Mellow Yellow Monday #58 - A yellow cat?

"We're called red cats, but our fur is kinda yellowish." Calle Cat likes to lie on the window ledge where it is warm and cosy.

Happy Mellow Yellow Monday!
Anna
(and Calle Cat)

First Commenter: Ann of Ann's Snap Edit Scrap

Thanks to February's top-droppers & Advertisers on my widget

Forgive me for doing this the easy way, while I try to catch up on the time I missed when my modem was broken in January.

First, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to write cheery comments when I could hardly write anything at all on this blog! Here I would like to thank all those who dropped EC-cards on my widget the last 31 days and especially those tirelessly loyal top ten droppers for the month of February. Please visit these interesting webpages:

Dropper # of drops My gypsygoods 31 Ruth's Creations 30 Sparkle 30 CAP News 30 A Rose By Name 29 Pure Natural Diva 28 The Junk Drawer 27 anns snap edit scrap 25 Grampys World 23 BeadedTail 22

And now I would like to thank everyone who had an ad for EC-credits on my widget during the month of February. Please visit also these fine sites:

February 1st - Three Fates Design
February 2nd - Kitchen Retro
February 3rd - Freight Forwarding Quantumindonesia
February 4th - Steampunk Jewelry Rings
February 5th - Mariucas Perfume Gallery
February 6th - Meow Diaries
February 7th - Margie & Edna
February 8th - Nature's Beauty and Fury in Pictures
February 9th - Living the Gourmet
February 10th - Lehigh Valley Horse Farms
February 11th - Ann's Snap Edit Scrap

February 12th - Kitchen Retro
February 13th - Parent Times
February 14th - Seek No More
February 15th - Stories in Life
February 16th - Meow Diaries
February 17th - Syrian Alaandotcom
February 18th - Entertainment and Fashion Galore
February 19th - Maitri's Heart
February 20th - West of Mars
February 21st - Duck & Wheel with String
February 22nd - Mariuca's Perfume Gallery
February 23rd - Alterity Button Jewelry and Gifts
February 24th - All Stace All the Time
February 25th - The Junk Drawer
February 26th - Discover Kitch and Retro
February 27th - Laane Loves
February 28th - The Maaaaa of Pricilla

Thank you all for not giving up on me during a difficult time when my posts were not more than short messages sent from the public library about not being able to get on line. Tomorrow is the first of March and I already feel that spring is in the air! I wish you health & happiness whereever you live around the world!

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter: Mariuca

PhotoHunt Theme # 202 "Daily"

This week's PhotoHunt theme is "Daily". These photos show the result of the daily changes in temperature this time of year. The first photo is from about a week ago when temperatures remained well under zero degrees Celsius (under 32 degrees Farenheit).

And here, we see what happens when the temperture rises above freezing for just one day. The thick layer of snow on the overhanging roof behind the garage fell and turned upside down revealing the imprinted pattern of the corrugated roof.

Happy Weekend!

Anna
First Commenter: Alice Audrey

PhotoHunt

ELEVENTH HOUR 1° SERIE

1x01: Clonazione
1x02: Attacco Cardiaco
1x03: Veleno A Colazione
1x04: Persone Speciali
1x05: Pericolo Vaiolo
1x06: Cuore Di Ghiaccio
1x07: Ribellione
1x08: Doping
1x09: Morte Apparente
1x10: Reazioni Incontrollate
1x11: Miracolo
1x12: Due Cuori
1x13: Onnipotenza
1x14: Acque Torbide
1x15: Fulmini Fatali
1x16: Pericolo Sotteraneo
1x17: Profumo D'Amore
1x18: Maternità Strappata

AlphabeThursday -" F" as in "FINDING / FINDINGS"

It's Thursday and time for this week's edition of Mrs. Matlock's Alphbe-Thursday's letter "F". After deciding not to choose the f-words, "fiddle" or "friend" or "frozen" or "full" or even "fictitious"; words that would be interesting to explore, I have chosen a word with its specific meaning and usage within jewellery-making.

My F-word is FINDING.

The word "finding" is already and more commonly used to mean "1. [usually plural] information that is discovered as a result of research in something: The findings of the commission will be published today. 2.(law) a decision made by thr judge or jury in a court case (Please see Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English 1997, page 575).

Within jewellery-making FINDINGS are all of the parts of a piece of jewellery, mostly metal parts, that hold it together, hold all of the decorative and colourful non-metal parts, such as glass beads, crystals, pearls or stones in place and make them function as an adornment for someone to wear.

I had never heard the use of this word "findings" until I started making jewellery and needed to order supplies from wholesale companies that cater to the needs of professional jewellers. According to Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' website page, EncycloBEADdia:

Manufactured components used to create jewelry. Generally, findings provide the structure for the jewelry design; the ornamentation is provided by both the design of the finding as well as the gems, beads or other decoration that is added. Findings include jumprings, clasps, bails, headpins, earwires, and charms, to name a few.

So findings are metal parts that connect and support the decorative parts of a piece of jewellery; the framework, the working parts, the functional parts. Findings are said to be manufactured; but you could also make them yourself if you are skilled enough. If you don't have the time or equipment, findings can be purchased ready-made. And most of us beaders, jewellery-makers and even professional jewellers and goldsmiths, buy ready-made findings for some of their product-lines.


Findings can be made of different types and grades of metals, from precious metals such as gold and silver to brass, coppar, steel, pewter and alloys of several metals, as well as plated metals. The choice of findings is also a design-decision, because even the metal finish has a colour and texture that is an important part of the design as a whole.

Happy
Alphabe-Thursday!
Anna

First Commenter: Sarah of Hyacinths for the soul

Wordless Wednesday - Two White Necklaces

Which necklace do you like best? The mother-of-pearl coin beads are exactly the same in both. It is the spacer-beads that make the difference.

Happy Wordlessness!

Anna

First Commenter: Ann of Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap

Ruby Tuesday - More red plant-inspired jewellery ! (Part II)

For last week's Ruby Tuesday I showed a red and green beaded necklace (click here to see it again) that I made to look a little bit like rose hips. This week I will continue to show some of my efforts to make plant-inspired jewellery.















Here is a bracelet made with an antiqued brass chain with 10mm links with the same bright red beads from India that I used for last week's necklace.

But instead of stringing the red beads and glass leaves in a row, the "rose hips" hang individually more like the way they do from branches of a rose bush.

This time I am using olive green Czech pressed glass leaf beads to hang on the bracelet as charms.

Making bracelets is a real challange, because like rings, they are constantly seen by the wearer herself. Maybe this is why I began making necklaces. But I am that glad I have finally started to make bracelets. It's fun!

We can call this is a work in progress. Again, this is a piece that I have not yet listed in a shop. Should I make it heavier with more leaves and rose hips or should I just leave it as it is? I have lots of beautiful chain and beads so I could make several versions.

Next week: More red earring!

Happy Ruby Tuesday!
Anna

First Commenter: Magical Mystical Teacher

Yellow Mellow Monday #57-Yellow Earrings & A Yellow Garage

So that we all have some spring fashion to look forward to, here are a pair of yellow candy earrings modelled by Elisabet.

But for now, this is the sort of "mellow yellow" we will see for a few more weeks!

Happy Mellow Yellow Monday!
Anna


To see other MYM-posts click on
the yellow butterfly image:


First commenter: black eyed susans kitchen

Lots of snow & many thanks to EC-advertisers while my modem did not work

This is the view from my kitchen window. It was -17 degrees Celcius at 10 am. Today I would like to catch up on some unfinished business:

For different reasons, I have not been able to keep up with the good habit that Clara Drummund of Coming Back To Life has taught me, that is, to thank my EC-advertisers once a week and give them an extra link. The last time I have such a post was in January 3rd. After that, I started having big problems with my computer and finally my modem broke, which made it very really hard to get on line for several weeks.

I finally did get my modem repaired (or rather replaced) and have been trying to post as often as I can. (I had to abandon my plans to do the NaBloPoMo-challenge for February.) I woulod like to thank those I can, even if there is a five-day gap when I could not get online and not go to the library and use a computer there. Nothing to do but carry on!

Visit these blogging friends who had their card on my widget:

Monday, January 4th - Yummy as can be
Tuesday, January 5th - Life's Sweets and Spices
Wednesday, Jauary 6th - Cat Lovers' Site

Thursday, January 7th - The Modern Mom

Friday, January 8th - Cinnamon & Everything Nice
Saturday, January 9th - Grampy and you

Sunday, January 10th - Maitri's Heart

Advertiser on my widget from Monday, January 11th to Friday, January 15th are lost.

Saturday, January 16th, Maitri's Journal, Life at Dragonfly Cottage

Sunday, January 17th, Chic Galleria Magazine

Monday, January 18th, Meow Diaries

Tuesday, January 19th, Business Sphere

Wednesday, January 20th, Lenox Knits

Thursday, January 21st, Bakatsuki Fashion and Costumeve (Have you quit EC?)

Friday, January 22nd, Orica's Gentle Tones

Saturday, January 23rd, Alterity Art

Sunday, January 24th, Mariuca's Perfume Gallery

Monday, January 25th, Managing the Home or Mother by Design (Sorry, I can't find your URL)

Tuesday, January 26th, Meow Diaries

Wednesday, January 27th, Dogs Deserve Freedom

Thursday, January 28th, Grampy's World

Friday, January 29th, All Stace, All the Time

Saturday, January 30th, Creative Kids (Sorry, can't find your URL)

Sunday, January 31st, Creative Fashion

Thank you all and welcome back!
Anna

PhotoHunt theme # 201 "Cuddly"

This week's PhotoHunt theme # 201 is "Cuddly". My question to you folks is, in this menagery of books and cuddly-toys, where is the kitty?

Last I woke up last Sunday morning to find Sara nessled in among the children's various toys and books that found their way into the old crib, that Sara has adopted as one of her napping places. (Sorry about the focus; it was a quick, handheld shot.)
Happy Weekend!
Anna

PhotoHunt

Should children be allowed to have their ears pierced?

I received an interesting comment from Jenny Matlock yesterday on my Alphabe-Thursday "E, as in Earrings"-post yesterday.

In response to my photo with piles of earrings with ear wires, Jenny Matlock writes: "Beautiful earrings. My granddaughters are drooling over some "dangly" earrings but they are so young. Do you make anything suitable for an eight year old?"
Yes I do. I make earrings with screwback-findings for children and young people as well as adults like myself who do not have pierced ears.

I do not approve of piercing the ears of children. I don't even like young teens having pierced ears.
But if I don't approve of piercing the ears of children, why do I make and sell posts and earwires? I do this because there is a market for them, because so many woman want them.
If an adult woman already has pierced ears and would like to buy earwires, I would be a fool to not accommadate her. I sell sterling silver ear wires and think about good hygiene. I never sell used earwires. If a customer would like a specific wire gauge (wire thickness) or metal for her earrings, I try to get it for her.

But I am not in this business to make more people have their ears pierced, or get them to have their daughters' ears pierced. This is why I try to offer findings for wearers who do not have holes in their ears. There are screwbacks and clip-ons and other interesting solutions. No girl or woman should ever need to feel that they have to get their ears pierced. I will redo any design and make them wearable for non-pierced ears.
Here are some earrings with screwback findings (plus one with ear wires for comparison).

Most of these dangle-designs are small and light-weight and could be worn by an eight year old girl.
I can make earrings for your special needs and list them as a reservation in your name on my Etsy shop. Please tell me what colour and style you think your granddaughters would like. Click here to get to my Etsy shop, AnnasAdornments.

Thank you for asking, Jenny.
Best wishes,
Anna

Alphabe-Thursday-"E" as in "Earrings"

For today's meme, Jenny Matlock's "Alphabe-Thursday" the letter is "E" as in "EARRINGS".

Here is a sampling of my own handmade earrings, most of them are not yet listed in my shops. (Double-click and get a closer view! Let me know if anything strikes your fancy!)

Happy Alphabe-Thursday!
Anna

Ruby Tuesday: Plant-inspired red jewellery: rose hips, Part I

For this week's Ruby Tuesday I will continue to show diferent pieces of my jewellery, this time in red! It may be the wrong time of year for red, as it is no longer Valentine's Day, and Christmas is far behind us. And rose hips are not ready for picking until late summer or early fall.

But I really like these red fruits and have been trying to make pieces of jewellery that look something like rose hips. So for Ruby Tuesday I would like to explore some of the possibilities for rose hip-inspired jewellery.

This red necklace was first listed in my Etsy shop, "parltradet" until I decided to only sell stretch-jewellery there and moved it over to my newer Etsy shop, "Anna's Adornments".

It is supposed to look like rose hips. But does it? What do they really look like? This is jewellery and not botany, so poetic license permits a less than perfect true-to-nature interpretation. But for the sake of comparison here is a photo from last summer showing a garden variety that is plumper than the original "wild roses".

This photo shows some still greenish rose hips that are shaped somewhere in between, less plump, more round, but not as slim as the real wild roses.

And here are some shots of real rose hips in the fall. The colour of the fruits is still a bright red, but the covers have turned dark brown.

Now, what elements should I use to give the feeling of rose hips in a necklace, bracelet or a pair of earrings?

To be continued...
Happy Ruby Tuesday!
Anna

Blue on Monday

Today is Monday and in keeping with "Blue Monday Meme" this post will have lots of blue in it! As I said yesterday, from now on, there will be new jewellery on every post, including posts with memes.

Here is a photo of a place you may have seen before if you are aquainted with Anna's blog. It was a Blue Monday-post and the photo was taken earlier in the fall of 2009. It's our neighbor's blue garden furniture.

And now, here is the same scene, taken just a few days ago in February 2010!

And here are the chairs again, from an other angle. They certainly are buried in snow!

But we are not finished yet. Here are some cool blue and white necklaces that might be nice to wear in spring and summer: The first three are stretch necklaces with glass beads, Czech pressed glass and Chinese cat's eye glass beads, millifiori (a thousand flowers) glass beads of unknown origin, and some Chinese porcelain beads with good luck symbols on them. I am also using clear seedbeads and clear elastic cord.

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2

3

This fourth necklace is strung on soft beading-wire with a sterling silver toogle clasp. But I am wondering if the soft drape maybe wasted on the daggers. I have been thinking about trying memory-wire. Does anyone have any thoughts about this? What if I redo it on memory-wire?

4

And finally, here are some blue earrings, but I will have more earrings on a separate post very soon. I made a pair of earrings for the necklace with the Chinese porcelain beads, but forgot to include them in this photo. Sorry! They will turn up later.

Happy Blue Monday!
Anna