I finished some new necklaces today.




This one is my favorite.






I had to include this picture of my hubby and the badger dog. They are both very adorable, and they are both very spoiled.

Today I am grateful for: solitude, Heath bars and sweet tarts, fuzzy socks, and ice tea.

Today was such a wonderful day. I was so giddy, I didn't know what to do with myself. My children started school today and I had the peace I have been craving. My husband and I went out to eat breakfast this morning to celebrate, stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things and then swung by the bookstore. Even after doing all of that, I was still able to get a lot of work done during the rest of the day that I had left before the kids got home.

As glad as I was to have the time alone today, I was anxious for them to get home to here about their day. I always look forward to this on the first day of school.

I listed a few new items on my Etsy shop this evening. I have decided to sell some of my charms with out assembling them into necklaces. I would love to see what someone else could make out of the charms.




I also listed another cross. I have listed all of my large crosses. I don't have any other large ones ready for my show. I am going go have to get a move on. I have less than a month to get some more made.

I have plenty of the other sizes. These are a few new ones that I finished last week. They are all 8" crosses.





I have discovered something about taking pictures that the rest of the world probably already knew. When photographing items with a very shiny finish, it is better to use a light background. The colors came out perfect in the pictures. I have been struggling for months with taking pictures of my items. Ofcourse, I have been using black for the background. After discovering this, I went picture crazy and just started taking pictures of all of my jewelry and crosses. I still need to come up with a good background for my boxes. Since they do not lay flat, the boxes are going to be a little more challenging. Maybe I will tackle that tomorrow and list some of my keepsake boxes on Etsy. I'm excited already.

Today I am grateful for: the public school system and public school teachers, Cracker Barrel pancakes and maple syrup, nastalgia, my kids, and favorite TV shows.

These are some of my new necklaces. I'm not listing them on Etsy. They are going with me to my next show. I'll try to make some more this next week in different color combinations to post on Etsy.





I have been out in the garage this week cutting out the wooden bases for my patchwork clay crosses. I still have several of the large ones to cut out and sand. I am trying to get as many done as possible so that I won't have to get out there again for a long time. It is not something I enjoy doing. I get all sweaty and dirty and smelly. Thank goodness, I'll be done Saturday.

Next week, I will start working on making the clay tiles for the crosses and other designs, as well as working on some new keepsake boxes. I love working with the clay. My next favorite part is choosing the colors for each design. I have a spinning rack with all of my acrylic paints on it. I just spin the rack round and round and pick out paints until I have all the colors I need.

I think that tonight, after I finish this post, I am going to make myself a cup of hot chocolate and sit down to read a good book or watch a good movie. We have "meet the teacher" tomorrow and all kinds of other running around to do. Then, two more days and I will have my days to myself again. I am so excited.

Today, I am grateful for: morning showers, breezy summer days, puffs with lotion, and Nutella.

All of our school shopping is done. The kids are squared away with clothes and supplies, and my husband is all set too. I don't want to leave my house again for a month. I live in anticipation of the first day I will have entirely to myself. My only company will be my badger dog.
In the meantime, I am trying to be patient by keeping busy and focusing on my crafts. I am adding these new necklaces to my Etsy shop. I will get them listed tonight or tomorrow.







We got rain today. It rained for about 15 minuets. The rain cooled the temperature from 100 to 94. I had to rush out as soon as the rain stopped to get a picture of something that was still wet. I knew that it would not last long and the sun would dry up all of the rain from the flowers, leaves and grass before it went down this evening. I'm not sure what kind of flowers these are, but they bloom right next to our front porch. They are so simple and delicate. I wish there were more of them planted in our flower garden. But, I don't garden. I don't touch flowers. If I do, they die. I look at them, photograph them, sculpt them and paint them, but I don't grow them. Can you see the drops of rain on the leaves?

Today, I am grateful for: my husband's green chili casserole, office supply stores, iced tea,indoor plumbing and Netflix.

I have been so busy this week getting the kids ready for school that I just have not had much of a chance to work. I have so much to do. My first show for the fall season is only a month away. I don't have pictures of any new pieces to post so I thought I would post a picture of my little badger dog. He is only 10 pounds, but he is such a huge presence in our house that he has completely changed the dynamic of our family. I mean look at that face. How could anyone be stressed or angry with that sweet little face looking them?


I made it to the bookstore the other day, or what passes for a bookstore in our area. Anyhoo, I picked up the latest Somerset Studio publications. I am looking forward to curling up in my bed with a cup of hot chocolate and absorbing every page. I thought it would be good to improve my vocabulary a bit, since I am now writing for all to see. I picked up a couple of books to help with this while I was at the bookstore. Hopefully my writing will improve as I continue my online journaling.

I have a sense that this will be a restless night for me. Maybe I will get some work done while everyone is asleep. I usually don't work when everyone is sleeping because I worry about making too much noise. If anyone complains tomorrow, I will just buy them some earplugs for the next time I decide to work at night. I must go now and make out my grocery list for tomorrow.

Today I am most grateful for: Dish Satellite, Clear Spring's crawfish and jalapeno corn chowder, my little badger dog (dachshund), Capri pants, and flip flops.

I made these a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to use my small pieces of left over wood. They are 2 inches tall. I'm just not sure what to do with them. I can't sell them. They take way too long to make for their size.


Well, maybe I will just put them in my shadow box hanging on the living room wall.

We are busy getting the kids ready for school this week, buying school clothes, and supplies, getting booster shoots, registering, meeting the teachers, and so on. The boys started practice for drum core this week. It reminds me of my days in drill team and the long days of practice the weeks right before school started. We would be in a gym w/out air conditioning in the August heat. I would come home dead tired, sweaty and stinky. I loved every minuet of it. Now, I won't even water my flowers until 10 at night to avoid the heat as much as possible.

I'm so excited for school to start. I can finally have my days to myself again. I need solitude! I'm looking forward my first day here to myself. I am going to put my hair up, turn my music up loud, turn the ringer off on the phone, and lock my front door. I will work all day and be so productive; or I'll sit in my comfy overstuffed chair and watch girl movies all day.

I've decided that at the end of each post I am going to list what I am most thankful for that day. Today, I am most grateful for my deep bathtub, Sonic Butterfinger Blasts, air conditioning, handy wipes and canned vegetables.

It was hot today. I just want to seclude myself in the house on days like this. I love an open and airy house, but during the heat of the summer, I want a cave like environment. It is 10:05 p.m. and 93 degrees. I should have watered my flowers this evening. I just didn't want to go out in the heat. I have to venture out soon. School will be starting in 2 weeks and the kids need supplies and clothes.

I listed two new jewelry pieces in my Etsy shop tonight. I would have listed more, but it takes longer for me to write the lame descriptions than it does for me to make the jewelry. These are the two I listed. I love the heart. It is very simple, but I think it is one of my favorites.



Sundays are lazy days for us. After church we usually find something to eat and then just lay around all day. For me, there is nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap. I sleep so hard for the one to two hours that I get to lay in my very cool bedroom. I snuggle under the covers and drift off. I didn't get to take my nap today. Now, I have to wait a whole week. There is just something about Sunday. Taking an afternoon nap any other day just isn't the same.

New Initial Charms

I finished some new initial charms today. I wanted these to have kind of a vintage, architectural look to them, like maybe they fell off the side of an old building.


I am working on more jewelry for the next few days. I work on it in stages. I will do the poly clay work first, then I will paint and put the finish on each charm, then I will assemble into necklaces and earrings.
I love selling the initial jewelry at shows because of peoples reactions. "Oh, look it's a "K". Oh my goodness a "P"." It's like they are so surprised to see their initial or the initial of someone they know hanging there.
I think that everyone who sets up at art and craft shows will agree with me that being there is a lesson in human behavior. I really miss it when I haven't done a show in a while.

New Etsy Shop

I am so excited about my new Etsy Shop. I have been website crazy for the last several months, telling everyone, "I'm going to start a website. I'm going to start a website." They must have been tired of hearing about it. Well, it has proved more difficult than I thought. So, after learning about Etsy, I decided this would be a better option for me right now. I listed 4 items in my shop and will hopefully list more tomorrow. I put a link to my Etsy shop in my link section to the right. It is still a work in progress. I need to work on my product descriptions. They are boring. I would love suggestions.
I have not gotten much work done today. My husband and I left to go to the grocery store this morning. We have to go 15 miles to the next town since our town isn't big enough for a grocery store. Anywhoo, we didn't even get out of town when we realized we had a flat tire. This little problem took over an hour to solve. Not going to the grocery store today was not an option since we have three kids at home all day everyday eating everything we have. Today has been one of those "one thing after another" days. There is always tomorrow.
I am so glad that on most days in this Texas heat I can get up, get dressed(if putting a bra on under my pj shirt counts as getting dressed) and never leave my house to go to work. Thank God for air conditioning.

Getting Started, Part 2

As well as polymer clay jewelry that I talked about in my first post, I also make what I call Patchwork Clay Designs. The Angel picture above my profile is one example of my Patchwork Clay Designs. In the days to come I will post other examples, I hope.

As an expression of my faith, I also create Patchwork Clay Crosses. I have two shapes in three different sizes. As with all of my Patchwork Clay Designs, I use purchased stamps, handmade stamps, texture sheets, fabric, lace, twigs, leaves, rocks, craw fish claws, buttons, hardware, my dads leather tools, and anything else that will give an interesting impression in the tiles. Each tile is handmade specifically for it's cross.

I cut out the wooden base with my bandsaw and I make a pattern for each cross. When I have completed the cross or any of my Patchwork Clay Designs, I throw the pattern away. This way I never make two alike.

I use different painting techniques, depending on the look I want for each design.

I strive for originality in each piece that I make. Here are some examples of my crosses. Some of these will go on my website and some will travel with me to my next show.

Send me an email if you are interested in one of the crosses. The first cross is 8" tall and the other two are 15" tall.

Getting Started

I have been creating most of my life. For the last two years I have been setting up at art and craft shows. I have decided that now is the time to venture out into the internet world. I'm starting with this blog and I am in process of developing a web site that will hopefully be up soon.

My main medium these days is polymer clay and acrylic paint. I love making jewelry. For me, jewelry offers never-ending possibilities of creativity and expression.

This is the only picture I have successfully taken of my jewelry. I am working with different display options for taking pictures of my jewelry. I also need to work on my photography skills. My husband actually took this picture, but I want to learn to take my own pictures.

I have more pictures to publish of other work that I do besides jewelry, but blogger is not cooperating with me. Hopefully I will get to it later