Memorial Day 2010

In Loving Memory
of
all those who have given their lives
or
who have gone before us.

What Pixie Saw on Her Walk Yesterday

Yesterday,

because of the expected heat of the day,
Pixie and I took and early morning walk.
The weather was perfect!
Now,
here's what Pixie saw!

The End of All About Me Week!

Talk about being self centered! I proved that this week--the All about ME week! I suppose it's all right once in a while. Normally, I love to promote other people, but this week, I was just stuck on ME ME ME!




So, get it while you can. This is the last of it this week.

Here's a lizard on a lentil that I made. He's in my Etsy store now.
Check him out here. He's a cute guy. Maybe his name should be Lenny the Lizard? I don't know. It's just being silly!











This is a lizard vessel I made today. It was so hard to make. It really was. I've never attempted a lizard on a vessel before. I'm kind of proud of him or her.







Just a thought to throw out to you. The next work in our lampwork play on words challenge is: AMUSING. What do you think of when you hear the word amusing. I'm drawing a blank on this one. Help me, please!

That's all for now. Thus ends the week of all about ME! ME! ME!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.



1) This week, the weather has been amazing! The trees are in full bloom! There are so many flowers showing their amazing blossoms! We are truly headed toward summer!

2) Pixie is back to her normal self. She's full of energy again. She feels good. We are walking together in the mornings. Life is good with Pixie!

3) A bright, yellow finch visits my bird feeders everyday. I haven't seen an oriole or a humming bird yet, but the finch is my favorite visitor for now!

WoooHoooo! I'm now starting to carry VINTAJ products in my Etsy Store!

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I am now carrying VINTAJ products in my Etsy store.


I only have five products listed at this time, but more will follow as I take the photographs and list.

Here's what I have now.

This is the Queen Dragonfly. She's so pretty in my hand!





















Isn't this Whimsical Fairy Sweet?



















Everyone needs Bead Cones. These are a lovely filigree!






















Right now, I only have two toggles in my store, but I will be adding more. This is the one I call Fancy.

















This is the other toggle I have. I think it looks rustic. It's just a square toggle though.







I'm off. As I write this, it's really time for bed. Good night!

I'm Making Vessels Again

It's been awhile since I made vessels, but I wanted a fire vessel to wear around here. Here's a photo of it! What do you think?

If the truth be told, I wanted a vessel to wear at the Bead and Button Show which is coming up very soon. Then I realized, as I shaped and blew this vessel into form I had forgotten how much I enjoyed making vessels. So, I dipped my mandrels so that they would be ready for tomorrow's torch session.
I'm making vessels again!












Here's a vessel I have listed in my Etsy store right now. This organic style vessel is so very pretty!






















I call this vessel Broken Shell Vessel. It's a vessel that does not hold anything. The front of the vessel is open so that it looks like a shell.






I'll be showing more vessels as I make them. I'm also looking for a bag of vessels that I had, but now, I've lost! I probably put them away. I'll probably find them in a year of so. I guess that I had better get to work and make more vessels to replace them. Photos to follow later.

Play on Words Lampwork Challenge

Remember Whoosh?
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There have been two new words since then in the group on Facebook called Play on Words Lampwork Challenge. It's a group that's open to the public. You can check on it any time to see the entries.





















The next word was "sinister."
Don't these chocolates look sinister?
To me they did!
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The latest word is: Breakfast








How about Green Eggs and Ham?
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The link will take you to the group on Facebook. Be sure to check out all the entries. It's amazing the way each of us interprets the new word. Hmmmmmmmm! I wonder what the next word will be? I can hardly wait!

Turtles

I made some more turtles today! I love to make turtles!

It's time to expand my critter portfolio. What do you think I should make next?

What do you think gives each critter its personality?

Is it in the eyes? Is it in the body posture?

Please tell me what you think!

London's Gate on Etsy Steampunk Jewlery

London's Gate on Etsy makes jewelry that makes me say: WOW!



I call the jewelry in this store, steampunk at it's best!


Look at this ring! Petite Silver Steampunk Ring It's skillfully crafted and absolutely amazing!!!!!
It's very reasonably priced, too! Wow! You do need to check this out!











This necklace features a vintage purple amethyst cabachon with Czeck Crystal beads. Beautiful and amazing!!!!



















These earrings are so beautiful! They are soft and delicate and so feminine.
They hang about 1 inch in length!
Aren't these amazing!

















So, next time you shop Etsy, take a peek at London's Gate. The jewelry is amazing!

Today's Shopping Word on Etsy: Fiesta!

This search word was so much fun! Look at the great items I found using the word "fiesta" as a search term on Etsy.


In Octavia Bloom's store, I found this stunning fiesta necklace!

I absolutely love the combination of wire and beads! The colors are truly the colors of the southwest! This is beautiful!








In the Fiesta Pom Pom Shop, I found these handmade poms. The cool thing is that you get to choose your colors when you order these poms! Don't they look real? Wow!














I found this amazing scarf in Made with Loving Hands Store on Etsy!
The scarves in this store are hand painted! This is beautiful!
It's called Maize Macaw Fiesta! Wow!













As I write this, it's late, and I want to go to bed. So, I hope you enjoyed your quick tour. Go ahead. You do a search on Etsy and see all of the fabulous items using the term fiesta. It's fun!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.


1) After spending a lot of money at the vet's to find out what was wrong with Pixie, it came down to a pulled muscle diagnosed by a chiropractor at the last meet and greet at Pet Expo. I am so relieved that this is fixable!!!!! Pixie is pretty much back to her old self.

2) As I write this, I am watching Grey's Anatomy. This is undoubtedly THE BEST SHOW of the YEAR!

3) I love my kids!!!!! It wasn't the best Mother's Day for them because I was sick, but they both came home and we were together!!! I am so privileged to be their Mom!

Self Promotion is a Good Thing, Too!

I've been listing a few more sculptural items in my Etsy Store. This is Pearl, and she's a fairly new listing. It's that time of the year! I think of the ocean and beaches. Who knows, you might really see a mermaid floating on the current!















People are telling me how much they love my little girls. I do, too, but I knew I had to get a guy in there. Here he is:
Mullet Man! He's come to save the day!

Check out the listing to see his cute, little tush!



















This is one of my favorite little sculptures!

I titled her:
I Carry You in My Heart.

Isn't she a dear? I really like this little girl a lot!












Well, that's about it right now. Check back next week for something new and exciting in my store. At least, I hope it's next week. It might be a bit longer. I hope not, but, we'll see!

Beads for Beads of Courage

Here are some of the beads I have made for Beads of Courage. At the end of May, I hope to have another box of beads ready for mailing. I try to wire wrap the butterflies before sending, but I'm not always able to do that. These butterflies are ready to go.
They will be give to parents who have lost a child. Beads of Courage has stated that they use about 1,000 butterflies each year. Yes, it's sad. I can only hope that these little glass beads will bring a modicum of comfort to a family that has suffered such a great loss.








One of my goals this year is to make beads for some of the older children who are in the Beads of Courage program. As a former high school teacher, the older children are very dear to my heart. I've started to ask for suggestions to make beads that might be appropriate for some of the older children. Today, I made "worry stones" for some of the older children.
I made them in bright colors and with lots of texture. I always feel comforted when I can feel texture.











Now, if you have any suggestions for beads to make for older children, please feel free to leave comments to let me know. I need more inspiration.



Beyond this, I did ask one of my former colleagues, an art teacher at the high school where I taught, to ask her students what kinds of beads they thought would be appropriate for kids their age undergoing the various treatments for their illnesses. Here are some of their answers:



Bright colors, retro things...Pink/lime green, Peace symbols, mushrooms, fairies, hearts, love
Sports things...footballs, baseballs, MN Vikings, soccer balls, etc.

Looks like I've got a lot to keep me going. Feel free to add to the list! I would appreciate it!

Lilies of the Valley and Memories

I can hear the radio coming from the neighbor's house. The Beatles are singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand." I'm sitting in the dark on the small cement fence in front of my house on 7th Street in Albuquerque.

I am waiting. I dab on a bit more of Avon's Lilly of the Valley perfume cream. The mosquitoes are buzzing me lusting after the scent of the lilies of the valley. Ouch! I'm bit again.

My mother is in the house laughing with her sister and watching TV. I can hear Lucy whining about something.
So many sounds and scents.

The lilac bush on the side of the house is in full bloom. I drink in the scent of the flowers wanting to wash my hands in the scent. The night is still warm from the hot day. At the end of the block, I see the car. He's on his way to work for a couple of hours. He slows down as he drives past me. He smiles and waves. I smile and wave back. Nothing more. Sweet and simple. My first love and soon to be my first kiss. I go in the house. I join my mother and my aunt and watch Lucy. I go to bed. My room is next to the lilac bush. I dab on more Lily of the Valley perfumed cream. Sleep comes in waves of scents and sounds. It is sweet and soft.

Easy Peasy Spring Rhubarb Sauce

Another reason I love spring is
RHUBARB!
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This is an easy recipe to help you use your rhubarb. If you don't grow your own, pick some up at your local farmer's market.

Here's what you do to make this easy, peasy spring rhubarb sauce.


1) Cut a bunch of rhubarb from the garden or buy some from your Farmer's Market.



















2) Slice the rhubarb into bite sized pieces and place in a microwaveable dish or bowl. I always cover mine when I cook it.




















3) Cook, covered, in micorwave for, approximately, 5 minutes on high.
You'll know the rhubarb is done when it's soft and liquidy. (I have found that I don't even need to add water.)

















4) Since I don't use sugar, I add Splenda at this point. (If you use sugar, I can only assume that you would add the sugar to taste before you cook the rhubarb.) I add Splenda until I like the taste.



See what I mean? Easy, peasy!

Having Fun with Totally Twisted by Kerry Bogert

I've had Kerry Bogert's book, "Totally Twisted" for over a month now! Since I decided that it was time to get to work and make new jewelry for the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee next month, so I pulled out the book and began to make "Bang-gals." What fun!






























Here's the finished product! I love both of my "Bang-gals!" They are bright and colorful, and so much fun. They look great on, too!

Now, I'm going to show you the Bang-gals as I wear them. I want you to ignore the age spots and wrinkles. Just look at the Bang-gals!
















These are going to look great when I go to the Bead and Button! Thanks, Kerry, for all the great inspiration in your book! I love it!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

(Ooooops! I knew I forgot something! I got so excited about the turtles, I forgot to follow the Friday format!)




1) This week I found out how good good friends can be. Nick was flying in last Saturday for Mother's Day. I woke up with a severe stomach ache, throwing up, every bone in my body aching, and a fever. Someone had to pick Nick up at the airport in Minneapolis. I could barely lift my head off of my pillow. Thinking it was 7:30 AM, I called Sue and Harvey to see if they could pick him up. Without hesitation, Sue said yes. I only found out later that I had called at 6:30 AM! Not only did Sue and Harvey pick up Nick, but they took him to lunch and refused to let him fill their car up with gas. That was a true test of friendship! Thank you Sue and Harvey!

2) In spite of being ill, I had a wonderful Mother's Day with my children both home! I dozed from time to time. They took care of things around the house. Nick mowed the lawn for me. Jenny installed some brackets for bird feeders. They both did the dishes. I am so blessed in so many ways!

3) The vets have ruled out a serious illness for Pixie. We now think her problems are a response to pain in her shoulder. The vet thinks she has a pinched nerve. They have ruled out the serious things including cancer, kidney disease and auto immune diseases. Whew! The medication seems to be helping Pixie. The vet and I also think that her rank breath is due to the food she is eating. Now the quest is on to find a food that won't make her breath smell. I am truly grateful!

Turtles

Today, I made some turtles! I'm very pleased with the results, so I decided to show them to you. I have this one
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listed in my Etsy store right now. I call him Miguel. He's southwestern and organic. I'm satisfied with the progress I have been making when it comes to turtles. I can probably still make changes and improve, but for now, I love Miguel!























This is Bogert, the box turtle! He really is a cube! I hope to get him listed soon.






















This is Silverado. I made him using a silver inundated glass called Psyche.
The only drawback to Silverado is that if he doesn't sell, I can't give him to Beads of Courage for the children because he's made with the silver glass. I wish I had thought of that before I used the Psyche. I hope he sells, then. I hope to list him in my Etsy store very soon.















Last but not least is Broken Turtle. I found him today in my bead box. I couldn't figure out why he had not gone to BOC until I remembered his head had broken off in a fall. I glued it back on. He looks so sad, but the good thing is that I get to keep him. He goes on my desk to enjoy everyday!

This was fun! I want to make more and more turtles now!

Shopping Etsy: Search: Nerd

This time, just for fun, I plugged in the word "nerd." I thought it would be fun to see what came up in the search, and it was fun!







Be proud you're a nerd and wear it!
This Nerd pendant (sterling silver) and chain comes from JL67's store. While you're there, be sure to take a look at the other items in the store. Really fun! I honestly like this pendant, and I think it would be fun to wear!













How about this great headband! It's made from Nerds Candy wrappers! Awesome! Take a good look at Chrissy410's shop. You'll find many sweet treats there!


















Do you Heart Nerds? Show it with this print from Tutti Studio. Be proud if you're a nerd, and show it!












This one took me a minute to understand. I had to read the description. I urge you to do the same.
Less than 3 = Love
It's called Geek Love. Talk about creative! Wow! Paper.Fruit.Hair is a most interesting store!


Wasn't that fun! I want to be a nerd! Wait, maybe I am! Cool!