New Year's Day Treat...

For fear of boring everyone out there in blogland, I am going to blog about something else besides jewelry this post. The only thing that could possibly be almost as interesting to me more so than jewelry,
 would be FOOD!

(I said almost) hee hee.

  Oh yes, I love to cook and I can make a mean salsa! My salsa is so good, that when I make it, hubby puts it on everything. But it was especially good this past New Year's Day on our black eye peas. Friends, this is a must try, because the textures and strong flavors of the salsa works great with the opposite texture and flavor of the peas. My recipe I will divulge...

Christine's Almost Famous Salsa

2  Large Tomatoes (cored and quartered)

1 Large Onion (peeled & quartered)

3 Large Cloves Garlic (peeled)

1 Jalapeno Pepper (halved & de-seeded)

1 Cup Fresh Cilantro (or to taste)

1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt

1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce (2 peppers if you want it spicy)

Pulverize all ingredients in a food processor and serve on EVERYTHING!

(the secret ingredient in this recipe is the Chipotle pepper and they are available in small cans on the ethnic food isle in all grocery stores.)

A Bracelet Giveaway...

Here is the piece I have made especially for one of you out there in blogland. All you have to do is leave a comment anywhere on my blog, your name will go into a hat, and the drawing for the winner will be announced the first week of February! I will ship it to you just in time for Valentine's day. You will not find this bracelet anywhere else but here, it is one of a kind, and loaded with vintage charm...

The bracelet was made with a very old hand beaded shoe clip (back is smooth with old leather backing),vintage rhinestones, czech crystal, sterling watch hook and rosary center, vintage filagree link, freshwater pearl, a faceted citrine briolette and I signed the piece with my sterling bird charm.

New Year, New Designs...

'On a Bird's Wing' Earrings were made with the most beautiful vintage 10 mm glass pearls I have ever seen!

These earrings are really special because they are the first pair I have ever signed.

 'Marie Antionette' Necklace is such a fun and elegant piece. Made to be worn long and 'rosary style', it is really neat because it was made with an old medallion with a logo of champagne made in Marie Antionette's honor. What FUN!!!

The 'Victorian Grace' necklace is made with all Victorian componets.

I designed the piece to be worn doubled with the toggle in the front (Tiffany style). It can also be worn long at 32 inches in length. This piece is really elegant with all of it's Victorian elements!

All of these pieces are currently in my Etsy store, except for the bracelet that I would love to give to one of you!

Vive La France!!!

Ever since my trip to Paris, I have been so inspired to create! It's amazing what a little weekend trip to France can do. Here are my latest creations that are everything French...

I was so in love with the last French wrap I made, I just had to make another! This one has little blinged out Eiffel Towers in it and this one just may be a keeper for myself. (LOL)

 

 The wrap is full of French medals, souvenir charms, vintage rhinestones, faceted semi-precious stones, and

old mother of pearl rosaries. Lots of yummy goodies in this 55" necklace! 

Vintage rhinestone hoop earrings with little French Holy Mary medals...

The "Springtime at Notre Dame Bracelet" centers around the vintage mother of pearl Notre Dame souvenir pin and the Victorian sterling silver butterfly pin. Can you tell how much I LOVE mother of pearl??

 "In Love With Paris" Bangle is really sparkly and very special. It has a vintage and large Eiffel Tower souvenir charm off of the side.

All of these new pieces of French inspired jewelry can be found in my Etsy store, if you would like to see more pictures of them. Feel free to leave a comment on your opinion of my new pieces...and stay tuned because I will be making a piece of jewelry especially for my next post and my exciting jewelry giveaway coming up in January!

Merry Christmas...

I just wanted to take a minute to wish all of my friends out there in blogland a Merry Christmas, and also would like to wish everyone a happy, blessed, and prosperous New Year! May all of your hopes and dreams be fulfilled in the coming year! Love To All...

Christmas Bracelets...

Remember all of those buckles I showed you a couple of months ago? Well one of my friends saw them and commissioned me to make his special lady friends some nice Christmas goodies. Here is what developed out of the vintage buckle madness...

Stay tuned, my blogging friends, because starting next month I will be having a jewelry giveaway. In the process of making these bracelets I realized I just had way too much stuff! So I am going to start sharing the love with just my blogger friends. I will start giving away special one-of-a-kind pieces that I make just for this giveaway. All you will have to do is leave me a comment anywhere on my blog and you will be put in the hat for the drawing. This is also just a special way to say thank you to all of my blog friends for taking the time to stop by my blog during the past year.

Taking Time To Smell the Flowers...

I'm apologizing to all of my blogger friends out there for not being more efficient in my posting for the past week, but one of my closest inspirations passed away this week. At the beautiful age of 83, my grandmother and a living legend in all of her family and friend's hearts and minds went to be in eternal peace. I loved her so much, she is truly where I found my love and passion for jewelry. She absolutely LOVED jewelry! She was as crazy about it as I was, and every time I saw her, I would try and bring her something that I made for her. On her last day, she was wearing a pair of earrings that I had made for her. She was the most special person and I will greatly miss her beautiful presence in my life. I am dedicating this blog post and writing this in her honor, and just reminding myself that nothing matters more in life (not blogging, jewelry making, cooking dinner, doing the laundry, etc.) than spending time and making special moments with people that you love here on earth while they are here. So my New Year's resolution for next year and the future years to come is to make time for the people that matter while they are here. Life is fleeting, so we must take and make time to "stop and smell the flowers" that life places on our path! Here is my beautiful grandmother,

I LOVE YOU MONNA....

An Exquisite French Wrap...

I have been working feverishly lately to get caught up from my recent trip to Europe. Along with much great inspiration from a once in a lifetime vacation comes much panic and despair on getting caught up from being off for two weeks. Here are a few things I have been working on lately...and don't forget, if you need any last minute gifts I am offering free shipping in my Etsy store. Also, I will guarantee before Christmas shipping up until Monday, December 20th!

An Exquisite French Wrap....

 I just love the versatility of this necklace! You can wear it long (a staggering 56 inches) or doubled, or even tripled and it is choc full of interesting French trinkets, crosses and rosary beads.

There are all types of stones on this piece too. Lemon quartz, smokey quartz, agates, tourmaline, silvery pearls, and old mother of pearl really pop out against the medals and wooden rosary beads.

The necklace below layered with the French wrap is called "A Bird's Eye View".  I named it this because of the sweet little souvenir book the bird is holding. Inside the vintage 'souvenir album' are various old miniature photos of different locations throughout Europe. If anyone knows of these locations shown in the photos below, do leave a comment and fill all us Anglophiles in on their whereabouts. I do know one location is Lyon, France.

The above photos are of Gare Centrale and L' Embarcadere, which I think is in Lyon, France. The other photos in the album, but not shown, are Maisons Des Corporations, La Cathedrale, and Panorama du Port.

This necklace is currently in my Etsy store, you can see more pictures of it there.

 I absolutely LOVE, the way these earrings turned out! They are so French Chic with their vintage chains, art deco rhinestones and tiny golden sparrows...

The 'Garnet St. Anne Earrings are also very lovely. With their heart shape faceted garnets and their old French medals, they turned out to be stunning one of a kind earrings! Both pair of these earrings are also currently listed in my Etsy store.