Happy New Year!

I hope you all survived Christmas. We did, but we had to suffer through coordinating every one's schedules, delicious foods, many gatherings, delicious foods, endless shopping trips, delicious foods, and the seasonal colds. Oh, did I mention delicious foods? LOL! I'm just relieved that we all survived! Now one more celebration to go! New Years. We are headed to San Diego for this one. We are going to stay with our other daughter and her family for several days. About the only things we have on New Year's is black eyed peas and cabbage along with cornbread. It's tradition! Means wealth and prosperity. There we go again, delicious foods.

We started a new tradition at my sister's house this Christmas. We all made gingerbread houses. But a week before Christmas, the trash talking began. I guess we can't do anything as a family unless there's some sort of competition. My daughter is a die hard Cardinals fan, but my brother in law is a die hard Vikings fan. So there you got it, trash talk! My daughter made a Cardinals house and dedicated to her uncle. While my brother in law had us all beat. He actually has a Christmas tree dedicated to the Vikings. Everything on the tree is related to the Vikings. It even had yellow and purple lights on the tree. But he got really offended when I asked him if it was a Mardi Gras tree. LOL! All and all we had a great time.

Here is my gingerbread house. Love the porch, don't you? Ok, so I don't know how to make a gingerbread house. LOL! But the one on the right is my daughter's Cardinals house.

Hope you all have a very safe and Happy New Years celebration!

Peace~

Peace~

Happy Birthday Jesus!
Our Lord and Saviour!














Let us remember what this holiday is all about.
I wish you have a very Blessed Christmas!

God Bless

HOLIDAY SALE! 15% OFF EVERYTHING!

I'm having a 15% off everything in my Etsy Shop only this weekend. It's sort of a "Before Christmas Blow Out Sale!" This also includes all my already clearanced items.

This is one of my newest brooches or some might call it a lapel pin. It's made of copper and Swarovski crystals. Just like it's name, Sparkling Hearts, it's really sparkles!

So, come on by and see what you can find for that special someone, or that my be yourself!

Have a great day and weekend!

Peace~

Weight Update!

As some of you already know, I started a diet program in mid July last summer. So I thought I'd update you all on my weight loss progress. As of this morning, I've lost 58 pounds. WOW! I'm even amazed with myself! I've been on the maintenance part of this program. I went from eating a high protein and veggie diet to 1200 calories a day with starches, fruits, dairy and fats. This has been a real eye opener as to how much I ate. I was never a real garbage eater, but the quantities were way too much. So I've learned to tone that down and I'm doing just fine with my portion control. I've even lost 8 pounds since being on the maintenance part of this phase, about four weeks now. I have only 19 more pounds to loose. I know I can do this and I'm happy with what I've accomplished so far.

I've also listed a new brooch yesterday. It's called Angel Wings, even though my husband said that it looks like a whale and my daughter said it looked like a musical note. So this brooch can be whatever you want it to be, but for me, it's an angel wing. She's made of copper wire formed into a wing, then I wire wrapped small frsh water pearls around the wing. I added some Swarovski crystals just for the sparkle.


Have a great weekend.

Peace~

NEW LISTINGS!

Good Morning Everyone!

I have a few new listings and I wanted to share with you all. I know, it's taken me a long time to update my shops, but I still had that camera issue going one. Then I had a show I had to do, and so it's now time to list.

Meet Squiggles, she's not just an ordinary Squiggles, she's a special Squiggles! Place her on her side and she's just Squiggles, but more upright she can become a Christmas tree. You can wear her all winter long, she would love to hold your shawl together or just look lovely on your sweater. She loves to show off her beauty!

So come on by my Artfire Studio and check out Squiggles and my other new listings.

Have a great day and keep smiling. No one will know what you are up to, but you sure look happy doing it! :-)

Peace~

CYBER MONDAY SALES!

Good Morning! It's Cyber Monday and there are an awful lot of sales going on! Check out my two shops, Artfire and Etsy. I have sales in both of them.

I've been working hard, I finally got a new camera last weekend. But still learning how to use the dang thing! Cameras are so finicky! LOL!

Here's one of my new fused fine silver pair of earrings. I do have others, but I wanted to show you all these. They turned out really nice! So did the pictures, I might add. I'm thinking I like this new camera. :)

So if someone would like to take these home with them, they are available!

Hope you all (US residents) had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. We went up to Sedona, love that town, and had Thanksgiving with my husband's family. It was beautiful! As usual....when is Sedona NOT beautiful?

Also check out my friend's shop who is having a great Cyber Monday sale too. She has Fabulous Artisan Metal jewelry! @canadianrockies http://www.canadianrockiesart.artfire.com

Hope you all have a great day! Happy Holidays and happy shopping! ;)

Peace~

.•:*¨♥¨*:•. HOLIDAY SALES .•:*¨♥¨*:•.

~ * ~ 25% OFF EVERYTHING THANKSGIVING SALE IN MY ARTFIRE STUDIO ~ * ~

~ * ~ BOGO HALF OFF OF EQUAL OF LESSER VALUE HOLIDAY BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAY SALE IN MY ETSY SHOP ~ * ~

Here's the deal, I'm having a different sale in both shops. So come on "buy" and see what you can find.

Here's my brooch called "Peace" in my Etsy Shop.

I will be listing new things this week in both shops. I'm finally getting out today to get a new camera. It's about time, right?



This is "Hoops" in my Artfire Studio.

I wish all you US residents a wonderful and safe Happy Thanksgiving.

gobble... gobble...

Peace~

GRAND OPENING in my Artfire Studio!

"GRAND OPENING"

My Artfire Studio

15% off everything

(see post for details)

I'm having a Grand Opening in my Artfire Studio! I am offering 15% off everything in my artfire studio from Monday, November 16th through December 31, 2009. Use coupon code during check out, "GRAND OPENING" this will give you the discouont. This also includes my already marked down Clearance items. You can't pass this one up, so come on by and see what you can find. Maybe there's something you can't live without!

I will be listing new things after this week. I've been really busy making new items. I have a show coming up this weekend. I also have the camera situation taken care of for the time being. I'm using my daughter's camera. Or should I say, we are sharing her camera. LOL! Either way, what I don't sell at the show I'll be listing the following week.

I'll try to stop in and post on a more regular basis. Well, as work permits me to. I've been working some long hours lately. It's flu season! And the snowbirds are back in town and keeping us busy. Have a great week!

Peace~

Cameras! Can't live with them, nor without them!

For those of "us" who have websites and sell online, we know the importance of having a good digital camera. For most of us, we depend on the Macros. Macros are when we need to take a close up of something. My first digital camera was a first generation Kodak. The Macros died in that camera. We who are jewelry designers know how important the Macros are. So I bought a second camera. A Sony Cyber Shot, and I have no clue what has happened to this one. It just died! I've only had it for three years. I was online with a Sony rep the other night and we tried to restore the camera back to it's default stage. It didn't work. He told me that I needed to take it into a Sony repair dealer. It's going to cost me $121.00 just to have them look at the camera! That doesn't count any of the repairs and labor. It's going to cost Way too much to fix it! So....I'm looking for a new camera! I'm OVERWHELMED!!! There are just so many out there. I just want the camera to take close up pictures. One would think that would be an easy choice, but NOOOO it isn't!

So, if any of you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know! I don't want to pay a lot, the dang things don't seem that last long. My last one I paid a small fortune for it, and it only lasted three years.

Maybe one of these old cameras will do? They seemed to have lasted a long time. My Dad had one of these when we were kids. I wonder where it is now?

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

Peace~

Wednesday Feature ~ SpoiledBratzwear

I have met a very delightful person on Artfire. We both just happen to live in Arizona. She lives up in Flagstaff, one of the most beautiful parts of our state. Her name is Holly of SpoiledBratzwear on Artfire.

Holly's passion is dog rescue. In 2006 she founded a group that helps senior Italian Greyhounds who are in rescue program from across the country. You can read up on this wonderful organization here at Silver Hounds.

Her other passion is designing clothing for your pets to wear. Her dream is to be the Vera Wang of the dog world. I think she's made it! She also makes treats for your furbabies. Check out her studio, you will be amazed at what she does! Click on the picture and it will take you to the listing of this adorable Christmas Plaid Fleece Dog Sweater for your little pooch.

Here are a few of her beautiful designs.

Mini Elf Hat for Tiny Dogs XS

Isn't this just the most adorable little pooch you

ever seen?

She has many different things in her studio, clothes, sweaters, boots, hats, coats, collars, and even vegan treats.

Have a great day!

Peace~

Wordless Wednesday ~ Pampering Yourself!

This is how you Pamper yourself. All
from CozyMoments on Etsy.

We start with our face...

Shea Butter and Aloe Facial Cream,
Natural and Paraben Free - For Dry,
Sensitive, and Combination Skin

Then for your body...

Sweet Witches Brew Scented Foaming Bath

and Shower Cream Soap, Paraben Free -

with Shea Butter and Apricot Kernel Oil )4 oz)

Last, but not least...

...your feet!

Soft Pampering Kisses scented Fluffy

Foot Butter, Paraben Free - Moisturizes,

Nourishes, and Protects (4 oz)

There, don't you feel refreshed?

Hope you all have a great day!

Peace~

Boo!

We went to a Halloween party this past weekend. We had a problem coming up with some kind of costumes, but we finally got it together. I went as a Fall Fairy and my husband went as....are you ready...Swine Flu! LOL! It was great! He would come up behind people and pretend to sneeze and then spray them with water, then tell them that they've just been visited by Swine Flu. He had sunglasses on that had a pigs nose attached and a little cork screwed pink tail on the back of his shirt. It was Great! We had a wonderful time. And I have my idea for next year's costume, I think I'll do the Snow Queen, done the same way I did this years costume. We'll have to work on that one.

Now onto my diet, I'm almost through with the first phase, the first four months. It ends in a week and a half. I will go on a 1200 calorie diet and suppose to go back the the first phase diet again. But since this is going to happen right in the middle of the holidays, I'm going to wait until after New Years to go back in the first phase diet. I'll just stay on the 1200 calorie diet for that time. I've lost 47 pounds now. I'm amazed with myself! LOL! My mind hasn't caught up to my body yet. I'm sure I'll get there but for time being I'm still thinking I'm heavy. I'm working on that.

Hope you all have a great week!

Peace~

New Earrings ~ Hope

Here's my newest hoop earrings. I really enjoy making hoop earrings. I'll have to work on this and make some more! Hope is made of a thick gauge sterling silver wire, but the part that goes through your ear is 20 gauge. They've been tumbled to give them strength and shine. They have not been oxidized, but that can be done if you wish at not extra charge to you. I hammered part of the hoops just to give them a different texture. These are being offered in two of my shops, my Artfire Studio and my Etsy Shop.

The rest of this weekend was spent making our costumes for a Halloween party that we are attending next weekend. I promise, I'll take pictures of us in our costumes. Only this year I'm not making my husbands, he said that he has it all in control. He muttered something about being a Redneck Tooth Fairy....this scares me a bit!

Have a great week!

Peace~

My Newest Creation! Hoops!

I decided to make some hoops! It took me a while to make them, but I've succeeded in making these and another pair which I'll list later today.

I've been very busy with work. Welcome to flu season! We've been working long hours and seeing a lot of sick people. Including my boss, whom a patient shared with, and he got the flu! It's been a bad week, we had to cancel two days and work them in on the three days that were left. But we've all survived so far. Just keep washing our hands, using the hand sanitizers and wearing our masks. That's about all we can do and hope for the best. I do NOT want to get this flu! It's a Nasty one!

On a good note, I've lost 45 pounds now! Yippee! I can't believe it myself yet. My mind hasn't caught up with the fact that I've gone down two sizes now! LOL! I have about three more weeks on this diet and then I take a break, I go on a maintenance, 1200 calories a day. Suppose to be on that for about three weeks and then back on the diet until I loose the rest, which isn't all that much by that point. I am a bit worried about going off it though, I'll have hunger pains and an appetite again. It's been nice not having that for the past three months. But, since the holidays will be right upon us, I'm going to wait until they are over, then start back in January. If I have the guts to do it, I'll show you all a before and after picture. :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

God Bless~

New Listing! Peace~

I finally finished my new listing. Meet Peace. She's 2 3/4 inches in length and 1 1/2 inches wide. She would just love to be sitting on your sweater or lapel. She would really shine and look pretty for you. She would not let you down. She would love it for you to come and see her pedigree here. She's made of genuine copper and turquoise gemstones. She's also very easy to take care of. No feedings in the middle of the night, now having to let her out at odd times of the day. Just keep her in a ziplock bag and she'll shine forever. But if she gets a bit tarnished, you can just rub her down with a nice soft cloth or get a silver polishing cloth. If you would like to have her oxidized, that can be done with no extra charge. Just let her creator know. (Oh....that would be me!)

Have a great day!

Peace~

Wordless Wednesday~

Halloween is just around the corner! Here are
some of the most adorable costumes I've ever
seen!

Isn't she just adorable?
Bumble Bee Halloween Costume 4 PIECE SET---
TUTU, STINGER, WINGS, ANTENA by avella


















This one is soooo cute!
Black and Purple WITCH Tutu Boutique Custom
Princess Length 6mo to 3T HALLOWEEN
COSTUME Photo Prop SO CUTE IT'S SCARRY
by pamperedprincesses






















Wouldn't you like to take this little Gnome
home with you? Isn't he just the cutest?
alia0776 Custom gnomey with booties
by peglegpoo
































Have a great day and be careful of little gremlins...
or was that Gnomes?

Peace~

New Artfire Studio and Busy Weekend!

I've taken the plunge and started selling on Artfire this weekend. It took me a while to get everything set up with everything going on this weekend, but I'm thinking it will be worth it in the long run.

I did list another lapel pin the end of this week on Etsy. It's called Evergreen. It's made of pure copper and Peridot gemstones. I really like the simplicity of this one. I think I'll have to make one for myself! LOL!

Also we had some good news this weekend. Both our daughters had their marriages blest in the Church. We couldn't be there for our one daughter, she lives in San Diego. But we could be there for the other daughter this morning at Mass. What a blessing!!! We are very proud and happy for them.

The other thing that happened this weekend, I was featured in this blog, A Bead A Day. Lisa has a lovely blog. I am very honored to be featured in her blog.

Other than that, that's about it for my busy weekend. Hope you all have a great week!

God Bless~

WEEKEND SALE!

I'm having a 20% OFF everything including my Clearance items in my Etsy shop this weekend only, Sept 25th through Sept. 27th. I'm sure you'll be able to find something for yourself or a gift for someone. So come on by and take a peek at my Etsy shop, Creative Treasures by Donna.

Here are a few new listings I've listed this past week. This first one is called Abstract, and as you can see, that is what it is. I used copper and Amethyst gemstones to create this stunning brooch.

The second picture is a pair of earrings I named Halo. They are made out of Mykonos Greek ceramic beads wrapped in sterling silver wire and finished off with a turquoise gemstone.

This is another fabulous brooch, it is called Red Rock. It reminds me of Sedona with the fabulous red rocks up against the gorgeous turquoise blue sky. It is made of copper wire, an artisan hand made lampwork bead, a copper heart charm, a fresh water pearl and a Kyanite gemstone.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!

~Peace

Wordless Wednesday~

In God's words.......

Scripture Art LIFT MY EYES (Psalm 121) 8x10 print by lifeverse

WORDS of ENCOURAGMENT FOLK ART ANGEL CARD -

Strength- by Andreatdesigns

Romans 12 - 24x36x1.5 HUGE, scripture inspired, original

painting, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, Christian Artist

by jodileighoriginals

Peace~

Beware of the Piggies!

Swine flu paranoia gets out of hand!

This seems to be funny, but it really is a threat to all of us. They are predicting a bad season everywhere this year. Don't take a chance, get your flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine this year. We have already seen a few suspected cases in our office. So please get your flu vaccine and the H1N1 this year.

Have a great week!

Peace~

Wordless Wednesday~

Some beauties I found!

Lavender Goats Milk Soap - 1.5 oz
by HeathensHearth

Yummy Vanilla Buttercream Goats Milk

Soap by hahlee0423

Sweet Pea Goats Milk Soap by Sissy Soap

by sissysoap

Have a great day!

Peace~

Been Missing in Action~

I'm back, for the time being. It was a very busy week and I've been a bit under the weather. Feeling better, but it's going to be a long road again to recovery. You see, I have Ulcerative Colitis. I've been in remission for almost three years. But in the early summer I had a kidney infection and I had to take Cipro for it. It cleared the kidney infection, but I had a flare up in the process. So back on all sorts of meds and missed quiet a few days of work in the process. Nearly ended up in the hospital a few times, but begged not to be admitted. But I'm doing much better and on the mend. Thank goodness!

Now on a good note, in the process of trying to get well and being on a special diet, I ended up loosing 33 pounds. Still on track with the diet and hope to be able to report more by the end of the week.

I did manage to get some new things made while I was sick. I've listed a few recently and this is one of them. I named this one, "HANIA" it's from the Hopi Native American tribe meaning "spirit warrior." The Hopi Tribe live in north central Arizona. These earrings have a southwest flare to them. Hope you all enjoy them. Just click on the picture and it will take you to the listing.

Hope you all have a great week.


God Bless~

Amethyst, the lovely purple stone~

Did you know that Arizona is America's leading gem mining state? Here you will find vivid, natural colors of Amethyst, Peridot, Turquoise and Garnet that just seem to come alive in our desert southwest. I've spoken a while back about our Sleeping Beauty Turquoise and our Copper mining that we have in our state, so today I'm going to tell you about the Amethyst mine that we have just east of downtown Phoenix. As a little girl, I was raised in Scottsdale on the edge of town and the Salt Rive Indian Reservation. From that point east there was nothing to obstruct the view of the Four Peaks mountains. At night we could see the lights way up on the side of the mountain, between the two southern peaks. This is where the mine is located. You can see the mine is this photo towards the right between the two most southern peaks.

The Four Peaks Lode as it is commonly known, was discovered back in the 18th century. It is one of the most unique gem mines in the world. Now, after many years of inactivity, the mine is being worked and we will again see the helicopter flights. You see, this mine is in a very remote spot up on the side of a mountain about 60 miles east of Phoenix, up about 7,100 feet in elevation. The location of the amethyst mine is at one of the most remote and rugged parts of the Mazatzals mountains, the Four Peaks Wilderness Area in the Tonto National Forest. Therefore, the only way in is by foot trails or helicopters. All the mining is done by hand for the most part and the precious uncut Amethyst is carried out by mules or helicopters. The miners usually stay there in the mine shafts for protection up to seven days at a time, then they either hike back out with their mules or take a helicopter ride back to the valley floor.

Amethyst is known for it's extremely powerful and protective strengths. It has strong healing and cleansing powers and enchances spiritual awareness. For centuries, amethyst has been considered the royal gem because of its color. Purple was the emblem of rank or authority and the color most often associated with European monarchs. It has been reported through Spanish history that significant shipments of these gems found their way into crown jewels of five countries back in the 18th century.

The Mineralogical Record of March 1976 describes the process by which these crystals were formed. "The amethyst of this deposit occur in linings of voids in faults of the Mazatzal quartzite. The voids were intermittently filled with hot liquid solutions from intrusions below. Successive stages of quartz deposition occurred, as evidenced by alternating concentric rings of colorless quartz, hematite and amethyst around the angular fragments." The purple color that enhances the quartz is caused by the presence of manganese in these hot solutions that flooded the cavities in the uplifted peaks millions of years ago. The more valuable darker colors reflect a higher manganese content. The value is also dependent upon its clarity or lack of foreign material in the solution as it was being deposited.

It is known that a prospector named Jim McDaniels did rediscover the deposit about 1900. He was following a quartz "float", usually a good precursor to gold. Instead he found the canyon floor littered with purple crystals. This is what gives the Four Peaks that purplish look. Gold and silver were the only objectives of most prospectors in those days so the site was merely noted and left untouched. They didn't start mining this site until the 1940's and it was active for about 50 years. They closed the mine then, but recently it has been reopened again and the mining has continued.

Arizona is probably the only state in the U.S. which produces top quality stones, according the Ken Phillips Chief Engineer for the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources Department. He further says, "The best amethyst from the Four Peaks mine is considered to be as good as that found anywhere in the world." Another reference book, Mineralogy in Arizona, states, "Superb gem-quality amethyst of a rich, red-violet color was produced from the Four Peaks mine and rivals the best Siberian material, which is the standard of the gem trade."

I am the proud owner of a piece of this precious Amethyst that came from this mine. It is really exquisite! It measures about 6 inches by 4 inches in diameter. It's quite a big specimen. Honestly, I'm not sure how my family acquired this amethyst, but it was my brother who brought it into the family. While he was in college he was studying Geology, and his class would travel all over the state for geology expeditions. As you can see, it's a rough cut, this is how it comes out of the mine. But it has the richness of the deep purples and light lavenders. It truly is breathtaking.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Amethyst in Arizona. Next I'll do some research on the Peridot and Garnets in our state.

Have a great day!

Peace~

Wordless Wednesday~

Butterfly, butterfly, take me away.......


5 x 5 square photograph - Butterfly on flowers by
Stephanie Grutzmach

8x10 Photograph Lilac and Butterfly by lisajulia

Butterfly and Purple Flower Photo by Rossie107

Have a great day!

Peace~

BOGO 1/2 OFF SALE

I'm having a BOGO Sale This Weekend! You can buy one item at regular price and get another one of equal or lesser value half off. This includes my Clearance section too. What a steal!!! So come on by and see what you can find!

Here is a new beautiful lapel pin that I have recently listed. It's made of genuine copper, formed into a heart and then I wire wrapped turquoise and sterling silver beads around. It really is a stunning pin.

Hope you all are having a great weekend. We are still very hot here, kind of hard to tell that fall is coming. I know it's right around the corner, but you could have fooled me!

Have a very Blessed day!

Peace~

Wordless Wednesday~

For all those desert dwellers, here's some coolness for a day!





















Cardinal in the Snow- 8x8 Fine Art Photograph byara133photography





















Winter Wildfire - Red Fox - 8x10 Original Fine Art Photograph
by NatureIsArt



















Antarctica, Seal 8 x 10 photo print by GauthierPhotography

Thank you for stopping by!

Peace~

20% Off Everything Sale~

Today is the last day of my 20% off everything sale in my Etsy Shop! This is including everything that is already on Clearance. So come on by, I'm sure you'll be able to find something for yourself or for a gift for someone else.

This is my newest listing, Sunset. They are beautiful lampwork earrings, fresh water pearls and Swarovski crystals. A fabulous pair of earrings for the upcoming fall season!

Have a great day!

God Bless~

Wordless Wednesday ~ Isn't This Heaven?

Chewy Choco Cookie Drops by OliveStudio

Irish Whiskey Truffles by denisesdelectables

1/2 lb Chocolate Caramels 8 oz by CaramelJubilee

Have a great day!

Peace~

New Blog Design...Angels

Angels....So where does the word angels come from? The word angels is derived from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger. Malakh, the Hebrew word for angel, also means messenger, and both words nicely coincide with the Persian word for angel, angaros, similarly meaning a courier. The Holy Bible tells us they are messengers from God, spiritual beings and refers to different types of angels, with varying duties. Some angels are guides, some are protectors, and others are messengers of the Lord. Many believe that angels watch over us to protect us from birth to death, to guide and protect us throughout our lives. Our Guardian Angels. There are those who believe there are the Angels of Death who are at their bedside as they are dying just waiting to take them to Heaven.

Then there are those who are on this earth just like you and I, just waiting to help someone out. They are our earthly angels. You never know when you will need help someday form one of these angels.

Since I believe in angels and feel on several occasions that I've been helps by them, I decided to change my blog to this angel background. It's comforting to me. I hope it is to you too.

Whatever your beliefs are in angels, you have to believe in this little one. Isn't she just the most adorable little angel you've even seen? She's Heavenly! Her mother made the darling angel costume she has on. If you'd like to see more of her beautiful costumes, visit her Etsy site. Sassy*Girl*Boutique

"Not all Saints have Halos and not all Angels have wings."
God Bless~