'Tis the season for fun giveaways

I cannot remember how I came across this blog for giveaways, but it is the perfect season for it (especially in this economy). Plus, this is a great way to venture out of your blog comfort zone and see what else is out there. Such a smart marketing tool as well. Now, go enter those giveaways!
www.bloggiveaways.blogspot.com

Bloggy Blog Designz is having ANOTHER Holiday Giveaway!!! Last week every entrant won something, so they decided to do it all over again! They are giving away blog designs and all kinds of goodies. Plus ALL entrants will receive 20%off their purchase through the end of the year! Be sure to check out their website for more information, or to enter yourself. Take a look at their portfolio and packages to see what you want for Christmas ;) With 6 giveaways this week, who knows whats in store for next week?

The first 5 entrants will receive a $10 giftcard. The giveaway will close on Dec. 13th, so be sure to have your posts done and comments left by midnight! Good Luck to everyone! We are so excited. Merry (early) Christmas!

Party Time

I have been staying up very late for several nights preparing for our Crystals with Twinkles and Sparkly White Wine Handcrafted Jewelry Event this Sunday, December 6th at the home of Ariels Glamourie in Paradise Valley, Arizona. This is our first jewelry show so wish us lots of success. These are some of the pieces I completed. The first, Rapture, is a choker style necklace with Swarovski crystals, Czech crystals and flower jade on tarnish free silver wire and sterling silver hook clasp. The second picture is of 3 pendants (L to R) Suwannee (Chinese crystals, opal, Swarovski crystals, and moonstone with silver wire on a pearlized leather cord), Glorious (freshwater pearls, flower jade, and Chinese crystals with copper wire on a copper colored leather cord), and Jolie Madam (freshwater pearls, Chinese crystals, Swarovski crystals, and strawberry quartz with vintage bronze wire on a chocolate brown leather cord). The third picture is a sterling silver wrapped ring called Cloud 9 with Czech crystals, prehnite chips and freshwater pearls. The ring was a commissioned piece so it is already sold, sorry, I just couldn't help but show it off. Thanks for looking.

Coral Sea

Tomato red coral!

Thanks to my friend and mentor, Marilyn of Ariel's Glamourie, for this idea. We brainstormed on reworking my antique turquoise necklace handed down from my in-laws and we ended up designing the coral to be twisted around the turquoise for a real statement necklace. (I will post a picture of the final piece). We literally both had our hands on this project. One strung while the other picked out the beads. I really like the chunkiness (wait until I wear the two together!)-it does get noticed. I think we have enough left over for a bracelet, if you are interested, as well as the smaller coral for earrings.

Food As Inspiration

This summer was the absolute best in about 20 years! I cannot tolerate extreme heat and wonder why I have made Phoenix home for that long (I only wonder in the summer). Living in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Hillsboro, Oregon, awakened many passions. Not only did my sweet husband and I finally get to live together after 2 years of seeing each other every other weekend due to his out of state job, I had a bountiful and beautiful garden. I have always been interested in living off the land and have striven to make things from scratch whenever possible. I was closer to my dream! Moreover, living outside of the city we were surrounded by more nature and farmland than had we chosen to live in Portland. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, now that we are back in Phoenix, I really miss those Farmers Markets! I can't look at fruits and vegetables the same anymore. Previously, buying them was a duty for a healthy lifestyle, now I lust after them and their myriad colors and shapes dance in front of my eyes! I have been back almost a week and my meals seem ho-hum. I am digressing. The photos...the zucchini and tomato are from my garden and the plum galette (which I made three times because it was so incredibly well-received...thank you Food & Wine mag.) was made using the organic plums from my friend's gigantic backyard tree. So, I ate my way through 6 wonderful months in Oregon and I remain happy and inspired!

I am on a roll! This new pendant is 'Atlanta Bound' as I completed it on a recent flight to visit family in... Atlanta! For the Florida woman sitting across from me waiting to board our flight, this is the one you so kindly complimented me on. It was a nice reminder that I should get blog cards made to pass along instead of writing it on a scrap piece of paper both of us were looking for. There are various crystals in this pendant with a large enough bale that you can interchange with any type of necklace. (Click on the picture for a close-up view). I love the combination of brown with blue tones and a hint of silver.

Less than 2 months and we move back to Phoenix after a beautiful and adventurous summer in Oregon. I have seen more deer in the last several months than I have my entire life. Farmers Markets are a weekly event for me and I know I will miss this the most. I am such a Foodie! I have managed to fit jewelry making into my activities, thankfully!

Introducing Barbara Jean. This bracelet was a birthday gift to my friend Barbara who picked out the beads. I had to add the earrings because I couldn't stop at the bracelet! She loves the set and gets compliments every time she wears it. These earrings, made with freshwater pearls and citrine on sterling silver hooks are so light weight you won't feel them. The bracelet also contains pineapple quartz finished with a sterling silver slide bar clasp. I welcome your comments and jewelry orders!

These pendants are eye catching and fun to make. This one was made with various shades of green Czech crystals on copper wire. The matching earrings are very light weight and have a green crystal drop. They can be worn with any color but I love to wear this set with black, brown and purple. It's called Beginners Luck because it is the first piece of jewelry I made and I received so many compliments!