neile

New Ideas

2008-11-10T20:44:00.001-08:00

Sometimes as I sit idly in my studio, just moving things around, waiting for inspiration to strike, believe it or not, inspiration actually strikes! Then I become so single minded that I will not rest until I can see before me the thing that I'm seeing in my head. Here you can see it too (and buy at my etsy shop it if you love it as much as I do)!

mermaid

2008-08-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, another MONTH gone by without going near the blog. I'll keep trying. I promise.

I've been really wanting to treat myself to something pretty, and I think this might be it. What do you think, would it glamorize my very work-roughened hands? It think it looks like something a mermaid would wear.

It comes all the way from Turkey, by Star of the East.

Speaking of mermaids, I think i have finally decided what to do with my tattoo. Ages ago I had this very intricate Celtic piece done on my back. It was lovely, a six inch circle between my shoulder blades. Well, over the years it has faded and blurred into a giant grey dot. It really bums me out, but I could never decide on a worthy cover-up. But I have it now. I am going to get a mermaid tattoo! If you know me well, you know this is the right thing, as I am in the water everyday. I now need to figure out the design; even the style I want to go for is up in the air. I do know that it needs to be a fresh-water mermaid, because I am more lake than ocean. I've been browsing Etsy for lovely mermaids. Here are a few of my favorites:

An original pen and ink drawing of the sea's fairest creature. By TheMayofTechClub.

Kiwi by crazyfish.

9 ocean inhabitants (whale, narwhal, octopus, walrus, snail, sea urchin, starfish, giant clam, fishies) surround a tattooed mermaid with a love note in a bottle.
by stellarbaby.

New Shop!

2008-07-29T16:03:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to announce the opening of my new Etsy shop, The Hourglass. This shop will feature only custom products; tiny boxes with your artwork encased in glass, simple pendants with a photo of your child...what ever you would like preserved in glass.Engagement ring presentation box. Each of the four sides and the top will have a different photo of the happy couple. The bottom will have a message, custom to the couple. The beautiful ring in the box is mine, made by aprilwaoka.
I was not sure if I should just add these new, different, items to my neile shop, but I decided to give them their own space. Neile is all about me and what I create because I can't help it. The Hourglass will be all about the customer, and how I can make items for them to preserve their special memories. I hope I made the right decision. If you are thinking of opening a second shop, stay tuned. I'll be discussing the pros and cons of running two shops as things move along.

Suburban New Jersey

2008-07-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Proof of New Jersey's bear problem:This guy is sauntering away this morning after he climbed a tree to take down my bird feeder. We finally got the feeder to be squirrel-proof, now we have to make it bear-proof.

I didn't get a very good photo, so here are a few bears by wonderful Etsy artists.

The Bear Facts by altardbeast.

Party Bear by artandghosts.

He says he can hear the Forest whisper by HiddenSeek.

New Designs!

2008-07-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love working with the butterflies, I love their organic shape, and I usually let that direct my design...But, I've been feeling a bit restless (not quite uninspired) and decided to play around with some different designs and shapes. Here is a little bit about my process: Paper patterns glued to the glass and cut to the exact size. Ignore the needs-to-be-replaced work surface.
The butterfly wings are trimmed to size and sandwiched in the glass with copper foil.
The pieces laid out, and ready to be soldered. I purchased a few beautiful green amethyst briolettes from a lovely Etsy seller, JenniferCasadyGems. I'm determined to find a way to incorporate more pretty stones.

The finished product. I really love it. It seems a bit dressier and more elegant than my usual work. I am so excited to explore these ideas further...and to keep shopping for beautiful faceted gems! I'm tempted to keep it, but for now it is for sale here.

Evergreen

2008-06-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

I live in a wonderful lake community in New Jersey. Many of the older homes are this amazing lake style; very 'Adirondack', large stone fireplaces, exposed beams, log cabins. Most of them were small, though, and they are almost all being re-built. Fortunately most homeowners here renovate with respect for the tradition and style of the lake.I was commissioned by one of these homeowners with an awesome lakefront log cabin. A new room was added on to the front of the house leaving two openings where doors used to be. She wanted stained glass windows to fill those spaces. The client requested something in the Art Deco or Arts and Crafts style. She was thinking abstract, but in out initial meeting she sort of lingered on the idea of evergreens being part of the design. I worked on some sketches, trying to incorporate the Deco and the trees. It stumped me for a while, but I know that if I just keep sketching, I'll eventually come up with something:

Well, I finally got the design worked out, and that's when Murphy's Law kicked in. I really shouldn't say that yet as I am still working on the windows and much can still go wrong, but these windows have really been a saga for me. Every custom piece comes with it's own issues and challenges. With this project, those issues just seem larger because the windows are so large (and my studio is not)! And I'm still waiting for some back ordered lead...

I'm being a bit of a whiner, but really I LOVE these windows. I'm so happy with the design, and I'm using some special and beautiful glass. I'm so happy with the way they are coming out, I'm just impatient to see them in their new, lovely lakefront home.

And when they are finally installed, I'm going to have them professionally photographed! I found a great photographer on Etsy who live right here in my town. Robert Socha does great work and these windows will deserve something better than my crappy photography.

Rings

2008-05-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

I just found the most amazing blog. This chick is totally OBSESSED with rings. If you have a few hours (or days) to kill, check out The Carrot Box to see the largest catalogue of the craziest rings on the internet. She inspired me to find the wildest, most creative rings on Etsy. Here are my picks. I want them all.

"The cage encases a sterling silver flower. It has been painted with nail varnish. The point of using nail varnish, is so the ring can be colour co-ordinated with your chosen colour on the day. Then simply paint over it, when you change your colour again." Holy cow! Available at the awesome chrisparry etsy shop. Articulating Talon Ring, made of Sterling Silver and Brass Sterling silver ring, veneered with walnut. I might actually buy this one.

Sterling silver, flamed worked and blown glass. One of a kind. At Nanopod.

Yeah, this one might me mine one day too. From boundearth.

Ring inspired by the geodesic domes of Buckminster Fuller and the growth of triangulated structures in nature such as ice and crystals. From KarenAnnDicken.

Mating Earthworm Cocktail Ring
Patchwork textile ring by kjoo.

Historic Half

2008-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how I did it, but Sunday morning I ran the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was such a fun day. 5000 runners, 13.1 miles! The course was nice, and the weather was perfect, cool and overcast. My time (2:19) is far from impressive, but I impressed myself that I finished at all! I can't believe I'm saying this, but it really wasn't that hard. I think I sort of zoned out for most of it and just kept moving my feet.

This is me, getting close to the finish...that last mile was so exciting, with people cheering, the finish line in sight! Happily, I'm putting my running shoes away for a while-I've got a swim across the East River to train for!

Monarch Necklace

2008-05-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Look what I just found on Etsy! I love this so much (obviously, duh). I think I might have to buy it for my little niece Megan, who turns five tomorrow. Everyone in my family has one of my monarch butterfly necklace that my Mom gave as memorial gifts when my Grandmother passed away. It would be great for Megan to have her own kid version.
This monarch butterfly wing is hand sewn and made with black, orange, white, and yellow fleece. It was made by weirdbuglady (who has the best user name ever) and is for sale here.

Linked

2008-05-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

I can never manage to leave Michael's craft store with only the things that I had on my list. This time it was these pretty glass circles and rectangles called "Linked" from Plaid Enterprises. I just could not leave them in the store because the lovely colors had my mind going crazy with their potential.

This is my first experiment with them. I traced the inside shape then cut and foiled glass and wings to that size. The tricky part was putting the copper foil on the inside of the glass links, but after some fumbling, I had it looking pretty good. I soldered them together with some decorative soldering and a wire loop for hanging. I think I can get them neater, closer to perfect next time, so look for them in my Etsy in the future.

I'm really excited to use them in a stained glass panel. They would make great raindrops, a design element I explored a few years ago in this piece. Water is always a motif that appears in my work, and this glass has me ready to re-visit some old ideas.

Books

2008-05-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm reading The Tin Drum, by Gunter Grass. It is a sad and strange, but lovely book. My impression of the book before reading it was that it was a WWII book; which it is, but it is much more too. What has really surprised me are the magical elements, the fantasy, and the weirdness...just not what I expected, but enjoyable so far.

Maybe the best part of the book is the edition I have borrowed from the library-cloth bound, with one of those attached ribbon page markers, I just love the feel of it. I wish more books had this kind of detail. Check out the beautiful end papers at Drawger. Beautiful.

I've been seeing some really amazing work being done with books:Artwork by Jennifer Koshbin. Brian Dettmer: Book Autopsies

And some great Etsy artists are working with books too. I am in love with this bookshelf by Mineisclouds.

It is custom made, designed to hold your favorite books with all the tops even. I am drooling over this. The Boyfriend would probably call it impractical, but I think it would be a very special place for my most favorite of favorite books.

Cool book sculpture by Paperfaerie.

Original hand drawn line design over a vintage 1960's chemistry text page. "Morphine," by pygletwhispers.

Doily

2008-04-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

After nearly going blind working on this thing all winter, I have finally finished the doily! I love the way it turned out, it is just so pretty and old-fashioned...Actually maybe it is not so old-fashioned. Doily patterns seem to be popping up everywhere for me lately. I just may have spotted a new mini-trend on Etsy. Check out these cool doily inspired pieces.

Teal Doily Stationery Set by 315thomas.

Doily limited edition print by ohmycavalier.

Womens Tee by reaburnink.

Doily Necklace by heatherguidero.

Starry

2008-04-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

Almost a month since my last post! I am so ashamed. Ah, well, I'm back, with renewed intention.

As I was cleaning up my studio last month, I found these pieces of glass that I had cut for a star lantern. Pieces I had cut like, five, six years ago. I couldn't just give up on the project, but I had a really hard time re-starting. I had to trust my past self to have cut every triangle just as precisely as I would today. It did work out really well. Now I'm debating if I should list if for sale in my Etsy, or put it in a local gallery. Shipping might be prohibitive, but I would love to list something so different from my other work. Either way, I love these lights. I love stars!

And some awesome Etsy items to keep my little star company:

T-shirt by boygirlparty.

Stellar Waterfall - Hanging Mobil by Stjarnkraft

Adventure by elizagauger.

Bummed

2008-04-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

So I wasn't accepted to the Bust Spring Craftacular. I am so bummed out. It looked like it was going to be the coolest show, with open bar, a DJ, and all sorts of other fun stuff. But I guess I'm just not cool enough. Oh well, there is an upside...I was so sure that I would be doing this show, that I've been busily working on new pieces for it. Now I have a ton of new ideas swirling, and a lot of new work to list in my Etsy shop. I spent the whole day yesterday photographing and photoshopping the new work, and will be listing them throughout the coming days. You can get a sneak peak here! Leave a comment if you would like something reserved before it goes up for sale.

Maine

2008-03-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a great little ski trip in Maine to celebrate Rob (the boyfriend)'s birthday. A night in Portland, with a tour of the Allegash brewery, a day of skiing at Sunday River, and another day at Sugarloaf! We are so spoiled. We thought this would close out the ski season for us, but there is so much snow up there, we're thinking about another trip. While everyone I know is getting excited about Spring, I'm sticking firmly to Winter.

Another reason to head back up to Maine next month? To see how this lady fares in the warmer weather.

You are looking at the world's tallest snow woman in Bethel, Maine. I thought it was pretty cool, but the thing practically hypnotized Rob. "Would you LOOK at that," was all he could utter as he almost drove off the road every time we passed it.

In honor of the fun we had in Maine, here is the work of a wonderful Maine artist, Shannon Rankin. Her collages can be seen and purchased in her Etsy shop selflesh.

inspiration

2008-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

To follow up on my post from yesterday- signed off and ran to the studio, full of inspiration to create my own fantastical butterfly...and here it is. It is big and strange, and I love it. I had so much fun making it, and fun is just what I needed in the studio. Sometimes the feelings of playfulness disappear when your hobby is your job, but the creation of this piece was all play, and has me energized! It has no name yet, please let me know if you have any ideas.
It is listed for sale in my Etsy shop, but I just might decide to keep it for myself!

I love LittleRobot

2008-03-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with my latest Etsy Purchase. I had been drooling over LittleRobot's work for ages, and finally broke down and bought these two prints. I have no idea why I waited so long to buy them. It is so weird how many things I have in my favorites that are not very expensive, that I need to have, but I resist. I think it is time for an Etsy shopping spree...but first I have to get these framed.

Aren't they beautiful? Oh yes they are! And the print quality is so amazing that they really need to be seen in person. The artist mixes old woodcuts with her original illustration to create these fantastical creatures. Check out more of her work here. They have me thinking about creating a fantasy butterfly. Maybe a morpho/monarch hybrid? I'm suddenly very excited to get into the studio. I guess I should be shopping more often, if I'm finding this kind of inspiration!

earrings

2008-03-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah! The earrings are finally finished. They are part of a wholesale order flying out this week to The Butterfly Farm in Aruba . I highly recommend a visit there if you are ever lucky enough to vacation in Aruba.

I am feeling inspired today, thanks to Design for Mankind's awesome e-zine. It is absolutely beautiful, I just can't stop looking at it and looking at the world with fresh eyes.

crochet

2008-03-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago while we were skiing at Hunter Mountain, NY, I was distracted from the laborious task of putting my boots on by a strange little library. The local library uses the base lodge at the mountain as a fund-raising used book shop. I love libraries so much, so I enjoyed a few minutes browsing, and was so excited to find an old Better Homes and Gardens crochet book for just one dollar. The book contains some great and some really bad patterns, but I was most struck by the lace crochet patterns.

My grandmother and her sisters did this type of crochet, and I always thought they were nuts. It just looked sooo much work. I enjoy the process of crochet, but I also really like to see some progress and that tiny hook did not look like it was going to get anywhere fast. Well, in a moment of insanity, I decided to try one of the patterns for a lace doily. I'm actually enjoying it so far.

It is so amazing to me that this 1000 yard (!) piece of string can be knotted over and over again to create such an interesting pattern. Sometimes I have this crazy urge to tear it out, just to see it be string again, a different tangle of knots. Believe me, it's not an urge I will cave to. I'm hours and hours into it, and have a bunch more to go. I'll post photos again when it's finished, hopefully before Mother's Day.

today

2008-03-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

I've been so inspired by all the great bloggers posting in the etsy forums, so here I am-a brand new blog! I really don't know what this will shape into, but for today, I'll show you today.

Lovely wings, all ready to be made into earrings for a wholesale order.

Set in glass, foiled, and ready for soldering. If i can get back to work tonight, I'll post the finished earrings.

And my great joy today! Look at the big holes. This ten-grain loaf gets me even closer to my goal of baking the perfect loaf of bread. Yes, we ate almost the whole loaf today.