Simple Pleasures

Every once in a while it's nice to get away from the ornate (ok, but just for a minute becuase I love me some ornate crafting!) and make something simple and clean. These are all 1/2 inch wide leather bracelets with wee buckles or wee brass clasps.
They make me want tea and something small to nibble.
I really don't know why.
Except for a lovely line of custom orders, Christmas has not nearly been as busy as they say it gets on Etsy. Perhaps a blessing in disguise? I recorded a song today in totality: wrote and recorded it. It's called 'December' and it is the words of an old poem from the turn of the century.
'I heard a bird sing in the dark of December, such a magical thing and sweet to remember. We're closer to spring than we were in September: I heard a bird sing in the dark of December."
http://www.myspace.com/allisonsattinger

Regal Koi Collar

Red Delicious and bold as love.

Necessary Upgrades

My wonderful Fiance helped me create a postcard. OK, he said, "Choose 12 items you love best" and then he made a postcard for me, asking my advice on some of the layout. Sometimes his generosity of spirit just blows my mind to bits.
I don't profess to be an expert when it comes to Photoshop. I am still in love with effects and such, 'lensflare' has not lost its thrill for me, especially since "Sunny" is a part of my business name.
His sense of delicacy, and yet his strong sense of the eye's instinctual path is just so.....sexy.
Behold :)

Spring in November

The little East Coast girl in me still feels the need for spring. It's still blanket and cocoa weatehr here in Los Angeles, and our lovely condo gets minimal light, so I have brought the sunshine, birds and bees into our home with leather.

Belated Birthday Gift!

My parents gave me money for my birthday.

Since, I have been trying to find ways to avoid buying this ridiculously expensive cardigan on Anthropologie.com, and I finally won because I told myself that I could buy many, many things in its place.
Many.
mannnny.

And this pair of vintage Capezio butterfly boots is one of the things I bought. On eBay. This is the look of surprise when I found I had actually WON the auction: people are rabid dogs about these boots!!!





I also got a sweater from Ramona West on etsy -- excellent vintage stuff: I cannot wait to receive all the goodness!!!

Bravery is mine!!!!

Bounty

mmmm....

Fall Has its own Harvest

Oh, fall.
So maligned after the leaves vacate. How perfect that on a day that reminds me wholeheartedly of fall days in Pittsburgh ( by L.A. standards this is frigid ) I made a necklace that sings the praises of LATE fall. Not early fall, but late.
November has also spawned some things I adore more than green leaves ( or as much as )
1. 'November Rain' by Guns and Roses
2. Moody walks in the chilly grey, watching the last leaves let go
3. The luxurious feeling of drinking hot tea, curled up with a book under a handmade afghan next to an antique lamp
4. Thanksgiving dinner....yummm!!
5. Scarf wearing. Yesss!

I am certain there are more, but I have a book to read and tea to brew.
And a little bit of light headbanging to do to GNR.
Rawk.

Excellent!

Sometimes, ideas are born of flow, other times they are born of slogging through the proverbial mud. I had visitors from all over the country for weeks, and I was the visitor as well in many different cities. Sometimes when that good whirlwind passes, there is a sadness that creeps in and renders one bed-bound for days.
Not. this. time.
Yes, that is right: I used the fuel behind my sadness and made calls, sent emails, did, cleaned in small baby steps, organized things. I was rewarded by a song that has written itself out of my sheer force of determination and I was also rewarded by this necklace.
In cleaning out the studio I found that there were scraps of things and bits of designs I had never fully explored and tonight I was the Magellan of Leathercraft.
I discovered a new land: a necklace that is 90% leather and ten percent brass.
Land, ho!!!!!!
I will be making and listing another version on Etsy soon: this one's mine :)
I rarely keep anything yummy for myself, but I feel very much in love :)

Tomorrow I begin my first class in a series of six on silversmithing.
New land indeed :)