Meet Ayden

"Ayden Lucas Abel"

7lbs.- 1oz & 19" long.

 

A few hours ago today, Saturday-Dec. 29, 2012, this little adorable bundle of joy arrived at 1:15pm. His name is Ayden, and he has made our family SO SO SO happy!

 

He made a first time Grandmother out of my oldest niece, a first time Daddy to my oldest Great nephew, a first time Great Grandmother to my sweet sister, a first time Great Great Grandmother to my beautiful Mom, a first time Uncle to my 2nd Great Nephew, a lot of first time Great Aunts and Uncles to some of my neices and nephews, and lastly...he made me a first time Great Great Aunt. That's a lot of "1st's" and a lot of "Greats!"  What a Great Great family we are! :-D

"Happy Birthday Ayden!"



Pantone's Color for 2013 is...

Emerald!

 

"Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty
that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony."

 

Pantone is the global authority on color. They inspire artists of all kinds all over the world. You can read all about the 2013 color of the year here on Pantone's website.

This is for anyone out there stuggling...whether it's with weight loss, a failed relationship, a new beginning or even health issues. After you watch this video, you will be inspired. It inspired me and so I decided to share it with you.

Wishing all my friends and family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Moose Sighting

Last week, I took a drive to Spirit Lake, Idaho with my hubby. Even though it was a rainy wet day, we just wanted to get away and go for a drive. We both love Idaho...and we live so close that it only takes 15 minutes to drive to the state line. Spirit Lake is a little bit farther away though, but so worth the drive.

The mountains were so beautiful that day! I love when the fog drapes over them like a blanket...it's like looking at a 3D painting.

I've lived in the Northwest for a long time, but I had never seen a moose. I know....sounds crazy, huh? I've seen all kinds of other wildlife, even a few bears, but last week, I finally got to see not just one moose, but a family of moose! A mama moose with her two babies! I was so excited....I felt like a little kid seeing santa clause for the first time. lol! I'm sure some people think they're funny looking and not so pretty to look at, but I think they're beautiful creatures. The mama was very protective of her babies and rightly so. They were only about one year old.

As I was sitting (safely) inside our truck, I kept talking to the mama. She just kept glaring at me with this look on her beautiful face like I was some deranged human that had never seen a friggin moose before! LOL!

This one's a little blurry due to the rain and me using my super zoom feature. She was stunning and her babies were so cute. Seeing the moose was so great! In fact, the entire day was great! On our way home, we made a stop at my sister and her hubby's place. We laughed so much and had a wonderful visit. My sister is an amazing strong woman. My brother-in-law is one lucky man...plus he's pretty amazing himself.  All in all, my moose sighting, scenic Idaho drive, and family visit turned out to be a very good and memorable day. :-D

Baking time

Fall weather is definitely here! The leaves are changing into the most glorious colors...and falling big time, especially in my backyard. My home is surrounded by trees, which I absolutely love, but raking them is not my favorite thing to do. Thank goodness we are replacing our old leaf blower with a brand new one tomorrow!

Anyway...back to the Fall season. When Fall arrives, I go into major baking mode. I love baking breads, pies and all kinds of yummy treats! Makes my house smell good too! ;) Since I'm busy making jewelry today, I wanted to bake something yummy but simple. So I searched my Pinterest board, "In My Kitchen" and found the perfect treat, "Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie."

Melissa from No. 2 Pencil shared this cookie recipe on Tidy Mom, and I'm SO happy she did! :)

Cookie mixture spread into one of my cast iron skillets. Ready to bake and fill my home with the most wonderful smell.

"WAALLAA!"...20 minutes later, and it's done. I'm sure it's going to tastes as good as it looks and smells! I love how easy it was to make! The recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I used Reese's chocolate chips. If you want to try your hand at making this yummy cookie, click HERE for the recipe. Be sure to leave a comment and thank Melissa for sharing her delish recipe. Make sure you have lots of milk too....you're gonna need it!  ;)

I'm having a sale

I'm so happy today is "officially" the 1st day of Fall! I just love this time of the year and everything it brings. Time for cooler weather, leaves changing colors, hot chocolate, apple cider, Halloween and Thanksgiving and some good ole pumpkin pie. ;) 

To celebrate this magical season, I'm having a 3 day sale. Starting today, receive 20% off your entire order with the coupon code, "FALL2012." The sale includes all jewelry pieces in my shop, including my newest pieces and any new jewelry added during the sale.

 

Sale ends Mon.- Sept. 24th @ 11:59pm (PDT)

"Brenda's Jewellry Box"

"Happy Fall"



A September Treasury

Anthony from ArtHarmony sent me a sweet convo earlier today telling me that my coral rose ring is included in this stunning treasury.

"September Finds"

Isn't it striking?! I'm honored to be in it so I just had to share it. By the way, ArtHarmony is filled with gorgeous polymer clay jewelry. You will want to check it out for sure!

If you want to learn more about each item in the treasury, just click on the title and/or the treasury photo..

"Thank You Anthony"

my brother's birthday

My brother, Robert, would be turning 54 today. He passed away when he was 50...just 3 months shy of his 51st birthday. He died way too young. He left behind two beautiful daughters....one that was the apple of his eye and one that he never got to know. He also left behind his Mother, an older brother, 2 sisters (including me), lots of neices and nephews and distant cousins and Aunts.

In honor of Robert's birthday, some of us are getting together for the meteor shower later tonight. The peak of the 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower is here. This will be a great way to celebrate Robert's birthday. I know he would love it! In fact, he will probably be right there with us watching it all.

Happy Birthday Robert!

You are missed SO much! You will forever be in our hearts.

Earrings for my Mom

Last Sunday, Aug. 5th, was my Mom's birthday. She looks young for her age, which by the way is 82. She has always looked younger, and thankfully, it runs in the family. **wink-wink** I made peridot gemstone earrings for her last year, since her birthstone is peridot. It's my birthstone too, as I was born 3 days before her birthday. I put peridot chips inside sterling silver round bezels and sealed them with epoxy resin. They turned out so beautiful and sparkly! I forgot to take pictures though. Oh well...

This is my Mom when she was 18.

I was going to make my Mom a bracelet or a necklace this year, but I decided on another pair of earrings when I found my vermeil teardrops. I got them from a friend a few years back and completely forgot about them. I made a necklace using one of the drops as part of the focal and it ended up getting published in the Jan. 2009 issue of Bead Trends. That was my 1st publication. I was on cloud nine for a long time! lol Anyway...I had 2 of the vermeil drops left, but I put them away and never used them. Now that I think about it...I think I was waiting for the right time to create with them. And this time I took pictures. ;)

And here they are! I paired the vermeil drops with antique bronze filigree cones that I bought from my friend, Cairn @ OverstockOutlet. The filigree cones are stunning! They look like they were made for the drops. I made the earwires with 14K gold wire (20ga) and hammered them only a little around the curves.

I'm super happy with the earrings, and my Mom is too. She even went as far as to send me a "thank you" card. That made my day! She was absolutely thrilled with them, and I'm so happy about that. I'm even more happier knowing I put a smile on her beautiful face on her special day. :)

Pantone Fall Colors-2012

Quote from Pantone's Fashion Color Report for Fall 2012.
"From love potions and the magical hour of sunset to witches and warlocks, fantasy and illusion are inspiring designers this fall season. With an unexpected mix of darks, brights and neutrals, they cleverly manipulate reality to transport consumers to an enchanting place, free from the stresses of everyday life."

Artbeads.com can help you choose Swarovski Crystals that closely match these magical Fall colors. Check out their blog post; "Pantone Colors for Fall 2012."

I'm loving these colors! Looks like I'll be doing some bead shopping soon. ;)

Giveaway Friday

Northridge Publishing is giving away a fantastic collection of cardstock, patterened paper and embellishments with the "Summer of '69" kit from Studio Calico. This kit is sold out, but you have lots of ways to enter for your chance to win it. Click on the photo above or HERE to go straight to the giveaway. "Good Luck!" 



Newest Features

Two lovely treasuries that feature my handmade jewelry.

"From Shells Come Beauty"

Thanks Ronnye! @ shoppingforbeads

"Swarovski Crystal Jewelry"

Thanks Crystal!

I've gone anklet crazy!

It's Summer! You can never have too many anklets! LOL :D

I love the design on this starfish charm!

This little fairy is so darn cute!

I just had to make an anklet with her. ;)

Both charms are from OverstockOutlet on etsy. To learn more about my newest anklets, just click on the photos.

Have a great day!



I didn't even know....

I should really check the etsy treasuries more often. Here are some fab treasuries I'm featured in.

"July Madness...Loving Purple"

Curated by Aleezahsfineart on etsy.

"Your Beautiful like a rainbow"

Curated by Monkeyball on etsy.

"Peace of Hobo"

Curated by elbowsdesigns on etsy.

"Beautiful Jewelry"
Curated by Sydney Shea

Click on each treasury photo to see more and be sure to click on each curator's title to learn more.

"Thank you SO much to these wonderful etsyians for featuring my jewelry pieces in their beautiful treasuries."

Brenda's Jewellry Box: New Ankle Bracelets

Brenda's Jewellry Box: New Ankle Bracelets

New Ankle Bracelets

Here are a couple of new ankle bracelets listed to my shop.

I just listed this pretty turtle anklet for sale yesterday. The turtle is from OverstockOutlet and SO cute! It's made with tibetin silver, very detailed and lightweight too.

I listed this gorgeous anklet yesterday too, but it sold earlier this morning. Woot! Woot! If anyone is interested in purchasing an anklet like this one, you can contact me through my shop or leave a comment on this post.

Click here to view my handmade anklets.

I've got more on the way, along with some new bracelets too.

Check out OverstockOutlet if you're looking for cute turtle charms.

Awesome Etsy Seller

 Earlier this year, I found my `go to` etsy shop for charms and pendants. It's called "OverstockOutlet" and I'm so happy I found it! The owner of the shop is Cairn. She's a very sweet person and a wonderful etsy seller. She's one of those rare sellers that go the extra mile for you. I love her shop so much that I want to give her a well deserved shout out.

 This is one of my new ankle bracelets made with one of Cairn's charms. The details on this starfish charm are amazing. Almost looks like the real thing! It's so cute and very sturdy too. I paired it with a freshwater pearl and dangled them both from sparkly silver-white cable chain.

Another new anklet made with the most adorable fairy charm from OverstockOutlet. It's an antiqued bronze fairy sitting on the edge of a crescent moon with a little star. It's lightweight and really gets noticed. The moon has a hammer like texture to it. Very beautiful! I accented it with a swarovski turquoise crystal and hung it on antique brass `figaro` chain.

These are only a couple of new jewelry pieces made with Cairn's fabulous charms. Believe me, I've got way more in the works, and I'll be blogging about them throughout the week. In the meantime, if you want top quality items for your craft projects, I highly recommend OverstockOutlet. Wonderful and unique items, great prices, super fast shipping and quality service from an outstanding etsy seller.

Many thanks to Cairn, not only for her sweet shop, but for everything you do. :)

FYI - Artbeads.com Giveaway Alert

That's right peeps. Artbeads.com is having an awesome giveaway right now, courtesy of Nunn Design, which by the way has beautiful jewelry components to explore and play with!

Anyway... back to some of the giveaway details. It's called "Enchanted Expressions Giveaway" and 4 people are going to win a super prize package that includes Nunn Design channel beads & pendants and collage sheets. Wait!.....did I say 4? "Why YES I did!!" Four winners, how cool is that!

I'm hooked on resin jewelry making, but I haven't tried the channel beads yet. This giveaway would be a great opportunity though, and I'm sure you will agree. ;)

The collage sheets are to die for! This one is my favorite.

(Click HERE to see the Nunn Design collage & transfer sheets)

My Mom's birthday is coming up in early August, and I would love to surprize her with a beautiful jewelry piece, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If you want to enter for your chance to win this fabulous giveaway, click HERE and/or the links in this post. It ends this Tuesday, June 19th, so be sure to get your entry in soon. Did I mention there will be 4 winners......4 very lucky winners that is!! :)

note: I'm not getting anything special for blogging this giveaway. I simply just wanted to share and give more people a chance to win. :)

"Good luck to everyone!"
Brenda

Tuesday's Favorite Pins

Welcome to day two of my daily "favorite Pinterest pins." If you missed day one, just scroll down or click here.

Source: kitchens.com via Brenda on Pinterest

I would love to have this in my kitchen! ♥

Source: craftyrecycling.livejournal.com via Brenda on Pinterest

This is so clever! I've been losing weight and I could SO do this with a pair of my old jeans that are too big for me now. ;)

Source: Uploaded by user via Brenda on Pinterest

This is a fabulous idea!

Source: google.com via Brenda on Pinterest

I think this pin speaks for itself "sighhh...those eyes.." Definitely my most favorite pin of the day!! ;-D

Now I'm off to my favorite place of the day....Hobby Lobby! :D
See you tomorrow.
Brenda

Favorite Monday Pins

Okay, since I have realized (and admitted) that I'm a Pinterest addict, I've decided to do a daily post on my favorite pins. So, here goes!

Source: boredstop.com via Brenda on Pinterest

I love this, because I could actually do this with my 6, yes I said "6", cats. The only problem would be getting all of them to cooperate and be still long enough (at the same time) to take the photo. LOL

"AMEN!"

And last but not least.....

Source: naturalarches.org via Brenda on Pinterest

I want to go here when I win the lotto!
Macry Cave - north of the island of Poliegos, about 10 kilometers east of Milos, Greece.

until tomorrow...thanks for taking a peek at my favorite pins.
Brenda

June Birthstone

 The traditional birthstone for June is the beautiful and elegant Pearl.



Pearls carry a meaning, just like any other gemstone. But with different colors of pearls comes different meanings. The most commen color, white, symbolizes honesty, purity and innocence.

Did you know June has 2 alternate birthstones? The first is Moonstone and the 2nd is Alexandrite. Moonstone symbolizes health and longevity, while Alexandrite is a symbol of good fortune and joy.

"Happy Birthday to all those born in June!"

I have to admit it...

I'm addicted to Pinterest! I know...I know....but I just can't help myself. I'm up to 31 boards and I'll probably make more. Somebody help me!! LOL

My favorite board right now is my "DIY" board. Im filling it daily with all kinds of things you can make yourself, such as, this really cool door shelf, (which I'll be making very soon.)

Source: craftaholicsanonymous.net via Brenda on Pinterest

and a candle out of an orange! SO easy! I can imagine the smell filling my home right now.

Source: mimpimurni.blogspot.com via Brenda on Pinterest

Have a Pinterest account and want to share? Feel free to post your link in the comments section. You can find me by clicking here. Don't say I didn't warn you though.....soon you'll be addicted too! ;-)

Happy Thursday and Happy Pinning!

My New Look

Yep, I've got a new look for my etsy shop and of course, my blog too. I really was in need of a banner that represents my shop and what I do. I don't make just one type of jewelry. My designs are all over the place because I like to create with lots of different materials. I'm eclectic all the way! :) Anyway, my banner search began on etsy, but for the life of me, I couldn't find one that I liked. There were so many banners that included vintage jewelry, crystals, diamonds, birds (no clue what birds have to do with jewelry), crowns, tiaras, and so on. I searched for days and got so frustrated! So I decided to take the matter in my own hands and make my own. I got my sketchbook out and went to town with my ideas, and came up with a simple necklace displaying a jewelry box charm.

(My shop avatar)

First, I needed to find some kind of box charm that looked like a jewelry box and 2nd, I needed to get a few scrapbook papers to test as my background. The first place I thought of to find this stuff was at my most favorite store ever, (SO happy they opened one in my area)....."Hobby Lobby!" My banner making mission gave me a great excuse to go there too. lol And since my husband knows once I get an idea in my head, there's no stopping me, so he graciously went with me and actually helped me find everything. Yep, I'm a very lucky woman! ;)

I made the necklace and decided to add a "create" word charm and a crystal heart to it. I photographed the necklace in various positions on the wonderful paper I found, added a few extra charms I had on hand, then I edited like crazy until I came up with what I have now.

I really like how it turned out, but I think the jewelry box charm needs to be bigger. I'm in the process of doing that now. I'm finally on the right track on the design I want and that makes me happy. Plus, making it myself means nobody but me will have this banner...making it unique, just like me. ;-)

Our new baby

Well....not exactly a real baby, but our newest baby (addition) to our family. Meet "Pretty Boy."

Isn't he beautiful! We adopted him from SCRAPS, (Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service) this past Wednesday. Currently he's in isolation because he has a cold, which is extremely contagious and we can't have our other 5 babies getting sick. By isolation, I mean our bathroom. This is his 3rd day and so good so far. I had to remove the curtains (actually, he did that) from the windows and all the candles and nik-naks that surround our jet tub. But it's all good. He's only got 8 more days before he finishes his medication, and hopefully (fingers crossed), his cold will be gone, he will feel much better, and we can let him have reign over the rest of the house.

Just look at that face! He's got the chubbiest cheeks! He's 4 years old, and we've been told he looks a lot like "Salem" from, "Sabrina The Teenage Witch." I will have to google that. lol

.

And those eyes! He loves being petted and played with and is SO smart. He loves to be talked to. He looks at us as if he is hanging on every word we say. He's such a cool cat!!

The adoption included a free exam from the vet, which required getting him neutered, vaccinated, nails trimmed and a chip put in him in case he ever gets lost. But that won't happen because he's going to become an inside cat, just like the rest of our babies. I'm sure he won't mind, since he spent the last few years surviving outside. What a strong cat to have made it through the cold winters in the Northwest. But no more. Only warmth and lots of love and care for him from now on. We're SO happy he's with us, and with all the loving on and purring he's been doing, we know he is too. Even though we chose to rescue him from the euthanasia list, we feel that HE is the one that picked us. :-)

"Welcome Home Pretty Boy!"

Calling All Jewelry Makers

Do you make jewelry...and even more so, do you like jewelry design challenges? If you answered "YES!" or "Of Course!" or even "Duh!!", then I've got a sweet challenge for you! My friend, Crystal @ Bead Happily Ever After, has just announced her 3rd Bead Design Challenge. If you participated in her previous challenges, then you know how much fun it is, and if you're just joining in, you're in for a real treat! The prizes are fabulous and the perks are super cool too!

It doesn't matter how long you've been creating jewelry...if you're a beginner or a pro, all are invited to play. The more the merrier! Not only do you get a chance at winning a wonderful prize, but your design will be publicized and you get an awesome inspiring experience. Plus, you get to meet other artisans and see their beautiful work. You never know...you could make a new friend....or two. ;-D

Take a chance and try something new this Spring and come join the fun! For all the design challenge details, check out Crystal's blog, "Bead Happily Ever After." Hope to see you there!

My big sis...the Artist.

My sister, Liz (aka:Lizbeth), was born on Leap Year, and this year, she got to celebrate her day on the actual day. Otherwise, her b-day is acknowledged on March 1st the other 3 years. Anyway, she had a milestone birthday this year (I'm having one too in 5 months! EEK!), so I surprized her with some really cool jewelry pieces. I forgot to get pics, but I made her a pair of amethyst and turquoise earrings, since her birthstone is amethyst. I also made her a pretty symbolic charm necklace, and a resin pendant necklace that says, "Big Sis." She loved everything! In fact, she loved her jewelry so much that she made me a couple of handmade gifts too.

A handpainted thank you card and bookmarker.

(The funky flower background is my dining room tablecloth.)

This is so beautiful!! I love all the colors and the way the sun is reflected in the water.  

A closer look. This is my background on my laptop right now.

My bookmarker. Isn't it beautiful?!

The other side of my card.

I love my sister SO much! I think I'm lucky to have a sister, but I feel even luckier and blessed to have one like her. No one or thing can ever break the strong bond we share.

"Thank you for everything Sis!"

I know what I'm shopping for this weekend...the perfect frame for my card and getting my bookmarker laminated. :-)