Cute Key Chain

I needed a new key chain and had the bright idea to make my own, this beading thing really is handy! I looked through my stash of beads and nothing jumped out at me, so I headed to the bead store hoping something would call out to me. I was drawn to this kind of funky lampwork rectangle bead that has a thumb indentation and a nice swirl of grey, brown and tan.

The materials used for my cute key chain are a sterling silver heart charm, Swarovoski mocca bicone crystals (that are being swallowed up by the large hole in the rondelle beads, you can just see them peeking out at the top and bottom), sterling silver saucer and round beads, lampwork flower rondelle and rectangle beads, the whole thing is wire wrapped using 22 gauge sterling silver wire.

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You like? I think it turned out very nice! Just as cute as can be.

A Gift of Love

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Gift of Love

Christmas is a gift of love

That can't be bought or sold,

It's ours, just for the asking

And it's worth far more than gold;

And this priceless gift of Christmas

is within the reach of all,

The rich, the poor, the young and old,

The greatest and the small;

So take God's Christmas gift of love,

Reach out and you receive,

And the only payment that God asks

Is just that you believe.

-Helen Steiner Rice

I pray that you are enjoying celebrating the birthday of Jesus and looking forward 2009! We are having several lazy days and enjoying being off work and school, I did manage to sneak in two days at the gym last week and even worked out this morning.

Our Christmas day was nice, I opted out of preparing the traditional Christmas dinner and had broiled steaks, steamed shrimp, roasted potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, and spicy green beans. We had the pleasure of having niece Lindsay with us this Christmas.

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," John 1:14.

Glamorous on a Chain!

My mother-in-law needed a pair of black and red earrings, so I made these little dangles for her using silver-plated clip-on ear wire, black Czech glass faceted round beads, Siam Swarovski faceted round crystal, sterling silver flat and round beads all wrapped with 22 gauge sterling silver wire. They were a big hit with her.

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This next piece was a lot of fun to make and I am really pleased at how it turned out, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. I love interchangeable jewelry, and wanted to do something using a sterling silver chain that had interchangeable pendants. Here is my latest creation...

The first interchangeable pendant features a large Swarovski copper crystal, with three dangles that have beads in brown, copper and cream, various shaped sterling beads and lobster claw clasp.

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The second one has a large red and black ceramic hand painted bead as the center piece with three dangles that include black and garnet beads, various shaped sterling silver beads and lobster claw clasp. Even the back of the necklace has a bit of sparkle, I wire wrapped a Swarovski faceted round crystal to enclose the end of the chain to sterling silver lobster claw clasp and eye.

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I've worn the necklace with the crystal pendant two or three times, and received many compliments on it, I got a "WOW" from Eric the first time he saw it! Glamorous on a chain.

Chocolate Beauty

My mom wanted to learn how to bead, so I told her that a bracelet would be a great first time project, our first step would be to pick out a color to work with and that was easy because she bought a new suit while she was here and wanted something to go with the suit, so brown was the color choice.

The next step would be the "hardest" - coming up with a design. So armed with all the brown beads that I had on hand she played around with the beads until she came up with a looked she liked. Ma went with a random monochromatic pattern of glass beads in various sizes, shapes, and to give it a little more sparkle she picked beautiful mocca Swarovski crystals along with a sterling silver toggle clasp. Take a look at her beautiful chocolate bracelet...

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Another happy beader!

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Red Hot!

This is a scrumptious Siam bracelet and earring set with Swarovski cube and bicone crystals, Bali double square and flat beads, Sterling silver beads, tube, ear wire and clasp. You have to see this one in person to appreciate the beauty. Feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge.

This set would be perfect for your:

• birthstone
  
• the birthstone of your children
  
• your favorite color

Embroidery Lesson

While my mother was visiting with us for Thanksgiving, she taught the kids how to embroidery. We went to one of the craft stores and purchased a kit with the design stamped on the pillowcases, ours is called Passion Flowers. The kit included two pillowcases and instructions, I purchased the floss separately, only to return home to find my stash of floss in my cross-stitch bag. We choose to get only one kit, just in case they didn't really want to do the craft.

I was a little surprised that both kids were excited about learning how to embroidery, we thought it would take them at least a couple of day, perhaps even weeks to complete the project, but no - they would have finished in one afternoon only I made them pack it up so that we could have dinner! Here are a few pictures of Gene and Nicole's first embroidery class, taught by their Grandma Agnes:





Knot tying was the only tricky part for both. Ma taught them to tie a knot every few stitches, so that in case a section was accidentally cut the whole piece would not unravel. Good tip!






The kids did an excellent job. They wanted to do more, so we went back to the craft store the next day to purchase another set of pillowcases.

Holiday Bead Challenge

BeadL Jewlz, one of the bead stores in Fredericksburg had a Holiday Bead Challenge. They wanted to see how many different styles of bracelets can be designed using the same beads. You could not duplicate the two samples the store provided for inspiration, and you had to use all the green fire polished beads, and some of the red seed beads and bugle beads. We were free to add our own sterling silver, gold filled or copper beads, and a clasp.

The deadline was November 29, and I have had my beads for awhile but only started my bracelet Thanksgiving day, just days before the deadline! My first design was a double stand and was all finished except for crimping the last crimp bead, and while doing that I cracked the tiny seed bead and couldn't salvage the bracelet. Then I had another design pop into my head, use copper wire to make dangles - Eric said they looked like resisters so I didn't make anymore. Then finally I just went with my favorite mode - plain and simple, and here is what I came up with....

Friday, Eric dropped on my bracelet off at the store and Monday my mom, the kids and I went to the store to check out all the designs. They only had four bracelets submitted. The two bracelets on the left (top and bottom) are what the bead store designs. They all are beautiful...

Here is Boscoe, the bead store "manager", he is a full-figured kitty that is SO lovable so I had to add him.

I really enjoyed the Bead Challenge and I'm looking forward to the next one, they are thinking about Valentine's Day. Next time, I will not wait until the eleventh hour to make my project!

Blueberry Swirl

My mother was able to come up to spend Thanksgiving with us again this year! She will be 83 in February - hard to believe because she looks much younger.

I wanted to do something special for her, so I made her a jewelry set to go with a outfit she would wear to church while here. The set features 6mm Czech Pearls in Royal Blue, 4mm Freshwater Pearls in Peacock, 6mm round Montana Blue crystals, large Glass Beads in a puffed square and a puffed heart, Sterling silver round and flat beads and Sterling silver clasp.

Here is the 7" bracelet, I really like the oval Sterling silver clasp, it would have been nice to have a square shaped toggle, but didn't have one.

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The crystals really sparkle in this 20" necklace.

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Here are the earrings that mom designed using Silver plated pierced look clip ear wire. The bead store didn't have any Sterling silver clip-ons, they came four in a pack so I have enough to make my mother-in-law a pair earrings as well.

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I forgot to take Mom's picture Sunday while she was wearing everything - aah. Trust me, she looked great! While I has happily beading, mom was teaching Gene and Nicole how to embroidery, I will share those picture later.

Home Baked and Yummy!

I got a new recipe from a friend and wanted to try them out for Thanksgiving for my family, I was just about to start getting out all the ingredients when Nicole asked if she could help. This is a FIRST, so I told her "Sure, go wash you hands!".

I wanted to double the recipe, but if Nicole had known in advance that math, and more specific FRACTIONS would be involved, I don't think she would have volunteered. This was a great lesson! For some reason I don't think my kids realize that math is math - whether a lesson for school or life.

I could only find my Pampered Chef muffin stone (I've still not unpacked everything from when we moved!) Eric and Gene went to the store to buy us another tin, and arrived just in time for the last filling. Here is Nicole eating the leftover sweet potato...

Look how pretty! Of course everyone had to try one or two after they cooled!

I got the recipe from my friend, Devildogwife , they are easy and extremely good, they were a huge hit at our house. Here is the recipe in case you would like to try it, be sure to let me know if you make them!

Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe


Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup flour

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 Cup vegetable oil (or preferred oil)

2 Tbsp evaporated milk

1 Cup mashed yams

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in sugar, eggs, oil, and milk. Stir in mashed yams. Grease muffin tins and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes. Cool in pan.

Note: These freeze well, so go ahead and make a double or triple batch.

Enjoy!