Sunday Contemplation

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

~Romans 12:6-8

God has blessed me with many gifts and it's time for me to praise Him and use them in His honor.

I have a secret........

Okay, technically it's not my secret but it's definitely HOT!! The Starving Artists Etsy Team is at it again! There's a secret sale happening between Friday, May 29th and Sunday, May 31st. Several superb jewelry artists are offering goodies - free with purchase, discounts, free shipping - but here's the catch: you must visit the Starving Artist Team Blog to see the list of participants (here's a hint........I'm one of 'em!!), take a gander at the special deals AND get the secret code!! And don't bother trying to get it outta me....you can't break me!!! You'll have to go get it for yourself ;-)

I'll give ya a tip: you're probably going to want to subscribe to the Starving Artist Team Blog because stuff like this is gonna be happening on a regular basis. You never know what you might find! So why are you still reading?? Get over there!!

Paying my Respects....

Today is Memorial Day. For me, it's not just about parades, picnics and a day off. I was a proud member of the United States Army and my husband, the Air Force. I was unable to complete my time in the Army because of medical reasons but I felt I still had an obligation. Some time later, I became a member of a USO (United Servicemen's Organization) Performance Troupe called the Liberty Misses. We traveled stateside and overseas, performing for our veterans and active military. I've been to Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Korea, and the Azores. I was lucky enough, as a civilian, to witness the sacrifices made for us on a daily basis. I was unfortunate enough to attend the memorial service for a fallen Marine in the middle of the desert in Kuwait.

America, as a whole, has plenty of issues. I don't think we're ever going to get everything right. But we have men and women who willingly put themselves on the line on a daily basis for the benefit of everyone in this country - even those who would spit in their face. It's an awesome and humbling concept. And today we also honor the men and women on the police force, fire deparment and emergency services. No one has forced any of these individuals to play the roles that they do. So I give them all the honor and respect that they deserve and then some.

Happy Memorial Day to all those who serve and have served, in any capacity.

Wish List

Now that I have some dedicated space to work on my jewelry, I'm finding even more of a desire to improve my skills and learn new techniques. And of course, new skills require new tools so I've begun a wish list ;-) Now, I'm not talking major tools - actually, the tools on my list I would guess most would consider a necessity and are quite reasonable. So I'll share with you:

I'd like a bench pin and a ring holder. I haven't done much stone setting as of late but I want to work on my bezel skills. These tools will make the job much easier. And of course I'll need a bezel roller!

Next on my list is a rotary tumbler. I'm becoming quite good at polishing with my rotary tool but a tumbler will also work harden my pieces. Good for smaller items like ear wires and post earrings.

I really need a Doming Block and Punch set. This should be at the top of my list and will make it a bit easier to create my spinner rings.

Last on my list (at the moment!!) is a Punch & Die Kit. Currently I'm cutting my shapes with what I believe are 20-year-old tin snips - not fun!! Granted, not everything I need to cut is a circle and I do have a jewelers saw (at which I'm not yet proficient!!) but this will certainly help!

So what's on your wish list?? What tool can't you live without? Share with me so I can add to my list ;-)

Bonhomie Charms!

At last I can share with you the exclusive item I'll be offering at Brazen Betties.....(drum roll...........like you haven't already figured it out by the title.........)

....custom charm necklaces!!! Not such a novel idea, I know, but I really enjoy making these! It started out as just a custom request by a friend. It was the handstamped pieces that first drew me to crafting jewelry and it was so much fun finding stamps and creating something so personal! The charms are crafted of metal clay which allows me so many more options in terms of fonts and symbols - I can use rubber stamps! These are the basic charms available and they can be stamped on one side or both (it took me a bit to figure out the best way to stamp both sides of clay while it was still 'wet'!!). Of course, as with anything, it can be completely customized - larger charms, smaller charms, charms of different shapes....the possibilities are endless! There are five different fonts available at present, several different symbol stamps and a handful of mini charm shapes that can be included. And of course there are birthstones in the form of swarovski crystals! Each charm can be purchase individually so you can do an 'add-a-charm' kinda thing. Would you rather a bracelet? That can be arranged!!

So if you're in the area, stop by Brazen Betties and have a gander at one of my necklaces in person! Not local? Call Julia at the shop: 860.671.0986. She'd be happy to take your order and have it shipped to you!

Will it Go 'Round in Circles..........

....will it fly high like a bird up in the sky?" For those of you old enough to remember, that's a Billy Preston tune (click the link for the video!!). That song's been going through my head all morning so it became the theme to my new spotlight! Featuring the work of Metalcraft Market artisans.

..hmmm.....every time I attempt to add the spotlight, my computer crashes so you'll have to make do with a link while I research the issue! Believe me, it's worth clicking!!

And here's a Mother's Day update: the brunch was horrid, the dinner was excellent and I couldn't taste anything because I'd lost my sense of smell! ;-)

Have a wonderful day!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Most of my readers are fellow moms so I wanted to wish them a wonderful Mother's Day!!! What are your plans for the day? If I had my wish, my Mother's Day would go something like this:

Awakened by the smell of Starbucks Coffee because hubby & son brought me breakfast in bed. After breakfast, hubby washes all the dishes and cleans the kitchen. He then removes everyone from the house and I spend the day at my jewelers bench. While I'm at the bench, hubby is driving to my favorite restaurant (Cafe Adulis in New Haven for any locals), 45 minutes away, and picking up my favorite dish for dinner. He puts the little man down for bed and then we eat. After dinner we watch a really cool chick flick that he's rented and tells me he's rented a cottage on Folly Beach, SC for a week. The end.

Instead, this is how my day is going to go:

I slept approximately 4 hours last night because my son has given me his cold from hell. I get up, wash the dishes before I even finish my coffee so that I can begin preparing the evening meal for my mother-in-law's dinner: Salmon & Potatoe Casserole, Mustard-Stuffed Chicken Breasts (because my husband and father -in-law don't eat salmon), Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, and Raspberry Brownies. Hubby is out with son buying medicine and a "mommy's day present". I'm trying to prep all this food before 10am. Then I'll jump in the shower (provided I've enough strength to keep from drowning myself) because my mom will be here at 11:30 so that we can take her to brunch with my sister's family and brother's family and noon. Then I'll get home, take some more medicine, try to clean the house before my brother-in-law & mother-in-law arrive earlier than they're supposed to. Then I'll do the dishes all over again.

So Happy Mother's Day to you all, however you end up spending your day!

Front Page News!

Yesterday, I mentioned a previous honor of making it to Etsy's front page......imagine my surprise when I visited Etsy this morning and see this:

My Circles n' Squares resin ring has made it to the front page (and has actually been featured in two other treasuries this week!) Woo hoo!! This treasury was curated by an Etsy staff member. A HUGE honor!

I'm having a wonderful week - life is good when you follow God's plan!! Amen!

Treasuries or Spotlights?

If you know anything about handcrafted goods then you're familiar with Etsy's Treasuries - "curated" by fellow etsians, the treasuries feature the work of other etsy sellers. The possibilities are endless - themed by genre, color, title, teams........the list goes on and on. The really good treasuries make it to the front page of etsy - an etsy sellers Holy Grail! You might have noticed the graphic on my sidebar that I have one item that's made it to the front page: my Bubble, Bubble Circle Pendant! But I digress........

If you're familiar with treasuries, you know how difficult it is to snag one. I've read the tutorials, suggestions and hints to help etsians create treasuries but I'm not a numbers gal. I'm numerically challenged......I don't quite 'get' how to count down to figure out which expiring treasury will open up the treasury list for a new posting and I'm relatively certain that hubby would do me bodily harm if I set the alarm for 3:00 am to catch an open treasury. Therefore, I am extremely grateful to those who include me in their treasuries despite the lack of reciprocation.

I'm also very grateful to have discovered byhand.me. Johnnie-come-lately, I realize. Many of you have been utilizing this site since it's launch (no, I've no idea when it launched but it was some time ago!) Byhand.me allows anyone to create their own spotlight of any handmade item from (I believe) any online handcrafted sales venue. I've just created my first, feauturing the copper works (go figure!) of 1000Markets Metalcraft artisans. Click here to view. Please click, comment, twitter and anything else you can think of. Then create your own and post your link in the comments and we'll spread the love!

Happy promoting!