The Winner!

The winner of the "Gratitude" bracelet is Pebbles Wireman!  Fair and square~~I wrote down all the names on my pads.  Snipped them apart, put them into my 1970's Corningware bowl.  Then I stirred them around, closed my eyes and drew.  

Thank you thank you thank you all for playing!  How fun to hear such lovely comments here and on FaceBook.  You've blessed me so much~~Wish I had bracelets for you all!

REJOICE!

For unto us a Savior is born...

Have a blessed Christmas all my dear friends~~

Gratitude Giveaway

Feeling so grateful~~~

Giving this Gratitude bracelet away!!

It'll fit wrist sizes from 8 inches down to little.  It fastens in the front with the two hooks and you can adjust the length and either let the ends dangle or cut 'em off with wire cutters. 

To enter the drawing, just comment on this blog, or if you are one of my Facebook friends, comment on the giveaway post there.

I will draw the winning name Friday, December 27th at 7:00 PM my time ( Pacific Standard Time).  I'm going to do it the old-fashioned way and write each person's name on a piece of paper, load them into a hat and draw.  Everyone gets an equal chance.  4-H girl's honor! (hehe)

I will announce the winner then, and will request their shipping info.

I hope you enter even though you are super busy right now. I know it will be fun for ME to hear comments from friends and imagine who will win it.

Bless you all~~Love to you all.

Reverent Cross Earrings

Finished these earrings last night and posted 'em on Etsy.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/173007456/reverent-cross-mixed-metal-pearl?ref=pr_shop

I sawed the crosses out a couple of months ago, and set them aside on my bench.  Other projects, life, etc. kept getting in the way, and they kept calling to me to finish them already...lol! 

I love crosses.  I love the symbolism of my Savior and His grace.  And I love jewelry that looks rough-hewn and old.  Here you go~

BUSY great time in the Kerr household.  New grandson Logan:

That's my son, the father of my little grandson.  His wife is a wonderful gal and a great mommy.  Logan was born on Thanksgiving and is growing sooooo fast.  He's also quite mellow, which is an experience for me, as both of my babies were colic-y. 

I've been privileged to change two of his messy diapers...my DH always bows out quickly when that happens~hahahaa!  

Our goddaughter is due with a little girl baby in March and my husband's eldest daughter is having a little boy in May.  Population explosion!  

We are so blessed.  

May your week be filled with blessings and remembrances of Advent, the time of waiting for our Savior's birth!  And is anyone else amazed at how fast 2013 has sped by?   

Hugs all!

For Pilar

I'm alive.  Truly.  Just busy!  And I'd LOVE an energy transplant.  I wish I could have 1/4 the energy of a 5-year-old.  

Made these earrings for my daughter's MIL.  They are on the way to Spain right now.  Brass, nickel, ametrine and citrine.  It's all good~

Charmita Class Yesterday!

Charmitas!
Charms or focal pendants created from copper sheet, wire and beads.

Yesterday afternoon was a fun day of learning and creating at Benicia Bead Shop in Bencia, California.

Seven brave women and myself embarked on 3+ hours of goofing off with purpose.  They were at different levels of jewelry making, different places in life, but they all wanted to make some cool charms. 

We picked out our beads and crystals, and cut into the copper sheet to fit our bead choice.  I disclosed that I have bled on my projects more than once and encouraged them to avoid doing the same!   Stamping=pounding=need for earplugs and safety glasses were available for all.  Hole punching, applying patina (stinky!) and the correct way to open jump rings were all practiced.  A wonderful time!

I took too few pictures of the students' final pieces.  I confess I was a tired teacher at the end of it all!  Here are the few pictures that I took:

Too much fun!  And a variety of results~

Have a blessed week.  Second half of October.  Can't fathom it.  :-)  2013 is racing by.

Charmita Class Coming Up!

Next Sunday afternoon:  Charmita Class at Benicia Bead!

Here's a necklace I made this weekend and the charms are all using that technique.

It's a fun technique~necklaces, bracelets, earrings can all be created.  I KNOW it'll be a fun afternoon!  The class is full.  Seven students, and I'll be hopping.  :-)

A new week~~Mid October!  Golly, this year had flown by.  So full of blessings and challenges.  May this new week bring you joys!

Present for a Far-away Friend

My stepdaughter, who lives in Spain, is visiting us for three weeks.  Every visit I make some earrings for her to take back to her mother-in-law in Villacanas, Spain.  I hope she likes them~~

Wednesday.  I'm the luckiest duck to have that day off from my day job every week.  Laundry, errands, walking with my dear friend.  Blessings!

May your week sail by to the weekend.  I wish you all joy~

Altered Welder Contact Tip Pendants (you don't see these every day!)

At a local hardware store months ago, I picked up a packet of welder contact tips (see left side of pic).

I knew I wanted to do something with them.  Something....hmmmmm....

I set the packet on a shelf in my studio area and there they sat.  And sat.  They wanted to be altered, I could tell, but how?

Finally, I grabbed a couple and started goofing around with them.  Pounding, stamping, wiring, antiquing and metal leafing.  Fun times!

Do you have anything sitting around that nudges you to play and experiment?  I bet you do.  :-)

Try it!  I bet you have fun.  

Lovely Tuesday to all my blog friends.

Scottish Games 2013

Scottish Games!  Pleasanton, California.  Labor Day weekend.  Every year my husband and his son and brother volunteer, along with many other dedicated souls, to help set up stages and misters and benches and lots of stuff for the Games.

 I make jewelry.  :-)  This year, I wanted to wear something that looked a bit tribal and honored my husband's family name.  So I had a piece of etched copper I'd set aside a couple of years ago.  The etching was of the Kerr family association crest.  

I patinaed it and then colored it in a bit with Gilder's Paste, which was an experience of messiness! lol  I can be a bit sloppy.

Next, I added some dimples with my favorite dimple pliers that I bought from Richard Salley.  LOVE them.  

Then, I riveted it to some stamped and hammered nickel.  Added a crystal drop, hung it on wire with embellishments and was happy with my new piece~

Is my husband darling??? Yep, he's mine, all mine!  

We had a fun time.  Saw LOTS of vendors and fun items for sale.  Exercised lots of self control and bought very little.  

Rocked out to the Celtic bands and droning bagpipes.  Saw every type of kilt and crazy outfit possible.  :-D

Wonderful time.  Another year gone by so fast!

October getting so close~~may this fall season be full of blessings for you all, my friends.  

Scottish Games Jewelry Bench Bliss

A few years back I purchased a Kerr crest rubber stamp.  Two years ago I stamped a bunch of copper and brass and etched some simple pendants.  

This year I wanted to play around with it.

Brass, Copper, Nickel: Etched, Sawn, Patinaed, Composite leafed, Pounded, Stamped and Riveted.  All cold connected.  

"Sero Sed Serio" means "Late But in Earnest".

I have no idea why they came up with that family motto.  :-)  

Anyway, I've been playing at the bench ALL DAY.  Now I must get in the kitchen, make my lunch for tomorrow's workday, pick out my scrubs & stuff, clean the cat box, wash dishes and shower and get in BED.  

Hope your Wednesday was as fun as mine.  Bench bliss....nothing like it!

"Relic" Earrings tweaked a bit and LISTED~!

In between about a hundred errands and weekend catch-up stuff, I tweaked these earrings a bit and listed them in my Etsy shop. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157315010/turquoise-relic-earrings-of-brass-and?

A beautiful day in Northern California.  We live closer to the bay, so we were cooler than the high temps inland.  Gotta love the morning cloud cover!

We went shopping for clothes for our almost-six-year-old granddaughter's birthday next week, and we did grocery shopping, returning things, visiting my FAVORITE library, laundry, etc. etc. etc.~  A great day.  Just blessed for good health, good life.

Have a wonderful week everyone! 

Copper Cross Earrings for Kate's Birthday

My friend Kate is such a joy.  We walk together on Wednesday mornings.  She wrestles her Australian Shepherd "Buddy" and I tag along and, if needed, provide dog poop bags or cough drops.  

We talk about our joys and our concerns, and encourage each other to trust God.

When we return to her house, we sit and pray together. Clasping hands, we pour out our petitions and thanks.  That Kate has SUCH a heart for the Lord!

I'm so lucky she's my friend and I wish her the happiest birthday.  

These copper crosses are LITTLE~I sawed using my magnifying reading glasses on top of my prescription hobby glasses!  My neato Crafted Findings tool put the eyelets and rivets in place.

I gotta make myself a pair of these!  :-)

Hope your Wednesday is blessed~  

I heart PATINA~

Sorry this pic isn't bigger....This is "large" and "x-tra large" overflows over the whole page, obliterating my sidebar stuff....grrrr.....

What's this?  ANOTHER blog post?  Two in ONE MONTH?? Shocking, I say! haahaa

I just wanted to show you why I love patina.  This is my latest mixed metals cross.  I started it the same time I started the citrine cross and kinda worked on them together.  This one's mine.  I made a boo boo on my stamping on the back.  No, you can't see it.  No, I won't show it to you...:-)

This cross is made of four metals:  bronze for the back plate, etched brass on top, silver cradling the peridot, and copper circles under the silver circles riveted all around the edges.  I didn't know if Liver of Sulfur patina would do the trick, so I used Stephanie Lee's favorite patina stuff called Novacan Black Patina.  

I cleaned the cross with hot water and dish soap, then put on some gloves and brushed on the Novacan.  Neutralized it with baking soda and then cleaned it up~I just plain LOVE it...that aged look.  

I've had the best hermit-y weekend.  My sweet DH is away at my little brother's ranch.  He took the dogs, and I'm here with only the kitty to keep me company.  It's heaven....I think I needed a break from everything.  

Soooo, may your July be a month of summer fun, summer reading, summer renewal.  Blessings!

"Beloved" Mixed Metals Cold Connected Cross

Been working on this piece for a couple months.  In between the day job and family stuff, bit by bit it nudged at me, bit by bit it came together.

I love this piece.  I've wanted to create my version of the Cross for some time now.  How wonderful to see it completed!

In my Etsy shop now...I haven't listed anything there for so very long!  :-)   

https://www.etsy.com/listing/155853166/beloved-mixed-metal-cross

Fourth of July.  Birthday of our country.  When my grandparents traveled here from Poland and Moravia so many years ago, their courage and determination led them to this country of opportunity.  

Happy Birthday USA!  I'm so blessed to be one of your citizens!

Happy July to you all, dear friends~

Earrings Of Etched Brass

Just finished~ Etched brass, Stamped Silver and Beads of Amber~

Do we look related? Heehee~~

Last month I got to hang out at my brother's ranch with all my siblings (5 of us kids in all).  I LOVE this pic of me and my sis.  She's a smart and funny person.  I lucked out to get her for a sister.  

Memorial Day weekend.  Remembering those who sacrificed their lives to protect us. Truly blessed~

Eating organic cherries and enjoying my weekend.  Hope yours is great too!

What I'm Wearing Now

~Busy with life~

Blessed to have my life!

This pendant is a bit re-worked.  I've added bits and pieces over the years, and now it's done.  My personal reminder of Who I follow and to Whom I belong.

May Mothers Day hold special meanings and fond memories for you!

Sophia Birthday earrings

My lovely little niece~Birthday earrings!  Only 5 more gifts to make for the April Gathering.  My siblings and parents and even more relatives with be gathering together in the foothills of Bakersfield for our yearly gathering.  I always make earrings for the birthday girls.  I'm so far behind!

Must get back to work~

Charmitas Class was FUN!

It started so quietly.  All set up and waiting for 1:00.

Shazzam!! Look at them goooooo!  Ideas and techniques and cool beads and problem-solving FUN!

Starting at the lower left corner and clockwise around: Pattie, Sue T., Peter, Julie, Sarah and Sue S.

Sarah is engrossed in her challenging pieces while Carol and Sue S. chat.

Rosemary is sooo ambitious to make lots of pieces.  See her wonderful necklace??  She took home lots of cut out copper to finish in her own workspace.

Pattie always smiling, always working.  LOVE her Hawaiian shirt!  And Sue T. and Peter quietly focused on their pieces.

Julie and Sarah's pieces.....Julie had the most luminous piece of labradorite...this picture doesn't capture how mystical it was...AND Sarah brought this amazing Shark's tooth!!!! Sarah always has to do something different.

Sue T's cool pieces.  She called the left one "Crystals in Bondage".  :-)  Sue is an accomplished silversmith. I was honored that she took my class.  And I hope I can take one of hers when she teaches at Benicia Beads.

Peter, our lone guy created some really different funkified pieces.  He does kumihomo (hope I spelled that right) and plans on using that technique to make a necklaces for his pendants.

RATS! my camera died and I never got any pictures of Rosemary's or Sue W's or Pattie's work. They were amazing. Wish y'all could have been there!

I'm Teaching Tomorrow....holding a big box of Kleenex!

"Charmitas"

This is an example for the class I'm teaching tomorrow at Benicia Beads.  It should be fun!  BUT I've got the most amazing allergies right now.  I'm taking meds and eating local honey and using the Neti Rinse thingy and I feel like a sleepy-cloggy-head-zonked person.

I will hang onto my Kleenex box at class tomorrow.

I hope I don't fall asleep while teaching! lol

Have an amazing weekend!  Stay awake more than I do!  :-)

"Those Who Wait on the Lord Shall Find New Strength

Made a new pendant this Saturday.

Picasso Leopard Jasper, Turquoise and Moonstone.

Stamped, punched & wired.  Copper with a bit of silver.

"Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth?  He never grows faint or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding.  He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.  Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.  But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.  They will fly high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint."  

Isaiah 40: 28-31

One of my very favorite Bible passages.  I frequently get tired, both mentally and physically.  I look to God to fill me and renew me, so I can be the servant I was meant to be.

Have a blessed week!