Merry Christmas to all....and to all a goodnight!

I've survived this far!  LOL  Today (the 23rd) was spent with my mom's side of the family in PA having our little Christmas.  It is always great getting together with them as Gracie always has fun playing with her cousin Cole, and now Abby is starting to play with them too.  We get to sit and talk and watch the kids open presents. (My personal favorite part of Christmas)

After that it was time to see Santa for the girls.  I love that both of my girls love to see Hannah (as Abby calls him).  :)  I unfortunately was a bit late this year with this but it worked out perfect.

I've spent my evening after that getting a couple shipments together from Etsy sales and wrapping Christmas gifts (after Gracie went to bed).  Since this year Gracie goes to her dad's in Maryland for Christmas Eve we did our Christmas Eve tradition early and both girls opened one present from us.  Gracie spent time then playing with her Lalaloopsy doll and Abby with her Zoobles.  Watching their excitement is beyond fun for me.  I love it.  :)

And now the wrapping that I put off must take place.  So before I go....Merry Christmas to you and yours from the Buretz Family!

The meaning is in the details

Anyone who has read my Etsy descriptions will have seen by now that I am really big on the meanings of stones.  Making jewelry has not only been a creative process for me by designing the pieces, but also in picking out what goes together and what I buy for their meanings.

I've learned a great deal about stones by looking them up.  It amazes me how many meanings, how many healing functions, and what myths surround stones. 

I just wanted to share a few that I found interesting...and the pieces that go with them:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84921380/new-life-gallaxy-genuine-1-carat-diamond
Diamonds represent faithfulness, love, purity, innocence, and relationships filled with love. It removes certain types of deviations in the aura, which can be best imagined as sort of voids, and diamond fills them with the pure energy of love. It inspires creativity, ingenuity, inventivity, faith, endurance, and helps in manifesting abundance in all areas of life. Diamond is a symbol of the richness of the Self. As the hardest mineral of all, it is especially esteemed owing to its beauty, purity, and ability to reflect light in a special manner. Diamond brings purity, and clear positive resolution of all problems that bother us, especially after we have become willing to admit our wrong perceptions and approaches, or our unreal expectations. More info on diamonds: The Hindu tradition relates diamonds to the planet Venus, while some other ancient peoples believed that they are connected to the planet Mars. The later is probably due to the warriors' custom of wearing diamond stones in battle for protection and strength. It was thought that diamonds make the warriors invincible and that they fortify their muscles. In favor of this thesis speaks the Greek word for diamond - adamas - which means invincible. The diamonds have been called kings of all crystals, stones of the mind and gemstones of the masters. This is no doubt, the most powerful crystal imaginable in the domain of metaphysics. It is able of reaching deep into us and opening much more spiritual doors than any other stone. Even more than that, diamond is able to bring abundance and fulfillment of the desires or undertaking you can only dare to imagine. If you dare to dream your own and true destiny, diamond is here to help you accomplish it.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88181020/enrapture-out-of-the-blue-stunning
Sodalite is said to reestablish inner peace and harmony. Helps to end confusion and unite the logical with the spiritual. A good stone for ending conflict and aiding in communication skills. Balances emotions and calms insomnia.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89118709/lush-energy-genuine-labradorite-and-925
Labradorite helps to remove negativity for people and their immediate environment. It helps you to find the ability to think clearly in any situation and teaches you the ability to work in balance and harmony with others. Astrological Sign: Scorpio, Sagittarius, Leo. Element: Water. An excellent gemstone for those seeking to bring your diet, health and exercise habits under control because it regulates your metabolism and jump starts your energy levels to get your moving. Allow it and a labradorite gemstone will teach you how valuable you are as a spiritual being. It will release your in securities about yourself, your powers and your abilities and give you a sense of inner worth and strength of will.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89121091/lush-luna-amazing-genuine-moonstone
Moonstone: Known as the stone of Hope. It is said if you give your lover a moonstone necklace when the moon is full you will always have passion with each other. Moonstone is a highly valued gemstone for these reasons:

Brings good fortune
Assists in foretelling the future
Enhances intuition
Promotes inspiration
Brings success in love as well as business matters
Offers protection on land and at sea

The moonstone is associated with the moon and was the stone of the goddess Diana. The most powerful time to use the moonstone is in a full moon.

It has been worn as an amulet to bring good emotions to the wearer, while protecting those of a sensitive nature. It can reunite lovers who have quarreled. Moonstone is also considered a good luck stone.

Moonstone is a very personal stone. It is a reflection of the person who owns it. It does not add or detract, only shows how it is. This is why the moonstone is said to perceive that which "is". Moonstone is an excellent stone to use in meditation to understand oneself. Placing it in the moonlight of a moon reaching its fullness, not a full or waning moon, can revitalize it. This is a particularly good gemstone for women. It is a good stone for young women or teenagers.

Healing properties of Moonstone
Moonstone is used by healers to stimulate the functioning of the pineal gland and balance internal hormone cycles with nature's rhythms. Moonstone is a stone of inner growth and strength. Though often considered to be a woman's stone, it can be beneficial to men in opening the emotional self.

Take time to smell the coffee and my crazy day

When you are a night owl, mornings are a real bummer! Thank God for coffee!!!

Today is the last day of school for my oldest until January.  Which means school party this afternoon.  Which means as mom, I must go to the school today.  Now I know that this might seem a bit strange to some, but that is not something I really look forward to. 

Sometimes I wish I was more like my mom was when I was a kid.  She was involved with everything I did.  At least that is how it seemed to me.  I just can't seem to get involved.  Part of it is the parents, part of it is the kids.  I've only been back in this area for a few years and most of my friends here either have older kids, no kids, or kids at other schools.  And I swear, it is like high school there with the parents, and there are all sorts of cliques, none of which I want to be a part of nor do I feel welcome in (part of my reason for not wanting to be a part of).  Does that make me a bad mom?  And then there are the kids.  My daughter doesn't have very many friends.  She is having a real hard time at school and I have to be honest, seeing the kids avoid her or be mean to her to my face makes me want to smack the snot out of them, and their parents. 

Guess I need another cup of coffee to get me in a better frame of mind for the day.  Deep breath, let the warm smell take me over, and okay...I am good.

Sorry...I am not by any means a violent person, and no, I would never smack the snot out of any kid (at least I hope I am never pushed to that extreme lol).  And I know that most of what my daughter has to deal with was brought on by herself.  But geesh!  These kids are in the 2nd grade and already nasty little things.

Alright, enough on that subject.  Want today to be a good day so better prepare my "happy face" and put on my big girls panties and just suck it up.

Well went to the party and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Gracie had fun with Abby there.  And she was really, really good while we were there.  I was a bit shocked since she gets in trouble for acting out all the time that she was pretty mellow.  Not like some of the kids that were screaming, tearing their clothes off each other (I heard one little girl saying "you are showing my boobies" over and over and sure enough...) and running in and out of the class room...all in front of their parents.  So maybe my kid isn't so bad after all.  LOL

After the party it was time to have a little Christmas time with my Nana's caregiver at my folks house.  I tell you what, that woman is a saint.  She has become such a part of the family, and all that she does for my Nana is just amazing. 

Then home to work on things while Abby napped and Gracie stayed at my folks.  Got several things listed...and three things sold!  Yay me!!  Then I caught a quick cat nap with Abby and woke up to find my hubby home unloading groceries (oh thank you dear hubby for saving me that trip!!).  Spent the rest of the evening doing all the fun things I'm sure you'd love to hear all about...laundry folding, putting dishes away, etc.  And then my fave time of the evening....checking out the deals with my suppliers and placing orders.  (Awwwwwwwwwwwww.......gems!!!)

Here are a couple things I got listed today (first one sold already!)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89040829/lush-spiritual-genuine-amethyst-and-925

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88183602/lush-crystal-dreams-feminine-quartz

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89075164/lush-warm-ice-genuine-pink-purple-quartz

These are a few of my favorite things....

At the show this weekend I had lots of questions asked of me...how do I make these, where do I get my stones, how can I charge so little for them...but my favorite question of all was what is my favorite stones?

Right at this very moment, I have three that I am in love with.  Of course diamonds (and not just for the reasons that one might assume) would be my first.  My second and third are a tie at moonstone and labradorite.

So diamonds to start with.  I love the colors you can see in them when you really, really look closely.  A cut diamond has such amazing depth to it and the more you look, the more you see.  Rough diamonds are the same way...it is just harder to see the depth, you really are look more at the outer details.  I am kind of funny in the sense that I have good eyes and can spot flaws pretty easily in stones.  I am not the type of person to sit there and say...ew, that one has a carbon fleck right there on the side...but I am the type to sit there and think wow, look at that little tiny speck of carbon that managed to stay as carbon while the rest of it was being changed into a diamond.  A hairline crack on the face of a stone is just another little detail that I find amazing.  With diamond being the hardest stone, how on earth did it get that?  (a glimpse into the way my mind works)

Moonstone and labradorite just fascinate me.  Moonstone being so light in color yet flashing blues, reds, yellows and greens similar to the way an opal does is just so lovely.  Like capturing a rainbow in a rock.  And I'm amazed that unlike the opal, sometimes you really have to move the stone around and work to find those colors.  Labradorite is to me like a moonstones alter ego.  Dark and gray yet the same flashes are there.  Most look like butterfly wings up close...iridescences with veins that give it an almost life like appearance.  I am a lover of all things dark so this one is a natural for me...and as I type this I have on two labradorite rings (one I made, one a "gift" from a supplier) and a pair of earrings that I made.  I also have to admit one of the things about both of these stones that get me is that photographing them is very hard...you can't always capture their true beauty.  I feel that way about myself too and really don't like being photographed because I never feel I look the way I see myself in photos.  I see all the things I am not fond of in them, and feel that seeing me in person is completely different. 

Just as examples of these stones...here is one that I just made not that long ago and just got listed (for diamond)  http://www.etsy.com/listing/89028697/captured-love-hope-floats-genuine-05

This necklace sold but it features both moonstone and labradorite...

New things and the first show

I apologize for not being around for a little while here on my blog.  But it was for a good reason.  :)  I just did my first ever show.  It was a wonderful experience.  Not only did I learn a lot but I also sold quite a bit.  21 pieces of my jewelry are now being worn by new lovers of DirtyGirlDiamonds!

I am normally a last minute person, but this time i was really pushing it.  I got everything ready in less than 6 days.  That included creating new pieces, getting a display together, and putting together all the things I'd need.  But I did it.  A few super late nights...up till 5am...and early mornings...up at 7am.  But it was all so worth it.  For the first time I actually got to see the looks on people's faces as they looked at my pieces and hear what they thought as they looked.  That was the most wonderful part of all!

Now I just need to figure out how to find more shows to do...any help???  :)

And find the time to list the new things.  LOL  I did get three posted on Etsy tonight.  I'd love you to check them out and provide feedback.  :) 

All three are pairs of earrings...two with pearls and one with prehnite.  Pictures are posted of each one before the link:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88994505/lush-peaceful-genuine-pink-pearl-925

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88994790/lush-spring-genuine-freshwater-white

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88994986/lush-unconditional-genuine-prehnite-925

Little girls and jewelry...yes or no???

While making pieces tonight for my new Collection, Lush, I decided to make something with a little girl in mind (or a woman with a really little wrist if that is the case).  I did that because my oldest daughter, Gracie, who is 7, is getting more and more into jewelry. 

Most kids jewelry is pretty cheap, and any mom can tell you why that is....they break it or loose it easily.  And yes my daughter is guilty of that with both the cheap stuff and some of the good stuff.  But there is one piece of jewelry that she has really taken care of.  It is the "wedding" ring that my husband, her step dad, gave her the day we got married. 

Jed and I got married on a beach in Key West, Florida just this past February.  We were on a Disney Cruise that we took for this very reason.  We were able to take our girls, Gracie and Abby, and have both our wedding and honeymoon all together.  As a special surprise for Gracie, we had the ceremony include vows from Jed to her.  During those vows (him promising to raise her as his own and love and care for her for life) he presented her with a little white gold diamond ring.  The ring featured two hearts with a diamond in each and little diamonds on the sides.  She was so in awe and it made for such a special memory. 

She knows what a special thing that ring is.  She understands what it stands for and she wears it every day.  And I think when something has such a special meaning behind it, even young kids appreciate it and take better care of things. 

That is why I made the bracelet I made today, with that in mind.  My thoughts behind it were no matter what the meaning is to you...be it a wedding, a special birthday, graduation from one grade to another, or just a symbol of love...even little girls deserve to have a special piece of jewelry.  And it doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to have meaning. 

So I'd love to hear you opinions on jewelry for kids...do your girls wear jewelry? What is something special they have? 

Here is what I made today, with my daughter in mind:

 

And here is a very special picture of Gracie showing off her ring on our wedding day :)

Rearrangement

This evening, well, this morning, is all about us making room around here.  Tossing out old stuff we haven't touched in ages, and rearranging the furniture so I have more working area for making my jewelry.  And so far so good.

My little "studio" is now our bedroom and the desk has been taken from the living room to our room for multiple reasons.  First off, no more cat jumping up on my drying jewelry and secondly no more walking into the living room seeing bits and pieces of my work just laying about.  I think I'm going to love it.

I'll have more room and more light too which is great.  But some stuff still won't be worked on in there...the resin cast jewelry.  A new thing I am working on.  Reason it won't be moved into the bedroom you ask?  Well...it stinks!  LOL  Really though, it does.  The whole kitchen smells of chemicals.  But the plus side is I think the resins are going to turn out really nice and be a whole new medium for me to work with.  They are still curing so it will be a while before any photos. 

Today was a great day though for DirtyGirlDiamonds.  Records were broken all around on Etsy for me.  Record number of views in one day...231.  Record number of items sold in one day...4.  And fastest item to be listed and sold...1 hour.  It felt great.  For me it isn't so much about the amount of money being made, although having the extra is nice I admit, it is about having other people like my work and appreciate the creativity. 

So  all in all it was a great day.  Snow and all.  And I'm looking forward to tomorrow.    (Here is one of the four that sold today...another was the picture posted on yesterdays post)

Oh these kids of mine!

First let me start by saying that I find no greater joy in life than that of being a mother.  I love my girls with all of my heart and all of my soul.  I wouldn't change the decisions that I've made about bringing them into the world for anything.
With all that being said...there are those times though that I could just squeeze them!  If you are a parent, you know what I mean.  They just seem to know exactly how to drive you bonkers.  At exactly what time is the exact time that you need quiet and they scream their little heads off.  You spend hours cleaning only to have it all done in within 5 minutes of play.  Walking tornadoes.  Hurricanes with mouths. 
With each of my girls I have something different to deal with on a daily basis.  With my oldest, Gracie, I have the attitude of a teenager packed into a 7 year old.  Her red hair is most certainly a sign of her fiery temper.  And add to all of that her ADHD and utter disregard for quite, well you get a big ball of nerves out of me.  With my youngest, Abby, it is want to explore and taste everything.  I never thought I'd say "what is up your nose now" or "don't put stink bugs in your mouth" ever.  She can destroy a magazine in 2.3 seconds (no, it hasn't actually been timed but I bet it would fall right around that).  Bathroom breaks for me have no peace with her around, she has to be right there, trying to get a glimpse of whatever I am doing and then informing everyone in the house, which thank god is just the dogs and cat, what I just did.  And with the frequency with which she spouts out the word "no", you would think that were my name.
But with as much grief as they cause, they are also my greatest joy.  Listening to Gracie sing around the house warms my heart.  She gets her love of music and singing from me.  She is my little drama queen too (also a trait from me I admit) and watching her over dramatics about little things sometimes just tickles me.  She has a smile that goes from ear to ear and is completely contagious.  And when she is being sweet, the amount of hugs and kisses you get from her are just amazing.  Hearing Abby say "oh mama" makes me melt.  Her big blue eyes and ability to giggle a sound that is my most favorite sound in the world just take my breath away.  She is a cuddle bug and how she reaches out to me before going to sleep and touches me on the arm or face is something that I couldn't live without.  She also is learning to sing (her favorite right now is head, shoulders, knees and toes...but comes out as head, eyes, toes, eyes, toes, eyes, toes) and her love of dancing to the free credit report commercials always makes my day. 
But I admit, there are times that I need my breaks.  I think every parent does, stay at home or working.  For me, my outlet and breaks are my jewelry.  It is what helps keep me sane and get me through those crazy times with them.  It gives me an outlet for my stress.  But it also gives me something to talk about and do with Gracie.  She gets to be my model a lot of the time and she gives her input into things.  It lets me be Brandy again for a little while, not just momma.  :) 
And the most recent stress reliever of mine is pictured below.  Took quite a while to make...had to stop several times to be momma...but got it done. :)

Diamonds are a girls best friend :)

Hi, my name is Brandy and I love diamonds.  I love them in all forms...rough, cut, flawed, bright, natural, tinted...I just love them! 
Diamonds have always been at the center of the whole engagement and marriage ceremony, but now we women wear them and buy them just for fun.  And that is okay.  We are allowed.  :)
Have you ever wondered about diamonds symbols and origins?  Well I did, and this is what all I found, in a nutshell.
Diamonds represent faithfulness, love, purity, innocence, and relationships filled with love. It removes certain types of deviations in the aura, which can be best imagined as sort of voids, and diamond fills them with the pure energy of love. It inspires creativity, ingenuity, inventivity, faith, endurance, and helps in manifesting abundance in all areas of life. Diamond is a symbol of the richness of the Self. As the hardest mineral of all, it is especially esteemed owing to its beauty, purity, and ability to reflect light in a special manner. Diamond brings purity, and clear positive resolution of all problems that bother us, especially after we have become willing to admit our wrong perceptions and approaches, or our unreal expectations. More info on diamonds: The Hindu tradition relates diamonds to the planet Venus, while some other ancient peoples believed that they are connected to the planet Mars. The later is probably due to the warriors' custom of wearing diamond stones in battle for protection and strength. It was thought that diamonds make the warriors invincible and that they fortify their muscles. In favor of this thesis speaks the Greek word for diamond - adamas - which means invincible. The diamonds have been called kings of all crystals, stones of the mind and gemstones of the masters. This is no doubt, the most powerful crystal imaginable in the domain of metaphysics. It is able of reaching deep into us and opening much more spiritual doors than any other stone. Even more than that, diamond is able to bring abundance and fulfillment of the desires or undertaking you can only dare to imagine. If you dare to dream your own and true destiny, diamond is here to help you accomplish it.
I personally love the thought that if you dare to dream your own true destiny that a diamond will help you accomplish it.  Especially since I feel my true destiny is to work with diamonds :)
And just an example of one I work with, here is some rough diamonds at their best:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85753514/50-off-sale-captured-love-modern-lover

To do, to do, to do

Oh so many things to do.  You know those wonderful little to do list?  Well I'm going to create a "this was better than to do" lists.  Or the, "I plan on doing it, maybe, one of these days, if I ever get the time to," lists.  I say this because I had a to do list for today.  On it was laundry, dishes, clean up the kids toys, clean the bathrooms, pack Gracie's things for her to take to her dad's.  Did I get it all done you ask?  Um, well, nope. 
I got Gracie packed.  That was it.  What kept me from my to do list?  A beautiful day!  December, sunny, high 50's low 60's out.  It was the perfect day for taking pictures of jewelry outside.  I got several pictures of new items, and some old ones that I needed better pictures of.  It was just too pretty to pass up. 
Shipping also knocked a to do off the list, but that is always a good thing because that means jewelry is on its way out.  And then there was making the packaging materials that I use for my jewelry.  (All handmade by me) And then the three hour drive to and from Maryland. 
So I should be finishing my to do list tonight right?  Well, again that "better than to do" comes in and I felt getting a few new things listed was a "better than".  And well of course stopping by here to say my little bit for the night.  :) 
But I get the point of my little rambling tonight is that yes, I had a to do list, and no, I didn't do my to do list, but I still got a lot done.  And take advantage of every beautiful and slightly warm December day that you have because they won't last. 
So I guess, since I didn't do my to do list, I'll give you a preview of what I did do today...enjoy (I know I did)

The "Ahha" moments

Sometimes when I sit down to my little jewelry making are...my hubby's desk that I have overtaken...I have a perfectly good idea of what I want to make in mind.  Then there are those times when I have no clue whatsoever on what I could make out of something.  Most of the time it is the latter.
I sit down, lay everything out and play with pieces like they are my youngest daughters building blocks.  "This one goes here, that one goes there."  "No wait, that doesn't work!"  (I've left out the mumbled curse words that exit when something doesn't go just right.)  And then, if I'm lucky, there is this moment...what I call my "Ahha" moment.  All my blocks, if you will, fit. 
That is what happens every time I make something for my New Life Collection and my Adorned Collection.  Those never have an idea before hand.  And lets face it, I can't draw worth a darn, so I don't pre-plan my works by drawing.  I just do. 
Lately I've been having so much fun with these two lines.  Especially the Adorned Collection.  I like taking something that is pretty on it's own and giving it my own flair.  I've been dabbling in the steampunk area too which to me is one of the most fun of all.  It gives me complete creative control.  Plus, I enjoy taking things apart.  Finding things at thrift stores and junk sales are exciting to me.  I buy them up and then can't wait to pull them all apart and make something new.  For me, since lets face it I'm still learning, pendants are the easiest to make.  But there is still the element of not knowing what I'm going to make out of them.  Then there is the "Ahha" moment when I start visualizing all the elements going together. 
I play out a little story in my head...this gear goes there and this on top of it like they are trying to work together but just can't make it, and this diamond accents here because it is the dream they are trying to reach.  (I know, corny, but it is what my mind does while I'm designing.) 
When done, I have this piece that maybe I'm the only one that completely understands it, but you just can't take your eyes off it.  It is unique.  It is funny.  It went through my "Ahha" moment.
Here is just one example of that moment, "Guardian of Time".  It is a sold piece.