Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!!

It's the last day of 2012.

I'm not one to dwell on the past, but this day was made for taking stock of where you are and where you want to be in the new year.

I lost my dad this fall.

There were things he still wanted to do in this life.  He had a lot of ideas that he wanted to explore, things he wanted to make.  But he didn't have the physical capacity to do his beloved woodworking and carving.

There comes a time in life when you don't have the choices you once did.  When the life you lived stands on its own as a testament to who you were. 

You have a lifetime to do and think and love and be.  And all of a sudden, you come to the end, when you must close the book that was your earthly life to start a new book in the Great Beyond. 

In the end, Dad was very peaceful.  He was ready to move on, looking forward to the next Great Adventure. 


We only have today to do the things and be the person we were meant to be.

I wish you love and joy.


I'll leave you with a few of my favorite quotes on stamps that I use all the time:

Joy is not in things, it is in us

Happiness is when what you THINK, what you SAY and what you DO are in Harmony
           -Gandhi

The best things in life are not free, but priceless.

Peace within makes beauty without
        -English Proverb

Kindness is no common virtue
It is a Rare Gift.
         -David Samuels

Nature is the art of God
            -Sir Thomas

If one truly loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere.
                     -Vincent Van Gogh


I wish you a very Happy New Year!

Laurel

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

My Jewelry Workspace

So I have a great craft room, right? 

Here's my craft room

But where do I make most of my jewelry?

In the family room on the love seat in front of the tv.



This is what my table looks like today.  Full of some of the beads I used in a piece I made last night.  The inspiration for the colors came from the C-Coop Enamel pendant.



Here's the necklace I just made.  I haven't decided if the chain strand will be a separate strand or will be connected to the bead strung strand.  The gold beads in the strung strand are amber, the rest are either glass or freshwater pearls.  The darker beads are glass pearls. 


Tonight's agenda is making matching earrings and a bracelet.

What do you think?

Laurel