April Showers

This week's Wearable Art Friday at Wet Canvas is April Showers:



And to go with that are some photos from my yard.





That's it for the day, must go pack for my Exciting Birthday Weekend!

Wearable Art Friday - Boho Challenge Entry

I got my challenge done for the Wearable Art Friday on Wet Canvas. I'm thinking I could have done better, but I felt like I was running out of time. Amazonite, blue tiger eye, turquoise, hill tribe silver chunks and bali silver spacers.

Jedi Light Saber Spoon

It is ONLY because of this article that we have sugar coated cereal in the house and that Luke is the Very Proud Owner of his own Jedi Light Saber Spoon. If you could tell from the very blurry photo he is not actually eating the pure sugar cereal that even HE says is "junk food", but instead is eating "kid-tested, mother-approved" Kix, with Dora the Explorer on the box. Which is still not a really great cereal by any means... they get you no matter what. I did tell Luke though that that was the Very Best Cereal Box Prize EVER, and there had never been such a great prize before and never would be again... his dad backed me up on this, so I HOPE that the cereal isle does not become a nightmare isle from here on out. But at the moment I am for sure, one "cool dude mom" and that is all that matters.

Yard Work...

...or, what the girl can do when she's not making jewelry and wants to hurry up and get the house ready to put on the market.


I stacked this pile of wood. Frank chopped it all. We are going to be SO sore tomorrow.



I also added to this pile. Now what is totally crazy is... we don't even have a fireplace. This is what happens when a windstorm knocks down a big cedar.



Believe me, this looks like heaven compared to what it looked like before. Imagine that pile of wood, un-chopped here, where I've made a nice little outdoor forest room.



I bought some flowers to plant. They may get planted tomorrow. This bed needed some color and so far nothing I plant seems to work or last the whole summer. Either the deer eat them or they just die. Hope these last the spring at least.



And I planted some color in these pots by my front door. Notice the lovely vent outlet - that is where all my glass melting fumes go. And that pile of rocks... that's Luke's treasure pile from our walks.



I pulled all the deck furniture back up from storage and cleaned it all. And raked and cleaned the pathway. Still have to build a patio here under the deck.



And finally, I potted the baby pepper plants, gave the strawberries some love and planted some green beans.



Oh, I am going to be hurting tomorrow...

Spirit Lock Necklace

A spirit lock from Karen Hill Tribe, amethyst, coral, turquoise, amazonite, fw pearls...



"The Hill Tribe Villagers of Thailand traditionally use the spirit lock as a protection ward. It is an ancient belief that the spirit of a person can run away in times of trouble or great stress, leaving the person without their charisma, and making them vulnerable to sickness. It is understood that the padlock-like shape helps to keep the sprit inside the body, and thus prevent ill fortune and sustain good health."

Bright Bracelets

I love these first two especially - the furnace beads slide over the seed beads and are fun to play with. And the soft blue of this turquois is perfect with the spring green peridot. Though I was thinking I needed more turquoise to go with the big strand of chunky carnelian I purchased last week. And the Bubblegum Love... well call me crazy, but I'm loving pink, orange and purple together right now. In fact so much so that I planted some flowers in that theme too.

Felt Flower Brooch

For my purse. Love!

Felt Like Something New, Yet Again

Not that I want the inspiration to stop by any means... but do I really need to get crafty with FELT? Yes, is the right answer of course. All I need now is a scissors and a needle. I'm going to make a flower brooch or two. I also got some teal wool to go with the blue wool I've been sort of knitting into a bag thing (no pattern, I'm winging it)... that I'm going to, you guessed it, FELT.

More Publicity - Too Cool!

Listed today, in USA Today's Hot Sites Web Guide is Craft Revolution, and specifically, it mentions the article that my bracelet is in!!! Oh happy day!

Also, I would like to thank whoever it is that keeps voting for my site on Artzee - it always makes me smile to go there and see that someone voted for me - corny, I know, but thank you anyway!

Blue Between Jewelry Featured on CraftRevolution.com

One of my favorite bracelets was chosen as a featured item for CraftRevolution.com's Mother's Day Gift Guide - Indie Style. I'm so excited - Viva la Revolution!

Magnolia Muse

I discovered these wonderful photos of a magnificent magnolia tree yesterday and was inspired to make a bracelet. The beautiful clasp is a Kate McKinnon.

Yummy Karen Hill Tribe Necklace

I love how this turned out. Karen Hill Tribe Silver, blue-green stones and pearls.... I'm not sure I can part with this one either.

Mona in a Poncho and Some Bracelets

Frank named her Mona. After stumbling into her at 3:00 AM the other night. He hadn't noticed her on the way to bed and so it was a bit of a shock. Can't you just picture it? She does seem to glow a little in the light of the hall night-light. Here she is in the poncho I knit with that great necklace. Now I'm not sure if I can part with the necklace after all.



And here are two new bracelets. One I adore, and one I hope someone else will. The lampwork dot-beads were made by me.

Jewelry Sale

Luke asked what it was and I said it was a mannequin. He said, "No... she's a she." He loves her. He wants to have a jewelry sale. He's gotten her all ready to go. Down to the bottom of the drive way where we will put her and have our sale, he says. I told him I'd put it on the internet instead, so here she is...

In Bloom and Seattle Rain

Two new bracelets:

New Jewelry, Crossing the Road, Icons

This has to be the most colorful piece I've ever worked on.
FUNky Flower Power. Beads by Darla of Darla's Designs.



And a pretty flowery purple bracelet. Karen Hill Tribe clasp, lampwork beads by Candice Mathewson.



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Conversation with Luke today about who he was going to invite to his birthday party:

Me: Your birthday is more than 6 months away Luke. How 'bout we cross that road when we come to it?

Luke: Ok. What road? That road? This road? What road Mom? MOM? WHAT ROAD?

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I made some icons. I don't know why. I don't know what I'll use them for. I like them though.

Red Pepper Project Update and Some Dandelions

Surprise, surprise, some of the red pepper seeds sprouted! Aren't they cute? Wonder how long before we have peppers. I told Luke maybe July.



Why my kid rocks today: Dandelions. He makes me stop to smell the flowers. And then picks them for me. And then makes me put one in my hair. And then tells me it looks pretty.

More Link-ups, Saturday Surfing

I'm happy to say, I'm listed in I Buy D.I.Y. and IndieShopping.com. I'm also listed on J.O.L.A.F., the Jurried Online Arts Festival. Yay!!!

Here are some fun Saturday-type links:

a really cool concept - 1000journals.com

another interesting project - PostSecret

a great fashion trends site - Handbag.com

Women and Jewelry - The Spiritual Dimensions of Ornamentation

And here is a nice way to kill 10 minutes - why not, it's fun: Flickr Speller.

Karen Hill Tribe Soul Pendants

I'm waiting for a wonderful and BIG order from a company who works intimately with the Karen Hill Tribe in Thailand, who make the silver pendants and beads you see in designer jewelry today. I feel really good about this order, and the company I purchased it with, Shiana.com, as they are committed to helping this tribe, giving them an alternative income from cash crops such as opium, providing education and helping them in so many ways.

Part of this order includes some Soul Pendants, which symbolize an open heart and an open mind. I'm really looking forward to playing with these, expanding on my Patchwork Peace, Love and Joy series. I also ordered some spirit locks and wish pendants, and some great hearts and shell beads. I can't wait to start designing with them!



Pam Thein of Shiana sent me a couple photos today - one of the children enjoying some donated children's books and one of the tools they use to create their beautiful beads. The tools are so basic and rustic looking... made from recycled car parts - bolts and sheets from old, discarded trucks. Amazing!