Thursday quickie

I am flat out today. No sleep again last nite, just a nap.

While I was awake I made a necklace for my monthly Facebook giveaway.

I had an old washer and thought I would breath some life into it. It happened rather quickly, one of those, start working, blink and I am done - ever happen to you?

I got to thinking - Y not let the ppl who stop by to visit my blog and are on facebook get in on the fun too. So I put a face book link over on the right hand side of my blog under my profile that will allow you to go to the page and add it to your list of favs.

To get you caught up here is April's giveaway -




Here is Mays giveaway -





Here is what is being given away for June





If you want to get in on the give aways join my fan page and leave me a comment!

Trying to keep it together

I have been up since 3:30 pacing with Newd. He has been restless all nite and has a more pronounced limp than usual. I did take him on his first walk yesterday and he may just be sore. He has been kenneled for nearly two weeks now and I am starting to add more exercise back into his routine.

I microwaved towels and made him a heating pad and he settled in for a while.

Now I am pacing. I have an interview in a few hours for the Associate Producer position. A great move up into the company from where I am, and good solid career move. I am nervous. I am always at a loss for words, have a tendency to make jokes and act a clown when I am nervous, and I can't do that today. I have to be on target and give them what they are looking for.

*think* *think*

I need to channel this energy into something, something positive.

*snap*

I am going to give you an inside look at my creative process. How my pieces go together and how my thought processes work when designing a piece.


I grab my books and begin to do some looking - I have it! I am making a new necklace to wear to the interview. I necklace charged with positive energy, creativity, organization, and communication. Just what I need to get me thru the day. I chose moonstone, labradorite, quartz, blue lace agate, jasper, rutilated quartz, and carnelian for my base stones. The bulk of the design in seed beads,crystals, some chain and a few buttons for focals.

I chose -
moonstone, blue lace agate, labradorite and quartz for communication.
jasper for organization.
rutilated quartz and carnelian for creativity.
The buttons are a representation of me.
The chain is to show how each link is needed for the fluidity of the movement. Just like a team has to depend on each other for the outcome.




I was going to document the process but I chose to go with my 'tantrum' style necklace, and it is difficult to do. I chose the tantrum because order has to come from chaos in the position I am applying for. What I can show you is one of the draw backs to making this style of necklace and how you can fix it with no one the wiser.

During the beading of the 'tantrum' you weave the tail of the beading wire in and out of beads randomly. You have to keep the beading wire taunt during the process or you will have gaps in your beads after you anchor it like this -




What do you do? it is a pain to take the crimps off , pull in the slack, and set a new crimp - most times, I end up snipping the cover of the beading wire and have a fray. Not good.

So for a random tantrum style necklace like this, all you can do is go with it. You can create a coil. For this necklace I created a coil in copper, bout the same size as the 'slack'



Once the coil is made - 'screw' it onto the beading wire




Close up of the coil






And the finished product -


Keeping my Thoughts

Just for fun

I found this little beauty while organizing in my room today. I had forgot about a bag of re purpose goodies my mom had given me.

hand carved mother of pearl pendant. I have no idea era or origin but knowing how long my mom has had it, and where she has traveled, I would venture to say circa 70's and either from Mexico or Israel



I hung it on the wall so i can look up at it while i am cleaning and see if i get any inspiration on how to use it.

single strand focal, or multi strand accent....i don't know - what would you do?

Friday quickie - I am at my dumb

"I am at my dumb" is an expression that was born from a nite of 'porchin it' and has become a household expression.

See, wha hah happened wuz - So many nites are spent on the porch. We get to talk. There is no t.v. no distractions, only the dogs in the yard and the traffic on the road. We talk about our day, our frustrations, plan vacations, defend the righteous and side with the underdog. Because of these nites I have fallen in love with my husband all over again.

Some off these nites are spent with coffee, some off them with beer. One nite in par-tick-you-lar was a nite of beer. Porch eh-teh-cut states that if you go in for a beer, you must always ask the participants if they would like one too. I was asked, in my mind, I declined with - "No thank you, I am done" My mouth decided it was time to play a little trick on me and spouted - "I am at my dumb"

*insert laughter, pointing of fingers, repeating of statement*

*sigh*

It stuck. This statement is interchangeable, that is the beauty of it. For instance -

If you are done, do not want more, etc... I am at my dumb
If you want to lightly pointout someones mistake ...I am at my dumb
If you want to point out that a particular situation is uncomfortable or ridiculous.....I am at my dumb
If you are stooop-eh-fied, impressed, delighted, overwhelmed, exhausted....I am at my dumb

You get the idea. So now that I have taken you on a journey around my elbow to get to my ankle, i'll explain why this blog is about a co-loke-you-all-ism (can't say it much less spell it).

Yesterday, with great enthusiasm I began to work on wrapping the sea glass that was given to me by my friend. I was so thrilled with it when I was finished, I literally sat back in my chair, folded my arms and nodded. This isn't to say that it is a work of art, or that it is going to be my most expensive or used as a way to markets one of my skill sets, this is to say - this piece I made for me - a reflection of me and what I am, personally. I have no intention of selling this, in fact I would almost say this is going to be the piece that defines me - the piece that I wear the most. I don't expect it to speak to everyone, but I hope it may give you a better insight as to who I am.


I am at My Dumb


How it started

Where it took me









and i am wearing it today :)