Savana

This is our 8 year old Grandaughter, Savana.

Christmas 2009

Some of the grandkids at Christmas.

Okay. Here he is. This is Petey. He is our new puppy. He is about 9 weeks old. He is wearing me out! And he has some sort of weird foot fetish. He is constantly after my feet. He can be clear across the room and if I take my shoes off, zoom, he's there. But he is so cute. I didn't really want another dog after Buster died, but Robert did and Petey is his dog. But he and I will co-exist if he can get over the foot thing. Yorkie's are so delicate. The seem to have everything happen to them.

This is my contribution to Twilight Mania. It is an upcycled silver colored (don't think it is silver) large apple. it has a silver colored chain and red Swarovski crystals.

These beads are made out of paper. I recyceled some of those pesky mailers we all just love to fill up our trash cans with. I use to roll up paper when I was a kid. It was a nervous habit. But I never thought to make beads out of them. I probably won't make any more because I heard about an organization called Beads for Life. It is a company that women in Ugandy sell paper beads to who in turn sell them to jewelry makers. You need to go into Spotlight and read about this. It is really something and saving so many women. I have seen some sold on Etsy. But I don't want to make them because I would deprive a lady of her job. I did make a couple out of newspaper that was really pretty. But making them is very time consuming,too.

Some new items of mine.

These are paper beads that I made. I use to roll up paper pieces when I was a little kid, but never did I think to make beads out of them! This was made out of those pesky mail ads that we all get.

I don't know who started making paper beads. Someone said that ladies in the Victorian era were making them. But there is a wonderful organization called "Beads for life". These beads are made by women in Ugandy. The money goes to help support the women who make them. You need to go read about this (

Illusions Artisian Studio

Hand knits and jewelry made by me. Mostly my things are one of a kind. My creative side fights making many multiples of the same item. I have been a crafter almost all my life beginning with making my dolly clothes as a young child. I always got a craft kits for gifts so my creativity was always encouraged. In school I took all the sewing classes and was doing needlework as a hobby early on. I learned to knit (well) a couple of years ago and one of my friends gave me a jewelry making kit around the same time. She thought I could make money at it. I wasn't so sure, but she was right. After establishing myself locally I ventured into online sales a few months ago. I am a faux finish painter by profession and the crafting gives me a different kind of creative outlet

Check out her studio. she has some very pretty hats.

Turtle Hill Studio offers a variety of handcrafted items from one-of-a-kind hand painted glassware and decorative items, crocheted creations, and hand stamped greeting cards and scrapbook decorations.

I've been a crafter for as long as I can remember. I won't tell you exactly how long that has been, but I will say that I'm retired and a grandmother to three. Though I no longer teach, I'm a certified One-Stroke instructor and have taught over 400 people decorative painting. Through the years, I've had several of my craft designs published in such magazines as Crafts and Crafts and Things.

Stop by and check out all of her stuff on Artfire.

Every morning, when we wake up we have twenty-four brand new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy and happiness to ourselves and others. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

This is a powerful quote! I worry about wasting an hour. I think I should fill in every nano-second because I won't be around very long and wonder what God would think if I didn't use my time well. I know that some of the stuff I want to do is trivial and maybe I am wasting time doing things like painting or crocheting,but God gave me the ability to create so it would be wasteful not to.

Artfire Jewelry Design and Jewelry Supply Guild

Artfire Jewelry Design and Jewelry Supply Guild

I think I am going to have to close down my Artfire. I paid 7.99 for a year and not one sale. I didn't mind it for a while because I liked talking to people there. You can get pretty lost in Etsy. Zibbet is to new to get much traffic. And I think I will concentrate more on my art instead of jewelry. I love doing both. But I spend more on jewelry supplies. I really am not a business person. I just like the creative end. And I couldn't go to shows or fairs and have a booth because I am to socially challenged. Very much an introvert. Now if someone could do all that for me I would be just fine. But I have no volunteers. It could be because I want someone who will do it for a prayer and a handshake.

I just did my first custom order and this is it! It was easy enough to make but hard to fine the right components. I am not sure I would do it again. I am not as creative when I am doing

this for someone else.

Cyber Monday is coming!!!! When I worked in retail, I both dreaded and loved Black Friday. Well, if you are one of the eager shoppers waiting for the big day, have fun. Then on Monday, come to http://Artfire.com and http://Etsy.com and do some REAL shopping and get some great bargins, like 2 for ! sales BOGO sales. and great % offs. And you can sit down and drink coffee while you shop and no one is pushing and shoving you or someone in front of you yelling at the poor little cashier who only wants to do her job. By the way, thank her or him. Most are just kids put on a register with little or no training. Retail seems to rely on on the job training. I was lucky because when I started I got 3 whole weeks befor e I was put on the sales floor.