Conspire Rocks!

Come join us this Saturday, January 19th at Conspire!

Have a happy day!

Rocki

Smock You!

That's right, I said "Smock You" and I say it with love.

Have you seen my friend, fellow Crafty Burrito team member, First Friday in crime partner and cupcake lovin' Allison? She is the ever talented gal behind the fabric of some very creative totes, handbags and cuffs. She has a great display on hand at the different shows and events she attends, so don't miss out on the opportunity to own one of her creations. You can find her at http://www.smockyou.etsy.com/.

Not only can Allison smock ("fabric manipulation" as she calls it) but she's a fellow metal freak. She's a "wannabe machinist/welder" by day and a smocking fabric manipulator cupcake eater by night. Check out one of her metal creations Copper Necklace II (you must see her display, it totally rocks!)

Now go ahead and visit Allison's shop, plus you can find out where she currently has some of her creations on display. To find out future events where you can find her, visit our Arizona Crafty Burrito Collective website.

Have a happy day!
Rocki

Organic Peace

The peace sign has been around for as long as I can remember, and that has been, well... anyway, it is a symbol that is recognized by all.

I remember when I was a little girl I loved giving the peace sign to strangers, especially while riding in the car. When others gave me the peace sign back, I got all giggly inside and would smile from ear to ear - especially when it was an "old" person. One of the most heartfelt times of doing this was when we were on our way to the my grandparents house to see my uncle Dave who finally made it home from Vietnam. I was so afraid that I wouldn't see him anymore. Although it was only a 30 minute drive, it felt like forever - especially to a little girl. I gave the peace sign with both hands! When I was ignored by some drivers, I just kept smiling and held up my little peace signs. I honestly didn't stop until we pulled into their driveway.

My tribute to all is my Organic Peace cuff bracelet.

Peace - what does it mean to you? Loving kindness, harmony, freedom, tranquility, safety for our troops, no more wars, a room all to your self free from noise? Whatever meaning it has for you, may peace be with you always.

Peace and Love,
Rocki

Metal Hands

Do you remember those Madge "You're soaking in it" commercials? Well, if not, no biggie as you'll understand all the same.

Prior to the holidays I took a metalsmithing class, instructed by the very talented Holly Carter. I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally learn a new medium to add to my ever growing "I want to learn..." list. Torching, sawing, pickling, filing, measuring... Funny, but of all the techniques I learned and information I absorbed, I recall one of the comments Holly made about my long natural nails - it was something like "oh Rocki, you won't have those very much longer" (no pun intended, okay, maybe a little :).

I knew she was right and so I filed them down - halfway. Guess I should have gone a little further as now I practically have no nails, but oh well, I'm making lots of cool creations!

Okay, so now we come to the "You're soaking in it" bit... I'll be the first to admit that I do not (nor have I EVER) have model hands. You know, the nice, smooth, silky, not an age blot, freckle or blemish type of hands. I have your run of the mill working hands. That is why you'll never see me modeling my rings and such in my shop. My hands age me, more than my true age. Anyway, what I'm getting at is although I absolutely LOVE my metal and wire work, my hands look like a crime scene!

Will I stop playing with my torch, saw, files, metal, etc? Nope! I'm having WAY too much fun to care about what my hands look like!

Got lotion?
Rocki

2007 ends... Thank you everyone!

Wow! Here it is, December 31st. I must admit that despite little setbacks here and there, 2007 was a fabulous year!

I experienced many great moments these past 12 months and I'm so thankful for each and every one. I must mention that, without a doubt, one of my best moments was 'meeting' my sweet friend Janell! She is the reason I set up my shop on etsy.com. Besides being a very talented artist, she is sincerely a sweet person and friend. Thank you Janell - you're a big part of my life!

I also want to thank my boys Jeremy & Jason who are the best kids a parent could every hope for! A HUGE thank you to Mark, my soulmate/best friend/hubby, who stands by me, supports me, encourages me, listens to me, and loves me unconditionally - even when I ramble, like now.

On that note, I have many goals for the coming year, both personally and professionally. In fact, my brain is swimming with so many new creations to, well, create, that I don't know where to start exactly. Well, actually I do know where to start and that would be with my list.

Happy New Year everyone and thank you all!

Rocki

p.s. The ring shown here is another fun creation of mine. Feel free to visit my etsy.com shop to see more :)

Wire Wrapped Rings

I am quite excited about my learning new techniques and mediums to broaden my expanding jewelry career. One, in particular, is my learning metalsmithing - which will be my next blog as it will be more detailed - for now, I want to share with you my new self-taught creations...

This Snow Jade Sterling Silver wire wrapped ring is my favorite, so far. I call it "Moon Glow" because it truly reminds me of the glow of the moon on a clear night. It was rather cloudy the day I wanted to take the photos and I just couldn't wait. So, I went ahead and took them outside like I normally do. I was happily surprised to see how cool and mysterious the photos turned out - plus it really fits the name I gave it.

Yes, I've been on a ring wrapping frenzy, but loving it. I'm also creating some for the younger gals - some fun & funky type rings. Funny, I never really cared much for 'rap', but I am totally into this kind of wrapping!

If you would like to check out my newest creations, visit my shop at:

http://www.rockisrocknbeads.etsy.com/

Have a happy day!

Rocki

Inspired by life - Creating with nature