Focus on Life, Week 6 - Feel the Love

This is Samis (white with yellow) and Zelda (gray brindle)...Ben's 2 guinea pigs.  We got them in August, around his birthday.  They are great friends.  They are always snuggled up close in their cage...they love getting underneath the fleecy blanket  and hanging in a little curled-up heap.  Of course, when I went to take the photo, they separated  and played all stand-off'ish.

We named them after 2 of Ben's favorite female video heroines...Samis is a warrior soldier in the Metroid series, and Zelda is the goddess/princess in the Legend of Zelda series.

Wait, what?  Uh, oh...it seems Zelda needs a new name...maybe Mr. Zelda!  Turns out little Samis is going to be a mommy.  Didn't see that one coming.  I mean, really, we didn't see it.  They were sold as 2 females and I double checked.  Even after I realized that Samis was with piglet.  Mr. Zelda is one sneaky pig!

Focus on Life...Week 5 - Capture our Hearts

I cheated with this one, it is from this past summer at the beach!

Ben posing with his "heart hands"

Left over from an old Valentine that J tacked to an old mirror in the garage!

A stash of rhodochrosite and pink opal hearts I remembered I have...as well as some muscovite squares.

Wordless Wednesday...My 2 Loves!

September already...

Wow...time sure does fly...the last week has gone by in a blur!  My son started middle school, then Thursday, he had the audacity to turn 11! Imagine that!

Here he is with his cake...don't laugh at my decorating "skilz"...at least it is not a Wreck!  He always asks for lemon!

Then it was Labor Day weekend, and my birthday (I'm proudly 54), and now I am back at my 9-5 (blah)!


The cool thing is, in just a couple of weeks, ArtBliss is here!  Sadly, the class I was going to take with Diane Cook had to be cancelled, but I replaced it with Stacie Florer's Ranch Hand Earring class...I was already signed up for her Heavy Metal bead class.  I can't wait to see all my buddies I know will be there!!

Oh, it is my day over on Earrings Everyday...go check out Sea Flowers.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope your September is a great one!

Middle School Blues

How did this boy...

turn into this boy...

seemingly overnight!!!  He is off to middle school today, riding the bus for the 1st time.  He will turn eleven on Thursday. He is holding a set of bells - his 1st middle school band percussion instrument.  He was happy not to have to lug his snare drum yet. You can see he is a bit embarrassed because the other boys at the bus stop were watching his proud Mom take his picture!

We got guinea pigs on Saturday...Ben has been wanting a pet so bad!  We got 2, so they would be friends and keep each other company!  They are sweet little girls, named Zelda and Samis, after favorite video game heroines.

Sorry for the blurry pictures...they wouldn't keep still!

Happy Monday!!

Happy Memorial Day!

What Memorial Day is all about...these are shots from year's past, but they mean the same!  Thank you to all who serve our country...past, present, future.

All My Mothers...

No, this is not a spin-off, soap opera!  I just thought it would be nice on Mother's Day to say thank you and honor those who I look to in a motherly way, not just my wonderful Mother, Hazel, who I love, miss, and think of, every single day.

Hazel was 41 when I was born...I was the last of 5 kids.  There were 5 years between my sister Susan and I, and as the baby of the family, everyone can attest that I was spoiled rotten! She passed on after a massive stroke in 1999, a few months after I married Jesse.  I went home  to be with her, but I never saw her in a conscious state before she passed away.  I remember my last phone conversation with her was to call and ask how to fix pork chops with gravy!  I am so happy to have the memory of her being at my wedding, just a few months before she died.

At our wedding in June, 1999...Jesse, his Mom Venus, me, my Mom Hazel

My Mother-In-Law, Venus is a sweet, sweet soul...I never speak to her on the phone without her saying  in her quiet, Filipino accent, "Hello, darling...I love you!"  Thank you, Mom, for taking in a wayward daughter and making her your own, and for raising my Jesse to be the wonderful man, husband and father he is today.

My other Mamas are my sisters Judy, Rachel and Susan.  I don't get to see them often, as they all live in Alabama, and I am pretty lazy about calling them, but I hope they know how much I love them and appreciate all they have done for me in my life!

My sister Rachel, nephew Elam, sister Susan, sister Judy, her husband Val in front

Hope all you Mothers out there had a very happy Mother's Day yesterday!  I did - was surprised with beautiful flowers, beautiful cards, a sweet sterling necklace, and some pretty crystal pieces - a new clock and a vase!  All that, plus dinner at Macaroni Grill!  I love my boys!!

I love handmade, but will never turn down Tiffany's!

Have a great Monday!

Flowers n' stuff...

...a few new blooms that I love!  My irises were a bit iffy this year, since last fall I had a big iris borer problem so I had to dig up rhizomes, cut off infected parts and replant.  I'm scared some of my special hybrid colors are not coming back, but you can't go wrong with old fashioned purples!  The big solid purple ones are heirlooms from my Momma's backyard....I can't look at them without thinking of her :)  The pink clematis is also a favorite!

This shot is from Ben's first Boy Scout meeting...they had their own bridge ceremony.  I like his face in this photo...he looks like he is has a secret!

These are patterned copper (thanks Keirsten, for tips!), embellished with stacked dapped and enameled disks...totally an experiment, and all mine, since they are not weighted right and therefore hang askew, plus the errant blob of white enamel.  I like the idea, though, so will be playing around with more!

Just a few rambling thoughts for Monday...I have loads of things to do around the house and garden, plus a couple of deadlines for custom work and Sally Russick's One Crayon Color Challenge...color me green, and it is my day on Thursday for Earrings Everyday, so check back in!

What about you?  What is on your agenda for the week?

Arrow of Light

From this 6 year old Tiger Cub....

to a big 10 year old Boy Scout!!!

His den leader has been a part of his life from Tiger all the way into Boy Scouts...I knew I would be creating something special for her...she sees the "special" in Ben and has been in his corner from the beginning.   I thought she deserved a unique tribute.

This is a copper disk that I flooded with solder. I found a simple fleur-de-lis pattern that I printed and cut out...After tracing it onto copper sheet, I cut it out and filed, sanded, and sanded  some more.  I texturized and stamped it into a rustic shape and embedded it into the soldered disc.  After embellishing it with a bezel-set lapis cabochon, I hung it from sterling chain.  She loved it!

I am so lucky and blessed to have had her in Ben's life during Cub Scouts, and now doubly blessed to know that she is going forward with him in Boy Scouts!  Thank you Janice...we love you!!

Spring Fever Ramblings

Having a 9-5 job when Spring decides to flirt with your senses is totally unfair!  Granted, it has been  a very mild winter here in Maryland, I am so ready for warmer weather, green grass, and flowers!  The spring-like temps yesterday and today have me unfocused on my admin work and chomping at the bit to go and dig in some dirt!

Unfortunately, I have suffered with an off and on headache over the last 3-4 days...just when I think it is gone, it's knuckles tap me on the side of the head again..."I'm baacckkk"!

My day on Earrings Everyday....Confetti!

Here are a couple more pairs of earrings I created a while back featuring my new love of  bezel cups...

Handwrought copper  disks with faceted blue chalcedony; lampwork by SueBeads

Sterling disks with tiny turquoise cabs;  Picasso finish Czech glass drops

Have been working on some custom orders...including a silent auction piece for one of my co-worker's Breast Cancer fundraiser and a special gift for my son's Scout leader...she has been his den leader all the way through Cubs, and will continue into Boy Scouts.  Hope to have photos of these to show soon!

Speaking of Scouts, B crosses the bridge on Saturday!  Will take lots of photos!

Oh, I almost forgot...I am still going to have a giveaway based on my Bead Soup leftovers...will get a post up soon, I promise!

Hope you are all enjoying the spring-like weather and aren't stuck inside at your desk!

Leap Day Random

Wow, time has flown...I really can't believe it is the end of February already!  I feel like I have been really, really busy for the past couple months, but don't really feel like I have accomplished anything that I wanted to accomplish...sort of like the hamster in the wheel...running, running, running, but not actually getting anywhere. Now, here it is Leap Day...an extra day in February to start/do/finish things before March!

A necklace I actually started and finished in February, featuring a HumbleBeads polymer leaf pendant.

This resin-filled bezel was created as part of Deryn Mentock' s Towers an Turrets class (last year!) - just finished the necklace with copper, Czech glass and an unknown stone!

Went last week with B to visit his new middle school for next year, and got the lowdown on classes he is expected to take and electives, etc...he is a bit disappointed he can only take 1 elective...so will have to choose between band and art. His Dad and I (musicians that we are) are pushing band, especially since we went ahead and bought the drum he has been taking lessons on for the last year and a half, but he is really good in art as well.

Have been procrastinating (surprised?) about working on my bead soup pieces, but will be ready to reveal my creations this Saturday, March 3rd, right here...so stayed tuned, my friends!  Psst, there might even be a giveaway involved!

Also on this Saturday, I will be at the Frederick Artists Market, located at 15 North Market Street, from 5-9pm.  This will be the last market until October, so if you are in the area, stop by and say hello!

Oh, I just acquired a new domain and will be unveiling a new website soon...more on that later!