Little Jars

I wanted to share with you some of my latest thrift store finds.

















I recently got a new shelf for my beads and have been looking for some interesting jars to keep my beads in.

















I really love these jars. I hope Ruthie enjoyed them as much as I do.

















All of these little bowls and jars were ninety nine cents each at the St. Vincent de Paul in Westland, MI with the exception of the two in the middle. Those were a little over a dollar and came from the Value World in Westland. I'd personally recommend the St. V de P for things like this as they seem to have a larger assortment.

This necklace is one of my favorites. Purple pearls with purple swarovski crystals and silver stars. I wear this one often.

These are green swarovski crystals and with white pearls and green ribbon. It used to be part of a necklace. I wasn't pleased with how the necklace came out. I think it makes a better bracelet.

Fire Opal

Fire opal swarovski crystals with white pearls and white ribbon. This necklace was inspired by one of Stephanie's latest creations. Lately I have enjoyed using ribbons in my work.

I want everything money can't buy

I want to be a part of something larger than myself
I want to be made to believe I am beautiful
(not just told)
I want to feel that I am worth loving
I want to be the crying shoulder
the sympathetic ear
the helping hand
I want to lay my hands upon others
upon the world and make it heal
I want to be the light in the darkness
I want to be loved
I want to be needed
held close and cherished
I want to be worth someone's time
I want to sleep without nightmares
I want to hope again
to wish again
without wondering why I bother
I want everyday to be the best day of my life
I want to be worth it
to be loved.

~ from 2005

Bargain Hunting

I believe it's an admirable trait. And these days, one needs to cut as many corners as possible just to get by.

That being said, we went to Mongolian Barbecue for dinner. All food was half off tonight and the kids ate for free. So we got dinner for two adults and two kids plus lunch for myself for tomorrow and a dessert for $15.88 + tip.

That's a pretty good bargain.

The Sea Queen's Broken Heart

I got this heart in a little shop in North Carolina when we went to Myrtle Beach last summer. I love how the cracked glass looks as if it has been weathered by the salty sea air.
























The green beads are flourite, malachite, and jade. The blue ones are dyed freshwater pearls, a dyed mother of pearl coin, apatite, sodalite and blue glass.

Twinkle

Here is a necklace I made recently. I usually work with crystal, but I'm very pleased with how this one came out.
























The beads (from left to right) are:

6 mm round rhodochrosite
faceted garnet
red glass
opalite disc
faceted labradorite
3 6mm round blue goldstone
faceted cherry quartz
4mm round opalite
purple glass heart
faceted apatite
mother of pearl with 6 mm faceted jade

I apologize for not being very descriptive with my components. Most of them had been floating around in my bead box for a while before I decided to use them for this project. I bought them at The Bead Gallery in Ann Arbor, MI.

The pendant is a wooden disc that I stamped and then embellished with gel pens and finished with a matte spray sealer so it wouldn't rub off.

Greetings

Hello friends ~

We're here to chronicle our adventures in art and motherhood, and the mixing of the two. Imagine, if you will:

Two sisters, four children ages two through five, two houses scattered from basement to roof with beads, markers, toys, bits of paper, cats, photographs, crayons, paintbrushes, stickers, and piles of projects in various stages of completion.

This is our life. Our beautiful, creative, chaotic life.