A digression before bed

So every time I open my image edit program, my computer starts popping warning messages saying that my start up disk is full. Meaning that until I come up with an external hard drive, I probably won't be taking, uploading, editing, saving, or posting pictures... oops.

BUT. I had this one already lying around on my desktop. A piece STILL ON DISPLAY at Sparkle Plenty (Quirk Gallery [Richmond {VA.}.].) Till 12/26/09.

It's a brooch that has it's own wall display/holder. Take off the window bars, wear it as a pocket protector (it is fairly sharp after all,) put it back on the brick wall at the end of the night. You know, when the bad guys start coming out. Luckily, this window has been in a friendly place long enough for a happy little vine to make a home. But I digress.

I mean to say that this month has gotten away from me, and I shall return anew (like the year) in 2010. If not before. I do have some exciting commissioned rings to show off soon!

Last week to ship in time for Christmas!

Just a friendly reminder that if you have your eye on a piece of jewelry from my shop, you have to order by THURSDAY 12/17 to have any hope of it getting there before Christmas! I'll even gift wrap it for you and write a little "merry christmas" note with your name!

Xela-made jewelry finally online!

Found this online today!

These are some of the earrings I designed and taught to women in Guatemala, back in the summer of 2008. Alternatives, a fair-trade store in Richmond, Virginia, now has a website with some of their most popular and socially-beneficial gifts, and a lot of the jewelry my girls made is on there. Lupe and Ben, the founders of the Highland Support Project, own AlterNatives and use it as a marketplace for many of the traditional crafts of the indigenous Guatemalans they've dedicated their lives to helping. Spread the word, support the cause!

New Jewelry

Just in time for Christmas! These newer, smaller, more affordable birdies are ready to ship!

Check them out at my Etsy shop.

Also, as always, I would be happy to make a custom item or size- all you have to do is send me a message! *** caities@hotmail.com ***

Garbage Man Astronaut

My bff/former roommate Matt Williams just moved into the Everett Station Lofts (click for wikipedia entry) in Portland, Oregon. He is in the applied craft graduate program at the Oregon College of Art and Craft, a new program offering a cross-disciplinary approach to craft and material studies that seems like the answer to many of my frustrations with graduate school. Anyway, he and jason lee starin moved into this loft, which has a street front gallery below, and living quarters above, and have opened the space to the public with the moniker Garbage Man Astronaut Project Space. (Click for the BLOG.) If you are ever around Portland, go there! Through December, they'll be having a holiday sale of their and their friend's work (mine included!) Help me and these kids make money, get gifts for your friends and family, support the Portland art scene.

Entrance.
Building.
Gallery under construction. (handmade light fixture!)

Sparkle Plenty

About a week ago Sparkle Plenty 5 opened at Quirk in Richmond, Va. This invitational show included some of my work, and I was able to attend the opening right after I moved to North Carolina. I actually used the event as an excuse to unload a storage space I've had in that town for almost 2 years. If you ever feel a need to be reminded how special your possessions are (or extraneous) lock them up in storage and live out of a suitcase for 2 years. Then, when you come back, unpacking those boxes will be like unearthing treasure! (or you will find yourself loaded down with all the garbage from which you freed yourself 2 years ago... [nothing's ever easy, is it.])

This was the majority of my display. My current body of work is inspired by Guatemala, and my sketchbook/diary from my 4 months there was displayed with my jewelry.

My pigeons were also hangin' out.
This is the nice, clean, open space the show occupied. It was interesting to see how the mixture of work spoke to each other, and to see such a broad display of work from each exhibitor. I was also incredibly honored to have shared the space with fellow jewelers such as Amy Tavern, Joanna Gollberg, Biba Schutz, Sharon Massey, Sandra Enterline, Blanka Sperkova, Lori Talcott, and Marlene True.

Alive and well in North Carolina

Trust me, the only thing keeping me from shoving pictures all over this blog is lack of convenient internet connection.

Some things that have happened lately:

Hugh and I bought a used minivan.

We got hitched at the court house.

We quit our jobs.

Packed up the cats, my studio and our clothes, loaded them into said minivan.

Drove 2,045 miles. insert flat tire.

4 days after leaving Montana, arrived in Asheville NC. Promptly got lost.

Amy Tavern gave me directions to my apartment.

Joanna Gollberg brought me an air mattress and cake.

Hugh and I lived in an unfurnished apartment with 2 cats, my jewelry tools, and an air mattress for a week.

After enough days of that we drove to Williamsburg, VA to the inlaws.

Pre-opening at Quirk in Richmond VA

First friday opening for Sparkle Plenty at Quirk. Talked to everyone, drank wine, loved art, exhausted myself.

Next day rented UHaul truck, emptied the storage space I'd had since before I went to Guatemala in April '08.

Visited with parents for first time as husband and wife.

Drove Uhaul to Asheville. unloaded. collapsed.

Got job at local florist's.

can I get a "you go girl!" ?