Wandering Thoughts of Summer...

I have long been absent from blogland. It was not without want to be here. I have had so many things going on in my life... who doesn't these days? Summer is such a busy time of year!
I must admit that I really, really dislike summer.
I was made for cooler weather.

Autumn is sheer perfection, in my book, and I cannot wait for it to be here!

In the summer I come to a halt. It is far too hot and humid for me!
My garden suffers horribly because of my distaste for humidity.
Although I did manage to grow some beauties this year...


I wondered why my son always had a yellow nose until I saw him sniffing my lilies.

Aren't my Hollyhocks gorgeous?! They look like crepe paper flowers!


I found a collection of hands on one of my treasure hunts. This one is an antique mold from a rubber glove factory.
You can see here how well some of them fit into my show displays.
I think they look very gypsy-ish.

Riding life's roller coaster is amazing and exhausting, isn't it?
There are so many things that have happened lately that really make me appreciate my life and the wonderful people in it.
In the midst of all the government and economical hardships, I have come to realize that my job is to not only care for the people that I love, but to do it in the most self sufficient way that I can.
We need to get back to our roots.
We need to make things from scratch and get our hands dirty.
Bake our own bread and mend our clothes.

I have always been very frugal. It is almost a game with me to see how little I can spend on things. I have been putting that to good use lately.
I have lots of experiments going on around the house right now.
Making my own wine and building an outdoor adobe oven are on my to do list.
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I am in the midst of art show season. I have a small break until September and then I have 2 weekends in a row with shows.
I have revamped my booth a little this year and am happy with the results.


This was my great-grandmother's dress. It is amazing!
I have lots of new goodies in my shop.

Here are a few new goodies...




I have many new things to list and a whole heap of new ideas swimming around in my head.
I have big plans coming up and will be sure to check in more often.

See ya again real soon!!

Autumn is Calling Me...

My favorite time of year is beginning to show it's face. The leaves are just beginning to turn, and the apples are heavy on the trees. What is it about autumn that I love so much? I have such a feeling of giddy nostalgia and there is a certain spookiness that hangs in the air as Halloween approaches. I could, quite happily, live in eternal autumn.

Here are a few of my latest creations that speak "fall" to me...


"Archimedes in Love"

"Woodland Copper Moon"

"The Poet"


"Feral Tendencies"

I will be selling my goodies at the Saline Oktoberfest Celebration this saturday September 25, from 10 am to 7 pm. If you are in the area, come by and say HI! After 7 pm, my husband and I will most likely be found in the Bier Garten slurping up spaetzle and German beer. :)

Time to Slow Down...

My summer shows are over and it is time to slow down...a little. I have another show coming up in September, but for now it is time to enjoy being with my family. I really enjoy participating in art shows. Rising before the sun and hauling all of my gear two blocks to my assigned spot, there is nothing else like it. Ok, I am joking about that part, but I really do enjoy meeting fellow artists. And I love seeing the expressions when people see my eye rings or when they find a pair of my earrings that they love. It is a great boost of self confidence. I create jewelry that I love, it makes me very happy when someone else loves it, too.

If you saw me at a show and are looking for a specific jewelry piece, I am working on getting everything listed in my Etsy shop. If you don't see the piece you were looking for, you can contact me and I will list it online for you right away.


Early morning setup.

What a beautiful day for a show!

Over the winter I will be working on my display to have it ready for next spring and summer. I would like to drape some more fabrics around to give it more of a gypsy caravan feel. I got many compliments on my displays and the beaded curtains were a huge hit. In fact, many people asked me if they were for sale.

Thankfully, I have the best assistant ever! My husband was up at 4 am before each show, lugging heavy packages and bins around, and didn't stop until we were home at night, exhausted. He is also the best salesman, giving tips and information about my jewelry to customers. I really couldn't do it without him!

July Happenings...

Well, I am beyond busy right now. I am getting ready for my two biggest art shows of the year, which I scheduled on back-to-back weekends...well it sounded like a good idea when I did it. I am a whirlwind of wire and stones right now.

I promised that I would post a link to my TV interview. I will not get into the fact that I have watched this 1,000 times and wish I could redo the whole thing (oh wait- I just did, didn't I?). I am extremely proud that I had this opportunity.

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/eightwest/Gypsy_Moon_Art-

Alas...I do not claim to be tech savvy and could not, for the life of me, figure out how to embed this video!

I also wanted to share a few pictures from our beautiful Lake Michigan. We love to go there late in the day and watch the sunset.



I will be sure to post pictures of the happenings at my big art shows. If you are in Michigan come by and check them out!

Saugatuck Village Square Arts and Fine Crafts Show
July 31 from 10-5

Holland Art in the Park
August 7 from 9-5