A Scattering of Stars

Here's the finished second embellished bracelet. My oldest daughter said it reminded her of the ceiling at Hogwart's! I thought that about described it, too.

A Mermaid's Tale

Here's the finished cuff bracelet. I had a lot of input from my daughters on this one. They are helping me to break away from the safer, simply patterned designs.

Embellishments

Well, I still don't have the camera, but I did find shell beads to add to the "Mermaid's Tale" bracelet and it's looking really nice. Both my girls like it! The "Scattering of Stars" has gotten embellished, too, with Czech pressed glass stars with an Aurora Borealis finish. I think I'm liking this embellishing of the flat peyote cuff bracelets. It's making them more my own. I'm looking forward to getting the camera back so I can take some pictures of them!

More New Pieces

No pictures yet, but I've completed another cuff-style bracelet and working on the next one. The first one is in shades of teal, aqua and turquoise. My youngest daughter liked the three shades together. At first I finished it off with a metal button, but then changed it to a shell button as she thought it looked like a mermaid. So, the name is "A Mermaid's Tale". I'd like to find a few small shell beads to give it more of that seashore feeling.

The second one, which I'm just working on now, is very simple. Two shades of very deep blue. One is called purplish-blue and the other is bright blue-violet and has the aurora borealis wash on it. I'm only using a few of the bright blue-violet ones and scattering them throughout the darker blue. This one is going to be called "A Scattering of Stars" because it looks like a starry night sky. I love the purplish blue because when you hold it up to the light, it's a deep glowing cobalt blue. It's the same color that I used for the night sky in my "Blue Moon" tealight candle holder. I love it, it's probably one of my favorite colors!

I'll get pictures up as soon as I can get the camera back again. Husband needed it for work and since it is his camera... :)

New Cuff Bracelets

I really, really like these new bracelets I made.

The first one I call "When the Deep Purple Falls" because as I was working on it, the burgundy and purple iris on the black made me think of the song from the Big Band era and how when night begins to fall and the evening comes in, the shadows seem deep and purple and mysterious.

"When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle in the sky—
In the mist of a memory you wander back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh... "

This other one I call "Diamonds in the Sky". Fairly straightforward since the background is the color of the summer sky and then decorated with the diamond pattern. I love the cleaness of this one.

Red Marbles

This is from an email that I received from a very good friend this morning and one I wanted to share as well. It's one of those that makes you wish we would hear more about people like this and their good deeds than the constant bad news we are always inundated with! Though the cynic in me makes me doubt this story actually happened, the emotion and moral is there nonetheless. Enjoy!

RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked.

"Not zackley but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble". Mr. Miller told the boy.

"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store."

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho."

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Furball

Just thought I would share a photo of another member of the family that keeps me busy! This is Sadie. She's a big ol' 85 pound golden retriever. She's six and the poor baby has skin allergies! She's gotten me through some really rough times. Dogs are so wonderful!

Calling All Angels

I've gotten another treasury at Etsy and this one I've called Calling All Angels because I just love the photos of the cemetery angels and the heaven photos, too. They are all so beautiful!

OROC Fundraiser

In January, my daughter's cheerleading squad is having a competition and proceeds will benefit OROC (OutRun Ovarian Cancer). The theme is "We Roc for OROC" and there will be a competition to see which team can raise the most money and we will also be selling bracelets, which I have volunteered to create. I was originally going to make them like this one:But after pricing out what it would cost me up front to make 50 of them, I had to revise my thinking. So, I am going to make them similar to the ones below. I purchased "awareness ribbon" charms to add to them, but the rest will be a combination of these two bracelets:I am really happy that the idea of raising the money for OROC was approved by everyone. It really means a lot to me and my daughters. After losing my mom and mother-in-law to ovarian cancer and finding out one of my daughter's friend has been diagnosed with it, I realized that I can help. I may not be able to find a cure, but at least help by raising money to find a reliable pretest that will allow women a better than 25% survival rate!

More New Stuff

Here are a couple new pieces. I have several more bouncing around in my head, I just need to get them into the real world!

Happy Birthday America!

Everyone here in the USofA and her citizens wherever they may be...have a safe and wonderful Independence Day! Don't forget to pray for the safety of our troops! Our family will be at the community parade in the morning and a friend's house for a barbeque (and tasty margaritas) in the afternoon! It's going to be a great day!