Owls... before and after

                                                         Much better, huh?

Confession... I used to hate owls. I thought they were really ugly and WAY outdated. Now I love them! Turqouise paints helps a lot though.

       Kinda cute.                                         REALLY cute.

I can't find his before picture. I know it's somewhere on my computer. Just picture a dull metal owl and that's the before. Isn't he cute now?


I love OWLS!


I'll be listing these in my  etsy shop  soon. It's been closed for a long time. I used to sell my jewelry, but jewelry is on the back burner for now. My new favorite thing is PAINT!! And OWLS :O)

My latest Thrifty Finds!

Lotsa good thrifty stuff!

Some of it is already painted. If I have time I'll try to post some before and after pics this week. I'm having so much fun painting this stuff. Vintage... old and worn out... sometimes ugly stuff... all prettied up with a little paint :)

Antique Garden Charms

Well, I guess it helps to network if you have a small jewelry business. I've been making jewelry for about 5 years now and adding new creations as I've gone along. Besides making jewelry I decorate antique bottles, make gypsy windchimes, mixed media pieces, needlework and my newest creation is garden charms.

When I was at antique alley last weekend I started talking to a woman in a booth where I bought an antique chandelier prism. I was telling her I was buying the prism to replace one that had been broken on one of my garden charms. She asked me what a garden charm was. I explained the best I could and she asked to see them. The next day I went back with a bag of my garden charms. She really liked my vintage-looking garden charms and commissioned me to make several of them for her to sell at flea markets. She gave me all the antique chandelier prisms she had and told me to use them to make as many charms as I could. Woo-hoo! I felt like a REAL small business owner! I've FINALLY realized how important networking is and that it's not so hard. I think sometimes us creative people who make things just don't consider ourselves legitimate businesses... at least I don't. I'm trying to change my frame of mind when it comes to my business.... first of all, that I actually do have a business. After this week I will now have my creations in two businesses (maybe more since one of the business owners said he knew more people that might be interested in my stuff.) Now I just need to get out there and show my stuff.

Does anyone else have the problem of marketing your creations? I'm really trying to overcome my fear of ... rejection? It's hard to create something and have someone not interested in it, but really... so what? I need to remember that there are plenty of people who like my stuff and are interested in buying it. I'm going to put myself out there this week and see what happens!

These are the pieces I was given to "create" with.

and...

here are some vintage garden charms I created....

I loved making these! I made nine of them in just a few hours.

Hope everyone has a wonderful, creative week~

*Jewels*

I've been sick for a week and haven't felt much like being on the computer~ to look at blogs or write on mine... so....

Here are a few jewels to look at....

Vintage Love Bottle~

{In honor of Valentine's Day I will be posting "love" pictures until Feb. 14}

This is an old bottle that I altered.... i *heart* it

*Garden Charms*

I've been creating these "things" and wasn't sure what to call them. When I talked about them to my husband I called them "hangy thingys" (not a great name) .... He came up with a few ideas for names that were completely ridiculous (he meant to be ridiculous) so yesterday I was thinking about what to call them and I came up with *garden charms*. I'm still not completely satisfied with that, but it's the best I can do. (If anyone has suggestions please leave a comment!!) I had to call them something because I plan to make some more and take them to a couple of nurseries around town to see if they can sell them for me. I think they'll sell. At least my friend, Julie, said she thought they would... but she's my friend so maybe she's a little biased.

Anyway.... I think they would be cute hanging from a tree, from a porch, in a window, maybe even as a fan pull.... the possibilities are endless! Okay, maybe not endless.

I just love them and enjoy making them. I want to keep about half of them for myself, but I'm not :O)

{Getting a good picture of the charms hanging was not going well. Some things are just difficult to photograph. I decided to take a close up shot too for more detail}

{The backdrop for the "hanging" pictures is my front door... it's shabby chic}

{hey.. wait a minute... let me see if I can find a picture of my front door... I know I have one somewhere in my files...}

..............found it!

hIpPiE* cOwGiRL & Vintage~

hIpPiE*cOwGiRL bracelet #3

I'm starting a new line of jewelry called ... hIpPiE*cOwGiRL

A little bit of hippie and a little bit of cowgirl.

This is my 3rd bracelet and I just love them! I'm so excited to make some more, but it seems I'm out of supplies. I hate it when that happens!

I've been spending a lot of time on the computer looking at blogs and there are so many creative women out there... I'm so inspired! In fact, I stayed up till 1:30 this morning and made three necklaces with vintage jewelry. I LOVE them all!! Of course, my camera battery is dead so no pictures today. I'll post some soon...

Also, today, while killing time in town waiting on my girls I visited an antique mall. It's been awhile since I've been in so I decided to go see if I could find some vintage jewelry goodies to use in my new necklaces. I found a few things that I might buy later. I started talking to the guy working there and inquired about booth costs. I told him I made jewelry and it just so happens that they had an empty jewelry display at the front of the store right beside the cash register for $30. a month!!!! It was a sign from the heavens!! No contracts and the store takes 5% which covers taxes and credit card fees. I took the guys card to think about it overnight... well.. I've thought about it and I'm SO going back tomorrow and reserving it! I may even put some things in it tomorrow!!! I'm so excited... I may not be able to sleep tonight...