My Early Morning Wake Up Call

So after a couple of late nights I was really looking forward to sleeping in this morning...but no...it wasn't meant to be. At first I thought I was waking up with a pounding headache...nope, that's not it. Then I thought someone was using a jackhammer on my house! Again I was wrong (it's early and it took awhile for memories of the previous years to come back).

This noisy little guy is back...he brought his friend too! My bedroom is on the second floor of my house and for a fire escape the previous owners had put up a collapsible aluminum ladder right below my window. Well I think this little woodpecker is a bit confused...he doesn't peck on the house...no he pecks on my ladder. Not only that but his friend pecks on my downspout! It's almost as if it's a competition of sorts. The woodpecker on the downspout drills a bit and the one on my ladder answers right back with the same amount of pecks...oh and yes I counted!!

As usual this will become humorous as I listen to them pound away on the various aluminum fixtures that they find. It'll shortly become a melody that I can sleep through...but today I would've loved to have that extra bit of sleep!

You know...come to think of it, I don't recall the woodpeckers ever pounding on my house during the work week when I have to be up early. Hmm....nooo...they couldn't be doing that on purpose.......could they??? LOL

Recently Listed Jewelry

Here are my newer pieces that I've added to my Etsy shop (click on the photos for further information):

La Luna - Coin Pearl and Sterling Silver Necklace

Soledad - Twist Faceted Amethyst and Sterling Silver Necklace

Soledad - Kyanite and Sterling Silver Necklace




Lil Bud - Garnet and Sterling Silver Necklace

Laptop...how I've missed you!

I just got my laptop back today and I can't tell you how much I missed it! Who would've thought?? The cause to it's crash was an anti-virus program...go figure!?! But, now it's back and all is well again...well it will be after I reinstall some of my programs :)

We've had beautiful weather and were able to watch some ballgames. There's only about a month and a half until the boys graduate....time sure flies! They each were accepted to 4 different universities and have chosen Pacific University, expensive but definitely a good choice for the different medical fields that they're going into. Plus, they're baseball program is really good. The cost for this university is $40,000 a year *gulp* I know...scary huh?? But, Chris has received nearly $30,000 in grants and scholarships and Brandon has received almost $26,000 which cuts down the costs significantly! They're still waiting to hear back on a few more scholarships so the outlook is pretty good. I'm proud of them...they're determined to follow their dreams and they continuously strive to achieve them! I wish I had been that motivated when I was their age :)

Well I'm off to package up my donation pieces that need to be delivered in the morning. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Fundraiser and other news

I was recently asked to donate some items for a fundraiser for a local no kill shelter. It's a community event to raise funds for the shelter and to help other businesses get their name out there in this down economy. All profits will go to CHS to take care of their “furry kids” and also assist them in providing low cost foods/vaccinations/product/spay and neuter to the surrounding communities. Of course because I've adopted pets from there in the past I'm more than happy to help out.

So far I have 5 necklaces made and will hopefully have about 5 more done by tomorrow, then get everything packaged and delivered on Thursday. If I have some extra time I'll get some earrings made as well.

If you'd like to see some totally cute and adorable animals you can visit their site at http://columbiahumane.org/

In other news....my laptop is still dead and at the pc doctors as we speak...I miss it terribly! It looks like they're going to have to wipe my system clean.....Uuuggghhh! Why do I purchase virus protection if it's not going to protect?

Let's see...what else? The weather has been beautiful...perfect for baseball games :) The boys had a game in Astoria last weekend. We went to Seaside afterwards and walked the beach then on our way home stopped and took pictures of the sea lions on the docks. It was nice being able to get away from home to enjoy the sand and sea breeze. So I leave you with some pictures of the beach...

Beads!

I just got back from the Rings and Things Bead Show! Lot's of beautiful gems, but I was a little disappointed that they didn't have more high quality stones, they only had 1 table this time. If I remember correctly the last time that I went they had quite a bit...not this time though :( I only found a few things on my long list of desired stones, and bought some that I didn't need but couldn't help myself!

Here's the list of items I purchased:

Faceted Biwa Pearls
Coin Pearls
Larvikite (aka Black Labradorite)
Labradorite
Rainbow Moonstone
Amazonite
Kyanite
Botswana Agate
Tourmalinated Quartz

The best prize was a strand of eye clean brilliantly faceted briolettes that included Smoky Quartz, Lemon Quartz, Citrine, Peridot, Swiss Blue Topaz, and Amethyst. Nummy!!

I also picked up some sterling and some misc. findings, but I was really hoping to pick up some more tools for pmc...but again for some reason they didn't have them there this time like the last. Oh well...saved me money I guess :)

Uuugghh...I need sleep!

It's been a crazy week and it's only Tuesday! I think I got right around 2 hours of sleep last night and 4 hours the night before that. I'm so tired that I haven't even made any new pieces to add to my shop. Instead I've been dealing with the acceptance letters and financial aid stuff for the boys' private college that they'll be attending in the Fall. Thank goodness I did my taxes early because I don't think I could've crunched those numbers along with everything else!

Also, my 20th Class Reunion is coming this year...and I'm not going. Not because I don't want to see everyone...actually I don't have a good answer as to why other than I really have no desire to go. Is that weird? So many are looking forward to it...but I see a lot of people that I graduated with still. Sometimes high school seems like just yesterday...but here lately it seems like a lifetime ago. I've just in a sense been reunited with some of my classmates via an online community and of course cell phones. I've had a lot of fun talking with them and we're planning our own little get togethers. It'll be nice catching up and just reliving our younger rebellious days. Maybe I don't want to go to my reunion because it seems like it would be so impersonal? Does that make any sense to anyone other than myself? For me the difference is...getting together with 6 of my old girlfriends versus 200 of my classmates...eek...smaller gathering is definitely more appealing to me LOL!

Well my eyelids are heavy and my head is about to hit the keyboard....so before I start typing jibberish I'll get off of here! I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I have a hair appointment tomorrow...woohoo...and maybe I'll be able to sit down and make some new pieces to share with you!

Insomnia...or just a night owl?

I'm shooting for the night owl :D I've never been a morning person, I can be quite snarky in the mornings...just ask my family! I'm also not one of the moms who are up before their kids to make sure that everything is in order...life is so much more peaceful if I get up just as their getting ready to walk out the door. Enough time to give hugs and kisses and tell them that I love them and hope they have a nice day. Other than that I actually need about 15 minutes of quiet in the mornings just so I can center myself and become fully aware that I'm awake much too early! I'm thinking that I get this from my dad. He's normally in bed at 3am and up at 10am...those hours are actually perfect for me. Unfortunately (or fortunately because I'm thankful to have my job) I work the morning shift and have to be up at 7:30...so at least I can stay up until 1am safely without having to worry about falling asleep at work..hehe I don't think my boss would appreciate that.

Normally I take this time to make some jewelry, but tonight I'm looking for cultural garb to wear to the FaerieWorlds Festival ...yay...it'll be here 3 1/2 months and I can't wait!! My friend will be flying back from Minnesota and we'll stay in Eugene for about a week. If you don't know what FaerieWorlds is here's an excerpt from their website:

WHAT IS FAERIEWORLDS?

In just seven years, Faerieworlds has become the premiere mythic music festival on the West Coast. Featuring world renowned fantasy artists, Grammy-award winning musicians, spectacular performances and entertainers, an amazing arts and crafts vending village, thousands of fans from around the globe travel each year to Eugene, Oregon to experience the magic of Faerieworlds.

We believe that the revitalizing, healing and transforming spirit of faerie is alive and moving actively in our lives: faerie inspires and provokes, heals and reveals, illuminates and transcends. At Faerieworlds, we invite you to enter the Realm as your magical self and release the beautiful, magical faerie spirit that’s inside you!

Array yourself in your best faerie finery! Join us and find new friends and discover wonderful enchantments of art, music and dance. Surrender to the glamour of faerie and let your heart and spirit soar in the woodland and under the stars!

In the words of internationally acclaimed faerie artist, Brian Froud:

“To dress as a faerie, donning wings, is to actively join in the dance, to be connected to creative spirit. Graceful or ecstatic dance; the radiant, rhythmic heartbeat; friendship; music; all these move easily across the boundaries, transcending language, race, and time. Such activities extend a joyful hand across the threshold. At Faerieworlds, we ring the bells of faerie invitation. The people come. More importantly, the faeries come too.”

Come and answer the call!

FAERIEWORLDS: A GREEN EVENT

• 100% Green Electrical Power throughout Event
• Event Promotions printed on 100% recycled stock with Soy Inks
• Organic and Vegetarian Food Vendors
• Use of Biodegradable Foodwares
• Utilization of web-based Rideshare and Spaceshare programs
• Onsite Glass, Plastic and Paper Recycling Program
• Local and Organic Hospitality Area for Guests

It really is a wonderful event, each day holds a surprise of entertainment and beauty in the costumes found on the people attending them. I've found a bunch of great shops on Etsy that I will definitely be purchasing items from to complete some of my outfits...I'll share those with you later!

It's after 3am and I'm finally feeling tired enough to sleep....I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Eek...New Printer

Well I finally broke down and bought myself a new printer...I didn't want to, but my old one is on it's last leg. So after some research and talking with some people...everyone said to get a Kodak, even the gal at Office Max said to get it. I was a bit surprised that she had said that because she would lose a sale, but she said they don't carry Kodak products and it was better than the HP and others that I was interested in there. I ordered the ESP 9 All-in-One through Kodak, and I'm sure it'll take me forever to learn how to work it because I am so not a techie kind of girl ;)
I'm thinking it will take care of everything that I need it to do for my business and hopefully brew me a cup of coffee too...hehe!

I also just received my order of PMC today so I'll be busy tonight making some new pieces...Yay! I'll be sure to share all of my new creations with you and hopefully I'll have some listed in my shop before the weeks out. The boys have baseball games for the next 3 days so it may not be until the weekend before they get listed....I'll keep you posted!

Goddess Pendants

On Friday I ordered a custom Goddess Stamp that will be exactly like the Goddess in my previous post but without my name in it. I'm so excited about creating more Goddess pendants that I just had to order it. I've also ordered a "Blessed Be" stamp and am looking forward to making that into a jewelry piece as well.

PMC has opened up a new world for me...I have been busy sketching so many designs of flowers, vines, tree's and so much more. The possibilities seem endless and I can't wait to see the results. I can't draw worth beans but I have great hopes that my jewelry pieces will end up much prettier than my drawings...emphasis on hope..haha!

Today is an absolutely gorgeous day! The boys are at baseball practice right now and I think I'm going to venture outside for a bit to soak up some sun :)

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

After Oxidizing

Here's my pendant after oxidizing it last night! I just love the way it turned out...it's exactly as I had envisioned it in my minds eye. I love it when things turn out the way you picture them too!

Delightful Divas In Business Feature

I just wanted to tell the gals at Delightful Divas in Business thank you for the wonderful feature that they did on March 30th!

Here's a little information about DDIB from their blog:

Delightful Divas In Business (or DDIB) is an online community that promotes, connects, and inspires independent business women. We have a forum where you can meet other indie divas and wahms, share your business info, show off products, and announce sales and discounts.

____________________________________________________________________

These wonderful ladies do a great job promoting fellow women entrepreneurs. On their blog you'll find a large variety of handmade items by various artisans and plenty of giveaways and contests...it's definitely worth checking out! If you're interested in reading my feature you can see it HERE

(For those of you that follow my blog and my business you may notice that some of what I talk about in the feature seems a bit off...it's because I actually did the interview for this feature around the middle of September....though it's a little outdated as to what I'm currently doing now, I'm still very thankful for the feature!)

PMC3 vs Art Metal Clay

I love PMC3!! I just worked with PMC3 today and in my previous posts I used Art Metal Clay 650 Slow Dry....holy crow the difference is amazing! I just ordered a huge amount of PMC3 because it was so much easier, cleaner...just everything about it was lovely! Below are some pictures of the piece I made using PMC3....Yes it's for me...it's my business logo...the Goddess with my name in it and adorned with some cz's (one to dot my "I" and the other to represent the full moon). Please excuse the quality of the photos, they've been taken just under my kitchen lights instead of in natural light.

Drying on the mug warmer before filing the edges:

After filing and before firing:



After firing:

I'm wearing it as we speak but I think I'm going to take it off to oxidize it so the Goddess and my name stands out more. Oh, and I didn't quench it after firing so the stones are in perfect condition :)

Pickling and Oxidizing Without Chemicals

With so many chemicals out there to protect your metal from fire scale (blackening or charring of the metal when firing), I really wanted to find a safe product to use because of my animals. My children are old enough that I don't have to worry about them touching my products but if you have little ones this is also a great option for you. There have been mixed reviews about the effectiveness with this...but it works for me. It leaves very little fire scale that is easily removed with my dremel or some fine grit sand paper. Now I just wish that I could find a natural flux to use. It's the only chemical that I use while making jewelry.

I use 1/2 cup luke warm water, with about 1/8 cup distilled white vinegar and 2-3 grinds of Sea Salt (using a salt grinder I turn it 2-3 times). I keep it stored at room temperature in a plastic glad container with a lid. After firing and quenching I drop it in the pickling container for about 1/2 hour...you can keep it in there longer to remove more fire scale, but as I've said in previous posts, I tend to be a little impatient! ( You may have to play around with the mixture a bit to find what works for you, but the one listed above is what I use)




For oxidizing there are a few different options chemically, most popular being Liver of Sulfur, again a very toxic chemical. The option I use is eggs. I hard boil 3 eggs, put them in a glad plastic container, crush them with a spoon (shells and all) . Another thing I do is take some stretchy plastic threading for beading or you can use thick thread (you can get creative here), I tie knots in it to act as a stopper or a divider to keep the metal from touching then lay it across the top of the plastic container and put the lid on it. It suspends the metal from the eggs and allows me to reheat the eggs for a darker patina without having to dig out the metal. I normally only reheat the eggs in the microwave once (about 30 seconds) and leave the metal to oxidize for a total of an hour. The great thing about using a clear container is you can decide how dark you'd like your pieces to be. I had a really cool rainbow effect on one of my pmc pieces that I thought about keeping like that but went ahead and let it sit longer to achieve a very dark patina.



These are just methods that I use to give me my own peace of mind and are in no way meant to put someone else down for using chemicals. Actually using chemicals makes the whole process a lot faster, but I just choose to use these methods.