a new camera, a new necklace & a yippppee!

Greetings Friends...

Do I look incredibly happy??

Maybe even ecstatic. Possibly overcome with pure unadulterated joy?
Well, that would be because I AM!

Yes, I finally did it...I got myself a NEW CAMERA!

Does my hubby know? Well, not quite yet.

Did I hide the bag & the box in my bedroom last night so I didn't have to ruin my high with any fumbled explanations? Yes.

Will I be in trouble when I finally cough up the truth tonight? No.

My hubby is fabulous to me!

So, here's my story & I'm sticking to it!

I'm a jewelry designer now :) & I'm trying to sell my work on etsy & my old camera, which is probably only a year old & also a Fugi, took horrible close-ups.

I needed a camera with a much better zoom & this one has an 18x optical zoom.

Yippppeee!

It's a Fujifilm Finepix S1800 & I think I'm in love!

Here's my newest creation...

'Key Chain'.

I even took the picture on something other then my rusty desk...I was inspired!

I love the way the deep colored, garnet beads look with the tarnished, aged, vintage keys.

And the sweet pearl adds just a hint of sophistication.

What do you think of this one???
It's a perfect combination of grace & grunge.
I will be listing it on etsy today just in case it must be yours!
OK, now I have 1 more reason that I'm so darn ecstatic & overcome with joy today!
Can you guess why?

I SOLD ONE!!!!
Lorraine in Ontario Canada bought my 1st hand wired, rosary inspired necklace that I just made last week & I heart her so much!!!
Thanks Lorraine!
And thank you friends for putting up with my OCD & the nonsense that goes along with it!

XOXO

do you want to play paperdolls?

{check out the Ed Hardy high tops}

When I was a little girl I loved to play with paperdolls!

I don't remember thinking of my family as poor & I had my fair share of Barbie's & Skipper's,

but paperdolls seemed to be the one luxury I could possibly talk my Mother into while shopping at our local pharmacy in Belmont Shore.

Jumping out of the car with my new acquisition, I would run to the kitchen, grab a pair of scissors & frantically cut EVERYTHING out.

Do you remember how they had little tabs at the shoulders & on the sides to fold behind your doll to keep the outfits on & how you had to make a tiny, little slit in the hat to slide it on? That was always hard!

So...would you be surprised to know that at 53 years young, I get paid to make paperdolls?

I am! I could never have imagined, in my wildest of dreams, that 1. I would be a shopgirl & own my very own store & 2. I would make whimsical paperdolls & sell them there.

Now I don't cut quite so frantically, glitter is always included, they almost always have wings & are riding on something magical, but yes...I truly do get paid to make these delightful, paper fairies!

Can you imagine my excitement when I was asked to create a custom order for a dear friend's, Mother's 80th birthday? Overjoyed!

She provided me with the black & white photo of her Mommy when she was just a wee lass.

Looking at that sweet little B&W face, I knew she had to have some soft color, so off to Photoshop we went. I then gathered together some of my favorite elements...black & white striped tights & high tops being a favorite.

I'm under some strange illusion that all little girls need to look a little bit like 'Alice'.

I then print all the components on a white card stock, cut them out, add glitter & let dry. I edge them with a dark chalk for shadow & attach the elements with brads allowing some of the parts to be movable. The final touch is to add a colorful wire for hanging & again..

Viola!! C'est Tres Magnifique!

Thank you Carol for the chance to rekindle my passion & play again!

And I wish your dear Mommy,

the Sweetest of Birthdays!
Look how happy she looks flying on a bluebird!

XOXO

PS: Just email me if you'd like a custom doll made for someone you love!