Doodle Sun Love Pendant~~a bit of bench time!

Had a bit of selfish and lovely bench time last Friday.  How fun!  Bent over, sawing, hammering, the hands remembering the skills to take sheet brass and copper and fashion a funny little pendant for myself.  It's been forever.

This year has been a life-changer. We now have five grandchildren: age 8, 2, 20 months, 18 months and 5 months with another baby boy in a few weeks.  What an overwhelming blessing!  Every minute with them, in person or on Skype or Facebook, is a privilege of joy covering my "mature person" tiredness.  

My Dad passed away suddenly July 5.  He was 80 and blessedly didn't have to suffer for a long  time.   We never had a good relationship, but I am grateful to him for the example of hard work and duty.  

We are left with Mom.  Mom is fading mentally and still lives by herself for now.  It is so very hard for me to  witness her diminishment.  Since I am the child who  lives the closest, I see her frequently and my husband and I help her in every way we can. My wonderful siblings travel here when they can.  For that I am so grateful!

 My husband and I both still have our "day jobs" and do not want to give up grandchildren time.  So we balance it all as best we can, which frequently leaves us so burnt out we must fall into each other's arms with exhausted chuckles. We pray.  We thank God for what we have and ask for strength for what we must do.  Sometimes I just cry, then wipe my eyes and get over it.

I don't know if I will get back to the bench this year.  I don't know what the future will allow.  I do know that I will do my best to follow Christ, loving God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind.  And I will strive to love others as I love myself.

So I send love and the wish of Shalom to you all~~my precious readers.  

Working on Christmas Ornaments

Every year I make ornaments for my family.  Just finished the prototype for this year's model.  Kinda like a steampunk angel, y'think?  I have to make at least 20 of these...I'd better get moving!

Earthquake!

Earthquake this morning!  A town near us, American Canyon, was hit by a 6.1 quake this morning at 3:20 AM.  

I almost slept through it!  I was deep, super deep asleep and I woke to my husband shaking me awake.  Then I noticed that the bed was shaking wildly.  It went on for a while, and when it was done, the dogs were barking and the kitty wanted me to feed her.  Stress, y'know.

Vallejo was pretty lucky. Windows smashed in businesses, and chimneys falling in the old houses, but no major tragedies.  

I fell back asleep after an hour.  Just an earthquake.  No big.  :-)

On a happier note: here's a pic of the finished cross earrings: 

Spoken for and on their way to a good home this week. 

Hoping for a bit less excitement this week.

Hope for the same for you~

WIP Cross earrings

I kept busy this weekend.  Bit by bit at the bench.  Measure, cut, smooth, hole punch, stamp, rivet, make earwires.  I will still add dangles and play a bit more.  It does feel satisfying to create!

August 17th!!! What!!!  This summer is flying past.  Kids are starting school.  The Pleasanton, CA Scottish Games are ramping up.  My DH volunteers a whole week to set up and take down.  A big family deal every year.  In 1996, when we were dating, he took me to my first one.  The kilts, clothes, music, vendor booths are a fun tradition.  Labor Day weekend.  Come by, OK?

I am still alive!

Just inundated with grands~~What a blessing to enjoy our little ones.  Here we are at a wedding for one of the girls.  See how dashing my hubby looks?  Kilts, gotta love 'em.

We are so busy with family, work and life....I must try to stop by here and post more often.  Where can I purchase more energy?  lol~

Bless you all, my friends.

Charm Cross Earrings

New listing in my Etsy shop!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178774944/garnet-and-cross-charm-earrings?

Spent a couple of my hours at my bench~~so lovely to get lost in creating!  

Bless you all.  I've got to get to cleaning and bed. :-)

Playdate with Catherine!

Last Wednesday, I had the funnest best day!  I got to spend the day with Catherine Witherell at her beeeeaaaautiful studio.  I forgot to take any pictures because I was having too much fun looking at all of her treasures, her projects, books, tools, amazingly organized areas, her dogs AND her "rock and roll bathroom"!  ( very cool)

It was kinda like soul vitamins for the artist in me....SO FUN!  

Catherine is kind, smart and generous.  She made an amazing lunch of yummy lentil stew, some deelish carrots basted with honey & herbs & balsamic vinegar and blueberries and raspberries.  Sooooo good!

Her dogs are sweet.  I think that Cookie and I are pretty good friends now.  

I made her a present, and she said she'd treasure them always.  I told you she's kind!

Thank you, Catherine.  It was the best day.  

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~