Year's End

This past year flew by so fast... I can't remember half of it, it just vanished so quickly.

One thing I remember, is that I started the year off feeling ill... and I'm ending it off the same way >.<

It did have it's good points though, make no mistake... for all the downs, there were some ups. I hope to continue the 'ups' into the new year, and leave this batch of downs behind ;)

My resolution for 2012 was to continue with my art and create so much on a monthly basis. That went not too badly for a few months until it died off. I did continue to create, but not within any timeline, for the most part.

2013 sees a similar resolution, only this time it's strictly for my jewelry. I joined a new group on facebook, The Year of Jewelry Project. The goal is a bit more ambitious than my previous one, with it being one piece a WEEK, however, I'm in a group so there is support should I seek it out, plus they offer a list of themes to help inspire you. 

As well, I discovered that opening my own shop isn't as financially unreachable as I'd been lead to believe, so I'll be using this 'challenge' to build enough stock to get that done :)

Oh, and I purchased a jewelry class online. It's mostly basic stuff, but I thought but would help me refine a few things and maybe learn different ways of doing things :)

I decided to do a 'year in review' kinda thing... but being me, I had to do it differently :) And so... a year of jewelry ( mostly... some aren't in there, and some... might be from last year... I 'think' I did them this year, but it went by so fast I can't remember >.< )

Some of those I've shown here... some I haven't :) Looking at the different backgrounds, I love the wood in natural lighting... not as much in artificial light. I rather like the black though... I think this year I'll have to consider ordering a light tent. I've tried some of the 'do it yourself' versions, but all have failed miserably >.< I can't follow instructions. I just can't. I NEED to take instructions and

 figure out how to do it my way... that doesn't work all the time ;)

Oh well.

And so, you've read all this way through and are no doubt wondering if I'm going to say who won December's F.F. giveaway....

... I guess so. I mean, you guys DID read all the way through this.. so.. you know...I suppose I could let you know that little bit of news... ;)

Out of 81 entries, Rafflecopter says the winner is #10

Kristi Jaro :D

Do I even need to remind you of the rules? lol You know the time limit by now, Kristi...give me a shout and crush everyone's hopes of a redraw ;)

I'll be posting a new giveaway on Friday, so be sure to pop back in and check it out :) Plus, I'm offering up a bundle of goodies to one lucky designer at the Bead Soup Cafe's 'Non-blogger/ blogger 3rd challenge, ' 'Fur'liz Navidad' .  It's a 'closed group', but everyone is welcome :)

Hope you all have a great night and enjoy ringing in the new year in whatever way you chose to :)

Holiday Bling Blog Hop #2

I missed out on number 1 since I just had too much on the go at the time, but when Shelley and Marlene decided to hold an encore, I had to jump in :)

For those who stumble across this form outside of the hop list,  Shelley of Fabric of My Life , and Marlene Cupo of Amazing Designs tossed all the applicants names into a hat and pulled out two at a time to partner us up... 

... well okay, I don't think that's EXACTLY what they did, but you get the idea ;)

We contacted our partner to get mailing addresses and some ideas on likes and dislikes, and discuss what type of gifts to exchange. Jewelry, non-jewelry, religious or non-religious... etc etc etc.  I'm not sure what all everyone discussed... I just know we were supposed to decide between the two of us any specifics without giving away what we were doing.

Both my partner, Jo-Ann and I were very open and easy going and didn't really set any limits, leaving the floor open to lots of possibilities.

As all of you creative types know... that is both a blessing and a curse >.< It leaves you wide open to any inspiration... and to ALL inspiration >.< I did have a few likes  to guide me, as well  a 'do not use' colour.... which of course became a prominent colour in my layout until I remembered it >.< lol

I blame the owl for that though.... seriously. He was the one demanding I use pink >.< Him plus some gorgeous multi coloured fabric that, due to the pink issue, I ended up not using.... nor did I use the fuzzy non-pink multi coloured yarn I'd grabbed as a substitute.  As a matter of fact, in the end, I didn't use any fabric at all :)

Instead I used some gorgeous cranberry colored, top-drilled potato pearls that I'd been hoarding forever, that had been sent to me all the way from Sweden in a bundle of goodies I'd won from ' Maneki' of Wild Roses & Blackberries :)

Want to see?

alright, alright... here...

Cranberries & Ice

Cranberry Potato pearls & quartz chips, with a cute owl from TreeWings Studio :) 

Oh.. btw... that one pearl is not backwards... the strand is flipped since I have it curled around and I didn't notice it until after I'd put the camera away. You can see the two above it are the same ;)

I was playing with buttons at the time too, and while going through the whole' pink/no pink' issue, I made these...

She can add a hook and hang them on her tree... or add ear wires and make them big chunky earrings ;)

So now you've seen what I sent her.... pop over and see what she made for me at It's A Beadiful Creation ;) then pop through the rest of the list to see all of the other goodies made this round :)

Shirley Moore http://www.beadsandbread.blogspot.com Lori Bowring Michaud http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.com Catherine King http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com Dyanne Cantrell  http://deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com Sonya Stille http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com Elaine Ray http://elaineray.blogspot.com Gina Hockett http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com Jo-Ann Woolverton http://itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.ca Debbie Rasmussen http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com Ginger Bishop http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com Miranda Ackerley http://mirandack.com/category/thoughts Tammie Everly http://ttedesigns.blogspot.com Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca Melinda Abrahamson http://www.firstreetcrafts.com Rita/ Toltec Jewels http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com Chandra Merod http://www.junipergoods.blogspot.com Mary Govaars http://www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com Kelley Fogel http://www.mylifeonebeadatatime.blogspot.com Tiffany Goff Smith http://www.southerngalsdesign.blogspot.com Heather Rats Otto http://www.thecrafthopper.com Anitra Gordy Boyers www.leelucreations.blogspot.com  Marlene Cupo http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com Shelley Graham Turner              http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com

F.F.#12 & Randomness

..well... randomness first, maybe ;)

I'm actually going to get this written and scheduled to post early... it's 9pm thursday as I'm writing this.

okay... 9:02 ... but the point is, I decided not to make you wait until I got home on Friday and found the energy to get it done. this gives you several more hours to get your entries in... for a giveaway that's open for an entire month, anyhow...

I WAS actually going to do this even earlier, but.... got distracted. No no making things... I do have things that need to be made, including a no-knit scarf that is currently sitting on my photo background board in little piles of yarn with tacks holding my top knots in place. That's as far as I got... and that's attempt number two... attempt one I had tacked to my door to work on and keep things from getting tangled but...that just killed my shoulders, back and neck...after five minutes >.< 

So yeah, that came down and I attached it to my board instead... and it's been sitting on the chair behind me for two days now, untouched :)  So no, that's not what distracted me.

Shaiha's ( of Shaiha's Ramblings ) hubbie, Saje, is an author. I've known this for as long as I've known her. I kept meaning to check out some of his books but never got around to it.

 Until today.

This evening, actually.

 I dropped in to Samhain Publishing and bought two of his ebooks. I'm half way through the one already. THAT's why I was distracted.

 A book nabbed me.

I made myself stop reading so I'd have time to get this posted before I head off to bed. 

Otherwise, I'd have continued to read.

Right, okay... had other things to say, but my distraction distracted me so... giveaway time?

By the way, sorry everyone, but Renetha was on the ball and nabbed her prize before there was even a chance of me giving it to someone else ;)

That just means you'll have to try to win this bundle instead.

And yes, as mentioned, it's another soup centered around a Marsha Neil focal :)

A collection of  gemstone, Czech glass, copper, and porcelain beads, plus a copper toggle... that kinda got half buried under the one coin.. sorry.. >.<  It's a pretty flower/vine toggle ;) Oh, and two little bundles of  cording.

And yes..I DID include two of my skulls... because.

... don't ask why...I'm really not sure... they just kinda jumped into the pile and I grudgingly let them stay there ;)

Anyhow, want to try and win them?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the instructions on Rafflecopter to enter as many times as you can. Some may offer the chance to enter once a day, so read carefully ;)