Save Your Scrap!


I say this in all my classes, but if you work in silver or gold it is a good idea to save all your scrap. I keep a little jar on my desk and keep filling it up. When I am teaching I put all my little pieces in a baggie. A little over time adds up and I sent mine to Rio Grande last week...and got a phone call saying I was getting over $1,000. Let me just say I was pretty happy. Now results like this are not typical...I just have been saving mine for over 5 years and with the recent studio cleaning I decided to finally send it in.

I met a another artist who sent in scrap silver and old 14K gold jewelry to
Hoover and Strong and she got a nice little check. I haven't used them, but they are another option. Rio only gives you 75% of the value if you take a credit and 65% if you want a check. I am not sure what Hoover and Strong pay, but it is worth looking into.

So that is my advice....save your scrap! Who knows what silver prices will be when you have a little stash.



I'll share some pictures of my little trip to the Barn House opening another time, but here is a little creamer I purchased to hold flowers on my desk, and some of my roses have finally started to bloom...we are a little late with all the snain you know.

Have a lovely weekend!

BALANCE

...this was my fortune cookie on Friday. I couldn't believe it because a couple of hours earlier I had a conversation with Shari about balance while running errands instead of working in my studio. I thought the universe was telling me something.

What does balance feel like...would I recognize it? Sometimes I feel like I don't know I am balanced until I am out of balance. Is this sounding like jibberish to you too?

Do you see that shadow in the photo...the sun was out here in Washington, and we had 3 days of it. I soaked up as much as I could and even managed to get a little too much sun on my nose, but I did not care. It was heaven! Most people here in Washington begin to panic as soon as it gets over 75, but not me. I like it hot.


The garden is starting to bloom and everything is green. This is one of my favorite lilac bushes. It has a double flower and smells amazing...



“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

I'm late I'm late for a very important date....

This has been running through my head for days. I am just going to post a mish mash of what I have been up to. If you can't stand to read typos...read no further. There will be no editing on this post.

Below is a little jewelry box I created in a class with the talented Lisa Kaus. We had a lovely time in her home studio and everyone's creations were fabulous. I am going to put some little hooks or nails on the side and hang bracelets on the bottom tier too.



Here is the one nice day we had in April...it was almost 80 degrees and I got my shorts and sandals out. Little did I know this would be the only nice day for a few weeks.




Then the "snain" began. Snain - snow mixed with rain. My girls came up with this word. As I kept repeating "it is rain mixed with snow" over and over again. We actually had more snow in April and I believe it was the latest it had ever snowed here. Mama was not a happy camper.

We headed off to the tulip festival as it got warmer, but let me tell you it was cold and those little drops on the tulips are not dew drops.






I was not about to let the weather hamper my plans to go to glass beach. Thanks to Nina who gave me tips on finding glass beach in Port Townsend. My daughter and I put on our running shoes and I loaded up on food and water to make the trek. It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to reach what seemed like an endless destination. We also couldn't resist bending over to pick up every little piece of glass and rock on the way. The return trip seemed a lot longer and even my little cross country runner was tuckered. She was carrying a pretty heavy pack(against my instructions), but they have to learn. I ended up carrying it the last hour and honestly I am surprised she lasted that long. It was HEAVY.



On our return we found this little broken egg. The most beautiful shade of blue...we placed it gently back, but now I wish I had kept a little piece.



Trip to the butterfly house at the Seattle Science Center...I got quite a few pictures before my battery died...but here is one for you today.


Now how can I leave you without a shot of shoes? The snaining has stopped and it has been nice enough to wear these once. It was a little cold, but the sun was out and I thought it might be my last chance for a while.



If you have a little sun to spare send it to Washington! Wishing you a peace and joy.