Skip the coffee, save a life!!

Ever had the urge to buy a coffee on the go or waste your money on something else that you really don't need. Take a moment and think about how that money could actually save a life instead, then visit EnveDesign's blog and donate a dollar or two to the American Liver Foundation. She will even enter you for a chance to win her gorgeous jewelry for every dollar you donate. Not a bad deal and you will feel good about yourself for helping out! You can also go directly to her husband's fund raising site www.run-alex-run.com

A perfect day

My husband Nathan, the kiddos, Bullseye and I have spent just about every minute of today outside, enjoying a gorgeous spring day by the lake and digging in the garden. Bullseye took his first dip this year and little Leif enjoyed his sweet potatoes more than anyone I have ever seen. My little girl Cecilia is an amazing helper who got to work with her shovel in the vegetable garden, digging up dirt where we are going to add compost and better quality dirt. Last year was kind of a disaster even though our intentions were good. This year, I will have a walking one year old to help me out too...

What a great morning!

Got myself another front page for some amazing shops on Etsy. It is such a great feeling when they have hundreds of clicks and maybe a sale or two as a result of the treasury. I already have another one planned out so wish me luck!

Treasury blunder

Ah, my first treasury in my new shop name and I had to mess it up!
An hour and a half before this treasury was to expire, more treasury spots were about to open up and it hadn't made it to the front page which seemed to be favoring administration picks all day anyway. I went ahead and deleted it and posted my new one. A few minutes later I click on the front page icon and guess what I found...my treasury! No way for anyone to leave comments or to get a little exposure for my shop. I am absolutely thrilled that it made it though and couldn't be happier for the shops I featured. Some really great items and super nice sellers. Oh well, I won't be deleting anything ahead of time again that's for sure. Lesson learned.

Adventures in jewelry making

Sometimes it is simply time to start a new chapter in life. I have had a strong need to create all my life and have been painting since, well forever. Lately I have found myself drawn to much more detail oriented crafts, like sewing children clothing and now jewelry making. I dare to say it's a new addiction as well as an amazing creative outlet.
Just a few days ago, I decided to list some of my earrings on my favorite website Etsy. You can find me at www.noblegnome.etsy.com . I am offering free shipping through the month of April and will be adding many more pieces in the following weeks.
The earrings to the right are made of incredible aquamarine fossil stones that I have completely fallen in love with. They are vintage and very difficult to find these days, making them even more precious. They are just to beautiful on their own so I decided not to add any other beads to these earrings. A lot of times, simple is better.
I soon found out that taking pictures of my earrings was much more time consuming than actually making the piece. With practice I suspect this will come more easily but let me tell you, with two unbelievaly energetic children and a nutty Boxer running around the house it is not an easy task.