It's Almost Spring...

...yay! Only 24 more days!! Although, we had our biggest snow of the year in early March last year...but anything is possible...and the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a "blizzard" before Spring officially arrives...we'll see! But being cooped up inside has certainly sparked my creativity these last couple of weeks. Here are a few of the new things I've made:"Lemondrops & Lollipops" ~ gorgeous Turquoise Aqua Glass & Yellow Opalite Briolette earrings."The Wind & The Willow" ~ I love this hand-etched Tree pendant...matched up with Turquoise Stones & Faceted Aqua Blue/Green Czech Glass beads. And last, but certainly not least...my favorite of all:"Word to the wise" [pick your word] ~ A gorgeous slab of Agate, adorned with a beautiful little Pewter Owl and a "wise word" pebble.

So I've been thinking about a "sale" and I'm going to have an "Ides of March/Spring Ahead" sale starting March 15th [the Ides of March] and ending at midnight March 20th [the 1st day of Spring]. It will be a 15% off your total purchase sale [including shipping]. So be on the lookout for my newsletter on March 14th. If you're not on my mailing list, you can sign up through the link in the right column of my blog. Of course, if you just can't wait that long, for all of my special little blog readers, type in "Spring" in the comments to seller section and I'll give you the 15% off discount starting today [discount will be refunded through PayPal, after you checkout].
lastly...I have to share this awesome picture! It was really nice out day before yesterday, so Wayne and I took an afternoon drive. This farm is down the road from us and it was just gorgeous. I loved how the snow was slightly melted, the sky was bright blue and the red doors on the barn just made it all "pop". I hope you enjoy it.

Welp...more snow is predicted for today...which means...more jewelry to make!!!

Have a great day everybody!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need --- a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing." ~ Jerome K. Jerome

I'm turning into a sackrat!

I'm ready for Spring already! Enough with the cold and the snow. We are expecting even more snow this weekend..ugh....It's just got me in a slump. But, I have been making some great new things for the shop....and you can tell by the looks of them that I truly am ready for Spring! Like these earrings:

I named them "Morning in May", which fits them most appropriately, I think! And this awesome little necklace:

named "Pollination" ~ I love it!

Welp, I have some more ideas...gotta get busy! I hope you are having a great day! Oh, starting this Friday....and going through Sunday {January 31st}, I'm having a "My funny Valentine" weekend 20% Off Sale in both my Etsy Shop and my ArtFire Shop. All you have to do is type in "Valentine" in the comments to seller section on Etsy and the "coupon code" on ArtFire. If you use ArtFire, please type Valentine without the quotations.

Thanks everybody!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations." ~ Louisa May Alcott

Girls day out....

...so today, Theresa, Philippa and I went to "Cashiers" to check out the cottages that we'll be setting up in for the after Thanksgiving weekend. Each little cottage houses one artist, but some of the artists have gone back to Florida for the winter. So, of the few cottages that were vacated, we'll get to sell our wares in them for the Thanksgiving weekend. I hope we get a good turn out ~ the cottages are adorable! If you look straight up those steps, that's the cottage I'll be in! So, if you are around after Thanksgiving, come by and see me ~ I'll be there Friday and Saturday!Since it was a rainy, dreary day, we decided to make the most of it ~ we had lunch at a cute little cafe' and then headed over to check out what's known as one of the "biggest consignment shops" in western North Carolina! We couldn't wait to see what kind of goodies we could find!! And boy, did we find some treats.......like this vintage yellow bathrobe that was super soft & matched that cute little pink purse perfectly!And these hideous green shoes that we $76!! SEVENTY-SIX DOLLARS!!! Why, why??

But ~ we found some great deals, too! Like Philippa's hat!this gorgeous suede coat that fit Theresa like a glove!but the best find were these awesome sweaters! There were three of them in all ~ so we each got one ~ mine is brown. They are just so snugglie!!And now it's almost time for the CMA awards {which I love to watch, even though I don't care that much for country music} ~ but the show is always awesome! Before I run off though ~ my little "Bird Girl Journey" necklace will be the "freebie" for Monday's giveaway!! All you have to do is comment on this post and share with us your favorite "thrift store" find!!! Mine are my eel skin cowboy boots that I paid $2.99 for @ Goodwill a few years ago ~ I still haven't topped that bargain! I love bargain shopping ~ and you can never call me:Good luck in the drawing on Monday! Ozzy will be picking the winner!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

And so a quote and a tribute to all the veterans out there that died for our freedom:

"Only those Americans who are willing to die for their country are fit to live." ~ Douglas MacArthur

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

Look Ma ~ No Cavities!!

Yay!!! I finally went to the dentist today {after Wayne made me an appointment}. Now my teeth are all nice and clean and, once again, I have no cavities! I've never had one in my whole life. I get my teeth from my Daddy's side of the family. I just hope my bones are as strong. So, to celebrate this historical event, I'm giving these away:The are called "Mellow Yellow" {which is NOT the color of my teeth, by the way} and they are just gorgeous! Of course, if you don't win them, you can always grab up your own pair in the shop. And, all you have to do to win them, is comment on this post! That's it!! Lita will be picking a winner on Friday! Good Luck!!

Whew ~ I've been a busy little bee lately!!! Just look at all the new stuff I made last night {after 10 pm} ~ and it's all thanks to "Pandora Radio"! This is the most awesome thing EVER!!! Stacy, get ready for a new addiction! All you do is sign up {totally free} and then type in what you want to hear. The site automatically starts playing similar songs that you will probably like. If you don't like them, you can just check the little "don't like" thumbs down and it will not play that music for you again. For instance, I put in "Pink Floyd" and have been in 7th heaven ever since! Flash back music that has me motivated!!! So sign up and have fun!!! ~ here's the new stuff ~ tell me what you think:
"Mermaid Wisdom"

"Little Mermaid" ~ my personal favorite :)

"Knowledge Tree"

"Grow Strong"

I'm just loving all of these new beads & pendants that I got from "Green Girl Studios" ~ they do amazing work ~ I hope you love them, too.

Happy Tuesday!!
♥ & peace always ~ kathy

"The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it." ~ William James

Paper-n-things........

I don't know what it is about school supplies & art supplies, but I've always loved them!! The more paper, pens, markers, paperclips, folders, hole punchers, ink stamps, etc. I can have, the better! So we went to see "Public Enemies" {the new Johnny Depp movie} after I got my social security card all applied for. Somehow the "safe place" we had put it became so safe that we could not find it, after looking everywhere {literally}. It was just as well, since I needed to change my name on it anyway. Plus, the trip was certainly not wasted! Lucky for me, we got to the theater a little early so I was able to check out the "Big Lots" right next door. Ah.....what a score!! Not only did I get several packages of scrapbook embellishments, a whole pack of fuchsia card stock {which I'll be using for my mailing labels & boxes}, I got these awesome books:and they were only $3 each! I've been "digital scrapbooking" for years, which I LOVE!!! Here is an awesome site, where I get just about all of my page kits. Plus, you can sign up to get "free stuff" every Friday ~ pretty cool. Now, I have stacks of brightly colored paper & card stock that I somehow "collected" over the years that just sits in my closet. I do use some of it often, but I could never use ALL of it {well, maybe}. Anyway, I ran across this article/video on Etsy, from the talented Ms. Mary, on how to make your own paper boxes:

this is my 1st attemptpretty darned cute! Paired up with some scrapbooking embelishments and pretty ribbon, they'll make the perfect little packages for some of my jewelry! So, the next time you purchase something from my shop, you may get a nice little surprise box, too :) Since my "creativity" is eeaking out all over the place, these are some new necklaces I just made:"Sand and Sea"

"Styx & Stones""Marquis"

welp, off to make more....Have a wonderful weekend!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." ~ Thomas Moore

P.S. The movie was pretty good {considering you get to look @ Johnny Depp for 2.5 hours}, but it was rather drawn out and boring. It could have easily been a 2 hour movie ~ but I enjoyed it, none-the-less.

"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

Sushi...

Not that this cute little elf has anything to do with "Sushi" - it was just way to cute not to share. Of course, I just started my brand new "Mary Engelbreit" calendar for 2009 and it is just full of cuteness. I really do think each new one, year after year, is my favorite so far. And now, about that "sushi".......I decided to have a "Sushi Party" for the upcoming inauguration on the 20th. And since I know about sushi as much as I know about fixing cars, I bought this book! I started reading it last night and, I have to say, that I'm really impressed. I'll be trying some of the receipes over the next week, so I'll be sure to share them here, along with any "tips" that the book suggests. Another thing I got was this:which seems to have everything you need to begin your adventure making sushi. I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'll be making lots of new jewelry for the shop ~ like this little necklace that I made yesterday:

I named it "Hint of Spring" because of the colors & because I'm ready for Spring now that the holidays are over.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." ~ Hal Borland

Friends...

We had a really great evening last night over @ some of our friends' house. They are movie producers/directors and have written & directed several films. But the one we watched last night is called "At Last" and it's a movie about them & their lives and how they got back together after 30 years. It was really sweet & heartwarming. At first I really just wanted to stay home last night and make some new things for the shop and get ready for this weekend's show. But after it was all said & done, I'm really glad we went. And the dinner Tom & Sandi made was awesome! So if you having been putting off friends lately, you need to go visit!And this is my new favorite necklace! I love it!!! Of course, I'm keeping the originial one for myself and I have 3 more of the bead-caps and Sandi already put in her order for one, so I'll only have 2 for sale in the shop. So, if you are eying it, you better snatch it up. It's just gorgeous, like having your own little garden, so I named it "My Secret Garden" ~ very appropriate, I think.And then there are these, that I named "Organically Grown" - the Pink Peruvian Opal is just gorgeous! So I sit back and look at the new things I've made and think "gosh, my style is taking on a victorian flare and I must remy this right away"And out comes "Wish You Were Here" ~ these awesome little earrings that are totally inspired by "Pink Floyd" ~ So now I'm back!!! But while I was out on the front porch taking pictures, I got the feeling I was being watched......

low & behold, this little fellow was standing right on the edge of the woods watching me take pictures of my jewelry....he stood there for the longest time. I think it's cuz he wanted his picture taken :)

Happy Thursday!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” ~ Winnie the Pooh

Painting, Playing & Ponies....

The "Paint The Bus" party was awesome! The food was yummy & the music was wonderful. My "Garlic Mashed Potatos" from yesterday's post were awesome! They went really fast. I guess that's what happens when you take "comfort food" to a party. But the only thing I would change about this recipe is the Parmesan cheese ~ I think I'll leave it out next time. After the 85th taste test :), I decided I liked them lots better before adding the cheese. And, I used more garlic than called for, as well. But they were still very, very good ~:DOf course, nobody could top Suzanne's art work!And Raymond & Julie have several horses on their property, but this little fellow was hilarious ~ he had a semi-dreadlock hair-do and was always trying to eat my camera:But we all know, all play & no work makes us unproductive people, so today I need to do some work, but I did make this awesome necklace yesterday, along with a couple pair of earrings, so please do check out the shop when you get a chance:

Happy Sunday!!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused." ~ Shirley MacLaine