CRASH!!!!!!!!

May 10, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

I hope that events don’t really occur in 3′s. 2 years ago a cyclist ran into me and broke my arm…..while I was taking a leisurely stroll in the summer with my husband. The irony is that I always worried about winter ice. Yesterday, an elderly man ran a red light, and there was an unbelievable CRASH as we collided. Fortunately there was no blood……seat belts are a wonderful thing and they do save one from injury. I called 911….. and the fire department, the EMTs and the police were there within 10 minutes. Neither of us had passengers. But other than being shaken up, I think that we are okay. I asked the driver of the other car if he was, as reqested by the 911 responders, and he seemed so, and declined any medical attention.
The middle of the chest was very sore, and my knee. I was warned that today would be worse. And it was, in my neck and shoulder. But I do believe this too shall pass….at least I hope so. The other car was in quite bad shape as was mine, but there isn’t too much now that can’t be fixed.
I am already in a rental, but I do miss my car. Fortunately again, it looks like State Farm insurance will make this seamless in terms of repairs etc. It is the first accident that I have ever been part of. Not a nice experience.

Cotton Pearls are taking Shape….

May 8, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

Pictured are 2 cotton pearl necklaces plus 2 pairs of earrings. The cotton pearls are 30 mm. in size so quite big. I have used large sterling silver focal pieces along with sterling silver chain. The beauty of this, plus the colour, of course, is the light weight. Large grey quartz would make this necklace quite heavy but if you love jewellery, anything goes.

BEYOND THE VALLEY STUDIO TOUR……MAY 26 & 27…..SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Just a few weeks away!

BACK FROM FLORIDA…….to BRRRRR!!!

April 29, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

We were in Fort Myers, Florida for the past several weeks. April is not a usual month for us, but since it was so cool here, and hot there, we were glad to have been away. When we left Dundas, the temp here was 14 and it felt really balmy. I have to say I wondered why we were going. It turned out to be perfect weather in Florida….sunny and temps in the 80′s. When we returned to Dundas the temp was again 14 but it felt so cold. Acclimatization is an interesting condition.
One of our daughters and her family holidayed with us, as well as my mother who is 86. There was quite an age span with a grandaughter at 6 months and a great grandmother at 86 years. We ate in most of the time which was a different experience. Not as much fun as finding interesting restaurants for dinners but it worked reasonably well. Food can be very cheap in the U.S. but if it is, the quality is usually not good. It is possible to get large amounts, for example, Publix (a large grocery chain) offered a whole roasted chicken, with a salad side (cole slaw or macaroni with lots of mayo) and a gallon of iced tea for under 10 dollars. Pretty bad! The chicken with a green salad would have been healthier but with the offered accompaniments…….not a good choice.
On our way back we stayed at a Best Western in Georgia. Probably one of the least appealing places that we have been in for a while. But it was later than we normally stop, so it had to do. Usually we find Best Westerns pretty good but this motel needed upgrades in bed linens particularly. It seemed clean, so that was a relief. It offered no breakfast of any sort but that was because there was a restaurant attached called City Diner. And this had an interesting vibe. It was quite busy with locals which can be a good sign. We only had salad and soup because it was late but the menu offerings and the food that went by looked very good. What was particulary interesting was its desserts. There were at least 30 cakes on offer that were huge. From cheesecakes to chocolate to carrot and so on. Beautifully decorated….one was a canoli cake with chocolate icing and the top decorated with canolis. A slice was 6 dollars but it was huge and enough for 3 of us. Someone had a good idea that worked. The layers tasted and look like cake mix, so not a cake from scratch but the decorations were quite something. People were coming in and buying 2 or 3 slices to take away. But now i think that I have had it with fast food and restaurants. Good old beans and toast will do.

Studio tour is coming up May 26th and 27th. Have to get to work. Found some ruby zoisite. A good thing.

WHAT ARE THESE COLOURFUL THINGS?

April 8, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

These beautiful coloured things are 30mm. cotton pearls. First produced in Japan in the 1940′s, pieces of cotton were formed into balls and then coated with a nacre type finish. If you find vintage cotton pearls, you will discover that they are very expensive.
The colourful batch that you see are from Germany, and only made to order by a small company there. I purchased them at Beads of Colour, a local beading store in Dundas.
They are a lot of fun to wear, are very, very light and come in many colours. I will soon be getting natural looking cotton pearls in different shapes. You will see a selection of these in jewellery that I will have ready for the Beyond the Valley Studio Tour at the end of May.
I plan to pair them with sterling silver, and/or large gemstones. I also have vintage pieces that I think will spectacular with these beauties.
BEYOND THE VALLEY STUDIO TOUR – MAY 26 & 27, 2012

A CLOSE-UP of a PILE OF GEMSTONES

April 4, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

This pile of gemstones consists of a good quality turquoise on top
with lavender amethyst coins, some green keshi pearls showing, as well as korean jade towards the bottom, which is a greenish colour with purple jade under it. The brown stones on the left are a particularly fine tiger eye.
And the fuschia colour is a treated jade. The black to the right is onyx, one of my favourites to work with. Did you know that natural onyx is variegated and that most black onyx is treated? The colour of green onyx is achieved by heat treating. Most stones are treated in some way. If the tag doesn’t say natural, then most likely the stones have had some process applied. Quite acceptable now as long as it is transparent.
Blue topaz which is often seen in rings and earrings, is actually brown topaz that has been irradiated.

A DAY IN TORONTO……and a PILE OF GEMSTONES

April 4, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

Yesterday was my day in Toronto visiting my suppliers. Train in and train out….great way to travel.
I usually buy basic sterling silver components online, but I like to see and handle gemstones, pearls etc., and try to get anything that I think is unique or unusual. I wanted to get ruby zoisite again, but was out of luck. This paricular gemstone is a combination of red and green. The red is actually ruby and the green is zoisite. Very attractive. When I first saw it, my thought was that it was too Christmassy, but with a few careful choices of components to complement this stone, the pieces turned out very well. (this reads like a very convoluted sentence???)
I also did a lot of walking while in Toronto which is my favourite way of getting around. But did have to give up as my bag got heavier and heavier. Which is a good thing, as I found some really lovely pieces.
My niece, who is a U of T student met me for a coffee break and we went to Starbucks on Bloor between Avenue Road and Bay. May I say that the wrap I had was totally unpleasant and definitely tasteless.
When choosing a food place, my niece said that there wasn’t anything good around in the cafe line. Would this comment be made in New York City or Paris? Toronto is a big city and we were surrounded by high end stores. There are some fine restaurants in the area, but perhaps a good cafe or 2 would be a nice addition.
I finished my day at the Library Bar in the Royal York Hotel. A great way to wait for the train home.

Orchids

April 2, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

These 2 orchid necklaces, I think are unique…….real orchid petals that are treated with resin. The green one is completed with Korean jade and a light sterling silver chain. The orchid itself is quite light, so this is a very comfortable necklace to wear in warm weather. The purple orchid has a chain of faceted amethysts plus sterling silver. If you love colour, you will love these.

Having Lunch in Dundas, Ontario

March 27, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

It has now been 2 weeks since my Spring Open House and I finally feel rested. But not for long as the Beyond the Valley Studio Tour is coming up at the end of May. And since my sale was so successful, and I do thank everyone for coming out, I will be busy working on another “Spring Collection”.
In the meantime, my husband and I have started “having lunch in Dundas.” We have been to 2 spots…..Matsuri Sushi (formerly Matsu), which is at 36 King Street West. This is a new location in town and the restaurant is beautifully decorated. Sushi Master and owner Simon, is pleased with this spot. And we were of course very pleased with our lunch. His sushi offerings are excellent, I particularly like eel, and the sashimi is very fresh as it should be.
This really is the best Sushi restaurant in this area and I include Hamilton in that. I like having my oldest daughter come with us, as she knows how to order the most interesting food.
The other restaurant that we went to has changed owners and its name rather than its location. The new Nostalgia used to be the Schwaben Inn and is at 225 King St. West, but the other end of town. We had pork schnitzel which was okay and I had beef liver which was probably the best I have ever had. The decor has not changed nor has the menu much. It advertises itself as having Russian food but there really wasn’t much offered. I would say that the Schwaben Inn regulars still go there but there would have to be a change in decor and food offerings to attract new custom But if you like beef liver and I love it, this is the place to go. And the prices are reasonable. Nostalgia or Nostalgie seems to be a frequently occurring name of Russian type restaurants. Wish this one was more ethnic.
Just 12 more places to go!!!

Barnim Pottery Tulip Sale…this week end and next

March 2, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized

Scott Barnim is having his annual Tulip Sale at his studio and showroom this Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as next week during those 3 days. 10 % off is a bonus. He has some new colours he is showing which I think that you will find very attractive. Do drop in and then this Friday and Saturday, come along to my studio for my annual spring sale. Dundas is well worth visiting.

another pile of jewellery

February 29, 2012 | Filed under: Uncategorized