State Fair Jewelry Competition 2012

I'm very proud to say that I took 1st Place in our New Mexico 2012 State Fair Intermediate Creative Jewelry Competition with two of my items.

Blue Ribbons!!

 

The necklace I showed in my previous post was only one item that I designed specifically for the State Fair, however, it did not win recognition.  I find it ironic that these two won instead as they were made for fun.  I guess passion is the way to go!!

I feel honored and thankful!  :)

State Fair Bound

The New Mexico State Fair is taking entries until September 4.   I've decided to enter a few items.  I've never entered my creations into a competition. I have a few pieces in mind already but  I am currently working on one piece that I am making specifically for the fair.   Eeek, I'm very excited!  :)
I'm still undecided whether to submit this necklace braided or unbraided.

Honey

This was my first experience extracting honey from the honeycombs of our homemade bee hive.  It was fabulous success despite the fact that nothing happened as expected from step 1!

This is the bin filled with raw honeycombs.  The bees did not build their combs inside the hive slats as anticipated.  This made it difficult to harvest and forced us to pile it all into a heap.














We smashed up the combs just enough to get the honey flowing from each pod.

The first straining of the honey using a standard kitchen strainer and measuring cup.

 Second straining through cheese cloth. 

The final strained honey is just lovely.  Yummm!
I also collected a little bit of the wax and created some simple candles.

Our bees probably made most of this honey using Prickly Pear and Sunflower blooms in the area.  

This was a wonderful experience!  Thank you to my Honey Bees for being such diligent workers!  You're amazing!

Love!

About AfterWork

Come read my little AfterWork story :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AfterWork/about/

Recycled Vintage

This is my newest favorite creation!  It took quite sometime to realize that all these pieces went together.  The three centerpiece charm findings were originally vintage earrings from the 1960's or 1970's.  The yellow glass is so lovely <3 <3 <3, however, it was very hard to match the color.

The necklace strand was created sometime ago but it just floated around in my AfterWork niche existing in an unfinished state.  And one night, just like a snap, I realized that this piece and that piece would look quite nice together.  I really love the outcome!  I think it's unique and pretty.  :)

I just need to make some finishing touches so I'll be posting it in the morning....

Fun with Treasuries

It seems I am obsessed with making Treasury Lists on Etsy lately.  They satisfy the consumerism in me!  They are also an experiment for me in networking for my business.   Click here if you'd like to see all the Treasury Lists I have created.  They are so much fun!

More Treasuries

Making Treasuries is truely an art on Etsy.   Click this images to checkout at my most recent curations.

 

 Life Love

Springtime Renewal 

 Just lovely!  Peace!

Bandalier, NM

Spring is here and New Mexico is beautiful!!!

This post is a little off my usual topic but to be honest this is the stuff that drives any creativity that resides in my soul.    There isn't enough time in a day to create something with every ounce of inspiration that a place like this pours into my heart.  I am thankful that I can retain a capful it for my own artistic digestion. 

We recently went to see the inspiring cave dwellings of the native people who lived in Bandalier many centuries ago.  It's unbelievable to see these remnants of life in such an amazing landscape.  When I visit places such as this, I am compelled to envision myself living the life that used to be, or I try to see as from the eyes of those who lived here.  What did they see?  What did they hear?  What did they do and feel and think?  I'm very nostalgic of times past.  <3

The rocks of Bandalier are formed by volcanic ash and have hundreds of large holes in the high cliff rock faces.

I almost always get lost in the moment of any outing and forget to take pictures.   (I'm working on this as I try to learn how to better blog.)  These are a couple of the pictures I took of the magnificent rock walls. I wish I would have gotten more as these show only a teeny tiny itty bitty example of the natural caves formations.

This is a picture of the pueblo center as seen from a large 'three room' cave dwelling, some 30ft high in the cliff wall.   If you look closely of the open area behind the large rock in the middle of the picture you will see a rounded area outlined in rectangular sections.   These sections are what used to be the bottom storage rooms in a multi-level structure of living space for the people of the tribe who lived here.

I had to take this picture as I am completely in love with the blue of New Mexico skys! So pure and fresh :)   Aaaaahhhhh!  Too bad it isn't Jello.













I can't wait to go camping and visit many more of the landmarks around me.  It's funny how you can live somewhere your entire life and visit outside attractions more than those that are in your own back yard. 


Next.......Jemez Mountains for falls, hot springs, and refreshing freedom!

Just Beautifully Fun!

Treasury lists are so much fun on Etsy!   I'm gettin' spring fever!!!!    :)

FourDazeForDays1
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjY4NDQ5OXwyMzI1MDA3NDAz/four-daze-for-days-1?index=2

FourDazeForDays2
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjY4NDQ5OXwyNDM3NDI2NDUz/four-daze-for-days-2?index=0

JustBeautifullyFun!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjY4NDQ5OXwyNDM4ODc1NzUy/just-beautifully-fun

In my silence.

I didn't realize that it had been over a month since my last posting.   I guess I've been caught up in life!  :)

I wasn't only away from my blog I was also not listing any new items in my shop.  I've been working a lot on personal gifts and experimentation by trying to manifest all those ideas I have floating around in my head.  I honestly can't create as fast as the inspiration comes.  Maybe I need to get more organized and write my ideas down so I can go back to them when I have a moment.

The most fun I had lately was creating fingerless gloves for my little 4 year old guys. ' Robots' and 'fishing' polar fleece.  Lol!

Fingerless gloves are so easy to make.
1. Find material you like that does not unravel when cut with scissors (fleece, jersey, ...)
2. Cut a rectangular piece of the material.  Dimensions should be length of forearm (or shorter) by circumference of forearm.
3. Fold in half along length of forearm.  Right side of material should be on the inside.
4. Sew 1/8" seam on cut edges.
5. Turn right side out.
6. Fit to arm and mark where to place the thumb-hole.  (I find thum-holes to be best fitted at the lower thumb joint.
7. Cut 2" slit at marking in the direction of the length of the forearm.

Done!

Here's a few of pictures of the some of the most recent necklaces that I've been working on in my silence.

SNEEK PEEK:

Until next time...  XO

Some of my favorites on Etsy

These awesome shops have inspired my Etsy shop in so many ways:
 
MountainGirlClothing - very creative upcycled clothing

VonlenskaVintage - Fun and casual vintage clothing

TribalStyle - Just look at my earrings a couple of posts ago :)

Carouselink - Super chic comfort-wear (and an awesome studio set)

HellHoundVintage - Unbelievable vintage clothing in pristine condition and regal design.

I often get ideas for my shop by window shopping through all the other beautiful shops on Etsy.  People are so creative!   It never ceases to amaze me!  My Etsy shop has taught me to strive for artisrty in each required step. I begin with making jewelry but simply listing an item in my shop (which isn't always so simple) is becoming all part of the art! 

Learn, Grow, Create, Teach, Love

The newest necklace to my own closet

I love art in any form but I mostly collect paintings, jewelry, vintage, and antiques.   I just purchased this long necklace to add to my jewelry collection.  I love to support artists!  It was made by Marie Perry from Arizona.  She makes some lovely necklaces!

The shorter two strand choker is made by me.  You can find a similar one in burgundy in my shop. http://www.etsy.com/listing/81336671/pomegranate-freshwater-pearls-and-glass

I wear earrings everyday

I got my first ear piercings when I was 4 years old.  I have worn earrings faithfully ever since.  I really love earrings of all kinds....studs, long dangle-ies, clip-ons, fake gauges, thin chains that I can weave through all of my ear piercings.  But for some reason I don't make a lot of earrings...

I decided to sit down recently and dedicate time to making more!  Here is a picture of what I created :)

I absolutely love the way they turned out!

Awesome new earrings

Look at these amazing earrings!!  I just got them in the mail from one of my favorite shops on Etsy:  Tribal Style
Check them out!

My bead obsession

One day, maybe last year, I purchased some pretty glass beads.  I bought them because I thought they were pretty, that was it.

I made a necklace.

The necklace was extremely comfortable and actually caught a lot of attention when I'd wear it.  I liked it so much that I took it apart and re-created it to make it more refined.  (Most of my items tend to be experimental pieces.   That's how I learn and grow!  This necklace was one of the first using my newest bit of understanding at the time so it was kind of raw and rough.)

Anyway, then I made a bracelet out of the same beads.

Usually on the nights that I am working on a piece I will wear it late into the night.  I happened to be wearing my new bracelet when I turned off the lights and I discovered that my bracelet was glowing!...not bright just barely, subtly!!  It was bright enough to see but subtle enough to make me think I was seeing things.

I instantly fell head over heels for my newly made pieces because I LOVE glowing things.   :)     I went back and bought a couple more colors.  Then I picked up another strand here and there.  I didn't realize how many of these beads I had collected over time!  I recently pulled them all out, organized them, and began making more pieces.    These are some pictures of the pieces I have made with them so far:

In my previous post I showed a picture of some orange, cross earrings that also used these beads.

And here is a picture of a necklace that I sold to a dear from of mine during the Christmas season.

Oh!  I have another sitting right here that I almost forgot about!  I just made this one tonight and I haven't even listed it yet.   I will add it to my shop mostly likely this weekend.

I wish I could capture the glow but it's just to subtle for most cameras to pick up.  Maybe one day I'll find the perfect way to capture a time lapse of one of these items glowing.

Peace!

Some of My Favorite Pieces

I thought it'd be appropriate to post some pictures that show what my shop holds, so I went through the available items for sale in my shop and chose some of my favorites. Here are some images and a link to their location.

This first one is a charm bracelet from random left over beads that I had.  I love charms! http://www.etsy.com/listing/88711910/stoney-love-sea-charm-bracelet-by

This necklace was an experimental piece with a crochet clasp(not seen here) and a sinew string. I was inspired for this one by a necklace I once saw at a thrift store.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/89441150/multi-strand-necklace-of-turquoise

These long earrings are some of my favorite!  They are made of glass beads which definitely makes them a little heavier than average earrings.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/88711910/stoney-love-sea-charm-bracelet-by

The wooden set you see here has a little story as to why it is as it is.  These pieces actually began their life as a wood burned bracelet that I made 2 years ago.  The bangle size was just a little to big for me and I accidentally dropped it one day.  I was so sad because it cracked!  I decided to cut the remaining pieces apart, smooth out the edges, and drill holes in each piece to create this beautiful set!  I did the wood burning myself from free hand drawings.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/89313528/wood-burned-flowers-and-copper-bead

One of the most favorited items in my shop is a barrette made with bright synthetic flowers and dangling beads.  This barrette was one of my first creations and was inspired by belly dancing garb.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/81484696/sunflower-dangle-barrette-by-afterwork

I rarely make rings.  This is the only one I have for sale online.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/82632612/white-cats-eye-beads-and-sterling-silver

And finally, a vintage item.  I absolutely love these earrings.   They are just divine!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88866063/vintage-northern-new-mexico-native

Phew!  That was hard!  I'm not used to blogging, LOL!  I chose one of my favorite items from each section in my shop.  These happen to be my favorites that are available today. 

Etsy http://afterwork.etsy.com
Facebook www.fb.com/afterworkonetsy
Twitter @afterworkonetsy

PEACE!

AfterWork Beginnings

I've always loved beads and making things out of beautiful material but I never really beaded seriously until 2008 right after I had my beautiful twin boys.  One day my husband was organizing his storage bins and came across some beading equipment that he had collected in his past.  He offered it, I willingly took it and began having fun!
 
At the time, I was belly dancing with a group of ladies and I used to create belly dancing garb for myself.  Some of the first accessories I ever made were flowery barrettes for my hair.  I was also working on my masters degree and I was taking some really cool media arts classes.  I was mostly a stay-at-home mom and I made a decision to try out all the most popular online/social media at the time....I joined MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, StumbleUpon...I became a member of Etsy in 2008 but I didn't open shop until 2011.  I guess I just wasn't ready in 2008.

I think all the pressure, stress, inspirations, and changes of life that were going on at the time inspired my beading as a creative outlet and stress reliever.....amongst other hobbies.

My jewelry box became so filled with jewelry and accessories that I absolutely couldn't wear everything.  Honestly, I never wore much jewelry before I started making it.  Now, I wear it just because I like to 'test drive' each piece and analyze my craftsmanship. Also, I think it's a way for me to acquire something fun and new without going shopping (which isn't one of my favorite things to do).  I can also guarantee that it's unique and I'm not spending money on something that possibly thousands of other people have!

A whole new world has been opened to me.  I was never much into social media and this virtual world.  My use of it started with a bang but it never went much further than using it for information and some entertainment.  After my jewelry box started to overflow, I started 're-focusing' on Etsy.  I'm getting in to the groove and I've become willing to put myself out there through my crafts, pictures, blogging, etc.  I love a challenge and I love to learn!  I can't wait to see what's next!  :)

Never stop...Learn, Grow, Create, Teach, Love

A New Adventure

I have seen so many awesome blogs here at the BlogSpot that I decided I should try it out for myself.  So far, so fun!  As with anything, I'm sure it will take some time for me to get a groove going here.  Look for more AfterWork trails on

Etsy http://afterwork.etsy.com
Facebook www.fb.com/afterworkonetsy
Twitter @afterworkonetsy