Theresa's Treasures

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T14:25:00.001-08:00

I didn't have any really Christmasy photos to share so I thought this one from my computers "stock" photos would do nicely instead. Also, there are many people who may not celebrate Christmas for whatever reason and so I really just wanted a nice wintery feeling photo so I can say that I hope whatever you do celebrate, you have a safe and happy Holiday season.

Autumn in London

2011-12-01T14:07:00.001-08:00

One thing you miss when you live in somewhere like Las Vegas is the change of seasons. Don't get me wrong, Las Vegas in the Winter is not all warm with everyone walking around in shorts...it is a desert and they get darn cold at night. We were in London the last weekend of October and decided to spend some time on the Sunday at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park. The first photo was one I just had to take, those beautiful Autumn colors as the leaves change. Plenty of people were enjoying the day.

Ahhh here is one of the many characters who is out there in Hyde Park every Sunday at Speaker's Corner. People speaking their minds and the crowds either just listening and sometimes joining in to have a debate.

We decided to get the Tube to check out the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Sadly, by the time we got to the other side of the river to get a better shot of it all...the batteries in my camera died! At least I did manage to get a few good shots including this one.

No trip to London is complete without a stop at Beadworks. This is my favorite bead shop when we are there. It is at the edge of Covent Garden but it is great for us as my husband goes to the pub around the corner and I meet him there once I'm done. Funny thing was, when we first got there there were about 5-6 men standing outside...lol. I just bought some seed beads, daggers and Swarovski drops but it felt good to be among beads, how sad is that?

We also went to the Natural History Museum which was brilliant. I shall save that for another post as I got LOADS of photos of some amazing ammonites and other gemstones on display there.

First UK Craft Fair

2011-10-04T03:49:00.001-07:00

Well, my Etsy shop has been up and running for a few weeks now as I got all the issues fixed and changed everything over. I also have managed to meet quite a few of my fellow North East Crafter's. On the 25th of September I went to a craft fair in the area and managed to meet Vicky from Tynemouth Collectables and Denise & Gavin Hardy of Seaham Waves who have some amazing sea glass jewelry. I had to buy a pair of their earrings as they are lovely. Hoping to get a necklace too. When I was there, Vicky and Helen (who organizes the craft fair) talked me into coming back on the 9th of October. It looks like it will be a good time and I figured, since I'm still not working, why not. So, I shall be thrown in at the deep end selling my jewelry at this event. Nervous of course but really looking forward to it. I've actually been making a load of earrings to sell as I think that is a good thing to always have loads of.

Wish me luck!

Time Passes

2011-09-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wow I've been real lazy updating this blog haven't I? Sheesh I never realized how long it had been since I'd last posted. At least now I really have something to say....well, sort of. Can't remember if I mentioned way back in March that the mother-in-law had fallen, broke her hip, had a hip replacement and spent about 6 weeks in hospital. She got out near the end of May and the husband went back to England to be there when she got out and make sure everything was okay for her and to put his mind at ease about her condition. Obviously with her coming up (at the time) to the ripe old age of 84 we were both concerned about her well-being once she got home. The local services in England have been great, helping get handles put in at the front for her to hold on to as she has a few steps at her front door. She now has one of those Life Alert things where she has a button around her neck in case she were to fall she could press it. Also for the first 6 weeks or so after she was out of hospital there were carers coming in 4 times a day and that continued after that but she had to pay for those. Which brings be me up to the end of August when we packed everything up, gave a bunch of stuff away, shipped some stuff and threw quite a bit out and headed back over here to England. We left Las Vegas on the 1st of September and arrived here in Newcastle on the 3rd after a short layover in Minneapolis. The husband has the wheels in motion to become his mother's full-time carer and I've been job-hunting (again). Obviously I've had to put my Etsy shop in vacation mode until I can get my PayPal accounts switched around as I already had a UK one but need to change the email addresses, etc. I've already joined a new team, the North East Crafter's and I'm hoping to meet some of the members, a few of whom I have spoken to online a bit. I even have set up a nice little area in our bedroom for all my crafting supplies and books.

I have to say that although it is going to be tough this situation as I know I've mentioned my MIL's dementia which obviously is not going to get better but I think that we really needed to leave Las Vegas as we just seemed to be stuck there for many reasons. Maybe this is going to be one of those decisions that ends up being for the best all around. Hopefully now I can keep this blog up to date a bit more often than every few months, at least I'll sure try. I did manage to make quite a few friends in the Handmade In Vegas Team and I will continue to support them no matter what and wish them all well.

Here's to a new beginning.

Favorites For Friday

2011-06-03T01:01:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've wanted things that are convenient (as well as being handmade). I love the idea of a solid perfume whether it is in a stick or a nice little pot. There are so many on Etsy to choose from and of course, you have to pick a scent. I prefer flowery scents but to be honest some of them I don't have a clue what they may smell like unless they give me an idea of the different scents included. This weeks favorites are a few I've been looking at and would like to share. The last one probably wouldn't be a good scent if you have a dog...lol.

Sun and Sand Handmade Solid Cologne - Batty's Bath

Patchouli Dusk Solid Perfume - Simple Traditions

Solid Perfume Stick Magnolia - Plum Valley Notions

Wild Flowers Solid Perfume - Daisy Cakes Soap

Bacon (YES Bacon) Solid Perfume - Pink Parchment Soaps

So what do you think of that last scent....is it something you would wear??

Trying Artfire...Again

2011-05-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Only this time I am trying out a Pro Account. I received an email from Artfire offering a 30 day free trial of the Pro Account and since I was already a basic member I decided to go ahead and give it a go. I have to say I have been a fan of Artfire's offerings such as the Rapid Cart (which I have added to my blog at the right) and the Artfire Kiosk for your Facebook Fan Page (which I also have added). Plus I love the fact that you don't have to sign up for an account to purchase from any of the sellers on there. I figure it's 30 days and then if nothing happens it is no loss and I can just go back to the basic account...or if it goes well then I can go ahead and continue with the Pro Account and pay the monthly fee. Lately I have been trying to do a few things to drum up sales but it just seems like a no hoper sometimes but I know that several people have commented on the lack of sales over the past few months. I did finally sign up for Google Checkout which is great to have as an option since I know there are some people who just are not happy with PayPal. Always have to give yourself as many options as possible for some things.

Favorites For Friday

2011-04-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, that is what happens when you get a job...lol. Actually, it has been weird working after being unemployed for 2 years and of course, in my job I have a different schedule every week. Some days working early and others working later. Fortunately I don't have to do any graveyard shifts otherwise I really would be up a creek! I was wracking my brain trying to think of something good for this weeks favorites seeing as it had been a while and I went to my favorites over on Etsy and decided to spotlight some beautiful niobium pieces. If you don't know this already (which I'm sure you do) niobium is a great metal for those with metal allergies. Now, to the best part.

WYSIWYG Niobium Spin 'em In Earrings - Element 41

Parallel Helm Chainmaille Bracelet - Greenstar Jewellery

Coiled Niobium Toggle Clasp - C & T Designs

Rainbow Peacock Earrings - Late Night Muse

Cerulean Blue Fantasy Earrings - On The Bead

As you can see by my picks, I prefer niobium when it has been anodized. It changes to some amazing colors.

Favorites For Friday

2011-04-01T08:57:00.001-07:00

As I was watching the news yesterday and today, the local weatherman was telling us here in Las Vegas that we were going to be in the 80's but that in the North East of the US .... not so good. We don't get a lot of flowers here in the desert but at least the weather is a bit better right now. For those of you who are not getting any good weather at the moment, just think of this - April Showers bring May Flowers. Until then, here are a few lovely flower items I found over on Etsy. Hopefully if you are having some bad weather they will brighten up your day a bit.

Hand-painted shot glass - Tanya ZC

Handmade Paper Flowers - More Paper Than Shoes

Daisy Head Maisy Lampwork Ring - Auntie Di's De-Lites

Organic Hat - Heart Smiles

Parrot Tulip 8x10 Fine Art Photograph - Sharon Welton Photography

I do have to add that the one bad thing about this time of year in Las Vegas is the awful pollen and as I'm writing this post I have the door open but I'm sneezing like you would not believe! Ahhh the price you pay, I'd still rather have this weather and the sneezing.

ENJOY!

Favorites For Friday

2011-03-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

Unless you have been living under a rock then I'm sure you are aware of the devastation left by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This weeks favorites are all items that the sellers are donating all or a portion of the proceeds to the relief effort to help the Japanese people. 'Nuff said.

100% Charity for Japan PDF Sewing Pattern - Peppers Attic

Artwork, All proceeds to the American Red Cross - Saturated Canary Art

Japan Disaster Relief Key Chains, All Sales Donated - Top Knotch Gear

Bird's Nest Necklace, 20% of proceeds to Japan Earthquake Relief - Menuet Designs

Phone Charm, all proceeds other than fees goes to Japan Earthquake Relief - KanzashiR

Hopefully through sales at these shops we can help make a little bit of difference.

Favorites For Friday

2011-03-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

No green beer here but I do have some very interesting items to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. All of these items are from Etsy (as always) and boy was there quite a few to choose from. I love how something is just green and someone has used the tag of St. Patrick's Day but I guess if you are going to celebrate it then you need something green ... no matter what it may be! These were a few of my favorites.

McTavish The Irishman - Mary's Monkeys

May The Road Rise Blessing Trinity Knot - My Serenity Way

Glass Lampwork Four Leaf Clover Pendant - Boomwire

Guinness Sugar Cookies & Shamrock Cookie Nibbles - Crafted Cookies

Lucky Charm & Silver Shamrock Earrings - Ali C's Creations

The one nice thing (in my opinion) about St. Patricks Day is the fact that no matter whether you are Irish or not....no matter what religion, you can celebrate the day. The Irish are very welcoming like that, more than happy to have everyone join in with the celebrations. Hope yours is a good one.

Favorites for Friday

2011-03-04T05:53:00.000-08:00

Spring has sprung here in Las Vegas, well at least for now it has. That may change in a week but right now it is the warmest it has been for ages. I actually walked to work without a jacket on Thursday morning. Spring is the best time of year here in Las Vegas though because we are in the desert you don't have the lovely flowers and trees blossoming as much as you do elsewhere. Shame as it's one of my most favorite things about Spring. So this week I decided to share some Spring from Etsy with you.

Brighten Up Your Day Wreath - Horn's Home and Garden

Blue Potpourri Twirl Dress - Berry Patch USA

Fresh Everyday Bag - Sinem Inugur

Fuschia, Purple & White Flower Felt - Cherry Blossom Way

Ostara Pastel Eggs Candles - White Magick Shoppe

If the weather has not cheered up where you are yet then I hope these items give you hope.....it won't be long!

Favorites For Friday

2011-02-18T05:42:00.000-08:00

Time - something we never have enough of (along with money). Despite that, I cannot walk out of the house without a watch on. The other day I was walking out the door for work and as I went to shut the door I realized...no watch! I ran back in to put one on. Yes, I know there are clocks all over and people with watches, clocks on computers but I just feel naked without one. So this weeks favorites are some really lovely watches I found over on Etsy.

Leather Watchband with Face - Creative Urges

Custom Made Beadwork Watch - Gina D Jewels

Silver Plated Quartz Crystal Watch - Jo's Jewels

Purple Passion Watch - Savoir Faire Creations

Custom Leather Cuff with Polo Watch - The Leather Wrist

These pretties won't give us more time in the day but at least we can look good while watching the clock!

Favorites For Friday

2011-02-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

Well, Monday is Valentine's Day and my personal preference for a gift is candy. I make my own jewelry so that is no good and flowers are pretty but they die after a short time. At least with candy you can savor it! So this weeks favorites are some candy items, both the real thing and a few that are inspired by candy.

Sterling Silver Pink Candy Ring - Micah Jones Studio

Dark Chocolate Fluer de Sel Heart - Calabasas Candy Co.
(MMMM Dark Chocolate is my fave!)

Red Hots Lip Candy - For Goodness Grape

Cupcake Magnet or Charm - Shimrit'a

A True Sweetheart Necklace - Stoopidgerl's Shop

At very least, looking at these yummy items won't add any pounds or kilos. Though if I got my hands on those dark chocolate truffles there would be no stopping me.

Here's One I Made Earlier

2011-02-08T11:36:00.001-08:00

Obviously I have had a severe lack of funds to buy more jump rings for a little while so I have been playing around with what I have. I really don't know how I ended up with SOOO many purple jump rings but as I was sick of looking at them sitting there and didn't want to make more purple items for my shop I decided to make something for myself. It's just a simple double spiral chainmaille weave necklace (choker).

I also noticed that despite the fact that I love copper, I really didn't have that many pairs of copper earrings in my own collection. With the new job we are only allowed to wear small earrings though I have noticed quite a few people don't follow that rule (lol). I had been wanting to make another pair of these earrings for myself and I finally sat down the other day and did it. They are woven in a variation of byzantine weave called romanov. Basically it is just two sections of the byzantine weave, connect at each end with a slightly bigger jump ring and add a lovely Swarovski crystal in between. I used 6mm crystals and they were some freebies I got but I think the color is Siam though it is hard to tell in the photo as well as in person. It's such a dark red but really pretty with the copper.

Needless to say, I have plenty of ideas running around my head for projects it's just getting the rings to play around. One thing I really want to do is play with some really thick gauge rings, like 14, to make some chunky jewelry. Hopefully I will be able to get those and of course, I'll post any and all new projects here.

Favorites For Friday

2011-02-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

If you have followed my blog for a while you will know (though maybe not remember) that I actually started blogging right after I lost my job (laid off) at the beginning of 2009. Also, if you follow the news at all you will know that Las Vegas has an unemployment figure of 14% so as you can imagine, I was one of MANY looking for work and without much success. So I spent my time blogging and doing what I could with my Etsy shop, living in hope that I was not on the scrap heap. Well, last week I started a new job (only took 2 years and a bit). That is why this weeks Favorites For Friday only includes one item from Etsy and it is a photo of my new employer. Yes, I waited all that time only to get a job at the historic Las Vegas Hilton!! I am working in the retail department and so far I am really enjoying it. Of course, it is just great to not be sitting around the house all the time in my pajamas but I actually am enjoying working there as everyone (so far) has been really friendly.

Las Vegas Hilton Matted Fine Art Photograph - Angels Time

Hopefully now I will be more in the mood to blog and also have more to blog about as I know I have been a bit lax other than my Favorites posts. I will also have to find the time since I am now back in the workforce :).

Favorites For Friday

2011-01-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who sell over on Etsy, you will know about all the new things they are adding for us sellers(buyers too). One of them is Circles and to be honest I'm not quite sure what the full purpose is but I have been using mine to add fellow members of the Handmade in Vegas Team. I'm sure at some point I'll just add people but for now that is what I am doing. So this weeks Favorites are a few of my fellow members from my circle.

Coral Wrap/Twist Dress - Loca Loves Pirate

Queen of Hearts Earrings - Ametista

Little Meat Cleaver Earrings - Nascent Cascade

Small Jar of Purple Buttons - FFTFandB

Spider Web Pendant - Desert Studio

Enjoy the lovely handmade items and have a great weekend!!

Favorites For Friday

2011-01-21T04:17:00.000-08:00

I recently had someone on Etsy ask me if I would consider oxidizing one of my copper bracelets for them if they decided to purchase it. I have to admit that over the years of making jewelry my tastes have basically stayed the same but some things I have opened my mind to. Oxidizing is one thing and I answered that, of course I would. Then I started thinking about all the possibilities there are when you do oxidize metals and it actually got me thinking that maybe I ought to get my act together and make a few things. Till then, I thought I would share some of the pretty mixed metal items I found over on Etsy. I was surprised there was only 6 pages when I typed in "oxidized mixed metals" as my search.

Mixed Metals Copper Squares with Sterling Silver - Dream Belle Designs
(these are dainty but I LOVE them!)

Wavy Mixed Metal Ruffles & Ridges Earrings - Pobbletoes

Brushed Golden Teardrop Oxidized Sterling Silver Dangle Earrings - Glitz Glitter

Mixed Metals Sterling Skull Copper Earrings - KimVGlass

Chandelier Oxidized Sterling Silver Wire Heart Earrings - Mayahelena

I still love looking at shiny metals but after checking out these beautiful designs I definitely want to explore the world of oxidizing. As always, once I do I'll post some pretty pics here.

Favorites for Friday

2011-01-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I do know that when I'm down one of the few things that can make me smile and forget all my troubles are animals. Not sure exactly what it is but they just do, mostly it has to be their expressions and yes, animals do have expressions as some of these photos will attest to. I hope some of these photos will make you smile like they did me when I was searching through Etsy for animal photos.

Where's My Carrot? - Angels Time

Raccoon Family - Sara Montour

Ooops - Little Odd Me

Chillin' Polar Bear - Nature Is Art Photography

This last photograph was one that I spotted in today's Etsy newsletter and was the reason for today's Favorites. That face just made me smile and the story behind the otter's good behavior made me laugh - he's being good as there is food involved!

Otter says PLEASE - An Alliteration

Hope you enjoyed these cute photos from a few of the talented photographers over on Etsy. I also wanted to apologize for only posting on Fridays but to be honest, there hasn't been much to share. Hopefully that will change soon.

Favorites For Friday

2011-01-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

It's January in Las Vegas and that means one thing - the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This convention is huge and is where all the new and exciting electronics are unveiled. Thinking about it, I decided that this weeks Favorites would be from Etsy (as always) but I decided to peruse the Vintage section for my picks. Funny how things have changed so much in many ways yet basically stayed the same. I wonder if anyone reading this will wonder what some of the items are as they are too young to know!

Western Electric D-1 Telephone - Big Year Bird Photography

EE Hermes Baby Typewriter - Dapper Dean

Vintage Cassette-Tape-Recorder-Voice-Mic - Lovely Vintage Etc.

1946 Emerson 504 Tube Radio - 4 Eyes and Ears

8mm Kodak Brownie Movie Camera - Portobello Marketplace

I remember when I was a kid and finally got one of those cassette player/recorders. I thought it was the greatest thing as you do when you are young. As my parents were into Antiques and going to shows, many of these items were old even back when I was a kid. Fun to check them out again.

Favorites For Friday - New Year's Eve Edition

2010-12-31T03:28:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that 2010 is just about over?! I believe that you need to get out your bling and really celebrate this year after all that has happened over the past few years with the economy all over and the many other sad/bad things. Here is a fun collection of blingtastic handmade items direct from Etsy which are perfect for any New Year's Eve party.

Beaded Stem Champagne Glass Set - Dizzy Diva

Black on Black Rhinestone Bustier (Custom Size) - Dark Pony Designs

New Years Eve Earrings - Creations by Jessica

Sparkle Rhinestone Ice Clutch - Jemma Morris

Camelot Swarovski Pearl and Crystal Necklace - Ruby Mines

Hope everyone enjoys their New Year's Eve celebrations. Be safe, and please don't drink and drive.

A Holiday Message

2010-12-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'd just like to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season no matter which holiday you happen to celebrate!

Deck The Trail - Country Dreaming's Nature Scenes Photography

and have a safe and Happy New Year!

Favorites For Friday

2010-12-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Ahhh not long to go before it will be Christmas day. Sorry, not meaning to get you into a panic about it but it is true. One thing about Christmas time that I love are candy canes, don't know what it is about them but I can't get enough. I love the colors and the flavor! That is why this weeks favorites are all candy cane inspired from Etsy.

Peppermint Twist Bracelet - Fancee That

Crochet Peppermint Candy Swirl Scarf - Diane Langan Crochet Designs

Peppermint & Dark Chocolate Spoons (my 2 faves together!) - Nicole's Homemade Treats

Christmas Peppermint Candy Magnets - Cha Ching CK

Peppermint Candy Cane Scented Star Soap - Howards Home

Now if these items don't whet your whistle for some cool peppermint sweetness, then I don't know what will!

Favorites For Friday

2010-11-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

In less than one weeks time all of America will be celebrating Thanksgiving. I missed Thanksgiving once, no...really....totally lost the day as the husband and I were flying to Australia and we left on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and arrived Down Under on the Friday! Ahh that was many years ago but I have to say that Thanksgiving is a holiday I have always preferred to any other. Something about all the baking that my mother did when I was a kid maybe or could be because I believe it is a very important holiday as far as the US is concerned. I know that other countries have their own important holidays too so I'm sure even my non-US readers will get my drift. Here are a few Thanksgiving items I found while perusing the pages of Etsy.

Cute Pilgrim Girls Costume - fwcreations4all

Mayflower Ship Ring Resin Art - Morrow Lane

Thanksgiving Turkey Bib - Lady Cavendish & Little Sis

Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hair Clip Set - Celtic Tide Creations

Thanksgiving Lollipop Favors - Simple Tastes

Hope you have enjoyed these lovely picks this week, you may still have time to pick up some of these handmade items!

Favorites For Friday

2010-11-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

If you have followed my blog for any amount of time then you will know that I love colors, especially the bright colors of Summer. As Autumn is here at least I can rest knowing that one of my favorite colors of all is part of the hues that represent it....Orange. What fun it was going over to Etsy and using the tool they have to shop by color and boy did I find some great items.

Mandarin Orange Baby Chrysanthemum Cabochons - PrettyLovelies

Fire Flower Photograph - Trillium Hill Art

Metal Card Case - Colors by Liza

Crazy Candy Corn Melting Tarts - Country Home Scents (mmmmmm)

Tissue Paper Pom/Blossom Kit - Blossom Lane

Hope you enjoy all the lovely Autumn shades of orange. I have to say that when I looked through Country Home Scents shop they have some great tarts that are very Holiday related. You should definitely check them out when you have a minute or two as well as the other sellers and if you have never tried it before you really need to check out the color shopping tool.

Painting Pottery

2010-11-09T16:23:00.001-08:00

Firstly, two things, apologies for the photo quality and second....I'm no Picasso!!! Now on to the fun part, my friend Jennifer and I decided to spend an evening at The Artful Potter here in Las Vegas. We went on the last Thursday of October as that is when they have Ladies Night. It was really fun and basically on that night you pay a $10 deposit but if you bring a dish to eat then your $10 goes towards your piece of pottery you purchase then paint. Luckily there were quite a few others there. I decided I needed a few new drinks coasters in the apartment which is the first photo of one of the coasters I made...both are the same. I didn't know until AFTER I had painted it free-hand that there were stencils I could have used..lol.

Bad photo but this is a donut pendant that I painted. Once I decide what to do with it then I'll get a better photo. They also had some triangle pendants and beads you could paint.

Another donut pendant, again, I'll get a better photo once I fix it all up.

We had a great time and plan to get a bigger group of friends together and do it again in the New Year. Next time I think I'll do a few small plates but they did have a great selection of large and small items you could paint and the range of colors is great. At least next time I'll be prepared so I may use some stencils.

Lastly, these are my new earring cards I ordered from an Etsy seller. If I had my own printer I most likely would have done them myself but I don't right now and it was a better price than going to Kinko's to print them. They came out pretty good and they didn't come with holes but I had bought the small hole punch at Michael's.

Favorites For Friday

2010-11-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that the weather here in Las Vegas hasn't been very Autumn like but I know it will at some point. Sure, we don't need to wrap up like you do in other parts but it does get a bit chilly at night that you need a nice warm sweater. So this weeks favorites are some lovely knit and crochet items over on Etsy.

Hand Knitted Mohair Skirt - Dalia Gallery

The Puff Shrug - A Cat's Nest

Autumn Joy October Shawl - Backroad

Sea Blue Sweater Shrug - Preppy Peach Boutique

Fingerless Gloves - Spiral Gypsy Creations

These are some beautiful handmade items and in such lovely colors. Hope everyone is staying warm where ever you are!

The Torture is OVER!

2010-11-02T16:45:00.001-07:00

The 2010 Baseball World Champions (okay, yes not really the World)

The San Francisco Giants

WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Favorites For Friday

2010-10-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the sale was a bust but at least I got to try out the Etsy On Sale site and it couldn't be easier. Now on to more important things - Favorites For Friday, San Francisco Giants style. You know, the National League Champions!!! WOOO HOOOO!!!!!! After the first two games the Giants are now up by two and are on their way to Texas to start there on Saturday. If they win, then I'm going on a SF shopping spree!!

SF Giants Original Coaster - Reformado Photography

Fear the Beard - I Made You A Beard

SF Cornhole Bean Bags - Hand Sewn By Nana

Giants Scrabble Tile Pendant - Amber's Glitzy Glamour Shop

SF Giants Purse/Tote - Bags Plus by Miss Bea

I have to say, I am LOVING that purse!!! That will definitely be mine if someone else hasn't snatched it up. As you can imagine, we (the husband and I) are pretty darn happy about all of this. After the year we have had then this would be the cherry on top. Saying that, the husband is English and the England cricket team are playing Australia in cricket and so that would top the year off just nicely if we got a double - the San Francisco Giants as World Champions and the English cricket team win the Ashes series down under.

Ahhhh the torture!

Etsy On Sale

2010-10-22T09:17:00.001-07:00

I decided that I would skip Favorites for Friday this week as I am having a sale in my Etsy shop. For those of you who do sell on Etsy there is a great new site out there to help us when we want to run a sale. It's called Etsy On Sale and it is a great application and website. It's very simple to use too. If you haven't already seen the site then make sure you check it out here.

You can set your sale for whatever time and date you want. Plus you can have a sale in just one section and set the discount as a percentage or dollar off amount. No more going in and having to edit every single listing which is no biggie if you have 5 listings but I know a lot of Etsy sellers have well over 50-100 listings. I can't even imagine how much of a pain that would be! I have also added the sale as an event over on Facebook. As soon as the time of the sale is over, all you listings go back to normal. I'll have to let you know how the sale goes though really I just wanted to try out this new app that is available to Etsy sellers. Oh, and if you check out their site you will see that all the sales items on Etsy are listed on their site...brilliant!

Have a great weekend!

Ride 'Em Cowgirl!

2010-10-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to stay on my horse on Saturday though my backside is killing me!! Halfway through our one hour ride I kept having to lift myself out of the saddle as it was like sitting on cement...next time I'm bringing a cushion to sit on....lol. So here were our horses patiently waiting for us to arrive. By the way, before I get into the photos I'd like to thank everyone (including the horses) at Sagebrush Ranch. They came and picked us up, though we didn't have far to go from my friend Jennifer's house where we all met and it wasn't very far to go though probably not very easy to find. The ladies that helped us on our horses and led us through the desert were great. I was so comfortable with my horse and they all seemed to have great temperaments and followed each other well. If you ever are in Las Vegas and want to do something completely different from the usual then this is a great place to start and their prices are very reasonable.

Okay I know it isn't your usual cowgirl gear but, hey, I was comfortable and it was a warm day despite it being the middle of October. Luckily for us we did this ride on Saturday as by Sunday we were having thunderstorms.

Yes, I was on the slowest horse of the group and it didn't help that he kept stopping to munch on those bushes. There were 7 of us and the woman in the green top (2nd from the back) was a guide as was the first woman.

Just like being in an old Western movie. Kept hoping to stop at the local saloon for a gunfight!

As you can see it was pretty cloudy but as I said it was still really warm. I had my factor 30 on and still managed to grab some sun. After the ride we went back to Jenny's house and she had a great spread for us. There were a few new friends there as well as some old and it was a great day that I think everyone enjoyed. Hopefully we will be able to something like this again. I can't believe it has been close to 30 years since I've been on a horse but it was (pardon the cliche) just like riding a bike.

Favorites For Friday

2010-10-15T04:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be doing something I haven't done for probably 30 years.....going horse-back riding! I am SO excited too. A group of us women will be riding in the Nevada desert. Of course, I'm taking the camera so I can share this fun experience with everyone. I just hope it isn't too hot as it is still in the high 80's right now but at least I've got my Factor 30. This made it easy for me to choose this week's theme for my favorites - horses.

Copper Morning Mist Horse Pendant - KDemArt

Horse on a Sunny Day - Poochie's Pics

Horse Portrait, Metallic Ink - Coup

Handmade Reusable Horse Lovers Sandwich Bag - Original's by Lauren

First Snow Original Watercolor - Maria's Watercolor

I shall be holding on to those reins pretty tight seeing as (my husband reminded me sternly) we have no health insurance...lol.

Enjoy!

Favorites For Friday

2010-10-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Of all the crafts that I have not yet tried, pottery is the one that I would LOVE to do. Just one day, be able to throw some clay on the wheel and make something. Oh I know, it would probably end up nothing like these beautiful items but to just have the chance to play around a bit.

Wheelthrown Jar with Lid - JMN Pottery

Lace Doily Ikebana Vase - Ken's Garden Pottery

Lustrous Blues & Pinks Coffee Pot Salt & Pepper Set - For Every Occasion

Hot Red Swirl Mug - Porcenova

Brown Glazed Stoneware Yarn Bowl - Neal Pottery

Isn't that yarn bowl a cool idea? Boy, could I spend a fortune on buying a bunch of items like these. I'd get rid of my 99cent shop plates and mugs and replace them with a whole set of lovely handmade items.

So what is the one craft that you would do just for the heck of it? Just to say you had tried. I know there has to be at least one.

Emergency Arts

2010-10-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Las Vegas Arts and Culture

Ever come to Las Vegas and just get sick of losing your a$$ at the casinos?? Man, you ought to try living here! Here is a suggestion of where you can stop by next time you happen to be visiting. The Emergency Arts building is in downtown Las Vegas at 520 E. Fremont street, right across the street from the El Cortez which you can see in the background of this photo.

I happened to go there today to meet up with my friend Lynne who has two shops over on Etsy - HiJinx for Handknit and Crocheted items and Adamson Art for all her amazing paintings. Most of the shops inside were closed but we did have a wander around and saw some cool artwork.

Let me tell you something interesting about this building...it used to be a medical center. My husband even went there once for a physical when he was applying for some job years ago. All the artists are using the former examining rooms...wild!

It was a bit quiet today which is to be expected as it was a Wednesday afternoon but they do have a lot of events there. It was nice to finally check it out and good to see that East Fremont Street is starting to get some love and it looks so much nicer down there.

Hope you can check it out if you are ever in this neck of the woods. After that you can check out the Arts District which I'll tell you about some other time.

Favorites For Friday

2010-10-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Guess what woke me up this morning? RAIN! It's been close to 100 degrees without any let-up and them BAM! now it's Autumn and we have rain in the desert. I haven't had a chance to look outside yet but I'm sure there is a rainbow somewhere so that is what I used to get my favorites for this week.

Tie Dye Rainbow Swirl Maxi Dress - Inspiring Color

Bright Rainbow Tote - Interference Channel

Rainbow Crochet & Crystal Clippie Set - The Girlie Girl Bowtique

OOAK 3X Goblins - Tanglewood Thicket

Mariah Rainbow Geode Stone Necklace - Briana Rose

Nothing like a bit of color to make the day a bit brighter.

Enjoy!

Facebook....I Love You!

2010-09-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today as I just had to proclaim my love for this website. You see, I resisted Facebook for a long time. Went over to Twitter as I thought it would be easier to manage and a better way to get the word out about my jewelry. Boy, was I wrong! You know that since I've been on Facebook, only a few months, I have had 2 sales on Etsy that are directly from Facebook. Man, what a dumba$$ I was, I shoulda been on there ages ago. Well, you live and learn. Oh, and one of those sales was from a woman who I am "friends" with because she plays Farmville and is one of my "neighbors".

Thanks for the well wish as I'm feeling 100% better though the weather here is crazy hot still. Oh and those earring cards I had in my last post for Favorites For Friday....I am in the process of getting some ordered. Waiting to hear if my photo is ok and I'm also only getting 50 as opposed to the 100 to begin with. I'll let you know how they come out once I get them.

Favorites For Friday

2010-09-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

On Monday I started to feel a bit rough, achy and well, like I was about to get a cold or the flu. I realize that despite the fact that it is now Fall in most Northern Hemisphere locations that does not mean anything here in Las Vegas. So by Tuesday it was on and I sat in all day trying to sweat it out which wasn't hard since it is still about 100 degrees most days here. I even had intended to do a post earlier in the week but that was out as I could barely move. So, this weeks favorites are from my own personal faves on Etsy, a way to cheer myself up (if I had the $$) after feeling so terrible earlier in the week. I'm sure you will enjoy some of these too.

100 Custom Earring Cards - PixelbyPixel

Liquid Mineral Eyeliner - NatureGirlz

Mineral Lipstick Orchid - SkinBodyworks

50 Personalized Logo Labels (2" Round or Square) - Bleu Soleil Design

Cute Heart Sterling Silver Ring - TDN Creations

Let's be honest, shopping always makes a woman (and some men - though NOT my husband) feel better. I know that shopping for make-up certainly gives me a boost. Anything to make me look better will do that...lol. Jewelry, despite the fact that I make it, always makes me feel good too. The others are items I really would like to have to make my shop a bit more complete. I know I'm not rolling in sales but, hey, it would be nice to have a nice uniform and more professional look.

Favorites For Friday

2010-09-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, when the leaves start to fall from the trees. If I had a bucket list (which I don't) then one of the top things on it to do would be to visit the New England area during the time when the leaves change. All the beautiful colors! On that note, that is the theme for this week....leaves.

Set of Pistachio Autumn Leaves - Earthenwood

Branch of Leaves Bracelet - Fourviere Hill Jewelry

Messenger Bag - Sinem Inugur

Glowing Leaves 5x7 Fine Art Photograph - Joy Tanner Photography

Autumn Soap Leaves - Enchanting Soap Favors

I hope you enjoy these, even if you happen to be in the Southern Hemisphere where it is almost the start of Spring.

Been Busy

2010-09-13T21:15:00.001-07:00

Ahhh boredom can do funny things to people. For me, it makes me just sit down and play! I'm sure there are others of you that do the same thing and you will know that sometimes things work....sometimes they don't. The first photo is a bracelet that I ended up making for myself. I've had my coiling gizmo for a while now and had attempted these coils before but just could NOT get them right. I finally sat down and set it up and was determined this time to get them to work. They turned out much better than previous tries but I still wasn't 100% happy with them. At least not enough to sell something like this but at least I'm getting there.

I love wire, all colors, shapes and sizes. In fact, I collect wire like Lisa over at Alterity Art collects buttons! Seriously, I have a box full of wire. So, again time to play and I came up with these babies. I also have a real fascination with swirls so I love to mix and match colors. By the way, these are listed over on Etsy here....only $6!

Of course, I couldn't make all these earrings and skip out on my first love - chain maille. These are Shaggy Loops earrings which I also added some big (size 6) seed beads. I have this tube of beads in all these lovely shades of purple and thought they would look very nice on some aluminum jump rings. I made them shorter as I know the majority of women prefer shorter earrings, especially for every day wear.

Lastly, this was originally a necklace which I had used these fake Swarovski crystals that I bought years ago when I first starting making jewelry. They really looked fake too. I decided to take it all apart other than the chain maille bits and then re-connect them. I decided to go with these orange anodized aluminum rings which I think look pretty nice. Now it is a bracelet which I shall be listing on Etsy soon.

I still have a few more pairs of earrings that I haven't had a chance to take photos of yet but there is time. Plus I have a few more ideas running around in my head of some more wire creations.

9/11

2010-09-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd skip Favorites for Friday this week. I apologize that my photo of the Statue of Liberty is not the real one but since I don't have my own photo of the real one I thought that I would use this one I took recently. She stands outside the New York New York hotel and casino here in Las Vegas but I'm sure you will agree that where ever she may be she stands for the same thing.

Time For A Facelift

2010-09-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

Not me, well, yes maybe I do need one but I was referring to my blog. I was getting a bit bored with the background I had and when I went to change it I had to change the blogger template I was using which altered the look of everything. My banner didn't fit properly anymore so I went to play in Picasa and managed to come up with the new one. I just used the collage setting and made up my own size for the banner. It had to be slightly larger than the size used on Etsy which stinks because when I tried to re-size it to use on Etsy too, I couldn't get it to fit in their specifications. I think if I had Photoshop I would have been able to but, hey, I'm just happy it fit on here. I also added a few things which I had always wondered when I was other people's blogs how the heck they did it. Just needed to play around a bit to find them, such as the tabs up above. Only added two but it is a start. Any suggestions on other ones?

So, what do you think?? Is the background a bit too dark or just right? I'd love to hear some feedback.

Favorites For Friday

2010-09-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot it was Friday and then when I stopped by my blog to do this post I happened to notice that Victoria over at Three Fates Design had stopped by to tell me I had won on her blog. As it has been SO long since I've won anything and it is such a stunning prize which you can see here, it is her Butterfly Cuff, I decided that this weeks favorites will all be butterflies. Man there were so many beauties to choose from too.

Hand Painted Teal Wings Butterfly Necklace - Lucinda's Charms

Ava Handbag with Wooden Handles - Tangerine Kitty

Rubber Butterfly Stamp - Dragonflybuzz

Mod Butterfly All Sterling Silver - The Karma Tree

Emerald Swallowtail Real Framed Butterfly - Bug Under Glass

So a big THANK YOU to Victoria and please make sure you stop by not only her blog but her Etsy shop as she really has some lovely pieces of art to wear - jewelry to most but to me they are works of art. Hope everyone in the US has a great Labor Day Weekend!

Favorites For Friday

2010-08-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, can you believe that Summer is nearly over? We are expected to have a huge drop in temperatures here in Las Vegas next week...you know from 110 down to about 95....haha! I decided to do a search on Etsy for this weeks favorites using the word Autumn. When I started looking at all the wonderful items I realized I was really drawn to the ones with Pumpkins. Not sure why though I am a fan of orange.

Spiced Pumpkin Lavender Epic Lip Balm - Epically Epic Soap

Lampwork Glass Focal Bead - Jelveh Designs

Snuggly Pugkin Head Hat for Dogs - All You Need Is Pug

Pumpkin Patch Pair Handmade Glass Beads - Bastille Bleu Lampwork

Edible Chocolate Filled Candy Pumpkins (2 dozen!) - Andie's Specialty Sweets

Hope you enjoy these lovely orange pumpkins and have a great weekend!

My Home Back!

2010-08-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

The husband left on Saturday to escort his mother back to England and he is due back late tonight (Monday). Of course, I haven't had much time to myself as I've been trying to clean up after she left. Also, it was just nice to not have to worry about entertaining her which has been very tiring for us both. I will say this about the dementia/memory thing....she forgets she's been somewhere and we can take her over and over again!

During her time her, the mother in law got real tired, real easy. She is 83 so it was to be expected and of course the super hot weather (108 most days) can tire anyone out. She took quite a few naps which was time we had to just relax and maybe get a few household chores achieved. I did manage to work on a few new jewelry items including the above earrings. I have these really cool spikes which aren't real spikey and are made of aluminum so they weigh next to nothing. I did make an anklet with a few but I still have quite a few left and grabbed a few rings and whipped these earrings up.

Over the past week and half I actually have had 3 sales on Etsy which is great considering I re-opened my shop back in June. It was just like I had opened it from the beginning all over again...waiting for that "first" sale. By the way, I'm loving the new wider pages over on Etsy, looks so much better and cleaner.

Now that things are sort of back to normal I shall hopefully be able to post more regularly and will definitely have my Favorites For Friday back this week.

Mt Charleston

2010-08-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Of course, with the mother-in-law visiting I have not had the time I wanted on the computer, or for myself period. Things got a bit worse last Friday when the husband went out to work shortly before 8am as he always does, only for him to be back in by 9am. Laid off! This causes problems for many reason, money being the main one but also he would take his mother with him. He drives around Las Vegas as a courier so she could tag along in the car and she enjoyed the sights. Money-wise it stinks because the MIL doesn't like to do much other than play on the video poker machines and as you can imagine right now in Vegas they do not hit much. The casinos have to make money somehow.

So, it was good last Sunday when we had an excuse to take her up to Mt Charleston which is about an hour from Vegas. We have lived here for 16 years and this was the first time we had gone up there. The best thing was the Handmade in Vegas Team had organized a great Craft Fair up there. The photo above is where the fair was held and it's a lovely place called The Resort. Click the link and check out their site especially the photos around the area. I definitely would love to go back there and stay for a night. I can only imagine how beautiful the scenery is during winter when there is snow up there.

There were quite a few vendors and everyone I spoke to said it was a good show so I'm very happy for them and hopefully that means that there are people out here in Vegas who want quality, handmade goods. I did manage to get a beautiful wood cutting board which I shall have to take a photo of and post it here for all to see. I really needed one too so it was good to finally get it and it is just a small one but really beautifully made. Shame money is so tight right now because there were some other amazing items I would have loved to have bought. One woman had some gorgeous fused glass pieces and there was one bowl in particular that I would have loved to have bought but at least I grabbed her card so I can call when I want one.

Hope all my blog friends are keeping well and enjoying the Summer despite the fact that it is almost over....can you believe that?? Until the MIL leaves I may be posting less frequently so I apologize in advance and hope you keep stopping by just to see if I have managed to get a few minutes to write something.

Favorites for Friday

2010-07-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

I always try to have a reason/theme for choosing my Favorites. This week is no exception. Last night I was eating dinner and after I was done I felt a sharpness in the back of my mouth. Well, I'd only gone and lost (eaten..ick) a filling. Luckily it is one right at the back but of course, no health/dental insurance so I shall be walking around with a big gaping hole at the back of my mouth. That is why I chose the word tooth to do a search on Etsy this week. I came up with some cute and cool items.

Mastodon Tooth Fossil Wire Wrapped Pendant - R2 Rockz Art Gallery

Monster Tooth Pillows - Hannahlah Designs

Pearly Whites - It's Beautiful

Tooth Fairy Pillow - Chloe Jane Handmade

Gothic Victorian Human Teeth Cuff Links - Loved to Death

I have to say I'm really loving those cuff links. I have a pair of teeth that I had to have pulled when I was about 14 before I got my braces. Always kept them in the hopes of being able to make or have them made into earrings. Hope you enjoyed these and have a great weekend.

More New Photos

2010-07-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks for all your comments on my last post. Good to see I'm not the only one who LOVES pink. Since I signed up on Facebook, a friend got me hooked on playing that game Farmville and I'm dying to buy a little pink house for my farm...so sad!

As I am writing this post the husband and his mother are on their way here to Las Vegas. Hopefully he is not too stressed out. He has been calling me all the time while he has been away. Mostly because of his mother, though also because he misses me and of course, I miss him. Last Friday I went and stayed with friends which was great because we spent most of the time in the pool or making jewelry. Works for me. My friend Jenny had ordered me these pieces and I managed to get some shots before I had to move my "photo studio" to the closet since it is in the bedroom the MIL will be using. I just love the little pillow.

I definitely think that on the whole my photos are improving all the time. There are some that when I've taken them I though they looked okay until I put them on the computer. No problem though as I'll just keep taking more.

This last one is one of my favorites. I think it really shows off the square wire rings of this piece and that (to me) is the high-light of it. Though I do love the chainmaille weave which is called Full Persian.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Favorites For Friday

2010-07-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I have ever mentioned it before, but my favorite color is pink. Preferably hot pink. Funny thing is, when I was real young my favorite color was purple as I was a fan of Donny Osmond and if you are old enough to remember the Donny & Marie Show, his favorite color was purple. Okay so I'm talking about when I was like 6 or something like that. When I was a teenager I was a punk so it was basic black with a bit of plaid thrown in for good measure. As I got older I rediscovered pink and now I'm a bit obsessed with it. Not that I have no other colors in my wardrobe but it is mostly pink and neon green. I always have to stop myself in the bead shop when I start to reach for pink beads. Maybe I need an intervention. On that note, here are my picks from Etsy that were found using the search terms "hot pink". Man, there was a LOT too. Guess I'm not the only one.

Hot Pink Gerbera Daisy with White Crochet - Fanciful Designs

Diva Baby Tutu Dress - Diva Baby Designs

Hot Pink Chalcedony Briolette Earrings - Glitz Glitter

Large Curvy Clutch Hot Pink Buzz - Lena Lime Studio

Crochet Newsboy Hat - Natalya's Studio

Funny thing is about this last item, when I picked it and went to Natalya's shop I realized she is a Handmade In Vegas member. Might have to see if she will be at our next meeting. She had some cute crocheted moccasins in hot pink too...lol. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

All Alone

2010-07-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

The husband left today (not me) to fly back to England. He is going to get his mother for a visit. I did a post about her visit last year here. As I was re-reading the post I realized that I had not mentioned the fact that when she arrived by herself she was very confused. She has her good days where she is "with it" but some days especially when she was here were not good at all. We really just think it is Dementia as opposed to Alzheimer's which I suppose is a good thing. So that is why he has gone back so she has a chaperon to here and back. Hard for him but worth it so she can have a vacation.

I decided to intersperse some of my newest photos in between since I will be busy taking some more while he is away. Oh and cleaning, of course.

I think I'm really getting the hang of this photo taking thing. One thing I do have to say was/is a big help is to use your timer on your camera. I have such shaky hands that I was always getting blur even with a tripod. Also, I always take at least 2 shots in each position and change my settings so I can choose which one seems more genuine as far as colors, etc.

A friend of mine just placed an order with Nile Corp and asked me if I wanted anything. They have some nice displays at very reasonable prices so I had her order me a leatherette pillow and bracelet display ramp for taking photos. In the top shot I used some paper rolled up and placed the bracelet around it. Works but I'd rather have something that won't end up crinkling. I've found that I really do prefer very simple and plain shots of just my jewelry though I know that a lot of people like to add some kind of prop or different colored backgrounds. That is just me and I can't say that it is the right way as I have seen some product shots with those aspects and they have been amazing.

Favorites For Friday

2010-07-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I had intended to do another post earlier this week but I got side tracked looking for work and various other things. Then when I realized it is now Friday and I was trying to think of a good topic for my Favorites this week....it dawned on me. Jobs! I actually went and did a search on Etsy with just the word job and here are a few things I came up with that caught my eye. One thing I will say is that if you are like me and looking for work, no matter how hard things get you have to attempt to still have a sense of humor about the whole situation. If you don't then that is when you will be in the depths of despair and believe me, I know.

Team Laid Off Tank - Junkprints

The Daily Grind Original Painting - Green Eyes Art Shop

Prosperity, Career & Money Spell Candle - Free Will Magick

Custom Resume & Cover Letter Package - Resumes by Dana

I hope no one is easily offended by this last one but there is kind of a story behind my reason for choosing it which I will explain below.

I Hear Prostitution is Recession Proof Cookies - Bitter Baking Company

So here is the story, about a year ago my husband came in and had this story to tell me. He was in the convenience store buying a paper when he overheard this conversation. I must remind you that this IS Las Vegas so really this is not an unusual conversation I guess. Even after living here for 16 years I still kinda have a hard time coming to terms with how bizarre a place Las Vegas is.

1st Man - Hey dude how's it going?
2nd Man - Not so good, no work, things aren't looking good.
1st Man - Oh man, that stinks.
2nd Man - Yeah, things are so bad my woman had to go back to hooking (me-now you'd thing the 1st man would be like OMG!!!!)
1st Man - Really, man that stinks (very matter of factly)

Again, I apologize if you are offended but when I saw these cookies it totally reminded me of that bizarre conversation my husband overheard. I can only say that I know that you would never hear a conversation like that ANYWHERE else in the world or if you did then the 1st man/woman would be freaking out. Hope you enjoyed these favorites since I chose them as they actually made me smile which as I say is the most important thing in these times right now.

Favorites for Friday

2010-07-09T09:13:00.001-07:00

This feature had a hiatus for a while, but I think it's time to bring it back. This weeks picks come from the Handmade in Vegas Team. I know I just featured some of the members when I posted that I had joined the Team but we are growing by the day and so I really want to send out some love to my fellow members. I'm just so excited that we finally have an Etsy Team too.

Shimmery Blue Hand Crochet Shrug - byKEONA

Dangerous Beauties Stainless Steel Tornado Earrings - Handcrafted Jewelry USA

Baby Flapper Girl Hat - AnnaVirginia Fashioneering
Isn't she adorable??

Pink Gourmet Chocolate Shoe (YES it's a chocolate shoe!) - Chocolate Lushes

Hope you enjoyed my first Favorites for Friday since who knows when. I think I know who my new BFF is going to be (Chocolate Lushes!!).

Rocky Mountain High......

2010-07-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Colorado!! I hope everyone had a safe and Happy 4th of July. The husband and I decided to go on a little road trip. I'm sure you figured it out but if you haven't, we went to Denver, Colorado. It was just a fleeting visit and we drove all 11 hours to get there. Not a trip I'd make again as it was very tiring but, hey you only live once. Along the drive you pass through the top Northwest corner of Arizona before driving through Utah then onto Colorado.

Some of the amazing scenery on the way, just like something out of a John Wayne movie!

I wonder if they filmed movies like "High Chaparral" around these parts? If we had had more time I would have loved to have stopped at Moab, Bryce Canyon or one of the many other amazing State Parks.

This is the Colorado State Capitol Building which was a few blocks away from the motel we stayed at and on the way to Coors Field.

Oh yes!!! Can't spend the 4th of July anywhere else but at a baseball game. If you have been reading my blog for a while then you will know that when we travel it is usually to go to a concert or a sporting event. More than likely it will be a baseball game and so here we were in Denver and the Giants were playing there over the weekend. Boy, was it a historic baseball game as well. We arrived at Coors Field for the a 1pm start and the game lasted 15 innings!!! That was 5 hours and 24 minutes of baseball!!!! The longest game at Coors Field in their short history.

We stayed till the very end and of course we lost. We even got soaked because as you can see it was a bit cloudy. I can't remember what inning it was or what time but we got some serious rain and we were sitting out in the open. Funny thing was, earlier it was very warm and we had to put on sunscreen. They have a great ballpark there so it was a nice little road trip.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for fireworks. Probably why the 4th is my favorite holiday. Needless to say I hope everyone in the US as well as all Americans around the globe are having a safe and Happy 4th of July.

Photography Tutorials

2010-06-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Moonangelnay and her brilliant blog which has some amazing photography tutorials?? If you are not, then you need to! Thanks to these tutorials I think I have gotten a better hang of getting my product photos to a point where the only thing I need to do is crop them. Isn't that the secret to great product photos? Not having to adjust much of anything with photo editing software?

I've included in this post, a few of Naomi's photos to show you how good she is and so (in my opinion) makes her more than qualified to give advice.

Sweet Maple

Lobelia Dreams

All of Naomi's articles can also be found on Handmade Spark. You definitely need to take some time to read these tutorials as they will help you immensely as they have me. One thing I have learned about product photography is to always strive for better photos. Even when you think you have it down pat you need to constantly be working at them. I certainly hope you get as much out of the tutorials as I have.

Handmade in Vegas Etsy Team and .....

2010-06-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

...my 100th post!!! Woo hooo!!

Plenty to celebrate today. As most of you who regularly read my blog will know, I closed my Etsy shop for about 6 months during which I had to kind of get my head in order, being unemployed and all. It was affecting my creativity. Now I'm back on Etsy and found that during my time away an Etsy Team for Las Vegas finally became a reality. Okay so I could have got off my backside and done something to kick-start such a team but I readily admit it - I'm not an organizer. Needless to say, I am now a member and am attending my first meeting on Thursday night. It was thrown together at short notice so I'm sure there won't be a lot of other members that can make it but it will be great to meet other Etsians here in Vegas. In celebration of my new membership in this great Team, I'm going to share a few items from a few of the other team members.

Mini Sugar Cookies (YUMMMM) - Cap and Kat Cookies

Sterling Silver and Red Crystal Bracelet - Carolyn's Jewelry

Party Time Business Card Holder - Art Box Creations

Blue Scented Mandala Pillar Candle - Vegas Henna

Double Sided Textured Flower Beads - Aquariart

That business card holder has my name on it, LOVE the colors! I just gained 5 pounds looking at the cookies. Our tag to find all team member is madeinvegas team. When you get a minute, check us all out. Of course, I would be remiss to not include a link to the team blog which is here. I'm really looking forward to being a part of this team and being able to contribute as well.

Not a bad way to celebrate my 100th post!

World Cup Football/Soccer

2010-06-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

I realize that the World Cup has already kicked off and that the "big" game, USA v England has already happened but I still thought it would be fun to share some cool items inspired by this big event. Even if you are not a fan of the World Cup then I'm sure you will be of these items.

South Africa - 2010 FIFA World Cup iPhone Leather Case

Football Button Charm Bracelet

Support Your Country World Cup Guitar Pick Earrings USA

What's Up Your Sleeve - Fabric Coffee Sleeve Soccer Balls

FIFA World Cup Sunglasses Case or Mini Handbag

Now, I know I've mentioned a few times (at least) that the husband is from England though I don't know if I have ever mentioned how we exactly met. You see, if it weren't for the World Cup I would have never met my husband. Way back in 1986, a few weeks before my 18th birthday my husband and his friend came to California to stay with his friend's uncle who just happened to live down the street from me (at my parents house). They were on their way to Mexico which was where the World Cup was held that year. No, the rest was not history, as cute as I thought he was at the time I was dating someone else. He came back in '87 (nothing happened) then finally in 1988 was when I finally succumbed to his charms. As you can imagine, this is about all on his mind at the moment.

Enjoy!

A Day At The Zoo

2010-06-06T16:06:00.001-07:00

No, I don't mean a visit to family either. The San Diego Zoo actually. About 3 weeks ago, the husband and I took a road trip to San Diego as we needed a little break. The San Francisco Giants were playing baseball down that way so we figured, what the heck it's only about a 5 hour drive. Since both baseball games were at night we thought it would be fun to go to either the zoo or SeaWorld. Well, have you seen how much it costs to get into SeaWorld??? Even the zoo was expensive but I did manage to find a site that it ended up being $5 less than if we had bought the tickets on the zoo's site. Now I do have to admit that I'm not for zoo's but I'm also not entirely against them either. We have been to a few that are amazing such as Sydney's Taronga Zoo which I believe is hands down THE best zoo in the world but we also went to one that almost left me in tears at the state of the animals (Bangkok's zoo). All in all it was a fun day and I managed to get some decent shots.

Amazing colors on both the tiger and the reptiles, which are my favorites next to dogs (no dogs in the zoo though).

Some more cool colors on the snake.

Don't you just love when a peacock has it's feathers all spread out and open like this?!

Last but not least, a baby meerkat. He was so far away and my camera isn't real good at zooming in so it's not the best shot. Poor thing got stuck and was trying his best to get around then his mother came over and was feeding/sheltering him from the viewing public. Just adorable though.

The Giants managed to lose the game on the Monday night, which we stayed and watched till the bitter end. Tuesday nights game we had to leave about 9pm-ish in order to drive back to Vegas and not arrive TOO late and wouldn't you know it, they managed to win that one as we listened on the radio along the 15 back home. Story of our lives!

Facebook

2010-05-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one to say that I finally signed up over on Facebook! I've added my badge over on the right hand side, just above my blog followers. Only 4 people like me so far but, hey, I just signed up a few weeks ago and haven't been doing a lot with it yet. Once I get my Etsy shop back open then I hope to keep the updates regular.

A Bit Of Beadweaving

2010-05-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

As of late, I haven't been working with wire or jump rings much. Mainly I've been doing a bit of beadweaving. Here is one of my latest projects. Once it is finished it will be a necklace. I still have a bit of tidying up to do and add a clasp which has been an issue as I'm not quite sure which type would suit it best. Needless to say it is a double spiral stitch using pink and gray seed beads.

It was made with a purpose as I have a dress which has similar colors as well as black and white in it so it is meant to be worn with this particular dress. I have to say that I love spiral ropes whether in beads or jump rings. Both have such a lovely look to them. One day I shall really play around with different sizes and shapes of beads to make this rope. Spiral stitches always look gorgeous with a few Swarovski's thrown in too. I'm hoping to get a nice big shop in for some new jump rings soon. I know I can't be the only on out there that loves to make the odd item to keep all for myself. Share one of your items you made just for you.

Almost Time....

2010-04-27T11:48:00.001-07:00

for me to re-open my shop. On Etsy at least. One thing I've been mulling over in my time off has been whether or not it is worth having three shops. I know that some people seem to do real well having more shops on several of the handmade sites but I found that I didn't feel like I was able to put in enough time on each of them to make it worth it. Might just be a good idea to try to be a success at one THEN I can consider having 2 or 3 shops.

Another thing I've been thinking a lot about is branding. You know, logos and the like. I really liked the idea of my photos of my little treasure chest with my jewelry in it as my little trademark but then again I'm not so sure. Also, was thinking since my shop is actually called tstreasures.etsy then I was considering sticking with that as opposed to Theresa's Treasures. I know it means the same but maybe just sticking with it to be more consistent. These are things that I'm torn about so any opinions are appreciated.

I'm thinking about the beginning of June for re-opening. I'd like to have a few new items to go with the old items so that when I do re-open it isn't just all the same old stuff. That is another thing I've been trying to do. Of course, I'd like to get a real handle on my photos and am trying to get a better light box together.

My biggest problem so far has been I have SOOO many ideas of designs but no resources to make them. One of the things about chainmaille in particular is you need rings....lots of them. OK so aluminum is pretty cheap but I think people see it in the description and think of pop cans. It is such a great metal to use but I seriously think people have a negative outlook on it. Maybe it's me or I'm being super sensitive. I love the stuff.

Anywhooo, watch this space and I'll let you know when the big day is.

Let's Play Ball!

2010-04-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, I love this time of year. Not only is it Spring but it's baseball season. So here are a few fun items that are baseball related from Etsy.

Creations by M

Single Stone Studios

Precious Curls

My Personalized Tshirt

One more thing.....

GO GIANTS!!

Happy Easter

2010-04-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

White Bunnies in Gunmetal Earrings from Strung Out & Wired

I'm sure there are a few people out there that don't celebrate it but despite that I'd like to wish everyone a very happy Easter. Even if you just spend the day crafting or perusing the pages of Etsy.

By the way, I'd like to comment back to Sharla's comment from Beaded Tail on my last post. She mentioned Bead Haven which I've been to a few times as my friend Jennifer lives not far from it so it is usually where we shop when we go out. Plus there is a great Thai Restaurant in the same complex. It's a little bit of a drive if you are visiting Las Vegas and staying on the Strip but it is worth the drive as they do have a pretty darn good selection of all types of beads, books and tools. As is Bead Jungle which is the other way down in Green Valley/Henderson. I'm sure I've mentioned bead shops in Vegas which are few and far between but if you are ever coming for a visit and would like to do a bit of bead shopping, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll give you my best opinion. Sadly, one of my favorite shops which was a few blocks from the Strip, Vegas Beads, closed a little while back. They had a great selection of Swarovski and the best prices.

REALLY Bad New Photo

2010-03-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Actually it just looks a bit grainy now that I'm looking at it again. Needless to say, it is definitely not one I would use to sell this necklace on Etsy...lol. I just had to share since it is one of the first things I've finished in ages. Well, didn't even really finish it yet since I still have to put on a clasp, but close enough. I found the hematite fan ages ago at a bead shop I rarely go to over by the airport here in Vegas. That main part is actually strung and then I added the chainmaille bits on the sides. I used bright aluminum rings and so the maille part is very lightweight. I was quite happy with how it came out although I did end up having to get some help on the stringing part from my friend Jennifer as it had been so long since I'd done any I was having a heck of a time getting it to sit just right. I took a few other photos of things I was playing around with but they were even worse. If I had Photoshop it wouldn't have made any difference with the other photos, THAT is how bad they were!! Really need to find a decent new set-up for a light-box.

I wanted to say thanks to all who commented on my last post about tutorials. I have to say that for the most part I agree about the fact that if you search hard enough you will find a free tutorial for just about anything. I do agree that people who do put together tutorials put a lot of time an effort in so yes they deserve payment for that but I can't see why anyone would take the time to do a tutorial for say, peyote weave, and then charge for it when there are a zillion and one free tutorials out there. At the end of the day, I'd rather keep more money for beads and jump-rings and wire!

Tutorials - To Pay Or Not To Pay?

2010-03-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

That is the question I am posing to you out there. You see, I grew up in a house where my parents hobby on the weekends was to go to garage sales. My mother would get the local paper on a Wednesday and go through it, cutting out the garage sales and putting taping them to a bit of paper in the order they were going to go to them. Obviously if I don't have to pay for something then that is great. Or if I get a good deal then I'm over the moon. My hobby when I was a teenager was going with my friend to the local thrift stores on a Sunday when they would have an extra 20 to 50% off certain tag colors. I admit to being frugal though I stop short at the idea that I'm cheap. I've spent enough money over the years on concerts, sports and travel. I'm just like most people in that I prefer a bargain.

So, my question is do you pay for tutorials? It could be any kind - jewelry, sewing, crochet, knitting, paper crafts. Don't get me wrong I just bought a really, REALLY cool peyote stitch tutorial last week so I'm not adverse to the idea of it. I guess my problem is when I see (in particular) chainmaille tutorials that are for weaves that are already out there online somewhere for free. Nowadays if you do a search for "free X tutorials" you will find what you are looking for no matter what it may be. In fact, one of my most favorite sites to visit is Glitter Glow Beading as she has a great list of tutorials and it's broken up into groups, look over to the right if you click the link.

So give me some opinions. Am I being a real cheapskate or are you like me and it would have to be a super special tutorial to spend money on?

Who Wants Spring??

2010-02-26T16:08:00.003-08:00

Since it seems this winter is lasting a little longer and is a little more rough than usual for most, I thought I'd do some lovely items to cheer us all up. My search on Etsy used the word "Spring" and these are some beauties I came up with.

Summer Garden Beaded Necklace - Kim Smith
Ok so I got ahead of myself with this necklace from Kim Smith with it being a Summer necklace but it is so beautiful I couldn't resist including it.

Little Spring Tulip Cookies - Lori's Place

Rainbow Flower Headbands - And Jane

Mango Papaya 3oz Votives - Classy Chic Boutique

Raspberry Sorbet Flower with Beanie - Ooh La La Baby

Enjoy!

New Stuff...Sort Of

2010-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

I just finished a really cool hematite and chainmaille necklace which I need to take a few pics of then will post them as soon as I do. Also, I plan on doing a bead-woven necklace next but need to grab some beads for it since I have a particular color scheme in mind. Just wanted to do a quick post to say hi to anyone who happens to still stop by. Wondering if I typed in "valentine" or "heart" on Etsy how many pages there will be! Will try to get those photos taken soon so at least you will have a reason to stop by.

Wire Wrapping Books

2010-01-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

I love craft books of any kind and will often look at one even if I don't actually do the craft just to see how they present a craft. I believe that if you are not a knitter (for instance) that if you want to buy a book and teach yourself how to that the book should include plenty of photos with the step. Maybe that is because I'm a visual learner. So, with that I would like to tell you about a couple of wire wrapping books that I think are well worth the price. The first one Jewelry Studio: Wire Wrapping which I have. I really love this book and had looked inside it several times at bead shops before I finally purchased it. The authors have included loads of step by step photos (YAY!) and very good written instructions alongside. They cover plenty of different design ideas from beginner to advanced.

The second book I highly recommend is one on my wish list and I will definitely be buying this one as soon as I can afford it. It is Wirework: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Wirewrapping by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong. If you are not familiar with Dale's work then you don't know what you are missing. I would LOVE to take one of her classes. I've thumbed through this book and as with the other she has plenty of projects from beginner to advanced and is thorough in her instructions and plenty of photos of all the steps. One of the other things I love about this book is that she includes photos of some of the finished projects by her students, their interpretation of her design. How cool is that?

Both books include all of the usual first chapter about all the tools and explanations of all of them and what you really need and what is helpful to have. I find this information useful when you compare what different wire workers use and prefer as far as tools. While mostly they use the same things and suggest the same tools for you to use there are always variations which I find very useful.

I've found that the one problem I have when doing any wire-wrapping project is how much wire to use. Both of these books help you to figure this out so you can work on projects and hopefully get the amount right. So if you are interested in wire wrapping check out both of these books.

Also, apologies for not posting in a while. Hope everyone is having a great 2010 so far.

Favorites for Friday

2010-01-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have Lin from Duck and Wheel with String and Sharla over at Beaded Tail to thank for this weeks Favorites. If you happened to read their comments on my last post about New Year's Resolutions it got me thinking about rather than making a resolution how about set out to try to learn something new this year. With that in mind I picked a few lovely items that represent what I would love to learn though I doubt I'd be able to learn all this year since that would probably cost a small fortune. Needless to say, here are my picks for this week.

Silversmithing - Delicate Daisy & Branch Ring by zulasurfing

Lampworking - Clarabella Focal Bead by Charleston Beadworks

Knitting - Forest Elf Wrap Around Shrug Pattern by Janice Rosema

Resin Jewelry - Big Star of Sprinkles Ring by Athina Labella
So thanks Lin and Sharla for the great idea. I figure I'm still young enough that if I only get to learn one this year I have a few years left in me to try to get the rest in...lol.

Resolutions Anyone?

2009-12-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Firstly, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus. Whatever holiday you celebrate (or don't) then I just hope you enjoyed the time off from work...if you are lucky enough to have a job! Needless to say, it is now almost that time when you start to make your New Year's Resolutions. Do you do that? I gave up years ago as they always only lasted for a few days. Plus, it always seemed like the things I resolved to do were out of my reach, things that only a miracle could change.

So, how many of you sit there on January 1st every year with a list of Resolution's that you either manage to stick with or do you end up throwing the list on the fire after a few days? It always seemed to me that most people's resolutions were pretty vague anyways. You know the ones I'm talking about - I resolve to be a better person this year. Well, in my MOST humble opinion the only way you can become a better person is to pinpoint WHY you think you are NOT a good person. So, wouldn't you say - I resolve to not be so nit picky about X or I resolve to be more patient while listening to people. Give me a clue then as to how many of you actually do all that AND follow through?? I'd love to hear it. Meanwhile, have a great New Year's Eve and PLEASE don't drink and drive.

Christmas Favorites

2009-12-22T08:01:00.000-08:00

I would be lying if I said I purposely didn't do my Favorites for Friday last week so I could do a special Christmas Favorites. I have to admit that for many reasons I'm not really a fan of this time of year. None of which are worth spending time discussing here...I prefer to keep things light-hearted. Needless to say, I decided to stop by and share some fun items I found over on Etsy that are representative of Christmas to me.

Candy Charm Bracelet, oogieboogiebaubles

<Peppermint Sparkles, dkjewels

Pacific Blooms, happymaxdesigns

Twelve Days of Christmas Bracelet, mjulian (my personal favorite of all)

So, despite my not so happy mood at the time of year, I would still like to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday Season. I would also like to thank everyone for still stopping by my blog despite the fact that I find it so hard to keep it as updated as I had previously.

Favorites for Friday (on Saturday)

2009-12-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay. Sometimes I forget what day it is, they just seem to run into each other. I decided with it being my anniversary on Thursday I would do some lovely bridal/wedding items.

Sparkling Crystals & Pearls Ring by tamaleensbeads

Personalized Stickers Custom Labels by thepaperkingdom

Ivory Satin Hat Veil by Brenda's Bridal Veils

Charlie Clutch by percyhandmade

Some lovely items which I wouldn't have minded having when I got married. Saying that, I've always believed that it isn't all about the wedding, it's ALL about the marriage. Hope everyone has a great weekend (what's left of it).

Time To Reflect

2009-12-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Or something along those lines. You see, this Thursday December 10th is my wedding anniversary. The husband and I will have been married for 21 years. I was only 12 when I got married too.....JOKE!!! Actually I was 20 and so I've now been married more than half my life. Kinda scary sometimes when you think about it but it has been a pretty darn good 21 years. Sure, we are like most couples and have had a few arguments but despite that and a lot of adversity since we are from different sides of the world...we made it and long may it continue. I know he never looks at my blog but I still wanted to thank my husband for being my best friend for the past 21 years. Just wanted to post that and I'll see you Friday.

Favorites For Friday

2009-12-04T04:24:00.000-08:00

Some fun Winter finds this week. I'm sure most of you have had a little bit of snow so far so and might have a bit of the Winter Blues and I think these items might just cheer you up a bit.

Crocheted Snowman by sabahnur

Waiting for Twilight by ara133photography

Christmas Light Bulb Earrings by atomicdog5

Cobalt Blue Glass Mugs by daydreemdesigns

Fresh Snow Starry Night Necklace by ccvalenzo

Enjoy!! and I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Still Here!

2009-11-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. I think with the Thanksgiving holiday I got so side-tracked that I forgot about my poor blog. I've been working on a few custom orders and was playing around with Picasa. I had to re-take the photos of my little chest and wanted to try some new fonts. Not sure if I like them at all. I would love to find someone who can draw and have them draw up a treasure chest rather than have the pics. If I had GIMP or Photoshop then it might look better and I could come up with some better editing. I really need to get some more memory on my poor computer first then download something like GIMP.

So, I hope everyone in the States had a great Thanksgiving and I'll try not to neglect my poor blog for as long next time.

Wired Again!

2009-11-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

I'm skipping Favorites For Friday this week so I can post these new wire wrapped cabochons I've been working on. I finally got a pin vise, which if you didn't know, is this great little tiny hand sized vice. You slide your wire in and tighten it up and twist away. Square wire always looks cool when it has been twisted so I decided to do a few cabs with some twisted wire adornment. As always, I really don't know for sure what the stones are since they were slabs I got at the Gem & Mineral Society shop but I really likes them.

This second cabochon was wrapped using brass wire which is a tough wire to bend but I was very happy with how it turned out. Personally, I don't like too much wire to cover the actual cabochon since that is meant to be the focal point of the pendant. I prefer to keep it fairly simple and add any extra adornment around it. Although you do need to do some wrapping across in order to hold the cab in place.

I think I may have to keep the pin vice handy when I'm doing the wire wrapping since I just LOVE the outcome. Now, I just need to find something nice to hang them on.

I did make a really cool chainmaille pendant but my home-made lightbox got smashed in the move and so I'm trying to take the photos in real light. Didn't work on that one so I'll have to play around a bit more. Plus I have another cabochon which I wrapped with silver colored artistic wire that I want to take a few shots of. More of those later though. Hope everyone has a great weekend and if I don't stop by and say Hi than I hope everyone in the States has a great Thanksgiving!

Favorites For Friday

2009-11-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

This Sunday is the last day all my shops will be open, as I mentioned previously I will be closing for a few months to just take a break. As well as closing my shops I am also taking a break from the EJDSS Team so on that note I thought I would share items from a few of the team members.

VaVaVoom African Inspired Earrings by TikiGiTreasures

Sapphire Blue and Silver Pod Bracelet by Windy River

My Guardian Angel Necklace by Trusk4u

Crystal Chic Necklace by Calio Jewelry

As always, the EJDSS Team is having a great giveaway so make sure you pop over to the team blog and get your entry in. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

New Things and an Update

2009-11-04T10:21:00.001-08:00

Yes, I'm still here, just on a SUPER sllloooooww dial-up connection. Ever noticed that not only is dial-up slow but you ALWAYS get kicked off. . . and it is usually right when you are doing something important! So, we are all moved out and in between I managed to snap a few shots of a few new things I have done lately. I have a few more pairs of these beautiful lucite flowers in other colors but this is the next pair that I made. Same as the red ones I posted previously but the ear wire I made a bit different. I really like just making these very simple since I want the flower to be the focal point. Much as I love the earrings that have a flower with beads, crystals and maybe a leaf or two, these just cry out to be on their own (IMHO).

This next piece is something I have actually been working on for a few months a little at a time. I believe the beads are Fancy Jasper but if you know they are not then please let me know. I was just going by pictures on Fire Mountain Gems site and so I could be totally off base. I did the copper wire spiral caps and then separated the beads with Byzantine chainmaille sections. Then added more Byzantine to the "back" part of the necklace. I'll have to get a shot of me modeling it so you can see how it lays. It's meant to sit at the base of the neck. The beads are actually really big, probably 10 or 12mm or for reference, the size of marbles. Chunky but not over the top.

I haven't been able to do many Entrecard drops or stop by any blogs but I noticed that there is a library that my husband passes during the day. I'm hoping to go there one day and use the wi-fi. Might actually be able to achieve a few things. I did get to the LV Gem & Mineral Society shop on Tuesday to finish up some cabochons I needed to shine up. I have some copper and brass wire and plan on wrapping them soon. Of course, I'll share photos when I'm done. Hope all is well for everyone out there in Blogland and I'll attempt to stop by soon.

Favorites For Friday

2009-10-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

With all this talk of moving I thought a good theme this week would be items for the home. Not that I'll be going on a shopping spree soon but I thought it would be fun to share some items that I would consider for decorating.

Mosaic Accent Table by Lotus Mosaics

Sassafras Winged Bowl by KnottyKnotty

No Drama Mama Crocheted Rag Rug by Bernie's Girl

Baroque & Pinstripe Pillow Set by Persnickety Pillows

Flavorful Coaster Set by Funky Chicken Design

Well, yes I know these probably wouldn't look nice together in the same room but I like them. I would just have to have a huge place ... lol. Anyways, enjoy and have a great weekend!

Some News To Share and an Award

2009-10-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will remember my post about the neighbor from hell and if you didn't read it, it's worth a quick peruse here. Well, back when we moved to this new unit we signed a new lease that was for 6 months. That would be the end of October. Since I'm still not working and our hole is getting deeper we are not renewing the lease. So after Sunday I will be back on dial-up unless I can get to the library and use their wi-fi. This means that I will most likely not be able to do as many Entrecard drops as usual and I may be a bit sparse on the posts too.

I also wanted to add that despite this I will be glad to not be near the nut and his nutty mother. The way our complex is set up you come in the gate and the drive is a U shape. We still have to drive by the old unit and theirs to get to the new one. Last week the husband was coming in from work and nutty mom was standing at the door and when she saw my husband she proceeded to flip him the bird. Often when I see a nutty family like this I wonder why Eugenics never caught on (JOKE..sort of). The idea of just being in the same complex as these people has never really sat well with me and so I will be glad to be anywhere that isn't near them. As my husband says, the best revenge on people like that is to live well.

My next bit of news is that on November 15th I will be putting all my online shops into "Vacation" mode. I'm not closing them for good, I just need to take some time away from the fees at Etsy and the stress of all of that when I'm still sitting here without a job. I realize it probably is a silly time to do such a thing since it is getting near the Holidays and people may be looking for gifts but to retain my sanity and hopefully have a decent nights sleep...I gotta do it. I'll still be blogging but as I say it may be less frequently.

Now to this absolutely wonderful award I received from Dori over at From A Yellow House In England. In Dori's words about this award, "I like this award because to me, reaching out to new friends is one of the best things about blogging" and I couldn't agree more. If you have never been to Dori's blog you should stop by. I enjoy it because I totally relate to her being an American living in England...well, I'm not right now but I was. So now I want to bestow this award on a few of my new friends. Here is my list though I'm sure I'll leave someone off.

Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap
Beaded Tail
Lenox Knits
Nfall2rt Design Studio
PJ's Prose
The Beadings and Buttonings of Random Creative
AskCherLock

Thanks again to Dori and all my new blogging friends that I've made since the beginning of the year when I started on this adventure. It makes it all worth it!

Favorites For Friday

2009-10-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of the fact that I'm going to see Ireland's best band EVER ... U2 ... tonight, I decided to have my theme of favorites this week be Ireland. I'm hoping we actually can see since we got the cheapest nose-bleed seats but hey, we'll be there. The first time I ever saw U2 I was about 14 years old and went with a family friend. They were playing at the Warfield in San Francisco and the only reason I was allowed to go was because I was with this family friend. Hard to believe that was 27 years ago!! Where does the time go? Enough of that .... enjoy.

Celtic Knot Cross Pendant from 3RexesJewelry

Irish Countryside Photo Print by Photos By S3

Dublin Vintage Map Scrabble Pendant by Hello Brown Eyes

Handpainted Wall Plaque by Draw and Quartered

I Love Ireland Print by Lone Bronx Studio

By the way, I just wanted to remind everyone that the EJDSS Team giveaway for October ends next Friday so if you haven't got your entry in for that beautiful pair of earrings then here is the link to the giveaway.

Car Rental Companies - A Rant

2009-10-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

I highly suggest you view this quick clip before you read the rest of my post as it is VERY relevant!

You see, back in September I mentioned the fact that we had car issues here. I never wrote about the issues we had when we went to rent a car, which we had to since life (especially in Las Vegas) stinks without a car. On the Sunday night we went along to the off-site airport car rental place and got to the desk of the company that we use all the time. I won't name names (another Seinfeld reference) so I will now refer to the company as Cents. We went straight to the counter and I handed the Cents employee my reservation number at which time we were told that they didn't have any cars. So if you watched the clip you will know where I'm going with this and the husband and I looked at each other and repeated verbatim to each other the lines in the clip.

The Cents employee writes some stuff down on a form and explains that we should go to their competitors counter and they will honor the reservation and Cents will refund the difference of the daily rental. All we have to do is when we return the car is stop by the Cents counter with the form and our receipt from the competitor and they will send it off to their Customer Service department for the check to be issued. Now, first of all, the rate at Cents was like $30 a day, which is why we use them....always the best rate. The refund of the difference is only for the rate NOT the extra taxes incurred by us because of the higher rate! The daily rate at the competitor is like $60 a day. We had the car for 2 days and when we returned it we went straight over to the Cents counter and they took copies of both the sheet we had originally been given and our receipt from the competitor. We were told (and it clearly stated on this form) that we should receive our refund within 3 weeks. If we don't, then call.

I had it marked on the calendar when the day would be so when that day came and there was still no check I called. You are not going to believe this but the people at the Cents customer service department had NO record of this....they had not received any paperwork from the Las Vegas office. We were not the only ones they had sent to the other company. There were tourists from all over the world and I'm sure their paperwork was never sent either. I was fuming and then had to email the copies of my paperwork which they had never received. Last week I phoned again to find out the status and they say "It may take up to 21 days to receive my refund". Ummm I've already been waiting 4 weeks now and you want me to wait another 3???? I don't think so. I very nicely explained this and last Friday I got a call from one of their employees handling this to say that she had them cut the check and it will be sent out to me this week. We shall see if I do receive it more than 5 weeks after the rental.

Will I rent with Cents again....most likely yes because they always have the lowest rates. Will I let them copy the paperwork to send off if this ever happens again....HELL NO! I'll take copies and send it registered mail myself! Hopefully this won't happen again but I highly doubt it. Again, I feel sorry for the overseas customers who are going to have to try to get their refund like me but from far off. I just needed to rant about this and it was a good excuse to insert a great clip from Seinfeld especially as our experience ran exactly like that clip. It is also a sad indictment on Customer Service nowadays.

Favorites For Friday

2009-10-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

For this week's Favorites I decided to keep in with the keeping warm theme a bit. Now that the weather is changing and the Holiday Season is coming upon us what is one of the main things we all LOVE to do?? Eat!! Alright, so I may be speaking for myself but I rather doubt that. I found a few home-made edibles over on Etsy that look perfect for those cold nights when you just want to snuggle up with something/someone warm. If you click on the top link it takes you to the item and the bottom one is to the seller's shop.

Pumpkin Bread
The Home Baker

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bars
The Cake Artist

Just A Little Taste Of Autumn Spiced Vanilla Caramels
Have It Sweet

Of course you need to wash that all down with something warm to drink.

Yemen Mocca Matari Coffee
The Roaster

Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Mix
Teton Cocoa Company

I hope you enjoy this post since I just gained 10 pounds just doing it! Stay warm everyone and I'll be thinking about all of you as I sit by the pool this weekend. Have a great one.

What Happened To Autumn?

2009-10-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

While blog hopping, I've noticed that for some of you Autumn seems to have lasted a week at best. Sheesh, they even had to postpone one of the Baseball games of the Playoffs being held in Denver because of extreme cold. The field was covered in frost and they couldn't play. I have to say that last weekend we were sitting by the pool here in Las Vegas but as of yesterday it looks like we are starting to get our Fall weather. It was windy and cloudy yesterday and today, more of the same. We probably won't get much in the way of rain until later in the year which is always a shame since we really need it. You know it does get pretty cold here in the desert during the winter months.

Lenox Knits

Yeah, okay I know it isn't going to be anything like it will be for those of you back East or in places such as Colorado but for us here it is real cold. I always found it funny how people moved to Las Vegas and would complain all summer about the temperatures when they are well above 100, sometimes over 110. Then when it gets to Winter they complain about it being cold!

HiJinx

Fortunately, we do keep a few warm weather jackets around and of course, since I used to crochet I have quite a few hats around. Plus we have to have them around for those Summer visits to San Francisco (lol) and when we head back to England which inevitably is at Christmas time. I did catch the weather forecast for this weekend in Las Vegas and it looks like I will be by the pool again, no need to pack away the bikini yet. So till then I'll just stay indoors away from the wind and cold. I just hope all of you are able to stay warm and I'll be thinking of you when I'm lounging poolside this weekend!

Favorites For Friday

2009-10-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

For this weeks Favorites For Friday I shall just be spotlighting one particular person. I'm sure a few of you have stopped by Meghann's blog here but if you haven't had a chance then I highly suggest that you do. Especially if you like cute dogs since she always features some great photos of Arwen.

Now that isn't the only reason I'm featuring Meghann. A little while back she was having a giveaway and I could choose any ring I wanted from her Etsy Shop. The ring below is the one I chose and it is gorgeous!

More of Meghann's beautiful designs.

By the way, Meghann manages to make all this beautiful jewelry living with Fibromyalgia. Now I don't know much about it but I do know that Meghann never tells you about it just to have you feel sorry for her. No, she wants us to know about it to educate us. Also, every month she give 10% of her proceeds from sales to a different charity.

So when you get a minute stop by her blog and shop to have a look at all of her lovely jewelry.

I Inspire!

2009-10-06T09:31:00.001-07:00

Kat over at Candles, Crafts and Whatnot bestowed this award on me and many others a few weeks ago and this time I wanted to get to it sooner rather than later. I have to say that this is a really cool award and much appreciated Kat. Of course, now the hard part is who to give it to since I think I've seen it given to most of the blogs I would have given it too already. To be honest all the blogs I visit regularly inspire me in some way, shape or form. So I'll have to be lazy and say ... if you haven't received it already from someone else and you stop by here regularly then consider yourself my inspiration!

Now to our trip. If you haven't been to New York City recently then let me tell you that the hotel operators there obviously don't realize what the economy is like. Luckily for us, we only paid for one of three nights hotels since we won a night at a LaQuinta and had accrued enough nights at Hotels.com that we had earned a free night. It's amazing how much extra you have to pay just to have your own bathroom!! The photo above of the Empire State Building was from the second hotel from our room. Sadly, when we got in the room it was a mess and they ended up moving us but I did manage to snap this shot before we moved since the next room had a view of a brick wall. One thing I will say is you CAN actually do NYC for cheap as far as eating at least for breakfast. There are loads of guys on the corners selling bagels with cream cheese for $1.50. We stopped by those and that fills you up pretty good for a while.

This is me with my freshly dyed hair in front of Giants Stadium on Friday morning. We had General Admission tickets and you had to get there by 1pm to get a wristband to get in the "pit". Being in the pit means you are closest to the stage which of course means being nearer to Bruce. The husband did manage to give him a tap on the back on Friday night and touch him on Saturday night! Friday night we had more energy and were dancing a lot. At one point I happened to notice a very conservative looking guy next to us and I looked harder and realized it was Brian Williams the anchor for the NBC Nightly News. If I had known he was a Bruce fan I might have actually watched the news a bit more....lol.

All in all we managed to have a good time fairly cheaply in New York which is pretty difficult but can be done. The only complaints were the airlines but I won't even bore you with that since I am sure everyone else has their airline horror stories lately. Worst part of traveling is the "getting there".

Meeting with The Boss....

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

in the swamps of Jersey aka Giants Stadium. If you've read my blog for a bit then you will be able to figure that one out! So, I won't be posting or doing any Entrecard drops until Monday. On that note, I have decided to leave you with some eye candy until I get back. These are a few new items I've been working on lately. Funny thing about the first pair of earrings is when I showed them to the husband he says "They aren't very even". Ummm yeah that was kinda the point. They are meant to be random swirls of silver and rose wire.

More rose wire with a 4mm rose Swarovski bicone dangling at the bottom.

Lucite flower earrings in red with a handmade ear wire in sterling silver.

Hammered copper wire swirls.

I'm planning on adding quite a few items to my Artfire shop since they are having a promotion during the month of October for anyone who has a Basic Account, you can list as many items as you'd like over the normal 12 you are allowed. For FREE! I figure I'll take advantage even though I haven't sold a thing on there yet maybe if I add more items then I'll have more of a chance. I know that lately I've read over on the Etsy forums that a lot of people are closing their shops on Artfire because of lack of sales. It's worth giving it a few weeks and if still nothing then I can always list/relist over on Etsy.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see ya Monday!

I Got Nothing!

2009-09-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm totally blank at the moment. I woke up this morning, did my roots since red ends with a smattering of brown and a LOT of gray does not look nice and then intended to do a blog post. I really wanted to come up with something good but it's just not there today and I doubt it will be tomorrow either. So, I'll just use this as an opportunity to remind you about the EJDSS Team giveaway here. It ends on Wednesday so you still have some time to get an entry in. The prize is a gorgeous Peyote Stitch bracelet.

Speaking of giveaways (ok so I was the only one speaking about them) there are two others I'd like to tell you about which are really cool too. Carol over at Sand Fibers is having a giveaway for one of her beautiful bead woven cuffs. If you have never seen Carol's work then you have to stop by her blog if only to gaze at this woman's amazing talent! I have been a fan of hers for a long time. Here is the link to her giveaway.

This next one is from Deborah over at Sweetwater Designs who I included in this Favorites For Friday post. She is giving away one of her beautiful lamp worked beads! How cool is that? Check out the post here and get your entry in.

So, in the end I did actually have something.....just not what I wanted to say really. At least now that should keep you busy for a bit.

Favorites For Friday

2009-09-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

I was at a loss of what to have as a theme for this weeks favorites then I thought I'd do a search on Etsy under the Art category and used the keyword "travel". The husband and I don't get to do as much as we like to now but traveling has always been a big part of our lives. Guess I'm just getting itchy feet.

Leathermap's Shop

Intrinsic Value's Shop

Anne Smith Studio

LoWorks

Dana Hunting Photography

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Something New!

2009-09-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I haven't really been in the mood to make much but I did manage to whip up these earrings a week or so ago. The only problem is that I didn't notice until after I'd made them that some of the anodized aluminum rings have white spots on them. This sometimes happens when you get a bad batch. Shame since you really can't see them that much but if I were to sell them then I'd have to mention it and then probably would only sell them for like $1 or something. I love this style since it's very simple but looks good no matter what type of jump rings you use. I have a pair I made when I first started weaving chainmaille that are Argentium silver and I added a Swarovski drop on the bottom.

This photo has nothing to do with anything other than I thought I'd just add it for fun. That is the husband and I at the Coliseum in Rome when we went there in January of 2006. As you can tell it was a bit chilly but the flights were dirt cheap from England and we were living there at the time. EasyJet is similar to Southwest here in the States...cheap and no frills. If I remember right, the flight was like 1GBP and you just pay the taxes which are usually about 15GBP. Even by today's exchange rate that is only about $25 for a return flight. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The End of a LONG Week!

2009-09-19T18:15:00.001-07:00

Edited for an update

So The Killers concert was great even though we were in the nosebleed seats. Only bought the tickets a few weeks ago and just got the cheapest. I've heard that there is an issue with Entrecard and malware pop-ups. I re-installed Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and did a scan which lasted like...7 hours. It found 2 bad registry keys and got rid of them so hopefully that is it but I rather doubt it.

Amazing how long a week can be when you don't have a job but this one stunk for me. Started off with car problems. I don't know about anyone else but every time we take our car in we always end up spending a fortune. Plus I've had computer issues which have been happening for a while but seem silent for periods then this issue rears it's ugly head again. I'd love to take it and have an expert look at it but after spending all that money to fix the car, the computer has to wait. I'm trying to fix it myself but I'm not real tech savvy. So, with all that I ended up forgetting that it was Friday and have just barely got on my computer now. Good news is we are going to see The Killers tonight at Mandalay Bay but the bad new about that is there is also a fight going on down that way so the traffic is going to horrendous. Luckily the husband knows all the short-cuts so we should be able to avoid it. Hope everyone else is having a great weekend and I'll get back to my Favorites For Friday next week.

Are You Kanye'd Out Yet??

2009-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I know I am sick of hearing about this man's selfish actions. Yesterday in the USA Today newspaper they had a great front page article titled "What Happened to Civility?". After reading that and hearing all the comments about the Kanye incident and Serena Williams display at the U.S. Tennis Open as well as Representative Joe Wilson's outburst I had planned on writing my own take on all of this. Then I thought to myself, the people who I know read my blog are pretty civil and polite people. I know this through the comments I get on my blog so then I'd basically be preaching to the converted.

I will say this, the actions of these people don't really make me angry so much as they bore me. I'm bored of bad behavior and people with no manners. I am bored of holding a door open for someone and they walk through like it's my job to hold it for them and so they don't feel the need to say "Thank You". I'm bored of being polite and letting someone in on the road and not getting a wave to say "Thank You". Manners cost nothing! Despite all of this I still do these things. I guess no matter how bored or jaded you get about other peoples lack of manners you can't change who you are. Sure, when these things happen I shake my head and say to myself "WHY?". Sometimes I'm so glad I am unemployed and sit at home all day because I guarantee you, anytime I go out I have to deal with this and it just saddens me even more.

So really, that is all I have to say on the subject. Other than to say to all of you who stop by and read my blog:

THANK YOU!

I Love Lucy Award

2009-09-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was actually given this award by Kat over at Candle, Crafts and Whatnot back at the end of August so I profusely apologize to her for not getting to it sooner. I have to admit I'm more of a Ralph Kramden (The Honeymooners) fan but hey, it's all about awarding people and their blogs for cheering people up. So of course, I was honored to have Kat bestow me with this award. This award is probably the hardest for me to give out since there are so many blogs out there that I stop by that cheer me up but I'll try to pick a few. Lin over at a Duck and Wheel with String always manages to come up with some great posts that make me laugh as does Don over at Beyond Left Field.

Those are the funny ones that always cheer me up but all the animal blogs also work wonders. Nothing cheers me up more than cute animals such as those llamas over at Split Rock Ranch or Pricilla and the other goats here. I also include all of you who post photos of your cats or dogs for all of us to see. I probably should have done a job working with animals because they cheer me up the most. So thanks Kat and thanks to everyone who has managed to be able to cheer me up during these rotten times....goodness knows I've needed it at!

Favorites For Friday

2009-09-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

BEADS!! I'm drooling just writing this post....all the pretty beads!! Thought this week I'd share a few lovely beads. The first set is from Deborah at Sweetwater Designs who is also an Entrecard dropper. The rest are just some of my favorites over on Etsy and I own a few too (not these particular ones).

Sweetwater Designs

Spawn of Flame

Mandella Glass

Charleston Beadworks

BeadyGirl Beads

I guess you can tell that, on the whole, I love color. Oh and the EJDSS Team is having another giveaway for September so stop by and get your entry in at our team blog here. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Just Sharing A Few Photos

2009-09-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the Labor Day Holiday, at least those in the US who celebrate it. I finally have been able to hop onto the computer. I figured that since there was so much sport on TV that the husband wouldn't be on it much....boy, was I wrong! I had it for about 5 minutes this morning and I finally said to him about 4pm "Can I PLEASE have the computer???"....lol. Much as I love him being home for the day it will be nice tomorrow when he is back at work and I can just sit on the computer as much as I want.

I also wanted to update my blog so you didn't have to keep looking at that expired Treasury. I didn't have anything so I thought I'd at least share a few photos that I took at Red Rock Canyon during our last visit. The bottom photo I actually adjusted to black and white in Picasa as I thought it made the rocks look really cool. Plus, I'm a huge black and white fan. Two of my most favorite photographers are Ansel Adams and Man Ray. Years ago, when we were living in London they were having a Man Ray exhibit at The Barbican which I was able to check out. It was brilliant. The Bellagio had an exhibit of Ansel Adams work a while back, sadly I didn't get to go as by the time I heard about it it was almost over. I really hate fighting the traffic on the Strip so I skipped it. Next time, no excuses.

A Treasury On Etsy

2009-09-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was sitting there and thought I'd see how close it was to getting a Treasury over on Etsy.....as you sometimes do. Well, it was just about to open and as I was sitting there waiting I suddenly thought to myself "OK, I'm waiting but what theme do I want to do?". I had just done one a few weeks ago that was for the EJDSS Team. There were so many already with color themes and I couldn't think of a good color or name for one so I decided to go for a personal and kinda silly theme....Bruce. It's actually amazing how many items there are on Etsy if you do a search for Bruce Springsteen. I know it won't make it to the Front Page or anything but it was fun for me. In case, you want to stop by and check it out in person, here is the link. If you read my blog regularly then you'll know I'm a bit Bruce obsessed....and if you didn't know before then you do now! Hope everyone has a great weekend, especially if you have Monday off for Labor Day.

Enter to Win Business Cards

2009-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool giveaway over on Broken Teepee's blog. If you know who Pricilla is then you will be aware of the Publicist. Broken Teepee is the Publicist's blog and you should check out both blogs, especially if you like cute goats. Back to this great giveaway. I don't normally take the time to blog about giveaways but this one is really good. Just click the link above and enter to win a set of 500 business cards from Uprinting. To be honest, I'm still swimming in business cards but I wanted to let everyone else know about this great giveaway because as you know, times are tough. I think 500 business cards is a pretty darn good thing to win. All you have to pay is the shipping and I was just over on their site and they have some really nice designs if you don't already have one of your own. What have you got to lose? Get on over and get your entry in before September 9th at 9pm MDT.

Top EC Droppers and a Milestone!

2009-09-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Boy, time sure flies, especially the older you get! It's already September 1st which means time to list my top Entrecard droppers for August.

PJ's Prose
My Gypsygoods
WillOaks Studio
Split Rock Ranch
Buy-Tees.net
Computer Aid
Frugal Healthy Choices
Beaded Tail
Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice
Go Las Vegas Baby!

Thanks again to everyone who drops by. As for my milestone, I now have 102 Followers of my blog, so thanks to all of you too. Never even thought I'd get to 50...lol.

Favorites For Friday

2009-08-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

I had intended to do this post last week but got side-tracked, as I do. So this week's favorites are actually last weeks favorites though they are always favorites....make sense? All of this weeks faves come from a few of my favorite Entrecard blogs. Blogs that I stop by regularly to see what is new and exciting. Obviously these are just a small handful but here they are. Clicking on the photo takes you their listing but I've also added links to their shop (top link) and blog (bottom one).

Summer Stripes Peyote Cuff by Random Creative
The Beadings and Buttons of Randomcreative

Sweet Strawberry Swirl Cold Process Soap
The Life of a Mad Soaper

Oval Silver/White Pendant - Contained Series
nfall2rt designstudio

Vanilla Cake with Mint Creme Miniature Charm
Miss Millificent's World

Going Green Bracelet
Beadsforever - A Beading Heart is a Happy Heart!

I'm away from the computer over the next 2 days so won't be dropping by. Don't forget, Sunday is the last day to enter to win those lovely earrings made by ME over on the EJDSS Team blog. Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

Working On A Dream

2009-08-26T08:49:00.001-07:00

Actually, more like working on photos. I suppose this is something I should have done months ago but I never really paid much attention to the fact that I should "get to know" my camera. I bought my camera (my first ever digital) back in December and never really fiddled around with the settings. Really, I didn't have any idea about them until I got one of the Etsy emails about Storque articles and threads in the Forum about taking pics. So, I grabbed my camera, a pen and pad of paper and started to play. I wrote down the different settings I was using for future reference. The best thing about having your settings correct is that you don't need to edit the photos much. Here are a few I have done so far.

This bracelet (above) is not in any of my shops at the moment though I may re-list it over on Etsy with the updated photos. It's woven in a weave called Inverted Round and I used argentium silver and rainbow anodized niobium rings. I think with the new photos you can see the range of colors on the niobium rings much clearer. The rainbow rings are so cool and each ring has at least 2 colors on it.

This next bracelet is one listing in my Etsy shop here. It's a chainmaille weave called Queen's Chain and I added the Swarovski cubes as a center piece. Like I said, the photos didn't need much done to them other than cropping which is such a relief.

This last photo is a pair of earring I just made recently and will most likely list them over on Etsy too. I call them Queen of Hearts. Obviously you can get the heart part of the name but the Queen part comes from the small section of Queen's Chain at the top. There are so many chainmaille weaves and so many new ones all the time but I tend to gravitate towards the older ones such as Queen's Chain, Byzantine (ropey weave), Double Spiral (ropey weave) and European 4 in 1 (flat weave). I'd rather use one of these weaves and add embellishment of some kind. I try to learn new ones but I always end up back with the old standards. So, what do you think? Be honest now, you won't hurt my feelings. Well, even if you do, I won't tell you. Do my photos look a little more "professional"? The only problem I seem to be having is with the copper jewelry. I may have to get a different (darker) background for those items. Maybe a grey rather than black.

New Discovery

2009-08-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

I found this great place. It's this building and it has books, magazines, cd's and dvd's you can borrow!! It's called The Library and it is the best place ever!! LMAO Yes, I'm being a dingbat...apologies. Actually the libraries here in Las Vegas are new to me despite having lived here for 15 years I finally went to the main Clark County Library a few weeks ago and got a library card. Initially it was so I could use their computers to print a few things since I'm sick of going to Kinko's and paying not only to print but to use their computers. The computers at the library are free to use and you only pay for the copies which are half the price of Kinko's. While I was there the first time, the husband and I got a few cd's and a dvd (which we never got to watch). It was a Kirk Douglas movie which I may get again. The last time I went was to use the computer and I was checking out the dvd's and they had a volume of season one of The Streets of San Francisco. Now, yes I love this show because of the fact that it is based in SF but it was a great series and the relationship between Stone and Keller (Karl Malden and Michael Douglas) was brilliant. There was another one there at the time but I just got the one. Of course, today when I went someone had it out.

I also got a few books last time. Mostly wire books such as Sharilyn Miller's Bead on a Wire which is an excellent book. I'd recommend it as a must have for any level of wire worker. It is a great reference book for tools and basic designs that can be used over and over. Definitely one that is on my Wish List over at Amazon now. The other books weren't as good, one was downright awful.....great for inspiration but definitely not for a novice. Today, when I brought those books back I checked out a couple of issues of Bead & Button magazine from 2005. I've had a subscription to this magazine for a few years now and have quite a few issues I had bought individually before that but only one from 2005. There are a few projects I may have to get photocopied to hang on to. Personally, this magazine is one of my favorites hence the subscription. I find their instructions and photos impeccable and their range of projects is brilliant. Something for everyone. Mostly, I like to use it as inspiration and to sometimes alter the projects more to my personal taste. The only other magazine I really like is Step by Step Wire. They have a lot of great projects and good instructions. I'm a very visual learner....I like to see every step as well as read the description. That's why I love to take classes. Plus, who doesn't like to hangout with other jewelry people and just talk about making jewelry?!? Ok, enough about my new discovery and back to looking at the pretty designs in the B&B magazine.

Oh, don't forget there is only one week left to enter the EJDSS Team blog giveaway here. The prize is a pair of Silver Chainmaille Earrings made by ME!!

The Beach Test

2009-08-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Doing my Entrecard drops this morning I stopped by this blog which I frequent daily, Hugz Before You Go. I enjoy reading Grace's posts and today she mentioned that she had done The Beach Test. Normally when I do these quizzes they are so off it is not even funny but this one was actually pretty accurate (for me).

You Can Be Deeply Passionate Sometimes

You tend to be a very social person. You live for your friends and family. You can get social burnout occasionally though. You aren't a total extrovert.

You don't fall in love easily. It takes you a long time to get used to someone. Intimacy doesn't come easily for you.

You are deeply passionate about several things in your life. You're not passionate about much... and the few passions you have are truly obsessions.

Your sense of humor is intellectual and obscure. Only really well educated people get your jokes.

The Beach Test

The most apt description is the part about being deeply passionate about several things and that those passions are obsessions. Actually it's kinda scary how accurate it is.