Thoughts on the Weekend and Another Copper Cuff

Ah, it's Friday! The weekend has arrived. Yes, the weekend. When you can forget the workweek and the troubles at hand and just relax. Or so they say. I see it as the time when everyone is home and driving me nuts. I hardly ever get anything done, and the only good thing is I get to sleep late. The house will be a wreck by Monday morning, but that's secretly the reason I put K in her after school program. You'd be surprised at how much I can get accomplished with no one in the house. Now if only I knew how to do all the remodel jobs that need to be done, I'd be set. I'm typing all this while hiccuping and holding my breath to get rid of the hiccups so I really have no idea what I'm saying.

Did you all notice my new little gadget over there on the side? I have finally got a newsletter together. It's a once a month thing. Don't want anyone getting tired of me. It's filled with my latest happenings, secret sales, and lots of other special things. You know- the usual newsletter kind of stuff. I would be very appreciative and excited if you signed up for the newsletter, but only if you really want to. Although, I might get some kind of complex if no one wants to.

Latest item in my shop this week is an oldie but a goodie that some might have forgotten about. My Asian inspired, art deco Blossom cuff. How's that for getting multi-cultures and styles?! It is a copper cuff with the loveliest copper flower on top. Just the thing you need to keep gloomies away in the winter. It can be found in my shop.

Have a great and relaxing weekend, my duckies!

Snow Day

Snow day!

Yes, with a whole inch(well, maybe a little more) on the ground we have a snow day. Our first of the year. I really don't know why we have a snow day other than they couldn't shovel their sidewalks off. We are one of the few school districts around with a snow day.

Now, as a kid, I loved snow days. Things have changed. As a stay at home mom, I hate snow days because they wait until I have to get up before dawn to let me know that school is closed. Then while my child gets to sleep in, I'm up for the day. Seriously, now it was done snowing yesterday by 6 in the evening. Did they really think it was going to melt when the temp was going to drop to 18 degrees?!

Well, that brings me to my newest item in my shop. The piece pictured is my Asian Blossom Cuff from my 2008 Spring Collection- Moonlight in the Garden. I'm hoping to bring spring faster. You can find it and a few others from my new collection in my shop.

Friday, Friday, Friday!

It's Friday! It's Friday! I'm doing my Friday happy dance.

Well, I have one custom order down and two more to go. Wish me luck on the next ones because they are custom his and her modern claddagh rings. They won't be too hard I hope.

Update on the heat. Still don't have any. Remind me to kick my electric company's butt.

Here it is. I said I was going to do a sterling silver oyster necklace, but I decided to do a bracelet instead. The chain got to me. I just couldn't do it. I think the bracelet turned out beautifully, and I'm glad I didn't do a bracelet. The white opal really sets the whole thing off. It can be found in my shop.

Pre-Black Friday sale this weekend! 20%Off to anyone who mentions "Blog" when checking out today through Sunday at midnight. You know you need some jewelry presents. This applies to my Ecrater site as well. The good thing about that is you can just purchase something without signing up. You just have to wait for a revised invoice. Or, if anyone wants to trade with me for some righteous presents like for an 8 yr. old, a man, my mom, my grandmother just let me know. Because seriously, I don't have a clue what to buy for these freaking people. It's ridiculous.

Just Another Day

Day 3. Still no heat. At least it will be another beautiful day today. I have until Friday when the temp is supposed to drop like a brick.


My feature fairy made me a visit last night. That's right stephaniegibson left me a convo because she spotted my men's off center ring in the Storque on Etsy. That's right I'm in the Storque. Swoon picked me and others for a modern gift list. I'm so excited. So, go check out stephanie's shop because she is just too fabulous.

Remember yesterday I was talking about the lack of gift ideas for my kid? Well, she happened to see something on Etsy this morning that suited her fancy. Hooray! Maybe the tree won't be so empty after all. lol. Btw, it wasn't a toy.

Look what a pretty job my new torch and tip do! I was so amazed at how well this bangle bracelet turned out. Seriously. I had very little to do to it when it came out of the tumbler. It's a copper Art Deco style bracelet. Isn't it just lovely?! As always, it can be found in my shop.

Oh, and wish me luck. I have a spot in the jewelry category showcase today on Etsy. I'll let you know how it goes.

WooHoo!

Boy, it's been a long week, and I am so thankful that the weekend is finally here.

I hinted at a surprise a couple of days ago(I got sidetracked). Well, now to unveil my big news. We closed on our house on Tuesday so now it not only is officially ours, but now it officially has a mortgage. Only a ten year mortgage because we bought the place so cheaply, but it is still ours. Now if I want to take out a wall, I will have no problem with it. So, in light of my big news, I'm going to have a sale in my shop through the weekend. Get everything 25% off when you, my lovely blog readers, mention "House07".

You may have noticed that bright and shiny new cuff in the picture. That is my challenge item for this week. This week's challenge was to create something inspired by your first job. My first job happened to be a cashier at a local mom and pop grocery store, and every spring we would sell flowers. So, I created this copper cuff with three handcrafted copper flowers. There is a very light patina on the flowers to give them a more antique feel. I really love how it turned out. It reminds me of a corsage. It can be found in my shop and is called In Bloom.

Have a great weekend everyone, and stay safe! Now I'm going to go take a nap.

The weekend, collections, and a jaguar

Oh, boy, what a long weekend! I hope everyone had an enjoyable one.

Saturday I actually got to go yard saling. I love to go to yard sales. We went all over the countryside. Of course, I didn't find anything but one little elephant planter. K and Steve found a computer, ionizer thingy, and toys. They had the car jampacked, but alas, none of it was for me. Just once I would like to have a day where they find little, and I find everything. lol. Sunday it just rained. Rained all day. Blech!

So, this week I will be relisting a few things in my shop. Today it happens to be my jaguar bracelet. It happens to be one of my first pieces of my special sterling silver filigree. I really love that smokey quartz jaguar. He's really very pretty.

Okay. Here's the idea I stole from Debbie over at Craftymoose. Well, not really since she said to do it in her blog post. Collections. What do you collect? Let's see.

1.Elephants. By far my biggest collection. I love elephants. Trunks up or trunks down. Doesn't matter. You can see a few of them in my pics. A very few. At last count, I had almost 200, and I've added a few since then. Most of them are small or on the verge of being tiny.
2. Horses. I have collected horses since I was a child, but I have become very picky as to what horses I collect now.
3. Paint. Yes, paint. It's a very weird addiction that I cannot stop. I buy paint, like wall paint, all the time. I'm very weird.
4. Mirrors. I didn't even realize that I collected mirrors until I started doing this list. Another of my idiosyncrasies. I really believe that it is because I have never lived anywhere that had enough mirrors. Not that I like to look at myself all the time, but it would be nice to at least see if I just look horrible before I go out.

A rescue and new piece

One day closer to school being out! That is what I keep telling myself when I am tired of getting up in the morning. That's what I keep telling K too.

Well, yesterday I went to paint my mother's house and discovered my brother had rescued a turtle from the backyard. Of course, being my brother, he just put it on the porch. I offered to take him to the woods since I live in the middle of nowhere. So, K and I walked him into the woods near the river. It was so cute. I wish I had had my camera. You could almost see him jumping up and down. When I last saw him, he was heading deeper in the woods. Farewell, dear turtle!

That story actually goes well with my newest piece. A brand new hammered copper cuff with leaf cutouts is currently available in my store. I am pleasantly surprised the leaves turned out looking like leaves. lol. I am always amazed when things look like how I wanted them to look. The light hammering gave this cuff the little extra specialness I was looking for. Stop by and check it, as well as my other pieces, because they could all use a little love.
Until tomorrow...

Own a Galaxy

Running a bit behind this morning because my computer wants to be stupid. Yes, it really is the computer being stupid. lol.

Check out my new bracelet. LOVE it! Sorry I'm yelling, but I can't help it. I adore it. This is probably my most favorite bracelet I've made in a while. It is a bangle so this first one is pretty limited in who can wear it, but the great part is that I can make more. It is a soldered copper wire bangle with dainty iolite rondelles strategically placed along the wires. It's like owning your own galaxy with all the little moons and planets. Really truly adore this one. I think I might make another one in garnet and maybe some earrings if I can do it. It is available in my shop.

I had the most fabulous review written about me yesterday. Beadinggem has a blog called The Beading Gem's Journal. She found me on mybloglog and asked if she could do a review. Of course I said yes. It is short and sweet and really very flattering. So go check out her blog. She has lots more reviews on there for you to read as well.

Oh, and I just realized this is my 100th blog post on blogger! Hooray for me! Let's hope there are lots more interesting posts.

Solitary

So sorry I have been gone so long. I hate when "real" life gets in the way. Why can't I just be left alone in my little room with only Etsy and my jewelry? lol.

Well, I'm on time for the Creative Challenge this week. Yay! This week's challenge was to create something using your favorite card game as inspiration. I know this is similar to the board game challenge so it is a good thing that we have changed a few regulars since then. This bracelet(the one in the picture) is my contribution. It was inspired by the Solitaire game. I could sit for hours on end playing solitaire, and I don't cheat- I swear. I don't even cheat on my computer version. Anyway, this charm-style bracelet is encircled by mini copper "diamonds" and has been highly polished and has been finished with a dainty figure 8 clasp. I really enjoy this piece, but then again, I love pieces with movement. With the clasp, it measures 7.25" long. It is available in my shop.

Get this. The Crest Street Team(the one for Maryland, Virginia, and DC) has been invited to do a trunk show at the EtsyLabs. How very exciting! Plus, I'm on the list, which was first come first serve so you don't think I'm extra special or anything) to go. Yay! I'm kind of curious to see what the labs are like. I've never done a trunk show before or actually been anywhere without someone I know. I hope I don't chicken out. lol. It should be interesting to say the least. No travel plans have been discussed as of yet so I have no idea how this will work. Knowing me and my luck, I will be on my own to get there since the rest of the team all lives on the western shore which is approximately 2-3 hours away. I will get there. Oh, yes, I will get there. Now I'm off to raise money for my trip by selling my little heart out and painting my mom's room. See you tomorrow!

Milestones and Birds

I truly hope it is sunny and calm somewhere. Let me know where so I can move there.

I'm going to move Home Improvement Roundup to Thursday just because I can, and Hooray! I finally got to over 100 sales! I'm so happy. Thanks to Debbie for pushing me over the hump. It really does feel great, though truth be told, I never thought I would have this many sales on Etsy. Granted some of them are trades, but only you and I know that. Now let's hope it doesn't completely slow down from here.

Hard at work on new projects, I just finished this one last night. I love the shape of this solid copper cuff. It's actually quite a simple piece, but it's the design that really sets it off. I also hammered it because I felt it needed that technique to finish it. It will be in my shop later this morning, and once again, mention anniversary to receive 25% off your purchase.

Forgot to tell you yesterday about the exciting incident on Sunday. A bird somehow flew down my chimney into the fireplace then beat against the doors until he could get out. So, I have this blackbird, and not a small one mind you, flying around my house being chased by my 300 lb dog. So, we have to leave the front door open in the middle of the storm and chase it out with a broom. Never a dull moment. Then last night I go to the car so I can pick Steve up and discover that I have a flat tire. I'm not talking just regular flat. I mean, this thing completely withered and died. I have never seen a flatter tire that hadn't blown out. Wonder what will happen today.

Milestones and Birds

I truly hope it is sunny and calm somewhere. Let me know where so I can move there.

I'm going to move Home Improvement Roundup to Thursday just because I can, and Hooray! I finally got to over 100 sales! I'm so happy. Thanks to Debbie for pushing me over the hump. It really does feel great, though truth be told, I never thought I would have this many sales on Etsy. Granted some of them are trades, but only you and I know that. Now let's hope it doesn't completely slow down from here.

Hard at work on new projects, I just finished this one last night. I love the shape of this solid copper cuff. It's actually quite a simple piece, but it's the design that really sets it off. I also hammered it because I felt it needed that technique to finish it. It will be in my shop later this morning, and once again, mention anniversary to receive 25% off your purchase.

Forgot to tell you yesterday about the exciting incident on Sunday. A bird somehow flew down my chimney into the fireplace then beat against the doors until he could get out. So, I have this blackbird, and not a small one mind you, flying around my house being chased by my 300 lb dog. So, we have to leave the front door open in the middle of the storm and chase it out with a broom. Never a dull moment. Then last night I go to the car so I can pick Steve up and discover that I have a flat tire. I'm not talking just regular flat. I mean, this thing completely withered and died. I have never seen a flatter tire that hadn't blown out. Wonder what will happen today.

The Crappy Post

Well, I'm finally here. I am such a slacker lately. It's really very depressing.
I'm glad to hear that I am not alone in the wanting of plastic surgery. There were actually few that you lovely readers listed that I'm contemplating adding to my list.

K is home from school for Easter break. This should be interesting. You see, my mom usually gives me a break every other weekend, but either one or the other of them has been sick for the past two times she was supposed to go. I have found that I rely on those breaks. I don't know why since K and I usually get along so well with each other. We'll see since this weekend there is an Easter Egg Hunt at the school and the easter bunny comes to visit(who hasn't even started her basket).

Once again, I am behind on my challenge item. The piece I had originally wanted to do did not turn out the way I wanted, and I won't even take a pic of it. So now I am forced to come up with another idea. I have nothing. Nothing I said. Well, maybe one idea but I don't know how it is going to work. The cuff in the picture is my latest. It really put itself together. I just allowed the bracelet to follow the form of the bronzite centerpiece. Plus, I am on this total geometric kick lately. Don't ask me why. You can find the Bronzite and Copper Bubbles Cuff in my shop. Sorry for the totally boring post. Now I'm off to work on my challenge item. Actually, drink the rest of my coffee then work on my challenge item.

The Dreaded Wednesday

As usual it's another dreaded Wednesday, and it's been another one of those days that you just wish you could start over. First, I oversleep so I'm late getting K to school. Then she can't find her glasses so we are even later. Finally, I get her there at about 9:15. So it's a beautiful start to another day.

Well, here's my last entry to the beads4you winter beading challenge on Etsy. I would've liked to do two more. Goodness knows I have enough beads, but I just don't think I'm going to have time since the deadline is March 31st. I might try to do one more. We'll see. Anyway, I thought my new found technique of weaving wire would be perfect to go with the hematite rondelles and teardrops that we were supposed to use. It is a cuff- my favorite type of bracelet- so it should fit most people. It can be found in my shop. Now to finish my Creative Challenge piece for this week.

New Blogger and a Challenge

So, I fully apologize for not writing yesterday. I fully intended to write a nice long piece, but I had a doctor's appointment(blech!) where I had to get a shot. So now my leg is swollen at the spot, I have a big red bruise, and it hurts. Gotta love modern medicine.

Anyway, I finished, finally, my Creative Challenge last week. Hooray! Took me long enough what with the biggest birthday in the history of 8 year olds. I'm quite pleased with the turnout though. The challenge last week was to combine the spring color of cappucino with some other color from the spring color chart. I think I may have cheated, but hey, I'm the creator of the challenges. I'm allowed to cheat a little. I used faceted chalcedonys for the color. Love chalcedony. It just has the warmest tones no matter what color you get. I accented the chalcedonys with sterling silver filigree, of course, made by me. I did something a little different this time and finished the ends by balling them with my torch. It looks really great. Have I told you how much filigree is a pain even though I love it? Technically, I guess mine isn't filigree, but it's my version of filigree. Guess what I called it? Filigree Fandango. I have no idea where that name came from, but there it is. If you would like to see Filigree Fandango in its natural setting, it can be found in my shop. You can also view other challenge pieces on Flickr.

Today I want everyone to say hello to Craftymoose. She is a friend from Etsy and a new blogger. Just started her blog yesterday so please head on over and give her a warm welcome. She does amazing things with beads. I'm quite envious actually. You can check out her Etsy shop here.

Having Breakfast at Tiffany's

I hope everyone's weekend went well, and you are not snowed in. Mine was fairly typical. We did take K to an auction where you get to throw money when you are the winning bidder. We even let her bid. I was quite proud of her. She picked out the things she wanted and got them. She never swayed or varied in her wants. And, when it was time to get the lots, she had no problem throwing away the things she didn't want. She loved it. I think she was a little proud of herself as well. Then on Sunday, of course, it snowed for a little while. I'm not talking just any kind of snow. These snowflakes were the size of snack plates or saucers if you will. They were the biggest snowflakes I've ever seen. I wish I had thought of getting a picture. Now today I have to get the evil car tagged and titled. I wish I didn't. I hate that car. It's going to be a long day.

I am getting slightly caught up on my work. I finished the bracelet you see in the picture over the weekend. It wasn't hard to make. Just a long process of cutting rings then fitting them together and adding a clasp. There is just over 400 sterling silver rings in this chainmaille piece. Plus, I added some aquamarine faceted ovals for a touch of elegance. I really like how it turned out, and it really did name itsself. It wanted to be called "When eating breakfast at Tiffany's...". I don't usually choose such long names, but this one deserved it. You will be able to find this one in my shop later today unless you decide you need it then let me know and I'll put it on sooner for you. Until next time.

Just so you know, I'm sitting in my office, really the room formerly known as the dining room, writing this in the dark waiting to get my daughter ready for school.
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Feeling the Effects

Wednesday,oh, Wednesday! Why does Wednesday have to be the longest day of the week?!

First, let's get down to business. I have, at last, finished a Creative Challenge piece before the next challenge has been posted. This week's theme is a guest challenge created by HollysRainbow. The noble theme of peace. I opted for an inspiration less traveled. Color. I was inspired by the color blue which has long been associated with peacefulness. It is also a fitting color for today since blue is Wednesday's color. Blue is also associated with the throat chakra. The throat chakra deals with the communication of how we feel and what we think. Very enlightning! The color blue I chose comes in the form of a carved sodalite. I accentuated it with sterling silver filigree. It can currently be found in my shop.

Second. I'm going to go on a rant and tell you a little secret. The secret is I watch Housewives of Orange County on Bravo. Yes, I admit it. I'm a little addicted. I have always been a little curious of how the other half lives. Well, this show has now proven that the jewelry making fad is not over, and unfortunately, they are probably going to sustain it a little further. One of these "housewives", (I say "housewives" because really. Come on now. I'd like to see them do the work around my house.), is starting a jewelry making/designing business with a friend of hers. It's nothing spectacular. She's not doing anything that the rest of us haven't done, but does she have to start at the bottom? No. Of course her rich fiancee is going to help her out. Asking her friend about where to get start-up money, her friend replies "investors". Did you have investors? I know I didn't. Oh, wait. Yeah, I did. Me. For crying out loud. Is going to get to skip all the steps because she has a rich fiancee and she is on tv? If I was on tv, I bet my business would be booming. It really isn't what you know but who you know.

Creative Challenge

Well, I finally finished my Creative Challenge from last week which is so, so sad since I run the challenges.

Last week's challenge was to create something inspired by or for a slumber party/sleepover. I was inspired by the lovely Jen's aka Stiletto Heights virtual slumber party which is tomorrow. You can read about it here. It was a lot of fun thinking back to all of those slumber parties that I attended. There were slumber parties with friends, parties with my cheerleading squad. There was even a party when I was a senior with my Spanish class. Do not ask me how that got started because I have no idea. Anyway, not only was I inspired by the slumber party idea, but I was also inspired by some handmade glass cabachons that I have from Willow Glass. They remind me of the nighttime sky with black clouds. Since I adore copper, I chose to use one in a copper cuff. I also added moon cutouts. It was a lot of fun to make even if it made my fingers so sore, but it reconfirms my believe that everyone should own some kind of rotary tool. Especially, if you aren't allowed to use a saw for fear that you will cut your hands off like me. Yes, it's true. I am completely inept with anything remotely sharp.

My Egyptian Nights cuff can be found on sale in my shop. Now, it's time to move on to the next challenge which I fear I will fall behind on. Cross my fingers that I won't. And, stay tuned tomorrow to see my post on the sleepover. That should be fun. So until next time, stay warm, watch out for black ice, and watch how much snow accumulates on your roof. xoxoox

Cuffs

I like cuffs. In fact, I love cuffs. I like to wear them, and I like to make them. They never seem to go out of fashion. And, no matter how much weight you might gain or lose, they always seem to fit.

My Power cuff is one of my favorite cuff designs. It's a very simple design, but I love the width of it. It's a very chunky, make you feel like you could take over the world kind of cuff. My latest Power cuff is made of copper. Just finished and hot off the workpress, it's making its debut right here.

This cuff is a big fat 2"(5cm)wide. Makes me want to spin around the room like Wonder Woman. I went with a texture that is new for my designs, and I am quite pleased with how it turned out. It has a satiny, rough appearance to it when, in actuality, it is magnificently smooth and soft. I adore it. You could literally wear this everyday of the week and never tire of it. It will be a fabulous edition to an evening wear outfit or the perfect touch to dress up those pair of blue jeans. It will be listed in my shop later today.

Conclusions and Challenges

I went shopping yesterday. Yes, I did. There was one outfit that I promised K I would let her go back and get. Of course, I couldn't leave the store without getting myself something. We browsed and shopped. K ended up getting her skirt she wanted and a matching shirt. Plus, she got a pair of cargo style pants that she's been wanting. The great thing about these pants is that she can also wear them in the summer as shorts because they unzip just below the knee. As for me, I decided I was not leaving that store until I found at least one pair of pants that I could wear in public. Yes, most of my pants are not suitable for public viewing. Boy, I didn't know that was going to be such a job. We wandered up and down the aisles for I don't know how long. I tried on I don't know how many pants. Finally, I believe after an hour, I found 2 pairs of pants that I really liked. One is a pair of jeans, and the other is a pair of really nice black casual dress pants. Love them! But... I have come to the conclusion that I need to lose weight.


Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not that overweight. In fact, with my height, I'm not even big. I can pack a lot of weight on this 5'10" frame. I am also reasonably comfortable with my body. But.... I want to be thinner. For myself. I don't like having to wear the size of pants that I do. It doesn't help that I have large, child-bearing hips, but I could still get into a size that appeals to me. So, I am determined that I'm going to get on a routine. It's not even the weight I want to lose. I mostly want to lose the inches. I used to be an exercise fanatic. I know I will never be the size I was, but I want to be slightly smaller than I am now. We'll see how it goes.




Well, I finally finished my Creative Challenge piece for this week. This week's challenge was to use the spring color chart which you can find here. I chose to use the color cappucino, but I have plans to use more of the colors in other designs. The cappucino color is a lovely jaguar or panther smoky quartz. I accented with sterling silver filigree, and I'm not sure how I like it. It's just one of those pieces where I'm just not sure. I may or may not list it in my shop. You should check out the color chart. It's a great thing to use for inspiration. It also helps to keep a lot of color in your designs. I just adore playing with it. Until next time!

Creative Challenge

I have finally finished another Creative Challenge piece. This week's challenge was to create something that was inspired by a location in your town whether it be your backyard, a store, a park, or whatever.

I love doing the challenges even if I do create them. It ensures that I will create at least one piece a week. Plus, it makes me think outside of the box. Everyone who participates is absolutely wonderful. I adore each and everyone of them. It gives me a reason to look forward to Mondays, and we all know we need one.

My piece this week is a bracelet(and no, I don't always so bracelets) inspired by a river not too far from my house and a little storefront in the center of my town. I secretly dream that this precious little store, formerly a hotel, will be mine one day. I seriously doubt it every will be at the exorbitant costs that brick and mortars are going for in my teeny little town. Anyway. The aluminium rings and the aluminium rectangles were inspired by this store. They have a feel of art deco as does my dream store. The garnet, iolite, and prehnite rondelles are inspired by the colors that surround the river I go by everyday. I am seriously contemplating creating a necklace to match I love it that much. I will be listing this bracelet in just a little in my shop.

Why don't you lovely readers try this challenge? or let me see the places that inspire you in your daily life.