When I first make something, it often takes me some time to recognize whether it is trash or treasure. It doesn’t matter if it’s jewelry, ceramics, writing, sewing, knitting, painting, or whatever. I can’t see it right away.

One of my most recent creations was a piece of jewelry I made as a donation to the boys’ school fundraiser. I chose their mascot and school colors for inspiration and came up with this:

It’s a pin made with 14k gold-filled wire, fresh water pearls, lapis lazuli, garnet, and Austrian crystal. It took me a few days to be able to really see it without seeing that I made it. And now I’m very pleased with the result (though I wish I had a better photo for my collection.)

Hope you had some Christmas ham in your day too.

My professor helped me get my photos ready for my job interview tomorrow. She told me that she knows several other people applying for these positions, and that I am the strongest candidate by far. BY FAR. She also told me I would be perfect for this job. I can’t tell you how helpful that was for my confidence level.

I’ve done my research on the company, the position, and on various interview techniques. Yes, interview techniques. I know I’m probably better prepared than most of the other candidates, but I still don’t feel comfortable. I’m probably going to skip my drawing class tomorrow so I can prepare a bit more for the interview.

Here are some of the photos I took today. Only the cups have been glazed and are finished.

I’ve been enjoying my sketchbook assignments in my drawing class so far. Assignment #2 was implied line. My first attempt didn’t start off well, but once I got going, I liked my results. I’ve come to like points.

My second attempt, which turned out better than my first.

And a third, which I like even better.

And I’m currently working on full size (18×24) which may take a few more days to complete.

I hate credit cards. Shortly before the boys were born, we decided to get rid of all our credit cards, and close the accounts. With the exception of our mortgage, my car, my student loans, and some loans from our parents, the rule has been “if we can’t afford to buy it with cash, we can’t afford to buy it.” That is, until Tuesday.

When we bought this house, my first complaint was the neutral decor. Specifically, the builder beige carpeting. We knew then that we would tear out the carpeting in the living room and dining room and replace it with wood laminate floors eventually. “Eventually” came on Tuesday, as did the end of our seven year freedom from credit cards.

The no payments, no interest for six months plan from Home Depot seemed the smart way to go. Two days, many sore muscles, and $800 later, we have a carpet-free lower level. The only thing more satisfying than having new floors, is being able to say that I installed them myself. Rob tore out the old carpeting and moved the furniture. He also did clean-up and will be responsible for having the carpet pieces hauled away. But the installation? I did it. Measuring, cutting, installing? Me. You may be able to see in the pictures that I haven’t yet installed the quarter-round moulding around the baseboards. That’ll be pretty simple though.

I finally finished the first bridal necklace from a few weeks back. I’m still not 100% satisfied with the way the photos are turning out, but I’m getting closer to what I want. I’ve been calling this one “Winter Lace.” I was hesitant to use the winter theme, but I think it fits.

The second bridal necklace would have been finished yesterday except there was a weird bead mixed in my bunch that shouldn’t have been there. Once I replace that last bead, it’ll just take a minute or two to complete the second necklace. I’m not sure I like it. I’m thinking there are too many crystals, but I need to think about it some more.

The boys go back to camp next week. Yay! I have some new supplies coming soon, so I’ll have at least one new project to work on while they’re gone. I may even try to finish the book I started reading during their first week at camp. Since they’ve been home, I just haven’t found time to pick it up.

I’ve had very bad luck with rhododendrons. Two attempts to grow the pretty little evergreen ended in failure at our last house. We planted a larger bush here at the new house last summer hoping that it would have a better start. Before fall, the leaves had turned crunchy yellow and brown. This spring, it looked no better, and I was sure it was a goner.

A week ago today, our high temperature here in Michigan reached 82 degrees. To my surprise, Rhoda had flowers bursting open all over the place. She even had tiny little green leaves springing out from behind the yellow and brown crunchy ones.

On Saturday, it snowed. Snow snowed. Like several inches covering the ground for two and a half days snow. When the sun finally appeared again yesterday, I found Rhoda in a state of shock.

Yes, those are fallen petals on the ground.

I brought my finished bust home on Saturday. Introducing my medieval boy.

I have no idea where I’m going to put it. I don’t really want to display it anywhere downstairs. I may try to find a permanent space for it in my office, but it’s kinda freaky seeing a person sitting in here everytime I walk by. My lab keeps barking at it. The boys are amused by it though. It was dressed in a t-shirt and necklace this morning.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the studio in time to glaze my big pot, so it’ll probably be a month or more before I get it home.

My current textiles project is a 500 square inch panel using the techniques I learned in my smaller studies. The design can be whatever I choose, as long as it is not a continuous pattern. My dimensions are 26×20 and I chose to simulate a photograph.

This is the original photograph.

This is my partially completed project.

This is my project touched up in Photoshop to give me (and you!) an idea what it will look like when completed.

Now that I’m looking at the original photograph again, I definitely see some areas that I can improve.