What in the World Happened to My Blog?!?

Oh my, I've never been the best blogger in the world, but almost 4 years is really ridiculous!!  I've been getting kicked around in life and fell into a deep dark depression.  I'm still there, but I'm over myself.  All I do is work a few days and stare at my damn phone the other days.  I lost my restaurant, not because we were unsuccessful, but because I trusted people I thought were my friends.  They weren't my friends at all. But no sense in re-hashing all of that though.  We were a great success and that's all I'm going to hang onto from that experience.
I then went back to the job I've had on and off for 15 years.  A month later, my boss died and his wife sold the business.  Soooooo, I went to work a couple of other places, lost my dog to cancer, and that's when I just lost it!!  I couldn't even take anymore changes or death and dying!  So now I'm on meds, and I really don't feel like it's helping.  It helps my anxiety but depression is still here.  I've just decided to get off my butt and start doing the things I used to love and enjoy!  I can't be a lump forever.  I can't lay on the couch anymore.  I can't look at my phone anymore.  I'm just done with that nonsense.  I'm giving myself one more chance to kick the crap before I go into some serious therapy.
If it works, great.  If not, well....
So I'll be on here a lot more.  I don't even know if anybody reads blogs anymore.  I don't like I used to, but it's cathartic for me to write, so write I will.  Maybe not every single day, but more than once every 4 years lol! Have a happy Sunday!  I'll talk to you all soon!!!!

Religious Necklaces

New items in my Etsy shop!  I finally had some time to sit down and wire wrap some beads!!

Moving My Station Indoors

I gave a ton of furniture to my nephew, who just got his first place, last weekend.  My son moved to Denver about a year and a half ago, so I finally started cleaning out his room, as he didn't take any of his furniture with him.  I am going to keep his dresser.  I haven't had a decent one in a few years, since I changed my decor, and his matches my bed perfectly!  His bed, I gave my nephew.  I originally intended to take it up to our family cabin, but every kid needs a bit of help when they first move out and  my nephew, Jon, only had a twin bed!  So, I gave it to him.  The only thing left in the kid's room is a GIANT fish tank, that he told me to put on Craigslist and his tv and tv stand.  So the other night, it was sooooo cold and I wanted to get some soldering done and my garage is huge and I don't have a heater in there, so I got the bright idea to move my soldering station into my son's old room.  I have a craft room as well, but there is too many flammable items in there!  So into his room I moved!!  And I ended up getting way more done than I would have normally gotten done, because it was convenient and warm!!

These are just a pic of what I got done in about a half hour or so!  I blackened them, added images and just got done doing a resin pour!!  I can't wait until it cures, so I can see how they turned out!  Then I can add some bling to them and get them listed on Etsy!  The waiting is the hardest part!!

Something Old, Something New

I have been wanting to do something with this vintage rhinestone necklace piece that I've had for over a year now!  Can you say PROCRASTINATOR?!?  Lol, well, I finally sat down and did something with it.

I added vintage glass ab beads from a necklace that I picked up somewhere in my travels and a little bit of chain from a bracelet I found in an antique store.

This is now listed in my Etsy shop.  I think it would be great for a bride to be!!  What do you think of it?

Religious French Holy Card Necklace

Now available in my Etsy shop!

Soldered Pendants

Since my time to create has been limited lately, I have decided to sell some of my soldered pendants.  It is, after all, my favorite part of creating jewelry and the hardest part as well!  I love it though!  Pouring the resin is the trickiest part.  Making sure there are no bubbles and then there's always that stray piece of dust that seems to act like a magnet to the resin.  It is frustrating at times, but, as I said, I love it!

Here is the first of many to follow in my Etsy shop...

Isn't she lovely??  I am hoping to see her go to a good home!  Perhaps someone will use her in their jewelry or just add a chain and where her as is.

I am at the end of my vacation and I still have so much to do.  I am sooo tired of painting black doors, lol!!  I'm almost done though and I still love the look.  Have a great day!

French Poem Chalk Paint Table

I am a really bad blogger.  I've been MIA for 3 weeks!  Anyway, I haven't finished my Coco dresser.  It's been raining on my days off.  I started on this little side table.  I painted it in Old White and then, since I didn't have $100 to spend on the beautiful Paris in Springtime stencil, I got out my overhead projector and did it with a transparency that I made based on the same poem.  I used French Linen for the lettering.  It turned out okay, but I am not the best painter when it comes to tiny details.  I seem to get the paint too thick in these little lines, which is why I like to use paint pens for this sort of thing.  Anywhooo,  I distressed it and clear waxed it, and will probably dark wax it as well.  It didn't turn out exactly like I wanted, but my little table was only $7, so it was worth the experience.

I also did a cute little bar stool in Coco and used a black paint pen for the graphics.

Back to Soldering

The heat wave that we've had for the whole month of July finally let up for a couple of days and I was able to get some soldering done.  My Etsy shop is really empty and needs some new items!  My babies are drying right now and I can't wait to get them beaded and listed!

I am really sad to see that my Joan of Arc Reliquary has seepage.  I don't quite know what I'm going to do about that as of yet since I did use a couple of vintage jewelry pieces on it.  Hmmmmm....

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Coffee Table

I have been busy painting away, finding some great pieces at reasonable prices and learning a lot about technique!  I was supposed to go up to our family cabin this weekend, but I was so excited to work on this great vintage Thomasville coffee or cocktail table that I picked up last weekend, that I opted out.  I am sure I missed some great food and laughter, but I was just so engrossed in my painting.  I painted the table with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  The top is Old Ochre and the base is Duck Egg Blue.  I painted, sanded, waxed and finally completed my project despite over 100 degree days here in Michigan!

 I didn't have time to stage and get the right lighting, so here is just a taste!  Let me know what you think!

Madonna and Child Vintage Rhinestone Necklace

Hi all!  I have been soooo busy this weekend!  I got a couple of necklaces done and have been hard at work on my Paris Subway Art Dresser Transformation.

This is my favorite Renaissance Madonna and Child image encased in resin and nestled in a handmade bezel.  I topped it off with a beautiful vintage rhinestone button that I found in an antique shop.

Faux pearls, rhinestone disco balls and rhinestone rondelles bring it all together.  I just love it!

I also added a new Joan of Arc Necklace to my shop.

All of this mixed metal and color works somehow!  Much more beautiful in person.  

I also worked on my dresser this weekend.  I am almost there!  Just more waxing and a little sanding to do.

Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed day!

Chalk Painted End Tables

  I found these 2 little sad end tables in a thrift store.  They were unloved and uncared for.  I snatched them up and took them home and put some Annie Sloan loving to them.  I love the dark wax over the old white!  I am going to add some old typography to the table tops as well, so stay tuned!

Religious Vintage Rhinestone Necklaces

I have been soldering, pouring resin and wire wrapping necklaces like crazy!  I listed four new necklaces on Etsy today!  All of these social networks feel like a part time job... Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest and blogging! But I am happy to say that I am wayyyy behind, right on schedule!  Lol!

Fairy Lights

I found this great tutorial on how to make fairy lights on Pintrest by Ozma of Odds!  I tried my hand at it and they turned out sooo darn cute!   I chose to put little doilies in the center, but you could use whatever you wanted.  Wouldn't these be lovely for a wedding?  The great thing is that they only cost about $6.00 to make!  Wow!  What a deal!

Madonna and Child Necklace with Vintage Rhinestones!

My newest addition to my Etsy shop and my new favorite of all the jewelry that I have ever created.  I don't know what it is about this piece, it just speaks to me.  It is my favorite Madonna and Child image, but then again maybe it's all the bling!!

Vintage Prayer Cards

As a little girl I remember going through a drawer in my mom's dresser where she kept her jewelry box, her bible and a box full of beautiful prayer cards.  I would sit for hours and be amazed at the vintage holy graphics.  Our bible had amazing religious Renaissance pictures in it.  I wish I could find another one like it.  It got lost somehow in the shuffle after my dad passed away.  And the holy cards that she had!  Wow!  I had aunt's that were nun's and I don't know if they gave her some of them or if she just picked them up at church or funerals. Unfortunately, after mom passed, my dad got rid of them all, not thinking that anyone would want them.  I am inspired by these beautiful cards and use a lot of them in my jewelry.  I also use vintage rhinestones, which I always loved to look at in mom's jewelry box.

I miss those days, the wonder and the marvel of a great new discovery!  I hope to collect a few vintage holy cards just to bring back the memory of sitting in her room. 

Simple Faith Series

A little bit more inexpensive version of my soldered pendants for folks that like to keep it simple.

St. Theresia Vintage Rhinestone Necklace

I tried to get some more jewelry done this weekend but my resin pour didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.  Some pieces did, others didn't make the cut.  I am very picky about what I sell in my Etsy shop.  This is one piece that did make it.  I added a vintage rhinestone piece from a necklace I found in an antique shop.  I hand wrapped white howlite, clear quartz and rhinestone rondelles.  It turned out just lovely, don't you think?

Religious Jewelry on Etsy!

New religious jewelry on Etsy!  Beautifully handmade bezels embellished with vintage rhinestones!  Yummy jewelry!  I am so excited to be creating again!!  I have missed it so much.  I can't do a no brainer job and am so relieved to have quit and start getting back to me.  I may not be rich, but at least I am happy!

I Quit My Day Job

Well, after deep consideration, I quit my day job!  I started about 3 months ago.  It sounded like a dream job!  But soon turned into a nightmare!  It's probably not a bad job for the right person, but not for this girl!  I am a do-er, a busy bee.  I can't stand around and do nothing.  I either need to be busy with my hands or with my mind.  


Anyway...we will see how this goes.  I am going back to my old job part time and I am going to give the world of crafting a try.  I can't wait!  I know it's risky, but I've thought about it for a long, long time and I'm finally just going to go for it!  It's now or never.  I've been getting organized, painting my studio/office and getting ready to set up shop!  It's exciting and scary all at the same time.  

Birthday Party Bird Necklace

For the kid in you! For the birthday girl! For the girl that loves life and believes life is a party!