Ever So Dearly

variations of a theme

2011-06-24T20:26:00.002-04:00

i love the beautiful ruggedness of Vermont, dark hidden streams with cool water splashing, aged trees covered with moss & lichen leaning this way & that.

these first 2 paintings done in soft pastels, capture the beauty i see of the rugged wooded stream.

These next two paintings, i'm not thrilled with, are a whimsical pastoral variation.

All these paintings were done on 5x7 Ampersand pastelboard. It's coated in clay & is wonderful to work on!! It takes tons of layers beautifully & one can even paint on it! Try it & you'll love it ♥

ups and downs, highs and lows

2011-06-23T12:33:00.001-04:00

This has been a rather frustrating month. Our PC kicked the bucket with a bulging leaking motherboard due to a power surge. When we finally got a new tower i learned, to my great dismay, that the program i use to create everything from my shop banner to the thank you notes for my jewelry isn't compatible with windows 7! All my pics for my jewelry from this year are lost from Kodak Easy Share too... sigh .However today is a new day & i was able to add & edit some pics w KES although i couldn't upload them from the Kodak easyshare... but that is a whole other issue!

Artistically it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. I am painting daily, some days i love how my painting is going, then i try to "perfect" the piece & end up ruining it & starting all over. One thing i am learning about my art is that the less i fuss with it, the less detail i add, and the more loose, the more i love it.

(the color is a bit too garish/bright in the photo) This landscape took me about 2 weeks to complete. Camels Hump mt is in the background, which we see from our front window. I relaxed & let myself paint with abandon when i came to the grasses & the path, which turned out to be my favorite parts of this piece.

with joyful reckless abandon!

2011-05-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

"...always work on your art with a reckless abandon, other wise you’re going to try and get good, or worst, cute and predictable. " Russ Potak from interview by Kim Napolitano http://wintersolsticedreams.blogspot.com/2011/05/russ-potak.html?spref=tw

Since coming back to painting I have learned that I no longer enjoy the finely detailed painting I used to do. As much as I wonderfully appreciate realism in fine art, I have noticed that my heart beats quicker when I see expressive art, art that moves & seems to be alive upon the canvas. Reading the interview on Russ Potak, changed the way I paint.

When I started this painting today I thought of Russ's words... "reckless abandon" & went for it! When ever I would start to freeze, or want to fuss.. paint with abandon would come to mind & off I'd go. This painting resonates more with me than any I have ever done to date.

About the painting... under-painting in dark greens & shades of red. Most of the paint I used is real artist paint at last!! Liquitex heavy body in light portrait pink & titanium white, - Golden heavy body in Sap Green Hue, & Naples Yellow Hue,- Winsor Newton in Pale Terracotta. And Crimson, Scarlet, Vermilion, & orange in other brands.

The background was done entirely in the knife; brushes were flat bristle & a wonderful angle brush by Daniel Smith.

Eden's Meadow - landscape in mixed media collage

2011-05-23T14:43:00.000-04:00

This began as an abstract, which I was very pleased with at first; but then I started to "improve it" & sure enough I messed it up so badly I hated it. So I painted over it & decided to try a landscape collage.

I painted the sky first & sealed the layers with varnish. Later I would go back again w another layer of clouds. I had read that Parrish obtained his glowing luminosity that way... of course he was working in oils, & is amazing!! All paints in this piece were still craft store variety except for the final touch on the clouds when I bought a tube of Liquitex. (love that paint! so thick & buttery!!)

When I was about 3/4 finished with the land & trees I added handmade lace paper to the grass w acrylic matte medium; when dry i added some selected flowers that were carefully torn for soft edges & applied them in the same manner. I painted over most of the flowers & added some free hand.

Finishing up, I'd go back & forth among the grasses, flowers, trees & clouds, balancing out the lights & shadows. It was when i decided to add a fence to accent the neighboring hill that I knew it was finished.

This is the 2nd mixed media collage I've done & took me about 2 weeks to complete. It was a good exercise but I don't feel that I will continue in this direction.

see the horizontal lines across the painting? they are the remnants of the abstract ... next time i'll sand off the texture before i paint over another piece!

Morning has broken

2011-05-06T14:06:00.002-04:00

With my decision to abandon acrylic paints, I thought I might as well play around a bit with collage & the remaining paints. I took a finished painting (that you remember as my first venture into acrylic painting) and began to embellish with bits of fabric & some handmade lace paper I had left from years ago.

the starting point

"Morning Has Broken"

I am going to add a bit more depth to the leaf applique, & then wait a few days before i varnish it. But i am very happy with this painting collage.

a knife painting no longer ~or ~ let's go see the train wreck

2011-05-02T13:33:00.001-04:00

What began as an exciting adventure into knife painting didn't end up anywhere near what i had pictured in my mind. And truth be-told, i liked it better in the beginning 2 stages that were abstract & bold than what it is now. I have wondered if my failure is because the only knife i had was a butter knife, the cheap acrylic paint, or just plain awful technique! Probably more of the the technique than anything else.

phase two

phase two - i didn't like the sky it was too textured & choppy. i envisioned smoother & softer knife strokes

phase three

phase three - here i added other colors from my liquid acrylic decorating paints still using a knife in spots but also using my fingers.

phase four

phase four - by this point i was using the brush entirely. i don't know yet how i feel about it as this painting is so far away from what i originally pictured in my mind.

Last night i watched a video via Jerry's Artarama by David Dunlop, How to Experiment with Two Minute Paintings in WaterColor, and he was saying to let the paint help create & direct your painting, not to be so fixed to a plan. Of course that is watercolor which is so wonderfully fluid & creative in it's own right. But it goes to what i think is the heart of art... there should be life to it, expression, emotion.

I am at a point where it's time to buy new paint.. the cheap stuff i have is almost gone & i don't like the idea of spending good money on quality paints, knives & brushes for acrylic painting. Playing around with acrylics these past couple of weeks has made me realize that it is not my medium, i love the joyful fluidity of watercolors & the way soft pastels lend it self so easily to an impressionist style. So this is most likely the last of my acrylic painting.

first knife painting ...

2011-04-28T12:38:00.002-04:00

phase one.... Do you, can you, should you make a base layer of color before you begin?? i am brand new to knife painting and to working in acrylics, so all this is experimental to me. Today i began work on a new landscape done entirely with my knife. I used 4 colors for the base Vermilion, Scarlet, Lemon Yellow & Burnt Umber.

It isn't finished drying yet, but what is dry is lighter than what you see here. My thought is that i will apply blues & white for the sky allowing bits of red & yellow to peek through. Not sure what the bottom will be, i'll wait & see what the painting feels like as i go.

small steps & experiments... ...

2011-04-26T12:33:00.006-04:00

these paintings are my first in acrylic. phase one, which i didn't photograph, were broad washes of color.

phase 2 pink

phase 2 gold

phase two, i experimented with lines & shapes which turned into clouds & grass.

phase three, more experiments & strokes. I fell in love with the knife painting technique that i added to the grass in the "pink" sky painting. I didn't have a painting knife but read that one could use a butter knife & it worked nicely for this small piece.

phase3 pink

phase 3 gold

I love the skies on these, but i like the grasses better on the "phase two"... I'm going to try this concept again but using the knife for all of the grasses. i think i'll have less grass & perhaps having more sky. I am also wondering about doing the sky with the knife & see what happens. i love to experiment!

Dreaming of painting ~ or I remember being an artist

2011-04-21T02:08:00.001-04:00

I don't think I've ever told you, but before I made jewelry I was a fledgling artist. For years I read and faithfully practiced what I was learning in art books. Watercolors and pastels were my mediums of choice, and if I may say so, I became rather good too. I felt like I truly became an artist when my watercolors miniatures were accepted to be on display in a gallery in Wisconsin. One of the gallery owners told me my paintings were like tiny jewels! To this day, her gracious words are still an encouragement to me. A few years later life's problems got in the way & I reluctantly stopped painting. When I moved to Vermont to marry, our first home was so small that painting was out of the question, so i took up jewelry making instead.

Now over 15 years later, I find that painting is calling me back. I think about it more with each passing day, & the jewelry is no longer consuming me. Instead i want to paint, expressing feelings, dreams and visions on canvas!

Well my journey home to art is beginning. Beloved hubby found the box where I carefully stored my pastels, and the new watercolors arrived today! I don't know if I'll be able to regain skill I once had, but hopefully with daily practice, I'll be expressing feelings, dreams & visions through my art.

I feel so honored ~

2011-03-10T12:57:00.007-05:00

I am so honored that Cat, super talented stained glass artisan, loves my jewelry & wrote about it in her blog!!!
But first, let me show you a sampling of some of her beautiful work !

You can find more of her beautiful artisan stained glass at
Barn Cat Studio
Please check out & follow her new blog!
Carter's Stained Glass/ Barncatstudio: My Kind of Jewelry: "When you find a shop that has stuff you REALLY like you sometime want to share this shop with others. I found such a shop that has eclectic,..."

Has it really been almost a year since I last wrote?!

2010-07-27T00:55:00.003-04:00

I'm afraid it's true. One thing or another keeps my attention away from here. It seems I'm always busy doing something. Right now either I'm making a new piece of jewelry, or searching for new, beautiful & interesting beads & findings. And if it's not those, then I'm reading about new techniques & styles. And then there was FaceBook! I started doing it supposedly to connect with friends & family plus help get the word out about my "one of a kind jewelry designs" (shameless plug). My sister & a friend introduced me to the games "Farmville" "YoVille" & "CafeWorld" plus a game with fish & another with birds, & before i knew it hours would be wasted!
Then "life' interrupted everything! Not that long ago we had, what our "computer guy" called a "bad hard-drive" & it needed to be replaced. It took over 2 weeks to get our computer back; but that was just what i needed! While the PC was gone I stopped worrying about the meals that were spoiling on the stoves in CafeWorld or about 'feeding' the birds; instead I discovered that there is a life to be led in the real world!

my wee but wonderful studio - OR - just because he doesn't know beans about jewlery, doesn't mean he can't make a great work shop!

2009-08-05T09:58:00.004-04:00

Inspired by my friend Katy's blog about an artisan's work space, I thought I'd share mine with you as well.

My "studio" is actually half of a very small room that is also shared by my husband's "ham radio" set up. Do you see that fabulous & organized space in the photos? It was 9 years in the making, but Art did all of that!

I was very content using the table (a rejected count top from our local building supply center) with drawers (from a discount store) & shelving that Art had also previously made for me. However I had SaraLee deli containers, (cleaned of course! ;D) & filled with stones, beads, wire, tools etc; all piled high on my table, leaving me very little usable work space.

When I came back from Chicago in April, where I was helping our daughter prepare for the birth of our second granddaughter; this fabulous studio was awaiting me!! And without my consent I might add!!

See the green shelves in the pictures? Those were new to my space & what a change they made! I actually can sit there & create! And the new shelves even have a spot that holds the "bust display" perfectly! The chest of drawers hold all my shipping supplies: gift boxes, tissue, ribbons, mailers, business cards, earring cards, & other needed items. He moved it from the other side of the room to make an L shaped work zone for me!

Here's the kicker... prior to the trip to Chicago, Art had asked several times over the years to help me reorganize my work area & I always said "no thanks", that "everything is just fine"!

Just think, it could have been this fabulous years ago!!

Totally Surprised & Totally Thrilled

2009-06-10T10:49:00.006-04:00

Woke up this morning & learned that my "Butterfly on a Moonbeam" brooch, was featured in an etsy treasury & was on the front page! yippee!!

A Bit of Stretching

2009-05-13T12:57:00.002-04:00

If you've read my blog you know that I'm selling my Ever So Dear jewelry at etsy and at 1000Markets. I'm loving every minute of it especially at 1KM. What is totally new is that I was asked by Katy of JewelFireDesigns to help get a Christian market off the ground. In all honesty Katy does 99% of the real work & I just add a bit of this & that here & there! :) This is a new thing for me, it's been eons since I did anything up front; I tend to be shy I guess, so I only volunteer for really behind the scenes stuff.
If you feel like it, please check out the new Blessings market, you'll find all sorts of wonderful handcrafted items.

2009-03-12T11:07:00.005-04:00

I saw this on PreciousQuilts blog. (I know her from BBEST at etsy) followed the link, took the quiz & "ta-da! my rainbow" :)

Your rainbow is shaded violet.

What is says about you: You are a creative person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

2009-03-08T06:23:00.013-04:00

♥ ♥ ♥ Joon plays Sweet 16! ♥ ♥ ♥

~♥~~~♥~~~Joonbeam~~~♥~~~♥~

I am so pleased & delighted that Joonie is playing Sweet 16!

I met Joonie through the BBEST team at etsy. She is a rare person, always cheerful, & eager to encourage! Joonie is full of life & joy & her heart sees wonderful qualities in everybody she meets! ♥ It's not just her personality & character that make her unique, it's also what she sells in her shops! She sells pieces of her heart to cheer & encourage all the while saving our planet!

This fanciful piece of art, "Synchronized Swimming" by Joon is done on the back of a greeting card!

This, from her flyinghousewife shop, is a listing for a letter...."This listing is for one handwritten letter, from the heart, from me to a housebound friend. Do you know someone who could use some cheer from a friendly pen pal? Each letter is individual ..... & will contain touches of my illustration and/or collage artwork..."

In Joonie's 3rd shop, JoonWalk one of the things she sells are Vintage Vocabulary Necklaces!! Saving the planet & the English language at the same time!
How cool!

Now that I've introduced Joonie to you, let's learn more about her~~~~~~~

name - Joon or Joonie
shopname- http://joonbeam.etsy.com/, http://flyinghousewife.etsy.com/, http://joonwalk.etsy.com/

blog - http://joonbeam.blogspot.com/
groups- BBEST team, eco etsy, EtsyAustin, Etsy Beagle Street Team
web site other than etsy- http://www.joonbeam.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/joonbeam/

1. what do you have for breakfast? Bays English Muffin with unsalted butter and Jif peanut butter.

2. can you recall a favorite book from childhood? The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

3. did you ever have a pet turtle? I don't think so. My brother or sister might have.

4. if you had another talent, what would it be? I would love to be a skilled pianist and indie film writer/producer/director.

5. what color is your hair? Brown with reddish highlights.

6. do you sing in the car? Sometimes, yes.

7. any indoor plants? I wish. We can't because of the cats. {But I would never trade them, all the same.}

8. do you have a tattoo? Oh nay. :)

9. prefer tea or coffee? I love them both. Coffee in the morning always and only. Tea: afternoon or evening.
10. carpet or wood under your feet? Wood. Wood. And may I add? ... wood.

11. mug or cup & saucer? Mug for coffee. Cup & saucer for tea. Gosh, I'm high maintenance.

12. favorite time of day? 11 AM -1 PM and late night.

13. favorite season? Spring & Fall.

14. favorite dessert? Is this a trick question? I could fill a paragraph here. Any of our homemade cakes, pies, cheesecake, cookies, puddings and/or quality or homemade ice cream.

15 favorite color to wear? pale blues & aquas, navy blue

16. favorite ice cream flavor of all time? tie: pistachio & butter pecan It seems I like to share the love. I am not good at choosing just one thing!

Thank you so very much Joonie for playing "Sweet 16"!!

~ GROOVY ~

2009-03-05T15:38:00.009-05:00

Well, as you know I now have "Ever so Dear"jewelry designs at 1000markets as well as etsy.
I Love 1KM!! I joined a market or group called "Peace & Love" & it's loaded with the style & vibes of the 60's & 70's but for 2009! You really should check it out it's quite an experience...like groovy man.

And you should also check out the Peace & Love Fan Club!

WHY??? BECAUSE

2009-02-12T15:22:00.002-05:00

just read an older posting by Silver River Metal, in which she asks 'why do we create?" "are we born that way"? She answers "....the number one thing is I can't NOT create". http://www.1000markets.com/users/silverrivermet...

I for one, totally agree with her. Creating is like needing the air to breathe! It's such a deep part of me, that I can't imagine not creating. As a little girl I loved coloring, drawing, building & making things far more than playing with dolls or anything else.
Confession time ~ growing up i was usually what one might call a "good little girl" minding my parents & teachers. However not always..! In grade school my desk was next to an old fashioned radiator heater, the kind that looked like silver pipe shaped as accordion. I loved melting my crayons on the heater, seeing the colors mix & blend into each other. No matter how many times I was told to stop that, I couldn't. The compulsion to see & play with color was too strong for me; eventually the Sister had to move me to another desk, away from the temptation. Yes I do agree with Silver River Metal, we are born with this drive, this need to make & create; it's a major part of who we are.
~ I create, I sing, I love. Is there anything else??

CH~ CH~ CHANGES!

2009-02-11T14:44:00.002-05:00

First change... my daughter & her little family will be leaving New England & moving to Chicago! What a bummer! no more little weekend visits to see her & our grand daughter. It's been so nice with all of us in this part of the country. Still we are thankful that we've had about 14 years with them so close by (close by meaning less than 5 hours away)! And isn't this what's supposed to happen?? ~ children leaving the nest & flying to a new place??
Well the 2 different shops in 3 venues just isn't doing it for me. One site that I thought I'd love, I didn't..it seemed "messy" & rather sloppy; loved the name, but that was all - besides I was paying a monthly fee to list there. So today I said goodbye & withdrew my few items from the shop. I also will be leaving the other venue, just how or when is a bit up in the air.

But I did find another new place to sell..& this venue I'm keeping!! It's easy to navigate in, It's fresh & clean & you only pay when an item sells!! hot dog! how great is that?! I'm now in 1000Markets!! I've been there for about 1 week & love it!!

I have a new banner for the new venue; it was created by Renee of ThompsonDesigns (she also did the eversodear banner for my etsy shop) ♥ If you ever need a business card, blog or shop banner, look her up. her prices are good & her work excellent!

From now on only etsy & 1000Markets; I'm through looking for greener pastures!

another change.... the economy. It hit us last night, hubby is now on a 3 day work week, but we thank God that he's still employed. We keep our expenses low - moderate, so hopefully just a little belt tightening will suffice.
....just hoping there will be no more changes for awhile!!

CPSIA BLOG-IN

2009-01-27T15:37:00.008-05:00

*used with permission by chichiboulie*

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way.
If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too. How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students: Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader: Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all. Article from the American Library Association
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade: Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist: Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper: Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur: Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

more articles...
Seven Days (Burlington, VT)
http://www.7dvt.com/2008new-safety-law-no-fun-vts-artisan-toymakers

yesterday from Salt Lake City -
http://www.sltrib.com/Salt%20Lake%20Tribune%20Home%20Page/ci_11559106%3Ehttp://www.sltrib.com/Salt%20Lake%20Tribune%20Home%20Page/ci_11559106

for more articles see this link

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5961234

Trying New Directions ~~

2009-01-16T15:08:00.005-05:00

~♥~ New paths I have started in the last 6 months or so:

1. added a second EversoDear shop in new venue, "lollishops"
2. created a new store, TwirlingVine (funky fab & affordable) at etsy
3. added a second TwirlingVine to ArtFire
oh i added another blog in October 08, SunflowerSongs

I don't know which of these new paths will remain, nor if they will go anywhere; but it is still exciting!

I was so relieved when I finally had all the shops up & running, thinking ok now life can get back to normal! well not so fast....
there is a bit of a hitch or "hiccup" as etsy says, just found out our IP is being taken over & we need to change all of our email addresses! ugg that means redoing everything from paypal, all the "biz" shops, all the places where i get my supplies...golly moses! hey, I'm sure you know all that has to be done don't you?!

and if that isn't bad enough we have to replace our old cell phones with new ones. which means I'll be on the phone for ages punching in a never ending list of numbers as someone over the phone directs me. I must confess I HATE that, although a person is much easier to take than a machine!! ((sincere appologies if any of you do this for a living))

I have to close for now... the cell phones & the laundry awaits!

a most wonderful age to be! :D

2009-01-14T11:31:00.005-05:00

Hi! I know it's been awhile, but a lot has been going on.

Had a fantastic birthday just over a couple weeks ago.

And thank you to etsy's BBEST team for the birthday greeting!!

click the photo to read about my birthday on my other blog...:)

2008-12-14T16:16:00.011-05:00

~Winter's Lace~

Yesterday we awakened to discover that an ice storm had hit us. I know how ice makes for hazardous walking & driving ( I once did a 180*, on one of our 2 lane roads here, when my car hit slick ice while driving only 15 mph! ) ; & I know ice causes the power lines to snap, creating a loss of power & heat. Yet I still find great beauty in the ice & thought I'd share with you a little piece of our icy wonderland.

2008-12-08T13:34:00.027-05:00

♥ ♥ ♥ Alisa plays Sweet 16! ♥ ♥ ♥
~♥~~~♥~~~TREASUREFIELD~~~♥~~~♥~

I am so happy to introduce Alisa to you. I first "met" her browsing around etsy looking at this & that & was struck by one of her pieces of art. She is warm, sincere & encouraging & has bcome a dear friend. Her work is whimsical, fanciful & light hearted, very unique & very much Alisa!

I love this piece called "Morning has Broken" ...

And in full disclosure, I also admit to owning 2 of her pendants.. one of which I talked about right here on this blog ~ the copper verdigris heart!

Aren't these earrings cool?!!

name-My name is Alisa (like "Ah" + "Lisa") :)

shop name-TREASUREFIELD

blog -http://treasurefield.blogspot.com

a web site other than etsy-I now have a shop on Lollishops and ArtFire

1. what do you have for breakfast? ~ I almost always have cereal for breakfast --a blend of high-fiber grains, nuts, and whatever fruit I can find. But sometimes buttered toast.

2. can you recall a favorite book from childhood? ~ I LOVED the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I've since read the series twice to my kids. I think it's time to read it to myself again!

3. did you ever have a pet turtle? ~ My sisters & I used to find box turtles near our house and we'd keep them a day or so. Our cousins had a tiny turtle in a bowl that I loved to see when we'd visit, but I don't remember actually being jealous.

4. if you had another talent, what would it be? ~ Oh.... If I could do something besides improve what I do... so many things... I wish I could sew, knit, work with glass, metals, porcelain, all the different materials; plus, I'd like to write and play the violin or really any instrument.

5. what color is your hair? ~ Hmmm... I think it's called "Cool Medium Brown" ;)

6. do you sing in the car? ~ Absolutely! I always said only God and my kids think I can sing (and now that my kids are teens, maybe just God). So when I'm alone in the car, I'm a singing superstar!

7. any indoor plants? ~ I only have one right now --a spider plant that hangs over my kitchen sink.

8. do you have a tattoo? ~ No

9. prefer tea or coffee? ~ Coffee with a little sugar and plenty of cream. But I also like iced tea.

10. carpet or wood under your feet? ~ Our house has both. It was this way when we bought it. If we only had wood, I'd still have to have lots of rugs.

11. mug or cup & saucer? ~ Mug. Something I can wrap my cold fingers around.

12. favorite time of day? ~ I guess it depends on the day or the season. Sunrise is so beautiful,but also dusk in the summer time, or the starry sky at night...

13. favorite season? ~ Spring

14. favorite dessert? ~ Probably fresh peaches

15 favorite color to wear? ~ White

16. favorite ice cream flavor of all time? ~ Coffee

Thank you so much for playing "Sweet 16" Alisa!!

And if you haven't done so, please visit her shops!!!

2008-12-06T13:02:00.002-05:00

OK as much as I want to blog more, & as much as I want to have the "sweet 16" feature weekly; it's just not going to happen. There too many things to do, especially since I now have my little shop "Ever so Dear" in 2 venues & will be opening another totally different... it'll have fun & funky jewelry while the more refined will be at Ever so Dear. I am totally psyched about the new venture as I love making funky/artsy pieces!

Back to the subject at hand... so I think I can only promise once a month for the little featurette (is that a real word???). However I know something you don't... I know who is up next & she has become a dear friend of mine!
see you soon... I promise!

2008-11-26T12:46:00.005-05:00

Notice the new blog banner? I wanted to have a bit of a "make-over" since I'm adding another shop. I really like this look, but I felt the blue "sweet 16" picture didn't go that well with this new banner, so I changed it all together. ~ Isn't it nice to be able to redecorate on a whim with no expense involved?? love it!

the pressure is mounting!

2008-11-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

Around the 28th of November, I'll be opening another "ever so Dear" shop this time at "Lollishopping" We haven't been able to put up the photos of the items we want to sell in our shop, not even our store banner ~ that makes me nervous as I like to have everything planned & ready early. So I just have to be patient, & get all the photos of the items I'll be selling there ready when the time comes. Writing the description of the items can be time consuming, but I like to write on the fly as the inspiration hits. I often get hung up on the title of the piece, so I've been keeping my mind open & hopefully I'll have all the titles ready along with all the editied photos when I list.

2008-11-12T15:34:00.017-05:00

♥ ♥ ♥ Judy plays Sweet 16! ♥ ♥ ♥

shopname- JN Originals

blog - http://wordwalks.blogspot.com/

groups- Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team, Iowa Poetry Association, Students for a Creative IowaAs I started to write this lighthearted little segment, I discovered through Judy's blog, that this friendly artisan has hidden depths. "I write, sew, stitch, crochet, craft . . . and participate in creative problem-solving through Iowa's Destination ImagiNation program. In my spare time, I teach German and National History Day classes. I'm a member of the Iowa Poetry Association." And she published her 1st poem at the age of 45!! How cool! ...Plus, this woman extraordinaire, fashioned this whimsical flower pin out of wool! ~ beautiful! I'm totally honored that she agreed to play!

1. what do you have for breakfast? General Mills Oatmeal Crisp Almond cereal

2. can you recall a favorite book from childhood? Half Magic, by Edward Eager

3. did you ever have a pet turtle? No

4. if you had another talent, what would it be? Playing the piano.

5. what color is your hair? Blond, although it has darkened over the years.

6. do you sing in the car? No.

7. any indoor plants? Only the artificial kind, since I forget to water the real ones! 8. do you have a tattoo? No.

9. prefer tea or coffee? Neither.

10. carpet or wood under your feet? My house has carpet, but I prefer wood.

11. mug or cup & saucer? Mug.

12. favorite time of day? After midnight. (editor's note...aren't you curious about this??!)

13. favorite season? Fall.

14. favorite dessert? Cheese cake

15 favorite color to wear? Sage green

16. favorite ice cream flavor of all time? Swiss chocolate, of course!

If you haven't already done so please check out Judy's shop...(Christmas is right around the corner!! )

Thank you so much Judy for agreeing to play "Sweet 16"!

♥ something new is coming! ♥

2008-11-03T12:50:00.012-05:00

♥ There is a fun &"fru-fru" new place in which to sell at! It's called "Lollishops"!
This place will advertise! (a big plus) It's a jurried shop place too, with a limited number of shops~ which means it better for us.
I'm excited about being selected to set up a little shop there! We start opening up for business Novemer 28.
For more info & to apply to set up a shop at Lollishops click here♥
http://lollishops.wufoo.com/forms/preapply-for-lollishops/

♥ a wee bit of a change ♥

2008-10-30T14:58:00.007-04:00

I'm moving the "Thankful Thursday" segment to
my new blog "Sunflower Songs"
that's it, end of message :)

♥ 7 FACTS ♥

2008-10-28T11:23:00.004-04:00

This is a totally new thing for me ~ I've been "tagged"!
Alisa tagged me & asked me to list 7 things about myself...
so here we go:

1. I love to wear Pure Grace in the summer & Amazing Grace the rest of the year (fragrances by philosophy)
2. I have a small pot of Stash's Green Chai with a toasted raisin bagel every morning♥
3. I have way too many beading magazines & can't bear to throw any of them out
4. My husband & I love singing in the car
5. My favorite pens have colored ink
6. Follow the Fleet & Swing Time are my fav Fred & Ginger films
7. Baskin Robbins' Chocolate Mandarin Sherbet was my all time favorite flavor of ice cream♥

The rules are:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving acomment on their blog.
Here are the ones I’m tagging:

1. Louise
2. Zuda
3. Pam
4. Dayna
5. Tracie
6. Kathleen
7. Joon

2008-10-27T14:08:00.012-04:00

♥ ♥ ♥ Sweet 16 is back!! And Nonnie aka Linda has graceously agreed to play!! ♥ ♥ ♥

Nonnie is a terrific , sweet & friendly lady, who I met in the groups BBEST & CAST. She makes beautiful gemstone pendants & earrings, does gorgeous stained glass, & I discovered she also is an excellent watercolor artist!!

*side note to Nonnie, you have to do more paintings!*

name ~ Nonnie -- a nickname my baby brother called me. Later we found out it means "little mother." My given name is Linda.
shopname ~Nonnie's Treasures, but my real business name is Stained Glass by Nonnie.

groups ~ BBEST Team, Interior Design Team and CAST Team
blog ~ none yet
a web site other than etsy flickr photo site -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/21595479@N06/

1. what do you have for breakfast? Orange juice, cinnamon raisin toast w/margarine, coffee, coffee, coffee (always black)

2. can you recall a favorite book from childhood? Absolutely! Anne of Green Gables

3. did you ever have a pet turtle? Yes, I had several. They all died. Then we found out they carry salmonella. Ick!

4. if you had another talent, what would it be? Dancing!

5. what color is your hair? Brown w/red highlights

6. do you sing in the car? Only if no one is in the car with me!

7. any indoor plants? Lots. My bathroom and sunroom are so full of plants that my husband thinks we live in a jungle.

8. do you have a tattoo? Oh, no!

9. prefer tea or coffee? Coffee in the AM, only tea after lunch and for the rest of the day

10. carpet or wood under your feet? I prefer hardwood floor

11. mug or cup & saucer? mug

12. favorite time of day? late morning into mid-afternoon

13. favorite season? Fall

14. favorite dessert? Chocolate!

15 favorite color to wear? Black

16. favorite ice cream flavor of all time? Chocolate chip

If you haven't already done so, please check out Nonnie's beautiful shop, she has so many beautiful treasures! Thank you so very much Nonnie for playing Sweet 16!! ♥♥♥

a little treasure

2008-10-24T20:56:00.006-04:00

Is this a wonderful heart or what??? I love this & it was created by Alisa of "Treasurefield"
This woman is so very creative, with her hands & her pen! I'll have to do a feature about her someday. Until then, look up her blogs & her charming etsy shop!

my o my, how time does fly!

2008-10-24T20:29:00.004-04:00

Can't believe that over a month has gone by since my last posting! And a lot has happened too, I'll share in my next posting!
Originally I was waiting for a couple of responses for the "Sweet 16" segment. Finally realized it wasn't going to happen, so I'm back looking for those more receptive. In fact if all goes as planned we'll have a new "Sweet 16" before the end of next week! ♥

2008-09-01T12:27:00.008-04:00

♥ ♥ ♥ At long last, on the 1st of September, the launching of "Sweet 16" has arrived! ♥ ♥ ♥

The first to be featured is Pam, friendly, talented & she makes gorgeous treasuries on etsy!
~ in full disclosure, I must admit that I am a happy owner of one of Pam's beautiful scarfs! ~

name- Pam Todd

shopname-Bags and More by Pam or bagsandmorebypam.etsy.com

groups- Boomer and Beyond (Bbest); Etsyhookers; INCrowd (Indiana Etsy Street Team)

blog - http://www.bagsandmorebypam.blogspot.com/

this is just one of many examples of Pam's beautiful work

1. what do you have for breakfast? love bacon, fried eggs, toast, and sliced tomatoes (homegrown...in the summer)

2. can you recall a favorite book from childhood? loved the Nancy Drew series

3. did you ever have a pet turtle? Yes

4. if you had another talent, what would it be? gardening

5. what is your hair color? blond (very conveniently comes in a bottle)

6. do you sing in the car? Absolutely, at the top of my voice when beginning to get sleepy while driving!) Other times as well.

7. any indoor plants? Lots and lots.

8. do you have a tattoo? No

9. tea or coffee? No

10. carpet or wood under your feet? Mostly wood; some carpeting

11. mug or cup & saucer? mug for hot chocolate

12. favorite time of day? early morning and late evening

13. favorite season? spring and fall

14. favorite dessert? chocolate cake

15 favorite color to wear? teal

16. favorite ice cream flavor of all time? Baskin Robbins jamocha almond fudge

If you haven't already done so, please check out Pam's shop, she does lovely work!

Thank you Pam for "playing Sweet 16"!

BBEST Team September Swap

2008-08-29T15:15:00.013-04:00

One of the groups I belong to at etsy is "Boomers & Beyond" or BBEST. Right now I'm participating in a swap with a "butterfly" theme., to honor Pat who is stepping down from the administration at BBEST. She has served us tirelessly & kept us all together & organized!! Thank you Pat!!

We are to keep the cost under $15, plus there's a "twist" to it that we aren't aware of yet! & we won't know the details till the end of September!! excitement abounds!

My offering is a pair of earrings that I whimsically titled "Dancing Golden Butterflies". This & the other Sept. Swap creations are shown on Flicker.

2008-08-28T08:31:00.018-04:00

Today I am thankful for Friends.

....Those separated by years & distance ~ Janine & Louise from high school & Jan from the days of Minnesota. New friends like Jean & Marty from church & Sandy from our ladies Bible study (who by the way I spent a wonderful day with yesterday gabbing non-stop, shopping & eating chocolate!) & to new "net- friends" I'm still learning about what constitutes a "friend" on line. ....Sadly there are friends who drifted away & friends who I failed to stay in touch with. There is a saying & I don't know if it was a line in a song or poem, about friends-"... one is silver the other gold.. "

All friends are a blessing & all friends add to your life.

....And there are those deep friends, with whom you can share everything, no matter what. Sharing day by day, the highs, the lows, the worries & the messed up of our lives. I think we need this kind of friendship most of all. Our lives are becoming more filled with tasks, things to do; many are so stressed & pressured, that finding time & energy for a close deep friendship is increasingly more difficult. But I think it is necessary for our souls, through that we are strengthened & find our balance. ..... ....

....God didn't place us here to live an isolated life, we are here to give Him glory, but also, to reach out to, to encourage & to love other people.

So Lord today I thank you for the friends You have brought into my life, & help me to be a better & more faithful friend as well.

Which of the pictures won? the results....

2008-08-26T16:00:00.009-04:00

Hi! Thank you all so much for taking time to vote!

You really are so sweet !
Here are the results:
pink roses 3
blue flower 6
& both/ undecided 1 + me =2

So the design logo for the Sweet 16 segment, is the blue stylized flower.

The first Sweet 16 feature will be as soon as I receive her answers!

preview of coming attractions.....

2008-08-22T12:35:00.010-04:00

(I'm currently deciding between these 2 as to which I'll use for the sweet 16 logo....

hmmmmm I hate decisions! What about you!? Any preferences???)

I discovered that I really enjoy blogging! I so enjoy writing bits & pieces and get inspired reading other blogs. Well I'm adding another weekly segment... called "Sweet 16". This will be a light hearted post, featuring one of my fellow etsyians. I belong to 3 groups so most will be taken from there, however I've "met" some wonderful people outside of the groups that I would love to highlight.

So far I'm thinking of doing this once a week, but who knows, I just might do more! :)

2008-08-21T08:40:00.006-04:00

As always, I have more things to be thankful for than I have time to list. Today I'm thankful that I can get up & out of bed, stand & walk, breath, think & talk!
I remember a time after an ill advised & botched back surgery, (that left me worse than before) when I couldn't move, when even taking a breath caused pain. I remember not being able to do anything for myself, & how thankful I was that I could speak & communicate my needs to a nurse. To tell my children, who looked so scared at my bed side how much I loved them & that God will make me better. It was a long time before I could function like a normal person, but during those years I took up art again. I started with watercolors, then lino block printing, then pastels ; all of which helped lay the foundation for what I do now, making jewelry. Twenty years have passed & I'm practically good as new, with only a few twinges from time to time that remind me what life used to be.
So I thank you Lord for Your merciful healing & that today I can get up & out, stand, walk breathe, think & talk!

Kathryn ~ model & inspiration

2008-08-18T11:58:00.009-04:00

♥ ♥ Meet Kathryn, my earring model & gorgeous granddaughter!! ♥ ♥

One of the myriad of blessings & perks of having a grand child are the little gifts given in their name; this photo mug is one of them. Having her pixie like face sitting on the desk holding pencils, pens, highlighter & letter opener is such a day brightener. I have however discovered another of her talents... she patiently models earrings while I'm typing out the description of them for my jewelry shop, ever so Dear, on etsy. Prior to her availability, I would have the earrings on a little plate & picking them up to look more closely, while waiting for some inspired words to properly describe them. Now with Kathryn so beautifully modeling them, the "inspiration" seems to flow more freely & she never fails to put a smile on my face.

♥Thank you Kathryn!!! ♥ Love you Bunches!!! ♥XOXOX

~ ♥ ~Thankful Thursday ~ ♥ ~

2008-08-14T10:01:00.015-04:00

~♥~ thank you Iris for starting "Thankful Thursday"! ~♥~

I've been giving a lot of thought as to what topic this weeks "Thankful Thursday" be about. I have so very many things that I'm thankful for; however today I've especially thankful for the freedom we have right here more specifically, religious freedom. I am totally free not to go to church or I can go to any church of my choosing. I am free to go & purchase a Bible & to read it openly. True there are some in the U.S. who claim to be "open minded" yet in reality have a negative bias against Christians; but that is to be expected. However that is nothing when compared to what believers in various parts of the world that under go. - hostility, persecution & even imprisonment just for believing in Christ!
I have wondered "why are we given this freedom while others endure suffering?" It is my personal belief that God has placed us here, to help those we can, even if there are some we can only help through prayer.
So I thank you Lord for all of the freedoms you have given me; & may those enduring persecution & suffering for their faith in You, feel Your presence & comfort & be encouraged that they are not alone.

2008-08-07T11:56:00.007-04:00

I'm adding a weekly segment to my blog, inspired by Dayna, of Scottie Acres Blog's "Wordless Wednesday". Searching for an idea for a theme, I found a feature by Iris, called Thankful Thursday, on her blog Sting My Heart. I really think it's important & beneficial to try to focus on the good in our lives. So that being said...

I am thankful for hundreds of things & one of them is the gift of sight. What Joy it is to see this amazing & beautiful world! Everywhere you turn your head there is something wonderful to see!

Just thinking about the sky alone ~ the colors are breathtaking changing with every breeze, hour, & season. Have you ever thought how very wonderful that is? Can you imagine what it would be like to have just a plain white sky for day, no clouds, just a white sky, morning to evening?! how depressing that would be.
Instead our Creator filled the sky with glorious color & clouds in a wonderful array of shapes, to be amused by, to warn us of impending storms, & just to let us marvel at the beauty above us! And then there is still more beauty to behold in the evening sky!

so I thank you Lord for giving me the ability to see all of your wonderful creation!

more cool beads!!

2008-08-07T09:41:00.012-04:00

♥ I'm always searching etsy & other online shops for unusual beads when I found these fantastic handmade lampwork beads by Eileen at etsy. I love the playfulness in her work!

Please check out her shop! ♥

When these great beads arrived I had so much fun trying different ways of making the bracelet before i finally decided upon this one.
I love the colors, earthy, rustic, joyful & energetic! They made me feel like dancing! ... hence the name ~ Earth Dance!

something cool !

2008-07-25T14:21:00.012-04:00

♥ ♥ When I fist saw these fabulous fiber beads made by Eleanore . I thought "wow! these are so cool!" You really should go & look at her beads, so many different textures & styles! Such a fun place to browse!

http://Ebrown2503.etsy.com/

Most of Eleanore's customers use her fabric beads in textile art; but I knew I just had to try them out in my jewelry, & I'm so glad I did! I love these beads! They have enough of an edge to look cool & different, but not too much so as to make them unwearable. ♥ ♥

2008-07-25T14:17:00.004-04:00

the earrings have sold, only the bracelet remains

there are "issues" 2

2008-07-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

Truth time... ok... the real real issue! I have become aware that I really struggle "socializing" & not just in person to person encounters, but even here on the web. Going to a Forum & participating is extremely difficult for me. It certainly doesn't make any sense, for when you're on line, no one sees you & it's all perfectly safe. Yet I feel so awkward & always like a 5th wheel. Every now & then I feel relaxed enough to particapite a bit in the forums & that's such a wonderful feeling! ~ Alas, that is the exception & not the rule.

~just talking out loud here, but maybe I'm letting things & "being busy" be the excuse for not participating enough in Forums or even this blog, when in reality it's this "issue" of socializing.?~

ok ~ there are "issues".....

2008-07-24T19:48:00.006-04:00

It's been eons since I've last posted. And I confess here & now that this "blog experiment" takes last priority with me. To be totally candid, it feels like homework - an assignment in Creative Writing 101! I'd much rather be making jewelry than sitting here trying to say something of value. What is ironic about this, is that I loved Creative Writing & at one time fancied myself as a writer of sorts!!
My intent tonight is to post this to break the ice & then return tomorrow & do some homework!

♥ I'm including this photo of a rose from our garden. When Art's mom passed on (& yes I totally believe that she has passed on to be with our Lord in heaven) we planted a rose bush in her memory. I love the colors of this rose....soft yellow & pink.. truly beautiful! Just like she was! I was blessed with a most wonderful mother-in-law! She had a sweet spirit & I loved her with all my heart. I still miss her but it will be a wonderful day when our family is reunited in heaven! ♥

with a little help from my friend.....

2008-03-24T14:58:00.009-04:00

Treasured Flower

I love the work of Zuda Gay! She works with the clay as a true master of her craft.

Her flowers are simply gorgeous! Not only is her execution is flawless, but she also has the amazing ability to work in tiniest detail!

(You can see more of her amazing flowers at) http://zudagay.etsy.com/

This piece started with Zuda's gorgeous flower. Up close you can see the different colors Zuda has used for the petals & for the flowers center (I love the design she created for the center as well)! My challenge, was to make a beautiful necklace without overpowering Zuda's subtle artistry. I added large natural copper beads, some special beads & seed beads, all selected with the purpose of enhancing & complimenting in harmony, the "treasured flower".
I only hope I have done justice to her extraordinary talent!

1st Treasury on etsy

2008-03-03T11:10:00.004-05:00

This is the very 1st Treasury I created on etsy. The whole process was so exciting; figuring out what (I decided to feature items from BBEST), "how" to do it, & then the oh so nervous "waiting" on the edge of my seat for an opening in the treasury itself which came around 10pm. (on a side note, I don't recommend getting your 1st treasury at night; I was so excited about it, that I couldn't sleep for a couple of hours!!)

I discovered that creating a treasury is, at least for me, akin to painting. Selecting a theme, colors, & textures, & making it into something that not only pleases the eye, but also creates a feeling in the observer.