What I've Been Working On

This summer has kept me much busier than usual as far as orders go, and I love it!  In between making hoops I never thought would be so popular, and screen printing my favorite tank by the box full, I've had a few breaks here and there to work on some new items...

Find the items here (from the top):  Triangle Studs, Saint Rings, Set of 3 Stacking Rings, Bonjour Y'all Tank, Circular Open Hoops, Etched Cuff Bracelet, Gemstone Stud Earrings

I have so many ideas for new screen designs for totes and tops, and I want to make new gemstone stud earrings, as well as photograph the gemstone stacking rings I've made, but unless days become 30 hours instead of 24, it may be a while yet...

Do you have any projects going on at the moment?

what i've been working on...

the word of the day is: earrings.  i've been making earrings like nobody's business lately, and i love that the stud earrings i've been making for my shop allow me to use such a wide variety of stones.  the newest earrings include pyrite, black quartz, and chrysocolla.  and aside from that i've been working on watercolor portraits and a 2013 calendar for my art shop!

maybe the biggest and most exciting bit of news (for me at least) is that two of my prints were featured on design*sponge on monday!  AAAHHHHH!!!!!  so that's about it ;)  what have you been working on?  or do you have plans to start on a special project soon?  i always love to know what other people are working on or have made!

also, don't forget to enter the TUMBLEWEEDS SUNGLASSES GIVEAWAY because a winner will be chosen on monday!  and second, be sure to sign up for the SOUTHERN BLOGGER MIXER happening on october 20th in chattanooga, tn, because i'd love to meet you!

what i've been working on...

on monday morning i told myself  "you are not allowed to come out of this room until you have multiple new pieces of jewelry completed and ready to photograph."  sometimes i'm so bossy.  but the good news is, after a lot of work, sore hands and arms, and a hammered finger or two, i finally got some new things made for my shop!

i also have two more necklaces, but wouldn't you know that my camera battery died on me with only about 60 seconds of warning?  so my next goal is to remember to take those pictures (but since i have several paintings to work on, it may be a while)!

i always hate when i go for so long without blogging, but chris was nice enough to infect me with whatever summer cold type thing he had.  i felt awful on friday night, so-so on saturday, pretty good on sunday, and terrible on monday afternoon and tuesday.  it's weird how these things can be bad one day and barely there the next.  but hopefully i've just about kicked it!

so how have you been, and have you been working on anything new lately?

what i've been working on...

i took a little time off from making anything new because i started to feel kind of burnt out on metal and stones and jewelry entirely, but i feel reinvigorated and have fresh new ideas i want to bring to life!  here's what i've been working on the last few weeks...

since these earrings have really caught on and are currently the most popular item in my shop, i've also used the same idea to make that heart bracelet as well as a ring i still need to get photographed.  i've decided that pyrite is my new favorite stone to work with, so be on the lookout for more of it!

what have you been working on lately?

what i've been working on...

guys, i have to confess something: i have been a necklace-making maniac like i've never been before. i love times like these when i seem to just have a never-ending supply of ideas because i feel so productive when i can make so much! i actually have so many pictures that i decided to split this into two posts so as not to overwhelm you with new necklaces! hopefully this weekend i'll have these added to my shop...

lately i've been using less metal and chain and gravitating more towards pretty stones and beads, and some leather i've had for a few years but never got around to using. this large piece of pink marble is one of my current favorites!

i've also brought some bright and pretty vintage fabric out of my supplies storage closet and worked that into a few necklaces. this makes me even more anxious for summer!

i've even been so crazy about making completely new necklaces lately that i've even enjoyed forming and hammering out the clasps, and that's usually something i find tedious and boring! what have you been working on lately? do you have any pictures of your projects posted?

this has nothing to do with jewelry, but first, a bear had a snack of suet from one of our bird feeders in our front yard last night, and i'm really hoping that if i spend enough time by the window i'll see it come back! i know, no one wants bears around, but i think they're absolutely beautiful and a welcomed sight. next, chris and i tried a new place for lunch today (the blue marlin) with fresh seafood priced only a little higher than fast food heart attacks, and i think i have a new favorite place. actually, my stomach is growling just thinking about it...

what i've been working on...

well, to be honest, i haven't been working on making as many new things as i'd like, and i attribute that to rubbing kona's belly too much, eating too many cheez-its when i'm not really hungry, and having dance-offs with flojo (which i've still not won). i kid, partially. i have been busy with jewelry, but since about half of what i keep in my shop is made to order, sometimes that's more a priority than thinking up new designs. but i do have three new things to share with you though!

since the natural stone and brass arch necklaces have been so popular, i decided to do a variation on the original design by putting the arch to the side, and then keeping it below, but making it squared. i have several other stones i'm going to use for similar designs, and i can't wait to get those made because the stones (which include calcite and marble) are so beautiful!

the earrings weren't made to go on my website - although i may decide to add them soon - but instead for an amazing giveaway including three other great items on beca's blog (and she's giving away a pair of tumbleweeds sunnies)! i you haven't entered, be sure to do it because the winner will definitely not be disappointed!

two more things that are completely unrelated but you might want to know: last night i made boerenkool for dinner, and i think we have a new regular for mealtime rotation! second, i'm just about to finish up my first week of fat-free milk consumption, and i won't lie, this hasn't been easy.

so what have you been working on, and are you a fat-free milk drinker?

what i've been working on...

lately i've been trying something a little different, and if you know me, that's almost as serious as going without air, pizza, or worse, flojo kisses. but, i'm not so set in my ways that i can't admit change is sometimes okay. although i had plans to do more this weekend, i ended up staying at home in pajamas because i just felt so inspired to make jewelry! i also completed the new look of dinosaurtoes.com, so hopefully i'll have new jewelry and the whole new look uploaded this evening!

in other news, today's a rainy day which kind of makes me want to forget about the dishes in my sink, the pile of clothes in my bedroom floor, and the stack of random things on the counter by the fridge, and just watch TV under a warm blanket. it just might happen

what have you been working on lately? have you been feeling inspired to work on new projects?

GIVEAWAY TIME!

like i told you yesterday, i've been planning to announce a little giveaway today. it's nothing fancy, but just something to say thanks for continuing to read my blog, for leaving me comments that i always enjoy reading, and for supporting dinosaur toes! the bracelet that will soon be on its way to the winner is made from white howlite rounds, square peridot beads, brown shell slices, and a few little brass heishi beads. i also have a few other little surprises to throw in! find out how to enter below...

to enter this giveaway, you MUST leave a comment WITH your email address telling me something about you.

for additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each):
tweet: i want to win this @dinosaurtoes bracelet! http://bit.ly/xq4jgg
mention this giveaway on your blog, and leave me a link to it.

what i've been working on...

in addition to painting my fingernails, trying to convince chris that he'll like brussel sprouts, and working on my endurance (so i can kick at least a few butts in a spetember marathon - yes, i know that's a long ways away), i've been making a few pieces of jewelry. every year since i've been selling online has been slow from about a week before christmas until the middle of january, so i feel like now i can take a little break and work on jewelry when i want rather than round the clock. here are a few pieces of jewelry i've been working on for my shop...

i hope you had a fun new year's eve and started your new year off well! i started my new year off the way any significant occasion should be welcomed or celebrated - WITH FOOD! honestly, i think about it sometimes, and if i ate less (and i could certainly stand to do it) but kept running the same amount, i'd basically be invisible if i turned sideways. but i just can't give up my food. not gonna happen. i'm not sure how i went from talking about jewelry to talking about food, but before i start telling you about my love for orange cinnamon rolls and bacon, i will bid you adieu.

what i've been working on...

two words, or maybe one if you choose to hyphenate it - take your pick: GOLD DIPPED. i've been hard at work this morning and early afternoon working on a little idea i've had in my head for a while now. i wasn't exactly sure about the execution, or even materials, but i've been daydreaming of gold dipped goodness...

i've got a few more ideas in the works for gold dipping, and i'm also going to make some of the hoops in sterling silver since i know not everyone is as big a fan of gold. and while i'm listing these gold dipped howlite and quartz pieces to my shop (later this evening), i've got some more waiting on me; i thought the way they were hung, with a little tweaking, could make a neat mobile...

so that's what i've got for now. what have you been working on lately? if you have a shop, have you been busy making things for the holiday shopping rush?

did someone say free?!

i don't know about you, but i love a good freebie! i had originally planned to do an outfit post today, but because i've got a stack of work that really needs to be finished today, i thought i'd just do a quick post to let you know about a fun holiday deal i've got on my website!

from now until christmas, all orders of $75 or more will receive a FREE pair of hammered brass quartz hoops! i figured this would accomplish two important things at once - 1. encourage people to get out of the mall and support local and handmade businesses this holiday season, and 2. thank all of the wonderful customers who buy from dinosaur toes!

i wish i could stay and chat longer, but adulthood, jobs, and responsibilities are calling, so i better get back to work. i hope you have a good monday!

Dinosaur Toes and Lost Cabin Vintage for RHCCF

I'm so excited the time has finally come for Toni and I to unveil the collaboration we've been working on for the last couple weeks! Toni and I have each created a handmade item exclusively for this auction, with 100% of the proceeds going to The Rachael Horton Compassionate Care Fund.

On April 8th, 2010, Rachael Horton, along with her husband Aaron, was killed in a devastating apartment fire; on that day, animals and pets lost a dear and devoted friend. Before her passing, Rachael would use money from her own paycheck to provide treatments to animals when their owners weren't able to afford it. The Rachael Horton Compassionate Care Fund was set up in Rachael's memory to honor her dream of having no pet turned away from life-saving treatments, or face euthanasia, due to an owner's inability to pay the vet's bill. Through generous donations and local events, animals that may have been euthanized have instead been treated, just as Rachael would have wanted!

Toni, from Lost Cabin Vintage, has created the "Apple Isle," a beautiful and unique hand-dyed vintage slipdress, especially for this auction. Fits sizes Small, Medium and Large.

The Dinosaur Toes necklace I've made for this auction is a hammered brass horseshoe with a chalcedony stone spike. The pendant is attached to a section of polished brass chain and is 28" long.

To place a bid on this fun handmade combination as a gift to yourself, or for someone else this holiday season, just fill in your name and email address in the form below, and your bid amount in the messages box. Names and email addresses will be kept confidential, and you can keep track of the current bid amount here, as well as Toni's blog! Also, to help spread the word, we'd be so grateful if you'd blog, tweet, or facebook about this auction! Bidding for this auction will end on December 10, and your package will be shipped via Priority Mail no matter where you are in the world, that way you can get in time to give for Christmas!

foxyform.com

what i've been working on...

i haven't been working on jewelry as much this week as i did last week, but i blame that on my memory; i'll have so many great ideas while i'm not around my supplies (and yes, i have tried writing them down, but my scribblings mean nothing once i'm sitting there amongst my metal, hammer, and stones), but by the time i get a chance to work on anything jewelry-related, the ideas are long gone. it's so frustrating. but i have made a few things to add to my shop...

top to bottom: a colorful and glam twist on the basic hammered cuff (shown with peridot, iolite, labradorite, citrine and peridot), ruby zoisite in a hammered brass ring, hammered brass earrings with pyrite and labradorite, black quartz and brass bracelet.

also, i'm not going into annoying blogger shameless self-promotion mode, BUT since this is a post about jewelry that is or will be going on my website, i just thought i'd throw it out as a reminder: until november 18th, 15% of sales from my website will be donated to the rachael horton compassionate care fund (you can read that post here).

i've also been working on my appetite. i kid, that never goes away and doesn't require any work, only food! yesterday and today for lunch i made myself a bacon, mozzarella (the real kind, not the fake shredded crap from the bag), tomato and basil pita. i'm actually getting hungry again just talking about it! and seriously, what can't be made better with fresh basil? nothing!

what i've been working on.

coming off of such a great weekend, it's kind of hard getting back into the regular monday routine, but one thing that keeps me from getting started on the boring work is blogging! i have so many things i want to share, but it's just a matter of making myself blog. i want to get better about it though, and that's why one thing on my to-do list for today is taking pictures for posts! in the meantime, i'll share a few pieces of jewelry i've been working on for my shop...

i always have new jewelry to add to my website, it's just a matter of taking the time to update that i'm bad about. last week though, i was on top of things! i listed 12 new necklaces and one pair of earrings, and i even have a few other things that i plan to add later this week! the mr. t saying comes to mind right about now, "i love it when a plan comes together."

in addition to adding new jewelry, i also gave the homepage a little bit of a new look. i think i like the way the image turned out, and i have my amazing husband to thank for that since he's the one who found that deer skull complete with antlers for me during one of his walks through the woods!

aside from jewelry making i... celebrated an anniversary with chris, got together with some great friends, saw some family, ate way too much, ate way too much again, discovered some new favorite edibles, bought some books, and did so much walking i actually can't walk right now. whew!

how was your weekend?