Linda's Link to MsAnomaly

Etsy Beagles Blog Giveaway!

2011-05-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

My Etsy Beagles Team has just completed our "Spring into Summer" team challenge! There are 8 great entries in this challenge, and you can enter to win a prize by voting for your favorite team challenge item! Just visit our Beagles Team blog for details on how to enter. Post your vote between Wed., May 25th - Sat., May 28th. Don't miss your chance to win a beautiful Garden Gate necklace from team member 2RavenChicks!

Yes, I'm blogging

2011-04-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable, but true, I'm actually blogging. Of course, it's about my beagle, Flash, wearing his new "Rock Star" dog collar. Since my eldest son's in a band, it's too perfect; has little electric guitars and the words "Rock Star" all the way around it. I got it from Etsy shop and Beagles team member Cody's Creations. Flash believes he is a big celeb now!

On May 7th, I'll be rockin' a show at the Trumbull Art Guild. I love doing the art shows at TAG; there are so many fantastic artists there; not just jewelry artisans, like me, but all kinds of media! If you live in the Youngstown-Warren OH area, stop in and see for yourself. Great time to buy that special OOAK gift for Mom!

Etsy Beagles Team Challenge/Blog Giveaway

2011-02-28T15:57:00.000-08:00

My Etsy Beagles team is having our March team challenge and blog giveaway from Wed., March 2nd - Sat., March 5th. Visit the Beagles team blog to see our "Kiss Me...I'm Beaglish!" challenge entries and enter the giveaway by voting for your favorite!

etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2011/02/kiss-meim-beaglish-team-challengeblog.html

Etsy Beagles Happy Howlidays Blog Giveaway!

2010-12-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

My Etsy beagles team is now featuring our blog giveaway for our "Happy Howlidays" team challenge! Check out our team blog http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2010/12/etsy-beagles-happy-howlidays-blog.html

to view our team challenge items (pictured here) and post your vote for your favorite! The blog giveaway starts Wed., Dec. 8th, and ends on Sat., Dec. 11th. Visit our Etsy Beagles blog for details and to enter!

Whazitcalled?

2010-10-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

I made a necklace with some really pretty stone beads I bought. They were labeled lapis, but I don't think so, unless they're a lower grade. They have a lot of white in them for lapis lazuli, and no gold flecks either. And, the coloring is more blue-grey than a true lapis blue. I'm thinking the beads are either sodalite or even dyed howlite, because of the veining. I really want to list this necklace in my Etsy shop, but I need to have an accurate description. I'm a bead-lady, not really a gemstone expert, so any help would be appreciated! THANKS! Linda

Beagles Team "Halloween Treats" blog giveaway!

2010-10-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Please visit my Etsy Beagles Team blog to see our fall challenge entries and enter our blog giveaway!

http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2010/10/etsy-beagles-halloween-treats-team.html

You could win a fabulous dog collar of your choice from our team member Cody's Creations! The Halloween Treats challenge offers great items for sale in our team members' Etsy shops. Give yourself a treat this Halloween! :0)

Ready for Fall!

2010-09-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy summer, and it flew by. My son is settled in at college, and this month I've been inspired to start making jewelry again. Making I can do; photographing...not so much. I always seem to get frustrated with my photos. I'm too picky. I did get some new listings in my Etsy shop, and hopefully I can get more listed soon. Meanwhile, we are getting cold nights here in Ohio, and the leaves are falling already. It's been hard getting all my summer garden decorations put away. At first, I didn't want to admit that fall was here. As I packed up my "summer stuff," though, I started getting excited about hauling all my fall decor out and setting up my big front porch for Halloween! I LOVE Halloween, maybe because I'm an October baby myself. Speaking of babies, my beagle, Flash, seems to find the cooler weather much to his liking! He wants longer walks than he did when we had 90 degree temps, and I must agree that it is more pleasant to walk him when we both aren't panting! My Etsy Beagles team is getting ready for our fall challenge, and our theme is "Halloween Treats." We will be holding our blog giveaway (see the Etsy Beagles link on the sidebar to view our Beagles Team blog) Oct. 13th-16th, and one of our team members will be donating the prize again.

The Great Graduation Party

2010-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

"The party's over..." Woo-Hoo! My youngest son, Matt, had his high school graduation open house party this past Sunday. Enter Murphy's Law. After months of planning, with attention to every detail, I thought I was ready, and expected the set-up to run like a Swiss Clock (i.e., like me). The day before was time to set up the inside of the garage; decorations, awards table, food tables, etc. It had been beautiful summer weather in Ohio for the past two weeks.

Saturday, aka "set up day," there is a Tornado warning for NE Ohio. Despite the tornado sirens, the garage set up goes well. I finish just as the local TV news station advises people to take shelter in their basements. Luckily for us, no tornado, but we do have a decent mid-afternoon thunderstorm, which I sit through on my front porch. Anxious for tomorrow's "big day," I pray that this was the end of the rain and wind, and we will have a glorious sunny day for the party tomorrow.

The rest of this tale has some slight exaggeration, but trust me, none of it is grossly off the mark. It represents me at the end of my rope, hanging with my hands tied, in front of a firing squad. I am a planner. I am efficient. I do not procrastinate. I consider problems to be merely challenges. I work very, very hard. I have a long fuse. However, when backed into a corner, I do not curl up and die. I come out kicking and scratching; verbally, not physically. When the fuse has reached its end, there will most definitely be a loud explosion. I am half Romanian. I can't help it. It's genetic.

We wake up at 8AM Sunday morning because the party-rental company is delivering the tables and chairs. The overcast weather doesn't look too promising, but at least it isn't raining. We have two large canopies set up to shelter the tables, so I figure we are safe. I open the morning paper to read that yesterday, a tornado had actually touched down in a bedroom community SW of Toledo. There was heavy damage and several people had died. Shudder. Goosebumps. Sorrow. I think "thank your lucky stars, Linda, it's all O.K. here," (albeit the yard, so lush and green, was now the consistency of a wet sponge.) Looking up at the gray skies, I think, "it'll clear up." Unbeknownst to me, this is not exactly an accurate thought.

My son and husband get the tables and chairs in place, then hubby goes inside to start cooking the rigatoni and meatballs, and the potatoes. Matt and I get ready to cover the tables with the lovely red and blue (his school colors) plastic tablecloths. The wind decides it's time for a little fun. So, here we have two people, holding 8ft. long, thin plastic table covers that the wind does not want on the tables. Strapping tape in hand, I get one end of the cover fastened under the table. "Matt, put both hands on the middle of the table and hold it down!" I madly tape one side, as the wind gets under the cover on the other side and tries to rip it off the table. Dashing like a mad woman, I run to tape down the other side, then finally the opposite end. 6 tables and almost 2 hrs. later, the six table covers are secure. Under normal conditions, it usually takes a matter of minutes to do this. No matter; time for the centerpieces! "Matt, run inside the house, and oh, take your shoes off, 'cause I just scrubbed the kitchen floor yesterday! Get that big box of framed photos and inflatable dragons (his school mascot) your brother just blew up, and bring 'em out here. Tell Todd to carry out the vases with the roses in them." Next, me in action; dragons' tails taped to tablecloths, Senior pictures on, rose vases on - tables are lookin' good!

Then it rains. Rain, rain and more rain. Rain that blows in under the canopies, soaking the ends of the tables and end chairs. Then it stops. Me, yelling (uh, yeah, by now I'm yelling), "Taaaaawd! Get some towels and start wiping off the tables and chairs!" Todd: "O.K., mom; clam down!" At which point, my firstborn receives "the look" from his dear old mom. Into the kitchen I run, and order (yep, by now I was barking orders) my poor husband to get those extra pans of rigatoni and potatoes he just made into the oven and set it on warm (these are my "backups" when the food in the roasters/crockpots run out). I order him to get more rigs on to boil and turn on one roaster and the 2 crockpots in the garage and set them on high. "Put meatballs and sauce in the roaster. When the rigs are done, put them in the sauce. Get the beans in one crockpot and potatoes in the other. Put the rest of the beans in suacepans on the stove to warm up" (backups again). I grab plates of cookies to take out to the desert table. I mix up lemonade and iced tea and carry the pitchers outside. I order Todd to go get ice for the coolers. I order Matt to start carrying up water bottles from the basement. I am General Patton, orders are being carried out with precision, and it's looking like the rain has retreated in fear. It's all good. It's only 11:30AM.

At noon, the crockpots and one roaster in the garage are full of food, and the other roaster is on warm, waiting for the chicken. It's time to get the cake, fruit tray, bread, and chicken. This is my husband and eldest son's job. Off they go. I check the backup foods on my electric stove and in the electric oven. Nothing's burning, everything's fine. I run upstairs to take a quick bath, wash my hair, and change clothes. Zip, zoom, badda-boom. Now to do hair and makeup. I blow dry my hair, and decide to check the food outside before I put my face on. It's 1:00, and the party starts at 3. I take the lid off the roaster full of rigs and meatballs, and poke one meatball with my finger. Ice cold. Panic. I check the setting; it's on high. Looking like a word balloon with "Duh?" on it should be coming out of my mouth, I run in and grab a couple of spoons. Spoon takes a quick dip the spaghetti sauce, which is as cold as the meatballs. The beans and potatoes in the two crockpots are cold as the sauce. Me: "WTF! The food's been in there for an hour and a half!"

Let me interrupt myself to mention that I normally do not like the acronym "WTF," nor do I ever use it in my posts on line. However, in this instance, the letters do represent a direct quote. Cold food 2 hrs. befor the party starts will do that to me. Let me also explain that our house was built in 1919. There is just one double-plug electrical outlet in the garage that operates the garage door opener and the light. It's fine for that. The two plugs for these items were removed and one was replaced with a 6-outlet surge strip to accommodate the roasters, crockpots, and the chocolate fountain and coffee maker (the last two as of yet had not been plugged in). I look at the surge strip. The switch is not on.

My fuse is lit and burning and no one is here to stomp it out. OMG! Did my hubby NOT turn the stupid surge strip ON?! Never mind makeup now, there is no foundation thick enough to mask the redness of my face. I flip the switch on the surge strip. It gives a red glow, and my face returns to it's normal color. I rationalize that there are still 2 hours before guests arrive; the food should get plenty warm by then. My blood pressure stabilizes. Then I hear "Click." The surge stip has tripped; the switch's red light is gone. I flip it on again. "Click." Again. The sound of doom, "Click." My Swiss Clock has been sledge-hammered. General Patton is now, at best, a Private, 1st class, and the best laid plans of mice and mom's...

As the tears start to flow, my husband and son return with the food. I become a babbling idiot. "No Power! no power! The surge strip keeps tripping, the food is ice cold, what'll we do? what'll we do?" Whaaaaaaaa!

Hubby runs in to flip the switch on the surge strip. Now, may I pause here to reflect upon this oddity. When a woman says something isn't working, why does a man immediately do just what she did to prove that the whole problem is her. I can flip a switch as easily as you can. Why do you think the switch will stay on for you when it didn't stay on for me several times. Are you magical? Do you have some unknown power over electrical appliances that I haven't been aware of for 20 years? Or, do you just think I'm dumb as dirt and didn't flip the switch correctly? No matter, the switch trips. Hubby tells me that the line from the outlet isn't made for that much power. He brilliantly decides to put a second surge strip in the other outlet plug-in, and split the appliances on the two surge strips. For a moment, I think he is brilliant. He plugs in the second surge strip, transfers one roaster and one crockpot to the new strip, and flips both switches. Eureka! They are on! As I reach to hug him...."click, click." Both surge strips trip. Me: "Whaaaaaaaa!" Hubby mutters the "s" word. No vocal outbursts for him. Strangely, personality-wise, he is Yin, I am Yang. Then, his voice of reason says, "well, what we'll have to do is get the cold food out of the roasters, and put the hot food from the kitchen in them. It'll be O.K. We'll just put the food that's already out here into the oven and on the stove, and you'll have backup food by the time we need it. The great food-switch is under way. Plan B has never been more welcome. All is not lost!

Until we go into the kitchen. The clock on the oven is flicking 12:00, 12:00, 12:00. The oven light is off. The light on the stovetop is off. Hmm, in fact, all the lights in the house are off. Not only did the surge strips trip, the whole darn breaker did; the main breaker. The food in the oven and on the stove is warm, but certainly not hot. All the electricity in the house gave up the ghost when the garage appliances were turned on. Here, I interject a positive word for gas ranges and ovens. Electric ones...well, no need to say it. Hubby runs to the basement to turn the breaker back on. We hear a much louder click. He turns it on again. Click.

He says the "s" word again, only it is much louder and much more discernible this time. Maybe he is becoming Yang, while I become Scarlett O'Hara. Shaking my fist at the heavens and screaming, "I spent 3 weeks scrubbing this house, top to bottom! I washed walls, windows, sinks, toilets, tubs, floors, blinds, curtains, every picture on the walls and every knick-nack! I scrubbed down and set up the front porch. I weeded the flower beds and planted flowers! I ordered all the food, made and sent out the invitations, got all the decorations and party supplies. I ran to 6 stores for food and planned the menu! I ordered the cake, the chicken, and the tables and chairs. I worked my butt off for this party! I want my son to have a nice party. He deserves it and I killed myself to give him one! And this, this is how I'm paid back? The weather sucks, and now a freakin' stupid power shortage in this stupid old house? With God as my witness, I will never have another party at my house again!" The shaking has spread from my fist and is now throughout my entire body. Still without a drop of makeup on, I run into the house as my son, the honors graduate, whose guests will undoubtedly enjoy the cold food we offer, tries to console me.

And then the sun comes out. Literally and figuratively. Hubby reports that he had to unplug the large roaster for the chicken, but if we get the hot chicken in it now, and put the lid on, it should keep the food warm enough for the party (which, at this point, begins in one hour.) We do the food-switch, and I plug in the chocolate fountain in the spot vacated by the chicken roaster. I decide to leave the coffee maker plugged in inside the house. I have already mentally asked God's forgiveness for my anger, but don't want to push my luck. Tempt not the fates. I would rather have coffee-seeking people track mud across my clean kitchen floor than plug one more thing into that darn surge strip. Besides, my spotless kitchen now has empty pans with remnants of spaghetti sauce, parsley potatoes, and beans stacked on every counter from the great food switch. I just don't care anymore about the "pass the white-glove inspection" cleanliness of my dwelling. My neatness perspective has been drastically altered. I never do get makeup on, and realized my vanity is the least of my worries. Besides, I have just been through a little taste of hell, and I want it to show. Twenty minutes before 3:00, I spend consecutive five minute intervals asking hubby if the food is hot yet. He always replied that it was warm enough. "Warm enough" would usually send me into a tizz, but I now considered it a vast improvement from "it's still cold."

With the first non-perfectionist frame of mind I ever posessed in my life, I greet the first guests to my youngest son's, my baby's, graduation party. I laughingly tell them the tales of the foul-wether set-up and the tripping breakers. Everyone laughs and says "Linda, never a dull moment with you!" I agreed wholeheartedly. Our guests eat the warm-enough food, drink the perfectly cold beverages outside, and those wanting hot coffee, track beautiful black Ohio mud and wet grass into my kitchen. They all hug and congratulate a grinning Matthew, and they remain at the party much longer than people who are not having a good time. The sun stays out, and we have over 50 guests from the 60 we invited. Seventeen of Matt's school friends come, and several of them tell me it was the best graduation party they had ever been to. Four of Matt's friends stay well past ten o'clock at night, and his best friend spends the night on the family room sofa. When Matt wakes up the next afternoon ;) he tells me he had a great time at his party and I get a nice big "thanks, Mom" a hug, and a kiss.

Is there a lesson here? Of course. Many, in fact. All's well that ends well is probably an apt summation. My son Todd will be graduating from college in two years. Hubby and I agreed to have his college graduation party at a banquet hall. Yes, it will be expensive; it will be indoors, with everything set up, and the food will be catered. With God as my witness, I will never have a GRADUATION party at my house again.

Etsy beagles Team is having a blog giveaway!

2010-03-25T18:37:00.001-07:00

My Etsy Beagles Team is having our 7th team challenge blog giveaway on our Beagles blog! Pictured are the 12 entries for this challenge, titled "Dog Tired of Winter." We went with a Spring/spring colors theme. To enter the giveaway contest, go to our team blog . Entering is free and easy, and we are offering a beautiful prize; a handmade origami gift card set from our team member DogsRule! Contest ends Saturday, March 27th, so hurry and enter today!

Spring! The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2010-03-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

I finally got outdoors today to clean out my flower beds. They were still full of leaves from what we couldn't get last autumn. It was sunny and in the 60's! Pure joy for Ohio in March, especially after the tons of snow we had in February! As I worked, I felt the sun on my back. It was heavenly. Flash (my beagle, for those of you who don't know), was content to lie on the front porch in the sun, and watch me work.
It didn't feel like work at all, though. It felt like a cleansing - my flower beds were being cleansed of the remnants of past colder seasons, and my body was getting a much-needed dose of vitamin D, and some exercise. I raked away the leaves gently, hoping against hope that something just might be blooming under them. Suddenly, there they were! Bright yellow, vibrant purple, and sparkling white snow crocuses were smiling up at me! They were good.
I noticed one independant yellow crocus had somehow crept underground, out of the flower bed, and decided to come up through the vintage heater grates that I painted to use as stepping stones to the water faucet. Although I admired the flower's free-spirit, I know it will probably get trampled. That's bad.
Saving the worst till last, I must confess that the ugly tire track in the ugly mud on the side of our driveway is my doing. One negative thing about Spring in Ohio is the mud. It's ugly. The snow is still somewhat piled up to the left-top of the photo. When we have huge piles of the snow after my husband shovels, it acts like a barricade when I back out of the driveway (on the right of the mud-track). Once the "wall" melts, I back out a little faster and less carefully. Every single spring since we've lived here (oh, about 15 years), my poor husband has to smooth out the tire track and plant grass seed there...again. I live dangerously even having this picture. I'm sure it would be solid grounds for divorce. I can just hear my hubby: "And, your honor, she has done this EVERY SPRING for fifteen years!"
Hopefully, the fact that I take care of the house and garden, and actually enjoy yard-work (except for planting grass seed), will save me from appearing in court. :)

Happy spring, everyone!

Mad Tea Party!

2010-03-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Since the new "Alice in Wonderland" movie is all the rage now, I'd like to share some of the necklaces I made. Influenced by the character of the Red Queen, here are a few necklaces that go along with the theme. I guess the Queen is my favorite character in the story, because she's such a wild-card! ;) Also, she doesn't like white; sort of like me - I love color, and red is one of my top favorites. White is fine, but I love vibrant colors the best. The queen necklace made from a playing card is something I dreamed up last year. I did have a Queen of Hearts one, too, but it sold. The photos of the Queen of Diamonds necklace are pretty rough, so I never listed it.

I've been tagged! :o

2010-03-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Christie from The Blooming Wildflowers Project tagged me! The rules of this tag are:

1. open your first photo folder
2. scroll to the tenth photo
3. post the photo and the story behind it
4. tag five or more people

Here is my picture:

It's from my 30-year high school class reunion in 2004 (Yep, I graduated from high school in 1974!) I was 48 yrs. old when this picture was taken. The tall skinny guy is my hubby. :) He went to a different high school, and we didn't know each other way back then. We are an old married couple in this photo, since we got married in 1988. The reunion was really fun. It was nice seeing people I went to school with. I was surprised how many of them recognized me right away. I recognized some, but boy, people can change in 30 years! I like this picture because I look tall. My husband is 6 ft. tall, and I'm 5'3." I always wear 3" or even 4" heels when we go out, so it's easier to dance with him! I had long hair then, too, which I've chopped off (see my blog header). We had a great time at the reunion. My best friend from high school and I are still BFFs, and she and her hubby sat with us at the reunion, along with another best friend and her husband. Our graduating class hasn't had a reunion since, which is good in a way. I turned 50 and fell apart! LOL!

My turn! I'm tagging:

Cody's Closet

Creative Comforts LLC

Cthings blog

Indulge Your Shelf

Sensory Felteds

I'm on Zibbet, too!

2010-02-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

I'm still selling on Etsy, and my main shop is there, but I decided to try Zibbet and see what happens. So far, I like some things about Zibbet very much, but also have found some things I dislike. Right now it's "wait and see" with Zibbet. The site still is in Beta. Check out the cute link boxes on the side bar here. They do let you have those for free, and it's sort of like the Etsy Mini. The link to my Zibbet store (box with the clothesline) is right under my Etsy Shop slideshow, and the box with the easel takes you to the Zibbet home page.
I'm MsAnomaly on both sites! :)

Beagles Team Hearts and Hounds blog giveaway

2010-02-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Please check out the Etsy Beagles Team blog ! http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2010/02/etsy-beagles-hearts-and-hounds-team.html
We are having our "Hearts and Hounds" team challenge Blog Giveaway. It's so easy to enter, and you will have a chance to win a great zip-pouch prize by team member kookyhandbags. We hope to see your vote posted on the Beagles blog!

Beagles Team is having a Giveaway!

2009-12-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

The Etsy Beagle Street Team is now having a giveaway on our Etsy Beagles blog: http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/

Contest ends tomorrow at midnight, EST, so post your vote for your favorite team challenge entry. The theme for this challenge is "Happy Howl-i-days." The prize is a beautiful handmade bracelet from BeagleBeads. You can view the entries, the prize, and see the rules on the Beagles Team blog, so click that link and enter to win! :0)

Beagle Angel

2009-11-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

My Mom loved the Snow Queen beagle so much, she wanted one for herself. I made a Beagle Angel last year, and she requested an angel ornament. I bought another beagle head bead from NanjoDogz, and here is this year's Beagle Angel, and my mother's Christmas gift! ;)

Beagles, Snow Queens, and Kings

2009-11-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

This ornament is my entry for the Etsy Beagles Street Team's "Happy Howl-i-days" winter team challenge. The bead is made by Etsy artist NanjoDogz. I've previously used 2 other beagle head beads from Nancy to make other beagle figures. I love the detail in her beads. You can see how beagle-like the little Snow Queen bead is, when compared to my beagle, Flash, aka king of all furniture. He loves to knock the back seat cushion down on this chair in front of our picture window, and lie on it to observe the comings and goings within his kingdom. I hope you enjoyed seeing the Snow Queen ornament, and my spoiled little guy, too!

Shameless promotion: the Beagle Snow Queen ornament is currently for sale in my Etsy shop. I will donate a portion of its sale to the local Animal welfare League of Trumbull Co., OH! :0)

White and Brass

2009-09-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Some more necklaces I made; white and brass .

Skulls that were

2009-08-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

I wish my supplier of these carved wood skulls hadn't gone out of business! :( I bought as many of these as I could afford at the time (this was a couple of years ago), but when I went to get more recently, the seller was gone. These skulls are sooooo cool! They are made from carved wood, natural color, unstained. Although the light color of the wood resembles bone, I think the detail is so much better than the carved bone skulls and not as "Halloweenish" (aka cheap looking) as the plastic skull beads. I created these to sell on eBay, before I discovered Etsy, and sold them all really fast! They actually were a lot nicer than these "pre-photoshop days" photos show. I'd love to make some more necklaces like them, but only these skulls will do! If anyone can tell me where to get the carved wood skulls, I would greatly appreciate it! :)

More Colassal Flops Yay

2009-07-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

Tried these in my Etsy shop. Didn't sell a single one. The pendants are from Los Angeles, bought at a flea market. They are made from brass bullet shell casings that have been melted down and re-cast. I made the necklaces using vintage beads, jewelry findings, and my 2 hands. The necklace designs are from my itty bitty head. So much for my creativity. Anyway, here are what I call the Ladies from L.A. Meh

Just wondering....

2009-05-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about my jewelry-making ways. I just can't seem to figure out what makes my jewelry so unsellable. I like to do necklaces in different styles, use different materials, and therefore have a wide range of choices in my Etsy shop. Maybe a bad idea? I'm wondering if I should make one "kind" of necklace only, and see if having a certain "style" would help my sales. Maybe I'm confusing people. If they are looking for a certain type of necklace, probably nobody would say," Hey, MsAnomaly makes those. I'll look in her shop!" Nope, probably not. It's because I don't make only "those." I make summa them, fewa that, couple'a this, a buncha these, and of course, those, too.

My biggest problem with sticking to one style of jewelry; boredom. My boredom. When I make the same thing over and over and over, it gets tedious, I get bored (there's no challenge anymore), and then I hate doing it. It's work, not fun. It's production, not art. It's efficiency, not creativity. I was not made to be cranking out identical items like a one-woman jewelry factory.

O.K. , maybe I'm being selfish and unfair to my family. Maybe I should throw all my necklaces to the crowds at the next Mardi Gras parade, be rid of them, and get that "real" job. Maybe not.

Truth is, I have a "passion." I really, really love taking discarded old jewelry and other vintage stuff, trying to fit it all together into an interesting design, and bringing all the pieces back as something new and unique. The necklaces shown here are some of the ones I had the the most fun making. I thought, "Oh, this will sell!" I thought wrong. So, I've kept them, and I wear them, and when I do, people say, "Oh, I love your necklace!" I tell them I made it, and it is for sale. When I tell them the price, I get instant hesitation. So, I give them one of my business cards for my Etsy shop. Doesn't seem to work. Few views; few sales. Are my prices too high? From what I've read in the Etsy forums, the "holy grail" is: Don't underprice your merchandise! Gee, I don't even factor in minimum wage for myself in the cost of the necklaces! I work for nothin'! I just can't figure out where I've gone so terribly wrong.

Another thing, I am recycling. That's supposed to be a big thing right now. Nobody seems to realize that, but I am SERIOUSLY recycling. What can you do with a broken old brooch? an old toy? a lone earring? some strangely ugly yet beautifully interesting beads? a space shuttle? ;) I love that challenge. It's what drives my creativity. Plus, it's a lot more fun than buying packages of new beads and stringing them one, two; bead, spacer; blah, blah; zzzz, zzzz.

Maybe it's me. I'm just not a "dinky pendant on a plain chain," or "plain string of pearls" kinda girl. I like unique (overused word, I know, but it's the best there is for what I make). Am I putting too much of "me" into my jewelry? I don't know if I could put much of anybody else into it...after all, I am the artisan! Sigh. Sigh, sigh, sigh. Well, I guess all frustration aside, I'll just keep doing what I love to do, and know how to do. I'll hold on to the ideology/illusion that I can make interesting jewelry. Maybe when I'm dead it'll sell like hotcakes. Joy.

some of my favorite pendants...ever!

2009-04-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago I bought my first vintage Terra Sancta Guild pendant on eBay. It is this "Shalom"

<--- pendant. I fell in love with the "stained glass" look of the brass and enamel pendant, but didn't think the chain it came on did it justice. I removed the chain and made a beaded strand for the pendant. Well, one thing led to another; pendant, that is, and before I knew it, I was a collector of Terra Sancta Guild vintage pendants. I always made new necklaces for them; color deserves color! Anyway, here are a few of the first necklace strands I made incorporating the pendants. Since the pendants are copyrighted by the Terra Sancta Guild, I can't re-sell them, even though the beaded necklaces are my own creations. I have a lot more, but just stopped taking pictures of them. Maybe someday I will add to the photo collection, but I hope you enjoy these!

Second Beagles Team Challenge Giveaway Contest!

2009-04-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy and emotional past 2 months for the members of the Etsy Beagle Street Team! The tragedy with our team member's nephew left us all very sad, but we had a very successful campaign on our blog to help the family of little Zachary Cruz. And sadly, 2 of our members had their dogs cross the rainbow bridge. We will miss our little darlings, Sid and Maggie. :0(
Two of our teammates had great vacations, though, and we were happy to see the photos they shared with us! Through good times and bad, the beagle "rule of the pack" has given us strength, determination, comfort, and also life's blessings of happiness, laughter, and joy.
We have all been getting ready for Spring, which has arrived beautifully for some of us, and sporadically for others. Despite it all, the team has had another successful team challenge; the theme this time is "Beagles and Blooms." We started our second team challenge giveaway today, which is posted on our Etsy Beagles blog. I'd like to invite everyone to check out the challenge entries. Simply post a comment telling what your favorite entry is, and you will be eligible to win a great prize! See the contest, rules, deadline, and prize on our Beagles blog: http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2009/03/giveaway-vote-for-your-favorite-beagles.html
Arrrooooo! Linda & Flash

Team Spotlight Series

2009-02-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

For my Etsy Beagle Street Team, an interview with one of our team members will be posted every Friday! The interviews will let you know more about the artisans on the Beagles team! Just follow the link to the Etsy Beagles blog, posted under My Blog List . Thanks, and hope to see you at the Beagles blog! MsA

Etsy Beagle Street Team "Puppy Love" challenge

2009-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

This nice photo collection of the challenge entries was made by Beagles team member Frumsglassmenagerie. Thanks so much, Sue; it is totally cool! :0)

I am so happy to see the entries for this month's Beagles team challenge! You can visit our team's blog and enter our team's first prize giveaway contest! http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2009/02/enter-first-ever-etsy-beagles-team.html

This is our fourth team challenge, and it's been such fun taking part in them! The theme is always different, and each team member must create an item based upon the challenge theme. This month we chose "Puppy Love" as our theme, since Valentine's day is right around the corner! Here is the final list of entries for the Beagles team "Puppy Love" challenge:

dogsrule, Puppy Love Heart Blanket for Dogs:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19645422

MsAnomaly, Puppies in Love Necklace:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19689522

cutiepiecompany, snow day gocco print:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19729603

creativecomforts07, Puppy Love ear warmer for dogs:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19836879

fatbasset, Puppy Love Beagle Paper Ornament:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19868243

kookyhandbags, Scotty/Checky dog plush/pillow:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19997841

pineapplesugar, Beagle Love necklace:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20504442

CodysCloset, Red Heart Dog Bone Placemat:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=1894185

Frumsglassmenagerie, Paw Print Cell Phone Charm:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20847357

New From Old

2009-01-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

I've recently decided to dig into my "parts box" and try to combine some of the broken vintage brooches, lone earrings, vintage buttons, and unusual findings into a cohesive necklace. It's been interesting, and I've actually used my pliers a lot more than I do for my beaded necklaces! Honestly, I really am not crazy about head pins, eye pins, jump rings, and wire cutters, but I figure I might as well work on becoming a little more adept at using them. I also get more satisfaction from making these "new" jewelry pieces, because most are compilations of things that would have probably been tossed out as useless. shudder, shudder. That so goes against the grain for me. If it's vintage, and pretty, and most of all unique, it's not useless; it just needs reinvented! So, here are a few of my recent attempts. I've not sold any from my Etsy shop yet, though they are all listed there now. http://www.MsAnomaly.etsy.com I realize many people don't look at vintage the way I do (TREASURE!). The necklaces certainly are unique, though, and creative...I think, and it's also a great way to follow the 3 R's of recycling. I hope you like them. :)

Third Team Challenge and 2 Successes!

2009-01-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Oh, so busy over the holidays! Cleaning, decorating, baking, baking, baking! I was also sick with bronchitis for two weeks before Christmas, though I ignored it until I finally felt so horrible I did go to the Dr. Many meds got me finally feeling better, but not 100%. Good enough to finally get something posted here, though! I would like to share the item I made for the third Etsy Beagle Street Team's challenge. The theme was "Warm Winter Wishes," and I purchased the beagle-head bead on my ornament entry from Etsy bead artist NanjoDogz. It is the second time I have used one of her beagle beads in my designs, and I absolutely love the details and expressive little beagle faces! I named this entry "Angeleagle." Since so many dogs are beagle mixes, the names for them are just adorable: puggles, bagles, poogles....well, my ornament is a beagle and an angel, so Angeleagle! I am happy to report that she was purchased and "flew" to Florida. I think she will enjoy the climate there much more than what she dealt with in Ohio! After the New Year, my autumn challenge necklace, with the Bronze Beagle pendant (see previous post) was also purchased. Bronze Beagle moved to Texas. Looks like my beagle jewelry is seeking warmer climates. I don't blame them! I'd like to thank the two ladies who purchased these challenge entries. I have donated the stated percentage of each sale to our local Animal Welfare League, a non-kill shelter and adoption center for abandoned dogs and cats. I know the Trumbull Co. AWL greatly appreciates all donations, and I am happy to do my part to ensure that all their wards get a fair chance at finding a happy loving home. Paws Up to my 2 customers who made this donation possible in such financially difficult times; Paws Up to the AWL for continuing their good work; Paws Up to NanjoDogz for sharing her talents and allowing me to make my beagle jewelry; Paws Up to my dear Etsy Beagles team; and Paws Up to my sweet beagle Flash, my inspiration! I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year, and thank all of you for taking a little time to read my blog! :0)

Finally Back!

2008-10-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hello, all! I know I am behind on updating this blog, so here goes! The Etsy Beagle Street team, which I belong to, has had two team challenges. The entries have been really great, and you can see them at our team's blog: http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/ Here are the two I made for the challenges. The first challenge was in August, and the theme was "Dog Days of Summer." I made this Victorian Summer blue vintage glass and brass findings necklace. I purchased the findings from Etsian amuzemee's shop. An old clip-on earring, sans clip, is the focal piece of this necklace. The earrings colors matched the brass and glass beads "just right!" The second Autumn/Fall challenge had the theme "Hounds and Harvest." I used my stash of vintage carved bone tube beads, vintage bakelite and lucite beads, small vintage "root beer" glass beads, and this wonderful jewelers bronze pendant that I purchased from eBay seller celticmorph. The little beaded dangles above the pendant help transition the large size of the pendant from the necklace strands. Plus, I just kinda liked doing that! :) The team is going to have a winter/holidays challenge with the theme of "Warm Winter Wishes." It will be starting Nov. 1st, and I've already got "my plan" for my entry.

Link to my Bronze Beagle Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15149760

Link to my Victorian Summer Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14569650

The Coral Collection

2008-07-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

For a while, I was making jewelry with red branch coral. My sister wanted some custom pieces done, and sent me some coral - too much coral! :) It had been sitting around for quite a while, and I wanted to pair it up with something different, but nothing seemed to be "right." A friend of mine gave me some seashells from her vacation at Myrtle Beach. These weren't the kind of shells you buy at tourist shops. They were much better! I instantly fell in love with the texture of these really worn shell pieces. They had been tumbled by nature, and the sand and salt-water had left small holes in them. They screamed "organic," and were a perfect match with my red coral. Great pendants! Stringing them together and getting the coral pieces to "hug" the shells was not as easy as I thought it would be. I use monofilament line for most of my jewelry. I like it because it's strong, lays more softly, like string, and holds a nice tight knot. I ended up trying each pendant combo several times, then found it was best to actually "hand-sew" the shell and coral together. The coral had been machine-drilled, I assume, but not the shells. The little holes drilled by nature did not go straight through,; some were "foolers," and didn't go through the shell completely at all. I finally discovered that holding the shell in front of my work-light would let me see the tiny holes straight through, and also what angle they were. I decided that in starting with a long section of monofilament, I could sew the pendant pieces together, then continue beading small shells, stone chips, or beads up the same strand. It took time! Anyway, here are the end results, and I hope you enjoy them!

Eco-Critters

2008-05-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my new necklaces. I call them Eco-Critters, since the animals have been upcycled to pendants (I have no idea what their original use was). I loved their colors and details. They are good with big beads; the pendants themselves are about 4." Definitely just-for-fun necklaces, and for sale in my Etsy shop!

New Materials; New Necklaces!

2008-03-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

I just got some fun new components and here is what I did with them! Hope you enjoy them, and Happy Spring!

More Jewelry

2008-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 new necklaces I created. They both feature pendants I purchased from 2 other Etsy artisans. I love the not-so-perfect shapes, finishes, and textures of these pendant beads, as well as the two different turquoise colors. I hope you like them, too! Please go to my profile and click the link to my Etsy store for detailed descriptions of my necklaces.

Jewelry Just For Fun!

2008-01-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my newer listings in my Etsy store. These are a little kooky, lots of fun to wear, and definitely OOAK! Hope you enjoy them!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-12-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I have 3 OOAK heart collage pendant/necklaces in my Etsy store now, and plan on listing more Valentine-themed jewelry very soon! Check my store over the next few weeks for my new designs! Thanks for stopping by! MsAnomaly

2007-12-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Just an update on some of my new jewelry creations that are available in my Etsy store. The vintage white moonglow lucite necklace with vintage jet glass foiled rondells includes a pair of matching earrings. The gold-tone charm necklace has vintage and new charm findings based upon Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

MsAnomaly at Etsy

2007-10-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

This post is a little glimpse of what I make. My jewelry designs are mostly made of mixed materials and organic components. I especially like to rescue great vintage beads and incorporate them into my designs, and I love the challenge of using "non-jewelry" items, too! Styles range from basic to um, well...a little "off-the-wall!" These two photos show the two extremes of my designs, the rest fall somewhere in between! To visit my store on Etsy, click the link to View my complete profile. On my profile page, just click the "Contact View My Web Page" box. Then, Hello! Welcome to MsAnomaly!