Short Hot Days

Here's a photo I took yesterday. Right in the middle, I think you can see the green seed pods on the jacaranda tree nearest my studio. Soon they will turn brown, open up, and spread their seeds. This year I think I'll try to save some of the pods even though I'm not sure how I can use them. One thing I would like to do is make some necklaces that wouldn't really be to wear. I could use them for that. I'll have to see how I can incorporate them into a piece.

I had hoped to write my blog from my studio, but the wireless network isn't quite right just yet. As I understand it, the chicken wire which was used with plaster to construct the walls blocks the signal. Bars on the windows do that as well. It's the metal. Spanish Village was built for the 1935 Exposition and was never intended to be permanent, so now that it's been saved, we have to cope with some of these problems like the wire. But I'm sure that eventually Philip, our resident expert, will solve the problem eventually.

The weather has gotten hot again, and so I spent the day outside under my umbrella. Soon, when the sun sink further south as the seasons progress, I won't need the umbrella, because I'll be in the shade all the time. But for now I put it up.

I've been making progress with some new pieces of jewelry inspired by some that I saw in a catalog. Of course, I never copy anything exactly, but sometimes seeing a photo gives me a good idea for something. I'm pleased because for awhile I wasn't feeling very inspired. But in the last few days, I've made five new necklaces and have another started. Three of them turned out very well. I'm not so happy with the other two. But that's the nature of designing and learning what works well together and what doesn't. I call it "educating the eye."

One thing I do see, which I've had some notion of, is that adding gold to gemstones automatically makes them look better, prettier, richer. So that's a good trick. Just add gold. I've been adding pieces of gold-filled chain and using larger gold-filled wire to accomplish that. Also, right now I find myself making pieces that are more tailored, not so feminine. I think they will look well with the new fall fashions, an important consideration. But the bottom line is to make pieces that have a certain classic, timeless look to them.