...and we're back...

What a great vacation. Much relaxation, no pressing responsibilities, and an endless supply of nothingness.

Rusty spent a lot of time doing this...


and this...


and a little of this...

Oops, that was a cattle type animal doing what he does. But Rusty did that, too.

I spent a fair amount of time cooking our meals, chasing after the Rusta Bibble, playing various guitar hero's with Suzanne (our band !+*=AAA rocked so hard!), and we watched the whole first season of Rock of Love (yeah, that's right, Rock of Love.)

Some other highlights included a wonderful tour of our immediate part of the ocean with Suzanne in a small blow up kayak that needed constant bailing (we should have brought a cup)...

We visited the Point Prim Lighthouse and got eaten by mosquitoes so bad that I had to do the slappy shakey run back to the car.

We drove around the southeastern most part of the island and stopped at a winery...the vineyard was beautiful, the wine we got left some taste to the imagination...sorry Rossignol.


and we got totally turned around, but not before we found this most gorgeous out of the way cliff.

...and a pic from the other side...


After the 13 hour drive home (we made great time) it was all worth the drive. Even though the weather didn't cooperate the whole two weeks, PEI is the most gorgeous place I have ever been and I am blessed to be able to go there each and every summer.

651 miles to go.

It's after 10pm on Thursday night, and I haven't even started packing. Looks like another year of the grab and pack for us. We'll be ready, we always are somehow.

So, as I procrastinate further, please enjoy some photos of last years 3 day trip up to close the cottage.

The cottage in all its glory.

Moooooo Cows.

Hay bales a plenty.

A drive by sunrise.

More cows...

Now, Kim....do you wonder why I love your paintings so much?

Its almost Island time.

We start the journey up to PEI on either Friday night or Saturday morning, we're still undecided. I have not even started to look through books I want to take or jewelry I want to work on, or even clothes I want to wear. Things somehow work out, as we make this trek every summer and somehow it all works out even if we have forgotten something. Enjoy our backyard!
Suzanne, Jape and Raven are spending the 2 weeks with us this year, as they did in '05 and '06. We will drive up together (in separate cars) with the dogs. This will be Rusty's first time up there, I think he will love the freedom, but I am afraid of him off-leash, so we will just have to feel it out and see how he does. Hopefully we will be able to let him run wild (with eagle-eye supervision) for at least a little while each day. I still haven't totally found out what the code word is to bring him back when he runs, but he has been responding to the whistle very well. So far he always comes to me when I make that whistle noise, but the tests are always in fenced in yards...so you never know.

Perry enjoying some water time in August 2002.

Perry loved the water but couldn't swim. He would just run like mad in the low tide, and during high tide he would hug the shore. I miss him so much! He loved the freedom he had up on the island, and I will never forget him.

Perry's long awaited services will be held sometime between July 13 - July 26th. His ashes will be scattered over the cliff and into the ocean when the tide is in. Hopefully not on a very windy day.

RIP my very good friend Perry 1/96-11/07 I love you!

Happy 4th of July!

How patriotic is this little figure?

Handmade by Vintage By Crystal check out her shop!

JP Artisan Fair

Tomorrow is Thursday...the first Thursday of July...and you know what that means?

It means JP First Thursdays of course.



Please check out the website for all the info on the art and festivities up and down Center/South street.

I will be exhibiting along with my Etsy group BostonHandmade, we will be set up on the lawn of The Curtis Hall Community Center (next to the library) in Jamaica Plain from about 5-8pm.

I hope to see you all there!

Updated my website...sort of.

I know it's late, but I am on vacation!

I have just been trying to update my website nancyrosetta.com to make it look good. I don't think I accomplished this very well. There is still much work to be done. I have gotten to a point where I just have to step back and look and ponder and wait until tomorrow. The colors are still not right. Ghaaaaa!!!! But I am starting to get a "look".

I also updated this blog a little. I guess it is time to put Perry to rest. I loved him so much, he was the greatest, most well behaved dog (at the end), it did take a long time to get him to that point. Maybe there is hope for Rusty afterall.

Please take a look and give me some crappy feedback on my website update. Keep in mind that it is not finished. The colors need to be corrected a bit and some lines are wonky. But I am up for a beating, so have at me!

Free Hugs in Ecuador

Who couldn't use a free hug?

A very successful BH Marketplace!

What a great time! I admit I was a bit nervous, but after the first 10 minutes of unloading the car, parking and starting to set up, things started to flow and I eventually calmed down. Thanks to my peeps for dealing with me. I love you all!

I was not imagining such an urban setting, "union square" screamed grass and big park to me (not ever seeing it before), that was not the case at all. It was such a downtownie feel. The regular pedestrian traffic even before the show started, was thick. It was very exciting, exhilarating even!

The afternoon started out with some wind, but it settled down enough for us to set up comfortably with no problems, and eventually the humidity took way to very cool temps. I wished that I had brought a sweater...there were so many things that I could have brought or done differently. I will take all the newfound knowledge and squirrel it away for the next big show.

My rings were definitely the big seller, in fact, I couldn't keep the ring display in order. Every time I fixed it up, someone came along and tried every ring on. It was a happy mess.

Earrings faired a bit better, but they were still not safe from the masses. People were taking them off the displays to hold them to their ears and not putting them back right. I know...I didn't expect them to. I sold the most earrings in one show there. A new record!

My Mom, Me and Suzanne, courtesy of my sister Kathy.

Kathy, Me and Suzanne, also courtesy of Kathy by way of Mom taking the photo.
Kathy got some great shots of all the exhibitors, you can view her picks on her flickr page. Thanks Kathy!


During lulls in the show were the only opportunities that I had to get out there and take some photos...here is one with a few people enjoying James Christensen


The Grown Up Noise also rocked the square, but I don't have a pic of them. Really cool band tho. I was happy. Everyone was happy. Great times!
Kathy really captured some great photos of all the exhibitors wares and also some great crowd shots. Please check out her photos!

City shows rock! Thats all I can say. I really appreciate being a part of this great conglomeration, and I can't wait for the next one! Go BH!!!

Ahhh the life.

The Toaster relaxing in the grass on an overcast day.



Rusty with one of his humans.

nancyrosetta artisan jewerly

Jewerly....yeah, jewerly. You read that right. I feel oddly, religiously pigeonholed now by a stupid misspelling. Not that there's anything wrong with that.



It should be a beautiful thing, but...well, I think I am a little more embarrassed by the spelling than I am happy to accept credit cards.




So there ya go! My imprint for credit card sales. Damn!
They will get a new plate out to me with the correct spelling, but sadly, not in time for my weekend show.

And just in case you thought that I would misspell jewelry, here is my packing slip with the imprint engraving that I ORDERED.



Glad I could give you all a chuckle. Now come buy something from me on Saturday, and you will have a keepsake misspelled credit card receipt, it could be worth something someday, right? Ya, right. Whatever.

4 Days until the Marketplace

I've been off the computer and trying to be productive the last few days. And I'm finally feeling ready for the Marketplace on Saturday. I have some new things and I have already been setting up some displays to make it easier for set up at the actual show, especially earring displays...they are very time consuming. We have only one hour to get our booths ready since there is a farmer's market ending right before we begin. Good reason to get there early, huh? Fresh fruit and veggies!

I am so excited for this show, not only because it is so well advertised and I am in it, but for the fact that I will be meeting other wonderful vendors and seeing all their most awesome handmade things! I'll probably be spending as much as I make. Some sellers who I am really excited to shop with are Elizabeth Brennick Designs, Mimi Kirschner, The Hole Thing, Muchacha K, Vintage By Crystal, Cozy Cottage Creations, Jessica Burko Designs, and Lucky Monkey There are so many others, too, I hope I don't go broke.

More Flowers

I made a bunch of these flower rings today.
They are pierced out of sterling silver sheet free form style! Then I soldered them to some half round wire for the shank part.
I love these rings. They sort of match the pendants I made last week.



And a skull ring!

I have been having the time of my life piercing out these little beauties. I think I found what I love to do. Sawing and soldering!

This is ridiculous

I saw the shortest snippet on the news tonight about these stiletto crib shoes for babies 0-6 months. I had to investigate, and I found the website heelarious, her first high heels . Sure they are funny looking, but *ahem* they are in extremely poor taste in my opinion.

I am not a mother, but if I had a child I would not treat it like a barbie doll.

Who buys these? The child is definitely not begging for them, hell, the child can't even stand let alone speak.

I would love to hear your thoughts, since after seeing these shoes, my mind has completely shut down.

Chik'n rediscovered

I love these!

I had a boca spicy chik'n sandwich for dinner and I have to say that this box will be gone in no time. Really, these substitutes have come a long way. The last time I tried a soy based chicken substitute I was gnawing on cardboard for crying out loud!


It's really hard for me to eat right, having a meat and potatoes husband, but since he is working the night shift, I have been experimenting with my meals. I may just fool him with this product. I went to the grocery store tonight and bought a bunch of veggies for stir fry and picked up these patties as an afterthought. When I got home, it was too much bother to cook, and since I had hamburger buns and some lettuce, I just cooked up a chik'n pattie and loved it! I want another, too bad for me that it's too late to eat.

They have a nice spice, and really have a great texture. I think I'm hooked.

Flower Pendants Start to Finish

I am in production mode, as you can see. I am getting ready for the Boston Handmade Marketplace show in Somerville.

I thought I would take some pictures of the process of piercing. Everyone likes start to finishes, right? These are freehand flowers as you can see from the first photo, I only drew an outline for where I want the stamens, the rest was left to chance.

First I make a divot where I am going to drill. I have also drilled out a hole for the bale. The first pendant does not have the petal holes drilled yet.

Then I use the smallest drill bit I have to drill the holes out.

I thread the saw blade through the hole and start piercing out the petal.

I keep removing the blade and re-inserting it into the next petal hole and pierce out the whole flower this way.

Then I get into the petals with needle files and smooth out all the edges and then sand them until all the tool marks are out and they are nice.

I coiled up some 14gauge 1/2 round wire on a 4.5mm mandrel and cut them just like jumprings with my jumpring cutter, and then soldered them closed in the holes I drilled out earlier.


Now I only have to string them onto a chain or cord.
I think I got pretty good at making them. I can see the progress if I really study the photos of them all together. I'll definitely be making more of these.

Heatwave!

I am seriously melting here.

It's the third day of 90+ with oppressive humidity and I am ready for autumn. It's not even officially summer yet! I like the heat alone, maybe I should move to the desert.

Yes, I am moving to the desert. I'll send you all a postcard.

I celebrated this official heatwave today with a manicure/pedicure. My hands and feet are happy, if nothing else.

What's wrong with our society?

Today, Scott and I went to do a little shopping.

We went to Kohl's (yes, we are old), got lost from each other and our cell phones didn't work in there. I spent a few minutes really irritated and ready to just check out, while I was waiting in line (with all the people!) Scott poked his head around a bend and I scooted out of line and was happy again. Please don't go shopping on the hottest day of the year, the people are crazy and sit Indian style in the middle of the walkways. We paid for our old folks clothes and headed for the parking lot.

As we crossed the lane into the parking lot, a swerving minivan got our attention. It was Cathy, our old neighbor (oh how I miss them!) with her oldest daughter. We chatted a bit, it was nice to see her.

We headed down to Dedham to DSW. Scott and I both separated again, I looked for sandals, Scott looked for tennis shoes. We caught up when we were ready and headed for the checkout. There were only two checkouts open. We stood in line (not for very long) and a woman just walked up right behind the person in front of me...and me and Scott. I thought she was with the person ahead of me since she stood there with such conviction.

Turned out that she just cut in front of us in line! I really still can't get over that completely blatant disrespecting behavior. Who raised her? Monkeys? I didn't know that she cut in front of us until we were called to a new register that had just opened. She was still doing a transaction and the person who we thought she was with was long gone.

Can you believe the nerve of some people? This was a WOMAN, not a kid. Am I in the last generation to have manners? Really!

I did end up getting a really cute pair of wedge sandals and some flip flops that are so comfortable.

The Toaster

Rock for Autism

Band Gig is rockin' the house for Autism on Sunday June 1st. Please show your support for the artists rockin' for the cause and my brother in law Nick. He is truly the busiest person I know aside from his wife Julie (my busy sister).
During this first concert, there will be an auction to benefit SNCARC featuring a whole slew of different items ready to bid upon.
I will be auctioning one of these pieces to benefit SNCarc, I made them today and I can't chose one, so Nick will have to.
This picture is of the front. They are two guitars one flying v and one les paul. Both made from sterling silver with copper accents.

And the backs

They are not polished yet, I have to leave something to the imagination...they will both be beautiful by the time they are needed, that's for sure!

I didn't do it.

Perry's old bed which Buster (Rusty Shackleford) has completely ignored, until last night.

I guess he wanted it gone.

Funny Face

What a mug.



Too bad he has no manners.
We got his adoption papers in the mail this week. If he is lucky we will sign them and send them back.

Tagged again

Kathy of wellerwishes tagged me for a funny, silly meme. Would have been funny if the book right next to me wasn't so depressing.

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.*
3. Find the fifth sentence.**
4. Post the next three sentences, so if my math is correct that’d be sentences six, seven and eight.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the blogger who tagged you.

Here are my answers...

Sentence 6:
And he was diagnosed with a tumor in his head, oh, about eight, nine months ago.

Sentence 7:
It's not malignant, doesn't cause him pain, but it causes certain disabilities.

Sentence 8:
And I would give anything, anything for this dog to live another two or three months.

Book:
Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin.

Mom gave me this book, I have only just started it, and now I fear I will cry when I get into it. Ghaaaa!

Ok, this was a bit depressing, perhaps someone can lighten it up if I tag them!

I tag...Rabbit, Meilan, Noodles, and Jeri

Some Buster goodness

We had a playdate over at Raven's house, but Raven didn't feel like playing rough, Jape did however...

What a cutie pie!

Time for some frogging.

Thirsty!

Buster says 'Hi'!

Spring!

Tulips growing right through a dense bush.

I think this says it all. We are sooooo ready for spring!

(Picture taken while waiting in the drive-thru line at the Dunkin Donuts on Route One in Westwood)

Boston Handmade Marketplace

Please join me in Union Square, Somerville on June 28th for some great handmade shopping and music and just some fun outdoor time in general.

Jessica of my wonderful team, Boston Handmade, has made a web page in honor of this most fabulous shopping event, BostonHandmade Market please check it out for directions and times.

It should be a great time, providing the weather cooperates. Yay!
Rain date, Sunday, June 29th.

Meowing kitties

Buster's stomach has been making so much noise, I am convinced that he has kittens in there. I never noticed him swallowing kittens alive, but I guess anything is possible.

I don't think he feels so good, he hasn't eaten any food today except for some scrambled eggs I made him. Also, he has been eating grass outside, I don't like that one bit.

Kittens are loud when they are stuck in a dogs stomach.

Family on Bikes Cycles the Pan-American Highway

In a short 4 weeks or so, my online friend and bead lover, Nancy Sathre-Vogel and her family will embark on another incredible adventure. This family who in 2006 traveled 9,300 miles across America on their bicycles will be traveling from Alaska to the tip of South America, a total of about 20,000 miles with an estimated timeline of 2 1/2 years. Nancy and John's twin boys Daryl and Davy are hoping to break the record of the youngest people to ever bike the pan-american highway.

How cute are Daryl and Davy?

Please check out The Vogel's website Family on Bikes.

I have been following the Vogel's story since just before their last adventure traveling across America and Mexico from June 06 - June 07. It was so much fun to check in on them in real time via their website. I will enjoy this new adventure the same way, I am sure.

Also, check out the Family on Bikes blog for real time updates of their trip.

I am really looking forward to reading about this trip! I wish them the best of luck!