I made myself something... for once :)

I don't know about you, but I always make jewelry to put it up for sale, and I rarely make something for myself.

I buy jewelry made by other artists to wear (I love doing that!), but then I go around and I tell people I make jewelry and I have nothing of mine to show - I just say "This ring is by Tamara", "This necklace is by Eni", "This bracelet is by Cindy ", "Those earrings are made by Donna, or Sus", etc....

And then they go "but where can we see your stuff?" LOL....

I always have plans to make myself something, but I always push it further down the "to do" list, and this time I decided that I was going to take the time to make something for moi :)

So I made myself this bracelet (I made the rustic fused fine silver oval links on it from scratch), as well as a pair of earrings, all made from scratch.

The reflections of light in these cool lampwork beads remind me of when we walk on the beach, and the water rolls up on the sand, tickling our toes, the sunlight makes the water sparkle in shades of turquoise, green and the white sand mirrors through.

I lost another 2lbs this past week on WW, so this could serve as my 'non-food' treat, right? :)

Kiva for Easter - Instead of Chocolates and Turkey

I recently discovered the Kiva website, and I really think it's a fabulous idea!

This is one of the best ways to help so many people around the world, in just a few clicks. They get 100% of the money and it can change their lives.

So this year, instead of spending money on Easter Chocolates (I'm still doing WW, so I don't need chocolate sitting on my hips!), or on buying a Turkey (we no longer eat Turkey), I have invested US$25 to fund a loan to help a woman further grow her bread making business in Peru.

That's my Easter Gift to my family and to this woman in Peru - the gift of lending a bit of money to help another person become more independant and help them grow their own business and support their family.

You can check out my Kiva lender's page, and learn more about Kiva and the people I'm helping out.

I will be helping out other people for each holiday celebration like Mother's Day, Father's Day, my birthday, etc.

The more we share, the more we have! Happy Easter everyone! :)

Music that touches the soul... Zachary Richard

I have been a fan of Zachary Richard for as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to some of this songs, and his incredible voice and warm cajun - French Louisiana accent just reaches you deep in your soul.

I somehow lost touch with him over the years and in my quest to take better care of my body and of my soul, I rediscovered him again recently.

I have many favorites of his, but this song here "Pleine Lune en décembre" - Full Moon in December, set on a wonderful photo-montage) is so beautiful, I wanted to share it with you.

If you do not know Zachary Richard (he has albums in French as well as in English), give him a chance to haunt your soul... you won't regret it...





(I'm editing this post to add a copy of the lyrics - in English - from Zachary's website:)

Pleine lune en décembre
Full moon in December

You say that you need space
In your cabin all alone.
You say that your heart is too full.
Like the full moon in December.

The owls and the foxes
Have turned white for the winter.
White like the light of my pain,
White like the light of death.

The moon shines on the snow.
And the night is so long.
The eagle flies toward the sun,
Abandonning his shadow.

In the streets of Montreal,
A thief runs beneath the street lamps.
A phantom that I follow
In a dream that I have lost.

In New Orleans,
A bird sings after midnight,
The song of my soul
In the garden of my heart.

Zachary Richard, Les Editions du Marais Bouleur

My creations for the Corsage Project 2009!

I recently found out about the Corsage Project while reading one of the newsletters that Beadfx sends out periodically. BeadFX is one of the sponsors, and so with their generous help, I was able to participate in this great cause.

The Corsage Project is a charitable organization linked to The Canadian Children's Aid Foundation, and they coordinate donors to ensure that Toronto teenage girls who are due to graduate every Spring (but cannot afford to attend their prom) can have the lovely dresses, shoes, and beautiful jewelry that will highlight an evening that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

I had never heard of this project until now, but I thought that the idea behind it was wonderful, and even more important with the current economic downturn (so many parents are losing their jobs, which would make it even more difficult for their teenage daughters to attend their prom). So, I decided that I would pitch in and help the cause to the best of my ability.

You can see all 3 sets of Swarovski Crystals & Swarovski Pearls jewelry that I have donated this year to this project on my website's gallery page.

I just love the sparkle of BIG Swarovski Crystals, and so this is what I used in the sets I've made (various Swarovski Crystals from 18mm down to 6mm, and Swarovski Pearls 6mm & 4mm).

The more we share... the more we have :)

April's Animal Rescue Donations will be going to...

Is it me or is time flying faster and faster every day? I can't believe we're already into April, let alone April 4th with Easter coming up next weekend... my gosh!

I apologise for being a few days late to post the April Animal Rescue Group that I have selected for my monthly animal rescue support/donations. This month, 5 % of my sales (+ 5% matched by my family to make a total of 10%) will go to the Pound Rescue in Okotoks (just outside of Calgary) in Alberta.

You can visit their website here to see all their great work. And, as always, I do thank you (along with the animals) for your support and for helping me help others :)

Times are tight for a lot of rescue groups. Just remember that every single penny counts and can help. Every donation, no matter how small DOES help.

Don't buy a puppy before reading this.

This is my week! I'm featured on another blog!

My goodness! This is my week to be featured it seems!

I recently found this really awesome new blog, which features Canadian Artisans, and wow, do we ever have a LOT of talented artisans in Canada!

Well, (blushing) tonight, I received a heads-up that one of my jewelry pieces had been selected and made the Friday's Five on Brandi's CanArtisan site... check it out and you'll see some really cool pieces by other Calgarian (today is a special about artisans located in Calgary).

Cool hey? :)

I'm featured on a blog!

Recently, a friend of mine from Etsy asked me if she could feature me on her blog... How could I refuse? :-)

Maureen of Jeweledrabbit was kind enough to post this feature of my work on her blog.

Check it out if you have a minute.

She features a lot of great artists and you might discover some new favorites!

Maureen also sells her own creations on Winkelf - have a look while you're at it!