That's a Wrap!

I had a lot of fun today creating 2 wrap rings. I have not made any in awhile. The beauty of these is that they fit a range of sizes because they are adjustable. I chose two pair of my prettiest turquoise stones and went all out creating hand cut and "domed" bands. They are both signed. I will be listing them in my shop as soon as I finish this post.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24408494

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24408867

Ignore my hands, they are beyond help. I must have washed them 100 times today, dry.dry.dry

and, don't laugh.... it's my very first Kindergarten try at this setting.......

This prong setting is really difficult, but I did it!!!! I plan to sell these in my shop in any gem stone the customer wishes after a bit (a lot) more practice.

Okay, I am off to list the 2 wrap rings!!

Later Taters!

HiYa!

So..... what's new?

Well, I am still not smoking for those who are wondering and also for those who don't care. I think it is so easy because of the Chantix and also because I smoked for only 3 weeks. My weight is going down slowly but surely, I have lost 7 pounds as of yesterday. I am enjoying the gym immensely. I don't think I mentioned it here, but last August I strained (I am guessing) my left calf and I can no longer go uphill without it "seizing up" and turning hard as a rock. It is very painful. I am not sure why it won't go away. Seeing the orthopedic surgeon is not in the cards right now so I am getting my regular exercise at the gym rather than running (too many HUGE hills for my calf). Hmm what else..... oh, hehe... I was loading pictures on my computer from my camera a few minutes ago and there were a couple of pictures Danny must have taken of himself for his Myspace page. Here they are...

I am going away to Pennsylvania with Chris Friday morning for the East Coast Conference for our church. I am more going as Chris' guest since I won't be attending that church any longer. It will be nice to get away alone. We are meeting my Pastor and his wife down there, it will be lovely. I adore both of them!!! **I will be "plugged in" while I am away (as usual).

I made a ring for Alison. She requested that I take a few pictures of the process. I repeatedly forgot to snap pic's along the way, but I did manage a few. Here ya go Alison!

skipped a few steps here..... picking, trimming, grinding etc etc

I hope you love it Alison!!

Now I need to get going. I am dedicating my remaining studio time to creating something completely new, pray for me :)

Magnificent Monday!

I hope you all had a splendid weekend! Friday night I was feeling a bit "yucky" so I went to bed early. I woke early to go to Foxwoods (we were meeting at 7:30am).

I had a fabulous time I lost a bit....... But not more than I could afford to loose.

I arrived home to watch the last 2 SPECTACULAR innings of the Red Sox game. Ah, yes..... baseball season. For those of you who don't know, I am a rabid (yeas rabid) Boston Red Sox fan, I watch EVERY game. If I have to pick my top 5 favorite things in life, the Red Sox would be in that five. You will be hearing (reading rather) all about their season. I simply can not contain my enthusiasm. ESPECIALLY when "tek" ie: Jason Varitek, oldest member on the team and catcher hit a flippin' grand slam when the Sox were down 6 runs in only the top of the 4th inning. Okay.... I'll stop.

Unfortunately I was not able to keep my appointment with my stone supplier, I will be seeing him the 2nd week in May, this is actually good news for those of you who did not have a chance to get your stone requests in before Friday!

I did attend a breakfast conference with my husband and it was wonderful. We napped in the afternoon and cooked supper on the grill last evening.

Today was busy from the start! I went to the gym first thing, went to Target for a few things I needed for the house, and home again to start laundry yadda yadda. I am currently warming up my pickle pot and am finally ready to work on today's list. Will has his first baseball game this evening, so I am not attending my Alpha group as I usually do on Mondays. Now that I have filled you all in on the mind blowing weekend of a middle age mom, you can now awake I see you drooling on your keyboards and have a nice day :)

Whew! It's Friday.....

I am taking the afternoon and ENTIRE WEEKEND OFF! I have grocery shopping to do today and the rest of my weekend is booked. Tomorrow morning I am off to Connecticut with my Ma and a BUNCH of ladies to spend the day at Foxwoods Casino. Yum. Then Sunday it is off to buy some stones. An exciting weekend for sure!! I finished 6 custom orders and added 3 new "fun rings" to the shop.

These will be on their way home momentarily.....

You see that big honkin' magnesite ring? To my surprise that stone was sent from my customer as a pendant bead (not a cab), so I got creative and flattened the bottom with Chris's sanding table thing and it worked out very well. The bezel was high enough to hide the holes meant for stringing.

Oh, and I used my new pretty stamps!

NOW IN THE SHOP........................

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24121289

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24122356

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24122068

Have a wonderful day and weekend!!

CALLING ALL CUSTOMERS!!! NEED STONES?

*REVISED 4/26 .... MY APPOINTMENT WITH MY STONE SUPPLIER HAS BEEN CHANGED. I WILL BE PURCHASING STONES IN 2 WEEKS! please email me with requests until then.

I am taking requests for customers who have a specific stone in mind that I do not have for custom orders.........

I am going to make the long trip to see my stone miner/cutter, the KING OF CABOCHONS himself! So, now is your chance to email me "stone requests" meant for future (near future) custom orders. I do not require a deposit or any promises to buy, I will purchase your stones on good faith.

****Email your stone requests to me ~ LMH35LMH@yahoo.com

***********************************************

In other news, I have applied the designs to my settings and they are in the pickle pot as I type this. I will have all custom orders ready and shipped tomorrow. My next batch of lovelies will be a HUGE update featuring oodles of TURQUOISE EARRINGS. I have not made any stone set earrings in quite awhile. I have been completely entranced by creating rings......

Sunday is the last day of my boy's spring break, THANK GOODNESS! I need my quiet house back to myself. Danny is refusing to do his chores, Will is running around the house screaming like a shrew. Oy, give me strength. I need to try and stay focused, there is too much to do even without any interruptions. Okay, enough complaining..... I'm off to work!

later taters!

2 Ringy Dingy's

I just wanted to let it be known, these two beauties are back in my shop (hopefully not for long)!!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24021925


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24021909

Thank you thank you thank you to those that are praying for Julie!!! I bring these prayer requests to my blog for that purpose. You are all such a blessing!!

Going to get more stones!!

The shop update went well. The Ivory and the simple Kingsman turquoise are still for sale strike that..... the Phrenite and Agate are now back in my shop as well!, it's funny, I thought the Ivory ring would be the first to go! But what do I know, I thought the Dry Creek ring would have been sold long ago, my customers like to keep me guessing.
I have all of my back plates cut out and bezels shaped for 7 custom orders plus 3 new rings. The stones I selected for these rings are so fun!! Bright green Brazilian agate, a green, white and orange piece of agate, and the pinkest most BRILLIANT piece of rhodocrosite I have ever laid my eyes on!! This little stone was expensive, but worth every penny, the color will knock your sox off. I am going to see my stone miner Sunday. I am very excited as I always am to handle all of the thousands of beautifully cut cabochons in his endless collection. I have a long list of stone requests from customers. I will definitely be purchasing more phrenite and shattuckite.

Last night I was at my Alpha group and it was outstanding and enlightening as always. I am so grateful to be apart of that group. The Pastor's wife at Trinity (new church) is in desperate need of a new Kidney, she has had a transplant and it did not take. She had surgery this week so she could receive dialysis from another port since both of her arms do not have any functioning veins left from a long time on dialysis. Please pray for Julie. I don't know her well, but she seems so joyful and loving, you would never guess in a million years what she is going through.


All of the issues going on at my church (not the "new one") came to a head for me today. I believe I am ready to resign from the committee I am a member of and discontinue attending my much loved church. If only I could take my Pastor with me!! He has been so loving and supportive of me and my family for years and years. Great times, and terrible times. He never hesitates to express his pleasure in seeing my growth through the years.


Gosh, I don't think I have any pictures for this post. Hmmm, I WILL NOT post without at least one picture. Hehe, Chris is behind me on the phone, maybe I can sneak a shot at him. He is talking church business, so maybe I should leave him alone. I'll take a pic of the stones on my bench instead.

Gee, the lighting does not do these stones justice.

These will be in the shop momentarily.....

I ended up with much more work than I had anticipated this morning. I thought I would have my new items all posted by now and I am just finishing the pictures! Oh, well. I am very proud of this batch of lovelies.


These are custom orders and are now on the way to their new homes...

The following will be in my shop shortly! (I will add the links to the shop listing as well)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23936240

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23936735

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23937268

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23938450

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23935795



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23939137
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23939454




http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23938781

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=15461611


whew! I am now off to list these in the shop!!!

Shop Update Tomorrow!

The weekend "buy 2 get 1 free" was a bust. It is good to know what works and what does not. Personally I don't get overly excited about BOGO's or BTGO's. I thought I would give it a try, live and learn. So a new banner hangs in my shop and I am offering my good ole "free lil hoops" promo for a bit. I like that promo and so do many of my customers. New customers really enjoy it.

I just finished all of the jewelry for a nice shop update tomorrow. I think I have 7 rings and 2 necklaces. I also finished 2 large ring custom orders. I will begin another batch of custom orders on Tuesday. Tomorrow I plan on doing my shipping, updating the shop & blog, and taking the rest of the day off. Oh, I just remembered I signed up to make an appetizer for my Alpha group tomorrow night. I'll whip up something yummy tomorrow afternoon.

I finally took Carolyn's advise and began "signing" my work. She encouraged me to do this a while ago......... It looks really cute having a little "lh" stamped on a hammered sterling ball. Thanks Carolyn, better late than never, ha?

Church was terrific today, especially because my little brother came with us (he is the one I introduced to you during Christmas..... the one with all of the metal in his face). He really enjoyed it. I did not grow up in a Christian family, my parents are agnostic and I always took my father's beliefs as my own. I think my brother has an open mind but I NEVER push, I just offer.

I guess that is all for now! I'll see you all tomorrow with a bunch of new jewelry!!