Freezing Cold, Ice and a "Free" Pair of Earrings!

I'm really ready for Spring!  But there are some "good" things about being stuck inside in the cold...we actually cleaned the oven and the stove top today!  And I was on a roll making some new things and filling orders.  Slowly, but surely, the ice is starting to melt!  Yay!

I'm really in love with these!  I call them "Rustic Bling"...I love the contrast of the rustic brass circles with the beautifully faceted glass...they are gorgeous!

And I'm giving a pair of these adorable "Juniper Berry" earrings away!  All you have to do is comment on this blog post, or the facebook link.  I'll randomly pick a winner in the morning!  Good luck!

And this is another pair of cute little "Purple Daggers" that I made yesterday!  I'm loving the Spring colors!

And I'm hoping it will start warming up, so I can get back down in the basement to make some more little "encaustic journals" --- I love the smell of the melting Bee's wax.....mmmmmmmmmm

And I couldn't resist sharing this photo of Frankie!  Hope you are all staying safe, warm and dry!  Spring is on the way...I promise!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"Love is the spirit that motivates the artist's journey." ~ Eric Maisel

New Jewelry, New Drawings, New Beginnings...

Sometimes I feel like I'm all over the map with my creative energies and then other times I feel like I can't focus on anything.  As of lately though, I've been on a roll making all sorts of things!  I love it when that happens, but then again, I have so many projects going at once it can be a daunting feat!  Wayne had to cut down several trees this year that were encroaching on some other trees we didn't want to lose.  With some of the smaller branches, my neighbor cut some circles for me and I'm busy turning them into Christmas gifts! 

 I ordered a wood burning kit from Amazon and it was way easier than I even anticipated!  So, if you are on my list of gift receivers, you know what you'll be getting this year!!  And my love of wood has also carried over into some of my new jewelry pieces...like this gorgeous Moth necklace!  I love it so much!

And these cuter than cute little bone Skull and Feather earrings were just made and listed today:

Those little skulls make me smile :) ~ they are so cute!  And, speaking of cute, this precious little Elephant came out of my brain the other night when I was drawing.  I just love him!  The innocence of animals is something I wish humans could embrace more of.

So now I've been trying to do a daily meditation session, using the challenges on this website!  I just can't relax my mind...I'm trying different times of day and different positions, to see if that makes a difference...I hope so, I need to relax more!  But then, I think..."oh my gosh, it's already November 20th and I'm cooking and hosting Thanksgiving at my house next week...and all the things I still need to do!"  And then, there goes my brain...certainly not relaxing!

Hope your day is awesome!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"What keeps life fascinating is the constant creativity of the soul." ~ Deepak Chopra

Winter Soup & Brand New Stuff!!!

Don't know about you, but I'm almost ready for Spring!  Seems as though "Winter" is already here!  I can't seem to shake this cold bug and I can't get warm!  So last night, I made a big pot of "Winter Soup", using a recipe I got from my Aunt.  The stuff is sooooo good...warms you right down to your very core:

All you need is:

1 package of "Mrs. Grass Minestrone Soup Mix" 

1 can of Tomato Sauce (15oz)

1 can of original RO*TEL

2 cans of Black Beans (I like the Ranch Style Brand best)

1lb of ground meat (beef, chicken or turkey, whichever you prefer, I like turkey best)

A pinch (or 2 or 3 or 4) of Shredded Mexican Cheese

A dollop (or 2 or 3 or 4) of Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips (how many is up to you)

All you do is:

Cook the ground meat in a big pot.

Add 8 cups of water

whisk in Mrs. Grass Minestrone Soup Mix

bring to a boil

add tomato sauce, RO*TEL and black beans

stir all together really good

return to a boil

reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes

serve up in bowls with cheese, chips & sour cream to your liking!!

ENJOY!!

And even though it's gotten cold, I guess it's still not cold enough to scare these little guys off yet.  I found this cute little fellow hanging out by the woodpile yesterday :)

And, as promised, here's some brand new earrings [appropriately named "Gypsy"] that I made today: 

They are for sale in the shop, if you want to grab a pair.  And, they are only $18!  Plus, don't forget to use coupon code HOLIDAY2011 for 10% off your total purchase!  I'm in love with those laser cut wood teardrops!  I bought several different kind, so stay tuned for more [much more].  Happy Thursday!!  Stay Warm!!

xo & peace always ~ Kathy

"Even if there's nothing to laugh about, laugh on credit." ~ Anonymous

Testing my little Owl divider...

Brand new in the shop!!  Spumoni!  Just in time for Spring & Summer!!

xo ~ Kathy

What a girl wants [or needs]...

...lately I'm just obsessed with new cloths! I have no idea why, since most cloths don't ever look right on me [or so, I think]. But the things out for this fall are just awesome! I'm loving the long, layered looks, paired with leggings and soft fabrics. Of course, my main wardrobe has always consisted of leggings and I was so excited when they came back in style! So now I have a whole new wardrobe and I boxed up more than 1/2 of my closet to take down to "Safe's" [a thrift store that benefits abused women & children]. My life just got much, much easier! No more standing in front of the closet trying to decide what to wear! And this poncho from H&M is a must have for fall! Especially for $19.99! Can you hardly believe it!And since we don't have an H&M close to me [probably a good thing], my awesome friend Sandy offered to pick one up for me and mail it to me! How awesome is that! Thank you, Sandy! You're the best! And now it's September 1st, so Autumn is just around the corner! We've actually slept with the windows open for the past couple of nights...it's beautiful outside! So, I'm thinking I may need a new hair cut and this awesome hair comb:And, as my luck would have it, it sold before I could grab it up, so hopefully "whichgoose" can make me another! I absolutely adore it! So, with all of these new things I've been buying, I really need to sell some stuff!! Check out these new earrings I made just today:

I named them "Lights out in London", after my all-time favorite UFO song! I love them so much! I'm really enjoying this new wire-wrapping technique ~ let me know what you think. Whew, I've been crazy busy the last couple of days, making new stuff for all of these shows I have coming up! Yay ~ Life is good :)

Happy September 1st!! Have a wonderful evening!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

So I found this quote and it is just perfect. If I can only memorize it to recite when people ask me "how did you learn to make jewelry"...

"Knowledge of what you love somehow comes to you; you don't have to read or analyze nor study. If you love a thing enough, knowledge of it seeps into you, with particulars more real than any chart or book can furnish." ~ Jessamyn West

Snakes & Snails & Puppy Dog Tales....

...and little boys ~ My little boy is coming to see me today!!! He'll be flying in from Baton Rouge @ 5:30 this afternoon! I'm soooo excited! He'll be here for a whole week! He's never been to the mountains before, and boy is he going to love it! Especially right now with all of the gorgeous fall colors ~ it's beautiful out there today! Of course, I have to make all of his favorite dishes while he's here ~ his most favorite of ALL being "hamburger packages"! This has been his favorite thing as long as I can remember. You should try it for your kids ~ they'll love it too! Plus, there's no pots and pans to wash! How easy is that! Here's what you do:

Pre-heat oven to 400
Make a hamburger patty ~ you can season it some if you want, I usually don't.
Cut up some potatoes in wedges {like steak fries}
Cut up some carrots in strips, or you can use the peeled baby carrots.
Slice an onion in thin circles.
Take a piece of aluminum foil ~ about 12x12 or so
Put the hamburger patty on the bottom & then top it with a few onion slices
Pile on the carrots & potato wedges
Season to your liking ~ I just use sea salt & cracked black pepper
wrap it up good, so the juices & steam don't escape
put the package right on the oven rack and bake for about 30/45 minutes ~ depending on how thick you made your hamburger patty & how many carrots & potatoes you put in each. You can also check it after 30 minutes to see if it's done enough.
Then ~ enjoy!!!!Several years ago ~ for Mother's day, Broc gave me a "White's Tree Frog". I named him "Skippy" and he lived for about 5 years. When he died, we buried him in a cigar box in the back yard and put this little angel statue on his grave. The statue is a little boy angel, sitting on top of a huge frog {I'll have to post a picture later of the whole statue}. It's really cute! Now I have it sitting in my yard ~ a reminder of little boys and frogs ~ two of my most favorite things ~ besides puppy dogs! Speaking of which, Ozzy got his latest check-up Tuesday and he has lost a total of 21 lbs. on his thyroid meds! He's like a little puppy again ~ running and playing with Lita. His fur is all fluffed out & he looks like a little bear cub ~So the winner of these awesome earrings was lucky #1 ~ Anita!! Congratulations!! I hope you enjoy them ~ check back soon for another awesome "freebie" ~ thanks for reading, everybody! Gotta run for now and pick up a little bit, before I head out to the airport. Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"How beautifully everything is arranged by nature: as soon as a child enters the world, it finds a mother ready to take care of it." ~ Jules Michelet

Learning Curves...

Hey everybody!!! I've been busy learning new things ~ but I've missed ya'll so much!!! Wayne bought me a new camera and I've been reading, reading, reading. There is so much to learn about photography, if you've never done anything but "point and shoot". Plus, I've been playing around with PhotoShop and Topaz Software, to create things, like "a painting of our road" {picture above} ~ but, I've made a few new things for the shop:"Gathering Berries" ~ gorgeous pearls & copper painted brass branches."Little Hoot" ~ a precious little owl pendant & faceted red agate stones - hand-knotted.
"Homoptera" ~ a gorgeous butterfly pendant & Fancy Jasper Stones - hand-knotted.

And, since you've patiently awaited my post, how 'bout a pair of these for the next giveaway ~ all you have to do is comment on this post! The winner will be picked by Lita Wednesday!

I'm off to make some new things & take some more pictures! Have a wonderful day, everybody!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"There is four hundred times as much learning in the world as there is wisdom." ~ Josh Billings

Call to all Bead Lovers & A Sale!!

Hey everybody!! I hope you are all enjoying these last few days of Summer! Gosh, it feels like Autumn here already! Cool crisp air, chirping birds ~ beautiful skies!!! Life is good!! Unfortunately, life is not good for everybody. Now, please don't think I'm going and getting all "sappy" on everybody. It's just all that "Karma" stuff and I truly believe in "an eye for an eye" and "no good deed goes unnoticed". Anyway, my dear friend Katie posted this link on Twitter today and it's actually a forum post from Etsy. I'll let you read the post for yourself here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6270554&page=3 ~ now, here is a link to the little girl's website and under the "September 1st" post is the address of where you can send beads & beading supplies. I packed up a big box of stuff this morning to send. What a great way to end the week! It made me feel so good packing up that stuff. I hope you can look through your beads, or even old jewelry you no longer wear, and send something off to this little girl. What a great birthday we could make for her & her friends. So, "thank you" in advance everybody!!These are my new favorite earrings! I named them "Turning Leaves" ~ they are for sale in the shop, along with several other new things. And, I'm having a weekend long "Labor Day" sale! Starting tomorrow morning {09/04} all purchases made through midnight Monday {09/07} will be 20% off ! Just wait for me to send you an updated PayPal invoice. No worries if you accidentally pay though, I'll promptly refund the difference through PayPal. Please let me know if you have any questions. It's not to early to start holiday shopping!!

and I just have to share this photo! We have gotten so much rain the last few weeks that the mushrooms are literally "everywhere" ~ I have this cute little toad in my moss garden and he looks like he's certainly enjoying all the little mushrooms popping up all around him ~ it's just to darned cute!

Well, I'm off to the post office and then coming back home to lock myself in the studio all weekend and make lots and lots of new things!!! I'm getting ready for the "Mountain Song Festival" next weekend that has already sold out!!! Lots of people will be there, milling around, enjoying music and, hopefully, buying jewelry!

Have a wonderful long weekend everybody!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

P.S. Right to the left of this blog post, you'll see a little "Facebook" link to my Artist Page on Facebook. Please do click on it and "become a fan" ~ I'm anxious to see if you can "become a fan", without having to send a "friend request". Please try it for me! Thanks!!!

"Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile." ~ Wilfred T. Greenfell

Critters, Flowers & Free Earrings!

The Squirrels are driving me "nuts"! They have managed to destroy every feeder in my yard! I did a head count yesterday and there were 17 of the pesky little fatties munching away. We really enjoy the birds, but I don't know what to do about all the squirrels! Any suggestions??? Katie??? Jen???? Any other of my little country girls??? I caught this little fellow this morning making a fast getaway down the handrail of my porch! And Melanie, I already thought about trapping them and floating them down the river on the wine bags, but I live in the forest and they'll just keep coming back :)Although, I don't mind the white ones, since they are a "novelty" around here. We have 1 that lives in our yard, but he don't really seem that interested in the feeders. He stays on the ground to munch, along with the doves & the chipmunks :)And the Jonquils are just everywhere around here! They are so beautiful!! So with that being said, I'm wrapping it up for a couple of hours and heading outside. But before I go, I have to share this week's give away:These gorgeous "Earth & Sky" earrings! All you have to do is comment on this blog post for a chance to win them! The drawing will be Monday! Good Luck & have a great day!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

“You can't be friends with a squirrel! A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit.” ~ Sarah Jessica Parker

"Laissez Le Bon Temps Roulet"...

And the winner {mouth picked by Ozzy} of the earrings from last Wednesday's post is "Sandy"!!! Congratulations Sandy!!! I hope you enjoy your earrings.Happy "Mardi Gras" everybody!!!! Since I'm one of those "southern girls", known for our hospitality, this whole week {through midnight Friday, February 27th} I'm offering a 25% discount to all of my little blog readers. It's my little Mardi Gras "Lagniappe" for everybody. Now read closely: in order to get the discount, you will need to type in "Mardi Gras" in the comments to seller section at your time of purchase. I'm only giving the discount to my blog readers, so if you don't type in "Mardi Gras", I won't know to give you the discount. And then, when you go to check out, don't actually pay and I'll send you an updated invoice from PayPal. No worries if you accidently pay though, I'll refund the difference back to you promptly. If you have any questions, just send me an e-mail. Ready to start shopping! Just click here to head over to the shop. Wow! I hope you get something you've been wanting, or maybe even something you haven't seen yet:like this awesome little necklace I made yesterday ~ it's called "Goddess of Nature" and it's in the shop, along with these gorgeous earrings:I named them "Stoned Me", just because that's the song that popped in my head when I was listing them this morning. It was a toss up between that and "Rock Me", simply because of this:

it's Wayne and I sitting in the giant rocking chair on Main St. in downtown Mt. View, Arkansas. Jen made me think about it, since she was there over the weekend! Thanks, Jen!!!

Happy "Mardi Gras" everybody!! ""Laissez Le Bon Temps Roulet" (Let the good times roll)!!! Be sure and check back here on Wednesday to see what the next give away will be ~
I promise you'll love it!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"To know someone here or there with whom you feel there is an understanding in spite of distances or thoughts unexpressed -- that can make of this earth a garden" ~ Goethe

And the winner is....

...Ozzy picked #8, which is Barbara {he really liked that number, too. I had a hard time prying the little piece of paper out of his mouth}. Congratulations, Barbara!!! You are the lucky winner of these fabulous earrings from last weeks post:

But no worries if you didn't win them, you can still buy a pair from the shop. Be sure and check my blog this Wednesday {01/21} to find out what I'll be giving away next Monday!

Gotta run for now & start cleaning house to get ready for my "Sushi Party" tomorrow!
Have a great Monday!!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow." ~ Douglas Pagels

It's That Time Again.....

...OMG!!! How have we even survived since May without American Idol! I hope this year is just as exciting as the last.....we'll see. Of course, they'll never have anyone as cute as Jason again *sigh*.....but this week's "give away earrings" are almost as cute! And they scream "Stardom":all you have to do to win them {the drawing will be Monday morning} is comment on this post. Even if it's just to say "Jason rocks". And speaking of rocks, I was totally inspired to create my own little moss garden, having seen & read the interview from "Made by Mavis", a "featured artist" on Etsy this week:I figured what the heck! It's not like I don't have a yard full of moss {literally}. I'm going to keep it fresh & try adding new little mosses as I come across them. It was freezing cold yesterday, so I threw together this one in about 5 minutes:and it's really cute & the perfect thing to do with that unused candy container that I've had for eons. It was actually in the box of items to go to goodwill, but now it's happy as can be and so am I!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!! And don't forget to comment on this post for a chance to win those awesome little "star struck" earrings :)

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"A rolling stone gathers no moss" - proverb

Happy Monday!

Congratulations to Jen!!! She won these awesome earrings:from this post and is also the contributor of today's quote at the end.

Be sure and check back this Wednesday, when I'll be announcing the next give away. All you have to do to win is comment on the post! Happy Monday!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"I cannot believe that the inscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; surely the strange beauty of the world must somewhere rest on pure joy!" ~ Louise Bogan

A Gift...

I feel like I've been somewhat of a "slacker" lately. But I made these awesome earrings today:And I'll be giving a pair away on Monday. All you have to do is comment on this blog post to win. I'll draw a number and that person will be the lucky winner. I made a pair of these for myself and I love them. They are the perfect "go to" earrings when you just don't feel like thinking about which earrings to wear :) Good Luck!!!

Right now I have some house guests and they are actually looking to buy a home up here by me! Yay!!! I know they'll love it. I'll be cooking my Sushi next week, so I'll post about that as soon as I get it done {wish me luck}.

Happy Thursday!!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy