Thursday's Deal of the Day!

Thanks for stopping by! Today I am introducing my new web special, the Featured Deal of the Day! Today's deal is for the Whispering Birch Necklace, Bracelet and Earring Set. You can view this set by clicking here. I love this set and am *this* close to keeping it for myself! So as a favor to you all, it is the special today. The price on Etsy has been updated to reflect the 25% discount! This deal is only good for today, so if you like this set, go ahead and purchase it at this fabulous price! Don't forget this is a three piece set featuring one of a kind glass beads and is a great neutral color that can be worn with so many different things. I hope you enjoy it! I'll check back in later, maybe with something new!

I have an idea!

"Ding"! The little light bulb in my head just went off! I have a great idea for a new way to present specials. Starting tomorrow, I will be instituting the Featured Deal of the Day! I will take one item each day to feature from my Etsy store and for that day, the item will be on sale for 25% off the original price! You never know which item it will be, but I'll try to do a sneak peak here on my blog, then if you are interested you can scoot over to Etsy and purchase it. I'll make a section in my shop for easy access to the sale item.

To sweeten the deal even more, only my blog readers will know about the FREE SHIPPING that I will be offering to those special deal purchases. You can mention "Sweet Deal" in the comments section of your order and I'll send you a revised invoice. Any questions, give me a shout!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the first Deal of the Day!

Ocean themed evening!

Ann and I sat down last night and first cleaned my office. It was a DISASTER!!! But now everything is in it's home and ready to be used in creations such as these...

We made everything ocean related last night. None of these pieces will be anywhere for sale, as they are Ann's payment for her hard work with me at the wedding. However, I can recreate any of these styles with beads of your choosing. I have a TON of beads to share with you all, just waiting for the inspiration!

The first is made with Catherine Ondrey's Monet Blue glass beads. Of course, we added all kinds of sea life charms and even a Fish Hill Tribe Clasp! I believe this will be one of Ann's favorite daily bracelets.

Next, we have the Ocean Wave series of beads made by Heather Powers of Humblebeads. These are clay beads that are truly one of a kind. I made the necklace and matching bracelet and earrings with Swarovski Crystals in Pacific Opal, Chrysolite and Indicolite. It's a killer set, isn't it??

The last, but most definitely not least is our FABULOUS Sassy O's from Carey of Sassy Stoppers! I used seed beads in the best colors to make a wonderful lightweight necklace. This one is Ann's, but mine will be made to match (yes, I have one too!) as soon as I get more seed beads, I kinda ran out!

OK, that's all for now... be sure to check back tomorrow as I have some free time to create today! Have a good one!

Cucumber Melon!

It seems to me that the best photo's are taken in natural light, preferably sunlight. Today there is NO sun, and nothing but rain forecasted for the entire day. However, I am a woman of my word and there was a 3 minute break in the raindrops so I quickly grabbed my camera, and my newest creation and ran outside for a quick photo. Mind you the colors are not as vibrant as I would have liked but you can get the idea of what the bracelet looks like and I'll try to rephotograph it tomorrow when Mr. Sun comes out.

I made this bracelet featuring wonderful glass beads made by Catherine Ondrey. I added Swarovski Crystal Rings and accented them with Cantaloupe and Light Peach Swarovski Crystals. I also added a Silver twisted toggle and lots of spacers to give it some shine! I love this piece. I am hoping to make a small earring set to go with it later today. I'll be posting it over on Etsy in a few minutes. Thanks so much for checking back in. More to come tomorrow! I'm getting back into my GROOVE! Yay!

New Bracelet!

Ok, I made the bracelet that I wanted to, but due to the horrendous thunderstorms we have had this evening, I was unable to photograph it. It's really pretty though! I promise, it's worth the wait! I will try to do so first thing in the morning and post it here! Have a great night!

Tuesday

I went out and bought a portable hard drive tonight to ensure a good backup of the weddings I have recently done. I now have them on disk and am transferring them to this external drive as well. Sorry for the lack of posting, I need to give the computer a break for a day! I am going to have it shut off for a good portion of the morning, while I am running around with my grandmother helping her with her errands (hair, groceries, etc) and then when I get home I should have a proof album to view (YES it shipped already and I only ordered it this morning!) and then I can make some jewelry. I know exactly what I want to do so hopefully I'll have some pictures to post come late afternoon. Thanks for checking in, do come by tomorrow! Have a great night!

Up TILL 2am...

I stayed up until 2am this morning and finally, I have completed the editing of the wedding photo's! They are uploading now and I have to stay off the computer while this is happening, so I'll be a little scarce today, with just a quick check in here and there! Once the proof album is ordered my life will go back to somewhat normal! Please be sure to check back for new jewelry hopefully by Wednesday! Have a great day!

Still going strong!

Well after a hearty dinner with Ann Marie, I am back at the computer editing pictures. This one is another of my all time favorites! Thought I would share it with you all! It's almost midnight, so even though I don't think my coach will turn back into a pumpkin I'm going to call it quits when the clock strikes 12, poor Cinderella needs some rest! Talk to you all tomorrow!

Up at 2am...again!

I was up again at 2am for the 4th night in a row. I am so tired I can hardly see straight! I am still editing, but getting much closer to that light at the end of the tunnel! I'm so glad to think that if you are reading this post that you are still checking in and have not given up on me! Thank you for that! As a special treat for checking in on me, I'm going to offer a Weekend Special to all of you blog readers. Since I will not be able to post anything new in the shops until these wedding pictures are completed, I will offer you a great deal on what is currently available for sale in my Etsy store. Just for this weekend, take 25% off your order, plus FREE SHIPPING! Please put the words "blog special" in the notes section during checkout and I'll either send you a revised invoice or refund the difference through Pay Pal. I will DEFINITELY be done with these pictures by Tuesday, so stay tuned for new jewelry items towards the middle of the week next week! Thanks for keeping tabs on me! Have fun shopping and enjoy your weekend!

Still here!

I'm still here, plugging away at pictures! I'm making some headway, so that's good! I have been so tired since Saturday, it's starting to really take a toll on me. But I hope to get to bed early again tonight so I can get an early start again in the morning. It's always nice to edit pics while the kids are still sleeping! ha ha No distractions!

In the meantime, be sure to check out all the fun things that Carey's been making over at her store (click here), I have taken advantage of a few of those funky square beads so if you see something you like and want me to work with it, let me know! I'll check in tomorrow so have a great night!

Congrats to the Bride and Groom!

Tell me this is not a GREAT cover shot! I'm so exhausted from the wedding last night, but I have to say, SO pleased with what I have reviewed from my photographs. I had to share this one, as it is by far one of my favorites! Ann and I made it through what appeared to be the party of the century! Everyone had such a great time, and what beautiful scenery to be married on the beach! I'm going to be editing pictures again for a while, but you all know the drill! My eyes get tired after staring at the computer for hours and then I need to sit and make jewelry as a "break", so don't think I have given up if I don't post anything new for a week or two. Thanks all, I'm off to see if I can grab a quick nap! Hope you had a great weekend and congratulations to the newlyweds!

I DID IT!!!

I sat this morning and finished the piece! YAY! I said to myself the entire time I was making it, "I'm not going to want to give this up!"! As usual! But I guess that's a good thing, that I love my jewelry so much that I want to keep it all!

This set is made with some beautiful beads made by Catherine Ondrey, in blues and greens. I have accented these glass beads with Bali Silver Rounds, and Hammertone ovals links. I also used Swarovski Crystals in Crystal AB, Olivine and Indian Sapphire... one of my favorite color combinations! I added lots of spacers, including some Bali twists and finished it with a lobster claw clasp! The earrings match, and complete the set! I'll be listing it over on Etsy in a few minutes and then I'm going to have to get ready to go to the rehearsal for the wedding tomorrow!

At least I accomplished what I said I wanted to, I hope you all enjoy it! Have a great day!

Didn't stand a chance...

There was no way I could complete that piece today. I have a wedding on Saturday, and although I am prepared I still had a multitude of last minute things to take care of that took priority over my jewelry. But, all the camera batteries are charged, and cards are ready to go. I have to find my tripod (I know where it is, but just have to grab it and my stools) and then go to the rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. I am hoping to have new pics up on Sunday. Don't lose faith in me yet! I just have a full plate this weekend. But the beads are still out, and ready to be worked on, so maybe I can do something in the am with them before I go. It's Matt's official birthday tomorrow, so I have to stop at the store and pick him up a balloon or something since we had his party last weekend and he already got his gifts! Please be sure to check back, and I promise to try to get to designing as soon as I can! Have a great night!

First of two...

Well here is the first of the two bracelets I started working on last night. This one is a Baptismal bracelet for a little newborn girl, which is a custom order created with beautiful Swarovski Pearls in an ivory and light pink color and a Celtic cross charm. I just think it turned out so sweet, considering it's small size! I hope that this will be the beginning of a long lasting appreciation of jewelry for this little sweetheart!

The second piece is in the works, not yet completed. However, check back a little later on to see if I've gotten it done. The weather is beautiful today! Open up your windows and enjoy the breeze! See you in a bit!

Wednesday!

I have been consumed with playing with my kittens, and trying to pacify my older cats! They will get used to the idea soon enough of having to share the house. Ann's cousin Heidi is in from Florida (and Jacki too... HI Jacki!). Heidi is my twin and I love when I get to see her. We do everything alike, it's like we were seperated at birth! Plus, it just means that Ann has two of us to deal with, it's double trouble! Maybe I'll get to see her later today. In the meantime, I have some beads out on my table and an idea in my head so check back later on to see my newest creation! Have a great day!

Introducing...

The newest and littlest Latimer family members... BRUCE and EDDIE! They are brothers, 9 weeks old and making themselves comfy in the far corners of my computer room. The kids love them, and so do I! They will grow on Clay for sure! I'm sure I'll have lots more pictures of my babies, once they come out of hiding! Hope you're having a great day!

New Jewelry!

Good evening everybody! I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I sat tonight and made some jewels with the help of my sidekick, Ann Marie. This is what we came up with.

The first two are more Sassy Ring Bracelets! The first is an order for Liz (If you're reading Liz, I hope you like it!) The second will be put up on Etsy in a bit. Gorgeous Big Peachy Rings, so pretty! These can be ordered!!

The next are what I came up with for my joint effort beads with Carey, our spiral disks! We thought they looked like jellyfish before... well I just went with that idea! The green ones have been wrapped with small genuine Peridot buttons, and the blue wrapped with genuine Apatite buttons. They have been topped with Oasis beads and a Peridot Swarovski Crystal on the green and a Sea Blue Quartz stone on the blue! Aren't they great?? I'm finding that these are very fragile, as I broke 2 making the earrings, and so I have decided at this point not to sell them, I would feel terrible if they broke on someone else. But once I wear them for a while and test them out, then I'll offer them up for sale. Stay tuned for those, and thanks Carey! Ann and I will enjoy them now!

The next set are Ann and my "best friends" bracelets. In a prior post, I wrote about making this gorgeous bracelet, and later that afternoon, Ann came over and swiped it on me! ha ha I finally got around to making my own and these bracelets are available by custom order. I have many disk sets of Carey's and in many different colors so if you like them, just let me know!

And finally, we made matching earrings for them as well! These are also available by custom order, in any color so please contact me if this is a style that you are interested in! That's all for now! Check back tomorrow for more goodies and have a great night! :)

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

I have a wedding next weekend so I had to do Matthew's birthday party this weekend. He'll be 2 on the 11th! We had so much fun! Here's a couple pictures of Matt and his favorite gifts and his cake! The other picture is of Ann Marie and our friend David with my little ham bone Jack! Meghan was off at another birthday party but she'll catch up on the fun here today and I saved her a piece of cake!

The other pictures are of Meghan, Clay and our neighbor Fred doing sparklers on Friday! Aren't they cool! I love to see the trails that the fire makes! :) I'll be making jewelry today, so check back later for more goodies!! Have a great Sunday!

My Kind of Rainbow...

Hello?? Will you just look at the colors in these beads!!! Love love love! Carey, my faithful bead artist is just the BOMB! The Swirly's are the one's I mentioned in an earlier post, aren't they great? I have big plans for them, just trying to find the right silver to go with them! Can't wait! Hope you're having a nice day and staying cool! Check back tomorrow to see what new pieces I have created... in my nice cool AIR CONDITIONED house! Thanks goodness!

A good Macro...

I love photography, as many of you know. I have a great Canon DSLR camera that I use for weddings and photo's of the kids, my jewelry, etc. I really enjoy using it, but taking it along for everyday use is kind of a pain in the neck because it has lots of bells and whistles that go along with it (flash, lenses, diffusers, batteries, etc.) I have also had a couple of Powershot camera's prior to my DSLR, but they are only 4 megapixels and 8 megapixels on my pro, and they have quite a shutter lag and I miss a lot of shots. So I finally invested in a small but very powerful Canon Digital Elph and OH MY GOODNESS, I am in LOVE with this camera! I mainly did it to take better pictures of my jewelry, but I also really love getting up close and personal with flowers. Their beauty astounds me, and so does the Macro function on this camera! Take a look at these shots I took yesterday of my Day Lillies after we shut off the sprinkler. Love it! And that Bee... like I said, I hate bees, but I didn't have to get that close to it with this camera and look at the detail! Looks to me like his mouth is even open (just ready to bite!) So I clicked and RAN! ha ha I'm sure it's just my imagination!

I'm doing a lot of different things today, in addition to cleaning my house, I am going to make at least an hour to create a couple of new pieces so please check back later on to see what I have accomplished! Have a great day!