Am I the only one away from blogland recently?  I've been bad, really bad.  I hope you gals will forgive my absence.  I think you all understand and are going through exactly the same thing.  So much to do in so little time.  I finally finished up my jewelry projects for gifts.  I can't show you anything yet.  You never know who might be watching. 

Oh, and I need to show you a picture of Lauren's Narnia bracelet. 
This is how she will receive it on Christmas but it is far from finished.  I decided it would be a nice adventure for me to have the bracelet along with the charms purchased and then we could work together to finish the piece in whichever way she chooses.  We need some color so I might suggest some gemstones in Narnian colors.  The charms are big so it will be interesting to see how it fits on her small wrist.

Along with the Christmas hustle and bustle, we are planning a trip to the in-laws.  They live in Nashville so I'm hoping I'll get a chance to meet my blogging buddy Judy from Judith B Designs.  This girl is a hoot!  I just hope things work out during this busy time where we can hang out for "girl time".

Well, that's it for me.  I want to wish everyone a wonderful, family filled, stress-free Christmas!  I'll leave you girls with a picture of our roads with the snow and Lauren with her miniature sized snowman. 

There's hope for us Etsy ladies out there!  Check out this article in the New York Times.

Here's a few chuckles for today!

I was treated to such a nice surprise recently.  A package from my friend Esther in France!  For those of you who don't know Esther let me tell you a little bit about her.  To start, she's amazing in every craft she tries!  Yes, I really mean this.  She really has incredible talent that shines through in everything she touches.  If you don't believe me just take a look at her blog Mes illusions baroques.  Secondly, her sincerity will really surprise you.  Her heart is huge and she is always giving encouragement to others and even the occasional gift. ;)  And last but not least, not only is she beautiful inside, she is stunning on the outside as well.  I've seen pictures of her with her jewelry and it definitely shouts French beauty. 

Here is the lovely gift that she created.
What wonderful sparkle these earrings have and I love blue!  How did she know?  My daughter was amazed by the gift just as I was and suggested using the card Esther created as a book mark so I can think of her every time I use it.  What a wonderful idea!  The card is beautiful with its vintage angel having red glitter on her lips and crown.  So sweet!

Thanks so much, Esther!  I'm so happy to have friends like you and all my other blogging buddies!

Wow, where is the time going?  It was just Halloween, right?  This time of year really passes by in a blur.  It's a shame we can't extend it through January and February when there's nothing to do and the weather is so miserable.  I promise I'll have another jewelry exchange in those nasty winter months to keep us all entertained.

And it's typical of me to wait until the last minute to order all my supplies for family gifts.  I'm doing more simplistic pieces for everyone with the same theme.  I don't want to give too much away in case they are reading this.  I can't wait to show you girls the finished product after the holidays.  How are your gifts coming along?  Are any of you creating gifts this year?

I've also been doing a lot of thinking about changing my style or look of the the pieces I sell.  After the first of the year I would like to go with a more simplistic modern look and may be a lot more in silver.  I will still be using copper quite often but mostly for the pieces I make for myself or family.  I still love copper and it won't be taken out completely.  This will give me the flexibility to hopefully make some creative pieces without worrying about the cost of time involved and what it might take to sell a piece.  I guess copper would turn into my hobby metal and silver would be for resale.  We'll see how it goes!

I finally took a picture of the tree.  We went overboard with the tree decorations this year.  We even have a boxer ornament.  My fur babies did their best to stay still while I snapped a few shots.  Nothing like a nice bone to intice them to sit in front of the tree for me. 


And we made Christmas cookies last week.  I was on sugar overload that day with all the icing and sprinkles.  We stuck a few in the freezer to stay fresh for Santa.  Hope he likes them.