Spring Fever: Landscape planning

This is the front of my trailer.  Isn't it epic?  The inside is much nicer, trust me, and at some point the siding will be redone to match/complement the skirting.  However, first in line is to take care of the pile of slime that my hill turns into when we get any moisture at all.  If you can't tell, I'm on a bit of an incline here.  It's basically flat where the house is but slopes down from there and on the back where the deck is the hill gets a touch steeper.  When we had a contractor here to build the skirting and deck, one of his helpers had a little tractor to flatten the spot for the deck and, without asking anybody (or billing us later), he dug up the whole front side too.  It's not as lumpy as it was and we would've needed to do some of that too, but he did it right before winter so I've been stuck with slimy mud every time it rains or snow melts.  I put down some landscape fabric, a little sand, and a few bricks to walk on to get through the winter without going too insane.  We still don't know who did it exactly, who said he should, and why we never got a bill for it.  It was one of a string of strange things that happened with that contractor so we're done working with him.  All that dirt work and there's still big gaps under the skirting that caused several days of frozen pipes this winter...if there was one thing I would've wanted done it would've been that.

Well, enough whining, what's done is done.  What I did yesterday was measured and flagged where my front entryway room, stairs, and garden terrace will go.  The sun beats on this side of the house in the summer and the wind whips around in the winter, so the front door needs a little extra protection from the elements.  We'll build on a little front room with a bench, coat hooks, a boot mat, and two cat doors (one from the living room and one outside, so the weather doesn't leak into the house), and a landing with stairs.  Those little metal stairs are hard to maneuver on and there's no place to set stuff down to open the door.

For the garden terrace, we'll add topsoil to make it level with the top and build a little brick retaining wall so there's a flat terrace from the edge of the skirting to just above where the propane tank sits.  I'm thinking below that in a semicircle between the new trees we'll build a little rain garden, fix the gutters, and set up the downspouts to drain into it.  Sounds like a lot of work.  At least I have it flagged out now.  Bedtime!

Fresh from the desk: Playing with hemp

Concert week always wipes me out.  Period.  It might be easier if I didn't have to drive an hour to get to rehearsals and such, but I wouldn't want to stop playing and I'm used to it, but I need to forgive myself for getting nothing else done those weeks.

So, with that said, welcome back!  Yesterday I got started on rebuilding my inventory after the last sale and at the suggestion of a friend I decided to try some hemp with simple macrame knots.  I may try more complicated macrame at some point, but not today.  I wasn't sure what to do with the large green aventurine donut pendant, but a fiber necklace seemed to be just the right approach.  It's a large statement stone, but "felt" more like an informal one.  After reading a bit about the stone and its traditional ties to creativity, stress relief, luck, and healing, my intuition there was confirmed.  It's perfectly at home on a string of hemp between wooden and carved soapstone beads and looks great with a t-shirt.  I attached the donut with a lark's head knot in the center of the two strands and tied an overhand knot between each bead to keep it all secure.  I did the same (minus the lark's head knot) with the little turtle that I found at our Earth Goods store in town.  We've been going to that store more and more lately and I enjoy supporting local businesses the only way I can.  On each side of the turtle is a bone disc bead, silver spacers, and round pink and black leopard jasper beads.  Because of the size of the holes, one hemp strand has to go around each of the jasper and bone beads, but I like the effect.  Both necklaces are about 24" long and can be tied to any length the wearer desires.  Fiber is a great way to expand my metal-free capabilities so I should experiment with it more.  I bet my cousin would like the little turtle...hehe!

I also made an anklet for myself just for fun.  I haven't had an anklet in a while so since I needed to use up a shorter length of hemp I figured I may as well do it for myself.  I normally don't make jewelry for myself; I tend to keep the "duds" and try to sell the good designs so I have very little of my own to wear.  Maybe I should get over that, I might be my own best billboard so maybe I should try.  This isn't a great picture, it's too dark and not staged at all and you can see the beads better in the other picture, but I like it. :)  I used 4 wood beads and 3 soapstone beads, the center one being a dark-ish pink and the sides being a pale green.  They came in the same package so they're carved the same but there's a good amount of color variation between beads so it keeps things interesting. 

I might be able to get one more necklace out of that package of hemp, but I'm not sure what else to do with it.  Most of my other beads that would work on it are too small to fit on it, even if I improvise like I did with the jasper.  I do have another wooden donut I could use.  Maybe I should work on something else for a bit, or maybe take it easy for the rest of the evening.  I'm getting a little sleepy.

According to Niche magazine online, the 2011 color of the year is honeysuckle.  It's not a color I would wear, ever, because it would simply look horrid on me in all kinds of ways, but if I were to try to use it what should I do with it?  What kind of beads should I look for?

*Edit 5/11/11* The aventurine hemp necklace is now available on Etsy for $15!

Saturday show a success!

The White Elephant is a consignment shop on the corner by the viaduct in downtown Hot Springs so it has a prime location for drive-by traffic, plus they started doing Saturday events last summer where people could bring in their own garage sale-type items to set up in the parking lot and make a multi-family event where people could leave their unsold items at the store for consignment.  He did this to increase foot traffic and increase and broaden his consignment inventory and it has worked pretty well for him.  He wants to change the feel of his shop to include more furnishings and fewer doo-dads so he's hoping this will work for him this year too.

Well, I'm rather proud of us. We brought my jewelry setup, our old stereo (with components, big speakers, and cabinet), a band saw, belt sander, jigsaw, VCR, various tools and electronics that were only collecting dust and we got rid of a good chunk of it.  All the tools went first, and we made $55 in the first hour thanks to that!  It wasn't much of a jewelry crowd, but I did get some cards handed out and one of Mom's friends came by and bought most of my necklaces, followed shortly by a friend of one of my friends who took another, so overall it was a good day.  We were only there for about 4 hours (that's about as long as Mom can stand it, and I would've needed a lunch break if we had stayed longer) but considering it wasn't an advertised event, it was a little chilly, and there were only 2 other vendors there, I'm very pleased with it.  So, now I need to go work on my inventory again - my Kambaba jasper necklace sold, as well as the wooden flower necklace, and the soapstone heart, one of my layering necklaces (with 2 orders in the works), and my flowery beaded choker (which is easy to duplicate so I'll leave my Etsy listing up on that one and just update the pictures).  We left the stereo and a handful of my old earring designs for consignment and the VCR will be going to the Salvation Army next time we go to Rapid City.

There was no booth fee so we felt no guilt whatsoever in spending the day on a street corner, especially since the band saw and belt sander sold immediately.  We just need to convince Dad to clean out some more tools and I need to get to beading!

Fresh from the desk: Everyday layering necklaces

Do you like them?  My boyfriend's mom wanted one like this, in all silver (like the one on the far left) and after doing that and getting set up for the day at The White Elephant tomorrow, I thought these would be a cute way to boost my impulse buys as well as use up some beads that were sitting around.

From the left, since the colors are a little weird on my phone camera, they are: Silver/silver, white/pink, white/gold, brown/gold, white/blue, purple/pink, green/ble, pink/green, pink/red, teal/matte white, matte blue-ish/yellow.

I'll end up wearing one tomorrow to demonstrate and I think the matte blue-ish/yellow one is my favorite, but what do you think?  Those bugle beads are a wonderful color, they're a little iridescent blue/purple but the matte finish gives them a very unique look that I thought would be nicely offset by the pale pearly yellow of the seed beads. 

The silver/silver, brown/gold (which is also the colors for University of Wyoming where I got my undergrad...didn't realize that until halfway through hehe), and white/gold are meant to be neutrals, with the white/pink, pink/green, and blue/yellow a step above that, with the green/blue, purple/pink, and teal/white being more showy.  They're 15 inches long with a 2 inch extender chain and spring clasp, made quickly using surplus beads so I can offer them at $10 each (or less, if someone wants more than one) without hurting at all.  How would you wear them?  Would you do wear one at a time or a few in complementary colors?  What other color combinations would you want?  Maybe I'll wear three to show the possibilities.  Hmmm.  I should go make sure all my display stuff is packed and signs are correct, need to get to bed so I can get up bright and early!

*Edit 5/11/11* These are now available on Etsy for $10 each!

Saturday shows begin!

This Saturday 4/2 Mom and I will have a display of jewelry (and some electronics and stuff we'd like to get rid of) at The White Elephant, 107 S River St in Hot Springs, SD!  Come by to see my pieces in person! :)  Remember, my favorite projects are custom ones, so if you want to pick up your own custom piece this weekend let me know what you need now and I'll get it done for you.  Thanks!

Spring Fever: More garden planning!

Mom and I and a few of her friends went up to Hill City today for a seminar on container gardening sponsored by the Hill City Garden Club.  It was only an hour long, but it was nice to get out of the house and change pace a little bit.  Not that I needed to get out of my house, I've barely been in it for weeks, but Mom's been cooped up with her cold/flu for far too long so we made a field trip day of it.  We all ate at the Alpine Inn (their tomato basil soup is fabulous!), went over to the seminar, then stopped at The Farmer's Daughter to browse antiques.  Mom got a nice ceramic planter and I got an adorable 3-bottle wine rack.  On our way back we stopped in Custer at the sister's house of Mom's friends for some goat's milk and fresh eggs.  We'll be getting some yogurt and goat cheese from her when she has some made, haven't tried it before but I figure why not?  All kinds of healthy benefits there.  Now I'm at home sipping some amazing tea I ordered from Tea For All Reasons on Etsy.  I considered it a little splurge for myself and I've gotten more than enough enjoyment from the 3 cups I've had to justify the cost...wow.  Just...yum.  Yes.

So, on to the garden seminar.  Mom started container gardening last summer because in the spring she had broken one ankle and the other leg.  Yes, she had two broken legs.  At the same time.  Blame the deep mud puddles that formed in the driveway after a very wet winter and spring (and the fact that we had hired at least two people/crews to fix them who never showed up to do the work).  At any rate, she couldn't till or work the soil in the regular garden or do lots of bending/squatting and I was so busy working at the store that I wasn't home enough to do it all either.  She found out about Smart Pots from a friend of hers and ordered a few for herself and it ended up being the easiest and best gardening she'd done for years.  This year I'll be doing some of the same since I'm sure my dirt work won't be done in time to get a full garden in.  Today's seminar was more about how to pair flowers in a container for the greatest effect, so here's a list of the general concepts to keep in mind:

• Get a color wheel and use it.  (I need to get one for jewelry anyway, so it's definitely on my list.) Consider the color of the pot as well as the foliage and flowers of the plants to complement it.
• Once you have ideas for good color combinations, look for plants of differing heights, leaf textures, and spreading tendencies for the greatest visual impact.  Mix a spreading shiny vine with a velvety mounding flower and a spiky grass, for example.  The max height of the plants should be about 1 1/2-2 times the height of the pot itself.
• Consider water/light needs and group plants accordingly.  Read the labels for this info as well as the full size height of the grown plants.
• Be sure to fertilize regularly.  Potting soil often says that it includes fertilizer but it's often not enough for the plants to thrive in a self-contained environment.
• Don't be afraid to mix vegetables with flowers.  They use and contribute different nutrients to and from the soil, not to mention it's unique, fun, functional, and many vegetables have beautiful foliage.  We'll be trying that with some side-planting baskets Mom got this year, she has a book on combining vegetables and flowers and the pots in there are just gorgeous!
• Group plants into odd-numbered groupings.  The eye somehow prefers odd-numbered groupings.  Same goes for pots.  And jewelry.  And art groupings on walls.  And just about anything visual, for some reason.  Not sure why, but it's true!

I've decided to not really fight the native prairie when I start with my flower gardens.  I picked up a booklet on what plants are native to the area and how to create a garden with them in our semi-arid climate, since I know I'd be battling with the native plants anyway.  Might as well make them work for me!  I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would buy yucca when we have *so much* on the property out here!  I may as well make a native rock garden out back by the deck for minimum maintenance/weeding.  The front where I'll have my terrace can be a little fussier, but it gets very hot on that side in the afternoons so I need to be careful to pick full-sun plants that will stand up to the wind.  I want daylilies for sure because they do very well at Mom's house, and I'll probably grow a bunch of ornamental grasses, maybe some succulents, but definitely stuff that won't curl up and die in full-sun.  The stuff on the deck and the back hill needs to be part-shade probably, but I'll need to watch and pay attention to what the sun does exactly.  I know it beats down on the west wall quite a bit in the late afternoon and that's the terrace side.

Last summer we planted two ash trees down the hill from where the terrace will be, and when those grow they'll cast shade on the office and living room windows to help keep the house cooler.  It was late in the season when we put those in, so I hope they survived the winter.  Time will tell.  Below the tree line I put down some grass seed so hopefully some of that took, but that's mostly native prairie down there too so I don't want to fight with that too much either.  It's too much of a slope to have a nice lounging lawn and no natural boundaries between that ground and the field, so my nice gardens will be on my terrace and on the hill behind my deck, plus whatever containers I end up doing on the deck itself.

So now that I've rambled on and on, how does that sound?  Any pointers on semi-arid plants or perennials that would withstand hot sun and wind?

Spring Fever: Literally.

Not quite a fever yet but my head is threatening to explode from allergies-verging-on-a-cold.  My existence is a rather miserable one at the moment, regardless of the medications I've used today.  My parents have both had a nasty flu, Mom for almost 2 weeks now so I've had to pick up a little of her slack too and pray I don't get actually sick from it.

So that said, hello!  The last few weeks have been, at the very least, hectic.  A roller coaster of mundane and emotional ups and downs, new opportunities, and an utter lack of housework.  I've had a couple new side jobs come up that I can't turn down because I simply need more money to live on than I make.  I'm getting a few extra hours at a different agency up in Rapid City on Mondays helping with their marketing calls, so that takes a larger chunk out of my Mondays than Symphony normally would but it's not hard to deal with.  I interviewed last Tuesday for a new merchandising job that would be part-time some weekends, and since I haven't heard back from that I suspect it won't come through.  Judging by the amount of "free time" I've had lately, I would have trouble keeping it up anyway.  This weekend I've been helping my chiropractor's family clean their newly purchased house before they move in. I'll be going back this afternoon to shampoo the carpets, then next week they want to paint the entire house, basically.  I won't be around for that because of my regular job, but I think it will take longer than they think it will, based on my own recent experience with house-painting.  At any rate, I've barely been home enough to sleep lately and the sudden onslaught of allergies with the coming of spring is about to knock me on my butt for a while just to make me relax a bit.

I have some interesting jewelry retail opportunities coming up.  The White Elephant flea market in town will be opening its doors to community vendor tables starting the first weekend in May, so Mom and I will take some household stuff down there we need to sell and I'm thinking I should set up a jewelry display as well.  Certainly can't hurt.  Also, my first merchandising job at the VA Canteen (the job itself is almost more of a pain than it's worth) may prove to be a good jewelry outlet.  The canteen chief there is always looking for vendors, she says, so she'd like it if I set up a display there sometime before Mother's Day.  Both of these are exciting, since I wouldn't have to pay for a table or anything, but that means I need to scour my calendar for a good VA day plus make sure I have a decent amount of inventory for both of them.  Enter my frustration at not having been at home for long enough to even get all my laundry done in one day.  Tonight after shampooing carpets I'll try to relax, maybe make a necklace, and take a look at my calendar so I can get this all figured out.  I have a concert on April 9th and need to make a visit to Cody, WY after that to see two of my best friends once before their baby comes and maybe get a glimpse of Yellowstone while the parks are free, April 16th-24th.  The more I list the things I have to do the more intimidated I feel...yeek!

Anyway, I need to get some lunch before cleaning.  Must calm down and get my head on straight or I'll never get everything taken care of.