AJE Earring Challenge Weeks 9 and 10

If You're looking for the 52 photos please click here.     At the beginning of the year I signed up for the Art Jewelry Elements Earring Challenge. I missed more than a few of the reveal dates but now I'm back in the game.   The first pair is made with sweet little bronze daisy flowers from Cathy Daily, patinated 'seagrass' copper bars from Miss Ficklemedia, tiny dark coral swarvoski crystals and Vintaj components.  

'Bloom Where You're Planted'

The second pair is made with ivory gold lampwork beads from Something New 4 You, enameled beads I got from the Art Bead Love Tour Chain, Czech beads from Arte Bella Surplus and Vintaj.

'Sage Meadow'

Check out the AJE Blog to see what others made.

52 Photos The Possibilities are Endless

“In this moment, there is plenty of time. In this moment, you are precisely as you should be. In this moment, there is infinite possibility."  ~Victoria Moran

Sally's assignment for this week:  There are many things around us that hold so many possibilities, a child's face, a seed of a flower, the tools pictured above.  This week pay attention to your surroundings and your daily activities and show us what holds endless possibilities for you.

This assignment was particularly difficult for me.  I needed something I could see or touch.  And here it is Saturday morning, gray skies, and even if I did think of something there would be no light  with which to get a good photo.

So I decided to show a photo that I took on one of our favorite family vacations to Northern California.

Here we are in the Beautiful Redwoods of Northern California in front of a behemoth of a tree.  I'm pretty sure my mouth was open in awe the entire time we were there.  I remember each time we got out of the car and slipped just three feet into the trees, it was like we were in another world. It was a hushed quietness that surrounded us, and it was like we were the only ones there. 

We have lots of nephews and nieces, and when my husband and I were married we decided we would take each of them on vacation with us when they turned five. The kid on the left is our nephew, and the other three are ours.

So what does this have to do with the assignment?  I can think of nothing better than seeing this beautiful U.S.A and all her amazing sights. The Possibilities are endless!

As always, I appreciate your visit here. Please check out Sally's Blog to see the other participants.

52 photos week 10 All Wrapped Up

I'm happy to be back doing the 52 photos.  I missed several weeks because of illness. 

This week our challenge is to take a photo using the word 'wrap' as a verb or a noun.

Though my photo is of wrapping paper, this is certainly no ordinary wrapping paper.  It comes with a story, and fond memories.

This wrapping paper is all vintage.  I just turned 50 the end of February and I don't remember a time when we didn't have this paper around.  The paper came on huge rolls which my dad hung on metal racks in the basement.  Every holiday, birthday, wedding, or shower my sisters and I saw this wrapping paper.  There were times we got tired of seeing it, and other times when we just had to smile as we were ripping open the package with maybe a bit of eye-rolling.  The paper came from my maternal grandfather who never threw anything away.  He worked as a janitor at our local Sears store which used this wrapping paper in the store.  One day he was told to get rid of it--which he did--right to our house.

Now that my mom has passed, dad has been getting rid of stuff and passing it along to us kids.  He still had huge rolls of this and carefully cut off some for us girls and all the grandchildren, and there's lots left!  I never  thought I would feel so nostalgic about this paper after seeing it so many years, but it holds so many memories of gatherings with family...especially with mom, who loved any reason to celebrate.

Blessings to you, and I hope you are wrapped with love and joy today.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit Sally's blog to see the other participating blogs.

Snow on Snow and a Winner

This photo is from the previous snow last week. You can see the snow is up to the porch.

Here are photos from the snow that started yesterday and is still going strong.

Our Japanese Bloodgood covered in snow.

One of our Pin Oaks with the branches drooping to the ground.

The deck.

 

From inside.....

In the middle of January I hosted a giveaway of a pair of earring made by Mary Jane Dodd.  Then I got sick and the contest completely slipped my mind.  The lucky winner is.......

Gale!!!

Gale Please email me with your mailing address and I'll get the earrings out to you.  Congratulations!!!

Hello and Thank You

 

Source 

Hello my wonderful friends.  I'm back after an issue with my heart.  At the end of January my blood pressure suddenly went up very high and I experienced tachycardia for several days, which was both exhausting and frightening.  After a visit with my family physician and some testing with a cardiologist I was put on a beta blocker.  I tire very easily, but the medication is doing the job.   Now I have an awful ringing in the ears and some abdominal pain.  The bad thing is the doctors don't know why this happened in the first place.  In five days I turn 50 years old...which could be part of the problem.

Today we are experience a huge snow storm, and as I look out the window and see what wonders Mother Nature can do.  At the end of the day we are supposed to get between 8 and 12 inches of the white stuff.

I thank all of you who left caring notes for me. Please remember to get all those regular check-ups, even if they are no fun.  You'll be glad you did.

I hope to be blogging regularly again, and getting back into the challenges I was doing before all this.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Taking A Break

Hey there,  I'm taking a much needed break from my blog.  I am experiencing a health issue that came on suddenly, and since I'm normally a healthy person this is quite alarming.  It's my heart, which is nothing to take lightly.

Unfortunatlely I'll have to forego all the challenges I've entered. 

In the mean time, please remember to take care of yourself and make all those appointments you know you need...

Focusing on Life 52 Photos Week Four - Create

It's week four of Sally's Focusing on Life 52 Photos.  This week we were challenged to create something. I make jewelry, but I thought that would be too easy since this is a challenge.  So what to make?  At lunch I was reading an old issue of Victoria Magazine and came across a feature on Sharyn Sowell who made cut paper silhouettes, and I just had to try my hand at this intricate form of art.

I got my inspiration from a greeting card, drew it on a sheet of art paper, cut it out and attached to to a black background.  I have to say it was very difficult to cut those tiny parts out at the bottom.  Of course I didn't have sharp scissors, and my fingers got sore very quickly. Possibly the old 'practice makes perfect' would apply here, but I think I'll pass on this form of art.

Since time was running out I cried Uncle, threw in the towel and made a piece of jewelry.

I love to see the bright green tips of plants poking out of the ground, signaling springs eminent arrival. This necklace was made with a gorgeous asparagus pendant from Mary Harding, pretty Czech beads from    Arte Bella Surplus, and Vintaj chain and components.

'Ushering In Spring'

 
Thanks for visiting.  Please check Sally's Blog to see what everyone else created.