Pieces Of Me - LissC

Camera Shy

2012-01-13T21:14:00.004-07:00


My Kitty Jasmine - Being A Little Camera Shy

Greeting Cards..

2012-01-13T13:09:00.002-07:00

Hi! Just sharing a few cards that I just listed. I used to do a lot of scrapbooking; however, with my beading I have no time for it. So making cards is my paper crafting outlet :)

My Newest Piece...

2012-01-12T14:31:00.004-07:00

Hi everyone! PHEW... Finished! This is a special order that was promised to a friend a few months ago. With all the craziness going on it was put on the back burner, yet was constantly on my mind. I struggled with this piece for a number of reasons. However, if I might quote the famous writer who said ..."I hate writing, I love having written". This is one of those pieces that tortured me; however, I am completely in love with the end result.

See more photographs of my work and this piece here.

Have a beautiful day!

Giveaway Delayed

2012-01-05T08:14:00.002-07:00

FOr anyone looking for the January Giveaway -- I haven't forgotten about you :) Just having computer issues and unable to upload photographs right now, but I will still be doing a giveaway just as soon as my computer is finally working right! Please do check back.

A year in review

2011-12-31T08:10:00.002-07:00

I can't believe it is new years eve already. Where does the time go? That is what i've been asking myself all week. So I decided to go back and review some of my blogs to see if I could figure out where it went. I found that the question, where is time going came up a lot for me during the year.

January: I joined a bead club at Scottsdale Bead Supply store. What a great decision that was! Each month I received a kit that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and taught me something new. I've also met a lot of great people, and made some great friends in the club :) I also joined the online bead journal project, which turned out to be wonderful. I wasn't able to complete all my projects, but i am more hopeful for this year!

Juliet & Jasmine-- My furry babes :)

February: Jasmine (my kitty) swallowed a needle. The vet wanted 2000 to save her life, and remove the needle. $2000 that I did not have. That is when I met my first Earth Angel. A woman, a stranger to me, saw my pain and distress, and gave the doctor the money for the procedure. I will never forget her or what she did for me and Jas that day.

March: March was filled with lots of walks, blooming flowers, and orange blossoms. It is my favorite time of the year here in Arizona. While most are still wrapping up winter, Spring is in full bloom here.

April: April was a full month. Spring was still in full bloom, and I was continuing my walks, and taking photographs of the flowers. I was also full of inspiration. Creating new pieces of jewelry, like my watercolored bird on a branch pendant, and a aqua cuff bracelet. My niece was getting ready for her graduation, so I made her necklace in her class colors. The month also had it's miracles. My brothers house was struck lightening in the middle of the night. He was able to get his family out safely before the entire house was engulfed by the fire. My brother, his wife, and kids lost everything they had ever owned. Every photo, every keepsake. Now I look at my keepsakes, I see them differently. I have less attachments to them. I realize how quickly they could all be gone, and how important it is to be able to disconnect to them, and focus more on the important things, like loved ones.

May: May started off quietly. My niece had her first communion, and I got back to working on my jewelry. However, life likes to keep things interesting, so toward the end of May I found myself in surgery, having my gallbladder removed.

June: Most of June was spent healing, and spending time with my fiance who had come in from New York to help me out through my surgery. I spent a lot of time planning pieces of jewelry.

July: July in Arizona is starting to heat up! And most of the month is a blurr. I had several jewelry projects going on, so most of my time was spent enjoying the creative process and avoiding the outdoor heat :)

August: Arizona is at it's hottest time of the year, so most of it is spent in doors trying to keep from melting in the 115 degree heat. My oldest neice Amanda came to visit from Michigan. It was a quick visit, but we had so much fun! We visited the phoenix zoo, did a ton of craft projects to match her bedroom, and mostly spent time together hanging out in my craft room, laying on the bed chatting and watching movies like two teenage girls at a slumber party. I miss her so much :)

I also participated in Lorelei's shadowbox giveaway and bloghop. Which was a lot of fun.

September: What a month! This was a super creative month with lots of all nighters spent working on my piece for Lori's Blog Hop & Swap party! This was such a fun event. There were so many involved that I still haven't hit everyone's blogs to see their pieces. Lori worked so hard putting organizing the party. I don't know how she pulled it all off. My partner was Marcy, who made me the most amazing glass pieces. I just can't say enough good about both of them. I'm so grateful that I was able to be involved. Due to the high volume of participants Lori is doing a lottery for participation in the next party. So wish me luck!

Items sent to Marcy my partner.

Necklace created and inspired by the glass pieces Marcy sent to me.

October: This month flew by in a blurrr. Halloween is my fiance and mom's favorite holiday. So we always do our best to decorate and celebrate. I had a lot of fun passing out candy to the kiddies this year. So many fun and sweet kids came by. I spent a lot of time finishing up projects that I had been working on over the summer, and a great deal of time taking advantage of the ebay listing sales that were going on.

November: What a month this was. My checking account number had been stolen, and my account emptied, so I had taken my computer into Geek squad just to make sure there wasn't a virus on it. It took a week to get it back. Shortly after getting it back, I tripped over my dog while carrying it, broke it, and had to take it back to geek squad. I was without it for 3 weeks while they fixed it; however, even though I had backed up all my data, but backup drive had mysteriously gotten broken, so I lost all of my photographs and other information.

My aunt had a surgery, which left her immobile. So we had plans to move her in.. A week before she was to move in, we received a call that my cousin, 35 years old, had passed away. Leaving my uncle, and his sisters devastated.

Three days before moving her in, we had a pipe break, which resulted in having to tear out two walls in the living room, and completely tearing out my bathroom. A wonderful friend saved us by doing the work for us at cost, and getting a few of his friends to chip in and get the work done in a rush so that we could still get my aunt moved in.

I had 2 important jewelry orders to complete this month. And so far, finding a creative space was difficult as my bedroom/studio was torn apart for the bathroom remodel.

We made it through this, and were able to get the house ready for Thanksgiving. My fiance flew in the day after Thanksgiving. Thankfully things were starting to calm down.

I was however, fighting terrible mouth pain, and flu like symptoms through all of this. So after things settled down, my fiance took me to my dentist. And shortly after that, I was scheduled for oral surgery, and had plan to remove several teeth that were damaged due to the medication I take.

What I was most thankful for this month, was that through it all, I was still able to find the inner piece, to be creative, and to complete the jewelry orders I had for that month, and that my fiance was able to be off work, and come be with me, and be by my side through all of this.

December: This is my favorite month. We always go crazy during this holiday. Baking cookies and candy, decorating the house. As a kid, my mom installed a deep love for the holiday in me and my siblings. I still remember how it felt to really know that Santa was real, and to wait up staring out my snow covered window, watching for Rudolph's nose. And having friends over to decorate sugar christmas cookies. For me, it is still a very magical time.

It is New years eve. I am pretty much healed up from my oral surgery. I am still fighting the flu like symtoms, which turned out to be severe anemia. Now that we know what we are dealing with I am looking forward to getting better, and getting my energy back.

I am really just bursting with excitement about the year to come. I have a lot of new and exciting things happening with my jewelry, and am looking forward to get moving on them. My fiance is taking some time from his work and staying here with me while I get my heath back. So I am also very excited to have this time with him.

I can't wait to get moving on the projects I have planned, and sharing them with you, my friends here.

So let me share one of the exiciting things with you now. I am currently selling my pieces in a boutique in Bisbee Arizona, called Bliss Bee. It is a wonderful little store!! They specialize in mixed media, folk art, vintage finds, unique clothing, and art classes. I am just so thrilled and grateful that she is selling my jewelry with all the amazing art she sells in her shop.

My peacock necklace on some of the wonderful clothing sold in Bliss Bee.

My sea breeze necklace. Aren't these just the sweetest clothes ever!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR all my dear friends! I am so excited for what is in store this coming year. My most sincere wishes that all of us have an amazingly blessed year, and that our troubles be behind us.

(HUGS) & Blessings.

LissC

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!!

2011-12-24T08:51:00.001-07:00


I didn't get photo's uploaded this year....so borrowed this from last years post :)

This year my fiance is here with me (we couldn't be together last year), so really all my holiday wishes have been answered. We are going to spend the evening with some family, and then sneak off by ourselves to go to church, and then drive around, drink hot cocoa, and take in the lights. Even with all the hardships this year brought, i feel so wonderfully blessed this year to be with the ones I love this weekend.

I hope that you, my friends, are also surrounded with love this Christmas, and that you have the most wonderful Holiday.

(HUGS) and Blessings.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

GIVEAWAY

2011-12-04T07:29:00.001-07:00

NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY - Thank you to those who participated in the November giveaway. Due to the craziness of the holiday I won't be doing a December giveaway; however, I will be having a January giveaway again.

The winner of the November Giveaway is....SHERRY!!!

Sherry Please email me your address so I can get your kit out in the mail!!!

Congrats!!

Thank you again to both of you, and please come back in January for another chance to win!!

2011-11-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!!! I hope everyone is with loved ones and finding lots to be thankful today!

Today i am thankful that the plumbing is finished, the leaks in my wall are fixed, and mostly I am thankful that tomorrow my fiance is flying in!!! I've missed him sooo much!!

It's all just a point of view...

2011-11-19T19:53:00.001-07:00

Sooo... last month I had a virus and had to take my computer in. I was without it for a week. I thought that was a lifetime without my computer, amazing how much we use it on a daily basis. Sooo.. this week.. I was walking with my lap top open, and didn't see my big ol black lab puppy dog laying on the floor I flew over the dog, my computer flew across the room....and well..it didn't end well for my laptop, nor my completely black and blue and swollen knees. Soo, once again I am without a laptop, for at least 3 weeks they tell me well they send it out and determine if it is salvageable.

the next day a faucet that wouldn't drain, turned into a busted pipe in the wall, which turned into a pipe that had been leaking, and is resulting in mold and rot throughout my entire bathroom and livingroom walls. So a saint of a friend has been here all weekend tearing out the walls in the bathroom, and basically creating a whole new bathroom, and also the walls in the living room as it rotted on both sides of the connecting wall, because on Monday we are moving my aunt in, who has been in a nursing home/rehab and is struggling to recover from a back surgery, and isn't able to walk.

The third day I went to the dentist and found out I'm in need to basically have all my teeth pulled because the medications I have to take, have destroyed me teeth.

So I laughed, cried, threw up my hands and said..really what else?

Well, as I already know, and everyone knows, you never ever ever ask that question.

It wasn't long after that when we got a call that my cousin, 35 years old, had passed away. I hadn't seen my cousin in years. He was a tortured soul. But it has been just devastating for the whole family, his sisters, my uncle.

Sometimes when you think things are so bad, life just puts it into perspective for you.

If you made it to this point.. thanks for hearing me vent. Been a tough week :)

Just Because..

2011-11-08T19:45:00.003-07:00

they make me smile :)

Jasmine in her basket :)

Juliet just loves finding new places to sit :)

Halloween Decorations

2011-10-31T09:31:00.001-07:00

With all our little ones in the family back in Michigan now we didn't go all out like we normally do; however, we did put up a few decorations for Halloween this year. Here are some pics.

I just think this is cute!

Our $1.00 tombstone...gotta love the dollar stores.

These scary looking witches, that kinda freak me out.

Wreath I made a few years ago.

Lightbulb witches, and music box that we created a few years ago - original design by my cousin Julie.

Some of my favorites - my calico kitty halloween collection.

Have to have a cool looking center piece for Halloween.

Super fun ghosts and witch decorating the front of the house.


My Neighbors ghosts - i just think these are so fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY

2011-10-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

And welcome to my very first blog giveaway!

My purpose for doing the giveaway is:

Extra love for my blogging friends.

Special thanks for all those who have been so supportive on ebay.

I just love giveaways!

So, let me show you what you can win this month, and following the pictures I will give all the details on how to win. This month is for all the paper crafter, journalers, cardmakers, scrapbookers out there. (I will be doing different items each month, so there will be some giveaways for all my beading friends too!) For my beading friends, if you don't paper craft, maybe you have a friend or relative that you could give this months package to if you win it???


I started with this fabulous papers from DaisyD (18 papers all together, 2 of each shown)


Then I added this wonderful matching cardstock stickers, tags, and alphabets.


Added 25 yards of hand picked fibers & ribbons.


Added some ki bubble alphabets and stickers, and this wonderful fabric shirt labels by Karen Foster.


And of course - it couldn't be complete without a little hardware. (sorry for the glare on photo)


So here is the final package!

Now, how to win this festive fall package!..here are the rules...

I've added links/tabs to the top of my blog. There is one for my giveaways so you can easily find it each month :)

SO there are lots of ways to be enter to win so let me get to listing them!

Leave a comment below for a chance to win! (1 entry per month)

Want to get more entries? Get 1 extra entry for each of the following:

Twitter about this giveaway
Twitter about any item in my Etsy store or Ebay (1 entry per twitter)
"Like" me on Facebook (tab on top of blog)
"Favorite" my store on Etsy (tab on top of blog)
Mention my giveaway on your blog.

Want to get even more entries? Get 5 extra entries for the following:

Place a bid on any item I have listed on ebay during the current giveaway. (5 enteries per bid)

So those are all the ways I could think of to be entered. If anyone else has other ideas in which to be entered, please share them and I may add them to the list.

So, again the simplest way to get entered is to just leave a comment below. Please be sure to come back and leave a comment for all the other entries you have earned. You can leave one comment for all the entries you gain, or one for each. Which ever way you want to do it.

Please be sure to come back next month and check to see if you won, and also to see the next giveaway! If I can not get a hold of you within 1 month (or the time of the next drawing), I will draw again for a 2nd chance winner.

Okay. I think I covered everything! For all of you who have done giveaways on your blog, if you think i'm missing something please do let me know!

Oh, yes... the winner will be announced at the time of the next giveaway. Which should be the first of every month. So, next drawing and winner announced: December 1, 2011

p.s. Within US only. Sorry I can't afford the shipping out of the country.

SHERRY YOU HAVE WON... please email me with your contact info as soon as possible so I can get your package out in the mail!

CONGRATS!

REMEMBER TO CHECK BACK IN JANUARY FOR ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!

2011-10-29T02:57:00.001-07:00

Wow. I can't believe how fast this month went by! Halloween is only a few days away, and it feels like we just got out our Halloween decorations! Before we know it it will be time to decorate the Christmas trees. I just wanted to drop a quick note to say hi, and to give a heads up on some plans I have for my blog.

As some of you who I am closest to may know I have been unable to work full time for the past 5 years. And in that time I have gained a ton of debt, primarily in medical bills. To try and gain control of some of these bills I have been selling on ebay, primarily scrapbooking supplies. My family has also donated a lot of supplies for me to sell. I still do enjoy scrapbooking; however with limited energy I prefer to focus on my beading when I am able to create.

My intentions on selling my items on ebay were two fold. One, to be able to earn some money to get my debt down. Two, I believe art heals, and these craft supplies are just begging to be enjoyed by someone. . I know for myself that when I am not able to create, I feel worse. And it is discouraging to see these art supplies that I had spent good money on sitting there going to waste because I'm not able to use them. So I was also hoping that in taking advantage of all ebay listing sales, and doing my best to keep cost down on my end I would be able to list low enough that I could still earn a little, but also still provide others that may not have a lot of extra cash (which is like 99% of us today, right?) an opportunity to purchase the items they need for their own hobby

So far the feedback i've received from those who have won the auctions has been amazing. I have a few repeat customers that are in very similar situations to mine. I have one woman who purchases the items and then creates cards that she donates to those in need, such as shutins, and shelters. And many who have won who are just like most people these days, and struggling. So, all in all, it has been incredible successful for me!

SO what that all leads to is....I am planning some giveaways on my blog starting in November. For one, i love a giveaway! And two, what a great way to thank all of my loyal customers on ebay. And third (but most importantly) just a little extra love for all my blogger friends. I realize that most of my blogger friends are beaders, so I will try and mix it up and give something different away each month, sometimes for the papercrafter sometimes for the beader. Just be sure to check back on November 1st (maybe before if I just can't wait) for the 1st monthly giveaway/drawing/freebie!

100th Post!

2011-10-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

Wow, my 100th post. Not something I was striving for, but just noticed when i went to post that it was the 100th one, so I thought to myself ... "hmmm...that is a milemarker" So celebrating my 100th Post!!!!

Looking for BSBP piece? click here I am still hopping! If I haven't made it to your piece yet, I will! Please be patient. It will take me a while, but I promise I will get there.

So I have been busy trying to tie up lose ends. I have mentioned before that I am one of those persons who gets really bored really easily with projects, so that means I tend to have at least 10 of them going at once. So I have been working on trying to finish up some of those before I jump into new ones.

This is one of them that I started a year ago. I really wasn't sure what it was going to become when I started. I just liked the weaving so I kept going with it. I was thinking of just making a bracelet and calling it good, but I decided to not be lazy and to make it into a choker :) I struggled with the clasp for a while. I looked at what everyone else did, flipped through my magazines, and books. In the end though, I decided to go with my own design, and just do a simple peyote stitch around the magnets. I really love how it turned out. So here is my very first bead weaved choker, and my very first use of a magnetic closure :)

I've also been busy on Etsy trying to get my shop to work better for me. I've joined a few newbie to etsy teams, and am finding that helpful.

I have also been playing with treasuries and having some fun making them.

Here are a few sample photo's and links to the treasuries that I have been making this week. For anyone who doesn't sell on etsy. A treasury is basically a page you set up with 16 different artists/products that you like, and that all share a common theme. They are fun!

"Does winter leave you feeling blue"

Wandering Through the Woods

I'm so Blue without You

I have also been super busy listing product on Ebay. Mostly a lot of scrapbooking, cardmaking, papercrafting items, and some cross stitching kits and such. Right now I'm listing a lot of holiday theme product, and some kits that I thought would make nice gifts. If you like ebay you can find me here.

Okay I have to finish up some work because I am have to take my computer into geek squad,because, for the 2nd time this summer I have had my banking account stolen. GRRRR! First time they didn't get anything, this time they cleaned me out. Jerks! So I have no idea how it's happening, and I don't think it is through my computer, but just to be safe I am bringing my computer in for a cleaning out so I will be without it for a few days. A few days without a computer? Not sure how to survive that one!

So have a wonderful weekend, and I will catch up with everyone when I get my computer back!!

BSBP Inspired Piece

2011-09-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi! If your looking for the BSBP post either scroll down a few posts or click here

I had so much fun making my BSBP piece that I made this small flower necklace inspired by my larger piece. A more wearable piece :) I'm thinking about making some more of them to sell, but still trying to figure out the pricing part.