December 2009 - Holly West

2009 Recap #4: Jewelry Sketches

December 31, 2009April 9, 2013Writing, Diary of Bedlam, Jewelry5 Comments

Note: This post was originally published on February 16, 2009

I don’t normally do much in the way of sketching when it comes to designing my jewelry. And when I say “normally,” I actually mean never. This year, however, I have a very special project in mind and whilst looking for design ideas, I realized that some sketching was definitely in order.

What is this special project you ask? It is a companion piece for the novel I’m writing. I want to make a ring that is given to my main character, Isabel Wilde, by her brother, who is a goldsmith.

I have my hear set on using a ruby for this ring, set in 18k yellow gold and flanked with diamonds and possibly pearls. In the sketch to the left, the center stone would be a faceted oval ruby and the four smaller circles would be pearls. The little dots would be pave-set diamonds.

Such a piece will challenge my jewelry making skills but with the exception of the pave, it is all well within my abilities. I will send it out to have the diamonds set, however.

I find the design to the right much less appealing. It is more a case of just exploring shapes and sizes than it is a design I would use. I don’t remember if the smaller circles were diamonds or pearls in this design.

In this design I experimented with an emerald cut stone as well as a couple of pearr shaped stones on the sides. I’m not sure what the side gemstones would be–although I have always been partial to the combination of red (ruby) and gold (citrine). The small circles around the perimeter would be pave set diamonds.

Finally, I tried a pear-shaped ruby in the design. The bottom circle would be a pearl and the smaller circles diamonds, as in the other designs. I have not been a fan of pear-shaped stones until the last few years. Now I really like them.

In anticipation of using this design or perhaps something similar, I bought a cheap ruby on eBay:

I do not know yet whether I’ll use it since I need to see it in person. If I can’t find a ruby I can afford I’ll use a red garnet. For some reason I visualize this ring as having a red stone and a garnet will work almost as well as a ruby.

2009 Recap #3: Ralph Goldstein, Master Jeweler

December 30, 2009April 9, 2013Jewelry1 Comment

Note: This post was originally published on May 19, 2009

UCLA Extension did a profile of my jewelry teacher a few months ago and they finally finished the video:

Ralph is teaching us handmade jewelry making techniques that are dying out. Most jewelry these days is carved in wax then cast. We make jewelry entirely by hand, even down to melting pure silver and gold with alloys. I absolutely love it.

2009 Recap #2: Who are your characters based on?

December 29, 2009Writing, Diary of BedlamLeave a comment

Note: This post was originally published on September 10, 2009

I recently got this question from a friend: Are your characters based on anyone you know?

The answer to that question is mostly, no. My heroine, Isabel Wilde, is an idealized version of myself, the person I imagine I'd be if I had more confidence and street smarts. When I first started writing her, she had a much softer core (like me), but now she's evolved into much more of a bad ass.

Interestingly, my decision to give Isabel red hair made her more remote to me. It was based on an old superstition associating ginger-colored hair with witches, but I am not generally attracted by red hair and so in creating Isabel, I never intended for her to have it. Perhaps what they say is true, however. Your characters start out as yours but over time take on a life of their own. Such has been the case with Isabel, in both personality and appearance.

Isabel's right-hand man, Will, is physically based on Bruce Lee. He is small, but wiry and extremely strong. There is nothing noteworthy about his appearance, giving him the ability to move through the streets of London without being noticed. He is an experienced street fighter and an expert with most weapons. His personality is a composite of antiheros I've observed in film, literature, and TV over the years, with a dash of my husband mixed in.

When I first conceived Will, he was meant to be a much larger man, more of the traditional body guard type. However, I quickly realized he couldn't be so recognizable–there could be nothing, like extreme height, that would make him stand out. His stature became smaller, and at the same time, his role in the story became second only to Isabel (and, arguably, to the murder victim in the story).

Creating characters and dialogue is so far my favorite part of writing this novel. It's refreshing to have characters say outrageous things you could never say in real life. It's also fun to experience their life through their eyes. I complain a lot about how hard writing this book is, but I would never want to do anything else.

2009 Recap #1: Secrets of the Samarai Sword

December 28, 2009April 9, 2013Writing, Inspiration, Japan, Jewelry2 Comments

Note: This post was originally published on July 25, 2009

My husband and I just watched a program on PBS called Secrets of the Samarai Sword. It’s available to watch on the internet, and I recommend it.

Samarai_sword

There are several reasons why this program was interesting to me personally. First, my husband picked up a book at a library book sale awhile back about Japanese swords and was immediately taken with them. That year for his birthday, I embarked on my own research and bought one for him. Much like making a sword, it was a painstaking process; there are lots of “fakes” out there, particularly, swords made by machine during WWII, and an authentic, handmade sword is expensive. I’m not sure I’d have the confidence even now to buy one again, although I’m certain that the one I bought him is authentic. We both love that sword–it is almost as important to me as my wedding ring, if you want the truth.

Samarai_sword_2

The second reason I found this program engaging is because I’m a goldsmith. I make jewelry out of gold and silver and some of the processes used are similar, if not the same. I use ancient techniques to make my jewelry, and this type of craftsmanship appeals to me. I’m definitely not comparing my level of expertise to the level presented by the master swords-maker profiled, but my experience with making jewelry makes me extremely interested in the techniques used in Japanese sword-making.

The level of expertise required to make a sword can be applied to any field, whether it be sword making, jewelry making, or in my case now, writing. Young people apprentice in this work at an early age and through the years become experts themselves, thus preserving a tradition that is hundreds of years old. It is a reminder that to be good at anything, even if one possesses natural talent, takes years of practice. It is affirming and daunting at the same time–I am a novice at writing, at least as it pertains to novels, and I have a lot of work in front of me to become an “expert.”

Having been to Japan and having even visited the sword museum in Tokyo shown in the program, I was also interested in the cultural aspects of Samarais, sword fighting, and sword making. But for me, the really compelling part is the fabrication of the sword. It is fascinating, and an important reminder that hard work and persistence is an important key to success.

From My Family to Yours

December 25, 2009Uncategorized3 Comments

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Holly, Mick, Stuart, & Stella

Christmas Menu

December 23, 2009Uncategorized1 Comment

Despite the fact I re-joined Weight Watchers yesterday, the holiday season pretty much means one thing to me: Food. Delicious, special, eat-until-you-burst, food. So I thought I'd share some of the things I'm planning to make for Christmas dinner and the surrounding meals. Click on the links for the specific recipes.

We'll be spending Christmas at my parent's house in Northern California. On Christmas Eve, my mom and dad go to church but my sister and I don't, so we'll be making a lovely (but modest) for my parents to come home to:

Christmas Eve:

Venison Chili (this is actually my turkey chili recipe, substituting venison sausage for the turkey)
Cornbread

Christmas Day:

Turkey (This is the best roast turkey recipe I've ever tried)
Butternut Squash Puree
Mashed Potatoes

My sister is making the deserts and my sister-in-law is making a vegetable dish (I think) so this will be a delicious meal with many cooks contributing.

Next week, I'll be doing a 2009 recap of my favorite posts throughout the year.

Wishing you all a happy holiday!

The Story of Stella

December 18, 2009May 22, 2014Dogs5 Comments

Saturday marked one year since our beloved dog Kramer died. Most of the hurt has faded away, but we sure do miss him. He was possibly the best dog ever.

Which brings me to the subject of this post. In November we adopted a new little pooch who we named Stella:

She’s cute, huh? You want to pet her, don’t you? You want to kiss her on the pretty little snout, right? This is what Stella’s thinking: Suckaaaa!

She is possibly the worst dog ever.

Of course, I say that in jest (kind of). She’s mostly a good dog, and I’m not just saying that because she’s resting peacefully on my lap as I write this.

At this point you might be asking yourself how Mick and I ended up with this little bundle of, er, joy. We went to the gym one day and found they were having a pet adoption day. Mick said “Don’t look!” as I ran over to the cages to see the dogs. “It’ll be okay, I don’t want another one,” I said, even as my eyes locked on the precious ball of fur that was to become, at least temporarily, the bane of my existence. I picked her up and that was pretty much it. Mick did put up a good fight for about 20 minutes but in the end, Stella won. Stella always wins.

Since she came to our house, Mick and I spend a lot of time doing this:

The first day and a half was utter bliss. She was a quiet, fairly well-behaved dog that seemed only to have a few potty training issues. Piece of cake. We hadn’t yet cleaned the carpets from when Kramer was around, so what’s a little accident between friends?

On the second day, Stella and I were resting peacefully on the couch when Stuart jumped on. That’s when the trouble started. Stella unleashed a little snarl, which frankly, I laughed at. It soon went from an itty-bitty growl to a full-fledged attack, and from then on, Stella would randomly lunge at Stuart whenever she felt a little cranky. Which was apparently often, because she did it several times a day and there was no question in my mind: she was out for blood.

None of the West dogs have ever been known for their good manners (some friends will remember the Italian sausage incident or the case of the missing alligator head) but we’ve never had to deal with an aggressive dog. I was convinced more than once we’d have to return her to the rescue. At first, the only thing that saved her was her 10 pound stature; a larger dog would surely have been unmanageable with the level of aggression she was capable of. I call her a “10 lb can of whoopass.”

I went back to the rescue and told the guy in charge we had a big problem. I asked if there were any trainers he could recommend. He gave me the number for Peter Bovino of Peter & the Woof. From the start, Peter seemed dedicated to helping us keep Stella. He became our trainer and things have improved quite a bit. We now feel confident she can stay with us, even if she is still not the most well-behaved girl. Baby steps… or in this case, puppy steps (though for the record, Stella is not a puppy, she’s 2 years old).

And dare I say it? She even seems to kind of love Stuart now, at least when she knows something good, like food or a walk, is in the offing.

Still, I feel compelled to offer one little bit of advice to anyone out there who is as weak as I am: “DON”T LOOK!”

Progress Report

December 16, 2009Writing, Diary of BedlamLeave a comment

I never know whether to say I'm in the process of editing, revising, or re-writing my novel. Just not sure which word is appropriate for what I'm doing at the moment. But whatever the right word is, I am deep in the heart of it and it is a slow, slow undertaking.

Turns out I'm a first draft kind of girl. Revising a novel just isn't as much fun. Unfortunately, it's a vital part of the job if I want to get published (and believe me, I want to get published), so I keep plucking away, word by word, sentence by sentence.

I've turned my desk around so it faces the window, affording me a lovely view of the Pacific Ocean. This may have been a mistake; I am constantly looking up to see the waves crash or a sudden white splash further in. I think "Ooooh, is that a dolphin?" Usually, it's not. But whatever it is, it's just enough to distract me from what I should be doing, so the desk might have to face the wall again.

The greatest thing about editing/revising/re-writing a novel is that my book is actually starting to take a pretty wonderful shape. Every day I can see it turning into something I'd actually like to buy, then read. Hopefully, by the time it's done, other people will too. Lots of them, 'cause mama needs a new pair of shoes.

I'm hoping for a finished novel by the end of January, but with the holidays next week, I'm not sure if I'll make this deadline. Self-imposed deadlines are the worst–it's so very easy to talk yourself out of them. If you happen to see me wasting time on Twitter or Facebook, do me a favor and remind me I've got writing to do, m'kay?

Curing What Ailed You in the 17th Century

December 14, 2009May 15, 2014Writing, 17th C Eng History, Research3 Comments

Hannah Wolley was kind of the Martha Stewart of late the 17th century in England. She authored books like The Gentlewoman’s Companion (1673) and The Queen-Like Closet (1672). The 17th century housewife went to her for advice on all manner of subjects, including recipes for the popular “medicinal” cures of the time.

What follows is a few of these “cures.” I’ve transcribed them so they make sense to the modern reader, but I tried to keep the charm and rhythm of the original language.

The Plague Water:
Take three pints of muskadine, boil therein one handful of sage and one handful of rue until reduced to two pints. Strain it, and put it back on the fire.

Beat together a penny’s worth of long pepper, a half ounce of ginger, and a quarter ounce of nutmeg and boil with the liquid covered with a cloth.

Add a penny’s worth of mithridate, two penny’s worth of Venice treacle, and one quarter pint of hot Angelica water.

Take one spoonful at a time, morning and evening, always warm if you are already diseased; if not, once a day is sufficient all the Plague time.

It is a most excellent medicine and never fails, if taken before the heart be utterly mortified with the disease, it is also good for the small pox and measles.

A Most Excellent Water for the Stone (kidney stones) or for the Wind Colic (gas)
Take two handfuls of saxifrage, one handful of thyme, two handfuls of perstons, two handfuls of philipendula, and an equal amount pellitory of the wall, two ounces of sweet fennel seeds, the roots of ten radishes, sliced, and steep all these in a gallon of milk warm from the cow. Then distill it in an ordinary still for four hours. Slice half an ounce of saxifrage stem and put it into the water bottle and keep it stopped with a cloth.

Take three spoonfuls at a time and fast from both eating and drinking for one hour after; you must make this water about midsummer; it is a very precious water and ought to be prized.

Walnut Water, or the Water of Life
Take green walnuts in the beginning of June, beat them in a mortar, and distill them in an ordinary still. Keep that water by itself.

About midsummer, gather some more, and distill hem as you did before. Keep that also by itself.

Take a quart of each and mix them together and distill them in a glass still and keep it for your use. The virtues are as follows:

It will help all manner of dropsies and palsies, drank with wine fasting; it is good for the eyes if you put one drop therein; it helps conception in women if they drink one spoonful at a time in a glass of wine once a day; it will make your skin fair if you wash with it; it is good for all the infirmities of the body and drives out all corruption, and inward bruises; if it be drunk with wine moderately, it kills worms in the body; whosoever drinks much of it shall live so long as nature shall continue in him.

Finally, if you have any wine that is turned, put it in a little vial or glass full of it, and keep it stopped with a cloth. Within four days it will come to itself again.

A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

December 11, 2009Research, Writing, Books, 17th C Eng HistoryLeave a comment

I've collected a lot of great reference books in my research of Diary of Bedlam, but by far my favorite is A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Captain Francis Grose. First published in 1785, it is a collection of slang words from all corners of society.

Here are a few of the entertaining words and expressions found in this volume:

Bum fodder – toilet paper

To cast up one's accounts – to vomit

Beard splitter – A man given to "wenching"

Dog's soup – rain water

Fart catcher – a valet or footman, from his walking behind his master or mistress

Lazybones – an instrument like a pair of tongs, for old or very fat people, to take something from the ground without stooping

Mantrap – a woman's private parts

Queen Street – a man governed by his wife is said to live in Queen Street

Soul doctor – a parson

Thingumbobs – testicles

Wool gathering - Saying to an absent man, or one in reverie, as in "Your wits are gone a wool gathering."

One thing that's also interesting about the dictionary is to see how many of the words we still use whose meanings are more or less the same as they were over 200 years ago. Expressions like elbow grease, gift of gab, hodge podge, quack, ragamuffin, white lie, and ship shape all hail from this time.

Writer | Editor

Monthly Archives: December 2009