TGIF: end of a busy week!

This has been such a busy week for me!  Normally my weeks are kind of slow, not much going on and not much leaving the house, but this one...whew!  Glad it is Friday!!

The silent auction on my Facebook page to clear out some inventory went well.  Glad to be making some room on Etsy so I can get some Valentine's Day stuff listed.  Put more items on sale on Etsy and created a whole new section just for Valentine's Day (this link should take you right to it:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/DirtyGirlDiamonds?section_id=10643100).  Everything in there is heart shaped or has to do with love and romance.  A word to all you men out there trying to figure out what to get your love for V Day...women love jewelry!  And nothing shows more thought than something that was handmade (even if by someone else) or custom made just for her. 

Speaking of custom made, this week has been busy with custom pieces.  One I still have to finish but two are done and on their way.  This is one that was made that I have to admit, I absolutely love!  This is going to be a gift for a very lucky lady on her birthday and is a 34.12 carat genuine amethyst:

Talk about a stunner!  I hope she loves it too!!
Then there was this necklace that I made.  Sunstone and a sun face on silver plate.  Really turned out nicely and matches perfectly the earrings that were won in the Pet Helpers silent auction:

I love doing custom work.  Besides the fact that it gives me a chance to create something new, it also is amazing to see other people's creativity come through in what they are looking for.  Plus there is such an amazing feeling that I get when I make something for someone that makes them happy.  I actually feel like an artist when I get to do this.  :)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

Working on some things :)

So my New Year's resolution is still going strong.  I'm still working on me and getting back to the me that I want to be.  So far so good. 

One of the biggest parts of that is making changes in me to make me happier.  I'm letting go of somethings and embracing others.  Letting go for me is kind of hard.  I've learned to hold on to angers of the past as reminders of what I don't want in my life.  But I think by holding on to those reminders I've held myself back.  Kept myself in a constant source of pain even though I never really thought about it that way before.  So I'm letting go.  And it feels good.

I'm working on some things here at the house.  Cleaning out and clearing out...slowly.  Working on things with Gracie...trying to get her on a more regimented schedule with time limits to hopefully help with her ADHD and making new friends.  And I'm working on new pieces of jewelry and working on clearing out some old inventory.  I'm doing a silent auction on Facebook...ends tonight...to help with that.  Here is the link to that album:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/87995055/sale-30-off-new-life-oceans-keeper

So I just keep on working on things...and so far, I'm liking the results.  :)
(Here is one piece I just finished...not listed yet)

Shaking the snow globe = jewelry making and listing :)

Looks like someone shook the snow globe out there!  (View from my back porch)

Perfect time for me to make some pieces and place some orders.  I got some labradorite large beads...I'm talking HUGE beads...ordered, a rather large pieces of moonstone ordered, some very large pieces of amethyst ordered (custom piece in the making), and some other basic supplies.

I got four new necklaces made for the Lush Collection.  They turned out really, really pretty.  But I'll let you be the judge of that because here they are:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90457664/lush-protector-stunning-polished
"Protector"

Next up is "Antidepressant" made from black rutilated quartz
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90459051/lush-antidepressant-stunning-faceted

Then there is "Joy" which features genuine citrine polished briolette stones.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90460295/lush-joy-beautiful-and-simple-polished

And the final one just added is "Calm Strength" which features smokey quartz and pink tourmaline.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90461245/lush-calm-strength-beautiful-smokey

Time for me!

Thankfully the past couple days I've gotten to bed early enough to stay up when I get Gracie off to school.  That has given me more time than normal to work on my jewelry.  What I can get done in one uninterrupted hour in the morning is amazing.  Just this morning I made four new steampunk pieces.  And I got them and the four I made yesterday and the custom piece sealed. 

Over the holiday I decided that one of the things I need most now is more time for me.  I will always be a mom to my girls and a wife to my husband, but I also need to be me. I need to make me as happy as I try to make them.  It kinda reminds me of a quote, "If momma's not happy, no one is happy."  So I'm doing more and more for me all the time.

So these mornings have been a blessing.  Fire up the Keurig, sit down with my box of pieces and let the inspiration flow. 

Here are some pictures of the pieces I just finished.  They aren't done drying and aren't listed yet...but I think they turned out well :)

Out with the old, in with the new

All the decorations are down, put up till next Christmas.  It always seems so bleak the day after taking down the tree.  Some decorations went out as we didn't use them this year, making their way out as donations. 

Keeping with my back to me theme I set up a massage yesterday for a couple weeks from now and I'm really looking forward to it.  Pretty excited about the fact that this Friday I'll be getting my first facial in probably 5-6 years (thank you dad for that awesome Christmas gift!).  And I set up for 2/1 my first ever microdermabrasion (thank you hubby for the amazing Christmas gift...this and the massage).  And I bought a new scale yesterday...that I have yet to venture upon...gulp! 

I'm getting ready to weed out my clothes yet again and get rid of some of the old stuff.  And go through kitchen stuff and my desk and do the same.  I always feel in that mood in the first of the year.  Out with the old.  :)

Same goes for my shop on Etsy.  I'm trying to clear out some of my older stuff so I can make some room for new.  I have some big sales going on, including 4 items I just put on 50% off sale last night:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/85479123/50-off-sale-captured-love-untraditional
http://www.etsy.com/listing/84890261/50-off-sale-enrapture-loving-gift
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88457395/50-off-new-life-lifes-celebration
http://www.etsy.com/listing/87010340/50-off-adorned-flutter-genuine-green
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88296987/50-off-sale-lush-baubles-stunning-round

And I just sent out my first news letter yesterday for DirtyGirlDiamonds.  It is a once a month email news letter that I'm putting together.  I think it turned out pretty well.  And of course, if anyone reading this would like to get on the list just shoot me an email at dirtygirldiamonds@yahoo.com
I have special promotions, event updates, whats new in the world of DirtyGirlDiamonds, and more in it.

I was pretty slack and missed my Monday and Tuesday blog (gonna have to set a reminder lol) so I missed posting my Shout out Saturday from Facebook.  Something I am doing every Saturday to showcase businesses that I like be it from Etsy or elsewhere.  Here was this past Saturday's shout out:
Hoku Gallery
If you love beautiful handmade jewelry (which face it, you do or you wouldn’t be here lol), you really need to check out what is being made by Diane Gerbert-Ballum. Diane has a shop on Etsy, http://www.etsy.com/shop/hokugallery, where she has some of the most beautiful creations. My personal favorite is Teal Rainbows (check it out, AMAZING). From NH, she lived in HI for 18 years but moved back to home 3 years ago to be closer to family. She is married with a step son and has 3 grandsons. She started making jewelry back in 1990 and has just started teaching herself chainmaille…check it out, it absolutely amazes me! She buys only the best components she can for making her jewelry, and takes pride in doing the best work she can. Don’t forget to find her page here on FB and like it (let her know you saw her Shout Out on here): http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoku-Gallery/218473754830433
 
I'm also getting ready for the silent auction that I am doing on Facebook next Tuesday.  (I'll talk about it more tomorrow)  So I better get off here and get to work on those items as I still have 2 to finish.  :) 

And I just finished up a custom piece.  I LOVE the way it turned out!!

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. :)

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.