Twas the night before ole St. Nicholas....

Well here it is Christmas Eve day, early morning for me. I have my bowl of grapes and my Sunny D and I am ready to tell some more of the story of Nicholas.

I saw our girl tonight, she popped over with a carrot cake for Christmas. Mmmm. It was (is) really good, and no, we haven't eaten it all YET. I had the opportunity to give her the necklace I made her of Purple glass beads splashed with aqua and silver with a few aqua spacers and crystals to shake it up a bit (as if purple needs any "shaking up"). On this, hangs the 2 inch moonstone she admired so much. WHY DIDN'T I TAKE A PICTURE?

She's not one to "moon" over things or jump up and down with glee and I could see that it was killing her not to be able to jump up and land a sloppy smooch on me! Yes, I think she really liked it. She kept on about how all her clothes were either purple or blue! So, yes, I did well. She did well too because I ADORE carrot cake and the frosting, oh to die for...I believe she did the frosting by hand, else, how do you get that carrot cake frosting, you know that taste, come out all creamy and chocolaty? I don't know how I just hope she makes more of them!

I remember for Thanksgiving, she woke me up (she has a key and a way to get in) with a cookie platter containing 9 (or 12) tiny little individual chocolate cream pies! Imagine that! I was so tickled I ate one in bed without utensils, right out of the pie tin! Right then and there. She thought that was so funny. But in fact, it was SO good!

I guess that's what started this whole gift thing.

I was going to say that I don't normally give things away (such as a $75.00 necklace) but,  that's just NOT true. I give everything away! I do! Drives my husband mad!

I remember last year I was looking for this 8 ft. long heavy duty dark, cobalt blue velvet ribbon edged with gold that had a heavy Christmas bell on the bottom for balance. I tack it up near the ceiling, (we have really tall ceilings), and as Christmas cards come in I staple them to the fabric so I can see them all and it makes for a nice "Christmassy" wall ornament.

Anyway, last year I was crazy mad to find the damn thing and it was just plain no where. So, I made a new one, Same thing only I had a nice light blue ribbon with silver edging and a bigger bell, (a real cow bell) I had confiscated from some yard sale. (Pause, eat a bunch of grapes....).

This year I found the ribbon I made last year and it dawned on me...I gave the original away a couple of years ago. It was after Christmas and I was breaking down everything and I can't for the life of me think of who I gave it too, but I did! I recall saying... here... like this? You can have it!

I don't mind giving things away but I think I should keep a list so I don't go crazy looking for something that isn't there. Know what I mean?

Mom's Christmas Shell Bracelet

Well, let see, what did I do today? I finished my mother's bracelet and earring set up. The first bracelet I made was too big. I know, cause it fit me and my mother is about 98 pounds. She doesn't like things that are too big (like me!). Anyway, I made her another one about 5 inches instead of 7. Perfect! fit me real tight, should be perfect for her. Its of Aqua Blue and Very White 1/4 inch shell cut squares. The iridescence is amazing on these. I got them from Dunham. He's got great stuff!

Mom's matching Shell earrings CLIP ONS!

I made sure my pattern was purposeful and not random and everything was "perfect". Her tiny little earrings are really cute. I hope the jeweler's glue holds. She doesn't have pierced ears so I bought a few pairs of sterling silver clips for her. I glued an aqua square like a triangle on to the front of the lobe piece and strung one square to dangle underneath. Simple, small. Just the way she likes it.

So that pair was done. I do want to open a line of clip earrings that are made of fine materials I think that's a corner of the market that is relatively scarce. Perhaps I could fill the needs of many who have no holes in their ears?

 I also made a pair of real shell, well they are all "real", I mean someone took one of those curled up shells and cut the curly protruding end off. They are left un-dyed, so it's natural looking. I glued that on to the lobe piece and called it good. WHY DIDN'T I TAKE A PICTURE? (Think I am getting the message to record everything?)

Then I remembered she gave me a silver and gold, intertwined metal bracelet that I said I could make smaller for her. Well, that was tougher than I thought. I literally had to break the metal in order to remove 4 links. Then I didn't have a clasp as I broke them off and had no way to weld them back on!

 Ooops. Not to worry, after fooling with it a while (grapes, grapes..) I put new Gold plated clasps on it, a hook and eye. That's all I had for gold. It came out rather nice. I just hope that it's not too small now. But the 2 bracelets I worked on for her are about the same size now, I'll find out tonight when we open presents. I hate to disappoint her and I have enough guilt for the entire world! Anyway with the links that I took off, I made her a pair of matching earrings to go with the bracelet. Like I said, I hope the jewelers glue holds!
Enough about Mom.

The final piece I worked on was a new creation for the sterling silver Sets in the shop. I adore the red nugget and Hematite piece I did the other day and I just got in new SS "tubes" that are "twisted" instead of smooth like the ones on the red necklace. The tubes keep the stones a "said" length apart from each other. I like that idea. so, I ran with it.

White Agate Pendants with Hematite

Twisted tubes, small round white beads, and (just got these in too..) tiny Hematite heart shapes and I surrounded the Hematite with clear Swarovski crystals (like on the red one, I used gray crystals). The whole neck piece is two inches longer than the red one and this one hold a 2 inch triangular White Agate that's been polished. The gray streaks in the white stone play off the gray Hematite in the necklace. I think this is the finest one I have ever made.

 I truly believe I just keep getting better and better. My designs are becoming more conservative and my work is much more precise.

I am so happy. I just hope to sell some pieces so others can enjoy them as well.

I'd like to do the same style only with pink and gray. I think that would be awesome. Although I have something else up my sleeve for the pink. Maybe I'll just make 2 pink ones that will solve my dilemma. I have this gorgeous 1 1/8 inch Heart shaped Stone. I have to go look and see the type of stone it is as I bought it a few weeks ago and I forget things. Thank God for receipts!

Well, I prolly ought to shut up for a while. We have Christmas after dinner on the 24th which is today. We will be enjoying lobsters for dinner at my Mom's and then presents. I think I went overboard on my husband, nothing "special" or specific, just a bunch of stuff he doesn't need as usual. I concentrated more on his sore back and picked up a back brace he can wear at work and I picked up a chair liner that you plug in and it massages you and heats up. I hope this helps his weary back. I hate to see him hurt.

Christmas day we will visit his sister and their tribe, maybe stay for dinner. The day after Christmas is my husbands birthday.  I need to get on the phone and call everyone and invite them for "cake and ice cream". Usually my mother-in-law does that but she moved to Florida. I miss her terribly.

So I will end today with a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Jolly Whatever you worship.
God Bless you all, and to all, a good night!
Jolly ole Nicholas signing off.