Local News!

Well, I guess you could say I've been a bit neglectful with my blog posts!

But, now I've got something exciting to share! A fellow blogger (and a girl from my neighborhood) is opening a brick and mortar shop on November 29!

An exciting new place called Urban Farmgirl will feature vintage goods & pretty things including painted furniture, artisan jewelry, handmade soaps and other lovelies...just in time for the holidays!

If you're out and about, stop in and say hello to Mary...please tell her Mona sent you!

Sanctuary Redux

American Pickers, eat your hearts out!

Back in April, my husband and I were on our way home when I spotted this beauty, sitting on the side of the road, waiting to be picked up by whomever had the where-with-all to do so! I screamed at him to pull over, as I HAD to have it! He drove right past it, of course, reminding me the whole while that I was nuts. "Well," I said, "we've known that for quite sometime...just get back there!" After only a little begging, we did, only to realize that we couldn't get it into my vehicle. We had to locate a truck...and fast!

We managed to borrow a truck and get back to it before some other person with great vision grabbed it up (a dozen people probably tried but realized this behemoth weighed a ton!), and get it to the garage where it sat until September...

Got the kids back to school, then got busy! Scrubbed it up a little, changed out the glass in the doors and... (did I mention that I had to pay a couple of really nice guys to move it up and into the studio?)

TAH DAH!! What do you think?

The Best Gift!

I have a sweet girlfriend (and a sweet daughter). She's a fellow jewelry artist. She does great work. She sends me presents...we send each other things that no one else understands. Here's her latest gift to me...


A lovely gift that arrived in yesterdays mail...found copper wire to use in some of my creations. Not too many would understand the delight in receiving such a gift!
(Heart, compliments of my daughter--she couldn't help but to shape the coated wire and leave it in the pile for me to find.) Simply lovely...it's the small things...

If you have a chance, go see my friend's work at http://www.michelesartjewelry.etsy.com

Permission or Validation?!

I recently purchased the latest copy of a book by Mary Randolph Carter entitled
A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of A Misspent Life. I adore the book! I've been a fan of Ms. Carter's books for years (American Junk, Kitchen Junk, Garden Junk, Big City Junk) but have never before felt compelled to paint their titles on my doors!

In this case, I simply couldn't help myself!!

An Ode to Coral

Thanks so much to Kelli Hunter at House of JoLeigh for featuring one of my bracelets, as well as beautiful items from many etsy artisans and other sources in her blog post entitled "Coral-Spiration." Simply beautiful! Please visit her lovely blog...

http://houseofjoleigh.blogspot.com/2010/08/coral-spiration.html

An Abundance of Pieces: Miranda's Inspiration

A Place to Create

My 16-year-old daughter, Miranda, recently wrote this poem for a poetry reading at her school, just before school let out for the summer. I was out of town, unable to attend the reading. In retrospect, it's probably a good thing....It touched me so...I can't imagine how I would have been able to hold back my tears in public. And now, I can't help myself but to share it with all of you.


A Place to Create

An abundance of pieces
Parts of lives once lived
Inspirations of hope and love
Memories and reminders of times to come
Years of collection have led to this
To give new life to old

Shiny, soft, scratchy, smooth
These remnants of the past
They whisper amongst the creaks and hums
One day, they say, we will live and love again

Eight Principles of Fun

A dear young lady sent this to me today...it speaks volumes.
I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.eightprinciples.com/

Thank you!

Thanks to Shiela for finding and featuring mLindvall...inspired design on her website!
http://makingjewelrysupplies.com/

Featured!

I'm delighted to be featured in this wonderful 1920's inspired Etsy (east) treasury! Thanks so much to Katnawlins of http://www.katnawlins.etsy.com for her beautiful picks!

Here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bd0831f8dea8eef4e5978cf

Not for the Faint of Heart

This truly "wearable art", by Michele's Art Jewelry is not for the faint-hearted. It's big, bold, colorful and Beautiful! Her work in polymer clay, natural materials and mixed metals is awesome...see for yourself! Michele is an incredibly talented artist...

I'm especially fond of this necklace titled "Asian Dance"
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39933893

Please take a moment to stop by and visit her shop at http://www.michelesartjewelry.etsy.com

Hundreds of Etsy sellers have come together in a shop called "Hearts for Haiti" to donate 100% of the proceeds of their work to Doctors Without Borders:

Please take a look... http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartsforHaiti

you may be inspired to buy something, or even contribute an
item to the shop, knowing all the money will go to this very important
cause.

Etsy Treasuries

These treasuries feature some magnificent work by some incredibly talented artists! I can't take credit for putting them together, but am so happy to be able to share them here.









http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102057
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102248
www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102249

The Christmas Tree is Decorated!

The Christmas tree is finally decorated...NOW it feels like Christmas! Of course, it looks a little bare...until Santa arrives on Christmas Eve....

Buy Handmade this Christmas

(I think) My son needs new shoes. And, my husband says he needs a new pair of slippers. So, for Christmas, I'm asking Santa for these two items. In these two cases, he'll probably have to buy retail. After that, I'm requesting that Santa turn to handmade...for all the rest of my family's gifts. And, it's a BIG family.

Please, consider handmade for your holiday gifts this year...there are so many incredible artisans all over the world!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In Rockford, Illinois, on October 17th, Rockford Woman magazine will sponsor a brunch following the Victory Lap walk for Breast Cancer.
Find an event in your town this month and attend or support in honor of all our girlfriends, sisters, mothers, aunts, or anyone else that we know that has been touched by this disease.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this year (it's parent's weekend at college!) but I've contributed some of my work for the raffle. Please find a way to support this very important cause.

Sanctuary

This is where I work and play...where I think I can go to be alone and work in peace. But, as soon as I sit down (at least at night), someone seems to always follow (namely, my beautiful 15 year old daughter, who prefers my computer to the house computer)!

At any rate, it appears somewhat messy but every time I try to organize myself I can never seem to find anything. So, I generally wind up with most things out...I can simply scan the joint and find what I need when I need it!
If you're ever in the area, stop by...we can play together!

what to do with all those boxes?!

So, you know all those boxes that we've saved forever? The ones that take up so much space? You know the ones I'm referring to. We save them, thinking "I'll recycle them by sending out jewelry when I make a sale." Until we make a sale and go to use them, but they have someone else's name or logo on them. Hmm...

I'm taking my son (my first child) to college in Washington, D.C. tomorrow. We live in Illinois...
I was surfing on etsy the other day and found this wonderful stone pendant at www.steppingstones.etsy.com
God Bless the seller as she got it to me in time for my trip!
This is how her description read: "So calming, like a worry stone, you can just reach up and rub!" How fitting. It's a bit bittersweet, this trip. I'm not really worried about him, as he's flourished into such a wonderful, capable young man. I'll just miss him terribly.

Tree of Life Necklace

I was utterly delighted as I was making this piece. It was my first online sale. And, going to a very special home in Serbia!