A VALENTINE BLESSING!!

We had a nice visit last evening with our son and daughter-in-law! They brought us a sweet, early Valentine card with this cute little magnet!! Ooh yes! We are going to be first-time grandparents in September!! Due date......on the new grandpa's birthday! :) We are an excited, happy family!!

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

Welcome to the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop. This blog hop was created by Lori Anderson, and designed around a special story of a personal friend and fellow blogger, so each of us could honor someone in our life who means to the world to us! So, today I chose my grandmothers. I learned so much from both of them. To sum it up......my paternal grandmother taught me about nature, hand embroidery, crocheting, my love of planting seeds and watching them grow, and let's not leave out my curiosity of insects! She loved to be outdoors! She always had a yard full of flowers and a vegetable garden. She also loved to cook and sew! My maternal grandmother was a tiny, little lady who loved her clothes, shoes, handbags, and hats! She didn't have much, but the items she had all coordinated! She loved being put together from head to toe when there was an important place to go!

When my paternal grandmother passed away, one of the many things I received of hers was her button box. This pretty powder box was where she stored all her extras.

She kept all sorts of little treasures and trinkets in here. I guess I'm like her because I am always cutting the buttons off of items of clothing that we decide to discard, just saving them for 'future reference' as my daughter would say!

After thinking about the many people I could honor in this hop, I remembered this little powder box I had hidden away, and I had my answer. I chose the turquoise-colored buttons to make my jewelry pieces with. I have wanted to make some button jewelry for a long time, so why not now? These are a plastic-type button with a shank and I thought they would be great for a first button-jewelry project. It's simple, but one I think I will enjoy. I hope you do, too!

This is where I am honoring the memory of my maternal grandmother....making that coordinating pair of earrings! I also had to add that sparkle for me. I love sparkle, glitter and shine! I know these pieces are not either of my grandmother's tastes, but I will enjoy them and always have their memory close. What good are they doing anyway sitting in that box in a closed drawer? 

Last, but not least, I knew I loved red, just like Marianna--the lady for whom the idea for this blog hop was created. You can read her story and her friendship with Lori and also see the entire list of bloggers that participated in this hop by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting! Hope to see you again soon!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

30 Day Challenge For Craft Month - March 2012

You're Invited!

In celebration of National Craft Month, FusionBeads.com is hosting a 30-day Bead Challenge for the month of March to anyone who wants to participate! Give your beading skills a workout by challenging yourself to as many of the daily beading activities as you can! It's a fun and creative way to grow as a beader and get more involved with the beading community, and you are welcome to share your creations on their Facebook wall and/or your blog!

My Daughter's Etsy Shop!

I have a very creative daughter that you haven't met, and now I would like to introduce you to her. Rachel has been a blessing to us since she arrived 16 years ago. Watching her grow has been the highlight of our lives. She has a beautiful smile and a big, beautiful heart to match! She also sings, dances, and loves her sport of softball! She has another artistic side, too. She has loved to draw and paint since she was big enough to hold an instrument in her hands.  Yesterday, she finally listed two items in her Etsy shop! Yay! She will be working on painting and listing more soon!  I would love for you visit her shop and she would be thrilled!!

Please click the link below to get there:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RachelCozetteArt?ref=ss_profile

She also has a blog that she would love for you to visit and/or follow: http://www.rachelsartcreations.blogspot.com/

I also have a post about her art on my other blog, Color My World, that you will find @  http://lisa-colormyworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/shes-been-very-busy.html.

Light at the End of the Tunnel!!

Well, I hope that's what I'm seeing anyway! Finally got to have the MRI done on my back last Thursday. That little pill they gave me to relax my fear of that closed-in space was a story within itself! I certainly gave my family a few good laughs for the afternoon! But, I made it through the test without crawling out of the machine and ticking everybody off! The nurse called today and I have bulging discs at L3 and 4 and L4 and 5 vertebrae, so off I go to see another doctor at the end of the month. Hopefully, I am getting closer to a conclusion for this pain I have endured since May! I am more than ready to be able to participate in life again!

BEAD SOUP REVEAL DAY

The time has come to reveal the fruits of our labor from the soup mix we received from our partners. My partner was Linda Murphy of Bonita Bead. I have a cousin with the same name, and immediately when I saw her name in the first list, I went to her blog to see if she was my cousin from CA. Well, it turned out she was not, but I have found another sweet friend through the Bead Soup Party. Thanks, Linda, for the beautiful soup mix you sent, and for becoming my friend. I pray we have a lifelong friendship! God Bless You!

Here is the soup mix that Linda sent:

And, here is what I created with that soup mix:

I love the toggle clasp she sent, and I just had to put it on the bracelet so I would be able to enjoy it every time I wore it!

Now, the focal bead she sent was very special. It is a gorgeous aromatherapy vessel. She had read my blog and found out I was having back trouble and thought I could use some healing scents like lavender oil, and this little vessel is the way to go!  I looked at a lot of these on different websites just to check them out, but I honestly don't think I saw any as beautiful as this one! I kind of went crazy with my pictures of it, but I did want you to see it from all angles.  It is a graceful glass swirl of color!

 

Linda was very generous with some other beautiful beads which are on the bead table waiting for me to put the many ideas I have into actual creations.  As I stated above, this continuous back pain is the reason why the rest of her beads are waiting for me. It is so painful to sit.  Have you ever tried making any kind of piece of jewelry flat of your back? It is difficult, believe me! So, when I have another good day or two, I will be at that table bringing to life the ideas in my head!

To visit the other 300+ participants, click on the link at the very top of my blog or right here:
http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/  

Bead Soup Mix from my partner, Linda Murphy!

My bead soup partner, Linda Murphy, Bonita Bead, sent me a beautiful mix of beads to work with. She and I both have had a lot of interruptions, but now we can get on with our playing and designing of each other's soup! Please take a look at the beautiful things she sent me!

It all started with this little brown box wrapped with the shiny, pink bow!

And it's like everyone has said before, "This is so exciting, it's like Christmas morning!"  Look at my goodies!

Gorgeous! Plus, a little mystery in a little blue box! You'll have to wait a bit to see it!

First, a lovely toggle clasp!

Some beautiful "Tahitian-look" Swarovski crystal pearls in two sizes

and, how do you like this string of ivory Czech glass beads? :)

Sparkle! I love sparkle! And, I got it with these Fuchsia Swarovski crystals!

Now, do you want to see what was in that little blue box?

Well, I have always heard that good things come in small packages!

This was no exception!

I was just blown-away when I opened that little box!

and

I think you will be, too!

Take a look!

WOW! Told ya, didn't I?

It is a beautiful lampwork vessel! An aromatherapy vessel!

Since I've had so much pain with my back this summer, Linda was so sweet and thoughtful and said lavender oil is supposed to help with pain. She had made an aromatherapy necklace for a friend of hers who has arthritis and she and her friend thought I would benefit from it, too! Isn't that just the sweetest sentiment?  I love it and know I will have so much fun working with all these pieces to my soup mix!

Got to show a couple of other views of this lampwork piece! It is so dimensional!

side view

and a back view, where you can see all that swirl of color!

One more little 'happy' she sent me was . . .

. . . this little notepad she made. I love it! It's where I've sketched some ideas for my design with the wonderful assortment of things Linda sent me!

Thanks, Linda, for making my first ever Bead Soup Blog Party so much fun!

Everyone, please visit Linda at her 'new' blog, yes she is new to blogland, so visit her at Bonita Bead and welcome her to a new and fun adventure!