Weekend notes
I'm nursing my lime tree along after a tough bout of scale this past growing season. I've battled them off and spend way too much time seeking out any teeny tiny pest that could proliferate and threaten this favorite of mine. I'm hopeful. This early lime blossom and...
River walk
A relentless wind and crisp views at the Hudson river today. Brrrr.
Quince season
As surely as the leaves pirouette across the yard, the sights and sounds of fall unfold. And my favorite part… the scent. It’s as though there’s a whole orchard out there, and if you closed your eyes you could be worlds away from these suburban streets. Every year I...
Vivid
Trick… or treat?
I'll take both. Happy Halloween!
Tucking in
These days a particular high-flying tech industry leader may be cajoling us gals to ‘lean in’, but this time of year, I’m more inclined to be thinking about ‘tucking in’... it's time to salvage whatever can be had from my garden beds and get ready to move indoors....
Fall jewel tones
Fall colors both the garden & the workshop these days. :)
Peter’s Valley show this weekend!
Cynthia and friends have been working on getting ready for a fabulous show... I stopped in at her studio recently and had to snap these gorgeous works in progress... This weekend, Peter's Valley School of Craft hosts their annual fine craft fair at the Sussex County...
Autumn star
The autumn equinox has occurred, yesterday at 3:44 PM to be precise. Day and night are now approximately equal in length while we in the northern hemisphere prepare for longer nights and cool temperatures. It seems hopeful that spring begins for the southern portion...
Harvest
Things shift, cool nights are no longer just an occasional respite. The garden prepares to give up the last of it's treasures. It's time to find room for all that indoor foliage again. In the midst of the work to be done, there is much to be admired... Seeds fly...
NY Fashion Week with Helen! Am I dreaming?
So, I've been very excited watching Helen's progress unfold on project runway... you might have noticed, no? I was thrilled to hear from her a couple of weeks ago - she needed some small pairs of earrings for a ‘photo shoot’, she tells me... could I possibly make 11?...
Wishing summer well… until next time
This time each year, we gather and bid a fond farewell to the sultry summer days, I will miss them so. The crickets still sing me to sleep, but the calendar tells another tale. Time to get ready for changes on the way, like it or not. Where do these days disappear...
Unexpected
Stopping in to visit an old friend today, we return with an unexpected bounty... thus extending a lovely rainswept afternoon though the remaining days of this last ‘official’ week of summer. Above, kale, fresh picked before our very eyes. An armload of all manner of...
Sweet dreams
Experiment: how to pipe a thick porcelain slip from a pastry bag to make rosettes, 1st attempt. Result: not bad, worthy of more experimentation. I'm sure it's been done a million times, but I feel compelled to get it right. Note to self: will need a new pastry set...
Sky note: red moon rising
Revel in the August red moon, tonight 9:45 PM. Fall nips at my heels. But the sultry red moon belongs to summer.
The summer garden
Walk with me on the garden path and visit the san marzanos... Still a ways to go, but there's time yet. And what else of summer? Collecting up the bits, stowing them away for inspiration, and for the dark days. On or around January 15th: open, examine, remember, look...
Friendly faces
This pretty begonia was a casualty of my puttering... it made a valiant and unexpected effort in growing from last year’s tuber, and one false move and I knocked the whole top heavy flower right off. Oh well. Weekend centerpiece. I'll tuck the tuber away in hopes...
Do you like me?
Finally, finally, I’ve made a Facebook page for artigiano. Now... I just have to figure out how it all works. With the help of my IT magician and advisor, I have learned how to share a blog post over on that page. Well, these things take a while, and I can see that...
Sky note: perseid shower
Best viewing tonight! While puttering on Friday, one of my radio favs - Science Friday - announces the peak viewing of the perseid shower... tonight! My ears perk up. I put down the task at hand and search out some tiny gold scraps. One gold nugget ring on the way,...
Who knew?
July 19-27 was National Moth Week. How could I not have known? I was made aware when an Etsy member was kind enough to include one of my moths in a treasury honoring this year’s moth week. So... I'm late to the observance, but you can be sure I'm marking my calendar...
Coney Island baby
It's a bit surreal watching Helen's progress on Project Runway. She's amazing... but am I objective? Well, no. But she's still amazing. And this week's episode demonstrates what I mean. Find a quick recap here. Nutshell: the designers grab prizes at Coney Island...
butterfly, madam
Summer flies...
Sky note: thunder moon
Monday brings the buck moon, 2:16 PM. The mind wanders... Summer moons inspire. Also know as the thunder moon, Monday's sky event is perfectly timed, as the past weekend’s storms exploded to push out the heavy summer heat not willing to budge from here in the...
Summer celebration
July is birthday time for my little garden helper... what a great month for a birthday! Summer! Yes, the summer haze has blanketed us here in a a sweaty mist these recent weeks, but that's ok. It goes with the territory this time of year. Dusk comes none too soon,...
Helen rocks world
So... remember Helen? She's on PROJECT RUNWAY SEASON 12!!!!!!!! July 18th! OMG! If you are one millionth as excited as I am, please Facebook like her page - at the top of the page, pretty please!
Warm glow
The holiday weekend here started with a special celebration... a gathering to remember. The room was abuzz with artists and writers, thinkers and doers. There was electricity in the air. They traveled from near and far at the invitation of dear friends, to stop for...
Winged things
Finally, finally catching up.
Sign of the Times
This Monday a 42-year NYC tradition comes to an end: The Metropolitan Museum of Art retires the metal button and moves to a paper sticker. For some who have enjoyed the museum over the years, those bright buttons have been a ritual as dear as a morning cup of...
Sky note
Tonight in the sultry summer sky, it won't just be the strawberry moon you see. It's a super moon, or to an astronomer, a perigee full moon. This occurs when the moon is closest to the earth, and the presently occurring full moon is the closest one of 2013. Summer...
Today
Summer starts here. Dusk goes on forever. The longest day slowly relinquishes and bits of tiny lightning float on the invisible breeze. Tonight the familiar code flashes across the grassy lawn. A perfect day, perfectly long. My most favorite fireworks have...
Ripe
Fresh picked.
Solstice… strawberry moon
Bright gems hidden in the garden patch... June’s strawberry moon fast approaches. The garden keeps her calendar far better than I. No excuses, no delays. Strawberry moon occurs on June 23rd and these bright berries remind me that we are right on schedule, with the...
To be a storm
I have a storm. Tropical storm Andrea barrels up the east coast today. If she takes after me, there should be no worries. I grab a few peonies before the rain batters their feathery fringes and enjoy. You could get lost in these. Not a bad diversion on a stormy...
Gallery renovation!
Summer is coming fast, seasons transform before our eyes. Time for a change. I’ve been moving the furniture around... and an all new gallery picture show is in bloom. I'd love to know what you think! And now that the gallery is newly expanded, I'll be adding fresh...
Sweet treats
Almost good enough to eat... but no guilt in these tasty treats. Wear, enjoy, repeat. Pretty porcelain florals to capture the sweet memories of happy days. Find them in my new shop section, sweet treats. This is just an appetizer... more coming to satisfy your...
King Lavra
The story of King Lavra is based on a Czech fairy tale about a king, with an embarrassing secret: beneath his long hair, he has the ears of a donkey. Although he is generally benign, if uninspired leader, his insecurity about having the ears of an ass lead him to...
Happy day
Whether it's real honest-to-goodness children... or... a few furry faces depending on you for their every need, the crowd at the bird feeder... or maybe as simple as some San Marzanos, I hope some happy faces look up at you adoringly today. And I promise not to show...
Hello tomato
So, I was late getting the seeds planted but it turns out the San Marzanos from last year’s heirloom tomatoes (thanks Ruth!) are quick studies. Early mornings lately, teeny yellow-green leaves greet me from the seed house with their tentative sleepy smiles. Could it...
Pottery show!
This weekend! New Jersey Potter’s Guild! Here's a few oft- used favorites from my own collection that I've found while treasure hunting in the booths of talented guild members... Find all the info about the show at the Guild event page, here. Sneak a peek at the...
Earth day
Earth day arrives and spring this year is a chilly affair... slowly things unfurl, and this is as it should be - not like last year’s mad early spikes in temperature. Still some time to start a few seeds. These are from my friend's heirloom San Marzanos. I'll keep...
St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
This Friday is the big night here in New Jersey for St. Hubert’s... the annual Canine Cotillion. Artigiano Jewel Box is proud to support, donating my new Garden of Eden bracelet for the evening’s Silent Auction. Hand embossed & hammered copper panels linked with...
The continuing adventures of Helen
It's almost a year's since Helen’s big night... she's been working away at it ever since. Recently she took a breath of air and sent me these new photos of some of her concoctions... Since last year, a lot has happened... moss doesn't grow in Helen's pathway. See...
Easter
Easter weekend begins... things emerge. Last weekend, Palm Sunday, I had a visit with a cousin who is our family’s resident expert on the making of the palm cross (not to mention our all around helper, historian, and keeper of family lore). She brought me a lovely...
Waiting…
It's a chilly start to spring here, and the chill is holding fast... still the garden beds withhold their first blooms, tree branches tightly gather their tiny dormant jewels. I imagine patient buds waiting under the quiet, cold earth. Not quite yet. Despite the...
It’s official…
Ah, spring... she steps up to the plate bright and early this coming dawn, 7:02 AM to be exact. But old man winter has not quite relinquished his chilly grasp... this year there is barely a bud to be seen in my part of the world, and this past morning an icy blanket...
On exhibit!
My tiny watering can is on exhibit for the world to see! The highly praised online jewelry resource, The Ganoksin Project has revealed their new online exhibition, Holding Place: A Repository of Containers and Vessels by Metalsmiths Around the World. My little guy...
Blooming
That porcelain flower took root in my imagination. So I visited a friend in her pottery studio (you can visit Cynthia here), and came home with not only a load of great tips but an incredibly tempting hunk of porcelain. It's been a while since I had a lump of clay to...
Spring stirrings
The days change and a few things are stirring for spring. Lots to catch up on in the studio! Above, a long awaited lotus on layaway order bloomed for a delightful etsy customer. Cheerfully bright carnelians went out to another very, very patient soul. And, at long...
Special delivery
What a nice way to end a week. My favorite neighborhood valentine was a little bit under the weather last week, but everybody's better now... so over the yard she came with mom in tow to deliver a pretty little heart, painted just for me. :) And when I asked if mom...
Good morning, valentines…
Have a sweet day!
Bundle of hearts
Valentine’s is as good an excuse as any to bundle your passions together and see what happens. Here are a few of mine: hoarding old candy boxes, clipping interesting or pretty pictures from the Sunday Times, and mad snowflake cutting. A perfect storm of these...
In winter’s heart
Clear the desk... time for this year’s Valentines. While the real snow piled up outside, a pretty blizzard of tissue cuts quickly accumulated indoors. Almost ready to go!
Plucked
Often dusty and obscured, this antique porcelain rose has been has been kicking around the family for years, and I mean years. I believe it may be of Capodimonte porcelain, the famous italian pottery, but I'm not certain about that. I’ll need to clarify the family...
Marshmallow morning
The first big snowfall we've had in a couple of years... the world is a frosted confection. Quick, quick, before the sun’s rays warm over this tasty treat, some snaps of the quiet white morning. We are lucky this time... the fringes of this huge nor’easter left not...
Salute to the sun
The days grow longer and my garden stow-aways are starting to notice... Passion flower (above) leads the way. Skinny green fingers carefully stretch from every end of my crusty old lemon tree... A new year begins in the potted garden and with no time to lose, my...
Blizzard-maker
How lucky, the Blizzard-maker has taught me her tips and tricks... so before I forget the lesson, the flakes are piling up... that little winter wizard has inspired a blizzard for sure. And just in time... it's a deep freeze here in the northeast, with snow on the...
Winter warmth
An eager orchid ventures forth early this new year to dip her little toe into the water.
Flurries
We are not seeing much snow here this winter. Today, the temperature is almost unsettlingly warm. That is sure to soon change, but meanwhile, last week I bumped into my favorite little neighbor on the driveway with dad... she has been making a little storm-full all...
Just a little more…
It's always a little hard to say goodbye to Christmas for a whole year. Here it will be a while before it's all packed away. And still some goodies to enjoy. These little beauties courtesy a New Year’s visit with a trusty baker friend... I open the tin... I can't...
Where to begin
Sweet home made wishes to all at the dawn of another year... Happy New Year!
Winter mornings, warmed…
Like little mummies, this year’s Christmas morning gifts carefully preserved a bit of everlasting spring... above, leafy coffee spoons for my family, revealed... and a plate of those cookies to go... off to the big city for holiday visits!
Fresh baked
Hot from the oven... fresh baked Christmas wishes to all!
Seed House holiday
The stack of old parts has been collecting around here for years, and finally it's enough to make my Seed House just in time for Christmas, all for me... It started with one found window from the neighbors, and as the years have past the junk pile grew until it was...
And so it begins…
Sunny scenes as the holiday kitchen gears up.
Reflection
2012 comes to a difficult close in my area of the world. And while this little journal is not a serious place, somehow it should be acknowledged. I heard quote above cited on the radio last week, and it captured the sense of things, I think. Tragedy knocks at...
Last call
Not as much time for drawing this year as I hoped... but a quick stop in at the group this week for the last class of 2012 could not be missed. Just a few moments for some quick sketches and holiday greetings all the way around. Oh, and maybe a few cookies to boot......
Cape May Christmas
It's been a long time since I've made my way back to Cape May, but a day squeezed into this bustling season was a welcome reminder of simpler times. Amazingly, my favorite seaside spot was barely touched by hurricane Sandy’s devastating blows. A glance at the...
I am not an elf
While I could be accused of being a small person, I’m too tall to be an elf. No pointy ears. Though this time of year, I do wonder about elves... are they more prepared than I? I hope so. But I'm trying... Once more: I. Am. Not. An. Elf. However, there has been...
Frosty moon
Today brings the full beaver moon, aka the frosty moon... and the timing is right. Wet slushy snow clings in big sloppy blobs to the branches outside my window and the grassy lawn is now a white wintery blanket. Messy to slog around in, but a nice back drop for a...
Thanksgiving wishes
Wherever your table, whatever it holds... I hope it will be shared with those who matter most. Warm wishes this holiday season... and thanks. ;)
Slice of life
Thanksgiving fast approaches... time to scramble up what looks good and tuck it into a pie. A pre-holiday taste test never hurts. Thursday looms large... pumpkin, perhaps?
Best of Etsy…
Creating Linus Jewellery is an online publication, beautifully showcasing the work of some amazing metal artists, as well as some well designed and illustrated tutorials designed to demonstrate various metal skills. Each issue, a two page spread is devoted to ‘The...
Wintery mix
Storm repair continues in my area... and no sooner did we grab the last of the sage from the garden did a nor'easter bluster through to further confuse the matter. Scenes are cozy here, but no so for many in the area. Power still flickers on and off... I'm waiting...
Shaken
It's been one heck of a week here in the tri-state... Sandy has shaken us to the core. After one very scary night, those of us who are largely unscathed have scrambled around to keep up with the news, moved our perishables from refrigerator to refrigerator, tracked...
October’s creepy crawlers
This elegant creature has crawled into the shop for fall... Meanwhile, a childhood friend with a lifetime of shared memories made a stop in town this past weekend. A quick hello... and just in time for this fire opal moth to fly off home with her in celebration of a...
Buying time
It happens this time every year... after a summer of tending and trimming, watering and feeding, and just when the potted annuals are looking lush and exuberant, the first harsh night of the fall season descends, sweeping through the yard like a cruel prank. It's...
Wings unfold
Time to catch up on wings! It's been a while, but I have finally been able to make new pieces of some of my most loved items. I'm happy to bring them back... it often takes me a bit longer than I hope, as sometimes the crazy jumble of life around here doesn't allow...
Captured
The other day I found this little guy on the dashboard of my trusty old roadster... he must have been caught inside when I closed it up after the previous ride. I would have much preferred to have seen the little critter fluttering in there and opened the window and...
Harvest moon
Fall brings jewel tones and cool nights as this year's harvest moon rises. The garden still offers gifts to share and a few more menu ideas...
Change of scenery
Ready or not... time to grab the extra blanket.
Magical night for a moondance…
I worked on a special moonstone anniversary set this summer for long time friends, a moonstone jag ensued... ...a bit of magic from the night sky never hurts, after all.
Girl’s best friend
Cape May... a town full of memories. Gingerbread houses line the pretty streets and we walk back in time to gentler days. A few grand dames are still to be found, some weathered, some so carefully preserved. You can feel the old stories like whispers suspended in...
Falling
The evening garden is getting dressed for fall...
Once upon a blue moon
August has been ruled by the sturgeon moon. That little sketch from August 2 grabbed hold and so, along with the coming blue moon, the fish also rises. Lately, evenings here unfold beneath a luminous glow. Last week a quick step outside found me under a mesmerizing...
Alfresco
I watch summer from my back stoop, soaking in the sights... firefly evenings in the early season, then fledglings learning how to be birds, chipmunks gathering cherry seeds on the patio. If time allows, I grab my coffee, dinner, or such and steal a few moments out on...
Moth magic… seen and believed
It’s been a strange summer, after that so mild winter. Sultry, and then some. Illusions? Maybe. Coincidences... yes. This is no forested patch, although I might dream it to be so. The luna moth does not live here. I thought. Earlier this spring, I showed a few...
Wishes & dreams
At the end of last year, I finished a project on my wish list. A little book, a document of my work, a look book of sorts... but with some favorite everyday moments through the seasons mixed in. I was not sure if I could get it right, but I think I did. I had some...
Abundantly summer
Cucumbers are popping up everywhere. What to do? Pickles, of course. Those easy summer ones... the recipes seem to be as plentiful as the cukes this time of year. I spotted one on Etsy, a persian variety that sounds good... I’d like to try that. But for these, I...
The grandchildren of figs
It's time. It takes a long time... it was back in those abbreviated daylight hours of January that if first looked hopeful for this year. There are just a few, but they are ready now, strong and promising... they are worth the wait. And today they begin to make...
Sky show
It’s tonight! And tomorrow... the annual Perseid meteor showers are visible in the night sky. So if the clouds clear away, pull up a chair and enjoy the show. Late night into early dawn brings the best viewing, and this year’s view includes ‘the bright planets...
Sturgeon moon
The full moon is on the rise again. We begin August with the Sturgeon Moon, 11:27 pm tonight. I'm intrigued. I poke around... and I am hooked (no pun intended). Tonight’s August moon takes it's name from this peculiar sea creature, which was at one time, most...
Garden fresh
A relaxing summer visit last week from my brother & sister-in-law sent them back to the big city with armloads of herbs after a walk in our kitchen garden. They were excited to pass along the goods in the form of a tuscan bean salad which made it's way to friends...
Girl with a horse
The years go quickly... my tiny tot goddaughter is not so tiny anymore. A milestone has arrived and my favorite girl is finished with the eighth grade already. So what do you do for a girl with a horse? A horse of course. This horse is made after the pattern by...
Twentyfive
Twentyfive years ago today we were sweating it out... big pink dresses & tuxedos, baking in the sultry July heat. How did that bride get us to wear those flowery halos after all? Styles may change, but some things stand the test of time. Fortunately for us, the...
Sunshine & flowers
Have you heard? EtsyMetal, my metalsmithing group on Etsy, has been sending out a newsletter for fans and friends (sign up here!). So when our editor, the very talented Danielle Miller-Gilliam of daniellejewelry on Etsy put out the call for some fashion...
July… buck moon rises
Tonight brings with it the full moon of July, known as the buck moon... “The new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur.” Antlers... I know I've come across some antler tips... down to the studio to rifle through the cabinet of...
Moth magic
... and so concludes my study of the mysterious luna moth. for now.
Drenched
Summer storms tap on the back door today.
The antique garden begins to bloom
The garden of antique carved corals has been growing... here are a few of the blooms, ready to reach for the light. See a bit of the backstory in the post featuring some of these unset gems. Boy, they don't make them like the used to. I imagine the hands that...
Welcome summer…
Summer starts with a mini heat wave, some cool mint tea, and a shady seat in the back yard. Enjoy!
