New Ideas, Fun Stuff, Odds & Ends

Maybe just a little bit scattered and random today. When things begin to warm up here, I find I must try to begin a schedule that includes working outside...but right now, my INSIDE schedule is pretty darn busy....so, frankly, I'm glad it's been raining!

Most of the snow is gone now, revealing some pretty ugly stuff that needs attention:

• squirrels have dug up parts of my garden
• dog droppings from a whole (long) winter
• dead vegetation that didn't get cut back last fall-this has got to go before new growth starts
• too many dead leaves--some are good mulch, but too much chokes the new growth
• pot holes in my gravel drive and piles of gravel shoved together by the snowplow
• weeds, already!

I need to find some help...I don't have enough time or energy to care for all this but appearances are important when the campground opens in May (the road back to it is basically my driveway so all who enter go past the gardens, the yard, etc.) Maybe I can figure out how to simplify, move important plants and then put more grass seed down so keeping up with weeds, etc. isn't so much work? I've just got to get this figured out soon!

Meanwhile, there are orchids opening indoors and petals falling from mature ones...I just love the look of the freshly dropped orchid blossom, just as it's drying. They don't turn brown, they are such a fleshy blossom while alive that they really hold an exquisite form as they dry. I collect them into bowls, just to look at them. I used them as photo props this week. And many brand new buds are now opening...so hopefully, there will be some new orchid photos here shortly.

And finally, I'm so excited to be making progress on a self-imposed design challenge--my own original "self-latching" pierced ear wire...designed to hold a pearl or other dangle. These are moderately long (typically 1 to 2") making them a total of 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" when completely assembled. I'm including a couple of samples here...a couple others are already posted in my shop and more are on the way.

I love the way these are going, they are so comfortable...and best of all, they don't come out of my ears because they are latched shut (obviously, I test run/test wear all my designs before they go into my shop.) And they don't look sort of cheesy like the "kidney wires" from the old days, which just don't seem substantial enough and I won't use them in my work. My new ones, on the other hand, are developing to really look good (I think) AND to function as I've hoped they would. So hey, earring wearers who stop by...what do you think!!?? Let me know!!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!!