TREE OF LIFE - COMPLETED, PLUS ONE MORE

After a day of shopping with my daughter and dinner, I was back to the pendant. The pictures show the pendant part way into the process of making the branches before I left to do my part for the economy :). The project is now complete and the pictures show the back and front views. I had a vision in my head, and although this isn't quite what my vision was, I think it's a good first attempt. I'd like to try another and try to keep it a little less busy. Also, I need to balance the size of the tree with the size of the frame. Those are my thoughts for now. If you would like to comment, please do. Constructive criticism is welcome and an important part of the learning process. I hope you enjoyed the project and will try one yourself. Thanks for coming. Anita

P.S. I am adding on one more pendant I did without the bling. Tell me what you think! Anita

Tree of Life Pendant - a work in progress

Today I decided to attempt a Tree of Life pendant. I love the concept and think they are beautiful. I started out by making a square from 16 gauge brass wire, which I shaped and hammered. The join is at the bottom. At that point, I cut several pieces of 20 gauge copper wire to create the tree. I started wrapping at the join side, three wraps, one limb, one wrap, one limb, three wraps, one limb, one wrap, etc. and worked across the bottom. I had some trouble getting around the join, but put some extra wraps there and I think it will hold, then continued my pattern. I then twisted, straightened, twisted, straightened some more to create the trunk. I have straighted the wires and put them in order and am now at the point of attaching the other side. A picture is attached and I will add more when I finish it. I have some ideas swirling around in my head to complete it, but still not sure. If anyone knows the person's name who created the FIRST Tree of Life pendant, I would love to give the appropriate credit. Thanks for looking. Anita

PET JEWELRY

I was talking to my cousin Patti today about my jewelry business and she told me that one thing that always sells, good times or bad, is something for your children or something for your pet. So, I'd really like your feedback on this. Being a pet owner and a grandma, I wouldn't mind putting together a jewelry collection for dogs and cats or children...maybe even both. But I want to find out what sells...I need to know what people would look for to adorn their pets. I know that the small children love the Cinderella-type bling, so that shouldn't be too hard. I spent some time on the internet looking at what other people design for their pet lines, but nothing really jumped out at me. So, all you pet owners, what kinds of bling would you like to see your special kitty or pup wearing? This could be fun. Thanks....Anita

RUM PUNCH VILLA

Are you looking for the perfect get-a-way, with your own spot on the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean? Check out Rum PunchVilla. Rum Punch is located on the lovely island of Anguilla in the southern Caribbean. I cannot do it justice myself, so will leave that to their web site. The owners are my husband's brother Bruce, and his wife, Elaine. They have lived in the Caribbean for several years. Bruce has managed a villa on Anguilla for some time now, as well as several hotels throughout the Caribbean. The island of St. Maarten is only a 45 minute boat ride away. We will be vacationing there this year and can't wait to see the villa, but most importantly, can't wait for the family reunion. And...we will be joined by our daughters, their husbands, and our grandchildren.....it will truly be a family reunion to remember. Now, if I can just get back into those bathing suits from last summer!!! The following is the press release they shared with us:
RUM PUNCH VILLA ANGUILLA
Rum Punch Villa is ready to welcome Guests!
ANGUILLA, BWI, March 17, 2009
Rum Punch Villa, an exclusive new luxury property on Anguilla in the British West Indies, is ready to embrace and entertain guests. With expansive patios reaching out to the warm Caribbean breezes and island views, the 7,500 square foot villa is exquisitely outfitted for those wishing to spend quality time with family, cocoon with a loved one or entertain guests. The mesmerizing sound of crashing waves is a soothing backdrop for every airy room and patio. The sea air and stunning views of St. Martin and St. Barth will relax and rejuvenate guests in search of a serene respite from everyday life.
Contemporary furnishings in rich island colors complement the natural color palette of the surrounding landscape. Every window and door frames the sea and sky like a painting. Guests can step from bedroom to patio to private infinity pool in seconds — the ultimate island luxury. Several more steps off the patio is the villa’s small but secluded private beach, where guests can relax on a canopied four-poster beach lounge — a honeymooner’s dream.
Explore our "must visit" web site at www.rumpunchvilla.com to view more dramatic photographs that tell the Rum Punch story of gracious island living, perfect seclusion and nature in all its glory.
Book now for a signature Rum Punch Villa vacation. Though pictures are worth a thousand words, experiencing first hand is the only way to truly appreciate this elegant new property.
CONTACT:
Bruce or Elaine Hearn
Rum Punch Villa
(264)235-8840 or (264)235-2816
info@rumpunchvilla.com
www.rumpunchvilla.com

Playing For Change: Song Around the World "Stand By Me"

I HAD TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU...TURN OFF THE MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG AND TURN UP YOUR VOLUME - this is worth hearing...Two young men went around the world getting street singers to all sing the same song, and then they dubbed them all together into one version of that song. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM&feature=email

COLORS OF FAITH - FUNDRAISER

I thought I would share with you our latest fundraiser to benefit the Missions Committee of my church - the Colors of Faith Bracelet. With Easter upon us, I thought it would be the perfect project. We hope to have all bracelets ordered by March 31st so we can have them delivered for the Easter holiday.

The colors are represented as follows:

Blue is for Faith - Rejoice in His spirit

Red is for Love - May He keep you close in his loving care.

Black is for Courage - May God's presence guide you.

Aqua is for Trust - Know that God is there, answering your prayers.

Green is for Blessings - Each day is a gift from God.

Pink is for Peace - May he fill your heart and bless it each day.

The components of the bracelet include Czech glass beads in the appropriate colors, sterling silver beads, pewter daisy spacers, and a pewter toggle. The pewter definitely helped to keep the costs down so I could sell it at an affordable price. For each bracelet ordered by the end of April, $10 will be donated to the Missions Committee. I purchased enough components to make 40 bracelets, and with the help of my friend Jeanne, who also had some things to order, we were able to take advantage of the discounts from http://www.firemountaingems.com/. I'll let you know how we do. With the beautiful pastel shades included in the design, it's a perfect bracelet for spring and summer, too! I hope you enjoyed the project. Anita

MY FIRST CRAFT SHOW

DONE! I did my first craft show with the help of my friend, Jeanne! Thanks, Jeanne! You were a great help to me. We had many visitors and many oohs and ahhs for the jewelry and for Jeanne's wonderful, artsy, beaded dolls, which she displayed on the table - see her dolls at http://gammiebrat.blogspot.com/. All in all it was a good first show for me, albeit not very profitable. Considering that there were many, many beaders at the show and taking the economy into the equation, I still felt it was a successful day. Why? Because I got to see how other beaders/crafters worked their booths and how my pricing compared to others. I had business cards and larger post-card type flyers on the display, so folks who were interested in my jewelry walked away with my name, my Artfire address, and my blog address. I did get a special order and also someone who was interested in having some family jewelry restrung. I signed on to do another show in the fall and I am told it's generally a more productive craft show. So, we'll see how that goes. We met some really wonderful jewelry artists and shared business cards and general information related to the craft. And we met the many people who stopped by to browse! That's always a plus and you get great feedback as to what type of jewelry people are drawn to.

I would love to hear about your craft shows and experiences, what works, what doesn't work....so please add a post to this blog and tell me what works for you! We can all learn from each other. Thanks for blogging with me. Anita

Copper/Brass Shamrock Necklace

I've been busy, busy this a.m. I made my jumprings yesterday and cut them, and this morning started putting them together, along with the beads and findings I wired up yesterday. This is what I came up with for my latest shamrock. I plan to wear it next weekend when I do MY FIRST CRAFT SHOW at Yankee Lake in Brookfield, OH! Hope you like it. Anita

SUNSET AT THE NORTH POLE

I received this via an e-mail post and it was a "must see." This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point last week.A scene you will probably never get to see in person, so take a moment and enjoy God at work at the North Pole. And, you also see the sun below the moon ...

The Chinese have a saying that goes something like this:
'When someone shares with you something of value, you have an obligation to share it with others!'

A DOILY IN PROGRESS

Here is the picture I promised of the Patricia Kristopherson doily I'm working on. It may take me a while between jewelry, home, and my grandchildren...but it will get done!

WEIGHT LOSS BERRY SUPPLEMENT

This is simply an FYI - I am sure you have all seen the pop-ups online to get a sample pack of the "berry" pills to help you lose weight. This has nothing to do with the product or the people selling it, but if you decide to try it, make sure you READ EVERYTHING before you sign up for the trial/sample. I didn't read the agreement, and should have known better. I got my sample, then in a couple of weeks was charged on my account for a new shipment (which I have not received as yet), and just this weekend, was charged for yet another shipment. I called them after the first charge was made and they said they would cancel it and issue a refund. When I was charged the 2nd time, I called them again. They said they would make sure it got cancelled and my money refunded. They gave me confirmation numbers and e-mailed me the information. Apparently they had no record of my first phone call the week before. Basically what I am telling you is make sure you read EVERYTHING before signing on for the "sample." It was my own wrecklessness or ignorance that caused the problem. Anita

NEW BLOG FOLLOWERS

Well, I asked for followers, and I sure got them! WELCOME and thanks to all of you for signing on. I see that most of you create jewelry, and some of you have other areas of expertise as well. I saw lovely jewelry and beautiful quilts, and I think I may have a crocheter in there, too!
I also crochet - mostly doilies. I am currently working on a pattern by Patricia Kristopherson...her patterns are very intricate and a definite challenge. But when completed, they are beautiful. I will try to post a picture of my progress.

Please feel free to comment on anything relative to the blog. I look forward to getting to know you and sharing viewpoints and jewelry techniques.

MY 1ST ARTFIRE CUSTOMER!!

Just a note to say that I had my first sale on Artfire from sunny CA! Thanks, Sally!

A LESSON IN LIVING

I received this via e-mail and thought it worth sharing.

STONE

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT.

DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT;

AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE. THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT. WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND,

"TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."

THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,

WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH.

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,

BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM. AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, "AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'"

THE FRIEND REPLIED, "WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

- AUTHOR UNKNOWN-

DO NOT VALUE THE THINGS YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT VALUE WHO YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE!

A LITTLE IRISH LUCK!

In addition to my earrings, I decided to make myself a little Irish good luck piece. Thus, I created this shamrock to wear for the St. Patrick's holiday.

I'm no artist when it comes to drawing, but this is what I came up. The wire work attached to it was pretty much free-form. I thought the green beads were a nice addition. I need to come up with a necklace to hang it from. Perhaps, just a piece of leath cord would do nicely! Thanks for looking. I will continue working towards improving my skills. Anita

LEARNING TO WORK IN COPPER

I promised myself I would try something new over the winter months, and although it's almost spring now (yippee!), I have begun to work with copper sheet. I love the look of copper, the colors you can achieve, so I purchased a 12x12 piece of copper sheeting, grabbed my scizzors, and cut myself out a square piece of metal. I cut the square in half to make to triangles and flattened and smoothed the edges with my chasing hammer. After this, I used the ball side of the hammer and created some texture interest into the copper by simple pounding. I attached a piece of copper wire at the top and folded the pointed top edge of the copper over the wire and hammered to hold it in place. I used a small file to soften the corners of the piece and then decided then to curl them under, for effect, as well as eliminating the sharp point from contact with the skin. Now, mind you, I know nothing about metal work and was simply going on things I had picked up from jewelry shows and videos I watch. So, IF ANYONE OUT THERE DOES METAL WORK, PLEASE GIVE ME SOME POINTERS!! To continue, I found some green tinted sea shells I had wire-wrapped previously and decided they would be a perfect addition to the earrings and added them to the top/front of the pieces. And voila, put on the earwires, and my earrings were done.....but, that was not the end. I decided I needed to purchase a butane torch to add to my metal working supplies and did so at my local hardware store, along with a piece of firebrick from our local brick and stone company for 50 cents. I was ready for my next step in metal work!!! But, I was a little nervous, so waited til my friend Jeanne (and fellow beader at http://gammiebrat.blogspot.com/) was over and while Jeanne worked on her resin beads, I braved the butane torch for the first time. Now, I am telling you this, because I decided to do some more work on the earrings. I fired them up, annealed the metal, and decided to put some waves into them. I also wanted to get some color into them through the annealing process, but must have waited to long and lost the lovely colors...definitely a timing issue there. But, did end up with my lovely copper earrings shown above...not too bad for a novice who doesn't know what she's doing!! PLEASE, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK...I CAN TAKE THE CRITICISM, AS THAT'S HOW I HOPE TO LEARN. And...let me know if you liked the post.

p.s. - I added a third picture of some metal that I torched and I did get the colors I wanted - pretty, yes? So, I am learning...it's a process. Any ideas now what I should do with them. Jeanne suggested filing, smoothing, and making pretty fish out of them! Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading my post. I hope it will encourage anyone out there to try something new. It's a process and it's fun! Anita

MARKETING TIPS

If you go to the bottom of my page, you will find a link to some very useful marketing information.

Jeanne - I really want this part on top of my page and the blog underneath or on the site, but I'm still learning.....something else for you to help me with.

Anita

Welcome!

Please bear with me as this is my first post on Blogger. I hope to add information as I go along, so stop back and watch my progress. Thanks for visiting. Anita