Vintage Rhinestones

I LOVE vintage rhinestones and enjoy making jewelry with them. The colors are so different and pretty. Part of the fun is looking for the stones on the internet. Then when I find and receive them, trying to match them up with either other vintage pieces or new contempory findings is enjoyable for me. This items listed here are now in my Etsy shop and I am happy with how the pictures turned out.

We had a very bad storm here over the weekend and we lost power for a couple of days. I could hardly wait for the power and heat to come back on to get into my studio and start creating again!

Wedding Jewelry * Special Order

I just completed a wedding set, bracelet and earrings, for a bride in CA. The bride specified the colors of Swarovski pearls and crystals to be used and we changed the design just a tad. The set is simply STUNNING!

Lily of the Valley Necklace

As soon as I received the June 2011 issue of Bead & Button I knew I had to make the necklace on the cover. I LOVE lily of the valley and working with seed beads. I learned some new stitches and thoroughly enjoyed working on the piece. I think I can wear the necklace up or down and will wear it soon. Happy beading!

Pretty Spring Flowers

The past few days I have busy making earrings mixing and matching new with the old. These combine vintage rhinestones, Swarovski flowers and brass filigree. All vintage inspired but easy to wear all year long. All available in my Etsy Shop.

New Earrings!

It's been awhile since I have made some new things. The past couple of days I have made some pretty earrings for Spring and Summer. I am posting a few of my new creations which I have listed in my Etsy Shop. Swarovski and Vintage are my favorites plus I can't stop from using pretty resin flowers. Soon I need to start making things for Christmas!

Destashing Supplies on Artfire

I have decided to downsize my stash of jewelry making supplies. It will be a big undertaking to get things posted to Artfire but it is something that needs to be done. I started today and hope to continue for the next the several weeks. So if you need or like jewlery supplies take a peek and you might see something you like or need.

Bobby Pins!

Do you love to wear pretty bobby pins in your hair? Do you wear set or only one? I just added a bunch to my Etsy shop. I am discontinuing this line so there are good bargains in the shop. If you LOVE flowers you will want them all.

NEW Items on Etsy!

I think I am in LOVE with vintage rhinestones! I have been busy making some new earrings using stones, brass filigrees and vintage findings. Choosing the combinations is fun and satisfying. Many of the pieces are one of a kind! Here are a few.

Back from Seattle and Alaska

We are back from vacation and back to reality! Our cruise to Alaska was wonderful and Seattle was just GREAT! We saw lots places and things this past week. Even though the weather did not cooperate we still made the best of it. So if you are interested in seeing our pictures I set it all up on Shutterfly. http://alaskacruiseseattle2010.shutterfly.com/

Back from Vacation

Came back from Mazatlan, Mexico just the other day. It was so warm there and today we are covered in snow. This year's trip was a bit different from other years. It was the first year where we experienced clouds and rain. Crazy weather patterns all over. My find this year was the picture in this post. I just over the subject and the colors are glorious. I carried all the way because I did not want it to get broken by the airlines. It will be over the fireplace mantel and fits the room perfectly. LOVE IT!

Will I EVER be Happy with my Photos!

I went for my photography lesson and the instructor said my pictures were really good! This is not what I expected but he did make me feel good. After reviewing my camera settings and experimenting with some light sources I ended up purchasing some lights and a board that the light clamp onto. I guess I just want that 'instant gratification' and have ALL mt pictures be perfect. Not so. Now I need to play and experiment with the light sources and my props. I took lots of pictures today and am only happy with one! No easy solutions here. I am not going to give up and I hope to challenge myself each day using my new toy. Wish me luck!

Thinking Flowers Today

Today I was in the mood for flowers. I am already tired of the cold, snow and ice. So instead of cleaning my work room I made some flower earrings from some new supplies I received recently. I think they turned out pretty nice. I like combining the sparkle of the Swarovski crystals with opaque stones. These happen to be vintage and I am loving them.

Katie's Wedding

A couple of months ago I was contacted by Katie via my Etsy shop. She needed a brooch to go with her wedding dress, she did not like the one that came on her dress. She had seen some of my brooches in my shop as they have a vintage look. As we worked together through Etsy convos, e-mails and Shutterfly everything came together. The color scheme is so pretty, pale yellow, olive green and brown. Even though we started with a brooch we worked on necklaces, hairpins, bracelet and earrings. It was so fun getting flowers and brass pieces for this project. I was also lucky enough to find vintage brass chain with the prettiest olive green glass beads. Well the order is in the mail and I hope she and her bridal party love everything. The wedding is not until May 2010 but at least one job is done. I'm hoping she sends some pictures next year so that I can see how wonderful everyone is going to look!

NEW Things

I decided to add some new items to my product line. I made some ponytail holders using plastic flowers. They look so pretty stacked and there are endless color combinations. I am gettings ready to do my first REALLY big show on May 30-31 in Chester New Jersey. I hope and pray I do well.

Made in Mexico

While on our trip to Mexico I made some REALLY pretty things. I love working with delica beads and all the great colors. Right before we left I found patterns and instructions by Suzanne Cooper for 'really round flat peyote'. What fun I had creating these round medallions and using my own color combinations. The designs are placed on compact mirrors and pillboxes. Great additions to a take along in a purse.

We're Back!

It's time to get back to work after such a long and relaxing vacation. I could not update my blog because the wireless connection was down or slow most of time, very disappointing. This week I need to help my parents and watch Sophia. Hope to have time to create this weekend.

El Quelite

Today the morning was very very foggy but then blue skies and lots of sunshine. Tom had a pool day and I went on a tour of a little town called El Quelite with a new friend, Lucia. What a pretty town, colorful houses, pretty flowers and good food. Great day!

Mazatlan...We are going soon!

Ola!
We go to Mazatlan, Mexico every year and we post our pictures to Shutterfly. Just found out we can share them!
http://thecookstommaria1.shutterfly.com/

WOW 3 Days in a Row!

I have now wrote into my blog for 3 days in a row. This is a positive achievement. However no one is looking at. So today I will add my blog link to my Etsy shop to see what happens. I wish I knew someone who knows about all this stuff. But I am not giving up!