One World - One Heart

Make New Friends From Around the World.....

This year I decided to participate in one of the largest blogging events on the net One World – One Heart. Is the brainchild of Lisa Swifka, of A Whimsical Bohemian.

The original idea behind this event is to bring bloggers from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. Sharing their stories and creations, discovering new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize along the way.

Please visit the OWOH blog and visit all the other creative artisians….

Below are my two free gifts that I will ship anywhere in the world!

Beads Outa Beads Necklace

Swarovski Crystals, Fresh Water Pearls, Delica's, Self Clasp, and Sterling Silver Earwires

Flowers & Leaves
An unconventional color combination of blacks and purples create a stunning Flowers and Leaves Bracelet.

To have a chance to win, you only need to leave a comment on this blog post before midnight EST on February 11^th! The two winners names will be announced on February 12th and I will contact each winner to let you know you've won.

Jill

P.S. Please feel free to join my blog!

A Beaded Affair

An Affair You’ll Remember!

Who is the hard working, energetic designer behind “A Beaded Affair”, no other than my friend and fellow eSMArts Team member, Lois Matthews. Lois is a Daughter, Mother, Wife, Realtor, Title Insurance Agent, and outstanding Jewelry Designer.


Lois makes stunning jewelry designs, she combines high quality metals and gemstones to create a piece of art, art that will surely become heirlooms. Her work features the unusual, bold, feminine, and classic but always wearable designer pieces.


Lois is a special lady providing much guidance and support to the eSMArts Team, and its members. Always being available to help in all ways, giving of herself and her very valuable time.


Why not visit “A Beaded Affair’s” Etsy shop and see her stunning jewelry designs, hard to find 1/2 Round and Square Copper Wire in 18 and 20 gauge, Copper Findings, and fine gemstone beads.



Lois has a wonderful blog and website where she has featured many of the eSMArts team members, and as always provides the “play it forward” concept. For she is a true Team Player and my dear friend.

New Years Resolution

A month of creating daily

In late October my friend Susie Land threw out the challenge and inspiration to do something creative every day for 30 days. Susie is my friend from Artist’s of the Round Table, and very creative, talented group of artisans. I decided at that time this would be a wonderful challenge for my creative endeavors, but the timing just wouldn’t fit into my schedule until the New Year.

During these cold dreary days of January I will challenge myself and create one jewelry piece each day of the month. Come along with me and enjoy my adventure…

I would love to have company. Want to join in on the fun! Just challenge yourself to do a little bit every day for 30 days, pick a theme, any theme, whatever you want, doesn’t even have to be jewelry.

I will be posting my progress on my blog, check back often to see how the challenge is evolving, and see if I can keep my New Years Resolution!

What is a Jewelry Geek?

A Jewelry Geek is someone aspiring to learn various jewelry making techniques.

Jewelry Geeks.Com is a site that promotes and supports the field of jewelry and metal arts. Artists can create and manage their own virtual studio, setup a photo gallery, add videos, subscribe to or create there own group(s), chat with other members, express creativity, find inspiration, learn new techniques, view and post classifieds, all this and SO much more!

Jewelry Geeks is a site for beginners to advanced artists with absolutely no membership fees or restrictions. A social portal created to give people who are interested in learning various techniques of jewelry making, a place to network with many artisans of all skill levels and backgrounds.

A great place to browse around, or sign up and start meeting others who share the same interests.

You'll find the latest in internet trends all rolled into one site! JewelryGeeks is the ONLY Social Network for Jewelry & Metal Artists in the world!

Enjoy!

Meet Diva....

Diva is now 7 years old, Parti Color Cocker Spaniel, she came to live with us, December 24th 2005.

We had lost our wonderful dog Muchka, a 17 year old Norwegian Elk Hound to old age, the week after Thanksgiving. I consulted our families and everyone thought this would be a perfect Christmas gift for my husband, or so I thought.

When I brought her home Christmas Eve I never expected his reaction,” take her back”. It’s too soon! We didn’t speak for days…No, I didn’t return her, my husband needed Diva as much as I need her, and as much as Diva needed to find a forever home. Paul was quite ill and would be confined to the house for the next 4½ months, he needed company, he needed a companion, I was working full time.

Diva was a rescue, and had been returned to the cocker rescue group on more than one occasion, because she piddled. She stopped the piddling shortly after she arrived, she just needed the love, and a caring home. My husband spoils her horribly, but who cares, she has been the light of our life, and a true loving companion.

Kreativ Blogger Award

My friend Jacqui Graham from the Artist of the Round Table (A.R.T.) has presented me the wonderful Kreativ Blogger Award!

Jacqui, I truly treasure our friendship and thank you for your thoughtfulness.


The rules for passing this award on are:
1. The winner may put this award on their blog
2. Put a link to the person who sent this award to you
3. Nominate 5 blogs
4. Put links to their blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees

I’m honored to give The Kreativ Award to:
Anna Lee Husband
Hilde Van Barel
Janet Burditt
The eSMArts Team Blog
Yvonne Cornelius

Meet the Talker.......

The talker sometimes drives me crazy! Her name is Nika and she has been part of our family for over 22 years. African Grey parrots are known for there talking ability and she certainly keeps us well entertained. Much like a child, she finally starting talking when she was about a year old, and hasn’t stopped since.

Nika loves scolding Rico, our Orange-wing Amazon parrot, when SHE thinks he is too noisy or asking Diva our dog if she wants to go outside. She certainly rules the other animals, or at least tries. She doesn’t bother with Samantha our cat much, just now and then we hear a kitty cry. But, again if you hear Nika saying “bad, bad”, we known that Sam is up to no good, and Sam is almost always up to no good.

Nika is so good a mimicking voices, often the dog and my husband think I’m talking to them, not the parrot talking to them in my voice. Nika is currently into phone rings, thanks to all the political phone calls. She is so good, the only way you can tell if it is our phone ringing is to be in the same room as the phone, she especially loves ringing the phone when I’m outside.
Another of her favorites is the microwave oven and the stove timers. She only makes the noises when the appliance is being used, I wish I had a nickel for each time the beep has gone off, just to rush in, to discover it’s the talker, not the timer. Nika talks in my voice, my husbands voice, and other family members voices. She can whistle the “Charge of the Light Brigade", and still talks about other animals that have left this world.

I often hear my Daughter talking, my Grandson crying, my Mother-in-Laws voice, my Step-Mothers laughter, Uncle Pettie’s deep, deep voice, and so much more. Nika really is entertaining, except on occasion when I want peace and quite, and she wants to talk. Nika always says “bye” as I leave for work, and “see you later” when my husband leaves.

Nika loves to eat, and will ask for toast in the morning. A habit she acquired from my Mother-in-Law, and considering my Mother-in-Law wanted her to say ” thank you”, Nika always says “thank you, thank you” so she could have her toast. At night it’s “want a peanut”, so she gets her peanuts.

I’ll never forget one Sunday morning many years ago, when my husband and I could not decide who was going to make breakfast, next we hear “I can cook” from the kitchen. With a talker like Nika you need to be careful what you say, no off colored words, all it takes is one time, and you might be hearing that word for a very, very long time into the future. Years ago, one of the talk shows had a guest that used a word I will refer to as a gutter word, the next word out of Nika was this word. I couldn’t believe what she repeated, thank heaven it was the only time she repeated this discussing word.

I wouldn't trade her,I enjoy her company, as well as all the fond memories when I hear her use all the different voices and phrases of family members that are not around to share our laughter.