Sueno~~Dream

What a great afternoon!  My darling DH is at the kiddo's house in Elk Grove helping with a non-fun bathroom wall & window repair.  Poor guy!  After church, he drove the hour and 15 minutes there and I stayed home and puttered.  Then plunked at the bench and finished up this piece that I'd started a couple of weeks ago. 

Ooooooooohhhhhh was it the most fun in the world to be in "the zone".  4 hours. Total bliss. 

Now my neck and back are telling me what a dumbhead I'd been, but my heart is telling me that this was exactly what I needed.  Thank you God!

Wishing you all a good strong great week~~

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

 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

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!

LeeAnn's Bracelet~Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Copper

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.

hope pray believe...stamped in copper

"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~

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

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!

I've Been Busy! Copper Earrings Day

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~!

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

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

 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.

"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!

Jackson California & Bead Scores

.

 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!

 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~

Been a While~Copper Message Pendant

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

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

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

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!

Couple more pieces for Studio 41

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!

Earrings~Heliador and Copper...yum!

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~

Where's my coffee cup?

I turned 50 last year. Praise God it really was a good experience! Lots of love from friends and the BEST gift from my DH---a whole day together in the Gold Country hanging out and bead shopping. Well, I did the bead shopping alone, but the hanging out together was priceless.
But one thing I've noticed as I've gotten older, I keep losing my coffee cup! And my glasses. And the book I'd been reading. And occasionally my keys. Golly, it annoys me! But I do try to hunt for each of the lost items with good humor and lots of smiling at my foibles. And, Lord, thank you so much that I still find them all! Eventually.
Dear reader, may your day be blessed!