Edging!

I think putting edging makes the earrings looked more polished. Doesn't take too long but still tedious. I'm liking the way these are coming out and they aren't as time consuming as a medallion.  I will still make some of those too. Well, I now have some more items for Sunday and beyond!! Now, to make more of each; earrings, cards, MK gift sets.

Pair #3

This is a pair without edging....so far. Depends on my mood tomorrow. I still have gift sets to put together too. I'm hoping it won't snow too much...or at all. I guess I can't complain  too much since we have had such a mild fall so far.

Pair #2!!

Not sure how I feel about these, but they look ok. I'm playing with edging, just to see how it looks. I hope to sell these this weekend at my holiday boutique.

First attempts

Here are my first attempts at making beading earrings with the epoxy cabs. I think they turned out pretty good!!

New creation Monday!

Just made these, hoping to sell a few this weekend at my holiday boutique

Great weekend

I had a great week end up at the third annual Women's Expo at Grand Casino Mille Lacs! Friday night was kind of slow, Saturday was busy most of the day. This was my second event for my craft business,  it was really good exposure and also a learning experience. I sold a lot of my cards and a few pair of earrings. I'm having my first ever at home Boutique next Sunday, the 20th as well as the following Sunday the 27th. I will be selling items from both of my businesses, Iona's Inspirations, and my Mary Kay business. This week I'll be calling referrals for facials and holiday shows. I'll also be working on making more cards for next Sunday and more earrings. I was able to shop for supplies for making earrings. 

Success!

Well, I did my first craft show and it was a success!! It was a pretty big craft show there were about 80 vendors. I was nervous and I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad my sister was there to help and support me. It was in the parking lot of Grand Casino and part of the Bassmasters competition. I thought the event went pretty well considering they had never done a craft show like this outside. We couldn't have asked for better weather, and the sprinkles held off until Sunday afternoon during takedown. Now that I've gotten my feet wet, I look forward to my next craft show coming up in November at a church in Blaine.

NOT productive

Well, I mostly didn't get a lot done in the house this week. I got some stuff but not nearly what I wanted to accomplish.  Tomorrow will be a feverish push before Sunday.  I am having a "beauty bar" event for my Mary Kay business Sunday afternoon.  What is a "beauty bar" you may ask?? I'm glad you did!  It's a way women can stop by and try any/all of our products! I will have skin care/anti-aging in the dining room, and color cosmetics in the living room. Out on the deck, I will have perfumes, if anyone is fragrance sensitive, they can avoid the deck.  I have not done an event like this before, and this isn't the best weekend, but I DO have some attendees confimed. It's a whirlwind weekend of graduation open houses - I know I have THREE to attend tomorrow alone!

I have set a personal goal for my business before I go out of town for a camping vacation NEXT Saturday, so I came up with the beauty bar. I saw the idea for it in our "Applause" magazine back in January. I plan to have at least one more event possibly next month, when schedules have settled down. I will get a couple of photos up Sunday.

Productive!

Today proved to be productive!  I planted ALL the veggies I purchased, re-assembled my fairy garden, and found I had MORE items than I had space.  That means, I will make ANOTHER!! Possibly for my sister.  Or, I could just have 2 on the front step. Now, if I could make some headway in the house... Ugh. Again, so many ideas...if I can do a little everyday(like we tell the kids), I could get a LOT done by the weekend!  I can do that.  I WILL do that.

Life happens

It's been a couple weeks.  Life happens. Upon returning from a whirlwind roadtrip from MN-TX, I had couple days rest...then off to Rochester to the Mayo. My cousin wasn't doing well, and family had been called in to visit while we could.  It's hard losing a family member.  My family is larger and very close knit compared to most. I didn't pack an overnight bag, I didn't bring any solution for contacts, I just got in my car and away I went.

As Native women, we were taught to be there for each other, for our family. I realized, sitting with my cousins in the family waiting room off the wing of the ICU, we were doing exactly what our mothers did when we were little. We didn't understand why at some odd hour the phone rang, hushed voices spoke, the click of the receiver being placed back on the cradle. My mom would talk with my dad in Ojibwe, he'd acknowledge and either they'd leave together or she would go alone. My sisters would stay with me if they both left. Now, we sat silently, not speaking, not on our phones, not anything, just. Quiet. Realizing we are now the generation our children see us doing what our moms did. My kids are growing up, seeing me going out the door, explaining to them that mom has to go be with family.

The entire time wasn't quiet and morose.  We sat, visited, caught up with each other, spent time w/him in his room as he was conscious for most of the evening. Each person had a moment with him, to talk quietly, to laugh, to reminisce. Once his blood pressure medicine was gone, he became quiet, drifting in and out of sleep, talking less, yet still aware. I knew at this point, it was a matter of time. An hour, several hours, a day, couple days, one never knows. The matriarch of our family arrived sometime around 2am, he woke up to smile once more, acknowledge her. He drifted off to sleep, I sat with them, quiet, peaceful.  His spouse was never far away, she is a brave soul. So strong, so young to lose her love. He was young, 53 years.

At 8:37am the next morning, he began his journey. He left quietly, no one else in the room but he and his wife. I walked in, to check on him, check on her....the doctor was there, stethoscope out, looking at his watch and saying "8:37" his wife telling me, he's gone. I walked back to the family waiting room, woke up his siblings that had JUST settled in to sleep for a short time...to rest if only a few minutes. I said "He's gone." I was composed until I was alone in that room, realizing what I had just told them. Their little brother was no longer here.  I called my sister, who was unable to be there but texted me all night long, checking on all of us.  Once I told her, I broke down. We weren't close, but he was my cousin, my brother(in the traditional Ojibwe way). I cried for his wife, because she was now alone. I cried because I had become closer to him in recent months, we'd visited and had time together. I cried because even though he was no longer in pain, no longer sick, no longer suffering, he wasn't here anymore.

When someone dies, it always reminds us that life is short. It can change in a split second.  I try and live my life the good way, the way we are taught. The way our parents and their parents were taught. Life happens. It goes on. We go on.

Sunrise on the road

I took a whirlwind road trip to Dallas last weekend. On the way back, I stopped and slept a few hours then back on the road. I rarely get up to see a sunrise, I was compelled to have my companion take this photo of the sunrise. Beautiful. I am thankful and blessed.

Plains...

Somewhere in Kansas. It's so flat, and green in almost every shade. Beautiful country. Lots of wind power being utilized too. TONS of cows. All shades. Wasn't able to get any photos of them, perhaps next trip.

And yet, more

These are cards I made at my monthly stamp club. I believe the ideas are again, from Pinterest. See a pattern??? I absolutely heart pinterest.

More recent cards

Again, ideas for layouts are from Pinterest. I guess I need to make more cards, these were fun and relatively easy to make.

Oldie, but a goodie

Old Stampin' up! set. I love the butterflies though.

Recent creations

Inspired by Pinterest. I put my own twist on it.

Reboot. Again.

Try as I might and then I lose steam. I WANT to blog, and share my loves and creations with the world! Being on Pinterest, I do have a few who follow me. Who doesn't want to share their creations and show them off? I'm going to try this, yet again and see where it leads. Perhaps, I should spark the interest of a few, then a few more, and then more...you get it. As a single mom of 2 boys, an artist, and scout mom, I have plenty of content upon which to draw some interesting and entertaining content.  So please, bear with me.