Christmas Cheer

The holiday is fast approaching, and I want everyone to know it has been cold here at my house. I am busy working on Christmas presents. I am making jewelry for the girls in my family. I will post pictures when I get them ready but not until after Christmas. But I want to take the time to wish everyone the comes by to visit A Very Merry and Happy and Peaceful Christmas or Whatever Holiday you celebrate. Thanks for coming by and reading my little blog. May each and everyone of you Have a Blessed New Year and you most important wishes be granted.

The Winner IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a winner for my charm give away and It is Francine C. She wins all three charms. I am so happy that she came by my blog and left her comment. I had about 3 or 4 people that said they could not leave a comment. So I am going to tell how it is done. You must go to the bottom of the post you want to comment on and click on comments and a new page with or without comments will come up. Go to the white box and type in your comment. When you are finished you must choose a profile go to the place that says "Comment as (box) select profile and choose your profile and make sure it shows up in the box as the profile you have chosen the background color is blue and then you must click Post Comment.
It will be put on the list to be moderated as I moderate before publishing because I dont want to get rated. If you had trouble posting a comment go and try to post on this one or The Last Word to try it out and if it doesnt work then let me know okay.

The Last Word

This is the Last Word. As usual part of my mind was in a far away land and my body here at the computer. I forgot to put a deadline on the Give Away Contest. I am going to post some DOD Charms the first or second so you just have a week to leave the words of wisdom, praise, a good yelling at or whatever turns floats your boat. Be talking to you soon.

Charm Give Away

Well friends today is another day of this adventure call Life. So far it has been quiet and warm here in the Drought Ridden Southwest. Our state has been plagued with large grass fires and many homes damaged in the eastern part of the state and a few loss of lives. We are starting fall and the temps have dropped considerably but still unseasonably in the mid to high 90's with lots of sunshine. But enough of the boring weather. My grandson Ryan is recovering from a motorcycle accident and seems to be getting some better (I hope). But at 27 he is invincible and invisible, I hope he realizes he is neither after this accident.

I am in a group called Art Charms that swap charms with different themes and I love the group they are a chatty and fun group. We are just finishing a swap called Going Native that was wonderful, we could use bones, sticks, feather, or whatever we wanted so we had to keep in here in the US not International like most of our swaps. I received my charms from the Going Native and they are really wonderful, and well crafted. Our next swap celebrates the Hispanic Celebration Day of the Dead. This is such a cheerful theme for the days after Halloween and you can use Halloweens ideas to incorporate with these Catarina, and Skellies all dressed up in their finery for bracelets. necklaces rings, and earrings. My next post will show some of my stuff for this swap. Last year I made a charm bracelet for DOD and sold it right off my arm so I came home and made a DOD bangle and I still have that one. At chat on Thursday I mention that I was going to have a give away on my blog and I am just getting around to posting it.

You will notice that there is a picture of three pieces and these are the give aways. One is definitely a charm and the other two can be used as charms or chain connectors it is all up to the winner. (Drum Rollllllllll) All you need to do is leave a comment for the blog to get in you name in the drawing and a random name will be chosen for the winner. Ready on your mark get set go. Now it is up to you. Have fun and smile, laugh and dream.

A Day in the life of a RETIRED Teacher

Well on September 7, 2011 my youngest grandson Ryan had a motorcycle accident and had a head and eye injury and we have had him in the hospital twice since that time. But until we see the Brain DR. tomorrow we just know that right now he is doing better and is at home with his mom and dad. I have been doing a some of jewelry, but this summer it has been so hot I haven't done much but try to stay cool. I have decided to do a contest for my blog visitors that leave commments about my jewelry. To be announced later after I finish this latest charm swap I am in for the Art Charms group.
I want to start doing some polymer clay I am doing some research on it as it has changed so much since 80's when I made my chili necklaces. There are so many different kinds and brands now that are available here in the BIG O. Really have found a lot of information on the web and have a couple of good books. I have even gotten some Faux Bone to work with and I am excited about that also. I will keep you posted on the latest undertakings, and the good work and the screw ups also.

This is just one of the lovely door prizes that I won while hopping from one blog to another in this lovely month of February. I had so much fun visiting other peoples blogs. Monique Kleinhans is the creator of these cute cards. The bottom has the cutest saying in it it is attributed to a 5 year old child Ian Hobson and it says "You make me smile all over my face."
I just love it. If you have the time I suggest that you hop over to Monique's blog http://www.theilightifind.blogspot.com and see all the great things she has there then pop over and see her Etsy shop.

Thank You Monique for the great prize. I love the three cards

My Door Prize Winnings

ONE WORLD ONE HEART

I am Lady Faith Barbara Branson and I joined the One World One Heart blog give away. I am excited aboout this as I have been told the is the 5th and final year it will be held. If you click one the picture logo it will take you to it. It really should say International, because people can enter from all around the world. I want to tell you a little about my self. I am a jeweler and an artist. I love drawing and painting. I discovered the world of ATCs a few years ago and have enjoyed doing the paintings and drawings in this small format. I am also a jeweler. In years past I did jewelry mostly in Lost Wax Casting. But with the passage of time and teaching I discovered I only had time for forging and fabrication and repurposing old jewelry into new pieces. Repurposing the old watches, necklaces and bracelets is really fun. I will be giving away this lovely pin to some Royal Person at the end of one week from today that comes and leave a comment. So be sure to leave a comment if you stop by. The picture of the pin is at the bottom of the blog just keep going.

The 5th of December I decided I needed to take a break from making jewelry 7 or 8 hours a day.  I was getting ready for Christmas.  Then as ususal with vacations the Holidays came and went and I was passing my time reading my books and magazines.  I had ordered from Amazon the book "Making Mixed-Media Art Charms and Jewelry," written by Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen, and it is a short book and one that you can read from cover to cover in one setting.  I liked it so well I have now read it 3 or 4 times and gotten some new ideas, and recalled some old ones I had forgotten about.  It is a very good read and one you can read and enjoy and it is thoroughly informative on technique.  If you are new to making charms or jewelry it is a must for the beginner and intermediate jeweler.  I am in an ART CHARM group with these 2 ladies and although we live hunderds of miles apart I love being in swaps with them and seeing what they have done in the Photo Albums.  It is great fun and very exciting to see what we get in each swap.  We always have a big group in the swap.  Right now we have sign up going on for a Steampunk and Found Objects.  So far we have 27 or 28 participants and I am working on my charms now when I am not blogging.  I can't wait to see what my 28 charms will be.  I am thinking that this time I will put them on a necklace instead of a bracelet.  I will put in my slide show when I do.

Once a Upon a Time

One day when I was 5 years old, my grandmother, a manager of an exclusive dress shop, came home with a pirate's treasure in a paper bag.  In that bag were diamonds, emeralds, rubies, gold and silver.  All broken or returned jewelry from the store that couldnt be sold.  My, my did I have a good time.  For days, weeks, and months I played with these things.  I would dress up with all my jewels and play for hours.  Then I got a little older and discovered Wackers 5 &10 cent store and their diamond, emerald, and ruby rings.  Then F. W. Woolworth's made an appearance on the scene.  A new store for me to shop for the treasures of a lifetime.  More rubies, diamonds, and emerald rings, earring, brooches and last my not least bracelets and necklace sets. It was like I had a my summer days planned out.  I remember the rings and bracelets especially as I loved those the best.  I remember dressing up like a gypsy will all my jewelry, a long flowing skirt, a scarf around my head playing at telling fortunes for hours.  The rings cost 10 cents and 2 cent tax.  I would wear them until my entire finger was green, then I would clean the green off and paint the inside with clear nail polish I was good for another month.  One day my great grandmother was give me 25cents and we walked to town for her to pay a bill and me to spend my money.  It was a nice warm sunny morning about 9:15 a.m.(shops opened earlier then) and she gave my 25 cents on the corner of 4th and Grant and I was to meet her back at the corner in 30 minutes (I had to hurry there were so many to choose from) but I had my eye on this special ruby and brass ring so I ran off down the street.  My great grandmother told me that my money was burning a hole in my as I was fanning my hand all the way to Wackers almost at the end of the block.  She said she laughed so hard she nearly fainted.  But off I went running down the street to buy my special ruby ring and I thought I look just like a rich lady when we met back at the corner.  Wackers really had the prettiest rings I was sure of that as they nearly got all my money.  Visting with Brenda Sue at http://www.bsueboutiques.com/ this week made think of all the treasures I had access to at the time and the fun I had with my part of it.  Brenda Sue at http://www.bsueboutiques.com/ is having a Challenge: Five and Dime Challenge Part Two, Brooches and Earrings sets.  If you want go take a look at her website and get the idea and join the challenge.  She is a delightful person and really does some fine designs and her how to videos really inspire her.