The List Keeps Growing and Growing

Well I haven't been posting much due to being on "vacation" but next week when I get home I plan on being super busy catching up. I will actually start blogging and getting pictures and more buttons linked to my website as well as organizing my workspace so I am more efficient. But the very first thing I need to do is pick up my husbands birthday gift when I get home. I didn't leave myself much wiggle room with that since I fly home on his birthday. Sigh, the dog dearly needs a haircut as well, and I need to make a supply order asap to complete a few special orders from the show.

I need to make a long list for home and I haven't even packed to leave CO yet. I just hope everything fits into my bags. I bought lots of buttons and a new pair of shoes. I couldn't help myself, I never can and I have way too many pairs of shoes. It is just a weakness that I don't really want to correct. Because this list in my head keeps growing I think I will be cleaning this week, and next week when my supplies come I will be getting those few items made and sent off to their new homes.

P.S.-Colin said he vacuumed for me so I can cross that off. :) Thanks Jenifer for teaching him to always be so helpful around the house. I hate vacuuming! He also told me he did his own laundry, and he always takes the trash out. The house is probably cleaner than when I left. I am positive I have a keeper!!!

Website up and coughing

My web page is finally getting underway with the help of Molly. We are using Justhost.com and it is very user friendly for anyone like myself that is web site stupid. It was super cheap compared to godaddy.com as well. I have a coupon code from my sisters that saved over $30 if anyone is interested. I haven't gotten much done though due to having horrible allergies from all the dust in my parents house (they are remodeling everything). Their "new" house is very outdated so they are upgrading the heat (removed the steam radiators), the kitchen (there is none right now), new wiring, plumbing (another bathroom) among many other things. I think it will turn out really cool though and be worth the mess. Tomorrow I will be researching shipping options to sell the old radiators on Ebay. Working on the computer doesn't require me to move or talk much which keeps me from coughing. So I have been on here most of the day. I am praying the allergy medicine kicks in, yesterday and today haven't been too swell.

I did get a few new items made that I was advised to have by a very smart source. They are a surprise for my host :) I only wish I was able to bring more of my supplies so I could have more choices to make. They are not near as exciting as I would like. If I am not breathing all this dust in tomorrow I also am going to try and get a few more button bracelets completed. We will see what happens.

Oh my website is http://www.handmadeobsessions.com/. Hopefully I will be able to get pictures and links to Paypal up in the next few days. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Button Hunting in Colorado

Button shopping was successful today, and I discovered that assorted jars (if I can even find them) have different colors depending on the region that I get them in. Phoenix had mostly brown and black (lots of leather buttons). Spokane has lots of assorted colors and lots of flat gold and silver versions; Colorado has lots of cool cut metal and reds but virtually no black and brown. Strange? Makes me wonder what I can find next time we go visit another state or move again. Anyways, I got 5 small jars, lots of little tiny bags, and 2 larger jars. Of course, I have a lot that won't work, but my mom thinks she can take them to her classroom and find a project for them. So I should hopefully have lots of new colors and versions when I get back to Washington.

Before I can make anything when I get back, I have to reorganize my space and supplies to be more efficient and deep clean the house. I have been slacking since I have been creating non stop. I broke my rules today beyond the button hunting and went to Hobby Lobby and a tiny bead store. I needed another snazzy locking binder container and a few things that aren't worth ordering from my suppliers. Lucky me everything I bought was 30-50% off. :) There are no Hobby Lobby's in Washington, and they have so many good things we had to go. I think I may have to skip visiting my leather/bead store this trip unless I sell everything I brought. I went overboard.

My Stomach is content....well for the moment

I had Chinese food for lunch yesterday and for breakfast this morning. Yum! Not just any Chinese food....it was from the best Asian restaurant in the country in my opinion, and since we move a lot I have tried a lot. I am slightly biased since I worked for them for over 6 years and they are like a second family. They pride themselves on quality ingredients and fresh everything, no buffet there. Even Colin who when I met him didn't like any Chinese food likes their food. I believe the difference is the quality, if I had only eaten at 1/4 of the Chinese restaurants that we have tried across the country I wouldn't like it either. Most of them are beyond awful! So for the next week I am going to be in heaven, I am basing this trip on my stomach.

Other news: Most of my jewelry stock made it in one piece getting to Colorado for my show. One of my hand mirrors broke but that is minor. I shipped all my ornaments and they should be here today. I know I have a ton of things but I still feel like its not enough. I wish I had more of my button bracelets, which even if I had 50 I would still feel the same way. My mom is already in love with 2, one I made for her with the last buttons from my grandpa's basement. That already only leaves 11 for others. :( So tomorrow we are going in search of more buttons. I may need to think up some new patterns to use all the extras maybe I will make some stationary with buttons....hummm. Who knows? I don't have anyone else to share them with other than my friend Brandis at Crunchy Thrifty Cool since no one else is making their own clothes or anything for that matter. By the way I want to see your yellow dress you made for Vegas!

On another positive my sister Molly is an excellent photographer and I am utilizing that skill while I am here. She is going to help me out with a small pamphlet full of pictures to send with invitations and some great pictures for a jewelry portfolio. My poor fashion drawings are going to get kicked out of my portfolio that is collecting dust. I have a degree in Apparel and Textiles but my field of choice hasn't been a very good fit for moving around the country. Molly as well as my other sister are also more skilled with this website issue. So I am going to use their knowledge to get my website set up. That option seems like a good start since I hate to spend a ton on a professional. We will see what we have to do....I have no clue.

I better get moving since I have a ton of things to do. Visit my favorite leather/bead store, take my mom lunch at work, take cancer bracelets to Rose, eat Chinese food, and make 1 more button bracelet. I had to bring a few supplies to work on something, I hate having idol hands. Happy Thursday! Tomorrow is the first day of spring! Yeah! It feels like summer here in Colorado though, Molly and I sat in the yard soaking in the sun yesterday. It was wonderful!

P.S.-It just occured to me that I grounded myself until May and here I am planning on going to several supply stores and searching for more buttons. I can't even follow my own rules :(

Awesome Enlightenment

While instead of making things today Mandy and I created the most awesome addition to her kitchen. Thought I would share some pictures.

By the way the hanging glass vases are from CB2 and we added a few small plants and some white sand. We hung them with fishing line and I added a small clasp on the ends so she can pull them down easily to clean and maintain.

Happy Green Day!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful St. Patricks Day! Mine started off with Colin asking what could he wear to work that was green. Not much different than every other morning when he asks if he matches. Sigh....this is helpful though in my decorating of the house because he doesn't care. I would be so sad if I was unable to see the beautiful colors around me every day, his outlook makes me feel blessed.

Today has been a laundry and cleaning day, my house is a disaster and I hate leaving and knowing it will still look like that when I get home from vacation. Unfortunately Colin and Gunther will be home creating messes while I am away. I tend to create most of the messes with my crafts though. If I didn't have any fabric, leather, stamps, scrapbooking, dyes, beads, box collection, buttons, books, metal, and seedlings all over the house we wouldn't have much clutter or junk. We wouldn't have any unless you count my obsession with kitchen gadgets. Either way none of it can be clutter since I use all of it, right? Since I adore storage containers most of it is organized and hidden. I miss Ikea! They have the best cheap storage options but I know Colin is glad we don't live 5 minutes away from one anymore.

Oh thought I would share some wonderful packaging tape that decor8's blog brought to my attention. Here is the link to purchase some, or some other cool tape like them. They have lots of fun choices.

Well I better get back to work since the dishwasher and washing machine are both running and I am cooking re-fried beans for Colin to make burritos while I am gone. Yum!

It's the last week of winter! Well according to the calender.....

So since I have been negligent of my blog lately I thought I might post a few pictures. Here are a few new button bracelets, all of which I want to keep to myself and hide away. :) They look even better up close!Other than that I have been super busy with life and getting ready to go back to Colorado for a short stay. Not much has been getting done or at least it feels that way. The house is a mess and when I got the vacuum out last night the power went out. So Colin and I took the dog for a long walk and when we came home the power was still off so we decided to go to a movie. DO NOT go see Watchmen unless you like a lot of blood and very graphic gore. I am not into that so much, even Colin thought some parts of the movie were to much. Needless to say the house is still a mess but the power was back on when we got home.

Today was not too bad, the weather was fair and the sun was shinning until we had another freak snow storm that looked like "dots" ice cream. I cant wait till spring! On a happy note I did replace my pyrex baking dish today and my kitchen rug that the chocolate explosion ruined. The new ones are much better than the older versions, so yeah for Colin!
P.S-Spring is supposed to begin the 20th.

Busy as a Bee......a China Bee

I have been slacking on posting, and I don't even feel like I have been super productive. Making the same thing over and over is not near as much fun as creating new things everyday. I am really glad that I don't live in China. I am over half done though with the cancer bracelets, 50 have been strung, graced with pink ribbons and stuck in pretty little bags :) Colin even was helping a little, he stuffed the color cards into each bag, he didn't want to "make jewelry like a girl" but he did want to take things apart for me. What a great help! I thought I would share a few pictures since unfortunately we got snow again.

So here is Gunther licking his snow goatee and one of the trees in our front yard. We still had a little snow left in the yard from December, so disappointing.

Last week Colin had a baby bird egg on the windshield of his truck and I was so excited since that means spring is around the corner. Then we get more snow! I already have all my seeds for my garden ready, at least I know the ground has got lots of moisture this year.

Cancer Bracelets

Thought I would make a quick post today since I have been slacking. I have been working on finishing those cancer bracelets, all 100 of them! I have about 30 strung and 70 started ready to go. All that they need then is the pink ribbons for about 50-75. Here are a few quick pictures of the bracelets and my mess.


The rest of the week is devoted to button bracelets once this is finished. Those are my favorites and are always fun! This weekend I attended a meeting for the ShuttleBirds Tatting Guild and I am pumped to begin learning a new craft. Thanks to all of them for inspiring me!

Nothing Much except Grumbles

Well I thought I would have great things to post today since I have a long list of things to do and very little time. Yet I have nothing done, my dog has been grumbling (not sure if that is even a word, but he makes funny little sounds when he wants something) and what he wants today is to constantly sit in my lap and lick my hands and if he can my nose. This I am not appreciating and so I haven't got much done as he obviously needs attention. So the two of us are sitting and relaxing or he is, my head is thinking of all the things I need to do. That list now includes giving him a bath as he smells from it raining when he is outside. Oh well!

Bridesmaid Jewels

Well my pearls and swarovski crystals came in the mail so I could whip up a few more colors of bridesmaid jewelry. The pale yellow on the right was commissioned by a friend of Colin and I for her wedding in May. They are to coordinate with plum colored dresses. For a more personal touch I have added small initial letters, there is an "E" shown. I think I may make a black version just to wear out myself.

The Peridot Green and Rose colors were made as examples but are for sale. I have made drop earrings for each with briolettes hanging at the ends. I am currently working on a lilac colored version as well but think I may change up the pattern for a little variety.

Chocolate Explosion

Well there was a lot of glass involved in that other than the chocolate. Sunday nights I normally make a big meal so Colin has leftovers for a few days for lunch. He normally is a big help but last night not so much. I decided that brownies would be nice to have, when I pulled them out of the oven I set them on the top of the stove (that's where normal people put hot things, at least I thought) Colin after helping me had accidentally left the burner on, the burner where I just happened to set the brownies. Needless to say they sat there for maybe 10 minutes when I could smell the burning. I went into the kitchen just in time to have the entire Pyrex glass dish explode at me. No cuts but I am really glad I was wearing my glasses last night. My kitchen rug is ruined, you cant get glass out of it when shards are melted in with chocolate. Gurrrr is all I can say! I wish I had taken a picture now that I am not so angry, it was awful!

On a happy note I am very close to having my goal done with my jewelry. Here are a few pictures of what I got accomplished this weekend. Since there are so many pictures here are just a few of the combinations shown: Leather and Rose Quartz (pale pink), Black Jade and Turquoise (sterling flower), Sodalite with sterling fish's, Carnelian and Amethyst (these are carved), Rhodonite-Black Jade and a Lava Rock Pendant, Snowflake Obsidian with a fun clasp (pictured in front), another Snowflake Obsidian with sterling teardrops, and Turquoise with sterling beads (I took a closeup since they are so fun looking).

Most of these have coordinating bracelets as well that may be sold separately or with the necklace as a set. I thought I had enough pictures for the day though.

Enjoy Your Week!