tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86007160687547001932012-01-30T09:41:00.744-05:00art : life : everythingTrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.comBlogger541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-46699971162576676122007-09-21T16:55:00.000-04:002007-09-21T18:07:55.411-04:00

Today I realized that on October 8, and on every Tuesday thereafter, I will be able to get 10% off my purchases at Ross Dress for Less. Not that I typically shop there -- but Ross is wedged in between my two preferred discount stores, TJMaxx and Filene's Basement, in a local strip mall and, walking from one to the other, I couldn't help but notice the huge poster in their window that might as

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-28192439598528085602007-09-16T11:37:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:34.583-05:00

A couple of months ago I finished (or thought I had finished) this pendant. Its organic look arose from a thoroughly organic process, involving as much accident as intent. You can read about its early life here and here. In the second post I noted K's opinion that it needed to be hung from a chain, not a rubber cord, "because the pendant needed to be seen as being worthy of a beautiful chain.

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-18188758718261918532007-09-10T09:02:00.000-04:002007-09-10T10:17:19.231-04:00

I'd say that the beginning of the fall semester is like a black hole that sucks up all available time and energy, except that "black hole" sounds way too peaceful for what's happening around here. "Whirling vortex" is more like it. Picture me as Dorothy with the tornado bearing down crying "Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" Toto and I are huddled in the house watching scary people fly by the windows. Are

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-36256407208691956152007-09-02T10:43:00.000-04:002007-09-02T11:02:29.244-04:00

My new favorite painting tools are plastic scrapers (the kind you can buy in the hardware store for spackling) and kitchen sponges, preferably the kind with scrubber stuff on one side. Painting in the garage does not work when the garage has no light except what comes in the open garage door. It can also lead to pain in the knees from crawling over the concrete floor.Painting on a picnic table

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-68527971328736131232007-08-30T08:56:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:35.656-05:00

Work on the big painting has ground to a halt. First, it was the series of thunderstorms that made it difficult to work in a garage where the only light comes from the open garage door which can't be opened because the rain is wailing. Then it was the set-up - working on a 4' x 5' canvas on a hard cement floor covered with a plastic dropcloth is not optimal. The plastic bunches up and makes

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-17064485174275596722007-08-26T12:50:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:35.958-05:00

Writing the last two posts, and the responses to the first one, motivated me to do some research on my father's career. You'd think with a past like this I'd have written about it before, but in this case familiarity bred a lack of interest. As usual, Google revealed a treasure-trove of resources, among them, White Tops, a magazine put out by the Circus Historical Society. Browsing through the

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-36410521325676592162007-08-25T17:01:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:36.184-05:00

We didn't travel with the circus, which is both the good news and the bad news. On the bad side, it meant that I wasn't part of the magical circus world. When I was very young, I watched Circus Boy on Saturday mornings, wishing that I could run away with Corky (played by Micky Dolenz - yup, that Micky Dolenz, the one in the Monkees). It also meant that my father was gone for nine months out of

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-77554388930104841792007-08-20T00:21:00.006-04:002008-11-13T07:07:36.544-05:00

Today I got up ridiculously early and set out for a large flea market on the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border. Mainly I went to buy ephemera - I'm not sure what's going to come of it but I've been collecting old photographs, pamphlets, and illustrations for a couple of weeks. I also thought I might find some useful tools. What I ended up with was a stack of old photos, two books, a wonderfully

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-46521311641805476392007-08-14T10:06:00.001-04:002007-08-14T10:47:35.990-04:00

At jewelry camp we teased the instructor for constantly referring us to Harbor Freight as a source for cheap tools - we figured he had to be getting a cut for sending students there. It is indeed a great source for tools and supplies of all kinds. However, my hands down favorite cheap surplus-type place is American Science & Surplus. I got a package from them yesterday that contained an excellent

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-52005206603204440632007-08-12T20:27:00.001-04:002007-08-21T18:07:31.807-04:00

With all the traveling and jewelry making I've done this summer, there hasn't been much painting going on. Then K, whose staff just moved into a new set of offices, asked if I'd like to make some very large paintings for a 30 foot long wall in one of their reading rooms. Not exactly a commission, but an expression of support that provided a much needed kick in the pants. Yesterday after the bead

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-83103087270664080962007-08-11T16:11:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:38.451-05:00

The bead show was a great disappointment. I thought it would be full of suppliers and instead it was full of what seemed like local bead shops. Maybe big local bead shops, but nonetheless. Lots of dyed freshwater pearls of low to middling quality. Lots of stone bead strands, very few of which were at all interesting. Lots of Swarovski crystal - not that I have anything against it, I sometimes use

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-53268587880205683002007-08-10T11:43:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:39.221-05:00

Auctions on Ebay used to annoy me. Do I have time to sit around waiting for the time to run down with my finger poised on the "bid" button? No. But so many of the good stones on Ebay are sold via auctions and the "Buy it now" stones never seem like that much of a bargain. That's all changed now and the tipping point happened in Greece. We were in one of the many jewelry stores we investigated

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-4025337126068373162007-08-04T20:58:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:39.674-05:00

Santorini is so beautiful it's difficult for me to imagine how people can bear to live there year round. Every time I looked up I felt like I got hit in the head with a beauty stick and consequently walked around in a daze most of the time. Besides the gargantuan striped cliffs, the black volcano sulking in the caldera, and the ubiquitous white houses with blue, green, and aqua shutters, there's

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-62905502464903069632007-08-01T15:48:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:40.440-05:00

We awoke, determined to make the best of things, only to find that the shower didn't work: no water. I dress and track down the owner. He fiddles with the thing and gets a small stream of water to come out. "Oh, it was a little broken. Now it's fixed." Leaves. We can't get more than a little stream to come out and, even more distressing, it's not even warm. I can deal with a lot of things, but a

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-6013421064621253702007-07-31T14:02:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:41.258-05:00

One minute I'm basking in the Greek sun, the next I'm back in NJ in the muggy rain. Expulsion from Eden can't have been any worse than this. Truth be told, I was ready to come home - or at least ready to have my workshop, bed, and cats close to hand again. Could all three have been transported to a lovely Cycladic house on Paros, I would've been very happy to stay.The second half of our stay on

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-34983764972659810462007-07-15T08:46:00.000-04:002007-07-15T10:39:50.476-04:00

What's to be done when scuba diving off the coast of Paros proves to be unexciting? K decided that kiteboarding sounded like a good idea. And so it came to pass that last Sunday, after a morning of diving, K set off for an afternoon of kiteboarding under the tutelage of Frank, kiteboard instructor from hell. (Actually, he's from France.) Fast forward to 6:30pm that day: I was reading under the

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-33915803815330059992007-07-14T05:36:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:42.177-05:00

A last minute change of plans (see Hydra, Isle of (Ugly) Cats) and suddenly we had 5 days on Paros and no reservations. Tripadvisor wasn't much help, except to warn us away from the Hotel Apollon. Google gave us the Pension Sofia, a lovely place run by Sofia and Manolis. Arriving at 1:30am we weren't aware of much except that the garden seemed very large and the room seemed a little small. The

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-73527289007584823962007-07-10T10:05:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:42.495-05:00

An entrepreneurial opportunity of gargantuan proportions is waiting for someone in Greece. All you have to do is create a central scheduling office for ferries to the islands. Every company has its own set of routes and schedules and there is no way to get an overview of who's going where when. If you could maintain an updated database of schedules, prices, and which trips have open seats, I'm

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-89085563836369639332007-07-09T05:23:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:43.333-05:00

Hydra is the most cosmopolitan of the Greek isles, so it says on the island's website. Cosmopolitan or not, it is certainly beautiful. Hydra town climbs from the harbor in a steep semi-circle of white stone buildings and terracotta roofs, punctuated by brilliant outgrowths of hot pink bougainvillea. The only engine-powered vehicles are the utility vehicles owned by the island government, which

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-26797482233767895232007-07-01T03:56:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:43.618-05:00

Delphi soundtrack: greatest hits of the 80s -- Bette Davis Eyes, the Eurythmics, the Pointer Sisters. One exception is this gem I heard several times on the radio during our two days in Delphi:I've had enough.Baby, I'm leaving.Elvis has left the building.You had your chance.I gave you the honor,but, baby, you're no Madonna.Apollo figured out Delphi was the center of the world by releasing two

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-9365172401875855682007-06-29T11:18:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:43.888-05:00

I'm not sure what the internet cafe scene is like in Greece, but if I can get access I'll be sure to post while I'm away. Otherwise, I'll be back here on July 21.

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-18366514799030945062007-06-28T11:40:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:44.227-05:00

My friends have been telling me that my prices are too low. Over the past few months I've gradually raised my prices from the the $20-$30 range to the $40-$60, which I thought was pretty ballsy of me. Then I did some looking around and was startled to find pieces similar to mine going for hundreds of dollars. Not that the people charging those prices are out of line - it just made me wonder,

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-12775069681047432682007-06-26T07:04:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:44.560-05:00

For the past two days I've been working in a bit of a frenzy, trying to get all the pieces I've started at and since jewelry camp finished before Friday. That's when we leave on a 3-week trip we've had planned since December. At the moment I can't really believe that it's going to happen: there's so much that has to get done before Friday that it's easier to imagine that it won't happen than it

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-59025765546043174922007-06-24T18:40:00.001-04:002007-08-21T18:08:36.624-04:00

On the torch front, yesterday I went to Home Depot and bought a MAPP gas + oxygen torch, mostly because the tanks were in a handy package with the hose and torch and striker -- and it didn't cost too much. I've never heard of MAPP gas much less worked with it. The good news is that it's way hot enough for everything I wanted to do. Much silver has been reticulated this afternoon, to my great

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-19114027043380987322007-06-22T17:00:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:44.999-05:00

This afternoon I gathered up the pieces for several soldering tasks and headed off to the kitchen to assemble my small soldering station. Got out the ceramic board, the charcoal brick, the crappy flux (source of many of my soldering woes - better stuff is on order), assorted tweezers and picks, and set up the pickle pot (a tiny slow cooker). Oh yeah, and I got out my little butane "torch". It

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-61220970232812469982007-06-22T08:28:00.001-04:002007-08-21T18:08:36.635-04:00

Some folks have been asking how I found out about Peters Valley and if I know of any other jewelry camp opportunities. I read about PV on the ArtJewelry site. The link takes you straight to their page on schools and workshops. Here's a list of schools from Metalwerx, another very useful site: Brookfield Craft Center, located in southwestern Connecticut, strives to support creativity, fine design

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-7214325678549816052007-06-21T07:58:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:45.674-05:00

For those of you who read yesterday's post to the end, yes, I saw a bear! It looked like a sort of pre-teen black bear, maybe 4 ft tall standing up. It was hanging out in the middle of the road to Thunder Mountain, where the workshop is located. The moment I saw it I realized why all the handouts they give you stress that (a) you shouldn't try to pet the young bears and (b) you shouldn't turn and

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-5318314098918433172007-06-20T16:55:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:46.139-05:00

Last night I returned home from five days at the Peters Valley Craft Center but it feels like I've been gone for much longer. It was a transformative experience, not least because, for five days, I was totally focused on one thing. I don't think I've experienced that kind of exhilarating all-consuming engagement since grad school. Here's how the days went: breakfast from 7-8:30, class from 9-12,

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-60635560741161401592007-06-14T11:46:00.001-04:002007-06-14T11:50:04.180-04:00

Here's where I'll be until June 19. I doubt that there's internet access at jewelry camp, but if there is, I'll post a play-by-play of my time there. If not, catch you on the flip side!

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-75523809452756275222007-06-13T17:10:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:46.846-05:00

(to the tune of Maria from West Side Story)♬ Metalliferous, Metalliferous, ♫I've just been to a store named Metalliferous, ♪And suddenly that nameWill never be the same to meeeeee..... ♬What a day it's been! I took the train the the enyce, as I like to call it, and walked from Penn Station to 34 W. 46th St. On the way I window-shopped, thought about stopping for an impromptu haircut, avoided

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-47188276086767916152007-06-12T16:20:00.000-04:002007-06-12T17:16:28.650-04:00

From Friday, June 15 through Tuesday, June 19 I will be away at....drumroll, please.....jewelry camp! No, they don't call it that, but it's how I've been thinking of the jewelry-making workshop at Peters Valley Craft Center. This place is out in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, meaning it's out in the woods. Normally this would be enough to put me off - I'm not a woods kind of gal

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-80326446900700254942007-06-07T09:52:00.000-04:002007-06-07T11:46:21.779-04:00

One of the best things about selling on Etsy is that I've made some amazing new friends. We chat every day, tell each other our intimate secrets, bitch about life's bumpy spots, give each other support in difficult times, and just generally keep each other in stitches laughing. We fix each other breakfast and are always ready to bring out the drink cart and mix a few mojitos or margaritas. We've

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-50215469721466004822007-06-06T18:16:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:47.278-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to the Pod pendant. It's a new addition to my Etsy store and the story of its creation is quite a saga. It all started when I was browsing the PMCSupply.com website and found this stuff called Hattie's Bloom Mesh. It said that you could push a ball of pmc through it and fire it with the mesh in place to make these sort of bud-like protrusions. Always a sucker for a new

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-67274747535556806662007-06-06T07:56:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:47.809-05:00

I've now enameled just about everything in sight. I even enameled a piece made from sterling silver wire, which meant going through the rigmarole of bringing the fine silver to the surface by heating, quenching, pickling, repeat 6 more times. Not a problem - just did it in between switching various things in and out of the kiln. You could practically hear the swish as I moved from the soldering

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-15432819600767220152007-06-03T22:31:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:48.949-05:00

Yesterday I held an enameling practice. Three hours of blood, sweat, and tears - or at least that's what it felt like. Two types of metal (copper and fine silver), three types of enamel (lumps, threads, powder), several varieties of failure (among them: cracking, discoloration, lumpiness, and general ugliness). The thing with pmc is that you put the pieces in the kiln, fire them, it's done. With

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-4919901343550522802007-06-03T16:35:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:49.656-05:00

In the past week I've made great strides in my soldering skills. You won't think so when you see the pictures, but trust me, the fact that I could get two pieces of silver to stick together at all constitutes a great stride. A few days ago I set aside several hours and a pile of wire to practice soldering. I discovered several things:Sheet solder works for me, paste doesn't. I was using flux all

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-62542201624202318342007-06-01T08:48:00.000-04:002007-06-01T20:57:16.861-04:00

OMG, my e-language has gone totally weird since I started hanging out in the Etsy forums and chatting on line. arrggghhhh! I used to be a serious person LOL but now my emails and posts have gotten soooooo emoticonal and it's really hard to keep it from spilling over into my business life. :/ I almost winked at my boss in an email the other day - eeewwww!!!! :p IMHO, this has gone way too far

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-5275104992762917042007-05-31T11:43:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:49.990-05:00

People get their knickers in a twist all the time complaining about this or that person ripping off their designs. I was browsing Etsy and came across this little bit of wishful thinking: "I have designed my jewelry specifically to be unlike anything else out there. Please respect my wishes to keep my jewelry looking original & fresh by not copying my designs." I call it wishful thinking for two

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-62165459365536592992007-05-29T18:35:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:50.194-05:00

A few days ago I posted a picture of a pendant in progress and said that I didn't think it was weird enough. It's now finished and it's definitely weird enough. The question is whether, in the search for belle-laide, I've gone over into totally damn laide. In defense of the pendant, I have to say that this is not a great photo. The color of the pearls is washed out - they're a much more vibrant

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-18878508661983022242007-05-29T08:24:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:50.312-05:00

This piece recently sold, so I'm "archiving" the description here.----------------------My first trip to Paris - I couldn't believe I'd finally made it. One afternoon on the Metro I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and looked into the greenest eyes I'd ever seen on a human being. "N'oubliez pas votre parapluie." "What? I'm sorry I don't speak.." At that moment the train lurched into the

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-63894383647191395192007-05-28T18:47:00.001-04:002007-05-29T08:23:57.094-04:00

Recently several people have mentioned that they like my descriptions of items. Not all the descriptions I write are special, but sometimes a piece inspires me to write a whole lotta nuttiness. I think in a couple of cases the descriptions might have actually played an important role in selling the pieces. So I want to publicly thank whoever it was at Etsy who wrote this blog entry about

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-77195994759592770622007-05-28T14:35:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:51.370-05:00

Fairly soon after I started working with PMC, I bought a Paragon Quick Fire kiln. There was a less expensive option, but when I read that the Quick Fire can also be used to enamel metal and fuse glass, I was sold. Ever since I saw pictures of copper enameling in a crafts encyclopedia when I was around 9, I've wanted to try it. I still remember clearly the piece that illustrated the article: it

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-71403556845010192972007-05-25T08:21:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:51.595-05:00

A piece of advice that I see all over the selling tips in the Etsy Wiki is that the product should have a coherent style. Certainly some of the most successful sellers on Etsy take that approach and there is something aesthetically pleasing about looking at a store full of products that are on the same design wavelength. My store is full of whatever I happen to be making at the moment. There are

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-43985932467467343402007-05-24T13:16:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:51.955-05:00

I've had my new pliers for a few days now and am in tool heaven. Using the new round nose pliers is like driving a Porsche, so sleek and maneuverable. The jaws are quite a bit longer than my old ones though, which took a little getting used to. Since one of my mottoes is "why buy one tool when you can buy three?", I also bought a pair of thin chain nosed pliers and a new set of wire snips with a

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-75540533480225761572007-05-24T09:29:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:52.202-05:00

Even though my father was a professional musician (a drummer and band leader in the circus - yeah, I know, but that's a story for another day), I've always traced my creative inclinations to my mother's side of the family. For a long time my mother made her living by sewing clothes for people, including some pretty fantastic over-the-top square dance outfits. My youngest aunt and her husband ran

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-43020067507849113722007-05-23T11:09:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:52.610-05:00

One of my cats, Xena, just came home after being out in the world for about 36 hours. I've been calling for her night and day - the neighbors were probably ready to sic the local police on me for causing a public disturbance. The problem is, when cats go walkabout there's not really anything you can do. They're either on an adventure, in which case they'll come home when they're good and ready,

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-66905962679819922952007-05-22T08:00:00.001-04:002008-11-13T07:07:53.147-05:00

You gotta love the stuff or you won't love what you make out of it. I love silver - got a package of silver wire yesterday in all sorts of gauges and shapes and could barely restrain myself. Same with pmc and gemstones. Check out these drusies. I got them from Heart of Stone Studios a couple of days ago and can hardly take my eyes off them. I have no idea what to do with them -- setting stones

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-62995545933071701292007-05-20T18:59:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:53.626-05:00

Daniel Craig, the most recent James Bond, isn't what you'd call handsome. The Rolling Stone called him a "rugged, jug-eared Brit, whose irregular features improbably radiate a megawatt star charisma". My partner told me about a French phrase, belle-laide, which means "ugly beauty". That's Craig - it's a look I like, and not just in people.Yesterday I wrote that the more I work with pmc the less I

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-55329090796121028792007-05-19T16:55:00.001-04:002008-11-13T07:07:53.753-05:00

It's been weeks since I've done any painting - jewelry making and the job have been taking up all my time. A couple of days ago some e-friends were sharing snaps from childhood so I posted a few. Elli said she liked the composition of one of them and it made me look at it in a whole new way. Instead of looking at it through a haze of not very pleasant memories, I looked at it as...a picture. She

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-63871814960061750302007-05-17T10:28:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:54.168-05:00

When I started working with precious metal clay I was very nervous about the cost and feared that I would waste the tiny lump while fiddling around trying to figure out what to do with it.I sprayed everything in sight with so much lubricant and covered my hands with so much Badger Balm that I was dropping tools right and left. Between the slippery surface and slippery roller and slippery hands,

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-56182277239480237082007-05-16T08:04:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:54.270-05:00

My round-nose pliers have disappeared into the 8th dimension. I know that's where they are because about a million years ago I saw The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and I learned that the 8D denizens are evil, greedy bastards. (Also that brain surgeons in chaps are hot.) Am I crying? No. It's a chance to buy tools and, even better, upgrade! I love tools. Tools are my

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-59303294418716182232007-05-15T21:27:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:54.407-05:00

(sold 5/4/07)"What should I call it?" I asked, dangling the pendant from a handy dental pick. Her eyes fixed on the red jade facets, she said, "Call it 'Come Hither'. It's...oddly seductive." And she lunged. With a quick twist of the wrist, I flipped the jade and sterling silver pendant over my head and into my vest pocket. The candlelight glinted on the fine point of the dental pick. "You want

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-56132712334747269932007-05-15T21:09:00.000-04:002008-11-13T07:07:54.544-05:00

Sold 4/25/07.I'm not a big fan of heart jewelry. I'm a sentimental fool, a complete romantic, a total sucker for baby animals - but I don't like heart jewelry. So, I was bashing a silver nugget with my trusty hammer the other day and imagine my surprise when I looked at it and saw...a ragged heart. And I realized that what I dislike about so much heart jewelry is that the hearts are all perfect

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600716068754700193.post-38324357633006929272007-05-15T16:45:00.000-04:002007-05-18T09:29:08.085-04:00

The world doesn't need this blog. But I do. This is a public space that feels semi-private, a useful illusion.Dear Diary,Today I started a blog...I started making jewelry just last year after I saw a bracelet in a jewelry store that cost around $200. It was a long narrow suede strip with tiny gold beads sewn all along it. You wrapped it around your wrist several times and it closed with a button

TrueMiragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669675781745810379noreply@blogger.com