Inspired!

I have been so busy! When I made the move from Etsy to Artfire business slowed down a bit. Or came to a screeching halt. Which sucks a lot, but I am so thankful it  happened! Things had been moving  like they were pokemons, but I was super blocked. I was spending all of my time on orders, and shipping and so many things I had more than one of which was great. They order,  I recreate, we are cool, and there is  inventory still. But that can't last forever, stones run out, you sell out of a particular design, and uh-oh you have been so busy, you have nothing new!
And the new items I was making were mediocre, pretty and sparkly, but there was nothing exciting about them, nothing  that made it a Dorkorama piece. But it was all  going so well and so quick I couldn't just take a break! And I wouldn't have even if I could have afforded to! Then I got a bit to far on my etsy bill...and bam! Done.
My bill  is getting paid down-it wasn't that big. Really though I don't think I will go back to etsy. If I am going  to shell out that kind of money, I should be shelling  it out on my own website.
The upside though is that the forced break woke my creativity back  up, I  have made so so so so many new pieces, and I am thrilled with so many of them. My hands can't keep up with my ideas! It has also given me a chance to really go through stuff, take apart and rework old  pieces, try new things and styles, and build my shop from scratch again, this time knowing what I am doing better, and making it all a bit more finished and cohesive.And also I have gotten to play! I have made some crazy wacky things people won't  wear, but I have had a lot of  A-HA moments, and I feel so excited to dive back in.
 But yeah-inspired. I'll shut  the hell  up and let the pictures do the talking. 

Upcycled Flower Cuff- From Soda Bottles

and again

Mermaid Cameo Necklace with sterling silver clam shell charm

Sterling Silver, Black  Spinel and Moonstone Earrings

Flower Pin-Recycled Soda Bottles again

 It's funny, my first listing on etsy were earrings made of soda bottles, and  look where I am again!

Golden rutilated quartz necklace, with  accents of black spinel, pyrite and moonstone. On a sterling silver chain and wrapped with ss and gold-filled  wire. This  was one of those "can't go to bed until it's finished pieces"

Antique clock bead, wrapped in brass filigree

Chinese turquoise and dark wood, chunky beaded necklace

vintage craft cat eye ring. I got a big  bag of craft bits from a thrift shop, including really old googly eyes and these cat's eyes

Pendant made with clear magnifying  cab and scrap paper

See, it's all over the place, but there are lots of ideas percolating, and I am feeling really optimistic.

Home...

I am leaving tomorrow to go home-meaning Lubec ME, and Campobello Island, NB in exotic foreign CANADA =P
It's crazy because I am so homesick, but it hasn't been my home for 9 years. After moving to Bangor, it took a  few years but it became my home. When I travel and start missing home I think of Bangor. When I go to see my Mom sometimes I get homesickn for Bangor. I always smile when I come back to Bangor, and turn off of route 9 and make my way down the hill and cross the bridge into Bangor and you can see it all lit up. Just a little tiny city, but MY little tiny city with my cats and my Fella and espresso, and my STUFF.
Right now though,  it has shifted. And I  don't just miss it. I am HOMESICK. Like being ten and at sleepaway camp and your tummy hurts because you miss home that bad. It makes everything feel off, and if you can just get HOME you know it will all feel ok again.  There is this moment on the ride there, the temperature seems to drop, my body relaxes, my skin fits better, and then I get that first whiff of the clean amazing ocean air.  That is the moment when  the sickness is cured, you're home!
And I am going for a wedding, my little wonderful hilarious Sheri O'Teri-esque cousin Dawn is getting married! We lived  in a little family compound like we were fundamentalist christians or something while we were growing up, she is kind of like my baby sister. So  because it  is in Canada and because I love her so I am  lifting my "No I won't go to your f-in' wedding until that civil right is mine as well, thanks for your goshdern support, ally!" ban for a day.
I feel like after a few days of all that family I will start to feel homesick again, for Bangor!
I will leave you with some pictures, try not to be jealous.

So inspired and smitten with these pieces by designer Rachel Dooley of Gemma Redux

End of Summer

Summer winding to a close is a sad occasion for most folks. I however love it. Late summer, and stretching into late fall is my absolute favorite time  of year, good coffee flavors, good beer flavors, good pie flavors! I guess I just really like pumpkin. The end of summer inspired my latest piece too, my fondest memories of august evenings involve catching fireflies in a jar. Would have been a shame if they didn't have such a naturally short life cycle anyway. Sterling Silver and Moonstone trapped in a corked glass vial!

Available in the Artfire Shop

A little hiccup

So, my Etsy store has been closed. I am not sure if it is temporary or for good. My success there was great, and totally unexpected, and  I grew a bit faster than I anticipated. Ok, a lot faster than I anticipated. Felt like light-speed actually.  So, I'm taking a breather from the big E, but I will continue to sell stuff on artfire as Dorkorama,I only have one item  there at the moment, but I am taking stock, weeding out the stragglers, clipping the fuzz, and that will  be my online site for now. With Artfire you aren't required to become a member to buy from my shop, and I believe they have more payment options.I'll be slowly fixing the links on here, and  my facebook page to go there, but also taking a chance to have a breather. I'm making some jewelry for fun! I  just got mint green unicorn cameos, and peacock druzy quartz, and big brass gears! Stay Tuned! The new site will be,  http://dorkorama99.artfire.com  really just swap out the word etsy for artfire. It's not as much of a racket.

Je ne comprende pas

I believe I have posted a pic of these earrings before, but they have proved to be soo popular. When I started my etsy site I originally wanted to do as many recycled items as I could, such as scrabble tile pendants, yadda yadda. And instead of stock images I was going to stamp and rubber stamp emboss them, that was my hook. Since that point though I have followed my muse all over the place and in less than a year (really?? thats all?) I have made a crazy amount of different things.
Recently however at goodwill, I found these disks, and to me they were a palette.  The finished product came out better than I expected and they have been received super well. What makes me happiest about them though is how close they are to my original vision of what dorkorama could be.  And are a good buffer when I start to doubt myself and my talent, and give all the credit to the materials.  Nowif I could just figure out what they say!

Something for the Baby Mamas

Something about this recent piece I have made reminds me a bit of  a pregnant lady.  The combo  of the pearls, the soft pinks, and the fullness of the stone, just seems rosy and  glowing with all the woman power!  Someday maybe they will find a way for man t have babies, and  I can stop  all of this Freudian jewelry making. Psychoanalyze me, won't you?

Rose  Quartz,  Pearls, Sterling Silver Necklace