Tiny Crystals

I created a new pair of earrings using 2mm Swarovski crystals. These are the smallest beads that Swarovski makes, so I had to be very careful not to drop and lose them! I decided to wrap these beads in the thinnest gauge of wire that I have on hand. I was originally planning to add a cluster of pearls at the end, but I decided on a simple single crystal pearl.

Sunshine on the Belly...and Roses

I started down the stairs this morning, and caught my cat laying in the sun (as cats are fond of doing). We've had so few sunny days this year, so I'm sure my little guy is loving every minute of it.

And the roses are happy, too.

The Manly Geek - A New Etsy Treasury

I finally made a new treasury recently. My desire to make treasuries seems to come and go. This is the first one that I have created that is man-centric, and I especially love the laptop decal!

Amazing Find from Stumbleupon - Toothpick Sculpture

I found this a few days ago while I was on Stumbelupon. I can't imagine the patience it takes to create something this amazing. There are more pics on flickr.

Toothpick sculpture of San Francisco by Scott Weaver



Random Website Find - CouponNetwork.com

As we all know, consumer prices are rising. If you do the grocery shopping in your family, I am sure you cringe when you notice the price of a loaf of bread, for example. Add the cost of gas to get to the store and, well, it all adds up.

I recently read an article about websites that offer coupons. There are a lot of them out there, but some of them are not reliable or honest. One of the reliable sites mentioned, is CouponNetwork.

CouponNetwork offers two ways for you to save money. The first involved printable, manufacturer coupons (like the ones you might get at the checkout line). These coupons have a “print by” date, and you can sort the coupons by this date if you choose.

The second way to save is through their YourBucks® offers. These are rewards that earn on future purchases. Once you purchase promoted products, you receive your YourBucks® offers that has a cash-like use on a future purchase.

Granted, there are not a lot of coupons and deals listed on this site (right now I see 16 YourBucks® offers and 33 printable coupons). But with the high cost of just about everything, it might be time to do a little comparison coupon shopping!

A Moonstone and Pearl Pairing

I have a couple strands of freshwater pearls in shades of lilac, and I realized they pair nicely with rainbow moonstone. I made two pair of earrings with these pearls and moonstone, and I have more ideas brewing.
A new necklace, perhaps?

Tiny Beads

So I have these tiny amazonite beads that I bought a few months ago. I intended to wrap them around sterling hoops or earwires that I make, which I did. But then I had the idea to stick head pins in them and cluster them around chrysocolla quartz. My problem is, I don't have any fine-gauge head pins. My solution: I made my own ball head pins with my butane torch.

I have made my own ball head pins with fine silver wire in the past, but making them with very fine-gauge sterling silver wire is, well, frustrating. I had trouble grabbing them with the pliers, and I had to make sure I didn't put them too close to the flame (I had one that partially melted).

I love these chrysocolla quartz beads so much, I am about to make another pair of earrings using them. And guess what? I need to make more ball head pins because, just like these earrings, my new pair will incorporate more tiny beads.