Finally, some news!

Let’s face it; I’m not cut out for daily/weekly blogging. I have been away for so long I’m sure you have dropped my site from your sights. If not, thanks for sticking around.

I have been very busy this summer and a lot of things have happened, but I won’t bore you with most of them. While almost everything is good, they are important to me but probably not to you.

Number one:  We adopted a stray mini-schnauzer/terrier mix about six weeks after we lost Windsor to illness and old age. His name is Geordie (like Georgie with a "d") and is a real sweetheart. He’s about two and a half years old and has a warm, loving, and mellow personality – very much like Windsor. He likes to bark when he gets excited, and we are working on that, but other than that he’s a perfect fit for our family.

Here he is in the birdbath.  All new members of the household get their first picture taken in the birdbath.  This is right after I gave him a trim – he’s been on the groomers table before, so well behaved!

Number two: I continue to serve as the president of the Denton Quilt Guild and lots of activity has been swirling around that. The biggest activity for me is that I will be a tour escort for the International Quilt Festival of Ireland next June and have been recruiting travelers to join me. Let me know right away if you are interested, space is limited! Here’s the link

Number three: The company I work for, Reaper Miniatures, was able to raise nearly $3.5 million in funds to start a new line of plastic gaming miniatures and bring the production to Texas. It was a wild and crazy month of watching pledges roll in and the enthusiastic comments from our supporters.

Number four: I just finished some contract work with University of North Texas -- UNT on the Square. I was asked to attach rod pockets to over a dozen beautiful African textiles to enable them to be hung. It was a joy and privilege to handle the amazing ceremonial cloths from Ghana. The exhibit opens this week

Thanks for sticking around.  What have you been up to lately?

The "Also Ran" I am very proud of

I have posted this mini before, but I wanted to show the new base I made in class with Michael Proctor at ReaperCon.The base is mostly tree-bark and some tiny weedy bits with some sculpting. Everything was then primed and painted. I am very excited about this development in my progress.

I also have my first commission lined up!

The Little Mermaid -- Update -- WINNER

She showed VERY WELL for being only my 10th mini . . .

BRONZE MEDAL WINNER!

This weekend I will be working at Reaper Con -- the convention for pewter miniature enthusiasts. The above mini is my submission for the painting contest. While it is not perfect, it is only my 10th mini to paint and I have come a long way since I started in January.
.
(By they way, she is supposed to be bare-breasted, but since I am The Church Lady, I painted on a bikini top.)

Happy Easter!

This is what I used to do with my 'spare time' before Easter before I became a clergy spouse. It is called pysanky and it is a traditional Ukranian style of decorating Easter Eggs. (Click on images to enlarge)

This is what I am doing now . . .

This little Easter Mousling from Reaper Minis is here to wish you a Happy Easter and a wonderful Spring.

Also, my hubby and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary during the Holy Week craziness.

Painting Minis

So, you remember my first pewter miniature . . . (Yeah, I'm the Church Lady -- Now, isn't that special) This is mini number three . . .

And this is mini number six . . . .

The mice are about one inch tall, the owl and leprechaun is about an inch and a half tall. .

VERY, very, very tiny.

I am having so much fun!

All minis are from Reaper Miniature

{({ Yawn })} Hibernation!

Not me.

I have been quite busy, but I feel like my MUSE has been hibernating.

It takes time, quiet, contemplative time, for me to create and be creative. I have had neither for the past three weeks (and more). However, last week I learned a new skill and have been told I have "potential". I have learned to paint the minis I QC at the company I work for -- Reaper Miniatures. Here is my first piece:

Also, I have joined Lori Anderson's second Bead Soup Blog Party. (Check out the button to the right). My partner this time around is Lisa Boucher. We both love the same colors but we work in different media, which is going to be a good stretch for both of us. This is what I will be sending out to her:

I will be getting a couple of extra hours off in the middle of the week from here on out. I hope that will give me the time to create, or at least to think creative thoughts.

What sets the tone for your creative Muse?

I'm on Vacation!

To quote Billy Crystal in City Slickers, "I'm on VACATION!!"
We have escaped for almost two weeks to Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island. We are a couple of minutes walk from the beach and have enjoyed many hours wading through the surf and beachcombing.
.
When we are not on the beach, we relax with a good spy novel and quiet hours with our dogs. While my husband reads aloud to me (Daniel Silva's novels are very engaging!) I make jewelry. I brought a few beads and crystals along with my peweter pieces from Reaper Miniature. Here are a couple of things I put together:

And this:

And this -- I ran out of earring findings, so imagine these with lever-back finding. Spooky, huh? I am thinking about Halloween.

Tomorrow Nan Emmett from Spirited Earth and Spirit Rattles is coming down from Houston for lunch, a walk on the beach and some "serious" jewelry talk. I cannot wait!

Do you take your jewerly stuff with you on vacation?

Reminder -- Wings Giveaway

Don't you just love these beauties from Reaper Miniatures? They could be yours. Leave a comment on the previous post to have your name put in the drawing. The deadline is midnight Friday September 10th.

If I had but Wings to Fly . . .

. . . and I do!

Click on the photo to take a look at the lovely details.

A four-pack set of angel wings is just $10 {HERE}

I have been enjoying working at Reaper Miniatures (as I mentioned in my last post). Along the way I have collected some gorgeous pewter pieces and the photo above is only a sampling. All these components are part of a larger piece or grouping, but I think each one would make a beautiful component for jewelry. My fingers are itching to get some time to play with these pieces and to come up with a stunning jewerly design.

It is not quite like visiting a hardware store and being inspired by the "cool stuff" you find there, but have you ever found jewelry components from way out in left field, so to speak?

I am having a giveaway of the large curved wings on the bottom left. Who is interested?

Here is what you do by September 10th at midnight:
* Leave a Comment on this post (yeah, the one you are reading!) for one chance to win
*Another chance is yours if you:
1) become a follower and post another comment to tell me
2) go to my Etsy Shop and "Heart" a piece (and post another comment with the link to the item)
3) Blog about the giveaway (and post another comment with the link)

There. That is four opportunities to win the angelic pewter wings.

Good Luck!

I Haven't Disappeared!

I have been working as a temporary employee in QC (Quality Control) at a local manufacturing company, Reaper Miniatures.

Frumitty, Lemur Cleric from Reaper Miniatures

If you are slightly geeky, you might know about the company. They make pewter miniature figures associated with World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, and other fantasy games. The owners are friends of ours and they hired me on when they were swamped with two huge contracts for special edition pieces. I have been very happily busy for about two months and will continue for about another month. (Yeah!)

.

As the individual pieces are cast they are put in a bin which is handed to me to inspect for casting errors (soft spots, missing limbs, cracks, rough patches etc.). Apparently, I am very good at this. I have collected some components to use in jewelry -- wings and things. Stay tuned.

.

Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps my next career (#6 and counting) will be in Quality Control.

.

Here is a couple of questions for you:

How many careers have you had?

Which one has been your favorite career?