ornamental garlands

  ah, to settle into a routine - how lovely that is, how sweet.  i know at other times in my life, those routines have seemed mundane, predictable, droll.  not now.  i am savoring the chance for long, uninterrupted days in my little studio, tinkering away from morning until well after dusk has fallen.  it comes so early, these winter days, and i was beginning to feel like someone sitting in a shop window, exposed for all to see.  granted, i live on a road where cars seldom pass, but having been the subject of multiple break ins and robberies, the exposure was a bit unsettling.  the recent solution?  a trip to asheville provided a vintage u.s. postal bag, secured to a dowel rod with binder's clips.  as day draws to a close, i can now very simply remove the rod and "curtain" from its daytime spot and move it over to cup hooks i've placed in the window.  the number 3 reminds me of a memorable four days spent with book artist nick bantock, of griffin and sabine fame, in the home of montreal studio owner carol segal.  we laughed, we laughed and laughed, we shared stories over breakfast tea, over dinners at restaurants on the cobbled streets of the old part of that town.  the number was designated as mine, and into my art journal he drew a page that centered on a great big 3.  memories.  that was a long, long time ago, another lifetime ago, and far - so far - away.  it has been raining and raining here on firefly road - and it feels like it surely must be raining wherever you are.  no?  but here, the bare tree branches are all laden with jewels, the fog rolls in and this cove seems like it is the only place on earth.  i walk into the studio earlier than usual, as walter and i are not able to venture out to the river for our daily walks, and i spend more time than i normally would on intricate pieces of jewelry that turn into sparkling tapestries.


 for hours i sit and twist wire into garden gate vines, i stitch love into velvet the color of ochre.  there is no sound here, other than the heavy rain.  there is no ticking of a clock.  there is no time to stop, there is no place to be other than right here, where at this very moment i very much want to be.

  i'm not to a point quiet yet where i can stop and begin the arduous task of photographing, editing, describing, and listing these newest pieces in my etsy shop.  it. is. an. unbelievable. amount. of. work, and this requires huge blocks of time and patience.  time, i have.  patience, i do not.  for now, it has been a pleasant thing to reach for my iPhone (yes, i finally was able to get one back in the summer) and snap things in the studio as they unfold.  i do not have to edit, i do not have to remove from the digital camera, i do not have to manually load into the computer.  i write this, and i shake my head - i never thought i would be one of those people, but here i am:  an iPhone phan.

for now, i'm going to share with you some images i've snapped of finished pieces.  i am loving this current vein of work - the revisiting of an older design (these first were made back in march of 2009), and i'm now making the wrap bracelets long enough to be worn as double chokers around the neck.  this came to me when i was down in alabama for thanksgiving:  i didn't pack any of my own jewelry to carry for the trip, but packed a couple of the new pieces to show my sister and my mother.  on thanksgiving morning, i felt like being adorned, and out came a couple of the bracelets, stacked one on top of the other with a sterling necklace i made with daddy's words.  i loved the look, and really love the layering of stories and so many memories - of course i do.  here's my abi, wearing one bracelet, doubled around her neck.  there is a bracelet (finally completed) that i worked on for two solid days; as i said earlier, i didn't know how to stop, i didn't want to stop, there was no buzzer going off to tell me that it was time to quit.  how rich it is, i think; how much like a treasure chest it is of collected memories and dreams.

  i'm not sure how to go about taking the time to photograph these things for the shop, with the low light of a very rainy day.  i'm not sure how to stop myself from making more and more and more, when there comes a time of necessity to put them up for sale, to lift them to the wind and say, off you go.  be gone.  give me a day, this afternoon or tomorrow, and it will happen; there they'll be, listed and all earnest and shimmery, like encrusted ornaments of olden times, lined up as garlands of an ancient and beautifully laden christmas tree.

                                                      xo

(ps.  seriously... i am really sad, so sad, about the measuring tape going off when it wasn't meant to be sent away.  would you please write me back, if you could?)

Comments

[Tina in McLeansville]

transformation....personally, i love the whole idea of cocooning, then seeing what comes out..can't wait to see, because these little appetizers you've shown are so very delicious!! isn't it wonderful to be happy with you....to be content in the circumstance, in the space you are in? it shows, dear friend. keep at it! hugs...xoxo

[susan]

I love your new/old jewelry pieces, Nina - it's a perfect circle. And I am happy that you are savoring this quiet time that you have been needing for so long.
Sometimes we need those long, solitary hours to center ourselves. My own life has been in turmoil recently, but now I am finding such peace and contentment in an ordinary day. I wish the same for you, my friend.

xo dusan

[kathy dorfer]

everything is so wonderful . nick bantock has been on my bucket list for a while . iphone camera has been my best friend for awhile . so shocking since i have been a nikon user for ever. and now i need the new iphone , just because it has a new lense ...
good post nina .
thank you
xxoo

[Barbara]

Estrella Nina, your new pieces are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous ... but OMG, OMG, OMG - 4 days in a studio with Nick Bantock!!!! Oh, my freakin' Aunt Fanny!!! I have lost count the number of times I've read the stories of Griffin and Sabine, Matthew and Isabella, "The Venetian's Wife," and "The Forgetting Room." Okay ... settle, Barb, settle... Thanks for sharing this, and it has been raining here in ATL, too. Love ya!

[sandy]

OMG, OMG, OMG

...Or-namental-gasm...

[Monica]

I'm with Sandy - this post is an Or-namental-gasm INDEED!! And to read that you've actually met one of my favorite mixed media artists - OH!!! I do hope to take a workshop with Nick Bantock one day, just as I've taken a workshop with you dear Nina =-)

I've got to lie down now from all the beauty and excitement!

[eb]

hi Nina
such a lovely post
so in tune
with your thoughts
#3 holds much
for me as well
and dusky magic...

xox - eb.

[Katherine]

You never stop impressing the hell out of me....

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=549723257]

Your contentment and excitement ooze all over the page...your wraps are exquisite, Nina!

[Delila]

your work reminds me of a era of Queen Elizabeth I, how they used the beads, pearls and beautiful fabrics so abundantly. Nina you have made beautiful pieces.

week a go i begun to create something new, after wandering how i would like to just sew & crochet bracelets or necklaces. i have been missing the sewing.

[Renate]

These piece make me want to cry and laugh and faint - so ultimately gorgeous. Wow. Just wow.

[Jacky Mcfarlane]

Just beautiful Nina dear friend, I love them, they almost look tribal to me, tribal treasures. Loving your contentment.

[Sabrina]

Oh Nina,it's all so beautiful!

[Cathy Wegner]

I love your jewelry pieces. Simply beautiful! I also love the big spools that you have on your desk. I got one of your boxes but there was not a measuring tape in it. Hope it is returned to you. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

[Julie Whitmore]

You have knocked it out of the park with these. Stunning work........
xxx

[Bonnie Moench]

Nina
Thank you for another soul enriching post.

I do hope the person that got your measuring tape will return it.....I know it meant a lot to you.....Please girls check the boxes that you got from Nina..it can never mean as much to you as it does to Nina.

xoxo
Bonnie

[Alice]

Beautiful pieces you made. These are sure to become treasures for some lucky person.

I checked, and checked again, but the measuring tape was not in the box you sent me. I'm so sorry it has not been returned.

[kim]

alice in wonderland jewelry!!!
love love love and love!

[Seth]

I love when those periods of pure creativity happen and I totally get lost in them. You seem to be there right now -- pure joy. And that joy is reflected in these gorgeous new pieces.

[Mary]

These pieces are intriguing. Each one is a lovely little world.

[holly uk]

wow nina your work looks beautiful as always.
That ceramic cup is beautiful with the tree on it - where did you get it from?? i want one!!! :) xxxx