New...Windows Collection!

It's been a while since my last post, I know. Kids busy with baseball, lots of yardwork with the fabulous spring weather, and to be honest, I have a hard time figuring out what to blog about!

I'm introducing a few pieces of my new collection called Windows. The first piece is named Afternoon sun. I made myself one the other day, needing something to go with the top I had on and wore it to a baseball game. One of the other moms spotted it and ordered one for herself! Very excited, I came home and made a couple more. The below design is called Daisy. Here's a peek.

And the battle begins...

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

A new direction

I made this bracelet today for my best friends daughter, Lilly. Lilly is almost 6 and just got her ears pierced yesterday and called to tell me how brave she was. I was so excited and immediately decided I HAD to make earrings for her. I know I don't have anything in my Etsy shop suitable for little girls so I thought maybe this could be another direction to go in. I went through my beads looking for something petite and pretty and found these pastel mother of pearl discs and letter beads that I've had for years. I ended up making a bracelet for now since she has to leave the posts in her ears for 10 weeks before she can change them. I'll make earrings to match but won't give them to her yet.

New Swing design

I love these earrings I made recently, using chain that I've had for a very long time. I've got a bunch more I'll be finishing up and listing on Etsy using various beads and colors. I think they're great for the spring and summer with all the great colors I've seen walking through the malls. The perfect finish to any outfit!

One of the best investments...

There's nothing better than taking pictures of jewelry outside, however, when you live in New England you can't do that all year long. Don't get me wrong, could there be cool pictures taken using props like icicles and snow mounds? Sure, I suppose. But I'm not one of the fastest set up people so I would be out there way longer than I would truly want to be. One of the best items I've invested in was this light box. I had made a few of my own from white foam board to the milk bottle and they did serve their purpose so I'm not saying everyone should go out and buy one of these. I will say that when my sister-in- law let me borrow hers, I was immediately spoiled and bought myself one. I bought mine at Circuit City before they went out of business but I believe they also sell them at office max and tons of places on-line. It folds up into itself and has pockets on the outside for the two halogen lights that come with it. There are two different background colors to choose from and it's extremely easy to use. If you have the space, it's best to leave it up all the time. If it's jewelry you make, you can have the piece finished photographed and posted on whatever website in a snap.

I am looking forward to spring and getting out there with the foliage, flowers and grass, however, until then I'll be happy using my sunpak!

So girlie!

My friend Denise called me yesterday afternoon as we had plans for dinner last night. I haven't seen her in months(even though we live in the smallest state and are no more than 20 miles away from each other!) She's got 5 year old twins, works full time and has an extremely busy life. It's really difficult for the both of us to have an entire evening with nothing going on where we can go out together, have girl talk and catch up on EVERTHING! We've been friends for almost 26 years, lived together and did a lot of the nightlife partying thing together back in the day. Oh, as much fun as we had back then, I am glad we're past it!

During that afternoon conversation, Denise asked if I could bring my craft paints with me. Was she reading my mind? Did she know I was suffering from the paint bug?? I had done a little decorative painting in her daughter, Lilly's, room quite a while ago and she wanted me to do something else. She had had to paint over one of the dragonflies I had done earlier because furniture was rearranged and something was being hung where it had been. I was so excited because just yesterday morning I had gotten the itch to paint something and now I was being asked to paint something!

D and I had an awesome dinner at the River Falls restaurant in Woonsocket and then went back to her house. I drew a very tall flower with leaves and stem and then painted it this morning. Hubby and the kids are away for a snowmobile weekend so this will be a surprise for Lilly when she gets home. I hope she loves it! I am going back to add another dragonfly or hummingbird and I'm going to do something special in her brother, Michael's, room too!

Let the painting begin...

I wrote in my profile that I like to paint the rooms in my house. I paint, look at it for a few years and then start to plan new color schemes throughout the main floor. Yesterday, I decided it was that time again and went to a paint store to gather paint samples, look the the idea books and left with a very broad palette of colors all over the board. This is the process. Most of the time I don't have an idea of what I want to do so I grab as much as possible so I can then go home to mull it over. From the picture, I'm obviously feeling a little Arizona-ish. Love the colors but don't have a definitive plan. I'm very excited about starting a new project but at the same time, know that once I am done with that first room, there's no stopping until all the rooms are done!

I'm thinking summer already!

We had some really nice weather here in Rhode Island a couple of weeks ago. I think it was in the low 60's for one or two days. Well, that was enoungh for me! Even though we're back down in the 20's and 30's , I can't help but to pull out the bright colors, shell beads and thinking I'm going to be taking outdoor pictures in the very near future. Here's a few of my recent designs with some still in the works. If you see anything you like, they will be listed on my Etsy site by the end of the day(if they aren't already).

High School Football fundraiser

Maybe someone out there has ideas/suggestions they'd like to share with me on this subject. With the economy in the state it is in now, we the parents, need to step up and do what we can to support our kids school sports programs before they too are eliminated. With three public high schools in our city, there's only so much money allocated to each school to run athletic programs. Let me tell you, that allotment does NOT cover 1/4 of what the costs are for one season. That's where we come in.

I am the president of the booster club for the team in which both my boys play. The club, consisting of parents, meets once a month to discuss, plan and implement fundraising ideas for the upcoming season. In the past, we've had car washes, sold spirit cards, held breakfasts at a local restaurant and sold candy. This year we're trying to get an advertising program in place where local businesses can purchase signs to hang around our football field for the season. We're also trying to coordinate poker tournaments that could possibly be a once a month event to raise money. I'm looking for unique, fun but fairly easy ideas to get people involved and raise enough money to know we'll have safe equipment and enough uniforms/helmets for every child wanting to play.

Have you ever seen a dog do this?

We dog-sit for my brother and sister-in-laws dog(Nilak) all the time. The first time we sat for her I freaked out and snapped pictures of this crazy dog chewing (or so I thought) on her foot! I thought for sure she would go back home with her foot ripped apart and needing to go to the vet. Come to find out, her breed( American Eskimo) is known for cleaning themselves like cats! So these pictures are of her "sucking" on her feet to clean them. Now I think it's the funniest thing but my cat, Mia, looks like she thinks it's disgusting! Nilak's eyes are closed and she's falling asleep. She also grabs her tail and combs through it with her teeth. I haven't caught a picture of that yet but I will. We'll be dog-sitting in a couple of weeks again. Way too cute!

Thought I'd share a recipe...

Easy tomato soup

Since one of my favorite things is cooking, I wanted to share this tomato soup recipe that my husband and kids are crazy about. I didn't know if it would go over well with my family because none of us like to see onions in our food and there's one whole onion in this recipe. The trick with this recipe is that everything goes into the blender after cooking. I knew the onion was in there but they didn't and they loved it! It's so easy and quick that you could be sitting down to a yummy lunch in about 45 minutes.

6 TB unsalted butter
1 large onion (chopped) I use yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 14oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 can low sodium beef broth
1/2 can low sodium chicken broth

Melt the butter in a large saute pan and add the onion. Let cook until the onion is softened. Add the garlic, basil, salt and pepper and cook until the onions are completely cooked through(about 5-10 min.). Add the can of tomato and cook on med for about 10 more minutes. Add the 2 broths and mix thoroughly. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until the onions are no longer visible. Serve immediately by itself or with a grilled cheese sandwich. YUM!

Today I added a little something special by making croutons out of the leftover ciabatta bread I bought a couple days ago. I cubed it, placed it on a cookie sheet, sprinkled olive oil, salt and pepper and baked @ 350. 5 minutes on one side, flipped them over and then 2 more minutes. They were a big hit!

Fingerprint charms by Pam Vale

A One-of-a-Kind, Personalized Work of Art!
Fingerprints sculpted in Silver or Gold! A handmade charm from the actual impression of a loved one's fingerprint.To Celebrate A Birth, A Child, A Marriage, A Friend...An Heirloom for all! Parents wear children's fingerprints Children wear parent's fingerprints Grandparents wear grandkid's fingerprints Wives wear husband's fingerprints.To Remember... A personal, meaningful way to preserve the memory of a lost loved one.A tangible piece of someone, completely unique to them. A discreet memento. To Honor...A Hero, A Parent, A Grandparent...Ideal for families with a loved one deployed in the military, in a high risk profession, with a life-threatening illness or simply separated by miles. The charms can be used more like a medallion or "coin" by eliminating the hole...a great option for men.

Visit: http://creativepotentialfamilyjewels.blogspot.com/2006/05/fingerprints-sculpted-in-silver-and.html

Hubei turquoise choker

sponge coral saucers with antiqued silver discs

Black obsidian free form stone bracelet

Natural salt stone found on a beach on Grand Turk

Pale blue Czech bead choker

New spring designs!

It was so nice out here in Rhode Island on Wednesday that I was inspired to make these spring pieces. It was almost 60 degrees that day and you would have thought it was mid August by the people out in their yards, walking dogs and in line at the car wash up the street! It was just a tease though because today it's back down in the thirties and quite chilly. I managed to stay working in my office long enough to get these and a few more pieces made and I felt like I really accomplished something. I hope the design ideas keep coming!

Have you heard about FUREVER jewelry?

FUREVER Jewelry

Pet Lover? Have Fur? Captured Fur From Your Favorite Companion...There’s no way to measure the significant role pets play in our emotional and spiritual well-being. They can transform a mood, lift spirits or make us smile.

Handmade plastic vials filled with your pets fur make a fun, thoughtful gift for pet lovers or as a memorial, keepsake for a lost companion. It's simple...

1. Purchase the FUREVER item you desire at http://creativepotential.etsy.com

2. Collect the fur by cutting, petting or brushing a small clump of hair
Pet Lover? Have Fur?
Captured Fur From Your Favorite Companion...

There’s no way to measure the significant role pets play
in our emotional and spiritual well-being.
They can transform a mood, lift spirits or make us smile.


To Order Visit http://creativepotential.etsy.com
Handmade plastic vials filled with your pets fur make a fun, thoughtful gift
for pet lovers or as a memorial, keepsake for a lost companion.

It's simple...

from your faithful friend (cat, dog, rabbit, horse, etc)

3. Mail your fur to me and I will do the rest!

Please note:

* If it's a gift, I can send a special gift packet to you or directly to the recipient.

* If you have multiple pets I can combine their fur to create a custom color combination or you might choose to order separate pieces for each.

* The ear wires are sterling silver and a small sparkly Swarovski crystal accents each charm.

I am happy to accommodate special requests when possible.

You will enjoy having your loveable pet with you at all times in this unusual, private keepsake!

Please email me with questions. pvale@cox.net

Good Sunday Morning

It's supposed to go up into the 50's here in Rhode Island today. Hopefully that will get rid of most if not all of the snow and ice! My dog, Ozzie, has a terrible time walking around the covered back yard looking for a place to do his thing. His paws are small and he just can't get a grip!
My son, Justin and I were going to spend the day at the farm but he's not feeling too good. So this means that the photos and listing items on Etsy may get done today!

Something new...

I made these earrings today sort of playing with the wire and not really having a plan for them to turn out the way they did. I like them a lot though! The Czech beads are such a pretty color blue with flecks of gold. I like the way the swirls show behind the beads when worn. I've made a few similar pairs and am in the process of listing them on Etsy.

A day at the farm

Today I get to spend some time at my niece and nephew's farm in Foster. Roxanne has been breeding Morgan horses for quite a few years and currently has approximately 27 on the property. She and Rob are also the proud owners of King(pictured here). He's a beautiful Clydesdale and a most gentle giant.
Here's Roxanne's website. Check it out... http://sardemorgans.com/

The success of my purging....

I'm writing this post prior to even starting the purging in my office. I feel, however, that if I write this knowing it will post tomorrow, that I'd better actually have accomplished something!
Here is a picture of my office prior to the cleaning. I do love my space with the mural I painted of the beach scene but it's a small room so I'm hoping to open things up a bit and make it appear larger than it is. I wish I could make sales with my jewelry on a more regular basis to make this love of mine a "real" full time job! Whether or not I'll ever be able to do that, I will always continue to make jewels as long as my fingers work!

Etsy...

Don't forget to check out my Etsy shop! http://www.jamiel83.etsy.com/
Thanks,
Jamie

Goal for today

Good Sunday morning everyone. My goal for today is to go through every supply I have to see what I could possibly get rid of along with finding out what I truly need. I've been making jewelry for quite a few years and to think I started with one little bag of supplies that I could carry around wherever I went! I used to bring that bag to my sons baseball practices when they were 9 years old and have everything laid out on the benches around me. I didn't want to miss the practices but I couldn't be without the jewelry either! I'm a bit more focused with it all at this point, which means that I don't go to too many practices because the boys are juniors in high school and I don't think the mommy's are supposed to be there to watch all that stuff! So I'm off to purge. Have a great day everyone!

Still day one with blog

I'm completely consumed with this blog today. I've spent hours changing templates, layouts and fonts. Adding and removing pictures because they weren't in the right place on the page. So now I'm going to try again to add pictures of jewelry pieces from my Etsy shop. If all goes well, I'll be able to walk away from my computer in a few minutes.

new blogger!!

Hello everyone! I'm a brand new blogger so please forgive me if things don't appear to be organized. I'm a slow learner with these types of things but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon enough. My sister-in-law has been blogging for years so I'm sure I can count on her to help me out. Thanks Pam!
Anyway, I'm a jewelry designer and maker. I'm a wife (20years) and a mom to 16 year old twin boys who just got thier drivers permits today! I know- the fun starts for us now. I'll be sharing my car with them until we figure things out...which will be way down the road. I've been out of work(a real day job) for 1 1/2yrs now but I'm aggressively looking for something...anything! Went to a job fair the other night and sent an application to another place this morning. Wish me luck!
I've got a jewelry shop on Etsy-jamiel83- which I love. Right now business is pretty slow, although I sold five items last night. Maybe this is the turn around and business will be so good I won't have to get the desk job. Wouldn't that be awesome? YES!!!
Once I get this first blog out there and design my page, I'll be updating on a regular basis.
Bye for now.