New Look!

We were ready for a new look - something light and fun. Unfortunately, in the process, the new template "ate" some of our gadgets. I'll try to put them back, but if you think of anything we're missing, please let me know.

Experience is always the best teacher. The NEXT time we make a change in appearance, we'll know better how to do it without losing information.

If you're contemplating a change, here are a few "trial and error" tips you may be able to avoid.

1. Do make the copy of your old file, but know that all of your information won't be there.
2. Copy all of the information from your gadgets separately into notepad. The new template will make some of them disappear and they won't show up in the file of your old template.
3. Anything done as "text" will disappear - count on it! *sigh*

ANYWAY... lessons learned and all that stuff! Onward and Upward!

A Pearl of a Girl

Michael took a picture of some of the pearl goodies I've been making. I am really in pearl mode, it seems.

White on white on white - tough to photograph, but sooooo pretty! You can also find some grey and some colored pearls. What do you think?

Happy Memorial Day!

Love these Monday holidays! Even though I'm still not back to work since my cervical spine surgery, it just FEELS like a holiday today! I love it that my kids are off today and that they get to spend an extra day with their families. They all work SO hard!

I got another Treasury today. The picture of Michael's pins is what inspired my purple and green Treasury. Take a look! I'm always amazed at how creative people are!

I've been into pearls lately - pearl necklaces, pearl bracelets, pearl earrings - grey pearls - colored pearls - white pearls - any kind of pearls. I mean really... is there anything in this world more versatile than pearls??? And the glass pearls are SO pretty without being expensive. The trick for me, is to keep from putting so much work into them that I have to price them too high. At this point I'm having such a good time "playing pearls" that profit is not my primary concern. Not the smartest business perspective, but sometimes it's just fun to make pretty things - just for the sake of making pretty things.

I'm thinking of taking a class or two while I'm off (something "jewelry") if I'm able. I'd love to learn something new while I have some time.

Speaking of what I'm doing while I'm off - I'm just stuck on the "Twilight" series. My step-daughter read them when they first came out. "You HAVE to read them!" She encouraged. "Right", I said, rolling my eyes. Vampires... riiiiiiiiiiiiight!

So then my daughter-in-law read them and said "WOW! You HAVE to read them." And again, I said, "Right", smiling this time, though, and only mentally rolling my eyes.

So next... it was my 10 (almost 11)-year-old grandson. "Grammie, ya GOTTA read this series!" Then he lent me the books.

I thought, "Okay, I'll read one and then I can tell them it's just not my thing."

So I read one.

Then I read the next one.

Then I read the third one.

And now... the fourth one.

*sigh* I NEVER would have imagined this was something I would or could read, but I'm hooked. I could just sit and read straight through (like I did with the first and second ones), but I'm trying to be reasonable and ration my reading so that I still have a life. It's tough though! ;)

Ok... soooooooo, I have an hour before we go to a cookout. I'm gonna go read!

jane

Enjoy your holiday!

Pure Silver Pins!

Michael is making ball head pins from fine silver and they are GORGEOUS! They make beautiful jewelry even more beautiful.

I love working with pure silver. The 22 gauge pure silver pins wrap like 24 gauge sterling silver because pure silver is softer. Plus, the shine and sparkle of pure silver pins far surpasses that of sterling silver pins.


Beautiful! Just beautiful!

Making Treasuries...

... is a hoot! We decided that it was SO much fun to be included in a Treasury, that we'd like to create a few Treasuries and include some of the people that we enjoy on Etsy.

Michael made a "Handmade in Delaware" Treasury. It was fun to give the people in our state a little bump.




NOT to be outdone... I was in a "raspberry" mood, so I made a Treasury called "It's The Raspberries" by TheEarringLady. I know that's it not the most original, but it IS pretty! :)

What fun! What fun!

jane

A couple of new things...

Just playing this afternoon with some citrine, carnelian, goldstone and a couple of jaspers and this is what I ended up with:

What could be more fun than an afternoon making jewelry?

Our first Treasury on Etsy!!!

Wooooohoooooo! This morning Michael discovered that we have been included in a beautiful treasury chosen by besiktas of Marmara Blue.


It's SO exciting to find our work included in a Treasury! The encouragement we get from others keeps us going! Thank you to all of the "encouragers"!

P.S. Michael changed the pictures in our slideshow. Check it out! :)

Bead Show or Bust!

10 days after spine surgery and we made it to the Interweave Bead Fest Philadelphia bead show yesterday and again today. There ARE priorities, you know!

Michael loaded up the ol' mobility scooter and off we went to King of Prussia in search of all things fun and fabulous. The show seemed MUCH smaller this year! The jewelry industry is obviously affected by the lagging economy. And the cost of a booth as this particular show has increased tremendously. All of our favorite silver dealers were there, but there seemed to be a shortage of good gemstone dealers.

We did find some really pretty things that we hope to turn into really pretty jewelry - SOON! We should probably be focusing on fall, but we found some cool, unusual summery things that we couldn't pass up. Maybe I think too much in the "now", but when you see the Brazilian jasper, I'm sure you'll understand.

ANYWAY... it seems to me that beautiful jewelry begins with beautiful components. And pure silver is sooooooo beautiful! I have to say that the Thai silver from Niki Passenier is my absolute favorite!!


We find that it takes longer and longer to "do" a bead show every time we go. We're long past the "grab and go" days. We've developed relationships with dealers and fellow bead shoppers over the past couple of years which makes attending bead shows even more fun.

There's always a certain amount of "catching up" to do - Rahul from Atlantic Gems told us that his sister is graduating from college this May with her Master's in Occupational Therapy. (He also promised to stop and have a pizza with us soon, since he travels I95 through Delaware frequently - and we intend to see that he does!) - A fellow Delaware beader filled us in on the latest happenings at our favorite local bead shop, Sparkles Bead Shop - Time spent with our buddies at Niki Passenier Silver is always fun and - And we missed our friend Ray Cooper from Maine, our favorite lampwork dealer, who has taken some new turns with his glass work. The jewelry-making community in and around Philadelphia is alive and well and we're so glad to be part of it!