Folksy Friday: Windy Day


It's a windy day.  My Folksy Friday reflects this.  Enough said!



Falcon BlackoutwellTim Irving
Emma in WonderlandLongarms Mammaquilt


1. Birds 'like leaves in the wind' by Falcon
2. Foxy under a tree by Blackoutwell
3. Paper lanterns by the talented Tim Irving
4. The bracing British seaside by Emma in Wonderland (the same famous winner of Dreamaid's most recent ten of the best competition)
5. Delicate origami crane mobile by Longarms
6. Beautiful quilted cushion with windmill motif by Mammaquilt


Folksy Friday: Windy Day


It's a windy day.  My Folksy Friday reflects this.  Enough said!



Falcon BlackoutwellTim Irving
Emma in WonderlandLongarms Mammaquilt


1. Birds 'like leaves in the wind' by Falcon
2. Foxy under a tree by Blackoutwell
3. Paper lanterns by the talented Tim Irving
4. The bracing British seaside by Emma in Wonderland (the same famous winner of Dreamaid's most recent ten of the best competition)
5. Delicate origami crane mobile by Longarms
6. Beautiful quilted cushion with windmill motif by Mammaquilt


Petite Fashion Challenge # 2: Wear it now, wear it later

Petite Fashion Challenge #2, hosted by Kelly of AlterationsNeeded (my fave!):

"The challenge: Pick at least one item in your closet (not jeans, that's too easy!), and create two outfits, one for spring/summer, and one for fall/winter."


I sifted through my closet, and quickly decided on an H&M peach tulip skirt. I splurged on it ($40) in the Spring and never wore it again. It's slightly too short/whimsical for a business environment, and too dressy for my weekend lounging.

I took the easy way out and winter-ized this skirt with some black tights, while leaving the rest of the outfit (ruffled top, long cardigan) to mirror how I wore it in the Spring.

Outfit for Fall/Winter:
Skirt: H&M "Trend" sz 4, Blouse: Target sz jrs XS, Cardigan: LOFT sz XXSP (buy here)
pfckelly2

Outfit for Spring/Summer:
Skirt: H&M sz 4, Blouse: Topshop sz 0P, Cardigan: Martin & Osa sz XS
Lookbook26
Wow, makeup and hair looks a little better this time around too. I almost look cross-eyed in the Spring photo; probably not used to being in photographs yet. I would've liked to add some dimension to the Fall/Winter ensemble with a print top, but in the interest of time just threw on hasty black.
Lookbook26bPFCkelly
In winter I tend to "recycle" all my skirts by wearing them over opaque tights. No need to shave, yay. I think that black tights worn with black pumps has a similar elongating effect as bare legs with nude pumps. Black tights also make shorter skirts more work-appropriate because no real "leg" is being revealed. What do you guys think?

Be sure to check out Kelly's post today for links to all the other participating petites : )

Petite Fashion Challenge # 2: Wear it now, wear it later

Petite Fashion Challenge #2, hosted by Kelly of AlterationsNeeded (my fave!):

"The challenge: Pick at least one item in your closet (not jeans, that's too easy!), and create two outfits, one for spring/summer, and one for fall/winter."


I sifted through my closet, and quickly decided on an H&M peach tulip skirt. I splurged on it ($40) in the Spring and never wore it again. It's slightly too short/whimsical for a business environment, and too dressy for my weekend lounging.

I took the easy way out and winter-ized this skirt with some black tights, while leaving the rest of the outfit (ruffled top, long cardigan) to mirror how I wore it in the Spring.

Outfit for Fall/Winter:
Skirt: H&M "Trend" sz 4, Blouse: Target sz jrs XS, Cardigan: LOFT sz XXSP (buy here)
pfckelly2

Outfit for Spring/Summer:
Skirt: H&M sz 4, Blouse: Topshop sz 0P, Cardigan: Martin & Osa sz XS
Lookbook26
Wow, makeup and hair looks a little better this time around too. I almost look cross-eyed in the Spring photo; probably not used to being in photographs yet. I would've liked to add some dimension to the Fall/Winter ensemble with a print top, but in the interest of time just threw on hasty black.
Lookbook26bPFCkelly
In winter I tend to "recycle" all my skirts by wearing them over opaque tights. No need to shave, yay. I think that black tights worn with black pumps has a similar elongating effect as bare legs with nude pumps. Black tights also make shorter skirts more work-appropriate because no real "leg" is being revealed. What do you guys think?

Be sure to check out Kelly's post today for links to all the other participating petites : )

The Big Winner...

couldn't be more deserving... of the 37 entries that made it in before the noon PST cut-off time, the winning comment is #36...Maire Dodd!! Congratulations :) Your $55 gift certificate coupon code is on the way.

Thanks to all for entering- hope those of you who are new followers continue to stick around!

Business Card Swap for the Holidays - Anyone Game?

Yesterday, I received an order of promo stickers I placed with a seller on Etsy.  She did such a fabulous job, by the way!  Anyway, inside my package was a little package of business cards from other Etsy sellers (ie, a business card swap).  I really liked the idea of this, sifting through the cards and discovering shops I may have otherwise missed!  Let's face it, there are so many sellers on Etsy, it would be impossible to find all the shops that would interest you if you didn't have tons of time to surf online!

So, I would love to swap cards will fellow Etsy sellers!  I really want to keep the amount of participants small - say 7 to 10 people.  What we would do is exchange mailing addresses and mailing 30-40 cards to each other.  Then, when ever we get a sale, we take one business card from each person, tie them all up with a ribbon and put them in the package we mail out.  This is why I want to keep the amount low so that our shipping doesn't go up too much.

So, if you are interested, send me a convo through my Etsy shop.  Serious inquiries only and I want to limit it to US based businesses (sorry my overseas friends).  Please feel free to comment any reactions either way :)

An Actual Update...

I haven't given an actual life update..I have mostly been complaining about my dog. So, this is what has been going on in my life.

It started raining Monday morning, it's now monsooning out. There is a flood warning until tomorrow morning at 6AM..it will probably be extended.

Tuesday night starting around 8:30 a creditor called Danny's cell phone. It seems sketchy to me, we have money to pay off what he owes but they wanted our bank account number to accept the payment. No, thank you. The good news is, I didn't freak out. I had a plan...until the creditor decided to pull this on us...We asked for them to send a letter and we would mail a money order or something. They said they couldn't do that. See why it seems sketchy?

Wednesday I went to the dentist, I need my wisdom teeth out. Wednesday night while watching Survivor something hit our window, it looks like a bullet. Danny said no, it's a rock. Whatever, either way...I had to contact the landlord and now I'm waiting for maintenance to come look at it. Also Wednesday night, we got into a stupid fight about things we can't control. It's our biggest stressor, I lose my cool, he just shuts down and doesn't answer at all. It's frustrating and this is the reason why I want to do the Love Dare. If anyone has a book I could borrow, I would love you forever!

This morning while it was down pouring Miley ate 7 birth control pills. So, not only did I have to worry about how it would effect my dog...I had to worry about me not having birth control (that I just bought....lovely.) I called the ASPCA poison hotline, they wanted to charge me $65 just to find out what was wrong. I hung up and called Mom in tears. I think she called human poison control, they said Miley would be fine. As for me, since I didn't have birth control anymore, I figured that might be a good idea to make my first doctors appointment using TriCare. Okay, except I call the Naval Hospital and they tell me that even though I have registered for TriCare, I have to register in the administrative offices before I can get an appointment. Um, hello...didn't I basically do that when I signed up for TriCare? So, now I need to do that...ASAP. Lucky for me, Miley saved me pills for the next 3 days, then I'm effed for five days...arg. (I get my pills from Planned Parenthood in Raleigh a little far away to just go pick them up...especially when its monsooning.)

Around 11:30 this morning, I decided that I understand why people drink heavily. I so badly wanted to break into a bottle of wine. For the record, I didn't. But I considered it seriously.

So...now does it make sense why I haven't updated anything? The good news is, the week can only get better...unless of course the creditor calls back, my house floods, they tell me its my fault the window is cracked, or my dog gets sick.

Okay, now that the rant is done..I promise only positive posts!

Thursday Five



So, it's not even 8AM and I'm already having an awful day.
Apparently Miley doesn't trust that she is spayed...
and decided to eat seven of my birth control pills.
Poison control wanted to charge me $65 just to find out what would happen,
so Mom is on the phone in Massachusetts with poison control there.
I'm currently waiting for the phone call back.
Let's just say this. Miley is still being her annoying self. So far, no side effects.

While I wait I'm going to force myself to come up with the five things that have made me

Content

Thankful
Adored

Giggly
Blessed

1. I'm content with the fact that I now, officially, have to call to make my first doctors appointment since getting TriCare. Thanks Miley for forcing me to need more birth control.

2. I'm thankful to Beth over at Just Me and My Life. I won a CSN stores giveaway over on her blog! First I wanted boots, then I was getting kitchen stuff...I ended up with an elevated dog dish and meat thermometer. Because I needed them. Miley tips over her water dish, I'm hoping to stop that.

3. Three times while I was sleeping last night, I felt Danny kiss me. I wonder if he was "sleep kissing" or if he knew he was doing it...either way, I felt adored!

4. I was literally giggling after my dentist appointment yesterday! I still have perfect teeth (their words, not mine) and no cavities. Except, I do have three wisdom teeth that need to come out. 
5. Me and Danny watched Fireproof a few weeks ago. While I was watching it I thought it was dumb but as the weeks go on and stresses catch up with us, I'm seriously considering the Love Dare. Somehow I wanted to relate this to "blessed" but I don't have the energy to come up with something witty!

Update on Miley:
Poison control said she will be fine.
Her biggest threat today will be me.
I'm not happy with her! 

My Double Life...

First of all, I would like to say that I am thrilled to be a part of this group with an amazing group of artists. I am looking forward to see all of the possibilities that can happen with our new blog and website.

Hmmmmm...a double life....Well...It's not really all that juicy...just wanted to get your attention ;o).

You won't see it in the upcoming movie of the week or a new reality show (although there was a time in my life that I think I could have made millions during the years I was raising teenagers), but my double life today is pretty common in the world of jewelry.

I have been a special education teacher for 26 years which means I'm no spring chicken anymore!  Although I really do love my job and feel very fortunate to have some special friends that I work with, I do hope to retire one day.  It's the hope that my husband Bill, also a teacher and artist and I can retire and spend the golden years creating with clay.  He is a wood-fire potter and I am a ceramic bead artist.  I love creating with clay.  I love clay because there are so many choices in terms of shapes, size, styles and glazes that makes this form of creating something I don't think I will ever tire of. 

Okay...I'm going to cut myself off here since I need some material for my next post ;o)


Here are some beads that are a definite favorite.  There is a little story that goes along with these....


The above pictures are the original Lacey Beads....made right from the little artist herself!!!

My granddaughters...Lacey and Chloe

One day approx. 1.5 years ago when my then 2 year old adorable granddaughter Lacey was starting to show an interest in bead making, I tried to teach her to roll a little ball.  Each time I rolled one and tried to get her to do the same by putting it in front of her, she poked her little finger in it.  I'd say, "Look Honey, Watch Nonnie...."

I'd roll again....She would poke again...

This went on until we had about 50 or so squished beads.  I decided that it was her design so I would make the most of it even though it wasn't the plan.  I had so many of them that I decided to put a bunch aside for her to glaze in primary colors and glaze the rest with some adult colors.  Well, I listed my first group on Etsy and they sold in less that 2 hours!!!  Yay, Lacey!  Lacey beads have been re-created many, many times since.


Lacey Beads today... A replication of the original :O)

Peyote Stitch Pool Ques

Making peyote stitch pool ques covers for your friends and loved ones is a great gift idea. This can be very fashionable and show off your sense of style and flair. Matching your pool que to your own style is much more fashionable than having a regular, mass produced version.

http://www.msrachel.com/thejewelryworkshop/media/about/blog.htm

Start by sewing a scrap of any think material around your pool ques handle. This will keep the beads in place after the design is created. The best material to do this with is a nice soft medium to thick piece of leather but other soft materials can be used as a substitute.

http://fleurfatale.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-recycle-my-leather-scraps-my.html

Starting your design at the largest width of the que and working toward the smaller end. When the design starts to fit loosely you should drop one bead and repeat the step on the next line.

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/Riley-pool-tables-reviews.asp

This will allow for the design to flawlessly slim down toward the end of the handle.



Download lots of free jewelry making tutorials at DiyLessons! Are you a jewelry (jewellery) making teacher/ tutor? You can also list your tutorials here too.Don't miss a post! Subscribe to Handmade Jewelry Club by Email FREEBookmark and Share

BESTeam weekly feature: You are my Sunshine on Etsy



Inspired by the song sung to her sons, You are my Sunshine on Etsy is a bright and lively shop stocking handmade fabric flower brooches, fabric flower hair pins, rings, earrings, bracelets and statement necklaces.  Some of the items have a particular bridal theme, but many are just beautiful to be worn at any time. You can just feel the Florida sunshine shining from this shop!

Its owner clearly takes inspiration from vintage fabrics, and many of the items are re purposed and very eco-friendly.  It's so hard to pick favourites, so I've taken my cue from the beautiful colours in the lovely shabby chic style banner which heads up this shop.  Bold and beautiful colours are the order of the day!




I just love the combination of bright yellow and gentle cornflower blue in this brooch. Would look amazing on a dark navy jacket as a corsage, wouldn't it?








These lovely roses are recycled pink fabric, the chain has a delicate patina and the feather is a perfect finishing touch.









My favourite colour, this one is described as orchid blue and was made from a prom gown.  Again, I love the feathers giving this an airy, ethereal feel. 







This necklace is a lovely combination of greens - the fresh peridot crystals and deeper emerald rose, and feathers in a lighter contrasting shade.








Follow these links to find out more:

Shops
youaremysunshine.etsy.com
mysunshinevintage.etsy.com

Blog
http://ninas-day.blogspot.com

Flickr:
http://youaremysunshine-etsy.flickr.com

Facebook:
http://youaremysunshine.facebook.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/mysunshine4etsy

BESTeam weekly feature: You are my Sunshine on Etsy



Inspired by the song sung to her sons, You are my Sunshine on Etsy is a bright and lively shop stocking handmade fabric flower brooches, fabric flower hair pins, rings, earrings, bracelets and statement necklaces.  Some of the items have a particular bridal theme, but many are just beautiful to be worn at any time. You can just feel the Florida sunshine shining from this shop!

Its owner clearly takes inspiration from vintage fabrics, and many of the items are re purposed and very eco-friendly.  It's so hard to pick favourites, so I've taken my cue from the beautiful colours in the lovely shabby chic style banner which heads up this shop.  Bold and beautiful colours are the order of the day!




I just love the combination of bright yellow and gentle cornflower blue in this brooch. Would look amazing on a dark navy jacket as a corsage, wouldn't it?








These lovely roses are recycled pink fabric, the chain has a delicate patina and the feather is a perfect finishing touch.









My favourite colour, this one is described as orchid blue and was made from a prom gown.  Again, I love the feathers giving this an airy, ethereal feel. 







This necklace is a lovely combination of greens - the fresh peridot crystals and deeper emerald rose, and feathers in a lighter contrasting shade.








Follow these links to find out more:

Shops
youaremysunshine.etsy.com
mysunshinevintage.etsy.com

Blog
http://ninas-day.blogspot.com

Flickr:
http://youaremysunshine-etsy.flickr.com

Facebook:
http://youaremysunshine.facebook.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/mysunshine4etsy

An Artist in Dreamland ...

Hi, I’m Barbara Lewis and a member of this great group of artists at Love My Art Jewelry. I have a question for you. How does one go from being an Apparel Design college major to earning a degree in Ceramics to being a torch-fired enamel artist with a jewelry book on the way? Who the heck knows … but it’s been one heck of a ride.

Today I’m writing to you from the Hyatt Hotel in Cincinnati, OH, which will be my home base for the next week or so while I go through my photo shoot at North Light Books. Last December I got the crazy idea, with the encouragement of friends, like Mary Jane Dodd, to submit a book concept to North Light on torch-fired enamel jewelry. Lo and behold, on March 5, I got the good news from Tonia Davenport, Acquisitions Editor, that it was accepted! Now what?!!!

Next came several months of fumbling around in the studio, trying to get momentum, writing how-to’s as I made things. How-to’s were sent, projects were sent … and here I am … at a time and place I thought would never arrive. Below are some small close-ups of some of the projects for the book. I hope you see something you like. Please stay tuned to LMAJ for the continuing adventures of an artist in dreamland. I'd also like to invite you to visit my blog: http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/ or my website: http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.com/. And, you can also join me, and over five hundred of my closest friends, at www.paintingwithfire.ning.com if you want to learn more about torch-fired enamel.








Wordless Wednesday: Dancing Edition

On Fire For Handmade Feature Artist: My Helping Hands


This weeks Featured Shop is My Helping Hands Graphic Design. Custom Avatars, Banners and Ads!
You can find My Helping Hands Graphic Design at:





Fall Favorites Swap Partners!


Here it is! The moment you have all been waiting for! Swap Partners! Remember, the gift limit is $20, not including shipping. All packages are to be shipped by October 9th. Please contact your partner ASAP! And remember, you signed up for this swap..it's wrong to accept a gift without returning the favor. Do not disappoint your partner!

When you receive your package, please dedicate a post to it. I'll be setting up a linky soon! 

Have fun!





















Computer Virus....

Just when I start getting back in the swing of things, too.  Last week, I was beginning to resume my dropping on Entrecard, but then again, I was also playing videos of Billie Holiday on youtube.  I am not sure which one is the culprit, but my AOL account was hijacked.  Every 5 hours or so, my AOL account sends spam to people in my address book, little chunks at a time.  In fact, if we have shared emails before in the past, you can bet that you have received this email, too. The email contains a link for "working at home".  When you click on the link...BAM!  You are sick, too.  It has so far gotten up to the M's.  The funny thing is that I deleted the full content of my address book, and it is still sending these emails.  I have changed my password and security questions and as far as I can tell, the emails have stopped, which tells me that it was pirated and someone was actually signing on to my email account to do this.  Talk about cyber-raped....multiple times!!!

Ooooo, this gets me so mad!  You tube is now forbidden on my computer.  I told my son he has to use is iPod Touch for you tube now.  Also, I will only be visiting blogs through Entrecard that is on my favorites list.  No more returning drops on blogs in my inbox.  Please forgive me for being afraid to return your drops.  If you want to be on my favorite list, be sure to update your content more than once every 6 months (but yet, you still drop every day ?!?!), post articles that people actually want to read and stop loading scripts into your blog that bang people every time they go there.  Sheesh.

So sad....wish I had a Mac....

(Mil)ing it Over: PCS Edition


 What exactly is (Mil)ing it Over? It is a group of a few girls who answer questions, like this one! Have a question...ask! I'm totally not an expert in anything military. But I do love finding things out and sharing information!

As soon as I have the link for the other videos, I'll be posting it!






Love My Art Jewelry...

Who are we now and what is our hope for the future?

I will start off by sharing our slogan:

CREATING HANDMADE WITH HANDMADE

Without going into too much and risk droning on and on, I think that our slogan speaks for itself. We are bead, component and jewelry artists with a goal of bringing recognition to the unique quality of creating handmade jewelry using all handmade components. Owning a piece of jewelry that has been created by an individual artist or a piece that has been created by the artist using components created by many artists creates a personal connection each and every time it is worn. It is also the kind of piece that makes someone stop and ask, "Where did you get that? I have never seen anything like it before..."

And why haven't they seen anything just like this before?

The following pics don't actually go together, but I just grabbed them for a visual....So...here goes...

You take some copper beads that look something like this...

Use some methods that you can learn from one of our members, Barbara Lewis, to turn them
 into something like this...

And in the end, you create a beautiful one of a kind piece that could look like this......

Now that's original!!!

Or....how about creating with a few different pieces of art (created by other handmade bead/component artists) and taking some beads that look something like this...

Use some of your own methods or a combination of other artist work (findings, metalsmithed components, etc.)  and create something like this one created by Kelli Pope...

Now that's what we call Creating Handmade with Handmade!

What is our hope for the future? 

 It is one of bringing recognition to the unique qualities of jewelry using all or mostly all handmade components in your creations... or...  If you are someone who loves jewelry, but doesn't particularly like to make your own, then our hope is that you will recognize the uniqueness of wearing something that has been created from all handmade.