polyp ring.s

the rings pictured are an exploration of my love for repetition, candy colors & mobility. one of these beads alone is not so exciting to me but to put them amongst a collection of the same and give them a way to freely move about brings these rings to a life all there own. just like with my dangle earrings with the sterling or copper balls but with these rings they have the addition of color which i love. these rings remind me of the little polyps that make up the beautiful creatures that live in the ocean. i had many a fish growing up….and still have great fondness for little guys that swim in the ocean or as it were…my fish tank. it started with a gold fish in a bowl (RIP: Shoeshiner) and then graduated to a 75 gallon tank with a dozen or more fish. i always thought when i grew up that it would be the best thing ever to have my own salt water aquarium with the live rock that would grow and become a grand collection of sea anenome with all of their tubular, free flowing polypy under water waving glory. i was in love with the little clown fish and the trigger fish. i guess childhood daydreams are meant to inspire jewelry…….at least that’s what it is in my case :O)

i would like to make some that have beads that i fashion out of the plastic handle from a toothbrush, or a broken reflector, or maybe some sewn pillows out of a beach ball. i am excited to see what feeling or mood these pieces will take on by changing just the color of the beads or size of the beads, whether they are handmade and irregular or commercially made, or even the opaque or transparent quality of the beads. i think all of these little shifts will change the overall feel of the piece. some may seem to crafty or sewn teddy bear-like, which is the fine line i am walking and definitely not the look i am after. we’ll see how the experiment goes after some time and studio hours pass………

p.s.–i actually love sewn teddy bears and other little softies….just not in my work

Posted in new work |

beet green asian wraps with spicy peanut sauce

wraps:
1 bunch of beet greens, washed and cut into manageable pieces for wrapping
2 apples julienned or cut into thin strips
1/2 block of tofu, drained, patted dry with kitchen towel and cut into thin rectangular strips
3 T sesame seeds, toasted in dry skillet til brown…don’t skip the toasting part
2 T of lemon juice to drizzle over apples to prevent oxidation

spicy peanut sauce:
1 1/2 cup of peanut butter
2 T sesame oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of braggs amino acid
1/16 to 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
5T chia seed jelly….optional if you have it……..i put it in for the additional omega 3 & 6 and energy giving properties………..it does not alter the flavor one bit.

mix together with a whisk.

add more lemon juice or water to make a thinner sauce.

to assemble:
take a beet green and pile on a few of the apple “sticks”, a piece of tofu, some sesame seeds and roll it up, dip in sauce and enjoy.

-dishes by my hubby chris www.chriscampbellpotter.com

Posted in good for the tum |

sage & lime

a couple more necklaces that i am made for the show this weekend.

the aqua necklace is made of amazonite, limpet shell, plastic

the limey necklace is made of glass and prehinite

Posted in new work |

handmade austin women show

come hang out this weekend at the handmade austin women show. for more info go to www.handmadeaustinwomen.com hope to see you there!!

Posted in misc |

pinkypeach.white

a couple necklaces i just finished for my show coming up in austin next weekend, handmade austin women. the yummy pinkypeach one is made of a plastic “screw in” puppy nose that i bought at a michael’s craft store. the soft curved triangular shape is obviously the nose and the secondary ribbed piece is the part of the nose that is used to screw into the wood or armature to create a lovable huggable stuffed toy…….but instead i had to use both parts for the double pendant

the white necklace is made of a found shell and a vintage tile.

go to www.handmadeaustinwomen.com to get the scoop on my show next weekend.

Posted in new work |

tippy tap

some new “tippy tap” earrings for rebecca made out of tiger eye to go with her tiger eye single pendant.  the little pieces of carefully squished tubing remind me of little dancing feet….or fast happy toes…..like in the flinstones when fred & barney get the car a-movin’      :O)

Posted in new work |

shell.shell.shell.

YIPPY!! i have finally finished the commission necklace for vel. i am really happy with this piece and it’s given me a bunch of other ideas to pursue…..i would love to make a necklace in a similar style in a sage green and pale icy lime……..or an orangey pinky one. we’ll see if i can make some time to create those for my next show at the beginning of may…..www.handmadeaustinwomen.com :O)

this piece is made with shells & coral.

Posted in new work |

bubble.gum.ball bracelet

here is my new “bubble gum ball” bracelet that i finished this weekend. it is a commission piece for a woman in new jersey. this could be my favorite bracelet that i have ever made….it has all my favorite (and right) colors in it……typically, i have a difficult time putting unlike colors together….but, this bracelet combo could change my tune. thanks for that carrie :O)

bubble gum ball is made with sterling silver, reflector, cabbage patch kid shoe plastic, plastic from a lego piece, a vintage ceramic tile, and a plastic vintage button.

Posted in inspired by, new work |

tofu fries

these are super easy to make.

1 block of firm tofu, drain, and squeezed dry…without crumbling it. when i say squeeze dry i mean take a clean kitchen towel (not the fuzzy kind more like a linen) and put tofu in the center. press the towel firmly on each side of the tofu and some moisture will wick from the tofu into the towel. then, cut into about .75″ x .75″ x 2 ” pieces

for seasoning crunchy bit:
a pinch of cayenne, and some paprika, salt and pepper and some breadcrumbs. mix well

when you cut the tofu into pieces the cut edges will be damp from the moisture of the tofu which makes it perfect for rolling in the crumbly seasoning…..

spray thin layer of olive in the pan and sear the tofu fries on each side. let each side sit for several minutes without disturbing otherwise your crumbly seasoning might stick to the pan instead of the tofu.

let cool a good 10 minutes or so before eating them. it let’s the tofu stiffen up a bit. they are really good with horseradish ketchup.

we like to make these with whole wheat apple pancakes for dinner. these make a really good companion for the pancakes because they are spicy, salty, savory goodness, but also because they will give ya some protein to balance out the meal.

WARNING: if your expecting these to taste like potatoes you will be sad when you bite into one of these, but if your open to something new give ‘em a whirl.

Posted in good for the tum |

pink bubble gum

this new single pendant is made of plastic from a cabbage patch kid shoe…..remember those days. i can’t tell if this piece reminds me of my childhood so much because the pink candy color makes me think of bubble gum…hubba bubba style, or if it’s because the plastic is actually from the shoe of a cabbage patch kid doll. for the life of me, i can not remember my cabbage patch doll’s name, but, oh yeah, i definitely remember my sisters…..”byron chuck”. that’s because i wanted pretty much everything she had….i’m the little sister & yes, i had the shirt to prove it. BYRON CHUCK, hahahhaaa, the name just makes me laugh and bubbles up memories off the little house tanya & i grew up in…painting our toe nails & our egg face mask parties, along with the makeup mirror and light set up we had that would become jammed up with a 1/4 ” of aqua net in a matter of days. ah, those were the days….good times :O)

Posted in new work |