Sunday, November 25, 2012

Bracelet Hop

I get to be part of another Blog Hop!  

The amazing Sue of Sue Beads pulled together this blog hop for 7,000 bracelets, which is a campaign of the Global Genes Project. Global Genes donates blue awareness bracelets made by jewelry artists to people with chronic & life threatening diseases.  They also give bracelets to their care-givers. You can read more about the project HERE.

Here is my donation.  I wish I could have made more, but am glad I was able to complete one during this busy time!


Many more artists have participated in this blog hop- Please check out there donations HERE.

Thank you, Sue!  I am delighted to have been part of this hop and to have helped raised awareness for the 7000 Bracelets for Hope Campaign.


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Saturday Smiles

On Saturdays I write about a few things that have made me smile over the last week.
*****

This week I have spent time contemplating all the blessings that make my life sweet.

1) My girls- Deborah & Abigail-
How they've grown! I got to look at some old pictures today and I am enjoyed how cute they were, and how beautiful they've grown.

2 year old Abigail at Creamer's Field
4 year old Deborah at Tanana Flats
 
My girls this last August
 
2) My Jake-
I love him, and he's tender and sweet.  Sometimes he makes me want to punch him, but I am so grateful for him.  He is a blessing and my life would be such a dry and barren desert without him.  We've had a rough couple of weeks here- he really was not prepared for how much time the play would consume, and he is having a hard time dealing with my persistent absence at home.  I'm grateful we've made the commitment to do life together, no matter what life might include.
 
Jake from last August
 
3) My Sister Beth
My sister is a joy!  She has made some huge changes in her life lately, and she is a delight to be with now.  I love creating with her, spending time with her...  Yesterday she went to Value Village with me and we found my costume for Charlotte's Web.  Fun!
 
Beth with new beads
 
4) My mom
I don't have a picture of her, and she'd kill me if I tried to take one.  I am grateful that she has opened her home to her adult children and her grandchildren.  I am grateful for the work she does to keep this crazy house full of six people chugging along.
 
5) My kitty, Luna
Sweet girl.  She has mourned my time at rehearsals and work when I am gone from the house.  She trails me around like a little shadow and crawls onto my lap at every opportunity.
 
 
I am thankful for so many things- Our car, our beds, clothes that we can change every day, food in the cabinet, a grocery store nearby, jobs, health insurance, a home, beads and the opportunity to make things, the play I'm in, our church... 
 
I want gratitude and thankfulness to flood my life and flow over into everything I do- creating, playing, working, mothering, household churches, talking, worshipping...  living.

 



Saturday, November 17, 2012

Saturday Smiles

On Saturday, I share a couple of things that made me smile over the last week.
*****

1) Watershed Holiday Market
Beth & I were invited to attend a Holiday Marketplace which supports a local charter school.  We had so much fun last night and today.  I took a couple of pictures on my phone and am glad to share them here.  (no, they are not the highest quality, but they are totally 'in the moment'.)  Our dear friend Janie Magelky organizes this bazaar for the school every year, and one of the best parts of this market was seeing so many friends from Farmer's Market and The Stash.



 
 


2) It warmed up!  To +20F!  From -20F.
That's 40 degrees difference...  I hate -20.  I know, I should NOT live in Fairbanks, AK.  But here I am...  Cold and in the dark.

3) I sold my Sun piece from Metal-Smithing.

 
I have had it for a long time, and I knew it would be for a specific person.  I wasn't even sure if that specific person would find the pendant.  But he did.  This weekend at Watershed.  It was a gift for a friend, and he looked and looked and looked at it.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Blog Hop!

I get to be part of another one of Lori Anderson's Blog Hops!  Happy Day!

The hop won't be until January, but I am excited to be part of this cool event.  Lori shares details for the inspiration of this event HERE.

Here's the date info, and I look forward to sharing more in the future.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Saturday Smiles

It warmed up enough to snow today.  In fact, it is still snowing- lovely downy clouds of snow.  We've had negative 20's for the last week, and it warmed up to +20.  Forty degrees is an amazing difference!
For my Saturday Smiles this week, I just want to share some snow pictures I took.

My kitty watching me trudge through the snow

Snow on our mail-box- the white streaks are falling snow
 
My feet covered by the snow
 
Beth's peony
 
Snow Needles
 
Snow needles
 
Clumps of snow
 
I accidentally caught this one with the flash on,
but I love the magical quality of the shadows on the snow.


Solar Flare Blog Hop Completion

Yikes.  It has taken me longer to complete this piece than I had hoped.  Since I am heavily involved with rehearsals for Charlotte's Web, I find my 'free time' taken up by such ridiculousness as clean clothes, home-work and dinner preparation.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE being in the play, but I'm busy in a totally different way now.  When I come home, I have to focus on the necessary chores to keep the household running first, then spend any free time on jewelry creation.

For specific details about this blog hop, go here.

I want to share the completed piece, but first here are the two photos that inspired the piece.



I had a hard time attaching my central focus element to the rest of the wire work; however, I am pleased with the final solar flare piece.


I have attached a thick, ropey chain to the wirework, and I love how it fades right into the rest of the piece. 


I have thoroughly enjoyed working with these photos for this blog hop.  I've never created a piece based on a photo.  Thank you, Sam!