The Dream...

When we opened the store, we opened with a dream and a shoestring budget.  At the time, the government's credit had been downgraded and we were told that we were crazy for even considering opening a brick-and-mortar store.  So many small businesses were dropping like flies...

... but, we followed our hearts and held on tight to our dreams.

We wanted to create a place that shared artwork and inspired everyone who walked through the doors. We wanted to create a space that was more than just a store, but a meeting place of the muses.  We wanted to create a beautiful atmosphere that would visually reward and creatively provoke.  We wanted to empower and educate and deliver the most simple message of all:  You can do it!

It has been a little over two years and we're still holding on to that dream.  I like to think of all the wonderful people who have come through our doors and become lifelong friends and creative collaborators and have shared in our vision.  I like to think about the people who now have their own small businesses, who were first inspired by us and took the leap of faith to make a living off of the things they make.  I like to think about all the people who have come in and shared their lives with us.... in the short time that we have been around, we have been fortunate enough to see babies born, friends married, and have been able to comfort those who have lost loved ones.  It has been an honor and a pleasure to be a member of this community.

And while it hasn't always been easy, we have been blessed richly and shown a great bounty of support.

I ask you now for a few minutes of your time to show your support again and lend a helping hand.  We are currently applying for the Main Street Grant offered through Chase.  Winners are rewarded with a $250,000 grant!  Winning this would allow us to continue to pursue our dreams and expand upon our original vision.  We could progress by leaps and bounds!  It would be such a truly amazing opportunity!

But in order to be eligible for this grant, we need 250 votes!

It's easy to help.  All you have to do is be signed up for Facebook and CLICK HERE to vote.  If you want to do more to help, you can share the link and encourage your friends and family to vote for us as well.  We want to show Chase and the Main Street Grant committee that we can do it!

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 7...

"It's time to get your sparkle on!  Break out the crystal clay and let yourself go wild!"  That was the prompt for Day 7 of the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge.

I had fun with this one!  I've had these bezels for awhile now and I knew that I wanted to use them for this challenge.  I incorporated vintage Cuba stones that look like druzies.  They're so sparkly and fun!  I have bags of these cool cabochons made in Germany during the 1950's.  Around the marquis-shaped cabochons, I set tiny Swarovski crystal chatons.  After everything was securely pushed in, I then dusted the piece with metallic gold powder to bring out the details.  I didn't think that the components needed to be dressed up more than that, so I just added them to earwires and called it a day.

It's only day 7 and there's still lots of challenges to participate in!  It really a wonderful way to creatively play and I definitely recommend it.  CLICK HERE for the full calendar of prompts!

Beaded Links...

Art Bead Scene
Check out our October monthly challenge color palette!  Spooky!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
To celebrate the launch of our latest porcelain pendant, we're hosting a giveaway!  Find out how you can enter to win!

A Bead A Day
It's time for the big reveal at A Bead A Day!  Lisa's sharing her sparkly winter necklace.

Resin Crafts Blog
This fall, Resin Crafts is looking for crafters/jewelers who want to show off their resin work.  We are shipping out a wonderful bezel to anyone who wants to participate!

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews the most recent book, "Bead Embroidery Jewelry Projects, Design and Construction, Ideas and Inspiration" by the great artist and author, Jamie Cloud Eakin.  Jean found it to be VERY inspiring!

Beading Arts
Cyndi enjoyed taking part in her friend's Sequintastic September blog hop.  Come see what she made, and find links to all the rest of the gang!

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 6...

The prompt for Day 6 of the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge was to "grab your hooks, string some beads, and try your hand at bead crochet!"  This was perhaps my least favorite of all the challenges so far.  I was so frustrated while working on this that I ended up cracking my fancy wooden hook by gripping it too hard.

I opted to do only a simple bead crochet chain.  I was going to try and tackle a more complicated crocheted rope, but I just couldn't make it work and it turned into a tangle mess... several times.  At this point in the diagram I was learning from, it just looked like a bunch of squiggly lines.  I just need someone to sit down with me and patiently show me.

This wasn't my first (disastrous) experience with crochet.  My mom tried to teach me once.  Don't let the smile fool you!  She kept screaming, "Control!  Control!  Control!"  (Later when I learned some basic knitting, I discovered that, "control" translates to, "adjust your tension, sweetheart.")  She also kept swatting my hand with a knitting needle.  My mom doesn't knit, but she keeps a knitting needle around.  This picture was taken by one of my best friends, Jenni.  It serves as photographic evidence and a reminder: never ask my mom to show you how to crochet.

Don't let this month pass you by without trying out at least one of the challenges.  As this one demonstrated, there are some that you won't enjoy very much and there are others that are very satisfying and creatively rewarding.  CLICK HERE for the entire calendar.

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 5...

The challenge for the fifth day in the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge was to, "whip up some festive and functional wine charms for your next party. Salut!"  In my younger days, when Red Solo Cups were a perfectly acceptable drinking vessel at parties, I thought that wine charms were a frivolous and unnecessary.  A Sharpie marker made distinguishing plastic cups easy and as an artist, I always had one readily accessible.

However, at a recent event at the shop where we served wine in glass stemware, I became acutely aware of how useful wine charms would have been to designate glasses.  (Scrubbing permanent marker off the glass wasn't an appealing option.)  Even though we had a small group that evening of five people, there seemed to be twenty glasses to wash by the end of the night.  The threat of fruit flies made the task urgent.  Washing glasses at the end of a very long workday was not particularly ideal.  So the idea of wine charms were elevated in my mind!

Ball chain is another thing that I'm not overtly fond of.  It reminds me of light-pulls in mosquito-filled cabin bathrooms.  Even though it can be edgy and add a modern flare to a design, I can't help but mentally hear the clink of the chain tapping against a naked bulb with bugs swarming around it.

With that said, I adore ball chain in this particular usage.  It makes putting together wine charms a breeze!  All you have to do is cut it to fit and string on an embellishment.  When planning an event, the last thing you should be worried about is laboring over fussy wine charms.  This type of wine charm is super easy to make and does a great job at marking who's glass belongs to who.  For this particular charm, I used a siam-colored Swarovski crystal round and a Mexican sugar skull pendant from Nina Designs.

Up for a creative challenge?  There's still a several weeks left to do.  You can also dip in and out of the 30 days and pick the ones that strike your fancy.  CLICK HERE for the entire calendar.

Inspired by Reading at artBliss...

This photo was taken at the recent jewelry-making/artist retreat in the Washington D.C. area called artBliss.  It was snapped by Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio and features Terri Greenawalt at the display for the Inspired by Reading Book Club!  Jenny Davies-Reazor was kind enough to give up some of her table space and they presented samples of work made in response to the books and some of the book selections that inspired their creations.  Christine Damm, one of the instructors at artBliss, contributed her polymer clay dragon to the display as well!  I'm so proud of them and their hard work. I really appreciate them spreading the word and hopefully drumming up more participants for this fun challenge!

The October selection for the book club is, "My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me" edited by Kate Bernheimer.  For this month, you can base your piece off of the entire book or one of the short stories, as the book is an anthology of 40 retold fairy tales.  Can't wait to see what you make!

Microcosmic Reflections Online...

If you're not in the area and can't drop by the shop to see Nick Conti's new art exhibition, "Microcosmic Reflections".... fear not!  You can still join in on the fun and see the entire exhibition online!  You can even order prints, both framed and unframed in varying sizes!  CLICK HERE to see his amazing show!  It's simply stunning.  Each print is a jewel, glittering with amorphous lines and quivering colors.  They could easily be images taken on the atomic level or ones sent back from deep space.  There's something magical... something spiritual... about these abstract images.

If you are in the area, I encourage you to drop by the opening reception.  The reception is TONIGHT from 5PM to 8PM EST.  The reception will also celebrate the work of Jen Palmer on Project Wall 2!  We know that there's a lot going on in town, but if you can, we'd really love to see you and we would greatly appreciate your support!  Thanks so much in advance for making a point of coming out and seeing some art!

Opening Reception Reminder...

Allegory Gallery is so pleased to announce the latest shows on the Project Walls!  We sincerely hope that you can come out and see the shows!  The opening reception is Saturday, October 5th from 5PM to 8PM.  We will be featuring the work of Nick Conti in his exhibition, "Microcosmic Reflections" on Project Wall 1 and small-scale encaustic pieces by Jen Palmer on Project Wall 2!

When we opened the gallery, we wanted to make it place to see things and be inspired.  One of the ways that we do this is by hosting art shows and giving artists an opportunity to share their work and personal vision.  But our goal will fall short if it's not supported by the community.  It's important to show your support by attending the openings and celebrating the artwork!  While purchases of the artwork is always appreciated, sometimes just good energy and positive well wishes are all that are needed to make an event a true success!  So please, join us for the opening reception if you're in the area!

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 4...

For the fourth day of the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge, we were instructed to "share the wealth! Get together with some crafty friends for a bead swap!"  I had a small swap with Laurie and Debi.  It took us probably half an hour to decide how to do the swap, but I think everyone had fun and left with some new additions to their bead stashes!

It was actually so much fun that I think we might start a regular swap at the shop.  Of course, we'll have to figure out how to do it in a more organized fashion.  Cynthia and I used to play a game where we'd divvy up treasures scored at the bead show by putting everything in a pile in the middle of the table and then take turns picking out our favorites.  This way we each got something we wanted.  I think I might adapt this for the swap at the shop!

There's still a lot of challenges left in the month!  I hope you'll get a chance to participate in some of the challenges!  CLICK HERE for the entire calendar.

English Rose Giveaway...

I just announced the launch of our English Rose Porcelain Pendant and to celebrate, we're having a little giveaway!  Stop by our Facebook page to find out how you can win!  CLICK HERE to visit the Allegory Gallery Facebook page (and "like" us while you're there if you haven't already).  Good luck!

English Rose Porcelain Pendant...

It's here!  I've listed the new English Rose Porcelain Pendant!  I recently posted a sneak peek of them before they were fired and in the greenware phase.  CLICK HERE to see that post and hear more about the inspiration behind the design.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  For this particular design, I used a dusty rose colored glaze.  I sort of wanted to reference both houses, like the Tudor rose that blends both the White Rose and the Red Rose.

If you're interested in finding out more and even purchasing them, CLICK HERE.

Extended...

We've extended the Candice Wakumoto trunk show at Allegory Gallery.  It'll run through October 14th.  We wanted everyone who comes into town for Fort Ligonier Days (October 11th, 12th & 13th) to have the opportunity to see the work!

So if you haven't had a chance to make it out to the shop, drop by before the show is over!

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 3...

The prompt for Day 3 in the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge was to "mix it up and rock one of our seed bead mixes in a stunning jewelry piece!"  I opted for the Sunrise Round Japanese Seed Bead Mix.  I've been really inspired by the autumnal colors lately and I love the warmth of this mix.  It has pink tones blended in, which makes the name apt; it reminds me of some of amazing sunrises and sunsets we've been having!

One of my favorite techniques to showcase mixes is to create a simple even-count peyote stitch bracelet.  The nice thing about this design is that it's totally random and really spotlights the color combinations.  (Also, with size 8 seed beads, this bracelet works up relatively quickly!)

The challenge has just started and there's still plenty of time to play along.  I love how this challenge really stretches my creative muscles.  I highly encourage you to play along.  CLICK HERE for the entire calendar.

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 2...

The prompt for Day 2 in the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge was to, "stack up the fun and create a lovely piece of arm candy using memory wire!"  I used faceted ruby jade rondelles and brass rounds in this memory wire bracelet.  I wanted to create something that had a luxurious and opulent feel.  I wanted to go with a warm color palette.  Once I finished stringing the bracelet, I added some wire-wrapped dangles.

This is the second day in the challenge.  There's still plenty of time participate!  You can play along all month long or pick the days you like.  CLICK HERE for the full calendar.

A Treat...

On my birthday, I went for a walk in the bog.  I was fortunate enough to get there before the cranberries were picked clean.  I loaded up the pockets of my hoodie with wild giant cranberries.  It turns out that two pocketfuls equals one cup.

I decided to make some cranberry sauce with them.  I dissolved 1/4 cup of brown sugar into 1 cup of water in a non-reactive sauce pan.  I brought the sugar water to a boil and added the cleaned cranberries.  I boiled them for ten minutes.  They should burst and all of them (whether they're pale in color or crimson red) should take on a nice, uniform ruby color.  I turned off the heat and added one tablespoon of lemon juice.  (Fresh lime juice adds a wonderfully floral note to the sauce.  Orange juice can also be added for a more traditional combination.  I have also added a splash of vanilla extract at this point to round out the tartness in other variations of this recipe.)  While it was still hot, I added the mixture to a jelly jar.  Once it cooled, it thickened.

Once I had the sauce, I had to figure out what to do with it.  So, I made a coconut pound cake.  I used rice flour in lieu of regular flour.  It was sweet and the coconut was nutty and was the perfect vehicle for the cranberry sauce.  What a wonderful autumn treat!

Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge: Day 1...

The first prompt in the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge was to "make a perfect pair of earrings inspired by a color idea"!  Fusion Beads has a gallery of different color ideas that you can see by CLICKING HERE.  I love the Summer Sun palette.  It's so vibrant and warm!  It's bursting with oranges, yellows, and reds.  To me, those colors mean fall.  I went out for a walk the other day and came across a cinnamon fern that fit this color palette to a "T".  Below is a close-up of one of the fiery fronds:

Whenever I begin a new body of work, I build a new color wheel.  Our color sensibilities change and grow.  Color is a living thing.  Making a new color wheel allows me to understand myself a little more and makes the colors mean something to me.  The colors I use become personalized and "anchored".

So, for this challenge, I did it in reverse.  I took an existing color palette (Summer Sun) and I matched it something I have recently seen (the cinnamon ferns in the bog).  I used this image to inspire the earrings and hopefully give them something a little extra.

Here are the earrings that I made.  I used Swarovski crystals and balled copper headpins.  I embellished small lengths of chain with the wire-wrapped dangles and hung those from circular earwires.  They're bright, sparkly and lots of fun!  When they're laid out on the table, the way the dangles fan out reminds me a lot of the ferns.

Today is the first day of the challenge!  I encourage all of you to play along!  You can do the entire month or pick and choose the challenges that strike your fancy.  For the full calendar, CLICK HERE.

Jackpot...

A woman came into the shop the other day.  I vaguely recognized her, but wasn't exactly sure who it was.  We got to chatting and it turns out that her husband runs a watch and antique clocks repair shop in town.  I told her that I'm always looking for pieces to add to my mixed media jewelry.

Not long after she left, she came back!  This time she came with gifts! Aren't all these old watch parts and clock gears the coolest?  I just love them and can't wait to make something with them.

Beaded Links...

About.com Jewelry Making
Remember your summer vacation by combining elements from the beach in this new necklace project.

Art Bead Scene
Check out this funky, free project from Gaea, using tons of beautiful art beads!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Take a look at what some of the members of the Inspired by Reading book club made for the September selection, "Dogeaters" by Jessica Hagedorn.

Resin Crafts Blog
A craftastrophy in mold-making turns into a super bangle project after a day of experimentation.

A Bead A Day
Have you thought about or begun making holiday gift projects?  Lisa's sharing her sparkly inspiration for gift giving this year.

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews the marvelously innovative book, "Explorations in Beadweaving" by Kelly Angeley.  Get ready to get your socks knocked off!

Beading Arts
Time to add some bead embroidered motifs to Cyndi's new necklace, using African Helix, Chevron, RAW, and St. Petersburg Chain as the inspiration!

Glimpse...

I'm trying to make more of an effort to block out time for production.  Nowadays, I'm so swept up with everything else that there's little time to sit down at the bench and really crank things out.

I did manage to make some time to carve out a new design and press out a few pendants in porcelain.  I still have to tool them and smooth out some of the edges with a wet rag.  It's also a good time to check for quality control.  Then they're bound for the kiln and if all goes well in there, I'll be glazing, firing again and tumbling them in sort order.

We have been really enjoying the new Starz Original Miniseries Event, The White Queen.  They're based on the books by Philippa Gregory and takes place during the War of the Roses.  It follows Elizabeth Woodville's ascension to the English throne and the perils that lie in the much coveted position.  One of the symbols that appears frequently is a stylized rose.  Depending on the color, it represents the various warring houses.  I made my own version of it and hope that people have fun with it.  Hopefully the pendants will be available for purchase in the Shop and online soon!

Jeff Surgent at Allegory Gallery...

There's only a few days left to see Jeff Surgent's photographs from his latest art exhibition at Allegory Gallery!  His show closes October 3rd!  Some of the pieces are still available for purchase.  CLICK HERE to check them out and learn more about them.  You can save 15% off his photographs (until the close of the show) with the coupon code "LASTCHANCESALE".

"Microcosmic Reflections" is the next show at Allegory Gallery and will feature the work of Nick Conti.  He'll be showing his digitally-manipulated abstract photographs.  The show opens Saturday, October 5th with a reception from 5PM to 8PM.

A Gift...

I was surprised to see a package waiting for me at the shop from my brother.  In it was a lovely birthday present.  Dwayne sent this open-winged cicada pendant that he made.  The wings look like a tribal filigree and would be perfect for dangling glittering gemstones from them.  Believe it or not, it's shibuichi!  Shibuichi is a copper and silver alloy and is usually cherry red, nutty brown, steely gray or even a rich  peach color.  Dwayne's finish is a warm silver with touches of iridescence.  There are flashes of beetle-shell green, bubblegum pink, and blushes of cool violet.  I'm a lucky duck to receive such a nice gift.  I am really blown away by his progress in metals and look forward to see what he makes next!

Just For Myself...

I had the day off for my birthday, so I decided to take advantage of the area's natural beauty and go for a hike.  I try to make it out to the Spruce Flats Bog at least once a year and hadn't had a chance to go out yet.  So, I packed my galoshes and drove up to Forbes State Forest.

I love this spot.  You walk along a trail flanked by deep woods and then... all of a sudden... the horizon opens up and there's a dock that goes out into a clearing of topaz-colored grasses, dotted with crimson islands.  The "islands" are actually clusters of carnivorous pitcher plants.  They were planted over fifty years ago by the botanical society that I belong to.  They thrive in a place where little else does.

While I was there enjoying the quiet, taking pictures and brushing up on my plant identifications, I picked some giant cranberries.  I was lucky that there were some left.  Usually the bog gets picked clean this time of year.

When I got back to the car, it was still light out and I wasn't ready to go home yet.  I stopped at the old Airglow Observatory.  I read somewhere that it was built in the 1960's to study upper atmospheric gases and now is used from time to time by astronomy students at the University of Pittsburgh.  Right now it is a being used by honey bees.  They were pouring out of the walls.

I went down the road a piece and hiked out to Beams Rock.  At one time, water rushed through this area, carving the stone cliff and creating these rock formations that look like Chinese Scholar rocks.  There are deep fissures here that you can walk between and steep, 50 foot drops.  I was still wearing my rubber boots, so I made sure to be extra careful.  Some of the "paths" are overgrown with rhododendron roots and the footings here can sometimes be precarious with loosely attached moss.  It's worth it though.  This place feels very old and I could feel a shiver run down my spine as I stood in the shadows of this great, natural monument.

I don't often get much time to myself.  Even when I'm home, there's the cell phone or the computer and it's hard to get away from the connectivity.  It was such a pleasure to go out on these little excursions on my birthday to reflect not only on my own life, but on the world and its beauty.  It was good to have these moments just for myself.

Inspired by Reading September Blog Hop...

Today is the Reveal for September's selection of the Inspired by Reading Book Club!  We read, "Dogeaters" by Jessica Hagedorn.  It was met with mixed reviews from the participants, but I enjoyed it.  I think what may have turned some people off of the book was how edgy and graphic it can be.  Also, there is a huge cast of characters to keep track of (some with the same names) and it doesn't flow in a chronological order.  It is also told through letters, newspaper clippings, flashbacks, and through snippets of gossip.  But I think those are some of the charms of the book.  It details the lives of those who might otherwise go silent, their stories a rumor that live in the memories of the back alleys and slums.  The book shares glimpses of the lives of the extremely wealthy and powerful and those who are on the opposite spectrum. Her narrators are a collection of imperfect anti-heroes struggling with societal rules and familial expectations.  It's not a book that you can just skim through.  In a single sentence, she can kill off a character, marry the widower, give them several children and then remarry them to someone else.  It reminds me of sitting under the table when my mom and her friends were "catching up" about their friends.  With Hagedorn's surrealist storytelling, she shows how very connected everyone is and paints an all too vivid picture of Philippines.

My birthday is today, so to celebrate, Laurel brought party decorations and games to play.  (Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to pin the tail on the donkey.)  Terri came all the way from Ohio to join in on the festivities.  William also came to celebrate.  Above is a picture that Laurel snapped with her new camera.

In keeping with the theme of the book, I made a few Filipino classics mentioned in the book.  I made chicken adobo and bibingka.  The bibingka served as my birthday cake.  Candice Wakumoto sent an assortment of Asian snacks from Hawaii.  Here's a picture of Connie bravely dipping some of the adobo.  They were all dubious of the dish (and its dark brown sauce) until they tried it.  CLICK HERE for the recipe.

I think everyone had a good time.  I know I did.  I really love the little group that we've formed.  Each person brings a new perspective to the table and it's always interesting to see what someone will take away from the books we read.  It's more than that though... we've become friends that genuinely care for one another and I look forward to our meetings every month!

And without further ado... here's the REVEAL:

This bracelet was made by Connie.  Isn't it cute!  She was inspired by the title of the book.  (The author talks about the title and more in this interview with Ameena Meer that appeared in BOMB.  CLICK HERE to see the interview.)  The little sparkly bead is supposed to symbolize Imelda Marcos' shoes, the gift is meant for my birthday, and the dog... well, the dog is dinner!

This amazing necklace was made by our newest member, Allison.  She created this Asian looking piece using wood, pearls, and cinnabar.  In this piece, she wanted to marry the tribal aspects found in the book and the more urban influences.  I think she created a really stunning piece!

Laurel created these amazing shoes!  Imelda Marcos is a character in the book, even though she is not specifically named.  One of the things that Imelda was most known for was her sprawling shoe collection.  For the Inspired by Reading Book Club, you don't have to just make jewelry!  You can make anything you want.  Laurel took up this challenge and glued on hundreds of rhinestones to her Dansko shoes.  They were really sparkly!

This is the necklace that I made.  I call it, "Pink and White for Pucha".  It is made of wire-wrapped pearls and a mother-of-pearl inlaid bead which just happened to come from the Philippines.  It was inspired by a sentence near the end of the book, so I won't give anything away for those who didn't get a chance to read it.  I wanted to make a variation of the traditional pearl necklace and I definitely wanted it to be very feminine and showy, like the character Pucha.

But wait... there's more!  The fun isn't over yet!  Take a look at what these Inspired by Reading Book Club members made with the "Dogeaters" in mind for this month's blog hop:

Jeanne Steck

Mary Harding

Mary K. McGraw

Andrew Thornton, Laurel Ross, Connie Parsons and Allison Smith

The next book for the book club is, "My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me" edited by Kate Bernheimer.  For this year's full list, CLICK HERE.  The list for next year will debut at artBliss outside of Washington D.C. this weekend!  The in-person meet up is scheduled for Tuesday, October 29th!  The next blog hop is Wednesday, October 30th!  If you're interested in keeping up with what we're doing, CLICK HERE to visit our Facebook group page.  We also have a Pinterest board with supplemental inspiration.  CLICK HERE to view that.

Babette...

I have two cats.  One is named Paulo and the other is named Babette.  They are brother and sister and I love them both very much.  Even though I love them equally, Babette is my constant companion.  (She's actually laying on my lap as I type this.)   Paulo, while affectionate, is more of William's little buddy... except from the hours of 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM, that's when Paulo unabashedly cuddles me and rubs his face on mine.

During the time that we have shared our home, Babette has taught me to seize the opportunity to play whenever possible, wash out the sink, and that doughnuts, coconut cookies and chicken fingers were made for sharing.

William's aunt gave him a book called, Angel Cats.  It's by Allen and Linda Anderson.  I haven't had a chance to read it all yet, but what I did read made me think of one of my own stories.  When I had skin cancer, the course of treatments was to surgically remove half a square foot of skin from my side.  I couldn't move my arm, because it would cause the skin to pull and the staples would send shooting bolts of pain throughout my body.  The newly tightened flesh made me feel like I was wearing a corset and it made it hard to breathe.  The worst though came at night when I tried to sleep.  I've always been someone who sleeps on their stomach with my arm under my pillow to prop it up under my head.  With the surgery, I was laying on my back and unable to sleep the way I normally used to.  I tried warm milk, chamomile tea, and melatonin, but nothing worked.  I eventually graduated to stronger sleep aids, but was rudely awakened when I would roll on my side in my sound sleep.  The only thing that would comfort me was Babette.  First, she'd check and see if I was breathing and kiss my nose.  Then she'd lay by my side and purr.  She did this every night.  The sound and subtle vibration were comforting and relaxed me enough to finally sleep.  I have since learned that cat purrs have been linked to accelerating the healing process.  She was taking care of me.

Babette is certainly an Angel Cat and I am lucky to have her (and her brother) in my life.

Beaded Links...

Art Bead Scene
Check out some beautiful  borosilicate glass lampwork beads and their corresponding color palettes with Brandi!

A Bead A Day
Do your jewelry projects ever take twists and turns during the creative process?  Stop by A Bead a Day to share your story.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew shares some upcoming classes at Allegory Gallery, including a Weekend Intensive taught by him and Lynne Suprock!

Resin Crafts Blog
The Lanvin inspired name plate necklace is easy to make with Resin Clay.

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean is a member of a group of designers for the great store and online presence, Baubles & Beads.  This week was the first reveal for the designers.  Stop by and see what Jean made, enter a giveaway, and scoop up a great coupon code good through the rest of September!  Yay!

Beading Arts
Cyndi is starting a new series on making bead embroidered necklaces.  Follow along and try one for yourself!

Microcosmic Reflections...

Mark your calendars for the next art exhibition at Allegory Gallery.  We'll be showing the work of Nick Conti.  The name of his show is, Microcosmic Reflections.  The show is composed of his digitally-manipulated photographs of his creative collaborator's glasswork.  It'll run from October 5th to December 5th.  The opening reception is Saturday, October 5th from 5PM to 8PM!  Stop by and check it out!

Candice Wakumoto Trunk Show at Allegory Gallery...

Allegory Gallery is pleased to announce a limited-time trunk show with Hawaii-based artist, Candice Wakumoto.  Candice is an award-winning and published jewelry artist. (She was most recently published in the beautiful, coffee-table book: Showcase 500 Art Necklaces.)  She creates unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that are simply amazing.  I think one of the things that makes Candice's work really special is that she loves beads and has been collecting them for over a decade; she travels the world to attend some of the most prestigious shows and has a unrivaled collection.  As a result, the statement pieces she makes incorporate finds that are extremely rare, like gemstones from mines that have been closed for years or from artisan bead makers who have retired or are no longer with us.  She also carves, casts and creates her own metal findings, charms, and components in bronze and sterling silver. Some of the focal pieces of her jewelry are made out of Precious Metal Clay, which is 99.9% pure silver with 24k gold accents.

The PMC process starts with a product that was originally created in Japan by Mitsubishi.  It's pure silver powder that has been mixed with an organic binder.  Working with it is kind of like working with porcelain or a ceramic clay body.  Once the piece is completely dry, it is fired in a kiln at 1650 F for over two hours.  During this time, the organic binder burns off and leaves only the metal.  At the high temperatures, the metal sinters (which basically means the metal particles fuse together) creating a solid piece of metal.  Candice has won several industry awards for her PMC creations, including the Saul Bell Design Award for her Asian-influenced hollow forms.

Even if you're not in the market for high-end artisan jewelry, you should definitely stop by to see the pieces.  They're really a visual treat AND this is one of the only places in the mainland USA that you can see such a large assembly of her work!

The trunk show is one week only!  Her pieces will be on display and available for purchase from September 24th to October 1st.  (Also, if you have your eye on one of the pieces that is currently featured in the shop, several of them will be returning to Hawaii at the end of the show!  So get it before it goes away!)

Learning Curves...

It's no big secret that I like to experiment with new techniques and materials.  Sometimes the results are better than expected and everything works out beautifully.  And... sometimes things don't go according to plan and things turn out... well... a hot mess.

This was my latest failed experiment.  I tried to alter the clay body for a cool raku effect, but I fired the kiln too hot and everything turned into scorched puddles.  Luckily I had the foresight to put down a kiln shelf and I'm fairly certain that the cleanup should be relatively easy.  I might have to replace my mandrels, but that's not too bad.

It's a shame that things didn't work out, but at least now I know.  And what's that they say... learning is half the battle?

Book Club Reminder...

I can't believe it!  There's just one week until the in-person meet-up at Allegory Gallery for the Inspired by Reading Book Club.  September's book is, "Dogeaters" by Jessica Hagedorn.  The meet-up is on Tuesday, September 24th from 6PM to 9PM.  I'll be cooking up all kinds of Filippino food!  The online blog hop is the following day on Wednesday, September 25th!  To keep up with what we're doing, join the Facebook group by CLICKING HERE.