Ethora

04:22 am: Midnight Musical Maisy Meanderings
I was 15, and Maisy was 10. We were sitting on the cold floor of my basement bedroom after playing in the hot outside, and I was petting her curly soft coat while we listened to the radio. Maisy was kept in a "puppy cut" because not only was it easier to maintain but the one time she did get the fancy poodle hairdo it was obvious how much she hated it. Maisy was communicative and smart, and probably knew she was no hunting dog (hunting water fowl is the purpose of the fancy poodle cut, in case you don't know). Frankly I'm surprised she never found a way to speak with words. Maisy understood English better than some people do, and her understanding was much deeper than mine of dog...but I digress.

I'm not writing now to remember how awesome an intelligent being Maisy was. That would require a book. Right now I just happen to want to write about the first time I heard the band R.E.M., and Maisy was there.

We were sitting on the floor of my bedroom in the basement, listening to the alternative New York radio station WLIR, when all of the sudden we heard a bit of different sounding music go "der ner ner nerrrr..." ( Read more... )

Tags: maisy, memories, music, rem

04:43 pm: Scrap
Last night I decided to pick through my sterling silver scrap heap and make a necklace using scrap and the odd gemstone (and one shiva shell) beads I have laying around the house. I arranged the beads so that they correspond with the four elements (Earth, Fire, Air, Water). My favorite is the tiny rainbow found in the labradorite in the "air" section:



( one more picture )

The double spiral links were made from 18g wire and the stones are wrapped in 20g wire - all scrap from previous projects. I'm wearing it now, and I keep spinning it around my neck because...it's fun!

02:44 pm: It certainly took me long enough to try oxidizing one of my trees:


sterling silver & rainbow moonstone

I oxidized this piece with black salt, a spice used in Indian cooking. It's very easy to use, and I think a lot less toxic than liver of sulfur (I mean, it's edible)! Here's how I use it:

1. fill an old coffee mug 3/4 with water,
2. microwave until boiling,
3. take outside or in a well ventilated area - this is smelly stuff,
4. dump about a tablespoon of black salt into the hot water and stir,
5. dip your clean silver piece/s into the hot solution,
6. keep dipping and soaking until the desired color is achieved,
7. clean and polish your piece.

Easy! Black salt, which is actually not black but pink, also works with copper and fine silver...and probably other metals that I have not tried yet. I like the look with my moon tree...it adds a haunting dimension, I think.

Tags: black salt, oxidize, silver, tutorial

06:35 pm: New Tree Ideas
Last night I decided to try making a tree ring. The first one I made was too wonky, so I tried a different style and I like it! I used copper wire and peridot beads. It's adjustable (I can wear it on any of my fingers - from pinky to thumb), and more comfortable than it looks:



( Click here for more pictures, plus my completed tree chalice candle holder... )

01:42 pm: I made a couple of tree chalice candle holders...

01:11 pm: Book
I posted chapter 2 of Sunshine The Bird last night. This puts me ahead of my New Year's resolution. I've even started working on chapter 3 but I had to stop so that I could get working on other resolutions. Sunshine, I will see you again in mid-February.

Weather, forget what I just said.

05:00 pm: ♥
Winston's feathers seem to have tiny black font hearts on them:



He's such a love...

( ...like a tiny dog sitting by his master's side )

10:43 pm: Bedtime Story Improvised - Based On The Truth
Once upon a time there was a giant puffball. Now, you might think that a giant puffball is a cloud or a type of fluffy cat, but a giant puffball is actually a mushroom. It's a mushroom that is larger than a soccer ball, but about as round as one, that pops up out of the Earth seemingly at random. I've heard that they are delicious.

One day, or shall I say hour because a giant puffball's existence is counted as such, the giant puffball sat on a hillside next to a small shedding tree and across from an overgrown labyrinth. It was October in northern California, so life was turning green again while also being Autumn. The giant puffball was completely full of itself and had just finished growing when a Wizard with a long white beard approached.

"I will peer into this sphere and predict the future," said the Wizard bending down to be closer to the fungus.

The giant puffball was amused. It was not a crystal ball, and the Wizard should know this. Poor Wizard.

"Ah, I can see your future, dear puffball," proclaimed the Wizard, "and it is in my copper pot!"

The giant puffball was elated. How wonderful to be eaten by a Wizard.

The End.

05:00 pm: OK, so this is special...
Jay and I made a video over break. The music he wrote and recorded in the 80s, and I love it. Enjoy!

04:00 pm: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...
I do not like that my personal journal has morphed into a showplace for my wire-work, so from now on this journal will be for personal use only. I may post pictures of a special piece or two, but the rest will be my thoughts and goofiness.

If you would like to follow my creative silver progress, then please visit my blog here.

If you would like to shop at my Etsy store, then you may do so here or visit www.ethora.com

If you would like to read my novel, then please visit Sunshine The Bird here.

On Facebook, I am Ellen Thurmond. I also have a FB fan page under the name Ethora.

On Twitter, I am Ethora...but just so you know, I usually tweet about my current creations.

Thanks, and Sweet Dreams!
Ellen