I Live On the Edge...

...   of a Miwok Indian reservation,  the American River, "Gold Country",  the Sierras, hilly country sides dotted here & there with rambling vineyards, tall pines, redwoods, scrub oaks and apple orchards.  Lately,  I have been so drawn to native American Indian designs, especially if it's campy ala vintage summer camp.  (BTW I am a proud daughter of a  Potawatomi Indian. ) I started a board on Pinterest called Pow Wow and started some little paintings  (below) reflecting my home now and my family.   I am working on a piece for this year's Twitter Art Exhibit in Norway. I may send one of these.  It sure feels good to paint again, to lose all my worries in paint. Hours melt into hours. 

Some of these little ones remind me of deer hunters who sit in the trees for hours.  A few have river water with river rock. One not shown has a sweet bird on a branch I can't wait to paint.  I'm not sure how many I have drawn but it's a lot as well as a large canvas so I have lots of painting to do.  I am still working on some little pieces from the Love is a Blanket series too with vintage fabrics. 

 Pieces In Progress

Yarn is like comfort food to me. Whenever I am going through a stressful time I always end up with a bag of yarn & needles in my hand.  I learned to crochet when I was 7 yrs old and I still love it. (I used to fashion my own Troll Doll clothes.)  So I have been crocheting away, making some of these "pow wow" slippers using up my shameful stash of new & vintage yarn.  You can find a pair at "Camp Shenanagans"!  haha  I have an expert cross stitcher/needleworker ready to work with me so order away!   They are so happy on your feet and warm too!  

 

 

I don't know what happened to January. Happy belated New Year. :)

I promise to post more this year.

Create a great day!

A Little Word on Wednesday...

John 15:10 ...'If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.'

I wanted to post a beautiful painting of Christ by Raymond Doward , a fellow Etsy Seller, along with this scripture but for some reason Blogger shuts off when I try to upload a photo.  You can check out his beautiful painting here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/150917711   I love his painting. The stern yet kind & loving expression.
I am having this problem with Yahoo email as well. Anyone else having this problem? Anyone know how to fix it?
I have been painting this week and while under the weather I have become a Pinterest Addict! You can check out my boards & favorite picks here: http://pinterest.com/folkartjane/boards/  I especially love my board called "Crafty Cravings" which is full of inspiration and fun projects!

Create a Wonderful Wednesday!

Up To No Good

...well not exactly, but I am going through one of my experimentation phases again. I'm not finishing the things I should be finishing first. I've been having so much fun clowning around, painting photographs and turning people into clowns. It's hard to stop!

I'm trying to get up the nerve to make a video/tutorial. Would anyone want to learn to do what I do let alone pay for a class by me? Not sure. I listed my services on Etsy instead of a piece of art or creation. My services being a custom portrait turning your photograph into a happy soul/clown. A great gift for your boss, hahahaha just kidding - probably not adviseable, kids done as a gift for parents, maybe a person that make you so happy, or that clown in your life that has everything.

I am blessed beyond belief. Look at all these sweet people that put my art or creations in their fabulous Etsy Tresuries! Big Shout & a big Thank You goes to Lightworksartwork, Verbena Place, LookOnMyTreasures, Fabpins, PamWares, TerryMillsPhoto, Kandice in Wonderland, and CatCanPaint.

Eggs-cellent Time of Year!

Retro-Mama describes her decor with these lovely fabric eggs as "Barnyard Chic" Love that & ♥ these eggs! Click on her name to visit her site for instructions.
An eggs-cellent way to de-stash all those paper scraps! The instructions can be found at Two Hearts Together.
These just make me happy to look at them! The super easy instructions can be found here at All*You
Aren't these sweet?! Instructions with photos can be found at Chez Larsson.

These lovelies were found at TaterTots & Jello.

Napkins to decoupaged Eggs! Who knew?! Just click on the picture to go to the full instructions at Two Girls Being Crafty.

A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to these sweet people at Etsy for featuring my art in their wonderful collections! Just click on their names to visit their Etsy Shops. BiscottiPottery, GrooveInTuesday, ForPawsandHome, LovegrenandDaughter, Mouflon,CatCanPaint, and YimmekeDesign !
~*~ Family, Friends, Followers, & Fans I hope you have a Eggs-cellent & Joyful Easter full of many Blessings & Loving Memories! ~*~

Misawa & Me

Some of my most treasured & most terrifying childhood memories were made in Misawa, Japan. The good far out weights the bad. The Japanese people were such kind & gentle people and the experience was so enriching that it somewhat etched me into who I am today. As I say in some of my profiles, it was there that ignited a lifelong quest of crafting and a determined search for the perfect craft. (Those of you that know me, I know are taking a moment to laugh like hell, coz you know, go ahead! lol) It was there that I learned needlework, it there I was baptized, it was there I realized, we are all one, no matter our differences, and it was there I it really sank in that life is fragile, we really aren't in control, and it can be gone in an instant. These are a few photos of the 1968 8.2 earthquake that I went through while I lived there. I know the helplessness & terror that they feel with the earthquakes, however, I know that I can not fully comprehend the horror and uncertainty they are going through with the tsunami and nuclear situation. My heart is bleeding for the Japanese people. I am praying for them all and all of the families of the kind people and their families that touched my life in past.
I have listed these 2 Angels on Ebay and 50% of the proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.

I used the same palette for both pieces. Thalo Blue, Viridian, Crimson, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow, Titanium White, and Payne's Gray. I painted the mermaid 1st, using only very little yellow, then painted the sunflower Angel with the same under painting and palette using very little viridian & thalo blue. I think these combinations of colors muted & melded into each other making the pieces moody instead of super bright. About 15 years ago I began making my own perfumes. Most store bought perfumes give me headaches, whether worn by me or someone else. Making my own and removing all the chemicals make it possible for me to wear more scents, there are a few that don't bother me as long as I don't put too much on. So a few years ago, on the weekends, I created a small line of perfumes. Like a little chemist, I was measuring, mixing and smelling, adding, subtracting, reading everything I could find, smelling everything to try & guess what was in it, trying to develop something that was natural, different, yet sophisticated. Not just a combination of a few oils. My guys put up with all "reek-age" leaked in the atmosphere and were generally willing give their opinions which was really sweet. Opening a new shipment of oils were exciting times. Oh what mystery smells that were about to be unleashed into the mix! So exciting! *P.S. Tomato essential oil does not smell like a tomato bush, the scent I was hoping for. I have no clue what it would be good in! P U* I spent innumerable hours in study, learning what makes good top notes, middle notes, bottom notes, mixed endless combinations of oils, designed the packaging, did profit figures and came up with some marketing strategies only to be left to occupy a little corner of my studio. It was impossible to start that business and work at such a stressful job at the same time, but I thought one day.... One day still hasn't arrived, however, I made the most wonderful jojoba lotion bar last night with some of those supplies. I love it so much I may make some to sell in my Shenanagans shop and on this blog just so other people will have to chance to have some. I need to tweek the recipe a little bit but it turned out much better than I expected for first try. We'll see. I'm still trying to find balance with all the other things I have on my plate. Oh but it's so creamy and smells so good. I used a green Irish smelling scent, which is really a unisex scent. I made all the guys put it on their elbows, and I think it made all the wrinkles on my face disappear! hahaha! just kidding. Don't you wish?!
A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to these fabulous shops for featuring my art in their wonderful collections! Please click on their names to visit their shops. SmallImpressions, BirgittasBridal, AnnaLela, OrangiesAttic, WhatsHerName, AprilCJohnson, MyDreamGarden, and GreyGirlDesigns - Thank you so much!

Low Tide...

...I'm calling this "Monterey" for sure. It reminds me of the tide pools on the coast. I won't share how many times I've crocheted a section on then pulled it out. Contrary to what I thought when I began, this one is going to take a while! I am loving this process.

A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to Art by Carla Grifo for featuring my Swimmer, Verbena Place for featuring one of my Happy Souls, A Shot In The Dark, AngelinaInspirations for featuring my Incorigible Carnie in their wonderful Etsy Treasuries!

Or Did I?

A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to AngelinaInspirations, ChoosingBeauty, AliCsCreations and Purplesplat for featuring my art in their wonderful Etsy Treasuries!

Such a Hooker...

That's me lately. I just want yarn and needles in my hands all the time. It's like comfort food without the calories. I created this new super fun & easy crochet hand warmer pattern and listed a few for sell in my Shenanagans shop. I love the vintage yarn I found on one of my treasure hunts, that's what I call my thrift store excursions. It must be from the 70's with the beautiful rust & brown color and is in perfect condition. I love bringing yarn to life that someone kept but never created anything with or gave up on a project but didn't part with it for years. I made a pair for me and are selling a few. There wasn't but 1 skein. I like being able to slip it off my finger & wash my hands without taking them completely off and they are cozy. I made a pair for a friend's daughter in Long Beach and she let me know that she hasn't taken them off and it's been a week! There will only be a few of these in the Universe so if you would like one too, please visit me at Shenanagans! A new customer HomeSchoolHats purchased my hand warmer pattern is now selling her crocheted creations in her shop, she crochets beautifully and has some great colors. Click Here to stop by her shop. Watching crochet videos is a little like watching a golf match. hahaha However, I am grateful for those who teach and I loved learning how to make these little roses! I'll be making some later!

I have so many people to thank. So many have been very kind. I am truly blessed. I hope you take a moment to visit their shops or sites. A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to Color Coordinated for featuring my art on their fantastic blog & creative Ning! More Big Shout Out's & Thank You's for including my art in beautiful, thoughtful, creative Etsy Treasuries go to Chaotic Cupcake, ThemeFragrance, Poppy Jewelry Shop, Fyrewerks, Indigo Twin, Spirals and Spice, SqueakyBug, CynArt, JoyNStiches, and Mireloom. Your appreciation of my work means so much to me!

Oh What A Night!...

...there I go with song lyrics again!

Last night was my Artist Reception/Opening for the Swell Sister's at The Coffee Garden in Sacramento. I had so much fun. There wasn't as many people at this show as in the past but lots of friends & family were there to support us all. It was a wonderful evening and we sold enough for a good donation to give to the Women's Wisdom Project. Coming home the fog was so bad it was like driving in pea soup. Spooky. Silly as it may sound it makes me think about vampires. No I haven't watched Twilight or any in the series and won't watch them even though some people tell me it's not scary. right. Thank you Sister & Stephen King.

"Disguised"

This piece is on paper. I won't be selling the original, but may sell prints. This one I plan to frame and keep. I have thought of putting it up for sale several times but haven't been able to part with it. I played with layers and layers of color on this one. Scraping, dabbing, rubbing, I was totally absorbed in it. In a strange way I almost feel as though it's a self portrait.

I can't help it. I'm a hopeless romantic. I even cry when watching a sitcom wedding, such as Erkle's. hahaha Don't tell, but my hubby may not cry as much as me but he is definitely verklempt sometimes! We're saps. I'm ok with that. So I can't help but to be so happy for Prince William and Kate Middleton. I remember staying up into the wee hours of the morning to watch his Prince Charles & Diana get married. I think Kate is just lovely. I love hats and admire her for proudly & boldly wearing the most intriguing head pieces. I love it! I can't wait to see the gown she chooses. They both look so happy. I must admit that I was a little shocked when I found out that they had been living together. I avoid the tabloids in the grocery isle so I didn't know. I know in this day & age living together without being married is not shocking in itself, just didn't think that the "Royals" would approve of it. Times have changed!

A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to Kubercove, Trigo and MathesonGemWorks for including my art in their wonderful Etsy Treasuries!

Prepared To Be Stuffed...

Yesterday I made sausage for our turkey dressing and it came out really good if I say so myself! So in the spirit of the season I am sharing my recipe. You may not have a grinder but you can ask the butcher at the grocery counter to grind you some pork or buy it already ground. I used 4 large fatty country pork ribs. This time I made it I omitted 2 tsp of paprika and like it much better. I omitted it because I didn't want the red color of the paprika. I might add it back in if I was making breakfast sausage. I put all the spices together on a paper plate then added them to course ground pork, mixed it well, then ran the pork through again on smaller grind. There are 3 favorite dressings that we argue over every year. #1 San Francisco Sourdough Stuffing w/ artichoke, Parmesan cheese & mushrooms, *a family favorite from the early 90's or late 80's found in a Sunset Magazine* #2 Oyster Dressing w/ oysters from the Pacific Northwest or #3 Sausage & mushroom, either with wheat bread or cornbread. This year it's homemade sausage & mushroom. Our worse stuffing ever was a few years ago when I decided to add hazel nuts. I know it sounds like it might be good, but it was disappointing. A good portion of it ended up getting lost to decay in the back of the frig. E U. I'd love to hear what your favorite is and what's your worst!

I have all my onions, celery chopped & put into bags, I sauteed the sausage just until done & put in frig too, all ready to use. Today I made sweet potato pudding *it's like bars really* and got my pie shell baked, ready for pineapple filling. My son is making the pumpkin pie. The last few years I have had the privilege to be able to take my time, really enjoy cooking & the holiday. Doing the prep work ahead really helps, so that when Thanksgiving day comes I'm not too exhausted to enjoy the meal.

4 Cup ground pork

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground sage

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/2 tsp black pepper

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am Very Thankful to all my Faithful Followers & Visitors!

God Bless You this holiday season!

A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to SassySashadoxie for including my Angel with a Pink Rose in her lovely Etsy Twitter Treasury! Check out her sweet Doxie art!

Clowing Around Again

"Petal Pusher"

"Wishy Washy"

Both come with the mats & are listed in my Etsy Shop. Mats measure 5x7 & can be plopped *circus talk* into any store bought frame. The original painting measures 3 x 5. I gave the last one the name "Wishy Washy" because the expression on it's face is hard to read. Smiling or not smiling? hum...

An Award & Lobster...

"High Five"

but not for dinner! I painted this little Norway Lobster that is actually headed for Norway to be in the Twitter Art Exhibit. The proceeds of this show will benefit the local library in the city of Moss so that they can get the children's books that they desperately need. You have 140 characters in which to post on Twitter so it was first intended to be a group of 140 Artist, however, by the comments on the thread there may end up being more! Each Artist is submitting a postcard piece that represents their style, that will be sold for $17(US). My husband's family & step-family were from Norway. I chose to paint the Norway lobster because it lives in Norway, is named after Norway, is cute for the children, but is really a shrimp & shrimp is one of my favorite things! (see below) This show is getting a lot of attention and I am proud to be a part of it.
I am also proud to be the recipient of "The Versatile Blog Award" from Sharkbytes! Thank you so much! You have to share 7 things about yourself, then pass the award to other bloggers who you think deserve it, making sure to let the bloggers know you chose them to receive the award.
My 7 Things

1. Shrimp is one of my favorite things but I feel a little guilty eating too many, because of the many lives I'm consuming, but I could eat a bucket of them.

2. I'm addicted to tomatoes.

3. Sometimes I pretend to know what's going on in a football game when I haven't got a clue, I'm just zoning out... thinking about art.

4. I am more in love with my grandson that I ever thought I would be.

5. I hoard jars. One kitchen cabinet is dedicated to jars. I never throw one out and there is always room for another one...hum....I may have a fairy that comes and steals them sometimes. *Hubby you're busted*

6. I like candy corn and still eat it like a kid would, one color layer at a time.

7. I'm a loud laugher. I belly laugh a lot.

Ok passing this on is hard. There are so many of you that deserve this award! If you aren't chosen it's not because I don't love you, I love all my Followers & those that I Follow! Here are a few very special people that have awesome blogs, always take the time to stop by, support me & make me feel special...

Ayala Art

Alterity Button

Gloria's Blog Viva La Vida

Namaste
Poetic Artist

Poetic Shutterbug

Sandy Petals

Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to Paradise Purls for featuring my Little Diver in her Etsy Treasury!

Round & Round I Go...

"A Full Life"

...Circles, spheres, round objects, balls.... If there is such a thing as a past life, I must have once been a dog. My sister & I had a good laugh not long ago about how I like balls. It's reflected in my jewelry pieces- consisting of balls of clay, my love of pearls - which find their way into my paintings sometimes, my round coffee & end tables, my love of plates, in the completely round patch of manicured grass in my front yard, which was created by my inability to speak Vietnamese...or was it? Subliminally did I really want a completely round circle of grass in my front yard? In my food choices, the love of tobiko, tapioca, and newly found quinoa. Even in the suit in the last post! I'd even consider myself to be round! I have a round face. Yes I am attracted most by round shapes & objects. Do I alone have this affliction, strange preference or are there some of you that have the same affinity to certain shapes? Does your favorite shape show up in your daily life or creative life?

"Trouble"

"Waiting For The Phone To Ring"

" No Foolin' "

These are a few of the linocuts I've been doing lately. I have a few more that I haven't printed yet. I finished a larger portrait today with sunglasses & a big bow. I hope she prints out well. I'm calling that piece "Mad For Miami". She was inspired by an old Marc Jacobs ad, to me the girl in the ad looks a lot like the amazing Grace Coddington in her modeling days. I was immediately drawn to the wild red hair, bow & sunglasses. She's not an Angel but I personally love the Angels in sunglasses that I'm doing. I imagine them in such brightness that they have to wear shades. I may do my Christmas cards this year with one and just say something like... I hope your Season is the Brightest. Too cheesy? or kind of clever? hum.... I'll have to think about that. I'm going to mount the linocut on wood and use it like a stamp, rather than hand rubbing all of them. I haven't tried that yet. Alas, I have lots more to do before I start that project. My 2doo list is super long. I have many things to list in both of my shops and I am going to be concentrating on getting that done this week. Please stop by later this week and see what's new!

Big Shout Outs & Thank You's go to Glass Etc , PhoFun & Oh For Cute for including my art in their wonderful Etsy Treasuries. Click on their names to visit their lovely Etsy shops.

What's New...

I joined an Etsy Team this week called the "BEST Team" (Boosting Etsy Shops Team). The members are required to do a feature on an assigned Etsy Shop. I was lucky to be assigned Omni Presents. I was struck immediately by the beautiful banner bursting with colorful stones! Omni Presents has a shop full of lovely handcrafted spiritual new age jewelry. I love her use of color and her whimsical pendants. I just know I would feel good wearing her jewelry! All of her jewelry seems to have a soothing effect on me. I plan to feature her haematite earrings in an upcoming collection on Sometimes Things Are Just Black & White. These are a few of my favorites.

Here is a peek at what's on my easel today. This one is big & long at 12 x 36 with 2" sides. I started working on her a few days ago and still have quite a bit to do as you can see. I am running out of time. Sunday we will be driving to Fremont to deliver all of my paintings to the gallery. I hope I can get her finished so I can take her along.

A Big Shout Out's & Thank you's go to MelissaMoloney, SammysGrammy , Santosleather , BrokenReflections , & FabricatedFamily , for featuring my art in their awesome Etsy Treasuries! Please click on their names to visit their Etsy Shops. And another Big Shout Out goes to The Domestic Goddess for doing such a wonderful feature on both of my shops! She has a great blog and I will be visiting often. Thank you all! I am truly blessed to receive such kindness.

Self Portraits

I love finding these precious little self portrait surprises on my camera when I go to download my photos! He may be a budding Photographer, Blogger & Tweeter! hahaha

I have been doing a few lino cuts and crocheting. My back has been bothering me and I can't sit & do nothing so I picked up my crochet hook. I listed some crochet patterns in my empty ArtFire shop. I have sold a few on Etsy already. Several years ago I was selling these ponchos as fast as I could make them on Ebay. They really are cute if I say so myself, you can wear them almost all year round. I wish I had time to crochet more than I do. I don't have too many days left until the big opening in the bay area so I am stressing myself out a little by not getting any painting done, but at the same time, sitting quietly crocheting is very healing. Last night I stayed up until the wii hours watching Netflix movies & designing an easy hand warmer that can have several different looks. I am going to keep some and sell a few, and sell the pattern. I have searched & searched and can't find any patterns like this one so I think I can call it my own. All creative people take inspiration from something, and my own poncho pattern inspired these. Click HERE to see my poncho pattern & hat pattern. I should have the hand warmer pattern listed by this evening on ArtFire & Etsy.

A Big Shout Out & Thank You goes to SantosLeather for featuring my art in her Etsy Treasury!

A Grand Opening!

Shenanagans my second shop is up and running! Well it's jogging anyway. haha I am trying to spread out my listings instead of throwing them all in there and then having to spend more money renewing the listings. So bookmark this shop and visit often! Come see what crafty things I get into. It's impossible to share it all with you on this blog. My sister called me the other day. I had just sat down for a minute with the hubby & the tv. She asked what I was doing and I said "nothing"! We all had a good laugh about that! I am always doing something. You would think I'd be a stick figure but alas I am not. haha

I like to cook too much to be a stick figure. I happened to see cabbage rolls on tv a few weeks ago. Wish I could tell you which show it was on but sorry I've forgotten. I had also forgotten how long it's been since I made cabbage rolls. It had to be at least 15 years, a ridiculous amount of time anyway, and I love them. I guess if ever I thought of them I would think of the process, then forget it as fast as the thought came to me. Boiling the cabbage, then stuffing, etc... Well who knew?! You don't have to boil the cabbage first! The minute the show was over I was determined to try them and I headed to the store for a fresh pretty head of cabbage. (I always have cabbage in the frig but it's not always pretty) Their secret? They cored the cabbage and then put the entire head in the freezer! Once frozen and then thawed, the full leaves just drop off, without tearing and they roll up fantastically. In my excitement over this I pulled the kitchen aid out and ground my own pork to go inside. Seasoned it up perfectly. Trying a tiny bit cooked in the microwave before I stuffed them. They were beautiful. So impressive looking that they, the humble cabbage roll, might be fit for company. The smell throughout the house was intoxicating. I couldn't wait to try them. I made garlic potatoes to go with them. I stuck my fork into one for my first bite. Bummer. There were no eyes rolling to the back of the heads. Apparently I didn't stew them long enough, the cabbage was not soft & tender, it was a little tough & chewy. We grabbed our knives and all ate them anyway, we all love cabbage no matter what, and the filling was yummy. I will try cooking them again like this soon, using the freezer method and taking care to stew them longer, after all the cabbage is raw not slightly cooked at the start. However, if the cabbage is still chewy next time I'll know the freezer thing really isn't a helpful hint, and it will be another 15 yrs or so before we have them again. hahaha

Shenanagans...

...that's what I call it. That's what I've been up to lately. You may have noticed I haven't been painting much. I've been playing with clay and crochet and I made a big decision to open a second Etsy shop for all my "shenanagans"and have been working on that. In this new shop I plan to sell some of my original crochet patterns, photographs, handmade beads, perfumes, etc... all the stuff I do when I'm not painting. I dont have anything listed yet. I will be getting together with a model in the next few days. As soon as I have some great photos I'll be ready for the grand opening!

A Big Shout Out & Thank you! goes to Graceful Moments, for featuring my art on her blog & CherieBosela, EllieLeesAttic, WhimsyFishArts for featuring my art in their great Etsy Treasuries. Click on their name to be taken right to their shops full of goodies!

What's New?...

"The Light"

11 x 14 Mixed Media

... It was Leonardo da Vinci that said “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” Well I had really abandoned this piece last year and just "finished" it yesterday. So this one is not new to me. Yesterday it just cried out to me to complete it.

I'm a perfectionist in many ways and others not so much. I admit it and know it's not easy being this way. I know I can aggrevate some people to no end! hahaha Procrastination usually sets in too, I can't finish a project, and sometimes don't, just because I don't like how it's going at the time or know that something isn't exactly how I wish it to be, even if it's not noticeable. I know. I have a closet full of abandoned canvases. I could probably fill my whole house with abandoned craft projects that I never finished over the years, because of a tiny problem, some of which were entirely in my head, or because it became too challenging and I didn't think I could do it perfectly, so I gave up & put it down. This is exactly what happened at my previous attempts at jewelry making. I'm even worse when I sew, everything has to be perfect, stitches unwavering, all seams matching perfectly, it has to look like it's off the rack or I won't wear it, sell it, or give it away.

Anyway, there are 2 little defects in the linen canvas on this piece so that has kept me from working on it. I'm glad I picked it up and finished it regardless of the defects, which are not even noticeable from the front of the canvas, because I am happy how it turned out. It has already gotten 5 Stars on OvationTV and a few comments. I have it listed on Ebay. I wished photos did Him justice.
I have enjoyed making beads this week and I made lots of them! I made my first bracelet too! I designed something that I would wear. Something that is "me". A little gypsy, a little bohemian, a little jingley, a little funky yet not too far out. I especially love the faux turquoise beads on the bracelet like the one shown here which I will be listing for sale. I also made the cutest little mushrooms which I will share later because they haven't been baked. I bought big jump rings, which are working out ok with me, like a kid with big fat crayons. hahaha The faux jade was made with a tiny dab of green polymer clay mixed with about 6 times the amount of transparent polymer clay & a sprinkle of ground sage. Yep! Right out of your kitchen. I would advise to add a tiny dab at a time & mix it in a little at a time. It dries darker. I put glue on the eye pins before baking so they don't come out. I may have to open up another Etsy shop!

A Big Shout Out goes to Hannahcreations , CynArt & Mayasideas for including my art in their Etsy Treasuries! Thank you so much! Click on their names to be taken to their wonderful Etsy's Shops.