Shy Violet Designs

2007-10-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

Etsy Texas Crafters Trunk Show!

2007-09-19T15:08:00.000-05:00

Etsy Texas Crafters' wagon train pulls into New York City
ETC Trunk Show At Etsy Labs, 325 Gold St, Brooklyn
September 28-29, 2007

Enjoy the best arts and crafts that Texas has to offer, and visit with some terrific Texans, without even leaving the city!

The fun starts Friday, September 28, with the Etsy Labs Last Fridays Trunk Show from 6-8pm EST. Then, because things are bigger from Texas, the show continues on Saturday afternoon from 1-5pm EST.

With more than 50 Etsy Texas Crafters represented, you get a taste not only of Texan artists and Texas size art but also of terrific Texas edibles and door prize drawings every half hour throughout both shows (no need to be present to win).

And if you're one of the first 25 early birds at Friday night's opening shindig, receive a goodie bag, guaranteed to be Texas sized and Texas Special!

The Etsy Texas Crafters Trunk Show is free and open to the public -- but please rsvp to rsvp@etsy.com so we'll know y'all are coming!

Don't know how to get to Etsy Labs? http://www.etsy.com/labs/visit.html

Can't make it to the show? Attend virtually via Etsy.com workshop (link will be posted prior to shows), shop the sales in the ETC shops at Etsy.com throughout the entire weekend, and participate in an online treasure hunt (with prizes!).

Visit our website at http://www.EtsyTx.org or our team shop at http://etsytexascrafters.etsy.com for more information and links.

Silver!

2007-09-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

It got here on Tuesday, just like they said! I am absolutely in AWE - from Indonesia to my door in 4 business days. Seriously the USPS should take lessons from FedEx.

Here's the loot:

You don't want to know how much it cost. Multiple hundreds of dollars. I got it because I will be at the DC Craft Mafia Unusual Suspects Arts and Crafts Festival on November 3rd in Bethesda, MD, and I desperately need to make more inventory. A lot more inventory!

Here is a sample of what I've made so far with my new supplies... all of these are in progress. Note the lack of a clasp on the picasso jasper and pearl necklace with the lovely silver centerpiece (in the top left corner), and the fact that the burgundy pearls are not finished being strung yet.

And, for those of you who thought that I, the perfectionist, worked in a lovely neat little creative space, this will enlighten you - a picture of my workspace as it really is. Note the snippets of silver - I occasionally drop those in my keyboard.

I want my silver!

2007-09-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

I ordered nearly $400 of sterling silver from Indonesia last week. Although the company shipped promptly (they were awesome, seriously), my box of goodies is now in Anchorage, Alaska! I know I should be patient, and it's supposed to be here by tomorrow, but I want to play now!

I guess I shouldn't complain... 4 business days isn't exactly slow, considering that it's coming halfway around the world. But still... I AM impatient!

I've been featured!

2007-05-08T15:07:00.003-05:00

Impybat has generously featured me in her blog! I feel so honored. Here's a link to her entry profiling my work. And here are a few items from her two shops on Etsy - Impybat and Groovyvinyl. Go check out the nice feature on my work and her stores too!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
Impybat

Etsy
Buy Handmade
groovyvinyl

Etsy Treasury 3-19-07

2007-04-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I'm terribly behind in doing this, but I'm going to catch up as soon as I finish editing and cropping the screenshots I captured. I've discovered the joys of Treasuries on Etsy, and I thought a good way to give the artists I choose a little bit of extra promotion would be to save a screenshot of the Treasury and post links to their shop and item here. So... here is the first that I captured. This is actually a Treasury in which I was featured, so I thought I would give a shout-out and link to these artists and the Treasury curator as well.

RightAsRainCreations - the Treasury curator. She makes lotion and cards.
dylonwhyte - makes gorgeous chainmaille jewelry.
castleman - makes lovely yarn and things made from yarn (scarves, etc.)
SarahsSky - makes mosaics, stained glass, and other beautiful glass items
potteryintheround - makes felted pottery items, meaning the item is knitted and felted, not actually made of ceramic (so cool!)
muchachak - makes pouches, bags, clutches, hair clips, etc.
brokenhallelujah - crochets cute Mary Jane slippers, totes, etc.
ArtByTR - specializes in light switch covers (cooler than it sounds!), but also sells metal art, journals, etc.
The next item is mine, if you're following my pattern here. Mine is the pearl and kyanite necklace, in the middle second row from the bottom.
JMNPOTTERY - makes ceramic stuff - bowls, tea pots, etc. - I've been coveting several items in her store for weeks now!
boygirlparty - makes cool clothes and sometimes paper items
rufflebuttpanties - makes ruffly bags/purses
lesastuff - makes gorgeous wooden jewelry, some purses/bags, hats, etc.

Go check out these stores! There is so much cool stuff on Etsy you could never find it all, but I think checking out the Treasury is a great way to start. Let me know if you find something you love, because I'd be thrilled to know I'd helped out a fellow artist.

ShyViolet

New ACEOs

2007-04-02T15:14:00.000-05:00

I've just listed a few new ACEOs on Etsy.

This one is Stripes I, the first in my Stripes series. The paint is metallic, which is why the photo looks so funny. It's $5, and you can see more information and purchase it here.

This one is Minima II, the second in the Minima series. The first was sold pretty quickly, and the third I traded last week. The ink is actually a very dark purple India ink, not black. It's $4, and you can see more information and purchase it here.

This one is Color Wash VIII, the eighth in the Color Wash series. The paint is a wash of metallic gold acrylic, which has black India ink over it. It's $5, and you can see more information and purchase it here.

Sales!

2007-03-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hurray! All three of these pieces sold in the past week! I can make duplicates of some of them, so if you're interested, please just let me know!

I just listed another ring on Etsy. You can see it here - purple quartzite and sterling silver wire.

Twilight - Amethyst and Sterling Silver Asymmetrical Necklace

2007-03-22T11:10:00.000-05:00

Luxurious faceted amethyst pillow beads drape dramatically from delicate sterling silver wire. The asymmetrical design is bold and sophisticated. The necklace measures 16.5 inches, including the full length of the top section of amethysts, and is finished with a sterling silver hook clasp.

You can buy the necklace here.

New ACEO!

2007-03-17T12:06:00.000-05:00

I just listed this ACEO on Etsy. It's ink on 120lb. watercolor paper, and it's only $3 since I smudged it a little. Phooey. But I have since gotten better pens, so hopefully that won't happen again. It's still archival, and I think it's still cool looking. And $3! You can't get much cheaper than that for an original.

www.shyviolet.etsy.com

ACEOs

2007-03-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

I've just started adding ACEOs to my Etsy shop. What are ACEOs? Well, they're basically little playing card sized pieces of artwork - originals, prints, whatever. The only rule is the size must 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches. You can find some more info at Art-Cards.org.

All of my ACEOs are originals. So far, all the ones I've listed are acrylic and ink on watercolor paper, but I'm also dabbling in collage and have some more ideas in the works. You can see my ACEO section of my Etsy shop here. All my ACEOs so far are only $4 each! That's quite a deal for original art! It's a great way to collect original art from many different artists and explore different styles.

Pictures of Rings!

2007-03-15T00:33:00.000-05:00

These are the rings I made. The first is purple quartzite, the second rhodonite, and the third rose quartz. All the metal is sterling silver, handmade and wrapped (actually it's all one piece of wire per ring!) and accented with tiny little sterling beads. The first one turned out larger than I had planned, about a size 9, but the others are about a 6.5 and a 7. I'll have them all listed on Etsy in the next few days. I also made a whole pile of ACEOs today! I'm excited - I started several new series. Right now all the ones that involved paint are being "booked" (new word!), being smushed under some heavy books so they flatten back out. Hubby wanted them flat before he took pictures of them for me. Imagine that!

ShyViolet.net

Abundance

2007-03-14T14:45:00.000-05:00

This is my most recently listed item on Etsy and on my website. It's a pretty simple necklace, but I really like it. The stunning green stones are actually green (grossular) garnet! It also has little faceted flat squares of labradorite (one of my favorite stones), tiny faceted amethyst rondelles, and tourmaline heishe beads, all on sterling silver. The chain is also sterling. You can see it here or here on Etsy.

Soooon, I will have more pictures! Stephen's still working on doing the photoediting for items that he photographed a while ago. Several of the items have recently been sent to galleries, so that's kind of annoying - there's no point in listing the items now, although we have good photos for them!

I'm working on several new things now. One is a design for reading glasses holder / brooch. I'd like to have it be at least semi-easy to replicate, since one of the galleries thinks that they can sell quite a few. But first I have to come up with an idea that works and is open to quite a bit of decoration, since apparently the ladies who are interested in them do NOT want something boring and cheap! If I can find a design that works, this could be really helpful.

More updates to come...

ShyViolet.net

Rings!

2007-03-12T19:16:00.000-05:00

I made my second, third and fourth rings today. The first I made several years ago. I used a lapis bead and did something similar to the ones above. Sorry - credit goes to whoever made and photographed those - I don't have a picture of the one I made. Neither do I have a picture of the ones I made today (yet!). But they are similar to this design by Eni Oken, except I didn't build up the nest so high. I didn't buy the tutorial for the ring, since it seemed pretty easy (it was). But her tutorials are great, and her work is exquisite. I love looking at it, and although I obviously am not a copycat, her work is one of my great inspirations. I've used several of her tutorials, and they're great - clearly written, great photos, etc. The rings I made today used purple charoite, natural rose quartz, and rhodonite with sterling silver wire and little sterling accent beads.

And I've also spent entirely too much time working on a crazy idea I had - a riveted piece with bits of silver and rubber and.... it's driving me insane. I had to stop before I got frustrated and threw the whole thing out. I don't know what I'll do when I gather up my courage to approach it again. I need to do something easy to conquer my frustration.

www.shyviolet.net

Wild Rose Tourmaline Bracelet

2007-02-17T20:35:00.000-06:00

The newest addition to the Garden Collection, Wild Rose is subtly sophisticated. Two strands of small translucent tourmaline rondelles range from deep rose to delicate pink, yellow, and through shades of light and deep green shading to black. It is finished with a delicate square sterling silver clasp. It is 7.5 inches long. You can check it out at my Etsy store or at my website.

I've been working really hard to promote my jewelry recently, but I'm unsure whether it will pay off. I've joined EtsyLux, a group of Etsy sellers (Street Team) focused on promoting the finer works on Etsy. It's not just about pricing (although that is a large part of it). Part of it is a mentality - although there are sellers who sell gorgeous stuff for pennies, we're trying to promote the idea of Etsy as a place to get quality artisan pieces, not just handcrafted steals. Some of it as about the quality of the work, but sometimes artists (who make beautiful things - not just beginning crafters!) drastically undercharge for their time, expertise, and materials, either consciously in order to be competitive or simply because they don't value their work as they should. EtsyLux is NOT about overpricing - in fact many of us are STILL undercharging. But we're trying to recognize the value of craftsmanship, and promote that value to others as well. We value our own work enough to be confident in charging a price that's fair to us and to buyers.

I've also joined EJA, Eclectic Jewelry Artisans (another Street Team on Etsy). This group is more focused on jewelry (as should be obvious by the name).

www.shyviolet.net

Dog Park Frustration

2007-02-04T16:39:00.000-06:00

My hubby and I take our dog to the dog park (an area on campus where you're allowed to have dogs off-leash - the only such location in the area) every now and then. We have a sheltie mix, who needs LOTS of exercise or he gets kind of nutty - runs laps in our apartment, that sort of thing. We want him to run and play, to get out his energy. He's a good dog - well behaved, always gentle, loves people, slightly scared of dogs but never snappy. He just runs to us and hides when other dogs sniff him too much.

Since he's scared of dogs, we try to mostly stay away from the big crowds of dogs and people at the park - we're there for him to run, not to be intimidated. This time, the weather was gorgeous, so we even brought a picnic. We sat well away from everyone, on our own.

BUT STILL, we were bothered! First, a dog that had jumped in the lake ran way the heck across the park just to sniff our dog, who of course ran around trying to get away. The big wet dog ran all over our picnic blanket, nearly body-slammed me while I was trying to protect my sandwich (sitting down, no shoes on), and then shook off 18 inches from my food! And of course the clueless owner was 150 feet away, calling the dog to no avail, etc. And did she apologize? No! Of course not!

Then later the same dog, an unneutered male, harassed and barked at another dog while it was trying to get out of the lake. The clueless girl took several minutes to even realize and decide that her dog was a problem, and then of course it was "Oh, why are you barking? I don't know what the problem is!" rather than doing anything for another minute or two before she pulled him away. Meanwhile the other dog was getting seriously tired because it couldn't get out (the edge is a concrete retaining wall, not just dirt).

Then we walked our dog through the other dogs to let him meet some of the smaller, less intimidating ones. He was doing ok with that until the SAME dog came over and chased him around a little. He wasn't really threatening, but our dog was scared. I know that was something to be expected, and I don't fault the owner for that really. But then, when our dog was cowering under my husband's feet, the dog lifted its leg and URINATED on my husband's leg! Of course we jumped away and pushed the dog away, but do you imagine the owner even knew?

NO, she was eating chinese takeout up with some guy. Now, I'm all about having a picnic in the glorious weather - we did that ourselves. But when you've had AT LEAST 2 instances of your dog being a problem in the last 30 minutes (and those were just the ones that we saw!), you ought to have the decency to at least pay attention to him!

I wanted to go up and chew her out for it (which is pretty unusual, I hate confrontation, but I was pretty ticked), or at least TELL her. But my sweet hubby said I shouldn't, because it wouldn't make any difference anyway. Irresponsible dog owners have problem dogs because they're irresponsible - someone alerting them to the fact that their dog is a problem makes no difference because they already know, they just don't care.

Now I wish I'd said something.

And it's not like she had a difficult to handle breed or anything, either. It was a yellow lab - any doofus who makes an effort can have a reasonably-behaved lab. And it would be one thing if she had a difficult dog but was there constantly TRYING to keep him in line - I would have assumed maybe he was a rescue dog, with a history of little discipline, that she was working with, or at the very least that she CARED enough to make an effort. But no, she was just oblivious and didn't care when it was obvious he was causing problems.

I'm glad she didn't have a more difficult to handle breed, like a pit bull or rottweiler - not because they're inherently bad dogs, but they're more dangerous in the hands of a clueless and uninvolved owner than a lab might be.

Phooey on irresponsible people.

I've completely wasted time...

2006-12-07T14:21:00.000-06:00

that I should be using to write a paper or study for a final by making a wish list on Amazon. I've always shied away from the idea, but whatever, here goes.

Don't feel obligated or anything, since no one probably reads this anyway, I just thought I'd share my excitement. Of course, it's practically all books... surprise! That wasn't predictable or anything. The books recommended by Amazon for me are a bit light on the academic/political side, because I bought most of my school books through my husband's account.

Week 28 - Offtheme (as usual)

2006-05-04T00:44:00.000-05:00

So simple it doesn't really deserve to be part of the FSOJ project, but it's one of the few things I have pictures of at the moment. I've recently sent a pile of new things (that actually involve wirework and that I didn't get pictures of!) off to a gallery in Houston, so at least you can imagine something involving wirework! Comments welcome, of course!

Shy Violet

Week 29 - Offtheme

2006-05-04T00:42:00.000-05:00

This necklace is peridot chips, freshwater pearls dyed a lovely green, and sea green serpentine with small sterling silver beads and a Hilltribe silver pillow centerpiece. All comments welcome.

Shy Violet

Week 30 - All in the Details

2006-05-04T00:40:00.000-05:00

Freshwater pearls dyed a lovely cranberry color, sterling silver beads, and a pendant I made of sterling and fine silver wire with more small sterling beads. I really like making these pendants - they look really dressy with just a simple strand of something to accent them, and they're relatively quick gratification, too! All comments welcome as usual.

Shy Violet

Week 31 - Ceramic, Onyx, Silver Bracelet

2006-05-04T00:38:00.000-05:00

Another ceramic and onyx bracelet. The ceramic beads are from Peru, I think, and of course bali silver and silver wire/clasp/etc. comments always welcome!

Shy Violet

Week 32 - Turquoise

2006-05-04T00:36:00.000-05:00

Turquoise, sterling silver, and Hilltribe silver. It's pretty small (it's actually my size!), so whoever buys it will probably want me to adjust it for them.

I haven't been making much jewelry lately. It's the last two weeks of the semester, and grad school is kicking my batootie. I have another 45 or so pages to write on two term papers and then I'm jetting off to DC for a 10-week internship and then visiting family and THEN Guatemala for three weeks for Spanish study. Talk about craziness! I'm catching up a little bit on the project in my next few posts, but I'm still several weeks behind.

Deepwood Art Challenge Entry

2006-04-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

Here's my entry in the Deepwood Art Challenge, using lampwork beads and hand dyed cord by glass artist Fran Lizardi of Deepwood Art. The frame is handformed sterling silver coiled with hairthin fine silver wire. The glass beads are accented by handmade sterling silver faceted beads. The clasp, not pictured, is an s-clasp that I handforged from sterling silver. You can see the other entries here as well as vote for the one you like best. My entry will be available on my website in the next few days. If it's not up and you're interested, just email me.

Held - Natalie Grant

2006-04-05T22:54:00.000-05:00

Lyrics for Held, by Natalie Grant. It's a beautiful song, if you haven't heard it, from the album Awaken.

Held
Two months is, too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
take a child from his mother while she prays,
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
to us who have died to live,
it's unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
and you survive.
This is what it is to be loved,
and to know that the promise was
when everything fell we'd be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred know our sorrows.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
and you survive.
This is what it is to be loved,
and to know that the promise was
when everything fell we'd be held.

Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering,
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
and you survive.
This is what it is to be loved,
and to know that the promise was
when everything fell we'd be held.

FSOJ - Week 26 - Celebrate Different Cultures

2006-03-20T22:17:00.000-06:00

The theme this week was Celebrate Different Cultures. My hubby worked forever on this photo, and we're still not happy with it. Gr! The bracelet is sterling silver links, a handmade sterling clasp, nephrite jade, black onyx, and handmade ceramic beads. The brownish coin shaped bead has a Chinese proverb (something about a flower opening) on the side showing and a brown and green flower/leaf on the other side. The picture doesn't show the colors well, but the nephrite jade is a gorgeous deep green - it kind of deepened into black. The round bead on the lower left is supposed to be green!

Available at Shy Violet.

FSOJ - Week 24 - Atlantis Sunrise

2006-03-20T22:12:00.000-06:00

Since the Four Seasons of Jewelry project is through the Creative Wire Jewelry forum (at Delphi), this bracelet is a little out of place, being strung and involving no wirework whatsoever. BUT, I did make matching earrings that use a minimal amount of wire (no photo yet), so I'm going to count it anyway!

The theme this week was Atlantis Sunrise. I'm actually inspired to do something else on this theme, so I might revisit it later. But for now, this is what there is. It is Baltic amber, faceted black onyx, and faceted sterling silver beads, finished with a sterling silver toggle clasp.

As usual, all pieces are available at ShyViolet.

FSOJ - Week 25 - Off-Theme

2006-03-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

Obviously I'm a bit behind on the Four Seasons of Jewelry. I'm posting this in week 25, but I'll be catching up on the last *counts on fingers* um.... 6 weeks in the next few days, I hope. I'm waiting for my hubby to finish the editing, etc. Since he does it (and I don't have to!), I'm not going to complain when things get a little slow!

This is blue lace agate and crystal quartz with sterling silver beads (bali) and my first swirly clasp, made of 16 gauge sterling wire and then hammered. I LOVE the matte finish from hammering. All comments, criticism, etc. are welcome as always.

Available at ShyViolet.

Procrastination again

2006-02-03T14:37:00.000-06:00

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have low extroversion.
You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.
A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.
You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people.

Conscientiousness:

You have high conscientiousness.
Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life.
Most things in your life are organized and planned well.
But you borderline on being a total perfectionist.

Agreeableness:

You have high agreeableness.
You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.
Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.
You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.

Neuroticism:

You have medium neuroticism.
You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic.
Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy.
Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

So this week I'm reading about Liberal/Normative Theories for International Law, Genghis Khan for Military Strategy, amazing amounts of stuff for Political Islam, and a bunch of stuff for International Politics Theory and Practice. Lots of stuff to do. AND I'm working the walk that we've organized to benefit a girls' school in Kandahar, Afghanistan. I'm really hoping we have a lot of people show up - we have a radio station coming and everything, so it would be terrible of no one was there! I've actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would, and I'd like to be part of it next year too.

Arg... gotta get back to work.

I am soooo good at procrastinating...

2006-01-31T16:15:00.000-06:00

that I took another silly quiz. It was all about animals, actually, kinda fun. I DO want a white tiger as a pet!

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

My birthday was yesterday, and my parents are getting me a dremel tool so I can rivet and drill and stuff for jewelry. Hubby's parents sent me some money and blondies (vanilla-nut) and fudge and some superfuzzy Clemson socks. I think with the money I'll get a jeweler's saw and blades and liver of sulfer so I can start antiquing my new creations. I am so excited about it! I wish I didn't have so much work for school - I don't have as much time to play (read: any time) as I want. I'm going to start more serious metalwork - working with sheet silver and copper. Someday (when we're not in an apartment!) I want to get a torch and try reticulation and other such fun things.

FSOJ - Week 19 - Off Theme

2006-01-29T01:15:00.000-06:00

Well, it's not on theme, but I like it anyway! The blue ovals are gorgeous blue kyanite, with freshwater pearls and handmade sterling silver beads. The links are of course handmade, which for some reason took longer than usual on this necklace. The kyanite is a bit funny to work with, it scratches easily, so you have to pay attention where the ends of the wires are waving. The clasp in the back that you can't see is a sterling s-hook.

Shy Violet

More Time Wasting

2006-01-28T19:22:00.000-06:00

Your SAT Score of 1510 Means:

You Scored Higher Than Howard Stern

You Scored Higher Than George W. Bush

You Scored Higher Than Al Gore

You Scored Higher Than David Duchovny

You Scored Higher Than Natalie Portman

You Scored Lower Than Bill Gates

Your IQ is most likely in the 140-150 range

Equivalent ACT score: 34

Schools that Fit Your SAT Score:

California Institute of Technology

Stanford University

Princeton University

Yale University

Harvard University

What Does Your SAT Score Mean?

Blogthings - A New Way to Procrastinate!

2006-01-28T19:13:00.000-06:00

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.
You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.
You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you.

Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.
You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.
Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times.

At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.
You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.
You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

FSOJ - Week 18 - Oriental Express

2006-01-23T08:45:00.000-06:00

The theme this week was Oriental Express. This necklace is large white freshwater pearls and black barrel-shaped cloisonne beads. Simple, but dramatic... I think so, anyway! All comments welcome.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 17 - Leaves

2006-01-23T08:43:00.000-06:00

It's a bit late, but better than never. Here's my take on the Leaves theme. The pendant is Thai hilltribe silver, accented by freshwater pearls dyed green and gold. It also has matching earrings, not pictured because the bust/neck seems to not work with French hooks. The holes for the earrings are photoshopped out because I thought it looked silly for there to be holes with no earrings in them! All comments welcome, as usual.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 16 - Spring Maiden

2006-01-13T16:55:00.000-06:00

And I'm finally caught up! This is Spring Maiden in the Seasons Collection, sold over Christmas break while visiting family. It is an 18 gauge sterling wire frame coiled with 28 gauge fine silver - accent swirls are 22 gauge sterling with 28 gauge fine silver coiled over it. Beads are pink Peruvian opal, rhodolite garnet rounds, white opal chips, and sterling 2mm rounds. It's pretty substantial, about 2 inches from top to bottom. There's also some criss-crossing fine silver wire on the back to stabilize the Peruvian opals a bit more (they're held in through holes, but they just seemed a bit loose). It's quite stable now, even though it looks very lacy. I'm very pleased with how this turned out.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 15 - Shadow

2006-01-13T16:52:00.000-06:00

The theme this week was Art Nouveau. This obviously is not Art Nouveau - It's a pretty simple strung necklace: sardonyx, black onyx, and sterling accent beads. It has matching earrings that are not pictured because the neck/bust doesn't seem to like french wires very well at all.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 14 - Saisons

2006-01-13T16:47:00.000-06:00

The theme this week was Hint of Winter - This necklace is actually the original piece in my Seasons Collection, so it's a little bit of every season! Freshwater pearls (potato and rice), garnets (faceted rondelles and diamonds), citrine (buttons and chips), and peridot (chips). It doesn't look quite as lopsided in real life as it does in the picture - the color changes are asymmetrical, but the pearl section doesn't really look so thin in comparison to the peridot section.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 13 - Willow

2006-01-13T16:29:00.000-06:00

The theme this time was Second Thoughts - The pendant is an 18 gauge sterling wire frame coiled with 28 gauge fine silver and sterling beads. Then I made the necklace to go with it - african jade and golden jade (both probably really serpentine - those are trade names, but I don't know what they really are, serpentine is a guess). Now I'm not sure if the pendant and the necklace even look okay together at all!

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 12 - Regal

2006-01-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

The theme was Simple Yet Elegant - This lariat is faceted rhodolite garnets, faceted onyx, faceted sterling silver beads, and a handmade sterling drop accented with two little rhodolite garnet cabs. The closeup shows the faceting much better.

FSOJ - Week 11 - Rio

2006-01-13T16:20:00.000-06:00

The theme was Native Spirit - Peruvian ceramic beads (painted round, red and blue tubes), turquoise, onyx, sterling silver wire and accent beads. The ceramic beads are from a local bead store, and although their other prices are decent (not great, but decent), the ceramic bead prices are a steal - I'll definitely be back! All comments welcome, as usual.

FSOJ - Week 10 - Sun Dew

2006-01-13T16:15:00.000-06:00

The theme this week was "critters." Well, there are no critters in this, but it is part of the Garden Collection, so maybe there might be some critters in the garden? This one is called Sun Dew, and it's citrine nuggets and buttons, peridot rounds and chips, bali silver, crystal quartz rondelles, and 28 gauge fine silver wire coiled over an 18 guage sterling wire frame.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 9 - Glade

2006-01-13T16:07:00.000-06:00

It's late, but here it is. It's called Glade, and it's part of my Moonlight Collection. It's an 18 gauge sterling silver wire frame coiled with 28 gauge fine silver, bali silver beads, faceted and round fancy jasper, and round and oval moss agate.

FSOJ - Week 8 - Moss

2006-01-13T16:02:00.000-06:00

I'm back! The semester is over, I can finally breathe/eat/sleep/make jewelry/photograph jewelry/etc.! This has been done for a while and is actually already sold, but here it is anyway.

This is Thai Hilltribe silver, bali silver, sterling silver wire, moss opalite, sea green serpentine, and black onyx.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 7 - Upstream

2005-11-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

Once again not on theme. :-) The fish is Thai Hilltribe silver, the rest is liquid silver and lapis. The necklace is exactly how I envisioned it. However....

I actually completed this necklace a while ago (I am in grad school, and with school-craziness, I can't take pictures every week. I make something every week, but it might be a while before you see it.). In the meantime, the necklace has gotten tarnished, mostly the liquid silver bits. How can it be cleaned? I have tried the baking soda / aluminum foil thing, and it did nothing. I used silver cleaner (which you are specifically not supposed to use on lapis, I know, I know... but I had nothing else, and with lapis I didn't know of any other options). The silver cleaner worked GREAT, and showed no immediate ill effects. I put it in a bag and sealed it up, hoping to prevent future tarnishing. Now (less than a month later) the silver is all blue and purple. It doesn't appear corroded, but heavily tarnished and distinctly blue/purple. Any ideas on what to do? The silver cleaner would work again, but I don't want to sell it if I can't tell the person how to clean it (and have it stay clean for at least some length of time).

Thanks in advance. This is one of my favorite necklaces so far and I'd hate to just chalk it up to an impossible design.

Shy Violet

Meeting 41

2005-11-09T22:29:00.000-06:00

I attend The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. We had a special question and answer session with former President George Bush on Sunday. I sat in the second row and although I didn't get to ask a question, I did shake his hand afterwards. How cool is that?!

I believe he is generally in attendance at graduation, too, and he reads the school newsletter that I write for and help edit.

I'm finally going rockclimbing this weekend with some fellow Bushies and my hubby. The wall at the rec center is pretty good, too, so I'm excited about it.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 6 - Forget Me Not

2005-11-09T22:12:00.000-06:00

Forget Me Not is made of sterling silver, fine silver, and blue lace agate nuggets. This is one of the bracelets where the clasp worked out pretty well - sometimes they are more difficult than others.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 5 - Off-Theme

2005-10-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

The theme this week was Something Old is New. The topic didn't really inspire me this week, so I'm off-theme. However, the piece DOES fit into my Garden Collection. It is called Primrose, and also has matching earrings. It is made of pink Peruvian opal, freshwater pearls, and sterling silver.

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 4 - Autumn Colors

2005-10-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

Moss I - Moss opalite, onyx, sea green serpentine, Thai Hilltribe butterfly and folded bead, and handmade sterling wire links and clasp. I love the variation of the colors in moss opalite - I got on an earthtone kick while making this bracelet! It's sort of Autumn colors... I like it anyway.

I made a second version of this bracelet, Moss II (oh-so-creatively named!) with a Hilltribe round hammered pillow replacing the butterfly and the order of the stones slightly different. That one sold from my website in just a few days! Yay!

Shy Violet

FSOJ - Week 3 - Eastern Spice

2005-10-09T23:42:00.000-05:00

Well, it's not exactly spicy, but this necklace does have a vaguely Asian feel to me. The necklace is Burmese jade, smoky quartz, and sterling silver. The pendant is handmade Thai silver stamped with a vine motif. The clasp, which you can't see, is a sterling tab-style clasp with the Chinese symbol for "joy."

This is a really simple necklace, but I think it's one of my favorite simple necklace designs ever - the colors just really matched my mood when I made it.

On another note, I finally went back and added the pictures for my week 2 entry in the FSOJ blog, so if you're interested, I would love comments on it as well. Thanks!

ShyViolet

FSOJ - Week 2 - Complementary Colors

2005-10-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

We finally replaced our stolen digital camera, but hubby and I both had tests and homework that prevented us from taking pictures in time for the due date, so the picture was several days late.

The theme this week was Complementary Colors. The bracelet is a link bracelet with carnelian nuggets (look familiar?) and apple green chrysoprase nuggets. The links and clasp of course are SS wire, and the beads are bali silver. Simple, and also complementary colors (if you use your imagination a little bit!). The bracelet is quite comfortable to wear - I really like making these link bracelets. I've been on a real bracelet kick lately, so you'll probably see a lot more of them.

Shy Violet

Back to Teaching!

2005-10-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm teaching at karate in an hour and a half. The club is semi-traditional, at least in style if not in overall mood. I'm teaching practical self-defense, basically the stuff you could really use on the street to defend yourself. I'm a bit nervous, because I always am when I have to get in front of people. But I also know that I am qualified to teach, and I have a lot to say and show them, so that helps.

The piece for Week 2 of FSOJ was due last night, and mine was completed but not photographed. Hopefully I'll be able to actually post it tonight.

Four Seasons of Jewelry - Week 1

2005-09-26T02:40:00.000-05:00

This is my first of the Four Seasons of Jewelry project, which is part of the Creative Wire Jewelry Forum. I'm excited about participating this year. My goals are:

- to improve my technique and design (color, overall design, structure, technical details, etc.)
- to learn 3 entirely new techniques, specifically chain mail, double viking knit, and possibly stamping and/or riveting
- to increase my website visibility, professionalism, and effectiveness/profitability
- to participate in at least one decent-sized juried show

Autumn
This is one of the pieces in my Seasons Collection. Obviously, I was very much inspired by Eni Oken (one of my jewelry-making heroes!), but I tried to make her technique my own as well. The nuggets are carnelian, the chips are Mexican fire opal, the accent beads are sterling, and the coiling is done with fine silver over a sterling wire frame. I have to confess, this bracelet has been done for a while - I can't take pictures of any newer stuff because my digital camera went missing in our recent move to Texas from South Carolina (for grad school).

Also, I didn't use Eni's tutorial for this or any of my bracelets so far - I was inspired by her work before she had the tutorial up, and I figured out my own way to do the bracelets. This one is obviously a bit different in structure, being composed of two main frame wires, each doubled. This was actually my solution to a technical difficulty, but it resulted in a really unique bracelet I think. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.

The theme this week was "Counting My Blessings"- inspiring jewelry artists, the fix for the technical problem in this bracelet resulted in the little curlies that look like I designed it that way

Shy Violet

Rita

2005-09-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

Chase the Muse has already asked for another shipment of earrings in the next few weeks. Yay! Specifically, one set of earrings requested was the faceted rutilated quartz, onyx, and gold-filled earrings above. They are part of the Lotus set.

We're hunkering down for Hurricane Rita - the gas stations and grocery stores are like mad houses. Texas is pleading for some other states to do their share of helping the Katrina evacuees - we have something like 250,000 evacuees in Texas now. Houston is trying to accomodate evacuees from Katrina and prepare for possible flooding at the same time.

In other news, school is definitely picking up pace - I really feel kind of swamped, but I guess that's what grad school is all about. We had mock interviews today, done in class by classmates. Pretty scary - I'm shy, and that kind of thing is hard for me. It went off well enough, but still.... scary.

Soccer

2005-09-18T16:01:00.000-05:00

I've had several sales lately from the website, which has been encouraging. The new look definitely seems to get a more positive response. The necklace above is "Saisons," the inspiration for the Seasons Collection. It is freshwater pearls, faceted garnets and diamond shaped garnets, citrine chips and buttons, and peridot chips. It is closed with a sterling silver hook clasp. You can also view it at Shy Violet.

I've also decided to play intramural soccer. I haven't played since middle school. I have no cleats, shinguards, or even workout shorts (for years I've been doing non-outside activities such as karate and even a brief stint in fencing). But tonight is our first practice, and I'll have to get some shinguards and hopefully shorts before then. Fortunately, we're playing indoors, so I don't have to get cleats.

Karate

2005-09-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

I think I've decided which club to go with. Although they say they spar full-contact, the instructors and students seem pretty nice and not as if they would enjoy hurting anyone. Also, we've sparred once, and it was limited contact, and everyone followed the rule - it's sometimes hard to switch from full-contact to limited, especially if you do full- most of the time, so this is a good sign.

I'm thinking about offering to teach some self-defense combinations, etc. I'd like to be involved, but I don't have the time to teach alone.

On another note, my jewelry will soon be appearing in an art gallery in North Carolina, Chase the Muse.

I also have an interview this afternoon for my dream internship. I hope it goes well - they're pretty selective, so I'll be ecstatic if I actually get it.

Great Article

2005-09-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

Go read this. I couldn't agree more.

Also, I will have new pictures up for jewelry in the next few weeks - I'm waiting on a new digital camera to come out before purchasing a replacement. Go check out the existing photos at Shy Violet.

Ebay

2005-09-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

Once again, eBay has failed. Not that there is anything WRONG with eBay, but there are eleventy trillion items listed in any given category. How are the two or three buyers buying that week ever going to find my listing? Only by paying oodles of money to eBay, and probably not even then. I listed a bracelet that normally sells for $295 for $79, and no one bid. I sincerely doubt it was even seen by more than one or two people.

On another note - what is your opinion of full-contact sparring? I'm disappointed by the limited choices here in the martial arts clubs, and the two I am interested in both do full-contact. One is primarily a fighting-competition team, and I have the most serious problems with them. The other is more focused on instruction, but happens to spar full-contact.

I have a few problems with full-contact sparring, some general, some specific to me.
1. General objection - martial arts moves, done correctly and hard, are designed to injure or even kill someone. Padding up does NOT make this impossible. One of the clubs, the more competition-focused one, spoke proudly of having knocked out many people in fights before.

It is possible, although a bit of a stretch, to turn a martial art, or fighting art, into something suitable for sporting competition. Point-sparring is such an attempt. To win, you must be skillful, but you do not need to hurt each other. It is a step away from the self-defense aspect, but it can be a legitmate sport. If you do full-contact, you negate all attempts to make the art safe and it's simply a fight. I have a moral objection to being in a situation where my goal is to HURT the other person.

2. General objection - The primary goal of martial arts is self defense. Competition can be a way of refining your skills, gaining confidence, and a fun recreation, but it is not the purpose of martial arts. Martial arts were not designed to be a competitive sport. Focusing on the competitive aspect can seriously interfere with your ability to effectively defend yourself in a real life-or-death situation. If some guy tries to grab me and drag me into a dark alley to sexually assault me, I do not want my reaction to be to kick him in the head. It's too risky. I want my reaction to be to kick him in the groin, poke his eyes, break his knee.... whatever it takes to protect myself, whether it's pretty or not. This is self-defense, and I will do whatever it takes.

3. Specific objection - I have had 11 1/2 years of martial arts experience in 4 different open-hand styles and 1 weapons style. I have three black belts in different styles. I am fully capable of injuring or killing someone if I go full contact. I do not WANT to do this. I do not have any desire to hurt anyone. I am the person who, in the Nationals sparring finals, apologized to my opponent for knocking her breath out. (I did win, by the way, 5 to 1). I LIKE being nice, and I should not have to be mean in order to be respected as a martial artist.

4. Specific objection - While I am very skilled, I am also small. I am a 23 year old girl, a hair under 5 feet tall, weighing 98 lbs. I am NOT convinced that having a 5 foot 11 inch 200 lb guy, hit me as hard as he can is a good idea, regardless of his skill level. Knowing that we will be padded up helps, but doesn't mean that you can't get hit in the head hard enough to knock you out, or hit in the face by accident, or whatever. Accidents happen, and going full-contact is a good way to ensure that when an accident does happen, someone gets seriously hurt. And regardless of who made the mistake, being the smallest one, it would probably be me.

5. Specific objection - Being small, and yet being a black belt, I think I will be a target. Clearly in one club, there is no stigma associated with hurting people. It isn't outside the realm of possibility for some brown or blue or whatever belt to say, "Hey, I bet I can knock out that black belt." I am fully confident of my ability to stand up to anyone within 30 lbs of my weight in a structured fight, but I'm not so confident of my ability to stand up against someone who outweighs me by 70 lbs and is willing to hit me as hard as he can.

6. Specific objection - In a street fight, although small, I have an advantage in that a random hoodlum would not expect a 98 lb girl to fight like I would. I have the element of surprise, as well as the benefits of the training itself. That's one of the few benefits that being a small girl has in self defense. In a full-contact fight, that's gone, yet their weight/size advantage remains. I do not trust the people in the competition club to make allowances for my size when deciding how hard to hit me. Their coach clearly looks benignly, if not approvingly, on people going as hard as possible at all times.

7. General and specific objection - I am here for a purpose. I am in an extremely challenging and fairly exclusive graduate program focusing on national security, with the goal of working for the intelligence community. It is much more important to my life, long term, that I do well in school than that I win or lose in a martial arts competition. While competition is fun, I have more important things to do. Jeopardizing my ability to do well in school is not an option. I do NOT want to have to miss class or get behind in my work because I have a concussion or broke a bone. Aside from the basic desire not to get hurt, there is much more at stake here than my comfort... school is thousands of dollars, an 1100 mile move, untold amounts of student debt, and two years of my life (if I'm lucky). I do not want to mess it up by getting my nose punched through the back of my head.

I've taught before, and I'm capable of starting a new club here. It's a really tempting idea, and I think there's a definite lack in the martial arts instruction available. All the coaches are skilled, but at least one I have serious issues with. I could do it... except for the reasons listed above. Teaching takes time that I probably don't have to devote to it. I'll also only be here for two years (again, that's hopefully). I'd feel pretty bad starting something and deserting it after only two years.

So... that's the frustration of the week. Any thoughts, anyone?

Go to Shy Violet and buy some jewelry!

Counterpoint (Point?)

2005-09-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

Here's my contribution to the school newsletter - part of a point/counterpoint on the drug trade. It's a drastically shortened version of something I did as an undergrad - the original was about 15 pages. As always, comments are welcome.

Drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime feed on and reinforce each other, thriving in the same environment of lawlessness and violence. Organized crime is focused on the financial benefits, the business, of crime. The less attention the activities involved receive, the better. Terrorism, on the other hand, seeks a wide-ranging public profile. However, the groups are often linked through the drug trade. Organized crime groups often run trafficking organizations while terrorists and insurgent groups often control the territory where the drugs are cultivated and transported. Both groups use funds obtained from the drug trade to finance their organizations and operations. Drugs are the chief commodity of organized crime and vital in at least 30 ongoing terrorist campaigns.

Heroin and cocaine are the most lucrative commodities on the black market. Because drug trafficking is so profitable, many different criminal and terrorist groups are involved in some way. Some of these groups are primarily organized crime groups, focusing on the business aspect. However, many criminal organizations whose main focus is something other than profit also turn to drug trafficking to finance their primary activities. Many terrorist organizations have seen a decline in state-sponsorship in recent years, and have been forced to rely on drug trafficking for an increasing percentage of their funds. Money independently earned gives them greater autonomy to pursue their own ends without interference or compromise with state governments.

Just one example of the national security implications of the drug trade is

Afghanistan

. The Taliban derived a significant amount of income from taxes levied on the opiate trade, and was an example of a state supported primarily by the illegal drug trade before the US-led invasion. Taxation was not standardized but was institutionalized to the point where the government issued receipts for collected revenues.

Groups that are chiefly politically motivated, yet still highly involved in the drug trade include: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), National Liberation Army (ELN [of Colombia]), Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso SL [of Peru]), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK [of Turkey]), Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [of Sri Lanka], United Wa State Army [of Burma], Shan United Revolutionary Army (Shan State Army/South [of Burma]), Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Abu Sayyaf Group, Basque Fatherland and Liberty [of Spain], and others.

The illegal drug trade funds attacks against civilized society and destabilizes democracies across the globe. Failing and failed states (such as Afghanistan and Colombia) are particularly vulnerable to the corruption and violence that result from drug trafficking. It is vital to consider drug trafficking within this context in order to minimize the threat to U.S. security. The drug trade undermines America’s culture, funds terrorism, and erodes democracy, presenting a clear danger to our national security. The illegal drug market in

America

is one of the most profitable in the world. Thus it attracts the most sophisticated, ruthless, and aggressive drug traffickers.

The “War on Drugs” is not in competition with the “War on Terror.” While some question whether

America

can fight both at the same time, they are not two unrelated campaigns. With an effective fight against drugs, the threat from terrorism is reduced because the financial base that supplies terrorists is starved. Organized crime and the illicit drug trade must be a target in an effective war on terrorism.

Ebay

2005-09-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

I've decided to try ebay again. You can see the Autumn bracelet here. This bracelet took about 15 hours of work to complete. The colors of the carnelian and fire opal are absolutely gorgeous - to truly appreciate them you have to see the piece in person. Please go look, bid if you want, and also check out the new and improved Shy Violet website.

In school related stuff, my classes look hard so far, but not impossible. I'm sure my impression will change as we get into the semester though. I'm probably going to try the Taekwondo Team as my martial arts fix. I would also like to try the Shotokan Club, but I have gotten no response about practice times, etc. I am not sure how much I will like the Taekwondo Team because they seem very competition focused (ranked 2nd in nation), but there are really not many choices here. That's probably the only thing I am disappointed in here - the lack of martial arts options. Even our smaller school had 6 or 8 different martial arts clubs. They may not have all been that good, but they did exist, and if you liked them you could be part of them. Here, there are only 4, and 2 of them were not even visible under Club Sports - I had to go searching around "Student Activities" to find out they even existed! The Taekwondo Team may be a lot of fun - it all depends on the people.

Unfortunately, though, it doesn't look like I'll have the time or energy to start my own club here. I've taught my own club before, for two years - it was fun, but time-consuming. Grad school takes priority over my addiction to karate.

New Website!

2005-08-30T18:32:00.001-05:00

The new website is up! If you're interested, please go visit Shy Violet and let me know what you think of the new look. The Woodlands and Garden Collections will be coming soon, when we have our new digital camera available. I also have several more pieces in the works for all four collections.

New Collection

2005-08-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

I have several pieces finished now that will be the showpieces of the new Garden Collection. Of course, with no camera, I can't get them on the site yet, but that is coming soon. The most time-intensive was Sun Dew, a coiled bracelet with citrine nuggets and sterling, citrine, and peridot accents.

We've been working on the new website and it should be up in the next day or two as well. I think it looks a lot better - I really like the new look.

Classes start tomorrow. I am taking four grad classes, for twelve hours. It's a bit much, but that's the program here. I didn't register for classes myself; the administrative people did it for me. I think I'm going to aim for passing the language test with Spanish, despite my deficiencies in that area. Then in my free time *wild laughter* I will try to work on Mandarin.

These earrings are simple drops of Botswana Agate and sterling silver. Botswana Agate is one of my favorite stones at the moment. It's so sophisticated.

www.shyviolet.net

2005-08-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

Orientation is over. Welcome to grad school! I'm a bit intimidated, as several people, second year students, professors, the stress management person, etc, specifically told us, "you will have more work than is humanly possible." So, I may not be writing much for the next few months, but I'll try. The program sounds really fascinating, though, and I am glad to be here.

As far as jewelry, I don't have that much new to show, since we still haven't replaced our digital camera. These earrings are pretty popular - I've sold several pairs that are essentially the same. They are freshwater pearls and sterling silver.
Shy Violet

Orientation

2005-08-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

Thus begins my two years as a grad student - orientation! Three and a half days of it, to be exact, beginning today after lunch. Luckily I found out that I'm not the ONLY one coming back to school after some time "off." Mine wasn't much of a vacation, since I was working while DH was finishing his undergrad, but still, I wasn't in school. However, I'm a bit concerned about the idea that I'm supposed to be functionally proficient in some language other than English in two years. I am terrible at learning languages, as evidenced by the fact that I had 4 years of high school Latin and 4 years of college Spanish and can read/speak neither. I can puzzle out some things, but I'm not exactly functional in them.

So... any suggestions, anyone? Keep in mind that this is to be a language suitable for getting me a job in national security. So far I am leaning towards Hindi or Mandarin as the most useful, though not necessarily the most possible.

Malachite cube earrings. I love malachite - it's so very green, and yet so very... interesting looking. Rocks are great! I think I'm a rockaholic. I haven't done anything with my new moonstone beads yet except take them off the string and admire them. I guess I'm really a crow at heart - anything shiny is irresistable.

www.shyviolet.net

Support your favorite grad student!

2005-08-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share this:
Comic

www.shyviolet.net

Cyclical?

2005-08-21T23:50:00.000-05:00

Are there any other artists out there? I've read someone's suggestion that many artists go through acquisitive/creative/destructive cycles in their creativity. I know that for me this is true. Sometimes, I just want to buy, buy, buy supplies, with ideas for all of them, but I don't really do much actual, physical creating. Then there are times that I just feel inspired and create piece after piece. Then there are times that I can't work up the motivation to come up with a new idea, and find myself redoing something that needed tweaking, or finishing off something that had been sitting on the work table 95% complete for weeks.

Am I the only one that does this?

I HAVE to be through with my current acquisitive stage, since I've just gotten such a big order of new supplies. So it's on to the creative phase for me. A lot of times when I'm not really creative I can do some simple earrings or a relatively simple strung necklace and that will inspire me to something more artistic later on.

The picture posted is of a bracelet of blue aventurine and sterling silver. It's called Navy Sky.

Classes start a week from Monday. My orientation starts Tuesday afternoon and goes until Friday night - because we're special. My hubby's orientation is nonexistant and he gets a two hour class on being a TA. That's it. Nothing else. I also get an office, despite the fact that I'm NOT teaching, while DH (Dear Hubby) doesn't. Fair? I think not.

www.shyviolet.net

New Beads!

2005-08-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

I have new beads to play with! I got in a big shipment of gemstone and silver beads today. I finished several pairs of custom earrings and a pendant that had been waiting on jumprings. Now I have all kinds of fun things to play with - flat diamond shaped pearls, kyanite, coral, and lots more.

Unfortunately, in the move from SC to TX three weeks ago, we managed to lose the digital camera. It's the ONLY thing we lost, so it could have been worse, but still - it does make posting pictures of my new creations difficult. So for now, I'll post this one. These earrings are turquoise and handmade sterling silver earrings made by the people of the Hilltribes in northern Thailand.

Thai Hilltribe beads are certainly beautiful, but after my experience in Thailand, I'm even more glad that the beads are becoming popular here in the US. I am glad to support the artisans that make such beautiful beads by incorporating them into my own work.

www.shyviolet.net

Frustrating

2005-08-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

I've been frustrated with the response of jewelry stores and galleries when I present my jewelry, hoping they'll want to carry it. There seem to be two responses:

1) "Oh, that's WAYYY nicer than anything we carry. If it's over $10 or $15 dollars, it's too much for our customers." or
2) "Is it gold and diamonds? We don't carry anything but gold and diamonds." (insert condescending tone of voice here)

Unfortunately, I'm not going to work with sterling silver and gemstones and spend hours on a piece just to sell it for $15 dollars - I can find easier ways of losing money. I like working with silver. It's inexpensive enough that I can make a few mistakes without bankrupting myself. It's popular - if you haven't noticed, everyone under 30 and a large percentage of those over 30 are wearing silver quite a bit more often than they're wearing gold. It's pretty, it looks good with the techniques I'm using, it looks good with the stones.

If I used gold in the type of jewelry I'm making, a bracelet like the first picture I posted Tuesday would be thousands of dollars. Instead, because I used silver, it's only $295. Considering the amount of work that went into it, and the quality of the materials used, that's quite reasonable. I don't want to make my art inaccessible. I want real people to be able to enjoy what I do.

www.shyviolet.net

2005-08-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

I'm currently working on upgrading/redesigning my website, www.shyviolet.net. Although I think the website is very pretty, I'm not sure it conveys as professional of an image as I want it to. Any opinions, anyone?

This is a newish link bracelet I've made. It has fancy jasper faceted rondelles and faceted nuggets, moss agate ovals, and lots of sterling silver. The coiling came out nicely on this bracelet.

Shy Violet - Designs by Cecilia

2005-08-16T18:06:00.000-05:00

So how did it all start?

In my quest for yet another hobby, about a year and a half ago I began teaching myself how to make jewelry, based mostly on pictures and info on the internet. Self-taught, I very quickly became impatient with simple stringing. With my love of natural stones and my taste becoming rapidly more expensive, I moved on to wire wrapping and coiling, trying to find my own voice or style. I am still developing as an artist, but I have found my own style.

I enjoy letting the natural beauty of the stones take center stage. The intricate detail of coiling, setting off natural stones, satisfies my perfectionist side. I also like casual elegance, as in the link bracelets, and these faceted amazonite coin earrings. Handmade silver beads are irresistable.

2005-08-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

This blog hopefully will chronicle my progress in jewelry design. Currently, I use sterling silver, fine silver, gemstone beads, and occasionally Swarovski crystal. I use the techniques of stringing, hammering wire, coiling (a la Eni Oken), and other wire techniques. One of my favorite bracelets so far is this one. It's called Autumn, and it's part of the new Seasons Collection.

www.shyviolet.net