Happy New Year!

It snowed here today, dropped a few good inches, and therefore it will be a stay at home evening to celebrate the New Year! We may go next door to our neighbors house to watch a movie and the kids can play video games on their big screen TV and then it will be home to bed long before the big Ball falls in Times Square! I may set my alarm to watch it fall (which is what I usually do - Traditions!) but we'll see what happens! Btw, my newsletter will be coming out tomorrow! It's not too late to sign up, just fill in the info in the green box on the right column. Don't forget to confirm your registration in the email you are sent or else you wont be able to receive the newsletter.

(Their rules, not mine, sorry)

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year! Talk to you all in 2009!

New Jewelry in the Store!

Good afternoon everyone! I've retrieved my board from the hair salon and am starting to list up the pieces that are left! There are not many, I'll tell you that! :) There are a couple that had been suspended when I brought them to the salon, and then the rest will be new items to Etsy! One of which is this bracelet called Amber Waves! It features Carey's beads and lots of charms and a seed bead wrap. Remember this one? I made it right before the holiday's and I think the only reason it did not sell is because of the small size. There has to be someone out there that has a 7" wrist and if not and if need to resize it, I will!

I'm going to list a few today and then some more tomorrow! I went to the bead store today to get some staples, and then I'll be ready to create some brand new things to offer to you! I'm getting excited about 2009! I have lots of plans and ideas so I hope you'll be ready to visit my blog, leave comments, and shop your hearts out! I promise to be diligent in listing things as often as I can! Now go check out those new pieces on Etsy! Have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow with more!

The day after...

It was a crazy whirlwind here yesterday! The kids had fun and so did I. I'm so glad that Christmas is done though! The tree is in a pile, ready to be put away. The ornaments have all been wrapped back up and stored. I'm working with the kids today to clean their rooms and make room for all their new goodies! But this weekend is all mine! I think I'll make some jewelry! :)

I found out that my hairdresser sold a ton of jewelry at her salon, Thank you Lisa! I'm planning to leave my board there for another week for any after Christmas shoppers and then I'll be taking it back and listing the items back up on Etsy! My store is looking a little bare! But I had to stock many different local locations and so online was not a priority for me this holiday season. But I have lots to offer, and will be restocking in the next week! So please be sure to check back! Hope you all had a great holiday! Looking forward to a great New Year!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Well everyone, it's been a great day so far, the kids have been tracking Santa's path all day online and we're getting ready to head out to my parents in a couple of hours. The house is looking ready for Santa and by the time we come home the kiddo's will go right to bed and wait for him to come! I don't know if I will have a chance tomorrow to get online, so I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy your families and your friends, be healthy and happy!

Talk to you all soon!

For Lisa!

As promised, here is the gift I made for my hairdresser, Lisa, for Christmas! I made her some shears, hammered them and then wrapped them with beautiful silver seed beads! I hope she likes it! It's hard to get a picture outside now with all the bright snow, but I think I did OK!

Tell me that's not the cutest thing!

The countdown is on!

Tomorrow is a busy day, and then... you know what!

I'll have some new pieces to post up tomorrow!

Oh and by the way, if you want to check out Carey's Birthday Present, you can click here to go to our joint blog, Class With A Whole Lotta Sass, where I posted a new picture today!

Winter has officially arrived!

As you know I am not a huge fan of Winter. I really can't stand being cold! Friday we got about 12" of snow here and then yesterday another couple on top of that. It changed over to freezing rain last night so the kids have a school delay today. I managed to go out early this morning and snap a couple of pretty pictures before the snow blows off the trees and makes more of a mess!

First is our Holly Tree, which I love in the winter but hate in the summer because the leaves fall and they are really sharp! But it's beautiful with snow!

Next are the icicles hanging off the back of our house. They will be melting in the next few hours as the sun comes up and heats them, which means I better get out the ice melter for later on when the water refreezes on the steps below! Or I'll surely be making a trip to the ER for Christmas because someone will fall and injure themselves, probably ME!

And finally for Carey, a picture of the back deck of our house showing all of our snow so far. The kids have already tramped through it last night! The pathway is for our cat that likes to go outside. She freaks out in the winter because she has nowhere to go, so we snowblow her a path all the way around the house so she doesn't go stir crazy inside! It's only the beginning of Winter so this is sure to stack up in the coming months! Stay warm everyone! I'll have a couple of jewelry pictures later this afternoon. I made a REALLY cool gift for my hairdresser, you'll want to check this out!

Snowed in!

I was going to try to venture out today but the snow was coming down too hard this morning. I am having one of my days today. Just wanting to get things done and not being able to do so. I think the snow is really pretty but it really puts a damper on plans! I'm ready for spring! ha ha I'm saying that on the first day of winter. Well, I have a really good idea for some new pieces that I'd like to work on so I'll try to get to those asap. I got some gorgeous beads in from Jenelle of Sortaflowering Designs and some killer beads that Iris made! I can't wait to play with them! Hope you are all staying warm wherever you are!

Back to reality!

Yesterday was spent out of the house. After all, it was my birthday! I got breakfast in bed (and for the most part on my bed since the kids were jumping as they sang to me) and then I got to go out shopping with my best friend. I did, however, find some time to make a couple of custom orders over the weekend to share with you.

First is a beautiful bookmark made with hammered wire, Tanzanite Swarovski Crystals, and purple artistic wire. There is a cross dangling at the bottom of this one, as it is for Meghan's Religion teacher. I really like making these bookmarks, they are a lot of fun and each one turns out differently! Kind of like my jewelry being one of a kind, these are also unique because you never know how the wire will bend and depending on what I add to them makes them stand out from each other. I also like wrapping the middle because it gives them that finished look. It's more work, but I think it's worth it!

Next is a watch and earring set made with Carey's beads. I love how this turned out! Carey your sets are perfect for this style! Love it, keep it up girl, and I'll keep making these!

Finally, I made a BEAUTIFUL kitchen sink bracelet. This one is similar to the last one I had but it was a custom order based on the other one. This turned out so spectacularly! The colors all blend so nicely together and I used star spacers in this one as it is a holiday gift. I hope she loves it!

Stay tuned for more, as I have recently replenished some of my glass stash, and I can't wait to create with the fabulous bead sets I just got! The colors are just phenomenal and they will be stunning pieces once they are done. :)

The Latimer Elves!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Holiday Gifts!

As promised, here are two photo's (sorry they are not the best, but the sun is not out and there were a lot of these together) of the holiday gifts for my kids teachers and I've already had requests to make them for other people's teachers as well! This year I am making bookmarks! What teacher doesn't like to read? So these are perfect gifts for them. I used silver wire, hammered it and wrapped it in colored wire to match the added dangling Swarovski Crystals and different silver pieces. They really make them sparkle! I'd be happy to make them for your kids teachers as well, so if you have a particular color in mind, just let me know and I'll get it done for you! I'll get one up in my Etsy store and make it a "Made to Order" listing.

Enjoy!

Holiday Cheer!

Thought I'd pass along a smile today.

I just couldn't resist sharing a couple of portraits of my friends kids that I took for their Holiday Cards this year. If these kids don't make you smile, then you're doomed!

Tomorrow, I'll have pictures to share with you of the Teacher's Gifts that I made for my kids and my sisters kids. We're getting 4 inches of rain today, so obviously I'm not going outside with my camera! There's always more, so if you would like to have one made for your child's teacher, let me know! I'll give you a big hint... they are jewels for your reading material! Any guesses? ha ha Stay tuned!

Nice Try!

Oh my gosh, here is an update from my last post this afternoon. Like I said, I was contacted by a gift shop to bring some of my jewelry and so off I went with my bag of goodies figuring that they would take a few pieces to start with and see what happened. WELL! I left there feeling Naked! And by that I mean in a good way. They told me that they wanted it ALL! ha ha I have no glass pieces left in my possession! I guess winding down is not an option at this point! YAY!

Ok so now you can find my work locally at:

Wishing Well Gift Shop

5A Glen Road

Sandy Hook, CT 06482

Ann is going to stop by in the next few days to see how they have me all set up! If she takes a picture with her cell phone, I'll post it up for you to see! Guess I better get back to WORK! :)

Winding Down...

Well yesterday was a success! We had a great show, there was a good turnout and I sold some beautiful pieces! I hope all who purchased are happy with their jewelry! A big thank you to Jillian, our CT Etsy Team Leader, she did a GREAT job organizing the show and she's such a nice person.

I am headed out today to bring some of my jewelry to a local gift shop who contacted me and wants to offer my work for sale, YAY! Once that's done I'm going to list up some more items on Etsy for sale and then I'll be winding down for a bit. I've been running like crazy doing shows and I think I need a little break. I'll still be making pieces but not in mass numbers like I have been doing. I need to restock some glass as I have used a lot of my stash and I need some new sets to create with! I am expecting some really cool orders to come in soon and then I'll get some great new pieces made to offer to you.

Stay tuned for more in the next few days~!

Holiday Spectacular!!!

It's time to do some Holiday Shopping!
Get all your shopping done in one place!

I expect to see some friendly faces tomorrow in North Haven!

:)

Sage and Saffron!

What I made while watching Grey's Anatomy last night! I sat and wrapped charms for over an hour and I am totally in love with the end result of this set! I hope you all like it too!

A splendid blend of colors occupy this spicy set called "Sage & Saffron". These lampwork Glass beads were made by the one and only Catherine Ondrey. They are spectacular! I have accented these beautiful glass beads with Swarovski Crystals in Erinite, and Topaz, added pewter triangle shaped beads, olive green freshwater pearls, silver round beads, and donut shaped Prehnite rondelles. The bracelet is finished with a Bali Style toggle clasp and measures 7 1/2" in length. This bracelet has so much "Charm" so to speak! The matching earrings have glass beads, Prehnite Rondelles and Matching Swarovski Crystals.

It's up on Etsy now, and will be coming with me to the Holiday Spectacular tomorrow! Hope to see you there!

Brass City Harvest - TODAY!!

If you are downtown Waterbury, please stop by the

Brass City Harvest - Farmers Market, Crafts on the Green!

Great gift ideas from local crafters! I'll be there from 11am - 2pm! This is the last event of the season, so if you are ready to holiday shop, we are ready to serve you!

Hope to see you there!

Secret Stash...

Here are a few pictures of the new pieces that I made today! The first is called "Poolside", which is the name of the beads made by Melissa Rediger! I LOVE these beads! I have been saving them for myself, but since I have been making so much jewelry lately, I've had to dig into my SECRET stash and now I have to share! :) Melissa, if you are reading this... these beads ROCK! I made a necklace, bracelet and matching earrings. This set took a lot of time as I wire wrapped all the links myself and used pewter clover links as well to make sort of a delicate "chain" look. It's so pretty! The bracelet is a bent bead and it just sits so comfortably on the wrist.

The second piece is called "Garden Retreat". This bead is truly a masterpiece, made by Torchsong Glassworks (A local glass artist). I feel so calm when I stare into this bead. The layers of colors and flowers are mesmorizing! I made one of these pendants for myself a while back, inspired by the Wire Style Magazine that came out in August and I have been wanting to make another one for all of you! I love how it came out... what do you think?

Thank you Jenelle!

I must say a quick Thank You to Jenelle of SortaFloweringDesigns. I sent her a picture of the bracelet I made with her beads and she did a whole write up on me on her blog!

You can check it out by clicking HERE!

Jenelle, that was really nice of you! Thanks so much!

You should also check out Jenelle's blog and bead shop. She is also a musician, and VERY talented! There is a lot to see and check out on her site, so wont you take a few moments to visit her blog and see where you go from there! You wont be sorry! Mark it as a favorite, you'll get hooked right away!

Also just a note for new readers about the amount of inventory I have in my Etsy Store since I have been getting a lot of new hits on the site. The store has a very small amount of jewelry at the moment, due to the holiday shows I have coming up and the displays that I have placed in various stores. Please don't let that discourage you from coming back and visiting often to see new things. You can see more of what I have made by visiting the previous pages of my blog and don't fret, I'll have lots more to add in the coming weeks!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, don't forget to sign up for my mailing list for sneak peeks and special offers! Also sign up as a follower to my blog, I'm always adding new things!

More new pieces!

Another eventful day of beading at my house yesterday, and here is what I have to offer!

More to come tomorrow, I'm back upstairs creating today!

"Twilight in the Vineyard"

"Quartz Mountain"

"Red, She Said"

"Festivities"

Black Friday Jewels!

Here are a few pictures of what I made today! These have been listed on Etsy already, and the other's I will edit and get up before the evening is over. Hope you all got some great shopping deals today! Time to treat yourself!

"Kona Girl" Earrings

"Cotton Candy" Earrings

"Raspberry Cheesecake" Earrings

"Love the Holiday's" Watch

"Winter Wonderland" Kazuri Bracelet and Earrings

Holiday Sale information!

Well yesterday was productive in the way of delivering the display boards to the Hair Four You salon and to Art & Soul in New Canaan. I was up late Monday evening putting the final touches on them, printing out an inventory sheet for the shops and making sure each piece had the correct label. I went grocery shopping last night for tomorrow's holiday dinner and today is another very busy day of shortened school for the kids and just trying to pull my house together for my family's arrival on Thursday.

Once Friday hits, it's all downhill from there! Starting Friday, I will be participating in the CT Etsy Team's Holiday Sale! I'm going to try something different this time. I am going to offer 10% off purchases over $50 and 15% off purchases over $100 or more, plus free shipping! I have rearranged the entire store and will be adding pieces before Friday and throughout the month. This sale will start on Black Friday and end December 24th!
I hope you'll stop by and see what goodies I have in my store over the next month, and I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Mad Dash!

I went to work this morning at 9am, right after dropping my daughter off at school. I did not stop until 4pm, and that was only to step outside before the light went away so I could photograph what I made today! These will be either added to a display board or taken with me to the craft fair or put up on Etsy... can't decide. But I'll know by the end of the evening where their fate lies.

There's a LOT here! Can't wait to go back upstairs in my office and make MORE!!! I'll be beading every day until December 6th, for the Holiday Spectacular. After that perhaps I'll get a small break. I do know though that if I do bead constantly until then, that I'll be in desperate need of new glass! I'm digging into my bead boxes and coming out with some beautiful glass that I have not seen in a while! I'm a hoarder, in case you have not figured that out by now!

Ok, back tomorrow with more! Hope you have a great night!