Earrings for Sophia

In my last blog post I said that I wanted to make a pair of earrings for my granddaughter though I had very little time left before our trip. She likes earrings and all things girly and on my last trip to see her she asked me to make her some earrings. I know if I show up without the earrings she will be very disappointed. She wants dangling earrings like the big girls (she is 2)but her mom said no. So I figured if I made her something cutsy it might make up for them not dangling. I managed to make her 3 pairs of earrings, all polymer clay...quick and easy, a pair of sunflowers, a pair of orange flip flops and a pair of chocolate covered donuts(that hang off of a post, just a little dangle). I think she will be satisfied, not sure about her mom though.

More Sewing???

Yesterday I finished my second little summer dress for my granddaughter, Sophia. The first one took me about 4 hours but the second one took a little less than 2 hours, and I think it actually turned out a little better than the first, though I will NEVER be a seamstress. The little dresses were a bit easier than the apron that I attempted to make for my daughter last week. The last time I saw little Sophia she loved the pair of earrings I was wearing and asked me to make her a pair just like them. They were a bit too big for a child her age(she is 2), but I told her I would make a special pair just for her. So that is my next project, and I have to have them done by tonight. I have to start packing by tomorrow for our weekend trip up to visit them.

The Lovely Blog Award

I received the Lovely Blog Award from SiSi http://origamibysisi.blogspot.com and and Andrea http://andreawdesigns.blogspot.com. I am passing on this award to the following people.

1. Christian Crafters Guild http://christiancraftersguild.blogspot.com
2. Consider The Lillies http://considerthelillies09.blogspot.com
3. Consider The Coffee http://considerthecoffee.blogspot.com
4. Dip Your Toes into something new http://worthburning.blogspot.com
5. Fabulously Funky http://j2fabfunk.blogspot.com/
6. Larky Lady's Lingerings http://milarks.blogspot.com/
7. Rustic Roses http://rusticroses.blogspot.com/
8. Sassy Pink Boutique http://sassypinkboutique.blogspot.com
9. Studio JRU http://studiojru.blogspot.com/
10. The Cotton Monster http://cottonmonster.blogspot.com/
11. Very Pretty Things http://myveryprettythings.blogspot.com/
12. yakity yak y'all come back http://jewelrybyfyfe.blogspot.com/
13. You Gonna Eat All That? http://yougonnaeatallthat.blogspot.com/
14. lillyella http://lillyella.blogspot.com/
15. Franciebags http://franciebags.blogspot.com/


Here are the rules
1. Accept the award, post in your blog together with the name of the person or people who gave it to you and a link to their blog.
2. Pass the award to other 15 blogs that you have newly discovered.
3. Contact the bloggers you award to let them know that they were chosen.

My Attempt At Sewing.....

I have a newfound respect for all those who, with or without patterns, sew dresses, skirts, shirts, and outfits of any kind. I decided to try my hand at sewing, after all, I have been making my own curtains for years. I've also made pillows and even made a slipcover for my sofa a few years back. I figured I'd start with something simple so I bought a pattern for a cute little summer dress for my granddaughter...but then I saw the pattern for aprons. It said 'EASY' on the envelope so I figured I'd give it a try. I bought this cute fabric with bunches of bananas all over it and decided it would be a perfect gift for my daughter with her yellow kitchen. You would think that someone who buys a pattern marked 'easy' is a beginner with very little sewing experience. However, the pattern manufacturers don't assume that. The directions were almost as if I were reading a different language (thank goodness it comes with pictures). The simple apron took me two full days to complete (mostly because of reading and re-reading the pattern instructions). The completed apron is....usable, and I think my daughter will like it, but I had to improvise a bit. It did not turn out exactly as it should have.



I still intend to make the summer dress for my granddaughter but if it is anything like the apron it will probably be my last sewing project.

Buttonwilloe - Original designs that will bless your heart.

I found this site on Artfire and love her work. She is new to Artfire but not to her craft. According to her bio, she has been sculpting since the early 70's and working with polymer clay since the 1990. I think my favorite is the Lion and the Lamb ornament. To visit her site click on the title of this post.

Affordable Bag Designs

I decided to check out Etsy and Artfire for purses. I have this thing about finding the perfect purse. I have been searching for years and still haven't found it, though my husband would question that fact with all the purses in my closet. The purse will have to have a lot of room but not be too big. I also would like it to have at least one outside pocket for my cell phone. And it has to attractive without being gawdy. Price point is a factor also. Anyway, I stumbled upon Affordable Bag Designs on Artfire, and I really liked what I saw. She has three bags that I like and can't decide between. I am torn between her Crimson and Vanilla Purse, Laura Ashley English Country Purse, and Big Brown Bear Bag. Maybe you can check out her site and let me know your opinion. She also has a site on etsy by the same name. Her Etsy site shows that she has a 100% rating for feedback and has made 50 sales. I like a lot of her purses on the Etsy site also, but my three favorite are from her Artfire shop (mostly because of the outer pocket).

Jagger- Rest in Peace

Jagger, our family's pet for the past 14 years, passed away today. Jagger first arrived at our house in May of 1995, an adorable little mixed breed puppy. He was part black lab, part chow and something else that we couldn't identify, but obviously a smaller breed because he never got bigger than in the picture above. He was always a good natured dog and very affectionate. When we adopted two kittens he quickly took to them and became their protector. My daughters and I named him 'Jagger' after a character on General Hospital, not after Mick Jagger as many people assumed. Full grown, he still looked like a puppy, weighing only 23 pounds. Over the past year and a half he became deaf and had developed cataracts. The last few days we knew it was only a matter of time, he would have a hard time walking steady. We will miss him terribly, and so will the cats.

Waldo Contest

Today marks the first day of the 'Waldo' contest on Shops With Less Than 5 Sales (on Artfire) of which I am a member. The rules are simple, on the Guild Blog there is a list of shops. A contestant must visit each shop and find their 'Waldo' item. The item will have the phrase "you've found Waldo" somewhere in it's description. Once you have found all the 'Waldo' items you will have to contact the guild leader. The first person with all the correct items wins. For more information about this contest please go to the guild blog at http://shopswithlesssalesartfire.blogspot.com/2009/06/wheres-waldo-princess-for-day-themed.html

Days Gone By - Butterfly Necklace

This feminine butterfly necklace is the first piece in my new line of vintage style jewelry. The line is called "Days Gone By" and each piece will be a one of a kind piece. I will not be duplicating any items in this line. If you like this necklace I will be listing it on Artfire, so look for it there at www.jessesgrandma.artfire.com.

Three New Pairs of Earrings

Some of my newer creations. Green Apple earrings I just listed on Etsy. They are the wire wrapped coil with the green bead. I find myself wanting to work more and more with wire and wire wrapping. I have several pieces of wire wrapped jewelry on Artfire. The two other pairs of earrings above will be listed soon on Artfire.

Time With The Grandkids

Last month my husband and I went to visit our grandkids in Alabama for a week. We have a small house in downtown Gadsden just 3 blocks from my daughter, Cindy's house. Because both Cindy and her husband work, little Sophia is in daycare...but not when mama and papa visit. Sophia is a beautiful, smart, sweet little fireball. She is two, need I say more. Her brother, Jesse, is 9 and he is a wonderful, understanding, loving brother. (He doesn't really have a choice with Sophia). The first day of our visit, Sophia, excited to see us, came running up our walkway wearing flip-flops and flopped right at our porch step hitting her little face on the brick step. Poor Sophia had a nice little black eye and cut under her eye...but it only slowed her down for about 5 minutes. She was quickly back to normal. Because we don't see the kids as often as we would like, whenever we visit we try to bring them a present each. Sophia's present was a cheerleading kit with pom-poms, a floor mat and a instructional DVD. She loved it and by the time we left to come back to Florida she was cheering right along with the girls on the DVD. We like to try and do something special with each child whenever we visit. For example, on our last visit we went to Hobby Lobby and bought melt and pour soaps and cute candy molds and each made their own special soaps. This trip Sophia and I made blueberry muffins and Papa and Jesse made an exploding volcano.
On the weekend when Cindy and her husband were home, we all went on a picnic at Noccalula Falls and afterwards we went to this area on Rainbow Drive across from a park where the kids could play in the huge water fountain type fun area.I really can't wait to go back, the area is beautiful and so are my grandkids.

Birdy, Birdy In The Sky

Shopping Day

I really needed to get out of the house today, it was just one of those days. I didn't have any important errands to run, though I did have to mail a package to an Etsy customer, so I went thrift store browsing. I hit two of the local thrift stores, St. Vincent de Paul where I spent all of $3.00 on 3 small decorative items, and Goodwill where I spent $7.00 on a "Alabama" plate and a small gnome. Before I headed home I had to stop at the local Target store where I found an adorable straw picnic basket. My daughter has been looking for one just like it for a while now so I bought it for her. Now that I am back home I think I will continue my shopping on-line. Some of my favorite etsy shops are coffeeandcream.etsy.com, considerthelillies.etsy.com, thelillyofthevalley.etsy.com, thecozynest.etsy.com. Also on Artfire check out www.fr8rain.artfire.com. This shop has commerical grade elastic and lace.

Halloween Candy Origami Earrin ArtFire Artisan origamibysisi handmade Jewelry Earrings Paper

Halloween Candy Origami Earrin ArtFire Artisan origamibysisi handmade Jewelry Earrings Paper
I recently joined a guild on Artfire called 'Shops With Less Than 5 Sales', that is how I stumbled upon Origami by SiSi. This shop has some very interesting pieces, all origami. I purchased a pair of earrings called "Halloween Candy" and I received them this past weekend. I couldn't be any happier with my purchase, the earrings are perfect. I am amazed at the construction of the piece especially because it is so small. This is definitely a shop worth checking out.

How Often Does This Happen?

How many times have you been on the road when someone makes a stupid move that nearly causes an accident? Is there ever a cop around when that happens? Not usually! Sunday, while driving on Interstate 75, a woman switched lanes without looking and nearly ran us off the road. Luckily there was no one in the lane next to us so an accident was averted. After catching my breathe I turned to see if the woman even realized what she had done. She didn't seem to have a clue but she was about to find out. Lights started flashing behind her, she was being pulled over. I witnessed first hand, how good it felt to have a cop around when you needed him.

New Kitten

Hubby and I decided to adopt a gray kitten that was living in our yard. We brought her (I think its a her) in before the rain and she took to the house immediately. She used the litter box without any hesitation and already seems to be a lap cat, purring contently whether on my lap or hubby's. We haven't named her yet, unable to decide between a few. So far we have come up with Sabrina, Stormy, or Cloud. I am not too crazy about Cloud, but it might be a good name if she turns out to be a he. Suggestions would be appreciated.