Couponing.........Atlanta's Frugal Mom

There are so many wonderful couponing sites out on the internet.......Here is one for Friday  ( yes, I know it is Sat morning but the power was off last night due to storm) http://atlantasfrugalmom.blogspot.com/

She is  hosting giveaway right now for a 25 dollar gift card to Ross Jeans ..so take the time to visit and read thru her  site. I found her couponing 101 section to be very helpful.

Couponing ........Family Friendly Frugality

Here is another couponing site i have run across i have enjoyed . Be sure to take the time to read thru her site. Some great coupons here .......... http://www.familyfriendlyfrugality.com/

Winners of july blog giveaway are

Winners of the July blog giveaway are 1] Magaly Guerrero 2]Slop Swap 3] Ranchmama ......... please email me at lisabrawner59@gmail.com with your mailing addy ...Thanks !!

Couponing........... Frugal Invitation BLog

I have been trying to use coupons all i can last few months and i have found that i can save a bit off my weekly bill. I dont actually buy alot at the grocery as i grow a big garden and cook ..more than buy processed items. But every 50 cents saved here and there really adds up

I decided to start listing some of the  couponing blogs i have started following. I will be listing one  a day so you can go over and read thru them . Here is todays ......... http://www.frugalinvitation.com   

Wire Wrap RIngs ...........

I really enjoy wire wrapping .......relieves stress and i can find myself lost in the swirls and twists I can create.....The hardest part of it all though is getting a good picture to list in my Etsy store. :) I use a table lamp that i can move around to get the benefit of the best light .

Enjoying my 4 days off work........

My job has been slow so I have a 4 day weekend !!!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I worked in the garden areas most of yesterday and today .. it is growing quite nicely .

Redesigning a few pieces

This morning i took an old tarnished bracelet that i really liked and wrapped some copper tone wire around it. Turned out great. You cant tell it is tarnished at all . Then i took this hematite stone that i have worn for about 20 years .I added a little silver wire and a new chain and it is good for another 20 or more years :)Now i have to run errands and work in the yard . Tonight i may have time to create a few more designs . Nothing has been selling with money tight for everyone.........sooooooooooooo I think i will just make stuff for myself for a bit .works for me !!!!!!!!!!

All mine....................

I decided to take a night and create necklaces that i will keep for me ..all mine !!!
First though i had to clean the living room and the couch looked so inviting with my locker hook rug waiting on me..................so i just had to turn the tv on and hook a few rows.
Then I was all in the "craft zone" so i moved on to jewelry design. These are what i ended up with to keep :)

4th July Cowgirls :)

It will be back to work tomorrow but today i am enjoying working with these reprints of a vintage cowgirl on a paint horse ..
It is dark and gloomy outside...really wish it would rain and get it over with. I kinda wanted sunshine and hot to spend the day in my tiny pool . Since it isnt co-operating I guess I "will just have to"make another necklace or 3. 

As always alot of my designs are up for sale and can be found at www.1craftywoman.com

Sundays are for getting little projects finished up..............

I had a lovely 4 hr nap today :) All the fireworks kept me awake till past 2 am . I am NOT a fan of fireworks at all ...........unless they are at an event and done by professionals.So wondering if all the bottle rockets landing on my roof are going to start a fire make me a bit  crabby !!
I cleaned and organized the craft room today. I had alot of old sweat pants to cut into rags and strips for my rug hooking. Once i had all that out of the way it looked pretty nice . Tomorrow i will get some mending done and work on hemming the sleeves in a stack of shirts. They originally were long sleeved but the cuffs were worn out soooooooooooooooooooo.............. i cut the sleeves off and they can be hemmed and will look just fine.
I found some paper i had put away that looks great for my brochure ..........

Then I had 3 little leather notepad covers that needed a cute pic modpodged on the fronts ............

Then i had time before my nap to bring this little fella to life .....he is over on my sales blog  for sale for 17.99 if anyone is interested

Creative Evening............

I spent a wonderful afternoon with a dear friend and then this evening I was full of wonderful energy that I used to create a few new designs ...

I love these handpainted shell pendants. They originally were earrings and i decided they would be stunning as a necklace instead........ these pieces are for sale and can be found at www.1craftywoman.com

Running Horses Necklace

I have to tell myself I cant keep this piece. The 3 horses are racing it looks like .....all 3 trying to make it that last little bit to win and then they get to head to the barn and relax and have a bite of hay ........feels like my life lately on so many levels ...The large circle of mother of pearl is wire wrapped in a soft dusty pink rose wire and has 3 large cultured pearls in the design. The horses are a reproduction of a vintage postcard .
It will be for sale over on my sales blog at  www.1craftywoman.com

I feel like i have been trapped in a box the last several months .....I had a lovely road trip yesterday and just getting out and driving couple 100 miles let me realize i didnt have to be trapped in" my little box of drive to work ...drive home ..drive to work..drive home ..." Seems that has been my whole life the last few months. My job is WAY mindless and boring so to bring it home with me is WRONG on way too many levels !!!

My creativity has way suffered among other things ....... this morning i woke up and went in the craft room for a day of  creativity ........I so hoped anyhow .......Well didnt work at first.......i just stared at my beads and supplies. So i found a dvd of Burn Notice I hadnt watched yet and immersed myself .I really like Bruce Campbell who plays Micheal Westons sidekick "Sam". 5 hours later i was ready to actually create a necklace .. 

Western and cowgirl images

I like these western images alot and plan to use them soon in some necklace designs .

Cut and Paste Saturday ............

It has been one of those weeks that i needed to just mindlessly cut paper and watch movies all day Sat ... So i enjoyed several discs of Burn Notice and cut and glued images for my new necklaces ..

I haven't had alot up for actual sale last several months as i had about 2 doz pieces for a donation i had to finish up. Now that is out of the way so i can work on ones to sell.
I created a second little wire wrap horse also. I will use her in a necklace instead of a ring . This gold buckle i may use in a design. It is not too heavy and i am drawn to it :)

Journals I am making ..............

I went on a search for a journal to give a dear friend as a gift .........however there wasnt a journal to be found that I actually liked. So i experimented on a notebook of mine i keep with bills and then my diary............they came out great. I used some Laurel Hamilton notecards for the pictures and then modpodged them to the books.  Since it turned out well I plan to buy a blank journal and fix up the one for a gift next..............

Garden and stuff

It has been a busy month with the garden and my mundane job .Hasnt been alot of time for the computer or even crafting .

With all the rain we had in May i had to replant the corn 3 times and then the  chipmunks and rabbits kept eating the bean and squash seedling. I solved that problem for now by putting flour over them all ........course i replanted them all 3 times before i figured out the flour ..plus I have been putting all my onion peels out on edges of the garden. That has seemed to also help.I spent this week making pillowcases from scraps. I had alot of cat fabric pieces in 1 yard cuts that made up nicely in a pillowcase. I dont care if they match or not.I originally had been saving them to make a cat fabric quilt but i needed pillowcases instead . I prefer a wild mix of color in my bedroom.Once i used the cat fabric  all up i just pieced together blocks and strips into other pillowcases. 
It will soon be Monday and time to go back to work . This weekend has flown by way too quickly..

I need to organize prizes for another blog contest .thinking maybe 2 winners each get a pair of earrings . I know i have some i can use :)

Lady riding sidesaddle necklace

I finished this design up today . I like the look of the red coral and the turquoise chips with the vintage image of the lady riding a gaited horse sidesaddle .......This design will be up for sale at http://www.1craftywoman.com

Display for necklaces

I may have a small festival this summer to merchant at .....so i needed a simple display for my necklace designs. This is actually a plant stand .......but it will be perfect to hang my designs on and then sit in the middle of my card table ...........Simple but very effective :)

Handmade Wire Wrapped Horse Ring

I was inspired to create this purple wire wrap ring today ..........not really sure the "why" .but i was out working in the garden and it was all grey and gloomy out. I needed something fun and whimiscal to cheer me up ....

After i did the wire wrap I took a ring blank that i had laying around and used glue to attach the horse. It hasnt dried yet so that is why the middle of the horse is white...... it will dry clear in 24 hrs .I have the ring on a piece of pipe to hold upright till it is dry.......