My photo
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." by William E. Henley

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What didn't you get for Christmas?

uhum... a ring maybe.. she says sheepishly...

No just kidding! :o)
I had a wonderful time in sunny Florida. It can be stressful when you spend so much time with family but it was nice to see David's family again. And it was actually nice not to wear thermo underwear when going outside...



my friend Gabby from Janedeaux is doing another giveaway. I do hope I win this time!! That would be an awesome belated christmas gift! Click here to see what I am talking about.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

What's life without a little bit of romance?





When I first started dating David it was like a whole new world just opened up. In Sweden we don't really date... and no offense to Swedish guys but they don't know how to treat a lady!! David will pull out chairs and still after 4 years he will always open my car door before getting into the car. I know it's rare and trust me I do appreciate it. It's so important and I hope that any guy who reads this will make an extra effort in treating his lady like the lady she is. Cause we love it.

I am probably the most independent strong willed opinionated woman you will ever meet but with simple gestures like that you will make my knees week.. So I want to say thank you to all you wonderful guys out there. You guys are amazing!

in honor of romance!
My Romance necklace with the most amazing crazy lace agate!

and my romance ring with a birds eye ryolite jasper.


I hope you like them :o)

~tess

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

because I am worth it!

LOL I just wanted to to say that!
But honestly sometimes you just need a little Contessa in your life..

A pretty rose with an attitude. Wear it to feel strong, fierce and beautiful. No need for self doubt or any sad thoughts. People see them and go; ohh those are beautiful! and you can reply; well thank you, they're an extension of me.

Now that's all I've got to say about that!


My Contessa ring
my Contessa studs

Rose earrings

and remember don't let anyone ever put you down.

~tess

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I'm still lurking around...

I swear I didn't fall off the face of the world.. Just a little bit maybe..
the sales fairy was visiting other nova and it has kept me busy... I still managed to get some in inspiration in there.. went for a long walk with David to look at the first snow and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and some sandwiches.....



David's truck is still hanging in there... It does so much better than my little convertible in this weather.. hmm I wonder why? Maybe cause mine acts like a roller skate as soon as we get half an inch of snow on the roads...
David got a new hat. I think it makes him look like 12 (yes a cute 12 year old)... Don't tell him I said so! Cause I think he really likes it. Ok I have to share this with you.. David and I have been together for almost 4 years now and although we have talked about marriage I have also known that it scares him a bit (me too!) but the other night he actually asked me what my ring size was... and what kind of ring I would like! But don't get too excited ladies! David likes to do his research before acting. He finally bought a blue ray player after wanting one for 2 years.. Just saying :o)
I love snow... We don't get enough here in Philly. I could do without scraping car windows.. but I really miss having the whole landscape covered by a white blanket like how it is in Sweden...


My rose designs.. I haven't really decided what to call them yet... The studs are finished and will get posted in my shop tomorrow. I hope I can finish the ring (left) and the necklace (well obviously on the right) as well. But I am not making any promises.. Can't rush or they'll end up in the scrap pile like my butterfly ring.. (I'm still trying to come up with a way to save it...) Maybe one day when it feels less painful I will show you...

Anyways sorry I haven't been around! And on that note I am off to the studio :o)
Thank you for reading my rants.. It's nice to have someone to talk to.
~tess

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

who doesn't want a stack of fabulous stacking rings?

I know I do!!

My friend Gabby from janedeaux is having a blog giveaway where you have a chance to win these great rings.. so of course I am going to try. Click on the link if you want to have a chance.. or not cause I really want these pretties for myself :o)

I can already picture them on my fingers.. Ooh so shiny and pretty...

Monday, November 23, 2009

cause sometimes you just need a little time-out

lately I've been feeling stresses.. and rushed.. to do more, to finish things, to start working out again... to cook better and healthier food. .. to work harder... to make those 24 hours seem like 48... and let me tell you something...

IT DOESN'T WORK!

So I decided to stop. Put myself on a time-out.. I needed to not be in the studio. To not be in front of my computer as much (well I still have to at work.. or they'd fire me..).. I needed to organize my home and my life cause I don't function well in clutter. I took tons of clothes and shoes to goodwill. I cleaned and it felt GOOD!

David and I went for long long walks.. We let the sun kiss our faces and took deep calming breaths of fresh air. I let the nature embrace me and I looked at all the beautiful things around us. I allowed myself to be inspired. It is so easy to forget the good things when there are so much not so good things going on around you..

We walked and walked.. We stopped to look at tiny little things... And bigger beautiful creatures. And I must have saved at least 6 little caterpillars from being stepped on by moving them off the path... I saw patterns and textures. I saw cotton for the first time.. At least that's what David said it was. All I know it was so soft I wanted to wrap it all around myself as a protective layer and wear it everywhere.So here we are. A new day. A fresh start. A refreshed tess. I feel good and I hope you all do to!

love~tess

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Just one of those days....

I spent the majority of the day in my studio.. Trying to save some pieces I've been working on. It was one of those days where bezels got melt, things popped off when they weren't supposed to and nothing really worked out the way I wanted.. Boo :o(
So David and I went for a little walk so I could clear my mind and not throw a temper tantrum. And I managed to take those photos of the church next to me, that I promised you!
I told you it was HUGE!!
I just love the window and the red door... I am curious to what it looks like on the inside..


And this is not the church but it is my neighbor!! I know! It's crazy but this castle is just across the street from my home.. It's amazing.. One day I will have a castle too..


And I know I've told you that my kittie Lisa is a little special but now I have proof.. Lately she's been having this great idea that it looks so nice and cozy on my and Davids back... so she'll just jump up. Like a back-back or something. I know you all wish you had yourself a little Lisa.. but I'm sorry there is only one of her and she's mine! ;o)

I did manage to finish 2 smaller rings (sorry Gabby, the butterfly is laying on the operation table and is in critical condition.. Not sure if she'll pull through..) so I'll try to take pics and list them tomorrow.

Now I need to lay on the sofa and drink a beer. And mentally prepare to go to boring work tomorrow...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Thoughts from my stairs



The house next to mine is an old deserted church. Sometimes I sit on my stairs and gaze at it. It's beautiful. All the leafs covering the ground as a yellow carpet. The playground is so quiet and forgotten. My stairs is a good place to sit and dream for a bit. Just to be. Not to worry about everything that might be going on and all the musts that I somehow accumulated while growing up. The stairs is also a good play to be when you are trying to avoid doing the dishes.



This is where Lisa gets her quiet time. On my old armchair next to my little office area. This is where she dreams of catching mice or whatever little kitties dream of. Not sure if she is actually sucking on her thumb on this photo. Does kitties have thumbs?


And this is where I get back to reality.. Oh my.. I have a ton of stones that are begging for a home. But first I have to fill some orders for novadesigns. And then I get to play. Maybe I'll just go and sit on my stairs for a while. Just for a little bit...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Without gray there's no black and white

Choices would be easy. Decisions even more, if everything was black and white. I believe there is right and wrong, I believe innocent until proven guilty and I believe in hearing people out. How else could I decide what is wrong or what is right. How can I make a decision about another person without knowing the grays. Where are all so much more than an online shop or a blog. We are humans. Some are mothers, some are sisters but we're all daughters. How we all got here is a different story and I am still finding that out. I've made some wonderful friends through this big cold online world, but do I truly know them? No, I am still getting to know them. There are so many layers to who I am and why I do things a certain way and I feel truly grateful for the people that I am getting to know that has opened their hearts and letting me show them who I really am .

There has been a rough couple days for me. People who I thought I was getting to know, has said hurtful things and discussions has been going on without me being invited, even though the discussions were about me. That is hurtful. I feel like I am standing at the bottom of a canyon screaming at the top of my lunges but no one can hear me. It's easy to judge by what you see. To assume. So say it's black and white. It takes more courage to ask and be willing to come to understand and even accept you might have been wrong.

So who I am? Some seem to have thought that all I was, was pinhweels... And maybe I haven't been as open about myself and allowing you to really get to know me as I could have been. It's hard to put yourself out there. It's a big scary world. But here we go. I'll start.


My name is Tess Norberg. But my full name is Maria Teres Mercedes Norberg. I bleed when I stab myself with the burnisher (which still happens on a regular basis). I am 31 years old and I was raised by a hippie mother. I dream of buying a house with a garden. I have two brothers.I moved from Sweden 2005 to Atlanta where I lived 2 years before I moved to Philadelphia. My kitties names are Lisa and Stella. My big brother is 7 years older than me and my little brother is 12 years younger. I love them to death. Meeting my boyfriend David was the best thing that has ever happened to me. My mother was smart enough to remove herself from my father who was an alcoholic and I was raised without one. But you can't miss what you never had.


I was always surrounded by art and I don't think there is any surprise that my big brother was working as a photographer and my little brother is a musician. Our family is creative. I don't know any other way to live.

When I was a child I had a whole imaginary world with creatures. I had a notebook from school where I used to draw all the creatures that lived in this world. I was an odd child. I had pet snails in an old tupperware container. I couldn't drink soda (still have a hard time with it) cause I got bubbles in my nose. I ordered pizza without cheese and tomatoe sauce (yes it was gross and therefor I was probably the only child who didn't like pizza. I just didn't know any better back then). I loved to read. The first real book I read was Stephen King "IT", and I read it in english when I was 10 years old cause that's the only copy my mother had in her bookcase. When I was 11 I went through a phase of being completely fascinated by vampires. I read everything I could about them. I wore fangs and a black cape that my mother made me (yes she was surprisingly supportive) and I played outside in the sun with my fangs and cape. I told you I was odd. But at least I never had any desire to dress up as goth in my teens.. I guess I felt I had already done that.

I paint.. or I used to paint.. The photos are of a panting I started more than 7 years ago and never got around finishing. Maybe it's not meant to be finished? Just like some fights are never meant to be fought. Maybe I should just let it be. It's called Hunted.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

My mother Eva

My mother is an amazing woman. She taught me so much. She was a single mother with 3 children. An artist that struggled but never gave up. She was always creating and I am so grateful that I was surrounded by all that beauty growing up. All our walls were covered with her art and it's safe to say that she has had a huge impact on me. On how I am as a person and why I am where I'm at right now. She always encouraged me to spread my wings and see the world. She said I could be anything I wanted and I could do anything I wanted to do. The world was out there, just waiting. I am very lucky to have such a mother.

Så tack mamma. Tack för allt. Jag älskar dig!
Here's some of her art (the two first are textiles and the rest are paintings), but you can see more if you click here. or on this link.




Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A lovely necklace for a lovely lady

I got a custom order that I have been working on and I just finished it last night. I do hope she will love it. It's got a stunning Porcelain Jasper cabochon bezel set and 2 garnets flush set.


She can wear it this way....

Or this way...

I opened up the back to expose some more of that beautiful porcelain Jasper.

Taa daa!
For more photos just click here!

Monday, October 26, 2009

The fruits of my labor

So after all that time in the studio these are the babies I made. I hope you'll like them as much as I liked making them. I feel so inspired by everything around me and by all the positive feedback I've been getting from all of you. Today My dandelion ring made it to the front page. I felt so proud seeing her up there. Now I just wanna get back in the studio and keep creating!

Fall flower ring. I'm happy to say this one found a home already.


Sun Rising ring. The stone is beautiful. It's the first piece I've made with a Botswana Agate.


Shy fairy necklace. I like the simplicity of this one.


Northern Lights ring. With a beautiful Laguna Agate.


Autumn Window ring. My favorite. Like a little painting.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Best Birthday ever!

So today was my b-day but David and I celebrated yesterday, and this is what we did!


David made me breakfast quiche.. It was so tasty. Notice the heart shape on top of the quiche.. Now go *swoon* cause that's what I did. He is so good to me.
Then we went for a drive in the fall weather... Drove around looking at beautiful houses. I love looking at houses... I want to buy a house so bad it hurts.. Some day...



Then I got to play in the studio while david made dinner. Do I spent a couple of hours in there.
Doesn't it look amazing? He made it all by himself!!
Wanna see what I made in the studio? Click here :o).



And for dessert he made a yummy chocolate thing. He was having some trouble with them not staying together. ..So the plate looked a little messy. But who cares?! It tastes amazing.. And he even got edible flowers.. Ahhh my little Sweetie!! Oh how I love him..

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!