Nashville

It's been exactly two weeks since my last blog post.  The holidays are a blur but I have a few pictures to remember the excitement by.  Nashville was the highlight, of course.  We had a wonderful time with the in-laws and a house of 13!  Unfortunately, I have some photos on my little click and shoot camera and the rest are on my new camera.  I have yet to figure out how to take them off though.  Here are some of the highlights.

First off, this isn't my best picture.  I mean, what is the deal with that hair?  It looks like birds made a nest on that thing.  Anyway, I was so happy to meet a blogging friend while on my trip.  Do you recognize her?  That's Judy from Judith B Designs.  She lives in the Nashville area so this was the perfect time for us to get together for lunch to discuss beading.  It was like meeting someone for the first time that you swore you must have known in another life.  She is so easy going and a hoot!  We kept talking, and talking, and talking.  I think the waiters were so happy to see us finally leave.  :)

And you can't visit Nashville without riding horses, right?  Here's Lauren on Miss Katie.  Lauren has learned so much from my mother and sister-in-law that she can hop on and just ride.  She was even trotting on the horses which was a bit scary for me at first.  And she even mucked stalls while we were there!

And here I am once again with the hair from hell.  Thank goodness I got a haircut when I got back.  I had to try the horseback riding for myself.  It looked like too much fun.  Luckily all the horses were very calm and didn't mind that I hadn't a clue what I was doing.  I know everyone was trying not to laugh when I tried to get my big butt on and off the horse. 

Ok, now on to the bragging.  Just have to show you some of the great tools I got for Christmas.  The biggest and best is my new camera.  It's a Nikon D5000 and has 12 megapixels!  I've been working on the thick manual and I hope to be taking jewelry pictures very soon.  My other two favorites are a micro torch and a Fretz embossing hammer.  I hope to put these to good use in 2010.

It's Almost Time for the Big Day

Am I the only one away from blogland recently?  I've been bad, really bad.  I hope you gals will forgive my absence.  I think you all understand and are going through exactly the same thing.  So much to do in so little time.  I finally finished up my jewelry projects for gifts.  I can't show you anything yet.  You never know who might be watching. 

Oh, and I need to show you a picture of Lauren's Narnia bracelet. 

This is how she will receive it on Christmas but it is far from finished.  I decided it would be a nice adventure for me to have the bracelet along with the charms purchased and then we could work together to finish the piece in whichever way she chooses.  We need some color so I might suggest some gemstones in Narnian colors.  The charms are big so it will be interesting to see how it fits on her small wrist.

Along with the Christmas hustle and bustle, we are planning a trip to the in-laws.  They live in Nashville so I'm hoping I'll get a chance to meet my blogging buddy Judy from Judith B Designs.  This girl is a hoot!  I just hope things work out during this busy time where we can hang out for "girl time".

Well, that's it for me.  I want to wish everyone a wonderful, family filled, stress-free Christmas!  I'll leave you girls with a picture of our roads with the snow and Lauren with her miniature sized snowman. 

Day Three of Artist Showcase

We're on to day three of the artists in the Thanksgiving Treasures earring exchange.  

The first artist today is Sharon Palac of Sharon's Jewelry Garden.  Talented artist in wire and also beautiful clay creations.  Sharon made these gorgeous earrings and a necklace to match for Barbara Lewis.  The colors and swirls  are intoxicating!  Here's what she had to say about her creation. 

"I know she likes rustic, so that's what I aimed for. I made the beads from polymer clay and oxidized the copper."  

Our next artist lives in France making her intriguing pieces.  Her name is Véronique of Narrative Jewelry.  My favorite are her metal etchings which you will see in her creation for  Lorelei.   I just love the French script on these.

"I had been very proud to create something for Loreleï, but it put some pressure on me too. I decided after a lots of hesitations to make something with etched copper, as i read in one of her post that she would like to try it. As she asked for teal, i just put little beads of turquoise, all wrapped in oxydized copper wire. Except the beads, all is handmade."

Next up is Judy from Judith B Designs.  And guess who she made her lovely earrings for?  Me!  And I have to say they are my favorite.  They go with everything and are perfect for my style.  Thanks, Judy!  Here's what she had to say about her creation.

"I was so thrilled when I saw your name as the one to receive my earrings...I felt like I was making them for a friend and not a stranger.  The beads are Picasso glass beads, I just love the colors of them and bought them especially for you. I found the beads in a little bead shop in Nashville ( I have since ordered some similar ones from ArtBeads.com)"

And the final artist today is Lorelei from Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio.  I remember when I first started beading and looking in all the various beading magazines.  I kept seeing the same name over and over.  It was Lorelei's name.  Who was this Lorelei?  I started following her blog and found out why she's in all those magazines.  Amazing artist with a big heart!  

"I drew Sharon Palac's name in the earring exchange. Sharon asked for silver, longish earrings in a teal and brown color combination.  I used some lovely ceramic glazed beads in a sage blue green and brown finish. I knew Sharon would like them. I hammered some little fine silver swirls and dangled them below each of the lentil beads and attached a wire wrapped faceted silvery glass bead to add a little bling. The earring wires are silver.  I had such a fun time going through Sharon's blog and trying to figure out what she might like, so I could move in a certain direction. Sharon has bought jewelry from me before and I tried to play off her previous purchases too."

I hope you've enjoyed reading about the artist's inspiration for their pieces.  Please stop back tomorrow for even more!

 

Judith B Designs Giveaway!

Oh, you know you want them.  Look at that color!  It's so cool.  And the cool funky texture.  So cool!  Go on over to my buddy Judy's blog at Judith B Designs to enter to win.  Go on!  What are you waiting for?

Lucky Me!

Look what I found in the mail yesterday! I was the winner of Judy’s giveaway at Judith B. Designs. I received these lovely horse note cards by Dauphinepress.com. What a lucky girl I am! I was telling Judy that my daughter is crazy about horses and is learning to ride. Lauren thought these were really neat and asked if she could have them. Nope! All mine. Well, maybe I’ll let her have one. I’m not that mean.

Please check out Judy’s beautifully romantic jewelry on Etsy. My favorite is the typewriter key pieces.

She’s a collector of old typewriters and uses the keys to make these striking works of art. I love her vintage, Victorian flair. But if this look is not your thing then check out her other shop, Flap Your Wings. Yes, she has two. What a busy lady! This one is more of an upbeat style with brighter colors. Oh, I can’t choose which one I like better. I love them both! Also, check out Judy’s blog at where you can find out about her spectacular jewelry and interesting hobbies. The horse note cards are a hint. Enjoy your Sunday!

Giveaway at Judith B Designs

Hey gals! Judy over at Judith B Designs is hosting a give away good until 8/22. She's offering these beautiful Letterpress Stationary note cards with artwork of a horse. Perfect for the equine lover! Just post a message on your blog, twitter, or facebook to enter. Also, check out Judy's wonderful designs. She has a couple intriguing bracelets with old time typewriter keys. They are so unique!