Just For Fun!

I made these earrings just for fun.  I call them Woodland Jesters.  I've had these beads for ages and just couldn't come up with anything to use for "hair" on them.  Altered leaf beads did the trick.  I try to buy beadcaps that can be adjusted.  Solid ones only fit certain beads and in my opinion, are quite boring.  There's a face on both sides of the face bead so like me, these guys don't know if they are coming or going!  Hope you like them.

Don't forget to sign up below for my $25.00 gift certificat give away.  

Over the Top Gift Certificate Give-away

Yippie!

Yesterday I went over 100 Blog followers and 2000 Twitter followers, so as promised, I am having another give-away.  Since I couldn't decide what to offer, I am going to give the winner $25 towards anything in either of my Etsy shops.

All you have to do to enter is go to either The Earring Boutique or Forbes Farm  or both, and then come back here to tell me what item(s) you like best.   If you want to Tweet or Blog about the give-away, I  would be thrilled.  Be sure to let me know you have Tweeted or Blogged so I can enter you twice.

The drawing will be on Sunday, May 3rd.  I will use Random.org to pick the winner.  Good luck to all, and tell your friends!

2000 Tweets and 100 Followers (Well Almost)

I woke up this morning to 2000 Twitter followers and 99 Blog followers. Can't quite make that 100th. To celebrate I am going to have another give away. I just haven't quite decided what I should give out this time. I must think on that for a bit.

Just to tempt you, here's a pictue of my latest creations. They will be up on Etsy soon.

I Promised You Wedding Whites

A few days ago I said I had received my white beads and my thoughts turned to weddings. What could be better than a fairy tale wedding? I was so pleased with the way the white on white earrings turned out that I just had to make a matching necklace! I sure hope some girl finds them and wants them for her wedding. I would be so thrilled to think some of my jewelry was twinkling on some radiant bride!

Here are the links: Fairy's Petticoat White Earrings and Fairy Tale Wedding Bridal Necklace .

I was featured on Luv♥Handmade again. I think they are still small but building rapidly. I am just thrilled to get noticed. I guess I am too hard on myself because sometimes I think my stuff isn't good enough to sell. I think a lot of artists/crafters are that way. I'd rather be overly critical of myself than to let something ratty get through. I think that all started when I was a teen. My Aunt, bless her heart, made my prom dress. She was one of those people who ignored mistakes and kept right on going. When I got my dress I was devastated because there were big puckers where there shouldn't be big puckers! Luckily, I knew how to sew myself. I had to dismantle the skirt and resew it before I could wear it to the prom. I haven't been the same since. LOL!

Well, you all have a great day!

This Must Be Feature Day! Check It Out

I just got another Convo on Etsy. This time I am featured on the blog Bohemian Vintage . It's are really cool blog written by Mina. I'd like to thank her for picking one of my items to feature. Stop by and check it out when you can.

I've Been Featured On LuvHandmade

My Beauty In Blue earrings have been featured on Luv♥Handmade .  It is always so exciting to hear someone else likes what I do.  I thank Emily for including them on their site. 

This pair is sold but I think I have more beads like them somewhere.   My studio is in a state of semi-organized caos at the moment The main beads were found in a glass jar at an auction.  I love finding lost, lonely beads, especially when they are so beautiful.  It makes me sick to think of how many probably end up in the landfill.  

Have a great day!

White Lilies

OMG, am I tired!   The weather cooperated and my girls came to help, so we got a lot of yard work done here on Saturday.  Then our girls helped us set up our Cross Roads booth before they had to go home.  We worked almost non-stop.  Too much for this old, out of shape body!!!

Before they came last Friday I did manage to get a few new earrings done and listed.  An order of frosted white Lily beads came in, so I had fun working with those.  I only had time for a couple of colors, but there are more possiblities.  I've ordered white centers too.  I'm thinking weddings maybe?  Someone on Etsy just posted in the Forum that they could make a profit if they stopped buying beads.  I had to laugh and agree with them!  It's an addiction!

Here's the link to the White & Purple Lilies

My Girls Are Coming

                                     Holley & Becky

My girls are coming home tonight.  They won't be smiling so much when they see Mom's "To Do" list, but that was the reason for their coming.  They said they want to help get the Spring clean up done outside.  Sure hope the weather cooperates!  We ought to be in for quite a week end.  They were known in college as "The Bicker Sisters".  You'd think once they hit their 30's that would stop wouldn't you?  LOL  At least their bickering is done in fun.  

The beads are put away for a couple of days so I can help with the chores too.  YUCK!  I'd rather be creating.  I told my DH the other day that God sure does play mean tricks on a person.  He lets you get lazy in the Winter and then when your body is nice and mushy, He lets Spring come and you have to clean up the mess He made over the Winter.  Convinces me that God is indeed male....

My Mini Moos

My order from moo.com came!  I just love my mini moo cards.  They turned out so nice.  They are like half size business cards.   I did 25 different designs so there are 4 of each.   I am going to hate parting with them.  I know the majority of people just toss business cards.  I'm hoping the novelty of these will help them stay around longer!

New Style Launched

Yesterday I launched a new style of earring.  I was looking for something a bit sophisticated yet still in most people's price range.   This is what I came up with.  They can be made in just about any color which is a nice feature.  

I won't tell you how long it took me to come up with the style.  I can sit and "play" with my beads for hours and not find anything the pleases my eye.  If I don't like it, I won't sell it.  I think that holds true with a lot of designers.  I can't look at something and think "Oh yuck.. but maybe someone will buy it anyway".  That just doesn't work for me.  

I'm off to the studio to see what else I can create.   Have a wonderful day!

And The Winner Is......

The winner of my pretty blue floral pendant is...............

                Leigh......

Leigh's blog is Constant Cravings

Stop by and give her a congrats!

You Go Girl!

Susan Boyle

If you haven't heard her yet, click here for a wonderful thrill.

I haven't been brought to tears of joy in a long time.  This woman did it.   It was like listening to God Himself sing.   All I can say is

You go Girl!!!

Don't forget to enter

Tomorrow is the drawing day!  Blue Floral Necklace

Oh - My Achin' Back!

Hello Folks,

    No new jewelry today.  Not yet anyway.   Yesterday was a clean up day at Cross Roads .   See that lovely jewelry display cabinet above?  I HATE cleaning it!  Even worse, there are two more bigger than this one.  I have to literally crawl into the cases once a year and wash the glass on the inside.  This fat, old body does not like crawling around on the floor, let me tell you!  The cases are wonderful things to have for display, but I sure wish there was a way to slip the glass out to clean it!  I only got one done before DH wanted to head home again so I have two more to look forward to!

   I am going to get into the studio today, Lord willing.  I have some packaging  to do first.  Not complaining about that mind you!  Packaging means sales, and as Martha would say, "It's a good thing".  

Have a great day!

    

Etsy Front Page!

Yippie!!!



I finally made the front page of Etsy with my Purple Berry earings!  It only took 2 years.... but resulted in 2 sales after a completely dry week. Sure was nice to wake up to on a Monday morning. My Sabboth Lilies are already gone. I guess I will have to get the beads back out.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Sabboth Lilies

I was sitting here this morning after watching the glitter in my lawn fade away feeling both joy and boredom.   Here is is Easter Sunday and I'm wandering around this big house talking to the cat.  DH had to work.  He's a Registered Respiratory Thearapitst and has ALWAYS had to work week ends.  I did too for 23 years.  We're used to it.  Still....  no car so no church, no company, and no Easter basket.  We did splurge on a small peanut butter egg from the candy store.  I don't know about you folks, but I can't afford chocolate any more.  $25 a pound?  common.......

So, I did what I always do when I'm bored. I dug out my beads and started messing around with them.  I started making jewelry as a beadweaver making Indian designs.  I've wandered away from that for now but I decided to try some beadweaving techniques with the floral beads I have.  Well, after several false starts, I managed to come up with a beaded caylex for them.  I matched the stamen and vola - flowers.  I named them Sabboth Lilies because they were created on the Sabboth.  I hope lightening doesn't strike!

Here's their link:  Sabboth Lilies - Special Dressy Floral Earrings

My Easter Gift

Okay, I know at first glance you are looking at the picture and thinking "What a terrible picture to post online". It's poor quality because I took it through the screen window in my kitchen, and no, that's not my thumb. It is a blurred item on my window sill.

Now, look closer.... real close and you can see what The Father sent me for Easter. In my whole life I've never seen this before! My whole lawn looked like it was covered in glitter. Thousands and thousands of tiny little sparkles in all colors of the rainbow. It didn't last long. I suppose it had something to do with the angle of the sun shining through the dew, but I prefer to think God sent the fairies to scatter glitter last night. Or, perhaps He did it Himself!

He is risen!

Holy Day

This is a Holy Day for the world's Christians.   No matter what your beliefs are, I wish you peace.

The Stone Soup Challenge - Support Starving Artists

Those of you who are old enough to remember Captain Kangaroo will probably remember the story of Stone Soup.  If you aren't it's the story of a hungry stranger who enters a village looking for food.  No one offers him a thing so he puts a pot of water on to boil and places a stone in it.  He then proceeds to say how much better this wonderful soup would be if only he had a carrot.  Someone brings a carrot out from their house.  This goes on with other ingredients until he has a pot of delicious soup that feeds them all.

Heather's Ramblings has posted a challenge for all artists and crafters to help support each other.   You can read about it here: The Stone Soup Project .  I joined to help support other artists.  The positive benefit for me, even if no one buys from my store, is I can now give myself permission to buy something I don't need!  YEAH!  

Won't you please join us?

Time For Another Give Away!

The snow is flying, the traffic is crawling and Easter is next Sunday.  What better time to give away something pretty?  How about this pretty pendant?  It is similar to many of my earrings found on Etsy.  It is a soft,baby blue with a yellow center and a green Swarovski crystal.  It measures about 1 1/2 inches long.  I will include an 18 inch leather cord necklace so the lucky winner can wear it right away

All you need to do to enter is to go to my  shop - The Earring Boutique , pick your favorite item and comment on it here.  Be sure to leave a way I can contact you.  I don't like give aways that require you put a link to it on your blog, but if you would like to, I will enter your name twice.  Just be sure to put a link to your blog in the comments so I can take a peek!  The winner will be chosen on Wednesday, April 15th.  I will use random.org to make the selection.  

Good luck!

April 7th At My House

Need I say more?

Opinions Please - I'm in a pickle!

HELP!

I've gotten myself into a real dilemma by having two Etsy stores.  It's a no-no to list the same item in two places, so where do I put this?  It matches so many of my Fairy's Petticoat earrings but it's not earrings.  Should I put it on my Forbes Farm page or list it on The Earring Boutique ?  I could make a category like "Not Earrings" or  "Things To Go With Earrings".    Please all you wonderful followers of mine - give me your opinions!

Naked Fairies

Oh, please don't worry about the naked fairies!  Tonight, when the moon is bright, they will be sewing new gowns out of  Crocus petals and dew.   By morning they will be tucked away in their beds with pretty new dresses hanging on the May Apples ready to wear the next time they dance in one of the Fairy Circles in my meadow.

I Caught More Faries

I caught more fairies and look what pretty colors their dresses and petticoats are!

Working All Day

My Saturday's are still free until Cross Roads opens in May.   That doesn't mean I don't work though.  With the new season looming ahead it seems I just don't get enough done in a day.  

I had so many requests for rings last year my DH talked me into making some for this year.   I know exactly what's going to happen.   I won't have the right color, in the right style, in the right size and they'll all just sit there.  The same thing happens if I get anything with dogs on it.  It's not the right breed, or the right color, or the right curl in the fur, or something.  It just seems like I never have what they want.  Hmmmm.... Could it be they don't intend to buy and that's how they talk themselves out of it?  Who knows.  I just know as a seller, it's frustrating!

Rant over.   You can see some of the rings I worked on yesterday and today above.    They are all Swarovski cluster rings in Sterling Silver.  I sure hope they find a home!

Hope the rest of you are getting some rest on this Spring week end!

Thank You Vicky

I'd like to thank Vicky of NJD Miniatures for giving me a blog award.  You can find it in the column on the right.  

Petite Fairy's Petticoat Earrings

New beads came yesterday, so of course I had to play with them.   I wasn't thinking about making a smaller version of the Fairy's Petticoat style when I ordered them but they work perfectly for it.  I know not every one likes big dangly earrings.  The smaller dimensions of the new beads make a petite Fairy's Petticoat that look almost exactly like the larger ones.  

I did add a disclaimer to my descriptions.  I was afraid someone might think I was hurting the Fairies when I chase after them.   So, now there's this statement: "No Fairies were harmed in the making of these earrings".   I hope that puts your mind at rest.

Petite Fairys Petticoat Earrings in Magenta and Green

PS

Don't you think Swarovski should pay me for all the advertising I do for them?  LOL

I Told You I Couldn't Wait

I told you I couldn't wait to make the Murano bead I got last evening into a pendant.  It was one of the first things I thought about this morning.  I love getting up knowing I have a new project to tackle.  

This was one of my first attempts at making my own headpin.  None of the pre-made ones I own were long enough or strong enough to hold this beauty.  I twisted 21G square Sterling wire and heated the end until it made a ball.  Cleaning it without the "pickle" was a job, but the buffing wheel on my Dremmel worked just fine.   I wanted it twisted because it shows through the clear bead and adds a bit more sparkle.  As you know if you follow me I'm all for sparkle!

Just as I said yesterday, I just HAD to put Swarovski Crystals with this.  Sterling and Murano glass can't be mixed with just any old bead.  There are two 8mm Aurora Borealis Amethyst and two 6mm AB Jet.   I did have to use Silver plated beadcaps.  The style that would work doesn't come in Sterling, at least I've never found it yet.   The closest I've come are these that were advertised as "Sterling plated".  I think that is the same as Silver plated.  It just sounds better.  

The final touch was to hang the pendant on a velvet necklace.   I am so thrilled with how it turned out.  It's going to be hard to part with this one!