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

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.

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

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

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...

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...

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.

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.

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!

Exhausted but excited!

I realized summer is over.. And I missed it again. Look at my little plant. It is so sad. Next year I will grow more plants. And I will take better care of them. And I can't believe my birthday is in 4 days. Gulp. I think I will just turn 30 again. At least that's felt like something to celebrate..

well it's past 1am and I have to get up in 5 hours. I've been working on a custom necklace and then I wanted to finish another midsummer ring that I've had in the works. It was fighting back and let's just say that I finally won :o)

Here's a late night photo of My second Midsummer ring. Rocky Butte Jaspe with 7 garnets. Now isn't that something to be excited about? It's a size 8 3/4 cause I realized that I've been secretly making all my rings for myself (me being around size 6). So this one is for you lovely ladies to fight over :o) . Keep an eye out, it will be making an appearance in my shop tomorrow (Wednesday).

Until then. Goodnight I'm off to a sleeping David and 2 sleeping kitties. Hmm I wonder if there is any room for me?

Sunday Sniffles and Little Flowers

Oh what a day... Been feeling terrible, coming down with a bad cold. *Sniffles*
But I did manage to work on some new things between blowing my nose..

My Forget me not flower ring is available in Nova of Sweden.

I just finished this necklace and it's already dark outside... I'll have to wait until tomorrow to take photographs. I already have a story behind this necklace and I know where I want to take the photos. There is a little trail by the river just by our house. I'll head there tomorrow and then back to list it!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

love//tess

A mountain of bubble mailers...

ahhh.. after a wonderful weekend of being featured in the Etsy "weekend deals" this is what my kitchen island looks like... Since David is away working in NY this week I was so lucky to have my furry friend Lisa to help out... I am exhausted. It's wonderful but exhausting...

Many kisses to all you wonderful people buying my jewelry. It makes me all teary eyed..

OMG too funny - David sent me these...

to cheer me up and it worked. I laughed so hard I thought I would pee myself! I am such a kid but I just love these things :o)

I was in a car accident..

So on Friday I got hit by another car. Totally not my fault, he drove into me. He was actually in MY lane. So my poor little car got a big dent in the front passenger door and in the panel next to the wheel. It was pissing down rain and we're blocking traffic. They guy gets out of his white car and point towards a parking lot (which happens to be the lot for David's studio space, which were my destination anyway) and asks if we can go there. I have never in my entire life been in a car accident so I think I was pretty shocked. I just nodded and started my car. I pulled up to the parking lot and David come's out of his studio. I tell him what happened and says the guy is coming here. David calls the cops and goes looking for the guy. He is of course no where to bee seen. He must have been laughing all the way home. I feel like such an idiot. I guess it is just a lesson learned..

Sales have been good this weekend though so hopefully I'll be able to get the money for the part I have to pay through my insurance to get it fixed. It just sucks. I hate dishonest people. I hope Karma comes and bites you in the ass mister!

Utopia and Atlantis has arrived!

The Utopia The Perfect World ring! This one is already reserved so I am very excited about that.
I think they turned out really nice... if I may say so :o)The Atlantis The Lost City! This one is still up for grabs, but you better hurry!
So happy I got to finish these to babies. It's been hard trying to find time for new designs. With a full time job and fulfilling Etsy orders (not complaining though!) it doesn't leave much for just play... But today is my first official day of Vacation. One week baby!! Just for me. David is still working so I can do whatever I want. I don't know if I even remember what time off feels like...

4th of July Party/David's birthday Party

So last Saturday I threw David a surprise Birthday party. His Birthday is on July 5th, but I figured it was a great opportunity to have a bbq to celebrate both Independence Day and David!

David was so surprised when people started showing up. We filled up the cooler with beer and other drinks! Love that corona on a hot summer day!


The kids played forever in out little pool (until they got all wrinkly). Don't pretend like you're not jealous of our awesome 8ft pool!
We also setup our badminton net which was a huge success. I suck at badminton... so instead I somehow got stuck holding the umbrella that wanted to fall down...


Kubb is an old swedish viking game. It's so much fun. You throw sticks trying to knock over little wooden blocks. I think party why I like it is cause you're not doing any running. You're perefctly find just standing there sipping on your drink...

David is such a kid.. so what's better than getting him a cookie monster to beat up? Of course we let the kids go crazy on him too!


The cookie monster slayer!!
I know, it's an obscene amount of fireworks.. I gave them to David as a part of his birthday present. We had quite a spectacular show at the end of the evening. It's too bad you can't do rockets in Philly though.. Mayeb next year we'll have to make a shopping trip out of state..

When all the fireworks were done, david made a fire and we sat around it toasting marshmallows, making smores and swatting at the mosqitoes. It was an awesome day!!!