to-do list

No fooling, free National Parks Week is coming up this month

Posted by gwen on Apr 1, 2012 in to-do list, travel | 0 comments

National Parks Week is April 21-29 this year, which means, admission to all the US National Parks is FREE.

Visit the National Parks Service to see which parks this includes then plan your trip!

Photograph: Tunnel View, Yosemite, by Don J. Schulte

Valentine’s Day! Treasury

Posted by gwen on Feb 4, 2012 in St. Valentine's Day, wishlist | 1 comment

Hey, I made an etsy treasury full of hearts and Valentine-y goodies! Check it out here.

February Challenge: Necklace a Day

Posted by gwen on Feb 1, 2012 in craft, meme, photo | 0 comments

Fellow East Bay Arts Collective member Katherine of Percent is organizing a necklace-a-day challenge for February. I always see those 30-day prompts (your instagrams, blogging cues, drawings, etc.) and think they’d be fun but they’re not quite motivating enough for me.

This one is right up my alley, since jewelry-making is the one thing I do regularly — I have my tray next to my TV-watching chair and it’s a good excuse for watching guilty-pleasure shows (“But I’m making something! I just like the background noise!”). And I am really, really bad at getting around to photographing and posting my jewelry on my etsy store, so it’s great to have this commitment to get me to get off my butt and do something with my jewelry besides letting it gather dust.

I’m making one necklace each day (I started last night), then photographing, blogging, and etsy-posting the following day. I’m going to try very hard, anyway. And I might make the occasional bracelet or pair of earrings instead some days. You will have to check back to find out! (If you like me on Facebook, you can get updated when I post there.)

Anyone who’s interested in the challenge should join in, see Katherine’s original February Challenge: Necklace a Day post on her blog for details.

It’s my birthday!

Posted by gwen on Dec 2, 2011 in gwen, love, photo, wishlist | 0 comments

Las Ofrendas 2011

Posted by gwen on Oct 5, 2011 in craft, Día de los Muertos, to-do list | 1 comment

resources for Día de los Muertos and a listing of related events in the san francisco bay area. check back as events will be updated through october. feel free to share additional events in the comments.

Oakland
Día de los Muertos
– Fruitvale 30 oct @ 10-5

Love & Loss: Días de los Muertos 2011
– oakland museum 12 oct-11 dec
– community celebrations 23 oct 12-4:30
– fotos!

Berkeley
celebration in the gourmet ghetto
– 2 nov 5-9p

San Francisco
Day of the Dead
procession, 2 nov @7pm

Mission Cultural Center
altars & exhibit 22 oct-19 nov
– workshops through 29 oct
Galería de la Raza
SOMArts Altars for the Spirits
– 8 oct-5 nov

Watsonville
Pajaro Valley Arts Council

– Mi Casa es Tu Casa 11, 28 oct-19 dec

San Jose
MACLA

Summer Colours Week 2011: Rainbow

Posted by gwen on Jun 30, 2011 in garden, meme, photo | 0 comments

It’s Rainbows Day

Summer Colours Week 2011: Blue

Posted by gwen on Jun 29, 2011 in meme, photo | 0 comments

Poppytalk Summer Colours Week: Blue

Summer Colours Week 2011: Pink

Posted by gwen on Jun 27, 2011 in garden, meme, photo | 0 comments

I had a lot of fun seeking out and setting up shots for Summer Colours Week‘s pink day…even managed to sneak one blue and one green in, too [I’ll put those up later]. I tried to represent a mix of outdoors [flowers and travel] and things I love doing in summer [yard sales, crafting, collecting bits and bobs at the beach].

Summer Colours Week: Yellow favorites

Posted by gwen on Jun 27, 2011 in love, meme, photo | 0 comments

A couple sweet yellows I’ve been enjoying over on the poppytalk Summer 2011 Colours Week flickr group [click the photos to visit the photographer’s flickr page]:

by lluize

by Sushipot

by scrumdillydilly [and check out this awesome 3 minute cake batter cake]

by Wide Angle Wanderings

by Leah Giberson

by cookoorikoo/Shampton Industries [who is having a ring sale — how cute is this?]

by ohmygoodknits!

poppytalk: Summer Colours Week Kicks Off Today!

Summer Colours Week 2011: Yellow

Posted by gwen on Jun 26, 2011 in craft, meme, photo | 0 comments

It’s Summer Colours Week again!

I love working with warm summer-colored beads, the yellows just pop against your tan.

I don’t remember if I posted this, a birdhouse I decorated for a Kentucky Derby-themed party. It ended up being to heavy to sit on the hat all evening so it became a dining room decoration instead.

And a couple pieces I have over on etsy…

[buy them here]

[buy it here]

My creative space

Posted by gwen on Aug 4, 2010 in craft, meme | 0 comments

I made a couple of these vintage button necklaces awhile back and am just getting around to photographing them…the warm summery gold and cream of this one is my favorite so far.
Available at gwen.etsy.com

It’s been awhile since I’ve made a nest but I recently sold my favorite nest necklace and it seemed like time to make another.

I scored some antique chandelier crystals at an estate sale recently. They will be added to pretty, sparkly accessories soon!

And here are some of the necklaces I’ve made but haven’t had the time to list yet. One of these days…

[my creative space]

Recommendation: Genevieve Motley jewelry

Posted by gwen on Jul 6, 2010 in love, wishlist | 4 comments

South African jewelry designer Genevieve Motley makes the most lovely, unique pieces you can imagine. Very economically priced, too. I won this fantastic necklace and have received many compliments on it over the past few days.

Head on over to her shop at genmotley.etsy.com.