Shipping & Sale !

Here's a quick sneak peak of one of the Fleeting Moments that we're shipping to Arrowcraft, in Gatlinburg TN, for their annual Jewelry Focus!  Nine full suites of our life cast Sedum Autumn Joy & Frosty Morn buds and flowers in Sterling and Bronze with gem stone accents!  We're hoping to be able to visit next weekend.

This Saturday we'll be at:

 

Jewelry Focus & the Guild Artists' Holiday Sale !

We've been hard at work, designing and making jewelry.  I have no idea how the months have flown past so swiftly, but here we are getting ready for Christmas already!  Fortunately the weather has been very mild.

It was so pretty just a couple of weeks ago that we had to take an afternoon off and go for a nice leisurely drive . . .

Since then we've been working . . .

Pat has finished our new Fleeting Moments for Arrowcraft's annual Jewelry Focus.  Once I get them photographed, and posted, I'll be shipping them off to Gatlinburg!

Then, this coming Saturday, we'll be at the Folk Art Center for the Guild Artists' Holiday Sale.  Then it will really begin to feel like Christmas is coming!!!  It's such a Fun day for everyone.  Guild artist will be selling their end of the year overstock and seconds.  There are such amazing deals that we always seem to get some serious shopping in ourselves!  (To give you some idea, any seconds or discontinued work we have is 50% off and any overstock we still have is 30% off!)

It's going to be a lot of Fun!

Phil Brown Benefit Concert and Auction

Our friend Phil Brown is being treated for cancer.  Phil is an incredible woodcarver and musician.  His friends  and family are holding a Benefit Concert and Auction at the Folk Art Center this Sunday.  Please come and join us all!

We've gotten to know Phil and Gay more and more since our first Guild Fair.  Their whole family are very very special people and we think the world of them.

Phi and Gay during the Guild Fair last October.

We made this pendant for the auction this Sunday.

The bronze fern is life cast, using the techniques I've been developing over the last few years.  Pat set the gorgeous labradorite in a  handmade step bezel.

To tell the story behind this very special pendant we made this card:

Tom and Pat Bauman made this pendant for the Phil Brown Benefit Concert and Auction, held at the Folk Art Center on May 22nd 2011.

At the October 2010 Guild Fair Tom and Phil were taking a break together and talking.  When Tom told Phil that all their ferns were fading as the weather changed Phil looked at him and said, as only Phil can, "Well son, can't you just freeze 'em?"

Of course being Phil he was right!  This fern was life cast in bronze using one of the ferns we froze right after that Guild Fair.  We made this labradorite pendant to celebrate and honor our friend Phil Brown.

We hope that you will wear and enjoy it for many years to come and that it will remind you of the beauty of friendship.
 ~ Tom & Pat Bauman

Shaking Off The Cobwebs

We've been Lucky . . .  We had a couple of days in a row at or near eighty degrees.

Sam loved it.

The red trillium have really begun to open up. 

The blood root is actually almost done blooming already. 

I think this is the best our trout lilies have ever bloomed. 

The oconnee bells I divided from Dad's clump are magnificent! 

Trilliums in the shade. 

My baby lettuce seedlings are coming along quickly and the lettuce starts I put out are beginning to take off. 

We've gotten the beds cleaned out, the last of the leaves are gone, and the fountain is back in business! 

Of course there's a freeze warning for tonight . . .

Lunch is over so it's back to the studio.  Today I'm desprueing and grinding the four new bronze ferns.  It's a lot of work too, because I really oversprued them ~ then again I spent so much time working on them that I was determined that they would cast well!

We have lots more in the works.

Today & "Yesterday"

Today we suddenly realized our clematis was sending out shots!

And I realized that I forgot to photograph J.T.'s new Fern Pendant!

I got the long bed cleaned up a couple of weeks ago. 

I don't know if it's squirrels or robins that are digging ito the new mulch.

We were so busy last Fall that we didn't get to a lot of the yard work.

So we still have a lot to do to get the yarden ready for Spring . . .

All of the plants Pat put into the new sedum area survived! 

Today we found the very first blood roots thrusting their way up. 

The two always seem to be our first red trilliums ready to bloom. 

We're getting the itch, and it's almost time, but there is a reason

we haven't gotten all of the leaves off of the perennial bed . . . 

Oh.  What about "yesterday"???

How about a year ago today?

But no matter what,

Spring is coming!!!

Crocus at Noon

A really rough storm front blew through last night ~ high winds, lightning, heavy rain.

Fortunately it passed pretty quickly, but while it lasted it was exciting.

The boys and I went out before lunch to check on things . . .

Some of the older crocus blooms are spent. 

A few were knocked over, but the parsley loved the rain! 

The lettuce babies are taking off! 

The sprouting Stellas really need a trim! 

We heard from Lynn G.; the pendant was a great success!

Lots more work to do and the clock is ticking . . .

Flowers and Work

Trilliums pushing their way open!

Here's the same colony on March 1st two years ago.

Early Crocus in the long bed today. 

The crocus and trilliums seem to be running about ten or so days ahead of last year.  Then again, we're actually having more normal weather for Asheville this year.  Sixty degrees again today.

Ah, it's hard to stay inside working!  Then again, we have a lot of orders to fill!!!

Happy Dance X2 !!!

Spring Really Is Coming !!!

I literally took this photo right before I saw Terry's wonderful Happy News,

so it only seems right to post it while doing a couple of Happy Dances!!!

There was a Wild Tiger at the Watering Hole today

(everyone knows wild water tastes better)

Now back to work ~ we have a lot of work to get done in the next month . . .

More soon!

It's a White Christmas !!!

It's been snowing all day.  Lovely tiny flakes falling and falling!  We're stocked up and snowed in and loving a lovely Christmas home together.

No idea how much snow we've actually gotten now . . .  It doesn't matter though.  We're snowed in!

At least until tomorrow when Santa AElf Helper goes to Best Buy to exchange the SATA adapter card!  Oh yeah, we'll almost certainly be out sometime tomorrow.  Maybe.

For now though, we're staying put, warm inside ad almost time to begin cooking.  Well, maybe after a snack or two . . .

Merry Christmas to all and may yours be as filled with Love and Light as ours!!!

There Arose Such A Clatter!

I heard strange noises coming from the living room . . .

What could it be??? 

Is it . . . ? 

Handsome Sammy Santa AElf Helper!!! 

"Better hurry Dad.  Mom's coming!" 

J.T.'s Christmas Ridgelines Pendant

matches her Birthday Earrings!

Even though we've been working like crazy, and I haven't photographed most of the special commissions we've made this Winter, we have taken a little time for ourselves!

Last weekend Jeannie held her chef-catered Christmas Party at a small intimate 4 bedroom vacation rental in Maggie Valley.  She was sweet enough to gift us with a night there so that we could enjoy the party, and the good wine and not have to drive home!

Our morning coffee view of the great water feature! 

Pat's finishing up in the studio now, and I'm heading out to ship

the last Christmas Commission! 

A Very Special Labradorite Brooch.

Sterling Silver Ridgelines and Life Cast Stone Crop.

The last of this year's Botanical.  There will be more in the New Year!!!

Merry Christmas To All!!!

Fresh From The Studio!

Botanical Ridgelines Pendant

Life Cast Bronze Fern

on a bezel set Labradorite

 

Sterling Silver Life Cast Fern

on a bezel set Labradorite

(middle of the fern has shadows, darn it!)

Ridgelines Pendant 

Bezel Set Labradorite

(much bluer than appears in this photo!)

Ridgelines Pendant 

An intense blue Labradorite, bezel set.

Hard to believe that it's been about a month since we last posted . . .  Jeepers, time really does fly!  All is well ~ we've just been a bit busy.  Hope you enjoy this peak at the newest pendants that were finished today!

It's beginning to feel like Christmas is coming!!!  The Guild Christmas Sale was a lot of Fun and a great success!  We'll be going back to do more shopping this Saturday.  But first, if work allows, we hope to be able to head to Gatlinburg Friday.  Arrowcraft is hosting their open house for the opening of the Jewelery Focus!  It's always Fun, we'll get to catch up with our friends there and join in on the wonderful potluck.

Christmas . . .  Yum!

Reflections ~ 26 Years On . . .

As you can tell, we've been inside alot lately . . . 

Yesterday we made a stop at the Folk Art Center.  It was a perfect crisp Fall day.  Since we both have been so desperate to be outside Pat suggested that we take the afternoon off and head to the woods for a picnic!  ("Besides, it's research!!!")  We made a quick stop at Ingles for supplies and headed off . . .

It's been a long time, but we easily found our way to this wonderful spot

right where we had our very first "date", a picnic in the forest, 26 years ago!

The perfect spot for a picnic by a small stream.  We sat listening to the water, the breeze moving through the leaves, eating and relaxing.  Exactly what we both have needed!

Of course our picnic wasn't enough.  Our eyes were too hungry.  So we headed over the mountain!

The Road Leads On  

And On . . . 

And has no end