Changes...

I've been spending a lot more time outside in the little work shed, late at night, with the deer that I can hear rustling the leaves in the trees out back, and the creepy crawlies that find their way into my workspace under doors and through little holes.

My seed beads sit quietly neglected indoors while I'm away pounding, sawing, hammering, heating...

On Saturday night, it all came together perfectly, and I completed my first ring made with stone and copper and earth elements.

It was just a practice stone so it's a little knicked and banded and a tad irregular, but it's not the quality of the materials that makes this so important...

It's the feeling of accomplishment and pride in watching it all come together, and being able to do it on my own.

And no, it's not silver and yes, I wore it all day and ended up with a little tinge of brussel sprout green around my finger...

but it's okay, because I made the brussel sprout green ring and will probably make three or four more before I decide to go in for the kill and buy silver. (or I'll wait too long and it'll be $60 an ounce)

Either way, I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to learn something new and I can't wait to see what else lies in wait to be created from my hands.

In the meantime, my sisters and I have been on a little cab shopping spree, so you will see a little more metal and stone around here and probably a tad less seedies (but, shhh, don't tell them that!)