Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I see everyone is posting their Halloween manis so I wanted to share with you that my nails are looking like right now. This year I decided not to buy a costume but I wanted to be Hello Kitty because I absolutely love Hello Kitty. So what I did was get the Lady Gaga hair bow and painted it red to then place it in my hair to be Hello Kitty's bow then add some whiskers, a yellow nose and one of my 100s of Hello Kitty shirts and Viola! I am Hello Kitty.

Added some white out contacts just to be a little creepy

I wanted my nails to match my costume, I painted my nails white, stamped a red bow design on all of them but the ring finger the some yellow dots. Then on the ring finger I stamped a Hello Kitty.

Ok back to passing out candy and trick or treating with the little ones. Have a fun and safe Halloween .

Halloween Manicure 2

Hello my Sweet Nail Art Lovers
Just a quick post to share my halloween manicure i made for last nights party and tonights candy hand out. I wish all of you a Happy Halloween :)

Hey, Sandra!

by MaryAnn Carroll

"Have you heard that Love My Art Jewelry is offering its first Call-to-Create?"

"I HAVE heard that, Sally...Sounds like fun!".

"I think so too!  Winners will be picked at random to win some
fab beads by Barbara Lewis!"

"Wow!"

"...and there is even more....Each week a new designer will be in the spotlight."

"Really? I'd love to share my designs!"

"You would think it would stop there, but the monthly winner who is picked at random will also get a month on their new website with links to the winner's choice....Check it out!"

"Guess I've got to get busy, but I can't decide on what to make."

"Well Sandra, I've made it easy for you." "Since the focus is on the Pantone winter colors, I've come up with a couple of shades that I think go great together." "Perhaps, you will too."

"Here's some fiber choices from stemellinasupplies, rainydayyarnshop, tealroot and ebrown2503." 

"And then I found some lampwork beads by Suebeads, and Donna Millard along with enamel painted copper by Barbara Lewis."

"Wow, those are great, Sally!"

"And some polymer designs by humblebeads and rolyzcreations..."

"And if that's not enough, I've found some very cool earth clay beads by NKPbeads and ArtrageousClay." 

"So, there you have it, Sandra!"

Sandra is all set.  She will be designing with shades of green and purple.

Have you started you creation?  What pantone colors with you be using?

For more information, click the Call-to-Create link on the sidebar.

ROSES - 4

The purpose of this exercise was for the students to build layers and shadows for deep, rich color.

All of the students did a great job!

As an aside - this Friday is the ViewPoint opening so, needless to say, I'll be more than a little busy all week, so I'll put up a post this weekend or beginning of next week, that will deal with the show.

Hope that those of you who live in the Greater Cincinnati area will be able to either attend the opening or visit the show while it hangs!

Bear Down Sunday #8...Happy Birthday Cuzz

Today the Chicago Bears have a bye week.  It comes at a very good time..  Today is also the birthday of Chuck "Cuzz" Gekas, which because of the off day for the Bears, also comes at a very good time.
I met Cuzz through Chuck and Jim (the Gekas brothers).  Cuzz is a staunch Michigan fan, as well as a big fan of the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres.  He is a knowledgeable sports fan, from the basics to the very obscure (such as his vast knowledge of backup catchers and infielders).
Cuzz and I have started the Backup Catcher Hall of Fame, to honor the great backup catchers of our lifetime.  The BCHOF really started through our (lengthy and thorough) discussions on backup catchers on our various trips through the years.
Cuzz is a great friend.  Sure the debate over Larry Haney versus Junior Ortiz might get heated on occasion, but there is nobody I'd rather have on stage with me when we induct each new class of BCHOF'ers.
I hope Cuzz has a great day and follows it with a fantastic year.  This one's for you Cuzz...Happy Birthday, my friend.

Cuzz, Jim and me at the Big House in Ann Arbor, MI-Fall 2005.

Happy Halloween - Hats, Vampire Mickey and More at Disney Parks

The first one is the next in our series of limited edition Disney Ear Hats featuring Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The hat lights up; it is the first time Disney has LED lights embedded in the hat base. Similar to the other limited edition hats, this one is presented in a purple, satin-lined hat box. It has an edition size of 1,250 and a retail of $69.95, and was recently released at select locations in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I asked Megan about the creation of this hat.

“We learned a lot from our limited edition Alice in Wonderland ear hat released earlier this year, “ explained Megan. “One of the keys to success is telling a story, and I feel the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ hat immerses you into that story. It’s all about the details – from the characters on the hat to the detailed hat box to the LED lights that are purposely designed to be spooky.”

Next up in the bag o’ goodies are two open edition ear hats – a Mickey Mouse pumpkin hat and one inspired by “Runaway Brain” (Yes!!). Disney Design Group Artist Darren Wilson created the “Runaway Brain” hat.

“I’ve designed about 20 ear hats,” said Darren. “For the ‘Runaway Brain’ hat, I used reference material in our archive. I thought it would be a great hat for Halloween, especially with the bolts on the side of the hat and those crazy eyes. The hat is more like a stylized version of details from that animated short.”

Lastly, Megan shared with me two new deluxe fashion headbands. I know, they aren’t traditional “hats,” but you do wear them on your head. I’m sure I will see many this fall as they should be easy to spot in a crowd. They are a new take on headbands explained Megan.

“We wanted to create an over-the-top fashion headband,” continued Megan. “These new headbands are bright, shiny and have some fun elements like those candy corn dangles. They are the first in a new series of themed headbands that you will see.”

posted on October 4th, 2010 at the Official Disney Parks Blog by Steven Miller, Project Manager, Disney Trading

 Light-Up Vampire Mickey Mouse Big Figure

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Plush

 

Halloween Tinker Bell Snowglobe

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2010 - Boxed Set with 4 Pins

 

Name: "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2010 - Boxed Set" Release Date: 09/14/10 Location: Walt Disney World® Resort SKU: 801513 Retail: $44.95 Edition Size: 750

Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy are featured in sculpted metal in this limited edition Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2010 Four (4) Pin Boxed Set. This pin set will be released in the following locations: Uptown Jewelers - Main Street, U.S.A.® Area Town Square Exposition Hall - Main Street, U.S.A.® Area Frontierland Trading Post - Frontierland® Area This pin will be unavailable via Mail Order.

Halloween Disney Gift Card Trick – It Glows, Has ‘Hidden Mickey’

posted on October 7th, 2010 by Jill Thomas, Business Development Director, Disney Gift Card Services

---

Our 2010 Halloween-themed Disney Gift Card is as sweet as candy. We’ve got some tricks to look for on this card that is only available at Walt Disney World. First of all, it glows in the dark so you can see an outline of Mickey, Donald and Goofy with the lights out. That should keep things not-so-scary for you.

Also, if you look closely at the textured spider web background you may see the “Hidden Mickey.”
We really enjoy bringing you these fun designs throughout the year, and we hope you enjoy them too!

Cosmar Quick Nails.

This past week I wanted to try something new and recently alot of my nails broke so Ive had to deal with extremely short nails. I decide to try a brush-on gel nail system. I went to my local drug store and found Cosmar Quick Nails brush-on gel nails. This set is very easy to use and come with everything that you need.

This is what the set looks like. It comes with

 * Tips (many different sizes) squared

* Glue

* The gel

 *The activator

* A small nail buffer

*Brush cleaner  

I also bought these tip because I like the rounded tip better.

This was very easy to do!

First step: Make sure your nails are clean, buff the nail a little bit with the softer side of the buffer. Then match up your nails to the tips make sure they fit right. Do NOT I mean Do NOT remove the tips off the wheel before they are glued on. They are easier to handle if they are on the wheel.

Second step: Glue tips onto nails, remove the tips from wheel in twisting motion. Place the tips as best you can to have them all be the same length. Take your buffer and file done the tiny tab where it was attached to the wheel. Now here come the hardest part of this very easy brush-on nails, Take your buffer and buff down the smile line. Try not to buff your nail and get it as smooth as possible.

Last step: Take the brush in the brush cleaner and dip it in the gel and brush on the gel on to your nail like you would with a nail polish. While the gel is still wet brush on the activator. Make sure you are not brushing on to much activator or adding activator when the gel has dried because it will leave the nail tacky (to fix that just repeat the step again). Repeat this step 2-3 times to desired strength. 

Easy enough right! here are my results

My nails lasted a good while until I took then off but they were very strong. I did make a minor boo boo on my ring finger I didn't buff the smile line down enough. They are pretty easy to take off I unfortunately took them off only 4 days of having them due to my basketball game. I clipped the tips and soaked them in a little bit of pure acetone and they just melted off. I am definitely going to use this again!

What I'm Reading This Week

When we were at the library last weekend, I stumbled upon a few books for Colden by Ezra Jack Keats, whose work I remember from when I was a kid and just learning to read.

I told the librarian how I had forgotten how much I loved reading these books when I was kid, and how excited I was to introduce them to my son. She asked me if I'd read this biography about Keats, written several years after his death. She said that it was actually written for middle-schoolers, but that it was a great read, and she was right.

This is the story of Ezra's life, written from interviews and essays that he left behind, and I enjoyed reading about the life of this wonderful artist, from his upbringing in Brooklyn, N.Y. to the time he spent painting in Paris to his first paying job as an artist for a comic book company.

I don't think I ever realized what an important children's author he was - I just loved reading his books. So now I get the fun in introducing my own son to his books. I think maybe "The Snowy Day" will be our next bedtime story as we head into winter!

Winter

It's the day before Halloween, and earlier this week, it was in the high 70s - warm enough that I had windows and doors open and was spotted wearing a tank top with my cargo pants while Colden and I ran around the backyard in the autumn sunshine.

Today, though, it's cold. It was raining in Jay when I left for Lake Placid, and as I approached Whiteface, I saw that it was capped with snow. There's snow on the ground in Lake Placid, and most of the rooftops are covered, too. The cars sitting idle at the gas station have snow collected at the base of their windshields.

So, it's winter.

And while some people might despair that the warm weather is gone for another seven or eight months, I'm actually okay with that. Yes, I love the warm mornings and the smell of the breeze coming through the windows in the house, but I also love the cold. I love the warmth of a fire in the wood stove. I love a steaming hot bowl of butternut squash and apple soup, and I love the feeling of snuggling down under a fleece blanket at night.

I think I actually need the cold. I don't feel complete without it. I've been to warmer climates during the winter months - places like Houston and Los Angeles - and it's always left me feeling off-balance until I get home to where it's cold.

Some days, I feel like I wrap that cold around me like a cocoon to comfort me. It gives me a reason to spend time with family and friends. It gives me inspiration to find color in the grey, rainy afternoons.

And when it snows, well, that's just magic. Seeing the world on a bright, sunny winter morning after a snowstorm is just pure magic.

I don't think I could live in a place without being able to really see the changing seasons. Being able to watch the world changing around me gives me a real sense of place, and it makes me feel like I'm really a part of this Earth.

Happy Halloween!

Very large pumpkin in front of Central Market

Craving Nail Art?

A week or so ago, BellaSugar.com asked me for a couple of my favorite Halloween manicures, and I did two designs especially for them!! They included them in their Halloween Manicure slide show- I'm number 8 & 9! :)

You can find them here (or click the picture above): Halloween Manicures at BellaSugar.com

like birthin' babies

                                                                                                 mary jane dodd


gestation: n. the act of carrying young from conception to delivery


sometimes taking a piece from idea to execution can be just like that... replete with discomfort, moments of anticipation and planning, hopes for what it may 'grow up' to be... and a lot of anxiety as the due date nears... 


take for example a piece i have been carrying around in my head since may - this is not uncommon for me... my etsy shop doesn't have 4 pages of listings, i don't make things quickly... i admire those people, i am just not one of them... 

meet 'tenacity'... we are going on 6 months now... i know i am closing in on delivery - my chest pounds just thinking about it... 

the sketches are basic - nothing fancy, but it is a way to bring some kind of reality to the project... at night i just put down what i am thinking about... 


the defining components are made - 

resin paddles with antique dictionary paper... 'perseverance', 'tenacity' and 'blooming'... 

glass from patty lakinsmith... 

'tenacity' was born of her meaning - 'holding fast' ... there are things that we at times must hold fast to - if we do and carry it through, we blossom...


and, seriously, who can resist a good meanie?!

Big Kev, Big Hass and Johngy

I have met Kevin Nash several times, but my friend Hass had never met the big man. When we were at the Wizard World Con, I brought the big man (Hass) to the big man (Kevin).
Hass is younger than me, so Nash probably fits his era of watching wrestling more than mine. I really enjoyed watching Hass interact with the wrestlers, including Nash. I have attended so many of these shows, but it is always fun to watch friends have fun at them, too.
Nash said all was good and that Scott Hall had just gone into rehab. Hall and Nash are tight outside of the ring. Hall has had a lot of problems and Nash has always stuck by his friend. We hope and pray that one day, Hall will be appearing alongside Nash at these shows and that his problems will be behind him.

Hass, Kevin Nash and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2010.

Steampunk Writing Competition : Jewelry Heist 2nd

Steampunk Writing Competition : Jewelry Heist
2nd place winner
The Case of the Stolen Rings
E.A. Rouet

They had been waiting for a little more than five hours.

However, the case itself had taken almost a decade.

Abednego Hawkes, private investigator was sitting in the centre of an elaborately furnished personal library. Despite being in the room with nine night vision masked, armored officers- each of them carrying top of the line short-barreled automatic guns he was serene and thoughtful.

He was thinking of the morning’s headlines: another assassination attempt on their queen, the eighth to be precise. He had been pondering for some time now why people thought they could get away with it and he believed finally that he had the answer. Some people didn’t expect to get away with it.

He sighed and looked around the room again. The newspapers had reported that the would be assassin was probably going to be let off for being insane but the line between sanity and insanity seemed to be very thin right about now for him, the officers and Inspector Angela Blevins who was standing nearby smoking with pent up vehemence. After all, sanity did not usually involve waiting for a phantom madman to come crashing in while using the potential victim as bait.

It had all started with a simple theft nine years ago. At first it was presumed to be an inside job. The item in question was a strange ring with a shining opal as its centre. At first its owner, Lord James Ignatius Rodale had thought it had been misplaced. When this was revealed not to be the case he then accused his own servants of theft and when that failed to produce results he reluctantly inquired around to his friends and then, grudgingly, to the police.

Nothing else had been taken that night. Just the ring. And it was never found.

The next year, on the same day at around midnight, another ring was stolen this one made of a dark copper. Count Pendergast had been in his parlor in the same room where he kept the ring and had fallen asleep. When he woke, the ring was gone and his quicker attempt to contact the police led to the discovery that a sedative had been put into the Count’s wine, rendering him unconscious at around the time of the theft.

For the next few years, the strange pattern continued. The same day of the year, always at midnight, always a ring. As the robberies continued, the thefts themselves grew more impressive. Duchess Adelade Marksberry: from her locked jewelry box. Doctor Gilbert Riddington: from a safe. Several other prominent men of society such as Lord Rossin, Sir Heinrich Ulmschneider, and Admiral Cutler – they too had all mysteriously lost rings over the years.

Hawkes had quickly seen the pattern. When discovering that the rings all had a common source he attempted to track down the original maker of the rings but the man had disappeared. As for the robbed victims, they were all incredibly wealthy members of society. More importantly, however, they had all at one time or another donated substantial money to the Lumley Corporation and had received the rings from Spenser Lumley himself.

Spenser Lumley was a shrewd businessman with a glamorous smile that dazzled even as he bullied his family’s company to the top. The corporation was known for wrapping their fingers around the most talented craftsman of the day and using their skills to create the best products. The corporation then took control of the quantity using warehouses and assembly lines to generate mass production at cheap prices and even cheaper labor. Their machine of a commercial empire cracked, groaned and bent under its own weight but never broke down. Preachers frequently would shout about corruption within the corporation from the safety of the pulpit while politicians would deliver furious tirades about how regulations must be changed in the world of business. Reporters ran contradictory statistics alongside the ‘innocent’ statements from the company’s heads. But nothing was ever done to check the corporation’s notorious malfeasance.

And as much as Hawkes privately wished that the force now gathered inside of Spenser Lumley’s apartment complex was there to arrest him for embezzlement or some other financial fraud, their duty was to protect Lumley from theft. The last ring that had been made by the jeweler so long ago was in Lumley’s possession and it was on this night, at midnight, that the last theft would almost certainly occur.

There was a noise at the doorway and the men in the room, including Inspector Blevins and Hawkes himself all diverted their attention to the entrance.

“Come in.” barked Blevins.

The door opened and Spenser Lumley entered, followed by his escorts. Lumley was not allowed to go anywhere this evening unprotected. He was to spend the night in this library guarded by the watchmen while the rest of his building was patrolled by other officers.

Hawkes privately felt it was a waste of manpower, especially for the likes of Lumley who lived in an apartment complex that could easily house several families now cramped in the East End slums of the city.

The young Spenser Lumley was fashionably dressed in a mercury coloured waistcoat and dark navy trousers. His hair was neatly slicked back and he strode forward with a fixed, dazzling white smile.

“Inspector Hawkes! Good to see you again.”

The last time they had seen one another had been a few months ago in a case concerning a minor bank robbery. Hawkes was not impressed with the man before him now any more than he had been then. Reluctantly he shook Lumley’s offered hand and noted his curious glance at their handshake. Hawkes’s mechanical arm still attracted stares even in this day and age.

“Glad you’re here.” said Lumley, hastily pulling away when he saw that Hawkes was watching him. “You and Inspector Blevins. I want the very best protection this city has to offer for its most important citizens.”

“We will try to keep you safe, sir.”

“Try?” Lumley laughed, but he quickly sobered when he saw Hawkes’s expression.

“The ring, where is it?” asked Blevins

Lumley held out a pale, slender hand. On his finger was the elegant ring. Coils made up its delicate sides. Small carefully constructed details could be seen on all sides and around the glittering amber stone that made up the centre piece. It truly was beautiful. A real masterpiece, carefully designed. Hawkes had never seen anything like it.

Blevins appeared dumbfounded. “You’re going to wear it?”

“Raising the stakes.” said Lumley with a fox-like smile. “It’s what I do after all.”

“But you can’t!” she cried furiously. “What if this maniac comes in demanding the ring?”

“What of it?” asked Lumley with a coolly raised eyebrow. “I’m sure we could strike a bargain. Some men do see common sense when presented with money.”

Blevins was all but spluttering with rage. Hawkes stared at Lumley for a moment longer and then slowly nodded.

“We will wait until midnight then, sir.”

Lumley smiled and settled down in a high backed leather chair by the fire.

Blevins all but dragged Hawkes to the corner before hissing, “He’s gambling with a deck of cards that we don’t have!”

“Let him do as he will. We will do our job and he will do what he feels is best.”

Blevins let out an exasperated snort and turned away furiously.

The next hour passed by incredibly slowly. Hawkes would check his old pocket watch from time to time but it seemed as if its hands were stuck. The positioned, masked officers around them continued to wait patiently as they had for hours before. Lumley seemed strangely cheerful, attempting to talk to them all before reading a book. When he grew tired of that he attempted to go over some paperwork and even flirt with Blevins for a half moment before she gave him such a look that he went over to the bookshelf and absentmindedly started to rearrange some books.

Finally- five minutes to midnight.

Hawkes caught Blevins’s expression- she looked just as tense as he felt. What would happen? They supposedly had covered everything. Where would the maniac strike next? And how?

And what was his motive? Throughout the entire case this was one thing Hawkes could not understand. Why steal random rings that Lumley had given to his investors years ago? There were other far more valuable things to steal in some of these houses. Why the ring? Perhaps he was insane? Perhaps the rings served some sort of diabolical purpose?

He almost laughed out loud. A ring? Evil? Hardly likely.

But then why all the effort to steal them?

Three minutes to midnight.

Maybe he wouldn’t show. It seemed unlikely but if the man or woman, (Hawkes was an equal opportunist when it came to crime) saw the amount of forces waiting for him at the house, perhaps some long absent sense would finally prevail and he would stop or even give himself up.

Two minutes to midnight…

No. A man who had spent almost a decade years collecting various rings would not be about to give it all up when his final target had just happened to prepare himself in advance.

A minute to go…no sign of him. No noise in the hallway. Nothing. Lumley was standing by the mantle place looking into the dying fire with slightly weary eyes.

Hawkes looked about the room at all the masked men. There was no chance of a bomb going off, they had already checked the entire premises out earlier. Besides, it wasn’t the thief’s style. He seemed to avoid killing…

…and yet- it all came back to Lumley. And Lumley was wearing the ring. What would the thief do to get the ring?

Seconds from midnight as his eyes passed over the room and its occupants, he realized something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He got up slowly from the chair he had been sitting in and made a point of stretching his limbs before walking over to Blevins.

“Inspector,” he said quietly although his heart had started up a furious tattoo in his breast. “Other than us, how many men do we have guarding this room?”

“Nine.” she said with a frown. “Why?”

He looked at the small statue on the table before them with deliberate calm. “Count them.”

Her eyes darted over the room and watching her from the corner of his eye he saw her dark eyes widen and her face grow pale. “Oh my god.” she said in an anguished whisper.

“Don’t panic.”

“There’s ten! Ten of them! How did this happen?” she hissed. “Why didn’t we notice?”

But already his mind was forming a plan. It had happened, that was all that mattered.

“How can we tell who it is? They’re all wearing masks!”

He considered their options. Remove their masks? No. Ah- got it!

“Watchmen!” he called out loudly. “Surrender arms!”

At the sound of the command every trained officer dropped to one knee, their weapons held above their head as they had been trained to do. But as nine men knelt, a dark blur leapt forward and wrapped an arm around Lumley’s neck from behind, pointing his gun to the millionaire’s head.

“Hold your fire!” Blevins shouted as the officers- who had leapt up in confusion and with their weapons pointing uneasily at Lumley who was attempting in vain pull away, making frantic gestures and small choking noises.

“The ring.” The night vision mask made the thief’s voice sound oddly echoed and eerie.

Hawkes could see that there was no chance of shooting the man without hitting Lumley as well, so with trepidation, he stepped forward.

“Sir,” he said calmly. “If you could loosen your grip on Mr. Lumley, perhaps we could talk.”

But the man merely tightened his grip causing Lumley to gag and flail worse than ever.

“He can’t breathe sir.” said Hawkes calmly.

“You say that as if it were unfortunate,” the thief said while taking a step backwards, dragging Lumley with him.

Hawkes took another cautious step. “Let’s not do anything rash. Can’t we talk about this?”

From behind the mask came a hollow laugh. “There is nothing to talk about. Mr. Lumley!” he added sharply. “The ring!”

“It’s… mine!” Lumley spluttered.

Hawkes could not understand why a man like Spenser Lumley who could afford at least five dozen rings like the one he was wearing, would be so stubborn and foolish.

“Wrong.” the thief spat. He adjusted his gun with a terrible click that made the men behind Hawkes raise their own weapons. But the thief didn’t seem to notice or care, taking another step backwards with Lumley still being held hostage.

“Perhaps we could discuss an exchange or even consider a bargain?”

“Bargain!” the man laughed. “We are beyond business transactions! Give me the ring, sir! Now!”

Lumley shook his head and Hawkes watched in mixed amazement and confusion as the thief wrenched Lumley over to a book case and hissed, “Open it! Open it or I’ll send you to Highgate right now!”

Lumley fumbled with a free hand and hit a spot on the bookshelf. It rapidly swung around and Lumley and the thief disappeared from view.

Hawkes swore and raced forward as Blevins and the others came up from behind. Hawkes began patting the shelves frantically. A revolving bookcase. How could they have overlooked it?

Blevins was shouting but Hawkes ignored this because he was no closer to finding the slot that turned the bookcase around. Over Blevins’s loud expletives he could hear a heated conversation on the other side of the shelf.

Before he could offer a suggestion of how to break down the bookshelf he heard an unmistakable gunshot and a scream. He felt his stomach drop and Blevins suddenly pulled him behind a high-backed chair. The other officers had scattered. He saw her throw the explosive at the shelf and then-

BOOM. There was a flash of light and a shower of splintered wood and books. Burning pages floated through the dust and haze and Hawkes coughing heavily made his way through the gaping hole in the wall to find Lumley lying on the floor his hand held against his chest as he screamed, scarlet blood covering the silk waistcoat and quickly flowing onto the floor.

One of the officers bent down immediately and tore off his mask. Hawkes recognized the man and remembered that he had had some previous medical training before joining the force.

The thief was gone. The small room was deserted save for a small door in the corner that exposed a dark shaft.

Blevins swore before shouting instructions- “You four- down this shaft! You three get to the stairs- sound the alert! Find out where this exit leads- and you over there, help Todd here! What happened to him, Lieutenant?”

“It’s his hand, miss.” said Todd, grappling with the bleeding limb as Lumley continued to writhe on the floor, still shrieking in pain. “His finger’s gone. Shot clean off.”

“He shot his finger?”

“Yes. And it seems to be gone sir. The finger and the ring.”

A madman indeed.

Hawkes left Lumley and the remaining officers in the house, going outside to help the others search the perimeters of the building and the nearby streets. Massive confusion ensued. An officer had found a bloody finger by an open gutter. The thief seemed to have vanished. Officers split up in pairs to cover ground and Hawkes, despite the chaos unfolding around him, tried to think of where the thief would run.

And then, all at once, he knew where to go. It was a desperate attempt, but there were few options at this point.

“Tell Blevins to send a squad after me if I’m not back within the next half hour!” he shouted at one of the nearby men.

“Where to sir?”

“Highgate!”

He ran down a dark side street before flagging down a passing coach. Lumley’s house to the cemetery was not a long drive and it wasn’t long before Hawkes saw the slightly sinister outline of the main entranceway which led to the countless graves beyond.

He left some change for the driver and leapt out of the coach- running up to the gates which had been pried open. He squeezed between them and raced among the mossy, ivy covered stones looking in all directions.

It was towards the end of his desperate, fruitless chase when he stumbled over something in the darkness. In the dim moonlight he could just barely make out an officer’s helmet that had been cast aside. Looking around he could only see elaborate tombs; some of the cemetery’s finest. But from one of them there was a faint flickering glow between a small crack in the doors.

Quietly he moved towards it, just barely noticing the name ‘Dupin’ carved above the entranceway. He cautiously tried one of the doors and found, not entirely surprised, that it was already open.

He peered inside. The room was shaped like a small amphitheatre and was made of white marble. A large sarcophagus lay in the middle of the room surrounded by tall dripping candles and on the lid of the tomb were ten shining rings.

A dark shape was lying at the base of the sarcophagus. The thief’s arms were outstretched and his head was bent over his heaving shoulders. A choked sob echoed around the bare walls.

Hawkes stepped forward and the movement caused the thief’s head to snap up. His gaunt face was wet with tears and his eyes were shining wildly. He looked pale and sickly.

“Who’s there?” he cried.

As Hawkes stepped closer into the light the thief seemed to grow paler still.

“Ah,” he said, in a voice soft as a whisper. “I’ve been caught at last I see.”

“You are under arrest,” said Hawkes firmly. “For the theft of these rings and the attack on Spenser Lumley that took place earlier this evening.”

The man merely wiped his wet face with spiderlike hands and then turned back to the marble sarcophagus muttering under his breath.

Hawkes took another step forward, seeing that the man had no weapon. “Why bring the rings here?”

“For Celestine.”

“For whom?”

The thief let out a shaky breath. “My wife. Celestine.”

Hawkes looked at the sarcophagus again with the various rings lying on the lid and asked, “Why these specific rings? Why these particular ones?”

“I had to get them back. They were the moments. The lost moments.”

It was as he had feared. The man was mad. Yet the shrewd expression on his face suggested that this was not entirely so.

“Why the Lumley corporation, then?”

“Not the corporation. Lumley,” The man hissed. The look of hatred on his face was alarming. “He took them. He took all the moments. I had to get them back. He had offered me money, payment beyond my wildest dreams to make the rings but he took more than my masterworks. He took the memories that could have been.”

Hawkes felt a wave of shock. “You made the rings?”

The man gave a wry smile. “I made them, yes. I’m a jeweler. And I was the best. I made every one of them. Lumley came to my shop wanting the best for his followers. Trinkets. Toys. Gifts for his most devoted crowd. I was honoured. I could have refused of course, but I was proud. I accepted his commissions.”

“And you made the rings that Lumley asked you to.”

“Yes. He would come by my shop with a new request and I would put aside all my other work to put my best efforts into them. I put…I put…Celestine aside. My wife. She would come in, smiling and offer a kiss. I would give her harsh words instead. She would offer a walk outside and I would show her the door. She offered me warmth and I returned her love with coldness.”

His face seemed to crumble and he abruptly clung to the sarcophagus as if it were moving away. “She saw my work in a way that I myself did not see it! She knew it was taking me away from her and the moments we might have had together. She became sick and told me to turn down Lumley’s commissions, but I dismissed her pleas every time.”

“She became sicker and sicker but on the night she died I was working on Lumley’s ring. The final commission. The one he wanted to surpass all others. He wanted the best and I worked all through the night without stopping. Celestine wanted to see me. I told myself she could wait. I had to finish my work. And I did. I finished it in the early hours of dawn and set down my tools. And I went upstairs to find that my beautiful, patient bride was dead. Her skin was already cold.”

His face contorted at the memory and he clutched his hair as if ready to tear it out. “It was my work that killed her! Me and these accursed rings!” he shrieked, “They took the life from her! Took away our happiness! The times I could have been with her- and I- ignorant wretch, chose instead these cold glittering things! I was blinded by them! I used all the money from them to build her this tomb. But it wasn’t enough. I had to get back the lost moments for my bride. I planned all the robberies and I got the rings back, every one of them- each one on the anniversary of her death and my downfall. I saved Lumley for last. And I have them all now.”

The man, exhausted from his rant, hung his head, gasping. Hawkes watched him for a moment before asking one final question. “And was it worth it?”

There was a prolonged silence and then the man fell forward at the tomb’s base with a shuddering cry, weeping heavily. The painful sounds he made were heartrending, as if he were dying of grief. Hawkes hesitated, feeling as though he were intruding upon the man’s sorrow and he drew back to stand by the entrance of the tomb, the echoes of the terrible sobs behind him. With his last glance of the weeping man he caught sight of the rings lying on the surface of the tomb. Perhaps it was merely the flickering candlelight or his imagination, but they did seem to pulse with some strange hidden energy. He stared a moment longer and then shook his head at the thought before finally heading outside.

Poor man. Such a grief-stricken creature would only go through the rest of his life in a senseless daze.

The rest of the officers would be here soon. And when they did arrive, no greedy robber would they find but instead a man who had gone mad trying to restore lost moments, trying to bring warmth and happiness out of cold stone and metal. His mind went back to the man who had only recently failed to assassinate their queen. Was the world full of these men who turned to such drastic actions when their minds could no longer bear their own reality?

As for the rings, perhaps he would privately speak to the Commissioner and they could arrange something. Most of the theft victims were dead now anyway or had forgotten about their lost accessories. Lumley would be harder to persuade but maybe he didn’t need to know…

They could send the rings away to an obscure dealer, pull out some old connections. Overseas perhaps.

He looked around the graveyard, his eyes falling on a marble angel that stood nearby, its raised hand pointing at the sky while a secret smile lingered on its stone face.

Etsy CatherinetteRings

Another Beaded Rope!

I finished another piece, but not so happy with the photographs...














This is another one of Marsha Hedrick's new designs. This dragonfly slide is lightweight, but substantial enough to hold the necklace together. And it works perfectly for the right angle weave rope that I stitched for it - it felt like a soft mesh necklace when I tried it on to check the length.

These slides by Marsha come in other colors - check out Marsha's website for more options.

As with Marsha's other pieces, I was once again truly impressed with the quality of the workmanship. The piece was well-sculpted and lightweight. It hangs perfectly on the beaded rope that I made for it, and it looks fabulous when worn.

I'm working on finishing up the last rope that uses a triangle-shaped slide and cones - maybe this weekend I'll have it done.

As I stitch up each rope, I'm photographing tutorials that will eventually go on the About.com site as part of a big hub about beaded ropes and how to make them.

And, of course, I'll have this one listed in my ArtFire shop soon!

Van Wastell's Krooked 3D Farewell Part

Van Wastell's brother Eddie has posted
Van Wastell's part from the Krooked 3D DVD
for all to enjoy and remember always.
Van, you are missed.

Celeb Rookie Cards #25 Nat Neidhart and Drew Barrymore

They aren't perfect, but they are my attempt at the world of virtual cards. They are the Celebrity Rookie Cards.

Today, I am featuring two women on Celebrity Rookie cards. The first CRC'er is Nattie Neidhart, third generation wrestling member of the Hart dynasty. Nattie, daughter of Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, is currently wrestling for the WWE, although she is more a manager than a wrestler for some reason. Once again, I see the WWE not letting an excellent female wrestler show her skills. At least, Neidhart showed off her Vodafone soccer jersey on a promo tour for the WWE. Nattie becomes the second CRC'er to be shown in a soccer jersey.
Despite still being young, Drew Barrymore has already had a long and interesting career. More interesting is the Marlins pinwheel. The tied jersey is good enough for Barrymore to get a Celebrity Rookie Card, but the whole ensemble is questionable. It does remind me of some of the Fleer cards of the late 80's though.

Ode to the Artist's husband

by Kelli Pope

Every year, around late August, early September, my dear husband Steve has to hear those dreaded words...."art show season is about to begin". What this means is he won't see much of me until Christmas. It means other than working full time and sleeping, I make jewelry. If I'm not making jewelry at a show, I'm at home making jewelry. It means he cooks a lot more, and cleans a lot more. He gets to help load and unload my Explorer at least a dozen times with my tent, tables, displays, etc etc etc. And, he's even begun oxidizing components for me. (Oh, the smell of Liver of Sulphur in the Fall!!!) He becomes a massage therapist, working on achey shoulders, and the giver of pep talks. He must often listen to hammering late into the night. He becomes my number one fan and supporter. In short, I could not do what I do without him.

So, to reward both of us, and bring a little normalcy and calm into our lives, we grab our 2 furry kids and head for the Smokey Mountains between the October shows (which is where we are now). We try to plan the trip around peak leaf week, so we can hike among the majesty of the Fall colors, and enjoy the beautiful Fall sunshine, and cool breezes. Soaking in the hot tub doesn't hurt either!!! :)

The boys will hike with us, and play in the river. The joy of watching them play in the water is therapy in itself.

Sunsets from the hot tub are magical. And mountain views breathtaking.

All in all, we will come home rested, relaxed and ready for life to get crazy hectic all over again. Thanks honey for all you do for me.