Home at last.....

I am finally back among the living. 

It seems like I hit the ground running and haven't been able to get my feet back on the ground again. 

I had such a lovely time on the Royal Caribbean Voyager cruise, meeting so many wonderful woman and terrific beaders.  The teachers were fabulous!!!  Marcia DeCoster and Jean Campbell were delightful to meet and to share with us their wonderful talents.  (That was the only two I got to take lessons from.) There just wasn't enough time to set in on all of the teachers classes.  I met a great wire artist, Dallas Lovett that became a favorite of so many ladies, including me.  Heather put the classes at such convenient times that I actually got to sleep in a couple of mornings.  Oh, and the food was WONDERFUL!  I did not get to go ashore in Mexico or Jamaica because my feet just wouldn't allow it but I did get ashore for a short while on the

Grand Caymans.  (I have an inflamation on the bottom of both feet.)

What is there about a cruise ship that rocks one to sleep each night?  I have never slept so well as I did on the cruise.  (I needed the rest!)  One day I was beading on the top deck and thought it a bit windy so I went down for a quick nap.  Four and one half hours later I awoke!   I think it must be the rocking of the boat in water that I adored a much needed rest from the worries of the "real life".

My son, Shawn, has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and will go back in for thorough testing in June.  Please keep him in your prayers.  My daughter, Melissa, is still quite ill with the Celiac Disease and fell just before my cruise and is in such pain in her shoulder.  She has torn the rotater in her left shoulder.  She couldn't get into a specialist until this week. 

Life is as good as one makes it so I am determined to "keep on keepin' on".

I miss ya' all and hope to get in the swing of things again. 

I am in the middle of writing directions for a  TILA BRACELET so I must go now.  I have a class on Saturday so I am cutting it close.

Blessings to all,

Sharon

Going a Beading & Cruisin'!!!

Before I leave on vacation Saturday, I wanted to let you see a few of the items I have been working on.  Yes, I am going on a Beading Cruise, March 26th to April 4th!!!  I am very very excited but so busy trying to get my bags packed, beading finished, working two days, and working on cleaning the house before I go.

On the Rocks had this lovely bead that is coral and gold mixed.  It yelled at me until I bought all Donna had.  I made the necklace with a "peacock" amber Swarvoski crystal then used a much smaller "rusty" Swarvoski crystal for the bracelet.  I added a copper pearl between the round crystals.  I wanted to leave the cuff open so stopped at beading just the center then used my scrapbooking ink to shade the ultra suede edges. 

I have been working on this for a couple of weeks.  I took twisted bugles to cover various sizes of pearls.  I didn't have a pattern for this piece so I just beaded until I was satisfied or too tired to continue...lol  I love the pearlized/frosted drops as they pick up the colors of their surroundings.

Last but NOT least, I made three pair of ear rings this morning.  There is an article in April Bead and Button magazine that inspired these by Kimberly Berlin.  I think they will be a fun accent for a casual summer outfit.

Well, the packing is not getting done and I am already tired!  Have a great week.  I know I will..

Sharon

THE WINNERS ARE!!!!

Seven Under Foot

http://sevenunderfoot.blogspot.com/

Has won the Swarvoski Crystal/Swarvoski Pearl Pendant!!!!

Kathy at.... http://www.shawkl.com/

is the second place winner of this pearl pendant!

Theresa of

http://theycallmeganky.blogspot.com/ 

Please send me your names/addresses/and emails.

Thank you ALL for your prayers and support during this trying times.  There are no words to express how much they have ment to me and my family.

God bless each and everyone of you,

Sharon

TIME IS UP AND CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!!!

I am drawing the winning number tonight at midnight in celebration of some really wonderful news.....

My son, Shawn, is out of surgery, just an hour ago! 

The doctor is 75% sure that it is NOT cancer!!!! 

Shawn drinks alot of milk to settle his stomach. 

The doctor said that the lump was a

calcified testical from too much calcium. 

He is in recovery right now and will be going home sometime this evening, if all goes well. 
PLUS... all of the MRI, CAT scans or whatever else they did came back with NO other signs of any kinds of cancer!!! 
How wonderful is that? 
Pretty terrific from a Momma's point of view!!!

I can not tell you how much your well wishes, your prayers, your compassion has ment to me at this time. 

Thank each and everyone of you who left such wonderful thoughts on my post.  It has been the prayers sent to heaven for us that has helped me through this rough time of

not knowing what would be next. 

 I have cried buckets of tears inside and outwardly as you have touched my heart so deeply. 

(What better time to have such a worry than during

 the OWOH giveaway???...) 

People from around the world have been

praying and thinking about us!!!! 

Thank you! 

Thank you! 

Thank you from the very bottom of my heart and soul...and blessings to each and every single one of you. 

I am a firm believer in miracles and prayer and this is

our miracle for the day that will last a lifetime. 

I will forever be grateful to each one of you!

In celebration of OWOH

 and in celebration of YOUR love toward a stranger, at midnight tonight.....

 I will be drawing THREE names

 (a Holy number)...

The jewelry will be all different items,

so get your hearts ready for a blessing from me to you.  I wish I could send a gift to every one but you will know I send each one my love and appreciation.

God bless you and keep you,

Sharon

"BE STILL AND KNOW I AM GOD"

One World One Heart Giveaways, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS MOST OF ALL!!

This is a very very hard post to write. 

But I believe in the power of prayer!  We NEED, WANT and COVET your prayers.  Tonight my precious son, Shawn (37)called to say he has testecular cancer that needs immediate attention.  Via testing his whole body then directly into surgery on February 15th.  I am scared and I need Gods' peace about this whole thing.  I must be strong for him and his beautiful family.  Please please put Shawn on your prayer list.  (My brother is dieing of the same cancer and my father passed away from prostrate cancer a few years ago so the concern is unimaginable.)

Second: I have a daughter that has slowly been starving to death.  She has NO auto immune system left. She is not doing this on purpose and it is not anorexia.  It has attacked her lower and upper colon.  She was wearing size 24 and is down to a size 4-6 now.  It is robbing her of the ability to fight all infections plus making her weak and extremely tired.

See that sweet little girl on the far right well she turned 15 in Nov and has run away twice and found, plus she failed most all of her freshman grades.  Her name is Katiebug, (to her Nana), and she needs our prayers too.  So as you can see my heart is breaking for all of my babies.  Please please please pray for us.  There is just so much one can bare without the Lords' help.

Here is Melissa after loosing 178 pounds.

I was going to post something wonderful about the One World One Heart giveaway.  I HONESTLY wanted to But my heart is just too heavy right now. 

(I HAVE FELT YOUR PRAYERS, GOOD WISHES, AND COMPASSION WHICH HUMBLES MY  SOUL.  THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO KIND AND LEAVING SUCH SWEET COMMENTS.  MY SON WILL HAVE SURGERY FEB 15TH AND I AM SENDING MELISSA UP TO BE WITH HIM IN MY PLACE.  THANK YOU SO MUCH TO LISA FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO CARE ABOUT US!!!)

So this is what I will be sending to you if you are drawn through the random number system.  It is a lovely piece made of pearls and Swarvoski crystals.  Just leave a note and I will get it out as soon as the drawing is over.

http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/2010/12/annoucning-the-fifth-and-final-one-world-one-heart-event-.html

Thank you from: Sharon, Shawn, Melissa, Katiebug and my wonderful daughter in love, Tammy and Ethyn!  I love you ALL so very much,

Mom, Nana and Friend

Unexpected Gift of Love

 A friend of mine, Dawn Hudson, came in to the shop on Saturday and handed me this beautiful stone!  She knows my love of "bling" so I could not just lay it aside, could I? 
I came home and beaded up this lovely stone. 

 What do you think?  Did I do it justice? 

Jill Wiseman had developed this beautiful "Supple Herringbone" rope pattern.  I had been so anxious to find something special to hang on her lovely rope. 
(I made the crystal piece so that I can just slide it off or wear it alone.) 

Thank you, Dawn and Jill for your contributions toward MY favorite 2011 piece!!! 

You know I can not leave well enough alone so I made one in GOLD!  This design is so comfortable!  Several months ago my daughter had given me this daisy made with a marble center.  Again I made it so that it will slide off so that I can hang something else in its place or wear the rope by itself.  (Again, I apologize for the photos...)  Thank you, sweet girl for the gifts you give so generously.  I dearly love you!

Mary DiMatteo had this St. Petersburg chain in Bead & Button a couple of years ago so I dug it out from my pattern stash to make this with 1.5mm cubes and crystals.  It is a fast and easy pattern that I have used numerous times.  I KNOW I will use it again and again very soon!

I have one more thing left to show you that I have done this week....(I hope you aren't too bored yet) 

Another Bead and Button pattern....

this one by Susan Mandel. 

I really like her three deminsional work.  I had this beautiful Swarvoski crystal in a deep purple but could not find just the "right" place for it.  I have started doing some loom beading but it takes so long to load the loom and then to find places to "tuck" the threads.  So my solution is the standard peyote stitch.  Blessings to you all...

Sharon

p.s.  Be sure to join us in the One World One Heart giveaway coming up January 30th!!!  I will be giving something away too so let me know when you stop by.

Cabin Fever

Here is what I have been doing in 2011.

  I have several other pieces done but have not downloaded them from my camera. 

We are in the middle of inventory at "On the Rocks" plus we had an awful snowstorm with ice on Sunday evening.  Georgia has been housebound every since!  Everything was so beautiful yet soooo dangerous.  You see, to alot of people, six or so inches of snow is no big deal but to the fair weather Georgians it is deadly.  We only have 10 snowplows in our county and NO salt, thus we are suffering from cabin fever!  I am from the midwest and 20 inches of snow is not a big deal but not down south. 

I have actually enjoyed not being able to have a place to go.  As you can see I kept busy with beading, cooking and staying in my jammies for three days. 

I however, could not go to the doctors office as they were not open either.  So maybe next week.  Just a quick note to say that this teal wonder is made with the flat glass discs found in the floral departments at Hobby Lobby.  It is a fun and colorful piece.

I have been making a few "open weave" cuffs but this one is my very favorite so far.  I made two other designs for display at work.  But I am keeping this one for myself.  I love cameo's and the colors are "ME".

 This necklace was made up, one step at a time.  The center is a drop stone just like the one hanging from the circle.  I beaded and beaded up around the drop and this is what I came up with.  What do you think?  It is so much prettier than this picture. 

I sorta got hung up on the beaded beads.  I think I made ten or so just before Christmas.  I even made an ornament for my Christmas tree. (The blue one below) They are so fun to create and easy, so easy.

As you can see, I do NOT have cabin fever, I have beaded fever!

I hope you will enjoy seeing the 2011 beginnings.

I made up this "locket" for myself and wore it one time...sold!  Marcy bought it right off my neck! 

 http://queenmarcyoriginals.typepad.com/ 

She is such a dear gal and appreciates/supports other artists like herself.  (When the flap is raised there is a picture inside and I will bet she has a picture of her furry friends inside hers.)

I must go now and try to catch up on my blog buddies.  I hope you will have a creative and blessed week. 

Sharon

Creating sooths my nerves

I actually got to take a class from a pro, Sheilah Cleary!  She taught at our studio a couple of weekends ago and this watch is what I came up with.  It was a fun class and I learned so many hidden secrets from her.

We had a marvelous time and I ended up with this pretty flower necklace.

Well, that got me in "the mood" and I finished my drewsie necklace.  I found the drewsie in a tourist shop in Myrtle Beach this summer.  (It was a refrigerator magnet that I took apart then beaded around.)

What do you think? 

I made a "bale" out of two open triangle designs and added the pearl in the open space.  I then finished it off with a Russian Spiral design. 

Next, because my brain is not working so well I thought I needed a picture of my Grand kids to hang around my neck.  The rope was a trick of the overworked beader.  It took me a couple of hours to even figure out the pattern.  It is red, black and silver which matches the sweet frame.

I made ear rings to match.

I have four other projects finished but was feeling guilty about breaking my promise to get back into the swing again of blogging more often.  I miss you all so much but there are just so many hours in the day and night combined.

I must check on each one of you so this will be a short post, (again).

I pray all is well with you all.

Sharon

ps...thank you for not giving up on me