DID YOU MAKE SOMETHING TODAY

My daughter turned 13...

2012-01-06T11:46:00.002-07:00

My oldest child turned 13 in December. Tina Fey's "Prayer For Her Daughter", from her excellent book Bossypants (which coincidentally is the nick-name that my daughter's younger siblings have given her) seems like the perfect way to sum up my thoughts on this event:

Prayer For Her Daughter by Tina Fey

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half and stick with Beer.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.
What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, too dammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

www.mjanedesigns.com

Goodwill Hunting

2011-10-06T21:09:00.000-06:00

Ok, not Goodwill hunting - more like Goodwill shopping! I had a great sales day last weekend at the Littleton Friends of the Museum craft fair and almost sold out of my collage pendants. I use vintage images from books for the base of my collages and I needed some fresh material. Off to Goodwill to see if there were any treasures hiding in the book section. Here's what I found:

A great picture filled biography of John F Kennedy with a lot of beautiful pictures of Jackie. A 1950s parenting book filled with sweet line drawings of children and great text snippets. Another1950s book filled with terrific line art called "The Ape in Me" (?!) Huh? No idea what's up with that title.

Scanned a bunch of cool images, here's a few of my favorites:

Feel free to right click and use whatever you like. Enjoy!

www.mjanedesigns.com

Are You Too Old To Do What You Love?

2011-09-27T09:41:00.001-06:00

If you're looking for my bead soup post, here's the link: http://mjanedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-bead-soup-party-day.html

Have you heard of Marie Forleo yet? If not, listen up! She's a fantastic motivational speaker who's also sexy and hilarious. I get her email newsletter and had to share today's post and video. In it, Marie talks addresses the question, "am I too old to do what I love?". Great topic and one that many of us face, whether you're 24 or 54. My favorite part is a quote from Julia Cameron "Do you know how old I'll be by the time I learn to play the piano?" Answer: "The same age you'll be if you don't." Here's the link, enjoy!

Link to Marie's blog post.

www.mjanedesigns.com

What You Missed at the Creative Connection Marketplace

2011-09-26T13:31:00.002-06:00

If you're looking for my bead soup post, here's the link: http://mjanedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-bead-soup-party-day.html

I've been so busy since I returned from The Creative Connection in St Paul, that I haven't shared any pics of the event! Here's just a small sample of the wonderful vendors in the marketplace. You couldn't turn around without bumping into amazing creativity! It was a little intimidating. Although, I've done many shows, both indoor and outdoor, I'd never been in one quite like the Creative Connection Marketplace.

For starters, it was out of state - far out of state. As in, the distance between Denver and St Paul is over 900 miles! Driving 14 hours by myself didn't seem like a good use of time, so I flew. This meant figuring out how to get my show set-up to the event. Another blog post for another day . . . let's just say it was a learning experience. Secondly, this was a "pole and drape" show. This means the space is divided up by a series of metal poles with fabric hanging from them as dividers. This booth set-up is merchandised differently than the indoor shows I've done in the past. I'll switch some things around next time I'm in one of these to make better use of the drapery "walls" behind the displays. Here are a couple of pictures from my booth.

Fabulous Silver Flowers

Earrings and Silver Collage Pendants

Pics of some of the other fabulous vendors at the show:

This organization redecorates the bedrooms of children in shelters - all through donations.

Enchanted Makeovers

Do you see the drapery swags in the background of this booth?
They drew all of it on kraft paper with sharpies!

Tinsel Trading

This is a very small part of Amy Barickman's triple wide booth. Gorgeous! I've been a fan of Amy's for several years and was so happy to find out that she's just as nice in person as she is in print.

Vintage Notions

Like I said, just a few of the many GORGEOUS booths at the show. There was also a Simplicity Sewing Lounge in the middle of everything - complete with cushy armchairs. Never could get a good shot of it because it was always filled with happy, crafty, gals. Nuff said - it was all fabulous!

www.mjanedesigns.com

It's Bead Soup Party Day!!!

2011-09-16T23:59:00.003-06:00

Today is the big day for the Bead Soup Blog Party! If you haven't read my previous posts and are scratching your head, "what the heck's this crazy lady talkin' 'bout?", here's a link to my Bead Soup Party post to catch you up. Lori Anderson, posted this map on her blog of all the participants locations:

This is a BIG party!!

I was lucky in the partner that I was given for the swap. Geneva Collins, of Torque Story, was very kind and sent lovely beads. Some of the colors and textures were different than what I usually work with, but that's a good thing and part of the reason to participate in the event. Even creative people get stuck in their ruts. Working with materials that you haven't chosen is a fantastic brain stretcher. It's reminds me of when a group of my friends went to get pedicures together and the nail tech suggested that the group choose everyone's individual polish color for them. We ended up with toes we might not have picked out ourselves but were mostly perfect for us. My friend Kathie has been wearing dark purple/black polish on her feet ever since!

Here's the beads that I received from Geneva:

For the first set that I made, I used the focal piece and clasp that she sent, some of the turquoise beads, and some of the silver spacers.

I created big fun silver loops for the turquoise beads in both pieces. My way to insert an MJane detail!

Geneva sent so many gorgeous beads that I had plenty left to make a second set. For these I used the light wooden beads she included and added my own silver heishi spacers and toggle.

I'm really pleased with how this second pair turned out. They're very light and simple. I can see wearing them regularly as "go-to" pieces:

Great fun being part of the Bead Soup Party Blog. Can't wait to do it again!!

Look At These Gorgeous Beads

2011-09-05T21:50:00.000-06:00

Remember a couple of weeks ago I told you about The Bead Soup Blog Party ? Here are the beautiful beads I got from my blog party partner Geneva Collins of Torque Story!

First, can we talk about the GORGEOUS packaging?! Love!

Here are the beads. Love all the blues and greens. Reminds me of summer and the beach. Geneva was also so generous with the quantity, this is only a sample of what she sent. I can make a BUNCH of pretties with these! What would you make?

Have a great week!

Jane

M Jane Designs

Make a hot handmade clasp!

2011-09-01T10:19:00.000-06:00

I love to add hand made details to my jewelry pieces. Whether you're making, buying or giving jewelry, the special touch of a beautifully crafted clasp really stands out. Here's a quick tutorial if you'd like to try one yourself.

1. I like to use 16 gauge all soft wire to make my clasps. Start out with a 2" piece of wire. Straighten and clean with steel wool if necessary.

2. Make a loop at each end. One loop should be slightly smaller than the other. Use simple round nose pliers for this step.

3. Bend the wire over either bailing pliers or the large base of round nose pliers. (You can even use a sharpie marker as a mandrel here!) Make the bend slightly off center, closer to the smaller loop.

4. Use a bench block and dapping hammer to add detail and work harden the clasp. This is where you can really add some personality.

5. Voila! You're so awesome!!

Get yourself a coil of copper wire for practicing and give it a try. It's much easier than you might think. Happy jewelry making!

Jane

http://mjanedesigns.com

Creative Connection

2011-08-25T13:52:00.001-06:00

Quick blog post here with some exciting news! I'm going to be a vendor at the Creative Connection event in St.Paul, Minnesota next month! Really looking forward to being a part of what will be an amazing conference. Also, double fun, one of my BFFs is flying in from PA to help me out! Lots and lots to make between now and then as well as many logistics to figure out. I'll share more I promise. In the meantime, here's a link to their website. Check out all the amazing women that will be speaking and teaching! : ) Jane

The Creative Connection Event

mjanedesigns.com

Bead Soup!

2011-08-19T14:10:00.001-06:00

I'm really excited to be a participant in the very talented Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. If you haven't heard of it, here's the scoop. Lori pairs jewelry makers from around the country and the world, they swap beads with their Bead Soup partner, and then make something with the beads they've received. On the day of the Blog Party everyone posts pictures of what they've created. The idea is to meet other jewelry designers and stretch your creativity using components you might not have chosen yourself. It's also an opportunity to discover new blogs and see what others have done with their Bead Soup components. (I'm sure I'll have many, "Hey! why didn't I think of that?" moments.) This Soup has 362 participants!!! That's a lot of pairing and organizing Lori! My partner is Geneva Collins and her blog is called Torque Story. Can't wait to see what she sends.

We're not allowed to show what WE sent yet, but here's a little tease of what I shipped to Geneva.

It's really nerve racking to figure out what to send. Sort of like dressing for a first date. What should I send? Fancy? Casual? How much? Will she like it? Is it enough? Too much? I guess that's part of the experience too. The exercise really forces you to look at your bead stash from a different point of view. As in, "Why do I have so many green beads? I'm kind of in a color rut..."

Look for pictures of my beads from my partner very soon! I know they'll be wonderful.

More Vacation Photos

2011-08-15T09:00:00.001-06:00

Just downloaded more pics from my trip. It was so nice to be on vacation and be able to take the time to see the great images all around. These are from a trip to the mall with my girls & a night out on Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC. Love the fountains!


Leaflet Board

Fountain Boy Sitting

Fountain Boy Closeup

Fountain Boy Backside

Store Window Display

Molly skipping

Ice Cream on Franklin St

Stairway View

Pizza Place


Plane Back to Denver

More Vacation Jewelry Making - Shot on my Mom's cutting board!

www.mjanedesigns.com

Vacation Photos

2011-08-13T16:05:00.001-06:00

This post is at least 2 weeks overdue, but since we got back from our east coast summer trip it's been nonstop at my house. So here's the "better late than never" vacation photo post! I take plenty of family snapshots too of course and I treasure those memories, but these "artsy" photos are my little piece of zen. Enjoy!

Jack in my Dad's MG

Highway Redemption

Awesome old comic rack

Good to know...

Gator teeth & a storm coming

Marooned Mermaid

If only it were that easy

Pier


Vacation Jewelry Making

www.mjanedesigns.com

Vacation Jewelry Making

2011-08-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

Good news: I'm on vacation on the beautiful coast of NC. Yea! Bad news: I have a 2 day show the week I get back and I'm low on inventory. Ouch! Gotta squeeze some jewelry making into my trip. What to take? What to carry it in? I can get myself and 3 kids packed up without breaking much of a sweat. But pack up my jewelry making supplies? I was breaking out in hives!

To carry my supplies, I ended up using a travel organizer toiletry bag that I already had. It's sturdy and is big enough and has enough pockets to give me room and organization. I brought a set of letter stamps and a few design stamps: No wonder that these were checked by the TSA, huh? They look a little suspicious!

Stamps


Assorted Pliers and Cutters


Blanks and Dapping Block

Cleaning, Polishing and Buffing Cloths

Beads and Stones

Wire - of course!

Components Pre-made at Home


Findings

Guess what I forgot? Clasps! Hard to finish any jewelry without them. Luckily, Raleigh NC has a great store for beads and jewelry making supplies called Ornamentea. Great excuse to make a creative supply pit stop!

Ladybug, ladybug

2011-07-19T10:06:00.000-06:00

Every July we trek to the garden center for annuals and end up getting talked into adding ladybugs to the cart. (Actually, I love this and it doesn't take much convincing.) They come in a plastic tub that is generically marked "ladybugs".

You are supposed to wait until dusk to let them out, which only adds to the kids anticipation. You release them, along with the food in their container, near low plants and hope that they will make your garden their new home. In the process, the ladybugs crawl and fly onto everyone.

I don't know if they make the garden grow... but they grow some good summer memories.

www.mjanedesigns.com

Giant Jewelry?

2011-07-05T15:06:00.002-06:00

I just added some sweet photo enlargements to my booth display. My daughter said my banner should now read “I make giant jewelry”!
They came like this from Nations Photo Lab
I went to my local FastSigns & they put grommets on the corners. Then another trip to Home Depot to figure out how to hang these big suckers from my booth back wall. I ended up with zip ties at the top, attached to cable wire. (jewelry makers: the thingy you use to hold the cable in a loop is a giant crimp tube!)

I hung the pics from the top rail of my tent using Bongo Ties, love these!

Here’s how they look “in action”

Next show will be Sunday, July 10th, Sundays on the Streets, Southglenn Mall!

Simple Craft Show Tricks

2011-06-29T15:05:00.001-06:00

I’ve been doing A LOT of outdoor shows this season, and I thought I'd share a couple of tips I’ve picked up along the way. None of these are rocket science, but if you’re new to this crazy business of setting up shop in a 10x10 outdoor booth, they might help you out.

TUB TALK

Try to consolidate the items you carry to shows into containers, like these storage tubs. Before you go to your show, while you have them all neat and organized, take a picture of what goes inside each tub & tape it to the inside of the box lid. Really helpful when you’re tired & packing-up at the end of a long day. Also great if other people are trying to help you and don’t know your system.

RISE ABOVE

If you’re selling small items, like jewelry, you’ll want to raise your tables higher than standard height so customers have a better view. (Also helps to deter curious little fingers!) I’ve tried several methods to raise my tables and these bed risers are the easiest to use and transport. Pick them up at any retailer that sells home goods, Target, Bed Bath Beyond, Wal-Mart, etc.

HOLD ‘EM DOWN

If you’re doing outdoor shows, the wind is your enemy. Actually, even a light breeze can even wreck havoc on your display. Behold the table cloth weights! These beauties are nice looking, inexpensive and HEAVY. I clip them on my displays, table covers, side walls…I might clip them on you if you stand still too long! I bought these on Amazon. Here’s the link: Amazon, tablecloth weights
DISPLAY DIVA
A good display really can make the difference between customers stopping or walking right on by. It takes a lot of work to get it looking fantastic. If you’re doing shows frequently, you aren’t going to want to reinvent the wheel every time. I have a pic in a plastic sleeve of my basic set up, without merchandise:
and with merchandise:
Boy this is helpful. Because sometimes I’m running late, or I’m tired, or I had an extra glass of wine the night before. Or sometimes all three…and I need a little memory crutch. The booth still changes a bit every week, ‘cause I’m kind of a perfectionist. But having the basic framework at hand is fantastic.

Have a great show!

If I Had A Hammer

2011-05-20T21:02:00.000-06:00

It's a good thing I do have a hammer, several actually, because I've been doing a bunch of stamping this week!

Baby Gift


Mommy Necklace


Teacher Gifts

There were also quite a few other stamping projects that I can't list here 'cause the gift givees might see this! My hammer is tired, she's calling it a night!

Pushing forward when you keep getting pushed back

2011-04-28T11:09:00.000-06:00

As anyone following a passion or a dream knows, there are always setback and detractors. There are always people who will tell you that what you're doing is not worthwhile. I've had some less than positive experiences lately. My share of self-doubt for sure. Some days it feels like every step forward is followed by 5 steps back. But no one blogs about those things, huh? Read people's blogs or Facebook status and it seems like everybody is just great. Not true. We are all struggling out here together. Ups and downs. Sometimes way more down than up!

One of my necklaces was chosen this week as a finalist for voting in the Bead Star 2011 contest. This is at least the third year I've entered and I was very sure I wasn't going to make it this far. Bead Star works kind of like American Idol. Thousands enter, the judges choose the best 20 in each category, then readers pic the top 4 from each category. There are prizes, but more exciting is the publicity and recognition from Bead Star Magazine. A national publication entirely devoted to the winning designs!

Every once in a while, you'll get a boost like this contest was for me. It can pump you right back up and get you going again. So keep pushing forward with your dream. Whatever it is. Be the one that hangs in there and tries one more time. It could make all the difference.

Vote for Aquamarine Cascade!

Here's the link for my Bead Star entry. If you'd like to vote for me I would really appreciate it! You have to register with Beading Daily in order to vote, but it's quick and easy. Thank you!!

Vote for Aquamarine Cascade!

Cool links to distract you from what you really should be doing...

2011-04-08T12:18:00.000-06:00

Here are some fantastic links that you might enjoy. Come, join me in completely losing your focus and flitting aimlessly from link to link. : ) Just kidding, there's some great content here. Enjoy!

Inspiration is for amateurs Great advice on getting down to work by the always fabulous and inspirational Jenny Doh.

Jenny Doh

Copyblogger Best of 2010 Copyblogger is a great source for info on blogging, writing, and SEO. Here are their all star posts from 2010. Guarantee you'll learn something!

Paper Source If you're even 1/2 as addicted to beautiful paper and stationary as I am, you'll drool over this website!

Testing the Entrepreneurial Life NY Times interview with the very cool and smart Pam Slim of Escape From Cubicle Nation. If you think you want you own business, read this 1st!

M Jane Designs 2011 Show Schedule

2011-04-03T13:08:00.000-06:00

M Jane Designs

2011 Show Schedule

MARCH

Saturday, March 26 Highlands Ranch Spring Bazaar

MAY

Sunday, May 1 Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, May 8 Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sat & Sun, May 14 & 15 Highlands Ranch Music Festival

Sunday, May 29 Highlands Ranch Street Market

JUNE

Sunday, June 5 Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, June 12 Sundays on the Streets of Southglenn

Sunday, June 26 Highlands Ranch Street Market

JULY

Sunday, July 3 Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, July 10 Sundays on the Streets Southglenn

AUGUST

Sat & Sun, August 6 & 7 Highlands Ranch Arts Festival

Sunday, August 28 Highlands Ranch Street Market

SEPTEMBER

Sunday, September 4 Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, September 11 Sundays on the Streets of Southglenn

Sunday, September 25 Highlands Ranch Street Market

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 1 Friends of Littleton Museum Craft Fair (pending)

Sat & Sun, October 8 & 9 Highlands Ranch Fall Craft Fair

Sunday, October 16 Highlands Ranch Street Market

This is my show schedule as it stands today. I'm sure they'll be some tweaks as the year goes on. Still waiting to hear from a few shows and, as you can see, November and December are still wide open. I'm always open to a home or trunk show, so let me know if you'd like to set something up. I give a nice jewelry discount to the sponsoring host!

I'm attempting more shows this year than I ever have before. The purchase of my big white canopy tent last fall has opened up a new world or possibilities...and headaches. Being a vendor at a craft fair is a business in itself. The beginning of the process is finding shows you'd like to be a part of. Surprisingly, there is no single source for this inf. There are several good websites that I subscribe to that will give you inf on shows. But no one site lists them all, and some shows don't show up at all on the big event websites. Some shows you'll only find out about through word of mouth. I actually get great tips from customers that come by my booth.

Once you identify shows you're interested in, you need to get deadlines, entry requirements, booth fees and so on. In addition, as I've found out the hard way, unless you have personal experience or trusted reviews, it's hard to know if a show is going to be worth all the hard work, time and money it takes to be a vendor.

Some really good shows are almost impossible to get your foot in the door to be a part of. There is one local market that I constantly have shoppers tell me "you'd be perfect for", "you'd do so well there". Alas, this particular show was booked solid 7 months in advance this year. Mostly with repeat artists. I'm on the wait list in case they have a last minute hole to fill.

The flip side and happy end note is that I almost always LOVE being a part of craft fairs. The positive feedback from shoppers and other vendors is amazing. It's a nice lift from the sometimes isolating work that goes on in my little basements studio/office. Lots more to share about the whole craft fair process. Maybe this will become a regular feature for a while? Meanwhile, come visit me at a show or on the web!

M Jane Designs

Great FREE Planning Tools

2011-03-29T12:08:00.000-06:00

I'm forever looking for new, better ways to stay motivated and organized. One thing I've found out about myself is that I need to change my methods as my life changes. I wish that I was one of those people who could find a system and stick with it forever! Not going to happen for me. I eventually get bored with the current plan and it falls away. Time to look for new inspiration! So for me, the secret is not just in starting, but in starting again and again. I have also finally accepted, that although an electronic calendar works very well for me, I need my todo list to be on PAPER. I need to write stuff down to make it happen. Even though my iphone is always nearby, it's just too easy to ignore tasks that require me to open an app to view them.

I have a simple little spiral notebook that I use to keep up with whats gotta' be done. Brook Noel's book "The Change Your Life Challenge", was the inspiration for my notebook. I've stuck with the basis of her plan for a couple of years but I like to print out different planner pages to paste into the notebook when I need to "mix it up" to stay interested. I'm a big fan of Charlie Gilkey and his productivity strategies. I recently discovered that he offers his planning calendars FREE on his website. What a great resource!! Here's the link: Productive Flourishing

According to my newly revamped list, I should go start the orders I took at Saturday's show before I have to leave to pick up kids from school. So happy planning to you! If you have organizing tips you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about them!!

Making fine silver jewelry components

2011-01-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm working on building my stock back up and needed some cool components for a batch of bracelets I'm gonna make. Here's a brief picture tutorial on the basic process!

Start with fine silver wire:

Use a mandrel to shape the wire into rings. Make sure to file edges so the join is very clean!

Use torch to close join in rings

Shape and texture rings with dapping hammer

Add a design with metal stamp

Oxidize with liver of sulfur. Don't worry, they'll get pretty again!!

Polish with pro polish pads. Here's one 1/2 done so you can see the difference.

Here are the beauties all done!!

Look for the finished bracelets using these components soon!

What you should focus on

2011-01-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

I just found this great visual quote on www.behaviorgap.com . Isn't this perfect? So simple but so true!!

www.mjanedesigns.com
www.facebook.com/mjanedesigns

TEDxHouston - Brené Brown

2010-11-17T13:57:00.001-07:00

This is such a great talk! Love Brene Brown.Such a great, great concept but so hard to embrace!

Necklace Display Redo

2010-11-16T10:01:00.001-07:00

I have several old necklace displays that I was given years ago by a nice lady who was closing her jewelry business. They are inexpensive cardboard backed black velvet, quite beat-up & they don't match my setup. Needless to say, I don't use them very often. But I hate to throw them away & new displays are expensive. So I got the idea to recover them.

If you've looked at my booth pics, you know that it has an organic look. Lots of linen and wood. I wanted these to integrate into that theme. I got a spool of jute twine from Home Depot. Using a glue pen, I've wrapped the display front and back, top to bottom. It's looking really good! Much better aesthetically and also sturdier and heavier. Nice upcycling!!

Craft Show Photos and Tips

2010-11-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hi yall!

Here are a few pics of my booth set-up from a show I did last weekend.

Bracelets

Necklaces

Earrings and a few bracelets

More necklaces

Flower Necklaces

Gift Boxes

A few handy tips I've picked up doing shows and craft fairs:
- Invest in a hand truck/dolly. It will save you time and tiredness
- Tweak your display every time you use it. A clean professional display will draw customers to you. Think of it as your store front.
- Take pictures of your display and use them as reference for future shows.
- Don't take your booth down before the show is over. This show, I make a sale during the last 5 minutes!
- A tasteful giveaway, like the gift boxes above, can set you apart from other vendors and send more sales your way.
- Don't put out a bowl of candy for the kids. I love kids - have 3 of my own - but the candy bowl just causes mess and confusion. I keep lollipops under the table. If a child is having a hard time while the parent is trying to shop, I'll ask if it's OK to give them one.
- Pay the extra few $$ for a corner space. It pays off.
- A great tip another vendor shared with me a couple of years ago: Keep your business supplies in a rolling cart with drawers that you don't have to unpack each time. It's a great time saver.
- Keep a running list of what you bring to a show and what you wish you had. Keep that in your rolling cart as a double check that you've remembered everything.

Brave Girls Club

2010-10-12T21:13:00.000-06:00

This is a reprint from the brave girls club daily email. They are fantastic!! Check them out at www.bravegirlsclub.com

Dear Beloved Girl,

Great frustration, hurt and anxiety can come from trying to get our worth and our acceptance from other people or from anything that is outside of our own selves and our own deepest truths.

Many of us want love more than anything in the world. We want love and we want acceptance...we want to be understood. Frustration comes when we do no accept the fact that we simply can not MAKE others love us, or accept us, or even understand us. This is why it is so important to first learn how to love ourselves....

When we can get in tune with our deepest truths....the truths that only come from listening to the very force that created us and placed this knowing inside of us.....we can find peace whenever we need it. When we do the work necessary to learn who we really are in spite of who the world may tell us we are....we can find the love and acceptance we so need...whether we have other people in our lives or not. We simply do not NEED to have constant reassurance from others....because there is a voice of knowing inside of us...a voice that comes from the only place that truly KNOWS who we are and what we are capable of.

Be o.k. with YOU, beautiful friend. Be o.k. with the moments of aloneness that come, and that sometimes stay. Be o.k. with sometimes feeling that no one understands or that no one is giving you exactly what you need.....because the only WHOLENESS of spirit that will come is from your own self and your own deepest truth. Be o.k. with this....this is where you will find peace. You can give your SELF love and acceptance, through listening to your deepest truths that come from your Creator. It will be real, true and authentic. And it will be enough.

It really will. It will be enough.

You are so very very loved.
xoxo

www.mjanedesigns.com

Tis the season!...For Craft Fairs that is!

2010-10-08T10:49:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to share a few pics from last weeks Highlands Ranch Farmer's market. Busy, busy, busy making lots of great stuff for another show this weekend. Come see me at the Highlands Ranch Art and Craft Fair, Saturday and Sunday 9-5. Eastridge Rec Center!

What I learned in 2nd grade

2010-09-28T11:43:00.001-06:00

Do you know that book, Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten? I'm thinking about writing my own version, except changing the title from Kindergarten to 2nd grade. (Just kidding!) I spent a couple of hours last week helping in my daughter's classroom and was so inspired by her wonderful teacher. My experience in the classroom got me thinking; balancing children, work and home responsibilities is a challenge for us all. What if we ran our own lives as successfully as she runs her classroom?

Some of the things that stuck out in my mind:
- Every kid in the class knew where they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be doing.

- I heard her say to a student more than once, "You are in charge of yourself. Are you telling yourself to do the right thing?"
- Big projects that weren't completed in time were put in the child's "work in progress" folder.
- Small assignments not completed were put in backpacks for homework.
- The teacher was willing and able to change the plan if needed.
- Even though there was lots of structure and lots being accomplished, the kids - and the teacher - were still enjoying their work.

The biggest reminder for me was the importance of having a PLAN. It may, or may not, happen, but at least there is a clear direction for what's the most important and what to do first!! To me, that is one of the biggest challenges to working from home. There are so many distractions that you can be busy all day and yet have no idea what you've accomplished.

Keeping with this idea, I'm working with a friend of mine of accountability for the next few weeks. Could be interesting. More to come...

www.mjanedesigns.com

Up Late

2010-09-08T10:30:00.001-06:00

I have a show on Saturday and I've been making jewelry like a mad women. Last night I got in the zone with this variation of my flower pendants. Sterling silver with chalcedony quartz nuggets. Love it! Worth the lost zzzzs!!

www.mjanedesigns.com

1000 Cranes

2010-09-04T11:44:00.000-06:00

I took my kids to the local library this week and was delighted by a temporary art installation of paper origami cranes. These cranes were in honor of Sadako Sasaki and they were just beautiful. In total there were 4000!! paper cranes.

Here are the cranes hung from the balcony. Looking at them from below.

Here they are from above - looking down at the floor below.

Each crane was made by a library patron. Quite an impact!

www.mjanedesigns.com

Joy

2010-09-02T08:25:00.000-06:00

www.mjanedesigns.com

Satuday Morning

2010-08-21T10:28:00.001-06:00

Kids made a pretend tent this morning. Little boy really missed his back to school sisters this week.

www.mjanedesigns.com

I LOVE THESE!

2010-08-20T10:11:00.000-06:00

So I finally listed these scrabble tile collage necklaces on my website. I've been making these for awhile & they're a big hit at shows. It'll be interesting to see how they do online. I did this photography at the beach in NC and I'm SO happy with the way it came out. You just can't duplicate that kind of light! Here's the link:

M Jane Designs Whimsy Necklaces

Change These 3 Things for a Happier, Creative Life

2010-08-17T11:03:00.002-06:00

This is a repost from my friend Sally Evans' newsletter. I can't say enough good things about Sally! She is a wonderful creativity coach and helped me during a very difficult time in my life. Links to reach her are: http://www.embracingcreativity.com/ and Sally@EmbracingCreativity.com

Change These 3 Things for a Happier, Creative Life
Do you ever feel like you are on a roller coaster ride? One minute you feel like you have things figured out and are excited to start. And the next minute you lose focus or momentum and feel frustrated and unsure about what you want.

I notice that with myself, clients, and friends, that you usually do know what would make you happy.

The answers to what would make you happy and why are usually consistent with your values and the things that matter to you, which typically don’t change too much.

Most of the problems and challenges are in the HOW and THE WAY you go about getting what you want.

3 Blocks to Your Creativity, Success, and Happiness

I Don’t Know How, So There.
You may know what you want to accomplish but you don’t know how and it stops you in your tracks. End of story.

Another variation of this is to say, “I can’t because….” without exploring the possibilities.

Everyone has a learning process in figuring out how to do something and there is plenty of help out there.

Here are just a few ideas of where to start:

Read a How to Book

Research the Internet

Take a Class

Join a Group

Get a Coach

Find a Mentor

Find someone who is doing something similar and study what they do.

There is never only one way to do things. You may come up with a creative solution if you give yourself a chance.

All or Nothing Thinking
Do you ever get caught up in feeling like there is only one way to be happy?

For example, some may feel like they will ONLY be happy if they make their living doing what they love.

It usually takes time and patience to make a full time living at what you love so you may want to start on the side until you get things going.

The way achieve your goal doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Do the things that you love in your life in various ways. You might do them for a living full time or part time, you might volunteer your expertise, you might do something just for fun.

Figure out ways to add more of what you love into your every day life.

The Only Thing that Matters is the End
Have you ever worked on something with such tunnel vision that when it was over, you only had a brief moment of happiness that you achieved your goal but realized you put the rest of your life on hold while you did it?

Your quality of life depends on how you spend your moments and days. It is important to have time for play, exploration, and fun. And who says you can’t do that and focus at the same time?

How can you make things easier? How can you make things more fun or enjoyable? Ask these questions over and over.

Sally Evans is a Creativity Coach, Artist, and Author. She inspires you to let go of your inner critic and to create the life you want by using your creativity.

Get your free copy of 9 Tips to Create a Life You Love, at http://EmbracingCreativity.com

Decide, from CRESCENDOH

2010-08-16T14:17:00.000-06:00

This post is from Jenny Doh's great blog and website, Crescendoh. Here's the link http://blog.crescendoh.com/crescendo/ Run, don't walk and check it out. Good, good stuff!

Delay. Fear. Denial. Indecision. Worry.
When combined, they can cause BAD to become TOXIC.
The antidote? Ask yourself:

Who am I?
What do I value?
What mark do I want to make within my lifetime?
What is my mission?

Once we are able to honestly answer these questions, tremendous clarity finds its way into our lives. And this clarity equips us with confidence, decisiveness, and values-driven focus that allows us to dismiss that which doesn't align with our mission, and embrace that which does align.
It's as simple and complex as that.

Thanks for coming by today!! Jane

M Jane Designs

Eldercare

2010-07-30T17:19:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to say that I'm still out of town visiting with my family. This is a shot I took while still on the NC coast. It's so beautiful there! Now in the central part of the state at my parent's house. We will be here just another few days, helping out with some chores and getting in a couple of quick visits with friends. Spending so much time with my aging parents leads me to much thought about life. How brief it is. What a short time we are here. How important it is to value each day. How important it is to honor yourself as well as those you love. Lots to think about.

www.mjanedesigns.com

Hello From The Beach

2010-07-22T08:59:00.001-06:00

We are in Topsail Beach, NC for our annual beach vacation. I grew up here and my parents still live in nearby Chapel Hill. My father just turned 80 and is not in very good health. This may be our last trip here with him, so the whole experience is bitter sweet. Some things are the same as they are every year. It's hot and humid; the kids are sandy; we've all eaten too much fried food and fudge. The ocean is beautiful and enticing. As with all family vacations, there are many good times and some old - less than good - family dynamics in play. Not much jewelry making going on, but I did bring some pieces to photograph and I'm building some new pages for the website on my laptop during the downtime. When the kids play hard all day, they are ready to collapse at bedtime...leaving Mom a few minutes to myself.

Check out my jewelry at: M Jane Designs !

Berry Pickin'

2010-07-06T16:02:00.002-06:00

Friday we headed about an hour north to pick berries at Berry Patch Farms. I've never done this with my kids before and thought it would be a cool experience...or it could be awful!...you never know with kids. We got there around 10 and stayed 'till 12. (They were closing early because of the holiday weekend.) Overall, it was a great experience and I'd do it again. The entrance is a charming old fashioned red barn with a country store. There were very cool roosters, chickens and turkeys to look out - and apparently a pig too, although we never found her. They have a tractor driven wagon to take you out to the fields and the driver was really nice and helpful. A few things I'd do differently: check to make sure that something was actually in season to pick, take a water bottle into the field for the kids, and bring along a friend.

The pictures are really cute. However, I had a discussion with a friend the other day, how people always post cute happy pics of their kids - but leave out the gory details that all parents know all too well. So in the interest of honest blogging, I will report that it was not all sunshine and smiles at the berry patch. My 4 year old son was done with the whole thing after about 20 minutes. Being 4, he planted himself in the middle of a furrow and commenced to scream and cry that he a) wanted a juice box b) wanted his Daddy c) wanted to go home - NOW!

There was also the issue of the potty. Both younger kids had to go as soon as the wagon dropped us off in the middle of farmville. There was a very nice CLEAN porta johnny right there, but of course neither wanted any part of that. So there was a good 20+ minutes of threats and crying to get them in there and get the job done.

If you ask them now if they enjoyed it, they'll all say yes with a lot of enthusiasm. Even the little guy. But that's the thing about kids. They don't remember the bad parts too much, just the good ones. They focus on the positive Another lesson they taught me at the berry patch. Way more important than water bottles or bathroom breaks.

Check out my jewelry at: M Jane Designs !

BUSY today!

2010-06-29T17:41:00.000-06:00

http://www.mjanedesigns.com/Bracelets/BlueSea.html

Wow, this has been a busy day! All kids home + a neighbor kid, took husband to airport, worked out, delivered an order (almost...) and posted new pieces to the website. When the kids go back to school I'll feel like I have all the time in the world!! Check out the two bracelets I just posted to my website. I love them both so much I almost don't want to sell them!!

2010-06-25T15:20:00.001-06:00

Word Cloud

2010-06-24T14:41:00.000-06:00

I love a word cloud! Do you all know what a word cloud is? It's a computer script that will take the random words you enter and arrange them in a creative way. For example, in the one above I used the text from my blog posts to create the cloud. Some programs will make words bigger that are used more often. You can usually pick the colors and also try the words in lots of different configurations. Really fun, and revealing too. When you see what you've been focusing on rearranged in an abstract way, it's takes on a whole other meaning. It can give your words a beauty and importance (maybe false?) that you might otherwise miss. Give it a whirl. Fun stuff.

Today I'm going to complete a stamped custom necklace for a graduating teacher. The words are in Hawaiian. How cool is that!!

www.mjanedesigns.com

New Earrings on Website!

2010-06-22T23:44:00.000-06:00

I just added sterling silver spiral swirl earrings in 3 sizes to the website. Check 'em out!!

M Jane Designs new earrings!

Simple Mom Downloads

2010-06-22T09:20:00.000-06:00

I'm all about finding ways to keep myself on track. Came across these downloads yesterday on http://simplemom.net/tools/downloads . I really like the Daily Docket, which I shrunk down to fit in my notebook.

I've kept a daily todo notebook for a couple of years. It's based on Brook Noel's great book "Change Your Life Challenge". You can find it here http://brooknoel.com/shop/books-e-books-and-cd-roms/ However, with the kids out of school & the schedule being looser, I've been letting the daily list slide a bit. (OK, a LOT!) This new download has gotten me back on track - for now... : )

Father's Day Crafts

2010-06-19T16:45:00.002-06:00

It's the day before Father's Day and I woke up this morning and realized we'd done NOTHING! I came up with some cute, fast, cheap, fun little projects that will save my you-know-what tomorrow. Maybe yours too!!

King For The Day Crown

This gift will be from my 7 year old daughter. I printed the template from http://familyfun.go.com/printables/fathers-day-crown-900639/. When I was printing out the template, I also printed out photos of my husband and the kids. I cut out the faces and glued them onto the crown. I had my daughter color the template and put on some sticker "jewels". Then we cut it out and taped it together. Very easy!!

Daddy, I Love You Card

I found this poem on http://crafts.kaboose.com/i-love-you-daddy-poem.html . I printed the poem out and a pic of my son. Glued the poem and pic onto a blank card. Then I had my son make his hand print and write his name. Awesome!

We also did the old stand-by tshirt. Honestly, mostly because I had the stuff here! Still cute though.

Blogger will not let me rotate this pic. You get the idea.

Dad TV
This is my favorite project. Best suited for my oldest child. It's a little more complicated than the others. I'm just going to post pics. Full directions are at http://crafts.slides.kaboose.com/283-quick-easy-father-s-day-crafts/2 (They call it Our Family TV, in case the link doesn't get you there.) We made some changes, but pretty much followed their instructions.

www.mjanedesigns.com

Blue Sea Bracelet

2010-06-17T12:33:00.000-06:00

Another bracelet from that giant heap o' beads I brought back from Santa Fe. This one has some interesting elements. Left to right: sterling silver wire shaped into a coil; next is Tagua Nut; then blue fluorite; center circle is fine fused silver hammered and textured; repeat of other side; then lastly a silver swirly shape forged out of heavy sterling wire. This was so fun! It really hangs well on the arm too. I'll post if for sale soon. I have SO many ideas in my head this summer for things to make!

Open Hands

2010-06-14T13:09:00.001-06:00

When I was running this morning I came accross these little hand prints in the sidewalk. They are quite small - toddler size - and had filled with gravel. I must have walked past them a dozen time, but had never seen them. Little hands pressed into concrete, a moment saved for a lifetime. Being outside running clears my head. I see things more clearly & feel stronger, not just physically, but inside too. Open hands...

http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

KISS

2010-06-13T15:59:00.000-06:00

Note to self: soccer ball birthday cakes involve lots of black frosting. Which can make every kid attending look like Gene Simmons in full stage make-up.

http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

Fall apart

2010-06-12T16:55:00.001-06:00

Fall apart, originally uploaded by ventisette.

Not much to say today. It's raining here and I've been pretty lazy. Just saw this on flickr. So true, isn't it?

1st Round

2010-06-11T21:58:00.001-06:00

So, here's the 1st design from all those stones. This is my favorite kind of bracelet to make - all sorts of colors and shapes mixed up together! Here's we have some fluorite, tagua nut, fresh water pearl, forged silver, stamped brass, and some quartz. Whew! That's a lot of elements!!
http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

What Will It Be

2010-06-10T11:06:00.001-06:00

See all these beautiful blue, brown and silver beads? I bought these when I was in Santa Fe. How many months ago was that? They've been laying on my work table begging to become something lovely & I going to give them their wish. I haven't made any bracelets in a while, & that's what I had in mind when I selected these. I'll let you know what they become!
http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

You Are Enough

2010-06-09T09:44:00.000-06:00

I'm going to start off by saying that I'm pretty whiny today. I have a little bit of a cold and my muscles ache and my head hurts. Also, just coming off of a stressful weekend full of company, activity and family drama. I'm sure this adds to my general feeling of exhaustion and strong desire to lay in bed with a box of cookies and watch reruns of The OC. But I'm trying to fight it and add something of value to the world, so here goes.

I drug myself out for a run yesterday and had a couple of Oprah ah-ha moments. The first was regarding company coming. I wonder why it is that many of us, myself included, feel the need to completely redo the outward appearance of our lives when company comes? I cleaned and organized and rearranged till midnight! Granted, it did look damn good when I was done. But what was so wrong with everything that I felt the need to change it? Answer? Nothing! My house is not perfect on a daily basis, but it does look OK.

I have 3 kids who are all home for summer vacation. There are toys in the family room. There is sand by the patio. If you look closely there is probably a Popsicle wrapper and a couple of cheerios under the couch. So what? Things are generally clean. The dishes are done and the counters are wiped everyday. Most of the clothes are washed and at least on their way to being hung up. It's all OK. The next time we have company, I'm going to try to resist the urge to think that I have to change to present the perfect image that is in my head. Let you know how that goes.

The other revelation of sorts is a little harder to completely wrap my head around. We've all heard the phrase "you are enough". I think yesterday it actually resonated and sunk into my consciousness a bit. As I was running (awkwardly & slowly btw) I thought, "why not me"? There is no magic that anyone else has that I do not posses within myself as well. The only thing that stands in my way is the limitations that I put on myself. This is true of running, true of work, true of relationships. It is true for all of us. Get out of your own way and see where you can go...
www.mjanedesigns.com

All This Beauty

2010-06-07T10:37:00.002-06:00

Snapped this day lilly in the front garden this morning. I'm so thankful for the beauty that is all around us.
http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

A thought for the day

2010-06-03T11:22:00.002-06:00

What is your hope?

2010-06-01T15:01:00.000-06:00

"A vision without a task is but a dream, a task without vision is drudgery, a vision with a task is the hope of the world."
What is your hope for your world? Today is June 1st and it strikes me that 5 months of 2010 have already passed. Summer is just around the corner and before we know it the air will start to get cool again. Each and every day is such an opportunity to take a small step towards your dream life. The days sometimes seems long, but the years fly by. 1% improvement everyday is all it takes.

Is it really the end already??

2010-05-24T15:27:00.000-06:00

Is it really the end of the school year already? Well, it is here in Colorado, although not for a few weeks in other parts of the country. How was it snowing 2 weeks ago and summer break now? Regardless of my questions, my kids are out of school for the next 12 weeks & we'll have to figure out a whole new set of routines. On one hand, it will be a joy to skip the morning rush to get them up, fed and off to school. Not to mention carpool. I'm also happy to have a break from nagging about homework and bedtimes. On the other (more experienced and cynical) hand, there will be sibling fighting, constant foot traffic in and out, much begging for sprinkers and lemonade stands, and little time for me to get any work done. On the 3rd hand (huh?), it's great to have everyone a little more relaxed and to see the kids become "rebonded" with each other after a long year of school. Little man is actually potty trained and much more self sufficient this summer. That will be a huge help!

I made jewelry for the kids' teacher gifts this year, as I have every school end for a while. I hear through the grapevine that the teachers are pretty excited at this prospect. My oldest has been at the school for 6 years - so there is a lot of my jewelry hanging around teacher's necks to compare. I also do a nice little business making teacher's gifts for other friends whose kids are at different schools. Everyone is always looking for something new to give on the last day of class. The necklace above is a new design this year and I'll have it up on the website soon. http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

The Big Leap

2010-04-29T12:01:00.004-06:00

I've been reading (listening actually) to a great book by Gay Hendricks called The Big Leap and I really want to share it with everyone. I loaded it on my iphone through Audible. I'm a big believer in paying attention to the information that's going into your head through your ears. There is so much media around that I think we're sometimes unaware of how much it can affect your mood. I really consciously try to listen to something positive at some point during my day. There are so many great podcasts and audio books available for little or no cost. Download them to your player of choice and YOU control who and what's informing you about the world. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not above an episode of Real Housewives on TIVO now and then!!)

So anyway, my current fav is this book The Big Leap. It's premise is that we all have "upper limit problems" that we're probably not aware of. These limits keep you stuck and prevent you from achieving your full potential. It's a fascinating concept and I've found a lot of truth in it. Worth checking out for sure. Here's the link: http://thebigleap.net/

http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

Just Let It Go!

2010-04-20T14:50:00.001-06:00

I had big plans for today. Yes I did. I was going to get a lot done. But then my middle child felt horrible this morning and had to stay home and go to the doctor. Also, the dishwasher installer, dry wall repairman and roofer all showed up. (Not when they were scheduled to.) Add to the mix a certain 3 year old little boy who has not been happy with anyone or anything all day. Needless to say, the day didn't go as planned.

I finally gave up my big intentions and Jess and I made some Shrinky Dink jewelry. Which was a whole lot of fun for both of us. The to-do list will still be there tomorrow. Not too bad a day after all...

http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

A GOOD Day!

2010-04-14T13:17:00.000-06:00

http://www.mjanedesigns.com/

What a good day it's been so far! Got a good workout in this morning, all 3 kiddos went to school, then I grabbed my laptop and was out the door. I've been hiding out in one of my favorite bookstores, The Tattered Cover, since 10:00. Adding new pages to the website and tweaking photos. I have to leave at 2:00 to pick up little boy, but what joy to sit at this comfortable table in peace for a few hours. Ahhhh......

Love This Band

2010-04-12T21:15:00.000-06:00

Recently "discovered" the John Butler Trio! Great band!! Good beats, easy to listen to, they inspire me at the moment.

The Downside of Having Your Own Business

2010-04-12T20:51:00.001-06:00

What did I "forget to find out" when I thought it would be SO great to have my own business? All of the numbers and paperwork!! Just finished taxes. This is a view of my poor desk. I will say that I'm much better with the business side of things than I once was, but I will NEVER learn to like this stuff. One day I should write down everything I've learned about taxes, liscenses, EINs, credit card processing, web hosting, business banking, wholesale buying, etc....but what I really want to do is make jewelry that makes me and others happy. SO, now that this silly Federal obligation is done, I'm back at it!!

www.mjanedesigns.com

2010-04-05T18:50:00.000-06:00

Totally random picture of a wood carving that I thought was cool. Love the thoughtful look on his face. I need some of that peace today! Life has spun out a bit the last few weeks. No idea when I'm going to edit and post the 140 pictures I downloaded today! Where did March go??!!

Cold Connections

2010-04-01T11:29:00.003-06:00

Several non-jewelry making friends have asked why I went all the way to Santa Fe to take a jewelry class. (My 3 year old calls it "jewelry school"!) So I thought it would be good to explain a little about what I was doing in New Mexico. Bead Fest Santa Fe was the draw for my trip. Bead Fest is run by Interweave Press, one of the biggest and best names in art and craft publicaions. They have several of these events throughout the year accross the country. Here's a link: http://www.beadfest.com/beadfest/ These events are a great opportunity to take classes that aren't typically offered in your local area. It's also a great opportunity to buy raw materials and meet others who share your passion for making stuff!!

My main love is wire work and for a long time I've been wanting to know more about cold connections. What the heck is a cold connection? It's basically joining metal together without heat - solder or fusing. We're talking rivets and tiny screws. It's a great, somewhat industrial look, that I'm crazy for. It's also one of those skills where learning directly from someone with a lot of experience can save you a ton of time and money in the long run. I was fortunate enough to get into a class with Connie Fox, one of the superstars of wirework and jewelry teaching. So exciting!! Connie does beautiful work that is featured in many jewelry publications. She also teaches all over the country and has instructional DVDs. Here's a link to her site: http://www.conniefox.com/

I wasn't dissapointed. The class gave me all the basic cold connection skills that I was looking for. Connie has a very relaxed teaching style that made everyone feel at ease. (I couldn't resist asking her for a few teaching tips.) She demonstrated how to make plain rivets, tube rivets, cotterpins and the very cool tiny screws and nuts. We also learned some flex shaft tricks as well as wire guage and drill bit selection skills. Everyone seemed to throughly enjoy trying out our new skills. In fact, Connie had to push us out at lunch time - no one wanted to quit working. Now I'm back home with some cool new tools and lots of ideas bouncing around my brain. If you can make it to one of these shows I'd really encourage it. It will inspire you to try new techiniques and help you to grow as a jewelry maker.

Witte Wear

2010-03-27T13:44:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we were driving back from Winter Park, CO and stopped in a funky little ice cream shop in Empire, CO. Who would have guessed that I'd walk out with adorable hand made hats for my daughters? After doing a little research, I've tracked down the designer's website: http://www.wittewear.com/ and her Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=lf#!/pages/Snohomish-WA/Witte-Wear/83895163460?ref=mf Her work just beautiful and very well-made. Check it out!

Santa Fe 2010

2010-03-22T19:37:00.002-06:00

santa fe scenery 024, originally uploaded by mjmchaag.

Check out my Santa Fe photos on Flickr.http://www.flickr.com/photos/26697027@N06/sets/72157623549731191/

Ring Vise

2010-03-22T15:36:00.000-06:00

This odd looking tool is called a ring vise. I used it in Connie Fox's cold connection class in Santa Fe this weekend and had to get one to bring home. By far the easiest and best thing I've ever used to hold a piece of metal while you drill a hole through it. I'll try to post some pictures of it in use but trust me - it's the sh**. Many, many cool things to blog about from my brief trip to the SouthWest. The classes, the scenery, new friends, old friends - - much fun was had for sure!! I'm going out of town again on Wednesday for a couple of days, but I'll try to get some more goodies up before then!

How to Make Your Own Balled Silver Earwires

2010-03-15T13:24:00.003-06:00

I often make my own earwires for my jewelry. My favorite style right now are balled silver earwires. It takes a little practice to shape the wire, but they are really pretty simple to do.

1. Start out with two 2 1/2" pieces of 20 gauge 1/2 hard sterling wire, cleaned and straightend.

2. Using pliers, hold one of the wires down into the flame of your torch. Hold the wire at the hottest point, which is right in front of the blue inner flame, until the metal rolls up into a ball.

3. Immediately plunge into water to cool.

4. The wire will be gray where you heated it. If desired, use a pro polish pad or steel wool to clean

and shine it.

5. Turn one end up into a simple loop with the tip of your round nose pliers.

6. Turn wire the opposite direction to create a larger bend. Here I'm using bailing pliers but the back of large round nose pliers or any other mandral will work too.

7. Make a slight bend at the end of the wire using chain nose pliers.

Finished earwires!!!

www.mjanedesigns.com

2010-03-11T11:15:00.001-07:00

Nuf said...

www.mjanedesigns.com

Making Progress

2010-03-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

The earring page is starting to take shape. Check out what I posted yesterday.
http://mjanedesigns.com/Earrings/earrings.html

Not sure if any progress will happen today. Jam packed and not with jewelry unfortunately!

2010-03-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here comes Monday again! Everyone made it out the door to school today - no one sick! Yeah!! That means I have 10-2 to get something accomplished. I'm working hard to get a substantial number of earring posted on the website for sale. It's a lot of work!! Make them, photograph, edit the photos, build and publish the webpages. Where is that staff I don't have? Maybe some day.... These are some of the finished earrings that I have sitting on my work table. I took the pic yesterday afternoon with the sun streaming through the window - a beautiful thing when you work in the basement!

Updating and updating

2010-02-17T13:47:00.001-07:00

It's been so long since I've blogged, that I'm going to just jump in where I am instead of trying to catch you up. The last few weeks I have, at long last, been focusing on updating my website. I decided to start with my personalized stamped silver jewelry. Honestly, I picked there to start because I knew it would be the most difficult. With all the options (name, number of charms, etc) involved to order these pieces on-line, it takes quite a bit of coding behind the scenes. I knew that if I could get through this part, the one of a kind jewelry would be a breeze to add.

The "personalized jewelry" page is completely done! I have 3 more stamped pieces to add on the jewelry page, then on to the fun stuff!!. Check it out: mjanedesigns

Cool New Pendants

2009-09-14T11:45:00.003-06:00

I've been fooling around for a while with collage & paper. I LOVE paper! Wondering how I could use it in my jewelry. Think I perfected these little collage pendants this weekend. They are made on wooden scrabble tiles and covered with resin. The resin gives the tile a really nice clear hard finish with a pretty domed shape. If you're interested in resins, I suggest you check out Beadwork's special issue "handcrafted jewelry". Handcrafted Jewelry - Interweave

They have a great article on resins which saved me a lot of time and expense. I've ordered glue on bails & hope to have these strung in time for my show on the 23rd. They are fun, fun, fun!

Beads, beads, beads

2009-08-24T12:23:00.005-06:00

My 2 oldest children went back to school last week. I love them dearly, but it was so nice to have more time to focus - and breathe! My little guy is still here with me, but one is nothing to handle compared to 3. So last week was a very good week.

One of the projects I had some time for was finishing my new office/studio. I had already moved the supplies I use the most to the new space. But many little jars & containers still lingered in the cabinets above my old desk. I didn't realize how many beads I have!! They're in all different kind of containers & in no particular order at all. Makes it very difficult to find anything.

I found a very nice 60 drawer storage cabinet at ACE over the weekend. It's meant for screws and bolts & such, but is perfect for beads. Of course when I got it home it didn't fit on the shelves, so they had to be adjusted. Then I decided that I had the wrong style. The first one I bought had 30 small drawers and 12 large ones. Got home and figured out that I didn't need the large drawers. So it was back to ACE for an exchange. Thank goodness they open early. The new cabinet was perfect - but still not enough drawers for all the beads. So one more trip for little plastic dividers to go inside the drawers and one more smaller cabinet.

After a late night of sorting many, many beads, I finally have them all in place. I added a lamp behind the cabinet to make if easier to see inside. Turned out pretty good!

Where to put the school stuff

2009-08-11T07:23:00.004-06:00

I tackled a project last week that I've been putting off for a long time. A really long time. My oldest is going into 5th grade & since she started school I've been trying to find a good way to store her school papers & mementos. If you have kids, you know that they bring home LOTS of stuff from school. You can't keep it all, or even keep most of it, but even with thinning out, there's still a lot to store & organize. I have 3 kids = equals lots of school stuff to save.

I've finally settled on a system that I think is going to work really well. I found underbed storage boxes that are big enough to hold everything, but compact enough to be manageable. Then I ordered a bunch of them from Amazon. Here's the link if you'd like to see or order them yourself. Sterilite 16558010 28 Quart Clear Storage Box See-through with White Lid 10-Pack Ordered as a 10 pack, the boxes were $7.50 each and shipping was free. Not a bad deal & much more convenient then having to haul everyone to the store and schlep them back home.

I made a simple label on the computer and put one on the side and end of each box. (That way you can see the contents no matter which direction you store them.) Luckily, most of the school memorabilia was somewhat separated already. I did need my oldest daughter to help identify some papers. 3rd or 4th grade? All & all, not nearly as horrible a process as I thought it would be.

So now all of the kids school memories are organized by grade. I made empty boxes for the new school year & put them where I can get to them easily. So far, so good. I'll let you know if the system makes it through the school year successfully.

Fly Away Home. . .

2009-08-04T18:13:00.003-06:00

I can't believe summer is almost over. One of our late summer rituals is to buy ladybugs at the garden center and let the kids set them free in the yard. I think ladybugs are supposed to be good for your plants - but I really do it because the kids think it's so much fun. We got a good batch this time. There must have been 100s in there! As is often the case at our house on the weekends, several neighbor kids were around too. They all laughed and squealed as ladybugs crawled and flew everywhere. We checked their shady corner by the trumpet vine throughout the afternoon to see who would stick around. Eventually, all but a few had gone on their way. One more happy summer memory.

THE LIST

2009-07-21T16:15:00.006-06:00

Hello!

In my last post, I talked about getting back on track. I think, at least for me, that staying focused is a continual challenge. I've developed a few tricks over the years that really help. Perhaps the thing that helped me the most was the idea that there is no one "magic bullet" that's going to last forever. Depending on the situation & circumstances, different motivators work or don't. That said, there are several constants in my arsenal. The first is "the list". I keep a running to-do list at all times. When I'm busy, it gets updated daily. Right now, since it's summer and all 3 kids are home, I try to have less on my plate work-wise. I probably update it 2-3 times a week.

A lot of self help authors recommend a daily task list. The one whose system I like the most is Brook Noel's. Around New Year's I read her book: The Change Your Life Challenge: Step-by-Step Solutions for Finding Balance, Creating Contentment, Getting Organized, and Building the Life You Want. I've tried many systems, both electronic and paper. Her CAN (catch all notebook) and 3 step action list are excellent and easy to follow. The book if geared toward busy people who want to stay focused and enjoy more peace and satisfaction in life. I highly recommend it. I'll most likely reread the book in August as my busy season starts.

Getting Back on Track

2009-06-21T11:41:00.003-06:00

My surgery has been a lot harder to recover from. As usual, I underestimated how hard it would be and how well I would handle it. Sometimes this over confidence (ignorance?) is a good thing. This time, not so much. So I am complete off track now & need to get my life back in order. It's frustrating, because I had worked so hard to get where I was. Now I'm back to zero. Thought you'd enjoy the process. Maybe we can help each other out.

Hard Days

2009-06-02T23:08:00.007-06:00

Well, I just had major surgery Friday and I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. Amazing how often I just want to lay on the couch and watch TV and then how fast I get sick of it when I can!! A few more days and I should be much better. Each day gets a little easier. Funny, I had 2 lumpectomies last years and hardly took anything stronger than advil. Not this time sister! I'm fully doped up and thankful for it!

The good news is that business is pretty steady and I am itching to find ways to do and create more. The stamping remains my bread and butter but there is SO much more out there that I want to try. Don't even get me started on Kellie Rae Roberts book Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings!!! Amazing, inspiring creative stuff.

Teacher Gifts

2009-05-25T15:13:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again. I've been burning the midnight oil making teacher & graduation gifts. Here are some that have been keeping me up at night! I particularly like the two sided flower/keep calm necklace. Wear it either way, depending on your mood.

Lakeside Night

2009-05-18T12:37:00.007-06:00

These pictures are from a historic amusement park outside of Denver. My kids' school district has a Lakeside Night every year. It is such a cool place I couldn't resist taking some pictures. Sort of the land that time forgot. Here's a link to some of it's history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeside_Amusement_Park

Garage Sales

2009-05-15T10:28:00.002-06:00

In our part of Colorado, Friday & Saturday mornings in late spring are prime garage sale days. I don't do as much garage sale-ing as I used to. I'm kind of anti-stuff these days. Also, very short on free time. But every once in a while I see a deal I just can't pass up. When I dropped my oldest off at school this morning, I spotted a Little Tykes playhouse at a sale right across the street. My neighbor has been looking for one of these, so I HAD to ask. $40!! A real deal. (You just can't kill Little Tykes stuff. I always say that when the world ends, all that will be left is cockroaches & Little Tykes furniture!)So I bought the house for her and started looking around for myself. Here's what I got:

Desk chair: $10
Kids cash register (perfect condition w/ all the parts!): $5
Dora castle: .50
Diego house: .50
2 storage bins that I'll use for kids art supplies: .50

Not bad for $16.50! I know the cash register will get lots of use this summer. Small price to pay for entertained kids.

Time

2009-05-14T12:22:00.004-06:00

Early today I was listening to the Morning Coach on my Ipod. I try to listen to this podcast almost everyday. It's really motivational & a great way to start the day. Anyway, this episode (pod-sode?) was about the relativity of time. He talked about the importance of living each day 100%. It got me thinking to how quickly time passes, especially when you're a parent.

I usually start the day with big goals. I have a to-do list. It has priorities & stars & sometimes even color coding. I'm ready to go! Then, one of my kids wakes up with the stomach flu, & the laundry calls my name, & someone needs a ride to swim practice. Then it's time to make dinner, help with homework, & get 3 kids to bed. Before I know it the day is over, the list is untouched & I just want to lay down & watch Gossip Girl on Tivo. That's OK for a day or two - but sometimes it goes on like this for weeks, dare I admit?, months even.

In my former life, I was a full time marketing manager. I lived & died by calendars & schedules. Deadlines were everything. When I left full-time corporate work to take care of my first child, one of the hardest adjustments was the lack of control of your time. Being home with small children is a lot liking being in a foreign country. You have to adapt to a new way of living - even a new flow of time.

I recently had the revelation that everyone in my house is a lot happier when their priorites are my priorites. Not maliciously, of course, but their lives are just easier when I'm taking care of them. It can feel selfish to put my goals ahead of their immediate demands. I struggle with this everyday. I think most women do. We demand a lot of ourselves & want to appear to have it all under control - even when we don't. Do I have an answer? Not today. I'll keep you posted if I figure out the secret.

2009-02-16T09:18:00.001-07:00

I made 3 new necklaces yesterday that are really cool! Lots of bendy twirly wire. I'll try to get a quick shot of them today and post them later.

Guess Who?

2009-02-10T11:31:00.002-07:00

Guess who's going to be an jewelry instructor at the community center??? Me that's who!

I'm really excited today because I just came back from a meeting at my local community center. They've asked me to teach a monthly class May - August. So cool!! It's been a tough few weeks & I really need this boost to stay motivated. I stayed up until 1:00 last night getting ready for my presentation, but it was worth it. The class listing should be online in a few weeks. As soon as I have a link I'll post it.

On a less exciting note - now that my computer is fixed I have to stop putting off learning how to use QuickBooks. One of my goals this year is to get my business finances in order - we'll see how that goes.

I'd like to pass on a link today to Sally Evan's website. Sally is a teacher, artist and creativity coach local to my area. I've been following her work for a while & working with her for several months. She's just fabulous!! I highly recommend getting on her newsletter list and checking out her website http://www.embracingcreativity.com/index.html

This & That

2009-02-03T12:51:00.003-07:00

Well I wish I had some interesting jewelry news to write about - but no such luck! I finally got my laptop back & it's working pretty well now. Unfortunately, the "ghost files" they put on my system have totally used up my disc space. So I can't load any new photos until I get that fixed. In order to get it cleared up I need to back up all my data. I'm waiting for a new external hard drive to arrive that has enough space to do this. Supposedly this thing is fast as lighting and is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I have my little boy home sick today, poor guy. So I'm waiting for him to finish lunch & watching "word world" so I can put him down to nap. Then I'll have an hour to myself to work before I have to go pick up the big kids.

What else is going on? Well I went to see Twilight last Saturday. It was really good - very true to the book. I have such a sweet husband to sit through that movie with me!! I still have to finish the 3rd book in the series. The movie has got me very motivated to do just that!

Still Out of Order

2009-01-25T20:09:00.002-07:00

Well the saga or my laptop lingers on. I ended up taking it to Best Buy for repair. The HP help desk lady just freaked me out too much. Thought a face-to-face experience would be better. Unfortunately, not sure if that's the case. Without rehashing it all, the kid I was working with was kind of a jerk & was very inexperienced. When I got my computer back last Thursday night I discovered that it still wasn't working correctly. There were several files & applications missing, but the scariest was that all my Outlook data was gone. Archived emails, calendar, contacts everything. In fact, I couldn't get Outlook to open at all! I took it back on Friday & it's still there. Fortunately, I'm working with a tech who is MUCH better than the first guy. They still can't find my Outlook data, but at least they seem to understand the problem & be working on it.

What have I learned from this experience?? Back up your data! I have an external hard drive for backups, I'm just not good about using it. This will change when (if?) I get my computer back. I've also discovered this weekend that you can sync your Outlook data with Yahoo calendars pretty easily. Could kick myself for not doing that!!!

All the time spent on this computer issue has slowed down my jewelry work. Also, I can't post any pics to share with you without my laptop. I made a really cool necklace this week that I'd love to share! Hopefully I'll have better news next week.

Hi I'm A PC

2009-01-18T10:31:00.002-07:00

So I feel like that guy in the Mac PC commercial this morning. Unfortunately, I'm not the cool Mac guy. I'm the geeky PC guy whose system has crashed & I don't know what to do. So I wish you could see me sitting here in my orange slippers. My husband's laptop on one side of me - which is what I'm typing this on - my laptop on the other side. I have given control of my laptop to a very nice woman who I beleive is in India. While she's very polite, I'm not fully convinced that she knows what she's doing at all. Her original suggestion was to reinstall my operating system & lose all my data. I talked her out of that - so now she's copying all my files to another folder - not sure why. I'm questioning that too & getting more & more nervous as each second passes. I just don't think she understands the problem. I have a feeling that this is a user setting issue that should be a quick fix. She may be doing more harm than good. AHHHH!

Sickness

2008-12-02T08:15:00.003-07:00

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday was a lot of fun. We went to the mountains here in CO with two other families. Utter chaos with 8 kids running around - but no one was surprised by that! We got home in time to relax on Saturday & Sunday. I was all prepared to have a productive week making & posting jewelry & getting ready for Christmas. Then it hit!! The stomach flu is making the rounds at my house. It started with my little boy letting loose all over himself and me yesterday - - in a store. Yuck! Poor little guy is still sick. Not my big girl is getting it too. So, no good jewelry news today I'm afraid. Maybe I'll be able to sneak downstairs and have something for you tomorrow. Stay well!!

New Ideas

2008-11-24T09:29:00.005-07:00

Finished 3 necklaces for my nice neighbor this weekend. Two of them are new designs that she and I came up with together. I'm really pleased with how they turned out. Look for them on the website soon. I really like the "washer" style of charm. Not too chatty today. Much to do before the holiday Thursday. Later!

Stuff I Like

2008-11-15T10:31:00.003-07:00

If Oprah can do it, why not me? I'm calling this post "Stuff I Like". Do you have little things in your everyday life that consistantly make you happy? Sometimes it's nice to have just one little thing in your day that you can count on to work. I'm trying to make an effort to recognize and appreciate these little pleasures.

Today, I'm writing about Amy's Organic frozen meals. I have a bad habit of not eating lunch, or just snacking on whatever junk is handy. Consequently, when the daily 4:00 onslaught of children, dinner, homework begins - I'm in a horrible, low blood sugar mood. I'm not a real fan of leftovers and I know from experience that I won't take the time to make a decent lunch for myself. Amy's have been a great solution. Let me say that in all honesty, I'm far from a health food nut. Like most of us, I'm trying to eat better. But if it doesn't taste good, I won't eat it for long. Amy's meals are EXCELLENT. I've tried most of them and have never been dissapointed. They're also filling and nutritious with lots of fiber - which helps keep you full longer and helps cure the 4:00 energy drop.

My current fav is the one pictured above, the Indian Mattar Paneer. I probably wouldn't have picked this out on my own - my DH bought it on one of his rare trips to the grocery store. Isn't it funny how other people sometimes know your tastes better than you do? It's fabulous! Very tasty and not too spicy. The indian cheese pieces in it are cool and calm down the other flavor. Give it a try! (The mexican bowls are great too!!)

1st Snow

2008-11-14T09:17:00.003-07:00

Well we've finally gotten our 1st Snow of the season here in Denver. This is late for us. Late by about a month. This was the 1st year my kids went trick or treating without parkas on!! It's nice to see the white stuff, although I'm sure we'll be cursing it soon enough.

It's funny to me how differently we act about snow here than where I grew up in the south. When I was growing up, if there was even the threat of snow they postponed or cancelled school. My Mom calls me almost everytime it snows here to ask if my kids have the day off. We have a running joke that the crawl on the bottom of the TV screen here says "It's snowing kids. Get your butts out of bed and go to school!!!"

I've got more necklaces to do today & both of my little kids are home. Not sure how productive I'll be in terms of jewelry making. I have some really cool new ideas I'm just dying to get produced and posted. It's going to be a challenge with the holidays coming up.

Tonight is my book club. The selection was "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I never finished it, but I think I'll go to book club anyway. I did see the movie. . .

Necklaces

2008-11-13T11:34:00.003-07:00

I am over run with necklaces! Stamped name necklace orders that is. I've done little else since my jewelry show last month. It's a wonderful problem to have, but I'm getting anxious to work on some more creative ideas. If only there were more hours in the day and fewer children unerfoot! Just kidding, I wouldn't want it any other way, but it's hard to strike a balance some days - OK most days. If you have any great tips on how to balance kids and working from home - please post a comment. I'd love to hear it and I'm sure lots of other parents would too.

Photos from show

2008-10-14T11:38:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos from the craft show I was in last weekend. Wow, my stock was really low! The tables look bare now that I see them in photos. Hard to say if that hurt or helped me. I think sometimes if you over stock your displays it looks too cluttered.

The best seller was definitely the custom stamped name necklaces. I'm so glad I made an order form at the last minute to take with me. I had originally planned to just refer folks to the website. Now I have get down to work and all those orders!!

It's a bit of a strain on the family when I'm busy all weekend. Not to mention all the work leading up to the show. I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband. We'll have to work on how to juggle his busy career, the kids and my growing business. If anyone has any tips or advice let me know.

Great Show!

2008-10-12T20:57:00.002-06:00

It is Sunday night and my show is over! I am so pleased with how it went. It was a long weekend, but well worth it. Quite of few friends dropped by to say hello or help in the booth. I saw friends I haven't seen in years. Maybe that's the way to keep up with my girlfriends - do more craft fairs!!

Most satisfying was the positive feedback I got from visitors to the show and other vendors. It's sometimes difficult to know if what I'm doing is really any good when I'm working alone day after day. People were very generous with their kind words. It inspires me to keep going.

Now I have to buckle down and make the custom orders I took, as well as tend to all the home chores I've ignored lately. In the words of Lewis Robinson (of Meet the Robinsons) "keep moving forward".

On The Floor

2008-10-10T11:05:00.001-06:00

I'm getting ready for my show, which means I have to deal with all the business stuff that I avoid. Credit card processing, pricing, sales liscense, etc. I have a nice new big desk I bought a few months ago just for this kind of stuff. Why am I still sitting on the floor with my laptop and papers all around me? Hopeless!!!

New Things Coming

2008-09-22T20:25:00.002-06:00

I'll have some cool new designs coming soon! Awhile ago I bought a torch & supplies to start fusing and welding. OK, a long time ago. Well, I finally started last weekend. It's awesome!! Fire, melting stuff, what's not to like? Look for pictures very soon.

Finally Finished ! for now. . .

2008-09-14T17:04:00.003-06:00

Well I've finally figured out and completed adding the "mommy necklaces" to my website. Now you can easily order them directly from my site. This turned out to be a TON of work. Who knew? Adding an option for each charm and figuring out a way to let the customer enter the names they wanted for each charm was way over my head. But I think I finally got it! Now who wants to be the guinea pig to place the first order and test it out??

Next step - this may be awhile - add products to the earring/bracelet/necklace pages. . .

2008-09-04T21:43:00.003-06:00

Wow! It's been a crazy week and I still have to get through Friday!!! I'm still trying to finish the web site update when I can grab a few minutes here and there. Must get some jewelry made this weekend!!!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T06:22:00.002-06:00

How was your Labor Day? Ours was relatively quiet. The kids were tired from starting back to school & they all had some kind of little cold going. Truth be told, the grown-ups were a little run down too! So we mostly stayed close to home.

I didn't make any jewelry this weekend, but I did do a TON of work on my web-site. Within a few days you should be able to order the Mommy Necklaces straight off the site. I'n really excited. People ask about them all the time and it will be great to give them an easy ordering option. Stay Tuned!

Wrap It Up

2008-08-28T13:07:00.003-06:00

As promised, here is a pic of the wrapped stone technique I've been working on. I did this one last week, but had to put it aside for other things. The process was actually pretty simple, once I figured it out. The bezel wire can be textured - or not - however your want. I happen to be partial to spirals! Now, what else can I do with this cool new trick??? Stay tuned!

Accepted!

2008-08-20T14:20:00.004-06:00

I was very excited today to get an email saying I'd been accepted to the Highlands Ranch Fall 08 Craft Show! This is a juried show (meaning a committee of craftpeople and artists judge your work - see link ) that I applied to a couple of years ago and was not accepted into then. (Looking back at the stuff I was doing then, I can see why!!)

Now the hard work begins. I need a lot of inventory!! Dates for the show are Sat and Sun, October 11 & 12. More inf. to come.