Snowed Under...

Business has finally picked up again, and now I'm having a time keeping up! Not complaining though, I'm glad!

Things had gotten so slow, I was worried. I guess it really was back to school and such, that slowed it down.

Update on the oilrig: They think they found it about 800 ft from where it was, on the bottom of the ocean! It was in 300ft of water, and the waves must have snapped the legs. Chad has made himself sick worrying about his job. He's on a different rig this week, and the people are okay, but the crane is NOT! It caught on fire twice the first day they were out there, then it wouldn't stop booming down and they had to run it into the legs to keep it from falling off the platform. He's used to that new, fancy rig he was on. It was insured for $53 million dollars!!! No wonder oil is so expensive!

Well, I guess I better get to work. I have several things to make today, and this isn't getting it done!

Later~

Some 'splaining to do...

I'm finally able to stop in and let everybody know I'm still alive!

We had a lot of flooding and power outages in the surrounding areas during Gustav, but I live in the hills so we were spared. There were people still without power when Ike hit. But he wasn't so bad here!

My husband came home from offshore a week early due to Gustav, then was home for his regular 2 weeks off, so I haven't been able to blog. He hates it when I spend any time on the computer!

The company he works for called today and told him that the rig he's been on for 7 years is gone! Ike took it out! They can't even find it, so it's probably at the bottom of the ocean! So now we don't know when he'll be working. He's just filling in for a week on another rig now. We won't know if he's gong to have a steady job, or not! I guess I better get busy trying to sell some jewelry!

The last month has been kinda slow with sales, but the last couple of days it has picked up. A LOT! I've been really busy getting custom orders out, but it's done. Tomorrow I'll start on the rest.

I've really been missing all my blogging friends, so I'm off to visit everybody now!~

Just Checking In...

I haven't been making a lot of new jewelry. I can't seem to get motivated. Maybe it's the heat!

I have a lot of ideas for new jewelry, just no energy to make it. Business is so slow right now, there doesn't seem to be any point to it. I'm only selling maybe 2-3 things a week. I hope this picks up a little after summer!

I did make these earrings. I used the textured copper I got from Barrie to make the tab-style ones, and I used copper washers and my new, teeny, tiny letter stamps for the others. The letters are 1.5mm. I can barely see what they are! It's a good thing they came in a wooden box with each one clearly marked!

I think my hubby will be home in the next day or so. The hurricane is causing evacs in the Gulf. Everybody that works offshore loves hurricane season. They get sent to a hotel or back home, and still get paid. I hope some miracle happens and Gustav just disappears. Not because of offshore, but because of all the people who are in danger of losing their homes and their lives. We don't need another Katrina-style disaster!

I hope you are all safe and happy and COOL!

Have a good weekend!~

Jewelry Of The Day

I'm on Jewelry Of The Day! YAY! I saw several artists that I recognize just from their work. I didn't know about the site until I saw it over at Chris' blog, so thank you, Chris. And thank you, Eric, for having such a great place for artists to show their work!

I still don't have anything new to show you, so here's a smiling cat that my youngest found on the net. We have a lot of cat pics, but no cat!

This is how I feel today! I hope you do too!!!~

I have a website!

It's still raining here, so instead of slogging back and forth to the workshop, I worked on my website.

I really need some brutal input on how it looks, so if you will, here's a link:
http://tammystreasurechest.synthasite.com/
Be honest and tell me what needs changing or fixing or whatever. I promise you it won't hurt my feelings! I had no idea what I was doing, I just had to wing it!
Hopefully, it will help bring some sales my way. They are terribly slow right now, but it's back to school time, and I guess that's where a lot of money is going. Maybe it will pick up closer to Christmas. I can hope!

I have nothing to show you today. It's been cloudy or raining for days, so no photos. I need sunshine!!!!

I hope you all are having bright, sunshiny days!~

A New Ring

I made a ring from the 2 Books in 1 jewelry making book. I've wanted to try it ever since I bought the book, so I finally did! I really like the way it turned out.

The band is 12g sterling that I hammered and filed to give it a twiggy look. The 2 little broken branches are 14g sterling that is soldered on. I made the leaf from 20g sterling and used memory wire to stamp the design. I used 20g for the little vine that wraps around it.

I learned a new trick from that book today. Stick soldering! It was really easy, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Not much else going on around here, so I guess I'll shut-up!

Have a super fun weekend!~

Enjoying the Workshop!

I really love my workshop! I go in there and shut the door, turn on the AC, and just enjoy making things in the peace and quiet! My sons both visit regularly, just to see what I'm doing, or to talk a little. I'm in and out all day, because I don't have water yet. I do all of my LOS and pickle in the house for now.

My hubby has gone back offshore, so I'll be working everyday for a while. I worked a little while he was home because I had some orders to do, but that's all I did.

Today I made these sterling silver bangle bracelets with slider beads. I got some textured copper from Barrie Edwards, and it is so cool! I used a small piece of the leaf textured copper for one of the beads, and I stamped sterling silver for the other. They each have 2 spinning rings on them.

I really like how they turned out! Making the beads was kinda fun.

Well, I think I'll go play a little Burnout Revenge (Playstation 2) and relax. I love Playstation, because I'm only 42 you know! LOL Hubby says I'm just a big kid, but I like it that way!

You all have fun, too. Whatever you're doing!~