A shorty for now...

My ad on Craftsyble.com

Just a quickie for right now....I've been so busy with the prospect of a festival coming up. Each day, I head into the studio and work for about 5 hours, trying to produce at least two sets of earrings. It's been a productive week, with (happily) several sales! Here is a quick view of two new earring sets (i.e. wearable art). You can check out my shop (www.savannahschrollguz.etsy.com) to see the entire range of what's available now. I actually list things nearly every day. I'll be back here soon to expatiate (now there's a word I memorized for the GRE that I never get to use in everday conversation!) on some other Etsy artisans whose work has gotten my attention.

"White Morning Glories on Pink"
(check them out at www.savannahschrollguz.etsy.com)

"Red Poppies on Yellow"
(check them out at www.savannahschrollguz.etsy.com)

PCA Emerging Artist of the Year

Tonight, Michael and I will be headed to the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts to see the "Artist of the Year and the Emerging Artist of the Year 2012" exhibitions. I'm especially excited to see Emerging Artist of the Year Vanessa German's work, which I first saw in Shadyside's Gallerie Chiz (on Ellsworth Avenue) back in March 2011 when I was working on a review of Peter Calaboyias's retrospective. In the two vimeo videos below, German describes the personal value of her work, that she views it as a kind of visual and spiritual language. The second video describes her process, which involves excavation and layering. More on her work after we see the show tonight. In the meantime, the videos:
Sneak Peek #3: 2012 Emerging Artist of the Year, Vanessa German: Love from PFPCA on Vimeo.
Sneak Peek #5: Emerging Artist of the Year, Vanessa German on Process from PFPCA on Vimeo.

In the kitchen with me....

Hot pepper jam is a tradition in this house, dating
back to the "Pre-marital XXX Hot Pepper Jam" of
August 2006, which we gave away (with just that name
label) right before Michael and I got married. Today, kids,
is hot pepper jam day...at least the first of several batches.

Here is the frothy goodness that is warming vinegar, sugar, and
pureed peppers. You can't see it here, but I have a dog at my feet who
has absolutely no idea what to do with the chewie I've given him to keep
busy. No idea. He is walking to and fro and crying very softly. It is, I suppose
an embarrassment of riches for him. I'm not exactly sure.  

And I'm filling jars here....

Loading the canner....

And out come seven lovely visions of hotness. They all sealed.

Pretty. Now, dishes washed and into the studio!

Some experimentation...and other good things



The under-sketch for the necklace prototype I'm
working on.




One part of the painted necklace prototype before sealing.



"Raining Cloud II" earrings (up close); now available in the shop!

"Raining Cloud II" earrings on me!

The sweet little chickadee family growing on our front porch in the $8
decorative cabin we got at Cabella's in May.
This is the mother's second nest-full of peeping little ones.
And wow are they loud!

Fred in the outer garden area.

The many generations of chickadees on the cables outside our
bedroom window.