Sharing the Love

This is my second week as a member of It's Better Handmade, a place where artists and craftspeople unite and help support each other through not only friendship, ideas, and motivation, but also through promotion of each other's shop.  This week, I again share the work of another bead artist.

"How can you do that?"  I've been asked.  "Share the work of the - ahem - competition?"  Well, in fact, I do not believe that the artists I feature are competition.  Each of us, even if we are using the same materials and put out a similar finished product, create something unique that is out of our own creative process.  In addition, I dabble in very intricate and expensive work; where large numbers of small beads and/or leathers are applied in a time-consuming manner.  I always look for the most difficult projects; my mind jumps around a lot and needs a terrible challenge to settle it. 

Other artists create just as beautiful work, but they don't have the same need as I do, therefore their end products - even if it is jewelry - is different than what I do, often at a much more price-conscious retail. 

So I am not worried.  Sometimes you as our client will be prepared to pay a lot of money for something that very few people are making because it's just too hard, but you want something extremely unique and individual.  That's when you will come to me.  But sometimes you want something that is pretty but quick, not hard on the pocketbook, and you will turn elsewhere. 

The way I see it, if you can come to my blog and find both, all the better.  And so, today, I introduce you to Caty Anne's Creations:

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 This weeks Featured Artisan on Share the Love... Blogger's Unite is 

Caty Ann's Creations

My name is Cathy and I live in NW Ohio. I have been creating jewelry for about 6 years for myself and family members. Each of my pieces are unique. Hope you enjoy my jewelry and acessories as much as I enjoy creating them

You can find Caty Ann's Creations on:

 

Artfire - http://catyann.artfire.com

 

Zibbet - http://zibbet.com/catyann

 

Ecrater - http://catyanns.ecrater.com

 

Blotspot - http://catyannscreations.blogspot.com

 

Click Here for code

 

Dessert for the Fourth

It's time to get back on program again.  I am going to bring a dessert for tomorrow.  In the patriotic theme, it will be a berry salad.  Red Strawberries, Blue Berries (with some blackberries thrown in for good measure), and for the white?  Whipped cream of course!

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Update on Lucy:  Not only did the chocolate not phase her, but there were no - ahem - after effects either.  Everything was as firm and shapely as ever.  Boy was I lucky!

My Chocolate Lab

Lucy was "sold" to me as a Black Lab.  She looks like a black lab, and most of the time she acts like one.  But today, she was a Chocolate Lab.  That is because she discovered the 2 cups of chocolate chips that were left over from a picnic and chocolate chip cookie baking of a couple of weeks ago and were intended for cookies I was going to bake for the 4th.  Apparently she likes chocolate.  She ate them all.

I called the vet; I was advised that the "dose" of chocolate she got was probably not lethal, but that they would advise inducing vomiting.  That would be done by forcing about 4 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide down her throat and waiting for the effects.  I watched her, and decided that she was not showing any signs of toxicity, and that she probably didn't need the dose and I didn't need the clean-up.

She is fine.  Maybe a little more animated this evening than normal, but nothing that couldn't be ascribed to a simple sugar high.  I've been assured that there will be massive diahhreah tomorrow morning.  Probably true.  When I go to Slimmons, I intend to lock the carpeted portion of the condo off.

No harm, no foul.  Well, maybe fowl, but nothing that can't be cleaned up with ease.

Fixing Things

Some things can be fixed; some cannot.  My life has been so crazed as of late that a lot of things have gone by the wayside, and worse, many things have gone only half completed.  And the bottom drops out of my life when I do something wrong.  Mind you, in some cases, it's just a brain-fart that caused it (read my mind isn't always acute when I've not been sleeping well), some times my words and/or actions have been misinterpreted, and sometimes I was just plain wrong.

No matter what the cause, I agonize over the issues.

Today was a slow day for me.  Nothing to do until this evening when I go to Slimmons for another of my less-than-stellar workout sessions.  I have been condemned to exercise near a chair since the fainting of a week ago. I hate it; I hate being forced into any corner and I hate that I cannot depend on anything, not even my body.  I certainly don't blame the good people at exercise for putting up with my situation for far longer than I had any right to expect.  I am in the Clinical Trial; I am doing everything I can to get my physical conditioning off the ground and get back to being as healthy as possible, so even though I don't like the situation, I will put up with it.  It's my best option, at least for now.

When the day is slow, I have a lot of time to think... too much time, but on the other hand, I have a lot of time to work too.  Although little has been completed yet, I've made progress on the following things:

This necklace was for sale in my "I'm Making It" shop in Etsy.  It was extraordinarily priced given how much work it was and also the inclusion of a real Opal.  But I had lent it to Wendy to wear during a Richard Simmons shoot, and she pointed out to me that the bead-and-loop closure was not completely reliable.  So today I modified it so it now has a Sterling Silver toggle closure and have listed it in my ArtiZen Beads shop, and also featured it on Facebook's "It's Better Handmade" group.

I also listed these earrings in Artizen Beads as well as "It's Better Handmade" but there is a story that goes with them that I will tell tomorrow upon resolution.  Oy vey.

I made Lucy a special Doggie Collar after she ate the last one.

Then an opportunity came up to donate another collar to the charitable organization "Animal Advocates Alliance" (Martini Bash, July 24, 2010 for their silent auction) who helps shut down puppy mills and also rescues dogs from the pounds.  Given that Lucy is a pound puppy and I have not had anything but rescue dogs in my entire adult life, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to give of my self in the way of jewelry.  In this case, Bow-wow bling.  It's not done yet, but you can get an idea where this is going.

My Medic Alert Bracelet's clasp is not reliable.

The magnet is not strong enough for the weight of the piece, and it falls off with alarming regularlity.  This is a piece of jewelry that I must wear whenever I am out of the home, and I don't have another, so I can't put up with the possibility of losing it. Using Diane Fitzgerald's "Shaped Beadwork" book, I have started fashioning a beaded toggle clasp for it.  I will finish it later tonight after exercise and attach it.  Another issue resolved.

I am very late in lengthening a necklace that I made for Gabby for her birthday.  It needs another 4" on the chain.  This is something that I am also addressing today.

The fact is that I do not feel well, probably some part due to physical issues, but just as much to do with being hyper sensitive and hyper stressed.  But this could have been a day devoted to crying and eating and not getting much of anything else done.  I am grateful that I do have my crafting, my jewelry to work on.  Being able to focus on projects that require methodical attention and continuous use of my hands settles my mind.



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It's a nice thing to have found a community of artists who are very supportive of each other.  I belong to one group called "On Fire For Handmade" and through that group, I have found some wonderful people who I would like to introduce to you.  This week's feature shop is "Finding Charm."  In this shop, you will find a lot of budget-conscious jewelry that is still fashion forward and most important, made by hand with love.  I hope you'll take the time to check out the "Finding Charm" stores and if you see something there that you like, that you will support her.

This weeks Featured Artisan on Share the Love... Blogger's Unite is

Finding Charm

I started making jewelry because I had outfits I just couldn't find that perfect piece to go with. So I thought I'd buy some beads and give it a try. I was hooked, it's almost an addiction! It's important to me that I create charming pieces that don't break the bank. I started getting compliments and requests and decided I should help others in their journey of finding charm.


I am a member of the Etsy Texas Crafters Team. Search for items using the team tag 'TeamEtsyTx' to find listings of fabulous crafters!

I am a member of the Etsy Bloggers Team. http://etsybloggers.com/ Search for items using the team tag 'etsybloggersteam' to find listings of fabulous crafters.

Female, Born on February 10

You can find Finding Charm on:
Etsy
Artfire 
Zibbet
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
youTube

Passing my test, Making the grade...

And the results of today's colonoscopy are:


"Notable Improvement." It's interesting to my doctors that the improvement came deep within my GI tract; the closer you get to the end of my system, the less improvement there is (hence the obstructed symptoms, escalating in the last week). Yes, I got another set of pictures as a 'lovely parting gift.' I was thinking about posting the ones from 10 weeks ago and the ones from six weeks ago along with today's on my blog, but Eric suggested that it wasn't such a good idea. He's probably right; kill joy!

On the other hand, Risa & I were contemplating that I could make some kind of collage or maybe a flip-book animation out of them and then apply for a grant from the Endowment for the Arts. Yes, I am still stoned. I think they may have been a bit of a heavy handed with the anesthesia.

Tomorrow will be my next infusion as well as a battery of other medical tests required for "Week 6." We wanted to get some of them out of the way today before the Colonoscopy, but the procedure center was running early and the consensus was to get the Colonoscopy done earlier and do everything else tomorrow in one fell swoop.


I have an extensive survey on my condition to fill out tonight, and before leaving in the morning, I have to provide lots of - ahem - samples. "If I could put time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to doo..."

Very tired, very stoned, very depressed (about lots of things, not just the next round of procedures), but at least I get to eat and drink in the morning before leaving for the festivities, unlike today. That's something. And everyone seemed to like the 'new hair' that I got last weekend. A LOT.

Lucy Was Here

Lucy is starting to feel very much at home.  She has recently started throwing off the mantle of having been homeless and then incarcerated in the pound.  She has picked up many new behaviors in the past few weeks, some - like cuddling with me on the sofa - are very endearing, Others... not so muc.



That was one of the only pair of pumps I own.  Not new, but barely worn.



Ethan graduated Middle School.  Eric & I attended.  This is what we saw (down in front!):

Fortunately, I had brought along some busy work to do during the down-time, and this is what I made during the ceremony I could hear but not see:

Writer's Block?

Writer's Block? Well, actually, no. Rather, life has been catching up with me in a big way... both good things and bad happening, and blogging has been shuffled to the bottom of my priorities lately.

I have been stressed to the max. Big changes are in store in the near future and change is not something that I handle well. I'm about to start up again on the Marriage Blog that I created last November but had little to talk about then. After all, at that time, Eric was not legally divorced; he is now. Let me think... I think it's been 16 days. My ring is for-real on order; we are starting to look at houses. All the kids know officially now - not that they were really surprised - and it's wonderful not to have to worry about what is being said in front of who. I think that Miles is the most excited or maybe the only one truly happy, although I also don't think anyone is unhappy; maybe just ambivalent. Miles has been discussing the changes in his life when I become his Step mom.

Oy vey, Step mom! I am going to start having to watch movies to know how to be one. "Step mom" would be the obvious first choice, but I'm thinking Cinderella might be a good one too. After all, that was a woman who knew how to make the stepchild clean up - lol!

My health? Well, there's no question but that I feel better, but based on another fainting spell at Slimmons today preceded by chest pains, it's not all that and a bag-of-chips yet. But things are improving. If only I could stop with the damned home IV's! I'm really tired of being stuck every other day.

Lots of work getting done; sadly, not in an organized or profitable manner. I need to start being more diligent about getting client work done rather than getting sidetracked on other projects, but I'm hoping that starting this blog up again will help in that department. If I start taking pics and posting work in progress, it will be incentive for me to follow up, follow through, and finish up. At least I hope. I just have a couple of small project to complete and then back onto a floral piece that I started two weeks ago and dropped a week ago. That kind of disorganization cannot be continued.

Well, it's almost 1 am and I hope to be up and about by 6 or so to facilitate getting to the farmer's market before Maryam arrives to start my IV tomorrow morning. I went for the first time in almost a year last Sunday and suddenly remembered why I liked going there so much. Single word... tomatoes. Oh my, but it's wonderful to taste a tomato that actually TASTES like a tomato.