aquabeet.com

October Opal

2008-11-05T15:29:00.001-05:00

Having an October birthday, I've always loved opals.

This year I was given one and made it into this necklace

which I wear almost everyday!

Peace Doves......

2008-11-05T15:20:00.003-05:00

getting ready for holiday sales!

Wickedly Chic

2008-09-28T20:25:00.006-04:00

This week I have been lucky enough to be featured on the Wickedly Chic shopping site. This is a really cool "independent shopping site for the wickedly fashionable". Check them out and see the amazing support that they give to us indie artists. They also have a weekly Sunday night give-away & if you get on their email list, you can have a chance to win some awesome cool swag!

And click here to see me in the Fresh and Chic section.

Thanks, Liz!

New Work

2008-08-26T14:02:00.004-04:00

Breathe & Push

2008-08-26T13:46:00.002-04:00

I got this job through Alchemy on Etsy for someone who

was looking for something to give to the labor nurse who had

recently helped her to give birth.

I came up with this idea and they loved it!

CMP Back to School!

2008-08-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

http://

Time for a Graduation

2008-08-06T16:55:00.003-04:00

I made this clock for my high school graduate. All the parts were from my various collections of junk including the square computer piece in the middle. The main piece is a rectangle of aluminum from a hardware store.

Time for a Birthday

2008-08-06T16:45:00.005-04:00

I made this clock for a boy turning 21. All of the parts I had in my house in my many collections of junk.

B A R A K

2008-06-04T20:23:00.001-04:00

Etsy Page One!

2008-05-28T20:16:00.005-04:00

Ya-a-a-y-y-y! I made it to the home page on Etsy!

I was selected to be here by Tracy

from Stepping Stones in Rhode Island.

Check out their cool shop here.....

& mine here.

Thanks, Tracy!

Mom's Day

2008-05-11T16:40:00.004-04:00

This is what I requested and got for Mother's Day from my sweeties!

In my house, this is considered wrapped.

coolmompicks

2008-05-01T10:48:00.011-04:00

Today I was lucky enough to have this bracelet featured on coolmompicks.com. It is such a fun website with all sorts of products for babies, moms and really anyone. Check it out! Even if you don't have little ones anymore - it's still fun to ogle at all the cool products they find and write about.

Jak & Amy's Excellent Light Show

2008-04-22T21:40:00.008-04:00

Jak attached a bunch of LED lights onto a strip of wood. He turned on the lights, set my camera to the fireworks setting and we ran across the yard as it took the exposure.

Jak's curlicue

my wave

E A R T H D A Y 2 0 0 8

2008-04-21T22:15:00.003-04:00

SJTS

2008-04-20T23:42:00.008-04:00

About a week ago I was lucky enough to be interviewed and written up by my blogger friend somethingjusttostart. Read it here and then read the rest of her blog.

Thanks sjts!

Wedding Season

2008-04-18T16:31:00.008-04:00

This is a bracelet that I made a few weeks ago.

I hope everything worked out just fine for this couple!

The photos below are from my niece's wedding which technically wasn't in the spring, but the fall. I made the bracelet/gifts the she gave to all her attendants.

Two Tintins

2008-04-10T16:54:00.004-04:00

Two Tintins, Captain Haddock, Snowy & Professor Calculus were left out from a playdate yesterday. I caught this shot early today as they were posing for me in the morning sunlight.

Read about Tintin here.

Tie Dyes

2008-04-09T15:30:00.005-04:00

did a few of these recently. . . . .

Smile Moon

2008-04-08T20:38:00.004-04:00

Grin through the trees, a beautiful night tonight!

Lucky Me

2008-04-05T19:05:00.002-04:00

My fortune this weekend!

I Might Need This. . . . .

2008-04-03T17:05:00.008-04:00

I've had my eye on this Little Leaf Ring by bijougirldesigns for awhile. Hmm-m-m......wonder if she'd like to swap something or would need my services for anything??? http://amandaconley.blogspot.com/

Bracelet/Fabric Swap

2008-03-30T22:09:00.008-04:00

I don't often meet someone with the same name as me, but recently through Flickr I met Amy Schimler who not only has my name, but is an amazing artist as well! I asked her if she'd like to do a swap with me? - one of my bracelets for a few yards of the fabric that she designed.

Read the story and her blog & find out why I made her a bracelet that says "Kerflendable" on it here. And see more of Amy's wonderful work here.

These are the fabrics that I chose. Are they too cute, or what?

I made these aprons in anticipation of a visit from my niece, Elena. We always bake when she comes & I thought we needed some spiffy new aprons for our adventure into making something from Elena's new Honest Pretzels cookbook by Mollie Katzen of Moosewood fame.

We made the Giant Baked Pancake Puff (due to hunger, no photos exist) which was quickly renamed Puff the Magic Pancake!

Eggshell Candles

2008-03-23T11:06:00.029-04:00

Seven years ago I found and printed out the instructions for these candles from marthastewart.com. I finally got around to making them for the first time last year.

Get the instructions here.

Start saving eggs in January. Crack the tops carefully and save the rest of the shell. Make and eat lots of quiche.

Stash the dyed eggs upside down until they dry.

Of course it's always more fun to do these sorts of things with youngsters, so I imported a couple along with some friends.

Jak provided his brand of, well......Jak.

The girls had a sleepover the night before! The white ceramic egg cups are from orientaltrading.com.

Get them here. .

. The wicks go in last.

. .

. P.S. ~ Happy Birthday, JOOLS!!

Lemon Squares

2008-03-20T14:05:00.006-04:00

Lemon Squares

preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 c flour

1/2 c confectioner's sugar

1 c butter

pinch of salt

Mix together until it becomes a ball and pat evently into a 10 x 13 inch lightly greased pan. Bake for about 20 mins until it is just hard on top.

As the bottom is baking mix together, but do not overbeat:

4 eggs

6 tbsp flour

1 1/4 c sugar

5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)

grated zest of 1 lemon, if desired

Pour over partially baked crust. Bake 15 minutes more, or until the top is set but not brown. Cool completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar (if you'd like) and cut into squares.

These freeze beautifully between layers of waxed paper.

I heard this recipe on an NPR holiday cookie program. The original called for about double the sugar that I use here and I thought they were WAY too sweet.

But these ARE awfully yummy!!

Two Portraits

2008-03-07T15:17:00.008-05:00

Late one Saturday night when I was a youngster, I went out my front door to take a walk and as I did, I glanced back at the house. What I saw were 2 framed photos waiting for me to snap them. My mother and father were having a dinner party that night, she sitting at one end of the table and he at the other. There is a whole table and a few people between them, between the 2 windows.

I went back in to get my camera and snapped a bunch of photos on b & w 35mm film that I later developed and printed. The painting on the wall is one that my dad painted and the cabinet at the left is one that he designed & had built and I now have it in my house.

. This was one of those ah ha moments, unexplained, unpredicted, wonderful!

Five Triangles Necklace

2008-03-05T14:04:00.011-05:00

This is a necklace that I made to wear to a wedding a couple years ago. But mostly I wanted to post this photo which I just took.

Quilts

2008-03-04T19:47:00.007-05:00

I also like to make quilts.

These are some that I've done over the past few years.

Nine Patch

Log Cabin .

Bear Claw?

My Portrait

2008-03-01T14:56:00.015-05:00

This week my 4 1/2 year old friend, Tommy came to spend an afternoon with me. I was lucky enough to be asked to sit for a portrait, which I happily consented to do. Take special note of the bracelets on my left arm!! .

Tommy, keeping me company from an earlier visit.

Once Again......Falling Slowly

2008-02-25T21:55:00.010-05:00

Ya-y-yyyyyyy!

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova won an

Academy Award for Best Original Song for

Falling Slowly from the movie "Once".

And Mar's encore acceptance speech and poise were brilliant!!

See earlier post with video of the song.

Enough About Me...or....Artists I Admire

2008-02-24T12:26:00.018-05:00

I really need one of these ceramic hearts made by

Laurie Pollpeter Eskenzai.

I just bumped into Jennifer Maestre on the web

who makes all sorts of

amazing things out of PENCILS!!

This is a pin that I covet!

These boxes are made of glass! Aren't they wonderful?

They are made by Glass Box Guy Mark Lewanski.

I really like simple design and clean lines of

these rings made by Helen Ficalora.

I poked around in her busy, cozy, pink downstairs

shop in Greenwich Village.

The opal in the middle speaks to me.

Painted Furniture - Chairs

2008-02-22T15:55:00.007-05:00

I like to get a hold of old furniture

and reclaim it.

I do it mostly for family and friends.

Timothy's Chair

Jak's Chair

Elena's Bentwood Rocker

Two Alphabet Stories

2008-02-21T15:54:00.020-05:00

I received an order for an alphabet cuff recently and it reminded me of how I came to start making them.

About 2 years ago a woman named Nancy who lives not far from me, called to order a cuff for her daughter. While she had me on the phone she asked me if could make a cuff with the alphabet on it. Being a lifetime lover of letters, type and type design, I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it myself!

Anyway, Nancy went on to tell me that she'd been looking for just such a bracelet since someone told her that if you have one, and you can't bring up a word that you're trying to remember during a conversation, you simply glance at the alphabet on your wrist and the letters on it will help you remember. Apparently it's an Australian thing.

So I made 2 alphabet cuffs for her as well as the other one for her daughter. I made a skinny alphabet cuff for myself and wear it constantly. Since then, Nancy has become one of my best repeat customers - wink, wink!

From the beginning I saw it as a great gift for pre and elementary school teachers.

Which leads me to our next story:

About a week ago I got an order for another alphabet cuff from a woman named Chris from North Carolina. She then called me and so wanted me to know that the cuff is a gift for a VERY special teacher that taught her special needs daughter for 8 years. It seems that Mrs. Harriet Brown was exactly the kind of teacher everyone dreams of and over the years became a friend and so much more. In the last year, Mrs. Brown has retired and Chris' daughter has moved on to the next level of school.

Chris tells me that she is a very discriminating shopper and it took her about 3 months to find a gift that said everything she felt she needed to say to this amazing teacher, mentor and friend.

So Chris ordered an alphabet bracelet with this inner inscription:

And we believe that Mrs. Brown will love it!

Let It Be

2008-02-17T16:14:00.009-05:00

Timmy Mitchum, who begins the wonderful "Let It Be"

sequence in the movie "Across the Universe"

One More Person for Peace

2008-02-15T16:31:00.010-05:00

When I was approached and asked to take on this project by Rachel Smith of Giving Tree Jewelry and Patricia Crawford of A Night for Darfur, I didn't have to think twice. It is such an incredibly wonderful cause!

(click on their names for more info).

A portion of the profits from the sale of these sterling silver bracelets go to directly the Zam Zam camp and clinic in Darfur which is a vital safe haven for women and children in that war torn country. Each one is signed and numbered by me and comes with a story card. By purchasing a cuff, our numbers grow +1, +1 and on and on.

We started this last May and the last cuff that I made was numbered 122!

This is the logo that I designed and the stamp I had made to officially mark each bracelet.

Peace Card 2001

2008-02-15T14:09:00.008-05:00

This is the holiday card that my family and I sent out 3 months after 9/11/2001.

It may be a little hard to see in this photo as it is an accordion folded card.

The first panel was done by son Jack who was 12 at the time. He made 150 origami cranes. There is a note explaining that origami cranes are a symbol of peace in Japan.

I did the second panel. I found my original

WAR IS OVER! IF YOU WANT IT

Merry Christmas from John & Yoko Lennon

page from The New York Times that I saved from Dec. 21, 1969.

We copied it, shrunk it and printed it.

The third panel was done by my other son Drew who had done an acrylic painting of Martin Luther King, Jr. that summer so that was a perfect fit.

The last section was done by my husband Tom. It is a very cozy, tranquil colored pencil drawing with the Peace 2002 message.

This is the card all folded ready for an envelope.

I sent one of these cards to Yoko Ono and months later she

replied with this card.

(click to enlarge)

Three Pairs of Earrings

2008-02-12T15:59:00.005-05:00

I made these 2 pairs of earrings a couple weekends ago

when there wasn't much going on. They both contain silver,

copper and brass.

These are made from components that I had. Quick and fun.

www.aquabeet.com

Photo Frame Necklaces

2008-02-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

These are my photo frame necklaces.

You simply slip a photo of your sweetie into the top.

They can be made to size specifications with

any design that you like added on.

These are my 2 boys who are now 18 & 20 years old!

http://www.aquabeet.com/

Chain Bracelets

2008-02-11T22:31:00.000-05:00

A 4-sided inscription with a chain.

Brass loops connect to the chain.

This one says it all.

Mine, all mine!

www.aquabeet.com

My Wrapping

2008-02-11T22:21:00.000-05:00

With the New Year came new packaging for my jewelry.

The aqua is new, the beet is old.

I got such a deal on the flowered satin at the fabric

store and sewed lots and lots of these giftbags.

"Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once"

2008-02-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova who wrote & performed all the songs as well as acted in the movie "Once". This performance of "Falling Slowly" is from a promo that they did at the Sundance Film Festival. I particularly love this rendition of it.

craftster.org

2008-02-10T23:07:00.002-05:00

craftster.org

This site is an endless wonder of craft information

and exchange of ideas.

Kids Need Bracelets, Too!

2008-02-10T00:04:00.000-05:00

I make quite a few bracelets for kids. Parents and grandparents like their little ones to have a keepsake with a special sentiment, or their birthdate. http://www.aquabeet.com/

Custom Cuffs

2008-02-08T16:52:00.001-05:00

Reminder of an important day. My mother's 8 delightful grandchildren! Three kids. www.aquabeet.com

Skinny Stacking Cuffs

2008-02-08T12:35:00.001-05:00

These are my own invention, my babies!

Like the name says, they are sterling silver skinny (1/8")

stacking cuff bracelets.

The cool thing about these is that I can put writing

on all 4 sides, not just the outside and the inside,

but the top and bottom as well. Great for that 4 line

poem or lines from your favorite song.

These go great with my regular cuffs, too!

Go to www.aquabeet.com for more info.

Each Friend

2008-02-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

I made these cuff bracelets for a bride to give to her attendants. They say: "Each Friend Represents a World Inside Us".

It's Almost Valentine's Day!

2008-02-01T18:46:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be fun to start my Blog with a Valentine's Day theme.

All these "Sending you a Heart" ornaments are

safely at my retailers waiting for eager shoppers.

They are made of copper and brass.