Gingerbell's

Polymer Clay Smooshers Scavenger Hut.

2010-11-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

How would you like a chance to have fun, do some shopping and take a chance to win a prize? You would...well great.

Here is what you need to do......
Go to the world famous Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild Blog http://polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com and follow the instructions for our Christmas Scavenger Hunt....There are several ways to win one of the awesome prizes donated by guild members.

Good luck on your hunt; have fun.........
Check out the beautiful prizes you might win..

Water as an insperation.

2010-10-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Star Fish earrings by EmilyClaireCreations

I grew up in Washington State on the beaches of the beautiful Puget Sound. I spent many many days watching the ebb and flow of the tide looking for the treasures the reseeding tide would reveal in the tide pools. I was at once awed and inspired by the Sea Stars clinging to the rocks and docks,the sand dollars that appeared on the sand and the tiny rock and sand crabs that skittered everywhere. Still today the most calming sound I know is the crash of the waves and the call of Seagulls as they sailed on the salt air looking for a meal.

Sea Star pendant by Beachcomber

I am so often inspired by the beautiful memories of the sea and love to use the colors and textures in my artwork. Today I thought I would share the artwork of fellow polymer clay artists that are inspired by water too.

Sweet wall hanging made by Fantasyclay

All of these awesome projects are made by Fellow members of my Artfire Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild ... http://polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/

The colors of this necklace by HaffinaCreations scream water to me.

If you enjoy the water and or polymer clay art as much as I do please visit our Smooshers blog http://polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/
or check out the shops of the featured artists in this article
http://Emilyclairecreations.artfire.com
http://Fantasyclay.artfire.com
http://beachcomber.artfire.com
http://Haffinascreations.artfire.com

Changes

2010-09-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Pansy Bracelet.......
as usual I have been very busy making pretty things... But there have also been some changes going on at Gingerbell's.

White Rose and Violets bracelet

Christmas Candle

One change I have made is that after much thinking and weighing my options I have closed both of my Etsy shops. They were beginning to cost me more time and money then I was willing to invest for the return I was getting.

However over the last few months I have made my Http://Gingerbells.artfire.com studio my main shop and the efforts are paying off ; I am happy with the gradual steady pace. I am confident now that Artfire is out of beta and with the great improvements they continue to implement things can only continue to get better.

Another thing that has changed is that 1000markets where I had a shop has sold to another online retailer Bonanza.com. At first I wasn't happy because I really loved 1000Markets and my studio there. I wasn't going to open a shop on the other venue but I changed my mind and opened a shop there this morning http://www.bonanza.com/booths/Gingerbells . I figured I'll give it 6 months and see how it goes, sometimes it's better to go with the flow then fight the waves. Check out my new booth and let me know what you think.

And lastly I have my annual 10 day show that I have been preparing for. So if you love craft shows come check out the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival in central Indiana. It's a great county wide festival with lots to see, do and eat.

Well it's back to the work table for me.......

Introducing TooAquarius

2010-09-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

beautiful rose beads........

TooAquarius AKA Elaine is an extremely talented Artist,Business woman ,teacher and computer wiz from Canada.

round floral beads.......

I have admired Elaine's Millefiori talent since we met several years ago on PolymerClaycentral.com 's message board. She has a wonderful ability to capture floral beauty in her cane work. I have bought and used many of her polymer clay floral canes in my own projects from her shop http://TooAquaris.Artfire.com .

Lentil beads......

In her shop you will find a huge amount of awesome canes and finished beads to use in your own creations....Her color pallet is beautiful as is her work take a peek at her shop I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

leaf cane.....

floral slice beads....

TooAquarius is a proud member of Polymer clay smooshers guild of ArtFire.

Introducing Jennifer Mercer of Haffina Creations

2010-08-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

Jennifer is another member of the wonderful Artfire Polymer clay smooshers guild.

She is a talented Mother of 5 from Australia who works in many different mediums and does all of them well. I don't know where she finds the time and energy to do all she does, she cares for her family and works tirelessly for the several guilds she in a member of. She even found time to organize the blog ring for our guild and an awesome swap for her group of friends on Plurk.

As a beadweaver myself I am particularly fond of this beautiful blue necklace. She is also an accomplished chainmailer and beadmaker. If you can't find something in one of her shops that you love I'd be very surprised.
If you would like to see more of her awesome artwork here are a few pieces to go
http://BeadsByHaffina.artfire.com
http://HaffinaCreations.artfire.com
http://HaffinaCreations.blogspot.com

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-07-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

{Tiger pattern Bangle bracelet}

I have been going Tiger crazy the last week or two..
I learned to make this tiger pattern from polymer clay and I like it so much I designed a mini collection around it.
I thought I'd share my mini obsession with you.

{round 2 hole tiger buttons}

{Wild Thing Necklace}
The necklace is my favorite piece in the collection I think it's beautiful if I do say so myself.

{square link bracelet}

This is the newest piece in the collection, I like it alot too. I tried it on and it's a comfortable bracelet to wear because it's adjustable.

I have a couple of other designs for this collection in the works and then maybe I'll have it out of my system,lol.

All of the pieces in this post can be found split between my 2 online gift shops.
Http://Gingerbells.artfire.com or http://Gingerbells.1000markets.com
if you are interested or want to see more photos of these pieces check them out.

Introducing CatsWire

2010-07-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Cat's Wire is a very talented artisan who describes herself as a "Bookworm by day, crazy cat lady and hooked on wire in the evening!" She lives in Southern Germany with her Husband and 4 cats.

She is very talented with wire and incorporates polymer clay along with gemstones and beads to make some awesome wearable wire sculptures.

She also is a talented miniaturist and sculpter who uses my favorite medium Polymer Clay to bring her designs to life.

Cat is a proud member of the ArtFire Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild and sells her lovely creations at http://Catswire.artfire.com she writes a very interesting blog http://catswire.blogspot.com/ Check out her sites you won't be disappointed.

What my Hubby does for fun

2010-07-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

My husband Jose is a historian and he loves to get dressed up in period clothing and along with a group of friends act out historical events. They do this to educate and entertain groups of people and to help raise funds for different charities.

He has several periods in history he reenacts. He portrays a Confederate telegrapher,A Mountain Man,wild west cowboy and a Mexican revolutionary.

He is a walking,talking encyclopedia of historical facts.
He has a huge collection of period artifacts and costumes. He has made by hand most of the items in his Mountain Man and revolutionary costumes. He tries to keep things as authentic as he can even using the buckskin from the deer he has hunted.

Here he is as a revolutionary..

He has a great time doing this and loves to share his knowledge with anyone interested...
This week end he and a group of reenactors will be setting up a Civil War Encampment at the Livery Stable in Brazil Indiana. If you are in the area check them out.

The 12 days of Christmas in July Sale

2010-07-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

Many of the shops on Artfire.com are having Christmas in July Sales.....My shop is having one as well.
July 11-25th.
FREE SHIPPING!!! on all jewelry items
or
BOGO!! Buy 3 bath and body items or candles and get 1 FREE!!!!! feel free to mix and match
go to my shop at http://Gingerbells.ArtFire.com and check out what's new in my Studio.

I still have a few Holiday items in my shop if you want to get started on your decorations early.

So if your ready to start your Holiday shopping; I know I am Artfire is the place to start for a Handmade Christmas

Meet EmilyClaireCreations

2010-07-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

Valerie of Http://EmilyClaireCreations.ArtFire.com is a wonderful Artist from Ohio who is inspired by nature and her environment. She is the stay at home Mom to her 2 adorable daughters whom she has named her shop after.

In her studio Bio Valerie says:
"Making jewelry makes me supremely happy. It is a one true medium where I can express myself. I follow my bliss. I believe it shows in my designs. Jewelry should be something anyone can wear no matter what size, shape, age or color you are, it is a statement to accentuate your personality." I like how she thinks and I agree it shows in all the beautiful items in her shop.

I have picked several of my favorites to share

I really like the style and composition of this piece. I think it looks like a piece of treasure that's been around for a long, long time.

I absolutely love this acorn that she has sculpted it's classy and whimsical at the same time. So if you like her style as much as I do check out her ArtFire studio where she is running a Christmas in July sale offering a 15% discount coupon.

Valerie is a proud member of the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild of ArtFire.

Introducing Into The Dawn

2010-06-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Dawn of http://IntoTheDawn.Artfire.com is a lovely and talented member of The Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild of ArtFire.

I absolutely love her polymer clay transfer Tarot Card pendants. I think it's such a creative idea.

She also is a very good sculptor, I love the colors and softness of this necklace.

She made this cute ATC for our monthly themed challenge. June's challenge was Ocean. Don't ya just love it?

Take a few minutes to browse her shop at http://Intothedawn.artfire.com you'll be glad you did.

Introducing CraftyBabyHope

2010-06-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

This weeks Polymer Clay Smoosher feature is Jennifer. http://craftybabyhope.blogspot.com/ http://CraftyBabyHope.Artfire.com

Jennifer is a talented artist who's using her art to help her obtain her hearts desire to become a mother
From Jennifer's blog...
"I suffer from secondary infertility and have had 4 miscarriages. Infertility treatments are very expensive and insurance does not cover the cost. In order to raise money for the infertility treatments I started offering my handmade goodies online."
***When I was younger I also when through unsuccessful fertility treatments and I understand her needs and am happy to help her promote it.

I enjoy her whimsical polymer clay work and her lovely wire wrapped items...

I really hope you take time to read her blog and check out her shop to learn more about her and her cause......Oh and a nice added bonus she is having a 10%off sale shop wide.

Meet Sassy Clay Creations

2010-06-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

I would like to show some of the lovely things made by Dori of Http://SassyClayCreations.artfire.com .
I really like pretty things that are useful like this candle holder. I would love to have this as part of my Fall decor.

When I saw this mask in Dori's shop I fell in love with it. I love the whimsical style of it.

I love the texture in this Star and moon pin she made. I think it would make a great piece to add to any jewelry collection.

Not only is Dori a talented lady she is a sweetheart who has organized the Friendship round Robin swap box for our Artfire Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild .

So if you are looking for a unique gift for someone or a special treat for your self I recommend checking out her shop http://SassyClayCreations.artfire.com

Featuring Colt Pixy

2010-06-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

This beautiful Beetle is handmade with polymer clay by the talented artist Star Edwards of http://Coltpixy.artfire.com . She made it for the resent "Bug Challenge" held by the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild of Artfire.

Above also is the whimsical piece she did for the "flight" challenge

If you like miniatures you will love the beautiful tiny baskets she weaves with polymer clay take a peek at her Artfire shop you'll be glad you did.

Not only is she a wonderful artist she is also the tireless guild master of the Smooshers guild who spends a great amount of time and energy promoting her fellow guild members.

Do you want to see how I made it?

2010-05-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love these colors together? I do.
I had this beautiful Dicro cabochon in my stash for a couple of years waiting for the right design to use it.

I thought it would be fun to do kind of a step by step of how I made these beads into the pretty necklace at the end of this post.

I mounted the cab onto a square of stiff interfacing and stitched a peyote bezel around it with Dark blue size 10 Delica beads. I like using delicas because of their uniform size and large holes.

After I stitched the bezel I trimmed the interfacing and glued the unit to some soft ultra suede to hide the ulgly stitches and make a nice finished back for the pendant.

The next step is to join the front and back together and finish the edge with pretty picots.

When I finished the edgings and embellishments I added a Swarovski crystal link and used it for the pendant bail.

Here is the necklace being made. This stitch makes the necklace look like a spiral staircase of pretty bugle beads

This is how the back looks totally finished. See how neat and tidy it looks.

Here is the front finished, isn't it pretty.

This is a close up of the finished necklace. I named it Tranquil Waters because I think the glass cab looks like a pool of water with gentle ripples.

Tada here is the finished necklace I wish the camera could capture how pretty the pendant is but trust me it is lovely in real life.
I hope you enjoyed seeing how this necklace was made and maybe you are a little inspired to try a little beading yourself.

How to make a cuff bracelet part 2

2010-04-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

So I finished doing all the stitching on the front of the bracelet and I think it looks cute so far now it's time to put it all together.
I sandwiched the front ,brass cuff form and suede backing together then I stitched them all together with a picot edging stitch.

So here is a top view of finished cuff

side view

close up side view

and here is the glamor shot of the finished bracelet cuff. It measures 2 inches wide and is about 7 1/4 inches long it can be adjusted to fit most wrist sizes even my fat little wrist.
The center cabochon is polymer clay,the butterflies are enameled with Swarovski crystals. The rest of the beads are Japanese seed beads and Swarovski crystals. the sparkle is awesome to bad that doesn't show up well in photos.

Over all I am happy with the end result of course like any other "artist" I see lots of thing I would do differently.

So there ya go this is my entry for The Polymer Clay Smooshers flight theme challenge........What do you think?

How to make a cuff bracelet

2010-04-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do a work in progress post for anyone interested in making a cuff bracelet or just wondered how they were made. I thought I'd show how I made one.

I am not a great planner when I make something; I am more of a design as I go kind of Gal.

Making the cabochon is my first step because everything is designed around it. I made this garden Cabochon with polymer clay and mounted it in the center of a strip of stiff interfacing that measures about 2 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches. While the glue dried I picked out the beads I wanted to use to stitch the bezel. Then I stitched the bezel using a peyote Stitch.

I began to embellish the cuff band with some cool accent beads I had in my bead stash. This bracelet is for The Polymer Clay Smooshers "Flight" challenge so I thought the Swarovski crystal and enamel butterflies would be perfect for that theme.

I wanted to use the beads to show motion and start to create some flow...

I started to add some green crystals and crystal flower beads to bring in the flowers from the cabochon. It's a bummer that the crystal flowers don't show well in these photos I'll make sure they show better in finished piece photos.

As I'm working I like to lay it over the brass form to make sure it's flowing and laying in a visually pleasing way. So far I am liking how it's looking .

Now I need to spend some more time finishing this side of the cuff and then start on the other side. As I do I will take more photos and post them along with the finished piece for you.

I am looking forward to entering the piece along with all of my other guild mates project in Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild "Flight" challenge. You can check out our guild blog at http://polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com for lots of great polymer clay information and inspiration.

My 2 Pride and Joys

2010-04-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

These beautiful little ones are my Son Aaron's babies. They are one of the reasons I wake up each day happy to be alive. Before they were born I couldn't imagine how wonderful being a Grandma could be.

My little buddy Brenden will be 4 in July. He is smart,sometimes a little to smart. He's creative, he likes to craft, color and build things and he has a wicked sense of humor. Best of all he is loving and spends a lot of time cuddling with Granny.

He reminds me so much of his Daddy when he was my sweet little boy, they are a lot alike.
My little beauty Lexiepoo is so much fun. She's funny, independent,fearless and frisky. She loves her big brother she also loves to aggravate him. Watching her grow is going to be interesting....
So Dear Readers thank you for indulging me with my Grandma pride and letting me share my 2 little love monkeys with you.......

Buttons, buttons and more buttons

2010-04-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

I use to sew a lot and I always thought buttons were the finishing touch to the project. I would search high and low for just the right buttons. I don't have to do that anymore; if I want a button I make it.

I made the cute little buttons you see with polymer clay. Each one is hand formed,sanded and buffed to a glassy sheen. they measure 15mm and are the perfect size for a blouse/shirt,scrapbooking or maybe to embellish a quilt.

I made a bunch of each for me and some to put into my Etsy and Artfire shops for others to use on their projects.

My favorites are the pinstriped ones and the gold retro patterned ones.

Today Is Easter Sunday and I am having a sale in my http://Gingerbells.ArtFire.com shop
FREE SHIPPING! on all jewelry
and
Buy 3 Get 1 FREE on all handcrafted soap bars.

Sale ends at Midnight....

Happy Easter to all !!!!!

What I made with my handmade beads...

2010-03-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show what I made with the beads I showed in the previous post.......I like how the lavender highlights the pretty flowers and the cute little hummingbird on the pendant.

I love the way polymer clay works so well in beaded designs. It makes every piece a one of a kind piece of wearable art.

I wanted to show that I also work with gemstones on occasion. So I am showing the blue pendant and necklace I made the other night. I LOVE the pendant it is one of my all time favorites. I love how the colors work together. I also am glad I was able to work the black and blue ceramic beads into the design.

If I were honest I would say I am obsessed with beads........

How I make beads

2010-03-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

.

Here is what it looks like when I am making polymer clay beads. This isn't meant to be a tutorial but more a quick look at some of what goes into making polymer clay beads.

Step 1...
pick out canes and blend base color for beads.

Step 2...
cut out and roll base beads

Step 3...
slice paper thin slices of cane and apply to base, roll to smooth.

Step 4...
cut and shape bead caps from base color. Add to beads.

Step 5....
pierce beads with bead pins hang on rack and cure..

Step 6....
when cured sand through 5 grits of sandpaper and buff to a glass like finish.

Yup I know that was a quick run through and some steps were skipped. I promise to do a proper tutorial on bead making soon.

The beads came out pretty nicely. I made a pendant base to go with them and as soon as I get the pendant beaded I'll post photos of the finished necklace.

New on my worktable

2010-03-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

My online clay buddy Jackie [ http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePleasantPheasant ] has been making the most lovely canes. I couldn't resist buying some of them.

I used Jackie's awesome canes to make these very pretty pillow beads and square cabochons for beading. I love them all but if I had to pick a favorite pattern it would be the blue ones.

With the yellow set I think I'll make a bracelet with the pillows and a beaded pendant for a necklace with the cabochon.

The small green rounds and cabochon are going to be a pendant for a necklace.

The blue set will be a bracelet, necklace and pendant...

I am looking forward to designing the pendants because the square shape can be a challenge to work with and keep it soft looking.

So if you are looking to buy some awesome canes check out the link to Jackies shop I loved working with them.

Thing a day challenge

2010-02-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

http://polymerclaycentral.com is having "a thing a day" challenge. We are making 1 thing a day in Febuary featuring polymer clay and posting it to the website for all to enjoy.

My day 1 project was the teardrop shaped necklace and pendant. The pendant base and the accent beads are made with polymer clay.

Day 2 project is the beads and pendant base all made with polymer clay.

Day 3 project is the beaded pendant from day 2.....

So far I am keeping up, I have the Grandkids the next couple of days so we will see.

What is bead embroidery?

2010-01-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am often asked act craft shows how I make my jewelry and I try to break it down to a simple general example. So I thought it would be fun to do on my blog too except it is more fun on the blog because I can use photos.

In today's blog I am going to talk about my favorite beading technique....bead embroidery.

Bead embroidery is a very useful technique to learn because with it you can turn a gemstone,shell,button,flat found object into a beautiful piece of jewelry. I love to use it to show off polymer clay pendant bases that I enjoy making.

To begin the pendant I glue the polymer clay base to a square piece of very stiff interfacing and while it's drying I pick out the beads I want to use from my stash.

After the glue dries with a needle and thread I sew on each bead developing the pattern. I'd like to say I start my projects will a clear vision of what it's going to look like but I don't. I usually design my projects as I make them and let the design develop naturally. [photo 1&2].

When all the base patterned beading is done I trim away all the extra interfacing and glue it to a piece of ultra suede backing hiding all the stitches and giving the pendant a a nice finished back. The next step is to stitch the 2 backings together and edge the pendant. Add a beaded bail and the pendant's done. [ photo 3&4]

Next I go through my bead stash find what I like and bead the necklace and TaDa a necklace.....

If you think you might be interested in learning more bead embroidery I recommend buying a copy of Bead and Button or Beadwork magazine and try one of the beginner projects or use the reference section to learn some of the basics to see if it's the technique for you.

What is a Polymer Clay Cane?

2010-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

When people see the things I make they often think the patterns are painted on. I explain that they are made by applying thin slices of " polymer clay canes ". Then they look at me and say "what is a cane?" if you have ever had the same question here is a quick simple explanation with visual aids.

A polymer clay cane is made by blending contrasting colors of clay and forming them into a pattern. I know; it's still confusing....I'll use this simple flower cane to illustrate.

Photo #1
I took the following colors green pearl/blue pearl/white pearl and blended them together to form the striped pattern for a single flower petal and I wrapped it in a sheet of pearl clay. Then I "reduced" it; [squeezed it to make it longer] , and cut it into 8 equal lengths.

Photo #2
I took each of the 8 pieces and shaped them like a flower petal. I took the 8 petals and arranged them around a yellow center to form a flower shape.

Photo #3
I took translucent polymer clay and "packed" or wrapped it around the flower shape to help everything hold it's place during reduction.

Photo #4
I took the 3 inch wrapped and packed cane and redused it buy squeezing ,pulling and rolling it until the tube measured about 1/2 inch around and then cut it into 6 2x1/2 inch canes ready to use on projects. Just like the Pillsbury cookie dough at the store the flower pattern goes all the way through the cane.

That is how a polymer clay cane is made....Have I further confused you? I hope not; I hope I have intrigued you enough to learn to do it too.....

Polymer clay and seed beads

2009-12-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

I think polymer clay and seed beads are a match made in heaven. They play so nicely together.

I love good gemstone cabochons but they are so expensive and really drive up the price of the pieces I make. The cabochons in the hair pins are gemstones and were expensive so I will have to sell them at a higher price point then I would like. Had I made them with polymer clay I could knock about $10 off the retail price.

Another advantage of using polymer clay is I can create some awesome stone like cabochons with awesome colors and detail for a lot less then I would pay for a natural gemstone. Using my handmade cabochons allows me to spend more money on the high quality crystals and seed beads to give my customer a higher quality product at a reasonable affordable price point.

The necklace in this post is a beautiful example. The cabochon is one that I made with polymer clay,ink,mica and gold leaf; it's full of detail and pretty colors. because the cost to make it wasn't high I was able to use a generous amount of expensive high quality Swarovski crystals and delica seed beads. By making my own cabochon I am able to offer my customer a OOAK necklace at a very reasonable price. It's a win-win situation for both of us.

Here are some new pieces.....

2009-11-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since my last post as usual it's been busy at the Casa de Gonzalez....Some good things and some bad things.....
Let's get the bad news out before I get on to the good...
My beloved Father in law Jose Gonzalez Sr. lost his battle with cancer last month. He was a strong loving man who along with his wife of 56 years raised 5 awesome children one of whom is my dear Husband Jose Jr. He was a strong courageous man who over the last year dealt with learning of his illness,loosing the love of his life in February and the progression of his illness leading to his death. He was an example of grace and dignity, strength and hope. I loved and admired him very much and will miss him.

This year has been very hard for our family we have lost so much, both of my husband's parents and my Mom. But we have also gained through our losses. I have learned that above all else the people I love are the most important thing and that the love in my heart didn't die with them perhaps it has grown even stronger. I have learned that every second on this earth is a gift that I will never again take for granted.

Ok so now for the happier news......
My little Granddaughter Lexipoo turned 1 she is growing way to fast and has her Grandpa Jose enchanted.....
and...........
One day while Jose was out in the woods he found a little Chihuahua who had been abandoned deep in the woods he was 1/2 starved and lost a lot of his hair from a flea infestation. The poor little guy begged Jose to help him and he couldn't resist bringing him home.

We took him to the Vet the next day to see what he needed to get healthy and see if they could help us find out who he belongs to. The Vet said it was a good thing for him that we found him because he wouldn't have made it long the way he was. He needed food and de- flea-ed and he had ear mites. The worst thing is the vet said he had been abused and mistreated and that the people hadn't had him neutered and allowed his testicles to grow up into his belly. The Vet said we could have them removed in the future and that would help him a lot.

Well we never found his old owners and we have had him about a month now. We named him Chuy; he is happy has gained almost 2 lb's and his hair is growing in nicely, the fleas and ear mites are gone. He has a new dog house and plush bed in the garage that he like so well he spends a lot of time snuggled up in snoozing. He is such a sweet lovable little creature he likes cats and kids. I can't imagine why someone would have been so mean to him but he will never have to worry about that again.

The next hurdle for Chuy is the operation on his boy parts. After he has that the vet feels like he'll be fine. Right now one of the testicles is pushing on his bladder so he sometimes can't control his peeing so after it's done I will work on housebreaking him so he can come in the house. I have never had a dog before so this has been an experience for us.

also......
My 10 day craft show in October went really, really well so I have been working hard to replenish my inventory. I posted a few of my new pieces here on my blog.

also.....
I am having a sale in my ArtFire studio http://Gingerbells.artfire.com
10% off all items +
FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $20.00
this sale will run for the next week.

Victorian Poinsettia Brooches

2009-09-21T11:07:00.001-07:00

I have always liked Victorian styled things around the holidays. I think these 2 brooches have a Victorian look to them.

When I started making them the other day I had intended for them to be pendants on necklaces. By the time I finished the beading and making the ruffles edges they were way to big for pendants. So.....brooches they became. In the end I think it worked out for the best. I'll take the beads I made for the necklaces and turn them into a bracelet and earrings.

The soft diamond one is my favorite. I like how the champagne beads and black opal seed bead ruffle frame the bezel.

on work table......earrings, earrings and more earrings......

Pretty Poinsettia set

2009-09-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

These are my first holiday themed projects of 2009. I am very happy with how these turned out. This set is the ball point pen and the pill box key chain. Instead of offering them individually I will be selling these as as set.

The designs on each piece are not painted it is made with polymer clay. The poinsettia cane I used wasn't one of mine; this time I used a cane made by Cat Therin. I have been enjoying experimenting with other peoples canes.

I liked these so much I made a set for myself, I just love pretty useful things.

on my worktable.......poinsettia beads

Fun with accesories

2009-09-11T10:36:00.002-07:00

I really like making things that are functional as well as pretty.

I have some craft shows coming up so I have been making things to sell that are moderately priced and that will make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season. I have several nice gift sets made for my bath shop so yesterday I made some sets for my gift shop.

I am trying to decide weather or not to group coordinating pieces together and sell them as a set or offer them as individual items. There are pros and cons for doing it either way. Myself I would like to by the set if I could but I know not everyone feels the same way.

I like the set in the photo the colorful designs on the pieces are made with polymer clay the set includes 1 twist ball point pen,1 pill box key chain and 1 dual mirrored compact.

on my worktable........more pens and pill box key-chains also whipped olive oil soap

Healing a broken heart

2009-09-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

e

h
When your heart is broken what do you do to make the healing begin?

Some people eat comfort food, some exercise,some seek comfort in the company of others while others hibernate and cry. Everyone seems to have a method that works best for them.

For me when things don't make sense or I am very sad I find comfort in forcing myself to create something. I think it makes things better because I am forced to think outside of the painful box I am in and put that energy to use in a positive way. For me making things is how I cope. It is a big part of who I am few things make me as happy as designing and making something pretty.

My Mom was the same way before she started getting Alzheimers. She was my crafting mentor as far back as I can remember. She taught me to crochet,cross stitch,sew,Native American beading and leather work,latch hook and plastic canvas sculpture. I taught her about knitting,soap and candle making and beadweaving as well as other crafts. This has made for many great memories, I am so glad we shared this part of ourselves with each other.

Mom was always proud of my crafting skills and was excited that people were willing to give me money for the things I make and that she got them for free..

Over the last year or so Mom had been downsizing and getting rid of a lot of her stuff to simplify her life. She said it was just stuff she didn't need and she was only keeping things she needed. I was so very touched last week when my Brother and I were packing up her apartment to find that she had kept almost all the things I had made for her over the years;she felt they were some of the things she needed to keep.

So all of the things I had to do to put Mom's affairs to rest are done and everyone has went home. This last week I have had way to much time on my hands to think and be sad so instead of continuing down that path I started channeling my energy into making things again.

I have had a productive couple of days and it had helped some. Above are a few of the things I have made I'll be posting photos of some other things soon.

In my mind I can hear Mom saying "it's time for you to get off your ass and get something done" LoL I hear ya Ma.........

Beautiful Northern Michigan

2009-09-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

When Mom passed Jose and I were on vacation in the upper penninsula of Michigan. We went to some of the most beautiful places I have been in a long time. In the 4 days of our planned 8 day vacation we spent our time in a place called Paridise and White Fish Point they are very small towns on the shores of Lake Superior.

One of the photos is of a waterfall that Jose hiked to see. No I didn't join him in the hike, no hiking for me until I get my knee replaced.

2 of the photos are from the 3 hour twilight cruise we went on at the Painted Rocks National Shore in Musining Michigan. Stunning rock formations.

The other 2 photos are of the beautiful beach we spent a lot of time at, it was quiet and relaxing. We spent time BBQ'ing and relaxing often we had the beach to ourselves.

The weather is beautiful and cool there and the pace is relaxing and the air is clean and hardly a cornfield in sight. I could for sure live happily there, I think Jose could too. We have talked about finding a small house there to spend our summers and then come back to Indiana for the winters.

Our vacation was beautiful while it lasted but it ended horribly sad. Jose says we need to plan to finish our holiday before to long because it would be good for us; we'll see but right now my heart just isn't into it.

A tale of two Moms

2009-08-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerbell/237014485/in/set-72157594273852754/

The two lovely women in the photo are my Mother Bea and my Mother in law Modesta. This photo was taken of them on the day they met at a housewarming party when we moved into our house 3 years ago. Jose and I have been together for over 20 years but because they lived in different states had never met.

These two women shared many things in life tho they came from two very different backgrounds and didn't speak the same language. They both had a very keen sense of humor, loved to play games and were well loved by their children. They enjoyed baseball,animals,good food and flowers. They both had many Brothers and sisters most of who had passed away before them.

Sadly 6 months ago on February 12th sweet Modesta passed away surrounded by her children and her Husband. Her loss has been heartbreaking and has left us all with great sadness in our hearts but also great joy that she was in our lives and we knew we are all better for being loved by her.

It is with a heavy heart that I write that on the 12th of August My Mom Bea passed away very suddenly while Jose and I were out of town. I would like to say that when she left this world she was surrounded by those who loved her as Modesta was but this is one thing they didn't share. She passed alone and this more then any thing fills me with a sense of sorrow and guilt even tho I know that there was no way I could have prevented her passing. Had I have been with her would it have made it easier for her to go; could I have told her I loved her and held her as she did me on the day I was born; if I begged her not to go would God have heard me, did she wait till I left for vacation so I couldn't beg her to stay with me. I'll never know and because they won't let us see her to say goodbye my brother and I will have to remember her as she was the last time we were with her.

I am so grateful that my brother and his wife were able to travel here from Oregon so we could be together. It was never easy for Mom because she raised us on her own and it was always the 3 of us against the odds and it is right that we should be together to do what has to be done.

Later this week per her request we will be spreading some of her ashes in the Wabash River and My brother will be taking the rest to the pacific ocean that she loved.

I don't make this post to make anyone sad but to share these two special women with others and to say.......Take every opportunity to show your Mother how much she means to you and cherish your times together; in the blink on an eye they can be gone..

Even tho Mom could be a pain in the ass sometimes I would give anything to hear her voice on my answering machine saying "Ginger this is your Mother call me, I love you."

I love you too Mom!

Blog Love

2009-07-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give my blog a little love today I have been very neglectful.

I have been very busy getting things ready for the upcoming fall craft show season. It is my favorite time of year. The Mid-west has a great amount of festivals. I like the fall ones best because the air is crisp and fresh and people are starting to get in the holiday spirit.

Every year I do a 10 day show called The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival. It is a county wide celebration of arts, crafts and food. If you would like to check it out Google Parke County Covered Bridge festival.

So getting ready is a lot of preparation which I love. It beats the hell out of working a straight job again.

I am posting some photos of a necklace I made today. I am calling it "Bohemian Beauty" or something like that.
When I found the pendant mounting I fell in love with it, I think it has a cool exotic look to it. I mounted some vintage crystals and a polymer clay cabochon to finish the pendant. I made some beads to go with the cabochon and strung them with hemitite rice beads.

In my stash I had the cool brass bead caps and the perfect clasp. I think they all came together to make a pretty necklace. It measures about 23 inches long. I think it would look beautiful worn with a black moc turtle neck or a peasant blouse , it will make a bold statement for sure.

On work table another cool mounting I found waiting for my to make some beads and a cabochon for it.

I love my job!!!!!

New stuff I made this week end

2009-07-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Now that I am feeling better I am starting to make things again. I really need to get busy my busiest craft show season starts in 2 months.

This weekend I was in a mood to make some palm candles. I made some that are red clove scented and some that are Heather scented.

I took the heather scented ones and made a gift set with some...
This is a a wonderful gift set filled with pampering goodies. Heather is a lovely fresh,herbal,lightly floral spa type blend.

In this set you'll receive:
1 4oz. bar of oatmeal soap
This is a awesome creamy bar of soap that gently polishes the skin.

1 8 oz dead sea salts in a taffeta bag
These salts a a great way to make a relaxing bath or foot soak after a hard day.

2 palm votive candles.
I love palm candles they are clean burning much like a soy candle. One of the characteristics of palm candles are the crystal like pattern on the candle. I think it makes them very pretty. These will give you many hours of scented burning time.

I listed the gift set in my Artfire shop http://Gingerbells.artfire.com . I am thinking I will offer the clove candles in a set of 6.

The clove candles smell so good I made some for my house so I could enjoy them too. One of the best part of making these kinds of things is I get to keep some for my personal use.

On my worktable ............polymer clay beads and cabochons.

Wooden purses.

2009-07-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

When I go to the craft store I always hit the clearance isle to see what treasures I can find. I found some nice wooden purse blanks a year or so ago at a good price so I bought several.

I use to love to do decoupage and collage projects when I was younger and making decorative boxes was always one of my favorite subjects. These purses are pretty much the same idea. So I spent this weekend painting decoupaging a couple of the blanks.

I really like the "Butterflies in the night sky" themed one best.

The paint finish is my favorite part, the colors are a pretty combination of pearl,teal,turquoise and purple. I used several painting techniques to give the painted surface lots of great texture.

To the surface I decoupaged really pretty water colored butterflies, moths and flowers along with 2 pretty B monograms. There is just the slightest touch of fairy dust on the cut outs to catch the light for a gentle sparkle.

The other purse is "I will always be a dreamer" themed purse. I love hot air balloons and I think the are a good way to symbolize my dreams.

The front side has the sun and it is for day dreams. The back has stars and the moon and it is about night dreams. I blinged it all up with 64 crystals.

These were fun projects that I enjoyed doing. Now what next? I think maybe some cabochons for some broaches I got the other day or maybe some candles; maybe both.

Look who's 3

2009-07-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

My sweet Grandson Brenden turned 3 on the 6th.

My Son and Daughter in Law hosted a Star Wars themed party. The little guy is obsessed with Star Wars.

He had a really good time and was surrounded with family members and lots of love.

He is my sweetie and I couldn't be more proud to be his Grandma.

BOGO!!!

2009-06-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Ya'all I just wanted to do a quick post about a great BOGO sale I am having in all of my shops.........BUY 1 ITEM and GET 2nd 1/2 OFF

This is a great way to stretch your dollar and get something nice in return. You can click on any of my shops on the blog sidebar and enjoy browsing my 3 shops. If you find something you like awesome just go through the check out process and I will return the discount on your second item to your pay pal account. I will also combine and adjust shipping costs to further save you money.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!!

this sale runs through June 20 2009......

What's up?

2009-05-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

So I've been neglecting my blog the last couple of weeks.
Why you may ask?

Well I have been busy with taking care of some unexpected health problems and getting ready for tomorrow's craft show.

I am feeling better and with a few life style changes and some time I will be all good. Turning 50 sucks, lol.

Tomorrow I am doing one of my favorite craft shows it is......
The Wabash Valley Herb Festival
It's a great festival on the banks of the Wabash river in Terre Haute, Indiana. It is filled with vendors selling herbs and flowers and garden related items and hand crafts. It's a jurried show and I like that because there are no buy and sell vendors there. It's a very popular annual event that people look forward to all year.
It has been raining here so much latley I was conserned that it would be raining but it looks like it's going to be a cool clear day....awesome.

Well it's getting late and I have to get up at 4:30 am to go set up, I will say good night!

And the winner is

2009-04-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Donna [rainbowrave] is the winner of the name the necklace contest with the name...

Twilight Reflection..

Thank you Donna and everyone else that entered.

Yummy These Smell So Good.

2009-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last week end I had a mini soap making marathon. I made 8 beautiful batches of lovely smelling Olive oil and goats milk soap. Today I cut them all and put them on their racks to cure. I have to say the smell coming from the drying room is awesome.

Soap making is a addicting and useful craft. However it is not for the person who requires immediate gratification. Before this soap is ready to use it needs to cure "dry" for another 3 or so weeks. Sometimes I get lucky and they are ready a little sooner and I get to indulge a little early.

I will probably start listing them in my ArtFire and Etsy shop Mid May. These batches are on the small size so it is sometimes a good idea to reserve a few bars before my regulars scoop them all up. I posted a couple of photos so you can see how pretty they are, I really like the rustic look......

olive oil
________
Downy Fresh
Blushing Pink Hyacinth
Tuscan lace
Green Irish Tweed

Goats Milk
__________
Sage & Lemongrass
Black Vetyver Cafe` with cinnomon coffe scrub
Exotic Amazon Teakwood
Dusky Goddess

My Hubby will be out of town for the next three days so I will be enjoying many hours of guild free craft time. I will be teaching myself some new beadweaving stitches and also making some new beads and cabochons. I need to pour some new candles too and make a few pieces of jewelry. I have a craft show coming up on the 9th. We will be on vacation the week before so prep time is short. Housework will be low on my to do list for the next couple of days.

Do you wanna win a free bar of handmade soap?

2009-04-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

All you have to do to win a free bar of soap is come up with the winning name for this necklace I made today. Think of a name and post it in comments section; I will choose the winning name on Saturday April 25th.

This necklace was fun to design and has what I think is a cool design feature...it is really 2 necklaces in one because it is reversible. The pattern on the focal bead is different on each side as is the beaded bezel.

The focal bead in the pendant is made with polymer clay, ink and gold leaf. I made the free form bezel out of gazillion glass seed beads. The beaded necklace measures 20 inches and is finished with a goldtoned lobster clasp.

Good luck with the contest; I am interested in reading what people come up with.

New Necklace

2009-04-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying beadweaving my lentil beads. I made this necklace with reversable pendant yesterday. It is much prettier in real life; I am happy with it.

Today I am going to make some floral lentils for some pretty spring designs and change the bezel style some. Maybe add some fringe dangles with some of the crystal flower beads I have.

I listed the red one I made the other day on Sunday in my Etsy shop and it sold in less the 10 minutes. I was shocked it sold so fast and pleased because it will be going to someone who really likes it. I am going to list this one later in Etsy and Artfire hopefully someone will like it too.

I got a beautiful fancy professional beading loom today that I am excited to start using and designing for it. This loom is so pretty it's almost a display as well as a tool. I am thinking maybe a floral patterned bracelet would be nice.

I have other looms that are not 1/2 as nice as the new one, I think I'll keep them to teach my Grandkids with when they get older.

A wonderful craft show

2009-04-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Every spring my first Show of the season is The Brockton Red Barn Market. I have done it the last 3 years and every year it gets better. This year was very good Jose and I had a good time and made a good profit.

Brockton is a very small town in Rural Illinois so small if you blink you will miss it. There are no stop lights and the only business are a small cafe,bar and archery shop. Also there is a huge red barn that they use for horse shows and things like that. It's very cool and quaint. They also have antique sales there and every April they have the Big Red Barn Antique and Craft Show. This town is 25 miles from the nearest town so you would think there wouldn't be any business but that is not the case; at times there were so many customers I couldn't see across to the other booths.

I wish I had photos but the light wasn't good enough maybe next year...

Something for my sore muscles

2009-04-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

ARRRRGGGG I hate getting old and some of the things that go with it. For me the body aches are the worst part. So a few years ago I started making different soaks and bath teas to relax my ouchys. I decided to make some for my shops.

I just love this stuff it smells awesome. When I am tired and my muscles ache I fill my tub with warm water . Then I fill a cotton bag with the herbs and salt and drop it into the tub to dissolve the salts and release the beautiful scent. The salts relax my muscles and the scent relaxes me. It is the perfect end to a long day.

The combo of dead sea and Epsom salts relax and sooth sore muscles and help detox the skin. I like the rose petals and hips the oils from them seem to help soften my skin. The wild rose and oak is such a awesome warm calming scent.

The resealable bag holds 1 lb. of salts and a reusable cotton bag to fill with the salts and petals. Just fill the bag and drop into the warm tub let the salts dissolve and soak you aches away.

Keep on trying

2009-03-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

I really like making hollow lentil beads I think they make great pendants and earrings except for one thing...no matter how carefully I trim and sand the beads the seam in the side still shows a little and it bothers me. So I have been working on different ways to design aroud the seam to make it less noticable.

I have made polymer clay bezels they work nicely but still not exactly what I wanted.
I have wire wrapped them that works great because of the channel the joint creates and the wire covers that really well but still not exactly what I wanted.

So last night I was messing with some of my seed beads and I created after much trial and error this bead net bezel in the photo and lo and behold it does everything I want it to do.....no visible seam in bead showing and I think the beads really enhance the pretty polymer bead. The pendant is reversible because the bead and bezel are just as pretty on the other side. I will be using the bezel a lot now for my lentils. I can leave it basic and conservative like this one but it also has a lot of possibility for further embellishment for those times when I feel like going overboard.

I am so glad I didn't give up and kept trying because I met the challenge and am happy with the outcome.

I fell in love with these beads...

2009-03-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

I must confess I have a bit of a problem when it comes to buying and hoarding beads.

I don't know how most people create but I buy beads that speak to me with no idea how I will use them. Then I hoard them until they tell my "Muse" what to do with them...

This necklace is a good example:

Almost 2 years ago Jose and I went to a bead show in Chicago and I saw the cranberry pearls for some reason I had to have them. I don't know why because they are not in my usual color pallet. I passed by them twice before I went back to get them. So there they sat in my bead stash waiting to be used.

A few weeks ago I saw the 2 piece lamp work shell beads and fell in love with them; so much so I bought 4 strands in 2 colors again not in my usual pallet. I didn't have a clue how I was going to use them. So there they sat in my bead stash waiting to be used.

A couple of days ago I was feeling unmotivated so I conditioned some pearl clay and began to play with some ink and alcohol to see what kind of pretty sheets of color I could come up with. One of the sheets came out looking like sunset colors with a very pretty pattern- Ding- the light bulb above my head went on and I thought it would make some pretty hollow lentil beads. I made the beads and when they were done sanded,buffed and polished I loved how this one looked. Again I had no idea how I was going to use it.....

As I was putting it away in my stash I saw the cranberry pearls and the shell beads next to the lentil and in my mind I saw this necklace......

So that is how I create; strange I know but is what works for me....How do you create?

Grand Opening Sale!!

2009-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

GRAND OPENING SALE!!!!!!!!!!!
March 21-25,2009
To officially honer the Grand Opening of my new ArtFire shop I am offering awesome BOGO sale in all of my shops.

Buy 1 Item Get 50% off Second Item +

Combined shipping even if you buy from either shop.

Go ahead and check out and I will return discounts to your pay pal account to make it easier for you. Wright BOGO in notes to seller to qualify for awesome discounts.

http://gingerbells.artfire.com
http://Gingerbellsbathshop.etsy.com
http://Gingerbellsgifts.etsy.com

Check out my new ArtFire studio

2009-03-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Check out the showcase link to my new ArtFire Studio. I have really been enjoying the set up there. I have found a couple of exciting new artists. The community there seems to be very supportive, I imagine that is how it was when Etsy was a new start up company.

I am posting a new item from my bath and body line.

Portable soap balms
********
These are awesome for slipping in your purse diaper bag and gym bag. They are perfect for travel, no mess no fuss. just take off top rub on wet cloth or hand; recap and use.
I dislike the alcohol sanitizer and sometimes it isn't enough to clean something up the portable soap balm is the perfect answer.

Solid Body Butter Balm
*********
This is my favorite new product I just love the feel and convenience of this product. It is a long lasting ultra rich body butter that fits great in handbag, desk drawer and travels so well. It is awesome for all dry areas and my feet have never been softer.

on my work table.....bead loom project, and herbal bath salts.

Sometimes life gets in the way.........

2009-03-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well things have been busy at the Casa De Gonzalez the last month some good things and some bad. It has gotten in the way of keeping up my blog but I'm back......

So her is some of the new things I have been doing....................

This week I opened a new shop http://Gingerbells.ArtFire.com
ArtFire is a new site that features handcrafts. I have found a lot of new talented crafters browsing the Studio Shops; I also see a lot of Etsy shopkeepers there too. It looks like a promising up and coming site.

I have booked some of my Spring shows here are the dates...........
Brockton Big red Barn Market April 3-4
Brockton, Illinois

Wabash Valley Herb Festival May 9
Fairbanks Park, Terre Haute, Indiana

Rosedale Strawberry Festival June 5-6-7
Rosedale ,Indiana

I am gonna try to book a couple more maybe it will help make up for the slow down on Etsy. If not I will still have fun I really enjoy doing craft shows.

I have pulled out my bead loom and am really enjoying working on it again, I am working on a amulet bag right now. I think it might be cute to hold my cell phone.
It's working up nicely and I am surprised it's been a long time since I have drawn up a beading chart. I like drawing up the charts and playing with my colored pencils. If we ever get some sunshine I'll takes some photos of the work in progress.....I am so ready for spring!

I have been neglecting my blog......

2009-02-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my blog because I have been making some new things and because I have been burning to much computer time on Facebook.

Here are some photos of a few new necklaces I made over the week end.

I really love the way the blue and pink Kaleidoscope and pillow bead necklace turned out. I also really like the orange and blue butterfly patterned necklace. I just love what can be done with polymer clay.

So facebook is my new computer hang out. I really like it so much that I am dropping a few of my other social networking sites. Twitter has become one big promotion add spot for Etsy sellers, very little social interaction going on when every one is yelling "Hey LOOK at My Shop". So I'll be there a lot less. MySpace isn't for me it's mostly for kids not my cup of tea. So I will be closing that account.

What I like about Facebook is there is plenty of social interaction with my peer group. Lots of polymer clay addicts to share with and very easy to use, I enjoy the games too. I enjoy talking with people I admire from my favorite forum Polymer Clay Central; it's like hanging out with old friends.

on my work table.......
portable soap and body butters, they smell good and feel good too.

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

How do you spend this day? Is your family sporty?

My Son and Husband are sports guys so Super Bowl Sunday is an fun day for them. My Son and his wife and the babies will be coming over tonight for a little Super Bowl party .

Today I am going to do a little house work and a lot of cooking to get ready for tonight. My Hubby Jose has a weird menu made up filled with junk food and beer( ah well it's once a year). So I better get my bootie in gear. I need to start the chocolate and Carmel cupcakes for little Brenden. He's 2 1/2 and he calls them "baby birthday cakes"

I am having a Super Bowl Sale in my http://GingerbellsGifts.etsy.com shop
FREE SHIPPING!!! till midnight
add Super Bowl in the notes to seller and I will refund all shipping costs...

I want to kick my cat's butt!

2009-01-31T14:32:00.001-08:00

I have a long haired orange cat named Rupert and I love him dearly but this morning I really wanted to kick his furry little butt.....Why?

Last night I was working on a beaded project when I got tired and decided to finish it this morning. I had 2 large organizer boxes filled with crystals and gemstones that I had been picking beads from for my project on my worktable. I figured they would be fine as they were closed . Welllll that's not exactly right.

I got up this morning went to kitchen to make coffee and all of the sudden I heard a huge CRASH! Apparently Mr. Rupert launched himself off my desk and on too my worktable sending the 2 boxes of beads flying onto the floor where they opened up emptying and mixing 36 different compartments of beads and gemstones....OMG! What a pretty mess!!!
____________________________________________________________

Above I posted some photos of another one of my polymer clay and glass tile pendants. I strung this one with some nice spring time beads. I think I'll post it in my Etsy shop later.....

Blue Gray Garden Necklace

2009-01-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest necklace. I made the beads and the cabochon with polymer clay. I love polymer clay it allows me to make things that are all mine.

I usually make the focal and accent beads and then design a necklace around them. I like these beads even tho they turned out a little more gray then I had planned. I think the gray looks nice with the oxidized silver pendant frame.

It is a nice long necklace it measures 22 inches. I think that's a great length to wear with a turtle neck or a tunic. I am full figured and I really like my necklaces this long it is more flattering.

I'll probably add this to my shop tonight or tomorrow and if I still have it in April I will take it to my show with me. Necklaces are always a good seller for me at shows.

My first show of the spring is April 3-4 at the Brocton Big Red Barn Market Festival in Brocton Illinois. It is on of my favorite shows of the year.

On my work table 2 more pendants waiting to be finished and turned into necklaces.............

Finding new things

2009-01-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Etsy has a lot of wonderful supply sellers and it is great fun to look through their shops. I have found some awesome things to spice up my polymer clay jewelry.

Lately for me it has been vintage and Victorian styles that have been calling to me. I am also loving antique copper and brass. Today I got a bunch of beautiful copper and brass findings that I will be using for some awesome earrings I have planned.

I found the pretty pendant mounting while shopping around Etsy and built this necklace around it. I made the pearl peach floral beads and strung them with pale peach freshwater pearls. Click on photos to get a better view. I listed it in my shop tonight; http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20201211 . I am getting my spring collection ready for the spring shows and I think this will fit right in if someone doesn't buy it before then.

On my work table now.... earring earrings and more earings....

I need a day at the beach...

2009-01-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am having a little bit of the winter blues; it has been so cold and dreary here for several weeks. I am ready for a little beach therapy it always makes me feel better.

We are planning a trip to Savannah Georgia for April , I can hardly wait. I love beach combing it is one of my favorite things to do. I have a excellent huge collection of shells and rocks so I decided to use a few from my collections to make these 2 pieces.

The frame measures 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 with a 4x6 photo opening it can stand on a table or be hung on a wall.

The candle and holder are would look really cute with the frame I think. I poured a Night Blooming Tuberose candle in the holder.

They are not a trip to the beach but I feel happier after making them. It was a lot of fun going through my collection and remembering all the fun I had collecting them. I hope you enjoy them.

Upcycled Cuties

2009-01-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

A neighbor of mine knew that I make candles so the other day she brought me a bag of frosted tumblers that she had saved from the store bought candles that her daughter in Law likes. She said she thought it would be a bummer to just throw them away and I agreed with her.I cleaned them up and this is what I did with them.

She gave me 9 tumblers and here are the four I made yesterday. I am so missing spring that I had to decorate these to remind me of why I love spring.

The Enchantment candle is Green Clover and Aloe scented.
The Happiness and Love Candles are Sweet Sugar [pink sugar] scented.
The Hope candle is Exotic Night Blooming Tuberose.

I scented these to go with the new soaps I listed this week end. I think the 2 together would make a awesome gift. I made one for myself too. I have a few others that I will be finishing over the next couple of days.

On my work table.....A pretty shabby chic beach themed photo frame and candle. I may list them as a set.

Awesome Olive Oil Soap

2009-01-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have been making Olive oil soap again and I can tell you my drying room smells beautiful. I have 2 sweet bars and 2 spa bars.

The "sweet" bars are the first 2 bars. The purple bar is a beautiful sexy tropical Tuberose. It smells like heady rich island flowers. The pink bars smell like Pink Sugar and awesome feminine sent, very flirty.

The green bars are my "spa" bars. They are clean fresh uni-sex scents. The top bar is Green Clover and Aloe scent[BBW dupe], I added some apricot kernels to polish your dry winter skin. The 2 toned bar is my favorite it is White Tea and Ginger, I love the fresh clean smell of it I added apricot kernel to gently polish the skin and candula petals to sooth it. Both of these bars will remind you of a day at the spa.

I love olive oil soap it has really been good for my skin. I have been using it as my shampoo for the last couple of months and have seen a nice improvement to my dry hair and scalp.

I have all of these bars listed in my shop http://gingerbellsbathshop.etsy.com now is a good time to check them out. I am having a buy 3 get 1 free sale; mix or match any items in shop that will be over soon.

When Polymer clay meets glass.........

2009-01-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

I have been experimenting with new styles and techniques. Here are some examples of my twist on the glass tile pendant.

Glass tile pendants are a trend on Etsy and I love the clean look of them. The original versions use beautiful papers and original art work as the subject of the tile.

Instead of paper I have been using my favorite medium polymer clay. I think the glass tile and polymer clay are a perfect match. Click on the photos to get a closer look and I think you will agree the it's a fun combination.

I enjoyed making these and now that I know where I want to take these; I will be making some beautiful floral tiles for the spring. I have a lot of new things I have been working on and now that the busy holiday season is over I will be posting a lot more regularly.

on my crafting table today........Valentines candles, and a floral bead woven bracelet.

One of my favorite shops on Etsy

2008-11-28T10:58:00.000-08:00

Daisy Designs Floral is a awesome shop filled with whimsical floral designs. These designs are well made and sold at an affordable price. I own a few myself. And best of all it is my good friend Terri's shop.
I asked Terri a few questions so others could get to know the artist behind the designs. She is offering a cool giveaway contest at the end of the interview.
Enjoy and good luck all.........

1. Terri how long have you been a floral arranger?
7 years

2. What kind of arrangements do you make? What are you favorite and why.

I create arrangements for any occasion. Weddings, Funerals, Proms, and New Baby just to name a few. But custom orders are always welcomed.

I love to work with fall flowers, and I think that the arrangements I create from them are my favorite. I like doing wreaths, and bridal bouquets.

3. What other kinds of crafts do you enjoy?

I recently started making handmade greeting cards. I really enjoy using this as another outlet for my creative energy!

4. Tell us a little about yourself.

I have been married for 32 years, and we have two grown daughters. But I am proudest to be called grandma by my two year old grandson, and soon he will be joined by a brother.

5. Do you have any sales running in your shop?

I have free shipping on my entire shop and all of my Christmas wreaths $30.00 and higher have been reduced by $10.00 until Monday December 1, 2008.

6. What are your shops urls?

daisydesignsfloral.etsy.com

daziemae.etsy.com

is there anything else you want readers to know? Do you want to offer
a give away contest?

I love what I do and I hope it shows through my designs.

For everyone that e-mails me with the event that sparked the idea of selling my arrangements, will be entered into drawing for the Jolly Floral Arrangement pictured below. Hint you can find the answer in my profile.

daisydesigns2006@aol.com

I'm having a Black Friday- Cyber Monday sale!!

2008-11-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

I was thinking that I will be avoiding the Mall this Holiday season and I imagine I won't be the only one. I am busy all week with the Grandkiddos and my shops and craft shows. I just don't have the energy to deal with the crowds. So I will be doing the majority of my shopping on line. I have been seeing some great sales out there so I thought I would offer a big sale in my shops too.

SOOO here are my sales.....

Http://GingerbellsGifts.Etsy.com
FREE SHIPPING on any order
I think that's a pretty good deal if I do say so myself

Http://GingerbellsBathShop.etsy.com
Buy 3 get 1 FREE
FREE SHIPPING on any order totaling $50 or more
That's a great deal because I have a lot of gift sets at great prices so you could do a lot of your gift shopping in one place and save on shipping.

These sales start tonight 11/27 at midnight and run till midnight Monday 12/1

So have fun shopping and I hope you take advantage of my sales, I know I will be shopping cyber space looking for some great bargains.

I love Art Deco

2008-11-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

I have been shopping around for beautiful metal mountings to add to my polymer clay jewelry and I found these beautiful copper Art Deco style pieces and I turned them into these pretty earrings. I am very pleased with the final product.

I made the focal cabochons using liquid polymer clay and gold and copper leaf. I think these earrings are very dramatic looking.

I have several other new mounting I have found that I am enjoying working with and will be blogging about them soon and posting them in my Etsy shop in time for holiday gift giving.

I like to experiment .........

2008-11-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I love polymer clay is because the possibilities of what can be done with it are endless and I love to experiment. I am always trying to find new ways to incorporate polymer clay into all of my crafts.

Here is one of my little experiments.....
If you shop Etsy you know how popular the little scrabble and glass tile pendants with the pretty paper decoupaged on them are. I think they are cute but I don't want to make the same thing as others. I like the clean look of the glass and I thought it would make a great way to showcase some of my cane work. So I thought I would experiment with one of the tiles and a retro cane I had laying around the craft room. I like the way the glass slightly magnififys the cane work and how the light shines from the sides to catch the sparkle of the pearl and metalic clays. Soooo I ordered 40 of the tiles to experiment with to showcase some really pretty pattern ideas I have. I know there are millions of these on Etsy but mine will be one of a kind and I think will do well at craft shows paired with some of my handmade beads. I am going to keep this experimental one for me but will be making several when my tiles come.

The other 2 photos are of some bracelets that I made yesterday with some polymer clay cabs I made. One is made from a retro cane and the faux opal with foil one is Polymer clay too.

My little pumpkin

2008-11-01T05:50:00.001-07:00

Well little Lexie is now 6 weeks old.

When her Mommy left her with me yesterday I put on her little Halloween out fit on. The little Jack O Lantern blouse is a little big on her but that's OK she is growing fast and will be filling all of her outfits out in no time. It is so fun to watch them grow; her big Brother is 2 1/2 now and it just seems like yesterday he was a little one just like her.

She is starting to show her personality some she smiles a lot, loves to be cuddled, { good thing}, and responds really well to being talked and sang to. She is only 6 weeks old but has her Grandpa Jose totally in love, he never has been able to resist chubby little red heads. I knew she had him hooked when he came home from the store the other day with a little plush dolly for her that has chubby cheeks and red hair. He said he got it because it reminded him of her awwww, not bad for the worlds most MACHO Man. He also bought her some little pink onesies I was surprised they were pink and not Camo.

I have been making up little gift sets for my bath shop. I like putting them together. The other photo is of another new bangle bracelet for my gift shop. I like it it is comfortable to wear even on my chubby wrist. the center focal is one of my polymer clay cabs.

Pretty in Pink

2008-10-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

For some reason I have been going a little Victorian with my jewelry designs, and pink has been the dominate color. Could it be my sweet new Granddaughter binging out the softer pink side of me.

The bold pink and gold bracelet is a perfect example of this style. I sculpted the center focal using my favorite medium polymer clay. This piece isn't for the shy woman it is bold and ornate. It looks heavy but it's not that's the beauty of polymer clay durable but not heavy.

The cameo necklace is a beautiful feminine piece I haven't decided weather or not to sell it or to give it to my sister in law who collects butterflies . I love the metal mounting I am glad I bought several; I will enjoy designing with them.

The other photos are of some of the soap I made this weekend. I made 8 different kinds of soap this week end. Soapmaking is such a satisfying craft. I love to make things that are pretty and functional. I will post some more photos of then in next post.

Let the soaping begin!!!

2008-10-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

I just love getting new scents it is one of my favorite things about making soaps and candles.
In the mail today I got....
Spiced Orange..OMG this is yummy and will make some awesome soap and bath soak.
Bonsai...A beautiful unisex spa scent.
Pumpkin Brulee....need I say more.
Mandarin Basil Lime.. is another beautiful unisex spa scent that will make some excellent Olive Oil Soap.
Zanzibar Clove.. A rich and beautiful clove that will become a soap and milk bath.
Wild Rose and Oak....Beautiful, rich, woodsy and sexy. I love it.

This is just the start of my Fall and Winter scent line I have 10 more new scents on the way; Yummo.

Today I made some Ginger Milk Olive Oil soap and it smells like heaven. I am keeping some for myself. I also made some Pumpkin spice Honey soap that is very nice. I'll try to list them tomorrow.

I am one happy soaper.

Another long festival over!

2008-10-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival is a 10 day county wide craft show held every October.

This is the 4th year I have done it and I really enjoy it. It is one of my favorite shows of the year but 10 days is a long time; by day 7 I am ready for it to be done.

Sales were down this year for everyone but it still was a profitable show. I sold 98% of the necklaces I brought and about 75% of the bracelets as well. I started the show with 89 candles and brought home 8 and sold many bars of soaps and soap sets as well as pillar candles and other misalliance items.

So needless to say my shops are looking kind of sad. I have been ordering a lot of supplies so that I can make new inventory for my shops and the 2 shows I have coming up in December.

The next couple of weeks I will be making new beads for jewelry , soaps and candles. While at the show I crocheted a bunch of pretty new wash cloths ,soap bags and bath puffs to pair with some soaps for nice gift sets. I also demoed polymer clay canes so I have a bunch to use for my new beads and to list in my shop for others to use.

Before I can start all the fun creating I need to clean up this messy house. My loving spouse is a "Spoiled Latino King" who's sweet Mom never made pick up after himself and he still does not. He's a great Hubby but damn he's spoiled of course after 21 years I ought to know better then to expect anything different. ( random rant over).

I am so excited to get the new oils I ordered so I can get started on the 20 lbs. of olive oil soap I am planning on making next week ; my curing racks will be jam packed with beautiful soaps. I ordered a bunch of fall and winter scents like Orange Spice , Zanzabar Clove, and Pumpkin Pound Cake. I'll also have some Shea butter soaps ready for listing next week and maybe a couple of bars of Pumpkin Spice Honey Soaps. I ordered 18 new scents so there will be loads of new wonderful smelling goodies going into my shop over the next few weeks.

I have a bunch of cool Christmas Ornaments in my gift shop and I am offering a 25% discount to my blog buddies. If you order them and put "blog buddy" in the notes to seller I will be happy refund the 25% to your pay pal account.

Well it's time to go mop the floors ............ OH JOY!

Branching out

2008-10-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking for some time now about starting an online craft supply shop and I am getting closer to that goal by starting to write a business plan.
There are so many options to consider................
1.] Do I want to hire someone to maintain a website for me or do I want to open it on Etsy?
[pro] Having my own website would be nice because I have complete control.
[con] I would have to start from ground zero with no traffic.
[pro] Etsy has a established crafting traffic. Fees are reasonable and website format is already there.
[con] Lots of competition.

2.] What kinds of supplies do I want to carry...... Specialize in one medium or carry a variety of mediums?

3.] If I had my own website would I offer tutorials for any of mediums carried?

4.] Financing....Small Business loan/grants, low interest loan, 0 interest credit card.

5.] storage of merchandise is no problem I have a huge room lined with shelves ready to go.

These are just a few of the ideas rolling around in my head. I have a huge folder filled with wholesalers and contacts and other specifics.

Dreams are great they keep me motivated..................

Welcome to the world!!

2008-09-25T07:05:00.001-07:00

I would like to introduce my new Granddaughter Alexis Cailyn McAmis she is one week old today. We are so happy to say she is healthy and very alert and seems to be good natured. She has such a serous little face.
Her big brother was not to excited about her but he is starting to warm up to her a little bit. He is only 2 and we have all made him the center of our worlds so it must be hard for him to share us with her.
My daughter in Law has had such easy labor and deliveries, I am so happy for her. She is a strong woman and has worked up until the day of delivery with both kids; wow. She is a very loving Mother. My Son will be crazy this first time she gets a call from a boy. He is a very protective Daddy.

Crazy for crystals

2008-09-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

I really like the sparkle of things made with crystal beads.

The watch is made with peacock and silver crystals they are very lively in the sunlight.

The black and white bracelet is made with jet and aurora clear crystals. This is a very bold elegant bracelet.

The last bracelet is a pairing of round amethyst gemstone beads and green/silver crystals . I think the purple and light greed beads goes well together.

I made a couple of pairs of crystal earrings yesterday. It was a sparkling day on my worktable.

I have been making a lot of new things because I am getting prepared for my first show of the season.

I will be at
The Rosedale Indiana Civic Center
October 10-20 2008
For the 51st annual
Parke County Covered Bridge Festival

So if you plan on being in Central Indiana come and see me......

This is a great 10 day festival that covers the whole county and is a great time with lots to see.

Saturday Night Sale

2008-09-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday night on Etsy a group of us have a Saturday Night Sale. Its a fun way to shop.
Here is my sale...

Http://GingerbellsBathShop.Etsy.com
Buy 3 bars get 1 FREE
It's a great way to get stocked up and combine shipping......

Http://GingerbellsGifts.Etsy.com
15% off any order over $20.00
I have a lot of new things in my shop that would be great for gifts.

It's a good time to start getting your Christmas shopping started, there are so many talented artists on Etsy waiting to be discovered.

Gift sets

2008-09-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

With the fall craft show season starting I have been adding a lot of new things to my inventory and one of the new things I have added are gift sets.
I have been making candle sets and some soap sets.
I enjoy crocheting but can't do big projects anymore because it makes my hand hurt so making these wash cloths and soap savor bags were a way to enjoying crocheting on a smaller scale.
I like the 100%cotton your for making wash cloths because the more they are washed the softer they get and they last a good ling time. I think these little sets will make good gifts and stocking stuffers they are inexpensive little luxuries.
The tan set is Gingermilk shea butter soap...I love this scent it is a warm rich scent
The green set is Bamboo Zen Tea Shea Butter scent.... Nice spa type scent
The pink set is Sweep Pea Shea butter Soap with a soap savor bag.....This is a BBW type scent.
I have also been making more bracelets. The beads I used in this one are so awesome in real life. I was surprised how much I love these beads together because they are not my usual color pallet. It tells me I need to work out side of my normal colors more often. I like this one so much I am making one for my personal collection.
I would be interested if people are interested in the gift sets.

Bead weaving with crystals

2008-09-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love sparkling crystals they are so pretty . I like using them in bracelets because as you move your wrist they catch the light in the facets.

I made these 3 bracelets yesterday with some beads I picked up at a bead show. I like them all but my favorite one is the blue green one the beads are so pretty with hints of pink and violet in the blue ones. The Blue and silver one is very pretty to and the photos don't do the beads justice. they look black but really they are a peacock iridescent iris blue.

I have big wrists so I make most of my bracelets to fit other plus size women, I know how hard it is to find pretty bracelets when you have big wrists. I am going to post these later today in my Etsy and Dawanda shops.

Candles are fun

2008-09-07T07:06:00.001-07:00

I have been enjoying making new candles and holders.
The rose one has a English Rose candle in it.
The tropical one has a White Tea and Ginger candle in it. Check out the cute little frog made by my friend Moe.
The purple candle is Victorian Vanilla scented.
The blue set is Fresh Linen scent.
I love being able to combine polymer clay with my other crafts.

I have 2 SALES in my shops
In the soap shop I am running a Buy 3 bars and get the 4th free. It's a good way to stock up.

In my gift shop I am running a BOGO
Buy 2 pieces from the Holiday section and get a third one free..
this sale runs through the 10th.

A fun family day!

2008-09-07T06:49:00.001-07:00

My Grandson Brenden is in love with trains. He has so many Thomas the Train things and they are some of his favorite things to play with. So we surprised his with a train trip.

My Daughter in law is ready to have our new Granddaughter any day so this was our last chance to give him a day that was all about him before his baby sister gets here.

We found a great railroad museum in French Lick Indiana which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from where we live. They have a bunch of old trains and they have a 20 mile trip on one of the old trains. Brenden was so excited to see all the real trains and was really happy when we told him we were going to ride it. He was having such a good time enjoying the ride he didn't even notice it was 2 hours long. He is only 2 years old and I can't believe how good he was. He was content to set in a seat with one of us and look out the window. We had a great day together.

Victorian Rose Candle Holder

2008-08-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

For some reason I have been enjoying Victorian things lately, I seem to like romantic things more as the days get shorter and cooler.

I made this little romantic Victorian Rose Candle Holder last night. I tried to make the roses look like they were just starting to dry and change their colors. I haven't decided yet if I am going to pour a candle in it or not before I list it. If I do it will be a great English rose scent I have. Maybe I will list it as is and offer to pour candle scent of customers choice ..

I like the size and shape of the glass it is only 3 1/2 inches high perfect for a votive candle.

The roses and leaves are made with polymer clay, I don't use paints on any of my polymer clay designs.

Insperation and and a blog feature

2008-08-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Where can you find inspiration, great polymer clay art ,adorable animal photos and a blog feature on my shop all in one place...That would be Artsy Clay's blog http://artsyclay.blogspot.com/ .

Her blog is well written and has a lot to offer a reader her photos are a lot of fun. She is also a wonderful polymer clay artist she makes the cutest sculpted cat faces as well as other lovely pieces that can be seen on her blog..

I am always touched when someone likes what I do because I get so much joy doing it and for someone to put that much effort into telling others about it is very touching to me and I really appreciate it.

She has reviewed several other shops and I found some new artists things to drool over so if you want to see some cool things check out her blog.

Cute little frogs

2008-08-22T11:23:00.001-07:00

I have a friend named Moe who lives in Hawaii she is so good at making tiny little things. Awhile back I asked her if she could make me some tiny frogs for a custom order. Well the customer changed her mind and decided she wanted lady bugs instead of frogs. So I got to keep the delicate little cuties Moe made for me.
I can make things but not anything as small as these frogs they are less then 1/2 inch and have tons of detail. She sent me several in different poses so I wanted to make something cute with them; they are cool little buggers.
So I made a little 3 1/2 x 5 frame on a 6x6 1/2 inch piece curved beveled glass. They are little tiny tropical Hawaiian frogs so I wanted to give them some tropical flowers to live on. All of the embellishments are made with polymer clay there isn't any paint on this project.
I hope Moe likes what I have done with her little froggies. I saved my 2 favorites for another project.

Blog Feature

2008-08-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

Today I was featured in a lovely bath product review blog http://thebathfairy.blogspot.com/ .
This is a well written and informative blog if you love bath and body. Check out her review if you have time and leave her a little comment to let her know what you think; I am sure she will appreciate it, I know I will.

Ho Ho Ho More Christmas Ornaments!

2008-08-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

So While the Grandson was napping this week I made these cool ornaments. He sleeps for about 2 hours so I was able to gets some work done.

I made the red and green one with Fimo Soft Effects clay. I like using it when making holiday items because the subtle glitter effect is very pretty with several coats of finish.

The others are made with Premo Pearl and Fimo Effects. I used my most favorite texture sheet to make these ornaments. I love snowflakes and I will be bummed when I finally wear it out.

I accented the snowflakes in the pearl ornaments with Swarovski Crystals. Each ornament has at least 21 crystals adorning it. I love the curve on each of the 6 panels on them.

My favorite is the blue and pearl one. I love blue and white pearl for the holidays it reminds me of winter.

I am going to post these over the next week or so in my Etsy shop. I am also going to be opening a second DaWanda shop and I will be adding these to it.

I am planning a busy week end. Jose went camping with our Son, our nephew and my Brother in Law. It will be a real testosterone weekend in the woods. So I am going to take advantage of the time by myself to get some creating done and I make take a break and do a little housework [probably not].

Making Christmas ornaments when it's 90 degrees outside..

2008-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

It can be hard to get in the mood for making Holiday items when it hot and humid outside; unless you live in Australia or any other country where it's summer during the holidays. So I have been cranking up the A.C. and watching Christmas movies while I work it's been fun.

These photos are some of the pieces I made Friday. They are boxes that are great for giving a special gift in and also make a great decoration. I made some last year that sold like crazy so I thought I would make some more this year; each one is different. I used glitter clay for the embellishment but unfortunately it doesn't photograph well.

Yesterday I worked on a new ornament design I am really happy with I am waiting for the finish to dry so I can take some photos of it. I am sure I will be making more today and I will post them when I am done.

I really enjoy making Christmas themed things. I buy ornaments all year around. When we go on vacations we always try to find a new ornament to remind us of our trip. Other then the ornaments we buy on vacation all of the others on my tree are hand made.

Well it's time to pop the White Christmas DVD in and get back to making some more holiday bling.

Love/Hate relationship

2008-07-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever made something that was so challenging that you had a love /hate relationship with it? Well that's the case with this necklace. I am glad I finished it because I like how it turned out.

The reason this was difficult is that I am a design as I go kind of creator instead of a pattern follower. Usually that works well for me but not this time. I redid the beading several times before I got it to a point where I could put it down.

The diamond shaped focal I made with polymer clay using one of the awesome canes I got in trade with Nat from Belgium and the seed beads I got at the Chicago bead show a couple of months ago.

I am working on some earrings to go will them and I have one done and it worked up so much quicker and easier the the pendant thank God.

I've been busy

2008-07-20T16:24:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted in a while because I have had a lot of things going on and I have been playing catch up.

This week end I officially opened another new web shop my URL is http://GingerbellsBathShop.Dawanda.com . Dawanda is a European based web mall much like Etsy in that it is for hand crafts. It has some nice features that Etsy doesn't that I like. For instance there is a section to make comments on individual items . I have often seen things on Etsy that I have wanted to tell the maker how much I liked it and why. I like that much better then the heart system on Etsy. I'll load a couple of items every day and see how it goes.

I have been back to work at my clay table this week end. I have been making a bead embroidered and polymer clay pendant that has been kicking my ass. I have been designing it as I go, at this point I don't know if I love it or hate it.... Tomorrow I will start on the 3 strand necklace I am making for it. With all the hours I have been putting into it I hope it comes out ok.

I haven't been able to work as much as I would like because of some problems with my back; some days are good and some are bad. I am learning to do what I can when I can. From what the Dr.s are saying is that I am going to need some rods put into my back to support my spine because it is deteriorating. Whoopee sounds like fun huh.

Well I am going to do what I can to help with the pain with out drugs. Step one is I have went back to Weight Watchers to see if I can get some of the lard off my butt and that will help. Also I am trying to find some way to strengthen the muscles in my back that support my spine. Maybe if I can make them stronger that will help relieve some of the pain. Who knows if these methods will work but I would like to try to do as much as I can with out surgery or to much drugs. We'll see what happens.

The new photos are 3 new soap scents...blushing jasmine-blue sugar-rice flower and shea.
Next are some cute little polymer clay bobby pins.
Last is a new bracelet.

Well it's almost time for Big Brother ....so I gotta go.

Look Who's 2

2008-07-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Well they sure do grow fast. Yesterday was Brenden's 2nd. birthday Ashley and Aaron had a nice BBQ to celebrate. There were about 25 of us there.

Right now Brenden's favorite thing is trains and he has been telling us he was having a Cho Cho Party and he wasn't kidding. 99% of his gifts were Thomas the Train items he even got Thomas underwear and tooth paste. He was thrilled.

You can see by the photo of him and his Grandpa by the time it was cake time he was pretty well partied out. So was Grandpa. It is so cool to be Grandparents.

Angela's visit

2008-07-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Our 17 year old niece Angela came to visit us for a week. She is a lovely young woman and we loved having her.
She lives in Chicago and is very much the city girl so it was quite the culture shock for her because we live in very rural Indiana. She was a good sport and even though she is not an out door girl she went hiking in the woods with Jose she also let him teach her target practice ax throwing with him. I took photos because none of her friend would believe she did it with out them.
We spent a lot of time in my studio making bracelets for her friends and making a sculpture for her Drama teacher. She is a very creative girl we have a lot in common.
Another thing we did was go to The Newport Aquarium in Newport Kentucky, I am posting some of the cool photos we took.
I hope she enjoyed her visit as much as we did.......

My blog needs some love

2008-06-29T13:01:00.001-07:00

Well things have been busy in the Casa De Gonzalez lately and my blog has been really neglected. So I thought I would give my blog a little love and do a show and tell.
I did a trade with Nat of http://Natsbears.etsy.com she makes the most beautiful kaleidoscope canes and she loves my hand cream and I love her canes so we traded. I have been making some very pretty beads with her canes. yesterday I used some of the beads to make the watch and bracelet you see on my blog page. I will be showing you more of the things I am making with her lovely canes I have 7 different cane designs to work with. so if you are looking for some beautiful canes to use in your polymer clay creations I highly recommend this Belgium artist. She makes cool cane and she's a very nice person as well.
I made this awesome honey soap last night and I love it the combination of the honey and the orange/ vanilla scent is so yummy I am keeping 2 bars of it for myself. I used some of it this morning and I really enjoyed the scent and the rich lather. I like that it is sls and detergent free making it super nourishing for my skin.

Busy weekend

2008-06-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be busy. I will be set up for three days for a local festival. I am setting up this afternoon. I am so glad my space is inside because it is so hot outside and I am sure my products and myself would melt.

I REALLY REALLY dislike hot weather. I grew up in Washington state and I think that might have something to do with my inability to tolerate heat and humidity. Back home we never had air conditioning and here it is a must making summer not to fun. I really think it's the humidity that is what makes me miserable because when we go to Mexico it's hot but not humid and I am not as uncomfortable.

I will be taking my laptop and camera with me so I will be able to post some photos of the show.

So if you are around Rosedale Indiana please come and say Hi to me at the Rosedale Strawberry Festival.

New candles

2008-05-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Well I just love the look of the palm wax that I made these candles with. It is the coolest wax it is clean and long burning. The finish looks like the candles are covered with crystal snowflakes. Beautiful finish that the photos just can't show.

I always feel a need to pretty up paraffin wax pillars because they just look plain to me and the finish on them is so slick looking. But with this palm wax the finish is so interesting the simple shapes enhance the pattern so no further embellishment is needed.

I have started listing these in my bath shop today. I will be doing gift sets mostly I think; I haven't really decided. I have 8 different sets ready to list right now in some lovely scents. The photos are just a few of the sets I have finished.

I just love making things that smell good............Hum looks like I was leaning little to much when I took photo # 3. I will have to retake that one.... { Note to self}, Wine and photo taking don't mix

These are to pretty to use

2008-05-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

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I love making pretty soaps almost as much as I enjoy using them. I like this new style I made last night. These are a little more labor intensive carving the flowers and applying them on to the soaps for a 3D look but I enjoyed doing it. The drips are a little messier then I like but I can live with that. And to top it off they smell divine.

As much as I love using them I am often told at shows that my soaps are way to pretty to use and often the best sellers are the pretty but less fancy bars. I always tell people as pretty as they look they are even better to use. I am on a mission to get people to pamper them selves and use the pretty soap, tee hee hee.

I have been making some really pretty palm wax candles the last couple of days. Palm wax is a cool wax when it hardens it makes a beautiful crystal like star burst pattern on the surface of the candle. I really like them each one looks different and special. yesterday I made cinnamon scented and today I have been making sweet pea scented. I will post photos in a later post.

Please don't eat the soap!

2008-05-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

I love the little pastel cakes at the bakery and since I am on a diet I shouldn't have them. That doesn't mean I can't have them if they are made out of soap.
So I made these big 6 oz. soap cakes they smell awesome. I like the new scents too.....
Almond Pastry Oatmeal Soap
Pink Sugar Shea Butter Soap
Pomegranate Shea Butter Soap
Blue Hyacinth She Butter Soap.
I have several other new scents in my soap shop to check out.

I will be adding Palm Wax Candles to my shop in about 2 weeks. I really like these vegan candles and have enjoyed testing them over the last couple of weeks. I love the testing part of my craft....

I love my new soap mold

2008-05-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

I bought a new soap mold that I just love. It's not a fancy shape its a classic beveled oval what I love about it is how much easier it is to use then my other molds. It is made of a really high quality silicone the soap slips right out. Also because it is so heavy weight it doesn't warp like the hard plastic molds so it makes a lovely smooth bar of soap. The beautiful shape makes a wonderful base shape for embellishment and fits perfectly in the hand.

The soap in the photos are simple looking but the look really fits the awesome Strawberries and Cream scent. This soap smells like the yummy strawberry cream savors candy. I am not a big fan of food smelling soaps but I have to say this one makes me crave strawberries. YUMMO!

I have been testing a lot of different M&P soap bases lately to add to my cold process soaps. I wanted a base with high quality ingredients like the ones in my CP soaps. After a lot of trial and error I am happy with the one I have chosen and I think my customers will like it too. I know my soap testers are giving it rave reviews. I love testing soaps it's good clean fun(ha ha).

I have several new scents that I am testing too. The next new soap I will be adding is a Blackberry Sage blend Shea butter soap; I really like this fresh scent. I also will be adding some new herbal bath tea blends and milk and salt soaks too. I just got a big shipment of excellent organic herbs to blend into these bath luxuries.

Craft show

2008-05-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday's craft show went really well the weather couldn't have been better for an out side show; it was sunny and in the low 70's with a very slight breeze. I was able to keep all the sides up on my tent and enjoy the beautiful day and all of the people.

Attendance was awesome and sales were very good.

After the show we packed up and went to my Son and Daughter in laws house for dinner. My Son cooked me a very nice Mother's Day dinner and my Grandson Brenden gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was so sweet he is almost 2 and he brought the flowers to me and the bouquet was almost as big as him. He gave them to me and said "here Mamaw" I could have cried he was so sweet. We had a very nice evening together that topped off a lovely day.

Life is good..........

Wabash Valley Herb Faire 2008

2008-05-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is a fun little festival that happens in our town every Mothers Day. It is a Herb and art themed festival on the Wabash River.

This will be the second time I have done this festival. The first time I sold very well and picked up a boutique spot for about a year that was profitable. I had to skip it last year because my tent top needed fixed.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather stays nice and I can keep my tent sides up and enjoy the crowd.

I have one more festival scheduled for the first weekend in June them I am done with festivals until the fall.

I have been having fun making bath soaks today. I made a nice peppermint/ chamomile salt foot soak that is great for tired feet. I also made a English rose milk and oatmeal soak. It is so nice for softening your skin and smells good too. I really enjoy making and using them. I think I am going to go use one of the foot soaks right now for my tired toes.

Grand Opening

2008-04-26T16:35:00.001-07:00

Well Now I have really gone over the deep end and opened a second shop dedacated to bath and body items and candles. It is http://gingerbellsbathshop.etsy.com check it out and feel free to tell me what you think.

I decided to open a second shop to showcase all the personal care items I love to use and make. I will still be carrying some in my main shop but as they sell I will phase them out of that shop.

Every day for a while I will be adding new items that are exclusive to the bath shop. Things like herbal tub teas, milk and soothing salt soaks, foot bath soaks and lip balm just to name a few items.

Right now my house smells awesome I just made some beautiful Chai tea milk bath and sealed it up in giant tea bags for the tub.

Hopefully separating my shops will help me on my quest to become more organized when it comes to my least favorite part of my craft journey; the business side. So dear reader please wish me luck.

Bead show projects

2008-04-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

I played a little with some of the beads I got at the bead show.

I made the bracelet and earrings with the earth toned jasper beads. I free form wire wrapped each bead with sterling silver wire. Each bead has it's own look.

I hope you enjoy them. I am going to list them in my Etsy shop because the bracelet is a little snug on my fat wrist. I think I will make a similar set for my self using some of the teardrop shaped turquoise beads. I think the beads will go great with silver wire.

BOGO in my shop

2008-04-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested I am having a
BOGO SALE in my Etsy Shop!
Buy 3 bars of soap and get a 4th. bar free!
I have a lot of new soaps I have added and will be adding more this week as they dry. Feel free to mix and match your scents and soap types.

Chicago Bead Show

2008-04-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well I had a great time at the bead show this past week end. I saw so many beautiful beads it was hard to choose. I decided to concentrate on gemstones because they seemed to be the best value at this show.

I am posting some photos of the ones I like best of the gem stones I bought. I love the tear dropped shaped ones. I made a wire wrapped bracelet and a pair of earrings from some of the earth toned ones I will post the photos of the set I made tomorrow.

I was good about not spending to much at the show and for the most part I was good but I did make one splurge. I bought a pair of hand made dolphin shaped beads they are beautiful. They are made in blue tones with dicroic glass accents. They were really expensive but I had to have them. I think they will make a beautiful pair of earrings. I will post them with the jewelry I made today.

This weekend

2008-04-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

This week end is our wedding anniversary and our nephew Leonardo's birthday so we are taking a trip to Chicago. It will be a busy weekend.

We are going to drive up Friday late afternoon. We will be going to a coin show Saturday morning then in the afternoon we are going to a big family party at Jose's sister Martha's house. The Gonzalez family parties are always fun ; lots of laughing and food and we all play games together. The youngest person there will be my Grandson who is 20 months and the oldest will be my Father in law who just turned 86.

On Sunday we are going to a bead show at the Highland Park Art Center[yippee I am stoked]. Then we are going to take a drive around the lake to the in laws and spend the night visiting with them. On Monday morning we will be doing a little shopping at the Mexican stores in Jose's old neighborhood. We can't find a lot of the things he likes in poduck where we live so we always stock up when we come to the city. After shopping we will begin the 4 hour drive home with a lot of good memories and some fresh tamales...

We pay our house sitter with tamales :o) .....

Polymer clay cane swap

2008-04-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

I belong to a awesome group of polymer clay- aholics at Polymer Clay Central. Polymer Clay Central is kind of like my online guild. It is filled with wonderful caring and sharing artists.

One of the cool things we do there is swapping. Last month Linda Weeks hosted a geometric cane swap. I joined one group I sent in 4 canes that I made and Linda sent me back 4 canes from other artists . It's always fun to open the box when the swap items come back because "it's like a box of chocolates.. you never know what you are gonna get." { sorry Forrest Gump I couldn't resist}

I got some lovely canes in return all of them are in colors that I never use so I was excited to be challenged to work outside of my color comfort zone. I am finding that I like working out of my color box and I would like to share the first item I made using one of my swap canes.

I believe the person who made the cane is Nancy Welch, I apologize if I have the name wrong the writing on the wrap was smudged. It is a beautiful Kaleidoscope cane made in golds greens and brown.

I used the cane to make inlays for a the gold bracelet in the photos. The pattern in her cane is so delicate and detailed she did a very nice job. Thank you Nancy..

I would like to thank Linda Weeks she was a wonderful swap host and I would recommend any one to join a swap hosted by her