For Florence

This is Florence. She was my sweet Mother-in-law, and she passed away December 20th, 2009. She was in the hospital for 3 months before her body just couldn't take anymore infection and pain. She gave it a good fight though. She was like a Mother to me, and since she had never had a daughter (she had 5 sons!), she would tell me that I was the daughter she never got to have. Her and I had a special relationship, and I will miss everything about her....I already do.

When I'm faced with troubled times or a tragedy, I usually dive into doing something to keep my mind busy. I guess we've all got our own ways of coping. And for me....it's making jewelry, and believe me, I've made more than my usual amount this past month! I used to make earrings for Florence every Christmas and on her birthday. I know that she knew she was getting earrings every time, but in her own sweet little way, she was always so surprised. And would show them off to everyone she came in contact with. I have a lot of good and happy memories of her. I'm very sad that she is gone, but at the same time, I feel so blessed to have had her in my life. I know life must go on, but it will be hard without our daily talks and laughs and "I love you's." But I will carry her in my heart always and never forget how she so unselfishly stepped in and took her role as a loving Mother to me...something I needed so badly. And I thank God for giving me the beautiful gift of Florence.


"I love you Mom!"

Twilight

I don't usually post about movies, but I just finished watching "Twilight" and I have to say, I really liked it!! I know, I know, I'm a lil late seeing it, okay.....A LOT late! I have no excuse either. Last week, I was loading movies into my Netflix queue, and I came across the movie. So, I thought, "what the heck?, I want to see what all the buzz is about." If I like it, I like it, and if I don't, then I don't. Well, I have to admit  that it really intrigued me. I found myself so involved in it, that I didn't even pay attention to Craig talking to me. He does that quite often when we watch a movie.....don't ask me why, cause I have no idea. After ten years of marriage, you learn to zone them out when needed. LOL Anyway, I just had to hop on here and post about the movie. I now understand all the fuss, and I must say, for an old married woman, I couldn't take my eyes off of Edward! ooola..la!! ;)
Now that I'm hooked, I've got to see "New Moon!"

New bracelet designs

Over the holidays, I made some different bracelet designs. I love making all jewelry pieces, but lately, I'm really into making bracelets. Don't know why... I just go with the voices in my head! LOL  Anywho, this is one of my newest. I call it, "Rocker Chic." That was the first thing I thought after making it. Maybe it's because of the Prehnite nuggets or the Sterling chains. Either way, I'm loving this design!

I made another bracelet with the same chain design made with Turquoise rectangles & Black Onyx. It's called, "Moody Blues" and you can see it here in my etsy shop.

Sophia . Earrings

These lovely earrings are on their way to a new home! I don't mean to boast....but I love getting a sale! I've been making & selling my handmade jewelry for 3 years now, and I still get a lil giddy with every sale. It's a great feeling to know that someone is walking around wearing my jewelry. Well...it would be their jewelry now...but I'm sure you jewelry makers out there know what I mean. :D

"Sophia . Earrings" adorn a blend of Nephrite Jade Marquise & deep red/orange Jasper gems suspended from Spanish style Antique Copper filigree. They are accented with Antique Brass and beaded on Antique Copper ball head pins. I hope Sophia's new owner enjoys them as much as I enjoyed making them. If you like this design and want a pair of your own...contact me through my etsy shop. I love custom orders!

I Won!!!

Yay!! I'm one of 3 winners of the "Cream Perfume Company" giveaway from Broken Teepee's blog! I love lotions and perfumes, so I'm really happy to have won! The Cream Perfume Company's products are all natural. This is what they say; "Additionally, our perfumed body moisturizers are 100% vegan, wheat and gluten free, contain no glycol, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, synthetic additives or synthetic fragrances."

Since my skin is dry, especially now that it's winter, I chose their "Coconut Body Moisturizer." As well as Body Lotions, they have Solid Fragrances too. Each fragrance comes in it's own lil nut, and their products are very economically priced. 

Many thanks to Patty for the opportunity to win and the Cream Perfume Company!

Check out Patty's etsy shops: Broken Teepee Designs, Happy Goat's Soap, and destashables.

The holidays are here...

and so are lots and lots of handmade holiday-themed jewelry out there! I've made a few myself, but haven't managed to get all my photos completed yet. I sure hope Santa brings me a new and much better camera! As long as it's a Cannon and has an awesome zoom, I'll be a happy camper.

Here is one of my holiday bracelets, "Peppermint Candy." I wanted mix it up and have the whole piece be the focal, so I ended up with this pretty design and used silver coil stars (which I have way too many of) for one side and red shell pearls for the other. To see more of my bracelet, click here. And to see a couple more holiday pieces, go to my etsy shop.

If you are looking for gorgeous handmade jewelry gifts, check out the Artisan Beaders Street team here. 

Happy Christmas Shopping!

My Beads Are On Their Way!

I'm so excited! My Artbeads order was shipped today! I can't wait to show you the beautiful silver and glass beads I ordered....so...here's a sneek peek at one of the pieces. It is a "Czech Glass Turquoise/Gaspeite Mix w/ Picasso Grooved Rectangle." I love the colors, and the grooved textures make it that much more interesting.

Click HERE to see all the Czech Glass Grooved Rectangles from Artbeads. And stay tuned to see how I use this gorgeous bead in a bracelet design very soon. :)

Check out my 40% Off Clearance Sale at my Etsy Shop! Ends 12/31/09

And subscribe to my newsletter right here on my blog for even more savings.

There's still time...

to shop Artbead's storewide "3 Day After Thanksgiving Sale" and save 20% with orders of $60 or more! With Christmas being less than 30 days away, this is a great time to take advantage of this awesome sale. Enter this code,  SCW20P-ATS, at checkout to enjoy the savings. Oh, did I mention it's "StoreWide?" :)

These adorable angel earrings are just one of many Holiday Kits from Artbeads.

 

I love this Journal Kit! Another easy & fun project to make or give as a holiday gift.

If you're undecided as to what to make for gift giving this year, check out the Christmas Jewelry/Craft Ideas section. It's full of ideas and free designs with step by step instructions and a materials list. Whatever your craft is, Artbeads.com is the best place to shop & save!

Sweet Apron Giveaway

That's right! "Over The Top Aprons" is sponsoring an apron giveaway on TAG "The Apron Goddesses." The lucky winner will receive the sweetest polka dot two-layered skirt apron I've ever seen! AND...it comes with a long black sash too! So adorable! For all the details on entering this fabulous apron giveaway and how to earn more than just one entry, head over to TAG. You never know...you may just win! And you might end up doing some holiday shopping when you see all the wonderfully designed aprons at Over The Top Aprons. ;)

It's Friday the 13th!

According to wikipedia.org, Friday the 13th happens at least once, but no more than 3 times a year. And that is because when a month begins on a Sunday, then you can expect the 13th to fall on a Friday. This has already happened this year (3 times) for the months of February and March, and now November. You won't see it happen 3 times again till the year 2012. 

Also, according to folklorists, there is no written evidence for a "Friday the 13th" superstition before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English occurs in an 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini: Rossini was surrounded to the last by admiring and affectionate friends; and if it be true that, like so many other Italians, he regarded Friday as an unlucky day, and thirteen as an unlucky number, it is remarkable that on Friday, the 13th of November, he died. Spooky!

To me, Friday the 13th is just like another day, but for some reason, it always seems to be a good day for me. Sometimes I even have some good luck, like the $50 check I received in the mail today from Twolia.com. WOOT!! I love that kind of good luck! ;) If you want to see more of my jewelry, you can check out my shop on Twolia here. Whatever Friday the 13th means to you, if it means anything at all, I hope you have a happy day! Now...to dig out some of my scary movies for tonight! :O

Sharing the Savings

I don't know about you, but when I'm shopping for beads or supplies for my jewelry making, I love a discount! And I'm very happy to share with you an exclusive coupon code for 10% Off at Artbeads.com. WOOT!!  "I'll wait for you grab a pen or pencil."

Ready? The coupon code is SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0424. It's good till the end of the year and doesn't require any minimum order. How cool is that?!  Be sure to tell your friends and family, and have fun shopping and saving at Artbeads.com! AND... for more specials and coupons, sign up for their newsletter. 

Exclusive Coupon Code expires 12/31/09. Happy Shopping and don't forget to follow my blog and sign up for my monthly newsletter to the right of this post.

The Little Black Box

The Little Black Box's for November go on sale November 6th, and if you're one of the lucky buyers this month, you'll receive a cute handmade "Holiday Charm Ring" from The Jewelry Box. 

I made a total of 30 charm rings with silver wire and embellished them with swarovski crystals in Emerald, Moonlight, and Fiery Red Hyacinth, silver wreaths, silver stars, and silver bells. And yes, the bell charms make the lil tinkling sound. They are adjustable to fit all sizes too. Each ring comes in it's own ribbon pouch (handmade by me) then wrapped with either red or green tissue paper in the form of an envelope. They turned out really cute and would make great stocking stuffers for Christmas this year. I have a few extra charm rings and plan to list them in my etsy shop soon. To see who's in the November boxes and to get a peek at what you will get, click here. I'm the 16th seller on the page. Oh, I almost forgot, the boxes cost $17.00. Not bad considering everything you get! Go to The Little Black Box for more information.

Featured on Beader's Showcase

I woke up this morning to find "Gwyneth" (one of my handmade bracelets) featured in this week's showcase on the Beader's Showcase. A really nice way to start my Monday! I found Beader's Showcase around a month ago from a friend's blog. I was impressed with the layout of the site and what they do there, so I registered right away. It's not a selling site. Just like their logo states, it is  "A place for all beaders to showcase their creations." And that's exactly what it is! The owners are a sweet couple and very nice. In fact, everyone I've met there is nice and always willing to help. I love that! Besides posting your creations, you can join different groups, post & view tutorials/videos, make comments, build your own page, and lots of other cool stuff. They even host events and treasure hunts from time to time. If this is something you're looking for, sign up and add me as a friend. My page is here.

I feel blessed and honored to be in the showcase this week and to be part of a community that brings beaders together.

Many heartfelt thanks to Jeff & Ann @ Beader's Showcase!

I Won!

I won both of these adorable aprons from Apron Frenzy!! Arn't they cute? If you havn't heard, TAG (The Apron Goddesses) always host the most amazing apron giveaways. I've entered many of them, and I'm so happy I won not just 1, but 2 aprons!! WOOT!! :D

I don't know why, but I've been on a winning streak for the past 2 weeks. I just won $10 tonight from Mega Millions lotto, for the 4th time! That may not mean much to some people, but hey, every lil bit helps, especially these days. ;) I think I'll keep playing.

Anyway, many thanks to Apron Frenzy and Julie with TAG! You ladies made my day!

Does this mean I can't enter to win the next giveaway? :(

NOT! :-)

Awesome Giveaway from The Apron Goddesses

Check out The Apron Goddesses blog for the current apron giveaway. Apron Frenzy is giving away not one but TWO aprons!! Two of the cutest aprons with three pockets on both. One is a Halloween design and the other is a Fall design. Both very pretty and crafty! So, if you're into aprons and you want a chance to win 2 of them, then head over to The Apron Goddesses to read all the details. That's where I'm going, so what are you waiting for? Go! And good luck to the winner! :D

Clearance Sale

It's time to make room for new designs! From now until the end of the year, take 40% off the listed price of every jewelry piece in my clearance sale section of my etsy shop. No need for any coupon code. I will issue the 40% (minus shipping fee) refund to your paypal account. Easy peasy and quite a significant savings!

*Summer Sunsets*

Listed at $21.00 ~ Only $12.60 w/40% Off

*SeaShore Treasures*

Listed at $26.00 ~ Only $15.60 w/40% Off

This is a great time to get in some early shopping for the jewelry lover in your life.

Sea of Hope Charm Bracelet Fundraiser

The Artisan Beaders Street Team's fundraiser event begins today, Monday-October 5th and will run till Friday-October16th. This beautiful "Sea of Hope" charm bracelet is up for auction. The proceeds from the auction will go to RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network.) A wonderful charity!

Click here for all the details and how you can be a part of doing something fantastic!

Crystal Rose Sunflower

This is my newest necklace created with Swarovski Crystallized Elements from Artbeads.The focal is a beautiful silver-plated Rose Filigree Sunflower that's so packed with sparkle that it has no problem standing on it's own, but I wanted to accent it's beauty even more. I wrapped small Swarovski Rose Crystals to a wire design that I formed with Argentium Sterling wire, then connected the design to Swarovski  Rose Channel Links and blended with Sterling Silver chain. I wanted this necklace to have a special clasp, so I forged an "S" clasp using Argentium Sterling wire and some hammering, then wrapped part of it with  hot-pink Glass seed beads and added a small Light-Rose Swarovski Crystal. I love the way it turned out, and I give many thanks to Artbeads for this inspirational opportunity!

The Apron Goddesses Giveaway!

You could win this very pretty apron from Dear Jane! It's black & white polka dot with the cutest pocket featuring a red satin bow to go with the red satin waist band. Even has three cute lil heart buttons! For more details and to enter for your chance to win, visit The Apron Goddesses blog today. You never know.....you just might win! ;)

Save some $$ this weekend!

This weekend is the perfect time to do some early holiday shopping for the jewelry lover in your life or treat yourself to something special. Every jewelry piece in my etsy shop is 30% off. Click the ad above for all the details. While you're here, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. You'll get exclusive offers only available for my newsletter readers, along with photos & links to new designs, see what's hot for seasonal fashions, other jewelry & craft info, and links to online contests & giveaways from time to time. Each newsletter will arrive in your mailbox the 1st week of each month. Give it a try! You can always change your mind and opt out, but I guarantee that you won't want to. Sign up with the form in the top right corner of this page.

"Happy Weekend Deal Shopping!"

It's Wednesday!

~ According to the Hebrew Bible, Wednesday is the day when the Sun and Moon were created ~

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. ~QuoteLeaf

A Galactic Crystal Journey

A few weeks back, I posted about my crystal components order from Artbeads. Well...after much thought and careful beading, or maybe after much beading and careful thought.....either way, I finished one of my designs. Well...actually, I've finished 2 of the 4 designs I'm making, but not all the photos are completed yet. If you want to see the other designs or maybe you just like my blog, you can always follow me. And....to keep up with new jewelry pieces listed in any of my 3 shops and "reader only" sale events, subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

This is part of a collection of crystal components I received.

And this is the very pretty necklace I made with the crystal collection.....and a few of my own materials. The design has an Autumn feel to it, which is what I wanted to express, even though, I think it could be worn during any season. I mixed a Topaz helix, a faceted Indian Red round, and a faceted Light-Colorado Topaz round above the Galactic "Golden Shadow" pendant. I accented the crystal beads with Glass seed beads too. After I connected the "Golden Shadow" 2-ring channels to my gold chain, I felt it was missing something. So, I added lil clusters of Ruby crystals with gold & yellow Glass seed beads between each channel. It may be hard to see in the photo, but I beaded each crystal and the clusters on Antique Copper ball headpins. I simply used gold chain as a bail for the Galactic pendant. All in all, I'm happy with the way the necklace turned out, and I think all the colors blend really well to show off the stunning Galactic pendant. Now....to think of a unique name for this beautiful necklace. ;) Look for more photos this week when I list the necklace to my etsy shop.

Amelia just arrived in my "WIRED" section!

Meet "Amelia!" She is one of my newest wirewrapped pieces available in my etsy shop. She is simple but stunning with Garnet gems wrapped with Copper wire to 16 ga. dark brown wire, forming a beautiful pendant suspended from Antique Copper chain.

While you're in my "WIRED" section of my etsy shop, check out "Ariel." She wears a gorgeous Red Stripe Jasper teardrop and is also a new wirewrapped piece that arrived yesterday.

WeekEnd Deal

I'm having a WeekEnd Deal Sale! Starting Sept. 11th - 13th, receive 25% off each and every jewelry piece in my shop. Go to my Etsy Shop for details.

"Rosabella" Save over $28.00 on this gorgeous necklace that I call, "Rosabella." A stunning smooth Amethyst Gemstone teardrop is the focal of this necklace, while a cluster of Amethyst ovals dangle above. This classic OOAK jewelry piece drapes the neck beautifully. All of my jewelry pieces are included in the Weekend Deal Sale. If you purchase one or two or even three pieces, everything is 25% off. Happy Shopping and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter right here on my blog (top right corner.)

In love with Swarovski!

As you can see from my previous post, I adore crystals, especially Swarovski! And even more so when they're on sale! *wink-wink* Right now, Artbeads is having a huge "Crazy for Crystallized Sale!" It includes over 200 Swarovski Elements at 15% off. That's an awesome sale! Plus Artbeads has Free Shipping in the US and only $1.00 for Canada. So, get your sparkle on, cause this sale ends September 22nd.

Crystals Galore!

When I found my Artbeads.com package in my mailbox this past Saturday, I yelled out, "YES!!!" as I jumped up and down! I think a few of my neighbors were curious, cause they already know I'm a lil crazy....but in a good way. lol! Back to my package....it was filled with Swarovski Crystal components. It's like Christmas in September! :-)

This 1st photo contains my most favorite piece, a stunning "Golden Shadow" Galactic Crystal Pendant. It's light-weight and measures 23.5 x 39 mm, and I absolutely love it!! The 3 crystal beads are; "Topaz" Helix, faceted "Indian Red" round, and faceted "Light Colorado Topaz" round. Perfect Fall colors! This next photo is of a beautiful Rose Filigree Sunflower with silver-plated 2-ring Rose Channels, and Padparadscha Rivolis with Padparadscha Teardrops. Padparadscha is gorgeous and has become one of my favorite colors!

Here's a group shot with a couple of Tanzanite 2-ring Channels in the top-left corner.

Here are more Tanzanite 2-ring Channels with a huge (40 x 27) faceted Fancy Pear Crystal. The cut of the Pear Crystal is amazing! It's hypnotizing the way each facet twinkles as it captures the light. I just love crystals, and I can't wait to turn all of these components into beautiful jewelry pieces. Check back soon as I start posting photos of them. Many thanks to Artbeads.com for this very special opportunity.

All Rights Reserved~The Jewelry Box

My Directory Ad

The Jewelry Box is featured in the BHR Directory! This directory will be available for download soon, but in the meantime, you can check it out online here.

A few of my fellow teammates and friends are in the directory too. Creative Treasures by Donna - Deronda Designs - Elbit Enterprises

Selling Tips

If you are planning to sell your handmade items at local craft fairs/shows and have questions or just need some help, then you will want to read this week's "Technique Tuesday" post on the Artisan Beaders blog. My good friend, Vicki @ Orion Designs, has been selling her jewelry at craft fairs for the last 12 years, and she's got lots of great tips and ideas to make your selling experience a successful one. So get going and happy selling! :)

My Earrings are Featured

in the Weekend Deals-Discount Sales Etsy Gift Guide!! Thanks to my good friend, Vicki, for alerting me. :) "Wrapped in Aqua" Purchase these lovely hoop earrings this weekend, and I'll refund your Paypal account 25% of the price. All jewelry pieces in my Etsy Shop are 25% off! Purchase 1, 2, or even 3 items...each jewelry piece will be discounted 25% and refunded to you. August 8th & 9th!

New Weekend Special

With the economy creating hard times for everyone (including myself), I decided to have a "Weekend Deal" and offer a 25% discount on any and all jewelry items in my Etsy Shop. This fabulous deal will run this weekend, August 8th & 9th. Click here to shop and save this weekend.

One of my newest pair of earrings, "Camila". Designed with gorgeous Copper Shell Pearls and Glass flowers ~ $20.25 with 25% off ~ That's a $6.75 savings! This is 1 of 20 jewelry pieces for sale at my new online store. This pair of earrings, "Peace", adorns Red Jasper and Antique Brass peace charms linked to unique Antique Brass connectors. Click here to learn more about these earrings and to see all of my designs on Twolia.com.

>>FREE SHIPPING SPECIAL<<

Purchase any jewelry piece at The Jewelry Box and receive free shipping! No matter how many items you purchase, you won't pay for shipping. This awesome special runs July 24th through July 26th! So, what are you waiting for? Click HERE. "Happy shopping!" These beautiful Earrings wire-wrapped with Amazonite & Smokey Quartz-No Shipping Fee.

This gorgeous Glass Lampwork Sterling Slver Bracelet-No Shipping Fee.

This unique one-of-a-kind Sterling Silver Butterfly wire-wrapped with Peridot & Citrine Necklace-No Shipping Fee.

My post is featured!

Yay! My post in featured on the Artisan Beaders blog! :D Every week, my dear sweet friend Vicki, does a "Technique Tuesday" post, and this week, I share a few of my favorite organizational ideas. Here's a hint, one of them is a popcicle maker, and it only costs 1 dollar! It's great for holding my beading tools, and I love the ease of it. My husband would tell you I'm an organizational freak! But...I don't think so. For me, organizing makes things easy to find, and I like easy. Everything in my home has it's place, except when the hubby uses something and doesn't put it back where it goes. We are total opposites when it comes to being organized. And his non-organizational skills drives me nuts sometimes! Don't get me wrong....I make messes all the time. Especially when I'm in beading mode or baking mode, but I do put things away when I'm done. I guess I've just always been that way. The hubby usually has an organized mess, but with his non-organizing and my extreme organizing skills, we somehow work well together. We balance each other out, and that's a good thing. :) So....what about you? How do you organize your crafts? Check out my organizational post here, and leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

hmm..where to find genuine handmade jewelry pieces..

Where else can you find a pair of Lemon Yellow & True Purple earrings, or a Gemstones & Silver Bellflower pendant, or a Dryad's Dwelling Beaded Hemp necklace, or maybe a Labradorite & Marcasite bracelet, and how about a Bajoran Fairy Elven Forest ear cuff earring, or even a pair of Rose Gold-Filled with Watermelon & Tourmaline earrings, you ask?? From Artisan Beader members of course! Click here to see all of these beautifully designed pieces. They are all brand new, handmade, and just waiting for someone like you to take them home. :D

Large Hole Bead Solution

Every Tuesday, Vicki with The Artisan Beaders team, posts very useful tips regarding jewelry making, and this week, she has given us an excellent tip for taking the "wobble" out of large hole beads. Lampwork beads often have larger holes, and when you slide them onto a headpin, they wobble to and fro, and it can drive you nuts as to what to do about it. Well...the solution is something so simple that you'll wonder why you didn't think of it yourself! Vicki used this simple solution with these fabulous lampwork earrings! See more of Vicki's beautiful jewelry at Orion Designs. And click here to view her solution for large hole beads.

Don't you just love......wire?

I've been bitten by the wire bug!!! I've been making jewelry for 3 years now, but never tried my hand at wire designs. I do the basic wire techniques, but always thought making jewelry with wire would be too hard for me. I have arthritis and major nerve damage throughout my body and especially my hands, so I just always thought I couldn't do it. Well....once again, I learned something the hard way... Never ever underestimate your abilities!!! I made these lovely freshwater pearl hoop earrings, and I was so surprised at how easy it really is! I love the way they turned out! I'm having a lot of fun with wire, so look for more wire pieces to come! Find my "Wrapped in Aqua" hoop earrings in my Etsy Shop. If you like them, but want them in a different color of pearls, send me a convo through my shop. I love custom orders!

One Lovely Blog Award!

Last week, I was given the One Lovely Blog Award from a really sweet friend of mine, Brandi. Then...Sue, another sweet friend, gave me the same award!! How special is that?! Both of them made my day! "Thanks so much Brandi and Sue for this lovely award!" *hugs* Visit Brandi's blog here. Visit Sue's blog here. Now for the steps for receiving this award: Pass on the award to 7 or more people and link back to the person that gave it to you. I would like to pass the award on to these lovely ladies for their friendship and for their amazing talents! Lee @ Five To Nine Design Vicki @ Orion Designs Meri @ Elbit Blog Deronda @ Deronda Designs Nicole @ beadwright Debra @ rosevinedesign Christelle @ karooart

How 'bout a YART Sale!

What exactly is a “Yart Sale,” you may ask? The term "Yart" is an artistic spin on the traditional yard sale. ( Art + Yard Sale = Yart! ) This year's sale will be the “2nd Annual Yart Sale on Etsy sponsored by Team ESST (Etsy Supply Street Team.) And this year, "The Jewelry Box" is participating! For 5 days, (June 10 - 14) every pair of earrings in my Etsy Shop will be 25% Off! No need for a special coupon code or waiting for a refund. For your convience, the price shown for each listing of earrings will already be marked down 25%. One can never have enough earrings or maybe you're looking for a special gift for the earring lover in your life....either way, why not shop and save some cash at the same time. Click here to view all discounted earrings. June 10th ~ 14th! "Happy Yart Shopping from The Jewelry Box!"

My "Other" Shop

I've been working on my jewelry shop at 1000markets.com a lot lately. My items needed some fine tuning, plus I'm moving some of my etsy shop pieces into it. I love the design of 1000markets! I had to update my items because not too long ago,they added a new cool function to the description part. It gives you a choice to add words for google search that are specifically just for that item. Love it!! You also have a choice to have "collections," which are like sections in an etsy shop, only better! I thought it would be cool to name my "collections" as if you were opening a real jewelry box. Kindof like a virtual jewelry box, where each collection is a specific drawer. Open the 1st drawer and find all my handmade bracelets, open the 2nd drawer and find earrings, and so on. Although I've named my collections for now, I'm still thinking of other catchy titles. Either way..I'm having fun with my "other" shop!

My "Fun & Flirty" bracelet is listed in my 1000markets shop, along with my "I Love Butterflies" necklace below.

Off to finish a new clasp for a new necklace. Keep a look out for pics of my newest piece...and the handcrafted clasp. Take care! :)

Rosevine Design - Embellishments to Treasure by: Jewelry Artisan & Etsy Seller - Deb Ferrell

Let me tell you a little about Deb. She is one of my team-mates on the Artisan Beaders Street Team, and she happens to be very sweet and talented. She makes and sells her stunning jewelry at "Rosevine Design," and she teams up with her daughter making goods for your home, family, and pets at "Mommy Made This." She's one busy lady! Deb creates pieces of art with these beautifully embroidered necklaces, "Roses In Moonlight," and "Green Sun." She truly makes her jewelry come alive with her amazing talent! Canvas bags are so great! Check out this "Golden Paisley Bag" from Deb's "Mommy Made This" Etsy shop. You can learn more about Deb and all her lovely creations on her blog AND her website. I'm so happy to have met Deb! She is definitly an inspirational woman.

The flowers just keep comin...

I just love getting flowers!! These are light-yellow roses, and I got them from Craig for our 10th wedding anniversary, which was last Friday, the 15th. I never thought I'd get married again, let alone be with the same person for 10 years! Actually 11 years, if you count the first year of living together. Even though I'd already known Craig for 3 years before we got together, I had never pictured myself being married to him. We had mutual friends, and we always took notice of each other when one of us would arrive at a party. I watched him go through hard times and ex-girlfriends, just as he had watched me go through tough times and seen me kick a few guys to the curb. Sometimes we would go yard-selling together, and he would give me rides to work here and there. He even rescued me one Christmas Eve when my son was gone visiting his Dad in Texas, and I was completely alone. Eventually, once I got my head out of my "you know what," it finally hit me that Craig was a good guy. James (my son) got along with him too, which was very important to me. So, once we were both single at the same time, we started dating. One thing led to another...and look at us now, married for 10 years. Funny how God puts people together at the right time. :D

A Perfect Day

My Mother's day started out perfect and ended perfect! How cool is that! The weather was sunny and beautiful, did'nt do any housework or cooking, got to visit my sweet MIL (Flo), played with my beads a lil, and had a wonderful time with my son (James), my DIL (Jenny), and my sweet hubby (Craig). James & Jenny gave me these beautiful flowers and the most loving card. Made my eyes tear up a lil. With all the ups and downs lately with the economy the way it is, and my hubby being laid off, and with the illness I live with everyday....yesterday really reminded me that I do have a good life. I'm surrounded with people who love and care for me and I them. I may not be super rich or very healthy, but I have my small family, my close friends, and of course my beads (lol). And you know what....that's enough for me. I hope you had as nice of a Mother's Day as I did! Peace! :)

Designing my Own Earwires

That's right! From now on, when you purchase earrings from The Jewelry Box, you will be recieving handmade earwires as well. Below are a few that I've made recently. Today, I made lots more! I'm using 21 guage round Argentium wire. Argentium doesn't fade or change colors if left out like Sterling Silver can do. Wishing all you Mothers out there a wonderful and beautiful Mothers Day!! My Mothers Day Sale ends tomorrow, so you still have time to save 10% on a lovely jewelry piece.

Old Friends

The hubby (Craig) and I go to the eastern part of Idaho quite frequently. Takes about 20 minutes to get there. We pass by quite a few farms, but this one farm is loaded with beautiful horses. Craig slows down everytime we pass by, cause he knows how much I love horses. In early April, it was a beautiful sunny day, I had my camera with me, so we decided to stop and meet these horses that we've been seeing for almost 2 years. As soon as we walked up to the fence, a few of them came running up. They are saying, "hello" to us with much curiosity in this pic. The one in the middle is a young boy. He has a twin, and I remember seeing them when they were just a few weeks old. It looks as if the dark brown horse is saying, "hey, move over youngun!" I don't know how I got this pic, but they decided to give their profile shots. :) This beautiful girl couldn't get enough of Craig petting her. I think she fell in love with him! This old girl kept coming up to me and wouldn't have anything to do with Craig. She actually looks like she's smiling! It was an awesome afternoon! And I think we're going to take the time to stop and see them more often. Only this time, we'll have apples and carrots. ;)