Happenings

Hello people~

I know I haven't blogged for a while, I just didn't really have much to say!

I do however have a few new things to talk about. Our sweet daughter Jessica turned 11 on the

5th she is growing up so fast and turning in to a young Lady!

She is having her skating party tomorrow and is excited!!

My friend is opening up a little boutique and she is going to sell some of my pieces in her shop! I'm so excited. I hope they will sell, she told me they are nicer than some of the stuff she already has so I'm hopeful!! I also got a job!! A really nice couple has bought a salon that is fairly new about 3 yrs old. It's just gorgeous! They are doing a 50/50 split deal and want it to be a profit sharing company which is also wonderful!! They are also open to suggestions and ideas from us girls who will be coming on board. She has some renters in there now that do not want to stay so they will be out at the end of Oct.

It sounds like it will be awesome! I will be able to make my own schedule which is great. I guess it's like I will be renting but without all the hassle of licenses, products, and insurance, which can be pricey! I don't have any clientele b/c the places that I have worked in the past don't allow you to keep client info so I will be building my clientele once again, which means I won't be bringing any money in for a while but I won't be putting out any money either so I don't have anything to lose!!

I haven't made anything new as far as jewelry goes I just don't have a lot of extra funds to invest in product, but soon I'm hoping.. I really want to start dabbling with my torch and solder!!

Later gators!

Rosy Revolver giveaway

I Want to win this, Isn't she beautiful, stunning, magnificent?!!!! check it out at http://rosyrevolver.blogspot.com/2009/09/roses-are-red-and-this-ones-for-you.html














I haven't won anything since the 7th grade when I won the coolest pr of black rollerskates!!


A big thanks to Jessi at http://www.jessimakesjewelry.blogspot.com/ for blogging about this giveaway and this awesome blog..

I will be following this blog.. her work is B-E-A-U-T-Y-F-U-L!!!!!

Auf weidezen, mwaaaaa

Etsy sale and new listings!!

Hey all~

Hope your holiday weekend has been a good and safe one!

I had an Etsy sale this weekend, yippee me!!! It really perked up my day. I don't sale things that often, I have been on Etsy since Jan 09 and have had 6 sales.. so this is exciting!!!

I also listed about 10 new pieces.. I have had quite a collection going and just needed to find the time to photograph them and get them listed. I will also be making some updates and adding new photos in my shop this week.

Here are a few of the pieces I listed... to see them all, check out my shop!

This is my first etched necklace, I LOVE IT!!

I have been really enjoying working with copper.

Chow!

New Beads

Hey all~
How is everyone doing?

Well, here is back to school already and my kids had their first day yesterday. All went well.

Corey said High School is "awesome". He was crackin me up last night. I was listening to him in the kitchen on his phone talking to a friend that goes to a different school, telling him how awesome it was.. they get off campus lunches and there is a mcdonalds close to the school and they can listen to their ipods in the halls between classes. He doesn't even mind riding the bus.. this is the first yr for that. I have always been able to drive them to and from but this yr. he is going to a high school that is downtown. sounds scary I know but Lewis and Clark High School is one of the top rated in the state. when I was in high school you had your schedule and went about your day, well now at least in C's h/s, his classes are like college where you only have certain ones on certain days.. He is also in the Core Program.. it's a program to help freshman students transition into highschool successfully.. students who need a little extra help with math, homework skills are eligible for this program. lots of parent/teacher support and he will earn and extra credit for just being in the program. We are hoping for a successful yr. I asked him last night what his goals are for this yr and he replied "being more successful" so that's a good start!!


Jessica has had the same teacher for the last 3 yrs. so this yr she has a new teacher. She seems to really like her and her new classmates also.. Jessica is very good in school academically. I don't worry about her to much, it's more boys, clothes, and makeup that I will worry about.. I have a feeling.... :)


Jessica and I had a great time at my friend's in Olympia.. I wanted to take Jess to the capital building and didn't get a chance to so we will do that our next trip. It was great to see my friend Michelle, her nice hubby and kids.. they opened their home to us for a week. Her daughter and Jessica got along awesome not one argument!! so nice!!


I finally got some more wire and some new beads. we went to Shipwrecked beads. what a HUGE store!! So I'm hoping to get into my studio and make some new exciting pieces..I even came across a little bit of solder, so I might try to solder something.. I really need a third hand


though.... so well see..!! Jessica and Elexa!!


















New Beads and book... the book has a lot of great info about crystals and stones. I would eventually like to incorporate the metaphysical properties into my descriptions.




















Later!!

New Pretties!!

Hey out there!!

here are a few new things I've been working on. I still have some pieces to photograph and put in my shop... but these are the newest items!!

These are a cute pair of copper, amethyst spirals and a pair of amethyst and star earrings.. these would match my "Straight on till morning" necklace, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28402227

These are fun, I noticed that the dangles are a bit longer on one so maybe I will mix em up a bit..

simple and casual

This is a pr. that I'm not quite finished with.. I really think they are going to be nice, but my flame and copper haven't been cooperating lately, so I'm just takin a break from these!

These are new etched pendants

This is something that I was just making to see how it would turn out, and I REALLY like it.. maybe a bit thinner would be better but for a first ring ever I think it's pretty nice.. I hammered it for some detail. I'm not soldering yet so it overlaps slightly. I wouldn't sell this yet probly because it is something new I haven't done before, but I will seal it with something (any

suggestions??) and keep it for myself, I like it as a thumb ring!!

My daughter and I are leaving Weds. morning to go on a little road trip to see my friend in Olympia!! We are excited! I haven't seen my friend in way to long and I'm looking forward to catching up with her.

see ya!!

Road trip with my sis!!

Hey~

I had an awesome weekend with my sister.. we took a roadtrip to Friday Harbor and had a GREEEAT weekend..

My best girls... Tara and Stacey! I have know these girls for 25 yrs!!

Awesome to still be so close!!

Great times, Great memories

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Hey~

This is a very important and close to my heart posting..






Lime Kiln Lighthouse, west side of Friday Harbor......


The NOAA wants to ban private and commercial kayaking from the west side of the San Juan Island.. those who read my blog no that this is my hometown..

they are saying that the kayaking is a disturbance and a threat to the pods of Orcas that travel through the area.. which is total nonsense.. these whales and people have been coexisting for generations.. and I as I'm sure many of the locals feel proud to see these beautiful creatures swimming, breaching, spyhopping in our local waters. If you don't know much about Orcas they are very smart wonderful whales.. I believe there are 2 pods that come back yearly to the san juans.. J pod and K pod..

Did you know that they stay with there pods for life.. the biggest dorsel fin is the male of the pod.. My husband was out fishing one day, yes on the westside and in a very small boat... and K pod happened to be in the area, well they made an appearence where my hubby was fishing. He came home so excited, K-2 the big male in the pod had come over to see what he was doing they are very inquisitive creatures, he just swam around the boat and down underneath for a bit and moved on.. well Ron, (my hubby) said that he was so close to the boat he could have reached out and touched him and that when he swam under the boat he was so close that they made eye contact.. WOW what an experience that would have been.. Ron said that you know they are checking you out and that they are intellegent, you can see it in their eyes.

For those that have seen the movie Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman, and many other great actors.. that movie was filmed on the west side of Friday harbor.. all the house scences where out at San Juan County Park which is a well known whale watching park.. so you can watch that movie and get a glimpse of our beautiful island.. ( the house was a set, really doesn't exist there)

so I'm posting this so that everyone who reads this will go to the petition site http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-the-west-side-of-san-juan-island-for-kayakers and sign it.. Crystal Seas Kayaking are sponsoring this petition and are also friends of mine.. they are looking for 50,000 signatures to keep the west side open to public and commercial kayaking.. Please sign, it doesn't matter that you have never been there or do not live in Washington!! It only takes a minute literally to sign!!!!

Another positive reason for signing this petition is a lot of kayakers come from all over to kayak these waters, which brings revenue to the Island and to local companies like Crystal Seas Kayaking, who are people doing what they love and wanting to share that with others. It would really be sad if kayakers could no longer kayak in one of the prettiest places on earth!!



Kayaking out by the Lime Kiln lighthouse, westside, Friday Harbor Washington

NEW!!

I posted these .. I had a couple of productive hrs in my studio last night....
These are my favorite earrings I've made in a long time... I just love them.. I hope someone else will also.. I really need to get my shop out there, but it seems people aren't interested, I did check out a local farmers market yesterday that is every sun and I think they go all yr long.. but I do need to get things before I set up a booth anywhere.. ya know, tables, change box, jewelry display stuff, bags, an awning for shade.. yada yada.... I'm will be going back to work as soon as I find something, it's just getting to hard for my husband to carry the whole load by himself and now that our kids are older they can be alone for a couple hrs after school, so I will have some extra money to poor into this business... I know it will take time.. I just hope that all these other ladies that are making an income with their businesses, know how lucky they are..

I do think I will do well when I get out there, my stuff seems to be a little nicer than stuff I've seen, by that I just mean, precious gems and sterling.. nicely made.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28403968

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28403528

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28402227

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28402876

Jessica left for camp till friday this morning... she went last yr and had so much fun.. I always wanted to go to camp and never could because my mom was a single parent and just couldn't afford it. well, we live in a very low income area and so the school that Jess attends sends out a no cost camp application yrly, so she gets to see her friends from school and it doesn't cost a thing... that's a benefit of living on the mainland.. when I grew up we lived on an island (friday harbor, san juan islands) so there aren't those benefits..

Summer is going by quickly and school will be starting Aug 27.. so early but I guess they are already planning for snow days..

It's another hot day and I think we are going to float the little spokane later...

that's all for now!

later~

Been awhile

Hey Hey~

Hope all is well with my blogger friends.. I have been M.I.A. for a while it seems.. with the kids out of school and not much going on around home I haven't really had much to blog about.. I have been doing some work in my studio.. experimenting more like.. playing with my dremel and saw, getting the feel of working with the tools.

some etching.....

I really like the bee (on end) not sure what to do with her.. I would like to color her with some inks but still thinking on it.. these are the first etchings I've done... very raw.

These are my first totally finished etched pieces what do you think?? I'm not going to sell them I think I need more practice before I will feel okay with selling.. so for now I will either keep them or give them to my sister, I haven't decided...

I forgot I had some copper wire tucked away so I played around and made these and then oxidized them..I was playin around with the earwires and made them a bit different...

My sister really likes them so I think I will give them to her.. she has gotten quite a bit of my jewelry, she works in an office so it is great advertising.. this is her and her husband.

I don't think I ever posted what I did with my custom stamp!! What do you think? should I use a different color than the black? my earring cards and then the cards I put on my bracelets and necklaces............

These are the "thank you" cards I include with order along with a business card... I thought the handmade with love was a little bit more special than just a thankyou...

I picked up these cabs at a little hole in the wall local jeweler that I happened upon the other day... I don't know why I got them.. I'm a million miles away from learning to solder and bezel set.. but I really loved them.. I love cabs.. I don't know if it is because I know I will be using them someday, so I get them to have a little stash when the time does come, or if it's because I love the way they feel, so smooth and shiny.. I've become addicted I'm afraid..

I already have a beautiful Blue lace agate and a Crazy lace agate.. so now I have these to add to my collection...

the guy I bought these from said they were Sand Onxy... I really don't know much about stones and I'm just learning but I kinda thought they looked like Botswana agate... what do you guys think??

These are Red Jasper

This is a gorgeous piece of Blue Chalcedony.. I always pronounce this wrong... sounds nothing like how it is spelled.. anyway this will someday be used for a ring and I think I will set it this way also...

Last but not least my sleeping husband.. He most often has an afternoon nap when he gets home from work.. the guy gets up at 5:30 most mornings, he has earned his naptime by 3-4pm.. but this pic was so cute cause.. marley was at his feet and roxy at his head.. you can't really see them because they blend so well.. downfall of having bl. dogs...














Well that's what's happenin in my neck of the woods!
later peeps~

4th of July....

A San Juan Sunrise

Had a great weekend... now I'm home. Would like to pack my bags and move back, but my husband isn't accomidating my wishes.. sheesshh~

So excited to be going back in early aug.. for a longer visit~


This is the view from my friends porch...... awesome isn't it!

This and That!!!

Hey~

I can't believe it is almost July 4th!! We decided to go to the San Juan Islands for the 4th and surprise our friends.. I hope she hasn't started reading my blog.. I think not!! The San Juan Islands is where I grew up and It's fun to see old friends.. ya know the kind you have known since 4th grade!!! heres a couple pics

This is the Ferry coming in to Friday Harbor, my hometown!!

Washington's little slice of Heaven!! aahhhh.......

In other news.. C and I are officially Bo dan belts!!! yippeeee.. here are some pics from testing night!! sorry the quality isn't that great, there from my bl.berry, with all it can do you'd think the pics would be better quality....

This is corey doing 1 of his board breaks with a punch.. we had to do 2 board breaks, 1 punch and 1 spinning back kick...

Me breaking with a spinning back kick....

C and I sparring.... Mom puttin the beat down on!!! LOL

C and I doing our poomse, NAILED IT!!!!

Yesterday I finally got into my studio and used my saw for the first time and cut some copper for some etching.... I only broke 3 saw blades.... I will post some pics when I get my pieces finished.. I'm going to try to get them done before we leave on thurs..I think these first ones I make will be for my BFF's daughter.....

Chow for now!!