over and brown the other side

remove from pan and eat before anyone else comes into the kitchen!

As I post this, I realize that I do a lot of vegetable and egg scrambles with my CSA items because they are quick to make and a great way to use up odds and ends. You can add any vegetables, meats, or cheeses that you have leftover too. But I need to break out of this one-lane road and try something more exciting. I am looking forward to the Challenge posts for further inspiration!

Modish Monthly Goal Meetup - June

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Wow, it's June already! Even though my incentive to work on my "business" waxes and wanes lately, I am continuing my participation in the Modish Biz Tips Monthly Goal Meetup. As part of this community effort to stay motivated in business ventures, I agreed to publicly post a list of goals each month, then follow up with a note on how well I met those goals. I started in April with this list, posted on my blog. Let's see how I did meeting my May goals.

My May agenda:

~~1. Complete consignment order which is due to ship at the end of May. (Plain and simple!)~~

Done! This required me to stay up late quite a few nights, but I was able to ship off about two dozen pieces of jewelry. I hope they receive a positive response at the show.

~~2. Decide which non-consignment projects, now on my work~~ ~~table, that I want to complete. Put away materials not in use and clear the decks so I can feel mentally and physically uncluttered.~~

In order to work on the consignment items, I had to clear the decks and get organized. I needed to put away materials that were not currently being used, yet I didn't want to lose the designs I had started to formulate. My solution: use a plastic bead box with compartments to sort and separate pending designs. In each compartment I keep the beads and components for designs that are in the idea stage, taking out each set of materials as I am able to work on a project. I keep this box on a corner of my work table so it's still in view and in the back of my mind, but the pieces are contained and not in the way. So far, so good. Let's see if I can keep these future jewelry items from flowing over onto my work table surface again.

~~3. Blog once a week at least, more if possible.~~

Well, I sort of did this...except for the last two weeks of May when I worked furiously on the consignment order.

4. Last month I had a flash of inspiration in the form of another shop/brand name idea. Trouble is, I have no idea what the brand should represent or what the shop should have in it. I just really liked the name and by chance, the domain, Etsy shop name, and blog ID were all available. So I snapped it up in all those places in a "go-with-the-flow" moment. Thus, goal number four is to think about (or maybe to be open to ideas for) this new name and what it will come to be. (And no, I am not telling the name online just yet!)

No news on this one. The idea is still floating in my subconscious and is yet to take shape. I will be carrying this forward for a few months, I am sure.

~~5. Review materials for packaging jewelry to make them more memorable and attractive.~~

In the process of assembling the consignment order, I made a little progress on this goal, though I still want to work on fine-tuning the look of the packaging. I decided that I still liked the earring hang tag I made but that it needed a little something extra. So I used a pair of decorative scissors to create a scalloped edge on the bottom of the card. I also turned the single layer card into a double, fold-over type that could stand independently for easier display at a show. Having an extra, empty space on the back side of the fold-over part allowed for the addition of longer item descriptions on the clear plastic labels that I add for pricing and stock keeping. I finally redesigned my hang tag for bracelets and necklaces too. However, I really wanted to change my print color on both of these pieces from black to a nice, dark brown, but my printer would not cooperate. I will need to work on fixing this issue.

I did have fun wrapping a special bridal order and this inspired me to be more creative with my ribbons and box look. (See pictures of the updated earring card and the bridal wrap at the end of this post.)

6. Consider remaking banner on Etsy shop page. (I think it needs a fresh look.) Coordinate with packing materials for a complete "branded" look.

I did not work on the banner...at all...but I did think about the branding idea when I was working on the hang cards. I am still pondering what my coordinated look should be. This is a work in progress and you'll see this again in my June goals list.

7. This last goal is more of an ongoing thread for pondering, and I expect it will be on my list for many months. Reflect on the nature of my business in light of my recently renewed, long-standing obsession with textiles. (Did I mention I am a lifelong fabric-aholic? I sewed well before I started making jewelry.) Can fabric and beads peacefully co-exist? Do I have the energy and interest to do both? Where does my heart really dwell? Where is my business heading?

Ah, deep questions like these require a lot of reflection, so I expect I will have this goal on my list for quite some time. Get accustomed to seeing it for months to come!

So...here we are at the brink of summer, usually the slowest season for most crafting businesses. What happens to my goals for June, July and August? I think summer lends itself best to sitting outside (preferably by a lake in Maine, but that's another goal on another, more personal list), basking in nature's full-bloom glow, and contemplating one's place in the universe. It's not the best time for getting marketing and business goals accomplished, but I will try to set a few anyway.

Goals for June:

Carrying over some goals from May...

1. Continue to think about and just be open to inspiration for my latest shop name idea.

2. Work on new banner for my Etsy shop. Coordinate with packing materials for a complete "branded" look.

3. Reflect on the nature of my business and how much time and effort I want to, realistically, put into it. Do I have the energy and motivation to market it more seriously? What is my relationship with money with respect to creative activities, and how do I need to readjust my thinking to allow my business to grow naturally? Where does my heart really dwell? Where is my business heading?

And some new ones for June...

4. Continue my quest for the perfect background against which to photograph my jewelry. I have been thwarted in this so far. Nothing seems quite right. I also want to improve the look of my photographs so they are not so glaring and more vintage-soft. My camera takes a decent picture...in good lighting, but it is not so proficient at low-light situations, including the filtered natural light that is used in so many Etsy front page shots. I need to continue to experiment until I find something that gives me the feel that I seek.

5a. Make more jewelry and get it listed. This is worth repeating, in bold: Make more jewelry and get it listed. There are all those projects in compartments waiting patiently for their turn in the assembly area. I need to work through them and add more items to my online shops. I've heard it said that you need at least 100 items in an Etsy shop before you start to get noticed. Hmmm...well I have a paltry 14 items as of today, with only four more to list tonight. I guess I'd better get moving on inventory creation! Plus, anything I make during the summer will only serve to build inventory for my big craft show in September.

5b. As part two of the inventory story, I want to focus on using what materials I already have rather than buying anything new. Of course, there will always be components that get used and need to be replaced, but I am trying to resist the temptation of spending money on parts that are not necessary to have right now. I also want to return to one of my original goals of recycling and repurposing old pieces of jewelry, making them into new creations. I feel I have gotten seduced by shiny new things into buying more new elements than I really wanted to incorporate into my jewelry. Yes, I need to have some pieces that can be reproduced from reorderable supplies for a specific vendor, but I have much more room in my Etsy and 1000 Markets shops for one-of-a-kind items.

6. Start working on my own, stand-alone website. I've been thinking about it for some time now and, since I already have plenty of web hosting space, and I do websites for clients, it seems almost embarrassing to have my own domain looking so empty and bleak.

I think I had better stop at 6 goals considering that I won't get a lot done with the garden coming into full blossom and vacation-mind setting in. Good luck on your June goals to all my fellow Modish Meetup participants!

New, self-supporting earring card with scalloped edges

New hang tag for bracelets and earrings

Packaging of bridal custom order

Some days...

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:39:00 +0000

...it's all about the visuals. I can understand the attraction of the "Word less Wednesday" feature that has become so popular around the internet. By the middle of the week you get tired and you decide to let pictures do the talking. While not an official Wordless Wednesday post (being a wordy person I can't go without saying something about each photo), this is a close approximation.

Please enjoy a quick peek at what's happening in the garden today.

I never realized how delicate and lovely a chive flower was until I accidentally broke one off and brought it inside to beautify my windowsill.

The sage bed that started as a few seed-grown plants two years ago has exploded into a hedge of flowers and a paradise for bees of all kinds.

A friend gave me a sad little cutting of comfrey a couple of summers past. Her husband was going to kill it because it wandered into the lawn, but she rescued it and gave it to me. I wondered if the poor thing would survive. Guess it did because now it's four feet tall!

Comfrey flowers in variegated shades of purple create a haven for bees. Besides being an amazing herb for healing skin wounds and mending broken bones, comfrey also has beneficial qualities as a garden fertilizer when used either as a green manure (mulch), or stewed into a liquid amendment. For more about how to use comfrey to nourish your garden, see this article.

I looked out my kitchen window to see this female wild turkey perched on top of our garden arbor. Below, at the bird feeders, was the male who made the daily visit with her. After a few minutes, he wandered off towards the edge of the woods and gobbled persistently for her to follow. The female seemed to be ignoring him as she remained on the arbor, surveying the landscape. Eventually the male gave up and returned to the feeder to wait for her, at which time the female hopped down and enjoyed her afternoon meal.

Who are you calling a TURKEY?

Remember those little seedlings I showed you on April 23? They are all grown up and getting used to being outside prior to transplanting this weekend. Wish them luck.

Little drops of water pooled in the leaves of a lupine plant become exquisite jewels. I was taken aback at how much it looked like crystal beads had been attached to the plant as if by the hand of a magical garden sprite.

Have a gem of a Thursday!

I was followed

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Admittedly, I welcomed these strangers into my car. I even paid money to take them home. And now they are settled into my family room, staring at me, waiting for some action. But don't worry, because these permanent guests are used to hanging around, and they won't cause any trouble - just yet. After all, they had been sitting in some other home or workshop until I swept them away in a frenzy yesterday during the Weaver's Guild of Boston member's silent auction held during their annual end-of-year meeting.

It's a good thing I arrived late so I only had time to skim the room and bid on the items I had in mind before I came. Maybe it was newbie enthusiasm (it was my first Guild auction) that drove me to bid a little too freely. The checkout staff was certainly happy to see my total bill! However, I got a couple of good deals and I contributed to a worthy cause by supporting the important and noble craft of weaving through the Guild.

I didn't expect to win almost everything I bid on, but I did acquire several items that I needed. Having only one shuttle made multi-color weaving more of a chore, so I bought another Leclerc closed-bottom boat shuttle. For another $2 I also picked up two more Leclerc stick shuttles for my rigid heddle loom; one of the shuttles is a nice long 15".

One of the items I knew to look for at the sale was a Schacht inkle loom which I had seen demonstrated in my weaving class. My teacher had mentioned that it would be going into the auction and I intended to bid on it. I was lucky enough (stood next to the loom at the auction's end to get the final bid!) to win it. An inkle loom is a simple yet effective tool for making belts, handbag handles, guitar and camera straps, and many other types of decorative bands. Items woven on an inkle loom are warp-faced; that is, 99% of what you see is the warp (vertical yarns) as opposed to the weft (horizontal yarns). The warp is the strongest part of the weaving, so warp-dominance in this case creates a very strong woven object, which is desirable in belts and straps. To go along with this loom I grabbed a copy of Weaving Bands by Liv Trotzig and Astrid Axelsson from the book table. My hope is to use the inkle to make straps to match bags handmade from either my own handwoven textiles or from commercially-made fabrics that I have stashed away.

The Schacht has adjustable tensioning, which is a nice feature. This loom came warped and ready for a belt, courtesy of my teacher.

I also won some cotton yarn in assorted weights and colors, including these earthy berry and warm brown tones, and three cones of natural.

On the right is a 1 pound plus cone of Silk City's organic cotton in a lovely pale green color. (The color is actually a little more yellow in person.) When I saw that it was organic cotton I made a bid for it (and won!). I got it for a great price too. It's a fine yarn at 7000 yards per pound. Not sure what it will become. On the left is a cone of natural cotton, maker unknown.

Besides the inkle loom, I made one other large purchase, but this one was an impulse buy. For a mere $76 I couldn't pass up this eight-shaft, 16" wide, table loom, maker unknown, and needing some upkeep. Why do I need another loom? Every weaver can understand the unspoken answer, though friends and relatives may cock their heads and wonder if I have lost my mind. Other crafters will understand that each tool has a range of functions that is different from those of its cousins, and one tool just can't do it all. The inkle creates bands and straps; the rigid heddle can only do plain weaves but it folds and is portable; the floor loom has four harnesses, can make complex patterns, but is not portable; and the table loom is small and somewhat portable, has eight harnesses for a greater level of pattern complexity, and is the right size for samples.

Looks good for the price, eh? Mostly, except this loom has a few "quirks" that will require some pondering to fix. For one, upon closer inspection, my husband and I have come to the conclusion that this loom was probably homemade. The harness levers are simple sticks of wood hinged in the middle, which is not a good design because these levers are too narrow and set too closely together to be comfortable for the user. In addition, when the shafts are changed, the levers shoot forcefully up and down in a guillotine fashion which is dangerous to the fingers! The shafts make terrible clunking sounds when they hit bottom; this is easily rectified with some foam tape "bumpers" on the harness rests. The channels in which the shafts run are unevenly cut, although the harnesses seem to raise and lower just fine. Finally, the brake gears are made of wood and look handmade. There's no external crank to turn the beams that wind on the warp and cloth. We think this can be fixed and a crank added. Of course, there is some rust on the harness frames, which is not unexpected, but the twisted wire heddles look in good shape overall. The 12-dent reed needs a little cleaning too but it is not as bad as the reeds that came with my floor loom.

Lots of steel wool, waxed paper and elbow grease required!

I suppose you're thinking that this is sounding like a lemon of a loom, but overall it is sturdy and in decent shape. All the parts are there for a working eight-harness loom. My husband (an engineering type) thinks that we might try a couple of changes to make the shaft levers less hand-chopping and more ergonomic. We have some thoughts about taking off the top castle (the flat piece of wood on top) and replacing it with a new one onto which front pull levers might be mounted, like in this Schacht loom, or this Leclerc model. This would be ideal if we can determine how to achieve this. For the price, we think it is worth trying to turn this somewhat ugly duckling into a weaving swan. We'll let you know how our experiments turn out!

Is it a scarf or...

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:53:00 +0000

...a table runner? Well, you decide. It was intended as a scarf, but as I look at pictures of it, my latest project could almost be a table runner in southwestern style. It is vaguely reminiscent of a serape to me, or am I just odd. (Don't answer that!)

In my last post I wrote about the construction of this, let's call it a scarf, which was woven on my Ashford rigid heddle Knitter's Loom. The warp is a deep blue 5/2 perle cotton, a free yarn from the Weaver's Guild stash, and the weft is a white and blue synthetic chenille of unknown fiber content, which was received through Freecycle. After receiving feedback that I should add some stripes, I decided to go ahead and insert six rows of a multicolored, nylon ribbon yarn every seven inches. This resulted in six widely-spaced, narrow bands of rainbow-like color punctuating the denim blue which formed the bulk of the piece.

The finished length is 53" (without fringe) and it is 8 1/2" wide; the twisted fringe is 3" long. If I had actually planned this project, I would have made it longer and more narrow, but such is life at the loom.

Hand-twisted fringe. It took me a little time to get the hang of making warp ends into fringe and it was time-consuming, especially since the warp was a fine 5/2 cotton yarn. The process was made easier by taping the scarf to a gridded sewing table cutting board for consistent measurement of fringe ends, and by using a beader's knotting tweezers to get the knot at just the right location each time.

I am somewhat disappointed with the drape of this piece. You would think the blue chenille weft would have made it soft and flowing, but that was not so. I think the cotton warp made it a little stiff. But did I mention that the warp yarn was FREE? Yes, sometimes projects are determined by the materials at hand and we just need to accept the results without judgment. Yet another life lesson learned through crafting!

So what's next in my fiber adventures? Well, I still need to weave those twill dish towels that are idling on my floor loom, and I have a bag of that pink and yellow wool-mohair roving to be spun. After that, perhaps I might try weaving a scarf on the Ashford using my latest handspun yarn if it is strong enough for the warp. If I ply it, I think it will do. And tomorrow is our local weaving guild's annual meeting with a potluck lunch, a fashion show, and - oh, oh - a silent auction with all kinds of fiber-related tools and yarn goodies. I know I shouldn't, but I'll bring my checkbook anyway. One never knows when a bargain might appear and call my name. I suppose I could put my hands over my ears so I wouldn't hear the siren call of crafting supplies, but then how would I hold my potluck lunch plates? ;-)

A little of this and that

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:35:00 +0000

Where does the week go? Is universal time becoming faster these days? I think it is. At the beginning of the week I noticed that my blog had just celebrated its one year "blog-aversary." There was no fanfare, there were no party hats, and sadly, there was no cake. Sigh. There was only a casual nod to the passing of internet time and some reflection on the way blogs capture little segments of our lives and cast them into the larger sea of thoughts and commentary that form this web community. By making my life - or at least a little bit of it, publicly viewable, I have stepped into the current and become part of the online din that whizzes past our eyes and ears every day. I can only hope I have contributed to the stream in a some small, positive way.

Now on to the rest of the week. With the monthly meeting of our local spinning and knitting group, I returned to my patient, and sometimes lonely, K romski Sonata spinning wheel to tackle a new wool and mohair roving dyed a delicious melange of pink and yellow. After much groaning and struggle, I had finally dispatched the sticky and persnickety blue wool that looked so pretty but spun with such difficulty. Oh it was not all the beauty it pretended to be! The fibers were long but stuck together with some sort of super bond that tested my patience. However, after heavily drafting it, I did spin it down to the end. The result was one bobbin of embarrassingly overspun and kinked yarn that I wound into a center-pull ball for plying.

Let me tell you that plying an overspun yarn this way - taking yarn from the inside and outside of a center-pull ball at the same time, was an exercise in frustration for me. Only later, after having stopped plying and removing the offending yarn from the wheel forever, did I learn (at my spinning group), that there is a trick to plying this way which involves some clever manipulation of the ball and the yarns within the non-plying hand. ( Actually, the description sounded like a third hand might be needed!) As I was itching to spin something new, I followed my weaving teacher's advice and unwound the remaining single yarn in the ball and wrapped it on my warping board, after which I gently hung the hank on a peg with a small weight to release some of the overspun twist. At some point, I will use this as a weft yarn on my Ashford Knitter's Loom, combining it with some 5/2 perle cotton in blue that I have hanging around, to make a scarf.

In contrast, this latest roving is a dream to spin and the color is a yummy fuchsia-lemon blend that is a nice change from the blues and browns I have been spinning. It's almost a pencil roving and it needs very little pre-drafting before spinning. (Hooray!) I purchased this 50-50 wool and mohair blend from Friend's Folly Farm of Monmouth, ME, while I was at a fiber fair weekend months ago. The mohair lends a fuzzier effect to the finished yarn, so it will be interesting to see how this looks once plied and washed. I am already envisioning it woven into something soft and comforting to wear. I just need to find a coordinating warp yarn, probably in yellow.

It's coming along nicely, don't you think?

So why not use this yummy yarn for knitting, you ask? Well, it is a possibility of course. But there's that weaving business that seems to have taken over my brain and woven itself into the fiber of my thoughts. (Sorry for the puns!) I am starting to dream in warp and weft rather than knit and purl. The advantage of weaving is the ability to make cloth a lot faster than I can by knitting. Plus my hands don't go numb when weaving like they do while knitting. Of course, the loom set-up time is considerable, and my back curses me after leaning over the loom for hours while putting on and threading the yarns. But like people say of childbirth, you forget all that once you are throwing the shuttle and watching your fledgling fabric grow by the minute. The magic of actually weaving overshadows the preparation time.

Now that my weaving class has come to and end for summer vacation, I am working on two weaving projects at home. First, I have twill cotton dishcloths in pale blue and white on my Leclerc floor loom. I would have made more progress on these by now if not for the mistakes I made while sleying the reed: in two places I put four rather than two yarns per dent. I had already woven 32 rows before I decided that this error was going to be noticeable (at least to me), and that I needed to correct these areas. It really didn't take long to fix (just like the weaving teacher predicted), but I feared the effort and thus, put it off too long. Procrastination, you are my middle name.

Second, I have a scarf on my Ashford rigid heddle Knitter's Loom that was working up fairly quickly until I had to take a break to take care of some jewelry business and also to plant some vegetable seeds in the garden while the timing of the moon was right. (I am attempting to follow the Gardening by the Moon method posted on the Farmer's Almanac site.) The scarf has a warp of deep blue 5/2 perle cotton, a free yarn from the Weaver's Guild stash, and a weft of a white and blue synthetic chenille of unknown fiber content, which was received through Freecycle. I am tempted to throw in a narrow stripe here and there of a multi-colored ribbon yarn, just for a bit of color, but I have not made that executive decision just yet. I can see how scarves to weavers can become like socks to knitters; they are both addictive little projects which can be completed relatively quickly and with small amounts of materials.

7" done so far
Add a stripe or not, what is your vote?

Then there are the lovely polymer flowers from ZudaGay waiting on my crafting table to be made into necklaces and bracelets. But here I am writing a blog post rather than working on jewelry and it is already 10 pm. Will someone please slow down the universe so I can catch up??

Moody Tuesday Musings

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:01:00 +0000

I took a little walk around the front yard yesterday with my camera to see what was popping up in the garden beds nearest the house. Watching nature always reminds me that life is filled with change and that things are often not as I expect (or want) them to be. I may plant that flower over there to the right, under the holly bush, but it comes up next year on the left, by the front steps. That herb that I planted two years ago that looked quite dead the second year, suddenly appears, full of life, in the third season. Yet, something that was robust last year at this time hasn't even poked a single leaf out of the ground this spring. Unwanted weeds will grow much better than any cultivated plant. Does this mean if I choose to grow weeds that they won't flourish? (Hmm, perhaps a good theory to test!)

Change is nature's way of keeping me on my toes. Nature is a source of infinite fascination because I never know what I might see at any time, day or night. Just when I think I know what birds I'll see in a certain area, some unusual avian delight flutters in - just for a moment. Better keep my eyes, ears, and heart open or I might miss that once-in-a-lifetime message from the Universe that conveys the meaning-of-it-all.

Ok, perhaps I am exaggerating just a little! Or maybe not. That is the point. You never know what unique insight might be standing there, three feet from your back door unless you venture outside on occasion, outside the ordinary, outside the routine. Look to your left instead of to your usual right when you glance out the window. Take a walk on the wild side today and get outside yourself. That is, stroll through nature's ever-changing scene and see if anything is blooming in a place you wouldn't expect it to be. Let me know if you happen to find the answer to the "meaning-of-it all" question while you are out there because I can't watch everywhere all at once. We need each other to get a 360 degree view.

**************************************************************

Where did this lovely Lily of the Valley underneath my window come from? I don't remember planting it. I think they were growing wild under a tree next to the house. What magical little creative transplanted it during the night?

These gorgeous, black-purple Johnny Jump-ups jumped up about five feet away from where they were planted last year. One plant decided it liked the shelter of the stone stairs, while the other preferred life in the open, springing up on two sides of a garden fence and in between the walkway and the garden bed. How reflective of the differing personalities of living things; even plants have preferences.

Chocolate mint moves forward with its plot to take over the world...or at least my front garden. Before you get too excited by the word "chocolate," this herb only has a hint of that beloved flavor and is mostly still mint. I also have pineapple, orange, and apple mints, plus spearmint, and peppermint in the back garden. All of them must have been in communication with the chocolate variety in the front yard as they are refusing to stay within the bounds of their allotted territory.

Ever notice that each yard seems to favor one color or another of violet? Some friends of ours only have a white variety, while our previous house only had a medium-dark purple type. This year our yard is inundated by this delicate and delightful pinkish-purple violet. I don't remember there being such a profusion of them in past seasons. I am not sure where they come from, but they are certainly always a cheerful presence in my yard.

This chive plant has had the benefit of a full southern exposure and is already making blooms, whereas its cousin in the north-facing back yard is just now receiving sunlight, so it is still in the small, green stages.

Modish Monthly Goal Meetup - May

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Last month I decided to participate in Modish Biz Tips Monthly Goal Meetup. As part of this community effort to stay motivated in business ventures, I agreed to publicly post a list of goals each month, then follow up with a note on how well I met those goals. I started in April with this list, posted on my blog. It's now May and time to review how I did.

My April agenda:

1. Review all remaining items in The Filigree Garden's Etsy shop and decide which ones no longer fit in with my current creative vision (however murky that is at the moment). Renew those items that still feel like they belong, move some items to 1000 Markets, and mark some for either storage or to be taken apart and redesigned.

Yay! I actually did this early in the month. I was forced to make quick decisions because all of my Etsy items were expiring mid-April.

2. Decide what to do with my Rescued Beauty Etsy shop, which is temporarily on hiatus.

Well, the shop is still on hiatus. I decided it was not worth my time to sell supplies or destash at this time. I might revive it later, who knows? For now, it remains closed.

3. Complete consignment order which is due mid-April (eek!). This involves choosing which items to offer, making a few new designs, and packing it all up for May 1 delivery.

I received a reprieve on this one since the consignment event was moved to June. So this goal will resurface in May. I did narrow down which pieces I want to send and I decided on a couple of new pieces to make.

~~4. Complete the jewelry that is in process on my work table.~~

Um, well, I did complete the few pieces I started to make, but while I was playing with beads, new designs appeared and are now half-made on the table. So I am striking this one for April in honor of the work I did complete.

~~5. Design two coordinating pieces of jewelry for wholesale customer.~~

Since this wholesale arrangement seemed to slow down considerably, I decided to wait until asked to provide new designs. I haven't heard anything more, so on to more pressing things.

~~6. Photograph and list new items that have been completed. Try to improve lighting in light box for a slightly softer, more romantic look.~~

I decided to try taking photographs with natural light and on wood to give a more soft and inviting look. Here's an example of a necklace presented in this format. The reaction on Twitter and amongst friends was mixed. Some liked the wood and some thought the grain distracted the eye from the jewelry design. What do you think? I think I might go back to the light box since natural light is so unreliable, and I am going to retry using fabric and other back drops that would be soft yet not too visually overpowering. Stay tuned...

So here we are, May 4, and it's time to think about goals for this month. I admit that I have been thoroughly distracted from jewelry-making by weaving and gardening, as you can see from my last blog post. In fact, I find myself thinking about yarn and textiles much more than about beads and wire. So, one of the items on my May agenda must reflect this change in mindset and what it means for my business path.

Goals for May:

1. Complete consignment order which is due to ship at the end of May. (Plain and simple!)

2. Decide which non-consignment projects, now on my work table, that I want to complete. Put away materials not in use and clear the decks so I can feel mentally and physically uncluttered.

3. Blog once a week at least, more if possible.

4. Last month I had a flash of inspiration in the form of another shop/brand name idea. Trouble is, I have no idea what the brand should represent or what the shop should have in it. I just really liked the name and by chance, the domain, Etsy shop name, and blog ID were all available. So I snapped it up in all those places in a "go-with-the-flow" moment. Thus, goal number four is to think about (or maybe to be open to ideas for) this new name and what it will come to be. (And no, I am not telling the name online just yet!)

5. Review materials for packaging jewelry to make them more memorable and attractive.

6. Consider remaking banner on Etsy shop page. (I think it needs a fresh look.) Coordinate with packing materials for a complete "branded" look.

7. This last goal is more of an ongoing thread for pondering, and I expect it will be on my list for many months. Reflect on the nature of my business in light of my recently renewed, long-standing obsession with textiles. (Did I mention I am a lifelong fabric-aholic? I sewed well before I started making jewelry.) Can fabric and beads peacefully co-exist? Do I have the energy and interest to do both? Where does my heart really dwell? Where is my business heading?

These last questions may be too metaphysical for business goals, but they certainly affect the amount of effort I put into my business activities. I've always struggled with staying enthusiastic about something once it becomes a profit-making enterprise. Somehow an activity loses its luster once money comes into the picture. This mindset becomes even more prominent when a craft is involved because, for me, art and creativity live on a different plane than jobs and work. I always prefer just making things to satisfy an inner need to do so over focusing on selling them. Plus, let's face it, I am a bit shy (and somewhat lazy) when it comes to marketing and promotion. The idea of spending a lot of time on social networking and hawking my wares makes me want to run and hide! So...maybe number 8 should read, make peace with the difference between crafts for money and crafts for fun, or learn to blend the lines that mark this difference in my mind.

Good luck to all my fellow Meetup followers! I hope May is kind to your goals and that you get a lot accomplished this month.

Sprouting

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:36:00 +0000

It's about time I got back to blogging, and a lot of other things that have been in deep hibernation these past few months. Lots of seedlings have been sprouting here, and I'm not just talking about young plants. Ideas have also been growing in the back of my mind. Some idea-seeds have fallen on fertile soil and are taking root, while others never broke out of their protective shells to find nourishment and grow. Alas, such is the precarious life of a seed. Here's a quick look at what is sprouting at the moment.

"Hello, I hope to be a grown-up tomato plant some day."

At this time of year, the subtle caresses of spring sunshine and the melodious songs of mating-hopeful birds awaken the gardener in many of us. I finally stopped hitting the snooze button on this seasonal alarm clock and started some vegetable and flower seeds in flats indoors under fluorescent lights. In an effort to pare down my starts to manageable levels this year, I limited my indoor veggie plantings to tomato, pepper, broccoli, basil and celery seeds. The rest of the seeds will be going into outdoor beds very shortly (weather permitting). In previous years I started too many seeds indoors and then struggled to pot them up into larger containers and keep them under the lights until it was time to transplant into the garden. Inevitably I had to give away lots of plants...not a bad thing, but I felt the need to be less overwhelmed this year.

My husband has been able to arrange my indoor plant lighting so that it is powered (mostly) by energy collected from two small solar panels stationed in the yard, next to the greenhouse.

On the crafting front, I have been weaving! It's only taken me about...um, 16 years, to really pursue my interest in creating textiles via a loom. I may be slow, but I get to almost everything eventually! Thanks to a wonderful "weaving buddy" and teacher from the Weaver's Guild of Boston, my Leclerc Nilus floor loom is now "dressed" (yarns put on and threaded) and ready for action. Looking back at my previous post on the loom's arrival, I realized that it had been almost a year since the loom came into my life. I was feeling a little guilty every time I passed it, sitting alone and untouched, in the corner of the bedroom. But in March of this year, a switch in my inner workings finally flipped on and I found myself calling the Guild for help in learning to weave. A teacher came to my home and spent six hours showing me how to plan a project, measure out the yarns, get them onto the loom, thread the heddles which are attached to the harnesses, "sley" or thread the reed which also is used to beat the weave in place, and finally, to tie the yarns onto the loom where weaving takes place. Oh yes, and then there is the weaving process itself to learn. Making textiles is a complicated process!

While I began to work at home on my own floor loom, I decided I needed to repeat the "dressing" process again so that it would be clearer in my mind, which was reeling from the input of too many details in too short a time. So I jumped into a weaving class at the Guild which was taught by the same wonderful mentor that had come to my home. Taking the class really helped to imprint the weaving process a little further onto my brain cells. I also encountered a problem or two which served to teach me even more about what not to do; our mistakes often teach us much more than our successes do. At the end of three weeks, all that leaning over a borrowed Louet table loom and determined concentration resulted in my being the proud owner of my first handmade textile: a yellow, green and white, plaid, cotton dish cloth/table runner. (It started out as a dishcloth but I can't bear to use my first woven child to wipe up anything messy! So it has graduated to a table decoration.)

Both warp and weft are 5/2 perle cotton

I was fairly pleased with this first completed weaving project. Of course, the selvages are a little uneven, but I was told that it might take years of practice to get these right, and even then, they might not be perfect. One can always stitch the sides rather than leave them exposed; sewn hems cover a multitude of errors!

The pattern is a plaid, but I learned that there is much more to a pleasing plaid than meets the eye. Apparently there is a certain mathematical set of proportions required to create a balanced plaid or stripe pattern. My teacher explained that Italian mathematician Leonardo Pisano, better known as Fibonacci, and his sequence of Fibonacci Numbers provided us with a simple way to plot out stripes and plaids in a way that mimicked balanced patterns found in nature, thus making them pleasing to view. I admit, my eyes grew wide and a feeling of panic washed over me as she jotted down lots of numbers and looked at me for some glimmer of understanding. In the end, I got the general gist of the concept but I will rely on others to fully explain how these number patterns are calculated and used. A couple of useful sites about this topic are:
http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-fascination-with-fibonacci.html
http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/fibonacci_seq.shtml

My current project, still in process, is to make fabric yardage for a handbag or two (my current plan, always subject to change) using my new rigid heddle Ashford knitter's loom, a lucky, discounted find that I had purchased on eBay earlier this year. There are so many types of looms and I would love to try them all at some point. The rigid heddle loom is different than the floor and table looms that I have been using in that it does not have multiple harnesses that move the heddles up and down to create a complex pattern. The rigid heddle has one reed which keeps the yarns separate, acts as a beater, and is moved up and down to create an opening called a "shed" through which a shuttle is passed, drawing the weft yarns to cross the warp yarns, thus creating a plain over-under weave. On a harnessed loom, the harnesses are moved up and down to create the shed while the reed is used more as a beater. (For more about weaving and looms, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom, http://mktag.org/projects/cassandraChoosingLoom/content.html, and http://www.fibrecrafts.com/resource/fact_file/looms/ty pes_loom.asp)

Four feet made so far. Only five more to go!

The Ashford Knitter's Loom has several great features such as portability, a wide range of reeds including one with large eyes that accepts handspun or bulky yarns, and the ability to fold down into its custom carry bag. It was easy to take to class, where I put on yarn, then closed it with yarns in place to take home for further weaving. My loom came with a matching floor stand which is useful for holding the loom when no table is available against which to lean the loom while working.

What I am weaving:
Plain weave
Warp is an older cone of Maysville 8/4 cotton carpet warp in natural.
Weft is Schachenmayr Nomotta Safari; 35% cotton, 20% viscose, 15% flax, 15% acrylic, 15% polyester - a blue-gray and natural toned boucle made in Italy and received from a generous Freecycler (thank you!)

My Ashford is a 20" wide loom but my actual weaving width measures about 18".

This combination of yarns is making an interesting texture. I wonder how it will look and feel when washed?

At the last weaving class, my teacher showed me how to use an inkle loom and she put the notion in my head that, if I had one, I could make matching straps for bags made from my handmade fabric. Hmmm...dangerously interesting idea! When the Guild holds its silent auction next month I might be lucky enough to get a bargain inkle.

Lest you think I have abandoned jewelry-making, I am still slowly making a few new pieces here and there, trying to catch up on the backlog of designs I started and have strewn about my work table. I am hoping to achieve some sort of balance between jewelry creation, weaving and gardening in the coming months. I find it incredibly easy to come up with project ideas for all these pursuits but very difficult to follow through on those ideas in any organized way. If anyone has found a solution to this problem I would love to hear it!

Hearts and Flowers Necklace

Tiger Lily Bracelet

Modish Monthly Goal Meetup

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:59:00 +0000

I have really been enjoying the posts by Jena at Modish Biz Tips. Her thoughtful insights on creativity and business have been very much on target for me lately, and she has really made me reflect on my goals for my business ventures. Now she is challenging her readers to state goals for April, posted for all to see, to keep each of them accountable for following through on their to-do lists. On the first Friday of each month, participants in this "Monthly Goal Meetup" will check in and see how they did meeting their goals. I am hoping group motivation and support will help get me moving on business tasks that have been lurking on the back burner.

Gulp, I'm feeling a little nervous since it is already the second week of April and this week is going to be very busy with non-business activities. Here's hoping the universe will look kindly upon my public declaration of goals!

My short agenda for April:

1. Review all remaining items in The Filigree Garden's Etsy shop and decide which ones no longer fit in with my current creative vision (however murky that is at the moment). Renew those items that still feel like they belong, move some items to 1000 Markets, and mark some for either storage or to be taken apart and redesigned.

2. Decide what to do with my Rescued Beauty Etsy shop, which is temporarily on hiatus.

3. Complete consignment order which is due mid-April (eek!). This involves choosing which items to offer, making a few new designs, and packing it all up for May 1 delivery.

4. Complete the jewelry that is in process on my work table.

5. Design two coordinating pieces of jewelry for wholesale customer.

6. Photograph and list new items that have been completed. Try to improve lighting in light box for a slightly softer, more romantic look.

A Tale of Two Yarns

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:04:00 +0000

I've been spinning again. If you read my last installment about my "adventures in fiber" you would have seen the dark brown, wool yarn that I was making on my Kromski Sonata spinning wheel. I am happy to report that I finished yet another full bobbin of yarn, this time created from a lighter brown shade of wool roving. It would have been handy to have had a larger bobbin since I still have some of the light brown fiber left and I could have continued spinning it had I a larger receptacle. (More about my ponderings on bobbins some other time.)

Since I had two full bobbins of yarn, I decided to go forward with my original plan to ply (twist) together the two shades of brown to make a two-tone yarn. It so happened that I was lucky enough to complete the second bobbin during a gathering of a local spin-and-knit group, and our hostess, being an excellent spinner herself, was open to teaching me how to ply. (Thank you Emily!) I had only plied once before in 2007 when I made my first yarn in the first spinning class I attended. My memory being short these days, I needed a detailed refresher. Plying requires some sort of Lazy Kate, which is composed of an arrangement of rods or spokes that hold several full bobbins while the spinner feeds and twists together the yarn from these bobbins into the wheel's orifice (an opening that leads to the working, empty bobbin). The Kromski Sonata has an integral or attached Lazy Kate made of two removable metal rods fitted into a wooden swing arm that sits to the right of the treadles. The downside of this construction is that you can only ply two yarns at once. However, I am a beginner, so I have enough to handle by plying just two!

During the spinning of a single strand of yarn, the natural turning action of the flyer (the U-shaped part on top that holds the bobbin) creates the twist that holds together the fibers you are feeding into the wheel, thus making the actual yarn. The wheel is turned in one direction for this process; for plying the reverse is required in order to make a "balanced" two-ply - sort of like cancelling out the first twist of the single yarn by twisting in the opposite direction. There are much better explanations online if you search for "plying a balanced yarn." It is really quite a science!

Being an abject beginner, my main goal at this point was just getting the two yarns to come together in some sort of yarn-like fashion. Since I spun singles in the common clock-wise direction, I treadled counterclockwise to ply, which I found to be a little difficult at first as it seemed antagonistic to my usual spinning motion. The most helpful Emily showed me how to adjust my Scotch tension appropriately for plying - a rather constant battle of too much draw in and not enough. She also demonstrated how to hold the two yarns together with one hand at the point where they twisted together, while using the other hand to keep the two strands separated enough so as not to twist prematurely. I could have used a few more pairs of hands at that moment! The most important and tricky part of this process is getting the plied yarns to be "balanced", or to have the twists counteract each other in a way so that the plied yarn hangs without any kinking back on itself. There is an excellent article here on plying with photos that show this balancing act. It seems quality of life is always about achieving a good sense of balance! I am sure it will take many years of practice to get to point where my plied yarns will be well-balanced, and even then there will be some diversion from perfection caused by factors such as the weather (humidity), the type of fiber used, the amount of time that has passed since the singles were spun (wool relaxes as it sits), and so forth. Whoever said spinning was a simple skill had no idea of the nuances of fiber manipulation!

But back to plying...
After a few minutes of spinning, then stopping to check the yarn balance, I finally filled a spool with the two-tone, two-ply yarn that had lived only in my imagination to this point. Unfortunately I had to stop when my working bobbin was full because my wheel only came with three bobbins and there was still yarn left on the two from which I was plying. (Note to self: BUY MORE BOBBINS) So I'll have to ply the rest later. As we still had a few more minutes of group time left, I was able borrow a niddy noddy to turn the bobbin-full of yarn into a more familiar skein or hank. (Second note to self: nag - um, ask husband to make that cheap PVC niddy noddy from online plans this weekend.) I was shown how to wind the yarn onto the niddy-noddy in a crosswise fashion, then tie each side to secure using a short piece of string wound in between the yarns in a figure eight pattern. It was then time to remove the skein from the niddy noddy, stretch it out (or snap it) just a bit, and twist it in on itself to make a "real" looking skein, a shape that must have a name that I don't know, but I'll just call it a twisted sausage.

And ta-da, it was YARN!

Here is my second spinning effort, two-tone, two-ply wool next to my very first yarn (dark brown), spun during my first spinning class in 2007.

But I am not finished just yet. I still have to gently wash, or rather, soak the yarn to relax it and set the twist, then rinse it with cold water, repeat, squeeze out the water, and hang it to dry before I can use it - or display it in a bowl on the coffee table as my hostess half-jokingly suggested. There is a certain "look-I-made-this" quality to any crafting project that demands attention. Creations need to be seen and possibly used for them to fulfill their destiny. So, in an effort to feed this need, I am placing my first yarns out on the internet coffee table for you all to ogle while I get back to plying the rest of it so I can move on to spinning that lovely blue and purple fiber still sitting in a bag.

Yummy blues and purples, like grape cotton candy!
I hope it spins well.

Internet Blog-In: CPSIA

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:01:00 +0000

If you haven't seen or read about the upcoming February implementation of a new law called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act or CPSIA, then I'd like to help spread the word about how this ill-designed law will negatively impact all small businesses and crafters who sell items that could be used by children under 12. The CPSIA is supposedly designed to remove children's items containing lead and phthalates from the marketplace. Understandably, no one wants lead and harmful toxins in their children's toys or clothing, but this law punishes the wrong people. Extensive and expensive testing of individual products will now be required of all manufacturers, including the small home handcrafter. This is retroactive, meaning even existing inventories must either be tested to be within compliance, or items must be removed from sale, and/or destroyed.

While large companies producing toys and clothes on assembly lines in batches by the thousands might have the money to pay for testing each batch, the individual crafter who carefully and lovingly makes one item at a time would be hard-pressed to pay for testing each and every handmade stuffed animal, child's sweater, book or wooden toy. Only large mass-marketers will be able to comply, further limiting the consumer's choices for obtaining clothing and toys for their children and grandchildren. A better plan would have been to make manufacturers of raw materials provide certification of lead and phthalate content so small businesses could assure their supplies were safe to use without having to perform prohibitively expensive testing at their level. And not only are small handcrafters and manufacturers required to comply, but sellers of used and vintage goods that could be used by children must not sell any items that may contain the banned substances. Although they are not required to test their items, these vendors must rely on their judgment to remove suspect items from their shelves; a difficult task at best, and likely to drastically curb sales of recycled and used goods.

Now is the time for every concerned parent and consumer to voice their opinions before the law finally takes effect. Below is a protest letter written by two Etsy shop owners, Chichiboulie and Winklepots, to be posted on participating blogs on Wednesday, January 28, as part of an internet "blog-in" (an electronic version of a sit-in), to protest the upcoming implementation of the CPSIA law. The complete list of blogs involved can be found on the originating Etsy thread, http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6013238.

Here is their letter:

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all. Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

So what can the average person do? Contact your local congressional or senatorial representative, sign a petition, tell friends, blog about it!

For more information:
Handmade Toy Alliance
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

Ways to contact your local governmental representatives:
Congress
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
phone numbers
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/phone_numbers.tt?show=hill_phone
Senators
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Links to Petitions:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys/

Where did the beads go?

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:40:00 +0000

The beads are still here, neatly sorted by color and function in towers of clear, plastic boxes, sitting on my craft room shelves. I am just taking a little break from creating jewelry to work on things that reflect my word for 2009 which seems to be "fiber." Over a year ago I took a class on spinning with a wheel and I enjoyed it very much. In that one class I was able to make my first full hank of yarn: a somewhat irregular, bulky, brown wool skein - not bad, as I was told by my instructor, for a first attempt. Until recently, it was unceremoniously piled in a corner of the spare bedroom closet, but I have since given it a proper place to reside on a wooden peg hook below a decorative shelf in the family room. I admit I was inspired to hang it out in the open after seeing a lovely cascade of colorful yarns displayed on a pegged coat rack at the home of another spinner. Somehow having the fiber where I can see it makes me feel more like an actual "fiber person" which keeps me motivated to practice spinning. Plus, that one, skinny skein looks awfully lonely draped up there by itself against the blank, yellow wall; I need to make it a friend or two.

Recently spun wool yarn

I use the word "practice" because the first, say, 500-1000 yards or so of yarn will probably be inconsistent in appearance, at best. I can see that it will take a lot of wheel time before my yarns will look like something one could purchase at a yarn store. Nothing other than practice, practice, practice (and perhaps being around other seasoned spinners on occasion) will turn those lumpy, too thin, too thick, beginner strands into smooth and polished, knittable creatures. Since the only way to practice is to have a wheel to use at home, I started looking - or dreaming about - wheels in 2008. I searched Craigslist, want ads, spinning lists, eBay, and even Etsy on a daily basis trying to find a used wheel, not new, in an effort to ease the strain on my crafting budget. I didn't have any luck, but I did learn much more about the type of wheel I wanted. Then one day, a friend of mine and I took a spinning class; it was her first and my second spinning experience. It wasn't long after the class that she started shopping for wheels too. Not being the procrastinator that I am, she soon had a wheel delivered to her doorstep. Of course, I had to see it right away.

After looking at the wheel she purchased, and comparing it to my short list of brands, I had narrowed down my "dream wheel" to two or three models, including the type she had chosen. How does one make such an expensive decision? As with any tool, the best advice I was given was to try as many wheels as possible before buying. Spinning wheels are like shoes: it is best to find one that fits your body and spinning style or you'll be uncomfortable. I had already test-driven a few wheels at the spinning class, but I still needed to try out my top choices. The closest shops that sold spinning equipment were at least an hour's drive away. Half-a-dozen phone calls and hours of internet research later, I found a small store that had one of the two brands I wanted to test.

On a pleasant June day last year, I casually asked my husband if he would like to take a drive. "Where to?" he looked suspicious. "Um, to look at a spinning wheel," I answered, waiting for the inevitable questions about why, how much, and where will you put it? I truly didn't expect to make a purchase that day, but once I tried a few wheels and compared their treadling abilities, and even had my husband do a few test-drives, the choice was clear. Much to my surprise, somehow we managed to leave the shop with a large bag filled with fiber and an order for a spinning wheel.

Now, as you all know, life can get quite busy and complicated sometimes, and you've heard the phrase about the best-laid plans...Well, I have to confess that no sooner had the wheel arrived in my house, other things began keeping me from using it. I opened the package, set it up, treadled it a bit to make sure it worked, put it back in the carrying case, put it in the corner, and then promptly got swept up in summer vegetable gardening, working on jewelry for craft shows, etc., etc.; the wheel gathered dust. I felt bad, and quite guilty for buying something so costly and not using it. I am sure my husband thought this was just another one of my crafting adventures that would end up on the eBay auction block. (Mea cupla! I admit this has happened on more than one occasion.) And I really, really did want to spend more time making yarn and improving my spinning skills. So when I reached the end of craft show season and I needed a rest from beading, the wheel and the fiber started calling to me again. With trepidation I set up the wheel and tried to remember how to spin. After a studious review of the book, Start Spinning by Maggie Casey, my rusty brain creaked into motion and I found myself treadling away making actual yarn.

After all this talk of my wheel, I can't forget to introduce you to my trusty spinning companion. He or she (I haven't picked a name yet) is a Kromski Sonata, an upright, double treadle, wooden wheel handmade in Poland at the small Kromski family factory. I chose the natural color Sonata which coordinated best with our decor - something to consider if you intend to keep the wheel in a public space at home.

The Sonata's blend of slightly modern design and a simple, traditional, spoked wheel really appealed to my tastes. Its lines seem unfussy yet not overly plain or stark. But the best feature of this model is the relieved leg strain afforded by the action of the two foot pedals, or "double treadle;" neither leg gets worked too much. The Sonata is a folding wheel, and it comes in a sporty green and beige, padded bag, which makes it perfect for taking to a friend's house for a spinning afternoon, or to a meeting of the local spinning group. I've just been to my first group gathering and boy, was I nervous because I imagined its members would chastise me for letting the wheel sit idle so long. However, they were gracious and the meeting was very low-key.

So what have I made so far? Last night I finished spinning the dark brown, wool fiber I received when I bought the wheel. As I held my work aloft like a scepter, I proudly proclaimed to my husband that I now had a full bobbin of yarn that I made all by myself. It may not be pretty or WOW material, but it is real yarn - or should I say half of real yarn, since I will need to make a second bobbin-full so I can ply or twist them together to make a sturdy and usable product. Thus, on to my next project of spinning some light brown wool fiber in anticipation of making a two-tone, two-ply, brown yarn. Not terribly exciting color-wise, but I didn't want to delve into my really good wool and silk blend, dyed in a fabulous mix of purple and teal shades, until I had more practice time on the wheel. Did I mention that once one has a wheel, suddenly hunks of fiber in a variety of colors and textures start appearing in one's crafting cache? Hmmm, I can't imagine how that happens.

You may ask the next logical question, "What are you going to make with all this yarn?" Well, I asked myself that too. My latest stop at a knitting shop for supplies may partly answer that query. I can imagine all sorts of warm and fuzzy projects being completed from lovingly hand-spun yarn. However, there is one little stumbling block: I haven't knitted for about 100 years, and I just recently learned to crochet, just the very basic steps. So I guess those beads will have to wait a bit longer while I add a few more fiber-related skills to my repertoire.

Knit one, purl one, knit one...I'll let you know how it goes.

Tag, I'm It!

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:53:00 +0000

A few days ago I found out that I (and my blog) had been "tagged" for the first time. Blog tag is an internet game in which the people tagged must reveal several little-known facts about themselves; then, subsequently, they must "tag" or select another group of bloggers to do the same. Thus far I have managed to escape the tagging rounds, but Christine of Fused Glass, http://fusedglass.blogspot.com, (Designs by Christine) has caught me!

So...according to the rules of this game, I must tell you all 7 random things about myself. Hmm...I am not that exciting, but I'll give it a try.

1. I used to play the clarinet and oboe in school.
2. I have at least 5 different pairs of eye glasses, and all of them have different functions.
3. I am an only child and I haven't any first cousins.
4. I am allergic to lots of things, including peanuts, soy and wheat.
5. I would almost always take caramel over chocolate. (Don't tell my BBEST Etsy team!)
6. I am an avid birdwatcher and I've been known to tramp through the woods with binoculars.
7. My college major was anthropology. I wanted to work in a museum, but I got sidetracked into retail by my first temp job.

Now it's my turn to tag other bloggers. Who oh who will it be? Blindfold on, spinning around three times, and pinning the tail on the following lucky winners:

1. Beth Peardon Productions, http://bethpeardonprods.blogspot.com
2. The Copper Cauldron, http://thecoppercauldron.blogspot.com
3. Althea Peregrine, http://altheap.wordpress.com
4. My Gypsygoods, http://mygypsygoods.blogspot.com
5. Precious Quilts, http://preciousquilts.blogspot.com
6. Scottie Acres, http://scottieacres.blogspot.com
7. The Creators Palette, http://www.thecreatorspalette.blogspot.com

Ok all you "taggees," the rules of this game are as follows:
You need to...
* Link to the person who tagged you
* Post the Rules in your Blog
* Write 7 Random things about yourself
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post and link to them
* Let each Person know they've been tagged

Have fun because now YOU'RE IT!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:47:00 +0000

May 2009 be a wonderful year for everyone!

Winter Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:36:00 +0000

In honor of the peace of the holiday season, the chatter of writing will step aside and let the quiet loveliness of visual art take center stage. Please enjoy this collage of work from talented Etsy artists as they illustrate the beauty and magic of the winter. Please take time to visit each shop (listed at the end of this post) to enjoy more of their creations.

Top row (all left to right):

Snow Day, Vintage Niki (Niki Jackson)
First Snow, molMolly
Finding Winter Cardinal, remarkable bird
Second row:
Beth Goes for a Walk, loveLiette
Fox in the Snow, Lauren Castillo
Glamorous Winter Plumage, bonheur (The Hopeless Romantic Boutique)
Third row:
Warm and Cozy, Elevenish
Snow Journey-Victorian Rabbit, Carmen Keys
Winter Landscape, The Creators Palette
Fourth row:
Winter Mouse, FlutterBrush
Happy Polar Bear in Snow, WhimseyArts
Moonstruck, Christina Colwell

The shops listed below showcase a number of artists whose work has remained somewhat undiscovered on Etsy. I hope to give them a little more exposure.

VintageNiki (Niki Jackson) - http://www.VintageNiki.etsy.com
MolMolly's Art - http://www.molMolly.etsy.com
Remarkable Bird Designs - http://www.remarkablebird.etsy.com
love, Liette (Jennifer Fletcher) - http://www.loveliette.etsy.com
Lauren Castillo Illustration - http://www.LaurenCastillo.etsy.com
bonheur/The Hopeless Romantic Boutique - http://www.bonheur.etsy.com
Elevenish (Carolyne Tillery) - http://www.elevenish.etsy.com
The Art of Carmen Keys - http://www.carmenkeysart.etsy.com
The Creators Palette - http://www.TheCreatorsPalette.etsy.com
FlutterBrush - http://www.FlutterBrush.etsy.com
WhimseyArts - http://www.WhimsyArts.etsy.com
The Folk Art of Christina Colwell - http://www.ChristinaColwell.etsy.com

May the peace and joy of the season last the whole year long!

Was it really worth it?

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:27:00 +0000

This was the question I was asked by my father this morning after I said that sales were slow and likely to get slower in January. "Was it worth it to start a new commercial venture now?" I paused to think. 2008 was my first official year "in business," and my shop online and off had its ups and downs. This year was undoubtedly not the best time to sell merchandise when the economy was sliding downhill faster than an Olympic luge team. But monetary gains are only part of the full story when pursuing an unknown path. How should the worth of trying something new be assessed?

Looking out of my icicle-draped windows, I gaze upon a familiar landscape now coated with a thick quilt of newly fallen snow. It is easy to forget the rich, green panorama of life lying dormant under that velvety white curtain. Hidden under the most bleak of surfaces is often a luscious layer of convoluted textures just ripe with meaning. I find this true in my business experiences as well: The true worth of making myself and my creative work available for public scrutiny and purchase lies buried deep in the recesses of my inner landscape and far exceeds the worth of the outer, materialistic layer.

Indeed this retail venture - or should I say adventure, has been profitable in many regards. I finally followed through on doing something I had talked about for an annoying number of years (starting a home business). I exposed my creative side to hundreds of strangers and I lived to tell the tale! I have been the fortunate recipient of new friendships and relationships based on the mutual loves of art and craft. (This support has become life-affirming to me.) A new and vibrant community of peers has emerged to fill the gap left by my transition from homeschool to imminent post-school immersion. I pushed myself, sometimes with great struggle, to try new crafting techniques; I've kicked myself outside the creative box, looked inside it, turned it upside down, and spilled its contents on the floor in search of my own style. (I'm still rummaging through the mess!) I participated in five craft shows which is more actual public speaking than I have done in a long time. In emails and on paper I can talk up a storm, but put me in front of a live audience and I usully freeze. Sitting behind my table at a show forced me to make conversation, and worse, it required me to talk about myself and my work. By the end of the last show I actually relaxed (well, a little), and learned to enjoy discussing the details of the jewelry I had created.

Most importantly, I had the epiphany that trying something new, falling flat on my face, getting up and trying again or trying something else was a normal part of a full, human life, much in contrast to the what I had ingrained in me as a child, then reinforced as a young adult, that failure was to be avoided at all costs. In fact, it appears "failure" is crucial to growth and enhanced creativity. Maybe this seems commonplace to those lucky folks who had this secret revealed to them at an early age, but to me, the experiences of the past year were nothing short of transformational.

So, my final answer to the question, "Was it really worth it?" has to be an unwavering yes, but for reasons too personal and convoluted to explain to an outside observer in a short sentence. I simply dodged my father's question and went on to making breakfast. But to the rest of you I can honestly report that in my first year in business I didn't make much money, but I truly became enriched.

I wish you an inwardly and outwardly prosperous 2009.

Winter Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (The Filigree Garden) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:34:00 +0000

Sharing a little poem I wrote for the Winter Solstice in 2006...

Original painting by Matt Armington as inspired by poem. (Thank you Matt!)

Solstice Night

The moonless air is still
and dark.
Shadowless we wait
with eyes skyward
and frozen breath
curling
into the night.

Deep within our souls
we ache
with desire to embark
upon the timeless journey,
of night into day,
transforming
dark into light.

All wings must rest
folded
marking the time
until the heart calls.
Suspended in slumber
awaiting
time for flight.

Crystalline silken threads
spun
on winter dreams
by cryptic mystic spiders
lacing lives and loves
concealing
within a fragile web.

Diamond stars sparkle
escorts
from the shadowed realm
point to awakened roots
taking hold within us,
illuminating
slender slivers of hope.

Copyright Liv Herbert 2006