Well hello there. 

I know that I have not posted here is quite a while. A lot has been going on. First I have gone back to school!!! So i have been really focusing on that. ( it going great). Next it is baseball season here in Mass so my time is work, school, family. Not a lot of time for anything else right now. However I have realized that I need to make time to make. It keeps me whole and grounded. So here we are. Let me update you on the goings ons from the last few months. 

We went to opening day at Pittsfields, Handcock Shaker village. 

We love going there it is such a great place. 

 This is one of theirs goats. It just makes me want one more. So cute!

 This is the chicken coop and nest box. I loved the way they have sliding doors. Making note for the future.

 At the being of the month (may) we went North to Toronto to visit family. We went to the Ripley Aquarium, it was amazing. I am not sure who had more fun Quinn or us. Are these jelly fish not beautiful and amazing?

 We also checked out a Blue Jays game!! Quinn and Steve's favorite team and Quinn's first Major League one. It was amazing. 

 Of course while we were there I found and visited a local quilt shop. Pick up some nice polka dot fabric and a pair of thread scissors that I have been looking for.

It was a great and fast trip.   

 Here is my new sewing trunk! Steve made it for the show. I hope you all fallow him(The garage with Steve Butler) 

So I needed a new trunk he made one, and he even painted it yellow for me. 

It is painted with milk paint from the Handcock Shaker Village. It is marigold yellow. My favorite. 

It works great and will it looks great also.

 A update would not be complete without a dish update. We found this great little lemon dish at a local antique store. It is amazing. I love it. I mean how could you not it is a lemon!! And of course I have my lemon wedges in it. So wonderful. The small things in life make a person happy, 

And not to forget the studio. Here is my bench as I try to get through all of my unfinished project and boy there sure is a lot of them. I really need to get to work. Once I get through all of those projects I will share some pictures of them and then of the studio as it need a major cleaning. 

Of boy always working on many things. 

I guess it keeps me going and grounded to have many projects around. 

Thank you for reading as always.

I will try to stay away for as long this time.

Liesl  

Working away

 Yesterday was a great day to be working away in the studio. It was rainy and raw outside. 

But inside the studio was cozy and warm. The wood stove was working great. The above image is of me working hard on a pattern/texture that will be on a piece. I can feel all of that hammering today! Whoosh, it was a lot. But man it did feel good, I haven't made that in awhile. I will have to make up more to keep some on the ready.  

 Here is Steve chopping wood for the fire. He is the most amazing husband ever. Thank you for keeping me warm. 

Here I am working at my bench. I love my bench, its like home. I have to get the studio the more, hopefully the trend of the warmish winter will keep up. Once it gets too cold I will not be able to get in there as much I was would like. 

Thanks reading. 

Have a joyful and safe holiday season. 

Liesl

 This is a great sign. My Aunt gave it to me, it belonged to my grandfather. I have the part that hung with name inside the studio. Steve hung a piece of slate from it for me, that way I can write anything I like on it. I rather like the welcome. I think that it is a great addition to studio's exterior, don't you?

 I was working on several projects yesterday. It was so nice to be in the studio this past weekend. Quinn visited and worked with me for a little bit also. I will show what he did latter this week. I worked on a some old projects (still not completed), a couple repairs, and a few new projects. I just can't seem to help myself from starting something new when I get in there. 

My trusty wood stove. It is an old friend at this point. Our friend Dick Sargent made it for me when we lived in New Jersey. We have dragged it everywhere with us. It got a hole in it last year, so sad. But Steve was able to put a patch on it. Thank you so much Steve you are the best. It works great, you would never know that there was a hole. I have an amazing husband. It keeps me nice and warm (well when I remember to add wood) while I am working. 

AS always thank you for reading. 

Liesl 

October update

Happy October everyone!! This is a great month here is New England. The colors are changing and man are glorious this year. More one that latter.

The below image is of a shipment of metal I just received!! So exciting. Isn't is beautiful? I love getting new metal, I always have a hard time cutting into it for the first time. But work awaits me. I have many project to get done and to finish now that I have what I need. Keep post ot see what comes out of the it.

 Below is me working on Quinns quilt. I still have a long way to go. Maybe by Christmas I will have it all done. It is taking longer then I thought. And we have had several colds and what nots go through the house making it hard to work on it.  I know that I am no good when I am sick. Oh well. It is coming out wonderful though. Quilting take patience. And I love doing it by hand. 

As always thank you for reading my friends,

Happy fall and be creative.

Liesl

Hard work

 The above image is a stone that Quinn and I working with. We are creating a necklace together. I have put to hard work. I have created this board with masking tape sticky side up to hold the stone still while we wrap the bezel wire around the stone. I use a spring clamp to hold it onto the bench. That way when it is not in use I can hang it up out of the way. I have been using this for years. I love it. It make life in the studio so much easier.

Here is Quinn and I working on the setting. we are doing some cleaning up on the piece. Quinn loves to work in the studio and use the tools. He is getting the hang of the flexshaft. He is has been a great help in the studio. When the piece is done I will share it with all of you.
As always thanks for reading.
Liesl

Update - projects

Happy July!!!!

Well this has been a nice weekend. Working in the gardens, hanging out with Steve and Quinn, working on the quilt (no photos next post), and I even got in the studio. The weather is finally starting to feel a little bit like summer. Although it still has not gotten really hot here in Massachusetts. Not that I am complaining I like the warm weather just not the humidity. 

The above piece is a single earring that I have made into a pendant. I though that I had lost them forever. But this single one turned up a few days ago. I was so happy. I love these and I am so excited to have a pendant now. I designed this years ago. Steve and I were freshly living together in Hew Jersey, we had these little square lights in the bedroom and this the shape they made on the slanted ceiling. So it had a very special place in my heart and it warmed me to find it again. 

 This piece is one that has been sitting on bench for at least a year maybe longer. I believe the stone is some kind of a opal. I am not sure though, that is what the person told me when they gave it me. I think. Anyways it is a beautiful color of blue green. It is next to a wonderful sterling silver hollow form. I gave everything a high polish. I will be giving it a black rubber word to finish it off. It will be amazing!!!

This one is still in the works but so close to being done. The blue piece is some blue willow dishes from my grandmother, it will be bezel set and look lovely. The hollow form has some wonderful lace ribbon texture on it. And to top it all off there will be a large white fresh water pearl. I will finish this one off with black rubber cord also. I this this will be so lovely.
I mean really who doesn't love a good pearl. I think that more people should wear pearls. They really go with anything.
I can not wait to finish that piece and all the rest that have been waiting on bench. I am getting there, I have some fabulous ideas I want to get to, but fist I need to clear off the bench.
Well as always thanks for reading.
Be creative,
Liesl

In the Studio

 It has been a wonderful month! The weather is finally nice, and I can get in the studio and work without a problem. Not worries about heating it or snow or anything.  It is so nice.
The above photo is of me soldering a new project. So exciting!! It will the first in a new series more to come about it latter. The bottom is of all the projects in the works on my bench. It look like I have a lot of work to do. Can not wait to spend more time in there, now that I can easily.

I am excited and inspired when spring comes and the snow is all gone and things start to grow. I am not much of a winter person, it makes me hibernate. Oh well spring is here, and it time to get to work.
More updates to follow. Thanks for reading.
Have a wonder-filled day.
Liesl

A snowy update

As you can see it is a very snowy winter here in Massachusetts. My studio is snowed in and everytime I think that we can some progress digging it out we are hit with another snow storm. This is the never ending snow. We are very close to Worcester MA the snowy place in the country right now. I am hoping and wishing for spring to come a little bit early. I am hoping to get into the studio soon, but till then more on posts on quilting. I am hoping that everyone is a staying warm and have a very good 2015 so far.
Thanks for reading.
Liesl

November Studio update

November is almost over already. I feel like it has just started. Thanksgiving is over and I hope everyone had as a joyful one as we did. We have lots to be thankful for this year.
We have had our first snow fall of the year. And Christmas is fast approaching.
Here is a quick update on the studio.
Here is Quinn helping me bag and put away inventory. He is such a great assistant and he love to be in the studio making also.

Here is a picture of several project that are in progress. I have finally settled on the design of them and now they just need to be finished. Some are old projects rediscovered and others are new.

There will be four new necklaces and one new pair of earrings. I have loads of new ideas also. I just have to find more time in there. I am hoping to find more time very soon. Again thanks for always reading and I will do another update very soon.
Have a fabulous day.
Liesl

The flowers are gone and fall is here. The trees are already starting to change colors here in Massachusetts. I am not ready for fall, I feel like summer never happened. Oh well embrace what we have now and that is cooler days that are great to work in the studio on.
When I place my bench in front of the window I had envisioned working and being able to see Quinn playing in yard. And that day has come it was amazing. With the door open he could talk to me and I could keep and eye and an ear on him.

 Here is what I was working on. I an working on another piece related to Alzheimer's. I think that it is a great start. It will be another necklace. I am not sure if these are the elements that will end up in the finial piece though. I have a habit of looking at things and changing them around several times before I am happy with them, or just want to finish it to move on. Sometimes that is something you have to do. Just finish and move on.

 Here is a collection of stones and pearls. Fist who doesn't love a bowl full of pearls. I love pearls and I love to use them in a lot of my work. I think every women should have pearls, I love to make them wearable for any age and any type of person. There are three bags of stones one set is from the beaches in Toronto one is from hiking trips with Quinn at Purgatory Chasm (one of our favorites place to hike and explore) and the third is from a friend who thought that I would enjoy them and be able to use them.

 After a while Quinn came to join me in the studio and work on his own projects. He has been asking for a bigger workbench. He needs for space to work he tells me. Taking after his parents already. I am one proud Mama. I love that he enjoys working and creating with me and does the same with Steve in his studio. He is already saying that our next house he will have his own studio!! Fabulous!!

Thanks for reading have a fabulous and joyful day.
Liesl