Insipired by others...

Well, Carey and I have been working together on a new style of bead. Ann and I know what we like and so I know I can always go in Carey's direction to ask for favors! You'll have to swing by over at Sassy Stoppers to see what I'm talking about! It's a joint effort and REALLY COOL!! Click here to see: http://sassystoppers.blogspot.com/2008/06/inspired-by-others.html

Have a great day!

Custom Order

I just love Carey's cones! These are one of my favorite designs. This pair is a custom order, however, if you would like your own pair, just send me an email!

Blue Glass cones, wire wrapped under Bali Bead Caps, accented by genuine Tourmaline donuts and briolettes, with Erinite, Indian Sapphire and Crystal AB Swarovski Crystals and a drop leaf charm.

Carey, I tried to take a good picture of these cones beacuse I'm going to want a couple more sets just like this, ok? ha ha

Don't forget...the 10% off sale ends tomorrow! Lots of new goodies up in the store...so go check them out! http://www.mjmjewelrydesigns.etsy.com/ and http://www.klphotography.etsy.com/
Enjoy your Saturday!

Finally, some new jewelry!

There is an overcast sky today, no showers as of yet, but definitely NO sunshine. You can tell by the photographs, since there is the lack of that "punch" of brightness that usually showcases the Boro glass. But these will have to do for now. I took advantage of the fact that the kids were playing inside today and I held myself hostage in my office! I was not leaving until I completed at least one piece...that's right! No potty breaks, no food, no phone until one piece was done. And guess what? I did 4! Yay! Here is a preview, and they will all be listed over on Etsy once I finish posting here. Did I promise you summertime jewels? Well, I always try to deliver on my promises.

The first is a Sassy Ring bracelet featuring three blue glass bead rings accented by hammered silver rings and a hammered silver clasp. So great with Jeans!

Next, is a bunch of awesome beads made by Catherine Ondrey of Max n Me beads. This is another talented glass artist that I frequently buy from, however, I hoard her beads in my secret stash for my fat self! ha ha Alas, I am sharing this set and I have a couple others that I ordered duplicates of, so I don't feel left out! :) The bracelet took me hours to create! I have strung the beautiful glass beads on heavy duty Beadalon wire due to the weight. I've accented these beads with charms made from Swarovski Crystals in Fuscia, Rose, Light Rose, Fire Opal and Hyacinth. There are silver round beads and also Freshwater Pearls in a beautiful lavender color. It's finished with a floral toggle clasp, and the earrings are made to match making the perfect set!

And finally, there is the unique but so cool glass flip flop! I have strung this on an olive color cotton cord which I wrapped with Swarovski Crystal thread. It's closed with a lobster claw clasp and is definitely summery and will be a lot of fun to wear!

Head on over to Etsy to check them out in their full glory and check back tomorrow, hopefully for more items!

On an earring kick!

Since time has been limited lately, I took today to photograph some of my new earring designs. They have all been listed in my Etsy store as well! For more detailed descriptions of each design, please click HERE to be taken to Etsy. Got in some more beautiful RINGS from Carey at Sassy Stoppers so I'll be putting together some bracelets to list - maybe tomorrow. Enjoy these for now and have a great night!

New Workout Plan!

Ok, I've discovered a new workout plan, it's called Schools out for the summer! Holy Crap! Where the heck do these kids get their energy? If I could bottle it, I'd make millions! Anyway, I did manage to make a pair of earrings that were a custom order and I made the pair that my daughter has been bugging me for. The first has pretty little charms hanging beneath a handmade coil, these were made to match my Peacock Feathers Bangle Bracelet, and they make the perfect set! The Orange Disk earrings are Meghan's, they are her favorite color! The disks were made by Carey of Sassy Stoppers and they are so lightweight and comfortable to wear. I use them a lot in my designs. I thought I would post them both here so you can see, as either style can be custom ordered. We're getting some things done today, and I left all my beads out in hopes that I can create later on today! Please check back and have a great day!

Summer SALE!

Ok, so I read over the weekend that it was the Summer Solstice, so it was the perfect weekend for a sale! I'm in a giving mood, so let's just call it a Summer Sale! I'll be offering 10% off your purchases through this weekend! I hope that you will take advantage of all the great items I have added to my store.

To leave you in that start of summer mood, here is my favorite photograph from Sanibel Island, it's called "Beside the Seaside". You can also purchase prints in my Photography store http://www.klphotography.etsy.com/

I will be adding more items to the stores throughout the week so keep checking back! Have a great day!

Sunday Sale too!

Adding Sunday to the sale. There's still time to shop! 10% off your purchases today! Have fun!

SURPRISE!

I think I am going to hold a "Surprise" Saturday Sale! I don't know how many people are actually out there reading on the weekends but if you are and you have your eye on something at my Etsy store, then head on over and take 10% off your purchase today! I know there are a lot of people out there looking for a graduation gift or a birthday gift or even just a treat for yourself. Why not try a one of a kind piece from MJM Jewelry Designs! Enough talk now go SHOPPING! Have a great Saturday!

Long Summer Ahead...

Ok, I'm tired of this already! ha ha I need to sit down and make some jewelry, but Meghan being out of school for only two days has proved to be more distracting than I thought! Entertaining the two little ones throughout the day is usually ok, they pretty much play together and have fun. But Meghan is 9... need I say more? She's already BORED! God help me!

Yesterday I took my grandmother for a haircut and while she was getting beautified I took the kids to target to look around (mind you I had 3 hours to kill). We found a Pet Vet PC game for Meghan's computer that she has been playing since we came home yesterday. She would like to be a veterinarian when she gets older. Jack got a Dinosaur game last week and that has been keeping him occupied. Then we went to Toys R Us and went on the hunt for things to add to their birthday lists (September). They found a couple bikes, an I Dog and some art supplies. Matt played with all the Diego toys (his birthday is in a few weeks) and I added those to his list. So we are well on our way to their birthday lists being completed. But I needed something to take home to entertain them in the backyard since our pool is now gone. So we went to the sporting goods aisle and bought a soccer ball and goal! YEAH! How fun! That's going out today and OUT of the house they will be! We have 4 days of sporadic rain headed our way so they will be cooped up, hopefully playing their computer games.

But that may give me time to create, so please check back!! Have a great day!

School's Out for the Summer!

Well, she did it! Meghan made it through the 4th grade! We went to her awards ceremony this morning at the school and Meghan is graduating to 5th grade with HONORS! Great Job Meg! She got all A's and B's on her report card and we could not be happier! I'm so proud of my little angel. Please check back, as I finally have some time to sit and create this week! Have a great evening!

Happy Father's Day!

Well today is Father's Day! I am going to my parents house for a cookout and to spend the day with the "Fodder's", as my 3 year old Jack calls them! The kids and I gave Clay his present earlier (like a week ago) - it's a beautiful copper garden sprinkler, but we have not yet given my dad his gift. My sister's family and ours chipped in on it, but I can't say what it is, because my dad DOES read my blog and I don't want to give it away! You can tell he was just thrilled that I was taking his picture, because I think he had better things to do, but the scenery was nice and he was wearing his favorite shirt and at the time we were planning his 60th birthday party and I was trying to get a good shot for his invitations. Needless to say, we went in a different direction with that but I like this picture anyway!

On the jewelry front, I have been overwhelmed with idea's for new pieces and I'm planning on sitting next week to try to work some of them out so please check back! I hope you all have a great Sunday, and happy Father's Day to my hubby, and especially to my daddy!

A slow week...

Well, this has been a slow week for me, with it being Meghan's wind up of school (next Tuesday). But with her being home to lend a helping hand and play with the boys I'll be sure to get some jewelry made!!

I just had an AWESOME idea for a new piece. I am doing a wedding in July and the bride may have me design jewelry for her bridesmaids also. It's a beach wedding so she is looking for starfish necklaces. I made a beautiful necklace, with Moonfairy Glass beads called Caribbean Sunset, last year while vacationing in Rhode island (pictured above, I put it on Meghan to get a better shot) and I just had a thought for a new style on Sterling Wire, with some freshwater pearls and a Hill Tribe Silver Starfish! I'm going to try to get one made later so I can work this idea out in materials and I'll post it asap!

For now, I am off to get Meg at school. We gave her teacher an end of the year gift, made by Lisa's Pieces. It's a sterling pendant on a steel choker, and I had the word "Inspire" inscribed on it because that is exactly what I found to be the perfect word to describe what Meghan was this year... Inspired! She is reading a lot more and doing much better in Math, so Mrs. Prentiss... a HUGE thank you to you! I hope you will continue to inspire children!

More to come later! Please check back!

Cool Down

Ah, to be a kid again! I let my kids run through the sprinkler last night to cool down enough to relax before bed. Here's a couple of photo's of them loving every minute of it!

I have also included a photo of Carey's (Sassy Stoppers) bracelet! She is off in Costa Rica right now, but had ordered this bracelet before she left! I hope to get it shipped out by tomorrow so that it will be waiting for her when she gets back. It is made with her own beautiful glass rings which she sent to me and I made them into this bracelet with hammered silver circles and a Bali toggle clasp! It's so pretty and comfortable to wear and these are available by custom order! If anyone is interested please let me know and Carey and I can work together to get your color choice made in the glass and then your bracelet made to fit!

I'm so glad the humidity has left us and now we have a breezy, lovely day ahead! I have all the windows open in the house and it feels great! Enjoy the day!

(Your love is like a) HEAT WAVE!

I have been singing that song all day long today! It's official, we are in the midst of our first heat wave of the season, and MAN is it HOT! I am waiting to pick up Meghan from school, there is early dismissal again today due to the extreme heat. I'm so glad, those poor kids are going to sweat to death in their classrooms! Anyway, with the heat, I am taking it easy and trying to lay low. I put up a few more things on Etsy yesterday, and hope to sit down by the end of the weekend and create again. I'll leave you with this photo today! This is the closest I can get to a bumble bee... I'm scared to death of them but I made an attempt! :) I just love the fact that you can see his little wings swirling around!

Hope you are all staying cool! It's a good day to stay inside and shop online, so check out the store:

http://www.mjmjewelrydesigns.etsy.com/

and I'll check back in later!

New Pieces Up!

Here is a picture that Emily of Boutique Girl Gifts sent to me from the show yesterday! Isn't Ann Marie cute?? Ha ha, don't kill me Ann, you just happened to be in the right place at the right time! Thanks Emily!

I have listed 8 new pieces in the store today so head on over to http://www.mjmjewelrydesigns.etsy.com/ to check them out! I had to shut the computer down for a couple of hours this afternoon when those wild storms came through, the lightning was almost blinding! (I actually even unplugged it, for fear that it would somehow fry my hard drive!) I hope you are all staying cool in this heat! Have a great night and I'll be listing again tomorrow!

Thank you!

A big thank you to all who came out to the Jewelry Spectacular today, even in this heat! Boy was it hot out, glad we were inside. The show was so much fun and I met a whole bunch of great people! Looking forward to the next one, whenever that may be. Tomorrow I will be spending the day listing items up on Etsy so be sure to check back and then swing on over to my store www.mjmjewelrydesigns.etsy.com for all kinds of goodies! Hope you have a great night!

Just a Reminder...

The Jewelry Spectacular is TOMORROW, Saturday June 7 at the Holiday Inn in North Haven from 10am - 4pm! Free Jewelry for the first 200 people!

Please come by to say hello!

http://www.freewebs.com/jewelryspectacular/

Down to 4!

So I'm super slacking in the jewelry making department, however, there is a lot of prep involved in getting ready for a show which is consuming the majority of my time this week. There is tissue to cut, displays to pack, jewelry to inventory, invoices to prepare, items to mark down, signage...oh my goodness the list is endless! And on top of that there is a house to clean, kids to cart around and play with, dinner to make, laundry to do, flowers to water, and so on and so on! So i'll be a busy bee this week! I hope you all have me in your plans this weekend! At least stop by and say hello at the show! We can use all the traffic we can get, plus there's FREE jewelry for the first 200 people who come down! Now you can't beat that! I'll check back in later on, for now I have to see what Matthew just threw on the floor that made such a loud crash... Oh CINDERELLA???? :)

6 days to go!

What a weekend! I have been working so hard getting ready for the Jewelry Spectacular that I decided to give myself the weekend off from making new jewelry. I spent yesterday bagging and tagging all the new goodies in preparation for Saturday. I am going to be marking down some items for my 50% off sale, mainly item's that I have had in stock for a while and so I'll pass the savings along to those who come to the show. Keep in mind, I'll be putting up a mass listing of items on Etsy once the show is over so if you are not able to make it this weekend, you will still be able to get your hands on some new jewelry next week! I'm going to try to make a few more things this week, but at this point I need to start focusing on getting myself all pulled together for the big day! Hope to see you there, but check back for some new things this week!
Have a great day!

I think I hit a wall...

Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to sit and do NOTHING? Well yesterday was that day for me. Clay was out working, Meghan was at a friends house and the boys were happily playing so I just decided that the laundry would be there tomorrow, the vacuuming could wait another day, and so could the jewelry. I made sure that everyone was fed and watered, ha ha including myself, and I vegged out all day watching TV. BORING! But today is another day! I have already showered, and ran to the grocery store and I'm feeling energized! So I hope to have something to show for it later on! Be sure to check back and have a great Sunday!