Holiday Season

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Allen and I spent the day watching tv, hanging out with our dogs and cooking turkey. I took some time off from making new pieces but I have been busy the past couple of weeks with special orders. I made a rose necklace for my dear Aunt Lean who just suffered a stroke but is thankfully doing okay. I also delved into the unfamiliar territory of making jewelry for children. I had a hard time with the sizes but I think I've finally got it. Here are some pieces:

Lupus Bracelet

I made this bracelet for my friend Leeanna who suffers from lupus. The purple beads represent courage and endurance, things all lupus patients must have and the butterfly symbolizes freedom, transformation and recovery.

Earrings

My dear friend Brigid keeps telling me that I need to make earrings.  Every time I show her a new necklace or bracelet she says, "You should make earrings to go with it."  Well, I finally made two sets of earrings but guess what?  Neither one matches a necklace or a bracelet that I have made.  The earrings were made with handmade lampwork glass beads from an artist in North Carolina and are available for $15 each.

Time Flies

Wow, I have not written on my blog since September 20.  October came quick - how time flies when you're busy.  I had two special orders and I experienced a new kind of pressure to get something done.   IT WAS ALL ON ME.  After experiencing some setbacks I got the work done . 

Brown Fleur De Lis Necklace - $30

Food, Food, Food

It seems that my life revolves around food.  The most asked question Allen and I have for each other is, "What do you want for lunch?" and "What do you want for dinner?"  Since moving to midtown Sacramento, Allen and I have tried many restaurants.  Some of my favorites include Lucca, Hamburger Patties, Hot Rods, Paesanos, Crepeville (mostly for breakfast), and now Pessini's Deli.  Saturday afternoon we walked to the restaurant and stood in line for about 20 minutes.  All I could think of was the female version of Soup Nazi from Seinfield but it didn't happen - she was just very busy.  So was the turkey and swiss on french roll worth it - yes it was yummy.  It was a nice afternoon sitting outside the restaurant with my hubby eating my delicious sandwich and watching the city go by.  

New Bracelets

40th Birthday

Birthday and Vacation

Allen and the stage

This past week I celebrated my 40th birthday and enjoyed four days off from work.  My birthday was the best day.  I received a very special Pandora bracelet from my mom along with delicious brownies from Quality Baker in Gulfport, Missisippi.  After dinner at Lucca, my husband and I went to the Michael Buble concert.  We had very good seats and the concert was GREAT.  The rest of the week flew by with time to rest and do nothing.   This weekend I did work on some new pieces to send to my sister in Gulfport to sell at her salon - Changes Hair Bar in Pass Christian.   Back to work tomorrow.

The process of making a necklace and then taking it apart

This weekend I made a necklace that had a lot of small beading.  Unfortunately, I settled on using a clasp that I did not really want and by the end of the night had taken it apart.  I felt a little frustrated but after a good nights sleep decided to change it up a bit.  I have learned that these setbacks are not necessarily a bad thing. 
I also took apart a necklace I made about a week ago.  I am going with my gut feeling and some advice from (yes, believe it or not), my husband.  Go figure!

New Piece

Introducing the Work Area

The First Day of August

Today was a relaxing day of movies, food, making jewelry and spending quality time with the dogs and the hubby.  Also, it is the first day of the month that I turn the big 40 and I am looking forward to it. 

Necklaces

Necklaces

Squid Adobo

I just had to post this.  My husband made squid adobo about two weeks ago.  Needless to say, I did not try it and the smell it emits is not pleasant.  He enjoyed it though and I enjoyed taking pictures of the insides that he discarded prior to cooking.

Entering the World of Blogging

I bought this great book about how to sell crafts locally, globally and online.  It stresses the importance of having a blog, so here I am.  I bought the book because I needed some guidance on how to get my jewelry design business started.  I know I will make some mistakes along the way but hopefully they will be outnumbered by my successes.  I am looking forward to my new journey.