Chris Kerr Jewelry

"Sing Praise" Stamped Pendant

2012-01-22T05:22:00.000-08:00

Had a front bottom tooth pulled yesterday....ugh. I look like snaggle-toothed granny right now. The braces will even everything out in the future, but it was a shock when I first spied myself in the mirror!

Anyway, I spent all afternoon playing at my workbench. I used metal shears and mostly simple stamps and basic wireworking to make this "Sing Praise" pendant. I was engaged, happy, "in the zone". I love that feeling!

A new week~may you all feel renewed and grateful for small blessings. Sending you a hug~

"Copper Reverie"~

2012-01-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

The process:

The idea of quartz crystals wired to copper kept bumping around in my head. My first attempt to bring my dream to reality resulted in the first "rough draft" above. I love primitive, but this was too primitive for me. Sooooo I gave it another go.

My second "rough draft". This gave me a chance to tweak the idea and see how practical it was. After this, I could saw my copper shapes, punch holes, smooth the edges, stamp and brush salt water on it to float over ammonia. Then came sealing, wiring and ta-da (!)

~~picture-taking!

I love how they turned out. I'm calling them "Copper Reverie". First pieces of 2012.

Now it's time to return to reality. Time to finish the laundry, make my lunch for tomorrow's work day, and wash my hair. And maybe I should get out of my jammies? It's only 2:20 in the afternoon! :-)

Happy Lapis New Year

2011-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

Lapis! I love it so much~ Sawn & textured copper, Hill Tribe silver beads, Sterling handcrafted earwires. These were fun. :-)

May all my blog friends have a safe New Year's Eve and a 2012 full of new confidence, trust, creativity & JOY!

I thank my Lord God for an amazing 2011! May I be a better servant and friend in 2012.

Pearl & Brass Earrings

2011-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

It's the end of 2011. Here are some party earrings to get you ready to celebrate the New Year. Pearl, Labradorite, Glass, Brass & Copper all come together. They've been sold to a gal at my day job. Party Time!

Praise God Earrings

2011-11-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Earrings for Me! Something fun to wear-- to remind me to praise, love & follow my Lord. Have a blessed Sunday all!

Busy~Blessed Family Stuff AND Earrings for Pilar

2011-11-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

Earrings for my future son-in-laws "Madre". She lives in Spain and loves jewelry~~hope she enjoys this pair.

House guests from Spain, two family weddings and a full full work schedule has made this gal a bit loopy. Here I am with my nephew at the kid's table at my goddaughter's wedding He's a goof and I enjoyed joining in the fun.

I sure hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you celebrate this holiday. I can't wait to see the family and laugh and talk and hug and eat goodies. Bless you all!

Grateful Living

2011-10-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Molly's "Grateful Living" blog is featuring a post by me today. Please stop by! And may you have the best Friday~

http://beautifullybrokenme-gratefulliving.blogspot.com/

For Terri Sue

2011-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, my friend Terri Sue made some unique and groovy luggage tags for me and my hubby. I promised to make her a pair of earrings in return....(crickets chirping)...ok, I took a looooong time to make these, but I think she'll love 'em. Copper, brass, base metal, emerald calcite...."Love Earrings"

Love you all! Have a great week!

Brace Face

2011-10-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

New adventure begins today.

My bottom teeth had shifted a lot in the last few months, which is common, I'm told, for "older" adults. ( yeah, thanks a bunch. ) So for the next year to 18 months I'll have braces and an extraction----yippee! The biggest thing I can say is, "Thank you God that we have dental insurance." Even with insurance it will lots of $$. But better to do this now than to have a worse problem later.

So today I will start to learn about dental wax, floss threaders and water piks. :-)

Life is never boring. And believe me, I KNOW I'm blessed!

Hope you are enjoying your blessings and gliding through any new adventures in your life. You are a doll to stop by!

Road Trip

2011-10-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

Annual Anniversary Road trip with my sweetie! We traditionally celebrate our September anniversary in October. Why? It just always seems busy busy busy in September. Anyway, we always get away for a day or two.

We tooled up to the California Gold Country.

Jackson!

This darling shop holds treasures galore. "Tinker O'Brien" Vintage & Uncommon Goods. 22 Main Street, Jackson, CA. The owner is the friendliest darlingest gal!

This piece is for sale in that wonderful shop~~hope it finds a nice home with someone who needs to be encouraged!

Stephanie Lee is soooo down-to-earth! And part saint.

2011-09-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing time at Art Is You in Petaluma, CA. Stephanie Lee's class "Pipe Dreams" did not disappoint.

The class was packed. Stephanie and her husband Vinnie constantly circulated about the room, instructing & encouraging.

Stephanie is so very hands-on!

And she's such a darling gal. She signed my book, and posed for two pics of us together. Just like BFFs! Oh yeah.

I'm still such an amateur at soldering, but I sure felt better when most of the people at my table had a challenging time to create the "barrel component" of the pipe dream piece. I discovered that no one just jumps out of bed one day, a master torch worker and solderer! My finished product is wonky and a bit of a mess, but I'm so proud of it. This old dog worked on a new trick and enjoyed expanding her skills and comfort level a bit.

Caroline, my Christmas doll, is currently wearing my necklace. I think it looks nice on her!

May you all have a full good week~~~Thank you for dropping by!

Stephanie Lee is So Cool...and I'm not!

2011-09-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

First off, let me say that I LOVE this book. I bought "Semiprecious Salvage" by Stephanie Lee in March of 2008. Over three years ago. Her "rustic" style of jewelry gave me more courage to play & try my own crazy ideas. I dog-eared this book. The sure sign of book-love. And I'm going to take a class with Stephanie this Sunday in Petaluma!!! Art Is You~~Yay!

Here is a page from Stephanie's book. For 3 and 1/2 years, I've wanted to make these cool solder bezel charms. It took forever to find copper tape (in the garden department in Home Depot!!) and even after I found the tape, I was just chicken to attempt it. Today I decided that I had to "woman up" and try. Just try.

So here I am, modeling the latest attractive facewear. Bifocal glasses, magnifying reader glasses and respirator mask. I know I'm hot! Oh yeah. I set up my soldering station and began the experiment. And.....I sucked!!! Seriously, pardon my vulgarity, but I was sooooo clumsy and awkward and hilarious...The Three Stooges all rolled into one person. Solder dripping everywhere, jump rings falling over and sticking where they shouldn't....I had to laugh. And say a few naughty words.

Here's my soldering station after I made a mess.

Here's what I did. First one far left. Total fail! The jump ring simply would NOT stand up. It's soldered to the side looking dumb. Middle and right ones are so goofily amateurish but I'm wearing them!

Got a little more comfortable with my little torch. Yay!

And here's me without my gorgeous facewear and extra glasses. I'm pretty proud of my funkily soldered stones and ready to have an amazing time at Stephanie Lee's class.

I wish all my jewelry friends could be there too~~would THAT be fun.

Anyway, may you all have a blessed week and may creative moments light up your days. Love you!

Stephanie Lee Class!!!!

2011-09-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday, one week from today, I'll take a class with one of my very favorite artists, Stephanie Lee !
Art Is You West Coast will be held only 45 minutes from my home. When I heard that Stephanie was going to be teaching, I asked my DH for my birthday/Christmas present in this one class: Pipe Dreams . It's something totally different than I ever create, which I hope will expand my skills a bit and make me more comfortable with my little torch. The biggest part is getting to meet Stephanie! I've been following her blog for a few years and I've dog-eared her book, "Semiprecious Salvage". I'm so excited, so jazzed~~Trying to gather all of the necessary items for the class. Making sure I pack gluten-free-sugar-free snacks (walnuts and organic raisins, anyone? lol)
In between I'm trying to clear off my workbench~~it's out of control!

So, Monday's coming. May you all have a blessed week. May all challenges be met calmly and all joys treasured deep in your heart.

Wooo Hoooo!! Published in Belle Armoire Jewelry Autumn 2011!!!!!

2011-09-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

"Tokens of Encouragement"

Resin, Paper, Copper & Brass Pendants

The directions for these pieces and lovely pictures were published in the Autumn 2011 Belle Armoire Jewelry!! I'm sooooo excited!! The article looks so wonderful and I'm so proud to have my "babies" published. BAJ is an amazing magazine, and I'm so very honored to be included.

Here's a link to their website: ( I hope I linked this correctly)

http://www.stampington.com/html/ba_jewelry_autumn11.html
Look in the table of contents~~page 26. My article! My name! I'm hyperventilating! I made all of my coworkers read the article~lol~and I'm taking it to my nephew's birthday party to make my Mom and other relatives enjoy it too. Heck, I'll tie 'em down! :-)
Yes, there are other artists' work in the magazine too. Lots of amazing artists, amazing jewelry. So the honor is real and my smile is wide. Thank you Belle Armoire Jewelry!!!

Etching Fun For Scottish Games

2011-08-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

Lots of etching happening today. Presents for my family! A few years back I bought a "Kerr" family crest stamp. It features the Kerr motto: Sero Sed Serio, which translates as "Late But In Ernest". I believe it refers to a battle centuries ago where the Kerr warriors arrived late but enthusiastically joined in the fray. Fortunately, no battles today, thank goodness!

I took 18 gauge copper sheet and roughed it up a bit with a Scotch Brite pad. Then I stamped it with Stayz On black ink. After it dried well, I cut out sections and suspended them upside down in my little container of ferric chloride. Every 5 minutes or so I'd shake the container for a cleaner etch. I removed the copper and cleaned it up, cut out my shapes,and antiqued them in liver of sulfur. I'm also going to try a couple of other patinas: verdigris and ammonia-and-salt-water. Then I'll seal them, add jump rings, leather cord and take 'em as presents for my fellow Kerrs when we gather at the Pleasanton, CA Scottish Games on Labor Day weekend.

Here is some of my first attempts. I need to get to work! May y'all have a blessed weekend!

Playing with Copper Sheet, Wire and Tea Green Chalcedony Drops

2011-08-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

If you are creative, I'll bet you've had times when an idea pesters you. A desire to create something just won't leave you alone. Will not "leave you be".

The chalcedony drops were purchased over a year ago and languished in my stash. I saw a necklace created by Marie Dodd, her August 9, 2011 post. See the cool elongated metal tubey thing dangling in the middle? I couldn't get it out of my head. I knew I had to play with a drop to get that "metal tube" feeling. Tonight I sat down with 26 gauge copper sheet, copper wire, shears, bench block, hammer, file, pliers and liver of sulfur. Bliss~

How lucky to get to make "stuff"!

I hope you get to scratch your creative itch this weekend.

Bless you all!

LOTS of Family Time~~Tired but Happy

2011-08-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Since my blog is called "chriskerrjewelry" I'm gonna show you these earrings first~~My beautiful stepdaughter's future MIL loves jewelry. Every time my DSD (dear step daughter) visits from Spain, I try to make earrings for her to take back home. "Calm" & "Peace" is not what we've had this last month! But it's what I always wish for my loved ones.

My hubby has spent months planning a family reunion with cousins from his mother's family. We all camped at Huntington Lake, Upper Billy Creek . It was 7,000 feet above sea level, tent camping, only one flush toilet area, no showers (!). I must humbly admit that I'm not a camper. I've been tent camping only a few times and NEVER without showers! I was nervous. 4 nights. Could I do it?

The flush toilet structure. No hot water. I became an expert at washing in freezing water and dealing with it. And I LOVE Huggie's wipes for personal cleanliness when one can't take a shower! I could write a commercial for them!

It was BEAUTIFUL! The air was so clean. Even though I gasped a bit while hiking (7,000 feet up kicked my butt!), I felt alive and happy. God's beauty heals. It fills up the weary spaces with peace....

Huntington Lake, me and my sweet sweet man. Blessings and beauty.

Then back home for more family~~

Home again, unpacking and fitting in more relatives' visits.

So we had the reunion. The kids from Spain stayed two weeks. My middle little brother and three of his kids spent a couple nights. My littlest brother and his new bride visited too.....Wonderful visits!

But we are tired.

Tired and full of amazing memories.

So it's time to recharge. Time to lay low for a bit.

I hope your summer is a good one. I pray your life is full of simple blessings! And a daily hug or two.

Thank you Shannon!!!

2011-07-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yay! I recently won a giveaway hosted by the talented Shannon Levart . She'd posted a pic of this darling piece, and my name was drawn for the prize! The package arrived yesterday, but when I arrived home from work, my sweet hubby was working very hard to be ready for our DD and her fiance. They flew in from Madrid last night, and with all of the talking & laughing & settling them in, I didn't get a chance to even open the package. Early this morning, I opened it before they woke up. Isn't it lovely? I can't look at it without smiling. :-)

Here's the box. I LOVE Shannon's card. Doesn't she make the most wonderful pieces? And her patinas are mesmerizing. Check out her work at her Etsy shop . You'll see eye candy~

Thank you so very much Shannon! Your generosity is matched by your wonderful work!

Visitors from Spain~~

2011-07-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

They are coming from Spain! Our girl and her fiance will be leaving tonight and we will see them tomorrow night! Wooooo hooooo!

More Ice Resin~~Serenity, Joy Resilience Pendant

2011-07-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

New resin piece. It's so fun to create a piece with positive thoughts encased in clear hardness. To be able to hold and reread encouraging words throughout the day. Blessings!

"Dream & Grow" my friend. Summer dreams can encourage love, encourage peace.

Have a lovely Thursday! Savor the present moment~~find the bits of goodness.

Goof Off Pendant

2011-07-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Lovely warm Saturday in Vallejo. I'm "bach-ing" it , with my sweet DH down in Bakersfield. Working on jewelry, goofing off. Made this smoky quartz, brass, turquoise, copper & silk pendant for myself. Maybe I should call it my "Goofing Off" Pendant~~ :-)
Must sweep up dog fur today, clear clutter, do laundry AND work on resin pendants. And MUST smile at myself in the mirror, dance a bit while drinking my water, talk to the kitties and thank God for my blessed life. I'm so grateful that I live in the United States of America. I'm so grateful that my grandparents immigrated from Czechoslovakia and Poland so many years ago, bravely starting new lives. Blessed indeed.

May your weekend be truly good. Filled with all that enters your heart with quiet joy~~

Resin~Fill your mind with thoughts of faith, hope & courage

2011-06-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

Finished a pendant today. Been plugging away for a few weeks, a bit at a time. Resin is a medium that still holds challenges for me, but the ability to encase a message is wonderful! This piece consists of resin, paper, copper, brass, nickel, a quartz bead, silk ribbon and steel wire.

I don't know if you can read the back easily. It says, "your life will be filled with joy".

The side view shows more stamping and how I connected the piece. All cold-connections, all pondered and slowly assembled. Lots of humming, smiling to myself, listening to Christian music and an old chick flick or two. Don't think I ever get enough of "You've Got Mail"~~lol! Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are such a fun combination.

It's Wednesday, and June is almost gone. Astonishing how fast the time rushes by. May the rest of your week be blessed and joyfully start the new month.

Heart Dangle~Old Pendant

2011-06-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Playing with the mother-of-pearl hearts given to me by Diane Cook~~fun times. :-) This pendant is old, but I wanted to add a new heart dangle that I created using the heart bead, a teensy piece of brass that I pierced and stamped, wrapped with steel wire and attached with silk embroidery ribbon. I'm in LOVE!

Fun day of puttering at home, doing laundry and going to dinner with my DH and one of our girls and her boyfriend. They drove here from Sacramento...an hour and a half! And we went to Nantucket Restaurant in Crockett, CA. Scallops and shrimp~~~yum!

Hope your weekend is full of moments that recharge your soul~

Bless you all!

Ice Resin "Peace" "Hope" Earrings for Kate

2011-06-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Trying a new Ice Resin project. I made these teeny little cups of copper, glued in teensy words of encouragement and filled them with resin. I made a bit of a mess, with resin all over the cups, which had to be peeled off by yours truly. But the results are kinda cool. I'll show you the pair of earrings I made for myself next post, but for now I wish you all a Thursday full of peace and hope.

LeeAnn's Bracelet~Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Copper

2011-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

My high school friend LeeAnn asked for a special bracelet. She's dealing with health issues, and thought an encouraging bracelet would be just the ticket. It took me a few months to fit in the time to create it. You know how that goes~~spouse,work, church, family, other obligations. LeeAnn waited patiently. And waited. And FINALLY she received it last week. She's happy. I'm happy. A perfect ending!

May your week be full of happy times. And may all of the challenges be surmountable! Bless you all.

Silver Earring Birthday Presents

2011-06-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Cathy! Silver & Pearls & Steel wire.

Happy Birthday Marlene! Silver & Amethyst.

Happy Birthday Bailey! Silver~

I'm blessed to have so many wonderful gals in my family.

Surprises from Diane

2011-06-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I dragged home from work. Shooting x-rays makes me run back and forth, adjusting patients and running back to operate the machine. I didn't know that when I drove home I'd find a surprise waiting. Diane Cook had sent me a package of fun! See the brass chain, luscious buds and brass filligree above? And that was just the start of the fun.

Mother-of-Pearl hearts!!! Love 'em! A whole fun strand of them to add to my creations. Oh yeah!

Smokey Quartz. Doesn't it look like jelly beans? Yummo!

Now this is SERIOUSLY cool----synthetic steel wool and sanding rectangles! Diane had told me about synthetic steel wool while we were chatting about jewelry techniques. I was intrigued...a steel wool that didn't make an enormous mess every time you used it? Yahoo! Well, I hadn't had a chance to hunt for it at Ace Hardware. Diane thoughtfully sent these!

Diane's hubby sent my hubby a book that he's just started and really enjoying. What a lovely classy couple. We were blessed to have them visit. Maybe someday we will be able to travel to Texas. If all Texans are so nice, it'll be the best visit!

Copper, Brass & Resin "you are exactly where you need to be today"

2011-05-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

My blog buddy Diane Cook got here Thursday night. I was so happy to have her visit us, so of course I had to make her a gift.

I'm happy for Diane's success as a jewelry artist and national jewelry teacher. I know it's been a journey for her.

I wish her success, peace and lots and lots of joy. You are blessed!

And may all my blog friends treasure this week. May it hold events that bring richness and happiness. Savor joy~~

Diane Cook is a Lovely Lady!

2011-05-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, you'll never guess who visited this week from Texas~~~Diane Cook! And she is even lovelier than her blog! And her blog is BEAUTIFUL~~~

First, she brought me wonderful gifts~~Silk, a crucifix charm, delicate angel wings and a charm handcrafted by her. See the beautiful sisters? And their darling feet? Below it all dangles a Czech bead. Charming!!! Diane also gave me a luscious bar of soap. It's not pictured because I put it in my shower immediately. mmmmm so wonderful...

We had breakfast together~~

And enjoyed the beauty of Sonoma AND Bodega Bay. Of course we talked and laughed and ate way too much. Our husbands treated us like princesses and I had a great time. She had to leave this morning, but she leaves with my friendship and love. Now my DH and I must travel to Texas!

Peridot, Copper & Brass Cross Earrings for Kate

2011-05-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Weekend is here! Hope it's a wonderful break for you all~~

Here's a pair of earrings I made for my friend Kate. Peridot is so delicious!

No Worries~~Resin & Paper & Brass & Copper

2011-05-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm alive~~and send my love to you all!

Overwhelmed with life a bit. It's all good.

The necklace above is a gift. May I follow its advice!

Have a wonderful rest of this week.

Happy Birthday Earrings

2011-04-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Bertha,

Annie

& Aubrey!

I'm lucky to have a wonderful family~~

Hope your weekend was as full of love as mine was. We visited my little brother's ranch near Bakersfield, along with my other brothers and sister and kids and spouses, Mom and Dad and more. It was jolly, noisy, luminous and blessed.

May your new week shine!

Creative Messy Bench

2011-03-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Working on pieces for a new article...bench looks like a high desert windstorm hit it...minus the tumbleweeds!

May all of you, have a confidently blessed Monday! And those of you on Daylight Savings Time (like me), I say...it'll be so cool at quittin' time from work! OK, right now it does stink a bit....:-)

My Friend is Trying to Kill Me!

2011-03-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Here it is. "Killer Hill". Uphill walking until your lungs burn.

Here's my dear friend Kate. Most Wednesday mornings we walk together. She makes me hike up Killer Hill. She's in way better shape than I am and she smiles the whole way. She's so mean to me. But secretly mean, because she acts so nice about it and encourages me so much.

At the top! It's really pretty when you get up there. Even though I'm gasping loudly for air and begging for oxygen, I love the view.

I made it!

May you all have a blessed Sunday and a smooth week. We're getting some rain here that we need. I'll work on gratitude for the water as opposed to crankiness for the wet dogs!

Belle Armoire Jewelry Published My Work!

2011-02-28T04:40:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! Belle Armoire Jewelry Spring 2011 Issue has published a lovely article under "The Art of Presentation~An Encouraging Gift". My packaging AND a couple of pictures of my Encouragement Necklaces have been featured! Super woooo hoooo and happy dancin'! (Sure do wish you could see the dance...imagine an uncoordinated grandma getting her groove on!)

Cynthia Levens is the author of this article and it's lovely, if I do say so myself. OK, I'm a bit prejudiced~~lol. Belle Armoire Jewelry is an extraordinarily beautiful magazine, and the chance to be included in its pages is a privilege. And this issue really is an amazing one. Lots of wonderful artists like my dear friend Diane Cook , Don Pezzano, Deryn Mentock , and the amazing Keith LoBue~~plus more!

This issue goes on sale tomorrow. If you get the chance, page through this gorgeous magazine and look at pages 114-117. And when you do, remember that a blessed and happy artist is beaming with the thought of sharing this with lots of dear friends and jewelry-lovers. I thank you all so much for your love and support~~~ Have a smooth week dear ones!

ICE Success~~mostly! And showers ROCK.

2011-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

I LOVE my resin pieces~ The pour was pretty successful. More learning curve stuff: bubbles! I really thought I was vigilant about them, but after I went to bed, two more emerged. So, I'll only pour in the AM when I can keep an eye on it for many hours.

Also, some resin poured out the side of a few of the bezels. I'll pick at it and sand it off.

And the shower was BLISS! Not to mention that sleeping without compression stockings is way more comfortable.

OK, new week~~and I've got something kinda cool to share with you tomorrow...a feather in my jewelry-making hat. :-) See you tomorrow my friends!

Resin Pour and Compression Stocking Fun

2011-02-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for a resin pour, with trepidation and trembling...

My first time to try ICE resin, so I'll review this site: http://www.iceresin.com/articles/ which gives tips for a successful pour.

I used some old jewelry resin last pour....a mistake! Sticky mess....I've got high hopes for ICE.

Totally unrelated~~Thursday morning I had a procedure at my healthcare facility to inject pesky varicose veins...which means this is the summer I can wear my cute flippy knee-length skirt. Anyway, I've been required to wear compression stockings for at least 48 hours without removing them. I can't WAIT until tonight when I can remove them and take a shower!! Oh yay!

So, wish me a good pour and lovely shower, OK?

May your Saturday night be at least as fun as mine!

Heart Earrings and Copper Pendant~~Hope Joy Blessings

2011-02-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest things about making jewelry is being able to make presents for your friends.

Hope, Joy & Blessings.

Wished for y'all.

Resin Cabochon Pendant & An Amazing Day

2011-02-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day~~After worship and a visit to a dear friend, I came home and glued myself to my workbench. I finished the resin cabochon pendant! With only a few mistakes along the way~~pretty amazing. The wonderful part of the day was being fully engaged in creating this piece. The hours disappeared. When I came up for air it was 9:30, which is 30 minutes past my bedtime! Seriously, on work mornings I wake up at 4:30...so an early bedtime is a must. But today is President's Day and the Imaging Facility I work at is closed...whee! AND my sweet darling husband is in Bakersfield with my little brother. I'm luxuriating in sheer selfishness.

Side view of the piece. The cabochon is cold connected to the copper plate with the stamped tabs. Below you can see the rivets I used to attach the tab sheet to the copper plate. I'm so happy and proud of this! I'm so grateful to God for this gift of creative joy.

Revelations Chapter 21: Verses 3-4 NLT

"I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever."

A new week my friends. Now I get to catch up on laundry & stuff to get ready for work Tuesday. But I hope I always hold the joy of play and creation deep in my heart. Love y'all!

Looking HOT...Jewelry making safety~~

2011-02-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, there's something so alluring about a mature woman wearing reading glasses topped by safety glasses!!! I'm working on a gift for a friend. I'm using my Flex shaft to smooth the copper and I'm doing the smart thing and wearing my safety glasses.

My sweet hubby is away this weekend, so I'm sending him and you all a kiss~~He doesn't find the safety-glasses look very hot. Go figure. :-)

Have fun today!

Resin & Sawing...little by little

2011-02-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Not-the-best photos, but I had a little time to work on the "resin cabochons", as I like to call them. Resin is pretty neat in that you can pour over the top of older resin and it will fill in and look new on top. "Find the blessings..." is all filled and drying now. "I am the recipient..." has a much better surface, but the air bubbles I didn't get out the first time are still there. Learning! "I know it's possible..." was just an extra piece for fun and to use a bit more resin.

I must admit, I can't WAIT to use the Ice Resin I've ordered. I'm looking forward to more clarity.

Ready to saw out the tabbed plate that will hold one of my resin cabochons. Using brass, will rivet it to a copper back plate. Little at a time! Must persevere~~

Have a blessed Thursday y'all!!

Resin Adventures...or misadventures?

2011-02-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Resin pour Saturday morning....had some leaking and bubbles. I think I can fix "find the blessings in today". I'll just pour more resin and let it cure!   I'll try smoothing some resin on top of the bigger bezel, but it may be a loss. My favorite one turned out OK! woo hoo!   My plan is to cold-connect it to a little pendant using tabs...it'll be a bit funkified looking and that's exactly what I want.

I finally broke down and ordered Ice Resin today. I used some old resin on these pieces that I'd purchased from Rio Grande years before I'd heard of the Ice, and the hardener is yellowed. I thought I'd be frugal and use it up, but I may have to take it to the hazardouse waste drop off in our town.   Or maybe I can use it to glue things together?   Any ideas for yellow-y resin to use it up?

OK, y'all have a blessed week!!!!   And is anyone else surprised that it's already Valentine's Day tomorrow?? Hope you get a hug and some love~~~

I Am the Recipient of Many Gifts....

2011-02-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready to pour some resin. I played with resin a few years ago, and haven't been tempted by it until recently. An idea kept fluttering and banging around in my brain, like a moth entrapped in a porch light. So I've been slowly playing and gathering and thinking. Didn't get as much done as I'd like, but I've always been quite slooooowwwwww. :-)

Maybe I'll get to pour this weekend? Who knows--life is so wonderfully full.

Bless you all, dear friends. May your week continue in hope and love.

Productive Saturday at the Jewelry Bench

2011-02-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Two pairs of earrings~commission and gift. Nothing earth-shattering, but feels good to be working at my bench.

Super Bowl Sunday. I watch commercials~ So far I LOVE the Dorito and Audi commercials. More than half the game to go, so we'll see what commercial wins my vote for funniest.
Now y'all have a great week! Or at least may you be given strength and grace to deal with your challenges~~

Local Honey, Eraks' Ransom and Happy Thursday

2011-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Good Morning my friends! Thursday, and getting ready for my day job at the Imaging Clinic. Bone density day for me~~ Gonna help the docs diagnose osteroporosis~~Good times!

Day off yesterday. Coolest thing, found local honey! It's the beginning of allergy season in Solano County. And local honey is one of the weapons in my arsenal against coughing, snorting, cloggy breathing. I located this farm online and my sweet sweet DH took me there after his workday...this is 1 gallon of honey!!!

Fun and frivolous pastime...this series is for kids. My DH discovered it and read the books and recommended them....I'm on book 7. Ya think I'm enjoying them? lol!

OK, y'all have the bestest Thursday! Bless you all!

The King's Speech

2011-01-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

The King's Speech~~my DH and I saw it today. Wonderful film! The acting, the history, the humor, the persistance, the friendship...wow! And so many examples of love and how it can ameliorate pain and difficulties. I cried twice. I loved it!

A new week starts tomorrow. Worship in the morning, and then we wash the dogs~ A fresh clean start! May you all have a fresh clean start and a blessed week~~~

Secret Message of Love & "Love Life" Copper and Gemstone Earrings

2011-01-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

"luv u" is the message hidden in these stick pearl-and-amethyst earrings. As you wear them, perhaps this little secret will whisper into your ear!

"love life" Copper and Brass and Lemon Quartz.

OK, I'm still in my jammies. It's 2:50 PM. Been at the bench, laundry and assorted household stuff all day. My breath is really not wonderful! Must must MUST brush teeth, change into clothes, get to the gallery and drop these off. The life of a jewelry artist is SOOO glamorous! Oh yeah!

Wish you all a great Wednesday~~may the rest of your week be a blur of gratitude and fellowship~

Thanks so much for dropping by~

Wedding, Siblings, Kleenex Fashion for Dollies and Metal Stamp Giveaway~Wheeee!

2011-01-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

Amazing family weekend! My little brother married a very very sweet lady~~Aren't they adorable?

All of us siblings together for a rare pic. I think we are so dang good-lookin'. Now if we were just all rich~lol! OK, so we're rich in all the love we share....way better than those pesky dollars. :-)

My niece and daughter created amazing Kleenex fashion for my niece's doll. I can see this on the runway in Paris. It looks better than some of the things I've seen in some fashion shows! :-) And they had fun~

And a giveaway for some really cool metal stamps right here:

Lori Anderson's Pretty Things

These are GORGEOUSLY funkified....I did drool when I first saw them~~

Now you all have a lovely lovely week coming up. I'll be tired but quite happy~~

"be joy" Earrings to Make You Smile

2011-01-19T05:08:00.000-08:00

Bronze and Copper, sawn, sanded and stamped.
Yummy iolite drops suspended on copper chain.
Hope you smiled!

Love this quote:
"People often underestimate the power of...gratitude. I have chronic fatigue syndrome, and when I'm feeling bad I remind myself that even in darkness, I am the recipient of many gifts." Laura Hillenbrand

May we all focus on our many gifts today. Bless you all!

hope pray believe...stamped in copper

2011-01-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

"hope pray believe"...I had such fun making this yesterday! I made this for me, and it's a bit different than my usual style. It's always fun to try something new. Got to use my new "Tiny Dancer" letter stamps. Beaducation is my personal crack store!

May your week be full of joyful moments, good friends and productivity~~

Gettin' My Mojo Back and Making Earrings~

2011-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

I finished these copper and ametrine earrings today! I'm excited because ever since I've been ill, I haven't had much energy or desire to make jewelry. And that's sooooo not me! But I guess it makes sense.

Low energy=low creativity.

These paua and prehnite earrings were created for my DD's future mother-in-law in Spain. Yes, the great news this Christmas time was that daughter number one is engaged to her beloved Spanish boyfriend of five years. We are going to be forced to attend a wedding in Spain in May 2012! Life is tough! lol

So, better health, better energy and plans to visit Spain (Barcelona? Alhambra? hmmmm). It's all good~~Thank you God for these blessings! And may you all have a lovely week~~

Weirdly ill

2010-12-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

I've been ill. I had lovely red lumps show up on my eyelids, legs, feet and hands. And fevers. And sore joints. For nearly two weeks now. Not fun.

Look at those attractive eyelids! NOT a pretty sight.

I've been off work, visiting the doctor and staying home eating broths & fruit & vegetables & herb tea. Every morning I've drug my sore body out of bed and done my yoga exercises, doing my best to praise and trust God.

My dear friends and family have been praying for healing and encouraging me. Blessings!

I've had plenty of time this holiday to appreciate little things, like good health, the love and care of friends and family, and the devotion and care of an amazing husband.

Here I am today. I visited the doctor and got a good report. Most of my red bumps have faded. No fevers for three days. Sore joints getting better. Thank you Jesus!

The doctors are still not sure what caused all the weird symptoms, and are amazed at how quickly I've been improving with no medications. But I know why. And I'm so grateful.

I didn't get much done on these days off. When the fevers took hold, I just wanted to sit on the couch bundled in quilts and layers of jammies and socks. But I did manage to finish stringing necklaces and making earrings for my lovely sister. And the package went out today! So look out for it sis!

So this Christmas season 2010 has been quite different than I'd expected. I've been given a gift of perspective, a gift of seeing how truly blessed I am every "normal" day. I've been given the gift of appreciating good health, and the humble realization that it could have gone either way: health or illness. None of us are promised ease and an absence of challenges. We are just promised that He will walk with us as we travel through the valleys and climb mountains. May your Christmas be blessed. May you feel the joy and faith that comes with the birth of a Savior. My love to you all!

Deck the Halls~~Fa la la

2010-11-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo! Got my tree decorated! I'm never ever this early. Sooo Coool!

DH got his Christmas Village up....first time in a few years~ This is wonderful!

Sweet Granddaughter visited last night. She decorated my face with stickers and we read books together. Talk about fun!

Yes, she's dang cute. She just is. Try to get me to change my opinion. Just try!

Did Thanksgiving break speed by like a lightning bolt? Tomorrow, back to work. Bless you all!

Thanksgiving Heart

2010-11-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

My Daily Bible Verse:

Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the world what he has done. Oh, how mighty he is! Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world."     Isaiah 12: 4-5 NLT

As I sit here, early in the day before the traveling to my daughter, before the cooking, KP, eating, laughing, loving, talking, sharing, I thank Him. I thank God for my good life.

I can use my wrists! I can work again! I can play at my jewelry bench---oh I do thank Him for that!   I have such a loving husband, lovely complex family, dear coworkers, sweet church family.   What a rich life. I'm very blessed and will try to count them all today.

Thank you all, all of my blog and internet friends. You bless me.   May this Thanksgiving be joyful. I send you my love.

I've Been Busy! Copper Earrings Day

2010-11-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I've been busy today! This pair was lots and lots of sawing. I started them last week and finally got to patina them yesterday. I LOVE the way they turned out! And they kinda resemble Christmas ornaments, right? Perfect for Christmas parties~~:-)

These hearts make me smile~~I drew them on the copper with a very fine point Sharpie. Hearts...I just love 'em! And I wanted the copper circles to frame them. The turquoise was a last-minute decision. Originally I was going to use abalone beads, but the turquoise called out to me. Yep, called my name! lol

Copper, Citrine, Prehnite and Copper chain. Fun and light to wear.

OK, all I need to do now is get out of my jammies (2:43 PM Pacific Standard Time...for shame!), brush my hair and teeth and run to Studio 41.

I'm so very thankful for you all. Thank you for reading my blog and sharing your thoughts. You are important to me and I wish you the best Thanksgiving and lots of blessings as we head into the Christmas season. Mmmmmmwah~!

Giveaway at Love My Art Jewelry

2010-11-23T05:31:00.000-08:00

Psssst! Hey, over here! There's a cool giveaway at
Love My Art Jewelry
A wonderful necklace created by Mary Jane Dodd is being given away, and all you have to do is comment on the blog. Go on over! Take a look!

The Case of the Missing Shawl

2010-11-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

Here I am with my niece. We are getting ready for her little brother's baptism last week. I was wearing a wonderful Irish woven shawl that my DH got for me at the Scottish Games. I love it!

After the baptism, I visited the church restroom, and before I "did my business", I took off my long shawl and draped it over the restroom door. Apparently, when my back was turned, the shawl was taken. When I realized it was gone, I rushed out and no one was in the room. I saw my DD out in the hallway and I laughed because I thought she'd played a little prank on me. But she hadn't. We both walked quickly around the church, searching, asking...no shawl. I was getting quite discouraged when my goddaughter found it in the church narthex, quite a distance from the restroom! Smiles, relief, but how did this happen? My favorite theory is that a child that was in the restroom when I first entered grabbed the shawl and trailed it like a favorite blankie to the narthex. Then her mommy saw it and put it on the table. Or my shawl crawled away by itself, trying to escape! :-) Anyway, I love a happy ending! And I've learned to never be so foolish with my possessions.

Happy Weekend all! I don't know about you, but I can't really believe that it's Thanksgiving next week! Wish I could slow down time....:-)

New Earrings: Copper & Brass, Etched & Hammered, Quartz & Onyx

2010-11-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

Pair of earrings ready for Studio 41 in Benicia. Etching brass or copper is such a satisfying process. You write on your metal with a Sharpie, suspend it in ferric chloride and tah dah! Etched & textured to your specifications. My kind of fun!

Women of Faith conference in Sacramento. Could only attend Friday...but wow! Sheila Walsh's story and encouragement brought me to tears of joy, tears of breaking open to God's love. Amazin' day. Effects still lingering in my heart and thoughts.

Saturday~fun family day when my newest nephew Kevin was baptized. Lots of laughs and too much delicious Mexican food. We are a blessed family!

Monday tomorrow....may we all sail smoothly into our weekly duties. I'm prayin'! Hugs to you all~~~

Cold Connection Encouragement~Citrine, Heliador, Copper and Brass

2010-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

That's what my workbench looked like last week. I was riveting another "Encouragement Pendant". See my cute little clamps? They really help. And the painter's tape helps keep marks away~~

Tah Dah!!! It's finished today. I get to test-wear it to Women of Faith conference in Sacramento on Friday. I'm so looking forward to an amazing time with friends and a bunch of other Christian women. How lucky I am~ How blessed I am.

And here's a present for a lovely niece. She'll get this Saturday. I hope she likes them! She specified "small and hearts"....OK!
Have a wonderful Thursday, all. Veteran's Day. Thank you, every Veteran. Thank you for protecting my wonderful country. God bless you.

In-My-Jammies Saturday~

2010-11-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Awesome Saturday mornin' all! Here I am sipping my nonfat latte~~still in my jammies and obviously no hair or makeup attention. Scarey! But it's a quiet day today.

Fakey smile time~I'm just so naturally glamorous!
My sweet DH is away at my little brother's ranch for a "guys weekend". Branding cattle, shooting rifles at targets, eating steak and beans, cutting and loading firewood. I've been sending up some prayers that he doesn't strain or injure any body parts. The doggies went too, so they're having the funnest time running free over 81 acres.

Here's the latest book I'm reading snippet by snippet. Got laundry, bills to pay and a lovely citrine-and-heliador etched copper and bronze encouragement pendant to keep me busy. I'm so very lucky. I'll keep thanking the Lord and wish you all a lovely weekend, no matter what you are doing. Thank you all for stopping by. :-)

2010-11-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
First Thessalonians 5:16-17

I am blessed. So much beauty, so much good surrounds me in this life. May I always appreciate. May I always exhibit gratitude.

Hugs to you all!

Healing Halloween

2010-11-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday night was a special night for me. No, not because it was Halloween. Our Halloweens are very low-key with the kids all grown. No decorating, we never get trick-or-treaters. Quiet. We like it that way. This Halloween was special because my Mom and Dad finally met their first great-grandchild.

Circumstances have made it difficult for Mom and Dad to see my Punkin' Granddaughter, but I was grateful to God for this opportunity on Halloween night. I've been longing for this to happen, and it did. And it went smoothly. God is good!

My Mom bought a Disney princess book for Great-granddaughter. She LOVED it. She explained about the princesses and their outfits and the castle. I'll always treasure this evening deep in my heart. A little hole there has healed. I'm so grateful~~~

Have a blessed Wednesday, my friends. I'm going to clean house, work on a pendant and run an errand or two~~bliss!

Jackson California & Bead Scores

2010-10-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Jackson, California is an old Gold Country town. My DH and I visit it a couple of times a year and tramp around the antique shops, trading post, fabulous used book store and the bead shop.

Oh yeah....to a beadaholic, this is a score. Drool, happiness and ideas abound!

Morning from my backyard

2010-10-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a lovely day~~

"Trust, like joy, is an attitude we can choose. It's a habit of thinking - and one that is worth cultivation if we want to recapture a childlike optimism and expectancy in our lives." Thomas Kinkade

I'm gonna work on trusting God today~~

2010-10-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

I finished this Cold Connection Encouragement Necklace~~

I've been holding onto this great piece of labradorite for a while...doesn't it glow? It's time for it to grace someone's neck.

It's time to encourage someone with a hidden message. We all should be calm in our hearts!

Thanks for taking a look at this piece...

I sure hope your week went well~~If you faced sorrows, may they be lessened. If you felt joy, I hope you shared it!

Tomorrow my DH and I will travel to the Gold Country in California~~about 1and 1/2 hours away. We'll peruse a huge used bookstore. I'll immerse myself in a bead store and a trading post for jewelry goodies. Then we'll eat a lovely lunch, walk through antique shops and drive home with smiles. Wish you could all join us!
Have fun my friends~

Copper Etched Labradorite Pendant Pics for Rina

2010-10-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Rina, jewelry-making friend, asked me to post pics of the back of the piece I just posted...so here you go Rina! This is the back of the top plate (I call this the "bead plate")

Here is the front of the brass plate. After I wire the quartz crystal onto the bead plate, I'm going to rivet that bead plate onto this brass plate.

This is kinda how it will look~~then I'll curl the strip on top to make a bail. Voila!!! tah dah!!! There will be 5 rivets, so that may take some time. Gotta work a little at a time so my gimpy wrist doesn't ache. AND so I get some laundry and other things done on my day off~~~or we will live in clutter and dog hair. :-)

Have a super Wednesday!

Etched Copper and Labradorite Work In Progress~WIP

2010-10-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Just wired the labradorite onto the etched copper. Slowly and surely this encouragement pendant is coming together! Second time I wired the labradorite. First time I attached it then carefully cut the wire in the wrong place! Said a semi-bad word and put it down. Waited 2 days. Today~~~success! Next I must wire on the quartz crystal.

It's pretty this morning in Vallejo, CA. Northern California is going to be cool-ish and clear. I took a great pic of the morning sky from my backyard, but I can't upload it for some reason....hmmmmm....computers and I don't always live in perfect harmony~~

I Heart my Jeweler's Saw

2010-10-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

I really love my jeweler's saw...honest! I know many jewelry makers hate the saw. It's slow and can be difficult and "sticky" to use with copper and brass sheet. I used to hate mine until I tore the ligaments in my right wrist. Even after surgery, I can't use the metal shears without pain....soooooooo I'm getting so proficient with my saw. And the attractive shelving cushion stuff that I rubber-banded on the handle just makes it easier for my hand and wrist. lol~~high-tech! Anyway, Susan Lenart Kazmer has a great video on how to use the jeweler's saw: http://objectsandelements.com/shop/instructional-videos-br-page-3

I'm so grateful to be able to work on some new pendants. I call them "cold-connection encouragement pendants" and I'm making a couple for Studio 41 in Benicia, CA. They're gonna be cool. I'll keep you updated~~

Love is Patient

2010-10-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

I surely hope you have been blessed by Love~~

Rainy Sunday Kitty Day

2010-10-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Rainy Sunday in Vallejo,CA....wonderful worship service at Community Presbyterian church. Amazing sermon by Pastor Jon that encouraged and inspired me and many others.
The orange marmalade kitty Button is hanging out on the dog bed....the dogs don't know because they are outside. :-)

Since I am trying to dig out the clutter in my house, wash loads of laundry and work on two new pendants, I wish for "Balance". I wish that for you, my dear readers. May your week be full of balance, joy, peace and the knowledge that you are moving toward your dreams.

Friday wish

2010-10-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's Friday! May your day "sing" with ease~good spirits~joyfullness~~~or at least the grateful realization that you made it through another week----Praise God!

Been a While~Copper Message Pendant

2010-10-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be so absent from the blog world~
I've been working on a project that I'll talk about later---maybe even a few months from now. Just know that I'm tired and fried but content. And I must shovel out my clutter and mess all over the house!
May you all smile today and feel joy. May your eyes crinkle with laughter and your teeth sparkle as you erupt with happiness. If you are experiencing a sad time, may you be comforted and hugged.
Bless you all~

Sing the Dreams of Your Heart

2010-09-06T16:40:00.001-07:00

New piece!
Chrysocola and labradorite on etched brass riveted to copper. The idea for this piece had been rattling in my head and telling me it wanted to be created for a while. I love it! The necklace includes beads of abalone, fluorite, copper, brass, glass and leather~~fun stuff goin' on here. Comfortable to wear too~~

I love the message on the back! It's a fun challenge to think of encouraging messages.

Etched brass and abalone earrings.

Scottish Games in Pleasanton Ca this weekend. Oh, the bagpipes, the kilts, the crowds and vendors. The silly t-shirts with the funny sayings! My DH worked his volunteer position in operations. He worked hard and loved it~~

Well, another Labor Day almost over. The official start of "back to normal". Need to savor every single day~~they are speeding by so rapidly.
Bless you all.

I've Got Help

2010-08-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

Button, our little marmalade girl rescue kitty, loves to "help" me when I sit at the computer or work on jewelry. If she's in a "mood", she'll play with the beads, try to gnaw on the wire and demand petting, petting and more petting. Here she's resting until she can pester..er.."help" me again.

Make a wish and dream now earrings for the gallery today. Copper, Fluorite, Pearl and fun. Blessings all!

Love, Laughter and Joy~~Necklace for Ieshia

2010-08-19T04:18:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy to finish this commission piece for a friend. She needed it last Sunday! But the wrists tell me how fast I can work~~And they are my boss! I've found that wrist braces help so much.
Citrine, Peridot, Brass, Copper, Glass beads too.

One rivet is a bit funky....rats! But I'm getting better. These are brass escutcheon nails from Ace Hardware. I love the way they look~

You are all wished LOVE, LAUGHTER AND JOY~ It's Thursday my friends. Time to do yoga and have a joyful day. May we all be a blessing to others!

My Love and his loves~

2010-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

My Sweet DH loves this place. My brother's 81 acres near Bakersfield. This picture was taken last spring. You wouldn't see all this green right now! My DH enjoys the peacefulness, the beauty of nature, the simple life here. No traffic jams, crowds, noise.

Here are our two rescue dogs~Dakota and Sierra. Black Lab and Black Lab/Border Collie mix. These dogs got so lucky when Rich became their master! The love and devotion and work he lavishes on these pooches is a testament to him~~

I believe I'm so blessed and lucky to be married to this man! My wonderful Christ-following sweetheart. God is good.

May you all have a lovely rest-of-the week~~isn't August speeding by with lightning speed? Golly!

Life is a Gift

2010-08-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yes it is~ what a wonderful busy weekend. We are getting ready for church camping and the Scottish Games, so we had to make sure our pet babysitter was fully informed of all the pets needs and quirks. I hadn't realized how weird our pets are! Dakota the Lab loves to roll on the rug in front of the front door and make Chewbaca noises, the bigger kitty Foster loves to lap water in the shower stall, etc. We are blessed that we could adopt these four rescue pets. They bring so much love and grins into our daily lives.
We also had Mom and Dad and Nick over. Mom made fabulous organic stuffed zucchini...yum-oh~
Today we drove to Carmichael and worshipped with Michelle and Nick. Got to chat with our prior pastor and thoroughly felt moved to worship God with praise and songs!

OK, More earrings for the gallery:

"Life is a Gift" Copper and turquoise.

Lucky Heart earrings. The little hearts were a booger to saw out of silver...I think my eyes were crossed for days after this! :-)
Have a blessed Monday my friends. Have a lovely week~

For Kate

2010-06-23T00:52:00.001-07:00

Kate is my dear goddaughter. She's a treasured part of our family, and she's one of the people I promised jewelry to before I injured my wrists. How wonderful it will be to send this to her tomorrow! (I'm doing the happy dance!)

Happy Father's Day to my DH~~see what I gave him?? He LOVES sock monkeys. It was fun to surprise him with this one. He's the best Dad, sweetest partner. I'm dang lucky.

Have a blessed Wednesday my friends~

For Monika

2010-06-16T20:03:00.001-07:00

Monika owned a wonderful gallery in Sonoma. She sold more pieces of my jewelry than anyone simply because she believed in me! She told me over and over how fabulous my work was. She made me a better artist and continues to influence my belief in my abilities. This pendant is for her, to show her my love and encouragement. How wonderful that God brought her into my life! And I wish her the best future~~~

"Gratitude" ~~~I'm Feelin' It!

2010-06-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

New bracelet for the Studio 41 Gallery at 700 First Street in Benicia, CA....Gratitude!
So grateful that I can make jewelry again.

So grateful I can work again (yes, honest! staying home when your wrists ache is not that fun) (working is better).

So grateful that I have my sweet hubby, great kids, good doggies, arrogant funny cats, so much. so much!

Today is my DH's beautiful daughter's 26th birthday. I hope she has a great year and realizes that 26 is soooo young.

Bless you all my friends. Must go dry my dripping hair and get ready for another work day tomorrow~
Peace.

Busy-ness, family stuff...it's all good!

2010-05-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

My SIL, Bro and niece...second b-day!

My sweet Mom and niece~

Earrings for the gallery~

Earrings for one SIL~~

Earrings for my other SIL~~~

Great times! So busy. Gotta get ready to go away this weekend too...wheeeeeee!
Bless you all and may you all remember our veterans~

Beatnheart's Giveaway!

2010-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Wait! It's been so crazy at the Kerr household that I forgot to tell you about a lovely giveaway at Beatnheart:
If you comment before May 14, Cynthia will put you in the drawing for a really beautiful necklace! Yes, I know, only two days. You can do it!! Get over there!

Fundraiser Piece

2010-05-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Ryolite, Prehnite and Copper Pendant

Necklace of Peruvian Chalcedony, Copper, Citrine, Ryolite, Glass, Copper Chain.

My DD asked me for a piece for an American Cancer Society fundraiser. This piece evolved very easily. My DH had prostate cancer two years ago. It was caught very early, so we are optimistic about no recurrences. But I look forward to the day that cancer is an obsolete term, when no man has to have prostate surgery, no woman has to have a lumpectomy or mastectomy...
Hope you have a blessed day. I'm sitting here in my pajamas at 10:13 AM and need to clean off my workbench. And vacuum! Dog and cat hair begone!
Hugs and love to you all~~

Brazilian Occo Geode...yum!

2010-05-08T20:38:00.001-07:00

About 3 weeks ago I visited my LBS (Local Bead Store). Beading Around the Bush in Benicia, CA...I LOVE this shop! Anyway, there in a little tray on a low table, I saw them....Brazilian Occo Geode slices...I fell in love immediately. I caressed them and admired their beautiful sparkles. Three made their way into my clutches. I also bought some amethyst points. I had a vision of a pendant. I wanted to explore the idea of a "hidden blessing", a gift from God in an unexpected place.

After sawing the brass, sanding all the rough spots, stamping it a bit, drilling two inner holes for the point, I set the occo into the brass and wired the point into the middle. Then I sawed out the copper shape, stamped the words, etched the copper and riveted the brass to the copper. This took me two weeks! I worked here and there after my day job. And thought about it many random moments. Jewelry making is so engrossing, with challenges and triumphs. ( And occasionally the agony of defeat! lol!)

The rest of the necklace was pretty easy. I love stringing and this one really went together easily.

Earrings to go with the necklace.

Well, it is Mother's Day tomorrow. I have an amazing Mom and I respect and honor her. Hopefully I do this every day, not just a Sunday in May! :-) I hope you all remember your Mom tomorrow and find a hidden blessing from her guidance. Bless you all!

Gorgeous Day at Stinson Beach~

2010-05-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

DH and I spent the day with the "kids" from Spain (lovely stepdaughter and boyfriend). We drove around the Northern California coast and drank in the views....Stinson Beach, Point Reyes! Beautiful, Springtime, Fabulous!

Also had a chance to make a gift for a friend in Spain~~so I used my high school Spanish to stamp "amor" and "paz" and make these brass, copper and turquoise earrings. Full day. Blessed day.

More work~! And a visit from Spain

2010-05-01T06:40:00.001-07:00

"Trapped Bezel" pendant inspired by Richard Salley's technique. Amazonite, copper, brass. First time I made my own bead caps~~ They were inspired by Candie Cooper's new book "Metalworking 101 for Beaders".

Copper and brass and fine silver bezel strips. Dangles of quartz crystal.

Copper and brass and fine silver bezel strips stamped with "Smile" and "Shine". Fluorite dangles.

Well, I don't get to participate in the artist day at Studio 41...rats! But my work will be there without me. Hope it inspires and encourages. Love to sell a few pieces too .

My beautiful stepdaughter is here from Spain! She and her novio will be here for lunch today. Which means that DH and I are going to bless this house with some cleaning~~~ When you have two big black dogs and two orange marmalade cats, you have some serious animal fur at all times. And the left-over clutter from a crazy work week...it'll be fun to clear this all out and feel clean and fresh~~

Bless you all...may your weekend be joyful!

Couple more pieces for Studio 41

2010-04-20T19:16:00.001-07:00

More pieces for the gallery~~feeling a bit under the gun because I get to be a featured artist May 1~~~ So I'll take these pieces in tomorrow.

The earrings are new. I flame-patinaed the copper. They are quite swingy and fun to wear.

The pendant was created well over a year ago. It says, "May you be the song in my heart" which is taken from a Tim Hughes praise song. I strung the copper, jasper and pearl beads last week and really can't wait to get it to the gallery.

Can you believe it's April 20th already??? Seriously, where is the month...nay, the year...going? One of my kids will be visiting from Spain the end of next week. When she first told us she'd be home April 29, it seemed so far away. Well, time flies~~~and we are excited to see her and her novio (boyfriend) from Spain.

Have a blessed rest of your week my friends. May spring bring you sunlight and joy!

Two Pairs of Earrings for Studio 41!!!!

2010-04-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

Amethyst nestled in stamped and dapped copper. Little silver hand crafted "soul" and "dream" charms. Peridot drops. Handcrafted sterling earwires. Soooooo happy to be creating again!!!

Stamped copper, hammered brass and stamped silver hung on handcrafted sterling earwires with turquoise dangly beads. Fun!

I'm so very happy to show these pieces!!!! It's taken about a month to slowly make them, but it is beyond wonderful to be able to sit at my workbench again and lose myself in jewelry nirvana~~~ I'm able to work about 5 minutes at a time as I must be very gentle with my wrists. But that is 5 minutes of pure happiness~~~

I'm so humbly grateful to God for healing. I'm so thrilled to be back at work! And back making jewelry. Amen~!

Things are gettin' better~

2010-03-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Finished Linda's earrings this morning~~wow! Took about a week and a half for these, going bit by bit. YAY GOD that my wrists are improving. Gratefulness just washes over me.

Started this necklace in June 2009, but had to set it aside. Finished it yesterday when my Praise Band buddies Jane and Nancy came over for a beading-chick flick-taco salad party. THE BEST TIME was had by all.

Here it is on...modeled by my neck~~ I just LOVE it! It was inspired by a necklace that was worn on "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Part 2".
May your Wednesday be blessed~~~I go back to work tomorrow! I'll be doing mammograms again! Time to save some lives~~~To God be the glory.

Making earrings for Linda

2010-03-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Very carefully, very slowly, yesterday and today I worked on these charms. My wrists are doing OK....This is a big step! They will be for my physical therapist Linda. We've spent lots of time together last year~~
I'll work on her earrings tomorrow---yay!

Smile

2010-03-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

On the wrist front: so far, so good! Little aches, but the physical therapist said there would be a bit of that. Thank you all for your kind wishes, love and prayers. I'm humbly grateful~~

Yahoooooo!!

2010-03-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Just made my first set of earwires since March 2009! My physical therapist told me to try making a pair...I still remember how! Now time to wait and see if my wrists ache from the movements...tomorrow should let me know if I'm truly better.

Wait wait wait (grin grin grin)

Granddaughter Time

2010-01-25T07:42:00.001-08:00

Allessa and my son Robert and his girlfriend Leeann spent some time with us Sunday. Good day~! I found out that Allessa doesn't like dollies the way I do....I STILL love dolls!

Have a blessed day all~It's a rainy yucky Monday in Northern California.

Earrings~Heliador and Copper...yum!

2010-01-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

My babies...my first pair of earrings I've made since April 2009. Created patiently, bit by bit, 5 minutes here and there, carefully in order to protect my wrists. I love them!
They sat at home for a while, as I enjoyed the fruits of creativity, the first in so very long. And today they went to Studio 41 Gallery in Benicia. Lovely day~~

My wrists are so-slowly improving. The pain flared up for a while, but now seems to be subsiding---knock on my wooden head! :-D And now I must be patient and do my best to rest them to allow them to heal completely. I'm not very patient. Really. My physical therapist Linda theorized that patience is the lesson I'm to learn from this experience...rats! C'mon, God, why can't You just assign a book on Patience and give me a multiple-choice quiz? lol!

So may you have a blessed rest of your week, all my blog friends. And pray for me to gain patience! Thank you so much! Also, keep praying for our world, especially the people of Haiti. I have such trivial things to complain about when compared to their tragedy. May God and His people give them comfort and aid. Amen~

Yay 2010~~! Got great hopes for you!

2010-01-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hello all of my dear blog friends. Here are the body parts that made my 2009 so challenging. I tore ligaments in my right wrist, had them fixed up surgically and then decided to get tendonitis in both wrists...all since March 2009. So I've dealt with some changes this year!
I began doing yoga at home. I LOVE IT!!! I feel so much more limber and "younger"~~thank you Diane Cook for recommending this amazing discipline to me and encouraging me way back when~
This is what my bench looks like. I haven't even attempted any jewelry since April...I don't need to tell you how very much I miss it...
The last piece I worked on in April....I'm gonna finish this piece this month!! My physical therapist said that I should try to work on jewelry for 5 minutes per day. Yesss!!!

Acupuncture and physical therapy have been helpful, and I've also cut out white sugar and am eating more anti inflammatory foods: ginger, tumeric, deep green salads, blueberries and green tea, among others. It's been a slowwww process, but I'm feeling better day by day~

My favorite song during this time is "While I'm Waiting" sung by John Waller.

I'm waiting on You Lord. I'm hopeful. I will serve You while I'm waiting.

And I've been reading many of your blogs, seeing you on Facebook and thinking of you~~I pray 2010 is a year of joy for all of us! Bless you my friends. Joy to you all~~~

Scottish Games and guys in kilts

2009-09-06T17:02:00.001-07:00

OK, naughtiness alert! Just back from the annual Scottish Games in Pleasanton. And of course there are many guys in my favorite outfit~~~KILTS!

Here's my favorite guy in the world. My DH. Great legs, eh? He's wearing a Utilikilt, which is a great working man's kilt. Usually made of khaki or Carhardt material. And I'm being just a bit naughty here.

Here's my DH and my BIL. More leg photo ops for this intrepid blogger. I just LOVE guys in kilts. And bagpipe music is sooo stirring. Love love love it~

See, even my SIL and my DD are in on the silliness. He got his first kilt. And she got to be naughty. We love our guys. And we love the Scottish Games every year.

Have a blessed Labor Day~ May you have a peaceful day off, or if you must work, may it go smoothly.

Oregon Fun

2009-08-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Sitting next to me are some awesome young people! My mom and I just spent 5 days in Bend, Oregon with my sis, her husband, my niece and nephew. We had the BEST time!!! My brother-in-law and niece drove 8 hours to Vallejo, then the next day drove us back 8 hours to Bend. Wow. And then my sis spoiled us!
Here's my sis...isn't she lovely? And she made us feel soooo pampered. We're at Tumelo Falls near Bend, OR.
My Sister, my nephew and me trying to make the same funny sneering face...I couldn't do as well as they could. Must practice at home every day!
Five days later, my DH picked us up at Shasta City. My sis, Mom and I left Bend at 5:00 AM. We met my DH and ate at the Black Bear Diner...yummy granola pancakes~~~oh yeah. Then home again. What a great visit!!!

No cast!!! Alright!!!!

2009-08-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yippee!!! Yahoo!!! I don't have to wear a cast!!!! I saw the physician's assistant today for my post op appointment. They cut out the stitches (oweee. wah!) bandaged me up and put a wrist brace on me....and tomorrow I can get my wrist wet! Which translates into not needing my DH to wash me in the shower. Whoopeee dooodle deee!!!

So here is an amazing photo of my happy hand. Yes, there is cat hair on the brace already. And I've only been home a short time. That's just the way it is around here. Cat hair. Dog hair. You can find those tape-roll hair removal wands in several rooms. And they really don't always do the job. So we have lots of hair on our clothes and would not be suited for a fashion shoot. ever.

That brown stuff on my hand below my thumb? Betadine, the disinfectant that they used for the wrist surgery. It was under the original bandage and I can now reach it and clean it~~~yay~

Anyway, I'm will continue to rest and stretch and the swelling will go down so it can heal. I can't wait to make jewelry again! And I miss my coworkers. Moving forward. Looking good! Thank you God~~You are so good to me~~

How sweet!

2009-08-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet work friends chipped in and sent me these flowers~~aren't they beeeaaauuuutiful?

Surgery Went Well

2009-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Surgery yesterday and it went sooo well~~
I'm starting the healing process and want to tell you all thank you thank you thank you for the kind words, thoughts and prayers~~~