New Items at Viktor's Blue Rose Salon & Boutique

Viktor and Gerald are receiving a new selection of jewellery items from us today, including earrings like these fun turquoise ones




and this stunning citrine coloured Cubic Zirconia pendant




Stop by the salon and check out the display or browse some of the selection on the web at: http://www.mboot.net/ViktorsBlueRose.html

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Interesting times...

I've been following Hugh over at GapingVoid and the notes on The Cloud. From there, went and took a good look at Evernote. Really nice bit of programming and it has the potential to drastically alter how we do favorite-ing forever. I like it.

Also read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. It's a book title that gets tossed around from time to time on the forums. It's not likely a program that gets completed every time a book is sold however. Like many self-exploratory projects, they don't get done. True to form I procrastinated on starting the outlined tasks until today as I finished the book last night. It may well work into a good thing as I work to stick-with-it.

Meandered into one of the local used goods/recycle stores last and picked up the green Days of the New CD. Been enjoying that today too. Someday, I'll run across some more of their work. Travis Meeks is a brave poet.

All together, these little forays into the unknown have amounted to a creative vacation. And it's good to take a vacation from the should do's. The bonus is that leaves me wanting to do more of the good stuff that is actually productive.

That's today, check back with me next week and see if I'm still hanging in there :)

Now listening to: Choke Hold - Days of the New
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The Flickr Meme - borrowed from Sharon

How it’s played:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.



1. What is your first name? Cynthia

2. What is your favorite food? pizza

3. What high school did you go to? Harvey Regional High School

4. What is your favorite color? black

5. Favorite pastime? reading

6. Favorite drink? chai

7. Dream vacation? Europe for a few months

8. Favorite dessert? cherry cheese cake

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? a better me than I am now

10. What do you love most in life? my friends

11. One word to describe you. nice, at least I hope so

12. What town do you live in? Acton

13. What is your occupation? art

14. What did you have for breakfast? coffee & veggies

15. Favorite element? Water

16. Favorite season? Spring

17. Favorite seasonal activity? planting the garden

18. Fave music when you don't know what else to listen to? The Tragically Hip

19. Celeb you would like to meet? Woody Allen

20. What is on your computer desk top? measuring tape

21. Favorite shoes? my heels

22. Favorite alcoholic drink? ammaretto

23. Favorite candy? cherry chocolates

24. Favorite flower? painted daisies

25. What did you do today? tidied up in the studio & read a bit

The resulting mosaic:







Credit, where credit is due:
1. Cynthia takes artistic license with Pike's Peak, 2. Pizza night!, 3. United States Coast Guard, 4. One Night in Bangkok, 5. llibreria - bookstore - Amsterdam - HDR, 6. kitchen #2, 7. France - Provence - Lost in Lavender, 8. Yummy For My Tummy, 9. hair, 10. Hold me close, under the sunset, 11. hello. nice to meet you., 12. Moonrise, 13. Cd Art, 14. an iranian old painting, 15. October Morning on Lake Michigan, 16. Red.Source, 17. French Garden at Duke Farms, 18. I Hate You, San Francisco, 19. Woody Allen in concert, 20. tape measure, 21. Red Heels, 22. Some nights you just have to, 23. Chocolate-Cinnamon Mousse with Cherries, 24. 'Painting' of African Daisy from Lowe's, 25. my miniature studio


The interesting thing about an excercize like this is that it is a creative one, it's fun, and if you answer quickly, right off the top of your head, you might surprise yourself with some honest answers.

The next part of the exercise is realize, perhaps, how few of the small luxeries, like your favorite dessert, you haven't treated yourself to in a long time. Make a date with yourself for a treat at least once a week. It's amazing how good a little luxery feels.

Sharon's Blog may be found here.

10 Reasons why friends are like plants

1. some are perennials and for life
2. sometimes they are just annuals and here for a season
3. some are pretty and fragrant, and some just stink
4. some you can't identify
5. some show-up were they don't belong
6. sometimes you have to weed them out
7. sometimes they must be moved
8. some have to be nursed along during difficult dry or wet spells
9. sometimes you just have to sit and talk to them
10. but always plants and friends must be given the right conditions in which to grow in order to achieve the best results

I'll probably edit this list again sometime as it is merely the result of thinking a lot about some of my pals and spending a lot of time in the sun... in the garden

If you're not reading Anne Rush's Blog, you should be :D

... and not just because she wrote about us, but because she writes about so many things of interest to those of us that are interested and jewellery and fashion and fashionable jewellery... and because she knows her stuff.

Thank you Anne, for this lovely blog post on us: http://www.annerush.com/journal/2008/7/20/jewelry-with-unique-appeal.html. Much appreciated!

Check out The Savvy Designer.

NSDCC Summer Market

The Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council is presenting their Summer Craft Market Downtown on Friday July 25 through Sunday July 27. The market is being held at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street.

Hours are:
Friday, July 25 10 am ‐ 8 pm
Saturday, July 26 10 am ‐ 6 pm
Sunday, July 27 10 am ‐ 6 pm

As always, the quality of the show is high, even though it is much smaller than the Christmas Market, which could make this an easier show to shop.

We're hoping for a good weather weekend and that everyone has a grand time at the show.

See you there

Cynthia & David

and this just in from Julie at the NSDCC office:

The 31st Summer Craft Market will be held on the lawn and parking lot at the corner of Spring Garden and Queen, beside Dalhousie University. This is an incredible location, taking in the sites, sounds and smells of bustling Spring Garden Road, and just a stones throw from the Halifax Waterfront.

Collectors will have the opportunity to wrap themselves in clothing made from vintage fabrics, handyed silks or handwoven jackets. Find the perfect mug for early morning coffee, a handturned wooden bowl for an upcoming wedding gift or perhaps the upcoming nuptials are yours, several jewellers will be on hand, locally made gold bands would complete the day.

Craftspeople working in glass, visual art, wood, textiles, metal, clay make the NSDCC shows one of their premiere events each year.

Demonstrators will be on hand throughout the event to show their skills in handcoiling clay, stitching, basketry spinning, weaving and metalwork to name but a few. Please spread the word.

Here are the nuts and bolts...Friday, July 25 - 10am to 8pm

Saturday, July 26 - 10am to 6pm

Sunday, July 27 - 10am to 6pm

Corner of Spring Garden and Queen Streets beside the Dalhousie University Sexton Campus building.

We will be under large white tents, with a few smaller tents.

Exhibitors will include...

Serenity Images -- Anne Bastedo, visual art

Pam Frail -- PJ Crow Designs, metal/jewellery

Gail Heinze-Milne - Glass With Class, glass

Landry's Birdseye Bowls - Leonard Landry, woodturner

Constantine Designs -- Lynda Constantine, metal/jewellery

Hunter Street Silver -- Jennifer Hunter, metal/jewellery

Masterworks Jewellery, metal/jewellery

Common Threads Silk -- Margaret Boyle, textiles

La P'Tite Poterie - Suzanne Babineau - clay

Turbine - Lisa Drarer-Murphy - textiles/clothing

De Weever's Wovens -- textiles/weaving

Point of View Glass -- Katrina Fleming, glass

Bejewel , metal/jewellery

Glass by Kathryn Gordon -- Kathryn Gordon -- glass

Harding Surface Design - Chris Harding -- visual art

D Digs pottery -- Denise Jeffrey, clay

K Maclean -- metal

PriorArt -- Candice Prior - metal/jewellery

And now for something completely different....Cynthia and David Ryder --metal/jewellery

Ostrea Lake Pottery - Deb Wheeler - clay

Flight of the Eagle Jewellery Arts - Tim Finley - metal/jewellery

Non-profit booths include...- Atlantic Economuseum Network - Julie MacMillan and Tom Young -- Visual Arts Nova Scotia

Julie Rosvall, Communications Coordinator

Nova Scotia Designer Crafts

office@nsdcc.ns.ca

http://www.nsdcc.ns.ca/

902.423.3837 tel

902.422.0881 fax

Order/Chaos sterling cuffs

Here are the cuffs that we designed and built for the exhibition which was just put up & out on display tonight. Got back from the "hanging" a short time ago. The work is varied, beautiful, thoughtful, politically charged and well worth the time if you are in town.

We are in such fabulous company and are truly fortunate to have been selected and to be the only jewellery artists for this show.



Order is uniformity, neatness, linear, methodical.
Chaos is variation, disarray, turmoil, frenzied.

We crafted two 6.5inch sterling silver cuff bracelets to represent our definitions of Order and Chaos.

Order shows linear thinking represented with horizontal silver lines of similar nature to each side of the word, uniformity through the letter size and shape of the word itself and it is neat and clean in finish.

Chaos is rough and colourful with the applied patina. The word itself is varied in size and shape and the turmoil and frenzied thought is shown through the scraps of silver at each side of the word.

Order/Chaos Show at CSAC

To quote Katie Fitzrandolph who always preps the press for the shows:

Perhaps the most ambitious exhibition so far at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre opens this Friday.

Approximately 25 artists have responded to the theme of Order/Chaos. Their work encompasses painting, pottery, glasswork, sculpture, photography, jewelry and installation. Their approaches are philosophical, humorous, graphic, political, whimsical, personal, reflective and experimental - not necessarily all at the same time. The scale is equally broad, from works a few inches across to six feet wide to a multi-level site-specific installation.The theme resonated with a range of established and emerging artists, and the response necessitated impaneling a jury to select works for the exhibition.

Order/Chaos is the second theme exhibition for the Charlotte Glencross Gallery at the Centre, located at 732 Charlotte Street. The exhibition will continue until the end of August, with an opening reception Friday, July 18 from 5 to 7 p.m.

We were fortunate enough to have our submission of Order & Chaos sterling cuffs chosen for the show. Will post a photo of those once the show has opened. If you are in the area, come on in for some sangria & nibbles.