Day 4 of 31 - Can It Get Any Better?

Andi and I were spending some snuggle time together and she decided that it was okay for me to blog and her to play a video game.

We will probably later make some polymer clay beads later. She like to make beads with her Nana. We have fun crafting together. Here are some of her last pieces...

We have fun together and a special bond. Can it get any better than that?

Day 3 of 31 - Finding Whimsy in the Mundane

How many times have you started your day to find yourself not in your normal routine but instead what seems to be a magical realm instead? In my world it happens quite frequently. For example, I just met this woman the other day and she gave me the most perfect gift ever! She didn't know me but from our first meeting and graced me with this lovely raw Amethyst!




The next day, I am still in awe of the generosity of the gift of the rock made to me, I am oblivious to the fact that we have new flowers blooming as a result of the 'Indian Summer' we are enjoying. I was about to pull out all the dead growth and put the rest to bed for fall when I discovered this... I have been blessed with some friendly flowers to cheer my day as I pull the seed for next year.

Then as I was finishing up outside, the UPS driver pulls up with my kindle Fire! It came early, as a gift from my beloved to help me along my journey. It took these photos and will allow me to do some work when I cannot get to the laptop. He is good to me.

See magic and whimsy in the ordinary - it can be found! 

Be good to yourselves.
Blessings!

Day 2 of 31 - Setting the Tone

Today I wanted to just briefly share how my day was a simple put it out there get it back kind of day. It was actually amazingly wonderful! If only all days could go so well.

I woke up and decided to wish a friend a Magnificently Marvelous Monday and claimed the same blessing for myself, why not, right? 

So I went about my day being kind and polite, not too unusual... and others were actually being kind and polite to me too - that was kind of unusual. I went with it, gladly and gratefully, passing on more blessings!

My work seemed to go on better today without too much hassle too. Deals and bargains just came my way, and things that weren't supposed to ship for another week are now shipping this week now making my work able to get done sooner. Orders coming in, supplies to answer need, work space becoming available to handle the load, etc. this is how the day progressed.

Maybe it had nothing to do with my putting positive thoughts and energy into the universe first thing and continually throughout the day, but I would like to believe it did. Like maybe it just fed itself and grew, the nature of the beast kind of thing. Love and kindness begetting more of the same.

If only more days could go this way with more of us having days like this. Imagine it... Say thousands of us having stellar days like this and then improving days for others and then their days improving as well. It would just keep growing and cycling. 

Okay well I had my Magnificent Marvelous Monday. Dare I hope for a Terrific Tuesday?

Be good to yourselves. 

Blessings! 

Day 1 of 31 - 31 Day Post Challenge

In honor of freedom of speech I elected to partake of a challenge to blog for 31 days. It was supposed to be all of the month of October but my computer was having issues and wouldn't play nicely. At any rate, today is day one for me. I will give fair warning, I tend to shoot from the hip. I don't yield to bullying, so be fair warned. Any comments made by me are not and never are intended to offend, my intent is to write my thoughts and feelings with love. That being said let's move on... 

I have let my blogging go and was glad that this challenge arose and gave me opportunity to come back. Very few people know this or would guess this about me knowing me now. I was a victim of bullying. Pretty serious bullying, in all aspects of my life. the affects still haunt me today. I am a survivor and advocate. I absolutely will not tolerate bullying of any nature. 

I'd seen a dear friend and fellow blogger getting cyber bullied and just wasn't sure what to do about it other that to take a stand and blog with her and to blog boldly against bullies. Truth be told I was "that" kid, in grade school. The one that always got picked on. The one that got teased, shoved, belittled, verbally, emotionally, abused. At school, home, everywhere... it then followed me into my first marriage... I hate bullying.  I am so glad that there are programs now that teach kids and teachers to stand up against and how to respond to bullying. For example right here in Missoula, Montana I am proud to be able to interact with a nationally known program Bikers Against Bullies USA. The kids are glad to see the bikes roll in and the program is really helping not to just to educate but also to help lead people to resources if necessary for suicide prevention, crime victim advocacy and more. It truly was something to be on the open highway with over two hundred motorcyclists knowing we were all out there for the same reason. we all want to make a difference for the kids, for the world. we want to see an end to bullying. it was a sight I am sure to onlookers too to see a stream of that many motorcycles tooling down the roads together. All types: Harley, Indian, Triumph, Honda, BMW, Yamaha, Kawasaki, you name it if it had wheels and ran it was on the road and it was beautiful!

Here are a couple of photos of the last Bikers Against Bullies Charity Ride just last month. There were over two hundred riders that came out for the event. It was a beautiful ride and a fun filled event evening that followed. It was hosted by Grizzly Harley Davidson who also hosts the local Harley Owners Group (HOG) another group I am honored to be associated with. I am in awe with all the  many wonderful things this group of fine people do for their communities. 

Me and Hubby with our "Ice Blue" 2007 Harley Road King taking a Water Break

These are just a few of the many many bikes that came to show support for the event

Thanks for stopping by...

Blessings!

Haberdashery and All that Jazz...

Thank you Melissa for such a fun blog hop! This was a welcomed walk down memory lane as I rummaged through bias tape, edging cord, buttons and baubles. I remember countless hours measuring remnants and labeling or writing contents on envelopes because "we never knew when we might have a need for that item one day." Gran was right. Somehow, we always did, and we always knew where to find it.


In honor of that waste not want not spirit and for Haberdashery everywhere; though I added remnants of wire and chain too... because that's just who I am. I am offering my first piece of Haberdashery jewelry. I hope you like it.



The bias tape is from 1969 used here as a ribbon to thread the copper buttons that were on an old vest that Gran no longer wore and some love knot beads made from edging cord from 1972. The focal was a lamp pull that I added some chain tassel to using 22g copper wire to add the chain and hang the bauble. The clasp, zebra red copper 14g wire.


Now please do go and visit the other artists' creations and blogs. Happy hopping and thanks for stopping!




Melissa Trudinger - OUR HOSTESS!!
http://www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com


Ann Schroeder
http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com


Tammy Adams
http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html


Amanda Wacasey
http://mandyinmystic.blogspot.com


Dolores Raml
http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com



Divya N
http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com


Michelle McCarthy
http://www.fireflydesignstudio.BlogSpot.com


DiYana Brooks
http://agapecreationsjewelry.blogspot.com/


Robin Kae Reed
http://willowdragon.blogspot.com


Andrea Glick
http://www.zenithjade.blogspot.com/


Karin Grosset Grange
http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr


Mitzie Crider
http://needfulluxuries.blogspot.com


Janine Lucas
http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories (Will be posting on Sunday)


Rosantia Petkova
http://bairozan.blogspot.com/


Susan Kennedy
http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com


Leithleach Alainn Seodra
http://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com/


Kathleen Breeding
http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/


Shiraz Biggie
http://secretsongdesigns.blogspot.com


Chris Eisenberg
http://www.wanderware.blogspot.com


Heather Richter
http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/


Lennis Carrier
http://www.windbent.net/


Rebecca Anderson
http://www.songbeads.blogspot.com


Jenny Kyrlach
http://anafiassa.blogspot.com


Rita Toltec Jewels
http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com (Will be posting on Sunday)


Mischelle Fanucci
http://www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com


Karen Mitchell
http://overthemoon-design.com


Carol Briody
http://Cbriody.blogspot.com


Karla Morgan
http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com


Carolyn Lawson
http://Carolynscreationswablogspot.com


Lori Anderson
http://www.prettythingsblog.com/


Jami Shipp - ME!
http://www.celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com


Lili Krist
http://pcbylik.blogspot.com/


Evelyn Shelby
http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/


Raissa de Guzman
http://www.abloro.com


Niky Sayers
http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk


Keren Panthaki
http://vasdea.wordpress.com

Blu Mudd Challenge - Round 4

If you are looking for BSBP-8 Reveal go here or scroll down.

Blu Mudd Challenge Round 4

I have been wanting to get in on the action with one of these challenges for some time now. I am excited and pleased to report that I am finally a participant! I am excited because in this particular challenge, after the submission deadline, there is a week of voting among participants, their following (friends, family, clients) and then a winner is announced.

It is really quite simple how this all works. Moriah Betterly of Blu Mudd puts together kits made of her wonderful ceramic components and beads. She then gets them to the designers who are fortunate enough to participate. The designers create using the complete kit, whatever they want. Dare I say it? - jewelry related or not, and submit by deadline. Then there is the reveal date and voting is opened, this one begins on June 1st and ends June 7, 2014. Voting closes at 10 pm EST. I will have the link up for voting and announce it, here.

While I can't show you my finished design; I can show you the components and maybe a teaser...

Dates to remember and to watch for updates:

June 1, 2014 - Voting opens - follow link,         provided here and on facebook.

June 7, 2014 - Voting closes - WINNER will be announced at 10 pm EST!

I will post more information about the reveal and voting, and of course share some process photos here on June 1, 2014. Hope you will follow along in the fun!

Blessings!

BSBP-8 Reveal - Hooray!

Thanks again to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things, I am happy to report... It is time to reveal the delectable yummies from the soups that have been simmering all this time.... Don't forget to stop by and visit the many other talented artist's work too. You can take it piece meal or go full out multiple course meal style. Whatever way you go enjoy the eye candy and the stories. 

Visit this link to view the other participants' works.

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2014/05/8th-bead-soup-blog-party-participant.html

Meanwhile, here is what I made from the bountiful fixings in my soup...

  I made a knit chain for it. They really complement each other well. 

Next came the clasp that my partner Janeen Sorensen of Wild Vanilla Designs made along with some links from a copper plated chain, and dyed pearls made this fun Illusion necklace and strung bracelet.

It just didn't seem right not to have earrings, so with two of the links and some copper crystals, so they could go with just about any piece from this soup. Also a pair of chainmaille dangle earrings with the Peacock Vista Jasper disks as drops to go with the focal pendant had to be made. Before I knew it I was wire weaving with the two heart components also made by Janeen along with the Amethyst crystals and copper wire. It was an earring frenzy... 

 I next made a bracelet and earrings set with some Czech glass disks and wire. This set is actually going to be published on the Wubbers U site as a tutorial - yay! Some of the others may end up there too. They were so fun to make why not share the how to's, right? I'll let you know when they go up.

I hope you enjoyed my soup as much as I did making it. I'm off to go see the work of my fellow artisans. I hope you visit them too. So much to see, great talent, yummy eye candy - and it won't get you in trouble, it's not a sale - it's a feast of soups! hanks for stopping by.

Blessings!