SleepOver Saturday

Who doesn't love a sleepover? Especially when you're eight, are staying with your aunt and uncle who dote on you and get to be the 'only' kid for 24 hours...my niece Sophie slept over on Saturday night and we had a blast. I filled the pantry with her favorites - Smarties, chocolate milk, cashews and raspberries - and she arrived with all our usual entertainment - facepaint, a notebook for writing stories and several bags of beads for jewely making. We fit it all in, including her basketball game, a neighborhood walk, watching some Olympics on TV (she would like to be in the Olympics someday, and win a medal in either curling or singing...yes, singing:) and facepainting her uncle while he slept on Sunday morning. That sent us into hysterical giggles!

Here is the pair of earrings she made for me - what a sweetie!

TransCanadaEtsyTeam February Challenge - Snow!

This month the Trans Canada Etsy Team is hosting a new challenge for it's members ~ make something inspired by our great Canadian winters and all that snow!

Anyone who knows me (or has even read one recent post here on my blog) will be aware that I have mixed feelings about winter - especially a long cold one. This winter has been especially mild with a minumum of snow in our neck of the woods which is definitely my kinda winter!

Snow Bound Earrings reflect my contariness - lovely pristine whites and grays combined with a feeling of being bound by the cold and snow!

Voting begins on the evening of Tuesday, February 23 HERE, on the team blog! Drop by and pick YOUR favorite!

Sunshine Award!

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world. The 'rules' are to post the award on your blog and then pass the award on to 12 other bloggers. Link the nominees within your post. Let them know they've received the award by commenting on a post. Then, lastly, share the love and link to the person from whom you've received the award.

What a lovely surprise to find I had received the Sunshine Award from the lovely Wychbury!

Thanks ladies!

...and here are my nominations ( the first 6, anyway!)

1. Rough Magic Creations - Mollie's happy generous spirit and wonderful sense of humor is evident in all she does! She reaches out and touches everyone with delightful 'downeast' charm!

2. Ginny's Blog - Ginny's venture into the land of blogging has been a leap into the unkown - I admire her determination to 'learn' the ropes and her easy way.

3. A Cottage in the Woods - Zuzu's magic is inescapable when you open the gate of her absolutely gorgeous, inspiring blog - I could live there!

4. Knee Deep Studio - Rebecca shares her unique paintings, music and amazing photography of her mountain home - beautifully inspiring!

5. Suzula Sez - Suz's new blog features many wonderful creations as well as some of my favorite vintage finds! Suz also shares lovely bits about her family (furry members too!) and home!

6. Cat Ludwig Studio - Cat is simply one of my favorite photographers and I love to visit and be inspired by her talent!

Hope you enjoy and are inspired as well!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love to a Stranger

Love to a Stranger Treasury Challenge

Join the challenge...between Feb.12 and 14, nab a treasury and call it 'Love to a Stranger'. All 16 squares should be shops you've never included in a treasury (they don't have to be brand new shops - just new to you). PipingHotPapers inspired this idea last year and it's ON again! See what new shops you can discover and pass it on...here's mine!

'A great photograph is...'

'A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels

about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.'

~Ansel Adams

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These artists are among my favorite photographers and have fully captured that essence.

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Pink Dahlia Still Life by NatureMandalas

a good egg by GabrielleKai

Glass Teapot by theeye

Fairway Balloons by urbandesign

Solitude by CatLudwigStudio

Always vogue by ajawin

Gemmies for Spring!

Spring Fever washes over me sometime in December...and usually, doing something that involves color, pretty happy color as an antidote, lifts my spirits and carries me through! Here is what the doctor ordered this week!

First Crocus - Orchid Purple Chalcedony

Lemonade Earrings - Pale Lemon Yellow Chalcedony topped with ruby,

sapphire, citrine and other lovely little gems!

Bouquet Earrings - Crystal Quartz with a bouquet of flower colored gemstones

Ballerina Earrings - Aqua Chalcedony Diamond Briolettes wearing tutus of fluorite in watery shades of blue and green

Love my new Moo cards!

My new Moo cards arrrived this week - I love them! All the photos have been updated with happy bright colors for spring and summer. I'm so excited to send them out with my orders! Moo is a fabulous company - great communication and customer service, wonderful products (including recycled choices) and speedy delivery - a real pleasure to work with!

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I think I have almost as much fun packaging my jewelry as I do making it. This photo shows a sample - orange and pink are a favorite color combination of mine and I'm always on the hunt for ribbons to match!