Spring Planting 2015

Back about 6 weeks ago we started the first of the seeds for the vegetable garden.  The tomatoes are doing fantastic....transplanted and over 10 inches tall.  I have added greens, parsnips and carrots to my seeds planted this year. 

Spring color

As the days warm up it becomes time to transition the plants from inside to outside.  A few veggies do well direct sown into the garden, radish and snow peas.  We will be planting snow peas outside next week. I am trying some new natural pots this year.  I am not a fan of peat pots and their impact on the environment.  Stay tuned to see how the new containers do.

In a bit of limbo right now with shows because of the my recovery from my new  ACL ligament knee surgery in Dec 2014.  The plan is to have a second surgery in about two weeks to remove scar tissue.  I hope to bounce back quickly and be able to do some summer shows in July or August. If you have been to or think of any great art shows/festivals, feel free to share  & recommend them to me. 

New things for the business......
On twitter
shopping cart coming to website
selling slabs  and cabs to other jewelers & designers

Shop here: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art
Twitter:  Panda Wear

Zuffolo - New Feature Artists on my Team

We have a new feature on Panda Wear's blog.  About once a month we will feature an artist in my "TEAM".  I have been selling my work online and have a great TEAM of people whom I consider my second family. Here you will learn about the artist and their work. 

Zuffolo

Handmade chic attire for the little ones you love

Cynthia Baker is the owner of Zuffolo. She started her business after moving to Atlanta in 2011.   After they moved to the Atlanta area in 2011, she spent a year making new friends and learning the ropes but found that she really needed something creative to do. Cynthia had many creative outlets in her life in Connecticut.  She was unable to find any similar outlets in her new home, Atlanta, so she started sewing again. It first started as costumes for children and then for adults.  It was all very successful but there was not much  latitude as far as creativity went.  People wanted copies of things.  Now that she has gone back to what she originally thought she wanted to do, she is have lots of fun!

 Why start Zuffolo and make clothing for children?  Cynthia says, "It sounds crazy and trite, but I had a son and never got the chance to buy ‘girl’ clothes."    The dresses and things that have embroidery work on them are the most fun to make.  Watching something turn from a cute item into a one of a kind DARLING item is the best.  

Aqua Dress

As for advise for someone starting out in her line of work...Get a local following first.  If she had done the same work in CT, she would have had a HUGE local following.  Here it is a bit different because she and her husband are still considered new to the area. Cynthia is married with grown children. 

 Purple Boho Jacket

Are you wondering if she accepts commissions or special orders?   She does accept custom orders as time permits and it is usually a 2-3 week turn around time.  New things on the horizon for your company......Slated for 2016 she has plans for local shows and boutique sales.  She is working to build her inventory first.

Backhoe Jacket boy's

Contact info for Zuffolo and Cynthia      Zuffolo shop      Facebook

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems 

New Feature for Panda Wear

Proud to announce a new feature on this blog later this week.  Having sold my work online over the past several years I have many new friends. We have become a great "team" which I am proud.   I have a very diverse and international group I can count on my team  They will  tell me if I have a great idea or go back to the drawing board.  They are also the first people I am excited to share their good news. Sharing our success and failures has help us to grow together as this team.

Happy Spring

Stay turned to meet my "TEAM".......




My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook

Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art

Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems

Tribute to Leonard Nimoy

It has been about three week since Leonard Nimoy passed away.  I was shocked and struggled to write this tribute.  He was a great man.  It is obvious to any who knew about him, he was so much more then "Spock" on Star Trek. He was a writer, director, photographer, poet, artist, and father.

I first saw him as an actor in the series Star Trek.  It was one show we watched as a family and we enjoyed it immensely.  As a child I was unaware of the deep meaning behind the lessons in each episode. Now, as an adult, I realize what a pioneer the series was.

A search on his name and any subject will give you a great list of his books, movies or art. 

The two below articles give the best information I have found about his life.

nytimes leonard-nimoy                             huffingtonpost leonard-nimoy


To help reacquaint myself before wring this, I read his autobiography, I am Spock.   It has confirmed all I know about him as an admirer & fan through the years.  He was a great man who did not put himself first.  He understood what it was like to be the little guy and be discriminated against or picked on.  I will miss him but his memory live on in all of us.  May your memory Live Long and Prosper, Mr. Nimoy.



My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art

Spring Agenda - Garden Design 2015

It is the end of February, time to plan my 2015 for my gardens and my show schedule.  Working on my vegetable garden layout for this year.  We have used a 3 year crop rotation for many years and it works well.  Also picking out which varieties of tomatoes and peppers we will grow for the season.  This is the fun part of the year for me.  Going through the seed catalogs and seeing what  is new and what is available this year. Mostly online since hard copies do no t seem to be sent out anymore.

Which shows I would like to do this year is a bit slower of a process.  I enjoy the Naples grape festival.  there are several shows which used to focus more on the art.  Now they push the wine and beer tents along with way too many stages of music.  Going through my notes from the past few years and working on the applications. 

I am asked often if I accept custom orders; yes I do.  Thinking back to all the commissions or special orders I have made, a few to share with you. 

Sterling Silver Pendant

Eyeglass holder in Picasso Jasper

stay tuned i will be answering some more of the questions I have received this winter.  Planning to be covering some requested topics.  Please feel free to suggest topics you would like me to blog about.  comment here or email me with the link below.

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies


My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art

Winter Wonderland and 2015 Plans

Looking out my windows, it is certainly a winter wonderland.  We have about 1.5 feet of snow on the ground.  The good thing about snow cover is it helps my dormant pants survive the cold and freezing.  As you may know, I am an avid gardener.  The end of this month we will be starting our vegetable seeds for the season inside. 

As for where I am since my surgery just before Christmas.... almost took pics of my knee to show what had been done. I decided not to share the ugly part of the surgery.  I am in physical therapy weekly with a professional and daily at home.  As anyone who has had major surgery knows, it is quite exhausting. My new ACL ligament seems to be working well.  I am off crutches and walking about normal speed.  I can hardly wait to dig in my garden. 

What is going on for my jewelry business?  Well I had to take some down time during the early part of my recovery.  Now I am getting back to making new pieces and deciding what shows to do in 2015. More about what shows I plan to be in and what I am working on in future posts.   I am selling on line is several places with links below. 

Here are a few of my newly listed pieces.  Two sterling pendants and a pair of earrings. 

stay tuned


My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies


My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art

Goodbye summer, Hello FALL

Certainly has been too long since I wrote a blog post.  What have I been up to?

Definitely enjoyed my vegetable garden this summer.  My harvest lasted from May for lettuce through November for the last of the lettuce.   We grew:  yellow beans, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, mesclun, lettuce, cucumbers, bell pepper, jalapenos, banana peppers, snow peas, radishes, raspberries, chives, and sage. 

Here are a few pics of our harvested fruits 8 ball zucchini, broccoli, lettuce and radish, and tomatoes. 

 The weather was not kind to farmers or gardeners this year.  Spring was way too wet.  Our garden did well this year, all things considered.  I have canned tomato sauce and frozen zucchini for bread or lasagna later.  Also some baked zucchini bread and peppers in our freezer.

As for fall there have been some challenges for me.  In mid September, I had a fall and now have a serious injury to my left knee.  Reconstruction surgery is schedule for 12/12, next month.This drastically changed all my plans for fall and holiday shows.  Having no idea what I would be able to do more than a few days ahead of time.  On a more somber tone.... there have been some members of my family dealing with terminal inoperable cancer diagnosis.  This has been the most difficult fall I have  had since my father died.

The holiday season is upon us.  this is late November.....one show is planned for the first weekend in December for my local buyers.  I still have my online shops for those who are not local.  I am on Ebay, Supadupa and facebook selling my cabochons, rough and jewelry.   Stay tuned for details about the event next post. 


My store: http://panda-wear.mysupadupa.com/

My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art
 

Festivals for 2014

Currently reviewing and deciding which show to participate in this year.  If money grew on trees, I would do about 15 before the end of the year.  Three would even be in another state.

The way I decide which to do is based on the below logical questions.  The top 5 are from my earlier post about how to choose a show.  This is is part of the criteria I am using to decide which shows to do.  Applications are due starting the end of the month.  

Show Critique and Criteria for Choosing an Event

1. What is there that brings people to the show? 
2. What size crowd does the show normally have?
3. How many vendors are planned & what is the mix of types of media at the show? 
4. Is it there a jury for acceptance?
5. Have you been to the show?
6. Has the show changed since the last time I was a vendor?  Is it larger, smaller, different target audience, different mix of media, new location, new date?  

This is a difficult decision to make as to which shows I do not sell my work.  Also need to decide which to just visit and plan for next year.  the show season for outdoor shows runs May through October here in Rochester, NY.  I do shows in my home state right now.  This leads to another topic for next time.  Booth layout or design.  

Your  questions and suggestions are always welcome.

 My store:  http://www.zibbet.com/PandaWear

My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art

Winter Almost Done

Though is is not my favorite season, I like winter.  Without all four seasons I would not love where I live.  My two favorite seasons and spring and fall.  I am planning my vegetable garden right now.  I need to decide what we are growing this year and plant the seeds inside this week.

This winter started quite early here in Rochester, NY.  It  has been a wild one with really warm weeks followed by bitter cold.  I enjoy the snow cover  and it helps my plants to have a dormant season.  Not to mention it kills lots of fungus and disease which in a warm winter ruins the growing season here.

Here is the snow in my front garden.

Photo of my vegetable garden from a late spring photo.

In the front is my Broccoli and the back shows tomatoes, lettuce and peppers.  The fence is deer netting to keep critters out. 

I am inspired my nature and as you see the light through the leaves and branches think of the bends and twists in my wire work.

Upcoming topics will expand on the quality and why I choose the materials I work with.  
Your suggestions are always welcome for future topics.


My store:  http://www.zibbet.com/PandaWear

My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art

2014 New Year and New Designs

Started the year off with many ideas for new designs.  I am still working out the specifics for them.  Photos will be posted when they are complete.  If only wishes make things happen.  Wishing for more time to work on them.  I no longer do New Years resolutions.     I have committed to working on my lapidary projects(stone cutting) at least one day a week.  Cutting again is fun and relaxing.  I currently have about 10 stones in process. Photos when they are finished. 

This is a  new piece from last month, Dichroic Mirror in sterling silver.

My store:  http://www.zibbet.com/PandaWear

My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art