Updates of Pixieprincess.com

I’ve been out of the studio for a while reorganizing, cleaning out the pile of paperwork, checking inventory, and getting ready to do shows again.  It’s both nice to have the creative break, and tedious to keep up.  Thankfully, the breath of Spring has allowed me to play in the dirt when my hands get restless. Today I’m back in the studio making eggs and playing a bit with the “Hatched” theme:
 



I may have bought more opals and be feeling the need to set a few of the old ones as justification. Not that I have an opal problem or anything.

really.

I can stop any time.

I’ve wanted to blog for over 24 hours now but I kept getting 404′d!  Huzzah! The page is back:) *Does a bloggy dance* ~*~*~*~*

If you’ve ever been so full of love, longing, even pain and wondered if your heart might just burst-


Kerplooey! Like a blown out old tire.  Not that hearts are tires, just sometimes tired. Don’t worry though, you can show the more together side; Pretend you’re tough;)

-torch fired enamel on fine silver metal clay heart pendant with sterling bail-

Hoping to get lots done for First Friday! This may be the most colorful my bench has ever been:)


 <- collaborative piece w/Tracey Bell

Well, if you know me well, have heard the story, read the article, or just know my entertaining use of language, you can fill in the blank.  Otherwise, make up your own entertaining title and swear you know it’s true.
I’ve been off the blog map for a bit, mostly due to moving. The studio is mostly back up and running.  I hope to have plenty of new pieces/stories/pics to share soon! 
My most recent pieces are opal.  The first is a simple set of rectangular cobalt enamel on copper earrings bezel set in sterling silver.  I fused a bezel for the opal into the enamel and set the opal over the enamel.  The slight translucency of the opal allows the cobalt to show through as well as act as a mirrorback for the opals’ fire. Oooooooo!

The second opal I cut back in Ohio in the summer of 2005.  It’s a brown boulder opal which is seriously messy to cut, but, Boy-o!, is it fun!  Through the wet brown muck on your hands suddenly flashes of color from the exposed precious opal come into view. Each second it changes shape and more or less peeks its way through.  The fabulous “crack”* of precious opal that heads straight towards the point only showed itself in the final sanding and polishing steps. Score.
I decided to set it with a piece of silver scribble and do a sparkly (but sort of matte) Mizzy wheel texture.
 
~margarita

*You know how punny I am. It had to be done:)

and my city it was….
still there:)

Dan’s brother got married this weekend.  We were lucky enough to have skymiles to spare for the event and had very quick friends and family visits.  Sorry if I missed you!  With only a few days to visit, it was a whirlwind!  These folks got hitched, I managed to hit my favourite local restaurant twice, and I finally dropped off Darryl’s Fling:

What a bear that setting was to construct!  Anywho, I’m back, prepping to teach cloisonne tonight and re-bonding with the pup.  Egads, I missed my beast!  Methinks she missed me, too.
woof!
~m

I’m working on some seriously itty bitty cloissonne pieces on a whim: some jellyfish which might become studs,

and tiny turtles to match the pendant

The wires seemed seriously hard to bend today. Perhaps it’s just too hot, or I’m too whipped from the Oregon Country Fair yesterday, but I’m not sure I want to work THAT small again for a while.  yeep!
~margarita

Here he is!

When he was half finished:

and the back:

Hurrah for turtles!
The peekaboo was sawn out on a whim.  Some days I’m a good doodler:)

Still digging through old bits and pieces of lost projects-  mostly all from my casting class days.  There were more cones in there cast from Alder cones I picked up on our old walks through Sharon Woods. That was one of Turtle’s* very favourite walks:)
 
Between thinking of home, my old casting class crew, long drives/talks with the Jessinator, and taking these photos I got quite nostalgic and rather sappy**. I’m just a big softie I guess. That’s just how I roll. 

*She might miss the woods, but she likes the ocean, too.
**Thankfully tree sap washes off.