We are at an in between place at our house. Our kids aren’t little anymore, but they aren’t old enough to go out by themselves. So I had an idea and I made them a deal. If I get a bunch of candy, the kinds they really like, would they want to stay home and have a movie night? They said yes right away. They told me that they don’t always like the candy they get when they go ‘trick or treating’. I’m really glad it wasn’t a struggle. I didn’t want to walk all over the neighborhood with giant kids in costumes. I’ll certainly support them going to parties as they get older but I was really done with the door to door thing. My husband got the movie “Alien”. I wonder how it will go over with this crowd.
Tomorrow they go to school in costumes. They are coming up with something themselves. I told them they were old enough to make up a costume now and I wasn’t going to buy a big fancy outfit. My son is going as a cliche, he is calling himself “the flying dog that ate my homework”. OH, I can’t wait to see that one! My daughter’s is still a mystery. She turned 14 last weekend and I can see her being undecided about going in looking cool and cute, or mean and scary. I’ve thrown a lot of ideas out there for her and she didn’t like any of them. I’ll take pictures tomorrow morning and post one as soon as they leave.
On the creative front:
My son made a little 5 x 5 inch project for his Spanish class to commemorate the “Dias de los Muertos”. We went to a really fun exhibit and play day at the Oakland Museum which has one every year at this time. I think this is one of the best class projects he’s done. I really like it.
I have been doing some planning, writing down a schedule of my commitments and projects so I can keep on track and not get overwhelmed.
Also, I finished these two hammered bracelets yesterday. I am still working on this idea. I got another idea too so I am going to make another one when I get the chance.
The first one is pretty simple half hard sterling wire bent up and down in an undulating pattern. I shape it flat first so then I can go in with my hammer and texture it from end to end. Then I shape it into a bracelet shape with my pliers. The spiral ends are the clasp and they fit together one over the other. I work with the wire until the clasp is easy to close and open and doesn’t get caught up when you want to open it.
It has a second piece of wire that I wrap in place to hold the bracelet firmly and so it won’t unbend. It doesn’t really need this piece of wire, but I like to add the beads and so then it is a good place to anchor the wired beads and it keeps it all balanced.
The second bracelet started out like this when it was flat, before I textured it with the hammer.
After I hammered and tweaked it a little it turned out like this.
Spirally huh? They both fit a little loosely and measure 8 1/2 inches end to end.
Then I put together these earrings today while I was down in my studio working. It was an idea I had a while back, so it was OUT and I put the finishing touches on them. Then I wore them around for a few hours and they felt good.
What are you working on?
