i heart Dr. Seuss

New things this week (and there are many!):

1) I had brought a handful of new earrings to the market this weekend and sold enough of them to convince me that I should make more. They're an adorable plant design and I've created them in lots of different colors. The base is a nice french vanilla, there's a sterling silver base to the plant, and then the flowers/tops are a mix of color. I love making them and think they will likely be a dependable product for the long-run. There is a quality to them that makes me think they won't be going out of style anytime soon. Plus I'm obsessed with this botanical collection and am unable to stop making them! They're so Dr. Seuss-esque!

2) For every bad day there is at least one good day; and today was a goodie! My dremel was totally on its best behavior (probably trying to make up for nearly killing me last time). I got through about 30 holes with a single drillbit - much more than usual! And not only that, but all of the holes were sufficiently centered in their respective pieces - no mess-ups! I've also found that it helps to hold down the piece you're drilling more firmly than seems necessary. The drilling seems to go more quickly when it's under pressure.

3) My lovely, thoughtful, generous grandmother ordered some pieces from me as gifts to some nurses/techs who had recently cared for her. She is in love with these four ladies and is always talking about them, which is sweet in its own right. Below is a picture of the girls wearing their new jewels - I love seeing my glasswork on new people! Plus, glass doesn't like to be cooped up in the house - it really needs to be taken on daily walks and exercised regularly. Just because that necklace isn't going to bark or whine when it's hungry or bored doesn't mean it doesn't need attention. Trust me on this.

[I hope you wear your jewels often, ladies! Thanks for sending the pic! Love it!]

4) I looked up a tutorial on how to make a lightbox. I've been having trying times with taking macro photos lately so I gave the lightbox a shot. For only $5 you can build one yourself. I really haven't used it too much yet -- I'll have to play around with it, but at least the background looks good. Previously I'd just laid the pieces on a cloth, so you could see the cloth's texture which looked really bad.

5) I found a really delish banana nectar drink by the brand 'Looza'... which sounds a lot like Arnold Schwarzenegger saying 'loser', in my mind.

Here's hoping for some gorgeous weather for the market this weekend!