For the love of beads

Shop's Open Again!

2012-01-30T05:00:00.027-06:00

I'm home again

sooooooooooo

my Etsy Store is open again!

Here's a sampling of what's available!

These Nuggets are some of my favorites!

They seem to have an inner glow!

Not exactly a Valentine's Heart, but a tiger's heart for the Wild Woman in you!!!

Ready for spring? Here are some flower buds you might like to use!

Take a peak. You might like what you see!!!

I Heart Macro! Entertaining Myself While I'm Sick by Watching the Original Star Trek Reruns on Netflix and Playing with my Hipstamtic App on the IPhone

2012-01-29T05:00:00.024-06:00

So, I'm still sick, but I'm better.

When I wasn't sleeping, I watched old Star Trek reruns on Netflix.

I also played with the Hipstamatic App on IPhone.

Here are some "screen" shots of the Enterprise and the Bird of Prey.

The Romulan Bird of Prey

The Enterprise

I love the reflections from the room on this shot of the Enterprise.

The Hipstamtic App adds great colors to the photo.

I love the overlay of colors from the room and the transparency of the glass.

I Heart Macro!

Life Throws Us All Curve Balls.

2012-01-28T14:38:00.000-06:00

Today, as I continue to recover from this infection, I was thinking about how differently January turned out from what I had expected it to be.

Normally, this time of year, we are very cold and full of snow. This year, the weather for January has been exceptionally mild with very little snow. We have had only one night when the temperatures plummeted below zero, and, yes that was cold. Many days in January, in past years, have had actual highs in the below zero digits. That's not uncommon for January in Minnesota. This year, the cold day has been the exception. I'm not complaining about this curve ball!

Normally, the kids are both back at work after the holidays. This month, Nick is traveling for work, and Jenny was in the hospital for over a week with an illness that could have been life threatening. This is not what I had imagined at all. I was hoping that either or both of the kids would be home sometime this month for a few days. Instead, I have spent two weeks with Jenny. One week because she was so ill. One week because I became so ill and am still in the recovery process with her.

Life hasn't turned out as I had expected in January. It's been a month of curve balls for me. How has January been for you?

I have enabled, I hope, anonymous comments if you do not wish to leave your name. I will post, after moderation, as many comments as I can. Let's hear about you. I hope your month has been better than mine. What do you want to say?

Random Thoughts on a Day When My Nose is Still Stuffed but I Feel More Like A Human Being than I Have in Over a Week.

2012-01-27T10:02:00.000-06:00

1. This is the heliport at Regions Hospital where Jenny was admitted when she was sick. Do you see the black shadow on the heliport? That's my reflection in the window as I took the photo. I like it. The reflection makes me seem like a giant! It also makes my waist look slender. Even though times get really tough, I have decided that I have to find the good in a situation, even if it's the simple ability to sleep at night.

2. Pixie and the kitties have been good through this ordeal. They are pretty much a pack now. Pixie still has no idea about her size in comparison to the kitties, but Marvin and Walter have learned to move quickly when Pixie runs into their space.

3. I feel like I'm ready to take another nap. I don't recall sleeping this much in a very long time. Sleep seems to creep into my thoughts a lot lately. Maybe I need to take care of my sleep habits more? Not sure. I try, but right now, I don't seem to have any choice.

4. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Pixie? She's really the perfect dog for this time in my life. Spike could never have endured this ordeal like Pixie has. He was too full of energy, and he didn't like anyone else taking up my time. He was also very protective of me, that is, after he barked then hid behind me. Spike and kitties would not have ever gotten along. I'm glad I have Pixie right now.

5. My winter plans for repairs around the house have been stalled. Things that I had hoped to be finished with by now haven't even been started. Oh, well, I just hope I have the energy to get through all this. My energy gets zapped so easily anymore. It's hard to divide yourself into so many pieces and expect to function as you used to be able to do when you were younger. Right now, I'm tired. I don't plan to do much today. Wish I had more energy, but that will come back soon, I hope.

Tips for Staying Healthy During the Cold and Flu Season

2012-01-26T09:36:00.000-06:00

As I researched how to stay healthy during cold and flu season, a bit late for me, I found one theme kept coming up, no matter which site I was visiting. That is the theme of: Proper Hand Washing.
The other tips were pretty much standard:
1) Get enough rest.
2) Eat Properly.
3) Exercise.
I think we are all familiar with these as they fit into a healthy life style no matter what time of year it is.
Of course, the issue of hand washing is very important, too, since we all carry germs on our hands. There is a proper way to wash your hands. Sometimes, you might just stick your hands under running water and hope that this oblation takes care of the germs on your hands. Stop! No, it doesn't! That is a simple rinse that you might want to use just to get a bit of the grime off before you really wash your hands. I've actually seen doctors and nurses do this. However, to properly wash your hands you must use soap, water, and time. Yes, time, that is of the utmost importance to get the germs off your hands.

To properly wash your hands, begin by running your hands under water to wet them. Using a bar of soap or liquid soap as I do, lather your hands, back and front, and scrub them outside the stream of water for 20 seconds. This might be very hard on the little ones, but you might get them to sing a nursery rhyme or a song like Happy Birthday. That will take care of the time factor. After scrubbing your hands outside the stream of water, put your hands under the water and rinse, both back and front sides of your hands. Dry with a clean towel.

That should take care of it. You will have clean hands.

When you can't wash your hands properly, or you want to ensure your hands are clean, follow the wash with a hand sanitizer. You can purchase these at almost any store now in the carry on size or the gigantic bottles! If you like, you can even make your own. Here's a recipe for making your own hand sanitizer that I found on about. come.

I'm still down with a nasty infection. I wish I didn't have it. Perhaps if I had kept my hands more clean, I wouldn't be sick. However, life happens, but there are ways to make it better for you. I hope this helps. See you soon with beads, I hope!

On being sick and popcorn for breakfast

2012-01-25T08:48:00.001-06:00

This is not fun, being sick, that is. It's not life threatening, I know that, but when you feel as if your head will implode, yet, the animals don't care and hog the bed, and knowing that I have to take Pixie out for her morning walk on icy sidewalks, risking life and limb, well, this just doesn't make for the start of a great day.

So, walk is completed with no falls or broken bones. Yahoo~~ The fresh air cleared my head a bit so it no longer feels like an implosion is near. Yes, Pixie is still hogging the bed. Walter has gone back to Jenny's bed so I have a bit of room. I'm hungry now, but there's not much to eat. Clearly we need to go to the store, but I think I'd rather starve than go out again.

I tried to open the pumpkin seeds, but that takes more strength than I have right now. The Monster Mix is almost gone. I glaze through Jenny's cabinets in search of food. The popcorn catches my eye. There is also one Diet Coke left. Food! Wonderful comfort food!

When my children were small, would I have allowed them to have popcorn and Diet Coke for breakfast? Absolutely not! But now I'm older, and I don't care if they do. This is good stuff when you're hungry. It's full of chemicals and such, but for now, I don't care. It tastes good.

I eat and wait for Walter, Jenny's cat, to come and beg for some popcorn. It's one of his favorite treats. He also likes to steal my diet coke when he can. Pixie is growling in her sleep. She only likes popcorn if it has butter on it. No problems with her. I guess I have enough food in me to take my medications. Then it's back to bed for a nap.

My View

2012-01-24T20:01:00.000-06:00

This is my view of the world today.
I don't do sick well.
Hopefully, tomorrow, I will have a different view!
Stay tuned.

Hospital Art

2012-01-23T18:24:00.000-06:00

I don't know what it's like in other places,

but one thing I have found,

with the exception of one major hospital in this area,

that art, works of art, are on display, for all to enjoy.

Regions Hospital,

where Jenny was when she was sick,

and, yes, she is home now recovering,

had some beautiful works of art.

I didn't cover all of them.

Actually,

on the first floor and the 6th floor, I found some lovely art.

Follow me along this quick path.

I love this statue with its living art.

These living sculptures surrounded the statue.

Beautiful!

I love the detail in these flowers.

Oils.

Photos

Prints.

Mosaics.

Ceramic Stones

Even lights and their arrangements.

Wow!

Hospital art!

I Heart Macro!

2012-01-22T13:06:00.001-06:00

A bit of art from the hospital!

Silent Blog

2012-01-21T08:11:00.001-06:00

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2012-01-20T05:00:00.020-06:00

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) This has been a very rough week! Jenny has been in the hospital since last Sunday with pneumonia and an intestinal bacteria that she picked up in the hospital. Finding the beauty in this week has been difficult, but there are things.
Even though Jenny's white count plunged into the dangerous range, with a single shot, the doctor's were able to raise her white count to a higher level that was no longer life threatening. Whew!

2) Barring a set back, if Jenny feels good today and her labs are still good, she will be able to come home today. I know two kitties who are going to be very excited to see their "Mom," that is, after they ignore her for a bit to show her that she shouldn't leave them in my care for any length of time.

3) During this crisis, Jenny, Nick and I received phenomenal support from our online families! What a treasure these people are. Some of them we've never met, others we know, some we've met in passing, but they are still our family, and we are so grateful to know them and have them in our lives.

At times like this, I appreciate social media even more than I did before.

2012-01-19T13:33:00.001-06:00

People do have many legitimate complaints about the use of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I spend a lot of time on Facebook. I have "met" many people from around the world on Facebook, and I have developed many real friendships there.

I started using Facebook as a means of showing my beads and jewelry. Now, I find I do that less and less. Instead,I join in a surprisingly long discussions about using avocados on a BLT sandwich or where to find the best toilet paper. These diversions are invaluable to me now.

I am sitting in Jenny's hospital room watching her sleep as she recovers from pneumonia and an intestinal bacteria she contracted while in the hospital. She's been so sick!

Without the use of social media, and the immense support I have found on these sites while I sit and wait for the doctors to go in and out, my days would have been spent in great sorrow passing the hours and counting the minutes.

Yes, there are legitimate concerns about the environments of some social media sites, but, now, to "know" the people that I know and have the friends I have, well, I'm not sure how well I could survive these crises of health. I'm grateful for places like Facebook. They really help!

Waiting for Things to Turn Around aka Cancer Sucks!

2012-01-18T08:28:00.001-06:00

No arguments here: Cancer Sucks! Jenny has been ill lately. These are the side effects of a cold. She developed pneumonia and then picked up a terrible stomach bacteria IN the hospital. She was so very ill! On the plus side, medical advances have made battling the diseases a reality. On the negative side, these advances have been so hard on Jenny's body. We are hoping that she will be home either today or tomorrow, but that depends on how she continues to respond to her medical treatments. Cancer sucks, but Team Jenny is rooting for her!

Playing While I Wait for the Doctor, and, it's to test out this program to see if it works!

2012-01-17T11:38:00.001-06:00

I found a new program yesterday, and it seems like it might be fun to use. It's called Photo Studio HD. With it you can change your photos using a different filter or effect just by pressing a button. In case you're wondering what this is in this photo, it's my laptop. I had to duct tape it together. The young man who was repairing it, broke it. The parts aren't in, so in order to use it, I have to duct tape it together. :) There may be more later as I play with the program. I just wanted to make sure it works.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Don't Worry It's just a cold

2012-01-16T20:25:00.000-06:00

To an immune compromised person, a "cold" could mean time in a hospital or worse.

For the last two days, I have been with my daughter who was admitted to the hospital with what started out as "just a cold." She is immune suppressed. She developed pneumonia. She has been and still is very, very sick. It was just a cold.

Granted, she could have picked it up anywhere because it was "just a cold." The person who sneezed then didn't wash their hands or who didn't sneeze into their arms or a kleenex, thought it was "just a cold." They went to work, or they sent their child to school because it was "just a cold."

When you are immune suppressed, "just a cold" can become very dangerous. My daughter is lucky. She is getting better, but because she caught "just a cold," she lost days of work, which she didn't need to loose. She has more medical and hospital bills because she caught "just a cold." She feels terrible because it was "just a cold" that someone somewhere gave her.

I am upset about this. "Just a cold" can be very dangerous. So, please, please, if you catch "just a cold," stay home so that you don't spread your germs. If you must go out, please wash your hands before you touch anything. Above all, and I can't believe how many times I see this, PLEASE COVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE WHEN YOU COUGH OR SNEEZE! It's just a cold, " tell that to the immune suppressed person who is sick in the hospital. Remember, it's just a cold.

I Heart Macro! A Snowy Day

2012-01-15T05:00:00.012-06:00

A small amount of snow can change the world in an hour.

Little critters go for a walk.

It looks like a raccoon to me!

See the pointy little nails?

Even the bushes look a little bit different.

The rose hips look very pretty!

Rocks and stones are slightly hidden.

I heart Macro!!!!!

So, What's New? This That and the Other

2012-01-14T05:00:00.016-06:00

If you read Friday's Post,

then you already know this.

See this magazine?

Turn to page 14.

Yup! Those are my headpins!!!!

Thanks, Pam!

I also learned to make hoop style earrings!

I've been trying to make hoops for several years!

I've been hoop impaired.

Today, it worked!

Not bad for a good week, is it?

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2012-01-13T05:00:00.010-06:00

Sigh!

2012-01-12T05:00:00.004-06:00

I've made 3 hearts like this.

Each one is stuck on the mandrel.

I don't know why.

Sigh!

I like them, too!

It's not half baked yet! Wait! It's not even baked yet. I switched gears for fun!

2012-01-11T05:00:00.026-06:00

Just a slight change of pace, and if they turn out good enough after baking,

I'll put them in my Etsy store.

I really do like these!

Spiral Twist Pendant

Pearl Heart

Floral Heart

Check back later to see if these focals made the cut, I mean, the bake!

Playing with a New IPhone App and Having Fun!

2012-01-10T05:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I downloaded an IPhone App called

Snap & Sketch.

I have been enjoying this app A LOT!!!

What this app does is to take a photo in your library that you choose and turn that photo into a sketch.

You options are:

Pencil, Charcoal, or Crayon.

Take a look at what I did with this new app.

It's Pixie drinking water.

Now, here are 3 changes to the same photo of Jenny and Nick.

This is the pencil sketch.

This is the crayon sketch.

This is the charcoal sketch.

I think I like the crayon sketches the best.

Here's my favorite!

I think that speaks for itself!!!

Well, Lampwork Beads are so Expensive unless you buy them from a company. Why should I buy handmade lampwork beads? Here are twenty reasons.

2012-01-09T05:00:00.003-06:00

Even if I didn’t make lampwork beads, I would seek out, buy, and use them from artists as collectibles, jewelry, gifts. Here's why.

1.) Glass begs to be touched therefore, lampwork beads beg to be touched.

2) Glass can be shaped and formed in an endless variety of sizes and shapes.

3) The beauty of glass in the sun cannot be compared.

4) Realistic looking flowers can be encased in the glass making you believe they are real.

5) Silver wire can be added to a bead as decoration. Think about that when you see those beautiful droplets of silver.

6) Beads can be made from extremely tiny and detailed, to very large and detailed.

7) When properly annealed, glass beads will last for centuries, literally.

8) Lampwork beads can be strung on beading wire, leather, metal wire, Euro style bracelets and look great!

9) Lampwork beads can be combined with other types of beads, but they will be the beads that are noticed.

10) Lampwork beads are handmade, individually, by the artist.

11) When you buy an artisan handmade lampwork bead, you are supporting the arts and encouraging artists to push themselves and improve the quality and type of lampwork bead that they make.

12) Bead artists put time, effort, and talent into each bead they make.

13) Bead artists don’t accidentally make beads. They make beads because the love the medium, the techniques, and the heart of each bead.

14) Making lampwork beads is very difficult. Most lampwork bead artists take a life time to perfect their art. This is an ongoing process that requires time, money, classes, and a lot of glass to perfect your skills.

15) One of the most common phrases used in lampwork bead making is “practice, practice, practice,” and it’s true!

16) No matter how skilled the artist is, there will be “failures” when making lampwork beads. These failures do not stop the artisan from continuing. Their continued work improves their skills.

17) To become skilled in lampwork bead making does not take hours or even days to learn. In order to become skilled, a lamp worker must work months or even years to make certain types of beads. It took me two years to learn to make a particular style of bead. Even then, it wasn’t perfect. I had just mastered the technique and not the skill.

18) Learning how much you do not know, when making lampwork glass beads, is as important a part of the process as knowing what you can make.

19) To be a successful lampwork glass bead artist, you must not only know how to manipulate the glass in the flame, but you must learn what each type of glass does when it is in the flame and how it reacts with other glasses.

20) Learning to make lampwork glass beads is a process that must be repeated over and over and over again. Artisan made beads aren’t mass produced in factories.

I Heart Macro! My Favorite Shoes

2012-01-08T05:00:00.005-06:00

I Heart Macro!

My Favorite Shoes!

I Heart Macro!

Things to Do Today - Three and Four are the most important!

2012-01-07T05:00:00.013-06:00

Things to do today:

1) Stare at sculpture to get ideas on how to finish it.

2) Register for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. Click here for details.

3) Add more Hope the Cancer Warrior Tutorials to my Etsy store.

4) Add kits to go with the Hope the Cancer Warrior Tutorials to my Etsy store.

5) Email the water meter reading into the city.

6) Bah! Mop the floor!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2012-01-06T05:00:00.019-06:00

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) This was a good week! Yesterday, when I took my computer back to the store that had fixed it and also broken it,
I was told it wasn't worth fixing. I would have had to pay $100 for parts alone. I was very upset because they had broken the part that connects the monitor to the back. This just got worse. When I took my laptop into the store, the young man who waited on me said, "Whoa, that's not good." I was then told, it would be better to buy a new computer. Since I didn't have the money saved for a new computer, I was really upset. Later that night, I received a call from the owner of the store. He said that he would pay for the parts if I would agree to pay $25 for labor. Even I knew that was a deal! I won't have to buy a new computer right now! That was so nice to hear!

2) Yesterday, I had the dishwasher repairman come over to look at my dishwasher. I was afraid that he would tell me that I would need a new dishwasher. I had smelled something burning. Whew! Good news! He had to fix the cords which had worked their way towards something hot. They were melting. He was finished in about a half an hour! I don't need a new dishwasher! Yahooooo!

3) Like a cherry topping an ice cream sundae, our high was 52 degrees! This was January 5 in Minnesota! Wow! How much better can things get?

Weekly Photo Challenge - Winter

2012-01-05T05:00:00.003-06:00

This year we have had very little moisture.

That includes snow.

This was the biggest snow we have had this winter.

And now,

it's mostly gone!

Winter

w-i-n-t-e-r

Winter.

Easy Peasy Tutorial - Swiffer Cloth aka dishcloth aka bath and beauty cloth - crocheted

2012-01-04T05:00:00.026-06:00

If you read my blog yesterday,

you saw this photo of my new Swiffer cover cloth aka dishcloth aka bath and beauty cloth.

If you have basic crochet skills,

you can make it in an afternoon.

Here's how you do it, and here's what you need.

First of all, you will need a crochet hook.

I used a size N only because it was the only one I could find at the time.

You can use other sizes, you just have to adjust the length and number of rows you use to make your cloth.

You will also need 100% cotton yarn - one skein.

Begin by making a slip knot on your crochet hook.

Chain 31 chains.

Skip the first chain. Make one single crochet stitch in each chain until you reach the end.

It should look something like this photo, but not necessarily exactly.

Chain one. Turn. Make one single crochet in each single crochet until you get to the end of the row.

Chain one. Turn. Repeat until you have, approximately, 35 rows.

Rather than rely on my numbers, check to see if your cloth will fit your Swiffer.

It should be a little bit big to allow for shrinkage when you wash it.

If you are not making a Swiffer cover, simply make your cloth as big or as small as you would like it.

That's it!

Here's the final cloth.

Another Swiffer cover/dishcloth/bath and beauty cloth!

Notice how little I had left of the skein.

Save your scraps to make another Swiffer cover with the leftovers.

Now, wasn't that easy peasy?

Enjoy!

That's How it All Began. Well, I guess I should go back to the Beginning of the STory, shouldn't I?

2012-01-03T05:00:00.031-06:00

Not with this piece, exactly.

I made this yesterday.

Here's what it became:

A reusable cover for my Swiffer.

No more replacing the covers and throwing them away.

I'm sort of going green.

Anyway, I digress.

What does this Swiffer cover have to do with anything?

Since I was a young child, I had to be doing something all the time.

My grandmother taught me to crochet as a young child.

I played with that a bit.

I made a couple of doilies and moved on to other things,

painting, clay, really, whatever I could do with my hands.

Then, when I became a 9th grader,

I fell in love with the opposite of reading,

that's right,

writing, especially poetry.

I used to have volumes and volumes of poetry I wrote in my teenage angst

about love and the world around me.

Some of them were actually quite good and were published in a magazines and small collections of poetry.

My love for writing continued into womanhood,

and my love for crochet was awakened when I was a young bride on a very limited budget for crafts.

I crocheted everything I could!

I loved the craft so much.

As I began to age,

my love for crochet was overwhelmed by my love for quilting.

I was a quilter for 8 years.

I have many beautiful quilts as a result of that era.

Then, after my husband died,

I stumbled upon lampworking.

It's been 7 years now, and I haven't looked back.

There is always something new to learn and write about.

(How's that for blatantly ending a sentence with a preposition?)

To be listed very soon.

Sadly, you can't make these with fibers!

However, there are times when I have to go back to my roots.

That's why I made this, too!

What is it?

It's another Swiffer cover or it's a dishcloth for washing dishes or it's a shower or bath cloth.

You take your pick!

I plan to use it on my Swiffer.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Easy Peasy Tutorial on how to make on of these Swiffer covers/dish cloths/ bath and beauty cloths.

They are easy and you just have to have beginning crochet skills.

Things That Are Red

2012-01-02T05:00:00.045-06:00

Wanna' see some red?

I have red in my Etsy store.

All right, so these beads aren't JUST red. They are red and purple!

That's my favorite color combination right now!

I think that these beads are some of my favorites!

Now, these beads ARE red!

With the exception of the fine silver wire I used to make droplets, they are a beautiful cherry red!

Love them.

How about this heart?

It's red with dots.

Again, I used my favorite colors of red and purple.

Dang it! I love those colors!

Please ignore the dog hair in this photo! :)

These pod headpins have a beautiful red in the set!

These flowers are red!

All right, they have purple in them, too!

They're still pretty!

What other red can you find?

I Heart Macro! Fun Gift

2012-01-01T19:00:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is a friend's birthday.

Here's what I'm giving her.

If you think she might see it here,

don't worry.

She doesn't read my blog.

She told me once that it was just "one more thing to do."

Sigh.

She doesn't get it.

I do!

I Heart Macro!!!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T05:00:00.003-06:00

Happy 2012!

May it be an exciting year for you!

May you be blessed beyond measure!

May you be loved beyond measure!

May you realize how much you are loved!

Welcome, 2012!

Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

2011-12-31T05:00:00.053-06:00

For too long now,

I have seen the glass as half empty.

So, today,

I have made myself a promise to retrain my thinking so that I can begin to see this glass as

half full and more!

I began by choosing beads of many sizes, shapes and colors to represent the blessings I encounter each day.

Some blessings are very big and full of potential.

Some blessings, especially when compared to others, seem much smaller, but they are still blessings.

Then there is the mixture of blessings that come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.

We often don't realize that these are blessings,

and this is what I need to do.

In my glass that is half full, I begin by adding a big blessing to my day.

Can you see? The water rose above the line.

Now, the glass is more than half full.

I add some more beads or blessings to the glass.

The water level rises, and there is more color in the glass--blessings.

Again, I add more beads (blessings) to my glass.

There is even more color, and

the water level rises a bit more.

Do you see where this is going?

One last time, at the end of the day in my case, I add more beads (blessings) to my half empty glass.

The water has risen a bit more.

This glass cannot be called

half empty any more.

This glass is truly more than half full.

Then when you look at what's inside the glass, you begin to see the colors, the shapes, and the sizes of the blessings in the

half full glass.

At one point, this idea of the half full glass was hard to see.

When you checked the mark on the glass and saw the water rise, you could see that there were blessings in the glass,

but,

to really see these blessings,

you had to look inside the glass.

Look at how pretty they look--disorganized, on top of each other--but they still look pretty!

Looking outside the glass at the rising water levels, helps,

but,

looking inside helps us to visualize how truly blessed we are.

I need to do this everyday to change my thinking.

My glass is half full and not half empty.

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2011-12-30T05:00:00.018-06:00

Weekly Photo Challenge - Between

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-06:00

Between

The only thing between me and this woodpecker is a sliding glass door.

Between

b-e-t-w-e-e-n

Between

Memories From the Basement

2011-12-28T05:00:00.050-06:00

It was a two day event for Nick and me. We attacked and cleaned the basement!!!!!

There was laughter. There were tears.
There were some things we looked at and said, "Why did he keep this?" There were other things we just said, "What is it?"

Nine garbage bags later. 10 bags full of things to the thrift store. Then home for 6 more bags of garbage and 4 more bags for the thrift store. Then it was done!

The tears came when we found things from their childhoods. Photos flooded our brains with memories. Memories of places. Visions of people we loved for too short of a time.

Laughter came when we remembered why we kept the drawings, the photos, the journals, the paper clippings, and some of the things we found.

We wondered why somethings were still there after 40 years. Why were they moved 20 years ago? What meaning did they have then that they didn't have now? Who were some of these people in the pictures? Who was this baby in the picture? Why did we have it?

Look at this! It's my first communion veil! What is this? This is my bull fighting cape from when I took Spanish dancing as a teenager. Look at these newspaper clippings. Mom, is that you? Why didn't you tell me you used to act in plays? When did you do that? How old were you? Where'd did all these cups come from? I don't know, but put them in the thrift shop bags. (White bags were for the thrift store. Black bags were the garbage.)

Now, what's left of the memories are organized in plastic bins. Memories stored until someone else comes along and says, "What is this?" "Where did it come from?" "Why did she keep it?"
"Who was that?" "Was she really an actress?"

Memories from the basement, but a basement that's cleaned!

There is a Need for Beads at Beads of Courage

2011-12-27T05:00:00.021-06:00

Acts of Courage Beads

are always needed at

Beads of Courage.

I found an excellent tutorial for kid friendly fish in the August 2011 issue of

Soda Lime Times

a digital magazine for glass bead makers!

I love this magazine!

Anyway,

I've been making big beads for Acts of Courage Beads.

These fish are big!!!!!

These fish, along with other, BIG beads will be sent to Beads of Courage

after the holidays.

My wish is that some of the older kids will receive them.

I used to be a high school teacher, so I am partial to them.

We'll see.

I'm sure these beads will go to those who need them the most!

Easy Peasy Tutorial - A Free Quick No Sew Fabric Bracelet

2011-12-26T05:00:00.050-06:00

Yes, I said,

NO SEW!

Are You Ready?

Begin by cutting up old T Shirts.

One strip, from 3 different shirts, about an inch wide, will do to make this bracelet.

Here's one strip cut.

Pull the yarn taut to curl the edges.

I used white, pink, and black for my bracelet.

I cut 24 inches of fabric for my bracelet.

I also cut the seam open.

Tie the yarn into a knot at one end.

Braid the yarn to fit your wrist.

If you want a snug fit, make sure the ends meet.

If you want a looser fit, braid a little bit more.

Take one piece of fabric and pull it up.

Bring that fabric up, around, and through as shown in the photo.

Pull the knot tight.

Form a loop. Make sure that the knot on the other end of the braid will fit snuggly through the loop.

The knot needs to stay in the loop. The loop and the knot are your closures.

Tie knots at your fabric ends. Trim the fabric to just above the knots.

Your bracelet is finished!

Enjoy!

If you don't want to tie knots, you sure don't have to do that.

I think the bracelet looks great either way!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T05:00:00.008-06:00

Christmas Eve - Peace

2011-12-24T05:00:00.047-06:00

It's quiet now.

The celebration is finished.

The presents are opened.

The dinner is eaten.

The dishes are clean.

The children are sleeping.

The family has gone home.

Now,

in the quiet of the evening,

peace envelopes this space

flowing like a gentle hymn through the cold, night air

Touching and covering

this simple place

landing like quiet snowflakes on my tongue,

a host to be consumed

then integrated into my heart and soul.

Peace

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2011-12-23T05:00:00.027-06:00

Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T05:00:00.124-06:00

The Winter Solstice occurred at 5:30 AM universal time this morning. Today is the first day of winter and the day when there will be more darkness than on any other day. After today, each day will usher in more light until we reach the summer solstice which will be the day on which there will be more light than on any other day of the year. If you'd like to read more about the solstice, click here and here for more information.

Science aside, where are we? We are three days away from Christmas. The pre-Christmas season has flown. I realized today, that I hadn't even lit my Advent Wreath as we make ready the way of the Lord. I didn't realize how much I missed that tradition. Tonight, I will light the wreath and continue for the rest of Advent so that I can focus on the true reason for the season.

Most of the shopping is done, except for the grocery shopping. I have to go grocery shopping today so that I can feed my children when they come home. I am looking forward to us being together for Christmas! I really don't like grocery shopping, but the kids need food to eat after they get home.

I enjoy interacting with my adult children. They roll their eyes when I get silly, but it's fun--for me! When we visit with other people, they tell them not to encourage me! It's just so much fun to be silly! We eat. We open presents. We play. We go to church. This year, the service we attend will be Midnight Mass. In my eyes, there is nothing more beautiful than that. In Minnesota, the air is cold. If there's snow on the ground, the ground sparkles in the moonlight. The candles in church are bright and lit against the darkness. Then, the lights are turned on and Mass begins. It is beautiful.

Back home, we snack again, talk, watch TV, share our thoughts, laugh at the memories.

So, now, in the darkness of this very long night, I am looking forward to the upcoming days. I am dreaming short dreams like the short day we had today. That's fine. Not all dreams need to be big dreams or dreams that happen over a long period of time. Some dreams are meant to be small. Yet, in their tiny stature, they are big dreams. Not everyone has a family with whom they can celebrate the season or the change of seasons. I am blessed that I do! Not everyone has a family that does not fight and that makes the time together a time to be dreaded rather a time to which we can look forward. I am blessed. We all do look forward to being together and catching up.

In the darkness, I see light. It's a tiny speck of light, but it will glow brighter and brighter with each day. It's like the change of seasons. Even though it's winter now, the light grows brighter and stronger until it's summer. Then the seasonal shift begins again! I actually look forward to the beginning of winter. It's good. The night is long and the day is short today. I'm okay.

About This Time of Year

2011-12-21T05:00:00.014-06:00

In June of 2010,

I took a lampworking class from

Sara Sally LaGrand

at the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee.

I learned how to make her glass corsage and glass necklace!

I think,

more than any other glass class I have taken,

this class has impacted me the most.

About this time of year,

I feel the need to make more pods, leaves, craters, headpins

to put together a small sculpture or necklace.

Last year,

these are the corsages I made.

This year, the urge to make struck earlier.

I'm still working with all those shorts I showed you earlier.

I am amazed at how many beads I am getting from them!

Included are the beads you'll see next.

I'm making a lot of pods, leaves, flowers and craters.

No matter how many I make,

I have found I need many, many more.

So,

here we go.

I'm making some wire pieces, like this wire nest and wire pod to add to the sculpture this year.

I'm still not sure if I'll work with dark annealed wire or copper.

Maybe, both?

I'm not sure.

I have a lot more craters made, but I took these pictures a few days ago, so

I haven't gotten them photographed yet.

These leaves will be fun to use!

Here are some headpins! I think I'll make more of these!

Here are some pods and a flower.

More pods!

A flower and a pod.

Some leftovers from another project.

When I'm finished, these all might or might not go into my project.

About the only thing I know right now is that I am going to add more wire to whatever I made.

What do you think,

copper or dark annealed wire?

Weekly Photo Challenge - Self Portrait - Just a little early this week!

2011-12-20T05:00:00.001-06:00

Self Portrait

I didn't do anything to the eyes. Weird!

Self Portrait

s-e-l-f p-o-r-t-r-a-i-t

Self Portrait

The Hoffman Family Christmas Newsletter - 2011

2011-12-19T05:00:00.091-06:00

I'd be a big, fat liar if I said 2011 was a wonderful or awesome year!

It wasn't.

2011 will go down in our family's history as one of the most difficult years we have endured.

As you know, Jenny was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in July of 2010.

Her treatment plan was proceeding well,

but her numbers reached a point in 2011 where her oncologist felt that it was time to begin her

stem cell transplant.

Jenny chose the University of Minnesota as the transplant center she would use.

This definitely made it easier for us regarding housing and taking care of pets.

I moved in with Jenny in late May.

Yes, I said, I moved in with her! :0)

After all the pre-transplant tests were completed, the stem cell transplant began.

Jenny was admitted to the University of Minnesota Hospital.

Nick moved in with us for 3 weeks.

He was our rock through this difficult time!

The stem cell transplant went exceptionally well.

Jenny had no complications.

Jenny did loose her beautiful hair, but it is growing back.

Of course, during the transplant, Nick would leave notes for the doctors and nurses saying,

"Proceed with enemas daily."

"Full rectal check."

This helped to lend levity in a most difficult time.

The rest of the summer was spent with Jenny recovering at home.

She did recover, and she is now back at work.

We were disappointed to find out that she didn't go into full remission as hoped,

but she is doing well.

Her oncologist, Dr. J, has a good treatment plan for her.

Jenny has a lot of trust in him.

In spite of the side effects from her medication, Jenny is working full time and feeling better now.

While we were at Jenny's,

Walter, one of Jenny's cats, fell in love with Pixie.

Pixie liked him, but it just wasn't working for her.

Walter couldn't get enough of Pixie when they were together.

He was her constant companion on the bed, on the couch, well, you get the picture.

Walter was, and still is, smitten with Pixie.

Marvin, Jenny's other cat, prefered to ignore Pixie and give her an occasional hiss.

Nick is back in Chicago working hard and enjoying his life there.

I don't know what I would have done without him during the transplant!

He is an amazing man!

He still gets to the gym, but, now, he says that he would rather the gym came to hiim!

That's what age will do to you. :0)

I moved back home at the end of July after Jenny no longer needed a driver for her appointments.

It was so good to be home again.

It took me a while to recover from the transplant, but after about a month I was on the go again.

I reopened my Etsy store and began to make beads.

That felt good!

My children are the best things that ever happened to me!

I am so proud of both of them!

They proved their characters and strength in this difficult year.

I burst with pride and thankfulness when I realized the wonderful gift with which God blessed me by giving me

Jenny and Nick

as my chidlren!

Thank you, Lord!

2011,

we will never forget you.

You were intense, and

I hope we never have to live through another year like you.

2012,

we welcome you with

open and hopeful arms.

Merry Christmas!

Jenny, Nick, and I hope your 2011 was better than ours was.

Please continue your prayers for us.

We still need them.

They help!

They really do!

May you be abundantly blessed in 2012!

That's our prayer for you!

I Heart Macro - Xmas is coming!

2011-12-18T05:00:00.008-06:00

I Heart Macro!

Xmas is coming

and

Pixie is ready!

She's Ready!

I Heart Macro!

Ornament Swap/Blog Hop

2011-12-17T05:00:00.026-06:00

When Sally Russick

proposed the idea of an ornament swap on her blog,

I was ready and willing,

and

it has been fun!

My partner was Holly Westfall.

Here's what I received.

When I opened the envelope, this is what a saw!

Isn't it great so far?

There's more!

Inside the tin was a beautiful red bag!

How did she know, red is one of my 10,000 favorite colors.

I took a peek inside the bag.

SMILES!

More wrapping!

The excitement is mounting!

At last, and isn't it beautiful! It was worth the wait!

And here, my beautiful, new ornament hangs on the tree!

Sigh!

It is beautiful!

Now, here is the list of other participants.

Be sure to check out their blogs and see what they received in this swap!

Erin Prais-Hintz and Alice Peterson

Sally Russick and Kim Hora

Susan Kennedy and Kathleen Lange Klik

Patty Gasparino and Cindy Wimmer

Hope Smitherman and Melissa Meman

Jennifer L. Justman and Sandi Volpe

Jenny Davies-Reazor and Christine Altimiller

Rebecca Anderson and Jen Velasquez

Jeanette Blix Ryan and Tamara Soper

Holly Westfall and Mallory Hoffman

Thank you, Sally! I enjoyed this swap!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2011-12-16T05:00:00.032-06:00

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1. Wooo Hooo! It finally happened! It's taken a long time, so I really learned to appreciate what happened. I hit 500 sales in my Etsy store! I am absolutely thrilled! Thank you, Bonnie, for purchasing the item that made 500 items in my Etsy store!

2) I had lunch with Sister Alene, and we celebrated Christmas with lunch and small gifts to each other. I gave her my Singing Nun Mixed Media portrait. You can see it over HERE. I also included a little money with her card. She gave me things I truly needed: a beautiful handmade note pad. She cut the pieces of paper herself and two Christmas pot holders! I love them! I was so blessed!

3) See the pendant in the photo? Instead of cleaning a closet that really needs to be cleaned, I took the afternoon off, and played! The pendant was one of the results! It's going to be fun to wear!

Weekly Photo Challenge - Celebration

2011-12-15T05:00:00.004-06:00

We celebrate with food!

Celebration

c-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-i-o-n

Celebration

Just Playing - The Girls and Embossed Metal

2011-12-14T05:00:00.029-06:00

This part is all Maggie's fault!

She posted about an online class she was taking.

I thought it sounded great, so I am taking it, too!

Anyway,

here are some of the fruits of that class.

The Girls!

I am making this for a friend's birthday on January 2.

Since I know that she doesn't ready my blog,

I can post it here!

This is not quite finished yet.

I have to add some kind of frame and hangar.

I'll try to show you the finished product before her birthday!

This "girl" is a singing nun! It's for my friend who is a nun.

I plan to put this on her Christmas card this year!

I love these little girls!

I plan to make more!

I've also been embossing metal.

That has been fun.

The next step will be to cut these pieces of brass, copper, and tin.

I tried to make bead caps using the embossed metal,

but I found the embossing goes away.

so, it's back to etching for bead caps.

These embossed circles do make great jewelry.

I've been playing with paints and metal.

How have you been playing?

Incentive!

2011-12-12T17:16:00.000-06:00

Finally,

I am only 2 sales away from the 500 mark in my

Etsy Store!

I'd like to reach that 500 mark before the end of 2011, so I'm adding a

Touch of Incentive.

My 500th sale will find included in their order

this bracelet

which I am calling

Touch of Incentive!

This could be yours!

The Rules of Play and what we learned in First Grade, I think

2011-12-12T05:00:00.017-06:00

Actually, this has little to do with what we learned in first grade except that I learned there were rules to playing.

You know,

Take Turns.

Don't Hit or Kick Anyone.

Don't Bite Anyone.

Don't Blow Your Nose on Anyone.

Sharing is Good.

Say Please and Thank You.

I've carried these and other lessons with me for years.

Now, I have some new rules of play for me this week.

I hope to show you the results later, if I don't forget.

This is my box of shorts.

This is what's on my work bench now.

The rules are as follows:

This week I can only use the shorts I have in my box or on my work bench.

The exception is if I need more clear, black or white I may add those three colors to anything I make, but I must be out of them in the shorts mix.

I can make anything I want.

If I need murrini, twisties, or stringer, I must use only the shorts I have.

These rules will apply only until the end of the week.

Other than that,

see the first rules posted for play.

I'll show you the results later.

What rules of play do you make for yourself?

What have been your results?

I Heart Macro! - Christmas Around the House

2011-12-11T05:00:00.013-06:00

The fireplace is going.

The candles are ready.

The tree is decorated.

Pixie is even ready for Christmas!

Three Beautiful Things This Week - A Day Late Because I Got My Days Mixed Up!

2011-12-10T05:00:00.015-06:00

Weekly Photo Challenge - Waiting

2011-12-09T05:00:00.008-06:00

Waiting at the Clinic

Always an Experience.

Starting to get bored and wanting to explore.

I wonder what they're doing up there?

The fountain is soothing, so that helps the wait.

Waiting

w-a-i-t-i-n-g

Waiting

I've Always Wanted to Hear My Angel Sing

2011-12-08T05:00:00.006-06:00

I’ve always wanted to hear my angel sing,
To hear that melody through softest air,
To know the song and join in joyful praise.

I’ve always wanted to hear my angel sing,
Not just at Christmas in cold, crystal filled air,
Any time, any where, joyous praises ring.

I’ve always wanted to hear my angel sing,
To hear it’s voice pierce the depths of my soul
To know and feel the joy love brings.

I’ve always wanted to hear my angel sing
Beyond the bounds of earth’s limiting skies,
Where all is truth and love.

I’ve always wanted to hear my angel sing,
When as I child I listened for that voice
In songs of praise.

Perhaps my angel sings as I sleep when I can’t join in song,
She’s heard my voice crackle through the heavens,
And has seen other angels cover their ears to muffle that most unpleasant sound.

Perhaps my angel hovers over my bed
Singing in angel whispers the songs I dream to hear.
Perhaps, my angel does this, yet

I’ve always wanted to hear my angel sing.

The Reason for the Season and the 50 other reasons why I really love Christmas!

2011-12-07T05:00:00.058-06:00

The main reason I love Christmas is

the Reason for the Season.

Others are:

1) Christmas lights

2) Christmas cookies

3) Getting together with family and friends

4) Opening Presents

5) Receiving Christmas cards in the mail

6) Writing our family newsletter

7) Christmas trees

8) Christmas stockings

9) Midnight Mass

10) Christmas Carols

11) Christmas clothes

12) In this part of the country, snow, and usually lots of it

13) Enjoying the quiet of the season

14) Christmas Candles

15) The smell of pine trees

16) Birds feeding off of their feeders

17) Sunshine glistening on freshly fallen snow

18) The footprints of deer and rabbits in the snow

19) Rose hips contrasting their red with the white of snow

20) Bagging up the torn wrapping paper and ribbons

21) Christmas movies

22) Santa Claus

23) Playing games with the family

24) Phone calls to the family that lives out of town

25) Christmas dishes and glasses

26) Candles burning in the night

27) Christmas socks

28) Christmas clothes

29) Christmas jewelry

30) Christmas food

31) Remembering past Christmases

32) Looking at old photos

33) Taking new photos

34) Reading Christmas letters

35) Taking a late evening walk in the snow

36) Lighting luminarios

37) Leaving the Christmas lights on all night

38) Taking the Christmas tree down

39) Christmas cookies

40) Christmas candy

41) Lighting the last candle on the Advent wreath

42) Putting away the Christmas dishes

43) Dropping coins in the Salvation Army kettles

44) Driving out to see the Christmas lights around the city

45) Reading the Christmas story

46) Giving thanks for all we have

47) Packing the kids up to go home

48) Checking the Weather Channel to make sure the roads are still good.

49) Sending the kids home.

50) Sitting down and remembering this Christmas!

When I get Stressed, I Make Murrini and I've Sure Been Making A Lot of It Lately!

2011-12-06T05:00:00.048-06:00

It's so many things.

I wouldn't even know where to begin,

but

I have been stressed,

and,

I have been making murrini.

For me, that is the great stress reliever.

As a result,

I have a lot of murrini listed in my Etsy store,

with more to come soon.

For my non lampworking friends,

murrini are small chips of glass that were formed by layering glass together to form a cane.

From that cane,

small chips are snipped.

These chips then become decoration on a bead by melting them in all the way or leaving them raised.

Here's one of my favorite murrini.

The result of applying these chips is a touch of silver and a floral pattern which may or may not interact with the glass below.

I love these murrini melted into the glass!

Murrini can come in all colors and even in shapes.

These hearts look great in red!

I think you can use hearts any time of the year.

A barnacle murrini is one that has a transparent center and will fold in on itself.

See the example of this murrini? I like this one, too.

It's called Barnacle Blue and I like the way it looks on glass.

Smudges is a multi colored cane. The finished result has been compared to a beach ball.

It certainly has enough color, doesn't it?

I've also started to twist murrini for a tornado type of finished look.

This is a barnacle twisted murrini. It looks great on a bead!

I'll be adding more murrini to my Etsy store soon!

You should see my stash!

Anyway, I also hope to begin to add mixes! They would be fun!

So, this is what I do to destress.

How do you destress?

PS: Not to add more stress to your lives, but it's only 19 days until Xmas!

Yikes!

What do these cowboy boots and me have in common?

2011-12-05T05:00:00.022-06:00

They are featured on Pinterest.
Here's the link to see them.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is an online pinboard where you can share and organize things that you like!

I like these boots!

If you look on the right side of my blog, you will see two new buttons.

The first one is titled Pin It.
That means that if you see something you like on my blog or in my Etsy store, you can add your pin to Pinterest. Just click on the button. It's easy.

The other new button says, "Follow me on Pinterest." If you follow me, I'll follow you, and we can see the pins. I might repin some of your pins, and you might repin some of my pins, but either way, we will develop beautiful boards where we can show our favorite items from blogs, websites, or from Pinterest.

Now, how fun is that? I have to sort of admit, I've gotten a bit, shall we say, addicted to Pinterest? I suggest you check it out. You might become, shall we say, addicted to Pinterest, too.

I Heart Macro - Chinese Food and Holiday Shop Hop Link

2011-12-04T05:00:00.017-06:00

Jenny and I went to a wonderful Chinese Restaurant today called the Tea House.

The food and the company were great!

Jenny loves the tea!

Fresh tea was poured.

The teapot!

I Heart Macro!

Click HERE for the Holiday Shop Hop Link!

Holiday Shop Hop!

2011-12-03T05:00:00.012-06:00

This is such a great idea!

Thank you,

MiShel Designs!

No need to get out of your warm jammies and head towards that mall when it's cold outside and snowing.

No need to even get out of bed if you have a laptop handy!

The kids can get their own cereal while they watch cartoons,

and you can shop to your heart's content

without leaving the comfort of your home.

Get all your shopping done her and now

at this

Holiday Hop Shop.

You can buy American made!

You can buy artisan made!

You can buy handmade with quality,

Begin by clicking on the links and visiting the stores and web sites of those participating in his Holiday Shop Hop! You might find exactly what you want for that special person on your shopping list.

Now, have fun, and be sure to let me know how well you did!

I want to hear your stories!

Holiday Shop Hop 2011

A Bead A Day

Blackbeary Mountain

Blue Pearls Handcrafted Goods

Handcrafted Serenity Jewelry Designs

Happy and Healthy Magnetic Jewelry

Holly Westfall / Silver Rose Designs

Just A Tish

Just Mare Pottery

Keefer Style Creations

Kabs Creative Concepts

Klassy Joolz

Kristi Bowman Design

Lilly Rose Jewelry Designs

Little Rocks

MiShel Designs

Melinda Orr Designs

My Life Under the Bus

Olive Branch Organics

Pine Ridge Treasures

Pink Poppy Studio

Rosebud’s Lampwork Beads

Wire Worked Handcrafted Jewelry

Three Beautiful Things This Week and Day 7 of the Virtual Craft Show!

2011-12-02T05:00:00.030-06:00

Today is Day 7 of the Virtual Craft Show!

Be sure to get over there and leave a comment or two or three or four so that you can be in the running to win one of the giveaways!

So far, it's been great!

My giveaway is on Day 3!

Be sure to click that link to see!

Weekly Photo Challenge - Family and Day 6 of the Virtual Craft Show!

2011-12-01T05:00:00.011-06:00

We are Family!

Yes, we are!

Family

f-a-m-i-l-y

Family

And be sure to visit a wonderful "family" of artisans in Lori Anderson's
Virtual Craft Show.
Here's the link:
I'm listed in Day 3, so check that out!

Challenge of Color - Purple and Day 5 of the Virtual Craft Show

2011-11-30T05:00:00.047-06:00

Purple

That was the color I asked for--purple.

Little did I know that I would be given the color purple, but I would be given a design pallate

that would push me a bit over the edge.

From Design Seeds.

You can see more palettes here.

I love purple, but the vision I had of purple was very different from this.

So,

Erin,

I just wanted you to know, you did challenge me, and

I'm so happy your did!

Thank you!

I knew I would need a very special focal, so I fired up the torch.

Well, the first focal I made just didn't quite do what I wanted it to do,

so,

the next time I torched,

I let the glass do what it wanted.

This time,

a flower was born.

The next challenge came in deciding how to accent this focal.

I looked at the colors.

Made a few more beads, then,

this happened.

Three layers of beads, pearls, and crystals gathered together to adorn this flower!

Now,

I love it!!

There are more people in this blog hop.

Be sure to visit them.

Here's the list.

1	Norma Turvey	Teal	Color Crave
2	Jeannie Dukic	Green	Mineral Tones
3	Mary McGraw	Teal	Embellished Hues
4	Jo Tinley	Red	Decadent Tones
5	Rebecca Anderson	Pink	Tulip Tones
6	Kristi Jaro	Red	Temple Entrance
7	Stephani Gorman	Green	Dew Tones
8	Melissa Meman	Green	Fruit Star
9	Kathleen Lange Klik	Teal	Silk Hues
10	Cynthia Riggs	Red	Autumn Comfort
11	Heidi Post	Teal	Flora Bright
12	Cece Cormier	Teal	Merino Teal
13	Amy Freeland	Gray	Cultured Tones
14	Alice Peterson	Blue	Island Play
15	Rose Noble	Gray	Autumn Stacked
16	Kristina Johansson	Yellow	Sunny Flower
17	Kirsi Luostarinen	Teal	Dragon Hues
18	Tari Kahrs	Orange	Citrus Tones
19	Mallory Hoffman	Purple	Petaled Dark
20	Molly Alexander	Brown	Peppered Tones
21	Regina Santerre	Red	Frosted Berry
22	Emanda Johnson	Teal	Color Purl
23	Amy Severino	Orange	Winged Tones
24	Bobbie Rafferty	Teal	Lime Hues
25	Tanya Goodwin	Gray	Pecked Tones
26	Lisa Lodge	Blue	Nocturnal Tones
27	Hope Smitherman	Blue	Bloom Tones
28	Linda Landig	Green	Cacti Dark
29	Ambra Gostoli	Teal	Perched Autumn
30	Lori Bowring-Michaud	Blue	Sharpened Blue
31	Pippa Chandler	Teal	Hungarian Hues
32	Keirsten Giles	Purple	Mineral Brights
33	Jennifer Justman	Blue	Autumn Rays
34	Sandy Richardson	Purple	Moroccan Brights
35	CJ Bauschka	Teal	Teal Air
36	Shaiha Williams	Teal	Sushi Hues
37	Kay Thomerson	Purple	Autumn Spectrum
38	Sally Russick	Purple	Golden Gate Tones
39	Cilla Watkins	Purple	Autumn Infused
40	Shirley Moore	Purple	Frozen Heather
41	Jenni Connolly	Gray	Paw Tones
42	Tamara Soper	Green	Field Tones
43	Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	Blue	Nested Blues
44	Jen Velasquez	Pink	Sweetened Tints
45	Maria Grimes	Red	Bright Bloom
46	Elisabeth Auld	Gray	Petaled Tints
47	Susan Kennedy	Pink	Zinnia Tones
48	Shannon Chomanczuk	Gray	Autumn Leaf
49	Holly Westfall	Yellow	Sprinkled Tones
50	Patty Gasparino	Red	Color Carton
51	Angela Little	Pink	Singapore Brights
52	Lizzie Zawinski	Green	Budding Hues
53	Kristen Stevens	Pink	Scooped Tones
54	Dawn Doucette	Brown	Jarred Tones

Enjoy your tour!

Oh, and don't forget to stop by Lori Anderson's Pretty Things blog for Day 5 of the virtual craft show.

Shop Updates and Day 4 of the Virtual Craft Show

2011-11-29T05:00:00.037-06:00

I posted on Facebook that I didn't care if anyone bought from me for the rest of the year as long as we were all

at peace.

I also confessed that I was a big fat liar!

While I honestly do wish all of us

Peace,

I really do hope you buy from me!

I have 5 sales to go to hit 500!

Here's the link to my store.

Here are some of my new items!

This heart key pendant really is purple, not blue!

It looks blue in the photos, but it is purple.

How about a handmade stick pendant with a silk cord made from a recycled sari?

I think you'll like it!

Here's a zipper pull/purse pull/ pendant I call Orange Sherbet!

I love the color!

Last, but not least, an

Animal Print Bracelet with 6 of my handmade lampwork beads!

I hope you enjoy looking, but

Don't Forget!

Here's the link to Day 4!

Enjoy your virtual shopping!

The Virtual Craft Show - Day 3

2011-11-28T05:00:00.048-06:00

Today is Day 3 of the Virtual Craft Show on Lori Anderson's blog!

This is what I will be giving away!

Just remember,

7 Days, 70 Artists, GIVING AWAY 70 things.

Can you believe it????

Visit Day Three by clicking here!

I hope you'll take the time to visit these artisans' shops and blogs, too.

Here's how you win:

For each of the 7 days of the show, you get a point for each of the following (you don't have to do all four)....

Commenting

Facebooking this page

Twittering this page

Blogging this page

Be sure to have either a blog with an email contact, or leave an email in your comment so I can notify you!

Drawing will be held a couple of days after the show.

Remember,

You can comment here,

but in order to win,

You MUST leave a comment on Lori's blog.

Lori, will be choosing the winners.

I will be given the name of my winner and then I will ship the key bead to the winner.

Even if you don't win,

you can still shop my Etsy store.

Here's the link for that.

I am offering 10 cent first class shipping in the USA,

and

50 cent first class shipping to Canada

until the end of the holiday season.

I Heart Macro - Food

2011-11-27T05:00:00.014-06:00

Food's the topic today!

I love food!

How about you?

Jenny's vegetarian TV dinner.

My beef stew with gluten free breadsticks, a smudge of butter on the plate, and homemade strawberry jelly.

The last piece of peanut butter chocolate silk pie from Perkin's.

What is your favorite food?

Oh, and don't forget, The First Annual Virtual Craft Show sponsored by

Lori Anderson

is going on right now.

Make sure you visit for your chance to win something from the 70 artists giving away an item in this craft show.

Here's the link to Lori's blog.

Remember to comment THERE for a chance to win.

Weekly Photo Challenge - Breakfast & the Beginning of the Virtual Craft Show

2011-11-26T05:00:00.009-06:00

I love Perkins for breakfast.

This is my favorite breakfast there!

Nummy!

What's your favorite breakfast?

And, before I forget,
here's the link to
Lori Anderson's
Virtual Craft Show.
You wouldn't see my give away item there yet,
but it will be there in two days.
In the meantime,
leave a comment on Lori's blog so that you can win.
70 prizes are being given away.
Just remember, you have to comment on Lori's blog,
not mine,
to win.

Three Beautiful Things This Week

2011-11-25T07:40:00.000-06:00

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) Wow! What a wonderful Thanksgiving we enjoyed this year with our extended family! The food was great! The company was wonderful! And, truly, we all had a great time!

2) The Big Bang Theory played a big part in our family time together this Thanksgiving. Before Jenny got home, Nick and I went shopping for games. We found this game and knew we had to buy it. The game was fun. The information we had to know to play this game was hard, so after playing a couple of times, we all perched ourselves in front of the TV to review the information about the Big Bang Theory so that when we play for Xmas, we will know!

3) The weather is great for traveling. Nick leaves today to go home. He will have good weather. That's awesome for Minnesota this time of year. Yesterday we broke record high's for temperatures. We topped out at 64 degrees. Last year, at this time, we had well over 20 inches of snow on the ground. This is a much better winter!

Happy Thanksgiving - All the Beautiful Things This Year

2011-11-24T05:00:00.018-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Even during a challenging year we have so much for which we can be thankful.

Think about it.

Even if you can only say at the end of the day,

night has come.

That's something for which we can all be thankful.

Make a list.

In that list there will be something.

Find it and build on it.

In the meantime,

Peace,

Love,

and

Joy

on this Thanksgiving Day!