Today's The Day!!

Hello to all of you!

The winners of the giveaway are finally to be announced!

Well this is a bittersweet moment for me, I must confess.  I have so enjoyed reading all of your comments and getting to know all of you a bit better.  I do hope that even when there isn't a carrot dangling on a stick, that you'll come back to visit from time to time and leave a comment.  It's been a pleasure.

I know, you're wondering, who is this sappy person, devoid of the sarcastic tone you've all become so accustomed to?   Well you have only yourselves to blame.  You write these touching comments and I get all moved by what you have to say.

Right about this time, I can hear you all saying... "Is she really going to make us all sit through all the photos again before she announces the winners?"  Well, I should.  Just so you don't go soft on me, but you've all been so great.......

ok just two pictures.......




No, no I don't have the heart.  You've all been patiently waiting for the announcement.  This is what I've really been wanting to do as well... to respond to your wonderful comments.  Here goes.  These are just my responses to what you've had to say.  If reading just my side of the conversation is confusing to you....your comments are all available to be read in the comment section of the last two posts. 
Starting with the very first giveaway comment received to the most recent one;



richelle- Thank you!  They are fun little buggers, aren't they? I was supposed to do something with the back?!  oops.

Greer- oooh I'm excited that you have a fav. Unhinged are you?  Does it hurt?

joren- awww so sweet of you.  Thank you!

stregata-  Thank you!  Does that mean you've been watching my work?  Like a stalker or?  And no, I didn't know that.  If I had, it would saved me alot of anguish and saved you all from reading the same post twice!  How thoughtful of you to explain it to me.  I am such a newbie at this blogging, please don't hesitate to clue me in.  Thank you from everybody!

Petra-  no, thank you.  Without your how to's and urging me on, I would haven't been bigging anything up.  You'd have all been squinting to see my pictures then blaming me for your crows feet.  UNuh.  Not my fault!  But you all can thank Petra for telling me how.  Very helpful this one. Thank you for your kind words and for the power of suggestion that I am a tease.  Yeah, thanks for saddling me with that!  :)  No, seriously-thank you!

Alice-  No, it's a doll eye.  While I usually use vintage prosthetic eyes in my work, you know how rough everybody is with their bracelets, slamming them into all sorts of unsavory objects, so this one received a hard to break acrylic doll eye.  Just so you know, I want to go back in time and be your twin so that I too could have had a grandpa who lived in the circus.  No folks, that's not even the best part!  I'm sorry that he had an unhappy childhood. But he found a fascinating way of dealing with it.  Fanci and I both want to take a field trip to his basement.  Actually I think she said she wants to live there.  I could be mistaken. Yes that going back in time thing would come in handy right about now.  Sorry, getting off track.  Are you calling my earrings trashy?  That's not how you meant that, right? Thank you for the nice compliment about the rest of my earrings and the photo tutorial.  You gals are the best!

Coffeefreek53-  you think I'm funny?  Odd, I wasn't intending to be. 
You want it all?  You can have it all!  see there's this little "add to cart" button......
Aw shucks, thank you!  So glad you like it.

fanciful devices-  The poor crocodile?!  Are you kidding me?  HE LOVED IT!  Afterwards, he was signing autographs.  His 15 minutes captured for infamy right here on my blog!  You might be pouting but he was laughing all the way to the bank.  Poor crocodile, my foot, grumble grumble.  Besides, he's an american alligator and didn't appreciate the crocodile reference one bit.  His buddies, the crocodiles live a bit farther south than he does.  Tho, I do have pictures of them too.  From the time I went canooeing in the Everglades!  So you gonna bust my chops if I post pictures of that too?  Huh, are you?  Oh sorry, folks. Got carried away.
Um no, those hoops are brass filigree that I aged myself.  Must be your monitor, no melted wire plastic wound purple tube things in sight.  Wait, are we talking about the same thing?

fanciful devices- Yes, me too!!!  And yes, I was mistaken.  You only want to see Alice's grandps'a basement, not live there.

NikkiWright-  Who you calling crazy?  Thank you thank you for the lovely compliments!  Checking out my depth of field action are you? Hmmm what does that even mean?  You photographers and all your high fallutin (sp?) terms!  So you call me crazy then you give me a beat down?!  And you think you are going to win a giveaway with that kind of comment? hmmmmmm 
Yes, Nikki, I've been published a bunch.  Sorry, thot I did tell you. Go to Stampington and do a search of my name under publications. Should show most of them, maybe not the most recent articles, tho. Forgive me?  Or does giving me a beat down sound like loads more fun?
Gator girl was taken at Gatorland in Orlando, Florida.  Right down the road from you.  Ahh the glory days when we were neighbors.  How is it that I ended up in central Illinois again?

Beatnheart-  I'm so sorry. I never win anything either.  Why yes,  I am in fact chummy with some of the folks here.  Case in point Nikki above.  But see, I've known her forever, and we used to take walks together at like 5 in the morning and other such nonsense. So please don't hold that against me that she and I got chummy. She is quite charming after all.  When she's not threatening me, that is.
Would you please explain to me what a cooking break is?  I take those all the time.  I hate cooking.  The random selector is broken, again!  So it's just me and the mystery judge.  

Beatnheart-  Hi Again!  Thank you for giving me another chance!  So glad you feel jollier, now that I explained that chum business.  I sure do share techniques.  in fact I answered your question about the resin wire picture technique on our esteemed leader's new forum.  hahaha.  Love that positive thinking!  Why those earrings aren't even one of the prizes.  You go girl!

Juliette Williams-  Thank you for being new to my blog and for wanting to stick around!  YAY!  My favorite way to lose myself? hmmm well, see I was born without a sense of direction so I lose myself all the time.  It's really not my fav thing to do at all.  Oh you mean artistically?  Well, I love to paint silk and I love to hammer metal.  And I love to torch metal.  And I love to fossil hunt and rockhound.  And I love textiles.  And eat, I do love to eat, creme brulee and crawfish etouffee and ranier cherries and......and what color matches it?  Well, the creme brulee is kind of butter colored with brownish accents.

Corvid Delights-  You think my jewelry is beautiful?  Thanks Corvid! I think yours is too!
 And I love your 5 year old daughter!  Can I please hire her to be my PR gal?  Naw, no need to worry about child labor laws.  I mean whose going to listen to a five year old complaining about their job?  Please give that little sweetheart a big hug for me!  Thank you Corvid's daughter!  :)

joren-  You again?  Good, cuz this time you had me rolling on the floor!  Brahahahahahahahahahahahaah!  Are you saying then, that your family is normal?  Hmmm don't hear that much these days. Why of course a "skilled artisan" such as myself could take apart your beloved grandma's teeth and manipulate them into  your favorite  Lia Sophia piece.  But really, Joren, why would you want me to?  Wouldn't you rather SEE me, with your good EYE, embed them into the center of a starfish so that it looks like her teeth are really the starfish's teeth and I could put a little motor on them so they actually have a biting action and.....well you were hoping for weird and disturbed weren't you?  Question is, am I equally as weird and disturbed as you?  Only you can answer that!  But since you're a huge fan of who I am, I'm guessing the answer is yes! And I saw that picture of you- you're not a huge anything! 

Restless-  Thank you!  You're too kind!  Now see people, this is how you pay a person a compliment!  Did you notice, no mention of a beatdown anywhere in her whole comment!

owlparty-  See that Joren?  You're getting votes from other commenters!  No, owlparty isn't the mystery guest judge you're all wondering about.  Just a generous soul.
Thank you for all the nice things you had to say about my etsy shop.  It mirrors my own split personality.  Thanks for noticing.  I do love the elegant stuff and the, what did you call them?  Bones and buttons?  hahaha  This ladies and gentlemen, courtesy of owlparty, is the quote of the week "sometimes less is more and sometimes more is exactly what you want.".   But sadly,  you're right, you can't win now, cuz of thinking we humiliated the "poor gator".  :) 
at least you knew it was a gator!  Please tell me, if you dare, what goes on at an owl party?

martinisfor2-  yes you have worked hard!  This dear lady has been fighting with my blogger commenting monster for days.  Thank you for trying yet another time!  You're my tech challenged twin then?  So wonderful to know that I'm not alone out here in this black hole of blog universe lost entries!  It's comforting to think that our lost words are keeping each other company as they float around bumping into discarded space junk, isn't it?  I'm truly honored that you would even mention my blog along with those of the uber talented fanciful, corvid and sparrow!  So my question is, why in the world would I be your blog mentor and not one of those amazing ladies?  You might want to rethink that.  But I am most sincerely appreciative of that most generous sentiment.  I will do my best to actually know something by then and be worthy of being your blog mentor.

amith13-  An elephant with bad wind?  And you know how that smells how? hahaha how nice of you to share your oxidizing tips and to do so in such a colorfully descriptive way.  I will never again think that Liver of Sulpher smells like rotten eggs!  Do kind of love the thought of both your helmet and turban wearing selves with cotton stuffed up your nose, tho.  Thanks too for the compliment!

Skye-  Well thank you!  I LOVE your segue (sp?) from the eye bracelet to an actual prosthetic eyeball rolling down the dinner table!   hahahahahaha.  You did all read that, right?  It still has me laughing out loud!  Awesome!

Rosalie-  I let myself go a few years ago when I quit exercising, went on a diet of deep-fried twinkies and gained 212 pounds.  Oh that's not what you meant.  Just kidding anyway folks!  I'm a svelt 98 pounds anyway.  Really I am.  Um I didn't always know I was "gifted" but my brothers always thought that I was.  Well, that is if gifted is your nice way of saying special.  But don't believe anything my brothers tell you.  They don't know what they're talking about.  Vivid imaginations- they like to make stuff up.  But I digress,  My talent first emerged with that sculpture I did when I was three.  Child prodigy.  You saw me on the cover of Newsweek, didn't you?  Sometimes I use my Donald  Duck voice but it upsets the children soooo.  I think I'm blowing smoke all the time!  And apparently I'm not just kidding myself, but some of you, as well.

artistic rejuvinations-  awww you're gonna make me cry.  That is soooo sweet!  Thank you!  Love that quote and I can't believe you applied it my work!

Kira-  Thank you!  I love your creations too, as you already know!  Folks, click on Kira's name.  Love love love the name of her shop!

Diana-  Thank you for visiting! Hope you weren't terribly disappointed when you got here, coming to see me as you did,via the fantastic fanciful blog.

birdflew-  Hello yourself and welcome!  Nope, never late!  My fav random answer to your fav random question is this.....cotton candy.  Which btw, is what my work-space smells like too. You weren't insinuating that my work-space smelled bad or something, were you?

Rosalie-  Gosh, so sorry, I blew your mind!  Hope some aspirin will help that.
Ok this is a serious answer here.  My advice- Just play.  Get some supplies and allow yourself time to play.  There are no rules with art.  You can do whatever you want.  This is how I found my creative voice-I started making things as a child. I come from a long line of talented and creative people.  My dear, wonderful  grandmother had a strong influence on my wanting to make things.  She would let me play with her supplies and she made it fun.  Ever patiently trying to teach me how to do certain techniques, which my little hands had trouble with. She tried to teach me crafting for as far back as I can remember.  She made jewelry out of crocheted pearls and did beautiful ribbonwork. She nurtured my creative side.  Cuz well, I would have been a nuerosurgeon if she hadn't.
My mother was very creative as well.  She was an amazing seamstress, sewing the samples for a local department store and did other types of art too. In addition to holding down a full time job. She taught me a great work ethic. Her work was always impeccable, perfectly executed, which taught me the value of doing quality work.  And my dad did incredible photography, which he developed in a dark room that he built himself in our basement.  There was nothing he couldn't build, fix or figure out.  Very resourceful and talented, both artistically and mechanically.  And since I grew up in Colorado and that's what alot of his photos were of, I fell in love with nature photography at an early age.  My life art history in a nutshell. Are you sorry you asked?

Rosalie-  thank you, it's not hard for me to remember that, as people keep telling me that I am!  See above reference to brothers.

Jackie-  So you're a lurker, eh?  I was hoping there was one or two of your kind out there.  How nice to meet you!  Thank you for  the sweet words and please do come out of the shadows and visit again!

quiltingjewel39-  Thank you for coming on over!  You must have a great sense of humor considering how you found my little blog.  You're in the right spot, cuz this is a humorous group we've got here.  And did you notice ladies, another vote for Joren! 

Rosalie-  Dreaming about what to write?  You really do want to win this giveaway, don't you?  That's dedication!  I make you feel like a Goddess?  Are you sure?  You sure it wasn't a goatess in your dream? Of course I'm kidding.  Thank you, that's quite a compliment.

OnlyJolie-  Wow!  You think I'm perfect?  And little?  And a Creative Queen?  Awww what a wonderfully sweet thing to say!  Yes, we do both like the abstract, don't we?  I know how I got that way, but  how about you?  So glad you like my work- that means so much to me!   And I'll just keep on being me especially now that I know you think it's perfect!  Ok who's blowing smoke now?  Yes, folks, I'm pretty chummy with the lovely OnlyJolie too!

Skye-  Thank you Skye!  Yes, I agree, the gator girl is cute! And a cute girl on a gator is doubly cute!
Hope you won't be dissappointed when I unveil that last prize here in a few minutes after all my teasing.  Ok then, I'll make a couple dioramas for the shop.

Alice-  You're so right- I'm never bored.  I remember the last day that I was bored.  I was in high school and as you can see from the avatar, that was eons ago.  How'd you do with the patience thing?

stregata-  Yes, isn't that the happiest looking little amphibian you ever saw?  He looks like he's dancing.  I almost hate it that his time here was so short cuz it makes me smile just looking at him.  He might have to be brought back at a later date.  I think they're called Axiotyls or something like that?  Does that sound right?  That would be wonderful if you could come play in the studio.  Play date!  Course there's only room for one at a time in there, but isn't that the mark of a good studio?  No room to move?  No, it's supposed to be spacious?  hahahahah  who says?    Yes, get a rolling mill!  So much fun!  I hope you'll have one soon.

fanciful devices-  cmon now, you've never been dumbfounded in your life!  Crazy amazing?  High praise indeed coming from the very talented you!  Wow-Thank you!  Wait, did you say I was amazing or crazy?! 
Here's how you make the silver scute; get a really awesome friend who supports your alligator obsession without derision.  Have this friend for 3 decades so she knows you really really well and likes you anyway. Have her find you some amazing fossilized alligator scutes.  Wait, I didn't have her do it, she just did it, cuz she knew it would make me happy, thrilled actually .  I'm telling you, an incredibly awesome friend! Then make molds of the scutes.  Then cold cast the scutes with fine silver clay.  Then torch fire the casting.  Remember, I do love my torch.  Then clean it up, burnish it, oxidize it, hang it on a chain and viola!  Your very own fossil gator scute fine silver replica necklace.  Just like mine!  Courtesy of Kathy, who started the whole process.  And why don't we see Kathy's name on this comment board anywhere?  Sadly, her comments never got through.  hmmm that's what she said anyway.  Personally I think she's a lurker who hasn't come out of the shadows yet.

Petra Carpreau-  Doesn't that name sound lyrical?  Don't you all wish we could hear it spoken by the fabulous Petra herself, with her english accent?  Get to work on that would you, Petra?  No my dear, you , you did your collection proud!
ewwwww Please clean up that mess you just made.  We'll wait.   Sorry my bracelet had that effect on you. Who knew?        
Since you don't want to know how to make the scutes, please forget what you just read, ok? 
Awww, what a lovely description of my little dioramas.  You should write copy.  Thank you for the very generous compliments.  Or are you just blowing smoke so you can win?  Yes, the poor amphora.  But since this post already takes an entire year to read, that tale of woe will have to wait for next time.  And yes, I apparently am the Queen Of Something!  Oh yeah, The Creative Queen, just ask OnlyJolie!

martinisfor2-  Now cmon the two of you!  I just told you what I am the queen of!!  :)
Thank you for the sweet words, martini.  You don't mind if I call you martini, do you?   The peacocks?  I know, what gorgeous creatures!  Well, if we were Snow White, like some people we know, we would have our very own peacocks too.  If you don't get the snow white reference, convo me and I'll explain it.  (hint hint- It's Petra.  She has 7 little men that follow her around all day too)Hey, have any of the rest of you noticed how many times the word "crazy" has been thrown around during this giveaway? hmmmmmmmm.  Makes me wonder.....

martinisfor2-  no, my urn/vial doesn't have a fairy tale ending.  Snow White has the market cornered on those. Love the poetic prose.  You make winter sound lovely.  (I assure you that it's not, lovely, here in central Illinois)   So New England has woodsy trails that end at the beach?  Behind victorian mansions, with treasures to hunt for?!  With statues and huge stone urns?  Sigh. That does sound dreamy.  I want to live there. Thank you for sharing those memories.  btw, are you the one who now lives in Florida?  Cuz if you're anywhere near the Peace river, you should go look for fossil gator scutes yourself.  or megladon teeth.  Don't even get me started on megladon teeth. 

Coffeefreek53-  oooh you think I look innocent?  Great!  I've been trying to perfect that look for years!   hahahaha never thought about what the head was trying to do in relation to the vial!  Yay ladies, you like the dioramas.  Actually I should confess that my article on how to make them was published in the Belle Armoire Jewelry issue that you see above.  The one that's all wonky, with Keith LoBue's wonderful necklace on the cover.  So sorry that the suspense is killing you.  Maybe if you drank less coffee, your nerves wouldn't be so on edge, you think?  Remember, you were supposed to be working on your patience?   Yes, Petra's blog is fantastic.  It's like taking a mini vacation everytime I read it.  Yes, I remember that salty comment popping out of your mouth at class.  Isn't that how you ended up standing in the corner?  Hahahaha, yeah those glass beads don't like getting hammered on, do they?

Tribalis (via email)-  I tried to paste your entire comment in but, alas my pasting skills are not gifted or special, definately subpar.  So I will type it in here and hope I get it all right.

"Congrats for the new blog, for the creativity with metals, and beads, wires and imagination.  Thanks for being part of my circle on Etsy.  Love all, specially the prize #1.

When I was a child, about 7,8, I used to visit my gramma on the weekends and used to play with her box beads and jewelries. She had beautiful vintage beads, specially black glass beads of all shapes and sizes and she used to give me some to bring home always I visited her.  For my child's eyes they were like glitters, stars, something enchanted. I started to make jewel when I was a child with that beads and never stopped. I can even feel the smell of that sweet moments with her coming into the memory of my heart sometimes, things that the wind and the time doesn't sweep away.  Besides being a great classical pianist, she was a great artisan of mini- beaded baskets.  The first important person that unveiled this beautiful world of making jewelry for me.
After her, the hippies of my city that used to answer my thousands questions about tools, wire wrap techniques, etc, etc.
Do you have some unforgettable moment and a unforgettable person in your "process" of making jewelry?  Share with us."
(who claims to speak Portugese but does very well with English too)

My response-  Thank you for allowing me to be part of your circle and for the nice compliments.  My goodness, Tribalis, you literally have me all choked up.  Reading your comment took me back to my times with my grandmother who was also the first person to expose me to handcrafting jewelry.  Your grandmother sounds wonderful, thank you so much for sharing her with us. You painted a beautiful picture for us. My answer to your question is that my unforgettable person is the same as yours.  My grandmother.  I've already shared this story above, but thank you for bringing it up into my mind and heart again.  We are often so busy that we save these beautiful memories for that elusive "another day".

Melissa (via email)-  "I've got you right where I want you my pretty.  Ahh, if only the skies could be as bright and blue as those of your peepers.  You watch intently as the world moves, flies, crawls creeps or just stand still.  While never blinking in the hopes of catching just a glimpse, of what?  You know it when it comes your way.  It causes you to to be absorbed into it's wonder of wonder.  Or plain crazy of all craziness.  May all your days be filled with un-blinkers."

My response-  I don't know if I should be frightened or amused.  Where exactly is it that you want me?  In the tower with the flying monkies?
And there we have the crazy reference again!  I'm going to get a complex here people!  hahaha thank you (I think) for wishing that all my days be filled with staring, unblinking eyes. Especially kind of you as I seem to be preoccupied with them.  Thank you for this bit of wonderment.  I'm going with that portion of your comment, not the crazy part! 




So there we have it!  THANK YOU ALL! I appreciate all of you sharing your kind, funny, thoughtful, generous, informative, insightful and entertaining comments and questions.  This is really hard everyone!  I had no idea it would be this difficult to choose between all of these amazing comments.  I want every one of you to win.  I really do.   Each comment has it's own merit.  What a pleasure to get to know each of you just a bit better through your comments.  So thank you thank you for participating in my giveaway.  I hope that you'll come and share a bit of yourselves again.



The hands down winner, is Joren.  For two reasons- she is the only one who received votes from her fellow contestants (I mean really?  When does that ever happen?), but also because she completely cracked me up.  The mental picture of grandma's teeth in the curio is a scream.  So Joren Gets prize #1.  I know, that's the prize you all wanted! 

Filigree hoops with twisty pearl

Prize #2 goes to Tribalis because she literally brought a tear to my eye.  That's the comment that I had the strongest emotional response to.  Wonderful grandmas everywhere, this one's for you!

Rustic Tribal Hoops with Pods and Cloud beads

Prize #3

"Plays Nice With Others" mirrored necklace with bead charms-
 Is it at all like you imagined?  It looks better in person.

has been awarded by our fascinating mystery judge  to

                                                                        Rosalie because of her "dedication".


And I have to award two honorary mentions.  I have to people.... I really would like to be able to send something to all of you.  That I can't do, but I just can't let running away with the circus and dumpster diving before it was chic (yes, I know, that's not exactly what she said) or an eyeball rolling down the dinner table go un-rewarded.  I mean who thinks of this stuff?  Alice and Skye do! And they didn't make it up, they lived it!   Each of those two interesting ladies will receive a small soldered pendant with a witty saying inside! Or maybe a pair of earrings. Or maybe a polymer clay alligator scute.  Or, my oh my, the possibilities are endless!  Endless I tell ya!
I know, I know, ladies, I pick teeth, eyeballs and dumpsters!  Which leaves you wondering if all of your lovely comments were lost on me.  Rest assured, they were not, I loved them all.  Again, thanks to all of you for making this so much fun!  Lest you waste time trying to think of your oddest life experience, next giveaway, I just might go with the most touching, uplifting comment, you never know!

Please email me your addresses, ladies, so that I can get your prizes mailed out to you! 

                                  Switching gears now-

My passionflower last summer on my back deck.  how I miss it

Alot of you seemed interested in the dioramas. Hmmm That should have been a clue as to how my brain works, eh? Here's what they look like on the front and the size of the ones I'll make for the shop. My original examples are rather large. I like big, but they might be a bit much for some of you. 

What about these smaller sizes? Do you like them?

You would never know what's going on inside would you, with these demure fronts?

Lots of options with these little worlds!

For those of you who may have missed it, Fancifuldevices has a new feature on her blog.  A forum, full of helpful information.   We can all share techniques, ask questions, get tips, inspire each other, whatever we would like to share or ask, fanci has set up this wonderful way for us to do it! Let's all go visit her with a BIG

THANK YOU!

for the forum and for being the mystery judge for my giveaway.  You have to admit, the suspense and mystery made it more fun!

And if you think you might have giveaway withdrawal, never fear.  All you have to do to enter Petra's giveaway is offer a suggestion for her next bead collection.  Whoever has the winning idea will receive beads made using your suggestion!  How cool is that?   So make those suggestions good- I know you can!

  

Guys- Hurry up-LET ME IN!  Before that little girl sits on me again!

Tchau