A sudden abundance of free time....

Hi All:
So some of you may know that I was laid-off from my "real" job this week...exclamation of sympathy are appreciated, but I am really ok...

Looking at this as an opportunity to pour more time and energy into Wind Dancer and Reyna Red...as well as providing more study time for school, which I am so close to being finished with.

So far I have been a "woman of leisure" without a 9-5 job leash for a couple of days and I like it. I have taken the opportunity to cleanse the palette so to speak, by changing my studio/home office into a pure studio.

Big thanks go out to my understanding hubby who helped me move heavy furniture all over the room in different configurations before I found the one I like. And didn't complain at all....well not much. haha.

So here are pics of the new studio setup...soldering station, woo hoo...and the studio mascots (black and white cats in one of the pics)...

Enjoy!
Leah :-)


The mascots - Munchkin (black) & Piglet (white).



Soldering station - yay!




More space - means more work done.





See, I am working...well, when I am not blogging.

The urge to hug the FedEx guy has passed...

Hi All:
So Friday came with some lovely surprises in the shape of new gemstone briolettes, my new light tent (for when Mother Nature can't seem to give me natural light to work with), and my new and extremely large soldering board (because setting fire to my new design tables would be bad). With all those new cool things to play with... Whew!

Boy, was this a busy weekend. Highly productive too....cranked out about 20 new pieces that I am frantically trying to add to Etsy as we speak.

Here are a couple in the meantime - check back for more as the day rolls on.

-Leah :-)

The armoured car of shipping cartons...

Hi All:

Jeez...I may actually get in the habit of posting every day. haha, maybe not...we'll see. Anyway, had a small noteworthy thing happen just a short while ago, I got a shipment from a new supplier in India.

They were recommended to me by a business contact, much better prices on semi-precious briolettes, and way more selection than stateside. So I gave them a try for some mixed faceted chalcedony, rose quartz, carnelian and these amazing elongated navy blue chalcedony faceted spikes.

So the doorbell rings this morning, and it's the mailman with a delivery confirmation to sign...no biggee. He has a bunch of stuff for me and hubby, and one of the things is a strange looking little box. So I sign and take everything inside. The strange little box is from this new supplier and it is about 4 inches by 5 inches and quite heavy...I didn't think I ordered that much.

Anyway, it was the amoured car of shipping cartons. Once I got through all the protective layers, I found a solid aluminum box that was wrapped in bubble wrap, newspaper and then sewn into cheesecloth and sealing wax was on all the corners and seams. Once inside the box, more newspaper and bubblewrap covering a 3.5 inch by 3.5 inch bag with my gems in them.

Holy crap...now there is sealing wax everywhere. Oh well...almost the weekend...

Still have insomnia, so last night's project until 3am was a sterling silver collar with light blue chalcedony faceted drops and smoky quartz, with earrings to match.

Insomnia bites, but at least I have been productive. New pics will have to wait until this weekend probably.

As always check out my Etsy store - http://www.winddancerdesigns.etsy.com

-Leah :-)

Miles past O'Dark Hundred Jewelry making...

Hi All:

So, first off a little background...I am an insomniac. So there are times that I am up - mind whirling with a host of different things other than sleepiness - until the wee, and sometimes beyond wee hours of the morning. These insomniac jags come and go and vary in length but usually follow the need to get work done that I don't seem to have time for during daylight or even normal evening hours.

And so following such an insomniac episode last night - I tend to babble more than usual, so just hang in there with me...I have a point.

What was my point, again? Oh yeah! So I was up until about 3am-ish, snuggled under a black blanket I made into a snuggie without any stitches, pliers in hand, watching a Gilmore Girls marathon. I spent an hour or so hand-wrapping links to make pair of truly delicious earrings. Think dripping gems in yellows, greens and corals....there you go.

Have to take pics and post those bad girls up here...but when you are up till past O'dark hundred and then still have your eyes pop open at 745am every morning like annoying sadistic clockwork...it doesn't make for mid-morning motivation to take pictures.

And since now - my babbling has reached epic proportions...I need a nap.

-Leah :-)

Prom/Wedding season means...more Etsy listings!

Hi all:

I have been working on new stuff...a lot more slowly than usual unfortunately...so I have a working day scheduled for Saturday - just me, good tunes, bare feet and a ton of work in the studio.

Here are pics of what I have finished so far...more upcoming for my Bridal/Wedding/Prom collection. So check back - http://www.winddancerdesigns.etsy.com/

I love feedback - so feel free to leave some.

-Leah :-)

Marathon Shopping

Hi All:

So my lovely sleep in till noon plans were thwarted at about 8am by a tiny cat whimpering at the door. Hubby slept through it...I wish I wish. So stumbled out of bed to wake up to a couple of episodes of Gilmore Girls until hubby made the good coffee, and plans to venture out began to take shape.

The Cost Plus' in Omaha are closing down and I have reaping the benefits of deep discounts and the selling of really cool fixtures for my studio...and today was no different. We walked into a nearly empty big box store to 80% off...yay! So a couple more small fixtures, a case of assorted wines (yay), exotic spices and chocolate for hubby, and some background/displays for pic taking. This was followed by lunch and onto Borders to spend ridiculous amounts of money on reference materials. Then it was onto Menards for random hardware schtuff...steel wool, cleaners, Rouge, wood block. Lusted after a bench vise...and more rotary tool attachments...ooo ooo engraver....

Then the final stop for brass and steel ball chain and connectors for an idea I had for a new line of cute earrings. Started a new brass bracelet out of retaining rings....but then couldn't get motivated to finish. I was able to finish 2 prom/wedding sets on Saturday...so new pics of those tomorrow.

And so now winding down....
-Leah :-)

New studio set-up...I need a 12-step program

Hi All:
I know I know...I keep posting pics of my studio, and keep re-organizing it.

I have established that I need a 12-step program...and my hubby agrees.

So here I go again...feedback is welcome. Love the new setup and wish I had more than half a room.

-Leah :-)