Happy October & A 31% Discount!!!

Happy October everybody!!! October is my most favorite month of the whole year! Not only is it always the prettiest, coolest, best weather month, it's also the month of my favorite holiday ~ Halloween! I love Halloween! Maybe that's one of the reasons I ended up living in "Transylvania County" ~ This picture was taken yesterday, on our hike to "Bridal Veil Falls" in "Dupont Forest". I just love the way the trees & sun reflected in the nature made pool of water that the leaves were floating in ~ gorgeous!And since October 31st is my most favorite day of the year {besides my birthday}, I'm having a "Happy October ~ 31% Off Sale" all weekend long {from right now until midnight Sunday, October 4th} in both my Etsy shop & my ArtFire Shop. All you have to do is type in "Happy Fall" in the comments to seller section @ your time of purchase. And on "ArtFire", just type in "Happy Fall" in the coupon code section and the discount will be automatically taken. This is my biggest sale ever! A great time to jump start your holiday shopping! You can either wait for me to send you an updated PayPal invoice, reflecting the discounted total, or you can pay at checkout and then the discount will be promptly refunded to you through PayPal. That's it! Let me know if you have any questions.

Once again~ Thank you to all of you that read by blog, buy my jewelery, look at my pictures and love me still! Ya'll are the best!!! Happy October!!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Dear Father, hear and bless thy beasts and signing birds, and guard with tenderness small things that have no words." ~ anonymous

Bartering...who needs money anyway!

It's not that I don't have "courage" {most of the time - well, sometimes} ~ it's just that I'm afraid I may offend someone by asking if they are willing to "trade" some of my jewelry for what they have to offer. So I finally got up the "courage" to ask a lady here in town that teaches Yoga, Pilates, Nia and now Zumba if she would be willing to trade jewelry for classes! And, I'm excited to say, she was so excited {I think even more than me} that I now get to take classes for two whole months, twice a week, with no "out of pocket" expenses {kinda like "free" health insurance}!!! *Yay* ~ and I'm sure after those classes are done, I'll have something else she'll have to have and we can barter some more. I'm stoked!!! Well really, yesterday was my first class and I'm sore! I would have never imagined trading my jewelry for pain! But like the old saying "no pain, no gain" and I've "committed"! So now I'm "bartering" for comments on my blog ~ in exchange for this wonderful little "Peace" bangle:and, of course, all you have to do to win it is comment on this post! Lita will be drawing the lucky winner on Monday {March 2nd} ~ good luck!!!

Happy Wednesday ~ I'm off to fix us some "brunch" and then go on a short hike :)
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven't courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others" ~ Samuel Johnson

Happy Monday & A Winner!!!!

Congratulations Galen!!! You were the lucky winner of the "Bird Girl Journey" necklace from last Wednesday's post! Don't forget to check my blog this coming Wednesday {February 11th} for a chance to win another awesome little treat! These are some awesome little earrings that I made yesterday and listed in the shop. I named them "Juniper Berries" ~ they are really quite lovely & very "Springish". Let me know what you think about them.

I have to cut this post short ~ I'm getting ready for my show tonight @ The Hobnob! Wish me luck!
Happy Monday!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"The three grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." ~ Thomas Chalmers

Be Happy!

Even if your "childhood" was not that happy, it's never too late to have a happy one! So many people seem to dwell on the past to the point where their lives are miserable. I guess it's easy for me to just tell them "get over it" and, I'm sure they try and can't. I wish there was a magic button that said "be happy" and all you had to do was push it to erase all of your sadnesses ~ ah, that would be awesome! So, in the meantime, let's just pretend that this is the happy button:Whenever you're sad, just click on it and make yourself smile! And, speaking of smiling, this made me smile:our hike up to "Maidenhair Falls" ~ the ice was gorgeous! And this made me smile, too:a little bracelet I made yesterday ~ named "Green - Peace" ~ you know where to find it!

Happy Saturday!!
♥

"Old age is like anything else. To succeed at it, you've got to start young." ~ Anonymous

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

Wonder, Wonder, Wonder....

...so I keep going back & forth about doing shows again. I mean, Etsy has just been awesome for me, but I still like to be able to see those happy faces when someone buys one of my pieces that they really, really love. I can only imagine those faces when I sell something on the internet. I read through all of my comments here on my blog post and all of my feedback on Etsy and try to imagine what each person looks like. But then, I think it's probably a good thing that people can't see me sometimes when I'm shopping on the net. Like right now, I have on a huge flannel gown that is printed with a bunch of little doggies running around on it and then some totally mismatched flannel PJ pants that are horribly checked. And then a pair of Zante clogs that I've had for years and they are so ugly & stained, Lita won't even carry them around! But, if I do start doing shows again, I think I'll stay close to home ~ I mean no longer than a 3 hour drive each way to a show. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on that and also post a calendar, if I decide to start filling it up. In the meantime though....

I'll keep spending my extra days in the woods & hiking with Wayne, Ozzy & Lita. Those dogs just love it out there! This is a picture of them "doubling back" to check on us. They are so funny when they do that. They usually stay just far enough ahead to be able to still hear us, so if we are really quiet, they come running back to make sure we are okay and then they take off ahead again. They get twice the workout we do. And this is a picture of Ozzy, taking a sniff of some ice crystals spiking up out of the ground {I was told by someone on "flickr" that it is called "hoar frost"} It was all over the place and was really neat. Of course Ozzy is always interested in something I'm taking pictures of that's on the ground ~ he wants to make sure he doesn't miss an eating opportunity :)this is a picture of the gorgeous river than runs along the whole "Daniel Ridge Loop" trail. We went on this hike Wednesday ~ it was beautiful! Cold, but worth it:
happy trails to you.....until we meet again :)
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

P.S. I got all of my ingredients for "Sushi" yesterday! Paula is coming over early on Tuesday to help me get it all made for the inauguration party! *Yay*

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

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

Music Monday & Whimsical Women...

Music Monday was at our house this past Monday!!! We had about 20 people show up. But about 1/2 way through the night I got really, really sick. I think I ate some bad chicken, or something. I ended up going to bed and leaving everybody playing music in my living room. And poor Wayne had to clean up all the mess afterwards. But everybody had a really good time and the music made me sleep better {between trips to the bathroom}. My stomach is still not quite right. I think I had a touch of salmonella! Now I'm afraid to eat chicken.

...hee hee - Ozzy & Lita's "Halloween avatar" ~ for some reason the "chicken" made me think of it and laugh. So tonight I'm just going to eat some soup, or something. I have to get better for the "Whimsical Women" Art Show/Sale this Saturday, hosted by Shannon Whitworth!!! I hope we have a good turn out. The weather is supposed to be nice, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And then next Tuesday, we are headed to the beach for a week of "R & R" ~ I can't wait!!!
Here's one new thing I've made ~ I really love it, too! The Chalcedony Druzy is just awesome! And, of course, it's for sale in the shop if you feel you must have it! There won't be another one like it, I promise :)

Happy Wednesday!!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"He that plants a tree loves others besides himself." ~ Thomas Fuller

Broccoli Cornbread & "Free" Earrings....

Back by popular demand & just in time for your Thanksgiving Day dinner, the ever so popular "Broccoli Cornbread" {another one of those comfort foods}:

Ingredients:

4 Eggs

1 Stick of butter - melted

8 oz. of Pepper Jack Velveeta - melted

1 Cup of Chopped Onion

1 12 oz. Can of Mexicorn - drained

1 Box of Frozen Chopped Broccoli - thawed & squeezed dry

6 oz. of Cottage Cheese

1 Box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix

Directions:

Melt the butter & velveeta cheese. I usually melt the cheese in a small double-boiler or saucepan over medium/low heat {make sure you keep it stirred, so it won't stick to the bottom of the pan, or get all yuckie}. Then mix all ingredients really good in a large bowl & pour into an ungreased 9x12 baking dish. Bake @ 400 for 30/45 minutes ~ just check with a knife or toothpick in the middle to make sure it's not still runny. It will be very moist, though. And then eat it all and enjoy it ~ believe me, this will start a tradition!

And, for the "Friday Freebie" ~ I'll be sending these gorgeous earrings to one of my lucky blog readers ~ just comment on this blog post {a simply hello will suffice} and I'll draw a winning number on Friday! Good luck!

Happy Monday! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Laughter is an instant vacation." ~ Milton Berle

Funny Etsy Finds & New Fan Pulls!!!

Hello everybody!! I just had to share a couple of really hysterical things I've found lately on Etsy. This made me laugh out loud:

"Hanz" from A l'Heure de l'Apéro. He looks a little like my Sister's boyfriend!And these super hilarious "see through" skirts from Pantherbyhand, who is also responsible for these:I guess the reason I think these are so funny is because I try to picture Wayne in them and that makes me laugh! I hope these make you laugh, too ;)

So today, I started making fan pulls again, after several requests, so they are for sale in the shop - check them all out when you get a chance and let me know if you like them:Happy Tuesday!!!! Good luck to whoever becomes our next President....

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Love one another"

Inspired by the Forest...

New things in the shop....."Rainforest"....Rainforest Jasper {aka Rhyolite Stones}, Citrine Briolette & Nephrite Jade... "Earth Angel"...Rainforest Jasper & Czech Glass..."Riding The Storm Out"...My 3rd to last Murano Glass pendant...They went pretty fast ~ Thank you!

Happy Friday! We are heading out to the "LEAF" festival this weekend!! *Yay*♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees." ~Wilson Flagg

It's Fall!!!

This is a picture I took up on the Parkway! The colors are amazing & it hasn't even "peaked" yet! We took a motorcycle ride up there with the last of our house guests. So today I'm going to make some new things for the shop! *Yay* ~ time to start getting busy for the holidays.

I think I'll use the colors from this particular picture as my "pallet" and see what I can come up with! It's such a great inspiration ~ awesome. And before I go I'll share this picture of Wayne with you ~ I think retirement is doing him well!Have a great weekend! xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another" ~ Anatole France

Hints, Tips & Smart Advice...

...is actually the name of a book I have, but I always thought it was quite a "catchy" title. Now I'm not sure about how much "smart advice" I can give, but hints & tips I'm pretty sure I have plenty to share. What I understand from most people on Etsy is that their biggest challenge is pictures. Of course, when you are photographing jewelry, the challenge is even greater. I've found that you can get the best pictures outside, under the shade of a porch, with indirect sun light, or even better on an overcast day. Use the "macro" setting on your camera and get the lens as close to your subject as possible, without losing the focus. Take at least 10 pictures, at all different angles and use whatever props you have available. I have a giant seashell and several big flat rocks {readily available around here!} that I use most of the time. I also have several childrens picture books that are great for backgrounds, as well:But I guess the most important thing is software, so you can lighten/darken your pictures and crop them to the all requested "Etsy Square"! I personally use "PhotoShop CS Version 8.0", but there are lots of other options. If you want to purchase software, "PhotoShop Elements 5.0" is great. It's not very expensive and you can purchase this book "Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Classroom In A Book" that will teach you hands on lessons on how to use the program. But, if you want something for "free" that is totally awesome, I would suggest downloading "Picasa 3" from Google. It is a wonderful program and allows you to do tons of really cool things with your pictures. I promise you will love it!

Well, I gotta run for now. I'm feeling a little better ~ I hope I'm on the downside of my cold. But before I go, I must share these awesome little earrings I made this morning and please do check out the shop ~ I have several new things in there from yesterday :)
I named them "Dogwood In Fall", because they were inspired by the Dogwood trees that are bursting with these awesome little red pods right now:I hope this post helps a few people. Check back tomorrow for a post about a camera "flash diffuser" that is absolutely "free" and works great!! Have a wonderful day!

xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy -

Remember, it's all about networking & the more places you can set up a bio for "free" the better off you will be in the long run. Listed below are all of the places I have set up my bio that have actually brought me customers:
http://www.dornickdesigns.com
http://www.dornickdesigns.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dornickdesigns
http://www.myspace.com/brocsmom
http://www.twitter.com/dornickdesigns
http://www.dawanda.com/shop.dornickdesigns
http://www.indiecollective.net
http://www.talentdatabase.com
http://www.artsofbrevard.org

Rest In Peace...

The gripping story of the baby whale that was lost this week in Australia has just been heart-wrenching, to say the least. I made this little necklace yesterday and named it "Colin", as a tribute to that little whale. It's for sale in the shop and 100% of the proceeds will be donated by me in his name to "The Whale Center Of New England". The people there devote their whole lives to the studying, habitats & saving of whales. Hopefully, through their efforts, more can be learned about whales and this terrible tragedy will never happen again if people actually know "what to do". Thanks for reading.

Here's a "virtual rose" I picked just for you from my yard :)

Happy Friday ~ xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

"Save the Whales"

The New New....

....things in the shop, that is ~ check em out ~:)"Wildflower" ~ Necklace"Chocolate Mint" ~ double strand Necklace.

Hope you are having a Happy Tuesday!!!

xx00 & peace always ~ Kathy

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art & science." ~ Albert Einstein