I love the internet

Sometimes it's a load of crap, all the stuff I look at. I check out people.com pretty regularly. NOT FOR THE ARTICLES! Just for the pictures. Some celebrities dress really well.

Ahem. Now that I have admitted to that dirty little secret, we can move on.

Sometimes though, I come across some AMAZING stuff.
Like these.


Found these at http://isphotography.myshopify.com/
(how do I attach links?? I will figure this out one day)
And these

Which I saw on decor8. Which is another amazing blog that you should check out.
In fact I'm going to add it to my links on the left so you CAN!

WAIT!! I think I just figured out the link thing.
That was much easier than I expected.

Right on.

Anyway.
I've got a mad crush on those prints, they are by an artist named Oksana Badrak. I love pretty much everything about them. Look at the wall paper! Look at the stuffed heads!
I think I might need them.

Oh sigh.

Okay, off to work!
Happy Wednesday people.

Seriously?

Seriously.

These boots are not to be messed with.

getting back on track

This weekend was a super fast blur. I got back into the studio for a while which was great, finished up the Lace pieces I had started cutting out AGES ago, and cut up some more antler tips for the Antler Pendants I showed a few posts ago. I really like their simplicity, and I think that is something I am going to roll with for a while.
I had sort of lost some inspiration and wasn't too excited about what I had been working on. But I am starting to get my head wrapped around it again and I am going to focus on my business plan and branding for the next little while.
I need to really see where this is going.

So that is the plan for the next couple of weeks, get back on track and have a solid vision of the future.

Geesh.

Visions of the future minus zombies and aliens obviously.
(yes I watch too much Space channel)

In totally unrelated news, I have been slowly gathering images of one piece summer rompers for the last little while without really noticing.






Can't have a blog post without adding something totally unrelated and slightly obscure.
Come on now.

I am working up the gumption to either make one or find one for the summer. Why not?
Yeah, I can't think of a reason not to either.

summer blouses!

I have been a bad jeweller these past few weekends.
I have not been making jewellery.

I have been making summer blouses!
(I would capitalize that, but I want to keep you on your toes. Can't be throwing the capitals out there all the time)

Oh they are so fun and so cute! And I really don't want to make anything else right now.
Maybe summer dresses.

But this weekend I am going to be SO good and work mainly on jewellery. I've got some Lace to finish and a couple more Antler pendants that I want to whip up.
I'll have to buy some more chain soon, I am almost out.

And I have been taking the extra antler from my pendants and making BUTTONS!! Oh god, they are so flipping cute! I'll be putting those into the shop once I've got enough for an update. I've been pretty lax in the shop front for a while actually. Got to get back in there.

Anyway, here are some pictures to peruse.




I will take pictures of the first top that I did this week soon, I have to move some gathers around, but how cute is that fabric?? It's like a cute cosmic nurse top or something.
You'll see.
And I am SO in love with the navy blue top right now! Oh my! I finished it yesterday and wore it to work. It's the first pattern that I haven't had to alter to fit my body perfectly.
So obviously I'll have to make several in different colours and sleeve variations.

And I promise that this is the last I will post about my new nano (I'm just so excited). Yesterday I picked up headphones and a cover for it. I was freakishly paranoid about putting it in my pocket. I was sure that the screen would shatter as soon as I sat down. Nanos are really SMALL.
But now I feel fine about it and I am absurdly looking forward to my next ferry ride.
I know. I'm a weirdo.

Happy Saturday all!

Run to the hills

Run for your lives!

The nano is in my hands.
This one.



What's the first thing I played? And what is playing right now?


Yeah, that's right.

Iron Maiden.

I love the world right now.


I may never speak to anyone ever again. I dare you to try to pull this thing away from me.

100th post!

Oooh nelly!
I question whether this is something to get excited about or not, but dang it, I am excited anyway!
I have been INSPIRED in the studio this afternoon, I've got fabric in the dryer, getting ready to cut for a cute summer blouse.
Cute I tell you!
AND I was just hit with the lightening bolt of divine inspiration.
I have SO many antlers in my home. So many.
I have got my cross sections for my Antler Rings and I want to save a set for a hat/coat rack in the future(I haven't sorted out the best way to mount them yet)
And I have this picture that I have had on my (super sparse at the moment) inspiration board- this could be why I've been a bit of a slow poke in here for the last little while! Must amend this.
Anyway, I've had this picture on my board for AGES of a woman wearing a HUGE horn pendant.
That I love.
Obviously, look at all my capitol letters.

So I came up with this.
(please forgive me my overexposed, slightly blurry photos, I got caught up in the excitement!)


I'm going for something sophisticated and clean, I didn't want to over embellish it at all. I think the silver vertebrae is all it really needs.
I might try it on a hammered GOLD circle though.
I was originally thinking of wrapping gold wire around and around the top of the antler tip, with semiprecious stones thrown in for good measure.
Which I still might try.
And I still need to figure out how to solder/join the hammered silver circle without burning the heck out of the antler.

But I like it.
I think I know someone else who might like it too, who might have to get one for her birthday that I didn't even know happened last week.
Yeah you Erin.

In other 100th post news;
I've been working on new scrap Leather Feather Earrings.
That are cute as hell.
This is just one of them, but the camera's batteries died and I haven't bothered to switch them for new ones yet.
I know.
I'm lazy.

But they're pretty cute right?

And we've had the strangest, coolest weather the last couple of days.
Last weekend it was 18 degrees out and I got to wear SANDALS for the first time since last September.
It was awesome.

This weekend we got an Arctic freeze attack.
Check out the size of this hail!


Phew!
I think that this is enough posting for one day.
(I know, 2 in one day seems a little much. What SHOULD I be doing is the question to ask yourselves.)
Work on jewellery is the answer!

Oh yeah! I nearly forgot.
We got into Out of Hand again.

Pretty great.

Floating Gold Iceberg

is my good friend's new company consisting of 5 cool gals in Victoria making beautiful hand made clothing and accessories. They've got a new blog (check it out to your left: FGI blog) and Rad style.
Here are just a few examples of the awesomeness unfolding.




I am lucky to be a part of it, drawing up prints and sporting cool clothes!
Those pants above are amazing, so comfortable and totally hot at the same time.
I wear mine all year long.
Check out their shop!
www.floatingoldiceberg.etsy.com

MAE

My Friend Erin is a crazy talented seamstress/designer. I am lucky enough to have a few friends who are amazingly talented seamstresses and designers actually. I have decided to do a little mini showcase of a few of their things here on my little blog.
Spread the word, you know.
These are a couple of my current faves!




I am LOVING that skirt right now. I have her Rio Bravo skirt already, which is also Rad. Capital letters people.
I hope that she doesn't mind that I have taken the liberty of posting these pictures up here, but I just can't seem to help myself right now!
Check out her shop:
www.mae.etsy.com

it looks like they are doin' alright

I got an email from my sister yesterday with pictures of their dog at a park that they checked out last weekend. I don't remember which park, she said what it was, but I can't remember right now and looking it up takes too much effort at the moment.

That is a happy looking dog.

And lot's of sky.

Pretty cool.

just a few things

This whole week has been a laid back dream. Sort of. Work has been a little hectic, but not unmanageable, but home has been sublime!
Geoff has been editing a feature length film at home so I've had to be REALLY QUIET.
It took me about 5 seconds to figure out what I was going to do with myself.

I read a whole book in one day.
Oh my god it was so wonderful.

I cozied myself up with the dog and READ ALL DAY.

And because I am so supportive, I have been quietly reading in the evenings as well.

I know. I am so good.

I have also been working on a new print, something that I am thinking about maybe doing an actual print run of. But I have not done that before and it isn't even finished yet.
I will post pictures once it's done.

AND I have FINALLY finished my mom's neckwarmer!
Wee!

Here are some photos to hold you until I post more.
I know. I am so good.



Norman in his natural habitat.



We saw this GIANT rock on a drive we took while living in Qualicum.
Those sticks are the only things holding it up.



Geoff got some sharp new dud's now that he's out of school and making a go at (gasp!) professional career style jobs!
He looks SO flipping good.
So good.

That's it!
Tonight I am meeting up with my friend Julie and her fiance to go over wedding band designs. And I'll work on the new print and whip up some new earrings while I wait.

Good day.

The Amazon Kindle

I am a serious reader, I think that if I had to do something ALL day it would be reading curled up on the couch with a pot of tea.
I am not a person who needs gadgets. In fact I have only just ordered myself an ipod nano for the first time ever.
But this.
Oh this is something that I can wrap my head around. This is something that I can picture myself using pretty regularly.
It's a tad on the expensive side, but I plan to be wildly successful one day, so it's all good!

Oh how true it is.

If any of you out there have whippets, you know it's true.

Don't try to deny it.

We are sweetly bullied by love everyday.
And we love it.

That's where the trouble lies.

I need to make more money

So I can spend it on THESE.






I'm flipping out right now! Oh wait that's a bit of a pun.
Bear with me here.
I was just browsing around and discovered www.blueflipart.com.
Everything is reasonably priced, amazing and straight up wicked awesome.
Check it out.

Oh my god check it out!

While the Cat's away...

The mouse works her little butt off.
Yes it's true, I am going to focus my attention on building up some inventory this weekend while Geoff is on the island working. This is a good opportunity for both of us to get some work done without distractions.
So I am going to work on Mini Tag pendants, Tag pendants (new design! Ooh!) and finish up as much of the stuff currently lounging on my bench.
Since I sent off some stock to Nelson, I realized that my larder has become low. So I am going to remedy that by making more stuff!
And when I run out of materials, I'll order more and start again!

And possibly make a cute summer blouse.

We'll see about that last one. It's not super high on my priority list if I am looking at a list made up of stuff I should do.
But it's pretty high on the list of things I want to do.

Got to work on that balance.


I'll leave you with this...
I saw this amazing neckpiece online yesterday and I have to share.
Found it on www.mintd.com The seller's name is Dandelion Street and holy crap! SO beautiful.


They are actual rose petals in there.
I know they aren't laminated, it looks like she's got bezels in there, but MAN! This makes me want to get a laminator and laminate everything in sight.
Similar to my desire to embroider everything in sight as well.

Which I am still working on.

I don't know why I do this

Yesterday was hustle bustle all day and I got home and we had a great dinner (ceasar salad with grilled chicken, so good)
Then I felt the need to bake up a batch of serious chocolate cookies.
And eat most of them in one go.

All this on the heels of a week of not eating sweets and feeling pretty damn good about it.

I am officially blaming hormones, and am back off the sweets.

Seriously.

Here are some pictures of my new glasses to distract you from my weak will.
Wee!


I am still MacGyvering them pretty much daily, but I am getting SO close to having super awesome AND comfortable glasses. Which is good since I have to wear them all the time.

This morning I am going to draw up some images specifically requested by my Father, I will post the finished result (with his permission) once it's all said and done. I am hoping to get this particular drawing done up before the weekend.
Then off to work!

Adios!

fun weekend!

We had Sunshine! We had Friends over! We have a great weekend!
Angie came over and we went and checked out the Portobello West Market and it was pretty awesome.
All sorts of interesting vendors and a few friends showing as well. We are thinking of applying for a mid to late summer run, so we'll see how that goes.



In other jewellery related news, I made my first sale on etsy! I know very exciting!
It was a friend from school now living in Switzerland, so I've got a ring and earrings travelling the world as we speak.
AND (I know there's more, can you even stand it??)
And I've sent off our application for this years Out of Hand fair as well as my fist attempt at applying to get into Circle Craft.
I have my fingers crossed for both of these events.
But wait there's MORE!
I am currently putting together a package of inventory for Global Underground, a store in Nelson BC that is interested in carrying my work!
It has been a very good week here at Janamade!

Now I am off to finish that package and hustle myself off to work!
Ciao Dah-lings!