Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Finally! Something new




I finally got around to making a couple of new things. Nothing spectacular, but I've been so UN motivated lately! There are tons of new ideas in my head, but I just can't seem to make myself do anything, except what has to be done. I have to make 2 rings today, because they sold, but I don't really want to!

What's wrong with me?! I guess I'm just a little burned out from all the Christmas orders.
The first is a pair of simple wire wrapped Mystic blue topaz briolettes. The stones are gorgeous! They sparkle and shine with so many different colors!
The second is a new bracelet, done in copper with my new stamps. I ADORE these stamps! I just stamped Breathe on it with 2 hearts. I really like it!
Well, it's New Years Eve, but I don't party anymore, so I guess I'll just stay in my pj's and work today.
Happy New Year to all of you! I hope the new year brings good things to every one of us.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas!

I just want to wish all of my blogging friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

P.E.P.E.!!!!


I bought a combination P.E.P.E disc cutter, and I LOVE it!

I have been working myself to death with the old cheap one. It never cut a clean disc. The new one cuts perfect circles with no clean up on the edges!

I got it from Metalliferous. They were the least expensive, but it is well worth whatever you have to give for it. I can't believe the difference!

I just had to stop by and tell you all how great this tool is. I'm still busy with Christmas orders, so I'm going back to the shop now.

Oh, my leg looks crazy, but doesn't hurt too much anymore! I'm going to have some interesting scars though! Little circles all down the back off my leg. Lesson learned.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Hot Rings and Parachute Pants

I thought that I was through with Christmas jewelry a few days ago. I was working on the last order I had, and then they started again! I'm still so busy I can barely keep up.

I was in the shop yesterday, working away, when my Mom called. It's a long story so here's the jist of it. I had to stop what I was doing and go run new cable for my son's satellite tv. He wasn't home, but if I didn't go do it, they wouldn't have TV when they got home, and I didn't want to here the bitchin'.

Now I'm aggravated and mad, because of the whole situation. I went back in the shop to try and finish what I was doing, soldering rings.

I don't even know how I did it, but I reached for the tweezers to pick up a red hot ring, and the ring fell off the soldering block onto my leg. I jumped up to knock it off, but I had on those flannel-lined wind pants that are made of parachute material. It burned through them INSTANTLY, and was now IN my pants leg! I danced around the shop, shaking my leg. Both pitbulls are running from me cause they think I've lost my mind. (The new pitbull is because my son got her, now doesn't want her) I finally get the ring to come out the bottom of my pants leg, but not before it burned the crap out of me. It left 2 half circle burns on my thigh, where it went in, then somehow, the next place it touched was the back of my knee. I have a perfect circle and a bunch of half circles there, too. OUCH!!! It really hurt for quite a while.

So, the moral of the story is-don't solder when you're pissed off and don't wear parachute pants in the workshop!

I hope your day was better!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Ben Stein

Freida, over at Deer Mountain Wood Art has this posted on her blog. I decided to copy it here instead of just linking to it, so maybe everyone can read it.
Please feel free to pass it on.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession :

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year.. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham 's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina ) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem ( Dr Spock 's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves..

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it. no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

Sunday, December 7, 2008

New stamps



These are my new stamps from Beaducation! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! I've been pushing them for all of my personalized jewelry, because they are so easy to use. You can get a straight line with little effort, and they just look so cool. Yeah, I said it! I know "cool" dates me, but hey, I'm old.

Tonight I'm feeling my age. It's after 10pm and I'm still working. I was caught up for about an hour today, then the orders started rolling in again. YAY! It's hard work but I love it! I'm working for ME!

I have to show you my new purse! I adore it! It's the one from Twisted Tree Studio.




It's awesome!

I found this last night and I couldn't resist it! If you knew me in person, you'd understand why I had to have it!



It's a tiny little felted possum necklace from Motley Mutton It's so cute!!!

I have spent a lot of money on Etsy this week, but it's all for me! LOL I'm supposed to be Christmas shopping, but I keep finding stuff I have to have! Oh well. Merry Christmas to me. :)

I hope you are all as busy as I am!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

I'm it, again!

My friend Freida, at Deer Mountain Wood Art, wants to know more about me and has tagged me! So I'll try to think of seven more things you don't know about me. HHHMMMM:

1. I laugh so hard I lose my breath, at really stupid things

2. I embarrass my children, by acting like a teenager sometimes

3. I LOVE Playstation2, and will play for hours on end

4. I HATE housework AND cooking

5. I, like Freida, put things away so I'll know where they are, and I never see them again!

6. I have mice in my house, and I can't bring myself to kill them (but my rat terrier, Odie, is doing it for me!)

7. I'm a fairly decent auto mechanic!

Well, now you know a bit more about me, and it's your turn!

So instead of following the rules, (because I'm a rule breaker:), if you are reading this then you've been tagged and are welcome to play along!
It's always fun to learn new things about your friends!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Featured Artist

I was the featured artistan today on The Artisan's Challenge! Stop in and check it out!

Just wanted to drop in and brag! LOL

WOOHOO!

Happy Dance!!!



I'm doing the happy dance today! I finally got high speed internet service that works out here in the boondocks. I was so sick of dialup! My cousin got Alltel Wireless and she said it was awesome. I didn't think it would work here, cause she lives 4o miles away, but it WORKS! I can actually upload photos in just a few minutes, instead of hours! I'm so psyched!

The earrings were inspired by Diane at Rosa & Josie's. She made my gorgeous garnet swings, and I love them so much i wanted to make beaded earrings. mine are garnets, too, but they are faceted briolettes. I love briolettes, and have gone on a supply buying binge! I get excited when the mail comes, because I get something gorgeous and new!

I hope you are all as happy as I am today!~ Yippee!!!!