Heartfelt Thanks And A Winner!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who left a comment with your gracious wishes. Being able to share my joy and excitement with my blogging buddies means so much to me! Just a classic example of the power and generosity of the blogging community. I feel your heart hugs and I am grateful on so many levels for your kindness.

I used the famous Random Number Generator and it selected #14….. Becca!!! …..to win one of my Marie Antoinette Pendant Necklaces. Congratulations Becca and thank you so much for your sweet comments.

A Charmed Life

Yes, indeed…. it’s a charmed, charmed life. Sometimes you turn around and there is something right there that makes you stop and take a deep breath and give thanks for all the goodness in your life. You can get so busy with your day to day duties that you look right past the simple goodness around you…. and when you are busy, it’s easy to forget to say thanks and be grateful for opportunities and dreams coming to life…

Such as it was today when the mailman arrived with this…

…my advance copy of Somerset Studio Gallery magazine! This time last year, I would never have guessed… dreamed… or imagined…. that I would be published in 5 different magazines within the coming year. Today, #5 arrived and I feel so grateful… and so humbled… to be included with these talented artists. Art really can change your world…

I have yet to get used to seeing my name in print. It’s still such a big thrill and I hope I never lose this sense of awe. I have so many big dreams and my baby steps are starting to move me along with a little more assurance and a lot less wobble…..

Not only is it thrilling for me to be included in Somerset Studio Gallery, but it’s with my Marie Antoinette Charm Necklace to boot! That makes it double special with a cherry on top.

And another good thing also came my way. I was recently contacted by Artbeads and invited to come on board as a blogger for them. From time to time I’ll be selecting beads and jewelry making supplies from their vast inventory and creating a project and offering a product review (good or bad) for them about their products, right here on my blog. I am thrilled with this opportunity to work with Artbeads and I posted my first project using their gorgeous beads last week with my Sterling Rose Garden Necklace project. Stay tuned for another beaded necklace project coming next Thursday, June 4.

In the meantime, I always like to celebrate these milestones with you, so if you feel inclined to leave a comment, I’ll let the famous Random Number Generator select a comment number on Sunday, May 31st and I’ll send the winner one of my Marie Antoinette Pendant Necklaces!

Thank you for letting me jump up and down and shout a bit. And wherever you are in life, take time to dream… because dreams can come true.

A Mad Tea Party!

Mark your calendars! It will soon be time to party like it’s 1865 says Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist, who will be hosting her 2nd Annual Mad Tea Party. If you love the classic tale of Alice In Wonderland, you will love this theme party!!! I missed this playful party last year and was tickled to see that Vanessa has planned another party. I’ve signed up to play, so please come join us, down rabbit-hole, on Saturday, June 27th.

Click HERE for a link to this years party info……. and click HERE to see the fantastic party that was held last year. Hope to see you there!

Sterling Rose Garden Necklace Project

Welcome to my first online jewelry making class! Today’s project is a Sterling Rose Garden Necklace. This gorgeous necklace looks more complicated then it really is and I’d like to show you how you can make one, very similar, for yourself.

I really adore working with vintage components and I like to mix them in with newer beads and findings to create a unique and special piece of jewelry. The inspiration for this necklace came from some beautiful beads I recently discovered at Artbeads – one of my favorite places for beading supplies.

I suffer a bit from “Cobbler's Son Syndrome”… you know that old saying “the cobbler's sons have no shoes”. I am a bit like that because all the jewelry I make eventually ends up sold and I have nothing to wear! When I came across these beautiful beads, I knew I wanted to make something special for myself and I thought I would share this project with everyone here so you can make one too!

Let’s get started with some close-up photo details of this pretty necklace…

Just look at that pretty sterling silver Rose & Leaf pendant!!! I am such a rose lover and I knew I wanted to make something that featured this pretty pendant. This pendant is Hill Tribe Silver, from Thailand. It has a higher silver content than typical sterling silver and has such a pretty and soft gleam about it. Perfect for using with vintage components!

Here is a closeup shot of the pendant. It's soooo pretty.... just look at that detail! Click HERE to visit Artbeads so you can order this component for your necklace.

I also ordered a couple of smaller, matching Hill Tribe Rose beads. You'll only need 2 for this project. Click HERE to order these for your necklace.

Look how pretty these vintage Opal rice drop beads are! It can be really difficult to find pretty vintage beads and when I saw these, I knew they would look gorgeous with the sterling and vintage metal. You'll only need to order 19 beads for this project. Click HERE to order these beads for your necklace.

These pretty vintage beads are from the Czech Republic and the Opal glow of the beads is just beautiful! They also have their original wires, so they are ready to attach to your project.

Using a mix of different vintage chains, rhinestones, Hill Tribe Silver & vintage Opal beads will create a really pretty necklace.

Above is a good example of how to space your beads. I like an even look when spacing my beads and depending on the chain you use, try to count the same number of links between each bead for placement.

All the chains will attach to a vintage necklace clasp. Your clasp may differ and if it only has one hole, rather than 2, you can attach a single jump ring in the hole and then attach both chains to that one jump ring.

Such a pretty and romantic necklace!

Here are the supplies you will need:

Make your chains first - I’ve made this a double length necklace, so you will need 2 chains of different lengths. What’s fun about using vintage pieces is that you can mix and match your chain parts, to get the desired length and look you are going for. Just be sure to use or create (1) chain that is 18 inches long and (1) chain that is 21 inches long. The chain that is 21 inches long should include your rhinestone necklace centerpiece, which you’ve attached to the chain pieces using jump rings.

To Complete the beading on the 21 inch chain:
Using jump rings, attach the Hill Tribe Silver Rose & Leaf Featured Pendant to the rhinestone necklace centerpiece. Using jump rings, attach (8) Vintage Opal Rice Drop Beads, (2) Three Petal Small Hill Tribe Rose Beads, and (2) vintage chandelier crystals to the chain using equal spacing, using my photos above as an example.

To Complete the beading on the 18 inch chain:
Using jump rings, attach (11) Vintage Opal Rice Drops Beads with equal spacing, using my photos above as an example.

To Finish:
Using jump rings, attach the four ends of the chains to a vintage clasp, see my photo above for reference.


This project is fairly simple in that it does not require using head pins or wire wrapping beads. The beautiful vintage beads from Artbeads still retained their original wires, so creating this necklace really is a matter of just using jump rings to attach all the elements.

If you are new to beading or your skills are rusty, click HERE for a great video from Artbeads that shows you how to open jump rings. This basic skill is what you will use most to create this necklace.

I really love how this project turned out and I hope you will try making this pretty necklace for yourself. I think it will be just as gorgeous with a pair of blue jeans and a simple white shirt… or my fancy little black cocktail dress!

I hope you enjoyed my first class today and if you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email. And for those of you who will try making this necklace, please let me know! I will be happy to post photos of your completed project here on my blog.

Happy Beading!

Almost Time For Class!!

Just a fun reminder to come visit tomorrow for my first online jewelry making class! I’ll show you how to make a beautiful necklace using new and vintage components.

I am of the opinion that a girl can never have too many accessories or things that sparkle so I hope to see you in class tomorrow, sitting right up front, ready to be bejeweled!

An Easy Garden Craft Project!

I wanted to share a quick & easy garden project I just completed. We had a large blank area on our fence that was calling out for something colorful and bright. It’s a bit shady in this area so we were looking for something that would be like artwork. I found this large metal sculpture of a sun at Marshall’s. It was only $16 so the price was right….but the boring metal color was too bland to brighten this area of the garden…..

I thought I could make it work if I added some colorful paint….. It was a really simple and fun project! A little bit of bright paint made all the difference…

I just went freeform with all the squiggles, polka dots, curly cues and zigzags – the more imperfect it was, the cuter it got!

This was a quick project to do and if you have an outdoor space that could use a little extra zip, you might want to dash off to your nearest Marshall’s and pickup one of these darling metal sculptures and have a little fun with paint!

Sneak Peeks & A Jewelry Making Class!

There are so many fun things happening around the studio that I thought I'd share a sneak peek with everyone today. The first bit of fun news is that one of my jeweled necklaces will be featured in the soon to be released Somerset Studio Gallery Magazine, from Stampington. This is a fun magazine because not only do they feature creative projects, but you can learn how to make them. My beaded and soldered Marie Antoinette “L'Affair du Collier” Necklace will be published with instructions too!

Here is what the cover looks like and this edition is due on newsstands June 1st. Or, if you are a girl like me, with ants in your pants, you can go right HERE to order a copy for your very own self. I am sure this issue will be jam packed with creative projects from many talented women and I always enjoy curling up on the sofa to absorb these beautiful magazines. Be sure to pick up a copy and I am sure you will be inspired too!

I also wanted to share a sneak peek of some FABULOUS vintage beads I recently discovered from a great source for beading supplies. I’ll be in the studio this weekend creating special jewelry using these wonderful beads and later next week, I’ll be sharing this project with everyone here on my blog – including “How To” instructions and information on where you can purchase supplies to create your own. Mark your calendars for next Thursday, May 21 for my first online jewelry class!

I Promise Myself....

As I cleaned my studio this week, I took time to re-read this inspirational message, written by Christian Larson, that I keep posted near my workbench. The message is still as meaningful to me today as it was 2 years ago when I first tacked it to my inspiration board. I hope you will find it inspiring too....

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.


To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person I meet.


To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.


To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.


To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.


To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.


To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.


To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.


To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.


To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.


To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.


To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Inspiring Me

Lately, I’m finding myself really inspired by elements of tarnished metals with a touch of sparkle that plays against a background of neutral colors.

Not only is this color pallet seeping into my decorating at home, but it’s also starting to influence my jewelry designs.

My mind right now, is in a whirl with new ideas for new directions to take my designs and new designs to incorporate into what I am already creating. If only there were more hours in the day!

I'm a girl who always has ants in her pants, especially when I make up my mind about something. Once that happens, I want it done NOW. But the best things in life take time, so over the next few months, things will be changing around here.... I'll be growing, stretching and becoming a bit more unique and creative.

While I will always stay true to my romantic notions, I am excited about the new ideas and creations that are on the way.



I hope you’ll stay tuned for this adventure!