Lingering vines and wildflowers

Lingering vine necklace
Originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess

I finally finished this necklace!
I definitely think it was worth all the hard work. It's so much fun and you can wear it so many ways. In fact I think I need to make one for myself!

In my little shop right now is:
Lingering vine necklace

Wildflower necklace

Forget me not ring

Thank you for looking!
~tess

trying to stay awake...

eye
Originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess

It's not that I was up late last night. I actually went to bed on time for once. I didn't work in my studio and I had 2 glasses if wine...

I think I am just really tired. Emotionally tired from work. Physically tired from doing a full time job while trying to get my little business going. It's a lot tougher than one could think. Don't get me wrong I love every second I spend in the studio. That is truly what keeps me going.. I am just sooo darn tired right now...

Maybe it's time for some more coffee. Only a couple of more hours before I get to go home and be creative again..

I'm hoping to have 2 necklaces ready for you tomorrow. Plus the forget me not ring..

Yawn...

say something funny so I don't fall asleep on my keyboard

~tess

For the love of rocks...

what can I say?


I have a problem... There isn't a stone I met that I didn't like...

if you wanna see my whole collection stroll over to my Flickr page..

yes there a tons more...

straight from the studio

straight from the studio
Originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess

I haven't spent that much time on the Etsy forums lately and I am realizing how productive I really can be. The trick is not to get sucked back to staring at the computer or tempted by the TV (and the sofa.. oh the sofa is soo comfortable..)

So I had a busy weekend in nova... First batch out are all rings but I do have some necklaces on the bench that will be included (hopefully) in my Friday shop update.

• Fall Flower with dryhead agate - custom order
• Forget me not ring with blue opal for my shop.
• A very late christmas gift for my friend Harsha - Chrysocolla, cuprite, and azurite Cabochon.
• Remembering with ocean jasper - custom order

and now it's back to work.
Have a wonderful day@
~tess

Handmade Poppy Awards

custom midsummer ring
Originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess

I was nominated and now you can vote for me!

Pretty please with sugar in on top :o)

I have never won anything like this and it would be so exciting!

http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/poppies-vote-no-11-favourite-handmade_24.html

Thank you so much
~tess

an old friend

an old friend
Originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess

I've had this pair of jeans for 7 years. We're old friends. You could say that we're pretty tight.. at least we're now, before I can get back in shape.

I love everything about them. The flared legs, the colors and yes of course the embroidery. The details are amazing. I love that there not like any old pair of jeans. They're special. One of a kind. A little quirky. You either love them or hate them. Maybe I see myself in them.

They're perfect jeans for boring Monday mornings. When I'm stuck at the office I can look down and get glimpse of the happy threads swirling around my legs. And I daydream about patterns, shapes and beautiful things... It makes the day seem less gray.

Now I'm curious to hear what's your favorite pair of clothing..

~tess

romantic roses and swedish meadows

Swedish Meadow ring Yes the green is spectacular!



Romance earrings. The stones ARE amazing.


Romance ring


My lake ring


all available in my little shop :o)

And now it's back to the studio!
~tess

Is the grass always greener on the other side?

Hmm I had to see for myself...

Nope not greener. Just the same... same flowers and dog turds everywhere.

I must say that the bed is sounding a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the laptop.

Lisa disagrees. She says my laptop is way more comfortable than the bed. Easy for her to say. She actually fits on my laptop.


so besides strange blog posts this is what you get after 9 hours in the studio (when you should have gone to bed 4 hours ago...). 3 little newborns... oh and a pair of darling earrings. I just love how they turned out!



one first attempt on an adjustable ring. I like how it fits and feels like a solid band....

Tomorrow - all goodies in my shop.
Now - bed before I crash

Godnatt!
~tess

I just thought of something

As I was soldering bezels and making tiny wire roses I thought about something. I need to make adjustable rings. I mean nice adjustable rings. Not the kind that is open in the back and looks all cheapo. If it could be sized to fit any finger that would mean that so many more could have a chance to wear one of my rings! So that has to be a good thing. Right?

So I sketched a bit and I am happy to say that I think I've come up with a design idea. So tomorrow afternoon (after sucky day job) I will try it out.. I have a couple of things laying on the bench, about 2/3 ways to being complete. It's probably only half way done but I am such an optimist... It will be busy busy to get them all done and listed on Friday. I might have to call in the studio fairies to help me out. :o)


so what's your thoughts about adjustable rings? good? bad? ugly?

tuesday rants

The day job was soul sucking as usual. Well actually I think it felt worse if possible. I am having a hard time focus on graphic design as I day dream of getting back in the studio...

Got home and made some fish with coconut sauce and rice. It turned out better than I thought. I like to wing it when I cook. Sometimes I make magical things. Sometimes I make less tasty food :o) But it keeps things more interesting don't you think?

I finished another custom midsummer ring! Ocean Jasper yumminess with peridots. It turned out wonderful. If I may say so :o)



and I also decided to offer a couple of Valentine Day Sale designs. Take a look in my shop to see what you need to tell your hubbie that you want LOL. Here's the fun stuff on sale!

and that's it for me. Time to hit the sofa for a little bit.
Thanks for dropping by and please tell me what you had for dinner tonight in the comment section. I need some inspiration for the next adventure in the kitchen.
;o)

~tess

I met a Blue man

Blue man
Originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess

This weekend was really nice and relaxing. On Saturday we slept in, had breakfast in the car while we drove up to NY. We parked in Brooklyn as we usually do and took the subway to Manhattan. The weather was perfect and I told David, I don't know why we don't go up there more often. It's only like and hour and a half to drive. Well if the traffic isn't a nightmare that is!

We managed to stop by my favorite clothing store.. H&M (I know I am sooo Swedish) to pick up some jeans for myself and David. He's butt looks really cute in H&M jeans :o)
Then we got some nice dinner. Mmmm steak and a oatmeal stout. I love dark rich beer in the winter. Something so comforting about it.
And then we went to see the Blue man show. It was amazingly funny and I laughed until I cried. I haven't done that in a long while and it felt so good! They are very interactive with the audience and you're terrified they're gonna pull you up on stage or something!
As we left the show we did get to say hi to one of the Blue men and he posed with us. Doesn't he look like a freaky alien??

Sunday was spent in the Studio working on a custom order and then it was back to work yesterday.

Oh I almost forgot to tell you. I finally got a gym membership!! Finally I am doing something else than complaining about gaining weight! And I went yesterday and worked out. And I am going tomorrow or Thursday too. I am really happy about it. And very proud of myself.

I am starting to eat better too. Yesterday I made a yummy lentil soup (that even David liked) and some fresh baked scones. They only take like 20 minutes to make the scones so I'm not sure it even counts like baking :o)

What were you up to this weekend?
~tess

my photo tent

new photo set up, originally uploaded by novadesigns by tess.

I finally invested in a photo tent.... and I am so happy. Now I can take photo regardless the time of day. No more chasing the daylight!
But I have to fight Lisa for it. She thought I got her another tent to play in. And she says it so warm and snuggly in there.

date night!

We hardly ever have time for each other. But mostly that is my fault cause I spend so much time in the studio when I come home from work. So I decided that David and I need more time for each other. Time to do couple things. You know, like laundry, cleaning, cooking fun stuff like that. :o) Stuff that David has been taking care of pretty much all by himself so I could play with fire and silver. And also time to just hang out in front of the TV and watch a good movie... but most importantly time to go out for dinner and a movie!

Date night!
So tonight that is exactly what we're doing. Not sure which movie we are seeing but I know that we are going to my favorite restaurant in East falls and I am so ordering my crab sui mai (sp?) ohhh they are so good! And maybe some sushi :o) I'll be good though and stay away from dessert (maybe some popcorn for the movie though...). But I did sign up for a gym today and I am going tomorrow after work so I feel like I am getting healthier already!


Ok got to go, my sweetie is calling!

See you later
~tess

winter glow and other goodies

Finished up a custom midsummer ring for a lovely lady. She turned out really beautifully. I kissed her goodbye and put her in her lovely box. Tomorrow she will be on her way to her new home!

A gorgeous stone. What can I say? It needed some 14k rose gold to hold it company. It's another Autumn window. A smaller window. But still a window. I can see the sun from where I am sitting... can you? She is a size 6. Look for her in my shop tomorrow.


Winter Glow. I had these memories of snow from Sweden. Beautiful snow that is anything but white. This porcelain jasper is a good substitute for snow. Except you can't make the little snowball lanters out of her. So I made them out of silver instead and flush set a rhodolite (instead of the usual tealight) on top to spread the light in the winter evening. She is a size 7 and if you've fallen in love I suggest that you come and see her in my shop tomorrow.


and now I am off to snuggle up with a wonderful (and fever free) boyfriend and two little kitties that insist that the best place to sleep is in between David and yours truly. Which is of course absolutely correct!

Godnatt!
~tess

Another amazing giveaway

from my friend Gabby from janedeaux! Who wouldn't want this awesome piece! I know I sure do :o)


you have to check it out. Last chance to enter is NOW! Click here!

New Year... New opportunities..

This Christmas was good in many ways... I took time off from making, musts, cleaning and all other things that has just been draining me. It was really nice to look back at the past year and think about all the good things that has happened. New skills I've acquired, new friends I've met, challenges that I've learned from and things that have made me grow. I've learned not to judge, to be more open. To not let others insecurities bring me down. To stand above gossip and to keep my head up high and my heart pure. I am proud of what I've accomplished and how far I have come. There is something wonderful in being positive and welcoming. It opens up so many doors and brings so many new people into your life. It's a path I will continue to walk on. Sometimes the path is filled with large rocks and roots and sometimes it feels like that hill will never end... But as you walk, look around you and enjoy everything you pass by. It's truly not getting to the top of the hill that matters. It's what you learned getting there..

So for the new year, I hope that I will continue to learn and create. Continue to meet friends and share memories. I need to eat better, sleep more and snuggle more often. I need to find a good balance between my day job and my passion. Anyone struggling with doing a full time job as well as trying to run a business knows what I talk about. It is not easy. I have so many great plans. So many dreams but so little time. I need to realize that life is happening now as I am typing this. Life is not what I am planning or hoping for will happen. Its now. Live in the moment and love every minute of it.

David got really sick right after the new year. It really scared me. As he was laying on the bed in ER with the IV stuck in his arm looking like a little shadow of himself I realized that nothing besides having love and giving love matters. Everything else is pretty trivial. So I hope that if you're reading this that you will take that with you. Be happy and love more!

with a big fuzzy heart
~tess