Alaska Bound!

Sqeeeee! I'm going to Alaska on a big ole ship next spring!

Dad and I had been talking about going to Alaska, so I started looking into cruises, trains, tours, flights, whales, shopping... You know, all those things that get a girl excited. Well, we'd originally figured on 2010 so I had time to save some pennies. But, I found a great deal on a 7-night trip in 2009. So, we're going (picture me jumping up and down).

The kicker? We're also still planning on a longer tour in 2010 (major jumping up and down here). 

Can't wait, I haven't had a "real" vacation in many years. 

Being the compulsive researcher that I am, by the time I get on the boat I'll probably know more about this cruising thing than my travel agent. 

Any advice to a first time cruiser? 

Oh, just thought, a perfect excuse to upgrade the camera! More shopping! Gotta go...

It's Here!

Well, I warned you last time that some exciting things were happening. 

The big project of the summer has come to fruition!

Brightwork Studios is pleased to announce the grand opening of emoticharms.com. Our newest line of everyday jewelry! Please check us out at www.emoticharms.com and let me know what you think. 

It's been a long time coming and a lot of work for all of us, but we're pretty proud of it. I know I am at least! Never realized that setting up an eCommerce site was so complex. I've gotta admit that I had a lot of fun doing it though. It's been years since I've even looked at any code! Now, I'm hardly an expert, but I've learned enough to make a backup before I delete anything ;>

Happy autumn everyone, hopefully now I'll be around a bit more.

I was lost, but now I'm back...

Lot's of exciting and some pretty awful happenings over the last couple months since I've updated on our heros.

Keep an eye on this space. We've got an exciting new line coming out the end of the month. I'll be posting links to the new site as soon as the unvieling is ready. ;> There's going to be some very interesting things comming out of the basement (no, the zombie kitties aren't escaping... yet).

On a personal note. I lost my mother in May, so haven't been doing much in the way of socializing or netalizing for a few months. It's been a rough couple of months, but things are getting back on track here at the homestead.

Since I promised info on the care and feeding of artists... The most important thing seems to be to keep a good supply of bourbon and cigars handy ;>

This has been the summer of the grill. The perfect summer feast at our house has been ritualized into an every Saturday event. The minimum requirements are hamburgers, potato salad, and watermelon. I think I've perfected the grill burger. I have a freezer full of grass-fed beef that seems to make all the difference. Awesome stuff, well worth tracking down (try Seven Sons Meat Company in Ft. Wayne IN www.sevensons.net).

Here's the perfect burger:

1 lb top quality ground beef
1 Tblsp chopped garlic
1 Tblsp shredded horse radish
1 Tblsp dijon mustard

That's it, dump it all in a bowl and squish around until mixed.

The most important consideration is a good bun. None of the squishy white buns! Nope, find a nice kaiser roll. Pair it up with some baby swiss, a slice of vidalia onion, and a slice of home grown tomato. That my friends is summer at it's finest!

Where's the Time Fairy when you need him?

It's been a crazy few weeks. Between being informed that I have grown up to be a trainer whether I want to or not, traveling to the frozen north to perform said training, and trying to keep up with photographing Mark's basement output... Well, I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead.

The good news is that spring is right around the corner and things seem to be winding down. Still a lot of work ahead to get everything loaded into the web site once the programming is done (thanks Gen!), but I can see a nice nap on the horizon.

So, I will soon be back to sharing all the fascinating details of how to feed and manage an artist without making either one of you crazy.

Happy spring everyone!

Of shooting dead people and finalizing web work

Whew! Finally got the pictures all taken for the front page of Mark's web site. I can at least say that I've learned a lot about jewelry photography in the process. I'm very pleased with the final results (finally). Take a look at www.markfosterdesigns.com and let me know what you think.

I also had a great shooting day at Crown Hill Cemetery here in Indy. It really helped to get out and take pictures of something other than small shiny objects. I'll be posting some of the pictures from today, so be on the look out for them.

If you're out and about on Saturday (the 15th), stop in at Hands On Healing Arts on the southside. Amy is a wonderful massage therapist. I see her at least once a month and can't believe that I ever survived without her. She's having an open house on Saturday, so check out her web site (www.MassageTherapyIndy.com) and stop by for demonstrations, door prizes, and healthy snacks. They'll be celebrating the grand opening between 10:00am and 4:00pm. 
Hope to see you there. (I'll be the one with the camera.)

Time to turn on the lights

Thought it was time I introduced myself.

I'm Tamara and I'll be writing about art and photography and the awesome jewelry that my other half makes.

I'm calling this descent into art because that's what the last year has felt like. Somewhere along the line I discovered a talent for photography (and a potentially unhealthy fascination with graveyards) and learned to look at the world through the eyes of those with the talent to truely see. My assoication with Mark (AKA the other half) as his artistic talents have matured and hanging out with our neighbor, who is also a phenomenal artist and jeweler, have led me down a path of developing my own artistic vision. Thus my descent. It remains only to be seen if the path is leading to heaven or hell.

I’ll be showing off my work and Mark’s work. You'll occasionally see wonderful things by other friends. I’ll also ramble about nothing a lot, but hey, it’s a blog. I’m sure that everyone is interested in my ongoing battles with evil (AKA Ygor the psychotic cat) and my newest discoveries in the supermarket. I’ll also introduce you to some of our cool friends on the net and let you in on the best places to eat on the east side of Indy.

So welcome to the ride. Hang on and enjoy the sights on the way.