Smell This. . .

SilverSmack Has Struck Gold

2011-11-27T07:03:00.000-08:00

New 14k gold designs by SilverSmack

Hammered Gold Ring 14K by SilverSmack

Gold Wedding Band Hammered 14k by SilverSmack

Hammered Gold Ring Distressed Squares 14K by SilverSmack

Shazzabeth Creations: July Birthstone - Ruby

2011-07-03T05:36:00.000-07:00

Shazzabeth Creations: July Birthstone - Ruby: "For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone shoul..."

The Superior Stones

2011-06-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lake Superior is the greatest of the great lakes, so when it came to naming my shop featuring beach stones and beach glass, SuperiorStones was the obvious choice. The lake affects my life in so many ways- the weather being the most prominent. The "lake effect" snow is what gives "Big Snow Country" its name, so I decided to celebrate the lake and all its power and beauty.
Brown Beach Stone Emerald Cluster Pendant Knotty Necklace by SuperiorStones
I love contrasting textures, so I enjoy pairing a dainty, classy stone or pearl with the more rustic, rugged beach stone. I often use pearls, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, tanzanite, diamonds, and other more precious gemstones as accents because I just love the contrast.

Slate Gray Beach Stone Pearl Knotted Pendant Necklace by SuperiorStones

Slate Gray Peacock Pearl Beach Stone Necklace by SuperiorStones

Brown Beach Glass Chrome Diopside Necklace by SuperiorStones
Beach glass is getting harder and harder to find because the ships don't dump their garbage in the Great Lakes any more (thank goodness) and people aren't littering as much as glass any more (also good.)

Gray Beach Stone Pearl Knotted Cluster Pendant Necklace by SuperiorStones

Moss Green Brown Braided Leaf Necklace by SuperiorStones
I also have a selection of carved bone and horn, and other organic, earthy looking pendants.

Black Cream Carved Bone Cross Necklace by SuperiorStones
And my shop just would be complete if I didn't have something for the men.

Talking Smack with SilverSmack

2011-06-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

SilverSmack was named thus because I love(Smack=kiss) working with silver and I love smacking it with my hammer and seeing what kind of cool texture I can come up with.
Hammered Wide Silver Distressed Squares Antiqued Ring Band by SilverSmack
I also love the contrasting look that mixing metals can give to a piece of jewelry.

Copper Hammered Spinner Silver Oxidized Wide Ring by SilverSmack
I also love making stacking rings - the more the merrier!

Silver Super Stack Rings Hammered Multi-Colored Eternity by SilverSmack
And I put my heart and soul into making custom wedding rings and wedding ring sets for very many special people.

Mens & Womens Hammered Oxidized Distress Silver Ring Set by SilverSmack
I also really love working with different quality gemstones and bringing together beautiful color combinations.

Moss Aquamarine Lemon Topaz Labradorite Front Toggle Necklace by SilverSmack
Living in the great Northwoods, I get a lot of my inspiration from nature.

Copper Fern Leaf Rustic Earrings by SilverSmack

Look for the Pot of Gold

2011-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

SilverSmack was Featured! Come Check It Out!

2011-04-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Inside Etsy: Store Owner Interviews: SilverSmack: "It takes a special kind of person to live in a nearly year-round winter wonderland. And it ain’t me. Although sometimes the East Texas humid..."

Show Off Your Favorite Spring Item!

2011-04-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ring in Spring Flowers

2011-03-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

SilverSmack has made some gorgeous floral rings just in time for spring.

Floral Pattern Antiqued Silver Bouquet Ring by SilverSmack

Floral Pattern Shiny Silver Bouquet Ring by SilverSmack

Hammered Silver Wide Band Rings- New Textures by SilverSmack

2011-01-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

Men's Hammered Distressed Silver Reptile Rockstar Ring by SilverSmack

Men's Hammered Silver Distressed Squares Antiqued Ring Band by SilverSmack

Hammered Silver Ring Band & Stacking Dot Rings by SilverSmack

wedding ring set by SilverSmack

SilverSmack has been wielding her hammers and pounding out some fabulous new rings with some fantastic textures. A few examples are the Men's Hammered Distressed Silver Reptile Rockstar Ring, the Men's Hammered Silver Distressed Squares Antiqued Ring Band, and the Hammered Silver Ring Band & Stacking Dot Rings. Any of these textures could also be made into a wedding ring set.

New SilverSmack Shop on Artfire

2010-10-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

I just opened up a new "Pro" shop on Artfire for my SilverSmack shop which means I can put more items in my shop and I get a few more bells and whistles.

SilverSmack - ArtFire Artisan Studio

I still have my SilverSmack shop on Etsy which is doing very well, I must say. I just don't want to put all my eggs in one basket.

Sapphire, September's Birthstone

2010-09-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

Sapphire is September’s birthstone and is the stone for the Taurus. If a Taurus wears a sapphire, it is said to protect one from and cure one's mental disorders.
Throughout history, the sapphire symbolizes truth, sincerity, and faithfulness in relationships, and to bring peace, joy and wisdom to the wearer and owner. Sapphire was also believed to protect against evil.
Blue is by far the most popular color for sapphires, but they can be almost any color, including yellow, green, white, colorless, pink, orange, brown, and purple. Padparadscha is the name for a rare orange-pink variety of sapphire and has a higher value than blue sapphires.
Abbes Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) wrote that the gemstones are formed through the powerful combination of water and fire, therefore holds powers corresponding to these phenomena. She also believed that each stone had a certain, divine blessing from God. She also suggested that licking the stone could make a person smarter.
Here are some beautiful sapphire creations by the Jewelry on Etsy Team members .
These Earrings, blue sapphire, wire wrapped briolettes, sterling silver, free shipping, handmade in Australia by Angelene.

These Tiny Key and Sapphire Earrings in Sterling Silverby Dashery .

These Sapphire 14K gold filled earrings - DEWBERRY by
mcrdesigns .

This Bold sterling and blue sapphire knuckle ring, size 7.5 by Metalicious .

This Silver Green Sapphire Edelweiss Reversible Pendant by WearablebyDesign.

This Wedding band silver ring - engraved hearts, sapphires by
PeacesofIndigo.

This Large Genuine Sapphire Pearl Kyanite Woven Herringbone Wire Wrapped Silver Necklace by SilverSmack.

Sunrise After Storm

2010-07-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

The view off of my deck after a thunderstorm the other day.

What SilverSmack Smacked

2010-06-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

What SilverSmack Smacked

Is It Really Flip-Flop Weather?

2010-03-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

Sure, everyone wants spring to come, but lets take a little time to look at the facts. THERE'S STILL A TON OF SNOW OUT THERE! This is what I see when I look out my window. Not flip-flop weather in my book. Sure, we've had a few days of warmer temperatures, but in addition to a ton of snow, there's even more MUD!

Now, I've spotted some flip-flops already this week. Maybe in warmer climates, that's fine, but in BIG SNOW COUNTRY, I think it's best to wait a bit. . .

SilverSmack on the Front Page!!!

2010-02-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Few things are more exciting on Etsy than being featured on the front page. Here is a treasury by Abacusbeadcreations that included my Touch of Sun - Citrine Hammered Fine Silver Eternity Circle Silver Necklace. It made my day to see it featured on the front page. Many thanks to Abacus for featuring me.

The Road Less Traveled

2009-12-27T21:49:00.000-08:00

Robert Frost said that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference. I would have to disagree this time. The road to my house has been under construction since May of 2009 and I have had to take a very inconvenient detour. The road less traveled sucks. It's bumpy. It's way out of my way. And it's far easier to go in the ditch because of the hairpin turns. I'd say taking the road less traveled just ticks me off. . .

Lunch Buddy

2009-08-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Look who joined us for lunch today. . .

They're sweet when they're not munching the flowers or the garden.

A Little Piece of Asphalt Heaven

2009-07-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

We've had a gravel driveway for awhile and it's sooooo dusty. The kids have bikes and Big Wheels, but had no where to ride them. So, we bit the bullet and got the driveway paved. Not the whole thing, because our driveway is almost 1/4 mile long, but at least the part by the house and the garage. We'll be paying for it for awhile, but it's sooooo worth it. My daughter has already even learned to ride her bike on it already!

I just wish we could drive on it. . .

My New Shop, SilverSmack

2009-07-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

I finally opened my new shop that will focus on hand forged and wire wrapped silver items and actually listed a few items.

I love the way this picture of the hammered silver stacking rings came out.

I was also pretty proud of the Kyanite pearl dangle necklace. The blue came out nicely.

These hammered hoop earrings were tough to photograph because it was getting dark.

The Hammered Circle Tahitian Pearl necklace was very difficult to photograph because it was so reflective. If you look closely, you can see me in the pearl.

Knee High by the 4th of July?

2009-07-12T05:32:00.001-07:00

Just about.

The corn is very close to being right on track.

Textured Stacking Copper Rings

2009-07-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

I just made these stacking rings out of copper. I challenged myself to find a different texture for each one. I love the way metal can take on texture. These were also the first real soldering I did. I just love the way they catch the light!

Metalsmithing

2009-06-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

It was so fun using different metals together. I've only ever used silver. The copper and brass compliment each other nicely.

It was fun to experiment with different textures too. One layer has a brushed sunburst finish and the other has a hammered finish.

For the Birds!

2009-06-28T06:49:00.001-07:00

I saw a cool blue bird perched on our garden post this morning. I rushed for my camera, took a picture, but the memory card wasn't in it. (Still can't find it. Where could it be? The computer or the camera are the only possible locations?????) At first I thought it was an Indigo Bunting which is the prize of birds to see. I've only seen two before in my lifetime. . .

Then, I thought it was a Bluebird. . .

But it turns out, it was a Barn Swallow which makes the most sense, since we have about seven nests in the eaves of of our garage overhang and under our deck.

Here's more of a close-up.

They are pretty, except they leave little presents on our retaining wall and our garage slab.

Baby Corn!

2009-06-24T07:25:00.001-07:00

We weren't sure they were going to come up, but here they are!

Metamorphosis

2009-06-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

The caterpillars came home from school with my four year-old son so he could take care of them for the summer.

Soon, they we on the roof of there bug house in their chrysalis.

When they hatched, the butterflies were very fond of the kids.

My son was very sad when his butterfly finally flew away.

My daughter sang hers a song called "Butterfly Fly Away."

If We Plant It, Will It Grow?

2009-06-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

We aren't farmers. We just happen to have a tractor (two, actually. More on that in a later post) and a significantly sized yard.

My husband got it in his head that he wanted to plant some corn. We like to eat corn. Does that qualify us? Do we know anything about planting corn? No. The most we've ever done is planted a few tomato plants and sunflowers.

He did his research, but it was much more complicated than we anticipated. We had no field. We had grass, so we had to get the area tilled. Twice. We had to get one of these to plant the corn.

It has two bins because the top one is for fertilizer and the bottom one is for the corn. We had to turn the tractor tires around because they were too far apart. Talking to the old guys at the fertilizer store was nice because they really knew what they were talking about. And we had to decide what kind of corn to plant. There weren't a whole lot of choices at our tiny feed store, so we tried a few.

Now we have one of these. Our own field of dreams. . .

Snow Day in April!

2009-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Just when you think spring is here and you can get out the flip-flips and the shorts, BAM! Mother Nature has something else in mind - A great big snowstorm! This type of weather event is not entirely unheard of in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Living here, you come to expect things like this. I'm not complaining. I get a day off from work.

And to think it was 71 degrees last week!

Photography Aid

2009-04-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm not the greatest photographer and would never claim to be, but I came across what I think is the greatest photography aid EVER! I always had trouble holding the camera steady for those close-up shots. I had a little, tiny tripod, but it wasn't tiny enough. This bendy tripod lets me bend it as small as I want.

I got it at Best Buy for $21.99 and I threw the package away, but the name on it says SUNPAC. For outdoor pics, you can also bend it around trees, decks, playground equipment, or whatever else you can find. I love it!

Just in Time for the Beach

2009-03-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

It took a lot of hard work and drill bit experimentation, but I finally got a few of my beach glass pieces ready to go for my new shop SuperiorStones. I love the way they came out! For a dramatic effect, I accented the light aqua one with a genuine ruby. I left the green one plain, because it was dramatic by itself, and for a subtle accent, I paired the other light aqua one with a small white genuine cultured pearl. Even though the ground is still covered with snow here, I know spring is just around the corner. . .

Get in the Spirit. . .

2008-10-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

of Halloween! These many not be too spooky, but they are unique and interesting.

Check out this Tribal Mask Carved Bone Knotted Pendant Necklace for Men or Women
from Superiorstones

or these unique Day of the Dead earrings from Moonmystic!

Featured Etsyblogger - bfbeads!

2008-10-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

Want the perfect gift for a new mom? Check out: Baby Friendly Beads
There are a lot of unique jewelry that your baby can tug on while he or she is doing "baby business."

Also check out her other shop, Mama's Magic Studio for some fun and whimsical gifts.

You can also check out her blog: Mama's Magic

Joeyandaleethea- Featured Etsybloggers!

2008-09-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Want to have the most fashion forward baby around?
Visit Joeyandaleethea .
They've got some cool duds for your cool dudes and dudettes and they've managed to make some of those "necessities" hip also.

Fall Colors. . .

2008-09-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Raking up the leaves to jump in the leaf pile was always my favorite part of autumn. Red, orange, and yellow fluttering leaves fluttered to the ground just waiting to be raked up. For some reason, jumping in the leaf pile never got old. Raking never even seemed like work because the end product was so much fun. You could throw leaves at your brother and it didn't hurt. You could bury your brother in the leaves and he could still breathe. . . The leaves were the nearly perfect plaything. It was always sad when it was windy and the pile dispersed or it rained and the leaves got soggy.

You Say Tomato. . .

2008-09-06T19:10:00.001-07:00

Our tomato garden has flourished, even though there hasn't been much rain. My son (3)has been watering it and my daughter (7) has been weeding it. It has also saved us some money because tomatoes have really gone up in price this year. Now, we are overrun with tomatoes and some of them are doing very inappropriate things. . .

Going to the Beach. . .

2008-08-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

When I was young, it was always a big event when my mom would take my brother and I for a day at Lake Superior. We would bring a little picnic, wear our swimming suits, bring some towels, bring our pails and shovels and our ball, and head out. It was always an adventure because it was a bit of a walk from the parking lot to Black River Harbor. Part of the hike was over this creaky suspension bridge that spanned the Black River and it would be sweating creosote in the hot sun. From the bridge, we could see the fishing boats that were not currently fishing, moored to the docks, eagerly awaiting to go out. As we came off the bridge, we could also see the two rugged breakwalls formed from many, many large rocks which protected the harbor from the huge white-caps that Lake Superior is known for. We would find a spot on the beach and my mom and I would immediately start looking for agates. I would usually find the first one, but occasionally, she would trump me. Not much actual "swimming" ever went on. The temperature of Lake Superior never really gets very high, so it was usually just a bit of wading until the numbness set in. But if it was really hot, there was an occasional full submersion and then we were refreshed for the rest of the day. Then we would tromp back to the car with buckets full of rocks and armloads full of driftwood.

20 Years After High School? Not So Old. . .

2008-07-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

I just had my 20 year class reunion and here is a little presentation I gave.

Twenty years seems like a long time, so in case you are starting to feel old, here are a few things to help make you feel a bit younger. . .

Ever feel "Footloose" anymore? Well, Kevin Bacon just turned 50.

Remember what it felt like to be "Like a Virgin?" (I mean the song. . .lol.) Madonna just turned 50.

The Rolling Stones have been giving us "Satisfaction" for OUR ENTIRE LIVES! Mick Jagger just turned 65 (and is older than my mom!)

Ever give that "Rebel Yell" anymore? Billy Idol is 53.

Remember when Van Halen told us to "Jump" and we said, "How high?" David Lee Roth is 54.

Remember raising your hand if you were "Sure."
(At this point someone chimed in about Mr. Martinson's yellow pit stains.)

Remember when the world wasn't politically correct?

Remember when candy bars were really big and were 25 cents?

Remember life before the Internet? (Me either.)

Remember Pong? (Enough said.)

Remember changing the channel WITH THE KNOB?

Remember when cartoons and shows were just cartoons and shows and not movies . . .
Scooby Doo
Underdog
Dukes of Hazard
The Incredible Hulk
Spiderman
Batman
The Flintstones
And Remember that Underdog had a "Super energy pill" that he used to take? What was that? Speed? Steroids? What a great role model. . .

Here are some inventions of the 20 years that may not have been invented during the 80s, but at least became mainstream during the 80s. Some are obvious and some we may have forgotten about.
1.Microwave Popcorn (Remember Jiffy Pop? That stuff never worked. . .always burned.)
2.email
3.digital cameras/video recorders
3.gameboy
4.MP3s & iPods
5.Cell phones & blackberries
6.Laptop computers & Powerpoint
7.GPS & Doppler Radar
8.WiFi
9.Voice mail &Caller ID (Remember having to answer the phone to find out who it was?)
10.Pay at the pump
11.Debit cards
12.Disposable contacts
13.Ziploc Bags and Post-It Notes
14.DVDs, Tivo, & Satellite TV
15.Purell Hand Sanitizer
16.Remotes for TV, garage doors, and cars (Remember having to GET UP to change the channel?)
17.Karaoke & XM radio
18.On-star
19.lettuce in a bag
20.The Clapper

Repeat Customers

2008-07-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Of course, all sellers want repeat customers. Well, last week at the flea market, I sold my beautiful Azurite Cascade pendant. This week, I sold my nearly equally beautiful Chalcedony Cascade pendant TO THE SAME PERSON! I couldn't believe it. At least I didn't cry this time. And I had my camera with me, so she let me take a picture. She was also wearing the perfectly matching shirt. Was it fate? This time I wasn't too stunned to get her name on my mailing list either. Now, I need to work on some new stunning eye-catching signature pieces.

Featured Artist: Galacards

2008-07-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Galacards makes great cards and party favors to make your special occasions even more special. She can customize or add extra embellishments to give your cards or favors "that special something."
Need a great gift to go with this card from Galacards? Check out this Dewdrop Necklace from Moon Mystic.

Seller's Sadness

2008-07-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today at the flea market, I sold the most beautiful pendant. It may have been the most beautiful pendant I have ever made. The lady saw it, wanted to hear more about and just had to try it on. Once she tried it on, I knew she would buy it. And it matched her shirt perfectly. I had tears in my eyes. It was so beautiful, but I was a little bit sad. I put my soul into that pendant. I was beginning to think nobody was going to buy it. And how could nobody buy it? It's gorgeous! I'm still experiencing some seller's remorse. I miss it. . . my creation, my inspiration, an expression of me. . .

To Swab or Not to Swab

2008-07-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

I love cotton swabs. Cleaning my ears is like brushing my teeth- very refreshing. A friend of mine doesn't clean his ears because the doctor told him he shouldn't stick the q-tip in his ear. Two times he was cleaning his ears and he ended up pushing a chunk of wax up against his eardrum and he had to go to the Emergency Room to have it removed. My argument is that if you keep your ear canal clean which means cleaning it consistently, no chunk of wax will get pushed up against your eardrum, but he won't listen. I keep mine clean and it has never happened to me. Doctors don't always know what they are talking about. I think a mature adult can handle the responsibility of sticking the swab in their ear and not damaging anyhing, unless it's already gummed up in there. It has happened to him TWICE. Hmmmm. . . I wonder who is right?

My Daughter Rocks! She's a Rockstar!

2008-07-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

So, my seven-year old daughter decided to try out for a play. She was finally old enough. I told her that because it was her first time, she might end up playing a tree or something like that and that she should be happy with that. She was bubbling with excitement. The play was a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The night before, we read through the synopsis of the play on the internet and she decided she wanted to be a fairy. Well, I had to try to gently convince her that she may not get the part she wanted and she should just be happy with whatever part she gets. For tryouts, they had to say their names with expression, learn a dance, and say a few lines. My totally talented daughter got the part of a rock. She was still very excited. She wished she could have been a fairy, but she was excited to be a part of it all. She's my star and she's a rock, so I call her my rockstar! My three-year old son was feeling rather jealous because he wasn't in the play, but he had a cameo role and then he was happy too.

Featured Artist: Sentimentaljourney

2008-07-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sentimentaljourney is rather new to etsy, but that doesn't mean she's inexperienced. She has a wide variety classy and fun hand-made cards, plus whimsical customizable tutus, colorful teethers, and she can even design a banner for your etsy shop. Talk about multi-talented!

For a necklace to go with the Clematis Cards, check out the Blush Necklace by Moonmystic.

Treasure Trove

2008-07-03T14:31:00.001-07:00

My awesome bead swap buddy, Beadstylin sent me this wonderful selection of beads for the JET Team bead swap. I didn't take the picture right away, so as you can see, I couldn't wait and made some earrings which are in the picture. This was a really fun event that the JET team put on and I'm am very pleased with my new treasures. Thank you, Beadstylin!
beadstylin.etsy.com

Who's Your Daddy?

2008-07-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a question we honestly have to deal with now. My current husband just adopted my daughter from a previous marriage because my ex-husband did not want to pay child support any more (Who would?) and because if something happened to me, my husband and whole family were worried that she would end up going to him. So, it all worked out. It was a rather painless process. We filled out a few painfully complicated forms. A lady (who ended up buying some jewelry from me and referring someone to me who bought a lot)from the juvenile court office did a home visit to make sure our home and my husband were sufficient. (Apparently, they were.) We paid $100. Then, somewhere in Texas, my ex-husband had to sign some papers in front of a judge terminating his parental rights. Then, we had to go to court for about seven minutes. The judge asked my if I understood that this meant my husband was taking on the legal rights of being her father as far as inheritance and such. I said I understood. Then, he asked my husband basically the same thing and he said he understood. Then, he told my daughter her new last name. (We kind of had to bribe her about that part.) Then we signed some more papers and paid another $120 and we were done.
Just the other day we got her new birth certificate. It has my current husband listed as her birth father. It's as if my ex-husband has been erased from existence. Weird.

Featured Artist- Alicia Mae

2008-06-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Alicia has many talents and many shops (three, if you count them), so there there is something for just about every kind of taste.
Her photography shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop_sold.php?user_id=5152176
Her eclectic shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5096340
Her supply shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5354811

Subway- The Way It Used to Be

2008-06-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, I used to work at Subway, but that was back in 90-91 when life was simpler. There was only white or wheat; footlong or six-inch. There were only like six different sandwiches: turkey, ham, BMT, the crappy one with the crappy meats, meatball, and roast beef. We cut up our own tomatoes, lettuce, and green peppers. If someone asked for extra tomatoes, you didn't just look at them like they were a terrorist trying to smuggle six ounces of shampoo onto an airplane, you just gave it to them. And you gave them more than one. The only thing I was ever stingy with was the hot peppers and that was because they were HOT PEPPERS and I just couldn't fathom that anyone would really want those on there. The only condiments available were(in separate bottles) vinegar and oil (blech), mustard, and extra thick mayo. And I wasn't a "sandwich artist," I just worked there. We used to cut the sandwiches in the "U" shape so the stuff didn't fall out. They don't do that anymore either. That was why they called it Subway, by the way, because it was revolutionary to cut the bread like a "tunnel" so the stuff didn't fall out. We cut them with these weird knives that looked "kid safe." But I guess now they decided they can save money by not doing that because less stuff fits in there if you cut it the flat boring way. Oh yeah, we didn't wear gloves. We touched money, the bread, food, meat, and whatever else we came across. We did have a little sink where we washed our hands after we touched the money (most of the time.) And we cooked bread and those yummy cookies all day long.
Inspired by:
http://yeahtotallyright.blogspot.com/

Stitches and Mom Guilt

2008-06-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

So while I was at the flea market and my son was at summer school, he fell off the playground equipment. He cracked his head on the curved ladder and had to go to the emergency room for stitches. It was a disaster because the school only had our contact information and we weren't home. Luckily, the teacher's husband works with my husband, so she called her husband and he got a hold of my husband's parents and they were able to come and take him to the ER. Then, my daughter was able to tell them the phone number for my mom, so she could explain what happened and tell her that he wouldn't be there when she went to pick them up. When they got him to the emergency room, there was a lady there who was suspicious of his injury (and checked out his whole body) and she said, "I'm going to call the school to find out what happened." My in-laws felt bad because they thought that she must have thought that they did something to him. I told them that they must do that for all injuries to children. They gave him a CAT scan and told us we had to wake him up every four hours at night in case he had a concussion. I felt so guilty for not being there. When we finally got home, I asked my son how school was. He said, "Good."

The Sweet Flutter of Success

2008-06-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

What is success? It took me awhile to actually feel it. But there were a few moments that gave me a special feeling.
1. Opening my Etsy shop. It just sort of validated what I was doing.
2. Selling my first $100 plus set. I didn't want to part with it. (The Green Amethyst Necklace that is pictured above.)
3. Having customers tell me that they couldn't get to my booth at a previous show because I was too busy.
5. Selling my first $200 plus set. That one really made my stomach churn.
6. Having people call me asking for jewelry. I didn't have to call them.

I'm Knot Crazy!

2008-06-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Or maybe I am.;) I started making quite a few different varieties of my knotted necklaces for the flea market because I don't think the guy who copies me can do them. I have to step up my game a notch. I think these are unique and they can appeal to both genders, so I made so tribal-looking ones (Maori Hook), some flower ones, the very popular celtic knot ones, and the fish. I also made some really big and bold ones with danglies. I also designed some earrings with grade A Amazonite and fresh water pearls that really pop! Gotta really put on my "A" game now, especially with the 4th of July cominig up soon.

Tomato Garden

2008-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we have to start growing our own food to save a little money, so my husband built me a cute little tomato garden. It has to be fenced in because the deer and rabbits would munch it in a heartbeat. It's my daughter's job to weed it and my son's job to water it. We also put some sunflowers in it.

Karma is Kool

2008-06-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well, my "alleged" friend who "allegedly" copied my designs at the flea market has been banned from the local gem and mineral show because he has backstabbed a few other people and apparently, they don't like it either. And, to add an extra cherry on top, I have been invited to the gem and mineral show. Ha ha. Hee hee. That's just cool.

Oh yeah, and I went and looked at his designs. First of all, they weren't even right. Second of all, they weren't very good. His wire-wrapping is loose and messy and he doesn't have articulated bails like I do. He's already cutting corners on my stolen designs, so any customers he stole from me will be sorely disappointed in the quality. I'm not even worried anymore. I'm still upset that he did that, but not I'm not worried.

Mom and Dad are Awesome

2008-06-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad are awesome. Sometimes I have to remind myself that although they have the amazing ability to annoy me in .06 seconds, they are incredibly caring parents. I had to work last Monday, so I was unable to go to my flea market which is an hour and a half away. My Mom went instead. I'm surprised my Mom even found the flea market, much less my correct spot. I know she was nervous. I know it was really difficult for her (and she's almost 64) and she doesn't know anything about gemstones. Because I was so worried about my mom, I asked my dad to go too, who lives an hour and a half away in the other direction. Together, they managed to pull it off. My Dad sabotaged my booth a bit by putting out some of his fish decoys, but that's ok. Unfortunately, after all that stress and planning, it was a total bust. But I sure know my parents love me and that's worth all the money in the world.

Givin' Me a Heart Attack!

2008-05-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty tough, but ultimately my demise will be caused by something very common and, I may add, harmless to most. I can handle gunshots, firecrackers, cannons, and the occasional thunderclap, but my heart literally tries to bust through my sternum when one of those tubes of cinnamon rolls or biscuits pops open and I'm not physically, mentally, and psychologically prepared. I feel like a heart attack is imminent. I just can NOT take it. Who designed this torturous packaging? Why are they designed to scare the CRAP out of me? How many customers do they lose to heart attacks every year? It can NOT be a good marketing ploy. It's ok if I tear it a bit and hit it on the counter, so I decide when IT happens, but if it happens unexpectedly, I'm in for some serious hurt.
Another household item that may be found next to my lifeless body: the toaster. That evil little box shoots that toast out of there with a vengeance. I can't stand it. Scares me every single time. I wish there was a way to know when it was going to come out, so I could prepare. But, no. It just has to be a bone chilling surprise every time.
The next one is disguised as an innocent children's toy: The jack-in-the-box. I do not know who ever decided that this was fun or at all entertaining because every time that insane-looking clown thing pops out of that box, I'm sure my lifespan was shortened by at least five years. It's only saving grace is, I know when it's coming. It's always during the "Pop!" part of the "Pop! Goes the Weasel" song, so I could prepare myself.
Last, but not least is the game "Perfection." It is nerve wracking and will cause your heart to go into fibrillation. You push down the platform and you have sixty seconds to get all these weird little shapes into their proper places places or they pop up RIGHT IN YOUR FACE! If that doesn't cause any heart irregularities, I don't know what will. And you are concentrating so hard on completing the task that you don't look at the timer and BAM!

Oh No, You Didn't!

2008-05-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

The week before the last flea market last year, my "friend" came to my booth and asked me how my pendants were selling. I said that I could barely keep up with making them.

Labor Day weekend came around and I wasn't selling as much as I usually do and I had had a tremendous week the week before. Suddenly, a customer comes up to me and asks me, "Are you working with the guy down there because he's selling exactly the same thing." Oh really. So, at the end of the day I had to take a walk down to his booth and sure enough, he had copied my pendants exactly and was selling them without the cords for cheaper. I was crushed. How could somebody do that? To me?

So last weekend, he was back again, being all friendly. He asked me how business was and I said, "Not very good." It was actually pretty good, but I wasn't going to tell him anything at all. He said he did really well and I just wanted to say that was because he copied me, but I didn't. He asked me if I had anything new. "Nope." I did, but I sure wasn't going to point them out to him. I learned a hard lesson. Don't divulge any business secrets at all to anybody. Now that I think about it, he was selling magnetic bracelets when the guy across from him started selling them, but he doesn't anymore, so hopefully he will tire of copying me soon. I can't believe he had the guts to come and talk to me. Does he think I don't know what he did? I could have made more money if he wasn't such a jerk. I still can't believe it. I even bought stuff from him before. I hope he didn't see my new designs!

Hypermiling Hell

2008-05-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not really Hell for me, but for the people stuck behind me. . .perhaps. It did take me a little while to get used to driving slower and to coast and to keep shifting into neutral. Sometimes I forget to shift back (and negate all my hard work), or I go too far and onto reverse(not good). I make a game of it now. I see if I can coast a little further or see what my miles per gallon are each fill-up. I live in a pretty rural area, so I can get away with quite a bit. There is a stretch of road on my way home where I can coast in neutral for over a mile and a half. Granted, there is a point where I crest a hill at about 25mph, but then I slowly regain speed as I start back down the hill. (The speed limit is 40mph, but everyone goes about 60mph usually.) Gas was $4.24 here today, so I really don't care who I annoy while I'm trying to save gas. They can pass me if they want to go faster. There was always a police officer who was always trying to catch me speeding down that road. I can't wait 'til he clocks me coasting at 25mph!

Hypermiling

2008-05-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of it by now, you will soon. It's been on the news and it's growing in popularity as gas prices spiral out of control. It's a way to eke a few more miles per gallon out of your existing vehicle if you can't afford to upgrade to a hybrid or downgrade to a stickshift.
Hypermiling 101
1. Put your car in neutral and coast down hills.
2. Put your car in neutral and coast to a stop at stop signs.
3. Refrain from using your brakes.
4. Turn off your defrost/AC when you can. Roll down your windows.
5. Drive 55 on the highway and use the cruise control.
6. Lighten your car by taking heavy things out.
7. Draft off of bigger cars.

Warning: It is very irritating being a passenger in a car with a hypermiler.

Memorial Day and Beyond . . .

2008-05-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Beginning with Memorial Day and ending with Labor day and every Monday in between, I have to get up at about 4:30 am, load up my van, and drive an hour and a half to the flea market I work at during the summer. There is everything there. The town doesn't even have a stoplight. The population is barely three digits, but during the summer, the flea market can be a pretty busy place. Are there fleas there? Probably. My first year there, I was out in the dust bowl right next to the dumpster. Not exactly prime real estate for selling jewelry. Especially if the wind was wrong. I almost gave up. Last year, I nabbed a spot in the pavillion right near the entrance. That made quite a bit of difference. My sales almost tripled. You can get just about anything at this flea market. Antiques, collectibles, dollar store stuff, tube socks, Amish jams and jellies, plants, sunglasses, purses, chainsaw art, quality silver-smithed jewelry, afghans, popcorn, welded lawn art, hand-crafted gemstone and sterling jewelry (that's me), birdhouses, magnetic jewelry, elastic jewelry, squishy toys, sparkle purses, and so much more.

Gas Gambler

2008-05-13T22:44:00.001-07:00

I hate getting gas. It's not the price. It's not the money. Now, with the price of gas so high, the gas pump shuts off at $75. Apparently, that is the limit, whether your tank is full or not. This really bothers me because I always try to squeeze every drop of gas in there to delay the next fill-up as long as possible. Although, that IS making it all the more unpleasant. It's the PROCESS. It was even worse before there was pay-at-the-pump, when I had to walk all the way into the gas station to pay. I just HATE it. I hate the smell. I hate touching those dirty gas nozzles. I hate their matte finish and rough texture. I hate touching my gas cap. And it's always on too tight. I hate unscrewing my gas cap. I hate it all. I don't really know why. I try to avoid it as long as physically possible. Even when the little gas tank lights up on my dashboard, I know I still have about three more days before I REALLY need to get gas. I watch the needle as it slowly drops below the "E." And I know there is still time. It's like gambling with running out of gas. I'm a gas gambler. So far, I've always won.

Cozy Can!

2008-05-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Whether you are cold, cleaning, or can't decide what to do with your hair, who can take care of you? Cozy can! Cozy has a wide variety of products, such as kitchen cloths, headbands, scarves, or bandananas. Great for yourself or they make awesome gifts!
Check out her Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=100535
Check out her blog: (She's a proud member of the etsybloggers street team.)
http://cozyetsy.blogspot.com
Check out her ecrater chop:
http://acozylife.ecrater.com

Putty Problem

2008-05-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just when you thing your kids are growing up a little and getting a little common sense, they prove you wrong. My daughter is 7, so I expect a bit of sense from her and my son is 3.5, so she should be able to keep him in line a bit.

I was getting dressed after taking a shower after an extra-specially rigorous bout on the stairmaster. The kids were in the other room playing, but it was a little quieter than usual. I took a peek into the living room and they weren't there. So, I ventured over the my daughter's room and there they were, both with silly putty stuck in their ears. I told them it was very dangerous to stick anything in their ears and they should never do that. Plus, they weren't supposed to take the silly putty onto the carpet and they both know better than that. I got the silly putty out of all four ears and I noticed that it looked like there was still a lot missing. I looked on the floor and all over and I couldn't find any. Then I looked more closely at my daughter. She had a big wad of it stuck in her beautiful long strawberry blond hair. I threatened to cut her hair (which she really does not want to do.) I googled how to get silly putty out of hair and it said, purell, rubbing alcohol, or cooking spray. So, we'll try one of those. She actually may remember this important life lesson.

Top Ten Mom Moments

2008-05-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

10. My son gave me a plant that never grew. But I kept that cup of dirt for over a year.

9. When my daughter was just 3, she made me a bookmark for Mother's Day that said MOM and I was very impressed.

8. When my son gave me his first Valentine where he drew everyone in the family and he wrote his name. He was so proud.

7. When I told my daughter I was taking her to see "High School Musical on Ice" her whole face lit up and she hugged me and said I was the greatest.

6. We were driving in the van and my son (3) randomly said, "I'm so glad you're my mom."

5. My daughter painted me a huge crooked heart for Valentine's Day.

4. After I had a hysterectomy and was in the hospital for three days, my son (who is normally very physical) tried so hard to be gentle with me and give me a gentle hug. (But he really wanted to jump on me!)

3. My daughter gave me a card that said, "Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. No one could have a better mom than you."

2. My son told me I'm his number one mom.

1. When I was 8.5 months pregnant with my son and I was exhausted, so I was at my mom's taking a nap. My daughter who was three at the time, climbed up on the the bed, kissed me on the forehead, and left.

Undiscovered Treasure

2008-05-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Where else can you have roaring waterfalls, pristine lakes, abundant wildlife, great skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, golf, and just about anything else you might want to do outdoors? The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is one of the world's undiscovered treasures. The population is low here and most of our inhabitants don't even take advantage of our beauteous landmarks.

The other day, my kids and I went for a trek to one of our area's five major waterfalls. With our area's over 200 inches of snowfall during our significant winter, when it starts to melt in the spring, the waterfalls are spectacular! We decided to check out Rainbow Falls on this journey because my kids are 7 and 3 and the hike is the shortest. We wore our puddle boots because even though not all the snow had melted, the mud was more prevalent. The force and power of the water is just amazing and you can hear it even before you get near it. It is even a little scary being on the observation deck and being so close to it. I kept the children near. The walk is only a half a mile, but half of it is down wooden steps. And of course it isn't too bad until you have to go back up them. There seems to be more steps on the way up. My three-year-old wanted me to carry him, but we had a pre-trek agreement that that was not going to happen. We made it back to the van and my three-year-old asked, "Can we come back here again?"

"Of course we can."

Oh I forgot to mention, as we were getting in the van, we saw a gaggle of geese flying back from their winter retreat.

Treasury Trauma

2008-05-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

You've done the math. . .it's 3:17am and and in two minutes Treasury West will be down to 222 lists. Your heart starts pounding in your chest. Your palms start to sweat. You hit refresh one last time even though you know you don't have to. Now there is one minute left and it seems to go on for an eternity. You want to hit refresh again, but you resist the urge because you might miss your opportunity. You think to yourself, "It must not be going to work this time." You begin clicking madly on little area where you know the little box should open. Finally, after what seems like five minutes, the box appears and your mind goes blank. You were so focused on getting a treasury, you forgot to think about a theme or a title. You heart starts pounding even faster because you know if you don't think fast enough, the little box will disappear. Finally, you think of a title and better yet, a subtitle, and begin your search for appropriate items. Whew!

The Great Sock Upheaval

2008-04-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

All was fine in the Kingdom of Socks. There was a certain balance; an equilibrium of sorts. Then, all was shattered when my husband got new socks. All of a sudden, there was a shift of power; a coup. My socks were now disgusting and dingy. Their degree of whiteness just wasn't up to par. What was previously the status quo, was now considered substandard. My socks were crushed.

My socks will rise again. My socks have experience and longevity on their side. My socks have been around since 1996. They have mountain biked, roller bladed, jumped out of an airplane, climbed mountains, scaled walls of ice, run a marathon, and survived two marriages; nothing can keep these socks back. No cotton tube sock can stand up to a microfiber sock with 1% lycra that even wicks sweat away from your foot!

My socks will prevail. They already lasted longer than my first marriage and if this keeps up . . .

Ophelia's Revenge

2008-04-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

A poem can express a thought, a feeling, or describe a moment, frozen in time. It can tell a story, paint a picture, or prove a point. It can rhyme or not, have long lines or short and has an economical use of words. A poem can whisper, sing, shout, chant, mumble, or buzz. Here is mine:

Ophelia's Revenge

He calmly and silently
waits for her.

She plunges in.
He surrounds her.
He pulls her down
stopping her breath.

She strains to scream,
but he swallows the sound.
His force is too strong.

She flutters her arms
and kicks her legs,
thrashing him,
but he just absorbs the blows
and drags her down.

She reaches to hold onto something,
but he seeps from her hands.

She lunges away from his grasp,
gasping, flailing, and struggling.
She forces her head up.

With every stroke,
she slides upon him
pushing him down.

She beats him with her arms and legs
and his spray covers her.

She moans
and pulls herself to the sand
quaking and shivering.

Gift Basket Donation

2008-04-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished my donation for our JET TEAM's Wedding Challenge bride's gift basket donation. (Wow, is that a mouthful!) I just got these really cool biwa stick pearls and I thought it would be neat to use them just as very simple pendants with just a little accent bead, so I made one in each color. Autumn can keep them all for herself if she wants, or she can share with her bridesmaids.

Muddin' in the Minivan

2008-04-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

I've got a really long dirt (and mud) driveway. Almost a quarter of a mile long. And I love to drive really fast down it. Now that the snow is melting, there is a really big mudpuddle down at the bottom of it. I love to drive as fast as I can through it and see how high I can get the mud puddle to spray. It's probably not good for the van, but it sure is fun. The other day I sprayed the mud up over the roof of the van. It was really cool! The kids are always really impressed. My husband. . . shhhh . . .doesn't know. And he certainly can't tell by all the mud that's on the van. Or the mud that is sprayed like twenty feet up the trees on the side of the driveway.

Craft Show Crappiness

2008-04-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Slogging through the mud to set up and pouring rain, what could be better for a craft show? Oh yeah. . . twenty other jewelry sellers and several of them selling really cheap stuff, and let me tell you, most of the people in my area like really cheap stuff. Not all of them. Some appreciate quality handmade sterling and gemstone jewelry, but a lot of them like $5 earrings. Whatever. My faithful customers showed up and I'm grateful for them. I shouldn't feel too bad. The poor lady next to me took in $29 and the table was $25. Ouch! I tested out my new display and it worked really well and I can hide behind it if I want to and totally avoid people I don't like. I made some new contacts, handed out my business cards, and talked about my website. The bad news is, about half the people I talked to don't even have computers. (Our craft show crowd is an older crowd.) I also debuted a new necklace design that everybody loved. (But nobody bought.) :(

Craft Show Craziness

2008-04-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Once again, craft show season is starting and of course, I'm not ready. My craft show is Saturday and instead of organizing and pricing like I should be, what am I doing? Creating new necklaces! I can't help it. I had some really great ideas and I just had to make them. I was on track for awhile. I mailed out my postcards, so at least I did my promoting, but as far as pricing and labeling goes, it's a free-for-all. So, I will probably be scrambling at the last secong to get everything ready. I do have a new display that I will be testing out. One of the articles I read said you should have your jewelry at different levels. Well, I don't know if they will even be able to reach mine. I have this three tiered thing and I don't actually know how high it will be once it's on the table. And have I mentioned that I hate craft shows. I mean, I like my customers and they are great people, but I'm just not good at selling. I'm mean my jewelry is nice, but I'm not pushy or aggressive. If someone can't make up their mind, I don't pressure them. I feel very awkward trying to talk someone into buying a piece of jewelry. They either like it or they don't. I don't like it when people do that to me, so I don't want to do that to anyone. Plus, I have to stand up all day which is just tiring.

April Brings. . .

2008-04-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

Snow! And more snow! And the forecast calls for more snow! This week is my spring break and it is very cold and snowy. Here in "Big Snow Country" in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, April is a month of extremes. The temperatures in April could have an 80 degree difference. One day, it could be -20 and the next day it could be 60. Not unheard of. We could get twenty inches of snow, or six inches of rain. The problem arises when the rain falls before the snow melts. Then we get flash floods. One year, the town down the way became an island because of the floods and they released the kids from school to go fill sandbags. Because of the aforementioned, April also brings mud. Not your run-of-the-mill-mud either. Filled-with-organic-matter, fecund, stinky mud. We just built a house last year and we don't have a yard yet, so we will have 23 acres of mud when the snow melts. Yipeeee! And it looks like a moat is forming down near the bottom of our driveway. I'm not sure "moat" is what we were shooting for when we put the culvert in. So, when April is over, we have mosquito-filled May to look forward to.

The Wedding Challenge

2008-04-07T22:38:00.001-07:00

A challenge? I'm all for that. I was so excited to have this week off so I could work on my wedding challenge set. The 2008 Wedding Challenge is sponsored by the Etsy street teams: JET (Jewelry on Etsy team), EtsyFAST (Fiber Arts Street Team) and Etsy Greetings and it's a way the get the word out about buying handmade. Each team is putting together certain aspects of the wedding and then posting them in a Flickr pool for all to see. I actually had an inspiration that evolved as I started working. I found these really elegant pod shaped pearl/shells and I thought they would be perfect for this. I thought I could dangle Swarovski Crystals with the Aurora Borealis finish off the bottom, interspersed with some freshwater pearls- a nice dangling cluster. Then, I wanted to do something special for the necklace rather than just dangle the one pod down the front. Then, I was struck with the front toggle idea. I've been meaning to do one for awhile, I just hadn't yet. I dug through all my toggles until I found a fancy, dainty one and my necklace was born. I'm always up for a challenge.

Featured Etsy Seller: Stormy Designs

2008-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Stormy Designs is a polymer clay artist who comes from a long line of artists. Talent seems to run in the family. She creates unique art, sculptures, art jewelry, and accessories. She claims to have been "pushed" in to polymer clay by her friend in Australia, but she was already struggling to find the beads she wanted and needed to make her jewelry, so it was bound to happen. She loves sculpting, using inclusions like spices and glitter in her clay, and experimenting with textures and techniques. She is never idle and is always thinking up something new!

She is a proud and active member of the EtsyBloggers Street Team and the Polymer Clay Artist Guild of Etsy.

Check out her blog:
http://www.stormydesigns.biz/blog/
Check out her website:
http://www.stormydesigns.biz/
The two pieces pictured here are currently for sale at her shop at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5272765
To click on her shop link, go down to the labels. That one will work.

Another Snow Day

2008-04-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, most people think it's spring, but here in "Big Snow Country," winter is still going strong. School was cancelled and we got a bunch of snow. I don't know exactly how much. It was really windy, so it drifted a lot in some places and some places were bare. In one part of our garage, where we put our shoes, something is messed up with the ridge vent, so when it is really windy and the wind is horizontal, the shoes get filled up with snow. That is the only place that snow comes in- right on the steps- right in the shoes. That will wake you up in the morning. My father-in-law came to plow, and he got stuck, so my husband went to go get him out with the skidsteer, and he got stuck. I stayed inside. Eventually, they got out. While I was inside, I got two phone calls, from two different ladies saying they wanted to buy some jewelry. They called me. How cool is that? I guess my promoting is paying off. I was more than obliging. And I think they will buy some more and tell their friends. Awesome. I also had some time to make some cool Tagua nut pendants. I love these because they are so earthy looking, but the colors are so vibrant.

The Lightbox Factor

2008-03-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had my lightbox for a few days and I finally took the lights out of the bubble wrap, plugged them in, and figured out what it could do. For a rather unimpressive piece of equipment, the results were stunning. I also had to made a new pendant to photograph. I chose a 30mm Kyanite oval pendant and I chose to accent it with a Black Diamond, A Sapphire, and a Moonstone. No small potatoes here. My first pictures were going to be of something very special. The pendant has some shimmer in it, so I had to figure out a way to show that without having glare. I put the little tent thing over the light box, set the pendant in there and stood it up with Silly Putty (Oh yeah!) , put my camera on the tripod, and started taking pictures. I could tell right away that they were turning out better. They looked clearer on the little camera screen. I think this was a good investment.

Dude. . .Where's My Classroom?

2008-03-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

One year, for April Fool's Day, my ever-so-well-behaved seniors told me that the principal had an envelop for me. So, I headed down the hall after him. When I came back to my room, everything was gone! The desks, my desk, my computer- everything- and all the kids were sitting quietly on the floor reading their books as if it were an ordinary day. They just looked up at me sweetly like nothing was wrong. They wouldn't even tell me where everything was, but eventually we got everything back, but they were pretty proud of themselves. I wasn't mad because it was harmless and nobody got hurt and they felt like they really pulled a fast one.

The Investigation. . .

2008-03-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Our home investigation was yesterday. My husband is adopting my seven-year old daughter from my first marriage, so the juvenile court lady had to come do a home investigation to make sure our home is suitable and my daughter and husband have a loving bond. It was basically a bunch of questions about my income, (I'm not adopting anybody. I don't have to. ) education, birthplace, and other boring stuff. Same questions for my husband. A few questions for my daughter, but not too many. My three-year old kept bringing trucks to show her. She was muoy impressed. Then, she looked at my daughter's and my son's rooms. She hasn't even seen my ex in over a year. I don't think she even remembers him as her dad.

The Crap that's in my Yard

2008-03-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's a classic.

This is the 40x60 garage that is already full of crap.

This is my landscaping art.

More stuff he should. . .shhhhh. . .SELL!

Don't even ask!

I have no idea what this is. A ramp?

My husband just went to Iowa to get our brand new truck. I'm serious.

I think this is 23% of a windmill and some metal wheels.

We recently moved. We have a beautiful house. We have 23 acres. And we already have a lot of crap in our yard. My husband is a "Collector." This is just the stuff that isn't covered by snow. And that isn't in our huge 40x60 garage. I asked him not to clutter up the new yard. No "parts cars" and no junk. He really listens. Oh yeah, and he was going to "pare down" his collection and sell a bunch of stuff. I'm still waiting. And he complains about my bead mess?

The Hunt for the Hunt

2008-03-22T10:42:00.001-07:00

Well, we had to hunt for the Easter egg hunt because it didn't flippin' exist. Sheesh. My youngins were a tad sad and so was I because it's fun digging for those eggs in the snow. :) Last year, the night before the hunt we got about 18 inches of fresh, fluffy snow. Boy, was that a challenging Easter egg hunt. At first it was kind of easy because you could see the tracks from the people that left the eggs, but after the snow got tromped on a bit and the eggs got more buried, you actually had to dig in the snow for them. Oh yeah, we had our snow pants on, our heavy winter boots, our hats and our mittens. That was a happy Easter. This year, we kept driving by the park hoping someone would show up with some eggs to hide, but no such luck. I can't believe they didn't have it. Actually, I don't even really know who puts it on. Some weird cult "Faith Center" church on the edge of town. The members of the congregation spy on the other members and try to find out stuff about them. If they hear that you did something wrong or bad, even 15 or 20 years ago, before you were a member, you have to go in front of the council of elders and they question you about it and dole out a suitable punishment. How many people did things in grade school, high school, and college that they regret? Just about everybody. Hmmmm. I just like their Easter egg hunt. I was also able to make to more pendants today. The Rhyolite is pretty rare because the mine is mined out and the only Rhyolite they can find now has a lot more brown in it.

"Here, play with this. . ."

2008-03-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

I'm experiencing some kind of stomach abnormality and I just don't feel good. Yesterday, I drove to work with a bucket in my car. Just in case. I didn't use it, but I thought I might be better off if I did. So, my husband was Mr. Super Productive Bob Vila today. Putting up shelves, hanging pictures, putting up my cabinet in the bathroom, and the like. I was the polar opposite. I sat on my butt, lain on the floor for awhile. Oh, I actually did make two pendants. And listed them. I sold the green and coral one in my other post and I was pretty excited about that. My biggest accomplishment of the day was taking a bath. I was in the bathtub trying to relax because I felt like crap and my three-year-old son came in (of course) with his rubber ducky and rubber frog. I was nice and comfortable. My eyes were closed. The water was hot and steamy. This little voice says "Here, play with this!" and he pegs me in the eye with the rubber ducky. Then, he conks me in the nose with the rubber frog. Now, I know he really was just trying to give them to me so I could play in the tub, but I just wanted to soak.

I Can't Be the Only One. . .

2008-03-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

Please take my poll on work area messiness:

http://www.squidoo.com/moonmystic

My Hair Hurts

2008-03-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

I think I'm getting the flu. My hair hurts. My back feels like I was in a rowing competition yesterday. My teeth ache. There is a growing pressure in my forehead. The back of my neck feels like I've been looking down for a really long time and my head is very heavy. My nose is a snot factory and therefore totally raw and red, thus giving me grief with every new wipe with the tissue. My legs feels unable to support the weight of my body. I've got a hacking cough that doesn't ever quit. Blinking seems to take an extreme amount of effort, as does breathing. Sleeping is also difficult because the pressure of the bed against my skin is painful. Seeing also takes a concerted effort. Will I call in sick for work? Nope. I'll feel like crap anyway. I might as well be at work.

Uninspired. . .

2008-03-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

My husband and I cleaned the kitchen table (my work area) for my daughter's birthday party and now I can't work. All that neatness and order drives the creativity right out of me. I really do need chaos and disorder to create anything. I don't know why. I can't stand a neat work area. I need a great big huge mess. The bigger, the better. When I had the entire table covered with beads, I was making and listing between 1-3 pendants a day. Now, I've come to a screeching halt. I need to find a place where I can make a mess and leave it. I can't clean up every day. It's counter-productive. Of course, half the time I can't find anything in my big mess, but I certainly can't find it when it's put away either. I need to find a balance. Or a new area that I can leave a little messed up. I wanted to get a big roll-top desk and have my mess on that and then just shut it when company comes. But my husband had to have this little useless antique secretary's desk. It's too small for anything. Now, I have to find something else to mess up.

That's Show Biz

2008-03-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

My son fell asleep about a half an hour before the skating show and he was soooooo crabby, so we let sleep and thought maybe he could come for the second act. My mom stayed with him and I brought my daughter. Meanwhile, my husband shows up at the show and asks where he is. I explained that he would probably be here for the second act. Well, he never came. My husband was so mad at me because he had to sit through a whole skating show and NOT see his son. Of course, he got to see our daughter. And the roof or something was dripping on him the whole time, so he got really wet, so he was crabby too. After the show, I went to my mom's to find out why she didn't come. She said when my son woke up, he wouldn't stop crying and he said his ear hurt. (He does get a lot of ear infections.) She gave him some Tylenol and about a half an hour later, he stopped crying. So I told her that my husband was mad at me because he never showed up at the skating show. Sheesh. I hate being stuck in the middle. But I took both kids home and we ate, took more Tylenol and went back to the show. My husband reluctantly went to the show again. The thing is, he had to pay another five dollars. My son was excited that Daddy was going to watch him skate. My husband called his mom to go with him too. I brought the kids there and I went in the skater's door, so I basically snuck in without paying, but I earned my keep. Parents aren't allowed in the locker rooms and were supposed to be people in there to get the kids ready, but there weren't, so good thing I was there. I got my son ready and lined up and ran off to check on my daughter and there she was without her skates on. I hurried and got her ready and lined up and sat down just in time to watch my son. It was really cute. He had two ladies drag him all over the skating rink. I videoed it. He was Winnie the Pooh. Then I had to change him ito his chipmunk costume. I tried to cheat and change his pants without taking off his skates, but it was not to be. I had to take those darn things off and put them back on. I hate doing that. While this is going, on I'm missing my daughter's performance. Then he can go sit with daddy and grandma while I go do the next costume change. Her hat was gone. We put her shirt on and I was able to cheat with her and just pull her pants over her skates, although there were two points where I though the pants were going to rip. We finally found her hat down the hall on the floor. Hmmmmmm. . . Somebody did that on purpose. I had hers hung up nice on a hanger with her shirt. Anyway, we got to watch for a little while and then they both had to line up for the chipmunk number. That went fine. Then they stayed back there for the finale. All was going smoothly until my son's coaches gave him a teddy bear. Well, the skating club had purchased these teddy bears to sell and I told my daughter not to ask for one, but today was her birthday and her brother just got a bear, so I had to get her the crappy teddy bear because she couldn't not get one if he got one. I also got them flowers because they are star skaters. And I never buy that crap. Ever. But it was her birthday and I didn't really get her anything. We couldn't even have her party because of the skating show. We are having a family one tomorrow. After the last skating show.

Life Is a Cabaret

2008-03-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

Went to go see the musical Cabaret tonight. I had never seen it before. I thought it was a little more happy-go-lucky. I didn't realize it was so full of Nazis and abortion. It opened my eyes. I thought it was more of a feel-good musical; not a political statement. But, oh well. One of my students was in it. He was the Emcee. There was a lot of controversy about him playing that part because it is a role for a mature person and he's a teenager. Well, he showed them. He was awesome. He's also gotten to grab more boobs and butts than he's ever gotten to grab in his tender sixteen years. His grandma was at the show and I think she was a little shocked.

Reminded me of my stage days. My best high school role was when I played the Cobra Woman in "Hurricane Smith and the Garden of the Golden Monkey." I had a red cape, a crown, really funky make-up, and long gloves. I was sooo cool looking. We put that play on for all the grade school kids and for awhile, I was a minor celebrity. The little kids would come up to me for awhile in stores and places and hiss at me with little their snake hands because in the play, I had a snake pit and I would threaten people with it. On cue, the sock snakes would pop out of the snake pit and hiss. I was soooooo powerful. I had the lead in my senior class play too, but that role wasn't as cool as the Cobra Woman. The Cobra Woman rocked! Hssssssss. . .

I just made these two pendants. I have always loved Leopardskin Jasper, but Red Leopardskin Jasper, in my opinion, is the cream-of-the-crop. The color of the stone had such richness and depth. The Golden Jasper has been complimented by a Dark Amber 6mm nugget bead, a 4x6 pyrite rice bead, and 4mm greeen onyx. This truly brings out the colors and makes for a stunning piece.

Tastes Like Ass

2008-03-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

So, I looked up some of the side effects for my new medication (Topomax) and one of them was that it made carbonated beverages taste funny. That sounded like such a dumb side effect. I didn't believe it. Sure enough, today at lunch when I went to drink my diet Mt. Dew, I grimaced at the taste of it. It tasted like ass. . . serious ass. Blech! How can that be a side effect? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. But if if helps my headaches, I can handle it. I'm also feeling a little spacey. I almost forgot to make my lunch. I did forget to eat breakfast. Anna Nicole Smith was on Topomax, so that explains a lot. My head feels fuzzy and funny, but it's not a headache, so that's good. My mouth is also very dry, but I can't even drink my flippin' Mt. Dew. I hope this is worth it.

Ice Ice Baby

2008-03-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of living in "Big Snow Country" is the weather. It was a beautiful day the other day. I took the kids skiing, the sun was shining, and life was good. The next day, it rained. Not that big of a deal. But then, the temperature dropped to eleven degrees and everything that was wet, froze. Not good. School was delayed two hours because the roads were extremely icy. I took three steps onto the three degree incline I have to walk up to work and I slid back down in slow motion. I took three more steps and slid back down again. I wished somone was taping me for funniest home videos because I think I could have won.

More about ice. The Ice Show is this weekend. I painfully did sell most of my raffle tickets. Grrrrr. My son, who was a pretty decent skater before ice show practice, seems to have forgotten how to skate. He's going to be the last one in the line that everyone has to wait for and that they finally have a helper come and drag him to where he's supposed to be. Guaranteed. I think they already have someone lined up to be there. And I will be there in all my glory to capture it all on video. Three times.

My Headache is a Headache

2008-03-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

I had to go see a neurologist today because I've been getting these horrible migraines. Like, "Mommy, why won't you get up off the floor?" migraines. They started about two years ago when I started getting horrible cramps. Well, I ended up getting a hysterectomy for the cramps and I thought the two might be related, but no. The cramps stopped (obviously), but the headaches continued. Some months, it was sixteen days in a row I would get them. Utter misery. My neurologist is this little lady from Poland who talks really fast and talks a lot and about everything. I liked her 'til she started hitting me with her little metal hammer. Then, I wasn't so sure. She gave me a prescription for Topomax which she referred to as "preventive therapy" and Relpax which she referred to as "abortive therapy," but with her rather heavy accent, it took me awhile to figure out what exactly she was saying. She was worried about prescribing the Topomax because one of the side effects is weight loss. "And that is bad because. . . " She didn't see my humor, but she made it very clear that she will take me off it if I lose too much weight. I told her that I just lost a bunch anyway. She also ordered an MRI. Yipeeee. Now, I have to take another day off from work. I really do hate missing work because it just makes more work.

The good news is my husband's biopsy came negative! It wasn't skin cancer. It was just some freakishly disgusting mystery lesion, but it's history now.

I made and listed this sweet pendant last night. This Red Green Garnet is one of the most interesting stones I've ever seen. The red and green together is just so rich.

Doubled Booked?

2008-03-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

I didn't think our banker was going to be able to pull it off. Well, I don't know if he really pulled it off, but he had us sign an awful lot of papers. There is one thing he still may not have a handle on. Our mortgage payment for the house we just sold is automatically taken out of our account every month. We don't need to make that payment anymore because the house is sold, so that autopayment needs to be stopped. Auto-payment is scary. We cancelled our auto-payment for out dial-up internet (Yes, dial-up) and they still took it out and are still taking it out since November. When my husband called they said, "I'm sorry sir, we have no record of that." Grrrrr. So, needless to say, we don't have much faith in the cancelling of the auto-payment. But, our banker sent an email, but apparently, that wasn't good enough. Then he gave us a number to call. When we got back from the bank, the realtor was waiting for us at our house. He said we were supposed to meet him at the title company today at 4:00. I said it was tomorrow because I knew we had the bank today. I wrote it on the calendar for 4:00 tomorrow as soon as I spoke with him. Any way, here he was- with more paperwork. So, we signed more paperwork, handed over the keys and the garage-door openers, and we were done. The house was sold. Two months from listing to closing in this crappy housing market. Certainly a record! Then my husband was going to go to the house and move the last few things, but then realized he has just given the realtor the keys. Duh! He had planned to go and do this, but we both thought the meeting was tomorrow. Luckily, we bought some doors for the old house and had them all keyed the same and we didn't use them all. We sold them to my husband's brother, so he went and borrowed their keys so he could get into our old house. What a thinker!

When he got back home he called the number the banker had given us to cancel the mortgage payment. . . "Hello, you have reached the New AT & T. For English, dial one. . ." The banking genius has struck again. Sheesh.

Wanna Buy a Raffle Ticket?

2008-02-29T11:38:00.002-08:00

Fundraising. Need I say more? My son's preschool just sent home a cookie dough fundraising form. I never do any of their fundraisers. I pay tuition there. I don't want my son selling door-to-door (He's three.) and I don't have time to do it. Who wants to pay $12 for a little tub of cookie dough anyway? We can only bring healthy foods for snacks, so it is kind of hypocritical.

So last night, I thought I was being so stealth. I went to skating show practice late because I had to sign the papers with the cognitively impaired banker. There was a big sign near the table where the organizers sit. I thought I was hidden by the big sign. As I thought I was already in the clear, I heard a voice calling my name. Slowly, I turned. "You are the only one who hasn't picked up your raffle tickets yet." CRAP! "You have to sell 40 because you have two kids in the show." Forced smile. "Thank you," I said. I hate selling stuff. I have a hard enough time selling my jewelry and that's money that I get to keep. I don't want to lose all my friends by selling to them. At least if I sell them jewelry, they are still my friends.

These are my final entries in the one-a-day challenge. I'm sad that it's over. Although I got a lot made and listed, I got very little sleep. As a matter of fact, my head keeps dropping inbetween mouse clicks, right here. It was worth it, though. I was featured in two blogs and two treasuries which is absolutely cool!

If He Only Had a Brain. . .

2008-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

My banker needs a new brain (see previous post "My Banker Needs a New Calculator"). And a new profession, apparently. We close on our old house tomorrow, I hope. My fingers are crossed. He called the other day and said, " I need your last two paycheck stubs by tomorrow." Is he totally stupid? I have had my paychecks directly deposited into that very bank for the past eight years. Does he not know how much I make? It really shouldn't be a mystery. I have no faith in the guy whatsoever. We go sign papers at the bank today and we sign papers at the title company tomorrow. I am baffled by the title company's involvement in this whole process. I think I understand the title company's initial purpose when we bought our land; to make sure the people who were selling it really did own it and really could sell it to us. That makes sense. During the construction process, however, their function became unclear. They seemed to be doing things that the bank should have been doing. Like when our contractor would finish a part of the job, we would go sign at the title company, they would give the info to the bank, and the bank would release the money. Wouldn't it have been easier just to go to the bank, cut out the middleman, save some money, and be done? Nope, everybody needs to get a piece and being cost efficient doesn't really seem to have anything to do with it. Maybe I'm the one who needs a brain.

Melanoma or Pimple

2008-02-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

My husband had this little red pimple thing on his collarbone. One day at a meeting, it popped and started bleeding. It never healed. It just kept popping open and bleeding and it wouldn't stop bleeding. It looked like an ugly bloodly big huge mole. He finally went to the doctor and the doctor tried to cauterize it, but it still wouldn't heal or stop bleeding. He got it cauterized again and it still didn't work. He went back to the doctor and the doctor tried some kind of electric treatment on it, but that didn't work either. Well, now the dreaded "C" word comes up. Or the "M" word. However you want to look at it. The doctor said it might be skin cancer or Melanoma, so yesterday they cut it out. They will send it to the lab to test it, but I've never heard of anything like that before. They cut pretty deep. He's pretty sore today. He didn't even tell me that the doctor mentioned those key words until I asked him about it. Did he not think that it was worth mentioning? Now, I have something else to worry about.

Kick in the Pants

2008-02-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

I have entered the "One-a-Day Challenge" where I have to design something new every day. This is the kick in the pants I needed. I have been spending too much time on Etsy in the forums (Only promoting, I swear! ;) and not enough time creating. The Etsy forums are so addicting and the people are so helpful and fun, it can be extremely difficult to tear yourself away. I have taken this challenge very seriously and have created something (actually, two things) and listed them every day since I entered. This puts a bit of pressure on me, but in a good way. It might get a little rough when practice for the skating show gets a little more rigorous, but I'll try to keep up. I don't have to make two things. I only have to make one. The designs submitted to the challenge are posted daily in this blog: http://craftintersect.blogspot.com/

Today, I'm just excited. I have been working my butt off at Etsy trying to promote my store and my jewelry and it is starting to pay off. I have been featured in a blog: http://nyxenchantments.blogspot.com/ . I just think it is so great that these Etsy good Samaritans take time out of their days to promote the rest of us. It is incredibly sweet. Hats off to both of these great people who are doing their best just to help out others. Thank you.

Put Your Bottom In

2008-02-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

My three-year-old son got a CD player and some cheap CDs for Christmas. We, along with my six-year-old daughter, were dancing around in his room listening to some of the songs. We did "Ring-Around-the-Rosie." He loves that one. Especially the falling down part. He also really enjoys "If You're Happy and You Know It." Then came the show stopper. The "Hokey Pokey." Well, we put our right hand in and out and our left hand in and out and we put our right feet in and out and our left feet in and out. Oh yeah, and we shook them all about. We put our head in and our head out and our head in and we shook it all about. We did the hokey and we turned ourselves around. That's what it's all about. Then came the glitch. We put our bottoms in. We put our bottoms in. We put our bottoms in. Apparently, the CD was skipping or stuck or something. We put our bottoms in. We put our bottoms in. We were puzzled, but laughing like crazy and still sticking our bottoms in and sticking our bottoms in. This went on for a good ten minutes, never getting old and never getting any less funny. I think the kids would have gone on all day sticking their bottoms in. Finally, through teary eyes, I walked over to the CD player and turned it off. Then we all collasped on the floor together in a big group hug. That's what it's all about.

I've been thinking about Swimmy and how Etsy has kind of taken him on as a mascot. Here is the children's story about Swimmy: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/etsyNews/article/etsys-first-five-years/1119/So, I made some earrings to commemorate Swimmy's friends and Swimmy's cousins. I think these are also the best photos I've taken which is good because my photos are something I really need to work on.

Tooth Fairy Tizzy

2008-02-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

My daughter was the last one in her class to have a loose tooth. I almost didn't believe her when she told me her tooth was loose because we had had so many false alarms. But, it really was loose this time. And she was a total wimp about it. She would cry about how much it hurt when she was eating pudding. Yes, pudding. When it finally fell out, she put it in a paper towel and put it in a ziploc bag. When it came time for her to go to bed, I made sure I know exactly where it was for tooth fairy purposes. I snuck into her room, grabbed the ziploc bag, and left a dollar under her pillow. When she woke up, she said, "The tooth fairy forgot to take my tooth."

I was baffled. I was certain the tooth fairy had taken the tooth, but didn't know how to approach the situation. "Well, the tooth fairy took the little bag. Wasn't your tooth in the little bag?"

"I put my tooth on top of the bag," she said.

"Oh, " I said, "Well, it must have fallen off when the tooth fairy took the bag."

"I'm going to put my tooth under my pillow again and get more money."

"The tooth fairy isn't stupid," I said. "You already got your money for that tooth. I'm sure you won't get any more."

Tastes Like Nose!

2008-02-21T19:02:00.000-08:00

My three-year-old son likes to eat some of his food and save some for later. So, he was on his second bowl of oatmeal and we had to leave to go to his pre-school and he said he wanted to save the rest of his oatmeal for when he back got home. He has a really ,really good memory, so I left it on the table. It coagulated and got nice and gooey. When he got home, he remembered it and went to go eat it. He sat down at the table, took a bite and said, "This tastes like nose." I couldn't stop laughing. I personally have never tasted nose.

I finally finished the pendant I've been working on. This is the most awesome Chalcedony I've ever seen. I've never seen Chalcedony this big or clear. It took me forever to put together the colors to cascade down the front of it. I love the way the colors compliment each other. It took me three days to finish. I love it. I almost hated to list it. It just represents spring.

Almost Crashed into the River!

2008-02-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

So I'm half asleep, driving to the gym at 5:30 a.m. and driving rather fast because that's what I always do, when I turn the corner by the river and I lose control of the van. It had just snowed and they had just plowed, so the road had a nice solid freshly packed layer of slick snow. I veered left, tried to correct, thought I had it, then spun all the way around and hit the snowbank right next to the river. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I could see it through my jacket. I was only about a foot away from the river. My door was buried in snow and I could barely get out.

Next dilemma. I was about halfway between home and the gym. Which way do I go? Do I walk home or do I walk to the gym. The gym is also a car dealership that has a tow truck (very small town), so I walked to the gym and called the tow truck, did my workout, and by the time I was showered, my car was waiting for me outside. I learned my lesson. I drove slower on the way home.

All things Handmade: Jewelry, Strung & Knotted

2008-02-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

All things Handmade: Jewelry, Strung & Knotted

No School 'cuz the Bar Burned Down

2008-02-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Sounds really dumb and embarrassing, but it's true. School was cancelled for the past two days because the bar, called the Booby Hatch(sounds like an appropriate establishment to have next to a grade school), right next to (Yes, I said right next to) our elementary school burned down. There was so much smoke that got into the school that they wouldn't have been able to have class. It was still billowing smoke yesterday. The high school couldn't have school because without the elementary school in session, there wouldn't enough kids there for the day to count. Today we drove by and although the firefighters had buried the whole thing in snow, it was still smoking. The bad new is, we'll probably have to make these days up because I think we've exceded our allotted emergency days. We had one lice day, one snow day, one extreme temperature day, and now two fire/smoke days. I think that's too many. If they were smart, they would have had all the teachers come in for an inservice and then cancel one of the other inservice days and have regular school. At least I got to be supermom for two days. I drove my kids to school, just because I could. It was a big treat for them. My mom's van broke down, so I had to spend much of my day off dealing with that and then picking up my son and going out to lunch. Then, my husband was mad because I didn't get much cleaning done. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, he put his stuff on the shelves that were supposed to be my bead room and now he's mad becasue there are beads everywhere. He has not yet purchased the alternative receptacle for them, so there is really no place for them to go. He did buy two dressers with little, tiny drawers which are fine for the things I have little, tiny quantities of, but I'm not unorganizing everything I have organized so they fit in the little, tiny drawers.

Snowmobile Fest

2008-02-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a nice day for a Snowmobile Fest craft show. Last year, I guess it was 30 degrees below zero. In addition to the pancake feed, they also had chili for lunch. They also had bad kareoke that was too loud, a silent auction that was at least, well. . . silent, and raffles, regular loud auctions, and something I've never really seen at a craft show before. . . men. Lots of men that smelled like exhaust. And beer. It was at the Legion Hall, so there was a bar attached and people were walking around with beer. It was just different. There was another jewelry person there, so that wasn't so great for me, but it almost wasn't worth my time to be there. I handed out my business cards and my super cool Etsy mini coupons that plugged my website, my galleries, and my summer flea market. I made enough to pay daycare for the month, so that's good. Some people recognized me from the flea market. The lady next to me sold chocolate and toffee hearts and had some kick ass samples. The best part happened on the way home when I was almost falling asleep and the temperature dropped ten degrees and the wind picked up 20mph. I stopped at a little gallery and asked the lady if she would sell my jewelry there and she said. . . YES! I'm so pumped! She loved this pendant. She won't until May though and she doesn't consign, she just buys it for wholesale. I've never done that, but OK. Still exciting!

Craft Show Countdown

2008-02-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

Four days until my first craft show of the year. Am I ready? No flippin' way. I have no idea what to expect because I've never done this one before. I guess there are only about ten tables, so there certainly won't be a lot of competition. It's at a Snowmobile Fest, so I really have no idea what to expect. Perhaps people will buy out of boredom. I would certainly be bored at a snowmobile fest. There is a pancake feed during the craft show, I believe. I have to drive an hour to get there, so it better be worth my while. I'm bringing a larger quantity of my lower priced items; my $10-$15. I'm hoping that is the way to go. I'll bring some of the higher priced stuff, but I'll put out more of the lower priced items. I'll also be testing out my new display. I bought this three tiered thing for holding plates, but I'm going to use it for holding necklace boards. I hope it works and doesn't tip over. I've also got some neat chinese-knotted turquoise and Tagua Nut pendants that are really unique. Will they be too unique for Northern Wisconsin? We'll see.