DECEMBER CONTEST WINNER!!

The winner of the December Contest (and 3 different set of gift cards) is...

LOLA LYNN!!
Congratulations!
Please contact me with your mailing information and I will mail the cards to you as soon as possible.
Thank you to everyone who entered, please check back for the January Contest :)
Meghann

Fabulous Friday

~So Sleepy!~

Today's Fabulous Friday is brought to you by... SLEEP! Yes, glorious, wonderful, restful sleep. I've been so go-go-go the last month that I almost forgot I could sleep (well, that and the Fibromyalgia causes insomnia so it was a double-whammy!). Today we slept. Had lunch. Napped. Had dinner. Sat on the couch and watched TV. Went to bed early (or I will go to bed early - we haven't hit that yet). The dog was knackered. Pure tuckered out by Christmas at my parents' house yesterday. All that attention and turkey from grandmom sure got to her! I don't normally allow 'human food' to e given to my animals, but plain turkey and plain veggies are ok, and grandmom knows this so every few minutes I'd hear, "Shhhh don't tell your mom!" and then I'd hear Arwen munching and licking her lips. Lucky dog! Eating is hard work so she sure needed her naps today :)
We had a great Christmas. sure, the gifts were great (fabulous actually!), with me getting some great books and DVD's, plus a fabulous gift certificate to my favorite gardening store, but it was seeing family again and visiting, catching up and laughing. My mom also does a fabulous table spread with lots of veggies and fruits, cheeses and homemade crackers, and dinner is always divine with her stuffing and turkey so tender you don't ever need a knife. More veggies, followed by the yummy shortbread and fudge that I made ended the evening wonderfully. All in all, it was a FABULOUS Christmas and I am exhausted!

Reminders: the SUPER 50% off sale is still on and more items have been added to the sale!
Also, there are only a few more days to enter the December Monthly Blog contest. It is free to enter and you could win a great prize!
That's all for now, I'm going to have a FABULOUS rest!
Meghann

Thankful Thursday - Merry Christmas!

I had to do it. She was so cute and trying to get my attention that I just HAD to try and get a photo with her in a Santa hat under the tree. It mostly worked! She is looking a little unhappy, but she is still very cute and I am Thankful that I get to share the photo with you!
I am also thankful it is Christmas (what a great coincidence that Thankful Thursday landed on Christmas!!), so that I can see my family, spend time with my husband and dog. I am thankful to all my friends and e-friends for being so great! Thank you to everyone who reads this blog, and thank you to everyone who has a blog that I read - you are great entertainment and I hope you keep on for a long time to come!
I wish you, your family, friends and paws a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!
Merry Christmas!
Meghann

Wordless Wednesday

~A Quilt My Mom Made for Me Last Year~

~The Center~

~Top Corner~

Don't forget about the SUPER 50% off sale in my Etsy Store or the monthly blog contest!
Happy Christmas to all who don't see my blog post tomorrow :)
Meghann

Soulful Sunday

I thought Sundays would be great for something 'Soulful', so from now on, Sundays will be "Soulful Sundays" where I talk about something meaningful.
I put my tree up the first week of December, but I've been trying almost everyday to get Arwen to prick up her ears in front of it for a good photo....this is the best I've been able to do. She always does her 'I'm so innocent and cute look' with her ears back, but if you don't know her, you'd think she was about to attack you, as with her ears back she looks a little scary. Rest assured, this is her friendly look, and she even brought her friend the crab into the photo with her! I decided to do the tree in a burgundy and gold theme, and even managed to find some gold and burgundy ribbon to make bows out of. I really miss Gandalf, who passed away this past November, and putting up the tree reminded me of his absence. I am now able to put the tree up without him trying to climb it, I can put ornaments in the lower half of the tree without knowing that I'll hear a little tinkle-bounce-bounce-bounce in the middle of the night as he would take off the ornaments (even the tied on ones) and chase them around the house, and there is a conspicuous grey patch on the non-washable tree skirt where he would lie and survey us from the depths of the bottom of the tree. All this has really reminded me as to what really matters to me for Christmas - family, friends and paws. I am so grateful to have my husband and dog here for me at home during this season, and I can't wait to see the rest of my family on Christmas day.
I hope you all have a safe, happy and thankful Christmas and New Year!
Meghann
P.S. Even more items have been added to the SALE 50PERCENT OFF Section of my Etsy store so don't forget to check it out!

Fabulous Friday!

~This bracelet will make anyone feel Fabulous!~

I have decided, in the interests of making my blog ideas easier to come up with (okay, we all realize I am creative with crafts, not words!), I am trying to have each day correspond to a theme ie: Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Fabulous Friday, etc. Of course, not being particularly loquacious (I had to throw that in there), I am having a hard time figuring out neat alliterative words that I could use for jewellery blogging on each day. Any ideas?
Today, however, is Fabulous Friday and I thought I'd show you a piece of mine, as well as a creation from a friend of mine, Louise Ingram.
The bracelet above is something I have had the inspiration to create for a long time. I love chainmail, but I wanted to give it a girly (but not too girly) edge. I added over 80 flower shaped shell beads in various colors, with no two shells of the same color being right next to each other (ok, a little finicky, but worth it for the color scheme!). I also made wonderful earrings to match, these with the colors being mirror-imaged for beautiful continuity.

These beads by Louise Ingram of Fireseed are absolutely fabulous in every way. She makes these delightful lamp work glass beads, known as "Monkees" in her workshop in Merrickville. She is almost entirely self-taught, which makes these adorable beads even more fabulous. She also makes the most wonderful cake testers, available on her ArtFire Store, as well as having an Etsy shop, and a few other things going on as well. You can see her website for more details. I have made quite a few pieces with her beads as main components and I have to say that these beads are worth every penny, making my creations come alive with beauty and uniqueness. If you want something Fabulous for a gift or special creation, check out Louise Ingram, the "Glass Queen" as I have now decided to call her :-)
I have more items listed in the SALE 50 PERCENT OFF section of my shop, I do hope you'll check it out, there are lots of GREAT deals! Even items that aren't on sale are always well priced so please check out my Etsy shop for more beautiful, unique items.
Also, don't forget the monthly Contest, ending soon!
Meghann

New Earwires!

~New Earwires!~

I had a really cool request a little while ago - a client wanted to have really cool ear wires for her jewellery creations. She had the idea for them, based on a few other designs, but wanted them in sterling silver, and wanted them bigger than the average decorative earwires (most of them being tiny, and rather wimpy in my humble opinion). These are a few of the fantastic results! I'll be listing these and many more soon, as well as more items in my SUPER 50% OFF SALE. Keep checking the Etsy store for more cool, affordable things!
Meghann

~Another Beautiful Custom Necklace~

Here is another beautiful creation, custom made for a very special friend. She is giving it as a Christmas present, so she will have to remain nameless, but I have to say that this was one bear of a necklace to make, being my first 'woven' piece ever. It did, however, turn out beautifully and I am thinking of ways to make others for sale on my Etsy shop. They won't be quite as ornate though, as this one took many, many hours, lol. This was made using Czech glass seed beads, Czech glass druk (round) beads, tumbled Turquoise nuggets and a turquoise round donut pendant....GORGEOUS!
Of course my SUPER 50% off Sale is still going...and there is still time to have it delivered before Christmas (some areas may need additional postage, so contact me if you are unsure). Of course, at these prices, you can easily afford to get yourself some gifts, and even get a head start on next year's Christmas shopping (remember how you always say you're going to do that???).
Check out my Etsy Store for more items added to the 50% off section daily!
And don't forget to enter the December contest of the month to win a great prize!
Meghann

Best Sale Ever!!

~Insert Fireworks Here~

So I decided to up my sale AGAIN.
Now almost everything in the store is 50% OFF!
I'll be adding more items so keep checking back and remember: it's not too late to have these items mailed to your recipients on time for Christmas!!
Check it out!! www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com
And the deadline for the December Blog contest is quickly coming up so don't forget to enter!
Meghann

Sale-ing a Sale-ing a Sale-ing We Shall Go!

The Buy 2 Get One Free Sale in my Etsy store is still going very well, a few people have taken advantage of the wonderful deals in my shop and have some beautiful, handmade jewellery to give as Christmas presents!
I wanted to give you more, though, so if you purchase over $100 worth of items, after discounts, you'll get a free surprise! All jewellery does, of course, come in a handmade gift box so it is ready for gift-giving - you don't even have to wrap it! I can even send the item directly to the recipient if you would like.
Plus, you don't have the line ups, crabby clerks, and grabby shoppers to contend with (and don't even get me started on the parking!)
Happy shopping, and don't forget to enter the free monthly blog contest to win great prizes ;-)
Meghann

Time to Think of next Month...

~Want to Learn to Make This? You Can - Thursday January 15, 2009!~

Well the first class I taught at The Bead Store in Kemptville was a huge hit. The pendant was finished by the end of the class and the participants got to wear them home! They loved the project and now have some new techniques to add to their repertoire. I had so much fun, so a big thank you to all who came out!
The next project is the one you see above. This is a beautiful nested ring with sterling silver wire and Czech glass beads surrounding a beautiful focal stone, in this case a carnelian melon. This will be taught by me at The Bead Store in Kemptville on Thursday, January 15 from 7PM to 9PM. It will be lots of fun, so I really encourage you to come out and try it. It is a great way to get out of the house and escape those January doldrums, plus it is an affordable project and you'll have a beautiful ring to give away (or keep!) by the end of the class. Check out their website for details: www.rideau-art-beads.com
The SUPER SALE is still going strong in my Etsy Store, so check it out as there are lots of great affordable gift ideas and there is still time to get it mailed to you (or directly to the recipient) before Christmas. See the sale here: www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com :)
Also, don't forget to enter the December blog contest to try and win a wonderful prize! Everyone is eligible, so enter and tell your friends too - you never know...you just might win!
Meghann

The Sale Gets Better!

Alright! The SUPER SALE just got even better! This one is for one week only, starting now:

Buy 2 Items
Get One Item Free!

The third item must be of equal or lesser value to the lowest priced item, and cannot be combined with another offer (not on previous specials, sale or custom items). Hurry - these items are going to go fast!
Shipping may be delayed slightly (2-3 days) due to sales volume.
Hurry to get your shopping done now - there is still time to have it arrive before Christmas :)
Also don't forget to enter the December Blog contest!
Hope you like it!
Meghann

Today's the Day!

It's finally here! Tonight I teach my first jewellery-making class at the Bead Store in Kemptville!
I think there is one more spot open so if you want to learn how to make a wire wrapped donut pendant like the one above, call them to see if you can come too! It'll be lots of fun and a great Christmas present that you get to brag that you made yourself.
Don't forget my SUPER SALE and enter the free December Contest to try and win a great prize!
Don't forget that 10% of the total sales before taxes and shipping go to the charity of the month, Epic Farms
Meghann

December Contest Announcement!

What's your favorite part of this time of year?
Visiting family? Driving around to see Christmas lights? Turkey? Presents? Aunt Mabel's inability to sing carols in tune, making your brother shoot milk out his nose (ok it's early right now and I'm not fully awake yet).
Your answer could win 3 different sets of 4 photo cards, just in time for sending out those thank you's after Christmas and New Year's!
I hope you like them!
Don't forget to check out the SUPER BOGO 50% off sale to get lots of affordable gifts for your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. At these prices, you'll be surprised at how much quality gift-giving you'll be able to do!
Also check out our charity of the month, Epic Farms and see what great things they are doing for horses in need (I always have a soft spot for my 'neigh'-bors!)
Have a great day!
Meghann

Charity of the Month!

~One of the Residents of Epic Farms, Max~

A new month calls for a new charity of the month! Last month, sales weren't that great and only $0.40 was donated to the last charity, so I am hoping that with the run up to Christmas, and with my SUPER SALE going on, we'll be able to help out this charity a little more :)
What is the charity, you ask? Well, I suppose an introduction is in order, so here goes:
Please meet our Charity of the Month for December, EPIC FARMS in Alabama! See their website here: www.epicfarms.com
This is a wonderful, small farm that is still in the process of getting its non-profit status (it takes forever, trust me). They do, however, give a letter on letterhead stating your donation amount if you ask them nicely :)
This wonderful farm, run by a selfless family, comprises of a few rescued horses who are gradually being rehabilitated from various traumas. One horse, name Shadow, seems to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and actually has a security blanket!
With stories like these, I am proud to be helping out in any way possible, so please browse my BOGO 50% off sale and help a charity at the same time as being able to cross people off your gift-giving list!
Also, stay tuned for this month's blog contest.
Happy trails,
Meghann