Sunday, January 8, 2012

January is upon us...

Man, I cannot believe that another year has passed.  Shucks, I can barely believe that two weeks have passed since my last post.   Hmmmm, what have we done?  Well, the fridge went out and we attempted (unsuccessfully) to live out of coolers in the garage until the repairman arrived.






Fortunately, the repairman had the necessary part for the fridge and we were back in business.  We did have to toss out the food that I tried to keep, but the weather got unseasonably warm here and no amount of ice was going to stave off the botulism.  Gave the fridge a thorough cleaning and off to the grocery store we went. So we're all stocked up again and the fridge is sparkling and working like brand new.


The hubby wanted a new desk for his home studio and after numerous (probably five or six) visits to the few furniture stores that are in our area, I convinced him to build his own.  He is a residential carpenter by trade, specializing in trim, so I knew he could do it. He has built shelves in the past and did a great job on them. He spent several days on the internet, looking at plans, and YouTube videos and decided not only to make his own workstation, but to video the procedure.  Here is a quick shot of him in the initial stages of building the desk.

While he was doing his research on the desk, I was getting together a rather large order from Fire Mountain Gems.  I usually replenish my stash several times a year and FMG had such a good sale going on that I really racked up the items for under $200.00.

They had tons of books on sale for $2.00 and ...


lots of beads that looked interesting. I also got "findings", those little bits and pieces of metal that go into making jewelry look professional. Crimps and clasps and eye pins and such.

I made two bracelets this weekend and

I also strung together some spotted jasper donuts for a simple necklace that works so well with the black long sleeve knit shirts that I seem to live in lately...


I also put together a faceted plastic necklace that is very lightweight, but will definitely fill the bill when I need a bit more sparkle...

Of course, this picture doesn't do this piece justice.  It is very reflective and has the look of hematite in a plastic bead.The beads are reversible Not my usual type of design, but I like to at least try to step out of the box sometime.

Well, that's it for now.  I'm hoping that everyone is having a great first week of 2012.  Keep doing your art, staying creative in whatever manner is you.  Staying true to yourself doesn't mean doing the same thing all the time, unless you have a certain style that your livelihood depends upon.  If that is the case, you can always branch out some, just for yourself.  Like I said last time, it's ok to get your groove on, but stay out of that rut.

That's all, I'm outta here!


6 comments:

Peri said...

Glad you got the fridge fixed...that can be a real pain..
The new "toys" look interesting! And I really like the new jewelry pieces as well. You have been far busier that I have been. I have been moving my embroidery supplies to my back room because I finally found some drawer units that will be really great storage for that! No more bags and baskets full of thread...yea!
You have inspired me to go pick up a needle and get back to work!
Can we possibly keep up this pace????

Kristen H said...

Glad about your fridge as well.
These jewelry pieces are amazing. I love them all.
I saw some steampunk jewelry I would like to try my hand at.
A friend of mine makes clasps out of found items, they are just gorgeous. She sells them all over the country.
I should take a bead class to see how to attach the clasps correctly so I don't have a mess of beads on the floor.
Very excited to possibly have this be one of the NEW crafts I try in 2012~
Thank you for the continuous inspiration (on many levels).

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Too stinkin' bad the weather didn't cooperate with ya on the food but a fixed fridge is better than havin' to replace it!

You always amaze me with your beautiful jewelry makin' talents. You sure it a home run with these.

God bless and have yourself an awesome week!!! :o)

Countryfolk Keepsakes said...

Yikes!! Nothing worse than a frig on the fritz.

I LOVE your new pieces!! Oooh, the donut one is extra special. ♥

Make sure you post his video for us to see! I bet he's an awesome carpenter!

Sea Gypsy said...

Glad the fridge is up and running! It sounds like ya'll are busy, busy. A great way to start the New Year. I was just going through the catalog of Fire Mountain and dreaming of my next order. I can't wait to see what you do with all those tiny treasures! About the years passing so quickly, it's crazy how fast they go. I turn 50 this year. I guess I will have to update my profile.lol

A Strange Allure said...

Lovely creations! I am especially enamored of the circle necklace...er, jasper donuts. :)