Hummingbird

I spent the afternoon reading Romola in the warm sunlight (a treat after hours of researching earlier in the day), which was comforting because there was a bit of a breeze permeating the air.  Otherwise, sitting outside would have been too hot for my mild weather-inclined self.  Right as I was about to return inside for refuge from the sun, my husband came out--and we saw the most sweetest sight: two hummingbirds sitting calmly next to each other on the electricity wire.  So that was where the high-pitched chirping that I had heard all afternoon came from!  Wait a minute...hummingbirds actually sit like other birds?  Yes.  It was a new fact to us both, and we reveled in our attempts to capture these elusive creatures flitting about in our yard, returning to their tree home, and alternately sitting on the electricity wire; there were three in total.

I was surprised by how often they would move their heads when sitting on the wire, as if the movement would help elicit a fight or fight response in case of a predators.  We took pictures--lots of them.  Here is a collage of a hummingbird on the wire; we missed the photo opportunity when two were sitting there.  I wish that I captured the showy iridescence of the bird's plumage, but the lighting and angle from which I took the pictures (pointing upward) were not conducive to bringing out a colorful display of plumage.

My Photography

I'm a little nervous about this, but last night, I listed two photographs for sale in my Etsy shop.  My photographs are so highly personal that I may actually take it personally if they don't sell.  All joking aside, this is the first time I am selling my photography--a new direction for me.  The vast unknown about how these photographs will be received makes me twiddle my thumbs in fright, but I am optimistic, as I always try to be. 

The Arrival / New Beginnings--5x7 Print

 

Nostalgic Empire State Building Panoramic--6x9 Print

A Summer Afternoon

Yesterday, I took a day off and spent a relaxing afternoon in the garden with my camera.  Photo therapy (pun intended) at its best.  The sun was shining, the wind was minimal, and the sky was a blazing shade of bright blue...

New Items: Brass Setting Pendants

I am currently "test driving" (by wearing them) the brass pendants shown in my previous blog for durability, and so far, I love them!  By doing this before I create more of these pendants to sell in my shop, I can carry out a (sort of) quality control move on my part.  The stones in the 10x8mm brass ox lace-edge bezel cups are fancy jasper cabochons--which I currently have in assorted colors--and the stone in the large 18mm brass setting is a lemon chrysoprase cabochon (I have one more lemon chrysoprase left).

We've decided that the lace-edge bezel pendants would look nicer with the traditional, upright oval shape, rather than the horizontal oval shape that I've created below.  Therefore, the shop offerings of this pendant will be upright oval in shape.  I will keep the silver-plated copper connecting wire between the bezel and the jump ring, so that the pendants can be worn with a sterling silver chain--more versatility.

Also, I love how the brass ox setting complements the warm color of the fancy jasper cabochon!

Here are some other brass setting pendants that I've been working on:

The brass settings are the same as the ones with the stone cabochons shown in my last few blog posts, but the images are from actual photographs, well, actually ONE 4x6 photograph!  Very abstract and lovely.  I've meticulously hand-cut each circle and oval shape with a pair of scissors--these pendants are currently a work-in-progress.

I am so excited by the possibilities of working with different mediums (in these cases, brass settings with stone or photographs), and experimenting with my numerous ideas!


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