Our Winner .... Lori

OK... we have a winner..... its so fun. It was Lori from Katies rose cottage. I will be contacting her now and mailing out the bracelet on Monday! Thanks for participating. I will have another one in a couple weeks!!!! Until next time......

Meet Kathy

Here is some more of Kathys jewelry. Its is so pretty. Also if you go to her website you can learn about The Forever Bracelet. It is for anyone who has lost someone they love and held dear.

Meet Kathy

I want to start featuring other artist on my blog. There is some awsome talent out there and I love the idea of supporting other women in their creative endeavors!!! I first met Kathy on myspace. We have been friends for sometime now. She lives in Boston and I live in Phoenix. I was lucky enough to learn she had a business trip to Phoenix. So we were able to meet in person. We met at the Hyatt in Phoenix and had a drink and dessert at the top in a restuarant called the Compass Room. Its a circular restuarant that spins and you can see Phoenix from all views. Its was great getting to know her. She works in the field of genetics, she is a practitioner of yoga and plays the guitar. (you go girl) She is one of the sweetest people you would ever want to meet, and one of the worlds gentle souls. She also told me she volunteers at her local childrens hospital and teaches the teen age girls how to make jewelry. Her work is beautiful. The bracelet above is a gift she brought to me,,, and am I lucky or what. LOL Check out her websit.. http://www.elysianjewels.com/ and she is at www.myspace.com/elysianjewels as well....

My First Blog Contest

I love the idea of blog contests. Its so fun. So I want to start having them every now and then. Just drop by and leave me a comment and I will draw a random name for the winner. This is a pink bracelet in honor of all my pink friends at Make Mine Pink. The drawing will be Saturday March 28th! Good luck..........happy creating , gail

I took two different backgrounds, but it is a very light pink in color.

Happy Easter !!!

Happy Easter everyone. I am hoping to have a quiet weekend. Last weekend I was in Chicago and I will always remember it. Its one of the best times I have every had. Coming home this week has been a little stressful. A few life altering changes on the horizon and its just a little scary. So I hope to just kind of chill out and have some fun and I will get busy addressing those issues next week.

I took my Grandaughter Mya shopping for a Easter dress for church. Of course we bought two. She is just so darn cute. I am going to put together the Easter baskets tomorrow. So that will be alot of fun too. So everyone have a blessed, peaceful, happy Easter weekend... until next time, gail

The Most Amazing Weekend

I got back from Chicago yesterday afternoon. Words cant describe how great this trip was. Meeting up with all the girls from Make Mine Pink was the most fun I have had in so long. I was the only one who flew into Chicago Midway apt, so I got a taxi and headed for the brownstone we stayed at. My taxi driver was a very nice guy. When I arrived everyone had just gone down the street for some lunch. So I walked down to a sandwich shop and had lunch. This was in its own way a great experience. I never eat alone. But here in another city it was kinda fun. As I watched all the people walking up and down the street, I couldnt help but notice how everyone seemed to be so dressed up. They looked so put together. Here in Arizona its so casual that its sloppy jeans and sweats. It was really something to think about.

When I went back to the house and all the other girls got back it was like a reunion. It really seemed like I had met them all before. I even knew who they were before we said our names!!! Later we walked around Michigan ave, aka the Magnificent Mile, and also had dinner. When we went back "home" we all just talked and laughed our heads off all night. The next morning we all got together for the Country Living seminar. Four of the girls were pitching there business early that morning for the magazine. They all did great and have wonderful ideas. I really hope that they are chosen. The event had several speakers and panel discussions. The information was so inspiring. The main features that stuck out for me I guess was the technical aspects. I am very new to that and I wanted to learn as much as I could. They all felt blogging was very important to todays online market. A great way to get found by alot of different people. I learned a little more about Etsy.com . They are supposed to be doing some advertising now to let more people know about etsy. I kind of agreed with Joyce, why have they NOT been advertising before. There was building website advice. (some of it was still over my head. LOL) Then the last part of the day was the panel with the 10 most inspiring women. Of course Joyce made an incredible impression. She just glowed up there. Her husband was so proud of her. I loved it, he wore a pink shirt and a Make Mine Pink button. After the wine and cheese reception we received these awsome gift bags. Its a great brown tote and it was filled with all kinds of things, mostly from the women entrepenuers businesses.

At the house we had a pizza party, but before we could eat, we had to dress for dinner and wear our tiarras. The winner was Michelle. It must have been such a hard descion to make, because they were all great. Michelles white gold and diamond tiarra ring was so cool. She really deserved it, she was such a great person to get to know. We had a gift exchange and it was so funny. I ended up with what I wanted. Diane brought the cutes pink stuffed bunny, but it has a secret. You put her in the microwave and its a scented heating pad. I love her. Hey,I just thought, I think I will name her Dianne. LOL But we all pooped out and headed for bed around 1 am. The next day, my nice taxi guy picked my up to take me back to the apt. I was so sad leaving and I am looking so forward to meeting everyone again!!!! These are a few pictures of the beautiful pink girls.........

Chicago: Here we come!!!

Well, I should be packing. I have to meet a friend for drinks in an hour and I have a very early flight to Chicago.... I hate packing. I think its left over from being an airline employee for so many years. I know its going to be soooo much fun. I cant wait to meet all of the women from Make Mine Pink. Plus I am really looking forward to the Country Living Magazine seminar. I hope to come back home with lots of wonderful inspiration to get my business really going.

As I mentioned before, we are having a pink, outrageous tiarra pagent. Since we all leave today or in the morning, I am going to post the picture of mine. Its not really what I would call outrageous, but its about what I do. I love pink, make teddy bears and jewelry. So its about ME. LOL There will be great compition, this a VERY talented group of women. But its going to be fun for sure. I was suprised I was even able to make the metal frame of the tiarra. So I learned something new too. Well, I am off to pack!!!!!!!! Until next time, happy creating out there...... gail

Illustration Friday

I have found a great website called illustration friday. Each friday there is a world chosen to be that weeks subject. Artist download a picture they have done. Its open to anyone and any medium. Its a great way to build up a portfolio and get some practice in each week. I am a little rusty drawing but this is my interpretation of this weeks word "garden". Now I just have to figure out how to get it downloaded to them.LOL.......

Its Friday!!!

This weekend is going to be fun I think. I hope I dont have to go out. I am locking myself in my studio and working on some new projects I am soooo excited about. I am also putting the finishing touches on things I have to do for my Chicago trip next Friday. I am going to the Country Living Creative Afternoon seminar. Joyce Lucas who owns Make Mine Pink is being honored along with 9 others as women entrepeneurs of the year! I met Joyce online when I joined the Make Mine Pink public forums. The women here are just amazaing. Always willing to share ideas and help network! So, some of us are all meeting in Chicago for her special day. After the seminar we will be having our own celebration, and what would that be without a tiarra contest. We have all been working hard, as the prize is a beautiful tiarra ring! Its a secret for now, but as soon as I get back I will post a picture of mine. Its supposed to be outrageous and pink.

I was looking around earlier today and came across some wonderful teddy bear artists blogs. I cant wait to have more time to look around some more. Its all very fun and exciting... well I am off to create some magic. Until next time.....

You Make My Day

I was very suprised to learn that Janet from Janets Creative PIllows presented me with this award!!! How fun is this. I am going to give this a try and send the award on. My understanding is you present the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blog land. Let them know by email or a blog comment so they can pass it on. Here are my special 10!!! Click onto their blog to be as inspired as myself.

http://www.janetscreativepillow.blogspot.com/ Janet

http://www.palepinkandroses.typepad.com/ Lisa

http://www.mademoiselle-rose.typepad.com/

http://www.rosepetalsandblooms.blogspot.com/ Michelle

http://www.silverspoonscraps.blogspot.com/ Sita

http://www.thebrownbee.blogspot.com/ Andrea

http://www.mamaspocketbook.blogspot.com/ Dianne

http://www.clutterbugstudio.blogspot.com/ Carol

http://www.cest-chouette.blogspot.com/ Sharon

http://www.makeminepink.blogspot.com/ A bunch of wonderful ladies

You all have been a great inspiration to me,,,, Thank you so much,,, luv Gail

Busy Computer Days!!!

Boy! It takes hours to manage all of this stuff. I still enjoy it though. Just what I need, another new hobby. LOL With help from my friend (thanks Judy) I was able to figure my camera out a little better, so I was able to get a few better pictures up on etsy. I have gotten my boutique posted at Make Mine Pink on the little pink plaza. So all of this feels GREAT!

I met some friends from High School for breakfast Saturday. It was so nice seeing everyone. Susie came with her family all the way from New Hamshire and it sounds absolutely beautiful. For the first time in a very long time I was the baby of the group. The other girls are already 50, and I have until October. But Susie said something very thought provoking and I really liked it. She said she never minded turning the age of a new decade, ie; 30, 40, 50, because that a new start. Its better than 29,39,49 because thats the end of the decade. So now I am really looking forward to that new start. And besides 50 is the new 40 anyway. LOL She gave us all an open invitation to New Hampshire, and I hope she meant it, because I am going!!!

Well, here are a few new things to post. I am trying to get more artsy in my creations. Ya know something with a story or feeling behind the inspiration. Until next time ..........