Good Things Come In 3's

A friend of mine from high school days asked me if I would make a necklace for her using the same concept as the "Spirit" earrings pictured below.

She has 3 children, and said that she is always drawn to things in 3's for that reason. So I developed this design for her necklace. I'm really glad that she asked me to do this and like how it turned out.

Anna's Big Day

I have 2 sons. Fortunately, God knew that I needed some girls in my life too, so he blessed me with 2 lovely nieces! 

Liz, whom I featured here last fall, is currently studying abroad in the Middle East. I miss her so very much. :-(

Liz (photo by Daniel Martin)

My other niece, Anna, just recently had an exciting milestone which I was invited to witness. She got her ears pierced! It was so thoughtful of her mom to ask me to come along. 

My boys and I went with Anna, her brothers and her mom to the mall to the exact same place where I got my ears pierced about 25 years ago. 

Everyone was giving their opinion on which earrings to choose!

Here she is, looking brave and excited before the anticipated moment...

No turning back now!

Just as quickly as it started, it was over. 
Anna was all smiles...
Her mom and I were all tears! We looked at each other and both of us had no idea why we were crying! 
All of a sudden, I remembered waiting at the airport to meet the energetic little girl and her twin brother who flew across the world to join our extended family. My mind tucked today's memory into the picture. Then I started imagining prom pictures...graduation...wedding gowns...

Anna is growing up. 
And it's happening quickly. 

And it makes me sad and happy at the same time.

I'm so glad that God chose me to be your aunt!

I love you, Anna-banana!

Treasury of Talent

I enjoy creating treasury lists on Etsy. The process is a productive source of inspiration for my own designs. These colors are my favorites right now! 

The talent represented by artisans on Etsy is unbelievable, as shown in this treasury below. Enjoy browsing and feel free to click on the links to see more items from each artisan's shop. The green canning jars and aqua glass vases are from the "vintage" section on Etsy. All other items are handmade...beautifully, I might add.

 "Sentimental"

Elegant Vintage Stangl ... onceuponafiref... $12	Decorative Lumbar Pillo... couchdwellers $16	Spring Cardigan Dress T... ShopModAntoine... $32	Rare Light Blue/ Aqua S... FeliciaGraceDe... $200
Pottery Green Washer Be... CapturedMoment... $5.25	Cream Sweater Knit Infi... JANNYSGIRL $20	Brown/Aqua/Lime Green -... MagnoliaQuilts $100	Green pearl earrings. C... CreativityJewe... $35
Turquoise Stoneware Pla... virginiawyomin... $76.5	copper, teal decor, Oce... SeeLifeShine $28	1 Antique FRENCH CANNIN... FrenchKlimBim $18.5	Knitted Bag, NzLbags - ... NzLbags $155
Citrus Sunshine Yellow ... AlaiynaBSoaps $7.5	Striped Sheer Curtains ... lushlivings $74	Mosaic Tiles - AQuA FLo... katiedesigns4u $18	Shabby Chic Vintage Sof... RedEggBoutique $25

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Grow Old Along With Me

Photo credit: RubySky Photography

Happy Valentine's Day to my husband...

my lover, my partner, my best friend.

Today is also a milestone birthday for me. While I'm not thrilled about this particular birthday, my husband has lifted my spirits by planning a very special (surprise!) trip for us. 

I'm blessed to be able to grow old with him. 

The best is yet to come!

 

Another Published Piece!

Nearly a year ago, I submitted a design to BeadStyle Magazine for publication. Excitedly, I opened the email which informed me that my design had been selected to appear in a magazine...but I would have to wait a whole year to see it published! The year has passed, and this week I finally got to see this magazine. It is a special edition published by BeadStyle, and has great earring ideas.

My earrings are on page 11 in the "Turquoise" section. 

"Arizona"

Stay tuned for another publication announcement in a couple months! :-)

Red Poppy

In 2012, I set a goal for myself to submit some designs for the chance at publication in jewelry design magazines. I'm happy to say that I submitted...goal accomplished! And even happier to say that I had 4 designs accepted in 2012! 

Pictured below is my bracelet design accepted and published by Jewelry Stringing in the Winter Issue. 

"Red Poppy" bracelet
(pictured on far right side of page)

I can't even describe how exciting it is to open up the magazine, knowing what's coming, and take in the sight of my creation on the page! I didn't squeal this time, but I'm pretty sure that my heart skipped a beat. :-)

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

I have been wanting to do a review on this cookbook that my friend published, but haven't gotten around to it. Now I see why I've been waiting! My friend Anneliese is reviewing it today on her blog, and I really could not have said it better myself!

Go here to Anneliese's blog for the review. AND if you're coming to my open house tonight, you will get to sample some of the very same goodies pictured on her blog and meet the author!

One of my BFF's, Mary Jo, and I sometimes work together on books. She is a graphic designer, and I am an editor. This book is the result of our collaborative work with the author. Now, go check it out! :-)

written by Jane Bryan