I wish this was my studio!!

Isn't this cottage ADORABLE? Last December we visited General Vallejo's historical house in Sonoma,CA. And I fell in love with this little cottage on the grounds. I never found out if it was a guest cottage or ? but I FELL IN LOVE. I can see myself creating wonderful jewelry in this lovely space...sigh. dream....

Well, tomorrow is Monday. I pray that we all sail into our week with enthusiasm and love. In Jesus' holy name!

Where'd the day go?

Run run go go ....where'd today go? Here's a new pair of earrings for the gallery~

I hope you all have a great Friday and the BEST weekend. Our northern California weather is perfect. Bless you all!

Super Cute Niece Visit

ISN'T SHE SOOOOO CUTE?????
My wonderful sister-in-law and my cutie patootie niece visited today~~~I had to share this picture because you HAVE to smile and thus start your week well.

My niece is almost one year old and is currently growing a molar and crawling everywhere commando-style and smiling and wrapping us around her little finger. She's a busy little girl. She had five adults reduced to gooing and making silly faces. What fun!

May your week be smooth. May your path be blessed by Him. In Jesus' holy name I pray!

My Brain is Fried BUT I Finished This Bracelet!

I've been a creative frenzy since Tuesday. I've been stumped on a new gallery piece, something very different from my other pieces. Tuesday night I came up with this design while I was trying to sleep! I began cutting out the copper charms last night and spent all day today putting it all together. I'm really fried~:-) But so glad this is done!!!

The main stones are citrine, Peru chalcedony and ametrine. Then lots of little gemstones, glass beads, stamped copper sheet and copper wire.

This Saturday, March 21, please come by Studio 41 11-4 if you're anywhere in the Benicia area~~I'll be hanging out and talking about jewelry or the weather or life in general. And some other women artists will be there too! So please visit if you can!

Bless you all my friends~Peace fill you this lovely Thursday.

Carolyn's Giveaway

Hi! Carolyn at Fanciful expressions is having a giveaway~~and a gorgeous way cool necklace is the prize...
Here's her link~
Fanciful Expressions
Take a look and leave a comment!

Great Quote and New Jewelry

A new necklace and earrings for the gallery!! I spent most of Saturday in my jammies working hard on these pieces. Very happy~ Peridot, Citrine, Amethyst, Copper, Silver~~

And on another note.......
I read a great quote in the Feb. 09 Ladies' Home Journal in an article by Margaret Renkl titled "Find Your Happy Place"

"One of the best ways to keep negativity at bay is to skip the venting, says Rick Foster, coauthor of "How We Choose To Be Happy". You may think that complaining to friends and family about your unreasonable mother-in-law or your overdue bills will help relieve the pressure you feel. In fact, says Foster, all you're doing is digging yourself a really deep trench of dispair. "If you keep on reliving the feeling, you're trapping yourself in the negativity."

I LOVE this quote. Now if I can just LIVE this quote. I tend to vent. Over and over. And I need to realize that it's not making me happy~~ So onto dealing better with frustration!

May your week be blessed. May you feel His guidance and love. Amen!

New Earrings for Gallery

A wonderful day off~~~even though my attitude stunk (who knows why...I got out of the wrong side of the bed?)I worked on these earrings and cheered up as the day progressed.
"Serene Peace" are copper and silver. I love the turquoise drops~~


Hammered hoops of copper wrapped with silver wire. Lapis and copper beads jazz it up.


May your Friday be a happy day. Bless you all!

Fireproof Movie~

We finally saw "Fireproof" today. I'd wanted to see it in the theatres, but life just stayed busy and we had to wait for DVD.


I loved it. It was powerful and hopeful. And I used 13 tissues!



Here I am with a swollen nose and blocked up sinuses. I REALLY loved the movie and recommend it highly.
Have a blessed Monday!

Happy Baby shower!

I'm going to a baby shower tomorrow and I've bought some useful things for the newborn-to-be. And I also made some earrings for mommy!

Tomorrow maybe my DH will finish the half wall to the kitchen!!! We started remodeling our kitchen 3 years ago. And it's mostly done. Mostly done~~LOL! Tomorrow my DH's brother will visit and help him with the wall. And I'm a happy camper!
May tomorrow be a productive day for you all. May you accomplish something that's been hanging around and pestering you.

I Am A Friend of God

My dear friend Kate was on my mind today. She is an amazing Christ-follower and has been to very kind to me. Here's a pendant I designed for her and am stringing into a finished piece. She loves the song "Friend of God" that is wonderfully sung by Phillips, Craig & Dean. Here's some of the words:

Who am I that You are mindful of me?
That You hear me when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me?
How You love me
It's amazing

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend.

This pendant features a bead of "Aqua Terra". I'd never heard of it, but my local bead shop/addiction center had strands of this luscious wonderful stuff and I was forced to buy it. Against my will, you understand. I cut out sheet copper, stamped and punched it. I threaded the bead on with copper wire and riveted it all together. The time flies when I work on jewelry...I'm always surprised when I look up and hours have passed so quickly!

May your Friday be blessed. May He protect and encourage you!

New stuff...for Spain

I got new shoes! The wedding in Spain will be rather fancy, and I don't own any fancy shoes. I know that many women have gobs of shoes, but I have weird big feet. Size 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 with a narrow heel. I HATE shoe shopping. But we found these shoes at Nordstroms in Texas...and they aren't too uncomfortable!! Wheeee!!
Here's my regular shoes. Dansko's all the way! But they wouldn't do for a fancy wedding. No way.

And today I BRA SHOPPED! I don't know about you, but I dislike bra shopping even more than shoe shopping. I'm not very big on top, so trying to find something um..."enhancing", but still comfortable is a pain. I went to Nordstroms and the fitter brought in about 25 bras! I'm not kidding. I found a comfortable pair and a pretty pair. My husband deserves to see a pretty bra once in a while. Poor guy, I'm such a plain jane granny underwear kinda gal! LOL!

Hope your week is blessed. Hope you have little things to be grateful for, like shoes and bras and other things. God is so good to me! And he loves you so much too.